Six months ago, Marinette found the miraculous. Now, with her training completed and real Akumas released, she was better than Chat Noir.

Chat Noir on the other hand had grown very fond of Ladybug and desperately wanted to know who she was when she wasn't Ladybug. But Marinette knew the consequences of that and kept her identity hidden by ignoring his flirtatious remarks. Which was easy since she had a very attractive distraction. Adrien hadn't left her mind since the first day of school.

He's so dreamy she would think while staring at the back of his head in class. But was soon forced out of her trance when she was flicked by a pencil from the left.

"Girl? Seriously? Do you want a birthday present from me or not?" Marinette's Best Friend Alya sat next to her phone and all.

"What? Oh! Yeah, yeah." Marinette was so excited for her birthday tomorrow. She was gonna invite Adrien and some friends over but only ended up inviting Alya.

"Ok so will you please focus?" Marinette nodded and smiled sheepishly. "Thankyou! So, I've got some little things for you that didn't cost much but I know you will love and I'm bringing a really good one this afternoon for your party. Sound good?" Alya didn't look up from typing on her phone.

"Mhm" Marinette giggled. "Ooh I do hope you got me some jewellery! I really liked that pearl necklace we saw at Dominiques. The way they caught the sunlight was so beautiful." Marinette let out a sigh.

"I won't say anything about your presents yet. But if I got you that it won't be a small one." The two friends laughed.

Adrien sat in class trying to focus. He couldn't get Ladybug out of his mind. She was driving him crazy with her perfectness, so much that he stayed up all night on the ladyblog trying to figure out who she is.

To get his mind off things he listened behind him to the two girls talking about Marinette's birthday party. Alya had invited him and Nino to go to it, the two girls where talking about presents. Presents!? We were supposed to bring gifts!? Adrien started thinking quickly. What would Marinette want? she's already got everything she wants? Doesn't she? He listened to more of her conversation.

"Ooh I do hope you got me some jewellery! I really liked that pearl necklace we saw at Dominiques. The way they caught the sunlight was so beautiful" That was it! Adrien thought. I'll go there after school then meet Alya at her house at 3:40 and then we'll go to Marinette's. Adrien celebrated inside his mind about his quick thinking.

As soon as the bell rang the two girls left the classroom in a hurry to get outside.

"I'll meet you at your house later ok Mari?" Alya told Marinette. "Gotta get everything all together and get your little gifts."

"Ok so I'll see you at.. Uh.. 4:00?" Marinette asked her.

"Yep! Ok bye!" Alya waved goodbye to her friend and turned to walk in the direction to her house.

*ding dong* the door bell rung and Marinette ran to the door and hugged the person on the other side when she opened it.

"Uh.. heh.. Happy birthday Marinette" Marinette looked up and was shocked to see Adrien.

"Adrien!? What-when-wh-why are you here?!" Marinette jumped back.

"Well Alya brought me along. She said it would be fine." Adrien moved aside to show Alya and Nino waving Awkwardly. "If you want we can go?"

"No, no, no, no, no, no, you can stay! It's just I wasn't expecting you to show up because of your busy life and stuff so I thought you wouldn't have time for a measly birthday party for some girl in your class right?" Alya face palmed.

"No, it's fine, my dad thinks I'm with Nino for a sleep over. Well, Nino is here and for a sleep over so I didn't lie really." Adrien slid his hand through his hair.

"Hehe. Ok so please come in." Adrien entered her house, followed by Nino then Alya, who gave Marinette two thumbs up while Marinette just gave her a look.

A few hours past and they were all laughing and talking when Adrien accidentally rested his hand on Marinette's. The both jumped and took their hands away quickly then sheepishly laughed.

"Hey! I have a great idea of what we can do to get to know each other more." Alya straightened up.

"Yeah well don't leave us hangin dude..ette?" Nino said.

"Truth or dare!"

"Uh.. I don't know about that Alya.." Marinette hesitated.

"Oh shut up you big wuss" Alya laughed "c'mon guys it will be fun!"

"I'm cool with it" Adrien said

"Yeah me too man" the two high fived and looked at Marinette. "What are you waiting for Marinette?"

"Uuhhgg.. Fine" she groaned.

"I will start!" Alya piped up. "Adrien truth or dare?"

Adrien thought for a moment then spoke. "Truth, better safe then sorry I guess?"

"You think" laughed Nino.

"Adrien, do you like someone?" Alya raised her eyebrows twice.

"Well.. Yeah" He went really quiet and really red really fast. "My turn!" He clapped and then looked at the three others. "Mari, Truth or Dare"

"Uh dare?" She forced an awkward smile.

"I dare you to.. Uh.. Kiss.. That poster of Jagged Stone." He laughed. Marinette went up to the poster hanging on the wall and gave it a small peck.

"Ha! Easy. Nino! Truth or Dare" they played until Alya's last turn. Mari still hadn't picked truth.

"Mari, Truth or Dare?" She mouthed please to Marinette.

"Uh fine.. Truth." She rolled her eyes.

"Mari, do you Li-" they were interrupted by a bump downstairs. They all looked to the door then to Marinette then to each other.

"What was that?" Nino sounded scared for the first time.

"I don't know?" Marinette told them. "I'll go see" she crept up to the door while holding the hardest thing she could find. Which was a stapler.

She opened the door and flinched when she saw someone standing there.

"Surprise!" Her mum and dad were standing there with a big cake. "It's midnight Marinette! It's officially your birthday!"

They sung happy birthday to Marinette and she blew out the candles in a puff of air. They all ate a slice and then Marinette opened up her first few presents from Alya. She opened up three little boxes which contained a pair of pearl earrings and another holding some crystal earrings. Nino's present was some really cool headphones. She then turned to Adrien who had a big grin on his face. She opened the bag and pulled out a box. She knew what it was and then quickly looked back at Adrien in surprise. "How did you know?"

"I have very good ears."

"You heard my conversation with Alya?" She asked.

"Sure did, now open it." He gestured to the box. The lid came off easily and sure enough the pearl necklace was sitting inside. A small card fell to the floor which she picked up quickly. It read:

Dear Marinette,

I hope you have a great birthday and I hope you enjoyed my company. May all your wishes come true.

Love from Adrien.

P.s. I was hoping we could catch a movie some time?

Marinette blushed immediately from head to toe. She looked at Adrien and gave a small nod, then blushed more.

The parents went back downstairs and the four friends went back to talking.

"Nino truth or dare?" Marinette said pretending to forget about what Alya was going to ask.

"Dare! No truth! I pick truth!" Marinette cracked up laughing and Adrien joined in too.

"You picked dare first! I dare you to kiss Alya." She demanded.

"What!?" Alya sat up. "No way!"

"Sorry but it's a dare so come on pucker up." Adrien laughed as the two friends inched closer to each other's faces but Alya turned her head at the last second and Nino kissed her on the check. They both turned red.

"Adrien truth or dare?" Nino broke the awkward silence.

"Dare!" Adrien said confidently.

"Well since I had to kiss Alya.. Adrien I dare you to kiss Mari!" Alya and Nino high fived.

"Wait? What?" Marinette froze.

"Adrien kiss Marinette. Now!" Alya demanded.

"Where? On the cheek?" Adrien questioned. "On the lips?"

"The cheek!" Marinette shouted. "Nino kissed Alya only on the cheek!"

"I'm fine with that." Adrien leaned closer to her face and gave Marinette's cheek a soft warm kiss. "Happy birthday Marinette."

In the darkness she could see Alya was filming the whole thing Marinette gave her a look while Alya stuck her thumb up.

"Ok last one. Marinette," Adrien spoke in her direction. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare.." She said tiredly.

"I dare you to come to a movie with me tomorrow night for your birthday." He asked.

Marinette was half asleep when she said. "Yeah.. " and then she fell asleep on the floor next to Adrien.

Marinette woke to someone shifting their movement behind her. That person was holding her! She listened to the person breathing behind her and looked around the room Alya was sitting opposite Nino, they were obviously talking for a while. That must mean!? Marinette thought. That Adrien is holding me!

She listened to his soft warm breathing behind her and felt the tickle of his breath on the back of her neck and shivered. She opened her eyes again and saw Alya staring at her, wearing a smile bigger than her face. She got her phone out and took a few pictures and Adrien shifted slightly from the sound of the camera clicking but then nuzzled his face in her neck.

Adrien watched Marinette sleep next to him she seemed so happy. But every once in a while she would shiver. He felt bad for her so he shuffled closer to her, trying not to wake her or the others, and put his arm around her. She seemed to immediately relax and it made Adrien more relaxed knowing she wasn't cold in his arms. Adrien did know Marinette had a little crush on him and he was fine with that. He thought Marinette was pretty cute too, but he couldn't ignore his feelings for ladybug. If only I knew who she was.

Adrien woke to the sound of Nino and Alya chatting away again, Marinette still curled up inside his arms. He didn't want to wake her so he laid there listening in on the others conversation.

"About the kiss thing from last night-" Nino started but Alya interrupted him before things went awkward.

"Never happened! Your like my brother Nino." She laughed to cover up how awkward she felt.

Nino let out a sigh of relief. "Ok so what do you think of our two love birds over there?" They both giggled.

"Marinette is probably happy that she was warm all night, it was so freezing last night! And I secretly stole one of your blankets by the way Adrien." Adrien popped his head up into view of their faces and smiled. "Yes I knew all along you were listening."

Marinette suddenly moved and shifted herself to face Adrien. She opened her eyes and blinked twice. "Adrien!?" She suddenly jumped up and fell over in the process.

"Morning Marinette, sleep well?" Adrien asked.

"Uh, I guess? Were you there all night?" She pointed to where he was laying down.

"Pretty much" he sat up into crossed legs. "You were shivering so I was just keeping you warm. I'm sorry if I scared you."

"Oh you didn't scare me you just.." She paused for a second. "Frightened me." Everyone laughed and the boys went downstairs to leave the girls to get changed. When the girls came down they smelt croissants freshly baked by Marinette's father.

Adrien and Nino both had their mouths full and both sheepishly smiled. Marinette and Alya laughed together at them.

After breakfast the two boys left Marinette's house and Alya pulled her friend upstairs.

"OMGEE!" Alya squealed. "Adrien kissed you, Adrien held you, Adrien loves you!"

"No he doesn't Alya" Marinette said. "The kiss was a dare and he held me because he didn't want me to die from hypothermia."

"And the movies?" Alya suggested. "He asked you out on his own."

"OMGEEE! Adrien asked me out? When?" Marinette fell on her bed.

"Girl, he asked you to go to the movies in your card and last night."

"And what did I say?"

"Uh, YES!" Alya said as if it were obvious.

"What am I gonna wear? What if he doesn't show up and is just pranking me? What if- what if- WHAT IF I FALL ON MY FACE INFRONT OF HIM!?" Marinette freaked out.

"Girl, you need to calm down." Alya shook her head. "I already picked out what your gonna wear. The dress your mum got you with the black shoes your aunt gave you, the pearl earrings I got you and the necklace Adrien got you."

"Thankyou! I don't know where I'd be without you?" The girls hugged.

"Well you woudnt be going on this date for starters." The two friends laughed. "Now let's go get your nails done."

Somewhere else in Paris a 12 year old was having a party. He hated clowns. He thought they were creepy and terrible at acting and definitely not at all, funny. All the other kids seemed to love the clown laughing at his stupid jokes, asking for a balloon animal, giving him hugs and playing with his hair.

It's my birthday! Not his! I hate clowns! I hate everyone! He thought to himself as he ran into his room. He pulled his party hat off and scrunched it up in his hand and almost at the exact same time a black butterfly landed on the hat and consumed the party hat with darkness and the little boy heard a voice in his head.

"Birthday Basher, I am Hawkmoth, the stupid clown is taking over your birthday party I can give you the power for all your friends to adore you but in return you must get me Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculous'. Do you accept?"

"Yes Hawkmoth, everyone will love me if no clowns exist." In a flash of black and purple the boy had changed completely.

"Girl red looks nice on you." Alya pointed out the dress Marinette's mother got her. "And that gold purse is a definite." She handed her friend the purse. "Perfect."

"I am so excited! But also very nervous.." Marinette's phone beeped and she read a message sent from Adrien. "Ok, I don't need to worry about him not showing up. Adrien is picking me up in his limo!"

"Oh my gosh! Well I hope you have fun." They walked downstairs to wait.

They heard the doorbell ring and ran to the door to find Adrien and a white limo behind him. Marinette said bye to her parents and Alya then Adrien lead her to the limo.

"Happy birthday Mari" he smiled.

But before she could say thankyou someone had picked her up from above and carried her away screaming.

Marinette was dropped into a boxlike cage that was too big to climb out of. There was a whole that she looked through and saw a very colourful person.

"So I heard it was your birthday? Am I correct?" The voice said although it sounded quite young.

"Yes it is my birthday! And you just ruined my whole day!" She shouted through the whole.

"I don't care!" The person shouted. "Everyone must adore me on my birthday! No one else!"

It's an akumatized person Marinette thought. But I can't transform in this box. Where is Chat Noir when you need him?

"Any minute now Ladybug and Chat Noir will come to rescue all the people I've captured and all the people I've made my party guests, and when that happens I will take their Miraculous' and Hawkmoth will rule the world." He laughed.

There was a thud on the roof of the box and he stopped laughing. "Chat Noir! How lovely to see you." He scowled.

"It is isn't it. Oh and I see you've brought me a gift! I wonder what it could be? Hmm maybe, I don't know? A human hostage!" Chat Noirs familiar voice said.

"How did you know?"

"I saw you carrying a girl up here. I assumed you put her in here?" There was a knock on the roof of the box. "Hello in there."

"Get me out of this box!" Marinette shouted.

"Woah, woah, woah. Calm down I am." Various noises of pain came from outside the box. "That gets rid of him for a while."

The lid of the box popped open. "Ah Mar- I mean- maiden, you are saved." He lifted her out of the box and carried her like a princess.

"Put me down now Chat Noir!" She ordered.

"Don't you like being a princess?" He winked at her. "You have the beauty of one."

"Just get me to ground level please."

"Ok your highness."

"As much as I would love to stay with you, princess, but there is a birthday bashed that needs bashing." He took her hand and kissed it while Marinette grimaced. He jumped up onto the buildings and out of sight.

"How did Chat Noir not recognise me?" She asked her Kwami.

"When you transform the magic puts some kind of shield on you and isn't known to the human eye unless they notice things average people don't"

"So kind of like a perception filter?"

"Yes exactly like a perception filter." Tikki smiled.

"And that's why I haven't recognised him in reality!" Marinette laughed. "It could be Adrien for all I know. But he's too busy so he can't be."

Tikki laughed sheepishly "yeah.."

"Speaking of chat! Someone's gonna need to help him out. Tikki, spots on!"