Her fingers dance across bolts of fabric, pausing when she feels something that tickles her skin delectably. She glides her hand to find the loose ends and pulls just enough out so she can grasp the delicate fabric with both hands and let it flutter against her arms.

¨Adrien, what do you think of this?¨

¨The color is hideous.¨

Marinette giggles. ¨I should have just brought Alya.¨

¨Hey! I cleared my schedule today to help you out!¨ He pinches her arm and she tries to swat his hand away. ¨Plus you never told me what you're working on.¨

¨Alya found a dress she really liked at a boutique but they didn't have her size. I'm gonna see if I can replicate it.¨

He hums and rubs the fabric between his fingers. ¨It´s a little sheer.¨

¨I´ll put in a lining. What color do you think I should get?¨ She asks.

He scans the bolts of fabric that line the wall and spots a shade of purple he´s seen Alya in before. The roll is just out of reach, and his Chat tendencies urge him to climb the wall and pull down the fabric himself. Rather than make a fool of himself, he scouts the area for an employee. ¨There's a nice purple higher up, I´ll have to get a worker to help us out.¨

¨I´ll wait here.¨

They get the fabric for the dress and the lining loaded into the cart. Her cane taps along the floor as she runs her hand along the stretch knits and polyesters, a grin etched on her face. He loves watching her in her element. His father had once taken him to the company's fabric warehouse, but Adrien had found the trip to be rather boring. Gabriel Agreste judged the the fabric as coldly and critically as he regarded people. But Marinette was pure joy in a fabric store, there's so much for her to play with, she could lose herself if she didn't limit herself to one project.

¨How come you've never made something for me?¨ Adrien asks and she halts. An adorable shade of pink crosses her cheeks as she nervously runs her fingernails along the grain of a cotton broadcloth.

¨ It's….. the way I make clothes… it can be kind of…. Uncomfortable for other people,¨ she stutters.

¨You mean you get really handsy? I knew that.¨ She bats at his feet with her cane and he dances away. ¨Come on, I´ve done hundreds of fittings, I'm used to people putting their hands all over me." He says in a low suggestive voice that makes her laugh. ¨make me something simple. I want a Marinette design!¨

¨Fine,¨ she sighs, defeated. ¨How about a button up shirt?¨

He´s trying to figure out why he thought this was a good idea. He assumed this would feel like any other fitting or photo shoot, but the way her hands drift across his chest makes his heart pound against his rib cage. She´s strictly business, her tongue pokes out from between her lips occasionally when she's focusing extra hard on her task, and he can't stop staring at her mouth. She doesn't own a male dress form, so she cuts pieces of yarn to match his measurements and then pins them to her mannequin, so she can reference the lengths of yarn later when she drafts the pattern. Her head nudges against his chest briefly as she reaches behind him to wrap yarn around his waist. He tenses. If she hears his heart beating impossibly faster, she doesn't mention anything. Goosebumps raise where her knuckles lightly brush against his arm as she measures his biceps. When she runs her hands along hips, he has to focus on breathing through his nose and stares directly at the ceiling. Curse his mind for betraying him.

¨I should have the pattern drafted by tomorrow, and I´ll make a mockup by this weekend. Then we'll do a fitting with that. Sound good?¨

¨Yeah. Fine.¨ He can't trust himself to answer with more than single word responses. She cleans up her work station, placing supplies in their designated spots, and he takes a moment to breathe.

She pauses. ¨Thanks for doing this. I know you probably get tired of all the model stuff, but I really appreciate you helping me out.¨

Marinette is far too kind for her own good. He doesn't deserve her kindness.

¨Anytime.¨ He promises.

He dreads when there's an Akuma attack when they're together. He gets her to safety and asks her to wait while he goes to help other people. She's never where he leaves her when he returns after the battle. She always claims she's fine, she can handle herself when things get tough, but it constantly worries him. It distracts him when he´s supposed to be saving the city. Ladybug always senses his agitation, she snaps his attention back with a strident ¨Chat, focus!¨ and they're in sync again. The faster they defeat the villain, the faster he can return to his princess.

When he arrives at the scene first, his task is to distract till Ladybug arrives, a job he thinks is quite befitting for him. His father has taught him well, he knows exactly how to demand attention, but he would much rather use it to help his polka-dot clad partner rather than pose for photos.

Dodging and weaving through attacks, he gives the citizens time to run for cover, checking the sky to catch a glimpse of red sail through. He catches her from the corner of his eye, Marinette running aimlessly, cane tapping frantically, arm outstretched to feel for any hindering obstacle.

His heart sinks.

He manages to deter the akuma just long enough to swoop down to Marinette. She jumps and freezes at the sound of his boots hitting the pavement in front of her.

¨Hello Princess. You're knight has arrived. please don't be alarmed, but you're in a danger zone and I'm going to have to pick you up.¨

He quickly but delicately scoops her up and bolts. She instinctually clutches to him, and he can´t help but marvel at how wonderfully she fits in his arm. Definitely not the time to be thinking of it, but he can´t stop himself. The akuma pursues them. Chat serpentines to evade the blasts of energy that shoot at him. How horrifying this must all be for Marinette. Whisked into the arms of someone she´s never met and recklessly flying over the streets of Paris. But she makes no noise of discomfort and latches onto him fiercely so he has one arm free to maneuver his baton. He had always been astounded by her bravery before, this is an entirely new level of courage. He finds a safe alley for her, not to far from her bakery, and returns to the fray. Ladybug follows not soon after and they defeat the foe quickly.

Later at school, they sit together in the library, he scratches out a mistake he´s made in his essay draft, her fingers glide along the raised dots of the textbook.

¨Hey, Adrien? What do you think of Chat Noir?¨

His pen halts, ¨why do you ask?¨

¨Well… he saved me the other day, he was very sweet about it too. I was just wondering what other people thought of him. Most people seem to only talk about Ladybug.¨

¨Are you not a Ladybug fan?¨

¨It´s not that! I just don't understand why Chat Noir doesn´t get the same recognition. They´re a team, aren´t they?¨

His lady had assured him thousands of times that she needed him, but somehow to hear Marinette say it was a gift beyond compare.

¨They're definitely an incomparable duo.¨

¨Can…. Can I ask you a weird question?¨

¨Of course.¨

¨D-do you think Chat has feelings for Ladybug?¨

The blush that creeps across her cheeks confuses him more than the question. It's not uncommon for people to discuss the nature of Ladybug and Chat Noir´s relationship. While it doesn't make him uncomfortable to talk about it, it's still strange to talk about, especially since he is one of the subjects of discussion. He´s gotten pretty good at redirecting conversations about the topic, but now his curiosity is peaked.

¨I think their relationship is purely professional. Why do you ask?¨ She fidgets. He´s never seen her like this. Even in her clumsiest moments when she trips on her way to give a presentation, she exudes confidence and surety, laughing and pulling herself up before anyone can step in to help. Her spirit inspires others, her ability to call people out on their bullshit - namely Chloé- leaves people in awe. Here she is, sitting across from him fidgeting while discussing the nonexistent relationship between the city's beloved heroes.

¨Mari… do you have a crush on Chat Noir?¨ She tense and leans towards him, hand frantically reaching across the table to find his.

¨Adrien, keep your voice down!¨ She hisses, hand finding his and squeezing.

¨Oh my gosh, you totally have a crush on Chat Noir!¨ He whispers back, heart swelling. He wants to run to the roof and scream in elation. ¨Why are you so embarrassed?¨

She frowns and he wants to badly for her to smile again. ¨It´s kind of pathetic don't you think? For me to like him? I know realistically nothing could ever happen, but it's almost laughable for me to imagine it.¨

He almost tells her everything. His identity and his feelings for her. The defeated look on her face makes his heart ache, his Mari deserves so much more and it pains him to hear her speak ill of herself. Every corner of his mind screams at him to just tell her the truth. Plagg had said he couldn´t tell anyone, but Marinette wasn't just anyone, she would keep the secret. The only sensible part of his mind (surprisingly is sounds a little like Plagg) tells him it would only hurt her feelings if he were to suddenly come clean now.

¨Marinette, trust me, I think you have just as good a chance at any other girl to win the heart of Chat Noir"

There's no competition.

The smile she offers isn't genuine. If only he could tell her the truth.

¨Chat would be a lucky guy to have you.¨

Ladybug hears the familiar beeping of Chat´s miraculous over the sound of the cameras clicking. She tunes out the questions from reporters and zeros in to her partner. His breathing is labored, his footsteps staggering as he moves towards her. He´s limping. She can smell him sweating as he exerts himself to maintain his composure. Another 's no way he´s gonna make it.

¨Ladies and gentlemen, if you´ll excuse us, we have pressing matters to deal with.¨ She crosses the distance between them, slips his arm over her neck so he can grasp her shoulder, and tosses her yoyo. It finds it's mark and the string vibrates. Through the pulsations she can feel it's hooked around a vacated construction crane on top of a building. Not a good place for him to de-transform and definitely not far enough from prying eyes, but they're losing time quickly and she needs to move. She tugs and they soar. She retracts and releases, her trustworthy yoyo always finding a safe surface to latch on.

¨My Lady!¨ Chat panics. She knows. Time´s up.

She hears his transformation wear off, feeling the heat from the released energy, just as she touches down on a secluded roof top. She breathes in deeply, subtly sniffing the air. There's no one around, he´s safe here. He retracts his arm from her shoulders and shuffles away, every other foot step thunking harder against the concrete. The subtle vibrations of his moments rattle up her legs and she tries not to focus too much. If she concentrates hard enough, she´s sure she can distinguish his features now that he no longer wears a mask.

¨Ladybug, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to be so reckless. Oh god. I´ve messed everything up!¨ His voice is higher, she can feel his desire to pace but he can't with his leg. The air shifts around him as something small floats around his head. Ladybug can only assume it's his kawami. It mumbles something about being too tired to deal with anything and flits into his jacket. The strong smell of cheese fills the air.

¨Chat, don't worry about it, I don't recognize you.¨ He regards her for a moment, then turns his head to look at a billboard behind him. The movement ruffles his hair and she can smell the distinct aroma of Chat, along with another familiar scent she can't quite place.

¨Ladybug, I don't mean to sound vain, but I'm almost positive you've seen me before.¨ She can feel his eyes boring into her.

¨How much do you wanna bet,¨ she mumbles.

¨What was that?¨

It's time to come clean.¨Believe me, Chat, I haven't seen you before. Ever.¨ No response. She tunes in to the sound of his heartbeat. It's beating frantically, like the wings of the purified akuma.

¨Are you blind?¨ He whispers, voice heavy with disbelief. She nods. She can hear the blood roaring in his ears.

¨Why didn´t you ever tell me.¨

¨I…. I didn´t want anyone to know. That´s why I was so determined to keep our identities a secret from each other. ¨ She hears car rushing past on the street, feels the steps of thousands civilians strolling casually by the shop windows just below them, but time feels like it has stopped on the rooftop.

¨My god, you're incredible,¨ he breathes.

She´s almost too stunned for words. ¨W-What?¨ Is all she can splutter out.

¨How do you do it? I had no idea? I thought you were amazing before, but… Wow!¨

She wants to cry but she's too stunned.

¨This seriously doesn't bother you?¨

¨No, of course not. Why would it?¨

She breathes a sigh of relief. ¨I had just assumed….¨

¨I promise, it doesn't bother me at all.¨ He shifts nervously. ¨Do you mind me asking a few questions?¨

She helps him to sit on a ledge, just away from the edge of the building so they're not at risk of being spotted. He moves his kawami from his pocket to the spot besides him so the little creature can enjoy his cheese.

¨When Tikki, my kawami, offered me the powers, she said I would be granted a special kind of vision. All of my other sense are stronger when I'm Ladybug. I can practically smell and hear everything within a 5-mile radius.¨

¨That has to have its disadvantages,¨ he chuckles.

¨Oh god. Everytime we fight an akuma that´s sound or smell based.. Akk!" She grimaces and he laughs harder.

¨So you fight based on hearing and smell?¨

¨That's just part of it. The thing that helps the most is sounds and motions create vibrations and I can feel everything.¨ She thrums her fingers along the ledge, and she sees him leaning towards her, eagerly waiting. ¨Normally, all I see is darkness. When I'm Ladybug, the heightened senses add light to things. I can see outlines of shapes in, I can feel where people and things are.¨

¨You see the world in darkness and light? So in black and white?¨

¨I guess. Sorry, I don't really know how to best describe it.¨

¨It´s fine.¨ He places a comforting hand on her shoulder.

¨I think I see a color sometimes?¨

¨What do you mean?¨

¨Whenever I cast ´Lucky Charm´ whatever object it makes is really… weird. It stands out, it doesn't look like darkness or light, but I don't know what it is. I think it's a color.¨

¨What does it look like?¨

She thinks for a moment. ¨For starters, it looks like what bubble wrap feels like.¨

¨Polka dots," he chuckles. ¨Usually polka-dotted items have two colors, what´s the second color?¨

She tried to imagine how Alya would describe it. Alya is so much better at words than she is.

¨It looks like hope.¨ She pauses, expecting a response from him, but he offers none. ¨Whenever I see it, I know the battle's almost done and we're one step closer to saving someone. It's not an ultimate solution, but it reminds me that we're trying and if we keep trying we'll succeed. ¨

¨Red.¨ She can hear the smile in his voice. ¨Whenever you cast ´Lucky Charm´ it's always red with black polka dots.¨

¨If you knew, why did you have me describe it?¨ She pouts.

¨It´s your color. I wanted to hear what you said.¨

¨Oh. Well. That's not what I imagined red to look like.¨

¨What did you think it looked like?¨

¨I don't know anymore. When my friend described it she said it was ´the color of love and heat and passion.´ I always just imagined when you put your hand to close to fire and it got really hot.¨

¨I think I like your description better.¨ He shifts toward her. ¨You know, your suit matches 'Lucky Charm'."

¨It does?¨

¨Yeah.¨ He takes her hand kisses the back of it, just as he had done a hundred times. ¨You´re the color of hope.¨