Chapter One

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"Whatever you say, Bugaboo." Adrien yawned in reply.

There was a stunned silence as Marinette paled dramatically and Nino and Alya just stared. It took several long, horrifying seconds before Adrien's eyes popped open and instantly met Marinette's gaze. She could see her own dread reflected in his eyes as he sat up painfully slowly. Neither of them blinked as they looked at each other in a shared and silent panic. It was eventually Alya who spoke, her voice making Marinette flinch as Adrien cringed away from it.

"Oh my god. You two sound like…"

Alya trailed off, her expression freezing on her face as she stared at them with widening eyes. Nino didn't seem to notice, chuckling and finishing her thought.

"Like an old married couple. Honestly, what's with you? You can totally tell us if you're dating, y'know. You guys are acting so weird, dude."

Alya looked at Marinette, really truly looked at her and Marinette knew. Her blue eyes widened as she watched the cogs turning behind those black glasses, watched the way in which realisation was flooding the depths of Alya's eyes. Her heart was racing and she was beginning to freak out.

Alya knew.

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"Can you make it till break? Please? We'll explain. But- But there will have to be… Conditions."

She flashed nervous eyes at her journalist friend.

"There have to be."

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Chloé Bourgeois let out a dreadful screech.

"DID YOU JUST KISS HER HAND?"

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Of course, plans have a habit of going awry.

The screaming started mere minutes before the bell would ring for break, a shrill shriek that ensured everyone in the classroom was no longer paying attention to their worksheets. Marinette tensed, half out of her seat as silence fell, everyone holding their breath. It sounded again, and this time it kept going, howling and screeching that rang through the hallways, through the closed doorway. Their teacher closed her book.

"Okay, class. You know the drill. Single file, sensibly. No running if we can help it, okay?"

Marinette was out of her seat like a shot as the class descended into ordered chaos, leaping the steps past Adrien's desk. She didn't need to look to know he was on her heels, where he always was.

"Nett!" Nino called.

As she raced through the door into the hall in search of a corner, anywhere to transform, Marinette heard Alya answer their frightened friend.

"Nino, wait."

"Locker rooms?" Adrien spoke, focused and level as they ran through the filling corridor, Cat Noir in his voice.

"Art." Marinette answered, grabbing hold of the wall to swing herself around the corner.

"Good call."

She threw the storeroom door open, knowing it wouldn't be long till there were people in this corridor too, not wanting to be caught out. Adrien was right beside her even as she turned to pull the door closed. Despite the fact that they were about to suit up, Marinette felt it thrum under her skin. Their eyes met in that confined space, and she could see he was feeling it too.

They were back.

They were different, they had issues to work on.

But they were back.

Adrien flashed her a wide grin.

"Spots on!"

"Claws out!"

The pink and green met in the air of that small space and LadyBug's breath caught. Not just to see the beauty of the colours surrounding each other, but also to find herself fafe to face with her leather-clad partner. She'd yet to get used to that. (And it was kind of awesome.)

"We should meet like this more often, Milady." Cat said, bending at the waist to catch her hand and place a kiss upon the knuckles.

LadyBug watched, her lips smirking and her cheeks glowing.

"Save it, Kitty Cat." she answered, just like usual.

But she didn't snatch her hand back. Cat's grin was wide and wonderful.

"I'll hold you to that, then." he replied, winking, "Later, I mean."

LadyBug laughed, reaching around him for the handle of the door.

"We have a job to do."

"Indeed we do."

He made to squeeze out, but LadyBug didn't push the door open just yet. Instead she took a shallow breath and reached up on her toes to place a peck on his cheek. When Cat Noir's surprised eyes found her, she shrugged.

"Kissing your hand kinda feels like I'm stealing your moves."

Side by side, they vaulted the balcony to the hub hall where the students were streaming towards the main steps. Somewhere, somewhere close, the akuma was wreaking havoc. LadyBug swung her yo-yo from one of the industrial lights, and when she dropped down Cat Noir was there, right underneath her as his Sabre contracted to it's usual length. She landed in a crouch beside him, and when she lifted her head he had already offered her his hand. She took it with a smile and let him pull her up beside him.

"Nice entrance, Bugaboo."

LadyBug laughed, adjusting her yo-yo in her grip as she swivelled her head to look for the sourced of the bellowing roar.

"Landed on my feet, too." she answered. "Isn't that your specialty?"

She heard him chuckle as she headed off, his footsteps right on her tail.

"Milady! You made a joke!"

LadyBug just grinned, unable to think of a witty response because he sounded so happy about the prospect of her trying to joke. So maybe their push-and-pull dynamic would be different. It didn't mean it wouldn't work. The anxiety she had been beginning to fear melted away before it could take proper hold. There was no reason to worry about how they'd cope as partners, knowing who was under the masks.

Tikki had comforted a glum Marinette two nights ago with the reassurance that all was not lost and that perhaps knowing would make them stronger.

She hadn't put stock in it at the time, too busy worrying about whether she would be able to let go and allow Cat Noir to be in all the danger they always were, knowing it was Adrien Agreste underneath.

But what Marinette had come to realise was that Adrien wasn't as fragile as she had always thought. In fact he was strong, stronger maybe even than her. And when it really came down to it, Marinette didn't know Adrien all that well at all.

But Cat Noir? she thought, with a brief glance over her shoulder, Cat Noir she knew.