"Burger Klean?" Marinette laughed loudly, "I seriously did not have you penned as a regular here!" She teased him, "least I don't need to worry about my attire." Looking down at their respective clothing, "I think we're a little over dressed if anything." Giggling she cocked her brow at Adrien.

"What!?" Adrien feigned hurt at her words and placed his open hand over his heart. "You wound me DC!" He jested as she rolled her eyes playfully. "Thought this would be better than some fancy restaurant, more casual." He added.

"Ha! Exaggerate much," Marinette teased him back with a nudge. "You're right though," agreeing with him as she walked past him, waltzing her way into the restaurant smiling broadly.

He gazed after her lovingly, watching how the room seemed to light up around her. Meeting his gaze as she stopped, she looked quizzically back at his stationary stature.

"You coming, or...?" She hollered over to Adrien, who was unknowingly blocking the entrance.

He walked up behind her and they made their way to the counter, ordered their food then collected their take away bags. Heading towards the banks of the Seine, Adrien picked up some glasses and a tourist hat, in an attempt to stop the ogling of passers by.

The glasses, big and silver, Marinette disliked due to her distorted reflection staring back at her. The hat caused a knotting sensation in her stomach as she saw it in all its glory, perched atop of Adrien's head.

"Do I look like Chat Noir?" He smiled cheekily, placing the black peaked cap over his blonde locks, and tweaking the attached ears.

Fuck off this is not happening.

Marinette stared blankly at him, biting the inside of her cheek. "You're missing his bell," she replied wryly shooting a glance at his hat.

"Oh it comes with one!" He added chirpily, as he clumsily slung the elasticated straps around his neck

No fucking way.

Turning away from him as, surprise surprise, his dark clothing, mixed with the new additions made her stomach churn uncomfortably. Sighing as her thoughts turned to her partner/possible love interest/friend...

I don't even know anymore.

"You ok," he tilted his head as he peered at her, knowing she was probably in slight turmoil due to his attire. "Should I loose the bell?"

He's not to know, snap out of it!

"No, I'm fine." Her airy reply told him the bluenette was most definitely not fine.

Feeling slightly guilty, Adrien undone the bell and slipped it into his pocket.

"Maybe lose the the glasses," she suggested. "I really don't want to see myself right now."

He did as was said, and popped them into his pocket also. "All done," he beamed as he walked in front to face her, "better?"

"Much," her smile was strained but approving. "Thanks."

"Sooo... lets get down to business," changing the subject seemed like a good idea to Adrien. "What would you like to know first?" He asked as they strolled down the street, heading for the water.

"Hmm," Marinette touched her pink lips with the pointed forefinger of her free hand. "What is the deal with Chase? Why does he make my skin crawl?" Grimacing with her words, a chill carried down her spine.

"A bit slimy, isn't he?" Marinette nodded, agreeing with his description. "He started at my fathers company about seven years ago, around about the time Hawkmoth appeared." Her eyes darted to Adrien, his demeanour was casual as he spoke, no tension, assessing him, Marinette listened to his words. "He always says he is one of the most prestigious designers to come from l'Ecole Supérieure des Arts et techniques de la Mode, but unless he is collaborating with another designer, his designs, especially in the past two years have lacked."

They reached a bench, which Adrien gestured they sit down on, they got out their food as Adrien continued. "I originally thought he might have been Hawkmoth-"

"Why?" Marinette asked without hesitation, causing Adrien to jolt slightly at her question.

"Because when I had been in the house, doing bits for my father after school and such, he seemed to disappear regularly, then I noticed Akuma attacks would happen just after..." He took a bite of his french fry before continuing. "But then some designs started getting leaked and I started to wonder if it could have just been a coincidence. He just always seems to be calculating something, always has this look about him...and pops up where you least expect him to be."

Marinette nodded with his thinking, assessing the information for herself.

"So I started to get the Akuma Alerts on my mobile, and noticed his disappearance would be just after I had received one. Leading me to think that he is the one who is leaking the designs..." taking a sip of his drink, he watched Marinette's face scrunch in thought. The way her lips pursed to the side, and her brow furrowed had him mesmerised, Marinette's eyes watched the water as she was analysing the details.

How can she still look so beautiful?

"That's quite observant of you." She commented. "Especially for a teenage boy at the time."

"That is not what I was expecting you to say," he seemed puzzled by her comment. "Hasn't everyone looked at the people around them and wondered?"

"From my experience people have always wanted to find out about Ladybug and Chat too, have you ever told anyone your thoughts on him?" She asked, with a calculating look.

"I have spoken to my father and Nathalie about the possibility he is leaking the designs, but not about the Hawkmoth part." He bit into another chip.

"Why not about the Hawkmoth suspicion?" She asked tucking into her food.

"Could you imagine the possibility of speaking about Hawkmoth to anyone?" He looked somewhat surprised by her question, "from what I gather, Hawkmoth is a man, older than us most likely, who has little thought for others..." He sipped his drink, "...I hate to say it, but my father fits into that category."

"Interesting," Marinette pondered. "He is known for having been reclusive," she looked at Adrien, still with a crinkled brow. "Why are you telling me?"

"I trust you-"

"You barely know me," Marinette interjected with a smile of disbelief.

"Y-Yeah, but you're also going to be working closely with him from what he's told me." His expression was serious, "I guess I want you to be careful, and keep an eye out, please?"

"I can do that." She stated. "Going back to Chase and the leaks, is that why I am not to show anyone apart from you and Gabriel my designs?"

"Yes."

"And why your father has chosen me to do them...because I'm new?"

"And, you do have great talent!" Adrien complimented her, to which a shy smile accompanied a blush spreading across her face. "But yes, you couldn't be the one to have leaked them as you have just started."

He's said that before...and Chat did, was it just Chat, Agreste, I don't know anymore. That hat isn't helping.

Looking at Adrien, Marinette noticed he had a small deposit of sauce on his smooth chin. " you've got a little sauce right-" gesturing to the space on her own chin, "-here."

"Ah, thanks!" He thanked her as he wiped it with a serviette. "Better?" He shot a dashing smile as she checked out his chin.

"You've just smudged it," Marinette chuckled at his pout, "come here."

Without thinking, she brought up her hand and wiped it away with her thumb, briefly grazing the underside of his chin with her curled forefinger as Adrien had leant towards her. For a short time, their eyes locked as contact was made in such an innocent but yet intimate way, causing a feeling of lightening to surge at the touch and course through them both. Coupled with the Chat hat, piercing green eyes and the image of Chat flashing momentarily through her mind, Marinette's eyes widened before looking out again to the water. Her hand slowly retreating.

This is insane!

Her stomach was knotting yet again with guilt, not only was she having intimate relations with Chat in both of her personas, she was now possibly feeling something for someone else... Who had physical traits that matched Chat... Who could possibly be Chat... As Alya would put it, this situation, is fucked up.

Adrien's mouth wet dry at her touch, seeing the soft warm smile on her pink lips as she gently wiped his chin. The look of surprise as her doe eyes met his, the striking blue iris' shrinking as her pupils dilated momentarily as their eyes locked. He knew he needed to tone it down. Already shying away from his usual puns, he kicked himself for buying that hat. Sipping the last drops of liquid from his cup, Adrien wished he had thought this through before acting on impulse.

Wanting to put some distance between them, Marinette thought quickly. "I'll just put the rubbish in the bin."

Grabbing her bag and Adrien's bag, Marinette hastily made her way over to the bin and deposited the bags inside. Composing herself, she turned to meet Adrien's gaze again.

"Now Agreste," smiling, shaking off any awkward feelings, Marinette arched a brow, this seemingly took the tension away, as Adrien stood and closed the distance. "Shall we take a walk, and you can tell me about Agnès?" With her teasing glance at him, he playfully winced.

"This is a little more straight forward," he informed her as he offered her his arm.

Hesitantly placing her hand in the crook of his elbow, Marinette felt more at ease, as her mind was occupied by another one of his explanations.