A/N: Hey Miraculers! So, some of you may be wondering about Adrien/Chat Noir. You'll find out more eventually, but I want to tell you that this entire story will be told from the perspective of Marinette (besides the small bits where I include Adrien's secret grins and such like last chapter). There won't be a chapter dedicated to Adrien's point of view. I do have a reason for it, but in the words of our miraculous creator, no spoilers ;D

Chapter 6

Tuesday passed without anything of significance happening. Marinette fawned over Adrien from afar, as usual, and there weren't any Chat Noir sightings.

But when Wednesday rolled around, Marinette couldn't help herself from thinking, "what is wrong with these people?"

Everyone was glued to their phones. This is usually normal for a teenager, but something obviously big was happening for there to be groups of people crowding around one phone. Was there a new meme out or something?

Giving speculative glances to her fellow class-men, she eventually made it to her classroom. Alya and Nino were looking at the former's phone, too. Their faces displayed looks of shock and suspicion.

"Well, we've never seen him..." Alya mused, tucking a hand under her chin in thought. "No one can be that good."

"Who?" Marinette couldn't help but ask from her place beside her friend. Alya and Nino both jumped, not having noticed her presence.

"Chat Noir," Alya replied. "It's all over the news! Didn't you hear?"

Marinette's eyebrows drew down. "No?"

"Hear what?"

Marinette shrieked in surprise at the sound of Adrien's voice. He seemed to not react to her freak-out, instead he gave her one of his warm smiles. "Hi, Marinette."

"H-Hi, A-Adrien!" She stuttered while simultaneously trying to keep cool. Despite her best efforts, she didn't think she was doing too well.

He directed his attention to Nino. "What's going on?"

"They think Chat Noir doesn't exist!" Nino exclaimed.

"What?!" The two teens shouted. Marinette in astonishment and Adrien in anger.

Wait, why was he angry? The three looked at the blond, and took note of his furrowed eyebrows and lips pulled back into a snarl. Noticing this, said blond quickly gained a look of being dumbfounded.

"I-I mean...he leaves notes at all his crimes! How can they not think he's real?"

"They think it's a gang or something that's doing it, using the name 'Chat Noir' for various members and their various crimes," Alya explained. "It's not impossible, I mean, we have no pictures to prove Chat Noir is real."

"And who came up with this theory?" Adrien asked casually, leaning an elbow on his desk.

"Mayor Bourgeois. He announced it last night at a press conference."

"No wonder you're out of the loop," Nino chuckled, throwing an arm around his best friend's shoulders. "You had a photo shoot last night, didn't you?"

"Yeah," he muttered quietly, not meeting him in the eyes.

"So, what do you think, Marinette?" Alya asked, out of not having heard from the blackette in awhile. "Do you think he's real?"

Marinette paled. She knew he was real, but she couldn't say that! "Um-"

"I for one think he is," Nino interrupted. "They're just jealous that a guy could be that good at something and not get caught. Chat Noir's a real badass."

Adrien covered his mouth to hide a growing smirk.

"Are you praising a criminal?" Alya rose an eyebrow.

Nino held up in hands in surrender. "Hey, hey, I'm not praising him! I still wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley. I'm just saying that he's too badass to get caught. Criminals can be badass."

"Say 'badass' one more time." His girlfriend rolled her eyes while Marinette suppressed a giggle. "Well, I don't believe in him. No one's ever seen him, it would make more sense for it to be more than one person doing all the crimes. How about you, Mari?" Alya once again directed her attention to her best friend.

"I-I...um-" Marinette stuttered. There was no way in hell she could tell them she believed in Chat Noir without giving an explanation. Somehow, she doubted they would fall for the 'badass' excuse. "No," she finally spoke, deciding to play it safe. "I don't think he's real."

"Hm," Adrien mumbled an unintelligible reply. His eyes were looking off to the side. Whatever was plaguing his thoughts, he looked to be deep in thought about it.

"What about you, man?" Nino asked the model. "What do you think?"

Adrien snapped out of his stupor. "I think he's real. Just like you said," Adrien grinned, "he's too badass."

Alya groaned and rolled her eyes while Nino roared with laughter. Marinette bent down to where she was eye-level with her tablet, wanting for class to finally start so this conversation can be over.

...

At the end of the day the four friends walked out of the school together.

"Bye, Adrikins!" Chloe scampered up and tried to catch Adrien off-guard to plant a kiss on him, but it seemed the model had cat-like reflexes by the way he caught her at arms length.

"Bye, Chloe." He gave a half-smile that screamed innocence. His three friends all knew it was a mask to disguise the repulsion.

Chloe acted like she wasn't disappointed and skipped to her limo. Sabrina followed closely behind and got inside with her.

When Chloe's limo drove away, the one right behind it took it's place. Adrien's bodyguard/driver, the 'Gorilla' as the teenagers secretly called him, stepped out, patiently waiting for his charge.

"That's my cue to exit." He shrugged with a half-smile. "See you guys tomorrow."

"Wait, I thought we were gonna play videogames?" Nino questioned, looking disappointed.

Adrien froze. "Uh-I...g-got a photoshoot today! Yeah, last minute photoshoot. You know how it is." He flashed a toothy smile while simultaneously rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

"Yeah, I get it, dude. Good luck." As the best friend of a famous Parisian model, Nino knew all too well how plans can suddenly be cancelled in the blink of an eye. But Adrien was his best bro, they looked out for each other. So, he'd take on cancelled plans with a grin and bear it.

"Thanks. Bye, guys!" With that cheerful goodbye, Adrien ducked in the backseat and soon the limo drove away.

"Well, that leaves my afternoon free." Nino sighed and shrugged noncommitally.

"You can always join us," Alya offered. She and Marinette were just going to hang out in the designer's room, work on homework and talk. She didn't think Marinette would mind.

"Actually," Marinette began. "How about you guys hang out? You hardly ever go on dates because you're either hanging out with me or Adrien." She let out a small chuckle of amusement. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you two were just friends."

"Can't blame you for that," Alya agreed with a laugh. Nino simply smiled in agreement.

"I have to help out my parents in the bakery, anyway. You two have fun."

"Really? Are you sure?" Alya asked.

"Yeah. I could go home and leave you two to hang out, it's no big deal," Nino added with a slight frown of worry. He didn't want his friend to be annoyed with him.

"Go on, I insist! Get lunch at one of those cafes or something." Marinette's smile never faltered. "I told you I'm fine with it."

"Well, okay," Alya answered, dragging out the 'ay'. "As long as you're sure. Come on, Nino, I heard about this new place that opened up!"

After a goodbye, Marinette took a minute to gaze at her friends's entwined hands. Will she and Adrien be like that, one day? She could only hope.

Of course she lied. Her parents didn't need her help in the bakery. She just wanted to be isolated so no one could press her about the Chat Noir conspiracy. She wondered what he thought about it. Was he angry? Did he even care? Or did he laugh at their stupidity?

After about an hour of sitting at her desk, Marinette finally finished her homework. Math would forever be her greatest enemy.

She rose out of her chair and stretched. Remembering how Chat Noir did it the one night, she rose and stretched her arms above her head. She closed her eyes with satisfaction when she felt something in her back 'pop'. Maybe that alley cat was on to something.

Propping herself on her chaise lounge, she reached for the remote and turned on the tv. It was already on a news channel, and Marinette was about to change it, but the headline made her do a double-take and her mouth to drop.

Chat Noir sighted at the Louvre!

Chat Noir? Out? In broad daylight?!

"It seems Paris's infamous criminal wanted to prove his existence today after our Mayor's speech last night. At around three today he was filmed walking into the Louvre and stealing a painting, while having some choice words directed at our city's leader."

The news switched off the woman and showed a video that was captured by a cell phone. Sure enough, there was Chat Noir, striding down the hall like he owned the place. His lips were curled into a wicked smirk, green eyes glinting with mischief.

The camera followed his movements, to where he walked to a random painting and snatched it off the wall.

"Hope you don't mind me getting a few paw prints on it," he said before snickering. He turned to leave, but stopped when he eyed the person holding the cell phone and recording him.

He walked towards him but the camera was backing up.

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you. I just have something to say." Chat Noir smirked and went up to the now trembling phone.

"Still don't think I'm real?" He sneered. "Still think I'm just a conspiracy? Well, my dear Mayor, I hope this convinces you of the opposite."

With those parting words he turned tail and sprinted out of the museum, leaving many terrified and gasping people. An audible sigh was heard before the video cut off.

With a shaky hand, Marinette reached for the remote and turned off the tv. She brought her knees to her chest and released a breath.

People now knew what he looked like. She couldn't believe he did that, but at the same time, she could believe it. He was that cocky to pull a stunt like that and not expect to get caught. Speaking of which...

She grabbed her cell phone resting next to her and searched for the news story. Just as she suspected, the police had no trace of the feline criminal. But, the article concluded, they won't rest until they've captured him.

They've been saying that for three years, now.

...

Marinette let out a tired yawn as she sketched a new item of clothing in her bed. This time, it was a dress. It was late in the year for dresses, but it's never late in the year to design something. Her creative juices were flowing and she simply couldn't ignore the calling of her sketchpad.

Taking a quick glance at the clock, she saw that it was ten at night. She better get to bed soon since it's a school night.

She placed the pencil in the sketchpad and closed it, making it her placemark. She turned to the shelf behind her bed and put the sketchpad on the built-in shelf and was about to shut off her lamp when she heard a distinct tapping noise.

Startled, she looked up and saw the smirking face of Paris's number one thief.

She didn't move, mouth gaping at the sight of him. Chat Noir took this as permission to enter. He swiftly opened the hatch and landed on all-fours on her bed before sitting back indian-style.

"Good evening, Princess. So, I heard that you had doubts about me."

Her mind brought up the memory of that day when she said she didn't believe in him. She gulped, face heating up.

"U-ummm.."

"You know, I figured with all we've been through, you would've believed in me." He closed his eyes and shook his head while clicking his tongue. The action was obviously meant to scold her.

The designer found herself unable to speak. "Uh, I-" What could she say to this? What could be her defense?

"So," he continued as if she hadn't tried to speak. "Was my little meet and greet at the Louvre real?"

Her sapphire eyes were wide as they bored into his emerald ones. Her breath came out in small, quiet pants, her heartbeat began to quicken. The only time this happened was when Adrien was near her...

He leaned toward her, all the while his devious grin never faltered. "I spoke to the man recording me. Was that real?"

"Y-yes?" She stuttered.

Chat Noir only inched his face closer. "You still sound unsure."

"I-I am sure!"

"Really?" By now he had her trapped. His legs were on both sides of her legs and his arms were resting beside her head. She looked up at him, cheeks delving into a soft pink due to his close proximity.

"Are you really sure, Princess?" He whispered. A couple more inches and they'd be kissing. But she only wanted to kiss Adrien. So why wasn't she pushing him away?

"Um.."

"That's what I thought." He shook his head, mouth playing into a small frown. "How will I be able to convince you I'm real?"

A shiver went up her spine. Say something, Marinette!

"I-I-"

"Do I look real to you?" He bent his head lower so their noses were touching. Before she could try to think of a response he pulled back and rested his head in the crook of her neck.

"Do I feel real to you?" He slowly dragged his nose along the column of her neck, lips barely brushing over her skin.

Marinette bit her lip. She felt a tugging inside her, begging for something, but she didn't understand what exactly she was mentally begging for.

He didn't stop until his soft lips were at her ear.

"Do I sound real to you?"

She barely managed a nod.

"Good."

With that he sprang away from her, opening the trapdoor and going back into the night air.

"Just wanted to make sure. Good night, Princess!" With that parting remark and smirk, he closed the trapdoor and ran away into the night.

Marinette laid on her bed, breath and composure slowly coming back to her. She still couldn't believe he just did that, leave her all hot and bothered-

Woah. Woah, woah, wait. Hot and bothered? Becoming hot and bothered by Chat Noir was impossible. The only man who would be able to get her like that was Adrien, not Chat Noir.

She absently switched off her lamp, allowing darkness to swallow her room. Maybe she could dream of this tonight, only with Adrien's face instead of that thief's.

But alas, the next morning, she was frustrated when she recalled that Adrien's face didn't appear once in her dreams.