A/N: [Akuma attacks mentioned in this chapter— refers to previous akumatized victims. If you have not watched any of those episodes, I suggest you do.]

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Chat 🧀

Princess,

I don't know what to write this time. No words can describe how sorry I am for getting you in danger like that today. When I saw you in Copycat's room all chained up, it was probably the worst thing that has ever happened to someone because of me and I really wish I could make it up to you. I'm so so sorry, Princess, I'd understand if you probably hate me right now.

To: Marinette
From: Chat Noir

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I held the green letter in my hand and nervously stood over the trap door on her balcony. She might have been fast asleep by now, but I wasn't going to press my ear to the ground just to hear if she was.

I pushed my letter in the trap door. Just before I left the balcony, a pink, rectangular piece of paper appeared from the trap door in front of me. On the cover, it read: Fur Chat Noir's eyes meownly.

Marinette wasn't asleep. She had been waiting for me to send another letter to her so that she could give me something in return. It was a letter for me from Marinette and I immediately opened it up the second I received it.

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Kitty,

Before I read the letter you've just sent to me through my trap door, let me first say that I wanted to thank you personally for the previous letter you sent and I accidentally thanked Copycat instead. So it's not your fault, it was mine. I'm sorry for being a distraction for you and wanted to thank you for saving me again. And if your second letter is another apology note, I have already forgiven you.

To: Chat Noir
From: Marinette

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I reread the letter and looked down at the trap door with a smile. Marinette was so kind, cute and understanding. I pressed the pink envelope to my heart and jumped off of the balcony back to my home.

***

Théo ⛓

Our limo drove smoothly across the streets of Paris, searching for the route of our destination. We were making our way to the Agreste Manor one morning to speak with Gabriel Agreste, Adrien's father. He and Uncle used to be best friends when they were our age (if we end up like them, I'm going to puke).

My uncle, Antonio Barbot, lived in Spain for most his life, until my parents died when I was seven. I'm an orphan, so what? I'd already been bullied by it when I was younger... I didn't need to be reminded each time family was brought into a conversation.
My friends called me Théorphan Barbot when I was nine. Nine. And then I'd gotten introduced to Adrien in Paris a few years later and everything started to chance.

Adrien hated me, that I knew for a fact. I mean, who didn't besides my uncle? I treated him badly for many months when we were younger and I hoped that he would have forgotten about it... His expression said everything. Adrien Agreste did not want me in Paris. I thought, Might as well just make him miserable again... If he dislikes my presence so much, I'm going to give him a reason to.

"Théo," Uncle Antonio called from the front next to the driver's seat— the driver just looked straight forward like a programmed robot, "We're almost at Adrien's school. A few more minutes then we'll reach the Manor."

I stared at Adrien's school, Collège Françoise Dupont, in irritation. I had always despised school because of me being bullied for not having parents. One thing Adrien and I had in common: we were both home-schooled models when we were smaller. We would sometimes be educated together when Uncle could not take care of me.

"If you want, Théo," Uncle said, "you can wait inside the school until Adrien comes out... We'll pick you up later."

I stared at him in consideration, knowing that Adrien really would not like it if I waited for him. All his friends would be staring at me because: 1) I was a famous Spanish-American model; and 2) the Ladyblog officially labelled me as a 'Copycat' after I had gotten akumatized. I couldn't even remember what went down when I was in Hawkmoth's control.

Ladybug spoke to me after changing me back and I gave my letter to her that I've stayed up whole night writing. She did not tell me the actions I had truly made as an akumatized victim...

The Ladyblog explained that I turned into Copycat because I wanted to be just like Chat Noir and was jealous of him and Ladybug. They mentioned something about how I stole the Mona Lisa from the Louvre and framed the real Chat Noir as a thief. So basically, I was a good-looking villain.

The website also explained that I had carried an innocent girl somewhere, keeping her as hostage— she refused to speak about the incident in detail. Oh God, I thought, horrified, what if I raped her? What if I abused an innocent girl yesterday and I didn't even know it?

"Théo?"

I ordered the driver to stop the limo and I hopped out of the vehicle. I told Uncle that I was going to drive to the Agreste Manor with Adrien in his car and that I'd see him later.

"Okay, be safe."

I shut the door of the limo which drove away from the school entrance— away from me. I made my way up the stairs nervously, hoping not too many eyes were going to stare at me. I groaned in frustration— why was I doing this? Why was I walking up school stairs to wait for a friend who didn't even like me?

Suddenly, someone crashed into me from behind. Loose items were now littered onto the floor: pens, papers and other small equipment.

"I'm so sorry!" a female voice apologised from behind me.

I turned around to be met with deep, blue eyes and adorable pig-tails. The girl did not even sneak a glance at me before bending down to retrieve her belongings from the ground.

"Late," she mumbled under her breath, "so, so late."

Pitying her frantic grabs for her equipment, I bent down besides her and started to help.

"Thank you," she sighed in gratitude, "I'm in such a rush I didn't notice—"

The girl froze in place after looking up at me, staring at my face in shock. I stared back, quite freaked out because there was a possibility she might run away. She must have known who I was— Copycat, the villain who probably harmed an innocent girl because of jealousy.

"If you stare any longer," I spoke, breaking the silence with a joke, "you're eyes would have had a nice tan from the sun."

The girl blinked before nodding her head and gathered all her belongings again. She stuffed everything into her bag, besides her phone that still laid on the floor.

I picked it up and was just about to give it back to her, until I saw the lock screen wallpaper. It showed a picture of Adrien and his best friend, Nino, posing in front of the camera. Almost like Adrien's phone... I then typed in the numbers on the passcode that Adrien told me, just to be sure, and what do you know? It worked.

I looked back up at the girl in front of me, now completely freaked out. She stared back again, scratching her neck nervously.

"I can explain," she said guiltily.

"You have Adrien's phone," I stated.

"I-I kind of stole it."

"You stole Adrien's phone."

"What are the odds of you personally knowing him?" the girl asked frustratingly, "Gosh, this is so not my day."

"Why and how do you have it?"

"His locker room, okay?! I took it when no one was looking and I ran off with it."

I shook my head in disbelief, "Why would you possibly do that?"

"I sent him an accidental voice mail," she admitted, blushing terribly, "called him 'Hot Stuff' and confessed my crush for him," she looked down in embarrassment, "I know, it's horrible. There was no point in stealing it anyway. I was too busy to even delete it at the end of the day."

I tilted my head, intrigued, Busy with what? The girl then explained to me how she had gotten captured from Copycat yesterday and didn't have time to crack the password to delete the voice mail because the akuma attack took some precious time out of her password cracking.

"You're the girl..." I gasped, "It's you that I captured from the incident? Oh my god, what happened? What did I do to you? Did I hurt you?"

The girl stepped back, aware that her enemy was pressuring her into answering questions. I must have messed her up quite bad for her to be that nervous.

"You didn't hurt me," she recalled, "You— I mean, Copycat— carried me to some place and chained me up, but he didn't..."

"Rape you?" I pleaded, "Please tell me I didn't rape you? I'd never forgive myself."

"No...w-why would you possibly think...?"

"Thank goodness!"

I scrolled through Adrien's messages and found a missed voice message in one of the recent calls. From an unknown number. To make up for my rude behaviour as Copycat, I was going to help this girl delete an embarrassing message from her crush's phone. Then we'd be even, right?

"I assume this is yours?" I asked, opening the message.

Uh, HELLO... Hha, Adrien's voice mail! the girl's voice resonated through the phone, This is Marinette! Uhm...ah...

"That's enough!" the girl shouted embarrassingly, "It's mine."

Marinette... Her name sounded sweet and soft like Juliet, except more drawn out. I liked it. When she started grabbing for the phone, I reached to the sky so that she could not reach it herself. I was starting to like this girl just as much as her name.

"Oh, there's more!" I laughed, pressing the phone to my ear.

Marinette eventually gave up, folding her arms irritatedly. I was amused at her grumpiness as it reminded me of when Adrien was ticked off at me sometimes.

What did you expect me to say? the message continued, 'Hey, Hot Stuff, this is Marinette. I'd ask you on a date to a movie...

At this rate, I was smirking at her, holding in another huge laugh.

... But I have such a crazy crush on you that the only way I can talk to you without foaming at the mouth is over this stupid phone!'

When the message stopped, I could help but laugh tearfully, "I understand why you stole the phone now. I would probably have burned it."

I deleted the voice mail and slipped it in my own pocket. Marinette blinked at me a few times before asking, "Aren't you going to give Adrien's phone back to me?"

I shook my head and answered, "If he finds out that you stole his phone, he'd probably never talk to you again."

"And what about you?"

"Adrien doesn't like me that much anyway so it wouldn't matter if I'd taken it. Besides, he's forced to talk to me— his father and my uncle used to be best friends."

Before I could comprehend what was happening, this Marinette girl jumped on me and have me a big hug.

"Thank you, Théo Barbot," she sighed in relief.

I hugged her back, surprised that she knew my name— well, obviously, since I did capture her and all...

"It's the least I can do for the Copycat incident," I said.

Marinette broke the hug and ran towards the entrance of the school. She was later than she previously had been because of me which made me feel extra lame.

I made my way inside after her, searching for the office. I should have asked Marinette to guide me there. It would have given me more time to get to know her.

***

Chat 🧀

My father invited the Barbots to come visit us for a quiet lunch. I was actually quite curious as to how Théo was taking Paris after his akuma attack. Of course, he could not remember anything that happened, but the Ladyblog did. I wanted to see if he was getting along well, since it was my fault he'd gotten in the mess in the first place.

Théo had actually waited for me at school so that we could go to the Agreste Manor together. He thought I'd like the company. That was quite a sweet thing to do for me, I thought as we made it into my home, He cares about my loneliness. I should give him a chance once in a while.

When we reached the Dining Room, I greeted Théo's uncle, Antonio. The two of them had such a great relationship— something my father and I would never have. Théo and I joined my father and Antonio at our large dining table.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't reply to your messages yesterday, Théo," I casually apologised as we sat down, "I lost my phone yesterday and couldn't find it."

I tried looking for my phone all night, but I just couldn't find it. The last place I had it was in the boys' locker room at school and I checked there already, along with the bathroom. Maybe someone must've stolen it?

"You mean this phone?" Théo asked, taking out a familiar device from his pocket.

I gasped, "How did you—?"

"I found it at your school in the office," he told me, "while I was waiting for you. They must have found it for you ages ago."

I could not find the words to express my gratitude. I usually said 'thank you' to him sarcastically, but now that it was for real, I did not know how to say it.

"You're welcome," Théo said, making it a lot more easier for me.

I smiled and slid my phone back into my pocket, wondering how my phone could have possibly disappeared in the first place.

"By the way, Agrestive Blonde," Théo added while I took a sip of cool drink, "I was thinking... How would do you feel about me joining your school?"

I almost choked on my beverage.

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5~~ Consideration