Author's Note: Finals shm-inals. I needed to clear my head with some creative writing, so you get an early update.

Chapter 8

Max didn't think he'd ever felt cooler in his life, even though he was wearing a white wig and oversized sunglasses and a brown hoodie that was much too large for him. Ladybug had apologized when she gave it to him, saying that his miraculous was so special that it was currently in use by Chat Noir, but he'd get it back soon enough. Ladybug singling him out like that had contributed to his sense of importance, as if just being in this room wasn't enough. He had wondered if he would ever get the chance to use a miraculous again after the disaster with Miracle Queen, and yet, here he was, surrounded by Carapace, Rena Rouge, King Monkey, Viperion, and Ryuko, with Ladybug at their head, being considered an equal.

"Thank you all for making the necessary sacrifices to be here. You've all proven why you were chosen just by coming." Ladybug smiled at them. Max hadn't had any issues decoding Ladybug's hidden message or the clues she'd dropped on where and when to arrive, but the others might have had more difficulty. "First of all, you're probably wondering where my partner is tonight. He's on a special mission, running reconnaissance, and has found out some critical information. We've discovered that Hawkmoth is training a replacement, or perhaps addition to, Mayura. What's worse, they're planning a major attack, and probably soon. There's a real possibility this attack will take place in two cities, in two countries, as we tracked Mayura and her protégé all the way to England. We know they're there right now, but we believe Hawkmoth must still be in Paris."

"Ho. Ly. Cow." Max breathed louder than he intended, and everyone burst out laughing, even Ladybug.

"Yes, like Pegasus has observed, this is a serious situation. But, we know what's going on. We know who this protégé is, we know where they're at, and what they're planning. I invited you all here today so we could train a bit, learn to work together as a team, alert you of the situation, and dare I say it, plan an offensive strike of our own. I'm getting sick and tired of purifying akumas; it's high time we figure out how to prevent them, once and for all!"

"Yeah!" King Monkey yelled, doing a backflip.

Over the next few hours, the heroes took turns teaching each other. Rena Rouge was a master of kickboxing and deception, and emphasized the importance of staying out of the spotlight. Carapace had an incredible knack for triage, and could quickly spot who needed help. King Monkey encouraged them all to try their super agility by initiating a dance-off. Ryuko was incredibly adept at fighting, and gave them all tips and tricks with their weapons. Viperion taught them some meditation skills and gave invaluable advice on assessing a situation before jumping into the fray. Max wasn't sure he had much to offer, but when Ladybug gave him a smile and little nod of encouragement, he showed everyone some of the technological features of their suits and weapons.

At last, Ladybug gave them a final pep-talk. "I know this was just a quick afternoon of training, and I really hope we can make it a regular thing—because it's not enough to train once… but anyway, I hope you all are feeling a little more comfortable with your miraculouses and a little more prepared for what may be coming. I've got to remind you of the importance of keeping your miraculous safe and hidden. Hawkmoth knows who you are without your masks. He will do everything in his power to hurt you, make you angry, or drive us apart. So please, take every single security precaution. Don't approach or leave your homes from the same direction twice. Don't transform anywhere there may be people. Don't wear your miraculous; keep it hidden at all times."
"Wait," Rena Rouge interjected, "are you insinuating that you're going to let us keep them?"

A smile played at the corner of Ladybug's mouth. "Yes, I think so." A collective cheer started. "Just until we figure out what Hawkmoth and this new peacock are planning!" The superheroes stopped cheering, but the smiles didn't fade. "And until I get my partner back, full-time," Ladybug added in a whisper.

Ladybug had them all come in for a huge fist-bump, and then the meeting was adjourned. In order to avoid any suspicion, they de-transformed quietly and staggered their exits.

Viperion hung back. Rena Rouge gave Ladybug a quizzical look, pointing discreetly at Viperion as he shuffled around aimlessly. Ladybug just shrugged her shoulders, then indicated with a nod that Rena should head home.

"Ladybug," Viperion said quietly when he was sure they were alone, "I was wondering… could we talk?"

"Of course, Luka," she responded. "What's on your mind?"

"Well, you, to be honest."

Her mouth dropped open. "Uh…"

"Wait, not like that, sorry," he backpedaled. "I noticed the way you were today, how you kept making puns and looking so sad when nobody laughed at them, or how your voice had a note of sadness every time someone said 'Chat Noir.' Are you alright?"

Goodness, had she been doing that? "Yeah, of course I'm alright. I mean, I do miss my partner, and am worried about another akuma attack without him, but this reconnaissance mission should only last another week or so."

"Are you sure that's all?"

Ladybug nodded because she couldn't bring herself to lie out loud.

"You know he's in love with you, right? Like, really, not as a joke."

Ladybug sighed. "Yes."

"Do you know you're in love with him as well?"

"No, no no no," she said shaking her head way too quickly. "You've got it all wrong. See, we're partners. Our miraculouses are literally the ying-yang. Creation and destruction, light and dark, partners throughout time. Besides, he's just my silly Kitty and always will be."

His eyebrow quirked. "Your silly Kitty?"

She shrugged. "I can't love him," she tried. "I'm in love with…"
"Someone else? You sure about that?"

She was losing patience. "Y…yes…"

"Ladybug, can I give you some advice?" Her lips pressed into a thin line, but she didn't object. "Back off."

"Excuse me what?"

"Back when I was, well, Adventurer, Chat Noir was showing signs that he was open to other options besides you. The girl he was looking at was Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Then, a couple days ago, there was this:" He pulled out his phone and quickly opened a picture of Marinette and Chat pounding on a public piano. Marinette's face was alight with a smile as she studied the keys, but Chat's eyes were fixated on her. "Marinette is the sweetest, kindest, funniest girl I've ever met. I think she's interested in Chat Noir as well, but if you give Chat even a nod, he'll be at your side in a second and Marinette will be heartbroken. I can't allow that to happen. Marinette deserves a fair shot with whoever she wants."

Ladybug gaped. "Luka… that's… really, really kind of you to say. I know Marinette a bit, and, you're right, she does deserve that shot."

"So… you're not going to go after Chat?"

"I never was—" he raised an eyebrow, "—at least not intentionally. But sometimes, especially after a really tough akuma battle, it's like our hearts are beating as one. I swear I'm not trying to string him along. But he's the only person in the world who completely understands the burden of the mask."

Viperion cocked his head to a side and looked at her thoughtfully. "I hadn't thought about that. You make all of this," he swept a hand to indicate the costumes they were both wearing, "seem so easy. I never thought it might not be."

She couldn't hold back her snort. "No, definitely not easy. But Chat Noir makes it easier."

He studied her and at last decided, "Perhaps I misjudged the situation. Just promise me that you won't break Marinette's heart."

"I can definitely promise you that." He smiled, gave a little bow, called off his transformation, and took his bike home. When, at last, everyone had left for home and the coast was clear, Ladybug whispered, "Tikki, spots off." She held her Kwami in her hands and took a deep breath. "Oh Tikki, is it always this complicated to be Ladybug?"

Tikki smiled, "It's frequently been complicated, but I don't know if I've ever seen it quite this bad."

"So, Lila," Adrien asked once they were both comfortably seated in the limousine, "are you excited to go back to London?" She shrugged and pulled out her phone and started fiddling with it. "I know I am… I got permission to go to the theatre. There's a lot of great shows running right now. Do you like theatre?" She wasn't really paying attention to him, and just shrugged again. The last week had taught him a great deal about Lila: she saved her sugary lies for the right audience; whenever there wasn't someone she wanted to impress, she was either distant or downright unpleasant. But he didn't care. Today, he was on a mission. "I've heard great things about Matilda; apparently it's the one you've got to hear in the original English. Want to come with me?"

Finally her head snapped up. "Wait, what?" she asked.

"I thought it would be fun," he shrugged. "And it'd be some time away from Nathalie and modeling and galas and stuff. How about it? Tonight?"

He could tell her brain was scrambling to respond. She'd been throwing herself at him for ages and he'd just been getting colder. Suddenly, he was asking her out? "Uh, sure," she responded, clearly flummoxed. Adrien vaguely wondered if she'd ever received positive attention without having to lie to get it.

"So, who were you texting just now?" he asked, trying to make small talk.

"Oh, that?" she laughed a little, "Just checking in with Prince Ali. He's setting up a cruise of the Mediterranean and was wondering how much time I'd have before school started again."

Yep, just like Adrien had predicted—as soon as she felt like she needed to impress him again, she was back to the ridiculous lies. "That's nice," he responded with a little smile. He pulled out his own phone and pretended to smile at a text.

"And who are you texting?" she asked, taking Adrien's bait.

"Ladybug," he responded, not looking up and typing feverishly on his phone.

Her eyes bulged. "Seriously? I mean, she told me she didn't give her phone number out to anyone?"

He looked up at her slowly and frowned, "Weird. I guess she changed her policy."

"Does she… ever talk about me?" Lila hesitated. Adrien thought about her question very quickly. He and Ladybug had talked about this conversation and how Lila might react to it. They needed to know why Mayura and Hawkmoth wanted Lila to get closer to Adrien. After carefully weighing his options, Adrien decided it was best to prove he was really in contact with Ladybug.

So, he frowned deeper and said, "Not really, and even when she does, it's not very flattering. I don't know why that would be, Lila; you've always seemed nice enough to me." He went back to his pretend text conversation.

Her eyes narrowed. She bought it. "How do you know Ladybug, then?"

"Oh, we see each other around sometimes," he shrugged, keeping his eyes on the phone.

"Well, you should be careful with her," Lila started, letting her voice drop to what was supposed to be a mysterious tone, "she's been so rude ever since… well…"

Adrien leaned in, as he suspected Lila wanted him to, "Since what?"

"It's really not my place to say." Her upper lip curled back, like a tiger getting ready to attack. Adrien resisted the urge to pull back and instead played into her game.
"Please, what?"

"I discovered that she'd been working with Hawkmoth."
"What? No!"

"Yes," she insisted, "I'm sorry, this must be so difficult for you. Still, like I always say, it's better to know the truth than be comforted in a lie." Adrien was having a really hard time not laughing, rolling his eyes, or calling her out. She patted his knee. The back of his hair raised up and he instinctively pulled away from the touch. "See, Ladybug wanted to be famous and get all kinds of attention, so she struck a deal with Hawkmoth that she would save the day over and over again. And it worked—Paris is absolutely in love with her. But why else do you think it's been a year and we're no safer than we were before? Worse, in fact? Ladybug hasn't done her job, she's hasn't saved us from the akumas, and when I found out why, she turned on me and started spreading hateful lies against me."

"Yikes," Adrien breathed, unable to come up with a more thoughtful response than that.

What was it that Ladybug had told him she might try? Projecting her misdeeds on others? Yes, this seemed like it might be something like that. Now, if Adrien could keep her talking, he could maybe figure out why.

"It's ok, Adrien, I didn't want to believe it at first either."

"But what about Chat Noir? Wouldn't he notice and stop her?"

"Chat Noir? That bozo? Nah, he's nowhere near smart enough to figure it out."

Adrien forced a laugh to cover the glare his eyes were trying to give her. "Why would Hawkmoth be willing to take on the reputation of a supervillain, though, if it were just to benefit Ladybug?"

"Oh, he's getting something out of it." She left it at that.

He couldn't hide the face of pain he was making, so he channeled it into the phone in his hand.

"I'm sorry, Adrien, I know you… liked Ladybug."

"I don't know anyone who doesn't like Ladybug."

She quirked an eyebrow. "Weren't you two kind of close? She's super protective of you in particular, and the first day we met, at the park? She seemed jealous that I was hanging out with you."

Adrien was so surprised at this notion that he forgot he was supposed to be acting. "You thought she was jealous and over protective?"

Lila sighed and rolled her eyes. "Oh you poor thing. She's totally into you. It's got to be heartbreaking to find out these terrible things about Paris' sweetheart. But it's ok, I'm here if you need a hug."

"I'll survive," Adrien squeaked and looked out the window to end the conversation.

The very next stop they made, Adrien bolted out of sight and pulled out his silver cell phone. She answered his "Safe?" text rapidly, so he called her.

"Chat? How'd it go?"

"She took the bait. Adrien and Lila are going to the theatre tonight, and I've lots to tell you, but not a lot of time."

"Just stick to the basics, then."

"I'm still not sure, but I think that Hawkmoth and Mayura and Lila are targeting Adrien because they believe you've got a thing for him." She went silent. He could hear her voice cracking, unable to speak. "Ladybug? Are you ok?"

"Uh…uh…yeah!" she yelled a little to loudly. "I mean, of course! Why wouldn't I be? I just… am worried about Adrien being safe!"

"Do you have a thing for Adrien Agreste?"

"Chat…"

"You know, it doesn't matter… what matters is that Lila thinks so, and that she's trying to make you jealous."

"You're… r-right. Hawkmoth is just trying to get under our skin. So what else did Lila say?"

"So, she's trying to plant seeds of doubt in Adrien's mind, make you out to be some kind of monster who's working with Hawkmoth for fame and glory."

She snorted in disgust. "As if. I hope Adrien didn't buy any of that?"

"Oh no, he's… tougher than he looks."

"I know," she said quietly and Adrien felt his heart soar. "But that could have been projecting, just like we discussed last night."

"That's what I thought too. So that means that Lila is trying to get famous. We know from what I overheard in the warehouse last night that she also wants to hurt Marinette, and maybe sully your reputation throughout all of it. We also know that the plan is to date Adrien, turn him against Ladybug because Lila thinks that will make you jealous, and then train up and take on you and me to get our miraculouses."

"Wow, Chat, that's brilliant." Even a little compliment filled him with warmth. "But also terrifying."

"Whatever happens, we'll face it together, right?"

"You and me against the world, my Kitty."

He laughed. "How did your day go?"

"You were right—the whole team was eager to help and get to work. I don't know how much time we have, but I felt like we made good headway in learning to work together."

"That sounds amazing. I wish I could have been there."

"Me too. I… miss you, Chat."

"And I miss you, Bugaboo."

"Chat… I'm really worried about Adrien, too. I know you said he was eager to help, but he's going to put himself on the line tonight." Adrien noticed the real concern in her voice.

"Like I said, he's tough," Chat responded.

"Still, I don't like this idea of him listening to Lila's lies for hours and no way to defend myself."

"I don't think he'll be swayed by Lila."

"But how can you be certain?"

"Do you want to talk to him yourself?"

She hesitated for a second, then firmly responded, "Yes."

"On the phone or in person?"

Again, a brief hesitation, "Oh, phone should be fine…"

"In person it is. Can you spare an hour after his outing with Lila tonight?"

"Chat, that's not really necessary…"

"Will you be available?"

"Yes…"

"Alright, I will text you when he's available. I'll use the horse miraculous to pick you up. I think he'd really appreciate a visit from you, especially after suffering through an evening with Lila."

"Sounds good." Ladybug's voice was distant and dreamy. "I mean," she stammered, "if it's not too much trouble for you…"

"None at all, Milady." His other phone buzzed with a frustrated text from Nathalie. "Oops, I've gotta scat. See you tonight?"

"Tonight, Kitty. Bye!"

"Bye!" Adrien carefully stowed his silver cell phone away and did a little skip. He was going to see his lady tonight, without his mask. Even if he had to endure three hours of theatre beside Lila, he was still all smiles when he returned to the limousine.

"You're awfully jumpy tonight, Marinette," her mother said over dinner.

"Hm?" Marinette missed her mouth with her fork and dropped her food in her lap instead. Her parents laughed.

"Do you have plans?" Tom asked his daughter.

"Y-yeah, is that alright? I was going to visit a friend for an hour or two."

"That's fine, dear," her mother said.

"Which friend?" Tom asked conversationally.

"Oh… uh…" Marinette wasn't sure if her parents knew Adrien was out of town or not; they did watch the news, but typically didn't follow celebrity gossip. It was probably best to err on the safe side, so she responded, "Max. He and I are working on a project to surprise Adrien when he gets home."

"Oh yeah, I saw he was in England for the new Gabriel store opening. When does he get back?" her mother asked.

Marinette inwardly sighed in relief. "I'm not exactly sure. Next week, I think."

"Well, that sounds nice. Just check in with us when you get home, ok?"

"Sure thing." Marinette kissed her parents and went upstairs to collect a few things in her purse before striking off to the streets of Paris for the evening.

"Tikki," she whispered, once she was safely on her own, "I'm so nervous! What do I even say? What do I even do?"

"Well," Tikki piped from her hiding place in Marinette's purse, "it isn't supposed to be a fancy meeting. You're just supposed to be giving him confidence and counteracting Lila's stories."

"I know," Marinette said, "but I still can't help it. Even after spending so much time with Chat Noir and feeling so happy with him, I still have strong feelings for Adrien."

Tikki smiled. "Just be yourself. Why don't you go ahead and transform now, work out some nerves, and then you'll be ready whenever he is."

"Thanks, Tikki. Spots on!"

Ladybug was swinging over the rooftops of Paris, enjoying the early evening air rushing through her hair and the way her senses worked when she was transformed, when her silver cell phone vibrated in her invisible pocket. She landed quietly and hid behind a chimney, then checked her phone. It was still quite early in the evening, but there was a text from Chat:

Kitty: Adrien's evening ended early, are you available?

Her heart missed a beat. She quickly responded:

Milady: Yes. You can use your Chat phone to track me… tbh, I'm not exactly sure where I am

Kitty: haha k be there in 5

She started pacing and fiddling with her hair. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. But she was also dying to see Adrien. She'd hardly spent any time with him at all since the end of school, and even then, it had been at his fencing tournaments where they hadn't spoken much. Not to mention the fact that she was currently dressed up as Ladybug, who had even less one-on-one time with him. With a start, she realized it wouldn't be one-on-one time with Adrien—Chat would be there. Chat, who still had feelings for Ladybug, but also was getting awfully close with Marinette… how did she get herself into this mess? This was going to be the most awkward evening of her life. She pulled out her silver cell phone to cancel the whole thing, when suddenly a circle of light appeared beside her and widened to reveal Chat Noir in his silly man-bun and sunglasses getup. He smiled and waved. The sight of him made her laugh again involuntarily. He scowled, knowing what was making her laugh, and took her hand to pull her back through the portal.

"I'm s-sorry, Ch-Chat," she hiccupped through the laugh, "I just cannot get over the man-bun!"

"I know, I know. This one is ridiculous. I much prefer being Chat Noir. Plagg gets me. Kaalki doesn't." They both laughed a bit more until she regained her composure.

"So, where are we going?"

"You're meeting Adrien at Saint Paul's Cathedral."

"I'm meeting him? What, aren't you coming?"

A little smile played at his lips. "I've got other responsibilities tonight. Why, worried you can't hold a conversation with Adrien without me?"

She rolled her eyes. "Hardly. But I do miss hanging out with you. Paris has been so quiet this last week." Little did he know that she'd spent more time with Chat this week than just fighting that sentimonster.

The dots on the edge of his sunglasses flashed. "Woops, looks like I'm going to transform soon. How about I put the glasses over there—" he pointed, "and you can take them back with you when you need to go home?"

"No, as long as you're still here, you need to hold on to them."
"As you wish, Milady. Enjoy your evening!" He kissed her knuckles and ran off at an impressive speed. She checked the map on her yo-yo, unsure of the fastest way to St. Paul's. She wasn't far. But even in the few minutes she'd been in London, she'd gained more attention than she liked. In Paris, most people understood the importance of Ladybug's presence and wouldn't distract her when transformed. Here, however, and without any pressure from an Akuma, she was a novelty. She smiled and waved to all the cameras that had been pulled out, but quickly used her yo-yo to zip her way to St. Paul's. She perched on a lamp post and scanned the crowd. Plenty of people called "Ladybug! Ladybug!" in nasal English, but no sign of Adrien. Finally, she noticed a second crowd of people, almost as eager to snap photographs of something else as they were of her. There he is, she thought, and hopped from lamp post to lamp post, did a couple mid-air summersaults, and landed next to the blonde model.

"L-Ladybug!" he gasped. She smiled at him. The cameras were going wild.

"Hello, Monsieur Agreste, care to go somewhere a little quieter?"

"Yes please," he nodded eagerly. Then he turned to the crowd with a little bow, "If you'll excuse me." She wrapped her arm around his waist and he flushed at her touch. She threw her yo-yo out and zipped them across the Thames.

"Sorry about that," he muttered.

"About what?" she asked.

"The crowd. I hate all the publicity I get."

"I can't imagine," she shook her head.

"Well, you get an awful lot of attention as well," he noted.

"Yes, but at the end of the day, I can turn it all off and just blend into the crowd."

"I can't imagine you'd ever just blend in," he whispered into the air as they flew from building to building under her strength.

Now it was her turn to blush. "Uh… wh-where should we…"

"Oh," he managed, once he figured out what she was trying to ask, "Tower Bridge… Chat Noir said he'd help me with something."

The arrived and there was a little picnic set up on one of the highest trusses of the bridge. It was precarious, but incredibly romantic. She kept a firm hand on his waist as they landed, but he seemed a lot more comfortable with heights than she was without the power of the miraculous. He settled in, but she insisted on tying her yo-yo around his waist and securing it to the truss of the bridge, before sitting down beside him on the truss. "This is… really nice," she sighed, looking over the Thames far below them, dotted with boats. Big Ben could be seen in the distance, and the Tower of London, and the dome of St. Paul's… it was truly breathtaking. "I'm impressed at Chat setting this up."

"He's pretty cool," Adrien said quietly. "Always willing to help a friend out."

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm kind of surprised; he is usually pretty protective of me. This is kind of… uh… romantic, I guess," she blushed intensely. "It's something he'd do himself, not set up for a friend."

His eyes popped. "Uh… I'm sorry, is it too much? I just asked him to put a few things up here, and uh… he… he…"

Ladybug laughed. "It's ok, Adrien, it's really nice. Chat is a good friend, and it's got to be tricky finding a secluded place in London."

He nodded feverishly. The air fell quiet between them. "So," she said softly, "how have you been doing during this… trip...?"

He shrugged. "Honestly? It's been pretty lousy. My father insists I spend all my time with Lila, we've been constantly punted around between Birmingham and London and Oxford and Cambridge and I'm… worn out."

"I'm sorry," she muttered, trying to muster the courage to pat his arm or something supportive. She tried to reach out to him, but only managed to bump his shoulder with hers. He shivered at the touch.

"I'm glad that Lila wasn't thrilled with the choice of shows I made, so she went back to the hotel to have a tantrum and I got off early."

Ladybug laughed at that. "Is that what happened? Wow, who knew she could be so dramatic?"

He smiled. "She's been the worst. It's kind of funny, though, how she lies to impress people, but if she feels like someone is below her notice, she'll either ignore them or criticize them."
"Sounds… frustrating."

"It is. But you didn't come here just to listen to me complain. How are you? How is Paris without Chat Noir?"

She tilted her head. "How do you know that Chat Noir isn't there?"
Again, his eyes widened. "Uh, well, uh… obviously he's not there, he keeps coming and talking to me."

"Oh yes, of course," she said, blushing and feeling very silly. "After all, I'm the one who asked him to keep a closer eye on you."

"Yeah," he sighed, staring into her eyes with a far-off expression on his face. "That was… kind of you."

She shrugged. "Since we found out that Hawkmoth is targeting you for whatever reason, I've been worried about you. Hawkmoth's plans can be cruel, and you don't deserve to be a pawn in his game."

Adrien smiled at her in a way that made her heart race. "Thanks." A stillness fell between them. After a few moments, Adrien pulled out a brown paper bag from a messenger bag he had stashed with the picnic things. "I… uh… got you some bonbons. Would you, er, like one?"

She smiled and took one and popped in her mouth. She closed her eyes as the miraculous-enhanced flavors rippled across her tongue in a complex dance. "Mmm, toffee!" He smiled as she enjoyed the treat.

"London's finest," he said proudly. "And by finest, I mean, from the shop closest to the hotel they've cooped me up at." She laughed. "But I'm glad you enjoyed it."

She smiled and took a deep breath in through her nose as she still sucked on the rich candy. "It's just… maybe Chat Noir told you, but the miraculous enhances my senses. Food tastes different when I'm Ladybug."

Adrien smiled one of his dazzling, toothy, model smiles. "Is that so."

She nodded and looked up at him through her lashes. "Can I have another?"

"Knock yourself out," he laughed, handing her the bag. Their fingers brushed each other as she took the bag from him, making them both flush furiously. "So what's your favorite things to eat? As Ladybug, that is?"

This conversation was incredibly familiar. She smiled to herself as she remembered Chat's responses to Marinette's similar question. "Well, my kwami really loves sweet things. I think she's rubbed off on me."

He nodded. "What else do you enjoy? And not just eating, but, like, hobbies?"

She smiled. "I like creating things. I love when I get an idea and then work to make it a real thing. I really love creating things for my friends most." His gaze focused in intensity. She was struggling to look away from those vivid green eyes. "Wh-what about you?"

"Well, I have lots of extra curriculars… fencing, piano, Chinese…"
She rolled her eyes, "I know about those things; what about what you like to do? Like, when you're not being told what to do?"

"Oh, yeah… um… video games, comic books, foosball… and…" his voice quieted as he got a distant look on his face, "running."

She raised an eyebrow, "You go running?"

He smirked. "Yeah, whenever I can get out of the house."

Marinette had to contain herself behind her Ladybug mask. This was not something she knew about Adrien. She thought she knew everything about him; how could she have missed a favorite, visible activity like running? "Distance? Sprinting?"

He thought about his answer carefully, then responded, "No, hurdles." Was this the same Adrien she'd known for a year? "The tallest hurdles are my favorite, and that feeling of leaping over them and landing?" he took a deep breath and sighed. "It's the best." She was quite shocked. A few seconds later, he added, "And I also like to joke around with my friends. But my father doesn't let me out of the house very often to do that." He rubbed the back of his neck in his unique way. "But enough about me. What about you?"

She rubbed her toes together nervously. "I dunno, I'm really not that interesting, I guess."

"I beg to differ."
She flushed. "Well, what do you want to know then?"

"What's the best thing about being Ladybug?"

She bit the inside of her lip as she thought. "Hm… probably… helping people. And not just getting them de-akumatized, but really helping them; looking in their eyes and telling them everything is going to be alright and knowing that they're safe afterwords, or watching those miraculous ladybugs repair pain and sorrow along with broken buildings." He was staring at her again. "What?" she asked nervously.

"You speak with so much passion. It's mesmerizing."

If it had been Chat Noir there, using words like 'passion' and 'mesmerizing,' she would have laughed, flirted back, or done something silly to diffuse the situation. But Adrien… she didn't know how to handle his attention. So she just kept on blushing and rubbing her toes together and looking at her hands. "Th-Thanks," was all she could stammer.

But Adrien wasn't done complimenting her, "You care so much about everyone. You're so clever and kind. You know exactly what to say and do in every instance. It's… it's…" he very tentatively reached for her hand. She watched his fingers slowly cross his lap and then felt the warmth of his skin hover over hers for just a moment before she flipped her hand over so that her palm was up and he let their fingers intertwine. "It's irresistible," he breathed.

She was holding hands with Adrien. Holding. Hands. With Adrien Agreste. Marinette's brain was screaming behind the mask. Her heart was thudding so fast she couldn't catch her breath. Electricity danced from her fingertips, up her arm, and then radiating to every inch of her body. When she at last regained enough of her senses to look him in the eyes, he was smiling—not his carefully rehearsed model smile, but a big, floppy, dopey grin like Chat sometimes wore when Ladybug showed off with some acrobatics.

"Ladybug," he whispered, "I need you to know… ever since I first met you…" he was looking at their intertwined hands with a very peculiar expression on his face. "I've always… felt…"

Every phone on both Ladybug and Adrien started buzzing like mad. They both instinctively grabbed their devices—Ladybug reaching her yo-yo first, and sliding it open, muttered, "No, no, no, not now!"

It was an Akuma. In Paris. Adrien was suddenly all business. His eyes were hard and focused when they met hers. "Chat Noir said he wouldn't wander too far." He started unraveling the knot around his waist so Ladybug could retrieve the rest of her yo-yo string. "Go find him; hurry!"
"Are you kidding me? I am not leaving you on the top of Tower Bridge in London!" He halted, looked down at himself on the tiny truss, and laughed. She couldn't help but laughing as well. "Here, let me help you with that. Hold on, tight!" With one small flick of her wrist, the knot came untied and the yo-yo zipped back into her hand. She wrapped her arm around his waist and hooked the yo-yo to the truss so she could lower the two of them to the bridge below.

"Let's go over there—" Adrien said, pointing to a group of restaurant stands nearby. "That'll be safe enough."

"Safe enough for what?"

"For me, to wait until you fight off the akuma!"

"No way," she shook her head feverishly. "I'm not leaving you on the street. Not when Hawkmoth is targeting you. Either you're coming back to Paris with Chat Noir and I, as soon as we can find him, or your hotel."

"Ladybug, I appreciate the concern and all, but this is not the time to be worrying about me. I promise I'll be safe. Please, just take me right over there. Contact the rest of your team, and Chat will be here in a minute; I'm sure of it." When she hesitated, he added, "Trust me." She looked into those kind, thoughtful eyes, and nodded. She set him down where he had requested. He paused briefly, then drew her in for a hug.

"Please stay safe," she whispered into his ear.
"You too," he muttered back, and then he ran off to the shadows. Ladybug pulled out the silver cell phone and saw the alerts popping up from the team. After quickly checking the AkumaAlert app, she dialed Chat Noir's number. It rang twice with no answer.

"Come on, Kitty, pick up…"

"You called?" he said from behind her, startling so bad that she yelped and her phone went flying. She grasped her heart.

"Chat!"

He laughed uproariously while catching her phone and returning it to her. He was pulling the sunglasses from a pocket, ready to unify the two powers. "Where to, Milady?"

She glared at him. "Just so you know, you're really not as funny as you think."

He was still smiling from ear to ear. "That's right. I'm a whole lot funnier." She wanted to keep her glare going, but his toothy, dopey grin made her frown betray her. "Where to?" he repeated.

She held the phone up in a vain attempt to cover her playful smile, and said, "Looks like Montparnasse Tower."

"Alright then," he said, putting the glasses on over his mask.

Just then, the ground rumbled as Tower Bridge gave a mighty shake. Thousands of screams reached their ears as they looked up to see an enormous, slimy, green monster rising from the Thames and climbing up the base of the bridge. It immediately started hurling cars from the bridge as the pedestrians scrambled to safety.

"Oh shoot," Ladybug and Chat Noir breathed in tandem.