Hey guys, sorry about the long wait for this chapter. Thank you all for following my story and favoriting it, especially llazo4108824, who gave me an awesome review to urge me on. It just took a while to get this chapter just right, so I hope you all like it.


The expressions on Marinette's face changed when Adrien told her he knew about the tickets. "Y-You really wanna go to the ballet with me?"

"Of course, why would that be a problem?"

"It's just," She ran her fingers through her hair. She had outgrown the pigtails, just as Ladybug had and today she was wearing it down. "Alya and I looked at the vouchers and they say the tickets will be in different boxes in the theater."

After a little thought, it occurred to him what had caused her nerves. "So, we aren't going to have Alya and Nino behind us."

"Yeah."

"Why don't you come over to my house tomorrow?" He smiled before whispering in her ear. "That way it won't be the first time we're alone together."

"Sure, that would be nice."

"Mind if I borrow her for lunch?" Felix returned to laying on top of Marinette's shoulders, to which Adrien could feel a need to growl coming from his throat. A very Cat Noir act.

Instead, he tried to keep his calm and forced himself to fake smile. "Doesn't bother me."


Felix looked at him closely. Adrien tried to hide it, but he could see that twinge, a sense. The need to defend, a feeling that whatever Felix did with Marinette he would have to do carefully. If Adrien wasn't Cat Noir, Felix was scared for whoever was. Well, I'll find out soon, he thought to himself.

"I thought we could have some sandwiches by the riverside." He tightened his grip on Marinette's shoulders. This obviously angered Adrien further, his green eyes narrowing cautiously.

"We need to get to class." Marinette lifted Felix's hand off her shoulder. "I'll meet you here so we can walk there."


"Sure." Felix seemed surprised that his arm could so easily be removed from her shoulder, but he was lucky she didn't kick him off her. Marinette had noticed that as she grew, boys thought she was okay with unruly contact or flirting like Cat Noir during their fights.

"You sure you want to be left alone with that guy?" Alya whispered as they walked in the classroom.

"I have to tell him to back off. It'll be better to do it in person." No matter how she'd felt when she first met him, Felix could never compare to Adrien. Not even Cat Noir.

"Maybe I can take him off your hands." She knew that voice. A voice that subconsciously made her clench her fists. But then she realized the advantage to it.

"Sure Chloe, I'd love it if you took Felix off my hands for me." The look on her face made Marinette want to laugh.

"As if, I'm not going to do you the favor." Chloe scoffed. "He's probably just a gay pretty boy looking to use you as a beard."

"I'd be careful if I were you." Their teacher, Mme. Temby, smirked as she stacked some of her papers. "Taking the risk of going against societal norms is pretty gutsy, so those who succeed can be touchy. For example, would you really want to insult a woman with the prowess of a warrior."

This shut Chloe right up. Marinette remembered seeing Mme. Temby out with her boyfriend, a man who looked like he'd fit right in an american military film, on her patrols as Ladybug. If anyone could give her good advice about love besides her best friend, this woman was in the top ten.

"Um, Mademoiselle Temby?" She approached the teacher's desk as it was time to leave for lunch. "What would you do in my situation? Should I take a strong feminist approach and tell Felix to back off? Or should I ask Adrien to help me?"

"There is a third option for you." Marinette followed her gaze to Adrien. "If you feel antsy about someone, take some backup. But from what I've overheard, you may be better off turning Felix into an ally. Be his friend."

"Thanks. I needed to hear that." She sighed before she left the small classroom.


To Felix's surprise, there was Marinette. I would've thought she'd ditch me and go out with Adrien. Felix shook the thought from his head.

"Hey Felix." She smiled at the ballerina. "Ready for that picnic you promised me?"

He held up a small basket he had packed with supplies from this morning. "Took me a while to find a good basket to pack all this in."

"Sure, but I want to talk to you about something first. Really talk about it." She looked him in the eyes. He saw in her hands was the ticket voucher he had given her.

"You wanna just be friends, right?" He tried to hide the fact he was mad about it. This could put my plan back if I can't get her to fall in love with this me. "I'd still like to see you in the audience at the show. Bring Adrien with you."

"You don't mind?"

"No, honestly it's nice not to have you gushing over me. I got a lot of that in London." It doesn't matter either way. Felix thought to himself. I just need her at the recital.


The fact that it went over so well with Felix made it easier for Marinette to go to Adrien's house. It had seemed like ages when she had tried to deliver his birthday present to him before they started dating. Now, she'd been at his house multiple times. It hit her as she walked in the metal gate with him that while they didn't go on dates with just the two of them, it was common for them to hang out at each other's houses without Alya and Nino. So much that she noticed a key difference.

"Where's Natalie?"

"She went with my dad to Marseille. He's overseeing a photoshoot there."

"She doesn't usually go with him." Marinette looked at him, suspiciously. "You convinced her to leave us alone in this big house?"

"You saw right through me." He smiled a cheeky grin at her, encircling his princess with his arms. "I wanted to make it official that you're my girlfriend." And with that he kissed her. It was fierce, his tongue urging to enter through her lips. Marinette could feel his large hands wandering, one of his middle fingers tracing the curve of her spine as it traveled down, making her shiver. She felt herself instinctually jump so he could lift her above him, to become safely cradled in his strong arms as the kiss got more heated.

"That was surprising." She broke the kiss, only to gaze into his emerald eyes. "You've never kissed me like that before."

"Maybe I want to make your first time with me worth remembering."

She felt her cheeks flush. "Y..You mean?"

He let her down, the feeling of her feet touching the ground almost heartbreaking. "Only if you want to. I won't force you, I love you too much for that."

"I want to, its just." She felt embarrassed over the subject. "It wouldn't just be my first time with you."

"Really?" He blushed, realizing what Marinette meant. Now he was the one stumbling over his words. "Maybe we should eat a little something first then."

"Sure."

Then he leaned forward until his lips almost caressed her earring. "Then we'll continue that kiss upstairs."

Marinette could feel herself shudder at his words. This was why I said no to Felix. This Adrien was even better than the one everyone else saw. This Adrien was mine.


Ooo, one of the juicy bits is coming up. Don't worry, I found myself editing Chapter 4 more than this one. I'll probably be able to post it in the next few days. That is, if my own Cat Noir doesn't give me more inspiration. Hehe.