A/N: [Akuma attacks mentioned in this chapter— Evillistrator. If you have not watched this episode, I recommend you do.]

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Marinette 🐞

Princess,

I do apologise for purr-posely leaving you on the bridge tonight. I didn't think twice about your safety and I'm cat-astrophically sorry. Nathaniel and Chloe are okay. Ladybug and I thank you for your pawsitivity and bravery. I'm glad your safe now and hope you'll find a space in your heart to fur-give me.

To: Marinette
From: Chat Noir

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I reread the letter over and over again in class while Ms Bustier taught the students about Ancient Greece and what they had once believed in those times. I knew a few things about Greek Mythology so I didn't have to worry about the pop quiz coming up. Sitting next to me, Alya was too busy writing a report for the Ladyblog— the Ladybug #1 fansite in the whole of Paris— concerning the Evillistrator incident. So I was able to read Chat's letter without her noticing.

I wanted to laugh at Chat Noir's use of puns in the letter and yell 'Aawww' because he actually sent me an apology note about 'ditching' me. I then started to blush because I realised that he must have slipped it through my trap door late that night after the incident.

I hope he didn't hear to me saying 'Goodnight' to Tikki or else he'd be a bit suspicious of who or what she was— I could always tell Chat I have a pet cat named Tikki, right? But what if his true self knew me really well and knows I don't have a pet? What if he realises that Tikki is actually my Kwami and that I was Ladybug this whole time? He would be so disappointed that it's me and would never want to see or talk to me again as Ladybug. I really hope he didn't hear me.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng," Ms Bustier called out, folding her arms, "Please do explain to me one thing that you know about the beliefs of Greek Mythology."

The class turned in my direction, including Adrien! I quickly hid the letter under my desk as I blushed embarrassingly. Oh no, I should have been pretending to write something down so the teacher wouldn't be suspicious. I could feel each hungry eye taking in my fear, waiting for a reply. Luckily, I was a pro at the topic.

"The people of Greece used to believe in different gods," I answered nervously, hoping no one could notice the envelope I was trying to conceal under my desk, "They used to worship heroes and demigods like Persues and Heracles—"

"You mean Hercules?" Kim asked, confused, "Like the movie?"

"Hercules is the Roman version," I corrected him, "Hercales is Greek, but the animators made it 'Hercules' because it sounded more appealing."

The class gasped in shock as if I had just taken their childhood away from them, blowing their minds. I continued answering Ms Bustier's question, making myself sound like a complete nerd.

"There are specific Titans that the Greek people believed in as well, including Kronos who was the father of Zeus, Poseidon and Hades: gods of the sky, sea and underworld—"

"Thank you, Marinette," Ms Bustier interrupted, killing my buzz, "You seem to very well know your Mythology...but that doesn't mean you have to ignore me during class. Please hand over whatever you were previously busy with."

The class erupted in mumbles and 'Oooh's because they knew that Marinette Dupain-Cheng (aka Goodie-Too-Shoes) had just got busted by Bustier. I blushed uncontrollably as I slowly got up and handed the green envelope to my teacher. Some of the students wanted her to read it out loud, but thank goodness Ms Bustier wasn't one of those teachers.

"I'll give it back to you at the end of the day," she told me as I rushed back to my seat with a flustered, pink face, "I respect your privacy so I'm not going to read it, but if anyone ever ignores me during class again, I will be deeply disappointed."

"Yes, Ms Bustier," the class said robotically.

Alya then leaned towards me and whispered, "You didn't tell me about any letter. Who's it from? A secret admirer?"

I raised my hands to my cheeks embarrassingly and shook my head no. I could not let Alya, my best friend and journalist of the Ladyblog, know that Chat Noir had sent me a letter. She would freak and probably ask me to get an interview with him for her. I could not do that to Chat. I for one knew that being a superhero was not an easy job and kwamis needed their rest too.

"I-it's from my grandmother," I lied after a moment of hesitation, "Ha ha, y-yeah from Shangai? My mom is thinking of going there for the holidays so that I can meet my grandmother and get comfortable in the Chinese environment."

I was surprised at how easily I could lie to my best friend. Of course, being Ladybug, I could not afford to tell the truth or else the whole 'keeping-the-secret-identity' promise would be broken. I remembered when Chat wanted to see my true identity when Alya had been akumatized... I considered it for a second until realizing that I was too afraid to see the disappointment on his face if he saw who I truly was.

"I've always wanted to go to Shangai," Nino whispered to me from the front while Ms Bustier wrote something on the board, "It's, like, China's biggest city on the coast with cool buildings and lights. You're really lucky, Marinette."

"Yeah," I agreed nervously, "really lucky."

***

Ms Bustier gave me back my envelope at the end of class and I thanked her for not reading it aloud, apologizing for my behavior. I slipped Chat's letter in my purse and walked out of the class with Alya, Nino and Adrien!

Alya was speaking to Nino about the Evillistrator incident, asking him advice on a possible introduction tune for the Ladyblog and whether or not she should use the Ladybug— I mean, my— theme song. Meanwhile, Adrien was talking to me! I was so happy and nervous as he was talking, making a light conversation.

"So, your grandmother gave you that green letter, right?" he asked somewhere in our conversation— it looked almost as if he was smirking at me, "About you going to Shangai?"

"Y-yeah!" I stuttered, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, "We're thinking of going, but I doubt it's going to be that, uhm...you know, special because we're only visiting for a few days, so..."

Technically, I was not completely lying. My mom said that we really were were going to Shangai after Christmas or maybe even Halloween. I had not told Alya about it yet so bringing it up as an excuse for the letter seemed like an appropriate time.

"Oh, that's good," Adrien said with a polite nod, "How was the akuma attack yesterday, by the way? I heard you were involved with it because of Nathaniel?"

Alya had pestered me about the experience from helping out in the Evillistrator situation. She asked me so many unessesary questions and I replied to them with equally unessesary answers.

That is exactly why I did not want to tell her about the letter because Alya was already convinced that I was now 'close friends' with Paris' superhero, Chat Noir. Well, at least Ladybug was. I did not want to give her another reason to pressuring him or me about answers for her Ladyblog (but I still love her though, don't get me wrong, because she's my best friend and all).

"The akuma attack was a bit c-confusing," I laughed nervously, "what with Chat Noir and the Evillistrator. I guess you could say it was a very busy night for us."

"And what did you think of Chat Noir?" Adrien asked curiously, holding up a fist under his jaw.

"Oh, h-he was cool, I guess and a bit flirtatious too..."

I thought back to the letter in admiration. Chat Noir doesn't realize it, but he was actually quite innocent and cute sometimes. He's caring and would feel guilty for the simplest of things. He even checked up on me and sent me a letter to let me know that everything was alright and how glad he was that I made it home safely.

"... But he's actually a really great person once you get to know him."

Adrien stared at me like he'd just seen a ghost. I blushed and looked down, realizing that I probably sounded like a love-sick fool for a hero I didn't even know. What did Adrien think of me now? Just another 'crazed fangirl' for Chat Noir? Why did I just say that?

Saved by the bell, Alya pulled me out of the awkward situation and asked me if I was going to the Bakery. I told her that I was and we walked together to my place after I waved an embarrassed goodbye to Nino and Adrien.

I could not get his shocked expression out of my head and the whole of that day, I thought about how lonely my future was going to be now because Adrien would never want to talk to me again after that conversation.

"I'm going to die a sad, old lady," I complained to Alya after I told her about my conversation with Adrien, "I'll live all alone in my apartment with probably four cats to keep me company."

"Aw, Marinette," Alya comforted me, rubbing my back, "Don't say that... You're too sweet for that."

"Aawww, Alya, that's so supportive of you—"

"It'll most likely be six cats."

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