FOLLOW YOUR HEART

Marinette yawned as she settled into her seat beside Alya.

"Trouble waking up this morning?" Alya teased.

"I hate Mondays," Marinette muttered. While that was true in principle, it wasn't the reason she was tired. Not far from the bakery, an apartment building had caught fire in the dead of night. The sirens of emergency vehicles had awoken her; the hot orange glow of the flames through her window had set her nerves ablaze. She knew several of the people who lived in that building; many of them were regular customers at the bakery, and a lot of them were elderly. She hadn't hesitated to transform and swing into the thick of things, helping rescue the trapped residents. As the fire raged and threatened to spread, she used her powers to extinguish the fire and restore the building to its original, undamaged condition—something she hadn't honestly expected to even work without an Akuma attack involved.

It had been hard to get back to sleep after all that excitement, and when she finally did, she had only managed a short nap before her mother woke her for breakfast and school. All through breakfast, Sabine Cheng went on and on about the fire, which had been reported on the early news—evidently, her parents could sleep through a train wreck—and how fortunate Paris was to have a hero like Ladybug.

She'd feel more appreciated if her hard work was reciprocated with rewards such as being allowed to sleep in and not being grounded for unexplained absences...

"Well, look on the bright side," Alya said cheerfully. "At least you're not grounded anymore, right?"

"Yay," Marinette muttered sleepily, her eyes half-lidded and her head pillowed on folded arms.

"Oh, were they out of beds at the homeless shelter last night, Marinette?" Chloé Bourgeois teased from her seat before letting loose a peal of cruel laughter; her sycophant Sabrina followed suit.

Marinette glowered at her. "Aren't the mimes tired of you stealing their makeup?" she retorted. "Or maybe they take pity on you because without it you look like a—"

"OKAY!" Alya said loudly, putting a restraining hand on Marinette's shoulder. "Down, girl! You don't want to go through the whole day in a bad mood, do you?"

Marinette sighed. "I guess."

"—telling you, Nino," the voice of Adrien Agreste filtered through the open door. "She's...she's perfect."

Marinette's head snapped up sharply as Adrien and his best friend Nino walked in. Adrien had his tablet out and was studying it, a faraway, dreamy look in his eyes. Marinette's exhaustion melted away, replaced by warm, fuzzy joy as her very soul sipped on the delectable coffee of Adrien's beauteous presence.

Nino steered Adrien to his seat; Adrien's eyes never left his tablet, and his cheeks were a light, rosy red. Alya gave Marinette a quick glance that spoke volumes about how worried she was for her friend, then cleared her throat. "Who's perfect, Adrien?"

Marinette's trance broke like waves over the shore; a whole new kind of alertness filled her being, the shocked-awake, bracing tension of someone who had just had freezing cold water thrown in their face.

Nino grinned. "Get this," he said. "Dude thinks he's in love with Ladybug."

Marinette's eyes widened.

"I don't think I am," Adrien said. "I know I am."

Alya raised an eyebrow. "Crushing on a superhero? Um. Okay. Wow, Adrien. I mean, I know you're a famous hotshot model and a rich boy and all that? But someone like Ladybug is on a completely different level from you. Shouldn't you set your sights a little, you know, more down to Earth? Closer to home, maybe?"

Adrien sighed.

Nino chuckled. "Don't even bother," he said. "He's got it bad." He fiddled with his phone as he continued, "This pretty much started the day after—no, actually the day Jackady went after his dad." He smirked. "Don't think I didn't notice the way you looked at Ladybug at the studio." He tilted his head. "Not that I blame you. She's awful cute. And really hot. That outfit sure doesn't leave much to the imagination—"

Alya hit him over the head with her history textbook. "Boys are pigs," she said with a disgusted groan.

Marinette felt her face burning, so she busied herself with her tablet, peering over the top of it at Adrien. "So, umm..." She cleared her throat. "Was...was that the first time you ever met Ladybug?"

"Huh?" Adrien blinked, looking up. "No! I mean yes. I mean, well..." He coughed. "I mean, she's saved our whole class so many times, and, you know, all of Paris, so of course I've seen her. In the news and stuff. But, umm...no. That day was the first time I ever, you know, met met her. Actually spoke to her."

"So you've only spoken to the girl once in your life? While your papa was in mortal danger?" Alya asked. "Uh-uh. Sorry, dude. You can't really call it love if that's all you've got. I mean, crushing on a superhero, yeah, I can see it, but you do realize that never ends well, right? Unless you're Lois Lane." She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Newsflash: you're so not Lois Lane. You're not even Gwen Stacy."

"Gwen Stacy was Peter Parker's girlfriend, though," Nino pointed out. "And did she even know he was Spider-Man? That was like, way before my time."

"How can you two live in Paris and not believe in love at first sight?" Adrien asked, his nose crinkling. "Look, I just...I know it's crazy, but when I looked into her eyes, I just..."

Alya rolled her eyes. "Marinette, what do you think?"

Marinette worried at her lip for a moment, studying Adrien intently. "I think..." she began slowly, in a soft voice. The others all looked at her. "I think everybody should follow their heart," she said. "Even if it's crazy. Even if it doesn't make sense." She smiled slightly. "You have to follow your heart, or you'll never really be happy. Right?"

Nino whistled. "Deep," he said.

Alya smacked her forehead with her hand. "Really, girl? Really?"

Adrien smiled. "Yeah," he whispered. "Follow my heart...thanks, Marinette."

* * * * *

"Follow your heart?! Seriously?! The boy's pining after a superhero nobody really knows, and you just sit there and egg him on?!" Alya slammed her locker furiously, letting out an aggravated groan. "This was your chance, Marinette!"

"Yeah, my chance to get rejected because he's got Ladybug fever!" Marinette shook her head. "I can't tell him how I feel until this blows over. Or at least until it's had a chance to die down a little, you know?"

Alya blinked. "Okay, that...is actually a very good point," she admitted. She shook her head. "I just hope you didn't just wreck any chance whatsoever you had with Adrien. After how hard I've tried to help you get your feelings across to him, and how many times you've completely screwed it up..."

Marinette sighed in frustration. "Have a little faith in me!"

Alya let her glasses slide down her nose so she could give Marinette a look. Shaking her head, she stormed off to class. Marinette's head drooped and her shoulders slumped as she slunk after her—not because of possibly having lost her chance with Adrien, but because Alya was mad at her.

Despite Alya's frustrated rambling, Marinette knew something Alya didn't, and she was already thinking of ways to turn the situation to her advantage.

* * * * *

When school dismissed for lunch, Marinette took a deep, bracing breath, channeled her deepest reserves of confidence and nerve—the ones usually employed when battling villains and saving lives—and intercepted Adrien just outside class. "Are you heading home for lunch?" she asked.

"Yeah, like always," Adrien said.

"Me too," Marinette nodded. Then, with just the faintest hitch to her voice, she asked, "Umm...I'd...like to have lunch with you today. At my place! Not yours. I'm not trying to—I mean," She cringed, then clutched her bag more tightly and tried again. "I wanted to talk to you about, you know, your crush on Ladybug without Alya and Nino around."

Adrien blinked. "Uhh...okay. Sure." He smiled. "Thank you, by the way, for standing up for me like that."

Marinette blew on her bangs. "Nino and Alya don't understand," she said.

"Well..." Adrien adjusted his grip on his bag. "Let me tell Nathalie I'm changing my lunch plans, then we'll head out, okay?"

Marinette's heart skipped a beat. "Okay!"

*It's not a date...exactly. But oh my god I'm having lunch alone with Adrien!*

Outside the school gates, they found Adrien's car waiting, Nathalie Sancoeur standing beside it with an implacable expression. Adrien walked up to her and spoke quietly for a minute. She looked past Adrien to Marinette, who had hung back several feet. She glanced back to Adrien, nodded once, and returned to the car, which drove off. Adrien let out a relieved sigh, then turned back to Marinette. "Okay," he said.

"Okay!" Marinette repeated cheerfully.

She made no move to start walking.

Adrien tilted his head. "Are we going?"

"Oh! Oh, yes, of course!"

"By the way, did you let your mother know about this?"

"Eep!" Marinette pulled out her phone and hurriedly called home. Once that was done, they got underway.

As they walked, Adrien said, "Do you really think I'd have a chance with Ladybug?"

Marinette probed the inside of her cheek with her tongue. "Well, that, umm...I mean, she'd be crazy to turn you down," she said. "You're good-looking, you're nice, you're kind—"

"And rich and famous," Adrien added. "All the things that keep my desk piled high with fan mail I don't even have time to read."

"Do you think someone like Ladybug would care about that?"

"Probably not," Adrien agreed with a chuckle.

"Let me ask you something," Marinette said. "Why are you in lo—I mean, what is it about Ladybug that you—"

"Her eyes," Adrien said. "And her confidence. The way she always knows what to do, the way she's so sure of herself. The way she helps people. She's just...amazing."

"That all sounds more like hero worship than love," Marinette pointed out. "Not that I'm saying you don't, it's just...it does kinda."

Adrien sighed. "I guess it does," he admitted.

They lapsed into silence for the rest of the walk. When they arrived at the bakery, they were greeted warmly by Marinette's parents, who remembered Adrien and were happy to see him again.

"Isn't it a little strange to bring a boy home for lunch for a date?" Sabine asked.

Marinette spluttered. "It's not—we're not—!" She flushed. "Adrien needs advice on a crush, and...I thought he could use a friendly ear."

"Oh," Sabine said. Her eyes dimmed slightly, but she smiled through it. "Well, come sit down, I'll feed you kids and then leave you to talk."

Once their lunch was in front of them, Adrien smiled. "Your mother is very nice," he said.

"Yes, she is," Marinette agreed. Her eyes clouded. "I'm sure your mother was very nice too."

"She was perfect," Adrien said with a sigh.

Marinette coughed. "So. This thing with Ladybug. How long have you felt this way?"

Adrien shrugged. "A while now," he said. "I mean, when she first showed up, I thought she was so amazing, then...then I saw more and more of her. In the news, I mean, and when she saved kids at our school with Chat Noir."

Marinette frowned. "Didn't you say the other day was the first time you actually met her?"

"Yeah."

"But shouldn't you have—I mean, when she saved us from that slime monster Mylène turned into, or when we were all trapped in city hall, or..."

"I, uh, never actually got to see her up close those times," Adrien said. "I was trapped in one of those slime pods that one time, and that other time I was...I forget what I was doing. It was kind of a blur. Hey, your mother's a pretty good cook."

"Oh, I'm sure this is nothing compared to what you're used to eating at home," Marinette said, waving her hand airily.

"Actually, it's better," Adrien said. "I can tell she put a lot of love into it." He smiled. "It helps to have a friend to eat with, too."

Marinette returned his smile. As he reached for his napkin, the ring he wore on his right hand gleamed in the sunlight coming through the window, catching her attention. "That's a nice ring," she said. "I mean, I've noticed you wear a ring for a long time now, but I've never gotten a good look at it before."

"Oh, yeah?" Adrien raised his hand and let the silver ring catch the light. Marinette looked at it, and her smile started to slip as her eyes widened.

The shape of that ring was incredibly familiar.

She looked up at Adrien, studying him. "Hey, Adrien," she said. "Umm...you know, there's one other thing you have to think about, if...if you're planning to chase after Ladybug."

"Oh?" Adrien asked, wiping his mouth and resuming eating.

"If...if you did talk to her, and told her how you feel, and...and if she feels the same way..." Marinette toyed with her fork. "You realize she isn't Ladybug all the time. Under that mask is someone else. I mean...obviously there's somebody else under that mask." Marinette took a long swig of water. "What...what would you do if...if the girl under the mask isn't...isn't what you expected?"

Adrien tilted his head thoughtfully. "Well," he said, "whoever Ladybug really is, I can't imagine she's much different than the Ladybug I've fallen for. I mean, a mask doesn't make a person who they are, you know? It's...it's who they are inside. Right?"

"Right," Marinette said, pushing food around on her plate. "B-but what if...what if you find out who she is, and it's a big shock and things get really awkward? Or if she's, you know...different without the mask? Not as cool or amazing? More, you know, normal?"

Adrien shrugged. "Isn't that part of getting to know anyone? I...I think...whoever Ladybug is, whatever she's like when she isn't out there swinging around buildings and saving the city..." He examined his plate. "I'd like to know that person. I'd like to..."

"To fall in love with the girl behind the mask, and not just the hero with the pretty eyes?" Marinette offered.

"Yeah." Adrien looked up at her and smiled. "You know, I wish we talked like this more often," he said. "You're so easy to talk to." He blushed slightly. "So different from anybody else I know."

"Me? Easy to talk to?" Marinette laughed. "I get so tie tongued. Tongue tied! I can't words brain know—"

"You do that a lot too," Adrien said, his brow furrowing. "You're not nervous around me, are you? I only see you do that when you're talking to me."

"Nervous? Me? No!" Marinette said, laughing shakily as she reached for her water glass. She managed to pour water all over her shirt, and shrieked. "GAH!"

"Right," Adrien said in a deadpan tone. He smirked. "I, uhh...think you better go change before we head back to school."

Marinette sighed, slumping forward. "Yeah..."

* * * * *

That night, Marinette sat on her bed in her pajamas, knees drawn up to her chest. Tikki hovered nearby.

"Hey, Tikki," Marinette said, "how bad would it be if...if I told Adrien my secret?"

"Marinette, you can't!" Tikki cried. "You absolutely can't expose your secret identity! I know you want to use his crush on Ladybug to win his heart, which by the way is super wrong, but—"

"Tikki," Marinette interrupted, "I wouldn't...I wouldn't do that! That's not something I'd do!"

"That's what you're talking about doing, though!"

"No, it's..." Marinette shook her head. "I want him to know exactly who he's crushing on. I, I want...I want to know if he can still feel that way about me when he knows the girl behind the Ladybug mask is just clumsy, tongue-tied Marinette."

"Oh," Tikki said. She shook her head. "I still don't think it's a good idea."

"There's another reason," Marinette said. "Did you see his ring?"

Tikki frowned. "Okay, Marinette, that isn't like you, and that's disappointing—"

Marinette groaned and dragged her hands down her face. "NO, Tikki! I meant that..." She sighed and shook her head. "I just meant that his ring looks really, really familiar. Except usually, when I see that same ring, it's black."

Tikki blinked, tilting her head. Her eyes widened. "You don't think Adrien is—?"

Marinette laughed. "Wouldn't it be funny if he was?" She sighed, picking at her pajama bottoms. "Tikki, I really want to tell Adrien my secret. Not just to get him to fall for me. No, because I want him to see Ladybug for who she really is—for who I really am. And...and because if I'm right, and he is who I think he is, then..."

"Then?"

"Then...I don't know," Marinette finished lamely. "All I do know is I told Adrien to follow his heart. And now...now I need to follow mine. And my heart is telling me to tell Adrien I'm Ladybug."

Tikki sighed. "Who you choose to share your secret with is up to you," she said. "You wouldn't be the first Ladybug to tell the boy she loves her secret. I just...I just hope you're one of the ones that gets a happy ending out of it."

Marinette smiled. "I hope so too." She stretched out on the bed. "Goodnight, Tikki."

* * * * *

The next day, Adrien surprised Marinette by asking her to have lunch with him at his house. "It's a little more stuffy and cold and formal than your house," he said, "but you were so nice to me yesterday and...and I just wanted to thank you."

All through lunch at the austere Agreste mansion, Adrien and Marinette talked and laughed, simply enjoying one another's company while Nathalie stood off to the side, observing them. When they finished eating, Adrien wiped his mouth and checked the time. "Say, we have some time before we have to go back," he said. "If you don't mind, I'd...I'd like to show you around a little." He blushed. "I mean, you know, if you want to—"

"I'd love to," Marinette said.

Nathalie allowed them to walk around the mansion unsupervised, reminding Adrien which areas were off-limits. Adrien led Marinette to a room she'd visited before—the one full of photos of Adrien, as well as one large painting of his mother.

Marinette looked up at the portrait. "She's beautiful," she said.

Adrien swallowed heavily. "Y-yeah."

Marinette took a deep breath, then turned to face Adrien. "Adrien?"

"Yes?"

"Remember yesterday, when you said...when you said you'd like to get to know the real person behind Ladybug's mask? To fall in love with who she is inside?"

Adrien nodded. "Yeah."

Marinette gently reached up and turned his head to face her directly, staring straight into his gorgeous green eyes. Licking her suddenly dry lips, she said, "I want you to look into my eyes."

"Marinette?"

"Shh," she said, placing a finger over his lips. "Just...just look into my eyes. Really look." She took a hitching, shallow breath, then whispered, "See me for who I really am, Kitty."

Adrien's eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat. "Ladybug...?"

FIN.

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