So Marinette had explained, haltingly at first, then more confidently as the story progressed, everything that had happened since their very first interaction with Bunnyx. Adrien helped where he could, embellishing Marinette's explanations when she faltered, but mostly, he was there to provide physical support.

Adrien still didn't like the way every so often, Marinette's eyes would go out of focus, or the way she'd waver, lean into him, and then straighten back up as if she lost her balance. Just what had happened to cause such a reaction like this? He fretted over her like a mother hen, hardly leaving her side and hoping, no, praying that this was not going to be permanent.

Marinette, just what did you do to yourself? Adrien wondered, reaching past her to accept the teacup that Master Fu passed them, first handing it to Marinette, and then reaching for his own when he was sure she had a solid grip. Why would you do that to yourself… For me?

He knew he was her partner, and he knew that she cared about him on some level, but… To risk her own life like that, to go against her Kwami's warnings like that…

Suddenly, Alya's words from a couple of days ago - Camembert, had it only been a couple of days? - Filtered into his mind:

"You really are oblivious sometimes, Agreste."

Could she…? No, no way. Adrien thought, glancing at Marinette out of the corner of his eye. Even if she did, this was hardly the time or place to make a scene about it, and neither of them was in any shape to do anything about it…

That last thought had Adrien brighter than Ladybug's suit, and he noticed only too late that his distraction had caught Marinette and Master Fu's attention.

"Adrien, are you okay?" Marinette asked, leaning over with concern in her blue eyes. "Your injuries aren't hurting you, are they?" Bless her, Adrien thought, pulling himself from his reverie and smiling at her warmly.

"Not at all my Lady," he replied, reaching up to brush an errant lock of hair from her eyes. "I'm sorry that I interrupted you."

"We were, uh… We um… We actually… W-waiting on you," Marinette stammered, her face going pink and her eyes averting from his as if the intensity of his gaze was too much for her to handle. Adrien felt his own cheeks tint more, and he cleared his throat quickly.

"O-oh," Adrien replied lamely, bringing an arm up to ruffle the hair at the back of his neck before wincing and thinking better of it. "A-ah, would you...?"

"See, this is why I bet Sugarcube that it'd take longer than a week. You're hopeless, kid." Drawled a familiar black form from one side of the room, and Adrien felt his shoulders drop tension he didn't know he was holding.

"Plagg!" He admonished anyway, while the cat Kwami floated over to him to hover near his shoulder.

"Just saying," Plagg shrugged, turning his attention to Marinette, "Tikki's still in there resting, but she wanted me to tell you that she's alright and that she understands why you did it. It was stupid," Plagg eyed her judgementally, and Adrien saw Marinette shrink like a violet beneath his feline gaze, "but she gets it."

"Uh… T-thank you, Plagg," Marinette mumbled, even as Plagg floated toward Master Fu, who seemed to already have an impossibly small set of teacups ready and waiting for just such a visit.

"Don't suppose you have any camembert?" Plagg asked halfheartedly. The old man chuckled, then gestured to Adrien. Adrien sighed, shifting himself away just enough from Marinette to rummage around in his breast pocket for his post-transformation stash.

"So uh," Adrien cleared his throat again, the heat of embarrassment still tingling against his skin, "What was it you were… Waiting on me for?"

"Oh, um.." Marinette blushed again, glancing at Master Fu before continuing, "Master Fu wanted to know what your theories were… What you meant in full when you were telling me about… About how things were different, and about how finding out about one another differently would have changed the future."

The Guardian nodded, turning his attention for Adrien fully. "I understand you have some theories about the fluidity of time, Adrien. I would like to hear about them, to see if they match my understanding of Fluff's abilities." Adrien nodded, suddenly feeling the certainty of his theories crumbling beneath the monk's scrutiny. If I'm wrong, I could lose everything. I could lose Plagg… I could lose the freedom Chat Noir gives me… I could lose Ladybug!

… But he wouldn't, not really. He glanced at Marinette again and saw her smiling at him encouragingly. Right or not, he wouldn't really lose his Lady, even if the worst-case scenario came to pass and they did have to renounce their Miraculous. Catching her hand with his again, Adrien took a few careful breaths to calm the anxiety clawing its way up his throat and steadied his voice.

"Well… Time isn't linear, is it? That's… That's how we could use Sass' power against Desperada." Adrien began carefully, feeling his way as if still hashing the theory out himself. "Viperion created time-loops every time he used the bracelet, and each time he did that, he stopped a particular future from occurring… We don't remember that future, only the one that was actually allowed to persist, because in using Sass' power, Viperion basically rewrote time," Adrien paused, glancing between the two as if to confirm he was right. When neither Marinette nor Master Fu said anything, Adrien swallowed his nervousness again and continued, his words now stumbling over one another as he tried to get them out.

"So if Fluff's magic works on similar rules, then… Then any timeline that is actively acted against would either alter or cease to exist, wouldn't it?" Adrien theorized, looking between them again. "If Marinette went back to before the inciting incident of the Chat Blanc timeline and stopped it from happening… Then perhaps that was enough to stop that timeline from happening at all," Adrien looked at Marinette now, hopeful, and squeezed her hand. "I found out in a different way, and she found out about me in short order afterwards."

Adrien frowned, his gaze clouding in concern now, "I think that Bunnyx is a strong ally, Master Fu, but I also think that her time-hopping is… Tempestuous." He looked up at the Guardian. "She wants time to reflect how she remembers it. I… I don't know if that's right." He looked down now at the rug beneath them, "but… But our future selves trusted her with a Miraculous, so…"

"So you are understandably conflicted," Master Fu interjected, and Adrien nodded. Master Fu sighed and nodded as well, leaning back onto his heels and crossing his arms in front of him, thinking deeply. "I will need time to consider the gravity of this information, and discuss it with both Sass and Fluff," He said finally, looking toward the retrofitted gramophone sitting on the cabinet.

"In the meantime, I suggest that both of you rest as much as you can. The tea that I prepared will help you recuperate your bodies and spirits, but my remedies can only do so much." Master Fu gave Adrien a piercing look then, and it took all that Adrien had within him not to skitter back behind Marinette like a frightened kitten. "Young man, you have been entrusted with an incredible amount of knowledge by Marinette. To know Ladybug's identity, and for her to know yours is to hold the fate of this world in the palm of each others' hands." the old monk fixed both teens with a narrow gaze, and Adrien swallowed his nerves.

"The bond you two share as partners is a strong one. Lean on that, for I fear you may need that now more than ever." Fu continued, peering between the two. "Marinette," he intoned, his gaze landing on the noirette girl at Adrien's side, "I recommend you listen to your Kwami next time. Using the power of a Miraculous before your Kwami has fully restored their energy has catastrophic results for both the Host and the Kwami."

Adrien watched the alarm surge into Marinette's eyes, and her attention flew toward the gramophone. Master Fu raised a hand, and Marinette froze. "Tikki will be fine," he reminded her, "but I do not suggest you do again what you did today again."

"I… I won't Master!" Adrien didn't like how clearly horrified Marinette looked and put his hand on her shoulder comfortingly. She jumped, apparently having forgotten that he was there (and he would not pout about that) but the grateful smile she sent his way was more than enough to make up for it.

"Good," Clearly satisfied, Master Fu stood up. Both teens scrambled to their feet, and as if on cue, Tikki floated out of the gramophone's horn and landed in Marinette's outstretched hand. Plagg floated over to Adrien and landed in his breast pocket, conveniently right where Adrien kept his cheese stash.

"Finally! You took forever," the black cat complained, "let's go already."

"Thank you for letting us rest here," Adrien said to the older man, looking at Master Fu with a slight smile. "I understand now why Marinette trusts you so much."

"And now I understand better why she is so besotted with you, Adrien Agreste," Fu replied with a twinkle in his eye that had Marinette beet red and all but shoving Adrien out the door.

"ThankyouMasterFuhaveagreatdayokaybye!"

Out on the street with a fuming, blushing Marinette, Adrien couldn't help but grin.

Besotted?