"You don't actually expect me to wear this, do you?"

"Hey, I was just told to give it to you. What you do with it is your business."

Luna scrunched her nose as she stared at the contents of the gift box. It was pretty, sure, but it was also so big it bordered on gaudy. She picked up the broach and ran her thumb along the facets. The colors were nice; mostly a light green with a gorgeous blue gem in the center. Still, the fan-like design didn't match her tastes at all. It was more like something she'd steal than actually wear.

"Why do I have this, again?" she asked with a frown.

Adrien shrugged. "It was my father's idea... Or so I'm told. It was most likely Nathalie's."

She raised her brow at him. "Okay, so why is your father-slash-Nathalie giving me this ugly-ass broach?"

"I don't know! It's an apology gift, okay? Aren't you supposed to do stuff like this after fights?"

Luna snickered. "Maybe if we were going steady or something. Friends don't get friends apology gifts, kitten."

"Hey, Plagg thought it was a good idea, too!" the model said with a pout.

"I said bring her cheese, not jewelry," the kwami said, glaring at the trinket.

Luna smirked at him. "No offense, Plagg, but I so wouldn't have opened my door for cheese."

"Told you," Adrien said with a grin.

Plagg huffed. "You guys just don't understand the power of cheese."

"I understand the powerful smell it has," his chosen said.

Luna giggled, scratching the kwami's head. "You're such a dork, pretty boy."

"Yeah, but that's what makes me so endearing. It's all a part of my charm." Adrien gave her a smug grin, making the girl giggle all the more.

"Is that what we're calling it, now?"

He nudged her arm. "Don't act like you don't love it."

"Keep dreaming, kitten."

They settled into a comfortable silence. Luna's music filled the air with bold guitar and biting vocals. Adrien closed his eyes and listened, trying to decide if he liked it or not. It definitely had a rock vibe that he could see himself getting into. Beside him, Luna laid back across her bed and began to sing along under her breath. Plagg flew out of her grasp, preferring to find some higher perch to rest on while the teens bonded.

"So, what band is this?" Adrien asked as he laid back, too.

"The Offspring."

"Huh. I'll have to look into them."

Luna tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear. "I have their CD if you want to borrow it."

"Okay."

Silence fell again. They both stared up at Luna's ceiling, unsure if they should keep talking or not. It didn't feel like they needed to. They could just be there, quietly enjoying each other's presence for hours. At the same time, though, questions burned in both teens. Questions that neither one really wanted to ask, but the longer they sat, the more it ate away at them.

"Do you do this a lot?"

"Hn?" Luna looked over at the boy, a small frown tugging at her lips.

"Hide in your room like this. Do you do it often?"

"I try not to," Luna said with a sigh. "It's usually just when I've had an off day."

"You mean a panic attack?"

Luna grimaced. "...yeah."

Adrien pressed his lips into a hard line. "Luna, I-"

"I don't want you to be sorry, kitten. You had every right to be angry at me."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did." She turned onto her side, facing away from him. "I shouldn't have kissed you like that. I know how you feel about Ladybug, and I shouldn't have ruined that for you."

"Luna, there was nothing for you to ruin."

"You don't know that."

Adrien propped himself up on his elbow to look at her better. "You said it yourself; I don't know her. And, as much as I'd love to change that, she doesn't."

'She would if she knew who you really were,' Luna thought to herself. She was half-tempted to tell him, but it felt wrong to. It wasn't her secret to share.

"I still shouldn't have kissed you," she muttered.

"Luna-"

"Adrien, my best friend likes you. Really, truly likes you."

The model sighed, flopping back down. "Marinette doesn't even know me."

"Yeah, well, whose fault is that?"

"Oh, so it's my fault she can't say two words to me?"

"Oh my god, she likes you! Of course she can't speak properly. You make her nervous."

"I still don't see how that's my fault."

Luna groaned as she sat up. "God, you're oblivious."

Adrien joined her, rubbing his eyes. "Look, if we're going to argue that my feelings for Ladybug don't count because I don't know her, then it's a bit of a double standard to say Marinette's do."

"I never said they didn't count."

"My point still stands, Luna. How can Marinette truly like someone she doesn't know? Adrien Agreste isn't even a real person."

"Whoa, you wanna run that by me, again?" she asked in disbelief.

The blond rubbed his neck with a sigh. "Who I am as Adrien isn't really me. I have to play the part of perfect son according to my father's rules."

"So, what? Is Chat supposed to be who you really are or something?"

"You gonna tell me he's not?"

"Of course he's not!" Luna told him. "Chat is a persona. He's someone you want to be. Sure, he's a part of you, but he doesn't define you. Adrien Agreste is just as real as he is, and just as much a part of you, too."

Adrien stared at his hands. He knew she probably had a point, but he had a hard time believing it. He was just so much more genuine as Chat. Chat didn't have to worry about his father's rules or image.

Luna bumped her shoulder into him, making the blond look up. "Even if he wasn't real, you don't have a reason to hide how you really are," she said. "Not when you're with your friends, at least. It's not like we don't already know how big of a dork you are."

He faked a glare. "You just had to get that dig in there, huh?"

"Oh, absolutely."

The hero chuckled. Then he let himself fall back and continued staring at the ceiling. Luna studied him for a moment.

"You really don't like her like that, huh?"

"Marinette?" Adrien asked. "Honestly, I don't know. I mean, it's not that I don't like her. She's talented, kind, a really good friend-"

"But, she's not Ladybug, right?"

He shrugged "I'm not even sure it's that."

Luna frowned. "What is it, then?"

Adrien sat up and hugged his knee. "Honestly, Luna? It's you."

"Me?!"

"Well, yeah." He ran his fingers through his hair. "You kinda made me rethink things."

She folded her arms. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

He thought about it for a moment. "Well, for starters, my relationship with Ladybug. I've liked her almost from the moment I met her. I always thought she was going to be the woman I spent the rest of my life with. But, you're right. I don't know the first thing about her. And I know just as much about Marinette. Yet, now that I know how she feels, I'm starting to feel like I might like her, too."

"So, let me get this straight. I'm making you rethink your feelings for Ladybug, and because of that, you're realizing you might actually like Marinette?" Luna asked, raising a brow.

"Maybe?"

"Tell me how that's a bad thing."

Adrien rolled his eyes. "It's not bad, just confusing. I don't know if I really am attracted to her or not. Hell, I'm starting to think I was never really in love with Ladybug to begin with."

"Hey, I saw you making goo-goo eyes at her, last night. There is no way you were never into her."

"Yeah, but was I really in love with her?"

"As opposed to what? Just wanting her for a quick bang? You're not that kinda guy, kitten."

He glowered. "Yeah, well according to her, I do need to learn how to keep it in my pants."

Luna pursed her lips. "I'm sure she didn't mean that," she said quietly.

He began toying with his ring, rolling it over his knuckle. "It doesn't make it hurt any less."

"Kitten, I pissed her off. If you haven't noticed, I kinda have that effect on her. I bet the next time you see her, she'll tell you how sorry she is."

"What if she's right, though?"

Luna rolled her eyes. "That isn't you."

"Luna, that kiss was pretty... heated for me."

"Okay, so you rose to the occasion."

"Wait, what?"

"You are a teenage boy, for crying out loud. Of course you're gonna get a hard-on when a pretty girl kisses you."

"Okay, whoa! Not what I meant."

"Oh, were you referring to the little surprise you had for me during the whole Blackspell thing?"

"Gah, no!" His face turned a bright red. "Can we not talk about my dick, please?"

Luna smirked. "It's not like there's much to talk about."

He gave her a flat glare. "You are such a bitch."

"You love it and you know it."

"Yeah, well... About that..."

Luna froze. "About what?"

"I... think I might be attracted to you, too?"

She stared at the boy as he rubbed his neck. He... he didn't mean...

"...I'm not an option, here, Adrien."

"I know that. But, I can't honestly say that kiss didn't affect me."

"That kiss was a mistake!"

Adrien recoiled as the thief jumped to her feet. He wasn't expecting her anger. Laughter, maybe. But definitely not this.

"Luna-"

"Ladybug and Marinette!" she snapped. "Those are your choices, Adrien! I shouldn't even be on the table!"

The hero sighed, burying his head in his hands. He could tell she wasn't going to listen to him. Maybe, he should've just kept his mouth shut.

"Why would you even want me? I'm a fucking mess! A literal shitstorm waiting to happen! You don't need that! I'm like the worst possible person to have a relationship with!"

He rested his chin in his palm. "You done?"

Luna looked ready to slap him. "Am I done? You cannot be serious right now."

"Maybe if you gave me a chance to speak instead of just screaming at me?"

Luna threw her hands up in frustration. Sighing, Adrien stood up.

"Look, I get that you don't want a relationship. I'm not asking for one. But I can't help it if I... like you..."

She shook her head at him. "...Well, clearly your taste in women needs to be reexamined."

"Tell me about it, sister," Plagg drawled.

Adrien rolled his eyes. "What's so bad about me liking you, Luna?"

She sighed, again. "Everything, kitten. I'm a thief, for God's sake. We are on opposite sides of the law, here. You shouldn't like me on principle. And, I'm just such an emotional wreck that it's not even funny." Luna rubbed at her arm, her gaze glued to her feet. "And Marinette... I couldn't hurt her like that. She's so much better for you-"

She was surprised to feel his fingers ghost over her face, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Looking up, she found his green eyes staring warmly back at her. When did he get so close?

"Y'know, from the moment I met you, you've pretty much demanded my attention. I had no idea how much trouble I was in when I saw you that night. I think even then I felt attracted to you."

She looked away, again. "Y-you were just curious."

He smiled. "Yeah, I was. You consumed my thoughts for days. And the more I learned about you, the more interesting you became. Talking with you on the Eiffel Tower... Laughing with you... Are you gonna tell me that kiss was a mistake, too?"

She couldn't answer that. Though the light blush on her cheeks told him enough. He caressed her face, trying to coax her into looking at him, again. When she finally did, he held her gaze. He felt like he could drown in the ocean of her eyes.

"I think that's when I first started liking you," he said in a whisper. "That one innocent little kiss. I didn't want to admit it back then, but I'm certain the Thief of Spades stole my heart that night."

Luna giggled. "Oh god, that was corny."

Adrien smiled. "There's that laugh I love so much."

She closed her eyes, biting her lip. He touched her arm with his free hand and traced her jaw with the other one. A shiver raked through her body. God, what was he doing to her?

"Luna, you're the first person that I felt comfortable enough to be myself around, with or without the mask. You don't know how much that means to me. Last night... we both screwed that up. I shouldn't have snapped at you, not for something that stupid. My entire day today, all I could think about was how much I didn't want to lose you. And that I never want to hurt you like that, again."

"Kitten, I... You don't have to..."

"I can't help but be drawn to you, Luna."

She bowed her head, nuzzling his palm. "You really shouldn't be."

He studied her for a moment, tracing her lips with a thumb. "Can I kiss you?"

She pulled out of his grasp. "What? Why?"

"I... I wanna be sure."

"Adrien, we can't..."

He fingers found her jaw again, and the boy tilted her face up towards his. "Just one kiss, Luna. Please."

Luna's heart skipped. They stared into each other's eyes, both too scared to breathe. She knew this was a bad idea. She had to tell him no. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to do it. As he leaned in closer, she fought to keep still. To not close that last bit of distance between them. She expected him to just get it over with, but he hovered there. Waiting.

"J... Just one..." Her voice was barely a whisper.

It was a shock when their lips met. Luna gasped slightly, which quickly turned into a sigh. It started out soft and timid. Adrien pulled her closer to deepen the kiss. The same fire burned in him as before, this time a slow ember that warmed more than scortched. With a small moan, Luna slid one hand onto his shoulder, the other one tangling in his hair and kneading his scalp. Adrien groaned. He could feel her heart hammering against his chest. From nerves or excitement, he couldn't really tell, but he took pleasure in knowing he was the cause of it.

The need to breathe forced them apart. They stood there, panting. Adrien rested his forehead against hers and stared into her eyes. He was certain of it, now. Somewhere along the line, he'd fallen for this infuriating, enthralling little thief. And despite her denial, he knew she felt the same. It didn't need to be said; he understood. He let their lips brush, again, silently begging for another kiss. She shuddered in his arms but didn't pull away. Adrien closed his eyes.

"Ahem."

The teens jerked away from each other. They both stared at Collins like deer in headlights. The older man stood in Luna's wide-open doorway, smiling warmly. The way he leaned against the wood seemed to say he'd been watching for awhile.

"Sorry to disturb you," he said, cheekily. "I was just curious if you were staying for dinner, Adrien."

The model turned red. "I... uh..."

Collins clapped his hands together. "Excellent! Hope you like shrimp alfredo. Well, I'll leave you two alone then. Dinner will be ready, soon." He started to walk away, but came back to pop his head in. "Oh, before I forget, if you two need protection-"

"OH MY GOD, NO!"

Luna ran over and slammed the door in her nanny's face. She heard him chuckling on the other side, which further fueled her embarrassment.

"Crawl up your own ass and die, Collins!" She screamed.

Adrien covered his mouth and cursed his luck. He looked about the room for some form of a distraction. His eyes fell on Plagg, who was floating by a lit computer screen. The little cat had gotten up to search for something else to look at other than the lovey-dovey scene that had been going on. He seemed to have found an article on the girl'scomputer to distract himself with. Frowning, Adrien made his way over to the desk and read over the kwami's shoulder.

"You're reading up on akuma?" he asked with a smirk.

Luna looked over at him, then at her computer. She grabbed her arm and ducked her head. "Yeah. I've dealt with three of them, now, so I figured I'd try to get a leg up for the future."

"Makes sense." Adrien scrolled through the article, finally settling on a picture. "Oh god, Stoneheart. Talk about a disaster."

Luna came up beside him. "That's the one that could duplicate himself, right? I remember something about an army of him."

"It wasn't so much that he could duplicate as it was that we screwed up."

"What do you mean?" she asked, frowning.

"He was our first fight. Back then, Ladybug and I didn't know we needed to purify the little butterflies Hawkmoth sent. When we defeated him the first time, the bug flew off and multiplied. They took over a good chunk of the citizens and turned them into frozen statues of the original that came to life when Ivan got repossessed."

A weight hit the pit of Luna's stomach. "It... those things multiply?"

"Only if we don't catch them right away. You can bet we haven't made that mistake, again." Adrien chuckled a bit before he noticed Luna's expression. His smile vanished. "Luna?"

She looked at him in fear. "I... I didn't know."

Adrien's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"It just flew off! I didn't know you needed it! What if it's multiplying right now?!"

"Luna, calm down-"

"What do you mean it flew off?" Plagg asked, floating up to the girl. His tone seemed to pull her further into her panic.

"I didn't mean to!" she managed to say between her short bursts of breath. "H-he was in my head and I just panicked! A-and it flew away! I didn't know!"

"Who?!" Plagg demanded. "Who was in your head?!"

"Plagg, stop it!"

Luna pulled at her hair, her gaze losing focus. "It's all my fault! I screwed everything up! It's all my fault-"

Adrien grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Luna, look at me!"

The girl quieted, locking her fearful gaze with his. Adrien's eyes softened. He loosened his grip on her and touched their foreheads together.

"Breathe with me, okay? Big, deep breaths."

Tears rolled down her face. "I... I'm sorry..."

"Shhhhh. Just breathe, Luna." He wiped the tears from her cheek. "It's alright. Everything's alright."

Luna leaned into him and broke down. He held her close, letting her sob into his shoulder as he caressed her back. Above them, Plagg watched on. He processed the news with dread. The kid may not have seen it, but he did. And it was going to destroy him.

The rest of the evening went by without incident. Luna calmed down, and Adrien was able to convince her to leave her room for dinner. They distracted themselves with videogames until Adrien's driver came back for him. They said their goodbyes, and Adrien stole a kiss on her cheek before leaving her to deal with Collins' sure-to-be-relentless teasing.

Plagg kept quiet during it all. At most, he nuzzled Luna's cheek before they left. Even after they made it back to Adrien's room, the kwami was eerily silent. He sat on his chosen's bed with a furrowed brow as Adrien set out a plate of camembert for him. He gave it a quick sniff but made no move to claim the treat.

"Aren't you gonna eat?" Adrien asked with a frown.

"Not hungry, kid."

The blond did a double take. "Since when do you turn down camembert?"

The kwami's ears flicked back as his gaze narrowed. Adrien's worry grew.

"Plagg, what's wrong?"

The kwami sighed. "You shouldn't have kissed her, kid."

The boy blinked. "What's that supposed to mean? Why do you care who I kiss?"

"I already told you she was dangerous. Why is that so hard for you to believe?"

Adrien glared at the cat god. "You didn't have a problem with her before. I could obsess over her all I want, remember?"

"Kid, this isn't just an obsession, anymore," Plagg said. "You are falling for her. She means something to you, and that can and will put both of you in danger! We can't even say it hasn't already!"

"Oh, so it's okay for me to pine after Ladybug like a lost puppy, but I'm not allowed to have feelings for someone that might actually like me back? Gee, guess I missed that memo."

"Kid, you don't get it! She's-"

"She's what, Plagg?" Adrien spat. "What is so bad about me liking someone other than Ladybug? Is there some rule that the bug and cat have to be a couple?"

Plagg's ears went back. "No."

"Then, what's the deal? So what if I have feelings for Luna? What's the worst that could happen?"

The kwami shot up in the air, zipping up to the boy's eye level. "What's the worst that could happen? You really want to know? Well, what if Luna gets akumatized? Did that thought cross your mind, kid? Because, according to her, that almost happened. And now there's an unpurified akuma out in the city somewhere probably multiplying as we speak!"

"So we'll find it and take care of it! Just like always!"

"Except this isn't like always, kid! If that akuma comes back for her, then Chat Noir is dead! Hawkmoth will know who you are!"

Adrien felt himself go cold. "You... you mean..."

The kwami sighed. "Kid, Nooroo's power... The Butterfly Miraculous doesn't just give others superpowers. It allows the holder to completely possess someone else. They're given access to their victim's thoughts, their wishes, their memories."

All of a sudden, Adrien's knees couldn't support him anymore. He nearly missed the bed as he collapsed. Some part of his mind recognized that he'd just sat in cheese, but it didn't matter. His entire world kept spinning around him, making him sick to his stomach. Plagg's expression softened.

"I'm sorry, kid. I really am. But we have to think of the bigger picture, right now. And Luna's a liability."

"Well, what am I supposed to do? I can't unreveal myself, Plagg! It's not like I can turn back time!"

"Maybe not for you. But you can for her."

"... What do you mean?"

Plagg looked him dead in the eye with all the weight of remorse.

"We have to erase her memories of you."

Dun, dun, dun! Hope you enjoyed that rollercoaster of a chapter. I probably put way too much into it, but I kinda want to keep this story under fifty chapters. And seeing as we're already almost at the forty mark, I need to fit quite a bit of story into just a few chapters in order to make that goal. I plan on keeping up a weekly pace, though, so be on the lookout for the next one.

Typicalbooklover: This is true. Things like sarcasm and humor don't always translate well in written text. I hope you know I don't mean any offense in my responses, and that I truly value the feedback you guys all give me. As for Luna, yes, anxiety is a big part of her character. It's very closely linked to her PTSD.

Junior VB: Yep, they're really bonding.

Davey: I also would've accepted 30 Seconds to Mars, Good Charlotte, Shinedown, and many others.

SpringBorn: I think they made up.

Guest: Lula ship for the win!

TKDGirl2016: Not quite sure what you mean, but no worries.

That's it for now, guys! See you all next week!

Playlist:

The One- Carly Rae Jepsen

The Kids Aren't Alright- The Offspring

Resistance- Muse

Not Strong Enough- Apocalyptica Feat. Brent Smith

Lean On- DJ Snake and Major Lazer Feat. Mo