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It was just another day in Paris. The sky was blue, the city was quiet, and there seemed to be another poor soul seeking revenge with gifted superpowers.Yeah, this was pretty normal around here.Lady Fisher, the newest victim of Hawkmoth's control, was a woman who had been catfished by some co-workers who wanted to gather embarrassing details of her life for a laugh. Now, with her new found ability, she was wreaking havoc for the citizens, catching them with her fishing net and revealing them as "who they really were" as she put it.Ladybug and Chat Noir were at the scene in only a few minutes, quickly surveying the situation from the safety of a rooftop. "What do you think could of have her reeling like this?" Chat asked his lady, who ignored his pun and just shook her head, "Whatever it was, we need to made sure we don't get caught in that net." As she spoke, another Parisian was unveiled by the net, causing them to change from his business attire to something akin to someone who hadn't left their room in weeks."Yeah, I've kind of grown attached to this look." Chat quipped. He wanted to add "Don't you think it suits me?", but decided against it. Ladybug had made her desire to keep their relationship platonic clear, and he promised to try his best, even if it meant not saying what he really felt. Or missing out on some amazing punchlines."We have to get closer." Ladybug said, readying her yo-yo and swinging herself to a valance and rolling off of it onto the ground with ease and grace. Chat stopped his staring and extended his staff, twirling down it like a fireman's pole to the street below.The two of them approached Lady Fisher from behind and, after a quick nod to each other, started to engage in combat. The two worked in tandem, combining their tactics together to keep the super-villain on her toes.Eventually, the super duo managed to get the net out of her hands, allowing it to slide across the pavement. Both Ladybug and Lady Fisher ran for it, but Fisher reached it just seconds before Ladybug. She grabbed it and raised it over the spotted heroine. "Let's see who you really are, Ladybug." Fisher threatened. Ladybug tried to step back, but she was cornered between two buildings. She protected her face with her arms and braced for what seemed inevitable.That was until she felt someone push her out of the way while getting themselves caught in the process.Chat.He knew that the net would not hurt Ladybug, as the others that had fallen under it had seemed unfazed, though wildly confused at their change of appearance. But it would do the second worst thing she could imagine; reveal her civilian form. Her identity was so precious to her that she kept it hidden from everyone, even her own partner. He wouldn't let that privacy be stolen away from her. Not if he could protect her.He was right about the net not hurting. It didn't feel like anything at all and, when it was raised back over his head, he wondered if Fisher's net even worked on him, but when his lady looked at him from her place on the street, a look that bordered between shock and worry on her face, he knew it must have worked."A-Adrien? Adrien Agreste?" she questioned, her surprise evident on every feature. He had imagined many times about how he would reveal his identity to his love, how she would react to him. Being revealed by being caught in a fishing net was not one of those situations. He tried to make the best of it, "Surprised, Milady?"Ladybug stuttered a little more, but before she could say anything fully, Lady Fisher gave a laugh. "The great Chat Noir reduced to nothing but a schoolboy in a costume, trying to play hero." Adrien frowned but kept his gaze on the Akuma, ready to strike.Fisher went to make her next move, but suddenly stopped and a purple mask covered her face; Hawkmoth was giving her new instructions.This worried Adrien. Hawkmoth was a simple man; fight the duo, get the Miraculous, rule the world or whatever villains wanted nowadays. What could he possibly want differently now?"Adrien," he heard Ladybug stage-whisper, as to not catch Fisher (or Hawkmoth's) attention, "You need to get out of here." "I'm not leaving you here to fight him on your own." he told her, staying firmly in his place. "But, you're not Chat Noir anymore." She told him, "I can't risk you-a civilian getting hurt.""But, my lady-""Go." She directed him, pushing him with one arm towards an alleyway, and readying her yo-yo in the other. He stumbled into a run, doing as Ladybug instructed. Perhaps she had a plan? He could hear Ladybug taunting Lady Fisher from behind him, telling something along the lines of her being a fish out of water. Under normal circumstances, he would smile at how his humor was starting to rub off on his partner, but now they had bigger fish to fry.Fighting the urge to turn back and assist Ladybug, Adrien turned the corner into an alleyway and slumped to the ground. He turned his head to get a glimpse of was happening. Lady Fisher took chase after Ladybug, who was swinging through the air, trying to move frequently enough to not get trapped. She couldn't hold on like that alone for long. He had to help her."Plagg, what's happening?" he asked, but his kwami didn't give any reply. He looked around, in his pockets, and even glanced back at when he had transformed. Plagg was nowhere to be seen. What came as a secondary shock was when Adrien looked at his miraculous. Instead of it being it's usual, subtle silver band, it looked black with a green paw print, just as it was when he was suited up and bonded with Plagg to become Chat Noir.It was like he was suited up, but instead looked like himself, well his civilian-self. He thought back to exactly what Fisher had said about her powers.She took away the deceitful appearance and showed what they really looked like."Sure, I'm Adrien, but I'm just as much Chat Noir." He said though he wasn't sure if he was to think his situation aloud or merely to reassure himself of that fact. To tell himself he wasn't just some schoolboy playing dress-up; that he was part of the best superhero duo Paris has ever seen. Not even stripping him of his anonymity could change that.But, what exactly did that mean if he wanted to help out Ladybug? Since the transformation, he had lost his staff, and since he no longer had cat ears, he figured he didn't have his cat-like powers either. Was he really just reduced to Adrien?"Lucky Charm!" he heard Ladybug yell, and he looked over to see the item in question. It looked like a long cylinder. A staff? Could it be that the lucky charm was meant for him?Ladybug may have thought the same way, because she looked back towards the alleyway, catching his eyes before going back to protecting herself from Lady Fisher. He took that as enough of a confirmation to get back in there. He had helped Ladybug as Adrien before, and he could to it again. As he dashed towards Lady Fisher, he kept telling himself, "I am Chat Noir. I don't need a mask to prove that."When he was close enough, he called to Ladybug to toss him the staff. She did so, and he caught it with a less ease than he would have if he was suited up."Hey Fisher. I'm usually a pacifisht, but I can't let you hurt my lady over there."He used his staff to trip the woman, causing her to fall on her back. "You mean you could have done that forever ago and we would have been done?" Ladybug asked, finally saying a sentence without oddly tripping over it. "I honestly didn't think it would be that easy." He replied teasingly, before Lady Fisher made her way back up, backhanding Adrien's spotted staff out of his hand. She took a step towards him as he took a step backward, trying to keep some space. Then, Lady Fisher stopped suddenly and turned her attention back to Ladybug. That was odd. Perhaps Hawkmoth thought transforming him rendered the miraculous null? Perhaps it did.With Lady Fisher's attention off him, Adrien dive-rolled towards Lady Fisher's net. He looked back up towards the enemy, just as Ladybug used her yo-yo to tie up her up and render her immobile. "Excellent work, my lady." He said with a bow, net still in hand, "I would say this battle went swimmingly." She gave a giggle, effectively stunning him for a moment.Ladybug gave a giggle to his pun. A cute little giggle that made his heart skip a beat. She had never laughed at his jokes before, at least, not the stupid ones. (Which was most of them, though he wouldn't admit that).Speaking of stupid; "Let me try something before we fix everything…" When Ladybug didn't object, he called out, "Cataclysm!"He looked at his right hand, expecting it to not work, but instead, it glowed with the black energy that always accompanied his special move. He looked up at Ladybug, who had a look that probably mirrored his own surprise that his dumb plan actually worked. "I guess I can still be handy when I need to be." he smirked, releasing the energy onto the net, causing it to disintegrate and releasing a black and purple butterfly.Ladybug released Lady Fisher and captured the Akuma, effectively purified it and releasing it back into the skies of Paris. Chat walked over to her and handed the staff back, "This staff is nice and all, but I'd rather have my own back, thanks." She gave a smile, and threw it up in the air with a "Miraculous Ladybug!"The red magic flooded the streets, returning people back to their preferred appearance. When it surrounded Chat, he looked down at his leather-like suit and twitched his cat-like ears. He was back."Nice to be back in the old Chat suit." He commented, before looking back at Ladybug, who was now watching him with a puzzled expression. At that moment, while Paris was in peace again, it truly dawned on him what had happened under that net. His partner now knew who he was, that he was Adrien Agreste, and was just trying to match the pieces in her brain. Probably, trying to match the face of the model on the body of a pun-spewing black cat."So..." he started, but the rest of the sentence was lost to him. What was he supposed to say? What was going through her mind? The only emotions he could read were confusion and a small dash of panic. The confusion was expected, but the panic had him worried. Was the idea that he was Adrien that worrisome for her?Ladybug seemed to also lack the words to speak, only really repeating his sentence starter, "So..." Finally adding, "...you-you're really Adrien Agreste, aren't you?" Her words came out both hurried and stunted, the surprise clearly showing in every syllable. "The one and only." He replied, adding a bow and trying to shoot her his trademark smile, if not to comfort her nerves, to comfort his own. It was a weird feeling having a mask on but having someone address him by his real name. Especially since that person was his lady.Suddenly, her earrings gave a warning beep, warning her that her identity was still at risk. "I-I have to go." She said, using her yo-yo out and pulling herself away, without another word.He took a deep breath and exhaled; that wouldn't be an issue for him anymore.++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++When Adrien made it home, he changed back and was relieved to see Plagg again."Hey Adrien. Where the camembert? I'm starving."Well, partly.He handed his kwami a piece of his preferred stinking cheese, which Plagg took greedily, before Adrien collapsed on his bed, looking up at the ceiling of his room and processing what had happened.Ladybug knew his face, his name. What would that mean for them? Their teamwork? Their lives, if they intertwined at all? Did she know him in her personal life or did she just know him from his pictures all over the city? Even with his mask removed, he still was no closer to knowing who his lovely lady was."You know, you need to be more careful with what you do to protect Ladybug." Plagg told him, though it seemed oddly casual between bites. He would have assumed that he would be scolded for revealing himself, but then again, he was never told he couldn't tell his partner who he was. Or maybe Plagg just didn't care. Either way, it didn't seem to matter at this point anyway.Suddenly, Adrien heard a reporter on his TV. Right, he was watching TV when word of Lady Fisher got out and he left to the scene without shutting it off. He went to turn the device off when he heard "… discovered Chat Noir's real identity."Oh no.He hurried to the couch and sat down, watching the report rollout."It seems like one half of the superhero duo, maybe none other than Adrien Agreste, teen model and son of Gabriel Agreste, designer and owner of Agreste Fashion. This footage was recorded at the scene..."The footage in question was the moment he had pushed Ladybug out of the way of Fisher's net. In goes Chat Noir, out pops Adrien Agreste.Adrien shifted nervously in his seat. He didn't see any reporters at the scene, but he should have known they were there. Heck, the footage was probably Alya's since she always seemed to be able to get the best footage. A knot of anxiety formed in his stomach; his friends, they now knew who he was. And since this being broadcasted, it was only a matter of time until his father found out. The knot got bigger.His father. He may have been out of the city for business, but that was bound to change when he heard. Adrien knew just how his father would react. He would be just as cold and closed off as always, yet raise his voice, scolding him for taking risks and saving people instead of doing his studies (or whatever activity his father put above saving the city). He would pull him from school and take away his friends, the first friends he had ever really had. He would be trapped in his room again, unable to be himself, unable to breathe.He didn't realize he was slowing curling into a ball until Plagg snapped him out of it; "Hey Kid. Relax."Relax? How was he supposed to relax? He was just getting a taste of what normality and freedom felt like, and now it was going to be stolen away from him. "Plagg, what am I going to do?" The little kwami shrugged, "Have some Camembert?" Adrien signed; he should have known that Plagg would be of no real help.He jumped at the sound of his phone ringing. He pulled out the device and braved himself to speak to his father, but physically relaxed when he saw that it was Nino. He must have seen the news. Well, at least, it wasn't his father. Adrien answered the phone as casually as he could, "Hello?" "Adrien. Is it true? Are you really Chat Noir?" Nino's voice was three times louder and twice as concerned than usual. He bit his lip; maybe he could play it off? "Whoa, Nino. Calm down, what's going on?"Nino took a breath before restarting; "Alya was doing her normal thing. You know, following leads on Akuma attacks for footage of Ladybug and Chat Noir for her blog. Well, she saw Chat Noir get trapped in the Akuma's net and when it was picked up, Chat was you. Or well, looked like you. I guess, if you don't know what I'm talking about, then it wasn't you and it was just an allusion or trick of the light or something…" He trailed off, his voice still filled with concern. It made Adrien's heart ache to have someone care that much, or at least showed that they cared. He couldn't lie to Nino, not to his best friend."Well, actually Nino…" he started, but didn't know how to finish. 'I really am Chat Noir, one half of Paris' unstoppable superhero duo' seemed too casual to follow up Nino's concern. Yet, he also didn't want to escalate anything either."Nah, man. I'm sorry for calling so panicked." Nino said, cutting off Adrien's thoughts, "I was just concerned. I mean, you're my best friend and if you were putting yourself in harm's way… I don't know." The ache gripped at Adrien again; he had to be honest."Nino, I am Chat Noir."He said it fast so he couldn't change his mind, and at first, he wondered if Nino even understood him, but after a couple seconds of silence, a soft chuckle was heard; "You know… That makes your disappearances make more sense, and the times you didn't answer your phone." Another sigh, "It's scary, you know. Some of those akumas are no joke and you and LB take them on every other day. I know that it's part of the superhero thing, and that super noble and all, but…"Adrien could tell where this was going. "I'm careful, Nino. Ladybug and I have each other's backs. Everything is totally fine.""But, what if it isn't." Nino replied, the care strengthening in his voice, "What if you get hurt? What if your seat is empty at school because something bad happened to you? What if…" Nino stopped himself from continuing, but Adrien knew what his next point was meant to be."Look, I only care because you're my best friend, Adrien. You're the best friend I've had in a long time. I just don't want you to get hurt.""I won't." Adrien reassured, but his own voice failed him at the end. It was a promise all heroes make, but can never keep. He tried to lighten it up a bit, "The suit is mostly indestructible, and I am one of Paris' greatest heroes so you can't get rid of me that easily." Part of his response sounded more like Chat Noir than Adrien, but he needed to channel more Chat in this. He needed to act more confident than he really felt.It paid off when Nino gave a chuckle on the other end, "Yeah, you're right. You've been saving Paris for about as long as I've known you, and you've been fine so far."There was another bout of silence, both boys unsure how to continue the conversation."Oh, just so you know, Alya is going to call you demanding an interview as soon as she gets off the phone with Marinette.""Marinette?" Adrien asked, and Nino made a humming sound; "I guess Alya needed to vent her frustration to someone. I mean, reporting everything Ladybug and Chat Noir related is her life, and she's kicking herself for not realizing that Chat Noir has been sitting in front of her every day in class." He gave a short chuckle, "Well, at least you aren't Ladybug or she would have called you before I could." Adrien did his best to chuckle back, but the knot in his stomach lingered."Yeah, I'll do what I can." Adrien told him, revealing a little too much of his own uncertainty of how much freedom he could have left when his father inevitably reached out to him about his secret double life.Nino gasped, and Adrien thought he had caught the emotions he was trying to hide, but then, when Nino chuckled, he knew it had to be something else; "Oh my gosh, I just realized that I made you had to fight me on your birthday because I got akumatized because your dad wouldn't let you have a party."Adrien gave a chuckle at his best friend's expense; "Yeah, that was a turn of events that I couldn't have seen coming. Though, despite the akuma part, I really did appreciate the thought." "Anything for my best bro." Nino replied, paused a bit, and then continued more timidly, "Though, speaking of your dad, what did he say? You know, when he found out that you're Chat Noir." Adrien gave a shrug that his friend couldn't see; "I don't know. I haven't heard from him yet. Though I'm not sure how long it will be until he says something."The silence returned."Well, maybe he will understand that it was for the good of Paris. That perhaps missing things here and there are for the best because, you know, you're saving the city and everything."Yeah, like saving the city was something his dad would find as a proper excuse.Despite his own thoughts on his father's reaction, Adrien thanked Nino for his support and concern. "It's no big deal, Adrien." Nino replied, "and if you ever need anything, just let me know and I'll make it happen." Adrien smiled, "Thanks, Nino.""I'll see you tomorrow, Dude."If he went to school tomorrow…He hung up and tossed the phone aside. He ran a hand through his hair and let a sigh pass through his lips. Plagg lingered nearby, his face starting to show concern with the situation his holder was dealing with. "So, what are you going to do, Kid?" Adrien stood up and walked towards the window, looking out over the city streets. The sun was just starting to set, causing the sky to be tinted with purples and pinks. "Well, if this is the last day I have before my life changes," he said, looking out over the city he loved, "I might as well make the most of it."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Marinette stood on her balcony, watching the moon rise as her best friend spoke hurriedly over the phone. She should have known that Alya would have been there, streaming everything onto the Ladyblog. She always was. And as surprised as Alya was by the reveal of Chat Noir’s real identity, Marinette’s confusion was at least doubled.Alya had only worked with Chat Noir once, but Ladybug worked with him every day, and knowing that the person under that cocky, flirtatious, spontaneous catsuit was the reserved, love of her life was a little hard to swallow. Not to mention the fact that it had been Adrien flirting with her relentlessly for so long, and she told him there was someone else. Which was himself.It was a mess in her head that would take days to unravel."Mari? Are you still there?" Alya asked, breaking her from her personal thoughts, "What? Oh, yeah Alya. Sorry. It's just a lot to take in. I mean, Adrien is Chat Noir? Are you sure?" "I'm convinced." Alya replied, "One minute, Chat Noir pushes Ladybug out of the way of Lady Fisher's net, and the next, he's turned back into your pretty boy model, Adrien Agreste.""That's crazy…" Marinette said, stating the understatement of the century. She had been working alongside her crush all this time. She had kissed him to bring him back to his senses. She had kissed Adrien!Her face warmed up, as Alya continued to ramble; "Tell me about it; I almost dropped my phone when I saw it! I've been so close to him this whole time. I wonder if he knows who Ladybug is? Could it be that she's been that close to me too? Gosh, I'm a failure of a reporter." Marinette chuckled lightly, "Don't be so hard on yourself. None of us could have guessed it.""But, I guessed it!" an annoyed wail came from the other end, "I have a picture on my phone with Adrien in Chat's suit, and commented how similar they looked! I can't believe this. I must be the blindest reporter to ever exist.""Maybe the suits are magic and help disguise the wearer." Marinette suggested, trying to comfort her friend (and excuse her own blindness), "And hey, at least, you know where to go if you need something for the Ladyblog.""That's true… I'll have to ask him the suit thing when we talk again. Speaking of, I should go and ask him for an exclusive interview."
"Please don't rough on him, Alya." She told her, but Alya had already said hurried goodbyes and hung up.Marinette sighed and looked at her kwami, who had been floating nearby during the call; "I can't believe it, Tikki. The same boy that I've been admiring all this time is the partner I fight akumas with every day. And, they act so differently.""Is that such a bad thing, Marinette?" Tikki asked, and she shook her head, "No, it's not bad. Just confusing…"She looked out over the cityscape. It was darker now with the street lights being the main source of light for the random Parisians that were making their ways home for the night. The air was nice and warm, though storm clouds were in the distance. But, for now, it was the perfect weather for thinking through her rather complicated situation.Suddenly, the red kwami flew down into Marinette's open trapdoor into her room, meaning that someone was approaching. From the outside. Marinette surveyed her surroundings, before spotting the silhouette of someone on her roof. Chat-er-Adrien?Marinette shook her head perplexed and the silhouette came closer, revealing themselves to be the same masked hero she had been just thinking of. It was weird seeing him after knowing who was under the costume."Hey, Princess." he greeted, moving on all fours across the railing as he often did when he visited. "C-Chat Noir…" she said, finding that to be the easier of the names to use with his current appearance, "W-what are you doing here?"He stopped and balanced himself in a sitting position. "You don't have to humor me; I know you know who I am under the mask." He said, his face looking bare without the usual smirk that rested under the mask, "And, as for why I'm here, I was patrolling the area and thought I should stop by. Come say hi. Maybe we could talk." "Talk?" she asked, quizzically and he nodded, "I mean, my identity has been revealed thanks to that Akuma earlier, and I know Alya had to have mentioned it to you so… I figured that you may have questions for me or… I don't know…"She shifted herself slightly so she could stand closer to Chat. She could tell by his tone that 'patrolling nearby' wasn't his only reason for stopping in. Sure, she didn't know her partner's real identity until that afternoon, but working so closely with someone allowed her to know most everything else about him."What's wrong, Kitty?" she asked, the pet name slipping out before she gave it more thought, causing her to blush in the dark. Lucky for her, he was still looking over the city; "Nothing. I'm just… Getting used to the idea of people knowing, I guess…" He looked down at her, "I guess, I thought being here could make that transition a little easier to swallow.""Here?" Marinette echoed, and he nodded, "You're the only person that knows me both inside this suit and out. You know in your head that I'm Adrien, but your eyes still see Chat Noir." He smiled wistfully, "That's why you still call me, Kitty or Chat. It's a reflex." He looked back at the view around them, "I guess, I wanted to feel like just Chat Noir for just a little longer."Marinette looked at him in silence; she never really had time through her own processing of the event to give a lot of thought to just how much this reveal must have been for him. It wasn't revealed on his own terms, to just the people he trusted. Everyone in the city now knew who was under that mask. Chat Noir would now be synonymous with Adrien Agreste. And, all because he had saved Ladybug of that fate."But, if that's too much to ask for," Chat said, cutting off her thought, "I can just leave you to process everything."He turned to leave but Marinette instinctively grabbed his tail, keeping him in his place, "No, stay. Stay as long as you need to."He rocked back on his heels and looked over his shoulder at the girl; "See, that's what I mean about reflex."She noticed what she had done and pulled her hand back, but Chat was quicker. He spun and grabbed her hand in his, and gave it a kiss like he often did. Marinette blushed, causing him to give a smile dripping with bittersweet nostalgia. "It was too much to hope for, wasn't it? That I could come here, call you Princess, and we just pretend that you don't sit behind me every day in school." He let go of her hand and sat back down on the railing, looking out once again.She gave a sigh at the same time as he. She was trying her best, but he was right. It wasn't the same. This wasn't her pretending to not be his partner; this was pretending that he wasn't her partner and the boy she had fallen for. The casual flirting and banter were different because she actually knew who was saying it. However, she was proud of how composed she acted. At least, she wasn't tripping over her every word like usual. Perhaps, he was right about the mask helping a bit."Why, me?" Marinette asked, causing her masked friend to look at her, "Pardon?""You said that I'm the only person that knows you with and without the mask. How come?" she asked, quickly adding, "I don't mean that you planned that or anything. It's just an odd bout of chance, isn't it?" So much for not tripping over her words.He chuckled again, though this time she thought it may have had something to do with her stumbling over her phrasing, and looked away; "That's the overall question, isn't it? If I have all of Paris as my playground, and a mask to keep my identity hidden, why spend my time with a girl I could just as easily see without my mask. Why befriend you as Chat Noir when you were already one of my closest friends?" He gave her a sideways glance, "The first few times I came to your rescue were by chance of course, but I kept coming back because honestly I just like being here with you. You have always treated me, Chat Noir, like a person. Not like a hero, not like a celebrity. You've always seen me as another human being. Plus, it was nice to be able to talk to you without all the stumbling." He gave her a playful wink, and the girl blushed, though she wondered if she would have regardless of her new knowledge.He held her, Marinette, in such a high regard that he chose to spend time with her between his patrols. It made her heart swell, but she tried to hide it. Now was not the time to confess her long-lasting feelings. He had so many things going on in his mind already. "You're one of my best friends too, Chat Noir." she told him, causing him to smile. "You can call me Adrien if you want to get used to that."
"O-okay, Adrien…" she replied, trying to match the name with the suit.To her surprise, it wasn't as hard to do as she had first thought. There were differences between the two identities to be sure, but they both had similarities that were hard to ignore. Loyalty to those closest to him being the most obvious. The kindness in his eyes was next. Not to mention the physical resemblances. She had zeroed into Adrien so much, that she ignored all the clues that he was Chat Noir. She really had been blind.There was a moment of comfortable silence between the pair as they looked back over the city. Until the first few drops of rain started to fall around them. "I should go." the boy said, turning and leaping onto the roof, facing her. He took her hand and gave a bow, kissing it in a way similar to the first day they had met like this when he protected her from Evillustrator. Unlike then, his cat-like eyes weren't filled with their usual flirty playfulness; they were dulled due to heavy thoughts weighing hard in his mind. Something was wrong."What are you thinking about?" she asked, as he released her hand and stood up so their eyes were almost level for the first time since he had arrived. He ran a hand through his hair, and tried to hide the dullness with a smile; "Nothing you should worry yourself with, Princess. I'll see you soon."He turned away from her and readied himself to leave, but Marinette couldn't bear to see him leave like that. "Adrien, wait."The sound of his proper name caused him to stop and glance back at her. "You know, you can tell me anything. Like you said, I know both Chat and Adrien. I know something is upsetting you. Please let me help." He gave a short chuckle, but it wasn't from amusement; "There isn't anything to help."She thought he would leave, but instead, he just stood there as the rain began to fall faster onto them.They stood in silence, until Adrien abruptly said, "Have you ever wanted something so badly that you could taste it? And, when you finally had it, you couldn't help but enjoy every second of it?"She hadn't experienced it first-hand, but she could gather what that must be like. Pounding heart, adrenaline racing through your veins, a smile that you couldn't remove no matter how hard you try."But," he continued, his back still to her, "you know that it's about to be taken away from you again; you just don't know when. So, there's this panicking ache in the pit of your stomach as you try to grab every moment before they are stolen away?"That's when he turned to her, his cat-like eyes looking like his suit, damp and getting wetter by the second; "That's how I feel right now.""Oh, Chat…" she said, "Everything will be okay."He didn't say anything. He merely bit his lip and shook his head. Marinette looked at him, wondering what had gotten him so upset? Had Master Fu demanded his miraculous back? Or was he talking about something else entirely?In all the time Marinette had known Adrien, or Chat Noir, she had never seen either of his sides this emotionally vulnerable. He was usually either reserved and kind, or flirtatious and carefree. The only time she had seen him upset was after Ladybug told him that she only saw Chat Noir as a friend. But, even that didn't include dampened eyes and a look of hopelessness. It made her heart sink to see him that upset.In two steps and without a single thought, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a comforting hug. She hoped he wouldn't feel her increased heart rate as she held him. Her feelings meant nothing right now. This was a friend comforting a friend who was scared of something, who was near tears. She couldn't let him suffer like that alone, no matter what name he went by.Adrien stood there for a couple seconds, obviously stunned by her quick response, but he soon wrapped his arms around her shoulders, burying his face in her neck. The rain continued to pour on the duo, but neither of them wanted to move.For Marinette, this was comfortable, natural almost, but for him, it felt like home should. Warm, safe, loving.That's when he started to lose control, the tears falling down his face into Marinette's hair. He couldn't help it; he was so scared of losing this. Losing the ability to visit his friends, to go to school, to have the freedom to do whatever he wanted to do and not what his father said he must.Marinette didn't know any of this, however; she just held him as he cried for reasons unknown to her, the sounds of such an optimistic person breaking apart filled her ears and broke her own heart.The rain shot down on them, soaking them from head to toe. They pulled each other closer for both comfort and warmth until the sound of thunder was heard in the distance. Marinette could hear sniffs, as Adrien's tried to gather his composure once again. When he pulled away, even the fast drops of rain dripping from his long blond hair couldn't hide the tear trails that rested where his mask stopped. His eyes were still green but had minor tint of red that she only noticed because they were standing so close together.They just looked at each other, arms still wrapped around until the second thunder sounded, this time louder than before."M-maybe, we should go inside." Marinette suggested, become more in tune with their situation and looking towards the sound of thunder (and away from Adrien's eyes), "We- you can figure out what you want to do after the storm passes."She looked back at Chat, who gave her a small smile despite the tears that were still surrounding his eyes; "I think that would be wise."Even though neither of them wanted to be the first to let go, Marinette eventually slipped her arms off, remembering that she had to somehow alert Tikki to stay hidden. Adrien had enough going on in his mind; he didn't need to know about her secret too.She motioned with her head towards the skylight. "Come on. That storm sounds close." As if to emphasize Marinette's point, the thunder rumbled again."Alright, lead the way."Marinette turned to the already open skylight, cursing herself for not paying more attention to the weather, and slipped onto her bed below, her eyes looking for the red kwami. She couldn't see her so she decided saying something out loud would have to be enough to warn her. As Chat Noir slipped in behind her, closing the latch to prevent any more rain to fall onto the damp bed they were on, Marinette started down the steps; "You can sit over there if you'd like." she said, gesturing to the chaise.When she reached the floor, she did a quick scan of her room, making sure that the coast was clear."Just make yourself comfortable. I'll be right back."She made her way to the main floor and saw her parents, Tom was sitting on the couch watching a repeat of the news footage, while her mother was cooking dinner. She tried to sneak around them to get the supplies she wanted, but that was thrown out the window when she reached the floor, and they both looked at her."Hey, Mari. Have you seen this?" her father asked, gesturing to the tv, "They've discovered the identity of Chat Noir."
"Poor kid." Her mother mused, and Marinette sighed her agreement.As the reported continued with the name of the unmasked cat, she saw her father perk a little, "Wait a minute, isn't that the boy that you-""Papa…" she said quickly, trying to silence him.Her trap door was still open, and, even without Chat's keen hearing, she was sure Adrien could be listening if he really wanted to be. That's when Sabrine noticed how soaked her daughter was. "Honey, what happened to you?""Oh, I-uh- was on the roof, and-um- got stuck in the rain." Marinette tried to explain, leaving out the part about the boy who sat in her room. "Ah, well you should get a towel and some dry clothes before dinner." Her mother said, turning back to her work. "I was about to do that," she said quickly, but when she turned her back, Tom added, "Ask if he wants to stay for dinner."Marinette froze in place; "W-Who?" "Adrien. That's who's upstairs, right?" Marinette discovered that Chat wasn't the only one with good hearing. She blushed, and words started to spill out of her mouth; "It's not what you think. He just came over to talk and then it started to rain and-" "Just go get him, Mari." Her mother prompted, kindly, "That poor boy has gone through a lot today and probably would like something to eat."Marinette sheepishly did as she was told.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Adrien sat criss-cross on Marinette's chaise, detransformed, and staring at the hands in his lap. He could hear Marinette talking with her parents, but didn't focus on the words. His thoughts were far louder.He shouldn't have lost composure like that. He should have been strong enough to say goodbye and fall apart at home in his room, curled in his bed; just like he had done more times than he wanted to admit.But, Marinette had looked at him with such concern for him and his wellbeing, and he was quickly becoming more aware of his weakness around people that weren't afraid to show emotions like that. They seemed to help with the ache he had felt since his mother had disappeared, though he couldn't identify what the ache was to begin with.Loneliness?A need for the affection he never got from his father?A combination of both?Whatever it was, the second he was enveloped in that hug, something so warm and inviting, he felt safe enough to let himself go. Thankfully, she didn't seem to mind."Adrien, I'm hungry!" Plagg complained, much louder than Adrien liked, and he shushed him. "Do you want everyone to know you're here?" "It doesn't matter if they give me food." Plagg replied though Adrien knew that wasn't really the case. Or at least, he figured as much when Plagg flew into his jacket as Marinette came back up her stairs. She didn't start speaking at first, and he noticed her face was a little redder than it was before."Um, Adrien." She started, making just as much eye contact with the floor than with him, "My -um- parents -um- wanted to know if you wanted to stay for -uh- dinner…" Under normal circumstances, he found her stammering charming or -dare he say it- sort of cute, but it was why she was stuttering that caused him to find nervousness in his own voice; "They know I'm here…" "Yeah, they must have heard me talking to you before I came downstairs…" she replied, continuing to split her eye contact between him and the floor. He could hear Plagg's chuckle in his inside pocket."Am I- I mean, are they-""No. They aren't upset or anything." Marinette quickly told him, causing him to relax some. "Well, if I'm not intruding…" "No, you wouldn't be intruding." She assured him, causing a little smile to curl the corner of his lip, "I'd love to stay for dinner. It's not like I had other plans at the moment."The thunder boomed, almost like it was right outside, signaling that he made the wise call. He may have been a little reckless at times, but he wasn't stupid enough to run around outside with a metal pole in a thunderstorm.Marinette looked at him, something in her blue irises that reminded him of his lady's. He didn't have more time to think of that, when she spoke; "Oh, I'm glad. I mean- they'll be glad. I mean-" She simply shook her head, a mild look of frustration on her face, and he couldn't help his smile.Okay, yeah; the stutter was cute.Wait, what?"Thank you, Marinette." He told her, trying to ease the conversation away from whatever was making her stammer, for both their sakes. Marinette shifted from side to side; "It wasn't me. My mom just wanted to make sure that you had eaten and-" "That's not what I meant." He told her, walking over while trying to find the words to express his gratitude to the bluenette. How could he express to her how much her kindness meant to him?She seemed to understand him without the need of words, though. "It-It's fine, Adrien. Chat-er- you have saved my life more times than I'd like to admit…"He knit his brows together; he didn't really remember protecting her more than a handful of times. Maybe, she was counting all the times she's almost fallen down the stairs…"Anyway," she continued, causing his eyes to meet hers, "being here for you when you needed me more is the least I could do for you -er, I mean, the hero of Paris." He could feel his cheeks warm up, and this time he didn't have a mask to hide behind. He rubbed the back of his neck; "Well, I have a great partner that always has my back, so, I really can't take all the credit."There was a moment of silence, and he could swear that Marinette was just as red then as she was when she came upstairs. Was she feeling well?Before he had a chance to ask, she met his eyes and spoke in a way that scared away the silence; "Anyway, you should go downstairs. Dinner should be ready and I need to change out of- you know?" He looked at her, properly realizing just how wet her clothing was. He was thankful that when he detransformed, his normal clothing was dry. He had forgotten that she didn't have such a luxury. "Oh, right." He said, his voice just as awkward as hers had been.They passed each other, but when he reached the stairs, he turned back at the girl; "Marinette?" She looked at him, "Yes?""Do they know Chat's here or Adrien?"She gave a sigh, "Both? They know about the incident, so…""Oh, right." He said, trying to not show the disappointment in his voice; of course, they knew. Everyone knew.So, why hadn't he heard from his father or Nathalie? The only people to contact him since the reveal was Nino and dozens of texts from Alya. He would get to those when he knew how to answer them.But first, he had to get past dinner. It wasn't that he wanted to refuse the Dupain-Cheng's hospitality, or that he wasn't hungry- the ache in his stomach reminded him that he hadn't eaten since the akuma attack. It was just that, well, he didn't really know what to say to them. About the reveal or the fact that he had entered their home from their daughter's skylight. Socializing with parents' of friends was never his strongest suit.His super suit was.Smirking at the joke even Chat Noir would be too embarrassed to say out loud, he made his way downstairs.The first thing Adrien noticed was the smell of dinner coming to greet him. It smelled amazing, just like anything that seemed to come from here. The second thing he noticed was Tom and Sabine watching him, with gazes he was too nervous to read."Hello." He tried to say as casually as he could, then he met their eyes, seeing expressions he didn't expect. Tom had a look of thankfulness, while Sabine looked at him with what could only be described as motherly concern."Hello, Adrien." Tom greeted, reaching out a hand for him to shake, "So, it's true about what the reports have been saying." Adrien accepted the hand, and have a tentative nod. Before he had a chance to release the handshake, he was pulled into a bear hug by the larger man; "Thank you for everything you've done for Paris."Adrien could tell instantly where Marinette got her hugs and kindness from, and if he hadn't already ridiculed himself for losing himself the first time, he may have been tempted to fall into that one as well.When he was let go, Sabine gave him a much more dainty hug; "If you ever need anything all, just let us know. You're always welcome here." Adrien had to blink the moisture away from his eyes; this family was gonna be the death of his composure. "Thank you, Mr. & Mrs. Dupain-Cheng." He replied, unsure what else to say. Tom waved his concern away; "Don't mention it. Now, let's eat."Just as everyone surrounded the table, Marinette quickly started down the stairs. She was dressed much more casually than Adrien had ever seen her; she was wearing light pink joggers and a matching sweater over a polka-dotted shirt, and her damp hair was down for the first time that he had seen. "Ah, there she is." Tom greeted, causing her to smile sheepishly, as she sat down across from Adrien.The dinner was quiet at first. It was obvious that no one really knew how to address the reveal from earlier that day, yet the silence was comfortable between them. "This is really good." Adrien said, finally breaking the silence, "Thank you, Ms. Cheng." Sabine smiled and Tom made a joke about that being the reason he had married her, which caused an affectionate hit on his arm from his wife.Adrien couldn't help the smile that formed in the corner of his mouth. He had never eaten dinner in such warm company. Even when his mother was around, his father was still busy, leaving it just the two of them, making small talk but not really talking at all. Seeing such open teasing and affection made him a little jealous that, even when he was at his happiest, he still never had this.Well, until then.He looked at Marinette, who was watching her parents with a comfortable smile. "I don't think I've seen your hair down before." he mentioned, causing her to meet his eyes.She blushed lightly, and gave a shy smile; "Oh, yeah. Well, I don't have it down much anymore. I mean, I used to when I was younger, but I don't really anymore. It gets in the way too much.""I think it looks nice." He complimented, looking back at his plate. He could hear a cute little giggle from the girl across the table.He mentally told himself to stop using the word 'cute' to describe Marinette. She was a very close friend, and close friends aren't meant to be 'cute'.
"So, how are you doing, after what happened earlier?" Sabine asked, that motherly care Adrien had noted before coming into her question.He looked up at her and shrugged; "Fine, I guess. I mean, I don't really like the fact that it's being broadcast across Paris…"The knot in his stomach gripped him, reminding him that it wasn't just hunger that had been bothering him all this time. There were still so many reproductions of what happened that he hadn't faced yet; he didn't even know how to face them. He just wished he could go back before everyone knew who Chat Noir was; when his secret was safe.Yet, there was a part of him that told him that it was going to be fine, somehow. Besides, he was currently having dinner with the most welcoming family he had ever known. That had to account for something. And, even if it didn't…"But, if I didn't do it, it would have been Ladybug going through all of this. And, if given the choice again, I'd still do it to protect her identity.""How did she take the news of who you are?" Tom asked, throwing his question into the pile.Adrien only shrugged; "We didn't really have time to talk about it after we took down Lady Fisher. I was hoping to run into her on a patrol, but then the storm started." He looked down at his plate, thinking 'I only hope she's not disappointed with me'. When he looked up, he saw multiple looks of sympathy looking back at him.Did he say that out loud, or was his worry just that evident?
No one had a chance to confirm or deny anything as his phone started to ring. He glanced down and noticed Nathalie's name on his screen.So, it began."I'm sorry. This is Father's assistant. I should take it.""No problem." Marinette said, "You can take it in my room if you need privacy."He smiled at her and tapped her shoulder once in thanks as he passed her to go back up the stairs.Well, he had prolonged the inevitable long enough.He answered the phone with a hello, and instantly was greeted with a curt greeting back, "Hello, Adrien. I'm sure you've seen the news." He gave a sigh, "Yes, Nathalie." A sigh came from the other side of the phone, as Nathalie told him, "I had to call your father."The knot tightened enough to make him feel sick."He's on his way home and should be here in the morning." She hesitated in a way that made Adrien nervous, "He wants to talk to you as soon as he's home."'Wants to'. More like 'demands to'. His father never wanted to talk to him; not unless he had done something unbefitting the Agreste name and was about to be reprimanded for it.Nathalie continued with a question, "Where are you? I'm sending the car to get you."Adrien bit his lip, "I was taking a walk to clear my head, but I got caught in the rain. I ducked in for cover at the Dupain-Cheng Bakery. I understand that I have to get home, but please, just let me stay a little longer."He could hear the plea in his own voice, just like he had pleaded to be allowed to go to school, to try to be normal."You have twenty minutes, Adrien."Click.Twenty minutes. That was a little longer than the drive was supposed to take, meaning she had let him stay a little longer. Maybe she sympathized with him, like with his schooling. Perhaps, it was just because his father wasn't home yet and wouldn't know the difference. Either way, it didn't matter. He would be thankful for the little time he had left.He composed himself again and walked down the stairs. Marinette and her parents were talking around the table but seemed to casually stop their topic once he came in."Is everything okay." Sabine asked, and Adrien nodded, hiding his fear of the unknown behind the same smile he had used to mask himself every day; "Yeah. Nathalie needed to know where I was so they could come get me in twenty minutes or so."The four finished their dinner in the same style they had begun. Well, the Dupain-Chengs' anyway. They continued to talk about school, and Marinette's projects, and how the bakery was doing. Adrien nodded along, adding what he could while keeping himself quiet as he looked out the window. The rain continued to hammer down, yet the thunder seemed to be going farther and farther away. In some ways, the weather matched the storm inside of him. As the thunder crept away, so did his ability to ever enjoy anything like dinner with the Dupain-Chengs again.He couldn't have this anyway. His father was never this open, and his mother… Well, where ever she was, she didn't seem to be coming back anytime soon. He would have to get used to being an outsider of these kinds of things, no matter how much he wanted to be welcomed in. He wasn't lucky enough for that.Marinette noticed the change in Adrien's temperament immediately. At the beginning of dinner, Adrien was so involved, so present. But after he had gotten off the phone, he was distant, aloof.What had happened? Was something at home the reason he had come to her roof all along?She continued to engage with her parents' conversation, but she couldn't stop watching the blond, who kept his face out the window and a smile as false as photoshop on his lips as he talked.He was right all along about one thing about her: she knew both Adrien and Chat Noir like the back of her hand, both as a partner and a friend, and the way he was acting meant there was something wrong."Adrien," she prompted, when dinner was at its end, "I'm not sure how much time you have left before your ride gets here, but I was wondering if you wanted to go play some UMS III, to help get your mind off everything that happened today."He looked at her, and shot her that faux smile, "Sure, Marinette."The game was set up in her room, from the night before when she had been playing -strike that- destroying Alya at it, and, after an excuse to her parents about why they couldn't bother to reset it back in the living room due to time constraints, she and Adrien made their way back to her room.It wasn't that she was trying to get alone time with him. Oh, who was she kidding; of course she was. But it had nothing to do with her feeling for him. She just figured he would be more open to talking to her alone than with her parents shadowing them.Once they were seated in front of her monitor, she handed him a remote; "I have that lucky charm you gave me for my birthday; let's see if it works."He looked at her, one eyebrow cocked in a way that reminded her of Chat Noir; "You seem to have forgotten that I still have yours." He fished it out of his pocket to prove his point, "So, at best, we're even."Oh, had he challenged her abilities? This may have been meant as a distraction from whatever was bothering him, but now it was war."I also seem to remember winning without any lucky charm, so if anything, you've just made me more powerful."He dropped his head and she was about to claim her victory, but then he looked up in a way that reminded her of her partner; "Or maybe I jinxed you with that charm, waiting for the perfect time to best you."She could feel head face warm and she looked away; she could take that mischievous look from Chat Noir, but not eye to eye with Adrien Agreste.He had won that round.As they started to play, it was clear that the distraction was beginning to work for Adrien. When he would get a good hit on the opponent, she could hear him mutter a pun. If they hit him back, he would make a bantering comment to her about letting him down in his time of need. There was even a moment where she could have sworn that he called her 'Princess' again, though that could have just been imagined. Regardless, it was playing with a good friend, the relationship he claimed to want for them all this time.It was amazing how much more comfortable he was with her, and her with him, now that the secret was out. That she had no reason to stutter around him, because at heart, Adrien was just a dork that had a love for puns and bantering at the wrong time.Realizing both sides of the guy she really liked had to be one good thing to come out of this mess.When the match was up, Adrien reached for his phone and his smile faded. "They're here." He looked at her and managed to smile again; "Thank you, Marinette. It's been fun.""I'll walk you down." She said, putting her remote on the desk.He went to argue and she cut him off, "No arguments, Chat."That comment seemed to flip a switch in him. "But, that's the thing I'm good at." He teased, bumping her slightly with his hip.Though, being Marinette, she started to fumble around. She managed to stay upright, if for no other reason than Adrien's arms on her shoulder to keep her there."Sorry, Princess.""It's fine." She told him, properly noting that she didn't imagine the pet name this time, "B-but, we should go before you get into trouble with -uh- your dad or Nathalie."He gave a nod, and they both made their way down the stairs, her heart bouncing off her ribcage. Having your flirty best friend mixed with your die-hard crush was gonna be a lot harder than she originally hoped.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

After The Dupain-Chengs and Adrien had exchanged their quick goodbyes and thank yous, both of which made Adrien long to stay, he followed Marinette down the stairway that led to the main door. He kept his arms, clasped behind his back and a plastic bag of cookies Sabrine had insisted he take home in his pocket. His thoughts were all jumbled in his mind, begging to be sorted out again.

In the forefront was his anxiety about what was to await him at home. What would Nathalie say? What would happen the next day when his father was pulled home early due to his actions as Chat Noir?

The next pressing matter was his fate as Chat Noir. Even if his father let him continue his life as the cat of the night, what would happen? Would the city still trust him as their protector? Would Ladybug know that he still had her back; that he would sacrifice his life to protect her. Or, would his recklessness with his identity cause him to lose his miraculous to whoever had given it to him in the first place?

Lastly, there was this minor thread of consciousness that was focused on the girl he was following. He had been concerned that she would feel betrayed that he had been seeing her behind a mask for so long, but she seemed open to it. Thankful for it almost. She, and her family, had welcomed him, secret and all, into their home with open arms. And it felt like home. Or at least, it felt like the way people in movies described Home. Warm. Inviting. Safe. Plus, the ever-present smell of cookies helped to seal that mental image. It was a place where his Chat side, his real side, could thrive.

But, no. That wasn’t what home was for him. His home was cold, echoing, lonely. He had to go back because that’s where Adrien Agreste belonged. And, for all intents and purposes, that Chat Noir didn’t exist anymore.

Marinette glanced back at the boy who followed her; his face flashing with the thoughts that plagued his mind. She wanted to help him, but there was only so much that a small baker’s daughter could do. But, there was something that Ladybug could do.

She had forgotten that in her haste to do her mental decompressing as far away from her partner as possible, that she had left him alone. Wondering if he had done something wrong. If he was wrong.

But, he wasn’t. He was perfect. The perfect partner, the perfect friend, the perfect-

She cut her thoughts off there. Now was not the time to focus on those thoughts. She had already been so focused on herself that she missed the bigger picture. She couldn’t do that again.

That was the reason she held him so tight in the pouring rain. Because if Ladybug had let him down, Marinette would be there to pick up her slack.

However, Ladybug still had a chance to make things right again.

They reached the ground floor without either of them speaking a word and it seemed to surprise both parties that their journey had ended. “Well, I guess I’ll see you in school?” Marinette offered, trying to find a way to properly say goodbye, but also have enough time to execute her plan. Adrien just shrugged; “Honestly, I’m not sure about that. I mean, you know how mad he got over a stupid book. How do you think he’s gonna take me evading his orders and spending my time as Chat Noir?”

Her heart plummeted; it

was

home he was so broken about. It was fear of what would happen when his father got home.

She didn’t know much about Adrien’s home life, mainly because he avoided talking about it in detail, but from the comments she had picked up from both school and her adventures with Chat, it wasn’t as warm and loving as hers was.

“I’m sorry…” she replied, gently kicking the floor under her foot. “Don’t be, Marinette.” He replied, moving his hands on her shoulders, “In fact, I have to thank you.” She looked at him, “For what?” She could see him looking for the words to say, and he seemed to settle with, “For inviting me to stay inside out of the rain.”

She didn’t have much thought to any deeper meaning to his comment before he pulled her into a hug. It was similar to the one she had given him before, but with one large difference.

Adrien was the one who started it.

When she got over her surprise, she hugged him back, forcing herself to not think about the fact that Adrien Agreste was hugging her, holding her in a tight embrace for the second time that night. She commanded her heart to start beating normally again.

When he pulled away, he had an apologetic smile on his lips; “Sorry. I shouldn’t get so emotional.”

‘No, I like it,’ was undoubtedly

not

the right thing to say, there it was, slipping out of her mouth before her conscious could keep up with it. Her eyes grew wide, “I mean, It’s normal to have emotions and it’s okay to show them. Not that you don’t show emotions normally. It’s just nice to see you display them more like Chat. I mean, being Adrien is fine-”

Her rambling was put to a sudden stop when he felt his fingers on her lips. He had never stopped her rambling before, but she didn’t mind that it was stopped like that. Not when it’s followed up with a lopsided, Chat-like smile; “I understand.”

Then, it was as if he remembered he didn’t have a mask on anymore and looked down, his smile slipping into one of embarrassment that didn’t help Marinette’s heart rate one bit. “Sorry. I just didn’t want you to feel like you had to excuse yourself.” He cleared his throat and looked up to meet her eyes; “I’ll see you soon?” After she gave a small nod, he made his leave.

Adrien didn’t know why he acted that way around Marinette, smirking at her, touching her lips like that. Sure, he didn’t want to leave her floundering with her own words, but at the same time, they were-

“‘Just very good friends’, huh?” his kwami taunted from his pocket. He didn’t have time for this; not while his own mind was searching for an answer of his own. “Shut it, Plagg.” He hissed has his driver slid into his seat.

It seemed that Adrien had gotten himself from one mind-scrambling situation to another all day, and frankly, he didn’t know when that would end. All he knew what that placing his fingers on her lips wasn’t his first instinct, and that was what made the thread of thoughts about Marinette into a web of confusing feelings.

Marinette wasn’t faring any better. He had left her immobilized, just as he did when he lent her his umbrella on the first day they had met. Only this time, there was history and comments, jokes and pick-up lines, all wrapping around in her mind, linking her to Adrien Agreste: school crush by day, superhero partner by night. And, at that moment, Marinette knew for sure that her control over her emotions was in danger. How was she going to see him in class without spazzing out more than usual? How was Ladybug supposed to fight alongside Chat Noir if his decorum continued like that?

If the revelation was just to her, he would have rushed to him, put her spots on, and confessed her feelings to him there and then.

But, the reveal wasn’t to her. It was to the world. And, Adrien had so many fears in his mind, so many emotions that he had bottled up, that she couldn’t give him one more complication situation to worry about.
No, her feeling for him was her cross to bear and her secret to keep. At least, until things calmed down again. Besides, if he knew who was under Ladybug’s mask, would it change his love for her?

She shook her head. She couldn’t think about it. Instead, she had to follow through with her plan.

When she made it back to the apartment, her parents were already on their way to bed. With a kiss on the cheek for both of them, she started back up her stairs. She closed her trap door for the night and gave a sigh. “Tikki.” She called into the darkness, and she could soon make out the figure of her red friend. “So, how did it go with

Adrien

?” she asked, drawing out his name slightly. Marinette blushed slightly, but frowned, “He’s taking it really hard, Tikki. I feel really bad for him.” The kwami nodded; “There have been a few times that Miraculous holders’ identities get revealed to a group of people, but it’s the first time that the entire area knew at once.”
“I can’t imagine it.” Marinette mused, moving to collapse on her chaise, “I can’t believe that stupid cat risked everything for me, again.”

Or that ‘that stupid cat’ was Adrien the entire time. She moved her face into a pillow to hide the blush; nope, not going there.

She could hear Tikki flutter closer; “Well, Chat Noir always tries to protect you. Why would this be any different?”

“Because he had so much more to lose than I do…” Marinette replied, her face still in the soft fabric; “Adrien was so anxious about going home because of how his dad may react. Chat Noir is more than a duty for him; it’s an outlet…” She sat up and looked at her kwami, “I need to go tell him that this wasn’t in vain. Tikki, spots on.”

The ride home for Adrien was just as quiet as usual, with the exception of his continuously loud thoughts. He couldn’t let go of what happened at Marinette’s. If he was still Chat Noir, even with a blown identity, he could have blamed it on habit.

But, he was himself. He couldn’t blame his actions on his mask. He had to have a reason, but he couldn’t even begin to process what that reason was. Marinette was a friend, one of his best friends. So, why was his first thought about how to stop her rambling was to kiss her?

Perhaps it was the fact that he hadn’t had real friends until recently, and the way most people shut up others in movies and shows was to preoccupy their mouth in another way.

That excuse seemed to settle him enough to try to focus on the far more pressing events than a fleeting thought at the sight of his rambling classmate.

Pressing matters like his immediate future that he was rolling up to. His stomach lurched as the limo came to its stop. The rain was still pouring down as he made his way out off the vehicle and up the slick steps into the house.

It had always seemed hollow since his mother passed, but at that moment, the sounds his sneakers made on the tile floor seemed to echo forever, like there was just endless nothing in the space. Like he was the only person in the building. But, he knew he wasn’t. Nathalie stood in front of him, her professional demeanor overcoming any personal emotions she may or may not have had. “Your father instructed me to make sure you had eaten and had gone to bed. Your schedule has been cleared so he could talk to you when he gets home.”

Cleared. Father never cleared his schedule. That could only be bad.

“Am I allowed to go to school tomorrow?” he asked, dreading that he already knew the answer. The woman dropped her gaze and said, “Your father would be furious. You know that.”
“He already is, isn’t he?” Adrien replied, “He’s always mad at me for something. Sometimes I wish…”

He couldn’t finish that. How could he?

He may have felt anger towards his father, but at the end of it all, he was still his father. He still loved him and wanted him to be proud of him, even if that was an impossible task. Besides, he was all he had left.

Instead, Adrien walked to his room, mumbling a good night to Nathalie. It wasn’t her fault either. She was just doing her job.

He closed the door to his room and placed the plastic bag on his bed. “Ooh, what’s in there?” Plagg asked, free to come out of hiding. “Cookies,” he replied, without an enthusiasm, “Chocolate chip from the looks of it.” Plagg dove into the bag, and rummaged a bit, muttering something about the fact that there weren’t any cheese ones. Adrien ignored him, just plopping down on the bed.

He didn’t know what to think, what to feel. He needed to sleep, to shut down for a couple hours, but his thoughts kept racing causing him to realize that that wasn’t likely to happen. “I’m gonna shower.” He announced to no one as he pushed himself off the bed, hoping that doing something would, if nothing else, give him something else to think about for a while.

Ladybug flew through the rain, being careful to make sure her yo-yo and her footing were sure enough to not lose grip on the slick buildings of Paris. She used the extra time to try to formulate what to say. Regardless of her feelings, in that suit, she was Chat’s partner first and foremost. She had to push aside the last two hours as Marinette from her mind, so she could stay professional. Yet, she was also his friend.

The mental acrobatics rivaled her physical ones as she made her last leap into a rooftop of the Agreste mansion, near Adrien’s room. She peaked in; the lights were on, but Adrien didn’t seem to be in sight. She went to knock on the glass when she noticed that one of the windows was open. The stupid cat must have left it open and forgotten to close it before the rain started if the puddle on the floor was any indicator.

Not that you have anything to judge him on,

her thoughts scolded, reminding her of her more than the damp bed at home from the same mistake.

She shook her head and slipped into the room, making sure to make adequate noise to alert him to her presence if he was nearby. The only sound that greeted her was rummaging on the other side of the room. She walked over to inspect and was surprised when a large black bug flew up at her. No, not a bug. It was much too big, and it looked a little like a cat.

Chat’s kwami?

“Hello?” she greeted it, as it looked at her. “Hey, Ladybug,” it greeted nonchalantly, before shoving the end of a wedge of cheese in its mouth. This little guy seemed less formal than Tikki and more hungry. “I was looking for Chat.” She told him, looking around the room, “is he here?” “He’s in there,” it told her, gesturing to the not-quite-shut door across the room, a smile on his face before he flew elsewhere in the room. She made her way over to the door, opening it slightly, “Chat?”

He was there, drying his hair with a towel and wearing just a pair of red polka-dotted pajama pants. Ladybug gave a sound that only she could make and closed the door suddenly.

On the other side of the room, she could hear the kwami laughing at the exchange. She had just been pranked by a thousand-year-old god.

“Ladybug?” he heard Adrien’s voice from the other side of the door. “Um, yeah. That’s me. I -uh- just wanted to make sure you were okay after- er- what happened earlier…”

The door behind her moved, and she turned to see Adrien behind her, now wearing a shirt and a surprised look. She noted the blush on his cheeks, and figured under her mask, she looked the same.

“Er, yeah. I’m fine.” He said, rubbing the back of his neck, “I mean, Alya from the Ladyblog has been texting me non-stop, but otherwise, everything seems normal enough.”

Ladybug tried to hide her confusion; just minutes ago, he was anxious about his ride home and now, he was acting normal, though a little embarrassed due to their unfortunate way of meeting.

“Oh, okay. I just wanted to stop by. I know, we didn’t really talk after the Akuma purification.”
“You were on a clock.” He reminded her, and she nodded, “I should have made time for you- uh, for this. I mean, you revealed your secret identity protecting me. And, I didn’t even talk to you about it. Not really something a good partner would do, or a good friend for that matter.” She turned away, but watched Adrien in the corner of her eye go over to his bed; “It’s fine, Bugaboo. Come sit.” She did as she was directed, and he continued, “I understand that it must have been a lot to take in at the moment. I assume you would never have pegged Chat Noir as the model whose pictures seem to be everywhere in Paris.”

That was an understatement.

“Believe me, I had a way better idea of how I was going to reveal myself to you, and it didn’t involve a five foot woman in a yellow raincoat.” She chuckled a little; even with a thick layer of blush where his mask should have been, he was still trying to charm her. And, as much as she tried to ignore it, it was working.

“Always the romantic, Chat Noir?” she swiped the part of his chest where his bell would have laid had he been suited up, trying to keep the playful relationship between the Chat and his lady. “Adrien.” He corrected, “I mean if you want to call me by my real name since I’m not, you know, Chat right now.”

“Adrien,” she repeated, noticing the way his eyes lit up as she used it. He wasn’t lying to her before; he was head over heels for Ladybug. If only he knew who was behind the mask. She looked away, trying to get herself in check.

Keep it professional

, she repeated to herself before looking back at him and noticing his expression had changed. “What’s wrong?” she asked, and it was his turn to avoid her eyes, “I’m sorry if I disappointed you, m’lady.”

Disappointed? Was he serious? He

was

Adrien Agreste, right?

The boy she had been crushing on for as long as they had known each other?

The super hot teen model?

The kind and caring friend for both Marinette and Ladybug?

The noble, protective superhero partner she didn’t deserve by was so thankful to have?

What part of that was supposed to be disappointing to her?

“Why would I be disappointed?” she said, genuinely confused. “Well,” he started, “I may not have been what you hoped I would be.” She bit her lip, “Well, you weren’t what I expected, but that isn’t a bad thing at all. You’re-“

My partner?

My best friend?

The boy who sits in front of me in class?

“Amazing.” She concluded, “Not just anyone would be able to do the things you do on a daily basis. I can barely handle school, and here you are saving Paris between photo shoots.” Adrien blushed and smiled nervously; “Aw, well, it’s nothing. I love what we do; saving the day, trying to take down Hawkmoth. Just being Chat Noir has added so much to my life.”
“Yeah.” She agreed; being Ladybug had the same effect on her and she couldn’t imagine her life without it.

“Have you heard from The Guardian yet?” she asked, receiving a perplexed look from her unmasked comrade, “Who?”
“Your kwami never took you to him?” she asked, looking off into the direction she had last seen the small black cat. “Plagg. What is she talking about?” he called, causing the creature to them, “The Guardian is the guy that gave you your miraculous.”
“And you didn’t think that was important to bring up because…?” he asked, seemingly exasperated with Plagg. Ladybug assumed that this was normal between them.

“It never came up.” Plagg replied with a shrug, “But, your girlfriend is right. You should meet him, especially after what happened.”
“She’s not my girlfriend.” Adrien combated, shooting a look at his Kwami that she recognized immediately as ‘shut up’ as his face reddened. “Fine. Fine,” The kwami said thoroughly unconvinced, “Just don’t come to me for any more feedback on your sappy poems.”

Beside her, Adrien looked like he wanted to die from embarrassment, brought down on him by his tiny roommate. If Chat-like Adrien had driven Marinette’s heart to beat faster, flustered Adrien would have killed her. Thankfully, she had a mask to hide most of her blush and a well-placed hand to hide her smile.

“He’s making that up.” Adrien excused, his voice flaking. “Sure.” She replied, with a tone she hoped conveyed her unbelief in that statement. It did if his diminishing posture had anything to say about it. She wanted so badly to thoroughly enjoy this newfound side of him, but she knew her heart wouldn’t be able to handle it.

She glanced at a clock; “It’s getting late. I should finish my patrol and head home for the night. Tomorrow’s a school day.”
“Yeah…” Adrien replied, without any excitement, causing her to turn back to him, “Are you sure you’re okay?” He nodded and gave her a smile that barely rang true; “I’m fine, m’lady. Just not a fan of school.”

Marinette knew that to be a lie, but Ladybug wasn’t supposed to be the wiser, so she dismissed it. “If you say so.”
“I do,” he replied, “Do you need help with your patrol?” She shook her head, “No, I have this. Just get some sleep, Kitty. I’ll see you soon.” She stood up and made her way through the open window. Adrien followed and watched her slip away into the night. As she faded from sight, the comfort of her visit started to fade too.

It was easy to pretend that everything was fine around Ladybug because it always seemed fine around her. She made his life so much brighter, clearer. But, when he was back in the room alone, all his insecurities and fears came back into focus. Adrien gave a deep sigh and closed the window, not that it mattered that much since the rain had stopped already. Then, he made his way into his bed, eager to accept the sweet release of sleep to take him away and silence his swimming mind.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Marinette had a restless night. She was too concerned about Adrien that she couldn’t drift off and, when she did, she would have dreams that ranged from nightmares where she was in battle as Ladybug and
almost got killed because Chat Noir had been captured and wasn’t around to help her, to scenes where she told Adrien that she was Ladybug and they lived happily ever after.

Both were just as ‘plausible’.

So, when Marinette’s alarm went off for school, she gave a groan. After stumbling around her room, trying to gather everything she needed for her day, she made her way down the stairs. Her mother was standing in the kitchen, drinking a mug of green tea while her gaze lingered out the window. “Hi, Honey. Rough night?” she asked, turning to her daughter.

Marinette nodded, “Something like that.”

She went running off to school so she wouldn’t be late, but her mom stopped her mid-stride. “Oh, your father made extra danishes this morning for your friends.” She handed her daughter a paper bag, and Marinette took it thankfully. “Thanks, Mom.” She kissed her on the cheek
and made her way out the door.

Once Marinette made it to the school, she noticed Alya waiting for her.

“Hey, Girl.” Her best friend greeted, pulling her in for a hug, before noticing the paper bag, “Ooo, Have I ever told you how much I love your parents.”

She went to grab a danish out of the bag, but Marinette pulled it away, “Hey, what about me?”

“You’re my sister; you don’t count.” Alya replied, before reaching over and snatching the bag, looking over the contents.

“Leave the Strawberry one for Adrien.” Marinette told her. She knew strawberry was his favorite due to the amount of time Chat would beg her to bring some when they would patrol together, or when he’d visit Marinette’s rooftop.

Alya pulled out her preferred flavor and raised an eyebrow. “Oh, you trying to win over his heart with a pastry?”

“No.” She replied, quickly, pulling the bag back into her possession, “I just… Hoped that it could make him feel better after what happened yesterday.” Marinette knew she didn’t have to be vague about the reveal; she could tell just by her walk to school that Paris was buzzing about it. She could only imagine how active the topic would be in their class.

“Yeah. I feel awful for it.” Alya admitted, ”After the initial shock wore off, and since he wasn’t replying to my messages, I couldn’t help but feel guilty.”

“But, it was a live stream.” Marinette reassured her, “You had no idea what was gonna happen.”

“I guess…” Alya said, unsure, and her best friend placed a hand on her shoulder, “Alya, I’m sure Adrien doesn’t blame you for getting his identity revealed. If I was him, I wouldn’t.”

Alya met her eyes, and gave her a weak smile; “Thanks, Marinette.” The girls shared a hug, trying to not squish the pastry bag, and then, started inside the school.

“So, has Nino talked to him at all?” Marinette asked, trying to change the subject away from Alya’s conscience.

“Yeah, Nino called Adrien when the news first broke. He seemed to be taking it better than I ever would have- I mean if I had a secret that got revealed all over Paris.”

Marinette nodded, but something started to dawn on her. Adrien had talked to Nino, his best friend, over the phone and yet, went to her house to talk to her in person. She knew what he had said about wanting to stay Chat for a little longer, and it could have just been that, but that didn’t stop the faint blush that rose to her cheeks.

She walked past Alya, hoping she wouldn’t notice, “Yeah, I bet it’s still a bit surreal for him. Just like it is for the rest of us.”

“I’ll say,” her friend agreed, “Plus, You have to come to terms with the fact that you’ve had a crush on Chat Noir this whole time.”

Mariette’s blush deepened as she tried to silence her friend; “Alya!”

“What? Don’t pretend that that little detail slipped your mind while we talked.” Alya teased, the light returning to her eyes, “You sure know how to pick them.”

“Yeah. You mean, super unavailable and out of my league?”

They continued to walk to their classroom, before noticing a group of people, talking about the news report. Most of the voices were mixed together, but one shrill very-recognizable voice came through; “I just can’t believe my Adrikins had been out there, risking life and limb for this city. And, has he been rewarded for it? No. I’m gonna call Daddy and have him fix this abhorrent oversight at once.”

Marinette shook her head, “Chloe didn’t even care about Chat Noir until she knew his identity. This is ridiculous.”

Alya nodded, “I’d figure she’s not the only one to be singing a different tune about Chat Noir.”

She nudged the bluenette, who pushed back gently; “Hey, I always loved what Chat Noir has done for this city. He’s Ladybug’s partner, and she couldn’t do what she does without him.”

“But, it doesn’t hurt that he’s also the cute guy that sits in front of us in class.” Alya mentioned.

“Yeah, the guy that’s head-over-heels for Ladybug. I can’t compete with that.” Marinette reminded her, trying to discourage her friend, while it had an opposite reaction inside her.

Adrien was Chat.

Chat liked Ladybug.

And she was Ladybug.

Meaning that Adrien liked

her

.

Just in a really complicated love-square or something…

They made their way into the classroom which, as Marinette had predicted, was filled with conversation with the same name on everyone’s lips. The girls slid into their seats, noticing that Nino was sitting alone. Alya leaned over to her boyfriend and started to ask about Adrien, but he just shrugged. Marinette figured they may have all came to the same conclusion she had.

Adrien wasn’t coming to school.

Their assumptions weren’t unfounded, considering that it was completely true. Adrien was leaning against his window, wishing that he could just go out there.

He had considered sneaking out and making his way to school without someone noticing, but then he had thought about how hard it was to sneak out under normal circumstances being a model and all. Add in the fact that the biggest news story in a long time had just broke, and everyone would want to ask him anything they could.

In the end, he knew it would have been a hopeless mission and would just get him in more trouble than before.

It wasn’t worth the risk, and he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

So there he stood, gazing out the window longingly. A chime from the other side of the room caught his attention, and he walked back to his nightstand where his phone laid. It was a text from Nino.

“Old man got you on house arrest?”

He plopped on the bed, bothering Plagg from his cheese-induced nap, and typed a reply.

“Yeah. Something like that.”

“You know, I don’t understand you, Kid.” Plagg commented, “Most kids would love to stay in a place like this with a day off of school.”

“It doesn’t matter how fancy it is,” Adrien started, staring at his ceiling, “if you can’t leave, it’s still a prison cell.”

The kwami seemed to understand that, or at least decided not to press the issue further, which Adrien appreciated. He was still trying to figure out what he was going to say when his father wanted to speak with him.

Gabriel had arrived much earlier that morning when Paris was still asleep. Adrien knew this because he wasn’t.

Adrien was never a good sleeper, but the thoughts that preoccupied his mind had made it nearly impossible to relax enough to let sleep take him. So now, he was anxious and tired.

Another chime.

“You’re missing out. Marinette brought breakfast.”

Nino had replied, attaching an image of his class seat with a strawberry danish on his desk. He loved the Dupain-Cheng’s strawberry danishes, and his stomach rumbled in agreement.

He hadn’t eaten since he had left Marinette’s the night before, mainly because he hadn’t left his room (and He was too nervous to risk the chocolate chip cookies for breakfast). He rarely ever crossed paths with Gabriel in the large house, but it would have been just Adrien’s luck to have it happen the one day he was actively avoiding him.

Perhaps his strategy of prolonging the inevitable was just causing more damage. He knew it didn’t matter how long he stayed in his room, worrying himself into a hungry restless mess, his father was still going to believe whatever he was going to believe about him. It was probably best to rip the bandage off.

He pushed himself into a sitting position, just as his phone sounded again. He expected another message from his best friend, but instead, it was from Nathalie.

“Your father wants to see you in his office.”

The walk from Adrien’s room to Gabriel’s office felt like an eternity, but eventually, Adrien was standing in front of his father’s desk, hands clasped behind him and standing up straight, trying to fake the confidence he didn’t feel.

Gabriel was looking out the window, not even turning to acknowledge his son’s presence. It was a power move, one meant to unnerve the other person without even needing to speak. It would have worked if Adrien had any nerves left to lose.

“So, you’re Chat Noir.” Gabriel’s voice came through, suddenly breaking the silence with the same unnerving force of a whip crack, turning to face him with an expression that was as unreadable as his tone.

Adrien gave a nod, trying his hardest to not cower. He had been able to stand up to super-villains on a daily basis, so why was it that his own father was the one person that could truly scare him?

“So, even though I allowed you to go to school, to spend time with your

friends

,” Adrien could feel the venom attached to the word

friends

; “That still wasn’t enough for you. You had to continuously disappear from school and abandon your duties so you could go play hero.”

The icy tone that Gabriel used caused a shiver to crawl up Adrien’s spine. His father was using the same words the Akuma had used when he was revealed.

“Just a schoolboy in costume, trying to play hero.”

When Adrien didn’t reply quick enough for his liking, Gabriel continued with his cool tones; “Perhaps, I was too lenient with you.”

He walked closer to his son, his gaze still just as harsh as steel. “If you don’t appreciate the opportunities I have given you, I’m going to take them back again.” He turned away, though he continued to speak; “Nathalie will proceed with your education here at home and will be overseeing you to ensure that you maintain your rigorous schedule.”

Adrien bit his lip and glanced at Nathalie, who didn’t seem to pick a side either way. He didn’t blame her; he didn’t want to be on the side opposing his father either, yet here he was.

“Now, about your Miraculous…”

Adrien’s focus snapped back to his father, who had continued to look out the window. Hearing Gabriel use the word caused him to shift the grip of his linked hands to secure his ring. Sure, their Miraculous’ wasn’t a secret; Alya has figured out the basics of how they worked within a month of The Ladyblog’s activity. It was more of the way it was used that caused the tremors inside him. So casual, yet there felt like this dark shadow that had made its appearance at its mention.

“I will need to have it to make sure you won’t be tempted to use it.”

Adrien’s stomach plummeted to the ground. He wouldn’t do that. He couldn’t. The Miraculous was his to preserve, to keep out of the hands of Hawkmoth or anyone else that would want to abuse its power. He wasn’t just going to hand it over.

His father started to walk towards him, and Adrien took a step back, surprising both Gabriel and himself.

“I can’t do that, Father. I was chosen to protect Paris from Hawkmoth and those who want to cause damage.”

His father’s eyes narrowed, showing his distaste for his son refusing his order, and Adrien felt the guilt of his rebellion.

“I’ll only use it in battle.” Gabriel looked at him with suspicion; he obviously didn’t know he ever used it out of battle. Adrien had to try again.

“I won’t use it unless Ladybug needs my help.” His father took another step, showing that Adrien’s pleas were falling on deaf ears.

He didn’t have any other choices.

“I won’t use it at all.”

That seemed to stop his father long enough to continue; “I can’t hand the ring over to anyone, but I won’t use it. I’ll stop being Chat Noir.”

His father eyed him over, looking for a trace of deceit in the boy. Adrien was too scared to be lying.

“You
promise
to never be Chat Noir again?” His father questioned, his gaze burning holes into Adrien.
Adrien didn’t use the word ‘promise’ flippantly. His mother had instilled in him his entire life that promises always meant something. They were intended to be unbreakable bonds. Adrien had never broken a promise. And his father knew that.
The blond stood up as straight as he could muster, resolved to do the only thing that could keep the miraculous safe, even if it meant losing a side of him for good.

“I promise, Father.”

The lunch bell sounded, and the trio got up from their desks. Nino hadn’t heard from Adrien since the Danish text, so the trio figured he had finally been confronted by his father.

“I still can’t believe that golden-boy Adrien Agreste was able to do all of this under his father’s nose this long.” Alya said, “Isn’t he like this control-freak type guy?”

Nino shrugged; “I don’t know, but however he could, I’m glad he figured it out. That kid needs to get out of that house and experience life.”

“Yeah well -thanks to all the cameras and reports- the charade seems to be up.” Alya returned, “And, I sure don’t envy whatever Adrien is going through because of that.”

Marinette gave a nod. If Adrien’s actions last night were any indication, his father would be far less than pleased with being blind-sighted by the reveal. And, even though Gabriel Agreste was one of her biggest inspirations in regards to her dreams of being a fashion designer, she couldn’t deny that there was something about him that unnerved her.

They stepped outside, and Nino said; “Perhaps we should go visit the prison and see how he’s doing.” The girls both stopped in place, causing him to take two steps before noticing and turning back.

“You want to go over there?” Alya asked him, hands on her hips, “Didn’t you just hear what I just said about his father?”

“Yeah, but what’s the worst his dad could do to us? Kick us out?” Nino asked, his tone reminding them that he already had been removed from the Agreste mansion, and wasn’t scared of it happening again; “Besides, we can’t let his Danish go to waste.”

Marinette looked at the bag in her hand that still held the strawberry pastry. She had been fighting off everyone in her class who wanted to take it. They eventually stopped when she promised to bring more the next morning.

She looked up at Nino, “Yeah. I protected it all morning. It would be a shame if it was in vain.”

She and Nino looked at Alya who just sighed defeatedly; “Fine. You win. But just because I don’t want either of you to get akumatized if something bad happens.”

Nino laughed his girlfriend’s comment off; wrapping an arm around her shoulder as they walked.

Marinette trailed behind, her stomach knotting up inside. She hadn’t even thought about someone getting akumatized over this, but that was a very real possibility. She hoped that Adrien’s miraculous would protect him enough to make sure he was okay.

Adrien was just leaving his father’s office after the worst twenty minutes of his life. After making him give his word that he would never become Chat Noir again, Gabriel had dismissed Nathalie and kept Adrien there in silence for several minutes before questioning him about where he had gotten his new rebellious behavior. When Adrien failed to give an answer, Gabriel took his chance to go after his friends, calling them ‘bad influences’ and ‘not befitting the required standards of his company’. Adrien knew what he meant.

His father was saying his friends were below him, that they were making him into a real person instead of some sort of god among men. He hated whenever strangers would look at him like that; like he was better than them just because he was a model for his father’s company. He couldn’t stand the special treatment that came with his last name. Yet, that’s exactly what his father wanted him to have. Not friends, but reputation.

Adrien wanted to argue, but after fighting so hard just moments before, he couldn’t find it in himself to fight anything at all. Gabriel took his defeated silence as a clear sign of who had the power in their relationship and dismissed him without another word.

No lie about doing all this for his benefit.

No assurance that ‘one day’ he would understand.

No comments of being proud that, even for a short while, he was a superhero, someone that did something great.

No affection at all.

Just dismissal of him like he was just another employee, not a son.

Adrien glanced up at Nathalie, who had was at her desk and had looked his way when the door had opened. She continued to keep her air of professional detachment that he wished he could have in that moment. Instead, he let the door close behind him, brushing his eyes to deter the tears that were seconds away from falling. He heard the buzz, meaning that someone is at the gate. Perhaps it was a reporter trying to interview Chat Noir, or someone looking for his father.

Adrien turned to walk away until a very familiar voice comes through the speaker.

“Hi. Um, we are Adrien’s friends from-um- school and we wanted to come over and make sure he’s okay since he -uh- wasn’t at school today…”

He looked at the secretary with begging eyes, the only part of him that could even bother fighting anymore. His father would say no instantly, especially following their discussion, but Adrien needed to try somehow. He needed something to save him from the despair that was creeping in.

“Adrien is very busy today.” Nathalie said, into her microphone to Marinette. Then, she made a glance at his father’s office door in a way that Adrien only noticed because he was mentally pleading for any reason to have hope in his chances.

“However, he can spare a couple minutes.” Nathalie continued, “He’ll meet you at the gate.” She let go of the mic button and must have seen Adrien’s expression of gratitude because she gave a slight smile. Just slight.

“We have fifteen minutes before you start class.”

“Thank you, Nathalie.” He said, before briskly making his way to the gate. He didn’t have much time, but he could take all the time he could if it would take away some of his aching.

Marinette fidgeted at the gate, looking at her other friends; “Why was I the one voted to talk?”

“Because you’re the only person that has been here and hasn’t been kicked out.” Alya told her, looking at Nino, who shrugged completely unaffected, but added, “And you have the Danish.”

“Will you stop with the Danish thing?” Alya told him.

“But, that danish this morning was so good. I’m gonna be upset if this one goes to waste just because Adrien’s old man is mad that his son is a hero.” Nino countered, conveying that the fate of the pastry wasn’t the only thing on his mind.

Marinette couldn’t help but agree. Adrien was being punished for being a hero. Most parents would be proud, but then again, everyone knew Gabriel wasn’t like most parents.

She jumped as she heard the gate opening up. Adrien was coming up to them at a quick pace. He had a smile on his face, but as he got closer, Marinette could see spots on his cheeks where the sun made tear trails slightly visible.

“You guys have no idea how glad I am to see you.” He told them, stopping just outside the boundaries of the fence. “Yeah, we’re just glad you could make it outside,” Nino said, as he and Adrien exchanged their habitual handshake.

He seemed to nod in agreement before turning to Alya, “Look, I’m sorry for not answering back-”

“No. Don’t worry about it.” She told him, placing her hand on his shoulder, “I’m sorry that I contributed to your identity getting blown.”

Adrien shook his head, giving a look that bore no hard feelings; “It wasn’t your fault. I was a bit too slow and got caught. Besides, if my identity was gonna get blown somehow, it makes perfect sense that it would have been on a LadyBlog live stream. It is the number one place to find anything about Ladybug and Chat Noir.”

He added a wink for good measure, causing Alya to laugh. “Oh gosh. You really are Chat Noir, aren’t you?”

“That’s what everyone is saying.” Adrien said, but his expression seemed to flash an expression that Marinette couldn’t identify before being replaced with his smile.

Then he turned to her, a little bit of pink forming in his cheek.

Oh, right. The last time he had seen Marinette was at her home when she was rambling on about his emotions, and he placed his fingers on her-

Flustered, she pushed the bag towards him; “Danish.”

He looked at the bag that was thrust into his arms and gave a chuckle; “Thanks. I missed breakfast.” He took a bite and tilted his head to enjoy the flavor. She had seen him do the same so many times as Chat Noir, and it helped to connect the two identities as one person in her mind.

“It’s really good.” Adrien said, voicing his actions, “Oh, and thank your parents again for last night.”

“I will,” Marinette told him, noticing Alya looking at her with surprise.

Due to it raising more questions that she would have liked to answer, Marinette never told Alya about Adrien’s visit or any of her previous encounters with Chat Noir. But, Adrien just outed them so it was impossible to back out now.

“So, what did your dad say about you being Chat Noir?” Nino asked, changing the subject to something that they all really wanted to know.

Adrien took another bite of the Danish, clearly using the time to formulate what he wanted to say about their meeting. Marinette remembered how concerned he was about coming home, about having that meeting. She couldn’t help worrying about what had been said.

“Just the usual stuff.” Adrien admitted when he had concluded his pastry, “Reminding me that I can’t be reckless, that I have a modeling career to keep.”

Marinette noticed how Adrien’s gaze never once met any of his friends as he talked. Was he lying to them? Why would he lie?

“Sounds like you got off easy then.” Nino told him, “Does that mean you’re coming to school again?”

Adrien’s eyes softened, and he shook his head; “No. My father wants me to stay home, where he can know I’m safe. Especially since Hawkmoth probably knows who I am by now.”

“So, he’s keeping you locked up for your own protection?” Alya asked, “He does know your Chat Noir, right? That kicking butt is what you do?”

Adrien gave a chuckle, but it sounded forced, “Yeah, I know. But, he’s my father. I can understand his concern.”

Marinette wanted to trust that Adrien was telling the truth, but she had known him too long, too well, to believe it. He gave too many clues that he was hiding something, something personal, painful. She wanted to hug him like the night before, to beg him to be honest with her so she could help, but she couldn’t do that to him.

Not in front of his other friends.

Not as Marinette.

So she just watched him with a fake smile on his face, trying to tell them that everything was fine, all while he fidgeted with the silver ring on his right hand.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Fifteen minutes went by in what felt like seconds, and before Adrien knew it, Nathalie was texting him to return inside.

“Well, it’s looking like my break is up.” he said, as casually as he could muster. He had to let them believe that everything was fine, that his father hadn’t taken almost everything from him. To them, he had to stay the same Adrien they had always known.

The shock of the reveal was enough for them to adjust to. He didn’t want them to worry about the fate of Chat Noir or the hollowness that threatened to consume him from the inside out. He had to play the good son act again, even though he hated it.

“That sucks.” Nino stated, “Are you sure you can’t spare a couple more minutes?”

Adrien laughed, and he hoped it didn’t sound as fake as it seemed; “I’d love to, but you know how Father is with schedules.”

“Yeah, it’s probably a good idea to stay on his good side for now.” Alya agreed, “You never know when you’ll have to sneak out again to fight an Akuma.”

Oh, how he hoped that time wouldn’t come before he had figured out what to do. He had made a promise, given his word, but only because it was that, or giving his miraculous away. He
couldn’t
do the latter.

He had more questions than answers and fears than comfort, but he did his best to push the thoughts out of the forefront of his mind. He needed to get through the goodbyes, then he could lose himself in thought.

“Adrien,” Marinette started, causing him to look at her. She had her arms crossed over herself, looking just as nervous as he felt. “Can you promise me something?”

He flinched at the word choice, though he wasn’t sure if it was physically or just emotionally. He really didn’t want to make any more promises, but this was Marinette. He trusted her.

“What is it?”

Marinette pressed her lips together like she was looking for words; “Promise me that if something happens, and you worry that you may get akumatized, that you’ll call Nino, or Alya, or me.” She added herself quieter than the others, like she was reluctant to add herself to the list of people he would trust enough to call in that moment. Did she not remember the last night that he was crying in
her
arms, showing his more vulnerable-self to her?

“Don’t worry about me,” he told her, before forcing a chat-like grin, “I still have my miraculous,

and

my Marinette Lucky Charm, so I think I’ll be just fine.”

He waited for her to smile, to relax at all, but her blue eyes stayed very serious, like she could tell the smiles were fake and was begging for the truth. Maybe he could-

He forced himself to look away. No. He wouldn’t burden her with his problems any more. Not from a lack of trust, but for her own sake. For all of their sakes.

“Promise me.” echoed in his mind, and he wasn’t sure if she had repeated herself, or his brain was pleading for him to let someone in.

“But, if I do, you’ll be the first one I’ll call.” he told her, looking back at meeting her gaze. He watched relief wash in the blue hues, and he knew he couldn’t back out now. Regardless of any unknown connections that may or may not have tied them together, she trusted him far too much for him to stay completely silent. He only hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

“Hey, you’d call me too right.” Nino said, partly teasing, but with seriousness all to present.

Marinette tore her eyes away from the melancholy green eyes she had been so focused on, when Adrien looked away. “Of course I would.” He walked over to Nino and gave him an affectionate pat on the back.

Marinette could tell by his tone that he was being guarded, yet wasn’t lying when he said he would call them if he was ever at the risk of akumatization. That put her mind at rest. His safety was all she wanted for him.

For now.

“Alright. Sorry to break up the bromance here,” Alya said, a teasing smile on her lips, “But, we should get to school before
class starts.”

“Fine.” Nino conceded, before turning back to Adrien, “You had better keep good on that promise.”

Adrien fished out his phone. “I have you on speed-dial.”

Nino seemed content with that answer because he started to follow his girlfriend, who gave a parting wave back at Adrien.

Marinette started to follow, but then met eyes with Adrien. She could still see something wrong in them, so she gave him what she hoped was a comforting smile.

“Don’t worry, Princess.” he said, his tone just quiet enough to not be heard over the couple, “I’ve still got luck on my side.” He proved his point by pulling out the aforementioned charm -he really did bring it everywhere- and a wink.

Feeling the heat rush to her cheeks, she turned away and followed her friends.

Adrien watched them turn the corner, before letting his smile drop. He may have gone a tad overboard, but he wanted to reassure Marinette the best he could. She couldn’t be worrying about him, or
she
may get akumatized.

“Can I come out now?” Plagg grumbled from his pocket, and Adrien let the Kwami out. Since Plagg hadn’t spoken since the meeting with his father, the blond figured he’d have plenty to say.

“Alright Plagg. You can say it.”

“Say what?” Plagg asked, feigning innocence.

Adrien looked at him, “Really? You have nothing to say about my meeting with Father.”

“I’m not going to say anything that you don’t already know.” he replied, crossing his tiny arms, “However, I am curious if you were serious about that promise thing.”

Adrien sighed and started towards his house, “I only said it to keep my miraculous, but now I’m stuck in a corner.”

“How come?” the kwami questioned, “Just use it if you need to and, if he ever asks, just say you crossed your fingers or whatever you humans do to break promises.”

“But,

I

don’t break promises.” Adrien replied, adamantly, “I just need to figure out how to still help without Chat Noir.”

Plagg looked at him skeptical, but before he could speak, he flew into Adrien’s shirt again just as Nathalie approached them.

“Come along, Adrien. It’s time for class.” she said, regaining her detached demeanor, and he followed her, continuing to ponder his last statement.

As soon as the trio rounded to corner, Alya turned to Marinette; “Okay spill it.”

“Spill what?” Marinette asked. Had she heard Adrien’s passing words?

Alya crossed her arms; “Um, About you and Adrien? What is he talking about thanking your parents?”

“Oh yeah, that.” she replied, running her hand over her hair, “Well, basically. He was patrolling the area as Chat, and stopped by to talk and-”

“And.” Alya prodded.

“And, it started to rain. So, we went inside, and he had dinner with my parents.”

“Ooh, gotten to the point of ‘dinner with the parents’, huh?” Alya asked, using air quotes to emphasize her point.

“Alya.” Marinette scolded, glancing at Nino. If he hadn’t picked up on her feeling for Adrien, he knew them now.

Nino only walked on, seeming unphased by his girlfriend’s comments. He either knew already or wasn’t listening. She didn’t know which was worse.

“But, for real though.” Alya continued, “Adrien was giving you a weird look.”

“Weird? Like I’m weird?”

“No. like-” Alya shook her head, “Let’s just say, you may have a better chance with ‘Chat Noir’ than you think.”

Marinette shook her head in denial, blush warming her cheeks. Not a chance. Adrien had far more on his mind than any feeling he may or may not have for her. Alya was just sniffing for clues to support her theories. Then again, Alya had rarely been wrong with those theories.

No. This wasn’t the time or the way to entertain thoughts about that. She kept telling herself that as Alya continued to bait Marinette’s hope.

The rest of the school day went by uneventful for Marinette. Well, as eventlessly as it could be when your entire class is buzzing about your crush being a superhero, while you try to figure out how to act like that wasn’t a life-shattering revelation. Add in her previous discussion with Alya, and you have yourself the headspace Marinette was trying to listen to her teacher in.

She was lucky if her notes were anything worth looking over later.

When the final bell went off, she started to gather her things into her bag. As the students started to leave for the day, there was no denying whose voice was complaining in the front of the room. She glanced over to the door, where Chloe was badgering someone who was just trying to go home. Farther inspection proved it to be Nathaniel clutching his bag to his chest as Chloe waved a piece of paper around.

“You still think that Ladybug is the better of the two?” Chloe taunted, as the ginger tried to get his drawing back.

“Chloe, just give it back.”

Marinette had heard enough; “Chloe, leave him alone.”

The two looked at Marinette as she spoke to them, but Chloe seemed to be the only one who wanted to talk.

“This loser thinks that Ladybug is more amazing than Chat Noir, who is Adrien, I might add.” She looked at the red-head, “How could you go against your own classmate like that?”

“I have my reasons.” Nathaniel replied, avoiding the gazes of the couple classmates who were still in the room.

“Is it because you have a crush on her, like you did for Marinette?” Chloe asked, examining at the picture, “Scared you’ll have to compete for her affection?”

Nathaniel didn’t reply, but the color on his face gave him away.

Marinette couldn’t take it anymore. Chloe was sliding into her comfortable role as class bully, and now that Adrien wasn’t here to try and tone her down, she was making up for the lost time.

“Chloe, stop it.” she demanded, but the blonde ignored her, instead looking at Nathaniel. “Considering that your competing with Adrien of all people, I think it’s safe to assume that you’ve lost.”

With that, she ripped the picture, much to both Nathaniel and Marinette’s horror. Chloe just laughed as she left the classroom.

Marinette went over to her classmate, who was gathering up his ruined sketch. “I’m sorry, Nathaniel.” she said, but he didn’t look at her. Instead, he wordlessly got up, shoved the ripped scraps into his bag, and walked out of the room.

Marinette wanted to follow him, to try to make sure he wouldn’t be Hawkmoth’s next target, but then she remembered that Chloe specifically reminded Nath of the last time he had been called out over his feeling for Marinette.

She felt less than qualified to try to ease the artist, considering if her presence may have made the encounter worse.

“I’ll check on him.” Alya said, from behind her, as if she could read Marinette’s mind and she was thankful that she had.

Hawkmoth wouldn’t have anyone to akumatized if Chloe just stopped being so… Chloe.

The bluenette sighed and started to make her way towards the door out of school. Speaking of akumas-

She pulled out her phone from her purse, and Tikki looked up at her.

“What are you doing?” she asked, in her usual quiet voice.

Marinette unlocked the phone, and scrolled into the message application. “I’m sending a message for Adrien.” she replied, “If Alya is unable to calm down Nathaniel, I should warn him that Nath may go after Chat Noir.”

She typed out the message, but her finger just hovered over the send button, unable to press down. She glanced at her Kwami; “That’s the right thing to do, right? It won’t just put him on edge over something that will never come, increasing the negative emotions he’s already feeling, putting
him
at risk of akumatization, right?”

Tikki just blinked at her with her large blue eyes; “Marinette, you know Adrien. What do you think?”

Marinette took a breath and pressed send. If the roles were reversed, she would have wanted him to warn her. She only hoped she had made the right choice for him.

Adrien sat at the dining room table, listening to what Nathalie was teaching on. Well, he was trying to. It was hard to focus on her, so he had resorted to trying to untangle the mess in his mind.

Just then, the buzz of his phone jolted him into reality. He looked down at the face and saw a text from an unknown number. He pulled it up and quickly read it.

“Hey, It’s Marinette. I just wanted to let you know that Chloe embarrassed Nath really badly after class. It sounds like he may also have a vendetta against Chat Noir. Stay safe.

-M”

He felt a smile tug at his lip, appreciating the concern, before processing what that meant. Depending on how that exchange went down, he may have a unwelcome visitor looking for him. He shook his head. Why did Chloe have to be so- Chloe?

sending a quick thank-you to Marinette for the heads up, Adrien looked up at Nathalie, waiting for the proper time to interject.

“Nathalie, can I please get up and use the restroom.”

After he was excused and out of sight of his tutor, Adrien pulled up Chloe’s contact information. He couldn’t have her helping Hawkmoth, while Chat Noir was out of commission.

The phone rang three times, before he was greeted with her usual, “Hello, Adrikins.”

“Hey, Chloe. I need to talk to you for a minute.”

“Of course.” she replied, “Anything for you.”

Adrien shivered with discomfort. She needed to read the definition of “platonic” some time. “Did you harass Nathaniel at school?” he asked; he didn’t really have time to beat around the bush.

“Who told you that?” she asked, defensively, “I did no such thing.”

Adrien gave a sigh, “Chloe, I’ve known you for a very long time-”

“I didn’t harass anyone.” she repeated, “I just told him the truth.”

“The truth? The truth about what, Chloe?”

She made a smacking sound like she was applying lipstick; “I told him that he doesn’t have a chance with Ladybug, because he would have to compete with you.”

Ladybug? Really? Was Chloe now poking her nose in his superhero life too?

Of course she was.

“Chloe,” he started, rubbing his free hand over his face, “Look, I appreciate the thought but-”

“Of course you do.” Chloe interrupted, “Besides, he was also sure that Ladybug was more amazing than you. Ha. I set him in his place for that.”

Adrien rolled his eyes; this wasn’t going to go anywhere.

“Chloe, I have to go. But, can you please tone it down your defense of me.” He pleaded, hoping that if he didn’t argue, she would at least consider what he said.

She gave a sigh, “Fine. But, only because you’re my oldest and dearest friend.”

That was high praise from her.

“Thanks. Have a great day.” He said, about to hang up, “oh, and Chlo. Ladybug is more amazing than me. Trust me on that.”

He could hear her confused stuttering as he hung up.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Thankfully, Marinette had retained enough information through her scattered thoughts to be able to complete her homework without too much of a difficulty.

The real challenge was in her concentration. She could only go so far without checking her phone. Alya has texted Marinette, saying that she tried to talk to Nathaniel, but he really wanted to be left alone. That concerned Marinette, and she kept looking at the screen, waiting for an alert of an Akuma sighting.

Finally, Tikki had to take the device to the other side of the room so her chosen could just focus, reassuring her that nothing would happen in the amount of time it took for her to finish her classwork. Marinette wasn’t convinced, but she appreciated her kwami’s concern so she didn’t fight it.

Two hours later, she had finally been able to finish her assignments but wasn’t any less anxious about the possibility of an attack that night. She turned to Tikki, standing up; “Perhaps, I should do a patrol. Make sure everything is okay.”

“Marinette.” Tikki told her, her small voice firm, “You can’t continue worrying like this. If someone is going to be upset, that’s up to them. And, you have done everything you could do to help. There’s no point in spending all of your time worrying about it. You have other responsibilities than just being Ladybug.”

Marinette looked at her kwami: she was right, of course.

“Sorry. I’m just on edge. Hawkmoth hasn’t taken any action since Adrien’s identity was revealed. What if he’s planning something really big? And, if Nathaniel already has something against Chat Noir, he would be the perfect target for akumatization...”

She shifted uncomfortably in her chair, “I don’t want Adrien to get hurt because he pushed me out of the way of Lady Fisher’s stupid net.”

She rested her head on the back of her chair with enough force to make her chair spin a little, while Tikki just watched her.

Sure, the kwami had seen previous Ladybugs dealing with similar emotions after discovering their partner’s identity, but only very few actually knew their partner was well as Marinette knew Adrien. Most of the pairing had been Work-based and only slipped into unmasked life after they revealed themselves to their partner.

Chat knew Marinette, and Ladybug saved Adrien. Adrien and Marinette were classmates, and Chat and Ladybug were loyal partners. It was completely understandable why Marinette was worried for Adrien’s safety since it wasn’t just Chat Noir she was protecting.

But, it wouldn’t do Adrien, herself, or Paris, any good if Marinette was this paranoid that an Akuma would

eventually

attack.

Unfortunately, they were still at war with Hawkmoth, and he definitely wasn’t going to let up just because Chat Noir’s identity was revealed. Tikki decided to keep that last bit to herself.

“Perhaps, we should take a trip to The Guardian. Maybe he would know how to handle this.” Tikki suggested, pulling Marinette’s attention out of whatever black hole of stress she was being sucked into. Honestly, part of her was suggesting this because even though she had been around a long time, she still didn’t fully understand how human reactions worked. Master Fu would be far more suited to guide her in that way.

Marinette looked at Tikki, and gave a nod; “Well, it couldn’t hurt, I guess. Tikki, spots-“

A chime on her phone stopped Marinette mid-phrase and she scrambled to her bed where Tikki had transported her phone.

“Warning: Akuma sighting at The Louvre. People are cautioned to stay indoors.”

“That trip will have to wait,” Marinette told her kwami, before transforming and taking off.

Adrien sat on his bed; he rarely had a “day off”, and he had no idea what to do. If he could transform, he would patrol, or visit Marinette, or… something

But, no. He couldn’t do that.

He just sat in his room that was far too big, feeling just as trapped as if he was in a cardboard box.

Suddenly, his phone let out a very distinctive chime. His stomach lurched; that sound only meant one thing. There had been an Akuma sighting.

He moved to his computer and pulled up the Ladyblog. Plagg hovered nearby, but Adrien stayed focused on the live stream that was rolling out.

Alya seemed to be outside, barricaded by police trying to keep Parisians safe. That didn’t stop her from reporting what she knew; “The Akuma looks like he got his style from Chat Noir. And his powers too. Could this be the work of another imposter or something else?”

Adrien bit his lip. Marinette mentioned that Nathaniel had some form of vendetta for the cat hero, but Adrien couldn’t for the life of him think why.

After messing up so badly with that sculptor and making a whole mess of people’s feelings, Adrien had been very careful to keep any aggravating comments to himself so he wouldn’t cause another Akuma.

Plus, what had Chat ever done to the red-haired artist? He had crashed his and Marinette’s “date” when he was the Evillustrator, but he shouldn’t have held that against him, or even remembered it.

That’s when what Chloe had told him sunk in.

She told Nathaniel he had no chance with Ladybug because of Chat Noir, because of him. He was copying Chat because he liked his lady.

Adrien stood up and started to pace. Trying to figure out what to do. He wanted to go out and protect Ladybug,

“So, are we going out there?” Plagg asked, leisurely hovering next to Adrien’s much more tense strides.

He wanted to. Oh, how he wanted to.

“How can’t I, Plagg?” He asked, though it was far more a question for himself, “I’m trapped in my own house, and Chat Noir is out of commission. How could I possibly help Ladybug as just me?”

He stopped in his place as he remembered the latter end of their battle with Lady Fisher. He was Adrien then too. He was Adrien and he was still every bit as Chat Noir as he would have been with the mask. He had to do that again. But how?

Ladybug was at the museum in a matter of moments, but it looked like the akuma had already left. There was a line of police officers keeping the media and citizens away from the building.

She made her landing and easily assessed the room where the akumatization must have occurred.

At a painting that she knew was Nathaniel’s favorite, there was a pile of ash on the ground.

Cataclysm? Had Adrien been there without her? Her stomach knotted at the thought, but she shook it away. He wasn’t just Adrien; he was Chat Noir, and she knew Chat was more than capable of taking care of himself.

She needed to do what Tikki had said and get a handle on her emotions and think logically again.

In the mess of wood and ash that used to be fine art, there were claw marks etched into the wall making a jagged heart with the letters “LB + NK” inside it,

NK?

Nathaniel K.?

Akumas didn’t use their real names. They used titles given to them by Hawk Moth as a sign of their loyalty to him. But, the initials were too coincidental otherwise. And, if Hawk Moth did let Nathaniel use his real name, why?

She figured she would only get answers from the Akuma himself, so she made her way outside and grabbed her yo-yo. Suddenly, one voice in the crowd pulled her attention to the row of citizens. Alya was in the front, trying to wave over Ladybug.

Marinette knew Alya was probably one of the last people to see Nathaniel before the switch so maybe she had some answers so she quickly made her way over to the reporter.

“Alya. Were you here when it happened?” The spotted hero asked; Ladybug had seen Alya enough that she figured dropping her first name wasn’t gonna be that out of place.

The reporter only nodded, “Yeah, I came over with Nathaniel from school. He was bullied over something and I was trying to help him vent it out healthily. But, when we got here, he asked me to leave him alone. That he just wanted to be alone with the one thing that comforted him. I couldn’t argue with that, so I started to leave, but I came back as soon as he started to destroy the paintings.”

Ladybug nodded; honestly, she had figured as much. “Did he have any people that he may be targeting or looking for?”

“He had been muttering about Chat Noir a lot.” Alya admitted, her reporter objectivity wavering slightly, “Plus, it was made pretty clear that he was willing to fight him for your affection.”

That’s what she was worried about.

“Do you know where he might be heading?” Ladybug asked, hoping to get to the redhead before he could get to Adrien.

Alya only shook her head; “I don’t. Sorry.”

A sigh escaped her lips; this wasn’t the first Akuma to target Chat to get to her. They had fought this sort of thing before, she would do it again.

She thanked Alya for her help, and turned to swing away, but felt a hand on her wrist from her best friend.

“Please be careful, Ladybug. Adrien- well, he’s one of my close friends- and I just…”

“I totally understand.” the spotted hero told her, giving a smile to hide her own fear at the situation, “He’s one of my best friends too. Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”

And with that, she pulled herself away from the crowd and towards the only lead she could think of.

Adrien had stopped his pacing when he had heard his name of the live stream. His real name. It was voiced by Alya, who was worried about him, and Ladybug offered reassurance, before heading away. Alya followed the hero with her camera, before starting to follow.

Adrien recognized the direction they were heading. It was towards his house.

He looked out the window to see if he could make out their approach when they, or Nathaniel, got there.

Adrien was startled by the sound of his kwami next to him; “So, what are we gonna do, Adrien?”

“Well, if the party is going to head here?” he started, looking at the god of destruction, “I guess, we should play the good host and make sure it’s gonna be a heck of a time.”

There was a bit of silence before Plagg replied with a snarky; “You don’t have a plan, do you?”

He was right. Adrien didn’t really have a plan. He didn’t really come up with plans. He just worked with instincts and hoped for the best. But, now, his animal hunches were annoyingly quiet, All he knew was that Ladybug, and probably Nathaniel, was going to be there at any minute, whether he had a plan or not.

All he knew was that he couldn’t stay there and do nothing.

Then, a realization hit him like a bag of bricks to the stomach. He could look out the windows. Meaning the security system hasn’t been activated. He would have expected his father to have activated the security as soon as there was a whiff that he may be in danger, but then again, he knew he shouldn’t have been that surprised. The man didn’t even trigger it when his own life was in danger, and it wasn’t like his father had shown a desire to protect his son more than himself.

He forcibly shook his head as if to shake those thoughts out of his mind. Of course, his dad wanted to protect him. It was his father after all. It wasn’t like he would

want

to put him in danger.

But, he wasn’t the only one in danger, was he?

He booked it out of the room, kwami on his tail, looking for his father, Nathalie, or anyone else that may have been in danger with an impending Akuma on its way. The moment he left his room, the house feels cold, empty, more so than usual. Pushing aside that feeling, he ran towards his father’s office. The door was closed, and Adrien hesitantly knocked on it. He listened for his father’s voice, but only silence returned to him. He knocked again, asking for his father. When his second attempt was ignored, he hesitantly opened the door and looked inside. He half expected to see his father, looking at him disapprovingly for or some proof that he had been there, but instead, he saw an empty room. It almost looked like his father hadn’t stepped foot inside all day.

He backed out and continued to comb through the large house, looking for any sign of life.

He couldn’t find anything.

Ladybug rounded her trajectory, keeping herself low enough to the city streets to be able to spot akumatized Nathaniel if she was to pass him. She figured that he would have been heading towards Adrien’s house to settle whatever score he felt slighted in. Perhaps, she could catch the troubled artist before he reached the mansion and try to defuse the situation with the only damage being a couple paintings.

She finally spotted a familiar head of red hair pivoting from rooftop to rooftop, and brought herself to the street just as he finished his final leap, allowing her to take in his akumatized form.

Since this was the first case of repeated akumatization, she had expected to see the Evillustrator again, but that wasn’t who was in front of her. The form before her looked far more like Chat Noir; tight leather suit, solid black mask, black cat-like ears that twitched as he smiled. Yet, it was also far more like the original host than any Akuma she had seen. He still had Nathaniel’s bright red hair and turquoise eyes, though they were slightly more cat-like. It was almost like he dressed in a costume more than just copying her partner.

“Ladybug.” he finally said, a level of surprised excitement in his voice, “I was hoping you would find me.” He placed the baton on his back, showing that he didn’t mean to attack the heroine, causing her to relax a little. She would have to play this safe if she didn’t want him to dash to the mansion behind them and cause havoc.

“Me?” she asked, “Why were you looking for me?” She knew the answer to that very well, but it was a safe enough topic she figured to distract him as she looked for the akuma.

“Why wouldn’t I look for you?” he asked, his voice sounding so much like the way the Evillustrator had spoken to Marinette and her stomach knotted.

Why did she have to do this same dance with the same classmate, just with different masks?

“You’re beautiful and clever and brave.” he continued, “You’ve done so many amazing things, and…” He shifted side to side nervously, “honestly, I’ve always wanted to be your partner. To just admire the things you do up close, to...”

He stepped closer to her, and she forced herself to stand still, telling herself that she was still standing in the way of Adrien and an Akuma, an Akuma that didn’t want to hurt her.

Nathaniel stopped only close enough to reach a tentative hand forward to meet her cheek; “To see you up close, to confess my feelings for you.”

Ladybug kept her eyes trained on his, reading a level of desperateness in his eyes. They were the eyes of someone who had been rejected before and were scared that that heartbreak may happen again.

It hurt her to know that they were right.

“Nathaniel, you shouldn’t need to change who you are for someone.”

“But, I didn’t.” he claimed, “I’m still me. I just… I’m more like someone you’d be into. I mean, I couldn’t even get with a girl in my class; how could I attract a Superhero like you?”

Ladybug’s heart sank as she looked at her classmate with pity; “I’m sure you’re a great guy. And, someone is going to notice it one day.”

He shook his head, his cat ears dropping; “I don’t want just

someone

. I want
you
. I want to be your partner, and save the city with you, and-”

His ears perked, and his hand dropped to his sides, balling into fists as his face twisted with contempt.

“I want to be him.”

Ladybug looked behind her to see Adrien exiting his house, armed with nothing but a face of determination. She turned back to Nathaniel, who had started to shift angrily in his place.

“Please,” was all she was able to get out before his gaze snapped to her, rendering her speechless. His eyes looked damp and his head was tilted just slightly in a questioning way.

“It’s not Chat you want, is it?” he asked, a rumble in his voice that sounded nothing like her shy classmate; “You want Adrien Agreste. Fine, I can do that.”

He ran his left hand over his leather suit, transforming it into Adrien’s black t-shirt and jeans. Then, he ran the same hand through his hair, losing the cat ears and turning his straight hair into waves that were an auburn mirror of the models.

The only part of him that didn’t shift to resemble Adrien was his eyes.

“Am I good enough now?” he asked, his voice cracking with emotion, “Could you possibly look at me like you look at him?”

Ladybug pressed her lips together, unsure what she could possibly say to him.

She didn’t feel that way about him.

She didn’t feel that way as Marinette.

She didn’t feel that way as Ladybug.

She couldn’t make herself feel that way even if she wanted to.

She met his eyes, but they looked harder than she had ever seen them.

“Why won’t you love me?” he asked, “What’s wrong with me?” An idea flashed before his eyes as he looked back at Adrien; “Of course. His Miraculous. If I have that, I can be both Adrien and Chat Noir. You’d love me for sure then.”

Nathaniel’s eyes filled with a jealous rage, and Ladybug grabbed her yo-yo, ready to strike. But, before she had a chance, Nathaniel had shifted to faux Chat once again. Without a word, he put his hand on the ground, effectively creating a pitted trap that pulled Ladybug into the ground.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, looking down at the spotted heroine at the bottom, “But, I have to take care of some unfinished business.”

Adrien stood there, taking in the situation. His lady was trapped in a pit, and an Akuma that looked like unbridled fury was running towards him.

This w
not good.

“Transform,” Plagg instructed from his pocket, but instead, Adrien rolled out of the way of Nathaniel’s warpath.

“I can’t” he reminded the kwami, “Besides if I have a chance to defuse this, it will have to come from Adrien.” He didn’t need to see Plagg to know the expression of confusion he must have given in response to his -admittedly insane- logic.

His father had left him abandoned, unable to protect himself with either the high-security system or the borrowed power of the god of destruction. Yet, there was just a shred of morality in him that kept him from going back on his word.

Nathaniel started to twirl his staff into a fighting stance, “Fight me, Adrien. Fight me for her affection.”

“I’m not going to fight you, Nathaniel.” Adrien told him.

Nathaniel leveled his gaze in a way that said,

so be it

, and Adrien reached down to throw whatever he could towards the Akuma to distract him.

It was a rock in the shin.

Nathaniel yelped in pain, and Adrien took cover behind the car.

“Fighting each other won't gain Ladybug’s affection.” Adrien tried to reason, “She’s able to give that to anyone she deems worthy of it.”

“Someone like you?” Nathaniel fired back, the venom of his words palatable in the air, “Let’s face facts Agreste. It’s not a competition you’re competing with perfection.”

Adrien could feel the car disintegrating behind him and he jumped back to face his opponent.

“You think my life is perfect?” Adrien asked him, trying to appeal to the classmate under the mask of heightened emotions that akumas caused, “You want to live my life? You don’t know how badly I wish I didn't."

He dodged another assault, landing hard on his ankle causing him to hiss in pain as he looked at Nathaniel, who merely chuckled; “Oh, yeah. It must be so hard for you. A pretty rich boy who lives as a model by day, and a superhero by night. You may not notice it because you’re so used to it, but people treat you differently than they treat people like me. You say one word and you’re able to win the hearts of classmates and partners alike with an ease that guys like me dream of having.”

He gave a growl that sounded almost animalistic in nature, “I’d kill to have your life.”

Adrien didn’t doubt the meaning in that, pulling himself up against the fence and using it to support the structure to keep off his bad leg. He couldn’t stop the laugh at the irony that was unfolding.

“You want my life that badly? You want to have a father that doesn’t care enough about you to protect you from an Akuma, many different akumas, and instead threatens to take away the one way you have to protect yourself?

“You want to be trapped in your own house by schedule and rules that you have no control over, losing one by one the things that matter to you as a punishment for being a hero?

“You want to spend day after day with the most amazing girl you’ve ever met, only to get rejected when she admits to having feelings for someone else, and the worst part is, you don’t even know who it is or why she chose them over you?

“If that’s the life you want Nathaniel, you can have it! Because I’d rather take whatever you’re trading for it.”

The Akuma seemed stunned by the blond’s sudden burst of honesty, and the way he continued to laugh like this was just some cruel joke that life had played on him. Adrien laughed and laughed, each breath giving a more broken and almost maniacal sound.

Finally, the thin veil of ‘humor’ was replaced with tears, the breakdown of a failed superhero and a broken son, as he slid back down the wall, crying into his arms.

He didn’t want to fight his emotions anymore. Fight to stay composed, to be the perfect son. He was done fighting.

He was just done.

Nathaniel seemed to come back to himself, and demanded the miraculous, not believing the broken boy, or just fulfilling Hawkmoth’s demands. It didn’t matter anymore.

Before Adrien had a chance to respond, he could hear the whirl of Ladybug’s yo-yo,
“I’m sorry, Nathaniel, but I can’t let you do that.”

One quick tug and the Akuma was on the ground being pulled to the spotted heroine, who bound the victim with a pair of spotted handcuffs. A quick search through his pockets and a ripped paper later, a black and purple butterfly was released. “No more evil doing for you, little Akuma.” She said,
catching it in her yo-yo, “It’s time to de-evilize.”

After she had purified it, and set off her Miraculous cure, she walked over to Adrien, who still sat slumped against the wall.

If Ladybug was to describe how Adrien looked in that moment, she would choose Broken. This whole ordeal had broken her partner. Broken his emotions, broken his soul. Turned her carefree cat to a sobbing mess at the life he was forced to live. She knew it had been bad, but she would never have guessed it was like this.

“Adrien,” she said, as softly as she could to not upset his emotions further, and the blond looked up at her, the red in his eyes bringing out the green that much more.

“I’m sorry, M’Lady.” He said with a quaking voice, “I never wanted you to see me like this.”

“Shh…” She soothed, pulling him to her like she had the night before on her Balcony. Her fingers brushed through his messy hair, and he buried his face in her neck, letting the remainder of his tears fall against her suit.

She had seen him at his most vulnerable twice in as many days, and as honored as that felt, it also broke her heart to see him hurting so much. She wanted to pull away from her mask and tell him that one thing had gone right in his life; that his love wasn’t unrequited. That the other person who had her heart had been him all along, but she couldn’t get the words to form.

After her earring had given three warning beeps, Adrien pulled himself out of the warmth of her embrace. “Go, M’Lady. You‘re about to timeout.”

“But, Chat…” She started and he shook his head.

“I can’t have you lose what I’ve lost.”

She bit her lip and did as he asked, readying her yo-yo to leave, but she looked back at her partner for one last moment; “Keep your window open.”

Then, she was gone from sight.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Adrien sat at his desk, still reeling over what was captured in the Ladyblog’s live stream of the earlier battle, though truthfully there wasn’t really much to see. Most of the footage seemed to be either Alya trying to make her way to his house or help Ladybug out of Nathaniel’s pit-trap, or Alya’s phone ‘accidentally running out of battery’ mid-way through his half-intelligible confession. (It was fairly clear that Alya was trying to protect whatever remained of Adrien Agreste’s reputation, and he appreciated it highly.)

Hearing his own words come out of his mouth still gripped him in a way that struck him with guilt and shame, even hours later. Sure, it wasn’t a lie of any form, but it also wasn’t anything he had wanted to admit.

He hadn’t even told his closest friends those kinds of things, but if the texts from the three were to be trusted, they didn’t need to make out the entire confession to know that ‘Father locked me up for my protection’ wasn’t the truth.

He had hated lying to them, but how could he have told them? Any of it?

Hey, my father is punishing me for saving Paris multiple times and is trying to take away my Miraculous…

A feeling started to nag at Adrien: suspicion.

Ladybug’s early suspicion of his father as being Hawkmoth was never something to which he wanted to give any weight, yet…

If his father wasn’t Hawkmoth, why would he want to take the black cat ring from him?

Where had he been during the attack?

As much as he hated to admit it, there were too many things pointing that way to not be wary.

The guilt that ate at him grew. How could he suspect his father of being Hawkmoth, a cruel villain who took advantage of people’s pain for his own benefit, who had jeopardized the lives of so many people, himself included?

What kind of son suspected his father of such a heinous thing? His father was far from a saint, but he wouldn’t go so far as to risk Adrien’s life (knowingly, considering akumatizing people like Kagami and Nathaniel that were

targeting

him).

No.

His father couldn’t be Hawkmoth.

There had to be another explanation. Perhaps, his father was just emotionally distant and neglectful, or maybe he wanted to maintain control of his son’s life. Even though those ideas frustrated Adrien, they were better than the alternative answer, so he would take it.

Suddenly, he could hear a light knock behind him. He turned his chair to see Ladybug at his window. Since she had asked him to keep a window opened, he figured she would come.

He felt his heart sag at the sight of her. She looked just as beautiful and amazing as ever, only illuminated by the light from his computer screen. He could only imagine the mess looking back at her. He had been nervously toying with his hair for hours until it was a chaotic mess between Adrien and Chat. The physical manifestation of his internal struggle.

Ladybug slid her body into the room with ease, gently hitting the floor with a light thud. The entire room was dark, the only light coming from Adrien’s computer, and she noticed it was open to the Ladyblog.

She could only imagine what was going through his head. It had only been two days and everything he had grown to expect and cherish was going torn from him. She wished there was something she could do, but even Ladybug couldn’t fix everything.

“Hey, Adrien.” she greeted his silhouette, trying to keep her tone even and casual. She didn’t want to say or do something that could make him feel any worse.

“Hello, M’lady…” he replied, his voice lacking all the charisma that always accompanied that nickname.

No matter which name he went by, Adrien was always consistent in one way: whether it was happiness, flirtation, or just serenity, his words always had emotions tangible within them. Now, he just sounded…numb.

This wasn’t him; either side of him.

“I wanted to check on you,” she told him, bypassing any questions of him being okay. Anyone that knew him at all could tell he wasn’t. Adrien gave a smile that seemed as forced as his greeting.

“I appreciate that. Thank you.”

“It’s not a problem.” she told him, as she made her way closer to him, “Is there anything in particular that you want to talk about?”

He shook his head quickly.

“Is it okay if we try to forget that I broke down in front of an Akuma, my partner, and a livestream of the battle?” He gave a weak chuckle.

It was painful for her to watch her usually optimistic classmate and partner lack any humor in his laugh, but that’s what happened. However, Ladybug agreed to his request.

“Just know that I’m here for you if you ever do want to talk about anything.” she told him, placing her hand on his shoulder in a comforting way, “You’re my partner, you know, and I’d do anything for you.”

“I know, M’lady.” he replied, looking up at her with a flicker of admiration in his eyes, “Thank you.”

They stood in silence for a few moments, neither one sure how to talk to the other. Finally, it was Ladybug who broke the silence.

“Actually, I have one question about today.” Adrien looked at her, and she quickly added, “but, if you don’t want to answer it, I totally understand. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable-”

“What is it?” He asked without any hesitation. Ladybug bit her lip, carefully picking her words.

“While Nathaniel was coming after you, why didn’t you transform into Chat Noir?”

Adrien let out a loud sigh, looking away from her, allowing the little light they had cast shadows on his grim expression.

She predicted the answer of her question took her to the edge of a topic he never talked in depth about with anyone, and she didn’t want to use his undying desire to connect with Ladybug as a way to pry. She would never do something like that to him.

“Like, I said, if you don’t want to talk about it, we don’t have-“

“It was a promise I made to my father.” He said, his voice finally showing a single emotion: regret. “He cornered me, demanding me to give him my Miraculous, and I had to say something to keep him from taking it.” Recounting the situation out loud, Gabriel was sounding more and more like their butterfly-themed enemy. He forced that idea aside and continued, “I have never broken a promise in my life, and he knew having me give my word would keep me from using it.” He gave another chuckle, trying to hide the cracks in his voice.
“I assume he didn’t expect me to do something as stupid as going out without my armor.”

“It wasn’t-” Ladybug started to console him, but he cut her off.

“It was, Lady. I couldn’t sit on sidelines so I went out unprepared and tempted fate. It was reckless and impulsive. But, isn’t that how I’ve always been? Running into combat half-cocked, only making it out okay because you’re there?”

Ladybug’s lips formed a line. Watching Adrien describe himself as ‘reckless’ and ‘impulsive’ was so strange, but when he was under the mask, they was words that she herself had used to describe her partner in the past. However, now knowing what he went through at home explained why he liked to leap first and ask questions later. It seemed less like acts of impulse and more fighting for freedom. It must have felt devastating to have his controlling father take that away by using his personal convictions against him.

She went to answer but caught him twirling his miraculous in his fingers.

“Maybe I’m not cut out to be Chat Noir anymore. I mean, I can’t use my powers anyway. And, if today was an indication, I’m not able to handle the pressure this job requires of me.”

And, my father wants to take it from me.

She placed her hand on his, effectively stopping the twirling motion.

“Don’t you dare.”

He kept his gaze on their hands, and she continued.

“The one thing you’ve proven again and again in this whole mess is that Chat Noir isn’t the reason you’re a hero. Chat’s a hero because of you.”

She knelt down a bit so she could meet Adrien’s eyes, commanding herself not to get lost in the forest of green.

“You’ve continuously proved yourself as brave, and clever, and kind. All of those are traits that make you a hero. Perhaps you could have had a plan, but you did what your heart told you was right.” She placed her hand on his chest for emphasis. “And, you have a good heart, Adrien Agreste. That’s why you were chosen in the first place. We will make it through this together. Just Ladybug and Chat Noir, heroes of Paris. Please, don’t ever see yourself as just a reckless sidekick, because I sure don’t.”

Her gaze turned far more serious.

“And don’t you

dare

act like I don’t need you. You told me that I could do this our first battle, that Paris would one day see us for the heroes that we would be. And now it’s my turn to return the favor. Paris still needs us. They need

you

. And, even if you’re no longer wearing the black mask,

you

are my partner, and I will have your back just like you’ve always had mine.”

He just looked at her, his heart beating spasticity under her hand. She seemed so sure of her words, of who he was.

People had always told him who he was.

An heir to a fashion empire.

A wealthy teenage boy.

A heartthrob model.

A disappointment.

The Chosen.

But, this was the first time he actually wanted to believe what someone had told him. Ladybug looked at him with such pure intentions that he didn’t want to ever let her down.

Instead, he engulfed her in a hug. She seemed startled at first but easily conformed herself to fit in his arms. The exchange wasn’t nearly as desperate for comfort as their previous ones had been. It was just an embrace of affection between the two. A promise that, no matter what happened next, they had each other.

It was all he needed from her, and all she ever asked of him.

After a few minutes, it was Adrien who pulled away.

“Thank you, M’Lady. You don’t know how badly I needed that.”

“Well, I’m glad to help,” She told him, placing a hand on his cheek, causing the boy to close his eyes and nuzzle in like a love-starved kitten. It hurt to see him so unsure of himself, especially after feeling like she had finally unmasked and truly knew the boy she had admired for so long.

They needed to figure this out; to revive the optimistic Adrien and confident Chat that she had fallen for.

“Adrien,” she started, giving him time to open his eyes and look at her, “we should go see The Guardian tonight. He may know what to do. How to go from here.”

He gave a sigh, not daring to look in her eyes, but unable to move from her touch. He had been open to visiting the mysterious Guardian the day before, but what if he had seen Alya’s live stream? What if he knew what a mess he had been? Would he look at Adrien as a mistake? Did he regret giving Adrien his powers?

He didn’t even realize he had lost himself in a spiral of self-doubt until he felt a gloved hand grounding him back into reality with a gentle brush of his cheek with her thumb.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up. I just figured you’d like another opinion, but I had forgotten that you haven’t even met him yet. I’d be with you every step of the way, but I know just how worried I was when Tikki brought me to him the first time, and-“

“No, we need to go.” he told her, gently cutting her off, “I have questions, and perhaps he’ll have the answers. But,” He hesitated slightly, “can we just stay here like this… just a little longer?”

The curl of her lip was only caught slightly by the dim light.

“Of course, Kitty.”

In a couple quick motions that Adrien’s mind was unable to make out in it’s overwhelmed state, Ladybug switched their positions so that she was sitting on his bed with him sitting on her lap.

If he was in any state to care, he may have thought about how weak, helpless, or, dare he say it, broken he looked curled in her lap like a lost cat. But, lucky for the remaining shreds of dignity, he didn’t care.

He did, however, have enough awareness to see an opportunity when he saw one.

“Well gee, M’Lady. Had I known that all I needed to do to be in your arms was ask, I would have done that a long time ago.”

Ladybug tried her best to look annoyed, but her eyes gave her fondness away.

“Hush or I’ll push you on the floor.”

“Meouch,” he muttered, but otherwise did as she asked, and curled himself into the warm embrace of his lady, taking full advantage of having her support. One arm laid around his back with the other running through his hair, gently separating the strands, and scratching just like she did when his more feline tendencies came through. One of such tendencies decided to make an appearance as a low rumble from his throat.

His eyes opened in surprise, and he looked up and met amusement in her blue irises.

“I didn’t know you could purr out of costume.”

“Neither did I…”

Ladybug gave a laugh that Adrien could feel due to still being in her embrace.

“Oh my goodness. I can’t believe that you’re literally just a giant cat.”

He gave a pout, but it was just for show considering just how much he loved hearing her laugh, even if it was at his expense.

“Hey. I’m just as human as you.”

“Perhaps,” she said, her laugher turning more mischievous, “but, I’m curious just how many qualities have imprinted themselves on your civilian form.”

Before Adrien had any chance to protest, Ladybug moved one hand to his chin and started lightly dragging her nails against the skin, bringing back the uncontrollable purr.

“Ladybug,” he complained, his voice coming out rumbly between the vibrations in his throat, “Why must you tease me in this way?”

“Revenge,” she replied, matter-of-factly, her fingertips ghosting his ear, causing him to twitch. (Due to an unfortunate instance on a patrol a couple weeks prior, he knew if it was his cat-ears, only they would have flickered under her touch.)

“For what?” he asked.

She gave a chuckle.

“Where should I start? The insistent use of puns.”

She drug her fingers through his hair, causing the boy to close his eyes and push into her touch.

“Your need to drop terrible pickup lines at the worst times.”

Another ghost-touch caused his body to twitch again, and his lady continued.

“I guess you could call it revenge for you being you.”

He couldn’t reply; he just let his purr win out and lost himself in the affection that he craved, though he wasn’t sure if it was just because of his cat-side.

“However,” Ladybug said, her voice not much more than a whisper that barely carried over the engine sound Adrien was producing, “I wouldn’t trade my dorky partner for anything.”

He opened his eyes and was met with blue, a beautiful sea of adoration from his best friend, his partner, his lady.

Man, he loved her so much.

“Geez. Just kiss already and get it over with. You guys are disgusting.”

Ladybug quickly looked away, and Adrien shot a death glare to his kwami, who had apparently woken from his cat nap and just felt the need to ruin the moment the duo was experiencing.

Now, they would have to return to reality, to the swimming doubts and fears that had been silenced by her inane ability to bring him to a state of ease.

He wasn’t used to being emotional transparent. There wasn’t really anyone in his life he could be so vulnerable with.

His father only ever expected silent obedience from him and would lash out if Adrien so much as expressed an emotion aside from compliance.

His mother, though far more feeling that his father, instructed him to be less like herself in that aspect and more like his seemingly emotionless father.

His modeling career was all about faking expressions to market, to sell something. It wasn’t a bad thing, per say, but there wasn’t anything real about it.

And, even though he knew he had friends like Nino, Marinette, Alya, and even Chloe if he was desperate, he never really felt like he could open up to them. Would they still accept him if they knew all the ugly parts of his past, all the blemishes in his personality? He was too scared to be alone again to take that risk.

But, here he was in Ladybug’s arms, wondering if this is what true acceptance felt like. He had been afraid when she realized who he was, that she would think less of him now that he was revealed. But, she had been by his side, watching him spiral into insecurity and fear, and instead of running away, she was pulling him as close as she could. If he had to lose the facade to know just how good it felt to be in her embrace, to be in her arms, then it was worth it.

He looked back to Ladybug, who had blush appearing under her mask in a shade of pink that complimented her suit.

“Um… You feeling better now?”

Adrien gave a nod, forcing himself to stand up. His legs were a tad wobbly at first, though he wasn’t sure if it was because he was just vibrating uncontrollably or because felt more relaxed than he had ever in his life. Either way, when he regained his composure, he turned to help Ladybug up off his bed.

“I’m glad,” she told him, as she got up and stood next to him.

The first thing Adrien noticed was that Ladybug looked so much smaller now that they were standing; the second was that she hadn’t let go of his hand the second she stood up. She just let their hands lightly hold each other, almost like a reminder that she was still there for him.

“Are you ready to go?”

And, despite the blush that he could feel warming his face, he gave a little smile, bringing her hand to his lips.

“I’m always ready to follow you, M’lady.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Soaring through the Paris night air always felt like such an unreal sensation to Ladybug. Feeling the wind push her pigtails back as she ran across rooftops or was pulled by the string of her yo-yo, the smells of nighttime surrounding her with its calming aroma, adrenaline pumping through her veins with every leap and bound.

And it was all heightened as she held Adrien.

She had carried him across rooftops to safety before, but it was so different now. Being near him was different. She had seen him at his most vulnerable, most genuine self, and he let her in, clinging to her like she was the only real thing to him.

Perhaps, she was.

Now, she hated her mask more than ever.

Ladybug felt like she had learned so much more about her partner in the last two days than she could have ever learned with his secret identity intact, and she wanted to be just as honest and exposed to him too. To hear him call her by her real name while she drew the content purrs from him.

Ladybug chastised herself. She couldn’t let her emotions cloud what needed to be done. The fight against Hawkmoth had gone on long enough that she couldn’t risk putting her partner, her love, in more danger than he already was in, not when they were so close to ending this.

They had to be close by now, right?

The duo turned landed on a rooftop, and she gently brought them to the ground in front of Master Fu’s building. She was thankful that she didn’t need Tikki to direct her there anymore.

“Come on.” She told Adrien, heading towards the door.

Adrien instinctively grabbed onto his lady’s hand, and she looked back at him. The night was dark, but she could make out his nervous smile. She tried to comfort him by smiling in return and tightening her grip on his hand in hers, before giving a knock on the door.

A gentle “come in” was offered and the two walked in. Inside was a small man, with grey hair and goatee, a Hawaiian patterned shirt, and a cup of what looked like tea, sitting cross-legged on a large cushion that took up most of the room, and his eyes closed.

Insecurity surged through Adrien, finally in the presence of the one who had given him the Miraculous. The longer he looked at the stranger, the more familiar he became, though he couldn’t pinpoint an exact meeting or moment. It was almost like a face in a dream that you recognize at the time, but can’t determine why. Was that because of the ring, or was Adrien just being paranoid? He wasn’t sure, and ultimately, he didn’t want to know. It seemed to matter very little behind all the other pressing issues that were bubbling under the surface.

The man opened his eyes and gave a warm smile.

“Ah, Ladybug. Chat Noir.” he greeted as casually as though they had met many times before and those aliases were their true names.

“I’m sorry to bring him here so late.” Ladybug apologized, bowing slightly out of respect, but the man only waved away her concern.

“We were expecting you to come,”

Adrien couldn’t hold back his question: “We?”

Just then, a blur of green came from its hiding place and hovered by the man’s head. It was a turtle-like kwami he learned because as soon as the blur had stopped, Plagg flew from his pocket and hugged the turtle. Honestly, it was the first time Adrien had seen Plagg so affectionate to something that wasn’t cheese.

“Wayzz, it’s been so long.” Plagg moaned, “I missed you. I missed being here. I missed Master Fu’s amazing cheese!”

Adrien fight to not roll his eyes; of course, this somehow linked back to the kwami’s addiction. The man, Master Fu, didn’t seem surprised, however.

“Wayzz will show you where it is. I had some made in case you would visit.”

“Yes! This is why you’re my favorite human!”

“Hey,” Adrien replied, slightly offended that he was being disregarded so quickly. The black cat seemed as unapologetic as ever when the two kwamis flew off to another room, leaving the three humans to discuss what had brought the teens there in the middle of the night.

Master Fu gestured for them to have a seat across from him. As Ladybug sat on her legs and Adrien sat criss-crossed, they were asked if they wanted some tea.

Adrien accepted if only to have something else to do with his hands and mind. Being in this space, sitting with the man that had chosen him to be Chat Noir was already giving him far more questions and very few answers. His head was swimming enough as it was.

“Master,” Ladybug started, once the three were all situated, “I’m sure you’ve heard the news by now.”

“Of course,” he replied as calmly as he had greeted them, “Even though the reveal of a Miraculous user is very dangerous, it is not as uncommon as we would hope. Especially when the black cat is protecting their partner.”

He didn’t sound condemning, but Adrien felt a sting from the words anyway. If he hadn’t been so reckless, so protective, this wouldn’t have happened. He took a long sip from his cup, letting the hot liquid give him time to reconstruct the mask of emotional detachment that he had worn for years. If it worked through the disappearance of his mother, through the isolation of his father, it would work now.

Right?

“So what should we do now?” Ladybug asked, fidgeting in her place. Adrien had worked alongside her long enough that she got antsy if she didn’t have a plan in place. Normally, he could calm her down with a bad joke, but considering the circumstance, he was just as unsettled. However, Ladybug and Chat Noir always got through things all right in the end, and he didn’t want to believe that this would be the exception.

“What do

you

think you should do?” the old man asked, almost philosophically, looking at Adrien, who felt like the least qualified person to answer. He didn’t come up with plans. He never did. How was he supposed to know how to deal with something like this?

“What did the others do?” Adrien asked, his eyes not leaving his tea.

The Master gave a hum before answering, “Many different things. Some went into hiding, only using their powers under the cover of night. Others became more daring, using their loss of identity to their advantage for as long as it was needed.”

“What would they do if they couldn’t use their powers at all?” he asked in a voice so soft, it shouldn’t have been heard. Yet, the man before him seemed to have more abilities than he appeared.

“They would go into retirement, passing on their abilities to someone that could finish the fight they had started,” he replied, sipping his tea before continuing, “Is something stopping you from using your Miraculous?”

Adrien bit his lip. How was he going to explain that his father had such a grip on him that he had successfully rendered him powerless? What kind of chosen was that weak?

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and he turned to see Ladybug, concern clouding her eyes.

“It’s all right, Adrien. You can tell him.”

He took a deep breath, before telling that man what had happened, how his father was controlling and restricted his movements after the news came through. How he had made a promise to not use the ring in exchange for it not being taken away from him. By the end, he was biting back the tears that were crawling up his throat.

“I’m supposed to be Ladybug’s partner, but I’m useless if I can’t fight alongside her because I ‘gave my word’. And, the only reason we’re in this mess is
that I was reckless enough to get caught... I should you give back the ring, and give her a fighting chance to have a partner that isn’t going to screw up.”

He didn’t even have a chance to finish before Ladybug was on her feet; “No! I need you, Adrien. I don’t want a different partner because you’re the best partner I could have ever had. You have my back and I have yours, and together, we are unstoppable. We complete each other. Isn’t that what the cat and ladybug are supposed to be?”

She looked at the Master, but he only tilted his head and continued his gaze on Adrien.

“There’s something else causing you to question your possession of the Miraculous, isn’t there?”

Adrien could tell by the tone used that there wasn’t any point of pretending that there wasn’t.

“Yes, Master,” he said, a tear making its way to his eye and down his cheek. Ladybug knelt at his side, eyes trained on his face, but he couldn’t look at anything but the mug in his hands. He couldn’t keep lying to himself.

“I shouldn’t have the Miraculous in my house anymore.”

“Why not?” Ladybug asked him, her voice lacking any of the harshness that had appeared when she had lashed out in his defense just seconds before. He took a deep breath and forced himself to look at her.

“You were right, Ladybug. I think… I believe that my father is Hawk Moth.”

Being right was the last thing Ladybug wanted to be in that moment. Not when she was accusing her partner’s father of being their sworn enemy.

Back when she had first posed her theory that Gabriel Agreste may be Hawk Moth, she didn’t understand why Chat had been so abrasive to the idea, but now that she knew what she did, she wished she had been more gentle in her accusations.

“Are you sure?”

“No,” he replied honestly, “but, it’s too big a risk to take. If my father isn’t Hawk Moth, I’ll damage any relationship my father and I still had. But, if I’m right…”

Adrien shook his head, looking away from Ladybug.

“What makes you suspect him?” she asked him. Adrien gave another of his humorless chuckles, looking down at his cup.

“Other than the fact that he outright demanded my miraculous the first time he saw me after my cover was blown?”

He pressed his lips in a tight line, trying to keep himself together.

“That he’s never once asked about my safety after countless akumas attack my school or come after me directly? That after I leapt from that building and almost fell to my death, he never held me or told me how scared he was to lose me? He only told me to be more honest and to not keep secrets from him.”

He laughed, obviously pushing back the tears that threatened to fall.

“What a hypocrite, right? He’s got more secrets than Pandora’s box, yet it’s me- his son that only snuck out because I wasn’t allowed to ask permission to see a movie that my missing mother starred in, because he wouldn’t speak to me without an appointment- that I’m the one keeping secrets and fracturing whatever relationship we have between us.”

He gave a sniffle, causing Ladybug’s heart to break. She knew he was at his breaking point. so she wrapped her around around him to try to lend any comfort she could.

The only other emotion she could feel other than empathy for her partner, was anger at his father. She knew Gabriel was cold and unemotional, but before today, she never would have guessed it was that bad. Now she had seen her best friend, the one person that could always make her smile in one form of the other, fall completely apart three times in one day. His father had done this to him: made him feel so guilty to have emotions that he had kept them bottled up until so many things piled together that it broke him. And, if that man, that monster, was their enemy, the one that had been manipulating her friends and family, as well as innocent people that she had sworn to protect, she would have no problems taking him down in the name of every person he had abused to get where he was.

Her eyes met Master Fu’s, who gave her a look that she had deemed the ‘Tikki disapproval’ look; at least now she knew where her kwami had gotten it from. She forced herself to breathe. She would be no help to Adrien or Paris if she was riled up and susceptible to akumatization herself.

Just then, her partner continued to speak from his place on her shoulder: she hadn’t even realized he had moved there.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t see this coming, that I was so weak and scared that I made a deal with the devil. I’m sorry-”

She pulled him closer to herself, holding him in her arms.

“Don’t you dare apologize, Adrien. You are not weak. You are the strongest person I’ve ever met and having emotions other than contentment isn’t a sign of weakness. Don’t ever let anyone ever tell you otherwise. And, don’t apologize for trying to see the good in someone; that’s the one thing I’ve always loved about you.”

She didn’t mean to say the “L” word, and she only hoped that it passed by with as little suspicion as possible, at least until she could confess properly.

Her gaze flickered back to Master Fu, who had a knowing look in his eyes. This whole time he knew that Adrien was Chat Noir, that she liked him enough to hide the truth about evidence she had found before to protect him, and yet kept those well-guarded secrets to himself. As nice as that would have been to know when she worked that the book had been Adrien’s, but she had respect for the confidence of identities, even now.

Speaking of the book-

“Gabriel was the one you found the book from, wasn't he, Ladybug?”

She gave a nod, while Adrien lifted his head from her shoulder.

“What book?” his voice was just as small as before, but for once, there was a different emotion than just sadness coming through. Master Fu nodded.

“There was a book of Miraculous Holders that Ladybug had recovered from your father’s safe, one that was taken from your possession, if my memory serves me.”

“Y-yes,” she confirmed, blush lightly dusting her cheeks, “I found it and brought it here for Master Fu to look at. We had suspected that whoever had the book may have been… Behind this. But, when your father became The Collector, we dismissed the lead.”

Adrien slowly nodded, remembering the battle well. How he believed that he had hurt his father enough for losing his book of inspiration that he let Hawk Moth get to him. He remembered the look on his father’s face, hoping that Adrien was alright after supposedly being akumatized.

He had been so happy to have some reason to doubt his lady’s theory that he jumped on his father’s akumatization as proof that she was wrong.

But, she wasn’t wrong. He was the Miraculous holder of Bad Luck. Of course, his father of all people would be their enemy.

And, he had been playing them as fools this whole time. Then again, he had always been his father’s puppet anyway; what made Chat Noir any different?

“Adrien.” a gentle voice pulled him back to Master Fu’s home. At first, he figured it had been Ladybug to bring him back, but he later realized that it had been The Guardian himself that called him by true name.

Adrien looked at him in question, and the man only sipped his tea before speaking.

“I know that, if our theory holds true, the defeat of Hawk Moth will be bittersweet. I understand why that may not be a burden that you’re willing to bare. However,”

He lifted his gaze to look the young man in the eyes.

“you were the correct choice for the black cat.”

Adrien tilted his head in confusion. How could he have been the right choice? He was the son of Hawk Moth; he had lost his secret in front of all of Paris. How could Master Fu still stand behind giving him the ring?

Obviously noting the boy’s confusion, the master continued.

“At our first meeting, I could tell you were the kind of person that would always help others, even if it brought harm to yourself. That kind of selflessness is a trait that is necessary for someone who wields a power as great as destruction. It shows that they will never use it to hurt others, only to remove what needs to be torn down. For only when something ends can new things begin.”

Adrien sat in silence, taking in what he was told.

Ladybug did the same. She knew that Chat Noir’s powers were the counter of hers, the ying to her yang, but she never really thought about how destructive abilities were intended to be used. How dangerous they could be in the wrong hands. They had always been good. Because Adrien was good.

She looked at her partner, who was gazing into his tea, soaking in The Master’s confirmation that Chat Noir had been doing the right thing.

“Even now,” the Master continued suddenly, causing the teens to look at him, “you question what would be better for Paris and your partner, without regarding your own emotions.”

Ladybug saw Adrien flinch slightly, noting that Fu had been correct in his evaluation.

“Remember, Chat Noir, that your feelings and your duty aren’t always exclusive. You can do the right thing

and

be happy.”

Adrien looked back at his tea, his brows furrowed in thought, missing the glance Fu gave Ladybug, like it was a message she needed to hear too.

He was busy contemplating what he was to do now. He couldn’t tell if The Guardian was a mind reader or if his doubts were that obvious. Either way, he had a lot to think about.

What did Adrien want?

Not the puppet his father had created.

Not the unmasked hero of Paris.

The teenager that loved the freedom Chat Noir had granted him. He enjoyed having someone to talk to in Plagg-even if he was almost as annoying as he was helpful. He lived for the way his lady looked at him after a long battle, like they could do anything because they had each other.

But, what would his father do if he saw him using the ring. He had made a promise to… to…

He had made a promise to his father, not to Hawk Moth.

And it had been Hawk Moth in his father’s office yesterday, hadn’t it? Threatening and making demands for his Miraculous, finding pleasure in destroying Chat Noir.

And, if it was Hawk Moth, what stopped him from stealing the ring in his sleep or demanding it as his father, continuing to take and take until his opponent broke, just like he did with his Akumas?

Adrien fought with his mind, going back and forth through pros and cons.

After several minutes of quiet, Ladybug spoke his name.

“Adrien, I should take you home before your father or Nathalie discovers you’re missing.”

He gave a nod, finishing the contents of his glass. With the last swallow, the last puzzle piece clicked in his mind and decision flashed in his eyes.

The Master must have seen it.

“Do you know what you want to do?”

“I believe so, Master,” Adrien replied, twirling his ring around his finger.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Ladybug held Adrien as they rushed through the air. His mind dealing with the choice he had just made, and her mind reeling with the consequences of their discussion with Master Fu.If Adrien’s father was Hawkmoth, she was now dropping her partner off at his doorstep, leaving him to be eaten alive. Even though she trusted her partner with her life, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy about their whole plan.The two landed inside his bedroom, the room completely bathed in darkness. If anyone had tried to look for him, they would have assumed the young model was long asleep.“Here we are,” Ladybug announced into the dark, letting go of her partner’s waist. He didn’t step back very far, only to the wall to turn the knob that brought up the lights enough to see each other, but not blind them with bright lights.“Here we are,” he repeated, meeting her gaze. His green eyes seemed to glow in the dim lighting, like his time as Chat Noir had permanently aided his night vision. Or maybe, it was just because of how intense the situation felt.“Are you going to be okay?” she asked, crossing closer to him.Adrien just shrugged.“There’s only so much Father can do now that I don’t have what he wants.”He lifted his right hand for emphasis, revealing the ringless finger. She had never seen Adrien without the silver band, and now knowing that what it had been, what he now lacked, it scared her more than she wanted to admit.“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked before she could put the question under scrutiny; the last thing she wanted to do was make Adrien feel worse than he already did. He took a deep breath.“I will be far more helpful to you as an insider without the ring, than a Chat Noir that can’t fight. Besides, it makes me feel much better knowing that it’s no longer in Hawkmoth’s reach.”She bit her lips.“That doesn’t really make me worry about you any less…” she quietly admitted, more to herself than to him. Regardless, he heard her concern loud and clear.“Hey,” he said gently, “we’re still partners, remember?” She nodded, crossing her arms over her chest.“Of course we are, Kitty.”A smile curled his lips but didn’t quite make it to his eyes.“Then, trust me.”She forced her eyes to lock on his, hoping that even though her fear, her loyalty to their partnership was clearly visible.“I always do.”His expression of relief washed over the both of them. She watched him reach out to her, hesitating for a moment, and then, grab her gloved hand in his.“We will defeat Hawkmoth, My Lady. Together. Like we always do.”He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles, an action he had done so many times, but felt so different when he looked at her like she was the only person in the world.She forced herself to look back towards Paris, in an attempt to not get lost in the forest of fondness he had for her.He was right. They were so close to the end, but they had the hardest battle of all in front of them. When Paris was finally safe, then, she could let herself get lost, to fall headfirst into the time wasted between them. Master Fu’s words echoed in her mind.Your feelings and your duty aren’t always exclusive. You can do the right thing and be happy.Even if that applied here, wasn’t her feelings what was making it so hard to go home and prepare for what tomorrow would bring?“Ladybug?” he asked, pulling her from her internal debate, “May I ask you a question?”“Sure,” she condoned, looking back at him, “What is it?”“The book,” he started, pulling his hand away to rub his neck, “The Master said he got the book from you, who took it from me. But, when did that happen? I don’t remember even showing you the book.”“I may have stolen it...” she replied nervously, causing the blond to tilt his head like his namesake. She shook her head.“I had a good reason, I swear. I saw you and Lila with it, and my kwami, Tikki, told me that the book was important, that we needed to get our hands on it. Lila stole it from you first, and I tried to get it back. Then, she threw it in a garbage can so you wouldn’t know she had it, and I fished it out while you two were talking about Volpina. I swear I’m not some thief that steals things.”By the time she had finished, Ladybug was rambling in a very Marinette way, and she bit her lip to stop the flow of words. If she wasn’t careful, she wouldn’t need to take off her mask to reveal herself.Adrien didn’t seem to pick up on the similarity, instead opting to go a more familiar route.“Well, you did steal my heart, so there’s that.” he mused, a smirk curling his lips while his eyes met hers for just long enough for her to process his words. She couldn’t hold back her scoff, even if the robbery was mutual.“That explains how you happened to be in the park when you told her off…” he continued, causing Ladybug to blush. Of course, he would remember her lashing out and causing an akuma.“Yeah… I’m not so proud of that part though.”“It’s alright, My Lady. I’ve done plenty that I’m not proud of either,” he admitted, and she could only wonder what kind of choices he had to make that now remained as skeletons in his closet.“Yeah. Well, after we defeated Volpina, I delivered the book to the Master, who has been using it to reveal new abilities. Like our aquatic transformations.”Adrien nodded, remembering the multi-colored camembert sitting in his book bag, part of the cheese stash that he no longer needed. He barely held back his sigh, before he continued.“But, if Master Fu had the book, how did Father get it back?”His eyes grew wide.“He doesn’t know about The Guardian, right?”Ladybug shook her head.“No, nothing like that,” she assured him, toying with her lip between her teeth. There was no way to word that that wouldn’t out her identity. But, she couldn’t deceive him, not after everything they had been through and would have to do before this was over. She owed it to him as her partner and her best friend to tell him honestly.“Like I had mentioned, after he turned into The Collector, we had ruled him out as a threat.”“But, we both know that was a lie,” Adrien interjected under his breath, his fingers seeking out the comfort item that used to belong on his finger. Ladybug chose to dismiss his action for the sake of finishing her explanation before losing her nerve.“I asked Master Fu if I could return the book because I knew you had gotten into so much trouble for losing it. So, he took pictures of the pages so we could return the original to your father while keeping the valuable information. I went as my civilian self and pretended to be one of your fans, claiming that I had stolen the book, so you wouldn’t be blamed for losing it, and your father would let you come back to school.”She looked at her hands that were fidgeting as much as his were. Did she say too much? Did he connect the dots? And, why did that fill her with as much excitement as fear for his safety?“You did that for me?” he asked, causing her to meet his eyes. There was a look of confusin, like he never thought someone would do something like that for him. Then, it dawned on her. She had done it for Adrien Agreste, not Chat Noir. The masked girl he admired so much had done something for the version of himself that he felt like very few people really cared about. And, that put her in a group of very few people. Reassuring herself that he deserved the untainted truth, she nodded.“Thank you,” he told her, gratitude clear in his tone, “There isn’t very many people that would’ve done that for me.”“Trust me,” she told him, “People care about you, Adrien. They want to be there for you.”People like me.He gave a slow nod as his reply, before she watched the realization click in his mind.“Wait. You came here, to my house. You knew I was pulled from school.”He looked at her, curiosity eclipsing any other emotion that could have debuted in his eyes.“We go to the same school, don’t we? We could have talked outside of the mask without even knowing it. My Lady, have we actually known each other this whole time?”It was the first time he had asked that question since he had been unmasked, and it was so much harder to wave the notion off when she knew he had been right the whole time.Taking a deep breath, she avoided his gaze.“Like I said, people care about you. They want to help. Myself included.”She met his eyes through her lashes.“Both sides of me.”Adrien gave a gasp, soft and awestruck.“All this time, we’ve been so close. And, we had no idea. Who are you, Ladybug?”She opened her mouth, willing to answer, but at the last second her lips betrayed her.“I… I can’t tell you. I don’t want to put you in any more danger. We’re so close, Adrien, and I promise, as soon as this is all over, I’ll tell you everything. I just…”The way Adrien’s shoulders slumped hurt more than his deflated response could.“Yeah, I understand. Knowing your identity would be just as valuable to my father as having the miraculous…”The air between them grew thick and heavy with unspoken disappointments. It hurt more than she ever thought it would to be so close to the end. Especially without her partner masked in black beside her.Adrien was instead trying to hide his emotions behind a different sort of mask, the mask of being okay no matter how badly the pain he was in made him want to react, the mask of superficial feelings that his father made him wear, the mask that she had come to hate the moment she realized how beautiful the boy underneath truly was.“Well, you should go, Ladybug.” he prompted, “The sooner we end this, the sooner I can take you on a proper date.”His humor only scratched his words, and his smile was almost partly genuine, but it was clear that he was trying.She didn’t want him to try to be happy.She needed him to be truly happy.You can do the right thing and be happy.They deserved to be happy, and there was one thing she could do that didn’t involve removing her mask.She channeled all of the confidence and bravery she used when challenging akumas into her motions as she pulled onto her tiptoes. It was unassuming. A quick tap of her lips on his that only lingered enough to show it was intentional before she landed on her heels again.Adrien’s eyes were wide, struggling to process what she had done. Had she just kissed him? The blush showing from under her mask proved she had. His right hand brushed against her face of its own volition, and she melted into his touch. Was this a dream? If it was, he didn’t want to wake up. Not yet. Not with her so close.He didn’t even realize he was leaning in until he could feel her breath on his face. She smelled of croissants and strawberries. Had she eaten something at Master Fu’s place? Or did she always smell so amazing?“Adrien,” she whispered, causing him to realize just how close she was, “Just kiss me, you silly kitty.”“As you wish, My Lady,” he replied, quickly closing what little space that was left between them.It wasn’t as understated as hers had been. Where hers had been like a gentle breeze on a summer day, this was a thunderstorm. Unbridled enthusiasm and electrifying intention. It was awkward at times -like when they missed each other’s lips in their excitement- but full of little promises in every single action.With each touch of their lips, he poured in how dedicated he was to her, whoever she was. When she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close, she apologized for the last secret. The arms on her waist whispered protection, while the fingers in his hair were promises that this was only the beginning.It was like their relationship; perfectly imperfect and filled with communication that only they could understand.When the pair pulled away, pulling air back into their lungs, Adrien rested his forehead on hers.“That was…” he started, his voice ragged from the lack of breath but coated in affection.“Miraculous.” she agreed, her voice bearing many of the same traits.Adrien started to chuckle, causing Ladybug to meet his eyes in question.“You make a joke, My Lady,” he told her, humor weaving through his breaths.She thought back at her word choice, before groaning and resting her head against his chest, causing him to continue to laugh.“Only you…” she muttered, but she left it unfinished, realizing there were far too many ways to say how she felt.Only you would notice a joke after something like that.Only you would make that joke.Only you could make me fall in love with such a dork.Only you.Adrien placed a kiss on her crown, revealing in the warmth and acceptance he felt in her arms.“Only you,” he repeated.Their time together felt like an eternity, yet it also felt like it wasn’t long enough. As much as she didn’t want to, Ladybug eventually pulled out of Adrien’s embrace.“I should go home. Tomorrow is going to be...” she trailed off, unsure how to continue her thoughts. Thankfully, he seemed to get the idea.“Right,” he replied, taking a step back, as she walked over to the window once more. She hopped onto the ledge, before looking back and meeting his eyes, noticing the newfound love and adoration that shone in the irises.“Call your friends, Adrien. We’ll be there for you, even when I can’t be.”With that, she blew him one last kiss before swinging away into the night. Adrien ‘caught’ the motion, and pulled it to his chest with a sigh. She had kissed him. No akumas, no mind control. It was her choice. She chose him. But, then again, she had always chosen him, hadn’t she? She had been protecting Adrien for who knows how long, even without knowing he was Chat Noir.There was a boy, she had said. Considering how she talked to him since the reveal on his part, could it be that the boy was him all along? An elated chuckle escaped him as he thought about it.Even with all the negative emotions rolling around inside him and the threat that he wasn’t going to get any sleep, for the first time since his life had been flipped upside down, he knew he was no Akuma risk that night.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

After a restless night, Marinette pulled herself out of her blanketed cocoon, trying to recall important information that would be beneficial for the day ahead of her.When she had come home the night before, she had transformed in record time and covered her face with her pillow, keeping her squeals of excitement from echoing through the house.She had kissed Adrien, Chat, her partner, her everything. He kissed her back with just as much excitement. Had he been dreaming about that moment for as long as she had? There was only so much her poor heart could take. Thankfully, Tikki had given her a minute to process her newest reality, before prompting her to try to sleep.And try she had, but the activity running through Marinette’s mind made it nearly impossible. When her thoughts didn’t focus on just how good Adrien’s lips had felt on hers, the euphoria was swallowed up by the fear and dread of what was going to happen next.
The Guardian had asked her to stop by the shop again to strategize how they were going to take down Hawkmoth now that Adrien had returned his power and revealed the identity of their greatest enemy. She hated the idea of fighting without Chat Noir by her side but trusted that Adrien was doing what he felt was the right thing.She only hoped for everyone’s sakes that he was right.
So, as the morning light poured into her room, Marinette pushed herself out of her bed, got dressed quickly, and slipped her backpack over her shoulders; if she hurried, perhaps she would have enough time to go to Master Fu’s before school started.She made her way down her stairs and caught eyes with her mother, who knitted her brow.“I didn’t expect you to be awake so early, Marinette.”The dark haired teen gave a nod, grabbing a breakfast bar off the table and slipping it into her purse with Tikki.“I was hoping to walk around the city a little before school. With everything going on with Adrien, it’s been really hard to think clearly.”Really hard to think clearly. Especially, when she remembered how his lips felt against hers. Only to be reminded of his farewell to his kwami, the lonely look in his eyes.The motherly expression Sabine displayed showed that she didn’t need the details to show her concern for the ex-superhero.“I can only imagine how much pressure is going through that poor boy’s mind.” She shook her head. “How is he doing?”Marinette twirled her pigtail in her fingertips. “He’s okay. He’s taking it better than I would- if I had an alter-ego that got revealed to the city.”If her mother noticed her verbal stumble, she didn’t mention it.“Well, when you see him in school, let him know that our offer still stands. He’s welcome here.”Marinette let a small smile curl her lip. If only it was that simple.“Yeah, I’ll tell him,” she replied, giving her maman a hug before picking up the bag of danishes for the class and heading towards the door.“Oh, and Marinette,” Sabine called, causing Marinette to look at her.“I’m glad it was such a sweet boy whose pictures cover your room.” Sabine had a teasing glint in her eyes, as her daughter blushed red.“I have to go now. Goodbye.” Marinette said in a single breath as she all but ran out the door, clutching the paper bag a little too tight.
Within moments, it was Ladybug who was swinging through the morning air, attempting to utilize the unoccupied skies to grasp her thoughts.The city was quieter than she ever remembered it being, and if she didn’t long for a distraction, she probably would have admired the tranquility that the early morning provided. Perhaps she would do it another time...Unlikely, but it was worth considering.Before too long, she realized her mindless exploration of Paris’s skies took her to Master Fu’s shop. She looked at her yo-yo, making sure she had the time to have this conversation, while still remaining her fashionably-late self.She landed in an alleyway and detransformed, before walking up to the door. She looked at Tikki, who gave her a supportive smile, which the dark-haired girl returned, rapping on the door gently. Within moments, the old man’s voice invited her in.“I hope I’m not intruding, Master,” Mariette said, looking around as if a customer was in the room. She only spotted the elderly man pouring tea into two cups, and his turtle-like kwami nibbling on some kind of biscuit from his spot on a shelf.“Not at all, Marinette,” Master Fu greeted, turning to her and handing over one of the cups, “Fridays are always slow. Besides, it seems as though you got as much sleep as I did.”Marinette accepted the drink graciously, sipping the contents carefully as she watched Tikki flit next to Wayzz. The little gods shared a small greeting, before setting in, just as curious about the upcoming events as Marinette herself was.“Master,” she started, running a finger around the edge of her cup as she looked for her words, “what do we do next? I mean, how are we going to take down Hawkmoth now that Chat, Adrien has…” She couldn’t bring herself to finish. The more time she thought about it, the more it sunk in that The Ladybug no longer had her Black Cat, her other half. Sure, she had Rena, but Rena wasn’t Ladybug’s counter; Chat was. And, his ring was put away with the other unused Miraculous. It felt so… wrong.“Retired,” Master Fu finished for her, his eyes showing understanding for the young ladybug holder. He let out a breath; “If Adrien is right, it won’t be long before Gabriel discovers that the Black Cat ring has been returned. We only need to wait until the right time to strike.”“Do you think he will be in danger when that happens?” Marinette asked, forcing herself to ask as calmly as possible, in spite of the knot in her stomach that had only lingered since she had dropping Adrien off the night before.“Would Adrien put himself into harm’s way?” the Guardian asked, his voice containing the same thoughtful tone he often had when he wanted to know what she was thinking about a situation. Almost as if it was a test question, but with no known answer. Marinette took a breath, picking what she wanted to say carefully.“I trust him with my life, with the lives of Paris. However, being partners with Chat and friends with Adrien for as long as I have, I’ve seen what kind of person he really is. And, in his case, his biggest strength is also his biggest weak spot.“He always sees the good in people, sees the person they could be; he saw Ladybug in me our first fight together, when couldn’t see her in myself. But, he also sees potential change in people who don’t give him any reason to believe that they will change. That don’t want to change. And, if I may be so candid, I believe his father is one of those people.“I don’t know Gabriel very well- I’ve only met the man a handful of times- but, from everything I’ve witnessed with my own eyes, and through Adrien, I stand by my previous assessment of him. He is a cold man, emotionally detached from everything, including his own son. And yet, Adrien continues to hope beyond hope that his father will treat him well one day.“Did you know that Gabriel forgets to give his son a birthday present every year? Most years, he gets a pen from Nathalie, if anything at all, and when he got my scarf -which he mistakenly thought came from his father- he was overjoyed. Someone as amazing as Adrien shouldn’t get that happy over something so simple, so basic. Not from the man that is the only family he has left.”Marinette stopped herself. Her emotions were carrying her tone and words. She needed to be more like Ladybug: objective.Master Fu only looked at her pensively, stroking his beard like a Sensei from the old Chinese movies that Marinette used to watch with her mother.“So, you believe that he has a blind spot when it comes to his father?”She worried her lip between her teeth.“Not blind, Master. He knows that his home is cold and that his father is distant; he’s told me himself on many occasions. Yet, I do think he clings to his desire that things will change, even if Gabriel has done nothing to deserve that kind of faith.”She shook her head. Be objective. “I would never doubt Adrien’s instincts if I didn’t have a reason to; those instincts have saved our lives more times that I would like to admit. I only worry that he may be trusting that his father wouldn’t do anything in his power to reach his end goal. Hawkmoth has proven himself to be a real threat, willing to do most anything to retrieve our Miraculouses. Taking people, most often children, in their more vulnerable states and promising them whatever it takes to have them on his side. Some of those promises have given those people abilities that had proven themselves dangerous, if not deadly.“Glaciator was going to cause people to melt. Timebreaker was wiping people out of existence, including Chat.” Marinette shook her head as the memories of watching her partner fade away latched onto the feeling of solidarity she already had inside her. She ignored it as she continued; “Riposte, she- she was sent after Adrien. She could have killed him if he wasn’t Chat Noir.”Within moments, she felt the soft nuzzling from Tikki on her cheek. The little kwami always seemed to know when she was needed most by her young chosen, and this was one of those times.“Marinette, I’m sure everything will work out fine.” her small voice reassured, glancing to Master Fu, who gave a slow nod.“I did not choose the wrong Ladybug for this task, just as I didn’t choose the wrong Black Cat.”Marinette knew they were trying to help, but their reassurance only added to her pressure, her fears that she wouldn’t be strong enough on her own to protect her partner like he had always done for her.“I’m scared.” the girl admitted, not even concerned if that admission made her seem as powerless as she felt, “Sure, Gabriel hasn’t seemed to go out of his way to hurt Adrien. But, Hawkmoth has shown no such reservations, if the Miraculous are in his sights. And, if they truly are one and the same, I can’t let Adrien get hurt because he wanted to believe he still has a family underneath the mask of a cold criminal.”Marinette took a sip of her warm tea, letting the magnitude of their situation sink in.
Unaware of his lady’s mental battle, Adrien woke up with a smile on his face for the first time since his mother disappeared. Even though the weight of returning the black cat ring still pushed on his heart, he still felt happiness.He wanted to gush about how amazing Ladybug was, speculate who could be under her mask, but was only reminded of the absence of a little black cat-god who had always given a listening ear, even if he had to be given extra cheese in return.He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He couldn’t think about that. He had to focus on the positives in his life, on his Lady Luck. If he didn’t, who knows what kind of inner turmoil he would find.He pulled himself out of bed, noticing replies to his goodnight texts to his friends.

Alya: Good Night :)
Chloe: Night, Adrikins
<3

Nino: night bro *fist bump emoji*

Marinette: Good night, Adrien. Sweet dreams.

He smiled. His friends were another positive in his life. He could always count on them to be there for him in their own ways.Pushing out of bed, he walked to his closet with a spring in his step, quickly changed, and all but skipped down to breakfast, thinking that nothing could shake him.He was mistaken.All the wind was knocked from him the moment he opened the dining room door and came face to face with two unexpected realities.One: his father was sitting on the other side of the long table, Nathalie standing at his side.Two: the sounds of borderline manic rambling were coming from the tablet in his father’s hands.It took the blond teen only a few seconds to recognize whose distress he was hearing, and only one more to realize why that had brought his father in the same space as him.The video cut, and Gabriel’s cold blue eyes rose from the screen to meet his son, who had been standing frozen since he had walked in.“Is this the way your mother and I trained you to act?”His tone was authoritative, but otherwise unreadable. If he wasn’t used to his father’s usually detached way of speaking to him, he may have missed the word choice.Trained.Like a circus animal or pet. Was that all his father saw him as? His trained pet, a golden boy with a bright career that he can control every aspect in? Not as a person, a son, with his own dreams and feelings and desires of his own?“No.”“Then, why is this the image that you choose to display to the whole world?” Gabriel questioned, heat adding to his tone but doing nothing to remove the ice. He slid the tablet to Adrien with enough force that it made both Adrien and Nathalie flinch in varied degrees.Adrien looked at the screen which was displaying a bold headline.
Teen Model Adrien Agreste has Breakdown After Reveal of His Double Life.
Letting his eyes drift over the article as he tried to find something to say in his defense, he watched as the writer describe his meltdown as another self-pitying tantrum from another spoiled rich teenager that couldn’t possibly understand. The comments hurt, but he tried not to show. Yet, if this was what his father believed, no wonder he was so angry.“Father,” he started, but Gabriel cut him off.“This article will not sit well with future fashion houses and will surely damage the reputation that I’ve strived to give you.”Of course, it was all business. When wasn’t it? There was no concern about the reasons why Adrien was broken; only that the broken pieces were hidden from view of cameras and future employers.“And, what was this about ‘a father threatening your safety’? I’ve always told you how dangerous the real world was; that’s why I kept you home until you proved that you would no longer obey my requests to keep you home. If you were in danger, it’s because you didn’t listen to me and instead followed your childish notions of heroism and reality.“You think that I’m the villain here? You were the one that taunted an Akuma. You who went against my orders, your promise, and got engaged in a fight you had no business being in. You who continuously tarnish your reputation with your ongoing tantrums. I’m only the one picking up the pieces and trying to make sure you have a future in spite of your desire to go against me.”
Gabriel’s words just hit Adrien like bricks as his gaze slipped to the floor. Every bit of the euphoria he had woken up with had been ripped out of him, leaving only the submissive puppet his father wanted all along.Gabriel stood up, and Adrien figured, since this conversation had proven who maintained all the power in their relationship, he would be ignored as his father left and that would be the end of another dysfunctional family conversation.The older man thought otherwise. He crossed towards the door but stopped in front of his son.“Nathalie, will you prepare for Adrien’s lessons?”The dark-haired woman gave a single, silent nod, before leaving the room with the excuse of gathering her teaching supplies. When the door closed, Adrien lifted his eyes from their place on the floor to met his father’s. The slate-colored iris seemed to be boring holes into him. Clearly, stripping him of his happiness wasn’t the ending of this discussion.“Since your word clearly can’t be trusted,” he said, causing Adrien to bite his tongue. Such a comment was nothing short of ironic coming from a man who regularly broke promises along with his son’s heart. Not to mention, Adrien had never broken his promise. Chat Noir was gone. That’s all he agreed to.“I am taking your ring for safekeeping.” Gabriel held out his hand, but Adrien shook his head. Before he had a chance to explain why that was now impossible, Gabriel gripped his son’s wrist, revealing the bare finger.“I don’t have it anymore,” Adrien stated, keeping the satisfaction out of his voice. He saw the cracks in his father’s composed facade, revealing confusion.“Where is it?” Gabriel demanded, releasing his son’s wrist. Adrien rubbed the skin; the grip had hurt a little, but nothing more than he was used to behind his leather suit.“What does it matter?” Adrien asked, keeping his voice as naive as it had been before the puzzle pieces clicked in his mind, forming a butterfly-shaped mask over his father’s face. “You never truly wanted my miraculous. You just wanted it out of my hands so you could keep me home where you could watch me.”Adrien’s eyes met his father’s.“Right?”The question was simple but laced with the distrust that was previously buried. There was a flicker of some unidentified emotion in Gabriel’s eyes before he replaced it with a disciplinary demeanor.“I don’t know where this rebellious streak has come from, Adrien Ames Agreste, but I assure you that if your mother could see you now…”“What if Mom saw you?” Adrien shot back, his temper flaring up, “You can’t keep hiding behind her as an excuse for never trying to be a good parent!”His sentence was punctuated with a slap, not from the boy, but from his father. The contact seemed to echo in the otherwise silent room. Adrien couldn’t remember the last time his father had physically punished him, but he knew it never had such anger behind the motion. He froze with his hand on his cheek, as his father regained his lost composure.“I’m sorry to lose my temper, Adrien,” he told him, his tone so emotionless that it almost scared his son, “however, I will not let my son talk to me in that way. Go to your room, until a proper punishment can be decided.”Adrien had been dismissed by his father many times in his life, but none of them hurt him like this one. He turned and walked out, fighting his tears until he reached his room.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The only thing that echoed through the large, vacant bedroom was Adrien’s muffled crying. He felt ashamed for losing himself emotionally.
He knew how to keep his struggles inside, his exterior just as composed as the billboards he was on. Yet, here he was, pressing his pillow to his face, trying to will the tears away and the sobs to stop.

He had had fights with his father before, but nothing like that. Nothing that led to him bringing up his father’s flaws, nothing that led to violence.

He knew he deserved the way his cheek stung against the satin pillowcase as he aggressively nuzzled the material. He had never spoken like that to anyone, much less his own father.

Then again, his life had been very different even a week before.

Last week, he had two lives: Adrien Agreste and Chat Noir. One that remained the picture-perfect reflection of his father’s brand and image, the other, an expression of his unexplored desires and dreams.

Last week, he could wear a mask and have the freedom to say what he truly thought or wanted.

Now, he was just Adrien, the repressed son of a neglectful parent and suspected super-villain.

He took an inhale that sounded more like a sniff.

Perhaps, he could blame his temperament shift on his reveal; pretend that the feelings coming out were just stress and not how he really felt.

Perhaps, he could still have that shred of a relationship with his father.

He sniffed again, only to break into a more pitiful sound.

He had blown that chance. He knew he had. He had too much mistrust, said too much. He would be lucky if his father didn’t utterly despise him, regardless of the fact that he no longer fought akumas alongside Ladybug.

Ladybug.

What would she say if she could see him? Her ex-partner was curled up on his bed, sobbing into his pillow, possibly mere moments from becoming an akuma himself.

He knew she had seen him cry, had held him while he sobbed the night before. But, how long could she bare to watch that before she realized that the part of him that was Chat Noir was dead, and the Adrien she had known was close behind.

Soon, all that would remain was the lifeless puppet that his father paraded around to model his accomplishments.

Suddenly, the sound of a piano rushed through the room, startling the blond out of his self-loathing. After realising that it wasn’t his piano being played, as it was much quieter, he realized it was his text tone.

Marinette: Good Morning, Adrien. I hope you have a good day. :)

He shook his head, shame flushing his pale skin. If only she could see him, curled up as a pathetic child, waiting for everyone else to abandon him.

Would she look at him with pity or disgust like she had when they first met?

His mind drifted to his last conversation with her, the promise he had made about calling if he was ever an Akuma risk, if he ever sunk that low.

He couldn’t think of any time more fitting that description than now. As he pressed her picture and put the phone to his ear, he could only hope she wasn’t in class yet. She may think of him as a pathetic,
he used to be Chat Noir before, but if he was to listen to a kind voice, it was a risk he would have to take.

Marinette was scurrying down the sidewalk, adjusting her purse shoulder strap. After her talk with Master Fu, she was rushing to make sure she got her backpack out of her locker before she was too late for class.

That plan was cut short when she saw Adrien’s contact flash on her screen.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Marinette.” Adrien’s voice greeted, between sniffles and with a voice-crack at the end. There was no question in her mind. He had been crying.

Stopping in her tracks at the base of the school steps, -school seemed inconsequential if Adrien was at risk of akumatization- she looked at Tikki in her purse, just in case.

“Adrien? What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry, Mari. I shouldn’t have called. I know you’re in school and everything, but I just needed to hear a kind voice, and you were at the top of the list. And-” Adrien’s entire ramble was in one breath, and Marinette wasn’t able to decipher what he had said before gently cutting him off.

“Adrien, I need you to breathe. Can you do that for me? Breathe.”

Marinette took a deep breath, and she could hear Adrien try to mimic it, in spite of the shakiness. She did the action again and again, until Adrien seemed to calm enough that she could understand him.

“You don’t need to apologize, okay? I told you to call me if you were upset, didn’t I?” Twice, she added mentally, remembering what Ladybug had told him last night.

He made what sounded like an affirmative hum, which was followed by a sniff. She wished she could be there to hold him in her arms like she had done for the last two days. To run her fingers through his hair and leave little kisses on his face to let him know she’s there for him.

Perhaps she should stay masked for that last one for now.

“Is there something I can do to help? I can come over and-”

“No!” Adrien told her, causing her to jump. “I-I’m sorry. I just-
My Father won’t let you get past the gate. I can’t let you waste your time on a fool’s errand...”

He sounded so defeated. What had happened? Did Gabriel find out? Was he in danger?

“Adrien,” she started, keeping her tone as calm as possible, “what’s going on? Did something happen?”

Adrien took a deep breath on his own, before saying in one of the smallest voices she had ever heard, “He hates me.”

“Who?” she asked, keeping her suspicions to herself for now.

“It’s…” he trailed off into a soft sigh.

“Adrien?”

“No, I can’t burden you with this. You’ve already done so much for me. I can’t let you worry.”

But I do worry,

she thought, as she heard him struggle to stay composed. Whatever had happened had shaken him more than she had ever seen. What had Gabriel done to him?

If she had been across from him, Marinette would have pressed him farther, finding the root of the problem and fixing it, that’s what Ladybug did after all, but she knew over the phone while he sounded so alone was not the time or way to execute that strategy.

Instead, she entered into ‘prevent akuma at all costs’ mode.

“It’s alright Adrien. You don’t need to explain anything to me. We can talk about something else, okay?”

He gave an affirmative noise, causing Marinette to silently sigh. Hopefully, Ladybug wouldn’t be needed after all.

The two of them continued to talk about light things that she knew he could easily get engrossed in; new shows he had watched, Jagged Stone’s newest album, the joke Marinette had heard one of her classmates use the day before.

Before long, Adrien seemed to be able to speak without his voice breaking, and traces of a smile could be heard over the phone.

Still, she wished she knew what had hurt him so much. What had his father said, done, revealed? Ladybug would have to pay her poor kitten a visit, perhaps take him somewhere safe, away from a danger he could no longer protect himself from.

“You know, my mom mentioned you,” Marinette said, after the topic had shifted to his love of croissants.

“She did?” he asked, and she hummed in agreement.

“She wanted me to make sure you knew that her offer to visit any time is still valid.”

There was a silence and Marinette hoped she didn’t say something wrong. After all, she knew he had given up Chat’s ring, even if this side wasn’t supposed to. Thankfully, Adrien spoke up after a couple seconds.

“Your parents are good people, Marinette.”

His voice held a quality to it that sounded like envy, only proving what she already knew about his own family.

“Well, they care a lot about you, Adrien, and not just because you’re a hero.”

She could hear him sigh on the other end.

“I’m no hero. Not anymore.”

Marinette’s heart sunk at his tone, the shame and guilt in his voice. But, she never had a chance to comment on it before he spoke again.

“I’m sorry for keeping you so long. You should get to class; you can blame me for being late if you need to. Thank you for everything, Marinette.”

“Adrien-” She was met with the ending tone.

Worrying was all she could do as she found an alleyway to transform in.

Elsewhere, Gabriel stood in silence, hands clasped behind his back, looking at the portrait of his wife. Everything he had done was for her, for them, so why did her normally reassuring gaze bear guilt into him. But her gaze wasn’t the only one.

“If you have something you’d like to say, do so.”

The clicking of heels on the tile floor got closer until the wearer was presumably in front of his desk.

“Perhaps, you shouldn’t be so hard on him.”

He turned around and looked at Nathalie, his long-time personal assistant and the closest thing he had to a friend. Her gaze, unlike his wife, was always impossible to read. It was something he had always admired about her, but now, it only served to made their conversations like this more akin to a game of chess.

“And, what do you suggest I do? Celebrate his actions of going behind my back and following every reckless impulse he has?”

Nathalie remained unreadable, but Gabriel could see her exhale and take in a larger breath of air.

“I don’t know the first thing about raising a child. But, I do know Adrien. He didn’t do this with the intention of being reckless. He had the same intention that you do.”

“And that is?” Gabriel asked, his tone on the edge of accusatory.

“What he thinks is the right thing.”

Gabriel sighed, turning back to his wife. Emilie would have known what to do. She was always better with the emotional side of things, even if she did indulge Adrien too much for her husband’s liking.

Yet, under her care Adrien had flourished. He was happy, they all were happy.

But, then, Emilie was gone, reduced to memories and photographs. The smiles faded from the father and son, leaving an ever growing chasm between them.

“Sir,” Natalie prompted, reminding her employer of her presence. Gabriel held his hand up to silence anything that she may have said.

“Just because he thinks something doesn’t make him right. And it would do you well not to tell me how to care for my son.”

There was a threat in his tone that didn’t go unnoticed by Nathalie. She may have been more than a mere employee, but even she was replaceable if she stepped out of line.

“Of course, Sir,” she told him, her heels clicking until the door closed behind her.

After looking to make sure she had gone, he allowed himself to think about what had happened at breakfast. He had never struck Adrien before, had never lost control like that. He had vowed to himself that he never would. He would not become his father, an uncontrollable force of rage and emotion. He would always be in complete control of his actions and feelings.

And yet, when Adrien accused him of not trying, of being a terrible parent, something in him snapped. His son didn’t know everything he had done to provide for him, to make sure he had a future in a cutthroat industry that he had fought tooth and nail to get in, to bring back Emilie into their lives.

No, it was clear that Adrien had no idea what Gabriel had been doing behind the scenes. Perhaps it was time to bring him into the family business.

He pressed three hidden buttons on Emilie’s portrait, followed by another three, before descending into the floor into a secret room.

The room was once filled with his top designs, things he never wanted to be revealed to the public, but had been cleared out to protect them from an army of pure white butterflies. He didn’t know where they had come from, only that they had taken residence in the space when he started wearing his brooch, when he took the name of Hawkmoth.

After activating Nooroo’s power, he closed his eyes, using his power to latch onto Adrien’s negative emotions. He had always felt them, but he had wanted to leave Adrien out of this as much as possible.

The overwhelming amount of despair coming from his son almost made him reconsider. However, this was the only way to bring Emilie back, and that would be the thing to draw his son in. Adrien had always loved her more anyway.

Just as Hawkmoth was about to darken one of the butterflies with the power he knew Adrien would seek, the despair lightened. It didn’t disappear entirely, but it did lighten enough that he knew someone was speaking with his son.

He first suspected Nathalie, but even she wouldn’t stand in the way of his quest for Emilie. She knew how much it would pay off in the end.

Leaving only one more suspect.

“Ladybug?”

Adrien pulled his face away from the bed to see the spotted girl that he trusted with his heart and soul. She pulled herself through an open window, giving a visible exhale when she looked at him.

Had she expected an Akuma? Or worse?

She crossed the room to his bed, the relief fading as his tear stains became visible. He sat up as she sat down and reached her hand out to his cheek. Memories of what caused the pain on his skin caused him to flinch a little.

Ladybug’s frown increased. He could see the questions rolling around in the sea of blue behind her mask. It took her longer than he would have liked to hear her speak.

“I’m sorry I left you here alone.”

She pulled him into an embrace that he clung to. Her touch was tight, but filled with affection and concern. Adrien knew he didn’t deserve those things, but he couldn’t help but let himself be consumed by them. She was his home.

“We need to go,” she told him, not quite letting go, but loosening her grip around his body, “I should have known this place would be a breeding ground for negative emotions.”

Adrien couldn’t help but wonder how Ladybug had known that his emotions had taken a turn for the worse. Did she have such little faith in him, or had word of his near-akumatization gotten out through Marinette? He didn’t know which option he feared more.

The comfort he once felt started to dwindle as his self doubt dominated his mind. Could she know Marinette?

Of course she did. Ladybug was the one to introduce Chat to her when Nathaniel had turned the first time, asking him to protect her.

Were they close? Best friends? Did Marinette know her secret? Maybe that’s why she was always so calm around Chat; if she already knew Ladybug, there was no reason to be star struck around him, especially if she used their mutual friend to vent about his endless attempts at flirting.

Adrien didn’t even realize he was crying until he felt his own tears on the spandex material of Ladybug’s suit. She held him tighter, but the comfort that delivered even moments before now felt like a stab in the back. He pushed her away and looked down, unable to look her in the eyes.

The raven-haired heroine touched his jawline, forcing him to make eye contact with her. There was a look of hurt confusion written all over her.

“What’s going on, Adrien?” she asked, the pain of being pushed away in her voice. His gaze dropped, but his face remained in her touch.

“Do you trust Marinette more than me?”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Ladybug didn’t hide her confusion at the question Adrien had asked her. He wasn’t surprised at that reaction; he did start in the middle of his train-wreck of thoughts after all. It also didn’t surprise him that her hand pulled away from him, although he mourned the loss of contact more than he would have thought. The two sat in silence, unsure how to explain themselves or answer any questions.

Suddenly, Ladybug’s gentle touch returned to his face, causing him to meet her gaze. There was still the remains of confusion, but it was eclipsed by a look of resolve that fit well behind her mask.

“There is no one in this world I trust more than you,” she told him, brushing away the tears she could reach with her thumbs. He wanted to melt into her touch, to soak in her words, but the whispers in his mind held him back.

“Then, why do we have to keep secrets from each other?”

His voice sounded so weak, that it nearly made her cry herself. She wanted so badly to be completely honest with someone for the first time since she put on the earrings, but she also knew transparency wasn’t a luxury a superhero could afford.

Talking with The Guardian allowed her to see Adrien’s weaknesses as objectively as was possible when he was someone she knew so well. He was an asset of Gabriel’s, willing or unwilling.
With the battle at its peak, she couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. If they could just hold on…

A crash from downstairs pulled her attention away from the blond, both gazes moving to the door. Blood rushed through her as she realized that it was most likely Hawkmoth’s newest minion.

She turned back to Adrien, who had his mouth open to speak. She spoke first.

“Stay here and hide. Don’t move until I come back.”

“But-”

“No,” she told him, moving her hands away from him and standing up, “You aren’t Chat Noir anymore, and I can’t let you get hurt.”

He looked as though he wanted to argue so she added, “Please.”

Her plea seemed to be enough to have him slowly nod to her request. She turned to leave the room, but his call to her made her stop and look back at him.

He stood up, but his gaze didn’t quite meet hers.

“Please be careful, Milady… I don’t know what I’d do if-“

His warning was cut short when her lips landed on his. It was short, but still left him stunned when she pulled away.

“Don’t worry, Adrien. Everything will be alright.”

She took out the window, leaving Adrien to find a place to wait for her. If he was to be completely honest, he hated knowing that she was out there without him. He was supposed to protect her.

But, then again, the part of his brain that kept him in line reminded him that knew this was going to happen when he gave his word to his father, to their enemy. When he submitted to his weakness and surrendered his ring to Master Fu.

The loss of Chat Noir only made Ladybug more important for the safety of their city. But it also left her to fight without someone watching her back. Not that she wasn’t capable- Adrien knew she was- but it never truly sunk in until he watched her swing away that his place was now on the ground, hoping that she would be okay but unable to assure it.

He chosen to give up his ability to fight by her side, so he would have to live with any consequences that came from that.

Ladybug landed on a nearby rooftop to catch her bearings, her heart simultaneously fluttering and breaking because of the same boy. Although she had no idea why he would come to a conclusion like Marinette and Ladybug knowing each other, the question on his lips was clearly enough to distress him. The possibility that she would tell someone things that she wouldn’t tell him.

What had happened to make him consider that she would lie about her unwavering trust in him?

The sound of smashing reminded Ladybug that she didn’t have the luxury of contemplating her partner’s thoughts. Not with an Akuma inside the same building he was.

Both she and the Guardian had hoped that Hawkmoth wouldn’t attack so soon, and surely not so close to home. But if something had happened between Adrien and his father, perhaps Gabriel needed to let out some steam by ruining the day of another unfortunate soul.

She notice the large front doors opening, but she didn’t see anyone leave the mansion. However, her eyes did catch a familiar blogger, doing what she always did during akuma attacks- filming as much of the action as possible.

Ladybug dropped down behind the mansion into a garden of sorts and transformed back into her alter-ego. Master Fu had told her that the ladybug miraculous wasn’t intended to fight alone and had given her the ability to call in reinforcements. Marinette couldn’t have been more thankful for his foresight to make sure she took them when she left his home that morning.

She reached into her purse to pull out two almost identical boxes. Her hands trembled slightly, knowing how dangerous her position was. If Hawkmoth was to discover she had more than just her miraculous…

“Marinette,” Tikki called out, bringing her chosen out of her spiral, “Master Fu wouldn’t have given them to you if he didn’t think you were the best person to have them.” She was right, but it didn’t comfort the ravenette as much as she would have hoped.

“But, what am I supposed to do after I give Alya her necklace? Do I leave her while I try to find someone else?”

“I think it will be clear when you have to make that choice,” Tikki told her, sounding more like the wise goddess that Marinette so often forgot the little bug was, “But, remember, Ladybug isn’t intended to be in combat long without a black cat to create balance.”

Marinette nodded, knowing time was not on her side, before stowing away one of the boxes and changing back into her spots. Once masked, she made her way to Alya, whose back was to her as she tried to explain to the audience at home what she was seeing.

“Guys, the akuma seems to be inside the Agreste Mansion, but I can’t seem to find it, Chat Noir, or Ladybug anywhere.”

“I’m right here,” Ladybug told her leaping into frame, “And, I’m hoping that Rena will be here soon too.”

Alya, realizing what Ladybug was implying, cut her video feed and turned to the hero. Before she spoke, a pair of heavy footsteps came running up the sidewalk.

“Alya, are you sure the Akuma is in- Ladybug?”

The spotted hero gave a small wave, mentally scolding herself for not being more aware of who else could be around. Now she would have to think of a way to get Nino out of harm’s way without blowing Alya’s identity as Rena Rouge.

Thankfully, Alya spoke first.

“Oh, Ladybug. I’ll be happy to assist you in… that thing we discussed before.”

It wasn’t a convincing lie, and Nino didn’t buy it.

“Alya, what are you talking about? We need to get somewhere safe.”

He went to reach for Alya, but she pulled away, causing Nino to still.

“What is happening?” He turned to Ladybug, “Why do you need Alya right now?” He looked beyond them at the house; “Is Adrien in danger or something?”

“No,” Ladybug assured him, “he’s okay.” Adrien was far from okay, but he wouldn’t see danger if she and Alya could get suited up without a distraction. Unfortunately, Nino wasn’t going to make it that easy.

“Then, what is going on?” he asked, directing that question to his girlfriend, who crossed her arms to disguise her anxiety over the situation.

“It’s nothing to worry about, Nino. Just go to the cafe across the street, where you will be safe.”

“Not without you.” Nino’s voice was now both confused and pleading. Alya shook her head.

“You have to.”

“Why?” Nino asked, “If this is about the Ladyblog, I’m sure your viewers would understand you needing to be safe...” He was clearly just looking for anything to connect the dots, and Ladybug was reminded of Adrien’s random grasping at straws in the quest for answers.

She looked over at Alya, who wore the same guilty expression she knew she had had when asked her identity. Then, brown met blue, a silent plea was exchanged, and the spotted heroine handed over the small box that held Rena’s power, wordlessly giving Alya the choice of where this conversation would go: would it continue down the path of white lies or would she want to come clean to Nino to stop him from thinking he should protect her?

The part of the spotted heroine that was undeniably wearing Ladybug’s mask was shocked that she had given Alya that control; it was the most important rule of being a holder after all. And, if she wasn’t willing to tell Adrien her identity, how could she justify letting anyone else tell someone?

However, the part that was a teenager in love just wanted some sort of transparency in the world, some sort of honesty between lovers. She knew she couldn’t tell her loved ones anything- Ladybug was too important to Hawkmoth’s plans to give him that kind of advantage- yet, Rena wasn’t Ladybug.

And this wasn’t Ladybug’s choice to make.

Alya looked at the box in her hands, resolve quickly replacing the uncertain gaze that had colored her irises.

“No,” Alya started, “This isn’t about the Ladyblog. It’s just…”

“Just what?” Nino’s golden eyes were now pleading, “What aren’t you telling me?”

Alya gave a conflicted smile, before placing a kiss on his cheek.

“Superheroes can’t just tell people their secrets, can they?” she asked him coyly, letting realization sink in, before running towards the mansion in search of a place to transform.

Taking that as her cue to leave, Ladybug swung off after her fox-themed friend. Knowing Alya, she would probably need reassurance that she wasn’t just going to lose her miraculous after breaking the only rule she was given.

Ladybug quickly found her in the garden-like spot she had just hidden in.

“I’m sorry, Ladybug,” Alya apologized, “I shouldn’t have said that. I know you told me not to tell anyone.”

“True, but I understand why you did,” the veteran hero assured her, “Your boyfriend doesn’t seem like the type to leave you behind without a reason.”

“No, he’s not.”

Alya crossed her arms, but it was clear her annoyance with Nino ended with that motion. Her large eyes met her hero’s.

“Do you want the miraculous back?”

Ladybug shook her head; “I wouldn’t have handed it to you if I didn’t still trust you with it.”

A relieved smile covered Alya’s face as she opened the box, revealing Trixx, the kwami of illusion.

“Trixx, let’s pounce.”

Alya was surrounded by orange light, before being revealed as her hero form. Ladybug smiled.

“Let’s go, Rena. We have an akuma to purify.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The superhero duo made their way inside the Agreste mansion, hoping to have the element of surprise on their side. The sound of screams pulled their attention to the kitchen.

The heroes ran through the large black doors, only to find the room completely empty. No staff, no akuma; nothing but uncomfortable silence.

“Something isn’t right,” Ladybug commented, her fingers wrapping around her yo-yo. Something akin to a breeze stroked Ladybug’s cheek, before Rena pulled her out of the way, the duo stumbling through the unlatched door and landing onto the floor in a heap.

“I’m sorry, Ladybug,” Rena apologized, “but I could hear the akuma. She’s invisible.”

Invisible. Of course, the one time Chat Noir’s heightened senses could be helpful... Ladybug scolded herself for letting her thoughts wander, especially to something she couldn’t effect. She needed to focus.

“Invisible? Well, then it’s a good thing Trixx gave you fox-like senses, huh?”

She could see Rena smile in agreement, as the two scrambled to their feet, just as the doors flew open again. Ladybug only assumed that the akuma stepped through by the way Rena’s fox ears twitched atop her head. She hated being at such a disadvantage; why couldn’t ladybugs have super-hearing?

“Where is Adrien?” Rena asked, taking the lead as she pulled her mentor behind her and readying her flute for an unseen attack, “This would be a good time for Chat Noir to show up.”

She ducked, and swun her staff low, knocking her opponent off her feet (if the rattling of the china on the countertop was any indication).

Ladybug bit her lip, her heart sinking. Rationally, she should have seen this question coming, especially from the first real fan of her and Chat, but she wasn’t prepared for what to say when asked where her partner was. And, it didn’t help that he was inside the building, hidden in a safe corner until the danger was gone. She shook her head, unable to let herself think about that.

“Chat Noir is out of commission. We’ll have to do this ourselves.”

Rena glanced at her teammate in confusion.

“Why? Did Adrien get hit by the akuma?” Her eyes darted to the air in front of them, “Is
he
the akuma?”

“No,” Ladybug reassured her, “Adrien is safe. He just-”

She was cut off by someone pushing her across the long dining table, her body rolling over the other side. Even though the motion was painless because of her suit, it was mildly insulting to be shoved like a child on a playground. Especially since she didn’t see the motion coming.

Ladybug stood back up and started to wield her yo-yo as a shield. However, despite having used her yo-yo in much smaller spaces before, her weapon seemed determined to hit anything and everything, throwing random items around the space. Rena ducked to avoid being struck by a flying vase.

“What is going on? Did she touch you with a reverser or something?”

Ladybug wasn’t sure. However, she thought back to what Master Fu had told her that morning about having her miraculous in use without Adrien having his.

“The key stones aren’t meant to be used without one another. If the one in use notices the lack of harmony in the balance of nature, it may try to overcompensate that loss. That would, of course, have undesirable results, so you should plan on finding a new wielder of the black cat ring as soon as you can.”

Ladybug shook her head. She had hoped for more time, a chance to come to terms with having
to get a new partner. But, it seemed like her luck was imbalanced from the start.

A platter that was left on a counter was pushed with a loud ting before seeming to hit nothing. She felt Rena pull her arm.

“Sounds like you hit her, and she’s not happy. Come on.”

Ladybug followed Rena into the large entry way of the Agreste mansion. After looking at all the doors that led to unknown rooms, trying to figure out a plan, Rena started to head to the stairs. Ladybug stopped her.

“Stop! You may lead her to Adrien.”

The dining room door opened, and Ladybug ran to the main door.

“We have to lead her away.”

The duo ran outside, hoping that the akuma would follow under Hawkmoth’s instructions to get Ladybug’s earrings, instead of following whatever agenda she had herself. After a few moments of silence, the door opened behind them, assuring the heroes of their plan’s success thus far.

“Rena, has the akuma said anything since we came?” Ladybug asked, her eyes darting around blind as she and Rena backed away from the mansion.

Rena shook her head; “She’s rather silent, except for the obvious heels she’s wearing. Why?”

“If we can find out what happened to her,” Ladybug started, “we would be one step closer to figuring out how to stop her.”

Rena’s ears were Ladybug’s only clue as to where the akuma was, leaving the spotted hero far more helpless than she felt comfortable with, especially since her luck was likely to flip at any second.

Just then, Rena suddenly vanished from sight, without a warning or sound. It was almost as if she was never there at all.

“Rena!”

Ladybug didn’t have time to process her friend’s unexplained disappearance farther before she was pushed down by an invisible force, pinning her to the ground. She struggled against invisible restraints, as she felt cold hands tilt her face, allowing access to her earrings.

The unseen fingers managed to brush one, before Ladybug felt the akuma being pushed off of her. The soft melody of Rena’s Mirage drifted through the air before seeing Rena appear before her.

“Rena?”

“I’m just a illusion, but the real me is okay. It seems like the akuma can turn people invisible and render them silent.”

Ladybug nodded; that had to tie into the reason she was akumatized.

“Lucky Charm!” she shouted, waiting for the object in question to fall into her hands. It was a replica of the other black and red box in her civilian purse. Unlike previous lucky charms that she needed to puzzle out, this one was fairly clear. Tikki was telling her that time was up.

“A miraculous box? What does that mean?”

“It means I have to go,” Ladybug said, “Can you keep her busy until I get back?”

Mirage Rena gripped her flute and nodded.

“I think the two of us can handle that. But, we only have five minutes before I change back.”

“Hopefully, it won’t take that long,” Ladybug replied, thrusting the box back into the air, allowing the army of ladybugs to reveal her partner, who was using her staff to push back the still invisible enemy. With a quick nod, Ladybug pulled her yo-yo out of its place and swung off to the place she knew someone she trusted would be.

Adrien was standing in his walk-in closet, pacing back and forth, as the crashing and combat took place downstairs. He wanted more than anything to do something, but Ladybug’s request to keep him safe stuck with him. She was right; he didn’t have Plagg anymore. He couldn’t help her. But, just standing around, hearing the fighting around him, made him feel restless, useless.

He could hear the heavy slam of the large front doors, sending a rumble through the building and a shiver down his spine. He had to do
something
.

Figuring the fight had moved outside, he ventured out of his closet into the main bedroom. Perhaps if he could find a front facing window, he could at least know that his lady was faring alright. What he didn’t expect to see was Gabriel standing in his bedroom, rummaging through his school bag.

Frustration that his father would have the nerve to use an akuma attack as a distraction to search through his room didn’t have the same impact it would have if he wasn’t already painfully aware of how far Gabriel would go to get ultimate power.

Adrien figured in hindsight that the parallels between his father’s identities weren’t as large a leap as he first believed.

He watched as Gabriel threw the bag aside, moving to look for another drawer or corner that could hide the silver band. Adrien shook his head.

“I told you, I don’t have it anymore.”

The older man turned around, his cold blue eyes showing more emotion that Adrien had ever seen in them: surprise at being discovered in the act, and irritation at the game the two of them had unknowingly been playing this whole time. For once, Adrien could agree with his father on something.

“You wouldn’t just give it up, Adrien,” Gabriel told his son, “As you said, it would be a shame if Hawkmoth got his hands on it.”

“And that’s why I did give it up,” Adrien assured him, “To keep it out of

your

reach.”

“Still so sure that I’m the bad guy here, aren’t you?”

“Well, most people wouldn’t threaten children over jewelry,” the boy quipped, sounding far more like Chat Noir than himself. Watching the steely Gabriel Agreste lose his long-maintained composure over one act of freewill brought a level of ironic pleasure to Adrien, igniting the same rebellion that he only ever indulged in while masked.

Gabriel took a step towards his son.

“We both know the miraculous are far more than mere trinkets. They provide untold power, the ability to grant an unspeakable wish.”

With each movement the older man made, his son maintained their distance. Adrien’s fight or flight reflex was working frantically to remind him that he didn’t have a way to fight and win; not with words nor with his years of fencing experience. Not when he was unarmed, fighting a supervillain that had the face of someone he had been conditioned to seek approval from.

Yet, he couldn’t help himself from using his new found defiance to pursue the answers he would be too submissive to ask otherwise.

“What wish could be so important that you’d risk everything to become a terrorist of Paris? More money to add to the amount you already can’t count? Increased influence in a city that is already the fashion capital of the world?

The older man folded his hands behind his back in a stance his son had seen so many times; it was synonymous with tone of distaste that followed.

“Do you really believe that I would go through this much effort for trivial things that I already possess?”

“I’m not sure what to believe,” Adrien admitted, refusing to cower under a gaze he had seen more than any other response. “I have no idea what could possibly matter so much to you. All I know is that it’s clearly not me.”

An expression that lightly resembled hurt flashed in Gabriel’s eyes before they returned to an unreadable grey.

“Everything I’ve done has been for you, Adrien.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Ladybug landed behind the cafe Alya had told Nino to wait for her in, her heart racing with adrenaline and indecision. Was this a good idea? Asking someone to risk their safety in a battle that was never theirs to begin with by handing them the item Hawk Moth was looking for?

And what about Adrien? After working with him for so long, was it even possible to work that closely with anyone else? Was she betraying all the built-up trust and respect for a lost cause?

She willed her spots away, releasing Tikki from her earrings, catching her in her cupped hands.

“Oh Tikki. How am I supposed to do this? I’ve never had to partner with anyone else but Adrien. We had dozens of battles together and worked together like one person. How can I just replace that?”

“You’re not picking a replacement for Adrien,” Tikki reassured her, “You’re picking someone to be the newest Black Cat.” She fluttered to Marinette’s face, making sure the girl met her eyes and understood what she was telling her.

“The Miraculous are created with the ability to click together, causing whoever wears them to work together, and the world needs balance. It craves both creation and destruction. One without the other will produce chaos. And, in short, will give Hawk Moth the edge he needs to get the earrings. I care for you deeply, Marinette, and it’s a shame that Adrien quit being Chat Noir, but regardless of your feelings for him and your past partnership, this is far bigger than either of you.”

Marinette gave a sigh, letting her kwami’s words soak into her like a teacher’s reproach. It was direction to make her better but without sugar coating the seriousness of the topic at hand.

Whether or not she liked it, she was Ladybug first and foremost. She had to look at Paris’s well being far before her own desires. And, if the situations were reversed, she would need Adrien to do the same.

“You’re right. This isn’t the time to listen to my heart; I have to use my head and be the hero Paris needs right now.”

Marinette’s tone was perfectly balanced between surrendering to her role in this, and resolve that, one way or another, she would see it through till the end. Tikki wasn’t sure if she should be proud or concerned at how her holder was handling it, but then again, she had just told a teenager that the fate of her city was in the box in her hands. If anyone could handle that kind of pressure, she knew it was Marinette.

After Tikki returned to the earrings, Ladybug entered the nearly empty cafe through a backdoor that had been left unlocked in someone’s haste to get as far away from the unknown danger as quickly as possible. She maneuvered through the small kitchen, before making it to the main space, where booths and tables were abandoned in their occupants’ departure. Standing out easily among the silent chaos was Nino, who was standing by the window, looking between the outside and his phone, mere seconds from pacing around in circles. Marinette hated seeing her friend like that, but Ladybug had a job to do so she pushed the feeling aside.

The spotted hero approached the boy, who made eye contact as soon as she was close enough. His concern for his girlfriend that was evident in his actions was only continued in his eyes.

“Ladybug? W-why are you here? Oh gosh- Is Alya okay?”

He looked back at his phone, the screen displaying the Ladyblog’s disconnected live-stream, clearly waiting for something to show that the blogger was okay.

“She’s fine,” she started, causing the DJ to look at her. She forced a smile to mask her own anxiety, trying to take Tikki’s words as the instructions from a much older and wiser being than herself. If Tikki said she was doing the right thing, Marinette had to believe her.

“But, I’ve come to ask for your help.”

“My help?” Nino asked, “I mean, of course I’ll do what I can, but what kind of help could I give? Do you need Carapace or something?”

Ladybug took a breath shook her head.

“Not exactly…”

She looked at the box containing Chat Noir’s ring, noticing Nino’s eyes following her gaze.

“This box contains the Black Cat miraculous, Adrien’s miraculous. Due to recent events, he... chose to step away, leaving a disruption in the duality of nature. Unlike Carapace and Rena, Chat Noir and I, we kind of balance each other out; like yin and yang. Creation and Destruction: two halves of the same coin.”

She looked back up at her friend, trying to take in as much of the exposition that was being told to him. She wished she didn’t have to dump all of this on him in such a short amount of time, but there just wasn’t any time left. Nino spoke.

“But, without his powers, your abilities are- what?- freaking out?”

“Kind of,” she agreed, “My miraculous is taking the roles of both good and bad luck, which it was never meant to do, which is causing mistakes. And, with an enemy like Hawkmoth out there-”

“You can’t risk mistakes,” he completed, causing Ladybug to nod.

“But, how can I help?” he asked, his eyes returning to the box in her hands. Ladybug gave a sigh in an attempt to keep her voice professional.

“I’ve seen your loyalty and selflessness when it comes to the ones your care about. Those traits are what make a great hero, especially one that controls something as strong as destruction. Nino Lahiffe, I’m asking you to be the next wielder of the miraculous of destruction, to step in as my partner.”

To Ladybug’s surprise, Nino shook his head.

“Whoa, Ladybug. You’ve got the wrong idea. I’m not the guy you’re looking for. Sure, I’m okay at playing the protector on occasion. But, I’m not fearless like Adrien or resourceful like you. I’m just the dude who just happens to be in the middle of all this.”

His insecurities, while mistimed, were something Marinette could understand.

“I know what you mean. I didn’t think I was right for this job either.”

Nino looked at her incredulously.

“You? But, you act like you were born with a mask, ready to kick butt.”

Ladybug bit back her smile; if only he knew who he was talking to behind the mask.

“Thanks, but it took me sometime to realize that I could do it. Actually, it was Chat that assured me of that.”

That detail caused Nino to perk.

“Yeah. It was right before our second encounter with Stoneheart. We were both brand new heroes and weren’t sure what we were doing. I had failed to purify the akuma, which led to the clone army.”

Nino nodded, indicating that he remembered what she was talking about. She continued.

“The police were against us interfering with the battle, because I had messed up so badly before. I was ready to quit, but Chat, Adrien- he wouldn’t let me. He told me that Paris needed us and, one way or another, we would prove ourselves. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him.”

The corner of Nino’s mouth lifted.

“Sounds like Adrien, alright. He has a heart that too big for the cage his dad puts him in.”

Ladybug bit her lip, that statement being far more true than even he realized.

Nino spoke again; “But, I can’t be like that. I’m not Adrien.”

The comment hit Marinette harder than she let him believe. No one could be the Chat Noir she had fought alongside thus far. However, that wasn’t what she was expecting from him.

“I’m not asking you to be,” she told him, presenting the red and black box to him, “I’m only asking if you’re willing to help me stop this. I will be there to play the overconfident one, if I can count on you to watch my back.”

Nino looked at the box in her hand, before looking back at the heroine, determination in his golden irises.

“You can count on me, Ladybug.”

He took the box into his hands and opened it, releasing a flash of green and awakening Plagg, who stretched. His large green eyes met Nino’s and then Ladybug’s, before speaking.

“I haven’t been in there very long, have I?”

“Just overnight,” Ladybug told him, causing Plagg to groan.

“He’s not like Wayzz, is he?” Nino asked, a small smile curling his lips. Ladybug shook her head, slightly less amused.

“Nope, I’m one of a kind,” the kwami commented, “Plagg.”

“Nino,” the new full-time holder introduced himself, pulling off the goldish chain Alya had gifted him on their anniversary, slipping the ring on before replacing it around his neck. After Plagg gave him a confused look, Nino explained.

“Not everyone has slender pianist fingers like Adrien.”

“Magic doesn’t work that way,” Plagg replied, though it was clear that at the mention of his old charge, the little cat’s ears dropped slightly. Anyone could see that the kwami was rather attached to the old Noir, even if he didn’t like to act like it most of the time.

He perked up to give the illusion of normality.

“So, got anything to eat, New Kid?”

Ladybug shook her head.

“Food later. Nino and I have to get back into battle. The words are ‘Claws out’ correct?”

“Yes, but what about my cheese-” groused Plagg as Nino repeated the phrase, sucking him into the ring. The green light surrounded the new hero as the chaotic energy surged through him and transformed his appearance.

Ladybug shielded her eyes from the transformation, but when the light faded, she took in his new suit.

It was clear what Tikki had once told her about their costumes being tailor-made for their users intentions and deepest desires. The suit was different from Chat’s, while still paying homage in certain aspects. It remained a sleek black ‘catsuit’ with gloves that displayed claws at their ends, but it was covered with golden stitching that gave the appearance of spots. His mask was larger than Adrien’s, with the golden stitching lining the trim, accenting the yellow cat like eyes behind it. The largest difference between the two was the hood that covered Nino’s head, reminiscent to his Carapace costume, while still remaining unique due to the large cat ears on the top that seemed lifelike despite their obvious attachment to the hood, matching the tail that moved slowly behind him. Lastly, the ring transformed into a key tag on a golden chain, completing the look. Overall, it was very nice, and the young designer promised herself to take notes for any future fashion inspiration.

The hero took in his new appearance.

“Wow, that was new. But, I dig it.”

Ladybug smiled.

“That was only the beginning. Come on; I have some on the job training for you, Partner.”

Inside the Agreste Mansion, Adrien couldn’t fight the skeptical laugh that barked out of him at his father’s words. He may not have an idea of what his father’s intentions with the miraculous’ could be, but he knew that his well-being was never high on Hawkmoth’s priority list.

“Oh really? I truly felt that when you kept me caged in this room, only able to come out to show of your accomplishments in photo-shoots and on runways, before being pushed aside and silenced.

“I could sense your deep concern for me when my life was in danger by people I trusted; my teachers, my bodyguard, and even my friends- each one being used like a pawn for whatever twisted endgame you have planned.”

“I didn’t know I was fighting my own son until you foolishly revealed yourself to me and this city,” Gabriel said, his voice tight, “I had suspected that you may have been Chat Noir, but ruled it out when you lacked the self-preservation skill to be a hero.”

The matter-of-fact manner that Gabriel stated his life-endangering as some kind of test, yet another thing he had failed at, unleashed a temper that Adrien had struggled his entire life to keep hidden.

“Is that why you had me jump from a skyscraper, almost falling to my death? Was that your attempt at ruling me out? What about Kagami, the remarkable fencer that almost slashed me to pieces because I defeated her at a fencing match? No wonder you never acted concerned for my safety after day and night akuma attacks, despite your claims that keeping me here was for ‘protection;’ you were behind every single one of them, turning people that were at their most vulnerable into lifeless puppets!”

“Blame me all you want,” his father coolly said, the ice in his tone contrasting heavily with Adrien’s hot outburst, “but I didn’t

make

you jump from that skyscraper. Your blind faith in some

girl

did.” He spat out the pronoun like she wasn’t worthy to be named, only fueling Adrien’s anger.

“That

girl

is my partner,” Adrien growled, “Ladybug is-”

“She’s what?” Gabriel asked, cynicism mingling with his icy gaze, “Your girlfriend? Soulmate? Please. Even I could tell she only cared about you after your identity was revealed.”

Adrien knew what his father’s hand felt like, and it hurt far less than the jab to the chest that Gabriel’s straightforward commentary dealt. He could feel the self-confidence drain from him, but he clutched at it, unwilling to let his father win so easily.

“That’s not true,” Adrien denied, trying to convince himself as much as his father, “She’s my best friend. She’d do anything for me.”

“Anything?” Gabrien questioned, “You’re telling me that she’d risk something like her secret identity to save you, like you did for her?”

Adrien wasn’t sure if his father was digging for information, or just trying to inflict as much pain as possible on him. Either way, Gabriel’s point was made. Adrien didn’t know Ladybug’s identity, because it was more important than anything else.

Gabriel shook his head, disappointment oozing from the action.

“I tried to warn you about this. As an Agreste, you can not blindly follow anyone that comes to you with doe eyes or a sob story. People always have an agenda and will always take advantages of the things placed in front of them. Ladybug never gave you the time of day before. But, now that she knows that you’re a person of a high-reputation, she’s playing with your childish adoration like a harp.”

Adrien shook his head, trying to shake his father’s words away from his thoughts. Ladybug wasn’t like that. She been his partner for as long as they had worn their masks. They would always have each other in the end. She told him so. She

had

to care about him.

However, she had become far more doting after the reveal. Checking up on him after akuma attacks, wanting to hear his thoughts, to spend time with him. To kiss him.

Had all of that been a ruse to get something, to play with his affections to get something from him because of his real name? Could everything they have be a lie?

Adrien noticed his father move in the corner of his eye, and he looked back at him.

Gabriel pulled his jacket down to perfect his image; “I have to check in on Nathalie. She’s been keeping your ‘lady-love’ and her friend busy. Perhaps she’s been more successful at revealing Ladybug than you have been at gaining her trust.”

With that final blow, he stepped out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him with a click.

The familiar feeling of abandonment that had plagued Adrien his entire life filled the room, but it was only consumed by the black hole of emotions that already surrounded the occupant.

Ladybug trusted him, didn’t she? She had said she did, but had she lied to lure him into a sense of comfort, to silence him? Was there someone else that knew the secrets that she wouldn’t tell him?

He knew Ladybug knew who their past team members were; she had hand selected each of them after all. Did Rena know Ladybug’s identity? Were her and Carapace also friends outside of the mask, laughing and joking at the expense of the black cat who wasn’t in on their game? Sure, the Fox and Turtle had seemed nice enough on the occasions they had worked together, but Adrien knew all too well that kindness was something easily faked.

Far too often Adrien would befriend a new model or intern at work, hoping to have a friend only to realize they were only sociable to him because he was the boss’s son. They never truly cared about him or his feelings; they only saw him as the stepping stone to their own career goals.

The idea that Ladybug could be like that, scheming and manipulative, threatened to bring bile up this throat. She couldn’t be like that. His father had to be wrong about her. He

had

to be.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Ladybug and the rebranded cat made it to the Agreste mansion, both pairs of eyes searching for any sign of their teammate or enemy.

“The Akuma is invisible, so you’re going to have to rely on your super hearing,” Ladybug informed him, watching his ears twitch. Thankfully, they seemed to work the same as Rena’s and Chat’s.

“Got it,” the masked cat replied, his gaze still combing the area, “Do you see Rena?”

Ladybug shook her head.

“She must have needed to recharge Trixx.”

“You think she’s okay?” Nino asked, his enthusiasm slipping to reveal a glimpse of the concerned boyfriend beneath the mask.

Ladybug offered him a reassuring smile.

“I’m sure she’s fine. I’ll look for her while you track down the akuma. The sooner we take her down, the sooner we can all go home.”

He nodded, watching her go through a window. As much as he wanted to assure his girlfriend’s safety himself, he knew Ladybug had a reason for having him on the hunt. Perhaps it was due to how well he could keep akumas distracted, while Ladybug formulated a plan, or maybe it was because his heightened senses helped him find the invisible foe- he was fairly sure ladybugs couldn’t locate things they couldn’t see. Either way, he knew it would be best if he followed her lead while he adapted to his new abilities.

Being the black cat was so different than being Carapace, and not just because Adrien had cast a large shadow that would be daunting for anyone to follow. The power of Destruction felt so different than Protection. Both kwamis granted feelings of strength, but where Wayzz’s power caused Nino to feel warm and almost tranquil while he shielded his comrades, this energy felt restless, pulsing at the end of his fingertips and through his nerves. It was as if he was living chaos, and in some way, it was exciting. Sure, he preferred the tranquility of Wayzz to the intensity of the new miraculous, but if he was going to help Ladybug as her new partner, to be a predecessor of his best friend and role model, at the very least, he would take advantage of the chance.

Closing his eyes, he honed into his amplified hearing, feeling the cat ears on the top of his head twitch and flicker around, catching any sounds of distress or alarm they could find. It seemed that the animalistic theme was more pronounced in this miraculous than with his previous one, or perhaps he was just more familiar with cats than he was with turtles, and thus could tap into them better.

No matter which case was true, Nino was brought back from his comparisons by the sounds of things being tossed around a room upstairs.

“Well, Cat Dude,” Nino whispered to the kwami that he knew couldn’t really hear him, “It’s ‘Go Time’.”

Using his new found stealth to his advantage, he made his way towards the sounds, soundlessly leaping from ledge to ledge like a leopard until he reached the roof and around to the back of the house where the sounds led him. Directly under his feet was Adrien’s room and the cat cautiously bent over the edge to look inside.

The large room seemed to be the results of a small hurricane. Books and papers all over the floor, the desk chair pushed aside, and the owner of the room was leaning over the desk, his shoulders and back rising and falling with his heavy breaths. As he lingered, the occupant’s breathing sounded more wet and pained, evolving into broken sobs. The mess around him wasn’t the signs of an akuma attack; it was the breakdown of his best friend, someone who was done pretending to be okay. That was almost worse.

The cat dropped into the open window, causing Adrien to stilt his movements. He took a deep breath.

“Ladybug?”

His voice was fractured in every letter of his partner’s name, in spite of his obvious attempts to hide it. The cat shifted uncomfortably in the presence of a version of his friend that he had never seen before.

“Not exactly.”

Adrien turned and his gaze met the new hero. His face was tearstained and red causing him to look so different than the Adrien Agreste that anyone else had ever been allowed to see. It was the side of himself that was scared to death that he would be alone, abandoned by anyone he ever believed would care about him, the side of himself that he kept locked up his entire life because of how ashamed that he was of it.

But, now a stranger was seeing it. A stranger that wore a skin-tight cat-themed suit and radiated the force of destruction. Adrien could sense it; it was a feeling that he had pulsing through his veins since he first donned the mask what felt like a lifetime ago.

The realization hit him; this was the new Chat Noir, Ladybug’s new partner, his replacement. It hadn’t even been a whole day, and she had already moved on. Did she not mean anything she had told him just moments before?

His father’s words echoed in his mind, burning the inside of his chest like acid.

She’s playing with your childish adoration...

He had never wanted his father to be more wrong about anything, but seeing the black cat in front of him only proved how replaceable Adrien truly was to the woman he loved.

“You’re her new partner.”

His voice sounded strange to his ears, his mind so filled with emotions that anything else just sounded void.

“Something like that,” the cat said, crossing one leg behind the other, “I’m the new holder of the black cat miraculous... Melanistic Leopard.”

Melanistic Leopard? Well, it was more creative than ‘Chat Noir’. Adrien’s eyes traced the leopard-like golden spots before meeting the golden eyes of someone who looked more like a hero than he ever did.

“Did she choose you?”

The hero nodded.

“She asked me to help you guys before, but now that you stepped away, she needed someone to have a more permanent role.”

Adrien felt the vice on his heart squeeze until he felt ill. Ladybug not only knew who this new partner was, but was confident in him enough to offer him his Miraculous, something that his father was very much still looking for and seemed to be in safe hands with The Guardian.

Did she believe that it was safer in the hand of this new hero? Did she trust him more than she trusted Adrien. He couldn’t help but wonder if, given the choice, Ladybug would have given him a chance to be her partner if it was between himself and the leopard before him. She clearly knew Melanistic’s identity, so did he know hers?

Something Ladybug had told him before rose to the surface to fuel his theory.

There’s this boy…

Could this be that boy, the one that really held Ladybug’s heart? The person that Adrien always fell in second place to in his lady’s mind?

He wasn’t sure, and he knew his heart couldn’t really stand the answer.

“Adrien?” Melanistic Leopard asked, stepping towards him. Unconsciously, Adrien stepped away. He already knew he was broken; he didn’t need someone who merely wore his old suit to try to patch him up.

“You should leave,” Adrien told him, looking away. Part of him wanted the hero to leave because he wanted to be alone. To mourn the loss of everything great that he thought he had. But, there was also the larger reason that kept him insistent of the ring’s departure.

“My father was looking in my room for the ring, if he finds you here…”

“Wait, your father?” the hero sounded confused. Ladybug hadn’t told him about Hawkmoth’s identity yet?

The ex-Noir wanted to believe that perhaps it was to spare him the shame that his own father was the villain they had been appointed to fight, that Hawk Moth had been under their noses the entire time, but he knew that it could have been because it was

she

who was ashamed.

Ashamed of her ex-partner who had hoped so deeply that his father could love him that he told her that he couldn’t be Hawkmoth. If he had just listened to her when she had first told him, this would have been over long ago. Paris would be safe. Everything would be better.

But, no. Adrien was never strong enough to fight his father. Deep down, he had always known that. That was one reason why he gave him miraculous back to The Guardian in the first place. When it came to defeating Gabriel Agreste, Adrien never stood a chance. And he had left Ladybug to fight alone because he was too much of a coward and a failure to lose with grace.

No wonder she picked someone else who had only worn the suit a few hours and still fit into it far better than Adrien ever did. He was someone she could trust.

Adrien watched the new hero try to approach him again, but halted right before the bedroom door burst open. Melanistic Leopard pulled out what looked like a nightstick from behind his back and extended it to the length of a quarterstaff. After blocking something Adrien couldn’t see, the hero shouted over his shoulder.

“The akuma is invisible. I’ll hold her off while you hide.”

Hide. Like a coward, a wounded animal. It wasn’t pride that kept him frozen in place; it was shame that that was what he was known as. The great Chat Noir, reduced to the son of a terrorist, hiding until his lady saved the day. Then again, it was always Ladybug who saved the day anyway.

After careful searching, Ladybug found Alya hidden in a small closet in the kitchen, feeding Trixx berries of some kind.

“I’m sorry, Ladybug. I tried to keep her attention, but my miraculous was timing out-”

“It’s alright,” Ladybug reassured her, shimmying in to close the door behind her. In the dim light, she could barely see her friend’s silhouette, but Trixx’s eating made it clear that they were only a couple feet apart. “I knew I had taken too long, but our new teammate needed some encouragement.”

“New teammate?” Alya’s voice carried in the small space, “Who is it? Is that what your Lucky Charm was pointing to?” She added with a more solemn tone, “Does this have something to do with why Adrien isn’t showing up?” The room fell silent and Ladybug suspected that she was waiting for an answer. But, what kind of answer could she give?

Hey Alya, you know Adrien’s father? Well, he’s been Hawkmoth this whole time. And, he used Adrien’s desire to please his unrelenting father into not using his miraculous. So, Adrien decided to give it back to The Guardian for the safety of Paris, even though he loves being Chat more than anything. And now, I had to pick someone else to battle in a war that wasn’t theirs to fight, risking the safety of someone else I care about, all while questioning if it’s even possible to be partners with someone else.

Instead, Ladybug just sighed. “Something like that.”

She forced herself to be the leader, the hero; Paris wasn’t going to be saved if she continued to linger on thoughts of the past. She needed a plan.

“Do you know where the Akuma is?”

Ladybug still couldn’t see Alya, but after a few seconds, she could make out that she shook her head.

“I had to hightail it somewhere to recharge, and even though my mirage kept her off my back, I have no idea what happened after it faded out.”

“Well, you’re safe, and that’s the important thing for now,” Ladybug assured her, though she had hoped that they could have been closer to defeating the akuma. They still had no idea who had been akumatized, why, or what their item could possibly be. Not to mention that she was invisible.

Suddenly, a loud thud could be heard upstairs, causing the girls to tense.

“The Akuma.”

“I need more time,” Trixx’s voice could be heard in the darkness, followed by the quickened sounds of eating.

“Just come when you can,” Ladybug instructed, before rushing out of the closet.

She hurried upstairs, noticed that Adrien’s door was wide open. Her heart started racing as she pulled her yo-yo out and walked in. In her assessment, she noticed Adrien, his eyes focused on the source of the thud. The white couch had been pushed over, and little bits of black could be seen on the other side. Her brain went into ‘save the civilian’.

“We need to get you out of here.”

She approached Adrien, but he stepped back and shook his head, meeting her gaze with intensity that she had never seen before. “Help Melanistic Leopard; he’s your

partner

after all.” He spat out the last sentence with such venom that she took a step back. All she could process was,

What

?

Unsure what to say, she went over to the overturned sofa and noticed her new partner swiping his claws at an unseen being. She threw her yo-yo, hoping to catch the akuma and figure out the item later, but that was just when she got back handed by something she had no warning for. Her head hit something hard, the pool table perhaps.

She blinked to clear her hazy vision. Melanistic Leopard seemed to have a handle on keeping the akuma from his miraculous, but that wasn’t going to last long if she didn’t do something. She needed to see the invisible.

Well, when all else failed her-

“Lucky Charm!”

She stood up as a curved mirror landed in her hands; of course it was something vague, but it would have to do. Ladybug’s eyes darted around the room as she looked to see what could help her see something unseen. As she scanned, a video she had seen for science class came to mind. There was a way to see heat and sound that both professional scientists and science students had used.

All it took was a mirror, a razor blade, a light source, and a camera.

“Adrien,” she called, looking at her old partner, “is there a camera anywhere in the house?”

He gave a quick nod, moving out to another room. It was almost like old times. She shook her head to clear the nostalgia away.

“Ladybug,” Melanistic called, continuing to struggle with the akuma. She could hear the desperation of the newcomer, forcing her mind into double time.

She ran to Adrien’s bathroom, looking anywhere for a razor or replacement blades, anything that could help.

A beep was heard. Four minutes.

Just then, Adrien returned with a camera. Ladybug half expected a pun or something, but Adrien just placed it on the counter beside her.

“Anything else?”

Ladybug found a blade in a drawer and shook her head.

“I just need you need to stay in here safe until the akuma is cleansed.”

When she rushed to the desk, she could hear Adrien scoff behind her. What was going on with him? They would have to talk after this if there was any time.

Time. It was running out.

Another beep was heard as Ladybug positioned the razor blade in front of the camera’s lense, hoping the experiment would work if it was more portable.

Soundlessly, Rena made her way inside and looked at her leader, who handed her a mirror.

“Ever hear of the Schlieren Effect?”

Recollection flashed in Rena’s eyes, and she gave a knowing smile, as she safely made her way behind Melanistic and the unseen akuma. Once positioned behind them, she focused a mirage to grant more light on the struggle

With the mirror positioned behind them, Ladybug could make out the two figures in the camera’s eye. For the first time, she mentally thanked Ms. Mendeleiev for giving them thorough assignments.

The akuma looked just like an average-height woman, with a weird box-shape in her left hand.

“What is that?”

“It’s her tablet,” Adrien’s voice came over her shoulder, causing her to realize that he hadn’t gone for shelter, “Nathalie never goes anywhere without it. That must be the akuma.”

Ladybug looked at him, torn between thanking him and yelling at him for not regarding his safety. She opted to do neither as her miraculous gave a new warning.

“Melanistic, she has the akuma in her left hand.”

A smile appeared on the new hero’s face as he called upon his new power. He swiped at the box, causing it to break into pieces and revealing a purple butterfly. Ladybug quickly cleaned it, before returning Paris back to normal.

Their foe was made visible and was revealed as Gabriel’s assistant. Rena exchanged a fist bump to the newest hero to the team.

“Good job, Tomcat,” she complimented, “So, you’re the new Chat Noir?”

“No,” he corrected, “but I am the new cat in town.” Taking a cue out of Adrien’s handbook, Melanistic Leopard kissed Rena’s hand. “Melanistic Leopard at your service.”

She gave a smirk as she withdrew.

“Sorry, Kitty, but this vixen is taken.”

“I know,” he remarked, giving a wink before walking over to Mr. Agreste’s secretary, checking to make sure the woman was alright after her akumatization and leaving Alya’s journalistic brain to work out her new puzzle.

Ladybug turned to Adrien. She had so much she wanted to ask, but he spoke before she could.

“Why did you replace me?”

The question surprised Ladybug, not because he asked it, but because she didn’t know how to reply.

“He’s not a replacement.”

“Oh really?” he replied, the scoff returning, “Let’s see; black suit, cat-traits, destructive powers. Sounds like Chat Noir to me.”

Ladybug shook her head.

“I didn’t want to-”

“Don’t lie to me,” Adrien snapped, pain in his expression, “You were always trying to replace me. First, Rena. Then, Carapace. And now, this new guy. Was I never good enough for you? Were

we

never good enough?”

“Adrien, it wasn’t like that,” she tried to reason, “Rena and Carapace are on-call heroes, and, as for Melanistic…” She bit her lip, trying to hold back her tears, “You had to know that I was going to need someone else to have your old ring. Our miraculous are linked; you knew that, didn’t you?”

“How can I know anything if everyone is keeping me in the dark all the time?” Adrien asked, bristling like an alley cat before a fight, “Everyone just wants me to come along silently, like puppet to be used in their plans.”

Ladybug shook her head.

“Adrien, what are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about how you never looked at me twice when I was Chat Noir, how you rejected me over and over again, and I pretended that was fine. But then, I was revealed as Adrien Agreste, a someone, and you then decide that you care about me. That I’m worth your time. That you would actually-”

He cut himself off, his lip quivering under his teeth. He would not cry, not in front of Ladybug. Not anymore. She couldn’t use his weakness over him.

“You keep me in the dark about so much, Ladybug. You can’t just come here and use my feelings for you when it’s convenient.”

“Adrien…” Her voice was gentle, yet on the verge of tears, as was his. Her miraculous gave a beep, and she shook her head and turned away. He couldn’t take it anymore. He grabbed her arm.

“Prove me wrong.

Please

. Show me who you are and I’ll be your loyal follower. I need something to prove that this wasn’t all fake.”

He watched the conflict in her eyes before she closed them. He hated giving her an ultimatum. It felt wrong. It hurt to see her conflicted. But, he needed proof, real evidence that his father was wrong. That he meant more to her than her secrets. When she opened them again, they were filled with tears.

“I can’t…” she told him, her voice quaking, “I’m sorry.”

He wasn’t really surprised, but he was disappointed. Disappointed with himself, that he had let himself believe that she would sacrifice her secret identity to show her loyalty to him.

She never did care about him like he did about her.

“Yeah, me too…”

She turned away, rushing to the window to preserve her secret identity. He closed his eyes, his reality crumbling around him. Father was right…

The sound of Ladybug’s yo-yo retracting brought to his attention that he had said his lament out-loud.

He looked at her, his already damaged heart nearly stopping as he saw the betrayal and disbelief on her face. He had just admitted to believing his father, Hawkmoth, over her. He wanted to take it back.

But he couldn’t, not fully.

He didn’t trust his father, but he couldn’t blindly follow Ladybug either.

“If you really believe that,” Ladybug stated, her voice so pained that Adrien felt ill knowing that she had caused it, “maybe choosing a new partner was the right choice after all.”

“Ladybug-” he started towards her, but she took off faster than he had ever seen her go. He leaned against the window, his forehead touching the cold glass, eyes watching her disappear into the Parisian skyline.

Footsteps came up from behind him, and he met eyes with Rena Rouge. He had forgotten that she was still around.

He waited for her to lash out at him, to telling him all the things he already knew. But, instead, she just shook her head and left the mansion without a word.

Watching her leave, he heard a voice from behind him.

“Dude, what is your problem?”

He met eyes with Melanistic, his gaze trained on Adrien, confusion and frustration showing in the way his tail moved behind him. “You’re acting like Ladybug has been wanting to get rid of you this whole time.”

“Why else would she be hiding things from me for?” Adrien defended himself out of instinct, not any true belief in his own argument. It showed in his tone and the way he couldn’t meet the cat’s eyes.

“Perhaps, because she cares about you and doesn’t want you to get hurt?” the cat suggested, before letting out a sigh. “Look. When Ladybug asked me to step in, it was clear that she didn’t want to have different partner. She didn’t do this to replace you. Neither of us want that.”

“How would you know?” Adrien asked, looking outside, “You just got here.”

The hero’s gaze narrowed under his mask, “Yeah, I just got here. And, even I can tell that Ladybug cares about you. Like, a lot. You know what she told me when she gave me this ring?”

Adrien shook his head, and Melanistic continued.

“She told me about your first fight together. How you were the reason that she’s still Ladybug. How she only needed someone to watch her back, like you used to. Now, I don’t know why you would believe that she would intentionally stab you in the back, when she is out there still singing your praises after you left her to fight Hawkmoth alone.”

Melanistic Leopard’s neck tag went off, three pads long gone. He turned to go out the window, but Adrien’s voice stopped him.

“Do you know who she is under the mask?”

The hero looked back at Adrien and shook his head, asking one last question before disappearing into the night.

“Does a mask mean so much, that you no longer trust the girl under it?”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Ladybug barely made it into the abandoned alleyway before her transformation wore off. Marinette slid down the brick wall, her arms crossed over her knees as she curled into herself. She could feel Tikki’s presence near her, but there wasn’t anything the kwami could do to comfort her chosen.

She had gone there to help him, to take him somewhere where his father wouldn’t be able to hurt him, only to go and hurt him herself. She didn’t intend to, and she knew listening to Tikki was the right thing to do in the long run, but it didn’t make seeing the betrayal in his eyes any easier. Adrien’s disappointment and anger was on loop in her mind.

Why did you replace me? Was I never enough? Father was right.

Meanwhile, guilt filled Tikki’s little body. When she had told Marinette the gravity of their situation, she had forgotten that Marinette was still young. She wasn’t invincible, and as much as Tikki tried to play it down, Adrien was her partner, her black cat. And that wasn’t a bond that broke easily.

The little goddess thought back to the many times that Plagg’s owners had abused him, the pain of being ripped from your other half and required to fight against them. Their recent holders never dreamed of that, always working in harmony like the miraculouses were intended to be used. Adrien had even given up his right- his friend, from how Plagg talked about him- to keep his partner and their city safe from his father.

And, Tikki had discounted that bond in an attempt to help her chosen put her mind over her heart, forgetting that it was that balance that made this Ladybug and Chat Noir so amazing in the first place.

The sound of Marinette’s phone rang through the alleyway, but the owner made no action to change her position. She didn’t even need to look at it to guess who was calling her.

“It’s Adrien,” Tikki told her, the kwami’s voice barely above a whisper. Marinette didn’t fight off her scoff.

Of course Adrien would call her. He told her he would call her first if anything happened to him. She asked him to call her when he was upset.

But, who did Ladybug call when her best friend was the reason she was crying?

The tone continued until it went to voicemail, shame mixing with her breaking heart. She knew what those calls meant. He was at akuma risk.

But, if she answered that phone, she knew she would be on the top of Hawkmoth’s ‘To Akumatize’ list.

Marinette give a sniffle, before a whisper came out.

“Tikki, how am I supposed to fix this? I mean, I’m Ladybug. The only one that can purify akumas, the one that has the magic undo switch after every akuma… the hope for Paris that Hawkmoth can be defeated…”

She wiped her tears.

“I hold the power of creation, and if

I

can’t fix things, I failed the only job I have.”

Tikki shook her head.

“The only way to fail is to give up, Marinette. And, I know you. You never give up. You will defeat Hawkmoth, with the help of the team you handpicked, and regain Adrien’s trust in who you really are.”

The girl looked skeptical.

“How?”

“Because, you’re Marinette,” Tikki said with utmost confidence, “You’re clever, kind, and, well, miraculous. Everyone knows that,” Sensing Marinette’s rebuttal, Tikki continued, “Even Adrien.”

She nuzzled her chosen’s cheek, giving her the hug she knew she needed.

“I shouldn’t have acted like this was easy. It never was for any Ladybug or Black Cat to have a new partner. But, where most ended in death, you and Adrien parted ways in sacrifice. And, the one thing I know from my many years of existing; the universe always rewards sacrifice.”

Marinette didn’t reply at first, merely taking in what her kwami was saying. It didn’t take the pain away, but she wanted to hope that Tikki was right; she had to hope in something.

Slowly, she had a faint smile on her tear stained face.

“Between the two of us, I think the universe really owes us, don’t you think?”

“This is Marinette. Sorry for missing your call. I must be working in the bakery and forgot my phone in my room
again
. I’ll call you back when I can. Bye.”

“Yo, Dude or Dudette. I’m busy mixing my tunes at the moment, but leave a message, and I’ll call back later.”

“This is Alya’s phone. Sorry I missed your call, but a reporter’s job is never done. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you. Bye.”

Adrien looked down at his phone through blurred vision. He should have been prepared for busy signals- even with the akuma attack, it was it was still far enough away to not affect regular school attendance- however, the pre-recorded messages still felt like he was doused in cold water. His talk with the new hero only showed him what he didn’t want to see. He already regretted giving up his miraculous and then proceeded to blame everyone else for the hole that choice had left.

Perhaps that’s why everyone made choices for him; because he was selfish and weak.

Too weak to face his father head on and be the hero he promised Paris, promised Ladybug, that he would be. Too weak to tell the people he cared about most how badly he needed them, unless it was the end of the line. Or was his dependence on others his downfall regardless, just a way for people to get close enough to use him?

“Adrien,” Nathalie’s voice sounded gentle, or perhaps he was just projecting his needs on the only person nearby. He hadn’t even realized she was still there. Or perhaps she had never left after her akumatization.

“Perhaps you should talk to your father-”

The mention of his father caused Adrien to stiffen.

“I already talked with him. I can’t do it. Not when he-” He stopped himself from saying he was right. Even if he did wholeheartedly believe that, he wouldn’t give Gabriel the satisfaction of admitting it. He was long past trying to please his father.

He could hear her sigh.

“I may not agree with everything your father does, but he does has his reasons.”

“Reasons for what?” Adrien asked, looking at her, his sorrow being mixed with renewed anger, “For being a terrorist, hurting innocent people by using their emotions against them? For akumatizing

you

of all people, someone who already has to deal with his crap day in and day out? And don’t try to pretend that he didn’t push you to the point of Akumatization. Your powers were based in silence and invisibility; how my father treats everyone that he feels isn’t worth his time.”

Nathalie just looked at him with her usual professionalism.

“While I will admit that being under the influence of your father’s power wouldn’t have been my choice, I know that my emotional abandon was not entirely his doing.”

How she could continue to defend his father baffled Adrien.

“All of this has been his fault, you know. If he never decided to become a criminal, I would have never been chosen to fight him. Neither would Ladybug. She could just have a normal life with that boy she adores so much, and I wouldn’t know how much it hurts to have my heartbroken time and time again.”

Tears ran down his face, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.
Turning back to the skyline, he whispered.

“I’m tired of being pulled by my heartstrings to play into his endgame, for anyone’s end game…”

Was this what it felt like to have everything you’ve ever wanted ripped away?

He felt her hand on his shoulder, her touch something strange and foreign but far from unwanted, especially when it was the only thing keeping him out of his own head.

“Your father may try to keep you away from the outside world. But, he can’t control the people out there, or how much they care about you.”

Adrien processed that information, soaking in her meaning from it. Slowly, a small smile curled on his lips.

Gabriel may have control of every aspect of his life, but he couldn’t control those he cared about. Marinette, Nino, Alya, Ladybug. They each made their own choices. And every single one of them chose to care about him. Whether he deserved that care or not, he wouldn’t let himself take that for granted again. He turned to the woman who looked after him more than his father did.

“Thank you, Nathalie.” He wrapped her in a hug, which was returned, although awkwardly. Nathalie was never the physical type, but Adrien knew she cared in her own way.

“That’s enough Nathalie.”

And just like that, the warmth in the room retreated, leaving in its wake a chill that made Adrien shiver. The two pulled away, leaving the boy to cross his arms to disguise his shaking. Had his father always had such a presence, or was he just more aware of it.

“Sir-” Nathalie tried to explain, but was cut off with a simple flick of Gabriel’s wrist.

“I would like to speak to my son alone, Ms. Sancoeur.”

There was a heavy silence, but before Nathalie replied with a simple “yes sir” and left the Agrestes to their familial dysfunction. She always did side with her employer.

Adrien tried to stand firm, but the tear stains and his inability to meet Gabriel’s icy blue eyes gave away his true stance.

“Yes, Father?” he asked, hoping for the first time in his life to be left alone. Of course, Adrien wasn’t so lucky.

“I see Ladybug has already replaced you. What has it been; twenty-four hours? You must have meant less to her than she let on.”

He knew the words were chosen to feel like dangers, even if he couldn’t understand whatever cruel reason his father was doing this. To assert his dominance over his son, to isolate him from the people that could save him? Whatever reason it was, Adrien couldn’t let him in his head. The mind was Hawkmoth’s playground, after all.

“She did what she had to,” Adrien said, more to remind himself.

“Because partners are so easy to replace, right?” Gabriel continued, approaching his son with slow, calculated movements that matched his words.

Adrien bit his lip, refusing to let his form crumble under his father’s gaze. However, Gabriel’s next words caught the boy off guard.

“However, I come to offer you a partnership of my own.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Of all the things his father could have said, extending a partnership to assist in his terrorism was not anything Adrien had expected. Did he truly think an argument with Ladybug would eclipse the fights and abuse he had delivered to his son?

As the retired hero grappled for words, Gabriel spoke.

“Follow me, and I’ll show you what this is all for.”

Part of Adrien wanted to stand defiantly, to refuse his years of conditioning with silent rejection. But, he couldn’t silence the nagging curiosity of what could possibly drive someone to manipulate and hurt so many people.

So he followed in silence, reaching into his pocket to feel the beaded charm that promised fortune and hoping that, if curiosity did kill the cat, the satisfaction of the answer would be enough to bring him back.

Gabriel led them to his office, the portrait of his wife watching as he told Adrien where to stand. He did as he was told, though his posture was tense and distrusting. Gabriel knew he would soon understand as he pressed in the hidden buttons to lower his son into the hidden hallway beneath the ground. Following soon behind, he led Adrien into a large room, a dimly lit path leading to a bright flower bed with a box in the middle. As they met the case, he heard his son’s breath catch.

It was his mother, lying in what looked like sleep, as beautiful as he remembered the day he had last seen her. Adrien placed his hands on the glass, reaching out for the woman he had spent countless nights crying over the loss of.

“Your mother… She is very sick, side effects of a fractured miraculous, I’m afraid,” Gabriel spoke behind him, pausing as if sentiment were something he could actually feel. However, Adrien didn’t have time to ask questions before his father continued, “but I know how to help her. If we acquire the miraculous, I can make the wish to save her, to reunite our family again.” He placed a hand on his shoulder, a gesture of affection that even a day before Adrien would have relished in. However, now the action felt hollow as he gazed at the still body of his mother.

As tears welled in his eyes, a realization hit that broke his silence.

“You’ve had her here this whole time, haven’t you?”

The silence that followed was all the answer Adrien needed.

“You’ve known and never once thought to tell your own son what happened to his mother…”

He pushed away his father’s hand, angry tears falling down his face.

“No! You don’t get to use Mom to hide behind for your own evil deeds! She would never want you to hurt good people! Not even to save her life. Mom wouldn’t want to come back to a man like Hawkmoth.”

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed, but he otherwise seemed unaffected by his son’s outburst.

“Regardless of your opinion on the subject, I will bring Emilie back, with or without your help. I just figured you would want to be aware of your surroundings for once in your life.”

The word choice made Adrien clearly see that his father had been planning this, just as he had planned almost everything that happened to his son. He was planning to bring him to the point of breaking, of being desperate, so he could offer the one thing Adrien had wanted from him; acceptance, family.

What kind of man did that to his child, under the guise of it being for his best interests? It was clear Gabriel never had anything in mind but his own inability to let the past rest, instead choosing to poison Present and Future. And, he expected Adrien to help him.

Adrien shook his head, backing away from the man before him.

“I can’t.”

“Not even for your mother?” Gabriel asked, gesturing to the glass case with frustration, “The woman who loved you everyday for thirteen years?”

Adrien looked towards his mother, tears dripping down his face. He didn’t want to make that choice. To tamper with forces yet unexplored to bring back the parent who loved him, and betray the city and people he had come to love and swore to protect. Or reject his family in honor of his duty as the hero he no longer was.

“I can’t,” Adrien repeated, voice cracking as he forced his eyes away from his mother. Being in a glass casket didn’t make her any less dead, and he wouldn’t risk taking another life for his own selfish desires.

Gabriel gave a sigh, his eyes filling with disappointment. A look that, no matter how many times Adrien had seen it, still nagged him to backpedal, to apologize for not being smart enough, strong enough, good enough, for Gabriel. However, the teen pushed that desire away the best he could. He couldn’t let his father see hesitation in his eyes, lest it be perceived as another weakness to exploit.

“I can’t believe that, even now, you would choose some

girl

over Emilie.” Gabriel spat, “You don’t even know her.”

“This isn’t about Ladybug,” Adrien forced himself to say, sliding his hand into his pocket to feel the charm in his jeans reminding himself that he wasn’t as alone as he felt, “I can’t turn my back on Paris. I swore to protect it from Hawkmoth,” his eyes met icy blue, “to protect it from

you

, or anyone else that may want to bring harm. I may not have my ring, or my partner. But, at least, I still have my conscience.”

His father’s fists shook as he approached. Adrien flinched, waiting for the return on his father’s physical anger, but the blow never came. Instead, he scoffed in disgust, turning away as if he couldn’t look at his son.

“Foolish boy. You believe that you need morality? A list of what is right and wrong in the eyes of people around you? I’ve learned the only thing you need in life is power. When you have that, morality is irrelevant.”

He pulled his ascot off, and muttered something. In a flash of purple light, Hawkmoth stood in Gabriel’s place. A white butterfly flew from his staff, into the gloved hand of the villain. As the white turned to obsidian, Hawkmoth turned back to Adrien, holding his cane with power and malice. He spoke to the butterfly.

“Change his mind, my dear akuma.”

Adrien tried to back away, but his back met the wall. Trapped. He tried to calm himself, but it did little as the dark insect fazed into his pocket and onto the item that meant the most to him. The beads turned black as Adrien’s vision tunneled until only the cold eyes of his father were left in his vision. Was this what akumatization felt like? Anger, betrayal, fear as your
forced to look into the eyes of the terrorist of Paris.

“No! I already told you that I won’t do it!”

He refused to be his father’s puppet. He tried to force him out. It had to possible to reject it, right. However, the pain in his head increased the more he tried.

“There’s no point of fighting it,” his father said cooly, “my akuma has found the anger and fear you’ve tried to bury.”

“Emotions you caused,” Adrien bit back, groaning in pain, “You hurt me, threaten me, continue to use me against my will. And, for what? For Mom? Mom wouldn’t want this. She wouldn’t-”

“How dare you tell me what my wife would want!” Gabriel yelled back, causing the pain to increase as Adrien yelled, “You didn’t know Emilie like I did, or else you would have helped me! You didn’t know her! You didn’t love her!”

Adrien held his head, fresh hot tears streaming down his face as he gasped for air between tortured sobs. The words of his father echoing in his mind the more he tried to ignore them. Of course, he loved Mom. He loved her enough to cry himself to sleep almost every night for a year after she vanished, only to realize she had been hidden under his home all along.

Heartache swiftly changed into anger as the realization of just how used and manipulated the Agreste son really was. He was groomed since the day his mother was taken from them to crave anything it took to be loved again. Even if it took being public enemy number 2. And even with the love of his friends, the affection Ladybug had granted him, couldn’t cover the amount of damage that was done, leaving behind anger.

The more angry Adrien felt towards the grey eyes in his vision, the more the darkness inside him grew, causing the akuma to consume his mind and covering his body with black and purple mist. Hawkmoth didn’t school his emotions as a smirk curled his lips.

He didn’t need Adrien to help him willingly. He didn’t need to see reason or the greater picture. But, just like any argument between them, Gabriel would have his son’s complete obedience in the end.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Nino rushed to the cafe, landing at the back door and letting his transformation run out before going through the door. He knew Alya easily beat him back to their unofficial meeting point, but he couldn’t let himself leave the mansion without talking with Adrien.

He was far from angry at his best friend; on the contrary, he was very worried. The Adrien he had left behind wasn’t the same one he had sat next to every day in school. This Adrien was suspicious, guarded, emotionally fragile.

Nino could feel the black cat kwami phase under his cap, grumbling about cheese, but the new hero was too lost in his thoughts to catch it. Things had changed since he and the girls had met his best friend outside his gate just days before. But what could turn sunshine so cold?

When he made it into the main room, the original patrons were still nowhere to be seen. Instead, Alya was pacing back and forth in a way that he had seen before, usually only in regards to Paris's Heroes.

Nino approached her, but before he had a chance to greet her, he overheard her thinking out loud.

“I can’t believe it. I’m gonna kill him.”

Nino considered backing away slowly, but he knew that if Alya was at any extent serious, he would have to reign her in.

“I hope you’re not talking about me,” he said, testing the waters. Her hazel eyes met his and she shook her head.

“Not this time,” she commented with a little humor, before frowning, “I just can’t figure out what’s going on with Adrien.” She met Nino’s eyes, “And don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about, Monsieur Leopard. Goodness, it took me two seconds to find out you were Carapace, now you practically tell me you’re the new hero.”

Nino had the common sense to look sheepish.

“I guess I’m not good at lying to my super amazing superhero girlfriend.”

Alya gave a non committal hum, but the small smile twisting her lip gave her away.

“You’re lucky I like when you compliment me, DJ.”

Taking that as a win, Nino approached his girlfriend and wrapped her in a hug, which she returned, burying her head on his shoulder.

It was clear that the couple would have to discuss the reveal of their identities eventually, but that conversation could wait a little longer, while more pressing matters lingered on their minds: the matter that was brought to the forefront when Nino’s phone chimed in his pocket.

He sighed but made no move to answer. He had just said everything he felt needed to be said to his best friend, and he didn’t really know how to play sounding board for his own conversation.

The phone continued to play until giving the caller the answering machine, guilt chipping at Nino’s normally chill demeanor. Alya was quick to notice.

“So, what are we going to do about Adrien?” she asked, pulling out of her boyfriend’s embrace to properly look at him. His yellow eyes seemed dulled and didn’t meet hers. He merely shrugged, fidgeting with his bracelets.

Alya pulled her phone off the table behind them, noticing the missed call of her own from the golden child himself. She wanted to feel something more than frustration at their friend, he clearly was struggling with losing his miraculous, but that didn’t justify the way he had turned on his partner, demanding her secret identity and accusing her of toying with his emotions.

She noticed Nino shifting uncomfortably. Did he know something she didn’t?

“Did Ladybug tell you why Adrien lost his Miraculous?” Alya asked, putting her phone back down.

“Not really,” he admitted, “She mentioned that he stepped away from being Chat Noir, but Adrien made it seem like she forced him out…”

Alya shook her head, “She didn’t look like she did…”

“That’s because she didn’t,” an unfamiliar voice spoke from under Nino’s hat. A little black cat phased his face though the red fabric. The black cat kwami, she realized.

Alya felt Trixx leave her bag, ready to scold the cat.

“Plagg, you’re supposed to be hidden.”

“Well, what good is hiding doing when they both know anyway?” the black cat, Plagg, sassed, “Besides, I’m done hearing these two talk in circles and

not

feed me cheese.”

“Wait,” Alya said, “you know what happened! You were there.”

“Yup,” Plagg agreed, “and you’re the lady blogger that revealed my kid’s identity.”

“Alya,” Nino corrected, but Alya shook her head.

“Yeah, that was me. Was that the reason he quit? Because his identity was revealed?”

Plagg shook his head.

“No... Well, not really.”

“What do you mean?” Nino asked, and Plagg fully left the confines of the hat, floating in mid air with his arms crossed.

“You get me cheese, and I’ll get your story, Blogger Girl.”

Alya’s eyes lit up with her new lead, and she dashed to the kitchen, looking for any cheese to feed the kwami, leaving her boyfriend with the two little gods.

“Plagg, if you know something, just say it.”

“Hey, I'm not going to refuse cheese if they are offering it.”

“They aren’t offering it,” Trixx reminded him, but Plagg shrugged, “A little motivation never killed anyone. Let’s not forget the little deal you had with M. Houdini.”

Trixx seemed to have more to say, but Nino stepped in.

“So, if Adrien’s mask being removed wasn’t what made him quit, did Ladybug?”

“No way,” Alya interrupted, carrying in a plate of cheese and berries, “You saw how Ladybug reacted to Adrien. She didn’t make him quit.”

“Nah, Spots had nothing to do with it,” Plagg revealed, diving into the plate and seemingly inhaling the smellier of the cheeses. If he were being honest, he was just buying himself time to figure out what he wanted to say.

He had promised himself years ago that he wouldn’t talk about previous Black Cats that he served. Too many memories: pain, sacrifices, deaths. But, as he met eyes with his new charge and the blogger girl, he could tell that they really cared for the kid.

Perhaps, he could break his rule, just this once.

Plagg wiped his mouth, licking off the cheese crumbs before looking at the two humans eagerly awaiting his side of the previous night.

“Okay, so I’ll spare you the boring details you already know. After the news of his reveal got out, he was really panicky. He was worried how all of his friends would react, but more so, his father.”

Nino gave a nod; “Yeah, I bet. Adrien’s old man isn’t really the most understanding dad out there.”

Plagg’s brows shifted to a ‘that’s an understatement’, before going back to his illusion of detachment

“Anyway, the two of them got into a spat. The guy tried to remove me from the kid and everything.”

“Wait,” Alya interjected, “Gabriel tried to take away Adrien’s miraculous?”

“I know right!” Plagg agreed, “The guy basically ignores his kid for the entire time I’ve been in his charge, except for ridiculous micro-management of his time and interests. Then, as soon as he’s revealed that Adrien is a hero -with my help of course- his father decides to pull the leash tighter and take away the one thing my kid actually

liked

doing.”

My kid. Plagg tried to never get too attached to his charges; the partnership always ended in death one way or another, death of body, or mind, of morals. It was just easier to not let silly emotions like sentiment get in the way of the cycle of life.

He was the Kwami of destruction after all.

Adrien had been the exception. He couldn’t help but care for the bright-eyed kid. He was so untainted by the power he controlled, always looking at the bright side, the creative solution.

He reminded the kwami of his equal in those ways. Tikki was always the optimist, the one that saw their world with rosier hues. But, unlike his centuries-old partner, Adrien was naive, always looking at the good in people, even when there was very little good left. While loyalty was an amicable trait, blind trust was something that could get the kid killed in their line of work.

So, Plagg took his role as the voice of doubt, the skeptic, to balance out his charge, before something devastated him. Something like a reveal that the father he looked up to so dearly had been the monster they had to take down.

He understood Adrien’s desire to help by removing the miraculous of his possession. If Hawkmoth couldn’t find the ring, the previous owner’s identity wouldn’t matter. But, that didn’t matter if Hawkmoth was Gabriel, and Gabriel was still the face of the father Adrien spent his life trying to please.

Plagg shook his head. Too much sentiment was making making his heart ache- if kwamis had hearts anyway. He needed more cheese.

As he consumed another wedge of brie, Alya turned to Nino, who had been fidgeting with the ring on it’s chain since Plagg had started speaking.

“Why would Gabriel do that to Adrien?”

Her boyfriend met her eyes, the loyalty and protectiveness evident in the golden irises.

“Isn’t it clear? Gabriel is a control-freak that can’t handle the fact that Adrien was something special, something he couldn’t control.”

Alya gave a nod, before looking back at Plagg.

“So, Adrien quit because of his father.”

Plagg looked at them. Even if they didn’t get the details right, they got the point.

“Yeah. Ladybug left the choice in his hands, and the kid did what seemed to be the best choice. If he couldn’t be Chat, he would at least keep Hawkmoth away from the ring.”

“Wait, Hawkmoth. Other than the odd akuma here and there, he’s been really quiet. You’d think knowing where the cat’s ring was would spark more of a reaction from him, right?”

Plagg went to speak, when Alya’s Phone made a shrill chime. A message came to the akuma sighting warning.

Alya took mere seconds before transforming herself, but Nino had one last question for the kwami in his care.

“Plagg… I didn’t say anything to Adrien that could have caused him to get akumatized, did I? I mean, I was just trying to help-”

Plagg just crossed his arms.

“No one is to blame when it comes to akumas. Except for Hawkmoth, of course. But, if the kids were right about who he is, it’s a good thing for him that you and I are bound to do good, right?”

Nino looked at the little cat, whose green eyes held back murderous thoughts and tone that almost dared his holder to let him loose. He couldn’t help but wonder what Plagg meant, who Adrien and Ladybug had suspected, before Rena touched his shoulder.

“Come on, Hero. Let’s go make sure Adrien is okay.”

Right. Check on his best friend first. Then, they can hunt down Hawkmoth and end this.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Marinette slowly shuffled towards her house, gently wiping away any remaining tears from her cheeks. Her heart-to-heart with Tikki had helped quite a bit, but she still bristled at the memories of Adrien’s pain-filled words. Perhaps, she could visit with him later. Or maybe Marinette could be the one to call him…

She looked up to gather her thoughts when she noticed Rena Rouge and Melanistic Leopard running across rooftops back towards Adrien’s mansion. Her eyes widened, and her heart stuttered.

If they were suited up and going back to the manor...

“Tikki, spots on!”

Ladybug pulled herself on a rooftop and sprinted to the heroes.

“What’s going on?” she asked once she was in earshot.

“Not sure, but there’s been an akuma warning located near the mansion,” Melanistic Leopard told her, barely glancing back. His golden eyes were focused on his journey forward. He seemed to have the same suspicion she did.

Considering how they had parted ways with Adrien, it was only a matter of time before they had to face the one person she hoped she would never have to fight.

Rena stopped at the edge of the roof and looked down at the road in front of the Agreste residence.

“It looks rather quiet; do you think that it was just a delayed alarm for the last attack?”

“The Ladyblog is pretty reliable,” Melanistic reminded her, preparing to leap onto the mansion’s rooftop, “Besides, I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

Once he moved, the girls followed behind in silent agreement to his sentiment. Landing beyond the tall gate, they looked at the large door before them. Ladybug touched it, and the wood swung effortlessly open for them.

“Keep your guard up,” Ladybug reminded them, before they entered the large entry room.

Their gentle footsteps almost echoed in the silent house. Nothing looked out of place, or as if anyone lived there at all. Was it just a trap to get the heroes back on Hawkmoth’s playing field?

A clacking of heels on the stone floor caught the attention of the heroes. Natalie emerged from one of the nameless rooms, and froze the moment six eyes met hers. A second of silence followed, but it was broken before it could fully settle.

“Thank you for your help,” the assistant said. “I’m not sure what happened to me. I’m usually better at controlling my emotions.”

“It’s just part of the job, Miss,” Ladybug spoke. “Unfortunately, we aren’t here for a check up. We were alerted to a new akuma seen in the area.”

Her eyes sweeped the area, as Nathalie spoke again.

“Well, as I’m sure you can see, everything has been at ease since you were last here.”

“We’d like to check that for ourselves,” Melanistic Leopard told her, heading towards Gabriel’s office behind her.

Nathalie shifted slightly into his path. “Mr. Agreste is very busy at the moment and wishes not to be disturbed.”

The three heroes exchanged glances, no one buying her reasons for not entering the room behind her. Ladybug was about to call her bluff when her partners’ ears both perked at the same time.

“I hear something below us,” Rena admitted. “It sounds like voices.”

“We don’t have any sub-floors,” the assistant spoke.

“Are you sure?” Melanistic asked, his ears twitching toward the floor. “I can hear it too.”

“There’s no basement,” Nathalie said more forcefully, the edge in her tone causing more distrust than reassurance. “I can show you the blueprints if you don’t believe me.”

“Will those blueprints show the lair?” Ladybug asked, stepping forward to be toe-to-toe with the taller woman.

“What lair?” Natalie asked, feigning ignorance.

“The one below us, hiding Adrien and Hawkmoth,” Ladybug replied; her frustration at herself and fatigue at the pointless back and forth started spilling through her words, “I know it’s here somewhere, so tell us where it is, or I’ll have Melanistic Leopard cataclysm a way down.”

The spotted hero didn’t need to see Melanistic or Rena to sense their surprise at the casual reveal of who their biggest enemy was behind the mask. However, as much as she wished to give that information more formally, there just wasn’t time.

The heroes watched as Nathalie weighed her options. Finally, she sighed.

“Follow me.”

With their hands on their weapons, they followed the assistant into Gabriel’s office. She approached the mural of Gabriel’s late wife, Emilie.

“Stand there please,” she instructed, pointing to a spot behind the desk. Melanistic Leopard decided to take the risk first.

Nathalie pressed a few buttons, and he was lowered down into a subfloor. Rena quickly followed her boyfriend.

It wasn’t until Ladybug stood on the platform that Nathalie spoke again. “Gabriel isn’t a bad man. He’s merely grieving the loss of his wife.”

“Grief isn’t an excuse to hurt the remaining people in our life,” Ladybug said, as she disappeared into the floor, leaving the assistant to take in her words.

The room Ladybug was deposited into was dark and narrow. She could only make out the silhouettes of her team ahead of her in the low light. They were running. She followed swiftly behind, hoping that there weren't any obstacles to be avoided.

She didn’t have time to think or feel anything other than: “Save Adrien. End this.”

The tunnel-like room led to a room with metal and flowers, shadows and little spotlights.

The noises that had spurred the heroes forward stopped moments before they entered, leaving only silence from the two figures in the room. They were facing each other, but only one turned to look at the masked heroes as they approached.

Even though the green eyes hiding behind messy blond locks were still so familiar that Ladybug nearly dropped her guard from instinct, they were all too expressionless to be the partner she once had. The rest of his appearance rejected the cat look, however it remained dark as the night against his fair skin. His outfit was comprised of a white full-face emotionless mask, coupled with a black bodysuit, decorated with a red heart in the center and small accents indicating the top of his tall boots.

Lastly, she noticed the golden strings that were connected to his chest that tied around the second figure, Hawkmoth. The purple suit and silver mask screamed danger, and yet the blankness in his face was far more eerie. It was as if he was never alive, a marionette kept standing only by the strings on his arms and legs. Strings attached to his son.

“Adrien…” Ladybug breathed, moving past her teammates to better see him, “What happened?”

“He tried to use me,” he spoke, his voice sounding hollow. “He gave me power I didn’t want. I couldn’t let him use me.”

“It’s okay,” she assured him, stepping closer. “We’re here to help you.”

Suddenly, he stepped back.

“I can’t let you do that.”

“What?” Melanistic Leopard and Rena Rouge said, eoching Ladybug’s thoughts.

“My father,” he spit the term out like it was profanity, “he forced me to be silent, to be his little puppet while he manipulated everything behind the scenes. Everyone did. I can’t let them use me like that again.”

“But, Adrien…” Ladybug started, but her best friend cut her off.

“I’m no longer Adrien,” he replied, “I’m Heartstrings, and unlike my previous roles, I will be the one pulling the strings.”

Suddenly, Hawkmoth opened his eyes, revealing a golden glow. He approached the teens, swinging his cane like a bat. His strike was blocked by the black-clad leopard. Heartstrings merely controlled his father to continue his assault.

“Adrien, buddy.” Melanistic Leopard was pleading with him as he fought off Hawkmoth’s mindless strikes. “You have to stop this. This isn’t you.”

Heartstrings merely laughed, the sound void of any actual amusement.

“You don’t know me. You didn’t even know Adrien. If you did, why didn’t you help him, instead of becoming a cheap imitation?”

He forced Hawkmoth to strike once again, but this particular stroke was blocked by the third hero of their team, leaping just in time to protect her boyfriend from his best friend’s comment.

“Perhaps he was trying to help you. Perhaps, while you basked in pity, you forgot that people actually care about you.”

Heartstrings’s eyes narrowed, giving the illusion of emotion.

“No one cared about Adrien. No one truly knew him. But everyone will know Heartstrings. They will love him, respect him, or they will fear him...”

“I loved Adrien,” Ladybug admitted, still unable to force her body to fight her best friend. She needed to plead to his humanity, the person behind the akuma. He was still in there; he had to be.

Heartstrings merely looked at the spotted hero as his minion fought her partners.

“You? The one that hid the most from him… You used him, almost as much as Gabriel did. You used him as a shield, as a tool. Did you ever really love him, or just the way he looked at you like you hung the stars?”

His accusations hurt more than physical blows, causing a tear to form in her eye. She didn’t didn’t notice the golden string aimed at her until she was pushed to the ground by a figure in orange. She barely processed the words being exchanged between her hero and her old partner. Adrien’s second round of verbal attacks were swirling in her mind. Did she truly treat him so poorly? Did she really deserve to be called out on her perceived abuse?

“Ladybug, that’s not Adrien,” Rena told her leader, almost as if she could read her mind, “It’s an akuma possessing his body, feeling off the negative emotions. But that’s not who he is.”

Ladybug forced herself to look at the akuma who was before them, striking with rage and devastation. Alya was right. That wasn’t her kitty.

Across the room, Melanistic Leopard parried blow for blow against the Hawkmoth puppet. Even though he knew the strikes weren’t from his best friend’s father, the man who had seemingly dedicated his life to hurting Paris and his own son, Mel didn’t find it hard to land particularly hard blows on his opponent. He knew Ladybug would fix any damage anyway.

As he matched each strike, even managing to knock the taller man off his feet a few times, Mel glanced at his best friend, who was attempting to ensnare his other friends. The akuma had to be somewhere. The only thing that stood out was his mask, white against the black figure. Could that be where the butterfly was hiding?

“Mirage!”

The room filled with the people Rena had mentioned to Heartstrings before. The friends that cared for Adrien, the real Adrien.

Heartstrings seemed to stall, looking at all the faces around him; classmates, teachers, and friends alike were surrounding them. However, his gaze lingered with the image of Marinette. The hesitation didn’t go unnoticed by Rena, who decided to use their friend’s image to their advantage.

“Adrien, please stop,” Mira-nette said, “You don’t have to do this.”

Heartstrings stood before the mirage, slowly relaxing his tense posture, almost like a puppet whose strings were being loosened.

“I’m sorry, Marinette,” he told her, “I’m just so tired…” He didn’t need to explain why. Between having his identity ripped away, his heroism questioned by his teammates, and having his father revealed as the villain, the emotional drain was enough to justify Hawkmoth’s influence.

“It’ll be okay…” the mirage spoke, gently brushing the hair from his mask. Heartstrings let it happen, almost melting into the perceived contact. Rena forced herself to concentrate on the illusion and not how her heart ached for how captivated Adrien was in the lie before him.

Suddenly, a black and gold figure shattered the mirage and touched the white mask on the akuma’s face.

The charred remains fell to the ground, but no obsidian butterfly flew out. Heartstring snapped from his trance, only to meet the shocked golden gaze of his feline replacement.

Heartstrings struck quickly, entangling the hero in golden strings. The cat’s eyes fell shut and his body went limp, kept standing only by the marionette strings around his arms and torso.

Rena and Ladybug both cried out in dismay.

“Ah, the mighty leopard is now just a trapped kitten,” Heartstrings mocked, his voice returning to his previously detached tone. “Now I must ask who hides behind my mask.”

Melanistic Leopard’s eyes snapped open, and his hands went for the necklace around his neck.

“No!” Rena cried. Ladybug tried to stop her friend from getting captured, but she refused to be restrained. Not when her boyfriend was in the control of an Akuma. She wielded her flute like a staff, a chime reminding her of her quickly approaching deactivation. She needed to get Melanistic Leopard free and herself to safety in under four minutes, a task that seemed increasingly impossible as the remaining golden tendrils kept their assault on her.

Ladybug called upon her Lucky Charm, catching the red and black object in her hand. A bracelet?

A green flash filled the room, halting any progress she had mentally made on the puzzle before her.

The delay had allowed for Melanistic Leopard to fulfill his puppet master’s request, removing the necklace from his person, turning back into the teenage DJ.

Heartstrings stalled all motion, dropping the offered miraculous, the steel tingling slightly on the metal catwalk before disappearing in the dark below. He didn’t seem to notice, any motive seemingly forgotten as he gazed at his best friend.

“Let him go!” Rena cried, using the akuma’s stunned shock to make her way to her boyfriend. Heartstrings didn’t even attempt to fight back; instead just studying her face as she attempted to free her stilled boyfriend.

“Are you someone I know too?” He asked,
his voice barely above a whisper. Rena looked at Heartstrings, unable to consider an answer before her miraculous beeped one last time, revealing Alya in a flash of orange. The akuma’s posture dropped, the emotions that were missing before racing across his face in quick succession. Recognition, guilt, relief, shame.

The change caused the golden strings to release their captive, dropping Nino to the floor. Alya held him close as he came back to himself.

“Als?” he questioned, attempting to collect his senses.

Losing all interest in hurting the heroes that had secretly been his friends all along, Heartstrings instead turned to Ladybug, who had prepared her yo-yo to protect her unmasked team. He seemed to take her in, perhaps trying to use all the pieces that had fallen in front of him to make a picture that made sense in a mind manned purely by emotion. His eyes shifted to the lucky charm around her wrist and tensed. His left hand quickly reached for something in his pocket.

Suddenly, a purple mask appeared over his eyes, causing him to freeze in place. Hawkmoth?

Ladybug looked around the room. Hawkmoth must have been released when Nino had been and fled like the coward he truly was.

“No!” Heartstrings yelled, startling everyone in the room. He shook his head. “I won’t obey you! I won't hurt them.”

The mask flickered as Heartstrings spoke to his friends.

“Get out of here. My father knows who you are. It’s not safe here.”

He used his strings to snap near Alya and Nino, causing the couple to scramble to their feet and back up slowly. They looked to Ladybug, who ran to stand between them and the akuma. Though Heartstrings clearly wasn’t intending on hurting them, she didn’t know what Hawkmoth could do through his son.

“Leave, Ladybug,” he told her, looking more like Adrien than he had the whole fight, “Keep your team safe.”

“You are a part of that team, Adrien,” she reminded him, stepping closer, “Let me help you.”

When her fingers nearly brushed his left side, he jumped back, golden strings at the ready.

“Get out of here,” he warned again, “before my father hurts all of you.”

A beep from her ears caused her to look at her lucky charm, realizing what it symbolized, what he had reached for in his pocket. The plan fell into place instantly.

She looked back at Alya and Nino. “Get yourselves out of here.”

Hesitantly, Alya looked at the kwami beside her, who finished whatever snack their holder had for them, and nodded. She called on her transformation, and scooped her boyfriend into her arms.

“But, Adrien…” Nino argued, causing Heartstrings to speak again.

“You can’t save me. We both know how Father is…” He looked at Rena, “Go.”

Rena glanced at her leader for a moment, before running back the way they had come.

Ladybug’s attention returned to Heartstrings, who’s posture had devolved into that of a submissive child, waiting for their parent to discipline them.

She walked right up to him, unafraid of any ‘attacks’. Within seconds, her face was less than an inch from Heartstrings’s, and she had placed her hands on his shoulders. “Let me help you, Adrien. I won’t let your father hurt you.”

The purple glow of Hawkmoth’s reply washed over both their faces, but Ladybug didn’t dare leave her partner’s side. She watched Heartstrings shake his head in response to an unheard order.

“Father, stop,” he begged, his bottom lip quivering. “Stop trying to make me into the villain you are...”

Ladybug pressed her cheek to the clear victim of Hawkmoth’s control, and felt a tear on her face, but she couldn’t be sure if it was his or hers.

“Gabriel won’t hurt you any more.”

She reached her hand down to his pocket and pulled out the object she found there. It was black and purple, but it was clear it was the lucky charm she had given him all that time ago.

Seeing the object in her hand, Heartstrings, Adrien’s emerald eyes grew wide with panic. He grasped her wrist, pulling it to his chest to prevent her from moving it. She tried to remove his grasp with her free hand, but he merely restrained that one too.

“Adrien?” she asked, her eyes lifting to his. His face was bowed, his body trembling, as he held her arms tightly against his chest. He took shaky breaths and exhaled silent sobs.

“Don’t,” he managed through shaky breaths. “Don’t break that…”

Her voice was almost as unsteady as his. “Adrien, I have to. If I don’t-”

Violet light continued to wash over them as Hawkmoth demanded more and more.

“No!” Adrien begged, pinching his eyes shut. “I won’t do that! I won’t take her Miraculous! I won’t hurt my friends! I won’t- Ahh!”

His body jolted as if given an electric shock. It seemed as though Gabriel was through with his son’s disobedience and had turned to pain to punish him. Ladybug refused to let her partner continue like this.

“Adrien, let me break the charm,” she pleaded with quiet intensity, “It will break the link. Your father won’t be able to control you. You’ll be free.”

He shook his head, though she wasn’t sure if it was directed to her or his father. “Please,” he pleaded, opening her eyes to meet hers once more. “It’s proof that there’s someone in my life who I haven’t hurt, who still believes in the person I used to be.”

Ladybug’s heart jumped in her chest. It made all the sense in the world in hindsight. His questions about her ‘friendship’ with herself, his apology to Mira-nette, his attachment to the one thing he knew she had given him. It had been Marinette, not Ladybug, that had been holding Adrien together; that even when he didn’t trust his partner, he still trusted wholeheartedly in

her

.

Adrien let out a pained cry once more, his knees buckling. She took the opportunity to yank her hands back and wrap an arm around her taller partner, trying to keep him from collapsing to the ground.

“Adrien,
please stop fighting me on this; let me save you.” she cried.

“No,” he growled through clenched teeth, his ability to hold on through the mental and physical pain quickly draining away. “I can’t risk it. I can’t lose her...”

She gave him a sad smile, pressing her lips to his ear. “You won’t lose me over a dumb charm bracelet, Chaton. Like I told you on my balcony that night in the rain, everything will be fine.”

As the words and memories slowly sunk in, his pain seemed to subside just enough for him to meet her eyes. He looked at her like it was the very first time, trying to put together all the pieces of her identity she was handing him. His mouth dropped open. The hint of recognition in his eyes softened her heart.

“Princess?” he breathed, before convulsing again in pain. Purple glowed around his eyes as Hawkmoth continued to demand more from his son.

“It’s me, Kitty,” Ladybug gently said, holding most of her best friend’s weight as he buried his face in her shoulder, trembling under Hawkmoth’s abuse.

“Please…” he begged, quiet sobs breaking through the otherwise silent room. “Save me, My Lady…”

Determined to end his suffering, Ladybug slammed the charm to the ground, crushing it under her heel until the dark butterfly escaped, breaking the link between her best friend and his cruel father.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Adrien noticed only one thing: pain. Pain in his head, his body, his heart. There was a void in his memories, and unexplainable tingles through his body, but one memory remained clear in his mind: his lifeless mother was right under his nose, and his father cared more about bringing her back than the welfare of their son.

Tears trembled down his cheeks, but he felt too weak to care if anyone was around to notice. He was done keeping himself together. A particularly strong sting jolted the boy, but a small framed female kept him from crumbling to the ground. Adrien could tell she was speaking, that her voice was concerned, but he couldn’t focus enough to identify whom his support was or what she was saying. He felt nothing but pain and exhaustion.

A flutter flew through him, relieving the physical ailments, yet the drained mental condition remained.

Was this what it felt like after his father used people for his own purposes?

The ground beneath Adrien seemed to disappear as the woman lifted him bridal style into her arms. The familiar scent of strawberries grounded his thoughts enough to identify his savior.

“Ladybug?” he asked, his voice barely sounding like his own. The hand around his torso rubbed in loving circles.

“It’s me, Kitty. Don’t worry. I’m gonna take you somewhere safe.”

Safe.

Ladybug felt safe; she always had. He pulled himself closer to the security his partner provided, burying his face into the leathery texture of her suit and the soft warmth of her neck. Her earrings made a beeping noise as they went up the elevator to the ground floor.

“Ladybug?” he questioned, unable to move away or form a proper sentence past her name. He felt her stroke the tips of his hair.

“Don’t worry; I’ve got you. Everything will be fine, Chaton.”

He could feel her carry him away, away from his mother’s body, from his father’s admittance. He didn’t know where they were going, if they would make it with her short time limit left, but he trusted her enough to not care. In the fog of his mind, he felt the guilt of their previous argument gnaw at the peace her presence provided. He regretted believing his father’s lies, even for a moment, that she was anything other than his closest companion. It was clear in the way she held him as they swung across Paris, how she told him they would be okay.

When they landed, he dared to crack his eyes open enough to tell they were hidden on a rooftop, the mansion far from sight. Ladybug lowered into a seated position as the tingles of miraculous magic traveled up her body, underneath his fingertips.

She was detransforming.

He squeezed his eyes shut, refusing to betray any more of Ladybug’s trust than he already had, and quickly scurried off her lap.

“Adrien?” not-Ladybug asked, “what’s wrong?”

His posture was small, his chin tucked into his chest and knees to his forehead.

“I’m letting you feed your kwami without having to reveal yourself.”

He heard a sigh and shrunk in more. Was she still upset with him? He couldn’t blame her. He had said such hurtful things, and then forced her to fight him because he bent to his father’s emotional manipulation. Who knows what he said or did to her in that state. He hated how much he repeatedly hurt her.

“Hey,” Ladybug spoke, her bare hand touching his shoulder as it started to shake again, “Please don’t cry, Adrien.”

He shook his head, keeping himself balled up tight.

“I’m sorry.” he choked out, unable to specify farther in his current mental state.

“Oh, Chaton,” she cooed, her body shifting to be right in front of him. “You don’t have to apologize. I’ve already forgiven you.”

He wanted to argue her undeserved forgiveness, but when she spoke with such sincerity, how could he ever doubt her?

“It’s okay,” she told him again. Her bare fingers brushed his face as she tilted his head to face her, “You can open your eyes, Adrien.”

He shook his head, but continued to remain in her grasp.

“I don’t need to know who you are to trust you, Ladybug,” he vowed, keeping his eyes screwed tight.

“I want you to know who I am,” she told him, her thumbs brushing his skin, “You know I always have. And the more I keep fighting what feels natural, the worse things have become.”

“But, what if Hawkmoth gets in my head again,” he asked, pushing down the guilt that akumatization always gave its victims.

“We’d cross the bridge if it comes, Kitty,” she assured him, “but I want to do it together. Just like it’s meant to be.”

“I want that too,” he promised, as she placed a kiss on his forehead, the contact like a brand of ownership. She was his, and he was hers.

“Open your eyes, Adrien.”

He slowly obeyed, allowing his eyes to focus on the gray gravel below them. He noticed black flats and dainty pink capris. As his eyes trailed up, he noticed that a black jacket over a white t-shirt bearing a cherry blossom design he had only seen on one person. He followed the midnight hair, the familiar jawline, and stopped to focus on the night sky of freckles that trailed across the bridge of her nose, the red outlining the calming blue irises, the watery smile of his dearest friend. It made so much sense; the smell of fresh bread that clung to her, the way she hugged him like she’d do anything to keep him safe. Perhaps part of him always suspected, but knew it was too good to be true.

“Marinette…” he breathed, afraid that she would change her mind about him knowing, about him as a person.

Her fingers remained on his face, stroking short lines with her thumbs, and her lips curled up into a watery smile.

“Hi, Adrien..”

The way she said his name, regardless of everything he had put her though, made his heart clench. This was his lady, his best friend, the love of his life.

His forehead met hers, tears of relief and affection trailing down his face, mixing with hers.

“I’m so glad it’s you.”

He felt as cold beads met his hand. His lucky charm, given to him by Lady Luck herself.

“I’m glad you’re you too,” she whispered, and for the first time, he truly believed her.

Meanwhile, in the Agreste Manor, Nathalie walked into Gabriel’s office. His last plan had seemed to fail, but the piece of jewelry on his desk showed that the fight was far from over.

“Nathalie,” Gabriel spoke, presenting the golden chain to his loyal assistant, “It's time for you to join me. For us to end this once and for all.”

She took the jewelry and placed it around her neck, the associated kwami glaring daggers at her the entire time. The black cat would never understand that she followed orders to keep the Agrestes together- all three of them- and she had long ago sold her soul to her mission.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The two unmasked teenagers stayed on the rooftop, holding on to each other for as much time as they could spare. They knew the moment they pulled away the reality of everything around them would once again catch up. They wanted to enjoy the simplicity of being completely honest with each other, without secrets or masks, of being purely Adrien and Marinette, for as long as they could.Unfortunately, the real world seldom waits for anyone.The chime of Marinette’s phone was what inevitably brought them back to reality. Without disrupting her partner’s grasp on her, Marinette looked down at the device.“It’s Maman,” she explained, “She wants to know that I’m safe because of the back-to-back Akuma alerts.”Adrien shifted to allow her to text a reply without having to remove his body from his lady’s side. He willed himself to focus on her steady heartbeat rather than the more pressing issues just outside their bubble. He didn’t want to think of his mother’s glassy casket or his father’s rage that his son would put the city before his own selfish desires.After Marinette had finished texting her mother, she“How are you feeling?”“Bad,” he admitted before his eyes widened and he pulled away from her to look in her eyes; “Not about you. No, I’m so happy Ladybug is you. Or that you’re, her… It’s just… everything else…”She gave him a small reassuring smile.“It’s okay. I can’t imagine the confusion you have inside your head…”Confusion? No, that wasn’t what he felt. There was chaos, but for the first time in his life, Adrien felt like he was no longer in the dark about the world around him. If only the life it revealed wasn’t so cracked.
“There were so many things going on under my nose,” he lamented, “If I weren’t blindsided, maybe I could have-”“Adrien, we talked about this,” Marinette interrupted, running a hand on his jawline. “We both missed the signs. It’s not your fault.”Adrien shook his head. Knowing that his father was the villain was a secret he had already come to terms with.“He… He has Mom.”“What?” Marinette asked, her fingers stalling on their calming path.“Fa- Hawkmoth…” he said, tears threatening to choke his words before he could tell them. “He has Mom in some kind of coffin… or pod. He said he wants the miraculous to… bring her back…”Marinette gasped, pulling her hands to herself to cover her mouth. He instantly missed her touch, feeling panic a second before it manifested itself into rambling.
“I was never going to help him. I promise Milady. He wanted me to help him… To save Mom… But I would never… I mean… I tried to fight the Akuma off… but I just felt so angry and hurt and… and…” Adrien struggled to continue, tears finally cutting off any attempts at coherent words.Wordlessly, Marinette pulled him back to herself, allowing him to sob into her collar. Her attempts at comfort meant a lot, but there was no way to relieve the grief that seeing his mother had resurfaced.He hadn’t known what had befallen his mother, but he had hoped that whatever it was, that she was now at peace. But knowing that she was suspended between life and death, powering Hawkmoth’s destruction- that was worse than any outcome he could have imagined.
As Marinette held her sobbing boyfriend, trying to comfort him through his mourning, she saw Tikki hovering nearby. She looked anxious, but it seemed to be about more than just the grieving boy in her arms.“Tikki…?” Marinette mouthed, but the kwami shook her head.“I’m ready, Marinette.” Her tone was considerate but had the same troubled feeling her large eyes had. Was she upset with her charge revealing herself while Adrien was obviously emotionally compromised? Or was there something else?Thankfully, whatever Tikki was concerned about was able to wait a little longer. One problem at a time and Adrien’s wellbeing was Marinette’s main priority.“Tikki, spots on.”
Adrien’s sobs had slowed to sniffles by the time Marinette had transformed back to Ladybug. However, he was unable to pull himself away from her. Crying on her shoulder reminded him of the night he had come to her balcony, the day his identity was revealed. She didn’t judge him then. She didn’t request for him to remain ‘composed,’ even though their enemy fed on the kinds of feeling Adrien was exposing. No, Marinette treated him like a human, like her friend- her boyfriend. If she was continuing to grant that same understanding, Adrien knew he was too selfish to pass it up.Besides, he had a feeling that ‘composed’ was out of the question considering the day they had had.“I got you, my prince,” she comforted him, picking him up bridal style, “We’re going home.”Home? What even was home anymore? The mansion was barely home, even before all of this. But, now that is was clear being there only risked his safety, where else could he go?Would he go to live with his Aunt Amelie and Cousin Felix in London, leaving Ladybug to end their feud with Hawkmoth without him around to complicate things? Or would he go live with a friend, putting their family at risk of Hawkmoth’s wrath until she and her new partner could finish this? Regardless, there wasn’t going to be a solution that could possibly provide the celebration the duo had expected it to be only months ago.The city moved by the duo, but neither of them really perceived the trip. Both were far too focused on their thoughts, and before they even noticed, they were on Marinette’s balcony.“Mari…” Adrien questioned, as she lifted the hatch and dropped them onto her bed.“Yes?” she asked, dropping her costume as she put him down on the mattress. Watching the magic being peeled away to reveal his best friend would have taken his breath away if he weren’t already breathless from the tears that trickled down his face.“Your… your parents,” he attempted, “I don’t want to…” Marinette placed her finger on his lips, silencing him much like he had to her the last time he was here.“It’s okay, Adrien,” she reassured him, “My parents adore you, remember? You won’t be a burden.”Adrien was a little surprised by how easily he believed that. The Dupain-Chengs had already opened their home to him the day his face was revealed to the city. It wasn’t difficult to picture them agreeing to keep him out of Hawkmoth’s view. They cared about him more than his actual family, so why wouldn’t they?Marinette’s fingertips on his face caused him to focus on her again. She was lightly brushing away the trails his tears had left.“Do you want to come with me to talk to them?” she asked, gauging his reaction. He knew he looked like he’d been through hell- and in a way, he had- but he didn’t want to be alone. He didn’t think he could handle it. His thoughts were loud enough with her presence there to soothe them.So, he nodded instead.Seemingly content with his decision, she laced her fingers with his before leading him off the bunk. Adrien was a bit unsteady on his feet, but thankfully, his lady stayed by his side to help him make his way down the ladder and across her floor. When they reached the trap door, Marinette turned to him again.“I’m going to tell them that Ladybug brought you here to keep you safe, but I can leave out everything else if you want me to.”Adrien could tell the implication to her statement. She could protect the shreds of his dignity by omitting his fight as an Akuma, the truth about his broken family. She continued to protect the partner that she no longer fought alongside, and he loved her for that.He took a shaky breath and shook his head.“No, they deserve the truth.”Deep down, he knew they wouldn’t leave him out on the streets, but they needed to know that they weren’t just taking in Chat Noir. He was the son of Hawkmoth, the supernatural terrorist that had plagued their home for as long as he had known them.Marinette offered a supportive smile, sweeping his bangs from his eyes so she could place a gentle kiss on his forehead.“I’m proud of you, Adrien.”Adrien didn’t think there was much to be proud of, but he tried to accept her care with a smile of his own.“Thanks, Princess.”She squeezed his hand, and the two made their way to the bakery.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Marinette had barely closed her trapdoor behind her before Tikki was fluttering around the room.
“I’m sorry for having to pull you away from Adrien and your family, Marinette.”
Marinette offered her kwami a smile that she hoped was reassuring.
“It’s alright, Tikki. It’s obvious that whatever you want to say is very important.”
Tikki nodded, waiting for Marinette to sit at her desk before speaking.
“Since I can’t witness what happens when you become Ladybug, I need you to tell me exactly what happened with your fight with Heartstrings.”
After a deep breath, Marinette tried to recount the battle. The feelings of watching Adrien fight his friends, the lost look in his eyes, the screams of pain caused by his own father. The raw memories of it all caused her to choke up a little.

He was fine, she reminded herself. He was with her parents. They were probably putting the macrons together as she spoke to her kwami.

And soon, the constant looking over their shoulders would be over, wouldn’t it?When Marinette’s recollection of her latest battle had ended, Tikki, despite the empathy evident in her expression, had more questions.
“You said that Adrien took off the Black Cat miraculous?”
Marinette nodded.
“Does he still have it?” Tikki asked, and her chosen shook her head.
“No, after he saw Nino, he…” The teen trailed off as realization seemed to click in her mind.

“Adrien took the ring, and it dropped in his shock… In the moment, with everything going on…”
Tikki nodded in understanding, her constantly airborne body started to move in a way that resembled pacing.
“Plagg’s energy feels disordered, more so than usual. I was hoping it was just getting used to his new holder- he always takes more time to adjust- but I knew this was something else.”
“Hawkmoth has Plagg,” Marinette knew she was stating the obvious conclusion, but maybe, hopefully, Tikki had meant something different.
A sudden crash caused both kwami and chosen to whip around towards the sound.
Adrien had wanted to check on Marinette. With his emotions so raw, not having her around made him feel on edge. It wasn’t like being in a battle; Tom’s constant warmth as he showed how to make macrons took away any feeling of imminent threat. It was far more like the feelings he had the first night without Plagg in his room; like part of him was missing.
The blond kept glancing at the door, willing Marinette to be there, but she didn’t arrive, even as her mother came down and started to tend to her tasks in the bakery. He was pulled away from his latest glance at the door by Tom’s hand on his shoulder, the gentle touch unexpected but not startling.
“Why don’t you bring this up to Marinette,” Tom suggested, offering the bowl of passionfruit filling, “She usually likes to sample the flavoring before I put them together to make sure they taste purr-fect.”
The twinkle in the older man’s eye seemed to hold a bit of affectionate mischief that reminded Adrien of the way Plagg would look at him when talking about Marinette- a sign of knowing far more than was stated outright.
The reminder of his lost friend caused the feeling of loss pulsed inside him again, the familiar ache expanding as he lingered in his own memories. He took the bowl from Mr. Dupain and scurried back up the stairs. Maybe if he was with Marinette again, it would ease back into just the pain of losing his best friend and uncovering his family secrets.
Adrien tried to shake away the feeling lingering in the shadows of his heart. Marinette would be there to assure him that everything would be okay. She would make it okay like she always did.
As he made his way up to her trapdoor, he could make out the voice of Tikki, though her usually chipper tone was nowhere to be heard.

“… He always takes more time to adjust but I knew this was something else.”
Adrien pushed open the door, noticing Marinette’s back to him. He hoped he wasn’t intruding.
Then, the words out of his lady’s mouth knocked the air from his lungs.
“Hawkmoth has Plagg.”Adrien’s already fragile mental state slipped out of his grasp just as easily as the soundless bowl on the floor had dropped from his hands.

Hawkmoth had Plagg. They had left him behind.
The only word that came through the fuzziness of the emotions twisting around him was Failure.
Adrien had failed the only two tasks he had been given when he became a hero.

1: Uphold their secret identities.
2: Keep the miraculous out of Hawkmoth’s hands.
He had failed the first responsibility when he revealed himself as Chat Noir, leading to the recent havoc that surrounded them. But, in his akumatized state, had he also revealed another of their team members?
Amidst the chaos that had caused, had he also allowed his father to retrieve the item, the kwami, they had been fighting so aggressively to keep from him?
Despite attempting to do something right, by giving up Chat Noir to protect the city, his father still got exactly what he wanted.“Adrien!”

Marinette’s voice barely registered over the swirling mindscape, but he fought to grasp onto her words.
“Adrien, breathe!”
He hadn’t even realized that he wasn’t. He choked on the air he tried to drag into his lungs,
the ragged remains barely passing his lips. He was such a failure that he couldn’t even inhale right.“It’s okay,” Marinette’s voice continued though the storm of emotions, “Focus on me. Can you do that?”
Yes. Even in the heat of battle, he could always focus on her.

He attempted another staggered breath, and a gentle praise followed his exhale.
Her words of affirmation kept him grounded as he slowly regained control of his breathing, his mind drifting back into their now familiar disarray, returning him to Marinette’s room.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he realized that his father hadn’t bother to akumatize him this time. Perhaps, he really was useless to him now. Adrien pushed the suspicion away, choosing to focus on the short ravenette in front of him.
They were both on her floor, her hands gripping his arms, helping to keep him with her.
“You alright?” she asked. He knew ‘alright’ was a constantly shifting goalpost at the moment, but he nodded anyway. She gave a sigh of relief. Perhaps, she was partly grateful for Hawkmoth’s lack of interest in his son as well.

She shifted her grasp on his arms to pull him back into her arms, which Adrien didn’t fight her on. Her nearness soothed a little of the ache in his heart.
However, there was a far more pressing matter than his need for comfort.
“Plagg…” he croaked, his voice still rough from his panic attack. He attempted to clear his throat before starting again. “Father has him because of me. I let this happen…”
Marinette shook her head vehemently, shaking Adrien a little with the movement.
“No. Don’t even think it, Adrien.”
She pushed him away just enough to get him to look at her.
“You’ve done the best you could. I don’t even think I could do what you’ve had to do. You returned Plagg to Master Fu; I know how hard that was for you.”

Adrien nodded a little but Marinette wasn’t done yet.
“Your father had to supernaturally manipulate your emotions to have a chance of having you side with him, and even under an akuma’s influence, you fought back because you didn’t want to hurt the people you cared about. So, no. Hawkmoth’s capture of Plagg was not your fault. If anyone is to blame, it’s me as the leader.”
Adrien opened his mouth to argue, but the look of adamance kept him silent.
“But, don’t worry. We will get him back.”
“We?” Adrien asked, and she nodded.
“I’m not asking you to fight alongside me. I have no idea how you’re handling everything as well as you are. But, you’ll always be my partner, even if you’re not on the battlefield with me.”
The weight of his lady’s speech weighed on Adrien like a comforting blanket. The feelings of guilt and inadequacy lingered, but perhaps,
Marinette’s unwavering confidence was enough for both of them.
“Of course I’ll stand with you,” he assured her, “It’s you and me against the world, Milady.”
Even with the odds stacked against them, he would never leave her side. And, if she still saw so much strength and worth in him, he would do everything in his power to validate her belief in him.“Always,” she told him, before placing a kiss on his forehead. She never wanted him to doubt her affection for him, even with all the chaos surrounding them.
Ladybug would always need Chat Noir- even if he didn’t have his miraculous.Marinette looked back at Tikki.
“We need to end this. Hawkmoth’s presence has lingered in Paris far too long. We’ll visit Master Fu, round up the team, and strike tonight.”
It wasn’t like Ladybug to head into action without a well-developed plan, but they didn’t have much time. The longer they waited, the longer Hawkmoth had Plagg, the power of destruction, in his control.
Then, she looked at Adrien. His face was tearstained, his hair messy, but the belief in her and dedication to Paris shone bright within him.
“I want to help,” he assured her, “I let Plagg go, hoping that Father would leave this alone, but I refuse to stand by and let him hurt more people.”
She nodded. She didn’t think she would be so sure in his shoes, but her kitty had always been more altruistic than she was.
“Then let’s head out.”
“But, what about your parents?” Adrien asked, causing Marinette to smile just a little.
“I know they’ll understand our exit.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Marinette entered the back door of her parent’s bakery, her fingers intertwined with Adrien’s. She let the smell of almonds and vanilla wash over her, the familiarity wrapping her in a warm embrace; Her parents were making macarons.

She noticed her father first, his back to them as he gently prepared the pastries to sell.

“Hey, Papa,” she announced, causing her father to turn around to face them.

“Marinette!” He stepped away from his work to wrap his daughter in an embrace, covering her with flour. “I’m glad you’re safe. There wasn’t coverage of the akumas, so we weren’t sure what was happening.”

“Marinette is home?” Sabine’s voice could be heard from the storefront before she appeared in the doorway. She walked over to her husband and daughter.

Marinette smiled sheepishly at her parents.

“Sorry. Because of the lack of news, the school was in Akuma lockdown.” The lie came out effortlessly due to lots of practice, which hurt more than the ravenette wanted to admit. Thankfully, her parents didn’t press for any more details.

“Well, I’m just glad you’re safe,” her mom said, giving her a gentle hug of her own.

Marinette hugged her back, thankful that she was lucky to have such a loving family.

When she pulled away from her mother, she looked back to Adrien, who had been standing soundlessly in the doorway. His blond hair was in his eyes just enough to hide the redness, and the hands in his pockets seemed to keep them from shaking.

“Adrien!” her father’s voice boomed as he strode over to the smaller boy, “Good to see you again.”

The boy gave a fake, but well-mannered, smile prepared to greet the adults with practiced politeness. However, he was halted when Mr. Dupain wrapped him into a hug, lifting him to his tiptoes.

“We are glad you’re safe too, Son.”

Marinette watched as Adrien sagged against her father, his fingers clutching to his shirt like he had to her moments before, his body shaking silently. Tom’s face shifted between confused, concerned, and protective expressions, continuing to hold the young man in his arms. Mrs. Cheng cycled through many of the same sentiments, before turning her gaze away from Adrien himself and meeting eyes with her husband.

Marinette watched as the couple shared a silent conversation, much like she and Chat did during Akuma fights. An eyebrow raise here, a subtle shrug there. Finally, Sabine spoke.

“I’m gonna go close up the shop.”

Adrien’s breath hitched in Mr. Dupain’s shirt, but when no other sounds of protest followed, the Asian woman took her leave into the bakery. Meanwhile, her husband had started to run one of his large hands across Adrien’s back, leaving white powder in its wake.

“It’s okay, Son,” Mr. Dupain reassuring the boy in his embrace, “We got you. Everything will be alright.” Adrien only sniffled, wiping his tears onto the man's blue shirt. Marinette bit her lip, trying to keep her own emotions in check while her partner continued to fall apart at the smallest sign of positive attention.

“Let’s go upstairs,” Marinette suggested, her voice unable to carry the same tone it had when she had come downstairs.

Tom nodded before giving Adrien a squeeze.

“Do you need a few minutes?”

Adrien shook his head and pulled away quickly, reflexively.

“No, I’m fine…” he said, his regular dismissal failing to convince his audience when it was told with a tear-stained face. However, the Dupain-Chengs were known for giving space when it was needed.

Adrien backed up to stand beside Marinette, who tangled her fingers with his once again. He took a breath like her touch was a lifeline. It most likely was.

“Come on, Kids,” Tom said, taking off his apron and placing the half created macarons into the fridge before leading the teens to the apartment. The walk was quiet. Only the sounds of their footsteps and Marinette whispering praises to Adrien that she hoped he would hear.

Finally, they reached the small living room, and all sat down in the space: Tom in a chair, while Marinette sat on the couch, with Adrien’s leg on her lap as he leaned onto her. She ran her free hand through his hair in soothing motions.

Tom kept his gaze on them, trying to figure out what questions he wanted to ask first. Marinette could see them flicking through his mind.

However, no one spoke until the front door opened, and Sabine had come into the apartment.

“Would anyone else like some tea?”

Marinette gave a small smile, mentioning that she and Adrien wanted some, while her father passed.

Sabine quickly put the water on the stove. Then, she sat on the couch beside the boy who was curled up in her daughter’s lap like a house cat.

“Adrien, Honey,” she started, her tone gentle and maternal, “Would you like to talk about what’s going on?”

Marinette felt him nod across her collarbone, before pulling away to wipe his tears.

“I’m sorry,” he started, before Sabine’s hand touched his.

“You don’t have to apologize, Adrien. I know it’s been a difficult couple of days. Just know that we are all here for you, no matter what happens.”

Tom gave a hum of agreement, before shifting in his seat to lean closer.

“And that was true even before we knew you were Chat Noir. Our Marinette saw something special in you, and she’s not usually wrong about people.”

Adrien gave a watery chuckle, glancing over to Marinette, who had started to blush a little. She wasn’t. She knew what people would make good heroes to fight alongside her; she knew about his father too. Perhaps, she wasn’t wrong about him.

The teapot gave a sudden whistle, causing Sabine to tend to the shill noise. The sound of water pouring into cups only aided the tranquil sounds that helped to calm the blond. When Ms. Cheng returned with the steeping tea, Adrien had seemed to calm down enough to speak, if he desired.

“Would you like me to ask?” Marinette asked, offering Adrien his mug before taking her own. He nodded; his eyes focused on the green tea in his hands. Marinette looked at both her parents before speaking again.

“Adrien’s house isn’t safe for him anymore.”

“Because Hawkmoth knows who he is?”
Tom asked, and Marinette nodded.

She told them of Ladybug and Adrien’s attempts to remove the miraculous from Hawkmoth’s gaze. How that failed to distract their foe, who revealed himself as Mr. Agreste and even caused Adrien to be an Akuma himself.

Her parents were attentive to the story, leaving their questions for after their daughter finished her story. Sabine spoke up first.

“But why here?” Her grey eyes twinkled with awareness that she didn’t state outright. Marinette knew that look, that her mother knew why Ladybug would trust them to care for her partner. If she was candid with herself, she wasn’t as scared at that possibility as she should have been. Perhaps, it was because Adrien was the first to know, or because it would be all over soon enough anyway. However, Adrien spoke up before she could.

“Because I wanted her to bring me here…” He forced himself to sit upright but still didn’t look away from his cup. “There’s nowhere else that feels safer than here. Being with Marinette, with you two, you all make me feel more at home than I’ve ever felt before. But I understand if I made a baseless assumption. You’d understand if you don’t want to deal with Hawkmoth’s Son…”

Sabine placed her hand on Adrien’s shoulder, which startled him, but he didn’t pull away.

“Adrien, you’re far more to us that just ‘Hawkmoth’s Son,’ or even Chat Noir for that matter.”

Tom nodded in agreement. “We told you that we are here for you, no matter what that requires. That offer doesn’t expire because we found out who your father is.”

Sabine looked at her husband, exchanging a silent message before speaking to Adrien again.

“Tom and I don’t want you to suffer through this alone. We know you have Marinette, of course, but we want to help you as well.”

It wasn’t lost on Marinette that ‘Ladybug’ wasn’t identified as a different person in Adrien’s life.

“And if you need a safe place to stay,” Sabine finished, “then you’re more than welcome here.”

Adrien let a few tears drip from his eyes, but unlike before, he was smiling.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Dupain, Mrs. Cheng.”

“You can call us Tom and Sabine,” Tom amended, “You’re family to us too, Son.”

Son.

When was the last time his own father had used that term as anything less than a manipulative tool to remind Adrien of his place? A subordinate, someone who owed their existence to their master.

The teenager turned to the couple who was more than opening their home to him; they were inviting him into their lives. He wrapped his arms around Sabine, as she was closer, hoping that his actions would show his gratitude better than words that were going to be choked by emotions anyway.

Sabine seemed to understand as she held the boy just as tightly. Soon, Tom joined the embrace, followed by Marinette. The bundle of affection and care felt like salve on Adrien’s broken heart. It would be okay. Perhaps not now, or even months after Ladybug retrieved the pin from his Father’s collar, but it would be one day.

After the family group hug, Marinette felt light pawing at her jeans. She looked down at Tikki, who had been quietly waiting in Marinette’s jacket pocket while she tended to her partner. The goddess looked at her chosen with urgency; what she had to say couldn’t wait much longer. Marinette glanced at Adrien, who was talking to her parents. They would protect him while she spoke with Tikki. He would be okay.

“I’m going to my room for a few minutes.”

“Want me to come with?” Adrien asked, already getting ready to stand despite her parents’ arms still semi-entangling him. She smiled and shook her head. Tikki had clearly wanted to talk to her about whatever was bothering her alone.

“You don’t have to, Chaton.” He seemed conflicted but settled a little bit back into his seat. Marinette spoke again, wanting to resolve any uncertainties before they started to form.

“You can just relax for a moment. Besides, you just mentioned wanting to help Papa in the bakery, right? He could show you how to make macarons.”

Tom beamed at the suggestion.

“Ah, yes. I was just making some when you two walked in. I haven’t made the passion fruit icing yet, if you want to start your baking skills on something simple.”

Adrien’s attention was piqued.

“I love passionfruit macarons.”

“Oh, so that’s where my passionfruit ingredients were going…” Tom said, his false revelation fooling no one.

“Papa…” Marinette blushed. Tom only beamed brighter.

“Marinette, I was just saying that you have a

passion

for baking. ”

Marinette groaned, putting her face in her hands.

Adrien smirked, “Oh, come on, Tom. Maybe, she just likes making

meowcrons

.”

Tom barked out a laugh while Marinette groaned. Now there were two of them.

“That’s it. I’m out.”

She started to go towards the stairs, but Sabine touched her shoulder

“You two had better go,” Sabine waved the boys off, “I’ll be down in a minute.”

“A

mew-nite

.”
Both Tom and Adrien broke into laughter before heading downstairs.

“Well, at least he’s smiling,” Marinette said after they had left earshot. Sabine nodded before looking at her daughter.

“Are you okay?”

“Of course,” the ravenette replied without a thought. Her mother wasn’t convinced.

“Well, it sounded like an intense day for you too.” Marinette nodded, and Sabine continued.

“I just don’t want you to ignore your own mental health to save everyone else. Your father and I care about you too.”

Marinette gave a small smile.

“I know. Thanks, Maman.”

Sabine smiled back.

“Of course, W
ǒ
de xi
ǎ
o chóngzi.”

My little bug.

That specific term of endearment seemed to be all Sabine wanted to say on the Ladybug matter, as Marinette watched as her mom make her way back down to the bakery.

Only Sabine could make realizing that her daughter was a superhero that had encountered her archvillain earlier that day seem like a normal afterschool activity. Then again, it had been since Marinette had been given the responsibilities she had. The ravenette shook her head; she would properly talk with her parents about it later. Right now, she had a concerned-looking kwami demanding her attention.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

For the second time in a week, Marinette and Adrien came through Master Fu’s door. This time, Ladybug had powered down to keep herself from drawing attention to herself. Adrien figured he was a lost cause at this point, but thankfully, no one seemed to notice them.The guardian looked at the two civilians walking into his shop and let out a light sigh.“It was inevitable it seems.”Marinette bit her lip. Something in the Master’s tone differed from their last meeting- more guarded. She glanced at Adrien, who didn’t seem to notice. Instead, he kept his eyes on the ground and grasp on her hand steady.“Well, I’ll prepare tea,” the old man continued, “Come inside before someone sees you.”Marinette sat down on the floor with her legs crossed. She noticed Tikki flutter out of her purse, the ladybug kwami’s anxious energy from their previous conversation ebbing as she met up with Wayzz. Adrien sat beside her, the closeness of his proximity becoming more and more familiar. A small part of her would miss his constant presence at her side when this was all over. His heavy sigh as he leaned his head on hers pushed the selfish aspect aside.“I’m sorry to arrive once again,” Marinette started, though she wasn’t entirely sure why she was apologizing.Master Fu didn’t turn to them, putting the tea leaves into his pot.“So, you know now for sure who holds the missing miraculous?”The ravenette glanced at Adrien, but he spoke before she could.“Yes, Sir.”“I see,” Fu stated, turning back to the table. Marinette noticed he didn’t make eye contact with either of them as he placed the steeping water down.The master continued, "Does he know his identity is compromised.”“Yes,” Marinette replied, “It was exposed during his last akumatization attempt.”Fu pressed his lips into a line- giving an expression Marinette had never seen on him. The Guardian had always been secretive, but it was matched with a composed almost philosophical, aura. The man before her seemed more guarded, almost scared.His glance at the door before he sat down across from them spoke more than his words did. She assumed the tension of the upcoming battle was making them all on edge.“I’m sorry to ask for more miraculous,” Marinette said, “but we are going to need all the help we can have to assure a victory.”“I hoped that the ladybug and black cat would be enough,” Fu commented, though it seemed to be directed to the room rather than her directly, “However, it seems that was a naive notion.”
Adrien took a deep breath at the mention of his previous miraculous, the one in Hawkmoth’s hands. But something more lay under Master Fu’s words, something Adrien had picked up on since their arrival. Something that had always been familiar in how adults talked to him- disappointment.He thought back to what Master Fu had told him before- that he had been the perfect choice for Plagg- but he now saw that Fu didn’t fully believe that. Maybe he never did.“Perhaps,” Marinette said, following Fu’s lament, “But, now that we are going into this final battle with that knowledge, we are better prepared to defeat him. And, if we have more help, we will surely win.”Fu seemed unconvinced to Adrien, but he seemed to entertain her request for now.“You have the Black Cat, Ladybug, and Fox already in your possession. Which ones are you looking for?”Adrien cringed into himself. They didn’t have the black cat. Hawkmoth did. And as much as Marinette assured him, he knew he was to blame for that.“Actually,” Marinette started, but Master Fu snapped his head to look at her so fast that Adrien was afraid he could have broken his neck.“During the last fight, the black cat ring was lost. Tikki and I believe that Hawkmoth has it.”The guardian’s shifting mask of serenity fell completely.“No.” The man stood up, causing the kwamis to swarm to his side.“Master, calm yourself,” Wayzz started, but his holder was already flicking off switches and shoving items into boxes.“I must leave immediately,” Master Fu stated, ignoring his kwami’s advice.Adrien looked at Marinette, but she was already on her feet, pulling from his grasp as she attempted to reassure the guardian.“Master-”She couldn’t finish her thought before Master Fu turned back to her.“You allowed Hawkmoth to retrieve the black cat and then brought him back here? Did you want to lure Hawkmoth to my doorstep?” Master Fu asked Marinette. His tone was clipped and borderline frantic.So, the cold shoulder wasn’t just in Adrien’s mind.“No, of course not, master-” Marinette started but was cut off by Master Fu speaking again.“You need to give me the miraculous you have at once.”Marinette stepped back, and Adrien’s heart sank.“No, Master. We are so close. We can end this.”“But what if you lose? What if Hawkmoth gains control of the Ladybug and makes his wish? As the only remaining guardian of the miraculous, I cannot allow this to continue.”Adrien stood on shaking legs and put himself between Marinette and the guardian.“Marinette has done nothing but her best the entire time she’s had her miraculous. Don’t punish her for my mistakes.”“It’s not your mistakes I’m worried about,” Fu admitted, though he still didn’t look at Adrien.“He’s right…” Marinette whispered, sounding just as she had their first day as heroes. The same doubt in herself- always in herself and never him.He turned to her, noticing how one of her hands slowly raised to her ear.
Tikki had seen enough and refused to let Fu’s fears drive away the peace Paris was searching for.“It’s not her mistakes you’re afraid of either,” she stated, speaking for the first time since they had arrived. She placed herself between the young heroes and the master who had failed to guide them.“Marinette is the best Ladybug I’ve ever served. She isn’t perfect, but she never gives up. She sees a vision and always completes her goals. Defeating Hawkmoth will be no different.”She glanced at her chosen, watching her lower her hand from her earrings. Her gaze flickered to Adrien, who stood between his partner and a perceived threat.“As for Adrien, you said yourself that he had the heart of a hero, that he would self-destruct before letting anything harm those he cares about. In the short time I’ve seen him firsthand, he has lived up to your assessment. He’s torn himself apart to keep those he loves unscathed.”She looked back at Fu, seeing him again as the scared teenager who had run off in the dead of night with as many of the miraculous he could hold as the temple burned behind him. While he was much older now, part of him never outgrew that night.“I know you are scared that you feel like you made a mistake choosing them. Much like your mistake that night. But I have never doubted them or their ability to win this war. I know you don’t have allegiance for this city, but they do. They will fight with everything they have to keep it safe. Even if you took me or Trixx away, they would never stop fighting, and their blood would be on your hands.”
Marinette brushed a tear from her eye as she listened to Tikki’s passionate speech. She had never seen her kwami like this. She spoke with authority and knowledge that only came with age. In that moment, the young hero didn’t question that Tiki was an ancient being that predated any of them.The room felt heavy as no one moved or spoke for a moment, letting the goddess’s words resonate in the room.Finally, the guardian lowered his hands onto his half-packed bag.“You truly believe in them?” Fu asked though it was more for confirmation than doubt.“More than any pair before them,” Tikki affirmed, looking at the young heroes.“And you believe that Ladybug’s plan will succeed?”“I will make sure of it,” Marinette confirmed, standing up straighter, “We refuse to walk away without every last miraculous in Hawkmoth’s possession.”The master looked at Marinette, Adrien, and Tikki, weighing the severity of the situation with determination in their words.Finally, the master reached for the miracle box, setting it on the table before them.“Then, I will await their return.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Hello Readers,
First and primarily, I want to thank you all for all the support you've given me through the years. It's meant the world to me. The fic was one of the first things I ever wrote for the fandom, and I loved every moment (yes, even when I was crying into my keyboard).As for Chat's Out of the Bag's future, I'm unsure where to go from here. I have aspects planned out and ideas; however, Canon has continued far beyond the compliance of this fic. I was started when season 2 had first started, and while I tried to work through the inconsistency, it's been extremely difficult to return to that mindset (as a fan, a writer, and a person). It's often made for reading the last chapter and then staring at the blank chapter for an hour before closing it all again. This has led to this bizarre limbo that the fic has stayed in for months.I didn't want to leave you all without explanation or dialogue, so I devised three outcomes for this situation.1: I can attempt to power through this fic and provide an ending as close to my original image as possible. I don't have an idea of the timeline for when this would be, but that's the status quo of this story ATM anyway.2: I can leave this fic as a DNF and let you all imagine a far more satisfying ending that I feel I can deliver at the moment. I'm not excited about this prospect, but I'm not sure if it's better to give an unsatisfying ending or no ending at all.Or 3: I can leave this as is, and instead reboot this story entirely. It would take place in a season 4 timeframe, so we would have a timeline closer to "canon" with all the character reactions and knowledge that comes from writing in the past, rather than trying to write congruent with a show.
Anyway, I'm not sure which one is a better solution or what you would prefer, so please let me know in the comments. Thank you again for being on the journey with me and I hope to see you around.
- Jolynn