Hi!

Love Bug is a 5 chapter Valentine fanfiction created by Project ML.

You can find out more about us, and this project on our tumblr - project-ml

We hope you enjoy!

Adrien Agreste shook his head slowly, his mind awash with shards of half remembered plans and thoughts; if only he could piece it together into a mosaic. His schedule was overloaded of late: he had a piano recital due in two weeks, a basketball match and training for it all next week. On top of that, he had his fencing to keep up and three modelling shoots looming. He honestly had no idea how he was going to manage half of it with school work and his double life as Cat Noir, and that was the one thing he couldn't compromise on. Even his fanmail had peaked unusually in quantity. It normally fluctuated by the number of shoots he did at any given time, but it had become a deluge of paper that threatened to wash away his room in recent days. He hadn't even considered answering any of it, his father didn't allow it anyway, but he just didn't have the time. So it sat there, unopened and quickly absorbing his desk. Eventually he would have to commit himself and throw it all away, but he wanted to avoid that for as long as possible. It always felt weird throwing it away unopened, but he had learnt the hard way that it was harder to throw it away without responding if you read it.

"Hey dude!" a familiar voice called, causing Adrien to look up from his schedule-consumed thoughts.

Nino was waiting for him on the corner outside of school, just as he had asked. "Hey Nino!" He grinned, the cold air biting his lips with a raw viciousness. He hadn't known why, but he had wanted to walk to school this morning. The pair fist bumped as they reached one another.

"Are you excited man? Three days to go and all," his friend continued, a rather warm glow to his cheeks.

"Three days?" Adrien began, but Nino quickly answered his question.

"Till Valentine's Day man! Don't tell me you forgot!?" his friend exclaimed before scoffing at his friend's clear lack of awareness.

The words didn't quite settle for a moment, like some hovering grey cloud threatening to drop its contents upon him at any moment. The moment came and the realisation hit Adrien hard, a swift kick to his stomach. Valentine's Day was coming! After a moment of utter immobility, Adrien managed a sigh, the cool February air kissing his cheeks like a long lost lover; a touch of frost leaving nothing but chills in his spine. He had let the February days sneak up on him this time around, but he could ignore it no longer. That peripheral glimpse of vibrant colour in his otherwise grey and gloomy days had been growing ever closer and now with Nino's words it came crashing through. Three days to go and he could have been counting the minutes right now if he had so desired, but he knew that would end poorly, very poorly. He had ignored it for so long for that very reason. Adrien feared becoming consumed in his adoration, and counting the days until he could know who the answer to that question: who was his secret admirer?

"Damn dude, you must have been really busy. It's not like you to lose track of time."

"I…" He swallowed, hard. "I guess I just did." He shrugged vaguely, hoping Nino wouldn't inquire further.

Nino's lips twisted into a knowing smirk. "Oh my, have you been absorbed organising plans for the lucky lady?" He winked and nudged his best friend with his elbow, his eyes glistening with curiosity and humour.

His Lady, Ladybug. He couldn't take his mind off of her. He had been and was still in love with her. His valentine letter, unsigned except by her endearing affection, or so he hoped. It was his most treasured possession and it took pride of place on his desk. He, of course, kept it hidden from his father and from Nathalie, but that wasn't an issue, and it was a secret worth keeping. Nothing mattered more to him than his Lady and to have something so precious taken away from him, well, he wouldn't think of it. Biting his lip, Adrien shuffled uneasily as they walked. He didn't really want to linger on this topic, and it wasn't like he could answer honestly anyway. Plus, his friend's question had actually caught him off guard.

"There isn't a lady Nino, but what about you? Haven't you been sorting out plans for Alya?" he inquired quickly but honestly. He knew Nino had been crushing on the blogger for months now, but he never seemed to make a move. It was something Adrien never understood.

"Dude quiet! What if someone hears you?" Nino hissed, looking over his shoulder, clearly concerned.

Adrien couldn't help but chuckle at Nino's response. It wasn't his concern that made Adrien chuckle of course, he wasn't so cruel, but it was his friend's genuine concern someone might find out his secret. "Come off it dude, she isn't here, and no one is going to rat anybody out just a few days before Valentine's Day," he reassured his friend. "But come on, you never answered my question."

Nino sighed, shaking his head slowly as he did so, "I haven't decided anything man, I don't know what to do," he admitted sheepishly, his gaze upon the ground as he spoke. His shoe scuffed the ground as they walked, the nervousness of the situation clear upon his downcast face. "I just," he shrugged, his shoulders moving with a surprising amount of emphasis, "I don't want to come on too strong you know? It will be weird if I just say; hey I like you so much but you didn't know, want to just hang out?" His tone was bitter, almost defeated.

Adrien's gaze narrowed, "You're being ridiculous man, and Alya clearly likes you back." He nudged his friend affectionately. "I don't know why you worry about 'coming on too strong'. If what you say is how you feel shouldn't you tell her just that? I mean, it may be hard, scary even, but if she is worth that much to you, better to tell her than never say it," he continued, his own experiences and feelings for Ladybug seeping into his words. It had taken him so long to admit to her just how much he cared, and though he was sure she still didn't get it or necessarily believe him, Nino's situation was a little simpler, and most definitely not as dangerous as his own.

Nino only shrugged at Adrien's words as they rounded the corner and approached the school gates, but as the moment ticked on he eventually raised his head. "It's easier for you man. You're Adrien Agreste, if you ever confessed your true feelings for someone they would fall in a heartbeat."

"I wish," Adrien whispered to himself, his mind again wandering to Ladybug, her celestial eyes, calming, confident voice, her kind heart.

"Huh?" Nino wondered aloud, the intent of Adrien's hushed words clearing missing him.

"It's nothing man, don't worry about it." He shrugged simply, internally thankful that Nino hadn't heard him. That would have created an awkward situation. "If I can help, just let me know. But for what it is worth, I am sure she will say yes."

Nino nodded. "What do you think I can do then? What would she like?"

Adrien smirked. "Well, you could proclaim your love from the nearest rooftop?"

Nino rolled his eyes. "I'm serious man, flowers and chocolate is way too cliché, no girl really likes that… do they?" Nino was clearly unsure with anything he was saying; this was most definitely not his forte.

Adrien smirked. "Cliché can work my friend, but if you want to avoid it, perhaps the cinema?"

Nino shook his head before Adrien had even finished forming his words. "Already thought of that. We did that with you and Marinette, didn't we? She'll probably think I'm trying to rearrange the same thing."

"The Eiffel tower, then?" Adrien offered.

"Too obvious," Nino retorted simply, his voice exacerbated.

"Take her for a meal?"

"Please man, I'm not made of money, I could never afford what she deserves."

"I can lend you the money dude," Adrien offered sincerely. Money didn't really matter to him after all, if it wasn't for his dad tracking his expenses he would just give Nino the money.

"Nooooo, no man," he all but jumped, "thank you, really, but I can't borrow money off of people. It never feels right, you know?"

Adrien bit his lip in frustration, the school courtyard rolling by as they walked. "I get you, okay, what about you two just hanging out then? Maybe walk around Paris together?"

Nino shrugged, "Maybe, but I don't want to be too boring you know?"

Despite his rather bland words, Adrien could see the desperation in his friend's eyes, a look of sorrow and guilt washed together. "Look man, the best thing to do is go with what feels right, no matter how silly your head tells you it is, if your heart says go for it, then go for it," he explained as the pair entered the classroom, the majority of their classmates already inside.

Even Nino couldn't suppress a smirk at Adrien's cheesy line. "Thanks dude, I appreciate it. You're a good friend, you know that?"

"It's what friends are for dude."

Nino shook his head slowly. "Well, then I am glad you're my friend."

As he sat down at his desk, Adrien's mind firmly fixed on Ladybug and just how he was ever going to explain to her how he feels. It was torture now that Nino had brought up his potential plans with Alya. He couldn't get the image of Ladybug out of his head. Even just the idea of spending time with her sounded beyond perfect right now. As Cat Noir or as Adrien, he would give anything for just some extra time with Ladybug instead of being in class, as much as he did enjoy school.

As Adrien's mind wandered in his fleeting desires, his attention was caught by a sudden sound. "Come on Alya, hurry up!" It was clearly Marinette. Turning his head in curiousity, Adrien noted Nino's strange behaviour. He was turning rather stiffly, almost as if he was turning to stone with each passing second. Refocusing his attention on Nino, Adrien saw Alya walk by him and up to Marinette, with Nino's eyes following her the whole way. If it wasn't for the faint blush on his cheeks, Adrien could have sworn his friend had been turned to stone in a gorgon's gaze. Breathing deeply, Adrien gently but firmly placed his hand on Nino's shoulder, catching his attention after a second, and the blond slowly shook his friend.

"Nino, you've got to do something, you're head over heels." As his words left his mouth Adrien saw Nino's cheeks redden in response.

"Shush, you'll get me caught dude," he breathed deeply. "Plus, let's be fair, I am not you, I don't get tons of fanmail every single year."

"Yeah yeah, you brought that up already Nino," Adrien grinned, un-phased by Nino's repeated point. "You got me once, you won't get me twice," he continued, leaning down to his shoulder bag rather pleased with himself.

His ambivalent attitude towards the fanmail gibe was obviously not the reaction Nino had been hoping for, and the boy slumped slightly in disappointment. There was no sign of blushing or stuttering, and Nino was not going to stand for being the only one embarrassed this morning. Nino was clearly not satisfied with this result and sought to even the playing field.

Biting his lip in friendly frustration, Nino looked deep in thought, obviously searching for some specific memory, and the pause in the conversation led Adrien to believe it was over. But as Adrien looked through his bag, Nino clicked his fingers with vigor, a devious grin stretching his face. And in that moment, Adrien knew it was far from over.

"What about your mystery soulmate from last year? Maybe she'll actually sign her name this time," Nino announced triumphantly, as if it were a declaration of victory rather than a question.

Nino's grin only solidified as the comment did exactly what he hoped. Adrien jumped and began spluttering, but his protests were silenced within mere seconds as the back of his head smacked into the table. In his momentary panic, he had gone ramrod straight, but he sat up too fast and didn't manage to clear the table which blocked his path. His protests died on his tongue with a small yelp, but his face was still flaming red as he straightened himself, slowly and carefully this time. He gave the table a disappointed look, rubbing the back of his head, but the scolding didn't last very long before he turned back to Nino. Adrien opened his mouth to say something, and Nino just smirked and interrupted him.

"Don't even try to deny it, dude."

"I… I wasn't- At least keep your voice down!" Adrien replied, the last sentence coming out in a hiss as his eyes glanced around nervously.

Marinette didn't try to eavesdrop on other people's conversations, but when they were directly in front of you and talking as loudly as Nino had been, it was hard not to listen. Usually it didn't matter, but occasionally it resulted in her slamming her head down and clamping her mouth shut, making a valiant attempt not to screech when she heard information she wasn't supposed to. That moment was one such occasion. Her hands curled into fists with the sheer amount of effort it required not to react any more obviously. She wasn't even entirely sure what she was feeling. A combination of excitement, curiosity, and embarrassment swirled in her head. Adrien had read her card. Adrien had read her card and really liked it. Adrien had read her card, really liked it, and she had forgotten to sign her name. What would have happened if she hadn't forgotten? Would he have confessed, and would they have started dating? Did she miss the chance to have been dating Adrien for an entire year? Or… would he have liked it less if he had known it was from her?

Alya, on the other hand, had no qualms about eavesdropping on other people's conversations. She was a lot more focused than Marinette, who still felt guilty about trivial things like eavesdropping. She turned to her friend, eyes wide and smile growing bigger by the moment. She didn't even try to hide the fact that she had heard what Nino had said as she laughed and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. But even with the comforting gesture, her eyes sparked in a dangerous way, and if Marinette had seen it she would know that the girl was ready to meddle.

Despite his attempted vigilance, Adrien missed the two very important reactions behind him because Nino started laughing, and he was immediately distracted. He had to defend his honor. "Nino! I mean it. Talk quieter, I don't need the entire class talking about it."

The DJ just waved his friend's protests off, but when he did speak his voice was lower. "But for real, you have to be curious. How is this not driving you crazy, dude?"

"Of course I'm curious!" Adrien deflated slightly, pushing his pencil around his desk. He watched as it rolled to the edge, and caught it at the last moment, pushing it back in the other direction. "It would be nice to know who it was…"

"Just 'nice'?" Nino asked, and Adrien could tell from his tone that whatever expression was on his face, it was probably way too self satisfied. Seeing that Adrien wasn't taking the bait, Nino kept talking, "Whoever it was is a sap. That poem was the cheesiest thing I've ever read."

"You weren't supposed to read it," muttered Adrien, willing himself not to blush again as the red tint of his cheeks finally began to fade.

"Then maybe you shouldn't keep it on your desk, in clear view, you lovesick idiot."

"Maybe you shouldn't go through someone's desk?" Adrien shot back.

"Dude, it was practically on display. The only thing that could have made it more obvious was a flashing neon sign." Nino chuckled. "You're just lucky that I, your best friend and all around good guy, was the one to see it and not someone else. Who knows what they would do with that info?"

Adrien rolled his eyes, thinking that Nino's teasing didn't exactly make him feel lucky. But his lack of reply meant that Nino had won that round. He nudged his friend in the side, a smile still on his face as he continued speaking. "Seriously though, you think whoever it was would send something again? And maybe, I dunno, sign their name this time?"

Adrien's mind flashed to an image of Ladybug. He pictured her sitting in her room, the midday sun filtering in through a nearby window, giving her entire being a soft yet stunning glow. The light blush settling on her cheeks was almost tangible, warm even, to him, sending a rush of joy through his soul. Then their was the gentle curve of her soft lips, pursed in thought as she tried to compose her poem to him. He knew exactly how her eyes would sparkle as she found the words she sought, it was the same blaze of inspiration that caught in her eyes as she formed a plan in battle. Not that they would be so harsh as that; no, they would be softened slightly by fondness, adoration, and sometimes, when he was feeling particularly daring, blissful love.

He pictured the entire scene in an instant, the daydream a familiar moment he had visited too many times. It was a great puzzle to him, Ladybug, one which he did not have the ability to complete, for he was missing too many pieces. He sighed, and the image dissolved, smoke in the spring air that she personified.

He had a very clear idea of who he wanted the letter's author to be, but he also knew that was something he could never explain to Nino. So he answered with a different confession. "I don't know, but I would seriously give anything to know who sent me that letter."

Nino raised his eyebrows at the absolutely sincere tone of Adrien's confession, but before he could respond the teacher called the class to attention. The two shared a small look as their conversation was forcefully ended, but soon allowed their attention to be pulled into the monotony of lessons.

Marinette had faced countess akuma as Ladybug. She had been trapped, kidnapped, threatened, shot, trampled, thrown, crushed, stabbed, and much more. And yet it was never until this moment that she had ever considered that she might die from something so trivial as heart failure. After all, she was Ladybug, savior of Paris.

But Adrien said he would give anything to know who sent him the letter, and her racing heart couldn't possibly last.

A heart attack wasn't the worst way to die, right?

Marinette was teetering on the edge of sanity. She could feel the excitement thrumming in her veins. Or was that panic? She couldn't tell, but either way, she wasn't sure she could make it through the rest of this class.

He would give anything to know.

To know who sent the letter.

Her letter.

That she sent.

That heart attack was looking more and more likely.

She fidgeted in her seat, the voice of the teacher going in through one ear and out the other. The rational part of her brain told her she needed to listen, or at least make it less likely that she wasn't listening. But that part of her brain was quickly overruled by the part that had been screaming non-stop for the past few minutes. Her entire demeanor hinted at her heart's mental victory. Frankly, she was lucky she wasn't actually screaming.

Her brain picked up its imagining from earlier and ran. It wasn't hard to conjure an image of him, smiling down at her with an awestruck look on his face because his "mystery soulmate" was her. She had been sitting behind him the whole time. She could practically hear his laugh at how simple it had turned out to be. She could see it now, the moment in which it had all fallen into place, where everything was made simple, where he knew and she knew and they smiled. It was perfect, all she had to do was…

The image turned blank and crumbled into shards before her sight as a realisation dawned on her love sick brain.

How the hell was she going to tell him?!