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Chatter filled the bus as it made its way back to the school. At the back of the bus, Marinette internally groaned as she listened to Alya rave about the superhero kiss she had captured. She knew already, unfortunately, and faking interest was killing her, but necessary.She unlocked her phone to distract herself and was met with a dreamy picture of Adrien. Adrien sitting on the floor against a pillar with her swept across her mind. Marinette looked around confused. When had she and Adrien sat on the floor… Marinette closed her eyes to focus on what felt like a memory. They had been talking. Adrien had pictures of Ladybug on his phone and they had thought… they were a couple.Marinette gasped opening her eyes. Alya was still rambling, leaving Marinette unnoticed as she leaned forward to steal a glance across the aisle. The boy in question was staring at his phone, a light blush across his cheeks. Another image flashed of a blushing Adrien as they both reached for a lock. Marinette dragged her hands down her face. What the hell? At that moment, Alya shoved the picture of the kiss in front of her face.“Seriously girl! Look at this kiss. They are totally in love, and they just don’t know because they lost their memory after Ladybug used the lucky charm! Which is weird because Nino and I remember this happening. I honestly can’t believe they forgot only a few seconds later.”Marinette barely heard her, however. Eyes locked on the picture before her, a gentle smile grew as she thought of how her partner had squeezed her hand as their lips met. Alya moved her phone harshly bringing Marinette back to reality. These thoughts couldn’t possibly be real. Panic rising, Marinette looked at the blond to her left only to panic more when she made eye contact with him. Cheek propped on his hand, he gave her a soft smile. Marinette gave him a little wave, blushing as his smile grew more.She sat back, concentrating on the back of the chair in front of her. That was new. Well, I guess to be expected since we just kissed. Marinette stopped breathing. She didn’t kiss Adrien! It was Chat Noir who… was…The bus brakes squealed as they stopped in front of the school. Everyone filed off the bus, but Marinette remained frozen in her seat. She remembered. The flood of all her old memories must have pushed the new ones back, but they were coming back full strength now. Detransforming with Adrien. Reintroducing herself to Adrien. Figuring out who they were and assuming they were dating. Kissing Adrien. Oh no, does Adrien remember everything too? Looking around, Marinette realized that the bus was nearly empty. She spotted Adrien happily chatting to Nino as they stepped outside. Maybe it was just her. It would make sense since the miraculous cure was her power. Adrien didn’t seem any different than his usual self.Alya lingered, waiting for Marinette to return to reality. “C’mon, girl. Let’s go.” Alya tugged at Marinette’s arm, guiding her into the walkway.“Sorry,” Marinette said sheepishly, moving towards the exit. “I guess I zoned out.”“Thinking about playing Super Penguino with Adrien?” Alya teased. Marinette caught her foot on the last step of the bus and pinwheeled out of the bus. Landing on her feet, Marinette turned to glare at her best who was currently trying to hide a smirk.Alya linked arms with Marinette pulling her towards the school. “Any fun plans for the weekend?” Alya asked, changing the subject.“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe I’ll hang out with my best friend.”“I hear she’s pretty cool.”“Eh,” Marinette responded, earning an playful jab. As they reached the top of the steps, they were met by Nino and Adrien who were on their way out. Nino stopped when reaching the girls, but Adrien continued towards the street.“Sorry,” he called out over his shoulder, “I have a photoshoot. Have a good weekend guys!”Marinette sighed as she watched him enter the silver vehicle and drive away. She wished he remembered, too. Adrien watched as the school faded behind them. He had kissed the love of his life today, and her name was Marinette.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Adrien didn’t need photoshop to be up in the clouds. All weekend, he practically floated to each of his scheduled activities. Marinette was Ladybug, and his world had never seemed brighter. He hadn’t seen Marinette since leaving school on Friday, though. Adrien had started a few texts to her, but was at a loss of what to say. What if he was the only one that remembered? Of course, it would be his luck for that to happen. But it would be the sweetest of torture. At least, he knew his lady’s name.Arriving at school Monday morning, Adrien wasn’t sure what to expect. He wanted to be as normal as possible since he didn’t know if Marinette knew. Plagg had teased him for practicing greetings in the mirror earlier, and he was suddenly feeling very nervous to see a certain classmate.Taking a deep breath, he stepped out of the car. Nino waved at him from the steps. I can do this. Just act natural. Cool cat. Adrien greeted his best friend with a fist bump and joined the conversation he was having with Max about the new Ultimate Mecha Strike IV: his lady’s favorite game. Adrien felt himself start to blush. Cool cat! COOL CAT! “I’m going to go to my locker!” Adrien barely announced before bolting off. This was going to be harder than he thought. After retrieving his books, Adrien settled on waiting in the classroom. Being in the courtyard proved to be too overwhelming as he constantly scanned all the students for a pair of pigtails. Marinette typically arrived with only a few seconds to spare, and even though there were a few minutes left until class began, he couldn’t help but look each time someone entered.Adrien jumped at the sound of Nino’s voice. “Dude, are you okay?”Rubbing the back of his neck, Adrien offered a sheepish smile. “Yeah, sorry. Just worried about an upcoming fencing tournament.”“You’re the best fencer in the league, though! You got nothing to worry about.”“Thanks, Nino.” Trying to relax, Adrien focused on talking to Nino about their weekends until Ms. Bustier called the class to attention.As predicted, Marinette entered the classroom without a moment to spare. Adrien’s heart thudded in his chest, but he kept his eyes on their teacher despite the temptation to let his eyes follow her. As Marinette slid into her seat, Adrien thanked the stars that she wasn’t in front of him, else he would never be able to focus.Behind him, however, Marinette worried her bottom lip as she stared at the mop of blond hair. He hadn’t even acknowledged her when she came in. If he remembered, he would have at least looked at her, right? Going into the courtyard for lunch, Marinette tried to conceal her disappointment. When she had tried to talk to Adrien in between periods, he treated her as he always had: just a friend. He barely responded to her before taking up a new topic with Nino.Picking up on her friend’s mood, Alya nudged Marinette. “Hey, do you want to go to the park after school? I heard that someone was going to be making balloon animals today.”“That sounds fun! As long as we aren’t out too late. I have to work on that history report tonight.”“Oh, yeah. Me too. I am not looking forward to that,” Alya sighed. They were almost to their favorite bench when a loud voice bellowed above them.“I am Recyclops, and I will take revenge on behalf of the earth!” The akuma shot a recycle sign at a table causing it to grow vines and come to life. Students screamed as the table began chasing them. Marinette reached out to grab her best friend only to have her hand pass through empty space. Alya was already running closer to the akuma with her phone held out in front of her.Marinette scanned the area for a safe place to transform, but was tackled to the ground before she could even take a step. A trash can behind her began to sprout leaves. Before Marinette could recover, Adrien was pulling her to her feet and guiding them to an empty classroom.Once inside, Adrien braced his back against the door, breathing heavily. “That was close. Go find a hiding spot. I’ll chill here and make sure nothing gets in.” The door budged as something hit it from outside.Marinette hesitated, not wanting to leave him. “There must be something—”“No. There’s no time. Go!” Adrien urged.She nodded and moved towards a back door, stealing one last glance at the boy over her shoulder. He’s Chat Noir. He’ll be fine. This would be so much easier if he remembered, though.Marinette checked that the hallway was clear before transforming into Ladybug and making her way back outside. Landing on the roof of the school, she surveyed the situation. Recyclops must have moved to a new target, but a small, lively forest remained, terrorizing the school grounds. Below her, Chat batted vines away from some students that weren’t quick enough to escape.Ladybug landed behind her partner. “M’lady,” Chat Noir greeted, “What’s a flower like you doing among thorns like this?”“Focus, Chat,” she chided, grabbing hold of the students and guiding them towards a nearby open door. Ladybug recognized it as the classroom Adrien had pulled her into only a few minutes ago. He must have transformed as soon as she left and joined the fight while she made her way out through the back. Closing the door behind the students, Ladybug turned around just in time to see a leafy vine wrap around her partner—who had been distracted trying to glimpse her reaction to the room they had just been in—and pull him into the canopy.Hanging upside down, Chat Noir offered her a guilty smile as he swayed.“Now’s not the time to have to rescue kittens from trees!” Ladybug called as her yoyo collided with the vine and freed him.“ Trunk you for the rescue.” The heroine rolled her eyes. “Let’s stop beating around the bush and get to the root of the problem. He went West.”Instead of responding, Ladybug jumped to the roof. The akuma had already transformed most of Paris into a giant hedge maze, the streets barely visible below. Finding Recyclops was going to be difficult.Chat’s tail flicked as he crouched next to her overlooking the city. “Well, I’m stumped. What’s the plan, m’lady?”“Stay out of the maze and stick together. We need to lure him out without being caught in a trap ourselves.” Ladybug caught Chat’s smirk at her unintentional pun before setting her eyes back on the horizon. A plastic bag drifted through the wind only to be plucked out of the sky by a vine. “I think I have plan. But we are going to have to do some recycling.”Ladybug had had a lot of strange plans, but none quite as strange as turning Chat Noir into a giant piece of garbage. Her partner was covered in plastic water bottles that she had borrowed from the school’s recycle bin.“Why do I always have to be the bait?” the cat whined.“Because you’re cute and sappy. It’s the perfect combination.” Ladybug tried to conceal her smug expression as Chat Noir’s face reddened. She waited for a response, but her partner was still blushing and avoiding her gaze. Ladybug pursed her lips. How am I supposed to flirt with a guy who doesn’t think I’m interested even though he thought I was his girlfriend 3 days ago and just forgot? “Let’s leaf.” Ladybug resisted the urge to slap a hand over her face. This is where she was at now. Making puns. She shook her head trying to clear her thoughts. Akuma. Focus on the akuma. Next to her, Chat Noir was trying and failing to steady his heart beat. Be. A. Cool. Cat. Coooool. The pair set of across the rooftops, careful to avoid any creeping stems until they reached the Eiffel Tower. Ladybug shivered at the unsettling silence. Most akumas could be located through their taunts to the heros. Recyclops, however, was choosing to hide in the shadows. The pair exchanged a nod before Ladybug swung up to the rafters to wait. Chat Noir clanked his baton against the rails as he dropped a an extra bottle on the ground. Just as Ladybug suspected, vines started creeping up and leaves began to rustle.“Now, I don’t mean to bark up the wrong tree, but why do you care so much about a piece of plastic?” Chat smashed one of the vines trying to wrap around his ankle.A recycle symbol hit the plastic bottle that Chat Noir had dropped, turning it into a flower.“Nice to see you branching out,” the hero said as Recyclops emerged. “Let me guess, you want to harvest my miraculous?”“You have no respect for the planet!” the akuma called floating above Chat Noir. “I speak for the Earth who has no voice. Humans are bad for the environment, and I plan to show them the errors of their ways.”Ladybug studied their opponent as the duo below her engaged. Recyclops’ yellow boots and gloves were an eye sore against the rest of his blue and green suit, but nothing stood out as a potential akumatized item. The only option was his blue helmet which covered his eyes and featured a white recycling symbol.“I can be a little rough around the hedges, but I think you’d like me if you got to know me.” Chat leaned on his batton, sending the akuma a playful wink.“I wish I could recycle your jokes!” Recyclops yelled, hurling a stick at him.“I’m going to go out on a limb and say that you don’t have a good sense of humor to begin with.”At that, the akuma sent all sorts of plants towards Chat Noir. Ladybug swooped down, knocking her partner off his feet and barely dodging the torrent of thorns.She smiled down at him and said, “You know, I never heard you say timber when you fell for me.”Chat remained sprawled on the floor as she got up to ward off Recyclops. This is it, he thought. I’ve died and gone to heaven. Despite her distracted partner, it wasn’t long before Ladybug had Recyclops tangled in his own vines and she was cleansing the unwelcomed bug.“Pound it,” the heroes exchanged their signature fist bump.“Recycling is really important,” Ladybug said, helping the akuma victim to his feet, “I’ll talk to Mayor Bourgeois about opening more recycling centers around Paris.”“It’s never too late to turn over a new leaf,” Chat piped in. The heroine rolled her eyes as her partner failed to contain his smug grin.“Well, bug out!” Ladybug removed her yoyo to return to her civilian life but was stopped by a hand on her arm.“Ma- Lady,” Chat Noir froze, forgetting what he wanted to say after almost saying her name. Her eyes locked with his, and he could feel himself losing his footing in a sea of blue. He longed to kiss her, but knew that he had to wait until he heard his name from her lips once again. In attempt to satisfy the urge, he swooped down and pressed a kiss to her hand instead.The world around them stopped. Ladybug didn’t withdraw hand like usual, and Chat Noir was still at a loss of what to say or do. His fingers ached to interlace with hers, but he could hardly move, let alone breathe as he gazed at her. Think! Adrien’s brain screamed. Say something! Say anything! “You, uh… You look really pretty today.” Dumbass, she looks pretty everyday! “Thanks!” Ladybug squeaked, a tint of pink seeping out from underneath her mask.The boy continued to stare at her unable to function and still holding her hand.“I-got-to-go-now-bye!” Chat Noir barely caught her string of words before she turned and left. He watched her disappear in the distance, his fingers tingling where hers had just been.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter 3
The soft clink of Adrien’s fork echoed through the empty dining room. His good mood was unaffected by the usual loneliness he experienced during meals. Pushing his chair back, he glanced at Nathalie, who remained emotionless as she examined her tablet.
“Well, I’m off to study before bed.” Nathalie didn’t look up, only offering a curt nod.
Adrien looked between the table and Nathalie. She was always so solemn. He wished she would be happy, just as he felt. Picking a flower from a vase, he walked towards Nathalie. Her eyebrows scrunched in confusion before meeting Adrien’s sincere expression and kind eyes. “You look nice today, Nathalie.”
Taking the extended flower, the assistant offered a small smile. “Thank you.”
Adrien returned her smile and turned to leave. “Good night.”
“Good night, Adrien,” Nathalie called after him. Sometimes, it was difficult to believe that Gabriel and Adrien were related. Returning to her desk, she looked for a place to put the gift and settled on taping it to the side of her computer screen. It was a nice reminder of why she stayed.
After finishing her history report, Marinette transformed to do a check around the city before bed. She rarely found akumas on these runs, but it gave her extra reassurance before she went to bed that everything was in order. Not to mention the added bonus of how great she felt after the exercise.
Ladybug was half way along her usual route when she heard a scuff behind her. She swiftly ducked behind the nearest chimney and stilled her breath to listen.
Nothing.
Better safe than sorry though. Her eyes scanned for an escape route as she readied her yoyo. Before she could throw it, however, something heavy landed on her from above and sent her rolling along the rooftop. She opened her eyes to find a smirking cat pinning her from above.
“You know, you really should be careful. I could have been anyone,” he drawled.
Ladybug narrowed her eyes at her partner before a smirk crossed her lips. “Why would I have to worry when you’re watching my back?”
Chat Noir chuckled, standing and offering his hand to her. “I’ll always be there for you, m’lady.” He squeezed her hand before releasing his hold.
Ladybug bit her lip. She had been watching both Chat and Adrien for any sign that he remembered. Some things that stood out to her, like Adrien saving her during the akuma attack or Chat Noir’s awkward compliment after the last akuma. But Adrien would save any classmates, and Chat was always flirting with Ladybug. Marinette had even considered the possibility that the memories from Oblivio were from her own imagination. Still, there had to be a way she could figure out if he remembered without directly asking him. Because if he knew that she knew but he didn’t know then there would be questions that she just wouldn’t know how to answer.
She eyed him trying to come up with a plan. “I’m actually glad you’re here, kitty.”
Chat’s ears perked up and his head tilted slightly in question.
“I could use some company if you are interested in sticking around for a bit. I was sitting in front of my computer for a few hours finishing homework, and I could really use some human interaction.” Ladybug tucked some loose hair behind her ear. She had never asked him to spend time together, and she was suddenly feeling very nervous.
“That actually sounds really great.” Chat glanced around. “I know someplace good to sit for a bit. What do you say, m’lady?”
“Lead the way.”
It wasn’t long before the duo approached Arc de Triomphe, which towered in the midst of traffic. Ladybug paused at the edge of the clearing in search of a place to latch her yoyo. Before she could find a good spot, her partner offered his hand.
“Need a lift?” His usually toothy grin was replaced with something much softer and reminiscent of Adrien.
In a daze, she gingerly placed her hand in his and allowed him to pull her closer. Her crush was going to be the end of her, especially considering how hard it was to breathe as he securely wrapped an arm around her and carried her to the monument.
She was jolted to her senses as they landed on the roof that was closed to tourists during the late hour.
“Tadah!” Chat extended his arm drawing attention to their surroundings. “What do you think?”
“Nice view,” she said, staring pointedly at him. Ladybug tried to form a plan while her partner bashfully rubbed the back of his neck, just like he did when he was out of costume. She wanted to kick herself. With how obsessed she was over Adrien, how could she not notice all the similarities to her partner? At that moment, her eyes lit up with an idea. Maybe she could hint at his true identity to see his response and test his memories!
“You should be a model.” Chat froze, thoughts racing through his mind.
Could I possibly be lucky enough for her to remember?
She had definitely been acting differently since Oblivio, but he knew she was too cautious and crafty to be forward with something of this nature. Two could play at that game though.
“Maybe I will,” he drawed, slowly circling around her. “But I think I need someone to model with me. What do you say, mi’lady? We do make a great couple.”
Ladybug rolled her eyes, but was trying to focus on calming the fluttering of her heart. Chat raised an eyebrow at her unresponsiveness; usually, she would have some retort to romantic implications.
“After all,” he continued, getting closer, “I really liked the last picture of us on the Ladyblog. You know, the one of us...” He trailed off watching her reactions range from intense blushing, anger, sadness, and concentration.
Maybe she was just embarrassed.
Across from him, Marinette couldn’t decide what to think. He was just pulling his usual flirtatious stunts. All of Paris was shipping them together if they weren’t already after that photo was posted, and he was probably just feeling encouraged. It didn’t mean he remembered anything.
Ladybug turned away from him slightly and crossed her arms, torn between feeling dejected and annoyed. “We’re a team, not a couple, Chat.”
“You know you’re right. We aren’t a couple. Being a team is way better. Because not only do I get to love you, but I also get to work alongside you, protect you, and witness first hand how amazing you are.” He reached for her hand and gently rubbed his thumb across her knuckles. “I just,” Chat sighed. “If I met you a thousand times as if I never had before, I would
always
fall for you.” Seeing his soft smile with eyes full of adoration and hope reminded her of the look he gave her a few days ago as Adrien.
Does he remember?
He began to step back, but Ladybug reached out and cupped his cheek, directing his attention back to her.
Please remember.
“I’m starting to understand how much you mean to me,” she paused gauging his reaction, “Adrien.”
The boy before her melted into her touch, placing his hand over her own. “You remember,” he whispered.
“So do you,” came her breathy response.
Keeping her hand cradled against his face, he softly kissed her palm, his green eyes locking on hers. “A girl like you is not easily forgotten, Marinette.”
Giddiness bubbled out of her hearing her name come out the mouth of the boy she loved. Ladybug threw her arms around him in a tight embrace that was quickly returned. Chat started laughing into her hair, and before she knew it, her feet were off the ground as he spun her around.
“I have been so worried because I wasn’t sure if you remembered,” Chat said as they came to a stop.
“You’ve been worried?! I found out that my partner is actually my crush, and you didn’t even change how you acted around me so I had no reason to think that you remembered anything! Whereas, I tried flirting with you by making puns!” She said, poking him in the chest.
“Hey,” Chat Noir chuckled, grabbing her hand and intertwining their fingers. “You have a crush on me?”
“That’s what you got from that?”
“You’re not answering my question.”
Ladybug huffed and mumbled something.
“What was that?” Chat chitted.
“Yes! Okay? I’ve been in love with you since the first day we met! Happy?”
“I’ve never been happier, my lady.” Marinette wanted to melt at the softness of his voice. “Well, there is one thing that could make me happier. Now that we are, well, ourselves… With your permission, Marinette.”
She smiled at his request: always the perfect gentleman. “Nothing would make me happier, Adrien.”
HE THEN KISSED HER WITH THE FORCE OF A THOUSAND WATERFALLS.
HAWKMOTH COULND’T STAND THE STRENGTH OF THEIR LOVE SO HE GAVE UP.
THE END.
Author's Note: Hello! I know its's been a year, so I hope this is still of interest since the Oblivio salt has died down. Also I just finished watching season 3 yesterday, so forgive the abrupt ending but it's too sad for me to bear. With this quarantine, I'm hoping to pick up some old stories, but we will see. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and that you are doing well in this unprecedented time!