"Run!" Adrien yelled, right before he grabbed Marinette's hand and started dragging her away. Subsequently, Marinette grabbed Alya's wrist to bring her along.

"NO!" the akuma bellowed, taking a rope from her hip. She swung it towards the running trio, and the weapon wrapped around the designer's ankle. Marinette fell to the ground, accidentally making Adrien and Alya hit it, too.

Before she could even attempt to get up, the cat-themed villain pulled the pig-tailed girl towards her, until she was hanging upside down between the first and second floor. In the process, her school bag dropped to the floor, but thankfully she was able to hold on to her purse.

"You have played with Chat Noir's feelings for the last time, Marinette Dupain-Cheng!" The girl hanging by the rope furrowed her eyebrows.

"Charline?!"

"NO! That's Chatte Noir for you!" the akuma corrected, irritated.

"I'll go get help!" Marinette heard Adrien say down on the first floor, and brought down (up?) her gaze just in time to see him run off to the school's exit.

"Let her go!" Alya demanded. Marinette turned to her in surprise. "She's not with Chat Noir. Those're just rumors!"

"LIES!" Chatte Noir pointed a finger to the young reporter. "I saw Margot and Dorian's show this morning!"

"Those two make stuff up all the time!" Alya retorted, exasperated. "Their show is a joke. They wouldn't know real journalism even if it hit them in the face."

"I heard the audio! My poor Chat Noir sounded so heartbroken."

"Your Chat Noir?" a voice on the opposite site of the courtyard called. Perched on a railing of the second floor was the real cat-themed hero, with a smirk plastered on his face. "Sorry lady, but this cat's loyalties lie with someone else."

"Chat Noir!" the akuma squealed and clasped her hands together. But in doing so, she accidentally let go of the rope holding Marinette. The girl crashed with a loud thud and a squeak, with no one able to get to her on time.

A few ooo's and ouch's were heard from several corners of the school, while Chat Noir winced.

"You okay there, Princess?" Chat called.

"Are you seriously calling me that now?!" Marinette responded as she rubbed her lower back.

"She's no princess!" Chatte Noir intervened. "She's a low life tramp who two-times famous boys. She doesn't deserve cute names!"

"Jeez, why do you have to yell everything," Chat complained, using his index fingers to cover his ears. In the meantime, Marinette untangled what she now realized was a jumping rope from her ankle. This has to be where the akuma is.

"Psst, Alya," she whispered. The redhead turned to her. "Keep her distracted."

Alya gave her a thumbs up and a wink. "Yeah. Princesses don't yell. Maybe you can pass off as an evil stepsister," she yelled at the villain.

Chatte Noir growled at the insult. Her attention was directed at the young reporter now.

"It's evil stepsisters the ones who go around hurting others," she snarled. Alya retorted once again, but Marinette didn't get to hear the rest. She managed to get away towards the restrooms. The second she made sure there was no one inside, she unclasped her purse.

"I'm pretty sure you heard all the commotion," she said to the little red creature.

"Should have known it would be a matter of time," Tikki lamented. Marinette sighed.

"I guess. But now is not the time to ponder on that. Tikki, transform me!" A flash of pink light invaded the room, and left Ladybug standing in all her power. Like many other times, she jumped out the window and swung to the rooftop of the school. She ran until reaching the hole that was the courtyard. But the scene she found was not exactly what she expected.

For how long was I transforming?

Chatte Noir was jumping around in circles, while Alya was holding for dear life to the end of her rope, all the while Chat Noir was running after them both.

"Alya, let go!" he called to the redhead.

"I know the akuma is in her rope!" she yelled. Right then, the villain fiercely flung her weapon, once again trying to shake off the unwanted holder.

"Get off!" she screamed in frustration. Chat tried to grab at Alya, but Chatte tugged on the rope just in time to avoid him. Ladybug couldn't help but slap a hand to her face. She really needed to have a long talk with Alya about getting too involved in akuma attacks.

A sudden yelp made her come out of her annoyance just in time to see Alya flying through the air. The spotted heroine barely made time to gasp. Her yo-yo lodged itself to one of the railings, allowing her to swing to save her friend. Her arm caught the journalist by the waist and dragged her to a spot away from the fight.

"What were you thinking?!" she blurted out.

"The akuma is in the rope!" Alya pointed towards the enemy. "I just know it!"

Ladybug slammed her hands on the girl's shoulders. "I appreciate the help, but you could have gotten seriously hurt. Please, don't do that again."

Alya blinked, but Ladybug didn't wait for a response. Instead, she turned on her heels and ran towards the cat fight on the other side of the school. Chatte Noir was using her rope like it was a whip, trying to slap Chat with it. Unlucky for her, the hero kept dodging and blocking her attacks with his baton, which had been split in two.

"Hey!" Ladybug called, throwing her trusty yo-yo and managing to entwine it with the end of Chatte Noir's jumping rope. "Chat, I need you—whoa!"

The akuma pulled on her rope, making Ladybug stumble forward, and the yo-yo loosen off Chatte Noir's weapon. Almost immediately, Chatte waved her rope, but Ladybug rolled just in time to avoid the whip-like hit. The hero had to dodge two more times, until in the third one, she started spinning her yo-yo and blocked it instead. Chatte Noir growled.

"Stop moving!"

"But we'd lose," Chat automatically retorted. "That would be a catastrophe."

Ladybug groaned. That one was really bad.

"Give it up, Chatte Noir!" the spotted hero said with determination.

"No!" And with no other words, the villain wrapped the end of the rope to a railing and pulled herself up to the school's roof. Ladybug was about to follow, but was stopped by a clawed hand on her wrist.

"Where's Marinette?" Chat Noir looked around as he asked.

"Uh-She's safe," Ladybug nervously answered, pulling out of his hold. "Let's go Chat. We can't let her get away." With a swing of her yo-yo, she pulled herself up to the school's roof and started running across rooftops after the fanatic akuma. Chat Noir quickly followed her.

They jumped, dropped and slid from one building to another, using their weapons to cross larger gaps. Suddenly, a rope tightened in front of them. While Chat Noir managed to dodge it in time and slip under it, Ladybug did not have the same luck.

Her face smacked right onto the imposter's weapon, making her fall on her back. Again.

"Ladybug!" Chat called back.

"Ugh, this really isn't my day," Ladybug muttered, rubbing her nose. As Chat Noir helped her up, the rope loosened, and Chatte Noir jumped from behind a chimney, landing ahead of them.

"Come on, chaton," the akuma stretched her weapon between her hands. "I'm on your side here. I'm only defending your honor."

"Okay, no," Chat Noir raised a finger, while his other hand landed on his hip. "Sorry lady, but only two women in my life get to call me that, and you are neither."

"Aww," Ladybug gushed, placing a hand on her chest. "So kind, chaton."

"Kind enough to earn me a kiss?" Chat wiggled his eyebrows and leaned towards her, puckering his lips. Ladybug's giddy look quickly turned into a deadpan one, as she placed two fingers over his mouth and pushed him away.

"Aaand you ruined it," she stated, receiving a chuckle from Chat in return. "Come on. Let's show her what it takes to be granted the honor." With her yo-yo spinning, she ran head first towards Chatte Noir, followed by her partner, all the while ignoring the growing heat on her cheeks.

The cat-themed villain wasted no time in jumping out of the way. The rope shot like a whip to Ladybug, but was deflected by the spinning yo-yo. In the meantime, Chat tried to get her from another angle, but the attack was dodged. Despite that it was two against one, Chatte Noir was very agile. It was like fighting a combination of their powers: Chat Noir's agility with Ladybug's weapon skills.

After a while of forth and back, the rope wrapped itself around Chat's baton, while Ladybug's yo-yo wrapped around the rope. The three started pulling, but made no difference.

"Why are you two defending that tramp?!" Chatte huffed with annoyance. Ladybug was about to retort, but her partner beat her to it.

"Stop calling her that! You don't know a thing about Marinette!"

"I know enough to see that she doesn't deserve you!"

"You shouldn't believe everything you hear," Ladybug calmly responded. Now Chatte Noir's attention was directed to her.

"I thought, of all people, you would understand, Ladybug. She stole your man!"

"Yeah, she wishes." Ladybug chuckled. Then she paused, eyes startled at her own words. "Wait, what?"

But whatever epiphany she was about to have was interrupted, as the akuma took advantage of the momentary distraction to launch forward. She kicked Chat Noir's baton and managed to loosen Ladybug's grip. Once freed, she started running again. Without hesitation, the two heroes followed, all the way to the park near Marinette's house.

When they landed, Chatte Noir was standing in front of their statue. Ladybug frowned.

"Enough is enough. Lucky Charm!" The yo-yo worked its magic, and from the ladybugs emerged what looked like a paper butterfly. She frowned. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"I thought we were supposed to be getting rid of butterflies, not creating them," Chat couldn't help but comment. Just then, the rope wrapped around Chat's baton and pulled him forward, prompting the hero and the akuma to engage in battle again. Ladybug took the opportunity to try and figure out the object on her hand. She noticed the bottom wings were a bit odd.

That's when she realized what it was. Her eyes quickly darted across the park, noticing a man drinking coffee from a thermos, and then the large fountain.

I got it.

"Chat!" she called to her partner as she ran to the man with the thermos. "Sorry, sir, I need this," she grabbed it, despite the man's protests, and threw it at Chat, who caught it by instinct. Then, she whistled at Chatte Noir. "Hey! Isn't it contradictory to be fighting who you claim to love?"

Chatte Noir huffed, before she leaped backwards, away from Chat.

"Our love is stronger than any fight can break," the blonde stretched the rope between her hands.

"For goodness sake," Chat quietly groaned, but both girls ignored him.

"Don't flatter yourself," Ladybug retorted, a little sharper than intended. But thankfully, it got the effect she was hoping for. Chatte Noir launched, trying to wrap the rope around her. The heroine dodged just in time, all the while winding the butterfly toy in her hand. They were closer to the fountain. But not close enough.

"Is that all you got?" she provoked the akuma. Chatte ran head first, but Ladybug dodged once again.

She took a quick glance at Chat Noir, who instantly got the message. He threw the thermos behind Chatte, just as Ladybug let go of the toy butterfly, which fluttered on the villain's face. The sudden object made the cat-themed villain stumble backwards and slip with the thermos, making her fall inside the fountain. The girl released a loud hiss, like a cat in an alley dumpster.

"Cataclysm!" Chat Noir yelled, instantly grabbing the rope and throwing the other end of it to Ladybug. The spotted heroine caught it and pulled, making the weapon shatter to ashes and release the akuma. As it was custom, Ladybug purified it and set it free. The butterfly toy was thrown into the air, and all property damage was repaired, along with a very confused Charline.

"Bien joué!" The heroes bumped their fists in their celebratory ritual.

"What happened?" a low voice from behind them uttered. The two turned to find that the victim was still sitting on the floor. Ladybug was about to walk to her, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.

"I'll handle this one," he gave her a light squeeze before letting go and starting to Charline. When he reached her, he offered her a hand. "You were akumatized. But you're safe now."

The girl looked up at him, her face rapidly turning a dark shade of red. Ladybug crossed her arms, her nose scrunching up.

Is he seriously flirting with her? She stubbornly thought.

No, he's just being nice, another part of her brain tried to reason. Yet, for some reason, it bugged her.

Well, she did call me a tramp, she tried to explain to herself. She then saw how Charline had started sputtering about how much she loved and admired Chat Noir. Ladybug couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"This is really just a huge misunderstanding," the spotted hero heard her partner say. "Marinette and I are not together. She's not playing with my feelings like people are saying. Those are just rumors made up for ratings on a program." Ladybug was about to swing away, but Chat continued. "Marinette is actually a very nice person, and she doesn't deserve to be dragged through the mud like that."

Ladybug turned back to them. Chat Noir's tone actually came out… harsh. That was very unlike him. Charline even looked ashamed due to his words. Time to intervene.

"Okay, I think she's got it, Chat," she said, wrapping a hand on his arm. "Don't worry Charline, everything will be fine, but we have to go now."

She pulled her partner away as far as she could. She couldn't shake off the feeling that this was going to start becoming a problem. As flattered as she was that he was defending her honor, it could end up being more harmful than good.

"What was—"

"Chat," Ladybug interrupted, "we're gonna have to talk about this."

The boy blinked. "We don't usually talk about common akumas."

"Not her. About your… press situation."

"Oh, that." Chat Noir scratched the back of his head. A move which Ladybug was starting to find a bit endearing.

"Meet me at the usual spot at seventeen-thirty."

"Actually, I have an appointment at eighteen hours," Chat interjected. "It may be cutting it a bit close."

"Don't worry, I'm sure it won't take long. See you later, chaton." And with a wave of her hand, she was on her way back to the school. She barely reached a hidden spot on the side of it, when her transformation gave away. She cupped her hands so her kwami had a place to land. After a quick congratulation, Tikki zipped into the pink purse, and Marinette started running into the school. All she had did was step one foot in it, and Alya was suddenly in her way.

"Where have you been?!" The bespectacled girl flailed her arms, both hers and Marinette's school bags hanging off her back.

"Uh-Ladybug placed me in a safe place. But I'm fine, and that's what matters."

Alya placed a hand on her chest. "You scared me, girl. I've been looking all over for you. Class has already started."

The redhead held up the pink backpack for her friend. The pig-tailed girl took it with gratitude, and the two headed to their French class. When they reached the door, Marinette stopped and took a deep breath. At least class would have started when she got in. No break for anyone to say anything. Her shoulders squared, her back straight, and she finally pushed the door open.

The moment the two girls stepped inside, all eyes went to the designer. Marinette tried to simply ignore them. Pretend they didn't exist. By looking at the floor.

"Marinette, Alya, please take your seats," she directed them. The two friends didn't need to be told twice. Not a moment had passed before they quietly went to their desks. It wasn't until they were taking out their tablets that Marinette noticed something was missing.

BAM

The door to the classroom slammed open, and a frantic Adrien ran through it.

"Miss Bustier! I need help! I can't find Marinette!" he blurted out, his green eyes wide, focused on the woman in front of the class. She gave him an amused look, before pointing towards Marinette's desk. Adrien's puzzled expression turned into one of relief the moment he noticed the pig-tailed girl.

"Please, take your seat, Adrien."

"Yes, ma'am," he responded, bashfully. He quietly took his seat, purposely ignoring a huff that came from the other desk at the front. Marinette, on the other hand, was doing her best to not gush about the fact that Adrien had been worried about her.

"Dude," he heard a whisper in front of her. "Have you been looking for her this whole time?"

"No!" Adrien responded with a quiet yell. "I-uh…was looking for help. And I found Chat Noir on the way, and-uh…he went to the school. After that, I hid for a while and when I thought it was over, I went looking for Marinette, to make sure she was alright."

Although she heard his entire response, Marinette barely got the second half of the story being told to Nino. Mainly because her brain was looping that Chat Noir and Adrien met! Oh nononononoNO! I hope Chat didn't say something to him!

Her thoughts were interrupted, though, due to a snicker coming from the boy with the red cap.

"Met your competition, eh, bro?" He elbowed Adrien on the ribs teasingly.

"What?! No!"

"Adrien! Do you want to be sent to the principal's office?" Miss Bustier reprimanded the blond.

"Sorry," Adrien was quick to respond, straightening on his seat. When the teacher turned back to the class, the boy scowled at his friend, who was trying to muffle laughter.

"Shut up," he said in a low voice, which only ignited more chuckles from Nino. Marinette internally groaned. This was going to be a lot harder than she thought. Heck, she almost wished for an akuma to avoid all the drama.


Morning classes had felt short that day, thanks to Chatte Noir. The bell rang at the same time as always, but the moment was not like always.

Marinette suddenly found herself surrounded by her classmates, asking questions at the same time.

"What's it like being friends with Chat Noir? Is he really that handsome up close?"

"Have you touched his ears? Do they move?"

"Does his bell make noise?"

"Have you guys had a thing? Because it would be so romantic if you have."

"You think I could take him on? Like on a race?"

"Hey, hey, hey, hey!" Alya intervened, her arms raised. "We've got enough questions from the press, we don't need you guys asking stuff too."

"Alya," Marinette placed a hand on the redhead's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze, "I can't run away from this forever. Besides, they're not press."

Alya gave her a hard look, but nodded in the end. "Just don't screw up."

Marinette nodded back. "Okay. Max," she turned to the bespectacled boy in green, "I have not touched his ears, but they do move. Don't know how, but I doubt there's much science behind it, as opposed to magic. Alix," now she looked at the pink-haired girl, "I wouldn't know. I've never touched his bell. Kim," her gaze went up to reach the tall boy in the red hoodie, "no, I don't think you could take him on a race. Magical suit, remember? And Rose," Marinette directed her eyes to the short blond, but paused.

She had just noticed everyone inch a bit closer. Like it was the question everyone wanted answered. Well, the three questions.

"No, Rose," she finally responded. "Chat Noir and I are not and will not be a thing. We're just… acquainted. But nothing more than that."

"And is he handsome up close?" Rose asked again, her face lit up like a Christmas tree. Marinette hesitated for a moment. It wasn't something she really thought about. Not often, at least. Maybe once or twice. She was also reluctant to answer that in front of Adrien, who was also part of the group listening intently to her answers. But if she didn't answer, they would think something else.

"Well," she started cautiously, "I guess you could say he's handsome in an obvious kind of way, but he's so goofy and ridiculous, you hardly notice." She waved a hand in dismissal.

"I bet you could feel every one of his muscles in that suit," Alix pointed out, to which Marinette's bluebells widened.

"I-I wouldn't know," she lied. Of course she knew. She felt them all the time as Ladybug, and once as Marinette just the day before. She had especially felt his strong back.

"You liar," Alix snickered, along with a few classmates. What the heck?

"Okay, enough questions," Alya started pulling her friend.

"Hey, there's no shame in it," Alix smirked. "He's a superhero after all. I'd be blushing too."

"Blushing?!" Marinette blurted out, her hands clapping her cheeks. She could suddenly feel them very hot.

"You gotta admit: hero trumps model," the pink-haired girl winked.

"I'm right here, you know," Adrien huffed at Alix. Now Marinette could safely assume her face looked like a tomato.

"Oh, pah-lease," a sneer cut through the class like a cold blade, as a spot in the crowd parted when Chloé finally decided to join in the discussion. The air became apprehensive now, tension beginning to rise. "You people are so gullible. Don't you see what Marinette is doing? She probably told that mangy cat to say that she liked Adrien to get attention. What, being called 'The girl who saved Chat Noir'," she made air quotes as she said the last phrase, "was not enough fame for you?"

"That is not what happened," Marinette retorted, her redness no longer of embarrassment, but of building anger. "Chat Noir… I don't know why he said what he said."

"Oh, wait, that's right," the girl with the ponytail gave a fake chuckle. "Because it was you who said something about talking to him on your balcony. Like a superhero would ever visit you."

"Well, for your information—" but Marinette stopped, as a hand squeezed her bicep. She turned to see Alya giving her a pointed look, begging her to be mindful of her words. Marinette took a deep breath and nodded. "For your information, Chloé," she continued in a more subdued tone, "Chat Noir and I have not talked enough to plan anything. Maybe if you had listened earlier, you would know that. And when a person is angry, they can say really dumb things."

"Pah!" Chloé barked, her nostrils flaring. "And doing dumb things is so like you, isn't it?"

A few growls were heard, but the pig-tailed girl barely noticed due to a certain blond stepping between the girls.

"Chloé, that's not nice," Adrien glared at his old friend. "If you have nothing productive to say, maybe you should just leave."

Tiny gasps were heard, and Nino could be heard whispering: "Ooohhh, snap." Marinette was also taken aback. While it was true that Adrien often called her out for being mean, he never told her to leave. Much less like that. Despite the Queen Bee's attitudes, the boy always went easy on her in honor of their years long friendship. Meanwhile, Chloé looked like she had been slapped on the face, a hand on her chest.

"I think I have the most important fact to share here," she snapped, her other hand landing on her hip. "From the looks of it, I'm the only one here who sees the attention seeker for what she is."

"No, you're not," Adrien stood his ground. "You're just being mean."

"Yeah," Nino stood next to his best friend. "Not cool, bro."

"No one's talking to you, four-eyes," Chloé once again sneered.

"Who uses that insult anymore, seriously?" Kim had just stepped up to Adrien's other side, his arms folded over his puffed chest. "Plus, you do realize your best friend wears glasses too, right?"

Chloé gasped and quickly turned to Sabrina, who was standing slightly behind her. The ginger simply shuffled her feet uncomfortably, avoiding the blonde's eyes.

A finger poked Marinette's arm. She turned to see Alya jerk her head towards the exit of the classroom. But the pig-tailed girl hesitated. At this point, Alix and Rose joined in the calling out of Chloé, and a shouting match had started. Although Adrien had become quiet, she still couldn't wrap her head around the fact that he was the one to start defending her.

Alya tugged on her jacket. Reluctantly, Marinette followed. Once they were walking in the hallway, Alya started speaking.

"From now on, keep your mouth shut unless I say so." Marinette scowled.

"I think I did pretty well," she defended herself.

"Sure." Alya arched an eyebrow. "Until you started blushing."

Marinette sputtered and halted so suddenly, she almost fell face-first to the floor.

"I was not!"

Alya sighed. "Sure." She then kept walking like it was nothing. Marinette huffed before she started marching alongside her best friend. For the rest of the afternoon, she continued to try and convince her that she had not been blushing.


His father needed to speak to him. Of course his father needed to speak to him. Adrien didn't even need to be told. From the moment he saw Nathalie standing in front of the school after classes were over, he knew what was coming. So Adrien cautiously walked into his father's study. He was pretty sure he knew what this was about. After all, he did get himself into this mess, both as Chat Noir and Adrien.

"You called, father?" Adrien watched the man carefully.

"It has come to my attention that you have become the most recent target of the tabloids." Gabriel showed no emotions in his eyes. As always, he handled it with grace.

"Yes," Adrien confirmed.

"I believe they have placed you in a… love triangle of sorts with Miss Marinette Dupain-Cheng and the superhero Chat Noir," he spoke softly. Adrien furrowed his eyebrows.

"You remember Marinette?" he couldn't help but ask.

"Of course I remember," Gabriel answered in a matter-of-fact tone. "I've been keeping an eye on her ever since she won the derby hat contest, as a potential future designer for my company."

"Right," Adrien deflated. So much for his father becoming interested in his friends.

"I'm sure you're aware of how this makes us look in the public's eye," he continued in a firm tone. "It is not something I tolerate."

Adrien could feel his stomach dropping. He didn't like where this was going.

"I know," he whispered.

"Adrien, we cannot afford any distractions at the moment," he paused, but the boy didn't respond, so he continued. "And for that, I don't want you to be seen with Miss Dupain-Cheng anymore."

"What?!"

"This could ruin not just the company's reputation, but yours and that of this family. It's best to stay out of business that doesn't concern you."

"But… she's my friend," Adrien tried to reason. Gabriel was quiet for a moment. He took a deep breath and said: "You should be more careful of who you choose as your friends."

Adrien didn't need to be told anything more. He knew that no matter how much he insisted, his father would not budge. If anything, it would probably make it worse. So instead of arguing, he turned on his heels and left to his room with his gaze downcast. His leaving was so sudden, he never noticed how his father sighed as he left.

The second the door to his room shut, Plagg zipped out of his over-shirt and looked at the boy.

"We're leaving, right?"

Adrien smirked as he dropped his school bag. "Yeah. Plagg, transform me!"


When Chat Noir landed on the rooftop he and his partner usually went to discuss strategies and other things, Ladybug was already waiting for him. It was a building with a flat roof. Comfortable for them to pace around it, and sometimes spar, if needed.

"You're late," she teased. Chat Noir shrugged.

"Sorry. Got held up. But I'm here now." He grinned. Ladybug gave a quiet sigh.

"Well, you're here. That's what matters."

There was a beat of silence. So the boy decided to break it.

"So, is this our first date?" Chat waggled his eyebrows. "Because if it is, I know much nicer rooftops."

"Knock it off, this is serious," Ladybug reprimanded him, but despite seeming to be serious, Chat noticed a bit of amusement in her tone.

"I know," he responded, grinning. "I'm trying to put it off at least a little longer."

Ladybug groaned and rolled her eyes. "We still have to talk about it, might as well get it over with."

Chat pouted. He slumped to the floor and crossed his legs and arms. Ladybug did the same, except she placed her hands on her legs.

"Chat—"

"Before you start," the boy interrupted, "I need you to know that Marinette never meant to slip up, and it was partly my fault for showing up to the interview and arguing with her, live. She'd never do something like that on purpose."

Ladybug simply stared at him for a moment. Finally, her lips curled into a warm smile, which made some of the tension he was feeling melt away.

"I'm sure she's a trustworthy girl. I trusted her with The Evillustrator, remember?"

Chat smiled at the memory. Of course he remembered. That was the first time he had a close interaction with her as Chat Noir. She was the one who got the idea on how to get out of the glass case the akuma trapped them in.

Huh. Seems like Marinette has a thing for saving the day.

"Anyway," Chat was yanked from his thoughts as the spotted heroine continued, "I wanted to ask you to be careful."

He blinked. That's it? That can't be it…

"I wanna make sure that you know what you're doing, and that you're willing to do what needs to be done to fix this."

I don't like where this is going.

"What are you saying?" he asked her. Ladybug's eyes turned sad. The shift in her mood made his eyes widen. "You want me to stop seeing her, don't you?"

"I didn't say that," Ladybug quickly responded, but Chat was not convinced. Just because she didn't say it, it didn't mean she didn't imply it.

"But that's what you mean, isn't it?" He could feel his temper wavering.

"Chat," Ladybug placed a hand on his shoulder, "all I'm saying is that you should prepare for anything, even if it means making a sacrifice or two."

There was a pause with a scowling Chat Noir. He tapped one of his fingers under his arm, until at last, he stood up, making Ladybug's hand slide off.

"Fine," he responded. "Are we done?"

Ladybug seemed to be taken aback with his tone. He knew there was a rude undertone in his voice, but at the moment, he didn't care. He was angry. Yes, he knew she had good reason to say the things she was saying, but the timing was awful. He couldn't help but mix it with his father's words. Ladybug stood up too, with a sad smile on her lips.

"I'm just looking out for you," she said softly.

"Thanks, Ladybug, but I gottit covered," he snapped. He could see his partner frown, about to retort, but seemed to reconsider. Instead, she took her yo-yo and readied herself to jump.

"Just be careful," and like that, she swung away.

A growl rose up from his chest. What does she know? he thought. It's not like she's the one on the spotlight right now. And it's not the same as dealing with the rumors of just superheroes. I bet Marinette wouldn't suggest staying away from each other, too.

Huffing one more time, he started to Marinette's house.


Chat Noir sat awkwardly on the chaise, trying to figure out what to do with his hands. Should her put them together? Should he keep them over his knees? He was too conscious to make a decision. He could feel three pairs of eyes scanning him, as if he were some foreign object they were responsible for.

He took a quick glimpse to his left, where Marinette was sitting, but was too aware of the others staring at him. He hadn't known the meeting was going to include Marinette's parents. The fact made him slightly nervous. Absentmindedly, his hands started lightly slapping his thighs, trying to create music. What music? He had no idea, but at least it wasn't so quiet anymore.

Oh please, say something! He internally screamed.

"Sooo," Alya started. Finally! "Chat Noir…" she trailed off. Suddenly, she got up from her seat with determination. "You know what: before we start, there's something I need to do."

"Oka—Ow!" Chat yelped the moment a powerful fist struck his arm.

"That's for outing my friend on live radio," she reprimanded him, her hands on her hips.

"So violent," Chat found the courage to joke. Sure, the punch didn't actually hurt, but it didn't stop him from being scared of the redhead.

"Me? Violent? You fight villains all the time," she scoffed.

"Yeah, but they're villains, and I'm a superhero," he reasoned. "It's part of the job description."

Alya huffed one more time before taking back her seat.

"So," Marinette tried to better the atmosphere, "Alya, what is this grand plan you have for us?"

"Well, I'm glad you asked," the redhead was suddenly back to her cheery, upbeat self. "First things first," she clapped her hands with each word. "You two need to straighten out your stories. We can't risk you two telling something different, if you get interviewed separately."

"Easy," Chat nodded. "I lie all the time to hide my identity."

Everyone stared at him for a moment. I really need to learn need to keep my mouth shut sometimes.

"Rule number one: learn when to talk and when not to," Alya deadpanned, earning a sheepish grin from the cat-boy. "Mari, Chat, I'm gonna ask you a series of questions that you may get asked, and you two settle on a story. But not too complicated."

"I don't know how comfortable I feel about our daughter learning to lie," Tom muttered, his arms crossed.

"Pappa, this is an emergency. I wouldn't do it otherwise," Marinette reasoned. Tom merely sighed, clearly not liking the idea, but feeling he had no choice but to play along.

"First question: when did you two first meet?" Alya started her questionnaire. Both Chat Noir and Marinette pondered. Chat couldn't help but think of the gum incident on his first day of school, but he knew that was Adrien's story. As Chat, it was…

"The Evillustrator," Marinette pointed out. She then went on to tell how Ladybug had given her the mission, how Chat Noir had protected her and how they failed to get the akuma.

"Chat?"

"Yeah, that sounds about right," he leaned back on the chaise. "All that is actually true, so no need to lie there."

"Well, that's one headache down," the redhead placed a hand on her chin. "Next question: how often have you seen each other since then?"

Chat exchanged a look with the pig-tailed girl next to him. Before Entangler, not much, but after her, every week. Even more these last few days. Yeap, here come the lies.

"N-not much, really" Marinette stuttered. "He's saved me a few times, b-but that was about it. Oh, and the times I saved h-him."

"Rule number two," Alya raised two fingers, "control your stuttering. They'll be able to tell you're lying if you keep doing that."

Marinette fiddled with her fingers, slightly dejected. In the meantime, Alya motioned Chat to answer the same question.

"We really haven't seen each other much," he responded with more determination than his partner in crime. "Just enough for me to notice she's a total damsel in distress."

Marinette huffed. "Pfft, a damsel in distress who's saved your butt twice."

Chat chuckled. "And how many times have I saved you? Four?"

"Three," Marinette corrected.

"Alya begs to differ."

"Alya was possessed at the train station."

"Ah, so I can say I rescued you anyway."

"You can say it, but it won't be true."

"What about today?"

"I wouldn't call 'Chatte Noir getting distracted by her love for you and letting me fall' a rescue."

"OKAY!" Alya interrupted them. They quickly straightened on the chaise with her outburst. "Rule number three: control your banter. Both of you."

Chat Noir and Marinette looked at each other in bewilderment. The redhead's eyes went wide, giving them and incredulous look.

"Do I really need to spell this out for you?! What do you guys think got you in trouble?"

The gears in the boy's mind clicked into place. While it did end up as an argument back at the studio, it started off as banter. Banter with which he responded to Marinette's angry remarks. It was after that that Nadja played the short exchange they had before the second rescue. The two of them basically had no filter when they hung out.

The two sighed at the same time.

"Okay, I see your point," he conceded, his cat ears drooping.

"Cool, they do move," Alya suddenly commented, distracted. Chat furrowed his eyebrows, but the journalist cleared her throat. "Moving on."

Alya continued making all kinds of questions reporters could ask them about their history. The two agreed on not hiding whatever happened before Entangler, since it wasn't really of big consequence. They decided that the meet they had after Entangler, the watering can incident, had been the longest conversation they had had.

They came up with the idea that in that conversation, Marinette had mentioned an outfit Adrien wore for a photoshoot, and kept going on and on about it, which Chat mistook as her liking the guy. They even planned for Marinette to rebut that publicly and 'clear up' that it was the fashion line what she had been smitten over.

It was a blatant lie, but they had to deny the crush one way or another. And it seemed the best way to do it. Both of Marinette's parents agreed to help out, and even made a few suggestions, in case they were interviewed too. As for Chat's nickname for the designer, they all agreed on the truth: that had always been his nickname for her. And after saving her several times, it stuck.

"I think that's about it," Alya closed a notebook she had taken out during the conversation. "Just three more things: one, we're gonna have to work on the way you express yourself; two, I suggest avoiding more visits, especially during daytime; and three, we may need to discuss some of this with Adrien, just in case."

Chat couldn't help but notice how Marinette stiffened at the mention of his alter-ego. He had to fight to avoid letting out a snort.

"Do we have to?" she groaned.

"Yes. And I think he's used to the attention, so I'm sure he'll understand," Alya waved her hand in a matter-of-fact way. You got that right, Chat couldn't help but mentally respond. "Well, I gotta go then. I'll see if I can set up a few interviews and start getting this ball rolling."

"Thank you, Alya," Marinette called out to the redhead as she was heading out. Alya gave her a bright smile.

"What are best friends for?" she winked and left through the trapdoor.

"I'm going to get dinner started," Mrs. Cheng announced, going down the trapdoor too. Meanwhile, Tom stood his ground.

"What about you?" he directed to Chat Noir, arms folded over his large chest. The hero's fake ears perked up, and he could have sworn even his tail stood on end for a moment. He knew Mr. Dupain was a nice person, but at that moment, he felt like he probably wasn't at best odds with the man.

"I-I'll be heading out, sir," Chat responded almost too quickly, standing up, ready to march out of the room.

"Pappa," Marinette quietly groaned, a palm on her face. "I'll see him out." She assured him, as the two teens headed up to the balcony latch. Before Chat went up though, he noticed Tom point two fingers to his eyes and then to Chat, letting the boy know that he would be watching him.

The teen gulped, just before hopping up to follow Marinette. Of course, he didn't get to see Tom chuckle when he was out of view.

"Your father scares me," he confessed, his cat-ears drooping. To his annoyance, he received a snicker from the pig-tailed girl.

"He's just teasing," she tried to assure him. "He may be big, but Pappa wouldn't hurt a fly. And I think he actually likes you. He wouldn't tease you if he didn't."

Chat's heart fluttered at the idea of Marinette's father liking him.

"Anyway," Marinette turned to a more serious tone, and Chat couldn't help but suddenly feel wary. "I wanted to talk to you about your visits."

No, he thought. Please don't say what I think you're about to say.

"I really enjoy them, even more than I thought I would. I've had some of my best times just hanging out with you up here. But," her voice turned somber. Her gaze went somewhere far off. "Maybe… Maybe you should stop visiting," Marinette said, quietly. "For real this time. Maybe this was a bad idea after all."

Chat Noir's heart stopped. He felt like someone had just dropped a bucket of cold water on him. First his father, then Ladybug, now her? Well, it is the right thing to do. He knew that.

He just didn't care.

He didn't want to stop seeing her, neither as Adrien or Chat Noir. It's not fair. Why should he give up a friend because of some stupid gossip? Those idiots didn't know what they were talking about. They had already messed enough as it was, and he'd be damned if he let them ruin his friendship with Marinette.

"No," he whispered, his voice somewhat hoarse. He hadn't even meant to speak at all; it just came out.

"What?" Marinette responded in surprise.

"I don't care," he spoke with more determination this time. He'd gotten this far, might as well go all the way.

"Chat…"

"No, I don't care," he raised his voice. "I'm sick and tired of my life being controlled. I'm tired of being kept in this stupid little cage because of what others might say. I can say all you guys need to the press and I can pretend we don't know each other in public. But I will not be controlled by it. And I'm not giving you up!"

Marinette stood surprised for a moment, but it quickly turned into a scowl.

"This isn't just about what people might say! You saw what happened today. We actually created an akuma. Not only that, but she targeted me directly. I wouldn't be surprised if it happens again. This is about being safe!"

"I'll protect you!" Chat placed his hands on her shoulders, much like he did that very morning on the other side of the mask. He bit his lip and looked away from her eyes. "It's not fair that I get to lose one of the few friends I have because of other people. It's not fair…"

A part of him was afraid to look back at her, that was a little embarrassed at his little outburst. But another side hoped to see something reassuring on her. Before he could decide, though, a soft hand grazed his jaw.

"Oh, chaton," she whispered. "I know it's not the most ideal situation, but it may be for the best."

You've gotta be kidding me…

The boy could feel something inside him start to crumble. Something breaking…

"No," he snapped this time, making Marinette take a step back, her hand falling back to her side. "What about what I want? I know, I got myself into this mess, but why is it that I'm the one who has to make the sacrifice?"

"You think you're the only one making a sacrifice?" Marinette suddenly snapped. At that moment, Chat couldn't find what to do. He got so fed up with people telling him to stop seeing Marinette, he forgot to think about how she felt about it. Now that he looked at her properly, he noticed that despite her determination, her eyes were downcast, and somewhat glassy. Like she was placing all of the strength to not cry.

In a rush to convince her, Chat Noir took Marinette's hands, and softened his tone.

"Marinette, I know that not visiting could be the best way to avoid any more problems, but why should we pay the price for what others are making up? We don't have to break the friendship; we just have to be more careful. Besides," a crooked smile formed on his lips, "how would we keep our stories straight if we don't keep contact?"

Marinette gaped at him, while he anxiously waited for a reply.

"How are you doing that?" Marinette blurted out. Chat gave her a puzzled look.

"Do what?"

"That. Convincing me," the girl squeezed his hands.

Chat snorted. "Are you sure there's not a part of you that wants to be convinced?"

"But it's not what my head is telling me…" Marinette responds absentmindedly.

"It's okay to listen to your heart every once in a while," he spoke softly, a little closer now. Marinette bit her lip, something Chat couldn't help but find a little amusing. He could tell she was having an internal struggle.

Without warning, the girl flung her arms around his neck in a tight hug, which Chat reciprocated almost immediately.

"Thank you, Chat Noir," she whispered into his ear, her breath warm against it.

"For what?" he asked, his heart suddenly beating much faster than before. But she didn't respond immediately, instead holding on him tighter. After almost a minute, she pulled away and gave Chat the brightest smile he had ever seen come from her. A smile that made his heart give a sudden jolt that ran through every one of his veins.

"For being you," she beamed. And in another sudden action, Marinette leaned in and crashed her lips on his cheek.

Chat Noir forgot how to breath. He wasn't sure what it had been: the surprise of the action, or action itself. But whichever it had been, it was clear it left him breathless. When she stepped away, her grin was still in place, as her hands on his shoulders. She had no idea how the interaction had just affected him.

He gulped. "S-so, can I k-keep coming?" He barely got the words out. What the heck? Since when is this so hard?

Marinette gave a determined nod. "Yes. But only after nineteen-hundred hours. Reporters don't seem to hang around once it starts getting dark."

"Deal," Chat Noir nodded back. Now that he seemed to be coming down from the strange daze, he became aware that his hands had slid down to her waist when she pulled away. His breath hitched again.

"I'll see ya?" Marinette snapped him out of his thoughts again, as she lifted a fist and waited for him to bump it. I'm thinking too much, he reasoned in his mind. Of course we're getting closer.

She's my friend.

With a cheshire grin, the boy let go off her waist and bumped his fist into hers.

"I'll see ya, Princess."

With one last wave, Chat Noir leaped off the railing and started his patrol. He still couldn't believe everything that was happening. To think he would end up in a 'scandal' with his classmate. But hey, at least is with someone I trust.

Sure, he knew that continuing his visits may not be for the best, but at this point, there's no way things could get any worse than they already were.


Author's Note: I just want to thank you guys for the wonderful feedback and give a special shout out to white Angel 246 for pointing out Alya's mistake in Chapter 2. It was originally supposed to be addressed in a previous chapter, but I forgot, so I added it to Mari and Chat's banter here. Thank you for the reminder! For updates on my writing, you can follow me on Tumblr by their-destinys-writer.