Flashback Cutscene: Flirting

9 years and 11 months earlier...

"Okay, okay. Here's one for flirting with Lady Wifi. Are you wi-fi? Cause I'm totally feeling a connection."

Ladybug laughed so hard, the water she was currently drinking almost flew out of her nose. Her hand covered her mouth as she tried to look a little less like an idiot, and not cover Adrien in the fluid currently in her mouth. She'd have to remember that one to tell Alya.

"That's a good one! Cheesy but good." She reached forward with her other hand and grabbed a napkin, dabbing it against both her mouth and her nose. If she had been 'Marinette' at the moment she was quite sure her face would have quite conveniently camouflaged with her suit.

"How about you? Which akuma would you flirt with?"

"Personally, I wouldn't flirt with an akuma, however, I have got one for Gamer. If you were a Transformer you'd be Optimus Fine!"

Adrien snorted and started shaking his head. "That doesn't even work. He's not even a transformer!"

"He looks like one though, give me that."

"Fine! But only because you attempted to flirt. You really aren't a natural, are you?"

"I can flirt," she defended herself. "When I need to."

She knew he didn't believe a word of it, she didn't either. When the best way she could flirt with Adrien included her being decked out in a polka dotted catsuit – she definitely wasn't a natural.

They continued to eat their way through the snacks in front of them as they watched the top 50 akumas programme on Adrien's TV. Good old Saturday night viewing.

"Where's Marinette tonight?" Ladybug asked.

He started to laugh as he turned to face her. "You're not going to believe this, but her parents have told her she needs to have a break from me. They've told her she can't expect me to be there all the time, that I have my own life to live too." He rolled his eyes, but the dancing glistening inside them left nothing to the imagination.

"You like that she's clingy, don't you?" laughed Ladybug, Adrien joining in joyfully.

"She's not clingy at all. If anything, I'm the clingy one. I love that she likes to spend time with me. I'd move in with her now if I was allowed."

"Really?" Ladybug couldn't help her jaw dropping. She knew he enjoyed spending time with her as much as she did him, but sometimes she thought he was just being his usual polite self. The warmth spread through her lighting up her insides as she considered what it would be like to spend every waking hour with Adrien, basking in the extent of his words and his love. She was so lucky to have him. If only the guilt would shrivel up and go.

"You know when you just click with someone, that's how it is with her. She's amazing in every single way. From the way she's always late or oversleeping, to her kindness and her hugs." He smiled and looked down into his drink. "She gives the best hugs ever."

"I'm glad you're so happy, Adrien."

"The happiest I've ever been in my life."

*****

Level 2 - Drawing Inspiration

Present Day...

"You know, it's not going to play itself right?" Marinette looked over at Luka as she lazed back on the recliner on the apartment's balcony. She was dressed like a 50's pin up, yet her feelings were more like a 50's horror movie.

The sun was blazing down on her face, only a large floppy hat and sunglasses to protect her from the harmful rays of the summer sun against her pale, porcelain skin. It had been a long night, sleep eluding her as the constant vision of Aurore laying over Chat Noir's back encroached on her sleep. Everytime she closed her eyes the cold, golden statue of her partner transformed — leaving his handsome mature face dripping with red rivers and eyes as glassy as the tv personalities.

Aurore wasn't the only thing playing on her mind though. The sudden face to face with her partner had rattled her more than she'd like to admit. He was still angry with her, something she shouldn't have really been surprised about even after all these years.

Wearing her sunglasses at least covered the purple hues tinting around her eyes, and even though Luka had been a constant pain in her backside checking on her, she couldn't help but feel comfort in having someone other than Alya to talk to. Someone who validated her feelings and gave her some sort of encouragement and advice.

"Give me a break," Luka laughed. "I've been struggling with this for weeks to the point where I don't even know if I want to do this for Max anymore."

Marinette shrugged. "This game seems to be driving everyone crazy. Nathaniel's constantly on my back to check out the drawings of the characters and the scenes, you're doing the music with Nino mixing it and even Félix is funding it. It's crazy!"

Luka strummed a couple of chords on the guitar before stopping and looking inside the apartment. She knew exactly what he was doing and prepared herself for the question. "How are you doing, M?"

She shrugged, keeping her head towards the sky. Positively shit! Over the past 24 hours she had vomited multiple times, fell asleep at the dinner table, and been pushed to the side by her partner; the one she hadn't seen in almost a decade. She was perfect... absolutely fucking perfect.

Instead she said, "About the same as when I texted you last night."

"I take it that it's still frosty between the two of you then."

She shrugged again, before sighing. There was no point trying to hide this from Luka, the guy was too perceptive. Even if she didn't tell him the whole truth it would only take him a look, and a strum on his guitar strings to figure it all out.

"Well, let's just say we aren't handing out 'Welcome Back' cards to each other."

Luka looked at her like she was a frail, little puppy, obviously deciding what he was going to say next. He played a couple of chords before speaking again. "And what exactly would a card like that say?"

"Dear Kitty Cat, sorry for ruining our partnership over being a bitch, but you could have at least given me the decency to hang around and chat to me. Yours truly, Bugaboo."

Marinette turned her head to look at Luka, his expression exactly as she'd expected. He looked somewhere between laughing and crying. "Sorry," she replied, "I don't know what's wrong with me lately. I just get so agitated."

Luka played a few more chords again, wincing as the sound of the instrument played two or three notes off key. "It's okay. It's not good to hold that sort of thing in. Though, I never knew a person so tiny could get so angry. What will you say to him when you next see him?"

"Can we please change the conversation? I'm getting a headache just thinking about it."

Happily continuing with tuning his guitar Luka laughed. "I suppose I could ask if you've been asked to beta the game yet?"

"No I haven't," Marinette huffed.

"But I have," Adrien walked out the floor to ceiling bifold doors with a tray of drinks and placed them on the table.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Marinette yelled, snatching her juice from the tray and downing half of it.

Adrien looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Slow down there, girl."

She giggled. "Sorry, I'm just really thirsty today. I don't know why?"

"Is that so?" Luka joked with a wink before turning back to his guitar.

With a bark of laughter, Adrien stood and made his way over to his piano just inside the doors. Lifting the lid on the baby grand, he cracked his knuckles before starting to play.

Marinette lazed into the recliner and closed her eyes, there was something always so soothing when he played the piano, it was effortless and emotional. She loved to hear him so much that she requested a personalised ringtone from him, the one he was playing at that moment actually. The composition was known as 'Ladybug's theme'.

He hadn't played this since she'd last visited him as Ladybug almost a decade ago, the sudden reprisal causing her to frown. Had her return caused this?

"This is cool, Adrien. Isn't this what you had as your ringtone when we were 14?" Luka asked Marinette, her eyes glaring into him, hoping he got the message to watch what he was saying.

"It's a beautiful tune, and I happened to like Ladybug — at the time," she stated. Luka knew she'd asked for it to flatter her ego, Adrien on the other hand just thought she was a fan. But when someone writes you a song — especially if that someone's Adrien Agreste — then you need to bask in the glory for a while.

"Though not as much as Chat Noir," Luka jested, strumming down on his guitar before taking up similar chords to Adrien and playing along with him.

If Marinette had thought the song was beautiful with just Adrien's piano playing she was sorely mistaken. The added sounds of Luka's acoustic guitar made her body settle in a way it hadn't in 24 hours.

"Any chance I could use this in the game, for Ladybug's theme tune?" Luka's words hit on dead ears as Marinette turned her head to watch Adrien's next move.

His fingers stumbled on the keys, the clang off putting and harsh.

"Sorry," he said, closing the lid of the piano before moving away from the instrument and heading to sit beside Marinette.

She could tell he was shaking. A thin film of sweat coating his forehead as he sat up straight.

"Are you okay?" she asked, placing a hand on his leg and giving him a comforting squeeze.

"Yeah," he said, shuffling around in his seat.

Her hand fell beside them and out of contact. "Just, I don't know, that tune is so personal to me, and after everything that happened I don't know if I want it being played so openly. I don't even know what came over me to play it now."

Marinette stiffened beside him. It wasn't very often he mentioned Ladybug and she knew full well he wasn't one of her greatest fans, a partial reason for her not transforming as much over the past couple of years. She understood his frustration, and she'd tried to be there for him as much as she could – as Marinette at least.

"How are you dealing with Aurore's death, Adrien?" Luka asked.

"I didn't know her as well as people think I did. We spoke to each other at a couple of events in our teen years, and I helped her out of sticky situations a couple of times, but not enough to say we were friends. I sent some flowers though. It's horrible to think she was murdered." Adrien looked at Marinette, eyebrow raised and a pleading look on his face.

"I promised I'd let you and Nino know when I got to the bakery, and work, and anywhere else! Alya's freaking out over the sudden need for bodyguards."

"We're just worried about our friends, though Alix did tell me in less polite terms to 'fuck off'."

"And how do you both feel about the return of Paris' mighty heroes?" Luka continued strumming random chords as he asked them the question. Marinette glared at him, contemplating throwing her now empty glass at his head. He was keeping his head down low and Marinette knew it was to ignore any attack she would throw at him.

Adrien shrugged nonchalantly. "I suppose they were needed so they came back. I doubt after so much time living a normal, fun life they'd want to come back into all that shit."

Luka laughed as he placed his guitar down and grabbed his drink from the tray. "Oh come on, I bet they missed each other."

Marinette shifted her position in an attempt to mask her discomfort. Adrien noticed anyway, coming to the right conclusion but for the wrong reason.

"Not as much as Marinette missed Chat Noir," Adrien said with a smile, pushing his shoulder into Marinette's and almost sending her toppling off the recliner.

"Back in our teens you would have been very happy to have Ladybug back," she retorted.

He shrugged at her, sipping his own drink and staring off into the distance. "I've grown up a lot since the days when I found her attractive."

"Oh, so you don't think she's attractive, then?" Marinette questioned, turning to look at him quizzically. She wasn't sure why she'd asked? Maybe she just needed a little bit of an ego stroke after the evening's events with Chat Noir.

"I'm a married man now, there's only one woman who does it for me." He smirked with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Marinette rolled her eyes as Luka barked out laughing.

"What about you, Marinette? Glad to have your hall pass back?"

Adrien barked out a laugh as Marinette growled at her friend. "I told you that in confidence, Couffaine."

"Oops. You were also only 14, Dupain-Cheng."

"I suppose you form a bit of an attachment to a hero, when you make out with one at such a young age." Adrien raised his glass and Marinette was contemplating throwing one of them off the balcony. Bloody idiots! She wished that Kagami was here, that way she wouldn't have been outnumbered by idiot males. Yes! She did just think that!

"She made out with Chat Noir? When?" Luka looked at her gobsmacked. Yes, she had made out with Chat Noir, and no, she did not regret it! To be honest if super identities hadn't got in the way there's a chance she would have gotten with him instead of Adrien.

"About a week before we started dating."

Luka gasped at Adrien's revelation. "Marinette! I didn't know you had it in you."

"You know what made it worse?" Adrien continued, Luka leaning in to get closer to the conversation. "It took her about 16 dates to kiss me, yet she kissed him on the first date."

"How do you know all of this?" Luka asked, looking between the two. Marinette could feel her face heat up to such a degree she thought she was going to melt.

"Marinette had gone out with the girls, got drunk and then called me letting me know all the details about how she almost ended up with Chat Noir and that if it wasn't for the secret identities, and Ladybug, she would have mounted him on her balcony there and then. 18 year old, hammered Marinette did not hold back the details. I still don't know why she'd randomly called me in the middle of the night, especially as it was just before my final exam."

"I did not say that!" she hissed at Adrien, the blond only laughing in response.

"I have video evidence if you need to see it! It was a FaceTime call."

Marinette's mouth opened and closed, words unable to form as she considered what Adrien had just said. There was no way he had a video of that night, is there? He just couldn't. Adrien leaned forward, his hand clearly reaching towards his back pocket with a clear intention to get his phone when Marinette's started vibrating against the small, iron, patio table.

Saved by the bell!

As she lifted the object she noticed the number had appeared as unknown. Slightly apprehensive about who might be on the other side, Marinette moved away to the edge of the balcony to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Marinette, it's me, Nathaniel."

Letting out a sigh, she closed her eyes and relaxed. She'd been on edge since yesterday, every single noise affecting her more than she'd like to admit. It was one thing dealing with magical beings but this was different. This was literally life or death – no Miraculous Ladybug's to cure the scene. And since the umbrella was the exact copy of the one she'd received all those years ago from Adrien, she had no doubt the killer knew her identity and most certainly wanted her to know it.

"Hey, Nath. How are you?"

"I'm good. I was actually calling to see if you're free at all this afternoon. Max wants some redesigns on the game but I just can't get my head around it."

Marinette sighed again. Seriously, this game was sending them all crazy. How was anyone meant to get any of their own work done when this side project was taking over their lives? She loved Max, she really did, but this was crazy. And no, it wasn't because she hadn't been asked to beta the game yet.

She glanced down at her watch. There wasn't too much happening today so she was sure she could spend a little time helping out, it had been a while since she'd flexed her creative abilities.

"Sure, just give me an hour and I'll be over. Your hotel okay?"

Silence was heard on the other end of the phone, followed by some shuffling. "Oh - um - would it be okay to meet in a café somewhere, it's just the room is a bit of a mess at the moment."

"I hope everything's okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just have a lot going on now, is all. So, how about the café near your parents place?"

"Opposite the park?" Marinette gulped. The thought of the park again sending a wave of nausea through her. "Yeah sure, I'll see you in about an hour then. I'll bring my sketch pad," she said, unable to think of a valid reason not to meet there.

Saying their goodbyes over the phone, Marinette walked back to where Adrien and Luka were talking in hushed tones. As she got nearer, the two guys jumped away from each other and 'tried' to look inconspicuous — failing miserably. They really were useless.

"Sorry guys, but I'm going to have to love you and leave you."

Kissing them both on the cheek, she headed back through the lounge and to the front door Adrien shouting after her.

"I thought we were having brunch?"

Placing on her shoes, she grabbed her back from the side table, quickly glancing at the photograph sitting there.

"Sorry Agreste, I've had a better offer," she shouted back. Turning from the photograph and signalling Tikki to jump in. Heading out the door, she left Adrien and Luka to continue with the music, gutted she wouldn't be getting the freshly made croissants too.

*****

An hour later, Marinette was sitting in the café with Nathaniel opposite her. He looked frazzled. His hair was a mess, his eyes were outlined with a red rim, and dark purple cupped them underneath.

"How much sleep have you been getting?" Marinette asked, Nathaniel taking a long swig of his very black coffee before answering.

"Not enough," he replied. He grabbed his sketchpad from his bag and slammed it on the table in front of Marinette. "Max has asked for a couple of the scenes in the game to be changed and, as he's about to release a preview of the game to those signed up,there's a very tight schedule to get this done."

Nathaniel flicked through the pages, each filled with mini comics and brainstorms of ideas. It seemed like a lot of work was going into this project. Each design was fully coloured and mesmerising, but something caught her attention.

"Wait!" Marinette almost shouted, placing her hand out and in between the pages as he continued to turn through them. "Go back."

He gazed at her suspiciously, the pages of the book now on her hand and burying it deeply inside.

"W-w-why?" he asked. A slight tremble in his voice. He looked uncomfortable. Marinette studied his face as a nervous sheen began to collect on his forehead.

"Why won't you show me?" she replied, questioning him.

As he swallowed down a lump, Marinette watched him look around the room and out of the window before bringing his attention back to her.

"Please," she said with a begging tone in her voice.

They stopped and stared at each other, Marinette realising that Nathaniel was thinking about what to do. His head began to nod and he turned the pages back to where her hand was trapped inside.

Her heart began to beat rapidly, a slight churn in her stomach as the pages fell back one by one until she could see her bare flesh.

With a slight tremble, she moved her hand out of the way. A picture of the Ladybug and Chat Noir statue drawn in detail on the page gorgeously mocking her. It was beautifully drawn and shaded. The sky reflected a dark, dreary day as rain splashed against the smooth edges of the bronze icon where water droplets were expelling from the rounded edges of the statue, but there was just something different. She looked at every detail: line, shade, background, but couldn't see anything that seemed wrong to the eye. However, there was an odd feeling in her stomach. One she'd learned, over the years, not to ignore. It seemed so similar to...

"I know it's not good. I don't know what's happening to me Marinette, I just don't seem to be able to do this anymore. I need your help."

She looked between the sketchpad and the panic stricken look on her friends face and let out a chuckle.

"I'm sorry," she said, her hand coming up to her head and rubbing over her eyes. "I think I'm just paranoid."

He looked at her strangely before his eyes suddenly widened. "Damn, sorry, I forgot." He shut the book abruptly, pulling it off the table and placing it back into his bag."I bet you saw something yesterday and I just waved it in front of your face. I'm sorry Marinette."

Wait, did he know that she was... The thought died before it was even finished. He was there yesterday. They'd both stood on the balcony, looking down into the park. That's what he must have meant.

Not wanting to look too crazy, Marinette kept the laugh of relief buried deeply inside. She was really going insane. If she wasn't careful she'd be dressed up in a white jacket and carted off to somewhere to keep herself safe. Nathaniel didn't know anything. This was all an unlucky coincidence.

"No, no, it's okay. It's not that." She grabbed her own notebook and her pencil and smiled at him. "So tell me, what do you need to design?"