"I'd have thought you'd love Halloween. Black cats are all the rage this time of year," Ladybug said.

"Yeah so this one won't be as special," he said.

"You're not special anyway," she teased. Even though she was teasing, he didn't seem to realise it was a joke, and bowed his head a little. Ladybug felt bad. she reached out and touched his hand gently. "I'm only joking. You're special no matter what you wear Chat."

"Promise?"

"In or out of the costume you are chat noir, and you are special. Because of who you are," she pressed her palm flat against his chest, "in here."

Chat Noir went pink and queasy. It took him a few minutes of spluttering to come back to being the smooth and punny kitty she knew so well.

"Actually," he cleared his throat again, his cheeks pink and burning, "I have a costume party to go to. It's a competition a friend of mine came up with, we have to hang around and figure out who we are without clues."

"Wait- what?"

"It's a huge game, you have to embody your character, and everyone has to write down who they think is who. Whoever gets the most right wins."

Ladybug knew that. She was going to that party. That was ALYA'S party! Alya was hoping many people would come as Ladybug, so she could use this as a last-ditch attempt to see who was most likely to be Ladybug. Not that she could ensure every girl in their class would come as Ladybug. In fact none of them were. Everyone guessed she wanted them all to come as Ladybug, so they all agreed that none of them were to come as Ladybug. Marinette had planned to go as Chat Noir but if he was going to be there it meant two things.
He would see her dressed as him.
And he was in her class.

"What are you wearing?" She asked automatically.

Chat Noir blushed. He had planned to come as Ladybug since Alya clearly wanted everyone to be the bug. Now though he couldn't. He promised the others in the class that no one would be Ladybug. Nino was buying his costume at this very moment.

"It's a secret," He winked.

"Then I won't tell you what I'm going as this year," she stated.

"I bet it's lovely," he said.

Her eyes sparkled. "It is."

Talking of secrets, Chat still had to figure out who Louis was, which is why he sat on the chair beside Marinette, mid-zombie attack (on their video game, there wasn't a zombie akuma outside. Again) with one question on his mind.

"will Louis be there?" He asked.

"Will Betty?" She asked.

"I have no idea."

"Neither do I. But his best friend is going so I assume so."

"Who's his best friend?"

"That would be telling."

Over the last few months Chat had gone through phases of thinking every boy in their class was Louis. His three biggest contenders were Nathanael, Nino, or Kim. Although he doubted Kim most. He had tried to saved her once or twice, at her birthday it had led to him being turned into coal. They were friends, sure, but not like that. She seemed very close to Nathanael, and he knew she was close to Nino. But she treated him like a buddy and acted like Alya's wing man. She couldn't be in love with him.

"What will you go as?" He asked.

Marinette bit her lip and glanced at her wardrobe. She had spent the whole month planning her Chat Noir outfit to perfection. She even made Tikki a little tail and a pair of Chat Ears to be Plagg if she wanted to be. She hadn't told her that yet though. It was a surprise. Yet the idea of telling Chat she was going to be him did not appeal to her.

"I was going to go as Ladybug, but we're not allowed, so I'm gonna go as something cute," she explained.

"I thought it was a costume party, you can't go as yourself," he said.

"Shut up, and eat grenade!"

She laughed triumphantly as she exploded Chat's entire platoon to raid them for supplies. Chat groaned in frustration as she defeated him again. He threw down the controls and looked around the room. Her grey cotton beret was hanging on a peg beside her pale blue coat that made her look like Coraline. He had found her on the street all wrapped up in the blue coat, with her beret pulled down on her head, her little purse sat on her hip, and a grey scarf tied around her neck, as she jumped on a crunchy autumn leaf, and almost split her pumpkin spice latte down herself. That latte cup was on the table behind them, laying beside the crumb covered plate that (until recently) had contained Halloween biscuits. They had been baked as a part of the most recent bake off. That's what Chat had come for. There were pumpkins and bats vs ghosts and circles decorated with spider webs. Sabine's bats won.

"Are you taking them to the party?" Chat asked, hopefully.

Marinette glanced at the empty plate. She was. Although she was planning to keep them in her bag, for Tikki.

"Do you think I should?" She asked.

"Of course!" He insisted.

Marinette smirked. Chat had eaten most of them again. Of course he thought she should take them to the party, he'd probably eat them all! But then she had an idea. Chat was going to be at the party. She was going to be dressed as Chat. She had to pretend to be Chat. If she spent the entire night eating the whole plate of biscuits and annoying him into breaking character, maybe she could figure out who he really was.

"Good idea Chat. I will."

Chat grinned. At least there was one thing at the party that would defiantly be brilliant.

Marinette tucked her cat ears into her bag and heaved it onto her shoulder.

"Why don't you go in costume, so you don't have to change?" Tikki asked.

"Because I'm going to be lifting heavy things and I don't want to trip over my tail. Talking of tails, I have a present for you," Marinette said.

Tikki gasped. "A present?! For me?!"

Marinette nodded. She dug into the drawer where she had hidden the cat ears and tail for Marinette to dress as Plagg. She held them out to Tikki. Tikki gasped.

"You want me to be your kwami?"

"No one else could be so perfect. But I've never met Plagg, so it's based on what Chat said he looked like."

"They're perfect! They're purr-fect,"

"You're purr-fect."

"High five girl!"

Marinette laughed, but held up her hand for Tikki to hit with her tiny little fist. Tikki put on the pi outfit and twirled in the air so her tail twisted around her.

"How do I look?"

As soon as she asked, the ears fell over her face and covered her eyes. Her mouth turned into an O-shape. Marinette chuckled, she pushed them back up.

"Are they too big?" She asked.

"They're paw-some. Ear-ily so!" Tikki giggled.

Marinette smiled. Tikki's chest puffed with pride at her bad puns. Marinette hoisted the bag further up her shoulder.

"We gotta go girl, Alya's waiting!"

Alya was rushed off her feet as she set everything up. She barely had five minutes to tell Marinette where to put everything. Marinette listened intensely to the breathless orders, and followed them to the best of her abilities. She figured that most of the breakables would be taken upstairs, and all of her siblings' toys would be moved out of the way. The one room they were shoving everything in would have to be off limits, but the rest would be fine. Tikki was a useful extra pair of hands when it came to decorating. She could lift and pin up bunting without help, so that all went up swiftly while Alya wasn't paying attention. Marinette set up the table for the food, and laid her biscuits in the centre. After a while Alya came out of the kitchen and looked around the room. Her hair was a mess and she looked more stressed out than she needed to be.

"is everything ready?" Alya asked nervously.

"Everything but you and me," Marinette nodded.

"D'you think she'll come?" Alya asked.

"I don't know. Everyone in our class is coming so if she's in our class, yes," Marinette shrugged.

"As herself?"

"Not as herself. She's not that stupid."

"This is going to go so badly, why did I invite Chloe?!" Alya groaned.

Marinette laid a hand on Alya's forearm, "Girl you gotta calm down. This is Chloe we're talking about. What are the chances of her turning up?"

"You're right. I'm stressing out over nothing…" Alya ran her fingers though her hair and got them caught in a tangle. "Look at my hair! Oh, girl, can you give me a hand getting ready?"

"That's why I'm here," Marinette nodded.

Alya smiled gratefully at her best friend. Even if Ladybug didn't turn up, at least Marinette was here. Marinette was always there when she needed her. Alya was going as Ladybug, so Marinette helped her to put her hair up into the classic bunches that she tugged out of her own hair as quickly as she could, so Alya wouldn't put two and two together. Once they were done, Alya helped her to do her make-up. Alya and Marinette had coordinated so their outfits matched in everything but colour and tails.

"I'm not sure about these nails Ally," Marinette flexed her fingers to test the new black and sparkly claws Alya had stuck on for her.

"Well they can't be as good as the ones you had last time, but I'm not as good at nails as Chat Noir. You never did tell me how he got so good at art," Alya tutted.

"I told you, I don't know!"

"Mmm. Next time we'll go to him to save on mani-pedis. I still think the lipstick should be black."

Marinette thought back to the only time Chat had worn black lipstick. She felt her ears turn pink at the memory of that stupid kiss. "No, this'll do."

"What about hair?" Alya asked.

"I was thinking of a bun," Marinette explained.

"Chat's hair is all messy, have you thought about putting your hair in plaits to make it frizzy?" Alya asked.

"I don't have time now," Marinette pointed out.

"I'll grab my mum's hair curlers and we'll brush the curls into a mess," Alya said.

"Thanks Alya!"

"No sweat girl!"

As soon as she was gone, Marinette called Tikki. Tikki beamed at her. "Can I have whiskers?!"

"Does Plagg have whiskers?"

"No, but I want to put on make-up like yours!"

Alya had done Marinette's eyeliner for her, giving her wings sharp enough to cut yourself on, and lipstick that matched her skin a little too perfectly. She wouldn't have put it past Alya to have gone looking for a specific lipstick to match Marinette's skin, in case she ever had to do her make-up and didn't have lipstick. Alya was very well organised like that. Marinette picked up the smallest eyeliner pen she could find. It just happened to be silver.

"Stay still," she smiled.

Tikki froze like a statue as Marinette gave her a heart shaped nose, and six little whiskers to match her ears and tail. It was a shame no one but her could see Tikki. She looked amazing. Like a strange pink and black cat with antenna, but cute about it. Marinette was supposed to use a leather belt for her tail, but she couldn't find one the right colour, so she was using a polyester scarf her grandmother sent her for Christmas wrapped around her waist and trailing down to fall behind her knees. She had torn off a couple of tassels and stitched them together for Tikki, so except for the whiskers, they matched.

"Alright," Alya pushed the door open with her hip so Tikki had just enough time to hide, "I'm not very good at this, so we're going to have to be careful."

"Ok…"

Alya sat on her bed behind the stall Marinette sat on, and clicked the curlers like pincers, threateningly. "Do you trust me?"

Marinette's voice was a little uncertain, but she was smiling, "Yes?"

"Good. I'll try not to burn you," Alya promised.

To be fair to Alya, she didn't burn her. she very nearly burnt her hair at one point, but it such a perfect curl, so close enough to the front of her head, that they decided it could be that one curl that hangs down from the up-do. when they brushed out the rest of the curls, Marinette's hair frizzed up like Alya's, and they had to spray it with salt-spray (also borrowed from Alya's mother) to dampen it into being manageable. Then they tied it up into her usual bunches, just a lot more wild-looking. Once her hair calmed down, she looked amazing. messy, but pretty. Just like Marinette herself really.

"You and I match, kitty," Alya winked.

"My lady," Marinette took Alya's hand and bowed to kiss the back of it.

Alya threw her head back as she laughed. "I'd like to see you do that to Adrien!"

Marinette laughed. somewhere at the back of her mind she made a note of that. she'd calmed down around Adrien now, and he was a lot bubblier around her too, so the idea of winding him up like she would Alya up was a lot easier to handle now. something to consider too, possibly. The doorbell rang and Alya leapt to her feet.

"Paris needs us! Come on Chat Noir!" She cried, dramatically.

Marinette laughed, "I'd follow you to the ends of the earth my lady!"

The first to arrive, unsurprisingly, were Adrien and Nino. Alya opened the door. Nino was in a brick-orange suit with a white shirt, pointed orange ears, and a great bushy tail. Adrien was dressed up in green hoodie, green trousers, and a turtle shell on his back. his head was hidden by the hood, but he flashed them a cheesy smile.

"You two are odd couple," Alya smiled.

"Nino brought our outfits," Adrien said, shifting awkwardly.

"I wanted to come as the fox and the hound but there were no dog outfits left, so I got the next best thing," Nino explained.

Alya put her hand on her hip. "Because of that iconic duo, the fox and the turtle?"

"Because it was a turtle or a rabbit, and I thought that was too on the nose," Nino explained.

"Come on in, there's no one around but Mari so far," Alya said.

Adrien straightened up. he was eager to see what the "something cute" she had decided to go as was. Alya stepped aside, and Nino winked at her as they walked in. Adrien followed and glanced around to try and see Marinette. She wandered in from the kitchen, her staff tucked into her belt, and her one of her personal supply of biscuits that she was going to use to wind up Chat, in her hand.

"Nice to see mew," she smiled.

Bud-dum. Adrien's mouth dropped open. Alya smirked to Nino. Nino took a picture, smugly. Alya reached out, and closed Alya's mouth. Nino kept filming as Marinette played at heroic poses she'd seen Chat practice while he thought he was alone. Even Plagg peeked out of Adrien's shell to appreciate the performance. Nino filmed it.

"Go for the kiss!" Tikki urged.

Marinette grinned at her in agreement. She prowled over to Alya again, and kissed her hand in a bow girl.

"My lady."

She edged over to Nino, so he leaned back to angle his camera to fit her in. she posed with a peace sign close to her ear and a killer smiled, before kissing his hand.

"You're looking foxy," she smiled, with a wink.

As Nino chuckled, she moved over to Adrien. He looked surprised when she took his hand in hers. her eyes twinkled. She leaned down, lifted his hand to her lips, and kissed the back of his hand gently.

"Shell we dance?"

Adrien's cheeks turned pink and he gave an embarrassed smile. "Y-yeah sure. When the music starts though."

Marinette let her index and middle fingers walked up his chest, and booped his nose so he turned a deeper shade of pink. "Promises, promises."

The last thing that video of Nino's recorded was Nino turning to look at Alya, and Alya beaming like she was watching her dreams come true right in front of her eyes. Tikki peered out of Marinette's bag, and glanced around for Plagg. She heard his slight gasp, and looked up. his eyes met hers, and she beamed. His jaw dropped too. Tikki silently acted like a cat, and Plagg's eyes widened. She giggled at the shocked look on his face, and vanished back into her bag when Marinette turned to show off her outfit.

"She made them herself, just like the real things!" Alya beamed.

"Except the tail. Chat's is different," Nino pointed out.

"Let me see," Adrien said.

Marinette lifted her tail in her hand to show Adrien, blushing a little now. Adrien reached out to see her tail. His hand brushed against her rear, and she turned a deeper shade of red. Alya grinned. now things were going back to normal. Adrien was pink as he muttered an apology.

"Now you definitely owe me a dance sir," Marinette flushed.

"I promise. and I like your tail," he winked.

She smiled back. Alya elbowed Nino pointedly. Nino made a mental note to watch for when the two of them headed to the dance floor, so he could switch the music to a slow song.
As the other guests arrived Alya got more and more irritated that she was the only Ladybug. Everyone else were arriving dressed as their akumas. Rose was Princess Fragrance, Juleka was Reflekta, Ivan was Stone Heart, the others all followed suit. It had been Marinette's idea to dress as their akumas, so they could own that part of them, even though they couldn't remember it, and show Hawk Moth that they weren't afraid of him. Also, she already had puns for every single one of them, that either she or the real Chat Noir had come up with in battle. She was dancing around now, cracking jokes to everyone close enough to hear. Every time Adrien glanced around to try and figure out who here was most like Ladybug, his eye kept going back to Marinette. He might not have known who his lady was, but his princess was right in front of him, dressed as her favourite hero… and getting it all wrong!

"Do you know something about this?" Alya asked Adrien firmly.

Adrien played innocent. "Something about what?"

"That no one came as Ladybug? That everyone is their akumas?" Alya said, firmly.

"Clearly you don't. You should come as Lady Wi-Fi. She had a great outfit. Kinda like Nathanael's but better," Adrien said.

Alya glanced over at Nathanael. He was scratching Marinette behind the ear, and the colour of a tomato, with a beret on his spiky hair, and a stripy shirt. His sketch pad on his wrist had the power to create or destroy anything, and Lady Wi-fi had the power to control every through her phone. She couldn't help thinking how the pair of them could team up and bring Ladybug and Chat Noir to their knees without the need of Hawk Moth. Then again if any two akumas teamed up they could probably get more than Hawk Moth had. At least they had the guts to face Ladybug and Chat Noir themselves.

"What's the deal with Mari and Nath?" Adrien asked.

"Nath? Nathanael Nath? Nothing, why?" Alya asked suspiciously.

"They seem... close."

"Is that a problem?"

"No. But Nino says she has a crush on someone and no one will tell me who!"

Alya shot a dark look across at Nino as he stood on at the DJ booth, oblivious to the glare his girlfriend was sending his way.

"Anyway, she's supposed to be staying in character. You know how big a flirt Chat Noir, she has to be one too," Alya explained.

"He doesn't flirt that much! And where is she getting all those biscuits from?! I haven't seen her without one all night, always a different shape!" He said.

"She's very dedicated to her character," she shrugged.

Adrien scoffed. Chat wasn't that bad. It was almost as if she was deliberately exaggerating his character to just be annoying. Like she knew he was going to be there somehow. Or maybe she was as suspicious about who he was as Alya, and was trying to draw him out.
Well two could play at that game.
Alya chose not to be offended when he abandoned their conversation without saying a word. Especially when he strolled up to Marinette so breezily you'd have thought he'd forgotten that Ladybug was supposed to be there. Alya whistled at Nino. He gave a thumbs up to show he got the message.

"Can you draw me like one of your French girls?" She purred.

"We are French Marinette, all my girls are French girls," Nathanael stammered.

Marinette chose to smile at the innocence of his argument, rather than being disappointed he didn't get the reference. She seemed to have forgotten his crush on her, and was making it worse. Then Adrien tapped her on the should.

"Nice to see you a-fin," she smiled.

"A-fin?" He repeated.

She wrinkled her nose. "Not by best pun. Chat makes it look so easy, it's harder than it seems."

"I've been shell fish. I haven't kept my promise to dance with you. Are you free now?"

"Do you mind Nath?" Marinette turned to face Nathanael.

Nathanael shook his head. "N-not at all."

She smiled at him, gratefully, and took Adrien's outstretched hand. Adrien led her onto the dance floor, where the music suddenly changed into a slow dance. Alya beamed at Nino, who beamed back at her. Playing match maker drew them closer together too. Adrien smiled sheepishly at Marinette who smiled back, and fit herself against him, so they could dance. Plagg wriggled down the shell, along the floor, and into Marinette's bag where Tikki sat surrounded by biscuits. Tikki gasped. Plagg beamed.

"I thought you were dressed like that!" He said.

"Get in here!" She hissed.

Tikki dragged him into the bag before anyone could see him, and shut it tight. Now he was trapped, beaming at her like the cat that got the cream. He stood up, dusted himself down, and bowed to her.

"May I have this dance?"

Tikki's scowl softened. That cat could play her like a fiddle. She sighed in defeat and took his hand.

"What am I going to do with you?" She smiled.

He rested his forehead against hers, which was sort of like a cross between a hug and a kiss when it came to kwamis, because their heads were a little too big to hug comfortable. This lingering touch was the equivalent to a passionate embrace between sweethearts who had been apart for far too long.

"I missed you," he whispered.

She blushed and smiled. "Silly kitty."

Meanwhile, outside the bag, Marinette and Adrien were dancing like an awkward couple ay prom. It was easier to talk that way.

"Have you heard that Chat Noir is here tonight? Out of uniform?" He said.

"I heard. I also heard that Ladybug is here, out of uniform," she said.

"Any guess as to who she is?" He asked.

She shrugged, innocently. "I couldn't say."

"You know Chat pretty well, don't you? Do you think he's really here?"

"No. I've been hamming up acting like him, so he'd come over and argue with me and I could figure out who he was, but no one has. Well, no one but you, so either you've got something to tell me or he's not here."

Adrien's heart skipped a beat and he forced a smile that was a little too uneasy, "me? Chat Noir? No way! Between school and my father, where would I find the time?!"

"Are you being honest with me? I won't hesitate to use the spatula of destiny."

It was almost physically painful to hold back the laugh that Adrien so desperately wanted to give. She was eyeing him suspiciously, almost as if she expected him to cave at any second. He tried to look puzzled, but the suspicious look made him want to laugh too and now he felt he might explode. Finally Marinette gave a soft laugh that gave him the chance to ease it out of his system.

"What's a spatula of destiny?" he laughed.

"It's an inside joke… just family," she shrugged.

He smiled. His heart lifted. Family. Chat Noir was family. Even if Adrien didn't have a good one, Chat Noir did.

"Still, I kinda thought Chat'd turn up so he could try and figure out..." she trailed off.

Adrien tilted his head. "Figure out what?"

"Doesn't matter," she shrugged.

He knew what she had meant. At least he thought she did. She was thinking about him figuring out who Ladybug was. his mind was on Louis. So Louis was definitely here. But who could he be? Kim or Nathanael?
She hadn't looked at Kim all night.
It had to be Nathanael.

"What'd you think of Nath?" He asked, casually.

"Nathanael? He's pretty cool. Really sweet too, and an excellent artist. Why?" She asked.

"No reason. Just curious," he shrugged.

Marinette nodded. "Hey what are you doing next week?"

"Probably working on a fashion shoot with my father, why?"

"Chat and I are going collecting autumn leaves for a design I've drawn. I thought, y'know, maybe you could come too if you want," Marinette shrugged sheepishly.

"Me?" He said, a little surprised.

"Sure. You're an expert when it comes to designs, I'd love your input. And you're one of my closest friends so we could have a laugh. And you haven't met Chat yet! You're like, the only one who hasn't!" She said.

Adrien's eyes widened, and he looked sheepish too. "Well, err, like I said, I'm gonna be with my father, so I can't come. Sorry Mari."

Marinette sighed and laid her head against his shoulder as they danced together. "Such a shame. You'd like Chat. He's like you but..."

Adrien frowned. "But?"

"But... I don't know... punnier."

He felt her chuckle softly. He chuckled back. The ease with which he laughed made her smile.

"At least your father let you out tonight," she said.

"Yeah..."

So what if Gabriel didn't technically allow him out tonight. He didn't have any work, and Natalie had left him alone with the gorilla. The gorilla just did what he was told when Adrien said he was totally allowed to go to the party as long as he drove him there. Really, he could get away with anything if he made sure the gorilla didn't have a reason to call Gabriel.
Marinette's hands were in his hair again. They automatically curled up the back of his neck, and made him feel like purring. Trying to stop himself purring, he shifted, and managed to knock her bell so it jingled. He raised his head. She raised hers when he did. Adrien smirked. He moved his hand from her waist, and tickled the bell again. She blushed.

"Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings," he said.

She tilted her head and gave him a funny look. He bit his lip.

"Sorry. I don't remember a lot about my grandmother, but I remember she had that embroidered on a pillow. Mother kept it in the guest room... she took it with her..."

Marinette whined gently. She lowered her arms from around her neck, and wrapped them around his middle, pulling him into a hug. He turned pink again. He felt her cheek warm against his chest, and that warmth spread around him. He smiled softly, and laid his head on hers.

"I'm ok Mari."

"Stay that way. Or you're fin-nished!"

There was a slow change from affection to annoyed groaning at the bad pun. Marinette immediately began laughing, and Adrien couldn't help grinning too.

"Did you just?!"

Marinette cackled in reply. Plagg took that as his cue to leave. He tapped his head against Tikki's again, before scurrying back down Adrien's arms and into his shell.

"Mari, you are more Chat than Chat Noir. Keep up the good work," he winked.

Marinette blushed. She scrambled into her bag and found a biscuit. She lowered her head against her chest, and held it out to him in both hands, blushing as she offered it to him. She felt like a little kid trying to give her crush a valentine's card.
It was weird to Adrien that Marinette looked so much better as Chat Noir than he did. She was pretty anyway, but dancing with her dressed as himself, it felt like an ego stroke. Now she was giving him a biscuit. He took it, and thanked her, and he couldn't understand why his heart was beating so hard.
The second he hurried away, Alya descended on Marinette with a million new questions. They were still busy with the interrogation when the gorilla appeared in the doorway to take Adrien home urgently. Adrien winced. He was in trouble now.
Standing in front of Gabriel, Adrien knew the game. He bowed his head guiltily, and nodded whenever his father demanded an answer, agreeing and apologising whenever he wanted him to. Meanwhile, he let his mind drift off. Adrien always felt terrible when his father talked to him like this, but it happened to often recently that he couldn't be bothered to listen anymore.
He thought back to the party again. His biggest regret was leaving without getting a photo of Marinette. As his father's demands wore on, he came to the conclusion he was defiantly, absolutely, certainly going to have to go to visit her again to get that picture.

"If you ever disappear like that again, I will ensure that you never leave my sight, whether you like it or not, do you understand?"

"Yes father."

Chat looked up as Marinette climbed into her room again. It was late now. She'd stayed with Nino to help clean up the party leftovers. Chat twirled in the computer seat as she came in and made her jump.

"You're not supposed to be here tonight," she huffed.

She turned her back on him to let Tikki sneak out of the bag and find somewhere more comfortable to hide.

"I saw you dancing with Adrien at the party," he said.

She pulled her shoulders back. She was keenly aware she was still in her outfit. Tikki had taken hers off. Marinette turned pink.

"Oh..."

"When you said you were going as something cute-"

She turned to face him with a hand on her hip, looking extra sassy. "I didn't know the costume would tear, so I had to go as you instead."

Chat fought the smirk that flickered at the corner of his mouth.

"Alya said you made it yourself. It must have taken a while," he said.

"I'll get her for that!" Marinette groaned.

"Can I see?" He asked.

Marinette took a step forward and turned slowly, with her arms stretched out. Chat stood up and wandered over to get a better look. He could get closer as Chat than he could as Adrien. Marinette didn't mind so much when Chat invaded her personal space. She giggled when his claws ran along her sides to try and find the seams.

"Marinette, you could have told me. I would have let you borrow my tail, so you wouldn't have to wear that," he tugged at her scarf.

"Hey!" She slapped him away so he leapt back. "I like having my tail like this. It's all... floaty..."

"You make a pretty kitty," he smiled.

She smiled back. "I know."

"Can I get a picture?"

"Sure."

Chat Noir took about thirty photos of her from thirty different angles to try and get the entire outfit in. Marinette wasn't thrilled to have one photo taken, her hair was a mess, and her left ear had gotten bent, and there were crumbs in her cleavage, but she couldn't get them out because her design hugged her figure completely until it got to the bell, and flicked her collar up like a funnel. Her make-up was running too. She felt like a mess, and yet Chat just kept taking photos.

"Kitty I need a shower, let me go!" She whined.

"One more? Paw-ease pwincess?"

Marinette groaned. She was tired, but she had realised how difficult it was to keep coming up with puns like he did, so she felt he needed some kind of reward for it.

"Fine. one last picture, and then I'm having a shower, putting on my pyjamas, and watching a movie before bed," she said.

"Ooh, which movie are we up to?" He asked.

"Oliver and Company," she said.

"You'll love it. It's about a cat!" He beamed.

"Are you staying?" She asked.

If his father did find a way to constantly keep an eye on him, it would be impossible to become Chat Noir for akuma fighting, let alone their visits. It wasn't worth the risk.

"Next time princess. I'll take my picture and go."

The last picture he wanted was a selfie. The two of them in matching outfits, looking cute together. Marinette held a peace sign up to her left eye so Chat mirrored her and used his right. Marinette yawned. She didn't even look at the picture before saying goodnight.

"Goodnight kitty."

"Sleep well princess."

She watched Oliver and Company curled up on the sofa with Tikki on her chest. She was practically asleep before Penny finished singing Good Company. Tikki pulled a cover over her shoulders, and wriggled into her arms to sleep there, together. Meanwhile, Adrien sat in his bedroom at home, with Plagg napping in his hair, looking at the photos he had taken of Marinette on his computer. It was a shame he couldn't use the selfie for anything without a risk of being discovered. They looked so cute together.
Then again he couldn't even really take a photo of Plagg without it being a risk either. That was a shame too. Adrien scratched Plagg's ear gently, so he purred.

Adrien would just have to remember the good times they had, himself. Anything to keep Plagg safe.

"Happy Halloween buddy."