The moment they were on vacations, the moment Marinette threw her backpack to one corner of her room never to be seen for at least a long while (or until a few days before the start of a new year where she would be panicking to have everything in order).

The past few weeks had been, for lack of a better word, hell. She was so glad to have passed all her tests and on top of that deal with akumas and finally, FINALLY having a good layout for her small online shop.

And to think she was already sixteen! How time flew by since the day she became Ladybug.

And now she was going to start lycée in August!

They had spent the last day as a group, just having fun and wishing well between them since some were already leaving on vacations. Only a few would be around the city for a while or -in Adrien's case- the entire summer, so they had to take the most out of it, which left Marinette almost dragging her feet by the time it was time to go home.

"Ah, Tikki, I can feel one weight off my shoulders right now," she smiled at the kwami.

"That's great Marinette, but are you sure you want to go patrol? You look exhausted,"

"Yes," Marinette stretched her arms "don't worry, we will probably spend the evening talking, but it'll be ok."

"Oh? Are you going to talk about what Master Fu asked you?"

Marinette nodded. She had made the decision to wait on that conversation, because they could and with everything else, they had to deal with. In that time, they had had to call for someone else to wear a new miraculous, the turtle, to help Alya's sister (and she should have known Adrien would choose Nino but he was a good option in the end).

Marinette knew the more they relied on other miraculous the more Hawkmoth would want to upgrade his scheming and maybe become worse to them, but it was such a relief to have more help during the akuma fights because, as much as she knew her and Adrien were capable, they were just two teenagers against monsters and an evil schemer.

And if they were to become guardians in training…

The beep on her phone telling her of the time made her stand up and stretch again. She would get to talk about all of these things with him. They had time; they had the entire summer to really tackle this out.

"Spots on!"

She jumped out of her room and made her way across the rooftops, the summer breeze against her face as she made her way until she spotted him, legs dangling from the rooftop as he hummed. He looked so relaxed, so calm to just be there her heart melted a little.

Ah

She had not forgotten about that. Her feelings for her partner were still there. Since that pretend date with Glaciator, she had tried to keep them on check because it was so not the right time. Alya had been pushing her to tell him but for some reason she had changed her mind after the whole Zombizou thing, instead saying that they could have a big summer romance instead without the stress of school eating them out.

She loved him, she was in love with Adrien, with Chat, but there were just so many things in between that wouldn't make that love flourish like any other teenage romance.

First of all, they still had the high suspicion Gabriel was Hawkmoth. And even without that, Gabriel Agreste was not a nice man, who knew what would he do, how would he react if he found out Marinette declared her love for his son (pulling him out of school was one of those possibilities, the man was borderline lunatic).

Second, their roles. If Adrien were to reciprocate her feelings, how would their dynamic change? Especially with how Adrien was the one that usually took the blunt hit of akumas (not so often now, but it still happened).

And third, the one Marinette feared the most, what if he didn't feel the same way? Would their balance be torn off? Destroyed? Would it become awkward? She didn't want to lose that, to lose Adrien at all.

"Hey LB" she blinked; unaware she had been stuck in thought for a long time "didn't see you there."

"I did not want to interrupt your amazing interpretation of kpop humming," she smiled and sat next to him "did I get it right?"

"You sure did, and admit it, Dynamite is a catchy song,"

"I still will not try to attempt that dancing" she bumped his shoulder "that's a lot of respect for them."

Chat laughed.

"It is, but just you wait, I'll convince you of at least one choreography,"

"In your dreams kitkat" she giggled "but now,"

"The serious topic,"

"Hm,"

They stood in silence a while, unsure of how to start that conversation. Luckily for Ladybug, she wasn't a planner for nothing.

"So, I think we should start with a list of pros and cons," she pulled out a piece of chalk from her yo-yo and walked to the nearest wall "pros of becoming guardians?"

"We get to keep Paris safe," Chat walked towards her "help keep this knowledge protected and keep on a legacy."

Ladybug wrote them down on one side of the wall.

"We get to keep an eye on who can and can't have a miraculous, help keep that balance,"

"We get to keep jumping around Paris' rooftops without getting reported,"

Ladybug snorted.

"Ok, cons,"

Chat crossed his arms.

"We wouldn't be able to tell anyone about it," he started "and the failsafe option…"

"We need to look more into that one bit" she wrote them down "an eternal double life…"

"Having to come up with lies sometimes, which you hate,"

"Ugh, I know" she wrote it down "not to mention the…side effects Fu mentioned?"

"To be fair, I think I already got some cat like tendencies and it's not so bad,"

"Say that again when you get slammed into a wall for chasing a laser," she teased "but ok, noted."

Soon enough, the wall was full on both sides, both teens looking at it while thinking about them. They didn't have problem with the pros, but the more they looked at the cons, the more they realized some of them weren't so negative.

They already had to live a double life, and maybe with time, when they took down Hawkmoth, they would be able to have, with more age and maturity, more people to rely on (they already had with Rena and Carapace, it was just a matter of time to see if they were good enough to keep a longer secret), and by doing that the lies would go way lower. And Ladybug mentioned that at the very least have her parents on that loop, but depending on what Master Fu said it would be part of their decision.

"It…doesn't sound so farfetched now," she mused "I admit if it were only you or me, I'd say no…"

"But we are together in this," he smiled "so…"

"So" she poked his nose "we can drop it here for now, but I like what we have, now we need to discuss it more with Master Fu, our kwamis even and then decide."

"Sounds like a good plan," Chat smiled "oh but not tomorrow, it's the Friendship day event,"

"Ah right" Ladybug smiled "sorry you are going to be stuck as the celebrity to meet."

"I'll survive, did you sign up?"

"I sure did, Alya was there with me so I wouldn't forget," she said "hey, with luck and I get to win and get to meet you."

Chat snorted, just as the city lights started to light up. They parted ways, glad that there was no further harm around the city and ready to enjoy some of that summer vacation vibe.

Friendship Day was an interesting concept, in Marinette's opinion, and a good way to start off with summer fun. The girl squad, as they called themselves, were all gathered in her room that day, ready to get the alert and start the event.

She had to give it to Max for letting them know before hand that even with all Parisians signing up, they had made sure to keep the algorithm in such a way to limit age gaps so they wouldn't be stuck with adults or preteens (as those had to be signed up with adult supervision), so Marinette had high chances of getting one of her classmates.

The moment the countdown reached to zero, all phones in the room started beeping.

Marinette watched her friends rushing out, their locations easy but not the same as hers. She frowned at her own message.

"With one turn of a handle, I can raise the level? What evil mind came up with this one!"

"Come on Marinette" Tikki smiled "you know this city better than anyone!"

"I may know it from above but not to know every landscape oh wait! I know where it is!"

Marinette rushed out of her room, fully aware she was maybe a few minutes behind everyone. She couldn't wait to see who would be her secret friend for the day. Maybe someone from other school? Maybe one of the people she would see during conventions?

She arrived to the canal more eager than before. True, it would have also been fun to solve out riddles with one of her friends but wasn't the point of Friendship Day to meet new people?

A red car stopped right on the other side of the canal and her blood went cold.

"Oh no, Kagami?!"

"What's wrong with her?" Tikki asked from her purse.

"No way! She's brilliant, strong, cute!"

"And?"

"And further more intelligent and no doubt thinking I probably hate her" Marinette grasped at her hair "this is going to be so awkward!"

"Well, what a better chance to clear things out?"

Marinette was not going to admit Tikki had a point.

Marinette took a deep breath and made her way to the bridge to meet up with Kagami. This was fine! Kagami was Adrien's fencing partner, they were friends, Adrien trusted her and liked her. And who wouldn't? Kagami was smart, strong, decisive, beautiful…

Marinette mentally slapped herself. No time for a bi panic moment when she couldn't even act cool in front of the girl.

"Kagami!" she squinted at her own voice "what are the odds of you and I being paired up? One in ten million, at least right? So awesome!"

"You didn't look too happy about being my secret friend though, I saw you turn around and walk away a moment ago."

"I panicked," Marinette squealed "I mean, I thought I got the place wrong and then I thought you had to be with someone else because I'm not that lucky, I mean, I'm sorry I mean- "

The beep of their phones saved her. This was turning to be a disaster! If Adrien found out about this, he was never going to let go of it!

"Congratulations! You've just located your game partner! And who knows, maybe even a new friend for life!"

Marinette was not high on hopes with that one.

"You've just received the second riddle!"

"To get closer to your goal, you must explore further and deeper."

Marinette was good at making plans, good at thinking on the go. But riddles like this? It was way more difficult than she thought.

"The subway?"

"No," Kagami put down her phone "exploring further and deeper means we have to go further down the banks of the Seine, which is deeper than this canal, we probably have to fish for our next clue, come on Marinette, let's hurry up and win."

Marinette fumbled with her phone and followed after Kagami who was already way ahead of her. This was a disaster. She could feel her anxiety creeping up on her and thinking how this was so going to fail.

Even more when she saw Alya sending her a video message already ahead of them with her first clue.

Marinette sighed and hid behind a tree to send a quick reply.

"Good luck for you, I'm with Kagami, she probably still hates me and I'm just going to make her lose at this point, I don't know why I'm here."

"Don't be like that Marinette, you could just ask," Tikki said from her purse as Marinette started to walk again towards Kagami.

"She just bluffed me out when I suggested a riddle answer, she doesn't need me for this,"

"Look, we were right," she heard Kagami said from the Pont des Arts "we have to fish out the clue with this rod and magnet."

'More like she was right' Marinette thought while Kagami set up the fishing rod, only to shove it in Marinette's hands.

"Here, now fish,"

Marinette sighed and cast the rod. A small part of her had to think this was a good ploy to clean up the trash from the river, but what could even be hidden underwater as a clue?

"Do you prefer to be called by your whole name or a nickname?"

Marinette blinked at Kagami's question and had to wonder if she was ok because she strained her mouth right after. Had she hurt herself on the way here?

"Uh…by…my whole name? It doesn't have much room for nickname…?"

"Thank you Marinette,"

That was strange.

"Uh, your hair is… very shiny!"

Marinette blinked. Was that a compliment? She fished out a rusty pot out of the river. Who even threw that?

"Thank you? Your hair is…really nice looking too."

She casted out the rod again, what was going on here?

"What is your blood type?"

Ok, that's it.

"My blood type? I don't know? Are you messing with me?"

To be frank, Marinette should probably know hers too in case of an emergency, she would have to ask at home.

"No, not at all, everyone in Japan knows their blood type, it tells you who you are, mine is 'o' which means I'm independent, optimistic, strong-willed and intuitive."

'Yeah, all of that checks out' Marinette thought while pulling out a rolling skate.

"Oh, oh! Like the zodiacs"

"Perhaps, what's your favourite season?"

Ok that one she could answer.

"Summer, 'cause it's nice and hot!" she looked up "or spring! That's when Nature awakens, or maybe the fall? The colours are so gorgeous at that time of year! But then again, winter inspires me so much- "

"You're indecisive, scatter brained, irresponsible. A split personality. typical AB"

And the strained mouth again. Kagami was so messing up with her right now. She was not irresponsible!

Luck finally shone on her side when she fished out a crockpot, a crockpot? With the next clue inside it.

"Would you like to get some orange juice with me?"

"Uh sure? But look" she opened the pot "we found it!"

"The clue, you've done a great job fishing"

Kagami did that strain on her mouth as she patted her shoulder, was this really so bad for her to be with Marinette?

"Congratulations Marinette, first we win, then we get orange juice to celebrate."

Marinette didn't know if that was going to be a good or bad thing. She so wanted to ask Adrien for help but they had agreed not to during the day to keep up with the spirit of the game. And Kagami was just so good at finding the clues Marinette felt like she was just following around like a little kid.

She fell on a bench and sighed, how many clues were left?"

"Trust challenge, exchange unlocked phones, separate and take a selfie in front of different monuments using each other phones, then regroup and take a selfie together like the true friends you've become. Once we've received the selfies, we'll send you a final text revealing where Adrien is hiding."

Marinette panicked for a moment. What if Kagami saw her messages with Adrien? The nickname while not identity revealing, could lead to suspicion and they sometimes talked about things they did as Ladybug and Chat in their texts! Did she have photos of them transformed? There was no way she was going to be able to check in a split second.

"You really are an indecisive girl" Kagami snatched Marinette's phone from her hand and ran towards a monument "we'll meet back here!"

Marinette looked at Kagami's phone in her hand and sighed. She walked towards a monument but trying to take a selfie was just the least of her concerns with all that could happen if Kagami were to see what was in her phone.

"How do you set the camera in this" Marinette frowned, tapping on a different app "oh no no…wait,"

It was a friendship advice app, which first of all, oddly specific, second, there were all the strange questions Kagami had been asking all day, and the strain…she was trying to smile? Oh, oh that made so much sense now!

"I have to go find her" Marinette looked around and tried to get her, only to see Kagami walking towards her and leaving her phone on her hand.

"I guess I'm not worthy of our friendship, our bloodtypes must be too incompatible,"

Oh no, oh no this was bad.

"Kagami no, wait" Marinette tried to reach out only to have Kagami's phone ringing in her hand.

"Hello?"

Marinette's ear hurt when she heard a woman almost yelling on the other side of the phone, no doubt Kagami's mother.

"I'm not Kagami, I'm a friend of hers" she turned to Kagami, only to see her face widen in shock.

"Kagami doesn't have any friends, why do you have her phone!"

Marinette frowned. Oh so this was same Gabriel Agreste mold.

"First of all, rude," Marinette said "I am a friend of Kagami's, we're teamed up for today, and I owe her some orange juice, she'll be back soon ma'am, I'll even walk her home myself,"

Marinette smiled at Kagami, who in return was not straining her face but showing a small smile, which, in any other situation, Marinette would have found extremely beautiful.

It would have been great, had it not been for the all too familiar sound of a victim getting akumatized. Well! This was great.

Marinette hung up the phone and put it on Kagami's hands.

"I'm sorry, I tried to smooth things over but your mom's anger called an akuma to her and now we need to find a place for you to hide."

This was something Marinette felt confident in, she pulled at Kagami's hand and started to run away from the place, only to be stopped by a giant mechanical centaur like akuma who took Kagami and swallowed her.

"Oh, come on," Marinette wanted to yell at it, but instead ran faster to a place to hide and transform so she could save her.

She had faced giant akumas before but this one was tricky. She didn't know if Kagami was ok inside her or what exactly was the akumatized object to make her so big, so she had to keep it on the defensive side until Chat appeared.

"Is this your new friend for Friendship day LB?"

"No, it's Kagami's mother" Ladybug frowned "she has imprisoned Kagami inside her for trying to participate."

"Wait, wait" Chat blinked "Kagami was your friend for today? Really?"

"Let's not talk about that for now" Ladybug bit her thumb "I'll tell you my embarrassment later,"

She called out for her lucky charm, only to get a teapot out of it.

"Ok?"

"You know, sometimes I wish they weren't so cryptic, but seems to me I have to pay someone a visit,"

"I'll hold the fort down here," he said, taking over the fight.

It didn't take long for Ladybug to go and come back, but a part of him thought it would be a great idea to have different spots for Master Fu should Hawkmoth were to find out about the guardian. Another point to add to their list of pros and cons for sure.

He hid behind a chimney when he spotted Ladybug making her way towards them.

"We cannot use cataclysm on her, who knows what will happen to Kagami while still inside,"

"Quoting her on this, we just need to be as elusive as the wind or as powerful as the flood!"

Chat looked down at the new lucky charm, a box of bath bombs and held back a joke. He was also surprised that she was able to call a second one already, even with all of their training, they had mastered to extend their timeline after a summon to fifteen minutes now, but still was a stretch.

"How good is your swing?"

"Excellent as usual buginette," he twirled the baton and followed her to where Ikari Gozen was to send Kagami the miraculous "just so you know this means Kagami can never use this miraculous again,"

"I know, Hawkmoth will already know," Chat frowned "double security on Kagami then,"

"Yes… you think she'll know what to do?"

"I hope she does," she muttered just as a gust of wind seemed to come from inside the akuma, with a transformed Kagami appearing in front of them "…or not."

"Thank you for the Miraculous Ladybug, nice to meet you Chat Noir, I am Ryuuko."

"What are you doing, this wasn't the plan, Longg must have told you about it-"

"No, stay behind with Chat Noir, this is a personal matter between mother and daughter."

Ladybug groaned as Ryuuko jumped towards the akuma.

"Well, colour me surprised," Chat sighed "I don't blame her for that,"

"Me neither but now is not the time" Ladybug said right as a car was slashed in half above them, Ryuuko landing in front of them.

Ikari Gozen took a swing at them, and Ladybug acted on instinct, pushing Chat out of the way before he was slammed with that metallic bokken.

"Watch out!" she yelled as she was slammed to the side, only to get caught by the akuma and swallowed.

"Ladybug!"

Chat pulled at Ryuuko to hide behind a statue. Oh, oh he was so going to get back at Ladybug for this one.

"I behaved hastily, I failed," Ryuuko looked down "I am not worthy to fight beside you,"

"No," Chat stopped her before she could take off the necklace "you made a mistake, as I do, as Ladybug does, we all make mistakes sometimes," he knew he was talking to Kagami, who just like him had been forced to live under scrutinization and perfection her entire life, she didn't have to be burdened by a superhero chastising her "Ladybug chose you because she believes in you but just like she and I do, we must work as a team, together."

"She did mention a plan,"

Chat smiled "yes, and it's quite creative too."

He had faith in Kagami, wary when she stepped forward to be taken by Ikari Gozen, but the moment she was in, Chat took the chance to distract the akuma and make her run around, a grin on his face when she saw her dropping the bokken and water coming out of everywhere in her.

"Cataclysm!" he called out and dashed towards the bokken, the metal disintegrating to let the akuma out. Ladybug jumped right at his side, a smile on her face while she caught the akuma and cleansed the place.

She was glad to see it work out, but when Kagami gave her the miraculous back she was surprised to hear Kagami was aware she was not going to have it back, but not for the same reasons.

"I know, I wasn't good enough,"

"What? No, quite the opposite" she replied "you learn fast, but Hawkmoth knows who you are now and keeping identities a secret is a very important rule," she smiled "but who's to say you become a different superhero, when Hawkmoth doesn't get to know who you are, it would be best, to protect your family and friends,"

"I don't have many friends,"

Ladybug placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled, well now Kagami would have a new friend in her for sure.

"It doesn't matter how many you have, but that the ones you do are true friends,"

She jumped out as Chat waited for her on the rooftop.

"Think you can send this back?" she gave Chat the necklace "I have a friend waiting for me,"

"You better tell me about your day later" Chat grinned "I want every single detail."

"Oh, bug off kitkat" she smiled and jumped back to an alley to transform back and catch up to where Kagami was, surprised to see she hadn't left with her mother.

"The game is over," Kagami sighed "we lost."

Oh right, she had forgot about the game.

"No," Marinette smiled "we won the right to get orange juice together, that is, if you still want to."

"I was wrong about you Marinette," Kagami gave her a small smile "no wonder Adrien considers you a good friend,"

"Adrien has good judgement" Marinette smiled "also, I'm sorry for being so awkward, it's just, you are right that I'm a little scattered brain and I have thought for so long you didn't like me…"

"It's largish, I don't,"

"I'm glad" Marinette pointed at the other side of the bridge "so how about we get some juice? We can get to know each other too,"

"That would be wonderful,"

Marinette smiled. She made sure to save her number on Kagami's phone as well, her outing turning out way better than expected.

And when she saw Chat later that night and had him almost falling out of the rooftop from laughing, well, she couldn't deny it had been a fun day after all.