Inspired by the Miraculous Awakening
Chat Noir Renderings

"I'm telling you it's a zip!"

"How the hell would you know? How close have you got to him?"

"A lot closer than you."

"Yeah, yeah! Only because you keep being akumatised."

As Marinette entered the classroom, on time may she add, there were numerous conversations floating around about ... well ... zips.

"Mari, come here." Alya signalled for her best friend to come and take a seat next to her. Alya currently had her phone out and seemed to be as caught up as everyone else on this zip debate.

"You've been close to Chat Noir, right?" The foxy haired hero asked as Marinette took her seat.

Panic began to rise in her chest, did Alya know? She couldn't possibly! It had been a year which would make perfect sense but then the magic was meant to mask the face so she couldn't be identified. Oh no, what was she going to do? This was a disaster.

"Earth to Marinette."

"Sorry, I spaced out. Why do you think I've been close to Chat Noir? I mean he's a hero and I'm just, you know, lonely little bakers girl." She let out a giggle as Alya gave her the once over thinking her best friend had finally lost it.

"Mari, I know you've been saved by him a couple of times. So what do you think?"

Alya pulled up the latest magazine article from Chat Noir. At now fifteen years old he was truly maturing in the face and body and Marinette couldn't help but swoon. Her relationship with her partner was slowly starting to develop and she couldn't believe she'd been so blind to how insanely attractive he was. Honestly, he could be a model.

As Alya zoomed the picture in at Chat's chest, Marinette could notice a lift in his suit, the kind of lift you only see with a zip.

"Zip or design?"

Marinette stared at the picture. How had she never noticed that before? It was obvious something was there, or something designed to look like it was there.

I wonder what we're dressed like under the suits?

Yes Marinette was now fifteen, and her hormones were kicking up big time. But everything seemed to be Chat Noir related. Her life was becoming all about Chat Noir.

"Design, totally! Why would he need a zip?" A new voice entered the conversation. Adrien.

"Perhaps he's hopeful." Nino slid into his desk chair, followed by Adrien as he wiggled his eyebrows. "I mean let's be honest, he's growing up you can tell from his appearance. Perhaps the dude is allowing easy access for his bug?"

Adrien let out a snort of laughter, as Marinette had to try and tone her cheek shade down.

"You seriously think they have time to even consider that?" Adrien's words made Marinette smile, it was very rare she got chance to spend time with her kitty. Even if she did she'd have to plan a month in advance. Seriously, the guy did so much stuff outside of being a hero.

"Well you know, it's not like they have other things to do ... like defend the city, keep their identities hidden, oh and run a normal life."

For some reason Adrien lifted his hand to Marinette, allowing her to high five it. Neither understood why they did it, but both couldn't stop the laughter that followed. It was almost like they were a team.

Nino and Alya looked between the two. What was going on?

"Are you two tag teaming us?" Alya gasped out, "not fun girl!"

Marinette halted her laughing and looked at the bright green eyes in front of her. Ever since she had moved on to Chat Noir her feelings for Adrien had became comfortable. There was something so natural about being with him when she wasn't stumbling over her words, they had a new found friendship and a close one at that.

"You know I'm still on your side." Marinette squeezed over to her best friend and relaxed her head on Alya's shoulder. "Pass me the picture again."

Marinette looked over it, zooming in closely to inspect it as a designer does, only to find herself frowning.

"Ok, apart from the lack of teeth, it does look as though the bell could zip down to just below his ribs."

"Let me look." Adrien's expression took Marinette by surprise. He seemed completely enthralled by this, as though he'd been missing out on something for most of his life. He twisted the phone and looked at every detail, it really did look like a zip. How had he missed it?

"Hang up!" Nino reached forward and grabbed the phone from Adrien, zooming in to Chat Noir's hip. The other three sat nearby and stared, waiting with baited breath to hear what Nino had to say.

"The dudes got pockets! You can't tell me he's not preparing for some up close and cosy time with Ladybug." Nino's sudden revealed sent Marinette into a spin.

"What!" She grabbed the phone back and looked at the imagine. Yes that definitely did look like a pocket. Two pockets to be exact. One on each hip.

"A pocket and zip, huh?" Well that's interesting, Adrien thought. He's in the suit pretty much everyday. How had he not noticed such details.

"That's interesting." Marinette looked straight into the green eyes in front of her without meaning to.

How had she not noticed? Did Chat, himself, even know?

"Everyone can we have your attention please?" Suddenly, the chatter around the room came to a halt as every pair of eyes stared at Alix and Kim, who had positioned themselves at the front of the classroom.

"We are placing a bet! Winner of the bet will be the other ones slave for a week." Chatter picked up again in the room at Alix's words.

"Alya, we need you help on this." Alya nodded and opened her camera ready to film whatever was about to happen.

Kim took the reins next explaining what exactly their bet was.

"We are betting on the whole Chat Noir zip gate scandal."

Adrien let out a huffed laugh. He doubted the zip was that much a scandal, it's not like he was running around flashing his chest at everyone, although he wouldn't mind a couple of ladies seeing it.

Get your head out the gutter, Agreste.

"So who's betting what?" Max added.

"I think it's just design, Kim thinks it's real. Alya, we need to try and get an interview with him and a solid answer." Alix explained.

"Can we add the pockets into the bet too, dudes?" Nino spoke up, still floored by his discovery that the superhero might be running around with pockets.

I wonder if he puts snacks in there, Nino shook his head at his own thought. Why would he have snacks when he could hold ... other essentials.

"Nino, great idea! Double or nothing, Alix?" Kim stretched out his hand and Alix met him midway, both with a smirk on their faces.

"What if there's only one of the options?" Adrien asked out loud.

"Well, if that happens, which I don't think it will. Then we'll be slaves for the whole class for a week." Alix replied before Kim added in the kicker.

"And we'll do it in maid outfits."

As if my some sort of magic, the school day was interrupted with the sound of Akuma notifications springing on everyone's phones. Perhaps they'll get their answer sooner rather than later.

—————————————————

Ladybug dodged the next lightning bolt as it aimed towards her head. This was all she needed. A librarian with a God complex. The library hand was currently akumatised due to people placing the Greek mythology books in with those of the Roman Gods and had taken on a Zeus complex.

"My lack of knowledge of Greek mythology will always by my Achilles' elbow." Chat announced, as he made his way to her side.

"Seriously Chat!"

Another lighting bolt struck between the two heroes causing them to jump apart.

"The akuma's in the necklace Chat."

As the two heroes dived away for a quick rest before their final attack, Ladybug couldn't help but stare at Chat's chest. Without thinking she stretched up and traced her fingers over the bell. Slowly lowering them down the crease in the centre of his chest.

"Like what you see?" Suddenly she was bought out of her trance by her feline partner now raising his eyebrows at her. Usually she'd just brush it off and maybe give the bell a quick flick, but for some reason she felt the heat encompass her face causing her to pull her hands quickly away from him.

"I was just wondering ... is this real?"

"I'm not entirely sure. I haven't ever tried to lower it."

"Well what you waiting for?" She said. Her thoughts erratic, was she going to see what's under the suit.

He reached up just as another lightning bolt hit behind them causing them both to Yelp.

"Maybe later, LB. Let's finish this first."

As Chat swung towards the latest Akuma, he called for his cataclysm hitting the target directly where he needed too. Knowing his work was done he decided to leave the rest to his incredibly beautiful partner and hid in the closest alley way.

Looking around he reached for his bell. It was now or never, he was about to have an answer to one of life's great mysteries. Maybe he was taking it too far it wasn't exactly a mystery of life, but it would answer a lot of questions. Giving it a quick tug he closed his eyes.

When nothing happened he opened one eye at a time as he kept on tugging. He saw the pink and red swirl of Ladybug's sweep around him as the world reset, but that didn't stop him from pulling on his bell.

"Chat, what are you ...?" Ladybug rounded the corner to see the violent actions of Chat's hand pulling at the front of the suit. He quickly let go and placed his hands around his back. 

"Nothing Bugaboo." He interrupted her. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You're trying to pull it down aren't you?"

His cheeks turned pink as he brought his hands back around his front.

"Come here." She beckoned him with her finger, causing him to slowly saunter towards her. He really though she was about to hit him on the head with her yo-yo.

Before he could contemplate what was happening her hands were on him. Again yanking at the bell. Their faces were inches apart as she stopped and looked up towards him. Had his eyes always been so hypnotising?

"Well, it's fair to say you don't have a zip." The two heroes smiled at each other, so close to where they wanted to be, lips only centimetres apart when Alya rounded the corner.

"I knew I was right!" Alya screamed out loud. The two heroes sprung apart, both looking nervous with blushing red faces.

"Excuse me?" Ladybug asked in response.

"The zip, it's not real! There's a bet at my school whether it is real or not, and now I guess we have the answer."

"Uh? Yeah? Well ..." a sudden bleeping sound was heard "oh saved by the bell. I must be off." As Chat reached round his back for the baton he remembered the second object of his schools fascination. He bought his hand back around to his hips and pulled at the slight metal sticking out.

"Oh, look! I have pockets." The excited smirk that took over his face was adorable, but before anyone could say anything more both Miraculous' set off their word of warning.

"See you."

As the heroes flung into the distance, Alya turned the camera back onto herself.

"And now you know the truth behind Chat Noir's zip."

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Wit Woo

Chloé let out a wolf whistle as Kim walked into the class wearing none other that a female maids outfit.

The whole class burst out laughing at the dilemma he found himself in.

"It's all they had left in the store, ok?"

As the rest of the week was filled with laughter, but something kept playing on Adrien's mind. Why does he have pockets?