A/N: [Akuma attacks mentioned in this chapter— Dark Cupid and Horrificator. If you have not watched these episodes, I suggest you do.]

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Marinette 🐞

Dear Ladybug,

My name is Théo Barbot and I am writing this letter to tell you how much I admire your strength and courage as Paris's superheroine. You save people's lives so easily here and for that I can never say how fond I am of you because it's too great to describe. I know you probably don't know who I am, but I'd like to show you one day, if that's even possible. To many people, you gave them bliss from de-evilizing akumas. To me, you are the blessing.

To: Ladybug
From: Théo Barbot

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I was working in the Dupain-Cheng Bakery one morning while my parents went out to get ingredients to make more Melting Moments— those biscuits were selling out like crazy, especially since Valentines Day was coming up.

I was sorting out the cashier, packing foods in specific boxes and separating strawberry-sweet from lemon-sour, until the bell rang and Adrien walked in! I was so surprised: what was he doing at the Bakery? Why was he coming so early in the afternoon? Was he there for croissants? It's his favourite, after all.

"Hey, Marinette," he greeted with a wave.

"H-hi, Adrien," I stuttered, "Uh, hmm... What brings y-you here on a S-S-Saturday mor—?"

Before I could finish my sentence, another person walked into the Bakery after Adrien and, I swear, I felt my heart stop.

"Well, isn't this a surprise," Théo said with a devilish smirk, "Marinette... Dupain-Cheng. It's like a mix of French and Chinese, or something. It's cute."

I just stared at him, standing dead still behind the cashier, blushing. I thought back to Adrien's phone and the conversation I had with Théo about the Copycat incident. Adrien asked if I was alright and I waved my hand to the side, indicating that I was just fine and he should forget about it.

"Do you two know each other?" Adrien asked, looking between me and Théo.

I imagined what Adrien's reaction would have been if I told him the truth— Oh, I stole your phone and everything but Théo helped me get rid of an embarrassing voice mail on it and that's how we know each other so yeah!— he'd hate me for life.

"Marinette and I bumped into each other when she was in a hurry to get to school," Théo explained for the both of us, "I found out she was the girl I captured from the Copycat incident and we just had a quick chat before she abandoned me."

The amount of gratitude I had towards Théo because he didn't tell Adrien the whole story at that moment, was astounding.

"I didn't abandon you," I argued, fidgeting with my hands, "I was in a hurry, but if you wanted me to guide you—"

"I'm kidding," Théo laughed, amused at my defensiveness, "I found my way to the office. And the best part is that I found Adrien's phone there!"

He turned to Adrien who gave him a thumbs up and smiled warmly. I knew it was obviously a lie as to where Théo found the device, but it was a good one that did not harm anyone (including my relationship with Adrien) so I went along with it.

"Besides," he added, "I'll get to know Collège Françhoise Dupont better once I join before school holidays."

I widened my eyes and asked, "You're going to join our school?"

"I already joined. By Monday, I'll be in your class."

I clapped my hands impressively because Théo was the type of person who gets jobs done fast and right. He had already gotten an available spot in our school in a time period of about six days? Maybe even less. I couldn't even complete my homework in three hours after Ladybug duties.

"Théo wanted a tour of the area," Adrien told me after a moment of silence, "so I decided to show him one of the best bakeries in town."

"Also for a snack," Théo added as Adrien took out his wallet, "I'm starved."

"Two croissants please, Mari."

I smiled at them and prepared the order, ecstatic from the fact that two models were in our Bakery. I packed the croissants and four chocolate chip cookies in as a surprise. I placed a box of the order on the desk, ready for them to take.

"It's on the house," I said, gesturing for Adrien to put his wallet away.

"As much as I love free food," he replied, "No."

"Put the money on the table and run," Théo whispered to him, "We don't need change."

Adrien obliged, placing the money on the desk. Théo grabbed the box, saluted me and the two childish models ran out of the Bakery with four extra goodies in their hands. I laughed because I had just developed goosebumps over my arms for sharing a funny and cute moment with Adrien and Théo.

Tikki popped up from my bag afterwards and hovered over the money that I began to organize into the cashier.

"What do you think of Théo Barbot coming to your school?" she asked.

"I think it's great," I answered, leaning on the desk, "He seems like a nice person."

"You're not bothered? But what about his letter to Ladybug?"

I hesitated with a soft blush, reminding myself of those kind-hearted words Théo wrote in Ladybug's (well, my) letter about my strength and courage; his fondness of me and how he thought I was a blessing. Who would have thought that models could use words in a way that their bodies couldn't?

"He likes Ladybug," I said, "not Marinette and it's the same with Chat Noir."

"Chat's been sending you quite a few letters these days."

I reminded myself of the Mime and Kung Food akumas in which I was partly involved in. Chat sent me letters both days, writing about how the attacks were getting more dangerous each time so I had to be careful...but why couldn't he just tell me that directly? Was I not worth the time?

"He probably does it to everyone," I told Tikki with a sigh, "Besides, everyone loves Ladybug more than me."

"But you are Ladybug," Tikki groaned in frustration.

"But Ladybug isn't...me. We're like two different people, Tikki, except one part of me will always be better than the other."

***

Théo Barbot was now officially a student at Collège Françoise Dupont. All the students enjoyed his presence, welcoming him into the school with acceptance. Many of the girls swooned when he passed by, almost like Adrien but to a lesser extent because some people were still suspicious about the Copycat incident.

Either way, Chloe was all up in his space to brag about her father, the Major, and try getting him to compliment her outfit. Since Adrien introduced Théo to the school in the first place, some of his guy friends kept asking him for his number so they could get in contact with Spanish and American hotties or whatever.

Théo had entered our class a few days earlier— and at the worst time, if you ask me because the amount of akumatized victims grew even larger after Théo joined school.

Chat Noir and I defeated at least three villains that week, including Mime, Kung Food and Dark Cupid. I felt hot and bothered after the latter akuma attack on Valentines Day.

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During Dark Cupid's attack, I didn't know what to feel when I pulled Chat Noir's lips onto mine. His whole body was hovering above me, Catalysm still activated in his right hand. I held onto his face with both of my hands, kissing him passionately.

I pulled him closer and closer until we both realised what I was actually doing. I let go and Chat Noir jumped up in shock.

"W-what happened?" he stammered, black lips returning to it's normal colour.

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I kept replaying the scene over and over again in my mind. Chat Noir's kiss, his lips and body over my own. I tried focusing my mind on something else like Adrien, but then it led me to imagine what his touch would feel like and for one horrifying second, Théo as Copycat.

The kiss had affected me in many negative ways. A sensitive part of my brain was triggered, making my hormones run wild. I needed to make it stop, especially as Ladybug (Paris' Heroine). I could not stop day-dreaming about lips, hands and the touch of leather on skin...

I don't know how it had gotten to this:

The class was making a movie the week after Valentine's Day. Mylène and Adrien were the stars because they knew how to act really well compared to all the other students in the class.

We asked Théo if he was able to act, since he'd gotten stage experience from his singing concerts in America, but he felt uncomfortable since it was only his first few weeks at school and he wanted to take it slow.

"I'm not afraid of that monster, Officer Jones," I said to Adrien as we were filming.

Mylène was supposed to be the star, but she was so afraid of the 'monster' in our film that Chloe teased her and now she no longer wanted to act. Mylène is the best actress in the class, but she got scared of the littlest of things. Eventually, I managed to get rid of Chloe, but I had had to act the part in Mylène's place (at least until she got back).

Adrien pulled me towards him and then slowly placed his hands on either side of my waist. I leaned in closer raising my hands to his chest in anticipation, his heart pounding almost as fast as mine. No thoughts were running through my head at that moment: it was only me, Adrien and the small space between us that was slowly getting smaller and smaller, until—

"CUT!" I heard Chloe's voice shout from the classroom door, snapping me back from my thoughts to reality, "I knew it!"

Chloe screamed at me angrily for taking her spot and almost kissing 'her Adrikins'. I swear, I was so close to punching her in front of the class, but I knew better than to waste a perfectly good fist on a painted wall.

"Did you guys hear that?" Adrien then asked, turning towards the door.

From outside the classroom, there came screams. I was the first person to run out and investigate, everyone following me. We entered the courtyard where there were spots of familiar, pink goo splattered onto the ground.

"I saw the same pink goo," I gasped in recognition, "in the bathroom!"

"Oh no," Théo groaned, "is that another akuma?"

We found out that Kim and Max had gone missing and decided to make our way to the principal's office. Adrien wanted to run to the classroom and quickly grab Officer Jones' coat for the film.

When we were outside Mr Damocle's office, I dropped my phone outside the door when nobody was looking so that they'd think I had been taken too. I ran to the library, where I told Tikki to transform me into Ladybug.

***
[Please watch Horrificator if you haven't so I don't have to repeat the exact details on what the characters do]

I didn't know how Chat managed to make his way in the school— since pink goo had surrounded all the windows and none of our devices had signal— but I assumed he made it to our school early or used his Catalysm along the way.

Horrificator spat goo at me and Chat Noir. but we avoided it and ran out of the classroom just in time. When the monster found the other students, they hid from it and Horrificator grew whenever a student screamed.

"Fear!" I shouted, "It's fear that gives it it strength!"

Horrificator spits goo at us. We tried fighting but it just got stronger and stronger. However, once it saw Ivan...the monster licked him.

Horrificator grabs Nathaniel and Alix and the students just kept on yelling. I tried calming them down, assuring them that the more scared people are of a monster, the more powerful it gets. By defeating fear, we defeat it.

"Did you see how it just left Ivan alone...?" I asked Chat Noir, "I think that the monster is Mylène!"

***

We followed the pink goo to the school workshop where we entered a cellar underground. There where pink, slimy eggs all over the place in which there were screams coming from each one. I called out to everyone, letting them know that I was Ladybug and that Chat Noir and I were going to get them all out.

That's when we made sure everyone was present: Chloe, Mr Damocle's, Nathaniel, Alix, Adrien...

When we'd gotten to me, I could almost feel the earth moving from its orbit. Chat shouted out, in the most anxious and worried voice I had ever heard: Marinette! MARINETTE?

He looked around with sad eyes at all the pink slime, pain and concern plastered on his face. He whispered something under his breath softly, but it was loud enough for me to hear.

"I can't lose you again to another akuma attack."

I stared at him, managing to find my voice eventually when the rest of the class called my name, especially Théo. I bent down behind one of the pink eggs so that no one could see me shout back, "I'm here! Don't worry, I'm safe!"

I looked up just in time to see Chat closing his eyes in relief. He looked as if he had just passed a Maths exam. Chat smiled at the ceiling and took a deep breath, turning back to the other students.

***

Smelly wolf, smelly wolf, I'm gonna kick your...
Smelly wolf, smelly wolf, stinky breath and slimy drool,
Smelly wolf, smelly wolf, you are just silly!

Horrificator started to shrink as we sang Mylène's 'Smelly Wolf' song which calmed her down each time she was afraid. The shrunken, cute Horrificator ran to the students and hugged Ivan.

The akuma was hidden in a button that Ivan gave to Mylène. I purified the akuma and shouted 'Miraculous Ladybug' before everything went back to normal.

"Has anyone seen Marinette?" Chat Noir asked, looking over to the group of students in our class.

"S-she just left," I answered as Ladybug, swinging my yo-yo after my earrings beeped, "I saw her just a few minutes ago. She must've left for home."

I swung my way out of the school, trying to shake Chat Noir's relieved reaction out of my head.

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6~~ Invitation