Sweet Jesus we're all gonna need shots of insulin before this is over.

It was Marinette's idea to invite Adrien to hang out with them. Alya had no objections, especially since she'd been rooting for the two of them to get together for months and wasn't about to say no now that Marinette was willingly and calmly prepared to initiate contact. (Honestly, if Alya had known that this was all it would take to get things started between those two, she might have tried to orchestrate an akuma like Gaminette ages ago.)

Marinette sent him a text before they left her house so that by the time they pressed the buzzer on the gate to announce themselves, Nathalie was aware that they were welcome. The gates opened for them without trouble and the two girls strolled inside. They had both been there before, Marinette had even been in Adrien's room, but neither of them had ever had much of a chance to take in the grandeur of the Agreste mansion. She'd seen bigger mansions in pictures but it was quite large on Parisian standards and had a very modern look to it, despite its age.

The front door opened as they were mounting the top step and out bounded Adrien with a grin bright enough to light up the whole courtyard on its own. He made a beeline for his friends and all but pounced on Marinette, wrapping his arms around her in a boisterous hug. She squeaked in surprise but managed to hug him back.

Alya's phone clicked as she snapped a picture of the scene.

Adrien pulled back and grinned at her. "Thank you thank you thank you!"

"Adrien," Nathalie chided from the doorway, frowning disapprovingly at the three youngsters. "Contain yourself."

He winced, grinning sheepishly and Marinette felt a pang of sympathy. While her parents had understood her bouts of childishness and rolled with them, it would seem Adrien had not gotten the same acceptance. What he had gotten, however, were clothes in his size. It didn't really surprise her. Marinette's resourcefulness and insistence had been enough to convince her parents that a new wardrobe was not needed. Adrien, however, was from a higher social circle (and the son of a fashion designer, no less); he would not be allowed to go traipsing about in poorly fitting garments.

"Your father would not approve of this and I am not going to allow you out in public if you cannot be trusted to maintain your image."

His grin faded and he ducked his head. "Yes, of course. I'm sorry. I just…never got to really go out and play when I was this age," he explained. Nathalie's stern expression softened, but only just.

Marinette, on the other hand, was filled with rage. More rage than she thought her tiny body should've been capable of. That wasn't right! That was terrible! She couldn't imagine never getting to go outside and play, never having any friends to play with. She glared at her shoes before Nathalie could see her face and tell Adrien he couldn't go.

"Your bodyguard will be along shortly," Nathalie informed him.

"Oh, um, we don't need a bodyguard," Alya spoke up. Nathalie frowned at her. "I'm Alya, Marinette's best friend, and temporary babysitter. I've been babysitting my little siblings for years, I can keep an eye on them both, no problem."

"I…am not going to try and refute your claims but this is a matter of his safety."

Marinette nearly snorted.

"Well, it's not like anyone is going to recognize him as Adrien Agreste," Alya pointed out. "In fact, more people are likely to think something's up if we have a bodyguard with us. Right now he just looks like an ordinary kid. Two ordinary kids and their ordinary teenage babysitter, nothing to see here."

"Pleeaaasseee, Nathalie," Adrien pleaded. Hearing his tone, Marinette raised her head and gave Nathalie the biggest puppy-eyed look she could muster, folding her hands in front of her face for emphasis.

Nathalie eyed them intently and Marinette could tell the puppy eyes weren't going to work on her just from her expression. And yet…

"Your curfew is 5pm," she informed him curtly. "If anything happens, you are to phone immediately. Understood?"

Adrien nodded vigorously. "Yes, Nathalie!"

Before she could say anything more (or change her mind), Adrien spun around, grabbed Marinette's hand, and pulled her towards the gate.

"You're different," Alya commented as they walked down the street. This close to some of the city's most popular landmarks, the sidewalks were filled with Parisians and tourists alike. No one paid any attention to three random children walking together, even though one of them was wearing a pinned and tied t-shirt and shorts that were obviously too big for her, one was the somewhat recognizable owner of the Ladyblog, and one was an international teen model. Just like Alya had predicted.

Adrien did seem a little more exuberant than he'd been yesterday. He'd let go of their hands the moment they were in the clear though Marinette was very aware of how close he was to her as they walked and she smiled a little every time their arms brushed.

"I'm excited," Adrien corrected. "I really did never get to go out as a kid. This is great! Can we go to that park with the carousel? You know which one I mean? You saw me do a photoshoot there once. I think it's around here."

"Yeah, it's right outside my house," Marinette reminded him.

"Oh, right! Have you ever been on that carousel?"

She nodded. "All the time when I was younger."

"Was it fun?" he asked. Marinette was going to point out it was just a normal carousel, and a small one at that, but then she noticed he was looking at her with wide, curious eyes, and realized that he probably had never ridden one before. Now, under the guise of his younger self with some of the freedom he'd never had at that age, he had a chance. A chance to enjoy himself without having to worry about keeping up his image, the way he could be as Chat Noir, but without the mask.

"Well, it's a bit small, but yeah, it's fun," she answered. "Let's go."

Without looking at Alya to make sure it was okay, Marinette grabbed Adrien's hand and took off in the direction of the park. She dodged around the crowds with practiced ease and Adrien stumbled along behind her for a moment. Then he picked up speed, readjusted his grip on her hand, and the two of them ran side by side up the sidewalk. The ducked and weaved through the people, letting go of each other to run around opposite sides of two large tourists standing in the middle of the sidewalk, only to come back together and interlock their fingers once more.

Little did she know that Alya was hard on their tail and taking as many pictures on her phone as she could with plans to one day show them at their wedding.

So eager to take Adrien on his first carousel ride, she'd forgotten that it cost a euro. Marinette's expression fell when the operator held out his hand for the money and she looked in the direction of home. Maybe her parents would be willing to give her the money if she asked. But when she looked back, Adrien had already fished three euro coins from his pocket and was handing them over.

"Nooo," Marinette protested. "It's your first time ever, you shouldn't have to pay!"

"It's fine," he assured her.

The operator looked at Adrien curiously. "First time ever?"

Marinette nodded. "He's never been on one in his entire life—I know! I couldn't believe it either!" she added at the man's surprised expression.

The operator waved away Adrien's money. "Alright, then. Go on and pick a seat."

Adrien's eyes widened. "Really?"

He jerked his head towards the carousel. "Have fun."

"Thank you!" Adrien cried, stuffing the money back in his pocket. "Let's go! Come on, Alya!" he called over his shoulder.

Alya stood a few feet away with a look on her face that made Marinette suspicious. Equal parts smug, scheming, and amused. "You two go on ahead," she told them, shooing them with her hand. Marinette narrowed her eyes at her but Adrien took her hand and pulled her towards the carousel before she could say anything.

This carousel was small so there were only four seats to choose from: a unicorn, a plane, a submarine, and a ladybug. He made a beeline for the ladybug. She told herself it was probably because that one could easily fit two people inside and not just because it was a…well, y'know.

"Interesting choice for your very first carousel ride," she commented teasingly as he climbed in. "Do you like ladybugs, Adrien?"

Adrien held out his hand to help her inside. "Quite a lot. Especially one in particular."

Marinette's cheeks burned and she ducked her head, letting him pull her into the ladybug. He tried to sit on the left, closer to the center, but she shook her head and nudged him towards the other side. "Trust me, Adrien, the outside is better," she insisted as she wriggled down into the inside seat.

"This is exciting," he whispered, staring ahead with anticipation.

"You…know it just spins around in a circle, right?"

Adrien nodded. "It's the principle of the thing, I guess. I've never gotten to ride one so it's exciting."

"I just don't want you to be let down."

"Well, maybe I would be if I was alone."

He glanced at her, smiling shyly, and Marinette smiled shyly in return. "Alya's right…you're different. I-I didn't really notice yesterday but you're different like this."

"As a kid or as myself?"

"Both, maybe, I guess, but I meant more like… I've seen how you are at school, even around Nino, and I know you as Chat. You're different enough as Adrien and Chat that I never made the connection—of course now it's obvious—but I-I kn know two different sides of you and you're not acting like either of them. It's not just the childishness."

She could tell from the look on his face that her words had hit a little too close to home for him. He lowered his gaze to the floor of the car and pursed his lips. "Do—do you want me to act normal?"

"No!" she blurted out. "I mean, it's okay. You don't have to pretend around me." Acting on impulse, she reached out to scratch a single finger under his chin like she did sometimes when he was Chat. He reacted exactly as anticipated, lifting his chin to give her more access and a small smile appeared on his face. "I don't want you to have to pretend around me, ever. This is new to me." She lowered her hand and his eyes blinked open before flicking to her, completely riveted.

Marinette lowered her hands to her lap. "I know I'm not…exactly the same on either side of my mask, either. You're probably more used to me being a stuttering clumsy mess."

"It's a nice change," he admitted. "We both wore masks and we're the only people who knew each other on both sides of them. I'm okay with finding the middle ground if you are."

"Of course!"

The carousel jolted slightly and Adrien's hand flew to Marinette's, alarm written across his features. She giggled and she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze as the carousel begin to move. He relaxed and settled back against the seat of the ladybug. He didn't say anything for the first few rotations and instead watched everything around him. The scenery passing by, the central column they rotated around, and the mechanical workings just barely visible over it. Marinette nudged him and motioned to the designs on the canopy over their heads and he spent two rotations just staring at those.

A few feet away from the carousel, Alya stood with her phone in her hand, filming the whole thing. Mariette shot her a sour look as she glided past and Alya gave her a thumbs up.

"This is fun." Adrien's voice drew Marinette's attention away from Alya. His eyes were shining as he smiled at her and she had to bite the inside of her lip to keep in check the huge grin that threatened to emerge.

It was so weird. She still had feelings for them but they were different. She wanted to use the word 'less' but that didn't seem right. She didn't care any less for him—if anything, knowing that this boy was both her partner and her crush made her care even more—but it was less…powerful. Less overwhelming. She had a feeling it was because she was a child right now and if she was right then how would it be when she went back to normal? How was she going to feel and behave?

Some of her distress must have shown on her face because concern appeared on his. "Are you alright, my lady?"

Marinette shrugged. "Just…thinking. I don't want things to be weird when we go back to normal."

"Me either. …So let's not let them."

"Is it really going to be that simple?"

He shrugged. "I don't see why not."

She shook her head, smiling fondly. "Chaton, chaton," she murmured.

The carousel slowed to a stop a few minutes later and Adrien thanked the operator profusely for the free ride.

"Did you have fun?" Alya asked with a knowing look in her eye. Adrien nodded. "So what do you two want to do now? Up to you, I'm just chaperoning this thing. Oh, wait, hold on." She pulled her phone out of her pocket, swiping her finger to unlock it, and frowned as she read something on screen. "Oh, hey, the mayor's holding a press conference about the akuma situation in half an hour."

Marinette and Adrien glanced at each other.

"I wonder if Ladybug and Chat Noir are going to be there," she said to herself.

Well, they certainly hadn't had any plans to be! She hadn't even known about it. Marinette looked at Adrien again curiously and he shrugged. I had no clue, his expression said. All things considering, it would probably be a good idea for them to make an appearance. Her brow furrowed determinedly and inclined her head in the general direction of Hôtel de Ville. Adrien jerked his chin down in agreement.

There was just one problem. They'd have to give Alya the slip. Marinette looked around the park, quickly deducing that they wouldn't be able to do that here. Not enough people and too much open space. They'd only make her suspicious if they tried. If they went home, they'd have to worry about her nosy parents coming in and finding them missing. They would have to get somewhere more crowded.

"Do you want to go?" Marinette asked.

Alya lowered her phone. "Seriously? I thought you two wanted to hang out in the park."

She shrugged. "I don't mind. Do you, Adrien?"

"Not at all," he agreed with a shake of his head. "And maybe Ladybug and Chat Noir will show up!"

They had her.

The area around Hôtel de Ville was just as packed as they'd anticipated. There were the usual amount of tourists and pedestrians as well as a number that had likely been drawn in by the promise of a public announcement. Members of the press were there and more were coming; representatives from television stations, radio stations, magazines, and those with no discernable affiliation but with appropriate equipment at the ready to capture the mayor's words.

Marinette and Adrien remained at Alya's heels as they approached the building. She was planning on waiting until Alya was distracted by the press conference to sneak away and was counting on Adrien doing what he always did and following her lead since they hadn't had a moment to discuss their escape plan. She wasn't expecting him to stop abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk. She noticed immediately and stopped walking but Alya kept on going.

"Hey, uh, Alya?" he called.

Alya turned around, realized they'd stopped, and came back quickly. "What's up?"

"Um…" Adrien fidgeted nervously, glancing at the crowd of people amassing in front of the building. He bit his lip and then looked up at her with a wary expression. "That's um…a lot of people. W-would it be alright if I just stayed over there by the fountain?" he pointed to the broad fountain less than a hundred feet away.

"I thought you wanted to watch the press conference."

"I'll be able to see from here," he insisted. "A-and Marinette will stay with me, won't you?"

"Yeah, sure," she agreed immediately. She could see where he was going with this. Clever kitty…

Alya narrowed her eyes shrewdly. "You know, if you two want to be alone, you can just say."

Marinette squeaked and Adrien's cheeks flushed scarlet. "No, it's not that! Really! I just…I didn't like large crowds when I was a kid and I don't like them right now. I wasn't expecting this. I'm sorry."

Her expression softened in understanding. "No, no, it's okay. I get it. We can stay."

"No, you can go!" Adrien said quickly, holding up his hands. "Honestly, don't miss out on my account. You want good footage for your blog, right? You won't get it over here," he pointed out. "The angle will be weird and the water will just mess up the recording, right?"

Alya bit her lip uncertainly. She looked between them for a moment, considering. "Will you two be alright here if I go?"

They nodded.

"If anyone tries anything, I'll kick them in the shin," Marinette promised. "And stab them with one of these pins in my shorts."

"I'll yell. Really loud." Adrien added seriously.

Alya chuckled. "Alright. And you won't tell your parents I let you out of my sight?"

"Honestly, the whole babysitting thing is pretty redundant," Marinette grumbled. "He ditches his bodyguard all the time and I'm used to running around on my own. We'll be fine, Alya. Go on before it gets too crowded!"

She nodded. "Right, okay! Behave you two!"

Alya ran off excitedly and they both stood still, watching her go, until she disappeared into the throng of adults in search of the optimal spot to record from. When she was out of sight, Marinette casually lifted her hand and scratched Adrien under the chin for the second time that day. "Bien joué, chaton," she sing-songed.

He chuckled. "Careful, my lady, you're going to spoil me if you keep doing that."

"Next you'll start asking for ear scratches."

"I was thinking more like belly rubs."

"Don't be greedy."

Just to be clear: this IS the carousel seen in Climatika/Stormy Weather that Manon and Alya were trapped on.

And before anyone gets up in arms, Adrien and Marinette are physically old enough that they don't need constant supervision. Alya is trusting them to stay put and handle themselves because she also recognizes that they're still responsible teenagers in there.

:D Feel free to come talk to me on my tumblr, wintermoth. I will be using the tag "Pint Sized ML" for everything related to this fic and you can, too. Be sure to put it in the first five tags, though, or I won't see it.

TRANSLATIONS

Hôtel de Ville - basically, Paris's city hall, "state house", government admin building, whatever you wanna call it, and has absolutely nothing to do with Cruella de Vil... Cruella de Vil...if she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will!