"Remember," Nathalie said as she straightened Adrien's coat and fluffed his hair slightly. Marinette didn't need the help from the woman (nor the stylists, makeup artists nor wardrobe) to make herself presentable for the cameras. "Avoid words like disability. You're adjusting well and you'll be back to work and school come the new term. There's no reason for people to see you—treat you any differently—"

"Nathalie," Adrien cut in. "You're treating me differently." He brushed her hands away from his body. "I'll ask if I need help. Now just tell me if I look fine."

The woman was quiet for several moments as his words sunk in. "You just need your glasses, Adrien," she eventually said in a tone that was less than her usual clipped manor.

"I'm not wearing them," the blond replied swiftly.

"We decided—"

"You decided. I'm deciding not wearing them."

"People are expecting you to look the part."

"The part they'll see me look is me. I'm not changing myself for them. I've done enough of that for other people." They all knew who he meant.

"They're going to see the scars in your eyes, Adrien," Nathalie pointed out, her voice almost seemed concerned.

"I'm sure they'd ask to see anyway. I'm just cutting out extra time."

Nathalie sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, pushing her own glasses up just a little. The woman turned on the blunette girl then.

"I know, Nathalie," Marinette said before she could get a word in. "Guide Adrien, field questions, don't speak unless spoken to."

"And don't stutter."

Marinette's façade quivered.

"Nathalie, you can't say that," Adrien said as he bumped Marinette's hand beside him, traced his fingers up her arm and rested his grasp on her inner elbow. Marinette was grateful for the comfort.

"Your father doesn't wish for you to be seen as or with weak people, Adrien."

"A stutter does not make you weak!" Adrien spat, letting rage take him. "Marinette is perfectly able to be understood and I see no reason why that should be of any concern. She's going on with me, stuttering or not. Come on, Mari."

Adrien tugged gently at Marinette's arm and the girl mumbled a polite farewell to Nathalie as she turned away and began to lead her friend away. They stood by the door that lead out into the conference room filled with reporters and photographers. Marinette peeked out the crack in the door and let out a tiny squeak, shooting back up to Adrien's side.

"Never done this before?" the blond teen asked with a light laugh.

"Nope," Marinette replied. "Never. Best I've done is that speech for class rep. And that was spur of the moment after an akuma attack so you can thank residual miraculous confidence for that," she whispered to him.

"You'll do fine, Mari. You don't even have to say anything. You just have to stand there and look pretty, which I believe you already know how to do quite well. Plus, you have that confidence with or without a certain little bug." Adrien said this, but he was sure he was the one who was more scared.

Marinette clutched Adrien's hand and squeezed as way of thanks, then they were being ushered onto the platform at the front of the room. Adrien set his model's smile upon his lips.

Flashes of bright lights filled Adrien's already clouded eyes with many dull bursts. The deafening noise of a hundred voices screaming questions at them made him disorientated and he stumbled slightly, suddenly not knowing up from down. If he hadn't been holding Marinette, his hand on her arm and her fingers delicately draped over his, then he may have turned tail and bolted in fear.

'Don't be so stupid, Agreste,' his mind taunted. 'You've done this a thousand times.'

With a mumbled word from Marinette and Adrien found the podium in front of him, microphone already set up and ready to go. He smiled at the audience and waited for them to quieten before launching into the speech that had been prepared for him. He broached many topics that had been on the minds of the public since his incident.

"Ladies and gentleman," he began in his strong, public speaking voice. "I'd like to start by assuring you all that I am alive." Some people in the room politely chuckled, though most were unnerved by Adrien's ghostly eyes as he blindly scanned the room as he had always done.

"Let's start at the beginning, shall we? That night several months ago I'd been out jogging. I never intended to get in the way of the akuma, I hadn't even noticed the danger. In hindsight I certainly should have been more alert."

The carefully crafted lie flowed seamlessly from Adrien's lips as he spoke to the room. He broached many topics that had been on the minds of the public since his incident.

"… I have spoken to Ladybug personally." Marinette's fingers twitched slightly by Adrien's hand. "And we've learnt from this that the Miraculous magic isn't as all powerful as expected. So she's asked me to put out a warning to the people of Paris, if there is an akuma attack please stay away. She and Chat Noir will defend out city however they can't do their work if they're rescuing citizens that put themselves in danger just to get a good seat for the action…"

"…will be returning to work within the next few months. My recovery is going exceedingly well and thanks to a team of talented surgeons and my father's funding, I will be looking my best once more very soon..."

"…this setback will certainly effect my career, but I won't let it get in the way of my future. You'll see me back up on the catwalk, I promise..."

"…school will not be a problem. With advances in technology, I will be able to attend the same classes as my schoolmates and participate as a mostly normal student."

"…I in no way blame Ladybug or Chat Noir for what happened to me…"

"…it's been a hard time learning to see the world so differently. But I am confident with the specialist team and my close friends," he set a hand on Marinette's shoulder, "that I have the best support network a young man could need and I will rise above this," Adrien finished with his award winning smile still in place. Now came the part he hoped, no he knew, Marinette was up to. She'd done it enough times while suited up so Adrien had all faith in her abilities now.

"Let's have some questions," he announced and the room erupted into a chaos of voices from nearly every direction. The blond reached out and held onto the podium tightly, still smiling for the audience.

Suddenly the room silenced, Adrien let a small breath out. His Lady hadn't failed him.

"Mr. Agreste. Now being disabled, how would that impact other models? Wouldn't that make you a liability to not only yourself but your co-workers?"

"I'll be getting back into work slowly. I'll begin with photo shoots and will be re-training on the catwalk. My father is working together with some of my support workers to make the work environment safe for both myself and my fellow models."

Voices filled his ears again and Adrien stiffened slightly. He'd never liked loud noises before. Now that feeling only seemed to have tripled.

"Adrien. What's your relationship with the young woman?"

"This is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She's my classmate, good friend, and a very talented young designer. Marinette is helping me to get back into life again, making things as normal as possible."

"Just friends, you say?"

"Just friends," Adrien affirmed, cringing inwardly. "You'll see her, and my other friends, helping me out."

"Miss Dupain-Cheng! Did Mr. Agreste say you're a designer? Are you friends with him to get closer to his father?"

"N-n-no!" Marinette defended herself and she could almost feel Nathalie burrowing her face in her hands. "No. I'm here just for Adrien." The blond patted her shoulder gently.

Several invasive questions later, many making Marinette squirm and Adrien brushing them aside with the 'no comment' remark, and Adrien was being lead offstage by Marinette.

"I can't believe you do those all the time," Marinette leaned into Adrien and said gently. "I can't believe I do those all the time. It's so much different when wearing red."

"Why do you think I let you handle them most of the time? Black means I can get away without acting perfect," Adrien replied in a voice just as quiet.

"Adrien. Marinette." Nathalie's voice cut through their whispers and the commotion from behind them. "Let's go." Her clipping heels left them.

"Were her glasses pushed up or relaxed?"

"What?"

"Were her glasses pushed right up against her face," Adrien repeated. "Or kind of slipping down her nose?"

"Oh, ah. Slipping I think," Marinette replied and Adrien's kitten grin was back.

"She's proud of us," he told her. "Let's get going before she's not anymore."

"Behind you, duck!" Marinette squeaked out the order to Adrien. "Good, attack. No, I'm behind you, you dork!"

Adrien grunted and mashed at the buttons on his controller, trying very hard to get the right combo to annihilate Marinette's avatar.

"I'm above you, block!"

Adrien did as he was told, having played the game for many years and knowing the buttons by heart. Several weeks earlier in hospital, Marinette had brought in a game for Adrien at his request. They'd quickly discovered that their partnership worked well in more ways than just battles of the physical kind.

"Left."

His game character turned and charged as Adrien clicked a sequence of buttons resulting in the winning music playing.

"How?" Marinette hissed almost angrily. "You're blind!"

Adrien fist-pumped the air in triumph, her bitter words sealing his knowledge of the win. "Guess I had some good help," he chuckled and slapped her gently on the back.

"Well next time you won't be getting any help seeing as you're so good," the girl huffed. Tikki and Plagg were giggling from their cushion, surrounded by cookies and cheeses.

Adrien stilled at their noise. "Marinette?" he asked while the menu music played in the background. "I think we need to talk about things."

That was not a conversation starter she'd ever planned on hearing from Adrien. All her daydreams had been happily ever afters and three children and a long life together. Hell, they weren't even dating and he was pulling up this conversation! Marinette was quaking within.

"Yes… Adrien? Wh-what is it?"

"The door's closed, right? Locked?"

Oh. Maybe it wasn't about that.

There was a swish of air and a click. "Check!" Tikki called out and fluttered back to Plagg.

"We need to talk about what Ladybug is going to do, Mari."

"What do you mean? She's going to do what she always does."

"I mean now that Chat's out of action. She doesn't have anyone to watch her back."

"Adrien, I can do it," she tried to calm him. "Thank you for the concern but I can handle the akuma myself. Don't worry about it."

"Marinette, you're going to need help and I can't do that right now."

"You are not about to suggest—"

"He's right, Marinette," Tikki piped up.

"You need help! I don't want you to get hurt, Mari. They can seriously help."

"They? I thought we were just talking about Alya!"

Adrien frowned. "I couldn't tell her without telling my best friend, Marinette. I couldn't do that to Nino. Plus, I'm sure he'd be useful in some way to you."

"Yeah, as a friend," she pointed out. "Not as a hero. They don't even have Miraculous like we do."

"They don't need it. Alya has a wealth of information and so many ways to get news even before we do. She can keep on top of the attacks from a distance and help with communication and planning. Alya's a quick thinker and with her basically on the ground with you, hell she may even be a better partner than me."

"Don't say that," Marinette said gently.

"It's true and you know it."

"Doesn't mean I'm accepting this. I can deal with the akuma on my own, Kitty. Please. You don't have to worry about me."

"Why are you so stubborn?"

"Why are you?"

"Because I've seen you get hurt many times and it hurts me just as much to see it. If I can't be your shield, then I will find another way to send you into battle protected."

"I'll be fine—"

Marinette's phone sounded from her bag, cutting her off.

"Speaking of," the blunette said and stood. "Tikki, we've got a show to put on. Will you be okay for a while by yourself, Adrien?"

The other nodded sullenly. "Come back afterwards?"

"Of course."

Adrien's watch told him it was well past midnight when he heard the scuffing of soft, flat feet shuffle into his room via the window.

"Tikki!" he heard Plagg cry out in concern. "Let her out, give her to me!" What?

The gentle sound of bells and magic filled the room as Marinette whispered the detransformation charm, and two bodies crashed to the floor, both panting. Adrien pushed himself up from the couch where he'd been listening to a book, and made his way around the furniture.

"Marinette? Mari, are you okay? Where are you?"

"Left two," came the soft voice. "Forward four, maybe six."

Adrien followed her instructions and knelt where he stopped. He felt for Marinette in front of him. Fingers brushed over her skin, searching for injuries.

"I'm okay, Kitty Cat," Marinette assured him. "Just exhausted and a little bruised."

"A little?!" Plagg all but screamed. "You better hope there aren't any attacks for a few days because Tikki's not going anywhere!"

"What happened, Mari?" Adrien asked, very concerned that he didn't seem to be getting a straight answer, and helped the girl to sit up. She bit back groans.

"It was just a very strong akuma. That's all. It took a while to beat down."

Adrien wrapped his arms tightly around Marinette and pressed his face against her hair. His Lady. He couldn't help her, just as he'd known. And he'd let her go anyway!

"We need help," he whispered against her ear.

Marinette's answer was to hug him in return.