"Adrien! ADRIEN!" Plagg shouted, phasing through the shower curtain.

"Plagg!" Adrien yelped, dropping his soap. "What did I tell you about privacy!"

"He's here!" Plagg squeaked.

"What do you mean he's here?" Adrien asked.

"He's downstairs," Plagg told him. "I saw him open the door, and flew straight up here to warn you."

Adrien's eyes widened in panic. "Oh shit," Adrien cursed, immediately turning off the shower, and grabbing his clothes to put on. Plagg flew away, while Adrien silently opened the bathroom, and tippy toed his way across the hallway to the bedroom he used to sneak into the house. In the room lay his backpack for school which he wore, as Plagg flew back to him with an apple.

"This was all I could find up here," Plagg sighed. "I don't want to risk going to the kitchen downstairs and showing myself."

Adrien petted his Kwami in gratitude, before putting the apple into his backpack. "Thanks Plagg." They both heard someone creaking up the stairs, causing Adrien to silently curse. "Plagg, Claws Out," Adrien whispered, before the transformation washed over him. He quickly left through the bedroom window, carefully closing it behind him. He leapt through the city, coming to a stop on the rooftop across his school and de-transforming.

"That was a close one Plagg," Adrien worried. "Why did he come home so early?" Adrien knew the man who lived in that house had a night job, his shift ending around 9, right when school started. This made it perfect for Adrien to sneak in for a warm shower and grab some breakfast to eat, before heading off to school. Now, Adrien just hoped he hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary. After all, what would everyone say if they found out Chat Noir, hero of Paris, was sneaking into people's homes and stealing their food and using their bathroom.

"Maybe he got fired?" Plagg shrugged, as Adrien gave him a piece of cheddar cheese from his backpack. It was no Camembert, but the Kwami didn't complain, given the circumstances.

"Why are you always so negative Plagg?" Adrien huffed, as he bit down on the apple Plagg had managed to acquire for him.

"Um hello? Kwami of Chaos and Destruction?" Plagg joked, earning a chuckle from Adrien as he finished his apple. Adrien searched through his backpack, hoping to find something more to eat. He came across a granola bar from yesterday, which Adrien gobbled down in a heartbeat. Other than cheese for Plagg, there was nothing else and Adrien saddened. It was going to be another day where he would have to starve, at least until school was over.

Plagg frowned at his chosen, zipping across to nuzzle against Adrien's check, putting a smile on Adrien's face. "You can survive," Plagg assured him. "You're the strongest human I've ever met."

"Come on Plagg, we don't want to be late for school," Adrien smiled at him, calling his transformation. He could always count on Plagg to cheer him up when things looked bad. Ladybug too of course.

Chat landed a block away from school, de-transforming in an alleyway and hiding Plagg, before walking out and joining the herd of students making their way to school. He got lost in thoughts about his Lady. How he desperately wished she was here with him. She was his best friend. Well only friend. But he knew what they had was something special. Other than fighting Akumas, they would meet up every day for patrol. Which would always end in them cuddled together at the top of the Eiffel tower. It could be argued that what they did was romantic, but for him it wasn't. It was just soothing to him, and made him feel welcome. He was comfortable with her, more than he ever thought possible. He desperately desired her human touch. And he knew she did too. He didn't know if she loved him romantically, or as a friend like he did. But it didn't matter, he could sort through all that later. Right now he was just glad to have her and Plagg to keep him grounded. To keep him going with life.

Adrien was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice bumping into his fellow classmate, Sabrina, in front of the school steps. The bump caused her to splash some of her coffee all over her best friend's shirt. Chloe yelped in surprise, before turning her attention to Adrien.

"You!" Chloe snapped at him, bringing her hand up to smack Adrien across the face, jolting him out of his thoughts. Adrien stared dumfounded at her. He had done it again, he had somehow managed to piss off one of the most feared and powerful students in their school. He knew all the infamous school bullies by heart, and out of all of them, he feared Chloe the most, for she had actual power. The others left bruises or marks, but Chloe could suspend or expel him if need be, through her dad.

"I-I'm so sorry Chloe! I wasn't l-l-looking," Adrien stammered, panicking as he backed away, his hands nervously fumbling with his backpack straps.

"This dress cost me $250 you imbecile!" Chloe shouted as a crowd began to form around them, drawn in by the drama. "Not that I expect you to understand it's value, your poor fuck!" Chloe gestured to his clothes, as some people let out a giggle from the crowed. Adrien looked down at himself, he was wearing the brown plaid shirt he had found a month ago. It was two sizes too big, but it was something. His jeans were ripped at the bottom, but other than that it was presentable. Sure, his clothes were ugly, but he always kept clean. Making sure to wash any dirty clothes he would find throughout the city.

Adrien looked back up, to see Chloe smirking as she went over to Sabrina, grabbing her cup, and walking back towards him. Adrien looked around, hoping for someone to step up to her, someone to defend him. He was looking for his Ladybug, but she wouldn't come, he knew that.

Marinette ran to school, hoping she wouldn't be late again. She was about to run up the steps, but she saw people crowding up, as Chloe's voice was heard from within. Curiosity overcame her, as she made her way into the group. She knew Chloe was probably yelling at someone again about something. It was always something with her. She reached the front of the crowd, not surprised at all to see Adrien as the target of Chloe's wrath today, probably because of the coffee stain on her dress. Out of all the kids that got bullied in her school, he was the most picked on. Mostly because he had no friends and he was the poorest kid in school. She watched him frantically search around for help. His green eyes briefly locked onto hers and her breathe hitched. There was fear in those eyes. Fear and desperation, and plea. Marinette gulped, looking down in shame. She wanted to help, she truly did. But she wasn't Ladybug. Ladybug was brave, confident and saved the day. She was just plain old, Marinette. Weak and clumsy. Besides, it was Chloe. No one could stand up to Chloe. If she stood up to Chloe, then she wouldn't be defending Adrien, but instead getting herself into more, unnecessary trouble. Chloe would probably spin a tale about how it was actually Marinette and Adrien who picked on her instead, using her dad's power to persuade the principle to punishing them both instead. It just wasn't worth it. Marinette looked back up again, as Chloe walked over to Adrien, with a coffee cup in her hand. Chloe took of the lid, before throwing its contents all over Adrien's face and shirt. Marinette gasped, how could someone be so cruel?

"There," Chloe smirked. "I think coffee looks much better on you. You're welcome." Chloe flipped her hair, walking away with Sabrina into the school.

Adrien stood there with a grimace on his face, and his hands clenched by his side. He was frozen, as the hot coffee dripped from his face, onto his shirt and jeans. He could hear giggles and gasps coming from his classmates around him, making him whimper. He felt like crying, but he wouldn't. He wouldn't let everyone see him cry, he was stronger than this. He had endured so much worse than a simple coffee stain. As soon as the path cleared, Adrien bolted into the school, up the stairs and into the boy's bathroom. He heard the bell rang, as the boys remaining in the stalls quickly cursed and ran out the door. Adrien was alone now, as he dried the coffee with paper cloths, and rinsed his hair and face clean. Plagg came out of hiding, wiping away a tear on Adrien's eye. Adrien smiled, as he closed his eyes and leaned his head sideways while Plagg nuzzled against him, taking in the comfort the Kwami provided.

Adrien ran late, coming into the class only after the coffee had dried.

"Woah, what happened with you bro?" Nino puzzled, examining Adrien as he sat next to him, while he apologized to the teacher.

"Nothing don't worry about it," Adrien faked a smile, taking out his notebook from his worn out backpack.

"You need to stand up for yourself man. Don't let them get to you," Nino patted his shoulder. Adrien froze at the contact, no one besides Ladybug had ever touched him like this. Nino sensed the uncomfort, pulling away immediately.

"Yeah, thanks," Adrien replied. Nino was the only one who he ever talked to at school. Adrien assumed it was probably because they sat together in class. But the way Nino assured him just now, maybe Adrien hoped to finally make a real friend in this school. He would only meet with Ladybug at night, unless there was an Akuma. Having someone to be with the rest of the day sounded good.

"Hi Marinette!" Chloe waved to her as she walked into class.

"Hi," Marinette answered as coldly as possible, not wanting to be friendly after what she just witnessed but also not wanting to start anything more. Chloe smiled at her, before sitting down next to Sabrina. Alya came behind her, sitting next to Marinette as class started.

"I can't believe Chloe would do something like that!" Alya loudly whispered to Marinette, as they watched Adrien walk into class late. "Poor guy."

"Yeah," Marinette mumbled, sighing as she leaned her face against the palm on her left hand, as her right sketched a doodle, instead of taking notes.

Alya nudged Marinette, "What's up with you?"

"Nothing. I just..." Marinette bit her lip before continuing. "I just wish I could stand up to Chloe, and help anyone who needs it...I wish I was more like Ladybug."

Alya sighed, as she nodded. "I feel you. Every time I see someone getting bullied, I hope someone would step up and stop them. But no one does...everyone's too afraid."

"Yeah," Marinette agreed. She badly hoped Chat would be at her school. Not only because she wanted to be with the man she loved every second of the day, but because Chat Noir would definitely stand up to Chloe. He was the bravest person she knew. Marinette continued to doodle, sketching anything cat related, instead of taking notes, knowing she could rely on Alya for them later. She counted down the time until she would see her kitty again, groaning when she realized that wouldn't be for another 12 hours or so.

Adrien sat alone at the far end of the lunch table. He was doing his homework, since he had nothing else to do anyways. No lunch to eat, no friends to hang out with. He decided to use his time wisely, getting homework over with, so he could spend more time after school scouring for food. Or if an Akuma showed up, he wouldn't have to worry if the fight dragged on for too long. Besides, it's not like he hated doing homework. He was very smart, and got good grades. It was the only thing that guaranteed a future for him. He wanted to get a good job, get a house with a t.v and play video games like other people. Watch movies with the woman he loved, and provide their kids with whatever toys they desired. If he wanted those, he had to work for it.

He heard girls sit nearby at his table. He briefly looked up to see Marinette, Alya and Rose sit down for their lunch. Adrien returned to his work, not letting their chit chatter distract him. However, the fresh aroma of food did. His mouth watering and his stomach growling. Adrien continued to work, hoping they didn't hear anything. He was proven wrong when Marinette sat down right beside him some time after, startling him.

"Hi!" she greeted him.

"H-Hi," Adrien returned the greeting. Why was she talking to him? Sure he had saved her a few times as Chat Noir, but they never really talked before as Adrien and Marinette.

"You sound hungry, did you eat lunch yet?" she curiously asked.

Adrien shook his head, "I don't have a lunch." He told the truth, not wanting to lie. Not only was his stomach rumbling, but everyone in school thought by now he belonged to a poor family, which came hand in hand with not having a lunch sometimes.

"Here," Marinette held up a bread sandwich, with some lettuce and bologna inside.

Adrien eyed the sandwich, his mouth watering even more. "I...I can't. It's your food."

"I insist. My mom made me an extra sandwich, and I'm already full so," Marinette put the sandwich down next to him.

"Thank you," Adrien gave her a smile, which she returned before getting up and joining her friends again. Adrien ate the sandwich, wandering what had just happened. She saw Adrien get coffee spilled all over him earlier that day. So she probably felt bad and took pity on him. Adrien frowned, he didn't want someone to take pity on him. But he couldn't say no to food. Especially since he had no breakfast. Adrien finished his sandwich quickly, returning back to work until the lunch bell rang.

Throughout the rest of the classes, Adrien planned out his day. He would go to his 'home', which was a room he had found in an abandoned building. He would finish his homework, and then wash his clothes from the coffee stain. Whenever he needed to do laundry, he would sneak into apartment buildings, using their shared washer and dryer to clean his clothes. Sometimes he would get caught, where he then claimed he was just doing 'superhero duties' and left the area. Coming back once the coast was clear to retrieve his clothes. As for food he would go to the Dupain-Cheng bakery, before heading off to patrol. He knew the bakery regularly threw out their stale bread and unsold treats at the end of the day. Sometimes there would be nothing at all, and other times he would hit the jackpot, storing everything in his room for later consumption. He knew of other such stores, but most were camped by other homeless people. He didn't want to be seen, so he avoided going to those places. He didn't want anyone to know that their hero Chat Noir could be homeless and poor. Especially not Ladybug. It was one of the reasons he avoided any talk to do with revealing themselves. He was afraid of how Ladybug would respond. He knew she was onto him though. Sometimes the dumpster behind the bakery would be empty, resulting in Chat's stomach growling throughout their patrol. He would always make the excuse of missing dinner, and that he would eat after patrol. But he knew after the hundredth time of saying that, she was beginning to have her doubts. The school bell rang, and Adrien fled the school, careful of bumping into anyone again. He ducked into a nearby alleyway, before transforming and heading off towards his house.

Marinette grabbed the stash of stale bread to throw in the dumpster outside. There were some leftover pastries from today as well. Marinette took the cookies for herself, or rather Tikki, and putting the rest in a bag. She was eager to finish her chores so she could meet up with her kitty. That and patrol across Paris of course, because she was also a superhero. She opened the backdoor, using the light from the street to light her way across the dark alleyway. She threw the bag into the dumpster bin, before scurrying back inside.

"Marinette, you forgot these," Tom came over to her with a bag of three croissants, as she closed the door behind her. "Couldn't sell them today, so you either you take them or throw them out."

"Ok dad," she replied, as her father went back into the bakery. Marinette opened the bag, feeling each croissant. One was still soft, so she took it out, hoping for a late night snack. The other two were hard and stale, so Marinette let them be. She turned around, to open the door, but froze as she heard noises coming from the dumpster outside. Marinette gulped, she knew raccoons had been scavenging their dumpster lately, but she had never met them in person. She grabbed the nearest broom and headed out with the croissants. She was Ladybug for god's sake; she's handled much worse than raccoons.

Marinette slowly walked towards the dumpster. She saw a dark figure with a long tail and Marinette gasped, dropping her croissants and gripping the broom with both her hands. The figure responded to her presence, by moving it's head and that's when Marinette saw the ears.

"Get out of here you damn raccoons!" Marinette exclaimed, swinging her broom down repeatedly, hitting the figure in it's head.

"Ow! What the..." it shouted, reaching for the broom, finally getting a hold as his eyes met Marinette's.

Marinette froze when she finally saw it's eyes, it didn't belong to any raccoon she knew. It belonged to only one man...

"Chat Noir!?" she exclaimed, letting go of the broom, and bringing her hands to cover her gaping mouth. Chat put the broom aside, before nervously rubbing his neck.

"Uh...Hi!" Chat waved, "Marinette right? I remember us working together that one time."

Marinette continued to look at him dumbfounded, "What are you doing here, Chat?"

"Oh right," Chat cringed, looking down, before quickly looking away. Marinette followed his gaze, her eyes widening when she saw the bag of bread and pastries she threw away earlier beside his feet. Raccoons weren't taking the food, he was. She knew he came from a poor family, but to stoop to this level to feed himself, it broke her heart. She wanted nothing more than to invite him inside and shower him with love and affection, and tons of pastries.

"I was um, running across the rooftop, and I dropped something down here," Chat lied. "I jumped down to retrieve it and now that I have it, I'll be seeing you!"

Chat turning around, grabbing his baton, getting ready to vault onto the rooftops above. Marinette lunged forward, grabbing his arm. "Wait!" she urged. She picked up the bag of food after letting go of his arm. "Are you hungry?"

"What? No!" Chat eyed the bag of food. "The bag was just um, in my way, so I uh, threw it out to keep looking through the dumpster. I just forgot to throw it back in." Marinette frowned at him while he nervously grinned. She knew that he knew she wasn't buying any of his lies. Marinette crossed her arms, staring at him. Chat eventually sighed, drooping his arms in defeat. "Yes, I'm hungry," Chat hung his head in embarrassment.

Marinette grabbed his hands, leading him towards their bakery backdoor while she picked up the second bag of croissants. "Stay here," she ordered.

"Why? What are you doing?" Chat asked curiously.

"Just stay here, okay?" Marinette urged, as Chat nodded. She went inside the bakery, setting the bags of food inside the kitchen. Her Kwami phased through the ceiling, floating next to Marinette once she was sure her parents weren't in the kitchen.

"Is everything all right Marinette? I sensed Chat Noir nearby, is there any Akuma?" Tikki asked.

"No," Marinette sighed. "Tikki, it's worse than I thought. I don't think Chat's getting enough food at home!"

"What do you mean Marinette?" the Kwami wondered, watching her Chosen rummage through the fridge.

"It wasn't the raccoons going through our dumpster, it was Chat!" Marinette explained, dropping some meat and cheese into the bags. She moved back into the fridge, grabbing their leftovers from today's dinner, spaghetti and meatballs.

"Is this for Chat?" Marinette nodded, scooping the leftovers into a container. She put the container in with the rest of the food. Marinette added a few apples and bananas, before tying off the now full to the top bag.

"You're so generous, Marinette," Tikki smiled at her Chosen.

"He's my partner, TIkki. And I love him," Marinette blushed a little, hoping Chat didn't have some kind of super hearing she didn't know about. "This is the least I could for him." Marinette headed for the back door as Tikki zipped away.

Chat was just outside, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, waiting in anticipation. The door opened, and Chat moved forward, standing straight. He watched Marinette come outside with a large bag in her hand, as she closed the door behind her.

"For you," she smiled handing Chat the bag.

He reluctantly took it, untying it to take a look of what she had given him. His eyes widened when he realized just how much food he was given, at least a few day's worth to him. "Marinette! I-I can't! It's too much!" Chat protested.

Marinette rushed forward, scooping him up in a hug. "Ladybug needs you. Paris needs you. We can't have you exhausted of hunger in the middle of an Akuma battle now, can we?"

Chat chuckled against her shoulder, "I guess not." Chat found himself easing into the hug, drawn in by her warmth and comfort. This was the second time he had been offered food by her today, even if she didn't quite know it. "You're so kind, Marinette. Almost as kind as my Lady." The girl in her arms was truly something else.

Marinette pulled out from the drawn out hug. "Almost?" she pouted.

Chat tensed up, "Oh, I-I didn't mean..."

Marinette tippy-toed, kissing Chat on the cheek, effectively silencing him. "It's ok, I know what you meant."

Chat found himself blushing for the first time in his life. He had been much closer with a girl before, said girl being Ladybug. Ladybug had even kissed him several times on the cheek as well, as thanks for a job well done after an Akuma. But this was something else. His cheek was red hot, and his heart was beating fast. What was going on with him?

"I-I have to go," Chat looked away from her. "I have patrol soon." Chat reached for the baton.

"Chat, I have a balcony with a door that leads to my room," Marinette pointed up towards it, Chat following her gaze. She reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it. "If you need anything, don't be afraid to come ok? I'm here for you, if you need me."

Chat looked at her, his face going even redder. "Th-thank you," he stuttered. "For the food, and...and everything else. There's something else..." Chat paused, Marinette looking curiously at him. "Can you promise you won't tell anyone I was here, or what I was doing."

"I promise, Chat," Marinette smiled at him while he positioned his baton. "Take care." Chat smiled back at her, before vaulting off into the night.

Ladybug waited atop the Eiffel tower, Chat was late, and she knew why. She hid behind a beam, as the events of earlier played in her mind. She had kissed Chat several times, as Ladybug. But none of those times did he react as he did when Marinette had kissed him. She had always suspected Chat didn't love her the way she loved him. But maybe he liked Marinette? She didn't know how to feel about this.

The image of him blushing filled her mind; she had never seen her partner like that, ever. But most importantly, she wanted to see it again. She hoped he would see her again as Marinett, because if Ladybug couldn't capture his heart, then maybe Marinette can. Not that she was complaining about the close friendship they already shared, one that came hand in hand with fighting for your life, side by side. But she couldn't help but feel greedy, wanting both sides of the coin. The close friendship, and the love that followed.

Chat landed on the tower, and all her attention was diverted back to him. She waited for him to stop pacing around, and stand still, overlooking the city. Once he did, Ladybug crept up from behind. Once she got close enough, she rushed forward, throwing her hands around his waist, and pulling him backwards.

Chat yelped, as he fell backwards, landing softly on the girl beneath him. "Hello to you too," he chuckled.

Ladybug scooted out backwards from underneath him, until his head lay against her belly. She used her left arm to prop her up from behind her, while her right played with Chat's hair. "I missed you," she cooed into his ear.

"It's literally been a day since we last saw each other," Chat chuckled again. He laid his hands flat against his stomach, as he closed his eyes, easing into Ladybug's gentle touches.

"A whole day Chat. That's 24 hours! Which is like a thousand something minutes!" Ladybug explained.

"1,440 actually," Chat corrected her.

"Nerd," she teased him, pulling a strand of his hair, earning a yelp from him. "Anyways, you're late, and you must be punished."

"Oh? And how do you plan on punishing me?" Chat inquired, with a wide grin across his face.

Ladybug stopped playing with his hair. She brought both her arms in, and immediately went for Chat's belly. She tickled him vigorously, while Chat squirmed in her hold, laughing uncontrollably. The thin, skin-tight suit did no favours for Chat, as Ladybug's fingers grazed his stomach. Ladybug knew outside of the suits, Chat was probably stronger than her, him being a man and taller. But in the suits, they were equally strong. She struggled to hold his flailing arms back with one hand, while her other mercilessly tickled him.

"L-Ladybug...stop...can't breathe," Chat barely managed to get out in between his laughs. His lungs hurt, and he was in tears, and so Ladybug took mercy. She let him go, laughing as he backed away into a beam behind him. He rested with his back propped up against it, panting for air as he cooled down. Ladybug crawled over to him, resting against the beam and leaning her head over his shoulder.

"That was...quite the punishment...bugaboo," Chat said in between breaths, grinning at her.

Ladybug grinned back, turning towards him so that her face was nestled in between his chest and his neck. Her spare hand traveled up and down Chat's chest. She looked up at Chat, watching him close his eyes, and hum in delight. For her, this was romantic. Feeling the man she loved, atop the Eiffel tower at night. She knew she loved Chat for who he was, his ripped body was just an added bonus. But for Chat this was something else. He craved human touch, and she knew that. She worried no one loved him outside of the suit. No one hugged him, or showed him any affection of any sort. She frowned at the thought, who could not love this amazing person.

"I love you," she stated, rubbing circles along his chest with her fingers.

"I love you too," he replied, leaning his head down to place a kiss atop her forehead.

She knew their love wasn't the same. Nonetheless, she would always be here for him, always. Even if it hurt her, knowing she wouldn't get any farther with him than this.

"We need to patrol," Chat reminded her, continuing to hum.

"After," Ladybug responded. "We need to talk first." Ladybug stopped rubbing Chat, withdrawing her hand as she got up on her knees.

Chat opened his eyes now, watching her as she sat down on his lap, so they were facing each other now. "Talk? Talk about what?"

Ladybug briefly took in their position. She was sitting on his lap, and he didn't seem to react at all. She wondered if it was Marinette sitting on top of him, how would Chat react then? Or what if she moved her hips provocatively, would Chat react to that? She was almost tempted to tease him, seeing if that would be enough to make him blush like before. But she shook her head, not wanting to test their boundaries any father. She liked it as it was, she didn't want to make Chat uncomfortable, especially to a point where he didn't want her to touch him anymore. It was the last thing they both wanted.

She grabbed Chat's hands, looking into his eyes with worry. "I'm concerned about you."

"Why?" Chat looked at her puzzled.

Ladybug bit her lip, she couldn't say it was because of him rummaging through their dumpster, Ladybug wasn't supposed to know that. "Are you okay?"

"Ladybug, I'm fine," Chat assured her, smiling at her.

"Do your parents love you?" she asked him. Chat immediately dropped his smile, and she knew she was on to something.

"Of course, why do you ask?" Chat frowned at her.

"Because, you often show up to patrols starving..."

"I already told you," Chat interrupted. "I get carried away sometimes with homework so I forget to eat. I always eat when I get home though."

Ladybug shook her head. "You're lying to me. I can tell when you lie, Chat. I think your parents aren't doing a good enough job of feeding you."

"You don't know anything about my parents!" Chat snapped, suddenly getting up on his feet. He crossed his arms and turned his back to her.

Ladybug got on her feet, rushing in to hug Chat from behind. She placed her arms around him, her face in the crook of his neck. "I'm sorry," she mumbled against his skin. "It's just...I can't stand to see you like this. Watching you starve some nights, and even this cuddling we do everyday...I can't help but think you don't have anyone in your life to take care of you...to love you." She felt Chat tense up in her arms at the words, basically confirming for her what she feared. "I'm right, aren't I?"

Chat placed his hands atop hers, interlocking their fingers together. "Your love is all I need, bug." They stood there in comfortable silence, taking in each other's warmth. "My parents loved me, once."

Ladybug looked up at his face from the crook of his neck. She saw only half his face, but it was enough to tell he was sad and lost in deep thoughts. She tightened her hug, squeezing him in assurance. "What do you mean once?"

"I'll tell you about it one day, but not today. Okay?" Chat answered, feeling Ladybug nod against his back. "Thank you," he brought one of her hands up kiss it. "Come on, we have a patrol to finish."

"Wait," she grabbed his shoulder, making him turn around so they faced each other now. "Can you promise me something?"

"Anything," Chat assured her.

"There's a girl, she's one of the nicest girls I know. Can you promise me that if you ever need anything, like food, you will go to her?"

Chat sighed, closing his eyes. "Ladybug...I can't."

"I won't always be there for you, so promise me...please. I don't ever want to hear you starving again," Ladybug placed a hand on his cheek. Chat closed his eyes, leaning into her hand.

"Ok fine. I promise...for you," Chat smiled. "Who is this mysterious girl anyway?"

"Marinette," Ladybug told him, watching as his eyes jolted open, turning wide. Ladybug giggled, "I take it you know her?"

"Uh, yeah, I actually ran into her today...on her balcony, when I was coming here for patrol," Chat lied. "You're right, she is pretty nice."

"Good, you already know her then. If you need food, or even someone to talk to, you can trust her. I know her as a civilian," Ladybug told him, careful in not revealing too much.

Chat nodded, before turning away from her and walking to the edge of the tower, "patrol?"

They decided to split the city in two, wanting to finish the patrol quickly, since they already wasted so much time. She finished her half with little difficulty. Only coming across a couple of muggers that she quickly defeated and called the cops on. She headed back towards the Eiffel tower again, expecting Chat to be waiting for her. What she got instead was a message from him, telling her he was tired so he decided to call it a night for today. She frowned. She always looked forward to being with him after their patrol. They would often be tired at the end of their day, relying on each other to ease the stress. One time, they had even fallen asleep together atop the tower; only the break of dawn waking them up, causing them to frantically run to their homes before their transformations faded.

Ladybug headed home, her ache for her partner still itching. She couldn't handle seeing him only once a day. She needed him more. And she wanted to be there for him as well. If only they were allowed to reveal their identities. But they weren't, so for now Marinette had hoped they would defeat Hawkmoth quickly, so they could finally reveal themselves to each other. But that day still seemed so far away. Instead, Marinette found herself hoping for a different possibility. She hoped that Chat would listen to Ladybug, and visit her as Marinette. He did seem to like her after all. She would just have to wait, and see what the future held.

Adrien woke up, putting on clothes, making a lunch, and headed off to go through his usual routine. He stopped by the house he would always visit, using Plagg to make sure the owner was gone. Once Plagg confirmed, he went in to shower, before grabbing a bagel and a fruit from the kitchen downstairs. The owner was rich, which you can clearly tell by the huge house. Surely he wouldn't mind, let alone notice, a bagel missing. Adrien ate and transformed, vaulting his way to school. He landed in another alleyway close by, de-transforming and walking the rest of the way to school. This time he made sure to avoid anyone, not wanting to cause a scene like yesterday again. He walked up the stairs, before freezing when his green eyes met familiar blue ones. She waved back at him from across the hall as Adrien waved back, putting on a shy smile. She returned her attention to Alya, both of them talking about who knows what. Adrien kept walking, heading in to class and sitting down. He was a bit early, which gave him time to think about this whole predicament with Marinette. He wasn't going to visit her like she wanted at first, he didn't want to be a burden or something. But his lady told him it was ok, and he trusted her. Maybe going to visit Marinette wasn't a bad thing at all. It's not like he couldn't use the food after all. And he did want some company, to help with the loneliness of his life. So what was he afraid of? Was he scared because of what happened last night? Did he have feelings for Marinette and he was anxious of how they would unfold should he decide to visit her? Regardless, it was Chat's problem, not Adrien's. She kissed Chat, not Adrien. Adrien was just a poor nobody. Chat was a superhero, brave and powerful. If she liked him, it would be the Chat him. But then again, she had seen him at his weakest, hungry and desperate. Ladybug was right about her, she was nice. She wasn't some squealing fan girl who only wanted an autograph or picture. Yet she wasn't like Chloe as well. Chloe would've told the world by now that Chat was found rummaging through a dumpster for food. No, he could trust Marinette, maybe he would become friends with her, as Chat of course. He watched Marinette enter the classroom with Alya, both of them talking about something class related. She briefly glanced at him, both of them making eye contact, before she walked behind him, taking her seat. Adrien sighed, as he took out his notebook, Chat could become friends with her, but Adrien stood no chance.

Adrien took out his lunch. It was the spaghetti and meatballs Marinette had given him last night. He packed a small portion, wanting the food he was gifted with to last as long as possible. He ate his food, watching Marinette. She sat on the table across his, chatting with Alya, Juleka and Nino. He quickly finished the food, regretting not packing more as he still felt empty. He put the food away, bringing his homework out. He occasionally looked up at Marinette. She was always always smiling or being cute in some way. The more he looked at her, the more he wanted to be friends with her, maybe even something more. He looked up once again, before immediately frowning, as Chloe walked over to her with a drink in her hands and a brownie. Adrien tensed up for a moment, if she was going to harass Marinette, he didn't know what he would do. Marinette never did anything wrong to deserve Chloe's wrath. Not that he actually saw Chloe bully anyone other than him, or a couple of other poor souls in the school. Nonetheless, he was still worried, but he quickly relaxed as Chloe placed the drink and brownie in front of her. Marinette looked up at Chloe curiously. Chloe smiled at her and said something, to which Marinette gulped. He saw Marinette's lips move, as she mouthed a thank you, to which Chloe beamed back, patting Marinette on the shoulder, before walking away to join Sabrina. Adrien frowned, were her and Chloe friends? He didn't think Chloe had any friends other than Sabrina. He didn't even know why Sabrina would be friends with someone like Chloe anyways, surely Marinette wasn't. His suspicions were confirmed when Marinette grimaced, pushing the coffee and brownie away to Alya. Adrien grinned a little, Marinette had rejected Chloe. Of course someone as amazing as Marinette wasn't friends with Chloe.

Adrien walked out of school, trying to decide what he should do for the day. His stomach growled, and so Adrien decided to head home to eat, before doing homework and maybe visiting Marinette. He was stopped however, as he heard a scream. He turned around to find Chloe running out the school doors, followed by an angry Akuma spraying water from his mop. Adrien recognized him as the school Janitor.

"I will teach you to disrespect my job!" he shouted, chasing after Chloe with a mop and bucket.

"Great," Adrien cursed under his breath as he ran to find a place to transform. Another day, another Akuma caused by Chloe.

Ladybug perched atop the school roof, examining the Akuma as he fought against Chat. Chat dodged as Janitor's mop fired a heavy stream of water at him. The mop fired for a few seconds before drying, making him dip the mop into the bucket, before firing at Chat again, who remained ducked behind a car. The Akuma was in the mop, it had to be.

"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug called, getting the attention of the Akuma as a sponge landed in her hands. The Akuma pointed his mop at her.

"Hey, over here!" Chat shouted, as he leapt through the air, clawing at the Akuma. He diverted his attention back at Chat, hissing as he fired his jet of water, barely missing Chat.

Ladybug grinned, she could always count on her kitty to distract the Akuma. They worked best like this. Chat fighting the Akuma up close, buying her time to find the Akumatized item, and create a lucky charm to get rid of it. She watched the Akuma dip his dry mop into the bucket again, and that gave her an idea. She jumped down behind the Akuma, who continued to fire at Chat. She snuck up close, dropping the sponge in the bucket. The sponge dried up the water, not giving the Akuma any more fuel for his mop. The Akuma cursed, as he switched to using the mop as a baton. Chat extended his own baton, fighting the Akuma one on one. Ladybug tied the Akuma, preventing him from moving, as Chat knocked the mop away from his hands. Ladybug ran to the mop breaking it in half. She grabbed the Akuma that fluttered out, puriying it, and then calling her miraculous ladybug to repair everything.

"Pound it!" she threw up her fist, as Chat grinned and returned the usual gesture. Ladybug grinned too, before she heard Chat's stomach growling.

"Chat! What did I say!" Ladybug hissed.

Chat put his hands up in defence. "I promise you, I had a lunch. Just not a big one. I swear I'll eat when I get home!"

"You better," Ladybug huffed. Reporters were coming now, and the janitor stood up, looking at them confused.

"You go, you're about to transform back," Chat ordered. "I'll take care of him and the reporters."

Ladybug nodded, swinging back into the empty school, and de-transforming in the girl's locker room. She rummaged through her backpack, taking out a cookie to give to Tikki. She remembered she hadn't finished her lunch again, and suddenly she had an idea.

"Eat up quickly Tikki! I want to give Chat the rest of my lunch," Marinette urged Tikki, as she pulled out her container, where another sandwich remained. She put the container away, putting on her backpack, before calling her transformation. She rushed outside, with the container in her hands. She hoped Chat was still talking to the reporters. When she returned outside, Chat wasn't there, as the reporters continued to question nearby students. Ladybug frowned, but then she saw him. Leaping away a couple of rooftops ahead.

"Chat!" she called after him, he continued to run so she chased him. They ran for a couple of minutes, making Ladybug frustrated. She reached for her yo-yo to call him, but then she saw him leap down. She chased him to the rooftop. She saw a giant hole in the building in front of her. She looked down, not seeing Chat in the alleyway below, so she took a chance. She swung down into the hole.

The hole led into an apartment like building. There was concrete and rubble everywhere, as if the building was to be destroyed, but was stopped halfway. She walked from room to room, the doors were broken and the walls had been broken down halfway. The building look abandoned, so she wondered why Chat had come here, when he could've vaulted over it. She reached a room at the end of the hallway, the only one with a door. She opened it and gasped. The room was like the others, but aside from the broken walls and tiles, the room was clean, no rubble anywhere. It looked like someone lived here. There was a small mattress on the floor next to the wall. The mattress had a few stains, and there was a blanket covering it. There was a table beside the bed, where lay a bunch of bread and pastries and cheese, along with some fruits. She saw a desk at the far end of the room, with a burnt out candle. There was light filtering through the hole in the wall where a window should have been. So Ladybug guessed the candle was lit during night time. She walked over to the desk, which had papers littered about. She picked up a paper, and immediately recognized the work on it. It was the math homework she remembered doing just yesterday, which was due at the end of the week. Ladybug moved her eyes to the top of the paper, immediately gasping and dropping the paper as she read the name. Adrien. She backed away, her spare hand on her gaping mouth as the paper fell back onto the desk. Adrien lived here. The Adrien that went to her school. She knew he was poor, but to live here like he was some kind of hobo? Her heart ached for her classmate. But what was Chat doing here? They both were in a similar situation so maybe Chat was helping Adrien somehow? Did that mean Chat and Adrien knew each other as civilians?

"What are you doing here?" a familiar voice jolted her out of her thoughts.

She quickly turned around, "Chat!" She saw him holding the spaghetti she gave him last night, along with some ham.

"Did you follow me home?" Chat accused her.

"Home?" Ladybug asked, and with that her eyes widened as realization hit her. Her mind worked overtime to put pieces together. She no longer saw the brave, powerful man who came from a poor family in front of her. She saw a weak, lonely, shy boy, who had no friends and possibly no family. Her heart broke into a million pieces, as a tear broke free from her eyes.