Music glossary:
Improvvisando: with improvisation

Glossary:
Wǎnshàng hǎo : Good evening
Shīfù : Teacher/Master

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(Mood music: Night of Beijing - Jia Peng Fang)

That evening

Marinette fidgeted with her napkin, occasionally sipping her now-lukewarm tea while sitting at the kitchen bar counter. Chat Noir sat on the stool beside her in silence, also nursing a half-emptied cup. She checked the clock for what seemed to be the hundredth time in the last few minutes.

"It's about that time. I'll head up to my room to let Ladybug inside. Will you get the door if your visitor arrives before she does?"

"Sure," he replied, uneasy but compliant, doing his best to avoid staring at the black eye she'd received earlier that day.

Marinette set her cup in the sink and headed upstairs, leaving Chat alone with his thoughts.

He tried to keep his fast-beating heart in check, subconsciously clenching his jaw. It was finally happening. He was going to meet "him": The Guardian of the Miraculous.

Following the events at school earlier that day, Adrien had walked Marinette to her house, where her family invited him to stay for a cup of tea until his "ride" arrived to pick him up. Of course, he'd eagerly accepted. It was nice to interact with the family as Adrien instead of just as Chat Noir.

After leaving, he hid away and transformed so he could sneak in through Marinette's balcony as he usually did.

Upon transforming, however, he found a series of voice mails from Ladybug that she'd left during Adrien's attempted abduction. Her voice was frantic. He could hear the urgency and distress in her tone, and a heavy blanket of guilt settled onto his shoulders as he listened.

The first message asked him to come to their school, that it was an emergency, to please call her back as soon as possible. He chewed on his lip, wanting nothing more than to hide away in a cave in shame.

The second one must have been left right after she'd rescued Adrien and left him at the school nurse; she'd called to let Chat know the incident had passed. Then she asked if he was okay, since she hadn't heard back from him. He sighed. Typical Ladybug, always worrying and thinking about others first, even when she was having a rough time.

The last voicemail caused a trail of ice to trickle down his spine as he listened. Ladybug informed him that she had scheduled an impromptu meeting with the Guardian at the Dupain-Cheng's house that evening, with Marinette's permission, and that it was of utmost importance that he attend.

He shivered as goosebumps appeared on his arms and he swallowed hard. What was the purpose of this meeting? Was he in trouble for not showing up today during 'Adrien's' kidnapping? And why meet here, at the Dupain home, instead of somewhere more private and away from civilians? What was the Guardian like? Would Chat get reprimanded and treated with disdain for having been their enemy for all these years, or would he be understanding and forgiving?

More importantly, would he have to disclose his identity to him, or to both him and Ladybug, to prove his loyalty? He winced at the mere thought of it. The last thing he wanted was for Ladybug to think less of him, or to pity him. Especially after the kidnapping attempt.

Additionally, if they were to learn that Hawkmoth was Gabriel Agreste, would they want to confront him head-on? Adrien didn't feel ready for that, for several reasons.

First of all, would he be able to protect Ladybug, as he'd promised her? Hawkmoth had shown that he'd developed some sort of new power. Either that, or an entirely different person had become involved and was helping him. In any case, he didn't know what exactly they were dealing with anymore.

Secondly, if the time came and he had to hurt or even kill his father, he didn't know if he'd be able to do it. Yes, Gabriel was a monster and Adrien despised what he had become. But what if the damage was reversible and there was still a way to bring him back to normal? He just had to know, before doing something he might permanently regret.

The sudden ringing of the doorbell startled Chat out of his thoughts and he practically fell off his seat.

He ran to answer the front door, looking to make sure no one else was around. At the last second, he remembered to detransform and slip on the hood of his zip-up sweater (the one Marinette had gifted him), pulling a scarf over his nose and mouth so he wouldn't be recognized if anyone outside were to catch a glimpse of him.

He looked out through the peephole, only to see the very top of someone's head, balding with grey hair, and a little bit of their eyebrows.

Huh. Somehow Adrien thought the Guardian would be a bit... taller?

He turned the knob and the door opened, its squeaking hinges somehow louder than usual. Peeking out from the side like a scared tortoise, he checked to make sure the individual matched the description he was given, then stepped back to allow the door to swing open all the way. The older man stepped inside, closing it behind him.

"Hello," Adrien said meekly, bowing his head slightly. "You must be..."

"Yes. I am Wang Fu," he replied, bowing politely in greeting. "It is very good to see you again, Adrien Agreste."

While Adrien's face scarf efficiently concealed the way his jaw dropped when the elder man called him by name, there was no hiding the way his eyes grew to the size of dinner plates.

"W- what?!" he sputtered. "How did you—"

The man called Fu chuckled, stroking his beard. "It was a long time ago, but we've met before."

Adrien lowered his scarf and frowned in concentration, falling silent for a few seconds. Then it dawned on him.

"YOU!!" he gaped. "I do remember you! It was my first day of lycée! You fell down in front of our school and I helped you up. It was you who put the cat miraculous in my bag that day, wasn't it?"

"That is correct," Fu confirmed.

"But why me? You could've picked anyone, so why did you choose someone like me?"

Fu's smile faltered when he said this. Adrien had said "anyone", but he could see that Fu knew what he'd actually meant. Why did you choose someone as broken as me?

The man folded his arms behind him, considering his answer. "Guardians are bestowed with several powers and abilities. One of them is to locate and select good candidates for the miraculous jewels. And so I was led to you."

Chat grimaced in confusion. "So if you already knew it was me, why bother to 'test' me?"

"My powers as a guardian may lead me to a potential candidate, but ultimately the choice is still mine to make. It was a simple test, but it showed me what your first instinct would be if you saw someone in need. The answer I received was satisfactory. You were meant to be Ladybug's Chat Noir."

Adrien sighed, running a shaky hand through his hair. "Honestly, a couple of months ago I wouldn't have known whether to hug you because I got to become Chat Noir, or whether to punch you because I had to become Chat Noir. But it's because of you that I got to meet Ladybug, so I am grateful to you for that. It's good to finally meet you. Officially."

He extended his hand and Fu took it with a smile, giving it a firm shake.

Afterwards, Adrien's gaze fell, brows scrunching together. "I can't believe it. All this time, you knew. You could've told Ladybug who I was years ago. She could have figured out a way to take away my miraculous while I wasn't transformed, like at school, and she would've had one less enemy to deal with. It would've––" he pursed his lips, expression full of shame, and he lifted his eyes to meet Fu's once again, "–it would've made it easier for her. She would've suffered less if I'd been out of the picture. So why didn't you?"

Fu's countenance became somber, his eyes carrying years of pain and regret. He took a few moments to consider his words. "When I was a boy, barely a teenager, something terrible happened. Hundreds of innocent people died, and it was all because of me."

Chat almost reeled back as if he'd been smacked across the face, puzzled about the sudden switch in topic. He remembered Ladybug briefly mentioning this a few months ago, on the night they danced together. He waited for Fu to elaborate.

"I was only trying to protect them," the older man explained. "After I was orphaned as a child, the monks of the Guardian Temple took me in. They became my family. They were stern, but fair and kind. It was a tough childhood, but I was happy." He sighed. "However, there were those who would try to steal the miraculous and use their power selfishly. It was an endless struggle. Many were lost over the years. I longed for peace. I wanted my family to be safe, I wanted us to be left alone. So I did what I thought would be a better route, an easier one; one with less hardship and bloodshed. You see, one day while I was supposed to be on guard duty, I sneaked away to where the miraculous box was kept. I put on both the ladybug and cat miraculouses and used them to make a wish: I wished that our enemies would disappear."

The older man exhaled, squeezing his eyes shut, the memories of what came next clearly still haunting him. Adrien couldn't help but hold his breath while he listened.

"It worked," Fu resumed, voice quiet and slightly shaky. "But as you might have suspected, there is always a price to pay; a balance that must be maintained. Therefore, because of my wish, all the monks in our Guardian temple and the innocent people of the surrounding village were ripped away from me, along with our enemies. The wish was technically fulfilled, but I never suspected that the cost would be that high. I have had to live with that in my conscience for over a hundred years."

He clasped his hands behind his back, appearing more vulnerable than Adrien would have ever expected. He continued, "Since that time, I have both seen and caused much death in my lifetime, protecting the miraculous box alone as the last Guardian. So, you see, if there was even one person I could save, I had to try. I wanted to trust in the miraculouses, like I should have decades ago, during my misguided attempt to control the outcome of a complicated situation."

Adrien absently rubbed his arm, pondering Fu's words. "Looking back," he began, "I can see the reasoning behind a lot of Ladybug's decisions and principles, now that I know your story."

"Indeed. Ladybug is a remarkable young lady; I knew that even back then. When I would ask her if she was willing to risk her life for the sake of a stranger, she would say yes, every single time. If anyone can persevere for the greater good, it was her. Was it unfair of me? Probably. Have I asked too much from her? Absolutely. Have I made mistakes while trying to guide her? Yes. Many of them." He put his hand on Adrien's shoulder. "I wanted to save you that day by giving you the cat miraculous. But I never would have guessed that it would also doom you and force you into a role of servitude. I hope that you will forgive me for this."

Adrien's heart pained for Fu as he admitted his guilt. "You couldn't have known it would've turned out that way. It wasn't your fault," he insisted.

Fu shrugged. "I try to tell myself that, but I can't quite convince myself. The situation made sense once Ladybug told me about Hawkmoth."

"You mean, when she told you that Hawkmoth was my father?" Adrien asked.

"Yes," Fu replied. "I had my suspicions, because it would explain your motivations, but I had no proof, no way of finding out for sure. It made sense that Hawkmoth would be Gabriel Agreste. The butterfly miraculous requires its wielder to be creative and inventive, since it relies on their ability to convert the subject's emotions into a source of power. And he had the motivation."

Adrien hummed in agreement.

"Additionally, such a clever and talented individual getting ahold of the cat miraculous would be incredibly dangerous. I'd be lying if I said I had never considered taking your miraculous away. But even still, it was safer to let it all play out. I didn't want to repeat past mistakes. And if Hawkmoth was Gabriel Agreste, your fate if you were to lose the cat miraculous would have been disastrous. Maybe it would have even alerted him about the presence of a Guardian in Paris. But now that we know the truth, we can plan accordingly."

Adrien gulped. So Fu had considered taking his miraculous away before. "A-are you going to tell Ladybug who I am?"

Fu shook his head. "It is not up to me to decide when it will be right for there to be no more secrets between you two. I only know that it is not yet time."

Adrien curiously tilted his head, brows furrowed in confusion. "How do you know that?"

As Fu started to answer, Adrien heard a doorknob twist open behind him and he quickly pulled his scarf back over his features.

The door opened and Ladybug's voice exclaimed, "There you are! What are you two doing out here in the entryway?"

Adrien cleared his throat, then stammered, "R-right, pardon my manners. Please, come in."

Fu walked past him, entering the living area. He took Ladybug's hands between his, shaking them briefly, and said, "Wǎnshàng hǎo, Ladybug."

With a small bow, Ladybug replied, "Wǎnshàng hǎo, shīfù. Thank you for coming at such short notice. Please, have a seat."

Chat entered the room, having transformed now, and stepped forward to greet her.

He stopped short, realizing that he wasn't quite sure how to greet her since last night's development in their relationship, not to mention being very conscious of the Guardian watching them. He settled for a hug, which she returned, squeezing him tightly, and added a quick, discreet peck on his cheek. He smiled, feeling his face heat up.

Pleasantries aside and everyone seated, it was Ladybug who spoke first.

"Thank you both for being here. There's a lot we need to talk about."

~*~*~*~*~

A transformed Wang Fu stood at the bedroom window, curtains drawn, chanting in a language that neither Ladybug nor Chat Noir understood, holding the last of several metallic talismans he'd blessed and scattered around the room. The pair kept their eyes on him, marveling at the efficiency and care that he put into each incantation. There was something sacred, even holy about this ritual. They could feel powerful magic emanating from his form, invisible bursts of energy swirling about the room, dancing all around them in a silent symphony.

Ladybug cast a furtive glance at her partner. He'd been quiet for a little while, after learning about his attempted akumatization the night before. Ladybug had told him that it was Marinette who let her know, and that Plagg was the one who had informed her.

She'd called Master Fu before going to school to let him know what happened last night, and he promised he would figure out a solution. He'd spent all day preparing these special talismans, which would ward off akumas and keep them from entering this room. But only this room. He wasn't strong enough to cast such a potent, long-term spell over a larger area; especially not at his age.

Fu, or rather, Jade Turtle, was silent for a few moments after placing the last charm, a silver one with indecipherable symbols carved into it, then turned around to face the couple.

"The talismans are almost done being enchanted," he said, pretty out of breath, beads of sweat present on his brow. "There is one more thing that needs to be done. But I think I'll need your help for this, Ladybug."

Ladybug stepped forward in response. "Sure, Master. What is it?"

"I would do it myself, but, well... let's just say I'm not as young as I used to be."

"Of course Master, anything you need. Just tell me what to do."

Fu removed his bracelet, the turtle miraculous, and turned back to his civilian self, then handed the jewelry to her. His kwami, Wayzz, floated next to them awaiting instruction.

"If you could transform with my miraculous to finish the protection spell, I'd very much appreciate it. I'll show you what to do when you're ready."

The young woman gaped at him, having never transformed into any hero other than Ladybug before.

"Oh! R-really?? S-sure! No problem..." She took the bracelet hesitantly, studying it like she'd never seen it before, then excused herself to the ensuite for privacy.

In the bathroom, Ladybug detransformed and removed her earrings, handing them to Tikki for safekeeping. She put on the emerald stone bracelet, staring at it as if it might try to crawl away from her if she wasn't careful enough.

She squeezed her eyes shut in preparation. "Wayzz, shell on."

Jade green light shone around the bathroom, and Marinette felt the magic of the turtle miraculous engulf her form. When it passed, she gulped and opened her eyes, lifting them to the mirror to catch a glimpse of her newly transformed self.

"Whoa."

The heroine stared at her reflection across the way. She ran her fingers over the various bits of fabric and armor, taking the time to appreciate the feel and texture. Somehow, she felt quite powerful. Tough. Solid. Almost like a sentient brick wall.

"Wow, Marinette! You look incredible!" Tikki whispered to her.

"Aww, thank you Tikki," she replied. "It feels so different, but it's also really cool."

Sparing one last glance into the mirror, she finally emerged from the bathroom. Fu was seated at the desk chair across the room, taking a short breather. Chat was speaking to him in hushed tones, but turned around when he heard her re-enter the bedroom.

His jaw dropped and he gasped.

"Oh my God, you're adorable!" Chat blurted out. He caught himself and turned tomato red, then stuttered, "Umm! S-sorry, I––"

Ladybug (Lady...turtle??) giggled, stepping forward to stand beside him once again. "Thanks," she replied shyly, reaching up to tuck some hair behind her ear as she usually did when she was nervous, but her hand bumped into her suit's hood instead. Not quite sure what to do with her hands, she folded them in front of her as she awaited further instruction.

Tikki flew in front of Master Fu, bowing her head in greeting. "It's good to see you again, Master!"

"Likewise. I hope you are doing well," he greeted back.

Tikki flew over to Chat Noir, to say hello to him as well. "Hello, Chat Noir! It's nice to formally meet you," she chirped happily.

Chat beamed and answered, "Tikki, right? It's great to finally meet you too! I must admit, you look a little different than I thought you would."

Tikki giggled. "Did you think I'd be more insect-like? Maybe with six legs and an exoskeleton?"

Chat shrugged timidly. "Well, I mean... Maybe...?" 'Ladybug' and Tikki looked at each other and snickered at his reply.

Fu smiled at their interactions fondly, recalling times spent with loved ones, allies no longer here. With a small grunt, he stood up to continue the protection ritual.

"This way, Ladybug. Chat Noir and Tikki, please stand over there; we'll need a bit of space for this. You might feel a bit tired once this is finished, so be sure to get plenty of rest tonight," he instructed.

Tikki perched on Chat's shoulder as he moved towards the edge of the room. They spoke in hushed voices as Fu instructed Ladybug and had her repeat phrases from his notes.

While they waited, Chat turned to Tikki and whispered, "By the way, I wanted to thank you... for helping Ladybug and keeping safe all these years. She means a lot to me."

If kwamis could blush, Chat was sure that's what Tikki's face showed at the moment. "It's been a pleasure to be her kwami. She's the best! I'm glad you've gotten to know her and see what a sweet person she is."

Chat smiled, cheeks dusted pink. "I am too."

~*~*~*~*~

Many minutes passed, and Ladybug and Fu finished casting the protection ward. Chat helped Fu gather his things as Ladybug excused herself to transform back to her regular hero self.

As she re-emerged from the bathroom, Chat handed her a glass of water and invited her to sit on the bed so she could catch her breath and gather back some of her energy. "Welcome back, Bugaboo," he greeted her with a wink. Ladybug beamed at him, accepting the water and taking a seat next to him.

Fu stood beside them, having finished gathering his belongings in a satchel. As he gave Ladybug time to rest, he asked, "Do either of you have any questions about the protection ritual, or about anything else?"

Ladybug replied, "I actually do have some questions, sir."

Fu nodded.

"Master... why did Hawkmoth attempt to akumatize Chat Noir last night? If he's tried it before, why did he not succeed during other nights?" Ladybug's questions came faster once she got started. "Since he tried to akumatized Chat, does that mean he knows where he lives now? Is Chat even safe here anymore? What about the Dupains? Are they gonna be okay? How much does Hawkmoth know?"

Chat looked at Fu expectantly, realizing that he, too, had those same questions.

Fu replied, "The owner of the butterfly miraculous sends out his butterflies in search of a specific strong emotion, but is not aware of their location until after the host accepts it. He is able to learn some vague details about why they are feeling that certain emotion. My guess is that he was able to locate him while he was having a nightmare. So, no. He does not know that Chat Noir lives here. His powers have limitations, just like you do with yours. He is more powerful since he is older and more experienced, but even he can't overextend the capabilities of his miraculous."

He paused, stroking his beard, and contemplated. Then he asked, "Did something happen last night to make your emotions different from what they normally are?"

Ladybug and Chat Noir looked at each other, blushing furiously, stammering as they attempted to answer without divulging too much unnecessary information.

Fu raised an eyebrow, then chuckled knowingly, raising his hands to stop them. "It's okay, I don't need to know the details."

"Umm! I-it's not what you think!"

"M-master, don't misunderstand–"

"Y-you see–"

"What happened was..."

"My guess is–" Fu interrupted, "–That Hawkmoth sensed your great joy last night, and became enraged. He couldn't stand the thought of you being happy because it would mean that he is in the wrong, and his pride won't allow him to accept that."

Chat and Ladybug fell silent, looking downcast, as the explanation both made sense yet was immensely disheartening.

"There's something else, Master," Ladybug spoke again. "Something happened at school today. Akumas, but they vanished without a trace. I mentioned it to you earlier today over the phone. Have you ever heard of such a thing?"

"Ah, yes. And all that remained was two white feathers?" Fu asked.

"That's right. Could the akumas still be out there because they haven't been purified?"

Fu shook his head. "Allow me to explain. Firstly, as Ladybug already knows, two of the miraculouses in my box went missing when the temple of the guardians was destroyed: the butterfly and the peacock. One of them fell into Hawkmoth's hands sometime within the last few years. But after hearing about what happened at the school today, we can now confirm that Hawkmoth is currently in possession of not just one, but of both of them. Either that, or he has someone else working under him."

"The Peacock... of course!" Ladybug gasped, voice filled with dread.

Chat looked at her, then back at Fu, waiting for him to elaborate.

"The Guardian's Grimoire calls them 'sentimonsters', mystical beings created out of thin air using the peacock miraculous, which harnesses the power of emotions. They can be created and destroyed whenever the wielder desires. Usually they are simple creatures, designed to be helpers or perform smaller tasks. However, they can also be more sophisticated, even indistinguishable from other humans, although an enormous amount of energy is required to create these complex sentimonsters. One can even 'borrow' the appearance of an already existing person. In this case, Hawkmoth chose not to give the sentimonsters the ability to speak, so they couldn't divulge their secrets, in the event that they were caught."

Ladybug shuddered. "What the hell?! That is so creepy."

"Indeed." Fu looked over at Chat, who had remained pensive throughout this exchange. "Any thoughts, Chat Noir?"

Chat looked up at him, trying to figure out how to phrase what he wanted to say. "I... I think I remember seeing the peacock miraculous in my father's safe once. I only caught a glimpse of it; I just thought it was some of my mom's jewelry he kept as a memento. I had no idea it was a miraculous. Otherwise, I would've had Plagg help me break into the safe and taken it with me when I ran away from home. There are so many things my father never told me... I'm sorry I don't know more."

Ladybug reached out to hold his hand, giving it a small squeeze, which he returned.

"You've done more than you know, believe me," Fu replied as he unconsciously squeezed his satchel, which contained the electronic tablet where his copy of the Grimoire was stored.

He stuck his hand in his pocket and stepped forward, handing Chat Noir a card with his cell phone number.

"Call me if you have any questions, either of you. Even if it's the middle of the night. Wayzz will make sure I hear my phone if it rings; he's a much lighter sleeper than I am."

"Thank you, Master Fu," replied Chat, smiling. "And thank you too, Wayzz."

"Thanks, Wayzz. Thank you, Master." said Ladybug.

"Also, I must remind you once again that your identities must remain a secret until things settle down. There are negative effects that could happen if you are revealed too soon, and I'm not sure what they could be; but it's best not to find out."

Ladybug frowned. "But when will that be, Master? It would be so much easier to be able to communicate without having to transform."

Fu shrugged helplessly. "I'm afraid I don't have an answer for that. We must allow things to continue to develop on their own. I'm sure we'll know when the time is right."

Ladybug let out a displeased sigh. Chat nodded, glancing away with a worried look in his eyes. Despite Ladybug's eagerness (and despite his own curiosity), waiting suited him just fine for now.

After saying their goodbyes, Fu left the pair behind and let himself out with a final wave. The two heroes remained in the bedroom, contemplating what had been discussed.

After sitting in silence for a few moments, unsure of what to say next, a lightbulb seemed to light up inside Ladybug's brain, and she began typing away into her yo-yo communicator. Chat watched curiously, wondering what she was up to.

Moments later, she hopped out of the bed to jot something down onto a sticky note from Chat's desk, then walked back.

"Just because we can't tell each other who we are doesn't mean we shouldn't be able to contact each other when we're not transformed. Kwamis aren't pagers, after all."

"Pagers? What decade is this, anyway?" Chat razzed.

"Hush, you," she mock scolded him, suppressing a smile. " Anyway! Here's my brand new, Chat Noir-exclusive email address," she said, handing him the note with a wink.

Chat's eyes lit up. "Wait, really??" He unfolded the paper as if it was a Christmas present, excited to read the contents. His eyes widened and he burst out laughing.

" '[email protected]' ?!"

"What, you don't think I'm great?" she teased, striking an exaggerated, Chat Noir-style pose.

Chat's snickering only intensified and he nodded. "Oh, for sure! The greatest!" he agreed.

Ladybug smirked. "I made it just now," she explained. "So you're the only one who knows about it. We may not be able to hang out in person yet, but I'd still like to talk to you during the day. Plus, it'll come in handy for emergencies."

"Buginette you're a genius!"

Ladybug giggled, feeling her face warm up despite herself. "M-maybe we can message each other when you have some free time? I mean... now that you don't have to worry about getting akumatized in your own room anymore. Your bedroom's pretty much the safest place in Paris now, thanks to Master Fu."

"And thanks to you as well, my dear 'Lily-bug'," Chat reached up to take her hand, gently pulling her down to sit next to him. "I feel much better already. And knowing I can talk to you anytime makes me feel even safer."

She scooted closer, setting her head down on his shoulder. "Y-you know... you make me feel safe too, Kitty."

Chat's insides twisted into pleasant little knots, suddenly feeling rather warm. "Really?"

He felt her smile as her hand squeezed his arm, her other one sneaking across their laps to wrap her fingers around his own. "Yeah. I know we've only been allies for a short time, but I've already lost count of all the times you've saved me or sacrificed yourself to help others. Our partnership grows stronger every day, and I think Hawkmoth knows it. He knows we're stronger together. And it's only a matter of time until we can be together without these masks too, I just know it."

He turned towards her, putting his fingers under her chin and lifting her head to have her look up at him. Their eyes met, her pupils dilating as they focused on his own, and he could see a bright blush blooming on her cheeks.

"Me too," he whispered, as he brought their lips together.

She blissfully melted into him, letting out a small noise of contentment. She deepened the kiss, reaching behind his head to caress his hair with her slender fingers. Their kisses and breaths mingled together and they lost track of everything else around them.

A little while later, they faintly heard the grandfather clock striking the hour in the living room, then some noises as the Dupains shuffled upstairs from the bakery to get ready for bed.

Ladybug pulled back and they separated, his lips still tingling from her touch.

"I... I should probably get going soon," she lamented with a small shrug. "It's starting to get late."

"Would you like me to walk you home? Or rather, to somewhere around your neighborhood?"

She shook her head. "That's not necessary. Besides, I'm closer than you might think," she added a bit cryptically.

"I wish you could stay," he said softly, reaching up to tuck some hair behind her ear. He gave her nose a tiny smooch. "Just a teeeeensy bit more?" he begged, giving her the best kitten eyes he could muster.

Ladybug giggled shyly, cheeks still dusted with pink. She gave his own nose a peck, her lips soft and inviting. "Well... I guess I could stay just a little bit longer," she said with a smirk.

"Purr- fect," he said, capturing her lips once again.

---------------

Note:

Many of the events in the "Volpina" and "Collector" episodes happened in this AU, albeit heavily modified to suit the story. Adrien found the grimoire in his father's safe, took it out to study it, and Lila stole it. Since Adrien didn't act impressed about Lila knowing Ladybug, she didn't magnify the lie and claim to be Ladybug's best friend; therefore, Ladybug never showed up to call her out on her lie, and Lila was never akumatized.

However, Tikki did see the book in the dumpster and retrieved it, and Marinette showed it to Master Fu. After Gabriel discovered the book was missing and pulled Adrien out of school, Fu made a copy so that Marinette could return it to Gabriel, and Adrien was allowed to attend school again. Currently, Adrien has no idea that this is how Fu acquired his grimoire; he merely assumes that Fu has always had his own copy.

Of course, Marinette began to suspect that Gabriel might be Hawkmoth because he owned the grimoire. Gabriel akumatized himself into the Collector in order to avoid suspicion, and with Chat's help, almost succeeded in obtaining the ladybug miraculous. Ultimately, Ladybug outsmarted him, got him to accidentally "collect" Chat, and succeeded in purifying his akuma. But by then, Gabriel had "proven" he was an innocent civilian and Ladybug dismissed his potential involvement as Hawkmoth.

~*~*~

Thanks for reading!!

P.S.  One more note:

Certain things that are similar but not identical to canon have been in my outline since the beginning, so I apologize if they're a little confusing (such as the protection talismans being similar to Ladybug's akuma victims' lucky charms or the destruction/disappearance of the Guardian Temple). I'll do my best to answer any questions (without spoiling what comes next, ofc)  ;)