Actions

Work Header

Why Are You Like This?

Summary:

An older Chat Noir shows up in the middle of a class field trip with a special mission for his younger self.

Notes:

This is a gift for the amazing Yunyin, based off of this drawing! One of my favorite pieces of ML fanart :D
Happy birthday, Audrey!

(P.S. Time travel is so weird and confusing to me so I hope this makes sense and if not...the shenanigans are what's most important lol)

ALSO thanks to Boogum and Taliax for being my betas <3

Chapter Text

After being Chat Noir for almost a year, Adrien Agreste was used to the unusual.

He had seen it all: blob monsters, living puppets, reincarnations of ancient pharaohs, giant floating heads. He had even been to space.

In fact, just a few hours before, he had helped Ladybug defeat a supervillain by making the entire Eiffel Tower crumble into dust with just the touch of his hand. And, of course, he was currently carrying around the god of destruction in his jacket pocket (along with a stupid amount of camembert—because any amount of camembert was stupid).

But that was just a typical Tuesday. After you’ve helped Santa Claus himself restore order to Paris, nothing can really surprise you.

Well, maybe one thing.

“Move!” Chat Noir shouted. “Everyone, take cover, now.”

Adrien frantically looked around the museum exhibit as his classmates scattered. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. But if Bunnyx had sent him from the future, there must be something huge going on.

He ran off to find somewhere private to transform, but before he’d made it more than a few steps, a hand gripped his shoulder.

“Not so fast,” said a voice. His voice, but deeper, richer. “We need to talk.”

“Um.” Adrien turned around. “Isn’t there an akuma? Shouldn’t I, you know, hide?” He looked up into his own eyes (which was extremely weird) and tugged on his jacket to hint at his meaning.

“Nope. I need you.” The older Chat Noir scanned the room. “And you too.” He beckoned to Marinette, who was edging around the corner.

Marinette spun around. “Oh! I was just going to—I need—I mean—” She stopped herself and took a breath. “Okay.”

The older Adrien waited until the last stragglers had filtered out of the room. “Listen carefully. The Ladybug of the future sent me. She has a special mission for each of you.”

“Really?” Adrien’s heart stuttered in his chest. Even in the future, Ladybug thought of him? Adrien? Or … maybe she knew his identity and was looking for the younger version of Chat Noir to help? A small bubble of hope rose in his chest. She might know him. And hopefully … he knew her.

Whatever the case, she needed him. And he would never let his lady down.

“Yes, really,” his older self said. “But I need to talk to Marinette first, okay? Privately. Wait for me over by that statue, will you?”

Adrien obeyed, watching Marinette and his older self from the shadow of the statue. Chat Noir was whispering to her urgently, but Adrien couldn’t make out the words. Marinette nodded thoughtfully, and then she seemed to ask a question.

“What do you think they’re talking about?” he whispered to Plagg.

Plagg poked his head out of Adrien’s jacket. “How would I know? And why would I care? I’m sure they’re not talking about cheese, so it can’t be anything that interesting.”

Adrien rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Marinette and Chat Noir. Now that he was just waiting around, he had a chance to study his future self. His hair was shorter than Adrien’s, but his suit looked almost the same. He was tall, Adrien was glad to note. And muscular. He couldn’t keep a smug smile from creeping onto his face. Maybe Ladybug would fall for him later, when he’d grown up. Maybe this version of himself was already with her! Maybe they knew each other’s identities. Maybe—

WHAT?

Adrien jolted out of his reverie at the sound of Marinette’s voice. Her eyes were wide, her mouth hanging open. Chat Noir pressed a finger to his lips and leaned in closer to whisper.

Adrien twisted his miraculous around on his finger. If he were transformed, he could probably hear what they were saying. He was tempted to inch closer to listen in on the conversation, but he knew he shouldn’t. Whatever they were saying, he wasn’t supposed to know.

But he was dying to know what Ladybug’s special mission for Marinette was. What could his older self have said that would make her react like that? Maybe he had just told her Ladybug’s identity! Or … did she already know because of the time Ladybug had given her the mouse miraculous? Ladybug hadn’t had her kwami then. She would’ve had to be in her civilian form. But then again, she could always disguise herself the way he did with the banana suit. Well, maybe not that way. Ladybug was smart. She would find a better way. She always did.

One thing was for sure: she was right to choose Marinette for the mouse miraculous. And she was right to choose Marinette now, for whatever she had chosen her for. Marinette was smart too—maybe even as smart as Ladybug. More importantly, she was trustworthy. If there was anyone Ladybug could trust with her secret identity, it was Marinette.

Still, Adrien’s stomach twisted at the thought of someone else knowing who his lady was before he did. He always hoped he’d be the first to know. If he was ever allowed to know.

Chat Noir gripped Marinette’s shoulders. She nodded firmly and then ran off.

Adrien could barely wait until she was gone before he ran up to his future self.

“What did you say to her? Did you tell her Ladybug’s identity?”

Chat Noir chuckled drily. “No.”

“Did you …” Adrien swallowed. “Did you tell her ours?”

“Of course not.”

“Then why was she—”

Chat Noir put up a hand. “Hey. You know what they say: curiosity killed the cat. My lips are sealed.”

“But won’t she need help? If Bunnyx sent you from the future, there must be something awful going on. Is Marinette going to be safe? I should go with her. To protect her. I need to transform. Plagg, cl—”

“Whoa there. Not yet, okay? Trust me. Marinette has it handled.”

Adrien lowered his fist. “Yeah … yeah, you’re right. Marinette can do anything. She’ll be fine.”

For the first time, Chat Noir smiled. “She’s pretty special, isn’t she?”

“Marinette? Yeah, she’s amazing! But … you would know that. Obviously.”

Chat Noir’s smile shifted into a smirk. “You’ve got a thing for her, don’t you?”

Adrien’s face went red. “What? No! I’m in love with Ladybug.”

“Sure. But you definitely have a crush on Marinette.”

“Of course not! Marinette is … just a friend.”

Chat Noir rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I’ve heard that one before.”

“It’s true!”

“Would you cut that out? Just admit that you like Marinette.”

“Of course I like her. But not like that.

“You sure about that, kid?”

Adrien scoffed. “You’re gonna call me ‘kid’? Like Plagg does? I’m you.”

“I know. Which is why I can confidently tell you that you’re an idiot.”

Adrien’s jaw dropped. “Hey!”

Plagg snickered inside his jacket.

“You got something to say, Plagg?” Chat Noir asked. “You can come out. It’s just us here.”

Plagg phased through Adrien’s jacket, cackling. “Oh, this is good. This is very, very good.”

Adrien crossed his arms, frowning. “I don’t see what’s so good about it.”

“Come on. Your future self, telling you you’re an idiot? Priceless. And he’s right, of course.” Plagg turned to Chat Noir. “The kid is totally clueless. He can’t even see that Marinette is madly in love with him when all the evidence is right in front of his face! I’ve tried to tell him, but he never listens.”

“Yeah, I know,” Chat Noir said wryly.

“But Marinette isn’t in love with me!” Adrien said.

“Oh yeah?” Plagg said. “Then how come she has photos of you all over her room?”

“She’s just into fashion. You know that.”

“But she drew hearts all over them! Blegh.”

“They’re not hearts. They’re upside-down spades. Marinette told me that.”

“Come on! That was such a weak excuse. You can’t have actually bought that. Right?” Plagg looked at Chat Noir.

The older Adrien grimaced. “Apparently.”

“Well, how about how she’s always stuttering and tripping over herself in front of you?” Plagg said.

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Obviously she’s nervous in front of you. Because she’s in looooove.”

“If she’s nervous around me, it’s probably just because I’m a fashion model.”

“Yeah, because she really seems like the type to care about fame and fortune, huh,” Chat Noir said.

“Well … no. She’s not like that at all. But my father is—”

“Don’t.” Chat Noir’s voice was low. His expression darkened.

“Don’t … what?”

“Don’t mention that man around me.”

Adrien’s eyes widened. “Father? Why? What’s wrong?”

Chat Noir closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “A lot of things are wrong.” His eyes snapped open. “Starting with you and how impossibly, ridiculously blind you are.”

“I don’t—you don’t understand. Either of you.”

Chat Noir laughed. “I don’t understand? You do know I’m you, right? I understand better than anyone.”

“Then how could you say any of this? If you’re really me, then you know that I’m in love with Ladybug and that I could never love someone else. Unless …” Adrien froze as a realization hit him. “Wait. Do you—I mean, we—not love Ladybug anymore? In the future?”

Chat Noir’s catlike eyes narrowed, scrutinizing Adrien. “I can’t answer that. You know I can’t tell you anything about your future. It’s not safe for you to know.”

“But—”

“Just stop. I know you love Ladybug. But if you say you don’t also love Marinette, you’re just being obtuse.”

“I—you’re wrong. Marinette is just a friend. I don’t—”

Adrien let out a strangled cry as Chat Noir grabbed him roughly with both hands and lifted him by the jacket collar. The toes of his sneakers skimmed the floor.

“Why are you like this?” Chat Noir practically snarled. “What can’t you just open your eyes?”

Adrien gulped. Of all the strange situations he’d been in, nothing was as strange as being threatened, not by Hawkmoth, not by a supervillain, but by himself. And the anger and frustration in his older self’s eyes was very real. Real enough to send a chill down Adrien’s spine and make his hair stand on end. In that moment, Chat Noir looked almost … dangerous.

What is it called when you go back and murder your younger self? Adrien thought. Is that homicide or suicide?

He didn’t want to find out.

He raised his hands in surrender. “You know, if you kill me, you’ll probably be erased from time or something. So maybe you could … um, not do that. Please.”

Chat Noir sighed heavily, lowering Adrien back to the ground. “I wouldn’t be erased from time. We would both be caught in an infinite, paradoxical time loop—a state of neither reality nor unreality. Because if I killed you, you’d never grow up to be me. Which means that I never existed to go back in time to kill you, which means you actually didn’t die, which means that you did grow up to be me and I actually did go back in time to kill you.”

“But if—that—what?”

Chat Noir rubbed his temples. “Honestly, time travel has never made that much sense to me. Bunnyx is much better with this sort of thing. That’s why she’s in charge of the rabbit miraculous. I just go where she tells me.” He lowered his hands. “The point is, I’m not going to hurt you. That wouldn’t help either of us. Besides, there’s something you need to do. And as long as you do exactly as I say, we shouldn’t have any problems.”

Adrien’s heart rose. This was it. His special mission from the grown-up Ladybug, who was probably even more perfect than she was now (if that was possible). She was so smart, so strong, so kind, so beautiful, so confident, so Ladybug.

Would she still wear pigtails in the future? Would she still scrunch up her nose as she figured out her lucky charm? Would she still call him “kitty”? Would she—

“I need you to ask out Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

If Adrien had been drinking something, he would’ve spit it out all over his future self’s suit. So it was a good thing he wasn’t, because despite Chat Noir promising not to hurt him, he really didn’t want to test his luck.

“Ask—ask out … Marinette?” he spluttered, ignoring Plagg’s sniggering. “Like … like on a date?”

“Yep.”

“But … why?”

“Because it’s important.”

Adrien’s brow furrowed. “This is my special mission from Ladybug?”

“Actually, this one comes from me.” Chat Noir gripped Adrien’s shoulder. “Trust me. No, trust you.”

“Okay...”

Chat Noir leaned down, his gaze earnest. “Look, I know it doesn’t make sense to you right now, but this is extremely important. Your entire future—and mine—depends on it. Really, the entire future of Paris depends on it. Maybe even the future of the world.”

“On … on me …” Adrien swallowed. “...asking Marinette on a date?”

“That’s right.”

“But … Marinette doesn’t even like me. She likes Luka.”

Chat Noir sighed. He was sighing a lot. Is this what Adrien was going to grow up to be? An exasperated man who violently threatened younger versions of himself? (But who was also, admittedly, very cool?)

“Forget about that,” the older Adrien said. “Just ask Marinette out for ice cream. It doesn’t have to be a big romantic gesture. You can even ask her as a friend if you want to. Just tell her it’s a thank you. For helping Ladybug today and saving everyone.”

Adrien’s shoulders relaxed. “Oh—okay. She deserves that. She’s always helping people.” He smiled. “She’s like an everyday Ladybug.”

Chat Noir shook his head. “You’re really going to compare her to the love of your life and then tell me that you don’t have feelings for her?”

Adrien took a step back, bracing himself to be scolded again (or maybe strangled), but Chat Noir’s expression was soft. “It’s okay. All you need to do is buy her a cone of Sweetheart’s Ice Cream. Easy.”

Well, that certainly seemed much easier than whatever Ladybug had asked Marinette to do. But still … the thought of being alone with her, sharing André’s (possibly magical) ice cream for lovers, with the golden afternoon light framing her face, and her eyes like clear blue water, and her lovely warm smile, and those tiny freckles sprinkled across her nose like stardust, and her laugh that made him feel so strangely proud that he could bring that beautiful sound to life, and that feeling that stirred deep inside his chest whenever he thought of her ...

Adrien felt like a dozen akumas were fluttering around inside his stomach. “But what—what should I say to her?” he stammered. The only real date he’d been on was with Kagami, but somehow this seemed … different.

Chat Noir’s eyes scanned his face. He felt like he was being X-rayed, like his older self could see straight through him to where his insides had turned into jelly. And he knew the telltale blush creeping over his face was clearly visible even without the enhanced vision of the transformation.

Chat Noir smiled. “Just ask her what she would name her pet hamster if she had one.”

Adrien blinked. “Her hamster?”

“Yeah. You’ve always wanted one, right?”

“Well, yeah.”

“So does she. Remember? Her dad mentioned it. That time you went over for brunch.”

“And then got her dad akumatized,” Plagg added with a smirk.

Adrien’s blush deepened. How could he forget that? A girl told him she loved him and then he broke her heart and made her dad turn into a giant hairy wolf man. If that didn’t prove how much of a disaster he was in the love department, he didn’t know what did.

He buried his face in his hands, his cheeks burning against his palms. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

“Aw, come on, I was just kidding,” Plagg said. “Ask out Pigtails. Like I told you to back then.”

Adrien’s voice was muffled. “But why would she even want to go out with me? I’m so lame compared to her.”

“Hey.”

A hand weighed on his shoulder. Adrien looked up at Chat Noir.

“Don’t sell yourself short. You’re pretty awesome. You’re Chat Noir! Someday, you’ll even be as cool as me.” He winked.

“Come on,” Adrien said. “You and I both know that I’m just a giant dork. And I highly doubt I’m going to grow out of that, so you must be a dork too.”

Chat Noir grinned. “Touché. But, as crazy as it may sound, Marinette likes you anyway.”

“Are you sure?” Adrien asked doubtfully. “Sometimes I worry that she doesn’t like me that much at all, and maybe that’s why she always runs away or acts so nervous when I’m around.”

“I’m sure.” Chat Noir hesitated, then leaned in. “You want to know a secret?”

Adrien’s eyes widened. “Like, something from my future?”

“No. From your past, actually. You know the scarf that”—he paused—“Father gave you?”

“Sure! That was the best birthday present he ever gave me!”

“That’s the thing … it wasn’t actually from him.”

“What do you mean?”

A soft smile crossed Chat Noir’s face. “Marinette made it for me.”

What?”

“See? One of your favorite gifts that you’ve ever gotten. It was from her the whole time. Remind me again what your other favorite gift is?”

“My lucky charm.” Adrien dug in his pocket and held it up.

“Also from Marinette.” Chat Noir’s smile widened. “I still have mine too.”

Adrien stared at the charm twisting slowly in the air. Could the scarf really be from her too?

“But … Nathalie gave the scarf to me. From Father. How do you know Marinette made it?”

“Because he told me.”

“Who, Father?”

Chat Noir shook his head. “No—me. Today. When I was you. I’ve been through all of this before, remember?”

“But how did he know, then?”

“I asked the same thing. So he told me to ask Marinette about it. And I suggest you do the same. You could ask her on your date today.” Chat Noir winked. “That’s what I did.”

Behind Adrien, there was a soft zap. He turned and saw a glowing blue portal, buzzing with energy.

“Looks like my ride is here.” Chat Noir grinned and grabbed the baton from his back.

“Wait!”

He paused.

“That’s really my whole secret mission? To—to ask out Marinette?” Adrien ignored the blush warming his cheeks. “Ladybug doesn’t have any instructions for me?”

“Nope. Oh, wait! She did want me to tell you something: thank you.”

Adrien raised his eyebrows. “For what?”

“Well, you’re about to go help her battle the akuma, right? You wouldn’t leave your lady hanging. You’re always there for her, and you always will be.” Chat Noir smiled. “You’re partners. The two of you against the world, right?”

Adrien swallowed and nodded.

“Oh—that reminds me. You’re supposed to meet Ladybug at the Arc de Triomphe. Better get going or you’ll miss all the fun. Stay out of trouble, kid. I’ll see you later. Or, I guess you’ll see me, huh?” He grinned and offered a two-fingered salute.

As Chat Noir turned to leave, a glint caught Adrien’s eye. He had noticed before that the bell was missing from his older self’s suit, but he’d been too distracted by everything else going on to pay much attention. But now he saw that it had been replaced by a small golden ring.

“Hey,” he asked. “Where did my bell go? Why’d you get rid of it?”

A pair of rabbit ears and a head of bright red hair poked through the portal. “Are you coming or not?” Bunnyx asked. “I can’t keep this open for very much longer.”

Chat Noir walked backward toward the portal, still facing Adrien. “I don’t need a bell. I’m not lost anymore.” He put one leg through the portal.

“See you later, Kitty Noir,” Bunnyx said. “I mean, I hope I won’t. But I probably will.” She disappeared back into the portal.

“Hamster,” Chat Noir mouthed, and with a last salute, he was gone.

 


 

“Cutting it a little close, aren’t you?” Alix said as she closed up the portal behind them. “Why were you even talking to him? That wasn’t part of the plan.”

“It was part of my plan,” Adrien said. “Absolutely essential. Trust me.”

There was a flash of red in the corner of his vision as a figure landed nimbly on the roof beside them. Marinette stowed her yo-yo on her hip. “Hey. Everything go okay on your end?”

His heart throbbed in his chest. Gah, she was amazing. Every time he saw her he fell in love again. He was still the lovesick kitten Plagg had always accused him of being. But how could he not be? She was paw-sitively enchanting.

Well, as clueless and frustrating as his younger self was, he was right about one thing: Adrien was a dork. And that was fine with him.

He gently lifted her hand to his lips. “Just purrrfect, milady.”

Alix rolled her eyes. “Seriously, doesn’t that get old?”

Adrien grinned. “You’re just jealous that you don’t know any good rabbit puns.”

“Why would I be jealous of puns?”

“Because nobunny can resist them.”

He winked, and Alix stuck her tongue out at him.

“Alright, alright,” Marinette said. “Anything to report, kitty?”

“Yes. You look splendid today.”

A smile pulled at the corners of her lips. “Not what I meant.”

“Well, let’s see … mini-you did seem pretty shocked when I said you wanted her to tell Ladybug to bring the miracle box out in the open, but I’m sure she did everything exactly right.”

Marinette nodded. “Good. I’ve set up everything on our side. As long as our younger selves follow our instructions, they’ll lure Chronomaster straight into our trap. What’s our status, Bunnyx?”

“Everything looks good. I haven’t seen anything unusual in my burrow. Minibug and Kitty Noir did the job just like you told them to. Or, they will, I guess. In a few minutes.”

Marinette smiled triumphantly. “Looks like everything went according to plan.”

“Well …” Alix glanced at Adrien. “Except for the part where Mr. Cool Claws here talked to Adrien Jr. I don’t remember that from the briefing.”

“Kitty!”

Adrien shot Alix a dirty look. “That was an essential point of the mission, thank you. And a confidential one.”

Marinette frowned. “What did you do?”

“Nothing. I just talked to him, okay?”

“You know how dangerous it is to know about the future.” Her eyes widened. “You didn’t tell him my identity, did you?”

“No! No. Of course not. Trust me, he’ll remain oblivious for another year or so, just like I did.” Adrien groaned. “Ugh, I could’ve strangled him. Nearly did, actually.”

Marinette let out a soft gasp. “You didn’t hurt him, did you?”

“Nah. Just kind of … manhandled him. Just a bit.”

Her lips slid into an adorable pout. “How could you do that? He’s just a kid!”

“A clueless kid.”

“A good kid!”

“An absolute fool.”

“An absolute sweetheart!”

A grin spread across Adrien’s face. “Aw, bugaboo, don’t tell me you had a crush on me?”

Marinette rolled her eyes. “Don’t try to change the subject. What exactly were you doing?”

“Oh, I was just … enlightening my mini-me. Giving him a little nudge in the right direction. Making sure that this”—he flicked the wedding band at his neck—“would happen.”

He stepped closer, bringing his face near hers. His heartbeat quickened as her breath fanned across his face, and he noted a hint of pink spilling out from under her mask.

“Making sure that this would happen,” he breathed. And then slowly, gently, he brought his lips to meet hers.

Adrien had thought that after nearly a year of marriage, kissing Marinette would become a normal, everyday thing. And it was, in a way. But it also wasn’t. Because not a single one of Marinette’s kisses was forgettable. Not the sleepy morning kisses, or the casual hello kisses, or the quick goodbye kisses. Even if it was only for a fraction of a second, when his lips were on hers the earth stopped spinning just so he could treasure the moment a little longer.

And a kiss like this—a kiss he could savor; a kiss so deep he was completely submerged in her; a kiss that let him feel her all around him as he melted against her, into her, by her, with her—set off a thousand fireworks in his soul.

The moment came to an end when Alix cleared her throat loudly.

“You shouldn’t have meddled,” Marinette murmured as she pulled away. “You know better than that, kitty.” She tapped his nose with one finger.

Adrien flushed under his mask. After all this time, she could still make him feel like the helpless, blushing mess of a boy he’d left behind in the museum.

“I just did it exactly how I remembered. How it was always supposed to be.” He clasped her hand in both of his. “So we could be how we were always supposed to be.”

Marinette tilted her head and smiled. “Well, the world hasn’t fallen apart yet, so I guess you didn’t really screw it up. You’re off the hook this time.”

“Good. I’d hate to miss the surprise party we’re throwing for Chronomaster. You know how I love parties.”

“Speaking of, we’re going to be late if we don’t go now.” Marinette turned to Alix. “Ready?”

“Ready.” Alix called back her burrow and stood aside.

“Let’s make this quick,” Adrien said. “We had to leave in such a rush this morning that I didn’t get the chance to feed the hamster.”

Marinette grabbed Adrien’s hand. “Thanks, kitty,” she whispered. “I love you.”

He squeezed her hand gently. “Love you too, bugaboo.”

Together, they faced the portal.

“Let’s go.”

Chapter 2

Summary:

Chronomaster has been defeated, and now it's time for Adrien to fulfill his secret mission from his future self: to go on a date with Marinette.

Notes:

Sorry this took so long to update,,i didn't even decide that i wanted to do a part 2 until later haha. but i hope you enjoy! thanks for all the nice comments <3

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The last of the magic ladybugs swirled in the air, taking the final traces of the damage caused by Chronomaster with them. With a final wave, Bunnyx closed up her portal and disappeared.

Adrien breathed a sigh of relief. It had been a close one—or, it seemed like it, anyway. But Ladybug always knew what to do, whether she was from the future or the present.

“Chat Noir!”

Ladybug—his Ladybug—was holding out her fist, cradling the miracle box in her other arm.

Adrien smiled and brought her fist to meet hers.

“Pound it!”

She shifted the box on her hip. “I better get this back to safety. See you next time, kitty.” She lifted her arm to fling out her yo-yo.

“Wait! Ladybug. I, uh … I wanted to ask you something.”

She paused, arm still raised.

Adrien swallowed. “Did … did Marinette talk to you?”

She turned around. “I’m sorry. I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to talk about our instructions from our future selves. Marinette did talk to me, and I know Adrien talked to you, but there’s probably a reason the future Chat Noir didn’t talk to them together, right?”

“I guess,” he said, his heart inexplicably sinking. Why was he even asking? What did he want her to tell him?

Ladybug’s earrings beeped. “Sorry, Chat Noir. I really have to—”

“Does Marinette know who you are?” he said in a rush.

She froze. “You know I would never reveal my identity to someone.”

“Yeah, I know. I just thought that since she delivered the message to you, she must know who you are, right? Or else how would she know where to find you?”

Ladybug’s gaze flickered to the side.

Adrien tried to ignore the sinking sensation in his stomach. “If—if she does know … she won’t tell. I promise.”

Her eyes met his again. “You seem pretty confident.”

“I am.” Despite the lump in his throat, his voice was firm. “You can trust her.”

Her expression softened into a smile. “She doesn’t know who I am. She just knows how to contact me. But … does Adrien know who you are?”

Adrien’s muscled stiffened. How did I not see this coming? He cast around for an excuse.

“Of course not. Adrien and I are just … friends …”

Ladybug raised her eyebrows under the mask.

“... on Nintendo Switch.”

She stared. “Is that a joke?”

He laughed nervously, his face burning. “Uh … no?”

“Are you out of your mind? That’s so reckless. I mean, that’s crazy! You, playing video games with Adrien Agreste? It doesn’t—no. How did you get his friend code? And how does he even know that you’re Chat Noir? Please don’t tell me that—”

Mercifully, her earrings beeped again.

“Wish granted! My lips are sealed,” Adrien said quickly. “You better go, milady.”

She let out a little huff. “You’re lucky Adrien is so trustworthy.”

His heart skipped a beat. He stared after her as she flung out her yo-yo and sailed away.

For a moment, he just stood there, waiting—he wasn’t sure for what. Maybe for his older self to come back and smack him in the head. Or for his present self to finally Get A Grip. (Neither of them happened.)

His ring beeped.

“Nintendo Switch?” he muttered. Gah, I am such a disaster.

And of course, that fact just reminded him of another rapidly approaching opportunity to screw things up.

His secret mission from his future self. To ask out Marinette.

Marinette, who was a good friend. Who was very sweet and very brave and very smart.

(And very pretty.)

Maybe, he thought as he extended his baton, this time he’d do a good enough job that he wouldn’t get her dad akumatized.

All he had to do was not mention the fact that he was madly in love with Ladybug. Easy.

(In fact, it was probably best to not mention Ladybug at all.)

((Okay, it was definitely best not to mention her.))

(((Whatever you do, DON’T mention Ladybug.)))

 


 

“So, Ladybug!” Adrien blurted out.

Marinette jumped next to him on the bench, nearly dropping her ice cream cone. “Uh, what?” She chuckled awkwardly. “Noooo. I’m not Ladydug. I’m—”

“I meant, uh … how do you know her?” Adrien fiddled with the end of his blue scarf, mentally kicking himself. He had already ruined it. He had already done the one thing he wasn’t supposed to do.

“Oh! I, uh … well …” She gazed over the railing of the bridge and down the river, chewing her lip.

He cursed inwardly. Of course she couldn’t tell him the truth. Ladybug probably told her to keep her mission as Multimouse a secret. He needed to give her a way out.

“I’m guessing you’ve run into her before, huh?” he asked, trying to sound casual. “Since she asked for your help today. She must’ve known how smart and trustworthy you are.”

Marinette’s cheeks tinged with pink. “Um, yes. We’ve met. I’ve … helped her out before.”

“And she knew she could trust you again.” He smiled. “I’m not sure what you did today, but we all owe you. You really are like an everyday Ladybug.”

She ducked her head. “Thanks.”

“So …” he asked, dragging the little spoon across his scoop of ice cream, “what’s she like?”

Why? Why are you STILL talking about her? DROP IT. You already know what Ladybug is like!

“Uh, who?” Marinette asked.

Say Alya. Say Chloé. Say Jagged Stone’s crocodile. Say anybody except—

“Ladybug.”

Stupid.

“Oh! Um. She’s—she’s pretty cool.” Marinette took a spoonful of ice cream.

“Yeah.” He sighed. “She’s amazing. She always knows what to do. It’s so cool how she figures out her lucky charm. How she fights. How she helps people. She’s so brave and smart. And sweet. And pretty. Wow, she’s so pretty.” He froze, eyes widening. Inside his jacket, Plagg wriggled—either kicking him or trying to stifle a laugh.

Marinette’s cheeks were flushed. She stared at Adrien, her mouth hanging open in—shock? horror? utter humiliation?

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU JUST CATACLYSMED YOUR DATE, IDIOT!

DAMAGE CONTROL DAMAGE CONTROL DAMAGE CON—

“Uhhh, I mean, you’re pretty too!” Adrien said, waving his free hand wildly. “Like, really pretty. As pretty as Ladybug, actually. And you’re also smart and brave and … all the things I just said. About Ladybug.”

Marinette blinked, eyes wide.

Adrien’s face burned. Now he knew exactly why his older self would want to kill him. In fact, he kind of wished Chat Noir would show up again right now, even if it was just to push him into the river. He could use his aqua power-up and stay down there until Marinette left. How long could he stay transformed if he didn’t use his cataclysm? Maybe he could live down there forever. He could make friends with all the fish. (And he wouldn’t be surprised if he saw Kim down there too.)

While he was planning his new life in the depths of the Seine, he failed to notice how Marinette’s grip on her ice cream cone was slackening. Until it tipped backward and smashed in a melty blob onto her shirt.

“Oh no!” Marinette jumped to her feet, holding the cone away from her body.

“Uh, I’ll get napkins.” Adrien abandoned his own ice cream and sprinted back to André’s cart.

André smiled broadly. “It is going well for the two lovebirds, I hope.”

Adrien ignored the blush spreading across his face as he grabbed a handful of napkins. “Well … not as well as I had hoped.”

“Do not worry, young man, about any rough patch. Blackberry and mint are a perfect match!”

“Not on Marinette’s shirt, they’re not,” he muttered.

When he got back, Marinette was frowning at the stain. He offered the napkins to her and tried to help her wipe the ice cream off, but then he realized that his hands should really not be anywhere near her chest, and he jumped back like he had been burned.

“S-sorry, Adrien,” she stammered, blushing furiously as she scrubbed at her shirt. “I’m just so clumsy!”

Adrien sighed. “No, I’m the one who’s sorry. This is all my fault.”

“How is it your fault?”

“Well, if I hadn’t been going on about Ladybug, you wouldn’t have gotten so distracted.” He swallowed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. That … wasn’t very nice of me.”

“It … wasn’t?”

“You don’t have to pretend that it’s okay, Marinette. I may not be very good at this stuff, but even I know that it’s rude to talk about another girl while you’re on a date. I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.”

Marinette froze, still clutching the wad of napkins. “D-date? This is a date?”

Oh. Oh no. Did she not realize? He could see how it might be unclear, since he didn’t actually say the words “Will you go on a date with me?” What he really said was more along the lines of, “Hey, Marinette! I’m going to get some ice cream. Want to come along? I’m an idiot and also too much of a coward to tell you how I feel. Yes, hello, André. Two cones, please. Separate. One for me and one for my Very Good Friend Marinette. Just want to be clear that this is not romantic in any way! Just two Good Friends getting magical soulmate ice cream together! Marinette, let’s take a selfie with our friendship ice cream so I can post it to Instagram and make a fool of myself even more! #Casual #NotADate #JustAFriend #WHYAREYOULIKETHIS #OlderMePleaseComeBackAndKillMeForRealThisTime #PlaggIsNeverGoingToLetMe—”

“Um … Adrien?”

He jolted. “Uh, yeah, I did mean for this to be a date. Unless …” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Unless you don’t want it to be.”

“No, no! I do!” Marinette stepped back and shoved the dirty napkins into the trash can behind them. Then she looked down at the stain on her shirt and sighed.

“Here.” Adrien unwrapped his scarf and held it out to her. “You can wear that to cover up the stain if you want. Or not! I mean, you look great either way. You don’t have to—”

“Thanks.” She offered a gentle smile and took the scarf.

Adrien glanced back at the bench, where both of their ice cream cones sat in a melted mess.

“Uh … shall I go get us some more, then?” he asked.

Marinette laughed nervously as she tied the scarf around her neck. “Actually, I think I’ve had enough for today.”

“Alright. Do you want to … take a walk, then?”

“Sure.”

They cleaned up the ice cream as best as they could and then began a slow stroll across the bridge. He knew he should say something, but he wasn’t sure what. What were you supposed to say to a girl after you babbled on about your other crush and then made her spill ice cream on her shirt?

He sneaked a glance at her. The late-afternoon sun outlined her silhouette in gold. She waved at André as they passed by his cart. Adrien found himself staring at her hand as it fell back to her side.

His fingers twitched. It would be so easy to reach out and grab it. So easy to lace his fingers between hers.

But was it even a good time to hold her hand? Or would it just be weird? What if Marinette felt awkward? What if she pulled away? Besides, his hands were still kind of sticky from the ice cream mess. He shoved them in his pockets.

He’d never held hands with someone before. Not really. Not like that. Just the two of them. Walking side by side. Holding hands simply for the sake of holding hands.

He’d held hands with Ladybug lots of times before, but that was different. If he grabbed Marinette’s hand right now, there would be no suits, no gloves—nothing but their bare skin making contact. He tried to remember what it was like to hold hands with her before, that time he sneaked out of the Bourgeois’ anniversary party with her and Kagami. But he was too focused on escaping to really notice how her hand felt inside his.

He bet it would be warm. And soft. No—maybe a little rough? From baking burns and needle pricks and drawing calluses and other marks of all the things she did. He liked that idea. That her hands would tell a story. He’d listen to her story all day long if he could.

They’d made it all the way across the bridge before he realized that neither of them had said a word. But what could he say? He didn’t trust himself not to say something stupid.

Just do NOT mention Ladybug again!

“So … um … Ladybug’s your favorite superhero, huh?” Marinette asked.

Adrien stiffened. “Uh, yeah. She’s just so, so …”

Keep it together, Chat Noir!

“... well, let’s just say that I admire her a lot.”

“I—I’m sure she’d be flattered to hear that.”

Her cheeks were pink, and her smile was irresistible. It drew him in like her family’s bakery on a wet, chilly day, enveloping him in warmth and sweetness. It felt safe.

(It felt like home.)

“You think?” He looked down at his orange sneakers as he walked. “Is she your favorite superhero too?”

Marinette giggled. “Well, Ladybug is pretty awesome. But my favorite superhero is Chat Noir.”

Adrien lifted his head, eyes wide. “Really? Why?”

“What do you mean, ‘why’? You don’t think he’s cool?”

Another blush spread across his cheeks. “No, no! I do. I’m just … surprised you thought so.”

“Well, I do. He’s not cool the way he thinks he is—’cause let’s be real, he’s a total goofball—but he’s just so good, you know? He always does the right thing even when it’s hard. He always has Ladybug’s back. He helps people. He’s really sweet and brave and kind.”

Adrien’s heart rose at the same time that his stomach twisted. With how normal their friendship felt, it was easy to forget that she had been in love with him—well, with Chat Noir. And was she still in love with Chat Noir? He wondered if he should feel guilty about that. For rejecting her. For not noticing his feelings until his future self literally picked him up and shook him.

For still being in love with Ladybug.

But if she did still have feelings for Chat Noir, and she also had feelings for him—Adrien, like Plagg and his older self had said—that would mean she had fallen in love with him twice. That she loved him for everything he was, even the parts he couldn’t show her all at once. That she loved him wholly, completely … like no one ever had before. His breath hitched in his throat.

“... and funny too.”

Adrien blinked. “You think Chat Noir is funny?”

“Yeah. But don’t tell him I said that! His head will swell up.”

A grin crept onto his face. “Is that so?”

“Yep. It will swell up like a balloon and then he’ll float away and Ladybug will have to fetch him with her yo-yo.”

Adrien laughed. “Well, I can’t say I blame him. If a really awesome girl told me I was funny, I’d probably be pretty pleased with myself too.”

Marinette’s cheeks went pink.

“But don’t worry.” He winked. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

They had reached the park now, where people were taking a stroll with their partners or their kids or their dogs. Mr. Ramier sat on a bench feeding the pigeons. Sunlight filtered through the leaves of the trees and dappled Marinette’s skin with gold.

“Um, Marinette?”

“Hmm?”

“Can I ask you something?”

Her gaze flickered to his face. “About what?”

“About … um … that, actually.” He pointed to the scarf around her neck.

“This?” She ran her fingers along its length. “It’s the scarf your dad gave you for your birthday, right?”

“Yeah. I mean, that’s what he told me, anyway. But some—Nathalie told me that it wasn’t actually from him.”

She fingered the end of the scarf. “Oh?”

“Yeah. She said … she said it was from you, Marinette. Is that true?”

Her fingers went still. She looked up at him and nodded slowly.

“Then why—”

“Please don’t be mad!” she said in a rush. “I’m sorry.”

Adrien’s mouth fell open. “What? Why would I be mad?”

“Because … because I’ve been lying about it this whole time. Letting you believe something that wasn’t true.”

“Trust me, I’m not angry at all. But … why didn’t you say anything?”

Marinette bowed her head. “You just looked so happy thinking it was from your dad. I didn’t want to take that away from you.”

He remembered all the times he’d shown the scarf off proudly to anyone who’d look. “My father gave this to me. Isn’t it awesome?” He’d even said that to Marinette! And she’d just let Father take the credit for her own hard work. All to make Adrien happy.

Because that’s the kind of person Marinette is. An everyday Ladybug.

He put a hand on her shoulder. “You wouldn’t be taking anything away from me. I’m used to my father. But knowing that a friend did something so thoughtful … that means everything to me.”

She looked up at him with a soft smile, and something inside him stirred—an ache that felt old and familiar. It was the same ache he felt when he looked at Ladybug sometimes, knowing that she never thought of him the way he thought of her.

But it’s different now, right? he thought. Because Marinette loves me back.

Wait.

Loves me?

Back??

No no no no … he loved Ladybug and he could never love someone else! It didn’t matter what his older self had said, right? Because Adrien was the one living in his own head at this exact moment and he could say with one hundred percent confidence that he was in love with Ladybug and no one else and that Marinette … well, Marinette … she was …

He knew from the unpleasant twisting in his stomach that if he said “just a friend,” he’d be lying.

“Adrien? Are you okay?”

Oh no. He needed to say something. There was something else he was supposed to ask her, but he couldn’t remember. His heartbeat was too loud in his ears. He couldn’t think. Was it her favorite color? Her favorite type of pastry? Her favorite animal?

Oh, right.

He desperately tried to think of a casual way to bring it up, but the words spilled out of his mouth before he could come up with one. “Sooo, what do you think of hamsters?”

Marinette’s brows shot up. “Hamsters?”

“Uh, yeah. You know, the little fluffy guys. I’ve always wanted one.”

Her face lit up. “Really? Me too. They’re so cute!”

His heart was starting to calm down, but it was still so loud he was afraid she could hear it. “What would you name yours, if you had one?”

She bit her lip. “It’s kind of stupid. You’ll laugh.”

“What is it, Alexander Hamsterton?”

She laughed. “No!”

Her laugh was magic. Like Ladybug’s cure. All at once he felt warm and calm and whole. He grinned. “What about Hamsterlet, Prince of Denmark? Ooh, or Wheel-iam Shakespeare?”

Another magic laugh. “Wrong and wrong.”

“I got it. Sir Squeaks-a-Lot.”

“Nope.”

Unfortunately, hamster puns were a lot harder to come up with than cat puns. “Uh, let’s see ... Hamster … ella?”

“These are all terrible!”

“Wait—I got it. Coco Hamel.”

She snorted. “Are you serious?”

“What? You like fashion!” he said. “Alright, alright. Marie Hamtoinette.”

“No!”

“Well, then what is it? It can’t possibly be worse than anything I’ve already said.”

“Fine …”

That evening, Adrien lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. There was a lot to think about today—two akuma battles, a visit from his future self, that conversation with Ladybug where he nearly screwed up and gave away his identity. Not to mention how stupid and awkward he was on his date with Marinette.

But despite all of that, he kept coming back to a few small moments: Marinette, rosy cheeked, wearing the scarf she had made for him. Marinette, dappled gold, smiling softly in the shade of the trees. Marinette, nose scrunched, laughing at his terrible hamster puns.

“That’s such a stupid name for a hamster,” Plagg grumbled.

“No.” Adrien smiled. “It’s perfect.”

 


 

The last of the magic ladybugs swirled in the air, taking the final traces of the damage caused by Chronomaster with them.

Alix appeared out of her portal. “All good on the other side! Minibug and Kitty Noir did everything just right.”

“Good work, team.” Marinette held out her fist.

Adrien smiled. It was a silly tradition from when they were kids, but they still did it, every time.

He brought his fist to meet Marinette’s and Alix’s. “Pound it!”

Alix called back her portal. “Catch you later.” She waved and disappeared.

Adrien checked the time on his baton. “Still early enough to have a nice brunch. What do you say … last one home makes crêpes?”

Marinette grinned. “I’ll be waiting for my plate, then. Thanks, kitty.” She blew him a kiss before she threw out her yo-yo and jumped away.

He found himself staring after her for a moment too long. He shook his head as he extended his baton, smiling to himself. It wasn’t fair when she did that. Not that he minded cooking for her. Or even listening to her brag about winning. In fact, he enjoyed seeing her smug smile. (He always loved her smile.)

Without another delay, he vaulted across the rooftops toward home.

When he dropped through the window, Marinette was lounging on the couch. Tikki was curled up on a pillow beside her, munching on a macaron.

Finally. I’ve been waiting here for ages,” Marinette said, even though she couldn’t possibly have been sitting there for more than a few seconds. “I’m starving. I believe you promised me crêpes?”

“Claws in,” Adrien said. When the transformation lifted, Plagg sped off to the refrigerator, no doubt to swallow an entire wheel of Camembert whole.

“Well?” Marinette asked, eyebrows raised.

He bowed. “You beat me fair and square, milady. What kinds of filling does the princess wish for her crêpes?”

“Hmm ... strawberries and cream.”

He stepped forward and lifted her hand to his lips. “Your wish is my command,” he murmured, and he grinned at the hint of a blush on her cheeks.

In the kitchen, he busied himself with the crêpes, just as she had taught him. She’d shown him how to make all kinds of things—bread and cakes and pies and pastries. (And, of course, macarons.) Baking with Marinette was one of his favorite things to do.

As he spooned fresh whipped cream into a crêpe, a pair of arms encircled him from behind.

“You’re taking too long,” Marinette said. “I’m wasting away.”

“Poor little bug. If only someone were making her breakfast right this second.”

“If only.”

He finished rolling up the crêpes and carried them to the table.

Marinette plopped into a chair and took a bite. “Ah, the sweet taste of victory.”

There was that smug smile of hers. She was beautiful even when she was mocking him.

“I have something else for you too,” Adrien said. “Wait here.”

He went to their bedroom and opened his dresser drawer to grab the tiny box.

“What’s that?” Marinette asked when he came back.

He sat down beside her. “Well, you know today is a special day.”

She swallowed a bite. “Saturday?”

“No …”

“Uh, National Crêpe Day?”

He pursed his lips. “Marinette, I know you know what day it is. We just defeated Chronomaster, like, half an hour ago. Plus, you can’t pretend you’re not as mushy and sentimental as me. The cat was out of the bag a long time ago on that one.”

“Fine.” Marinette folded her hands on top of the table. “It’s the anniversary of our first date.”

“Exactly.” He slid the box across the table. “Happy anniversary, milady.”

A smile lifted the corner of her lips. “You know our actual anniversary isn’t for another month, right?”

“Yeah, I know. But this is just a little thing.”

Marinette opened the box and blinked. “A … bead?”

“For your lucky charm,” Adrien said. “I thought … I don’t know … we could add one bead to our charms every year. And make another charm if the first one got too long. Or …”

The more he tried to explain, the cheesier and stupider it sounded. He looked down at the table. “It’s a stupid idea, isn’t it.”

“It’s pretty sappy, yeah.” Marinette leaned across the table and squeezed his hand. “But we’re just two big saps, anyway, so I think it’s a perfect idea.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

She grinned. “I guess this makes up for how you kept talking about another girl on our first date.”

“It was you!”

“Yeah, but you didn’t know that.”

He narrowed his eyes. “I seem to remember you going on about Chat Noir too.”

“That’s different. All I said was that he was funny.”

“And sweet and brave and kind. And devastatingly handsome.”

“I did not say that.”

He shrugged. “It was implied.”

She flipped her ponytail over her shoulder, Chloé style. “Whatever. I’m not the one whose cheesy pick-up lines failed over and over again for years.”

Did they fail, though? I always said you’d fall for me eventually, bugaboo, and I was right, wasn’t I?”

She pouted over her plate of crêpes, looking so cute that he almost wanted to let her win right then. But he couldn’t give in that easily.

“Hey, there’s no reason to be embarrassed,” he said gently. “You fell for a super-cool, suave, incredibly charming superhero. It’s only natural.”

She snorted. “Suave? You were never suave.”

“I was too!”

Suave people don’t get caught sniffing their partner when they’re supposed to be catching an akuma.”

“You’re going to play that card?” Adrien asked. “You totally smelled me when you thought I was a statue.”

“Hey!” Marinette frowned. “I thought we agreed to never talk about the statue thing again.”

He raised his hands. “You brought this on yourself. It’s not my fault you have so many embarrassing moments to hide.”

“You did … just as much embarrassing stuff as I did.” She took an angry bite of crêpe.

“Not as embarrassing as asking your crush for constipation medicine,” Tikki called from the living room.

Marinette’s mouth fell open. “Tikki! Whose side are you on?”

Adrien tried to soothe her while also fighting back a grin. “Marinette, we were just kids. It doesn’t matter. Let’s just drop it now, okay?”

“No! I’m not going to drop it.” She pointed her fork at him accusingly. “Not until you admit were just as much of an embarrassing idiot as me.”

Plagg’s singsong voice drifted in from the next room. “She’s just a friiiiieeeeend.”

Adrien groaned. After his encounter with his younger self that day, he knew only too well how much of an idiot he was.

“Okay. You’re right. I was an embarrassing idiot.” He scooted his chair closer. “But you love me anyway, right?”

She considered. “Maybe. But only because these crêpes are really good.”

“Good enough for a thank-you kiss?”

She smiled and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. “Happy anniversary, kitty,” she whispered. Then she kissed him again—longer, deeper.

Plagg groaned. “Ugh, they’re being gross again.”

“They love each other,” Tikki said.

“Well, I love cheese, and you don’t see me making out with it.”

“Yes, I do. Every day. And let me tell you—that is gross.”

Plagg grumbled something else that Adrien couldn’t hear, and he didn’t care either because Marinette’s lips were still on his and her fingers were tangled in his hair.

A moment later, she pulled away abruptly. “Crap.”

“What?” he asked.

“We still need to feed the hamster.”

Notes:

ETA: for those of you who are asking, this is the hamster's name