Work Text:
Chat Noir had just finished helping Ladybug stop an akuma, some crazed doctor whose tiny hammer thing had hidden the akuma. Well, it hadn't been so tiny in his akumatized form. And he seemed to have a thing for swinging the almost comically large hammer at knees.
Chat winced at every landing, knowing his kneecaps had taken a beating, but that the magic in his suit would heal them up, once he actually returned home and rested instead of placing stress on them with each leap between buildings. Chat landed, closing his eyes against the stinging, blinding pain from his legs, leaning into his extended baton, trying to catch his breath.
“Chat Noir?” He turned to the familiar voice, Marinette's, unexpected at this time of night. He also hadn't realized he had landed on the girl's balcony, but there she stood, in the polka dotted cami and medium length sweatpants. Standing just in front of the trapdoor leading to her bedroom, staring at him with wide blue eyes, her hair down unlike what he was used to seeing. “Are you okay?” Chat realized he had just been staring at this girl, probably long enough to make her uncomfortable.
“I'm fine. I didn't mean to wake you. I'm just, on my way home after an akuma attack.”
“You're injured.”
“It is nothing but bruised knees, from one of those doctor hammer things...whatever they are called.” Chat rolled his eyes, made to bend his knees for another jump, and groaned aloud at the flare of pain such a simple action caused.
“Please stay the night. Please.” Marinette walked over, her fingertips just brushing the skin of Chat's forehead as she pushed his bangs up. Chat blinked at her. “You're covered in sweat, and your legs are trembling, you won't make it home tonight. So, please, stay.”
“So sweet of you to offer, but I really must high-tail it outta here.” Chat tightened his grip on his baton, planning on jumping to the next rooftop, but her hands gripped his shoulders, and he found himself biting his lips not to scream out in pain.
“Your landing was loud enough to wake me, surely that must hurt the most. Stay the night, recover, and you can leave first thing tomorrow.” Chat found himself placing his forehead against hers, breathing in the scent of vanilla and sugar.
“Okay.” Chat closed his eyes, disliking his admittance of defeat, but he couldn't see himself making it home in time to rest, and here was as good a spot as any to rest, especially since the girl was a friend, to both his identities. Chat felt the girl move, tucking her body under one of his arms, and with Marinette's support and the support of his extended baton, he was able to limp over to the trapdoor. They both paused for a moment, staring.
“You can probably just take my bed, since you know, you're the injured one.” A bit of hesitation in her voice, a bit of a squeak that made Chat smile to himself.
“Tis okay. I could never take a lady's bed from her. I paw-mise not to scratch your couch to shreds.” Chat eased himself through the trap door, wincing and squeezing his eyes shut as he jumped from Marinette's bed to the floor. He heard Marinette scramble after him, leading him to the couch. Chat kept his eyes closed, the pain infuriating enough he was afraid of seeing stars if he dared open them again. Chat felt a pillow being tucked under his head, and the warmth of a blanket resting on him.
“Well you better not kitty,” there was humor in her voice, and now that Chat had his eyes closed, and the word kitty, caused all kinds of bells in his mind to ring. Though he was still hurt, and he knew that pain could cause weird thoughts. “Anyway,” her voice was farther off now, higher, probably in her loft bed now that Chat was laying listlessly on her couch. “Night kitty.”
“Night Marinette.” Chat turned his head slightly, prying his eyes open for a moment to see Marinette on her bed, her back to him. He smiled, wondering where this confident Marinette hid when she talked to him at school. Why the stuttering and the mixed up sentences, which he assumed were just a part of who she was, but whenever Chat talked to her, he saw none of that.
What about Chat inspires confidence, when Adrien inspires...fear? Nervousness?
Chat's eyes closed with this thought. He was thankful he hadn't had to use cataclysm, so he didn't have to worry about the girl waking up before him to see his real face.
If she knew who I was, would she be confident Marinette, or mixed up sentences Marinette?
He dreamed of different scenarios of Marinette finding out who he was, and seeing the range of reactions and differences from the two sides of Marinette he was used to seeing. All while laying on her couch, in her bedroom, close enough to hear her slow breathing.
Chat felt the sunlight on his face, from a different angle than he usually felt, so he slowly blinked open his eyes, to see, once again, Marinette's loft bed, with a sleeping Marinette with her back still turned to him. The events of last night were still fresh in his mind, and so were the questions. But, he only had so much time to get home before it was discovered he was missing.
Chat carefully hung the blanket on the back of the couch, stretching out, smiling when he felt no pain in his knees. The magic had finally caught up healing him as he rested. Chat stood up, picking up the baton he had dropped right next to the couch. He was confident he could leave without waking the girl whose sleep he had so rudely disturbed when he landed loudly on her balcony. He could reach the trapdoor from the ladder attached to her bed.
Chat decided he should do something else first, so he walked over to her desk, finding all sorts of writing utensils strewn about, but no blank paper, or sticky notes he could leave a note on. Chat frowned slightly as he glanced about the room, blinking as realized what plastered her walls.
Adrien's face was everywhere, (except for one spot where a Jagged Stone picture was on the wall), but otherwise, every poster he ever posed for was owned by Marinette. Chat blinked, wondering if sleeping in the suit was causing him to hallucinate. Since he knew, the last time he was here as Adrien, to practice for some video game competition, he was not accosted by seeing his own face.
He tensed as he heard noises coming from the bed, and he glanced over, seeing Marinette roll over, clutching a small plush against her chest, a plush that looked suspiciously like how he imagined Ladybug's Kwami would look like.
Chat's eyes were drawn to the plush, willing it to breathe, but terrified of what he would do if it did. Though, as Chat stood there, the plush didn't move, so he figured it really was a plush toy, probably something Marinette had made herself.
Chat rolled his shoulders, figuring it was about time he went home. He didn't have to leave a note, he could stop by and say thanks later. He had to leave before he managed to convince himself that sweet stuttering Marinette was also his partner Ladybug.
Chat slipped silently out the door, bounding for home as quickly as he could.
What are the chances of that anyway?
#
He made it home in time to bury himself under the covers, transforming as he heard the first sounds of the Agreste household waking up.
“Really?” Plagg's voice was muffled under the cover. “After spending the whole night as Chat, a feat that you should thank me for, you trap me under your blankets?” Adrien felt the Kwami squirming his way up towards his head. Adrien cupped the Kwami in his hands, closing his eyes just in time for his bodyguard to do the first morning check that Adrien was still in bed. The big man shuffled away and Adrien pulled Plagg free of the blankets.
“Sorry Plagg, but the healing magic wouldn't have healed me in time to make it home.”
“You only needed like, two hours of being completely off your feet to heal, but you decided to actually sleep, the whole night.”
“Well, I was pretty exhausted, from going to an extended photo shoot, right into fighting an akuma, at least you got to eat last night.” As if that was its cue, Adrien's stomach growled loudly. Adrien sniffed the air, detecting the first signs the chief was awake, and beginning to cook breakfast.
“Speaking of food...?” Plagg's whiskers and ears perked up high on his head. Adrien rolled his eyes.
“There's more Camembert in the fridge.” Plagg was off like a shot while Adrien lay back in bed, not because he was tired and was going to go back to sleep, but because he had a lot to contemplate.
Why would one person act so differently around two different people?
It was a question that kept Adrien's mind busy all morning, through breakfast and throwing what he needed for school in his backpack, and on the way to school. If Plagg noticed Adrien's contemplative behavior, he didn't make a comment. At least, not about the behavior, but he did ask if Adrien could pick up more cheese after fencing. Adrien nodded, knowing he would have to please his Kwami if he wanted to transform later to thank Marinette for her hospitality.
The question even kept him occupied when he was walking into class. He saw Marinette, on time, unlike usual, with saggy eyes and a big yawn. He blinked at her, feeling bad he had disrupted her sleep that much, considering he slept like a log.
Does Chat snore or something?
Adrien sat down, pulling out his notebook, while trying to hear the conversation between Alya and Marinette. He didn't hear many actual words, but he knew enough about Alya to know she was to thank for Marinette getting to school on time, probably since they had a test that day, she wanted to make sure Marinette didn't have her grades penalized for being late. And, he heard enough sounds, to know that Marinette, exhausted Marinette, wasn't stuttering.
Adrien looked at the homework questions, grinning to himself before he furrowed his eyebrows in a puzzled expression. “Hey,” he turned in his seat, looking up at Marinette, Alya, and then back to Marinette, “who did you put for question ten of the history homework?”
“History. T-ten.” Marinette pulled up her notebook, hiding her face behind it as she continued to speak. “X-ray by Cadam Murrie discovered. I m-mean Madam Curie discovered the X-ray.”
“Thanks,” Adrien turned back around, pursing his lips. It made sense Marinette wouldn't stutter in private conversation with her best friend, but Adrien still didn't know Marinette well enough to know if she stuttered around anyone who wasn't him.
#
Adrien had a few minutes to spare before fencing, so he pulled Nino to a secluded corner of the courtyard while almost everyone else left school. “What's the matter Adrien?”
“Does Marinette stutter or mix up her sentences around anyone else, or is it just me?” Nino fiddled with his headphones, the hazel eyes behind the glasses, looking past Adrien instead of at him.
“I don't know.”
“Does she stutter or have mixed up sentences while talking to you?”
“Not...usually.”
“So is it just me?”
“How am I supposed to know?”
“You're her best friend's boyfriend.”
“And...?”
“So, you are closer to her than me. And by her, yes that means Marinette, but it also means Alya, because you could ask Alya if Marinette stutters or mixes up sentences around anyone else. I mean, Alya would be the best source, but it would be weird if I ask her.”
“And it isn't weird if I ask her? Or you asking me?”
“You are her boyfriend, she expects strange questions out of you by now. And yes, it would be weird for me to ask Alya, since I well, we talk, but you know how girls are, she wouldn't tell me anyway, you on the other hand, she might tell you.”
“Because she would trust me not to tell anyone.”
“It's just a yes or no answer, I'm not asking for a list of people she does or doesn't stutter around.”
“And what if the list is only you?”
“Am I the only one she stutters around?”
“I don't know.” Nino glanced around the courtyard before looking back at Adrien. “Hypothetically speaking,” Nino's voice dropped to a whisper, “what if you were?” Adrien pursed his lips, not sure if the stuttering around him and only him was a compliment.
“Then...” Adrien looked down at his shoes, sad he somehow made her uncomfortable enough to stutter around him, “She must still hate me after the gum incident on my first day of school ever.” It was the only incident Adrien could think of that could have soured her attitude towards him. Even if it was a misunderstanding.
Adrien glanced up when he realized Nino was making strange noises. He saw his best friend, with his mouth covered, shoulders shaking...in laughter. “It's not funny.” Adrien pouted.
“You would so find it funny if our roles were reversed and you knew what I do.”
“So you do know something!” Adrien grabbed Nino's arm. “Tell me!” Nino shook his head.
“I promised not to say anything to anyone, especially you.” Adrien looked down at the ground again, “But...I will say this. She doesn't hate you. But you say you heard it from me and I will deny it vehemently.”
“She doesn't?” Adrien rolled his eyes at himself. He was an idiot. If Marinette had hated him, she would have drawn stupid mustaches or devil horns all over the posters she had of him in her room. But they were pristine.
Then...why all the posters of me in the first place?
#
It was a question that plagued Adrien during the entire fencing practice. Enough so, he was questioned as to what was wrong. Attributing it to a bad night's sleep got Adrien off with only an eye roll and a half muttered comment about teenagers never getting enough sleep.
It haunted him enough that Plagg had to clear his throat several times, before Adrien remembered to ask his body guard to make a pit stop so he could buy more Camembert.
The Kwami watched as Adrien, instead of jumping right into his homework like normal, paced the room. Plagg munched on Camembert, feeling Adrien glance at him more than once, but since the boy didn't say anything, he didn't either. Though when Plagg gave a sigh of satisfaction for his full stomach, Adrien gave him a look.
“Now?” Plagg recognized that look. “You wanna transform now?” Plagg threw his arms in the air. “Why now?”
“I wouldn't be much of a gentleman if I didn't go and thank Marinette for the use of her couch.” Adrien grinned, “I promise I won't sleep in the suit again.” Plagg rolled his eyes. “Claws out!”
#
Chat Noir raced over to Marinette's house, landing on the balcony, and knocking on the door without even glancing inside. He was preoccupied with a plan to get Marinette talking about the posters. Too late, fan girl screams alerted him to the fact Marinette wasn't alone in her room. Alya's head burst through the door, phone already in her hand, eyes shinning with excitement.
“Chat Noir,” Alya practically bounced from Marinette's bed onto the roof, “Why are you here? Can I get an interview for my Ladyblog about last night's attack?” Chat glanced into the room, seeing Marinette sitting cross legged on her bed, one arm in front of her chest, loosely holding her elbow, giggling with a nervous edge to it.
“Well, if you must know,” Chat nodded and jumped into Marinette's room. Alya was sitting with her legs through the trapdoor. “I came to thank this nice lady for taking in little ole stray me last night after the attack.” He bowed, “Thanks again. The sleep gave me a reprieve from would have certainly been an arduous journey home.”
“No problem Chat, you didn't have to come back to thank me.” She waved her hands in front of her, a dismissive gesture. “It was no trouble.”
“Chat Noir slept here last night!” Alya squealed from the balcony, throwing herself onto Marinette's bed. “Marinette why didn't you tell me?” Marinette blinked at her friend. “Chat, what happened?”
“Well, Dr. Pane, the akuma, really got a beating on my knees, and my usual leaping between buildings way of travel is really hard on the knees, so the healing magic couldn't keep up. I must have woken Marinette up last night and she offered to let me sleep on her couch.”
“Oh, my god, this is gold for my Ladyblogg.” Marinette made a grab for her friend's phone, but Alya was quick to pull it out of her reach.
“Alya, my parents would kill me!”
“Are you sure? It's just Chat Noir, you know, a superhero.” Alya sent her friend a mischievous grin. Chat looked between the two friends.
“He's still a boy!” Marinette's face was turning more pink by the moment.
“Do you, out of the mask, identify as a boy Chat Noir?” Alya glanced over, typing away on her phone.
Never expected that question.
“Yes.” Alya rolled her eyes.
“Relax, Marinette, I won't put your name in the article, I'll just note that Chat stayed at a nice anonymous civilian's house to recover from the attack.” Chat, didn't care much if Alya posted that, but Marinette, still seemed bothered about it.
“Um, you know, I would rather you not. You know, I have the whole, invincible superhero image to uphold and all that.” Alya heaved a heavy sigh.
“Fine.” Though she sent him such a devastated look, that Chat felt bad about asking her not to tell her story. Then he saw one of his faces behind her head, and he got an idea.
“Tell you what though, I'll answer another one of your questions,” Alya brightened up instantly, “if you two can answer one of mine.”
“Okay. What's your secret identity?” Chat narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Nice try. But I'm not going to answer any questions about identity, plus, I want my answer first.” Alya shrugged her shoulders.
“Was worth a shot.” Chat chuckled, feeling confident Alya might just tell him exactly what he wanted to know, she was desperate enough for answers of her own.
“What is the deal with all these posters? Some of them look like mini billboard advertisements.” Chat gestured to the one behind Alya's head.
“Those. Oh, Marinette has-” Alya's mouth was covered by Marinette's hand.
“W-why do you want to know? Why should a superhero like you care about my p-posters?” It was slight, but there was the stutter again. Chat quickly turned his droopy ears, into twitchy ears.
“Curiosity.” He shrugged his shoulders, like he didn't really care what the answer was, though seeing as how Marinette stuttered when talking about him and not just to him, he wanted to know more than ever.
“Don't you know curiosity killed the cat, kitty?” Chat grinned.
“Only satisfaction will bring me back then. You wouldn't want to be the one to explain to Ladybug that I died from a lack of an answer to a simple, harmless question do you?” Marinette's eyes widened slightly, though Adrien wasn't sure if it was because of his comment or the fact that Marinette had to pull her hand away from Alya's mouth.
“Ew, you licked me?” Marinette rubbed her palm on her pants.
“It's the boy she has a crush on.” Alya said so quickly the words almost blended together. Almost.
Crush. Crush. Crush. Crush.
Adrien felt his eyes widen, and while the two girls continued a conversation, Adrien wasn't really paying any attention. “Alya!” Marinette punched her friend's arm. “Why would you tell him that?”
She, has a crush...on...me...?
“What, like you said, why should he care about your posters? It is a harmless question. Now, I get one of mine answered.”
Marinette is crushing on me?
“That isn't fair Alya, it was my secret!”
“Secret?” Alya laughed. “Everyone at school knows, except Adrien.”
Marinette Dupain-Cheng is crushing on me.
“So?”
This is why Nino was laughing at me.
“You said so yourself, why would Chat Noir care about your posters and the reason you have them. Now, Chat have you and Ladybug made any progress in searching for the mysterious Hawk Moth?”
How oblivious can I be?
“Hello, earth to Chat Noir?”
“No! No earth to Chat Noir. Don't answer her question, because that wasn't her answer to give!”
“Geez Marinette. You don't have to take it so seriously, as far as the superhero cares, it's just a celebrity crush considering Adrien Agreste is a world famous model.”
Yeah...maybe she is just...star struck.
“You know it is more than just some celebrity crush Alya!” Marinette's voice was choked, close to tears. “And now Chat knows too.” And then Marinette was crying. She hid her face behind her hands and her shoulders were shaking with stiffed sobs.
She really is crushing on me.
“So, Chat, any word on the progress for the search for Hawk Moth?”
“No comment.” Chat said, blinking slowly, dazed at the turn of events.
“What? But I answered your question!”
“And made your friend cry in the process! All you had to say was, I don't know, he's a model she likes, and it somehow turned into...this!”
Great. I made Marinette cry.
“Um,” Chat reached a hand out, “I'm sorry,” he gently squeezed Marinette's shoulder. “Do you want to ask me a question?” Marinette shook her head. “Can I make this up by telling you a secret of my own?”
“Ooh, that'll-” Chat sent Alya a glare.
“Not for posting to your blog, Alya.” She shut her mouth, and looked down. Chat looked back to Marinette, who, seemed to have stopped sobbing, but kept her face hidden behind her hands. “I am the most oblivious cat ever. If Ladybug's feelings were to suddenly become anything past platonic friendship, I wouldn't even notice. Much less what to do about it. I mean, I've only really been interacting with people my own age for a few months. Friendship is new, secrets are new, enemies are new, and love, of various kinds...seems pretty new to me too.”
Marinette looked up, a puzzled expression on her face. Her big blue eyes stared right at him, not afraid, not nervous, just curious.
She likes me.
Chat Noir cleared his throat, pulling his hand away. “A-anyway. I should get going. I-er, just came back to say thanks, and now I leave with an apology for the mess I made. Sorry, I didn't intend for anyone to get hurt or upset...” Chat bit down on his tongue before he made things worse. He waved and jumped out of the room, needing the fresh air and a chance to clear his mind.
#
Adrien was walking in circles around his Foosball table, around and around, his hands alternatively clasped behind his back or tugging at his hair. Plagg sat in the center of the table, munching on Camembert and watching him freak out.
“I screwed up Plagg. I screwed up.”
“Yeah, pretty big too.” Adrien didn't even glance at the Kwami.
“What am I going to do about it Plagg? How do I fix this?”
“Your meddling is what made this mess in the first place. Just, leave it alone and act like you don't know anything.”
“How am I supposed to act like I don't know Marinette is crushing on me?”
“Don't interact with her more than normal, stop pestering Nino about her stuttering and mixed up sentences, and go about your life. Besides, you love Ladybug.”
“But she doesn't love me back. And she said she already loves someone else.”
“And what does that have to do with Marinette?”
“Nothing.”
“Exactly. So just forget what you just heard and see how things play out.”
“But I hurt her Plagg. I made Marinette cry.”
“Technically Alya did that. You just asked a question she shouldn't have answered. Though, I did warn you not to mix your superhero and your normal identity business together.”
#
Adrien wasn't sure if he even wanted to go to school the next day. But he wasn't sick, he couldn't fake being sick, nor did he want his father to think that he didn't like school. It would be like admitting defeat, and Adrien didn't want to lose the one thing that made him feel like a normal kid.
Adrien walked into class, glancing around the room to see Alya bent over her desk, arms folded with her face buried in them. Nino had a hand on her shoulder, and Marinette nowhere to be seen.
If I wasn't at Marinette's yesterday...how would I react?
Adrien placed his backpack by his desk and walked up to Nino. Nino put a hand to his lips, and handed Adrien his cell phone. Adrien glanced down to find a flurry of messages between the pair.
Alya: I messed up.
Nino: What did you mess up?
Alya: Marinette.
Nino: ?
Alya: Long story short, I said something I shouldn't have said, didn't apologize right away, and she is pissed.
Nino: What happened?
Alya: Marinette cried. I made my best friend cry. I'm a terrible journalist and an even worse best friend.
Nino: What does being a journalist have to do with Marinette?
Nino: Alya?
Nino: Hey, please talk to me.
Nino: I'll see you at school. If you don't want to text me, please tell me what's wrong in person.
Did I...just break a friendship?
Adrien opened his mouth, planning to say something to Nino, or to excuse himself from the situation, when Alya started speaking and Nino covered Adrien's mouth with his hand.
I guess I deserve this.
“She's right Nino. Marinette is so right. I shouldn't have told Chat Noir the truth about the posters or her crush on Adrien just because I wanted him to answer one of my questions.” Nino immediately pulled his hand away from Adrien. Adrien, wanted to run, wanted to keep pretending he knew nothing about the argument or Marinette's crush, but it assaulted him again and he was still surprised at hearing it aloud.
“Not good.” Nino looked between Adrien and Alya.
“I know.” Alya's head remained buried in her arms. Adrien was rooted to the spot, Nino's phone clutched in his hand so tightly his knuckles were white.
“Well...now it's double not good.” Nino turned his hazel eyes to Adrien, wide hazel eyes. “Because-” Adrien caught sight of black pigtails by the door, and well, he reacted. Adrien leaped forward, covering Nino's mouth with both hands (Nino's cell phone included), or at least, he tried. Adrien's foot got caught on Nino's backpack and he fell forward, the side of his forehead hitting the corner of Alya's desk before he hit the ground.
“Adrien!” Nino cried, his hands already tugging on his shoulders. Adrien groaned, eyes squeezed tightly shut his head throbbing. And with each throb it seemed more sticky blood was going down his face.
“Adrien?” Alya squeaked from above. Adrien thrust Nino's phone towards the boy's hands. Adrien heard a pair of footsteps stop in the doorway, heard a sharp intake of breath, and guessed his name was probably what would have came out if the girl could speak normally in front of him.
Adrien pushed Nino away, or tried to, but Nino rolled Adrien over. “Are you okay?” Adrien swallowed, raising his hands to cover his face, knowing at least half of it was covered in blood. “Hold on!” Adrien felt something being pressed to his forehead, and then Nino placed his hands on top. “Keep the pressure there, okay buddy.” Adrien heard footsteps rush from the room. “Alya went to get help.”
“I'm fine.” Adrien choked, wondering why his throat was suddenly so dry.
“You sliced your head open!” Adrien opened his eyes, seeing Nino bent over him, his pallor sickly, his eyes seemingly taking up his whole face. Nino's hat was missing, and Adrien blinked.
“Your hat?”
“On pressure duty. Don't worry. You'll be fine.”
“Isn't that what I just said?”
“I think you'll need stitches first.” Adrien shook his head, trying to sit up.
Father will be pissed if I need stitches.
“Not that bad!” Adrien, got his shoulders a little off the ground before the world spun and Nino pushed him back down. “Maybe bad.” Adrien closed his eyes again.
I am so screwed.
“Stay awake Adrien!” Nino shook his friend's shoulders.
Sleep means healing.
“I'll just take a cat nap. Then I'll be fine.” Adrien could tell his words were slurring together.
“No, sleeping after a head injury is bad! Adrien!” Nino shook Adrien's shoulders harder.
“Sleep is good.” Adrien blinked, the lights hurt his eyes, and he wondered just how badly he hit his head. “Tell Marinette, sleep makes kitty all better.” Adrien closed his eyes.
“Marinette? Do you have any idea what he is saying?” Nino's voice was even more high pitched. “Marinette!” Nino cursed. “Where is Alya! What is Adrien saying! No! No!” Adrien heard footsteps and his friend gasping. “She fainted!”
Adrien forced his eyes open, turning his head hurt, but he saw Nino with Marinette in his arms, standing by the door. “That better be an ambulance on the phone Alya! Marinette's down too!” Marinette was pale, eyes closed, but she seemed peaceful at least, while Adrien hurt all over. Marinette's purse slipped off her shoulder, the clasp popping open when it hit the floor and a little red blob tumbled out.
The little red blob, with a big black spot on its forehead met Adrien's eyes before dashing back into the purse.
Marinette's Ladybug?
And then the pain finally disappeared because Adrien passed out.
#
It actually wasn't that bad. Adrien needed four stitches and the doctors said the only reason he probably fainted, was because of lack of seep in addition to the head injury. His father still wasn't pleased, but Adrien shrugged his father off, saying teenagers never got enough sleep as an excuse. Adrien Agreste was promptly grounded, not allowed to go to school the rest of the week, which Adrien both thought was unfair, and probably a good thing.
Marinette Dupain-Cheng has a crush on me. Marinette Dupain-Cheng is Ladybug. Unless I hallucinated the little red Kwami. No, I didn't hallucinate, the doctors said I wouldn't have done that.
Adrien lay in bed, his phone in his hands knowing he should text Nino, but unsure of what to say.
I've been crushing on Ladybug...I've been crushing on Marinette.
Adrien: I'm okay. But my dad won't let me out of the house for the next week. :( How's Marinette?
What am I supposed to do about that?
Nino: Glad to hear you're alright. That sucks you've been grounded for an accident. Marinette's fine. She woke up while the paramedics were taking you to the hospital. She went home. Still not talking to Alya...
Adrien: Glad she's okay.
Nino: About what Alya said you won't...tell Marinette right? I mean, she's already pissed at Alya, and if she finds out she accidentally told you, Alya would kill me for not doing something to alert her of your presence, either before or after Marinette kills Alya.
Adrien: Dude, that's why I jumped at you and failed. I was trying to stop you from opening your big fat mouth before Marinette walked in.
Nino: Crap.
Adrien: Dude, make that double crap. Cos I think Marinette already knows I know.
Nino: ?
Adrien: Can't explain, just, tell Alya sorry since I was the one who messed up big time.
Nino: What did you do?
Adrien: … Let's just say... I dug my claws in for answers.
Nino: What the hell does that even mean? What did you do to my girlfriend!?
Adrien: Asked a question. And opened up a huge can of cat food.
Nino: Dude, that's not the saying.
Adrien: I know, but you can quote that to Alya...she'll understand.
Nino: Since when do you and Alya talk in code?
Nino: Hello?
Nino: Dude, answer me!?
Nino: I'll come over and force my way in!
Nino: Don't say I didn't warn you!
Adrien set down his phone, not that he wanted to ignore Nino, but he had more pressing matters at hand. Climbing through his window was Ladybug, and Adrien knew he had a lot of explaining to do.
“Hey Ladybug.” Adrien smiled, he couldn't help it, being around Ladybug always perked his mood up.
“Don't you hey Ladybug me!” Her blue eyes narrowed, and Adrien wondered how he missed it before. Those big bluebell eyes matched Marinette's perfectly.
“Hello M'Lady.” Adrien pushed himself to a seated position. “Or would you rather I say 'hi Bugaboo'?” Her cheeks flushed and she turned away.
“Chat Noir?”
“The one and only...Marinette.” Her neck and ears turned red too, and she clenched her fists.
“How dare you! You snoop in my room, ask my best friend personal information, and then you have the nerve to go and...and...” The girl gestured uselessly to the room. “You stupid Chat!”
“One, I didn't snoop, you invited me in and those posters weren't exactly hiding. Two, technically I asked both of you, you were just busy questioning me and let Alya answer first. Three...yeah. I am stupid. I'm stupid and I'm sorry.” Ladybug kept her arms crossed, staring out the window instead of looking at him. “And technically, I never answered any questions you asked.” Adrien sighed, “So, yes, Chat Noir shouldn't have cared about the posters. But I cared about the posters because you always seemed to stutter or mix up your sentences around me and thought you were afraid of me or something, but the posters seemed to contradict that and I just wanted to know why you acted so differently around me, versus Chat.”
“You noticed that?” Her voice was quiet.
“I noticed a lot of things. I noticed that while you seem to trip a lot, you seem to never get hurt. I noticed you are always helping everyone else in class with any problem, going out of your way and somehow making up for any practical knowledge with enthusiasm and determination. I noticed you seemed to turn red a lot, though I wasn't sure why. I noticed you sometimes seemed to appear in places I was at, more often than running into our other classmates. I noticed your smile seemed to turn your eyes into beacons which would light up the room. I noticed your bravery and kindness in every action. I noticed the bowler hat you made, which I wore with a fake feather for a photo shoot, had the same stitching as the blue scarf Natalie gave me, passing it off as a gift from my father. After closer inspection, I noticed your initials hiding in the stitching at the end of the scarf. What I failed to notice...or failed to realize, was what all of that meant.”
Including my own feelings.
“Until Alya told you.”
Twice.
“How did you know I'm Ladybug?”
“Your Kwami rolled out of your purse when you fainted. She ducked back inside, but I had already seen her.”
“Were...you...did you mean to say the stuff about cats and sleeping?”
“I was trying to apologize, but it wouldn't make sense for me to apologize, so I wanted you to know I wasn't just apologizing as Adrien, but as Chat Noir. Without telling Nino.” Adrien sighed, flopping back down onto his bed. “And I may have also sent Nino coded messages to give to Alya, so...she wouldn't beat herself up since it was all my fault you two are fighting.”
“You did what!” Adrien covered his face with his hands.
“Alya probably knows I'm Chat by now too.”
“Why would you do that!” Ladybug crossed the room, pulling Adrien's hands away from his face. “Why!” Adrien felt the warmth from Ladybug's hands around his wrists. Sure she was mad at him, but, she hadn't left yet.
“Well, I mean, I am on some pretty high painkillers. And suffering from a guilty conscience. And just wanted to clear the air with my best friends.” Adrien saw his phone was still flashing. The doorbell rang. Adrien turned to Ladybug. “If you don't want them to know about you, then get out now. That's probably Nino and Alya and they are going to confront me, and I can't lie right now, and I'm going to tell them about me and you should leave before they open the door. I'm sorry, I really am sorry.”
Ladybug leaned forward her lips pressing gently against the bandage over his stitches, his breath caught in his throat. “They are my friends too. We should face their wrath together, kitty.”
“Adrien Agreste,” Alya burst into the room, her brown eyes flashing behind her glasses, dragging Nino in behind her, “you have one chance to explain or I swear I'm going to-” Alya blinked. Neither Adrien or Ladybug had moved, just staring into each other's eyes. “Ladybug?”
“Shall we let the cat out of the bag M'Lady?” Ladybug giggled, before letting go of Adrien's wrists and winking at him.
“I suppose they caught us in quite the compromising situation.” Ladybug turned to the stunned Nino and Alya. “On the count of three.”
On three, Ladybug became Marinette and Adrien became Chat Noir. Then the room exploded in screams, tears, questions, and hugs.