Adrien walked through the doorway into the cold, foreboding air of the mansion. He'd just gotten back from fencing lessons, and Kagami kicked his ass today. Adrien was distracted by what Marinette said last weekend. "Why don't you just tell him no?"

Could Adrien say no to his father? Maybe if he spoke over him. But he was afraid of the consequences. Could his life get any worse, though? It was either be controlled or try to take control.

Adrien was too old to be coddled, and every day, he got closer and closer to exploding. He began seeing red everywhere, and he couldn't even stand his father's voice anymore.

It was time to take action.

Just as Adrien took the first step up the marble staircase, Nathalie called his name. With an irked sigh, he turned around. "Yes, Nathalie?" Adrien tried not to be too hard on his father's assistant, for he knew she had always been intimidated by Gabriel and advocated for Adrien when it counted most.

"Your father would like to speak with you," Nathalie dully replied, her hands tightly clasped in front of her dark purple suit.

This was Adrien's chance, and he had to take it. He may never feel this brave around his father again. Adrien nodded and headed up to Gabriel's office.

Gabriel had his back to the door, looking at Emilie's portrait for probably the tenth time that day. "Emilie, I'm so close to a solution. He placed a gentle hand on the painting. "I promise, when I seize Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculous—" he abruptly stopped talking when he heard the door open.

"Father, you wanted to talk to me?" Adrien said.

Gabriel took a deep breath, his shoulders relaxing. He cleared his throat. "Yes, son." He held his hands behind his back. Without turning around, he began speaking. "First of all, I wanted to tell you that your cello lessons start tomorrow afternoon, and your Arabic lessons start next weekend in the morning. You will learn at home, as I paid the instructors to travel here."

Here goes nothing. Adrien swallowed. "Actually, father..." he shuffled his feet. "I've been thinking..." his voice trailed off.

"You've been thinking?" Gabriel replied sharply. "About what? Out with it, Adrien. I am swamped today."

What's new? Adrien thought bitterly. "I don't wanna take cello or Arabic lessons this Summer. I just want to relax and hang out with my friends. And take that internship at the bakery." Adrien finally did it. He stood up to his father. He felt proud of himself. The weight on his chest vanished.

Gabriel stiffened. "Adrien, I know I didn't just hear what I think I did."

"You heard me right, Father," Adrien bravely responded, not letting his voice waver in the slightest. He couldn't show any weakness. After the first sentence, being assertive became easier. Adrien wouldn't allow Gabriel to exploit him anymore. I bet he never thought I'd stand up for myself. Adrien inwardly smirked.

"No, Adrien," Gabriel sternly replied. "I've already spent my time and money arranging everything for you. These endeavors will do you well."

Adrien clenched his teeth. "Oh? How would they do me well? Don't you mean they'd benefit you?" He'd wanted to say that for years. "You'd have something else to brag about? Is that all I am to you? A shiny prize to show off?"

Gabriel spun around, his expression turning cold. "Did you not hear what I just told you, son? No. You will not be doing nothing all Summer."

"Did you not hear what I just said?" Adrien countered, standing tall. "I want to work at the bakery. That's not doing nothing!" He raised his voice.

"That's practically nothing, considering how challenging music and language are compared to making cupcakes!"

"Cupcakes aren't the only thing they make, father!" Adrien snapped. "I need more experience in different fields! Don't you want that for me?"

Gabriel shook with anger. He couldn't believe how defiant Adrien was being right now. There was nothing that enraged him more. "I want you to involve yourself in productive and intelligent activities! What do you not understand about that?"

Adrien stepped forward. "Oh, I understand perfectly. Trust me, I've been doing what you wanted for years. I don't think you understand how long I've held this in!"

"Maybe it was best you did because I'm not relenting. Now, if you'd go to your room and leave me to my work. I'm done with this conversation." Gabriel started towards his desk.

"Well, I'm not done!" Adrien yelled. "No matter what you say, I'm not listening to you! You can make all your stupid plans and throw your money at whoever you want, but I'm not engaging!"

A satisfied smirk appeared on Gabriel's face. "You're cooperating, all right, because I forbid you from seeing your friends for the rest of the Summer. I'll have your bodyguard block the front door, and Nathalie will ensure you don't sneak out of the back."

Adrien froze, his entire world crumbling down. No...his father couldn't be doing this to him. This was the cruelest twist of his life. "I'm done with this conversation, GABRIEL." Adrien stormed out of the office.

Gabriel quickly contacted Nathalie and Gorilla via earpiece. The bodyguard and assistant reluctantly complied.

Adrien nearly slammed his bedroom door off the hinges. "He's gone too far!!" He growled. "I can't believe—NO! This can't be happening!" Tears gathered in his eyes.

Plagg flew in front of his holder. "Whoa, Adrien, I need you to cool off for a second—"

"Do not tell me what to do, Plagg! I'm done holding it all in!! Sick of it!!" He tugged at his hair.

"I understand, but I don't want you to get akumatized! Paris kinda needs you!" Plagg said.

Adrien hurled a pillow across the room. "Paris will fucking survive! I'm not the one who captures the Akumas."

Plagg sighed. "For the love of Camembert, if you get akumatized, you're making it so much easier for Shadow Moth to get Chat Noir's miraculous! Do you want to make things worse than they already are?!"

Pouting, Adrien crossed his arms. "...No. But I'm still angry!" He glanced out the window as the sun was setting. Adrien may have been banned from going out, but Chat Noir wasn't. "I need some air," he stated. "Plagg, claws out!"

"Wait, no, I want to eat some cheese first—!" Plagg said before getting pulled into his holder's ring.

Chat Noir opened the window and used his baton to get around. The summer night air was perfect as a breeze blew against Chat's face and flowed through his hair.

It wasn't a busy night in Paris, surprisingly. Usually, during summer evenings, kids and their parents gathered in the streets for shaved ice or ice cream.

Tempted to get a frozen dairy treat, Chat stopped on a building roof across from Andre's but thought twice. Hell, he was angry at Andre, too. How could he always be so joyful, like nothing was wrong? How could every Parisian be so fake and smiley? Adrien had nothing to smile about.

But maybe Chat Noir did. He was free.

Chat stopped in his tracks when he saw his friend sitting outside on her balcony. Marinette...sweet Marinette. She was the only one he could stand right now.

Chat Noir leapt from the grey rooftop of a house behind Marinette's and used his stick to steadily land on the balcony railing. "What're you drawing?!" He exclaimed abruptly.

Startled, Marinette jumped, sending her pink pencil flying into the air and off the balcony while her black notebook fell off her lap. "Chat Noir! What the heck?!"

"Sorry," he cringed. "I didn't mean for you to lose your pencil! I was just messing with ya." Chat looked down at the concrete. "Here, let me find it for you!" He extended his baton, but Marinette got up to stop him.

"No, no need for that," Marinette let out a breath as her heart rate slowed down. "The lead's probably broken now, and I have plenty more."

Chat lifted his eyebrows. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Chat Noir stepped away from the railing. "What were you sketching, anyway?"

Marinette picked up her notepad from the ground and showed it to him. "It's just a pair of jean shorts. Nothing much."

Chat gazed in awe. The jeans had little pink butterflies moving across one pant leg to the other, where they turned blue. He was fascinated by how Marinette colored in the butterflies as they gradually switched from pink to blue—left to right. "Wow...that's beautiful."

Marinette blushed. "Thanks. I like blending colors."

"Have you ever thought about making a career out of it?" Chat asked. Adrien knew Marinette wanted to be a fashion designer, but Chat didn't. Besides, he could never get enough of her talking about her passion.

"Yes, actually," Marinette replied, tossing her notebook on her pink and white striped chair. "Ok, my turn to ask you a question," she laughed. What are you doing here? I don't see any signs of an Akuma."

Chat Noir sighed. "No, but I wish there was an Akuma." He leaned against the rails. "That would be better than what I'm dealing with tonight."

Marinette didn't expect this. Chat Noir had been stopping by her balcony every once in a while—around once a month or every two months—for the past four years, but they'd only stick to surface-level conversations, both of them afraid of what would become if they ever got vulnerable with each other again.

Marinette missed that vulnerability when they could just talk about their lives and feelings without tension. But ever since that night, nothing had been the same.

Looking back at it, Marinette noticed that there was always some sort of buried tension. Chat had saved Marinette so many times and even helped her learn things about herself.

"What's wrong?" Marinette asked Chat, genuinely concerned. She couldn't get over the vast difference in his face and tone when he was sad versus his usual witty self.

"I..." Chat began. "I have a lot of things going on at home right now."

"Oh," Marinette frowned. "I'm sorry." She thought about how he told her the exact same thing on patrol. She remembered he was her age, so he probably still lived with his parents. Then, she wondered if his parents were still together or if he lived with another relative.

Marinette tried to shut off her thoughts. Just one piece of information—even if it was vague—set off a plethora of questions in her mind. It didn't used to be this way. She used to be better at focusing on her job as Ladybug. But time wore away at her indifference.

Chat sat on the balcony railing. "Thanks," he gave her a weak smile.

"Of course," Marinette nodded. She couldn't help herself, so she had to ask, "You...can tell me more if you want. Not anything super detailed, of course, but if you need to get it out, I'm right here." There were some things she could do as Marinette that would be too dangerous to explore as Ladybug.

Chat Noir looked at her, staring into her eyes for a moment. "—I don't feel free at home," he continued. "Everything in my life has already been planned out by someone else." He hung his head. "I tried to stand up for myself, but it only made things worse. And now I'm angry because I can't do anything about it." His voice shook.

Marinette's lips parted slightly. She had no idea how bad things were for her partner. If his home life had always been like this, Ladybug had only made it worse when she kept Chat at a distance and took his friendship and loyalty for granted. Ladybug should've trusted him more.

"Chat, you can hang out here with me for a little while if you want," Marinette said gently. "If you need the company, that is."

Chat Noir gave her a grateful nod. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"I'll get us some snacks if you want any," Marinette smirked, knowing he wanted them. 

"Duh," Chat smirked back. "Where else would I get the best pastries?"

Marinette giggled. "I know, silly. I'll get us some leftovers from today. Just give me one minute." Marinette headed inside and downstairs.

Chat Noir stared longingly after her. Not only was Marinette gorgeous, but she was also talented, kind, and generous. What more could he ask for? He felt a sharp pain in his chest as he reminded himself that they would never be. Who'd like me for me? Adrien thought.

After a few minutes, Marinette returned with a box of croissants, macarons, and one giant chocolate eclair covered in rainbow sprinkles.

Licking his lips, Chat Noir hopped off the railing and eagerly peered into the box. His mouth watered. "That looks like heaven."

Marinette laughed and held out the box for him. "You can take it all if you want."

"Thanks—I mean, no, you have some, too," Chat laughed sheepishly.

"I've had enough for both of our lifetimes, Chat," said Marinette. "I live here, so I promise I'll have plenty."

Chat immediately took the box from her hands. "In that case, thank you! I'll gladly take everything."

"Pfft," Marinette sat on her chair, not entirely lying down. "I knew you were a glutton."

"Hey, I never get dessert at home!" Chat playfully responded.

Marinette's face fell. "Really? Not even a little?" She hugged her knees.

Chat shook his head. "Nope. But call me a glutton as much as you'd like, princess. You make any insult sound good."

Marinette facepalmed. How could he keep up with the constant flirting and bad pickup lines for over four years straight?

"Could you show me another sketch?" Chat asked, eyeing her sketchpad.

Marinette looked surprised. "Don't you have more important things to do besides look at a random citizen's designs?"

Chat sat on the wooden box across from the chair. "You're not a random citizen, Marinette. You're my friend. At least I hope you consider me as a friend..."

"Yeah, of course I do!" She nodded. "It's just..." her cheeks flushed pink. "I didn't think you were into that stuff."

It was true that Adrien Agreste hated modeling, but getting an idea of what went on behind the scenes intrigued him. And if he had to model for anyone, it would be Marinette. "I am," Chat assured. "Especially when they're your designs."

Marinette looked at him flatly. "Stop with the flirty superhero act."

"I'm being serious!" He held up his hands in defense. "I've never seen artwork like yours before. And I've been to so many museums."

Marinette bit her lip before flipping to a random page. "Ok," she said, turning the notebook around. Here's a Summer dress I started on a few days ago."

Chat marveled at the yellow and white polka-dotted strapless dress. It was knee-length, and Marinette had even sketched a matching headband on the side. Just picturing Marinette wearing it made him smile. To him, she looked good in any color.

"Say something, please," Marinette blushed.

Chat Noir blinked out of his daze. "Oh! I-it's beautiful," he replied, glancing at it again.

Marinette didn't know what to make of his response. He sounded nervous. Was he lying to spare her feelings? "Be honest," she said. "Is it tacky? Too revealing?"

Chat's jaw nearly dropped. Too revealing? Was she kidding? How did she have the audacity to ask that after what she wore last weekend at Nino's party—After how she made him feel things he never thought were possible? Was she purposely trying to drive him insane whether he was in or out of the suit?

"Absolutely not," Chat answered Marinette. "It's perfect." He froze. "I mean, if you wanted to make it more revealing, you could—I MEAN, not like that!" Both he and Marinette blushed. "I meant, you can wear whatever you want, and I wouldn't judge! As long as you're comfortable, that's what matters!"

"Thanks, Chat," Marinette laughed breathily, trying to calm her flustered face.

Chat cleared his throat. "I'm sorry for making that awkward."

"No, you didn't!" Marinette smiled. "If anything, I made it awkward. I shouldn't have asked you if it was too revealing. That's a lot of pressure to put on a superhero," she giggled.

Chat Noir chuckled. "You're right, but don't blame yourself. You wanted a genuine opinion. And I promise I like it."

Marinette relaxed. She believed him. When had he ever lied to her? If anything, she was the liar. The guilt from all those years ago hit her again.

Of course, Chat's big mouth wouldn't let her feel bad for more than five seconds. "I know it's been years," he said as he munched on a macaron. "But how are things going with Buttercup?"

Adrien desperately needed to know if she still had her sights on that guy. Though she wasn't dating anyone, she could start any moment. Adrien knew about all the guys who crushed on Marinette throughout the years. There were at least two or three every semester. It was ridiculous.

Marinette's eyes widened. "You seriously still remember that??" She was shocked. If Ladybug were the one practicing a love confession with a civilian four years ago, she wouldn't remember. And Chat Noir had so many fans. Marinette was sure he talked with a few others every once in a while.

Chat cackled. "How could I forget? That was the most entertainment I've had in a long time."

Marinette huffed, the blush she worked so hard to get rid of returning to her face. "Please don't bring it up, Chat. I was young and stupid."

"Ok, ok, I'll stop." Chat attempted to remain serious, but a laugh or two slipped out.

"I'll give you an update if you stop laughing," Marinette said, crossing her arms. Chat, craning to hear it, cleared his throat and sat up straighter.

Marinette took a deep breath and let it out. "Thank you. So, the thing with Buttercup never went anywhere, but we're friends, and I've come to accept that he won't ever feel the same." Marinette stood up from her chair and walked to the balcony's edge. Fourteen-year-old her wouldn't believe her if she said she was okay with Adrien being her friend. That Marinette would've had a full-on mental breakdown.

Time really had changed her.

Chat followed her to the railing and stood next to her. "That's a shame. You tried so hard for how many years now? I was rooting for you two," he joked.

"Well—I still have feelings for him," Marinette replied. "It's been easier to go on with my life, though."

Chat Noir nodded. "I understand. It's hard, but once you get past that initial heartbreak, it gets easier every day."

"I may have never gotten to confess my love to him, but having him in my life as a friend is better than not having him in my life at all. I just want him to be happy, even if it's not with me," Marinette stared at the freshly dark sky.

Something lifted in Chat's chest. Butterflies danced around in his stomach. Marinette loved this guy so much that she was willing to let him go. He hadn't come across anyone who fell so hard that they needed to make that brave and painful decision. Yet here she was, standing right next to him, the summer air racing through her blue-black hair.

"That's...kinda how I feel about Ladybug," Chat Noir revealed.

Marinette glanced at him sympathetically. She remembered when he showed her the surprise he had set up for Ladybug that night. Marinette felt even worse about that now. The time she had wasted on Adrien made her angry with herself. How could she have been that idiotic, chasing after a guy who clearly didn't love her back?

"You don't love Ladybug anymore?" Marinette acted clueless.

"I mean, I do. But like you said, I want her to be happy, even if it's not with me..." Chat's voice trailed off.

Looking away, Marinette held her breath. She gripped onto the railing. Would it be so wrong if she brought up that night? It could just be a discussion between good friends. Good friends communicate with each other. It was unhealthy to leave this tension alone...right?

"Well," Marinette started, leaving a moment of silence between her words. "I'm sure you'll find your soulmate if you ask Andre. He's the expert, after all," she rolled her eyes.

"Apparently not. He's still obsessed with Ladybug and me," Chat Noir mumbled.

"Really? After this long?"

Chat nodded wordlessly. Andre was a constant reminder of the love he once felt for Ladybug and how that love faded.

"Ha..." Marinette said shyly. "Remember when he told us off? We were having a pretty fun night until then." She cringed inwardly at herself. What on earth made her feel like it was ok to say that? If things weren't awkward before, they were now.

"Yeah," I remember," Chat Noir blushed under his mask. That kiss with Marinette was so close to heaven that it hurt like hell. It hurt like hell to stop it and leave her upset. Chat felt as if he was the reason Marinette was almost akumatized, and he'd never forgive himself.

Marinette's soft gaze rested on Chat. She was looking for a sign on his face—anything that would let her know whether he remembered it fondly. This was dangerous. She shouldn't have brought anything up in the first place. Hell, Chat shouldn't even be hanging out on her balcony for this long. "What's life without a little danger?" Alya's words replayed in Marinette's mind.

What if Marinette wanted to give in and choose herself over Ladybug for once?

"What if..." Marinette spoke bashfully. "What if we tried that kiss again? It doesn't have to mean anything. I just want to know if it feels the same."

Chat Noir's heart skipped a beat or two. Was this real? Did Marinette really want to kiss him again after all this time? And would it be wrong if he let it happen? She didn't know who Chat Noir was under the mask. And since Marinette didn't have any feelings for Adrien, then this would be so wrong. But being with her felt oh-so-right.

Refusing to overthink it, Chat turned around and cupped Marinette's cheek. "Are you sure?" He looked her in the eyes.

Marinette nodded, staring at his lips. She slowly leaned in, heart pounding. Chat beat her to it, capturing her lips with his own. She touched his shoulder as they kissed under the moonlight.

They pulled away, lightheaded and elated. Instead of stopping and discussing their foolishness, the pair kissed again.

Marinette stood on her tiptoes and deepened the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. She felt Chat's hand in her hair and one on her waist. Marinette wanted it to stay this way forever.

They kissed each other faster, pushing the limits, until Chat broke it off. "I, uh...better get going," he panted with a deep blush. "It's late, and you need sleep."

Marinette, who was equally as flustered as him, nodded. "You need your sleep, too."

Chat Noir got his stick ready to travel but paused first. "Goodnight, Marinette," he said with an affectionate smile. That was all he could muster. Those kisses had nearly left him speechless.

"Goodnight, Chat Noir," Marinette waved as Chat left, her heart still pounding.

Then, Marinette realized she had a huge problem.

Not only did the kiss feel the same, but it also felt stronger than before.

Much, much stronger.

Tikki flew out of Marinette's purse with a disappointed glare. "Marinette. Inside. Now."

With a frown, Marinette went back inside and sat on her bed. "Tikki, I know what you're gonna say, but—"

"But Marinette!" The tiny Kwami interrupted. "You're putting the city and possibly the entire world in danger!"

"By kissing who I want?!" Marinette roughly laid down, tears pooling in her eyes. "Tikki, I'm tired of—I want—I need—"

Since Marinette couldn't describe how she felt, she pulled the blankets over her head. "Why does it always have to be the end of the world if Chat Noir and I get together?" The sheets muffled her voice.

"We discussed this a million times, Marinette!" Tikki said.

Marinette threw the sheets off. "But...what if we do it right?"

Tikki crossed her nubs. "You think dating a superhero you don't even know in real life is right?"

"It doesn't matter if I don't know his..." Marinette sighed in defeat. "Ok, ok. You're right, Tikki. It's a bad idea. But it was just one kiss. It's no big deal."

"Kisses can lead to more!"

Marinette sighed. "I'm eighteen years old. I don't need you to lecture me. I'm capable of making my own decisions, and nothing "more" will happen."

Tikki sat on Marinette's pillow. "I hope not."

"I'm going to sleep now, Tikki." Marinette turned over on her side and shut her eyes in a petty manner.

"Mhm, goodnight," Tikki replied irritatedly.

Marinette didn't sleep for a while. Her brain racked with anxiety. No matter what she told Tikki, deep down, she knew she wasn't going to be able to stay away from Chat Noir. 

//**\\

Adrien fell back on his bed and sighed dreamily. He grazed a finger over his lips, remembering the taste of strawberry lipgloss blended with the aroma of freshly baked sugar cookies on her clothes.

Plagg floated directly above his holder with a disappointed look. "Um—what was that, kid?!"

"Relax, Plagg," Adrien replied. "It was an experiment, that's all. We just wanted to see what it felt like to kiss each other again." Blush covered his cheeks.

"An experiment for what?!" Plagg frantically zoomed from side to side. To see how much a Kwami can take before having a heart attack?!"

Adrien snickered. "You have a heart?"

Plagg grabbed a chunk of Camembert. "Adrien, for once, I'm twying to be sewious with you!" He ate while he spoke. "I want you to get this through youw fick skull," he said before swallowing the cheese. "Chat Noir is romantically unavailable and will ALWAYS be unavailable!!"

"Oh, go eat some more cheese, Plagg," Adrien waved a dismissive hand. That should cool you off."

"I—WILL go eat more cheese!" Plagg scowled. "But not because you told me to! I love cheese, which can't hurt me and put the city of Paris in danger!"

Adrien, who wasn't paying attention to his Kwami, got lost in thought. He was so glad Marinette asked to kiss him again. It wasn't the best idea, but Adrien never felt like this before. She was the closest thing to perfect. He wished he could be around Marinette all the time. Would she mind if he visited as Chat Noir often? She seemed so happy with him tonight.

Would Marinette feel disappointed if she knew who was behind the mask? Chat Noir was cool, suave, and courageous. Adrien was just a sad, docile guy who spent most of his life bound by his father's rule. Surely, Marinette would pick a superhero over a spineless boy.