Hello! I had wanted this chapter to be longer because I had wanted to include Adult!Chat meeting Mari in this chapter, but I also wanted to remind everyone this exists. So, I promise Adult!Chat will return next chapter.

Day 1

Adrien rested his head against the cool glass of the car window until they arrived. He had thought once they got further from the mansion, they both would have perked up somewhat. He was mistaken. If anything, Plagg became more of a limp mass in his shirt pocket. His own head throbbed painfully from a migraine. He contemplated taking some acetaminophen, but figured since his own weakness was tied to Plagg's that normal medicine wouldn't help magical headaches. Besides, Plagg had said he needed to be near Ladybug and Tikki. Which, that alone caused Adrien's headache to worsen. Plagg had known Ladybug was close by all this time? And he hadn't mentioned it before now? She went to his school? He wasn't sure if he should be more upset with Plagg or himself. Himself for not realizing the love of his life was right there in the hallway or Plagg for not pointing it out.

Gorilla pulled up to the curve and Adrien sluggishly exited the vehicle. Adrien winced when the sound of the door slamming shut jostled his head. Luckily, Gorilla didn't notice it and simply drove away. Tapping his pocket, Adrien mumbled, "Where is she?"

Plagg squirmed deeper into his pocket and grumbled. "Your homeroom…"

Adrien's face comically scrunched up in fury. "You little-!" He nearly reached inside and flung the magical creature across the courtyard, but he saw Nino and Alya approaching and quickly threw them The Model Smile. Alya waved at him. The wretched cat would live to see another day.

"Yo, Agreste!" Alya called.

Adrien nodded his greeting to the girl and then greeted Nino once the two were by his side. Alya immediately pulled out her mobile. "Do you see the video someone submitted to the Ladyblog?" Nino waggled his brows at Adrien when the blonde shook his head. Alya grinned mischievously. "I can't wait to show Mari this!" She squealed as she thumbed the video up.

Nino nodded. "Yeah, it's pretty cool. I wonder-"

Alya slapped his shoulder as she presented the phone to Adrien. "No spoilers! Watch!"

Blinking, Adrien took the phone and tapped play. His mouth feel open. The footage was obviously amateurly shot on someone's smartphone given the blurriness and shakiness of it. It was also taken at night which further made the blurry figure harder to see as he sprinted across the rooftops. Yet, with the full moon back lighting him, Adrien could clearly make out the outline. It was him. At least, it looked like him because Adrien had not been patrolling last night nor was he anywhere near Marinette's bakery. The imposter was possibly taller than him yet sported his Chat ears and tail. He traveled with his Chat baton. His hair might have been longer, but it was obviously someone dressed as Chat Noir. The video cut out as the copycat dropped down into an alleyway.

Alya slapped Nino playfully. "Now you can discuss."

Nino chuckled at his girlfriend while wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I just wonder if that means Ladybug is the one with a cat fetish. Two boys dressed like that? I've seen enough-"

"Ok! Thanks, Nino!" Adrien shoved the phone back into Alya's hands as the two laughed at him. "It could just be an akuma," Adrien reasoned. "Remember that artist guy? He's older than Chat Noir, so it would make sense…"

Alya shrugged. "Could be. I wonder if Marinette saw him. The video was taken in her neighborhood."

That's what frightened him. Why was an imposter near her? It could have been a coincidence, but Marinette always seemed to be in the middle of akuma attacks. And if it was Theo again, did that mean akuma victims could be re-akumatized after Ladybug had purified them? Whatever the case may be, he needed to speak with Ladybug.

"Marinette!" Alya waved to someone behind him and Adrien peaked over his shoulder. Marinette waved casually at the group; her cheeks were painted a delicate red hue. "Did you get my text?" Alya screeched painfully while waving her phone once the girl was beside the small cluster. Adrien wondered how she managed to not drop the device or break off the Ladybug charm. At her shy nod, Alya grinned. "I can't wait to get a better view. I bet older Chat Noir is a total babe. Akuma or not." She smirked slyly at Nino. "No offense, babe."

Nino shrugged casually Adrien stuttered and very much wished the ground would open and swallow him. Marinette also stuttered beside him for a moment before gasping out "Alya!" with a disapproving tone.

The darker girl shrugged. "Girl, don't hide it. I know you got the hots for Chat Noir."

Marinette started another round of stammering and Adrien found himself staring at her. "You have a crush on Chat Noir?" He blurted. He felt his face heat once more and his heart beat irregularly once or twice.

The girl refused to meet his gaze or their friends'. She found a sudden interest in her pink ballet flats. "He's cool," she finally mumbled.

Adrien had pressed her for her opinion of Chat after The Evillustrator case. Through all her stuttering, that was all he had could make out then. He had wanted to know more. Did she find him funny? Was she afraid of Cataclysm? Did she enjoy their mini-adventures together? Did she return Nathanael's feelings? Was that why she had agreed to the date? Or had she been terrified that if she had said no he would seriously hurt her? Not that he would have let that happen. He would have been by her side in a heartbeat if Nathaniel had even thought of hurting her. Technically, he had when he contained Nathanael with his staff. Did she see him as the Knight in Shining Armor to her Princess? Or did she-

Adrien's face went hotter. That thought process had disintegrated very quickly.

Alya elbowed Marinette's side with a snort. "Girl, please, I know you sleep with that Chat Noir doll every single night. You doodle little cat paws in your notebooks."

Marinette clutched her ever-present design book to her chest. Her wide eyes begging Alya to stop teasing. "It's not like that," she stuttered out. "I doodle other things, too. Ladybugs, hearts, stars, you know…"

Adrien blinked. She slept with the doll she had made? Why?

Marinette blinked up at him and he suddenly realized he had unconsciously voiced his questions. She toed the ground nervously for a moment. "Well, um, after Manon had, um, was akumatized, um, Ladybug gave me the dolls back. She, um, told me about Chat being a puppet…and I…" She breathed deeply and wretched her eyes towards their school. "I felt bad since it was my fault, so, um, I keep his doll close. In case, you know, it happens again, you know?"

Alya snorted. "I don't see you sleeping with Lady Wifi or Evillustrator." A wicked smirk cut across her tanned face. "I'll totally look the other way about my doll, but Nath's? Why'd you make him a doll?" Her gaze cut to Adrien. "Maybe if Adrien gets akumatized, you can make him a doll, too. And you've yet to make Nino's doll."

Nino shook his head and Adrien found himself unable to think passed the thought that Marinette slept with a plush of him. "Dude, I'll pass on the doll." Nino drawled before nodding towards the school. "Let's get to class."

Spinning away from Marinette, Alya latched onto Nino's arm. "Yes, good idea, hot stuff." Nino rolled his eyes and Adrien was afraid Marinette would pass out from the amount of blood rushing to her face. The couple sauntered off to class with a chuckle.

Adrien cocked a brow at Marinette. "So, Chat Noir, huh?"

He laughed heartily when the girl screeched like a pterodactyl.

XXX

It was during first period he finally realized his headache was gone and Plagg had not complained once. His gaze shot to everyone in the room as he mentally listed who could possibly be Ladybug. Obviously not Alya or Rose or Chloe. Definitely none of the guys. He couldn't gaze behind him without being called out by the teacher. He quirked his lips as he tried to think of who sat in the back besides Rose and Juleka. Mylene? No, definitely not her.

Plagg had to be lying because the only girl that hadn't been akumatized was Marinette. And there was no way Marinette-

He choked on his own spit and Nino banged on his back as Adrien stuttered. Miss Bustier immediately was at his other side. Adrien covered his mouth and waved his hand. "I'm fine," he choked out between coughs. "Can I be excused?" He whispered hoarsely.

Miss Bustier nodded and stepped away. "Do you need help getting to the nurse's station?"

Adrien coughed once more as he stood. "No, thank you, Madame." He sprinted to the door and dashed out; his face burning from more than just the cough attack. First, he stopped by the water fountain to quench the burn in his throat. After gulping down mouthfuls of the crisp drink, he glanced around to make sure no one was coming before he entered the boy's room. He checked the stalls before locking the door and shaking his shirt pocket to force the demon cat awake. "Plagg!" He hissed.

The kwami floated out lazily. "Hmmm?"

"Marinette!" He wheezed. "Marinette is Ladybug! She's been right there the whole time and you never said a word!"

Plagg shrugged. "Look, kid, I can't confirm nor deny your guess, but I can say I've not being feeling like crap since your little meet up this morning."

Adrien roughly dug a hand through his hair. "She sleeps with a plush of me. Of Chat Noir." He chewed his bottom lip and looked away from the eyes of his kwami.

"And you sleep in Ladybug pajamas while stroking your Ladybug doll."

"Action figure, Plagg. Action figure."

"Whatever," the cat shrugged again. "The point is, until we figure out what is going on, you need to stick close to her."

He looked back to the kwami, his hand falling from his hair that now thoroughly looked more like Chat Noir than Adrien Agreste. "Do you think…" His face was going to be burnt red forever if he didn't control his blood flow. "Do you think she likes me?"

"If I made a doll of you, it would be a voodoo doll. So yeah, count your blessings she's not pocking a needle through your doll's heart."