Routine

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Adrien slid into the back entrance of the studio that afternoon, his Chat Noir mask slid over his eyes. He saw the room was not empty and that his mysterious lady was there again. Her dark hair in a neat bun above her head, a red tulle skirt around her waist and a new scarlet mask adorning her face. He froze for a moment, staring; he was hypnotised by the ruby mask with the black gems as they sparkled in the light. He gave her a smile as he made his way to his change area.

"Chat Noir? Did... are you wearing cat ears?" Ladybug asked, clearly not what she was originally going to say.

"I thought they were fitting," he said a little self-consciously as he lifted his hand to the clip-ins he had put in his hair.

"They are, I mean, I just... Interesting choice," she finished.

"I-um-I like your new mask."

"Didn't you get yours?" Ladybug asked him after shaking her head.

"New mask?"

"Oh, yes," the girl said, making her way to Madame Bustier's office corner and returned with a wrapped parcel. "One of her design students, Marinette, brought them in this morning."

Adrien was looking so intently at the package in his hands, he missed the way the lady's cheeks reddened.

"Thank you, I'll put it on."

Adrien put his bag down in his change area and delicately unwrapped the mask. It was definitely feline, he smiled. How had Marinette known?

The mask was black velvet, the top edges coming up to look like pointed ears. It was very simple, just the black with little green see-though cups over the eye holes which gave him the illusion of cat eyes but let him see perfectly. The smile on his face was something that would put the Cheshire Cat to shame as he exited the change room, new mask proudly tied around his face.

"Oh, Madame Bustier will need..." Ladybug trailed off as she saw him. She blinked a few times as she took it all in, before smiling. "Well, looks like she did very well indeed. Is it as feline as you're feline?" Ladybug asked him and now it was his turn to blink.

Had she just repeated his pun?

"Well, Kitty? Do you like it or not?"

He shook his head but then spoke quickly. "Y-yes, I think it's wonderful."

"I'm rather fond of mine myself," the girl responded before met his eyes. "Right, Madame Bustier needs to take your measurements for the costume. She already did mine," Ladybug told him, running her hands up her sleeves.

Adrien tilted his head a little as he took her in. She was clearly cold despite the winter only just beginning. He wondered why she wasn't wearing socks, but then saw the bandage around one of her ankles.

"M'lday, are you alright?"

"Huh? I'm fine, Chat, why?" she noticed where his eyes were. "Oh, I slipped on a patch of ice, it's nothing." She brushed him off as Madame Bustier came into the room with a huge smile on her face.

"So, I've managed to finally select one song to arrange a routine to, so I hope you're ready to work," she nodded. Adrien wondered why Madame Bustier didn't notice Ladybug's ankle, or maybe she had already spoken to her about it earlier. "Oh and we will have a guest about halfway through, so we need to get to work," the woman smiled as she changed disks in the player, took the remote and joined them on the floor.

"Okay, positions."

Chat Noir held his arms out for Ladybug to step into and he saw he tense a little as he held her.

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