A.N.- So I decided to be nice and update early. I'm sure all of you have been waiting for this chapter, and it's finally here. Things are going to go interesting from here. Thanks to my betas who work extra hard. Enjoy

Chapter 12

Marinette's eyebrows scrunched together studying the sketch in front of her. She had worked on it over the past couple days. It was almost complete, but something was still missing. Their designs were due tomorrow at the end of day for review. Even though Mr. Agreste was impressed on first day, that only meant she had to work harder. She didn't want to be accused by the others of special treatment, burning bridges in the fashion industry wasn't the brightest idea.

But her mind simply wasn't focused. That morning, Amelie had pulled her aside before she could get out the door. It came as a shock when Marinette figured out she was fishing for information about Adrien. Amelie claimed that he was being distant and wondered if she had any idea why. Marinette answered as honestly as she could. He hadn't told her anything, which was the truth. The conversation was cut short and she knew that Amelie would revisit the subject again once she got home from the internship.

"Marinette?"

She looked up to the voice to see a woman standing over her.

"Yes?" Marinette was still learning everyone's name, but she swore she never met the lady before.

"This is for you." She reached out with a folded piece of paper which Marinette graciously accepted, still confused.

Who would be sending her a note? Her first thought was Adrien, but even then, she had no clue what the model would want to say to her. Her breath hitched as she scanned the note once her eyes landed on the sender.

"Excuse me, do you know who gave...this to you?" Her voice tapered out when she was met with empty air. The lady who had given the note was nowhere to be found. Her eyes started scanning the room in hopes that she missed her but stopped at the sight of Adrien Agreste in the doorway. His green eyes pierced her, and he wore a smile that she couldn't describe which seemed to be the new normal between them. She tore her gaze away back to the note once more. He too had disappeared when she looked up and she wondered if she had imagined him there in the first place.

It wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility. She hadn't slept well over the past couple days and that paired with fatigue from the internship set up the perfect environment for sleep-deprived hallucinations.

Princess,

I couldn't wait, come find me.

CN

"What's that?"

Before Marinette could stop it, the paper was ripped from her hands. Her wide eyes leapt up to the thief and instantly her jaw stiffened. If you would have told her that she would meet someone that she would like less than Chloe she would have laughed. On the first day Camille was nice to everyone, Marinette could only assume that she was trying to make a good first impression. It isn't until Camille learned your secrets that the tide shifts because she wasn't afraid to spill them if it meant that she could get ahead.

She tried to take back the note, but it proved futile due to the height difference. Camille was one of the gossipiest people she knew within the company, who, despite her…personality, also happened to have a massive following on her social media. It turned out that most of Paris ate up whatever she posted. If she leaked Chat Noir was inside the Agreste's business then Chat Noir's fangirls would to do anything in order to find him. She couldn't allow the situation to spiral out of control, even if it wouldn't be easy. Camille hated Marinette since day one and tried to make her life difficult in any way possible.

"It's not what you think!" Was the first lie that tumbled out of her mouth. Camille's eyebrow shot up in disbelief.

"Where did you find this?" She sneered. It turned out she missed Marinette receiving the note in the first place. It also aided her that she was sure that Camille who thought that Chat Noir was completely out of Marinette's league. "Chat Noir? In the building, probably visiting his Lady? How scandalous!" Now that Camille had the first taste of a story, she would see it through.

"Please, don't." Marinette had tried many tactics to deal with the co-worker, but none of it seemed to make a dent.

"Why, Marinette. Got a secret to hide?" It was worse than when a shark smelled blood in the water, and Marinette felt like every pore was gushing out the red liquid.

Not any I'm willing to give up to you . Her mind spat out. Once Camille knew anything about you, she only used it for her advantage. Marinette adjusted her jacket, trying not to back down.

"I just happen to believe that Chat and this mystery girl would be given the privacy that they deserve." It was true, even if she wasn't the girl Chat was seeing. It wasn't anyone else's business, especially not all of Paris. Goosebumps prickled her skin as Camille released a sneering laugh.

"Maybe in the dark ages, but it's a different time Mar. Secrets and information is power so unless you have something juicer to offer up as trade or collateral." Marinette's bottom lip curled between her teeth contemplating any secrets that she had that would bring more attention to Ladybug, Chat or Rena. It was too late, when something came to mind Camille had already clicked send.

"Look for a follow up tweet when I find the girl whose captured Chat Noir's heart."

"That's what I'm afraid of," she muttered. What in the world was Chat thinking pulling off a stunt like that? It was touching that he wanted to see her and couldn't wait, but now she had to find him before his little fanbase did. When she did, she would give him a piece of her mind.

Maybe this wasn't the best idea, he decided, rounding the corner looking for the best place to hide with a whole building looking for him. Despite running around for what seemed like hours, he hadn't seen Marinette since he arranged her to receive the note in the first place. Now somehow news that he was there got out among the interns and now Chat Noir fans are scourging the building for him. He would leave if he thought that he could, but then Marinette might think that he stood her up bringing him back to square one with her.

Her voicemail was the main reason he was here. He couldn't wait till her work day was over, so he concocted this scheme. It was supposed to be simple, but his bad luck came into play at the worst time.

"I think the coast is clear." He peeked around the next corner. The coast was clear for now. One mistake and he would be swamped, and he wouldn't get his time with his princess without potentially exposing that she was the one in the magazine. "Come on Princess, where are you?" he muttered to himself.

He was about to round the corner when there was sudden tension on his belt pulling him backward towards a closet. The force caught him completely unbalanced that he could only follow gravity. He closed his eyes, preparing for the scream that was sure to ensure. Maybe he could bribe her to let him go so he could arrange an autograph picture.

"Please, don't scream. I'll give you anything you want, just let me go. I'm looking for someone and I really need to— " a soft laughter filled the air catching him off guard for the second time in minutes, "-find her." He opened one eye to meet a pair of inviting blue eyes.

"I might take you up on that deal. Who are you looking for?" The smirk she wore caused his knees to wobble slightly. Even in the small janitor closet, the confidence that was radiating off her was attractive.

"Princess!" He closed the gap and wound his arms tightly around her small frame. "What are you doing here?"

"Saving a certain cat who has the tendency to get in trouble." Reluctantly she peeled her body off his because as much as she craved this reunion, there were more important matters to discuss.

"What were you thinking, Chat! Coming here was beyond- beyond-" She stumbled over her next words. If truth was told she had been working on this speech all morning while looking for her partner, but now she was face to face and everything she had rehearsed went out the window.

"I know it was stupid, but how else was I going to see you?" This was a typical Chat move, act first think later. She was hoping that she could get him out of here before anyone else could find him. "We agreed to keep a low profile, not avoiding each other for weeks on end," he continued.

He blamed her for all of this? They both agreed that separation would be best until the tabloids found something else to entertain the masses.

"That's not fair, I told you that I would be busy with this internship, and I have been." She had spent hours upon hours trying to push herself ahead of her competition. When she wasn't here she was at home working on her sketches and drawings.

"Not too busy for Nathaniel Kurtzburg." She was sure that the utterance was supposed to go unheard but with the space the closet made that impossible. She put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow.

"You were watching me?" She turned her body away from him suddenly regretting saving him from his fans. This wasn't the way she imagined their conversation would go.

"I happened to glance out and see you two on the street." She could feel him as he took another step toward her and couldn't help but wonder if it was a by-product of all the times they fought together. "Your outfit was purrfect by the way." His hot breath tingled outside her ear. She froze, a sense of familiarity rushed over her only to be discarded by her next thought.

Was he...flirting with her?

The outfit choice was a result of Alya's advice and it definitely had its desired effect on gaining his attention. The knowledge created a surge of newfound confidence within her as she turned to face the blonde.

"You don't have to be jealous, Kitty." Her fingers reached to trace his ears. She saw his body tense, but he didn't deny it, it fueled her further to the point of wanting to talk in the first place. "If you wanted a date, all you had to do was ask."

"Wouldn't he have a problem with me taking you out?" He took another step forward closing the gap further.

"He would if he wasn't an almost happily engaged man himself." She countered with a smile.

"Mari-" If she only knew what she was doing to him. When she touched him, his whole body shivered down to his toes. The way she was looking at him brought him straight back to when he walked in on her out of the shower. The combination was sheer torture.

"Wait, I know what you're going to say, and I have to tell you something."

His heart started pounding in his chest in anticipation.

"I don't want to be just friends with you. The night that we kissed, it has been playing in my mind non-stop. I can't-" She stopped herself, but he didn't need to finish her sentence. The rest of her words were relayed through her stare. She wanted him.

He couldn't forget about the night in question either. Amelie had promised that his feelings for Marinette would go away, but it seemed like they were only growing stronger the more he was around her. As he looked down at her, she seemed helpless waiting with bated breath for an answer.

"Screw it." Before Marinette had a chance to process what he said his lips crashed on hers once more.

The two stumbled back at the force until Marinette's back hit the support beam in a shelving unit, eliciting a gasp. Chat took full advantage of the shock, slipping his tongue to greet hers. His reward was when her hands snuck up to his locks and pulled. All the pent-up tension since their first kiss was unraveling and he needed more. He left her mouth to continue up her jawline. He paused, feeling the vibration of the moan that escaped from her lips. He found his animalistic instincts were taking control.

"Chat." The breathiness in her voice guided him to her neck where he took the liberty to suck, lick and bite as he saw fit, each earning a new stifled sound. The smell of vanilla overpowered his nose and he was drowning in it.

While his lips were busy ravishing her neck she allowed his hands roamed her body freely. He started by pulling out her hair ties her hair cascading beyond her shoulders. He had always liked her with her hair down but rarely got the opportunity to see it. Although running a glove through the dark locks wasn't nearly as satisfying as if it was his hand. Her jacket was deemed as an extraneous piece of clothing that was blocking more skin to explore, so it was shed quickly. As if it was second nature he hoisted her up and she latched her legs around his waist pulling their bodies flush together.

"Aren't...you...concerned...someone...will...find...us?" he asked between kisses.

"They already checked this part," she replied as her body started reacting, arching into his. A shutter shot through his body and he almost came undone. He was almost at the point of no return. He grabbed her hips to stop her thrusting motion.

"Mari," he choked out. He had to be strong. Her body froze as she pulled back at look at him.

"Not here." He watched her eyes grow wide and color pigments filled her cheeks. "Not that I don't want to, but you deserve better than some janitor closet." This was by far one of the hardest things he had to do. His throbbing sensation painfully reminded him that he wanted nothing more than for this to continue right this second, but not like this.

She detangled her body from his and instantly he missed her warmth. "I should probably get back to work anyways," she said. Her feet refused to move, partly due to the fear that the moment she left this would end as soon as it began. Her nerves softened when she felt his leather gloves cup her face.

"Why don't I meet you in the back alley once you're done," he suggested. He leaned in and left a ghost of a kiss on her lips, leaving them tingling.

"The quickest way out of here is the east side of the building." It was better for everyone if he just disappeared without a trace, maybe then they would dispel the rumor and put it to bed once and for all.

"I know," he answered then paused "Or so I've been told." Marinette would have asked about who told him that information, but they were running out of time. Just because they checked this floor once didn't mean they wouldn't come back.

"Be safe, Kitty," she whispered.

"Aren't I always?" he jested before slipping out the door. Marinette rolled her eyes; that was definitely the voice of reason for her partner. She had experienced first-hand some of the stunts he pulled in battle. But she knew he didn't want her to worry. She waited a minute before exiting to give some space between Chat Noir and her.

The walk back to her desk felt like an eternity because she knew that any more work on her project was futile. Her mind was flustered from her experience with Chat Noir and she doubted she would be able to tell the difference between satin and chiffon. Marinette was sure that her mind would settle down once she saw him again and they could talk about what happened.

The second she stepped foot back in the intern workroom, she couldn't help but notice that the room got eerily quiet. Usually, they were a chatty bunch, but she didn't have time to wonder what had changed. The only comfort was that if anyone had caught Chat, then they wouldn't help by gossiping about it. Marinette sat down at her station, all along fighting the sense that she was being stared at. When she caved and looked up, the eyes were torn away. Did she have something on her face or worse spilled something on her outfit?

"Bridgette, what's going on?" Since the internship started, Marinette had found one person that she considered more a friend than a coworker. They often ate lunch and discussed a wide range of topics from favorite designers to her crush on a guy named Felix. Now looking at the uneasiness that Bridgette projected all over her face, she started to worry.

"Are you sure you want to know?" she asked hesitantly.

Did Marinette want to know, they said ignorance was bliss after all. The thought of every day going to work, and people would stare would drive her mad. She nodded as confidently as she could muster.

Bridgette worked through what looked like an email and clicked on a link to another website.
Once it loaded Marinette felt all of the blood drain from her face. Someone had gotten photos of her dragging Chat Noir into the janitor closet. There was no hiding her face. There was a title of Chat Noir's Lover. It had details about her and the bakery and some other information that was made up. But that didn't matter. It didn't matter how careful they were, it was out in the internet now for the public eye to see.

Her legs wobbled violently threatening to give out beneath her. She now felt all eyes on her with a burning heat on her skin. She couldn't stay here. Her chest tightened, and her hands started to tremble. She took what control she had and bolted out of the room, running as fast as her legs would allow. In that moment, she didn't care what the consequence would be for leaving early, she just needed somewhere safe.
Her sprint was cut short when she ran dead smack into someone.

It wasn't enough that she was plastered over the internet, now she was making more of a fool out of herself plowing people over. She would apologize but any words died before they left her tongue. A pair of hands went to either shoulder to steady her, but they might as well not have been there at all, she couldn't feel them.

"Marinette? Are you ok?" The voice stripped everything else away in that moment.

No, not him. Not now. But no matter how much she wished it, when she forced herself to look up she was met with the green pools of Adrien Agreste.

A.n.- Marichat lives! I was so excited to write this chapter you all have no idea. Please leave a comment, I don't bite. You might even get a spoiler out of it. I've already started to work on the next chapter. Hope to post soon!