Finally with less than ten days left, we get a prpr one-shot! I love their dynamic so much and I hope you will enjoy it just as much!                                                                            -Colorado

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When Adrien entered Marinette Dupain-Cheng's bedroom, he did not expect to see Ladybug, tied up in her own yo-yo.

"What are you doing?" He asked, setting the pastries Sabine had given him down on the chaise lounge.

"I was practicing different yo-yo tricks." She muttered quietly, her face flushing.

"Why?" Adrien held back a laugh.

She shrugged, pouting as she looked down at the floor.

"You can do all sorts of cool tricks with your baton, I wanted to learn some tricks, too." She admitted, looking away from him.

Adrien felt his heart absolutely melt, looking at Ladybug's flushed face.

"Aw, you wanted to impress me?" He asked, walking over to try and help her get untangled.

"Maybe just a little bit."

"You don't need some yo-yo trick to do that. You impress me on the daily, Bug." Adrien picked up one end of the yo-yo, slowly trying to unravel Ladybug.

"Thanks, Adrien." She gave him a smile that made him weak in the knees.

"Anytime, Princess."

So yes, they had finally revealed their identities to each other, and contrary to popular (Marinette's) belief, the world had ended. Not only was their relationship as heroes and civilians strengthened by their knowledge, he saw Marinette easing up and actually relaxing every once in a while. It was a nice change of pace, especially because he knew how stressed out she could get.

Marinette was Ladybug, which was absolutely perfect! And terrifying. The one girl that he thought he could move on to from Ladybug turned out to be the girl he was trying to get over. Ladybug had made her feeling plain as day. She loved Chat Noir as a friend, nothing more. However, did Marinette feel the same? And now that identities were out of the way, could she possibly feel different?

Rational thought told him that he was an idiot and there was no way she would change her mind. However, there were certain moments that had him double guessing himself. Like when Alya would go out of her way to get them alone. Or Rose excitedly congratulating them on finally getting together only for Marinette to shush her. Even things that Marinette did! Like no longer shying away from his affectionate touch, even initiating herself. And the pet names, good lord!

But fear held him back from ever asking her. If he was wrong and she didn't like him, there was a chance of ruining everything. He was closer to Marinette than anyone, even Nino! He didn't want to screw up their relationship by confessing. Especially because he knew she would grow distant to spare his heart. It had happened before with both Chat Noir and Luka. Like hell it would happen again with Adrien.

So for now, he would sit back and silently pine for the girl in front of him. He would be satisfied with being her best friend for now. His daydreams of her being his girlfriend was nothing new, he could deal with being just a friend. Her companionship was everything he ever wanted, and he had gotten it. There was no way he was going to sacrifice it.

"So, what trick were you trying to learn?" Adrien asked, somewhat innocently.

"Ugh, it wasn't even that hard." Ladybug buried her hands in her face. "I just somehow screwed it up so badly that it got me tangled up. It was supposed to be a trick where I could spin the yo-yo around myself. You have to make sure it's swinging wide enough and well..." Ladybug gave him a sheepish grin.

"You didn't?" Adrien shook his head, a grin on his face. It was such a Marinette move to get tangled up in her own yo-yo. "There." He said, finally untangling the yo-yo and handing it back to Ladybug.

"Thanks. Now, I'd advise standing back." Ladybug warned him, putting the yo-yo into position.

"You want to try again?" Adrien stared at her, incredulous. Yet, he recognized the determination in her eyes. She wasn't going to give up until she had mastered this trick.

Just like that, his Ladybug, the one he had originally fallen in love with, was back. But the look in his eyes was one he had seen in Marinette's multiple times. And Ladybug was no stranger to getting tangled up in her own yo-yo.

Every day something reminded Adrien that yes, they were the same person, and yes he loved them both. Everything that he had previously seen as "Ladybug" suddenly popped up in Marinette and everything he thought was "Marinette" turned out to be Ladybug too. It was funny how things worked like that. Marinette had always been his everyday Ladybug.

"Yes. This yo-yo trick has just made a very powerful enemy. Does it know who it's messing with? I'm Ladybug for Heaven's sake! If I can take down super villains on the daily, I can totally do a yo-yo trick correctly!" She fumed already spinning the yo-yo.

Adrien sighed, sitting down on the chaise lounge and biting into a chocolate croissant. He watched as the yo-yo circled Ladybug, before (predictably) wrapping around her once again.

"What?" Ladybug cried in shock as it wrapped around her legs. "I thought I had it this time."

"LB," Adrien began to help her untangle herself yet again. "It's simple physics."

"You know physics is my worst subject." Ladybug frowned.

"Well, the problem is that no matter how wide you spin the yo-yo in the beginning, you will lose momentum and you'll get tangled up. However, you can add momentum by continuously adding velocity. When velocity increases, so does momentum." Adrien explained, handing her the yo-yo again. Ladybug gave him a blank look. "Basically, you want to occasionally spin the yo-yo again after your first spin. It's almost like a hula hoop."

"Alright, I'll try it." Ladybug had a determined look in her eyes, and Adrien sighed chuckling to himself.

This time, when Ladybug noticed the yo-yo getting closer, she tried to spin it again. However, the string had accidentally hit Adrien's leg and wrapped its way around it. It then tugged Adrien forward, crashing into Ladybug. They fell to the floor with a bang, both of them wrapped up in the strings.

"Oh my gosh, Ladybug, are you okay? I'm so sorry! I should've stepped back. Don't worry I'll-."

Ladybug was laughing. The sound momentarily stopped Adrien's panicked ramble. She was laughing and it sounded like music to his ears. God, he wished he could hear her laugh all of the time. It was the most magical thing. Like clockwork, a dopey grin came over his face.

"Do I even want to know?" A nasally voice yawned.

"Plagg!" Adrien looked up to see his kwami floating above them. "Can you please, please, please help us? We got tangled up in Ladybug's yo-yo." Adrien gave him a pleading grin.

"You two interrupted my nap." Plagg narrowed his eyes, and crossed his arms. "What's in it for me?"

"I will get you whatever type of cheese you want, Plagg. Just help us!" Adrien hissed.

"Any cheese?" Plagg's eyes gleamed with the prospect.

"Yes! Any cheese." Adrien nodded frantically, already knowing he was going to regret the decision later.

While he would've loved to stay that close to Ladybug, he knew that the sentiment wasn't shared. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable or make her think that he had planned this somehow. The sooner they could get out of this mess, the better. Of course it just so happened that the one being that could get them out their predicament was the kwami of destruction and chaos.

"Even if it's the smelliest cheese known to mankind? Or the oldest?" Plagg flew around him, a wild grin on his face.

"Well, there's gotta be some limits..." Adrien said nervously.

"Hmm, suddenly, I don't feel like helping anymore." Plagg began to fly away.

"Okay! Yes, any cheese you want! Even the smelliest or oldest." Adrien promised.

"Deal!" Plagg cheered, flying over and starting to pull at the yo-yo strings.

"Um... Adrien," Ladybug said quietly as Plagg slowly untangled the two of them.

"Yes, LB?" God, could Plagg work any slower?

"I could have detransformed. The yo-yo would've disappeared." She reminded him.

"A deal's a deal!" Plagg cackled from above them. "I'm helping, so I'm going to get the stinkiest cheese known to mankind! I don't even know what it's called, but I bet it's going to be delicious." He continued to laugh.

Adrien wanted to strangle him, but unfortunately, the yo-yo prevented him from doing anything.

"I'm so sorry." Ladybug whispered, but her grin told him that she wasn't sorry at all.

"See what happens when you make a deal with the embodiment of chaos, kid." Plagg finally untangled their arms, allowing the two to stand up.

"Plagg, I'm going to kill you!" Adrien fumed, reaching forward to grab his kwami.

"Catch me if you can!" Plagg laughed, flying away.

Adrien took a step to chase after him, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He sighed, knowing there was no one to blame but himself. That was what he got for thinking irrationally. In his desperation, he had made a foolish deal. The consequences would be vast, Marinette wouldn't want to hang out with him if he smelled like old cheese!

"It's okay, Adrien." Ladybug giggled. Any remaining anger at his kwami promptly vanished as she ruffled his hair. "Let him go, he looks so happy. Besides, I think I know how to do the trick, now!"

"I'm not helping you two if you get tangled up again." Plagg gagged.

"We won't! I'll give Ladybug plenty of space this time." Adrien promised, standing a good two feet away from her.

"Thanks, Adrien." She gave him a blinding smile, effectively stopping any coherent thought.

"Uh, you're welcotty, I mean! Prettome, I mean, you're welcome! Yeah that's what I mean, what else would I mean?" Adrien stammered, inwardly cursing himself. He couldn't just call her pretty! That would totally be crossing a boundary!

"T-thank you, Adrien." Ladybug giggled yet again. Hadn't she learned her lesson by now? "I'm glad you think I'm pretty. You're pretty too, you know."

He. Was. Going. To. Die.

"Bleh, you two are disgusting. I'm going to find some camembert." Plagg "hmph-ed" and flew off.

"There's some in my backpack!" Adrien called, joining his beloved pastries on the chaise lounge yet again. He could finally return to his chocolate croissant.

"Okay, you ready?" Ladybug asked, stepping back from him.

"Ready! You totally got this, LB. Show that yo-yo who's boss!"

"Hell yeah!" Ladybug smirked, and began the trick again. Although, this time, she might've swung the yo-yo a bit too far and accidentally knocked her sketchbook off of her desk. "Gah!" She stopped the yo-yo, running over to the book.

"Any damage?" Adrien hovered over her as she frantically flipped through it.

"No." She exhaled. "No damage to the sketchbook, but my pride might be a little damaged." She chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck.

Adrien blinked. That was his move! He had heard that people who spent a lot of time together picked up shared mannerisms, but he always thought that was wistful thinking. But here it was happening in real time. Come to think of it, his stammering earlier had been very similar to how Marinette used to talk to him. A grin grew over his face. Things really had gotten so much better between them, hadn't it?

"Maybe you should stand in the empty space area of your room then? That way you're not going to hit anything?" Adrien suggested, rubbing her back.

"I'd be too afraid that I'd hit my sink. My sketchbook I can easily replace and it's not likely it will break. A fragile sink on the other hand..."

"Alright, fair point. Counter option: what if you were to not do the trick at all?" Adrien suggested, but Ladybug's glare shut him up. "No? Okay. Forget I said anything."

"Maybe five minutes ago I could've given up, but not now. I have dedicated too many hours of my life to try and learn this trick. It will not defeat me!" Ladybug vowed, standing in front of her trap-door.

"Alright, whatever you say, my lady." Adrien held out his hands in surrender.

"Besides, I really feel like I have it now! I was just in the wrong area last time. If I stand far enough from my sink, it won't hit it." Ladybug explained, holding one finger up like she was a teacher.

"Mmhm." Adrien nodded, stuffing his face with the croissant. It wasn't often he got pastries, especially ones as delicious as the Dupain-Cheng's.

"And I'll make sure I add velocity or whatever. Either way, I will show this trick that I'm the superior one." Ladybug glared at her yo-yo as if it was an akuma.

Adrien bit back a laugh. It was cute how serious she was taking this. He wasn't sure if it was just her pride talking, or if she genuinely wanted to know the trick. He still hadn't forgotten why she had been looking up tricks in the first place. She had wanted to impress him! Why, he had no idea, but the thought is what counted, right? Did she not already know how much she impressed her by just existing? Literally, she could be doing nothing but sleeping in class and he would still find it impressive.

Whoa, okay, maybe tone it down a bit there, Agreste.

"Alright, LB. You got this." Adrien threw up another thumbs up.

Ladybug took a deep breath before finally beginning the trick yet again. The yo-yo swung around, luckily not hitting everything. That was one obstacle done, but would she be able to keep up the momentum? That had been the problem before, and she had never successfully done the trick after he had explained it to her. Something was always in the way. Yet, when Ladybug noticed the yo-yo was nearing her, she flicked her wrist again. The yo-yo began to spin safely away from her. Adrien bit back a cheer. Ladybug's eyebrows were furrowed together, and she was sticking her tongue out. She was in deep focus. Adrien was not going to invoke her anger by breaking it. That would be like running out in Parisian traffic and he didn't have a death wish. 

"Adrien, I'm doing it!" Ladybug broke the silence first, flicking her wrist yet again. She looked up, a wild grin on her face.

"Hell yeah, you're doing it! You're Ladybug after all, there's no yo-yo trick that you can't memorize!" Adrien cheered.

"I couldn't have done it without you, partner." She gave him a look that was way too serious for the context that they were in. He wanted to get lost in those eyes, in the look that she was giving him. They were filled with some sort of emotion, an emotion that Adrien would love to know.

However, that meant confronting her on what had been simmering between them since the reveal. The awkward elephant in the room of what their feelings were. He had tried his hardest to tone down the flirting since figuring out her identity. Marinette, on the other hand, just seemed to pepper in more casual touches, and affection. God, he wished he could figure out her feelings without asking her, but he would never go behind her back like that.

"What are you staring at?" Ladybug teased, sticking her tongue out at him.

Adrien shook his head, clearing his thoughts.

"Just at your beauty, bugaboo." He smirked, giving her a wink.

"You're one to talk, hot stuff." She had the audacity to wink right back at him!

She was going to kill him, or maybe he was dead already? That could explain her behavior if he was in Heaven.

"You're going to catch flies if you keep your mouth like that." She purred, flicking her wrist to continue the trick.

It was then Adrien realized his jaw had dropped. He snapped it shut, pressing his hands to his cheeks to cool the blush. However, it was most likely in vain as Ladybug laughed once again.

"Y-you called me hot stuff." He wheezed.

"Wow, you can dish it out, but you can't take it, can you kitty?" Ladybug teased.

"Shut up." He whined, hiding his face in his hands.

"No! It's super cute!" Ladybug said. Adrien only whined in response. "It's nice to not be the flustered one for once." 

"Ladybug, you're going to kill me." He voiced his thoughts, hating how his voice went up several octaves.

"Oh you're so dramatic. Besides, if you die, can't I just wake you back up with a kiss?" Ladybug grabbed her yo-yo leaning forwards towards him.

"Marinette..." He whined.

"Yes, Chat Noir?" Ladybug whispered into his ears.

Adrien fell back into the chaise. His entire face felt like it was on fire and he hated it. He was supposed to be the ultra charming one! If Marinette kept this up, he was going to spontaneously combust before he could ever kiss her. Although, if she kept this up, maybe he actually could kiss her.

"Oh my gosh, you're so easy to tease!" Ladybug laughed, falling back by his side.

Adrien tried to not feel too disappointed. His heart sank as her words registered and he knew the truth. He had gotten his hopes up for nothing, yet again. She was only teasing him, like friends did. He had been so sure though, that she had actually meant it this time. His face didn't feel so hot anymore.

"Oh hardy har." Adrien rolled his eyes, pulling his face out of his hands.

"Hey, don't look so upset! It's sweet revenge for all the times you made me super flustered." Ladybug propped herself up on one arm, looking down at his face.

"That's different!" He protested.

"How?" She raised an eyebrow.

'You're not in love with me.' The words were on the tip of his tongue, but they refused to come out.

"You know how." He whispered instead, his voice raw.

Ladybug's eyes went wide as her face flushed. Half of Adrien begged for her to not connect the dots, the other half was praying that she would.

That was ambiguous enough, right? She wouldn't figure out that he was in love with her from just that, right? Right!

Oh, he was screwed.

"W-well!" Ladybug suddenly cleared her throat. "Um, I finally learned the trick."

Adrien sighed, whether of disappointment or relief, he wasn't sure. Both. Both was good.

"Yep." He nodded as she laid her head down on his collarbones, reaching down to place the pastries on the floor.

"Are you impressed?" She asked as she threw an arm around him.

"Very." Adrien chuckled, trying to not blush again as she cuddled into him.

"Good." She yawned.

"But you know what impressed me even more than some yo-yo trick?" Adrien asked. Ladybug hummed a response. "The fact that you didn't give up, even though so many people would've gotten frustrated and walked away. I-," he gulped, "I love that about you." He admitted softly.

"Thank you, mon chaton. You're the best partner ever." Ladybug squeezed him tighter as her breathing evened out.

Adrien grinned, his heart rapidly speeding up at her proximity.

So maybe he wasn't Ladybug's boyfriend, but being her best friend was still the best thing that ever happened to him. He wanted to always be there for her, and he could do that this way. Yo-yo tricks and all. 

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God, I love the prpr dynamic so much. Plus, who doesn't like some mutual pinning?                                                                                                                                   - Colorado