A/N: This story was a part of a challenge called Miraculous Big Bang 2k17. My partner salty-french-fry created some amazing art that you can check out on her tumblr or on this story posted on AO3 under the username LNC. Enjoy!

Chapter Three:

10:27 PM

"Are you sure you know where you're going?"

"Ivan I swear to god if you ask me that one more time I will climb up your freakishly large body and smack that mouth right off you."

"Have you ever considered that maybe you're just freakishly small, Alix."

The not freakishly small girl whirled on Marinette with a scowl.

"Don't you start with me Mademoiselle Eugh-buh-glah !"

"I got the boxers didn't I? I think that's worth dropping at least one nonsensical syllable."

"We'll see. Here, this is it!"

The trio stopped in front of the large wooden door that lead to Principal Damocles' office. Alix fished around in her pocket before producing a well loved bobby pin. At Marinette's skeptical look she rolled her eyes.

"Don't get all noble on me now, D-C. I would have thought a little light trespassing was old hat at this point."

"I'm not. By all means, continue. I was just wondering how that was supposed to get us in."

Alix smirked as a light click echoed in the empty halls and pushed open the door.

"You were saying?"

The building erupted with a shrill, piercing wail.

Marinette slapped her hands over her ears.

"What did you do? " Ivan yelled over the bells of the fire alarm.

"Nothing! That wasn't me!"

Marinette felt rather than heard their attackers before they struck. Instinct had her spinning around, hands reaching out to her hair, but it was too late. Sabrina, Mylene, and Rose were already sprinting down the stairs, side-swiped red cap in hand, Mylene's giggling love you, Ivan! echoing in their wake.

10:33 PM

"I am not doing that," Alya snapped.

"Why not? Weren't you that one who said by any means necessary?" Chloe tugged at her black ponytail with an even blacker frown. "This feels pretty necessary to me."

"I am not sacrificing my journalistic integrity by faking an akuma just to lure Ladybug and Chat Noir out here so we can take a selfie."

"Fine." She growled. "Then we won't fake one."

Adrien frowned. "And just what does that mean, Chloe?"

The girl gave a haughty sniff. "It means Adriekins that if little Miss Integrity over here won't give Ladybug a reason to show up then I will."

"You can't cause an akuma just to win a game."

"Sure I can. I've done it loads of times."

"That's not what I meant."

"You worry too much," Chloe patted Adrien's shoulder with a condescending smile. "What's the point of having superheroes if we don't use them from time to time?"

"I think you give them enough to do already," Juleka murmured.

"Well I didn't ask what you thought did I?" She snapped. "Besides, it's not like–"

Chloe stiffened. Her eyes focused just over his shoulder. Adrien turned to look but her hand shot out and gripped his arm tightly.

"Don't." With a tight smile she turned to Alya. "Cesaire. I need you to pull up a website for me. Le Bavardage."

Alya looked ready to argue but caught Chloe's look and thought better of it. Adrien watched as her indignant scowl transformed into outright panic as she scrolled through her phone.

"Merde." Chloe whispered, releasing his arm.

"What?" Adrien asked, dread already pooling deep in his gut. "What is it?"

"Adrien," Alya said. "How much trouble would you be in if your dad found out where you were?"

"Dead… Why?"

She handed her phone over to him and his heart dropped as he read the headline.

The Debriefing of Adrien Agreste: An Up Close and Personal Look at Gabriel's Golden Boy

"Please tell me this is a joke."

Chloe shook her head. "I know that snake. He's been following Daddy around for years."

Juleka leaned over to view the screen. "From the looks of it he's been following Adrien all night."

"My father is going to kill me," Adrien murmured, wishing now more than ever for his kwami.

"No he's not." Chloe growled, shoving him aside and making a beeline for the not-so-undercover reporter. A rampaging storm of acetone and fury.

Juleka frowned. "Do you think she's going to kill him?"

"I don't know but this is definitely a Chloe I can get behind!" Alya grinned, taking off after the rampaging heiress.

10:38 PM

It was stupidly easy to track down the girls.

For all of his girlfriend's journalistic talents, stealth wasn't one of them.

"Dude. Is Alya ever not online?" Kim said, baffled as he scrolled through the Ladyblogger's twitter feed. "God she documents everything."

Max grunted under the weight of Nathaniel's father's paintball gun. He looked longingly at the super soaker in Nathaniel's relatively unburdened hands.

"A good scientist takes diligent notes."

"Cesaire's not a scientist she's an addict."

And she was.

Like a homing beacon of mischief, Alya tweeted out the night's activities like it was a compulsion.

Once you go black… followed by a picture of a hair salon on 14th street.

Not so model behavior… and a picture of Alya and Juleka posing like mannequins in a department store window near the Champs Elysees.

And most recently

You're under Agreste… with a photo of cuffed wrists, presumably Adrien's, with the glass pyramid of the Louvre shining brightly in the background.

They were getting close.

Nino's palms itched to get a hold of one of them. Any of them. Their little chat with Alix's brother had been enlightening.

Sure he always suspected they enjoyed fucking with him. But suspicions and confirmation were two very different things and when Nino finally saw the dreaded list he was beyond furious to realize his hat wasn't even on it.

"What the hell, man?"

Jalil merely shrugged as if to say what can you do.

Nino could think of a lot of things.

He just needed to find the girls first.

Nino heard their targets before he saw them.

"Listen here you pompous, pock-marked, bottom-feeding wretch..."

Chloe Bourgeois's yelling echoed down the street like an angry siren's call.

Gotcha.

Nino motioned for their group to split up. Kim and Max broke off to the left, disappearing down a nearby alley while he and Nathaniel went for the direct attack.

He spotted Adrien first. It was hard not to when his pale skin shined like a glowstick under the street lights. Nino didn't care what his father said there was such a thing as too much sunscreen.

Next to him was Juleka who stared wide-eyed as his girlfriend and another dark haired girl screamed unprintable obscenities at a balding, middle aged man with a camera.

"I'd be careful, princess. I've got so much shit on your father he'd be lucky to see his grandchildren elected hall monitor let alone run for reelection." He grinned, flashing his teeth like a warning, and waved the camera in his hands. "But don't worry. You'll get your fifteen minutes. With this story I've got the headlines for the next month. Get ready for your close up Monsieur Agreste."

The girl sneered, shoving a finger towards the man in a vaguely familiar gesture of contempt. "You can threaten Daddy all you want but there is nowhere in the whole of France where you can hide if you hurt my Adriekins."

It was the disgustingly saccharine nickname that did it.

"Chloe? "

But it was Nathaniel who blew their cover.

"NOW!" Nino shouted.

Max and Kim sprung out from their place in the shadows, paint guns locked and loaded. Nathaniel sprang forward and grabbed the formerly blonde Chloe Bourgeois who shrieked like she was being burned.

"Get your hands off of me!"

Nino was trying to wrestle a cursing Alya into submission when Adrien cried out as the man took off down the street.

"Let go of me you dolt and grab the camera! " Alya growled, flailing her legs as he hoisted her over his shoulder and using her free hand to smack his back. Hard.

"Um, ow?"

"Nino, Kim, go! " Juleka shouted, pointing in the direction of the fleeing photographer.

Nino dropped Alya non-too-gently and was off with a sorry babe!

Kim was already leagues ahead of him.

Mr. I-Challenged-A-Panther-To-A-Footrace-and-Lost was actually pretty quick on his feet when he cared to be and was steadily gaining on the man. He probably would have caught him too if someone else hadn't beaten him to it.

Or rather someones else.

Marinette really did have impeccable timing.

Like seeing a car crash in real time, Nino couldn't look away as first Marinette, then Alix, then Ivan came sprinting into the alley only to collide headfirst into their unsuspecting target.

He didn't stand a chance.

The force of the four person pile up sent the man's camera flying out of his hands, smashing into the concrete with the familiar soul-cringing snap of a camera shattered.

Nino could almost feel sorry for him.

"You idiots! You clumsy goddamn morons!"

Almost.

Marinette was already starting to stammer out apologies when Kim cut her off.

"Save your breath, Biscuit. This guy deserved it." He turned back to Nino. "We better get back to help the others."

Nino groaned as Kim took off running in the direction they'd just came. A quick look over at Ivan and the girls told him someone else must have gotten a hold of his hat. So much for taking good care of it, Mari.

He really was getting too old for this shit.

Resigned, he followed Kim. Sleazy photographers aside, Nino had some serious revenge that needed... revenging.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans.

Nino barely made it onto the main road when an explosion from behind sent him stumbling to his knees.

"Adrien Agreste! Are you ready for your close up?"

Akuma.

Nino ran his hands over his face and groaned.

Wonderful.

10:42 PM

Not good. Not good. Not good.

"Marinette, " Her kwami hissed, peeking out of her purse with a worried frown.

"I know, Tikki."

She broke off from Alix and Ivan as they raced after Nino and the others. If she was lucky (which she was) they wouldn't notice her absence until after the chaos erupted.

Because there would be chaos.

Marinette knew that look. She had seen that look a hundred times before. It didn't take a superhero to tell her what was going to happen next.

I just need to find Adrien before –

Marinette was only steps outside the mouth of the alley when the explosion hit.

"Too late," Plagg said, shooting his partner a toothy grin. "You're up, Tik."

Tikki scowled. "You're enjoying this way too much."

"When you get to be my age, Spots, you learn to take joy in the little things."

"I'm older than you you cat-eared cretin!"

The black god merely shrugged and floated lazily into Marinette's eyeline.

"Ready for the show, pigtails?"

"Tikki, spots on!"

10:56 PM

Paris may have been burning but Adrien's face was on fire.

It was mortifying enough to have his partner and love of his life pluck him from the streets like a wilting daisy as he ran screaming from his crazed classmates in the middle of an akuma attack.

But to have it happen while he was wearing Ladybug boxers and only Ladybug boxers?

That kind of luck could only be Plagg's doing.

Nice spots, she'd said.

Nice spots.

Adrien hoped his lady wouldn't mind marrying a mask because there was absolutely no way he could ever reveal his identity now.

He really was going to kill Nino for this.

"What is it, handsome boy," She purred, leaning in ever so slightly. "Cat got your tongue?"

All of his faculties fled in the face of her laughing eyes, close but not nearly close enough.

"Buh." He said, smooth as butter.

Ladybug's lips quirked in a killer smile that any jury would convict on.

"Don't sweat it, hot stuff. I think you might even pull them off better than me."

Adrien's tongue felt swollen in his mouth.

He was vaguely aware of croaking out something like not possible which was miles better than the please pull them off that sat like a devilish weight in his throat.

She smiled again and his heart exploded.

"That's my cue!" Ladybug said, stepping away and grabbing the yoyo from her hip. Adrien blinked at their newfound distance before realizing it wasn't his heartbeat that was reducing the streets to rubble.

Oh. Right. The akuma.

Ladybug gave him a jaunty salute. "See you around, handsome boy!"

It wasn't until she was swinging across the Parisian skyline that he realized he was stranded.

Merde.

He needed to get down from this church.

He needed to get home.

He needed to find Plagg and transform so he could find Ladybug and stop the akuma from destroying the city.

He needed to–

"I told you so, kid." Adrien was sure he pulled something with how quickly he spun around to face his sickeningly smug kwami. "Anything that causes this much chaos is definitely fun."

"Plagg!" He said, relieved. "How did you find me?"

Plagg shrugged his tiny shoulders and grinned. "A lucky guess."

Adrien didn't have time to question him further.

His lady needed his help.

"Do you think you can get me out of these?" He asked, gesturing to his cuffed hands.

"Oh please," Plagg reached out to touch the handcuffs with one tiny, glowing paw. Adrien watched in horrified fascination as the metal disintegrated from around his wrists. "Give me a challenge."

"I didn't know you could do that," He said.

"I can do a lot of things."

Adrien decided to push that disturbing information aside for the time being. He had a job to do.

"Plagg, claws out!"

11:07 PM

Sabrina Raincomprix was used to being overlooked.

It was hard not to be with a best friend like Chloe, but she usually didn't mind. Sabrina knew she was able to slip under the radar better than most people, a skill that came in handy when your father was the chief of police.

It meant that from a young age she learned to creep in and out of her room to sneak snacks from the kitchen as her parents watched tv only feet away. It meant that as she got older she knew exactly where the best foot holds were when she scaled down the side of the house to meet up with Chloe or see a late night movie or just walk around the streets knowing she wasn't really doing anything wrong but feeling the thrill of wrongdoing all the same.

It meant that by the time she turned sixteen Sabrina Raincomprix had seen some shit.

Whether it was because her father took his work home with him or because Paris was overrun with supervillains or because more often than not her best friend was the target of said supervillains and she was more often than not with her best friend, Sabrina didn't really know.

What she did know, however, was that being undetectable was a superpower in and of itself. Even her best friend considered anonymity a fate worse than death.

Literally.

"Yoohoo! Ladybug!" Chloe called, waving frantically at the superheroine who was currently occupied by Hawkmoth's latest victim. "Can we get a picture?"

Sabrina's heart momentarily stopped as the akuma - Pop-arazzi, he'd called himself - directed his lens towards her oblivious friend. Ladybug barely managed to tackle the girl out of the way before the street corner she was previously standing on exploded into a pile of ash and rubble.

Not the best timing, Chlo.

"She's going to get herself killed!" Mylene peered above the overturned taxi cab they were using as a shield. "What is she thinking?"

"She wants to win," Sabrina said, frowning as Chloe tried to snap a selfie with her savior. Unfortunately for her, Ladybug was already on the move.

"So do I but I'm not going to run out in front of an akuma that can cause explosions."

"Um, speaking of," Rose said, flinching as another building collapsed to the ground. Her hands were clutching Nino's stolen cap tightly to her chest. "What are we doing here exactly?"

Waiting.

Sabrina searched what remained of the smoky Parisian skyline and grinned as she as a black and blonde figure bounded through the darkness.

"Salut Chaton," Ladybug said before executing an Olympics worthy backflip over one of the akuma's shots. "Nice of you to pop in."

"You know I'd never turn down a photo op, my lady." Chat Noir landed beside her and grinned.

"Are you sure about that, kitty?" She asked, leaning in to flick the bell around his neck. "I would've thought you'd had enough exposure for one evening."

Chat Noir made some kind of choking noise as Ladybug laughed.

Sabrina thought the hero looked a little shell shocked. His partner didn't seem to notice as she began pointing to the akuma, a nearby fire hydrant, and of all things, a red and black inner tube.

Far be it from her to question a superhero.

I just need the cat, she thought grimly as she watched a somewhat dazed Chat Noir nod along with whatever Ladybug was planning.

They were lucky.

The akuma itself, although destructive, wasn't particularly fast.

Sabrina knew from previous close encounters of the akuma kind that they didn't always have time to strategize. This one, however, didn't seem capable of doing much.

Beyond bringing the city to ruins of course.

Which was probably for the best considering what they were about to do.

"Are you ready?" She asked, watching as Ladybug and Chat Noir split up.

"No," Rose said.

"Good because he's coming."

Mylene and Sabrina positioned themselves on either side of Rose who slumped low between them and did her best to appear injured. They started dragging her away from their hiding spot behind the car so they were just visible from the rooftops where their unsuspecting target was headed.

Sabrina pinched Rose's shoulder lightly and the girl let out a pitiful groan.

"Come on, Rose!" Mylene shouted, a little too loudly. They wanted to attract Chat Noir's attention not the akuma's. "We have to get you out of here!"

"Leave me!" Rose moaned. "Save yourselves!"

Sabrina held back a sigh. There was no way Chat Noir was going to believe–

A soft thud as the leather-clad boy landed in front of them interrupted her thoughts.

Unbelievable.

"Hey, do you need hel–"

"Get him!" Sabrina cried.

No sooner had the poor boy retracted his baton to offer assistance than the three girls swarmed him. As Rose and Sabrina pinned the struggling hero to the ground Mylene whipped out her phone and snapped a series of photographs that were sure to make Alya burn with jealousy.

He did say he'd never turn down a photo op.

The sound of a whirring yoyo overhead told them Ladybug had noticed her partner's plight.

Sabrina braced for a lecture and was surprised when the girl's fury was directed not towards them but her partner.

"Dammit Chat!" She said, narrowly dodging another beam from the akuma's camera and landing on the rooftop overhead, inner tube still in hand. "I told you to stay away from them!"

"I tried, Bug."

"You're a superhero. You shouldn't have to try at all!"

Apparently she hit a sore spot because a low rumble that Sabrina could only call a growl seemed to originate from Chat Noir's throat. He started struggling again and she and Rose released him.

He looked up towards his partner with a frown. "Why do you even care?"

"I don't!" She snapped, clearly caring. "Ugh. Forget this. Hey Pop-arazzi! I've got your scoop right here! "

Chat Noir watched his partner, making sure she had everything under control before turning to scowl at them.

"That was incredibly stupid."

"We're sorry," Rose said, cracking under the pressure of his strange green glare. Her hands twisted Nino's hat nervously as she tried to babble out an explanation.

The boy's eyes caught the movement. Sabrina saw what he was planning on doing but was unable to stop him before he snatched the cap out of Rose's hands.

"I'll tell you what," He said, his smile almost feral. "I'll just take this and we'll call it even."

"Wait-!"

But he was already gone. The three girls watched in horrified helplessness as Chat Noir leapt off after the akuma, Nino's red baseball cap in hand.

"Well," Rose said. "At least we got the picture, right?"

Mylene buried her face in her hands and groaned.

"Yeah, but how the hell are we supposed to tell Nino that Chat Noir stole his hat?"

11:19 PM

Adrien barely made it back to the church roof in time before his transformation gave out.

Falling back against the eaves, he mourned the loss of his suit as he was once again reduced to nothing but his boxers and a pair of sneakers.

At least this time I have Plagg.

Fat lot of good that did him as his exhausted kwami collapsed into his waiting hands.

"How you doing buddy?"

"Cheeeeese."

Adrien rolled his eyes.

"Unless Saint Peter ran a deli shop I think you're out of luck."

Plagg let out a pathetic whine but otherwise said nothing.

He sighed, looking out from the roof towards the restored skyline. It was almost peaceful up here now that the city was no longer on fire.

They had his lady to thank for that.

Ladybug.

She was acting strange. One minute she was teasing, sending him knowing smiles he couldn't decipher and the next she was scolding him, telling him off for falling into his classmates' trap.

And it was a trap.

A trap Adrien was starting to suspect Ladybug knew more about than she should. She had been particularly cagey during that fight, making sure to steer clear of Chloe, Juleka, and even Alya who she actually seemed to like.

And what was it she said to him when he'd first arrived? Something about being exposed?

God knew he'd had more than his fair share of exposure that night.

That couldn't be a coincidence right?

"Hey Plagg," He said slowly. "How did you know where to find me?"

He felt the god tense in his hands before trying to shrug off his reaction.

But it was too late.

She knows.

Oh my god she knows.

Oh my god how does she know?

A familiar whirring told him he didn't have time to interrogate his kwami.

Adrien scrambled to his feet as Plagg zipped out of sight. Ladybug landed on the rooftop just moments later. Her lips were suppressing a smile but her eyes were dancing with not-so-secret laughter.

Yeah, she knows.

Adrien didn't know why that made his stomach feel like butterflies.

"Glad to see you're safe." She said.

"Oh really," He asked, watching her through narrowed eyes. "Worried about me were you?"

She nodded, trying and failing at solemnity.

"Terribly."

He waited for her to say something more. To let him know she knew. To let him know she knew he knew she knew.

To maybe let him know her.

But she didn't.

She just stood there, not quite grinning.

She just stood there, beautiful and strange and wonderful and knowing.

"Ladybug," Adrien started, wondering where he even should start, when reality came crashing back to him like tumbling bricks. "Oh fuck. "

"What is it?" She asked, suddenly worried. "What happened?"

"The photographer," He groaned, covering his face with his hands. "I forgot about the photographer."

He was so screwed. God, with everything else going on he completely forgot that Ladybug's cure didn't just fix city blocks.

"I am so beyond dead."

Adrien felt a gloved hand on his shoulder. He peeked out from between his fingers to see his partner flash him a reassuring grin.

"Not on my watch you're not."

"What are you going to do?" He asked warily.

Ladybug stepped behind him and picked up Nino's discarded hat. Adrien blinked in confusion as she turned the cap around backwards and placed it on her head with a grin before heading towards the edge of the roof.

"Don't sweat it, hot stuff," She said, tossing a wink over her shoulder as she unclipped her yoyo from her belt. "I've got you covered."

Adrien flushed from ears to chest as his lady swung off into the night, her laughter echoing behind her.

Well, at least that was one problem taken care of.

Adrien sagged in relief as his kwami reappeared beside him. Too exhausted to interrogate him about his whereabouts for the evening, he gestured out towards the rooftops where Ladybug had disappeared.

"What are the odds you can transform me and get us home?"

"What are the odds you're hiding camembert in those boxers of yours?"

Adrien sighed. They were walking then.

He managed to locate the fire escape on the side of the building and slowly made his way down to the alley below. Jumping down the final few feet, Adrien landed in a crouch only to find himself face first with a pair of large, black tennis shoes.

He swallowed, looking up, up, up before meeting Ivan's quiet grin.

"Well, well, well," Alix said, appearing from behind the giant. "I guess if you pray hard enough miracles really do happen."

Adrien rose to his feet, resigned.

Here we go again.

11:26 PM

Anthony Gerard Charpentier was a lucky, lucky man.

Clutching his once-again perfectly operational camera to his chest, he fled the scene of his most recent - defeat? – as an akuma.

Not that it really mattered. He was damn near giddy that his camera was in working order again and that all of his photographs were still in tact.

Those clumsy brats weren't able to stop him and now thanks to Ladybug he was going to get his story.

He was so close to finally breaking through that he could almost taste it.

Anthony turned down the alley that lead to the back entrance of his office. By this time of night Angeline would have already locked up the front and he needed his computer so he could drop this story by morning.

Caught up in composing his opening paragraphs, Anthony didn't notice the hulking figure that lurked in the doorway until it was too late.

A hand, nearly as large as his face, clamped down on his shoulders and sent his knees buckling. Anthony whirled around as out from the shadows stepped one of the largest men he had ever seen.

His scowl was black and twisted as he glared down at the trembling reporter and snatched the camera from his clutching hands with ease.

"Please don't hurt me," Anthony whimpered. The hand on his shoulder tightened and his arm went numb.

Suddenly the sound of a yoyo whipping through the air startled them both and Anthony was beyond relieved to see the heroine of Paris herself, wearing, of all things, a backwards baseball cap.

"Ladybug! Ladybug, thank god! This man is trying to rob me!"

The young woman's eyes flickered from Anthony to the hulking figure to the camera in his hands.

To his utter confusion, she appeared to be smiling.

"I take it I'm not needed here then?"

His attacker grunted, not taking his angry black eyes off of the reporter. Anthony couldn't hide his shock as the man tossed the camera towards the superheroine who caught it with ease.

She grinned.

"As you were gentlemen."

11:32 PM

Plagg had disappeared again.

Adrien wasn't necessarily worried about him

– he was a god afterall –

but that didn't stop him from glancing around to see if he was following.

He knew his kwami drew the line at hiding in his underwear, which, honestly, same. But it did beg the question just where exactly the little troublemaker had run off to.

"Chill out. No one's going to jump out from the shadows and grab you."

Adrien pulled his eyes away from a nearby dumpster to give Alix a look.

"That seems to be the only thing that's happened to me tonight."

"What," She said. "Can't handle a bunch of girls?"

"No." He said, unashamed.

Alix stopped their progress for a moment to appraise him. "You know, you're all right Agreste."

"Does that mean you'll let me go?"

Ivan slapped a hand on his shoulder. "Nope."

He sighed, not really expecting anything different.

Honestly it figured they would be the ones to grab him. Everyone else already had.

Although, there was one noticeable absence from their party.

"Hey, um. Wasn't Marinette supposed to be with you?"

"Oh she is." Alix hummed.

Neither one of them expanded further.

Adrien realized they were heading towards the park near Francois Dupont and the Dupain-Cheng bakery. He wondered if this night was ever going to end.

"So," He asked. "Where are you guys taking me now?"

"We've just gotta pick something up. Then we're heading back to my place and you'll be off the hook."

Thank god.

Ivan steered him through the entrance of the park and towards a cluster of trees near the carousel. Even though he knew he wasn't really in any danger Adrien couldn't help but feel like he was walking into another trap.

No wonder Nino had been such a mess.

They stepped into the shadows, away from the lamps that lit up the park, and stood underneath one of the larger trees. There was silence, as if the whole world was waiting for some kind of signal.

Just as Adrien was about to ask what exactly it was they were supposed to be doing, Ivan let out a low, three toned whistle.

There was some rustling in the tree above and before Adrien could even begin to worry about what could be hiding in the leaves a bundle of green and red and black dropped down to the ground before him.

Adrien's startled cry strangled in his throat as he realized that crouching before him, wearing a red backwards baseball cap and holding a suspiciously familiar camera was a smirking Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

"Hey, hot stuff," She said, killing him. "Take off your pants."

11:43 PM

Marinette was having too much fun with this.

She knew she was.

But honestly, what else was she supposed to do?

Adrien sensitive-pretty-boy-heart-of-gold Agreste was Chat got-your-back-take-my-heart Noir.

This wide-eyed, wild haired, flailing boy was Chat. Of course he was Chat.

Stripped down from the flirting and the fighting and the masks, was just a teenage boy with a crush on her.

(Something she'd have to deal with later because right now she really could not.)

"M-Marinette? "

Her poor partner looked so distressed she really couldn't resist the smile pulling at her lips.

"Nice of you to drop in Kitten."

She could almost feel Tikki's stop teasing him glare through her purse. Unfortunately, she also had the god of destruction pawing at her hair beneath Nino's cap as if to say keep going.

Tikki was right. Plagg was definitely a bad influence.

"But how? " He asked, dazed.

Adrien's eyes roved over her features as if to catalogue everything he knew about Ladybug and everything he knew about Marinette. To make sure that what he was seeing was actually what he was seeing.

Marinette tilted her head slightly, a silent acknowledgement of all the questions he couldn't ask.

She wasn't prepared for the way his whole body sagged in relief or the way something inside him seemed to rise. It was as if some invisible burden had been lifted, a shroud pulled back and the sun revealed. Marinette had never really disagreed with Alya's nickname for her crush but never before had it seemed so apt. He really did seem to shine and it nearly shattered her to realize he was shining for her.

(She really, really could not.)

Thankfully, Alix could.

"Don't worry about your panties, Agreste. We've already taken care of that particular item."

Adrien managed to drag his eyes away from Marinette to look at Alix. "What do you mean?"

Ivan reached into his backpack and pulled out several pairs of boxers.

His boxers.

"Oh my god," He choked. "Where the hell did you get those?"

Alix slapped a blushing Marinette on the back.

"D-C here is one of the best sneaks I've ever met. Don't know how she does it."

Adrien had a pretty good idea.

He turned his disbelieving eyes back to his partner (his partner!) only to catch a pair of green eyes peeking out at him from beneath Nino's –now Marinette's– cap.

He froze then as a truth he didn't want to face hit him.

Marinette had rifled through his underwear drawer.

Ladybug had rifled through his underwear drawer.

Plagg had let Ladybug rifle through his underwear drawer.

"Oh god," he whimpered.

Ivan reached over to pat his shoulder consolingly.

"If it makes you feel any better," Alix said with a devious grin that was anything but comforting. "I doubt she found anything more embarrassing than the pair you're already wearing."

Adrien didn't know it was possible to be even more mortified but there it was. He couldn't even bring himself to look at Marinette, although from his peripheral vision he could see her shoulders shaking in silent laughter.

"I think…" He said, slowly, wishing more than anything for the earth to open up and just take him. "I think Nathalie is looking for me."

Alix grinned and threw her arm over Adrien's bare shoulders. "Eh. You're already out. What's another hour or two?"

A lot if the past ten minutes told him anything.

Adrien wasn't sure he could handle any more embarrassment.

Idly he wondered if he'd be turned into some crazed underwear akuma.

"Please stay," Marinette said softly. "I promise the worst of the night is behind you."

Adrien couldn't even pretend to consider leaving when his lady smiled at him like that.

He nodded, meeting her smile with a sheepish one of his own.

"Can I at least have some pants?"

3:14 AM

"I am never leaving this bed again," Adrien sighed, throwing himself face first into his pillow. "Never, ever, ever."

Nathalie had given him the lecture to end all lectures. It started with her patented I'm very disappointed in you look and was working up towards the upholding the Agreste name speech he was sure his father drilled into all of Adrien's caretakers when he hired them.

By the time she had worked her way to there are certain responsibilities that come along with being the face of a dynasty Adrien had had enough.

"Not that I don't appreciate this Nathalie, but can we save the rest until morning?"

If his father's assistant was surprised by his interruption she hid it well. It was, after all, what she was paid for.

"You are dismissed."

Her parting frown told Adrien he would be hearing the rest of it in the morning. But at least she wasn't going to tell his father. Small mercies there.

"Stop being so dramatic." Plagg said, buzzing around Adrien's head like an oversized gnat. "At least we finally got out and had some fun!"

Adrien reached for an unused pillow and threw it blindly. The startled watch it! let him know he was satisfyingly close to hitting his target.

Close is close enough.

"You had fun. I nearly died."

"Aw come on," The little devil sing-songed by his ear. "You can't tell me you hated every part of the evening."

He would not dignify his kwami with a response, but the god's muffled snickering told him the growing redness on his ears and neck did not go unnoticed.

He had enjoyed parts of the evening. Specifically the Ladybug parts. And the Marinette parts.

The Ladybug/Marinette parts.

Adrien couldn't hold back his lovesick squeal even if he wanted to. Which, with Plagg around, he really, really wanted to.

"Ugh," His kwami said, suddenly not so amused. "You're gonna be worse than ever now."

Probably.

Adrien nodded into his pillow. And when that didn't seem to sufficiently express his enthusiasm he nodded some more.

"Whatever. Some things are too cheesy even for me."

And Plagg was gone.

Adrien mustered what little energy he had left and fished his phone out of his pocket. He was never really uncomfortable in front of the camera. But tonight was the first time where he had truly enjoyed having his picture taken.

By the right people, of course.

The closing ceremonies as Alix insisted on calling them, were more of a formal pizza party with fancy dishes. Alix's brother Jalil helped pass out flutes of champagne and only seemed slightly put off by the new additions to the party.

Adrien made sure to scowl when he was handed his glass. From what he'd gathered, this was the man responsible for putting together the girls' ridiculous scavenger hunt.

Jalil didn't even try to look repentant.

At least he had the decency to lend me some clothes.

Adrien was sure his father would have a fit if he ever saw his top model wearing a gaudy tourist sweatshirt from a museum gift shop. He didn't even want to know what he would do if he knew Adrien had been photographed in them.

He didn't care.

Adrien smiled as he flipped through the photos Alya had forwarded to him as a kind of sorry-for-kidnapping-you-and-almost-getting-you-grounded apology.

The boys were invited to the after party but Alix insisted on excluding them from the winning deliberations.

"Top secret," She said, as she joined the others in her father's study. "No boys allowed."

Ivan gave them a small wave before shutting the door in their faces.

Over the next half hour there was a lot of muffled shrieking and giggling and whispering. At one point Kim pounded on the door and a magnificently red-faced Marinette answered. Adrien couldn't hear what she said but Kim's rigid posture told him it had done the trick. He quickly retreated back to the living room and Adrien's heart stuttered when Marinette threw him a wink before disappearing into the study.

He couldn't hide his goofy smile and paid for it with what Nino called bro-bligatory teasing.

Adrien couldn't really bring himself to care even when the others caught on to the conversation and joined in.

And when the girls had finally, finally emerged it wasn't really a surprise to anyone when Marinette's team was crowned the winner.

After all, they were the only ones who managed to snag a pair of his boxers.

("I'm calling bullshit on that one, Agreste. You were clearly playing favorites.")

The proof of which waved proudly like a flag attached to one of Alix's old field hockey sticks. A red and black monument to this hellish, mystifying, wonderful night.

The crowning moment was captured on the photographer's stolen camera.

Alix, Ivan, and Marinette were grinning like mad. Ivan hoisted Alix onto his shoulder where she held the trophy like the hard-fought prize it was. Beside them, Marinette, waving the makeshift flag in one hand and blowing a kiss to the camera with the other.

However, the gut wrenching gleam in his lady's eyes notwithstanding, it was the final picture of the night that held top billing in his heart.

Adrien didn't even try to fight his lovesick grin as he swiped through to the last photo.

It was a slight variation of the first image, only more crowded with familiar faces as everyone else piled in. Nino and the others in their makeshift armor. Alix and Ivan and their ridiculous trophy. Chloe and her new hair, Rose with her cat ears, Alya on bended knee presenting him like he was the real prize. Everyone was sweaty, run down, exhausted and happy.

And at the center of it all was Adrien.

Hair more Chat than chic. Clothes his father wouldn't even spit on. And a pink-cheeked, puppy love smile as Marinette Dupain-Cheng leaned over at the last minute to kiss his cheek.

Adrien's fingers traced the spot on his skin as if he could recapture the feeling.

Maybe Plagg is right, he thought, staring down at his grinning friends who stared right back up at him.

Maybe there really was something to be said for chaos.

A/N: and that's all folks!