I was so close to ignore this episode but it did offer promising scenes to Hawkmoth and possible reveals so, I'm adopting it.

Friendly reminder this is a fanfic where I take a lot of "what if" moments, canon is only a thread at this point of story.

Adrien was way too familiar with not being able to go out, have fun with friends or just have freedom in general, he had lived with it a good chunk of his life. So he totally understood Marinette's text telling him she was not going to be able to join them for the show thanks to her 'class absences'.

It was a miracle itself his father hadn't got word of his own or he would be worse than grounded.

Buginette: Tell Nino I'm happy for his win!

Catdrien: I will = o 3 o =

Buginette: do not use that face for him that's not how I look : T

Catdrien: *READ*

Buginette: That's not how leaving someone on read works!

Adrien chuckled and patted Nino's shoulder to congratulate him once he was back and the next contestant stepped in.

It had been a few days after the whole Valentine's Day akuma and things between him and Marinette were… different.

Oh, he tried not to avoid her but now she was the one jumping every time he stumbled upon her, or stammering her words and looking someplace else. The only time they weren't this awkward was through texting and that because they couldn't see their faces.

Adrien wondered if she was embarrassed from the kiss, another thing that annoyed him because he couldn't remember it! And it had been his first kiss too! But Marinette's attitude made him think she was perhaps a little bugged by it?

Ok, bad time to think of a pun but he couldn't help that one.

"Give it up for the King of Fashion Gabriel Agreste!"

Adrien turned his attention to the screen. He felt sorry for the poor hypnotizer, but in this city with the latest events, he was more than ready for a possible akuma, especially if said victim faced his father.

He looked at his father not even bothering to participate, shutting off their connection.

Catdrien: I predict an akuma in five to ten minutes

Buginette: Seriously? How will I sneak out then?

Catdrien: Ah, I see the young pupil has come for help from the master =.w.=

Buginette: If you have time to send emojis then there's no akuma yet

Adrien didn't get the chance to answer as, just as predicted, the doors slammed open and an akumatized version of the hypnotist showed up, turning his bodyguard into a gorilla and the host into a duck. He split up from Nino, hiding in a broom closet to transform. With luck Ladybug would show up soon, he just hoped she wouldn't get in trouble for sneaking out, something he had way more experience than she in cases like today.

In the meantime, he could attack Simon Says and distract him from going after his father. What he didn't see coming was his own bodyguard fighting him. Oh if he could only know he was attacking the kid supposed to protect.

Adrien was starting to wonder how much irony was now in his life thanks to the miraculous.

He fought against his bodyguard, the size difference way too much to deal with, he had to act fast and on his feet, the elevator beeping at the end of the hall giving him a quick idea.

"Cataclysm!" he called as he busted the elevator, really hoping the Gorilla would be ok from that fall, it was just one level of difference but still.

Chat heard footsteps coming his way and turned, ready to attack only to be face to face with Ladybug.

"Nice seeing you too Chat Noir," she smiled at him.

"Oh, sorry" he pulled back, "I thought you were Simon Says."

He bit back any comment just because Nino was there, and he didn't want to give away anything about their identities.

"He's looking for Gabriel Agreste" he frowned "so we better get fast there before the army can."

Just his luck his ring started to beep. Ladybug raised an eyebrow at him.

"We still have to find Adrien too!" Nino exclaimed.

Chat shared a panicked look with Ladybug, who tried to show some concern over 'Adrien' not being there even if she knew he was right there.

"You're right, maybe he's hiding" Chat said, "I'll try to clear some of the armies and meet at Gabriel's place."

"Right, I'll go look for Adrien then" Ladybug gave him a quick look "I guess someone as smart as him would be trying to find his way out."

Chat fought back his flush. Not the time for that, not the time for that.

"See you soon!" he ran to the emergency exit to detransform and give a full turn to meet them again. This was going to be a tough day.

Ladybug dragged Nino back to the studio where she knew she'd find Adrien. She was about to say something to him when she remembered that they had never met like this before, at least not in front of Nino.

"Ah…hello" she smiled, her cheeks flushing a little "good to see you are safe."

"Ah, yes, thanks" he smiled back and since when he looked adorable when smiling? Ladybug bit the inside of her cheek. Now was so not the time!

"But we've got to get to my house now! My father's in danger!"

"Let's go, Chat Noir will meet us there."

'Somehow' Ladybug thought as she guided the two guys out of the studio and back to the Agreste Mansion. This was going to be a tough fight, especially if they were going to be in Adrien's home. Not only was she down one partner, but they both also had to pretend to be acquaintances to avoid suspicions from Nino, Nathalie and worst of all, Gabriel Agreste.

She wanted to snap at him for how he was treating Adrien, especially when Adrien was trying so hard to protect the man. It angered her, how Gabriel treated his own son, but she had to keep her cool, for both Adrien and her sake.

"I have to apologize for my son Ladybug," Gabriel approached her "he's like his mother, way too overly dramatic."

"But he's right you know," Ladybug replied, keeping the sass out of her voice "he's a real threat, you're in danger."

"What could possibly happen with you here to protect me?"

Something didn't sit right with Ladybug, not in what he said, how he said it, or how nonchalantly he placed his hand on her shoulder. She really wished for Chat to be here but that was going to be way too difficult to accomplish.

The last thing they wanted right now was Gabriel finding out Adrien was Chat.

She followed him to his studio, where she spotted a series of photos of Adrien's shoots, some she was familiar with, having seen them from afar, while others were brand new, the light in those showing a handsome boy.

"Isn't he flawless?"

"Say what now?" Ladybug blinked, her train of thought-stopping before dwelling in those thoughts "flaw-ha?"

"My son, of course, he's the image of perfection, don't you think?"

"Oh…y-yes," she looked back at the photos. She had to admit the makeup artists did an amazing job with the tiny imperfections on Adrien's face, but out of that, she was seeing with no doubt that Adrien was gorgeous.

Except, she looked at one particular photo, she could tell that was not his real smile. She knew him, she was proud to believe that, and she could guess in which photos he was tired, in which he was bored, and in which he was just wishing not to be there, even if all had a smile on his face.

"He does such a good job in modelling I mean, not that I know about that but- "

"I've never noticed your earrings before, they really are quite unique."

Red flags, sirens, big horns, all of those started blasting and flaring inside Ladybug's mind. Why would Gabriel be interested in her earrings? It wasn't as if the general population knew that was the source of her powers.

"May I?" she saw his hand reaching to her face, a sliver of relief flooding through her when she got a beep on her yo-yo.

"Excuse me," she pulled away and flipped it to phone mode "Chat Noir! All good? How's the perimeter?"

"Bad LB, the army is right at the gates" he sneaked across his rooftop "Adrien is taking a shower so I'm coming in."

She hung up just as Chat jumped through a window, ordering Gabriel to use a self-defence system…wait, what?

Since when they had that type of security in this place?

"How do you know so much about the system?"

Ladybug eyed Chat's face.

"Big fancy house and you try to tell me you don't? I watch a lot of tv."

Well, it wasn't a lie. But it was not going to be enough for them, they had to move Gabriel out and tackle the akuma.

"I'll go get the boys to safety" Ladybug turned to the door, Nathalie going with her. She knew Adrien wasn't going to be upstairs but still had to keep up with pretences.

"We need to move to safer ground" she ran towards Nino "where's Adrien?"

"Taking a shower,"

'Really Chaton? That's what you came up with?' Ladybug raised her eyebrows.

"Now?"

"It's the model in him."

Oh, well it did work when he put it that way. She turned to Nathalie to retrieve the control and send her with Nino to the atrium where it would be safe, but it wasn't until the door was closed that she knocked on the bathroom there.

"Adrien?"

Ladybug opened the door, just as she heard the sound of water running and Adrien peeking out of the shower.

"Yeah?"

"Please tell me you didn't undress," Ladybug's face got red. If before wasn't the time now it was way worse!

"Oh, thought it would be Nathalie," he turned off the shower and stepped out, luckily still dressed "this is harder than I thought."

"Too bad you can't be in two places at once" Ladybug quirked an eyebrow as Adrien became Chat again "something doesn't sit right with this."

"Hm, my father being a prick? Stubborn?"

"Well that too, but I'll put a pin on that, we have to get that akuma first."

As soon as she said that, the horde of hypnotized civilians crashed into the room, meaning they had to avoid and jump through the house to get Gabriel out, only to arrive too late. Chat groaned, kicking away a portrait of him.

"The studio!" Ladybug turned to him "that's where he was supposed to take him."

"Let's get going!" Chat jumped out of the window, his partner no far behind as they made all the way back to the tv studio, just in time to see Gabriel acting like a butterfly. If Chat secretly recorded some of it with his baton, well, he was not going to tell Ladybug about that.

Fighting Simon Says, on the other hand, it was difficult. He watched as Ladybug's yo-yo became useless, ready to take his chances at the akuma. Good thing he was good with the baton and his reflexes, but there were so many cards it was hard to find the right one.

"Look out!" Chat jumped towards Ladybug to avoid the sudden wave of cards that would take their miraculous away, both rolling on the floor until he was on top of her.

'Oh her eyes are so blue so close' a part of Chat's brain said, the other one slapping him to focus on the damn akuma! It was a good thing Ladybug thought the same, turning away her face and standing up fast just as the akuma hypnotized Gabriel into thinking he was an aeroplane.

Talk about bad taste.

"He's going to fly off the roof!" Chat stood up ready to go stop his father, but Ladybug pulled him back. As frustrating as it was, she was right in what she said, defeating the akuma would release Gabriel's hypnosis and they were on a tight time limit.

"Follow my lead" she pulled out the miraculous yo-yo and tackled after the akuma, their movements so synchronized he knew what to do before she even told him, his cataclysm activated the moment she kicked the akuma to drop his cards.

It was a walk in the park afterwards, the ladybugs fixing everything and everyone as usual.

They both headed to the roof to see that yes, Gabriel was unharmed.

"I'm afraid your flight's been cancelled, sir,"

"Chat Noir! Your ring! You better get out of here!" Ladybug pulled at his hand, her eyes urging him to do so.

"Like a cat on a hot tin roof," he smiled, turning to Gabriel to shake his hand "see you again soon Mr. Agreste."

It was odd to say it like that to his father, but he had to keep up with appearances. However, the moment he felt his father turn around his hand to check his ring, a cold shiver ran down his spine. He made sure to pull away without yanking his arm, turning to Ladybug and vowing.

"And you, my lady" he smiled and ran off the rooftop, getting as far as possible before turning back in his bathroom.

"My lady?!" Adrien slapped his forehead "why did I say that?!"

He opted to take a shower for real this time, groaning every now and then into the water stream. Well, she was Ladybug, and a lady, in some sense of the word, not in the damsel in distress type; yet he did say that…in front of his father! Who didn't know it was his son he was shaking hands with.

And what about that last part? Adrien couldn't help but remember that cold feeling on his back as he got dressed, why would his father be interested in Chat Noir's ring? None of the other saved people ever peeked at them, why would he?

Adrien sighed as he moved to his room, fresh and clean but his mind still a blur. It didn't help that moments later the door opened to reveal his father coming inside. He came in quiet, and for a moment Adrien thought he was going to be grounded, but he was surprised when Gabriel leaned in to hug him.

When was the last time his father had ever hugged him?

Adrien had to hold back the tears forming in his eyes. It had been way too long for his liking. Perhaps the attack on him had made him see different? Maybe this meant a good thing to come?

Until he felt his father pulling away to grab at his hand, the one where his miraculous was.

"I've never noticed your ring before,"

Panic flared in his brain, the instinct to run too strong in his legs. He crossed his arms and stared at him, trying to act as casual as he could.

"It's that the only thing you've never noticed about me?"

He kept his stare up at Gabriel, the appearance of his teenage son rebelling in hopes he wouldn't push more.

"I'm glad everything worked out for the best" Gabriel said and turned around, signalling he was going to keep working for the rest of the evening.

Adrien didn't move until moments later, just to be sure he was not being spied on and moved to the upper part of his room, in a nook that he knew was the safest corner of it.

"So… what was that about?" Adrien mumbled at Plagg, knowing that if the kwami was as quiet as he was now, then it hadn't been his imagination.

"You need to speak to Ladybug," he said, pulling Adrien's phone at him "this is important."

Adrien fumbled with his phone, sending her a quick text of just emojis. They had codes for this kind of situation, the red flag ones that the fewer words the better, but he never thought it would have to involve his father of all people.

He was somewhat glad when his phone buzzed from her message, agreeing to meet at midnight on top of the Eiffel tower. It was the best time for both, especially with Adrien's suspicions and Marinette technically still grounded.

Still, waiting until that time proved to be difficult. So the moment it was time to leave, Chat was vaulting as fast as he could out of his room and towards the Eiffel tower, the sight of red coming from the other side.

Neither of them said anything, the only sound in between them the whistle of the wind. Chat hated it, hated the anticipation, the silence, the uneasiness, the waiting to see who would speak first. This time, he knew it had to be him.

"So…today was strange,"

"Hm…" Ladybug sat on the ledge, waiting for him to join her. Chat sat down and kept looking to the front, to the view of the city as he spoke what had happened when he was back home, how his father noticed the inactive ring and with how he had acted at the rooftop. He didn't want to say what they were both thinking, but when Ladybug mentioned his strange curiosity over her earrings, it was more than an elephant in the metaphorical room.

"We don't know for sure if he…" Ladybug said after another pause between them.

"Two is a coincidence but three?"

Ladybug reached out to hold his hand, squeezing it tight. They stayed silent another while, just looking at the night sky and twinkling of stars.

"Ok…" Ladybug broke the silence this time "even if it were… you know who,"

"Voldemort?"

He had to crack that joke if anything to not feel like his world was falling apart.

"Sure thing chosen one," Ladybug gave him a hint of a smile "my point was… we'll need solid proof, confirmation that he is…well,"

"I'll get it," Chat turned his hand to hold Ladybug now "I'm already like a mole inside the lair."

"I don't want you to get in danger Chat,"

"I'll be careful" he managed a small smile "but, might as well be thinking of a plan if our suspicion is…"

"Yeah," she glanced at the sky "should probably tell Tikki about this,"

"I'll get Plagg to help me out too,"

They stood up, time showing it was already two in the morning. Chat didn't know when he'd get a chance to find solid proof of their suspicions, but as long as he played it safe, they had a window of opportunity.

He was about to jump his way back when he spotted her looking at him, but before he could ask she shook her head and wished him good night, jumping out of the tower towards her home.

Chat glanced at his hand, the one Ladybug had held while they talked, the warmth still present despite the suit, despite he was at two in the morning on a cold night on top of the Eiffel tower. Despite the possibility, his father was the magic terrorist attacking Paris.

It was too much for him indeed. But as he jumped back to his room, as he transformed back and flopped on his bed, and as he checked a message from Marinette telling him she arrived safe and wishing again a good night, he had to admit that he was not alone on this.

"I love her Plagg," he mumbled, his eyelids feeling heavy.

"Good, tell her that,"

"Soon…maybe" Adrien yawned.

Because as much as he wanted to tell her, he had a feeling it would take a while before he could really do that.

And here I was thinking this was going to be all shenanigans, I had to remember that oh yeah, the bad guy exists.

Don't worry, we will get a confession soon.

But now I have to watch Volpina and eugh, not looking forward to watching it. Rewriting? Of course, watching? Nope, cringey enough.