#lights camera...bugmouse??

Adrien and Marinette look at each other warmly, a bright smile on the former’s face and a much more subtle one on the latter’s. They are sitting a friendly distance apart, their body language clearly conveying that they are comfortable with one another. 

“Honestly, I think it depends what comes at us,” Adrien replies after another second or so. “My père has plans for a final ad campaign for me, and I know Marinette is planning on taking on the fashion world as soon as she can.” 

“A final campaign? Are you retiring from modeling so soon?” the reporter probes, their interest clearly piqued. 

“Not retiring as such. Just…taking a break,” he answers smoothly, the pause natural rather than rehearsed. “And I’d like time to get to know my father again without working for him. Even in the best relationships, working together can add a strain and I’d like to just be Adrien for a while.” 

“Yeah, he has to model at least once more for me, when I get my big break,” Marinette laughs, taking the attention off the blond and nudging him with her knee. There’s an extra sparkle in her eye that morning, presumably excitement for her future after a successful first view of the film for the public. 

“So you didn’t get sick of each other on set?” the presenter jokes, beaming at the pair when they laugh with them. 

“No, and we’ll hopefully have many more years as a team before that happens,” Adrien assures both the presenter and the cameras. 

“Well, thank you both for your time today! Whatever happens from here, we hope you have a miraculous time with it.” 

_ _ _

On the evening that Robin and Nightwing were due to be in Paris to meet Adrien and Marinette as Chat Noir and Ladybug, Damian escaped the manor a solid half hour before they were supposed to go. He had coordinated with Marinette so that they could have as long as possible without anyone else being privy to their conversation. If he had left too early, more than just Richard would descend on the meeting, so it had been a strategic departure with just enough time that it would not have been worth it for Richard to hurry. 

Finding her on the arranged rooftop, he quickly descended and embraced her briefly before speaking. 

“We have only a few moments before Nightwing descends upon us,” he said without preamble, his voice low and urgent as he pulled her over to a shadowy corner. They were alone, for however long it took the next attendee of this meeting to appear, and he was determined to have a decent conversation with her. “How are you? Have you already said goodbye to Tikki?” 

“Actually…” she said hesitantly, fingers lingering on her earrings while his brow furrowed in confusion and concern. “Okay, it’s not that I’ve been coerced…” 

“That makes it sound as though you absolutely have been coerced,” he replied, brushing a hand over her suddenly flushed cheek. “Marinette- Ladybug, you should not do something just because you think it is the proper thing to do, and I know you have reservations about becoming a hero. Good reasons not to take up the cause, and I would- I cannot bear to see you harmed because you chose to be noble rather than give back the earrings.” 

“Adrien-” 

“Is an adult, with money and other things to occupy his time, and does not need you as a babysitter,” he growled in frustration, gripping her chin between his gloved thumb and forefinger. 

“I know that,” she snapped, temper flashing in her eyes for a moment. The sight sparked relief and a little enthusiasm in him, something more clearly behind her reasoning. “But if I give the earrings back, he has to give the ring back. And- you don’t know what it was like for him, after his maman passed away, how his père treated him by closing himself off. And the ring is going to give him freedom, something he hasn’t had much of in his life.” 

“At your own expense,” he said softly, trying to get her to see how absurd she was being. “L- Marinette, don’t give away something of yourself just to appease someone else. Adrien does not need to use the Miraculous to become a hero; my entire family is proof that you need no powers, only the will to train hard.” 

“Yes, but Adrien…the catsuit makes him happy. Living the story we already wrote makes him happy,” she replied just as quietly, turning her head slightly and breaking the contact between them. “And I’ve been talking to Tikki - well, interrogating her, really - and I think I’ve come up with a plan! Because you’re right, Adrien shouldn’t have to use the Miraculous to become a hero, but I think he could train without the ring and then do hero work with it a little bit, and eventually he won’t need it anymore.” 

“But you would still have to wear the earrings and transform to keep the balance,” he said, letting his hand move from her chin to cup the back of her head to make her look him in the eye again. “I will not try to convince you not to do it. You have clearly given it much thought and want to do this for your friend. I only ask that you consider yourself occasionally during this.” 

“I will,” she whispered, leaning into his touch and smiling softly. She leaned into him, and he moved cautiously in her direction as well, eager to leave the difficult conversation behind and explore their own connection a little more. “Dam- um, Robin, I-” 

“Hello~o,” a voice shouted, making them jump apart wildly enough that he had to catch her hand to stop her falling off the building. He turned to glare at his brother, who was grinning wolfishly at them both, humour plain on his features and amusement sure to be dancing in his eyes if he wasn’t wearing the mask. “Nice to meet you, Ladybug! I’m Nightwing, Robin’s brother and best friend-” 

“Tt, Superboy is my best friend, and you are an annoying old man,” he grumbled,  making Ladybug giggle nervously. She stepped forward to greet the older vigilante, who shot him an aggrieved look before accepting her la bise. 

“Enchantée, Ladybug,” Nightwing said, smiling charmingly as he stepped back from her. “I see you two are still getting along well.” 

“Do not tease her,” Robin snapped, putting a hand on her elbow when she squeaked in embarrassment. “I thought the point of Red Hood not attending was because you were concerned he would be overbearing, and yet-” 

“I’m fine, D- Robin,” she said, blushing still but slowly returning to her proper colour. “It’s nice to meet you as well, Monsieur Nightwing. Robin speaks highly of you.” 

“I did, though I shall be rectifying by explaining his shortcomings in future,” he huffed, smirking when Nightwing gave a dramatic gasp and Ladybug laughed properly. “Regardless, we should prepare for Wonder Woman and Chat Noir to join us shortly, so…” 

When the others did arrive, Robin felt like he was ready to throw Nightwing off the edge of the building. Chat Noir, thankfully, seemed to like the older vigilante well enough, and was happy to accept the offer of training while the other three spoke. The pair took off to a more discrete rooftop, and Robin turned to Wonder Woman fully to talk about Marinette’s plans for her future as a hero. 

“It is good to see you again, Ladybug,” she said with a kind smile. “I understand from speaking with Robin that you have come to a decision regarding the Miraculous.” 

“I have, though it has changed since you likely talked with him,” Ladybug said slowly, smiling nervously as she glanced at Robin. “Um, I think I’ll keep hold of them for now, if that’s still okay with you?” 

“That is more than okay,” Wonder Woman replied stoically, her hands clasping together patiently. She didn’t say anything else, waiting for Ladybug to offer more information, which she did after a moment or so. 

“I don’t know how long I’ll keep them, but I think it will be long enough for Adrien to get trained enough to not die when he goes out as a hero,” she said, smiling to lighten the harshness of her words. Wonder Woman nodded patiently, looking pleased with her decision, though Robin doubted Ladybug could see it. “And- Tikki explained that if Chat Noir is out and about, Ladybug has to as well, but I want to change the name and I only want to be a supporting role in those cases. And…” 

She paused, and took a deep breath before forging onwards. “I have some conditions, if you want me to come to Themyscira to train,” she said in a small but clear voice. “The first of which is that I can’t stay for longer than a weekend at a time. I know I won’t be able to immerse myself fully, but I want to be able to do what I normally do, you know? And,” she hesitated, eyes cutting to Robin before moving back to Wonder Woman, “I know you don’t allow males on the island, so…” 

“Of course, I understand,” Wonder Woman conceded, a small, indulgent smile on her face. “And in addition to that?” 

“If I’m ever…if I can’t keep the earrings, I want to be able to give them back whenever, without questions,” she said, biting her lip. “But…if I change my mind…” 

“You are attuned with the Miraculous, possibly the most compatible person I have ever met. I very much doubt I could keep them from you if that is what you wanted,” said Wonder Woman kindly, clapping a hand onto Ladybug’s shoulder and smiling at Robin. “I have no qualms with these conditions, and we can arrange transport from Themyscira to almost anywhere on the planet, so you do not ever need to go back to the place you first travelled from.” 

_ _ _ 

The training session between Chat Noir and Nightwing seemed to go well, and Wonder Woman had checked on them before vanishing. Likely, she had gone to Themyscira to prepare training and a room for Ladybug in the future. Robin knew that Ladybug wasn’t adept at reading the Amazonian’s face but he was and could see how delighted she was that she had decided to proceed. If it hadn’t been so clearly at odds with what Marinette wanted, he likely would have been pleased as well, but he was willing to give it a shot if it was what she wanted. 

“The training schedule won’t be too severe, just enough to keep up with Ladybug when she goes to Themyscira,” Nightwing was saying as they got ready to say goodbye to the Parisian duo. “But we’ll do our best to get you up to standard as soon as possible. Have you given much thought to changing your name or suit?” 

“Not yet, but I think if I’m not using the black cat, I’ll probably go for something less animal themed,” Chat grinned, beaming at Ladybug before readying his staff. “Now, I need to get home before I’m missed. Bugaboo, I’ll call you later? We can start designing.” 

“Maybe tomorrow? I’m talking to Damian when I get home,” she explained in a low voice, glancing around furtively as if worried someone would overhear. What she didn’t do was look at Robin, which he appreciated if only because he had been serious about keeping his identity secret from Chat Noir for now. His family should get to have some say as to whether someone else found out who they were, even if it was an accident the first time. 

“Sure thing, M’Lady,” he chirped, saluting before jumping away towards his home. Which just left one more annoyance to get rid of. 

“Well, I’m famished-” Nightwing began, stretching lightly and glancing at Ladybug with faux innocence. But Robin wasn’t going to let him barge into the limited time they had. 

“You really should hasten home so you can eat with the others then,” he grit out, motioning for Ladybug to follow him and away from his annoying older brother. When Nightwing began to follow as well, he turned back and snarled at him openly. “Go. Home. This is none of your business and I would like time to speak with Ladybug without an audience.” 

“Yeesh, I just thought it would be nice to get to know her,” he snarked, though the fond grin on his face helped to calm Robin’s anger slightly. “Next time, Ladybug?” 

“Maybe,” she said, eyes flickering to Robin before she smiled sweetly and started moving towards the other side of the rooftop. “I’m sure I’ll see you again soon, Monsieur Nightwing!” 

Practically dragging her away before anyone could try and prolong the conversation, they made the short trip back to the bakery. When they dropped through her skylight, she muttered a short phrase and scooted aside so he could make himself comfortable alongside her. Silence spread between them and he wasn’t sure how to break it. So instead, he allowed himself to relax in her presence, gazing at her steadily as she appeared slightly lost in thought. But eventually, he decided he needed to know what she was thinking, and he moved closer to her to gain her attention. 

“So you will be staying in Paris, for the most part?” Robin murmured, capturing her face between his hands and allowing himself to look at her properly now that she was detransformed. Her own hands moved tentatively to his mask and gently removed it. He hadn’t realised that she must be practiced at removing the adhesive, but she was careful and it hurt no more than it ever did. “Can I convince you to make stops in Gotham, on occasion?” 

“I think it would be rude of me not to,” she whispered, tossing the mask aside before grabbing his cape and pulling him close. “Damian, I really, really like you.” 

But that didn’t mean she wasn’t freaking out about it constantly. She was such a clutz, she was bound to screw up and hurt herself or someone else so it would be better if she just gave the role to someone else. Literally anyone else would be more qualified than she was! Unfortunately, it seemed she wasn’t the only one to think that. 

“Why should baker girl get to do it!” Chloé screeched, pointing an accusing finger at the young designer-turned-actress. “I would make a perfect Ladybug, and I would look better with Adri-kins anyway. So just send her home and give me her costume, I’m sure it’ll be a perfect fit.” 

“Uh, except it’s made to Nette’s measurements?” Nino said sourly, crossing his arms and standing his ground against the mayor’s daughter. Winning the film festival had given him a huge confidence boost, and Marinette was thrilled to see it. “And what you think really doesn’t matter, dudette. This is my film, and I get final say on who gets to act in it. And Marinette was perfect in the short film, so she’ll be perfect in the long film.” 

“Yeah, Chloé, back off,” Marinette sniped, her need to push back against the blonde girl stronger than her desire to melt into the background. Her crush on Adrien aside, she didn’t like how Chloé ignored how uncomfortable she made her childhood friend. “Now, if you don’t have anything sensible to contribute, you need to clear out so the rest of us can get to work.” 

_ _ _ 

“Wow, you clean up good,” Alya joked, whistling lowly when Marinette gave a twirl to show off the way her skirt flared out. Finally she was getting to wear her hair the way she wanted to, and with an outfit she’d made for just this occasion. Rather than the vibrant red she’d been repping for the entire press tour, she had made a dress from a blush pink fabric, the sweetheart neckline modest whilst not being childish. She still had her signature polka dots along the sash for the dress, as well as along the underskirt hem which showed when she gave another spin. “Maybe I should ditch Nino for the night and take you to this shindig.” 

“Ha ha, as if you would be able to resist the outfit I made for him, too,” she giggled in reply, tucking a stray lock of hair back into the bun she’d wrangled her hair into rather than the twin pigtails she’d been wearing for so long. “Besides, maybe I’ll meet a handsome stranger and sweep him off his feet - in a good way, not my usual way.” 

“Come on, you hardly ever completely wipe out anymore,” Alya chided, pulling out her phone and slinging an arm around Marinette’s waist in front of the mirror. “Smile! I need to keep these photos forever, and I’ll be too excited to do anything about it later.” 

Smiling obediently, Marinette checked that her purse was in place around her waist before tugging the other young woman towards the door. She very almost tripped over a short Asian man as she bustled them to the elevator but just saved herself. 

“Sorry, monsieur!” she gasped, arms pinwheeling as she regained her balance. The man seemed slightly jumpy but gave a strained smile before shuffling away from them both and disappearing down the hallway. And then Alya began to push her forward and they both started to chatter about the upcoming evening and who they might meet.

_ _ _ 

The red carpet for the premiere was nerve-wracking, and Marinette really could have done without the heels that Penny insisted she had to wear as she slowly strolled along it. The only thing that made her feel slightly better about the stupid rules was that Adrien and Nino had opted to wear heels too, in solidarity with the two young women. And she’d snuck a pair of flats into her purse that she could change into as soon as they were away from the cameras. 

“Ohmygosh, there are so many people here!” Alya squealed, her hand drifting to her own, slightly larger handbag. Marinette knew for a fact that the young reporter had brought along her notebook and an autograph book for if Lois Lane was in attendance again. Then her hand was shooting out to catch Marinette’s arm, almost unbalancing her as she took off the heels one at a time. “And that is Bruce Wayne and his son Damian! Oooh, we should totally talk to them about Max and Markov so they can reach out about him joining their research and development team!” 

“You think they’d be happy to discuss that sort of thing here?” Nino said doubtfully, looping his arm around Alya’s waist and successfully disengaging her from Marinette so the shorter woman could change her shoes. “I mean, I’m not going to stop you, but they’re here for a good time, not to talk about work. Maybe just make the connections for now, and drop Max’s name after the showing?” 

The couple continued to discuss it even as they made their way further into the crowd of people with Adrien trailing behind, and Marinette stayed where she was as she tried to get her bearings a little better. She’d never been particularly confident when in crowds of people, and people with money always made her feel…inadequate, somehow. Specifically, they made her feel underdressed most of the time, and her experiences with Chloé made her wary of starting up a conversation just in case they turned out to be just as snooty. 

But she was one of the stars of the latest film that everyone was raving about, so she was never going to get the chance to fade into the background. The two men that Alya had pointed out had spotted her and the younger said something to the older before breaking away and walking straight towards her. Her stomach roiled as she tried to remember pleasantries in English. Most of her use came from talking about pastries or fashion prior to being in the film so even though she was fluent she tended to fall back on either topic when she was stressed out. 

“Good evening, you must be Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” a deep, pleasant voice said, and she almost jumped a foot in the air. She hadn’t even noticed him getting that close, which was embarrassing because he was so much taller than her. Nodding, she tried to swallow against her suddenly dry mouth and shoved her hand forward automatically. 

“Mice to neet- um, I mean, nice to meet you! I’m Marinette- um, which you already knew,” she babbled, hands shaking slightly as she glanced up at his face before getting even more nervous and looking away. “Damian Wayne, right? Enchanté.” 

“Enchantée indeed,” he murmured, taking her hand and - instead of shaking it like she had expected - bringing it up to his mouth to press a warm kiss to the back of it. Her mouth dropped open and she tried to close it several times, failing every time. But she did manage to look at him properly while she tried to formulate a response to that because who did things like that?! And immediately got caught in the most beautiful green eyes she’d ever seen. Where Adrien’s eyes were bright and clear, like stained glass, Damian’s were a lush forest green that had hidden depths that she could get lost in. “I have wanted to meet you ever since I saw your Paris interview. Luckily, my father had agreed to attend and had not invited anyone else as his plus one before I asked to accompany him.” 

“That- um, you w-watched the French interview?” she squeaked, her heels dropping out of her other hand. It broke the mesmerising power of his eyes as she scrambled to pick them up. Her hand met his when he picked the one that had fallen closer to him, and he smiled again as he stood, still holding it. 

“Aren’t you supposed to lose your glass slipper after the event?” he mused, the smile bordering on a smirk when she blushed. “Speaking of which, I don’t suppose you would like to sit with me for the showing? It would make it easier to find you when it finishes; I have many questions about the process and your experiences making the film.” 

“I think I’m supposed to be sitting with my co-star and producer,” she said, disappointment passing over her like a cloud. Something like a pout crossed his own face and she scrambled to fix it. “B-but I have time now! Was there something in particular you were curious about?”

“I was intrigued by your assertion that the idea came from a book,” Damian offered, a charming smile back on his face as he leaned towards her. She could feel herself growing ever warmer for every second he remained in her personal space, her face probably lighting up like a beacon. “I would very much enjoy reading the book, if possible.” 

“Oh, it’s not really something you can read; the words aren’t written in any language we could find,” she replied, almost breathlessly. She didn’t have to look at her friends to know they were all exchanging looks over her head, but she couldn’t find it in her to care when Damian was still smiling at her. “Besides, Gabe has it hidden away somewhere in his mansion now, so it’s not like we can even look at it anymore.” 

“That is a shame, but perhaps you would be able to get together with me to discuss the contents,” he replied instantly, and Marinette was fairly sure she was about to turn into a puddle. Dieu, she hoped he was actually flirting with her, and not just trying to get an in with the movie directors for future projects. Not that he should need an in, what with his father’s wealth. “After the premiere, obviously.” 

Unable to do anything other than nod, she was saved from her own speechlessness by Adrien coming over and slinging an arm around her shoulders. Which she was glad of for all of a second until she saw the way Damian appeared to be assessing the friendly, completely platonic affection and only just managed not to jump away from her best friend. 

“Adri, this is Damian! We were just talking about going out sometime to talk, you know, just the two of us,” she said, words tumbling over one another in their rush to get out. “The four of us are here for another couple of days, right? And you all wouldn’t mind me disappearing for a couple of hours to get to know someone new?” 

“Nette, that’s-” 

“-a fabulous idea? I know!” she babbled, looking around for Alya and Nino. Adrien could be overprotective of his friends sometimes, so if she could just get Alya’s approval she would be golden. It was only then that she noticed that people were filing through into the screening room, and she looked up at Damian with a new determination. “Here, why don’t we trade numbers and we can coordinate?” 

“No wings?” Nino frowned, walking in a circle around Marinette who was wearing a red spandex suit with black spots all over it. Immediately, she placed her hand on her hip and glared at the young director. 

“Nino,” she ground out, annoyance plain on her face. “I made you a whole outfit extra in less than a day. The words you are looking for are ‘thank you’. If you want the complex costume, go and convince Mylene to come back, otherwise can we just get on with this?” 

_ _ _ 

The first interview in New York was bad enough that Marinette was ready to quit the tour and go home. The reporters were just mean, and they didn’t let go of their belief that she and Adrien were more than friends. There were basically no questions about the process for making the movie, or even about where the idea for these particular heroes had come from. Nino took a backseat while they grilled the co-stars about their personal lives. It was infuriating. 

Settling into their seats at the conference in Metropolis, Marinette waited anxiously for their agent to start fielding questions for them. It certainly seemed less manic than the previous day, and all of the reporters seemed to be discussing things seriously between themselves, if they were saying anything at all. 

“Alright, some ground rules to begin with,” their agent, Penny Rolling said, which immediately made the room go quiet as they listened intently to the young woman. “We’ll need you to give your name and publication before asking your questions, and please direct your questions individually to begin. There will be a time for group questions a little later on, but we would like to start with ones for specific people first and then move on. Alright,” she said when the room as a whole nodded, and Marinette swallowed hard as Penny nodded to them and waited. 

Unlike the previous days, there was no instant cacophony, and Marinette blinked as someone from the back row stood and called out first. 

“Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng!” The reporter that caught her eye was tall and wearing glasses, and she motioned for him to continue, hoping that he wasn’t going to be the same as the  New York reporters. “Hi, Clark Kent, Daily Planet. Will your stunt double be present at the premiere tomorrow night?” 

“Oh, no, I don’t have a stunt double,” she blushed, drumming her fingers on the table in front of her. “I've always been athletic, with gymnastics being a focus, obviously. I wanted to be able to do all the cool things, so I worked with a stunt coordinator and even learned to do yo-yo tricks! I just- I think it's important that other little girls can look at something like this and say ‘Hey, I could do that, too!’, you know?” 

“Marinette's always been very dedicated to doing things the ‘right way’,” Adrien put in, smirking mischievously when she gave him a look. “So the boys at home just have to accept that the girls are more impressive-” 

“That’s not what I meant!” she whined, and a chuckle swept through the room, even as plenty of reporters made notes before looking back up to her. Her palms began to sweat and she desperately wanted to wipe them on her trousers but didn’t want to give away just how nervous she was. “You know I just meant that I didn’t like the idea of letting someone else do the work- I mean- no, that wasn’t-” 

“Alright, I think that’s that question answered,” Penny cut in kindly, motioning for the next reporter to begin. Dying of mortification, Marinette kept her back as straight as she could as the next question was directed at Adrien, moving back and forth between the pair for the time being. The occasional question got thrown to Nino, and they were far more interesting than the previous interviews. Nino seemed to be thrilled to get the opportunity to talk about his process, to tell the attendants how he’d been involved in the soundtrack and had the chance to veto certain scenes. Then, at last, Marinette’s most hoped for question came up. 

“Monsieur Lahiffe; Lois Lane, Daily Planet,” a woman with dark hair and a serious expression said, her eyes sharp. “Where did you get the idea for a movie about superheroes themed after a cat and a ladybug, of all things?” 

“Well, dudet- uh, I mean, Miss Lane,” Nino said, his own eyes brightening. The whole reason this was Marinette’s favourite question - and one nobody else had apparently thought to ask - was because it made both Nino and Adrien so happy to answer it. When the movie had won at the film festival and attracted a new director’s attention enough that they’d wanted to get them all on board for the chance to make a full live action film. “I would love to take credit for the full creative process, but it was actually my best bud Adrien that sparked the idea in the first place...” 

“This is such a cool book, mec,” Nino said as they pored over an old tome sitting on the desk in front of them. It was a break in their school day, but nobody had wanted to go out into the rain for it, so the classroom was bustling with numerous students. Adrien had brought in a book he’d found in his parents’ storage, all about different superheroes and the powers they possessed. Or, at least, that’s what they’d guessed it was about. It was written in a language none of them understood, but there was a woman in traditional Chinese garb and using a yo-yo of all things. “And you said your dad just had it in an old box somewhere?” 

“Yeah, but I don’t know if I was supposed to take it out of the house - it was with my maman’s things,” the blond replied with a sad smile as his fingers brushed over the pages. “But I know Alya’s really into the whole hero thing, so I thought maybe everyone here would like to look at it.” 

“Totally!” Alya replied enthusiastically, practically hanging over the front of her desk to get a better look at the pages from her seat. “It looks just like this picture I found in the Egyptian display at the Louvre, yo-yo and everything.” 

“Dudette, that’s so wicked,” Nino said, fingers tapping against a bubble blower he always carried around. Marinette had been attending school with him for so long that she knew his idea face when she saw it, and she could practically see the cogs in his head kicking into motion. “Hey, so you remember that film festival I told you about…” 

“Turns out my father wasn’t angry at all,” Adrien joked, trading a smile with Nino before grinning at Marinette slyly. “That could be because our everyday Ladybug went and smoothed everything over with him. It’s why Marinette was the perfect choice for both of the films; whenever she sees an injustice, she has to correct it.” 

That got another good-natured laugh from the crowd, and then the questions moved on and Marinette relaxed as they began answering questions together.

_ _ _ 

“To a successful press tour!” called Penny, popping a bottle of non-alcoholic bubbles and pouring it for the teens. “Thank you, all of you, for being the politest, most well-behaved clients I’ve ever had.” 

“Hey! I’m not that bad,” Jagged shouted, making everyone laugh before they ‘cheers’ed and music started playing as they celebrated the end of the interviews. The next night, they would be back in front of the press for photo opportunities and the movie premiere, but tonight they got to cut loose. 

It was late when the party wound down, Alya and Nino cuddling on a sofa set watching an old horror movie while Penny and Jagged supervised to make sure they were following the parents’ directives to keep things appropriate. Alya, Penny and Marinette were rooming together, with the boys in the other room, but they didn’t have a set bedtime. It was impossible, really, with all the events leading up to the premiere, and that event was going to be a late one, too. 

“You know, you never told me how your parents got that book,” Marinette said to Adrien, her feet thrown over his lap while he read a manga book. He paused and looked thoughtfully at her, mind clearly drifting to what she was asking. 

“When I asked père, he was really vague,” he hummed, dog-earing his page and putting it aside. “And maman’s diary wasn’t much better. There are some weird expedition photos from a trip they took with Natalie when they were in their early twenties but that’s it I think Natalie said they were in Tibet then?” 

“You think that’s where they found it? Wouldn’t the book look more weathered than that?” she frowned, mind spinning tiredly. It wasn’t the first time she’d put some thought into it, but it was the first time Adrien had actually given her more of an answer. Not because he had been avoiding answering her, but because they always seemed to get distracted when they were going to discuss it. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think the book was actively trying to make her forget her thoughts. 

“Hey! Make sure you call your parents tomorrow before the premiere, alright?” Penny told them, standing up and stretching as she reached for Nino and pushed him towards Adrien before motioning for Marinette to follow her. “Time to call it a night, you can all see each other tomorrow.” 

“Night,” Adrien said, bounding up and grabbing his book before all but dragging Nino after him. Marinette shook her head, smiling at how well they all still got along, even three years later and after filming together. 

As she got ready to sleep, her mind wandered back to the reporter that had asked about Nino’s inspiration for the original movie. Alya had briefed them all about the different reporters they could expect to see there so she’d recognised Lois before she’d announced herself, but it was interesting that the other Daily Planet reporter had seemed maybe more interested in the answer to her question than she was. She’d thought he was a big, bumbling guy but his focus had really lasered in after he’d asked her that first, innocuous question.