Author's Note: This was made for the 2020 Christmas Holiday season for the ML Writer's Guild.


Wrapped up in the kitschiest, 'I'm-absolutely-a-tourist' hoodie he could find on short notice in Paris and the cheapest sunglasses he could find to match, Adrien yawned as he stumbled out of his sedan. After the 5:00 am wake up call and the hour long ride to and from the shoot location, it was amazing that he was still standing.

Plagg was already snoozing in his front pocket. At least his tests at University had wrapped up for the term earlier in the week, so his head no longer ached like his shoulders.

Besides, he reminded himself with a well deserved stretch, all of the weariness would be well worth it. Soon.

His driver dropped him near enough to the train station that he could navigate to the train platform. Without any real idea of what kind of battle he might be walking into, he was travelling light, with just the one small suitcase he had packed the night before.

There was no way to hide his designer jeans and sneakers, but with any luck, there wouldn't be that many others on the train at this time of night.

He quickly showed his ticket on his phone and found his seat in the quietest car he could find, mere minutes before the train lurched forward.

With a relieved sigh, he stowed his bag overhead in the general seating. He usually went first class when travelling with his father, but he was trying to stay under the radar. For her sake.

Slumping back against the lightly padded seat and held his phone close.

The Cat: Finally wrapped up what was keeping me in town

She didn't leave him waiting long.

The Lady: Aww… you didn't need to bring me a present, Chaton.
The Lady: Just yourself is enough.

He pressed his head against the chilly window, watching the distant lights race by as the train car shifted slightly side to side on a tilted bit of track.

It was amazing how just a few words from his Lady could leave him feeling like the kid he had been when his superhero career began.

The Cat: Why am I not there with you yet?
The Cat: This train is already taking too long...
The Lady: I know. I took it just a few hours ago.
The Lady: Don't worry. I'll be up when you get here.
The Cat: You had a long day, too, right?
The Lady: Lots of studying, yes.

Adrien frowned.

The Cat: I'd hate to deprive you of sleep.
The Cat: I know you don't get nearly enough. Not while you are worried like this.

He eyed the luggage in the overhead compartment, mentally re-mapping the train and wondering if it would even be possible to get on top of the moving train to transform, with the added bulk of the suitcase.

The Cat: I know you don't get nearly enough. Not while you are worried like this.
The Cat: Just say the word and I'll make it happen.
We're still supposed to be undercover, Chaton.
The Lady: A certain someone bounding across the French Countryside? Or worse, flying? Even this close to night somebody is bound to notice.
The Cat: Yeah...

Even as tired as he was, the sway of the train was keeping him awake. Or maybe it was Plagg jostling the bag and pestering him for cheese.

Or the fact that it had been a whole two days since they were last cuddled up on one of the upper beams of the Eiffel tower.

Adrien inhaled slowly, watching the three dots flicker endlessly.

The Lady: Tell you what. I'll sneak in a little cat nap...then I will be nice and rested when you arrive.
The Lady: I even spotted a cozy looking view atop City Hall. Seems like a great little place to plan out our next steps..
The Cat: Sounds like a lovely plan.
The Lady: I'm good at those.
The Cat: You definitely are.
The Lady: Sleep well, ma chère.
The Cat: You, too! 💖💖💖

With a heavy sigh, Adrien rested the phone to his chest, trying desperately to hug her close, however he could.

The swaying of the train car was going to keep him awake. That and the seriousness of their mission.

Part of him was tempted to message Nino, but they were travelling as well.

In fact, Adrien had been told specifically they were off on a romantic getaway once the pain of finals had ended and before all of the craziness of the Christmas holiday would start.

He might have believed it, too. If he didn't know better.

Years ago, he wouldn't have doubted. The only difference was that now he knew who nearly all of the other holders were. All except Ladybug herself.

Nino and Alya...along with many of the others had paired off into long time friends and long time couples, claiming a brief reprieve after the pressure of finals and before their families' holiday plans as a cover story.

Alix opted to stay behind in Paris to watch over everything there.

Even anyone who knew the other holders well would hardly blink twice.

It was months of Alya's careful research that had them running down leads in nearly every corner of France.

While the first Hawkmoth had literally loomed above his head for so long, apparently much too close for either him or his Lady to notice… whoever it was that had swooped in and stolen his broken wings didn't seem to stay in one place. In fact, those butterflies kept being tracked to outside of Paris.

Apparently, they never appeared in the same place twice.

He scrubbed his hand over his face.

Even with him secretly funding all of their travels on this secret mission, there was no guarantee this trip would turn up what they were looking for. Not on this first trip at least.

But as most of them actually were dating? It was probably better not to bother anyone else. Just in case…

He nibbled at his lip. He could always message Marinette.

She was the only one not busy with this secret Miraculous business trip.

But only because Ladybug was worried she wouldn't keep a secret after she'd accidentally revealed herself to him.

If only she'd actually been able to keep those powers….

Quickly, he brought up her chat to find she was away.

Adrien ducked back beneath the hood as a young couple walked past, eyes watching until he was sure they were far enough away before he dared to relax again..

Marinette had mentioned that she was drafted into helping her parents with a massive order this morning and then would spend the rest of the weekend busy with research.

But after months of barely even seeing her outside of the occasional brush on the streets near her house?

Adrien sighed, resting his head against the window. Happy as he was to be finally getting to steal more than a few precious hours with his Bug, he was actually getting worried about Marinette.

Being with Marinette had been fun and easy… In so, so many ways, it was everything he never knew he always wanted.

Unfortunately, they hadn't dated for long. Hawkmoth had made sure of that by targeting her repeatedly, almost as soon as they had started going out.

Luckily, Marinette was clever. She had successfully snuck her own way out twice, but that third time, she'd barely gotten away.

In the end, she was the one who said that they needed to break up. She worried that maybe Hawkmoth was targeting people around him...with his face on billboards over the city, it was a distinct possibility.

As much as he understood, he actually was heartbroken. The one, true saving grace was her telling him, almost in the same breath, that she didn't ever want to lose him as a friend. That he was much too important.

Impossibly, she was the one who told him as much.

He may have given her all the distance she needed. But he never stopped worrying. Never stopped wondering how she was doing.

They were so evenly matched...it just… wasn't the right time. Maybe it never would be the right time.

At least, that was what Bunnyx kept claiming.

Over that next year, Marinette kept really busy. Outside of classes, it seemed like their schedules always seemed to conflict. He hadn't forgotten how much she didn't sleep when she was busy with projects back when they had been dating. He'd hate for her to be so insanely busy that she started to withdraw and develop a single-minded focus like Father.

If he had taken a few extra loops on patrol to check and see if Marinette's light was still on...if she was taking care of herself… well, who could blame him?

In so many ways she was far safer for the distance they'd both put between them...but, that never really stopped him from worrying about her.

She was his best Lucky Charm of all.

It was almost a year to the day after they had split up that Ladybug had finally started to look his way. It was a bit challenging dating behind the masks, but they were both already targets...and dating had only made them help and defend one another that much more.

The only trick was how they could only date in the evenings on neutral ground...and as far out of sight as superhumanly possible.

He was endlessly grateful to have dated Ladybug for so long, but it pained him greatly to never be able to own up to it in the endless post-battle interviews.

It was half of why this trip was such a treat. They could steal a much longer bit of time together, and trust Alix to let them know if anything went sideways.

Secretly funding the mission was one thing...but they would need to make some progress.

Adrien headed to the meal car before catching a quick nap.

Needed to be functional. Ladybug was depending on him.


Two hours later, Adrien had finally arrived at the tiny bed and breakfast in one of the cities outside of Paris.

The price of the accommodations were fairly reasonable, and considering the sudden timing of this impromptu holiday, it had been a challenge to find anything else available in the city, with a fairly convenient balcony to escape and steal across the rooftops. Especially as he was trying to relatively stay under the radar.

His famous face was a near-constant problem, but a little extra tip usually helped.

With an extra wide smile, the concierge handed him a tiny golden key and pointed him to the stairs with instructions on where to find his room.

Nodding, Adrien picked up his bag, carrying it over to the stairs.

He rushed forward, anxious to get his bags put away and steal out into the night.

In hindsight, the collision was inevitable.

"Sorry," a familiar voice chimed out. "I'm madly—"

Her blue eyes grew wide, half a shade darker than he'd remembered. Or perhaps it was a trick of the light.

"...clumsy." She finished anxiously, gaping in growing horror at the growing pool of liquid growing beneath their feet.

"Marinette?" Adrien chuckled; at least some things hadn't entirely changed. "I didn't expect to run into someone I knew here."

As she cleaned up the spill from the floor and frowned at the darkening edge of his pants' leg, she did a double take at that. "Sorry!" She murmured. "I just came down to get a little bit of tea to help me sleep."

"Glad to see you're taking care of yourself, Marinette."

"What brought you to town?" Marinette pulled him to the side, her voice lifting half an octave. Frantically, she ducked down, trying to mop up half the travel mug of tea in her hands.

He smiled, instantly ducking down to help her. Thank goodness Ladybug had insisted he come up with a civilian cover. "I'm here to scout for a modelling gig."

"Oh…" she whispered, nibbling gently at her lip. "I'm here to browse the local library archives for a historical fashion class I wanted to take next semester."

Adrien beamed, his heart growing warm as he helped her back to her feet. "It would be good to have someone to go out and have a meal with." After all, it wasn't like he could dine with Ladybug until the evening hours fell.

The hostess had ducked away from her desk to check on the commotion, but lingered at the side to watch their hasty clean up. She cleared her throat meaningfully.

They both glanced over at her in surprise, but she only nodded back, pointing with her head at the sprig of mistletoe hanging overhead.

It would have to be in the middle of the hall, wouldn't it?

She rose up on her toes, pressing the softest kiss to the corner of his lips.

He wasn't prepared for the sudden warmth to rush over him, from little more than the gentle press of her lips, from the soft fall of her hand upon his free arm to help balance herself (and the errant mug).

He wasn't prepared for the way his heart started racing again, a flash of magic that had him mentally racing the rooftops. It had him fearing once again that Hawkmoth would come for her.

His eyes shot open, reassuring himself that she was still her.

A weary, worried smile tugged at Marinette's lips. Her hand patted his arm, before slowly pulling away as if uncertain. "Take care, Adrien."

"I will," He murmured, half solemn promise. "Good night, Marinette."

She rushed off, half sprinting up the stairs with what little of the tea had remained in her cup.

He exhaled sharply, watching her disappear up the steps.

It was only the extra years of modelling and keeping his expression subdued that had saved him… his traitorously beating heart would have given away the whole game.

Suitcase in hand, he slowly scaled the stairs with the large skeleton key to his room.

He didn't dare to give himself away, not until he sighed, collapsing back against the locked entry door.

Why now? Just when things were finally going purrfectly with Ladybug...

Of all the hotels in all of France, miles and miles from home, Marinette just happened to be staying at his.