That was final. Chat Noir would prove to Marinette that he was cool… one way or another.

Adrien was on a mission. A mission of extreme importance. A mission that could change the very world as we know it…

Alright, no.

That was a small exaggeration.

*Cough* Maybe one very big, colossal, gigantic, and 'any other synonym for that word' exaggeration… his mission was quite petty if he was being perfectly honest. And he had no idea at all why it was so important to him whatsoever. It just was. So that was good enough for him.

This mission was of course talking about the fact that he wanted Marinette to admit that he was a cool superhero and not a dork. Because he was. A cool superhero… not a dork that is.

It had all started out easily enough, on his twenty-something trip to the noirette's balcony. Or was it thirty-something? He had lost count, but that was beside the point.

"And that, Princess," He paused for a second, taking a sip of hot chocolate in which the girl had prepared for him after noticing how cold the night air had become. Saying the beverage was delicious would have been an understatement, in fact it may have been the best mug he had had in a very long time. Yet, he had not been entirely happy that the only mug Marinette could find, which had been cleaned, belonged to her dad and said the words 'world's best dad' in capitals (he had been very vocal about his complaints). Instead of apologising, the girl had only smirked at his distress (…wait was that a small blush on her face?). "That is why you should definitely try watching Anime. You won't regret it, I purrromise!"

She set down her mug on the tray (a mug that wasn't nearly as embarrassing as his) as she rolled her eyes at him. "You're such a dork, you know?"

He huffed indignantly, pouting his lips. "Dork?! No I'm not… I'm a superhero! Superhero's aren't dorks!" Much to his annoyance, his spluttering only made the girl's smirk grow (weren't smirks his thing?).

"Mhm," She hummed, tone teasing.

"It's true! I fight Akuma's all of the time. I stop bad guy's in alleyways. I'm cool, suave …I'm a superhero-"

"-who likes Anime," Marinette cut him off. "And I think you being suave is just in your head."

Thinking back on it, he probably shouldn't have shared his weebyness (yes that is totally a word) with the girl. Perhaps he had just brought this all upon himself.

Her expression then softened at his noticeably miserable face. "Come on, you being a dork isn't bad at all," Chat's ears perked up a smidge, leaving him wonder just when had they flattened against his head in the first place? "…It's kind of cute."

…Cute?! That was the total opposite of the message he was trying to give out.

His face reverted back to the pout that it had bore not even two minutes ago, leaving Marinette to let out a deep sigh.

"Come on kitten," She reached over towards his head to scratch under his large cat ears. "it's getting late. You should get back to wherever your home is."

He inwardly cringed, thinking about how un-homely his home really was. The Agreste mansion was now merely a cold shell of what a comforting place that it had once been.

"Also, you've got a little," Chat looked back up at his friend to see her gesturing to the outside of his mouth. "Hot chocolate all around there. Yeah."

He shot her a halfhearted smile as he clambered up onto the balcony's railing."Thanks Mari, I'll clean it off when I get back."

So it was then when the black-clad boy left the comfort of the girl's home, silhouette bounding over the rooftops of Paris. However for once in his life, he wasn't concentrating on how it felt with the gusts of wind pulling at his golden locks or notice the Adrienaline coursing through his body (pun intended).

Nope, his mind was solely focused on how he was going to convince Marinette that he was not a dork at all. No way.

And to do that… he'd just have to bring out his civilian identity into play.

That's what lead him to being here, once again in the locker room and hiding in some poor person's locker - sorry whoever you are. But he had to admit, surprising his raven haired friend was kind of funny even if it wasn't intentional on his first few times.

It was then, as he heard the clang as Marinette swung open the door of her locker, that he stepped out ready to start his fairly simple plan.

1. Appear behind locker.

2. Convince Marinette that Chat Noir is a cool superhero.

See, this would be a piece of ca-

Clang!

"A-AD-ADRIEN?!" Marinette screeched as soon as the door shut, arms waving left right and centre. "Wha- what are you doing here?"

"Well I-"

"I mean I know that it's a school and school is happening so of course you would be here because you go to this school and you're obviously here to put you're stuff away because this is a locker room of course but I mean what are you doing talking to me… NOT TO BE RUDE OR ANYTHING! I'm really happy you're talking to me but I just-"

"Marinette, you're rambling," Adrien interrupted before the girl could embarrass herself any further.

The girl's cheek's simultaneously flushed a colour similar to that of Ladybug's own suit. "Heh, sorry. What I meant was, up what's? No… WhatsApp? No! What's up?"

"Nothing really. I'm just here to ask for your personal opinion on something," The teen continued normally, completely dismissing her 'typical Marinette behaviour'.

She furrowed her brow, face transforming from embarrassed to confused in a matter of milliseconds. "My personal… opinion? What for?"

Okay, okay Adrien! We've rehearsed this, just remember your lines!

"Just out of pure curiosity… do you have a favourite superhero?"

Apparently it was possible for Marinette to look more confused. "A favourite superhero? Yeah… why?"

Now it was Adrien's turn to be uncomfortable as his hand found its way creeping up to his neck. "Just out of pure curiosity?" Why had he not predicted the 'why' question? Of course she would ask it!

"Oh okay then, I do happen to know a really awesome superhero…" Yes,yes,yes,yes! "They're the most powerful, most brave and most incredible superhero ever!"

Adrien was fairly sure he was blushing at this point.

"They even have a saying too-"

Huh? He did?

"-All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing-"

He hadn't…

"Majestia is just a really inspirational comic book hero to me!" The girl finished, practically squealing from delight and passion that her stutter had vanished altogether. Despite her good mood though, Adrien couldn't help the sinking feeling in his heart. He felt so sure she would've said Chat Noir… did their hangouts really mean nothing to her at all?

He decided to try again.

"No… I mean a real life superhero. Someone cool? Maybe someone who visits you a lot?" Wow Adrien, way to be obvious.

Her eyes widened almost immediately after he spoke, albeit somewhat comically. To tell you the truth if he wasn't the person he was, there was a high chance that he may have let out a small laugh from her antics. Chat would've. It was safe to say that he and Marinette were pretty close friends.

Her and Adrien, though. Heh… they were getting there. Gradually. She didn't seem entirely comfortable with him as of yet (something baffling him entirely - she could banter with a superhero of all people, but not a model?! Just what?). The strange stuttering was enough proof of that.

The boy shook himself from his trail of thought just in time to hear the girl's reply. "Oh!" She paused momentarily, letting out a small giggle which most definitely did not make Adrien's heart race at all- whatareyoueventalkingabout? "Well why didn't you say so! Rena Rouge of course! She's really cool!"

The blonde's grin suddenly faltered as his brain processed her words. Did she just…

… This was going to take a lot of work.

AN: Next up… Plagg breaking the fourth wall. ✧