So now more of our favorite couple who are technically living together! What adventures will they find themselves in with a visit from Alya and Nino?=^-^=

Ch. 5 - Takes Two to Chat


With the kitchen all set up, Marinette went to go fetch a project from up in her room to work on in the short time before Alya would arrive. She was so thankful there had been no awkwardness between Aaron and her after the way she busted in on him. She thought for sure he would already be in the shower and fully covered when she went to give him the towel. It would have been much better had she remembered her mother took them up for a wash last night. It certainly would have saved her nerves.

"See, kid, she's not bothered by anything. She was only worried you'd be mad at her for barging in. Everything's cool."

Adrien gave a nod to his kwami and looked more than relieved. "Looks like it." The door bell rang and seconds later something clattered from up the stairs. "Marinette?"

"I'm okay! I just… I'll need a minute." She called back.

"Sure, I'll answer the door then!"

"What?!"

"It's not a problem." He didn't see why she should have to rush down if he was perfectly capable of going to answer the door. It wasn't even a minute later that he got to the door to reveal a very familiar red head.

"Hey, Mari- Oh… Aaron, right?" Alya greeted while adjusting her purse strap.

"Y-yeah, and you're, uh… Alya?"

She gave a nod. "I see Marinette mentioned me. Oh, by the way this is Nino." She gestured just around the door frame to the dark skinned young man holding a deep pot.

"Sup, dude."

"Hi uh… You need a hand?" He pointed to the pot while trying hard not to look suspicious.

"Sure, my hands are killing me."

"Stop whining, babe. You're the one who told me not to help you from the start."

"It's heavier than I thought, okay?" Aaron took one side of the pot, and before Nino realized it, he'd grabbed the other side too in order to carry it himself. "Oh wait, you don't have to… Never mind." He corrected when the ravenette hoisted it easily and turned to the door.

"Huh? Well, just come on up. Marinette should be down in a minute."

From behind Alya was raising an impressed brow to the obviously strong young man Marinette told her about over the phone. "Down, babe." He whispered in tease.

"Oh come on, Nino, I'm double checking my best friend's eyes, and she was not mistaken."

"Something wrong?" Aaron wondered when he noticed he was being watched at the top of the stairs.

"Oh nothing, Aaron. My girl just mentioned a little about you and how you're working in the bakery now."

"Yeah, her family's been really good to me." He brought the pot in and set it on the table where Marinette already had plates and such set up.

"Alya!" Marinette called half jumping down her steps to greet her best friend.

"Hey! I saw your…" She cleared her throat and leaned in to whisper. "Hot house guest."

"Renter and employee." She corrected with an equally hushed tone as she hugged the woman.

"Right, well…" Alya shrugged but still gave Marinette a knowing look. "So where are those croissants I requested?"

Aaron picked up a bowel at the table to lift it up. "Here. I even added a little extra butter when I took them out of the oven." He looked so proud Marinette had to hold in her giggle at remembering his initial hesitance.

"You made 'em? Mari! I asked for you to make something! Your stuff always tastes so good!" Alya complained over dramatically as she hung off her friend's arm.

"Sorry, but he needed the practice and I watched him the whole time so they should be fine." She then pushed her friend off and headed to the table. "So do we need to heat it up?"

Alya nodded and went over to the kitchen with the designer. "Yeah, a little time on the burner and it should taste almost as good as when my mom first made it." Almost, if only because most anything fails to measure up after being reheated.

While the girls were in the kitchen getting that ready, Nino sat down at the table with Aaron. "So, dude, how's the baker life? I tried doing a job their part time in my second year of Lycee, and Mr. Dupain was a total drill sergeant."

"Really?" Aaron replied thinking back. "I mean he does get carried away doing things at his own pace, but he hasn't really been hard to work for."

"Let's see…" Nino started to count on one hand. "If you started working here a few weeks before Marinette got home, then he must have had you up front at first."

"Yeah." The raventte confirmed. It was due to the fact he was still injured to the point Tom didn't want him hurting himself worse.

"Right, and I'll bet you didn't do a lot in the back until Marinette came back?"

"It was my… Second day of working in the back? I think."

"There we go. When Mr. Dupain is showing an employee how to make something you either keep up or move, but if Marinette is around…" He left it off for Aaron to infer.

"Right, she did show me how to kneed baguette dough my second day. Mr. Dupain showed me a couple times, but I just couldn't follow him."

"She's a pretty good teacher." The DJ agreed. "But those few days taught me more than the fact I wasn't cut out to be a baker. They taught me that I should be very very grateful Alya's dad isn't a baker."

He wore an amused expression though Aaron wasn't quite sure why. "Huh?"

"Dude, think about it. Her dad is huge." He pointed to the kitchen.

"Mr. Dupain? But he's such a nice guy. You're not saying he'd hurt someone are you?"

Nino gave him a dead pan stare. "Dude, Tom Dupain is still a dad with a very pretty daughter. Do you honestly think that if a boy broke her heart, he'd just let it go?"

"Yeah… Well, maybe not just let it go, but he wouldn't hurt the guy."

Nino looked at him with a raised brow. "Okay, Tom was a bad example, but I'm glad Alya's dad isn't one because he and I have music differences." He let it go seeing Aaron wasn't going to meet his point. "Anyway, I got this feeling when I first saw you, but you think we've met before?"

The disguised model internally panicked as he quickly denied it. "No, I doubt it. I mean… I didn't really get out much back when I lived at home."

"No? Hmm, I guess you just have one of those faces then." He let it go and Aaron was relieved. Nino was about ready to start grilling him about what his hobbies were as a form of small talk when he noticed Alya giving him the stink eye from around the corner. He gave her a thumbs up which Aaron thankfully didn't notice. Alya had told him to talk with Aaron about whether he liked Marinette while she distracted Marinette. "So, just between us guys, what do you think of Marinette?" Very straight forward but since he didn't know the guy very well he wasn't sure how to angle it.

"What do you mean? She's been pretty nice especially considering we barely know each other."

"Seriously, dude, don't make me spell it out." When he saw Aaron blush he knew he'd picked it up.

"Oh… I uh… She's pretty? I just don't really know her… So…" He glanced away and Nino rolled his eyes.

"Look, I've known Marinette since we were shorter than this table okay? I know pretty much everything a guy can know without being her boyfriend." It also didn't hurt that he was dating her best friend, but that was beside the point. "I just want to be in the know if you have any ideas about asking her out. I promise, no interference so long as you're the swell guy I've seen so far."

"But, Nino, we barely know each other." The new baker repeated as if that were the only possible defense.

"True, but you think she's cute."

"Yeah…" Aaron trailed off with a blush when he realized Nino had set him up for that one. "Nothing wrong with that." He quickly defended. She was pretty, and it was a fact.

"No, dude, you're right about that, but…" He leaned in to whisper. "She thinks you're hot." Nino informed with a superior grin. Their conversation was cut off when Marinette came around with cups asking about drinks, and Alya returned a few minutes later announcing the food was heated enough.


"Okay, I'll concede. The croissants were not too bad, Aaron." Alya admitted as she took a few to wrap up and take home.

"You're actions tell they're better than that." He pointed out while taking the plates up.

Marinette took them. "It was his first try, so I think they turned out pretty good. Maybe less kneading next time?" She then shrugged and headed off to the kitchen.

"I'm giving the credit to his teacher." Alya winked at him but Marinette didn't see.

"Thanks, but he's a decent student." The designer called from the kitchen.

"Did you want some of the stew for leftovers?" Alya stood up and headed into the kitchen behind her.

Adrien looked to Nino who was checking something on his phone. He hadn't expected to be confronted with seeing Nino so quickly, but it did give him an opportunity. If anyone deserved to know he was still around it was Nino, his best friend. Then again, there were risks. "So… I hear you are best buds with that one model? Uh… Agreste?"

He saw Nino's expression fall ever so much as he set his phone down. "I like to think so…"

"So, not anymore?"

The DJ rolled his eyes. "The dude is ghosting me, actually ghosting everyone, but... I mean he has a complicated home life, you know?" Of course he didn't want to tell someone he just met about his friend's problems. Max had told him it was really dicey and Adrien wanted to stay hidden. No sense in getting more people looking for him, especially if Adrien's father still hadn't revealed the fact he ran away to the public.

"Complicated home life huh?..." That was one way to put it. He then looked to Nino who, aside from looking a little depressed about his friend, still looked friendly and peaceable. This was probably his best chance. Waiting too long could likely come back to haunt him or even lose him a friend. "I can see that." He finally finished. "If you haven't heard from him, what about anyone in his family? Guy like that probably has a nosey parent or if the parent's too busy, maybe a secretary?"

Nino found the question only slightly curious. "Hmm? Not really… Though now that I think about it, I was seeing his dad's assistant around my house a few weeks ago. I thought about calling out to her, but she's not that approachable if you know what I mean? It was weird how she was anywhere near where I lived, but I haven't seen her in at least a week, so it was probably some low key meeting or something. Sometimes the rich types want to talk while trying to blend in with us common rabble to keep a low profile or something."

"I guess they must think they blend in." Aaron proposed with an amused smile.

"Yeah, but not really." Nino mused back. "My man Adrien was cool and not snobby at all, unfortunately, he was terrible at blending in. People would recognize him every time we hung out in the open."

Aaron raised a brow. "So, even with a disguise, you think you'd recognize him?"

Nino scoffed. "Easy, especially if his disguise skills are like I remember."

That had the ravenette smirking. This would be priceless, plus Nathalie seems to have already tried looking for him with Nino. The fact she tried and failed probably meant she was moving on and assuming he left the city like he'd planned. "You might be surprised, you know? I've heard of famous people hiding out in the craziest places full of people and never getting spotted."

Nino waved it off. "Sure, but I know Adrien. I could tell you some fun attempts, but even if I haven't heard from him in awhile, I still consider him my best bro."

Adrien nodded. "Sure, but umm…" He stood up and pointed to the door. "You mind if I talk to you in a more… private spot? I want to ask you something without the girls hearing." He gestured towards the kitchen where the two women were surprisingly quiet.

Nino raised a brow. "Sure, dude. Hey, babe!"

"I get it, we'll stop eavesdropping. Go have your man talk." She called back with a giggle in the background.

"Alright, now we shouldn't have to worry about her following us to listen in." Aaron led him to the guestroom where he was staying and shut the door. "So what is it, dude?"

Aaron rubbed the back of his head as he mulled over how he would broach the subject. "It's not something easy to admit, so just bear with me. I uh…"

Nino wasn't too keen on that anxious and worried look he was getting. "Um… You're not going to suddenly tell me you're gay and I'm your type are you?" That would be super awkward for sure, though he said Marinette was cute so maybe he swings both ways?

"What? No! I… Definitely not that." Aaron reassured with a minor blush of embarrassment. "I'm just… It's complicated, okay?" He then took a breath and his eyes focused on Nino. "I need you to promise Alya won't hear about anything we talk about in here, okay?"

That had the DJ only minorly curious. He knew it was obvious that Alya was somewhat nosey, and anyone who knew her, knew she liked to run with a good story. "Sure, dude, I can follow the bro code on this, but the way you're so serious has me a little worried about what it is."

"It's as serious as things get, Nino. I can't have my father finding me."

"Whoa, what's all this? You running from the mob or something?" The DJ asked looking worried they were being watched. "If you are, you can't get Marinette involved in that sort-"

"No, Nino, just my father. You know what he's like, and I couldn't take it anymore."

"Huh?" Nino looked at him dead as if he was speaking another language.

"Nino, it's me, Adrien." He whispered at the end.

"Huh?" Nino responded again still looking very confused.

"Seriously, I'm Adrien." Adrien gestured to himself. "My dad had me locked in my room for the last four months, so I had to escape."

"Huh?" Nino repeated once again.

"Nino!" The ex-model shouted to get his friend to snap out of it.

"Adrien?"

"Yes." The ravenette responded with a sigh. "Yes, it's me… Adrien…" He whispered as to reduce the probability of someone overhearing.

"Dude!" Nino's eyes were wide as dinner plates. "I… No! You look so different! You're not just pulling my chain are you?" He reached up and rubbed his fingers through the foreign black mess of hair. "It's so crazy…"

"Yeah, it's me. I dyed my hair black to help disguise myself."

"It's fricken amazing! I swear you're not him." Nino continued playing around with the dark locks and noticed something else new too. "Is that a scar? Ouch."

"Huh, oh yeah. It did hurt before, but now it's fine." The scar ran from his hair line to almost touching the end of his eye brow. It was usually well hidden under his unruly hair which he no longer felt the need to perfectly comb every morning. Adrien swatted his hand away. "So anyway, I'm really sorry for not contacting you for all those months. My father basically made the real me dead to the world. Nathalie even made all of the social media posts you may have noticed over the time."

Nino lifted his hand for the standard greeting. "I get it man, it's cool. My man Adrien was always a straight shooter. I don't see why I shouldn't trust you now."

Adrien returned the gesture. "Thanks, Nino, but remember my name is Aaron now."

"Right, Aaron, I can do that. By the way, if you're not on your dad's time, does that mean you're gonna be free to hang more?"

Aaron flinched as the realization hit him. "Y-yeah, I could… Whoa… I could hang whenever I wanted…" It had never really been a thing for him. So far he'd been concentrating on making a living so going out to just have fun was always on the back burner.

"I know, dude, it's weird to me too, but it'll be awesome!"

Adrien smiled. "Hell yes!" He then paused. "Oh, but outside my work schedule of course. Mr. Dupain says he intends for me to be able to run the whole back kitchen by myself on a standard shift." That meant moderate customer numbers with no special events or sales going on.

"It's cool, dude, I get that. My gigs take up most of my weekends too. Welcome to the working world my friend… Oh… I guess you've been working way longer than me, huh?"

"Yeah, and that's probably the most annoying part of running away. I can't even use the money I'd been earning from my contract." Adrien crossed his arms in irritation before shrugging. "But, things are working out so far. I mean Mr. Dupain and his wife took me in the day I ran away so I never had to sleep on the street, and he gave me a job even though I knew nothing about baking."

"Right, it really was a coincidence you'd run right to Marinette's place." Nino jabbed with an insinuating look in his eye.

"Yeah, I kinda wish I met her earlier. She's really nice." And cute, but he wasn't going to let Nino start that up again.

"Huh? What do you mean..!" Nino suddenly remembered what Max had said before. If Adrien mentions someone from college that he shouldn't grill him about them. Was this what he meant?

"Huh? Have I met Marinette before?"

Nino furrowed his brow. It seemed Adrien couldn't remember Marinette for some reason… The scar! He must've hit his head! Holy laser guided amnesia, Batman! "Um… Yeah, but not much really. She was usually with Alya, and was pretty shy so I don't think you two really talked too much." Only a slight lie considering how rare it was for them to hang out outside class. In TV trying to confront someone with amnesia with what they forgot never ends well, so the DJ decided to play this one safe. "She's great though, and if you're working for her dad, I doubt you'll have to worry about her being super shy like before."

"Oh, alright then." Adrien responded looking only slightly put off. Had he really met such a wonderful person and forgot about her completely? Back in college… Well, he really didn't get to go out much though it was more than he had before. For the most part it was with his class so maybe that was why? Marinette might not have been in his classes or at least not in his home room.

"Anyway, dude, you're technically off for the whole month so we need to hang out more."

Aaron quickly agreed and dismissed his previous thoughts. "Yeah, aside from keeping the place clean and learning a few new things with Marinette, I don't really have much else to do."

Nino pulled out his phone. "Give me your number then. We can text and let each other know when we're free."

"Sure." Aaron added in the number and Nino sent him a quick text to confirm.

"Man, I'm sure Alya will be happy she doesn't have to snap at people for dropping your name. I get she's trying to help me, but she can be kinda harsh."

"Hold on, Nino, you can't tell her. I said that from the start."

Nino furrowed his brow. "Seriously? You know Alya wouldn't blab considering the circumstances."

"I just don't want to take the chance, okay? I'm only telling you because of Max, and because you are my best friend." Aside from Ladybug, but they don't reveal their identities anyway. "It's super important my dad doesn't figure out where I am especially before October."

"But, dude… You know Alya's going to get suspicious. I can't say how I've been acting, but me just knowing we can hang I… I hope I don't slip up, dude." Nino put his hands on his head. "And Alya can always smell a story."

"Just… try, okay? I'm not saying this is forever. We can talk about it once October rolls around, but I'd honestly prefer it if my father never finds me."

Nino stopped his own worries in favor of just how dejected his friend looked. "Dude? Just what did he do that made you run away, anyway? I mean, he's always been really demanding, but you always seemed to tolerate it." Adrien scowled at the memory. He hated how his father had brought up the topic of marriage. Hated how he was just handed a bunch of profiles and was told to pick one like they were his choices for a new outfit. His father didn't even care if he liked any of them! "Dude?" He felt a hand on his shoulder and realized he'd gotten lost in his thoughts. "It's okay, dude, you don't have to say it if it makes you that upset." The DJ comforted with a sympathetic smile.

"No, I just… My father wanted me to get married out of nowhere. There was a file with some pictures and I just… I suddenly felt like my life would never me mine unless I did something. You can probably guess what happened when I told him no."

"I can see it, but man, married? What's with him? I mean, did someone decide he would marry your mom? Is this how he thinks?"

Aaron shook his head. "I know. My mom used to tell me my father was softer when they first met and she never mentioned anything about an arranged marriage. Heck, most of the family fortune is from my mom's side of the family."

"Then I just don't get him. Are you his son or an employee?" Nino countered looking just as fed up as Adrien.

"That's a question I never want the answer to." Aaron let out a sigh and Nino understood. Chances are, the answer wouldn't be the one he wanted.

"Then I'll do what I can to make sure you never get it." He gave Adrien a pat on the back. "Even under torture, bro, I swear."

"I hope you don't get tortured, but I appreciate it."

"Hey, babe, you done with your guy talk? I want to get the rest of this food home before it spoils."

"Sure, babe." Nino called back and Adrien opened the door. "Seriously, dude, call me if you wanna talk about… you know what." Nino encouraged while subtly pointing at Marinette in a way only Alya would see.

"Yeah, I will. And thanks for the food, Alya, it was great." He waved to the journalist who was now carrying the pot due to it being much lighter.

"Sure, it was nice meeting you, Aaron." She then gave Marinette a wry grin before heading to the door.

"Why does she always… urg…." The designer groaned as Aaron stood next to her and waved them off.

"She seemed like a great friend, Marinette, so she's not trying to be mean."

"I know." She agreed with a small smile. "But she still drives me crazy." She finished with a sigh. "And speaking of friends, you and Nino seemed to get along pretty good."

"Yeah, he gave me his number." Aaron pulled out his phone to show the very short list of contacts.

"Good, so far you haven't really gone out too much to see friends, so I'm happy for you." Her smile made him feel all the more satisfied with his decision to let Nino know who he was.


Marinette went up to her room as soon as Aaron left. He was going for a late walk around the area to get a better feel for it. He'd apparently lived on the other side of the city or something and didn't know his way around this area aside from a few shops or the way downtown. She assumed the walks were also to give him time to think on his own and get some air. So long as he was safe, she didn't see any issue with it. It was also convenient since she could use the hour or so he'd be gone in order to do her weekly patrol with Chat Noir. "Before we go, Marinette, I want to talk to you about something."

She turned to Tikki who sat on her desk with a very serious expression. "Sure, Tikki, what's up? Is it… bad?" Her kwami usually didn't look so serious unless they were in danger.

"Um… Not really bad, but very important." She flew up and relaxed her expression a bit. "It's about you and Chat Noir." She pointed to where Marinette had the miracle box hidden. "Since you're the gaurdian now, the decision of knowing the wielder's identities falls to you."

"So you want me to find out Chat Noir's identity? Didn't you say it was dangerous?"

Tikki nodded. "It is, but that was mostly because at the start you weren't the gaurdian, and because you both were just kids. You are the master, and both of you are adults. Not to mention how quiet Hawkmoth is right now." Marinette furrowed her brow.

"But we don't know if this is just him taking a break or trying to trick us. If we know each other's identities then-"

"I know, Marinette, then if Hawkmoth captures one of you then the other will be in danger, but there are certain circumstances where it's much better to know. As a matter of fact almost all of the previous Ladybugs and Chat Noirs revealed their identities to each other eventually. It was usually in a time when it was peaceful, but many other cases involved it happening in a conflict where one was injured or needed help outside the suit. The Ladybug and Black Cat were always intended to complement each other and so they always have a close bond. Now that you're both adults, knowing each other will deepen that bond."

Marinette took a moment to think but still looked unsure. "I understand that, Tikki, but what if Hawkmoth isn't gone? I'd rather not take that risk."

"There's another reason that I think you should consider." Tikki started again looking worried. "You see, the master is the one who has final say in who knows what secrets, but even the master needs to weigh consequences. There are certain times when even the master's hand is forced because choosing to keep things as they are could prove very dangerous."

"What do you mean, Tikki? Did something happen?"

She nodded. "When you and Chat Noir were chosen to wield the powers of creation and destruction, Master Fu did so with an understanding of need, character, and situational circumstances. He knew both of you would wield the powers responsibly and that you're civilian lives were stable enough that outside influences wouldn't cause you to lose us. It's much easier to find people like that in a time of peace than at war. I've had a few holders that only had me for a few weeks before the guardian had to take me back. Those wielders were sometimes tortured for information or their villages were destroyed. It's the guardian's job to always know the situations of the miraculous holders they govern."

"So… Wait… Are you saying something has happened to Chat Noir?" She thought back. He did mention something about leaving didn't he? His home at least.

"Yes, his civilian life has changed drastically. While he isn't in danger at the moment, it is a situation that may put him in danger later. Because of this, and because of how well you both have done with the miraculous, Plagg and I feel it's time for you both to know each other's identities."

"I… I'm not…" Marinette trailed off looking very conflicted. She respected Tikki's opinion and experience, but this would be such a big change. Knowing each other outside the mask could completely flip how they act as a team. What if they didn't get along? What if they already knew each other and already didn't get along!? What if Chat Noir knows her, and never looks at her seriously ever again!? 'You're clumsy Marinette? Wow…' She could see the disappointment in his eyes!

"Marinette! Please snap out of it!" Tikki pat her cheeks in worry. "You can't panic like this."

Marinette pulled away and blushed. "R-right…" That wouldn't be the first time she'd let her thoughts spiral out of control like that.

"Now, I just want you to think about it, okay? You don't have to do it right away, and remember, master, it's your decision to make." Tikki made sure to explain. The kwami's were not allowed to make the decisions on their power simply because it was too dangerous. Kwami's had boundless powers without a miraculous to act as a medium, and if one were to go out of control, well… civilizations have suffered the consequences before. That was what made the guardian so important, and why it was also important that the kwami gave their best council. The kwami was also the expert on their power and the master needed an informed decision. There was also the kwami's vast experience the guardian could draw from, and every worthy guardian knew to heed it.

"Okay…" Marinette finally responded. "I'll think about it, Tikki, but I can't decide tonight. I'll ask Chat about his situation though. It might help me make the right choice."

Tikki nodded with a smile. "Of course, Marinette. I understand."


Chat was waiting high up on the Eiffel Tower while gazing up at the moon. His life had made a major change recently and now it was starting to calm down a bit. He was getting into a routine. It was nice. His old life had him doing a million things and almost none of them were all that rewarding for him. Sure, fencing was fun, and he did enjoy the piano, but his father had never asked how he felt about them. Sometimes his father seemed to treat him like the second play through in a game. Since he didn't understand design, he needed to be perfect in every other way. Now though, he was his own man. He had his own job, and made decisions with his own money. Despite being reliant on the Dupain-Chengs it wasn't as though he was mooching off them. He worked for what he got and it gave him a solid feeling of accomplishment; a job well done. Plus baking was pretty fun and he was getting the hang of what Marinette was teaching him. She was a really good teacher.

"BOO!" The cat hero jumped in his spot and nearly slid off the beam he sat on.

"Oh my gosh! I'm sorry!" Ladybug grabbed his arm when she saw him nearly slide off. "I honestly didn't think I'd actually scare you, Chat Noir."

He let out a breath and smiled back. "No worries, milady. I was just thinking. Maybe someone should put a bell on you?" He flicked his own with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes as they both sat down side by side. "Nearly sliding off a national monument and you still pull a pun out."

"Naturally." He nearly sang. "But you're a little late today, milady. What was the hold up?"

"I was talking to Tikki. She brought up your… situation change and how it was important for me to know about it as guardian." Ladybug quickly noted the cat's reluctance.
"But I'm still not going to make you tell me what happened. I'm never going to force you to tell me something like that, but you know I'm here for you even if it's just a scratch behind the ears." She comforted while performing the action. "Though one question I will ask is how are you now? Is your situation okay? You're not in danger are you?"

Chat smiled and she could tell it was genuinely warm. It was rare he ever smiled like that and it usually had something to do with her. "Yeah… It's fine right now. Actually, I don't think I've felt this content in a long time. The people I work for are great especially this girl. She's uh… Well she's really good at showing me how to do things."

Ladybug raised a brow. "Is she now?" Though she'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little jealous. Her affection for Chat Noir may not rival her old crush on Adrien, but the long relationship made it strong. "Well, she better treat my kitty well, or I'll have to have a talk with her."

Chat chuckled. "I promise you'll never have too." It was silent between them for a few minutes, but not a bad silence. It was the kind two people who just enjoyed each other's company had. "I guess we should get to the actual patrol now?" The cat hero mused once a stray cloud covered the moon.

"Yeah, I guess. Please make sure you let me know if anything else big happens, alright Chat?" Her partner looked somber at that. "Chat?"

"If… If something happens… You'll take Plagg won't you?"

The very question shocked her but… She couldn't say she wouldn't. That was part of her new role as guardian. "Chat, I don't think I could have anyone else as my partner, and while I know it's possible I will, I also know that you're strong. You would know when giving up the ring was the right choice, but together we can work to make sure it's never a choice, okay Chaton?"

The young man stared at his boots for a few seconds before hopping up. "Okay, milady! I'll work hard to keep Plagg and you by my side." He snatched her hand and commenced with his usual gesture. This time Ladybug just smiled and didn't try to pull away.


Tikki is hoping for a reveal huh? Well, maybe I'll give it to her, or maybe... I'll do it my way! Half way? Third of the way? I'm actually not sure yet. Also, as many of you have pointed out, Adrien's amnesia is very specific. I mentioned this before, but I'll repeat it again to be clear. I based it on the fact that Marinette and the bakery were on his mind when he hit his head so that's what got shaken up. BTW, the trope is actually called "Laser Guided Amnesia." =^-^=

Thank you all for reading thus far, and I hope you'll have a chance to comment.=^-^=