Part 3

Word Count: 4095

It was just three more houses until she would have been home. Three more houses to safety. 

"Don't touch me!" She cried as the strangers hands began to roam over her body, slowly going underneath her skirt. 

To Marinette's luck, an only too familiar person showed up before things got really ugly. 

"She doesn't want to be touched," an angry voice said from behind of the guy. 

The strangers three friends had already been running away as Chat Noir had approached Marinette and their friend, leaving him the time to deal with only one dickhead tonight. 

"Ch-Chat Noir," Marinette cried in relief, knowing he would definitely save her. 

"You teenager really think consent is not needed, huh?" Chat Noir walked grabbed the guy by his belt and mercilessly pulled him away from Marinette. 

She'd inhale deeply as she felt more than relieved. 

"You don't approach anyone and touch them without their consent, nor do you force sexual actions on them," Chat Noir was furious, his blood was boiling from anger. 

Marinette may have not known who was beneath that mask, but she knew he loved this guy to death. He would not know she was Ladybug, yet she was his best friend still when he wasn't wearing his mask. 

A completely complicated relationship situation, yet one simple outcome, anger. 

Chat Noir threw the guy to the other side of the buildings, almost slamming him right into the wall. 

Ladybug always told him not to hurt people even if they've done something wrong, but this was terrible. This stranger was willing to sexually abuse Adrien's very best friend, how could he not want to hurt him?

"Chat, don't hurt him," Marinette said in soft voice, yet with tears in her eyes. 

His hands were made into fists, which he loosened once Marinette begged him to stop. 

"Let's take you home, little lady," he said as he picked Marinette up bridal style, carrying her home. 

She rested her head against his as she would do as Ladybug, but she wasn't Ladybug right now. Chat Noir, though, he had noticed two things. 

"That's a beautiful dress you have there," he said, noticing the dress Ladybug had worn as her civilian self today. 

Chat Noir wouldn't be Chat Noir if he didn't question it. According to Ladybug, Marinette had lent her the dress, so that meant Marinette just met his lady, right?

"You gave it to Ladybug, right?"

Just in that moment Marinette had realised who she was with right now. Obviously she knew it was Chat Noir, but something deep inside her mind just changed her behaviour towards him when she was Marinette and not Ladybug. 

Clearly she had to as well, otherwise he would quickly pick up on it. 

"Yes, she borrowed it for a special occasion, or so she said," Marinette lied. 

What special occasion anyway? Not even Marinette herself would know why she dressed up nicely when she was supposed to spent the day as Ladybug, a de-transformation evening wasn't planned. 

"So, you know her personally?" Chat Noir asked. 

"I'm sure so do you," Marinette rang the bell on his collar, pretending she didn't know he didn't. 

Chat Noir not knowing his lady was sort of a lie though, he just held her in his arms and carried her home. 

Oh, alone the thought of Marinette being in Chat Noir's arms made flustered her, thinking back only a couple hours when she would still be laying right in his arms, her head on his chest, listening to his comforting heartbeat. 

"So, are you that best friend she had revealed her identity to or was that someone else?" Chat Noir asked. 

He was kind of praying she was 'someone else'. Deep down he wished for Marinette to be Ladybug, he just didn't know it yet. 

But it also meant if she wasn't this 'someone else' Alya would be Ladybug. 

Adrien knew Marinette's best friend was Alya, and Alya didn't look anything alike Ladybug. He did see the similarities between Marinette and Ladybug though, just that he was sure Marinette couldn't possibly be Ladybug. 

Yet, this would mean Ladybug lied to him. She lied about only telling her best friend, and this would hurt him. 

"Uh," she stuttered, trying ridiculously hard to come up with an excuse. She knew Chat Noir was smart, well if he wanted to be. She knew he could put certain things together, but he would also be butt hurt if she said something wrongly. 

"Maybe you should ask your girlfriend about all that, not me," Marinette said, refusing to answer Chat Noir's question. 

He hummed in response as he stood Marinette back down onto her feet right in front of her store. 

"Thank you, Chat Noir," she thanked, giving him a shy smile. 

He nodded before immediately running off. He basically just ran around the corner and used his staff to enter his room through the window but that didn't matter, right?

Marinette unlocked the apartment door and walked inside. All the lights were turned off, as she would have expected it. Adrien must have already been asleep, or so she thought. 

Once she closed the door behind her Adrien came out of his bedroom, wearing nothing but a pair of boxer brief. 

He did a little fake-yawn which immediately caught Marinette's attention. 

"Oh, Adrien," she was surprised given the time. 

"You're only just coming home?" He asked as he walked into the opened kitchen and opened the refrigerator door to get something to drink. 

"Y-Yeah, Alya and I forgot the time," she hung up her coat, put down her purse and took off her shoes before walking into the kitchen as well. "I'm sorry, I know I said we would potentially still get to spend some time together."

"It's fine," Adrien laughed as he took out two glasses, "I think you could need some water, too." 

As Adrien had faced Marinette with his back, she suddenly noticed something she had never noticed before. He had a birthmark right on his left shoulder blade. Marinette furrowed her eyebrows for a moment, thinking she had just seen it on Chat Noir's body, but then she just shrugged it off, thinking it was just a huge coincidence or she was seeing things.

"Is that your new dress?" Adrien, too, of course had to ask about it, maybe he would get more and different information about it. "Did you show it to Alya, what did she say?"

But Marinette was smart. If anyone asked her something when she was Ladybug, and she would somehow have to include her civilian self in her story, she would always say the same thing as Marinette herself.

It was like a self-protection mechanisms. Anyone could be Chat Noir, and especially after this day, she knew more about him. Meaning, whatever she would have told Adrien it had to be aligned with the story Ladybug had told Chat Noir.

Who knows, maybe Adrien knew Chat Noir personally and if he mentioned a different kind of story she was sure Chat Noir would be able to put two and two together.

And besides, after this night Marinette knew Chat Noir had actually blonde hair and green eyes, just like Adrien. If he had told her his name she for sure would have guessed Chat Noir being her Adrien, but she refused to believe it.

The thought had crossed her mind too many times already, but then she would somehow find excuses to why it could not possibly be him. One of the main ones, Adrien couldn't keep secrets from Marinette. He would always tell her everything, or so she thought. 

"Oh, she liked it. But I actually lent it to a friend. When I left Alya's she happened to give it back," Marinette explained. 

"What friend?" Adrien went to dig deeper.

"A little curious, now are we?" Marinette joked, hoping Adrien would somehow stop asking more questions about this stupid dress. 

The dress was now like a curse to her. She used to be really proud of it, yet it seemed to bring more complications than anything. 

"I always am," he handed one of the glasses filled with water to Marinette as he took a sip from his glass. 

Marinette chuckled lightly before taking a deep breath. 

"Funny enough, her name happens to be Marinette." 

Adrien mentally rolled his eyes, wondering why no one told him more about, well, Ladybug. 

He wanted to ask more questions, but he knew if he did, Marinette would immediately figure out he was Chat Noir.

"Anyway, I'm going back to sleep," Adrien smiled as he made his way to his bedroom, "good night, Marinette." 

"Adrien," Marinette stopped him. 

He turned around and gave her a slim smile. 

"Could you accompany me to this event tomorrow night? Or at least pick me up from it, I really don't want to walk home all by myself at this time again," Marinette said with tears in her eyes. 

Adrien knew exactly why she was too afraid to do so, but he couldn't admit to it, yet he decided not to question it and just agree. 

"Sure," he said, smiling warmly.

Marinette reciprocated the smile. 

"Good night, Adrien," she said before she walked straight into her bedroom. 

Just when Marinette was back in her room, her phone lit up. She immediately checked her phone, thinking anything bad happened, but it was just a message from Chat Noir. 

Chat Noir: Thought you might wanna take a look at this ;) 

Ladybug: Where the hell did you get that picture from? 

Chat Noir: Security Cameras. 

Ladybug: WHAT!?

Chat Noir: Paw-lease, I'm kitten, Plagg took it with my phone. You know, the kiss before you left?

Ladybug: I remember when that happened, but how didn't I see Plagg take a picture?

Chat Noir: Cause you were purr-ity attached to my lips, milady ;)

Ladybug: Good night, Chat. 

Chat Noir: Hey! It was funny!

Chat Noir: Hello?

Chat Noir: Now that's un-fur-tunate :(

Chat Noir: Bonne nuit! 🐞

-♡-

Although Marinette was slowly getting used to all of the paparazzi and journalists around her at any fashion gala, it still scared her in some ways. 

All of the flashing lights, intimate questions about her personal life, she wasn't build for it. As Ladybug she could always say something along the lines of 'That's too personal because of my identity,' but saying this as her civilian self just seemed to be rude. 

She always felt as if everyone was judging her when she wasn't answering certain questions.

"Miss Dupain-Cheng, what are your thoughts on Chat Noir beating your boyfriend, Adrien Agreste, in the category 'best dressed'?" One of the reporters asked. 

Marinette chuckled lightly. 

"Adrien and I are not together, we're just really close friends. And to be honest, I think it's quite insulting for Adrien, considering that we've only ever seen Chat Noir in his cat costume," Marinette answered with a light blush on her cheeks. 

"What about the banana costume, or the box?" The reporter asked. 

"I don't think we can really count that, something must have kept him from transforming into, well, Chat Noir and it's not like those were actual fashion choices he had made. But nonetheless, I am happy he got to beat almost everyone in this years categories," Marinette answered honestly. 

"Everyone but you, Miss Dupain-Cheng," the interviewer noticed. Marinette just smiled. 

"Mister Agreste, are the rumours about you and Miss Dupain-Cheng dating true?" Another reporter asked Adrien as he walked onto the red carpet. 

"Very much not," Adrien answered quickly as he looked beside him to find Marinette being overwhelmed by the same questions. 

He walked closer to her, took Marinette by her hand and was looking for any camera that was reporting on live television. 

"Ah there," he mumbled, leaving Marinette in utter cluelessness. 

"Hello, world," he greeted, not knowing how else to greet everyone around the globe watching this. 

"We're just here to inform you all, Marinette Dupain-Cheng and I are not dating. We're simply really good friends since a very long time. Now that you all heard it from us, we would appreciate it if those questions would stop," he said live before turning his attention back to the reporters around him. 

"So if you're not dating, why are you here tonight, Mister Agreste? You weren't on the list of models," one of the male reporter noted. 

"To support my best friend with her new clothing line," he answered kindly. 

"Miss Dupain-Cheng, did you ever consider creating a Ladybug and Chat Noir themed clothing line?"

"I would love to, I would probably have to speak to Ladybug and Chat Noir about it first though," Marinette laughed.

Marinette finally got to escape from the reporters and paparazzis, as so did Adrien. They went together to the backstage area of the arena to check on Marinette's models. 

"How come you didn't ask me to model for you this time?" Adrien was used to model for Marinette, and he would gladly do it. 

"I had checked your calendar, you seemed pretty busy with all your photoshoots and I didn't want to add onto it," Marinette admitted. 

Adrien stopped Marinette from walking. 

"You know I'd do anything for you, Marinette, no matter how busy my schedule is, right?" Adrien beamed a smile. 

"I know, thank you, but you, too, deserve some time to relax," Marinette was fidgeting with her fingers, letting nervousness showing through. 

Adrien grasped her hands in his, leading one of it up to his mouth where he would place a tender kiss on the back of it. 

He could feel something bothering her, but he didn't what it was. For all he knew, she was probably just worried about her fashion show, but it could have also been anything else, yet, she would have talked to him about it, right?

"Did you mean it?" He asked, firstly earning a really confused look from Marinette. "The Ladybug and Chat Noir clothing line?" 

Marinette chuckled. 

"I don't know, I think it's not as original if I did," she admitted. 

"But maybe you can get Chat Noir to design something with you together," Marinette furrowed her eyebrows. 

"Why would that be beneficial?" She asked. 

"Well, you said it yourself, he topped so many great models without even being in the business. You could help him actually do something to deserve his number one spot on the rankings," Adrien explained. "Imagine how many of his fans would come storming into the store, asking for those clothings. You could make hundred of thousands with it."

"It's a great idea, but he's a superhero, Adrien," she laughed, "I think he has better things to care about. Besides, I'm not designing for the money. I do because I love it." 

"I know, and you only ever put out a few pieces and then barely re-stock. But next time I'll see him, I'll ask him anyway," Adrien smiled.

"No, it's fine, I think I can get right to the source myself," Marinette went in for a tight hug. 

Adrien wrapped his arms right around her, pressing Marinette as close to him as he'd never done before. He placed a soft kiss on the top of her head, taking in her scent. 

-♡-

"Wow, Milady, that was a tough villain this time," Chat Noir noted out of breath as Ladybug had finally de-evilsed the Akuma and amok. 

"I could really use a coffee," she just laughed, reaching her hand out of Chat Noir to grab it. 

He grasped it tightly as Ladybug used her yoyo to take them both to their new hangout house. 

"I thought we'd get something from like a coffee shop," Chat Noir was surprised. 

"It's like two in the morning, Chat," she laughed as she unlocked the door. 

"Right," he mumbled as he walked closer to Ladybug, too close. 

He lifted her up, letting her hands rest right underneath her ass as he pressed Ladybug with her back against the wall. She immediately wrapped her legs around his hips, her arms around his neck, pulling him in even closer. 

Eventually her hands would find their way into Chat Noir's hair, messing it up completely.

Chat Noir began leaving wet kisses on the skin of her neck, sucking on it slightly enough to leave pink fainted marks. 

His lips found her's, two tongues fighting for dominance. They barely even got to take decent breaths. 

"Do you have your Ladybug mask with you?" Chat Noir asked breathlessly as he pulled away. 

"I do, but we can't de-transform. I'm supposed to be somewhere and I have to go back before someone notices," Ladybug said. 

"But it's the middle of the night," Chat Noir commented annoyedly.

"I know, but it's an important event, they're lasting until forever. I'm sorry, Chaton," Chat Noir stood Ladybug back down onto her feet. 

"It's fine. I actually promised a friend I would take care of her tonight anyway," Chat Noir said. 

Ladybug smiled lightly, feeling somewhat jealous of the fact that it was a her he had promised to help.

Chat Noir of course noticed the jealous face she had made. It kind of amused him, yet he thought it was the cutest thing ever. Ladybug was never jealous, she would never even had a reason to be. 

"You know I love you, right? Only you, Milady," he pecked her lips before smiling at Ladybug brightly. 

"I know, I love you, too," she smiled, "see you tomorrow?"

"As every day, my lady," he spoke.

Just when Ladybug was about to leave she turned back around one last time, remembering something from earlier. 

"You don't happen to be wanting to create a clothing line, do you?" Ladybug asked. 

Chat Noir furrowed his eyebrows. Of course he knew what she was talking about, yet he grew suspicious of the fact Ladybug knew already. But then he remembered Marinette probably knew Ladybug personally and had asked her to ask Chat Noir. 

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng would love to work with you. You know, push your ego even more," she laughed. 

"Why, Milady, that's quite fur-ward," he smiled, "if she genuinely wants to, I'd be honoured to work with her." 

"I'll let her know." 

"Wait," Chat Noir stopped her from leaving, "do you know Marinette personally?" 

"That's a-" 

"Personal question, yes I know, but I still had two saved, remember?" He interrupted. 

Ladybug thought about her answer for a second. 

"One hundred per cent honesty," he reminded. 

"We're good friends," she answered. 

"Does she know about your identity?" His voice was filled with fear. 

He wasn't even sure if he wanted to know. He lived together with Marinette, he would be so tempted to ask her so much about Ladybug, yet he would put his own identity at risk. But then again, Marinette could know, right? She knew of Ladybug's, so why not Chat Noir's as well?

"She does. She, uh, helped me out once or twice with hiding at her store to transform," Ladybug said, feeling awfully bad for lying to him like that. "You get to keep your two questions, Chat." 

"Cause you're lying?" His expression saddened. 

"No, but because I think you deserve to know more about me. We'll defeat Hawk Moth eventually, we don't know when that will be, but you're right. You do deserve to know who you're dating," Ladybug said. 

"Does that mean," Chat Noir began as his eyes lit up.

"I'm not going to reveal my identity to you, but if you figure it out by using your brain, you figure it out, Chat," she smiled before leaving the house without any more interruptions. 

Back at the afterparty of Marinette's presentation of her new clothing line, she would immediately get asked way too many questions about where she had been. 

She seriously thought no one would notice she was gone for three hours when it was her event. 

"Did you go to see Chat Noir?" Alya whispered into her ear as Marinette wasn't surrounded by tons of people anymore. 

"Not exactly," Marinette answered with a slight blush on her cheeks. "Alya, I've been thinking about-"

"I think it's getting quite late, Marinette, don't you think?" Adrien interrupted, yawning as he just finished speaking. 

"You certainly seem to be done with life for today," Alya raised an eyebrow, smirking at his messy hair. 

"I'm just grabbing my purse and we're good to go," Marinette giggle. 

She would walk past all of the remaining guests, ignoring their presence, mostly. 

"I've seen you've gotten quite famous, Dupain-Cheng," the same old annoying voice said, keeping Marinette from walking into her dressing room to get her purse.

"Chloé," she mumbled as she turned around. 

"Missed me?" Chloé asked sarcastically, "so after all these years of you crushing on my Adrikins, you still haven't managed to confess your feelings." 

To Marinette's luck, Adrien wasn't far away, meaning he could hear everything Chloé had to say. 

"I never had to," Marinette said. 

"All this fame and for what? To still be acting like little miss baker-daughter," Chloé laughed devilishly.

"What are you doing here, Chloé?" Marinette asked annoyedly. 

"I've heard here was a fashion show, et moi, was not invited. I had to see who had the audacity to not invite moi, Chloé Bourgeois," Chloé said as arrogant as ever, "clearly it was a waste of my time." 

"I did," Marinette said dryly. 

"I did hear Adrikins is here around somewhere. He probably never dated you because he's still in love with me and hates you," Chloé was, as usual, completely full of herself. 

"Actually Chloé," Adrien put his arm around Marinette's waist, "Marinette and I are a couple, I just asked her not to tell anyone." 

Chloé's eyes shot open as her jaw dropped. She loved to hate on Marinette, especially when it came to her once unconditional love for Adrien, but he had just crushed her only point she could tease Marinette with. 

But not only Chloé was surprised, so was Marinette, she was just way better at hiding it. 

"Did you get your purse?" Adrien asked, but Marinette shook her head no. 

"It's still in my dressing room, Chloé kept me occupied," Adrien placed a soft kiss onto Marinette's temple before leaving to walk into her dressing room to get the purse himself. 

"The Marinette I knew would have fainted just by his touch. Something is wrong, and I promise you I will find out what," Chloé grew angrier. 

"Good luck with that, Chloé," Adrien chuckled as he came back, "shall we?" 

Marinette nodded before intertwining her fingers with Adrien's, walking outside the building hand in hand. Luckily there were no longer any reporter outside, waiting for any known person to come outside.

Once they were out of the building, Marinette immediately pulled away her hand, feeling more than bad about lying.

They walked to Adrien's car, he would unlock it and open the passenger side for Marinette. 

"Thank you," she thanked as she sat down inside of the car. 

He quickly closed the door and walked over to the other side to take a seat as well before he started the engine and began to drive towards their home. 

"I never knew you had a crush on me," Adrien then spoke out of no where, as they were already ten minutes on the road. 

"Hm?" Marinette said half asleep, "oh, yeah, back when we were at school. Remember the day you gave me that umbrella? That's when I fell hopelessly in love with you," Marinette admitted for the first time in her life. 

Never had she thought she would ever confess her once feelings to Adrien. They were long gone, yet she had never mentioned even the slightest of crush on him ever before. 

Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was because she was only half awake at this point, but she didn't even mind confessing it for once. 

"Why did you never tell me?" Adrien asked, laying his right hand down onto Marinette's leg while driving. 

"I never could," she said truthfully as her eyes grew harder to open. 

"You know, I liked you, too, Marinette," he admitted, knowing she would barely comprehend it. 

Marinette just hummed in response. 

"If only you were my ladybug," he mumbled to himself, removing a strand of hair that fell right into Marinette's face as she was sleeping as peacefully as she hasn't in a pretty long time.