Marinette settled in to play. As always, her bluffing was terrible. However, thanks to Chat Noir being her second pair of eyes and letting her know what the others were holding in their hand, she was doing alright...okay, she was doing excellent.

"Marinette wins again," Kim sighed, throwing his cards down on the table with annoyance.

He leaned forward and pushed all the chips towards her, the guys around the table all groaning as they swigged hearty gulps from their beer bottles. Nino was the first one out, swiftly followed by Max, but here she was...rolling in it. Chat Noir dropped her a salute as he made his way around the table for the next draw, peering over shoulders as each person began to lift their cards.

As she placed her recently won red and black chips into their piles, she gave Adrien a smirk. He moved the beer bottle from his lips and smiled back.

"What?" He chuckled, taking another hearty swig.

"You said you've never played before, and from that pile in front of you, I have to question that."

"He's a liar, M'Lady, go for the win!" Chat Noir had positioned himself in the middle of the table, lying on his stomach and facing Adrien. His feet kicked behind him like a showgirl from the Moulin Rouge, his tail curling around and flicking suggestively.

"Technically, I haven't," Adrien said, grabbing the cards and shuffling them in one hand. If there was ever an enigma, it was Adrien Agreste. Just when she thought she'd uncovered everything about him, he pulled out another trick – literally. He began to thread the cards through each other with one hand as he finished off his beer with the other.

"What do you mean, technically?" Nino grabbed another beer and exchanged Adrien's empty bottle for a full one, before grabbing one for himself. The two had hit it off amazingly. Nino had mentioned a billion times he had a new BFF... but not to tell Alya.

"I've only ever played online."

A chorus of ohs circulated around the deck, everyone accepting this as the most normal thing they'd ever heard.

Adrien leaned forward on the table, looking directly at Marinette with a smug expression, only making him look all the more attractive. Damn him! "And what about you, Miss 'I can't play'? You're not doing too badly yourself."

A second circulation of ohs went around the deck, Marinette lifting an eyebrow. "Have you not heard of bluffing?"

"No offence, Marinette, but you've never been able to bluff before," Kim declared.

Marinette shrugged. "It's my guardian angel."

Chat Noir burst out laughing and climbed from the table to come stand beside her. "Me and you against the world, M'Lady."

If there was ever a time for a fist bump, now would have been it.

He picked up a collection of his own chips and threw them into the middle, a multitude of black and red bouncing across the table. Adrien had been very successful tonight, but his playing was ruthless, some of the gambles only just paying off. Luka had been quite vocal in their head to head rivalry, a side of him she'd never seen before, and it was quite a vision compared to the usually calm and collected Luka Couffaine she was used to seeing.

"I'm in." Luka grabbed a bigger pile and threw his own chips onto Adrien's, upping the ante.

Adrien grabbed a few more and threw them in.

"Oh, wow! These two boys are about to have a pissing contest. I wonder if they'll let me join too? I'm quite sure I could take Ken and Bittersweet —"

"Stop!" Marinette yelled to her partner.

Luka froze from where he was about to place some more chips on the pile and swung around to look at her, Adrien already looking at her curiosity.

"It's - um - I mean -"

She looked around at the expectant faces of everyone at the table, every single one looking at her like she was going insane.

"Marinette?" Max looked at her with so much worry, she felt bad for her friend.

"Oh, it's just...it's my turn now. You seem to be forgetting me." She knew it was a crap lie but that's all she had. "I'm playing too."

She grabbed a few chips and threw them into the middle, one bouncing insanely high and hitting Kim in the eye.

"Bull's eye!" Chat Noir shouted as he broke into manic laughter.

Kim stumbled from the table, Max and Alix following as they escorted the newly injured athlete towards the bathroom.

Oh, no! She was quite sure he had the World Championships coming up. The finalists got a shot at the Olympics, and she'd just single handily destroyed France's best swimmer, blinding him in one eye with a poker chip. What a crap way to go out!

"I'm out," Nino suddenly said, leaning back and looking around the table. "Alya will kill me if I lose any more money." He clapped a hand down on Adrien's shoulder, and Marinette smiled. Alya always said she wished Nino had someone to form a close friendship with, one like theirs, and watching him with Adrien right now, Marinette was quite sure this was friends for life territory.

"Anyone else in?" Adrien asked, giving the cards another quick shuffle.

With only herself, Luka, Adrien and Nino at the table, Marinette couldn't help but wiggle in her seat. It had suddenly grown uncomfortable, Luka looking as though he was looking for impurities in a diamond. His eyes were squinting, and he studied Adrien hard as he handed out the cards to the three of them, skimming them across the table one-by-one.

Luka placed an arm over the back of her chair, the move he always made when they sat in such proximity. It felt possessive. Her eyes caught Adrien's. He was staring. His jaw clenched and the sparkle in his eyes dimmed. The way he looked at her sent her insides running for cover. The unspoken questions, the curiosity, the... she couldn't place her finger on it.

Marinette moved forward, grabbing the two cards from the table and knocking Luka's arm from the chair, causing him to move back into his seat.

The Queen of hearts and 4 of diamonds.

She looked around the table, both Adrien and Luka leaning back in their chairs, cards face down on the table. Luka's eyes were firmly on Adrien, his hand unconsciously grabbing a chip and bouncing it on top of the cards.

"Has anyone seen Lila Rossi at all tonight?" Nino suddenly asked, Marinette taking her concentration from the guys and to her friend.

"Lila?" she questioned. "I didn't think she'd be coming."

"Lila Rossi?" Adrien asked, picking up a couple of chips and placing them on his growing tower in the middle. "I recognise that name. Bet."

Luka stopped tapping his chip, grabbing a couple of others and tossing them into the pile in the middle and knocking Adrien's tower down. "Raise!" He rubbed one finger under his lower lip, looking at Marinette expectantly.

"Oh, um –" She looked at her cards again, then searched for Chat Noir.

He gave her the thumbs up. "Go for it, LB."

"Call." She grabbed a few chips from her pile and tossed them in. Adrien reached forward for his own.

Burning the top card from the deck, Adrien grabbed it and threw it to one side.

"You might know Lila," Nino continued. "She was a model for your father."

Adrien frowned in thought, his hand turning over the next three cards and introducing the flop.

The 10 of hearts, the 6 of diamonds and the Jack of hearts.

Marinette felt her heart begin to hammer in her chest. This could be it! This could be her ultimate moment. She may not be able to bluff but she knew when her hand was good...and so far this was looking very good.

"Oh! Black hair and blue eyes. A bit like Marinette, but taller?" Adrien said, lifting his own cards once more. He seemed less than interested in the conversation, instead taking the time to study the cards in his hands and those in the flop.

Chat Noir peered over Adrien's shoulder. "Not as good as yours, M'Lady."

"Nah, dude. She had chestnut hair and olive green eyes. Italian."

Adrien shifted his attention to Nino, curiosity taking over his face, before he shook it off and continued his appraisal of the cards.

"I think Rose spoke to her," Luka said, collecting his own cards. "Something about work in China? Apparently she's working for UNICEF now."

"Humm...," Marinette replied, checking her own cards. That was a lie if she'd ever heard one. Now there was a girl she'd never play poker with.

"What did you think of her, Marinette?" Adrien suddenly asked, once again grabbing some chips and throwing them into the middle. "Bet!"

Marinette grabbed her own chips and threw them on top before shrugging. "I never really had anything to do with her. Call."

Adrien laughed. "You didn't like her, did you?"

She smiled. "You know me so well."

The two began to laugh, Chat Noir rolling his eyes and moving over to stand behind Luka.

"Chloé didn't come either, but that's probably because she's busy on the promotional tour with her sister," Nino said, as if anyone here was actually interested in Chloé.

"Raise your bet, Marinette. This one's going to be singing through heartbreak all the way home. His is worse than Ken's." Chat Noir strolled around to check on Adrien's once again. His smug look increased her confidence.

Luka took a few chips and threw them on the pile. "Call."

Marinette pursed her lips as she waited for Adrien to burn the next card before placing the turn card.

The 9 of hearts.

Marinette took the moment to smile, before she looked down in her bag to cover the laugh trying to burst from her lips. She couldn't help but wonder if Tikki had been up to something because there was no way she was this lucky. It was looking more and more likely that she was going to swipe the plate clean.

"Call," Luka said. Throwing a rather hefty amount of chips into the middle, Adrien followed swiftly with his own.

Chat Noir smiled over at her, giving her a nod of his head. "Princess, you've got this! Raise it and take them down!"

"Raise," Marinette said, timidly.

Luka looked at her, his face unsure of what she was doing. For once she was covering herself well...well, at least she was trying. He tried to read her, but something in the back of her mind told her that, for once in her life, he couldn't.

"Fold," he grumbled.

He threw the cards down on the table before glaring at Adrien, a challenge there unseen. Adrien looked at his own cards again, a hand rubbing the back of his neck as Nino took out his phone and began to record.

"Alya's never going to believe this. Marinette Dupain-Cheng taking it to the final hurdle."

Adrien moved his hand to the table and began to run his fingers up and down the chips, stopping halfway down and picking them up. "Call."

"I know you're rich, but do you really want to waste your money so badly?" Marinette grabbed her cards and tapped the corner against the table. She couldn't help the smug look on her face. He was going to regret this so badly.

Adrien grinned. "Looks like someone has a chip on their shoulder."

Tilting her head, Marinette couldn't help but smile a little more. "That's about as punny as your last bet."

"Are you trying to up the stakes, Miss Dupain-Cheng? Because I always feel pretty flush when I'm holding the winning hand." Dramatically, Adrien began to fan his face with the cards and let his perfect peach lips form into a rather obnoxious pout.

Marinette couldn't help the bubble in her stomach. No one had ever challenged her like this before (except her partner) and she couldn't help but bask in the thrill and excitement. He was still staring at her, the challenge evident in his eyes, and she was sure he was working out his next pun.

"Oh, Adrien, the smack talk doesn't suit you."

He snorted. "Poker doesn't suit you either. Ever thought of playing solitaire?"

The chorus of gasps and giggles circulated around the table as Adrien took a chip from the pile and began to twist it through his fingers.

"Oh, you are done!" Chat Noir suddenly blurted out, stalking his way over to Adrien and straight through him.

"I tried," Marinette sighed, taking her own cards and looking them over again. "But I just kept getting poker-d back to this game."

Adrien burst out in the most joyful laugh she'd ever heard, her own chuckle joining in as everyone else seemed to exhale and continue with their chatter.

"I like that one," Adrien said, burning the next card. He flipped the river over and Marinette had to use every muscle she had to keep her seated.

The 8 of hearts. A straight flush!

Marinette turned to look at Adrien. Casually, she rested her elbow on the table with her hand supporting her chin. "So, what's it going to be, Hot Stuff?"

Adrien looked between his cards and the hand laid out on the table, before catching her right in the eye. After one last glance at his hand, Adrien sighed and threw his cards face down onto the table. "Fold!"

Marinette screamed as she jumped up excitedly. She'd won! She'd actually won!

So she might have had a little help, but that's what you got for calling a woman's mind easily readable.

She was going home a winner and Kim had to well and truly eat his words – along with a jar of jalapeños for the insult. Chat Noir's idea, not hers.

*****

It was past midnight by the time they left the boat. Marinette walked with a bounce in her step and everyone's money in her pocket. She was still high from the night's activities and couldn't see herself calming down anytime soon.

"Tell me, Mr Agreste, if you've never played against real people, where did you learn those poker skills?"

"To be honest, I learned how to play from Casino Royale. That Texas Hold 'em scene is cinematic genius!" Adrien laughed. They were heading back to her apartment, Adrien walking her there like the true gent and plus one that he was.

"Interesting." She chuckled. She'd been doing that a lot tonight, and recently. No one made her laugh as much as her partner...that was, until she'd met Adrien. Now she had them both in her life, she just never seemed to stop smiling. "I knew there was something unusual about you. You're British Intelligence. It makes so much sense."

She dropped Adrien a wink before scurrying off in the opposite direction, Adrien speeding up to catch her. The pounding of his footsteps behind caused her to speed up her walk, the laughter escaping her lips effortlessly as she moved. Almost like playing a game of cat and mouse.

"You can talk, Miss I've Never Played Before! You kicked everyone's –" Adrien's words faded away, as she felt his hand wrap around her wrist, pulling her backwards and into his chest.

She continued to laugh, yet the look in his eyes was cold and alarming. He placed a finger to his lips before pulling them both into the closest alleyway, his hand strong on her back as he held her tight.

A sound of feet echoed on the street they'd just vacated. An eerie noise in the late night silence. Adrien spun her around, pushing her back into the wall and burying his head into her shoulder.

"Put your arms around my neck," he whispered, his hot breath sending a shiver down her spine.

"Do what he says, Marinette." The sound of her partner's voice had her swinging her arms up and around Adrien. His body moved in closer as they became one against the wall, hidden in the dark alcove and away from the footsteps.

Her heart was beating rapidly, and she wanted to transform to hide in the safety of her suit. She could just say a couple of words and then they would be out of there.

"Don't even think about it," Chat Noir called from his position at the end of the alleyway. "Someone's coming."

"Look like we're making out," Adrien whispered in her ear. Her knees gave way and he took the moment to hide her head and nuzzle into her neck.

The footsteps stopped...followed by a slight echo from the scuff of a shoe, before the pounding continued away.

She was shaking like a leaf. She was a goddamn superhero, and was out of sorts. A simple person walking past shouldn't cause her arms to goosepimple and hairs to stand on end — not like this.

"Are you okay?" Adrien asked, moving his body from hers. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, but I had a strange suspicion."

"You really are 007!" Marinette quickly covered her mouth. Adrien just smiled in response. "Come on, let's get you home."

Marinette looked to where Chat Noir was standing, a frown disappearing behind his mask. "Don't go home, M'Lady. I want to see what and who that was. Something feels off." He disappeared around the corner and she prayed he'd be back soon. She felt so much better when he was around.

If she couldn't go home, where the hell was he expecting her to go? Unless...

"I'm not okay, actually," she said. "I – um – I'm a little scared."

"Will you be okay home alone?"

She started fumbling with her fingers, trying her hardest to play the innocent card. "I don't know."

"Come back to mine. I have a spare bedroom. You'll have your own ensuite too."

Marinette looked once more to where Chat Noir had disappeared.

Then she looked back at Adrien. "That would be amazing. Thank you."