Chapter 4

Kitty: So… I was thinking

Milady: That's dangerous

Kitty: hey

Kitty: whatever. U said u told Rena Rouge your identity

Milady: yah

Kitty: can i tell someone mine too?

Milady: :[

Kitty: cmon, y not?

Milady: depends

Kitty: I'll be good I swear

Milady: who u got in mind? Its gotta be super trustworthy

Adrien honestly didn't think he'd get this far. The last month had been intense. Everyone had told him how great summer break was, but he hated it. Father had tripled his work load—fencing and modeling almost every day, piano and Chinese tutors in and out of his room constantly, and extra mathematics, literature, and engineering tutors to help him "prepare for the upcoming school year." If that weren't enough, Hawkmoth seemed to have ample time on his hands, as he sent akuma after akuma at them. Ladybug tried to reassure him that this was helping them get stronger. And it was true—he was getting stronger, on all fronts. The akumas were captured faster, his fencing was almost too easy, his photographer was thrilled with his new muscles, and even his piano playing had improved now that he had some serious frustration to pound into his new Rachmaninoff prelude. More importantly, his relationship with Ladybug was getting stronger. It was almost as if they could read each other's thoughts, they were so in-tune recently. Adrien scrolled back up to the text Ladybug had sent him last night:

Milady: Have I told you lately that you're amazing?

Kitty: go on

Milady: howd you stop that akuma so fast? It was crazy!

Kitty: I told u, I got skills

Milady: haha

Milady: you've really leveled up, u no?

Kitty: u2

Kitty: it helps to have the best partner a kitty could ask for

Milady: it helps to have a partner you can trust

Trust. It was the perfect word to describe the place they'd arrived at; implicit trust. So, he'd been thinking about it for hours and finally mustered up the courage to ask if he could divulge his secret in a friend. He rapidly typed back:

Kitty: I didn't think you'd say yes. Haha

Kitty: I gotta think about it. Someone very trustworthy.

Milady: and wait for the right time, k?

Kitty: of course

Milady: and let me know when u decide

Kitty: nah, I don't think I can do that

Milady: Chat.

Kitty: haha

He climbed out of bed, showered, and got dressed. He thumped down to the empty dining hall for breakfast. "Thanks, Gerard," he murmured as one of the staff brought him a baguette and fruit. Gerard also placed the typewritten daily schedule on the table beside him. "Hey Gerard, want to sit down and have breakfast with me?" Adrien asked impulsively. The slender staff member halted, looked at him quizzically, and left the room. Adrien felt the familiar raw ache in his stomach as he was left, yet again, alone with his meal and his father's expectations. Even Nathalie had been barely present in the last month and a half, only communicating by text or email, or, like today, a typewritten schedule. He took a bite and looked at the sterile paper.

Interesting, it was nearly empty. Other than the fencing tournament at noon, the rest of his tutors had been cancelled. Nice. I could use a day off. But then, the last line… oh no.

Marinette pulled her sheets over her head and snuggled lower in her bed, clutching the slim silver phone tightly. So, Chat Noir wanted to share his secret with someone… her gut reaction was definitely not, but she remembered how close they'd grown in the last year, and especially the last month and a half. It was like they were one in thought and movement. The synergy between them was almost intoxicating. The phones definitely helped; they talked about everything: strategy, ideas about Hawkmoth or Mayura, recounting their latest akuma battles, of course punctuated by the frequent cat meme or other hilarity Chat Noir had discovered. Marinette tried to keep the Ladyphone as professional as possible, but she couldn't put it down. Chat Noir understood this life. They confided in each other frequently about the burden of the dual life, the difficulty of coming up with excuses, and every now and then, the confession that something personal was going on. She'd deduced that Chat Noir's civilian persona was incredibly busy, but incredibly lonely. She was pretty sure she'd admitted that she was trying new recipes and that she was mourning the end of school and daily interactions with a certain someone. He had taken that little tidbit amazingly well, saying he understood missing school. Marinette tried not to talk about her crush on Adrien with Chat Noir; it was painful enough for her to discuss on its own, let alone knowing she was breaking Chat Noir's heart. All this rolled up into one amazing friendship with a boy who, despite not knowing his name, she trusted implicitly. Besides, she'd come to rely on Alya so heavily that she had a hard time remembering the difficulty of not having anyone to confide in.

Marinette gave Chat her consent. He deserved it. He went offline, so she thumbed through some of the other apps on her phone. Besides AkumaAlert and the private chat function, there was a silent browser that allowed her to search anything she wanted without leaving an electronic footprint, an app that hacked into the traffic cams and police frequencies all around Paris, a full copy of Master Fu's translated Grimoire, and, of course, SuperPenguino (Ladybug and Chat Noir's code names had flown to the top of the online records chart in the first week they played). Marinette flipped through the Grimoire on the phone for a few minutes before getting up and getting dressed for the day.

"Good morning, sweetheart," her dad said as she joined them for breakfast. "What've you got going on today?"

"I'm working on a project," she said between bites of croissant, "so I'm thinking I'll put in some good time at the sewing machine. And I was going to watch Adrien's fencing tournament around noon. If I have time, I wanted to try a new recipe for cheese puffs. A friend requested some."

That caught Tom's attention. "Ooh, a new recipe? What type of cheese? Let me talk to my supplier…"

As they finished the meal, however, her Ladyphone vibrated. She kissed her parents and retreated to her room to respond.

Kitty: urgent, can u call me?

She quickly typed back:

Milady: safe now?

Kitty: safe

She immediately dialed the phone. These little security precautions had actually been Chat's idea—make sure that they're alone before they even call, keep the phones hidden, don't use identifying phone cases…

He picked up on the first ring. "Ladybug, I've got a problem." He sounded panicky.

"What's the matter?"

"It's… personal."

Personal. Their code word for anything that might give away their identities. "Understood. Tell me as much as you can."

"I… I have to go out of town for two weeks."

"Family vacation?"

"Something like that."

"Dang," she responded slowly. "That is a problem." They both knew that Hawkmoth would definitely strike in the next two weeks—he'd been attacking almost daily for a month. "And there's no way you could, like, stay here with a friend?"

"No, I don't think I can. My father is adamant." He was silent as they both chewed this information over.

"When do you leave?"

"Tonight."

"Where will you be going?"

He hesitated. "Far."

Marinette started pacing her room. She looked around. Her wardrobe caught her attention. "Ok, here's what we're going to do." He audibly sighed into the phone. "I'm going to bring you the miraculous of the horse and another bit of protection I've been working on. You're going to keep your phone on you at all times and… it's going to be ok, right?"

"What about you, though?"

"I'll be alright," she replied, though her shaky voice betrayed her.

"I'd feel better if I knew someone else was here to help you."

"I could ask Rena Rouge," she offered.

"That's… dangerous."

"Chat, I'll be alright. I don't want another partner. You just get back as soon as you can."

He took a deep breath before conceding, "Ok."
"I need to bring this miraculous over. Where are you at?"

"Uh, home…"
"Hm. Can you meet me somewhere?"

He thought for a second before responding, "Do you know where Collège Françoise Dupont is?"

"Yes."

"Adrien Agreste is competing in a fencing tournament there today. I was going to go watch," he said carefully. "I'll meet you on the roof after the competition."

"Ok," she said hesitantly. "I'll be there."

"Ladybug, thank you."

"Hey, what are partners for?"

Kagami placed her fencing gear in the back and slid into the back seat by Adrien. "Thank you for the ride," she told his bodyguard. He merely grunted and started driving. She smiled at Adrien. While they saw each other frequently at fencing practice, they'd hardly spoken in over a month, ever since she'd kissed him on the Dupain-Cheng staircase. He gave a tiny half-smile in response. She took a slow breath, "Are we ever going to talk about it?"

"Talk about what?" he asked, looking out the window.

"You know. Us."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Kagami, I just…"

"You don't have to say everything right now, of course," she interjected.

"I have thought about us," he tried again.

But she interrupted again, "Because I was thinking about how you said you were more than just trophies and report cards and I know that, but you can't deny that we are evenly matched."

"Kagami—"

"And I know our parents approve, which is tough to come by."

"Kagami—"

"After all, who else can bring out the best in you? Your fencing has improved so much since we first started training together."

"Kagamiwouldyoustopinterrupting?" It came out a little harsh, so he tried to soften his face. "I really enjoy being with you, I do, but I just don't think we make a good couple."

Her mouth dropped in a little 'oh.' Then she shook her head slightly and asked, "Will you tell me why?"

He tried to be delicate, "There's more to a relationship than just participating in the same sports or speaking the same languages." She looked confused. "Do you really love being with me, even when we don't have fencing practice? Do I make you happy?"

Her head cocked to one side and her eyebrows knit together. "As we learn and work together, I do feel accomplished," she responded.

"But do I make you happy? What if I invited you to come play video games. Would you like that?"

She wrinkled her nose, "Video games are time wasters."

"Or what about just sitting on a quiet rooftop somewhere and talking while watching the stars come out?"

"That's what you like to do? Just sit around?"

He shook his head, "No, I like to spend quiet time with the people I care about. And I do care about you, but when we're together, I feel like you just want to practice or rehearse or improve something. I can't relax and be myself, and I don't think you can either."

She looked down at her hands and fidgeted slightly. "That is who I am. I want to be the best I can be."

"Kagami, that's totally cool, and if that's who you are, I completely respect it," he rushed, "but it's not who I am. That's what my Father wants me to be, not who I want to be."

"So you're telling me we're not compatible."

"I wouldn't use those words. I'd say that… we are good friends and excellent training partners."

"But, you kissed me. You flirted with me. Don't deny it."

He rubbed the back of his neck again. "I know. I'm sorry. I was having a rough time understanding my feelings and I was selfish. I really thought I could learn to love you the way you wanted. Oh Kagami, I'm so sorry." A small tear slipped down her cheek. He felt like a first-rate jerk. "Please forgive me," he said quietly.

They arrived at the school for the tournament. She didn't speak as she bolted from the car. He sighed. He extracted his gear from the back and plodded to the locker room to change.

The tournament was surprisingly small, which Adrien didn't mind. A smaller group meant it would go faster. As he prepared for the pools to begin, he scanned over the small crowd of family and friends that had come to watch. Of course, neither he nor Kagami had family in attendance, but Nino and Alya were there, and next to them was Marinette. She seemed distracted, and was looking around here at the crowd, as if she was looking for someone. Eventually they made eye contact and he gave her a little wave. She jumped slightly in her seat, then relaxed and waved back.

The pools went very fast indeed. His first match up he won easily, making all his required touches before the three minute time limit expired, and only getting touched once. The second was similar. The third match-up was with Kagami. Knowing he'd just hurt her made him hesitate, and she took advantage, lunged, and touched her sabre into his chest. The second touch happened just as quickly. She lifted her mask briefly and glared at him. "You're antagonizing me."

He shook his head. They parried, she touched and gained another point. "Stop it," she growled from behind the mask. He still couldn't bring himself to attack her, so he barely moved his feet as she touched again and again. She made her points, the match-up ended, she ripped the mask from her face and barreled at him. "So help me, Adrien Agreste, you stop this right now! I never wanted to be your sloppy seconds and I don't want to be it now. If you truly respect me, truly, you'll quit treating me like I'm fragile and start treating me like your equal!" He winced and rubbed his neck as she marched away.

He responded by throwing himself into the remaining pools, pulverizing his opponents in record time. There was a short break between the pools and the elimination rounds, so Adrien went to say hello to his friends.

"You're doing so well!" Marinette greeted him enthusiastically.

"Wait Mari, you know what's going on?" Nino scoffed.

"Of course I do," she countered. "We've just had all the pools, and Adrien has placed second overall. Now we'll have the elimination rounds. Up to three three-minute periods with one minute breaks between the periods—less if they make eight touches; the first person to fifteen points wins, the other is eliminated." Then she looked at Nino and Alya's surprised faces.

"Girl, since when have you been a fencing expert?" Alya laughed.

"What?" she blushed, "I like knowing things about my friends."

"I just wish I knew what to do about Kagami," Adrien sighed.

"What's up, bro?" Nino asked.

Adrien shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. Marinette looked at him with her head cocked to one side. Then she spun on her heel and walked to Kagami, who was resting on a bench on the other side of the courtyard. Adrien watched from afar as she sat by her friend, put an arm around her shoulder, and spoke some sort of comfort.

"How does she do that?" Adrien asked to no one in particular.

"Do what?" Alya responded.

"Help others, all the time… know exactly what they need at that moment… make them feel better…" Adrien continued vaguely as he watched Kagami lean into Marinette and actually smile.

Alya smirked, "It's just part of her Marinette Magic."

The break didn't last much longer, and soon Adrien found himself back on the piste, ready to go. He won this round quickly, reaching fifteen points well before the time limit had expired. He watched as Kagami won her round, and their contestants slumped away. The next rounds ticked by. Adrien looked longingly at the roof of the courtyard.

Soon, Adrien and Kagami were the last two fencers standing. Of course it would be her, Adrien thought dramatically. He thought about throwing the match again. As they lifted their masks and saluted each other, Kagami narrowed her eyes and growled just loud enough for him to hear, "Bring your best." They saluted the crowd. Marinette's eyes locked onto Adrien's with such a blazing look that his heart skipped a beat. A last salute to the referee, he lowered his mask—"En garde! Prêts?"—deep breath—"Allez!"—and let his sabre fly.

He dropped the championship trophy into his gear bag and slipped his feet into his shoes. "Adrien?" Kagami's voice said from behind him. He whipped around, startled by her sudden appearance. "I just wanted to say, great job."

"Uh, thanks. I still don't think I agree with the judge on that last touch… I swear you had me," he tried.

Her face broke into a huge, genuine smile. "No, you won fair and square. Thank you."
"Thank you? For what?"
"For bringing out the best in me. That was the best match of fencing I've ever had."

He grinned while rubbing his neck. "Mine too."

"You're right. We do make great fencing partners."

He nodded. She shook his hand, still smiling, and walked away softly. He felt a huge weight lift off his back. He skipped to the alleyway and pulled his shirt open slightly to let Plagg out. "So I guess no more kisses with the ice queen?" he teased.

Adrien was still smiling. "Don't call her that."

Plagg rolled his little eyes. "Thank goodness baker girl talked her down. I was worried she was going to get akumatized and I'd have to spend half the afternoon smushed in your ring with no cheese."

"I don't know what Marinette said, but it did the trick," Adrien sighed. "She always seems to know what to do."

"Ugh," Plagg responded, "don't tell me you're now going to start kissing baker girl too…"

Adrien laughed at the kwami, punched the air softly and said, "Plagg, claws out!"

Ladybug was sitting against one of the chimneys, idly flipping through the silver phone Chat Noir had given her. He smiled. Those were the gift that kept on giving. She looked up and slipped the phone into an invisible pocket by her yo-yo.

"Did Adrien get off ok?" He started. "I… didn't know when the tournament would end exactly, so I, kinda, er," she stood and dug her toe in the ground, "came for the last few rounds."

"You were here?" Adrien blurted from behind the mask. "You were watching?"

She smiled, "Don't worry, I kept a safe distance."

He was suddenly so glad he'd tried his hardest on that final round, and even more glad he'd beaten Kagami—even if it were only by one touch.

"That final was something else," she mused, looking dreamy. "I've never seen footwork like that."

"You're familiar with fencing?" he stammered, trying to wrap his head around this. Ladybug had been watching him all afternoon and he hadn't seen her. She understood fencing…She'd been watching him.

She nodded, "Why, does that surprise you?"

"Well, yes… I mean no, I mean, y-you can like whatever you want and you'd be good at anything…"

She laughed and shook her head, "Silly kitty. Can I show you what I brought?" He nodded to shake off the bemusement. She picked up a rather large, nondescript bag and reached inside. Of course, she brought out the small, hexagonal box he knew would contain the horse miraculous. "Chat Noir, I give you the miraculous of the horse," she recited.

He smiled, "For the greater good, return it when I get back, I know."

She pouted, "You're not going to let me do my speech?"

He laughed. "Text it to me!"

"Now Chat," she scowled, placing one hand on her hip, "I would normally advise caution and to never use this miraculous for your own purposes, but I've been studying the Grimoire. One thing is absolutely certain—the Ladybug and Black Cat miraculouses are a pair. Its crucial we be in contact. So, while I don't encourage you to use this to go gallivanting across the globe, don't hesitate to get me if you need me. I will be keeping my phone on me at all times as well." He smiled. "I'm only a short voyage away."

That made him laugh. "Will you check in, every night?"

She nodded. "You'd better respond. I know these puppies" (she patted the phone) "have excellent reception. You could be camping in the alps and still get through to me."

"That's right," he said as he puffed out his chest, "but they're kitties, not puppies."

She rolled her eyes. "I have more," she said, pulling out a white box from her bag and hesitating. "I've been thinking, ever since Strange-Mayura and Mayura-Wannabe," he snorted, "that there might be something to having a disguise that we can wear while not transformed." She handed him the box. He opened it carefully.

A pair of black leather cat ears were attached to a headband that had a matching mask. He carefully extracted them and put them on over his actual Chat Noir mask. "Whatchya think?"

She laughed, but nodded, "It'll work better when you're not already transformed."

He placed the mask and ears back in the box, noticing the rest of the costume folded neatly inside it. He didn't take it all out, but had enough experience with fashion to recognize the fine craftsmanship.

"Did you make this?" he gawked.

"No," she said slowly and carefully, "I took your advice. I asked for help."

"Who then?"

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She was really excited to make them."

He nodded knowingly. "She does have talent."

Ladybug blushed. Chat couldn't understand why. "I did make this," she said, reaching into the bag once again and pulling out a paper sack, "for Plagg. Tell him I used a new brand of camembert, and ask him if it has enough rosemary," she said seriously.

"You do spoil him," he laughed as he took the sack from her. He could smell the cheese puffs through the paper, but there was more than that. He didn't even have to open the bag, "and me. Passionfruit macarons, chocolate croissants, bread, fruit, quiche, salmon pie…" he tapered off as his nose stopped identifying new treats.

"Well, some of that is from the Dupain Bakery. When I picked up your outfit, Mr. Dupain just couldn't stop."

"Thank you, Ladybug," he sighed as he breathed in the scent from the bag. He spread his arms and she immediately returned his hug. She buried her face in his chest and said something that was too muffled to understand. "Hmm?"

"I'm going to miss you," she said, pulling her face back.

"Aw, I knew you had a soft spot for this old kitty. But you do know I only said two weeks, right?" She nodded. One of his crazy ideas struck him and he pulled out his silver cell phone. "Hey, say cheese!" She looked at his outstretched arm as he quickly snapped the photo before she could protest, then wrapped his arm back around her for a moment longer and whispered into her hair, "I'm going to miss you too. Just a phone call away."

They pulled apart. Chat Noir knew he was being melodramatic. Two weeks in England wouldn't be that bad. He put everything back in the bag and swung it over his shoulder. He wished he'd had a chance to get her a gift as well. From the rooftop, he could see the silver sedan pull up—his bodyguard was waiting for him after taking Kagami home separately (Adrien was pleased with how his bodyguard had suggested such an excellent excuse for him to stay late after the tournament). "I've got to go," he said with a hint of despair.

Ladybug's eyes were blazing and she smiled. "Be safe, Chaton."

"You too, Bugaboo."

For being a model, Adrien really didn't spend a lot of time in front of the mirror. But he couldn't help but turn side to side in front of his full-length bathroom mirror this time. He hadn't been in his room for five minutes before tearing the box open and trying on the costume. It was incredible. The material, though not indestructible like his Chat suit, had a slight stretch but was still sturdy. The black pants had a couple of invisible pockets, but were straight-legged and semi formal. The shirt was button down with a tall collar and cut in at his ribcage so it hugged his muscles perfectly. Then, a solid black jacket with leather trim and hidden panels inside completed the ensemble. One panel had a pocket lined with reflective insulation, and a little note that read "For camembert." (Plagg had done a backflip at that one.) The only thing not in solid black was a pair of bright green shoes, that, despite having a very sleek style, were the most comfortable thing he'd ever put on his feet. He slipped the mask on and gasped at his appearance. It was more decorative than Chat Noir's, with intricate green embroidery around the edges; stitches so tiny they could only be seen up-close. The ears nestled into his hair, and the mask tied in the back to prevent any slippage.

He couldn't remember when exactly he'd told Ladybug to ask for help, but he was certainly glad she had. Marinette's skill was magical. Of course, Ladybug must have been a big part of the designing team, because the suit was everything he could have asked for without actually transforming: subtle enough to fit in, flexible enough to see action, utilitarian and still immaculate—and it fit him absolutely perfectly.

A sharp knock at the door pulled him from his reverie. "Adrien," Nathalie's voice called, "you have ten minutes." He quickly changed back into his street clothes and put the black suit in a garment bag with a lock, and then packed it in his wardrobe suitcase. The majority of his packing had been done for him, and from the looks of it, this was going to be a particularly unpleasant trip. There was a huge trunk of his modeling supplies, but then there was also his solid-black tuxedo and a couple of basic grey suits. There wasn't a single pair of jeans in the whole pile. Not to mention, he'd found out upon arriving that Nathalie, not his father, or his bodyguard, or even Gerard, would be his chaperone. Nathalie looked pale, and Adrien had wondered if her absence had been because she was ill. Either way, he was really not looking forward to the next two weeks. With resignation, Adrien added his toothbrush to the suitcase, threw in a pair of sweats and a hoodie, and grabbed his phone charger.

"Adrien," Plagg whined, "there isn't enough room in here for two week's worth of cheese."

"Well, take what you can and we'll get some more when we arrive. I promise you, there's cheese in London." They both went through everything one last time. Adrien grabbed his grey messenger bag, made sure the horse miraculous, disguised in a sunglasses case, was safely stowed there, and checked his pocked for the fortieth time for the sleek silver cellphone he never put down. "Alright, Plagg, let's get this over with."

Adrien reclined his seat slightly and tried to relax. He absentmindedly flipped through pictures on his Chatphone. He settled on the one he'd snuck of him and Ladybug together earlier that afternoon. They were in each other's arms. Her face was pressed into his chest, and she was looking at the camera with a tight-lipped smile. He hadn't noticed it when he'd snapped the picture, but there was the hint of a tear in those stunning bluebell eyes. He zoomed in on the eyes. They were focused and blazing, and sad that he was leaving. He reached into his messenger bag and pulled out one of the chocolate croissants and let it melt over his tongue. He was still looking at Ladybug's eyes when something bumped his arm.

"Ooh, who's in the picture?" He jumped a foot as his stomach hit the floor. He shut the phone off while sliding it into his shirt pocket and out of sight.

"Lila!" he gasped. "I didn't know you were going to be on this train. Where are you heading?"

"Um, London of course, silly!" She laughed, tossing back her hair. "We're only Paris' top modelling couple. Of course we're going to be representing Gabriel together at the opening of the new store. I'm so excited! Two whole weeks together!" She didn't ask permission as she grabbed his grey messenger bag and pulled out the paper sack of pastries Ladybug had given him. "Oh, look, you've got cheesepuffs! I love these things," she said as she poked two into her mouth and chewed with relish. The train started to pull away from the station.

"Excuse me Lila, I need to use the restroom," he said politely, grabbing his messenger bag and climbing over her. He locked the door on the stall and pulled out the silver phone. After typing in Bluebell3Eyes, he immediately opened the private chat.
Kitty: serious problem. Mayura-wannabe is going the same place as me.