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When an akuma attacked the center of their school, Adrien knew he had to dip away into the hall to transform into Chat Noir. He couldn't help the giddiness that came with it, being Chat, being a hero, being a hero with Ladybug.
But the akuma apparently dug through the ground, absolutely destroying the foundation of the school, and sent the roof falling down on their heads and blocking off the door. Should he transform here and now? No, that's stupid. Everyone would know. All he can hope for is Ladybug, and pray that she gets here in time and saves them - saves him, specifically. Maybe pick him up by the waist, pulling him and flying through the sky with him to safety by her yo-yo - he quickly gets out of his daydreams, remembering that literally everyone he cares about is being attacked right now. Not that they would get hurt, because Ladybug would protect them, he thought confidently. And even if someone did get injured, Ladybug would just miraculous it away.
She was amazing.
Wait, wait, back to focus. He has to focus. Maybe he can find a way out of here and save everyone, even though he's a civilian right now. He just has to think. Form a plan. Like Ladybug. Like a superhero. Everyone's scared, god, now he's going to panic. What should they do? He- he doesn't know. The dust from the ceiling is nearly blinding.
"Alya! Everyone!" Marinette's voice, surprisingly strong (he never got used to hearing her sound that way, she always stuttered around him), calls out. Her voice was so loud, rising and calming the room over the sound of crumbling rock. "Under the desks!" She exclaims, and Adrien hears everyone scurry beneath their tables.
God, why didn't anyone else think of that? He feels a bit stupid. But Marinette was smart. A wonderful friend, always calm in these sorts of situations.
It weirdly reminded him of... well, no, it couldn't be.
Marinette walks past him, and he bangs his head against the top of his desk, having rushed under it moments before. "Marinette?" He says after her, worried that she was walking even though the school fell apart around them. She grabbed one of the rocks that blocked the door, and Adrien just sat still in surprise. Marinette had some muscle tone, didn't she? It made sense, she had to carry ingredients as a baker's daughter all the time.
And then she brought the rock above her head and slammed it into one of the inside windows next to the door. It broke through it easily. "Alya!" She exclaims, and Alya clamors over to her, and Marinette helps her through the window so she doesn't cut herself on any glass. "Nino!" She then says, and Nino follows, looking terrified, but following as she said, letting her escort him through.
"Adrien!"
He was in literal awe. He could barely even think. Marinette was impossibly amazing.
"Adrien..!"
He gasps, quickly rushing out from under the desks, takes her calloused hand, and accepts her help leading through the broken window.
Marinette turns to face Alya, who looked strangely prepared. "Take everyone down the fire escape, okay?" Her voice is shaky, and Adrien finally notices how scared she actually is. She was so brave.
Adrien found her always so admirable.
"Ivan!" She goes back to help the others through the window, and Adrien can barely tear his face away from the sight as Alya drags him away. Right. He has to transform. Ladybug might already be out there.
--
In the library, they were messing around, Marinette finally having had agreed to test one of Max's games. He had made this one based on the heroes, instead of the villains. Alya came to film, and Adrien tagged along as Nino went to dutifully follow his girlfriend. God, how he wished that was him and Ladybug. Marinette had lingered over the Ladybug option, which felt strangely right to Adrien. Very strangely right. He tried to ignore the feeling.
But she ended out choosing Viperion. He lifts a brow at that. Really? She seemed to admire Chat, so why not him?
He nearly crosses his arms, frowning, before he realizes how he's reacting, confused by himself. Why was he so peeved? Well. He was allowed to be. Marinette was his friend after all, and well, she didn't know he was Chat, but still.
Max had chosen King Monkey. Smart.
Somehow, as always, Marinette found a way to destroy him. But he noticed the way she swiftly complimented his skills after. She's so nice. She still gloated, a little, which made him smile.
He still felt a little annoyed though. How come she was so good with Viperion? Did she like Viperion a lot? More than Chat Noir? He was starting to feel more and more bothered.
He barely hears Max mumble, "Gotta nerf Viperion, so at least the fight is fair..."
They both go to chose again, and Adrien feels even more agitated as she was about to choose Pegasus. He walks over to her side, looming over her shoulder. "Maybe try Chat, Marinette. I want to see how you'd play him." He gives her a meek smile, and Marinette almost drops her controller. She was so easily startled.
"Of... of cooourse!" She gasps out, looking like she was going to have trouble breathing. Marinette was... very strange. He liked her anyway, no matter what.
She selects Chat Noir, and Max quickly takes the choice of Pegasus.
He feels a little smug himself when Marinette won in literal seconds. She seemed overwhelmingly comfortable in the role of Chat Noir. It made him feel almost a bit... fluttery, in his stomach.
Adrien tries to ignore the feeling.
It's nothing.
--
"Ladybug, what are your hobbies?"
The heroine sighs in response to Chat Noir's question.
"You know we can't-"
"I know, I know. It was just worth a try." Chat stares at the ground, looking a little distant.
Ladybug feels a stab of guilt. "Alright, alright. I... hm." She pauses in thought. "I like sewing."
Her nervous smile showed off her pretty pink lips. God, were they that pink naturally? Gorgeous. As always.
Chat brightens, his tail sticking straight up, ears perked. He looks over at her with wide eyes, looking shocked. "You told me? You actually told me?" His voice is breathy, and she can tell how absolutely giddy he is. "You promise? You actually like sewing?"
Ladybug laughs, and it's so painstakingly beautiful and familiar. He loves it. He loves her. "Yes, Chatonet."
Chat gives her the biggest grin, hopping over to her side, leaning into her. "Sooooo... sew what sort of things?" He says, a sweet little beg, and she snorts. Lovely.
"Don't test your luck."
"Awwwh, c'mon m'lady. Don't be so cruel to my weak heart."
She pokes his nose and can't help but laugh again, and he tries not to kick his legs in lovesick excitement. God, she's beautiful!
But sewing. Sewing. Maybe... maybe Marinette could teach him to sew something for her. Yes. Would she like that? Marinette liked sewing.
Marinette likes sewing.
The thought sinks into his mind, heavy, and he tries to ignore the weight of it. That isn't possible. Then something clicks in his head.
"Wait, Ladybug. You said the heroes can't help us if I, or anyone else, knows their identity right? But you got help from Chloe a few times. And everyone knew her identity."
She looks at him quizzically, and he can tell she's not sure she likes where this is going. "Yes... why do you point that out, mon Chaton?"
"Well, only I saw Multimouse's identity. Couldn't Marinette help us again?"
Ladybug burst into coughs, suddenly looking very, very pale. "Oh! Well, you know, erm, Marinette wasn't really all that interested in being a hero, y'know? Ahaha... sososoooo... don't worry about lil' ol' Multimouse!"
The stuttering made him grin, once again reminded of Marinette. They had the same nervous quirks.
The same.
Chat decides to let the conversation go, unable to stop from absolutely beaming, and he had no idea why.
--
Once again, being denied to hang out with his friends by his father, he copes by escaping as Chat Noir. He doesn't know what to do with himself.
But once he starts traveling through the city, he sees the familiar bakery, and can't help the catty grin he gets. He spots Marinette on her balcony, landing on the railing. Marinette gasps, stumbling back and throwing her hands around, the reaction Chat (well, Adrien) is used to. "Chat Noir?!" She exclaims, and Chat nods his head in silent reply.
They both stare at each other for a few moments, before Marinette hesitantly speaks. "Don't you have... uh, saving to do?" She holds tightly onto her pink purse, and for once, Chat wonders what's in it. She never really wears makeup, except for the smokey eyeliner she always does. It looks really, really good on her.
"I suppose. But my damsels in distress have to wait!" Chat leaps off the railing, landing gracefully in front of her. God, why was he always such a show-off in front of Marinette? Well... could you blame him? He wanted Marinette to admire him, in some way, maybe. Because Marinette herself is so admirable.
Chat grabs her hand, kissing it, and Marinette quickly pushes him away by his nose with a playful roll of her eyes. Painstakingly familiar. "I was hoping the amazing Marinette would be willing to teach me how to sew?"
Marinette's brows shoot up, shock and something deeper flitting through her eyes. Something softer. "...Yeah, why do you ask?"
"The lady of my heart - as you know, Ladybug, - she told me she likes to sew. What gift could be better then something I've sewn for her?"
Chat loved returning gifts that were alike, in a way. Like when Marinette gave him her lucky charm. It felt wonderful to give her one in return. It made him excited, to have matching charms with Marinette.
Marinette's face goes slack, and suddenly Chat feels a little embarrassed. "What? Do you think she'll not like it?"
He hadn't realized how pink her lips were until this moment. He can feel his face heat from under the mask.
She gasps, quickly shaking her head. "No! No. I'm sure she will love it. I'll show you. How about a scarf?"
"Very true! You know ladybugs hibernate in winter! She'll need it."
Marinette laughs. Hard.
That night, his claws kept getting stuck in the knitting fabric. Very messy. But fun.
When he moved to leave once he finished, Marinette stopped him, handing him a ladybug-patterned scarf. His heart totally didn't just skip a beat.
--
"M'laaady!" Chat calls out, doing a flip and landing on all fours in front of her. She makes a sound of surprise, but for once does not throw him over her shoulder. He's grateful for the mercy. Ladybug rolls her eyes but gets a smile on her face when Chat takes her hand to kiss as he goes on one knee, like a proposal.
"Not now, kitty." And then she pushes him away by his nose. Away by the nose.
He jumps to his feet, for a moment, feeling confused. No. It can't be her, can it?
But Multimouse?
Was his lady that smart? That disgustingly smart and just brilliant? That amazing?
Of course she was.
But he filters those thoughts out of his head. Not right now.
"Here!" He gives her a grin, a black scarf in his hands, embroidered with a little ladybug and paw-print in the corner. (Of course, Marinette did that. His claws did not allow for much detail.)
Ladybug gets a familiar, familiar, oh so familiar soft look on her face. Her blue, blue, light-blue eyes stare so deep into his, and he feels his heart in his throat. Chat quickly stutters out, "It's a gift, for you!" a feeling like panic blooms in his chest, making his pupils wide (like a cat who sees something he likes) and face warm and his heart want to burst.
"Oh, mon Chaton, it's wonderful." And she says the words so gently, so sweet, he almost feels dizzy. "I notice you have a matching one?" She gives a playfully quizzical expression at his ladybug-print scarf, and he flushes.
"Mhm!" Butterflies through his stomach. "An amazing friend taught me. I really appreciate her." The words felt like a lie. Like there should be more. I really, really, really appreciate her and her pretty blue eyes and the way she laughs which sounds so lovely and so similar to yours and maybe I would like her if it wasn't for you but what if she is you?
Ladybug wraps the scarf around her neck and moves in close to him, fixing the scarf and wrapping it tightly around his in return. "I love it." He watches, throat closing up as she rubs her thumb over the embroidery. She hadn't commented about it. She hadn't brought up how good the embroidery looked. She wasn't surprised by it. Like she had done it herself. He felt dizzy and clumsy and so, so confused.
"This is why you should date me, so you can teach me yourself, so you don't have to be jealous." Chat wiggles her eyes at her, trying to act normal even though his heart is beating a mile a minute. "I could sew something for ma belle every day." He rests an elbow on her shoulder, and Ladybug laughs. Her laugh. High like a bell. Marinette, Marinette, Marinette. "I promise you, kitty-cat, that I am not going to be jealous of anyone who had to deal with your claws all last night."
How'd she known it was last night? It could be just her guessing, but- but-
Chat wanted to kiss her so badly at that moment. Have it be true. No. It was true. He knew it.
"Hey! I wasn't that bad." He leans in close to her face, an excuse to study the nearly-hidden freckles on her cheeks.
Marinette.