Adrien blinked sleepily at the board in front of him, his tired brain wondering just when exactly the teacher had the time to fill it with notes like that. He could have sworn he was totally on track but he blinked once and he was way behind. A glance up at the clock made him realize that his blink might have lasted a little longer than he originally thought.

With a yawn Adrien started to jot down everything that wasn't yet in his notebook, evenly spacing out different sections of information as the teacher droned through the subject. A question was asked and a few hands raised, but he perked up when he heard Marinette's voice cheerily reply, confidently delivering the correct answer. He glanced over his shoulder, pen trailing off and leaving an unsightly line through his otherwise immaculate notes as he stole a look at her.

She wasn't looking at him, doodling something on her page as the teacher applauded her knowledge but looking far more awake than he was. She was bright and happy, tongue out just slightly as she worked on whatever was in front of her. It made him smile.

He jerked sharply when Nino nudged him, turning around in his seat before anyone else could notice his distraction but unable to hide the heat of his face. He shot a sleepy glare at his best friend who smirked and raised an eyebrow at him but Nino was forced to divert his attention when the teacher called on him, something Adrien was extremely grateful for.

He looked down at his notes and frowned at the line cutting through a few of his words. It wasn't fair that he was exhausted when Marinette looked like she could run a marathon, he hadn't been running around that much and she had been skating! He couldn't be this tired when he went to fetch her that night, he'd have to nap or something like she probably did.

When his thoughts turned to their scheduled rendezvous he grinned tiredly to himself, pleased with the arrangement he had managed to create. It was so funny to him, watching Marinette through the day when he knew just how graceful she could be. She always did have a sort of smoothness to her stance he noticed, but god could she also be a bit clumsy. It was so strange, since he had seen her practically fly only five hours before that she could also almost fall into a trashcan. He liked being in on her little secret, even if he wasn't really supposed to be. She hadn't seemed very pleased with him having seen her or with him insisting that he come along, she had been pretty annoyed actually but he was sure he could win her over. He would make it up to her, bring her some hot chocolate maybe and be a gentleman. He wouldn't watch at all if that's what she wanted, even if he really, really wanted to, he wouldn't. He would take a game or something, put his back to the ice rink and patiently wait until she was done so he could walk her home. He'd use the time to study or do work if it wouldn't give him away, but it certainly would since they would be identical to her own assignments so he couldn't do that. He frowned again, wondering how he was going to find the time to sleep while also getting everything done. He had fencing and piano after school, an essay to write not to mention all of his other homework as well.

His pen tapped lightly against the notebook paper as he considered his options, shaking his head slightly to rid him of his weariness and sort of failing.

If he started his physics during his lunch hour and had the essay outlined before fencing started then he should have enough time to write everything and turn in early. If he did that he could get a full night's sleep before going to get Mari, behave like a gentleman and let her skate in peace, then have a quick cat nap before getting up again for school. That way he should be fully rested and everything would work out.

He breathed out a short puff of air at his loaded schedule but a smile still played on his lips as the bell rang and he started to collect his things for lunch. He didn't think of it as a hassle at all, guarding her. He doubted he would be able to sleep anyways knowing she was out on her own, so it was really the best for everyone.

"So uh," Nino's voice cut in, leaning across their shared desk into Adrien's peripheral vision, "what was that about?"

"What was what about?" Adrien played dumb, throwing his pen to the bottom of his bag and quickly slinging it over his shoulder in an attempt to escape. It was futile, Nino was already up and blocking the way.

"The staring at Marinette," Nino pushed, tailing his friend as he fled out into the hallway. "All the staring at Marinette, all day actually."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Nino scoffed and rolled his eyes, accidently heading in the wrong direction for a few feet before he noticed Adrien had turned for the library instead of the cafeteria.

"No idea at all. All the staring and the staring and the staring. With that smile on your face the whole time- yeah that one!" Nino interrupted himself, pointing at Adrien's subdued grin before he could wipe it off his face.

"I don't know what you mean," Adrien continued, walking briskly towards an empty table, "but unless you wanted to sit and interrogate me while I did physics-"

"No thanks I'm good," Nino halted in his tracks, spooked off by the mention of his most hated subject, letting Adrien walk out ahead of him. "You know I can get you her number if you want it."

"I wasn't staring!" he finally snapped back, but Nino only laughed at him.

"Yeah sure whatever, I'll text it to you later along with a picture if you need something to keep you company through lunch."

"NINO!"

A librarian across the room shushed him harshly as Nino was running away, laughing at him as he left. Adrien sat down with a huff, deciding he was too tired to pursue his friend and smack him over the head.

The smooth pages of his textbook drifted through his fingers as he looked for the current course material, his thoughts heated and embarrassed at Nino's ribbing. He hadn't been staring that much he seriously hadn't, Nino was being stupid. He ignored his phone the first time it vibrated as well, focusing on his assignment and powering through the next three text alerts before he caved and looked.

It was a text from Nino with a number he didn't recognize but assumed was Marinette's followed by three pictures of her taken at various times throughout the year. Adrien's face flushed as he shoved his phone back in his pocket, resolving to sock Nino just before their next class. He only paused in his diligent working once more to reopen his phone and properly save her number, assigning one of the photos as her contact picture. It was the one where she had glitter in her hair from when she was tasked with making the banner for the fencing tournament.

Adrien managed to finish all of his physics as well as half the outline before lunch was over, jogging to his class and roughly punching Nino in the shoulder as he passed him. It was probably a tad too hard but Nino was a champ about it, acknowledging he had earned it and grinned proudly even if it was a bit pained.

Adrien found time in his last few classes to finish his outline and actually make a rough draft before school had let out, saying goodbye to his friends as usual as he headed towards the gym to change. He didn't let Nino's teasing stop him from saying goodbye to Marinette specifically though, enjoying her shy and flustered wave that acted as her response.

He let his excitement for meeting Marinette that night carry him through fencing, his hope that maybe if he behaved he might be allowed to watch trumping his exhaustion entirely. His excitement only strengthened by the time he was in his piano lessons held in a private room in his home, the instructor pacing around the grand piano and demanding his attention with a demand.

"Show me what you've learned about song structure," he said in a bland voice Adrien had always compared to dust. If dust made a sound it would be that man's voice he was certain of it, he was definitely old enough to maybe be dust incarnate. "I expect you to perform an inspired piece," he droned on, struggling to draw up a chair so he could listen.

Adrien frowned at the keys, hating his vague test that his teacher was fond of giving instead of practiced instruction. He thought it was better for a student to use their knowledge of the instrument to create something unique and new but he didn't learn piano because he was a musical savant he learned it because his father asked him too. His musical ear had been trained enough that he could sort of pick out songs he already knew and just elaborate on those, but he had already cycled through most of the anime themes he knew off the top of his head and he wasn't sure what other songs he could pretend to create that his instructor wouldn't catch him on.

Already done Fairytail... both main themes. Video games maybe but he had pretty much exhausted all Legend of Zelda, and he could TRY and pick out something from Pokemon but it was too repetitive to pass. He wasn't a musical genius, he didn't just... play from the soul. It wasn't a passion of is it wasn't like Marinette with her ice skating.

He stopped.

His instructor cleared his throat impatiently and Adrien nervously poised his practiced hands over the keys, expecting himself to be desperately searching for some other tune he could play but instead finding that he was replaying his glimpse of Marinette's dance in his head.

It filled his thoughts, striking him with its mastery of the craft just like it had the first time, maybe even more so now that he knew the graceful stranger had been his friend. He thought of how she danced to silence like there was a grand song there, shoulders bowing with the weight of notes he couldn't hear, arms thrown wide to a crowd he couldn't see. He wondered what story her movements told that he had missed, and wondered again what song played for her while she danced so effortlessly across the ice.

Her movements were so elegant, each miniscule shift in weight and posture speaking of some influence of a song that wasn't there. A dip of a note or the swell as it led to the bridge. He wondered what that would sound like.

So he tried.

He closed his eyes, tracing the dance in his mind with his fingers on the keys. As she led into a spin the notes curved, as she leapt so did the tune as it unfolded for him. He wasn't amazed with himself or even surprised, it made sense. It was the song she was dancing too, it fit her performance perfectly because it was the performance, every turn of her shoulders influencing key, her speed changing the tempo.

He breathed out, opening his eyes as the tune faded out of existence along with his looping reel of her dance in his mind, and he looked over to his teacher.

The instructor looked... shocked, perhaps even touched, and as Adrien reflected on the sound of the song he sort of understood why. It had conveyed the amazement of a man watching something perfect for the first time, and it had ended up so powerful that he was almost... embarrassed by it.

"You are dismissed for the day Adrien," the instructor huffed in his dusty voice, and the boy bowed before darting out into the hall and heading towards his room, the song chasing him all the while.

It didn't leave him even as he worked, writing his paper and organizing his notes, or as he picked what game he would bring to meet her or as he settled in to sleep. It even expanded, changing as he realized it wasn't just a song for her dance anymore, but more so a song about what it had felt like to watch. He was in disbelief at his own behavior, how could seeing something from a great distance in the dead of night elicit such an emotion? It was ridiculous, foolish even but... maybe she was just that talented. She told a story just by moving, even if he had only managed to watch for a few minutes.

His song for her dance flowed and changed all throughout his dreams, and he subconsciously named it "Ice Flower."

-

Marinette sat on the edge of her bed holding her ice skates in her hands with a pout on her face as Tikki floated nearby, the red kwami giggling happily.

"It's so cute! Him watching over you like this, he's such a gentleman."

"Mm," Marinette muttered back, checking the clock once again. 2:58 AM.

Tikki sighed, crossing her arms in disbelief. "What's the problem? Do you really hate spending time with him?"

The girl's head shot up, eyes wide and her mouth open as she harshly protested, "Of course not!"

"Then what's so wrong about this?"

Marinette matched Tikki's gaze and sighed, clutching her skates close to her chest and she looked at the ground again.

"It's embarrassing."

"He said he wouldn't watch!"

"That's embarrassing too! I-it's just embarrassing! I didn't expect anyone to find out about it..."

Tikki floated over, tapping her charge lightly on the nose.

"Well, all secrets considered it's probably the best one."

Marinette huffed cutely, a slight pout on her lips. "Yeah probably."

She jumped when there was the sound of something hard clicking against glass just above her, Tikki vanishing from sight with a squeak just as the hatch opened and a messy mop of blonde hair poked in.

"Hello Princess!" Cat Noir called, curiously peeking around her room as she hurried to her feet.

"You scared me!" she complained, glaring up at him but not able to completely manage the evil look she had been going for. He just looked far too cheery for that.

"Here let me make it up to you," he laughed, reaching down to help her out into the cold air of her balcony. She pulled her coat closer around her and looked him over, surprised to see a plain black bag slung over his shoulder and a shining silver thermos in his hands. "I brought you something warm, in case you wanted it," he announced with a grin, holding out the thermos for her to take.

She tilted her head cutely before reaching out for it, the metal warm against her quickly chilling fingers as she used her free hand to raise the canister to her nose. It was hot chocolate.

She was surprised to say the least by his gesture, looking up into his excited boyish face as she clutched the warm cylinder to her chest to share its heat with Tikki inside the coat.

"Oh, thank you!" she managed, laughing at nothing in particular as she took a sip. It was very creamy and rich, some high quality mix she was sure.

"Here I'll get those," he suddenly said, reaching out for her skates but pausing just above them to check if that was alright with her. When she did not move to stop him he took them gingerly and placed them in his bag, revealing a blanket and something gold already nestled inside.

He stood there uncertainly for a second before smirking and offering an arm. "Would you like me to carry you across the rooftops? Or do heights frighten you?"

She blinked once before a bark of laughter escaped her, the idea of such a fear ludicrous to her.

"Heights don't scare me at all, and I wouldn't need you to carry me."

Cat Noir couldn't help the slight superiority that slipped out as he tilted his head with a smirk on his face. "I doubt you're at home with heights as I am."

He was surprised by how easily she challenged him with a smirk of her own. "I bet it's closer than you think."

"Oh really?" he laughed, moving forward to grip her by the waist, a motion she noted with a raise of her eyebrow but did not forbid. "Well let's get going then, I'll help you with the first jump."

"How polite of you," she hummed sarcastically, tensing appropriately as he suddenly whisked them high in the air with his baton, lunging towards the next rooftop. He watched her face as they flew, surprised that she didn't even bat an eye as he swept her up into his arms for the landing.

Marinette wiggled indignantly to be set down which he allowed with a chuckle, watching her carefully as she moved out away from him independently. She really didn't seem bothered at all by the height, wandering closer to the edges than he was comfortable with and watching him all the while with a smile.

"How much you want to bet you get scared before I do?" she called out to him, walking forward without him.

"Not gonna happen," he said easily, following after her in the night. He was up this high all the time, there was very little that could frighten hi-

Terror seized his heart as Marinette jumped up along the edge of the apartment building they stood on, losing her balance and pin wheeling her arms as she threatened to fall over. He was a second away from lunging for her when she all at once righted herself effortlessly, smirking at him before sticking her tongue out.

He scoffed so deeply it was almost a growl, stalking forward to pluck her from the edge.

"That wasn't funny."

She seemed to disagree, laughing at him as he decided that being on the roof was a bad idea and instead extending his staff so they could slide down to ground level.

"Oh come on I won't do it again!" she protested as he set her down on the street, but he shook his head.

"Nope, you've lost your roof privileges. No rooves for you."

"Come on!"

"Nope, should have thought of that before."

She pouted at him which he ignored with some difficulty, her big blue eyes surprisingly effective at the puppy dog approach. Eventually though she gave up with a chuckle, apologizing for scaring him but he wasn't convinced she felt bad about it, not judging by the smile on her face. Now that he wasn't terrified she was about to fall to her death he thought it was pretty funny too, but he wasn't going to tell her that.

They walked in companionable silence for a while, Marinette occasionally asking him about his day or something else sociable, which he would answer and in return ask her about hers. He liked to listen to her ramble about class and homework, talking about her friends and something funny Alya had told her that morning.

"I appreciate you looking out for me," she finally said at one point, looking up at him, "but I really can look after myself."

"I know you can," he responded vaguely, showing no intention of relieving himself of guard duty.

She took a sip of her hot chocolate, mulling over his response. She said, "Well you can't run around protecting every girl you see at all hours, you'll wear yourself thin."

"You're not just any girl princess," he said easily without really considering how it might sound, smiling down at her shocked face. "I'll gladly watch over you, or rather," his face twisted into deep thought, "not watch you... from nearby. Be nearby I guess is what I mean, specifically not watching you skate cause you don't want me to."

He expected her to laugh or tease him at his disjointed answer but when he looked down she was quiet, staring down at the thermos in her hands.

"Princess?"

"You really wouldn't look huh? If I asked you not to?"

She looked up and could see his eyes widen slightly before he smiled and reached into his bag. He grabbed a small handheld gaming console and flashed its gold casing proudly.

"I brought a game to distract myself and everything."

Marinette could feel the air pool in her lungs in something that wasn't quite a gasp, just a sharp inhale. But she smiled, beaming up at him.