Hello beautiful people! I'm sorry this chapter took so long again! My online class has been kicking my butt and I have barely touched it... Oh well, c'est la vie! Anyway, I really hope you enjoy this extra-long chapter! I was rereading it and cringed when I noticed how long it was, but it is packed with a lot of new events and hopefully this will make up for the long wait! I have a note at the bottom of this chapter for a short confusing sentence in the end, just in case it confuses some of you... Now, without further ado, enjoy!

Chapter 4

Back at the Dupain-Cheng residence, Marinette was bashfully running the toe of her shoe along the floor in the living room as her parents and Anthony were sitting with their arms crossed over their chests. "Now, please explain to me how you got involved with the akuma today, young lady?" Tom asked sternly.

"W-well, I really had no involvement-"

"Wrong answer, young lady," Sabine lightly scolded.

"I really didn't maman! I was just getting out of school when the akuma attacked and Alya dragged me out of the school for her blog, and the akuma was there. He ended up shooting Nino, Alya freaked out and I was there for her, but when I tried standing up to the akuma he kidnapped me and zapped Alya, I couldn't help that! And then Chat Noir came by and took me to a safer place. I swear, even ask one of them."

"I really don't want to bring them into this, but I might have to confirm your story," Tom stated with a slight tone of sorry. "We are just worried about your safety, pumpkin."

"Your father is right, Marinette. We were just worried when Tony called and asked if you made it home and that your friends were frozen and you were nowhere in sight."

"I know, and I'm sorry."

"You should really try calling someone when one of the akuma attacks," Anthony cut in. "I freaked out when I couldn't find you, I even went after the akuma and the heroes."

"Anthony! Why would you do a dangerous thing like that?!" their mother squealed.

"I dealt with Americans for the last two years, I think I'm fine facing an akuma from a distance, maman. I know how to keep hidden, maybe Alya needs some pointers from me," he joked with a smirk. Marinette couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"That doesn't matter, young man, that's still dangerous. From now on, I need you two to check in with one of us at least by phone when an akuma attacks. Am I understood?"

"Yes, maman," both children responded sadly. They both shared a quick look to the other, Marinette's questioning while it seemed that Anthony was confused yet knew something that Marinette didn't. She wasn't sure she liked that look.

With a quick nervous smile to the other three, she ran up the stairs into her room and released a breath she had been holding. "Wow, that was a close call. Sorry you got in trouble, Marinette," Tikki apologized.

"It's okay Tikki, you're not at fault. That's the price I must pay to be a hero of Paris," Marinette responded whilst making a ridiculous hero pose, causing Tikki to giggle. Marinette joined her giggles and was about to say something else when she heard a rather loud knock on her door. They both squealed, Marinette's louder than the little god, and Tikki hid behind her computer monitor. Maman and Papa knock a lot softer than that, and they should be making dinner right about now. So that means the person who knocked is- she was interrupted from her train of thought when the person she was about to mention walked in: Anthony. She was about to sigh in relief until she saw the look on his face. It was inquisitive, much like Alya's when she finds a scoop, except it was much more powerful. She gulped as she knew that he could read her easier than a book, and most likely wouldn't leave her room until he got what he wanted. However, she didn't know what he would want from her.

"You must be wondering why I'm up here," he read her mind. She could only respond in a slight nod as she subconsciously took a step to her computer, further hiding Tikki. "I came to ask you a few questions, and I'll know if you're lying," he stated as he took her computer chair and sat down in it. "I know you know that I won't be leaving here until I am satisfied." He only furthered his conviction as he sent a stern glare her way, warning her to tell the truth and not stray from his questions.

She gave a sigh, knowing that he was true to his word just like she was… at least most of the time. Neither child liked liars, and they didn't lie themselves. Marinette only did so to protect her alternate ego. She just hoped that she could fool him enough to protect her identity this time around. "Okay, fine. Give me your questions," she responded with more courage than she actually felt.

"Well, for starters, where were you and where did Chat Noir drop you off?"

"I was in front of the school with my friends just getting released when the akuma struck. He dropped me off on the roof of the library on Rue Montorgueil, where I could easily access the fire escape," she told honestly as she rolled on her feet.

"Okay… did you know the akuma?"

"No I didn't, never met him a day in my life."

"Then why did he take you?"

"No clue, he said something about me being his muse."

"That doesn't surprise me, you are easy on the eyes, if I were honest," he commented while scratching his chin in a thoughtful manner, giving her a teasing smirk.

"Ha ha, how nice of you to think so," she rolled her eyes playfully.

"Now, back to business. Where did you go after Chat Noir saved you?"

"I cautiously went back to the school, careful not to run into the akuma or the heroes."

"Huh, I could've sworn I would've seen you. I was close to Rue Montorgueil, after being dropped off by Ladybug on my way back to the school."

"Oh, hehe, I took a detour to ensure I didn't run into them."

"Suuuure," he confirmed skeptically. "Speaking of Ladybug, was she around when Chat Noir saved you?"

"No she didn't arrive yet."

"Do you know how they defeated the akuma?"

"They used a broken windowpane to defeat the akuma," she answered, sort of confused why he strayed ever so slightly.

"Oh really? I know that because I followed Ladybug after she dropped me off. If you truly did stay far away from the akuma, you wouldn't have known. So tell me, pipsqueak, how do you know that information? Alya was trapped by the akuma, and that would be the only other logical explanation besides you chasing the akuma. And I didn't see you anywhere… care to explain, missy?"

Busted, she thought as he crossed his arms stubbornly over his chest. "I-I-I wa-as, hiding?"

"You seem unsure."

"I'm positive, I was hiding."

"Doubtful. You're doing that nervous toe tap you do when you're lying," he accused, and glancing down, she realized that she indeed was tapping her toes. She threw him a nervous half smile as she stood stock still, hoping he would be convinced, but judging by the tilt of his brow, he wasn't convinced. In fact, he looked even more suspicious of her.

"Second to last question, why do you have the same injuries as Ladybug?" Marinette was about to correct him, but he interrupted with a raise of his hand. "You don't fool me for a second, I saw you limping and not using your dominant hand this afternoon."

"Uhm, coincidence?" she said in question once more, feeling as if she's only burying herself deeper in her grave.

"Final question: are you Ladybug?"

That final question was the final nail to her grave. She almost fell on her backside at how accurate his suspicions were, but she still couldn't tell him, it was too dangerous. "L-Ladybug?! You can't be serious, Anthony. She's a hero, and I'm-"

"A smart and resourceful girl? I've spent the time while you were in school to catch up on the Ladyblog, and Ladybug is also smart and resourceful with all of those random 'lucky charms' she gets."

"There's plenty of smart and resourceful girls in Paris, Anthony," she sighed, a little more confident in this way out, hoping she could turn his own words against him.

"I've seen you do things like that when we were kids, Marbear. You used to create 'art' with anything you found in the house, and would invent random things, and they all seemed to work out. Don't think I didn't recognize Ladybug's little projector for Le Mime, you used to make those all the time."

Marinette couldn't give him a proper explanation past that, so she spluttered a few times before giving up. She really didn't know what to do, and Anthony knew it. He smirked in triumph as he leaned back in the chair, crossing his hands over his lap, and his right leg draped over his left. She could only scowl at him with her own arms crossed. "So, sis, how do you become the ever-elusive Lady Luck?" he asked with a teasing lilt to his voice.

"That would be me," a new voice said. Marinette knew it was Tikki, but he didn't know. Tikki came right up to Anthony's face, startling him. Unfortunately, he was leaning too far back for such a surprise, because just like in Marinette fashion, he fell backwards. Marinette was slightly surprised that a large man like himself could release such a girlish squeal on par with hers. "Oh, goodness! Anthony, are you alright?!"

"Meh, he'll be alright. He does that quite often."

"If so, then it's no surprise he's related to you then," Tikki teased.

"Oh hush, you," she lightly chastised her little sprite-like friend.

"M-Marbear? What the hell is that?" Anthony interjected, with an obvious sense of fear.

"Anthony, this is Tikki, she is a god-like being called a kwami. She grants me the ability to become Ladybug," she introduced while helping him into a standing position. She fixed the chair while Anthony stood dumbstruck as Tikki floated over to him.

"Pleased to finally meet you, Anthony. Marinette has spoken much of you since yesterday," she giggled at her own little joke, which wasn't missed by Marinette who sent a scowl her way. "Sorry if I startled you, you should've seen how Marinette acted when we first met."

"Hey!"

"N-nice to meet you too, Tikki," he responded awkwardly. Tikki twirled around in the air in glee at meeting someone new. "So, you turn Mari into Ladybug? How?"

"I'm sure you've kept up with the Ladyblog?"

"As of an hour ago," he winked at Marinette, who once again rolled her eyes.

"Well then you must have heard the term 'miraculous' being tossed around, you even should've heard it, being as close as you were."

"Which, by the way, we will talk about later," Marinette interjected in a mother-like tone.

"Anyway," Tikki continued. "With a key phrase, I bond with Marinette's miraculous, magically turning her into Ladybug. I give her a powerful suit and certain magical abilities, like her 'lucky charm' and miraculous cure. The suit itself helps to prevent extreme injuries on her person, and also projects a sort of glamour that protects her identity from others. Even her own partner doesn't know who she is."

"Really? So him saving you was a coincidence?" he asked Marinette.

"Pure coincidence. However, him and I have been getting closer over the last couple years," she responded off-handedly.

"What? Why would a hero become close with a civilian? Isn't that dangerous?"

"Well, it could be, I guess. But him and I have been getting closer since he confessed his feelings to me about… well, Ladybug."

"Huh, so let me get this straight… Chat Noir, a super hero, is in love with Ladybug, which is you. He unwittingly confessed his feelings about Ladybug-you to Marinette-you, and you allowed that, and you became close to him as Marinette?"

"Now that you put it that way, it does sound confusing. Actually, that was the day Glaciator attacked. I went on a group date with Nino and Alya and Meléne and Ivan, and was supposed to go with Adrien, but he didn't show up. I came home depressed and by myself, and Chat Noir was on a nearby rooftop. He called out to me and we began talking. He told me that he was expecting Ladybug and that he had a surprise for her, instead he took me to see it. That's when he confessed his feelings about Ladybug to me, and simultaneously I told him that I don't have much luck in the romance department either. A few days after the Glaciator incident, he came by and didn't stop his visits. It might not be romantic, but him and I have gotten very close."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense," he admitted. "So, you see nothing romantic in him whatsoever?" he asked, curious.

"Well, I'm not sure. If you asked me a year or two ago, I would've said no, that he was a major flirt and most likely a playboy. However, now, I'm not entirely certain that's correct. Sure, he's still a major flirt, and a dork, but I know that he's genuine. He would never lie to me, in either form. I trust him with my life," she confessed with a smile. She turned her gaze to Tikki and Anthony, Tikki had a knowing smile (she wasn't sure what she knew, though) and Anthony had a gradual smirk growing on his face. "But no, I don't see him in a romantic light, in either form."

"Yet," both Tikki and Anthony chorused, both laughing at how in sync they were, and even sharing a mini high five. Marinette grumbled at them before she walked over to her chaise, sitting down with a 'humph.' Anthony and Tikki shared another look with each other before making their way over to her.

"Oh, Marinette, you know we are only teasing," Anthony tried to console.

"Yes, Marinette. However, you can't deny the fact that you two are soul mates," Tikki added.

"Soulmates?!" Anthony exclaimed before being hushed by both girls. "Sorry."

"It's quite alright. Yes, her and Chat Noir are soul mates. However, soulmates don't necessarily restrict to the romantic sense; soulmates can be close friends, family, or even enemies. They are defined as perfect opposites that conform and complete each other. You two would almost be considered soulmates, but there are too many ways you are similar, I apologize."

"It's okay, I don't think I would want to be considered a soulmate with this thing," he stated while pointing to Marinette, who grabbed his thumb and twisted it backwards. "Ouch! Watch yourself, pipsqueak!"

"I can say the same for you, broccoli bean!"

"I thought I told you never to call me that," he grumbled.

"Yes, and I also told you not to call me pipsqueak, so we're even."

"Yeah, yeah. So, Tikki, you don't know if they would be soulmates in the romantic sense or not?"

"Well, I know for certain they aren't soulmates in the enemy term," Tikki stated. Her face turned a strange mix of solemn and teasing, but mostly caring. "As for the romantic or platonic sense, that is something they have to find out."

"Oh Tikki, that's what you always say," Marinette complained as she threw herself down onto her chaise, which was mostly taken over by her brother.

"Well, I have a feeling Tikki knows what she's talking about."

"That's right, I should know. I've been here with humans since the beginning, and I know a thing or two about their relationships. You should trust me and what I say, Marinette, but most importantly trust yourself."

"Alright, Tikki, I don't need any more insightful speeches," Marinette lightly scolded as she tickled Tikki on her small stomach, making her giggle. "So, what do you think, Tony?"

"Honestly, I'm terrified. You're risking your own life almost every day as Ladybug, and despite having magical abilities, you could still get hurt. As your big brother, I feel responsible for your safety."

"Tony, you shouldn't feel responsible for that, I'm a grown woman now."

"But you're still my baby sister, Marinette, and I will always have that responsibility, even when you get married. However, despite my fear, I am mostly proud. Proud that clumsy little Marbear is the strong and confident, even sassy, Ladybug, heroine of Paris. I couldn't be more proud of a growing young lady who has so much on her shoulders yet faces every day with a vibrant smile. Please, never change, Marbear."

"Don't worry, I won't," she promised with a giggle, giving her brother a tight hug.

"Speaking of… you were injured on your leg and right arm, weren't you? Do you want some ice?"

"I think I might start with a bath, to heat it up first, and then I'll ice it."

"I can help with that if you want."

"Thanks, Anthony."

"Any way I can help. I know I'm useless as a brother, so I might as well try to help in any way I can," he teased as he dramatically sulked towards her trapdoor.

"Oh, don't act like that, you know you're not useless."

"Perhaps not," he drawled as he opened her door and walked halfway down her stairs. "However, I'm sure you would choose your kitty over me if you had the choice," he winked. He only had a moment before she threw the pillow from her chaise at his head. He dodged her throw with a booming laugh and ran the rest of the way down the stairs.

"I swear, Anthony Dupain-Cheng, I will kick your butt when I catch you!"

"Marinette! Don't yell so loud in this house!" her mother chastised.

"Sorry, maman," she said as she groaned and slumped back on her chaise.

Tikki floated over and giggled at her charge. "Oh Marinette, you are so adorable."

"Oh hush, you. You didn't help me back there, now he has more fuel to tease me!"

"You'll survive, Marinette. He does love you, and he only has a few weeks with you until he needs to leave again."

"I guess that's true, and I haven't seen him in person for years, so I guess I'll just have to suffer."

"That's the spirit, Marinette!" Tikki cheered, clearly ignoring Marinette's sarcasm.

"I guess. Anyways, if I want to finish that project that's due tomorrow, I need to take a bath now."

"Okay, I'll wait out here. Maybe I'll go visit Anthony."

"That sounds good, just make sure to stay hidden."

"Will do, enjoy your bath."

After a good half-hour soak in the tub, Marinette climbed back into her room and changed into her pajamas, reluctantly getting started on her homework. About another half-hour later, she was practically done with her project when she got another knock on her door, and turning, she saw that it was Anthony. He held a plate full of an assortment of cookies, and a smiling Tikki on his shoulder. "Well, it looks like someone got close," she commented humorously.

"Of course, she's a delight," Anthony cheered.

"Yeah, you're not too bad yourself, boy," Tikki giggled, making him deflate. "How are you feeling Marinette?"

"I'm feeling better, actually. The heat really helped with the cramping," she answered.

"That's good, so ice should be able to help more," Anthony cut in, seemingly undisturbed by Tikki's earlier teasing. "Whatcha working on, squirt?"

"I'm not a squirt, but I was working on a class project that was assigned yesterday that's due tomorrow. I just have a couple more things to work on before I'm done."

"How long do you think it'll take?"

"Perhaps ten minutes, tops."

"Great! I'll go get some chocolat chaud and be back up with some ice in about ten minutes," he saluted and retreated downstairs, politely closing her door on his way out.

Marinette and Tikki glanced to each other before bursting into giggles. "Anthony is so cute," Tikki commented.

"If you mean dorky but nice and considerate, then yes, he is cute. He's always been the loving and supportive older brother, even when we were smaller. Being six years older than me, he was able to watch me when I was a baby. The bakery was still relatively new when I was born, and my parents had to go right back to work when my maman was better after having me. That left Anthony to watch and take care of me since I was a few days old."

"Wow, I never knew that."

"I'm sorry, you wouldn't have known that unless I said before. But that explains why we're so close, even now. We are so similar because I'm practically a miniature version of him, which I guess I don't mind," she shrugged, making Tikki giggle before silence fell on them so she could finish her homework.

Just like she guessed, it took roughly ten minutes to finish, so at the ten-minute mark she was just placing the project in an extra bag when she heard the expected knock on her door. "Marbear? Are you done with your homework?"

"Yes I am, Tony. You can come up." With that permission, Anthony entered her room with yet another tray, this time with chocolat chaud and some packs of ice. They went up to her chaise and set up so they would be comfortable before sitting down themselves. There was a few minutes of silence as they sat down and Marinette put ice on her sore leg, laying it on top of Anthony's lap. "Thank you, Anthony, this means a lot."

"How often do you get hurt by an akuma?"

"Not very often, it is normally a scratch or a small bruise if it all. These types of akumas are fairly rare, so you don't need to worry about it."

"I don't think I could just 'stop' being worried. I put a lot of time and investment into you, and I don't want you damaged," he commented dryly before laughing as Marinette hit him with a pillow, before wincing and placing it behind her back again. Her dominant hand would need to be iced, but she didn't want her chocolat chaud getting cold. Sucking it up, she placed ice on her arm with her left and held the mug with her right. "Do you have any scars?" he asked hesitantly.

Marinette looked at him surprised. Was he truly that worried over her? Looking into his pleading eyes, he noticed that he was practically begging her to say 'no.' She smiled before answering him. "No, I don't have any scars. It has never gotten that bad with akumas. It's mostly Chat Noir who takes the hits, but if anything, the worst injuries would be brainwashing, but the cure wipes that away. I've had many serious talks with him, and we agreed that if either of us got scars or seriously injured while fighting an akuma, we would visit Master Fu," she confessed.

"Who's Master Fu?" he asked, curious. Marinette's eyes bugged from her head when she realized her slip up, quickly banging her forehead on the back of her chaise for her mistake.

"Marinette, please stop, you will injure yourself further," Tikki pleaded. "I know you thought you slipped up, but he already knows you're Ladybug, nothing is wrong with him knowing who Master Fu is. We just won't tell him where he lives unless it's absolutely necessary."

"I guess you're right, Tikki, thanks," Marinette said with sincerity.

"Who's Master Fu?"

Tikki took it upon herself to explain who Master Fu was so Marinette could just relax. "Master Fu is the current Guardian of the miraculous'. The Guardian is a person designated to protect and distribute them to chosen holders, he was the one who bestowed the Ladybug miraculous to Marinette and the Chat Noir miraculous to Chat Noir. He is in possession of all but two of the other miraculous stones."

"So one, I'm assuming, is Hawkmoth?"

"That's correct."

"And the other one?"

"That is the peacock miraculous. No one knows where that one is, it disappeared approximately seventy-five years ago."

"Oh, what a shame. I have confidence that Marbear and Chat Noir will take Hawkmoth's miraculous and find the peacock miraculous!" he stood up dramatically making a pose. Marinette probably would have laughed at his antics, and she tried, but the sudden movement hurt her arm and her leg, which was lying on top of his lap. She almost spilled her drink, too, but she expected his dorkiness to show so she was able to prevent any other accidents from occurring. She sent a playful glare to him, which he responded with a nervous chuckle and a hushed apology before sitting down. "So, in short, Master Fu is the one responsible for choosing new holders and giving them the miraculous?"

"Not exactly. Most of the time, yes, he could do that, but he doesn't. For Marinette and Chat Noir, he presented a test around Paris, and only a handful were able to set aside their time and help him. But when it came to an actual chosen, Plagg and I chose Marinette and Chat Noir instead of being 'assigned.'"

"So do the other miraculous get to choose their holders?"

"Unfortunately not."

"Then how come you two got to choose?"

"If you haven't figured it out, Plagg and I are the most powerful kwamis and, in conjunction, our miraculous' are the most powerful of any of them. Plagg and I actually represent Yin and Yang, creation and destruction, good luck and bad, light and darkness."

"Oh, that makes sense. That also explains the cryptic statement you said earlier," he poked at her stomach, eliciting another giggle from her. "Do you happen to know who Chat Noir is?"

Tikki was on her way to grab another cookie before she stopped midair at his question. Her body turned from a dark pink color to a slightly more red color before reverting back to normal. She turned her eyes back to the pair who were staring questioningly at her. She gave them a small smile, and Marinette noticed the knowing smirk at the corner of her lips and the twinkle of mischief in her eyes. Anthony, however, didn't know Tikki as well, so he figured she was just sending a nice smile their way, but Marinette knew, and it irked her how Tikki continued to tease her. "Oh yea, I know Chat Noir. I've known who he was for the last couple years."

"What?! Tikki, why didn't you tell me you knew?" Marinette cried, and Tikki's façade only altered slightly as she gave a small guilty smile.

"I didn't think it was important that you knew of my knowledge of him. You didn't want to know who he was, so I never bothered in telling you. Besides, it never came up in a conversation," she winked teasingly at Marinette before actually grabbing a cookie. Marinette could only huff in exasperation at how sly and cunning her kwami was, but wasn't surprised given how old she was.

"Did I miss something?" Anthony asked as he glanced between the two.

"Oh, not much, just that Marinette never told me about you or the fact that she had a brother."

"Ah, so there's a little strife between you because of that little 'secret'?"

"No, it's just fun to tease her from time to time."

"I can agree with that," Anthony commented before being hit once more by Marinette, this time with her good leg.

"I hate you two," she mumbled into her mug with a deep blush.

"We love you too, Marinette," Tikki complimented as she hugged her cheek with a giggle, Anthony joining in with a pat on her leg.

The rest of the night went along smoothly, with Marinette icing her leg and then keeping it off for twenty minutes at a time. Shortly after their conversation about Master Fu, she received an email from the school stating that school would be cancelled the next day due to how many were injured from the akuma. Their family played a few games after dinner to release the tension that filled the house, and were released to their room roughly around nine. Anthony didn't get much sleep that day, so he went to bed early along with their parents. Marinette couldn't sleep due to the cramping in her leg, so she stayed up to ice it and design. Her arm was completely healed up, due to it not being affected for as long as her leg. Tikki has long since been asleep in a stack of pillows, so Marinette was just working by candlelight at her desk, before she was interrupted by a small series of knocks on her window. Glancing up, she saw bright green cat eyes peering at her, and with a scoff and roll of her eyes, she lightly called, "it's open," to let her kitty in.

He easily and deftly crept into her room before sauntering over to her. "Good evening, purrrincess," he purred while grabbing her hand and kissing her knuckles. "You look as lovely as ever."

"Ha ha, very funny Chat. You know, you shouldn't flirt so shamelessly with random girls," she admonished while pushing him back by his nose.

He wiggled his nose in response before giving her a slight glare. "I don't flirt with random girls, princess, just the most beautiful," he winked and ignored her scoff. "Also, I'm not joking about you being lovely, Marinette. I was serious about that."

"Yeah, right. I probably look a mess right now."

"Let's see now," he stated as he turned her chair to face him directly. He kneeled in front of her, which made him only slightly lower than her eye level. She froze as she noticed his piercing gaze analyzing her very soul. "I see a beautiful young woman with smooth, ivory skin, perfectly marked with adorable freckles. She has stunning, sky blue eyes that hold the most optimism and passion I've ever seen. Her jet-black hair could rival the night sky, and her lips," he cut himself off and quickly glanced at her lips. She dared not lick her suddenly dry lips in fear of encouraging him somehow. "the prettiest shade of pink I've ever seen, and they're not too big nor too small, but just… perfect. Just like their owner," he finished in a low tone as his eyes slightly turned lidded, but perhaps that was her imagination.

She gulped before scoffing again, attempting to contain her blush. Blush? Luckily for her, her alarm ruined the moment. She quickly stood up, careful not to knock over Chat in her haste, and politely excused herself to go downstairs. Marinette took the opportunity alone to collect her thought about what just happened. What just happened? she asked herself. She knew he flirted with her, well, both personas, at first it was Ladybug and now Marinette. However, she felt like this type of flirting was different from the rest. Occasionally, he would spout some nonsense, complimenting her randomly. Tonight, though, he told her about things he admired about her straightforward, at least about her face. If I didn't know any better, I would think he might have a crush on me. She shook her head, simultaneously shaking the thought away. Why would he crush on Marinette? Sure, they have been getting to know each other a lot better the last few years, but still, that doesn't mean he got over Ladybug to go for Marinette, despite them being the same person. She took a deep breath to clear her thoughts as she brewed some chocolat chaud before grabbing some ice and walking back upstairs.

Meanwhile, Adrien appeared to be as calm as a lounging cat, key word: appeared. Inside, he was having a mental breakdown. He just wanted to prove to her how truly beautiful she was, despite him restricting himself to only complimenting her visage. When she left, he realized that everything he said could have been taken as him flirting with her, as per usual. Why can't I just compliment her without it sounding like I'm flirting?! he angrily asked himself. He could almost hear Plagg answering something about being a suave catsonova, just like all of his previous kittens. Adrien grumbled as he began pacing around the room. He really needed to have her know that he didn't flirt with just any female he saw; he wasn't that much of a tom cat. He certainly didn't mean to flirt with her, despite having a developing crush on her, which he still feared to admit. He meant everything he said, and he wasn't going to take any of it back, but he needed to let her know that he was just being friendly.

Chat was startled from his thoughts when he heard her making her way back up her staircase with a tray. He quickly threw his trauma aside as he went to help her. "Let me help you, princess," he suggested, before he realized that his voice was about an octave lower than he intended. He cleared his throat as he took the tray from her, which was surprisingly heavy, and set it on her table. She followed close behind and took the cover off the tray, revealing two mugs of chocolat chaud, a plate of cookies, and… an ice pack? Marinette brought him out of his musings by offering one of the mugs to him and a cookie, which he mumbled a quiet, "thank you, Marinette."

She nodded and offered her rolling chair as she grabbed her mug, a couple cookies, and the ice pack and made her way to her chaise. There was a moment of silence as they both sipped from their mugs and tried a bite of cookie. Chat hesitantly broke the silence, "listen, Mari, I didn't mean to sound like I was flirting earlier. I was honestly trying to compliment you, please don't take offense."

"No worries, Kitty," she giggled, which most assuredly did not make his heart skip a beat. "I didn't think you were actually flirting with me, you were much too serious for that," he pouted lightly at her. "Sure, it sounded like you were flirting, but I know your real flirting. I just don't really take compliments like that very well, sorry," she awkwardly ducked her head and scratched her neck.

"No need to apologize, princess. I understand how difficult it is to accept certain compliments, but everything I said is true, and I'm not taking anything back," he affirmed as he sipped his chocolat chaud in mock elegance with his legs crossed and his pinkie raised.

Marinette laughed more genuinely this time before responding, "okay, I won't make you." Silence ensued once more, but this time was more peaceful. It was only interrupted as Chat wheeled himself over close to her chaise. "So… what happened to your leg, princess?"

"Oh, I was just hit by the akuma earlier, that's all."

"I thought I took you to safety?" he rose a brow.

"Don't worry, you did. But being a friend with the Ladyblogger, my curiosity got the better of me."

"Curiosity killed the cat you know," he admonished.

"But satisfaction brought it back," she quipped with a wink, internally cringing as she stole one of his most famous arguments against Ladybug. He only chuckled in response, before scowling once more. "Were you hurt anywhere else?"

Marinette thought about it before answering, "No, I wasn't. I ran away as quickly as possible after I encountered the akuma." She couldn't have Chat Noir knowing that she had the same exact injuries as Ladybug, that would be too suspicious. She could handle sharing one similar injury.

"Good," he commented after he stared at her for a moment, expecting a quirk of her lying or some other body part in pain, but finding none. Marinette released a silent breath of relief as he shrugged his shoulders and laid his back against her chair. Silence fell on them once more as they continued drinking their chocolat chaud and finished the plate of cookies. "How badly was it injured?" he inquired quietly.

"Not too bad," she answered honestly. "Just a little sore, like I overworked it or something. It's not too serious. It might be better by the morning."

"I hope," he grumbled, still slightly glaring her way.

"Don't look at me like that, I couldn't help it."

"You could have if you just followed my instructions and stayed away from the akuma."

"Alya would've killed me if I didn't get any footage!"

"The akuma could've easily killed you too!" he near shouted before he caught himself. Marinette was stunned when she saw the genuine look in his eyes as he turned away from her in embarrassment. The longer she stared the more she realized that he began to curl into himself.

She let herself give him a soft smile, though he hasn't looked at her yet, before she reached forward to turn his face her way. Marinette had to be careful or she would fall off her chaise and, despite this being a serious conversation, he wouldn't be able to resist giving his, 'falling for me princess?' line again as he has done many times before. She reached his face and gently grabbed just past his chin to turn him towards her, finally showing her reassuring smile to him. "I know you're concerned about my well-being, Chat, but I'm fine. Sure, there's no guarantee that something like this can happen again, and I can't promise that I won't be hurt, but I can promise that I'll be more careful," she tried to reassure him.

She could tell that he was analyzing her once more to see if she was lying to him, which she was confident that he wouldn't find, before his slackened his tense body and gave her a soft smile of his own. "Thank you, princess. A promise to at least try to remain safe is better than no promise at all. I'll accept this, for now," he stated before his smile turned into a sly smirk. "And if you break your promise, I'll have to punish you."

Marinette hesitated, her arm slightly shaking as she asked, "what do you mean, punish?" in a quiet tone, slightly fearing his answer. His smirk turned carnal as he gently grabbed her wrist before she could retreat and gave her palm a big lick. "EW!" she near screeched as she tried to pull her arm back to no avail. "That's so gross, Chat!"

Still holding onto her wrist, he gave her forearm a long lick as well, receiving another delightful shriek out of her. This is somewhat fun, teasing her like this. I guess she hasn't grown out of her 'cooties' stage yet, he thought with a smirk. Luckily for Marinette, though, Chat thought he has teased her enough… for now. Releasing her arm, which she instantly pulled close to herself, he noticed that her face could rival Ladybug's suit. He could practically see the steam rising from her, whether it be from her ears in anger or her face in embarrassment. Either way, he reveled in seeing her like this. Despite Marinette and Adrien becoming closer over the years, she still doesn't display very many emotions around Adrien as she does Chat Noir. I wonder why she isn't as expressive with Adrien, he wondered to himself.

He was suddenly brought back from his thoughts when said young lady stood directly in front of him, almost nose to nose with him. "Now listen here, you alley cat. You can't go around licking random strangers, and as punishment no less!"

"But you're not a stranger, princess," he retorted in a sultry tone, which she ignored.

"Nevertheless, you don't have any right to punish me like a child. I'm a young adult now."

"So I've noticed," he admired as he looked her over before he could stop himself. It was a simple gesture, meant to be teasing, but once the words spilled from his mouth, he realized it sounded dirty. The two just stood their gaping at each other, horrified over what he just said. Marinette's cheeks were the only ones affected, being a bright pink hue, while Adrien could feel his whole face turn ablaze in embarrassment. "I-I-I didn't m-mean that, princess," he tried to apologize but cut himself short as Marinette's blush faded ever so slightly and her gape turned into a deep smirk. He didn't like that look.

"Oh? Then how did you mean it? Either you were flirting again, or you finally noticed my feminine charm has made its appearance," she stated while flipping her hair, which Chat just now noticed was loose from her signature pigtails. Chat couldn't help but laugh at her phrasing, thankful that she eased his stress, whether it be intentional or accidental.

Chat was also slightly unnerved that both of her guesses were actually correct, for the most part: he can't help but flirt with her, since the beginning but especially after all the times they've hung out with each other, and she certainly has become a beautiful young lady. No wonder he's developed a crush on her; she was smart, kind, and beautiful. If only I knew of her crush earlier, he thought to himself, but then stopped. If he knew of her feelings before, he would've had to deny her because of Ladybug. Although they never engaged in a relationship, and most likely won't any time soon, he would've felt like he was cheating on Ladybug if he liked another girl, no matter how awesome Marinette was. And now, after so many years, Chat and Ladybug had an intense talk about their partnership. It was actually on Christmas that he mentioned off-handedly that he had an intense crush on her since they first fought Stoneheart. After a deep conversation about it, they settled on just being partners, and best friends than to try to engage in a relationship. They agreed that a superhero relationship would be dangerous, especially when they didn't know each other's identities. Ladybug believed that knowing the other's identity would be more dangerous, but Chat disagreed. Either way, after he confessed and they decided to just be friends, he felt an immense weight lift from his shoulders. He was glad he took Marinette's confession to Adrien as reference, he felt much better after admitting what has been troubling him over the years.

Surprisingly enough, she confessed to Adrien only weeks before he confessed to Ladybug. But once he confessed to her, only a few days passed before he realized he was developing a small crush on the fashion designer. It was small at first but developed into an even larger crush than he's had on Ladybug. Frighteningly enough, he didn't realize it was that massive until just the other day, and only increased today with the akuma and how she was hurt.

He realized a little late that he hasn't answered her insinuation earlier, and she was just standing there with a slightly strained smile awaiting his reply. He subtly shook his head to clear his thoughts, before responding. "Yeah, I guess so," he replied lamely. Chat was inwardly smacking his head at how stupid he sounded. Seriously?! You call yourself a catsanova, that was seriously so lame! He could practically hear Plagg snickering at him from within the ring. Luckily, his savior came from the bell-like laughter coming from the young lady.

"Really, that's your response, 'I guess so'? I thought a flirt like yourself would've come up with something more suave than that," she smirked.

"What can I say," he shrugged nonchalant, attempting to regain his 'suave' composure. "Your beauty just leaves me speechless." He mentally pat himself on his back at how his charm came back. He noticed with a hint of satisfaction that Marinette's eyes bugged ever so slightly, mouth opening a little in a small gasp, and her blush returning. However, this expression quickly disappeared as she scoffed and went back to laying on her chaise to ice her leg once more.

Chat's expression softened again as he followed close behind her, gently moving her legs so he could sit next to her, much in the same position that Anthony sat in earlier, not that he would know. Marinette quirked a brow at him as he gently set her legs atop his own, allowing her better comfort, before sending a small smile her way. Those smiles of his always caught her off guard and she could never beat down her blush in time before he could notice. This time, however, he didn't tease her about it, instead reached to her feet and began to rub them. She thought he was acting a little strange tonight, but as long as he was happy that was all that mattered. He continued rubbing her feet as she relaxed into her chaise, getting used to the ice on her leg. Luckily, she wore a capris type pant for pajamas, seeing how her room was very warm; too warm for long pants but too cold for shorts. She was glad she wasn't wearing shorts, she would've been embarrassed wearing them around Chat, for some reason she couldn't fathom. She belatedly noticed that as he was rubbing her feet, he began purring. She became confused as she thought back to her knowledge of cats. Normally cats only purr if they feel comfortable in their environment, so either Chat felt comfortable here or he was purring to make her feel better. She was hoping for the former, but both options were good. His deep voice, influenced by his purring, broke her from her thoughts. "How does your leg feel, princess?"

"It feels a lot better; I'm hoping it does feel better in the morning. I don't like limping," she admitted while making a face, causing him to chuckle lowly at her. She won't admit that his deep voice made her shiver, nope. They fell into another peaceful silence as his purring continued and he kept rubbing her feet, now starting to rub up her calves. "Chat, is something wrong?"

"What do you mean, princess?"

"I don't know, something just seems… off. What's up? Do you want to talk about it?"

Adrien thought for a moment, trying to think of what she could be talking about. Honestly, there was nothing really wrong, besides his worry over her well-being. But then, when he really thought of it, if anything was bothering him, it was probably his developing crush on her. But he wasn't going to admit to that. Not yet. He chuckled once more before responding, "honestly, Marinette, nothing is wrong. Nothing I wish to speak about." Marinette gave him an imploring look, silently asking him to elaborate. That look made him hurt inside, seeing her so worried about him over nothing. His nerves, however, prevented him from telling her right out about his feelings, much like with Ladybug, perhaps worse. He gave her another soft, genuine smile as he reached for her hands and brought them a few inches from his face. "Truly, princess, nothing is wrong. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Something I've been thinking about over the past few days is making me quite lethargic. I couldn't be happier! Well, I could but not at this moment. I promise, once I have the courage to talk about it, you will be the first to know. I purrromise," he joked, albeit genuinely, while kissing her knuckles slowly.

Marinette could feel her face burn ferociously once again at his genuine promise. She could just tell that he was telling the truth, and she couldn't feel happier. She gave him one of her own smiles as she gently tried taking her hands away, only to have Chat gently keep a tight grip on her knuckles, rubbing his thumb pads across them. She raised another curious brow at him as he stared off into space, while sort of staring at her hands. After a moment, he looked up at her and returned her smile. It only lasted a moment though, before it turned into a smirk for some reason. She rolled her eyes as she forcefully took her hands from him, this time he let her, before he returned to rubbing her feet and calves. "You don't have to rub my feet you know; they're not injured."

"I know, I just want to. Is that so bad?"

"Well, no, thank you."

"It's a pleasure. Although, would you like be to rub your whole leg?" he insinuated with a carnal smirk and a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows. This time, Marinette rolled her eyes and leaned closer, slightly catching him by surprise.

"No thank you. You know what they say about strays: let them inside and they'll never leave, especially if you give them too much of a good thing," she said in a deeper voice than she thought she would.

"Oh? Are you saying you're that good thing?" he responded in the same deep tone.

"Purrrhaps," she punned, watching his eyes light up ever so slightly. "Why else would you be coming back?"

They were so into their bickering, as normal, that they didn't realize they were nose to nose, much like earlier. Adrien's pulse was racing, he was just so close to her that he could kiss her and get away with it, but he didn't want to push her into something she might not want. He continued with their game though, despite the sure-tell sign of a heart attack coming. "Cookies, of course," he finally responded.

"Of course it's the cookies you want," she lightly admonished as she sat back in her seat going back to relaxing, this time with her eyes closed. Chat automatically went back to rubbing her feet and purring, hoping to lull her into sleep. She seemed tired after the long day she had.

It didn't take long for his assumption to be correct, with her falling asleep fairly quickly. He felt bad that he wouldn't be able to put the ice pack away, not without her permission to go through her house, but he figured she could just put it away in the morning. Ever so gently, he lifted the petite young woman up, carefully jumping up to her loft and placing her underneath her covers, tucking her in so she would be warm. Once she was settled, he went down and turned off her lights and was about to leave when he heard a weak, "Chat?" Quickly looking up, he noticed she slightly sat up to look for him.

"I'm here, princess," he comforted as he jumped up next to her bed.

"Thank you," she said softly after she yawned. He was confused as to why she thanked him. His confusion apparently showed, because she softly giggled before elaborating. "You were here for me tonight, I didn't even realize I needed someone to talk with, or even spend time with. So, thank you. Just know you can talk to me anytime, kitty."

"Of course, princess, I will take you up on your offer someday."

"Good night, kitty."

"Sweet dreams, princess," he near whispered as she fell asleep. He waited a minute until he knew she fell asleep. He pushed away her bangs, reveling in their softness, before he pressed a light kiss upon her temple. "See you soon, Marinette." With that, he quietly crept out the window, locked it with his claws, and left for his own home.

Hello, beautiful people! As I stated in the earlier note, the strange word choice was using the word 'lethargic' when Chat Noir was talking about his emotions. For the purpose of the statement, the word is supposed to mean 'sluggish' or 'slow.' English is weird for me, despite being my first language. I tend to use bigger words not a lot of people understand, so I just wanted to be sure you guys understood where I was going with that... As stated before, I have a couple more chapters completed, but I would like to keep on top of them before posting. With my online class and another story I'm trying to finish, it might take about another month again, just so you're warned! But hopefully you kiddos will stay with me as I continue this fun story! Stay tuned!