hey guys! this is my very first miraculous ladybug fanfic, and my first fanfic ever! i hope it's okay, but please feel free to give me advice and proofread it. i didn't actually have a beta for it, i was too excited that i just posted it anyway.

basically, this first chapter is about marinette's interest in chat noir, but the next chapters will primarily be about adrien's interest in her. lots of marichat, plenty of ladynoir, and i'm going to throw as much adrienette and ladrien in there as possible.

i do not own miraculous ladybug or the characters in this story.

Adrien was alone, Ladybug was nowhere to be found, and she wasn't answering his calls. He'd tried multiple times, but one after one there was no reply. He was worried—they'd promised to meet up for patrol that night. She always showed up, and even when she couldn't she'd always give him a warning. Maybe that's what it was—maybe she was just busy and couldn't answer as Ladybug. Maybe she wasn't alone like he was, maybe she just couldn't get away. Or maybe she was alone. Maybe she was out fighting. Maybe she was in trouble.

No, he was sure she'd call him if she needed help. She always did, so why would this be an exception? He pushed the thoughts away, pretending they'd wouldn't come true if he stopped reminding himself of them. Adrien leaned back against the chimney that was scaling the roof he'd been situated on. An uneasy sigh slipped out as he let himself ebb down nearer to the bottom of the slanted, smokey gray roofing. He laid there longer, trying not to let his imagination get the best of him, but he wasn't emotionally strong enough to fight off the villains of his mind.

A familiar but muffled beep echoed out from behind him, and he nearly fell off the building. He managed to not plummet to his death, instead twisting his arm behind his back to grab the source of the noise. He answered the call; it was Ladybug. His ears and the corners of his mouth seemed to perk up at the sight of her beautiful, glowing face.

"My Lady, I was concerned for your safety. Don't make meow worry like that!" He howled half-smugly and half-discontented. He hadn't been lying—he'd never lie to his Lady—unless it came to his identity, and even that was still no more a lie than anything else. Ladybug didn't react how he thought she would; rather, her brows were furrowed and there was a slight frown to her usually cheerful smile.

"Chat, um, I'm busy with something, but could you go... to that girl I had you protect... that one time?" She exasperated, catching her breath, obviously running herself ragged on her way to who knows where.

Adrien had to think for a moment. Of course, he'd only protected two girls, one being Chloe. He doubted that's who she meant after he'd seen her negative reactions to her. There was only one other option.

"Marinette?" He implored, the thought of his dark-haired classmate creeping into his mind, like the Lady herself had earlier. Ladybug nodded, adding a comment about keeping her and himself safe. He smirked, but not in a smug or cocky way, at least on the surface. He was pleased that she cared about him—although already knowing it fully well—he just liked being reminded. He promised Marinette's security as well as his own, and the screen blinked back gloomily as he wrapped his arm around the opposite side of his waist. He bound off the roof with a grin, heading toward's the bakery Marinette's family resided in.

.x.

Marinette knew it was going to be tricky being around Chat as herself yet again. In their first meeting, she found it annoying yet slightly amusing that Chat had flirted with her as her plain, old, regular self. Of course, it was just his true personality shining through, she prompted. She giggled to herself at the thought of Chat trying to flirt with her and failing once again. This humor wasn't really meant in a snide manner, she just wanted Chat to get what was coming to him, flirting with any girl with a pulse like he does. Besides those possessed by the Akuma, of course-although she wouldn't be surprised if he did.

She hated his flirting, in a way. Maybe because she knew, deep down, that if Chat would ever discover her true identity, he would find her boring. Ladybug was courageous and selfless and brave, and although Marinette had those qualities within her, she was often too nervous or shy to show them. When it counted, the lines between Marinette and Ladybug were blurred-to the point of hardly being able to distinct one from the other. Yet, when it came to the smaller things, she couldn't bring herself to show that side of her. She wanted to be like Ladybug all the time—where everyone could see her shine.

Besides, Chat's feelings probably weren't even real. She doubted she was a single case; he probably confessed his love to any girl he saw on the streets, despite her not being a girl on the streets. Not as Ladybug, at least.

Marinette cleaned herself up after transforming from her alter ego, brushing her hair and straightening her outfit. She only bothered to dress up for Chat to eliminate suspicions, and quite honestly felt barely the slightest twinge of personal feelings regarding her appearance with him. Or at least that's what she told herself. He was just a clumsy goofball that made pawful puns-although she admitted to occasionally finding humor in them. She chuckled at her own pun as she climbed up and out of her room.

The girl with many secrets sat out on the balcony above the bakery, doodling what seemed to be a dress or a shirt of some sort, though she scarcely cared what it really was. She just wanted to seem natural. Ladybug had called Chat Noir over ten minutes prior, and she wondered where the stupid cat was. She didn't like being kept waiting, despite not being able to show it. She continued her design for a few more minutes until a figure breezed onto the roof next to hers. Marinette couldn't completely make out who it was, so she cautioned her gaze directly on the area. The shadow peeked out from behind the other side of the roofing, green eyes shining at her like a... well, cat. She eased her breathing as Chat glided over to her, mentally adapting herself to being simply Marinette.

"Hello, Princess. Your Knight has arrived," he smirked charismatically. She scoffed, amused, then reminding herself to ask the cat what he was doing there. To keep up her facade, of course.

"Hello, Chat Noir. What brings you to my roof tonight?" She quizzed, careful to not expose herself. Chat grabbed her hand, pulling it closer towards his own body. She expected this, although not so suddenly. She stumbled slightly but was able to keep her balance and not fall over onto him.

"Ladybug has requested I protect you for the night, My Lady," the cat-boy grinned, kissing her hand flirtatiously. To him, something about this girl seemed familiar. Besides her being in his class, of course. Marinette simply rolled her eyes, slipping her wrist out from Chat's grip. He didn't seem very startled, yet his eyes widened seemingly insignificantly, catching her off guard.

"Oh, uh, sorry, Chat," she apologized, "you just never answered my question."

Chat straightened up in front of Marinette. Brushing himself off, he replied obscurely, "I'm sorry, Princess, I didn't mean to frighten you." His eyes seemed sincere, yet she had a hard time believing them.

Her attitude did a 180-turn and she groaned, crossing her arms, "Do you have to string along every girl you see?" The leather-clad boy seemed perplexed at her statement. His head tilted slightly to left, and he squinted, probably trying to decipher the meaning to the comment.

"What do you mean, Princess? I only flirt with you," he purred, attempting to regain her unsuggested affection. Marinette would have none of it.

"What about Ladybug?" She interrogated, "everyone knows you have a thing for her." Marinette shifted her weight to the opposite foot, standing lopsided in a sassy pose that could only enhance her words.

Chat Noir just glared at her inquiringly. He hadn't known people actually knew about his longing for the red-suited superhero. He shrugged it off, however, and replied, "Why, Princess, you should know it is only you and my Lady whom of which I trifle with." He did his best to convince her-it wasn't a lie after all.

The shorter, slender girl scowled at him, but after a moment her expression softened. It seemed she believed him, to an extent. He grinned, his white teeth glaring at her with a boasting pride only Chat Noir could pull off-barely. Marinette just chuckled; not what he was expecting.

"Alright, kitty cat. Now, why don't you tell me what's going to happen now? Why do I need protecting?"

"That," he answered, "I do not know."

Marinette had quite honestly put her and Chat together for a reason-to get some information out of him. She never used to care for facts on his personal life, but now she wanted to know something, just to learn more about her partner. She trusted him fully, but she also wanted to be able to understand Chat Noir more. She could never tell him this in person, of course, so she'd constructed a plan to get more out of him as Marinette. If she had, he'd probably just smirk and laugh, amused at the thought that Ladybug—the girl who wanted nothing to do with the personal life of her partner—actually did. Originally she'd thought personal and fighting lives should be kept separate. It was the smart thing to do. But gradually she grew more interested in learning at least a little about him—how he acted with a person other than her. Sure, it was selfish, but she rarely put herself in front of others. This was someone she trusted her life with, so wasn't it fair that she at least know something about him, besides his immediate and continuous need to flirt?

Chat suggested the two go somewhere else, away from her home where the enemy would easily find her. It was clever—for him—but she didn't want to have to sneak out. Not as Marinette. She had an image to uphold. Yet Chat convinced her it would be the smart thing to do-something she hadn't truly been thinking about that day.

"Well, Princess, let's go!" Chat yelled as he slung Marinette over his back. She wrapped her arms around his neck, not afraid of falling, rather, having to save herself. Or making him save her. That'd just be embarrassing. She pretended to be surprised at his actions, calling, "Did you have to carry me?! We could've just walked!" Her irritation was, in fact, true, on both sides of her personality. But Chat didn't know that.

"Oh, no, Princess, this is much faster!" He chuckled as they flew over the rooftops of Paris. Marinette wasn't particularly impressed by this. Sometimes being Ladybug made everything go by so incredibly fast, and maybe she just wanted to slow things down for once, but she let him continue. At least she didn't have to walk.

The duo arrived at a rooftop garden. Neither Chat or Marinette knew why exactly a garden, but it seemed peaceful enough. They sat at a table near the edge, getting a perfect view of the city. Well, okay, there was a building covering a little bit of the sight, but it wasn't distracting enough for the two to mention.

The garden was full of beautifully-blooming plants and flowers, and although it was difficult to see in the night's light, it was still a pretty sight. Chat Noir could certainly see it better than Marinette, although he wasn't sure if she knew that or not.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Marinette was never really nervous around him, and she still wasn't. She just wasn't sure how to handle the situation. She hadn't thought about it, and, therefore, wasn't prepared. Chat just glanced at her, his face steered toward the view but his gaze on the girl he'd carried across the city.

"So, uh, kitty cat. What do you do in your free time out of your fursuit?" She'd tried to be subtle but was instead blunt in getting an answer out of him.

Chat Noir hesitated before answering, worried about revealing too much about himself. "Well, I'm pretty busy upholding the standards set upon me by my father. He's very strict," he replied vaguely. He wasn't quite sure why Marinette had asked such a personal question as that, and he knew not to reveal himself to a civilian girl like her. If it was anyone he was going to confess to, it'd be Ladybug.

"Huh. That must suck," Marinette said dejectedly. She then realized she probably wasn't going to get more than that out of the feline. She hadn't really been thinking when she came up with this stupid plan, just blinded by the urge to know things she shouldn't. Chat Noir and Marinette sat awkwardly, staring at the view of Paris lit up, contrasting the dark sky above them.

"The stars are beautiful, huh?"

"What?" She said, startled by his unexpected comment.

He turned to look at her face closely, for the first time. In detail. Her eyes were deep blue, like the ocean. Her cheeks were round and soft, he assumed, by the quality of her skin. Her hair was a shining black-blue, city lights reflecting off her slick coiffure. And something about this girl reminded him of... of... Ladybug. He wasn't sure why, but it hit him like a hurricane-forcing him to widen his eyes in revelation as if he'd been swept up in the tide of his discovery. This hard-hitting feeling was exactly the same as how he felt around his Lady, only in a more relaxed setting, and it gave him the time to think about it.

"Are you okay, Chat?" The girl queried. Her brows were furred, too, like his Lady earlier that evening. He felt a rush of heat spread across his face; his palms became sweaty and he practically slipped trying to stand.

"I-I'm sorry, Princess, I have to go," he mumbled anxiously. He regretted having to leave her there, but he was in no condition to carry her again, or even just walk her home. He looked away from her face, overwrought with worry, and he darted off the rooftop garden onto the streets of Paris. Marinette huffed, partially worried for Chat but more for herself, as she was on a roof. At night. Alone. And Chat had just left her there to find her own way down. If she could she'd punch him, but then she'd have to explain herself, and she didn't really want to. She instead scanned the area for any bystanders, seeing none, and transforming to Ladybug, using her yo-yo to return to her bedroom at the bakery.

Luckily her parents were sound asleep, and she sighed in relief of not revealing herself to them. She removed her suit in a glowing flash and once again she was Marinette. Plain, boring Marinette... but she'd just have to live with that.

that's it for chapter one! sorry it's so short, i thought this was a good time to stop. hopefully chapter two will be out soon, it's not like i have much going on anyways. anyway, marichat dominated this chapter, but the next is mostly adrienette!

i honestly don't know where i'm going with this story, but writing is about discovery, isn't it? let's see where it goes together!