Authors note:

I'm so happy to be back to writing. It's been emotionally tolling not getting to update or focus on any of this. I'm a computer science major with a concentration in software engineering. So, I write, except it's code like Java and C++… not as much fun.

Here it is though!

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Snow continues to fall outside as the morning school bell rings. Hesitating outside the classroom, in the hall, Marinette picks at the sleeve of her petticoat. It's been three days since her encounter with Chat Noir inside the Chef's dough box. He hadn't been appearing outside her porch either since the incident between them. Now, inside this room that she's entered school year, she'll have to face her lifetime crush after being intimate with another… well maybe another.

'I don't know what to do,' she thinks to herself, grabbing her pigtails. Trying to calm her breathing, she faces the wall and rests her forehead against the cool wall. 'You have to do this.'

Clenching her fists, she straightens her back and looks to the door. 'I'm LadyBug! I can't be scared of some interaction with a boy even if this is Adrien were talking about!'

Setting her resolve, she marches forward and walks through the opening. With everyone inside, she glances at the teacher first and rushes towards her seat. On the way up the steps, her eyes betray her and look to Adrien.

Already staring back at her, he watches as she makes her way to her seat. Even as she sets her things down and tries to breath, he keeps his focus on her.

"Glad you could join us, Marinette," their teacher says.

"I apologize." Marinette bows before sitting.

Giving her one last glare, the teacher begins her day with calling roll. Adrien finally looks away, focusing ahead. From diagonally across and two rows back, Marinette traces the outline of his face. A black mask forms. She shakes her head.

Since the day with Chef, Marinette's body has remained tense. Unable to relax, and craving to finish what they started, she bites the eraser to her pencil. His scent runs through her mind again. Comparing it to Adrien, she keeps her head low, shutting her eyes.

'You need to stop. What if it isn't him? If they aren't the same person, you are betraying Adrien and how you feel. Even if you can't be with him,' she thinks. Head pounding with memories, blending the two, she sighs.

Alya touches her shoulder, whispering. "You ok?"

Marinette nods. "I'm fine. Just have a headache is all." Alya gives her friend a look and then suspiciously, and unwillingly, turns back to their teacher.

Time passes. The lesson finishes. The bell rings. Adrien looks over his shoulder, back at her, one more time, before leaving on his own.

'Trust me,' Chat Noir's voice echoes.

Standing to leave for lunch, Alya links her arm to Marinette's. "I have to tell you about yesterday! My mom was cooking in the kitchen and caught our stove on fire!"

"Did she really?!" Marinette blinks, shocked.

The two of them carry on for the day. Marinette hides her frustration well, needing to focus on Alya instead of herself.

As they grab their trays, she thinks, 'Everytime we talk recently, I always have problems or it's always about Adrien. I need to figure this out on my own. I can't make her worry about a situation she can't help me with.'

-NEXT SCENE

Out of breath, Marinette runs through the front door of the cat café. Inside, customers eagerly wait to meet Chat Noir. Scanning the room, she finds Myla setting up tables and chairs.

"Sorry! I ended up having cleaning duty for our class since I was late today. I'm here now though!" Marinette gasps.

"Good! He'll be here any second!~" Myla squeals. Turning around, she tosses a t-shirt to Marinette.

"Whats this?" She asks, but then looks at it. Answering her own question, she shakes her head. "Myla, you don't think this is extreme?"

"Absolutely not! We're the official Chat Noir fan club! We have to represent to gain numbers!" Myla answers while stomping her foot and puffing her cheeks.

Marinette traces over the image of Chat Noir on the shirt, holding his staff behind his shoulders while crouching. Under, it reads: Chat Noir Official Fan Club.

"Pleaseeee go change! I want to see the look on his face!"

"What do you mean?" Marinette shakes her head.

"Well, it's super obvious he totally has a thing for you after that incident with my cousin. Didn't you pick up on that?" Myla asks.

Marinette flushes red. "He does not!"

"Yes. He does. And you're blind if you don't see it. It doesn't bother me though. I knew I wouldn't even have a chance after seeing how he took up for you. I've already come to terms with it." Marinette blinks and opens her mouth to speak, but Myla walks around behind her. She then pushes her towards the bathroom. "Hurry up already!"

Sighing, Marinette drapes the shirt over her arm and enters the bathroom in the back. She quickly changes shirts and as she's pulling the pink one over her head, one pigtail comes undone.

Picking up the ponytail holder off the ground, she stands and looks in the mirror. Not really looking at herself, she bites her lip. In her mind, for a second, she remembers her dance on the rooftop with Chat Noir. She pats her cheeks and huffs out air.

Moving to leave the bathroom, she opens the door and grabs her hair, readying it for the pigtail. At the front of the café, Chat Noir waves to everyone. Slender black suit, outlining his athletic build. Her mind flashes to the dough box Chef had made. The feeling of his hand slipping down her abdomen and touching her leaves her aching still.

She looks away, finding the black cat, Kuro, near the bottom of the counter. With him spotting her as well, he skidaddles over to Marinette, rubbing against her legs. As she smiles, she crouches down to pet him.

'If only things could feel as simple as this. I wouldn't have any issue with things in my life at all. Yet, here I am stuck between all these questions.' Marinette glances up to Chat Noir. He speaks with one of the guests and laughs at a joke being made. The group around him also laughs as well. She focuses back on Kuro who looks to her with big green eyes.

'Could Chat be Adrien? I can't ask because we shouldn't know each other's identities. He hasn't come by since him and LadyBug did things inside the box. Does he know? There's no way! Besides, if he did know, why would he stay away from me as Marinette then? Does he feel guilty because he doesn't know I'm LadyBug. Nothing makes sense!'

Picking Kuro off the ground, Marinette moves over to a table in the back and places him gently in her lap. 'But why would Chat Noir say 'trust me'? If he's playing two girls… but…' Marinette moves her hand under Kuro's chin, causing him to purr loud. 'If they are the same person… and somehow found out who I am… then he doesn't want me to know for confirmation. To keep our secret safe… at least half-way.''

Marinette's stomach turns as she takes a deep breath, almost forgetting to breath in between her thoughts.

The meet and greet with Chat Noir continues with ease. Marinette talks with Myla as they wait for Chat to finish. The customers smile and have fun talking with the city's main male superhero as they love on other cats in the store.

A loud boom echoes next door. Dust spews from the building beside them as car alarms blast. The walls of the cat café shake. People scream, confused and unsure of what's going on. A second later, a giant foot smashes into the side of the cat café, destroying the corner of the building. More people scream, scurrying away from the destruction. Marinette jumps from her seat, holding Kuro tight.

"I've got this!" Chat Noir yells, grabbing his staff and extending it with the push of a button. Rushing to the demolished side of the store, as he passes Marinette, he locks eyes for a moment.

'Ad…rien?' Marinette thinks as he rushes in front. As the foot moves, Gianormous screams and kicks in another building close by.

Marinette shakes her head, 'No time! Keep your mind on the danger! It's Peter! Why on earth did he change into Gianormous again?!' She gently places Kuro down and runs out the store. Rushing over a few buildings, once by herself, she transforms.

"Spots on!" She says, taking on the role of LadyBug. Once finished, she uses her yoyo to swing onto the closest rooftop to Chat Noir.

She yells, "We have to stop him! Once and for all! We have to figure out why he keeps getting akumatized!"