Shortly after, they arrived on the balcony to Marinette's apartment, making sure not to let themselves be seen. They crept inside, releasing their transformations once the door was shut and locked behind them. Adrien set Marinette down, looking around her home with interest as she got out food for Plagg and Tikki. It actually reminded him a lot of the apartment at the bakery. It was cozy, and everything about it made him feel at home. The living room and kitchen felt cheery, even in the darkness of night, which was an incredible feat in his opinion. Many of the decorations looked to be handmade, including sketches, drawings, and watercolors that she'd framed. She was very talented, and he couldn't help but stare as he studied a painting of the Paris skyline.

"Make yourself at home," Marinette's voice called to him, as she disappeared down the hall. "I'll just get ready for bed."

Adrien moved so he could see the hallway where she'd gone, and found it was full of doors. The door immediately to the left had a light on behind it, and he could hear water running. Probably a bathroom, he decided. There was another light from a door further down to the left, which stood propped open a bit. He could clearly make out her bedroom before turning to the last door, more to the right. The lights here were off, and the door stood completely ajar. Curiously, he edged into the room, flipping on the light as he went.

One corner of the room held an assortment of fabrics, beads, buttons, yarn, and threads in varying states of disarray. Along another wall was a small table with a sewing machine. On the wall surrounding this was a number of sketches. Clothing designs, if he had to guess. In the middle of the room was another table. This one held a cutting board for fabric, along with a half-finished piece of clothing. It was a men's suit jacket, black with lime green lining and accents. It was stunning. The matching lime green tie laying next to it sported a tiny golden bell. He reached out and flicked it, smiling when it gave a satisfying jingle.

"Having fun?" Adrien whirled around when he heard Marinette's wry voice from behind him. She was standing in the hallway in her pajamas, which were black with tiny green paw prints. Her arms were folded across her chest, and she was looking at him with an eyebrow raised.

Cute, his mind threw in unhelpfully, before he registered what she'd said.

"I'm- I'm sorry," he began, but stopped short when he noticed the sparkle in her eyes.

"I'm just messing with you," she said, stepping forward and poking his nose. "I don't mind."

A memory swirled into his mind.

Twenty-four year old Chat Noir was hanging upside down, once again wrapped in Ladybug's yo-yo string.

"Milady, did I ever tell you I'm head over heels for you?" He quipped half-seriously as she approached him, she right side up. "Thanks for saving my hide, by the way," he added softly. Maybe this time she'd see how much he genuinely felt for her. He stretched his neck toward her, attempting to peck her on the lips. She poked his nose to push his face back from hers, releasing her yo-yo string. He fell to the ground in a heap.

"No time for that now, Kitty," she said in a business-like tone as he righted himself. He sighed in dismay. There was never any time for that. "We've got to figure out where the akuma went before it destroys half of Paris."

He sighed in the present, too. That had been his first time remembering that sort of scene. It seemed his observations of his and Ladybug's interactions were correct. Ladybug hadn't wanted to be with him. She wasn't in love with him, even as recently as earlier that year.

"What is it?" She asked, looking at him with concern. He tried to shake it off.

"It's nothing," he said quickly, trying to sound confident. But one look at her bluebell eyes told him she wasn't buying it. Thankfully, she chose to let him be. He really didn't want to discuss this with her right now. He was supposed to be here to help her anyway, not the other way around.

Adrien followed Marinette out of the sewing room, meeting her eyes as she turned back to him, looking uneasy. He blushed again, realizing he hadn't really thought this through. She should sleep in her own bed, but he wasn't sure how she'd feel about his proximity to her in her private space. Being allowed to be with her in her sleeping area was rather intimate, after all. The last thing he wanted to do was make her uncomfortable.

She took the decision out of his hands. He marveled at that for a moment; it was as though she had understood exactly what had given him pause. It was probably because they were partners, he supposed. Before, they'd gotten so used to how the other thought and acted that they could communicate without words. He remembered seeing it in the videos online and being enthralled by the intimacy of their partnership, the way they just sort of seemed to…read each other's minds. It was quite strange to think now that he'd been a part of something as amazing and beautiful as that.

She led him back out to the sofa, grabbing a throw blanket off the back of the couch and curling up in it as he sat down at one end. He tried very hard not to over-analyze her choice and just enjoy being able to be there for her, but it was difficult. He knew she probably just didn't want to lead him on- his memory made it clear what their relationship had been like- but part of him hoped that she wanted to be with him and just didn't want to assume anything about his own feelings. Though he wasn't sure how she could have mistaken them; Chat had been dropping hints for years.

He mentally shook himself as she sat down on the sofa beside him, curling up with her feet tucked under her. She held herself away from him slightly though. He sighed inwardly.

"I'm not going to bite, Princess," he remarked with a crooked smile, holding out his arm to her questioningly. She hesitated for a moment, then shuffled closer to put her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her. She let herself relax as she pressed into his side. He shivered in delight, pulling her closer to him and putting his other hand on her waist. She stiffened in surprise. He hoped he hadn't crossed a line.

"Is- is this ok?" He asked softly. He didn't notice he was holding his breath until she nodded into his shoulder and he released it in relief. He tentatively raised a hand and ran his fingers through her silky, dark hair, which she'd taken down out of its signature twin tails. He felt her shiver a little before relaxing into his touch.

He soon realized, though, that she was probably not going to be able to sleep anytime soon. While he relaxed comfortably, she shifted, trying to find a better position. After she'd done this for the tenth time, huffing in annoyance, he offered to let her be and go on home for the night. Maybe his presence was disconcerting to her, he thought.

"No!" She cried, reaching for his hand and holding on tight. "Stay," she begged softly, looking up into his eyes. He studied her for a moment.

"This- this is normal for you. Isn't it?" He remarked. It wasn't really a question, but she nodded in answer anyway.

"I- I haven't really slept well in months," she admitted. "It takes me a long time to fall asleep. I just can't get my mind to shut down." She blushed, not looking at him. "I had hoped that you being here would change that. I- I keep having nightmares about…about that day you disappeared."

He was startled. His disappearance had really shaken her, with more consequences than he was aware of. He squeezed her tightly, but both of them jumped when Tikki spoke up.

"We might have an idea," she squeaked, gesturing to Plagg, who was looking resigned for some reason. "Adrien, transform into Chat Noir."

He raised an eyebrow at the little red kwami, but said his transformation phrase. In a flash of green, he was once again clad in his leather suit. He looked questioningly at Tikki again, but she just zoomed back to her cookies without another word. He shrugged, relaxing again. Marinette curled up with her head on his chest once more. She could probably hear his rapid heartbeat, he thought with some embarrassment, but suddenly his focus shifted. A deep rumbling in his chest distracted him; his eyes widened comically, and Marinette sat up quickly in surprise.

"You- you're purring!" she said in shock. He shook his head quickly, his horror and embarrassment stopping the sound.

"N-no, of course I'm not. There's…something in my throat," he said, his voice quivering nervously. This is a cat-astrophe, he thought, picturing a facepalm.

Marinette laughed softly. "Yeah, a tiny kitten," she quipped. "You denied it last time, too, you know. Who'd have thought?"

"It happens to every Chat Noir," Tikki explained from the kitchen. "It's perfectly normal. For you, anyway. Don't worry, Adrien."

Not sure this was exactly a comforting thought, he tried to release the tension in his muscles. It was then that he noticed Marinette looking up at him, a smirk playing on her lips. Uh oh.

Before he knew it, she'd maneuvered him so that he was lying with his head in her lap, her hands gently carding through his sunshine hair, scratching his scalp lightly with her fingernails behind his black cat ears.

"Mari," Chat whined. "Mari, please don't!" But the rumbling purr blossomed from his throat despite his protests. His face turned beet red. She laughed softly as he huffed in annoyance. "This is so embarrassing," he mumbled, attempting to hide his blushing face in her stomach. She didn't startle this time as she focused on continuing her ministrations.

"It's purr-fect," she whispered, though he wasn't sure she'd meant for him to hear. He felt a little better anyway.

Eventually, his embarrassment faded and he relaxed, closing his eyes and sighing happily as he allowed his purr to permeate the room. He loved the feeling of her fingers in his hair, and the repetitive movement was beginning to make him drowsy. He was exhausted. The last thing he remembered before drifting off, though later he wasn't sure if he'd only dreamt it, was his Lady pressing a soft kiss to his temple.

The sky outside was still dark when Marinette awoke, looking around in confusion. She was startled to find herself entangled in someone's arms. Adrien was still fast asleep on her couch, his oval-shaped glasses askew and his brown hair sticking up every whichaway. Her head was pillowed on his chest, allowing her to hear his steady heartbeat. His arms were thrown loosely about her waist, their legs intertwined. She stared at him for a moment, her eyes soft as she took in the sight of her sleeping Kitty, gently removing his glasses.

It was interesting, she noted, how different it was to see her partner so peaceful. Gone was her fierce protector and her punny best friend, instead replaced by a vulnerable young man who was blissfully unaware of his surroundings. Usually he was frowning in concentration, blazing with determination, or his eyes laughing as he taunted his prey. But now, there was not a bit of tension in his whole body; his face was completely unmarred by worry. She found she quite liked watching him sleep…weird and stalker-y as that sounded.

With a sigh, she looked around, catching sight of the clock on the wall. It read 3:45. Her eyes widened. He was going to be late for work, and then he'd have to explain to her parents. She was sure he wouldn't be too thrilled about that.

"Chaton, it's time to wake up," she said, shaking him gently. His eyes opened blearily.

"Milady?" He mumbled. "What are you-"

"No time, Kitty," she said, handing him back his spectacles. "Short story is, you stayed over at my place and your work shift starts soon." She pointed his gaze towards the clock. His brown-lensed eyes still looked sleepy and confused, as though his tired mind could not quite put the pieces together. And he still wasn't moving. She sighed.

"What day is it?" He asked finally, his still sleepy voice betraying his confusion. She thought for a moment.

"Um…Saturday. Why?"

"Your folks gave me Saturday off. Said I'd been working too much," he revealed, placing his glasses on the floor. "Not working today. Get to stay here with you." He gave her a sleepy smile before he closed his eyes again, folding his hands behind his head lazily.

She gave a small smile as she watched him, then relaxed next to him again. A thrill ran through her that he wanted to stay with her, and she snuggled deeper into his side. His purr once again sounded throughout the room and soon enough, they had slipped back into sleep.

When Marinette woke a second time, the sun was streaming in through the window. She opened her eyes with a sigh. Time to get up. It was then that she noticed Adrien watching her, fully awake as he lay still, not moving a muscle. His cheeks flushed as he was caught staring, but he blinked slowly at her.

"How long have you been up?" She asked him sleepily.

"Not long," came the reply, though he didn't say anything more. She sat up and stretched. Despite having slept on the couch, she felt more well-rested than she had in ages. It was a day she felt as if she could take on the world, she thought happily.

Adrien sat up, too, on his hands and knees, arching his back, then elongating his body, his arms outstretched. His lean muscles rippled fluidly at the movement. Marinette watched him, fascinated by this unexpected cat-like quirk. He turned to her, and then it was her turn to be caught staring. He smirked at her, but didn't comment.

"So Milady, what's the plan for today?" He asked, looking at her expectantly, retrieving his glasses from the floor. She shook herself out of her head to meet his chocolate eyes.

"Well, we could just hang out here for the day," she suggested, "I-if you want to, that is. I have quite a bit of homework that needs done, though," she added. "You probably won't find it very interesting."

"It would still be worth it," he said, but didn't elaborate. She shrugged it off.

"We could go see Monsieur D'Argentcour about your fencing today, if you'd like. We should probably save your other training until after dark," she said thoughtfully. "I'd rather not have people trying to arrest me for being out in broad daylight, and it might be better to keep your return a secret for now." When he didn't answer immediately, she continued. "Anyway, we'd better get ready for the day if we want to get anything done." She met his eyes. "Is there anything particular you like for breakfast?"

He shrugged, replacing his glasses. "I'm not picky. Whatever you want is fine by me," he replied as he stood up from the couch, stretching again, though more human-like this time. "Actually, why don't you go ahead and get ready, and I can make breakfast." She looked at him in surprise. "Don't worry, it'll be egg-ceptional," he winked at her and she rolled her eyes playfully.

True to his word, breakfast was ready a short time later, and a newly-showered and dressed Marinette came back to find the table laden with eggs, toast, fruit, and hot chocolate. Plagg and Tikki were situated on a countertop with their food, looking on. Adrien had taken a seat at the table already, twisting his Miraculous around his ring finger nervously. It was then she noticed a single red rose lay on her plate. She blushed as he looked up at her upon her reentry, wondering, as she had many times before, if he was aware of the meaning of said flower, or if he just liked the red ones best.

"Th-thank you, Adrien," she said softly. "It looks fantastic."

She found a small vase for her flower, looking at it happily. "Where'd you get this?" She asked.

He looked a little sheepish before smirking.

"That's a secret, Milady. Can't have you knowing all my tricks," he answered. She raised an eyebrow at him, feeling skeptical. He grinned at her. "Relax, I'm just pollen your leg."

He registered in surprise that she was staring at him, a devious smirk playing on her lips. He shifted uneasily as wondered what, exactly, he'd just gotten himself into.

"Are you feeling bouquet, Kitty?" She smirked at him again, and he returned the pun, grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

"Of course, Milady. I'm lavender ribbons, by the way, they really suit you," he said, pointing to the bright green ribbons she'd wound into her braids to match her Chat Noir t-shirt. She shook her head in bewilderment, crossing her arms and blushing slightly before volleying back with a sassy expression.

"Your flowery prose has put me in an orchid situation. Bud seed, I rose above it!"

Adrien's jaw dropped. I definitely love this girl, he thought off-handedly, before starting to laugh. Marinette joined him before taking her seat. They dished up their food and began their meal, still chuckling. Adrien stole a glance at her through his hair. This was the most fun he could remember having for a long while. This girl, he thought. She was something special. Then something occurred to him.

"Mari-," he saw her jolt in surprise when he shortened her name. "S-sorry, do you prefer Marinette?"She stared, then shook her head.

"Like I said the other day, call me whatever you like," she said vaguely. "I-I like that you gave me nicknames. It's cute," she added shyly. He felt his face grow warm, but he nodded before he continued.

"Anyway…I was wondering what you thought I should do about my father," he asked her, feeling vulnerable. "He has no idea if I'm alive or dead. I want to keep my freedom and relative anonymity, but at the same time, I don't want to cause him unnecessary pain." He looked at her sincerely. "You always try to do the right thing, even when it's really hard. I really admire that," he flushed deeper at this admission, and she did, as well. Her expression turned pensive.

"I believe you should probably let him know you are alright," she said at last. He felt his face fall, before she gave a mischievous grin. "But…that doesn't mean you have to physically go home, either." His eyes widened as she explained. "From the sound of things, your father has been controlling towards you. You have no obligation to put yourself back under his thumb if you don't want to." Her eyes blazed with indignation.

"My suggestion is that you write him a letter and deliver it to the mailbox as Chat Noir, or call him from an untraceable or public phone. You can tell him something only the two of you would know so that he knows it's really from you, and then make it clear that you are not coming home and are going to live your own life. Then, if you connect with him after that, it will be on your terms."

He processed this carefully. It did seem like a great solution. It cleared his conscience without subjecting himself to his father's inflexibility. "Great idea, Mari," he agreed at last, spearing another portion of eggs on his fork. His heart felt considerably lighter. "I'll get that done soon. It will be nice to not worry about it anymore." There was a pause as they continued with their breakfast, before Adrien spoke again.

"Mari," he said hesitantly, "I- I know you don't want to talk about it, but…but I'm worried about your mother." He saw her blue gaze snap up to meet his own and it took all his self-control not to wince at the look she was giving him. He put down his fork, making a placating gesture.

"I'm sorry, Mari, I didn't want to butt in. I know it's really none of my business. But…I think she's at risk for being akumatized. She's really, really worried about you. She thinks you haven't been acting like yourself." With relief, he saw Marinette's face soften.

"I know," she said quietly. "The problem is, she's right; I haven't been acting like myself." She sighed. "Maman has always been able to have…almost a sixth sense about when something is wrong. She's super observant, and I…I've never been able to hide much from her. Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me to find out she knows I'm Ladybug," she said wryly. "Anyway…I couldn't tell her anything about you going missing since no one was supposed to know that Marinette knew Chat, since technically, Marinette only had limited contact with Chat as herself." She grimaced. "Talking about myself in third person is weird," she said, while Adrien snorted at her expression.

"Anyway, I knew if someone ever brought up Chat in a conversation, she'd see the truth no matter how hard I tried to hide it," she explained. "That's why I freaked out so badly, that day with the sketches."

Adrien studied her. "It wasn't just your maman, though, was it, Mari?" He said shrewdly, before standing up and beginning to gather the empty dishes, taking them to the sink before turning to resume eye contact while leaning his back against the countertop. "You pretty much isolated yourself from everyone. Didn't you?" She sighed in defeat.

"Looks like I can't hide much of anything from you either, Kitty" she remarked. "It was almost impossible to pretend I was ok, so it just made sense to stay away."

A young Adrien was sitting in an enormous bedroom alone, staring at his computer screen. Tears were leaking down his face as he studied the woman in the picture. She was beautiful, with blue eyes like Ladybug's and golden hair like his own. In the photo, she smiled brightly, waving to the camera.

His mother had been his very best friend, the person who looked out for him, had fun with him. The person who loved him best- and who he'd loved best. And she was gone.

"Adrien?" He heard Nathalie's voice from the hall. His hands clenched into fists.

"Go away!" He shouted shakily.

"Adrien, your father wants you to-"

"I don't care what he wants!" He screamed. He'd never be able to go out there and pretend to be perfectly ok for his father. Not now. He took a shaky breath. "I-I'm sorry, Nathalie. Please. Just go. I- I need to be alone."

"Very well," her voice finally replied. When he finally heard the sound of her footsteps die away, he collapsed on his bed, sobbing in despair. His mother was gone. He didn't know how or why, but he was quite sure that she was never coming back.

He startled out of his memory when he felt a small hand on his shoulder, shocked to note tears on his face. He hurriedly wiped at his eyes.

"Are you alright?" She asked, eyes full of concern. He nodded.

"My-my mother," he said by way of explanation. She didn't press him, but silently, carefully, gathered him into a hug. He relished the feeling of her care and concern for him as he clung to her tightly, her warmth pressed against his body. They stayed tangled in each other's arms until he was feeling a little more steady, and he pulled back to meet her eyes with his currently chocolate-colored ones.

"Please, Milady," he finally whispered seriously, feeling open and vulnerable. "Don't waste the time you have with your mother. She loves you." He buried his face in her neck. "You- you just…never know how long you have left." She held him tighter.

"You're right, Kitty," she said quietly. "I'll come by this evening to visit her and Papa, ok?"

He gave her a sad smile. "I'm glad. I'll stay out of the way; I don't want to intrude-"

"Don't worry," she said, shaking her head. "I know Maman and Papa won't mind. They likely already think of you as family; that's just how they are. Besides, it will be easier to explain our… friendship if they witness us becoming friends properly. Remember, the last time they saw us meet, I can't say I was exactly very receptive to you," she said with a grimace. "Sorry about that, by the way," she added, looking embarrassed. He waved her off unconcernedly.

"Don't worry about it," he answered. "I understand now. I'm not offended; I've been there, remember?" He looked around at the clock, scrubbing at his face again. "You know…I maybe should go put in an appearance at the bakery," he said, sounding regretful. "Your mother will tease me to no end if she thinks I stayed the night with whoever she thinks my date was."

Marinette nodded her agreement. "It would be best not to give her any more ammunition. She can be relentless sometimes." There was a pause. "Let's exchange numbers," she said, taking out her phone and handing it to him as he copied her movement. "I'll get my homework done and then come over and give you all a hand. It will probably be this afternoon sometime. Just make sure you don't mention me; we're not supposed to know each other properly yet, after all, and officially, Jean Luc was never here."

Adrien gave her a mock-offended look. "I'm not that crusty, Milady! Dough-n't worry!"

Marinette giggled. "Adrien, that was a pretty crumby joke," she teased, full-out laughing as he fake-pouted.

"I'm leaven," he grumbled, a sparkle in his eyes as his face brightened and he laughed out loud. He threw her a two-fingered salute as he transformed. "See you a grain soon, Bugaboo," he teased, before exiting onto the balcony. Marinette was still laughing as she watched him slip away.