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"You're amazing, Marinette," Chat Noir sighed, leaning back in his chair after being defeated yet again in Ultimate Mecha Strike III.
There was none of his usual tease in his voice, just complete sincerity. It made Marinette turned to him, fighting the heat that threatened to creep up her face. She stared at him; his eyes were soft, instead of mischievous, his smile small and gentle, instead of a wide smirk.
Then it clicked in her mind, her eyes as wide as saucers. He tilted his head, a concerned frown taking the place of his gentle, familiar smile, "Marinette?"
She wasn't meant to find out this way, at least she hadn't meant to, but that's what happened. She found out her Kitty's identity when she was playing video games with him in her room as a civilian. For having Ladybug luck, she had found out her partner's identity in such an unlucky way, though it could've been worse.
It all made sense now, Chat Noir was Adrien Agreste.
She didn't think, though she should've, and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, eyes glassy. He yelped, caught off guard, and it sounded a bit like a meow, which made her giggle. She pulled back, sniffling, a wide grin on her face.
"I didn't think stating a fact would get you so emotional," Chat Noir teased half-heartedly.
That's when she realized that he had no clue what was going on. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, Adrien, hold on." She turned from him, ignoring his slackened jaw at hearing his name, nodding at a nearby plant, "Come on out, Tikki." Her red kwami zipped out of the plants, waving at her partner.
"W-wait! You're... Ladybug?" He blinked, then a laugh errupted from his throat, "That makes so much sense, everything does, I mean, really, fan club from Brazil? How did I even believe that? And all of your other excuses and how you disappeared whenever I would, and-- But how'd you figure it out? When did you figure it out?"
"Just now." When he looked confused, she added, "When you told me I was amazing that time we were practicing for the tournament," she blushed remembering how he had looked at her, "you looked exactly the same as now."
"Oh, really? I didn't realize." At that moment, a flash of green light enveloped him and left Adrien, without a mask and leather cat suit, in front of her. His kwami floated down to her desk, grumbling,
"It's about time, you two are so oblivious. But before you kiss or something," he turned to Adrien, "gimme my cheese."
His chosen was bright red as he handed his kwami a piece of Camembert, and Marinette decided that, by the way it felt like midsummer and not fall, she was also possibly the color of her suit. "Sorry about Plagg," Adrien apologized, rubbing the back of his neck and staring at the ground.
"Well, we'll leave you two alone," Tikki piped up, dragging Plagg away with her. She turned to Marinette, quicky giving her a wink, then phased through the ceiling just as Plagg shoved the rest of his cheese in his mouth.
Marinette hid her face in her hands, a voice in her said saying, Well that was embarrassing.
"Hey, you ok?" Adrien asked gently. She heard the scrapping of wheels against wood as his chair scooted toward hers, then felt warm hand gingerly take hold of hers. Slowly pulling away her hands from her face, she looked at Adrien sheepishly,
"Yeah, I'm fine, it's just... I guess I wasn't really ready?" Before he could say anything she quickly added, "But then again I don't know if I ever was going to be."
"Well, I know this probably doesn't mean much but, I'm glad it's you and not someone like Chloe or Lila," she could hear the slight Chat-like tease in his voice.
She smiled up at him, "I'm glad it's you too."
After a small pause of them smiling at each other they both said, "I love you."
They laughed, both a little misty eyed, hugging each other tight. Sniffling, laughing, and holding each other, they both knew, there was no one else they would rather have been partners with. As the laughing subsided to giggles and finally wide grins, Marinette couldn't help but grow warm at how close the two of them were. Sure, she was used to being close to Chat and Adrien, who was the same person, was not one to mind personal space with her.
Her gaze traveled down to his parted lips, then back up to his emerald gaze. He wasn't looking at her eyes, his gaze was elsewhere, somewhere a little lower. Her breath hitched as she came to the realization that he was staring at her lips.
"Marinette..." The way he said her name, so tenderly, so cautiously, made her heart stutter. "Can I," his nose brushed against hers, his breath hot on her face, "kiss you?"
She wondered why he even asked, closing the gap between them by yanking the collar of his over shirt. His arms snaked around her waist, pulling her closer, just as her hands decided to make their journey into his hair. The silky, soft blond locks curled around her fingers as she tugged slightly, pulling him closer and causing a purr to rumble within him.
When he pulled away, he simply kept kissing her, trailing down from the corner of her mouth, down her neck, then back up again. Their lips met in a renewed heat, a gasp escaping Marinette before she could stop it. He used that as an opportunity to tease, his tongue darting out only for a moment, but it was enough to send a shiver down her spine. She grew a bit impatient, why would he tease her like that? She bit down lightly on his bottom lip, trying to give him a taste of his own medicine by licking the spot. But he was clever, his tongue meeting hers and he was rewarded by her fingers closing more tightly on his hair.
It was a while before they finally pulled away, breathless as they leaned foreheads against each other.
"I guess I was more irresistible than I thought," Adrien teased.
"Yeah right," Marinette retorted, "says the one who couldn't stop kissing me."
"Hmm, that's fair. But it's not my fault you're perfect, Bugaboo," he winked.
Her heart hammered in her chest. How was it that she literally had just made out with him, but a simple wink could make her brain spin? "Whatever," she muttered, eyes darting to the ground as she pushed him back with her finger on his nose.
He smirked at her, clearly smug that he could make her blush. "So, how about another round of Ultimate Mecha Strike III?"
"Are you ready for me to beat you again?"
"Always."