I stared at the river below, waiting for Chat. He was late like yesterday. Yesterday. The thought sent shivers down my spine. I'd promised myself it didn't mean anything. It was only for the challenge. I'd even whispered the little mantra before pressing my lips to.... Well, the picture stirred up feelings inside of my stomach once again. Not unpleasant ones, just... different ones. New feelings. A connection, so deep I could've sworn it was meant to be.

But there's more, I thought, absently pacing down the bridge, trailing my fingers on the handrail. I wanted that. I wanted it to be a little more than just the challenge. I wanted my memories to stop holding me back, dammit. But they still did. I wondered if Chat could sense the tension when I... kissed... him. I wonder if he could feel the chain, holding me back. A tap to my shoulder sent me into a frenzy. "Pi- Chat." I said, putting a hand to my chest, trying to slow my heavy breaths.

He'd startled me, just like... Well, it didn't matter. "Listen, LB, about last night-"

"Nothing needs to be said." I stated calmly.

"No, but this does, and then we can go back to ignoring it." Chat said earnestly.

"Okay." I uneasily agreed.

"It... it doesn't change anything. It was... it was for the challenge. We're still friends, we're still cool, or whatever. I mean, it doesn't have to change anything. I'm fine with that. But if you want it to change anything, that's your call." Chat said, hands gripping my shoulders.

"Y-yeah. Okay. I-I like the sound of that." I smiled, brows knit.

"G-good. Alright." Chat removed his hands from my shoulders, letting his arms hang at his sides.

"Yeah. Alright." I smiled.

"Did you check the challenge?" Chat asked a moment later, as we embarked on our walk.

"No, not yet. Was waiting for you." I shrugged.

"Thanks, Ladybug. Innocent, I'm assuming?"

"I've been adventurous enough. But today's challenge is universal or whatever."

Today's challenge was to go shopping for clothes to clubbing. "Clubbing?" I asked, incredulous.

"Well, apparently. Have you done anything like that?" Chat asked.

"A lady does nothing of that sort!" I exclaimed, pointing a finger at the sky.

"I'm sure you can make an exception? I would love to help M'lady pick out clothes to wear. I have quite good taste, don't you know?" Chat joked, elbowing me lightly.

"Humph. Fine. But I'm not too bad at picking clothes, either. Have... Have you ever gone clubbing?" I asked, sliding my arm through Chat's bent one.

Chat snorted ungracefully. "Nope." He managed to get out between laughs.

"Why are you so amused by that?" I asked, shaking my head in disbelief.

"Oh, nothing." He said with a final hoot.

I pursed my lips in response. "This place looks promising." I remarked with a raised eyebrow, nearly ten minutes later.

"Then we shall make it fulfill it's promise!" Chat exclaimed, pulling me through the door.

The shop had rows and rows of clothes, hung up nicely or folded to a sharp crease. It smelled of time, not the worst of smells. Rompers, shirts, shorts, jackets, leggings, shoes and accessories galore, I rushed around the shop, gesturing excitedly at things and pinching fabrics. "Whoa, slow down, Ladybug! You need one outfit, not all of them." Chat remarked with a laugh, wiping a fake tear from his eye.

"But..." I said, gesturing to the space around us.

"How about you pick some outfits, I'll pick some, you try them on, and we'll decide the best." Chat compromised.

With a nod, I was launching off, pulling various fashions from the racks and holding them against myself. In the end, I picked out a pair of high waisted shorts, two crop tops, one t-shirt, and a few other pairs of shorts.

I returned to Chat, who held up a romper, and some short dresses. "Oh- do you prefer shorts and shirts? I can go get some oth-" I stopped Chat's uncharacteristic concern with a hand.

"No, no. I like dresses and rompers, too." I assured him.

"So that's what these contraptions are called." Chat said, scrutinizing the black garment.

With a laugh, I pulled the clothes from his hands and went to try them on. He'd done a good job guessing my size, what with only eye-balling me.... I decided to ignore the implications as I tried on the first dress. It was blue, straps tying at the nape of my neck. It hugged my body before flaring out near the bottom, and I dismissed it as too plain, despite modelling it to Chat.

"Hmm... no. Try one of yours next." Chat said, waving me back into the fitting rooms.

The next was a loose white cotton shirt and some black shorts. Both Chat and I decided it was a maybe, seeing as the monotone theme was interesting. I switched up into a new combination, which I didn't bother displaying.

After that, I went a little risky. Showing up dressed in a crop top and high waisted shorts was one thing, but physically modelling it to Chat was another. "Wouldn't you say that's a little revealing?" Chat asked, thoughtful.

"Clubs can get pretty hot." I said, equally as thoughtful.

"Not that you don't look good, but when have you been in a club?"

"My friend shoved me into one as a prank once. Or twice." Damn Alya.

"Uh..."

"Don't ask." I said, turning on my heel and prancing back into the change room.

Next I was pulling on the romper, a single-strapped number, simple and black. It bunched up right above my hips, the strap sweeping up onto my left shoulder. "What do you think?" I asked, swiveling in front of Chat, who perked up at the sight of me.

"Ahem... yes. Let's put that in the yes pile." Chat said, pressing his mouth into a firm line while holding up a thumb.

"The sole occupant." I laughed, going to change into the final garment.

It was a dress, black and short. The sleeves ended halfway down my upper arms with a big cut-out revealing my shoulders. The dress itself was like the romper: strap nestled right above my hips. "I like this one." I said, very literally strutting out of my changing room.

"I like this one, too." Chat said, taking me in softly.

"Problem solved, then?" I asked innocently.

"Y-yes." Chat said, catching himself as he sat upright.

I changed back and made a beeline for the cashier, reaching into my pocket for my wallet. I stopped short when Chat held out his phone, the challenge phone, the same kind of one I had tucked into my pocket, and the cashier glanced at it before bagging the item and handing me a receipt. "Did you just pay?" I hissed.

"No, the clothes are on the challenge committee." Chat said, showing me the image on his screen.

It was a pass to any shop in the district. "Oh." I said, realization dawning.

We left that store, arms intertwined again. Next we ended up at a store for men's clothing as we struggled to find appropriate clubbing clothes. "You know what, I'll surprise you." Chat said, pulling us from the shop.

"Oh... okay. But how will I find you whenever this clubbing thing is?" I asked, concern lacing my voice.

I did not want to be alone in a sweaty, dark, loud club. "I'll find you." Chat winked.

Our arms fell loosely from one another, the dreaded location of Love Lock reached. The moon shone brightly above us, casting shadows over the structure. "Until we meet again, then." I stated.

"I guess so." Chat said.

We fell silent after that, staring at each other as the cold bit at our faces. "Would now be an inappropriate time to kiss you?" Chat asked.

I would have lied if I said I didn't [kind of] want to kiss Chat. "I don't suppose it would. It wouldn't change anything, it wouldn't change us?" I whispered, my voice carrying across the area.

"I don't suppose it would." Chat agreed softly.

Despite my voiced worries, the atmosphere didn't change. The feeling didn't go away. It didn't fizzle away. I waited for it to go, but it didn't. I was compelled to quench the feeling as soon as possible. So after a heartbeat, I was about to lunge forwards to Chat. He beat me there, neck bent as he tried to drop a few inches for me to reach. I pushed up on my toes, hands resting on his shoulders.

Pulling back, our breath mingled, noses brushing. Chat smelled like cologne. And something else, something distinctly Chat. I blinked, the feeling in my gut only somewhat at peace. "And neither would this?" I asked again, pressing to Chat's lips again.

"Not if you don't want it to." He said after we parted.

"I must be headed home." I replied.

"I must send you on your way then, M'lady." Chat breathed out lightly.

Just as it seemed that was it, those were all the fireworks for tonight, Chat pushed his lips against mine again, and my body curled up against his, and my hands wound into his messy blonde hair. A moment later, gasping for breath, we parted with a finality. Turning in sync, we walked off to our respective homes.

---{-}---

I woke up the next morning, hair in a tangled mess around my head, shivering. My blanket had managed to fall straight from my loft bed, landing on the floor below. I was about to join it, leg and arm dangling off the side as I tried to blink sleep from my eyes. I jolted, realizing that last night was not a dream, I had been that desperate, I had indeed sucked Chat's face, perfectly aware of actions.

Did I regret it? Not really, no. Did my racing heart? Yes. "Marinette, let's go!" My mom called from my door, peeking her head through.

"Oh, yeah, sorry, Maman!" I said, hopping from my bed and to the floor below, something I hadn't expected to hurt nearly so much.

My ankles buckled as I landed, forcing me to land on my bottom. "Are you alright?" Mom asked, a hand going to her mouth in surprise.

"Yes!" I said, springing up.

"Kids these days." She muttered, disappearing down the ladder.

I rushed to get ready, skipping the shower as I pulled my hair into somewhat presentable pigtails. "Gotta go, love you bye!" I called, sliding down my ladder and high-tailing it out of my house.

I caught my father's hurried goodbye before jetting out the door and running across the street, barely avoiding a car. I was surprisingly early that morning, managing to slide into class just as the other students began sitting down. Like any other Wednesday, I passed notes to Alya, stared at the back of Adrien's perfect head,  filled out worksheets and daydreamed.

The day passed by slowly, as though purposefully holding me and only me until I could be released to the comfort of my home. But once that happened, I faced another problem: trying to remain calm as I messaged Chat, praying he didn't bring up the previous night. After we had set up a meeting time, however, the feeling from before was back, gnawing at my stomach. What was it? It wasn't foreign; the feeling had flooded my systems before. But it had been so long I couldn't name it. It wasn't until I turned my mind to what had brought the feeling up in the first place that I recalled the name.

Lust.

===

AN

====

Ok HIiiiiiiii

Thank you @Chat-Noir_13 for the clubbing suggestion! It was so creative! The next challenge to grace this story is also a suggestion from another reader/user, and I will dedicate them next chapter!

As a reminder, I DONUT CHECK MY NOTIFICATIONS SORRY.

And feel free to discuss YLIA. I like it. The sound of my heart being torn out excites me. No it doesn't. Wait. What.

OKAY SO DO YOU LIKE WHAT I DID THERE? HAHA! YOU SEE WHAT I DID THERE? WITH THEIR HEARTS?

Ladybug/Marinette & Adrien/Chat: 

Me:

I'm sure we're used to profanity at this point so I ain't even gonna apologize.

DOLLY OW-UT!

(luv u bby)