Here's chapter 3! I'm working on this fic slowly but steadily, and I'm having a great time writing it! Hope you all enjoy!

Word count: 4.7K

"So… you have a sister?"

Marinette looked up from her textbook, her vision dizzy. She'd been cramming nonstop for the last hour, after having received a text from Mark which oh so conveniently informed her that he had a test in economics tomorrow.

"What?" She asked, shaking her head and swiveling around in her chair. Adrien sat on his bed, fencing sword in hand as he swung it aimlessly in the air.

"You have a sister," he said again, and Marinette's eyes widened as she turned, trying to hide the blush in her cheeks. She was surprised that Adrien was back so early and had idle time to chat. For the past few days now, he'd been gone all the time due to his dad's busy modeling schedule he set upon him. This was the first night he was back before midnight.

"Yeah," she said, making sure her voice sounded deep enough. "She's my twin."

"I never knew this," Adrien confessed.

"She helped me move in before you got here," Marinette told him. "I haven't had her over since then."

"Well, you should," Adrien suggested, and Marinette turned to stare at him, taken aback by his direct request. "I-I mean… it's just that, I've always been an only child, and I would have killed for some siblings." He shrugged. "Mark, just make sure you keep in touch with her, is what I'm saying."

Huh. She couldn't wrap her head around this boy. At times he was kind, and then shy – sometimes sassy and dismissive, and other extremely considerate. He had so many layers to him that kept peeling off, one by one.

"Sorry, this must be weird," Adrien said, his cheeks lightly dusted red. "We never talk about stuff like this… actually, we usually don't even talk period," he laughed.

"No… I'm sorry," Marinette said instantly. "I know I must have been pretty… er… unfriendly in the past. I've realized over the last few days that I really need to make more friends here."

"Well, consider me a friend," Adrien grinned at her. "It's pretty late coming, but we'll get you in the good books with the rest of the guys on the floor. Nathanael already likes you!"

"But Kim doesn't."

"Kim takes some getting used to," Adrien admitted. "He'll come around."

"If you say so," Marinette sighed before turning back around… but not before she heard Adrien jump off his bed, and make his way over to her.

Suddenly, he was touching her right ear. Marinette squealed, and jumped away from him in shock. He held his hands up defensively, a sheepish grin on his face.

"Sorry," he laughed. "It's just – did you get your ears pierced?"

Marinette's eyes widened. Shit! She'd forgotten about her earrings! Of course Adrien would notice something as big as that – they weren't exactly small earrings, after all.

But it wasn't like she could just take them off. She wasn't going to risk losing her access to her powers that easily. Besides, her connection with Tikki was always clearer when she kept the earrings on. The last thing she wanted was her kwami disappearing on her.

"I – uh – yeah," Marinette breathed, fingering her earrings. "Yeah, I got them pierced."

Adrien chuckled. "Didn't know that you were fond of jewelry so much," he teased, and Marinette's eyebrows furrowed at him.

"You're one to talk. What's with the huge ring?"

Adrien's laughter cut short, and he brought his hand with the ring into his chest defensively. "Uh…"

"Gotcha," she giggled, forgetting to keep her voice low. She coughed awkwardly, and returned to her seat so she could continue studying. "Look – we both have a thing for jewelry, it seems. Even?"

Adrien sighed before nodding. "Even."

They both paused, the silence pushing down on them uncomfortably before Adrien moved toward the door and grabbed his coat. "I'm gonna… uh… go for a walk."

Marinette sighed in relief. Thank god he'll be gone, she thought. Although she needed to study for economics, Marinette couldn't help it – after having been reminded of her earrings, she wanted to go out and patrol as Ladybug right this instant. It'd been too long.

It's a good thing that Paris has been peaceful lately, but it's driving me crazy with boredom, she thought to herself wearily.

Adrien slipped his shoes on before opening the door. "Good luck with the studying," he said quickly, and left.

Marinette waved, and waited several minutes before standing up. Tikki flew up from under her pillow on her bed and did a spin mid-air.

"I could sense that you wanted to transform," her kwami giggled. Marinette laughed along with her, before tapping her earrings.

"You bet! Tikki… spots on!"

Ladybug launched herself from building to building, enjoying the way that her unconfined hair flew behind her in the air. She hadn't been able to go patrolling in so long, and it just felt so good to let loose after spending the last few days awkwardly trying to hide her identity from Adrien and the other guys on the team.

A giggle bubbled up in her chest as she landed on a higher rooftop, and soon Ladybug was laughing out loud in front of the Paris skyline – the thrill and confidence that her alter ego bestowed upon her blossoming to the forefront of her personality.

You seem happy, Tikki chirped in her head. Ladybug grinned and flicked the earrings where she knew her kwami was residing.

"Remember when I used to transform nearly everyday back in middle school?" Ladybug asked, sighing as she stretched out her limbs and gazed at the moon. "I wish it was still that easy. I miss my old room."

I miss all of your parents' sweets! Tikki responded with a giggle.

"So much has changed in the past few years," Ladybug sighed, curling her knees underneath her chin.

"Tell me about it."

Eyes widening, Ladybug turned her head to look up at the darkened silhouette walking toward her along the roof. She slowly stood up, her lips parted slightly as Chat Noir stopped in front of her. A goofy smile was plastered on his face, but Ladybug could see the uncertainty in his eyes as he looked down at her.

"Long time no see, My Lady," Chat said softly, taking her hand and kissing it.

Her first instinct was to push her hand back toward his face and flick him on the nose, like when they were kids. However, Ladybug restrained herself, and instead let Chat straighten back up before she spoke.

"It's been months."

Chat sighed, and scratched the back of his neck, avoiding her gaze. "Yeah… it has."

"Where have you been?!" She yelled, stepping up to him. "I know Paris has been relatively quiet lately but Chat, that's not a reason to just disappear for two whole months!"

"I'm sorry, I just got really busy…"

"I'm busy too, but I still made time!" She seethed, turning away from him and crossing her arms tightly. "You're my best friend… do you understand that?" Silent tears started to fall from behind her mask, and Ladybug did her best to wipe them away discretely.

"… Hey. Come here," Chat said quietly, lightly grabbing her shoulder and moving her into his embrace. Ladybug pressed her cheek against his chest, and sighed before giving in and wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I know that no excuse is good enough for how long I was away," he whispered. "I'm so sorry, Ladybug."

"You're a jerk," came her muffled reply. Chat laughed, and Ladybug smiled slightly at the vibrations against her ear. "It's good to see you again from… wherever you ran off to."

"I wish I could explain to you my situation at home, but I know that you're against that," Chat explained, pulling away and gazing down into Ladybug's eyes. "But even then, I can't apologize enough for leaving for so long. I'm really sorry…"

"I was really upset for a long time," she admitted with a sigh. "But… promise you're back for good?"

"Cat's honor," he promised, holding up a hand in front of him. Ladybug laughed before punching him lightly in the chest.

A half hour later, Ladybug and Chat Noir sat together in front of a closed café, lounging at a table for two and watching as the streetlamps twinkled above their heads and casted the streets in soft shadows.

"How's your artwork going?" Ladybug asked her partner, arms folded under her chest and her legs crossed. He sat beside her, hands stretched behind his head as he gazed out at the street.

"It's… going," he muttered awkwardly, glancing over at her with a frown. Ladybug sighed.

"You haven't had much time for it?"

Chat shook his head. "I haven't even had much time for school, lately. My father, he's been really…"

Ladybug held up a hand, nodding and cutting him off. Chat Noir paused, frowning – he'd been about to say more, to delve deeper into his personal life, but Ladybu really didn't want him to.

Ladybug knew very little about Chat's family situation, and she liked to keep it that way. However, she did know the basics – all from little conversations over the years where Chat had let things slip.

It wasn't like he was the only one, though. He knew that somewhere in the city, Ladybug's parents owned a bakery. She'd accidently told him one day back in middle school, when she had to explain why she'd showed up to an akuma attack with her hair covered in flour and smelling like chocolate frosting. She'd been in the middle of making cupcakes with her father when she'd heard the news and had rushed out.

But still, they didn't dare delve into details. Chat knew that Ladybug's parents were fun and loving… and Ladybug knew that Chat's father was strict and that his mother wasn't around anymore. Chat's father owned some fancy business, and Chat was usually asked to help with the business, and it often ate away at his social life. However, she never asked him to elaborate.

That's all they needed to know.

"He's been running you ragged," Ladybug stated. "I got it."

He nodded regretfully. "Lately though, I've had a bit more free time. I'm definitely going to get back at it," he grinned. "I'll paint something crazy for you, LB!"

"Can't wait," she cheered sarcastically with a roll of her eyes. "My art teacher would hate you, you know that?"

"Yeah, yeah," he laughed, dismissing her with a wave of his hand. "How about you? You still using that sword I have you?"

Her mind flashed to his fencing sword, which she sadly had hid in her dorm closet behind her clothes. Mark had warned her about hiding it and using his own sword, after all.

"I use it, yeah," she lied breezily. "I actually joined a fencing team…"

"Really?" He asked in surprise, sitting up. "No way! Which one?"

"…Chat…"

He blinked before catching himself, and sitting back down. "Right…" He winced. "You can't tell me that, of course."

Ladybug sighed. "It won't always be like this, Chat Noir…"

"Will it, though?" He asked seriously, his green eyes bright in the shadows. "We're best friends, LB, and I don't even get to know where you're fencing? I taught you how to fence!"

"You know what Master Fu said when we were kids!" Ladybug snapped at him, her arms crossed tightly. "He recommended that we keep our identities a secret, even to each other!"

"Yeah, key word recommended," Chat fired back. "That didn't mean he was forcing us to not tell each other!"

"You're unbelievable," she groaned, her head in her hands. "Completely unbelievable."

"I'm just saying that… the more we grow up, the harder it'll be to see each other – what happens when we go to college, and then get jobs?" He was standing up again, glaring down at her seriously. "Meeting up as Ladybug and Chat Noir is only going to become more and more difficult."

"I know, but –"

"But what?!"

"I-I don't know," she admitted. "It's always been like this, and Hawk Moth is still out there plotting something, and we just need to be diligent until this whole thing is over."

Chat Noir looked furious, and he turned away from her.

"Okay, you're angry," Ladybug noted, biting her lip as she stood up and grabbed one of his shoulders. "I'm sorry."

"You're the closest friend I've ever had, My Lady," he said lowly, glancing at her. "I'm not mad… but I just wanted to let you know that this was what was on my mind when I was away…"

Ladybug nodded solemnly, but expecting the night to have turned out like this. Chat Noir was usually so carefree and fun – these nights with him had always been her escape.

Now, her two lives were threatening to intertwine with each other, and it scared her.

"I gotta get going," Chat sighed, extending his baton. "My roommate might think I'm dead or something."

Roommate. He goes to boarding school? She thought to herself. There was another thing he'd let slip. Or… maybe it'd been intentional? She couldn't tell anymore with him.

"I… should go too," she muttered, letting her hand slip away from his shoulder. "Uh… before my own roommate gets back…" Probably not the kind of roommate he's thinking…

Chat's eyes widened slightly, noticing the intentional mention of her civilian life. He smiled slightly before nodding, and pulling her in for one last hug before stepping away.

"This wasn't a fight, LB," Chat told her.

"Right… I know that!"

"I'm serious!" He said, extending his baton and jumping up onto a roof. "Not a fight! I'll see you soon?"

"Yeah!" She called, waving as he jumped away. She turned, and launched her yoyo toward forward to make her way back to St. Godfrey's.

Marinette had just flopped down onto her bed when Adrien opened the door and walked back in. He looked frazzled, as if the walk hadn't helped him one bit.

She probably looked the same, in all honesty. Fighting and then making up with your best friend could do that.

"You all good?" She asked, watching as he threw off his shoes. She wasn't quite sure what had caused the awkwardness between them earlier. Was he really that self-conscious about wearing a ring? Or was something else going on? Maybe with his father?

Marinette had heard bits and pieces about Mr. Agreste over the past few days now, mostly from Nino. He kept Adrien under a strict modeling schedule. On top of that, he was required to take additional fencing and piano lessons outside of school.

"The club team is more fun for him than anything," Nino had remarked. "It's one of the only times he gets to hang out with friends while still doing something that his father approves of."

It was almost like Adrien's father ran his entire life… comparing him to her own entirely laid-back and non-controlling parents, she felt really bad for him.

"I'm fine," Adrien sighed, dropping his bag and walking over to his dresser. "Are you ready for your economics test tomorrow?"

"Ha! No."

"I'm just surprised that you're even studying, to be honest," Adrien chuckled, pulling his shirt off and tossing it in his hamper. Marinette looked down quickly, her cheeks flushing red. She still wasn't used to this at all.

"Uh… why are you surprised?" She asked, flipping through her textbook on her lap. She glanced up, and covered her mouth from squealing when she saw him not only sliding off his pants, but his boxers as well.

ABORT ABORT ABORT! Her mind screamed. Completely frazzled, she quickly threw her book to the ground and turned around, facing the wall next to her bed and agonizing over the fact that she'd almost seen more to Adrien than she was supposed to.

"I mean, you never study," she heard him laugh. "You'd always just leave and go play with your band downtown and… uh… Mark?"

"I'm f-fine!" She stuttered out, giving him a thumb up from behind her shoulder. "I memorize stuff better when I… uh… stare at walls."

"Uh… okay…?"

Marinette winced, tugging at her wig nervously. "So… I have to face Nathaniel again tomorrow at practice," she said, desperate to change the subject.

"Do you think you can take him?" Adrien asked.

"I mean, I hope so… I've been staying after practices and working on sharpening my technique, but…"

"Why didn't you ask me for help?" Marinette heard her desk chair roll out, and she peaked over to see that he was wearing a t-shirt and pajama bottoms.

Oh thank God, she sighed to herself, spinning around to face him.

"I didn't want to bother you," she said simply.

"Mark, you're my roommate. If you need help, you can ask…"

"And… I just don't want to pit you against the rest of the guys on the team, I guess…"

"Ahh," Adrien acknowledged, nodding. "You really don't have to worry about that."

"Yes, I do," Marinette sighed. "If they see you helping me at practice, then they'll give you a hard time. Let's just avoid that whole situation, alright?"

"I know you think I was being tough on you at practice before, but I'm not a total jerk, you know," Adrien explained, rolling his eyes. "I don't really care what the other guys think of me – you're my roommate, and you're showing your commitment to get better. Of course I'll help you."

Marinette felt her cheeks heat up slightly. "Adrien…"

"I'll warm up with you before you face Nathanael tomorrow," he offered.

Marinette hesitated, before shaking her head. "Sorry, but I still can't accept your offer. Kim would give you a hard time, and I'm not about to let you do that for me."

"Then…" Adrien stood up, arms crossed as he looked down at her. "We'll just practice before school then."

"…What?"

"Every day we'll get up early, hit the gym, and then go to class," he offered, smiling at her shocked expression.

"I still don't get why you want to help me… we haven't been friends at all this year," Marinette muttered, her mind flashing back to her brother's notes about his roommate.

We aren't friends, Mark's letter had stated simply. I never made an effort to try and befriend him. He's nice sure, but he's a spoiled little rich model – why would I need a friend like that? Marinette, make sure you stay civil with him, but don't talk to him too much – it'd look suspicious.

That's what Mark had instructed of her. Be friendly, but don't look to befriend. Focus on fencing and school. She wasn't here to make friends, after all. She was here to become a better fencer, and prove to her coach that she could overcome any stereotypes he threw at her.

However…

Adrien was kind, and sweet. And Mark was wrong – he wasn't spoiled at all. It was almost like he shied away from his father's life, and wanted to be someone different at the school.

More importantly, Marinette found herself drawn to that other side of him – that sly, mischievous side that she sometimes saw in him. Sometimes it was hidden within his words, or it was a smirk or a glint of his eye. They were split-second moments, but they were there.

There were more layers to her roommate than she believe Mark had realized.

What was so wrong about befriending him? If Adrien got suspicious, she could simply state that it was a change of heart.

That was believable… right?

"So… you don't want my help?"

Marinette's eyes snapped up to his green ones. He was looking at her expectedly.

"N-no, I –"

He's a spoiled little rich model…

That wasn't true… there was so much more, she could tell…

"I would love your help…"

Adrien grinned. "Tomorrow, six in the morning. We'll whip you into shape in no time!"

Their joint alarm went off at 5:30, and Marinette wanted to smash her head against a wall.

"Nooooo," she moaned, burying further into her covers as Adrien yawned, fumbled for his phone, and turned the alarm off.

"Get up, Mark," he laughed. She responded by digging her head into her pillow further.

"You said you wanted my help," Adrien said. "Wanna just call it quits already?"

"No," she grunted, forcing her eyes open and sitting up. "I have to beat Nathanael."

"And sixteen other guys on the team," Adrien noted in a pleasant voice. Marinette turned around and shot him a tired glare.

"Tone down the sass, Agreste. It's too early for that," Marinette shot back, standing up and patting down her hair to make sure her wig stayed in place throughout the night. She quickly gathered up her clothes for the day, her toiletries, and slipped out the door to the bathroom without another word.

She knew that Adrien thought it was weird, and she honestly couldn't blame him. Why get dressed in the bathroom every day? It wasn't weird to get dressed in front of your roommate of the same gender. And if Marinette's brother was anything, self-conscious was not one of them. She was sure that he'd stripped freely in their room without a care in the world.

But Marinette couldn't worry about that now, she'd just have to deal with the awkwardness. Sighing, she closed the door to the bathroom behind her, locked it, and busied herself with getting changed.

"Ow," she winced, lifting her shirt and adjusting the bandages that were wound around her chest. She was still getting used to the feeling. At first it'd been slightly difficult to breathe, but it was getting better with each passing day.

Shaking her head, Marinette slipped out of her pajamas and threw on her fencing uniform. She removed her wig, brushed her real hair out, and tied it in a bun before placing her wig back onto her head.

After washing her face, brushing her teeth, and applying the small makeup techniques to make her face appear a little more rounded and masculine, Marinette opened the door and padded back to her room.

"Ready?" Adrien asked, sporting a matching fencing uniform and a duffel bag on his shoulder.

"Yeah," Marinette said, hurrying to her own bag and placing it on her bed. She opened it up and pushed it toward her folded covers, where she knew Tikki was residing. Once her kwami was safely inside her bag, she zipped it shut, shouldered it, and followed Adrien out the door.

The walk over to the gym was quiet as Marinette tried to stifle yawns. They stopped in a café and both ordered coffees to go.

"How are you so chipper this early in the morning?" Marinette asked, muttering a tired thank you when the barista handed her her drink.

"When I was away on the last trip with my dad, I had to get up at four in the morning everyday for early photo shoots," he told her, shrugging. "I got used to it, I guess."

Marinette shook her head in disbelief and followed him out the door, clutching her coffee close to her chest for warmth. Even though it was already April, the early mornings were still chilly. "Your dad sure keeps you busy."

"Tell me about it," Adrien sighed bitterly.

"Do you not get along with him?"

"I don't know," he admitted, shaking his head. "Sometimes?"

"Well… why only sometimes?"

"He's just… usually pretty distant," Adrien sighed again. "Can we change the subject? Tell me about your family."

Marinette startled a bit at his question, wondering what Adrien would know and what he wouldn't know about her family. Had Mark ever told him anything at all about his personal life?"

"Well… uh… before boarding school I lived with my parents. They own a bakery, and we live behind it," she told him.

"A bakery? Really?" He asked, smiling at the thought. "You'll have to get me some croissants sometimes… my dad doesn't let me eat them."

"He doesn't let you – what?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, and they don't sell them in the school cafeteria at all," Adrien muttered, almost sounding like a five year old boy who hadn't gotten his way. Marinette laughed, nearly dropping her coffee.

"How tragic," she snickered.

"It really is," Adrien sighed, shaking his head. "And you have a sister, right? That tried out for our team? You never told me about her before!"

Oh my god Mark, you live with this guy for half a year and you don't talk about your beloved sister even once? Marinette internally grumbled. "Uh, yeah I do… and she did try out, you're right," she told him. Adrien perked up at that, but Marinette internally agonized over the fact that her coach had let that fact slip to the team.

"I just always assumed you didn't have any siblings."

"Well, uh, yeah I do - I guess I was sort of a jerk earlier this year and never talked about her," she shrugged, trying to hide her smirk. "Her name is Marinette, and she goes to the Gaillard School for the Art."

"Wow, she goes to an art school and she's a fencer?" Adrien asked, grinning. He looked really excited at the idea of that, and Marinette did her best to hide her blush. Did he think it was… cool or something?

"Have her visit sometime – it's only a few subway block away," Adrien told her, and Marinette's eyes widened.

"She's… uh… super busy at schoo, it'd be difficult," Marinette said quickly. "Yeah, uh – they all just started their final projects so she's swamped with work."

"That's too bad," Adrien sighed. "I would have loved to meet her."

Oh my gosh, what does that even mean? He'd love meet her? If only he knew that she was actually right in front of him…

"Here," Adrien offered, pushing the door to the gym open so Marinette could walk in. They both placed their bags on the gym floor, and worked to unroll the blue mat and place it down in the center of the gym. Once everything was set up, Marinette zipped open her bag and started to pull out her sword, but not before Tikki's head popped out from under her change of clothes.

"Hey – be careful," she hissed, crouching and hiding her bag from view. Adrien was across the gym, grabbing things from his own bag as well.

"Marinette – I have sometime I think I need to tell you," Tikki stressed, her eyes wide with excitement. "But – but I'm not sure if I should, you might be mad at me and –"

"Whatever it is, it can wait," Marinette whispered urgently. "There are cookies in a ziplock bag in there somewhere, so please try to stay quiet!"

"But Marinette –" Tikki chirped. Marintette quickly zipped the bag shut, pinching the bridge of her nose between her fingers. What if Adrien had seen Tikki? She would have had so much explaining to do…

Hiding both your gender and you superhero identity from your roommate was no easy task, that was for sure.

Tikki yelped as Marinette zipped the bag shut. She considered flying through the fabric of the bag with her powers and chasing after her charge, but quickly thought against it. That would only be causing a scene, and Tikki knew that she was smarter than that.

"Do I even tell her?" Tikki muttered to herself, floating back down to sit atop one of Marinette's textbooks. "She's always said that she doesn't want to know who he really is, but… this has to be fate!"

Groaning, she rubbed her tiny head and sighed. "Maybe I shouldn't… I'll have to tell Plagg to keep this mouth shut tonight when they're both asleep… unless he's already told Adrien about me? Oh no!" The tiny kwami slumped down. "I haaaate that cat!"

"Plagg, this is not a good time!" Adrien hissed, making sure that his bag was out of sight from Mark's vision.

"But… there's something really important that you should know!" Plagg stressed, his tiny whiskers twitching in excitement. "It's about Ladybug!"

"It's – what?" Adrien breathed, moving his head closer to his kwami. "What about her?"

"Well, she's… she's…" Plagg was quivering excitement.

"Spit it out, Plagg!"

"She's going to be made entirely out of cheese!" Plagg squealed. "There's a sculptor downtown who's making a cheese sculpture of Ladybug and putting it on display… can we go? Please please please please please?"

Adrien promptly closed his bag in frustration.