"She's what?" Marinette's hands suddenly slammed down on a.. Uh, very gentle area. Hissing through the pain, I drew her to a quick hug in the middle of her awkward apology. "Oh my-God-Oh I'm so-s-sorry! Jesus-I'm such a dunce-"

"You're cute." I snuggled into her shoulder, her jump in temperature that pressed against my skin told me she was surely blushing. Marinette sighed heavily against my shoulder, that would've made me more suspicious but her moody behavior earlier gave me levels erage to not read too much into it… I gripped her hips in a final gesture before letting her get up from her position. We both looked at each other awkwardly, as if we were heated with e motions that cooled down and left two hormone driven teenagers in the dust. "Are you going to get that?" Its not like I was too keen on the idea of leaving her but then again it was clear she need time to herself or mostly by herself and the fact my father didn't even bother looking for me concerned me almost as much as my girlfriend's recent behavior… But anyone would tip if they had all the pressure like she has, so it's normal right?

I scratched my head absently while Marinette shuffled through her closet for everyday clothing. "Do my parents know you're here?"

"Yes… Well yesterday afternoon they did... before I left and came back in the middle of the night ." The doorknob twisted slightly to reveal a petite woman in a Chinese floral

kimono. Though I didn't get to see much of it as Marinette shoved me inside her closet she "accidentally" slammed on my toes. I cursed her ways of conditioning and teaching me lessons.. But then again I'd probably do it again. Hell, I know This won't be the last time I sneak out to see her. I grinned stupidly as I gazed through the slitted openings of her closet.

"Marinette! You're up, how are you? Do you have a fever? Sore throat? Migraine? Tell me how are you?!" The woman whom Marinette obviously got her short height from nearly picked up the poor girl in a bone crushing hug you'd expect from a doting grandparent who you only see on Easter or Christmas.

"I will if you stop crushing me!" Marinette croaked under the pressure.

"Oh sorry...Are you okay?" She summed up all her worries into a question that ran deeper than just those 3 simple words.

"Yeah, thank you." Marinette answered shortly, with no tender or ill intent.

"Um, Alya's here! Haven't seen her in ages.. Oh uh, Adrien was here yesterday but you know his schedule-"

"Yes I do."

"Oh, right. Wait… Are you two.. Nevermind. Anyways, Alya's outside waiting for you.. When you're ready." The mother grinned at her daughter's messy appearance, one of a young girl who still wears matching button up pajamas. I bit my knuckles to keep me from giggling. Marinette did seem to swim in that "coincidental" black with green pokadot PJs.

"Thank you." Marinette repeated softly, nodding at her mom who softly closed the door and mufflingly called to Alya.

"You done?" Marinette asked once the closet stopped shaking along with my laughter and I.

"Almost.." I stumbled out and pulled my adorkable girl into my arms. God I knew I had to leave her soon but I never want it to come.

Instead of returning my hug she puffed her cheeks out and placed her hands on her hips that made me love her all the more. "You have to leave.. For both our sakes you crazy Cat."

"Yeah yeah." I made my way to the opening hatch of her ceiling knowing she was trying not to seem too obvious in her following my path. Heaving myself up, I let my hand cascade down to cup her cheek, a gesture I realize I use a lot as she seemed to always need my hand to support her even in the smallest and affectionate way possible. After rolling her eyes and giving in to my playfulness, unable to stay mad at lil ol' me, she kissed my palm which made me yelp with surprise. Pressing a kiss to her nose I was quickly "supported" or pushed out the opening of by my girlfriend right when her mother called her with a hint of irritation.

I called the sleeping Plagg from my pocket just in time to hear Marinette sigh… Which isn't unusual but this one.. Felt different. I wanted to check with her once again but the horrible realization that I'm ignoring an ignorant father who can make and break my life gnawed at me enough to leave without any last hug or kiss… Or any reassurance.

….

"'Hi." Alya stood in front of the main door wearing a long denim blue button up with a pair of black legging and high heeled brown boots that reached her calves. Her red ends were evident of being re-dyed and snuggly braided tightly to one side of her shoulder. Instead of contacts she wore her old pair of black glasses that gave me a sickening nostalgic feeling that made my throat tighten uncomfortably. She looked well slept but the anxious lines that deepened her dark complexion between her eyebrows and mouth made her look a good ten years older. She would've killed me if I pointed it out loud.

"Hello." I tugged on Adrien's dark green sweatshirt he had left a couple of days ago, deeming it mine when it's roomy and familiar smells comforted me when he couldn't himself. My navy blue ripped jeans and ladybug inspired socks made up the rest of my outfit along with a loose bun, naked face, and a thick black headband that kept my bangs back. I probably looked like foot next to the beautiful Alya Cesaire who awkwardly shifted her weight in my house's front door. "What do you want?" I offered without any third degree, something she didn't try to hide when I stood infront of her door. It was getting tiring to keep up with her games.

Her face seemed to fold with anger, knowing her short temper and her zealous personality she probably wanted to fight but her guilt made her rethink her choice of words, she coward underneath my stance yieldingly. A minute passed before she responded. "..Are you okay?"

"Peachy." I shrugged towards one side of the door. A thought puzzled my mind though, How many times have people been asking me this question?

"Um… I took some notes for you." She hastily rustled through the contents of her Ladybug tote bag. "It's uh-Was right here.. Um.." She finally found the wad of papers and offered it to me, blowing away the tousled bangs that fell in her face.

"Thanks.." I hesitantly extended my hand to accept her kind gesture. Once we both locked grasps on it and she let go, my hand went limp. Dropping the notes and my hand back to my side without effort.

"Um.. Wh-"

"Can you just, skip to the point?"

"What?"

"The point. The whole reason why you're here. Oh! Is-" I ducked my head out the door to look around at the surroundings. "Is Mirielle here? Oh goody! Is this a new scheme?"

Horrified, Alya's eyebrows pinched in even more effort to maintain her composure which was about to break into tears or a rage. "No-No. I'm.. I'm just trying to.. Talk.."

"Oh, kind of like when I wanted to talk to you months ago but you pretended I didn't exist? Oh and again when I begged to talk to you while giving you back your stuff. Speaking of which, you can just keep my stuff, it's useless to me now."

"No I just-"

"Spread more rumors?"

"No-"

"Then what Alya? I'm tired of this bull-"

"I'm here to apologize!" The tension died down between us along with my energy.

"Oh?"

"Yes.. Okay.. Mar, I was wrong okay? It's just- I saw you kissing Nino and, I liked him so much and.." She bit her lip nervously before continuing, not before a deep and dramatic intake of air. "You're so perfect and pretty and I, you're just so.." Her voice shook as well as the tears that cascaded down her cheeks. "It was obvious he liked you- but I've liked him since middle school and-When then-"

"Wait.. What? You thought Nino liked me?! He liked you!" I gave her that soundless laugh that came with my bewilderment.

She angrily wiped away her tears, glaring at her own frustration of showing emotion.. Something she almost never did. "It was so obvious! The way he looked at you-I mean everyone looks at you, the Marinette Dupain-Cheng… Hell you even have Adrien wrapped around your finger.. Look… Nino told me the kiss never happened… But like- Wait, hey, are you okay?"

"... Is this what it looks like? Is that how people see me? Having Adrien wrapped around my finger?" Now how many times have people said that one. "Why don't you tell me the real reason why you're here, Alya. Lemme guess; Nino told you nothing happened but you can't believe that without asking me and you're only here so you can get back together with him, no?"

"No-"

"No, you're here to "apologize." But you haven't said sorry to anything. But that's to expected because I'm just some manipulative bitch, right? Not worthy of anything.." In the corner of my eye I saw a faint flutter of a dark orb, and instantly my senses heightened to the view of an alleyway across the street.

"How could you say those things?" Alya whimpered. "Marinette please-"

"I have to go."

"Huh? No, we're talking about this!"

"No, I'm done." I turned behind me, only to shut the door before racing passed Alya across the street to the inviting darkness.

…

"Adrien, back so soon?" My father's voice called even before I rounded the corner to his office. Natalie had already given me the silent treatment, as if praying for my "survival" in this meeting.

"Uh, hello father."

"You've missed, what? 13 scheduled appointments in the last month." I slowly inched closer to the corner of the wall where I know I'd be turning to my doom. My father stood stiff as a board, his right hand bent behind his back and the other holding a limp stack of paper. Upon my arrival to his desk, he slapped the paper, straightening them, igniting a new familiar fear in me. God, I hated these as much as I hated this house. "Adrien, you know I want the best for you, right?"

Was this a dodgy question? "...Yes."

I must've jumped three feet back when he slammed the wad of papers on his poor cluttered desk. His voice thundered and erupted in the small enclosed office. "Then why the hell do you keep disobeying me?!"

"I…" Welp.

Minutes passed while he gathered his composure. "Adrien. It's that girl, the one who mentored beneath me a couple of years ago. What's her name?"

"I don't know who you're talking…" My voice trailed when he pulled out a photo of Marinette, a picture that went into the paper after her bowler hat design a couple years back. My nosed burned in memory.

"Adrien, I do admit I have little to say against such a girl, but regardless you can't be having these things clouding your success."

"She's just a friend!" I glared on the porcelain white tiles looking years younger with a rebellious attitude.

"A friend you're spending hours taking care of, not sleeping or eating?" He spoke with a stern urgency as if these words were disgusting to the taste.

"I.." Everything left my tongue. I was so prepared for him resorting to my work.. But here, he seemed like an actually concerned parent. "I'm fine, dad."

He looked taken back with my choice of words but the wrinkles by his eyes soften with.. Relief rather than parental flattery.. Or whatever. The emotion was soon wiped clean. "Adrien, I've heard some rather.. Unpleasant information about Madame Dupain-Cheng.."

"-They're all rumors, believe me… She's an important friend to me.. Father.." I complied.

He looked like he actually took it into consideration, sighing deeply as he sat down in a huff in his big chair you'd expect to see him turn menacingly in while stroking a white fluffy cat. "You can't keep neglecting your work.. Or school."

"I won't, Father…" Was he actually listening to my wishes? Or at least taking it into thought, which is a step up from not caring at all.

".. I'll keep you in public school but you'll be taking time from it again to make up from missing work. Natalie will plan your schedule, and you shall not be missing anymore modeling appointments or I'll be revoking these terms in a heartbeat. Is that understood, Adrien?"

"Yes.. But, what about-" His aging hand waved me away.

"Natalie will include a time slot for this friend of yours."

"Thank you! Thank you so much-"

"Adrien I'm not happy with these recent behaviors since your Junior year has started. I won't think twice about punishing you. I'm giving you a last chance. Don't ever leave without telling Natalie. That is all."

"Yes, Father." My eyes widened in confused bliss. That could've gone a lot of ways but I didn't expect him to go easy on me. I nearly skipped out of the office and put a path right to Mari's house, running. It'll take a day before Natalie will send me the itinerary, and I couldn't wait to tell her everything that's happened. Looking down at my phone during my sprint for an email alert, I smacked nose first into the back of an unsuspecting girl. She fell forward, but my trained reflexes managed to grab one arm and pull her upward. "Oh god, I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine, it's fine!" She waved away my support, turning to me with familiar features. Our jaws dropped open in unison, both fueled by surprise and franticness. "Adrien?!"

"Oh, Alya! Hey, done talking to Marinette already?" I took the moment to catch my breath, leaning against a lamp post as the redhead gathered her composure.

"Yeah, wait no…" She glanced down between an old candy shop building and a hat boutique's alleyway before meeting my eyes with mild confusion and disappointment.

"Huh?" I furrowed my eyebrows making a lopsided open grin trying to control my respiration.

"She.. Left me before we.. Uh talked…"

"What do you mean she left you?" Hadn't Mari wanted to patch things up with her ex-bestfriend?

Alya shrugged, her nerves on the edge making her look out of her comfort zone. "She just said she was done and ran."

"She.. Ran?" My phone buzzed again and it took me sometime to stop the thoughts running amok in my mind to read it. It was an alert from my Ladybug fanclub subscription.

LADYBUG SPOTTED! NORTH OF SEINE!

…

Quickie but I've been really sick. Thank you for all the reviews as always (ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT'RE LIKE ''THE AUTHOR COMES FIRST''AND ''OMG THIS IS HOW I REACTED.'') like omg I wanna give you all hugs I love you all. I love reading you guy's reactions and relating it to all these amazing puns and inside jokes from our fandom. I'm reading them and the whole time I'm laughing and smiling like an idiot thinking "same." Okay! Feel free to message me because you guys are just so awesome and great or follow/message my tumblr, that I'll (hopefully) redo cus it's boring right now, Sh-ika. Thanks again and leave a review! I have a new idea for this story line which... Since I'm kind of doing this on a whim doesn't really matter but please bare with me! Love you all xoxo. -Hannah