Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or it's characters.

Chapter 56,

"I need you to come by my house tomorrow." Marinette said to Adrien, as she sat next to him in the lunch room. Adrien was in the middle of chewing when she approached, so it took him a second to respond.

"You do?" Adrien asked and Marinette giggled slightly at him.

"Well... you know that big secret reveal you want to do...? The one that's gonna be at the end of the fashion show?" Marinette reminded him and Adrien nodded.

"Yeah. What about it?" Adrien asked.

"Well, unless you changed your mind, you need to get your hair done." Marinette said and Adrien froze.

"Oh... right. But, uh, isn't that a bit soon? Shouldn't we do it the day of the show?" Adrien asked and Marinette shrugged/

"I don't think that's a good idea. We can rehearse all we want today and tomorrow, and then we have the show. During the show, everyone needs to be at the top of their game. I don't know if we can afford to sit out for so long doing your hair." Marinette pointed out and Adrien nodded.

"Yeah, that makes sense." Adrien said and Marinette smiled at him.

"Besides, knowing how nuts your dad can get, it might be better to do it during rehearsal hours. We may not be practicing, but we are getting ready for the show." Marinette said and Adrien chuckled at her.

"That's true enough. I guess I'm just nervous about how dad will react. Even if we aren't usually in the same room, he may notice before the surprise." Adrien said and Marinette smiled.

"I thought of that. I have this powder I made for you." Marinette said and Adrien rose an eyebrow at her.

"A powder?" Adrien asked and Marinette nodded.

"Think of it as a concealer for your hair. It's only needed for 24 hours- at most." Marinette said, and Adrien nodded.

"You've got a point." Adrien said.

"If it makes you feel any better, I mixed it up myself."Marinette offered and Adrien chuckled.

"That does make me feel better." Adrien admitted and Marinette tilted her head slightly.

"I'm gonna pick up the hair dye and bleach today; some time after practice." Marinette said.

"It's almost a shame that I'm not going to the salon for my first time. But it's going to be so much more memorable with you." Adrien said and Marinette blushed a little.

"We could go to the salon, but with that famous face, you'd be spotted instantly and then the secret will be out." Marinette mentioned and Adrien smiled.

"Maybe I should wear a mask." Adrien retorted and Marinette rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, as if that's normal." Marinette said and Adrien chuckled.

"Just because it's not normal doesn't mean that it wouldn't work." Adrien said and Marinette laughed.

"I's love to see that ludicrousy. I can't imagine someone walking into a hair care place with a mask, and asking for a haircut, much less a bleach and dye." Marinette said and they both chuckled.

"I guess it is a little absurd. At least we can hang out alone for a little while unless someone is helping you out." Adrien said and Marinette shook her head.

"No. You wanted it to be a surprise, so I haven't told anyone." Marinette said and Adrien smiled.

"Thank you. I haven't told anyone else either." Adrien said.

"Then we're the only people in the world who know your secret." Marinette said.

"Looks like it." Adrien said with a smile.

For a moment, the two simply stared at each other with a loving look. And in this brief silence, Marinette noticed how much easier it was to talk to Adrien. Sure she still had her awkward moments, and a little guilt for liking both Adrien and Cat Noir, but... at least now she can actually have a real conversation with the boy, like a normal human being. It was really nice.

"Oh, before I forget." Marinette said as she remembered something.

"According to the website, they highly recommend that you do a 'patch test' of the hair dye before you do the full job." Marinette said and Adrien looked confused.

"What's that?" Adrien asked.

"Basically you put a little bit of the hair dye on your skin, behind your ear, and leave it there for 24 hours. It's just a precaution to make sure your not in any way allergic to the dye." Marinette said and Adrien furrowed his eyebrows.

"Huh. I'm not allergic to anything though." Adrien said and Marinette nodded.

"I know. And this company is pretty cool too. Not only is the product vegan and PPD free, which I think you'll appreciate; but they post helpful videos and they encourage people to reach out for help and they will give step-by-step instructions to people." Marinette said.

"Wow, that is cool." Adrien said. I thought so too. But anyways, if we dye your hair tomorrow, I need you to come with me when I buy the dye. That way I can do the patch test before you go home." Marinette said and Adrien shrugged.

"If you insist." Adrien said and Marinette nodded.

"I do. Also, since we are using bleach, you can't shower tonight." Marinette said and Adrien moved back, surprised.

"What? Why?" Adrien asked.

"Because the bleach needs to be done on unwashed hair." Marinette explained and Adrien shook his head gently.

"I don't know, I mean is bleach even necessary?" Adrien asked, and Marinette stared at Adrien's hair for a moment.

"You'rs pretty blong, so maybe not. But I will tell you that when it comes to dying your hair, at least with this company, the lighter your hair is, the more vivid the hair dye color will be when we are done. If you really do want that deep dark color, then I think that bleaching is necessary. If you don't think you need it, then I won't buy it." Marinette said gently. Adrien thought about this, sighed and smiled.

"Alright. That does sound smart." Adrien consented and Marinette giggled.

"And while you're at my house, you can try on your new outfit. Make sure it fits properly and all that." Marinette said and Adrien smiled widely.

"I can't wait." Adrien said and Marinette shrugged lazily.

"Well you're gonna have to." Marinette said and they both laughed.