The Parisian skyline was often beautiful at sunset. Often, but today however, for one boy it was anything but. Adrien Agreste stood staring out over the city with a grim look on his face. For passers-by, they would see someone standing precariously in the open window frame. What they wouldn't see, however, was the small black apparition perched on his shoulder watching the teen.

As vividly colourful as the city often was, it seemed bleak and dull to Adrien. The apparition was a Kwami. His. The supervision of his every movement by a small magic animal was not one of the perks of being a superhero. Especially one with a deep fascination with Cambert cheese.

Plagg, Adrien's Kwami, turned away from the horizon to stare at his young charge's bleak face. On warm nights like these, he would oversee Adrien's piano practise and homework before they played video games together or flipping across the Parisian rooftops as the hero, Chat Noir.

Tonight however, the storms brewing in Adrien's eyes were much more imminent than the showers expected the next day. Plagg knew that he needed to placate Adrien before he did something rash.

Adrien watched as a small group of birds flitted by the third story window he was hanging out of. He stirred somewhat when he heard Plagg say something. He turned his head to look his Kwami in the eyes. "What Plagg?" He said angrily. His brow furrowed at the scowl that appeared on Plagg's small cat-like face. "Look, kid, you can't stay here all night moping. I don't care if you're angry with me or your father or Nathalie or the whole world for that matter. If you don't sleep now you won't be able to rest until past midnight tomorrow." Plagg stated firmly.

"So what Plagg?" He shouted turning away from the window and striding back into the room "I'll be punished by Father for the bags under my eyes? Punished for the mistakes I'm bound to make in Bach's concerto?" He paused, glaring angrily at Plagg. "He can't punish me worse than he already has." He said quieter this time, all the anger leaving his voice. He crumbled and sank down onto his bed, head in his hands.

"Adrien, I am sorry. I shouldn't act so callously with you. I should know better than anyone that you get that enough from your Father." He stopped and floated towards Adrien slowly, pondering his words. "Maybe he'll change his mind. Decide what he's doing isn't necessary and that you should stay. It's not like-"

"It's not like what Plagg? You know my Father, doesn't change his mind. If he has made his decision, then his mind was likely made up a long time ago." Adrien whispered brokenly.

Adrien looked like a lost puppy, desperate for a hope of changing his circumstances or way out, and it was Plagg's job to provide this for him. But for the first time, he had no answer. "Get some sleep kid. We'll talk in the morning." Adrien murmured to himself quietly before turning over and closing his eyes. Once Plagg was sure Adrien was asleep he pressed his lips together briefly. He needed to try another angle, to find a way to get Adrien to convince his father. Before it was too late and he never saw Adrien again.

Marinette was awake. Very awake. Despite over an hour of tossing and turning she was still awake. She needed to do something. Normally she would work on her designs in her design books, but even that had become soured by her problems. She couldn't look at other fashion brands without seeing Adrien. But she longed for some fresh air and she had not got any all weekend. She rolled over and headed to her desk where Tikki was sleeping. "Hey Tikki," she whispered, listening for any sound from her parent's room that would mean they were awake.

The small, red and black Kwami shook the sleep from her eyes and stared up at the girl in from of her. Marinette's bluebell pigtails and eyes were in front of her. Her pink top and black jacket were on the chair behind her and she was wearing her pyjamas. Recently Marinette had taken to spending time alone on the balcony above her room at night and Tikki worried for her. Pining for Adrien as a schoolgirl crush was harmless enough but as of the past few months, it had begun to take over aspects of her life. Her inability to tell Adrien why they couldn't be friends anymore had led to bouts of depression in which Ladybug had not appeared on the streets because Marinette had curled up in a ball and wept after school. Speculation from the media at her whereabouts had not helped the situation in the slightest. While Hawkmoth's dwindling Akuma threat had made her disappearances less dangerous, it had made Chat more desperate to see her which only hurt her more. Hawkmoth. If only she'd been more careful.

Their separation had meant she went on patrol with him less and less often to the point of them having entirely different patrol schedules. Despite this Tikki had remained positive as was her nature. She had to help Marinette fix the problem she had inadvertent caused.

Tonight, however, Marinette's eyes were clear of tears and not puffy from crying. She gave a small smile to Tikki which Tikki returned. "Hey, I think I need to leave just for a few hours to clear my head of..." She paused for a moment before plastering a fake smile onto her face before Tikki would notice. "I know Marinette," Tikki replied, "Just make sure to bring some macarons so that we can get home before dawn." Tikki could only hold the Ladybug form for a finite amount of time. This time was lessened even more once Marinette had used Lucky Charm. To recharge Marinette fed her food. As her parents owned a bakery and Tikki had a sweet tooth, she was normally fed pastries or cakes. Marinette nodded and began to walk toward the window.

Passing her desk she saw a picture lying on her table. A group photo of all her friends from school taken the year before in Autumn when they visited the park. Alya, grinning ear to ear with her arm around her boyfriend Nino. Nino leaned against the park gate ruffling the hair of his blonde friend and of course, her. Stood next to that same blonde. Adrien. She remembered how nervous she had been. Quivering slightly from being brushed ever so slightly by the thing she had longed for, for so long. It had not been as bad as it was now but it had seemed life-shattering at the time. She shook her head, dispersing those memories, throwing them to the wind just as she was about to do to herself. The latch on the window was open and she nodded to Tikki as she opened it. Tikki nodded back. Outside the window, the warm air rustled the dry leaves on the trees. "Spots on!"

Plagg knew the pressure Adrien was under. At the age of 16, he had a modelling career; he was in the final year of school before college and his father was the owner of the fashion brand Agreste, which alone gave him major issues with his father. That much strain on his shoulders had recently been amplified by the new situation his father had created for him. Adrien was to move to America to study at the design houses there, so he could one day inherit the role his father currently held. But over the past months, his personal life had worsened. His good friend Marinette had become increasingly withdrawn around him, being upset just by his presence. Most importantly to Adrien though was the problem he had confided to Plagg about. Ladybug.

She had also withdrawn greatly, talking less frequently on patrols or snapping back at his attempts at flirting, to begin with, but now had ceased patrols of Paris entirely with him, Chat Noir. Adrien had become obsessed with finding out why, which only drove further cracks between them. As Adrien slept his face became more peaceful than it had been for the past few weeks. The calm that it lent Adrien was relaxing to Plagg, even if Adrien would only wake in the morning with his problems re-fastened to his shoulders. That reprieve gave Plagg time to think and think he did.

While Plagg sat contemplating the situation he felt a funny itching feeling coming from his small whiskers. He realised that Tikki was trying to contact him. In order to receive a message from her, it would have to go through the first Ladybug and then Chat Noir. He floated over to Adrien. He had cocooned himself in blankets during the night and his brow was furrowed. Plagg shook him lightly and Adrien rolled over groaning. "Plagg, not now," Adrien murmured. Plagg flitted closer and poked him in the face. Adrien's eyes were still closed but he scowled regardless ruining his peaceful look from earlier. "C'mon kid we need to leave for a few minutes," he said in his scratchy voice.

"Why, why does it always have to be so late at night?" Plagg had recently told Adrien he had to go outside sometimes in order to avoid magical deterioration that Kwami's left without transforming for long stretches and without being in the magic box could suffer from.

This was a lie and the real reason was to receive messages from Tikki about the situation with Marinette. "Can't help it, kid, it's in my nature." He hated lying to Adrien like that but he didn't have a choice. "Fine, I'm up," Adrien said yawning. "Plagg, Claw's out!"

Marinette vaulted the neighbour's house completely before swan diving and swinging up to another building 100 metres further. She stopped and sat behind the flats fire escape. It had been 6 months ago now when it happened. Right here. It had all been very sudden...

Author's Notes:

Examples of Artistic liberties in this AU:

A Miraculous can only be taken if the wielder gives it willingly.

A Ladybug and Chat Noir can no longer remain partners, if one finds out the other's identity while they bear a Miraculous.

The Guardian of the Miraculous Box must uphold the rules of the Miraculous regardless of personal cost, or be forced to relinquish it to another. Examples are that of revealing their identity to someone who does not wield a Miraculous. Another is of informing a non-wielder of the existence of Kwami's. This is for the Kwami's own protection. If enough knowledge of their existence is gained by a person, the Kwami will become visible to that person.