A/N: Thanks for reading! I've got a bit more time these days with the summer vacation coming up, so I'm focusing on this story and on finishing Stepmother. If you read both stories, don't worry. I haven't abandoned that. If you have time, please review! Reading your opinions and feedback always makes my day!

Prompt: dirt.

3.

Paris talked and what they talked about was the photo of the miniaturized version of the baker's daughter with the leather-clad superhero. Marinette hadn't felt this annoyed in a very long time, but she beared with the attention as patiently as she could, answering pesky reporters only when there was no way to escape and even then, all she said was that "Chat Noir was just doing his job." She'd refused all interview requests, including Alya's, who only dropped the subject when she realized Marinette really had no idea why this was happening to her.

"Next time you see Chat Noir, you have to get me an interview!" The journalist zoomed in on the photo. "Man, I wish I know his and Ladybug's civilian identities. Think of all the Ladyblog content I could have!"

"You know," Marinette sighed dreamily, "I bet I could get Chat Noir to stop this game he's playing if I had some dirt on him."

"Well, he's a superhero," shrugged Alya, still studying the photo for any details that might give away his identity. "I've been trying for years and the closest to any dirt I have on him is that he's a closet otaku."

Marinette pretended to be surprised. "Eeh?"

"Yup. He's as clean as clean can be."

"Yeah, you better watch out, Marinette," The girl could feel her face heat up at her crush's sweet voice. She jumped, turning her neck too fast to see him give her a grin that was so dazzling that her blush turned a shade darker and her knees went weak. Alya grabbed her by the back of the shirt and stood her up straight, as the bluenette smiled awkwardly. Adrien continued, as if nothing strange was happening: "This curious cat might discover all your secrets."

"All her secrets, huh?" Alya leaned closer until she was in Marinette's face. It was still red and beginning to sweat. She was clearly dead to the world. "Marinette is an open book. She doesn't have any secrets." Alya laughed heartily as if she'd just told him a great joke. If she had, he didn't get it.

"Well, you would know." Adrien smiled. "As her best friend."

"Yes, as her best friend," Alya nodded along. She gave Marinette a not-so-discreet nudge. The bluenette twitched, suddenly coming to her senses.

"Yes!" She agreed readily. "Best friends!"

Alya gave her a look that said "get yourself together". Her friend, however, took one look (just one more look!) at the teenage supermodel only to have her brain short-circuit again. Alya was torn between cackling from this entertainment and feeling pity for her best friend. Alright, she decided, best friend to the action. Marinette was going to owe her for this, once again.

"Anyway, Marinette and I are going to the library to get started on the history project. Why don't you and Nino come along?"

She felt her friend go rigid next to her, waiting anxiously to hear his answer. Adrien frowned, confused.

"But we don't know our groups yet?"

Marinette eagerly nodded along, hanging onto his every word, until she suddenly realized what he had said and she wanted to die from the embarrassment. Alya wanted to facepalm.

"All the more reason to spend some quality time with friends. God knows the project will suck up all of one's free time..."

"Well, if you think of it like that," he smiled shyly and Marinette wondered how on Earth was it possible for anyone to be this beautiful, gentle, caring, kind... "I'd love to come with you."

"Come where?" Nino joined them, having finished speaking with their music teacher about an individual assignment.

"The library. To work on our history project."

"I thought that..." Nino looked from Adrien to Alya who was giving him a look. He caught on immediately and grinned. "Oh, yeah. Better get started early, that's what I always say." He didn't actually always say that. In fact, Alya was sure he'd never said that, but she wasn't about to be the first to complain. Instead, she slipped her phone into her pocket and pulled Marinette along.

"Well, let's go then!"

The bluenette tripped over her own legs, slowly coming to her senses.

"Hold up, Alya! I have to check something!" she whispered to her friend. Alya let go of her and shook her head. Nino and Adrien watched them with curiosity. Marinette pulled out her phone, smartly choosing to ignore all the notifications. There was no way she was going to be able to check out everyone who had liked the photo of her and Chat Noir, so she wasn't even going to try.

Adrien felt a twinge in his heart at the sight of his good friend choosing her precious device over real, human interaction. He didn't understand why she was always checking her phone whenever he was around. Maybe she didn't like him and pretended for their mutual friends sake. After all, they'd made very little progress in their friendship. But she didn't seem to hate Chat Noir. Even after those two photos (which he found absolutely adorable and looked at way more often than he'd like anyone else to know), she was more annoyed than upset with the superhero.

He let Alya and Marinette pass him, his eyes studying the latter girl curiously.

"Dirt, huh?" he muttered to himself. Mischief raised its head in him and tickled his heart. Surely, one more time didn't hurt? Maybe he could even get some dirt on her! Like why she didn't like Adrien. Then maybe he could fix it and they'd be more than just good friends. They could be amazing, best friends!

"Hey, dude, you coming?" Nino looked at him weirdly.

"Y-yeah, I'm coming!" he called, catching up with his friends. Nino chuckled, not surprised. Adrien was so oblivious that Nino had just grown used to it, even though he still found it strange as fuck. He shrugged – must be rich kid things.


Despite her brain short-circuiting in Adrien's presence, Marinette remembered what Alya had said about Chat Noir discovering her secrets. Or well, Alya had reminded her that if she didn't do something about Adrien's photos and his schedule in her room, Chat Noir might just reveal them to the entire world. Marinette imagined that happening. What a disaster! So after school, she hurried home to save as much of her dignity as she could.

And not a minute too soon. Chat Noir showed up on her balcony, tapping on her window just as she'd pulled down the last photo and shoved it into a drawer where she kept her diary. Might as well keep her secrets in one place, if it meant one less place to worry about. She locked the drawer with a key and slipped it into her purse, leaving Tikki to safeguard it. Because really, which of her secrets was more important, her crush on her handsome classmate or being Ladybug?

She opened the trapdoor to the balcony, but didn't let Chat Noir in.

"Down, kitty!" She said, calmly climbing to the balcony. Marinette turned to the superhero, arms on hips. "Don't tell me you're here to steal another photo of me."

Chat was quick to correct her. "Not of you, with you, Purrincess."

"Same difference." She glared at him. "I don't like it. You should stop."

Marinette spoke in a tone that spoke for itself. It said "don't argue or there will be hell to pay". Chat Noir's tail twitched. He liked this side of Marinette. He played along. He slumped into her pink striped deck chair, relaxing for the first time in forever.

"Or what?" He teased. He looked at her through his eyelashes, a smirk on his lips. Marinette wanted to wipe it off his face. She contemplated on threatening him with Ladybug, but decided against it in case she needed a trump card later on.

"Or I'll tell everyone you're a closet otaku. Don't forget I'm best friends with the girl who runs the Ladyblog."

Chat Noir's smirk turned into a wide grin. He jumped up from the chair and walked over to the railing. He leaned his back against it. Marinette followed his movements with her eyes, ready to react as soon as he so much as even looked like he was about to do something suspicious. She wasn't going to let him take another photo. It was too much attention and people would get the wrong idea and someone might discover her crush on Adrien and reveal it or worse, someone would find out she's Ladybug, or even much, much worse, everyone would find out she's Ladybug.

Marinette's thoughts were spinning out of control. She looked away for a brief moment in a futile attempt to clear her head. Chat Noir who had been biding his time took his chance. He grabbed some dirt from one of her flowerpots and threw it at her. The girl's attention turned back to him immediately.

"Chat Noir!" she complained. The superhero was already trying to take a photo, but Marinette was quick on the uptake and jumped away just as the camera made its betraying sound. "My poor plants!"

There was a dangerous glint in Chat Noir's eyes. The photo had turned out blurry. He had to try again. He took another clawful of soil.

"Oh, no you don't!" Marinette warned him, strategically backing away. He stepped towards her, ready to fling the dirt at her. As he threw it, the girl dodged and ran behind him, pulling his tail before he had the chance to turn around and achieve his goal. A smug smile crept on her face, when she noticed the dirt go up in the air and land on the troublemaker. "Looks like I got some dirt on you, Chat."

"A groundbreaking observation, Princess," he laughed. Marinette rolled her eyes at the pun and let his tail go. He scrambled to get up. For a moment, the two of them stood awkwardly in front of each other. Chat Noir wasn't sure what to say. He didn't want to go, but Adrien was already late for his Chinese class.

"Um.. C-can I come again?" He twiddled with his thumbs, suddenly shy and afraid of her rejection. Marinette sighed.

"I guess, if you must?" It was hard to flat out refuse him when he looked like this. Lost and alone.

Chat Noir beamed at him. "Well, then… Ariva-dirt-chi, Purrincess!"

He flung himself over the railing, smiling when he heard her groan in frustration. As soon as he knew he was far enough to be a safe distance away from her, he checked the photo gallery that mostly consisted of photos of him goofing off, some lucky shots of Ladybug (which he sometimes anonymously sent to Alya) and photos of the two superheros together. And now, photos with Marinette, his shy classmate. He grinned.

When Adrien Agreste walked into his Chinese class, looking appropriately apologetic to his teacher, Chat Noir's newest post was already going viral.


Marinette begrudgingly cleaned up her balcony. She felt regret at her hard work going to waste. Out of all the flowerpots, Chat just had to have chosen the one in which she'd just sowed some marigolds. She'd be lucky if any would grow after the mess he'd made, but even so, she scooped up every bit of dirt she could find and returned it to the pot. Tikki helped her. Once done, the bluenette wiped the sweat from her forehead and relaxed into the chair.

"What am I going to do with that cat, Tikki?"

"I'm sure he's just lonely…" Tikki landed on her chosen's lap. "Be his friend."

"Even if it puts Ladybug in danger?" Marinette would have thought their superhero friendship was enough. "What if Hawkmoth uses me to get to him?"

Tikki's bright eyes lit up confidently, when she mentioned Ladybug. "But Marinette! You heard what Chat Noir said! His princess can fight her own battles!"

Marinette giggled. "Is it really alright?"

Tikki nodded. "As long as you're careful."

"I won't send him away, if he comes back." The superhero decided. "The balcony of Marinette Dupain-Cheng will now be open to all stray cats."

It was Tikki's turn to giggle now and Marinette joined. Their laughter was cut short, however, when the trapdoor opened. Tikki hid between the plants. Marinette jumped from her chair, surprised to have a visitor.

"Your mother let me in." Alya looked around. "Aw, I was hoping he'd still be here."

Marinette tried to play dumb. "He? Who's he?"

"Chat Noir, duh," Alya smirked. "Your balcony is famous!"

Her friend didn't need to hear more. Marinette fumbled for her phone and unlocked its screen. When she saw she'd been tagged again, she let out a loud "EEK!" usually reserved exclusively for Adrien. She almost didn't dare to look at the photo.

"Oh God, why me?" she lamented, a finger hovering over the notification. Finally, she closed her eyes and tapped it before opening an eye just a crack to take a quick look. Immediately, both of her eyes were open and a blush was beginning to color her cheeks. "This is awful."

"It's not so bad," Alya consoled her. "He's clearly just got some issues. Everyone knows that at this point. But you look positively planta-lizing here."

"Don't you start too," moaned Marinette. She buried her face in hands, unable to look at the atrocity that made her look, well, more confident than she actually was. "I hate puns."

Alya laughed. Marinette cracked a smile.

"So did you ask him about the interview?" The journalist asked once the laughter had died down.

"Sorry. I completely forgot."

"Well, I thought you might." Alya wasn't upset. "I mean, one look at this photo and it's evident. He's such a cat."

"He is." Marinette agreed, taking another look at the photo. She smiled fondly. The camera had captured a moment where she was holding victoriously onto his tail with one hand and dropping dirt on him with the other. The look on Chat Noir's face was priceless. He was grinning like a madman while his eyes reflected his genuine surprise at this turn of events. Next to her, there was a flowerpot that must have fallen over at one point.

"The things I pot up with!" read the caption. It almost amused her. Almost.

"Oh, look, Adrien commented!" Alya had crept up behind her and was now leaning over her shoulder to see better, when the notification popped up. "Let's see what he wrote!" Marinette froze on the spot. Alya leaned over her and scrolled under the photo to read the comments.

"He says and I quote," Alya said with an amused grin, "This picture is a tree-t. Thanks for sharing, Chat Noir!"

Marinette thought she would die. Really. Adrien's puns were as bad as Chat Noir's.

She considered reconsidering her love for him.