Author's note: This is technically a third part out of four, though I tried to make it understandable if you started here. If you want to see everything in order please read Stars and Wise first.

Adrien was being overwhelmed by love and warmth, and he hadn't even seen Marinette yet. He was still waiting in the bakery, getting asked by her parents how he was and being offered cookies while waiting for her to make her appearance. They had a joint project for history, and he couldn't believe his luck that he'd been paired with her. Or maybe the luck was all hers.

He didn't have much time to think about it before Marinette appeared in a flurry of apologies and flapping hands.

Marinette. His Lady.

Adrien's throat tightened at the way her eyes found his and then skittered to the side, nerves not enough to hide her delight at seeing him.

"S-so, Adrien, are you ready to-" She tried to push her hair out of her face but poked herself in the eye instead.

Adrien winced in sympathy. "Are you okay?"

"Of course!" She smiled painfully, one hand covering half of her face. "I've got a spare - I'm - I mean, never mind. Uh, should we start?" She turned and walked into the corner of the counter.

"Marinette?" Adrien asked.

"Fine!" she said - other hand rubbing her thigh - and pushed her way past the counter and through the bakery to the small door at the back of the room. With a glance to make sure he was still following (her eye was still red) and a small smile, she let herself in and disappeared.

They walked all the way up to her room without words. The space was different in the sunlight. He'd been over at least twenty times in the month since Chat Noir had found out who Ladybug was, but he couldn't help staring at everything now. Pages of doodles scattered across her desk, flower decals on the wall, scraps of fabric, and her empty walls. Walls where dozens of photos of him had been just last night.

"Canks for humming," Marinette said. "Tanks for thum- No! I mean-"

"You're welcome," Adrien cut in. "I'm glad we get to work together."

Marinette nodded, staring at his shoes. As Chat Noir, he'd finally drawn the identity of the "other" boy out of her. This was nerves because she was worried about his opinion of her. If she would just let him tell her his identity...

For now, he could only do his best to get her to relax and let her know that Adrien thought the world of her. Where was that skirt she'd mentioned last week? The one she was struggling with? He spotted it draped over the back of her desk chair.

"That's nice," he said, pointing at it. "Did you make it? It looks fantastic."

"Oh." Marinette turned just enough to see what he was looking at and turned red. The word soup that came out of her mouth was nothing short of legendary.

Adrien vowed he would let her know he thought the world of her and get her to relax, but maybe not at the same time. This promise to himself was derailed by a loud shriek. He turned back to Marinette just in time to watch her slam a framed portrait of him face down on her desk. She'd missed one picture.

"What was that?" he asked, trying to pretend he didn't know exactly what it was as the blush bloomed across his face. Wait. There was no way she could answer that question. "I mean, uh-" He scanned the room, looking for inspiration. "Nice stars?"

"Thanks," Marinette said, glancing up at the plastic stars sprinkled across her ceiling. She didn't know he'd been the one to give them to her, and it seemed to be the right topic. Her fists unclenched slightly. Her shoulders dipped a little lower. "They're from a friend of mine," she said without stuttering.

Adrien felt warmth swirl through his chest. Just talking about Chat Noir helped her calm down. If she would only let him tell her who he was…

"Any constellations up there?"

She nodded, pigtails bobbing. "A ladybug."

He smiled at the memory, and then decided to push his luck. "Who gave them to you? Alya?"

Marinette shook her head, body held unnaturally still.

"Oh? Who then?" He knew he shouldn't pry. She couldn't tell a random civilian that Chat Noir had been visiting her almost nightly, but he was also curious. What would she say? How would she describe him?

"Someone I should trust more than I do."

Adrien's heart stopped. She- she couldn't mean. With practiced indifference he said, "Oh? Trust him with what?"

Marinette shrugged one shoulder and looked back up the stars, her answer unsaid.