A/N: We now have ANOTHER extra chapter! Hot damn they just keep being added. My writing really is padding out this story which already had like... nineteen chapters. Really, really crazy. This chapter also surpassed the 4,000 word limit. Again. I really need to work on sticking to it.

By the way guys, I have edited the process in which Rena Rouge and Carapace join the superheroes! Rena will make an appearance in this chapter (her purpose being revealed in this one too) and Carapace will join at some point later. A lot of the logic from the original ABOI had been rejigged because... well it didn't make much sense and there's new info to add to the canon-based elements. So I tried to salvage it as much a possible :)

Also, feel free to review any thoughts or opinions you've got on the rewrite! I for one think it's panning out way differently from the original. Much more tasteful I think.

But anyway that's all for now. Till next time,

D.L.D

Chapter Six: Evening Stars

Marinette

For once, Marinette went to school and everything panned out normally. Well, everything except from the more lethal-feeling glares she received from a certain blonde bully who had once had Adrien Agreste all to herself, trapped within her inner-circle. Not to mention the added pressure of another classmate's hatred, her own glares as sharp as a knife whenever Marinette was unlucky enough to cross her path. Yeah, those parts felt weirder than usual. But that was expected.

Adrien Agreste, her secret boyfriend, was someone intensely popular with the teenage girls of Paris - if not the world. Posters, magazines, even advertisements presented his gorgeous model face on a silver platter to millions around the globe, showcasing his beauty for all to see. And, as if that was not enough, his own father, Gabriel Agreste, was one of the world's most renowned designers. Hundreds would be vying for the opportunity Marinette had received. Billions.

So, to her, it was no wonder why Chloe Bourgeois and Lila Rossi seemed to want to roast her alive. If Marinette was like them, consumed with envy and hatred, she would want a girl in her position to burst into flames on the spot. Who wouldn't when Adrien was so perfect and dreamy and... you get the point. He was priceless, completely irreplaceable.

Nevertheless Marinette got on with her day, sitting through classes and discussing the big order Nino needed for his movie. In the afternoon she sat with Alya and suggested script ideas, reading over the rough draft she and Nino had typed up in the early hours of the morning the previous night. Between those moments she was with Adrien, enjoying the newfound absence of her crush-fueled awkwardness refreshing.

Overall, it was all going smoothly - perfectly. Everything was setting into place: Alya with her scoops, Nino with his movie, even Adrien seemed happier. All that seemed to be bubbling between their group was excitement and happiness. Content.

However now, at the end of the day, alone in the locker room, Marinette couldn't help but feel extremely vulnerable. A pair of olive green eyes, powerful enough to poke a hole through concrete, glared at the back of her head, making Marinette feel on edge. She didn't need to turn around to know who it was - no, she already knew who. But even so that didn't make the experience any less uncomfortable. Not when Marinette knew why this was happening.

"You don't have to stare," Was what she had said, calmly closing her locker as she slung her bag over her shoulder. "I'm just like everyone else."

She doesn't wait for a response. Instead Marinette marched out of the room, her heart beating at a million miles per minute as she knew that running away was better than confronting that witch. If Marinette even dared to come eye-to-eye with her, put her in her own place, she would end with all of her classmates pitting against her, siding with Lila the liar once more. That was the last thing she needed right now.

So, taking in a deep breath to calm her racing heart, Marinette walked away from the locker room. Not once did she look back. Not when she left the building; not when she crossed the road; and definitely not as she stepped into the bakery, greeted with the familiar warmth of the establishment's owners and ovens.

Only when Marinette's phone pinged in her pocket, vibrating against her thigh, did she remember.

*New Message: From Unknown*

Unknown: Stay back or else

Shaking couldn't be helped. The shaking of her hands, the shortness of her breath, couldn't be helped on Marinette's end. Not when she had a very good inkling on who had sent the text. Oh no. Pure fear, intense terror, filled Marinette's heart as she stared at her phone, absorbing the words lit up on her screen. Stay back. Stay back or else. Such simple words. Yet, they carried such a heavy threat behind them that Marinette couldn't just ignore them. Not like usual.

Frowning, she tucked her phone back into her pocket. Right now she shouldn't focus on the text. Not now. Such silly threats, such trivial problems, were not something Ladybug - Marinette - could afford to get flustered about.

"Don't worry, Marinette," Tikki popped out of her shoulder bag, a supportive smile on her tiny teeth. A calming hand wrapped around her little finger. "They can only hurt you with words."

"I know," Marinette sighed in response, her own smile meeting Tikki's. It felt a little tight. "It's just that words can sting. A lot."

Oh, Marinette Dupain-Cheng was no stranger to biting, stinging words. Before she was Ladybug, introduced to the skill and power of the miraculous of creation, Marinette had been a pretty clumsy nobody. Day after day Chloe Bourgeois would make her life hell, nitpicking on all of her klutzy mistakes and making an effort to publicly embarrass the poor girl. Words were always used to hurt Marinette in the beginning. Horrible, nasty words had already wounded her throbbing heart.

When she had gotten her miraculous, Marinette thought that it had changed. Chloe reigned herself in, Alya became her best friend and Adrien Agreste had stumbled into her life. Fighting super villains made Chloe Bourgeois seem like a petty, insignificant thing to Marinette. Suddenly, everything had shifted in its dynamic, yesterday's mountains felt like today's tiny potholes.

Now though, rocked back into reality by words, Marinette couldn't help but feel growing dread in her gut. Unlike Chloe Bourgeois, Lila Rossi carried significant weight behind her words. Stabbing words, piercing words, could be wielded by the manipulative witch, turning people who loved and valued Marinette herself - knew her better than Lila - against her. In the past it had happened; no doubt, she could do it again.

"Just ignore her," Tikki offered calmly, aware of Marinette's impending panic attack. "The people who matter most will always believe you over her. That's what matters most."

'But would they?' Marinette was about to ask, 'Would they really believe me?'. But she held her tongue. There was no point bothering Tikki with such unimportant thoughts and questions, not when she sounded so certain. If anything voicing such concerns would only make things worse.

Nodding, Marinette decided to drop the topic and began to make her way upstairs to the apartment to get started on some homework. Tonight she was meant to meet up with Chat Noir for patrol, so it would do well to distract and reboot her brain before they met up. Plus homework was one of those things you just had to do at some point - even if you were one of Paris' favourite heroes.

Releasing a groan, Marinette pushed open the door linking the bakery to the apartment building, already regretting her responsible decision. Just another normal day...

The Heroes

Bright crimson scarlet against the midnight sky, Ladybug smoothly swung from her rooftop balcony to meet up with Chat Noir for their nightly patrol of the city. So far there had been no akuma attacks on the local area, Hawkmoth being oddly dormant for the past two weeks. As a result, the duo had resolved to patrol the city each evening, splitting three days between them both and meeting up once on the extra day to patrol together.

Today was meet-up day and Ladybug couldn't help but feel anxious as she breezed past Paris' shopfronts. Master Fu had called her earlier on, informing her about his knowledge on the identity reveal. For the entire phone call not a single cell of him sounded happy. At all. Instead he had reminded her of how important it was to remain focused on the task of defeating Hawkmoth and maintaining peace in Paris. Ladybug's relation to Chat Noir - Marinette's relation to Adrien - should not occupy her mind. At all.

So, naturally, the scarlet-clad superhero couldn't help the rapid heartbeat within her chest. If anything, it was fully warranted as she landed on the rooftop of a dilapidated building - the chosen meet spot - greeted with face-to-face with the sight of a rather unimpressed Chat Noir and someone new. Some unexpected.

"We have a new addition," Was the first thing he said, nodding toward the unfamiliar figure stood beside him. It looked as if the pair had already conversed, the stranger rolling their eyes at the feline hero's words.

Tall, definitely a lot more confident than Marinette had ever been when she was first Ladybug, the newcomer stood with an assured and unwavering stance. Bright orange was her colour scheme - the stark, vivid orange that one could only associate with a fox. As if sticking to that animal theme, her wild auburn hair was fixed into a single ponytail, tipped with bright white like the bushy end of a fox's tail. But, if that wasn't the biggest indicator to her miraculous, the fox-themed mask with black rimmed around the eyes definitely was.

This person, this stranger, was a new fox-themed superhero. They were a new hero; that was one thing Ladybug could gather for sure. But was this newcomer really a hero or was she another akuma created by Hawkmoth? A repeat of Volpina, someone aware of the miraculous and their powers?

Immediately, Ladybug felt her defenses increase. She'd have to be careful about this. Especially with the dormant activity of Hawkmoth, the craftiest villain she had ever crossed paths with throughout her entire superhero life.

"Glad to officially meet you Ladybug!" A broad grin stretched on the new superhero's face, filled with the familiar twinkle of a die-hard Ladybug fan. Nothing new to Ladybug at all - not for the past year. Nevertheless, she felt taken aback as the newcomer took her hand, vigourously shaking it, "I'm Rena Rouge and it's a huge honor to work with you and Chat Noir. I hope we'll be able to work well together!"

Wide eyes, jaw hung open, Ladybug could only say, "How..."

"Master Fu," Rena Rouge fired immediately, taking back her hand. Winking, she added with a cheeky grin. "To keep you both in line, he said. Something about not getting distracted."

So that was why Master Fu had sounded so solemn in the phone call. As a backup plan, to make sure that everything sailed smoothly, he'd installed his own little spy among them - a holder of the fox miraculous. No doubt someone who was a huge fan of Ladybug and Chat Noir's work, eager to gain all of the insider tips and gossip but also trustworthy enough to keep it all sealed away from people like Hawkmoth.

"Of course," Ladybug responded, rather stiffly for her normal self. Lips pressed into a tight grimace, she darted her eyes toward Chat Noir, who only shrugged in response. Like her, he was clueless. Completely and utterly clueless.

For a good moment, quiet stretched between the trio, interrupted by the distant honks, thrums and beeps of Paris' nightlife traffic. This new addition was unnerving for Ladybug - especially with all the recent quickfire change that had been implemented into her life. Finding out about Chat Noir, Adrien Agreste of all people seeing her as amazing; Alya diving deeper into the history of the miraculous: it was all much too much to keep track of.

But that wasn't all. Oh no. There was also the lingering threat of the heated, poking glares she received at school - fueled by envy caused none other than by her own Chaton. Her lovable, goofy, silly Chaton...

God, what was Ladybug going to do with all this?

"I hate to ruin the great silence we have going here, but..." Chat Noir spoke first, a low click vibrating in his throat as he awkwardly kicked up at the ground. A masked brow raised, filling viridescent green eyes with a questioning twinkle. "What's on the agenda for tonight?"

Oh yes! The agenda! In all her thought, her worries about the future and distant threats to come, Ladybug had forgotten about the present. Now, present. The current present in which she was now placed in, situated on a random roof in Paris, Chat Noir by her side and an eager rookie grinning at the other. The same present which included cryptic texts and evil super-villains, both aiming to make Ladybug's life a complete and utter misery.

"Well, something's come up," Ladybug began, sighing as a hand rubbed at her temples. God, she had told herself that she wouldn't stress over this, wouldn't overthink it, but now she was! Now Ladybug - Marinette - was panicking about the text and its threats, especially because of Master Fu's recent decision. "Tikki told me not to worry about it, but maybe it means something since Master Fu spoke to you, Rena Rouge."

Instantly concern sprouted on Chat Noir's face, "What do you me- "

Wordlessly, Ladybug pulled up the previous texts - from no more than eight hours earlier. Another one had joined it between after school and patrol, detailing how the sender knew about Marinette's biggest, darkest secret. Once again, the number was unknown, short and to the point as it detailed its warnings. Over her shoulder, Ladybug could hear Rena Rouge gasp and was certain that a low growl had left her partner.

"There's no way they could know about that," Chat Noir shook his head, the words leaving in a puff of disbelief. Blown wide, his bright green eyes were the size of saucers, something akin to panic seizing them as he shook his head again. "There's no way. How could anyone even find out?"

"I don't know," Ladybug answered, just as shell-shocked as he was. Tightness formed around her eyes, urging tears of frustration - fear - to escape, but she pushed them back down. Tears, fear, wouldn't do much for them now; tears and fear would be giving whoever sent this what they wanted. That was the last thing anyone needed: Hawkmoth would be able to feed off their fear.

Sharply, a ping rocked Ladybug's hand, vibrating along the tendons of her fingers and wrist. Bright light flashed on her yo-yo, the screen bringing a brand new speech bubble onto the chat, filled with bold, black letters that sent Ladybug's heart into overdrive. Horrible, palpitating overdrive. Immediately, the other two heroes picked up on the heroine's change in demeanour, her metal-rod straight spine an indicator of her terror.

*New Message: From Unknown*

Unknown: The clubhouse is looking pretty comfy, isn't it?
Unknown: *Sent image file: Rooftop*
Unknown: *Sent image file: Ladybugisyouknowwho*

Full force it was back. Shaking, quivering, Ladybug could feel her entire nervous system shutting down from the images that had just loaded up onto her yo-yo. One, the first one, was of them presently, hanging about the rooftop, Chat balanced on the railing and Rena leaning against her pillar. Ladybug herself was facing the camera directly, her face fixed into a firm frown. Someone, someone that they didn't know, was watching them. Right. Now.

Ladybug couldn't hold back the shiver. At all. Someone was watching them and taking PICTURES. High definition PICTURES.

Surprisingly, as if that could be possible, the second image was the more unsettling one. Flooded with pink light - familiar, sparkling pink light - the image featured a half-transformed Marinette, her mask half-formed on her face as she stood in an alleyway. Exposing her identity - oh, so clearly. Way too clearly. Down to even the Marinette signature clothing, her killer fashion taste and knack for designing finally biting her in the ass.

Ladybug's heartbeat jumped into her throat.

*New Message: From Unknown*

Unknown: Now I think it's pretty clear what I want to keep quiet.
Unknown: You need to back off. Otherwise, I'll leak these to all the major news outlets in Paris.
Unknown: And we wouldn't want this to get out, right?

High-pitched, almost a squeak, Ladybug let out a whimper.

"What is it?" Chat Noir frowned now, peering at her yo-yo. A comforting clawed hand squeezed at hers as he glanced at the screen, something odd settling into his stomach as she didn't squeeze back. Only another whimper left her lips. "M'lady?"

"Oh, I knew I should have broken her arm that one time!" Rena Rouge growled, her fists balled at her sides as she glared at the yo-yo. Powerfully, a foot stomped at the rooftop, forming fine cracks beneath it as the heroine seethed. "That lying, little- "

"You know who did this?" Chat Noir glanced at the fox-themed hero, pure curiosity crowning his features. Ladybug had yet to speak to him, react to him, her face pale and her whimpers continuing as her hand shook beneath her yo-yo. An unsettling sight, an unnerving sight. Never before had Chat Noir seen her like this, almost breaking, everything seeming to be on standby. For Ladybug that wasn't normal, wasn't natural at all.

And knowing that made a flicker of agitation rise in the black cat hero.

"Of course I know who did this," Rena Rouge huffed, her arms shoved firmly into a crossed position. Now she was walking toward the direction of the first picture, glaring into the darkness as her lips curled into a clear scowl. "She's- "

Another buzz, this time from Chat Noir's baton. Frowning, the blonde hero furrowed his brows as he decided to see just who decided to message him at this hour - especially after daring to blackmail his bugaboo.

Grimacing, Chat Noir skimmed over the message, his frown turning into a slight wince as his eyes blew open. Beside him Ladybug tensed, her own eyes catching the text received, causing her to shiver despite his close contact.

"What, you too Furball?" Rena Rouge deadpanned, raising a brow. A huff left her system. However, it was soon replaced with wide eyes and a mouth agape with disbelief. Utter disbelief. "Oh god... Maybe we should sort this out someplace else. Have you guys got a place we can go to?"

For the first time since the foreboding text, Ladybug snapped out of it, blinking as she stared at the fox-themed heroine with distant-feeling eyes. "Um," She hummed, pursing her lips. Then, she shook her head, throwing her yo-yo to a building nearby. Glancing over her shoulder, she addressed the two other heroes, "We can go to my place. It's quieter."

"Wise choice, M'lady," Chat Noir nodded, appearing to snap out of his own daze with her. Grinning, but missing its usual charm and twinkle, he extended his baton. "Try to keep up, newbie."

"Oh I will!" Rena Rouge beamed, glad that things were finally getting back on track. With an excited squeal as she leaped off the rooftop, she added, "I can't wait to show you guys who I am!"

Marinette, Adrien and Rena Rouge

Like most normal evenings, Marinette sat in her room with her friends. Only, tonight wasn't a normal night. No. Tonight Marinette was anxiously nibbling on a cookie, toying with the tasty treat as she shared a look with her partner, awkwardly intruded by the newly-introduced Rena Rouge. All with the added threat of her identity being revealed. By Lila of all people - lying Lila whose only power was crafting words together.

Attempting to make her feel safer, Adrien held her close, her back pressed to his chest as his arms cradled her body. However, it did nothing to soothe the anxiety - especially when he himself was on edge, joining Marinette in her anxious cookie nibbling. Even Adrien - with all his nonchalance and easy-going attitudes - knew that Lila could be a huge threat. Like a persistent fly, a parasitic weed plant, she wouldn't stop at anything until she got what she wanted.

Uncomfortable silence settled in the room. Despite the warm lights and the tasty sugar of the cookies, uneasiness sat in the duo's guts. Sticky, squirming uneasiness that grew and grew with each second, refusing to die down. Rena Rouge appeared to sense this as she perched on Marinette's chaise lounge, frowning as she flicked through articles on the former's mobile phone.

"So..." Rena Rouge eventually clicked her tongue, nervously glancing up from the device. Hazel eyes fixed onto the pair, joined by a sheepish chuckle. "I guess things would be less awkward if I revealed myself to you guys, right?"

"Is that even allowed?" Adrien asked, aware of the rules around identity sharing. They had caused him the most turmoil and anguish after all, restricting his ability to share his true emotions with his one true love. Those rules around identity reveals, those barriers put in place by Master Fu and Ladybug herself, had been the biggest roadblocks in his journey to winning his precious Bug's heart. So, naturally, he couldn't help his skepticism; not when the number one rule of being a hero was keeping your alter ego a secret.

"Yep," Rena Rouge nodded, popping the 'p' as she winked at the pair. A confident hand rested on her hip, "Unlike you two lovebugs, I don't have the same rules! Master Fu said my role was to essentially keep you two on track so my identity will not affect that."

Another shared look between the cat and bug duo. More moments that stretched into silent eternity. Then, Marinette smiled and squeezed the blonde's hand, confirming that she had trust in this new hero. So far, Rena Rouge gave them no shreds of doubt about what her true intentions could be. In fact she appeared to know more about this situation than they did, exposing the sender of the texts in mere seconds.

"Alright then," Marinette eventually smiled, nodding at the heroine. "You can."

"Trixx, let's rest!" Whopping, Rena Rouge closed her eyes as an enchanting glow of orange light absorbed her entire body. One second the new hero was there, the next it was Alya, filled to the brim with energy as she looked at the gobsmacked pair, triumphant. Beside her floated the kwami of the fox miraculous, yawning as they stretched their tiny arms and swished their bushy tail. Two large purple eyes blinked as Alya passed Trixx a cookie.

"Alya!" Marinette squeaked, entirely caught off guard. Suddenly, she felt a lot more embarrassed than she had initially been, caught red-handed by her best friend sitting in Adrien Agreste's lap.

"Somehow I'm not surprised," Adrien mumbled, having spotted the earlier similarities - such as the fox heroine's habit of making him the butt of her jokes. Nevertheless, it still felt uncanny to be proven right.

"Of course you're not, Sunshine," Alya shook her head, a sly grin on her lips as she ruffled his blonde hair. "Because I'm just that awesome. But my identity aside, let's focus on the task at hand."

Smoothly, a little too smoothly for the current predicament they were in, Alya abandoned Trixx and made her way to Marinette's desk, logging onto her friend's desktop within seconds. Another few seconds and she was on a browser, the cursor blinking as she swiveled round to face the cat and bug duo. Raising a brow she adjusted her glasses, pushing them up the bridge of her nose. Now that they were here, in the safety of Marinette's room, Alya was going to interrogate away. Thoroughly.

But first she had to deal with the irritating roadblock of a threatening stalker. Ugh.

"As you both saw, I was checking online for a way to prove the pictures as fakes," Alya began, her two hands laced together as she nodded toward the pair. A sigh then left her system, "However, I've come up with zilch. So, Adrienette, you got any ideas to add to the pool?"

"Adrienette?" Adrien blinked.

"It's a long thing to explain," Alya dismissed his question, as well as Marinette's equally curious stare, in favour of getting down to business. "We need ideas people or we'll risk crucial Adrienette time! And I'm someone who's been waiting years for this to be a real thing."

"Uh huh," Both members of the cat and bug duo could only vaguely grasp onto Alya's rapid jargon. Reporter jargon - they chalked it down as. Alya being Alya and having her little categories and ships and theories to organise everything just like she always did. With everything. And if they wanted translations to it then Adrien and Marinette would have to do as she asked. Even if that task felt like an incredibly impossible one...

"What about photoshop?" Adrien offered, trying the first idea that sparked within his brain. Unfortunately for him, it was the wrong idea. Alya made that incredibly evident as she threw a cushion his way, a growl leaving her lips.

"What do you think I was looking at for the past fucking half hour," Alya raged, huffing as she shook her head. However, noticing the blind panic within both her friends' faces, the blogger swiftly rectified her mood, sucking in a deep breath before she continued. A very deep breath. "Sorry - I just don't do tell well when reputations are on the line. You guys should know that already."

Oh, everyone knew about how touchy Alya got about her friends. When she had first met Marinette, defending her against Chloe and Sabrina, Alya had shown how bad of a motor mouth she could have when people messed with those she cared about. That feeling had seemed to have intensified over the years, the passionate blogger becoming a lot more defensive about Marinette - as well as Nino and Adrien.

No-one ever dared to cross paths with a fuming Alya - even Chloe Bourgeois didn't make her usual snide remarks. Instead people would watch in a mixture of awe and trembling terror, mystified by the enraged Alya Cesaire and her acts of superhuman strength.

"So?" Alya tapped her fingers on the desk, humming as she broke the settling silence. Disappointment was obvious in her voice as she continued, brows furrowing behind her black-framed glasses. "We have no way to disprove the pictures."

Another silence settled, the cat and bug duo sinking into their own independent thoughts. Unsettling thoughts, dreadful thoughts, thoughts that were nothing new for Paris' famous Ladybug and Chat Noir were invading their brains, filling their consciousness with worries and doubts and countless what-ifs. Nevertheless, they were digging through the dirt piles, sifting through the negativity, to try and find some slither of hope. A tiny piece of action.

Unfortunately, it wasn't exactly Chat Noir's forte.

"To be honest I don't know what we can do," Adrien sighed, well and truly stumped on how they could beat a real picture of Ladybug detransforming. Even with fake news and photoshop, people on the internet would dig into it, put hours of research into eliminating that possibility for sure. Digging into Marinette's background would only dredge up things that people couldn't possibly ignore; it would place a spotlight on the both of them. "It seems like our best bet is to play along with what she wants and develop a plan from there."

"No!" Marinette abruptly interjected, her cheeks a hot pink as she shook her head. That was the last thing she wanted. The final, over-her-dead-body option. "There's something else we can try. One more option!"

"Which is...?" Alya probed, well aware of her friend's habit of grasping at invisible straws to deny reality. Only Marinette could do the insane mental gymnastics of justifying the impossible, somehow managing to make it possible in the process. Just like Ladybug. Alya would never understand how her friend could manipulate her surroundings so well, using everything to her advantage in order to make it all work out.

"We can beat them to it!" Marinette proudly announced, vacating her comfy spot from Adrien. Now on her feet, pacing, she in thinking mode, hand tapping at her chin as she paced. "We can order costumes and pose for pictures and act like we're cosplaying! Then we can photoshop the images together."

"I don't know, that sounds risky," Adrien responded, looking extremely concerned from his post on her floor, right next to the abandoned cookies. "What if someone recognises us?"

"I'd say we have a good shot of getting away with it," Alya grinned, nodding as she swiveled in the desk chair and rapidly searched up cosplaying outfits. Usually, in this world of logic and science and reason, the most absurd ideas often warranted the most success. If Ladybug herself dressed up as Ladybug, no-one would believe it. They'd skip over the uncanny resemblance. It was so ridiculous, it could just work.

"The miraculous use magic, right?" Alya asked as she pulled up some pretty accurate-looking costumes. "Surely that magic would help keep your identities secret."

Well, at least that was what the group hoped as they decided to put the plan in action - placing Adrien's initial idea on the back burner. That was if they even needed a back burner plan. If this plan went wrong, after all, it could only result in even more disaster, the entire world becoming aware of just who Ladybug is as well as who Chat Noir was - the process of elimination always being much quicker once one identity was revealed.

Midnight hit like ice-cold water from a shower that night, Marinette unable to sleep despite the comfy safety that oozed from the gorgeous blonde cuddled up beside her. They were spooning tonight - Marinette claiming the position of little spoon because she felt that extra bit fragile when bedtime came rolling in. Initially, he was meant to go home when Alya had left but Marinette had begged him to stay. Always one to oblige his lady, Adrien hadn't refused; instead he chanced the firm scolding he'd get the following morning. It simply couldn't compare to the pain of leaving her in certain agony.

"Adrien?" Marinette whispered, her voice a soft hush in the gloom of her room.

"Yes, Princess?" Adrien responded, his voice right next to her ear. Heat bled into Marinette's cheeks - she'd forgotten how close they were.

Nevertheless, she suppressed the shiver that wanted to track her spine - along with the lump in her throat - in favour of being serious, vulnerable. This was, perhaps, the last true moment of calm they would get for a while.

"Do you ever... fear what's coming next," Marinette stumbled, feeling silly at her inability to just say it at once. Ladybug, after all, should be able to say it; Ladybug didn't fear things as silly and insignificant as words. "Like something bad is about to happen?"

"Sometimes," Adrien hummed, his voice thoughtful. However, she could practically feel his growing grin, the smug upturn to his perfect lips as he asked. "But do you know what makes it bearable?"

"Nope," Humming, she shook her head.

"Knowing you're here with me," He admitted, his face buried against her neck as he pulled her closer. Tickling her skin, Adrien smiled as he placed a kiss on her neck. "I'm absolutely head over claws for you, Marinette."

Red cheeks. Thundering pulse. A pause.

"I love you too, Chaton," She responded, arms tight over his own.

Suddenly, the future didn't feel so dreadful anymore.