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Mari sat on her deck chair with her arms tightly wrapped around her legs and fought the tears that threatened to fall. It was impossible for her to fall asleep that night, every time she closed her eyes, the nightmare replayed in her mind’s eye. The akuma had had her pinned up, tied to the top of the Eiffel tower. And Chat being Chat had swung in to save her, only to be knocked unconscious and fall several stories to the ground. She could still hear the sickening sound of bones crunching, and her own voice screaming in horror. She shuddered again, half from the memory and the other from the chill of the night.
It wouldn’t have been so bad, normally when she had a nightmare of that caliber, she just called the person to confirm that they were in fact fine, but she had no way of contacting Chat without being transformed, and she didn’t want to wake up Tikki for her irrational fear.
“What are you doing out here Purr-” He cut off the rest as Marinette gasped when Chat dropped onto her balcony, effectively catching her by surprise. Normally he couldn’t sneak up on her, but tonight was a special case. She kept her head turned away from him, but he wouldn’t have that. He sat down next to her, and gently turned her towards him. She could see the worry and care hidden behind his mask. “Why are you crying in the middle of the night, outside where you can freeze to death?” His voice was so gentle, filled with concern for her. Ever so gently he brushed away the traitorous tear that slid down her cheek. With a sob, she collapsed into his shoulder, and let the emotions out.
How long he held her was a mystery to her, Marinette only knew that his arms were strong, and warm. She felt protected, and loved in his arms as she cried and he gently ran his fingers through her hair to help calm her. Finally, the tears subsided, but she didn’t move from his embrace.
“Do you want to tell me what happened that made my Princess cry?” he murmured into her. She shook her head.
“It’s just something stupid. Don’t worry,” she managed to whisper out. With a sigh of fond exasperation, he lifted her head and looked into her eyes. She saw a tenderness there, an expression she had only seen aimed towards Ladybug. He stared into her eyes and it felt like he was trying to look into her soul.
“Marinette, anything that can make you cry like that, is not nothing. If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine, but I am here to listen if you need.” She nodded and burrowed herself back into his neck before taking a breath to steady herself.
“I had a nightmare. It was so real and terrifying. An akuma had managed to pin me down, and when you swooped in to rescue me, you got knocked out and fell. There was a sickening thump and so much blood, and I-”
“Shh-shhhh-shh, it was only a dream Princess. I’m here, and I'm safe. I’ll always be here to protect you.” He pulled her back tighter against him, and she melted into his arms again, before what he said made her upset. Sitting up quickly, she poked an accusatory finger into his chest.
“I don't need you to protect me, you stupid cat. I need you to be smart and safe! You’re always flinging yourself into danger, and you don’t think about those of us that care about you! Do you think it’s easy for me to see you flinging yourself headfirst into danger all the time?”
“You cannot ask me to stop protecting you. It’s my job and I take it very seriously.” He said this with an eyebrow raised in challenge. She poked him in the chest again, then glared at that spot, refusing to look up at him.
“It is not your job to protect me. You’re supposed to protect Paris.”
“Oh My Lady,” he murmured and brought her hand up to his lips and placed a gentle kiss to her knuckles as she gasped in shock. “It is my job to protect you, so you can protect the people of Paris.” Her eyes flew to his, and she finally recognized that look in his eye. Love. Chat Noir loved her, and he knew her secret.
“How long have you known?” She whispered.
“I’ve had my suspicions for a while. Marinette always manages to disappear shortly after trouble starts. You’ve never been akumatized. You have the same spirit. You stand up for what is right. You both have the most beautiful eyes that I have ever seen. But I didn’t know fur sure,” he paused and she leaned in, desperate to know what it was that had given her away. “Until you confirmed it just now.”
“Oh you mangy furball.” Marinette growled out and pushed him off her chair. He chuckled as he stood up and just shook his head in fondness while she glared up at him.
“In all honesty, I just started putting it together recently. When Lila was akumatized and she had a mirage of Adrien. Ladybug was so distraught and no matter what I said to assure her that Adrien was fine, she just wouldn’t believe me. You almost gave up your miraculous.” He sat down next to her again and held her hand. She stared down at their joined hands. “The only person I know that cares about him that much was Marinette Dupain-Cheng. After that, I started piecing it together.”
“Great,” she mumbled, “my enormous crush on Adrien Agreste clued my partner into who I really was. Only I could have that kind of luck.” The look in his eyes was pure mischief as he smirked at her.
“When did your crush develop anyway? I heard you had no problem telling him off the first time you met him. Something about gum on your seat?” She shook her head in confusion on how Chat Noir had known that, unless he was friends with someone in her class. Or was in her class.
“It was a misunderstanding really. The next day, it was raining, and in all the confusion of our first akuma, Stoneheart, I forgot that it was supposed to rain. He came out of the school after me, let me know that he hadn’t been the one to put the gum on my seat, and offered me his umbrella. Our hands touched and that was it.”
“That was over a year ago.”
“I know, I just, there was a moment, and I just knew.”
“Which moment? The thunderclap right before your hands touched, or when the umbrella closed on your head and you both laughed?”
“How did you-” her eyes shot up to his, and she finally saw it. The green hue of his eyes, the mop of blonde hair. The same lopsided smile. “Adrien? This whole time?” With a laugh, he dropped his transformation and she stared into the very familiar face of Adrien Agreste. She covered her face, completely mortified by the night's events.
“Hey, none of that. You don't have to be embarrassed Marinette.” He pulled her hands down and held them in his own. “I wanted the chance to get to know you, but you always got so incredibly flustered around me, which I always thought kinda cute,” she rolled her eyes, “so I started visiting you as Chat and you know what? We became friends. You are my best friend, inside and outside our masks. And I trust you with my life. Knowing who the other is will only make us stronger, I know it. We don't have to shoulder this burden alone anymore. You don't have to chase the nightmares away on your own. I love you, and I'll always be here for you.” Her eyes had filled with tears at his sincere confessions.
Slowly, giving him enough time to back away, she leaned up and placed a gentle kiss on the corner of his lips. It broke off as a violent shiver ran through her body. Eyes widening, he quickly wrapped the small blanket around her shoulders and pulled her closer. “Marinette, you're freezing!” Without warning, he scooped her up and carried her back into the warmth of her room.
Placing her amongst her blankets and pillows, he gently placed a kiss on her forehead and made to leave when her hand caught his to stop him. “Stay with me? Until I fall back to sleep?”
“Anything for you, my lady.” Finding a spot on the bed, she could see the dilemma he faced on where exactly to lay.
“Here,” she tugged him down so he laid on his back before she curled into him, using his chest as a pillow. “Now I can sleep and know you're alright with your heartbeat as my lullaby.”
“Sleep well my purrincess.” He murmured into her hair, idly playing with the ends. The sigh of contentment only encouraged him.
“Mmm, that's nice. And Kitty?” He paused and looked down at her. Her eyes were closed, but a small smile tugged at her lips. “I love you too.”
Chuckling softly, he kissed the crown of her head again and pulled her closer to him. If he had his way, he would never let her go.