Marinette sighed, puffing out her cheeks and blowing back the stray bit of bangs that hung a bit too low over her eyes. She's gotten up on time, helped out downstairs for her usual Saturday morning hours, showered, dressed, and got to spend a bit of extra time in front of the mirror to get her hair and makeup just right.

If only her hands would stop shaking.

"Stay calm, Marinette," Tikki chirped. "Everything is going to be fine."

"I know, Tikki." Marinette smiled thinly. "I'm just a bit-"

"Nervous?" Tikki patted her head. "I can tell. But we need to get moving or you'll be late."

Marinette's eyes widened as she glanced at the clock on her phone, tugging her shoes on, popping open her purse so Tikki could sneak inside, and heading down the steps with all possible speed.

Alya had been so excited for weeks now, that her enthusiasm had grown infectious. She and Nino were celebrating their six month anniversary, and they had decided to make it day long celebration.

Her alter ego had - quite inadvertently - given them the proper push into getting together and they both seemed very happy.

Marinette couldn't keep the edges of her lips from curling upwards. Of course, Alya and Nino were so close that it often meant that their friends ended up tagging along for lunches, library dates, and movies, leading to more precious time with Adrien.

Those anxious little butterflies that danced in her stomach never truly went away. But just like her alter ego, little by little she had grown used to battling the butterflies. The practice was invaluable. Now she could even manage a conversation with Adrien while making sense like 90% of the time.

With a little luck (and probably another year at least), she might even be able to tell him how she feels about him.

"But you'll be here soon?" Her boot tapping anxiously on the soft, green grass, where they hung over the edge of the picnic blanket. Alya glanced over at Nino, watching with growing amusement as he tried to be stealthy in opening up the lunches her mother had prepared.

The air was mostly warm, but there was still a bit of a chill as they wind whipped around the open air near the Trocadéro Gardens. Luckily, Nino kept inching closer. She could feel the heat rising slightly just through sheer proximity of Nino tugging the basket from her lap and cuddling closer to her. Of course, she knew what that meant.

"Just bring the deserts and get here, girl. Otherwise, you'll be lucky if Nino leaves any of the lunch if you don't." She swatted at him playfully, tugging the basket back onto her lap. "I'll fend him off for as long as I can."

Nino leaned in to steal a kiss on her cheek as Alya chuckled at Marinette's response. Alya arched a brow at him, eyeing the hand he wasn't quite fast enough to sneak out of the basket. "See you soon, girl."

Alya hugh up with a sigh. "Leave some for our friends, please."

Nino tugged open the container with a grin, closing his eyes as the aroma of fresh baked chicken and some (no doubt) amazing marinade that Alya's mom picked out.

Alya tugged on his ear. "You know they both are rarely on time, but they should be here within fifteen minutes. Surely your stomach can hold off for ten minutes. It would totally suck if it is cold by the time they get here."

Frowning, Nino reluctantly snapped the container shut again. "I know but your Mom's food is amazing."

"I'm well aware. I'm also aware she made your favorite. I swear she's just trying to get me married off so she can focus on the twins. " Alya snorted, as she nuzzled closer to her boyfriend, drawing close enough to whisper in his ear and lingering close enough to appreciate the fairly nice cologne. She made a note to thank Adrien later. This new one was a definite improvement. Distractions would be much more effective means to keeping their lunch plans intact. "Really though, she just wants her kitchen back to herself. However, as the whole point of this part of the date is to get our slow poke friends here to hang out with us…"

"I know, I know." Nino looked contrite, handing her back the container. "Stick to the plan."

"You know it will be worth the wait." Alya grinned, pressing her lips to his jaw before leaning back out onto the blanket. She stuffed the offered container back into the insulated bag. "Now, to work on your acting."

"Uhh...What's wrong with my acting?"

"You just do much better from the other side of the camera." Alya smirked, as Nino drew closer, frowning as he settled his head on her lap. "Your grip on dialogue is good, but you have a few strong tells. It isn't as bad as Marinette."

Nino snorted, raising a skeptical brow. "You really think Adrien would pick up on it?"

Alya tapped a finger over her lips, the edges of her lips quirking skyward as it drew Nino's full attention. "I am actually really curious now. Is it all of us, or is he just particularly oblivious where Marinette is concerned?"

"I guess it will have to be an interesting thought for another day?"

"For now, though…"

Grumbling mentally at the early morning start times and last minute photo shoot changes, Adrien strode down the avenue leading up to the Trocadero. If not for the photographer's insistence that the lighting had to be just so, he would have arrived early. His father didn't let him off on his own for long, he had to wait until Nathalie was dropped off at her home and begged the Gorilla to take him to a bookstore close enough to the Trocadero that he could sneak away unnoticed.

The bag of goodies he'd grabbed from the kitchens made that a challenge. He hefted the bag over his shoulder, adjusting the hoodie he'd grabbed from home to cut through the last of the winter chill to mask his identity, green eyes peering subtly backwards to ensure he was not being shadowed.

The coast was clear. Adrien grinned, stifling the urge to whistle as he pressed onward towards the grassy area, dodging the small clusters of tourists and trying to remain inconspicuous as possible.

Challenge was something he had thrived on for the past almost year he'd spent under the mask of Chat Noir. He enjoyed the battle: the need to be fast on his feet, mentally quick enough to keep pace with his Lady. The rush of wind through his hair as they went catapulting through the skies and over the rooftops. It sharpened his senses as both Adrien and his alter ego. He had gotten much better at escaping, in every sense of the word.

But there was no challenge he enjoyed more than wooing his lady.

He grinned, vaguely amused at the older school connotations of the phrase, which he employed to ironic effect. Ladybug protected the city, if not the larger world beyond the city borders. It was up to him to watch her back. There was no one else better suited to keep her safe. The powers their kwami gave them were imperfect, incomplete without each other.

Even she was imperfect, but so too was he. Her strengths covered for his weaknesses. His straightforward approach kept her honest, kept her protected.

Where he had been quick to jump in, her clumsiness and uncertainty from the very start had been endearing. It was only set apart only by her fiercely protective heart as she called out and then took down Hawkmoth's akuma over and over again. She was clever, finding many weaknesses that even Hawkmoth had been unable to foresee; but there were times that he could come to her aid. The stark crimson allowed her to show grit and gumption to the world, but only he was allowed close enough to see the charming array of freckles, to feel the sharp but inevitably pull of her painfully blue eyes.

Adrien's face was still warm from his musings, when he finally found Nino and Alya already cuddled up on the blanket when he arrived. He shuffled awkwardly, not really wanting to disturb them. It was their anniversary after all, even if he had been invited to tag along for lunch. But he couldn't help but feel a small spike of jealousy at their closeness. His friends had been together almost as long as he had been teamed up with his lady love bug...but sadly he'd had next to no progress on that front.

They were perfectly matched. Ladybug certainly cared about him, as a friend at least. She hated to see him hurt. But his desire for flirtation and romance was met - sometimes quite literally - with the brick wall that was her reluctance and hesitation. When he pushed, she pulled away. He chased and she ran faster. It was like some sort of intricate dance where all the proper steps alluded him. Then again, he and his lady both were fumbling along through this whole superhero business.

He didn't want to press her; her friendship and their joint effort, their mission, all of that meant the world to him.

But the hope for romance? That could mean so, so much more.

Alya words broke through his reverie. "It's a shame, though. Mom got the tickets and I haven't really been up there since I was little."

Adrien blinked, halting in his tracks. He felt a bit guilty for overhearing, but it wasn't exactly like his friends were being quiet.

He could practically see Nino raising a brow at that. "So you're not counting…"

Alya poked back at him, smirking slightly. Her eyes met Nino's and it was like they had this whole conversation without a single word.

Adrien sighed. He'd gotten to the point with Ladybug where they could do that mid-battle. She'd meet his eyes, glance at something, and he'd already be connecting the mental dots to what she intended. If only his lady hadn't been so adamant in keeping all their dealings strictly professional.

"Any time I've been Akumatized doesn't count. I don't have any memory of it. Just the photographic evidence that the Lady Blog followers can provide or scrounge up."

Nino frowned. "I'm sorry, babe. Heights and I just don't really deal well with each other."

Alya sighed, tugging off her glasses and massaging the bridge of her nose. "You bargling would put a bit of a damper on the romantic atmosphere…"

Feeling a bit guilty at listening into their private conversation, Adrien cleared his throat. "Is there any way I could help?"

Alya tilted her head, her lips curving into a slow secretive smile. "Perhaps…?"

Nino sat up, cheeks still somewhat ruddy. "Sorry, man. We didn't see you back there."

Smiling at his friends, Adrien hefted a bag in one hand, the other reaching behind his head nervously. "I brought a bit of salad and cheeses from the kitchen at home. I didn't really want to show up empty handed."

Alya turned on a bright smile. "Nothing to it, Sunshine. It ends up being the proper potluck. My mom sent along a few entrées. And Marinette's going to be bringing desserts."

"I brought the tunes and the set up here." Nino offered, smiling as his eyes met Alya's. "Then we are going to hit the zoo before Alya and I head to dinner."

Adrien frowned. "But you were saying something wasn't working out?"

"Yeah. Alya's Mom reserved us tickets for the Tower."

"But Nino apparently can't deal with heights." Alya poked a finger a Nino. She sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. "It was really sweet of Mom to grab them for us, but I know she's going to ask to see pictures and I kind of don't want to disappoint her..."

Adrien blinked. Was that all? That was certainly easy enough for him to fix. "If it is just pictures you need, I can certainly go up. I've got my phone."

"That would totally be great." Alya sat up quickly, eyes bright and grinning widely as she fished the printed tickets out of her bag. Even Nino looked stoked. Alya's grin turned speculative. "Maybe we could even send Marinette up with you. She has a really good eye for framing pictures."

Nino nodded. "And you could probably video chat with us on her phone."

"Right. Just to make sure we can see everything. Besides, if Ladybug or Chat Noir are around, I totally will need video."

Marinette was trying desperately not to watch Adrien too much, as they finished up the remnants of their lunch. She had gotten much better with the self control over the past year (had it almost already been a year already?), but zoning out while actively drooling over Adrien would probably still be frowned upon.

Or commented on at length by Alya, while Marinette had to find some way to burrow under the picnic blanket and die from embarrassment.

Luckily, Alya and Nino were also being super cute. Fortunately for her, it meant Alya was pretty distracted by her boyfriend, too. Maybe it was the day. Maybe it was the atmosphere. Maybe it was the fact that they were all hanging out outside of school without the watch of disapproving adults. But the pair were surprisingly light on their usual banter. They had pulled apart a little bit when she'd arrived, but Marinette didn't miss the litany of casual touches: the brush of an arm, a shoulder that bumped into the other, a hand that lingered just a little too long. They drifted into each other's personal space with practiced ease.

Their glances conveyed whole conversations, and every once in awhile Marinette caught a fairly heated glance between her friends that left her worrying her lip with mildly guilty discomfort, searching for somewhere else to look. Being a third (or was it fourth?) wheel kind of sucked.

Unfortunately for Marinette, the magnetic pull that held her attention drew her eyes to Adrien.

Right into those same green eyes that stared back at her from her wall each morning and evening. His wasn't like the heated gaze that was chasing between Nino and Alya. It was sweet and bit considerate. But it also held that indefinable something that reminded her too much of one rainy day that didn't feel all that long ago but had left her forever changed. That thought alone was doing very little to quiet the pounding of her heart trying to beat its way out of her chest. Drawing a slow, careful breath, Marinette shut her eyes and focused, willing her blush away and trying to steady herself. She would and could get herself under control. Today was all about Nino and Alya after all, not about how quickly she could panic under the gaze of her crush.

When she dared again to open her eyes, Marinette was shocked to find Adrien still watching her. She marveled as he pulled an awkward smile, clearly matching her own discomfort. She supposed it really was the nature of third and fourth wheels, to stew in their own discomfort and try to not be too awkwardly watching.

She gulped, holding his gaze as she offered her own awkward smile, and attempted to mentally steel herself. She could do this. She was Ladybug. She saved Paris literally every other day. She could handle this.

Marinette blinked as his expression turned resolute, watching as Adrien stood up, dusting a few stray bits of grass from his jeans. He crossed the few steps between them, offered her his hand and his genuine, devastating smile. "Shall we give them a bit of time alone?"

Her eyes widened, transfixed in those light green eyes that felt impossibly close. Everything stopped. She didn't breathe. She didn't blink. Her poor heart had certainly stopped, dulling nearly every sensation except for sight.

She wasn't even aware that she had placed her hand into his until he had tugged her up. Marinette was amazed that her legs hadn't already failed her, when the world moved again and she stood not inches from him.

When sensible thought finally returned to her, she was walking side by side with Adrien, her hands back at her own side, tugging her jacket nervously closed. Adrien was just a few inches away from her own shoulder. She couldn't suppress a thrill of pleasure at the thought.

Adrien frowned, shifting their positions mid-stride. He walked over on the windier side, blocking out the wind. "Any better?"

Marinette could hear her own heart pounding. She hadn't thought it possible for her heart to be subjected to so many fits and starts in so short a time. Not trusting her voice, she simply nodded.

Her eyes scanned the ground as they pressed onward, taking only the vaguest notice of the soft pink and bright yellows as they strolled past. She made a mental note to come back here to work on sketchbook later, when she wasn't so...occupied. She was content enough walking with him in companionable silence, as she tried to regain her hard won composure.

Adrien kept pace with her even as she dawdled. She wouldn't have noticed, except that his hand kept playing with something in his pocket and kept drawing her eye.

Marinette peered at Adrien, her gaze entranced as he started to move with the more nervous motions she saw all too often in the mirror. What did he have to be nervous about?

The fact that her focus had strayed from the safety of the ground had only brought on the inevitable. As they rounded a bend in the path, Marinette's elbow was jostled just enough to knock her off her balance. If she had even half of her usual focus, she might have caught herself instead of careening toward the ground.

She slammed her eyes shut and winced against the inevitable pain. Except that it didn't come. She met with resistance that was quite a bit softer-and warmer-than she expected. Her eyes shot open and she gasped sharply, her gaze met with stunning green that she knew all too well.

"Are you alright?"

How did he manage that so quickly? Marinette could do little more than blink.

Brows furrowed with obvious concern, Adrien had helped her right herself. His hand still lingered, the warmth at the small of her back doing nothing to stem the tide of blush permanently settled on her cheeks. Adrien's his face still wonderfully (but disconcertingly) close. It was okay. She didn't have to breathe. Probably.

Breathing is important, Marinette. She bit her lip. Her conscience sounded rather suspiciously like her Kwami. Reluctantly, she tore her eyes away from Adrien's. Focus, Marinette. You know if you don't, you'll really have to head home to bandage the inevitable scrapes in shame. You're just lucky he caught you this time.

"I'm okay. Really," she assured him. "I was just surprised."

"Good." Adrien just smiled warmly and focused on the path ahead, veering off the the area beside the fountains.

As his hand fell away, she was surprised at just how much, how quickly she felt the loss of that simple touch. Marinette sighed. As sweet as he was, Adrien was an absolute menace to her well being.

Tucking back a loose strand of hair behind her ear, she silently thanked Tikki and her unintended foresight in insisting that her identity as Ladybug never be revealed.

If Hawkmoth ever found out that all it took was Adrien Agreste to render her weak and insensible, Paris would be doomed so, so many times over.

Author's Notes:

For knhknhknh through the Miraculous Exchange's Spring is in the Air: When a little idea twists and turns into a much, much longer version that won't quite let go, we end up in multi-chapter territory. Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy what I have in store!

Also, find the Exchange on Tumblr because there are some excellent works for this challenge and for all the challenges that came before it!

A big thank you to bichatnoir for all of her help in beta reading and keeping this looking much better than more tired mind is able. Thanks also to miraculousbeta for their help in facilitating the collaboration. Another big thank you to Chiomi for organizing this challenge. It really has been a tremendous amount of fun!

I have this one entirely plotted out. It may end up with six chapters if I have a solid idea for an epilogue; it may go longer if I get caught up in dealing with angst and feels. However, real life obligations will inevitably get in the way and I currently have no set posting schedule for these future chapters.

I am doing research, but as I still (still!) have yet to visit Paris, it is totally Google limited. If I have made a particularly glaring error, please let me know (constructively) in the comments and I will revise.

Feedback and constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.