Author's Note: One more that I was able to get to done-but-not-polished before the busy times hit at work!

I hope you are all having an amazing week!

–Where We Last Left Off–

"I couldn't be Multi-Mouse more than just that once. There was no way I could sneak away with all the other things I was a part of. I needed an easy way out, so Ladybug and I planned the reveal as a way to save face…"

Adrien gasped, taking on the memory with a brand new perspective.

"It was selfish," she admitted, thinking back to that day, "And you're right...he must think that I...that Ladybug couldn't trust him with my identity. Oh no! Poor Chat! He never said anything to me!"

Now it was Marinette's turn to cry. Adrien moved them both to sit up as he held her. He lost track of how long they sat like that in each other's arms. He vaguely registered the sounds of her deep breaths as he realized she had fallen asleep there with him. He felt his body becoming heavy and his eyes drifting closed. The last thing he noticed was his senses filling with the scent of vanilla and lavender, and the warmth of feeling at home.

– Chapter 6 –

–Future Bug's POV–

Adrien woke up much like he always did nowadays, heart racing, nauseated, and covered in sweat. He frantically glanced around the room, trying to determine where reality stopped and his nightmare had begun. His vision was blurred in his panicked state. Quickly he sat up to reach for the light switch.

"If you flip that damned light on at this hour again, you're a dead man!" yelled a familiar voice from across the room.

"Felix?" Adrien asked quietly.

"That'll be Death to you, if you keep talking. Go back to sleep."

Adrien felt two small presences float to either side of him. He sighed, knowing it was both Plagg and Tikki. So the end of the world was a dream, but the end of his world was still a reality.

He felt Plagg cuddle into his neck while Tikki cuddled into his chest. He slowly relaxed, gently moving Plagg to join Tikki on his chest. Tikki's steady energy and Plagg's light purring allowed him to drift off to sleep once more.

He awoke to a towel being thrown onto his face and a grumpy scoff from the offender.

"Go shower! I don't know what to do with you anymore! You don't stay asleep at night, you don't stay awake in the morning. You're really trying my patience, Adrien."

Adrien sat up and let the towel fall from his face. His hand went to rub the back of his neck as he looked sheepishly over at his cousin.

"Sorry," he said softly.

Felix rolled his eyes as he continued to get dressed for the day.

"Don't be so pathetic. Just go get in the shower so I don't have to get there before you again."

There. There was where the younger version of his entire world would be. There is where he would have to try to keep himself together while he watched her blush from his mere presence on the scene. There is where his younger self will glare at him in envy and try to keep him as far away from the younger her as possible. There is where he both looked forward to the most and dreaded the most each day.

"Actually, would you mind going and grabbing my younger self today?"

"I do mind, now that you bring it up," his cousin scoffed back at him, "That girl is a sassy pain in my ass whenever you aren't there to make her a stuttering mess."

Memories of the first day they teamed up with the younger duo flooded back to Adrien's mind and suddenly it felt like he must be in an oven. As he remembered the kisses, the heat, and the desire that had overcome him that day, he couldn't help but fall into a daze.

You know what? He didn't care if he WAS in an oven. He would gladly burn away if this could be the last thing he thought of.

His fond memories came to a halt at the feel of ice water in his face.

"SHOWER!" his cousin yelled, now already dressed and donning the black cat miraculous.

Adrien jumped out of bed while he still had the will to, determined to shower so he could go see his Princess...even if she wasn't really HIS.

"The Rebirth akuma has two of the miraculous activated. Looks like the horse and the bee. She seems to be watching Marinette's parents today. She's not in her usual spot by the school."

"At least she won't find the miracle box, then. I think Mari said this was the first day she went to Master Fu's, back before she knew who he was," Adrien called from the bathroom.

"Stop being a creep and talking to me while you're in the bathroom!" Felix yelled back.

Adrien thought about teasing that Felix was also talking to him, but figured he would save what was left of his cousin's remaining patience for a more opportune time.

When Adrien finished his shower, he came out to see Felix staring at the cat baton.

"The kids are already at the meeting place. Looks like I'll be heading out first again...assuming you're not intending to be in just boxers under the suit..."

Adrien flushed and violently shook his head. Felix let out a genuine laugh before calling for his transformation and jumping out the hotel window.

~~~

By the time Future Bug arrived on scene, Chaos Chat had already debriefed with the mouse and snake. Mari was the mouse holder again today. Seeing her in all of her Multi-Mouse glory made Future Bug stumble on his landing, which made Multi-Mouse giggle.

"Looks like bugs don't always land on their feet like cats do," she said, catching his gaze as he unconsciously looked her up and down. When her cheeks flushed and she averted her gaze, he realized what had happened. His face set on fire and Chaos Chat nearly fell over laughing. He shot Aspik an apologetic look, to which he seemed to receive the world's coldest glare in return. Aspik found a reason to pull Mari close to him and whispered in her ear. He looked back at Future Bug with a smirk and "accidentally" pressed his mouth against Multi-Mouse's ear. The red in her face reached down to her neck and Future Bug found a glare coming from his own face now.

Recovering, Chaos Chat put a hand on Future Bug's shoulder.

"Let's go, Mousier Luck," he said before slapping his cousin's back and jumping off toward the bakery.

Plastering on his best model smile, Future Bug nodded to the other holders and followed suit.

Chaos stopped a few rooftops away from the bakery, watching as Rebirth watched Marinette's parents cleaning the outside of the bakery and decorating for a sale. Future Bug took his cousin's lead and observed Rebirth as well.

A purple mask appeared across her face. Her gaze met Chaos Chat's and, before he could even think about warning Future Bug, Rebirth used Voyage to appear beside the boys and grabbed Future Bug's hand.

"If I gave you back your ring, I wouldn't match my love bug," she spoke back to Hawk Moth in the most saultery voice Adrien had ever heard. She brought their hands to her mouth to kiss the back of his, then to lovingly rub her face against them.

"Mari," Adrien whispered before he knew what he was doing. Great...now Hawk Moth has one more clue to work with for this Akuma.

Adrien realized that Rebirth had intertwined their hands with the rings also touching together. She was going to use the joint power of the rings for something. The matching rings on their fingers started to warm on their hands and the purple mask faded away.

It took all of his will to pull his hand back from her, purposefully avoiding her sad gaze when he did so.

"Thank you," she said softly before swiftly turning around, "Venom!"

Chaos Chat became frozen in place as Rebirth called for Voyage and disappeared from the rooftop. Future Bug recited a spell that SuHan had taught them to counteract magical paralysis.

"I was so close!" Felix groaned as he slowly stretched his body.

"Sorry," Future Bug began, knowing that he should have been distracting Rebirth instead of getting distracted by her.

Chaos Chat smacked Future Bug's forehead with the palm of his hand as he walked by him.

"I blame your stupid Father and his inability to keep these so-called precious rings to himself. I can't believe she took it from him so easily!"

Subconsciously, Chaos Chat fidgeted with the ring of Infinite Possibilities from their own time.

They both paused as the sky filled with the mind control cloud of Princess Fragrance.

"How sure are you that we aren't going to be mind controlled today?" Chaos Chat asked, half-jokingly.

"Very!" called a little voice as a small Multi-Mouse landed on Future Bug's shoulder and flirtatiously kissed his cheek.

Chaos Chat rolled his eyes and turned away to watch the Akuma fight in the distance. Future Bug, on the other hand, backed up to the wall so he could gently slide down to a sitting position.

"Don't break him," Chaos said half-heartedly to no one in particular before casually switching rooftops.

"My poor Chaton," Multi-Mouse cooed as she set her hand on his now-flaming cheek. He knew she probably saw Rebirth over with them earlier. Mari always made a special effort to come and comfort him if he had a run-in with her akuma self that day.

"I'll be okay, Princess," he said, soaking in every bit of love that he could feel radiating off of her, "Go back to your Prince. I know he needs you."

"Not as much as I need my Kitty," Mari replied, attempting to sound flirty rather than saddened. She missed her Chat Noir, it was very clear. He was both happy and heartbroken at once. He knew the feeling of missing a partner who is still right in front of you all too well.

"He's always with you, Mari. Just in a different form than you're used to."

He knew she would think that he was referring to himself rather than to younger Adrien, but he couldn't help the statement.

"I'm glad he is. It would really *bug* me if he weren't here at all."

Future Bug let out a genuine laugh at the unexpected pun. Before he could respond, the fireworks shot up to the fragrance cloud and dispersed the threat. Not long afterward, the ladybugs swarmed to repair the city.

"Another victory, M'Lady," he said, offering her his hand to jump onto so they could be face to face.

"Pound it?" He asked, offering her a finger from his other hand.

She smiled widely at the gesture before matching her fist to his finger.

"Pound it!"