"I can't believe I am doing this," Ladybug grumbled as she stepped into the quiet halls of Collège Françoise Dupont "Breaking and Entering, that is."

"C'mon, my Lady. You can just fly away if this really bugs you," Adrien snickered cheekily, which earned a beady glare from his companion "Besides, we almost finished our patrol with no Akuma on sight. And since it's too early for us to go back to our base, why don't we enjoy ourselves for a few moments? The night is still young."

"What if somebody sees us?"

"You mean, spotted us," the heroine scrunched her nose then stuck a tongue out at the blond's puny correction "We both know that the security guards don't roam around this area after nine."

"I don't want to pull that stunt again," she grumbled.

The feline hero smirked, "Why, are you still scared of the dark, Buginette?"

"N – no?" she squeaked nervously much to the boy's bemusement "I – I'm just worried that we might get caught this time, not like the last time we sneaked out for that stupid Test of Courage, in which I – EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!"

Thanks to his night vision, Adrien was able to witness how Ladybug accidentally hit the edge of the baluster, prompting her to crouch down on the farthest corner with her eyes shut closed.

He couldn't help but smiled at her bravery despite her fears, especially when his faux ears captured her mutterings about ghosts and ghouls. Picking up her yo-yo that she used as her flashlight on the floor, the blond knelt beside her then soothed her latex-covered back in circles.

"It's alright, my Lady. We can go back here next time."

Ladybug shifted towards his way with quivering lips "Ju – just to let you know I'm not scared, o - okay? N – not at all. Y – you heard me?"

"Of course, you're not scared. I mean, you've killed big, bad, ferocious monsters for breakfast. By the way, I see a mouse on your left side."

"HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Adrien burst out laughing at her violent shrieks, and when she realized that he was joking, she immediately socked him with her yo-yo then chided "You stupid cat! What if the guards heard us?!"

It took him a few minutes to recover his bearings before he could utter "That must be a cat-astrophe."

Ladybug never felt any remorse when she gave him a solid punch to his stomach, making him yelped in pains.

When they entered Mme. Bustier's classroom, their humor was still there.

"Phew, I miss this seat!" declared Adrien as he slid himself on the front row desk, with his cheek rubbing happily on the surface "Hmm…either Nino cleaned the pot's soil or they were not doing that tradition again."

"What tradition?"

Adrien sat up properly, sighing "When we first learned about your disappearance, you see, there was a tension going on."

"Okay…?"

He sighed again then rubbed his neck awkwardly "One day, Chloe brought some flowers and placed it on your table."

The spotted heroine tilted her head in confusion "I never thought that Chloe could be that sympathetic despite our differences. So, what's wrong with the flowers - "

"Marinette," he interjected stoically "She gave you funeral flowers."

"Oh," was all she could utter. She couldn't even force herself to be surprised at Chloe's actions.

Ladybug walked towards her seat – her civilian's previous seat located just behind Adrien's – then traced the edge of the desk by her spandex-covered in nostalgia "I can only imagine Alya's reaction to that."

"It was a pandemonium," scoffed Adrien as he observed how his companion sat on her old seat with unreadable eyes "Blood was drawn that day, and I guess you have an idea who got the worse."

She didn't make any comments, so he continued "When M. Damocles gave Alya two-week suspension, all the girls boycotted the class to express their displeasure. The boys supported them, as well as the entire student body. Everybody loves you, Marinette."

"I'm sorry," she muttered solemnly with drooped head "For not saying goodbyes. For leaving you guys in the dark. I'm scared what would happen if other people will know my secret; either they will sell me to Papillion's henchmen or they might harm my friends. Or both."

"While I'm a bit upset that you kept these things from us, I have no reason to blame you for your actions. To be honest, I'm the one who should say sorry," Ladybug raised her brow at his apologetic words "As your childhood best friend, I should've noticed your condition given that we have the same predicament. I wasn't there on those times that you were having some troubles, and often abandoned you to attend to my personal needs."

"Adrien," she smiled, looking at him at a familiar angle "The reason why I tried not to get closer to you after I learned about my condition was to prevent you from discovering it, which is a 'bullshit', if I'm going to be blunt."

He chuckled.

The two superheroes sat on their previous seats as they stared at the clean whiteboard in silence.

"Are you having regrets?" asked Ladybug without tearing her gaze away.

"About what?"

"About having a magus blood."

"No, not at all," was Adrien's honest reply "You?"

"At first," she muttered, resting her head on her folded arms "I always want to become a fashion designer just like your father. Build a famous line, have my own family – "

Adrien suddenly lashed his head towards her with disbelief then croaked "Fa – Family?!"

Ladybug bit the inside of her cheek to control her laugh "Yeah, a loving husband with three kids – "

"Th – Three kids?!"

"Of course," the heroine tried not to look at his blanched face as she maintained a stoic look "I will name them as Louis, Emma, and Hugo. Then we'll adopt a cat as a pet, or maybe a dog. That depends on my future husband's preference."

"A cat, definitely a cat," he grumbled under his breath.

"What did you say, mon Minou?"

"Nothing!" the blond squeaked then stood bolt upright "A-Anyway, it's almost midnight. We better go now. O – Our Kwamis are probably waiting for our return."

Ladybug stifled her giggles as she followed her ridiculous feline partner.

Before they could leave the school's premise, the heroine eyed a familiar balcony above a certain bakery. The yearning was evident on her bluebell orbs, especially when she saw the middle-aged couple snuggling on a pink lounge in comfort as the fairy lights from the outdoor garden illuminated their sleeping faces.

And the sight wasn't left unnoticed by Adrien.