Ladybug woke up with wet hair on her face. It smelled like expensive shampoo. It didn't have a fruit scent or anything like that. It just smelled expensive, and it wasn't hers unless she's been a blonde all along. She was lying down with her back flat on the bed and one of her arms was asleep. Mostly because Chloe Bourgeois was lying on top of it. She sighed and used her other arm to brush off Chloe's hair to the side and gently pulled her arm from under Chloe's body that was lying on Chloe's side and facing away from Ladybug. Ladybug then realized something.

The room was bright. Too bright. Not 4AM bright.

"10AM… my mom is going to kill me," Ladybug gasped as she looked at the clock next to Chloe's bed. She then looked in the mirror next to Chloe's bed. She was in her civilian clothes. "Tikki," she whispered," where are you?"

"Right here," Tikki said as she came from under a pillow. "Let's transform and leave before Chloe sees you." Marinette nodded in agreement as she went into Chloe's restroom to transform.

When Ladybug got out, Chloe was still asleep. "She must have stayed up pretty late," Ladybug whispered to herself. She felt obligated to leave a note, but then again, she never has. She's always just got up and left. Plus, there was no time. Her parents were probably worried sick.

She left Chloe's room as she locked the balcony doors behind her. She made sure that there wasn't any civilians paying attention before heading home.

She detransformed on her balcony before going down into her room. The body form that she made out of pillows on her bed was still made. She changed into her pajamas and let down her hair before going downstairs.

"Good morning," she said as she went into the living room. She gave out a fake yawn and gave her mother a kiss.

"Someone slept in. I was about to go wake you up," her mother smiled. Marinette felt so relieved that she hadn't noticed.

"I stayed up late talking to Alya," Marinette said. She bit her tongue. She hated lying.

"That's fine. It's not a school day or anything," she told her. "Now please, go brush your teeth and eat something." They both laughed as Marinette made her way to the restroom. When she entered her bedroom and changed, Tikki sat on Marinette's desk. She was about to design a few dresses. She wasn't hungry.

"You're getting more comfortable around Chloe," Tikki told her.

"Yeah, I guess. I can't let this happen again though. I've never left this late. I'm just lucky she didn't wake up before I did," Marinette replied as she rested her head against her hand. "Actually, Tikki," Marinette raised an eyebrow," why didn't you wake me up?"

"I tried, I promise!" Tikki said," But you wouldn't even budge. Chloe eventually got really close to your body, and I was scared that she would wake up and see us both."

"I'm sorry, Tikki," Marinette groaned. "I've just been so tired, and I ended up falling asleep next to her."

"I've been wanting to tell you this, and I think it's time, Marinette. I know it's Chloe we're talking about, the meanest girl in Paris, the girl you hate, the girl that wants Adrie-"

"Okay, Tikki, I'm pretty sure I know who you're talking about. What's your point?"

"You're really mean to her as Ladybug. You're her super hero, and you're being super mean to her. It's not the way Ladybug is supposed to be."

"I stay with her a few hours every other night, though. I could be sleeping in those few hours."

"You're still mean."

"Yeah," Marinette sighed in defeat," I guess I am." She bit her lip.

"You're not as mean as her so don't get so bummed out, but I think Chloe isn't exactly going through the best time of her life right now." Marinette didn't reply. Chloe had been crying very often and last night, she did see the scene between her and her dad.

"I think it's because she's so bitter to me as Marinette that I just can't be nice to her as Ladybug."

"It's just easier for you to bite her back as Ladybug because you know that it'll hurt her more."

"Stop exposing me," Marinette laughed nervously. What Tikki had just said hit her like a ton of bricks. Tikki knew she had done her job, and they both stayed quiet until Marinette had to stop designing dresses.

Chloe was blowing her nose for the hundredth time that night. Her father wasn't getting home until Friday, and she felt so alone. Of course, he wasn't the best company, but he was someone. She had woken up without Ladybug once again, and it always sort of pulled on her heartstrings. She was there in the night and gone by morning. Then again, she's sort of grown a bit in the past few days and realized that nobody really owes her anything and everything just for being the mayor's daughter. It was 11 and the moon was out. She was out on the balcony with shorts, a camisole, and a thin sweater. She didn't have shoes on, so her feet were cold. She didn't feel like moving inside to get some slippers or socks though. She felt as if the moon would be gone when she returned.

She saw a familiar shadow jumping in the distance on the roofs. The moon made her see the pigtails moving along with the figure that was much smaller than the shadows. She knew it was Ladybug right away. Unless Chat Noir decided to try a new hairstyle.

Chloe didn't feel like talking, but she was glad that Ladybug was there.

"You're going to make your cold worse," Ladybug told her. Ladybug positioned herself next to Chloe who was leaning on the balcony ledge with her arms up on it. Ladybug did the same too, and she looked up at the moon. "Do you need me to stay tonight?"

There wasn't a reply.

"Do you feel safe tonight?"

Not even a head motion.

Ladybug bit her lip, "Do you want me to keep you company?" Chloe nodded her head 'yes'. "Okay but please, let's go inside, you're not going to want to wake up for school tomorrow if you're all sick."

"Alright," Chloe said before looking at the moon one last time. Ladybug felt her heart drop as she realized how pretty Chloe looked under the moonlight without all her heavy makeup. She shook off the thoughts as she followed Chloe inside. Chloe laid down on her bed and motioned Ladybug to join her. The blankets were still undone from the day before. Chloe scooted over to the other end of the bed to leave a space between her and Ladybug.

"The space is pointless after you fall asleep you know," Ladybug said as she sat down on her end of the bed. "I woke up with wet hair on my face."

"My hair takes a good while to dry," Chloe said, avoiding Ladybug's point.

"I noticed."

"At what time did you leave?" They were having this conversation without even looking at each other. They were both just looking ahead into Chloe's lit bedroom.

"10. I fell asleep for too long."

"Why didn't you just stay?"

"I have a life outside of Ladybug, Chloe. We all have parents, and mine would have been really worried if they noticed that I was gone. What time did you wake up?"

"It was 11. Almost 12." There was a brief silence before Chloe asked something Ladybug would have rather avoided.

"What's your life outside of Ladybug like?"

Let's see, I hate you, you hate me, my life is filled with hatred from you, I try nog go let you bully me, you don't succeed, I hate you, I really do hate you. Also, you keep trying to marry my dream boy.

"I don't think I can tell you."

"Why's that? Do you think I'll tell everyone? I have enough money. I don't need to sell information."

"It's not that. I just…"

"If you're going to lie, lie quickly."

"I wasn't going to lie." Ladybug bit her tongue. Chloe looked at her for the first time in a while.

"You were. I may not know who you are behind the mask, but I know Ladybug pretty well."

"Not as much as you think." They were quiet for another while.

"Did you say I looked prettier without makeup?" Chloe suddenly asked. Ladybug was so glad that the mask hid most of her blush. Chloe was glad that the lights were on.

"I-I didn't say that," Ladybug corrected her," I said you looked better."

"Same thing."

"Not really. Saying that you looked prettier would have needed me to think that you are pretty in the first place."

"Oh."

Ladybug felt the hurt in Chloe's word stab her throat. She remembered her conversation with Tikki from earlier and sighed. Her mind was telling her that she didn't mean this at all, but her heart knew it was a true statement.

"You're actually really beautiful Chloe," Ladybug said as she covered the side of her face that Chloe could see with her hand. Chloe smiled.

"With or without makeup?"

"Both ways. Just go easier on the eyeshadow."

"I usually do what I want, but I'll listen to you."

"Good." Ladybug couldn't stop blushing, and she didn't know why. She didn't know why she was being made a puddle of embarrassment in front of Chloe Bourgeois like she'd usually be in front of Adrien. There was something ringing on the side of her brain, but she ignored it as much as she could. She didn't want to face that at the moment.

Chloe scooted closer to the center of the bed," Come to the center of the bed, I don't want to fall off." Ladybug hesitated a bit but did as she was told and rolled over. Chloe got up on all fours and crawled over Ladybug's body. She had her knees resting on each side of Ladybug, and her hands were on opposite sides of her hero's head.

"W-What are you doing," Ladybug gulped. She could tackle Chloe right this instance. She could push her off, tell her to move, she could take her leave and never return. But Ladybug stayed really still. Something about having Chloe slightly sit on the area below her abdomen felt… nice.

Chloe leaned in close to Ladybug's masked face. She lifted up both of her hands and put all of her weight on her knees making her press harder into Ladybug. Ladybug was biting the side of her cheek at this point. Chloe touched Ladybug's face and ran fingers up and down her cheeks and forehead.

"As I suspected," Chloe said as she rested on of her hands on the girl's cheek and had the other go back to the side of Ladybug's head," you don't wear makeup. You're just naturally gorgeous." Chloe removed herself from that position and laid down next to Ladybug who was still blushing like mad and staring at the ceiling.

How can you just say things like this?!

"Y-You never know. I could be hideous behind the mask."

"Doubt it," Chloe laughed. She was laughing for many reasons, and one of them was because the thought of having Ladybug weak under her brought her joy. Not because she was plotting something evil or anything along those lines, but she realized that Ladybug wasn't always going to be an asshole.

"I have to go, Chloe," Ladybug said as she rolled over and got off the bed. Chloe sat up and went to the end of the bed.

"Do I get a goodbye kiss?"