Adrien closed his eyes and counted to ten on his mind. He was trying to keep calm and recover the missing air of his lungs.

How many times had he joked about Ladybug leaving him breathless? Innumerable times, but only tonight he figured it out the exact meaning of breathless.

Adrien felt like he was being sucked into a dark hole and taken into another dimension.

Ladybug had always been a circumpolar star on Adrien's sky; she never left his mind, she was always there on his horizon. But now thanks to recent events she had become a shooting star; a short event of joy and hope that just as fast as had appeared, had also flown away from him.

And now that star wasn't in the sky anymore, she had become a meteorite that had finally landed on Earth.

She wasn't just a name or a memory orbiting around Adrien's head, she was flesh and bone, she was real. After years of dreaming of her, she was finally real.

"Cat got your tongue, minou?" She smiled and it was like contemplating the born of a star. The energy ran through Adrien's veins and nuclear explosions burst inside his body.

"My lady?" Chat Noir stuttered at her nickname.

He stood up to get a better look. She took a step away when he did that but once in front of her she leaned into him, wrapping him in her arms in a tight hug.

"Oh, I've missed you so much!" She said excitedly.

Her head rested on his shoulder, and her arms were around his waist. She was so close that he could feel how her chest went up and down at the rhythm of every breath.

"I've missed you too, you can't imagine how much" Adrien finally reacted at the situation and hugged her back.

Firmly wrapping his arms around her waist he lifted her from the floor so he could spin with her. "Bugaboo, I thought I would never see you again"

Adrien had many questions, questions that he wanted to be answered now but he knew this wasn't the moment. They held each other in silence, playing with pieces of each other's hair and caressing the back of their necks.

Ladybug moved her head closer to his neck.

Her hair fell like a curtain in front of him Adrien sniffed her hair, trying to smell that old sweet scent of hers; but it was different, she smelled like flowers and something citric, it wasn't the smell he was used to relating her to, but it wasn't bad, it was just new. Adrien couldn't expect for her to stay the same after all these time.

Adrien started playing with the strings of her hair. He used to do that all the time, her ponytails were always fun to play with and he made Ladybug laugh. Now, she was wearing her hair down, it gave him more pieces of hair to play with, but also it turned to be messier than it was before, her hair was longer and not tied up, so the black strings got tangled with his claws.

He heard and felt Ladybug's laugh against him which untied an explosion of emotions ran through his veins.

"You don't change do you, minou?" Ladybug cupped his cheeked and with his thumb rubbed the corner of his mouth.

"I would never, my lady." He said. A smirk appeared on his mouth and Ladybug rubbed her finger tips along his lower lip.

Adrien was lost on her touch, it was careful and soft, a bit sensual too. When Ladybug pressed his lips against his cheek, he only smiled further, leaving a kiss on her cheek in return.

He wasn't expecting Ladybug's next move.

Ladybug's lips were against his, gently moving and brushing against his mouth. Adrien gasped at the touch, but he didn't move away. His reaction let Ladybug know that it was okay to take a step forward. She took his lower lip between hers, slowly pulling away.

Adrien's mind began to spin around.

This wasn't the first time he had been kissed. Of course, it wasn't.

He had kissed many people, he knew how kisses worked, he knew what it was like to get drunk on a kiss, to wish it for it to never end, but this was different.

But He never felt as attached to someone as he felt attached to her. Adrien's life revolved around her, as a planet revolved around the sun. She had always been a planet: powerful, magnificent, full of wonders and uniqueness and he had always been a moon.

In that moment all the things he had said before disappeared.

He forgot about every single word he said denying his romantic love for her, he forgot about him wanting to be just friends, he forgot about the questions he was supposed to ask, he forgot about alerting Nino, he forgot about Marinette.

He forgot about the world and he kissed her back.

xx

When Alya was a little girl, her teacher asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up. As many other kids in class, she wanted to be a superhero.

As the years passed by and Alya grew older, she never stopped dreaming of being a superhero. It was a wishful thinking, the kind every person has. Those "what ifs" that never vanish from your brain and that pay you a little visit every once in a while.

Alya would have taken any opportunity that could turn her imagination into reality. Well, old Alya would have.

A few years ago her daydreams of being a superhero had changed.

Her dreams used to be colorful, scenarios featuring grateful people with smiles on their mouths. They ended with a proud and happy Alya looking from the sky as she ran back to her civilian life. Now those dreams started in bright colors but they fade into shades of black. They turned every positive emotion into the dark opposite. Once the dark and cold setting was settled it was time for memories to make their appearance, playing well-rehearsed emotions that made her cringe.

But what changed an obsessed mind like Alya? What erased such an old loved daydream?

Traumatic experiences, that's what murdered a dream.

Alya had a short list of traumatic experiences, the first one on the list was highlighted in red and would have been enough for Alya to change her mind of being a superhero, still there were other reasons that she had collected over the years, and today she was adding a new one to the list: As cool as it looked, running through rooftops wasn't fun.

She had been rescued by Ladybug and Chat Noir repeatedly, but they had never run and jumped across the city with her in their arms; not like Nino was doing right now.

When he took her in his arms, she was really excited about the adventure. Once Nino jumped out of the window, her thoughts swiftly changed.

Alya buried her nails and her head into Nino's neck, giving a muffled scream. Her stomach seemed to have changed positions because there was no possibility that it had stayed in the same place after Nino's jump.

Nino had stopped, offering to leave her in a safe place on the ground. He had been serious and the worry on his eyes sparkled as he spoke softly to her, but in between all that softness, there was a smirk threatening to show up on his face. Alya knew he wanted to tease her, so she didn't give him the satisfaction. Denying being afraid or nauseous –which she was- Alya put on a calm and chill façade and told Nino to keep going.

Why was she like this? That was a question she asked herself more times than she would like to.

However, as scared and nauseous as she felt, it was also nice to see Paris from this point of view. She saw the city like an omniscient narrator on a book would. Maybe she should start climbing the roofs to get new stories to write about, of course without all the running and jumping, that wasn't necessary. She'll have to ask Marinette to help her with her climbing skills.

She was able to enjoy only a few parts on the way, mostly at the end when Nino decreased his speed till he completely stopped.

"How are you doing? No lies" Nino asked. He left Alya back on her feet, close to one of the pipe walls in case she needed support.

"It was like that time I bet you I could ride Space Mountain ten times in a row, and you know how that ended" Alya explained. She pressed one of her hands on her forehead, and the other against Nino's arm to keep balance and not fall out of the roof thanks to her nausea "Why did we stop?"

"The energy feels strong a few blocks down, but the metro is on that corner" He pointed to his right, where the metro sign was displayed "I don't know what I'm looking for, it could be dangerous. Is better if you go home, Alya"

"What?! No way. I want to get to the end of this; you are not getting rid of me so easily. I may see the world as a spinning wheel right now but in five minutes I will be fine"

"When you hear the word dangerous do you understand its meaning or your brain just censors it out of sentences?"

"I'm curious by nature, I like playing detective and I'm good at it; you can't give me a riddle and expect me to not try to figure it out"

"I will take you with me on one condition" Nino crossed his arms against his chest.

"What?" Alya put her hands on her hips. She leaned her body to Nino, shifting her weight from one leg to another.

"You tell me what you are hiding" Nino took a step closer which closed their distance.

"I said I would think about it" Alya pursed her lips. Why was so hard for him to understand that she didn't want to talk about it?

"Then you are not coming with me" Nino stated, lowering his head to be closer to her

"I could still follow you" Alya pursed her lips, showing off her frustration.

"I'm faster and can lead you to a dead end if I wanted to" The tremble on his words was what gave his plan away.

"You did this on purpose" Alya clenched her teeth. Placing one finger against his chest she pushed him away "That's cheating! You are trying to manipulate me into talk!"

"You won't talk to me!"

"It doesn't make it right" Alya ran her hands trough her hair in a nervous motion. "Is this more important than me and my feelings? This superhero mystery mission is more important to you than I am?"

"No, it is not and never will" Nino said. He lowered his head; the guilt shined on his eyes "Listen… I… I'm sorry, I shouldn't have tried to manipulate you, it was wrong, it felt wrong when I was doing it, too. I'm going to be fully honest with you right now, Alya"

Alya blinked, skeptical. With arms still crossed and she pushed her shoulders back and tossed her hair away from her face. She stood on the roof wearing all her confidence and displaying it as a neon sign.

A little apology wasn't enough for her. She wanted an explanation, she wanted the full story. To obtain said story, she wasn't going to move, talk or acknowledge Nino until he did; for that, she needed to look as though as she could be.

"Alya" Nino whispered. His arm was reaching forward, like an invitation for her to take his hand and continue with their path.

Alya ignored him.

She only tilted her head into his direction when she heard him sigh.

"I desperately need this information, Alya" Nino intertwined his fingers, a clear sign of how nervous he was. Alya, realizing this, dropped her arms to the side of her body and showed real interest in his words "I would never put any work task above you, not ever. After all these years you are still who I care most and I hate to treat you as a pawn in a game you did not ask to be part of. But the information you have may be an essential part of the puzzle we are trying to solve. Like it or not, I need to get that information, that's why I have pushed you so hard about it. I know you know more than you make me believe. I know something happened and that you are acting as it hadn't, you act like you still were Ladybug's fan and that everything is okay, but I know it's not how you feel, not anymore. So, please, Alya, please tell me what you know"

Alya's lips parted open. She was stunned by Nino's words. They were exactly what she wanted to hear but she still got surprised by them.

"Won't your energy walk away?" Alya drifted her sight from his eyes. Her wall was about to fall apart. Truth must be told, she wanted to tell everything to Nino, she knew he had a good heart and he wouldn't put any person at risk, not on purpose. And that was the catch, Nino wouldn't, but what about his superhero persona? Superheroes put their selves before others, but what happened when a bigger mission appeared? They would probably still protect civilians but would they be able to protect themselves? Nino wouldn't hurt anyone on purpose, but he could end up hurt, Chat Noir could end up hurt, and if they found Ladybug, she could end up hurt too… again.

"No, it's not moving" Nino answered quietly.

"Huh" Alya played with strings of her hair, looking at the split ends as it was the most entertaining activity.

Nino didn't push the subject any further. He sat on the roof, giving his back to Alya.

Alya extended her arms to her sides so she could keep balance as she kneeled down. Once there, she crawled carefully to Nino's side.

"What's your superhero name?" She asked close to his ear.

"Tortue Verte" Nino answered.

"You and Chat Noir are so original" Alya rolled her eyes.

"Let us be" Nino giggled back.

Alya crossed her hands around Nino's neck and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Nino…"

"Alya"

"I will tell you why

"I will tell you why I don't give you the information if you tell me why you want Ladybug back so badly"

She felt Nino's flinch before she ended her sentence, but he didn't say a word about it. He was tense and his breath was arrhythmic.

"What's going on?" Alya asked worriedly.

"Hold on tight, Als" Nino warned her.

"Nooo" Alya did as he said. She crossed her arms around his shoulders, and her legs around his waist. Once she was ready, Nino jumped out of the roof.

This time, the journey wasn't such torturous for Alya, maybe because the path had only been a few blocks down the street instead of half of the city. The only moments when her head swirled as a tornado was in the initial jump and when they finally landed in a dark alley.

Alya got off of Nino's back, ready to jump into action but got stopped by Nino's arm.

"Hey" She grumbled at him.

Lips pursed and a frown displaying on her face; a look that Nino ignored. He took her hand between his and walked her down the street.

Then Alya saw what Nino had been able to see thanks to his magical glasses.

A man lied on the floor. His face was red for the blood that dripped down his nose and mouth. His chest went up and down in a slow rhythm, far away from being a normal breathing tempo.

"I know this isn't the best neighborhood at night but…" Alya swallowed hard. She had presence robbery and murder scenes before, and she had gone through them, but somehow about the scenario in front of her was more unsettling than any other before. "We should call an ambulance" She said, already with her phone on her hand.

Nino nodded at her suggestion. He let go of her hand and knelt close to the unconscious man.

Alya, gave the required information to the SAMU, as she watched Nino examined the body closely. Besides looking at his wounds, Nino's hands moved with precision in delicate moves around him. It was like his hands were dancing in slow motion, and suddenly in only a blink, his hands weren't dancing alone anymore; they had found a partner: water.

Alya's mouth hanged open. She was so surprised that she forgot she was talking on the phone till the operator screamed at the other side of the line asking for the last information she needed.

"What are you doing?" Alya asked Nino, once the call was over.

She wasn't sure if he chose to ignore her or hadn't really heard her, but she didn't repeat her question. She knelt by his side and watched him work.

The wat2er moved as it was a bubble, rotating around Nino's gloved fingers and brushing into the man's skin. It was mesmerizing.

"Impossible" Nino whispered, so low that Alya almost didn't hear.

"What?" But as she expected, he didn't answer.

Nino kept moving his hands around the body. Alya followed the line of bubbles with her eyes, from the puddle in the floor Nino was taking it, to his fingers, to the body and then all the path back.

"Do you remember how it's like being akumatized?" Finally, Nino spoke.

"The feelings is like being in a little room, you feel claustrophobic, you feel as you were suffocating but at the same time you felt all the opposite, as you were free for the very first time"

"Did you feel like that after being cured?"

"Yes" Alya squeezed her eyes as she tried to remember the horrible experience "Only for a few hours, though"

"That's the kind of energy I sense, the remains of an akuma"

"Which should be impossible since Papillon is gone" Alya added, making reference to his words.

"No, it is not impossible… just felt like it for a minute, then I remembered that we only have theories about the butterfly miraculous" Nino explained. His hands stopped moving, the bubbles around united into a big one that the superhero threw back to the puddle. "Things are getting worse"

Alya watched Nino stand up. He was rubbing his temples and walking around in a little circle. She could hear him mumble intelligible words, as he was trying to organize his thoughts.

"Nino" Alya stopped him mid walk. Grabbing him by his shoulders she made him look at her "Breathe"

"I don't have time for that" He grumbled.

In any other occasion, Alya would have laughed at his words but it was impossible to deny how nervous and worried Nino was.

"You should call Chat Noir" She suggested "If I'm going to tell you what I know is better if he is there too"

"Alya" Nino said her name as it was caressing it.

"Don't say anything, let's not waste time and let's go find that cat!" She commanded

"Thank you, wifi" He said sincerely.

"Don't thank me just yet" Her sentence didn't sound as sassy as it usually would, and maybe that was because Alya wasn't sure she could tell all the truth.

xx

"Don't leave again" Ladybug whispered finishing the kiss.

"I won't" Adrien whispered back.

Their lips were still rubbing against each other, it was barely a touch but it made emotions swirl deep in Adrien's mind.

With eyes still closed and with their foreheads pressed to the other, they were enjoying each other's company in silence.

Adrien was so high in the kiss that his brain had disconnected from real life.

"Your hair is so long, it suits you" Ladybug giggled against his neck. Her hands were playing with the short ponytail.

At the mention of his hair, Adrien stiffed. Reality had hit hard and it had come in memories of him and Marinette together, two weeks ago when she cut his hair.

"What's wrong, kitty?" Ladybug cup hi cheek on her hand and backed down to be able to look into his eyes. She was whispering softly to him; trying to figure it out what had changed his mood.

Adrien couldn't focus on her words, he focused on her eyes. He always loved her eyes, the same color of a warm star, but in that moment incandescent blue had changed into a deep crystalline purple.

Adrien felt how a knot tied on his throat preventing him from breathing properly.

Akuma

It was possible, it was missing.

Their theories could be wrong.

What if somebody else had the miraculous? What if that person had hurt Ladybug? What if that same person was now playing with his emotions? Giving him exactly what he wanted, using this Ladybug as a trap to get him. What if? There were too many what ifs.

"Chaton, you are scaring me" Ladybug's hand reached for his cheek but Chat Noir stopped her midway.

Adrien felt like the world was getting little. As curtains were closing in front of his eyes and walls were smashing against his boy, trapping him in a cramped box.

He tried to keep a normal breathing, but it was impossible. The more he give thought about the possibilities of someone having the butterfly miraculous, someone making an akuma, someone trying to tend a trap for him, the more the feeling of being locked.

Adrien pushed Ladybug away.

"Chat Noir?" She tried to reach for him. Adrien turned around, with his staff in hand and pointing at her.

Five things you see. Five things you see, Adrien.

Uh, Ladybug, no fake Ladybug, no akuma Ladybug… No, no, no.

Rooftops, a pharmacy, the lights of Sacre Coeur, my staff, my hands.

Good, well done, Adrien.

He wasn't sure if the voice on his head was his own or Plagg breaking the barrier of magic trying to communicate with him. It didn't matter, it was working.

Now, four things you can hear.

Cars, the tilting of the neon lights on the pharmacy sign… my breathing, steps.

Three things you can smell… Three things you can smell, c'mon.

Sugar, I smell sugar and… I smell, I smell… Nino?

Adrien rubbed his eyes, he wasn't out of the woods yet but the familiarity of Nino's scent was enough to pull him back to reality.

And there he was, still pointing Ladybug with his baton. Ladybug had both of her hands in the air as she was trying to appease him. Her eyes were full of worrying and still in a lilac shade.

Her sight only left his when he drifted his glance to the new superhero in the rooftop.

Nino stood there in his Tortue Verte form, with Alya hanging on his back, looking as confused as Adrien felt.

"Alya?!" Ladybug voice rang with fear. Her hands changed into fists and she adapted a fight position.

Seven years may have passed but Chat Noir knew Ladybug better than anyone else, and real Ladybug or fake Ladybug, he knew exactly what she was going to do.

As fast as Ladybug moved one of her feet to start moving, Chat Noir was in front of her blocking her way and throwing her to the ground.

His body was above hers, his legs at the side of her body and his staff above of her elbows, preventing her from moving.

"Chat Noir!" She yelled. She shook her body to the sides, trying to escape from him. "What is wrong with you?! He has Alya!"

"Who are you?!" He asked between his teeth.

"What are you talking about?" Ladybug said and then gave a silent scream "It is me, Ladybug! Your partner, your lady!"

Her eyes grew big, filling with tears that started to rain down her cheeks.

When she looked like that, Adrien couldn't take it anymore.

He wanted to scream, he wanted to punch something, he wanted to let all this energy free. He was about to turn into a supernova.

Distracted by his mind, he lost the grip of his stick. Ladybug took the opportunity and escaped from him, throwing him away in the process.

Chat Noir landed at Tortue Verte's feet.

"Thanks for the help, uh" Adrien moaned in pain.

He could see the concentration in Nino's eyes, his hand was extended in Ladybug's direction, and he did not pay a second of his attention to him.

But Alya did. Jumping from Nino's back, she stood in front of him and offered her hand to help him stand up.

Back again on his feet, he stood in front of Alya to protect her, but Alya had other plans in mind. She pushed him to the side and she took a step forward.

"Ladybug" Alya's hands were up, calling for her calm.

"What are you doing?" Chat Noir exclaimed. Grabbing Alya by her arm, he pulled her to him.

"Don't touch her!" Ladybug yelled. Taking her yo-yo from her hip, she threw it on Chat Noir's direction, but her attack only bounced back to her thanks to a wall of water.

"Don't provoke her" Tortue Verte warned "The energy she irradiates is too strong"

"Is she an akuma?" Adrien had to ask, he needed to know.

"I don't know" Nino admitted "I can't tell, but we gotta find out"

"As you say" Chat Noir nodded.

In the time of that short conversation, Alya had rounded the water wall and was at Ladybug's side.

Adrien didn't need powers to sense Nino's emotions; his face let him know immediately how scared he was.

Alya had always been reckless, and usually, Nino had followed her to prevent her from getting hurt. But in those times, Nino had been naïve and didn't know a quarter of the things he knew today. Now he was aware of how the magic worked. He knew how dangerous magic could turn to be. It didn't help that he had senses a powerful and unrecognizable energy just seconds ago. It was normal for him to feel fear when the girl he was in love with had jumped into danger, no matter how usual that was.

"Alya come back here!" Nino shouted.

Both Chat Noir and Tortue Verte gave a step forward, both with their arms in hand ready to fight.

"Alya, get back" Ladybug pushed Alya to her back. With one hand on her yo-yo, she was waiting for them to attack; if they were going to be two against one, she had to plan her moves.

But the superheroes didn't get the chance to attack when Ladybug was already dropping to the floor like dead weight.

"What the hell?" Chat Noir asked. He looked at every direction, tried to understand what had happened. One moment Ladybug was ready to fight, frowning at them and throwing daggers with her eyes and the next she was laying unconscious on the floor.

"Pressure points" Alya whispered. "On her ear, it knocks people down"

Adrien searched for Nino's sight, but he wasn't at his side anymore, he was walking to Alya.

"What you did was extremely dangerous, Alya! I swear I had like three heart attacks in less than a minute!" Nino shouted.

"I knew what to do" Alya simply said.

She gave him her back and knelt by Ladybug's side.

"You knew she wasn't going to hurt you" Nino whispered.

"She would never. Now help me with her, we have to take her home" Alya answered.

She checked her head, looking for any injuries that the fall could have left in her. She brushed Ladybug's bangs and caressed her cheek.

"Everything is fine, you will be okay" She whispered to Ladybug's ear.

"Is she r-really Ladyb-bug?" Adrien stuttered at the question.

If that was Ladybug, why were her eyes purple?

"Yes, she is" Alya nodded.

"How are you so sure?" Tortue Verte and Chat Noir asked at the unison.

"It's not the first time this happens" Alya said "I've learned how to calm her down"

"Why? Why you?" Chat Noir asked

"Because she is my best friend" Alya said.

"Your—" Adrien stopped there. His breath got caught in his throat and a nauseous feeling overwhelmed him.

Best friend? Alya's best friend?!

"Marinette is Ladybug?" Adrien asked.

"Marinette used to be Ladybug, that's more accurate"

Adrien gave a look to the unconscious girl at his feet. One look and the true struck him one more time.

He really was the king of obliviousness.

xx

#ADRIENKNOWS #FINALLY

I swear there's like 7 versions of this chapter, but I finally chose this one! Also, this chapter had like at least a 100 more astronomy metaphors and comparisons but it felt like too much at one point, I mean I love astronomy but I think I had crossed the line haha, I just remembered Adrien was an astrophysics teacher and I got excited by all the astronomy terms I could /

I hope you enjoyed! Again thanks for the love

Find me on tumblr .com (i've been postin snippets *wink wink*)

xx