This story takes place prior to Season 4 of "Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir." I do not own the rights to any of the characters or songs used within this story, and I will credit songs and artists when they are used.

Chapter 8: Reunited Revelry

A few blocks from the karaoke lounge, Ladybug, Carapace, and Rena landed in the back of an alleyway.

"Thanks for your help today, guys! I'm sorry I wasn't there sooner…" Ladybug looked at her friends as they handed her back their Miraculous. The Ladybugs had fixed up their wounds, but she knew where the bruises had been on Alya's jaw. And she could still remember the sight of the deep cut that had been on Nino's shoulder. She shut her eyes against the images. "You shouldn't have had to be alone for that long…"

Two hands touched her shoulders. Both members of the couple were smiling warmly at her.

Alya was the one to speak. "Ladybug, you are an amazing hero, and you have done so much for this city… And, as a very smart turtle once told me-" Alya looked up at Nino, "-it's okay to feel bad. That's part of life. But just know that none of this was anything you could have known would happen."

Nino met Alya's look with a knowing smile and reached out to take her free hand in his.

The tender silence was broken by the frantic beeping of Ladybug's earrings. "I better go. Thank you again for all your help today!" She turned away, tears threatening her eyes yet again as she threw her yo-yo towards the rooftops. She had to find another place to de-transform in.

A few moments later, Marinette walked out of an alley a little further down the street. She looked back towards the karaoke lounge where she could see her friends starting to gather out front. A sigh of relief escaped her as some of the tension left her shoulders.

A familiar voice called her name, and Marinette turned around to see Adrien running towards her up the street. "Hey! There you are! I was worried about you. I'm glad you're safe." He stopped by her side breathing hard from his run but with a small, lopsided smile on his face. "It's probably a good thing I found you. Alya may question it if we didn't show up together, considering we disappeared together…"

Marinette studied the boy in front of her. The more she looked at him, the more she could see Chat Noir. He had always been there. In the way Adrien's eyes could hold playful mischief. In the way he carried himself, especially when Chat was preening. And in the soft smiles when he thought no one was looking. She didn't know how she hadn't seen it before, but now she couldn't see anything else.

She met his smile with one of her own. Not the nervous one she frequently wore around him, but a genuine smile. Adrien was her best friend, and, judging by the kiss they had shared overlooking the plaza, the odds of becoming more were high.

For once, there was no hesitation or insecurity when she took Adrien's hand in hers, and there were no misspoken words when she said, "Well, let's go then! We'll have plenty of time to talk later." With that, she turned on her heel, dragging him behind her towards the rest of the group.

"I think I'm, uh, done with karaoke for a bit…" The rest of the group echoed Juleka's sentiment with a laugh.

"We could go back to my place? I'm sure some hot cocoa and cookies are just what our voices need after all that singing. And my dad said he has the latest update for Ultimate Mecha Strike 3…" Marinette's idea was met with overwhelming agreement, and all of them began making their way over to the bakery.

There was plenty of laughing and joking as they walked, and there were more than a few times that Marinette looked over to see Adrien watching her with an unknowable look. The only thing she knew was that he was not mad, because he had a tender smile gracing his perfect features.

After a while, Alya grabbed her arm and slowed the two of them so that they could walk at the back of the group and talk. "Okay, Girl. Spill. What happened between you and Adrien?"

"W-what? Nothing happened! What makes you think anything happened?" Marinette let out a nervous laugh as her eyes darted to the back of the blonde boy's head. As if sensing her eyes on him, he turned to look back. Offering her a smile and a wave over his shoulder before resuming his conversation with Nino.

Alya fixed her friend with her most skeptical eyebrow raise. "Uh huh… sure. Nothing. Except for the fact that you can suddenly form complete sentences around him, and he's looked at you with the same lovesick expression you have when staring at him during class. Seven times since we left the lounge, I might add." She crossed her arms over her chest, clearly pleased with herself. "So… Are you going to tell me what happened when you were stuck in karaoke hell?"

Heat rushed to Marinette's cheeks as she looked down at her feet. She didn't want to lie to her best friend, but she also knew that she really couldn't tell her everything.

She sighed, relaxing her shoulders. So, she couldn't tell Alya about Adrien being Chat Noir, but she could tell her about the somewhat romantic confession that had lead her to be more comfortable around the boy she had been in love with since the start of the term.

"Well… we got stuck in a karaoke loop of different songs by Belinda Carlisle, one of my mom's favorite singers from the 80s. And… well, a lot of her songs are love songs… So, I had to… sing him several love songs…?"

Alya's jaw dropped. "No. Way!" She said the last part so loud that the rest of the group turned around to look at them briefly. In a quieter tone, she continued, "For real? What did he say? I assume it went well based on how he's been looking at you."

Marinette thought about how they had hugged and sang "World Without You" together. She thought about the way they had clung to each other when the winds began to pick up…

"W-we didn't get a chance to say much with all the singing that had to happen, but I think it went well. If nothing else, I think we are starting to get on the same page." She gave a small giggle before throwing another glance up towards Adrien, who seemed to but turning back to face forward after looking back at her as well. What was that? Nine times now if Alya was to be believed? And they still had a few blocks to go. Maybe they really were getting on the same page…

Tom and Sabine were more than happy to have the group of teenagers show up at the bakery. As Sabine went to start making fresh cocoa, Tom enlisted the group in helping make up some fresh cookies. Once these finished, everyone retired upstairs to the main living area and crowded around the TV for an afternoon packed with snacks, laughter, and Ultimate Mecha Strike 3 battles. Tom, Sabine, and Marinette weren't allowed to play on the same team, and, before too long, that list included Adrien as well. The four of them were just too good to be paired together.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and, as per usual, the first person to ruin the fun was none other than Gabriel Agreste demanding his son return home. Adrien sighed as he got off the phone with Nathalie. His père was good at interrupting his time with friends.

There was a loud cheer from the couch, and Marinette jumped up, arms extended above her head in victory. Adrien couldn't help but smile at the sheer delight that was on her face.

She noticed him standing back by the kitchen area, and he could see her smile falter a little. Passing her controller off to the next contestants, she picked her way through the mass of people sitting on and around the couch and came to join him.

They stood in silence for a moment before she softly broke the silence. "Your dad is making you come home, right?"

"Yeah, he says I need to, since I have a photo shoot tomorrow morning…"

"Will I still see you… later?"

"Of course! I-I mean… if… if that's what you want…" This time it was Adrien blushing and having trouble with his words. Marinette felt a little pride in her ability to cause this kind of reaction out of him.

She smiled to herself. "Okay. I'll be waiting for you."

His blush deepened, and he turned his head towards the door. "I… I better get going. Nathalie said they were almost here…"

She looked over her shoulder to make sure that her other friends were still watching the video game competition. When she was satisfied, she turned back to Adrien who had made his way over to the door. Summoning all her new-found confidence, Marinette grabbed his hand and turned him to face her. She had to stand on her tiptoes, but she planted a quick kiss on his lips before stepping back and giving him her most innocent smile. "Au bientôt," she said with a wave.

Adrien climbed into the backseat of the car, already wishing he was home so he could transform and go back out. But he had to keep up appearances, which meant he needed to be home at least through dinner. Besides, his patrol with Ladybug didn't start until later, and he wasn't sure how late his friends would be staying at Marinette's house.

He sighed again. No, it was no use to head out early. He had at least a few hours to kill. For the rest of the drive home, he replayed the events of the day in his head over and over again. Once in his room, Plagg made a beeline straight for his cheese cabinet while Adrien flopped down on the couch.

He went to open his phone, and paused looking at his Ladybug wallpaper. What was he doing? He loved Ladybug. But he'd kissed Marinette today… twice! And now he found himself wishing he'd had more chances to kiss her than just that. He shouldn't be feeling this way towards her. She was just a friend, right?

Adrien pulled up a photo of Marinette. His throat tightened and his gaze lingered on her pink lips. He shook his head, closing his photos app and opening his music instead. Maybe that would help him get his head on straight. He hit play on whatever he'd last listened to and was about to lay back and close his eyes when he realized what was playing.

If there was no sunshine

I could learn to live with the rain

Darling, if I had to

I could trade pleasure for pain

His mind was pulled back to a dark karaoke room. He was Chat Noir, and he was kneeling on the floor. Marinette was holding him as she sang; her voice the only thing tethering him to any semblance or reality. A tear slid down Adrien's cheek without him realizing.

Marinette had been just a friend that morning. Now…

But in a world without you

Where would I be?

Where would I be without you babe?

Chapter 8 Song:

"World Without You" - Belinda Carlisle