A.n.- Another week, another chapter. I continue to be blown away by your support. Thanks to my betas who make this story even better. MAKE SURE YOU READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END. I have a question to ask you all.

He had never seen her like this. Puffy eyes barely holding the tears in, her breathing shallow. What could possibly happen in the moments after he left her that would leave her in such a state?

"Marinette, are you ok?" Adrien parroted. He had to fight the itching in his arms to hold her and make her forget whatever caused her to feel this way. It was hard to ignore the way she flinched under his touch. The fact that she hadn't said anything started to make his insides churn even more. "Mari?"

Without warning, Mari threw her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. It took him by surprise but instantly his body melted into hers. He could hear her muffled crying into his shirt and squeezed tighter.

"Shhh, it's alright." he cooed. "Tell me what happened."

At his words, Marinette's body grew stiff. She hadn't meant to give into an embrace let alone throw herself at him. Adrien couldn't help with the Chat situation nor the recent headline. She couldn't even prove who posted the pictures, even though Camille's name jumped to the forefront of her thoughts. She had done it because the night where they embraced on Amelie's driveway came to mind. He had made her feel so safe and she wanted to experience that again.

"It's nothing," she lied quietly.

"It doesn't seem like nothing." He uses a finger to guide her gaze to his.

"I need some air," and space she mentally added. Their proximity wasn't doing her any favors and yet she kept getting drawn to it, to him. "Can I?" She watched a small smile form down at her.

"Absolutely. I'll talk to Nathalie." She detangled her limbs from his and took off down the hall.

"Take all the time you need, Princess."

Waiting until the end of the workday was excruciating. She hid in the bathroom for almost an hour before returning to her workstation. No one said anything about her absence and she assumed she had Adrien to thank. Camille shot her a dirty look, but she chose to ignore it. She wouldn't stoop to her level, it would be her talent that Mr. Agreste picked in the end not because she smeared others.

Once they were released, she bolted towards the east entrance and rounded into the nearby alley. Her heart dropped at the lack of a superheroes' presence.

Did he change his mind? About her, them? Maybe he saw the video and got scared off. It would be one thing if Ladybug and Chat Noir were outed for dating, but Chat Noir with a civilian?

"Sorry fur the delay, but you pawsitively wouldn't believe the traffic I had to endure to meet you."

She grinned, and her heart raced at his voice."Chat, you came!"

He swung his body to hang upside down from his staff. "Careful, Princess. It sounds like you doubted me." He leaned in and placed a tender kiss to her forehead. She didn't respond but simply relaxed into his touch. "Ready to go?"

He flipped to the ground and extended a hand toward her. She grabbed it without a second thought of where they would go. She just needed to be with him. She wrapped her arms securely around him. He leaned in and his hot breath danced outside her ear.

"Hold on." With the help of his staff the two shot towards the sky.

The Notre Dame was becoming one of her favorite spots. Not only because of previous memories, but it provided privacy and one of the best views in the city. It was strange being this high without her suit, but if anything were to happen, she had full trust in her partner. The sounds of Paris below filled the silence as they both trying to conjure up what to say.

"Chat, what are we?" She watched as he shifted uncomfortably beside her, that didn't bode well. It was best to prepare herself for the worst.

"What do you want to be?" He asked quietly, and Marinette suddenly became fascinated with her hands.

"I don't know," she responded. It wasn't that she needed the label of girlfriend or anything. "All I know is how I feel when I'm with you." She pulled her knees towards her and hugged them gently. "Chat, would it bother you if..." there was no going back now. He needed to know the truth "People found out we were together?" It even sounded as lame coming out of her mouth as it did in her head. She quit trying to decipher his reaction when he reached out and pulled her, so she was halfway leaning on him for support.

"I would be the luckiest cat in the world if people knew that I was with the most beautiful," he brought the back of her hand up to his lips, "talented," the taste of her skin was an addiction that he had no plans on breaking any time soon, "kind-hearted person I know."

"I'm being serious, Chat." She pulled her hand away before he could sneak another kiss. As much as she appreciated the praise, she didn't feel like she earned the labels he had given her.

"So am I." His answered gaze never leaving her. It confounded him that she would be so harsh on herself, but that was what he was there for; to remind her.

"People, they know about us, Chaton. It won't be long until all Paris knows."

His quick reply caught her guard. "I know."

"You know?" Maybe she had heard incorrectly. He was acting way too calm about this.

"You're not the only one to see to see the video circulating."

Marinette let out a groan, sinking further into his chest. "There's video, too?" The fact of the matter is she wasn't thinking properly when she saw him in the hallway, she wanted to save him from being discovered.

"Don't worry, they didn't capture our little moment in the closet."

Heat instantly shot to her face. Their moment. She shifted out of his hold and turned so her body faced his.

"Kitty, why did you kiss me?" It shouldn't have been asked, but the burning desire to hear him say it was lit since the alleyway.

He leaned in, the tip of his nose dragging across her cheek. "Do you have to ask?" The lazy drawl in his voice caused a shiver to shoot down her spine. At this rate, she would be a puddle of goo besides him.

"Please," she basically begged, her hand slid up to cup his face, but not before it got adorned with a kiss.

"I like you, Princess. I can't imagine my life without you."

Any further conversation was halted when she closed the gap between them. The rest of Paris faded below as the two enjoyed the company the other brought.

"Am I interrupting something?" The harsh voice pulled them from their kissing induced trance.

They had wrapped up their date when Marinette noticed 6 missed calls from her roommate. Chat was in the process of giving Marinette a proper goodbye when Amelie had stormed into her room.

"I need to talk to Marinette...alone." She folded her arms across her chest.

Marinette cautiously glanced at Chat who hovered near the window, waiting for a signal of dismissal.

"I'll be ok." She offered the best smile she could muster. "I'll see you later, I promise."

He nodded towards her and made a flying leap towards another rooftop. It wasn't until she turned back that she noticed a rolled magazine that she was all too familiar with.

"So, I guess it's safe to say that you aren't dating Luka."

"I can explain, Amelie." This was not the way she wanted her to find out. There was supposed to be a conversation where she made dinner and eased into it. Her roommate looked like she was just hit by a truck.

"Who was the guy outside the coffee shop then?" Amelie asked. The lie kept unraveling and Marinette didn't know anything she could do to make the situation better. She had kept this from her, and what was worse she didn't have a very good reason.

"His name was Luka. We met inside, and he gave me his number, he wanted me to call him." She sighed. "I never even dreamed that something would happen between Chaton and I. When we kissed a couple months ago-"

"A couple months." Amelie was having a hard time facing the cracks of their friendship before her. Marinette had kept this up this charade for a couple months, making her look like a fool with all the conversations they shared about their love lives. How was she supposed to trust her when she held back something so important?

"I'm so sorry, Amelie, I was just trying to find the right way to tell you."

Amelie ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. Of all the guys that Marinette could have, she settled for a tomcat in leather. She knew what needed to happen, she dreaded Marinette's reaction to what she had to say. But friends told the truth even if it might sting a little.

"Mar, I don't think he's a good idea." The statement alone relieved the sudden burden on Amelie's chest. Marinette was bound to see her logic eventually, things could never work between them.

"What?" She hated that Marinette was so hard to read, multiple emotions flashed across her face. This conversation wouldn't win her any friends, but it was the truth.

"Marinette, I'm just saying it's dangerous. Now that you're exposed any number of psychos could use that against you. Imagine walking home one day and getting kidnapped. Or the paparazzi, you will never get another moment of privacy ever again. Only to get heartbroken when he finds the next shiny thing. Chat Noir is a conceited narcissistic flirt. I think it would be best to cut your losses and end it before you get physically or emotionally hurt." Amelie watched Marinette struggle to process her opinion for a good minute before her face hardened.

"No." It was quick to the point and matched Mari's expression.

Amelie couldn't understand, didn't she see how dangerous this was. She didn't want to be the "bad guy" in this situation, but she's rather Marinette get angry for a bit than stand aside and watch her get hurt.

"I'm sorry?"

"You're wrong. He wouldn't go around flirting with anyone else. He's strong, brave, and gives all he has to this city despite always being in Ladybug's shadow. Chat Noir is one of the most selfless people I have ever met in my life. If I get kidnapped he would move mountains to find me."

"Mari-" It hadn't dawned on Amelie how stubborn her roommate could be. Judging by her delusions, she was in deep. Amelie never got to continue, Marinette's rant raged on.

"You always seem to avoid or change the topic when it's brought up. What has Chat ever done to you, huh?"

"Fine, you caught me. What, you want me to admit that I don't like Pairs' Beloved Superheroes? I don't. They come barging in on every problem even when not asked and they steal the glory away from those who put their life on the line every day." Amelie's words sent Marinette over the edge. They put themselves in danger multiple times a day, and she had the nerve to say that they did it just for the fame and glory? Paris was their home.

"Get out," Marinette seethed. If Amelie continued this conversation she would most likely say something that she would regret. It was one thing to insult her, that she could handle. As much as her city loved her it wasn't the first complaint that she had. But when Amelie started to attack her partner, that crossed a line.

"What?" Amelie's eyes widened in shock.

"Get out of my room now," Marinette snapped.

Amelie didn't want to see what would happen if she was asked again. She turned on her heels and headed towards the door. Once it closed, her heart dropped. They had never gotten into that big an argument before. She was just trying to help. Now Marinette didn't want to see or speak to her any time soon.

This was perfectly normal, Adrien rationalized to himself. It wasn't that he didn't love Amelie, but more because he needed space. He had completed hours of searching online until he found what appeared to be perfect. Within a couple of clicks, he managed to set up a tour. Maybe it would have been easier to tell her who he was, but everything inside screamed not to. It didn't feel right if Ladybug wasn't the first to know his identity. After all, he had waited 8 long years.

The apartment itself was smaller and cozy, but he didn't need anything big. It wasn't like he was inviting many visitors over. He could invite Ladybug and Rena sometimes or Marinette. It would be his home away from home. And better still it was only a 5-minute drive so if any trouble occurred he could pick up Plagg before assisting his Lady. It was the perfect set up.

"Look at all the room for the cheese!" His Kwami cried in delight. It was safe to say he was a big supporter of the space since he wasn't a huge fan of Amelie. Although Adrien did find interesting that he had grown to like Marinette.

"Plagg would you quit messing around? You're going to be seen!"

"Pl-ease, that lady would love me. She's a cat person, you know."

Adrien couldn't help but roll his eyes at the cat's antics."Look as soon as this is over you'll get your smelly cheese."

Plagg flew into his jacket without another word. Adrien was sure that his Kwami would do almost anything to get his beloved Camembert.

"So what do you think?"

Adrien spun around to the employee who was giving the tour."It's perfect," he grinned. "When can I move in?"

Adrien had enough of his tossing and turning and threw back the covers. It was nights like this that he was envious of his girlfriend's ability to turn off her thoughts and succumb to the sleep that awaited her.

He, on the other hand, hadn't been able to stop thinking.

He woke his sleeping Kwami with every intention to sneak out and do some light patrolling around Paris. The city couldn't be too safe after all. He stopped after a couple of steps outside his door when he saw that he wasn't the only one who couldn't fall asleep. Marinette was in the kitchen, leaning and waiting for the oven to reach the desired temperature. Ingredients scattered among the countertop forgotten as the batter sat in the bowl.

Going forward with her was uncharted territory. From his interaction earlier, she still wasn't willing to tell Adrien everything. Part of him tried to ignore the twinge of dejection associated with the thought. It wasn't like he could parade around as Chat Noir all the time. He had responsibilities as Adrien. Things would be so much easier if she knew. On one hand, he felt his secret would be safe with her, on the other hand, it would mean betraying Ladybug.

If he was honest with himself, he had almost spilled his secret to her on multiple occasions. Once he managed to get the words out, but she was blissfully unaware in her slumber. He didn't have the nerve to try again after that.

"Couldn't sleep either, huh?" Her voice caused his breath to hitch, jerking him out of his thoughts.

How could she possibly know since she hadn't moved an inch since he found her."Umm, yeah." His hand rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as he joined her against the counter."What are you baking?"

Marinette had stressed baked since high school and judging by the ingredients there was more than what she told him earlier.

"Chocolate chip muffins for the morning and sugar cookies," she answered softly.

"Mari-" he stopped himself trying to articulate this without it blowing up in his face. "Are you okay? Earlier you seemed upset."

"You know how you were always so concerned about disappointing your father? I thought I failed someone I cared about today." Her confession sent Adrien's mind reeling. She already had this conversation with Chat earlier but for her to be stress baking like this his words to comfort her fell on deaf ears. But Adrien Agreste wasn't privileged to that information, so he would have to work his way to it.

"Marinette, if this is about the internship, then-"

"It's not about that." She cut him off quickly. "That's the least of my worries." His brow furrowed wondering what happened when she was at the internship. He knew it was a cut-throat industry.

"Is it about the guy, Luka?" The words burned his throat, but as far as he was supposed to know. Marinette had told Amelie that she was with Luka. He watched her tense up and cast her vision anywhere but to him.

"Uh...yeah." Marinette took the opportunity to check on the muffins in the oven.

What he did next, he wasn't proud of. He blamed the rash decision after she lied to him. "How does Luka feel about you making out with Chat Noir in a closet?" Muffins went flying and Marinette hissed as the searing metal tray hit her skin.

His stomach sank at the sight, he only meant to catch her off guard not injure her. He grabbed her wrist and immediately lead her to the sink. His arms moved on either side of her and his hand guided under the cold water. She flinched but didn't shove him away.

"Of course you saw that. I'm so stupid."

"You're not stupid." His hands lingered on hers underneath the water longer than he intended. "Why wouldn't you have told me?" Had their friendship eroded that much to the point where she didn't feel comfortable talking to him?

"I don't know." She finally pulled her hand away and started inspecting the burn. "I just thought that if you knew…" She stopped when his gaze captured hers once more. He didn't need her to finish her statement.

She was afraid he would look at her differently.

He responded by leaving her if only a moment to fetch the first aid kit. He pulled out some ointment and a Band-Aid. When he reached back out for the burned hand, she cradled it away.

"You don't have to."

"It was my fault that you got hurt in the first place. Please, let me fix it."

Warily she extended her arm toward him. The two fell into a silence, both unsure what to say. Adrien continued to gently rub in the ointment allowing his fingers to linger on the skin he had worshiped earlier that day.

"There's not anything you can do." He mumbled quietly, but it seemed to be enough to snap Marinette out of whatever space she allowed herself to get lost in.

"Hmm?"

"There's nothing you can do to make me care for you any less," he applied the Band-Aid but pulled his eyes to combat the heat rising in his cheeks. "From the Chat Noir I know, there's nothing you could do that would make you a disappointment."

He knew he should leave, go back to bed and try and get some sleep (although he doubted he would after this encounter.) It was hard enough to restrain himself from leaning in and stealing a kiss from her. Not to mention potentially slipping and mentioning something that only his alter ego would know.

"I-I should let you go back to baking." His voice cracked, protesting what he was suggesting.

"Oh." She turned back to the counter of forgotten cookie dough. He could have been imagining it, but she seemed disappointed? He only made a couple steps towards his room before her voice stopped him again.

"Have you ever had a secret that you wanted to scream from the top of your lungs, but you can't, so it just sits there like a heavy weight on your chest?" She wasn't sure what possessed her to even ask such a question. Her mind had wandered to her being Ladybug, a secret that had been weighing on her for 8 years now. In a moment of weakness, the thought of Adrien knowing wouldn't be a bad thing. He was one of her closest guy friends after all. Alya knew and nothing changed in their relationship. It would be easier to explain it to him than Chat Noir. Especially with his new relationship with Marinette.

After watching how he studied her, she regretted asking in the first place. But it was too late to rewind the clocks.

"What's going on, Mari? Are you sure you're okay?" The way she blurted out the question made it seem like she had been holding it in for a while. They touched on her relationship with Chat Noir, that couldn't be what she was referring to. The thought itself was concerning.

"Never mind, it's stupid," she replied.

He let out a frustrated sigh; he wished she wouldn't dismiss herself so easily. But there wasn't much he could do, it's not like he could force her to tell him.

"I wish you wouldn't do that," he growled lowly. "Your feelings always matter. I get if you don't want to tell me, but it's not good to hold that inside. Promise me you'll talk to someone about this." With any luck, the person she would confide in would be Chat Noir.

"I promise," her voice cracked in surprised, but it was enough to appease him. His eyes wandered when they caught sight of something contrasting against her dark locks.

"You have something-" The words cling to the edge of his throat. He reached out tentatively and brushed the piece of eggshell that had found a home in her hair. It fell out easily enough but once the sensation of running his hands through Marinette's hair he had to follow through. Her eyes closed as she melted into his touch.

"Goodnight, Marinette," he said.

Marinette felt her mouth grow dry, she couldn't respond if she wanted to. When he closed the door to his room she joined the muffins on the floor and Tikki flew out of her hiding place.

"What just happened?" She whispered to her kwami, but for once the little bug had no advice to give.

A.N.- I loved writing that ending so much. Let me know what you think! I love hearing from you all. It seriously brightens my day. Alright here is what I want to know from you all. I've already started planning out my next story. It is longest fanfiction that I will write, period. ( details for that a little later) But I wanted to know if you all wanted me to move updates to every two weeks ( starting in a couple chapters) and that way when I'm done, the turn around will be quicker OR keep to what is my normal weekly updates and then have like a month and a half before I post it. ( If you choose this option I will release one shots and what not to keep you all entertained in the meantime.) ALSO, who is excited for the episode tomorrow! I know I am!