Author's Note:

Description: Between fighting crime, his distant father, and an over-scheduled life, Adrien doesn't exactly have it easy, despite all outward appearances otherwise. Can he find respite and refuge in a certain polka-dotted someone, or will he crash and burn? Anything's possible. Miraculous love square. Also published on wattpad under backthataccioup.

New news: I've published this on AO3 under yesterday09. Please check that out if you have the time.

I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or its characters, but I do own this story.

Thank you, thank you, to everyone who has left a review, favorited, or followed this story. It motivates me ;)

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Adrien was distracted throughout all his classes, and it bordered on being disruptive. Girls suddenly forgot whatever they were going to contribute to class when he stared at them deeply with his luminous green eyes. Their boyfriends looked on jealously, occasionally shooting Adrien dark glares so he got the memo: back off.

The blond failed to notice all this, too focused on figuring out who Ladybug was. Teachers would sometimes have to ask him a question two or even three times before he snapped out of his daze and regained his mind enough to answer it. This led to terse and irritable teachers, and more homework assigned because of it, seeing as the students didn't finish all their work in class. Unbeknownst to Adrien, his subtle daytime sleuthing was going to add to the hours he spent in the evening focusing on schoolwork.

The frustration that came from trying to piece it all together was starting to get to him. He figured that, having narrowed it down so much already, he would coast his way to the solution. Adrien had pictured simply walking in and instantly knowing who Ladybug was. The problem was, that even devoting a significant chunk of his brainpower to sorting through the girls in his class, he couldn't think of a single one that even came close to Ladybug. Ladybug was a breath of fresh air, supremely confident in every situation, strong, kind, willful, near perfect. He just didn't know anyone like that.

Adrien had a thought that stopped all of his thoughts cold for a moment. He had been kicking himself, irritated that he hadn't noticed whose personality matched Ladybug's, but his didn't exactly match that of Chat Noir.

When he was Chat, he felt so free. He let his silliest puns fly, wasn't afraid of ruining his reputation and angering his father, wasn't burdened by hordes of fangirls chasing after him because he won the genetic lottery. He acted freer, less quiet, less shy. If his personalities were different, why shouldn't Ladybug's be as well?

Thoughts came to his mind now unbidden. Ladybug was a smart girl. An adorable, brave, kick-ass one too at that. She was the one who had come up with the concept of keeping their identities secret for the the safety of themselves and everyone around them. She could be acting differently when living as a civilian, so that nobody would suspect her.

Adrien let out a curse as he realized that he had barely gotten anywhere since where he started.

His history teacher took that moment to look at him reproachfully.

"Mr. Agreste," she scolded. "Language such as that will not be tolerated in my classroom! See to it that it does not happen again."

Adrien nodded, feeling very embarrassed. His friend Nino looked at him, eyes narrowed. Adrien had been acting oddly all day, staring at girls, lost in his daydreams or thoughts. He was going to spill, Nino decided. Enough was enough.

The bell rang for lunch, a shrill ear-splitting tone, and the students scrambled to gather up their books and belongings. Adrien had just shoved his binder into his satchel when he felt a finger tap at his shoulder.

"Dude," whispered Nino. "What is up with you today?"

Adrien shook his head slightly. "I'm tired," he said, tacking on a yawn at the end of his phrase. Nino wasn't buying that for a minute.

"Oh no, you're not getting away with that one. You've been tired before. This ain't it. Staring at all the girls, very nearly giving them heart attacks? Getting so lost in your thoughts that it takes teachers a minute to get your attention? Is it a girl?"

The boys reached the cafeteria, and they each grabbed a red plastic tray from the stack before moving down to follow the rest of the line.

"I'll tell you once we get outside, deal?" Adrien bargained. Nino nodded in assent.

As he very slowly served himself a scoop of mashed potatoes, Adrien's mind whirled into action for the second time that day. He hated lying to his best friend, but he needed to keep his identity as Chat Noir a secret. So how could he keep his story as true as possible while omitting what had to be left out?

The boys found themselves on one side of a large, leafy tree that several other students were surrounding. The circumference of the trunk was such that, if positioned correctly, the other students weren't visible from your sitting position. Adrien sat and faced Nino, lowering his voice as to not stir up a fangirl craze at his next announcement. The girls in his class would definitely interpret his statement to apply to them, and since he had been staring at everyone all day, they might even have 'proof'.

"Okay Nino, it is a girl."

His friend smirked; he'd been right.

"You know how I've been a fan of Ladybug for a while?"

Nino snorted derisively. "A little more than just a fan. Try obsessed?"

Adrien shot him a dirty look. "Hard not to be when she's so brave, and charming, and…"

"I get it, I get it," Nino cut him off abruptly. He'd heard this spiel a few times too many for his liking. He was appreciative of the fact that Ladybug kept saving them from monsters, but everyone admired her to the point where they would wax poetic if given the chance. Hometown hero, and all. Nino tended to get bored of hearing the same play-by-plays of her actions. His headphones helped.

"My dad had arranged a dinner appointment with the mayor, which meant that I had to deal with Chloé. I'd been annexed in the living room with her, and then Ladybug was fighting Stormy Weather nearby, and…"

Adrien paused to take a breath before gleefully whispering, "I helped her escape the villain, and she thanked me! I got to hold her hand for a few seconds too."

Nino smiled a little, rolling his eyes. "You crazy Ladybug fanboy."

Adrien shrugged, not about to deny the truth. That would only lead to a one-sided argument. Besides, Nino had sat through enough of his Lady sermons that his obsession would be irrefutable.

Both boys were oblivious to the fact that Marinette, sitting on the other side of the tree, started coughing, having very nearly choked on her sandwich. Her friend Alya asked, "Marinette? What's happening?"

She let out another cough before stuttering, "N-nothing."

a/n:

so, how do you like that? the meet and greet is next, and there's some romanceeee ;)