Chat Noir grinned at the sight of Ladybug that evening.

He always smiled when he laid eyes on her. It was an instinctive reaction he couldn't help whenever he saw her beautiful face, or the silhouette of her strong body, or heard her determined yet sweet voice. Ladybug just had that effect on him

But today he had even more reason to smile when he saw her because today was special.

Today they have known each other for exactly one year!

One whole year!

That was three hundred and sixty five days of knowing the most beautiful, brave, clever, and downright amazing girl in the whole world. Three hundred and sixty five days of being madly in love, of knowing what it's like to have his heart skip, his stomach lurch, and his palms to begin rapidly sweating as he gazed lovingly into the biggest, bluest, eyes he had ever seen. Three hundred and sixty five days of finally living his life.

It was something that had to be celebrated.

Which is why when Ladybug turned round to greet him, and probably to reprimand him for being late, he thrusted out the little pink velvet gift bag eagerly.

"Happy A-meow-ersary," he cried out cheerfully, "My Lady!"

Ladybug was in the middle of an eye roll at the pun when she suddenly cut herself off with a dumbstruck blink. "Wait," she said horrified, "what?!"

"It's been a year," Chat couldn't quite keep the soppiness out of his voice, "a whole year today since we first met and became partners."

Though one day he wanted to be able to celebrate a real anniversary with her. Their one month anniversary, their six month, their first year as a couple, their wedding anniversary, their fiftieth wedding anniversary….

"That's today?!" Ladybug yelped. "It's been a year already?!"

"What can I say?" Chat shrugged. "Time flies by when you're having fun."

"Fun?" Ladybug snorted. "You describe fighting an ego-maniac that possess innocent people and endangers our loved ones as fun?"

"Well, that bit isn't fun," Chat conceded sheepishly, "but the superpowers bit? All the good we achieve, our nightly patrols, being able to run on rooftops and fling ourselves from building to building, and, well, our friendship. They're fun," he glanced over worriedly at Ladybug, fearful that she shared a different opinion entirely. "Aren't they?" he asked a little too vulnerably for his liking.

As if she could sense his discomfort, Ladybug placed a hand over his comfortingly. "Yeah," she smiled softly, "they're fun."

They sit in silence for a moment in which he indulges himself with gazing into her eyes and relishing the touch of her hand against his while wishing desperately that he could feel bare skin against bare skin.

And then he remembered his present.

He thrusted the bag back at Ladybug. "Fur you!" he insisted.

"Chat!" Ladybug exclaimed as she accepted the tiny bag. Her cheeks were a deep, dusty, pink. "You shouldn't have!"

"It's our anniversary, Bugaboo," Chat replied firmly," I most certainly should."

"But I haven't got you anything!"

"I don't mind," he said truthfully. He didn't need or want presents. He just wanted to shower his Lady Love in gifts. "Come on, Ladybug," he urged her. "Open it! You know you want to."

She smiled again as she tug the drawstrings of the bag to open it and then carefully shook out the present so it would land in the palm of her hand.

It was a delicate silver chain with a matching intricate silver charm that entwined on itself dangling on the end. It takes Ladybug a long time to scrutinise the little details that had made it such a perfect gift. These little details, of course, consisted of the tiniest silver cat right in the middle beneath the incy engraved words Purr-fect Friend.

"You just couldn't resist could you?" Ladybug deadpanned. "Anything to make a pun."

"It was purr-tty irresistible," he agreed, "but it doesn't make it any less true. You are my purr-fect friend."

"I'm not," she murmured, "I'm really not."

"You're one of my very best friends," he said firmly. "Would you like some help to put it on?"

"Yes," Ladybug said softly, "Please."

He plucked the necklace out of her hand and carefully undid the clasp, he was extremely aware that his claws could cause some damage to the present, and then he draped it round Ladybug's neck. He savoured the very moment he got to lean in and breathe in her scent of cookies and flowers while he did up the clasp.

Ladybug's hand immediately shot up to touch the necklace. "Thank you, Kitty," she smiled radiantly, "I couldn't ask for a better gift, or a better partner."

He was so ecstatically happy at that declaration that he pretty much skips the entire journey home.

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As soon as Marinette got home she had dropped onto her bed and groaned into her pillow loudly.

"I'm a terrible friend!"

"You're not a terrible friend," Tiki said soothingly, "you're just a little absentminded."

Marinette sat up at that. "How?!" Marinette cried out indignantly. "How did I forget Chat? I made macaroons for Alya for our anniversary and I met Chat on the exact same day. I should have remembered! I should have made him something!" she flopped back onto her bad, picked up her Chat Noir plushie which she clutched tightly to her chest, and then rolled over to groan into her pillow. "I'm an awful human being."

"Well now you mention it," Tiki teased, "you forgot that it's our one year anniversary as well and I didn't get any macaroons either."

"Oh my God!" Marinette shot up again. "Tiki! I'm so, so, so, sor-"

"I'm teasing Marinette," Tiki reassured her softly as she nuzzled Marinette's cheek. "Kwamis don't mark time the same way humans do. We don't celebrate anniversaries or birthdays. But if this really bother you," Tiki pulled away so she could look Marinette straight in the eye, "then you really need to remember that it's better late than never."

"Better late than never," Marinette repeated as she absentmindedly stroked the yarn hair of her Chat Noir plushie. Then suddenly an idea sparked within her, "Tiki you're absolutely right!" she said cheerfully as she scrambled to get off of her bed. She tripped over her own feet as she hurriedly made her way towards her desk. "And I promise you I will make you the best cookie in the history of cookies ever but first," she flipped open her sketchbook, "could you tell me what Chat Noir's Kwami looks like?"

Tiki smiled sweetly as she gave a thorough description of Plagg (who sounded adorable!) and Marinette spent the night sketching and was determined to spend every free moment between classes to create her masterpiece.

Which meant Marinette forgot to eat as she speedily stitched up teeny, tiny, pieces of black velvet together.

Her lunch with Alya, Nino, and Adrien which she had been obsessing over all day yesterday completely fell out of her mind until she looked up to see Alya, Nino, and Adrien staring her in awe.

"Hey Marinette," Nino said bemused, "are you going to eat today, like at all?"

"Sorry," Marinette said sheepishly, "I'm making an anniversary present for someone and I want to get it finished as soon as possible."

"Girl," Alya teased. "I know I'm awesome and everything but the macaroons were enough."

"Oh it's not for you!" Marinette blurted out. "It's for another friend I met him on the same day and I just forgot!"

"Like the complete flake you are," Alya said simultaneously understandingly and teasingly, "Wait!" she cried out. "Did you just say him? Who is him?"

"Oh!" Marinette flushed "you don't know him!" she said quickly. "He's a friend outside of school."

"A friend I do not know!" Alya cried out. "Who is this precious boy that you have been hiding from me? We're best friends, girl, you're supposed to tell me everything."

Marinette did her best to ignore the usual pang of guilt that hit her whenever she was reminded of the secrets she kept from Alya. "Just a friend," Marinette said as lightly as possible, "a really good friend who has had my back always, he's sweet, and silly, and, well, just wonderful."

Alya grinned with a knowing look that made Marinette squirm and Nino shrugged, unbothered and uninterested, while Adrien looked…..well odd. There was something strained about his smile. The sparkle that usually accompanied his smile had vanished from his eyes.

"Wow," he choked out, "sounds like this guy is pretty special."

"Yeah," Marinette smiled as her hand moved to clutch her new necklace, "he is."

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Adrien squirmed uncomfortably.

For some reason the idea of Marinette making some other guy a present really rankled Adrien. It made his stomach turn over with nausea and bile rise up in the back of his throat. He couldn't, for the life of him, figure out why. After all there was no reason why Marinette couldn't have other guy friends that didn't consist or him or Nino.

And yet…

The idea really bothered him.

The way she talked about this guy, the sweet, shy smile on her fact, the light blush, the way her eyes twinkled….

It was incredibly unsettling for some reason.

Perhaps he had indigestion?

"Ha!" Plagg barked when they were in the bathroom alone. "You wish, Kid. Trust me they don't feed you anything to cause you indigestion."

"Then why else do I feel so weird?" Adrien asked bewilderedly. "It shouldn't bother me that Marinette is making someone else an anniversary present."

"It shouldn't but it does," Plagg shrugged, "you should get over it. Was I bothered when you spent hours seeking the perfect anniversary gift for Ladybug but didn't give me squat? No, I was not!"

"Plagg!" Adrien cried out indignantly. "I got you the most overpriced, smelliest, cheese France has ever produced."

"Oh was that supposed to be a gift?" Plagg drawled. "I just thought you were finally accommodating my tastes."

Adrien rolled his eyes at that.

He would have pressed for more advice (or rather actual advice) or an explanation to why he was feeling as weird as he was but before he could open his mouth there was a loud scream outside in the school hallways.

"AKUMA!"

"Delightful," Plagg muttered snarkily.

"Plagg!" Adrien said firmly. "Transform me!"

Within seconds Chat Noir barrelled out of the boys' bathroom and into the school corridor. He didn't have to go far to find the Akuma who was literally just round the corner from him.

Chat Noir bit back a groan when he saw who it was.

Lila.

Again.

This was the fifth time she had been Akumatised. Her second time happened not so long after the first time when Chloe antagonised her over her lies. The third time Alya was targeted after she had shouted at Lila for ruining the integrity of her Blog with her lies. The fourth time it was Nino for simply asking her if she was lying again when she started going on about her encounter with Jagged Stone.

Lila as Volpina was playing her flute and slowly those who had screamed at the sight of her suddenly relaxed as a glazed, dreamy, blankness entered their eyes.

Marinette darted down the corridor. Her eyes met with Volpina's and instantly widened in horror but before she could move or turn around, Volpina instantly began to play on her flute again. Within an instant the life goes out of Marinette's eyes as she looks around blankly.

"This looks safe," she murmured dully, "no one can see us here," her fingers slowly move to the clasp of her pink handbag as she firmly turned her back to Volpina, "Ti-"

Volpina smirked before she wrenched the flute out of her mouth. She raised it high above her head and realisation hit Chat Noir far too late as his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open.

"MARINETTE!" he yelled out. "LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!"

But the warning came too late as Volpina suddenly whacked Marinette at the back of her head

Hard.

Marinette let out the smallest, sharpest, of gasps as her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell onto the floor.

It appeared that this time round Marinette was Volpina's target.

A growl ripped itself from his chest at the very thought of it.

Well not under his watch!

He dived in the moment Volpina leaned over Marinette and extended his baton to knock Volpina off of her feet. "You!" he snarled furiously. "You stay away from her!"

"What's so special about her?" Volpina spat out as she struggled back onto her feet. "She's just ordinary. She isn't at all exotic or exciting or glamorous as I am and yet she's the one that Adrien Agreste spends all his time with."

Chat Noir felt his face flush at that with both embarrassment and indignation. His Princess was not ordinary. Just because she wasn't from another country and did incredibly exciting things (or so Lila claimed she had done) and had dark exotic looks didn't mean she wasn't interesting and beautiful in her own right!

And he didn't spend all of his time with Marinette!

(But he wouldn't mind.)

"Marinette is special in her own right!" he snapped defensively. "And who she spends her time with is no reason for you to become this and attack her! You're letting a monster take over out of petty jealousy. How is that supposed to make you feel better?"

"Oh I don't know," Volpina shrugged unbothered, "I think dangling Marinette," her face twisted in disgust at the name, "over the edge of the Eiffel Tower and tormenting her with illusions of her greatest fears until she agreed to stay the hell away from Adrien Agreste would make me feel a great deal better," Volpina smirked. "Or just the sound of her body splattering on the ground would be enough."

Chat shuddered at that.

All of this because he paid Marinette some attention? Because he was just being friends with her?

He was quickly beginning to think Lila was unstable.

Volpina's eyes gleamed as she lunged forward to take Marinette when Chat Noir hastily deflected her with his baton and sent her flying into the lockers.

He then took advantage of Volpina's temporary disorientation to slip his arms beneath Marinette, one arm beneath her leg, and one hand carefully cradling the back of her neck so he could lift her head up.

Chat then scooped her unconscious form up in his arms as if she truly was the princess he always thought of her as and dashed out of the school as quickly as he could. He could hear Volpina screech in the distance and hastily leaped up into the air so he could run across the rooftops as he raced to the safety of Marinette's bedroom.

He probably should take her to a hospital in case of concussion but he didn't want to risk Volpina kidnapping Marinette and injuring innocent civilians.

He landed into Marinette's bedroom (thankfully the trapdoor had been left open) with a soft thump and carefully placed Marinette onto her bed.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, "that I didn't reach you in time. I promise though," he said firmly as a surge of determination rise through him, "that I'm going to keep you safe. Volpina won't ever harm you again."

Marinette let out a small sigh as she pressed herself into his touch. He leaned in closer to her eagerly to see if she would wake up but after a soft moan, Marinette seemed to have fallen even deeper into sleep which left him to admire the rosy flush on her cheeks, the way her long, dark, lashes brushed against her skin, and exactly how tempting, and sweet looking, her pink lips were…

Ping!

He had hastily yanked his hand away, as soon as he realised how dangerously close to molesting one of his dearest friends in her sleep he had come to, when his claws got tangled on a delicate silver chain and he had accidentally broke it in his desperation to escape.

He lifted his hand up slowly as horror and dread filled him up. He couldn't bear the thought of breaking anything of Marinette's let alone something that could be incredibly important. His horror and dread suddenly gave way to shock as he widen his eyes when he recognised the charm on her necklace.

The cleverly entwined silver charm with the tiniest little cat in the middle and the pun Purr-fect Friend engraved on the very top.

The necklace he had given Ladybug.

Did this mean….?

No! He shook his head rapidly. It was a little trinket he found in a tiny shop where hundreds of the exact same necklace is sold. Dozens of girls in Paris could have this necklace. Anyone could have given Marinette this necklace.

It could have been a gift from Alya.

There a dozens of girls in Paris with big blue eyes, freckles, black-blue hair combed into perfect pigtails, and-

A loud scream on the street tore Chat Noir from his thoughts and he hurried out onto the balcony to see that Volpina had created an illusion of epic proportions to terrify the citizens of Paris

He immediately flung himself into battle without a second thought.

All thoughts of the necklace, Marinette, and Ladybug left his head until long after the battle when he was safe and sound at home and finally realised he was still clutching onto Marinette's necklace.

That was also when he couldn't help but note that Ladybug was suspiciously late to the Akuma battle that day.

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After an unrepentant Volpina had been cured, Marinette had rushed home where she then spent the rest of the afternoon and evening sewing like mad so she could finish Chat's very much deserved present. She then immediately collapsed into bed and fell asleep instantly.

She then had a horrible dream where she had lost her necklace and couldn't find it.

"Oh my God!" she gasped as she suddenly shot up. The sun shone brightly into her bedroom and almost blinded her as she clutched her heaving chest. She breathed in and out deeply in an attempt to soothe herself. Her hand slide up to her collarbone so she could reassure herself that it was still there. When her hand touched nothing but bare skin she slapped herself. "NO!" she screamed.

She then threw herself out of her bed – accidentally throwing a snoozing Tiki out of bed – and then landed on all fours on the floor.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no" Marinette muttered crazily as she crawled all over her bedroom floor desperately, "it's got to be here!" she half wailed. "It's just got to! I can't have lost it already!" she leaped up, instantly tripped over her own feet, and landed awkwardly on her desk before she started throwing paper over her shoulder. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no n-"

"Marinette!" Tiki cried out "What's the matter?"

"I lost my necklace!" Marinette wailed. "First I forgot to get Chat a present and now I lost his present, he's going to want a new partner by the end of the day!"

"Calm down Marinette!" Tiki chided. "We'll find your necklace, you just simply have to retrace your steps."

"Yes," Marinette nodded numbly, "retrace my steps. That's what I'll do. Retrace."

Which she did. She kept her head ducked down and examined every bit of the pavement on her way to school. She all but got on her hands and knees to search the scummy floors of the school hallways (much to Chloe's everlasting malicious amusement), she rummaged through her locker, and ducked under her desk, and the lunch table she sat, and went through the school's lost and found box three times over.

Marinette dejectedly resigned herself having lost the first present Chat Noir had ever given her. She was a lousy partner and an even lousier friend!

She miserably sank down into a seat at lunchtime as she finished the final details of her present as she chewed on her bottom lip anxiously wondering what on earth she could tell Chat.

"Marinette?"

She looked up abruptly to see Adrien standing timidly before her. He shifted on his feet sheepishly and self-consciously rubbed the back of his neck.

"A-A-A-Adrien!" she stuttered. "Hi!"

"Hey," Adrien smiled sending little flutters off in Marinette's stomach, "so…erm….are you okay?"

"Yep!" she squeaked. "Everything's fine! Why wouldn't it be? I'm fine, fine, fine, fine," she babbled like a lunatic which only served to make Adrien stare at her in concern and instantly she dropped the charade, "I'm not," she admitted as she ducked down to stare at her sewing. She pushed her needle through and after she placed the last couple stitches in, she made a little knot and cut the thread off carefully with her scissors. "I lost something very important to me"

"I see," Adrien murmured as he sat down beside her, "I….is that – I mean," he coughed, his beautiful green eyes wide with surprise and excitement as he looked down at Marinette's handiwork, "is that the present you were making yesterday?"

"Yeah…" Marinette murmured, "I've finished it now."

"Th-th-that's amazing!" Adrien stammered in what Marinette could almost believe to be genuine awe. "It was all just little bits of black cloth yesterday and now it's an actual cat."

She had made a plushie copy of Chat Noir's Kwami. A small black cat with extra pointy ears and neon green eyes. She had hoped she did Plagg justice and had added a four leaf green clover on the palm of the plushie's paw.

"Thank you!" Marinette blurted out. Her cheeks bright red with pleased embarrassment. "I hope he likes it!"

"I'm sure he will," Adrien reassured her. "Why is he holding a four leaf closer? Aren't black cats supposed to be unlucky?"

"Actually no," Marinette said, "Alya has done a whole expose on her Blog about how black cats are actually good luck. I thought I would remind that stupid cat of that. He keeps thinking he's nothing but bad luck and destruction, so I've made him a black cat lucky charm."

"Heh," Adrien snickered, "Lucky Charm!"

"Urgh!" Marinette groaned. "Don't!"

"Cheer up, My La-Marinette!" Adrien grinned as he rummaged through his pocket, "not all is lost."

He then dangled a familiar silver necklace in front of her stunned face.

"OH MY GOD YOU FOUND IT!" she squealed ecstatically as she flung her arms round Adrien's neck and squeezed tightly "Thank you! Thank you! Thank yo-EEP!" she scrambled away hastily, her cheeks bright red, when she realised that she was clinging to her crush. "I, err, gah!" she choke out. "Erm, I mean, thank you and err….where did you find it?"

"Well, heh," Adrien rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously, "it kinda got stuck on my claws and I broke the chain," he admitted sheepishly, "but I got it fixed now!" he added hastily. "It's good as new, Princess."

"…Stuck on your claws…." Marinette repeated numbly. "….Princess?!" she yelped as her eyes widened in realisation. "Claws?!" she screeched. "OH MY GOD! You….you….you…" she pointed at him helplessly as she tried to stammer out words. Any words. Anything coherent would be nice right now. "I…you…Ah…I….here!" she thrusted her Plagg plushie in Adrien's face. "Happy Anniversary!"

The most beautiful delighted expression flickered onto Adrien's face as he accepted the plushie. "I meant it a couple nights ago," he said, "You didn't have to get me anything. I just got you the necklace because I wanted to."

"Well I made you a plushie," Marinette replied stubbornly, "because I wanted to, is that all right Kitty?"

"Yeah," Adrien grinned his goofiest Chat Noir grin, "that's purr-fectly all right, my purr-fect friend."

"You know there is such thing as overusing puns, right?"

"Blasphemy!" Adrien mocked gasp. "There is no such thing as overusing puns!"

"There is," Marinette insisted teasingly, "it's called using them once!"

"Meow-ch!" Adrien clutched his plushie to his chest melodramatically. "That hit me right here, Princess"

Marinette rolled her eyes at that but before she could make any more fun of her partner (or even freak out about the fact that she has gone from a stammering, rambling, mess to this ultra-confident tease with Adrien) Adrien undid the clasp of her necklace and draped it round her neck. She clasped the silver charm to her skin and sighed heavily in relief to get it back.

"Thank you for rescuing me yesterday," she said quietly, "though I'm honestly worried about Lila. This is the fifth time and she doesn't even seem to care that some psychopath wants to use her like that."

"She's dangerous," Adrien agreed worriedly, "but we've faced dangerous Akumas together before and we triumphed. We can face this one again and again until we finally get through to her."

"You're right," Marinette said, "we've made it to the one year mark together without giving Hawk Moth what he wants, we can keep on going until we finally win."

"I just realised!" Adrien said excitedly. "We have two anniversaries. One as Ladybug and Chat Noir and one as Marinette and Adrien!"

"And I suppose," Marinette said warmly, "next year we'll have a third, for when we truly met both sides of each other."

She blushed brightly at the implications of what she said but Adrien didn't seem to mind as he smiled radiantly down at her. They shared a content quiet moment of simply smiling at each other and she could have sworn that she could see sparkles in his eyes.

He then took her hand into his and held it close to his lips before he brushes the lightest of kisses on her knuckles.

"Happy anniversary," Adrien said, "may we have many more to come."

They do.

And there will come a point in their lives many, many, years down the line where their friends and children will complain that they celebrate too many anniversaries together.

What can she say?

They just have a lot of love to celebrate.