The first version I posted had the lyrics posted within and i was graciously notified that it was against rules that protect this site. So I am reposting. (thank you to the diligent people who work to protect this site and its content) The song is "Paris in the Rain" by Lauv. It has such a dreamy feel and I wanted to try to mimic it in writing and it just sounded perfect with these two so behold. I'm quite happy with how it turned out. As always, reviews are always welcomed. Happy reading!

There are some nights that the house is just far too cold. The high ceilings, the tiled floors, the lack of sound. Silence is cold in a big dark house like the one Adrian Agreste lives in. Which is why on nights like this, he finds himself running.

It's chilly out tonight. Perhaps physically colder than the house but something about it is just warmer. The lights. The sound. The activity. On a night like this, there aren't many people out, but enough. Enough that everything feels brighter. Thunder rolls over his head as Chat Noir silently makes his way across rooftops.

He stops for a moment and looks up toward the sky. One, two, three drops of water splash off his mask, his shoulder, the corner of his mouth. Thunder rolls again, louder this time, and the sky opens up as sheets of water drop heavily from the dark grey blue clouds.

His clawed hand pushes his dripping hair out of his face. He shivers slightly as the cold skitters down his spine and back up into the top of his head. Purrrhaps going for a run tonight wasn't such a good idea after all.

He turns to go back towards his house when he sees it. A beacon of light in the not so far off distance. He smiles, recognizing the balcony as a place he's been before. The night his lady stood him up, he found himself there in the lonely hearts club with the first friend he ever made.

As he comes closer, he sees the aforementioned friend huddled beneath a large black umbrella, unsuccessfully trying to pull a large sheet of plastic over her deck chairs to keep them from getting too badly soaked.

He splashes down onto the balcony causing the girl to "EEEP."

He smirks. "Sorry Purrincess. I didn't mean to startle you."

"Chat Noir!" She says, her eyes widening in surprise. "What are you doing here? And in a rainstorm?!"

"I thought it might be a good idea to keep Pairs safe," he winks.

She rolls her eyes and turns her attention back to the plastic sheet, only for the umbrella to snap closed around her. He rushes forward and helps her open it up. Her cheeks are dusted pink and Chat Noir remembers another time that this happened. A laugh bubbles out of him. He can't help it. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she says softly.

"Here. Let me help." He takes the plastic from her hand and begins to secure it around her deck furniture while she holds the umbrella to keep them both at least somewhat dry.

"You really don't have to do that," she says.

"Nonsense. What kind of superhero would I be if I didn't help a citizen in need such as yourself?"

She rolls her eyes and he smiles. She's so different around him as Chat Noir. It's hard to connect the Marinette in front of him with the Marinette at school. This Marinette is more like his lady than he's quite ready to admit. "Well. I suppose you do deserve a thank you." She smiles at him and all of a sudden he feels warm.

"You know? You might want to get a new umbrella. It would make me sad if that one hurt you the next time it closes on you like that."

For some reason her cheeks become even redder. She's probably embarrassed. "I like this one. It was given to me by a...friend."

Warm. That's what Marinette is. She's warm and kind. He can't help the tightness in his chest. She doesn't still hate him. She called him her friend. "I'm sure your friend wouldn't want you to get hurt either."

The rain has slowed down significantly, becoming more of a drizzle than a torrential downpour. "Well. Now that your furrrrniture is saved, I must take my leave." He bows low and can't help but smile widely and the barely disguised laugh that she snorts. "Goodnight, Marinette."

"Goodnight, Kitty," she calls after him as he leaps off of her balcony and into the night.

It had been a hard day. Three akumas in as many hours right in the middle of the school day. You would think that Hawkmoth would change his strategy but perhaps one should be thankful that he is apparently too dumb to learn from his own mistakes.

Regardless of the long and trying day, Ladybug and Cat Noir still had a patrol planned that night, and there was no way either of them were going to miss it. Ladybug, because she couldn't help but be responsible and keep her commitments, and Cat Noir because it's not like he got to see his lady much and he wanted to take advantage of every moment he could.

They split the city in half and each made their rounds quickly before meeting up on the beams of the Eiffel tower to report like they always did.

Ladybug was already leaning against the support struts when Cat Noir had finished his rounds. "Milady," he greeted with a flourish.

"Chaton," she greeted half heartedly. "All was quiet on my end. You?"

He plopped down next to her, feet dangling over the edge. "I stopped to help calm down a quarreling couple but other than that, everything was pretty quiet for me too."

They sit in silence for a moment before Chat looks towards her. "Are you alright Milady?"

"I'm fine Chaton. I'm just tired."

"As much as it pains me to be apart from you, perhaps we should both go home and get some sleep. It was a rather long day."

"I'm tired enough I might not make it home without falling over. I just want to sit for a minute."

Chat nods. "Okay."

They both look up toward the sky. "I wish we could see the stars here," Ladybug says wistfully.

"The only stars I need are the ones in your eyes," Chat says.

Ladybug rolls her eyes. "You are incorrigible."

"I aim to please."

She can't help the chuckle that opens in her chest. She sighs and looks back toward the sky. The air moving miles above them has the clouds rolling and shifting in their shapes as they glide across the night sky.

"How long do you think it will take? To take down Hawkmoth?"

"I don't know Milady. But I do know this. We will do it together." He takes her hand in his, and she leans her head on his shoulder.

One, two, three drops of rain fall from the sky and roll off of their suits. One by one, more drops fall. A soft sprinkle dusting Pairs like sparkles as the city lights hit them just right.

"I love the rain," she says.

Chat smiles. "Why's that?"

"I don't know. There's just something...wistful about it. Calming. Soothing." She takes a deep breath through her nose. "And it smells like life."

"Well you do wield the kwami of creation. I can't imagine anything more like life than that." He places a barely there kiss in her hair.

She would never admit it, but Marinette most definitely had some stalkerish type tendencies. But it's not her fault that she worries. The people she cares about tend to put themselves in worrying situations, and honestly it would be completely irresponsible of her not to check in on those people from time to time. It's her duty really. As Ladybug.

Which is why, tonight, she finds herself quietly following the love of her life. Because why on earth is he walking home alone? In the dark.

Rain starts to fall and she really should be paying more attention to where she's stepping, because the rooftops are starting to become a little slick, and even Adrian has lifted up the hood on his hoodie but she's a little too distracted by that to be paying attention, so of course she slips. And of course she manages to fall right in front of him. How embarrassing.

"Ladybug!" he exclaims as he rushes up to offer her a hand.

"Whaah. Sorry. Um." She takes his hand and stands shakily. "Thank...thank you."

"Um." His hand reaches up and rubs the back of his neck. "You're welcome," he says. "Are...are you alright?"

"Yes! Yes I'm gurt. I mean. I'm good? I'm great. Yes."

He smiles bashfully. His lady is so different like this. She seems...softer when she's caught off guard. Soft and...warm. Like his friend. "That's good."

She fidgets slightly. "Um. So! Um. Do you...do want company? On the way home? It's probably not sood...safe? Good. To be walking home. Alone." She seems to pause and realize something. "I mean. If you are. Going home. I mean."

"Yes!" Adrian shoves his hands in his pockets. "I am. Going home. And um. Yeah. Yeah I'd like that." He smiles. "If you're not too busy," he says in a rush.

"No! No. Of course." Her smile grows wide. "Um. Lead the way."

They start to walk together. Side by side. Just a couple of blocks and around the corner.

"This is me," he says.

"Right. Okay. Well. Um. Goodbye." Ladybug is about to take off when Adrian reaches out and grabs her wrist.

"Thank you." He lifts her hand and places a soft kiss on her knuckles. The blush that rises in her feels five alarm red.

"You're...you're welcome."

He can't stop the small smirk that curls at the corner of his lips. She can't help but think of another blond haired, green eyed boy who has a rather similar smirk. Thunder rolls overhead and the rain patters down around them a little harder.

"I should get inside," he says.

"Ye...yeah. Goodbye….Adrian."

As Ladybug swings away they both can't help but think, I absolutely love the rain.

It was coming down heavy. It was as if the sky had been saving up buckets of water and decided to pour it down over the city of Paris all at once, painting the buildings, the roads, the stone sidewalks, and the people with clear, watery paint.

The wind was dancing fast as well. Pushing and pulling and whipping around so that the rain was coming down somewhat sideways and maybe even backwards in places if you squinted.

So while Marinette was thankful that she brought her umbrella today, it really wasn't doing her much good. She was on the steps of the school, trying to figure out the best way to walk home while still being as protected as possible.

She leaned into the wind, only to have it push at her umbrella hard enough for it to snap shut around her. Again.

So she tried again, by not leaning so hard, except then the wind caught underneath the canvas and sent it folding up and backwards, rendering the poor thing completely useless.

A small chuckle sounded behind her. "Here. Let me help."

Marinette stood somewhat frozen as Adrian pulled her back into the shelter of the doorway to readjust the umbrella in its proper position, before clasping it closed and opening his own. Unlike the black one he gave her previously that she was now going to have to leave in her room as a relic and not an actual useful item, this one was bright red and stood like a beacon contrasted against the blue grey world around them. "I'll walk you home," he says kindly.

"Oh. Um. Thank...thank you."

They walk to the cross walk, huddled together as they avoid large puddles every other step. They stop on the corner to allow the cars to pass and Marinette can't help but close her eyes for a moment and take a deep breath through her nose.

"I love the rain," she says, not a stutter nor a stop. Just a pure, clear sentence.

Adrian smiles. "Why's that?" he asks, thinking of another blue eyed girl he knows who loves the rain.

"It's just so...wistful. Calming. Soothing. And it...it smells like life," she says so quietly he almost thinks he's heard her wrong.

He swallows thickly as her eyes make contact with his and he finds himself wandering. How many coincidences can he notice before it's not a coincidence any more? He wants to ask. He wants to ask so badly but...if he's right...if this little bubble of hope in him is right, then she won't want to know. So instead all he says is, "I love the rain too."

She smiles tentatively, but seems to find a slight comfort in the distraction of needing to walk again. "Why...Why's that?" she asks.

He smiles as they walk up to her front door. "I guess it's because...to me...it feels like peace. That smell, that you call life? To me it smells like...home."

"Beautiful," she sighs. "I mean...that's beautiful Ad-Adrian."

"Thanks," he smiles.

Inside the window, Marinette's dad is smiling widely and looks like he's waiting for something. "Um. I'd better...better go. Thank...thank you for...walking me home."

Adrian swallows, and before he can think better of it, he let's what he wants to say come out. "You're welcome, Purincess."

Her eyes widen and her cheeks turn pink and he can't. He can't stand it because it's right at his fingertips and it's terrifying. So he turns and he walks away, the red umbrella growing smaller as Marinette stands there frozen, wondering. Could it be?

Chat Noir sits on their beam in the Eiffel tower, under a bright red umbrella. Ladybug finds it impossible to ignore as she swings up and toward it. After watching Adrian walk away under a bright red umbrella just like it mere hours before, it's impossible not to notice.

Chat looks up and smiles at her. "Nothing to report on my end Milady. You?"

She shakes herself from staring and moves to sit next to him, under the umbrella. "No...nope. All was quiet."

The rain is coming down more softly than it had been earlier in the day. Gentle. Quiet. The pitter patter on the world below seems to fade away here, in this safe place. The two teenaged heros look at each other silently, each lost in their own thoughts for a moment, seeing other eyes in the eyes in front of them.

"It's been raining a lot," Ladybug finally says.

Chat smirks. "Good thing you love the rain."

She looks at him contemplatively for a moment before threading her fingers together, hanging them on the shoulder closest to her and leaning her chin on them, looking at him closely. Looks back at her, almost nose to nose. "What about you?" she asks.

He smiles softly. "I love the rain."

"Why's that?" she whispers.

"Because it reminds me of you. It feels like peace. Smells like home. Just like you," he answers just as quietly.

She swallows and her eyes shimmer slightly. "Do you want to know my secret reason for loving the rain?"

"Yes," he says, a little breathlessly.

"I fell in love in the rain." His heart constricts painfully when she says that, but then she continues. "He wasn't anything like I thought he was at first. He was kind. And pure. I'll never forget when I first heard him laugh, even though it was at my expense. But I was so rude to him and yet, he gave me his umbrella. Because it was raining. And the lightning flashed and it was like...like he was burned into my heart."

"I don't know Milady. I feel like maybe he gave you a defective umbrella. Maybe he's not all that kind," he teases, because there is no way he's that lucky.

She looks up at the red umbrella above them, and then back at him. "I don't know Chaton. He was kind enough to walk me home today."

"This is killing me," he says. "Princess...please put this cat out of his misery already. I know you didn't want to know but…"

"Isn't a little late for that?"

"Maybe?"

She smiles, a teasing glint in her eye. "You already know."

"Yeah. I guess I do." He pauses. "Do you wanna know my secret reason for loving the rain?"

She nods.

"Because I can't seem to stop myself. When it's raining, the whole world narrows to just you and me. And I can't help but love you…no matter what name you go by."

"Even if I'm just Mari…"

He leans in quickly and cuts her off. Lips slanting together as thunder rolls overhead. Everything about her tastes warm. Like sugar cookies and rain. She tastes like home. She sinks into him and can't quite believe that this is happening. But he's right. It's just him and her and she can't help it. She can't help but love him.

After a moment his forehead rests against hers. "Especially then," he says. A small smile blooms on his face. "Marinette."

She giggles. "I...I love you...Adrian Agreste."

His grin grows wide. "I love you too, Bugaboo."

She rolls her eyes. "Don't call me Bugaboo," she says halfheartedly.

"You don't mean it," he teases.

"I guess I don't."

Thunder sounds across the sky and all around them. He laughs. "Yeah. I love the rain."

She giggles. "Me too." And then she's dragging him closer and kissing him again, the red umbrella slipping slightly, the hook catching on his arm as his hands reach up to her face and hers rest on his chest.

The rain might as well have stopped falling midair.