Marinette dragged herself to school that morning, wracked with guilt. She hadn't meant to hurt Chat Noir's feelings. She'd tried to act like a normal, star-struck fan and avert suspicion. But it was just so hard not to be comfortable around him. She'd fought with him. She knew him.

And now he thought she was mocking him.

She hung her head low and slumped in her seat beside Alya. Her eyes immediately flew to Marinette, "Girl, you won't believe what I saw last night. And I got the whole thing on video!" Marinette looked up as Alya placed her phone in front of her.

The video lasted the entire battle they'd had with the akuma, taken discreetly from behind one of the other parked cars. It played up until the point where Chat lifted the little girl in his arms and then the screen went black.

Alya sighed, "Who knew Chat Noir could be so great with kids."

Marinette chuckled and grinned coyly, "If I didn't know any better, Alya, I'd think you have a crush on Chat Noir."

Alya scowled and Nino whipped his head towards them. He yanked his headphones off and asked, "Who's got a crush on Chat Noir?" Adrien turned around to face them, but Marinette's heart sunk when he didn't even glance at her.

"Hold up." Alya raised her hand up and frowned, "I do not have a crush on Chat Noir." She glared at Marinette and put her phone back in her bag. "I just call 'em like I see 'em. It's Marinette you two should be asking."

Adrien's bright green eyes turned to Marinette and she froze, her pale skin warming under his soft gaze. "I -I don't know. Wh -What were we talking about?" she stuttered, turning her head to Alya. The red head smirked and Marinette felt her blush darken.

"Before I recorded this little number in the street I saw something very interesting going on." She leaned her head closer to Marinette, "Between you and Chat Noir."

Marinette's eyes widened, "What?"

"Oh you heard me." She leaned back in her seat and smiled triumphantly.

Nino frowned at them and scoffed, "No offense Alya, but I don't think Chat Noir would just be standing around chatting up girls. He's a superhero and cool one too."

"I don't know about that, Nino." muttered Adrien, "I hear Chat Noir can be a real flirt." He turned his head to Marinette and she nearly fainted at the depth of his eyes as they bore into her. They were beautiful. "What do you think, Marinette?"

Her mouth went dry and Alya kicked her feet from under the table. "Chat -Chat Noir?" asked Marinette. "W -well he's great. Super! Yeah -but not as great as you though! Because...who could be -you know?" she dropped her face in her hands and groaned.

She felt a Alya's hand on her back and looked up to see Nino smirking at them. "Now that I think about it, maybe Alya's got a point. You do get flustered when talking about Chat Noir." Adrien frowned at her and Marinette wished the ground would swallow her whole.

This was a disaster. If Adrien thought she had a crush on Chat Noir it would completely ruin her chances with him. She couldn't have that. He was the one she wanted. Adrien. Not Chat.

The school bell rang before Marinette could defend herself and Marinette was forced to complete the assignment handed out by Mrs Bustier in silence.

The rest of the day passed in a blur and Marinette was grateful when school finally ended. She slung her bag over her shoulders and started walking down the stairs to the door, limping when she put too much pressure on her bad ankle.

All the other students already left, including Alya and Nino. Adrien was the only one there, slowly packing his notes and books in his bag. But as much as Marinette wanted to talk to him, she just didn't have the courage. She could barely speak to him.

She walked out the class into the hall, keeping her gaze firmly in front of her. "Marinette?" he called.

Marinette stopped cold and whipped her body towards him, wincing as she stepped on her bad foot. Adrien slung his bag over his shoulder and walked towards her.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Marinette nodded eagerly and smiled, "Y -yep. You know me...clumsy as always." She chuckled nervously and Adrien sent her a small smile. He glanced down at her ankle, "What happened to your foot?"

"I -oh, that -I...fell." she tried. Adrien's warm expression turned bitter and he took another step closer until she could smell the cologne wafting from him. Fresh dew and mint. Her knees felt weak.

He kept speaking to her and Marinette tried to pay attention, but she just couldn't process anything he was saying. She felt dazed, completely swept off her feet and struck by the fact that Adrien Agreste -her long time crush -wanted to talk to her.

"Marinette?" he asked. His hand fell on her shoulder and she jolted back at his touch, feeling sparks fly through her. She blinked back her daze and smiled sheepishly at him.

"Sorry, what was that?" His frown deepened and Marinette's heart sank. Great...

"I was just wondering if you meant what you said about Chat Noir." he said, "When you said that he's great. Did you really mean it?"

"Of course I do!" Marinette cheered herself on. Her first full sentence to Adrien without stuttering...only a billion more to go. She swallowed thickly at his earnest expression and her mouth went dry again.

"I -I just mean that he's a great h -hero." she added. Marinette breathed in deeply and shut her eyes, trying to focus on what he was saying instead of their proximity. "He's probably the bravest person in Paris, tackling akumas with that smirk on his face."

She opened her eyes and stared at Adrien straight in the eye, filling her next statement with as much conviction as possible. Maybe then her guilt would finally go away. "Ladybug and Chat Noir are a team. She just wouldn't be as great without him. I -," Marinette sighed and averted her eyes from him.

The words she couldn't say on the rooftop that night poured from her mouth, "I admire him for that."

"You admire, Chat Noir?" he asked, clearly surprised. His shock turned to joy and he gave her a gorgeous smile. "That's..." he scratched the back of his neck and nodded, "That's real cool of you, Marinette."

"...Not as cool as you." she murmured.

"What?"

Marinette stiffened and her hands flew behind her back, "I mean -he's cool too! Super cool! Well -I gotta -should probably -," She ran down the hallway towards the stairs and jogged down, taking two at a time.

Why couldn't she just talk normally in front of him? Why was it so hard? How could she ever get him to marry her one day if she could barely say one word around him? Granted, she needed at least two to say I do.

Marinette stepped outside the building and sighed, "Stupid...I'm so stupid."

"Don't be so hard on yourself Marinette." said Tikki, peering out from Marinette's purse, "You're doing much better than last time."

She looked down and sent the kwami a small smile, "I guess you're right, Tikki. But I don't understand why he's so interested in my opinion of Chat Noir. I thought it was obvious how I felt about him."

"Well, Chat Noir didn't know. He thinks you hate him." she replied. "When you see him again, as Marinette and not Ladybug, I think you should apologize."

"But he's always so arrogant, Tikki. I'm sure he'll forget about it soon."

Marinette felt a pressure from her thigh on her purse and brought it closer to her face. Tikki's bright blue eyes were wide and all-knowing. "He may seem arrogant. But, like you, he was chosen for a reason. It's the right thing to do."

He had looked disappointed and it was already bad enough that she was lying to him. After all he was her partner and she trusted him. Maybe Tikki had a point.

"You're right, Tikki. As always." She lowered her bag back down to her hip and started walking home. "As soon as my ankle gets better I'll start looking for him as myself."

But she had no idea that she'd already be getting a visitor that afternoon from a very pleased and eager Chat.

Adrien couldn't wait to transform into his superhero persona and speak to Marinette again.

As Chat Noir he always felt like a hero, someone brave and free to act however they liked, but her displeasure at seeing him left him feeling self -conscious and wounded. Something he only felt as Adrien.

He'd been wrong though. She admired Chat Noir. She admired both heroes of Paris and not just Ladybug.

Adrien threw his bag on his bed and walked over to the small mini fridge he kept beneath his desk. He pulled out a slice of Camembert and before he could even call Plagg, the kwami had already taken it from his hands.

Plagg flew back to Adrien's bag and started munching greedily. "So good," he moaned, "So much better than those girls you're always fussing over."

Adrien closed the fridge and leaned against his desk. "I'm just glad actually she likes me -I mean, that she actually likes Chat Noir."

"I don't get why you even care." replied the kwami, "Shouldn't you be more concerned of what Ladybug thinks instead of your classmate. I mean, she is the one you're in love with. This whole thing just seems stupid to me."

"I love Ladybug, Plagg, but if everyone thinks well of Chat Noir maybe she will too."

"Fat chance." muttered Plagg, "Girls are weird and so much effort. A kid like you'd be better off sticking with cheese."

Adrien glared, "One day you'll get sick of cheese and when that day comes -,"

Plagg burst into a fit of laughter and Adrien leapt across the room. He grabbed his pillow and smothered Plagg with it. "Keep it down." he hissed, "If my father finds you here I don't know what I'm going to do."

Plagg phased through the pillow and burped in Adrien's face, falling back down on the bed. "Well you could always tell him I'm a stray. Wouldn't be the first time." he mumbled.

"You've been seen by someone before?" asked Adrien. And honestly with Plagg's behavior it didn't really surprise him.

"Only once. Then I meowed and the world was round again." He flew over Adrien's head towards the fridge and groaned, "I need more."

Adrien grabbed him before he could fly off. "Oh no, you don't. We're going to see Marinette." Adrien grinned as he walked towards his bedroom window, "And since you've already eaten you're all charged up."

"What?" snapped Plagg, "Hey, you tricked me!"

Adrien sighed, "Don't be lazy, Plagg."

"I'm a cat. It's in my DNA." replied the kwami.

But Adrien wasn't listening. He was happy, excited even, to see Marinette again as his superhero persona. She didn't stutter or get flustered like she usually did around Adrien when he was in the cat suit. He wasn't sure why, but he wanted to find out.

And he'd start right after he checked on her bad ankle.

"Plagg -,"

"Here we go again."

"-Claws out!" Plagg was sucked out of Adrien's palm into the ring and in a flash of green light he was Chat Noir.

Chat opened his window and jumped out, latching with his claws onto the building next door. Natalie wouldn't check up on him for at least an hour and he planned on using all the time he could get.

Miraculous Ladybug has, by far, the best fan-art EVER! If you're one of the people who make them -then WELL DONE! The fandom would be a darker place without you all.

Anyway, please don't forget to vote or comment if you liked this chapter. I'd love to hear what you guys think :D