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Chat Noir had expected a lot of things from the identity reveal. He had expected him and Ladybug to grow closer. He had expected to be let into her life and for her to be welcomed into his. He expected to introduce her to his friends outside the suit, maybe even his father.
He hadn't expected her to stammer and blush the moment she saw his face. He hadn't expected her (hoped, yes, but not expected) to be someone he already knew. And he hadn't expected for the identity reveal to change his feelings about her so drastically.
Because, to be frank, Chat Noir had decided to take Ladybug's advice and look elsewhere. Look to one of his very first friends, someone who is just as kind, as brave, as amazing as Ladybug. But it turns out, the two of them were the same person.
So here he was, his first love suddenly revealed to be the only other girl he ever loved. It was plain to see that she was the love of his life. Chat wanted nothing more than to sweep Marinette Ladybug Dupain-Cheng off her feet, but there was one major complication with his plan.
One Other Boy. That wasn't his name, of course. Chat Noir didn't know his actual name, maybe that would change since he knew who Ladybug was now. But you know what wouldn't change? His insurmountable jealousy he felt towards whoever held his Lady's heart. And you know what made matters worse? Apparently, he didn't love her back! He really wished he knew who this boy was, because he would very much like to give him a piece of his mind. He had run through all the options and had come up blank. It couldn't have been Luka, the only boy she's shown interest in, because they broke up forever ago.
So just who was it who was breaking his Lady's heart?
The thought had lingered on him all day. He had always paid special attention to Marinette, but now knowing she was actually his partner in disguise? How could he not be drawn to her? She was close to every guy in the class, she seemed to have a similar dynamic with all of them. No blushing, no flirting, yet one of them had to have her heart!
Adrien scowled as Kim laughed at something Marinette said. He really tried his hardest to not show his jealousy. He knew that Marinette was a person, not a prize to be won. She deserved to make the decision about who she loved all on her own. But that didn't change the longing in his heart, wishing that she had chosen him.
Even if she hadn't, what he had with her was special. He got to know her deepest, darkest secret. He got to see a side to her that no one else except maybe Alya saw. That had to count for something. So even if she didn't love him the way he wished she did, he was perfectly content being her best friend. She meant the world to him, and so did her friendship.
But still, he really wished the Other Boy would wake up and ask her out already, or that she would move on. He just wanted her to not look so heart-broken.
So when he arrived to patrol that night and saw Ladybug slumped over, he already knew what was wrong.
"I'll happily kill him for you, you know," Chat Noir greeted, landing next to her. Ladybug let out a groan.
"Am I really that obvious?" She hid her face behind her hands.
"Only to me, bugaboo. But seriously, just tell me the guy's name and I'll take care of it." His tone was light, but his eyes were dead serious. Ladybug snorted.
"I don't think you'd be saying that if you knew who he was."
"I know that you've been in love with him for forever, and that he doesn't love you back. Which is an utter crime." Chat Noir nodded, pressing his shoulder to hers.
"I mean, I don't exactly know if he doesn't love me," Ladybug whispered. Chat Noir felt his heart sink straight to his stomach. What?
On one hand, he was grateful that maybe he wouldn't have to hear about his partner's latest failed confession anymore. On the other hand, how much would this change things between them? She knew about his past feelings, that had to account for something. Would she hesitate on his behalf? Would she ask him to stop with the nicknames and hand kisses? He wasn't sure which of those two were worse.
"O-oh?" Chat Noir coughed out, trying to hide the storm of emotions raging through him.
"Yeah. I uh," she had that beautiful blush on her face again, "I recently learned he used to be in love with me. I had no idea if he still returns those feelings, but maybe this time it'll actually work. Maybe this time I can actually tell him how much I loved him." She turned towards him, a fierce look of determination on her face. Chat Noir gulped down his heart's protests.
"Well, I doubt his feelings for you have changed that much," he shrugged.
'I know mine haven’t' was what he didn't say.
"You really think so?" She gave him a look that he couldn't quite decipher. Hope, for sure, but also something deeper. As if she was telling him an inside joke. Well, whatever the joke was he didn't get it.
"I really do. I think that you're impossible to get over, Marinette." It came out more serious than he intended. He saw her eyes widen impossibly large.
'Abort! Abort!'
"You mean that, Adrien?" she whispered, stepping towards him. He gulped. Her eyes were shining. She looked beautiful. He wanted to kiss her. He didn't.
"I really do, Marinette." He tried to give her a smile that read as 'supportive', but he was scared it came off as 'insane.' "And I'm saying that without knowing who the Other Boy is. Although, I do know of someone who used to have a crush on you." A face popped into his head. But it couldn't be! Absolutely not. If it was him, there was going to be some major complications in his friend group.
"It's not Nino." She rolled her eyes, reading his mind.
"Oh thank God." Chat Noir let out a breath, putting a hand on his chest. "That would make things really awkward."
"Yeah, no kidding." Ladybug gave him a wry grin.
"So Nathaniel then?" Chat Noir remembered the Evilustrator incident. It could be him, he used to be in love with her, and she rejected him before she revealed there was another boy. The timelines matched up.
"Nath is very happily with Marc, thank you very much," Ladybug laughed.
"Oh, I hadn't realized." Chat felt his cheeks burn. "I mean I knew Marc had a thing for him, but I didn't think they had made it official."
"Yep. They're sickening sweet and everything I want with my boy." She let out a lovesick sigh that went straight to Chat's heart. He was mainly joking about killing whoever he was, but if the Other Boy refused to accept Marinette, he better sleep with one eye open.
"So that makes two boys you've guessed who are in relationships I had a first hand effect on," Ladybug teased, breaking him out of his thoughts. "You want to make one last guess?"
"I don't know anyone else who used to be in love with you." Chat Noir shrugged, his heart speeding up at the deadpan look Ladybug gave him.
"Oh really?" she drawled. "Because I can think of one other person we both know full well used to be in love with me."
Oh! Of course, it was so obvious! Chat hoped the two of them would be happy together, they seemed to be a good match. And he knew Marinette's heart would be safe with this guy.
"So it was Luka! You know, I called it from the beginning. I bet you Plagg's entire stash of camembert that-."
"You're wrong, Chat. It's not Luka." Ladybug cut him off, a small smile playing on her lips.
He felt his world come to a stop.
"It's not Luka? Then just who is it then?" His voice came out a bit harsher than he had intended. Oops. He just wanted to make sure that Ladybug could trust this guy. Nino? Alya trusted him with her heart. Nathaniel? One of the nicest guys he knew. Luka? Absolutely perfect for her, as much as he hated to admit it. But this mystery Other Boy? Just who was he and what had he done to weasel his way in his Lady's heart?
Ladybug laughed, and suddenly he didn't feel so indignant anymore.
"I promise kitty, he's a trustworthy guy. I think you'd approve of him." That same grin was on her face, the one that was telling him more than he knew. "After all, you two have plenty in common," she sang.
Chat Noir wasn't exactly sure why she told him that little detail. If anything, it only made him resent the guy more.
"In fact, I'm pretty confident in saying that the only reason I fell for him first is because I met him first." She gave him a smile, unaware of how she was breaking his heart.
"Why are you telling me this?" The question escaped his lips before he could stop them. But once he had started, he couldn't stop. "You know that I'll support you through anything, including this, but you also know full well that I..." he stopped, a thought occurred to him.
A dangerous, hopeful thought.
"I know full well that you what, Chat?" Ladybug cocked her hip. Her eyes were burning a gleeful determination into his skull.
"How long has it been since you figured out he used to be in love with you?" He had to switch tactics and he had to switch them fast.
"I don't know, how long has it been since we revealed identities?"
His knees gave out from under him. What the fuck?
She was laughing. How could she laugh at a time like this? He was going through a crisis here! His heart cried out in joy as her words ran through his head over and over and over again.
"Adrien! Are you okay?" Ladybug asked through her laughter, sitting down in front of him.
Words! Come on brain, please work. She was expecting him to answer, but his brain was far too fuzzy for a coherent thought.
"Was I wrong?" She whispered, a frown coming over her face. She sounded so... small. He couldn't have that.
"No! No, you're not wrong." Good! He could actually talk to her now. "I'm just processing." He wheezed.
"Okay, you dork." She smiled affectionately. "I get it though, I had a similar reaction the other night when I realized. We've been chasing each other's tails this entire time," she laughed, shaking her head. "And to think I was finally moving on from Adrien Agreste to Chat Noir." His heart nearly exploded. There it was, there was the confirmation that his biggest dream had just come true. "The universe certainly has a funny way of surprising us, huh kitty?"
"I'm the Other Boy," he breathed out. Ladybug bit her lip, a faint blush coming over her cheek as she nodded. "I threatened to murder myself on multiple occasions."
"Yeah, you sure did," she giggled. The sound was music to his ears.
"When?" He scooted closer to her, pressing his side up against hers.
"What do you mean, when?"
"When did you fall for Adrien Agreste?"
"Um," she bit her lip, blushing hard, "possibly thedayyougavemeyourumbrella?" She squeezed her eyes shut.
And just when Chat thought things couldn't get any better, Ladybug just had to go and give him the answer of his dreams.
"Mari..." he said slowly, "that was the day after we met."
She nodded.
"I know."
"I thought you hated me," he whispered.
"No! Never! I mean, maybe for the first like, two hours that I knew you but," she looked away from him, "you showed me such kindness when you gave me your umbrella. How could I not fall for you? And even if I had never met you as Adrien, I know I would've fallen for Chat sooner or later." She beamed at him. His mind raced with a million questions, a million things he wanted to say.
"All the failed love confessions?"
"Oh my God, there were so many. Valentines I wrote but forgot to sign, notes that got misplaced, letters that got switched around. That time I asked you to find me constipation medicine? Yeah, that was a letter Master Fu had given me that I mixed up with a heartfelt confession," she laughed. "God, I get why you're telling me you love me all the time, it's an amazing feeling getting it all off your chest."
"Yep." His voice came out a strangled cry. She loved him. She loved him. He couldn't believe it. And yet that was reality. Suddenly everything made sense. Her sutter and blush? That was because she liked him. The photos in her room? Jagged had been right, it was because she liked him. All the times it seemed as though Alya tried to get them alone together? It. Was. Because. She. Liked. Him. How could he have gotten so incredibly lucky?
"Chat, are you sure you're okay?" She sounded nervous, too nervous for his liking.
"You know, I always thought the day we revealed our identities would be the happiest day of my life." He shook his head and laughed, opening up his arms for her. "Turns out I was wrong. Tonight is the happiest day of my life."
She laughed, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him in for a hug.
"I love you so much, Marinette. As both Ladybug and Marinette Dupain-Cheng." The confession tumbled out of his mouth, his brain finally catching up with reality. "The only one who ever held a candle to Ladybug was Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and it turns out the two of you are the same person." He drew a shaky breath and it was then he realized he was crying.
"I love you too, Adrien." She melted into his arms. "Ha! Look! I actually said it this time! I actually confessed!"
"You sure did." He pulled back from the hug to give her nose a kitten kiss. "And guess what? You are certainly not getting rejected from me."
"Yeah?" Ladybug breathed, her eyes flickering down to his lips. He gulped. Even though he wanted this, wanted it more than anything, he was still nervous. She gave him a hesitant smile. It was nice to see that she was feeling unsure, too.
"Yeah," he breathed over her lips. "May I?" he asked, bringing a hand to her face to tilt her head up.
"Please," Ladybug whispered right before his lips met hers.
It was a sweet kiss, one of love and excitement. One of anticipation for what would come next for them. Chat Noir belatedly realized that this was technically his first kiss (or at least the first he could remember). Good. His first kiss being with his soulmate sounded like a dream come true. And after the reveals of the night, it truly was.
"I love you," he said again when they broke apart, just because he could.
"I love you too, Adrien Chat Noir Agreste." Ladybug rested her forehead against his. "'The Other Boy.'" Her eyes turned mischievous. He gave her a look.
"Okay, when I said I wanted to murder him, I didn't realize he was me. I obviously don't want to kill him now, because obviously, he's not going to break your heart." He crossed his arms, and looked away from her pouting.
"Oh, you're so dramatic!" She was laughing again, she had been doing that a lot recently. He must be doing something right then.
"Yeah, but you know you love it." Chat Noir winked at her, grabbing her hand to place a kiss on it.
"I do, I really do." She smiled at the warmth of his lips on her suit. "You really sure The Other Boy won't break my heart?"
"Absolutely. I think he's too madly in love with you to even think about hurting you. I think you can trust your heart with him, he'll take excellent care of it." She placed her hand on his cheek, he leaned into the embrace.
"Well, I trust your judgment about him, Chat. So I've made up my mind. I'll ask Adrien Agreste out after school tomorrow." She gave him a curt nod, her serious expression breaking when his eyes met hers.
"I have it on very good authority that he'll say yes."
"He better, or else I'll string him on the Eiffel Tower with my yo-yo." Ladybug gave him an innocent grin that sent shivers down his spine.
"I'll be sure to pass the message along that Marinette Dupain-Cheng plans to ask him out. I'm sure he'll be ecstatic, word on the street is that he's loved her since the day they met." That got her to blush again, score!
"W-well, word on the street is that Marinette fell in love with him the day after they met, so there," she stuck her tongue out at him and he let out a laugh.
"So it's decided then. Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste will become a couple tomorrow." He kept a close eye on her, watching for any signs of discomfort. It never came. Instead, Ladybug gave him a blinding grin.
"Sounds like an excellent idea, kitty."
He beamed at her. He couldn't help it! He was always weak to getting compliments, especially from the girl he loved.
"Why of course, bugaboo, it was my idea." He placed a hand on his chest, wiggling his eyebrows at her.
"No it wasn't, I had the idea to ask the Other Boy out tomorrow first."
"Ah, but that's you and the Other Boy," Chat corrected, "we're talking about Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste. Completely different people." He bit back a laugh. He could tell Ladybug was struggling to control herself, too.
They had been such idiots, chasing each other all this time.
He had expected a lot of things from the identity reveal. A lot of his expectations were met, even more were surpassed, but the one thing he hadn't expected? The one thing he hadn't expected was that he, and no one else, was the Other Boy.