A/N: [Akuma attacks mentioned in this chapter— Gamer and Animan. If you have not watched these episodes, I suggest you do.] *Me attempting to add flirtatious Marichat😅*

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Marinette 🍪

"I'd gotten to be with Adrien today," I said to Chat Noir, "We were playing actual video games together!"

"Is that so?" Chat asked with a smirk, "You sound really ecstatic about it."

"I never would have imagined being on a team with him."

An hour after the Gamer incident, Chat made his way to the Bakery to check if I was okay. Not only had I gotten involved with the akuma attack, but I actually started it when defeating Max, a student in my class, in a video game competition at school. I guess you could say that I really screwed up this time.

Luckily, Chat saved me (again) in which I was able to transform into Ladybug and save him (again). It was a fair, ongoing cycle that he would never understand because he didn't know who Ladybug truly was.

We talked for quite a while about the akuma attack. I asked Chat what went down, even though I was there the entire time so I actually knew what happened already. But that just made it more entertaining.

"I totally could've taken him by myself, though," Chat Noir bragged, folding his arms.

"Is that so?" I asked mockingly, "You sound really ecstatic about it."

"Seriously, all Ladybug had to do was basically purify the akuma."

It took all my will power not to scoff and correct him. Excuse you! I thought, I saved your life more times than I can count! Instead of exploding my anger on him, I decided to toy with him a bit more. I took my pink, swivel chair out from under my desk and sat on it next to the couch where Chat was resting on.

"You're such a brave knight, Chaton," I sighed in fake admiration, "You save Paris almost every day with Ladybug, yet you do most of the work anyway."

"I know, right?" Chat agreed easily.

"You're much too great for Ladybug," I continued, "She should appreciate you more."

"I don't understand why she doesn't like me back!"

"You should tell her that you should be the true Ladybug because you could save Paris alone without her help."

Chat sat up and frowned at me, "I won't go that far... Wait just a minute! You never used to compliment me like this..."

I started to giggle, which turned into a huge laugh. I held my stomach at his angry face, humorous tears appearing at the side of my eyes. Chat glared and crawled towards me on the couch.

"How dare you make fun of your knight?" he said with an angry smirk.

I slowly stopped giggling, wiping the laughter from my face. Chat reached his right hand out to grab the back of my chair, leaning over me. His left hand gripped the bottom of the seat to steady himself. His knees were still touching the couch, which he was pulling me towards. I stayed still in the swivel chair, waiting for him to lean in closer. My heart beat fast, wondering what he was possibly going to do to to me and if I'd let him.

"C-chat Noir," I stuttered nervously, a soft blush appearing in my cheeks.

"MARINETTE!" Mom's voice shouted from the kitchen downstairs, "WE'RE HOME!"

I turned towards the trap door that lead downstairs, which caused the swivel chair to turn with me. Chat lost his grip and, to my horror, fell to the ground.

"Marinette," Dad called, "are you okay up there?"

I heard footsteps coming up to my room. I helped Chat Noir up quickly so that he could climb up to the balcony before Dad came.

"I-I'M OKAY!" I called back after mouthing apologies to Chat.

I pushed my swivel chair over the trap door. Dad tried opening it and asked again what the matter was.

"Uhm, girl problems!" I answered, "Just give me a minute!"

Chat smiled at me in gratitude. He saluted and jumped from my bed to the balcony before my Mom knocked on my trap door and asked me, "Do you need any help with your 'girl problems', Sweetie? Should I get anything for you?"

"Nothing!" I replied in relief.

The blush was still visible on my cheeks and my heartbeat slowly started to calm. What exactly was Chat Noir about to do to me? Tickle me, kiss me or something more...? I did not want to think further into it. I took a deep breath and pushed the pink chair away from the trap door.

***

Théo🎙

Nathaniel, the student I shared a desk with at the back of class, was drawing comics besides me. I stole glances towards his work here and there because I'm fascinated with his art, especially since he was the sculptor for Ladybug and Chat Noir's park statue. I complimented him on the comics and he shyly thanked me.

His hair kind of reminded me of a tomato, which is ironic because my father used to own a tomato farm in Spain when I was younger and he'd always say 'If you find yourself next to a potential tomato, don't forget to pick it for good use'.

I turned to the front of the class where Marinette was taking down notes like there was no tomorrow. Adrien stared at the front of the class— he was obviously day-dreaming. I caught Nathaniel staring at the front like I had at Marinette.

"You like her, don't you?" I asked him, twirling my pen in my hand.

Nathaniel blushed and looked down at his work. After a moment of silence, he answered, "I guess, yeah."

"I heard you trapped her in a box and did a whole bunch of other things..." I said, rolling with the conversation.

"I heard you chained her up," he shot back, "and a whole bunch of specific things..."

The tomato had spice. I nodded impressively and told him that he and Marinette would be a slim chance because she already liked someone else.

"Who?" Nathaniel gasped, "Someone else? Who does Marinette like?"

"What would you do if I gave you that information?"

Nathaniel did not answer. He continued drawing his comic, ignoring me completely. What would he do to Adrien if I had told him about Marinette's crush on him? Dad used to tell me to pick potential tomatoes, but he didn't mention anything about them being a possible danger to my friends. Adrien was actually starting to like me, I noticed. I did not want our growing relationship to disappear. I wanted to right my wrongs like what I did with Marinette. He was still warming up to me though— they all were— and I'd do anything to gain back the trust from people I had once lost it with.

***

"So, I'm thinking of giving Adrien a belated birthday present," I confessed to Nino, Adrien's best friend, after class.

"Dude," Nino said, "it's been months since Adrien's birthday."

"And I want to make it up to him."

Nino nodded understandingly. Adrien must have told him about how I had acted towards him a few years ago. I'm surprised both of them still trusted and believed me when I said I wanted to fix what had been broken from the past. Nino told me a few of Adrien's interests: fencing, piano, food, Chinese...

"What does Adrien really want, though?" I asked, "Like, something he never had yet which I'm able to get for him. Something so funny and unexpected..."

"Condoms?" Nino laughed in a joking manner.

I stared at him in realisation, gaping at the thought. Of course, Adrien was a virgin— I mean, I was one too— but had he ever considered...? I knew that I would probably be a very bad friend, sending condoms as a birthday present, but was it not a brilliant idea?! Adrien would be so surprised, for one, and he would get the laugh of his life once he opened it.

"Nino, you're a genius!" I said, immediately stopping him from laughing.

"What?" he questioned as I began to walk away to my ride, "No... No, Théo! I was joking!"

But I wasn't. I hopped into the limo and asked the driver to take me to the pharmacy before heading home. I wasn't being cruel. Besides, knowing Adrien, he wouldn't even use it anyway.

***

Marinette 🍪

We were all supposed to meet up at the zoo the next few days— me, Alya, Nino and Adrien! He actually asked me out (well, us out...but still)! It was super nerve-wrecking waiting for them by the zoo entrance near the benches.

"Hey, Marinette," Kim (the fastest runner in our class) and Max greeted me there.

I greeted back in a friendly manner, nervous about Adrien and when he was going to come. Kim asked if I wanted to join him and Max at the panther enclosure but I passed the offer.

Alya and I were together at the zoo; except Alya was actually hiding behind a tree nearby, communicating with me through a microchip— the things I'd do to properly have a conversation with my crush. Nino and I were in the middle of talking about his liking to Alya! I was so hyped up about it, but Alya kept screaming into the microchip, telling me to not hook her up with him.

Suddenly, Kim and Max ran past the benches we were sitting on. Kim told us to run for our lives, followed by a whole mob of animals that charged towards us. Kim had made fun of the zoo's new panther and now Animan wanted revenge. We ran and ran, until (not surprisingly) Chat Noir appeared and picked me up from the ruckus. He dropped me off in front of some nearby bushes where it was safe.

"Run to the bakery," Chat ordered worriedly, "I'll check on you later and update you on what happens. Those animals will most likely escape the zoo to the city so you need to get home quickly."

I told him I understood and that I would be safe at home the next time he saw me. Once he extended his staff and transported himself towards the Animan, I followed him soon after as Ladybug.

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

We had been running around Paris, looking for Kim who was hiding in the bakery (ugh, just my luck). We entered my home and watched as my parents comforted him and told him that everything was going to be okay. They did not recognise my true self, thankfully, and it was strange calling them 'Ma'am' and 'Sir', instead of Mom and Dad.

Everything was going fine and we were about to leave, until Mom asked us a worrying question, "Have you perhaps seen our daughter at the scene, Ladybug and Chat Noir?"

Chat Noir stopped staring at a picture frame on a shelf— the one with me and my parents taking a family photo— and turned around to my mother with a confused expression.

"Mari— I mean, your daughter's not here yet?" Chat asked worriedly.

"We hadn't seen her since she left the bakery to go to the zoo with her friend, Alya."

Chat Noir's green eyes winced and looked to the floor in disappointment...towards me. I felt my heart break a little because he actually did not look at all surprised— he just had to save me all the time. It seemed normal. That was when I realized how useless I truly was as Marinette.

As Ladybug, I was able to break iron with my bare hands, swing over buildings like it's nobody's business and save the whole of Paris in a day. My real self could not even control her shock once bread popped out of the toaster. I was a mess and even Chat knew it. His true self probably walked around, telling people how lame Marinette Dupain-Cheng was.

"Once we de-evilize the akuma," Chat promised my parents, "I'll personally be searching for your daughter."

Damn it, I thought nervously, I'm screwed this time.

***

"Ladybug!" Chat exclaimed, embracing me in a tight hug, "I thought I had lost you."

His arms were warm around my body and I could feel his hair softly brush my cheek. I enjoyed the comfort of his hug— it reminded me of when Chat and I cuddled under my glow-in-the-dark stars that were stuck on the ceiling of my room. He did not hug as hard because now he was certain that he had almost lost me earlier from being dinosaur dinner.

I reassuringly hugged back, making him quickly let go again. It felt a bit awkard afterward, but I did not mind. He cared about me; whether it be Marinette or Ladybug, Chat wanted me safe.

"Gotta go before the transformation wears off," Chat said as he pointed to his ring, "I still have one more thing to do before turning back. I'll see you soon M'lady."

"See you, Chat."

Sooner than you think. I swung myself back home with my yo-yo and transformed just before I reached the entrance to the bakery. Mom and Dad shouted my name before giving me each a big hug. Kim was still there as well. He walked up to me and asked where I'd been.

"I was r-running through the city towards home," I lied to him and my parents, "then there was this huge gorilla that blocked my way. It was really tricky getting myself out of that situation."

"Well, I really wish you were there with me and Max when I was teasing Animan," Kim admitted sadly, "You probably would have stopped me from starting this whole akuma attack in the first place."

"Maybe next time we go to the zoo," I suggested, "but I doubt I'd be able to stop you from doing anything once you've already started it."

"True," Kim laughed, "I'm a mess."

"You and me both."

I made my way up the stairs where a black cat was probably ready to knock on my trap door the second I entered my room.

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8~~ Admittance