There was a knock at the door, and Ladybug awoke from her dead sleep.

It took her a moment to orientate herself, in which contained another impatient double-tap on the door.

Hastily she extracted herself from the pile of Ladybug and still-sleeping Adrien that had accumulated on the couch, and Plagg zoomed up to look at the peephole.

She straightened and stretched, patting her face to attempt to awaken herself faster, as well as to check if her eyes were puffy.

Yes, they felt puffy like there was no tomorrow, but a quick glance into her reflection on the kettle told her that the mask hid it well.

'Ooh, you're not gonna like this,' Plagg grinned, peering harder and laughing slightly. 'Don't let her inside.'

Ladybug rubbed at her eyes groggily, as the knock once again repeated itself. She suddenly noticed the beginnings of a slight headache brewing around her temples.

'Is anyone home?' Came a female voice inquisitively, and Ladybug flinched.

She'd know that voice anywhere, even in her nightmares.

Ladybug, grabbing the key on the way past, headed to the door and opened it a fraction, trying not to look disappointed that this wasn't indeed one of her nightmares.

'Hello, Ms Bougeois,' Ladybug said carefully, slipping through the doorway and out into the hall.

Chloé very obviously tried to peer around the girl into the room, to the point of standing on her toes, as Ladybug pulled it shut carefully behind her.

'Hi there, bestie!' Chloé grinned, dropping back to her feet and fluttering her fingers. 'I thought I'd drop past and, see how you were going?' She said unconvincingly.

Once again the girl peered past the superhero, as if expecting the door to open once more.

'I'm sure,' Ladybug said sceptically, 'We are well?' She shifted her stance slightly, crossing her arms.

'Great, whatever. What's Chat Noir doing?' Chloé dismissed disinterestedly, still waiting for the door to reopen.

'He's not available right now,' Ladybug said coolly, pressing one hand protectively against the cool wood, the movement not lost on the blonde. But Ladybug would be damned if she let Chloé get her hands on Chat, especially at that moment.

'Oh? What a pity. I was going to give him a preview as to what I was going to wear tonight. Over a spot of lunch, don't you think?' She winked at her, putting on her best charming air that had zero effect.

Ladybug raised her eyebrows. 'You seem to be awfully fond of Chat these days,' she paused, eyeing the girl, 'didn't you say you had a boy on, what was it, tenterhooks?'

'Well, yes,' Chloé defended, 'but it's nothing serious.' She crossed her arms defensively, drumming her fingers against her elbow.

Ladybug took a deep breath. 'Why don't we go and get ourselves that spot of lunch?' She smiled, relaxing her stance. 'I'm sure we have so much to catch up on.'

Chloé nodded in earnest, also relaxing and taking the lead to wander back down the corridor, flipping her hair over her shoulder to preen it carefully. 'Now there's a great idea. I want to know all about you!' She grinned, taking the bait.

'I want to know all about you too!' Ladybug said earnestly, stifling an eyeroll. 'So tell me about this boy?' She started up, hoping to get Chloé talking while they moved away from Chat.

'Well, Adrichou is a kind, caring boy, let me tell you.' Chloé grinned, hardly looking up from her preening. 'He's a bit of a pushover, and a bit too kind hearted to really make it as well as he could, but he's just so handsome! We're practically dating, if only I could convince him to slow down a little. He's crazy about me!'

Ladybug pushed the elevator button, slightly harder than what she had intended. 'He sounds like a great person.' She said slightly defensively. 'Perfect even.' She paused, pretending to think for a second. 'This is that Adrien Agreste, right? Isn't he a famous model? You must be lucky to be able to be so close to him.' She side-eyed her. 'Then why the sudden interest in Chat Noir?'

'Well,' Chloé faltered. 'He's so,' she flipped her hair uncertainly, shifting her weight onto her other hip. 'There's just something so, I don't know,' she admitted. 'But I wan't to know more? He's got such a fiesty side, and it's, refreshing.'

'You seem to be a little uncertain?' Ladybug frowned. 'What makes you so certain?'

'Well, I've never had a chance like this to get to know him.' Chloé pointed out.

'I think you're trying to paint Chat in a different light than what he is.' Ladybug replied firmly.

'What makes you say that?' Chloé questioned. 'I'm just judging on what I've seen so far on this trip.'

'Are you seriously comparing how well you know him against me?' Ladybug forced a giggle.

Chloé backpedalled slightly. 'I'm just telling you what I've seen. And I'm appreciating it.'

The lift doors opened, and the two girls ambled inside absently.

Ladybug huffed, unable to directly respond. 'Have you asked him about this?'

'Of course! We went for a gorgeous date yesterday, remember?' Chloé giggled. 'It was so romantic, and Chat Noir was such a gentleman. It was overlooking the city, and the river, whatever it's called. Are you jealous? Getting stuck with M Streep couldn't have been fun.' She teased lightly.

'It was quite fun, actually.' Ladybug said defensively. 'We were lucky to run into M Agreste.'

Chloé sighed. 'It was a shame that his son couldn't be around.'

'Why? I thought you were on a romantic date with someone else? Wouldn't he be jealous?'

'A healthy dose of jealously might be good for the boy.'

Ladybug raised her eyebrows. 'What if he did that to you?'

Chloé shot her an uncomprehending look.

'What if he turns up with someone else on his arm?' Ladybug clarified.

Chloé shook her head. 'That won't happen. Like I said, he's positively smitten with me.'

'You are weaving yourself a very tangled web, you know.' Ladybug pointed out, her temper raising. 'Leading along one boy while chasing another? It doesn't seem very, ladylike.'

Chloé looked at her sideways. 'Speaking of, are you two together? You and Chat Noir? Honestly, I wouldn't blame you, he is sort of handsome,' she trailed off for a moment, her gaze drifting into the middle distance, but then she straightened. 'Because if you are, I might just have to steal him away, you know?' She said, with an edge in her voice.

Ladybug grinned half-jokingly. 'Well I can't have that, Ms Bougeois.' But she knew there was a glint in her eye. 'I probably should have said this earlier, but Chat Noir is mine, and I'm not sharing. And I don't think that Chat would have a differing opinion to me.'

Chloé grinned back, catching on. 'Wait until I tell the press about this? They'll have a field day. Finally, proof that Ladybug and Chat Noir are an item?'

'But if you do, won't you be saying to this "Adrichou" that you're not interested?' Ladybug did not break her gaze from the girl. 'He might be dislusioned.' She paused. 'And what would you tell them? "I found out because I'm thirsting after Chat Noir and Ladybug turned me down on his behalf"? "I found out because I cornered Ladybug in an elevator and interrogated her"?'

Chloé flinched. 'I'm sure he won't. Adrien's going to be mine, I won't have anyone steal him away.' She pressed her hands to her hips. 'And that's a horrible thing to say. I'm not thirsting. Who even says thirsting anymore?'

'How flattering. Then you won't have a problem leaving Chat Noir alone.' She said in a careful tone, suddenly noticing how her stance reflected how much she wanted to fight this girl and relaxed it.

'Are you threatening me?' Chloé crossed her arms, as the elevator doors opened. 'Because that's not very superhero-esque of you. Oh, the press are going to have a field day.'

Ladybug looked back at her in wide-eyed innocence, opening her hands invitingly. 'Are you accusing me of villany?' She said simply.

Chloé tossed her ponytail to her other shoulder angrily and stormed out of the elevator. 'You watch. I'll have Chat chasing after me just like the rest of them.'

Ladybug did not follow her, instead she simply watched her distainfully until the doors closed, and the elevator started moving once again.

'I'd like to see her try.' Ladybug muttered into the empty elevator, glancing at herself in the reflection.

Well, at least there's a better chance of her not fangirling so much around me. She thought, but considered her actions. I'm going to have to be careful with what I say to her in public now. She sighed. But horrible Chloé is better than fangirl Chloé.

She drummed her fingers restlessly all the way back up the elevator shaft, and back to their front door.

'So what did you say to her?' Plagg immediately questioned as soon as Ladybug had shut the door behind her as quietly as she could manage, aware of the unmoving blonde on the couch.

'Ssh!' She shot at the kwami, but he shrugged.

'Kid sleeps like the devil. Or like me, actually.' Plagg added pensively, with almost a proud tone in his voice. 'You could cause a marching band pileup and he wouldn't even stir.'

Ladybug released her transformation, and stared over in Adrien's direction. 'Chloé seems to have developed this obsession with Chat.' She shook her head. 'Also apparently Adrien is drooling after her.'

'Pfft, I could've told you that.' Plagg pointed out, and Tikki nodded. 'That Chloé girl seems to think they're going to get married, and scarily soon too. Have you seen the way she acts around him at school?'

Marinette shook her head, then went and seized a few of the pastries from the tray in front of the sleeping boy and disappeared back into the bedroom with the two kwamis trailing after her.

She did not shut the door, but she did open the curtains to let the fresh sunshine in with a flourish. 'Honestly, she irritates me so much. Who does she think she is? Trying to lead two boys on at the same time. Terrible, is what it is. Even though they're technically the same person, but it doesn't make it any less bad.'

Plagg nodded. 'That's fair. She is pretty annoying. I've been saying that for ages.'

Tikki sighed. She landed on Marinette's shoulder and looked up at Plagg. 'Sorry about this morning, Plagg. I didn't mean to for it to go that far.'

He shrugged. 'It's fine. We've been through worse. I'm sorry for being too harsh. I really lost my temper, and I got carried away. I'm really sorry.'

She shook her head. 'It needed to be said.' She agreed. 'But you were far too harsh about it.'

'He needed harsh. Fancy words weren't going to cut it.' Plagg shook his head. 'It wasn't the right time to consider his feelings, he had a lot of things that needed digging out. You don't know him like I do, he'll leave little corners of crap all hidden under the rugs, behind the bookshelves, everywhere. Unless you get it all in one fell swoop then it'll just come right back.'

'Let me remind you; you left him catatonic on a couch.' Tikki reminded him carefully.

'He needs to learn to buck up.' Plagg dismissed. 'Chat Noir got away from him. It's the truth. I meant what I said. Well, most of it.' He amended.

'Alright, alright, you two,' Marinette broke in between them. 'I don't want to see you two fighting again.'

'And you.' Plagg rounded his attention on Marinette. 'Why are you taking this so harshly?'

Tikki visibly glared at him. 'Like you said, you let Adrien let Chat Noir get away from him. Haven't you taught that boy anything?'

'He never listens to me.' Plagg defended. 'Anyway, you're acting like a spoilt child.' He rounded on Marinette with a slightly disdainful look. 'Boo hoo, the boy I have a crush on seems to have a different side to his personality than what I've seen. Boo hoo, I'm in love with my best friend and partner.'

'You're oversimplifying things.' Marinette defended.

'No, I'm really not.' Plagg countered. 'And how well did you really know Adrien before? You hardly ever spoke to him.'

'That's not true!' Marinette shot. 'We were, well,' she faltered, 'I wouldn't say one hundred percent friends, let alone close, but I knew a lot about him!'

Plagg raised a skeptical eyebrow, but Tikki was the one who spoke up.

'Yes, you knew his schedules, his rosters, his shoots, but did you actually know him very well?'

Plagg raised both eyebrows at his fellow kwami, surprised. 'What happened to being nice and delicate?' He questioned while Marinette visibly floundered.

'Do you see this, Plagg? I'm compromising. delicate, but frank. Try it sometime.' She winked at him teasingly.

'I, guess you're right.' Marinette said, hanging her head. 'I hadn't thought of that.' She pressed her hands to her face. 'God, I wasn't much better than the rest of those fangirls, was I?'

'Too frank, too frank,' Plagg muttered, as Tikki moved to sit on the girl's shoulder again.

Tikki sighed. 'You were at least trying to get to know him properly. Which is better than I can say for the rest of them.'

'Yeah,' Plagg agreed, 'At least you didn't have a tonne of posters of him with hearts and stuff and kissed the photos, because that's pretty sad.' He shook his head, but then saw her crestfallen look. 'Wait, you didn't, did you? I've seen your room!'

'Delicate, Plagg!' Tikki scolded. 'And that was because we cleaned it up when you and Adrien ever came over, which was pretty rare, to be honest.'

'Hey! You can't pin that one on me!' Plagg defended. 'That one was an accident!'

Tikki shook her head exasperatedly.

'But now all you have to is just fill in the blanks! And so he's a bit different to what you first thought, so what? There's no need to hole yourself up and cry about it. So quit being a baby.'

'You go too far, Plagg.' Tikki said dangerously.

Marinette shook her head. 'No, he's right. He's completely right. I did let things get way too out of hand, to the point it was seriously hurting Adrien, and our friendship. There's no one to blame but myself. As Ladybug I take full responsibility of this situation.' Her fingers were shaking slightly, but she took a deep breath to steady herself. 'I'm alright.' She said, mostly to herself. Tikki zoomed closer to her in concern, but her holder waved her away.

Plagg swelled proudly. 'Exactly. Frank.' He nodded decisively. 'You won't believe all the different Ladybug/Chat Noir scenarios like these we've seen in the past. I know what's going on.'

'You're still younger than me, Plagg dear.' Tikki reminded him carefully. 'And Marinette, don't be so hard on yourself!' She added, a little helplessly.

'Yeah, well, you've always been one for waiting for things to play out.' Plagg rolled his eyes. 'That's boring. Cut to the chase!' He paused. 'Cut to the cheese?'

Even Marinette rolled her eyes at that one, but she let out a contented sigh, as the last of the built-up tension floated away. 'You're as bad as Chat. Adrien. Urg, that guy.' She flopped herself backwards onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling.

After a long moment with an unreadable expression, a smile played around her lips. 'Anyway,' she sat up, snatching up and taking a mouthful of pastry before eyeing off the fabric in the corner of the room, 'I really need to get to work on that dress. Plus, I need to figure out how I'm going to get the fake mask I made to stay on me without any chance of falling off.'

'What were you thinking?' Came a tired voice from the door.

Marinette jumped and peeked around her shoulder, to see Adrien with dark rings under his eyes, propping himself up against the door frame with a proffed forearm.

'You were listening?' She questioned sheepishly. 'How long were you there for?'

'Something about keeping on a fake mask?' He questioned, stifling a yawn behind a hand. 'Why? Was there something I wasn't supposed to hear?'

'No!' She said, slightly too quickly, but it went over the head of the sleepyhead. 'I just don't want to actually go to the ball tonight as Ladybug, because as my adventures with M Ag-your father discovered; we discovered that Ladybug can't just throw things over her costume and pretend they look good, unless it's Alya's disguise dress it seems.' She flushed slightly, wringing her hands together. A different kind of anxiousness had come over her. 'We tried so many different kinds of dresses, and general outfits, that it was decided. Don't get me wrong, your father certainly did try!' She flapped at him, but he shrugged it off. 'But nothing worked unless it covered it completely, but that wasn't really in the style of Ladybug.' She shook her head. 'Ladybug's more confident than that, most of the ones that we found made her, me, sort of prudish. So I'm going to wear a fake mask, and hope for the best.' She pressed her hands into her lap shyly. 'I'm quite proud of it, actually. I picked up some extra materials for it in Lisbon.'

'I remember.' He nodded, recalling the frustration of the girl and the seller, due to the language barrier and the specific nature that Ladybug had been looking for until a kind stranger rescued them. 'Can I see it?' Adrien questioned curiously.

She nodded shyly, her eyes turned downwards. 'Sure, hold on.' She clambered over her bed to the bedside table closest to the window, before opening the drawer carefully. 'Here,' she said, pulling forth the delicate looking mask. 'Be careful though.'

Adrien took the mask from her with precise fingers. He was a model, after all, and well used to delicate accessories.

This, however, was a work of art.

At it's most basic level, it was undeniably the Ladybug mask. He had to peer closely to see the tiny stitches that Marinette had put into the spots to hold them on, and from his admiration of Ladybug he knew that this mask was a perfect rendition.

But then came the embellishments.

The edges had delicate lace trimmings held up by wire and mesh that would extend over the cheeks and temples of Ladybug's face, in a darkest red that faded to black at its very tips in swirls. It turned her confident mask into something infinitely more refined and graceful, much more like that of a woman who would take one down with words and wit with a smile like ice than a fist.

'I love it.' Adrien said breathlessly, staring at it wide-eyed as he turned it over in his hands. 'It's amazing. Spectacular.'

The reaction was so Chat, and so Adrien, that Marinette smiled at the mirroring images she had. When she blinked, she half expected Adrien to turn into Chat, and the idea helped her mind to settle slightly.

'What are you doing for yours?' She questioned curiously, looking up at him.

He shrugged. 'I'm not honestly sure? I mean, if nothing else I'll just go as Chat.' He went over to the cupboards lining one wall of the bedroom and produced a suit bag. 'But Chat Noir would look a little strange with his suit-boots-things and a regular suit.' He paused. 'I mean, I spent some time walking around Paris trying to find something that would work, but between shoots and school,' he looked a little guilty as he handed her mask back.

'Well, I have a bit of extra time,' Marinette started, 'I can whip something up? But that still doesn't solve the problem of keeping the masks on.' She shook her head slightly, turning over her mask in her hands. 'We can't just use normal elastic bands, I mean talk about unprofessional.'

'"Unprofessional"?' He grinned. 'Buginette, I think superheroes can do whatever they want to.'

Marinette laughed. 'Yes, but what would you say to people asking; "what's with the bands?"?'

He paused to consider, rubbing his chin and pulling such a Chat Noir stance that her smile widened. 'You make an excellent point.'

She hung her head slightly to hide it. 'I was trying to come up with a solution since I thought of it in Bordeaux, but I honestly have no idea. I'd need some sort of tape, or glue, or something. Just it absolutely cannot fall off.' She shrugged a little. 'I know superglue is a drastic measure, but?'

He raised defensive hands. 'Well, why don't you try eyelash glue?'

'What?'

'Here,' he started, moving over to his bag. 'I think I have some.' He caught her questioning look and chuckled nervously. 'Some of the make up girls from the shoots heard I was supposedly filming a movie and packed a makeup bag for me. Something about how terrible English brands were?' He shrugged, before producing a container the size of a large lunchbox. 'There you are.'

'But why would you need stuff like eyelash glue? You're plenty-' she slammed her mouth shut, biting her lip, flushing.

'Honestly? I have no idea.' Adrien shrugged, his eyes on the task of opening the box, which turned out to be much more intricate then first expected, drawers exposed, sides unfolded like flowing water. 'They were talking about potential close-ups. Something about Les Mis?' He shrugged, rifling through the box. 'No clue.'

She put the mask down carefully on her bedside table and picked up some extra stitching work, crossing her legs on her bed. 'S-So how did you get the whole movie thing to fly? I thought that'd be a hard thing to do?'

'Well, I pretended I'd just gotten a phone call from this director that I looked up. I said that they were being really secretive about it, but that they wanted my presense. When Père called up to confirm, they had no idea about anything, of course. But Père wasn't "part of the circle", as it were.' A guilty look passed his face, and he paused pulling out a miniature drawer. 'It all got so complicated. I feel bad about it. I wish I could come clean.'

Marinette smiled, shaking her head. 'Well you've come clean to me.'

'I guess you're the most important one, in the end.' He smiled gently, and she flushed to the roots of her hair.

'T-that's not true at all!' She flailed at him.

'But it is, my lady!' He objected, looking up at her, a tiny tube in hand. He stood. 'Ladybug, no, you are the most important person in the world!' He offered the tube to her, but she was too busy flushing so hard she was worried she was going to burst a blood vessel.

'I-I, no, that's not right,' she shook her head, panicking like there was no tomorrow.

Here was Adrien Agreste, proclaiming his opinion of her to the highest order!

She thought she was going to have a heart attack.

And he had differentiated, between Ladybug and Marinette.

He said that Marinette was the most important person to him!

She covered her face with her hands.

But, wasn't this Chat as well?

The one whom she had brushed off when he had made the very same types of remarks?

This was all just so complicated.

She had been in love with Adrien, who was Chat, who was in turn in love with her, and, and, it was like someone had shoved them all in a mixing bowl and hit puree and that was some analogy that was close enough to Marinette's feelings.

'Are you alright, Marinette?' Came a concerned voice, and she looked up.

She laughed nervously. 'Fine! Just fine! I just probably need more coffee or something. Ha ha ha ha,'

He deposited the eyelash glue beside her. 'I can get some more pastries? I'm famished, to be honest.'

'Sounds great.' She smiled, and as soon as he turned around she was fanning her cheeks.

She and Tikki only had enough time to exchange a look before Adrien wandered back into the room, bearing the whole tray of pastries, with a croissant held delicately between his teeth.

Tikki flew over and immediately stole one, and took it to the window before devouring it.

Adrien offered it to Marinette, who took one gratiously, before he settled it on the edge of his bed, within arms reach.

He took an enormous bite of the croissant, and waited until he was finished with it before he spoke again. 'So that glue's going to be like superglue.' He warned, nodding down to it next to her. 'It'll take your skin off, if you're not careful.' He saw her concerned look, before; 'don't worry, it'll be fine. If we just put a couple of spots around the edges where the masks'll sit then it'll be fine.' He reiterated.

'Right.' She pulled out her sketchbook and started work on designs on his mask. 'I'll bear that in mind.'

He leaned over to watch her sketch, and she thought her face was going to catch fire.

'Sorry, I should ask: do you mind if I watch?' He questioned over the lip of her sketchbook.

'No, no, it's fine,' she shook her head, flushing terribly. 'Make yourself comfortable.'

He shifted so that instead of sitting on the ground between the beds facing her, he was lounging with his head leaning against her hip, peering under her elbow to watch.

It may have been the reminder that it was Chat as well who was doing this that was stopping Marinette from having a heart attack.

Her mind wandered over the previous few days once again, remembering the little things that she had noticed about Chat and how they had matched up.

He travelled a lot.

Yes, Adrien Agreste was probably the most well-travelled person that Marinette knew, outside of maybe Chloé.

But he travelled in big groups.

Well, that was what happened when you had an international modelling career.

But he was used to handling himself and not having anyone watch him.

He would have had to, with the elite that he mingled with with his father.

He had no idea how to pack.

Models wouldn't have had to worry about things like packing, considering how he was organised for him.

His behaviour around Chloé.

They were childhood friends. It was only this trip that his eyes were opened about her behaviour to the rest of the world.

Of course, the Mecha Strike competitions.

That one explained itself, to be honest.

But, there was Chat's behaviour around Gabriel Agreste?

She shot a downways look at the mess of golden hair, and the fingers that had rested themselves over her knee to watch the page of ideas flowing from her hand almost absentmindedly.

Chat was indeed anxious around the man.

But he was always coming to Ladybug's defense over his fathers.

She shook her head slightly, erasing a line.

She would have to ask him about it.

Which was when something else sprang into her mind, and she paused.

She was quiet for a long moment, and Adrien looked up at her.

'Is everything ok?' He peered, resting his chin on her thigh.

She blushed a little at the contact, but perservered.

'I have a question,' she started, and he looked back up at her curiously. 'How did you know it was me? Being Ladybug, I mean.' She replied to his inquisitive face.

He looked away, and retracted his hand, almost like he was bashful, or worried. 'Well, I,' he hesitated, 'there were lots of little clues, I suppose, but then again there were always little clues.' He took a breath. 'But I didn't even suspect.' He assured, glancing up at her, before looking away again. 'I guess the turning point was when we were talking about how you had decided that Adrien and Chat were seperate people in the bathroom.'

She frowned, lowering her pen to look at him.

'We were talking about the idea that once something gets stuck in your head, it's hard to displace it. And then we talked about Mecha Strike.' He smiled ruefully, resting his hand back onto her thigh and shifting slightly. 'You said how you went to a competition. You talked about how you had beaten your friend, but then you were going to back out for Max, but then how I had backed out instead.' He shook his head. 'If I hadn't have made that comment about if my "look-a-like" was involved, then I probably never would have guessed.'

Marinette had paled. She laughed nervously. 'Well, I'm glad something like that is unlikely to come up again.'

'I didn't mean to upset you, my lady.' He said, peering up at her with enormous green eyes. 'Honestly, I didn't. And especially this morning. I'm so sorry.'

She shook her head. 'I think, things are starting to come together now. I'll be fine. Now,' she raised her sketchbook again. 'These are best options that I'm going to be able to throw together at the last minute. I'll be able to alter pretty much anything, if you have any preferences.' She snatched up her phone to look at the time, and yelped. 'Within reason. So?'

He looked at her questioningly.

'Pick one.'