I apologize for abandoning my usual point of view structure for this chapter. I really tried, but it just couldn't flow correctly if it started from Marinette's point of view. The chapter is still mainly Adrien, though, so I kept that! Enjoy!

Chapter Eight: Silhouette

For the rest of winter break, Adrien spent half of his time beating himself up over his encounter with Ladybug. There was a brief respite on Christmas day when his father did a brief video call with him while he opened the few presents he had had Nathalie buy. Adrien pretended that they were great, but they were just like every other gift he got. He'd always been able to tell the difference between gifts his mother had gotten and gifts his father made his assistant get. His mother's had always been very thoughtful and had been something he loved. The CDs and books he owned had often come from her. When Nathalie was forced to get something it was always something generic for any kid.

After his conversation with his father ended, Adrien retired to his room with his gifts. Most kids his age would kill for some of the things he had gotten, but to him, they were just more of the same. The most recent gaming console was just one to add to the collection. The newest outfit from his father's line was just something else he wasn't allowed to wear until it was released. His mind, however, was not on these gifts he'd received. It was on the one he had given the day before.

"Why did I say that, Plagg?" Adrien asked, unable to keep it to himself any longer.

Plagg looked up from the wheel of cheese Adrien had ordered him as a Christmas gift. "Say what?" he asked grumpily, taken out of whatever cheese fantasy his mind had concocted.

"Why did I get so close to Ladybug and say that? I couldn't say 'I love you' but I can do that? What must she think of me now? What does she think about the whole encounter? I mean, what kind of person says that? I was one step from kissing her!" Adrien paced around the room, unable to sit still lest he succumb fully to his embarrassment.

"Didn't she say something like 'I love you' after anyways? Maybe you should have kissed her," Plagg said.

Adrien finally sat down, spinning his desk chair around before stopping to look at his kwami. "She said she loved the necklace, not me. And why wouldn't she? The necklace is top-of-the-line, and I'm not."

Plagg sighed. "I'm sure your friends would argue differently. You're a model, son of Paris's best-known fashion designer, and get all A's in school. You even moonlight has a superhero."

"But Ladybug doesn't know all of that. She just knows the superhero who needs her to cleanse the akumas. She doesn't know Adrien, trapped in his house by his overprotective father." Adrien looked at the window, debating on leaving again. Then the thought of running into Ladybug entered his head, and he immediately negated the idea. I can't face her again after that. I made a complete fool of myself.

"Why don't you use your new Christmas gifts? I know cheese always distracts me when I'm distressed," Plagg said.

Adrien rolled his eyes. "Of course it does. You have one strange palate, Plagg."

"Tikki, what do I do?!" Marinette asked, staring at the necklace on the desk in front of her. Christmas morning had gone by too quickly for the young designer. She loved every gift she got and loved the breakfast her mother had prepared, but all too soon she was upstairs again. She had tried and failed to distract herself by working on the new sketchbook Alya had given her. The necklace, however, had other ideas. It didn't take long for her to find herself staring at it anxiously.

"Do about what, Marinette?" Tikki asked, getting up from the pile of sweets Marinette had given her kwami.

Marinette gestured wildly to the necklace. "About this! About Chat Noir! About Adrien!" she said helplessly.

"I think it was a nice thing Chat Noir did," Tikki said. "He obviously cares about you a lot."

"That's the problem, Tikki! I always knew we were friends, but I thought his flirting was meaningless! I assumed that's just how he always was. But yesterday…" Marinette thought of the moment Chat put the necklace on her. How close he had been to her. The way he'd spoken into her ear. "What if there's more to his feelings than I thought?"

"Why don't you ask him?" Tikki suggested. "That would be the easiest way to find out."

She nodded slowly. "That's a smart idea. I just need to talk to him is all. Make sure he knows that I don't feel the same way. That fixes Chat Noir, but what about Adrien? Do I actually have a date with Adrien?" Her voice got higher and higher the further she got in the last question.

"Alya seems to think so," Tikki said.

"But what if she's wrong?" Marinette said. She went limp in her chair, head on her desk. This brought her attention back to the necklace. A loud groan escaped her, and Tikki came over to pat her on the arm.

"When did things become so complicated?" she asked.

The rest of the break Adrien forced himself to stay inside. He desperately wanted to go out and see the world as Chat Noir instead of from his window as Adrien, but he couldn't risk it. Several times he saw Ladybug swinging about in Paris. After a couple times, he realized that she was looking for Chat Noir. That idea scared him, so he even skipped a scheduled patrol. He wasn't ready to face the rejection he could feel coming.

When class finally started again, he knew that he couldn't avoid it much longer. There had been no akuma attack since Gaia, and there had never been such a long break.

Adrien left the dining room that morning to find his father walking in the door. "Father, you're back!" he exclaimed.

His father looked down at him, giving him a rare small smile. "Yes. I know that I didn't tell you, but the availability of the flight was unexpected. I trust that you enjoyed your break from school, and did all of your studies?"

"I did, Father," Adrien said. "I'm glad you're home."

Gabriel nodded in assent, then they went on their ways. Seeing his father and the idea of returning to school kept Adrien distracted on the drive. He looked out the window, imagining seeing his friends again.

The car pulled up and the first thing he noticed was a lack of Marinette and Alya. Usually, they were talking at the foot of the stairs with Nino. He shrugged the thought away, briefly wondering why it bothered him before he stepped out of the car and walked up to his best friend.

"How was your break?" Adrien asked him.

"It was great. My parents got me some wicked stuff. What about you? Did you get to see your dad on Christmas?" Nino asked. They started walking up the steps to the school building but stopped when they saw Max and Kim approaching with a large box held by Max and a display board held by Kim.

They stopped next to them, smiling. "I take it that the two of you are not participating in the science fair?" Max asked.

"Good thing, too," Kim said. "Max is sure to win with his project. No one else even stands a chance."

"I bet," Nino said. "Everyone else is gonna have a hard time against you. You're the smartest kid in, like, the entire school."

Max smiled and pushed his glasses further up his nose. "Thank you for the compliments. I do have confidence that my project will be the winner. I must go set up, but I appreciate your support." Kim followed Max into the school building.

"That's going to be interesting. I hope he wins," Adrien said. Nino nodded, and they resumed their walk up the stairs. While heading to the classroom, Adrien noticed a lot of other students entering with boxes and display boards. It seemed that a lot of people were entering the competition, though he couldn't see anybody from their class. When they got to the class, he saw that he was right. Everyone but Max and Kim was there, very obviously lacking an experiment.

"Did no one else want to enter?" Adrien asked Nino as they took their seats.

"Everyone knows Max is entering. There's really no point if you can't win," Chloe said, turning to look at Adrien from the aisle between them. "Even these losers know that there's no point if you can't win."

"The science fair is about more than just winning, Chloe," Marinette said from behind him. "It's about learning something new."

Chloe turned an overly confident eye on Marinette. "If that's true, why did no one in our class enter? Why didn't you?"

"Because I didn't want to," Marinette said. She had the usual glare on her face that she normally had when talking to Chloe.

Alya stood up to defend her friend, also glaring at the blonde girl. "Most of our class isn't interested in that stuff, in case you didn't notice. That doesn't mean that they couldn't enter if they didn't want to."

All three girls were starting to look angrier. Thankfully, Ms. Bustier walked in before anything could escalate any further. Adrien sighed inwardly. He gave Marinette and Alya an apologetic look for Chloe, then grabbed his tablet as the bell rang.

During lunch, Adrien had to leave for a photo shoot, but when he returned he was glad to see that the peace - if it could be called that - had been kept between Chloe and Marinette. They all returned to class relatively happy, though the two refused to look at one another.

A few minutes before the final bell rang, a video was broadcast throughout the school to announce the winner of the science fair. Ms. Bustier put the video up, and Mr. Damocles's office appeared.

"Hello, students of Collège Françoise Dupont! As you are aware, the school science fair has been happening all day in the gym. After a lot of deliberation, our judges have chosen our winners! Walking away with the first place prize we have Max Kanté!" Mr. Damocles motioned to the side where Max stood with a first place pin on his shirt, holding a large trophy. The entire class erupted in applause, the loudest of which came from Max's best friend.

"Second place is Chance Moreau!" The camera moved to show another boy with a second place pin, holding a much smaller trophy. He was clapping but was obviously trying to fight a scowl.

Adrien clapped with the rest of his class but fought the urge to run outside. After fighting so many akumas, he could tell when someone was going to be a target. The look of anger on Chance Moreau's face told him that he would be the next akuma. Mr. Damocles went on to announce the third winner, but Adrien's mind was elsewhere. He was thinking of an excuse to give his bodyguard as to why he would be staying at school for a time.

The bell finally rang, and Adrien quickly grabbed his phone. He sent his bodyguard a text saying there was going to be a last minute practice for the play, then slipped away from Nino to go to the bathroom. Once it was completely clear, he transformed.

Chat Noir poked his head out of the room to make sure the coast was clear. Upon seeing it was, he left and began looking around the school. Chance was going to be here somewhere. Hopefully, he would catch him before he could do too much damage. He wandered the halls, moving as stealthily as he could. It wasn't for several moments that his enhanced ears picked up the sound of running.

He immediately ran towards it, going full force around a corner. Unfortunately, someone else was doing the same. They collided head-on, both collapsing back onto the floor. Chat groaned, rubbing his head and looking up to see who he'd crashed into. An apology was ready on his lips, but the words got stuck in his throat when he saw who it was. Ladybug was sitting up in front of him, rubbing her own forehead.

She noticed him too, but her reaction was not quite like his. "Chat Noir! Listen, we've got to talk about the other night…"

"So you know about the akuma, too?" Chat interrupted. He couldn't help but notice that she wasn't wearing the necklace he had gotten. He knew what was coming, but just the thought sent daggers through his heart. Focusing on Chance would be the best thing for him right now.

Ladybug opened her mouth to speak - probably to continue with her line of questioning. However, she paused before saying something else. "I managed to see that video. Chance looked far too upset about not getting first place. He has to be around here somewhere. Hawk Moth has been silent too long, he has to take an opportunity like this."

Chat nodded in reply, starting the walk down the hall. "Where do you think he would be? Maybe Hawk Moth let him get home before the akuma got him?"

Someone screamed.

"Spoke too soon, Kitty," she said. The nickname made him wince. She'd noticed that he hadn't greeted her like normal. But the cutesy name hurt coming from her lips right now. He knew that she was going to reject him, so why would she do that?

"Let's go, Milady," he said, careful to use the nickname. Both heroes ran to the source of the sound - the gym where the science fair had been held.

The room was large with wooden floors and bleachers pushed to the side. Several science fair displays were still scattered about the room. Most of their owners, however, were running away. In the center of the room stood what looked to be the solidified shadow of a person.

"It looks like the somebody's silhouette escaped," Chat Noir commented. As usual, Ladybug rolled her eyes but said nothing. Somehow, the normalcy of the act helped cheer him up.

"I require your Miraculouses," a whispery voice hissed. The sound seemed to echo around the room. Silhouette pointed a hand at them, and suddenly the shadows around them started moving. They crept over to their feet, starting to become solid like Silhouette.

Chat's eyes widened, and he started backing away with Ladybug. "I have a feeling that we don't want that to touch us," he said.

"Probably not. Let's get everybody out of here." They turned to hurry towards the doors to help people out. Ladybug held the door open, and Chat went towards the nearest people to guide them outside.

Only a few people had made it outside when shadows coated the doorway, stretching to block the exit completely.

"No one leaves until I get your Miraculouses," the creepy voice said. With his augmented hearing it was almost like the sound was reverberating inside his skull.

Chat turned to see Silhouette walking towards them. One person was just unlucky enough that he passed next to them. His fingers reached out and brushed their shoulders, spreading darkness onto them. It took only a second for them to look just like him. They started to follow him, completely at the mercy of the akuma.

"We need to figure out where the akuma is," Ladybug said. "Think about the video, what stood out to you?"

"The trophy? Or his second place pin?" Chat suggested. "I can't see anything on him like this. He's completely in shadow, but maybe that's because he felt like he was being overshadowed when he didn't win."

They backed away, motioning for the remaining civilians to do the same. A few more people were touched by Silhouette before they could get away. Each one became encased in shadow and joined him. Ladybug threw her yo-yo, pulling tables and experiments to sit between them and those who remained untouched.

"Might be a good time for a lucky charm," Chat suggested. "Otherwise we all might become shadows of ourselves."

Even as he spoke, shadows from objects around them were moving towards them. He tried poking one tendril with his staff, but it did nothing. In fact, he barely pulled it away before it could become solid around it. As he went back towards the huddled group Ladybug tossed her yo-yo into the air.

"Lucky Charm!" she called. A red and black spotted object fell into her hands. Chat looked over and raised an eyebrow in confusion and worry.

"Sunglasses? Darkness is kinda our problem right now if you didn't notice," he said, motioning to the shadows all around them.

He watched as she looked all around the room, scrutinizing everything she could see. The intensity of that look was one of the reasons he loved her. Finally, she looked at him with a brief smile. "Got it." She took a couple steps towards him and whispered her plan as quietly as she could.

"I'm going to turn off the lights. He might be able to see, but so can you. Use your stick to get over there. If you can get the glasses on him they might blind him combined with the lights being out. Then you can get the pin." She placed the glasses into his hands and readied her yo-yo.

Chat nodded, holding his staff at the ready. He'd have to move quickly once she knocked out the lights. If only he and Silhouette could see, then the others were at greater risk.

Ladybug tossed her yo-yo in quick succession, causing the lights to explode into sparks around them. After a few throws, the lights were gone. He extended his staff, propelling himself upwards and into the air. The angle took him up and forward. However, in such a small space he had less control than what he usually had outside when moving between rooftops.

His night vision lit the world in green. The shadows were difficult to discern, but they were still darker than everything else. It had to be something about the akuma that made them visible. Being able to see let him guide himself in the direction of Silhouette, but he had trouble landing where he wanted to. There was a portion of the floor around the akuma that wasn't covered in shadow, but Chat missed it. His right foot hit the bare patch, but his left landed in the middle of a shadow right next to Silhouette. Coldness instantly spread over his foot and started up his leg.

Don't let me waste this lucky charm, Chat silently begged, glancing at his trapped leg. Silhouette turned to face him, and Chat acted instantly. He reached forward and placed the spotted sunglasses on the akuma's face, breathing a sigh of relief when he felt them slide over his ears instead of jabbing into eyes.

Looking around, Chat saw the shadows freeze. The cold on his leg stopped moving upward, but somehow the feeling of cold deepened. From his knee down, all heat was seeped out of it to leave only a frozen shell. It was a good thing he couldn't move it anyway.

"What are you doing?" the hissing voice said, echoing throughout Chat's body. Being so close made the effect worse. The shadowed hand slowly moved upwards to remove the glasses.

"I think it'll be better if you're kept in the dark about this one," Chat said. He reached forward and felt for the medal that blended into Silhouette. His fingers brushed against it and cold seeped into his fingertips. Grabbing it, and ignoring the chill, Chat yanked. The item fell away from Silhouette and onto the floor.

Chat Noir extended his staff once more, letting it smash into the black shape next to his feet. A purple-black butterfly squirmed out of the object.

"Now Ladybug!" Chat grabbed the glasses off of Silhouette, who had fallen to his knees. He tossed them over to his partner, who somehow caught them. Ladybugs really were lucky.

"Miraculous Ladybug!" She threw them into the air, and magic instantly swept around the gym. The lights were restored, those who had been affected returned to their normal selves, the shadows in the room were once more just shadows, and Chat's leg was released.

He rubbed his surprisingly still-cold leg while she prepared to catch the akuma. She captured the small creature before it could fly away. She did her thing, then set it free saying, "bye bye, little butterfly."

She watched it fly off, and Chat found himself staring for a moment. Then he shook himself out of it. He walked over to her and held out his fist. Ladybug raised her own and they said a chorus of their victory cry:

"Pound it!"

Next to them, Chance transformed back from being Silhouette. He looked up in shock and confusion, obviously noting the two heroes as well as the mess of science projects scattered about the gym. "What happened?"

"You were akumatized for not getting first place in the science fair," Ladybug said, crouching next to him. "You just need to remember that second place is still an achievement."

Chat winced. Second place. That's what I am to her, isn't it? Her real life will always win.

Ladybug stood and turned to him, trying to catch his eye. Chat wouldn't match her gaze. He couldn't. If he did, he wasn't sure he could handle what he would see there. It was clear that she didn't feel the same way he did, but right now he didn't want to hear that.

"I love the necklace, Chat Noir," she said just quiet enough that only his hearing could pick it up. "I didn't transform with it. We need to talk. I need to know what everything meant. I need to know if-"

Her earrings beeped.

Chat looked at her ears to see the third dot vanishing. "Looks like you're about to transform. You should probably go before everyone sees my gift." He winked at her, a reflex from the small amount of weight that lifted from his shoulders. So she didn't know what he'd meant. Maybe he still had a chance with her after all.

Ladybug looked torn. She clearly wanted answers, but her innate desire to keep their identities hidden won out. "I'll see you later, Chat Noir. Bug out!" She ran out of the gym.

He watched her go, following a few moments later before anyone in the gym started asking him too many questions. There was a closet down the hall where he could transform back - except it seemed it was locked. "Of all times to be locked!" Chat hurried further down the hall, very aware of the cold that still claimed his foot. Shouldn't that have been gone by now?

Finally, he found an empty classroom where he could transform back. "Claws in."

Marinette's eyes widened and her hands rushed to hold the door handle as still as possible. She heard Chat Noir speak outside, but she held tight. He left after a few seconds, and she breathed a sigh of relief. How had he known where this closet was? It was relatively hidden at the end of this hallway, making it the perfect place for her to let her transformation fall.

"Maybe you should wait a few minutes to make sure it's clear," Tikki suggested. Marinette nodded, leaning her back against the wall to wait. Her hand went up to her neck. The necklace Chat Noir had given her hung there, hidden under her shirt so no one would see it and get any ideas.

"Why do you think he didn't want to talk about the other day?" Marinette asked, looking at her purse where her tired kwami resided.

Tikki shrugged. "Well, if he does like you, you weren't exactly acting like you were going to proclaim your own love for him. Maybe he was just worried that you'd reject him?"

The blunette's eyes widened. "S-so you do think he has a crush on me? What do I tell him? I'm in love with Adrien, not him!"

Her friend took far too long to respond. It was likely only a few seconds, but in her worry, it felt like forever. "If he does like you, then you have to tell him. It's not fair for you to keep him believing there's hope if there isn't any. He's your partner and your friend."

Marinette sighed. "You're right, Tikki. I should tell him the truth. I don't want to lie to him, he doesn't deserve to be treated that way. But first, I need to know if he actually does like me. Making a fool of myself is something I do often enough, I don't need to add doing it as Ladybug to the list."

Tikki giggled. "Just be careful not to play with his feelings," she warned.

"I won't, Tikki. I'll be careful."