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Ladybug tossed the latest lucky charm into the air and called, "Miraculous Ladybug!" As usual all the wrongs were set right by the rush of magical beetles and all was good in Paris. Beside her stood a weary Chat Noir who lifted his fist in their ritual fist bump.

"Pound it," they said in tandem, both lacking enthusiasm due to sleep deprivation. It seemed it was Hawkmoth's latest ploy to steal their miraculous. Ladybug was concerned that it might eventually work.

With a yawn she bid her partner goodbye and returned to school. The poor girl was so tired she almost walked to class in her costume but as she tripped on the bottom of the stairs she was alerted to the fact that she was still in her scarlet and black spotted costume. Ducking beneath the metal stairs, Ladybug dropped into a crouch and transformed back.

A wave of exhaustion washed over her and Marinette had to place her hands on the ground to steady herself. But she couldn't close her eyes, it would guarantee sleep. Instead she forced herself to her feet and emerged from her hiding place. But her steps faltered and her heart pounded as she locked eyes with Adrien who was standing at the foot of the stairs looking confounded. His mouth was open and his green eyes were unblinking.

"Adrien," she said with a startled gasp. "Are you okay?"

The blonde continued to stare but he started blinking. "Um, yeah. I-I'm fine."

Thudding footfalls had Marinette peering behind Adrien to see Alya racing towards them. "Oh thank God, I thought I was going to be the last one back from that akuma attack."

"Nope, not quite." Marinette said with a grin at her friend. Although her eyes wandered back to Adrien who was still staring at her like he'd seen a ghost. "Come on, we better hurry."

That was all the boost the blonde needed. He quickly kept pace with both Marinette and Alya as they scuttled up the stairs and hurried into class. Their teacher gave them the stink eye but continued with the lesson. People were always filtering in at sporadic times after an akuma attack.

Sliding into her seat, Marinette pulled her tablet from her bag as well as a bottle of water. She hoped that by sipping intermittently she'd be able to stay alert, or at least not doze off on her desk. As she settled in she noticed the familiar blonde head before her kept turning ever so subtly. Green eyes were cast her way for brief interludes and Marinette wondered if she had a dishevelled appearance. Given her state of fatigue it wouldn't be surprising. With this worry cemented, Marinette found the resistance she required to fend off sleep.

By the end of the school day, Marinette could practically feel the purple bags beneath her eyes as she yawned. With sluggish movements she packed up her things and slung her bag over her shoulder. Her tired head immediately dipped as she made her way down the classroom steps. But she came to a sudden stop as she collided with a hard body.

Raising her head, Marinette had to wilfully clench her jaw so her mouth didn't drop open. Somehow, she'd managed to walk directly into Adrien. His warm hands rested on her shoulders and for the first time she noticed that he looked just as tired as her.

"Sorry," she murmured as she attempted to step back.

"It's fine," Adrien replied as he shuffled and blocked her path.

Marinette giggled as she assumed he'd tried to move so she could angle around him. But there was an odd flush to his cheeks that her brain was having trouble processing. It was rare for Adrien to blush over something so trivial.

"I haven't gotten a lot of sleep lately, so I'm more clumsy than usual." She couldn't help but add.

He nodded and looked like he wanted to say something as he rubbed at his nape. "Um, I uh, know the feeling. I've had a lot of late nights recently too."

It was then that Adrien stared at her in a way that baffled her. It was like he was trying to convey some message through his amazing green eyes alone. Perhaps if her foggy mind had been clear she might have interpreted what that was, but given the circumstances, Marinette had no clue.

She flashed her crush a fleeting smile, wondering if she should make a second attempt to move around him or remain where she was in the hopes that he'd want to talk. With the classroom emptying out and Adrien still standing fixed as he stared at her, Marinette subtly ran a hand over her hair to make sure it hadn't escaped in some weird fashion. But no, it seemed to be restrained in her pigtails as usual.

Unable to fathom why Adrien was acting this way, she got up the nerve to lean forward and whisper, "Why do you keep staring at me? Is there something stuck in my teeth?"

The blonde shook his head and his top teeth ground against his bottom lip. "Your teeth are fine. Perfect even."

Again, there was a rush of pink to his cheeks and Marinette had the gumption to actually reach out and press a hand to his forehead to check his temperature. The move surprised the pair of them and she quickly yanked her hand back. "Sorry, you're looking a little pinkish. Thought you might be feeling unwell."

"No, I'm good. Really good actually." The boy shuffled on the spot, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets as he grinned at her like he'd just won the lottery. Not that he needed the money, being heir to the Agreste fashion empire.

But before their conversation could progress any further Chloe snatched up Adrien's arm and coiled around it like a snake. "Adrikins! You're coming over this afternoon, right?"

The boy's head turned but his eyes remained on Marinette until the absolute last moment. "Yes, but not until 7pm. I've got fencing practice." His eyes bulged as he swiped his phone from his bag and looked at the time. "I need to run or I'll be late." His gaze darted back to Marinette with an expression of disappointment. "Sorry but I've got to go. Talk to you tomorrow?"

Marinette's pulse rocketed at the suggestion. "Sure. I-I'll talk to you then!" she waved as he dashed out of the room with Chloe sauntering after him.

The spoilt brat turned to eye Marinette with distaste. "Don't get your hopes up, Dupain-Cheng. Adrien is just being polite. You're nothing special." With a flick of her blonde ponytail, the girl departed the room, missing the eye roll she evoked.

Hmm, what could have gotten Adrien so flabbergasted? Will Marinette have a sudden revelation or remain confused?

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