Adrien didn't know what to expect when he went to school the next morning, but at least no one blamed Chat Noir for what had happened.

Chloe and Sabrina still referred to him as the same second-rate superhero, but others felt sympathy -declaring Hawk Moth was vial and cruel for taking advantage of the pressures Chat Noir had leading a double life.

Nathaniel wasn't sitting beside Marinette at lunch and he wasn't the only one that noticed. Hushed murmurs flitted across the classroom, with curious glances sent in her direction. Marinette would turn red every now and then, but never lifted her eyes off the tablet in front of her.

A part of him was hopeful, but after the kiss she'd shared with Nathaniel he felt more confused than relieved. They both had the same interests, hobbies...So what was he missing?

Miss Bustier was absent from school that day to take care of a home emergency. Their substitute, a thin woman with narrowed eyes and a pointed nose, gave them the lesson to do as they pleased. So Adrien turned in his seat and joined the conversation Nino, Alya and Marinette were immersed with.

"I didn't get that chance to ask yet, but dang Marinette. Are you okay?"

She tensed and that was when Adrien noticed the dark bags beneath her eyes. Marinette gave them a reluctant smile. "I had a few nightmares, but I'm sure they'll go away soon. I don't blame Chat for any of it."

"Chat?" asked Alya, raising her brows in surprise, "Already on a first name basis with a superhero?" Marinette blushed lightly and Adrien couldn't help the chuckle that bubbled from his throat. It felt good to see her like this.

"Don't worry, Marinette. Your secret's safe with us." He winked at her and Marinette rolled her eyes at him. Nino gave him a subtle thumbs-up and Adrien couldn't help but feel a little bit accomplished.

He was planning something tonight -something drastic and maybe even stupid -that would change things between them forever. He didn't want to hide anything from her anymore. He loved her and it was about time she knew, whether she loved Nathaniel more or not.

She turned her attention to her sketchbook while Alya and Nino changed their topic of conversation to what they had planned for the weekend. But Adrien couldn't focus on anything else but her. He peered down at her drawings with his side pressed to the desk and admired them.

Her doodles were plain and simplistic, small spirals with red and green dots between. At first it appeared random, but the longer she drew the more clearly the vague image took shape.

Marinette giggled softly and it was only then that Adrien realised he was frowning, trying so hard to figure it out. He gave off a nervous chuckle and smiled sheepishly, leaning towards her. "I couldn't help but notice you're not sitting with Nathaniel today. Did something happen between you and your boyfriend?"

He really hoped his cringing wasn't as noticeable as he thought. But he had to ask.

She blushed lightly and a tight smile formed on her delicate, kissable lips. "Nathaniel's not my boyfriend."

"What?" His eyes bulged. It was too good to be true. "But I -I thought..." He was terribly confused. He saw them kissing. He saw it. He held her the way Adrien dreamt of, kissing her like she was the most precious and breakable thing in the whole wide world.

Marinette wasn't the sort of girl to move around from one guy to the next or meddle with meaningless relationships. Something was definitely wrong.

She shrugged, "We tried and he's a great guy, but my heart just wasn't into it." But there was something about her eyes that made him question her. It was the way they glinted humorously and glazed over when she glanced back at the drawing. She was way too...happy.

"Why not?" he asked, "I mean, you just said he's a great guy."

Marinette's eyes snapped back up to him. "While we were hanging out, I..." she hesitated and bit her lip, filling Adrien's mind with a temptation he feared he wasn't strong enough to resist. "I met someone else."

He shouldn't overthink it. He shouldn't jump to conclusions. But the mere thought made him giddy. His genuine smile morphed into a smirk, "Don't tell me it's Chat Noir?"

Her pen slid ungracefully across the page and the look across her face said it all. He couldn't believe it. It was too good to be true.

The bell rang before he could come up with a coherent response and Marinette sped passed him. As much as he tried to control himself, he couldn't contain the joy bursting from within him. She liked his alter ego. She liked who he really was -both sides.

It felt like a dream. "Don't even think of it, Agreste."

Adrien snapped his head to Alya. "What are you talking about?"

"Nino told me you rang back into the museum to look for her during the akuma attack and just because she's not with Nathaniel doesn't mean she's gonna be your second choice."

His smile faltered, "I wasn't going -,"

Alya shoved her phone in his face and for one terrifying moment he saw Chat Blanc onscreen. The footage was shot from beneath the Eiffel Tower by an amateur. Chat Blanc tore through the metal beams of the tower, showing off his destructive powers to the extreme.

And then he saw Marinette fall.

His gut wrenched with her, almost wishing he could jump through the screen himself and save her. Then Chat Blanc dived off after her and caught her in his arms, barely two stories away from the ground.

Alya pulled the phone back and sneered down at him. "She's traumatised, Adrien. Now's not the time to play with her feelings." She passed him to catch up with Marinette and Nino stood too, patting Adrien on the shoulder.

"She's right, Dude. Don't do anything stupid." He left and soon Adrien was left alone in the classroom again, with not even Chloe's obnoxious, shrill voice to fill the silence. Plagg flew out of his jacket and hovered in front of him.

The kwami crossed his arms over his chest and glared, "The kid's got a point."

"But she likes me -as Chat Noir." he replied, "If this doesn't change her feelings for me than I don't see the harm in telling her."

"Then you're as dense as you are male." Plagg scoffed, "She's scared and who wouldn't be after they're thrown off the Eiffel Tower with no magic to protect them. Just keep seeing her as Chat Noir, play it safe and that way you can back out whenever you want."

Adrien sent him a hard look and the kwami shook his head. "Wait a week, and then you can be as stupid as you want. But don't push her; you don't have any right to."

He knew Plagg was right, but that didn't make the words any easier to swallow. He sighed in defeat and nodded, "Fine, a week. One week without Chat Noir, but then I'm going to tell her."

"Sure yourself." he replied. Plagg's ears twitched and he flew beneath the desk into Adrien's bag. Marinette rushed back into the class a second later with a bashful smile on her face.

"Sorry, Adrien, I think I forgot my history book here."

"Oh, sure." He walked over to her desk and peered beneath it. There sat her worn history book, laying open on the wooden floor with doodles lining each of the pages. He pulled it out and handed it to her.

"Thanks," she breathed, "It must've fallen out of my bag." She pressed it against her chest and turned around, but Adrien's hand fell on her shoulder before he could stop himself.

"Marinette?" he asked. She slowly turned back to face him and he swallowed deeply, "Are you -um...doing okay?" She nodded, pursed lips and hooded lashes.

"You can tell me Marinette." he persisted, "I won't judge. You were brave to face Chat Blanc the way you did."

Something flashed across her eyes and she sighed, "I'm so worried about him."

He frowned, "What? Why? He's a superhero. He'll be fine."

She breathed out shakily, "When Hawk Moth made him use me to bait Ladybug and drop...me -," She shut her eyes and her breathing grew quick.

Adrien instinctively wrapped his arms around her slender frame and pulled her close, the way he did when he was Chat Noir. He pressed his palm against her head and held her against him. "It's okay, Marinette. I'm here for you."

He felt her nod, brushing her nose against his neck. She inhaled deeply and Adrien tightened his grip around her waist.

"I'm just so worried he'll use me to hurt Chat Noir. I'm worried I'll be the reason...the reason why Chat Noir falls."

Adrien had the same fears the night before, tossing and turning in his bed after imaging all the scenarios where Hawk Moth would use Marinette to get Chat Noir's miraculous. And he'd win every time. It had been so bad that he hardly slept. But that was his problem, not Marinette's.

"You don't have to worry, Marinette." he replied, "Chat Noir's the hero of Paris. He knows the risks and he won't let anything happen to you. You have to know that. And when he's not around...well -you've still got us."

She pushed away from him slightly and Adrien already missed the warmth from her body seeping into his. Without out her in his arms, he felt incompletely -like a part of him was missing.

Marinette nodded and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, fresh tears streaming down her flushed cheeks. "Sorry." she hastily turned around, "I have to go."

She ran out the door before Adrien could make a move to stop her and Plagg flew back out from under the desk. He rested on Adrien's head and patted it somewhat supportively.

"I know it hurts, now. But she needs some space to think. And so do you."

"What's there to think about, Plagg?" he stared at the open door and lowered his arms back to his sides. "I'm in love with her."

"That's the problem, Kid."

Hello Everyone!! Hope you all had an AWESOME Wednesday and that everything went according to plan. I don't want to spoil what will happen next, but I know for a fact that you all are gonna LOVE it!! So stick around!

Please don't forget to vote or comment if you liked this chapter and I'll upload the next one Friday.