How to Adult

-X-

Author's Note:

Hello, my lovely readers! ~

How are you doing today? This is chapter four of my 'How to Adult' series. I'm still having a lot of fun writing this story. I'm aware this isn't your typical fast-pace romance story, but I wanted it to have realistic vibe to it. I wanted to show of the mature side of Marinette, and how she copes with the problems and situations that appear in her young adolescent life. I hope you all will continue to follow me on this journey. Your support is highly appreciated. For now, enjoy the chapter!

-X-

Warnings: OOC-ness, AU, adult language/swearing

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir.

-X-

Chapter Four: Chat?

-X-

Marinette's P.O.V.

I awoke to the sound of a startled scream. I shot up from the sofa in my working space I had fallen asleep on and quickly scanned my surroundings. My workspace was fine, but the scream seemed to have come from outside, close by. I checked the time and saw that it was 03:40 AM in the morning. It was then that the smell of smoke entered my nostrils and I heard a distant crackling sound. My head immediately came to one conclusion: Fire.

''Tikki, get up!'' I shouted, as I dashed towards my balcony, seeing the building three buildings away from my workplace, lit up in flames. By the looks of it, the fire hadn't started too long ago, giving me the impression that I was among the first persons to discover it. That's when my second fear set it.

''Tikki, we have to check if there are any people inside that building that need our help.'' I exclaimed to the little kwami, who had just seen the situation that had been going on.

''What are you going to do, Marinette?'' Tikki asked me, but I think she could guess by the look in my eyes what I was about to say.

''Tikki, I think it's time for some Ladybug action.'' With that thought, I took a stance on my balcony, speaking three familiar words: ''Tikki, spots on!'' It didn't take long for my transformation to complete and soon, I was soaring through the sky, on my way towards the burning building.

It was true that this was no situation where an Akuma simply had to be captured. But I felt like I couldn't just sit back and wait for the fire department to arrive, while lives might be in danger. I was Ladybug after all and it was my duty to keep the people of Paris save. It had happened before in the past 5 years that Paris had robberies, fires and other calamities, but most of the time, before I even came to the realization something was going on, the fire department or the police had already taken care of it, making it unnecessary for me to show up and try to help. Besides, I felt like my superhero days were over. Paris didn't need me anymore. But this was the first time in 5 years that something happened so close by, and where I felt like I had to do something.

I landed on a rooftop, closest to the building on fire, scanning the windows, until I managed to see a young couple inside, screaming for help. I leapt inside the building through one of the windows, making my way over to the couple. ''Don't worry. I'll help you out.'' I smiled.

''L-Ladybug?'' The woman spoke, shock written all over her face.

''There's no time to explain now. Let's get you two out. Now!'' I then proceeded to grab the woman, and she held on tightly to my neck, as I threw my yo-yo outside the window again and soared out the window, dropping on a rooftop, safe away from the fire. ''Wait here. I'll go get your boyfriend.'' I told the woman. I then leapt back towards the building, through the window and let the guy hang onto me as I then proceeded to yo-yo back out, reuniting the guy with his girlfriend. ''Stay here, until help arrives. I'll go back to see if more people need me.'' I spoke at them in a stern tone. Before they had the chance to speak to me, I already had thrown my yoyo back towards the building, flying in through the window. I opened the door from the apartment I landed in and proceeded down the hallway, trying to shield my nose and mouth from the smoke. I then heard another voice coming from one of the apartments. I forced my way through the door and found an elderly lady inside, trembling in fear.

''Don't worry, I'll save you.'' I smiled at her, as I made her lean on me and supported her out of the apartment, towards the safe apartment where the window was open. Once I safely made it there, I came to the conclusion that the elderly lady had not enough strength to hang onto me.

''Lucky Charm!'' I exclaimed and, as I expected, an extendable ladder dropped down. I managed to secure the ladder to the window, making the other end reach a flat roof. ''Hold on to me. We're going to cross.'' I told her, to which the elderly lady nodded. Once I safely got her across, I heard my Miraculous earring beep, and knew the first dot was disappearing. I was running out of time.

''Thank you, Ladybug.''

''No need to thank me. Now, stay here. Help will arrive soon.'' With those words, I left the elderly lady behind and walked back into the apartment building, another beep indicating I lost another one of my dots.

''Come on, come on.'' I grumbled to myself. I did a double check of the apartments, but it seemed everybody had gotten out safely. I then heard sirens outside from the fire department trucks and let out a relieved sigh. It was at this moment that a beam from the ceiling came loose and dropped down with an alarming rate. By the time I had processed this, I knew I was too late and I closed my eyes, waiting for impact.

''Look out!'' A familiar voice screamed, the sound of metal against metal ringing through the corridor. I recognized the voice from somewhere, but it sounded a little deeper than I remembered.

Once I safely dared to open my eyes, my heart stopped and my breath got stuck in my throat.

''…Chat?'' I managed to stammer.

''No time. You're about to transform back and I don't want to risk you getting hurt by the collapsing building.'' Chat Noir spoke to me seriously. ''Can you walk?''

''Y-Yeah…''

''Then come on, let's go!'' Chat Noir helped me up and together, we ran towards the apartment with the extendable ladder attached to it, making our way out of the apartment. The moment I crossed the ladder, the second to final beep sounded and I knew I had exactly one minute to find cover, before I was about to transform back.

I turned to Chat Noir, wanting to ask him a million things, but it was as if he was able to read my mind, because he made a dismissive hand gesture. ''You're about to transform back, m'lady. I think it's time you seek cover.''

As much as I was ready to show Chat Noir my civilian form, I did know I didn't want the other civilians to know about my identity behind the mask. With a defeated sigh, I gave him a nod and threw my yo-yo towards my workplace, where I made it inside just in time, before the final beep ringed, transforming me back, letting Tikki plop in my palms. She looked beyond exhausted.

''Good job, Marinette. You saved lives today.'' The red kwami smiled at me, exhaustion in her voice.

I sighed. ''I can't repair the damage, though. Since it wasn't an Akuma, my lucky charm can't restore the damage from the building. I just hope the fire department can get it under control. In the meantime, there should be some cookies over there on the table, Tikki. Eat some of those and rest up.'' I smiled at her, placing her down on the table with the cookies.

As Tikki happily munched on her cookies, I ran back towards the balcony, only to see that the fire department was busy extinguishing the fire. There was no sign of Chat Noir anymore and for a second, I felt like I had imagined his presence there. Was I going crazy?

''Chat… Was that really you?'' I wondered out loud. So many thoughts ran through my mind. The moment with him might have lasted only 2 minutes, but to me, it meant the world. Due to shock, I hadn't really taken the time to get a good look at him. It was mainly the black mask that I recognized and of course, that cat bell on his black leather costume. I sighed, leaning against the railing of my balcony. I kept staring at the building for hours, watching how the fire department took control of the situation and watching the sun come up. I was sure the morning news would have a feature about the fire, or even about me. The people of Paris must have been surprised when they saw me again for the first time in 5 years. Secretly, I had hoped for Chat Noir to return to the crime scene, but he never did. Still, a smile formed on my lips. I was now sure of the fact that Chat Noir was in Paris. And I had made it my mission to figure out who he was.

-X-

''I can't believe Ladybug is back!'' Alya squealed at me. It was Saturday afternoon, only a couple hours after the fire and we were having lunch at a small café. She showed me all the news articles on her phone. One of them even contained a video clip of Ladybug helping the elder lady cross the ladder.

I tried my hardest to come over as genuine as possible. ''I can't believe it, either! It has been 5 years.''

''I know, right? Should I revive the Ladyblog? I totally should, right?'' Alya asked me, excitement in her voice.

''If you feel like it, go for it!'' I encouraged her.

I took another bite of my sandwich.

''Do you think she's here to stay?'' Alya asked my opinion.

''I don't know. We'll soon find out ourselves, right?'' I replied to her.

''Oh, Marinette, I really hope so! I'd love to get another interview with her to ask her what she's been up to, these past 5 years.''

''If anyone is able to get an interview with Ladybug, it's you.'' I giggled at her.

''There are rumors Chat Noir was by her side.'' Alya spoke excited. ''Although, no one really has evidence of the fact. What a scoop would that be: Ladybug and Chat Noir, the power duo back in Paris!''

Upon hearing the mention of Chat Noir, a gloomy feeling washed over me. ''Yeah, that would be great.'' Luckily for me, Alya didn't seem to notice my moment of sadness. She turned to me with a grin.

''Speaking about boys, have you heard from Adrien yet?'' She asked me, ready for me to spill some details.

''No, I haven't. I figured he's just busy with his schedule. He just came back and all. He must be busy getting things back on track here.'' I replied to her.

''You know, you could show some initiative too, right?'' Alya grinned at me.

A blush crept up my cheeks. ''M-Me? Ask Adrien to go out? Not a chance.''

''Come on, Marinette! Don't you think your shyness around him should be over by now? You're 20! Take the initiative! He clearly has an interest in you.''

''You think?''

''Believe me, I know so. I'm always good at these kind of things.''

''But what if I'm not ready to take that step, Alya?''

''Who are you kidding? You've had a crush on him since… forever. Why wouldn't you want to see where this might take you?''

I sighed. ''Maybe he needs some distance, him just coming back from America and all.''

Alya rolled her eyes. ''If that was the case, he wouldn't have chased after you, after the surprise party.''

I broke my gaze from her. ''I don't know… I just need some time, okay?''

Alya raised an eyebrow. ''Did something happen between you two?''

''No, no! Not at all. I'm just not good at relationships. I guess I am scared to get hurt.''

Upon hearing this, Alya seemed to soften up. ''Hey… I'm sorry if you felt like I've been pushing you into this. Of course it's your own choice to pursue Adrien or not. I just want you to be happy.''

I flashed her a smile. ''Thanks, Alya. You're an amazing friend. I'll figure this one out. And maybe you're right. Maybe it is time I get out of my comfort zone and just take the leap.'' Like I took the leap last night.

''That's my girl.'' Alya smiled at me.

We finished up our lunch date and said our goodbyes. While walking towards my car, exhaustion suddenly hit me had. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night, due to the fire. I decided to head back towards my apartment and take a quick nap. Once I entered my apartment, my phone started to ring. I fished my phone out of my pocket and looked at the caller ID, only to drop my phone almost out of my hands. Why is Adrien calling me?! Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod…

''A-Adrien, hi!''

''Hi, Marinette! How are you doing?'' I heard Adrien's voice on the other side.

''A little tired, actually. Didn't get a lot of sleep last night.'' I replied to him, immediately regretting my words. ''But don't worry, I'll pull through.'' I quickly added. I heard Adrien chuckle on the other side of the line.

''Glad to hear that. Hey, I was wondering… I still feel like we have a lot of catching up to do. Wanna meet me tonight at the park?''

''S-Sure. What time?''

''How about 8 PM?''

''Yeah, I-I'll see you there.''

''Great! See you later, Marinette!''

''Bye!''

Adrien then hung up the phone and a blush spread over my cheeks. Did Adrien just ask me to hang out? As in, just the two of us? Tikki went to fly in front of me, a cheeky grin on her tiny Kwami face.

''So you're gonna hang out with Adrien tonight, huh?''

''D-Don't act so smug. It's just a friendly hang out.''

''Might be, but your cheeks are bright red, Marinette.''

''S-Shut up…''

The tiny kwami giggled. I soon joined in. Then, I glanced at the clock. It's 3 PM now. I think I wanna take a quick nap until 6 PM or so, then start getting ready.''

''Good idea.'' Tikki smiled.

I dressed in my PJ's and crawled under my covers.

-X-

It was 7:45 PM and I was on my way towards the park, after finishing my dinner, showering, brushing my teeth and getting ready. I decided to dress up just a little for the occasion, wearing my hair loosely over my shoulders. I had some subtle make-up on and wore black skinny yeans with a white, tight crop-top with long sleeves on top of it, that had the black letters 'Whatever' written on it. Underneath, I wore a pair of black Vans. I wore a silver bracelet around my right wrist and, of course, I wore my Miraculous earrings. I had my shoulder bag with me and Tikki was hiding inside of it, insisting that she wanted to come along. Not that I would have left her behind. Wherever I went, Tikki went with me. But tonight, she seemed especially excited. And I couldn't blame her. I was feeling quite nervous myself. Even though my mind was in a disagreement, Adrien still was my middle-school crush and he was still as kind and good-looking as ever. I sighed, trying not to think too much about his physique. At exactly 5 minutes to 8, I parked my car and headed towards the park. I already spotted Adrien on a park bench, staring at his phone. Once he noticed me, his smile widened and he went to stand up to greet me.

''Hi, Marinette!'' This time, he didn't hesitate to pull me into a hug. I returned the gesture, holding him close to me for a second, forcing myself with all my might not to blush too much.

''What's up, Adrien.'' I smiled, pulling back from the hug. I then went to sit down on the bench he had sat on earlier, and he went to sit down next to me.

''Thanks for meeting up.'' Adrien spoke.

''O-Of course! I'm glad to get to know you better… I-I mean, learn what you've been up to.''

Adrien stifled a laugh. ''Yeah, same here.'' He then proceeded to smile at me. ''I have to say it again, but you've changed a lot, Marinette.''

''So did you! Now, come on. I want to hear the stories about America.'' I smiled.

Adrien laughed. ''Well, after we finished middle school, I went to an American High School in California. Thanks to being home schooled for so long, father made sure I was fluent in English, so the language wasn't a problem. They even have French classes in America.''

''I bet you were quite the catch at school.'' I spoke, before fully realizing what I had just said. I instantly blushed and started shaking my hands, trying to wave my previous comment away. ''I-I mean, a cute guy from France, you must've stood out.''

Adrien started laughing. ''Thanks for the compliment. It is as you say, though. I didn't have a lack of… female attention, if I can put it like that. Not that I cared for that. I was way too busy with modeling. Father had made arrangements with all kinds of brands in America, with me ending up starring in commercials, perfume ads, walking in fashion shows for famous brands and all that kind of stuff. I was glad my bodyguard was with me during my stay there. He was the only person I knew, back then. I was so busy with everything, I didn't even have time to contact my old friends, such as you, Alya and Nino. That's the reason you haven't heard from me, ever since I left. Believe me, I wanted to, but father made sure I wouldn't lose focus. I was there to model and wasn't allowed to get distracted by old friends. As I continued to model there, more people started recognizing me on the streets and things like doing grocery shopping were becoming a hassle.''

''It must've been tough.'' I tried to empathize.

''Well, it did help make my father's brand more famous in the USA.'' Adrien gave me a sad smile.

''Were you happy?'' I asked, the question turning out more serious than I thought.

Upon hearing that, I could see that Adrien was pondering on his answer for a bit. ''Yes and no. It was a great experience and I met a lot of awesome people. But in the end, I missed Paris a lot and when the time came when father would let me return to Paris, I instantly booked my flight ticket back home.''

''Do you live with your father now?''

Adrien shook his head. ''Thanks to the modeling jobs, I've made quite the income for myself. I got my own apartment in the center of Paris, close to the Eiffel Tower, and close to my old house. Father still likes to keep tabs on me.''

''Ah, I see. Aren't you lonely, then?''

''Are you kidding? I enjoy the freedom I have now. I'm free to do whatever I want, as long as I show up on the jobs father arranges for me and work hard.''

A smile crept up my lips. ''I'm glad you're feeling better.''

Adrien returned my smile, but it faltered after a bit. His glare turned serious and his eyes sought mine. ''Marinette, can I tell you a secret? A pretty big one?''

I nodded in response, holding his gaze, showing I was genuine.

''Before I left Paris to go to America, my father confessed something to me. Something I still have troubles processing, but came to terms with. I somehow feel guilty and responsible for this, but in the end, I know it wasn't my fault.''

''What are you talking about?''

''Do you remember the Akuma attacks that plagued Paris when we were in the second and third year of middle school?''

''Of course! I don't think anybody can forget about that.''

''Do you also remember the name Hawkmoth?''

''Yeah… Wasn't he the mastermind behind all the evil attacks? The one who made the Akuma's?''

''Yeah… Well, you see…'' Adrien seemed to avoid my gaze for a moment, almost as if he was ashamed for what he was about to see. ''Hawkmoth… was my father.''

I choked on my spit and my eyes widened, as I felt the urge to scream. ''Wait, what?! Are you serious?''

Adrien shot me a sad smile. ''Yeah… It was quite a shock for me, too. I mean, Paris has suffered so much, because of him. At first, I was extremely angry for what he had done. The first year when I was in America, I broke off all contact with him. I was ashamed of him. Ashamed of what he had done. I felt like I was somehow responsible for his actions. But I know now that I'm not. It was his own choice.''

''But… I don't understand. Why? And how?'' I desperately tried to make sense of the situation. Adrien, of course, had no clue I was Ladybug and how much this news meant to me. I finally found out the identity of the person who had caused so much trouble for Paris. I always had wondered why the attacks had suddenly stopped. But I figured I'd soon get my questions answered.

''You've watched Alya's Ladyblog, yeah?'' Adrien asked me.

I nodded. ''Yeah, but I don't see what that has to do with this.''

''Have you read the post that explained where Ladybug and Chat Noir got their powers from and how they are able to transform?''

''I did. The heroes have accessories called Miraculouses, which gives them their powers, right?''

Adrien gave a nod. ''It turned out my father had a Miraculous of his own. The Moth Miraculous, which made him able to make the Akumatized butterflies, that caused a person to become Akumatized.''

''How did he get the Miraculous?'' I wondered out loud.

''That, I don't know. But I do know he used the Miraculous for the wrong purposes. That's why I broke off all contact with him, the first year after I left.''

''What made you change your mind?''

''While in America, I started to feel lonely. Sure, I had my bodyguard with me, and had made some friends there, but I didn't have my family anymore. My mom, well, you know the story. So the only that remains, is father. After a year, I finally reached out to him, asking him why he did the things he did. We ended up having the longest phone call we ever had in our lives with one another. He explained to me that he tried to bring my mother back, using the two Miraculouses that were bestowed upon Ladybug and Chat Noir. If you have both Miraculouses in possession, you'll have the ultimate power. Father wanted to use that power to bring my mother back to life. After hearing his reasoning, I still was mad at him, but I also could understand his reasons behind his actions. Sure, what he did was wrong, but I miss mom just as much as he does and I'd do anything as well to bring her back. But I'd never do it, if it meant hurting others in the process.''

''Wow, Adrien… This all must have been difficult.''

''It was. But my father swore to never use his Miraculous again for evil purposes and entrusted it to me. I brought it somewhere, where I'm sure nobody will ever be able to take it again.''

''I'm glad to hear your father wants to atone for what he did. You know, when you used to speak about your father, you always used to have this sad look in your eyes. But I can see you two are working things out. I'm happy for you, Adrien.''

Adrien shot me a kind smile. ''Thanks, Marinette.'' His smile then morphed into a grin. ''Now it's your turn. Tell me what you've been up to.''

''Well, after you left, I went to High school, together with Alya and Nino, while continuing my passion for fashion designing. After I finished high school, I got offered a job at the company I work at right now. I'm soon going to be promoted to head designer of our team.'' I smiled.

''Wow, Marinette. I always knew your talents would be recognized someday!'' Adrien smiled at me, making me smile in return.

''There's some interesting news, though. I'm not sure if you know, but your father is planning to take over the company I work for. If that deal goes through, I'll soon be working for your father.''

Adrien blinked a few times, before a wide grin spread over his face. ''No way! Marinette, that is so awesome! Maybe I get to model some of the designs you come up with.''

''That would be quite fun, wouldn't it?''

We both shared a laugh and I felt myself relax around Adrien more and more. I was glad to see things hadn't changed that much between us, even though we hadn't spoken for 5 years.

''I'm glad you're back, Adrien.'' I smiled warmly at him, holding his gaze.

''Yeah, me too, Marinette. Me too…''

We both seemed to stare at each other in silence for a while, until we both started blushing and had to look away.

''So, have you heard the news about the fire?'' Adrien started, trying to bring up a subject.

''I've heard!'' I replied. ''It was quite intense.''

''Did you also hear that Ladybug showed up there?''

''Tell me about it. Alya wouldn't let me hear the end of it. She's been in hyper-modus ever since the news was brought out. She's thinking about re-opening the Ladyblog again.''

Adrien chuckled. ''Sounds like Alya, alright.''

His gaze turned more serious. ''I didn't expect Ladybug to still be around in Paris, helping people in need.''

''Aren't you glad she was there to help out?''

''Trust me, I am excited to see Ladybug is in Paris. It's nice to know a superhero still has our back.''

''Didn't you hear the rumors about Chat Noir too?'' I asked Adrien. ''Some people say he was seen there as well.''

Upon the mention of the male superhero's name, Adrien seemed to flinch a bit. I figured it must've been my imagination.

''Oh really, now?'' Adrien spoke.

Did I just imaging the nervousness in his voice, or is there something going on?

''Yeah, just like old times. Wherever Ladybug is, Chat Noir isn't far behind.'' I giggled.

''Those two really make a good team, huh?'' Adrien's voice sounded distant and I tilted my head a bit.

''Something wrong?''

Adrien quickly jumped up, waving his hands at me in a dismissive manner. ''N-No. Just thinking about the old times with Ladybug and Chat Noir.'' He then seemed to relax a bit. ''They still have each other their backs.'' He spoke with a smile.

I smiled, staring off into the distance. ''Yeah… I wonder what's going on in their lives.''

''I guess we'll never know.''

He then suppressed a yawn. I raised an eyebrow with a grin. ''I saw that, mister Agreste.''

Adrien laughed. ''Sorry. Went to bed late.''

''A supermodel must have it tough.'' I smiled.

''That's why it's so nice to have my old friends back.'' Adrien smiled, and I returned it. He then got up and held his hand out to me. ''I guess it's getting kinda late. Want me to walk you back to your car?''

I gave him a nod and accepted his hand, getting pulled to my feet. ''That would be nice.'' The two of us headed towards my car, stopping once we reached it. Adrien then scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

''It was really nice to see you again, Marinette. We should do this more often.''

A small blush crept up my cheeks, but I smiled nonetheless. ''Yeah, I agree.''

We then shared a goodbye hug and he then placed his hands on my shoulders. ''Text me when you get home safe, okay?''

I nodded. ''Will do. Good night, Adrien.''

''Good night, Marinette.''

-X-

The moment I arrived home, I flopped onto my bed, texting Adrien a quick text that I was home. The whole car ride, Tikki had been non-stop blabbering about my evening with Adrien. It was cute to see her so excited about something. But my encounter with Adrien had made me think. The way he had talked about Ladybug and Chat Noir, made me remember all the fights I fought side by side with my partner. It made me miss Chat Noir even more and I longed to see him again. This whole feelings train was starting to tire me out. I was interested in Adrien, I couldn't lie about that. But I was also interested in Chat Noir.

''What to do…'' I groaned into my pillow.

''You'll figure it out, Marinette. You always do.'' Tikki tried to encourage me, knowing what I was talking about.

''For now, I just wanna sleep.'' I spoke, suppressing a yawn.

I got ready for bed and turned off the lights, crawling underneath the covers. I then saw that Adrien had replied, wishing me a good night. I wished him the same thing, before placing my phone on the charger on my nightstand.

''Good night, Tikki.''

''Good night, Marinette.''

And then, I fell into a peaceful sleep.

-X-

End of Chapter Four

-X-

Author Note:

Hello, cute readers! I hope you enjoyed chapter four. I've tried to put in a little more drama and action into the chapter, to keep the story interesting. I've also brought Chat Noir into the story, something which I'm excited about. We'll soon see how Marinette reacts to all the drama and events in her life. Is she still going to lean towards Chat Noir? Or is Adrien conquering her heart? Find out in the next upcoming chapters! Lots of love! ~

ShySnowWolf

-X-