This is diverging from the original plan, but only slightly, just a little chapter re-order. So here, have some fluff, before we get hit with the angst train

Adrien wrapped his arms back around Marinette, pulling her back more snugly into his embrace. He pressed a kiss into her hair.

"Of course I'll stay," he agreed, his breath ruffling the midnight strands.

Marinette breathed a sigh of relief then turned herself so that she was sat in his lap, her head resting on his chest. She felt like a child, cocooned in his arms and surrounded by his warmth. The feeling was one of security and safety and she relished in it.

Marinette considered herself to be a strong, independent woman. She had practically raised Celeste alone for years until Nathanael had finally gotten his act together and stepped up to the mark. She didn't need a man to look after her.

She didn't need a man, but she wanted Adrien Agreste.

Her fingers traced small circles on his chest, her head nuzzling once more into his neck. Adrien absorbed the comfort of the action, almost as if she were a cat on his lap. The thought was reinforced by him gently stroking her hair in a soothing gesture. For a moment the two of them just sat there, then Adrien once again felt the sweet sensation of her lips against his throat. Her hand had drifted down his chest and was now slipping just under the hem of his shirt in order to make the same circles on his bare stomach. The gentle feel of her fingers made the muscles in his stomach tighten, and other parts of his anatomy come to attention once more.

A hiss pushed its way through his teeth and he bit on his lip, desperately trying to control his reaction to a relatively innocent touch. It was to no avail however, when her nails gently scratched his sensitive skin and her teeth nipped at his collar bone.

"Marinette," he sighed, half in protest and half in encouragement. His judgement was quickly becoming clouded by her actions. Her hands were pure sin.

He could feel her smile against his throat as she continued to place kisses there, working her way once more back up to his mouth. This time, he didn't protest as she pressed her lips to his, and he groaned as her tongue sought entrance into his mouth, quickly matching her heat in a passionate kiss. Her fingers drifted lower, fluttering against the top of his jeans and making a bee-line for his button. Just as she made to unsnap the first button, his hand quickly flew to cover hers, halting her efforts. She pulled back from the kiss, looking into his face quizzically.

His eyes were still closed and breaths were leaving his lips in small pants. Marinette very much wanted to go back to tasting those sweet lips again but Adrien's face was slightly screwed up, and the expression was as effective at stopping her as his hand had been.

"What's wrong?" she asked uncertainly.

Adrien took a moment to compose himself before he could formulate an answer. It was a full ten seconds before he opened his eyes.

"I don't want to do this, not now... not like this," he told her, the regret evident in his voice.

"You don't... want..." the hurt on Marinette's face almost broke his resolve, but Adrien knew he had to be strong.

"No," he protested, bringing his hand up to rest on her cheek, seeing that she had taken his comment the wrong way. "I want you, God, how I want you. I think that much is painfully obvious," he stated indicating the evidence of his arousal that neither one of them could deny.

"Then why..?"

Adrien drew her face back to his, placing a small kiss on her nose, ignoring just how cute the freckles were that dusted across it. He brought her forehead to rest on his and sighed deeply, managing inch by inch to regain control of himself.

"I want you so much, but not like this. I want our first time to be special. I don't want it just because you're upset, or overwhelmed, or just need... someone. I want it to be just you and me, where we can take all the time in the world, and I won't have to sneak out in the morning so your daughter doesn't catch me. I want it to be romantic, not desperate. I want it to be perfect, or at least, as perfect as we can make it. I hope you understand," he almost whispered, his speech impassioned.

Marinette still looked uncertain.

"I promise you, Princess. I want you so badly that it hurts," he placed a small peck on her lips and they both lingered slightly longer than he had intended. He drew away again. "Tonight though, I just want to be here with you."

Suddenly, Adrien was once more enveloped in a warming hug from the beautiful woman in his arms.

"Thank you," she whispered into his ear.

They stayed up talking until two o'clock, talking about nothing and everything. Adrien entertained her with tales of his year travelling with his father, and Marinette told him horror stories about her pregnancy. They both discussed university, and Marinette told him about her wish to go back to design school one day, although that dream was still years away, while Celeste was still at school.

Eventually, they decided it was time to go to bed. Adrien escorted Marinette upstairs to her bedroom.

"Will you stay with me here?" she asked hopefully. "I won't try anything, I promise."

Adrien held back a snort of laughter, before drawing back the covers. He set the alarm on his phone for five o'clock. Luckily it was a weekend the next day (or really, just later that day, he supposed) so he could have a nap once he got home. Taking off his shoes and jeans, Adrien lay down next to Marinette in just a tee-shirt and boxers.

Despite Marinette's words, it was all she could do to keep her hands to herself. Luckily she was exhausted and within a minute of her head touching her pillow she was completely out. Adrien lasted a little longer, taking in the beauty of her sleeping face. He could get used to this. In sleep, all her worries fell away and she looked younger and more carefree. He longed to make her look that way in her waking life as well, to remove any stresses from her life that he could.

When Marinette woke the next morning, Adrien was gone and his side of the bed was cold. She felt the loss like a physical thing. Maybe it was time to talk to her daughter about the possibility of Adrien becoming a more permanent fixture in their lives.

Late for school again, Celeste complained mentally, fully prepared to blame her mother for her complete lack of time management skills. And for her love of sleeping in. As much as she loved her mother, those were traits that she wished they didn't share.

She slipped into her seat just as the last bell rang and at first she didn't notice, but then she became aware of the whispering and the stares, and she was the focus. Glancing around she saw several pairs of eyes looking at her before glancing away again. The whispers were getting louder and she could hear her name mentioned as well as Professor Agreste's, punctuated by giggles. Her cheeks started flushing red - another trait she got from her mother - and she stared resolutely forward, trying to block out the sounds.

Then, as if things couldn't get worse, Professor Agreste walked into the room.

He didn't acknowledge her in any way or pay her any special attention, but the laughter and whispers doubled in strength.

For the next half an hour or so she had pointed comments directed at her.

Celeste, is your mamon going to marry Professor Agreste?

Ooh, Celeste Agreste, has a nice ring to it!

Is Professor Agreste your new papa?

It was really starting to get on her nerves.

Then a note dropped over her shoulder. Sighing dejectedly she unwrapped the ball of paper and read the untidy scrawl across it.

Maybe now Professor Agreste is going to be your papa you'll actually get good marks in physics!

Celeste had had enough. She shot to her feet, hands balled at her sides.

"Leave me alone!" she cried out loud to the whole class and Adrien snapped his mouth shut, taken aback that a student was standing and shouting in his classroom, and even more so that that student was Celeste. She was always a quiet, polite girl.

"Mlle. Kurtzberg, please sit down. You are disrupting my class. If it happens again I will send you to the principal's office."

Celeste hung her head in shame.

"Sorry, Professor," she said, retaking her seat. Then the whispers started again.

Uh-oh, Celeste is in trouble with her papa.

Next time he'll send her to her room!

On and on the whispers went and her face got steadily redder and redder.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" she screamed, rising to her feet once more.

"Celeste, enough. Pack up your things and go to the principal please."

In a rage, Celeste did as she was asked, storming from the room. She didn't notice the longing look she received from a certain brown-eyed boy, and she was already gone when he turned to the class to give them a piece of his mind. The class were left astounded at his outburst. Lucas wasn't one for rocking the boat and they were shocked when he stood to tell them all off.

It wasn't until she left the principal's office that she found Lucas sat on a chair, waiting for his own visit to the principal.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" she asked, blushing again for what felt like the tenth time that day. It wasn't even lunchtime yet.

Lucas stood and rubbed his arm bashfully, the corners of his eyes crinkling into a smile.

"That wasn't fair, what they were all saying back there," he explained, admiring the blue of her eyes before looking away. "I-I didn't think it was right so... I told them off after you were kicked out of class."

Celeste looked at him a little gobsmacked.

"You did that... for me?" she asked, her tone disbelieving.

He nodded his head, still not meeting her eyes.

"It was wrong. They shouldn't have treated you like that. It shouldn't matter if you mamon is friends with Professor Agreste, or even if they're more than friends. It's none of their business."

Lucas finally met her eyes again and moved his hand as if he was going to touch her, before he thought better of it.

"How's your wrist, by the way?" he asked, concern colouring his voice.

"F-fine, I mean... you're fine - no wait... I'm fine, it's fine," she buried her face in her hands. Lucas just chuckled before she felt the slight warm pressure of his hand on her shoulder. She looked back up at him just as he was dropping his arm back down again.

"I'm glad you're okay," he smiled before grabbing his satchel and looping it over his shoulder. "Wish me luck," he bid before turning to go into the principal's office.

"Luck," she whispered, but he heard her anyway.

"What happened at school today?" Marinette questioned as soon as her daughter walked through the door. "I heard you went to the principal's office?"

Celeste dropped her bag at the kitchen door and turned to face her mother, hands on hips.

"I suppose Professor Agreste told you that, did he?"

Marinette was shocked at her daughter's outburst. It was quite out of character for her to be so angry.

"No, I got a call from the school letting me know. Why don't we sit down and you can tell me all about it," she offered, gesturing towards the kitchen table.

"No thanks," Celeste stated, crossing her arms. I'll just tell you, since you'll probably hear from your boyfriend anyway but I'll let you know my side. Because you've decided to have a love affair with my teacher, without even telling me, by the way, everyone at school thinks that Professor Agreste is going to be my new father and they have been making fun of me for it all day. I had enough and snapped but then Professor Agreste sent me to the principal's office. It was totally unfair."

Celeste huffed, drawing breath after her tirade before starting again.

"Why did you have to bring your stupid boyfriend to the hospital? That's what started all of this. We were perfectly happy before. Why did you have to go and ruin it?" and with that the girl turned tail and ran up the stairs to her room, slamming the door behind her.

Marinette didn't know what to do. She stood in the kitchen trying to make sense of everything that had just happened. She wanted to call Adrien and find out exactly what had happened, but she wasn't sure if that would make things better or worse.

Following her talk with her daughter - if you could call it that - Marinette was torn. Her feelings for Adrien were incredibly strong. She might even say she loved him. But if she was hurting her daughter just so she could be happy? That wasn't very fair on Celeste.

Marinette didn't want to do anything that would hurt Celeste.

For years Marinette watched her daughter tolerate women she hated just because her father thought himself in love, or worse, she saw Celeste grow attached to Nath's girlfriends, just for the women to leave. She had promised herself a long time ago that she would never do the same to her.

And that made the choice painfully easy.

And that just about broke her heart.

And if she couldn't have Adrien to talk to right now, she desperately needed a friend.

The party seemed like an absolute age ago, and Alya was starting to feel the withdrawal from her best friend. That was why she was particularly excited to get the phone call inviting her round. What she didn't expect to find when she got there, was two women already chatting amicably in the kitchen while the kettle boiled.

She breezed through the back door as she always did, and then stopped short at the scene before her.

"Hey... girl," she greeted, waving awkwardly while eyeing up the chirpy brunette woman sat at the table beaming over at her.

"Hi, you must be Alya," the young woman trilled, practically bouncing on her seat. Alya sincerely hoped she was having tea to drink because it did not seem like she needed any coffee in her system. "I'm Natasha, I'm Nathanael's girlfriend."

Alya's brow furrowed as she was suddenly smothered in an embrace out of nowhere. She staggered under the force of the hug then raised one eyebrow at her best friend over Natasha's shoulder. Marinette just shrugged, smiling at the scene, and turned to make the drinks.

"H-hey, Natasha. It's nice to meet you," Alya greeted, awkwardly patting her on the back before they drew away from each other and took their seats once more at the kitchen table, steaming mugs placed in front of them.

The three feel into easy conversation, mostly carried by Natasha with the occasional comment from Alya. Marinette sat there watching the pair chatter on and absorbing the warmth of their presence. She had invited Natasha along partly because she had resolved to get to know her better, and partly because she felt that Natasha would actually be able to help her in her situation, even if it was just to give her some moral support. Truth be told, she wasn't really looking for advice, she had already decided what she was going to do. She just wanted to tell some friends, and after Alya, Natasha was really the closest thing she had.

Eventually the general small talk petered out and the two women turned to face Marinette.

"So, Nettie," Natasha started, smiling kindly at the bluenette. "As nice as this has been, you didn't invite us here to talk about the weather. What's up?"

Marinette sighed. She really did hate that nickname, but she couldn't say anything to take the smile off of the younger woman's face. She was also hoping to postpone this part of the conversation for just a little longer, but she supposed it was time.

"I'm breaking up with Adrien," she blurted, deciding that ripping off the bandage was the best course of action. She was met with slightly dumbfounded stares.

"Why?" the two other women cried in unison and Marinette flinched. She looked down at her hands, twisting her fingers together nervously. She imagined that they wouldn't agree with her decision, but she was decided, and she knew it was for the best.

"Celeste isn't happy. Me being with Adrien is causing her to be bullied at school. It got bad enough that she snapped at some students in class and had to be sent out to the principal. She didn't get detention but... Adrien was the one who sent her out. I think that might have made matters worse."

Alya made to protest but Marinette raised a hand, silencing her.

"This situation isn't going to get any better, and I won't do that Celeste. I won't be the reason she's unhappy."

At this, neither Alya nor Natasha knew what to say. They both stood and wrapped their arms around Marinette. Until then she had managed to hold it together, but surrounded by their silent offering of love and support, so similar to what she had got from Adrien after the hospital, Marinette broke down into a weeping mess.

Unknown to the other two, the cogs in Natasha's brain were whirring.

Adrien was excited to get the call from Marinette to meet him for a coffee after work on Tuesday. She'd sounded a little off, but he didn't think much of it, assuming she was as happy to be seeing him as he was her.

The sun was shining with only a few clouds marring the horizon and so Adrien had opted to take a table outside, his jacket and scarf his only extra protection from the elements. He decided to get a pot of tea for the two of them to share while he waited for Marinette's arrival, not able to keep the smile from his face as the waiter brought the steaming pot out to him. Not even a minute later, Adrien caught the flash of blue hair in the flow of people walking on the pavement, and as she drew closer, he rose from his seat to greet her.

"Hi, Mari," he smiled, moving round to her chair and holding it out for her to take a seat, placing a chaste kiss on her cheek and he did so. Marinette's cheeks flushed pink but her smile was watery and she wouldn't catch his eye, even as he took a seat opposite her. A frown drew his brows together, forming a crease between them.

"Is everything okay?"

Marinette had been focussing on a point over his left shoulder, but at his words her eyes flickered to meet his.

Her heart was almost breaking in her chest. There was genuine affection and concern in his emerald gaze. The sounds of the busy Parisian street became mute to her ears and the world seemed to drain of all colour save for those twin orbs of gorgeous green, looking into her eyes with something that almost looked like... but no, she couldn't even think that. It would make what she was about to do that much harder.

She just had to remind herself that she was doing this for her daughter, that she would do anything for Celeste.

Sadly, she shook her head at him.

"No, Adrien, it's not," she told him, her voice full of regret. "I'm sorry but, I can't carry on with whatever it is that we're doing. You can't come round my house again, and I won't be coming round to yours either. This will have to be the last time we do... this," she informed him, her eyes dropping to where her hands were wrapped around a teacup, desperately trying to draw warmth from it. She felt numb.

"This?" he asked, not wanting to believe that what she was saying was actually happening.

"A date, I can't go on any more dates with you. We can't be romantically involved."

Adrien's heart was pounding in his chest, and it wasn't a pleasant feeling. There was a lead weight in his stomach and he was feeling sick. She couldn't possibly mean what she was saying, not when they had just started getting so close. He didn't want to believe it, but the look in her eyes told him it was true.

"I thought that this was going well, that you liked me as much as I liked you. You can't tell me you felt nothing, that this didn't mean anything to you?" he demanded, desperately trying to keep his voice in check as he felt his world crack slightly. Or was that just his heart?

"I do... did," she corrected, but Adrien didn't miss the way her eyes misted over at her words. "But, this isn't what I want anymore. I'm sorry."

"But... why?" he asked and his voice was small, almost lost to the sounds of traffic and people.

"I'm sorry, I just... can't. It isn't right for me and it isn't right for my daughter. Maybe someday we could try to be friends again. I understand if you don't want to see me." Marinette rose unsteadily to her feet but Adrien stayed planted to his chair, face a mask of shock and disbelief.

"Goodbye, Adrien."

And with that, she was gone.

Back home, Adrien sank into his armchair, staring straight ahead. He couldn't believe what had just happened. On Friday night they had made a real connection. They had talked for hours and he thought they were on the same page. He had come so close to admitting to her that he loved her that night, but hadn't wanted to overwhelm her after bringing her daughter back from the hospital.

And now?

Now she didn't want to see him anymore? It was just... over?

He raked his fingers through his hair, dishevelling the blonde locks.

Adrien didn't know what to do, what to think, how to feel. He stood from the chair and began to pace the dark room. It was late and he hadn't thought to turn the light on. Not that he needed it and honestly, he preferred it that way.

Where had this even come from? He just didn't understand. They had been getting on so well. What had happened since that night and now? He hadn't even seen her since. The only thing he could think of was...

Celeste getting teased at school.

Was that what it was? He hadn't heard everything but the gist had something to do with him being at the hospital when she broke her wrist. He had had to send her to the principal's office, she had been disrupting the class and he would have done the same if it had been any other student. He wasn't sorry about that. He refused to give her special treatment just because of his feelings for Marinette.

So what might it have been? That he sent her out of class? Surely Marinette wouldn't be so petty as to hold a grudge against him for that. So maybe it was the fact that Celeste was being teased for her connection with him. Marinette was quite a protective mother. If she thought that being with Adrien made Celeste unhappy, she might end things with him. In fact, he was sure that must be the reason. It made the most sense.

This didn't make him feel any better about it.

Adrien desperately wanted to be with Marinette. He wanted to be there by her side, whether it was to comfort and protect her when she felt down, or to be the one to make her laugh. And he wanted her to be the one to do the same for him.

It had been such a short amount of time really, but he wanted all of that with her and more. He could genuinely envision spending his life with that woman. But how could he convince her that being with him was what she really wanted, if it's what her daughter didn't want?

He stopped pacing, his brain going round in circles. So he decided to go where he always did when he was conflicted and hurting.

Adrien made his way up to his bedroom and opened his wardrobe. Falling to his knees he felt around to the right side until his hands collided with an old shoebox. He dragged it out and turned to sit on the floor, his back against the wall but didn't open the lid. Instead, he spoke aloud to the empty room.

"I know what you're going to say, Plagg. I wouldn't have this problem if I just loved cheese," Adrien scoffed, the laugh sounding self-derisive rather than amused. "But you know, and I know, women smell about a thousand times better than your stinky camembert, even if they are more trouble. I think I'm in love with Marinette," he sighed and tipped his head back so that it too rested on the wall behind him, and he closed his eyes. "Remember on the first day of school when you called us love birds and I said she was just a friend? I guess you were right all along, buddy."

Adrien opened his eyes again and pulled the lid off the box, disturbing some motes of dust. It had been quite a while since he'd last opened the shoebox and he was wary of doing it now. But he needed to gain some peace of mind and as much as he missed her, Ladybug's last words to him always offered him a level of comfort, and he really needed that right now. He reverently touched the items in the box, important memories each and every one of them, until his hand landed on what he was looking for.

Adrien unfolded the paper, worn from the many times he'd read the words and run his fingers along the page, just to feel like he was closer to her.

"I still miss you, you know, Bugaboo," he whispered, and he began to read the words he had long since memorised.