Was he really that bad? Why wouldn't he talk to him? Has he done something? What did he do? Was it really so hard to make some time for his son? Or he didn't worth it?

As questions continued to repeat themselves in his mind, Adrien knew that if he doesn't do anything, it'll only end up in more sadness and could become anger.

Why was his father always like this? Why didn't he let him do something he wants, at least once? Why did he say that it was for him, if he never actually cared about what Adrien really needed?

Blonde groaned loudly, not caring if anyone will hear. He was just so– so tired of all of this. He wanted to live a normal life, to be like everyone else, to have caring parents and be happy.

Except he wasn't. He was famous teen-model, he was one of the best students in his class, he was idolized by lot of girls. But he didn't want to. They said he was lucky. Lucky to be the son of Gabriel Agreste, lucky to be famous at these age, lucky to live 'perfect' life. But he wasn't. He was anything but lucky. And it wasn't side effect of being Chat Noir – Paris's superhero, who only did everything worth. Destruction, that were his powers.

He soon stopped, realizing, how far he had gone with this thoughts. He couldn't let his father affect him like that. He couldn't give satisfaction to HawkMoth, becoming his akuma. He couldn't left Ladybug to fight alone.

Oh, she would never be alone. She had Cosmy, after all.

Young model sighed. He clearly needed some fresh air now. And the only way he was able to get it in 1am was becoming Chat. Becoming someone he actually enjoyed to be, being able to feel and being free. Sure, he still had some boundaries when he was Chat, but did it matter?

"Plagg... I need your help... Please"

Kwami looked at his chosen with a tint of concern in his eyes. He knew he would regret it, but it was better than seeing him like that. Sighing in defeat he just stated:

"Fine. But you owe me three whiles of Camembert"

Adrien wasn't in the mood to argue, so he simply nodded and said:

"Plagg, claws out"

~~~

"Ah, can you imagine it Tikki? I finally have finished my homework and it's not late yet. I can try to design something and then go early to sleep."

"Sounds like a great plan to me!"

Marinette smiled at her sweet kwami, scooting closer on her chair to the table. The girl opened her scratch book, and just when she was about to start drawing, she understood she didn't know what to draw. Bluenette sighed and went upstairs to take some cookies for herself and her kwami. What a way to get an inspiration, from food!

Sitting back down on her spinning chair, she caught a glimpse of something shiny behind her computer screen. She grabbed it and when she looked properly at it, she was kind of surprised. It was a keychain Alya brought to her as a souvenir from the fair in honor to Ladybug and Chat Noir, she thought she had lost. It was a picture of Ladybug and Chat Noir, both smiling and waving their hands, in a heart-shaped metal framing. Marinette giggled, remembering she had to pretend to be ill, so she would go as Ladybug. Young designer smiled at the memory, also remembering a certain black cat, who managed to get poured with water a few times, while riding through the, as they called it, 'Tunnel of Laugh'.

Her smile grew even wilder when her thoughts drifted back to the previous night, also covering her cheeks with tiny blush as she remembered the hug. Tikki teased her all day through about that, but Marinette just laughed it off, excusing her behavior with the excitement of getting her partner and her best friend back. Why her cheeks were burning then?

Shaking her head blue-haired girl put the keychain aside, trying to concentrate on what to draw, but with this souvenir by her side, how could she think of something else?

And she didn't, nearly unconsciously for herself, starting to draw some line inspired by the duo, even though she was a part of it.

~~~

There he was, running through Paris at night, as usual. It was really lonely on streets at that time of the day, but he was glad there was no one to witness his moment of weakness. He drew his gaze upon rooftops and soon spotted small light coming from a circular window somewhere near him.

'Who will be up that late on Monday?' he thought to himself, immediately making a decision to find out. Not that he was going to stalk that person or something, he was just curious. Who knows, it could have been his lady's window...

Chat Noir stood up and took out his stuff, extending it so he would be faster. He crashed on a rooftop of the famous bakery with a loud 'Thud', that sent him wondering, how did no one heard him?

Apparently, Marinette did. She jumped in her chair and looked at the ceiling.

'What was that?'

She put her sketchbook aside, silently standing up and moving slowly towards her balcony. But as lucky as she was, she tripped over something in the dark and felt with as loud 'Thud' as she heard before.

With that every movement on her rooftop stopped, and didn't repeat itself in a few minutes as well. Did she misheard it? Marinette decided to come and check anyway, so when she picked through the hedge she was slightly disappointed there wasn't anything. Or so she thought.

"Uh... Hi there, Princess, why are you—"

"Eeeeeeeeeck!" the bluenette jumped in surprise with an inhuman screech, and turned around, only to be greeted with the pair of electric green cat-like eyes, that were staring at her slightly shocked but with great amount of guilt too.

"Sorry. Did I wake you?"

The blue-haired girl shook her head in disbelief. As much as she liked his company, it was strange to see him here late.

"You didn't, but, not to be rude, what are you doing here?"

Chat feel his face heat up a bit from embarrassment. What would she think of him if he told her the real reason? But lying was much worse, cause she was his friend, or at least he considered her as one. She just acted so differently with both of his alter-egos: shy and stuttery, but incredibly cute, with Adrien, as well as sassy and confident with Chat. And he couldn't say he liked one part of her more than other. Both parts were making this sweet, caring, outgoing, smart, talented and brave girl he grew to like after he started visiting her as Chat and started to hang out more as Adrien after Nino and Alya began dating.

Marinette sighed, guessing about his doubts about telling her or not, so she just motioned for him to come to her room. Magically he has never seen any of her Adrien's posters despite the amount of times he had visited her. Or he just didn't say anything, not wanting to push on her with that. Either way she was glad that he didn't.

She patted a spot near her on the couch, inviting him to sit near. The boy in the cat suit quietly made his way to her. That made Marinette worry more, since he was really quite today. Not a single pun or some silly joke, he didn't even try to flirt.

"What's wrong?"

The cat tilted his head slightly and looked strait into her blue eyes, as if still trying to figure out whether to tell her or not.

"You don't have to if you don't want to" she answered his silent question. He always wondered how could she do that, how could she understand his thoughts just by looking him into the eyes. How could she see through his fake smiles and masks, no matter was he Adrien or Char. She could have always figured his mood. And that was that thing in bluenette, that resembled him so much of Ladybug. One of a lot. Growing to know her better, also made him see how familiar this two girls were. Yet he is too dense to understand they're the same person, though he had his doubts. Her excuses, disappearance during akuma attacks, never in the same place with Ladybug, how familiar they look and act... But he still couldn't see it, as if every time he was close to figure it out, someone would do something to his mind and made him forget what he was thinking

"I do want to tell you... but I'm not sure..." he trailed of, hoping she will catch the idea. And she did. Chuckling lightly, she rubbed him behind the ear and said:

"I won't laugh at you, silly. It's okay for everyone to have their weak moments. Even Ladybug has ones, so don't you worry".

He then took a deep breath in and started slowly:

"It's... my father... he is— well, he's he. Cold and distant. But it's fine. I'm quite used to it, the thing is... he's so severe and harsh. I just don't understand why— why does he hate me?" At the end of the sentence his voice became a whisper. He was trying not to fall apart at the seems in front of his princess, but was failing miserably. She looked sadly at him, not understanding how can anyone hurt someone like Chat. This sweet, caring, sometimes reckless, but incredibly brave and dorky boy? Placing a hand on his shoulder she made him look at her. She smiles reassuringly, as if saying that it was okay, she was here and he had nothing to worry.

"I'm sure he doesn't. Maybe he just doesn't know how to show you that he loves you. He cares for you, just in his own way".

Chat looked away, ashamed that she has seen him like that.

"Maybe" he mumbled quietly.

Marinette once again looked at him with compassion. She wanted to help, or at least to cheer him up. She continued to rub his head, enjoying comforting silence between them.

Some time later she felt herself a bit hungry, and stood up to go and grab something to eat. When she was near the door she turned around to look at the boy.

"Hey, Chat?"

"Mmm?"

"You want some cookies or, purr-haps, croissants?"

The girl grind, seeing his face lit up. The black cat jumped on his foot rushing toward her, grabbing her by shoulders.

"Did you— You just made a cat pun!" He exclaimed happily. "Also, I'd love some croissants, they're my favorite!"

The blue-haired girl chuckled and nodded.

"Okay, I'll grab some for you too. Just stay quiet and make sure not to look at my sketchbook~"

Right as she closed the door after herself, Chat walked to the table. Despite his cat-like hearing, he didn't hear a giggle coming from a girl, peeking through the door. She knew he would do that. And she actually wanted him to look, so he could say what he thinks of her latest design.

When Marinette returned with the plate of chocolate croissants and two cups of tea she quietly placed them on a floor, and tiptoed to Chat. Wonder, how didn't he notice? She then stood on her toes and half-whispered into his ear:

"Who's the sneaky kitty now?"

Clearly not expecting such a thing, Chat jumped aside and quickly turned around, staring with wide-eyes at the girl, who was wearing a sly grin on her face, in front of him.

"W-what?"

The bluenette couldn't control it any longer, so she burst into laughter. Oh, how she loved teasing him. Usually it was he, who made her blush (she will never admit it out loud, though) or surprise (read startle) her. But despite his sometimes cocky and arrogant behavior he really was just as shy as she was. It was easy to make him blush by giving him the taste of his own medicine. And it was actually very cute, especially the fact that he thought she couldn't see his pink cheeks in the dark. Maybe in complete darkness, she wouldn't be able to see it, or anything, for the matter, but with a little bit of light it was quite visible.

"Awww~ Who knew you're such a scaredy cat"

"I'm not! You were just really quiet..."

She chuckled at his embarrassment a bit, fully understanding how he felt.

"If you say so. C'mon, tea is probably cold by now."

Chat looked at his princess, smiling warmly. He did enjoy the time they spent together, especially when they could just sit, eat cookies or croissants from her parent's bakery and talk about everything. It was time he actually could be himself, and be not afraid to say anything, cause he knew she wouldn't judge him. Well, almost everything. He had to keep names to himself, and he couldn't mention some incidents that had happened, that only Adrien could know about. But other than that, he was totally free to say what's on his mind. And he knew she felt the same. Of course she had some things she would never talk to him about, and that was okay. Some things are too private to even share with their best friend.

"Thanks, Mari. It's paw-sibly the most a-meow-zing evening I've had for the last month. Apart from, purr-haps, the one when I finally got back from a trip and My Lady hugged me"

The girl rolled her eyes playfully at the puns, smiling.

"You're welcome, but mind if I ask you something?"

He shook his head, then tilting it slightly and gazing her right in the eyes. Sometimes he acted and looked a lot more like a cat than a human.

"What trip? Ladybug told that you were busy and wouldn't fight with her for a month? And what this new superhero... what's her name ... err Cosmic Cat is doing here? Will she be there for long?"

Chat Noir's grin grew somewhat bigger, as he asked:

"Did you miss me, Purr-incess?"

"In your dreams, kitty-cat. But seriously, though, answer me"

He again chucked at her curiosity.

"Some family trip, nothing much. As boring as any other office trip. And Cosmy said she came specially to help LB to protect Paris while I'm away. But she will have to leave in a week or so. Why?"

'Because I didn't get to ask her as Ladybug'

"Just curious, besides she's really cool."

"Even cooler than me?"

"Uh huh" she sent him another playful smile.

"Meow-uch, Purr-incess. You wounded me, so you must be punished~"

He scooted closer to Marinette, giving her one of the best of his grins, and started tickling her. Unable to fight the laughter, she started giggling uncontrollably.

"Stop!... Pleas! You know I'm tick— ticklish!"

But he didn't seem to mind. It could have lead them to the moment when Mari takes action and begins to tickle him as well, so the both will laugh very hard. But they were interrupted by his miraculous beeping.

"Ugh, you should leave, besides it's... THREE IN THE MORNING ALREADY?! Oh no! I'm gonna be late for school again!"

Chat Noir made his way toward her window, stopping there and turning around.

"What about my goodnight hug?"

She rolled her eyes, again, but hugged him anyway. After watching him vanish into the night, Marinette changed into her pajama and brushed her teeth. The bluenette then checked on her kwami, finding her in a small bed Marinette made specifically for her. After all of this, she finally got to bed, and soon drifted over to sleep.