Hawkmoth Part 2

School. Oh.

Adrien sat in the back of the car, his bodyguard sending him curious looks. Adrien knew he'd have to see her during the day, but how was he supposed to stay close without alerting her to who he was? Should he ask her to lunch? No, too obvious. Maybe some kind of outing with Alya and Nino. He rubbed his forehead. He had another photo shoot today, how was he supposed to get out of that? Adrien silently cursed himself and finally got out. There was no going back: he knew—she didn't. He had to keep it that way.

The steps up to the main entrance had never been so challenging, but each one felt like it squeezed his heart. He had to control his reaction to seeing her. He couldn't let anyone see them act differently. Stay cool, stay collected, treat it like another show. That helped. He sank into his model persona and adopted his polite speech, his careful movements, his grace. He saw Chloe. She jumped up and rushed over, but was cut off by Kagami.

Crap. He'd completely forgot about the psudo-date he had with Kagami. When had he scheduled that?

"Tonight after class, the gym."

Adrien jumped when Kagami spoke. Had she read his mind? His heart, already erratic with the stress of last night, did a somersault. "You scared me."

"Have you reconsidered our date?" Kagami's fierce stare made him antsy.

"Actually, about that, I'm happy to study and work together, in fact I look forward to that, but I'm afraid I can't accept it as a date."

Kagami tilted her head to the side while she thought, her dark hair gleaming a little like Marinette's did. Just the thought of her name made his mouth dry out. Today was going to suck. Finally, Kagami said, "I suppose that's agreeable. If you change your mind…" She left the implication. "In the mean time is tonight still available?"

"My father," Adrien coughed when his tongue stalled out, talking about the man like he was just some normal dad, like he wasn't Paris's super villain. "He scheduled a photo shoot tonight. I'm sorry, I can't get out of it."

Kagami shrugged. "Your professionalism is what I admire most. We'll reschedule."

Adrien thanked her, then barely extracted himself from the conversation when Chloe pounced. "Adri-kins, haven't we been friends for ages? You should come out with me sometime. We'll… play, just like when we were kids."

Adrien had to rearrange his expression. Play. Riiight. "I'd love to hang out, maybe we should have another party for the whole class, that way my father would let me attend."

"Fabulous idea, Adri-kins. I'll start planning." Chloe sprang off and listed orders to Sabrina, who took notes like a good assistant. Such a bizarre friendship. Adrien spun back towards class and ran right into Marinette. Surprise more than anything else made him lose balance and he landed ungracefully on his butt.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry!" Marinette reached out to help. All he could do was stare. No words came. No thoughts even entered his brain, just a dull panic with a noise like a balloon rapidly deflating filled his head. "I thought I'd be late and so I ran and then I slipped and now I'm rambling again. Ugh, so uncool." She grit her teeth and looked skyward like she hoped divine intervention would save her.

"I—" holy miraculous he was talking to Ladybug. No! He was talking to Marinette. As Adrien. "I was hoping to run into you."

"You were?" Her eyebrows shot up.

"I wondered if you, Nino and Alya would be free tonight to watch a movie at my place." Crap! He couldn't invite her over, his father would see. Adrien was utterly failing at this already and it hadn't even been a day.

"I love you. IT! I love the idea." She looked more annoyed at herself than anything. It took all of his self control not to react. "Oh, but could we do it at my place instead? I have to, um, help the bakery in my parents and it would be closer for Alya and Nino and then I can cover snacks."

Adrien's lips twitched. She didn't even notice the verbal goof. He let out a long relieved breath and grinned. "That sounds wonderful. I have a photo shoot until six. I'll be by at 6:30?"

"Perfect. I'll get Nino and Alya over."

The bell rang and they both darted off to class. Ms. Bustier stopped talking when they burst in.

"If you set your alarm a little earlier, I'm sure you'd make it on time without disrupting the class. Take your seats and let's start with this morning's affirmations."

Adrien felt himself turn a little pink and was pleased to see Marinette blush as well. They both had a track record of being late and taking off at random. Now he knew why. He sat next to Nino and had to feign searching his bag to hide his smile.

Marinette's nerves were shot. She kept expecting to see some strange man around every corner watching her. Her skin crawled like someone was watching and occasionally she shivered. She was torn between the intense curiosity of knowing who Cat was, and the intense desire to keep his identity safe. The fewer people who knew about them, the better. She'd already screwed up, and she couldn't risk him too. Still, as the school day wore on, she didn't notice anyone out of the ordinary. Either Cat was especially skilled at covert surveillance, or he was hiding in plain sight. Either way, he was probably enjoying the heck out of this. He was seeing the other side of Ladybug, the klutzy, accident-prone high schooler who could barely string her words together into proper sentences. Ugh, she thought about her run in with Adrien and wanted to die of shame. Would it ever be easy to talk to him? Why did she have to still love him so completely? She had intense feelings for Cat, but somehow it was still different than her feelings for Adrien. For that brief moment she'd thought, or maybe hoped, they were the same person, but there was no way. Adrien was a famous model, too busy for time as a superhero, too well known, too genuinely polite.

When the day ended, Marinette met back up with Alya and Nino. They'd agreed to come over right after class, which helped sooth Marinette's nerves. If she stayed around people, then she hoped Hawkmoth wouldn't attack. It did him no favors to out her as Ladybug, not when she had so many allies and him none. Little did he know she'd be surrounded by two of her strongest if anything happened. She sneezed and tripped over an uneven sidewalk.

"Easy girl, one of these days you're going to fall and break something." Alya helped Marinette back to her feet. She sniffled. "You okay?"

"Yeah, my nose just tickles." Marinette brushed herself off. At home she set up Alya and Nino upstairs. "Oh no," Marinette made her voice extra loud so they'd hear.

"Whats up?" Nino asked.

"I left my phone in my locker. I'll run back and grab it. You two okay here for a little bit?"

"Bring us a couple of your dad's cookies and heck yeah."

"Nino," Alya glared. He held up his hands in surrender.

Marinette laughed. "You got it." She tracked down a plate of assorted cookies and delivered them upstairs, then made her excuse and left—her phone nestled where it belonged in her pocket.

"If you wanted to go out after class, why did you invite them over?" Tikki squeaked up at her.

"I need to see Master Fu, but I feel safer with my friends." Marinette took the subway to Master Fu's stop, then jogged to his apartment. Outside his door, she hesitated. She imagined his disappointment, maybe even his punishment. What if he took Tikki away from her? She clenched her purse tight, then opened it. "Tikki, whatever happens, you've been one of my best friends and I love you until the end, okay?"

"Marinette, you'll be okay." Tikki promised, then darted out to snuggle Marinette's cheek.

The door opened, Master Fu startling them. "The hallway isn't the best place to speak. Come in, come in."

Marinette sat with him, then explained what happened. She confessed she took the chance with Cat Noir and her identity, but didn't know his. She even told him that her friends were waiting for her right now and she wondered if she should keep their miraculouses close.

"You've been presented with a difficult situation. I agree with your assessment of the lucky charm. Trusting Cat Noir with your identity was the right choice, but we need to keep you safe from Hawkmoth."

"I don't want to stop being Ladybug. I want to fight for my city."

"And you will. You are Ladybug, now until you renounce the role. You've met with Gabriel Agreste on many occasions. Do you really believe he'd be open to a discussion, rather than a fight?"

"I have to try."

"Then I trust you. You've shown great wisdom and creativity. You were a true Ladybug even before you met Tikki. Don't doubt yourself and be brave. It may be more difficult than you're prepared for."

Marinette stood, then on impulse hugged Master Fu. "Thank you for bringing me to Tikki, for trusting me. I'm sorry I let you down."

He pat her back. "You haven't let me down. Life is unpredictable and never convenient."

Marinette left at a run, caught the incoming train, and scurried back to the house. She'd been gone forty minutes and hoped they didn't notice. When she barged back into her room, Alya and Nino sprang apart from a rather passionate kiss. Marinette hid a snicker.

"I should have taken my time," she laughed at their guilty faces.

"You were gone for nearly an hour, you can't blame me for wanting to snog on my boyfriend to pass the time." Alya straightened her glasses. Nino turned the shade of a beet.

"Adrien should be here soon anyway, right?" Nino said.

"Yeah, let's pick out a movie."

Adrien couldn't stand walking so slow to model the jacket his father selected. It was too warm to be stuck in long sleeves, the photographer's bounce board was too glossy and kept blinding him, and the assistant was as bumbling as Marinette. It was still mind-boggling that Ladybug was as graceful as she was with Marinette under the mask, but the idea was easier to handle when he wasn't in her immediate vicinity.

"Adrien lift your chin. Now walk. Good." Click click. "Darn it Belinda, you have to keep the light on him. Yes. Higher. No not like that!" The photographer was a short man with a bald spot and a knobby nose. He always sounded a little annoyed, but today he was as frustrated as Adrien felt. He continued to shout at his assistant while Adrien craved knowing what time it was. He'd almost kept his phone on him, but it went against his professional code. Then again what did his code matter if something happened to Marinette because he'd been out of touch? Enough.

"I'm sorry Mr. Grange, it seems you're having some technical difficulties. Should we reschedule?"

"My deepest apologies Adrien, my assistant is incompetence at it's finest. I'll see if any of these shots are salvageable and let you know if we need to reshoot."

Adrien convinced him it was fine, then immediately stripped off the stifling jacket and took off to his bodyguard's car. His phone blinked in silent notifications. He set alerts on all major news sites and the LadyBlog, but there hadn't been any new attacks and only one cryptic text from Nino of a face plant emoji, followed by a skull and ghost emoji. Seemed Adrien was missing all the fun again.

"Take me to the Dupain-Cheng bakery please. I have a study group." Adrien's bodyguard nodded and drove him without comment.

Adrien moved as fast as he could without running and went inside the bakery. "Hi Mr. Dupain-Cheng, is Marinette upstairs?"

"You bet. Head on up and I'll bring you something to eat. Any preference?"

"Anything with cheese."

Mr. Dupain-Cheng grinned and waved him up. Adrien climbed the stairs two at a time, then waited just below Marinette's loft, listening for anything unusual. It would be easier to transform before arriving and make an excuse for not showing up as Adrien, than to make an excuse mid-attack ti get away and transform. When he heard Marinette laugh, his heart swelled. She was safe. His Lady, his Princess, was fine. He tapped on the door, then swung it open.

"Hey guys," he forced himself to look at Nino first, then the rest of the room. Marinette sat hugging a pillow to her chest and smiled shyly as he entered. Her cheeks were especially red. Actually her whole face looked a bit flushed. "Are you feeling okay, Marinette?"

"I'm fine, just a little tired, and a little cold actually."

"Girl, do you have a fever? Don't be getting me sick."

"What? No way!" Marinette waved off Alya's glare.

She'd stayed out in the rain. Adrien made her sit on the roof of the stupid hotel while he struggled to process, and now she was sick. He stepped over to her and placed his hand on her forehead. She started, but he wasn't going to let her make excuses. "You're burning up."

"I'll be okay. Let's watch the movie."

Adrien sighed, but Alya spoke up next. "Maybe it would be better to let you get some rest."

"What! No, don't go. I'll sit on the other side of the room if you're worried."

"Honestly if you're sick we've been exposed all day. A couple more hours won't make much of a difference." Nino shrugged.

Adrien held out his hand to help her up. He knew Marinette would be too stubborn to admit she needed rest, but seeing as how he needed to stay around her, he might as well continue with the plan.

They set up the film in the living room. Her dad brought in a variety of savory croissants and scones, and her mom brought drinks and popcorn. Alya and Nino snuggled up on the love seat together, leaving the larger couch for Marinette and Adrien. He wanted to hold her, rest his chin on her head and promise he'd do whatever it took to keep her comfortable, but instead he kept enough room between them to fit another person. She snuggled under a blanket and sniffed slightly. He never imagined Ladybug being sick, or being so…normal, but of course she was. She, like him, had been chosen for this, except Marinette didn't just rise to the occasion, she created a new level of excellence that he as Cat Noir could never live up to. His fans might believe him exceptional as a model, but looks didn't mean he could change the world. Marinette could. She would.

In pretense of reaching for a handful of popcorn, Adrien set his free hand on the couch to lever towards the bowl. His fingers brushed Marinette's. She froze, but when he settled back he didn't move his hand until she did. He apologized and offered her a croissant to cover the moment.

Halfway through the movie, Marinette fell asleep. Alya lay back against Nino, the two of them engrossed in the film. They wouldn't notice if he coaxed Marinette to his shoulder, would they? He excused himself to the restroom, then sat closer to her, indenting the couch enough that she tipped ever so slightly towards him. The screen went black for a moment. Before the light came back, he eased her onto his shoulder. Her head fit against him and in that dark moment he pressed his cheek against her. When the light returned he gave Nino and Alya a surprised what-do-I-do? look. Nino gave him a thumbs up and Alya smirked, then slipped her phone out of her pocket and snapped a shot. He rolled his eyes, then tried to get more comfortable without waking her. In the end, he gave up and wrapped his arm around her back and let her sleep.

When the movie ended, he didn't get up. It was late, well past ten, and Alya and Nino stood to leave.

"Hey Marinette?" Alya nudged her best friend, but when she didn't wake Alya crossed her arms and kicked out a hip. "Looks like she's found the perfect pillow."

"Yeah, I don't think she's going anywhere soon. Sorry dude." Nino didn't look sorry.

"It's no problem. You two head out, I'll get her back upstairs."

Alya's eyes were far too knowing. At best Adrien looked like a great friend, at worst he looked like a love sick fool. Definitely the second one. Alya said goodnight and took Nino's arm, then together they left. He thought he'd have a minute to be alone with her, but then her mother came in, looking comfortable in a modest pajama set.

"Adrien, do you need a ride home?"

"No," he hesitated, then mentally gave up. "But Marinette passed out during the movie. I think she caught a cold."

"Oh no," Ms. Dupain-Cheng felt her daughter's forehead. Marinette stirred.

"Mom? Adrien! I'm so sorry. I didn't drool did I? Oh my God I'm so embarrassed. Where's Alya? Nino?"

Adrien chuckled. "They had to go, I was about to go, too."

"Honey, you've got a fever. You should go to bed. No school for you tomorrow."

Adrien stood. "Thank you for the snacks and hospitality. I'll let you get some rest Marinette."

"Wait, I'll walk you out." Marinette stood, sniffed, sneezed, then sighed. "Okay, maybe I'm sick." She walked with him while her mom disappeared into the back of the house.

At the door Adrien stopped and ran his hand through his hair. He'd be back as Cat Noir, but he wished he could show her the real him. All of him. "Thank you for tonight," he kissed her cheek, then the other, then found it hard to back away from her. They stood too close. He couldn't look away from her lips.

"Adrien… I—"

He leaned in. She backed away. Her breath increased to an alarming rate.

"I'm sorry. You're sick. Um. It was, I was…" Nope. No way to save the moment. He didn't cross the line, he tripped and fell face first into an awkward failed kiss and wanted to kick himself.

Marinette moved her mouth without sound, then cleared her throat. "I…I like you." She shook a little. "But I'm seeing someone. I never thought… I figured you weren't interested in me."

"It's okay. You don't have to worry about it. I'm sure they'll understand what happened." Super sure.

"It's not okay. I don't know what to do. I like him a lot, more than I ever thought I would, but you… I've been i-in love with since we met." She hugged herself and finally looked up at him.

Her words hit him like a gong vibrating through his heart. She'd been in love with him. The person Ladybug loved was…him?

"What's—" Marinette's focus moved past him, then something slammed into his back and he fell into her. They crashed down in the entryway, pain spreading over his shoulders.

"Adrien!" Marinette scrambled out and put her hands on his back. He felt something tear, but whether if was his shirt or his skin he couldn't tell. The pain doubled. He rolled so she was behind him, arms out to shield her. An akuma posed across the street. She looked like an artist gone mad.

"Look at that, Adrien and Marinette in the same place. I'm Byte, now let's recover those photos."