Chapter 9

Adrien pointedly yawned, "This has been a great day, I'm going to turn in early."

Nathalie looked him over. "Yes, make sure you get some rest. Your father has requested your presence at a conference first thing in the morning."

"Of course."

"Goodnight, Adrien." Adrien left his father's atelier and bolted up the stairs to his bedroom.

"Plagg!" he cried as he slammed and locked his door, "What in the world just happened?"

Plagg was sitting on Adrien's desk looking worse for wear. "Must. Have. Camembert."

Adrien grumbled and retrieved a piece of cheese from Plagg's mini-fridge and tossed it at the little black Kwami. "Now will you tell me what's going on?"

Plagg swallowed his cheese, then perked up. "Thanks, kid. Being called like that is almost as draining as using my powers. It's so hard being me."

"Plagg. You suddenly started shaking and zoomed out of my shirt in broad daylight. It's a good thing my father had that unexpected call come in from Tokyo—he could have seen you!"

Plagg shrugged and grabbed another slice of cheese, "It's not my fault I was called right then."

Adrien sunk to his knees. "At least tell me what it was about."

Plagg scratched his ear, "There's not much to tell, actually. It's Ladybug who's really got the decisions to make."

"Explain."

"Ok, so we found out there's another Miracle Box in Tibet that was just unlocked after a couple centuries and we don't know who opened it or what they want."

Adrien nodded. "Interesting." He pulled out his silver cell phone to reach out to her, but hesitated. Was she one of the ones his father had just warned him about? Sure, he trusted Ladybug, Ladybug was his partner and had never once betrayed him, but…

He decided not to risk it. Besides, he didn't need to ask her thoughts on every subject. He was more than capable of figuring this out himself.

"If something crazy is happening, nothing much we can do but wait for it to arrive, right? And be prepared for when it does happen?" Plagg looked at Adrien warily, but sighed and nodded. "The best preparation I know of is currently in a garment bag in my closet. All of it… except the shoes. Hey Plagg, I think it's time for us to go visit our friend Marinette."

Plagg rolled his eyes, "You're going to drop in on her again?"

"Hey, I'm a respectful gentlecat, I'll have you know. We'll use the front door."

"Whatever. Just make sure you get some more cheesepuffs."

"Plagg, Claws out!"

Adrien wouldn't admit to Plagg that he had ulterior motives for visiting Marinette. He'd been so busy with his father that he hadn't called her in the two days since their kiss. Their kiss, he thought with a pang… it felt like a year had passed. Maybe he had been presumptuous. Maybe he had moved too quickly. Something his father had mentioned nagged at him, though, like a mosquito he couldn't swat away.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng? The girl who won the fashion contest? Who wants nothing more than to be a famous designer?"

Marinette wasn't like that, Adrien growled at himself. She was sweet and kind and would never… would never… His father's steely eyes glinted at him through the memory, making him feel small even now.

Chat Noir found himself standing in front of the Dupain-Cheng Bakery with no memory of the trip there. He steadied himself briefly, then rang the bell to the residence. A moment later, Tom Dupain's booming laugh welcomed Chat inside.

"Chat! It's been a few weeks, how are you, son?"

He smiled. How he loved this place, his second home. Well, first really, but since it wasn't where he actually resided, he felt awkward admitting that to anyone but himself. If anywhere would contain answers, this was it. Chat followed him to the back of the bakery, where Tom issued silent instructions to start prepping bread for the next day's orders.

"Fine, Mr. Dupain, just fine. I… Well, things have been going great in my life. Can't go into specifics, of course, but I've been able to spend the last couple of days with my father and he's… it's been great."

"I'm glad life is going well for you, Chat Noir. You deserve it."

Chat grinned. "And they say that black cats are unlucky."

"What about school?" Tom asked.

"School's fine… though I've been wondering if maybe I could, I dunno, get more out of it if I switched to private tutors."

Tom raised an eyebrow, "Why would you do that? Don't you like your school, your friends?"

"Oh," Chat tried to keep his voice level, "of course I do. It's just that my personal life is kind of complicated, you know? That, plus being this and I wonder if it might be safer for me to study alone."

Tom didn't respond right away. "Is that really what you want?"

"I dunno, yeah, I guess?"

"I see. Well, if that's what you want…"

Chat's shoulders slumped. It wasn't what he wanted, but he couldn't very well admit that. The two men shaped loaves of bread in silence for a bit.

"I must ask though… how are things going with… you know… girls?"

Chat bit his lip and blushed. Tom's face cracked with glee.

"Really? That good, huh?"

Chat choked a bit and pulled at his collar. "It's awfully hot in here, Mr. Dupain."

"How many times do I have to tell you, call me Tom. And I'm thrilled for you. Tell me everything."

"She's just… incredible. Sweet, kind, funny, strong, brave, beautiful…"

Tom nodded. "And she's finally returning your feelings?"

Chat halted and looked quizzingly at Tom. "Well, more like I started returning her feelings and she's opened up to me more. But I'm afraid I can't take the next steps with her because… well, her life's ambitions are very closely related to the industry I work in."

Tom's eyebrows raised, "Wait, we are talking about Ladybug, aren't we?"

The blush that had been heating Chat's cheeks drained to a sickening grey color in a millisecond.

"Oh shoot, we're not."

Chat Noir stumbled and Tom guided him to the bar stool beside the register.

"Hey, Chat, I'm sorry. I got ahead of myself."

"No, it's not your fault. To be honest, I'd like your opinion on the matter." Tom brushed his flour-coated hands on his apron and pulled a pair of croissants from the glass case for the two of them. "It's so complicated, being a superhero. It was actually Ladybug, at the end of the school year last year, who told me that no one can be two people, and I really thought I'd found a happy balance… but in the last couple of months, I've started feeling… strongly… about another girl. I've been getting to know her, you know, without my mask, and she's just incredible. I'm certain… yes, certain that she wouldn't take advantage of me or my career, but it doesn't stop the worry."

Tom took a deep breath and held it. "You're right, that's pretty complicated."

"And meanwhile, Ladybug has suddenly been returning my jokes and flirting with me. At least, I think she is…"

Tom's hand thudded on Chat's shoulder. "Son, I only get occasional snippets of the nightly news when the bakery is slow, and even I know that Ladybug is flirting with you."

Chat's eyes popped. "See? Like, if Ladybug was still a definite no, I wouldn't hesitate at all to ask Ma-the other girl to be my girlfriend."

Tom raised an eyebrow and asked, "It's really that strong?" Chat nodded. "But she's not a definite no anymore, is she." Chat shook his head. "So what are you going to do?"

Chat shrugged. "What do you suggest?"

Tom fingered his mustache for a while. "Let me tell you a story, son. I was pretty young when I met Sabine. I was an awkward, clumsy nerd who spent his free time reading comics and baking. She was an exchange student at my school and so out of my league. Sabine was good at everything she tried. She was an award-winning martial artist, brilliant, beautiful, and always surrounded by handsomer boys than me. I fell for her so hard and so fast, but she had no idea I existed."

"What did you do?"

"Well, obviously, you know how the story ends. But it took a long time to get there. The first thing I did was tried to date other girls. I took out all her friends, had a couple of serious relationships, but I could never get past Sabine Cheng. I tried to ask her out and I just turned into a complete, bumbling mess. That's a Dupain family specialty," Tom added with a proud wink. "I thought I would never find a girl that I could be happy with unless it was Sabine, yet I felt like I couldn't be with Sabine. It was hard. But one day in our final year of lycée, we were assigned to a big project together, and we started spending time just to work together. I discovered that my crush was only surface-deep. I learned a lot about her. And I actually discovered that the wild attraction waned and I didn't love her the way I thought I had for years."

"Wait, what? But you're married!"

Tom smiled knowingly. "Once she was truly my friend and I quit pining after this goddess I'd envisioned her to be, true love began to grow—even though I didn't recognize it at the time. I came to understand her personality, her hopes and dreams, and we started to have some wonderful experiences with each other. I backed off, we developed an amazing relationship, we both dated around for a long time, and then, after I finished culinary school and she returned from her European Karate Championship, we started dating. I came to realize that this woman who was my best friend was like air to me. I needed her, and she needed me. Our love was greater than just beauty. It was based on shared experience, time, and inside jokes. We only dated a couple of weeks before I asked her to marry me—because we had built true love.

"So, Chat, my question is who do you need in your life? Not want, not yearn for, but who do you need the most?"

It wasn't even a question. Marinette was home. She was the dawn every morning and starlight by night. Suddenly, Chat realized he was speaking to this amazing girl's father and felt terribly awkward. Thank goodness, Tom didn't press him.

"You don't have to decide right away. You are teenagers, of course. My only advice is to work to grow a relationship based on trust, respect, shared experience, and true love. I'm not saying to be super serious right now—just… take your time and… don't be stupid and… you know. Stuff."

Chat and Tom laughed together. "Stuff. Great advice."

The door at the top of the stairs clanged and footsteps descended, "Papa, I know this is super sudden, but I got a really great opportunity and I need to go out of to—oh, hi, uh, hi there, Chat Noir," Marinette waved awkwardly.

"Marinette," Chat smiled at her. "I actually wanted to talk to you, do you have a minute?"

"Sure, I guess," she fumbled.

Tom clapped Chat on the back and stood. "Why don't you two head upstairs? I need to clean up the bakery. Mari, dear, I'm sure whatever you need will be fine."

"Thanks Papa," she smiled. Chat Noir followed her all the way up to her bedroom.

"So, Marinette, I heard about how well my shoes did at the fashion contest. I knew those little kitties would win. I mean, they're as paw-some as I am, how could they not?" She smirked, then started pacing around her room. "Purrincess? Everything alright?"

"Oh, yeah, of course. I'm guessing you want your shoes back, is that right?"

He rubbed the back of his neck absentmindedly. "Yeah, I kinda do."

"Of course, no problem." She grabbed the box from her desk and handed it to him. "It was lucky that you and Adrien have similar foot size. I don't think you'll notice any additional wear."

"Heh, lucky." She kept pacing. "Marinette, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm—"

"Marinette. I'm not stupid." He patted the chaise and she flopped beside him.

"I just have a lot on my mind."

"Is it Adrien?" he asked quietly.

"How did you know?"

"You went on a pretty public date, remember?" She blushed. "So, he likes you, that's good, right?" Chat poked her shoulder gently and smirked.

"Yeah, sure, it's great," Marinette tried unconvincingly.

His eyes darkened, "Wait, it's not good?"

"I didn't say that."

"But you meant it."

She flopped into the pillow. "I promise it's not like that. I love being with Adrien, I do. I'm just… worried."

He patted her back softly, "Worried about what?"

She gulped for air, started speaking a couple of times, then covered her eyes with her hands and spoke, "It doesn't really matter."

"Marinette, you can tell me. I'm a good listener. Four ears, remember?"

She smiled softly at him before shrugging and shaking her head. "My life is more complicated than even I care to admit."

He waited for her to add more, but she didn't. She simply hunched her shoulder and fiddled with her pigtails. The motion was achingly familiar—she used to do that all the time last year when he was sans-mask. He had always thought it was just Marinette, but she didn't clam up like that around her other friends. Last summer, when she'd opened up to him as Chat about her feelings for Adrien, he'd finally realized it was her nervous habit and not a good sign.

Chat didn't like the way this conversation was going. Marinette was too awesome a person to be second guessing herself like this. "You know what I think is amazing?" he diverted. She raised a speculative eyebrow. "You. Your shoes, your designs, your friendship." She smiled. That's better. "Really, you're so talented and funny and cute." Her eyelids fluttered as her cheeks dusted pink. Excellent. "And incredibly thoughtful. In fact, I was wondering if we could make some more passionfruit macarons sometime, you know, if you're available-"

"Really?" she asked, sitting up and sliding closer to him. Yes. This is right. "I'd be happy to share my recipe, if you'd like."

Adrien yearned for her. He couldn't—no, he wouldn't believe the things his father had suggested. Marinette was unlike anyone he—or his father, for that matter—had ever known. This was the girl who was his first friend. This was the girl who laughed with him. This was the girl who found out his favorite things, just to make him happy. This was the girl who once brought him into her room and let him spend the night—no questions asked, and when the satin mask she'd made for him slipped off, didn't look. If Marinette wasn't trustworthy, he didn't know who could be. "It's not the recipe I want."

"Is that… so…" she whispered. His heart raced as she smiled at him. He remembered the taste of her silken kiss and hungered for more. He leaned in and cupped her jaw in his hand. Her breath rippled across his cheek, fast and intense. His lips parted and he drew her close—

"Chat—"

Chat Noir. Chat Noir! Holy crap I'm Chat Noir! Adrien cursed at himself and flew backward, falling on the floor.

"Chat, are you ok?"

"Yeah, y-yeah, sorry," he stammered, getting to his feet, "I just… I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry Marinette, I didn't mean to… I mean, I meant to, I just… I shouldn't have…"

"Chat, hang on—"

"I wasn't thinking straight, I'm sorry, I should go—"

"Please, wait—" Something loud crashed outside, followed by screams of panic. Chat Noir's ear twitched. "Oh no. Stupid Hawkmoth, he has the best timing…" Marinette grumbled.

"I've, you know, gotta go, because, you know, akuma and—yeah—"

Chat took the steps to Marinette's skylight three at a time and disappeared into the cool autumn night. He'd gone to Marinette's house to find clarity and ended up making things worse. I am such an idiot!

The akuma was stomping down the street towards Notre Dame. He tore after it, trying to run the emotion away.

"Chat Noir!"

Of course the one time he really needed to run by himself for a while was the time Ladybug would arrive almost simultaneously.

"Hey, LB, fancy meeting you here!"

Marinette watched Chat fly through her skylight door. "Chat, you forgot your shoes!" she called, but he was well out of hearing range. The windows rattled again as the akuma thumped down the street. Marinette sighed and called on her transformation. She really wanted to sit this one out; she was simply not in a good headspace for taking on an akuma right now. Part of her could only think about Chat Noir, his purr and his laugh, his goofy smirk and bright green eyes, his lips centimeters from hers… but the Miracle Box in Tibet! Tikki, the other Kwami! The desperate need to get to Tibet and find whoever had unlocked the other Miracle Box weighed on her. She would have headed off immediately if it weren't for her infernal incompetence in speaking Chinese.

Ladybug slapped her cheeks to clear her mind—not that it did much good—and zipped her way up the street.

"Chat Noir!"

He turned, his smile forced, "Hey LB, fancy meeting you here!"

"Is… Plagg ok? You know, after what happened this afternoon and all?"

"Yeah, you know Plagg, a little cheese and he's his normal, pleasant self."

She laughed. "We need to talk, huh."

He nodded forlornly. "Akuma first."

Ladybug flew to the rooftops where she could observe the akuma easier. She flattened herself behind a chimney and cautiously peered down. A petite woman in a red qipao was using a pair of chopsticks to volley torrents of scorching noodles at frightened pedestrians. "Ladybug, Chat Noir," she taunted, aiming her chopsticks and wrapping a whole car in the steaming noodles. "Tikki, Plagg!"

It was like being doused in ice water. Ladybug froze as the akuma called for her beloved Kwami. Chat Noir landed next to her.

"Did she just call for our Kwami?" Chat groaned. Ladybug nodded. "That can't be good."

"After the call, Tikki warned me that Nooroo would have the same information that the rest of the Kwami got."

"So, Hawkmoth is aware that another Miracle Box has been unlocked, right?"

She nodded again, then continued, "But since Nooroo wasn't allowed to join the rest of the Kwami in our Miracle Box, he wasn't there for the meeting of the Kwami. Seems like Hawkmoth wants to interrogate Plagg and Tikki about it now."

Chat shuddered. "How about we take this thing down fast, then. And don't get hit."

"Excellent plan, Mon Chaton," she teased, taking him by surprise.

"How about I attack, you hang back and observe a bit, and then—hang on, Ladybug, wait!" She'd already launched herself into the fray and caught the attention of the akuma. Ladybug had no intention of watching Chat Noir get pummeled today. She spun her yo-yo to deflect the jet of hot noodles and broth the akuma sent at her, did a series of cartwheels to find a better foothold, and then swung in to knock the akuma to its back.

"Take that, ol' Noodlehead!"

"Noodlehead?" Chat scoffed from the other side of the street, where he was racing forward to attack.

"What, got anything better?" she laughed back. The akuma, now facing Ladybug and Chat Noir on opposite sides, had to split her chopsticks and could only send a paltry dribble of noodles at each hero.

"Yeah, keep to opposite sides—seems she's got a limited supply of noodles!" he called, twisting out of the way and using his stick to pry open the door of the car that was still encased in the rope-like noodles.

Ladybug took advantage of the distraction by advancing and landing a blow across the akuma's jaw. She stumbled back, then turned the chopsticks full-force on Ladybug. The akuma growled in frustration and started cursing in fluent Chinese.

"Hey, don't talk about my beautiful Lady like that!" Chat growled just as Ladybug's round-house kick knocked one of the chopsticks flying, spewing noodles at random across the street. Noodles and broth hit Ladybug's back, and instantly coiled around her midsection. She screamed in pain. Chat hurled himself at her, "Cataclysm!" His claws ripped through the noodles that had trapped her.

"Thanks, Kitty," she panted, before, "Let's end this thing now. Lucky Charm!" A bottle of ketchup landed in her hands, and she barely had to think before popping the top and squirting it at the stream of noodles now flying after Chat. Chat opened his mouth and let the disgusting concoction slide down his throat with a satisfied smack.

"Mm, delicious!"

The akuma screamed in horror and cursed again in Chinese. Ladybug picked out a few words… something about 'stupid kids' and 'heritage' and 'contaminated.' The akuma was so worked up over the fact that Chat appeared to enjoy her noodles with ketchup, that she dove after him. Ladybug hooked her yo-yo around the chopsticks, and they zipped back to her with ease. Ladybug snapped them over her knee and the purple butterfly wriggled free.

A minute and one Miraculous Ladybug later, Chat Noir was patting the confused Chinese noodle vendor's hand and babbling away in Chinese. Ladybug's jaw hit the floor.

He waved good-bye to the woman, who bowed to Ladybug before heading in the direction of her shop.

"Chat. Noir. What in the world was that?"

"Apparently the poor lady was frustrated living in a city where so few speak her language or respect her culture. Strange, she hadn't really been that angry. I'm concerned that Hawkmoth chose her for his akuma; seems like a desperate choice to me. He must have really wanted that information and maybe didn't think through it carefully. Not that I'm complaining. I always appreciate easier akumas, and there appears to be a correlation between the strength and validity of their anger and the difficulty we have."

Ladybug shook her head, "No—I mean, not no, you're right about the akuma, but—since when did you speak Chinese?"

Chat's eyebrows flew to his hairline. "Uh, since… ever? So?"

Her smile was brilliant. "Go feed Plagg, then meet me on our rooftop. We've got a lot to discuss."