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Ladybug’s heart is pounding as she watches Chat Noir’s—Adrien’s—frame shift under the moonlight. It’s been a week since she found out his identity and she’s finally ready to talk to him about it. She can do this. Hopefully.
With a steady breath, she swings over to him and sits down. He tenses the moment she lands.
“Hey,” she says.
He doesn’t look at her when he responds. “Hi.”
“So, you probably know why I asked you to meet me here tonight.”
“Not really,” Chat says, bowing his head. “I mean, I guess kind of, but not specifically.”
“I just want to talk about where to go from here.”
“You’re not going to take away my miraculous, are you?”
“I—what? No! Of course not! Why would you even—I would never, Chat.”
He shrugs. “We weren’t supposed to tell anyone,” he whispers, so quietly Ladybug nearly misses it over the sounds of the city below.
“You didn’t tell me. It was an accident.”
“That’s even worse,” he whines, dramatically covering his eyes with his arms. “I was reckless and stupid and wasn’t paying attention. What if someone else saw me? What if it wasn’t you?”
“Are you trying to convince me to take your miraculous?”
“No!” Chat clutches his right hand in his left.
“Okay then. Let’s put this silly argument away then.” Ladybug slides closer to him, using all her strength to lower his arms; the stupid cat is giving her too much resistance.
“Adrien,” she says softly. It’s enough to get him to stop fighting against her but he still won’t look at her. She gently holds his chin and turns his face to her. His green eyes burn into her and oh gosh he’s so attractive. How did she not realize before? “I’m not mad at you. And I’m so happy that you’re my Chat Noir.”
His face softens and his entire body practically melts as he leans against her shoulder. “Your Chat Noir?”
Ladybug hesitates before running a hand through his hair. She already made up her mind before arriving that she wanted this. Even after losing the argument with Tikki about revealing herself, she couldn’t ignore her heart any longer. They can make it work even if he doesn’t know who she is, she’s sure of it.
“If that’s ok with you. I’ve always been yours,” she says.
Chat stills before extracting himself from her. He stares at her long enough to set her blood on fire. “You—” he clears his throat. “I’m confused.”
Ladybug fidgets under his stare. For all she wanted him to look at her not moment ago, now she wishes he would stop. “I’m not allowed to tell you who I am,” she starts slowly, turning away from him. She knows she’ll get everything she wants out but she can’t look at him while doing it. “Tikki, my kwami, absolutely refuses it. But I—I like you Adrien. You were the reason I kept pushing Chat Noir away all those times you pursued me.”
She gulps and starts fidgeting with her hands. “If you—if you still feel the same way, I’d like to… to try to give us a shot?”
She chances a glance at him through the corner of her eyes. He’s staring at her, red-faced and wide-eyed. She can’t tell if he’s just shocked, angry, or happy. He doesn’t say anything and the silence between them hangs for what feels like ages.
“It’d be hard, I know, because you won’t know who I am so it’d have to be a secret. And obviously if you don’t feel that way anymore I understand. That’s- that’s to be expected, really, and—” her rambling gets cut off with his lips, soft and perfect and Ladybug’s heart flutters.
“Of course I still like you,” he says, his lips still close enough she can feel them move as he speaks.
“R-really?”
“You’ve been my world since you crashed into my life.”
Ladybug’s face falls.
“No,” she says.
“You really swept me off my feet.”
“Stop.”
“I really fell for you from day one.”
“That’s it,” Ladybug says, stepping away from him and reaching for her yo-yo. “This relationship is already over.”
“No wait,” Chat says, laughing as he grabs her arm. Ladybug can’t bring herself to keep frowning at him, not when his eyes crinkle at the corners and sparkle with mirth. “I’ll stop. Pawmise.”
“You’re actually the worst,” she says with a grin. “I can’t believe I ever thought I liked you.”
Chat’s blinding smile slides right off his face as he steps back, shrinking into himself once again. “Are you sure you want to date me even though I’m Chat Noir? I’ll understand if you only liked Adrien Agreste the model.”
Ladybug curses herself for not realizing her teasing could hurt his feelings. She knows how crazy in love she is but she hasn’t done nearly enough to assure Chat her feelings are here to stay. And she knows how insecure the boy in front of her can get; both Adrien and Chat Noir were prone to random bursts of self-deprecation.
The problem is, she doesn’t know how to let him know her feelings are genuine without revealing who she is. Adrien isn’t friends with many people, there’s no way she could say they’re friends as civilians without him figuring it out.
“I like you,” she settles on saying. “Adrien Agreste, Chat Noir, and everything in between. I had a week to think this over, you know. If I thought for one second I didn’t like you anymore we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Finding out my long-time crush is the same person as my crime-fighting bestie is literally the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“Wow,” he breathes. “I don’t think I’m ever going to stop blushing.”
Ladybug giggles, weaving her fingers through his. “I don’t think I’m ever going to stop smiling.”
“Oh, me neither. There’s a very good chance I’m going to wake up any second and find out this was another vivid dream.”
“Dream about me often,” she jokes.
“Nearly every night.”
Oh. Ladybug feels her face grow uncomfortably warm at that. She always got flustered whenever Chat Noir would so freely talk about his feelings for her. It’s nothing compared to knowing it’s Adrien under the mask. She might actually faint.
“S-sorry,” Chat says, rubbing the back of his neck. Seriously, how did she miss that they were the same person? Adrien looks exactly the same when he gets bashful. It’s something she found adorable about both of them. “Was that too much?”
“N-no! I just—sometimes you—I mean....” Ladybug takes a deep breath and uses the time to focus on her words. “I can sometimes get tongue-tied around you. And hearing that you like me as much as I like you is kind of surreal. I didn’t know how to respond.”
It’s the wrong thing to say. Gone is the cute shyness and uncertainty. Instead, a huge smirk begins to grow on Chat Noir’s face as he leans in close, wiggling his eyebrows. “I make you tongue-tied, My Lady?”
“Sh-shut up,” she says, pushing him away by the nose and pivoting away.
“Gladly,” he responds. He grabs her arm and spins her around to face him. Their noses touch as they look into each other’s eyes. She’s entirely spell-bound. “Can I kiss you,” he breathes.
“Please,” she whispers.
The kiss is slow and gentle at first, long enough to properly appreciate it this time. His lips are soft and supple against hers and she can feel his smile, even as he pulls her in to deepen the kiss.
All things considered, it’s a pretty effective way to shut her up.
--
Ladybug isn’t expecting a crying Adrien when she knocks on his window a few days later. She just left Alya’s after feeling too much like a third wheel around Alya and Nino. Since her parents aren’t expecting her back for another two hours, she decides to pay her boyfriend a visit.
But apparently she’s there at the wrong time.
“L-Ladybug,” he says, tripping over himself to help her into his room.
“Hi,” she says, awkward. She’s still kind of getting used to the idea of dating Adrien Agreste; being presented with a red-faced, puffy-eyed Adrien is a bit too much for her brain to handle.
“What are you doing here?” Adrien wipes at his eyes as though he only just realized his tears were visible.
“I have some time before my parents are expecting me but I can leave if this is a bad time…”
“No!” He grabs onto her arm, desperate and sad. Her heart breaks. “No, please stay. I could use the company.”
Ladybug nods before walking over to his couch to sit. She’s been in his a room a few times as both Ladybug and Marinette but this is the first time she’s there as his girlfriend. It should be more intimidating and exciting but his obvious pain puts a damper on any ideas she might have had coming here.
“Is everything okay,” she asks when he joins her, sitting close enough that their thighs are nearly touching.
“It’s stupid,” he mumbles.
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to but if it makes you upset, it’s not stupid.”
He wiggles around in his seat as he pulls his phone out of his jeans pocket, brushing his leg against hers in the process. Adrien punches in his passcode before passing his phone to her.
Her face stares back at her. It’s a picture she took with Nino and Alya about 20 minutes ago, when they were trying to convince her to stay. Their faces are pressed together, large smiles on their faces.
Swallowing down a lump in her throat, she asks, “these are your friends, right?”
“Yeah and they’re hanging out without me. Again.”
Marinette licks her lips, trying to think of what she should say. They thought sending the picture to Adrien would be nice. Something to let him know they were thinking about him.
“I mean,” he says in the absence of a response, “it’s not like I’d be allowed to go anyway. But they didn’t even ask if I wanted to hang out. And then Nino sends this picture like he’s rubbing it in my face.”
“I’m sure they didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.” Ladybug is at a loss on what she should say. She knows that the meeting was impromptu—she had plans with Alya but Nino showed up to surprise her. There’s no way to tell that to Adrien without revealing who she is. And Tikki is still insisting she’s not allowed to do that.
“I know they didn’t.” Adrien draws his legs up and wraps his arms around his knees. “Doesn’t make it hurt any less.”
Ladybug hesitates for a second before wrapping her arm around him. They’ve kissed, it shouldn’t be this hard giving him a side hug.
“I’m sorry you’re feeling left out,” she says, hoping her voice and body language lets him know how sorry she truly is.
“I’m really glad you’re here,” he says. Adrien shifts his position and Ladybug is about to take that as a sign that he wants her off him before she feels his arm slip around her waist. “It’s like you knew I needed you.”
“I promise I didn’t but I’m glad I’m here too.” They sit in companionable silence before Ladybug musters up enough courage to ask the question that’s been nagging her. “Does this happen often?”
He laughs but there’s no humor behind it. “All the time,” he says. “Sometimes I do get invited but I’m rarely allowed to go. Being the kid who’s never allowed to do anything really sucks.”
Ladybug watches as Adrien rests his head on his knees while he pouts. She resolves then and there that she’s going to help him feel less left out. She doesn’t know how yet, but she’ll figure it out.
--
Her answer comes in the form of a moping Nino. “I don’t know how I’m going to graduate if I keep getting grades like this.”
“It’s not that bad, Babe,” Alya says from her seat next to him at the lunch table. It’s just the three of them today which Marinette never minded before but now she aches on Adrien’s behalf, knowing that he’s stuck going home by himself.
“Dude, I was three points away from failing.”
“Maybe you just need a tutor,” Marinette says. She knows all too well the struggle of keeping her grades up. Her past few years as Ladybug has been a killer on her grades but she’s finally found a system that works for her.
“I don’t have money for a tutor,” Nino says.
“You can try to ask a friend. I’m sure tutoring looks good on a résumé. Wait. That’s it!”
“What’s it,” Alya asks.
“Nino, you’re a genius,” Marinette says as she gathers her stuff.
“Pretty sure we were talking about how not-genius I am,” he says.
“No, no. This is perfect. Thank you!” Marinette runs off to talk to her teachers. She figures she can find a few people in each class that might need help.
Several conversations later and Marinette has everything set up. M Mendeliev agrees to talk to Adrien’s dad (or more likely, Nathalie) and five classmates have agreed to be tutored. Everyone involved have sworn themselves to secrecy so Adrien won’t find out who set the whole thing up.
She may not be able to tell him who she is, but she’ll be damned if she doesn’t use all her resources to ensure her boyfriend is happy. It’s the least she could do.
--
“What’s the best way to thank someone,” Adrien asks Ladybug as they cuddle in his bed.
“You say thank you?”
“I’m serious,” Adrien groans, rolling over so his back is to her. She takes that opportunity to spoon him, knowing him well enough by this point to know he enjoys being the little spoon.
“Who are you thanking and why?”
“You know how a few weeks ago I started tutoring a bunch of my friends?”
“Yeah,” she says, suddenly uneasy.
“I just found out today that my friend Marinette is the one that set the whole thing up.”
“Oh. You-you just found out today?”
“Yeah. Apparently she made everyone promise not to tell but Nino accidentally let it slip.”
Damn Nino.
“If she didn’t want you to know, she probably doesn’t expect any kind of thanks.”
“That just makes it worse!”
“What do you mean?”
“You kind of know her, right? She’s, like, the nicest person I know, present company excluded. She’s always doing stuff like this and I can never seem to catch up.”
Ladybug squeezes Adrien. “Catch up?”
“She’s not going to want to stay my friend if I can never return all her favors.”
“Adrien.” She tugs on him but he doesn’t budge so she rolls on top of him, forcing him to look at her. “Friends don’t keep track of how much they do for each other. It sounds like she just wants you to be happy.”
“Sounds fake but okay.”
“Adrien.”
“I still want to thank her, even if she doesn’t care.”
She eventually convinces him to make her a really nice, homemade card, which he hands her a week later, shy and unsure. She makes sure to fawn over it, gushing to Alya about it in front of him. He, in turn, gushes to Ladybug about Marinette’s reaction for the next week.
--
As annoying as it is that Nino spilled the beans, Marinette can’t help but feel grateful for his mistake. She didn’t have much reason to pursue Adrien’s friendship as Marinette before but his gratitude seems to have brought them closer. If there’s ever a group project, she’s the first one he seeks out. Whenever he’s allowed to have lunch with friends, he makes sure Marinette is joining them. They spend hours texting after school and during weekends.
It’s everything she could ever ask for but being so close to him and not being able to hold his hand or kiss him whenever she wants is near torture.
Somehow, Alya and Nino’s teasing is even worse.
Marinette watches in embarrassment as Alya and Nino make yet another excuse to leave her and Adrien together. She doesn’t mind it, obviously, but they aren’t exactly subtle. She turns to him with a bright smile that slides off her face the moment she sees his frown.
“What’s wrong?”
“Have you noticed that Alya and Nino leave us alone a lot?” Adrien begins walking to his house.
Her face immediately heats up as she hurries to catch up to him.
“Ah, I guess? They just like their private time.”
“They never do that when it’s just you. Or when there’s a bunch of us. It’s only when it’s you and me.” He pauses, looking away. “I think they don’t like hanging out with me anymore.”
“No, that’s not true.”
He gives her a look that clearly tells her he doesn’t believe her for one second. “That’s what it feels like.”
The wind sends a chill through her, making her pull on her sleeves. She should have worn a thicker jacket but she didn’t realize how cold it was going to be. She takes the pause to gather her thoughts, coming up with a plan that will hopefully assuage his fears as well as protect her heart. If he knew the truth, he would let her down and even though she’s already dating him, her poor fragile heart wouldn’t be able to handle the rejection.
“I have a boyfriend,” she blurts.
“O...k.”
Marinette wraps her arms around herself. “Alya noticed I’ve been… hung up on someone. It’s a total secret, though. No one else knows about him so I might have let her believe I have a crush on you?”
“I… what?”
“I love Alya but no one is supposed to know and she’s not always the best at keeping a secret. Or being subtle, obviously. I mean, she clearly told Nino about my crush on you even though I swore her to secrecy. So, yeah. Sorry.”
“Wait. Are you telling me Alya and Nino keep ditching us because they’re trying to set us up?”
“Yes.”
Adrien stops walking, grabbing her shoulders to stop her in her tracks. He stares at her, his green eyes hypnotizing her. She wants so badly to tell him the truth and pull him into her, use his warmth and love to settle her pounding heart. Instead, she smiles as he lets out a huge laugh.
“Why would she even assume it’s me you like?”
Marinette shrugs, unable to lie now that she’s looking him in the eye. “You know Alya. She’s always trying to draw conclusions. Once I confirmed her theory it was kind of hard to stop her from meddling.”
He chuckles before letting go of her. Only to swing his arm around her shoulders and pull her closer. They set off once again at much slower and awkward pace.
“So you really haven’t told anyone else about this mysterious boyfriend?”
“Nope,” she says, leaning into him on the pretense of being cold. “You’re the only one who knows.”
“I’m honored.”
“I trust you,” she says earnestly.
He squeezes her in response. “I—I have something to tell you too,” he says. She waits patiently while he musters up his courage, not quite believing he’s going to say what she thinks he’s going to say. “I’m actually in a similar situation to you. I have a secret girlfriend that no one knows about.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Since we’re both pretty famous we decided it’d be best to keep quiet. You’re the first person I’ve told.”
“It feels nice to finally have someone to confide in, doesn’t it?”
“Amazing,” he agrees. “I wish I could shout it from the rooftops that I somehow managed to land the best girlfriend in the whole entire world.”
Marinette hides her face in his shoulder at the praise before realizing that’s a bit too familiar for them.
“If you’re not comfortable with me using you as a red herring, I can tell Alya that I got over you or something. I don’t want to make things awkward with you and your girlfriend.”
“No, I think it’s brilliant. We can be each other’s covers if we need it.”
“Okay,” she says, quiet. “Thanks for trusting me with your secret.”
He looks down at her, his nose a little red, his eyes sparkling as he beams. “Of course. I’d trust you with my life.”
--
“So,” Chat Noir says at patrol that night. It’s getting harder and harder to go on casual patrols with him. If acting cool around Adrien as Marinette were hard, it’s nothing compared to being Ladybug and Chat Noir. Knowing that the boy beside her would also like to hold her hand or cuddle or make out makes it that much harder to resist. “I might have told one of my friends about us today?”
“Oh?” Ladybug hopes she sounds sternly surprised but she thinks she mostly sounds nervous. That could still work for her though.
“It’s Marinette. I know she won’t tell anyone.”
“You told her you’re dating Ladybug?”
“No! I just told her I have a girlfriend. She doesn’t know it’s you, I promise.”
“Okay,” she says. “I actually told a friend that I had a boyfriend, too.”
“You did?”
She nods. “I didn’t say who but yeah. Someone in my civilian life knows I have a boyfriend. He won’t tell anyone though, I trust him.”
“He?”
Ladybug rolls her eyes. “The person you told is a girl. You don’t see me being jealous.”
“I’m not jealous,” Chat pouts. At Ladybug’s pointed look he sags. “Okay, I’m a little jealous. It’s not my fault; my gorgeous, amazing, badass girlfriend gets to spend all day long with other people and I don’t know who they are or what they’re like. It’s hard.”
“I’m sorry Chaton.” Ladybug steps forward, wrapping her arms around him. It’s more intimate than she usually allows but if anyone catches them, they can still pull it off as a friendly hug. “I have insecurities about us too sometimes. Imagine how hard it must be being a perfectly ordinary girl secretly dating a world-famous, super sexy model.”
“But I love you so much,” Chat says. “And you’re far from ordinary, My Lady.”
“I love you too. There’s no reason to be jealous of anyone. We were made for each other. There’s no one else for me but you.”
“Good. ‘Cuz I’ll kill anyone who thinks they can steal you away from me.”
Ladybug snorts. “That’s a healthy reaction.”
“Only the best for you.”
“Hey, wanna go back to your room and makeout?”
“Um, yes?”
--
They’re sitting in a closed nook in the library, secluded from other students so they can practice speaking in Mandarin. Marinette watches Adrien as he stares dreamily at his textbook, a soft smile on his face. She felt particularly daring today and opted to sit next to him instead of across like usual.
“Are you alright,” she asks.
He jumps and a light pink blush creeps over his cheeks. “S-sorry. I kind of zoned out, what were you saying?”
Marinette smirks. “Thinking about your girlfriend?”
“Uh, yeah,” Adrien chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck. He’s so cute. “Sorry. I read something that reminded me of something she said the other day.”
“You’re so red.” Marinette nudges him teasingly.
“Shut up,” he says as his face grows steadily redder.
“It’s cute. She seems to make you really happy.”
Adrien beams at her. “She does. I don’t know how to explain it, Marinette. She’s so amazing. I liked her for so long, I was honestly beginning to give up hope but now she likes me too and it’s… She’s filled my life with light and laughter and love and I’m so. Happy.”
Marinette hides her face in her book, knowing that it has to be bright red. “I’m glad. You deserve it.”
“I never really knew what it felt like to be so loved. I don’t know what to do with it all sometimes.”
“Adrien,” Marinette says, reaching out to hold his hands in what she hopes is assuring and platonic. “I know it’s not the same as the love your girlfriend has for you but you’ve always been loved. The moment you joined our class we all loved you.”
He squeezes her hand. “Thanks Marinette. I love you too.”
Marinette plants her face into the book, incapable to functioning at a normal human level.
“How’re you and your boyfriend doing?”
“We’re good,” she says, her voice slightly muffled by the book. “He’s always trying to kill me with how cute he is.”
“So you’re happy with him too?”
“The absolute happiest. It feels like we were meant to be together.”
“I know what you mean,” he says. She chances a peek at him to catch him smiling down at her, his pearly whites sparkling, and she doesn’t care if her cheeks are burning.
--
“Tikki,” Marinette says, plopping down on her bed next to her kwami. Tikki’s munching on a cookie before they head out to patrol. “It’s time for another talk.”
Tikki makes an ordeal over swallowing her cookie, drawing it out to excruciating lengths. Marinette scowls, knowing what Tikki’s attitude means.
“What would you like to talk about,” Tikki asks once she finishes her treat.
“You know what I want to talk about. It’s the same thing I want to talk about every time.”
“The rules still haven’t changed, Marinette. I’m sorry.”
“But I love him,” Marinette says, her heart sinking despite herself.
“I know you do. I’m sorry.”
“No you’re not.”
“Marinette.”
“Your rules make no sense. The whole world knows about Queen Bee, I already know the identities of Rena Rouge, Carapace and Chat Noir. Would it really be horrible if one single person knows about me?”
“That’s different.”
“How is it any different? I want to marry this boy one day, Tikki. How am I supposed to do that if I’m never allowed to reveal who I am?”
“This is why I said dating him as Ladybug might not be the best idea.”
Marinette whines and cuddles against her oversized cat plushie for support. “You’ve always encouraged me to go after Adrien. Why would you do that if you knew it would never work out.”
“Don’t give up hope just yet, Marinette. Things always have a way of working themselves out, especially for Ladybugs.”
“I can’t think of a possible way for anything to work out if I have to hide my identity from him for the rest of our lives.”
Tikki flies over to Marinette to give her an encouraging hug but Marinette is too annoyed to feel the love right now. “It’ll all work out in the end.”
“You still haven’t told me why it’s ok that I know about all the other miraculous holders but not a single one is supposed to know about me.”
“We can talk about it another time. It’s almost time for patrol.”
“Why are you being so weird about this?”
“I’m not!”
“Tikki.” Marinette stares down the Kwami. Tikki’s tiny frame sags and she looks away.
“I didn’t want to tell you this because it might stress you out for no reason but Master Fu has been slowly training you to be the next guardian. That’s why it’s not a problem if you know everyone’s identities; the guardian is supposed to know them anyway.”
“You didn’t think that was important information I should know about?”
“I was trying to protect you.”
“Your way of protecting me involves a lot of secrets,” Marinette snaps. “You know what? I don’t have time for this. Spots on.”
Ladybug knows she’s being snippy with Chat during patrol but she can’t bring herself to stop. There’s no one around to stop her from detransforming in front of Chat and finally revealing herself, not when Tikki is safely inside her earring. But no matter how badly her heart is begging her to do it, she can’t. Ladybug may be mad at Tikki but she still can’t disobey the kwami.
Her unwavering loyalty to the tiny god leaves a bitter taste in her mouth.
“Did I do something wrong,” Chat finally asks after Ladybug ignores him for the third time that evening.
“No.”
“Lady, please. What’d I do?”
“You didn’t do anything,” Ladybug says, caressing Chat’s face to reassure him. She lets her thumb linger on his cheekbone before removing her hands to hold his.
“Then why—”
“I got into another fight with Tikki. I’m sorry I took it out on you.”
“Oh,” Chat says quietly, stroking her hands with his thumbs. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“There’s not much to talk about. It’s the same fight we always have. I want to tell you who I am. She doesn’t think I should. Lather, rinse, repeat.”
“I don’t want to be the reason you and Tikki keep fighting, Love.”
“You’re not.”
“No?”
“I mean, only a little bit. We’re fighting because I want a future with you and I can’t picture that working unless you know me.”
Chat’s face softens, a light blush peeking through under his mask. “I want a future with you too. If there’s anyone who can overcome this, it’s Ladybug and Chat Noir.”
Ladybug smiles up at him. “I really love you, you know that?”
“I had a feeling,” he says with a wink.
--
Adrien’s air-conditioned room is a safe haven from the heat. Marinette doesn’t know how she survived before befriending Adrien. Even sitting in silence doing their homework is more enjoyable when she’s not at risk of heat stroke.
“Hey Marinette,” Adrien says, pulling Marinette from her thoughts. She looks up at him with her pen still in her mouth. He smiles fondly at her before continuing, “what’s your boyfriend’s name.”
The pen clatters against her textbook when it drops out of her mouth. “I— what?”
“Just his first name, even.”
“I thought we agreed it’s a secret.”
“I know. I’m just. Curious.”
“Why?”
Adrien shrugs, closing his book and sliding closer to her on the couch. “I’ll tell you my girlfriend’s name if you tell me your boyfriend’s.”
That makes Marinette pause, trying to figure out what he’s getting at. Is he planning on lying to her or is this him trying to tell her that he’s dating Ladybug? She doesn’t really like either option but the idea that he trusts Marinette to tell her he’s dating Ladybug is extremely flattering. Stupid, but flattering.
“Well,” she says slowly, “I guess there are plenty of people in Paris. If we just stick to first names, it won’t give too much away.”
He nods eagerly, endearing him to her even more.
“His name is Adrien.”
Adrien blinks at her. “Oh.”
Heart pounding, she says, “You don’t have to tell me your girlfriend’s name if you don’t want to.”
“What a coincidence,” he says.
Marinette panics. “I know right? Ha ha that’s why I figured I could—”
“Because my girlfriend’s name is Marinette.”
“What?”
Adrien is staring at her, his eyes piercing through her very soul.
“Tell me I’m wrong,” he whispers.
“A-Adrien.”
“My girlfriend’s name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” he says, grabbing her hands. “Tell me I’m wrong.”
“I… How’d you figure it out?”
“Marinette,” he says, so fond it hurts. “Did you really think I wouldn’t figure out the love of my life and best friend were the same person?”
At a complete loss for words, Marinette does the only thing she can think of and kisses him.
Tikki might give her a talking-to later but she can’t bring herself to care. Not when Adrien is finally kissing her as Marinette. Not when she can feel his hands caressing her bare skin for the first time. Not when he’s looking at her like she’s the answer to all his prayers. Besides, it wasn’t technically her fault that Adrien knows her identity. That can be a problem for another day.