Kissing Around

When Marinette woke up, she did not expect the day to turn out as it did.

For one thing, she wasn't expecting Akumas today. Not after the night before. The Akuma had appeared really late in the night. Chat Noir and Ladybug had struggled a bit during the fight - mostly because of the lack of sleep -, but they had succeeded at beating it, as they always did. She honestly didn't even think they needed to patrol tonight. Surely they deserved some rest.

For another thing, Marinette's day started exactly as every day started: Waking up five minutes before Collège Françoise Dupont's first bell rang. And we all know what that means...

"Arriving late, again, Miss Dupain-Cheng?" Asked Madame Mendeleiev, looking rather unimpressed, the minute Marinette got through the classroom's door, "Do I need to remind you that you are a senior? And that you should be putting up your best effort to give a good example for the younger students to follow!? How is arriving late every Thursday a good example, Miss Dupain-Cheng?"

"It's not personal." Murmured Kim so that everyone but the teacher could hear. Marinette's classmates chuckled lightly.

"Yeah," Continued Max with the same murmured tone, "She has done it every morning for the past three years..." Followed by more light laughs.

"That we know of-" Added Kim.

"I'm so, so sorry, Madame Mendeleiev!" Marinette apologized, still panting from the sprint-run she had just pulled off and ignoring the giggling in the back of the class.

"Sit down." Ordered the physics teacher, "Let's continue."

Marinette did as she was told, sitting in the same place as always: Beside Alya and behind Adrien.

"Madame Mendeleiev is in a good mood today, isn't she?" Marinette whispered ironically to Alya, who nodded and covered her mouth, repressing a giggle. Adrien glanced back towards Marinette giving her a sympathetic look and she only slightly blushed.

Three years in the same class with Adrien Agreste had allowed Marinette to develop some resistance to his bewitching charm. Marinette could proudly say that she did not stammer in front of her crush anymore!

The rest of the classes continued without further noticeable moments...

Until lunchtime came.

Marinette was sitting with Alya, Nino and Adrien, when Chloe Bourgois very intentionally spilled her tray of food all over Marinette and managed to accidentally hit a very large part of Adrien in the process. Marinette and Adrien jumped from their seats, trying to dodge it, but they weren't fast enough. The food wasn't burning hot, thankfully, but it did make a nasty stain.

"Oh! Adrikins!" Gasped Chloe, obviously horrified, "I'm so sorry! That was an accident!"

"Great." Sighed Marinette attending to the bolognese on her legs.

"That was obviously not an accident Chloe." Alya pointed out, since Marinette was occupied trying to salvage her clothes from all the tomato sauce.

"Excuse me!?" Roared Chloe, looking absolutely outraged, "Are you implying that I would spill food all over Adrikins on purpose?"

"No. I'm saying that you spilled food all over Marinette on purpose!"

"Oh." She blinked, immediately forgetting her rage towards Alya. "Are you alright, Adrikins?" She asked Adrien, ignoring Marinette beside him, "Let me help! The hotel is closer than your house and I have some spare clothes that would look totally ravishing on you-"

"Chloe, what the hell." Exploded Adrien furiously. It had passed the point where he'd feel disappointed with the blonde girl.

She blinked at him, not used to the harsh tone in his voice.

"I'm sick of this, you know?" He continued, "I know you didn't mean to spill your food on me, but you clearly spilled your food all over Marinette on purpose! The least you could do is apologize and stop antagonizing her! Why do you do that anyway?" The hall was quiet and everyone was gaping at Adrien, but he just kept going, "I seriously just had the most terrible night yesterday and I really can't stand any more villainous crap. From now on you will treat everyone right, am I clear?"

Chloe audibly gasped and her eyes became watery.

Adrien gulped at Chloe's reaction. The girl was about to cry and he did feel guilty for yelling at her, but he wouldn't take it back. He was sick of her treating Marinette so poorly.

Chloe clearly couldn't speak right now, with the humiliation of Adrien's words hovering over her, so she just turned away with a muffled Humpf, followed by her shadow, Sabrina.

Adrien sighed, looking at Marinette, "I'm really sorry she keeps doing this..."

Marinette's smile was full of affection, "You know, I can take care of myself, Adrien. But thank you. I really appreciated you defending me." She got up and walked to him, she had no idea what kind of bad night he'd had but if it was anything like hers, she could understand his outburst. She hadn't herself only because he had beat her to it. "I have some clean clothes in my place if you want. It's way closer than the mansion. Across the street closer." She invited, repressing her insecurity.

Adrien breathed in as he ran his hand through his hair.

Why, oh, why did he look so good running his hand through his hair?

"Sure..." He finally said, "I don't have any spare clothes here and I wouldn't mind changing..."

Lots of thumbs up and wicked gazes from Alya and Nino - and pretty much their whole class - later, Marinette and Adrien escaped the school and walked to the bakery. After they said hello to her parents and explained what had happened, they climbed up to her room.

"Woow! It looks exactly as I remembered!" Adrien said as he entered her room, trying to sound genuinely surprised. For Marinette, the 'last time' Adrien had been there was around two years ago. The real 'last time' had been barely over one month ago, as Chat Noir. Because, when he was feeling lonely, really lonely, he visited Marinette. He knew she'd always have her door open for him when he needed.

When he looked at her again, after a quick scan of her room, he saw she had taken off her sweatshirt and was wearing a thin shirt with very tiny sleeves. It was very... intimate. The dirty sweatshirt was now lying in a corner of her room and she was bending over, looking through her dresser drawers. He didn't really know why, but he was out of air there for a second.

"AH!" She said triumphantly, holding a piece of clothing over her head, "Yep, this will do!" Marinette placed the clothing pieces on her chaise lounge while she closed the drawer.

Adrien reminded himself to breathe when she looked back at him.

"I've been making this for a really important friend of mine." She started, tucking some of her bangs behind her ear and looking rather shy. She picked one of the dark clothing pieces up off the chair, "He doesn't know I'm making them yet."

He.

'He doesn't know'... Adrien felt his stomach shrink in furious denial.

"I was planning on giving them to him as a present for Christmas," She kept going without noticing his sudden violent feelings, "But oh well..." She shrugged while giggling and then she showed him the hoodie she had designed.

All of his raging thoughts instantly subsided.

The piece she had in her hands was a black hoodie with the words "CAT PAWER" embroidered in green and a tiny little paw beside it.

He was... him.

Marinette had been making an outfit to give Chat Noir. Sweet Marinette's important friend was Chat Noir.

His chest bubbled with fierce affection, and, before he knew it, without any warning from his mind or body, he was kissing her.

He heard her squeal in surprise, but soon she was kissing him back, melting into his arms, and all reason was forgotten.

Her lips were so soft and felt so good on his...

They moved together, slowly at first, then urgently. He pulled her closer to him and felt her embrace tighten as well, almost desperately, as they drowned in each other's arms.

Until reason came crashing back.

What the hell was he doing?

He was fu**ing kissing Marinette!

His very good FRIEND!

Adrien abruptly stepped away from her. She looked absolutely shocked, a reflection of his own face, probably. Without thinking, again, Adrien said: "I-I got to go!" And ran out of her room and house, leaving the poor girl alone with her partially fried brain.

He called Gorilla to pick him up, saying he was feeling sick, and two minutes after the car was parking outside the school. Right on time, really, two minutes was what it took Adrien to march back to the school with his still very dirty clothes. He entered the car still wondering what was wrong with him. He might have just ruined everything with Marinette. She was one of his best friends and he had kissed her out of the blue! If things tomorrow were to get awkward, it was all on him! Mari had finally stopped stammering in front of him! Why did he have to ruin everything?

Adrien mechanically got out of the car, walked to the mansion and vaguely answered Natalie's questions: What was wrong? - He felt unwell. Did he need to go to the doctor? - No. Did he need something? - Rest. Afterwards he walked to his room.

Once he found himself 'alone' (with Plagg), he took off his clothes and went to the shower.

It wasn't all his fault if things got awkward... Marinette had kissed him back! She could have just pushed him away! But no... She had to glorify him with her beautiful pink lips dancing over his.

He replayed the kiss in his head. It had felt so right. It had felt as he imagined it would feel if he kissed Ladybug... Her passion had swept him off his feet when she'd kissed back, and for a moment there he had lost it.

And for good reason... Marinette was so beautiful... What guy in his right mind wouldn't want to be kissed by her?

Oh, God, now he wanted to kiss her again.

He remembered the violent jealousy he'd felt when she'd told him she had a very important friend... Because that vicious intense feeling had to be jealousy.

Was he in love with Marinette? Had he simply not realized it because of his blind love for Ladybug?

Did he even want to kiss Ladybug now?

"Soooo" Said Plagg, with a mouth full of cheese and a sly smirk, once Adrien stepped out the bathroom, "First kiss, huh?"

Adrien threw a murderous glare at Plagg and started getting dressed, regretting not trying on the clothes that Marinette had made for Chat.

Oh my god, how can I enter her room again as Chat?

Plagg shrugged and added, "I'm just saying it's about time..."

Adrien finished putting his shirt on, and looked at Plagg, not following, "What was about time?"

"You and that girl!" Answered Plagg, like he was stating something beyond obvious.

"What?" Asked Adrien, frowning, "Marinette is my friend! That's all!" He said, defensively. Had Plagg noticed he liked Marinette before he did?

Crap, now he was thinking that he liked her as an established fact.

"Oh, friends kiss friends on the lips, now!" Plagg chuckled with delight.

"Plagg!" Said a very frustrated Adrien, He rubbed his face with his hands, "Will you stop that, please? That kiss... It was an accident."

"But you liked it..." Plagg's sly grin widened.

Adrien had no way of denying that. He had liked it.

He wanted more.

His mind was so confused... What about Ladybug? Was he even still in love with her?

"I think you should go back to the school and have a proper talk with your Princess..." Said Plagg, smiling so widely that his eyes were pretty much lines now.

"No." Adrien sat on the sofa, "Are you crazy? I can't face her now!" Plagg just chuckled, "Plus, it's patrol night. I need to..." He paused, looking for the words, "... clarify some doubts."

"Oh?" Plagg was clearly very amused and that wasn't doing anything to assuage Adrien's nerves, "May I ask, what are you are planning to do to clarify your doubts?"

"I'm going to kiss Ladybug."

Plagg snorted and Adrien took it the wrong way.

"What? I know she doesn't like me, okay? But I need to know if... I like her..." He said with his ego wounded, "...more than..."

"The Princess!" Finished Plagg, trying to hold his laughter.

MLB

Adrien hadn't turned up in school that afternoon and Marinette had no idea what that kiss had meant. He was the one kissing her, not the other way around, but he had look surprised too... Maybe he didn't mean to do it? Maybe he'd tripped and fall over right to her mouth? He did run right after... That couldn't be a good thing, right?

Some part of her had hope, though. Adrien had kissed her. She might have a chance with him! Maybe they could date!

It was with thoughts like this that Ladybug found Chat Noir on top of their meeting point: a normal rooftop on the periphery of Paris.

Okay, Marinette, now back to work. You can daydream about Adrien's kiss later.

"Hello, Kitty." Greeted Ladybug.

Chat turned to look at her. His eyes widened a bit and his chest started coming up and down faster.

"Chat?" Called Ladybug, uncertain. The way he was looking at her, it was intense... Almost hostile. Had he been Akumatized?

He moved towards her with the same expression glimmering in his eyes and pulled her to him, holding her by the waist, and kissed her right on the mouth.

Ladybug was stiff for a moment. This was not what she had in mind to do tonight. But the familiarity of the kiss... his soft lips over hers... it made her forget.

Forget that Adrien had kissed her only a few hours ago.

Forget that the one kissing her was Chat Noir.

And forget that she really, really shouldn't kiss him back.

Ladybug fell under Chat Noir's spell and it felt... so good.

He held her close to him, in a sweet and perfect embrace, while she melted into his arms. He kissed her senseless, and she couldn't get enough of it.

When they eventually pulled apart for much needed air, there was a moment where something in her brain clicked, and she quickly pulled apart from him when he was leaning over to kiss her again.

"Fuck." She cursed, breathless, with her hands covering her face and her eyes round with horror.

Chat Noir looked absolutely shocked. He had never heard his Lady curse before.

Then it hit him. That kiss... He wanted more too.

And he still wanted to kiss Marinette again.

Oh, boy, he was in trouble.

Was he in love with the two of them?

His thoughts were rudely interrupted by:

"Oh God, I'm a slut!" Screeched Ladybug with her hands covering her mouth.

Chat Noir looked at her, even more confused now.

She finally looked at him with harmful intent on her eyes, "Why would you do THAT!?" She hugged herself and let out a little cry, "Why would I kiss you back?" She murmured, looking petrified with the realization that she hadkissed him back.

Chat Noir looked at her, worried. He was in trouble because he was in love with two girls. But Ladybug looked more disoriented than he ever seen her. Maybe he shouldn't have kissed her?

"The day the guy I have this huge crush on decides to kiss me, is the freaking day I go and kiss another guy!" Ladybug groaned frustrated and absolutely lost.

The feeling of furious denial came back. The jealousy. Ladybug had kissed her crush today. Maybe he should just bet on Marinet-

"What will Adrien think?"

Wait, what?

The guy Ladybug had kissed was called Adrien. There were more Adrien's in the world, he reminded himself...

But.. He had kissed a girl today, so...

"I mean, he doesn't need to know, right?" She kept mumbling almost imperceptibly. Chat could only understand the gibberish because of his great cat senses, "Oh Gosh! I feel so bad! WHYYYY! Why did you have to kiss me, Chat? That's just not right you know? Going around kissing people!?" She repeated, turning at him with rage bubbling up again.

Could it be that Ladybug was Marinette?

Chat answered with a question, "The guy you like is called Adrien?"

"Yes!" She groaned with frustration, throwing her arms up in the air, "What's the point? Why would you do this to me!? Crap, I'm so confused right now."

"Is your name Marinette Dupain-Cheng?"

"Yes!" She groaned again, "You keep dodging m- Wait, what?" She gasped with a mix of fear an shock plastered all over her face. Now she'd done it. She had just revealed her secret identity to her partner.

Chat was grinning wide when he breathed, "That's why."

He looked relieved.

"That's why, what?" She managed to breathe out.

"You are Marinette Dupain-Cheng. That's why I kissed you."

"What?!" Asked Ladybug, completely bewildered, "You knew who I was!? Wait! How did you find out!?"

"You just told me." He chuckled, coming closer to her.

She took one step back, "You're not making any sense right now, Chat."

He shrugged, his smirk still teasing her, "It didn't make sense to me either." He said, stepping towards her again, and this time she didn't move, "It all started when I kissed you, really. I couldn't believe I was in love with you without realizing it." Ladybug frowned even more confused. Had Chat Noir lost his mind? He'd confessed his love for her multiple times! "Was I in love with two amazing girls at the same time? I had to be sure." He sighed, they weren't touching, but they were one palm away from each other. She glanced at his lips, trying to resist the urge to glue them to hers and focusing on his words instead. He picked up a stray of her hair and tucked it behind her ear, like she'd done a few hours ago before showing him her designs, "So I kissed you: Ladybug." He chuckled while shaking his head, as if he didn't believe the silliness of it all.

"I don't understand..." Said Ladybug slowly.

"When I kissed you today, Princess," He started explaining, gazing at her lovingly, "I did it without even thinking. My body just moved when I realized I was borrowing a present you were making for me." He winked and said, "I loved the Cat Pawer touch!"

He'd borrowed a present meant for him? Today? But she didn't...

Wait.

What?

His smile grew when her eyes doubled. She shook her head in disbelief.

"No way." She breathed out, looking mortified.

Chat chuckled as he nodded, "That was pretty much my reaction two minutes ago, but you were too worried cursing under your breath because you thought you had just cheated on me." He laughed delighted, "With me."

Ladybug chuckled nervously, "Does that mean..."

"I'm Adrien Agreste, M'Lady." He proudly said, "And apparently you have a huge crush on mew?"

Ladybug hid her very blushed face with her hands, "Oh my god." she whispered.

"Is that why you were so tongue-tied around me, Princess?" Ladybug screeched and tried to hide her face even more. Chat Noir laughed as he pulled her in for a hug and kissed the crown of her head, "I hated that you stammered around me, you know? I hated to know I made you uncomfortable... But now, I'm relieved and happy, I might add, to know the reason why." She slowly looked up at him. He looked down to meet her gaze and smiled, "I'm so glad it's you, Marinette..."

"You are?" She asked surprised.

"Of course! Ladybug is wonderful, obviously, but Marinette... You are amazing. I can't think of anyone better to be my masked friend slash love of my life." He chuckled when her eyes widened again, "I must tell you, I was really scared when I thought I would have to choose between the two of you."

Ladybug casually surrounded his body with her arms, hugging him back.

"And you got scared too, didn't you?" He said, trying to contain his laughter, but failing miserably, "You liked my kiss as Chat Noir!" He snorted, when Ladybug blushed harder, "That's why you freaked out so badly!"

"Oh, shut up!" She mumbled, pretending to be annoyed, but with a hint of a shy smile dancing on her lips.

He raised an eyebrow, hitting her with his best smolder, "Why don't you make me?"

Miraculous Readers,

I hope you liked it ^^

I will be posting more like this soon,

AuriMoon*