Marinette shot up in bed, her alarm blaring beside her. She snapped around to look at the time, seeing that she was, once again, running late for school.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" She jumped out of bed and scrambled to get her things together. She quickly rummaged through her dresser drawer while peeling off her pajamas. At this point, she had getting ready in a hurry down to a science. Tikki zipped around the room to silently help her, pulling Marinette's phone out from where it had fallen behind the desk. Marinette pulled her jacket from the closet to slide it on. She slipped her purse onto her shoulder and looked over at Tikki, smiling.

"Good morning," Marinette finally spoke, her voice still groggy with sleep. Tikki flitted over to her with a smile, flying in a small circle before the girl.

"Good morning, Marinette," she responded. She zipped up her bag and slung it over her shoulder before quickly making her way down the stairs. Marinette offered a short goodbye to her parents as she rushed out the bakery doors.

Marinette run down the street, checking the time on her phone. At this rate, she'd still be late. She looked down where Tikki was nestled in her purse. Tikki saw the worry in her eyes and nodded at the wordless question. A quick smile flashed on the girl's face, and she ducked into an alleyway.

"Tikki, spots on!"

Ladybug threw her yoyo out and caught it on a nearby building, and the tension sent her sailing through the air. She ran across the roofs toward her school, intermittently swinging through the sky. She smiled as she flipped through the air, unaware of the almost knowing green eyes looking up at her from the window of his bodyguard's car. She made good time and arrived in an alley near the school with just enough time to avoid being late.

She detransformed while hidden from view before running out from behind the building and up the steps to her school. Almost everyone was already in their respective classrooms, but another late student ran up the steps shortly after her. She heard his hurried footsteps and turned to look at him, not slowing her stride. Adrian shot her a smile, and she responded with a smile of her own. There wasn't time for Marinette's nervousness to be transferred to babbling, so instead it was transferred into clumsiness.

She tripped over her own feet.

Adrian's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He reached out to help her, but it was no use. She was out of reach.

Marinette turned to catch herself. She landed with her hands out in front of her, but her feet were twisted. Her knees painfully banged against the floor. Her bag flew a few feet away, but thankfully her purse, with Tikki safely inside, stayed securely at her side.

"Are you okay?!" Adrian called out, kneeling beside her with a concerned look.

She nodded and looked down at her scuffed knees. She felt a dull throb there and her hands stung where they hit the smooth tile, but she was otherwise fine. "I'm okay," she reassured, already moving to get back on her feet. She was too concerned with getting to class on time to get embarrassed in Adrian's presence. That was, until he offered her his hand to help her up. A light blush quickly spread across her face. She jumped to her feet without his help and reached down for her bag.

"I'm runn-in-ing, s-sorry I'm late. I mean! I'm sorry, I'm runnin-ing late. So are you, let's go!"

She turned to run up the stairs to the second floor.

"Slow down or you'll fall again!" he warned playfully before chasing up after her.

Marinette burst through the door just before class started, Adrian walking in just behind her. Alya smirked to herself, seeing Marinette's slight blush and Adrian's smile. Marinette slid into her seat and pulled out her tablet, not meeting Alya's knowing look.

"You'll have to tell me later, girl," Alya got in just before Miss Bustier began class. Marinette let out a groan.

After class, Marinette tried to escape Alya's questioning to no avail. Marinette turned to her friend just before they exited the classroom. Everyone else had already left.

"Nothing really happened," Marinette started. "We were just both running late. I was through the doorway when I heard him behind me. I turned to look at who it was, and, in perfect Marinette fashion, I tripped over my own feet," she said gloomily, hugging her bag to her chest and staring passed it to feet. She wore a tight frown. "I completely embarrassed myself!" she distressed.

"What did Adrian say?" Alya pressed. Her arms were folded in front of her chest. While her friend was quite a klutz, she could also be dramatic. It probably wasn't that bad.

"He asked if I was okay," came the simple reply. Marinette moved to exit to the hallway, deciding she didn't have much else to say.

Alya caught her by the shoulder. "Girl, you need to relax. You tripped, just like everyone does when they're in a hurry, and he was concerned. You didn't embarrass yourself."

Marinette grumbled to herself, slouching and shifting her feet.

"Look at me."

Marinette turned to face her friend, looking up at her from her pathetic position.

"It'll be okay. I'm sure he's already forgotten."

Marinette straightened up a little, forcing a smile. "You're right." Saying it out loud made her feel more confident. "Yeah," she said with a smile. "He even offered to help me up, which was nice. But at the same time, that made me freak out..." she continued with a slight frown. "But it's okay," she perked right back up, "because he didn't even seem that phased afterward, once we got to class."

Alya smiled at the look of determination on Marinette's face. "Come on, girl, let's get to history," she tugged her friend out to the hallway.

Adrian swung his locker open and deposited his books inside. The locker room was empty except for him and his aloof companion. Plagg flew out from inside his jacket and floated inside his locker, his mischievous eye glinting up at Adrian. "So, how's your brilliant planning coming along?" he asked with a snicker. "Did she cry out all her secrets while she fell this morning?"

Adrian rolled his eyes as he let out a puff of air. "Plagg, you know that's not that plan. I'm just trying to keep an eye on her so I don't miss anything that might prove me right. So many akuma attacks happen right here at school. If she is Ladybug, it'll be easy to tell once one happens. You just gotta pay attention, and I think I've been so caught up in getting away to transform myself that I wouldn't have noticed Marinette doing the same." He considered past akuma attacks where both he and Marinette were present, but he couldn't really remember much of what anyone else did after the villain appeared. It's always such chaos, he mused nobody could keep track of anyone without proper effort. And he resolved to make that effort. He wasn't just banking on an akuma attack at school, however. He figured the more he saw of her, the more likely he'll find little things to confirm his suspicions.

"In the meantime," he continued, "I'll try to spend some time with her. It's a win-win," he smiled, remembering when they hung out in the past. He thought fondly of playing video games at her place and when she cheered him up when Ladybug turned Cat Noir down. Every time they spent time together, he learned a new complexity of her character. That is, once she stopped tripping over her words.

Plagg sighed, but offered no comment. His owner's quest was already starting to exhaust him. Adrian wasn't deterred, however, because he was already enjoying paying more attention to his friend. He noticed she blushed when he offered her help that morning. Before he'd decided it was the same kind of blush his other fans often wore, but now he was more optimistic. He noticed that when she was talking to anyone other than him, she was sassy and witty, just like someone else he knew. He grew lost in thought with a dreamy look in his eyes. When she laughed, her eyes smiled with her. She was constantly encouraging others and offering help. She was clumsy, but it was more endearing than anything. He let out a contented sigh. He didn't think Marinette had gained anything from his closer observation and admiration over the past few days, but he certainly felt closer to her. Even if he was wrong, this greater appreciation for his dear friend was worthwhile.

And this was just the beginning.

Marinette donned a soft grin while she listened to Alya's most recent account of a Ladybug run-in.

"That sounds so awesome! Maybe next I can experience it first-hand!" Marinette said happily, looking up at her friend with a smile. "I always seem to get caught up in the craziness. I think my klutz-meter just skyrockets when an akuma shows up," she offered, pulling an annoying face.

Alya laughed, giving Marinette a playful push. "It's okay, girl. I'll always be there to record it for you." She shot Marinette a wink.

Nino ran up to the pair, Adrian trailing behind. "Hey dudes, can we join you for lunch?"

"Sure thing," Alya said with a grin. Marinette was already blushing, and Alya smiled at her. "Want to go to your place for lunch, Marinette?" She figured she'd be more confident in a familiar place.

"Oh, I'd love to eat at the bakery!" Adrian added as he walked up beside them. An excellent opportunity to see more of Marinette's life. He smiled happily.

Marinette lit up at his remark and tried to respond, but she just stammered for awhile. Finally, she found some words. Too bad they weren't in the right order, and they rushed right out of her mouth. "The foodloveeat. You'll pastries theeat whole." She briefly paused, scrunching up her eyebrows in confusion at her own words. "I mean you'll love the food there." She took a deep breath and continued, "I'm just not sure we can eat a whole lunch of just pastries."

"There's a great sandwich shop almost next door," Nino offered. "We can grab food their first, then eat at your house?"

Marinette responded with a simple "okay," still looking nervously at Adrian. However, once the group started making their way to the sandwich shop, her nerves started to lift. She was more like her real self, joking with her friends and smiling broadly. She even managed to joke with Adrian a bit, although it was almost like she didn't realize she was doing it at first. As soon as the words left her mouth, her sassy grin vanished and was replaced with an uneasy smile as she looked down. She faltered and opened her mouth to back-peddle and dig herself an unnecessary hole, but the sweet smile on Adrian's face stopped her. She decided to just smile back. He was as cool and collected as always, she thought. She allowed herself to daydream for the rest of the walk, a light blush crawling up her neck.

And Adrien noticed that, too.

At Marinette's, the group was seated at a round table in the kitchen. She was getting them all drinks while they unwrapped their lunches. Marinette returned to them with their glasses of water on a tray.

"Thanks for letting us eat lunch at your place, Marinette," Adrian said with a smile. Right on cue, Marinette felt her face warm.

"Y-yo-you're welcome," she sputtered.

"Yeah, these croissants are amazing!" Nino interjected, inhaling the rest of his pastry.

Marinette smiled at him. "I'm glad you like them! We can have macarons for dessert if you want. I made them yesterday!" she offered with pride, plopping down in her seat next to Alya.

"You know I love your macarons, girl," Alya smiled at her.

"Can't wait!" said Adrian, digging into his sandwich.

The group continued with a casual conversation until they'd finished their lunch. Marinette hopped off her chair to retrieve the macarons she'd made the night before. Truthfully, she'd made them for Tikki, but there was enough to share with her friends. She could just make more later that night anyway. She pulled the box out of the pantry and carried it out to where they were eating. She placed the plastic box on the table and removed the air-tight lid, revealing the tasty macarons inside. They were pink with white dots, looking like a softer version of a ladybug.

Adrian saw the similarity and grinned to himself. "Those look delicious!"

"Yeah, I can't wait to have one," Nino said as he reached in. Marinette smiled proudly. Her clumsiness and awkwardness often made her feel like she was bad at everything, but she could bake. You don't grow up in a bakery without learning how to bake.

Alya grabbed a macaron. "I haven't had these kind before, girl. Don't tell me you were holding out on me," she waved the treat in front of her friend with a small smirk.

Adrian grabbed two from the box, offering his second macaron to Marinette. She hopped back into her seat next to Alya and accepted the treat from Adrian, gasping softly as their hands touched. She mumbled a "thank you" and looked away.

"Who do these macarons remind you of?" Adrian asked Nino and Alya.

"They totally look like ladybugs, don't they!" answered Alya. Nino nodded in agreement.

Marinette panicked internally, and she didn't say anything for fear of babbling.

Adrian asked her point blank, "What do you think of Ladybug, Marinette?"

She blanched for a moment. "I think we're lucky to have her," came her reply. It was sincere, as she felt lucky to have a double life. It let her grow as a person. Plus, she got the impression that everyone else adored Ladybug. Naturally, she should, too. She thought it'd be an inconspicuous answer. "She's constantly saving Paris."

"She's so totally awesome!" Alya inserted excitedly.

Nino nodded in agreement, reflecting on the Anasi incident. "She's pretty clever."

"What do you think of Ladybug?" Marinette asked Adrian softly with a small smile. She looked him right in the face, no longer shying away from his attention.

Adrian stared right back into her big bluebell eyes. "I think she's incredible!" he responded with enthusiasm. He opened his mouth to continue, but he was worried he'd say to much. He wanted to say how he admired her bravery, tenacity, and sense of humor, but he shouldn't know her any better than any other civilian. So he cut his answer short, smiling broadly at Marinette. "She must be so strong to keep fighting for all of us. I really admire her courage."

Marinette smiled back at him, the smile reaching her eyes. Adrian's heart heaved a sigh. It was getting easier for him to understand how he felt about her, and he felt his face warm. They both looked away, and Adrian nervously scratched his neck.

Alya and Nino shared a knowing look with a grin.

"Alright, we'd better get back to school soon," Alya announced as she slid from her chair. She gathered the trash off the table and dumped it into the waste bin. Nino followed her lead, and the other two gingerly scooted off their chairs and looked back at each other.

"What do you think of Cat Noir?" Adrian inquired, hiding his sly smirk.

Marinette immediately forgot her embarrassment at his praise for Ladybug. She smiled sweetly. "I don't think Ladybug could do it without him. They make the a great team."

The group made their way back to school. Marinette and Adrian walked side by side with rosy cheeks and shy eyes pointed to the ground.