This is the last chapter of the year! It's pretty big and I really like it! So we finish the year in a good way!

I hope you like it too! I know I had a blast writing it!

Happy Mew Year, Dear Miraculers!"

Oblivious

[22h35 Today]

Buggzhinette: Want some proof that I'm serious? How about I take you up on that suggestion of yours and meet you somewhere? You think that's good enough for now? ^^

Lucie's mind was racing, searching for something plausible to say under Adrien's puzzled look. Things were escalating on a crazy level. Should she tell him to take on Zhi's offer? That was so risky! On the other hand, it would look very suspicious to him if she simply told him to not accept, right? Lucie panicked a bit when Adrien started typing with confidence on his phone.

"What are you writing?" She asked, trying not to show her discomfort.

He quickly finished and showed it to her.

Lucie's eyes widened and fixed on Adrien's after she read what he'd written.

Adrien chuckled, "Don't you look surprised!?"

"Impressed is more like it." She replied, "What did you need my help for, exactly?" She asked playfully.

"Does that mean this is good?"

"It's perfect. You said yes, but still held the upper hand! Feel free to send it!"

And so, he did.

[22h41 Today]

Chat_Noir999: You know I'd never say no to that. I've made that clear many times now. But I've accepted a very big job, so for the next two months my life will be very… let's say, complicated. On the bright side, as if by fate or something, my life will be 'complicated' in Paris, so I will probably be able to meet you at some point. I just can't really tell you when yet.

"Have you ever thought about asking her who she is?" Lucie asked abruptly.

Adrien chuckled bitterly, "I ask her every day."

Lucie's eyebrows popped up, "Really? And she never answers?"

"Oh no, she answers." Adrien didn't like this subject at all. It made him more aware that his Lady either lied to him or ignored this question in particular.

Before he noticed the shock on Lucie's face, he received his answer.

[22h46 Today]

Buggzhinette: Oh, right. Sure! I was thinking more in the near future, but I totally understand that you are a busy person.

[22h46 Today]

Buggzhinette: It's not like I'm super free either. Well, just let me know if and when you can meet up with me.

"Oh, you've hit a nerve," said Lucie, unable to control herself after reading the texts.

"Why do you say that?"

Lucie rolled her eyes at him, and smirking she said, "Aren't you the most oblivious boy I know!?"

"No! I'm not!" he let out a bit taken aback, which made her laugh softly.

"Yeah, yeah, back to the topic of your identities-"

"Wait, I need to answer Ladybug first!" He said evasively, looking back at his phone again. She let him think and after reading his answer and giving thumbs up, he sent it.

[22h50 Today]

Chat_Noir999: I will let you know when I'm free, Bugaboo.

"So, you ask her everyday and she answers?" Lucie returned to the topic that was making her hang on the hedge of her sit, he simply nodded looking a bit defeated. She pressured, "How come you still don't know who she is, then?"

"Because she is posing as someone she is not."

Lucie's heart started drumming in her chest. She was almost certain of where this was going and she couldn't believe it. "Who is she posing as?"

Adrien looked at her for a moment, clearly bothered by the subject. He swallowed dry and, as if he expected her to mock him for liking a catfisher, he answered defensively, "She claims she's Zhi."

Lucie's face turned to a mask of horror and then shock, as if all her nightmares were in front of her. "Zhi as in-"

He simply nodded and Lucie had to sit.

He quickly added, "I know how it looks! Anyone lying about their identity shouldn't be trusted, but she is good. She is insecure about who she is, that's all! I think she is afraid that I won't like her real self… we talked about this before, Luce!"

"Yeah, but you never told me that she said she was Zhi!"

"Because that is totally irrelevant!"

"How is that totally irrelevant?" Lucie answered with frustration and a bit of anger she didn't realize she was feeling.

"Look, don't be angry with me or her, please. She is harmless and she is part of the reason I can even face Zhi, now!" Lucie's face went from frustration to disbelief, emotions that Adrien totally misinterpreted.

Before he could say anything else, his phone beeped. He glanced carefully at Lucie who was simply shaking her head, and then he read the text.

[23h00 Today]

Buggzhinette: I know it's not super late, but with everything that happened today I'm feeling super exhausted, so I'm gonna go sleep now. Goodnight, Kitty. I'm really happy we're taking again.

He smiled, momentarily forgetting the argument he was having with Lucie.

[23h03 Today]

Chat_Noir999: Goodnight, LB* Sweetdreams

Adrien looked at Lucie who was staring at him with incredulity and sighed deeply, tired of all of it. He sat on the couch, letting Lucie be with her thoughts for a moment.

Suddenly, her head popped up, looking at him with a hint of amusement on top of all the rest, "Did she ask you who you are?"

Adrien lifted his eyebrows, "She has." Lucie let out a snort.

"What did you answer?" she asked, clearly trying not to burst into laughter.

"I answered the truth." Adrien shrugged, "Not that it mattered a lot, she never believed me."

Lucie could not handle herself for one second more. She burst into fits of laughter, to the point where she couldn't stop.

"Lucie, what's so funny?" He asked, a bit concerned, but clearly relieved that she wasn't as mad anymore.

Lucie was crying on the floor, she couldn't breathe properly, so she couldn't answer, and even if she could, what was she supposed to say to him? How come this type of misunderstanding happened in real life? One thing was Ladybug loving Adrien Agreste and not knowing he was Chat Noir. One thing was Adrien Agreste not loving Marinette because he was Chat Noir and was madly in love with Ladybug. How could these two oblivious idiots not know they were talking to each other? Not know they were falling in love with each other again? How come they had both shared their identities with each other and not believe that piece of information? How oblivious can you really be? This had become too much! Lucie was pretty sure that, if they already knew but didn't believe it, anything could happen and they would have found an oblique reason for it. Just so they'd dodge the truth.

"Ah, Adrien!" Lucie managed to sighed between fits of laughter, "I just remembered something really funny-" Adrien's brows frowned but his smile still stayed on, "Also, I-I have to call~ ahm… a friend." She got up, brushing of tears from her face, still trying to control her breathing "I forgot my gloves at her house!" She explained abruptly, walking up to her room.

"Lucie?" Adrien called her, confused by everything.

"Yes?" She turned to look at him, still amused.

"Zhi is sleeping in your room, remember?" He asked apologetically.

Lucie looked at her bedroom's door, then at Adrien, and back to her door, and snorted lightly, not able to control herself. She cleared her throat after a second, "right, ahm~ You think Charlie minds if I sleep in his room?"

"Not at all." He smiled gently, still unsure of what had happened to their very serious conversation. She nodded and walked to Charlie's bedroom instead. "Lucie?" He called again.

"Hum?" She asked turning to face him.

"Please don't tell anyone about M'lady." Lucie pressed her lips together. Another attempt not to laugh at the irony, "Specially not Alice…" he continued, "If you told her, she would tell Zhi and what a mess I'd be in." Lucie took a deep breath, "I mean, I don't want Buggzhinette to get into trouble, you understand that, right?" Lucie nodded vigorously, asking the gods to help her not laugh at his face again. "Okay," he breathed out, clearly relieved, "Thanks, Luce"

—- —- - — - - - -

The next day dawned into a beautiful sunny day.

Zhi got up with her alarm clock at 9h30 feeling very well rested. She turned on her catphone and she already got a good morning text from her favorite pen pal. She answered, feeling like nothing could be wrong with the world. Carefully, she tried to stand on her foot. It was sore, but the pain was nothing compared to the day before. She could stand and walk without a limp.

Looking around, she found clean clothes that someone had left for her to wear, probably Lucie. She got dressed and left to the bathroom to wash up before breakfast.

"Good morning!" Adrien greeted her, making her jump, thankfully she landed on her good foot. He chuckled mockingly.

"Hello" she answered, ignoring his chuckle, "thank you for the clothes" she said politely, pointing at them.

He nodded, "They suit you."

She cleared her throat and awkwardly pointed at the bathroom, which he also point at "Oh, sure!" and laughed clearly uncomfortable.

She went inside, shocked as to how they went from the comfortable mood from yesterday to this in one night. Sure, yesterday they had her ankle as the icebreaker, but would it always be like this? Always needing an icebreaker sounded exhausting!

[09h42 Today]

Chat_Noir999: How are you today?

She smiled, wondering if she should tell him about her ankle and deciding against it, she answered right away.

[22h46 Today]

Buggzhinette: I'm great! It has been the first good night of sleep I had in a long time! And I didn't even sleep at my house! Ahahah

Zhi started by cleaning her face, brushing her hair while texting Chat.

[09h42 Today]

Chat_Noir999: You had a sleepover, M'lady? Was it fun?

[09h44 Today]

Buggzhinette: I wouldn't call it a sleepover. *Or fun, she thought, looking at Adrien's bathtubs and feeling her cheeks burn* I was caught up in the storm yesterday and crashed at a friend's house.

She was in the middle of brushing her teeth when she heard the doorbell ringing. She didn't give it much thought, until she heard a feminine voice that she was certain she didn't recognize. Even then she ignored it.

[09h46 Today]

Chat_Noir999: Oh, what a lucky friend that is! To have the awful storm working at her favor!

She felt a tiny bit uncomfortable when she realized he had assumed that her friend was a girl.

[09h48 Today]

Buggzhinette: Well, yes, you could definitely say it was luck, cuz he isn't the type of friend I would see on a normal and regular basis.

[09h50 Today]

Chat_Noir999: Oh, he is a 'he'. Sorry I assumed… You wouldn't normally hang with him? Why is that? Isn't he your friend?

Zhi finished applying her nude make up, there was no point in painting something too elaborate, when she was about to take it off by her team at the shooting.

[09h51 Today]

Buggzhinette: We just reconnected. He is my ex. We didn't exactly end on good terms, but now we are grown up and a lot of time has passed, so… I don't know, we started talking again mostly because of our common friends and he helped me a lot yesterday. For that I'm grateful.

She sent the text and prepared to leave the bathroom, she opened the door slightly, when she heard the feminine voice rise a bit, "Come on, Adrien, this is serious! Can't you stop looking at your phone and pay attention to me for a minute?"

Zhi stopped with the door semi opened, not knowing what to do.

"Sorry, Hannah," she heard him say, clearly distracted by something, "what were you saying?"

Zhi knew she shouldn't be eavesdropping! So she was about to leave the bathroom and let them know of her presence, when the girl, Hannah, said:

"I was just saying that you barely have time for me, now… you will leave in a week, gone for two months, and I will miss you…"

Zhi's insides squirmed, as she froze on the spot, uneasy with what she was witnessing.

"Oh, Hannah," he said, "come here!" He stepped into Zhi's vision, so did the girl, and he hugged her. Zhi swallowed dry, for some reason still unable to move a muscle, "You know, you can always call me… I'm here for you whenever you need me."

"It's not the same…" Hannah sobbed, muffing the sound against his chest.

"Hum…" he said awkwardly, "I'll tell you what!" He said loosening his grip on her, so he could see her face, she let out another weak sob, "How about I take you to dinner today?"

Zhi saw Hannah clean a falling tear from her face and looking up to him, hopeful, "Really?"

He nodded, "Would that make you feel better?" He asked, softly. Zhi almost snorted at this.

She decided she needed to get out of the bathroom ASAP, because she was Zhi Ruo Léi and eavesdropping was below her. Also she didn't need to hear what Adrien's girlfriend did to make him take her out on a date. Zhi straightened up and got out of the bathroom looking as innocent as possible. Adrien and Hannah jumped, slightly startled.

"Oh, hello" Zhi waved at Hannah who was rubbing her face, embarrassed to be caught crying.

Adrien chuckled lightly, "I had forgotten you were still here!"

Hannah looked confused at both, and then confusion turned to anger when a glint of recognition flashed in her eyes, followed by a clear jump to the wrong conclusions.

"Zhi, this is Hannah. Hannah, this is Zhi-"

"I know who she is." Hannah said so bitterly that even Adrien caught that something was off.

"Okaaay," Zhi said after a very uncomfortable moment of silence, where Adrien looked confused at Hannah and Hannah looked like she was pondering if she should murder her. "So, I'm gonna go!" She said trying to look as unthreatening as possible, "thank you for the help, Adrien!" She ran to Lucie's bedroom to pick up her stuff so she could leave.

"What is she doing here!?" Zhi heard Hannah ask with venom in her voice. She heard him talking back at Hannah in a muffed tone she couldn't understand over the closed door.

Damn, that was a jealous girlfriend. If she knew Adrien had a girlfriend she would never had accepted and slept in his house without him letting her know it was okay by Hannah. It wasn't her fault that the girl had made wrong conclusions right away either. If it was anyone's fault, was Adrien's. It said an awful lot about him, if they asked her. Cheating was just the type of thing she was not surprised he'd do, again. Her insides were still contorting with uneasiness while she was gathering her stuff.

When she left Lucie's room, the first thing she thought when she saw the couple was that Hannah was attacking Adrien. That lasted only a fraction of a second, until her brain caught up to what was really in front of her eyes. They were kissing. Hannah was totally on top of Adrien, and Adrien was making this weird noises…

oh my! Zhi shut her eyes and added a protective layer with her hands, dropping her stuff unceremoniously on the ground. Shivers ran through her body while the scene in front of her made memories flood her mind and her eyes itchy.

"Hannah!" Zhi heard Adrien say sounding stunned and a bit offended, "What the hell!"

Zhi dropped her hands as she opened her eyes and saw Hannah was now a few meters from Adrien, who was looking pretty stunned. Maybe he wanted to keep their relationship secret and now it was impossible because she had seen them? Blinking furiously, Zhi picked up her bag and coat from the floor, and with as much grace she could fake, she walked to the front door, saying, "Sorry I interrupted. Adrien, thank you for everything!" She reached the door sooner than expected, opened it, looked up at Adrien's bewildered expression and then Hannah's embarrassed face, not reading into their expressions with the rush to leave "And Hannah, it was nice to meet you!" She closed the door behind her and practically ran to the elevator.

—

The minute the door closed behind Zhi, Adrien turned to face Hannah, "What the hell was that for?" He repeated, feeling angry, confused and stupidly guilty that Zhi had witnessed it. The fact that Ladybug had spent the night at her ex boyfriend's house was not the top of his priorities right now, and that was saying a lot about how he was feeling at the moment.

"I- I'm so sorry…" Hannah said, starting to look as if she was just now realising that she had kissed him, "I don't know what came over me!"

Adrien's features softened at his friend's plea. "I forgive you. But I'm still confused, first you get that weird defensive reaction when Zhi came out of the bathroom and not a second later you are trying to kiss me?"

Hannah looked hurt, "I was just trying to protect you." She frowned as if she was making a hard decision, and then she burst out all her thoughts about it, "She hurt you badly, I know what she did to you, but suddenly one game night with friends and she's forgiven? To the point that you are sleeping with her the next night!? Have you no self respect?"

Adrien was taken aback by Hannah's words. She seemed to regret what she said for a second, but as she thought it thoroughly she held her head high, daring him to say she was wrong. Adrien sighed at that. She was only trying to protect him.

"Not that I owe you any explanation," he started with a warning glance at her, "Zhi spent the night here because I made her twist her ankle and it was pouring like hell outside, yesterday night. Didn't you notice her limp as she left? Also, I did not sleep with her. She slept in Lucie's bedroom." He clarified matter-a-factly, as he pointed to the room Zhi had left a few minutes ago.

Hannah looked at the room he was pointing at and then at Adrien. Her expression changed and he could tell she was feeling guilty that she had just assumed the worse.

"Now, care to explain why you kissed me?" He asked, with his eyebrows up.

Hannah sighed, blushing, "Can't we just forget it happened? It was an impulse…"

Adrien was not happy with that answer. Did she kiss him because she thought he had slept with Zhi and wanted her to catch them? A revenge-kind-of-kiss to hurt Zhi? And did it work? Was Zhi hurt by the sight of them kissing? She certainly looked like she wanted to flee the house, which she did…

Or did Hannah like him? Did she mean that kiss? Didn't she know that he was in love with another girl?

Oh, what was LB going to say about this? Should he tell her? Should he not tell her? Now he was the one feeling guilty and it wasn't even his fault that he'd been kissed!

In the end, maybe Hannah was right! If she had done it to get back at Zhi, he wasn't sure he wanted to know… If she liked him, but was asking him to forget the matter, he should simply accept her wishes.

After all, she was one of his only friends, the only true one he'd made at school, and she was there on her day off to work on the X brand projects with him. She had made a mistake and apologized, and she had also made an effort to be there with him, to work with him when she could have easily chosen to rest instead. She deserved him to be a bit understanding.

He sighed resigned, "Fine. But please don't do it again. You didn't get my consent, it wasn't a nice feeling to get kissed like that."

Hannah looked even more ashamed, if possible. Which was good in a way, he knew she wouldn't try that again. She nodded, staring at the floor.

"Now that that's out of the way, let's get to work?" He said cheerful, attempting to lighten the mood.

She nodded again and followed him to the studio/room.

—-—

[10h28 Today]

Chat_Noir999: Bug, I apologize It took me so long to get back at you. I had some drama here at the house.

[10h29 Today]

Chat_Noir999: He helped you, so I can't really trash talk him for being your ex… How come I feel like I want to dislike him, but still feel happy that you had someone to help you? Are you okay now, princess?

Surprisingly, there wasn't a lot of traffic at that hour and Zhi was finally arriving at the palace, when she got his reply. If she was honest with herself, she had been a bit apprehensive with his lack of answer… would he get jealous? Was he even entitled to feel jealousy? But his answer had been the sweetest. After all she had witnessed with Adrien's jealous girlfriend, she thought how lucky she would be with if she ever dated Chat.

[10h31 Today]

Buggzhinette: Drama? You too? Ah! I bet you can't top the drama at my friend's house! I literally ran off. Ahaha! I'm feeling much better, thank you! He really helped. Got me impressed. But between the two of us, you can trash talk him anytime you like. XD

She paid the taxi driver and stepped out of the car. She was early, they weren't expecting her so early, the shooting would only start in two hours. She explained the director that she had a hurt ankle, but it was nothing much. She had to inform him of this kind of stuff, and after the brief conversation where he expressed wishes of the best recovery and that they would all be careful and keep an eye on her. Since she was early, the director asked her if they could get over with her alone scenes in the hour before, that way everyone would get to go home earlier. Very happy with that idea, she left to do hair and make up.

[10h35 Today]

Chat_Noir999: Oh! You had drama too? Do tell! Is this ex of yours the one that broke your heart into pieces? Cuz if he is, I will trash talk him alright, and with good reason!

Zhi smiled sadly at her phone, once she sat at the hair and make up station. While the hairdresser was given new directions, because she was filming other scenes than the one scheduled first, she had some time to talk to Chat.

[10h46 Today]

Buggzhinette: Well, he is the ex that broke my heart. But as I said before, it was a long, long time ago. We are trying to leave it in the past. But, about the drama: his girlfriend made him an unexpected visit and once she saw me there she flipped at him! That is a jealous girlfriend he has there, not that I really blame her. He is the cheating type.

[10h49 Today]

Chat_Noir999: No! Did he cheat on you? That's why you broke up with him?

Zhi snorted at that.

[10h55 Today]

Buggzhinette: Yeah, he did. Big time. Even got caught on camera. That is how I found out.

And at the same time she sent it, she got a:

[10h55 Today]

Chat_Noir999: Also, I might be able to top that, actually. I did some helping of my own last night. I accidentally hurt a friend and took her in for the night because the weather was crazy. Hannah came to help on some designs this morning and when she saw my other friend in the house, she went ballistic. She started yelling and when my other friend was out of sight, she kissed me out of nowhere! I felt a bit violated, to be honest, and my friend, she kinda ran away after that. XS

Zhi blinked at the phone, not sure what to think of his message. His drama topped hers, all right. The first thing she got from that text was that Chat was a wanted man. Both girls clearly had feelings for him, it was her turn to feel jealousy. Hannah kissed him! She knew she didn't like Hannah from the moment he mentioned her! And what's up with all the Hannahs, ahm!? Adrien's Hannah was clearly a crazy jealous and controlling girlfriend, and Chat's Hannah had just kissed him without his consent! The other girl he mentioned was clearly infatuated with Chat too, why else would she run when she saw him kissing another? But she had had all night to make a move on him and she didn't. She was decent, and her name was clearly not Hannah.

Her skeptic nature couldn't help but wonder if he really felt bad that another girl had kissed him. True, she was nothing but a pen pal to him, he owed her no explanations, but he liked her, right? It was very likely that whenever they had their meeting they would kiss, and the meeting could soon become a date. That was what she was hoping for, at least. He had politely declined and asked to reschedule her invitation to meet, was that because he was truly very busy (with his talent for designing outfits she didn't doubt), right? What if it was because he had grown so apart from her this whole time that he didn't want it anymore? Not really?

She groaned in frustration at her stupid overthinking brain and earned herself an odd and amused look from the make up artist that had just came in the room.

There was nothing she could do about it if that was the case. She could only hope it was not and that she didn't lose her chance. Maybe she should up her game too?

[11h03 Today]

Buggzhinette: WOW, that tops mine, definitely! Hannah had no right to kiss you if you didn't want to kiss her. I hope you told her that! Also, I had no idea I had such competition, Kitty.

That was the best she could come up with. Yes.

And his answer didn't take long.

[11h05 Today]

Chat_Noir999: I'm really glad you're not mad. I was a bit afraid of telling you, but in the end it wasn't really my fault and I really wouldn't like you to know through someone else, even though that would be very unlikely to happen. But you got me confused by the end, what competition?

Zhi rolled her eyes and chuckled. That answer was typical Chat. She was almost expecting it.

[11h08 Today]

Buggzhinette: First of all, I had no right whatsoever to be mad at you. Even if you wanted to kiss Hannah. We aren't dating. Although I can't promise you I wouldn't feel extremely sad and heartbroken. But I am glad you trusted me and told me.

[11h10 Today]

Buggzhinette: I will reformulate in the most obvious way possible: Hannah and your other friend clearly have a crush on you. I had no idea I had such competition.

She repeated the ending on purpose, of course.

[11h11 Today]

Chat_Noir999: Okay, although I think you are wrong and they most definitely haven't got a crush on me, you don't have to worry about that. There is no competition. The only girl I want to kiss is you.

Okay, okay! He likes me! He still does!

Was the only thought on her mind when her hairdresser came back to get Zhi's hair done and pass her on to make up.

How could she have been so miserable yesterday and today feel like she was floating on the clouds!? All the uneasiness she had felt with Adrien kissing his girlfriend evaporated. Chat really liked her. She beamed at her hairdresser and typed a quick answer.

[11h14 Today]

Buggzhinette: I would totally kiss you right now, if you'd let me. And although, I would be inclined to disagree about your friends' feelings, if you say there's no competition, that is all I care about.

[11h15 Today]

Buggzhinette: I've got work to do, so I will talk to you later. Kiss :*

Isn't this Chapter's title just the perfect description of Zhi and Adrien? xD