Adrien had a bounce in his step as he walked into the bakery, a strange elation running through him ever since he'd woken up. He was sorry for scaring Nathalie, he really was, and knew he should have approached last night differently. But in his heart, Adrien knew there was a gap between the virtuous, kind person he'd like to be and the person he truly was. If his conscience worked as it should, he'd have been drowning his sorrow and regret in alcohol right about now.

Instead, he felt great, his guilt far outweighed by joy.

Because he had someone in his corner who'd been there all along, watching over him. There was comfort in that thought, soothing the bitter wrath that was so close to the surface these days. Nathalie cared, and for that he needed to give her a raise or a gift or something. Wasn't her birthday coming up soon? He'd make it spectacular.

And, of course, he would have to ensure that she never, ever found out that he was Chat Noir. He would not lose her love after just having discovered it was there.

As he pondered what kind of gift an ice cold and practical woman like Nathalie might appreciate, he caught sight of Marinette behind the counter. Her blue eyes lit up with happiness when she spotted him, and he smiled.

She crooked her finger at him and he was helpless to resist, strolling up to her with faked nonchalance.

"Well, well," Marinette said smugly. "Look who decided to show up after all."

He should probably be acting contrite. "I have grown too weak to run away, starved of your delicious baked goods. Feed me."

"Hm." She tapped a finger on her chin. "And why should I be handing out my treats for free if you don't appreciate them? No. I think I shall be demanding payment from now on."

Adrien widened his eyes as far as they would go. Marinette made a little eep sound at the sight, but then scowled fiercely.

"Those puppy dog eyes won't work on me, stray. I'm immune!"

"Are you really?" he asked, voice pitiful.

"Yes." She raised her chin. "I demand a kiss in return."

His eyelids dropped to half-mast at once, his gaze focusing on her lips, entranced by their lovely shape and color. "Just the once?" he murmured, tip of his tongue darting out as he absently traced the shape of his teeth and imagined nibbling on her.

"Every time."

"And you call me greedy. But since I am starving, I suppose I have no choice but to sell this beautiful body of mine for pastries. Daily. Alas."

"However shall you endure?"

"Well, I know this girl who always cheers me up when I'm near her."

Marinette leaned forward, as did he, only inches apart from each other now. Her eyes were filled with playful glee and he had no doubt his were as well. "Tell me about her."

"She works at a bakery. And she's sweeter than everything they're selling, because she's such a cutie pie."

Marinette's hand shot out to grab him by his collar, pulling him close. Just as that delicious mouth met his, Nino's voice rang out beside them. "You know you're in public, right?"

They jumped apart with wide eyes and Nino smirked. Bastard.

"Seriously, what you're doing there is a public health hazard. We're all going to die of diabetes."

Marinette stuck out her tongue and Adrien scowled, bracing himself for yet another warning. While Nino was smiling, there was concern in his eyes. And his gaze was directed at Adrien. I get it, I get it, no need to repeat it.

"How have you been, Adrien?"

"Fine. You?"

"Good." He hummed thoughtfully, glancing at Marinette who, red-faced, was preparing two slices of cake, presumably one each for the two of them. "Hey, I was wondering – are you still up for that 'lunch or something'?"

Adrien perked up. "Yes, of course."

"Great. I'm kind of swamped the next two days, but – come meet me on campus the day after that, alright? It'll be on me." The corners of his eyes crinkled with laughter. "I won't even demand a kiss for it. Alya gets jealous."

His elation returning, Adrien nodded with a broad smile. "Sure!"

When was the last time Nino had invited him to anything? Adrien was the one who arranged their meetings, mostly by announcing his presence and demanding attention be paid to him. Granted, this was mostly because Adrien had set the schedule of when meetings were even possible. Nino could hardly invite him anywhere when he wasn't even in the country.

Maybe it had just been inertia that had kept his friend from extending invitations up to this point. Like it hadn't quite sunk in that Adrien was available now.

"Awesome. That said, I'm afraid I'm going to have to steal Marinette away from you."

Marinette looked up, appearing surprised by this news. "Oh?"

Nino shot her a look, and something unspoken passed between them.

"Oh! Right! Yes, the thing, we need to do the – the thing." She nodded vigorously.

Something tugged at Adrien's mind, and he put the pieces together. "Are you two planning some secret surprise for Alya?" Because there really was just no way Nino was involved in anything shadier than that.

"Yes! Very secret! Nobody can know!" Marinette smiled, half apologetic, half relieved. "Sorry, Adrien."

"That's alright." And it was, because today was a great day. "I'll see you both soon, then." He curved his lips into a smile that made Marinette blush, and then waved at Nino, collecting his hard-earned treat on his way out.


Nino's gaze lingered on the door Adrien left through, a hint of worry crossing his features.

"So how has he been?"

Marinette huffed and rolled her eyes, signaling to her mother that she was taking an early break. Which her mother allowed with a nod and a smile, since Marinette worked on a mostly voluntary basis and there was a lull in the bakery's activities – Adrien was quite deliberate in picking the timing of his visits to maximize the attention she could spare him.

"Don't start this again, Nino. I fully realize I'm about to sound like he's got me wrapped around my finger, but seriously – Adrien has boyfriend material written all over him. I don't think he has the commitment issues you think he does."

"Entirely possible," Nino conceded at once, making her blink. He gestured for her to keep going up to her room and she realized she'd frozen to the spot in surprise.

"That… was an easier sales pitch than I expected."

"I would like nothing better than for Adrien to be in a healthy, stable relationship. I'm not trying to discourage that." Nino frowned as he followed her up the stairs. "If he's truly willing to be serious with you, that means I was wrong, and I retract my previous misgivings.

"But you know what I know you can expect from Adrien in a relationship? Secrecy. Stonewalling. He'll hint and give you a glimpse here and there, but he'll tell you nothing of substance. And then you're left picking up all the context clues, trying to assemble them into something coherent to figure out what's going on his head. And sometimes you'll get it wrong."

"Oh," she said.

Nino was quiet for a long moment. "I don't know Adrien as well as I would like to. There's a great person in there somewhere, I know that, but…" He sighed deeply. "Tell me if this sounds familiar. At some point, Adrien's mood plummeted for no apparent reason, but he kept smiling the creepiest, emptiest smile on earth while making small talk and assuring you that he was fine."

Marinette opened the door to her room and shut it behind her after Nino had entered. Her voice was soft as she recalled that first date's disastrous beginning. "Yes."

"You're going to run into that a lot. At least this time I can tell you what likely caused it." Nino turned to face her and there was rage blazing in his golden eye. A rare sight, he so seldom let anything get to him. "Chat Noir."

Marinette blinked. "Chat?" What did he have to do with Adrien?

"Yes. Your Chaton–" Nino sneered the nickname. "–decided to interrogate and threaten Adrien."

"What? Why?!"

"Because he's the son of Hawkmoth." Nino exhaled and rubbed the bridge of his nose, pushing up his glasses. "And probably because his return to Paris was unfortunately timed."

"He – he didn't find anything, did he?"

Nino looked at her like she had lost her mind. "Of course not. It's Adrien! The man doesn't have a villainous bone in his body!"

"I know! I know that, I just–" Marinette wasn't sure how to finish that sentence. She hadn't suspected Adrien of anything, would never accuse him of being like his father. But she had noticed the timing and tried not to ever think about it. To have proof that it was just coincidence – well, it lifted a weight off her she hadn't known she'd been carrying.

Nino waved her off. "Not the point. After Adrien, the fucking cat moved on to Adrien's agent, and I got to see his interrogation technique up close." He paused and breathed deeply, calming himself with visible effort. "Marinette, I've been deferring to you on this whole Chat Noir situation since you know him better and all. But that guy is seriously fucked in the head. Explain to me what you see in him."

She shifted her weight uncomfortably. "Hawkmoth's death changed him. He didn't used to be like this. He was…" She trailed off, trying to find the right words for him. "Playful. Kind. Quick to laugh and make jokes."

"So why does he hate you?"

Marinette frowned. "I think he's just misanthropic in general, now."

But Nino shook his head. "No, Marinette, I don't think he is. I think he has it out specifically for you. I'm a stranger he can barely stand, and he still chose to call my help over yours. Why?"

"I…" That couldn't be true, could it? It was one thing for him to be angry at the world, another if his loathing was singularly focused on her. They were supposed to be two halves of a whole. As it often did these days, the memory of that night rose. "I guess I… I turned him down." A lot.

Nino laughed, and it was an ugly sound. "Seriously? That's it? Goddamn, what an asshole."

"Chat's not an asshole," she muttered, feeling the irrational urge to protect him against the same thoughts she'd been having herself. "He's hurt."

"Yeah, hurt he didn't get a girl he wanted. I mean. It fits. Chat Noir would certainly not be the first man to pretend to be nice to a girl's face right up until she makes it clear he has no chance."

"That is literally the worst interpretation possible! Nino, what the hell? You're normally all about giving people second chances, why are you so dead set on disliking Chat?"

"He cost me my best friend, Marinette!"

She drew back, staring at Nino with wide eyes.

"Adrien's never been the same since Chat Noir murdered his father," Nino said bitterly. "And now this psychopath went and interrogated him. Adrien hides it well at first glance, but his mental health is utter shit, he can't take this kind of pressure."

Silence descended until Wayzz cleared his throat. He was frowning at his wielder as he floated between the two of them.

"Every Miraculous holder is Chosen for embodying virtue. The specific virtues they have may vary depending on the Miraculous they wield. But overall, to assume that any given Chosen One has been an–" The kwami sighed heavily, imbuing the crude word with gravitas. "– an asshole all along is so reductive that it can only ever be wrong. The Black Cat should be met with compassion for what drove him to this, not hostility."

Marinette raised her chin. "See? Wayzz agrees with me."

Nino did not respond right away, gazing at his kwami with a pensive expression on his face. "Fair enough. Maybe he was a good person when he was younger. But Marinette… that doesn't mean he is now. I'm worried. Did Tikki ever tell you why they encourage the Ladybug and the Black Cat to keep secret identities from each other even though they're meant to be a pair?"

"I don't think that's particularly relevant in this–"

"Yes, Wayzz. It really is. Marinette needs to know about the possibility."

Marinette's gaze swiveled between her friend and her kwami, realization slowly dawning on her. She'd known before, of course, but this moment was the first time it truly hit her – Nino was Guardian now, which meant he'd likely be learning secrets about the Miraculouses that she did not and would not ever know.

"Tikki?" she asked faintly, and her trusted companion nuzzled up against her shoulder. Marinette straightened her spine, confident in her answer. "It's for our safety. So we can't give each other away when one of us is captured."

But Nino shook his head, his eyes filled with pity.

"No. It's to keep you safe from him. Previous incarnations of the Black Cat have betrayed their Ladybugs."

"That's not – we're partners. My Chaton would never…"

"Wouldn't he?" Nino's voice was gentle, and that made it worse. "Do you know him well enough to stake your life on it?"


Flames licked the walls, turning sterile white into black.

Where is it?

I know you have it.

But her throat could not form the words, the host entirely unsuited for that purpose. She felt its feeble mind clawing at her sanity, frantic and scared, but she paid it no heed. It had the warm flesh she needed to anchor her.

Where did everyone go?

She opened her maw, magma dripping from her fangs.

You cannot hide from me.