Pacing the short deck beneath the clock's face, Chat Noir frowned anxiously. He tightened his grip on the baton, checking the screen for the tenth time in as many minutes.

It was taking way too long for Ladybug to arrive.

The crisp chill in the air meant that his every sigh created smoky little puffs in the air, signaling for her to come and join him.

It was just as effective as trying to call, since Ladybug clearly hadn't transformed just yet.

He couldn't wait for her to get here. Clearly, he wasn't immune to Marinette, but he knew in his heart he was entirely committed to Ladybug. It's just that he would feel far less uneasy once she was finally there beside him.

Feeling entirely useless, Chat Noir slumped back against the wall and focused instead on sending out a message to all of the other holders.

From the first few messages he got back, it was clear none of them had had a lot of success with this quest. Wearily, he sighed, raking a claw through his hair. It wasn't that surprising. After all, it only had been a few days, and none of them had the first idea of how to go about seeking out a villain who seemed to roam the whole country.

His shoulders slumped. Finding a man who had been mere meters for him most of his life had been hard enough.

Landing nearby in a gracefully swooping arc, Ladybug rushed towards him, wrapping her arms around him with enough force that it almost knocked him off his feet.

It wouldn't have been the first time. Chat Noir smiled to himself, closing his baton and stowing it at his back. Wrapping his arm around her, he rubbed her back comfortingly. She had her head buried into the crook of his neck, but what he could see of her skin looked pale. "You alright?"

She nodded, hugging him a little more tightly. "Everything is okay now."

He pressed his forehead to hers, grabbing her hands in his. "Are you sure?"

"Chat Noir." She sighed, shutting her eyes. "Why are you treating me like I'm made of glass? I have literally tossed you off of more than a few of Paris' rooftops."

"It's because you're precious to me, my Lady." Gently squeezing her hands, he gazed directly into her blue eyes. "You're impossibly strong. But I can never tell just how much of that is the suit, or how much of that you're holding on your own shoulders. You don't exactly reach out to me for help that often."

Bracing her hands on either side of his face, Ladybug kissed him fervently.

"Outside of Tikki," she whispered, "There's no one I lean on more. No one I trust more."

As the flurrying snow started to fall, they ducked up under the largest ledge to stay dry.

Frowning, Chat Noir looked over the reports, "It seems like no one was able to drum up too much information about sightings."

Sighing, she leaned her ear to his chest, her legs draping over his lap. "I was afraid of this. Some of the places were smaller towns. Not that many visitors would arrive by train, more locals who occasionally travelled city to city."

His arm wound around her waist, keeping her close. "I did manage to hit all the tourist information spots in the area."

Her blue eyes shot to his, brows arching high with interest. "Anything of note?"

Chat Noir grinned grew a little too wide. His face was apparently familiar, but that was probably a little too close to behind the mask. In the end, he shrugged. "They gave me leads for a few hotels that are more likely to be catering to clientele who want to stay under the radar. Unfortunately, I won't have time to visit them all, but I'll do my best."

"I never doubted you, Chaton." She settled her head back into his chest. "I managed to gather a few leads myself." She pulled a few up on her yoyo phone to share. "I fired off a few messages to Alya and to Pegase to help chase these people down. Tikki is good, but when it comes to technology, they are better."


Marinette was dressed and out the hotel front door at first light. Drawing the scarf tighter around her neck, the new-fallen snow crunched beneath her shoes as she strode down the street.

Despite her best efforts, she tossed and turned all night. She was half kicking herself for not ignoring the wind and cold and just spending the whole night out on the clock tower, cuddled up in Chat Noir's arms

Luckily, Max had come through with his early morning research. Her phone vibrating with the notification with the early morning light, jarring her from a mostly fitful sleep.

Names in hand, she got dressed and moving, a little more heavy-handed with the concealer than usual. She could grab a little breakfast on the go, and the small corner café would do the trick to help her slog through it.

It would take her longer to get there in the snow, anyways.

After all, she wasn't taking any chances sticking around the hotel. Being around Adrien was making her too distracted.

Maybe she and Chat Noir would have more luck chasing down their adversary today, but the battle wasn't done. Not by a long shot.

It still wasn't safe for everyone. They were too close and had come too far.

No matter how much she might want to, she still couldn't give in. She couldn't afford to. She would never forgive herself if anyone she loved got hurt because of it.


Not more than an hour later, a taxi stopped outside the hotel to drive Adrien in the opposite direction.

"Thank you," he murmured to the driver, as he slumped down into the back seat.

The driver nodded. "Where to?"

Adrien pulled his phone from his pocket. "I'm trying to check out a series of hotels for my company," he murmured, pulling up the map. "I'll tip if you can wait while I go in and ask a few questions at the front desk before we move on to the next."

Peering back at the first place Adrien listed, the driver shrugged and entered the location on his GPS. "Works for me."

Adrien's head drooped towards the window as they pulled away, relishing the press of the cool glass to his skin as it dulled his growing headache.

He hadn't slept well. Something was bothering Ladybug, something she clearly couldn't talk to him about.

Adrien absolutely hated that he couldn't help her with it. He had paced his room, long enough for Plagg to grumble and dive into the pillows.

Well into the evening, he had plotted out his path on the map, taking him further out towards the coast. Far fewer eyes were out there, which made it fairly ideal, and it matched the butterfly's possible route from outside of the theater.

In the car, he fired off emails to the hotels he knew he wouldn't have time to visit. If they didn't get back to him today, maybe he could convince Ladybug to come back with him and check out a few of the places on another visit.

Hopefully, next time he might purrsaude her to spend more time focusing on their relationship than strictly adhering to the mission.


Massaging her temples as she wearily dropped onto the bed, Marinette sighed.

Her feet were achy. Her shoes were soaked through. And to top it all off, none of her leads had really stood out.

Contact after contact, they didn't recall where they had seen the butterfly. In fact, they didn't have any idea what she was even talking about. The butterflies could move pretty fast, after all.

"I don't know, Tikki," she whispered. "Hopefully, Chat Noir is having more luck. Or Alya."

"Just relax." Tikki hovered overhead. "You know you could use the nap, Marinette."

"I know. It's just frustrating that I don't seem to be making much progress." She reached out, tugging off her wet socks and burying her feet beneath the covers as she pulled it up to her chin so she could warm up. "Maybe I'm going about this all wrong."

Tikki dropped onto the pillow beside her. "What's on your mind?"

"The furthest away the Akuma the first Hawkmoth had ever reached was in space when they'd fought Star Train, but it had to flutter back." Marinette stared up at the ceiling, her gazed unfocused. "I could never be sure, but it seemed like he didn't have as tight of a control over the Akumatized."

Tikki frowned, ruffling Marinette's bangs as she finally succumbed to a noisy yawn. "I just worry that maybe we're thinking about this all wrong…"

"Then," Tikki nudged, "you really should sleep on it. Your mind isn't going to move nearly as fast until you rest."


Late in the afternoon, Adrien rushed back in.

He was in such a hurry that he almost missed seeing the matronly old hotel owner chatting with Pierre, the restaurant owner from last evening.

The man chuckled, leaning over a box with a few leafy fronds of garland peaking out.

Finally noticing his gaze, the hotel owner quickly moved the box out sight with a tight smile. The pair of them both going pointedly quiet. "Anything I can help you with?"

Shrugging, Adrien donned the strongest modeling smile in his arsenal: the one that never gave anything away. Their sudden silence settled it. He could be sure that the pair of them were gossiping. His grip tightened on the handrail.

"Just puzzling out what to get for dinner this evening."

Her smile grew warm. "Feel free to call or stop down if you need a few recommendations."

His grin widened. "Absolutely," he lied.

Dashing up the stairs, he didn't dare to stop until he was safely back in his room.

Adrien flopped onto the bed, only digging out his phone as an afterthought to set his alarm.

His arm draped up over his eyes, blocking out the late afternoon sun. He desperately needed a nap to be able to make it through this last night.

However, when he woke up, he would escape their notice as fast as he could manage - even if he had to transform to do it.

At least he had seen no sign of Marinette. She was sure to have gotten a late start, so he would probably miss her entirely, even if he ordered something to eat here at the hotel before he met up with Ladybug.


Wearing warmer clothes, Marinette stretched as she padded down the stairs.

"Ah, Miss Marinette," The hotel owner's daughter sat at the desk. "The delivery boy just dropped off your order."

Her brows rose. She had gotten dressed and put shoes on, expecting that she might have to go outside.

Happily, she picked up the bag, opening it up to savor the aroma. She was really glad that she didn't have to head back out. Dinner yesterday had been nice, but she owed Chat Noir better than that. It was bad enough that her own feelings were so splintered.

Warily, her eyes were drawn to another large paper bag like hers, sitting out on the counter.

She heard the creak of the steps and the inevitable footsteps, but by then it was too late.

"Adrien?"

His own smile tightened. Just a little. "How do we both keep running into each other in the halls?"

Her eyes darted to the back hall where the owner was not so subtly eavesdropping. "I can't imagine."

She didn't have to look to know there was a thistled Sword of Damocles hanging over her head.

The heavy sigh on Adrien's face as he looked up was all the confirmation she needed.

His hand awkwardly, slipped to his neck. At least, he was just as uncomfortable about all of this as she was. "Maybe it would just be easier to give up so they leave us both alone."

Those compelling green eyes kept drawing her in, making her doubt her resolve. The faster that she got back to her room, the faster she could get back to Chat Noir. "You think so?"

He shrugged. "Nothing else has worked."

"I suppose." She nibbled at her lip. It hadn't escaped her notice how his gaze shifted as she did.

Adrien leaned forward, moving to meet her in the middle and not a centimeter more. "Only if you're sure."

Stubbornly, Marinette rose up on her tiptoes.

And then, he kissed her…

The fall of his lips upon hers was sweet. At least at first, it was the barest, most tentative touch.

It was only after her soft sigh slipped into the space between them, that it gave him cause to deepen it. Adrien tilted his head just so, to seamlessly slot his lips to hers.

Though it only could have been a few seconds, the result was dizzying as her eyes slid closed. The bag of food slipped from her fingers to a messy pile on the hardwood floors.

It only took her a moment more to notice one of his hands dipping down to settle on the small of her back.

Her hands slid to either side of his face, half to hold herself steady. She couldn't shake the eerie feeling, welling in the pit of her stomach. For all that she and Adrien hadn't kissed since they were practically teenagers, this all felt startlingly familiar.

The softness of his lips. The height.

If she didn't know better, she would think-

Marinette forced her eyes to open, increasingly desperate to prove herself wrong.

Coming face to face with his eyes, slipping open in return, as he felt her shift away.

"Are you alright, Marinette?" he murmured between deep inhales, his lips still hovering tantalizingly close to hers.

In the end, it was his fingers drifting into her pigtails that proved to be her ultimate undoing.

Unravelling every single one of her carefully crafted defensives, with perhaps the sweetest touch of destruction.

Marinette backed away suddenly, fingers pressed to her lips, as she gasped audibly.

"Marinette?" He froze, blinking rapidly.

Incredulous, she backed away further, turning away to rush out the door.


Adrien gaped as the door clattered closed behind her.

Muscles tensing, Adrien picked up her food and set it up on the counter.

"Is she alright?"

"Sorry, I need to go and find her."

"Of course," came the reply.

Not that he stuck around to hear it. Adrien raced for the door, grabbing his coat and hers as he rushed out into the dusk.

Marinette couldn't have gone far.


Scrambling into the first vacant alley she could find, Marinette transformed to keep from freezing.

She wasn't about to go back in… Not until she made sense of everything.

In a daze, she somehow managed to make it back up to the clock tower, to slump back against the same spot they had holed up together last evening.

Gloved fingertips drew up to press against her lips, trying to hold the memory fresh in her mind.

Maybe it had been too long. Maybe it was just wishful thinking…

But that kiss from Adrien? That felt like Chat Noir.

She knew it in her bones.

When she had gotten to kiss Adrien as a young teenager, everything had all been blissfully new. The whole experience had been so magical and wonderful - not that she'd had much other experience to compare it to. She'd been so bowled over by the emotions of it all, that her mind failed to commit every tactile detail to memory.

Now, though?

She didn't know how to forget how it felt to be kissed by Adrien. She couldn't.

Because it was exactly like how it felt to be kissed by Chat Noir.

Ladybug scrubbed her red gloved hand over her lips.

She knew this from no small amount of experience. After all, she'd been kissing Chat for years now. She'd had time to commit each and every detail to memory. The flavor of lip balm he seemed to prefer. His height and the way her fingers felt mussing up his hair. His favorite way to angle his head and match his lips to hers. It was the softest press of his lips that he dared; the desperate ardor that nearly always struck in the wake of a hard-fought battle. It was anything and everything in between.

She knew it all so well.

Every kiss she'd shared with Chat Noir, she'd closed her eyes to savor.

Her eyes might still be fooled by the magic of the mask. But her lips?

If Adrien really was Chat Noir, he would come and find her, right?

After all, if she realized it...it was only a matter of time.

She opened up her yoyo, checking for any sign of him.


But Chat Noir - Adrien, she was sure...he never came. Never followed her.

Frowning, she headed back to the hotel.

The front door was locked. Patting her pockets and otherwise emptying her purse, Marinette was freaking out.

She must have dropped her key.

Ducked back into the alley, but came up empty handed.. No other way to get in the entryway after supper hours as the owner ate in the back hall.

Looking around in the snow as Ladybug...all to no avail…

She glanced up at Adrien's room.


Adrien was exhausted. Hadn't counted on running around in the snow and cold.

He hadn't counted on her running off. On disappearing entirely.

He called and left a message, only to have it go to voicemail.

Her reaction was entirely expected. He was sure he had gone too far, crossed some line. Clearly, she didn't want to be found.

Dripping wet from the warm shower, Adrien quickly moved around the room to get dressed. At least the warm water had sunk into his bones.

Even if the sandwiches were now ice cold.

He had pants on, but was trying to eat as he otherwise warmed up. Hadn't brought a fourth change of clothes, so he was puzzling out what was clean enough to wear until everything else dried.

He would give himself ten more minutes to warm up, and Chat Noir would head out into the night to find Marinette and ensure she was safe.

Confused, he saw a stunning flash of red out on the balcony, with a halo of the city lights making her look all the more stunning.

Baffled, he immediately walked over and opened up his balcony door.

"Ladybug?" He was very confused as to why she was there. Backpedaling just enough to open the balcony door, Adrien waved her inside. Thankfully, she moved quickly so he could shut the door behind him against the chill.

She sighed at the sight of his still-damp hair, tilting her head and noticing that without the shirt he had to be freezing. "Well, that explains why you weren't answering…" she flushed, turning nearly as red as her suit. "Adrien, you should put on a shirt."

"Everything that is clean is also wet."

Her eyes raced around the room, eventually chucking a towel at him. "At least put that on."

"Sorry, I went running off after a friend."

"Just a friend?"

"I hope so." He dragged his fingers through his hair. "I'm not sure if I screwed things up with her again."

"Wait…" His mind caught up. "What wasn't I answering?"

Ladybug smirked, eyes catching his in the mirror. "You tell me, Chaton."

"Oh, God," he murmured, raking a desperate hand through his damp hair as he started to pace the short run of wood flooring. "What gave me away?"

Ladybug smiled softly. "You really need a hint?"

Adrien's brows scrunched close together. "I do."

He watched carefully as her hands slid to either side of his face. He marveled at the coy grin of her lips before they gently fell upon his.

Over and over and over again.

He sighed softly, lips parting with a soft pop as she gently backed away. Watching him with those celestial blue eyes.

"Have a clue yet?" Ladybug whispered, fingers gently teasing his neck just where his bell usually hovered.

"I'm…" Shivering slightly, his tongue darted out over his lips, wetting them. He cleared the uncertain lump in his throat. "I think I'm getting warmer."

Her gleeful smile turned into a half-feral grin that would make Plagg proud. "I should hope so."

As she buried her hands in his still-damp hair, his eyes slid blissfully closed. She rose up on her tiptoes, to tug his collar down just so, drawing him in.

"Wait." He pulled back, his eyes stunned wide with the realization. "Marinette?" he breathed.

"About time you realized…" Ladybug pressed her forehead to his. "Why did you think I raced off like Hawkmoth himself was chasing me?"

"No way…" Beaming, his fingers toyed with her ribbons. "You mean all this time…?"

"We tried to keep each other safe by giving each other up?" Marinette chuckled ruefully. She lingered in his arms as the magic spiralled from her lithe form in a halo of pink.

Adrien smirked. "Heroes to the end, aren't we?"

"You know." Plagg grumbled from the desk, munching noisily on the scraps of cheese he dragged out of the sandwich. "This is not the kind of cheese I was looking for."

"Plagg," Adrien hissed. "You knew?"

"Of course, he did." Marinette sighed, weaving her arm around his waist and letting her head fall easily against his chest. "But he and Tikki couldn't say. You know that."

"We were just happy you found each other again." Tikki smiled at the pair of them. "You both couldn't help but run back to each other after all. C'mon, Plagg." Tikki nudged him towards the door. "We are going to go sleep down the hall."

Adrien dug into the bag, producing a cookie. "Take a little food before you go. You have to be tired, Tikki."

"Thank you, Adrien," Tikki grinned.

Plagg pouted. "What about me?"

Adrien rolled his eyes. "Plagg, you've been eating all day."

"Hey," Plagg chided. "Someone had to watch for you, since you couldn't stop making moony eyes around each other."

Finally, after both Kwamis had phased through the door, Adrien sat down beside Marinette on the bed, setting down his last remaining spare towel as a makeshift picnic blanket as he split his sandwich with her. "Now, aren't you glad this room isn't so drafty?"

Marinette grinned, cuddling up beside him atop the comforter. "It is definitely warmer than my room."


Half an hour later, they were still famished. Marinette ducked down to retrieve what remained of her abandoned takeout bag from the front desk, and returned with a salad the hotel owner had been kind enough to stash in the fridge.

"Something was bothering you last night," she whispered as she snuggled up to him beneath the blankets.

"More than just the feelings for you I wasn't hiding well?"

She chuckled. "You were hardly alone in that."

He nodded. "Most of the tourist information folks gave me the same spiel. But there was one who said I looked familiar…"

"Adrien," Marinette smirked up at him. "I hate to tell you this...but you're kind of famous."

"I honestly don't think I have a big following in the elderly gentlemen set." He grinned as she lingered closer, adjusting the collar of his button down shirt and studiously trying not to lift her gaze to his lips. "It seems like my Father's marketing team keeps tailoring my appeal to target red spotted heroines."

"At least someone at Gabriel was doing good work."

"Hey," he grumbled.

"You already caught my attention, well before I saw most of your modelling." She grinned, patting his face fondly. "It wasn't just your pretty face."

"So you do like my pretty face."

"Most of Paris likes your pretty face. With or without the mask." Her hands cupped his cheeks, admiring him unabashedly. "I just happened to fall for the whole package."

"Puns and all?"

She smirked mischievously. "Well, I admit it is a lot easier when I have a way to stop the particularly bad puns."

He chuckled, sitting back against the bed to give her poor toes a rest. He had looked up to her for a long time, after all. "You're just going to encourage me, you know."

"You've never needed me to." She stood between his legs, resting her hands on his shoulders. Leaning down slightly, she gently pressed her lips to his forehead. "I just enjoy you near me, Adrien. I always have."

Blushing, Adrien ducked his head. He was never going to tire of her compliments. They only meant more, now that he knew.

"Anyways," he shook his head, trying to clear it. "The only magazines the old man seemed to own were for far flung destinations."

"So, why were you familiar…?"

His eyes narrowed. "It makes me very curious what my cousin has been up to lately."

She shuddered, sitting up suddenly. "Felix?" Her nose wrinkled up as if she smelled something foul. The comforter fell down off her back, revealing the thin lacy chemise that she wore beneath her blazer. "If I see him again, it would be too soon."

"Marinette," he whispered, "if you hadn't punched him first, I might have."

"No, you wouldn't, Adrien." She lay her head on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart as she watched his chest rise and fall with every bated breath. "You're much too nice. Besides, you know I can protect myself."

"Doesn't mean I wouldn't step in to guard you," Adrien murmured, his arm reaching around to rub her back, much as they had done. "You shouldn't have to. You have too much on your shoulders as it is."

She sighed, linking her fingers between his. "We both seem to have issues with that."

"But now we can spend more of that time together." He lifted their joined hands to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to each knuckle in turn. "We wouldn't have to patrol to brainstorm together."

"That would be nice. There isn't ever enough time in the day anymore," she admitted, as she rolled up out of bed to pace. "One thing is still bothering me, though."

Adrien pouted at being stopped. "What is that?"

"Why on earth would Felix be in Calais?" Marinette's brows knit. "Wasn't he going to University in London?"

"That is an interesting question," Adrien conceded. "But apparently, he wasn't travelling alone."

"Oh?"

Adrien crossed his arms over his chest. "The tourism agent was sure I was travelling with a brunette."

Marinette snorted. "That's ridiculous. You've only ever dated girls with black hair."

"Exactly." He smiled, letting his fingers sink into her hair, relishing in the fact that it was down. "You know, you should wear it down more often."

She rolled her eyes, blushing prettily at his compliment. "I only kept it up because a certain cat loved to play with the ends of my pigtails."

He kissed the ends of her hair. "You spoiled me."

She sighed dramatically, letting her hand sneak up to rest upon his cheek. "Someone had to."

His fingers lingered in her hair. "So, what do you make of it, My Lady?"

"It had to be Felix then…" she smiled, adjusting his collar. "Unless you've got another Wayhem hiding around here somewhere?"

"No. Wayhem is definitely still in Paris." Adrien chuckled, digging his phone out of his pocket. "So, it seems like it might be time to give a call to Aunt Amélie and check in."

Marinette set her hand on his phone. "Maybe tomorrow?"

"You sure?" He frowned. "Wouldn't it be best to move as fast as possible? Especially now that we know?"

"Right now, we still have the element of surprise in our favor." She smirked, nose wrinkling up. "Besides... right now, I've got other plans."

"Hmmm." His gaze softened.. "I've always been a sucker for your plans."

"Ah, Chaton," Marinette whispered, gently tugging his collar down to meet her in the middle. "I figured that out a long time ago."


The anxious hotel owner had a shaky smile as Marinette walked up to the desk with her key to check out. "Did you enjoy your stay?"

"More than I thought I would." Marinette grinned, setting her pink and white polka-dotted suitcase on the ground.

"I'm very glad to hear it."

"Oh," she said, digging into her purse to pull out the other key. "The gentleman in 2C is also checking out."

"Oh," The owner frowned. "He left already?"

"I'm afraid so." Marinette nodded, smiling tightly. "He had to catch an early train."


"Is this seat taken?" Marinette whispered.

Adrien looked up, beaming into Marinette's blue eyes, as she tucked her suitcase in the overhead compartment next to his. "I'm afraid it is. You see, there's this amazing girl I know..."

Gleefully, she dropped down beside him, nuzzling her head onto his shoulder. "It's a shame she's going to miss it, then."

Chuckling, he tilted his head against hers, cuddled up in the seat side by side, leaning against one another like they did all those years ago on the train to London.

Not that she had any idea of course. At least this time, they were headed in the right direction.

Both finally on the same page as they headed back to Paris.

Beaming, he handed her his second earbud, which pressed into her other hand.

Jagged Stone's tribute to Ladybug was playing. "A good choice."

"It has always been one of my favorites."

"Alya is going to be insufferable, you know." She linked her fingers with his.

His fingers clasped hers, clear that he wasn't about to let her go. "As bad as Alya might be, Nino is definitely going to be worse."

Marinette smiled from ear to ear. "However, will we manage to put up with them?"

Adrien squeezed her hand in reply. "I'm sure we can figure it out together, my Lady."


Author's Notes:

This Ladrien scene has been haunting me for weeks. You can thank LNC's Ladrien boosting efforts for inspiring this. It wouldn't leave me alone until I finished this fic.

Now (maybe) I can sleep.