Leading Adrien into his building was quite a challenge without the additional strength of her super suit. He wasn't exactly a small guy, and his height just made it all the more difficult. The temptation to transform into Ladybug and scoop him in her arms was overwhelming, and only the thought of Chat Noir finding out stopped her from going through with the plan. She'd never upset her partner in that way again. The next and only person to find out who she was would be him — without a doubt.

After the wonderful display of Brazil hip swinging and top class break dancing, Adrien had stumbled into the locker room to grab his items from his locker, exiting out like an old Granny with a false hip. If Marinette wasn't so worried, she would have laughed. Instead, she stepped up as Adrien's girlfriend/not girlfriend and walked him out of there. His ridiculously heavy gym bag balancing over one shoulder, her arm supporting him with the other.

Adrien attempted to move, sounding like a wild banshee as he twisted to the side. "Could you grab my keys from my back pocket please?"

"Ass pocket? I mean — back pocket? You want my hand on your butt, back... my hand on your back?"

Adrien chuckled which abruptly turned into a groan. "This really hurts!"

Marinette couldn't help the giggle that passed through her lips. He really had over done it, his head to head with Frederick ending with him injured and now being manhandled into his apartment by a woman half his size. "You could have stopped, you know? You didn't have to keep going."

"Of course I did," he stopped, causing Marinette to abruptly stop beside him. "I couldn't let the Lady think so lowly of me."

Her heart flipped and she wasn't sure whether it was Adrien's obvious flirting or the use of Chat Noir's term of endearment for her. Her stomach felt like a cheap washing machine, one about to short circuit and crash. Just like her brain.

She chuckled and moved her hand behind him aiming to grab the keys from his lower back pocket as instructed. "I'd never think lowly of you, Adrien, I thought you would have known that by now."

Marinette continued to search for the keys, her palm very much in an area that made her hand twitch. If she just... no! She needed to keep her head clear. Adrien was injured and she was the one who was going to get him to the safety of his apartment. Squeezing his butt was not part of this plan.

"I know you wouldn't, but if you could stop groping my ass and get the keys out that would be very much appreciated."

With a little squeak, Marinette removed her hand from his back pocket, keys dangling from her fingers. "Sorry," she said, her face the shade of red only seen in the centre of a volcano, the heat matching too. Obviously the over thinking had directed her hand to move, her subconsciousness wanting her to grab a feel and her fingers complying... How barbaric!

"It's okay," he said. His face attempted to morph into a smile. "I can't say I didn't enjoy it."

His off handed remark had her melting on the spot. She was sure he was trying to kill her.

Adrien directed Marinette to the elevator, pressing the button and leaning over her for balance as they waited.

"Thank you," Adrien said, looking down to Marinette. "You didn't need to do this, but I'm not going to lie, I'm really happy you're here with me right now."

She pulled up her big girl panties (metaphorically, of course) and decided to — just for once — be in control of her situation with Adrien. It was so blatantly obvious he was flirting with her and she'd been waiting years for this to happen. Grasping on with both hands, she attempted to stop the full body quiver and consider her next move...

"Are you trying to get a massage off me?" She looked up to him, attempting to raise one eyebrow and entice him into the conversation. She wanted him to flirt back, she wanted him to confirm that she wasn't imagining things and that he hadtaken a liking to her.

"Maybe. Although, now we're on the conversation, I would like to know what I need to do to make sure that happens. I'm feeling sore, and knowing how good you are at crafting with your hands, I'm sure they could do just the job."

And just like that... every blood vessel in Marinette's face threatened to explode. She was now 100% sure he was flirting with her and from what she could gather, he was enjoying her flirting with him. As she prepared to say something undeniably witty, yet sexy, the sound of the elevator doors opening stopped her in her tracks. The ding was the biggest mood killer she'd ever known, the high pitched noise killing the mood more than video killed the radio star.

With a little cough, Marinette encouraged Adrien to move once more, taking them both into the elevator.

"What floor?" Her voice came out reminiscent of a chipmunk, with a quick cough and a lick of her lips she attempted again. "What floor?" She sounded like a butch old man this time, someone Marinette was certain Adrien wouldn't want massaging him.

"Are you okay? Let's get you upstairs and to a glass of water. I completely forgot to check you were okay in all the madness. You should have said. We could have stopped on the way back here." There he was again, Mr Perfect Adrien Agreste. Self sacrificial at any opportunity.

She shook her head. Looking at him and letting a slow and steady smile stretch her lips. "I'm fine. Just something stuck in my throat."

Quite sure the action hadn't met her eyes, she took the opportunity to move towards the buttons, keeping her eyes placed somewhere that wasn't Adrien Agreste. "Which floor?" she asked again, her hand stretching out towards the dull buttons just waiting to be lit.

"Oh, um, four." Adrien's stutter was out of character for such a charismatic guy.

Peering over her shoulder, she noticed his cheeks had turned a precious pink and his own eyes were looking up at the numbers as they began to flicker with the movement of the shaft.

"You don't have to stay if you don't want to." Adrien moved his arm from her shoulders, a hiss of pain leaving his lips as he backed up towards the back wall.

Without a moment's hesitation, she stepped towards him and looped an arm around his waist. She wanted to be here with him – for him – and she was going to make sure he understood that. "I'm not going anywhere until I know you're comfortable."

Using her other hand, she grabbed his arm once more and laid it over her shoulders. She looked up to Adrien and smiled, wanting him to know she was here and she wasn't going anywhere.

"Are you sure? I don't want to put you out. I'm sure there are better things for you to be doing than taking care of a 19 year old wannabe gymnast.."

"Adrien, stop," she giggled, "It's fine. I like being with you and I want to help you. So, let's get you into your apartment, lay you down and I'll see what I can do for you."

A chuckle escaped his lips. "Don't make a promise you can't keep, Marinette."

Looking into his eyes, her arm pulled him that little bit closer to her as she was swept up into the moment — and into him. She could feel herself stretch up onto her toes, her lips aiming for his smooth cheek as she pressed a gentle kiss against his skin. Her eyes closed as she moved back down onto her toes.

Marinette could feel the intense beating of her heart in her throat, her stomach twisting into intricate knots as she considered what might happen once they escape the confines of the elevator. The atmosphere was thick with unlabelled tension, a tension Marinette was sure would break her if not relieved.

"Who said I couldn't keep it?" Her new found confidence filled her with joy, his widening eyes only adding to the intense feeling in her heart.

Adrien's smile combined perfectly with the sparkling mischief in his eyes, a brightness so wonderful she wanted to bottle it up and sell it. She could feel herself pushing up onto her toes, Adrien bending slightly and she knew his main aim was for her lips.

"Owwww!" Adrien's groan shattered the tension, the intense desire to kiss him being broken by the signal of pain and putting her priorities back in order. She didn't want her first kiss with Adrien to be linked to severe pain. It needed to be romantic and heartfelt... and preferably not in a public elevator.

She lowered back down onto her heels and repositioned herself to make sure she was supporting Adrien. She looked at his face, watching as he screwed his eyes shut and took deep, slow breaths – each aiming to fill his lungs with air and push past the pain. Marinette glanced up, catching the elevator move from level 3 to 4 and prepared them for the doors to open.

She spun the keys around her finger, catching them in her palm before looking at her friend. "Come on, let's get you home."

"Can you carry me?" he said, opening one eye to look at her. "It's really painful to walk."

"I don't think so, Adrien," Marinette laughed, guiding him out and along the corridor. "What number?" she asked, looking to the left and the right as she waited for his answer.

"467," he responded, his words coming out stained and tense. An exact match to his body.

She turned them to the left and began to walk slowly, Adrien's arm remaining around her neck as she supported his waist and moved down the corridor at a slow and steady pace.

The building was beautiful. The walls were bare brick with artwork scattered sporadically; the steampunk lighting and doors only added to the overall eye-catching aesthetics of the building.

"This is gorgeous." Her voice came out breathy and inspired, her eyes not being able to catch enough of a glimpse.

"I was pretty fond of it. My father, of course, was not."

Marinette couldn't control the snicker that left her lips as Adrien brought up his father. "How is the big, bad boss man?"

"Still big and bad; though, now that comes complete with pancakes."

"Plain?" she questioned, knowing full well Gabriel Agreste had no idea how his son liked his pancakes.

Adrien laughed, stopping Marinette in front of his doorway and taking the keys out of her hand. "I think we've been through every fruit now. He also tried making them savoury and, believe it or not, with Nutella."

"Nutella?" Marinette gasped in shock. "Sacrilege!"

The door opened and Adrien handed the keys back to Marinette, pushing the door open and leading them both inside.

...and if Marinette thought the building was impressive, it had nothing on Adrien's apartment. As clean cut and modern Adrien was from his time spent modelling, his apartment was rustic and homely. The high, bare walls were decorated with film and album posters, including a framed copy of the CD she'd signed for him all those years ago.

Photographs of Adrien and his friends spread along the walls. Pictures of him with Kagami, Kitty Section, the gang and even ones of just him and her.

The kitchen looked well used and loved too, the breakfast bar hosting an array of different fruits and a singular place set out for dining. It was wonderful, yet at the same time she couldn't help but wonder if Adrien felt lonely.

He'd been cooped up in the mansion for most of his life, and even though there was his father, Nathalie and Gorilla nearby he'd pretty much lived alone. Marinette couldn't help but wonder if Adrien would prefer someone else to be here with him. Someone to share housework with, to greet him when he returned home from university, someone to vent to and watch crappy movies with. Someone like...

"Are you okay?" Adrien asked, drawing Marinette's attention away from the apartment and towards the man standing beside her, the man who didn't deserve to spend any more time alone.

She needed to tell him. To let him know, tonight, that she was here and she wanted to be a prominent person in his life; someone he could share his time and memories with. She was disappointed with herself for not visiting him here sooner.

"Yeah, I'm fine. This place is lovely."

"So you said," Adrien laughed, the noise turning from one of joy to one of pain.

"Come on superstar," Marinette giggled, "let's get you into the bath."

"Is this pay back from when I saw you last week?"

"I wasn't going to — I mean I wouldn't say I didn't want to see — Phew — is it getting hot in here?" Marinette stuttered, her face heating up with the implications of what Adrien might have meant and the idea of what he was hinting at. She used her hands to fan her face before pulling herself back together and putting all her attention in the job at hand.

Adrien in the bath... naked!

Her face once again exploded with the perfect complexion for a fire engine. Making sure he didn't catch wind of her obvious embarrassment, she hooked his arm over her shoulders once more and led him to the sofa; her face keeping clear of his eyeline.

"So," she began, helping him to sit down on one of the lazy boys, one where she couldn't sit beside him, because if she hit that proximity at this precise moment there would be no turning back.

"Is the bath in your bedroom?" she asked, only to want to shrivel up at mentioning that specific room. Adrien's bedroom. She didn't know how she would stand if she had to enter there... though a slight plaguing in the back of her mind told her she wouldn't ever want to come back out.

"No, it's just a shower in the en-suite, the bath is down the hall."

"I'll be right back." She stood up in a hurry and scooted herself down the hall in search for the bathroom, closing the door firmly behind her when she'd located the room. Slamming her back against the door, she let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes.

She was doing this to help her friend.

Her friend who she loved... in more than a friendly way. Dammit! Time and time again Adrien Agreste just welcomed himself in and stole her heart, and being with him here as he was so obviously flirting with her, well, she had no idea how to behave. This was an unknown and scary territory to be in.

She moved forwards, heading for the cupboards and searching through, trying to ignore some of his more personalproducts as she looked for any type of bath salt. A red blur flew past her and into the cupboard, her little friend returning with a bottle of muscle soak bath salts.

Silently mouthing a thank you to the kwami, Marinette turned her attention to the freestanding bathtub complete with iron claws; leaning over the edge she pushed the plug securely down and turned the taps.

"He literally has everything I want," Marinette said to Tikki, turning on the bath and pouring in the multi sized , blue rocks.

"Does that include him as well?" Tikki giggled, Marinette turning her head to look at her magical friend.

"I don't need to answer that." She dropped Tikki a wink, putting her hand under the water to check the temperature and messing with the facets. She was so tempted to strip herself down and clamber in herself.

Swishing the water around, Marinette was satisfied with the production of bubbles and moved back out the bathroom and into the lounge — snatching a hand towel on the way. She stopped to wipe her hands dry, watching Adrien attempt to get comfortable. His pained eyes met hers with a pathetic attempt at a smile.

"Sorry I'm such a crap host," he said, groaning as he shifted his weight once more.

Marinette placed the towel on the kitchen counter before walking over to Adrien and helping him sit up. "You might be a rubbish host, but your apartment's nice so I might make up for your inhospitably by having a nosey around when you're in the bath."

"You're not going home then?" he asked, a wistful look in his eyes.

"Nope," she said, "I'm going to be your knight in shining armour and make sure you get to bed safely and comfortably." A sudden flash back to Marc and Nathaniel's story from years ago played in her mind. She'd have to let them know that she had finally rescued the damsel in distress; though not quite in the way they had all expected.

"Well, help yourself to whatever you want." Adrien smiled and she couldn't help but wonder what he'd say if she asked for him?

"Thanks, now let's get you into the bathroom." She wrapped his arm around his shoulders and stood him up, moving him in the direction she'd just come from.

"I think if you're going to flirt with me, Ms. Dupain-Cheng, I think you'll find it's the bedroom you should want to take me to."

"Come on Casanova," she laughed, "you can flirt once your muscles are relaxed."

Adrien chuckled, taking steps slowly one at a time. "Is that an invitation to make a move when I get out of the bath?" he asked, the humour in his voice sandwiching the seriousness of the conversation.

"One thing at a time, Adrien." Her heart was racing as she led him towards the bathroom, this was getting far too real, far too fast.

Opening the bathroom door she led him in. "I'll just hang around in the lounge in case you need me." Watching your 60 inch 4K tv, she thought, just imagining how amazing Finding Nemo would look on it.

"Okay." He smiled back, reaching out to grab her hand before she could exit. "Thank you," he said again, his eyes glittering with gratefulness, "it really means a lot, you being here." He let go, the smile remaining on his face as she joined in with her own.

"You're welcome." She turned away and stepped over the threshold, Adrien calling her back once more.

"Oh, and one more thing. If you want to, you could always use the shower in my room. There's spare towels in the closet and I have some sweats in my drawers if you want to borrow anything. Like I said, help yourself to whatever you want." He closed the door, his smile never leaving his lips as his eyes never left hers. A fluttering, fuzzy, warm feeling engulfed her body, latching onto her with a vice-like grip.

In a daze, she made her way back through the main living area and in the direction of Adrien's room. He hadn't given her a grand tour, but considering there were only two doors off the open plan living space — one being the room she'd just left — she was quite certain that's where this door would open up to.

Marinette took a deep breath and placed her hand on the chrome door handle. This was it. In the next three seconds she would be fulfilling one of her teenage fantasies — to be freely invited into Adrien Agreste's bedroom. Although, circumstances in her developing teenage brain were a lot different to just popping in to use his shower. It included heated make-outs and... well... she was a developing teenage girl with a rather impressive crush.

Pressing down, the handle clicked and the door opened; Marinette Dupain-Cheng was about to enter no man's land.

Stepping in gradually, Tikki flew in front of her and found the light stitch, turning it on and igniting the room. Marinette looked around and, in all honesty, she was quite impressed. The room was clean and rustic, nothing at all like she'd expected. It was worn and lived in, and the more she looked around the more she could see Adrien. His colours, his life, his memories. She turned around to close the door only then noticing what was on the opposite side of the lounge.

Before making herself comfortable, in what she guessed would be the best shower of her life, she walked back out and towards where Adrien's piano stood. Walking past it she dragged her fingers across the keys, being careful not to press too hard and cause them to play. She hadn't heard Adrien play as often as she would have liked, each time being cut short thanks to an akuma or hotel employees. She noticed how some of the keys were well worn, Adrien obviously having a favourite song to play as he sat and relaxed. He really was such an incredibly talented man, one she would be lucky to have by her side.

Continuing on her way, she finally came face-to-face with the statue — one that looked like it had come from the clearance section at IKEA. She made a note to question him about it later, this did not at all go with the decor of the room or Adrien's personality. It must have been a gift from Gabriel.

Walking back to the bedroom, she sent Tikki into his draws to find the correct one containing his sweats before opening it up and taking out a tee and some sweatpants. She was quite sure, with Adrien's height and build, this wasn't going to fit properly, but the thought of wearing Adrien's clothing was more exciting than defeating an akuma. She lifted the items to her nose and took a deep sniff. Adrien... all Adrien.

Making her way into the ensuite, again, she was intimidated by having so much of him around her. All his little bits and pieces lay neatly around the sink and shower. His cologne, his razor and shaving foam, his body wash and soap, his towel...

Locking the door behind her, she peeled off her clothing and turned the shower on, the overhead square rain shower firing out the perfect pressure.

Oh, yes! She was right. Now she was here, she never wanted to leave.