On days like this, quiet Sunday mornings were hard.

Adrien Agreste had nothing to do as he picked at his bland fruit salad, the seeds adding to the tastelessness. Such was the life of a model, he supposed. His only breakfast table company had been brief exchanges with Nathalie before she and his father left for Tokyo at eight o'clock. Of course, as soon as Adrien returned from New York Fashion Week, his father had been quick to leave again, off to another destination to avoid him. Typical.

So, being alone and bored, Adrien scrolled through his Instagram feed. Even though he had 700 followers on his private account, he only really interacted with a handful of friends there. Most of his followers were models he would hang out with occasionally after shoots (or out of obligation). Sometimes it was fun, like when they went ice skating. Other times...well, let's just say clubbing wasn't Adrien's thing, especially not with people he felt indifferent to—or mildly disliked.

One friend Adrien enjoyed keeping up with was Marinette Dupain-Cheng, his former classmate. He had considered them friends back then—sure, she was shy, and they only had proper, full conversations a handful of times—but that didn't matter. Marinette had always been awesome, and she was even more impressive now. Over the years, she had not only honed her fashion talents but also (in his opinion) mastered bridal wear. He knew this because he kept up with all the new designs she posted on her story. Today, it seemed, she had created a new pastel pink A-line dress.

Adrien grinned and liked the story, just now noticing that Marinette had also uploaded a new profile picture—wearing a red, off-the-shoulder shirt with her hair down.

Pretty.

Really pretty.

Adrien liked Marinette as a friend for a lot of reasons, and he'd always known she was pretty, but maybe he'd never quite realised it like this before. He had seen plenty of objectively beautiful women, but the only one he truly found beautiful was Ladybug.

Because he loved her,obviously.

Speaking of superheroes, it had been a while since Chat Noir went out on patrol, especially since Adrien had been away for Fashion Week. Maybe he should do a Sunday patrol? There was no harm in that. After all, with his father and Nathalie gone, he had nothing else to do.

He had freedom. And this was what freedom felt like—at least as long as his father wasn't around.

It hurt, though. Twenty-one years old and still controlled by his father.

(He didn't want to think about that.)

(He needed his father to let go of him.)

(To stop holding on.)

So, naturally, Chat Noir found himself perched on a rooftop near the Dupain-Cheng bakery. As usual. Except this time, it wasn't in the ungodly early hours of the morning like he'd usually visit—it was ten o'clock. Was Marinette even home at this time? Or awake?

He wasn't sure, but curiosity got the better of him. He used his baton to launch himself onto her windowsill, intending to peek in before realising just how weird and creepy that was.

But it was too late—Marinette had already spotted him. Still in her pyjamas, her hair a mess, she stood up from her desk and opened the window. "Chat, what are you doing here?"

Still pretty.

Chat Noir's brain did a quick restart. "Uh, patrol?"

Marinette looked slightly panicked. "There's a patrol today? On a Sunday?"

"Uh, no. I'm just... bored."

"Bored?" It sounded almost like an accusation.

"Yeah?"

Marinette took a deep breath. "Well, have you eaten?"

"Uh, kind of?"

She raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

"I had some apples and... sunflower seeds?"

She sighed, her forehead creased. "Come in and have breakfast with me. How about... ham and cheese croissants?"

"Croissants, yes, but no ham for me, if that's okay."

"Sure. Why no ham?" she asked.

Chat shrugged. "Family history of bowel cancer."

"Oh-kay." She stepped aside to let him in. "Do you have a personal dietician or something?"

"Something like that."Because I'm a model, duh,he wanted to say, but didn't.

Marinette raised her eyebrow again. "I'm surprised a dietician would let you have croissants."

"What my dietician doesn't know won't hurt him." Chat grinned.

"I'm a dietician's worst enemy, so don't tell him about me either."

They laughed, and Marinette let him in as they headed down to the kitchen. It always amazed Adrien how open Marinette was with Chat—she had no reason to tolerate him, let alone hang out, playMecha Strike IIItogether, or put up with his late-night tears.

Yet, here she was, taking in the stray cat, making sure he didn't sleep in the rain and welcoming him into her home to share breakfast.

"Come in, you cat," Marinette had told him. "Stop sleeping on rooftops every other night. Ladybug wouldn't be happy with you."

"I know," he'd responded, "but it's nicer outside than in my room. I like to feel the breeze, watch the stars...they're good company."

"Yeah, and you're going to get sick from the cold or hurt yourself laying on bricks. I've also seen you petting rats! What are you, from Of Mice and Men or something? There must be other places you can go!" Marinette said.

"Like where?" Chat scoffed. He didn't mean to sound rude, but somewhere in the conversation, he crossed his arms and didn't remember when.

"I don't know, to any of your civilian friends, or heck, just call Ladybug. She'll figure something out."

"My friends are busy, and I'm not going to add stress to Ladybug."

"Then, just stay with me, that fixes the problem"

Chat Noir knew Marinette was right—he shouldn't be wandering around Paris late at night, even with superpowers. He'd attract unwanted attention. But the night air, no matter how cold, felt freeing compared to the stuffiness of the manor.

Though, as Chat Noir began visiting the Dupain-Chengs more frequently since the end of lycée, he started to realise what ahometruly felt like. Home was laughing with the Dupain-Chengs, punning with Tom, having Sabine teach him how to do laundry, or baking cookies with like sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla—there was nothing more freeing and beautiful than that.

Marinette worked quickly, cutting into the day-old croissants and stuffing them with cheese, adding ham only into hers before placing them in the sandwich press.

While they toasted, Chat Noir went to the cupboard to grab plates and orange juice from the fridge. He searched the dishwasher for Marinette's glass, knowing she'd want some. "Where's your glass? Is it on your desk?"

"Yeah, I think so. Just use another one," she replied, so he grabbed another glass from the cupboard just as the sandwich press beeped.

As he nibbled on his croissant while perched on the bar stool, Chat Noir noticed Marinette intently focused on her phone. "Who are you messaging?" he asked mid-bite, a habit his father would have scolded him for.

"A friend," she replied, her eyes still glued to the screen.

"Oh? What friend?" he pressed, curiosity piqued.

"His name is Luka. We're going out on Friday," she said, barely looking up.

Chat Noir nearly choked on his croissant. "O-Oh? Like a date?"

"Um, yeah?" Marinette replied, finally looking up at him.

"Huh." Chat Noir didn't know how to feel about ?He didn't think Luka was Marinette's type. "What does he look like?"

Marinette stared at him, puzzled. "Don't you know him? He's the son of Jagged Stone."

"Oh yeah, I think I remember." Of course, Adrien remembered him, but Chat wouldn't, right? Ormaybehe would, Luka was an Akuma victim a few ."Show me a picture anyway."

Marinette swiped to one of Luka's Instagram posts, holding the phone up to him. "Here."

Luka had clearly matured since their collège days. Adrien didn't follow him on Instagram—not for any particular reason. He liked Luka well enough, but they hadn't been close back then, so he never asked for his handle.

In the photo, Luka's signature blue hair was long, styled in a trendy half-up, half-down look. His fashion choices echoed their teenage years, but now he sported a lip piercing and tattoos down his arms. He looked confident—definitely a glow-up.

"So, you're into blue-haired men, I see?" Chat attempted a tease with a playful grin.

"No, not usually. I don't think I have a type, but Alya insists I have a thing for blondes. I have no idea why," she replied, finishing the last piece of her croissant.

"Yeah, you've never mentioned liking blond guys before." Then again, she hadn't talked about liking any guys. It just wasn't a topic that came up between them.

"I—I mean, I've definitely liked a guy with blonde hair before, but…" Marinette hesitated. "I haven't dated anyone."

That surprised him. Didn't half their class have a crush on her in collège? "Really? You've never dated? Why not?"

Marinette stood up and moved to the sink to start washing up. "I don't know. Long-standing crushes holding me back?"

Chat Noir followed her, shooing her away from the sink. "I—I get that." One word:Ladybug.

"So, if I date Luka, maybe I'll get over it?" she suggested.

Alarm bells rang in his head. That was exactly what Adrien had done with Kagami a year ago. She had asked him out at a gala in London, and he'd said yes because she was cool. They tried long distance for six months after he returned to Paris, but she ended up breaking up with him, feeling like he wasn't invested in the relationship as much as she was. And she was right.

Chat Noir cleared his throat as he soaked their plates in the soapy water. "Well, do you like him, Marinette?"

"I mean, I'm not sure yet," she replied, looking away. "It's wrong to go on a date with him when I like someone else, isn't it?"

"Well, it depends. Are you looking for a rebound relationship or are you hiring the understudy?" It was a harsh question, but he felt it was necessary. He wished someone had told him that before he broke Kagami's heart.

Marinette groaned, resting her head on the kitchen counter. "I wish I could just date the guy I like, or at least have him reject me outright to stop this wishful thinking."

That was one thing Chat Noir was grateful for; Ladybug didn't lead him on or create any "what ifs." She had rejected him right away, no games involved. He'd have to have a word with whoever was doing this to Marinette.

Chat Noir dried the rest of the dishes, "So why can't you do that? Ask him out."

"Well, his Instagram is full of pictures with pretty girls—one of them has to be dating him by now. Who wouldn't want to date him?" she replied, grabbing the dried dishes and putting them away in the cupboards.

"Show me."

"What?"

"His Instagram. I'll tell you if he is or isn't dating someone."

"How would you know?" Marinette asked, sceptical.

"I'm a guy, Marinette. I can suss it out."

"Really?"she deadpanned. "This whole time, I thought you were just an alley cat." With a sigh, she pulled out her phone and handed it to him. "Don't youdaremake fun of me."

"Never," he promised, taking the phone from her grasp. He wasn't sure who he was expecting, but nothing could have prepared him for the sight of hisownaccount staring back at him.

"Adrien Agreste? This guy?"

"Yep."

"Is the guy you have a crush on?"

"Yep," she confirmed, a hint of blush creeping into her cheeks as she looked away.

Chat Noir was taken aback, his eyes widening in surprise."Since when?"

"I told you, -standing crush,"she replied, her eyes darting around the room looking everywhere but at him. "Probably since the first day I met him in collège."

His mind struggled to process this revelation, so it short circuited, "Ask him out."

"What?"

"Ask Adrien Agreste out. Now"

"Nooooway, not happening!" she exclaimed, shaking her head vigorously. The panic in her eyes made it clear just how unthinkable she found the idea, and Chat couldn't help but feel frustrated.

"He'll say yes."I'll say yes!

Marinette scoffed, crossing her arms. "How do you know that?"

"A hunch?" he offered, trying to sound nonchalant. Ladybug would kill him if he slipped up and revealed his identity right now. "Well, if he asked you out, would you say yes?"

"Yeah, of course I would!" she replied, her tone almost offended, as if the very thought of doubt was absurd.

"Then, great! He'll ask you out tonight," Chat said, a spark of giddiness igniting in his chest. He started mapping out all the flower shops nearby where he could pop in to buy .Yes, roses would suit her perfectly. He could leave in about an hour, detransform, and then ask her out as Adrien right at her doorstep. What could go wrong?

Marinette raised an eyebrow. "Tonight? What do you mean, Chat?"

As much as Adrien loved Ladybug, hearing Marinette unknowingly confess felt like a revelation, a key turning in a lock within his heart. He definitely liked Marinette—but differently to how he liked Ladybug. This feeling was deeper, more tangible, and it filled him with an indescribable warmth. He'd never make the same mistake with Marinette as he did with Kagami; he simply didn't feelthatkind of connection with her.

This was a new kind of feeling, one that muted any sounds of Ladybug from his heart. Marinette was special.

He loved Marinette.

Chat Noir wanted to cry at the realisation. It took everything in him to hold back tears, so he drew on his model-ready masking abilities, forcing a lighthearted smile. "Wanna playMecha Strike III?"

"Don't change the subject!" Marinette protested.

Okay, this wasn't working. Chat Noir quickly shifted tactics. "How about we watchSpy Family?"

"No way! I haven't finished reading the manga yet!" she replied, crossing her arms again defiantly. She had started reading it after he enthusiastically mentioned the anime, but she insisted on the whole'read the book before watching the movie'thing. So, he'd bought her all twelve volumes, much to her dismay when she figured out the cost of them.

"You've read enough to at least watch the first season!Come on,princess! Don't you want to experiencethe thrill of the double life?"

Marinette paused, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at him. "Did you just make aDespicable Me 4reference?"

He struggled to defend himself. "What?'Double life'is a banger! And it fits both!" he grinned as he thought about how perfectly it also suitedthis show.

Huh, that was a weird thought.

Anywho––now that Chat Noir recognised his feelings for her, he started to feel guilt. She'd find out his identity eventually, wouldn't she? The thought of the betrayal she might feel twisted in his gut. And if Adrien started dating Marinette, their dynamic would undoubtedly shift. That was fine—Adrien would be patient—but couldn't they just move forward from where they werenowinstead of stepping backward?

"Okay, fine," she finally agreed, turning to hunt for the remote to the TV. Chat Noir took a deep breath, reassuring himself that he'd figure it all out. He had time—well,until her date with Luka on Friday. But that was relax!

So, Chat Noir did just that, sinking into the afternoon as they bingedSpy Familyon the living room couch. Laughter filled the air as the episodes rolled by. At some point, exhaustion overtook them, and they both drifted off to sleep.

When he woke, warmth enveloped him with the smell of sweet perfume, and he found Marinette's arms wrapped around him, pulling him snugly against her chest. For a moment, he let himself bask in the comfort, pushing aside the worries of what Ladybug would think if he revealed to someone.

This was perfect.

She was perfect.

In that moment, everything he ever wanted and craved came together and blossomed into reality and more. He would give upanythingto stay by her side like this, in her warmth.

That's right—Adrien Agreste would give up anything, even his identity, just to be held by Marinette Dupain-Cheng.