a/n: ahahaha, so this started out kind of angsty, but I'm me. Angst in my thing. So like. I can't even be sorry. XD Thank you for reading!

edit 11/13/19: So I wrote this before I watched the season 3 finale (I was waiting until Chat Blanc and Felix came out to watch it), with Marinette's hair being down. I had no idea he said that in the series, too. But I'm not going to change it. Even if it makes me look like a copycat. XD

Lovesquare Fluff Week Day 3: Dancing or smitten. / Ladrien

Adrien's chin rested on his palm as he stared out his bedroom window. It was pouring outside, the rain coming down in cold, unforgiving sheets. Currently, he had some intricate piano song playing on his phone to give Nathalie the impression he was practicing should she be listening.

It wasn't like he had anything better to do than actually practice. But he wasn't in the mood. Adrien wanted nothing more than to vault through the streets of Paris. That was his only sense of freedom. And it was Friday afternoon, too. What better way to spend it than defying the laws of physics, moving fast and fluidly, as if no one could control him? Not Nathalie. Not his father. Not anyone.

The pouring rain told him otherwise.

"Lighten up, kid," Plagg told him, taking a casual bite of his camembert. "It's not the end of the world. If it stops, we can go out."

"It's not supposed to stop until after one in the morning," Adrien said, rolling his head back. "This sucks."

"It's not so bad," Plagg said. "It's warm and dry in here, and cold and wet out there."

An eye roll. Adrien sighed miserably, trying not to let it get to him. He was a superhero. Sure, he could fight villains and destroy whatever he wanted with just one touch. But controlling the weather was out of his range.

A flash of red caught his attention and made him still immediately.

Plagg zoomed to the other side of the room to hide. Adrien's eyes popped wide and he hurried to open his windows, calling out her name.

At first, he wasn't sure if she'd heard him. He wouldn't blame her—the rain poured and poured relentlessly, and it was deafening. But then her head snapped in his direction and their eyes met.

And then the rain became mute. He was getting wet now but he didn't care. All he saw, at that moment, was her. Everything else faded away.

He expected her to flee. To throw out her yo-yo and disappear into the night. But instead, the string of her yo-yo hooked onto his window sill and she was propelling herself upward, and all of a sudden a soaking-wet Ladybug was stumbling into his arms.

"Whoa," he murmured, immediately gripping her biceps to steady her. "Ladybug?"

"Sorry," she said hollowly. "I've been out here a while. Guess I'm tired."

Adrien frowned. Her tone was enough to open a chasm of worry in his stomach. "Why? It's raining."

She was quiet for such a long time that he wasn't sure if she'd actually answer him. But then, softly: "I'm sorry. Maybe I should go back home. I'm getting your floor all wet."

"Ladybug, it's no big deal," he said and it was too true. Whether she knew he was Chat or not, she was always welcome into his home. Erm, at least his room. Without his father knowing. Because his father probably wouldn't approve of a superhero walking around the Agreste mansion. Most of the time, Adrien wasn't even allowed to leave his room. Like now. Her company would brighten up his mood.

Except she didn't look too happy now. The chasm got bigger. Bigger. His frown deepened.

"Please, you don't have to leave," he said, and then: "I'll get you a towel. Actually, if you want, there's a hairdryer in there. You could clean up if you want. Not that you look bad! You definitely don't look bad. I just mean—" He stopped, releasing her arm to rub his neck sheepishly. "I'll shut up now."

She bestowed him with a tiny smile, color blooming on her cheeks. "...thank you, Adrien. You're very kind. I can wait here a minute, though. I don't want to track water all around your room."

Slowly, he smiled back. Then he was reaching behind her to pull the windows shut before circling around to grab a few towels from the bathroom. When he returned, she had that look on her face again, the one that bled uncertainty and worry.

"What's wrong, Ladybug?"

She jumped, startled, but accepted the towel nonetheless. She mumbled, "Nothing, really. It's been a tough day, I guess."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Her smile became sad. Brittle. "I don't think that's a good idea. Secret identities, and all that."

"Right," he murmured, crestfallen. He knew she was telling the truth, that she was only being cautious, but he hated seeing her so uneasy. The expression was foreign on her face.

"Thank you, though," she added suddenly as she patted her cheeks dry. "For asking. For caring."

"Of course I care," he said, hurrying to swallow the 'My Lady' that threatened to follow his declaration. "Just because you're Paris' superhero doesn't mean you're not human, too."

Ladybug looked stunned, for a moment. Then she repeated sincerely, "Thank you. I mean it. And..." She paused, abruptly nervous. "I, um... I might take you up on that offer. The h-hairdryer."

"Go right ahead," Adrien said instantly. "I wouldn't want you to get sick."

Pink dusted her cheeks again before she shyly excused herself to go clean up. Adrien used an extra towel to dry himself off. He wasn't soaked like Ladybug, but he was relatively wet from peering out an open window and catching his partner before she toppled headfirst into the floor.

When the bathroom door clicked shut, Plagg came out of hiding to give him a deadpan look. Said quietly, "Jeeze, kiddo, would you tone down the lovesick vibe? It's kind of making me sick."

Adrien turned to give him a halfhearted glare and hissed, "I'm worried about her, Plagg."

"She'll be fine. She's tough."

Adrien knew that she was tough. But there was a difference between tough and invincible. He slowly lowered himself onto his bed, not offering a verbal response. Instead, he reclined his back against his mattress and stared at the ceiling.

Plagg frowned. "I'm serious, kid. She'll be ok. Maybe you could do something to cheer her up."

"Like what?"

"Beats me. Tell her a joke."

"She doesn't like my jokes, Plagg."

"Says who?"

"Says her."

"Suuuure."

Adrien's frowned eased a little. This was Plagg's way of trying to cheer him up. And as always, it was working. He reached out to scratch under Plagg's chin with his index finger. "Thanks, bud."

The hairdryer shut off, which was Plagg's cue to retreat back to his hiding place. Adrien sat up again, waiting for her to come out. When she did, his eyes went wide.

Her hair. It was down. Framed her face perfectly, reaching just below her shoulders. In her right hand were the two ribbons that usually held her hair up.

He must have been staring a little too long because suddenly Ladybug was touching her face self-consciously. "What?"

"O-oh! Um. It's nothing, I just..." He swallowed. "I've never seen you with your hair down before."

"Is it weird?" she asked immediately, gripping the ribbons tighter. "I mean, I was going to put it back up but the ribbons are wet. But I guess I don't have a comb, so it probably looks bad, doesn't it? I just used my fingers."

"No! No, it doesn't look bad at all," Adrien hurried to say. "It... you look... nice."

Nice? Was that all he could say? Goodness, he was an idiot.

There was that blush again creeping over her cheekbones and making her look even more beautiful. Boy, he had it bad.

"Y-you think so?" she said with a timid smile. "Thanks." And then, with a giggle: "So, uh, what's all the piano music for?"

Adrien winced. Right. His phone was still playing music. It was easy to forget about it when a storm was raging outside. "It's kind of an old trick. I wasn't really feeling like practicing tonight, but my father is expecting me to."

She nodded. "I see. It's a beautiful song."

"Yeah," he said quietly. "I suppose it is."

Silence drifted between them, sudden but not uncomfortable. All that could be heard was the incessant thrum of the rain on the roof and the soft, melodic notes of the piano music on Adrien's phone. Ladybug glanced outside anxiously. "It doesn't look like it's going to let up soon."

"The weather app on my phone says it's supposed to keep raining till after dark."

Ladybug groaned quietly, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Right. Gosh, I am such an idiot. Coming out here while it's storming. Now that I'm dry I'm just going to get soaked again."

Adrien stood. "You're not an idiot. And..." He hesitated. "You could stay here awhile. I don't mind. Maybe the forecast is wrong. It could stop sooner than we expect."

She still looked unsure. "Maybe. But... are you sure? I don't want to impose."

"You're not imposing, I promise," Adrien reassured her. Then he smiled at her, all warmth and affection. Held out his hand. "Will you stay?"

There was a moment of hesitation, but it was brief. She accepted his hand and nodded, but squeaked when he pulled her to him.

"Oh. I'm sorry," he said, chuckling nervously. "I-is this ok?"

Their eyes met again, crisp green and soft, soft blue. And she nodded again, cheeks pink as she offered a smile of her own. Her hand pulled away from his so she could rest both of them on his shoulders, and his palms instinctively found her hips. Then they were moving. Slowly. Gradually. Swaying back and forth, back and forth. Dancing to the symphony of pouring rain and mellow piano notes.

She rested her cheek on his chest, close to his heart, and something about this position struck him as achingly familiar. As if he'd danced like this with her before.

"Thank you," she whispered again. "This... this is nice. I don't get to have a lot of slow moments like this."

"Anytime," he replied without hesitation. His heart stuttered and stumbled and he prayed she didn't notice. My Lady.