"Okay!" Adrien nearly shouted as we casually walked hand in hand down the Parisian streets. "Picture this! Nino comes in riding on an elephant and then slides down its trunk landing in a kneeling position, on one knee of course, and pops the question. Alya will have no choice but to say yes with an entrance like that."

I glanced over to see Adrien grinning from ear to ear, clearly pleased with this ridiculous theory that he had concocted. Before I could even muster up a response, he began to giddily bounce up and down while quickly, yet passionately blurting out his next idea. "Oh, I know! Nino will somehow convince the zookeepers to lock him and Alya inside of that cage again, or maybe he will set up some sort of dance party in the zoo in which he is the DJ."

I couldn't help but to giggle. Adrien looked so cute when he got all worked up about something. I never imagined that his theories would be so goofy, but it was a nice change of pace from the serious tone that covered the earlier conversations of the evening. His eyes sparkled with a mischievous joy that I felt like I had seen somewhere else before. I never remembered seeing this look on Adrien, and I couldn't quite place why it seemed so familiar.

"You're hopeless," I sighed giving Adrien a slight squeeze of the hand. "Is this seriously what you think a proposal should look like? The idea is to woo the girl, not to scare her away."

In an instant, I was yanked to the side and engulfed into Adrien's arms. He leaned forward touching his forehead to mine sending an immediate surge of heat running through my body. "You mean like this?" he whispered as my knees turned into gelatin. Adrien could be such a dork at times, but he had this fascinating, nearly irresistible, ability to immediately turn on the charm. However, just as quickly as it began, the moment ended with Adrien releasing me from his grasp and resuming his position next to me leaving me short of breath and completely flustered.

"Oh. My. Goodness!" A shrill voice from behind us began. I turned around to see a wide eyed Chloe standing next to a lanky brown haired, green eyed boy. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste. A couple?" I could feel my face heat up as Adrien pulled me closer wrapping his arm around my waist. This was it. Chloe was going to explode. Any resemblance of a friendship that we had begun to form would simply be wiped away.

The blonde girl's eyes lit up as she came bounding towards me, grabbing on to both of my hands and excitedly jumping up and down. "Marinette! Why didn't you tell me about this? This is great! You two make a perfect couple!"

I couldn't believe my ears. Chloe Bourgeois, Adrien's biggest fan girl in high school, the one who had vowed that she would marry him someday, was actually complementing the fact that he was with another girl. Not only was Adrien with another girl, but she was Chloe's worst enemy in high school. Now, I knew that Chloe had changed, but this one definitely took the cake.

The ecstatic girl then let go of one of my hands to wave forward the confused looking boy that she had left standing all alone. He obliged, quickly stepping forward to place his arm around Chloe's waist in an exact imitation of how Adrien's arm was wrapped around mine. He was about a head taller than Chloe, and he had a small bit of facial hair extending, underneath his chin, from one ear to the other. He was quite scrawny but sported a nice looking tan. He wore a pair of tight fitting skinny jeans with converse shoes and a baggy long sleeved burgundy T-shirt.

"Willy," Chloe nearly shouted with excitement, "I would like for you to meet Marinette, the girl who saved me."

The world became silent as I could feel my heart drop to the pit of my stomach. Chloe had just spilled the beans to Adrien about my daring act of heroism that I had inconveniently failed to mention to him. I had convinced myself that I had not told him because it had not been my story to tell. However, deep down I knew that simply was not true. There were two reasons that I had chosen to keep this little event from Adrien. One, I did not want to say anything that would lead him anywhere near the truth that I am actually Ladybug, and two, I did not want to be reminded of the guilt that I had felt for not helping out Chloe more. Instead of waiting for Chloe to call me, I should have reached out to her to see how see was doing. To my own regret, I left her to recover completely on her own while I brooded over my own problems. She seemed to be fine now, but there was no way that I could have known that earlier in the week. I had been selfish, and now Adrien was going to find out the truth from someone other than myself.

I glanced over to observe Adrien's reaction, but was surprised to see that there was no look of shock or any sign of confusion on his face. I found this strange, but decided that maybe Chloe hadn't said enough for him to realize exactly what she had meant. I hoped that she wouldn't say more, yet I knew that there was no way that Chloe would keep her mouth closed.

As if right on cue, Chloe began to speak, inadvertently causing knots to form in my stomach, "Adrien, what did you think when your girlfriend told you that she took down five grown men all by herself? I mean…. it was just like Ladybug had returned and decided to saved the day once again. In fact, before I got a good look at Marinette in the bakery, I thought that it had been Ladybug who had saved me."

A chill breeze seeped its way through the sleeves of my hoodie causing my entire body to shake from the cold. I shuddered at what Adrien would think of me for keeping this from him, and the effects that it could have on his perception of who I was. I wondered if he would start putting the pieces together that I was actually Ladybug. That thought terrified me, but at the same time, it was oddly comforting. If Adrien figured out my secret on his own, then I wouldn't have to worry about figuring out how to tell him myself. I wanted Adrien to get to know all of me, and if that goal ever were to be fully reached, then wouldn't that mean that he would have to figure out I was Ladybug? Would there really be any way for him to truly know who I am without figuring it out? In fact, if he did end up figuring it out on his own, then that would mean that he actually knew me well enough to see all parts of me. That was what I wanted….. right?

Adrien gently pulled me closer to his side while squeezing on to my waist as if I were some sort of cherished prize. The sudden movement brought my attention back to his face. His soft and understanding eyes were focused directly upon me immediately filling my spirit with a sense of ease. A playful grin formed at the edges of his lips as he gave me a secretive wink and then turned towards Chloe to respond.

"You know Marinette, always thinking of others. She probably didn't even realize the danger she was getting into. I'm just glad that everything turned out alright."

My eyes remained transfixed on Adrien's gaze as I stood frozen, with the inability to batter a single eyelid. He had decided to play along. Just like that. Pretending as if he already knew about everything that had went on. If he had been worried or confused, then he surely hid it well. If I hadn't known any better, then even I would have thought that he had known exactly what Chloe was talking about. But that wasn't possible. The only other person who could have possibly known about what had happened that night would have been Chat Noir. All those years of learning how to act for the many advertisements that Adrien starred in, must have payed off.

Just then, the rumbling sound of distant thunder alerted us to the fact that the rain was about to return. "Hey guys," Willy started, tearing both Chloe's and my attention away from Adrien. "I can see that you want to catch up and all, but I don't think that this is the best place for that. Let's go back to the coffee shop and hang out for a while."

Fortunately, the quaint little bistro was only about a block away. Just as we walked in, an angry downpour began to lash out against the windows seething at the fact that it had just missed out on enveloping its prey. The long, narrow room was dimly lit with comfortable looking couches and lounge chairs spread throughout it. On the left side of the room, a well weathered wooden counter stood waiting for its next customer. A tired looking barista girl with dark hair and a messy bun, casually waved to us and then went back to reading her novel with its bent pages and broken spine.

Just as I was beginning to scope out a place to sit, Chloe quickly turned on her heels to face us. "Oh my gosh! I totally forgot to introduce you guys to my boyfriend," she blurted while simultaneously going a bit red in the face. "So I think we have made it pretty clear who Marinette is." The boys nodded in agreement with her words. "Willy, this is Adrien Agreste," Chloe added while placing her hand on the golden haired boy's shoulder, "the son of famous fashion designer Gabriel Agreste. We were like best friends growing up."

A loud thunk quickly followed Chloe's introduction, making me turn around, startl novel the barista was reading had fallen. She stared after Adrien, clearly alarmed, almost afraid- or was she just embarrassed? Chloe paid no attention to the girl, scooting over and draping her arm around Willy's back. "Marinette, Adrien, this is my boyfriend, Willy Martin. We met a few years back when I started working at this coffee shop."

"She was a terrible employee," Willy snickered, "at least at first. She couldn't even manage to brew a standard black coffee, her customer service skills were deplorable at best, and she even expected to get paid when she hadn't lifted a single finger."

"That sounds like Chloe," Adrien stated while nodding his head. "So how did you two end up together?"

"Save that thought," Chloe said and then pointed towards some chairs by the fireplace in the back corner. "You guys go ahead and make yourselves comfortable; I am going to get us all some drinks. I will answer all of your questions when I get back."

Adrien and I decided to settle down on an old, wrinkled leather loveseat. The springs had long since lost their umph causing us to hopelessly sink towards one another. Adrien wrapped his arm around my waist as I nuzzled my head into the crook of his neck with my knees folded to the side on the cushions. We intertwined the fingers of our outside arms placing them on Adrien's lap.

Willy took this time to tell us a little bit about himself. We learned that he is currently attending the same college as Chloe, where they are both having to pay their own way through. He told us that he is studying to become a meteorologist, and that Chloe wanted to get into business management. Just as Willy was about to tell us about his family, Chloe returned with a tray full of steaming hot, frothy cappuccinos.

Adrien and I had to abandon our snuggled up position, so that we could properly sip on our joe. Clumsy as usual, I forgot the coffee was hot and I sipped too soon leaving my tongue sore and blistered. I decided to just hold the toasty mug between my hands, so that I could revel in the tingling sensation that I felt as the heat entered through my palms and spread throughout my entire body. Even if I couldn't take a swig of my drink, I enjoyed the earthy sweet aroma as it wafted through my nose. I looked over to see Adrien gulping his drink down as if it were a cup of ice water, feeling jealous at his clearly superior tolerance for pain.

Chloe cleared her throat and placed her mug on the coffee table between us, "The story of how Willy and I came together is a long one. I think I should pick up where I left off with Marinette on Sunday. She can fill you in on the rest of the details later, Adrien."

Adrien nodded in an acceptance of Chloe's terms and then she continued, "After I was kicked out of the hotel, I went to the only place that I could. I moved into Sabrina's apartment. Things were great at first; that is, until we started running out of food."

Chloe leaned over and took a sip of her cappuccino before continuing on, "You see, Sabrina was a full time college student and she had a part time job to pay for her rent and all of her supplies. She barely made enough money to get by on her own. Once I became a part of the equation, it turned into a big problem. I couldn't understand why she wouldn't just go to the store and buy more food. No matter how many times I complained or begged, she told me that there simply was no money left. Never in my life did I have to think about where the money for my next meal would come from, but all of a sudden it became the most important thing on my mind."

Adrien swallowed his coffee the wrong way and started coughing. It took him a few moments to regain his composure, but once he did, he decided to add to the conversation. "You know, Chloe, I can't say that I have ever had to worry about where my next meal would come from. I can't even imagine how hard that would be to all of a sudden have to provide for yourself like that."

Chloe smiled, "You have no idea. Anyway, I told Sabrina that she should get another job, and I was flabbergasted when she told me that she didn't have enough time. Then, she had the audacity to ask me about what I was doing throughout the day. Obviously, I was in mourning, but she just didn't seem to understand that."

I couldn't help but to let out a stifled little giggle. I tried to hold it in, but those last few lines just did me in. That sounded so much like the Chloe that I had known that it was nearly comical. She had always expected everyone to just forget about their own needs and to accommodate her. It was almost as if she couldn't even she the hardships that others were going through. It had always been all about her. Looking back at how ridiculous she had been, it was quite funny.

Chloe ignored my muffled laughter and trucked right along with her story, "Then, to top it all off, Sabrina told me that I had to get a job or get out of her apartment. Therefore, I immediately began my search for another place to live. I was going to pack my bags but I realized that I didn't actually own anything. The only clothing that I had been able to wear actually belonged to Sabrina. I thought about taking a suitcase full of her things, but never actually found another place to go. Besides Adrien, Sabrina had been my only friend, and Adrien was all the way in China."

The room became silent besides the soft popping and crackling of the fire, as Chloe took another sip of her cappuccino. My drink had finally cooled enough to partake in a long comforting swing as my tastebuds danced to the sweetness of the delectable mocha. Everyone stared into the fireplace, casually sipping from their mugs, while contemplating everything that Chloe had just said. I found myself sinking back to rest upon Adrien as my body and mind rejuvenated in front of that welcoming flame. However, my revery was quickly stunted as Chloe sighed and began again.

"Finally, I knew that I was out of options. Reluctantly, I walked out the door, came upon the first place that had a hiring sign, and got my first job. That was when I met Willy, my manager. He already told you how that all started. Let's just say that after a while my attitude changed and I actually became a good worker. Once Willy realized how awesome I was, it didn't take long for him to ask me out."

Willy got up from his chair and walked over to where Chloe was sitting to stand directly behind her. He leaned forward, placing a kiss on the top of her head and then looked over to me and straight into my eyes. "I usually walk Chloe home, but last week I was sick. Thank you, Marinette, for being there to help her out."

At those words, everything fell into place and my respect for Willy grew. He had been the one that she had been so worried about when she had left my house to deliver him lunch. He had been the one who Chloe would have wanted to impress when she first got her job. She had wanted to impress him enough to even change her own attitude and behavior towards the world. Willy was the person who we should thank for helping change Chloe from a bully to a friend.

Suddenly, Adrien shifted me over, so that I was no longer leaning on him in order for him to stand. He glided over to Willy and then placed his hand on the gangly boy's shoulder. "I can always walk Chloe home anytime you're unavailable, Willy. It's the least I can do for a friend."

As I watched this lovely bonding interaction, my attention was drawn away by the fidgeting girl that was standing against the counter straight behind the two boys. Once again, her gaze was aimed directly at Adrien. However, this time she did not look shocked or even perplexed. Instead, her intense glare housed a cautious, nearly longing desire.I had seen many adoring fans throughout my years of knowing Adrien, and this girl seemed anything but adoring. Impulsively, or maybe instinctively, I'm not entirely sure, I jumped out of my seat closing the gap between Adrien and me with one swift stride placing myself smack dab between him and the barista girl. Her gaze soured as our eyes met. Even though it was only for only a brief moment, my message was clear. Stay away from Adrien Agreste.