"Tikki, I can't believe I forgot my history project was due next week." Marinette groaned as she frantically searched through the library shelves.

"Well at least you remembered now." replied Tikki, "You still have a week to do it."

The rest of the library was empty aside from the librarian near the doorway and three more students on the other side of the room. Tikki flew to a higher shelf above Marinette, holding her tiny feet with her hands, and helped Marinette search.

"But with all my other duties I barely have any free time anymore. I don't even know if a week will be enough." Marinette pressed her hands to her head and her eyes widened. "This is a disaster. How can a library not have any books on Ancient Egypt?"

Tikki rolled her eyes and flew down to Marinette. "Maybe if you didn't use up all your free time with Chat Noir you wouldn't be so behind on your homework."

Marinette Tikki was right and the guilt had kept her up all night thinking about Adrien.

The kwami flew back into Marinette's purse and she froze. She shut her mouth and kept her eyes forward, painfully aware of someone else's presence behind her. A hand fell on her shoulder and Marinette flinched.

"Do you need any help?" asked Adrien. Marinette flew to her feet and smiled nervously.

"Hell –Hello, hi –Ad –Adrien." she mumbled. She turned around and gave him a shy wave.

He offered one in return. "So what were you looking for?"

Marinette's cheeks warmed as he stared at her and she wished the floor would just swallow her whole. "Um, Egypt, I'm projecting on Egypt –I mean! I'm doing a project on Egypt." Her face burned painfully and Adrien chuckled at her.

"I think I saw some books on that on the other side of the library. I'll help you look." Adrien moved behind the shelf and Marinette swooned, dragging her feet behind her. He glanced at her over his shoulder, "Isn't this due next week?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I still have –haven't started."

Adrien winced and spun around, "What? It's twenty pages long."

Marinette lowered her head and chuckled nervously, "I know it's la –late. I've just been busy."

"With what?" he asked. He turned his body towards her and leaned against the shelf beside them. Marinette struggled to breath and their proximity. He was so close to her.

"Well...I –I –I –I –," Marinette slapped her hand over her face and groaned. Why did it have to happen now?

Adrien frowned, "Something wrong?"

Marinette shook her head. Maybe if she thought of Chat Noir she wouldn't stutter as much; his arrogant demeanor, annoying puns and proud smirk. It could work.

"I found a cat." Adrien's eyes widened and Marinette gave him a sheepish smile. "He comes around p –pretty often and I just don't h –have the heart to t –turn him away." She wasn't technically lying. After all Adrien would think she's great with animals and Chat's secret would still be safe. Wasn't that a good thing?

"A cat?" he echoed, as if testing the words on his lips for the first time. "What kind?"

Marinette scratched the back of her neck nervously and thought of the shortest way to reply. Less words meant less stuttering.

"A stray." she mumbled. But the words didn't have the effect she wanted. Instead of being interested, Adrien looked troubled.

"Oh," he muttered, "He must take up a lot of your time then."

Marinette frowned. "But I don't mind. Really." she replied. She thought back to his childish antics. "He's so playful and cheerful it kinda makes my day whenever I'm down." She was so grateful Chat wasn't here to hear this. She'd never hear the end of it.

Adrien perked up immediately and she carefully weighted the consequences of her next words. Adrien clearly liked hearing this and it's not like Chat would ever find out anyway.

"In fact," Marinette thought back to the time she'd dried his wet hair that rainy day. "He's actually kinda cute sometimes."

Adrien's arm jerked and slipped off the shelf. He stumbled forward and awkwardly righted himself. Marinette blushed, both alarmed and flustered at his sudden reaction. "Adrien, are you all right?"

She reached out to him, but he took a step back as her fingers brushed the fabric of his shirt. "Um, well," he inhaled deeply and smiled, "I'm sure he must be. But then again, everything probably looks cute to you."

Marinette tilted her head to the side and frowned. "Is that a good thing?"

Adrien nodded, but his eyes were dazed. "Yeah –Yeah it is." He turned around and waved her forward. "Come on, I'm pretty sure the section on Egypt is just a few feet ahead. Follow me."

Marinette watched as his walked forward. His golden hair looked so soft along the crown of his head, bringing out the depth of his warm eyes. He was tall, lean with taunt muscles and had a heart like no one she'd ever met before. He was perfect.

And if only he knew how much it meant to hear him say those words.

Adrien didn't know what to make of Marinette's words. He'd spent the whole day mulling them over in his mind. During the ride home he'd barely registered Natalie's speech about the upcoming changes in his photo-shoot schedule and had to ask her to repeat them. She wasn't pleased.

He threw his bag down on his bed and shut the door tightly behind him. Plagg flew out and floated over to him, glaring. "Hey! What gives?"

Adrien ignored him and opened up the mini fridge below his desk, pulling out a small piece of Camembert. Plagg flew towards it, latching onto it before Adrien could blink, and within seconds it was gone.

He pulled out another and Plagg grabbed it, gnawing on the edges to savor it. "I don't get why you're so freaked out." he muttered, "The girl thinks you're cute. So what? All your other lady friends do."

"As Adrien," he replied, "Not as Chat Noir."

Plagg groaned and rolled his eyes, "Big deal. And what makes you think I don't make you just as awesome?"

Adrien closed the fridge and sat down in his desk chair. "It's just that –I don't know Plagg. What if she ends up crushing on Chat Noir? I don't wanna end up hurting her." He turned on his computer and the screen lit up with images of his partner.

She was radiant, with midnight hair and the most gorgeous blue eyes he'd ever seen. Her voice was more beautiful than the songs he'd learnt to play on piano and he spirit reminded him so much of his mother. If only he knew her name.

"My heart belongs to Ladybug, not her."

Plagg groaned and his small ears flattened against his head. "Stop overreacting! For Pete's sake, Kid, she doesn't even know you're Chat Noir. She told you she's seeing a cat. A cat! Not a superhero. All cats are supposed to be cute!" Plagg swallowed his cheese and landed on Adrien's head. "I mean, just look at me."

Adrien glared at the screen, "Yeah, Plagg. You're supposed to be cute."

The kwami sighed, "Just forget about it and hand me more cheese. All your lady problems are sucking the energy right out of me."

"Quit your whining. " Plagg flew off of his head and Adrien shut off the computer. "I'm not doing anything wrong here."

"Except seeing her as Chat Noir." replied Plagg.

"There's nothing wrong with that."

"There's plenty wrong with it. You're messing with her feelings and putting her in danger. Now I'm all for breaking the rules, but Hawk Moth could easily find her this way and use her against you. You need to stop."

Adrien sighed and scratched the back of his neck. "Maybe I should just go on Saturday. Then I'll...stop. I mean, I promised and she's all right now...so maybe after that everything will die down."

It was all he could do. And it seemed like the best option. "Yeah, that's right. It's no big deal."

He stood up and walked towards his bathroom, intent on being refreshed. But Plagg's voice stopped him cold in his tracks.

"Face it, Kid. If it wasn't a big deal you wouldn't be acting like you are now."

And Adrien was worried then. Not because of Plagg words, but because of what they meant for Chat Noir.

Adrien didn't want Marinette to fall in love with his alter-ego. But why would he be worried if he never planned on seeing her again the way he was now?

Could Chat Noir finally be falling for his new favorite classmate? Only time will tell! ;)

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