When their teacher introduced Romeo and Juliet to their literature class, Adrien was immediately enraptured.

It was charged with gang fights and passion, and heat, and romance, and hatred, and sexual tension, and poetry. How could Adrien not fall in love with a play that spoke to him so keenly? Romeo was a character he could relate to, deeply, madly, in love with the most beautiful girl at first sight. Someone who had morals and dreams and principles. A man who would do anything for his lady, even killing himself. Every literature lesson was spent with Adrien leaning forwards, his eyes widening with excited fascination, as he soaked in each and every word about the play.

When their teacher discussed 'The Balcony Scene' and read out the beautiful, romantic, poetry that made up the dialogue, Adrien felt his pulse quicken, his heart race, and his cheeks heat up as his mind conjured an image of his favourite little balcony in Paris. One covered in pot plants, where a princess spent her time drawing and designing, and led into a very pink bedroom….

Adrien wanted a Balcony Scene of his own and he wondered if Marinette was caught up in the same romantic fantasies as he was. This was surely something his Lady would enjoy!

(Unbeknownst to him, Marinette was not enraptured with Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and instead she used the time catching up on her sleep or doodling Mrs Adrien Agreste all over her notebook to pay enough attention to even be a little bit interested in the play.)

So, unsurprisingly (to Plagg), Adrien transformed that very night and swung his way towards that little balcony. He waited till it was close to midnight and the full moon was high in the sky, just to add to the romanticism of it all…..but much to his disappointment, it meant that Marinette was asleep.

He had landed on the balcony with his best maniacal Cheshire cat grin plastered on his face only for it to fall off quickly as he realised that the balcony was Marinette-less, her bedroom light was firmly turned off, and his Princess was fast asleep in bed. He groaned quietly as he knelt down to peer at Marinette's sleeping form. She would never forgive him if he woke her up, the last time he had tried she had thrown a shoe at him and make it very clear that the next time she wouldn't miss.

So there was no reciting Shakespeare and re-enacting the balcony scene tonight!

….well, not the entire scene.

It was those first opening-lines of the scene that caught Adrien's attention, they were the ones he related to the most, and as he soaked in the beauty that was Marinette with her cloud of soft, floral, scented blue-back hair that wafted against her pillow, and her pretty, plush, pink lips pressed together as she let out a sleepy sigh….

The words spilled out of Adrien's mouth before he could stop them. But soft!" he murmured dreamily. "What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Marinette is the sun."

Was there ever truer words uttered? To him, she was the sun. She was dazzling, bright, warm and so very radiant. He was constantly captivated by her.

"Arise, fair sun," he begged. He didn't want to wake her up but that didn't change the fact that he would much prefer it if his Princess was actually awake and sitting before him as he recited this. It would totally sweep her off her feet! He could just picture her pretty blush and stammered replies. "And kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief, that thou, her maid, art far more fair than she. Be not her maid since she is envious. Her vestal livery is but sick and green. And none but fools do wear it. Cast it off!"

Marinette moaned and Adrien suddenly slapped a hand over his mouth. He had gotten so into the monologue, lost himself completely in the passion of Romeo, the passion he felt for Marinette, that he had gotten carried away and allowed his voice to get louder and bolder at each passing word.

He smiled sheepishly down at Marinette. The small frown on her face relaxed back into her restful, serene, sleepy smile as she fell back into whatever good dream she was having.

(Please let it be about him! Lord knows how many times she has haunted his dreams both as Ladybug and Marinette.)

"It is my lady," he whispered in awe. "Oh," he let out another dreamy sigh. "It is my love! Oh, that she knew she were!" he despaired, his voice leaped in volume at that which caused Marinette to let out another moan of irritation, but this time Adrien was too caught up to notice. He was almost at the end of Romeo's soliloquy on Juliet's beauty and hold on him, and Adrien was giddy with excitement as he pushed to finish it. "She speaks, yet she says nothing. What of that? Her eye discourses. I will answer it. — I am too bold. 'Tis not to me she speaks. Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven, having some business, do entreat her eyes to twinkle in their spheres till they return. What if her eyes were there, they in her head?"

Adrien paused as he pondered over the compliments of such beautiful eyes. He wondered if they were to encounter a time-travelling Akuma again and end up meeting Shakespeare because how else did the playwright know the right words to describe Marinette's eyes. Suddenly he felt a pang as he longed to look deeply into the deep, shining, blue that was Marinette Dupain-Cheng's eyes….

"The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars," Adrien murmured as he thought about her blush the last time he looked deeply into her eyes. She had gotten all flustered and pushed his face away and told him to pay attention to the stake out they were having for a recent Akuma… "As daylight doth a lamp. Her eye in heaven," he carried on, "Would through the airy region stream so bright that birds would sing and think it were not night."

Marinette rolled to her side with a little grunt and a yawn. Another frown marred her face as she slid a hand beneath her cheek and snuggled deeper into her pillow.

"See how she leans her cheek upon her hand!" Adrien cried out dramatically as he finally reached the bit that he truly related to. How he envied anything that got to touch Marinette's soft, silky, skin. "Oh, that I were a glove upon that hand," he said longingly, "That I might touch that cheek!

Marinette moaned as she stirred in her sleep once more and then promptly rolled over so her face was crushed against her pillow completely. "Go home, Adrien," she said firmly into her pillow. "It's sleepy time right now. Come back in the morning."

Adrien's face lit up with delight.

She was awake! His Lady was awake and had impeccable timing! She spoke up just when Juliet was supposed to (though she definitely said the wrong words) and just gave Adrien the opening he needed to carry on. He can have his balcony scene!

He would jump up and down in joy if it wasn't for the fact that he would look really stupid doing so….and it would probably wake up Marinette's parents which he definitely didn't want to do.

"She speaks!" he exclaimed ecstatically. "O, speak again, bright angel!" he pleaded as he ignored the frustrated glare Marinette was currently shooting at him as she once again rolled back onto her back and crossed her arms stubbornly. "For thou art as glorious to this night, being o'er my head, as is a winged messenger of heaven"

Marinette stubbornly held onto her scowl but there was nothing - not even the cover of night -that could hide her burning cheeks. Adrien grinned down at her and was pleased to see her relenting as she sighed heavily, reluctantly sat up and left her warm bed, and slowly began to make her way up towards him.

"Unto the white, upturned, wondering eyes," he said breathlessly as Marinette got closer and closer. "Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him when he bestrides the lazy-puffing clouds and sails upon the bosom of the air."

Marinette finally reached the top of the ladder that led out onto the balcony. Adrien eagerly picked up her hand and pressed a loving kiss against her knuckles before he stood up and helped her to clamber out of her room. She tripped slightly over thin air and staggered into him. He caught her with great efficiency (as this has happened a billion times now since they had first started dating) and smoothly pulled her in close for a bone-crushing hug. Marinette responded with an embrace just as tight as she snuggled into the black leather of his suit and let out another sleepy, sweet, sigh.

Then she pulled away and lifted her chin up to level him with her best, non-nonsense, be sensible Chat, glare.

"What are you doing here, Kitty?" she demanded. "Do you have any idea what time it is? If my parents catch you up here they'll kill you."

"Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye," Adrien replied melodramatically as he dug his fingers into her hips and tried to pull her back closer. But Marinette wasn't having anything of it has she placed her hands against his chest and pushed away. "Than twenty of their swords. Look thou but sweet, And I am proof against their enmity."

Marinette broke away from his grip completely at that. "Adrien!" she growled furiously. "I'm serious!"

So was he.

He was deadly serious at making a corny, beautifully romantic, gesture for his Lady Love and he was going to finish this scene before Marinette lost her temper completely and pushed him over the railings.

"I have night's cloak to hide me from their eyes," Adrien replied. He couldn't help but smirk as Marinette's jaw twitched angrily at him not complying or, at the very least, talk in normal, modern day, language. "And but thou love me, let them find me here," Marinette swooped in and attempted to smack him over the back of his head but Adrien doubled back quickly and caught hold of her delicate, tiny, hand and pressed another kiss on her knuckles. "My life were better ended by their hate," he turned her hand over and pressed another kiss against her palm, "Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love."

Marinette's cheeks were so pink that they were beginning to turn red. Her flattered embarrassment, however, did not prevent a disgruntled groan slip past her lips instead of a sweet sigh. "Shakespeare? Seriously?" Marinette complained. "At this time of night. Why are you doing this to me?"

Adrien's smirk grew into a fully-fled mischievous grin as he waggled his eyebrows in response. "Lady, by yonder blessed moon I vow," He carried on with the Shakespeare instead of answering her properly, "That tips with silver all these fruit-tree top-"

"No!" Marinette yelped. Adrien's grin got bigger as he admired her impeccable timing as she once again got the right cue for Juliet….though not the lines. Adrien was beginning to realise he was never going to convince Marinette into this little role-play…at least not tonight. Marinette pulled her hand out of his grasp and waggled a chiding finger in his face. "Just no," she said sternly, "stop the Shakespeare crap and go home."

"What shall I swear by?" he purred flirtatiously.

Marinette scowled back. "No swearing, no romantic poetry that I don't understand at one in the morning, and no innocent puppy-eyed looks!" she snapped as Adrien widened his eyes pleadingly and pouted adorably. It usually worked, especially in his civilian form, all it took was his best puppy-eyed look, and Marinette was usually putty in his hands but this time round Marinette resisted with a heated glare. "Adrien," she moaned as he persisted with the stare and she relented ever so slightly. Her face softened a touch and there was something loving in her gaze upon him. "It's late," she said softly, "go home and come back after I had some sleep."

And with that she turned her back to him and headed towards the hatch door to her room.

"O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?!"

She halted to a stop at that and slowly turned round to face him. At first he thought he had pushed too far and she had now lost her temper for good. Her face was terrifyingly blank as she stepped back towards him.

He gulped, suddenly petrified.

But then she wrapped her arms round his neck, her fingers toying with the curls that met the collar of his suit, and he instantly melted into her embrace.

She kissed him.

She kissed him deeply and passionately, and it felt like a million fireworks were going off beneath his skin as he kissed her back. His eyes rolled back to a shut as her tongue swiped across the seam of his lip and he couldn't resist a moan as their kiss deepened all the more. His arms entwined themselves round her waist as he pulled her closer to him and held on for dear life. She slowed the kiss to a heartbreakingly halt before she firmly push her lips against his in a firm, loving, chaste peck. Again, and again, and again, before she finally pulled away altogether with a little gasp.

Her eyes were bright as stars, her cheeks flushed pink, and her lips were swollen and looked tempting as hell. He wanted to kiss her again. He even leaned in for another one when Marinette place a finger on his lips and stepped back from him and out of his arms. "A thousand times good night!" she choked out breathlessly.

That would be the only Shakespeare quote his Lady would remember!

A kind but firm way to tell him to go home and any other circumstances he probably would. But Adrien wasn't quite ready to say goodnight and they were so close to finishing the scene (thanks to numerous skips as Marinette was outright refusing to play along) and he had gotten so into this that he really wanted to finish it properly.

He grappled for Marinette's hand and caught hold of her wrist before he pulled her back to him. She squeaked as she collided against him and her cheeks went pinker.

"A thousand times the worse to want thy light," Adrien declared dramatically as he pressed a kiss against her cheek, "Love goes toward love as schoolboys from their books," another on the corner of her lips, "But love from love, toward school with heavy looks."

He swooped in for another kiss on her lips but Marinette turned her head at the last second and he got a mouthful of hair and her cheek. "Good night," Marinette said in a tone of finality as she pulled away from him once more and this time she made sure to step out of grabbing range, "Adrien, come back tomorrow."

"My Lady!" he protested.

"Good night!"

"Sweet, so would I," he pleaded, "Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing. Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow," Marinette rolled her eyes at that particular line. "That I shall say good night till it be morrow. Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast. Would I were sleep and peace, so sweet to rest. Hence-"

Adrien was interrupted by a soft clicking noise as a window, downstairs, below them opened up.

"SHE SAID GOOD NIGHT ADRIEN!" Tom Dupain bellowed. "NOW GO HOME!"

Adrien felt his cheeks immediately burn with mortification as he realised Marinette's parents had probably heard everything. Marinette looked rather horrified herself as she covered her face with her hands and moaned loudly in humiliation.

….Adrien went home with his tail between his legs that night.