THEY'RE NOT KITTEN AROUND

Oh no! Ladybug and Chat Noir have released their official review of the new movie and un-fur-tunately it doesn't get their seal of approval.

As most critics have stated, the movie is lacklustre to what has been produced previously, with many thinking it has now just become a cash cow and the effort is no longer in the writing.

The latest instalment of 'The Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir' we see our beloved kitten hero chasing balls of yarn, cleaning his ears and trying to nuzzle up to his Lady. This change to the usual charismatic hero seems to have rubbed Ladybug up the wrong way, as she has been quoted saying -

'To watch my partner be put into situations where he is seen as nothing more than a comedic sidekick has really put me off endorsing any more of these movies. I, myself, went to watch it alongside my civilian friends only for us to leave the cinema less than half way through the showing. I will not be watching such a monstrosity again, and will be requesting a personal apology to my partner regarding their portrayal of him.'

It seems Paris' hero is ready to kick butt for her partner, and we're glad we're not on the receiving end of Ladybug's wrath. With the hero's no longer happy with the characterisations of themselves, it makes you wonder if it's time for a Miraculous reinvention.

In other news, the official 'Kwami Heroes' game has been released for pre-orders taking the gaming scene by storm. With over 1.2 global pre-orders in its first couple of days! It seems 'Gamer Noir Enterprises' are about to put themselves on the map, with Chat Noir officially endorsing the product and featuring in all promotional material.

'Mode Mania' have managed to get a sneak peek at the game, and all we can say is hold onto your hats people because you're about to be blown away.

•••••

"Seriously, have you seen it yet? It's fucking awful!" Chat Noir swung himself over the bar on the Eiffel Tower, before flipping to a seated position near Ladybug. It was just another afternoon where both needed to get away from normal life, plus Eagle had asked to meet them with the promise of some long awaited news.

"You know, your language is a lot more vulgar than it used to," she giggled, causing Chat Noir to roll his eyes.

"Pot calling the kettle black! Who's the one that shouted 'Yippee ki-yay Mother Fucker', when you throw Lila off the Eiffel Tower. "

Ladybug let out a loud laugh. "Admit it! It was fucking awesome and you're gutted you didn't think to say it first! It's just a shame you saved her."

"I wanted her to go down for her crimes, but anyway I must admit, your timing was perfect and, yes, I was slightly jealous."

Ladybug snorted out another barrage of laughs. "Now they should put that in the next movie."

"And get sued by Fox? I don't think so."

She reached into her brown paper bag, and pulled out a ham salad baguette for her lunch, before handing over a tuna mayonnaise for her partner. As always, his mouth stretched abnormally around it and he took a seriously huge bite. She watched him chew in complete disgust. There wasn't too much about her partner which revolted her, but the way he ate food was a lot to be desired, sometimes she just had to look away before she heaved.

"One day you're going to choke and I won't help you." She said, taking a delicate bite of her own.

He smiled at her as he continued to chew the insane amount he'd bitten off in his mouth. "This is fucking amazing!" He spat out, spraying Ladybug with bits of tuna fish and cucumber.

"Say it, don't spray it you goon." She smiled through the insult, Chat Noir knowing she was only teasing him in jest, and he loved it.

He swallowed down the bite, before turning his attention to her. "So did you make it through a whole film for a change?"

She snorted her unexpected outburst. "Like hell did I! Although this time I left by choice."

"Let me guess, the choice was some old dude you needed to go play tonsil tennis with?"

"Chaton, I'll have you know my new trap is quite a catch."

"Oh really," Chat Noir moved closer and turned to face her, bringing his nose to almost touching hers, "pray tell." He fluttered his eyelashes, causing Ladybug to laugh and then push him back with the palm on her hand in the centre of his face.

"Sorry Kitty Cat, but no can do."

"Ooooo, do you have a disclosure on him? He must be someone famous, or is it a she?"

"It's a he, Chaton, and I'm not telling you a damn thing more about it."

"You're such a spoilsport." He turned back to his sandwich, and she shook her head in annoyance. He just loved to tease her about this job, but she also knew he was supportive of her choices. He never belittled her, or told her not to do it, he understood her reasoning and her emotional trauma that led her here, and he told her to stop. He only ever worried about the guys she met, hoping that she was keeping herself safe, and threatening to disintegrate the balls of any trap that got a little too handsy.

"Blonde."

She took a bite out of her baguette and looked over to her partner, who had clearly finished eating and was now looking over Paris as he swung his giant feet, and naming random hair colours?

"Attractive."

"Huh?"

"Dazzling eyes, and a strong chiselled chin," he ran a thumb across his own, turning his head to look at her with his usual mischievous smirk on his face.

"What are you doing?"

"Just imagining what your trap looks like. If there's a disclaimer on him he's probably rich, famous and has an amazing personality." Chat Noir wiggled his eyebrows at her, and all she could do was smack him playfully on the bicep. His thick, extremely toned bicep.

"Stop!" She whined. "You're just describing yourself."

"You never know, you could be trapping me."

"I doubt it. You're too loveable to harm." She leant forward and rubbed her nose against his, "such a cute kitty."

"You know what," he moved his head back away from her, "you're a fucking tease."

"How do you think I got so good at my job?" She dropped him a wink, and his mouth fell open.

After an attempt to huff out his anger, he pounced forwards and dug his fingers into her ribs, tickling her with all his might. They collapsed back against the beam of the tower, his hard masculine body pushing firmly on top of hers, and pinning her underneath him.

She wiggled and squirmed under his touch, tears rolling down her cheeks from the feeling of the constant tickle. The laughing was taking her breath away, and throwing him from the top of the tower suddenly seemed like a great idea.

"I surrender!" She shouted through the laughter, "I surrender!"

He was laughing too, leaning over her body and staring intently into her eyes looking deep into her soul and trying to find the answers to questions he hadn't even asked.

"I want to quit," she whispered, her vulnerability rising to the surface. "I just wish I had another job to fall into. I feel like my old hopes and dreams are starting to flood back."

Chat Noir moved backwards, offering a hand out to help her sit up. The atmosphere between them broke and she took the support he offered, rising to a seating position and moving closer to him. "I don't want to do it anymore." She threaded her fingers together and looked down to the ground.

"What happened to my She-Woman Man Hater?" He asked, bending one knee to place his foot on the steel coolness of the beam. He crossed his arms over it and rested his chin in the middle. She wasn't looking towards him, but the tingling in her body left no doubt he was looking at her.

"She might ..." Ladybug froze in her explanation, thinking how she could put this across. After yesterday's meeting with Adrien, the fun, the laughter and the obvious sexual tension, she couldn't get him out of her mind. He'd appeared back in her life like a whirlwind of lust and was already taking over her heart and soul, again - even after she swore she'd never let it happen. "I might ..." she growled and grabbed her head. "The boy, well man now, he's kind of reappeared in my life, and my heart is acting like he never left and I hate it. I seem to have lost the control I had spent years building up."

Chat Noir was being unusually quiet and she chanced a glance over her shoulder to see what her partner was doing. His eyes were fixed on her, laced with concern and slight confusion.

"Would you say he came in like a wrecking ball?" His voice was all seriousness.

"Kitty," she warned, knowing full well what her partner was going to do. Sometimes she wondered if he'd ever had a serious conversation in his life.

"That he never hit so hard in love, and all he wanted to do was to break your walls"

"Continue that and you're having a one way ticket to Italy."

Chat Noir burst out laughing before wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her into his warm, hard body. She could stay here for hours, falling deep into the safety of his arms. It was the one place she knew she would miss if she ever lost it. Even during her relationship with Dominic, she'd still huddle up to her kitty and although he was married and she was in what she considered a 'serious relationship' at the time, their dynamic had never changed, if anything it only got more loving over time. There was no 'label' for this.

Chat Noir was her sunshine on a rainy day, just as Adrien had once been.

He'd held her at her worst, and cheered her on at her best. He was her everything, but the thought of this relationship changing or developing when he was single again scared her. They had such the perfect friendship, the possibility of destroying it made her want to stay single forever. As long as she had this - with him - she was happy.

"You need to do what's best for you, Bug. Nobody knows what's in there apart from you," he tapped her heart with the palm of his hand before placing it over hers in her lap.

"But before you fall too deep again, have you at least spoken to him about that night?"

She shook her head, "no, and now's not the time."

He sighed, unwrapping himself from her, causing her to long for the return of his warmth. "Honestly, I think you're making a mistake. You never know what might be revealed if you do. You know as well as I do that misunderstandings should be spoken about and dealt with. Is he at least trying to talk to you about it?"

"He is," she said, pulling her knees up into her chest, "I just don't want to get hurt again."

A sudden 'thwack' on the beams had them both jumping into action. They removed their weapons from their holders and moulded their bodies into their battle stance.

"Calm down you two, it's just me." Jess Keynes, aka Eagle, landed alongside the two Parisian Heroes, a smile plastered on her face and a knowing twinkle in her eyes

"Dear Lord," Chat Noir announced, "I think I just had kittens."

Ladybug laughed, patting her partner on the shoulder. "You're so dramatic."

"Me?" He placed a hand on his chest, "never!"

Ladybug rolled her eyes and moved closer to Eagle, her yo-yo being replaced firmly back onto her hip.

"Any news?" She asked.

"Not at the moment. There's a display I'm hoping to visit over the weekend and maybe get some answers. But I don't know LB, I think we're hitting dead ends."

"Don't give up yet," Ladybug smiled at her friend and fellow Miraculous holder.

Jess had arrived in Paris almost eight months prior with no intention of returning to New York anytime soon. She wouldn't admit to what she was doing in the city of love, but Marinette was sure it had something to do with her day job, not that she searched her out or pried into it or anything. It was just a hunch.

Since Jess was in Paris, she'd taken the chance to reconnect with Ladybug and Chat Noir, wanting to help them on their mission, once again, to retrieve the butterfly Miraculous.

The battle with Lila had come to a quick end when she'd ripped the butterfly Miraculous off and threw it out of the hero's reach, shouting some random name. By the time Lila had been taken down, the Miraculous was long gone, nobody knowing who had taken it. The kwami's had sworn it was still in Paris, that they could feel Nooroo hanging around the place, but it was still just a matter of opinion and Ladybug wasn't sure what to do.

"Do you still have the peacock?" Ladybug asked Chat Noir, only to be met by a curt nod.

"It's safely hidden and I'm working my way through the grimoire as we speak."

"Good! Then there's nothing more we can do at the moment." When Ladybug had discovered Chat Noir had received the Peacock Miraculous she allowed him to keep it. It would come in handy if he needed to duel metamorphosis and she wanted him to know she trusted him and saw him as an equal. He was just as deserving as she was, afterall. He'd also received the grimoire and could speak Chinese - two eyes on the information would be better than one.

"There is just one thing ... and it's bugging me." Eagle explained flipping herself back against the post.

"Was that meant to be a pun or -?" Chat Noir said, his eyes glistening with excitement.

"Very funny," Ladybug said, turning her attention to Eagle, "what do you know?"

"I've been working on finding the missing Miraculous from my box, and Liiri thinks there might be a connection between yours and mine. That if we find one, we might find the other."

Ladybug stared between her partner and her conrade, could that be true? If it was, everything would be a lot simpler, especially as they could work together. "And any news on the ones you're missing?" She asked.

"They think it's part of an Italian family, a family which has recently moved to France." Eagle responded, folding her arms across her chest. "I'm going to see what I can find this weekend and then I'll report back to you next week."

"I won't be here," Chat Noir said, "can we make it a couple of days later?"

"Sure." Eagle saluted the two french heroes before launching off into the distance leaving them standing face-to-face.

"Oh, I forgot," she bent down to pull the small black cat out of her lunch bag and handed it over to her partner.

He reached around his back and pulled out the small black controller. "Are you sure you're okay with me being away? I mean, if you need me just call me and I'll be here in seconds."

"Kitty, I'm not letting you put your life on hold. Go and have some fun, Rena Furtive is going to patrol with me and I'm sure Carapace will be around for additional support. We haven't been attacked in three years so stop worrying."

He walked toward her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her into a hug. "I will always worry about you."

"I know," she whispered in his ear, running her hands up and down his back. "Anyway, I must leave you, I've got a hot date tonight."

"Really now?" he let go and stepped back, "let me guess, his name's Rick and his 64 year old wife wants to find out if he's cheating so she can divorce him and take his multimillion euro pickle business."

"You really piss me off sometimes,"

"Oh come on, that's funny!"

Ladybug stepped forward and poked him firmly into the chest. "That happened once and you know I threw up because of his smell."

He burst out laughing as she flew away, his voice fading with the distance as it grew. God, she hated that cat sometimes ... hated him in the most adorable kind of way.

•••••

'When you're down and out, when you're on the street, when evening falls so hard, I will comfort you'

"Adrien, for the love of all things Miraculous, end that call!" Plagg was currently sitting in his little bed surrounded by delicious Camembert. Life was almost amazing, and he sure it would be if Adrien just turned the damn speaker off on his phone.

"I just need to check in with Max."

"Can you check in quietly then? That song, which I thought you were getting changed by the way, is doing my head in."

"Yeah, well you're doing mine in, too."

"Want to fight over it?"

"You couldn't beat me if you," there was a click over the phone and the music stopped, Max's voice sounding through the speaker.

"Everything okay, Adrien?" He turned to Plagg and almost growled, what had he done wrong in his life to have to put up with this monster for over a decade.

"Yeah, just checking through figures ready for the launch."

"I thought you might. It's insane isn't it?"

Adrien was seated at his office table, looking out over Paris. His rental wasn't anything major; a two bed apartment, with a decent sized living area and kitchen. It was on the top floor of an apartment block and had its own secluded roof terrace and views towards Notre Dame. It was simple and concealed and he loved it here, more than either of the mansions he once called home.

He continued to chat with Max about the uptake of the game, each extremely happy with the results so far. The game was getting solid five out of five star reviews and the talk around it was extremely positive. The sales figures weren't bad either.

He took his glasses off and positioned them next to his laptop, shutting the computer down and closing the lid. Taking a quick look at his watch, he noted Marinette would be here soon and he felt his heart flutter at the thought of her being here, of her being at his apartment. He'd sent her a text with his address earlier that day, and a quick reply followed telling him she'd let him know when she was here.

Adrien had the whole evening planned out in his head and he just hoped he wouldn't mess it up again. This was his chance for redemption with her and there was no way he was losing it. A continuous beep started on his phone causing the object to be pulled away from his ear.

Marinette

"I'll call you next week Max, just for a check in."

Without waiting for Max's reply, Adrien pressed 'accept' on Marinette's call, ending his conversation with Max and placing his phone to his ear once again.

"Agreste Pecan farm, which nut would you like to speak to?"

"Nut that it matters, but it's raining outside and I'd like you to let me in."

"How long have you been out there?" He asked, moving towards the intercom.

"Long enough to know you don't answer your goddamn door bell."

"Um - Marinette? What number are you buzzing because mine hasn't rang?" He rested the phone on his shoulder, keeping it in place by tilting his head and pushing pressure from his ear. Lifting the phone off the wall, he pressed the button to unlock the door, watching the video screen and a damp Marinette heading into the apartment building.

"32," she announced, disappearing from the screen.

"Ah, well, you might have wanted to try 52."

"And why's that?"

"Because that's where I live." He announced again. An echoing came through the speaker and he was quite sure she'd put him on speaker phone. A faint tapping was heard and he was quite sure she was searching for something on her phone.

"Shit."

He let out a throaty laugh, waiting near the door for her knock. "So what are you wearing tonight?"

"Don't start this again," she laughed on the phone.

"I'm not starting anything, just worried in case you're wearing wool and it'll be affected by the rain."

"Is that so?" She laughed, "So you're just being a concerned citizen for my clothing."

"Exactly, it wouldn't be any good for you to walk around with a top shrinking as you dried, people might take advantage."

"Not feeling like being my hero again then, Buttercup?"

"I'll always be your hero, Marinette." He knew his voice had dropped in tone, and he hadn't meant to be so flirty. It just happened when it came to her, she had that kind of effect on him. A knock at the door signalled her arrival and he opened it with a wide smile on his face. That wide smile suddenly turned into one of shock, then one of side splitting laughter.

"Why didn't you call me? I would have picked you up if I knew you were walking?" Thanks to the continuous flow of April showers, Paris was being a Spring wash out. Nobody went anywhere without their umbrella, yet that memo hadn't seemed to have reached Marinette.

"That's it, lap it up." She stepped through the door, Adrien closing it behind her and taking in her appearance. A slight thrill ran through him as it was obvious she had attempted to dress up for the evening. Unfortunately, that was taken away by the late afternoon rain storm and lack of coverage. "I don't know why, but everytime I see you at the moment I'm soaking wet."

Adrien snorted. "Really?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her, causing her to roll her eyes and turn away.

Her clothes were clinging to her body, emphasising the curves of her waist, hips and chest, and the voluptuous shape of her well toned ass. He couldn't draw his eyes away.

She turned around too quickly, catching him staring, and crossed her arms over her chest. "Keep staring and I might do a trick." She smirked at him.

Adrien's head moved swiftly from her body to her eyes, a nervous grin taking over his face. "Do you -" he coughed, stretching up to scratch the back of his neck in embarrassment. He couldn't believe she'd caught him, yet he wasn't exactly hiding his checking out. It only would have been more obvious if he was drooling and he's eyeballs were popping out of his head as an 'awooga' sound was leaving his mouth. "Do you need a shower or a change of clothes?"

She looked down at herself, trying to pull the soaked jeans from her thighs to no avail. "Have you got anything that would fit me?"

"I'm sure I could find something."

Marinette opened her mouth before closing it, he could tell she was reconsidering what to say next. "That would be amazing, thank you."

He knew that wasn't what she wanted to say, but he was in no mood to push. "Come with me."

He led her along the hallway and into the guest bedroom. His old clothes were stored there and hopefully there would be a couple of things Marinette could fit into. He was a lot skinnier in his teen days, so maybe some of his sweats would fit her fine. She began to look around the room and his heart swelled at having her in his temporary home. This should have been theirs. Not his, but theirs. A cute quiet place in the centre of Paris, with amazing views of Notre Dame. They could have had such a happy life here, they could have had a family.

Turning his attention away from Marinette, he headed over to a large chest of drawers and began to dig through the old clothing. He found an old white tee he used to sleep in and a pair of black basketball shorts, both displaying the 'G' of the 'Gabriel' brand. He wasn't sure if he wanted Marinette to wear something from his father. To be honest he had a large temptation to burn it along with anything else from his past life.

"Will these do?" He held them out to her and saw the apples of her cheeks take on a pinkish colour.

Was she blushing?

•••••

Adrien's apartment was beautiful. It wasn't the big heartless shell she expected, it wasn't monochrome and modern, but lived in and homely. Not in a messy way, but in a cosy way.

She hadn't seen much yet, as he led her straight into, what she guessed, was the guest bedroom. It was decorated with grey and pink, surprising Marinette as she never saw Adrien as a pink kind of guy. But the aesthetics were pleasing and she wondered if she could do anything like this in her place too. It reminded her of her time as Multimouse, and made her smile.

There were boxes stacked three and four high, and a load of dress bags on his bed. As Adrien rummaged around after clothes for Marinette, she took the opportunity to have a sneaky look. Unzipping one of the bags, she found a charcoal suit, and dress shirts which must mean the others were carrying the same sort of clothing too.

"Will these do?"

She turned around, coming face to face with Adrien holding up his pyjamas from ten years ago. She remembered seeing them as she swung past his window one night on patrol, her teenage fantasies then were filled with Adrien Agreste in basketball shorts. What a sight!

Her cheeks flamed at the past memories, and words struggled to exit her mouth. "You looked hot in those - I mean, I won't be too hot in those." She snatched them from his hands, turning away from him and placing them over her mouth, allowing the scream to be muffled by the soft cotton fabric. She took a deep breath before turning back.

"You can use this room to change, the en-suite is right through that door. I'll go and order us a pizza. Is there anything else you wanted?"

As she stood facing him, she noticed his clothing for the first time that evening. He was wearing tight fitting jeans, a black 'v' neck tee and black socks, he looked like a delicious feast. His lower arms looked delcatable, and the memories of his hands made her want to groan on the spot. His hair was slightly ruffled giving him a sexy edge to his normal pristine image, and she felt herself respond in a way she hadn't in a year.

"You," she sighed out, before catching herself, "you choose, you know, garlic bread, or potato wedges, whatever really." She turned and marched into the ensuite, shutting the door behind her. She stood back to the door, and listened until she heard him leave the bedroom and let out a colossal sigh.

"I'm meant to be over this, Tikki, I was meant to hate him, yet every single time I get near him my heart decides to surrender and scream for him." She moved to the mirror in the small room, and looked at herself. She looked awful. It was the first time ever she was glad for waterproof mascara or she was sure she'd look like a member of the Addams family.

"I would say something, but you're just going to shoot me down so I'm not going to bother."

Marinette peeled the clothing from her body and put on Adrien's old clothing. The tee came down to her knees and she needed to roll the waistband over three times for the shorts to stay up. She ran her fingers through the wet weaves of her hair, before using the bobble from around her wrist to create a topknot on her head. Not the look she was going for tonight, but it would have to do. It wasn't like she was trying to pull him.

"Tell me," Marinette said to her small kwami, folding her clothes up and placing them on the surface.

"Speak to him."

"What do you think I'm doing here? Do you really think we're going to sit in silence all night?"

"Marinette, you know what I mean!"

The raven haired woman sighed and crossed one foot over the other, her arms crossing over her chest as she leaned back against the sink.

"Maybe I can touch on it, if it comes up in conversation," she looked away with a pout on her lips.

"That's my girl." Tikki flew over and pressed her lips to Marinette's cheek, causing the young woman to giggle. A buzz was heard coming from the main apartment and Marinette took that as her cue to leave the bathroom.

"Now, come on Tikki, I've got a BBQ chicken pizza to eat."

"With extra cheese?" The kwami questioned.

"Of course," Marinette opened the door, carrying her wet clothing with her. She left the guest bedroom just as Adrien was walking back down the hall with three boxes in his hands.

"Bon appetit." He smiled, and she couldn't help but mirror it.

"So what did you go for?" She followed him into the kitchen and noticed a staircase at the end. "Where does that lead to?" She placed her wet clothing on his radiators, hoping to dry them out at least a little before she returned home.

"Which question do you want answered first?" He laughed, as he moved to the small island and placed down the pizza next to a plate of cheese, and a plate of cookies.

She looked between the staircase and the food, before pointing to the bottom of the stairs "That," she said, bending around the iron twist and up to a window.

"It leads to a roof terrace, similar to what you used to have at your parents."

"That's cool. Do you go up there often?"

"Sure," she turned back and watched him grab a bottle of Grenache from his wine rack, and twist the metal scaffold from around the top. "I mean, not when the weather is like this obviously. But there's a BBQ up there for the summer, and I have furniture in storage. You should come round when it's not raining, it's beautiful up there. I have a fit pit too to use in the winter."

"Do you roast marshmallows over it?"

He laughed, pouring the wine into two glasses before finding plates for the pizza. "Not yet, but I'm not opposed to it." She watched as he moved around his kitchen. It felt so wrong yet so right to be here with him. She looked up again at the skylight out to his terrace and couldn't help but wonder if this was too soon to be here. They seemed to have moved a lot quicker than she thought her heart would allow, and it wasn't because of the trap, it was because she wanted it too. She wanted to be here with him.

"How long have you lived here? No offence but it's not exactly as grand as your old mansion." She grabbed a plate and filled it with pizza, wedges and garlic bread, before following Adrien into the living area, a widescreen television took up most of the room, along with a desk and bookcase. The sofa was wide and Marinette couldn't wait to settle into it, it looked as though it would eat her whole. Finally there was a wooden coffee table with an array of books on it. Peering over she smiled.

"Marc and Nate's graphic novels?"

Adrien waited for Marinette to take a seat before sitting on the opposite end.

"Yeah," he replied, "I love their work. They've done amazing, you should be proud."

"Me? I haven't done anything?" She took a bite out of the pizza and groaned, god this was good stuff.

"You got them to work together in the first place. It's as much of your accomplishment as theirs, and to answer your first question, Ms. Inquisitive, I moved in nine months ago. It was a private investment I made when I was 22 and rented out. At the moment I'm renting it to myself."

"I'm not sure that's how it works, Adrien."

He smiled at her and took a bite out of his pizza, she couldn't help the smile she sent back. How could it be so easy being here?

They continued to catch up whilst avoiding the elephant in the room. They discussed their work and their interests; finding out more from the past three years. Marinette had no idea that Max's games company was majority owned by Adrien, and Adrien didn't know Marinette was one of the key members of the focus groups, and testing team. They laughed and reminisced, discussed Kim's wedding and the upcoming collège reunion, they even agreed Alya and Nino were moving too quickly with whatever they were doing. The only thing they stayed clear of was their relationship and what had happened on that night. Her stomach was tight and she hadn't the guts to bring it up, not when her heart was battling with her at the moment anyway. Tikki was going to kill her, but at the moment that seemed like the easier option. They were having fun again, and the hurt seemed to ease a little.

Finally they came to the main event, the reason she was here.

"Here you go," Adrien had taken their plates to the kitchen before walking over to his bookcase and grabbing a thick bound of paper. He threw it on Marinette's lap before sitting himself next to her, his arm sprawled across the back of the sofa, and almost around her shoulders.

"Ohhhh, is this legal?" She said, tucking her legs underneath her and flicking through the pages of his script.

"Probably not," he laughed, "but I'm sure you're good at keeping secrets. I trust you." He dropped her a wink and she giggled. The liquid courage of the Grenache flowing freely through her veins.

"What are we rehearsing then?"

"Turn to page 156."

Marinette flicked through the pages, noticing the amount of Post-It notes with his beautiful handwriting sprawled across it, until she reached page 156 where a green Post-It note was stuck precisely in the middle and read 'WTF?' She turned it around to face him, her smile mirrored on his face.

"Argh, okay, so I want your take on this scene. To me it doesn't feel right, it seems like the build up isn't there, that Edward and Rosaline have zero chemistry."

Marinette couldn't help the squeak as she looked down at the page and positioned the Post-It note out of the way - chemistry? Oh kwami's, what was this scene?

"Did you want to do me? Do it with me? Oh God, rehearse with me! Do you want to rehearse it - the scene - with me? " If she wasn't careful she was going to end up as her blabbering 14 year old self again. She had passed that, well, she thought she had.

"If you don't mind. It'll also prove to you that it's not just porn."

She snorted. "'WTF?' tells me something different." She waved the Post-It in front of his face and started to giggle.

"Just read Dupain-Cheng," he rolled his eyes and shifted on the seat to face her better.

"Fine." She coughed and positioned herself to face Adrien, the script in her lap. "How could you do that? What on Earth possessed you to make such a bad decision?" Marinette took her eyes off the script and looked at Adrien, "I like her already."

He laughed and shook his head. "So much for staying in character."

"Sorry," She laughed, "let me start again. How could you do that? What on Earth possessed you to make such a bad decision?"

"I'll take that as a thank you."

"A thank you? You think I'm thank you? You almost got us killed!"

"You're alive aren't you?"

"Will you just stop walking and talk to me."

"We need to get to the room, it isn't safe here."

"I'm not going to a room with you."

"I don't think you have a choice, darling."

"Darling? What do you think I am? A five year old?"

"I think you're a high maintenance, posh living whore who needs to learn when someone is looking out for them."

Marinette snorted out a laugh. "You really have to call her a whore?"

"Marinette," he scolded, causing her to shrug before she continued.

"A whore? Well, I hope you've got your credit card on you, because that's the only way you're getting me naked."

"I don't want you naked, I want you safe. That's a big difference."

"The big difference is, you've kidnapped me, and now you're holding me hostage."

"You don't get it, do you? Your boyfriend has murdered 30 people in the last week, two of them being agents who work for me. Now if you want to be number 31, go back. Go back to that fucked up shit, and go back to him. But I promise you I will only be one step behind. I am not losing you."

"Why? So you can get laid by the enemy's woman? So you can have one up on him when you go head to head? Tell me Edward, what is it you want? A meaningless one night stand? Or just someone to help relieve you of your pent up tension? I'm quite sure it's been a while since you've got some."

"Shut up Rosaline. You don't know what you're saying."

"I think you're talking about yourself again there. You haven't seen me in years, yet here you are, back in my life and dragging me away from everything I've built. So tell me, if it's not because of Théodore, then why? Why are you even bothered about me?"

"Because I love you, okay. I have loved you every single day since I let you go. Since I chose my job over you. Now if there's only one thing I can do to bring meaning to my life, it's going to be to protect you, you mean everything to me. I love you, Rosaline, and I swear to God I won't let anything harm you, I'd rather die first."

Marinette had found herself moving forward, her lips edging closer to Adrien. His passion as he read the lines affected her in more ways than one, and she wanted to believe what he was saying was directed to her, not Rosaline, not part of a film, but to her in real life. To Marinette, from Adrien.

"Do we kiss now?" She whispered, looking into Adrien's green eyes.

"It's in the script," he whispered back, moving closer too.

Her heart was beating out of her chest. A constant knocking on her ribcage reminding her what it felt like to feel alive, to feel wanted and needed. Every ounce of feeling in her body was on high alert and she wanted nothing more than to meet his lips. To join with him in a way she's wanted for three years, in a way she pushed to the back of her mind, stupidly using hate to cover it and protect her heart.

She closed her eyes, her breathing speeding up until reality kicked in. If she did this, if she kissed him, it would give Vivica everything she needed to complete her mission and take Adrien down. She couldn't do this to him, he didn't deserve it.

"I can't," she whispered, breaking her own heart in the process. However, the next words slid out of her mouth as a cushion for both their falls. "Not whilst you're married."

Adrien moved back, and she couldn't bear to look into his eyes. The feeling and emotions she felt must be evident in his eyes too. She was quite sure she was wearing her feelings on her forehead, feelings that didn't go away as much as she'd thought they had and she didn't want him to read them. Not now.

"I better go."

Adrien stood alongside her, following her as she collected her clothing from the radiators and carried them to the front door.

"Do you want to get changed first?" He asked, and she met his eyes for the first time since she'd broken the kiss. They weren't showing the hurt she'd envisioned. They showed hope, and want, and need.

"Would you mind if I wore these home? It's stopped raining and I was planning on catching an Uber anyway."

"Of course. I can drive you if you'd like."

Marinette shook her head at his offer. "You've been drinking and I'd never put you in that position." Shoes on, she made her way to the front door, clothes clutched tightly to her chest.

"Goodnight, Adrien."

"Until next time, Marinette."

She gave him one last smile before closing the door and leaning her forehead against it. Closing her eyes, she let the tension wear away and sense come back to her.

Tonight was a close one.

She almost ruined Adrien's life with one little kiss.

If this was going to continue, she needed to get her senses about her, she couldn't let Vivica win.