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The rain rushed down heavily from the sky and Adrien was almost stunned into silence before he broke it with, "I wasn't exactly expecting this."
"Neither was I." Marinette fidgeted in her seat across the table from him, pigtails damp and drooping from their normal perky position. "Why are you out here? Don't you normally have that bodyguard of yours driving you places?"
"I kind of snuck out so he doesn’t know I'm here." Which was true. After all, sneaking out as Cat Noir was the main goal for this evening's escapade and akuma attacks were the most important reason for sneaking out. He wondered if, perhaps, Ladybug had snuck out as well. He looked at Marinette, wet and tired, and tried not to follow that thought too closely. "What about you?"
"Me? I had a delivery from the bakery, but I didn't think it would rain." They glanced out the window where sheets of rain pelted the glass. The coffee shop they had taken refuge in was small and nearly empty considering how late in the day it was. Both Marinette and Adrien had bought small drinks to tide them over as they waited out the storm.
"I'm not sure how long it's going to last," Adrien mused. "We might be stuck here for quite a while."
"I guess." She turned the cup in her hands. He had already been inside, his transformation wearing off in the alley next to the shop. When the rain had flared, just as he re-entered the shop, he knew he would not be leaving until it let up. That Marinette should stumble in moments later was a (happy) coincidence. Adrien had suspicions that his Lady was lurking in this same class. Although he’d initially had no reason to suspect Marinette directly, her stint in the elevator a couple of weeks prior had brought with it pressing...theories.
If Marinette was indeed Ladybug, then he had found the love of his life at a young age. It was a gift tainted by the fact that she seemed excessively uncomfortable around him. Ladybug always rebuffed Cat Noir. Could it be because she had put the dots together and was linking her rejection of Adrien to Cat Noir? Despite the possibility, Adrien was quick to remind himself that Marinette and Cat Noir got along just fine, so the theory was null and void.
Still, he couldn’t just forget about the possible lead. Nor could he forget the fact that he had turned down Marinette’s confession, just as Ladybug had turned down his confession. The guilt of that night had soiled every interaction he’d ever had with both Marinette and Ladybug afterward. When he considered if Ladybug was Marinette, the guilt worsened because it would mean that he had turned his true love down for his true love.
And that meant that he didn’t know Ladybug half as well as he thought he did.
“So, what were you delivering?” he asked conversationally.
“A batch of cupcakes for a birthday party. But that was before the a-” she paused, “supervillain attack.”
“Are you okay?”
“Totally. You don’t have to worry about me,” said Marinette. She looked out the window at the rain that fell heavily outside. “I managed to deliver them in the end, but I’m a little worried that the rain might affect them.”
“You’re a great baker, so I’m sure that your cupcakes would taste great, no matter what,” said Adrien kindly.
Marinette glanced at him finally, her blue eyes bright and calm. There wasn’t a hint of nervousness there, only surprise. “Thank you.”
It wasn’t hard to imagine Marinette as Ladybug these days. In fact, he almost wished it would be her so that he wouldn’t have to hurt anyone’s feelings. How perfect would it be if the Marinette who loved Adrien was the same Ladybug that Cat Noir loved?
Adrien smiled tightly. If she and Ladybug were one and the same, then he would have a more difficult time winning her over once more. She was well-aware that he felt strongly for Ladybug as Cat Noir and as Adrien at this point. She had pretty much told him so a few weeks ago on her balcony, a day that now seemed like a lifetime ago.
Their exchange had haunted him ever since, especially since the prospect of Marinette being Ladybug was only strengthened by his own unquestionable proofs. His nose wouldn’t lie to him. Plagg had even confirmed that every wielder of the black cat ring had a heightened sense of smell both in and out of the suit.
He wasn’t really sure if Marinette actually being Ladybug would be a blessing or a curse, but he was sure that Marinette was his friend. She was warm and attentive and affectionate in all the ways that mattered. Her cleverness and courage were a gift. Whether he was right or wrong, it would not change the fact that he would always view her as his friend.
And that made it worth the risk.
“Marinette, I have to ask you something.”
She looked up at him from over her tea, blue eyes wide and innocent to his curiosity. “Yes?”
Oh god. How was he supposed to bring this up? If he was right, what would that mean for them? How would they deal with it? If he was wrong, he’d be breaking the only rule they had as miraculous holders.
“Are you- I mean,” he wanted to throw himself into the Parisian gutters, “are you upset with me?”
“Upset?” She blinked at him, head tilting ever so slightly in thought. “Why would I be upset with you?”
“Never mind. You’d have every right to be,” he said hurriedly. “I don’t know why I asked.”
Understanding of some kind dawned on her, however, and she softened. “I’m not mad at you, Adrien.”
“But you will be.” Adrien ran a hand through his dry blond hair. “You’ll be mad at me. More than I already am at myself.”
“You’re in love with someone else,” she said sympathetically, “and I want you to be happy. I really do.”
This was really happening. He could almost imagine Marinette in Ladybug’s costume, bright red and confident and clever. His heart skipped a beat at the thought of being with her, of seeing himself just as they had seen themselves in Alya’s photos. The potential was there. His Ladybug had already fallen in love with him. He could only hope that she still cared for him as much as he did for her. He could only hope that he hadn’t already failed her, that she still cared for him after he had already told her no.
“I want you to be happy too,” said Adrien, as warmly as he could, “but that wasn’t quite what I meant.”
“Oh.” Marinette blinked at him, perplexed. “What did you mean?”
“Do you know who I am? Because you’re going to be mad when I tell you that I think I know who you are.”
“You’re Adrien. I know that. Don’t worry,” laughed Marinette. “I couldn’t forget you.”
He should ask her something only Ladybug would know. About the akuma today or about Tikki. Tikki would be a good place to start. Should he ask her about Master Fu? About Tikki? About the akuma they just battled? Would that be beneficial?
Would she be upset that he found out when they had agreed to keep it all a secret?
Adrien apologized once more, just for good measure, and Marinette continued to look beautifully confused.
What if he was wrong? What if his theory was completely wrong? He’d seen Marinette and Ladybug side by side before. It couldn’t have all been an elaborate hoax, could it?
“I just-” Adrien ran a hand through his hair. “Man, this is so much harder than I thought it would be.”
His friend was growing more and more concerned for him. “Look, whatever it is, we don’t have to talk about it if you’re not ready,” said Marinette. “Really, don’t worry so much-”
“No, I want to. I’m just afraid you’re going to look at me differently when I tell you.”
“Why?”
He let out a sharp breath. “Because I’m already looking at you differently after it, and I’ll feel like the biggest fool in the world if I’m right, and simultaneously like the biggest fool in the world if I’m wrong.”
“Adrien…”
“Okay, I think I can say it.” He looked up at her, up at the bright blue of her eyes and the still wet sheen of her hair. She was the most amazing Ladybug he’d ever seen. If she is Ladybug.
Which she is. She has to be.
“I thought that the way you used your Lucky Charm today was amazing.”
Marinette blinked at him. Nothing but pure confusion lay in her expression. “My Lucky Charm?” She turned away, rummaging in her small purse and Adrien thought she might bring out Tikki, but instead, she revealed the small, handmade charm that he had made for her birthday. “I’ve not used it all day. Which is to say that I use it – often - just not today,” she finished lamely, and Adrien bit his lip.
Right, she had a lucky charm. That had been a poor question to ask her, but she had been so bashful answering it that he couldn’t help but swoon inwardly.
He tried another one, more straightforward this time.
“I know that you’re a superhero.”
For a quick second, Marinette’s eyes flickered over to the waitress, then back to Adrien before laughing awkwardly. “I know that.”
It was difficult not to express his own astonishment. “You do?”
“Of course. You told me that at the class picnic we had a couple of years ago. You called me our ‘everyday Ladybug’. It meant a lot to hear you say that.”
Adrien wanted to slap himself.
“I mean,” he leaned in so that the woman working at the cash register wouldn’t be able to hear him, “I’m Cat Noir.”
“You’re- wait, what?” Marinette pulled back very quickly, her eyes darting to the waitress again, then back at Adrien with-
How could he even begin to describe her expression? Like she was shocked? Like she was going through all five stages of grief at once before reversing the process and falling back into anger?
She leaned back in with her mouth turned into a deep frown. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Wha-”
“Are you kidding me? Outing yourself to me in a coffee shop? You’re a superhero! You need to be more responsible!”
“Responsi- Is that really what you’re mad about right now?”
“If I wasn’t Ladybug, that would have been a huge issue.” She stood sharply, eyes blazing. The sound of her chair squealing against the floor garnered a little attention, and she quickly sat back down, leaning forward instead. “If I wasn’t Ladybug,” she hissed, “your identity would be known by some random girl at your school.”
“You’re not random at all,” promised Adrien weakly.
“That is not the point.”
“But you are. Ladybug, I mean,” said Adrien as he realized that this was exactly the type of reaction, he wouldn’t have expected from Marinette but would have expected from Ladybug. His Ladybug. More and more, his images of them overlapped.
“We are not having this conversation here. This is-” She flushed. “This is dangerous, Adrien. We’re not supposed to know.”
“But we do know. I mean, I know who you are. And you know who I am. Don’t you know what that means?”
Marinette swallowed and looked around the shop nervously. “I’ve...wow. Okay. This really shouldn’t be done in a coffee shop.”
“But it’s raining!” he said, still not sure if he was supposed to be giddy or apologetic.
“We cannot have this conversation here. In public.”
Adrien picked up his umbrella. “I can walk you home.”
Marinette stared at him, as if unable to believe this really happened. “I have to go to the bathroom. I’ll meet you outside.”
She strode off to the restroom, her hand resting delicately on her purse, and Adrien could only imagine that it was where Tikki was hiding. Adrien paused a moment before taking himself and his umbrella out of the cafe and standing under the curved terrace. The rain was steadily pooling on street corners and in the divots of the cafe’s outdoor tables. He thought he might have seen someone trying to cross the street, maybe an old man, but there was nobody in the area at all.
“Well, that went well.”
Adrien flinched at the sound of Plagg’s voice cutting through the quiet rush of rain around them. “You think?”
“No, I was kidding. She really came for you, kid.” Plagg wrinkled his nose from within Adrien’s jacket. “Baker girl is feisty.”
“You’ve known who she was the whole time,” accused Adrien. “Every time you teased me about her and Ladybug. You knew.”
“Kwami aren’t allowed to talk about our Masters, nor each other’s.” Plagg gave a non-committal shrug. “Watching you guys dance around each other was painful, but this is so worth it!”
“Plagg!”
“Come on, Adrien, it’s a little funny. Besides, Tikki made me promise not to get involved. You two kind of had to learn how to communicate.”
“I- yeah, I suppose.” Adrien trailed off, flipping the umbrella in his hand. “So, you knew that I turned down Ladybug for Ladybug?”
“I did.”
Adrien frowned at Plagg. “And you knew that every time I talked about how amazing Marinette was, I was also saying the same thing to Ladybug’s face?”
Plagg pretended to examine the fingernails (or perhaps claws) he didn’t have. “Correct.”
“And you knew-” Adrien took a shaky breath as the full weight of what he had done. He had really not thought this through. “That I’m absolutely in love with Marinette.”
“Of course.” The kwami’s voice was full of pride. “And now, so does she.”
Adrien whipped around to see Marinette’s blushing face halfway out of the cafe door. She froze at being caught and blinked at him in disbelief.
“Marinette!”
“...hi,” she hazarded, stepping out next to him completely and deciding to find the rain about the streets more interesting that Adrien himself. “We should, um, go.”
“Right, yeah.”
Adrien opened his umbrella up and took a step out into the rain, the sound of the shower above against the black canvas of his umbrella feeling soothing despite his nerves. He gestured for Marinette to follow him and they fell into step together, walking side by side as they had for years when they had to patrol together. Adrien ensured that Marinette was tucked into the innermost side of the sidewalk, their shoulders pressed together to huddle under the umbrella.
“So…” began Adrien and Marinette echoed the sentiment.
“So.” She swallowed, and he could see her squeeze at her hands nervously. “You are Cat Noir.”
“And you’re Ladybug.” When she nodded, he felt his heart sing. “I thought so.”
“For how long?”
“I-” Adrien paused a moment, thoughtful. “To be honest, I’d suspected it on and off for a while, but then there were multiple times where I saw both you and Ladybug in the same spot, or there was just so much contrary to it all that I doubted it.”
“And what gave me away?”
“My lady, you did a fantastic job of keeping your identity,” said Adrien, “but it wasn’t anything you did, to be honest. I only really started entertaining the idea recently, when we were stuck in that elevator a while ago. And you said something that I’ve only ever heard Ladybug say, and then you-”
She furrowed her brows, body leaning forward to try and catch his eye. “I?”
“You sort of bumped into me and I could smell the bakery on you. And Ladybug smells exactly the same.”
“We’ve been in close proximity before,” said Marinette. “You’ve literally held me in your arms! How was the elevator incident the one that tipped you off?”
“I don’t know! Usually, when I am... close to you, we’re in a high-stress situation.” Marinette raised an eyebrow at him. “Most of the time. I didn’t suspect you. So, what?”
“I didn’t suspect you much either,” she admitted after a short moment. “You and Cat Noir don’t exactly act like twins. And your hair gets all messy when you’re Cat Noir. Like a true wild cat.”
“It’s dashing.”
“Maybe.” Adrien warmed immediately at the confession. “But don’t get ahead of yourself. An identity is a precious thing.”
“I know. That’s why I wanted to create Cat Noir as this sort of exciting superhero! ‘Adrien’ got to be the model son, the kid with the near spotless record and good grades. Cat Noir could be as messy and wild, things I couldn’t be as myself.”
“You should be allowed to be messy and wild on your own.” Marinette was staring straight ahead, and Adrien felt that she wasn’t talking harshly to him, but what had forced him into the position he was in. An allusion to his father. “You’re just a kid.”
“So are you. You and Ladybug don’t seem very similar at a glance. Being bold and brave is something you do every day. When I realized that you could be one and the same, I felt so stupid. I literally called you our ‘everyday Ladybug’ when you’re actually Ladybug herself.”
“Ladybug is me when I can be brave and clever and confident. I’m not really like that in real life.”
“You should be allowed to be brave and clever and confident,” mimicked Adrien. “You deserve those things too. I’m just sorry I never said it earlier.”
“I’m sorry I ran when you told me you loved me,” said Marinette. Hearing the words out of her mouth felt like the most painful and liberating thing. “You didn’t deserve that. You loved Ladybug, but Marinette was the one who took off and turned you down.”
They walked in silence again, stopping when they reached the door to TS Bakery. Adrien could smell the same, sweet scent of fresh pastries that he’d smelled on Marinette, that he’d been smelling on Ladybug for years. “Loving Ladybug means loving you, Marinette. I think I’ve always loved you, both of you, for far longer than I knew. So often I caught myself wondering what it would have been like to be in love with you instead of Ladybug because I really care about you. I always have. You were basically one of my first friends.” Adrien swallowed. “But I’m sorry for the position I put you in.”
“I put you in the same position,” said Marinette. “I told myself that I couldn’t love Cat Noir the same way I loved Adrien because I loved Adrien first. I cared about you of course, and now it just makes so much sense why I was drawn to the both of you. It feels really silly, don’t you think?”
“Silly?” Adrien took Marinette’s hand hesitantly. “I’m only frustrated that we couldn’t be doing this sooner. It makes me wish we could start over.”
“I don’t know about starting over, but I think knowing who you are is going to make my job a lot harder.” Marinette squeezed at his hand. “I mean, you’re already so distracting as Cat Noir. How am I going to handle knowing that you’re the same boy I’m in love with?”
Adrien made a strange noise in his throat that he could hardly believe was coming from him. He flushed brightly at her words. She loves me, he thought happily. She’s in love with me.
“Do you- I mean,” Marinette glanced away from him and took a deep breath. “Do you still love me?”
“How could I ever love anybody but you?” said Adrien. “I never stopped.”
Marinette beamed at him, and Adrien thought that his heart might beat right out of his chest. “We’ve changed and grown so much,” she mused. “I don’t think I ever really thought we’d figure each other out.”
“We’ve changed a little, I guess, but not that much.” He allowed himself a smile. “Only you could consistently forget to bring your umbrella on a rainy day.”
“Maybe I like having you offer yours.”
They stared at each other in a strange stalemate before tripping over themselves to say something at the same time.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean-”
“I’d be happy to-”
Adrien snapped his mouth shut and gave her a tentative smile. Marinette smiled back and leaned up very quickly to press a kiss to his cheek. Looks like they were both trying to be brave today. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You will?” said Adrien dreamily.
“We have patrol, dummy.” She squeezed their hands together once more before letting go. “Don’t be late.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”