Facts:

Chat started spending time with Marinette after the whole Evillustrator thing happened, cause he was fascinated with her. She could rarely talk properly with his alter ego, but when he was there as Chat, she spoke to him with confidence and he was … fascinated.

After Alya and Nino became a thing, they started sitting together and Marienette had no choice but to sit next to Adrien. (They may or may not have planned it… no one knows.)

Marinette was worried when Chat started spending so much time with her. She thought that maybe he must have figured out her identity. But, after a couple of days, she figured, he just wanted to spend some time along with her. And she didn't know whether to be happy, or surprised. She let her walls down, and soon they chated (chated... hehe, pun intended) almost every night. She would talk about her classmates, and her designs, and sometimes, all she could talk about was Adrien, and how dreamy he was.

Though that hurt Chat. Did she prefer his masked self that everyone knew, that he showed to the people on a daily basis, that perfect little boy, who was always polite with everyone. Who no one thought would throw a flirty comment in his life? Did she not prefer his unmasked side, the side where he was Chat, and free, and wouldn't care about what people thought about him?

The irony of it all.

Chat asked her whether Adrien knew that she liked him. And she had stuttered. Finally! He was missing this side of Marinette.

"No."

"No? But why? You obviously like him. Which breaks my heart. Cause here I was thinking that we could have a chance." He said putting a hand over his heart, and pulling on a dramatic expression.

"I thought you love Ladybug?"

"I do. But, if I didn't love her, you would be the person I would go after. You obviously have a special place in my heart. Cause, Purrincess, this Chat does not chat with everyone."

Marinette rolled her eyes, though she felt a tug at her heart. Chat liked her. Her Civilian self. And he had fallen for the same girl twice. It would be so easy for both of them, if she revealed her identity now. Saved both of them a lot of trouble. And if she were being honest with herself, this alley cat might finally have clawed his way into her heart.

"I think … I think the same goes for you Chat." Marinette said blushing.

"Hmm… so I don't have to worry about this Adrien guy anymore?"

Chat asked wiggling his eyebrows. Marinette hit him on his arm.

"Ohh. Shush you. I said, if I didn't love Adrien, I would have fallen for you. But he comes first." Marinette said. Oh. She completely forgot about Adrien. Wow. How?

"So?" Chat asked looking at her. And she realized that he might have asked her something.

"Hmm? Sorry I didn't listen." She said rubbing her neck. And Chat laughed. Why doesn't he always laugh like that? That laugh suited him sooo much.

Chat snapped his fingers in front of her. She snapped out of it. And she realized she had been staring.

"Are you alright princess? You look out of it today…" He asked concerned.

Marinette nodded.

"What were you saying?"

"I asked why you haven't still told this guy that you like him?"

"He – He. I can't talk properly in front of him."

"Why? Does he scare you? Do you want me to beat him up?"

Marinette laughed as she shook her head, and pulled him into a hug. Wait… What? Why did she do that? She tensed as she felt Chat tense under her. She was about to pull back, when Chat relaxed under her, and pulled her back. She… she felt so safe. If felt so good, that she never wanted to let him go. She wanted to stay right there forever. Especially when he started patting her hair.

"You feeling alright there Princess?" Chat asked his voice soft.

She pulled back with a blush as she nodded.

"I … I am so sorry. I didn't mean to do that. It's… it's just that you said that, and then, I had to hug you… I mean I will never do that again… I mean… oh my gods! I am so sorry…"

Chat started laughing.

"It's okay Princess. I will always be there to hug you." He said with a wink.

She started blushing. And Chat chuckled as his ring beeped, telling him that it was his time to leave. He came upto her, took her hand, and kissed it, as he said "So long princess."

He saluted and jumped on to the next roof, chuckling as he went.

The next day, it took everything in him to not smirk when Marinette sat down next to him.

"Hey there."

"Um… Uh… hi." She said, and then face palmed. Why couldn't she ever talk to him properly?

Adrien chuckled next to her, and she peeked from between her fingers to look at him.

"So, someone came up to me last night, saying that I might or might not scare you into not talking properly with me. I wonder what I really did to you, for you to complain about me to Chat Noir."

Oh my gods! Chat did what? She was going to kill him!

"Um… I am sorry, I was just blabbering, and then he suggested whether I was scared of you or not, and then… I … then something happened, and… I didn't get a chance to correct him. I mean I don't scare you… no no I meant… you don't scare me! Oh my gods! Am I still talking?" Marinette asked burrowing her head in her hands.

"Hey it's ok Mari…" he says as he pats her head.

Which strangely reminded her of Chat, but she let it go. She was sure she was now resembling a tomato.

"Chat… stop it." She mumbled. And then realized what she just said.

"Oh… oh my gods… Adrien! I am so sorry... I didn't mean to say that. I mean… you just reminded me of Chat. This is so not going well!"

"Chat, eh? Didn't know I resembled him." Adrien said with a very uncharacteristic yet familiar smirk.

Marinette was saved by the teacher entering the class and calling it to attention.

Alya and Nino had told them during one of the breaks between their classes that they were going out for a lunch date, and both of them kept taking about it to their respective friends. Marinette smiled as she saw her friend talk about how well their relationship was going. Adrien glanced at her, and smiled softly, when he saw her smiling and talking excitedly with Alya.

Nino elbowed him to get his attention.

"Huh?"

"You got a thing for Mari?" He asked wiggling his eyebrows. Adrien blushed as he tries to disagree.

"Umm… no! it's … I … Nino!" he screamed pushing him out of his seat.

Nino fell down laughing.

"Oh my god! You do! Adrien lik…" Adrien clasped a hand on Nino's mouth as he dragged him out of the class. The girls were looking at them weirdly but thought that it was just one of their antics.

"Ok! Fine! I like her. But I am confused!"

"And why is that?"

"Cause… I like someone else too…"

"Oh right your celebrity crush on Ladybug!"

"Can't you talk softly at all Nino?" he asked completely flustered.

"Ok fine. I think today's quota of getting Adrien flustered…"

"Nino?" Adrien asked reaching up to touch his friend who was frozen. He looked around to notice others who were in similar states.

"Hello people! I am Frozinator! You shall all suffer for being cold to me!" an akuma in a white dress (which was beautiful in a cruel kinda way) said as she shot ice blasts at whomever she could. Adrien turned around and ran to search for an empty room. As he closed the door, and was about to check if anyone was there, he heard her.

"Adrien?" Marinette asked.

"Marinette? Are you alright?"

"Yes… Alya was frozen before I could get her to safety. So I ran and hid here."

"I realized that there was an akuma when Nino was frozen solid. Oh man, I just hope Ladybug gets here soon."

"Or Chat Noir." Marinette says with a sigh.

Since he couldn't transform in front of her, Adrien decided, he should just chat for a while, at least till Ladybug arrives.

"So… do you like him?" Adrien asked.

"Hmm?" Marinette replied looking distracted. She had to search for an escape to get away from here to deal with the akuma.

"Do you like Chat Noir?" Adrien asked slyly. Hehe… he was so gonna have some fun.

"Um. Yeah I guess so." Marinette replied, looking around the room. When she realized what she said.

"Oh my gods… wait. I didn't mean… I mean… you know what? Chuck it. Let's find an escape shall we?" She asked and Adrien suddenly saw a flash of Ladybug in her features before shaking his head and then trying the door.

"Dam it! It's frozen shut." He said trying the door. "Oh man! I really hope Ladybug comes soon."

"But don't worry princess, I will protect you!" Adrien said letting his Chat Noir side coming out, when he realized what he said, and his smirk dropped.

"What did you say?" Marinette asked turning to look at him properly.

"No…Nothing. That I would protect you." Adrien tried to cover up. Man did she look like ladybug when she was serious.

"No. What did you call me?"

"Nothing… Mari... serious." Adrien said.

"No. You called me Princess. Didn't you?" Marinette asked glaring at him.

Adrien really could not stop the shiver that ran down his body. He gulped and nodded.

"Chat?" Marinette asked raising an eyebrow.

Adrien nodded again worried about her reaction. "Don't freak out?"

"How could I not have noticed? You sat right in front of me? No we can talk about this later, there is an akuma outside, and if we are both inside there is no one who will protect the people…"

"Mari… hold on what are you talking about?" Adrien asked turning her around so that she faced him.

"Chat… Adrien I need you to transform and use cataclysm to break open this door. Understood?" she asked him hoping he did not freak out when she transformed. "Tikki! Transform me!" Adrien gasped when Marinette was surrounded by a red light.

"Ladybug? You are Ladybug? I fell in love with the same girl twice? Oh my god!"

"Adrien! Don't freak out! We will talk about his after we defeat this akuma. Ok?" she said, though her face was flushed under the mask.

Adrien nodded and transformed, blushing under his mask because of his burst out.

He used Cataclysm and broke open the door. Defeating the akuma was a matter of minutes, and ladybug cleansed everything, she dragged Chat behind a chimney on a roof top.

"Ok! Now seems like the exact time to freak out!" Marinette said as she started pacing around. The school had given everyone an off after the akuma attack, so they had enough time to freak out.

"Really Princess, I don't know why you are freaking out. I mean you like me as both Chat Noir and Adrien, I like you as both Ladybug and Marinette, let's get together what's say?" Chat said wiggling his eyebrows.

She sighed, her chat would never change. Which reminded her of what she had promised herself to do the next time they met. And knowing that both Adrien and Chat were the same person frustrated her. She pushed him against the chimney.

"You… You mean mean alley cat… teasing me like that this morning! I was so ready to kill you."

Chat leaned forward, leaning into her personal space. "You know I like you a lot… but sometimes you stuttering makes me wanna kiss you." He says that as he releases his transformation. Her face bursts into a colourful shade of red.

"Get away you kitty. You are just pushing your luck right now."

"I think my bad luck is not working at all today my lady. Looking at how things are working out for me today." He said smirking.

"How could I really have missed you? Like you were sitting right in front of me."

"To be honest princess, I had my doubts about you."

"Really?"

"Mmhmm…"

"What gave me away?"

"Your bravery, most of the time, the way you hold yourself. I didn't call you a princess, only because you look beautiful. You are as brave as a princess, Purrincess." He said with a wink.

"You know Chat?"

"Hmm?"

"You might have a chance with me, if you stop making puns."

"No ways. You love them."

"uh huh."

"Really?" he mumbled.

"Just kidding kitty. What would the miraculous do without your puns. Though they do bug me sometimes… I love it."

"Knew it!" he says as he leans up to place a kiss on Mari's cheek.

"Knew what?"

"I was influencing you." he said with a wink, as they made their way downstairs.

"Hey, how about celebrating your bad luck not working today with pastries?"

"Man, I wish my bad luck doesn't work everyday if I get treated to pastries and getting pinned against a chimney." Adrien said with a smirk.

"I think there are advantages of having a girlfriend whose family owns a bakery eh?" she said smirking.

Yup, things were going for the good.