A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the slow updates. To make it up to you, this chapter is a little longer. Be prepared to fangirl. Don't say I didn't warn you ;)😘

Chapter 10: Bugging Out

"Mmmmmphhh," Marinette groaned the next day, feeling around her bed for her phone to turn off her alarm.

"Marinette!" Tikki squeaked as she was almost flattened by one of her blind, searching slaps.

"Sorry," she mumbled, finally discovering her phone amidst the blanket folds and blearily opening her eyes to stare at the offending source of noise.

With a sigh she turned off the alarm and was about to let her phone drop back onto the mattress when she noticed a little notification on the screen.

[New message: Adrien :3-

You're really cool, Mari. I'm glad we're friends. (Heart)]

"Ahhhh!" Marinette squealed, suddenly wide awake. She jolted upright in bed and earned some more grumbling from Tikki who was jostled around in the process.

"What? What is it?" Tikki asked, a little alarmed. "What's wrong?"

She flew up to Marinette's wrist and rested, reading the message.

"He- he- he-"

Marinette could hardly speak. Her face felt like it was on fire.

Tikki suddenly sighed with a knowing smile and flew back to Marinette's pillow.

"Oh, you are hopeless."

Marinette was quivering with excitement.

"What does this mean? Am I reading too much into it? A heart? He sent me a heart!"

Tikki giggled softly.

"Are you going to reply?"

Marinette squeaked.

"I should, right? Should I send one back? Is that too much? Was it a one time thing? Would it be weird? Should I-"

"Marinette, calm down. He sent one first. He won't read that far into it. Send one back if you want to." Tikki mused.

Marinette let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Okay. Okay. And- ohmygod Tikki what was I thinking? I just remembered! I gave my name a ladybug emoji! That's so stupid…"

Tikki hummed thoughtfully.

"Why did you use a ladybug emoji?"

Marinette sighed.

"I don't know. I just remembered that I noticed him doodling ladybugs on his notes last week. I don't think anyone else noticed. But I asked Alya and she said that he's one of her most active followers on the Ladyblog. So I thought, he must be a really big fan and if I put a ladybug next to my name maybe he would think it was cute or something I don't know-"

Tikki sighed and shook her head.

"Oh, Marinette. Well, there's no helping it now. It's probably fine. I don't think Adrien is likely to discover your identity."

Marinette turned to look at her kwami nervously.

"Really?"

"Yes really. I'm sure it's alright. Now are you going to text him back?"

Marinette unlocked her phone once more and stared at the message one more time. Her thumbs hovered over the keyboard.

Finally after a hearty internal debate, (I text him; I text him not. I text him; I text him not. I text him-) she started typing.

She hit send.

Vrmmm.

Adrien's phone going off was the first thing he heard that morning. And surprisingly it wasn't from his alarm. No, for once it was something much more interesting.

Sleepily he rubbed his eyes, accidentally bumping Plagg with his elbow.

"Ouch! Watch where you stick those things," the black kwami grumbled, tugging the edge of the blanket around himself once more on Adrien's pillow.

"Sorry," Adrien yawned.

If he'd been more awake, he might have stopped to think about how cute Plagg was when he was trying to sleep like that. But he wasn't so he pulled up his phone and unlocked it.

[New message: Marinette (:•:)-

Ahaha, sorry I didn't reply last night I was really tired ^v^ and thanks I'm glad we're friends too. (Heart)(blushing smile)]

Adrien suddenly got a lot more awake. He scrolled up. Oh no. He hadn't. But he had.

He had sent the heart first.

He felt an embarrassed blush creep to his face. Oh well… It was only an emoji. Hopefully she wouldn't read too far into it…

Who was he kidding. It was Marinette. He might as well have openly flirted.

Plagg sighed, apparently deciding he was too curious to sleep.

"You're a mess, you know that?" He said matter-of-factly as he gazed at Adrien's screen.

Adrien rolled his eyes.

"Thanks, I had no idea."

"Good luck with just being "friends"," Plagg said with amusement. "I don't think it'll last."

Adrien frowned.

"Well I have to try. I don't know what else to do."

Plagg shrugged.

"That's fair. Neither do I."

Throughout the day Adrien and Marinette texted off and on. He did his best to reply quickly but his Saturday was full of modeling. He had to sneak in texts between shoots. Still, it was worth it. He was learning so much about Mari that he never knew.

Her favorite food was potstickers. Her favorite dessert was apple strudel. She had loved fashion since she was a little kid, and decided she wanted to be a designer when she was nine. She was a self taught artist. Her favorite season was spring. Her fashion idol was his father. She loved Disney movies. She had a secret collection of mismatched fuzzy socks.

With every detail Adrien grew to find her more adorable. It was almost torture, but he loved it.

Even as he was learning so much about her, he couldn't help but think that he wished Ladybug would be this open. He wanted to know what her favorite food was and what her secret fascinations were. He wondered if she liked Disney movies too. If only she trusted him with these details, like sweet Marinette. Life would be simpler.

… Or would it? Marinette had shown more interest in him that day through text than Ladybug had ever done in person. Sure, she cared about Chat Noir. They were partners. Maybe even best friends. She trusted him with her life… Just not her secrets.

"Smile!"

His thoughts were interrupted by the familiar click of a shutter, bringing him back to the routine that was his life. And even though he was surrounded by people, Adrien had never felt so alone.

That night Marinette was restless.

She couldn't believe how much she hadn't known about Adrien. There was a lot she did already know from reading his interviews, but there was so much more to this green eyed boy than met the eye, or the camera.

He loved detective stories. It was really funny, Marinette was almost certain he had a thing for Sherlock Holmes. He loved brownies, especially with ice cream. His favorite movie series was Star Wars, which he had to watch online because his father never bought movies. He had a fascination with science, which she knew, but she hadn't known that when he was little he wanted to become a rocket engineer. Now he wasn't sure what he wanted to do.

The most interesting thing he had admitted to her was his fascination with Ladybug and Chat Noir. She hadn't pegged him for a ladynoir shipper either, which had made her wrinkle her nose a bit. It appeared he could have flaws. Tikki had laughed at that.

Now she laid awake, pouring over the details of their conversations that day, drinking it all in.

No… She shouldn't. That would be a very bad idea…

But it would be so easy….

No! Bad Marinette! The last thing this situation needs is one more variable. Things just got stable again.

But she could make his whole year…

"Tikki," Marinette whispered in the darkness.

"Are you still awake?"

Tikki stirred a bit and answered sleepily.

"What is it, Marinette?"

"I need your help. Please."

Tikki stirred even more.

"Marinette it's nearly midnight."

"Pleaaaaaaaase."

Tikki sighed. Marinette didn't even need to ask for what she wanted; the kwami knew.

"Alright."

"Then Tikki, trasnformé moi!"

Several minutes later, Ladybug was swinging gracefully onto the Agreste mansion's roof.

Bad idea. Bad idea.

She could almost hear Tikki warning her how dangerous this was but she didn't care. Adrien was quite possibly Ladybug's biggest fan, besides Alya.

She remembered how they left off last time she saw him while in costume. After the Volpina incident.

Awkward… And lonely. And why the hell did he take so many showers?

If anything, she justified to herself, this would at least leave things on better terms.

I wonder if he's even awake.

Ladybug thought to herself, half amused and half embarrassed, that she felt a lot like Spiderman as she lowered herself with her yoyo to Adrien's window and peeked inside.

The main light was off, but a little ladybug patterned lamp sat next to his computer, and they were both on. Adrien sat in his desk chair, his back to her. He was using the computer but she couldn't tell what it was from there. She thought she saw something black dart by his ankles and under his bed, startling him. Vaguely she wondered if he had a kitten or something.

Adrien spun around in his chair, seeming to wonder why his cat was behaving so strangely, before looking at the window and realizing Ladybug was there.

"Eeep!" Ladybug squeaked and dropped below the window as she accidentally let some of the tension out of her magical yoyo string.

Hesitantly she pulled herself up again to realize that Adrien was opening the window, looking at her in amazement.

"Ladybug?" he asked in awe. "Uh… are you okay? Do you want to come in?"

His face wore a look of rapture and inwardly Marinette was squealing. She managed to nod and let him help her through the window.

Her feet landed softly on the floor and she cleared her throat nervously, offering a smile.

"Um… hi."

Adrien still seemed surprised, and a light blush adorned his cheeks. It was too adorable for words.

Did I really do that? Oh mon dieu…

"Hi," he responded warmly. "Um, d-do you want to sit down or something?"

Oh my god he's stuttering. I can't believe this. Is this what he's like when he's nervous?

It would be more amusing if it weren't for the fact that she was trying not to freak out too.

"Okay, sure.. Thanks." She responded politely, trying to pull herself together.

They moved to the couch and he waited for her to sit before sitting down too. Ever the gentleman. He was sitting just close enough to make her nervous but far enough away that it was appropriate and polite. He was so considerate.

"So…" he prompted, running his fingers through his bangs and leaning lightly against the back of the couch. "What brings the amazing Ladybug to my bedroom window so late?"

Ladybug relaxed a little against the couch and fiddled with one of her pigtails as she spoke.

"Well, two things, really. Firstly I wanted to apologize for any awkwardness when I was here last time, saving your dad." Ladybug felt herself blush a little, but she continued, "and secondly I heard from a little bird that you're one of my biggest fans. I was patrolling the area anyway, and I decided to stop by and thank you for all of your help with Volpina."

I hope that sounded better than it felt to say it.

Adrien smiled and laughed, blushing again.

"Well, thank you. And can I ask who the little bird was?"

"No," Ladybug smiled. "She wished to remain anonymous."

Shit. Now he knows that somehow Marinette has a connection to Ladybug... I really didn't think this through. Too late now.

She could feel Tikki sighing.

Adrien was freaking out just a little bit.

Ladybug was in his bedroom, on his couch, sitting next to him.

She was gorgeous as always. Her blue eyes sparkled in the dim light of his room and her cheeks were a little flushed. Her bangs were a little wind-tousled but her pigtails were perfect. He wanted to take them down and run his fingers through her hair.

He wondered if Marinette had told her about his fan crush. But how on earth did Marinette get in contact with Ladybug? Was Alya involved? To his knowledge Alya didn't have a way to contact her. It was perplexing.

Suddenly he realized she was talking to him.

"Oh… What?" He asked obliviously.

Ladybug giggled and the sound was like music to his ears.

"I said, 'nice pajamas.'"

Adrien blushed in horror as he looked down and remembered what he was wearing.

"I like the kittens," she added with a smile.

His pajama pants were light green with little black cats. Yeah, it was clichè as hell. But he hadn't expected Ladybug of all people to see him being a massive dork in them. He was now regretting his life choices.

"Oh," Adrien laughed nervously, his blush burning stronger by the second. "Well, Chat Noir is pretty cool too…"

Ladybug laughed again.

"Chat is a dork, but I couldn't live without him. He's a dear friend and a skilled partner. But don't tell him I said that. It would go to his head."

Adrien inwardly swelled with pride at the compliment. Was this how she talked about him when he wasn't around? Maybe he wasn't as annoying as he thought.

"So do they make you feel super?" Ladybug asked with a smirk. She seemed to be getting more confident the longer she was there.

Adrien pulled himself together and grinned back.

"Well they do make me feel a little supurr, yes."

Ladybug half laughed and half groaned.

"No," she complained with a smile, "ugh, you're almost as bad as he is."

Adrien gave her a very cat-like smile.

"So, pretty great then."

Ladybug rolled her eyes, but she was still smiling.

"I guess."

She glanced around the room and her eyes landed on his computer. Unfortunately the Ladyblog was open on the screen.

"Is that the Ladyblog?" She asked in amusement, getting up and making her way towards the computer.

"Uh, yes." Adrien said as he scrambled to get there before she did. "But I'm sure you're bored of it by now…"

She does not need to see that, no no no…

He clicked to another tab and was about to close out the one running the blog as she reached the desk and put her hand over his on the mouse.

"What are you doing?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What? Uh, nothing, I just figured you've probably seen all there is to see so there's no use…"

She took the mouse and clicked back to the blog.

"I'm always interested in what my fans are saying," she said as the page reloaded.

Adrien felt a little of his soul dying inside.

Please don't load please don't load please don't load…

"What is Ladybug X Reader fanfiction?" She asked incredulously.

That's it I'm dead. I've died. No more Adrien.

He died about 2 seconds ago.

"Uh…." Adrien trailed off awkwardly as she read. "You- you weren't supposed to see-"

He tried to close it out again but Ladybug smacked his hand away, reading intently.

"Ow," he complained nervously. He was sure his face was as red as a tomato by now.

There was a very awkward silence while she read about kissing the reader and Adrien thanked whatever God was above that this particular fanfiction didn't take things any further than that. He would die if she knew some of the things he had read about her.

"Oh," Ladybug said finally in a quiet voice, a blush creeping over her cheeks. She took pity on him and closed the tab.

Adrien couldn't look at her. It was too awkward. He crossed his arms and looked at the ground, silently wishing it would open and swallow him alive.

"So," Ladybug said, clearing her throat and sitting in his desk chair. If she was nervous it suddenly wasn't showing.

"Um… Sorry…" Adrien muttered, feeling more embarrassed than he ever had in his life.

He glanced at her. She wore a very stern look and he wilted.

"Is this how you spend your Saturday nights?" She asked calmly.

Adrien blinked in shock at the question.

"No! I mean, not necessarily… I was just…"

Ladybug's lips curled into an amused smile.

"You were just…?"

Adrien sighed and gave up.

"Okay look I know it's pathetic but I'm just like any other stupid teenage boy with a crush on a superhero. I'm a lowlife who secretly reads fanfiction and daydreams about you. Happy?"

He walked back over to the couch and sat with his knees up against his chest, facing the window and trying to keep it together. This was all horribly wrong. She probably thought he was disgusting.

To his surprise she walked around the couch and sat down next to him, turned sideways so she was facing him.

"Adrien, look at me." Her voice commanded attention.

Reluctantly he turned towards her and saw her blue eyes burning into him.

"You're not pathetic and you're not a lowlife. Don't say that about yourself. Besides… Everyone has crushes."

Adrien's surroundings fell away as Ladybug became the only thing he saw.

"What about you?"

The question caught her off guard.

"M-me?" She stuttered.

Adrien felt a fire kindling in his chest as she looked at him and blushed.

"Yeah. You."

She looked away, thinking about how to answer. When she looked back at him the fire in her eyes was back, but it was softer.

"Yes. I do."

Suddenly her lips met his forehead in a caring kiss. It lasted only a few seconds and he felt like his breath was taken away.

She stood up to leave and strode to the window. He gazed after her in a love struck daze.

"L-Ladybug?" He called softly.

She looked over her shoulder and smiled at him.

"Thank you for letting me visit. I might do it again sometime if you promise not to leave embarrassing sites open again."

He blushed deeply and she laughed softly. He couldn't respond so he nodded.

"Sweet dreams," she said, in what he was sure he was imagining as a wistful tone, and then she opened the window and was gone, swinging into the night.

Ladybug kissed me.

A/N: Didn't I warn you? Stop squealing. You knew this was coming. ;P Thank you so much for all your continued support! Every day I get new followers and favorites and reviews. I'm really touched by all of your kind words. I couldn't do this without your encouragement. P.s.- if you can see the kissy emoji in the author's note at the beginning of this chapter or the ones in this one please tell me in the comments and tell me if you are on mobile or computer. If you can see the emoji than I can actually use a cat and ladybug emoji in their text messages. 🐞😻 Until next time, mon petits papillons! A tout à l'eure!