Adrien woke up with cramp in his legs, then he remembered he'd spent the night on the couch, which was at least a foot too short for him. Quietly, he got up and made his way to the bathroom completing his morning routine.

He'd just got out the shower when someone knocked at the dorms door. Expecting it to be Nino without his keys, he walked out into the living area and opened the door. Kagami stood there in a very provocative outfit.

Adrien wasn't one that went for that kind of thing. Being a model for so many years meant he'd seen many women in skimpy outfits and it just didn't sit well with him.

"What are you doing here, Kagami?" Adrien sighed, holding his towel with one hand and ruffing his hair up with the other.

A couple of girls walked past on their way to the elevator and their eyes shot our their heads. They stopped just after Adrien's door and began talking in hushed voices.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll turn around and face the other way." Kagami turned on them menacingly.

"Kagami, just get inside. Now!"

Adrien moved out the way and let Kagami through the door. She sat down and crossed her legs over revealing the lace trim of black stockings.

Adrien groaned internally. If Marinette came out now she'd think he was a complete player. He'd just broken down some of the walls between them, he couldn't afford for them to go back up. Luckily, for him Plagg had a plan.

Plagg had already told Tikki all about Kagami. He phased through the wall to get Tikki to wake up Marinette, she needed to hear the exchange. Plagg didn't trust Kagami, or what she was capable of doing.

"Marinette, it's time to wake up. Adrien's not going to want to stay out there all day. He needs to get dressed." Tikki spoke calmly into Marinette's ear.

"Just five more ..." the sound of a girl talking sent Marinette straight on alert. That's not Nino or Alya, so who is it?

She climbed out of Adrien's bed and made her way to his door. She could hear Adrien talking and then the other voice, who did not sound happy.

"You don't get it do you, Adrien. You can't just break up with me and expect me to go without a fight. We don't lose in my family. We're winners!"

"Kagami, I'm sorry. I really am. But this just didn't work. I can't be made to follow dating schedules and not do the things I enjoy. We're different but not in a good way. You won't let me drive, you won't let me play video games ..."

"That's because video games are for children and people below our stature. We are both higher class Adrien, we can help each other reach the top. Just think of all the power and money."

Who was this girl, Marinette thought. You don't treat the people you love like that. She was tempted to go out there until she heard what came next, it made her blood run cold.

"That girl you've been trying to sleep with is nothing but a fame snatching whore. Did you know what she did to Luka Couffaine? I bet you didn't know that hit song of his was about that piece of trash whose now hanging off you."

This girl had researched her, how did she even know her name. Tikki came and hugged Marinette's face. She didn't get upset a lot, she was a strong girl, but knowing someone had intentional gone out to find information about her made her feel queasy.

"Get out!" Marinette could hear the hate roll off Adrien's tongue in two words.

He was struggling to hold it together. How dare she speak about Marinette that way.

"That girl, as you call her, is brave, strong and determined. I've never met anyone like her before in my life, and if you think I'm going to let you talk about her that way you have no idea of the type of person I actually am. Now get out of my room before I call the police and have you arrested for harassment."

Marinette did a quick fist bump with Tikki. Adrien was something else. Nothing like what she first thought at all. She felt light headed with joy. The way he just spoke was just like how Chat Noir would defend Ladybug, she'd longed for this type of relationship in her 'real life'.

Adrien walked to the door and opened it.

"Come near me or Marinette again, and you'll be hearing from my lawyers. Understand?"

Kagami huffed as she walked towards the door. Just as she got level with Adrien she grabbed his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. A camera flash went off in the hallway. He pushed Kagami out and slammed his door.

Kagami made her way over to the photographer to check he'd got the picture and then paid him for his time. Adrien would regret this. He was hers and only hers.

Adrien grabbed some sweats that were left in the dryer. He pulled them on and then collapsed on the couch and sighed. He picked up his phone to text his Princess, she must be awake by now.

You know I want you
It's not a secret I try to hide

Marinette heard her phone vibrate and picked it up.

"Oh, so now we're on to soundtracks."

She quickly typed a text back.

You think it's easy
You think I don't want to run to you
But there are mountains
And there are doors that we can't walk through

Giggling to herself she locked her phone and moved in-front of Adrien's mirror preparing to leave his room. Her attention was pulled when she heard a humming outside the room.

Adrien was either a fan of 'The Greatest Showman' or ... she could hear her heart beating in her ears as she considered what this could mean.

"Tikki," she whispered. "Is he? Is Adrien?" Tikki looks around sheepishly. "Oh my, he is! Did you know?" Tikki nods.

"I just ... I," Marinette touched her lips, she was the girl that he cheated on his ex-girlfriend with. Her Prince was Adrien Agreste, 'The Adrien Agreste', who's bed she slept in last night, who she's now made out with multiple times, who is her muse for her Gabriel challenge. Her face turned a shade of beetroot. This was not like her at all.

She fell backwards into a cupboard and the door sprang open. Onto her lap fell a Ladybug doll and a cat mask? She squealed and placed her hand over her mouth. Not only was Adrien hitting on Marinette as Marinette, but also as the girl from the ball and her alter ego! She'd managed to get his attention three ways.

A reminder notification sounded on her phone. She was due at her parents bakery in an hour. Damn, she was going to be late again. Quickly, pushing the Ladybug doll and mask into the cupboard, she closed the door and gathered up her things.

Marinette came rushing out the bedroom and slammed straight into Adrien.

"Adrien, I'm really sorry, I've got to go."

Adrien looked shocked and quite sad.

"Oh ok. I hope it wasn't anything I did."

"No, no of course not. I've got to be at my parents in an hour." She stretched up onto her toes and kissed him. Her arm snaked up to his neck and his arms wrapped round her waist, the kiss got deeper. She let out a groan, pulling her back to reality.

"Nope, I haven't got time." She sped towards the door, before running back to Adrien again and giving him one last kiss. "I'll see you soon."

She ran out the door, closing it behind her. Adrien stood staring at it as Plagg zoomed out of his hiding place.

"She's a little weird, but I like her."

"I like her too, Plagg. As much as I like Ladybug. What am I going to do?"

"I'm sure you'll be ok, kid. Why don't you speak to Ladybug next time you see her? She usually has the right things to say."

Adrien sighed and walked to the kitchen to make himself something to eat. He'd been at university just over a week and his life had flipped upside down.

He knew he was falling for Marinette, but he couldn't help feeling like he was betraying Ladybug. With Kagami it was different, his heart wasn't there. But Marinette had not only embedded into his heart, she was now slowly stealing it.

—————————————————

After a long day helping out her parents, Marinette needed some alone time. So much had happened over the past week she needed to reclaim some time for herself.

After a quick catch up with Alya, and spending most of the time claiming her innocence about her time with Adrien, she made her way into her bedroom and locked the door.

Now she knew Adrien, she had to help him. She pulled out her Guardians books as Tikki came to sit by her.

"There's got to be something in here Tikki, he's been through so much." Marinette continued to flick through the pages.

"I don't know, Marinette, nothing like this has ever happened before." Tikki looks at her chosen unsure what to say.

"She was put in that coma by a Miraculous, there's got to be a way to heal her out of it."

Marinette transformed and pulled out her yo-yo. She pulled up Nathalie's contact information and sent a message.

Coming over to see Mrs Agreste, please can you leave the window open. LB.

Opening her own window she crept off into the night. She still loved this freedom even after four years, she loved being a superhero and she loved being part of a team. She didn't care about the admiration, she just wanted to help.

She arrived at the Agreste Mansion and jumped through the window Nathalie had left open for her.

"Hello, Ladybug. Nice to see you again."

"You too, Miss Sancoeur. How are you doing?"

"Not too bad. Gabriel's back to being more sociable and more of a father to Adrien so things are getting brighter."

"Where does he think his wife is?" I ask.

Nathalie let out a sigh.

"He can't even remember he has a wife. He believes he has amnesia, so at least we can play that card with him for a while." She dropped onto a nearby chair looking defeated. "I don't know what to do anymore, Ladybug. The more I think about the whole situation the more of a mess it becomes."

"I understand that. You love him it's obvious. I just don't want to hurt you if I manage to bring Émilie back."

"Please try, I need the family to be happy, even if it means without me. Gabriel and Adrien are my world."

Ladybug nodded at Nathalie and they made their way towards Gabriel's study where the elevator to Émilie is situated. They stopped outside the door as they heard two male voices speaking. Ladybug knew who they were immediately, Gabriel and Adrien.

"I told you I didn't want any of your shenanigans plastered all over the media."

"I had just finished showering and I thought it was Nino. I told her to leave ... she jumped on me." Adrien explained.

"You do remember, I have a deal with her mother. If this continues, I can see the deal going downhill."

"Father, we need to do something about this. I can't help out anymore. I like someone else."

Ladybug's heart flew into her throat, and butterflies flew round her stomach like crazy.

Was he talking about me? She thought to herself. She heard Gabriel sigh.

"What does Kagami want from you?" Gabriel asked, hand on head.

"She mentioned something about power and money. I don't want power and I definitely don't need money. Isn't there someone else we can guide her towards? She deserves to be happy, just not with me."

Gabriel sat in his chair and Adrien paced the room. Both deep in thought at how they were going to get out of this mess.

"Félix!" Gabriel says.

"Félix." Adrien nodded, "that could work. I think they would get along great."

"I'll give your Aunt a call and see if she can send him over for a month to do some work for me. I could get the two of you doing a model shoot actually?"

"Yes father." Adrien went to walk out the door.

"Adrien, before you go." He turned back to face his father. "This girl ... she wouldn't happen to be a design student would she?"

"How did you ...?" Adrien tried to reply but was cut off.

"Just don't rush into anything, son. I trust you, but I don't want to see you hurt. You may want to contact Miss Dupain-Cheng about pictures she might find online this evening."

Adrien was completely dumbfounded, how did his father know? Walking out the door in the world of his own he missed the double love of his life sitting on the steps looking just as perplexed as he was.

Shaking herself out of it Nathalie went in to tell Gabriel his food was ready. The two walked into the dining hall as Ladybug slipped into the office and to the secret lair. She was looking for anything that could help.

As she walked over towards the glass coffin she felt like she was being pulled into a fairytale.

Not in death, but just in sleep, the fateful prophecy you'll keep. And from this slumber you shall wake, when true love's kiss, the spell shall break.

Ladybug found it silly she was sitting reciting rhymes from Disney films but something seemed so real about it all. Had Gabriel kissed his wife? Was that true love? Or perhaps if Adrien kissed her? Did the peacock Miraculous, which she'd been wearing, have a soul mate like the Ladybug?

She felt like she'd made a break through, she needed to talk to Chat. She was going to research fairytales, myths and legends. She was going to go full throttle down this route, everything else could wait.