What was supposed to be a quick photoshoot took an hour longer than expected, and Adrien took full responsibility for that. How could he focus on holding a pose or remembering his instructions or smiling just right when Ladybug had just come to see him? She'd come to see him! Vincent corrected him a half dozen times and told him he had to look happy in the photos, but not that happy, what was wrong with him.
Why had she reacted the way she had, charging in before retreating in alarm? He was certain that she didn't know he knew her identity. He'd only just found out. So what else could it have been? There had been her behavior at school, too. Why had she been so much more flustered than normal?
With a final look at the camera display and a relieved sigh, Vincent yelled that they were finished, and everyone started packing up. They'd gone so far over schedule that Nathalie had informed him his Chinese lesson had to be cancelled for the day. Father wouldn't be happy about how distracted he'd been.
On the plus side, by the time the shoot was over, he'd thought of a plan of action.
1) He would go to Marinette's house.
2) He would find out the name of this "other boy."
3) He would steal her heart away from him.
He admitted to himself that maaaybe some of those tasks would be more difficult than others.
The sun was setting, and he had to squint as he ducked back into the tent to change back into his normal clothes. Plagg had seen the whole episode with Ladybug and had been cackling about it whenever Adrien was in earshot. He started right up again as soon as his chosen entered the tent.
"Is it over? Are you going to go see your girlfriend now?"
Adrien almost threw some discarded clothes at him but instead shut him up with an offer of cheese. He needed Plagg to be in a good mood if he was going to convince him to transform for something as trivial as a personal visit.
The ten-minute car ride home dragged on for ages, and Adrien spent most of it twitching in anticipation in the back seat. She must have come to talk to him about school, he reasoned. That was the only thing that made sense. But then, why come as Ladybug? He couldn't get that thought out of his head. She'd actually come to see him! She'd wanted to see him! It was such a short memory, but he replayed over and over it with a sappy smile on his face.
Familiar buildings flashed by him, and the car eased past through gate and parked smoothly next to his front steps. In three large leaps, he was through the door and dashing through the airy atrium. With a hasty explanation to Nathalie that he had a lot of homework he needed to catch up on, he raced to his room. He barely stopped to make sure the door was closed tightly before continuing his bolt and leaping for the window, calling on Plagg to transform him as he vaulted through the opening.
Marinette's house was so close to his, but the short time it took him to get there somehow seemed even longer than the car ride. He was going to see his Lady, and he couldn't get there fast enough.
Cat Noir stopped on the broad roof of the school, which offered a full view of her balcony above the bakery. People were coming in and out, but no one was looking up. He should be clear to just jump over there and knock on her skylight window.
As he extended his baton to make the final vault, the window popped open and Marinette crawled out. If she'd have looked over, she would have seen a very lovesick Cat Noir blowing kisses her way. Luckily for his suave image, she didn't. She went to the edge of her balcony flopped her head and arms over the railing and hung there like a piece of wet laundry. Her hair was loose and hung down around her face, making the scene look even more comical.
One quick change of plans later and Cat Noir was crouching behind the chimney wall at the back of Marinette's roof. Maybe it was a bit mean, but how fun would it be to jump over the wall and startle her – payback for giving him a heart attack back in the tent. He leapt on top of the wall without attracting her attention. She was no longer hanging on the railing, instead resting her elbows on it with her face in her hands. Without warning (or really thinking it through), he dropped in next to her with a thump and a loud "Hey, Princess!"
Marinette responded with an even louder shriek and a look of pure horror.
"C-Cat Nat- Noir. You- Wh- Why you-"
He quickly realized that he'd messed up. She was stuttering again. He expected her to jump and maybe slap his arm for scaring her. Why was she suddenly stuttering like she did around Adrien? Had he really frightened her that badly? He must have. Stupid!
His placating apologies didn't really do much to help her. She turned her back to him and mumbled, "F-fine. Fotally, ugh, totally fine. Don't w-worry about it."
Instead of helping him fix his situation, his brain immediately zeroed in on her hair, which was hanging limp and damp, and leaving water spots on her shoulders.
"Why is your hair wet?" he asked.
"What?" She reached up to grab at it, momentarily forgetting her distress. "Oh, right." She glared at him as she started to braid it, but she didn't explain. "So why are you here?" she asked as she finished. She even managed to spare a glance in his direction.
"Oh, just checking in on you," he said. "You know..."
She rolled her eyes at him, not convinced. But she wasn't stuttering anymore, and the tension started to ease out of his shoulders. He hadn't completely messed up. His Lady wasn't mad at him.
He still didn't know what was going on with her, but she clearly had no idea who he was really was. She would be still be stuttering if she did. Instead, she was back to her usual wonderful, sassy self, now that her surprise at seeing him had seemed to wear off.
"Oh, uh," she looked around and started to wring her hands. "Did you w-want to sit down or anything?" She nodded to a pink lawn chair that was tucked up against the wall, then scrubbed her palm over her mouth.
"I'm fine here," he said, leaning against the railing, careful to avoid her flower box. The roses inside were almost as pretty as her. Ooh, good compliment! He'd have to work that into the conversation at some point. "A gentleman wouldn't take the only seat if a lady were present."
To his surprise, she giggled quietly, a marvelous sound, and came to stand next to him. They both leaned on her railing, shoulder to shoulder. "You're such a dork."
"But a purr-fectly well-mannered one, you must admit." What could he do to make her laugh again?
"Sure," she said, knocking her elbow against his. Instead of looking at him, she smiled down at the street, which hummed with life. "So what did you really come here for, Cat Noir?"
His claws clicked against the metal railing as he drummed his fingers. "I can't come visit you without having my motives questioned?"
"Nope. I know you too well," she said, still not looking at him. He knew what she really meant, that she knew her partner, and his heartbeat sped up. She did know him well, but he wasn't supposed to know that she knew. She knew him better than she realized she did. Better than anyone else, and he loved it. The light from the setting sun peeked through the clouds and illuminated her face, making her glow.
She looked over at him, expecting a witty comeback to her jibe, but he was caught staring at her instead.
"Uh." He coughed and cleared his throat, hoping it would buy him more time to recover. "No reason in particular."
"I don't believe that for a second," she said. "What's this about?" She shifted, and he almost thought she was going to leave, but instead she inched closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder. It was a good thing he was already using the railing for support, because he thought his legs were about to give out.
Before his brain could filter his question, he blurted out, "Who do you have a crush on?" She jerked her head back up, and he found he missed her already.
"I-it's no one you've met." She couldn't quite meet his eye. It looked like she was focusing on his nose instead. "Well... well, I mean, I'm pretty sure you've never been formally introduced." Her blush was spreading from her cheeks all the way up to her hairline and down her neck. She probably didn't want to talk about this with the person who confessed his love to her, but he needed to know.
"Who?"
"Why are you so interested?" She stepped away then, twisting her braid around in her fingers and brushing the tip against her cheek. "Don't you like Ladybug?"
You bet I do.
But he wanted her to know that he liked her. All of her. So he leaned forward, easing himself into her space again, and he said, "Maybe I like you instead."
Marinette's grip on her braid tightened, knuckles going white, and he wasn't sure what was going wrong. Before he could lean away and recover the situation, she had bolted for the trap door, slamming it shut. His sensitive ears picked up the click of the lock. Cat Noir was left looking around the abandoned balcony in confusion.
"What did I say?"
Author's note: Somebody take that shovel away from Adrien. He's digging his own grave. The chapters (seven total) will be alternating from here on out. I think the next chapter is the only serious one in this whole fic. XD
Incorrect Miraculous Quote
Cat Noir: Ladybug, do you believe in ghosts?
Ladybug: I believe you're a big *dork.*
-Gravity Falls
