I still don't own this show. This was made even more apparent to me as I watched Silencer in French (a language I don't speak) while waiting for the English version to come out. And yes, I know that ice in drinks is a US thing, not a French thing, but it makes my plot work, so whatever.

The week passed quickly. Marinette and Adrien no longer danced around each other, but acted like the old friends that they secretly were. Marinette treated Adrien with the same kindness that she showed everyone, but was much more likely to touch his arm, or pat him on the head absentmindedly; the physical signs of affection she had always shown to Chat Noir.

Adrien, for his part, had a hard time keeping his Chat in check around the "new" Marinette. When the two of them were alone, he let the more carefree side of his nature fully shine through, but even in class, the occasional pun would slip out.

Several of their classmates, primarily the girls who knew of Marinette's crush, approached her to offer congratulations, or to ask about the status of their relationship. All were offered a smile, and a version of the 'trapped together by Oblivio' story. Since the story was, after all, the truth, whether they remembered it or not, it was readily believed by everyone, and corroborated by the fact that nobody had seen either Marinette or Adrien during the Akuma battle.

Alya beamed with pride every time time she saw Marinette talk to him without stuttering or blushing, and was constantly finding reasons to pull Nino off on their own, so their friends could have time alone together, whether it was a few minutes at the end of lunch, or completely disappearing after school. The whole class was amused the time that Adrien cracked a good natured joke at Marinette's expense, then winked at her, pulling her pigtail. Instead of turning into the stuttering mess they expected, the look that crossed her face spoke of retribution. Her chance came, halfway through class, when Mme. Bustier was turned away from them. Adrien had been leaning back in his seat, the collar of his shirt gaped away from his neck ever so slightly, but that was all the opening that Marinette and her deadly aim needed. The only warning he received was the rattle of ice in Marinette's cup before he felt something cold and wet slip down his back, inside his shirt. The surprised squeal he made alerted the teacher that all was not right, but Adrien pasted on a smile, and the rest of the class looked innocently back at their teacher, so he sat through the remainder of class, feeling the melting ice run in rivulets all the way down his back to the bench below him.

Friday rolled around, and school let out. Marinette headed back to her house, and Adrien headed to fencing practice, with a promise that he would be over immediately afterwards. Marinette was downstairs in the bakery helping her parents out when Adrien walked in, freshly showered and ready to hang out. Marinette greeted him with a quick hug, inadvertently transferring some flour from her arm onto his black shirt. He laughed and wiped it off. Marinette apologized anyway, "I'm sorry! I was just baking some cookies for us! You like chocolate chip, right?"

Adrien's face lit up. "You made me cookies?" He grabbed one off the plate and took a bite, groaning blissfully as the still warm cookie melted on his tongue. Marinette giggled, and grabbing the plate, headed up the stairs to the family room to play some Ultimate Mecha Strike 3 before dinner. After a few rounds, where either Marinette beat Adrien, or the team of the two of them beat some other unsuspecting team, Marinette's dad joined them, even managing to beat his daughter once. The three were laughing and swapping friendly insults when Marinette's mother called them to dinner.

The four of them sat around the table in the family kitchen, enjoying the food in companionable silence for a while. After several minutes Tom asked, "So, kids, how was school today?" Marinette answered with a story from their French Literature class, where they had been discussing The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Adrien laughed and said that the discussion was so intense that when someone agreed with him, it was a real Victor-y, to which Marinette's dad said, "There Hugo. Someone knows their way around a pun." The two looked at each other and burst out laughing. Sabine smiled at them indulgently, while Marinette gently banged her head against the table wondering what she had started. As the boys enjoyed their pun-off, Marinette and her mother talked about the cupcakes that Marinette was to decorate the next afternoon in a variety of floral designs.

After a dessert of tiny fruit tarts, which Adrien exclaimed over repeatedly, Marinette collected the dishes, and went into the kitchen to watch them. Adrien debated briefly continuing to swap jokes with her dad, but followed her into the kitchen and offered to help. The two of them stood at the sink, Marinette washing and Adrien drying. They were chatting companionably, when Adrien commented that he was drying way faster than she was washing, and couldn't she keep up, when her hand slipped on the dish she was washing, and she "accidentally" splashed him. When he shouted in surprise, she splashed him again. He retaliated by swatting her with the dish towel. Before things got too out of hand, Sabine stuck her head around the doorway, and asked if they wanted to join her and Tom in watching a movie. Marinette answered in the negative, saying, "Thanks, Maman, but we were just going to hang out in my room, play some games and stuff."

Sabine gave her daughter a hard look, then quirked an eyebrow, "Stuff?" Marinette immediately turned the color of her kwami, and even Adrien blushed, scratching the back of his head as he caught the look between mother and daughter. "Maman! No! I-we-not NO! Nothing like that! Talking. That's it. I promise."

Looking at the pair's embarrassed smiles, the way they were studiously avoiding looking at each other, and the honesty shining in her daughter's eyes, Sabine laughed. "Alright, you two. Have fun. Your father and I are going to bed after the movie. What time is your ride coming, Adrien?"

"10:30, Mrs. Cheng."

"Please call me Sabine." She hugged the boy, then called her husband to come and say goodnight, adding, "If you kids need a late night snack, please feel free to grab something." She gave them both a hug, as did her husband, who gave Marinette a kiss on the head as well, before they disappeared back into the living room, allowing the two teens to escape up the stairs into Marinette's bedroom. Adrien looked down at Marinette as she dropped to her chaise. "I can't believe your dad hugged me!" He said dazedly.

Marinette laughed. "I'm surprised you got away with only one! The way you two were getting along at dinner, I thought he was going to adopt you on the spot! I assumed I'd lost you for the night, I expected him to make you watch the movie with them, at the very least."

Soon, the two were playing their favorite new favorite game: pointing out all the times that they should have figured out who the other was. Marinette laughingly stated, "I realized today that you did your own voice for our movie! I even watched that movie sitting next to you! How could I not notice it was you!"

It was Adrien's turn to laugh as he sprawled on his back on her rug, tucking one hand behind his head. "There has to be some kind of illusion cast by the Miraculous. I'm sure I don't sound the same in the mask, and I know you don't. It's not far off, but definitely not the same. The time I've been kicking myself over is that music video with Clara Nightingale! I was terrified to put on that mask. No wonder you suggested everyone put on a mask, and immediately donned the Chat Noir one! I assumed, not for the last time, that you were just a fan of mine." He waggled his eyebrows.

Marinette leaned down to smack his knee. "I'll always be a fan of yours. You're the best partner a girl could ask for! I wouldn't be Ladybug without you. But yes. I was not ready to put on the Ladybug costume and mask. I was worried people might think we look alike."

"Don't worry, Mari. Nobody thinks you look like me."

She swatted his leg again. "Dork." Jumping up, she grabbed a couple of pillows, dropping down next to him on the floor. She lay on her side facing him, propping herself up on one elbow. Sighing, she said, "This has been an interesting week, hasn't it, Kitty."

Adrien chuckled, rolling onto his side to face her. "That, Bugaboo, is an understatement. I am thrilled to have my best friend with me in my everyday life. If you told me last week that I'd be hanging out in Ladybug's room with her after having dinner with her parents, I'd have said you were crazy."

Marinette smiled. "It's not like you've never been here before, with or without the mask. Although I think the meal with my parents went much better than last time."

Wincing, he groaned at the memory. "Why exactly did you tell me that you loved me? I now know that you were never in love with Chat Noir. It seems an odd thing to lie about."

Blushing, Marinette couldn't quite meet his gaze. "I'm so sorry. I panicked. I thought you had figured out that I was Ladybug, and I said the first really distracting thing that came into my head. I didn't realize my dad was going to overhear and blow everything out of proportion. I figured you'd laugh it off, let me down easy and leave. And technically? I was telling the truth. I just didn't realize it at the time." Pausing, she nervously started tapping her fingers, as her gaze drifted up to meet his. "Adrien. I told you earlier this week that I have a crush on you. I still do. Would you like to go to the movies with me? As a date?"

Sitting up, startled, Adrien stared at her. "Marinette. I can't date you! I mean, I'd love to go to the movies with you as friends, but we can't be in a relationship."

Copying his move, Marinette also sat up, with her legs folded under her, and placed a hand on his forearm. She smiled up at him saying, "Ladybug and Chat Noir can't date, it would be dangerous for them, but nobody knows that we are the ones behind the masks. It would be alright for Marinette and Adrien, we would just have to make sure to stay professional when transformed."

"That's not what I mean" said Adrien, slowly. "You are my friend, Marinette, probably my best friend. Friends are people who care about you, and who take care of you. They value you for who you are, not just what you can do for them You have shown me time and again that you truly do care abut the real me, not just the perfect shell." He tried to explain to her about all the people that loved him, and how love was about what you could get from the other person. How Marinette was a friend and that meant so much more to him. He concluded to the shell-shocked girl, "So you see why I can't go out with you. You don't really love me, you're a really great friend."

Somewhere during his revelation, a comforting hand had snuck over to his knee. Her mind was reeling with everything she had just heard, and her heart broke for her partner rather than herself. Marinette leaned over and wrapped her arms around Adrien and hugged him fiercely. "OK. I may not agree with your reasoning, but I respect that you feel that way. No dating. I am now, and will always be your friend and partner, no matter what. As such, I am here for you, in and out of the mask, and I want to spend more time with you, doing fun things, rather than only seeing you when we are in school, or when Hawkmoth sends someone to steal our jewelry."

Realizing that she wasn't angry, and that she definitely wanted to stay his friend, Adrien relaxed, hugging her back, enjoying the comfort of having her arms around him. He quickly agreed to spending more time together, trying to ignore the hollow feeling in his chest at how rapidly she appeared to change her mind about being in love with him, no matter how right he knew himself to be.