Chapter Text
[Adrien Agreste is Chat Noir.]
"So that's why..." Marinette took a step back, walking away from the door of her classroom. She should've seen this coming. The bluenette should have, but she refused. For her to accept this outcome would mean:
Lila is working with Hawkmoth. Hawkmoth is Gabriel Agreste. Nathalie Sancoeur is Mayura. Gabriel almost let his son get killed. Gabriel is a threat to Paris. Lila has been working with a terrorist ever since the Scarlet Moth incident.
'I should've gone to his birthday party!' Marinette ran down the stairs, sprinting out of the school. Out of guilt for her parents and the responsibilities as the new Guardian of the Miraculous, Marinette didn't realize she skipped Adrien's birthday party yesterday. Of course, she spent the day helping her parents... The remaining day is spent helping Chat Noir rent an apartment-
'Wait a minute!' Marinette skidded from her track, suddenly finding a discrepancy. 'If Adrien is Chat Noir, why didn't he notify me while we were decorating the apartment? Was he afraid I'd take his miraculous away? Is that why he made many promises to work hard as a superhero?'
"Gah! That dumb tomcat!" Marinette muttered under her breath, rushing to the alleyways. Although few civilians were walking about, Marinette had to avoid the CCTV cameras set up to alarm the Parisians of an akumatized victim supposedly. 'Why can't he just tell me?! This is super serious, and he keeps it a secret!'
"Calm down, Marinette. Let's think this over. Don't forget the talk you two had last night!" Tikki reminded the female as she found a convenient four-way street absent of people. The kwami spun around the troubled teen, pointing out. "Don't nag him."
"I'm not going to nag him. I'm going to talk to him and revisit the plan! I thought he was just an ordinary civilian, for crying out loud. How am I going to create a false identity and disguise for one of the most popular models in Paris? That's beyond my abilities..." Marinette rubbed her temple, thinking hard. "It's also a matter of time before he tries to contact someone approving his situation. I'm guessing Kagami or Felix, but I can't be sure. I gotta check on him ASAP."
"Why does your inclination to do crime not surprise me anymore?" Tikki sighed, but Marinette saw nothing wrong with her answer. A superhero needs to hide their identity to protect their loved ones. Chat Noir is a special case. His loved ones are the bad guys, and he needs to find a way to change his loved ones' mindset before social media uncovers the full story. "Well~ I'm sure those two are still eating in the apartment."
"I don't know why you know this, but thanks for the tip," Marinette prepared for her transformation, reciting the hypothetical speech in case Adrien Agreste acted like a complete Chat on her. "Tikki, spots on!"
"Welcome back..."
Ladybug didn't expect to hear those words when she opened the roof door of the apartment. She landed on the ground, glaring at the man of the moment. Chat Noir wasn't in his suit anymore. Right in front of her is Adrien Agreste currently holding a bucket of popcorn, still watching the movies she got to comfort him. Plagg is on the table, having a hangover from eating too much cheese Adrien bought with his father's credit card.
"I..." Ladybug hesitated in telling the truth, seeing her crush having teary eyes from the movie. However, she had to tear off the band-aid. The Media will eventually pop up in search of the missing model, probably going to cast Chat Noir in a positive light or Adrien Agreste in a negative light. All in all, they have to talk about the situation.
"As I said again, I'm not taking your miraculous because we're co-parenting the Miracle box. However, you might have to change miraculouses if things get dicey..." Ladybug walked into the living room, and Adrien didn't move an inch. He was staring at her, taking her words in. If she is right, then, the Agreste family trained him to be calm and obedient... "I discovered your secret today. The situation is controversial, to say the least... Can I panic?"
"Who am I to stop you?" Adrien chuckled, slightly sniffing and adjusting his position to face her instead of the screen.
"Because you're...!" Ladybug waved her hands, but she wasn't sure what to say first. As if she fell into the same trap of being a klutz or a shy admirer, Ladybug couldn't use any of her speeches or plans before the blonde. Adrien wasn't helping either, sporting that cheeky grin!
"Stop smiling! This is no funny matter! I mean, fine! It is kinda funny how France discovered your identity before your partner-in-crime but-!" Ladybug stomped her foot when Adrien laughed at her strange way of explaining the scenario. "Come on, Chat! Cut me some slack! If your father is Hawkmoth, then it's no wonder Lila has enough spare time to dig up evidence on you! Not like I'm saying I would dig up blackmail because I could, but I would never attempt to discover your identity that way. That's social suicide. Your fans will never unsee the Chat in you."
"Isn't that good then?" Adrien is made a light cough, almost choking at the strange topic. Out of all the topics Ladybug pulled out, she chose the identity reveal promise after they beat Hawkmoth. Now that everyone knows his identity, it's no longer a promise. Ladybug proceeds to connect this to his reputation in and out of the suit, deeply concerned for his future once they beat Hawkmoth. "I can start from scratch. I always wanted to travel around the world."
"Yes but no! There's a reason why superheroes don't state their true identity! What's more, is that we are going to try and put a stop to one of the best fashion designers in France! Do you know how tough security can be around that guy? The best I can come up with is pull out your chaotic self to disorient the system, so I can sneak in and beat the dough out of your guards..." Ladybug can't seem to articulate her thoughts. Adrien continued to observe her as she rambles, finding her actions to be familiar to someone he knows. "... We'll need a great excuse or scandal to cover things up before the media digs into the issue. Sorry, but Gabriel can't be trusted with how he akumatize a baby- Are you listening to me?"
"Hm..." Adrien nodded, somewhat sleepy despite the day barely over. Ladybug placed both hands on her hips, which doesn't make her that frightening. The male took the entire couch with his body, still cradling the popcorn as he spoke. "Oh. Shouldn't you be in school?"
"About that, I'm sure Alya made an excuse that I'm having a mental breakdown for realizing my past crush is now my current crush," Ladybug shrugged, dropping her arms to search for her laptop. "Since you haven't talked with anyone, let's revisit our plan to survive without your Moth dad. It's a good thing you didn't talk with anyone yet because Felix can't be trusted and Kagami is being monitored."
"Marinette?" Adrien called out, mind processing faster than his partner when the latter watched last night's video presented in the classroom.
"What?" Ladybug returned with a laptop and a tablet, seeing the empty bowl on the ground. She glanced at the model who stood up with wide eyes, having some unknown emotions. She blinked, suddenly realizing her mistake. "Ah."
"Well... It was inevitable. Tikki. Spots off," Ladybug gave up, glad she got to vent before revealing her identity. Walking towards the coffee table, Marinette set down their devices and sat on the beanie bag before opening the laptop. She only looked at Adrien once she could no longer ignore the prickling sensation at the back of her neck. "Come on. Take a seat."
"All this time...?" Adrien was at a loss.
"You're glad I didn't discover your identity first. Your ears are going to bleed with how much you made me worry with your suicidal acts!" Marinette lightly scolded with humor, opening her document featuring the procedure to procure a false identity. "It's a good thing. If you know me as clumsy Marinette, you won't trust my plans."
"..." Adrien sat down, choosing to play along and open the tablet. Their shared file now had a new side mission: Clip the Moth's Wings. "I would still trust you."
"..." Marinette doesn't know what to say. This was Chat. He was too trusting...
...
"What happened last night... I can't blame you," Marinette broke the silence, skimming the incoming fashion week rumored to be canceled due to the absence of the main show. However, knowing Audrey Bourgeois and the investors, he'll be forced to continue the upcoming Paris Fashion Week. Marinette imagined herself in his shoes, standing in a wave of cameras and loved ones. "If I were in your shoes, I'd do the same..."
"Run away and discard your civilian identity?" Adrien asked for clarification.
"Way worse..." Marinette glanced away from the screen to see green eyes still trained in her area. It was Marinette's turn to smile. "I'll have to cut ties with everyone since I'm the Guardian of the Miraculous Box. Giving up means forgetting a ton of important information. Imagine Hawkbutt enslaving all the kwamis and ruining the world because of his greed. It's non-negotiable!"
"What if there wasn't any amnesia when giving your kwami up?" Adrien asked.
"Guilt and sentimentality fuels my bones, Adrien. I'm not giving Tikki to anyone any time soon," Marinette looked at the layout shared by Adrien from his side. He seemed like a capable architect. "You?"
"..." Adrien thought about his words before speaking.
"Like I said... I like my life as Chat Noir better than my routine as Adrien Agreste," Adrien confessed. "I don't have to obey any strict diets or go through long interviews. I can travel wherever I want and speak with whoever I want without a paparazzi breathing down my neck."
"Didn't the superhero work make you lean?" Marinette examined the layout, scrunching her nose to see there was an underground basement.
"Models advertise clothes, not their bodies. I have to be skinny. I thought you know that?" Adrien scooted closer to glance at Marinette's screen.
"I do, but I haven't gained any weight since I became Ladybug. If you don't eat more than your usual, you won't have enough energy to perform superhero work," Marinette advised, curious why Adrien was leaning against her shoulder. Her heart feels light. She wonders if what she feels right now is contentment or sorrow. Adrien must be pushing down his internal turmoil. "Don't worry, Chat. Everything will be okay."
"I don't doubt that when I'm with you..." Adrien is TOO trusting. Marinette expected this much. A sheltered guy without a ton of common sense. She is the brains of the operation. She can hear Tikki scolding Plagg, by the way. Since everyone knows Adrien's identity, she has to be extra careful about her identity. "You have a plan for everything."
'Plagg must be glad Adrien chose the kwami over his father?' Marinette drummed her fingers, curious. "Why didn't I connect the dots that my partner has the same birthday as my classmate?"
"Because you're stubborn and narrow-minded," Adrien pointed out, resting his back on her. He's acting like Chat, but Marinette can't push him off when he's Adrien Agreste. "Not like I'm any different. You made me question my admiration for you when you revealed all your hidden birthday gifts for my civilian identity..."
"That's a good thing. We can now-" Marinette dodged a bullet, but Adrien continued her sentence.
"Focus on our synergy since we share a similar mindset on our future together," Adrien concluded, glancing up at the ceiling. "I have some stuff to confess, but I think I'll say it once we take back the Butterfly Miraculous. I don't want you panicking."
"... Fine by me?" Marinette checked her newsfeed, reading the multiple analysis of reporters. 'Should we take advantage of the chaos or do we wait for the enemy's move?'