~.*~*~*.~

Him

~.*~*~*.~

School the next morning was delayed due to ice.

If he hadn't been so restless, Adrien would have welcomed the chance to catch up on sleep after the sheer exhaustion that was Treehugger. Now it felt like an unnecessary pause, dragging out dread and anticipation.

When he had finally made it home last night (soaked and battle-worn and still in a state of shock that the entire akuma battle hadn't been one weirdly detailed dream), Nathalie had greeted him with that barely visible flash of something else (concern, annoyance?) poking through her cold demeanor. She had him go to his room immediately to get showered and changed without even asking for an explanation.

In fact, no one really asked, and it felt odd when he took his dinner at the empty table and his father never bothered to join (lecture) him.

"I'm okay in case anyone cared," he had muttered to his asparagus.

His bodyguard had given him a firm, but reassuring grip on the shoulder when he showed him to his room that evening. So maybe at least one person did.

Adrien had already concocted the excuse he had yet to use: he didn't remember anything. It would make sense, in case anyone had caught wind of the way the akuma had carried him around like a rag doll. Anything that went down after trying to find shelter during his photo shoot was a blank. For all he knew, he could have been a bush too. The miraculous cure was weird with memories sometimes so it was believable. He should know.

When he'd finally had a chance to settle in his room alone (okay, with Plagg, thank God), he found that Nino had blown up his phone with a million "Bro!"s and Alya had sent him a zillion questions, to which he answered: he remembered nothing, but he was good. Had they heard from Marinette?

And that had led to his texts to her, which led to her lack of the response, which led to the idiotic impulse to go check, just to make sure.

He could still feel the warmth of her on his arm, even though he knew that was his imagination since the suit didn't really let him. In fact, just thinking about his dumb excursion to her balcony made his face flush.

But he was 99.9% sure she was Ladybug.

And he was 100% in shock that his father was letting him go to school after the akuma attack that had the news reporting him missing.

Along with Marinette.

Plagg didn't even try to argue with him about his theory anymore.

"I always told you there was more than one type of cheese," he said vaguely as he spun out of the transformation after Chat Noir had snuck back into his bedroom window, soaked and still somehow a million degrees.

"On the off chance I'm wrong, she's definitely going to be nixing Chat Noir from her friend list," Adrien groaned.

He played the short interaction over and over in his mind, trying to remember every detail. His whole body went hot, remembering the way Marinette had tugged him onto her bed by the bell. He fell back onto his couch, arm hanging over his forehead, damp from rain.

"She acted like Ladybug," he said, a bit strangled.

"Go to sleep," said Plagg.

"Wait, remember when Marinette said she was in love with Chat Noir?"

"Sleep, Adrien."

"That'd be a weird thing for Ladybug to say. Do you think she meant it? At least a little?"

"Sleep!"

But he didn't. Not even when his television announced a school delay due to freezing rain. He kept thinking about the way Ladybug had rifled through Marinette's room like it was her own, how quickly she had found everything she needed.

He had always pegged Marinette's dramatic angst over Chat Noir's rejection as typical Marinette (although it pained him to watch) - she was a bit of a spaz sometimes (and ridiculously cute). Sometimes he had found himself wondering about her broken heart and if the rose petals and candlelight on the rooftop had been the start of her feelings for his alter ego. But if she was Ladybug...

He had been on his own until the very end of the battle against Weredad and if Marinette was Ladybug, of course she had found a way free. And of course what better way to throw him off of her identity than to declare her undying love, something Ladybug definitely wouldn't do.

And then he thought of Ladybug dressed in the hoodie Marinette had made, moving close to kiss him.

That 0.1% chance he was wrong was enough to get hung up on.

He needed to see her again.

He left the house without incident, his bodyguard dropping him off at school, wordless as usual and Nathalie answering any questions about his father with "he's very busy right now." As usual.

In front of the school there was a buzz in the air, the type that usually came with the excitement of a weather delay and the charge put Adrien's hairs on end.

He took a spot to the side of the front entrance, out of the way of the swarm of students seeking warmth, hoping to search for Marinette in relative peace and trying to ignore the way his heart pounded in his ears.

"Bro!"

Nino came out of nowhere, hooking both arms around his neck and dragging him backwards.

"You scared the crap outta us, you know that?" His arm hooked into a v around Adrien's shoulders and he frowned with genuine concern. "What happened? You were totally vague answering my texts last night."

Adrien shrugged the tension out of his shoulders when Nino released him. The lack of sleep was absolutely catching up with him. A smile slipped on his face anyway. At least his friends cared.

"Probably because I don't remember anything," he said. "One minute I'm at a photoshoot and the next Ladybug is waking me up."

"Weird," Nino said with a raised brow, but if he was suspicious, he immediately shrugged it off. "Well, whatever man. Glad to have you back." Suddenly catching something in the distance, he tugged his hat low and shouldered Adrien in the side. "Yo, Alya is coming. She's going to hound you, dude."

Adrien snapped to attention, searching for Marinette, but Alya was alone, eyebrows already working into the inquisitive reporter furrow.

"Agreste," she said. "You answered none of my questions."

"Told you," said Nino, elbowing him in the side.

"I was really tired," said Adrien. It was the truth. Just because he was awake all night did not mean he had the energy to deal with an Alya interrogation.

She raised a brow. "I cannot believe your father let you out of the house. Especially looking like that."

Adrien leaned toward a window to see if he could catch his reflection. "Like what?"

"You look as pathetic as one of those 'feed the children' ads. Very un-Agreste of you."

He attempted to smooth his hair and gave up when the cow-lick at the top refused to be tamed. Between that, the bags under his eyes, and the wrinkled clothes he'd been lying in all morning, he was certainly not model material.

"It's not that bad," he muttered, feeling self-conscious. His eyes flickered to where students were flooding up the stairs, looking for Marinette. "Is it?"

"Don't worry, dude, I'd still do you."

Adrien gave Nino a playful punch in the arm and attempted to straighten out his wrinkled shirt. Maybe if he tucked his scarf into his coat she wouldn't notice. He started to work at his zipper.

"Trying to look good for a certain someone?" asked Alya.

Adrien was sure if he willed it hard enough he could force the blood to stay out of his cheeks. "What?"

"Nothing," said Alya with her little sideways smirk. She really did make the perfect fox. Shame Hawkmoth had her figured out.

The very thought brought a sinking dread into Adrien's chest.


He let me win.


Everything had happened so fast that Adrien was never able to ask Ladybug "why?" And he had been so obsessed with his delirious realization about her identity that he hadn't really thought all that much about it.

What could have possibly made Hawkmoth give up?

At least Adrien could find some relief knowing his identity hadn't been outed. There was no way Hawkmoth would have willingly given up the cat miraculous.

"Adrikins!"

Chloe impaled him in dramatic Chloe fashion, nearly knocking Alya and Nino off the stairs.

Adrien had to pry her arms off his neck. "Hey Chloe," he said with that same detached tone he'd reserved for her since she had turned on them.

"Do you have any idea how worried you made me?" she said with a tone that inferred that me was the important part.

"Not particularly," said Adrien while Alya gave a very loud audible huff.

Nino slinked away. "Gotta get to class before that bell or face Ms. Mendeleiev's wrath, man."

"Ugh that's right," groaned Alya. "She's first today—the delay."

"I'll catch up," said Adrien, sidestepping Chloe.

"Please don't tell me you're waiting for Dupain-Cheng," said Chloe.

"She'll probably be late," said Adrien. "You guys go ahead."

"Ohhhh," Alya cooed.

"No way, did my dude finally get a clue?"

"Ew, gross."

Adrien looked between the three of them, sadly clueless. "What?"

"If he hasn't got it by now, he's obviously not interested," sang Chloe, tossing her hair. "Sabrina!" With that she was off, throwing her bag at Sabrina as she marched into the school, nose in the air.

"How has she been your friend all your life and not even know you?" asked Nino.

Adrien was still stuck on the "not interested" part of Chloe's speech. "Got what?"

"Oh no. Been there done that," said Nino. "Not going down that rabbit hole again."

"She might not even show," said Alya. "Said she was bushed. How lame."

"Okay," said Adrien, feeling frustrated. "What I am getting is that you're both avoiding the question."

"Wait, was that the bell?" asked Nino.

"Definitely the bell," said Alya.

Adrien had definitely not heard a bell, but the two scuttled off, although not before Alya gave him a suggestive wink that for some reason made his ears go red. Because they were cold, probably.

Not interested?

Adrien had been interested in Marinette from the moment he'd met her. From their rocky start to their blooming friendship and through all the ups and downs that followed. Sometimes he found his entire mood hung on her approval.

Not counting Alya and Ladybug (herself!) he had never met anyone else with such a strong drive for justice and doing the right thing, even if she sometimes got in way over her head. Even her quirks were endearing: how quickly she got flustered, and how she always came clean when she'd messed things up. On more than one occasion he'd thought if he could pick anyone in his class to be Ladybug, it would have been her.

His whole body warmed just thinking about it and he let out a hot puff of breath, making a cloud in the frigid air.

If he started prying about her identity in front of school, she'd probably take his miraculous away right there and then.

Students poured in as the last minute before the bell ticked past and Adrien twisted the ring on his finger, trying to go over what he would say. Then, as the idea of losing his miraculous started to settle in, he started to second guess addressing her at all. If he played dumb, maybe she'd forget his awkward drop in last night. Maybe he should just go inside and pretend he knew nothing at all.

The bell rang and he was suddenly standing outside the school alone, officially late to the class of the teacher who had the least tolerance for excuses. He gave a low sigh and sat on the step, ignoring the rock salt sure to be scattered across the seat of his pants, not sure he was even up to studying today.

"Playing hooky?" asked Plagg from his coat pocket.

"Is Ladybug really going to take away my miraculous?"

Plagg phased through the material, just allowing his head to be visible. His little green cat eyes were narrowed and serious.

"Over my dead body. Which, by the way, is literally impossible."

"But you said—"

"That was when Master Fu was the guardian. Ladybug's the guardian now, it was sort of inevitable."

"Then why were you denying—"

"We were in the middle of an akuma battle." Plagg rolled his eyes. "And I'm still not sure it's a good idea, you two getting all close and sappy. It makes the whole thing a lot more complicated."

"So she is Ladybug?"

"Go to school, Adrien. Or better yet, if you're so obsessed with the baker girl now, go there and get me some more of that delicious cheese."

With that, Plagg's head disappeared back into his coat pocket and Adrien leaned back on his hands, covering his palms with rock salt and blowing a frustrated raspberry through his lips.

By the time he had contemplated skipping school and going to the Dupain-Cheng bakery, he had already decided that was a bad idea. He would look pathetically desperate, which he was, but didn't really want her to know. If she didn't come to school, he'd just drop by later. That would be normal, right? A concerned friend?

Sighing over his lack of an excuse for Ms. Mendeleiev, Adrien stood to go inside and immediately heard a loud crack.

A low, whining moan followed, drawing his attention to the bottom of the stairs where someone had face planted into the railing and crumpled in half.

Adrien took the steps two at a time. "Are you okay?"

"Ice," groaned a slightly gurgled voice. Beneath a pink winter hat adorned with fluffy pom pom, emerged a fat, bloodied lip and two adorable pigtails.

"Marinette," he chirped two octaves too high. "You're fat! I mean swollen. Not you, your lip! You are actually in really great shape, obviously."

Adrien felt a vibration in his pocket which could only be Plagg snickering.

Marinette stumbled into his arm as he helped her up, leaning sideways and clasping her mouth with a mitten. She let out another low-pitched whine.

"Let me help you to the nurse," he said. "That looks pretty bad."

She staggered alongside him, not once uncovering her mouth. Which meant she said nothing. They got inside rather awkwardly, him somehow holding her and the door at the same time. Once they were through, Marinette's shoes slipped on the wet floor, nearly sending them both sprawling across the hallway. She caught herself on his chest, and even though she squeaked, she still managed to keep her mouth covered.

"Woah." He wondered if she could feel his heart pounding through the layers. "You okay?"

She gave a small succession of tiny nods that were so stinking cute Adrien nearly lost what little cool he had left. Her mitten peeled from his scarf and he had to steer his mind away from all the memories of Ladybug, picturing Marinette in them instead.

As they continued, his sneakers squeaked in the damp, silent hallway.

"I, um, guess you didn't get my texts last night?"

Her blue eyes seemed to widen at that, looking at him like a frightened deer.

"You were probably bushed," he said. Then, when her eyes didn't drop the caught in headlights look, he blurted, "That's what Alya said when I saw her. Because you were a bush."

His pocket vibrated again and Adrien swore he was going to withhold camembert for a week, at least.

"Ith da er own?"

Marinette had finally spoken and he had no clue what she said.

"Huh?"

She lifted her other mitten, half of it folding with what looked like a lump at the end, and held it to her ear. "Own?"

When he still looked clueless and was cursing himself for not understanding what was probably an important piece of information, she gestured to the pocket with Plagg and actually had the audacity to slap it.

"Ow!" his pocket said.

Adrien went white.

Marinette uncovered her mouth, showing off her fat top lip, smeared with blood. He saw a couple of her teeth and wondered if she was trying to smile.

"Phone?" she said, barely able to get out the f.

"Oh, that." He gave a sharp short laugh. "Yeah, absolutely. The ringtones they make nowadays, ha ha."

The pocket vibrated again.

Marinette stared at him expectantly.

"I don't need to answer it, obviously, because I should be in class where phones are absolutely not permitted, especially not ones that say ow."

Now Adrien was sure her teeth were a small smile, even if it was hard to tell with her swollen mouth. He went hot and tugged at the scarf around his neck to let some air in and offered his arm again.

"That looks really painful," he said.

She gave a small snort, which he was sure was the start of a laugh, and took his arm. Her hand wrapped around it and gave him a squeeze.

"Marinette…" he started and immediately trailed off.

How in the world was he supposed to do this? That 0.1% chance seemed to loom heavy even though every instinct screamed: "It's her! She's right here. It's been her all this time!"

Her eyelashes lifted slow, and he could see Ladybug in her eyes, his amazing self-doubting partner who always acted when she had to, who never let the weight of the world stop her, who was talented and clumsy and Marinette.

"You're her"—he gulped and choked—"here! at the nurse's office!"

He shoved the door open before he could take in her reaction.

"Marinette slipped on some ice and busted her lip, so she probably needs more ice actually," he said in a rush.

"Okay?" said the nurse who proceeded to wave them in. "Let me take a look at it."

Biting his lip, Adrien helped Marinette to the table, still supporting her by the arm. She didn't need it, but she humored him anyway. When she sat down and he started to pull away, she grabbed his hand.

It was the same squeeze, the same reassuring hold of Ladybug, saying, we're in this together.

She was looking right into his eyes, telling him everything without words. The understanding rose in a wave of electricity, sparking invisibly but entirely palpable between them. Her cheeks flushed and the freckles that had peeked under her mask were now sprinkling over her nose, kissing her cheekbones. There was something in her eyes, a kind of joy and sweet sadness that made his own tear up.

"I, um…" Adrien coughed and had to blink rapidly to keep himself from crying. "You're okay?"

The nurse reached between them with an ice pack and Marinette released his fingers to hold it. She pressed it to her mouth.

"You can head back to class, Adrien," said the nurse. "I'll send Marinette once the swelling goes down."

"Okay," he choked out.

Marinette pulled the ice pack off her lip. "Thank you," she said softly and she looked like she wanted to say more but the nurse moved between them to assess the damage.

"Always," he murmured.

He stepped out into the hallway backwards and his sneaker slipped on the water they had tracked in, making a loud squeak.

"Careful, Mr. Agreste," the nurse called after him. "I don't need two fat lips."

He made a weird sound in the back of his throat and had to clear it. "Sorry." He tried one more time to see Marinette around the nurse's back, to think of something to say, a clue, or a hint that he knew, but his mind went blank behind his drumming heart.

He stood in the hallway a good minute before Plagg started wiggling in his pocket.

That was the final trigger to turn tail and run.

"Adrien!"

He whipped around to see that sort of teasing smile he was so used to seeing on his partner gracing Marinette's bloody mouth.

"You've got stuff on your…" she gave a high pitched snort and gestured down.

His backend was covered in rock salt from the step. He quickly brushed it off and a cattish grin broke across his lips. "Were you checking out my—"

"Bye!" she squeaked.

He gave her a wink and she hid her entire face behind the ice pack.

"Class," said the nurse.

The whole walk back to the classroom felt like a dream. He could have sworn he was walking on clouds.

"She hit me," Plagg whined.

"I think it was on purpose," said Adrien, still half in a daze. He rubbed water out of his lashes and took a detour to the bathroom in order to pull himself together.

The stalls were empty, so Plagg floated out for moral support. Meaning he started to make fun of him.

"You sure were making eyes at the baker girl."

"She's Ladybug," said Adrien and a lovesick smile swept over his mouth. His stomach was swimming, chest fluttering and he felt off: hot and exhausted and overwhelmed. He didn't look all that much better, but she had held his hand anyway.

Because she knew.

A million memories started floating through his mind and he stared at his haggard reflection and went over every single one.


The boy I… he's in love with someone else too.


In his all night restlessness, Adrien had, of course, gone over a list of who the boy could be. He had immediately guessed it was Luka, but based on the way Luka acted around Marinette… it just didn't make sense.


...he's in love with someone else…


Adrien tried not to let himself think about it, but like some self-inflicted wound it kept popping up, stabbing his heart with disappointment until—

"I told her I loved someone," he gushed to his reflection. "And I had that date with Kagami! Do you think she thinks? There's no way she actually..."

"Is this really how your brain works?" goaded Plagg.

"What if it's me? Chloe said… ugh, I'm the idiot! I asked Ladybug for advice about a date with Kagami! No wonder she thought—and that's why she's always—and with Chat Noir she's completely different!"

"Lower your voice," Plagg snapped.

Adrien felt feverish. "So many things make sense. How am I supposed to go back to class and pretend I don't know all of this?"

"Easy. Keep your mouth shut."

So he did. He went back to class, apologizing for being tardy, now with the excuse of helping Marinette to the nurse. Alya and Nino were exchanging such obvious glances that blood rushed all the way to his ears.

Taking his seat, he hid his face in his arms and immediately got scolded by Ms. Mendeleiev. He spent the next twenty minutes watching the door.

Marinette eventually arrived, still holding an ice pack to her mouth, eyes flashing to him when the entire class erupted in concern. He pressed his lips together, determined not to speak.

Ms. Mendeleiev demanded quiet and everyone settled back down for what Adrien deemed the longest class in the history of public school.

He could feel Marinette's gaze on his back and he wanted to turn to look at her, to find some reason for them to leave class so they could talk.

And then they were told to work with their partners and Nino swung around, eyebrows raised in that sort of what is going on with you, dude? way without saying anything while he heard Alya actually say: "Girl, how do you do these things to yourself?" followed by, "So, Mr. Knight in Shining Armor helped you to the nurse, huh?"

Adrien would not turn around, nope.

"Hurts to talk," mumbled Marinette.

If he looked at her he would just imagine brushing his lips on her swollen one, just soft enough for it not to hurt, touching her face without the suit in the way, curling her into his arms to feel her heartbeat against his ribs, knowing: it's you, it's you.

Adrien buried his face in his arms, trying to hide the ways his ears went red again and his heart was pounding and everything was just too much.

"Adrien, go to the nurse."

He lifted his face and went impossibly redder when Ms. Mendeleiev pulled the door open and shot a finger out of it.

"You are not going to stay in here spreading your germs."

"I'm not—"

"You look hotter than a bunsen burner," said Ms. Mendeleiev.

"That's for sure," said someone in the back (he was pretty sure it was Kim), which sent the entire class snickering. Marinette choked so hard behind him that it sent Adrien grabbing his bag and scuttling away in obedience, probably even redder than before.

He caught sight of her for a brief moment as he stepped out, her own face nearly matching his and felt dizzy at the sight.

"You're back," said the nurse when he showed up at her door.

Apparently he actually was running a fever. A mild one, but enough that they called Nathalie to take him home.

The car ride was silent save for the lecture of staying in bed and drinking fluids.

Feeling snarky and a little miserable now that he'd lost his chance to talk to Marinette, Adrien snapped, "Of course. I'm just going to be locked in my room anyway." To which Nathalie said nothing, but his bodyguard's eyes graced the rearview for a split second, enough for Adrien to behave the rest of the ride.

He collapsed on his bed after being pumped full of orange juice and tylenol and sent Marinette another text asking her to call when she was done with school, then immediately fell asleep.

He was somewhere in the deep part, the heavy dreamless dark when the sound of his name woke him up.

His eyes peeled open to find his father. The little bit of sun in the overcast sky had begun to set, leaving his room dim and gray. He rubbed sleep out of his eyes and felt heavy and groggy and a lot more cold.

"I'm concerned about your behavior."

Adrien forced himself to sit up and found his father's eyes had settled on the ring on his finger. He quickly averted his eyes from it, hoping he hadn't noticed him noticing.

"What about it, Father?"

"You seem to have a lack of concern for your own well being," said Gabriel, standing like a statue at the door frame, like he didn't want to come inside. His tone was firm and cold, not like a concerned parent at all. "Going to school unwell, escaping your bodyguard the moment they announce an akuma attack. On multiple occasions."

"I felt fine this morning," Adrien said, carefully dodging the other accusation. He resisted the urge to look to see if Plagg was hidden. "I'm not sick. I just didn't sleep that well."

"I hired you a bodyguard for a reason, Adrien."

"I know," he droned. "To keep your asset in one piece."

The moment the words came out of his mouth, Adrien knew they'd been a mistake. A sharp anger flashed in his father's eyes, the kind that happened anytime someone so much as made a critique over anything the almighty Gabriel Agreste did.

"Where were you during the akuma attack?"

Adrien swallowed. "I don't remember."

"I find that hard to believe." His gray eyes slipped over the ring again, staring. "Ladybug's cure should have healed you."

"I don't think that's how it works," said Adrien. Pinpricks crawled over the back of his neck as his father kept his gaze fixed and focused. "The akumas don't remember anything either." He wedged his hand under his leg.

"I find it peculiar that you're so knowledgeable about Ladybug's powers."

"Why?" snapped Adrien. "I've been kidnapped and changed by akumas more times than I can count. I'm lucky I haven't been turned into one yet."

Something else flashed over his father's face, something akin to pain before the anger took over.

"Then it might be in your best interest to remove you from school after all."

"You can't keep me locked up all the time. The akumas are everywhere!" Adrien cried, feeling somewhere between desperate and enraged. "Why don't you quit putting me in your photo shoots if you're so worried?"

"If you hadn't run off from your bodyguard you would have never been involved," said Gabriel with a tone of authority, as if he had some say in the matter. "Now where were you?"

"I don't remember." Adrien felt his heart sink in his chest, a sort of sick feeling, far beyond any fever. "Why don't you believe me?"

"You have no idea what you've done. I had almost—You could have been killed, Adrien!"

Adrien sunk back, shoulder blades knocking into his headboard. The fury on his father's face was unlike the cold anger he'd dodged all his life, something much more heated and untamed and terrifying.

Then something clicked, the words he'd cut off.

"You almost what?"

Gabriel's eyes flashed and then it disappeared: the flicker of flame that had ignited suddenly extinguished. He took a long minute, and if Adrien didn't know better he would have thought he was just gathering his composure, but he was too aware of the calm way his father bought time.

"I almost lost you."

For just a second, for one hopeful moment, Adrien almost believed him, almost fell for the way his father had calculated his cheeks to soften.

But how could he have known? How could he have known how close he'd been to death without the cameras catching it? There hadn't been any witnesses. Alya had said that through the heavy downpour, no one else had been able to see who the akuma had captured except for her and Nino and they had both sworn to secrecy since they knew how his father would react. The only other person would have been the akuma herself, but like all the others before her, she hadn't remembered anything after she'd been released from Hawkmoth's control.

There could have been someone, maybe, that had seen through the rain, who reported it to his father.

Or Hawkmoth himself…


You have no idea what you've done.

I had almost—


"That's not what you were going to say," Adrien whispered.


He let me win.


Ladybug's words immediately flashed into his mind, like a clue waiting to be uncovered. Dread bubbled into his throat, choking him. There had to be some other explanation.

"You need your rest," said Gabriel, adjusting his glasses. "We'll discuss this when you're in your right mind."

Adrien tried to steel himself, to make his face as stoic and strong as his father did, unreadable, but his heart raced and everything in him threatened to explode.


He let me win.

You could have been killed, Adrien!

You have no idea what you've done.

I had almost—


What? He had almost what?

Adrien's ring stabbed into his thigh, suddenly hard and burdensome.

"You're right, Father. I'm not feeling well."

His voice came out so much like Gabriel's, cold and unfeeling, even though inside Adrien wanted nothing more than an explanation, some sort of real softness, some hint of the man he had known long ago.

But Gabriel only said, "I'm doing this for your own good." His gaze slipped to the hand hidden beneath Adrien's thigh and then he closed the door and the sharp sound of a lock followed.

For nearly a minute, all Adrien could do was stare at the locked door and hear his own heart pounding in his ears.

Plagg appeared, his cat ears flat against his head. "Adrien?"

"Remember the book?" was all Adrien could manage to get out. His mind spun with memories and each one bubbled in his chest. He kept his voice so quiet he wasn't sure Plagg could even hear him. "What if Ladybug was right?"

"He seemed awfully interested in your ring. If she is…"

"If she can use illusions to hide her identity then he… it's what we're best at, right? Finding ways to trick people into not knowing who we are… he could have." He racked his brain for another explanation, but it all kept coming together, like absurd puzzle pieces finally finding their way together. It was suddenly hard to breathe. "Plagg."

The kwami flew in front of his face. "You don't look so good."

Adrien's head shook. "I…I need to talk to Ladybug."

"Adrien—"

But he didn't let Plagg finish whatever warning he was about to conjure. He was transformed before he could even remember saying the words and he still couldn't breathe.

Chat Noir wrote Ladybug a message on his staff, asking her to meet him. His hand shook so badly, he wasn't even sure what he had written by the time it was sent.

He had to leave before his father was watching, before he put bars on his windows or had a new camera installed.

Before he had half of what he wanted, delivered on a platter.