Hey guys just a note, as everyone is slightly aged up in this, they kinda all have Millennial/ Gen Z humor. I couldn't help myself, I love the idea of Marinette making anxiety jokes to make herself feel better and that whole cynical/nihilistic humor. I think it would really be the coping mechanism for people who have had the weight of Paris on them since they were so young. So as I kinda noted, I follow the what is actually cannon (AKA they got their miraculous when they were fourteen/fifteen) and figure that there have been three seasons (some with like a year between them) so they're like seventeen, eighteen now. Which I think fits the humor I am going to give them and the coping strategies. If you disagree, let me know, but there's no guarantee I'm going to change anything. Thanks for understanding.

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Chat Noir took another bite of his cookie and blew on his hot chocolate. He hadn't planned for this, but the snow had been falling for so long and so hard that it was difficult to even see the patio. Chat sighed, it was getting late. He was lucky that tomorrow was Friday. Only one day to get through on little to no sleep. His father was away preparing for his summer release in the Bahamas and was gone indefinitely along with Nathalie. Gorilla wouldn't notice his absence. There weren't any repercussions that he could think of other than school tomorrow. But there was always coffee. He took a sip of his hot chocolate and looked up at Marinette, she was up on her bed engrossed by a book that seemed too big for the book sleeve currently covering the title. The book sleeve was for some fairytale book it seemed. The whole magic, princess scenario, but the innocent characters didn't seem to fit the size of the intimidating book. He could tell right away that this was some sort of cover up and decided to have some fun with the girl,

"So, princesses, huh?"

Marinette looked up startled, "w-what?"

Chat Noir chuckled, "your book?"

Marinette seemed to remember the book sleeve trick in that moment and perked up, "o-oh yeah. It's a really… good story."

Chat smiled deviously, "oh really? You should read me some!" He jumped up onto the bed, where Marinette closed the book quickly, "I love stories." He continued devilishly.

Marinette narrowed her eyes at him, "fine, kitty, I'll let you borrow it when I'm done. If I find any crumbs or if you spill anything in my bed, you will be sorry."

Chat Noir looked up at her with large eyes, "you wouldn't kick a cat out into the snow!"

Marinette 'hmmed' in thought, "no, but I might make you wash my bedsheets."

Chat Noir laughed triumphantly, "and what would your parents say to that?"

Marinette raised an eyebrow, "they left a few hours ago to take care of my uncle."

Adrien's heart missed a beat, but he wasn't quite sure why. He had remembered her mentioning her parents were going to be taking care of his uncle this weekend but hadn't thought they would leave tonight. They were alone here. He swallowed hard and pointed to the dark-haired princess on the book cover,

"hey! She looks like you!"

Marinette followed his finger and stifled a laugh, "you think I look like a thirteen-year-old princess? Gee, thanks. I know I have a baby face but-"

Chat jumped up, "no! Jeeze! I didn't mean it llike that I'm so sorry," his words began to jam together in an incoherent mess while Marinette laughed,

"then I have no idea what you meant, silly kitty."

At the familiar nickname his devilish side came out once again, "that you were a princess!"

Marinette cocked an eyebrow at him, "what the actual fuck are you talking about."

Her cussing was still so unfamiliar to him but he continued anyway, "that you," he booped her nose, "my dear Marinette, are a princess, and I" he booped his own nose, "am your brave knight here to fight away all of your problems."

Marinette let out a single, disbelieving laugh, "it's like one in the morning, are you losing your mind? You're losing your mind, aren't you? I've doomed Paris because the great Chat Noir came to visit me, lost too many hours of sleep and his brain died. The end."

Chat tapped his chin a few times, "yeah, I like that, you're the princess, I'm the knight and I help you slay physics… and handwriting apparently." He reached for one of the poorly scribbled notes that were by her bed, but she snatched it away quickly,

"what a snoopy knight."

Chat Noir narrowed his eyes, "what a secretive princess."

Marinette tucked the note into the book and hopped from the bed. She sighed, "do you want to watch a movie?"

Chat wrinkled his nose at her, "don't you have school tomorrow, shouldn't you be getting to sleep?"

Marinette shrugged her shoulders, "I have a guest. I'm not going to leave you while I sleep."

Chat peeked over the bed at her, "but you must be tired, and I wasn't really invited over."

Marinette smiled softly, "I have a soft spot for strays. You know you're welcome here, kitty. I'm sure the whole family has said it before."

Chat blushed at the open invitation, though he wasn't sure why. Maybe he did. No one, that he knew of, had been invited to Marinette's in a long time. Not even Luka, but here was Marinette welcoming him here with open arms, he laughed a dark laugh, "what would your boyfriend think of that?"

Marinette turned to him with a wrinkled nose, "what are you talking about."

He realized what he had said, and how he had said it, almost bitter. He did his best to cover his words, "I just mean that a princess like you must have a prince."

Marinette stared at him with disbelief Chat, "Chat, I don't have a prince, I have anxiety."

Chat laughed a disbelieving laugh. So she and Luka weren't together. So Alya was wrong, Nino was wrong… everyone was wrong. Had Luka… turned her down? Is that why she's been so sad?

"Okay, Princess, why do you have anxiety?"

Marinette kept her disbelieving look, "because at any second a friend or loved one could be akumatized into a villain that can't really control themselves?"

Chat Noir nodded his head, "yeah, that's fair."

Marinette finally smiled at him and began to dig through her movies.

"Was there a prince?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you have a prince?"

Marinette sighed, "I think we've all had one at some point you know?"

Chat Noir hopped down and sat by her, "Who was it?"

Marinette let out a single biting laugh, "don't worry about it, Chat. He had his own princess that he chose. Besides I have the bravest knight in the world right here, I want for nothing."

Chat blushed at her compliment and took the stack of movies she handed him, "jeeze, Princess, how many movies do you want to watch."

Marinette glared at him, "there for you to pick from, you dork."

Chat dropped the movies dramatically, "nope! I'm not picking you've crossed the line." He turned from her dramatically,

"because I called you a dork? You can battle ye olde demonic physics but can't handle being called a dork?"

He shook his head, "it wounds me."

She laughed. Her genuine laugh. The laugh he hadn't heard for ages. His heart jumped at the sound. This was her. He had her here now. It was all okay again. His happiness over took his arms and he hugged her in close. He laughter stopped, but he could still hear it in his head. He smiled wide, "I missed you, Princess."

She slowly hugged him back and whispered, "so this 'princess' thing is really going to stick, isn't it?"

Chat nodded into her shoulder, and she sighed, "if I make popcorn, will you pick the movie?"

He nodded quickly and released her. She smiled, "okay bring that stack and follow me."

He followed her into her kitchen, it was clean and bright and smelled like the cookies she had made him earlier… wow he was a spoiled cat. She pulled out a pan to make the popcorn in, and he began looking through the movies. All classics, she had good taste (but he knew that). He decided on Spirited Away. He showed her his choice and she smiled,

"I love that movie, all of the animation is done so beautifully." He put the rest of the movies by the television in the living room so he didn't have to leave her while she waited for the oil to heat up. He lifted himself on to the coulter beside her,

"now there's cat butt on my counter."

Chat Noir smiled, "well that's for you to deal with tomorrow."

She gently pushed her over and jokingly wiped the spot he had been sitting on, "it is tomorrow."

He laughed as she let him go, then became serious, "you really can go to bed if you want, Princess. I can watch the movie with headphones or-"

She held up her hands, "it's fine, I really do usually stay up this late anyway. It's just nice to have more company. Although your kwami has to be hungry."

He jumped at the mention of a kwami before he remembered Multimouse, "yeah but he's a picky guy, he only likes cheese."

Marinette laughed, "we have brie in the bakery fridge if he'll have that. I have to take a shower anyway." She poured the rest of the popcorn kernals into the pan, "how about I finish here, you go down and grab the brie, or see if there's something else he'd like, and we'll you guys rest, I take a shower, I'll call you upstairs when I'm done, then we start the movie?"

It was nice that she knew he needed a break from being Chat for a while. To be honest he had been worried about Plagg since he realized he was stranded, "that would be really nice. Thank you, and I'm sorry if-"

"Please don't worry about it, Chat. I mean it. It's okay."

The popcorn popped wildly, emphasizing the silence between them. Chat sighed, "you're-you're really nice, you know that?"

Marinette smiled at him, "kitty, you deserve nothing but kindness. Can you grab me that bowl, please?"

He reached on top of the cabinets and handed her the large plastic bowl. She upturned the pan into the bowl, only dropping a few pieces of popcorn onto the counter (which Chat quickly caught) and salted it. She then walked upstairs with the popcorn, the movie and some blankets while calling behind her, "don't have too much fun!"

He laughed and headed downstairs into the bakery. Even closed, it smelled delicious. Buttery and sweet and just all around warm.

He found the fridge and sighed, "claws off."

Plagg immediately appeared. Adrien braced himself for the lecture and berating he was about to get, but it never came. Instead Plagg was distractedly looking back upstairs, as if there was somewhere else he really wanted to be. Adrien opened the fridge and handed him the promised piece of brie,

"here Plagg. I'm really sorry buddy. I promise I didn't expect to get caught in the snow like this."

Plagg waved him off, still just as distracted, "it's fiiiiine, Adien. Don't worry about it!" He gulped down the cheese in one bite. He then began flying up the stairs, "if anything we should come here more often!"

Adrien's eyes widened as he watched Plagg disappear around the corner, "Plagg? Plagg! What are you doing?" He slammed the door to the fridge and chased the Kwami. What was Plagg thinking? Sure Marinette was in the shower, but that didn't mean that he was safe to explore around. And sure she's seen a kwami before but… but… Adrien slowed to a stop. It was okay. Not for Marinette to see him obviously, but to see Plagg. She'd seen a kwami before, she knew what they looked like and what they were. She maybe even… expected to see Plagg. His chest felt warm. It was comfortable and safe here. Maybe he couldn't walk around as just Adrien, but he could be Chat and he would be safe. She knew about being a hero. I mean she really saved him and Ladybug that day. Only Marinette could have come up with an idea like she did. And to just reveal herself in front of him… so utterly trusting of him like that.

He began to follow Plagg where he must have gone, Marinette's room. He went up the stairs and opened the trap door. Then he heard Marinette's voice, "I understand completely, but I was in the shower and that was not very polite, sir."

Was she, was she talking to Plagg? He could hear Plagg groan, "but I just wanted to say 'hi' and thank you for the cheese."

He heard Marinette laugh, then he heard he lay a small kiss on what he could only assume was Plagg's large trouble making head, "you're very welcome for the cheese, and it's really, really nice to see you. Now please go find Chat before he wanders in here and gets an eye full too."

Adrien felt the heat in his face, which had to mean he was the darkest shade of red he had ever been in his life. Plagg had seen Marinette naked? And what did she mean see him? Had they already met? Plagg had seen her naked?! Plagg suddenly phased through the bathroom door with the largest smile on his face, he was about to head to Marinette's bed when he saw Adrien out of the corner of his eye,

"What are you doing up here?" Plagg pointed an accusatory finger.

"Me?! What about you!? What makes you think you can run around someone else's house like this?"

Plagg waved him off, "you already know she's seen a kwami before! And I mean she even used me to get out of that akuma's trap! We go way back!"

Adrien looked at him in disbelief, "Plagg that wasn't that long ago."

Plagg waved him off again and sighed, "fine, let's get you transformed then, she's going to be done in there real soon."

Adrien blushed again, "claws out." He said through tight lips.

He decided to close the trap door and wait on the stairs. She had said she was going to call him up when she was done, so maybe she didn't bring her clothes in with her. He somehow felt his cheeks go darker. How was that possible? He heard the door open, and he heard a playful, "here, kitty, kitty." He chuckled and opened the trap door again. Even her pajamas had changed. The whitish shirt with the pink and black flowers that he had seen before were gone and replaced with black shorts and the pink Gabriel Agrest hoodie he had gotten her (along with some sewing stuff) for her birthday. He was happy to see her wear it, but her was sad to see she was no longer wearing pajamas she had made. That was until he noticed the tiniest 'M' above her thigh. He blushed (again) and cleared his throat,

"so do I owe you an apology for my kwami's behavior?"

Marinette turned quickly, "no, not at all, why would you say that?"

Chat Noir cocked his head, was she covering for Plagg, he wanted to find out, "he stated running around all crazy like and I thought maybe he had interrupted you?"

Marinette shook her head, "no, no, you don't have anything to worry about. "

He cussed in his head, it was vague enough that she could have just been hoping not to get Plagg into trouble. She didn't deny he did anything, but she didn't lie about it either. He just sighed, "well, I'm sorry anyway, just in case."

Marinette placed the DVD into her laptop and placed it on the ground in front of a pile of blankets and pillows she had set up on the ground,

"well, are you going to sit there by the door or are you going to come watch a movie with me?"

He smiled despite himself and walked over to her, sitting on the warm 'nest' she had made. The movie started with previews, as they usually door, and Marinette handed him the popcorn bowl. Adrien stole a glance out the window. The snow was still falling in a way that was blinding. He wasn't going to be leaving yet, besides, he had heard Marinette's signature laugh, he couldn't leave. He wanted to hear more of it,

"so tell me more about this prince."

Marinette gave him a look, "shhh, the movie's on."

"It's the previews, I think we're okay."

"The rest of the audience doesn't appreciate the talking, also turn off your cell phone."

"I'm transformed I don't have a- you're just avoiding my question aren't you"

"I don't know let's ask the audience!" She had meant it sarcastically to continue the bit, but one of the Kwami's decided it would be just hilarious to knock over a book from her book shelf. She sent a pointed glare from the direction it fell before turning back to the screen. She knew who it was, Xuppu would be getting the cheap bananas for a week. Chat looked between Marinette and the bookshelf,

"you're just not going to acknowledge that?"

"the ghosts are on your side Chat, don't question it." But Chat Noir stood to go investigate. A ghost? She was kidding right?

She groaned and stood, a little too quickly to stop him, "Chat I was kidding, I put the book up there wrong, it just fell at your favor. Which I hate."

He shook his finger though, "ah, see, I'm not supposed to have favor, I'm a black cat. Bad luck, remember?"

Marinette crossed her arms, "that's a myth, and just as many people believe they bring good luck, just like me."

He scoffed, "in which culture am I good luck?"

She looked at him seriously, without missing a beat she replied, "French. In French culture you are good luck. Paris would be no where without you."

Chat looked at her with an aching chest, "they have Ladybug."

"And Ladybug couldn't do anything that she does without you."

He sighed, "you seem to have defeated a villain pretty single-handedly."

Marinette mumble something under her breath, but sighed and spoke, "I had my good luck knight around. Now come on, the movie's starting."

It was true this time, the menu had repeated a few times already. But he, he wanted to hear her talk more. All of her words all somehow managed to be the kindest words he'd ever heard. They went in through his ears and did strange things to his chest and stomach. She smiled at his lack of reply. She took his hand and led him back to the fort she had built. She sat down and took her hand away to hand him the popcorn bowl. He nodded his thanks and grabbed a few handfuls. He didn't understand how anything that came out of any Dupain-Cheng kitchen could be so delicious and have that same warmth. Whether it was pastry, popcorn, even the pop tart she had handed to him this morning for school had that same warmth which made no sense because no one in the Dupain-Cheng family had touched it before it was a completed product but that warmth was there.

They watched the majority of the movie in silence, a few comments on the animation or how good the food looked. It was a nice break from some uncomfortable questions for Marinette and a nice break for Chat from coming up with said questions. Marinette had absolutely no idea why Chat Noir was here. He said she looked sad and hadn't exactly denied the accusation that he had been spying on her. She wondered if she had been careful enough with the other kwamis, but judging by his lack of knowledge of her being the guardian, she assumed she was safe. It was a double hit, if anyone found out she was the guardian, they would find out that she was Ladybug. Everything had become more hazardous. She had even taken to writing everything down in her diary and keeping it in the Miraculous Box (for now, just for safe keeping), in case something happened and she passed on the box to Chat and subsequentially lost all of her memories. All of her memories of Ladybug, the other kwamis, Tikki, Chat. All of them would hurt. She looked over at Chat again. He was engrossed in the movie. Why did he care? Why was he here? It wasn't like they hung out regularly, after tonight she wouldn't mind doing that, but he hadn't asked for her company like this before. It was different. It was nice.

But what was with all the concern? Did she really look that sad all the time? She tried to smile, to still be friendly to everyone… Who was he that he knew all of this about her? What did he know? He had told her everything when he first came in, but now it was fuzzy. Clouded over by her heavy eyelids. She felt them droop but she opened her eyes despite herself. If she fell asleep, she could oversleep or one of the kwamis could make themselves known again without her there to help. She fought her sleep. She was going to stay awake.

Marinette's head fell onto Chat's shoulder. His eyes widened. It was like they were on the train to London again. Her steady breathing so near his ear, and her soft hair on his neck. Everything here was just so warm. What was this warmth? He didn't understand it. Even when he was Adrien whenever he was around Marinette it was there. He'd only felt it with one other person and that was Ladybug. But this had to be different. It was some sort of mystery sensation that he couldn't describe. Another book fell from the shelf and he turned as quickly as he could without stirring the girl. He looked at the clock and groaned, of course she fell asleep, it was almost five in the morning. They would both have to be waking up soon and -he looked out the window- the snow was still coming down. It was pretty unusual for the end of February, but here the snow was nonetheless.

Adrien sighed, almost five in the morning and the weather was still horrible, how was he going to get home. He didn't want to, but he knew having to brave the storm was a possibility. He knew someone would be there to wake him up at six forty-five on the dot to wake him up for school. He would have to leave soon. He sighed and gently turned in order to lift Marinette and carry her to the bed. He carefully carried her up the steep stairs to her bed he set her down, then grabbed some of the blankets from the floor to cover her up. He closed her laptop and ensured I was plugged in, while doing the same with her phone. When he plugged her phone in it lit up to reveal several messages from her friends that she had ignored the entire time she was with him. He stared at the text from Luka as the screen went black. If Luka was her prince, why would she ignore Luka for him? It made no sense. He bit his lip with guilt from looking at her phone, then looked beside her on the bed. There was the book that she was hiding with the face book sleeve. His curiosity gnawed at his stomach. He reached slowly for the book and traced the outlines of the princess on the cover. He had surely snooped enough today, right?

He fought his curiosity and lifted the trap-door, "see you tomorrow, Princess." He whispered it quietly that even he could barely hear it and he left through the trap door.