"Your turn, Adrien," Alya said. "Favourite movie?"
It was breaktime, but raining so hard outside that the sky was almost black. Since the gym was currently occupied by people setting up for an event that evening, all the pupils of François Dupont High School were confined to the other indoor communal areas. Marinette and the rest of her class were in the Literature room, playing an icebreaker game that Miss Bustier had left on her desk.
"Solitude," he said immediately, a weird smile on his face. The name rang a bell with Marinette, but she couldn't think why.
There was a slight pause. "Er … I haven't heard of that one," Alya said, sounding really surprised that she didn't know something.
"No, it's really rare," Adrien replied.
"Okay … what about it do you like?"
"The lead actress was so good in it. Really amazing. You could really believe she was the character Maria." He still had a strange smile on his face, a kind of misty expression in his eyes. For a moment Marinette almost wondered if he had a crush on the actress, but decided it wasn't something romantic at all. She couldn't figure out what it was.
"Oh, I've seen that," Lila spoke up. "She is good, isn't she?"
Marinette gritted her teeth as Adrien just nodded distantly.
"And she's awesome in real life too. Such a lovely person. I've met her lots of times."
Adrien stiffened, but no-one else seemed to notice. Marinette hadn't seen him do that before when Lila lied; he usually just sort of sighed and ignored it—
Then she finally remembered why the name of the movie sounded familiar, and her mouth fell open.
Oh, no! She doesn't get to do this! Not his mom! I'm not letting her—
She hadn't even been aware of rising from her seat in fury, opening her mouth to shut Lila up, but Adrien suddenly touched her arm and shot her a look that clearly said Don't.
It took all Marinette's willpower to restrain her protective instincts that wanted to just slam Lila's lying head into a brick wall.
Lila prattled on obliviously. "… we met a few years ago, and instantly bonded."
Adrien nodded a little, flooring Marinette. Wait, he wasn't going to correct her?
"… why, only last week, we had coffee together …"
Marinette ground her teeth, trying so hard to contain her fury, her hands clenched so tightly together her nails were really hurting her palms. Alya kept giving her worried looks.
"Did you, really?" Adrien interrupted. His tone was slightly questioning, but not in a doubtful way—more like he was just having a little trouble comprehending what a good opportunity had come his way. "Last week, you say?"
How does he do that?
"Oh, yes! She's so nice."
"Uh-huh." He paused for a moment. "What's her name?"
Lila blinked, slightly wrong-footed, and everyone else looked puzzled. "E-er … well, between you and me, she goes by … Maria; you know, after the character she played. Because it was her favourite role."
It would have been a good save, under any other circumstances.
"I meant her real name." Finally a little hardness had crept into Adrien's tone, which seemed to confuse the others. "You must know that, if you've met her so much."
"Um …" Beads of sweat appeared across Lila's forehead. "Well, right from the beginning, she asked me to call her Maria—"
"So look it up," he said, now distinctively coldly.
"Er, dude?" Nino asked curiously. "Something wrong?"
Lila fumbled for her phone.
Adrien repeated the film title and the year it was made, surprisingly calmly.
Despite how (albeit unintentionally) hurtful and horrible Lila's lies had been this time, Marinette could not help feeling a very smug satisfaction as Lila clearly found the right webpage. All the colour drained from her face.
"E-er …" she stammered.
"Yes?" Adrien pressed.
"It's … Emilie," she said hesitantly.
"Surname?" he demanded.
She gulped. "A-Agreste."
Everyone else gasped, and a stunned silence fell.
"So where exactly did you meet my mom last week?" Adrien said clearly, folding his arms. "I'd be very interested to know, especially since no-one else, including me, has seen her in nearly a year."
Their classmates all turned to stare at Lila, who was now growing steadily more scarlet in the face.
"You know, Lila, after I saw Ladybug deny she had ever even met you, I could have told everyone you were a liar. But I didn't, because I made the mistake of not thinking it was worth it. I didn't want to expose you as a liar, because I don't like hurting people. But what you just did was not cool, and I really wish now I'd told the truth earlier."
"A-Adrien, I'm so sorry! I didn't know—"
"That's not the point. Your lies can hurt people, whether you mean them to or not, and—I wish I'd realised that sooner. I don't want to hear another word out of your mouth unless it's honest."
The silence that followed in the classroom was astronomical. Adrien took a deep breath and turned around. "Marinette, I'm really sorry."
"You're not the one who has to apologise, Adrien," Marinette replied, giving Lila a filthy look.
"I mean for not coming forward and backing you up before. Everyone's been giving you such a hard time because you didn't buy her tall tales; I should have said something. I wish I had earlier."
"Y-you were right about her," Alya stammered. "I'm sorry too, Marinette; I really just thought you were just jea—I mean … I should have trusted you."
The others started falling over themselves to apologise for not believing her too, everyone speaking at once. Marinette got the gist, however.
"It's okay, everyone. I forgive you. I know it looked like I was just paranoid. She was good."
"How did you know she was lying, anyway?" Alya asked.
Marinette flashed back to the time Alya had asked her that recently, remembering that when she had started to reply, she had become flustered out of fear of revealing she was Ladybug. But Adrien's admitting to what he had witnessed between Ladybug and Lila had just given her an idea.
"I was actually in the park that day." She turned to look at Adrien. "When you and Lila were together, and then Ladybug turned up?"
"Oh."
"I didn't want to say anything, since it was that incident which turned her into Volpina. But now everyone knows about it anyway …"
"You were really there?" Adrien asked, sounding confused.
Marinette could practically hear Alya thinking Yeah, totally spying on you, dude, behind her smirk.
"Y-yeah. I, er …" Marinette quickly searched for an explanation that was less humiliating than admitting she had gone all green-eyed monster, and remembered the other reason why she had been there. "I saw you two in the library earlier, just when she stole your book."
Adrien's eyes widened. "Wait, what?" He turned quickly to Lila.
"I followed her, intending to confront her about it. I saw her looking at it, then go into a jewellery store and come out again with that necklace she passed off as a Miraculous." Which was the truth.
"Which she then used to try and make me believe she was really descended from a superhero," Adrien said slowly.
"Wow, Lila," Alya said, sounding disgusted. "Marinette was right; everything that comes out your mouth is a big fat lie."
Lila burst into tears, but Marinette was not in the least bit sympathetic. Nor, it seemed, was anyone else.
"Wait—so you took my father's book?" Adrien said suddenly, looking back at Lila. "The one I was grounded for losing?"
Uh-oh. Marinette realised the great flaw in her plan. Yes, Lila had taken it, but then Marinette had stolen it from her …
"Uh …" Lila stammered.
"Does that mean—you're the one who—"
"I'm sorry!" she wailed. "I'll—I'll tell him it was me, okay? I just panicked when I saw you coming and dropped it in the bin—"
"What?"
Marinette mentally facepalmed. She had really dug herself in deep this time.
"I'll buy him another copy!" Lila cried.
"It's one of a kind," Adrien said, staring at her in complete confusion. "And he said one of my friends had found and returned it."
There was a slight pause, then all heads turned to Marinette, who flushed deeply.
"I saw her drop it in the bin, so when you were gone I retrieved it," she said awkwardly.
Adrien frowned. "Why didn't you just give it back to me?"
"Um …" Because my Kwami made me show it to the Guardian of the Miraculous, who said he thought Hawk Moth owned it, so then I thought you might be a supervillain, and then I suspected your dad, and then after he was akumatized Cat Noir and I concluded it couldn't have been him, so I went back to Master Fu, who took a photograph of every page before I gave it back to your dad.
But she could hardly say all of that.
"… I got distracted looking through it?" she tried desperately. "It was very cool, all those pictures of superheroes. And … when I heard you got in trouble for it, I went to return it; but on the way I saw on the news your dad had been akumatized, so I thought I should probably wait until Ladybug and Cat Noir had sorted him out."
Adrien was now looking at her very strangely, and she wasn't sure she could read his expression anymore. Her lie had been plausible, right?
"Well, this has been interesting," Nino said, breaking the now really awkward silence. "What are we going to do about her?"
They all looked back at the red-faced Lila.
"Nothing," Adrien said finally. "Knowing we all know she's a liar is punishment enough."
Apparently unable to handle the glares from them all anymore, Lila scrambled to her feet and fled the classroom. Marinette wondered if she would find another way of avoiding school for months, and hoped she would.
For a few moments no-one spoke. Adrien finally mumbled an excuse and left the classroom. Marinette was just wondering whether or not to follow him, to make sure he was okay, when Alya grabbed her arm.
"So … you knew Lila was talking about Adrien's mom, right?"
Marinette nodded. "Um, you remember the day Adrien and I were pursued through Paris by his adoring fans …"
Alya giggled, nodding.
"Well, he had snuck out to see that movie. We only managed to make it through the first few seconds, however, before the fan mob caught up with us. And then his bodyguard was akumatized, and things got kind of chaotic from there."
While the girls who had been following Marinette and Adrien's internet trail that day all giggled, she looked back at the closing door, and made her decision. "I'll be right back. I just want to check on Adrien."
She received an I'm sure you do smirk from Alya, and knowing grins from everyone else.
It took a while to find him, but finally she came across him sitting on a bench in the locker room. He was hunched over, muttering something apparently to himself, looking quite lost and sad.
"Adrien?"
He jumped and looked up. "Oh—Marinette."
"Are you okay?" She sat down next to him, and after a moment's hesitation put her arm around his shoulders. He tensed slightly, and she wondered if she'd made a mistake, but after a second he relaxed, and even leaned towards her slightly.
"Not particularly. I'm really sorry, Marinette."
"It's not your fault. I know you just wanted to take the high road."
He nodded. "I did. But it wasn't the right decision. I realise that now. I wish it hadn't taken that for me to see her lies could be really hurtful. If I hadn't known she was a liar already … I could have actually have believed her for a moment."
"I don't think you're that gullible, Adrien. Um, not that I'm saying everyone else is gullible. But knowing what you knew about your mom … I don't think you would have fallen for that."
"I've spent the last year wanting to believe my mom's out there somewhere. If I had been taken in, even for a moment …" His voice cracked.
"Realising it was a lie would have been unspeakably horrible," Marinette supplied quietly.
Adrien nodded, closing his eyes. "I … suppose I owe Ladybug one for exposing her."
Marinette felt the safest thing to say at this point was "Mm."
He rubbed his eyes—Marinette wondered if he was wiping away unshed tears—and sat up straighter, opening them. She reluctantly withdrew her arm from his shoulders, sensing now was the moment to do so.
"Speaking of Ladybug … Can I ask you something?"
"Of course," Marinette said immediately, hoping desperately it wasn't going to be something awkward for her to answer.
"Well … when my father became The Collector …" Adrien hesitated. "I … heard that Ladybug and Cat Noir actually showed up at my house before they knew he had been akumatized," he said very slowly.
"Th-they did?"
"Yeah." Adrien's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at her. "I never really thought about the timing, but … now you mention it … my father did have a book on superheroes …"
"Um, so?"
"I was just wondering if maybe … Ladybug somehow knew about the book?"
Marinette gulped. "Um, maybe you could ask her?"
There was a long pause while he gave her a hard look.
"I think I am."
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO! He can't mean—he can't know I'm Ladybug! Marinette panicked.
"Wh-what, you mean me?" she squeaked, not sounding very convincing to her own ears. "Me, be Ladybug? Only in my dreams! Um, I mean … Of course I'm not Ladybug! I'm a total klutz!"
"True," he agreed, and Marinette wasn't sure she liked his agreement. "A very endearing klutz," he added with a small smile, and she felt a little better. "But maybe magic superhero powers can make people seem … different? Ladybug could be really clumsy in normal life." He paused. "Cat Noir could be a really shy insecure guy who has trouble standing up to people."
"Cat Noir, shy? Pfft, yeah right—um," Marinette added quickly, "I mean … it doesn't seem very likely to me."
"Right," he said slowly. "So if I were to tell you I have reason to believe Ladybug and Cat Noir came to my house because they suspected my father might be Hawk Moth …?"
Marinette's eyes widened.
Wait. How does he know that? Neither of us saw him that day! And we never said anything about that to anyone else in the house—
"Th-they thought your dad was Hawk Moth?" she stammered. "Seriously?"
"Yeah. Though obviously he wasn't. But that's why they were there. I think."
He seemed to be waiting for something, but Marinette wasn't sure what reaction he was expecting.
"Well … that's good," she tried. "I mean, it's bad they still don't know who Hawk Moth is—as far as we know, anyway—but a good thing for you it's not your dad. I'm very glad it's not your dad." And that was the truth. At the time she had been so relieved that Adrien was not Hawk Moth, she hadn't given much thought as to how bad his father being a supervillain would be for him. It hardly bore thinking about. She couldn't express how relieved she had been later, once the thought had occurred, that they had ruled him out.
"Thanks. Me too." He hesitated again. "So … did you happen to show that book to anyone? Anyone who might have thought that, because my father owned a book all about Miraculouses …?"
Marinette swore in her head. He was onto her, she knew it. If she said 'no', he would only have more reason to believe she was Ladybug. But if he said 'yes', he might ask who she had shown it to, and think that person was Ladybug! And then what would she say?
She tried deflecting the question. "Are you sure that's what Ladybug and Cat Noir were doing there? Maybe they have some way of sensing when someone is akumatized. Or about to be akumatized."
"They don't," he said shortly, with a little too much conviction for her liking. "I-I mean … if they did, wouldn't they have been on the scene much quicker with all the other villains?"
"Well, maybe they were at your house for another reason. Maybe they're fashion fans?" It sounded like a really lame reason even to her. Even if she knew that it was true for Ladybug at least.
"Or maybe you are Ladybug and you're just trying to make me think you're not."
Shoot.
Adrien leaned towards her slightly. "What if I promised you," he said quietly, taking her hand in his, "that I can keep a secret?"
Marinette was finding it really hard not to get completely flustered by the fact he was holding her hand! "I-I'm not Ladybug!" she squeaked. He raised his eyebrows. "A-and aren't superheroes n-not supposed to tell anyone who they are?"
"And how would you know that if you weren't one?" he said, his tone slightly teasing.
"You know I'm best friends with Ladybug and Cat Noir's biggest fan, right?"
"Yeah, I know." A light seemed to come on in Adrien's eyes. "A big fan who has managed to get the elusive Ladybug to personally appear on her blog voluntarily more times than any other media outlet."
"S-so? Lots of people like the Ladyblog! It's not strange that Ladybug likes it too! She obviously has good taste."
Adrien seemed to consider that. "Maybe not perfect taste. After all, from what I can see, she isn't into Cat Noir."
"Maybe she prefers a different kind of boy to the one that's always showing off," Marinette said before she could stop herself.
Adrien raised his eyebrows. "Oh, yeah? What kind of boy would that be?"
"I-I don't know … someone like you?" she blurted, then groaned and buried her head in her hands. I cannot believe I just said that!
There was a long silence.
Why isn't he saying anything? Does he know I like him? Argh! And I thought him figuring out I was Ladybug was bad!
Okay, that's bad too. But if he doesn't feel the same way, this will be completely humiliating!
"Marinette?"
She couldn't look up. Couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes. His gorgeous green eyes.
"Marinette … do you like me?"
"Um …" She tried to gather her thoughts before finally looking up. "Of course! I mean … we're friends, of course I like you!"
She couldn't read the look in his eyes, but was sure he wasn't buying it. However, he didn't appear to have been completely repulsed by the thought of her liking him, so that was something.
In fact, he seemed to have moved closer to her without her noticing. They were only centimetres apart.
"I meant as more than a friend," he said gently. He sounded … hopeful?
Hopeful was good. Hopeful meant … he did like her too?
Marinette swallowed nervously. "U-um … m-maybe?" she said, feeling herself go scarlet.
There was a pause. "So … if I told you I had a crush on Ladybug …"
WHAT?
"… would it bother you, or make you happy?" he said, a smile playing on his lips.
Marinette's first thought was he was messing with her, trying to gauge whether she really was Ladybug. But Adrien wasn't like that! He wouldn't toy with her feelings, especially not just to find out her secret. Did that mean he really did have a crush on Ladybug?
There were three ways she could play this. She could pretend to be disappointed … then go and see him later transformed, tell him that Marinette had told her he liked her …
Right. Like he wouldn't see through that instantly. And even if he doesn't, that leaves me possibly dating him as a superhero, which would not really be good for his safety once people found out!
The second way would be to quickly deny she had feelings for him after all, and just … not be with him. At all. Ever. This option did not appeal in the least.
That just left being honest.
"Adrien …" she said faintly.
He gently cupped her cheek with his hand, and she felt like she was going to faint. "For the record, I think I've figured out how to tell when you're lying."
Well, that sold it. If she couldn't get out of this him-suspecting-she-was-Ladybug thing, what was the point in trying?
"You can't tell anyone."
His face lit up, and it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. "You are Ladybug. I knew it!"
"D-did you really mean it when you said … y-you had a crush—"
"You already know the answer to that question," he said, then very deliberately, "milady."
"I think Cat Noir wouldn't like you calling me that."
He grinned. "You really think so? Bugaboo?"
Did he just—
For a moment Marinette was startled, then remembered Cat Noir had called her that plenty of times in public and on air.
"Very funny."
He frowned slightly. "Er … what?"
"Um, I don't know if you realise this, but he's … kind of got a crush on me too. It's not just playful flirting. So out of respect for his feelings … perhaps calling me what he calls me is not the best idea?"
To her astonishment, Adrien burst out laughing.
"What's so funny?" Marinette demanded, face heating up again. Oh goodness, had this all been some kind of joke? Had he been teasing her all along? She turned away, hiding her face again, completely mortified.
"Marinette! Sorry, I didn't mean—I just thought you'd have figured it out by now. You're the smart one, after all."
"You—what? Figure what out?"
"Well for starters, how I knew Ladybug and Cat Noir thought my father might be Hawk Moth." Her head shot up. "And," he added, "why … I suggested Cat Noir might be … a bit different when he's not being Cat Noir."
Marinette stared at him, numb in disbelief, as what he had said slowly sank in.
Adrien hesitantly leaned in even closer. "With your permission, milady?" he whispered.
She responded with an unintelligible noise which he apparently took for an affirmative. Adrien closed his eyes and kissed her.
It was the best moment of her entire life.
When they parted, Marinette slid off the bench in a dead faint.