It was entirely Chat's fault, Marinette thought. He had started the whole thing.

She'd been late to a few attacks and Chat had found her as Marinette before she could transform. So obviously she had helped him as Marinette before escaping to transform. She'd scolded Chat as Ladybug for letting a civilian help him, but Chat had defended Marinette's ability. Internally, she had smiled at his words. Sure, he wasn't Adrien, but it still meant that someone thought both sides of her weren't completely useless.

But then Chat had appeared on her rooftop. At first they had just talked, innocent discussion of hobbies and interests. Her silly alley cat had returned every few nights. Their discussions becoming deeper, more meaningful.

And then she had kissed him.

She hadn't meant to, it had been an accident. Kind of. She knew he loved Ladybug. But he had kissed her back. That had surprised her more than anything.

"Um, I… Uh…" she had stammered. "Sorry."

"Don't be," he had replied. His grin had not been present, but there had been a small smile, a genuine smile.

"But you… You love Ladybug?" She hadn't mean it to sound like a question, yet it had come out as one.

"Who doesn't love Ladybug, Princess?" he had replied, and had sounded almost bitter. Then he had smiled again. "I will always love Ladybug, but I realised long ago she would never return my feelings. I have spent a lot of my life experiencing unrequited love. I don't want that any more." Marinette had been almost concerned at his tone of voice. She had never heard Chat talk like that. "I like you Marinette."

She had kissed him again then. Had she liked him? She hadn't known. But she had known she too was tired of her love for Adrien not being returned. So they had kissed.

That had happened more than once too. Chat would turn up and they would talk and kiss.

And then it had occurred to Marinette. The man behind Chat's mask visited her in disguise. Why couldn't she do the same? Why couldn't she visit Adrien as Ladybug? She'd be able to talk to him as Ladybug. And no one would turn the chance to talk to Ladybug down, would they?

So that was how Ladybug found herself where she was now. Perched outsides Adrien's room and hyping herself up to knock.

Silently, she cursed Chat for giving her the idea. This was definitely his fault.

She lowered herself down to peer inside. Adrien was lying on his bed, seemingly doing some homework. She could just make out the bright colours of their physics textbook.

When she was about to give up and return to her own bedroom, Adrien looked up. She mentally cursed again. Damn that black cat.

"Ladybug?" she saw him mouth. And then he was undoing his window and she was climbing inside. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Just visiting," Ladybug said in an attempt to sound casual. She was too nervous to notice Adrien fidgeting. He was looking at her with wide eyes like a spooked animal.

"Can I help you?" he asked tentatively.

"I… Uh…" Ladybug cursed mentally yet again. "Damn that alley cat. This is entirely his fault you know. He just swans into girl's rooms and kisses them and… I can't do it." She looked up at Adrien, who looked shocked. "I was going to come here and confess to you. But I can't do it. I don't want to. I loved you, Adrien. But not really any more. Damn that cat." She seemed to realise what she had just said. "Sorry, just forget this happened."

She turned and attempted to scamper back out of the window, but Adrien caught her hand.

"Chat visits you? When you're yourself?" he asked in an almost whisper.

And suddenly, Ladybug was Marinette. She had not transformed, but her confident exterior was gone.

"He doesn't know," she whispered back. "He doesn't know I'm Ladybug. It's all so messed up and now I've dragged you into it. I'm sorry Adrien."

"It's okay, Marinette," he replied. But Ladybug had not comprehended his words when he went on. "Plagg, transform."

And it hit her. Adrien knew she was Ladybug, that she was Marinette. And Adrien was-

"Chat!"

Author's note: Well I was avoiding revision for January exams (as you do...) and I was sorting out this super long google doc of ML fics that I've half written and decided to post this! It's a bit random but ah well. Please review :)