The next day Miss Bustier tried to summarize the Alpha, Beta, and Omega system as a class review. "Alphas tend to be more aggressive, why?" she asked her students.

Three teens raised their hands Miss Bustier called on Kim. "Alphas like me tend to have ruts and that's when we take it out on stuff. Usually joining a sport can help get some of the built-up frustration."

"Very well. What's the difference between a rut and heat?" Miss Bustier asked. Marinette slowly raised her hand. No one else dared to take this question since they didn't know much about heat unless it was in a book because neither an Alpha nor a beta went through it.

"I'm still not sure what a rut is exactly but I've done more research on heat and it can last one to seven days. Usually, if the Omega is female it comes right before her cycle. It has to just take its course. It can be triggered by anything." Marinette said before her desk mate, Alya added on about Alpha ruts.

"An Alpha rut is basically pent-up sexual frustration. Omegas or bond partners can cause an Alpha to go into a rut. Alphas that haven't bonded suffered through it more frequently. Because it to and be triggered by anything or anyone" Alya kept an eye on Marinette as Marinette was more embarrassed hearing about Alpha ruts than explaining what a heat was to her classmates.

She realized that her and Adrien would have done something that she was far from ready for. She asked herself many questions none for which she had any answers for. 'How could I do such a thing? What if we had bonded? How can I look at him? And how pent up was he to look at me like that?'

Marinette avoided making eye contact with Adrien as she traded seats with Nino. She tried to calm herself with breathing exercises. Hoping Adrien would not pry on why.

"Are you going to avoid me today?" Adrien asked as yesterday she seemed as if she had forgiven him. "Is it because you know what a rut is? I'm sorry that I found... find you attractive. I mean I'm an idiot, I like someone else."

"It was just hormones. Nothing to worry about." She moved her items from her bag hoping that Adrien would drop this subject. She knew he liked someone but he would never admit to who she was. He would just say that she was out of his league. He was a famous model for Pete sakes! She couldn't imagine what considered out of his league.

"Do you still like me?" Adrien asked catching Marinette off guard.

She mustered the best smile she could. "Of course you're my friend."

He leaned closer knowing that this was a stupid thing to do before stating his next question. "I meant romantically."

"Pffft...Don't be silly, Adrien." She said giving him a playful slap on the chest.
"You're cute and all but I like someone else as well."

"Who?" He asked as he felt like hunting this mysterious guy down. Maybe he could congratulate him by throwing him into the canal with rocks tied to his ankles.

"Ch...ChatNoir!" She lied. She couldn't admit to Adrien that she liked him. She didn't know why he was asking. Was he just curious or did he want to open doors that should stay shut?

"You like ChatNoir." He couldn't help to laugh at her confession. She had moved on to the same guy. "What do you like about him?" He wanted to hear her compliment him as ChatNoir. Because ChatNoir was his true self and he wanted one of his best friends to like him for him.

"You jealous?"

"Why would I be jealous? I'm Adrien fudging  Agreste."

"ChatNoir was right you are full of yourself." She had recalled the night in which she told ChatNoir that she liked Adrien. ChatNoir in response listed reasons why Adrien was a terrible person to have a crush on.

Chloe snapped a pencil. She could not stand hearing the shared laughter of Adrien and Marinette. She was already upset that Marinette had been partnered up with her precious 'Adrikins'. She walked over to the two a threw Marinette's notebook just far enough that Marinette would have to give up her spot to go retrieve it.

"Go fetch!" She ordered.

Instead of protesting Marinette went to the notebook which had landed underneath a desk.

"Chloe! That was uncalled for." Adrien wanted to get the notebook for Marinette but the rude blonde block his path.

"She is your breeding dog. I just wanted to see how well you trained her."

Adrien clenched his fist. He knew hitting Chloe for indirectly calling Marinette his bitch was not a good idea. Adrien became flustered and it was not caused by Chloe putting her hands on his chest in a flirtatious way. His awe-struck behavior was caused by Marinette reaching down for her notebook. She had worn red yoga pants that showed off assets that he didn't know she had.

Alya noticed Adrien's wandering eye and could not resist teasing him. "Adrien, see something you like?" Alya stated purposely saying that loud enough for Marinette to hear.
This caused a loud Thud and its cause was Marinette hitting her head on the desk.

Adrien shoved Chloe out of the way to attend to Marinette. "Are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?" Adrien questioned not giving Marinette enough time to answer in-between his questions. "Tell me if it hurts." He put his hands in her hair trying to see if her scalp was tender.

"I think Chloe's ego is more bruised than my head." Marinette joked.

"Are you sure?" Adrien said being overdramatic like a certain alley cat she knows. "What's so funny?" Adrien asked.

"You remind me of a certain friend of mine. He's quite... Umm... dramatic."

"I'm not dramatic. I'm just overprotective and I have a right to be." He said little irritated that she was comparing him to his alter ego.

"Do you?" She asked.

Adrien gulped. She was tempting with her eyes glancing up and the slight pout of her cherry glossed lips. He restrained himself from embracing her. He gently kissed her forehead. "Sorry, but I was told that kissing injuries helped them heal faster."

Marinette smiled glad that there was a sliver of a chance that Adrien Agreste was going to see her more than a friend. She then grabbed his hand and kissed it causing him to redden. She wanted to return the favor if that was indeed true.

He tapped a bandage on his neck that was quite visible with the shirt he wore. It was as if he was flaunting what she did to him. He got scolded heavily by his father and now was not allowed to have female companionship unless supervised.

"I'm not kissing that." She said as she stood up heading back to her seat only to have Adrien wrap his arms around her before she sat down. "If Miss Bustier sees us we'll get detention."

"It be worth it." He whispered only to Marinette pry his hands off and go to her seat. "I'm sorry." He added knowing that his body wanted to pull the strings. "I shouldn't touch you without permission, my bad."

"We're never going to get this project done if you keep manhandling me."

"Do you want me to manhandle you?" He asked putting his hand on her thigh. Cursing himself for  acting on impulse.

She leaned into him. "What if I say yes?"

He grew redder not expecting her to flirt back. She smacked him in the face with her notebook. She couldn't believe she said something like that to Adrien.
"Sorry." She said as she slowly removed the book. "Hormones!"

"I won't blame you if you can't resist me."

She rolled her eyes. His comment was so similar to the one that ChatNoir had said; that she wouldn't be able to resist him in his civilian form.

"You don't happen to be ChatNoir by any chance?" She teased thinking that ChatNoir couldn't be Adrien despite the fact they shared blonde hair and those inquisitive eyes.

'ChatNoir insulted Adrien as a fun little hobby often enough. Someone as narcissistic as ChatNoir would never make fun of himself. Would he?'

Adrien's eyes widened not expecting her to ask such a question. He shook his head. He hated to lie to her since it was hard for her to trust people after the Lila incident. "Would have been nice to kill two birds with one stone." She sighed.

"You sound disappointed. I could call you M'Lady and say some cat puns if that would satisfy your needs." He said as he rubbed her thigh.

She looked briefly down at his hand then locked eyes with him. "And what needs of yours would I have to satisfy in exchange, Mister I like some else?"

He removed his hand quickly. Knowing that she was right. Was being horny all the time just the curse of being an Alpha? "Sorry, again."

___________________________________

After school, the two met up with Alya and Nino at a local Café. One that prohibited superheroes from entering. Which made the four frequently attend the establishment as civilians just to have revenge.

"Marinette? Pay attention." Adrien said as he sat beside her in a booth. Nino and Alya had to accompany Adrien and Marinette since Gabriel did not want the shower incident to repeat itself.

"True or false, fated pairs can sense each other through smell?" Adrien asked waiting for Marinette to answer.

"True?" She wasn't sure of her answer but hoped she was right. She didn't want to seem dumb in front of Adrien.

"I guess you are paying attention," Adrien replied as Nino arrived with drinks for the table. Adrien ordered a simple unsweet tea and Marinette ordered a strawberry smoothie, Nino's spunky girlfriend, of course, had a black coffee, he ordered himself a hot chai tea that Alya couldn't resist taking a toothpick and turning the sprinkled on cinnamon into a heart.

"How much do I owe you?" Marinette asked Nino as she opened her purse.

Nino realized that she had no idea that Adrien had already paid for her smoothie. "Nothing," he replied.

"Nino, I insist."

"You don't owe me a cent. However, a certain blonde brother of mine kindly treated you." Nino explained causing Marinette to look at Adrien with a slight blush.

"Thanks," Marinette said before drinking from her smoothie's straw. Adrien watched Marinette out of the corner of his eye. He found that her sucking on a straw made him uncomfortable.

Her touching the end of the straw with her perfectly rose lips then carefully extracting the pink liquid with small sucking motions was enough to make Adrien restless. He found himself fighting the feelings that crept up. He knew these weren't romantic more of a lust. If they were going to get through this project he needed to solve the issue.

"Can you not use a straw?" Adrien asked both Alya and Nino sitting across wanting an explanation for such a weird request.

"Why shouldn't she use a straw?" Alya asked.

"Ummm..." Adrien tried to come up with a good explanation but nothing came up.

"Do you have a phobia of straws?" Marinette asked since the straw that Nino had gotten for Adrien's tea was still in its paper cover. Of course, if he had a phobia of straws it would of come up in at least one of Adrien's many magazine interviews.

"No! Not at it's just that uhhh.." He glanced at Nino's shirt that said "save the turtles" so Adrien went with that."I want to save the turtles."

"They're paper straws. And may I add you have a perverted mind Agreste." Alya laughed figuring out what Adrien was thinking. She herself was an Alpha and also had a tendency to pervert simple things.

"It's okay Adrien. It's not like I haven't thought of you that way." Marinette said until she tried to backpedal. "I mean... in a sexual way. Not that I have ever... thought of you of doing something that far. Not that you're bad at it. You're probably amazing. I'm going to shut up now." Marinette rambled as her face turned red.

"What you have sex dreams about Adrien? Do tell." Alya said with a curious smile on her face as she avoided working on the project. "Is he any good?" she added.

"No!" Marinette replied as in 'No, she wasn't going to tell Alya anything.'

"I'm sorry for not being any good," Adrien said not really sure why he apologized for not satisfying Marinette's erotic dreams.

"Alya, can we adopt him?" Nino asked his girlfriend who was just as in awe of Adrien's naivete as he was.

"No, don't be upset! You were really really- uh... Ummmm. I can't do this. It's embarrassing!" She squeezed her cheeks trying poorly to hide her shame.

"I don't want to tease you too much," Alya stated as Nino took a picture of the heart and posted it on his Instagram feed.  He wanted to gloat to the world that he had the best girlfriend.

"Smile!" He instinctively said causing his friends and girlfriend to laugh at him. He was telling an inanimate object to smile. "What?"

Alya kissed his cheek. "Babe, you're adorable."

"Alya, you screwed up my photo."

"You took like forty."

"Forty-one." He teased. As he dabbled in photography. A hobby that came in as useful when Marinette needed a photographer for her creations or when Alya wanted pictures of Rena Rouge. His screen saver being his favorite photo he took of Alya. A goofy grin on her face as she recorded Ladybug. She was the happiest when pursuing her dreams and that's why he wanted a constant reminder. That this incredible, hot-headed, dork of a woman was his girlfriend.

Marinette didn't know how the conversation ended up with everyone talking about what they wanted in their future. "I am going to become the best damn reporter in Paris and marry a badass DJ. Probably pop out a shit ton of kids or die trying."

She gave Nino a suggestive nudge and wink. "Ladybug is def going to become the mother-in-law to one of I and Nino's sassy ass spawns. And bitches you two will be the maid of honor and best man at our wedding."

Nino nodded in agreement with Alya's future plans. They had discussed whether they were going to tie the knot both agreeing that there was no need to rush anything. They haven't done a lot they were still figuring out stuff and being bonded was enough for a lot of people.

Adrien got confused about who exactly the maid of honor was going to be. "I do look good in a dress."

"Wasn't the planned dude but I am all for it." Nino teased.

Adrien had messed with gender roles before as an advertisement for the Gabriel Brand. He even did a photoshoot in the oh-so-famous strawberry dress by Lirika Matoshi. Marinette had a large poster of him hanging up in her room. It was a perfect mix of masculine to feminine, he even wore it to a movie premiere and school a few times.

He eventually gave the dress to Marinette. Even though she would have to shrink it to her size, it was a fun sewing project to tackle between school and hero life. She thought maybe his donation was due to the public ridiculing him, claiming he was outing himself as an Omega. As Alpha Males typically we're meant to be figures of masculinity. But it was for a simple reason. He thought the color pink suited her more than it did him.

"Really?!" Marinette smiled kinda hoping she'd get the opportunity to see Adrien in a dress again.

"You have anything better?" Alya retorted before taking a sip of her coffee.

"Umm... Well... "Ladybug is def going to become the mother-in-law to one of I and Nino's sassy ass spawns. And bitches you two will be the maid of honor and best man at our wedding."She laughed pretending like her dreams weren't as important as Alya and Nino's. Her eyes momentarily darted to Adrien who didn't seem to notice that she planned that future with him in mind. Wishful thinking on her part.

"I will help you achieve your dreams," Adrien said as he placed his hand on Marinette's knee with the intention of helping his friend find her fated pair. A sick feeling came over him. He did not like the thought of Marinette dating. Or was it the thought of Marinette dating someone that wasn't him?

He knew he was becoming engulfed in this self-torment. He unconsciously touched his lips reminiscing the few kisses that he exchanged with his booth mate. He wanted her yet he didn't. He wanted Ladybug. 'Ladybug.' But the more he tried to hold on to her the more his mind wandered to the moment where Marinette was...

"How about you?" Alya asked Adrien interrupting his thoughts. She was trying to see if Marinette and him had similar goals. No, to see if Ladybug and ChatNoir had similar goals in life.

"There was this girl that I've liked for a really long time and my plans mainly revolve around her." He found himself clutching onto Marinette's knee as he confessed his feelings. Alya and Nino knew everything and yet he felt like it was impossible to say it out loud.

"I wanted the normal life with her. A wedding, a house, kids. Some type of normal job like a college professor. I thought maybe if we had a girl we would name her after my mother." He smiled before continuing. "I would consider myself the luckiest man alive just to have an ounce of this fantasy that I'm clinging onto."  He surprised Alya and Nino with how deep his feelings truly were for Ladybug.

Marinette noticed Adrien's leg shake. A little nervous habit of his. "But I think it's best if I just keep them as fantasies. Don't want my delusions to interfere with fencing, basketball, piano lessons, photoshoots, and stupid shit like that."

"Adrien, it's okay." Marinette said laying her hand on top of his. He only cursed when he was frustrated which was usually caused by the pressure Gabriel put on him. "It's okay to have dreams. Maybe they won't come true but maybe they will. You never know."

She had pure intentions. "You really like this girl don't you?" She would fully support him without any questions.

"Honestly I don't know anymore." He pushed his hair back. "Probably should of put those hair clips back in this morning." He joked trying to change the subject to something more digestible.

Alya was clenching her teeth wanting Adrien and Marinette just to acknowledge that they were pinning for each other. Nino had urged Alya that it was best for them to run their course. She couldn't reveal their identities no matter how frustratingly stupid Marinette and Adrien were.

"You really like this girl don't you?" Alya mocked Marinette. As she felt the need to give her friends a nudge in the right direction.

Getting an immediate "ALYA!" in response. "Drop it!"

"Your jealous." Alya said getting a glare from Nino. He knew she was walking a thin line.

The corner of Adriens lips stretched lightly. He couldn't help to take satisfaction in Marinette's little crush on him not being over. "Well, are you?" Adrien asked Marinette.

"Pfft... me? Jealous." A lie that she internally criticized herself for.

"Are you sure?" He asked raising an eyebrow. As she was starting to smell sweet. A troublesome aroma.

"I need to pee!" was Marinette's way of avoiding the conversation as Adrien scooted out the booth to let her out.

Alya and Nino laughed at Marinette's embarrassing way of 'tapping out'. Marinette realized that talking to Adrien was triggering her body to go into heat.

She ran to the bathroom as fast as she could digging into her purse. "WHAT DO I DO?" Marinette was terrified of how she was going to get through this.

"You forgot your heat suppressants!" Tikki said pointing out the obvious. Her Kwami was surprised that Marinette lasted that long since Tikki knew that Adrien was her fated pair. She expected him to bust down the bathroom door. Not exactly a romantic place to have their first escapade. But Tikki had seen many people through lifetime have sex in the most oddest of places. Horse stables, pig stys, battlefields, mines, and those were just in the sixteeth century.

"Do you guys smell that?" Adrien asked being able to smell Marinette's strong pheromones. "I smelled this before when I was..."

'Shit' A word that seemed to echo in both Marinette and Adrien's minds.

"Nino, you need to check on Marinette," Adrien ordered. They all knew that there was a possibility that Alya could turn on Marinette. As there were case studies of Alpha females turning on Omegas when they are in heat. Something about elimanting the competition.

Nino knocked on the bathroom door. "Are you okay?" Nino asked.

"No, I.. where's A..." She stopped herself not knowing if she wanted her friend to come to her aid or Adrien both of which could make the matters worse.

"Just tell them I'll be fine... and I'll see them tomorrow," Marinette added as she looked at the window in the bathroom. Her escape route.

Tikki did warn Marinette that transforming while in heat was a bad idea. An extremely bad idea. She avoided telling Marinette what consequences she would face.