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There was one thing Marinette couldn’t forgive herself and it was not seeing Chat in Adrien sooner. The happy-go-lucky attitude, the easy smile, the flirtiness. It shouldn’t have been that easy to hide. Especially since she had her eyes on Adrien at all times.
He must be very good at hiding parts of himself, she realised. Yes, she must have caught glimpses of his other self here and there, but none of them had made her pause and think even for a second “What if it’s him?”
So she made a point of paying closer attention to him. It turned out, it was easier to spot something when she was looking for it. It was there in the careless laughter in response to a joke Nino told him. It was there in the sassy way he acted towards Chloe sometimes. It was there in his kindness to everyone and his readiness to help, which was so Chat, not only Adrien.
Most of all, it was there every time he looked at her. It was as if things were hardly different for him. At first it had been a challenge not to turn into a blushy mess every time their eyes met. She hadn't expected the openness with which he accepted her, the adoration he was used to seeing in Chat for Ladybug there in full force. But she also hadn’t been prepared for him to unleash his charm on her like that. What she’d thought irresistible in the past, was now so much worse.
From the casual wink in her direction, through the deadly smirk and to the way he said her name. It all conspired to make her turn into mush. From how helpless she felt, she realised that she must have put much more effort than she realised to remain unaffected by Chat’s advances. Mostly unaffected, because of course he’d gotten under her skin.
She had been a fool to think that she was in love with Adrien before. She’d barely known him back then. It was nothing compared to how she felt when she could see all parts of him become one.
Yes, she loved his gentleness and calm presence, but she also loved his jokes and the unstoppable force that he was. She was so lucky that she didn't have to choose but could have it all.
It was only when she could see him fully, that she felt ready to face him and tell him how much she loved him. Because it suddenly felt more real.
His surprise stung because she wished he could have felt her love earlier. Of course, she hadn’t done much to help this and couldn’t really blame him. It was up to her to make sure he never ever doubted her feelings again.
And then the final piece of the puzzle found its place - she kissed him, Adrien, knowing that she had done it before. It was familiar, of course it was, but it was also new in the best possible way. It was them, finally fully seeing each other, and it was perfect.