Costumes & Candy

Just a fluffy oneshot where Adrien and Marinette get to spend an evening together as Ladybug and Cat Noir, though maybe not literally… Halloween dance. Pre-reveal. Post Frightingale.

I do not own.

"And I'd be Cat Noir," Marinette deadpanned.

"Well obviously. I have to be Ladybug. I mean you have the pigtails for it, but I run the Ladyblog," Alya explained as the two talked about the upcoming Halloween dance. Alya lounged on the chaise while Marinette sat backwards in her swivel chair. "It wouldn't make sense for me to not be Ladybug."

Honestly, Marinette was relieved. If she came as close to looking like Ladybug as she had during the Nightingale video, she didn't think she could hide her identity.

"Okay, Alya," she beamed. "Our suits are going to be absolutely purrrfect." The two giggled before Marinette set to work making their costumes.

"Why are we going as Ladybug and Cat Noir again, Nino?" Adrien asked his friend, looking into the box the boy had brought over.

"Because," Nino explained, "Alya is going as Ladybug. I mean she'll probably ask Marinette to be Cat Noir but... I want to surprise her and be her Cat Noir. You know what I mean?"

Adrien looked bashful at Nino's suggestive tone but chuckled lightly. "Yeah, I know what you mean… but why do I have to dress as Ladybug?"

This was Adrien's first Halloween party, and he didn't mind dressing as his lady love, but Nino was dressing for Alya, not to be part of a team with him. It didn't bother him. It wasn't like he would be a third wheel anyway with Marinette there. Whether Nino and Alya were acting like a couple or not, they all got along. But if his friend was dressing for a girl, what was the point of him looking like Ladybug?

"Well," Nino pulled out the Cat Noir suit and walked toward Adrien's bathroom. "It would look weird if I went in without a Ladybug, and when Alya, Ladybug and I dance, Marinette would be a lonely Cat Noir. I don't know dude; I just thought it sounded like a good idea… and they were on sale as a set. Just try it on." He finished quickly and shut himself in the bathroom.

Adrien shook his head with a laugh. He supposed that was a good enough reason. Not everyone their age had a nearly endless supply of money from their parents. Not that he used his much, partially for fear his father wouldn't trust him if he spent too much and partially to not flaunt it in his friend's faces. He wanted friends, not fans. As much as he didn't want to throw Chloe under the bus, he was aware of her flaws and that was one of them. He didn't want to use his father's influence to get whatever he wanted. Knowing his father, he didn't think he'd get it anyway. Mostly he was just grateful he didn't have to talk anyone out of making him wear a Cat Noir suit and risk his cover getting blown again.

Adrien held the red and black spandex up to look at. Plagg flew out of his pocket laughing.

"You as Ladybug? I gotta see this," he laughed.

"Plagg!" He whispered glancing at the bathroom door.

The little kwami ignored him. "Is there a yo-yo?" He asked and dived into the box. "There is!" Plagg continued to giggle as he held up a replica of the real Ladybug's weapon.

Adrien dropped the outfit and snatched the yo-yo from the little cat. "This is nothing like the real thing."

"Maybe you should ask her if you can borrow hers and do cool party tricks," Plagg teased.

"Shut up, Plagg. I wouldn't even know how to use it."

"Neither did she at first, remember? You got all tied up," Plagg referred to the superheroes' first meeting.

Adrien blushed. If he had known then what that girl would mean to him, he would have kissed her while he had the chance. Well... maybe that would have been too forward. First impressions meant a lot. If his relationship with Marinette was anything to go by. She still seemed awkward around him even after they had become friends and sorted out the whole gum incident. Still, if he had kissed Ladybug when they first met, he probably would have been out in the metaphorical cat house for a while before she even let him be her friend.

Adrien tossed the yo-yo back in the box, grabbed the Ladybug costume, and went to change.

A few weeks went by and Marinette had seen enough of Cat Noir to make a near perfect copy of his outfit. He was her partner and she was proud to wear it, but part of her was relieved he would never see her in it. The boy didn't need an inflated ego. While she had made the suit, she had come up with a list of cat puns she had heard from the boy himself or thought of on her own. She was definitely ready for tonight.

The school buzzed all Friday and that night the students arrived to a decorated court. Orange and purple lights hung across the railings to make a high faux ceiling and jack-o-lanterns were scattered around. There were bowls of candy and other treats on a long table with a black table cloth to one side. On the short end, a stage and hired DJ were set up.

Nino had been excited to talk to the professional and get some tips, but secretly his friends had wanted him on the dance floor and had convinced Mr. Damocles it was better to hire an expert.

Despite intentions of arriving early to see if he could help with speaker set up, Nino was delayed, waiting on Adrien. After fighting another akuma and hoping nothing went wrong at the dance, Adrien as Cat Noir rolled through the window into his locked bathroom. Catching sight of his de-transformation in the mirror, he had to chuckle to himself. It was probably strange seeing himself change from Cat Noir to Adrien, but the change from Cat Noir to Ladybug was ironic. The costume made him look thinner on top while his normal hero attire fit him quite well. It wasn't an awful difference, just obvious in the transition. Some muscles were more visible in the spandex while others were swallowed in the amount of fabric for a one-piece suit. He was pretty sure this was not the same material his partner had, she always looked so perfect and beautiful, but as it was Halloween, he didn't think it was that important to be accurate. Probably better not to be.

"Adrien! Bro! What's taking you so long?" Nino called from his bedroom.

Adrien flipped a hair back into place and walked out the door. "Sorry Nino. Just the... model in me, I guess." He grimaced internally. That wasn't an excuse he preferred to use.

"It's fine." Nino forgave his friend and pulled him to the door. "Come on, though, we gotta go."

Marinette ran down the stairs, put up with a few quick pictures from her parents, and then her and Alya were on their way to the dance.

While Cat Noir had been secretly pleased he was wearing a Ladybug costume underneath his suit, Ladybug felt more rushed than usual to leave when her earrings beeped their warning. She might still have a mask on underneath, but she didn't need him to know it was his.

"Sorry about that, Alya." Marinette apologized for her tardiness as they walked across the street. "I had to fix a zipper."

"It's fine girl. We don't need a wardrobe malfunction on our hands. Especially when you're dancing with Adrien," her friend teased.

Marinette blushed. Her voice became dreamlike remembering Chloe's party. "Do you really think he'll ask me again?"

"Of course. With Nino and I dancing, what other choice would he have? Plus, he said you were a good dancer, Marinette. He's going to dance with you."

Marinette made a happy sigh.

"By the way, girl, that Cat Noir costume looks so good on you."

"Thanks! I tried to make it as close to the real thing as possible."

"Well you did a good job 'cause if I didn't know Cat Noir was a boy, I would suspect you as the hero."

Marinate looked down bashfully. "Thank you, Alya. You're looking good as Ladybug too."

Alya smiled and posed. "All thanks to you! Although," she laughed. "It might be more believable if I had the right hair color and my mask wasn't built around my glasses."

Marinette laughed as Alya wiggled her glasses back and forth.

"Invest in some contacts and I'll make you a real one."

"Deal."

As soon as Marinette and Alya entered the school's open court, their friends surrounded them. Marinette was nearly overwhelmed with all the praise she received, but she was looking for one classmate in particular. He unfortunately didn't arrive until everyone had gone back to the dance floor, food table, or other corners of the large room to converse.

Marinette was starting to look downhearted. What if Adrien's dad had decided he couldn't come last minute?

"Relax, girl. Nino texted me earlier. They're both on their way." Alya patted her friend's back, practically reading her mind. "You gotta stay paws-itive!"

They giggled.

"Hey, puns are my thing," Marinette said defensively, putting her hands on her hips as if she was offended.

"Ladybug makes puns too, you know," Alya replied flippantly.

"Not all the time!"

"Some of the time." Alya still had a glint in her eye, not picking up on Marinette's serious remark even though she had crossed her arms.

"Yeah, I guess. They're not as poorly timed though…" Marinette grumbled.

"Hey, guys!"

The girls turned to see Adrien waving with a smile. Beside him, Nino grinned. Just as he'd predicted Alya was Ladybug with Marinette as her Cat Noir. But not for long.

Alya smirked seeing the boys' choice in costume. Sure, she had dropped a few hints to see if Nino would pick up on her plan, but it still pleased her to see him dressed as Cat Noir. Now that they were here, she could dance with Nino, still be part of a duo, and now Adrien and Marinette would feel forced to stay together as part of another duo. Her plan was working flawlessly. What she didn't expect was for Nino to fully accept his role as Cat Noir.

As the boys reached the two girls, Nino dropped to one knee, grabbing Alya's hand and kissing it. "My Lady," he greeted.

Marinette didn't miss her friend's hidden smile and slight blush. She probably would have giggled if she wasn't so distracted by the fact that Adrien was dressed as Ladybug. How could this boy be more cute? She swore she could even see some abs under the spandex. Seeing Alya's brief smirk before Nino had surprised her, she was sure the red head had planned this.

Adrien seemed to be looking at Marinette too. He blushed seeing Nino's actions and blinked quickly before joining the conversation. "He did not greet me that way."

The others laughed as Nino stood, his hand still around Alya's. Adrien felt a short pang in his chest before laughing it off. These were his friends. They had no idea and they weren't trying to make him feel bad. But part of him wished he could be here with the real Ladybug. No one would even suspect, would they? Of course, maybe he didn't want her to see him dressed like her… but he wanted to see her dressed like him. The thought made his heart race and he glanced at Marinette who was dressed as Cat Noir.

"Wow, Marinette. That Cat Noir costume almost looks like the real thing. Did you make it yourself?"

Marinette's cheeks reddened at Adrien's compliment. "Y-yeah. I- I looked at a… lot of pictures." She laughed nervously.

"You must have. It looks almost exactly like the real thing… I mean at least the one they had me try on for that music video," he saved before his compliments became suspicious.

"Oh! Yes, yeah, I… Thank you."

He smiled at her. Seeing that Alya and Nino were already inching out onto the dance floor, he looked at Marinette. "Do you want to dance?"

She squeaked. "Yes!" she responded quickly, knowing how fast he had been last time.

Adrien grabbed her hand. Both hands wrapped in gloves, something felt familiar about this kind of touch. On the dance floor, he hesitated for only a moment before placing her hands on his neck and putting both his hands on her waist. He had been more formal last time, but now that he knew Alya wouldn't hesitate to cut in and change that, he knew he could be closer. Still he felt like he should ask her permission.

"Is this okay?" he asked putting his head next to hers.

Her breath tickled his cheek before she placed her head on his shoulder. "Yeah."

Something about Marinette made Adrien happy. He never could quite place the reason why, just that she did. There had been a time where he didn't understand her. He had thought she hated him, then seemed to forgive him, only to replace her consternation with stuttered words. Soon enough, he accepted that maybe she was just flustered easily. Though there were many times where she did something to contradict that understanding, the way she stood up to Chloe came to mind. She also seemed to be friends with everyone else so easily. He didn't let himself think about it too much though since to him she was a very good friend now at least. Their past seemed to be in the past.

Marinette was amazing. He only had to look at her in that Cat Noir costume to know that, but he knew Marinette was more than just some fabric and sewing skill. She had real designer potential; she was a supportive friend, always showing up to all of their classmates' activities; she was a good baker and a good gamer. Still, he couldn't help but admire her dedication to her costume. She would have had to look at a lot of pictures of him as Cat Noir and somehow the thought made the back of his neck heat up just a little bit. It wasn't as if he wasn't used to people looking at him, even picking apart what he was wearing. He was a model after all. And a public superhero. Somehow Marinette looking at Cat Noir felt more intimate. Like she was seeing the real him… and he kind of liked it. He couldn't deny how happy it made him to see her in his superhero outfit. If anyone else deserved to be a hero like him and Ladybug, it was probably Marinette. She was always standing up for other people… and she looked really cute as Cat Noir… Her blue eyes and pink lips stood out against the black of her outfit in a way that…

Before Adrien could realize his heart beat had picked up, a fast song blasted across the courtyard and he untangled himself from Marinette. He kept close to dance with her, but he let the music chase away these new thoughts about his classmate.

Marinette was happy. So happy. Adrien wanted to dance with her. To keep dancing with her. She had worried for a moment as he seemed to back away from her rather quickly when the song ended, but he stayed and didn't seem worried about finding Nino or Alya any time soon. And honestly, she wasn't too worried about the couple either. Alya could enjoy being part of the infamous ship LadyNoir, but Marinette would enjoy being a part of whatever her and Adrien could be.

As they continued to dance, many people stopped by to tell them how much they liked their costumes. Some were their friends and others neither teen knew, but Adrien liked seeing other people appreciating Marinette's work and how kind and appreciative Marinette was of the compliments. Yet another thing he knew about the young designer; she could be hot-headed when it came to Chloe but with her work she was humble.

As another student passed by on their way to the refreshments, they sent more words of praise their way. Only this time, it was a "Loving the couple costumes! You guys are cute!"

Both Adrien and Marinette stopped for a second, but the thin, pink wigged girl had already passed.

"We're not…!"

"Thanks!"

The two looked at each other for a second. Marinette was wide eyed again.

"Sorry," Adrien supplied, rubbing the back of his neck. "She was walking away so I thought… I mean we are kind of a couple tonight since the other Ladybug and Cat Noir decided to run off together." He tried to laugh off the sudden nerves.

Marinette beamed. "Yeah- yeah, that's fine. You're probably right."

"Yeah, I mean people probably already think we're together anyway…" Oh gosh, he was making this worse.

"What?!" Marinette nearly choked.

"I just, um, mean that we've been dancing and we're in matching costumes," Adrien rambled. "I also… never made a public statement that you weren't my girlfriend after you helped me run from my fans… My father always says people will believe what they want to believe. There's no use in putting out corrections unless it directly effects business. So… he never let me. Sorry if that's caused any problems for you."

"No, no, not at all," Marinette stuttered at his suddenly vulnerable tone. "That's okay. Your father's… probably right…" Oh, of course, she knew about that. Still, nothing had seemed to change between them after Gorizilla and no one brought it up. She had decided to ignore that "evidence" of him liking her and had kept trying to get something more concrete.

"Yeah, well, I guess you don't get to be the owner of a fashion empire without knowing a few things." Adrien rolled his eyes, but then his voice was softer. "I just wish he didn't have the same mentality when it came to his own son."

Marinette looked at him, searching his eyes for something more to say. How could she comfort the boy behind the Ladybug mask?

Gosh, he hadn't wanted Marinette to feel sorry for him. Adrien didn't even want to admit that he had never made a press correction on their supposed relationship because it was easier for him to let everyone think he was taken. He felt so guilty using her like that that he had hoped it never came up again. And it hadn't, until he had opened his fat mouth. And now he felt guilty and embarrassed. When had this night suddenly become a train wreck? Since when had he not been able to control his own tongue in front of Marinette? …Since she put on that Cat Noir outfit, a voice at the back of his mind that sounded awfully like Plagg whispered.

"I'm sure your father loves you," Marinette started out slowly, then grinned. "What did he think of you leaving the house as Ladybug?"

Adrien laughed. "He didn't see me, but that's probably for the best."

"Well, I think you look great!" Marinette tried to sound as enthusiastic as possible, glad to see a smile back on his face. "Ladybug would love it!"

Marinette caught the blush that crept onto the boy's face and smiled.

"Cat Noir would like what you're wearing too," Adrien commented, making her blush as well.

She rolled her eyes, then leaned in and whispered, "Just don't let him know I'm wearing it."

"Why's that?" He chuckled at her conspiratorial tone.

"Well…" Her eyes were wide like she'd been caught in headlights, but then she took a breath. "Cat Noir is silly, but I don't want him to know that I think he's funny or brave because… well, I'd never hear the end of it. He's a notorious flirt, you know." She rolled her eyes but had a smile on her face.

Adrien's eyebrows furrowed at that. He hadn't meant to flirt with Marinette in their interactions. Maybe impress her a little, but not flirt. "Did he really flirt with you when you met him?"

Marinette looked surprised. Right, she had only met Cat Noir a few times. "Well, um, I mean… not like heavily or anything! He's just more of show off than anything else…" She laughed nervously. This was a little too close to her secret identity for comfort. "He doesn't flirt with me like he likes me or anything!"

She knew better. Cat Noir had told her himself about his love for Ladybug, but they were talking about Cat Noir and Marinette and that was very different. She didn't want Adrien thinking Cat Noir had claimed her or something.

"Right. 'Cause he likes Ladybug, right?" Adrien smiled and tapped the bell on her collar. At her surprised look, he suddenly worried he'd taken a step too far. "Sorry, Ladybug always does that to m- Cat Noir." He rubbed the back of his neck.

A smile bloomed over Marinette's face. "Yeah, she does, doesn't she?"

"Yeah," Adrien chuckled. A new guilt was settling over him as he realized how his feelings were swaying, much like he did dancing with Marinette. "Um, anyway. Maybe we should go find Nino and Alya? The dance is almost over and I'm his ride…"

"Yeah, let's go find those crazy cats!"

Marinette mentally slapped her forehead. Crazy cats? Really? Overall though, she was sad. This night had gone so quickly. But she would be lying if she didn't say it was one of her best. She had talked to Adrien all night. She had danced with Adrien all night! No akumas! (Knock on wood.) But now he had to go… and she felt like leaving him a shoe like Cinderella. Go my prince but find me again!

"Cat and bug," Adrien joked.

"Right." Marinette let the conversation fall.

It wasn't surprising to either Marinette or Adrien when they found their friends at the refreshments table. As the two walked up to them, Nino finished an orange macaron and winked at them.

"Hey guys, meow you doing?"

Marinette and Adrien giggled while Alya groaned. "Please, Nino! It's Halloween, not a role-playing game. The puns you came up with Marinette were so much better than all the ones I've been hearing tonight. Please save me."

Marinette looked bashful as she saw Adrien grin at her. "You came up with cat puns? Why didn't I get to hear any?"

Marinette sputtered. "I-um- I… just didn't have the opportunity."

Adrien shrugged, looking pleased. "I get it. You just weren't feline it."

Almost out of habit, she glared up at him before realizing it was Adrien smiling back at her. She smiled then too and put her hand to her chest in dramatic Cat Noir fashion. "My lady, being this good at puns isn't easy. It's nearly im-paws-able to find the purr-fect moment for delivery." Which is probably why I always pun at the worst moments, she thought to herself.

She grinned at Adrien through the embarrassment of calling him her lady, only now realizing how special it was. She was elated when he burst into genuine laughter, his cheeks turning a light pink.

"Okay, you three, I think I better separate you before this becomes a catastrophe." Alya berated, ignoring her own pun.

The others giggled as they followed her out the front door.

Nino and Adrien headed to Adrien's car while Marinette and Alya went to walk across the street.

"Bye, Cat Noir! It was pawsome hanging out with you tonight," Adrien suddenly called back.

Marinette blushed. Oh, those puns would be the death of her, she laughed to herself. Somehow, they were just kind of cute coming from Adrien's lips. She rolled her eyes and turned around. Waving, she shouted back, "Bye, LB! It's been the cat's meow!" She saluted like she'd seen Cat do a thousand times and turned back around, a huge smile on her face.

"Cat's meow?" Alya teased.

Marinette grimaced and shrugged.

"Girl, if I had known putting you in a mask would suddenly make you open up to Adrien, we would have tried it a long time ago."

"Yeah." Marinette's voice was dream like and far away.

Of course, she could do this with a mask! Somehow it was easier with a mask. It was always easier with a mask… and a persona to keep up. She already knew that. While it almost made her feel guilty because she was aware of Cat's feelings, she realized he might have inadvertently just helped her spend a whole evening with Adrien. Adrien, who liked puns and appreciated her talent. He had been so content to sit back and let her receive all the compliments tonight. How could he be so perfect?

"Alya, he danced with me all night!" she finally gushed as they reached the other side of the street and Adrien's car had already drove away.

"I know," Alya said with playful arrogance. "My plans always work out purrrfectly."

I did not plan for there to be so many cat puns in this, oops. Hopefully, I didn't get carried away. I know that can get annoying quickly.

And I have to say, one nice thing about writing this was that I didn't have to write any part of an akuma attack which is so difficult for me. I got to just have genuine Adrinette time. Happy sigh.

Anyway, I just wanted to make it clear that this is a one shot and while I would love to continue if people ask, I know I probably won't unless an idea or plot just hits me. You're welcome to follow, but just don't be disappointed if you don't see anymore.

Thanks for reading anyway, guys! I hope you enjoyed it!