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It had been over two months since Shadybug and Claw Noir had become traitors to the Supreme and joined the resistance. Two months and seven days, to be precise. Adrien knew this, of course, because that meant that today would mark two whole months since he and Shadybug had kissed for the first time. Two months since they started whatever this was. They were friends now. Friends who kiss. Though despite the confusing framing of what exactly their relationship was, he had to admit he thought it was going well. Sure, they still fought like Cats and Bugs, but they were getting better. Better at being nice to one another, better at being friends. Life wasn’t all sunshine and daisies for them, it was still a constant uphill struggle. But at least now they could find some comfort in each other, even if it was only once in a while when they were on watch duty, protecting the Rebellion’s secret base, or when Hesperia sent them out on missions to gain intel on the Supreme and his other Miraculous holders. Sometimes, they even met up when there was no mission at all, just so they could talk. (And maybe make out a little.)

They talked about all kinds of things. Life, school, modelling, his poor relationship with his father. And they worked on their new identities. He had discovered that neither of them was completely satisfied with the impromptu changes they’d made on that fateful day, and they’d both been struggling to work out who they wanted to be. He still hadn’t really settled on a new name. Though he liked the sound of Alley Cat, it was a nickname that Shady had always called him, one she continued to call him even now. And oddly, he felt like it was almost.. special. Something only she was allowed to call him. He wasn’t sure he wanted to make that his new name, because then everyone would get to call him that. And truthfully, he only wanted to hear it from her.

Paw Noir was currently the forerunner, and they’d been practicing it when they had the chance. Though Shady would often slip up and call him Claw, but he didn’t mind. He still liked his old name just fine.

Shady, on the other hand, was struggling with it more than he was. She still insisted on being called Ladybug, despite her newfound enthusiasm to differentiate herself from her alternate counterpart. Which was fine with him, really. He’d call her whatever she liked, because he had a million nicknames for her to balance it out. Nicer ones too, since he had decided to stop calling her cockroach. He wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about the nicknames, though. She seemed to get annoyed whenever he came up with a new one, but she didn’t try to stop him from using them.

Sometimes Adrien thought that trying to get closer to Shady was like trying to hug a cactus. She was always prickly, often dangerously so, but if he could just get past her tines, he could access the sweet waters within that quenched his thirst when he was parched in the desert. And he was always thirsty.

But It had been a while now since they’d last met up. He hadn’t heard from her in days, and it was making him anxious. The Supreme was always hot on their heels, and they were certainly always feeling the heat nip at them. He didn’t want to come off as desperate or clingy, but every day of radio silence from her made him worry that something had gone wrong. He thought about the conversation they’d had the last time they’d had a moment alone.

“Hey, Paw... I’ve been wondering. Back in the other world...” She was sitting next to him on a dark balcony, legs tucked up under her, her head resting on his shoulder. They’d been sitting in comfortable silence for some time, but apparently she’d been spending that time deep in thought.

“Why did you Cataclysm yourself?”

The question had certainly caught him off-guard, as neither one of them had been bold enough to bring up any of the events of their little jaunt across universes.

He didn’t respond immediately, carefully considering how much he should say. “Meh, I was showing off.” He shrugged, the action inadvertently bobbing her head up beside him, and she lifted her head from his shoulder. He regretted moving, because he missed the warmth of her closeness already. But he could see her expression now, eyebrows furrowed as she stared at his chest, as if she could still see the cracks.

“Yeah but... that must have hurt, right?” Her hand landed on his chest, and he wondered if she was checking to make sure the cracks were really gone. The warmth of her hand on his chest was far better than that of his shoulder, and he hesitated before cupping her hand, and slowly directing her fingers to the exact spot where he’d been struck.

“Oh Fuck yeah. It hurt like hell.” He chuckled, trying to brush it off. He didn’t want her to worry about it. Partly because he didn’t want to think about it himself. He was fine now, he’d tell himself. Nothing to dwell on, right?

He felt her press her fingertips gently into his skin, massaging the area as if it still hurt him. It felt nice. He didn’t want her to stop.

“You could have died!” She insisted.

“Yeah, that's kinda the point.” He said without thinking. “Shit.” He added. He hadn’t meant to say that part out loud. He flinched as she pulled her hand away from him quickly, and he half expected her to hit him.

“Claw!” She hissed, staring at him. He noted that she had already dropped using ‘Paw’ as his name.

“What? I didn't think I would. I was just... willing to take that risk? I was already suffering the damage of overusing my Miraculous. There was already a good chance I was gonna die. Might as well speed things up? I thought if we succeeded, I'd be spared. And if we failed... well I wouldn't have to worry about it for long. And it proved enough of a driving factor for us to achieve our goal, didn’t it?”

She gawked at him, then turned away, standing up abruptly. He thought for sure she would leave then, but she didn’t. She hovered above him, arms crossed angrily, but an expression far from anger on her face.

“I didn’t mean to upset you.” He mumbled. “Forget I said it.”

Shadybug tutted. “Upset me? Who’s upset? I’m not upset. It’s your life, you can do what you please with it. If you want to waste it, I won’t stop you.” She snapped. He didn’t like where this was going. They were having a nice quiet cuddle a few minutes ago and he could easily see this turning into a fight.

“You wouldn’t?” He asked. What a stupid thing to say. He knew she hadn’t meant it like that. Was he calling her out on her bluff? This was not how to prevent a fight with Shady. But suddenly he felt like he really wanted to know. How would she feel if he did? Would she even care?

“What?” She refused to look at him.

“You wouldn’t stop me if I tried to throw my life away?” He had a feeling she was lying. At least, he hoped that she was.

She stayed silent, head down, her chin practically digging into her chest. Claw decided to let her off the hook and reached out, taking her hand in his.

“I wouldn’t. Not anymore. I have something to live for now.” He said reassuringly. He felt bad for even asking her such a terrible thing. He tugged her hand slightly, urging her to sit back down. He really didn’t want her to leave, or for them to fight. He heard her breathe in a massive sigh, and she gave in to his silent request, slinking back down. But this time, she settled herself into his lap.

With all of the times they’d made out so far, you’d think he wouldn’t blush the way that he did. But she never failed to surprise him, when she responded to him with anything other than ice or fire.

He wrapped his arms around her, nudging her cheek with his nose. They’d never been quite so... cozy with each other. Sure they’d been kissing. Sure they’d grown closer. But this... this was almost intimate. Like they were actually in a real relationship or something.

“I would.” She said suddenly, though enough time had passed that he had to think back on what she was responding to. “I would stop you.” She added.

His heart did a little backflip and she refused to say more; but she didn’t need to. For once, he knew exactly what she meant.

Claw grinned widely, deciding that it was time for a bit of a topic change.

“Hey, wanna make out?” He asked hopefully.

She rolled her eyes at him. “Subtle as ever, Alley Cat.”

“What? Is that a no?” He huffed.

It wasn’t.

That was over a week ago. He had messaged her since then of course. But she hadn’t responded. Just when he felt like they were finally getting somewhere, when they were finally feeling something, something real, it had come to a screeching halt. And he had a sick feeling that it was his fault. He recalled how that night had ended.

They'd kissed. A lot. They'd kissed enough that he felt like he now knew the taste of her by heart. But something had been gnawing away at the back of his mind. Adrien really wanted to kiss Marinette. Did it really matter? They were the same person. It's not like what clothes she wore made a difference. But... Shady always had her guard up with him. They never met up in their civilian forms. It was always as Ladybug and Paw Noir.

His Shady Lady still had no idea that he’d been pining after her for quite some time. Even before he knew who she was. He did mention to her that he would watch her through the bakery window, but they never brought it up again after her poor reaction. (She called him a stalker, among other things.) And now he was meeting with her regularly to sneak fervent kisses on rooftops and in alleyways, and he felt no closer to the girl behind the mask than he did before. He wanted to get to know her other side. He wanted her to know him too.

But she seemed to show no interest in knowing the rest of him, Nor did she seem keen on sharing her other self with him. He hated to think it, but it was beginning to make him feel a bit used and un-loved. Did she really care about him? Or was he just a distraction? Someone to kiss when she felt lonely? He was conflicted by her insistence that despite how much he kissed her, or how close he held her, that to her he was only ever ‘Just a friend.’ Like she couldn’t comprehend that friends don’t do the things they do. Like she was unwilling to accept that there could be anything more. He wanted to clarify things, to set the record straight.

So he’d asked her to de-transform. It didn’t end well. She refused. And then she left. And then she ghosted his messages for a week. Did she hate his civilian self so much? How could she hate him so much as Adrien but still be okay with doing what they’d been doing as their alter-egos?

And as angry as he was at the idea that she’d been avoiding him just for the crime of wanting to get to know her, He was still pathetically longing for her to respond. He’d rather meet with her in the suits forever than lose what they’d built up so far. He tried his best to be patient, something he rarely ever was as Claw Noir. This would take time. He knew that.

But he was still determined to try.

So when his comm pinged off with a message from Shadybug, he practically leapt out the window in his eagerness to find her. She wanted to see him. She asked him to meet her. Suddenly a week’s worth of self-doubt, anger, and resentment fell away from him, quickly replaced with excitement, longing, and a giddy feeling in his stomach.

It made him incredibly nervous. He arrived at their meeting spot before her. He took a few deep breaths. This time, he had a plan. He de-transformed from Claw Noir to Adrien and waited for her. It was a huge risk, he knew. But one he was more than willing to take.

He held his breath when he saw the telltale red flash into his peripheral. He straightened himself up and tried to act casual. Shady touched down on the rooftop, a slight wobble as she landed, having immediately caught sight of him. His arm darted out to steady her, and she stared at him, seemingly unable to break her eyes away from him.

“Hey.” He said lamely.

“Why do you look like that?” She asked bluntly, and his heart sank. Maybe this was a bad idea after all.

“Why? You have a problem with it?” He snapped back, getting more than a little defensive.

Her eyes finally broke away from his, and she shook her head. “No, I’m just... not used to it.”

Adrien was ready to be pissy about it, to give her a piece of his mind for ghosting him, to confront her about her apparent hatred for his civilian form. But he stopped mid-intake of breath, his mouth slightly open as his perception shifted.

She was upset. She looked sad. Had she been crying? Adrien’s demeanour softened immediately.

“I could really use a friend right now...” She said quietly. He wanted desperately to cheer her up.

"To kiss?" A hopeful grin crept across his lips. At least he could try to make her laugh.

"To talk to, Romeo." She chuckled. Success.

He sat down. "Oh. We could do that."

She hesitantly sat down beside him, and he could tell that she was looking at him from the side of her eye. He waited for her to start talking, but she remained silent. Was it really such a big deal to her? He sighed inwardly. I guess today is not the day. At least if she’s upset, he should do his best to make her feel more comfortable.

“Claws out.” He muttered. Upon hearing his transformation phrase, Shady’s head whipped around to face him.

“You didn’t have to— Claw! Your hair!” She gasped.

“What? Does it look dumb?” He instinctively reached up to the back of his head and ruffled his fingers through his wild mane.

“No, it... It looks like you again.” She smiled. Which was a rare sight on Shady’s usually pouty, very kissable lips.

A look of relief flashed across his face. His hair was still blonde, but the ends of each spiky wisp sported the original green that he used to have.

“Yeah, I missed the green. I figured a little colour on the tips wasn't going to hurt.” Her smile made his heart melt. She liked the change? Maybe he’d keep this one, he thought.

“You make it seem so easy. I can’t figure myself out. I want to be her but also I don’t. I want to be different, but I still want to be me. How the hell do you balance it?”

“Who said it was easy? I can’t even pick a new name.” He scoffed.

Shadybug ran her fingers through his messy hair. “I... I like Claw Noir.” She admitted. “I still think it suits you best.”

“And I like Shadybug. I don’t really think we need to change names to be good guys. We’re still growing as people and we’ll figure it out as we go along. In the meantime, I think it’s okay for us to let a little bit of our personality shine through.”

Shadybug drew circles on her knees absent-mindedly. “If I’m being honest, I miss my buns. Maybe I could bring them back?” She said thoughtfully.

“I don’t see why not! You should try it. And while we’re on the topic of changing looks, I was debating the lipstick." Claw said enthusiastically.

Shady frowned. ”I don't think the lipstick is a good idea. I don't think your black lips screamed ‘approachable good guy.’”

Claw shook his head with a chuckle. ”I wasn’t talking about mine. I was talking about yours. You looked so pretty with it. I miss it." He suddenly realized he’d been staring at her lips for far too long to be natural. ”Oh, uh, not that you don't look pretty without it! Of course you do!”

"No, I don't think the lipstick will work out for me either." Shady said.

"Why not?"

“Because when I do this..." She kissed his cheek. "It would make a mess."

Claw blushed and grinned a dopey grin. "I wouldn't really mind. But I like your lips either way."

Silence fell between them, and Claw was beginning to grow antsy. Her kiss on his cheek burned with a lovely heat, but she had kept her distance from him. He wanted to be closer.

He decided he was going to push his luck. Shady already seemed to be in a better mood than when she had arrived. He really hoped that he wasn’t about to stick his foot in it.

He cleared his throat awkwardly. “You know you can... de-transform... it's not like I don't know who you are. Maybe we can try your look again?”

Shady stayed silent, chin resting on her hands and staring out into the skyline.

Claw rapped his knuckles on her head. “Hello? Is Marinette home? Can she come out and play?"

“Piss off, Fleabag.” She pushed him away, but her smile gave her away.

“Come ooon.” He whined. “Let Marinette out.” He pulled out the best ‘cute cat eyes’ he could muster and batted his eyelashes. “Paw-leaaase?”

"What, you don't like me as Shady?" She asked with a snarky tone, but he could tell that she was just egging him on.

"No, I lo-- uh, I mean... You're cool either way. I just don't get to see the other side of you very often. You always have your guard up, even when we're sucking face.”

"Eew, don't say it like that." She pushed his face away from her, hiding her own in embarrassment.

"What? What else would you call it?" He laughed.

Shady closed her eyes and sighed. Claw’s anticipation bubbled in his chest as he watched her mull it over.

“Blots off.” She said finally.

Claw couldn’t hide his massive smile if he wanted to. Was he acting too eager? He was learning that he was very bad at playing it cool.

“There’s my Shady Lady.” He grinned.

Marinette stayed silent, drawing her knees up to her chest in an attempt to cover as much of herself as possible, shrinking away from him and making herself seem so small. Claw’s smile faltered. She really looked uncomfortable. Maybe he shouldn’t have pushed her to de-transform? Maybe she really wasn’t ready for this. He had to admit it seemed kind of strange to see her like this. She usually exuded confidence. Her eyes darted to his for a moment, then back to her knees.

Claw gulped nervously, suddenly acutely aware of his own shyness. He could never talk to Marinette when he was Adrien, What made him think he could do it now? Well, he was already talking to her. Nothing had really changed. She was still the same, still Shady. He tried to breathe in a deep reassuring breath as quietly as possible, not wanting to alert her to his sudden bout of nervous energy.

“So... The thing to remember is...” His voice came out a little weakly and he cleared his throat. “You, uh... have to concentrate on the changes you want to make.” He was scrambling to find words to describe it, and his sudden jitters didn’t help much. He’d been experimenting with his look a lot over the last two months, so he’d had some practice learning how to make changes. But Shady’s look hadn’t changed at all since they came back. She’d been really struggling with identifying who she wanted to be. He wanted to do a good job of coaching her through it.

“The point isn’t to treat it like a fashion statement. It’s not about dressing up and looking cool. It’s about who you want to be as a person, and how you want others to perceive you.”

Marinette nodded silently, showing him that she was listening and following along. It wasn’t much, but it gave him the little boost in confidence he needed to keep going.

“So you need to stop thinking about how much you want to be like the other Ladybug. Otherwise, you’ll just end up looking like her, every time. You need to think about how you’re different from her. What stands out about you? What makes you different? What parts of yourself do you want to focus on? These are the questions you need to ask yourself. Then, when you have a good idea of who you want to be, the changes become more of a feeling than an image. You aren’t just painting a picture in your mind, you’re writing a song in your heart.”

Oh god, that sounded so corny. He hoped she hadn’t noticed how sappy that came off. He caught her staring for a moment, but if she thought it was cringy, she didn’t say so.

“I... don’t really know much about music.” She said quietly.

Claw scratched at the back of his head. “Oh, uh... yeah, it doesn’t have to be music. Just think of it like something you’re passionate about. You told me you like designing clothing, right? So think of it more like the moment inspiration strikes and you just have to draw it before you lose it. You aren’t thinking about the end result, just getting the idea down while it’s fresh in your mind.”

Marinette’s lips quirked up slightly at the corners, and her eyes left her knees long enough for him to notice that they had softened considerably.

“You’re... That’s... actually really helpful.” She said. He couldn’t help but grin stupidly.

“Yeah?” He could feel a slight sense of pride tingle in his chest at her approval. “So-um, why don’t you... uh, give it a shot?” He noticed that suddenly he was stammering, and he mentally berated himself for it.

Marinette nodded and sat up, her knees dropping away from her as she straightened out. She took a deep reassuring breath and concentrated hard. Her arms drifted upward with fists clenched, ready to try her new look.

Claw watched her ready herself, his mind rapidly going over frantic thoughts. He realized that if she transformed, Marinette was going to go away again. Shady would probably like her new changes, and then she’d have no reason to change back. He panicked, and suddenly Claw reached out and grasped her arm.

"Wait."

He’d startled her, and she cocked an eyebrow, waiting for him to explain. But he found the words stuck in his throat.

“What’s wrong?” She was looking at him impatiently, imploring him to spit out whatever reason that he’d stopped her.

“It's just that...” Claw’s eyes darted around wildly as he searched for a good reason to have stopped her. Finding none, he let go of her wrist with a sigh.  “We always meet up transformed. I never get to see Marinette.”

“I am Marinette.” She was staring at him with suspicion.

“You know damn well what I mean. We don't always have to meet as Ladybug and Paw Noir. We already know our identities. I wouldn't mind spending some time with you as Marinette. Get to know the girl behind the mask.”

Marinette suddenly looked like she was ready to jump off the roof. He didn’t like the look of the grimace that she clearly couldn’t hide. Like the idea of spending time with him as civilians was mortifying to her.

Rather than lose his temper at her negative reaction, (Which was easier said than done) he tried to be reasonable. Tried to keep a level head and be understanding. They’d get nowhere if he snapped at her.

“I know you prefer me as Claw. If you'd rather, I can stay transformed.” He offered, desperately hoping it was a fair enough compromise for her.

“No... It's not—”

“I get it. You haven't warmed up to Adrien yet.” He said, maybe a little too coldly. Okay, he wasn’t perfect. And it was hard to be nice when you have your feelings hurt. “Maybe another day then.”

“Stop it!” She snapped suddenly. He blinked at her.

“Stop what?”

She folded her arms across her chest, the signature Shadybug sneer playing on Marinette’s lips. “Stop being so nice to me! So understanding. It's... I don't deserve it, and you don’t understand.”

Despite trying to keep his cool, Claw’s temper got the best of him. “You stop it! Would you prefer I call you names and pull your hair?” He shot back.

An awkward silence dropped like a rock between them as both faces erupted into deep blushes and wide eyes.

“O-okay, don't answer that, I have a feeling I already know the answer...” Claw muttered, finally looking away from her. She rolled her eyes.

“Why does it even matter to you what form I take?”

“It doesn’t.” He pouted. He heard her scoff. Yeah, it was pretty obvious that it did. It’s not like he could hide it from her now. He sighed in exasperation, though it was more at himself than at her. “Fine. You want the truth? I want to kiss Marinette."

“Huh?” There was no mistaking the utter look of confusion on her face. He knew she wouldn’t understand. Maybe he was just being stupid after all.

“I’ve never kissed Marinette before, and I’d like to know what that’s like.”

“Claw, I’m literally—“

“It’s not the same.” He cut her off. He knew what she was going to say. “At least, I don’t think it is. I wouldn’t know, since we’ve never tried! Aren’t you at least a little bit curious what it would be like to kiss Adrien Agreste?”

“No.” She said bluntly. Though he’d never know It was a bold-faced lie.

Now it was his turn to cross his arms. “Right, because you hate Adrien.” Once again, his plan was falling apart. This wasn’t going at all how he’d hoped, and he was quickly losing faith that they could ever figure things out between them.

“Oh my fucking god, Claw! I don’t hate Adrien!” She practically shouted it at him, her voice echoing over the silent rooftops around them, promptly reminding them that they were getting too worked up.

“Then why won’t you spend time with me?” He said quietly. He hadn’t meant to sound so hurt, so rejected. But he was so tired of feeling unloved. Tired of feeling like he was pouring himself into something that he knew would end when she eventually got sick of him, like everyone else.

“Because I’m a loser, okay?!” She barked. His cat ears flattened against his head and his eyes snapped up to meet her, his mouth agape.

“What?”

“I’m a fucking loser, Adrien! You’re a literal fucking supermodel!”

Claw probably would have loved that Marinette had called him by his real name, especially while he was still Claw Noir, if the rest of her words had made any damn sense. He felt like his brain had suddenly dropped out of his head.

“I don’t... understand?” He was downright perplexed.

“What’s hard to understand? You’re rich. You’re famous. You’re hot. It’s only a matter of time before you lose interest in me.”

Claw wondered for a split second if he had missed something. Was she even speaking the same language right now? Was there some kind of context clue he had missed? He tried to replay the conversation thus far in his head. But Marinette kept talking.

“I’m a worthless baker girl with no friends, and you shouldn’t even bother wasting your time with me. I’d bring you down if word got out that Adrien Agreste was dating a loser like me. At least as Ladybug and Paw Noir I don’t have to worry about destroying your career, your image, or your life. At least as Ladybug, I’m worth something. First a fierce villain not to be fucked with, and now an elusive vigilante. As Ladybug, I have value.”

Claw’s mouth snapped open and shut a few times, as if testing to make sure it still functioned. His saucer-wide eyes lowered, his eyebrows furrowing as he hung his head sadly.

“You really don’t know anything about me, do you?” He said so quietly, it may as well have been a whisper. His shoulders slumped, and he stared at his lap. He’d hoped they had gotten close enough by now that she would know him better than that. He was beginning to think maybe they were still strangers after all.

“And you don’t seem to realize what a waste of your time I am! We don’t know anything about each other! You want to know why I push you away? Why I never want to get any closer? Because I don’t want to drag you down with me. I don’t want to invest myself into something I know will only hurt us both. But I’m too weak to break it off with you and spare you the embarrassment, because I’m selfish, greedy. Because kissing you has been the highlight of my life and I want more.”

Claw was at a loss for words. He could tell that Marinette was only waiting for the ball to drop; for him to lash out and yell at her, to shovel the fuel into the fire of one of their famous Shady-Claw blow-ups.

“You know what? You’re right.” He said finally. He heard her breath hitch and he could see the tears in her eyes, threatening to fall. He continued. “We really don’t know each other. I never realized you were such an Idiot.”

“Excuse me?” Marinette’s voice had taken on a sharp edge.

“You heard me. You’re an idiot. If you truly think those things about yourself, then you’re a dumbass. And so am I, for not seeing it. I don’t give two shits about my image, or my fucking career. They were never mine to begin with. They’re my father’s. Money and fame have never interested me. And the fact that you really think I’m that shallow hurts. So no, we don’t know each other. After two months, we’re still total fucking strangers. All we know are the masks we wear, to hide our insecurities from the world. You don’t know me, and I don’t know you.”

His words were bitter and pointed, cutting Marinette to the quick. The tears in her eyes fell in a cascade down her cheeks, and her throat squeezed painfully tight. This whole thing was a mistake of epic proportions. Was he going to dump her? Was he finally fed up with her bullshit? A sob escaped her as she realized she had ruined everything, as usual.

“But I’d like to.” Claw’s voice had softened, and he reached out toward her. He cupped her cheek with his hand, gently wiping away the trail of tears that clung there.

“I want to know you. More than anything. I get being afraid of showing your vulnerable side. I mean, it’s pretty obvious that Adrien Agreste is nothing like Claw Noir. Adrien Agreste is a pushover. A wimp. He lets others dictate his life for him and just does as he’s told. An obedient puppet that has no voice of his own and no autonomy. But as much as I may hate to admit it, he’s still me. And it’s actually pretty scary the thought of showing you that side of me. The real me. Or at least, I think the real me is somewhere in between Adrien and Claw. I haven’t quite figured that out myself yet. ”

He shuffled closer to her, until their knees were touching and they were face-to-face.

“I may not know you as Marinette as well as I’d like to, but I know more about you than you’d think.” He said with a tiny smile. Her watery blue eyes glistened as she watched him with curiosity. He closed his eyes for a moment.

“Claws in.”

With a flash of green, Claw Noir was no more, And Marinette found herself staring into the green eyes of Adrien Agreste. He looked so very soft, so unlike Claw and all of his sharp edges. Adrien leaned in even closer, until their noses almost touched. His eyes captivated hers, like he was staring right through her.

“You’re beautiful.” He whispered.

Marinette’s breath was completely frozen in her chest, her lungs desperate to exhale but incapable. She felt a sudden and very intense desire, so much deeper than her desire to kiss him. Something in her very soul. At some point his hand had found hers, and he brought it to his lips, gently kissing her knuckles.

“You’re bold, brave, and don’t take shit from anyone. You’re creative, and intuitive, and despite your poisonous glare, there’s a softness to you that nobody else sees. But I see it. You’re just as lonely as I am, I can feel it. You’re smart, and determined, and there’s goodness in you. —Yes, there is, don’t argue.” He warned, seeing her shake her head at him. “There is. You have a strong sense of justice, despite everything you’ve had to do. But the most surprising thing to me is the thing I just learned about you. You don’t hate me, like I thought. For some reason the person you hate most is my favourite person in the world. It makes no sense. How could you hate someone so wonderful?”

The flow of tears that had previously subsided began to flow again in spades. She sobbed miserably as he held her hands between them.

“And I know something about you that you may not even realize yourself.”

“W-what?” She choked, incapable of keeping her voice steady.

Adrien frowned. “You feel shame. Deep shame, for what the Supreme pushed you to become. I know it. I know because I feel it too. Ashamed of myself for falling for his lies, Ashamed of letting my grief change me. It turned me into something I don’t think I ever wanted to be.”

The strangled noise she made caused him to squeeze her hands comfortingly.

“That’s something we will always have in common, you and I. But it’s something we will always have each other to help overcome. If I can do it, so can you. And if you can do it, so can I.”

If Marinette currently had control over the sounds her mouth was making, she still wouldn’t know what to say. This was the most she’d ever heard him speak as Adrien. From what she had seen so far, He tended to be very quiet, barely speaking at all when in his civilian form; which was a stark contrast to Claw Noir, who never seemed to shut up. But he was being so sincere, and it was almost bizarre to hear such lovely words coming from someone who was usually so vulgar, and used to call her cockroach.

Marinette focused her eyes on his chest as she attempted to calm herself, his rhythmic breathing soothing her as she tried to get a grip. She spoke finally, her voice rough with the raw emotions that had torn at her throat.

“I’m used to being the butt of the joke. The victim of the prank. I have a hard time believing that anyone is truly being genuine with me, because I’ve been hurt too many times before. It’s hard for me to open up about my feelings because the only time I’ve ever done that, I became the laughing stock of the school.” It was painful to talk about. She was vulnerable. She didn’t like feeling vulnerable.

“I would never laugh at you, Marinette.” He said softly.

Her eyes flitted down to his lips, and he noticed, she knew he noticed. She hesitated.

Then her head lurched down abruptly as she felt him tug one of her ponytails downward with a wide teasing grin.

“Feel a little better now, Lazybug?” He snickered.

With that, the tension was broken between them and they both let out a round of giggles. After a few moments of laughter and deep breaths to regain composure, Marinette sniffled and wiped away what was left of her drying tears.

“I do know some things about you, you know.” She said.

Adrien tilted his head, and it looked so very cat-like. “Like what?”

Marinette took a deep breath, “You’re... impulsive.” She answered.

“Impulsive?” He repeated.

“You don’t think before you act. You just do. It sounds like a negative thing, but honestly I overthink everything. It can be awful. I envy you of that, I guess. It makes you unpredictable, hard to read.”

I don’t think I’m that hard to read, am I? You’re the one who’s hard to read. I mean, sometimes the way you look at me, I can’t tell if you want to kiss me, or hit me. “ He chuckled.

“Sometimes it’s both.” She admitted with a sly smile.

‘Yeah, I figured.” He shrugged.

“You’re funny.” She continued. His eyes lit up at that.

“Really?”

But Marinette shook her head. “Don’t let it go to your head, Kitty. But... I actually like your puns.”

There was something special about her calling him Kitty when he wasn’t Claw.

“You’re... weirdly sweet, for such an asshole. And you’re fiercely loyal. I bet you’d go to the ends of the earth for me, if I asked. Even though you barely know me.”

“I would.”

“Of course you would.” She sighed. “You are so many things I can’t even explain. I’m maybe not as eloquent as you. Which is another thing that surprises me about you. As Claw you always act like such a dumbass. I never realized how good you are with words. You’re smart. I like that too.”

“I don't know about that.” He shuffled awkwardly, scratching at the back of his neck. “I’m not that smart.”

“Bullshit. I bet you could help me with my homework.” She insisted.

Adrien shrugged. “I probably could, I guess.”

“I bet you're a nerd.” She chided.

“Hey!”

“Yeah, you're definitely a nerd, I've decided.” She grinned, poking his shoulder teasingly.

“I am not!”

“What's the square root of Pi?”

Adrien crossed his arms, rolling his eyes. “I’m pretty sure everyone knows that.”

“Yup. Definitely a nerd.”

“You know what—?” Adrien jammed his finger into her side and she wriggled away with a squeal.

“Hey!-No—Stop it! I’ll kill you!” She shouted.

“Sure you will.”

Marinette huffed her cheeks out, pounding her fists on his shoulder defensively as he continued to poke at her sides, doing a little squirming dance as she tried to escape his attack.

“Just think about how much more we could learn to like about each other if we spend more time as us.” He said. Marinette stopped laughing and her hands dropped back into her lap.

“I’m sorry I haven’t tried harder to get to know you as Adrien. But I want you to know that it’s all me. I really, really don’t hate you. In fact I—“

Marinette’s mouth snapped shut, effectively cutting herself off. Adrien had stopped poking her, but now his eyes perked up in curiosity.

“...You?” He echoed. His hands hovering by her sides.

“I..” Marinette trailed off again.

Adrien had a feeling deep down that he might actually know what she was trying to say, and her hesitation stirred up an internal battle against his hopes and expectations. He wanted her to say it. Just as much as he wanted to say it to her. But he was getting way ahead of himself, because there was no way she was going to say what he hoped she would.

‘I tolerate you’ Is what she would say. Or ‘I think we should just stay friends.’

“IthinkILoveyou.” She said finally, and quickly enough that it came out slightly garbled.

Adrien’s entire body screeched to a halt; head, heart and hands freezing stiff.

Marinette avoided his gaze, waiting for him to scoff at her. To laugh at her pitiful confession; to tell her that all she was to him was someone to kiss. But the silence from his end lasted far too long for her comfort, and she eventually dared a glance at him.

He finally moved, but it was to turn away from her, and a flash of anger crossed her features. She was right. He didn’t feel the same. How stupid was she?

She quickly tried to think of some way to cover up what she had said. To take it back, or brush it off as a joke. Then she heard Adrien sniffle, and caught him scrubbing at his cheek.

“Are you... crying?” She almost laughed, because the idea seemed so ridiculous.

“No!” Adrien snapped defensively.

Marinette placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, turning him back to face her. Tear stains carved paths down his cheeks, making it impossible for him to hide them from her.

“I’m sorry” She muttered. She must have said or done something that upset him. Ugh. She was so bad at this!

“What are you sorry for? I’m the one crying like an idiot.” He sniffed back.

“For whatever I said that hurt your feelings. I didn’t mean to.”

Adrien stared at her.

“I-I don’t think you understand. Can we just... try that one again? Rewind. From the top. Say it again, I won’t cry this time I promise.”

Marinette’s eyes narrowed at him. “You want me to—?”

“Yes please.” He nodded enthusiastically. She hesitated. Was he trying to play some kind of twisted mind game? Had he even heard what she said?

“Adrien, I think I Lo—“

“I love you too.” Oops, he was way too eager, he said it too soon. Damn it. He grinned stupidly, scratching the back of his neck. “Sorry. I didn’t let you finish. You want to try again?”

Marinette couldn’t try again if she wanted to, because in an instant her lips were far too busy to say much of anything. She caught him entirely off guard, and he froze for a second before he realized what was happening. She had grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him down to her level, and was currently kissing the life out of him.

He completely melted against her, scooping her up absentmindedly and pulling her into his lap.

Kissing Marinette was almost exactly how he had imagined. Pretty much the same as kissing Shady, to be honest. But also... somehow, so very different.

Even though she had essentially accosted his lips, she seemed softer. Gentler. Like their fervent and desperate kisses as Shady and Claw had a sharp edge to them; Like they were both filling a void of loneliness with hungry kisses that sometimes got a little too rough. But this... this was sweet. There was an emotion in her kiss now. And it wasn’t loneliness... It was something different. Would he dare think it might be love?

Love tasted good, he decided.

It also made him cry, he realized, as he felt another tear slip down his cheek. This time he didn’t care to wipe it away. He felt... happy? Really, really happy. So the tears were honestly a little surprising to him.

He wanted to make sure she understood this time. Really got It. He loved her. He wanted her to know it. Not just in her head with his words, but in her heart, with his actions. He kissed her back with as much of the same tenderness that Marinette was showing him as he could. He held the side of her face, his thumb grazing wantonly across her cheek, and they kissed slowly, deeply. They’d kissed a million times by now but this time... it was like he was kissing her for the first time.

“Do you, really?” She whispered against his lips.

“My Lady, I’ve been in love with you from the very first time I saw you. A sad girl just out of reach, a lonely girl locked away on the other side of a bakery window. A glass prison, just like mine.” He peppered kisses along her jaw as he spoke, feeling her fingers curling though the hair at the back of his neck.

“Y-you’re very poetic, you know that?” She shuddered as his lips grazed her neck.

“Look at that, you just learned something new about me. We’re making progress already.”

“I want to know everything.” She sighed as her eyes slid closed, Adrien’s nose nuzzling gently into the space behind her ear.

“I’ll give you the inside scoop on the whole damn Adrien Agreste Autobiography, on one condition.” He said in a low voice, his breath teasing her skin.

“And that is?”

He pulled back from her neck, staring at her with a stern look. “I need you to be nicer to Marinette. She’s my girlfriend, you know. I don’t like anyone talking shit about her.”

Her eyebrow arched in mock challenge. “Oh is she now? Your girlfriend, huh?”

“Yeah, she is. She can deny it all she wants, but she knows it’s true.” Her lips curled into a sly smile and he went back to kissing her neck.

“She’s not denying it. She’s demanding it. Just don’t tell Claw Noir, he’s the jealous type.” She felt him chortle against her throat.

“I happen to know him very well, and I think he’d be more than happy to share.” He chuckled.

Their noses brushed again, Marinette licking her lips expectantly, and Adrien’s hovered above hers, as if waiting for some signal. He didn’t need permission, he already had it. But the moment’s hesitation only served to make her want it more. Their lips finally pressed together again, moving slowly and tenderly, as his arms squeezed her tight. Not tight enough to be uncomfortable, but tight enough to tell her that he wasn’t letting go; that she was his; that he meant it when he said she’d be his girlfriend. No more friends who kiss, but now his Lady. His Love.

“Tell me more.” Marinette panted when they had exhausted their air and had no choice but to part.

He kissed her again, his words pressing against her lips. “My favourite colour is green.”

“I already guessed that.” She ran her fingers through his hair, though the green was gone in this form.

“My favourite flavour is Passionfruit.”

Marinette giggled. “That’s a bit of an odd choice, but okay.” This time she kissed the corner of his mouth, her hands running along his chest.

“I can speak Mandarin.” He said, his voice thick with his deep breath as her lips grazed his earlobe.

“Really?” She sounded surprised.

“Yes, really.“ He chuckled, and it vibrated on her lips that she had pressed to his throat.

His hand slipped over hers on his chest and he caught her eyes. “Wǒ ài nǐ” He said, meaning every syllable.

Marinette’s face reddened. “You know... I’m half, right? Half of my family is from Shanghai.”

“Oh? So do you know what it means then?” He asked. She nodded, and brought her mouth to his ear again.

“Wǒ shì rú cǐ ài nǐ”

This time it was Adrien’s face that went bright red.

“What else?” Marinette urged him to continue. He was still a bit flustered from their ‘foreign exchange’ and had to stop and think for a moment.

“Did you know I’m a pianist?”

There was a moment of silence, and then Marinette let out a loud snicker.

Adrien was confused for only a moment before catching on.

“Pi-a-nist! I play piano! Oh my god I can’t believe you right now! What are you, seven?”

Marinette continued to cackle. Got it, Marinette has a twisted sense of humour.

“What about you, my Princess of darkness?” He paused, waiting for her reaction. He’d called her Princess only once before, and it hadn’t gone over too well. But this time, she didn’t seem to mind. “Tell me more about you.”

“Uhh, I like... Jagged Stone?” She offered.

“Oh, me too. Though my father doesn’t approve. Thinks he’s too crass.” He smiled, waiting for her to continue.

“I like to draw.” She rested her head against his shoulder now, the perfect height for Adrien to press sweet kisses to her forehead and temple.

“I bet you’re great at it.” He mused. Marinette shrugged in response.

“I make my own clothes. I made these.” She gestured to her outfit. He had assumed she had done the embroidery on her jacket, but he would never have guessed she’d made it all by hand.

“Wow, you’re talented. Though I’d expect no less from a Goddess of creation.” He knew full well that the Kwamis were the Gods, not the holders. But his wording left her feeling worshipped nonetheless. She grabbed his collar, pulling him down to her level and catching his mouth again, painting her gratitude on him with a deep kiss that left him breathless.

“I’m the one who egged Le Grande Paris Hotel, back then.” She added without missing a beat.

Adrien’s eyes widened. “That was you? It made news! The Mayor was livid!”

Marinette couldn’t hide the smug satisfaction in her grin. “Well, it was Shadybug. But yes. It was fun. And a little bit cathartic.”

Adrien brushed a loose strand of her hair aside, smiling widely at her. “So far, Marinette sounds like the most amazing girl in the world. No wonder I fell in love with her.”

She shook her head in playful disbelief. “You’re so cheesy.” This caused him to laugh out loud in return.

“Oh, you’ll have to get used to that. Both from me, and from my Kwami. Stinky cheese is all he eats.”

“Is that what that smell is? You stink, Agreste.” Marinette held her nose and fanned her other hand in front of her, as if wafting the smell away.

“Really?” He sniffed at his jacket. “You can smell it?” How embarrassing. Of course with his luck he gets stuck with the Kwami that eats rotten cheese.

Marinette held her sides and laughed. He had the most adorable look on his face. “No, but I just learned that you’re gullible too.”

He scowled at her, though it wasn’t genuine. He was glad to see her in such a good mood, teasing and laughing with him like it had always been completely natural for them to do so. It may have been a slightly new dynamic for them, but it felt like this was how it was always meant to be. Compared to how she looked when she arrived, now she almost looked like an entirely different person.

Adrien hesitated to voice his thoughts. “M’Lady?” She had called on him after a week of no contact. He wanted to know. “I really don’t want to kill the mood or anything, but... why did you call me tonight? You seemed pretty upset when you got here.”

Marinette sighed wistfully, looking out at the distant rooftops. Shit. Maybe he shouldn’t have brought it up.

“We don’t have to talk about it.” He added quickly.

“I had a bad day at school.”

Was she finally opening up to him? He knew he needed to be cautious with his words if he didn’t want her to clam up again.

“Bad how?” He asked.

“There’s this girl at school... She... she’s awful. She likes to make my life a nightmare.” She tucked her arms around herself.

Adrien sat straight up, jostling her out of her comfortable spot in his lap, his Claw Noir side making himself known.

“Who is she? Did she hurt you? I’ll skin the bitch!” He made a gesture of slamming his right fist into his open palm. Marinette placed her hands on either side of his face soothingly.

“Easy, Kitty Cattie. We’re the good guys now, remember? You can’t do that.”

He frowned. “Surely I can at least rough her up a little.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Trip her down the stairs? Call her names? Boo at her when she walks by?”

She shook her head with a giggle. “As much as I’d love to see that, I couldn’t ask you to fight my battles for me.”

“You’re no fun.” He sighed.

She wrapped her arms around his waist, tucking her hands into the warmth between his white leather jacket and shirt. He pulled her in close and rested his chin on the top of her head.

They’d been there for quite some time now, talking (And kissing) well into the night. Adrien had only just started to realize how late it had gotten when Marinette yawned widely, sleepy tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

He squeezed her lightly. “You’re tired. It’s late. Maybe we should head home?” He suggested. She shook her head.

“No, please. Not yet. I’m... very comfortable.” She shuffled down further into his lap, resting her head against his chest. “Unless you need to leave?” She asked, realizing that he might have somewhere to be.

He kissed the top of her head. “Oh, no. Not at all. I’d live here for the rest of my life if I get to hold you while I do.”

Damn him, He somehow always knew exactly what to say to make her melt. Marinette buried her nose into his chest, breathing in the wonderful scent of him as her eyelids grew too heavy to fight. She wasn’t used to this very tender and loving side of him. It still seemed so new and strange to her. But she found herself more than willing to embrace it. Countering her many years of solitude, he was offering her the one thing she wanted more than anything in the world.

Unconditional Love.

She only hoped that he could see that she felt the same for him. That she would love him unconditionally, no more holding back.

From now on, they’d grow together.