Honestly, last night's Akuma practically drained the life out of Marinette. Dickmoth just had to create an Akuma from a stressed out university student. The Akuma just had to happen at 2am. The attack just had to last for 3 hours.

Her limbs felt like lead and it was as if something was weighing her down with every step she took.

All in all, she was exhausted and didn't offer any greetings to her classmates, giving off the aura of 'touch-me-and-I'll-fucking-stab-you' and immediately slumped over her desk and closed her eyes. She could hear Alya and Nino conversing rather loudly about why she was so tired but she didn't give a shit. She also didn't give a shit when Chloe started badgering Marinette on her sleepy state and instead got a very specific finger pointed in her direction, making Marinette smile mischievously when she heard a scandalised gasp from the blonde.

She didn't even register Adrien walking into the classroom in the same state that she was in but unlike her he tried to stay awake for the lesson, no matter how much he wanted to end his exhaustion one way or another.

"Dude you okay?" Adrien gave a non committal grunt and made a thumbs up which didn't convince Alya and Nino that he was okay at all as he was staring at his desk, devoid of any emotions. Nino decided to let it go though and asked Alya about the Ladyblog, earning a whole recount of last night's Akuma.

How come she isn't tired. Both heroes thought as Alya still had her usual boisterous and outgoing self.

"Did you see Chat Noir last night? He was terrible! As usual." Chloe's snobby voice interrupted Alya and Nino's conversation of the two superheroes, inserting her unwanted opinion where it belong.

At this point Adrien finally slumped over his desk, not in exhaustion but in embarrassment and self-consciousness, not saying anything to retort Chloe's onslaught of his clad in back alter ego.

"Honestly he barely did anything last night, dragging Ladybug's performance down with him. I, as Ladybug's best friend, personally thinks that she could do better than that mangy alley cat." Chloe stated proudly, as if her options were universally correct and the facts of life themselves.

Alya and Nino both looked ready to jump at the superhero's defence but an audible growl cut Chloe off from saying her next insult. Adrien lifted his head up from the table in surprise, scanning the room to see who had growled a growl that sent shivers down his spine.

Movement out of the corner of his eyes, Adrien located the aggravated noise, to his shock, from behind him.

From Marinette.

The sweetest girl he knew, matching up to a princess's status!

A princess who glared daggers at Chloe, her usually warm blue bell eyes turning into clear blue shards of ice and measured anger and annoyance written across her face.

"Funny. I would think that as Ladybug's best friend, you would stop being the cause for half of the Akumas and stop creating more work for her." Oh, Marinette sounded downright feral. Her tone of voice sounded like she didn't allow Chloe to say anything else about Chat Noir unless it was praises and gratitude.

"Also I think that Ladybug likes having the alley cat as her partner way more than she likes being your best friend. It's understandable as he does so much for Paris for ungrateful people like who try to criticise what he does for this city. Chloe don't be an idiot and insult one of the duo that saves Paris and your sorry ass." Marinette venomously spat out, falling back into her arms and soft snores could be heard from the girl for had enough burning anger in her voice that could've made Hell feel like a warm summer breeze. It seemed like Marinette was really sleep deprived judging from how Alya was poking her and she would not respond at all.

Chloe scoff disinterestedly and examined her nails like she usually does but her face was bright red in humiliation from Marinette's reprimands.

"Whatever. Losers can be with losers."

"Chloe shut up." Alya snapped, fixing everyone who was gawking at the sleeping bluenette with a glare.

Adrien didn't know what to feel at this point. His emotions were all over the place but he could make out a few emotions that did suit the situation.

Shock.

Flustered.

And kind of happy.

He didn't feel the dopey grin stretching across his face however Nino managed to catch it, nudging his best friend with a smirk.

"What? Shocked that sweet, shy Marinette could snap like that?" Nino teased. Adrien blushed madly and felt his tongue stick to his throat, unable to counter Nino's comment. Instead he nodded quickly and his his embarrassment in his arms as Nino cackled at the blonde's reaction to Marinette toleration first hand.

Although Adrien was throughly embarrassed, that didn't stop him grinning like and idiot at the princess who was an apparent fan of the knight.
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However he knew his bad luck would come destroy his mood as an Akuma rampaged through the hallways of the school.

Alya practically shoved Marinette out of her seat to wake the bluenette up but Marinette quickly sprung into action and got the class out safe and sound in an orderly fashion.

When they got out into the courtyard, the first waves of screams were heard but Adrien was distracted by Marinette going back into the school and quickly grabbed her wrist before she could escape. She whirled around to face him with blue bell eyes widened in surprise as a blush slowly took over her cheeks.

"Marinette what are you thinking? The Akuma's back there and you want to go back in?" He lightly scolded. Sure, she was brave, courageous and capable of handling herself but that didn't mean that she could go back into an area where the Akuma was! She didn't have a magical kwami like him or Ladybug so she could get seriously hurt and Adrien wasn't about to let that happen.

However Marinette fixed him with a A glare, mouth open in disbelief and took her wrist back from Adrien's grasp and cocked her hip to the side with her hands on both sides, glowering at him with slight annoyance.

Maybe it leftover anger from Chloe's earlier remarks or it couldn't been her sleep deprivation talking, she just didn't have the emotional capacity to care about what Adrien might think of her current attitude when she had a job to do.

"Look Adrien there are still people in the school with an Akuma roaming about. If you think I'm going to stand around and do nothing then you thought wrong." She concluded firmly, turning on her heels and ran head first back to the school with no absolutely hesitation.

It was kind of hot to be honest.

"Mari-"

"I AM GOLDEN SILENCE! DO YOU THINK THAT JUST BECAUSE I'M A GOODY TWO SHOES MEANS THAT YOU GET TO SILENCE ME?! NEVER!"

"MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE!" Alya noticed Marinette was missing and was furious, not even taking her phone out to document the arrival of the Akuma. Unfortunately her screaming alerted the Akuma of the class's presence and they started gravitating towards the group.

Everyone was frozen solid, not knowing what to do without their class president to lead them to safety but that a familiar yo-yo came into view, yanking the Akuma backwards and away from the group. Ladybug stood behind the Akuma, smiling truimphantly but it was quickly diminished as the Akuma broke free and got agressive.

"MOVE!" Snapped out of their frozen state by Ladybug's demand, everyone scattered to safety and Adrien looked for a place to transform to help Ladybug in the fight.

Unfortunately his bad luck just had to come into play and he tripped over rock, falling like an idiot in horror movies as the Akuma descended upon him.

Adrien waited for whatever was to come back then he found himself getting carried by Ladybug bridal style, making him heavily blush. As they ran away from the Akuma who was now silencing everyone in the vicinity, he could hear Ladybug muttering under her breath and it seemed like she was annoyed. He managed to catch a few sentences, them being;

"... Stupid..."

"... Telling me it's dangerous..."

"... Practically froze on the spot..."

Adrien swallowed thickly as Ladybug was clearly extremely irritated at the unfortunate soul who managed to annoy her and nervously cleared his throat.

"L-Ladybug I think this is f-far enough." What the hell? He never stuttered around her when he was Chat. Ladybug seemed to take his inquiry into suggestion and dropped him off on the school roof.

"There you go. Stay safe." She kept her tone short and sharp but something made Adrien want to talk to her more even if he was keeping her from doing her job.

"I wonder where Chat Noir is? First last night's Akuma and now this? K-kinda sloppy of him huh?" Adrien stuttered with his last sentence as Ladybug fixed him with a glowering glare that reminded Adrien of another fiery bluenette. She whirled around to face him again and frowned deeply.

"Listen here buddy, Chat Noir may be late sometimes to the fight but he always has my back and for that I trust him with my life. You seem like a good guy but that doesn't mean you get to criticise my partner. Now if you'll excuse me." And with that, Ladybug swung away to fight the Akuma, leaving Adrien frozen with surprise on the roof.

He had a dumbfounded expression plastered on to what just happened.

Does she really think that?

He ran his hands through his hair shakingly and let out a slightly hysterical laugh. Then he broke out into a relieved and happy smile that his lady thought of him like that! She actually wanted him as her partner! He felt as if his bad luck never existed and he was just the luckiest person in the world.

"Kid I don't want to but you might want to help your lady over there."

"Crap! Plagg, claws out!" The familiar feeling of being transformed washed over Adrien and in his place stood Chat Noir, bounding over the rooftop to join his lady in the fight.

One though kept reoccurring in his mind, making him smile giddily to no end.

My favourite girls both like me!