Adrien flung himself into his bedroom in a mess of hisses and growls, slamming the window shut so hard it nearly cracked under his claws. He breathed heavily, and before he knew it, he was choking out, "claws in."

Plagg dropped out of his Miraculous like a dead weight, and Adrien was quick to catch him. The kwami seemed a lot more exhausted than he usually did, and Chat hadn't even used Cataclysm or stayed in the suit for that long.

As Adrien carefully dropped the tiny god into a tin of camembert, he blinked, before looking outside. The rain was still going, turning the streets of Paris damp and wet. Yet… that uncomfortable urge to hiss and run wasn't there anymore. Well, more like it was at the back of his mind - his skin felt just a little too tight and from time to time there was a soft pounding behind his eyes, but nowhere near as bad as before.

"Plagg," he said slowly, turning to face the kwami who was inhaling his cheese. "What did you do?"

He only got a grunt in response.

Adrien grumbled before shifting closer. "You did something. The rain is still bothering me, but not as much as before."

Plagg shrugged, and he still looked tired, but with every mouthful of cheese, he was getting better. After finishing on his current piece, he finally spoke. "Don't worry about it, kid. I just… Absorbed most of it when you were Chat. It should leave you good from now on, as long as you transform every few days."

Adrien's brows furrowed in confusion. "Absorbed?..." He stared at Plagg, at his unkempt fur and his twitchy ears. His tail that kept thrashing a few seconds and how his paws were shaky just the tiniest bit as he reached for more cheese. Both affection and worry filled his heart. "Plagg, you took my discomfort?"

Plagg's response was to eat more cheese.

Adrien reached and rubbed the top of his finger between Plagg's ears, just how he likes it. "You didn't have to do that. I bet you're in a lot of pain right now."

"Whatever!" Plagg spat, trying to act aloof, but he was starting to purr and butt his head against Adrien's hand, asking for more. "More cheese for me."

Adrien smiled at the thinly veiled cover up. When he had first met Plagg, he thought that the kwami only cared for himself and cheese. But Plagg cared for him - a lot. He also cared for Paris. He just had a strange way of showing it, but by now, Adrien was used to it, and he regarded his tiny friend with fondness.

"Once that Mari girl finishes with your coat, I won't have to do it anyway." Plagg said, floating up and nestling onto Adrien's shoulder.

At the mention of Marinette, Adrien hummed. She had been kind today, willing to make a whole new coat just for him - and she had been so… what's the word, adoring? She had listened to his grievances and offered sound advice, and gave him the biggest and more genuine smiles he had seen.

"I see the best hero of Paris here."

Admittedly, Adrien felt himself fluster at that a little bit. See, it was like this: when people talked or gushed about the famous Paris duo, they most often focused on Ladybug instead of Chat. Chat was more than content with this arrangement - after all, he firmly believed that his Lady deserved the attention, and he had more than enough of being in the limelight from his life as Adrien. But Marinette had looked at him sincerely when she called him the best hero of Paris, and it felt good that she had regarded him as such.

"And you should give this back to the Luke kid," Plagg said out loud, interrupting Adrien's rapid train of thought as he floated to the blue jacket that had been discarded onto his bed.

And low and behold, Adrien became even more flustered. He reached out and grabbed it, pulling it towards him. Adrien hesitated, but then he lifted it towards his nose and took a sniff. While his sense of smell was nowhere near as strong as it was when he was Chat, and the rain had muted the smell, but the scent of eucalyptus was still there.

Adrien felt his cheeks become pink as he held the jacket even closer and clutched at it. Luka's kind smile was in his mind, his even calmer voice assuring him that he was a good hero of Paris.

(Distantly, he realized that Luka and Marinette were pretty - very, very pretty.)

(Oh my god.)

"Plagg," Adrien croaked, finally looking up from the jacket.

Plagg blinked before looking at his Chosen, at his glazed eyes and his red cheeks. He had seen that look before, heck it had happened to all of his kittens - the look of, ugh, infatuation.

"I'm in trouble."

Adrien fell onto his bed facedown.

(Suddenly, he realized that maybe he had a type. Blue eyes, or maybe it was dark hair?)

(Or maybe it was just kindness.)

(Or he just liked pretty people.)

That night, the thoughts of spots, thread, and guitars floated throughout his dreams.

XxXxXxXxXxX

The next morning, thankfully, he was still rather unaffected by the rain like last night - his hand twitched when there was a soft rumble of rain, but he felt like he could actually breath properly.

"Thanks, buddy," he said softly, rubbing his fingertip on a sleeping Plagg's head. The kwami purred in his sleep before curling up tighter on Adrien's pillow.

Because he felt a lot better, Adrien actually put effort into looking at least half-way decent; he brushed his hair, took a vigorous shower to get the smell of rain off of him (weird how a shower didn't bother him), and dressed up in some clothes from his father's latest line.

After rousing Plagg (and slipping him more camembert than usual, he deserved it after all), Adrien had a quick breakfast before racing out with Luka's jacket and the plain black umbrella like yesterday.

"You have to give it back you know," Plagg yawned from inside his pocket, groggily staring at the jacket that Adrien held tightly to his chest.

Adrien flushed at that, and grasped it more firmly. "I-I know, but just until Marinette finishes making the coat. I promise." He stuffed the jacket into his bag, though he did make sure it wasn't near his personal belongings. He wanted to preserve the eucalyptus smell as much as he could and not drench it in his own scent.

"Out of all my kittens, you're the most lovestruck idiot," Plagg grumbled. Adrien ignored him, but admittedly, the comment struck a chord in him. (A little hysterically, he realized the pun - Luka? Chord?) (Oh my god.)

His knee bounced impatiently as the Gorilla slowly started to make his way through the damp and rainy streets, his mind whirling as his thoughts from last night continued.

Maybe Plagg was right - maybe he really was a lovestruck idiot. It felt… wrong, even to the sense of betrayal for him to suddenly take an interest in not one, but two people. Reasons why this was bad? Adrien could make a whole damn list.

One. Marinette and Luka were civilians. If he got involved with them, especially as Chat Noir, they'd have a way greater chance of being hurt by Hawk Moth than anyone else.

Two. Was he even actually interested? Well, okay, yeah. His curiosity was definitely peaked - it was like both Marinette and Luka were luring him in with promises of their gentle kindness and sincere smiles. His hands tightened as he suddenly thought of the oh-so-precious lucky charm that Marinette had given him long ago and of the jacket that sat in his bag.

Three. Even if, somehow, miraculously (ha), they all agreed to give this… relationship a try, how would it work? How would Adrien be able to keep them both interested and impressed by him, if all he had to offer were new clothes and polite smiles? (Okay, so there's also the whole superhero thing, and he knows Marinette's really into fashion, but still!)

And finally… four. What about Ladybug? Where does she fit in to all of this? Can Adrien somehow mash her in to all of this, or… not?

"Plagg," Adrien said, and he glanced up to see the partition was up before continuing. "Did all the Chat Noirs and Ladybugs end up together?"

There was silence, and Plagg peeked up at him from inside his pocket. Suddenly, he looked weary, and Adrien was reminded of how despite Plagg's childish attitude, he was still an ancient god. "Kitten, sometimes, Chat Noir and Ladybug end up better as friends."

He flew up and floated in front of Adrien's face. "And sometimes, one of the Miraculous would fall into the wrong hands, and the balance would be tipped." He shook his head. "The Black Plague was a nightmare, kid. Ladybug couldn't stop her."

Adrien felt himself feel a little stunned at that, and he glanced down at his ring. Someone had once held it before, and had used it for evil. They had killed so many people, when the Miraculous was supposed to be used for good, to help people.

"And sometimes."

Adrien tore his gaze away from the ring to see Plagg smiling just the smallest bit, his lips quirking up to make a half-grin. "The Ladybug and Chat Noir become the cheesiest, most grossest couple in the world."

Adrien laughed at that, and he felt the tension leave him, his hands unfurling and his knee stopped bouncing.

"It's up to you, kid. You control your and Ladybug's destiny, not your predecessors and what they had." Plagg floated back down to his pocket.

Adrien hummed at that, and he sighed before looking out of the window. "Yeah. You're right Plagg. It's my choice, right?" There was only a grunt in response.

"But my Lady's never accepted my advances," Adrien muttered. The smell of eucalyptus and cookies filled his mind. "Maybe it's best if we become a Ladybug and Chat Noir who stayed best friends."

"Is that what you want?" Plagg yawned lazily, his eyes closing as he settled for a nice nap.

Adrien felt his hand twitch when there was a flash of lightning above them. He swallowed, and suddenly, it was like his heart was faltering. Its once confident march was hindered. His love for Ladybug, the large bonfire in his heart, was suddenly flickering with doubt, and beside it were two candles that sparked with interest.

"Maybe," he finally said.

He wondered when his undying love for his Lady started dying - maybe it was when Luka had handed him a warm jacket to protect him from the cold, maybe it was when Marinette smiled at him so kindly as she jingled his bell; or, maybe, it had started a long time ago. Maybe this was a long time time coming.

Adrien left the car with a hasty thanks at the Gorilla, and he was splashing rapidly through the courtyard with small, unpleasant tingles running through his spine.

He burst into the building with a relieved sigh, and closed the umbrella. God, he really hated the rain, but he's going to have to remember to pick up extra camembert later to give to Plagg -

"Hey, Adrien."

Adrien freezed, hand halfway bent down to shake the umbrella. His cheeks blazed a hot pink, and inwardly, he was wailing, because of course this would happen to him. His luck was honestly the worst, and he cleared his throat before plastering on a smile. "Hi, Luka."

Luka sent him a smile as well, and he glanced outside at the pouring rain. "It's going heavy - I hope Chat's okay."

"W-What?" Adrien yelped, his voice going high and his expression visibly rattled. Not the most coolest of reactions, but that was definitely not something he had expected.

Luka giggled, his hand raised to brush against his lips and showing off his darkly painted nails. His eyes that were an electric blue were filled with mirth, and Adrien couldn't help but be charmed by such an action. "Chat Noir, hero of Paris? The best cat around?"

"Right," Adrien said weakly, feeling a little flattered and a lot dizzy. He could feel Plagg vibrating with his hidden laughter in his pocket, and he resisted the urge to swat at him and cuff him around the ears. "What about him?"

Luka sent him another smile, and okay, yeah, he was definitely interested.

"Kittens aren't partial to rain, monsieur," Luka leaned forward and tapped his nose gently, and Adrien blinked, his face a furious red. The move was so similar to the familiar nose boops that Ladybug gave, but it wasn't pushing him away - it was just a little tap, a little teasing, and a hell lot flirtatious. Adrien was sure that if he were Chat right now, his tail would be high up in pleasure.

"I-Is that so?" Adrien wasn't proud of the way his voice cracked as they started to head towards their classroom. He resisted the urge to slap his chest at where Plagg was snickering. "I guess that makes sense. Cats don't like water."

"It's bad," Luka agreed, and suddenly Adrien realized how wet he was. His shirt was definitely too damp, and some of his hair was plastered to his skin due to water. Adrien felt a ripple of guilt go through him as he gripped tightly onto his bag strap - he took his jacket.

"You don't have an umbrella?" Adrien somehow asked without making a fool of himself (not that he didn't humiliate himself already). "You're, uh… wet."

Luka smiled at him, and ran a hand through his hair, causing a few bangs to stick back against his head. It was totally cliché and a little stupid, but Adrien felt a little starstruck at the moment - it was like he was stuck in a romcom (which were awesome bequietPlagg) and he was just the poor, lovestruck girl. Maybe not lovestruck, but he was certainly affected.

"A cat took my jacket," Luka giggled again, and it was such a gentle sound - quiet, but it was tinkling, and his eyes closed in amusement. "I hope he's using it wisely." (Luka cared for Chat - and Chat was Adrien. He felt a little lightheaded.) (No one really paid attention to Adrien or Chat, at least not like that - except for Luka and Marinette.)

"Don't you want it back?" The jacket inside Adrien's bag suddenly felt like a ton, and he itched to reach in and present it with a thousand apologies.

"No," Luka tapped Adrien's nose again, and he had a hard time trying not to turn into a tomato. He had a feeling he failed, going by the heat he felt in his cheeks - can he please stop doing that? (Maybe not really, but Adrien was constantly fumbling around this guy and oh my god it was embarrassing.) "That kitten needs it right now. And my umbrella…"

Luka shook his head and sighed, but his tone was fond as he spoke. "Juleka's broke a few weeks ago. She's sensitive when it comes to colds and stuff, so I'm letting her borrow mine for now."

"Oh." Adrien swallowed, and they were outside the classroom door. Neither made a move to open it. "Well, I, uh, maybe you can share with me?"

Luka smiled at him, and glanced down at the black umbrella held limply in Adrien's hand. "You sure, monsieur model?"

"Yes," Adrien determined. His hand tightened around the umbrella. He felt awful, because it felt like it was his fault that Luka had to walk through the rain without any protection. "We can walk to your place after school."

"Well then," Luka purred, and suddenly he was close, way too close to Adrien's face as he booped Adrien on the nose one last time. "Merci beaucoup."

See, it was like this: aside from Ladybug and a whole bunch of anime along with romcoms, Adrien had absolutely no experience with romance. Sure, he could flirt up a storm as Chat, but as soon as it's reciprocated, he doesn't know what to do and just kind of responds like an idiot. And he's so conditioned to Ladybug's constant rejection that he just doesn't... know how to respond because here was a very cute boy acting like he was interested in him. And Adrien had no idea what to do.

"De rien," Adrien somehow managed to choke out, and he was stumbling through into the class, face completely red with a calm and smiling Luka trailing in after him.

Adrien settled down beside Nino at his seat, and he felt himself get redder as Luka sat down on the other side of him. With a groan, he laid his head on his arms, and opted for a nice nap. (Plagg was right - naps were good and the best. Adrien had a strong suspicion he only thought this because of his Miraculous' influence.)

"Dude?" Nino prodded his arm. "You okay?"

"No." Was the muffled response.

"Rain bothering you again?"

Adrien seized onto the excuse, sinking his claws (he inwardly laughed) into it before hastily agreeing. "Yeah. I didn't get much sleep last night." Which was partially true, he kept thinking about certain people.

Adrien's ears burned when he heard Luka laugh quietly beside him.

(Behind him, Adrien was much too aware of the scratching Marinette's pencil as she furiously scribbled on paper.)

"Watcha making, Marinette?" Alya's voice broke through the air, and Adrien was glad that he still had his head in his arms, because it provided him the perfect cover and allowed him to listen in.

"Just a… thing," Marinette was quick to come up, before there was a suddenly movement and rustling of paper. "Alya - !"

"Girl, are these cat ears?" Alya's voice was a mixture of exasperation and fondness, and suddenly, the back of Adrien's neck was burning as a flush crawled down from his face.

Marinette was working on Chat's - his - coat. And with cat ears. Adrien's heart already had too much exercise from his Luka interaction, but it seemed like it'd be having another workout because of his very cute classmate.

"I-I like cats, okay?!" Marinette hissed, and there was a more rustling of paper before the noise settled down.

"Cats are the best, right, Marinette?"

Luka's sudden interruption nearly startled Adrien enough to lift his head, but he held, and waited for an answer.

There was a light laughter in the air, before Marinette replied. "Yeah, they are. Although I do have to say I'm partial to black cats."

"I am as well," Luka said back, and Adrien was definitely keeping his head down for the rest of the class.

There was no way his blush was going to leave anytime soon.

XxXxXxXxXxX

I headcanon Luka as a smooth flirt.

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