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Adrien reclined back on the couch in his bedroom, one arm behind his head and the other rolling the De Vanily twin rings between his fingers. Plagg sat watching him from the end of the couch, flipping his tail from side to side as he observed the frown that was forming between his chosen’s brow.
It wasn’t the first time he had seen Adrien like this since the night Ladybug had come to see him and gave him the rings and it worried him. At first, Adrien had accepted at face value her explanation for what had happened, wanting to believe it was over with Monarch and give himself a chance to mourn his father - or more specifically mourn what he wished he’d had with his father.
“He wanted you to remember the times he tried to be a good father.” She had said, while placing the rings into his hands. So he did try, and yet something inside him felt unsettled, like he was missing some crucial piece of information.
Floating over, Plagg rested on Adrien’s chest. “What’s up kid?” He asked, his voice betraying his concern. “I thought you were feeling better after your date with pigtails today.”
Adrien put the rings back on his finger and lowered his hand to gently scratch behind Plagg’s ears. “You know Marinette always makes me feel better, but there’s still things that are bothering me with what Ladybug told me.”
“Like what?”
“Like my father.” He answered. “She said that he helped her defeat Monarch, that he sacrificed himself for the greater good and yet… does that sound like my father to you?” He screwed his eyes closed and shook his head. “I want to believe her, Plagg, but it wouldn’t be the first time Ladybug has hid stuff from me.”
“That was Chat Noir.” Plagg pointed out. “Why would Ladybug want to hide things from Adrien?”
“Because she knows more than she is letting on.” Adrien replied. “The real question is why? Ladybug doesn't know Adrien all that well and...” Adrien then suddenly sat up causing Plagg to slide off him and almost hit the ground. “What a minute… What if Ladybug does know me? What if…?”
Adrien didn’t get a chance to try and find an answer to that thought when a knock came to his bedroom door. Plagg quickly darted away and Adrien called out for Nathalie to come in.
“I just wanted to make sure you didn’t need anything before I go to bed.” Nathalie asked. She looked exhausted from dealing with the aftermath of Gabriel’s departure, but those dark, black circles that used to be under her eyes and the pale, clammy skin that hung around her like a cloak of death were now gone. She looked much like her old self again. Adrien stood up and gave her a reassuring smile.
“I don’t need anything, Nathalie.” He replied, fiddling with the rings on his finger. There were so many questions he had been wanting to ask her, but he didn’t know how to bring them up.
They had talked about his father, of course, but Nathalie didn’t know anymore about what had happened to his father that final day than he did - and he only knew what Ladybug had told him which admittedly that wasn’t much.
“Well, if everything is fine then I’ll head off to bed. Tomorrow you will need to come and meet with your Aunt and cousin at the studio so we can start organising what we are going to do about the unfinished Winter collection. Make sure you bring Marinette with you. I’d like her opinion as well.”
“Nathalie…” Adrien called after her. She stopped in the doorway and turned back to him. She could see he was nervous but the way he had his shoulders hunched forward. “Um… how are you feeling?” He asked hesitantly. Nathalie’s eyes softened.
“I'm very well Adrien.” She replied with a small smile. “You don’t have to worry about me.”
“But you were sick for so long.” Adrien continued, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “I was really worried because it seemed so similar to my mother’s illness, and, well...”
Nathalie walked over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder, looking him in the eyes. “I’m not going anywhere, Adrien.” She said earnestly. “I made a promise to your mother long ago that I would always be here for you, and I intend to keep that promise.”
She pulled him into her and hugged him tight. Adrien didn’t realise how much he needed that hug. Sure Marinette hugged him, and often, but this was a different kind of hug. A motherly kind of hug.
After Nathalie left, Adrien started to feel a little better, but no closer to any answers. He walked over to the window and looked out over the horizon. In the distance he saw Ladybug swing over the rooftops on patrol. She was out early.
For the last few weeks they had been doing “buddy shifts” with some of the other Miraculous holders. Ladybug said she wanted to share the patrol load out rather than it just the two of them taking it all on themselves, especially now that the holidays were over and school was back. He didn’t argue about it because it gave him more time with Marinette over the holiday break. They still had to be vigilant though since the Butterfly Miraculous was still missing. That was another question he didn’t have the answer to.
Transforming, Chat took to the rooftops on his usual route that took him past the school and Marinette’s house. The new school year had brought with it many changes, with the new school and Ms. Bustier now being the Mayor of Paris, but also it meant he got to spend everyday with Marinette and their friends - both of which had become more important to him than ever.
Approaching towards their favourite rooftop overlooking the Eiffel Tower, Chat saw Ladybug already there, her knees hugged to her chest as she looked over the tourists wandering through the Trocadero and taking selfies. There was a chill in the air, the cold on his face reminding Chat that the blissful summer was now over and the cold winter was approaching.
Chat watched Ladybug from a distance, her hand clearly wiping a tear from her face. He hadn’t had a chance to talk to her much since everything had happened. It was clear that she had been troubled the last few weeks, no doubt the missing Butterfly Miraculous would have been weighing heavily on her, and yet she was still keeping whatever was troubling her close to her chest.
Chat let out a long sigh. Some things with her never seemed to change. Taking his staff out, he vaulted across the gap between the buildings and landed on all fours beside her.
“Bonsoir m’lady.” He said, pretending he didn’t see her wiping her eyes. “All quiet on my side of patrol tonight.”
“Oh…y- yeah. All…all quiet here too.” She replied, dangling her her feet down and hanging on to the edge of the roof. She was avoiding looking at him.
Chat sat down beside her and they stayed that way for sometime in a comfortable silence, watching the people passing by, and yet there was so much tension oozing off her you could have cut it with a knife. Every now and again her shoulders would stiffen and her hands would grip the edge tighter, her body hunching forward before releasing. Then she would start chewing her on her bottom lip, almost as though she was willing her mouth to stay closed. She looked tired too, like she hadn’t slept properly for weeks. Chat felt it would be best to let her go home and get some rest.
Stretching his arms, he let out a purposefully exaggerated yawn. “Well, I think it’s time for this Cat to get his beauty sleep.” He quipped lightly. “So is it Rena and Carapace on tomorrow night?”
She turned her head and blinked at him like she hadn’t even heard what he said. “Patrol?” Chat prompted. “Are Rena and Carapace doing it tomorrow night? Remember I told you I had some stuff I needed to…”
“Oh, yes, patrol.” Ladybug said absentmindedly. “That’s why we have a team now, right Kitty? So it’s not just all on us anymore. I have a few things I need to do tomorrow so it works out for both of us.”
She tried to give him a reassuring smile, but it was anything but convincing. Chat turned so he was kneeling beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Is something wrong, Bug?” He asked her gently.
Ladybug shook her head, focusing her eyes ahead of her on the Eiffel Tower. “Nothings wrong Kitty. Everything’s fine.” She replied. Chat didn’t believe her, but he wasn’t going to press her.
“If you say so.” He said, standing up. “Just remember though I’m here if you need someone to talk to, alright.”
He barely heard her say okay, her voice was so weak. Chat hesitated for a moment before deciding that he should leave her alone to her thoughts. Walking a few steps, he went to take his staff off its holder when he felt a hand suddenly grab his.
“Wait.” Her voice cracked. Chat turned back to Ladybug, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“M’lady?” Chat placed his hands on her shoulders, leaning down a little to see her face more closely.
“I can’t do this anymore.” She sobbed, dropping her forehead onto his chest. “I can’t keep these secrets. I can’t…”
Chat wrapped his arms around her, stroking her hair. “I’m here.” He said assuringly, resting his cheek on top of her head. “Whatever it is that’s bothering you, I’m here for you.”
They stood there for a few moments. Chat rested his chin on top of her head and continued to rub soothing circles on her back, keeping his own breaths slow and steady untill her own matched his rhythm. “Do you want to tell me what happened?” He asked gently.
Ladybug took a few deep breaths. “If you tell someone a lie to protect them from a terrible truth, is it still wrong?”
Chat’s hand stopped moving. “A lie is still a lie Bug, even if it is said with the best of intentions.”
Ladybug moved back from his embrace and looked up at him. “Even if the truth will hurt someone terribly?”
“Even then.” Chat reiterated. “Sooner or later the truth always comes out, and when it does you may wish you had just been honest in the first place.” She darted her eyes away from his and bit down on her lip again, closing her eyes. “What’s this all about, m'lady? What are you hiding?”
She turned her eyes back to his, tears threatening to fall again. “The truth about what happened to Monarch… and Gabriel Agreste.”
Chat felt like he had stopped breathing. Somehow he knew something had been wrong with the version of events Ladybug had told him as Adrien, and he wondered just how open she would now be with Chat Noir. She had certainly kept her fair share of secrets from him in the past. He called on all his model training to school his expression. “Do you mean how they died?”
Ladybug wrapped her arms around herself. “It’s a little more complicated than that. I don’t… I mean I… Chat I need to tell someone about what really happened. You are the only person I completely trust right now, but if I tell you this you have to promise not to tell Adrien Agreste.”
Chat raised an eyebrow at her. “So you are keeping secrets from Adrien Agreste? Wasn’t his father the one that died to help you defeat Monarch? I would have thought he would be the one person who deserves to know exactly what happened.”
“He does.” Ladybug agreed, her voice cracking. “He deserves to know everything but I promised… I made a promised not to tell him the truth and now it’s eating me up inside. Everytime I see him, everytime he looks at me with those trusting eyes… I should never have been forced into this position. He knew who I was… he knew what this would mean for me… what it could do to us and yet he did it anyway.” She buried her face into her hands and shook her head violently. “It will tear us apart, I know it will and I can’t bear the thought of that. Was that his plan? One final blow because he never wanted us to be together?”
Chat frowned at her, completely confused as to what on Earth she was talking about.
“M’lady, slow down. Take a deep breath and look at me.”
Ladybug turned up her tear filled eyes. Chat’s look was serious, but also concerned for her. “You’re not making any sense. Who made you promise not to tell Adrien? And who’s trying to breaking up who?”
Below where they were standing the sound of glass breaking caught Chat’s ears. He looked over the edge to see a group of guys in a Buck’s night staggering around a broken beer bottle while two police officers encouraged them to move on.
“Maybe this isn’t the kind of conversation we should be having out on a rooftop.” Chat wondered out loud. Ladybug didn’t know of course just how personal this conversation was going to be for him.
“I think you’re right.” Ladybug agreed, rubbing her eyes with her palm. “We need to go somewhere else. Somewhere I know it is safe to talk. Follow me.”
With a rapid flick of the wrist, Ladybug was already airborne before Chat could even get his staff out. As they moved quickly over the rooftops, Chat saw a familiar sight ahead of them, almost losing his footing when Ladybug landed on Marinette’s balcony.
“Why are we here to see Marinette?” He asked, wondering just how well his girlfriend knew Ladybug. “Does she know something about what happened?”
Ladybug stilled as she went to lift up her skylight. Shit, why did she bring him here? Idiot, idiot, she told herself. She had moved across the rooftops almost on autopilot, not thinking about the fact she was bringing her partner straight into her civilian life. All she could think of was she needed to be somewhere she felt safe, and safe for her was home.
“Marinette isn’t here.” She said quickly. “She um… she said I could use her room if I needed to because she was going to a friend’s place tonight… yeah and um… I mentioned I might need to talk to you in private here and she said it was ok because, you know, she wasn’t going to be here… now…”
She turned away from him and made her way down the skylight not seeing the confused frown on Chat’s face. Marinette never said anything about going to anyone’s house tonight. In fact when he had taken her home earlier after their afternoon date she had said she was going to have an early night because they were going to have a busy day tomorrow. He was happy about that because she had been looking really tired lately…
A niggling thought then started to creep into the back of his mind - a thought he’d had before connecting his partner with his girlfriend. Chat shook those thoughts from his head. Right now he needed to know what Ladybug was keeping from him. He could worry right now about identities. Opening the latch he followed Ladybug through the skylight and landed on Marinette’s bed.
Ladybug was already down the ladder from the loft and was pacing around the room… much the same way Marinette would do when she was beginning to spiral over something. Chat looked across to the bedside table where Marinette had a picture of him and her that was taken by Alya when they had that pool party a few weeks ago. She was smiling, but she looked tired. Chat touched her face with his clawed finger. Had he been missing what was right in front of his face all along?
“Chat?”
“I’m here.”
Chat put the photo back and came down the ladder. She had tears in her eyes again. “Alright Bug, what’s all this really about?” He asked a little more directly than he had intended.
Ladybug wrung her hands, still pacing. “I’ve been lying Chat.” She admitted, avoiding looking at him. “I’ve lied to you, to Adrien, to the whole of Paris.”
“Alight.” Chat said warily. “So what is this lie?”
Ladybug kept wringing her hands and walking around the room. Chat had enough and walked over to her, grabbing her by the shoulders and forcing her to stop. “That’s enough of that.” He said gently, but firmly. “No more dodging the issue. You’ve brought me here, you’ve told me that you can’t continue keeping whatever this is to yourself, so let’s get on with it. Tell me.”
Ladybug looked up into his Charatuse eyes. “Gabriel Agreste was no hero.” She said quietly. “He didn’t sacrifice himself to to defeat Monarch, he sacrificed himself because he didn’t want Adrien to know the truth.”
“The truth?” Chat questioned, a knot rapidly forming in his stomach. “What truth?”
Ladybug swallowed thickly. “Gabriel Agreste was Monarch”.
Chat’s hands dropped away from her shoulders and his head suddenly felt dizzy. Taking a step back he sat down on the edge of her chaise. He had no reason not to believe her and he remembered the time that Ladybug had suspected his father once before, but that didn’t make the news any easier to hear.
“How did you find out?” He asked, his own voice sounding a million miles away to his own ears.
Ladybug sat down next to him on the chaise, making fists with her hands on her knees. “Félix and Kagami came to me the day before Monarch used the Alliance rings to brainwash the world to do his bidding.”
Chat turned his head and looked at her in surprise. “Félix? You mean he knew who Monarch was all along?” Sure he knew Félix had made a deal with Monarch, but he hadn’t considered his cousin knew who was under the mask had kept that kind of a secret from him. Was everyone around him lying?
“I shouldn’t have gone alone.” Ladybug continued, oblivious to Chat's inner turmoil. “But I didn’t know where you were and I couldn’t wait for you. I already knew Gabriel was holding his son hostage in London and I was searching for answers to find him when Félix and Kagami came to me and told me… told me a story that I could scarcely believe was true, but in my heart I knew it had to be. I had to help them and I needed to know how to save Adrien.”
Ladybug’s thoughts were running faster than she could speak them, and at times her narrative became a little disjointed, but Chat got the gist of it well enough. She told him about the play Félix and Kagami had shown her with the aid of the Peacock Miraculous. After the defeat of Monarch, Ladybug had then gone later to speak with Félix and clarify the story he and Kagami had told her. What was clear was that Félix, Kagami and Adrien were all born with the assistance of the Peacock Miraculous, the twin rings holding Adrien’s amok.
“So you see now why I let Félix keep the Miraculous. The protection of the senti’s is very important to him, because the two people he cares most about, aside from his mother, are just like him. He did the wrong thing, there is no question about that, but he acted out of self preservation. I guess I can understand that.”
So what did that make him then? Half Human? A monster? Something not quite real? This was so messed up Chat could barely get his head around it.
He wanted to yell out, to scream into the abyss. Adrien wanted to cry, to throw a chair, to curse his father’s name, but Chat Noir sat there in silence. Would others see him as a freak? A monster? Something to be shunned and scorned? The thought terrified him. And if Ladybug by some twist of fate happened to be Marinette, would she still want him as her partner? If she knew all this time, is she only staying with him out of pity?
Ladybug continued to offload her conscience telling him about her encounter in Nathalie’s room and seeing Monarch detransform into Gabriel. Even though she had pieced the evidence together from Félix’s play, it was still a shock to her to see the physical, undisputed evidence in front of her.
No shit, Chat wanted to say. After all this was his own father in question, although right now he didn’t think revealing his identity would be such a great idea. It was clear Ladybug was placing a lot of trust in him as her partner with this information, certainly more trust than she had in some time, but he wasn’t sure how long that would last if she knew the very monster she had sought to protect was the one under the mask.
She then said seeing the video Nathalie showed her of Emilie prompted her to do everything she could to end Gabriel’s reign of terror. Emilie never wanted her husband to try and bring her back and Chat had to try to hold back a tear. He missed her so much, but it was clear his father had never managed to move on and he wondered if there had been more he could have done to help him. Ladybug said she thought she could negotiate with him, reason with him even, even going so far as to drop her transformation to show him she was being genuine, that was until he betrayed her and made the wish.
“What?” Chat interjected at hearing this new piece of information. “What do you mean he made the wish? What was it?”
“He never said the words out loud.” Ladybug replied. “It was something along the lines of read my heart and the price to be paid was to read his soul. All I know is that after that Gabriel was reunited with his wife in the afterlife, Nathalie was no longer sick. I guess he traded his life for hers so that Adrien would always have someone… someone I know that cares for him like a mother. Plus he also has his girlfriend who I know also loves him with her whole heart.”
There was a bitterness in Chat’s eyes. “So… Gabriel gave up being with his son so he could be with his wife in death?” Chat scoffed. It made him feel rather insignificant, but then again that’s how his father had often treated him. With the whole of Paris believing Gabriel was a hero, he convinced himself to push to one side the fact his father had abused and manipulated him, forcing him to leave the girl he loved and locking both him and Kagami up in London. The man truly had done some hideous things. At least he felt at least a little justified at the hurt and anger he felt for that.
“I guess Gabriel thought he had nothing left to lose.” Ladybug replied with a small shrug. “That cataclysm he sustained had spread through him and he didn’t have long left anyway. Maybe only hours by that stage.”
Chat felt cold and the gravity of that statement hit him. He could see so clearly that moment when Monarch, his father, grabbed his charged hand and plunged it onto his arm. “I killed him.” He murmured, holding up his hands to stare at them. He really was a monster. “What did I do? I took his life… I’m responsible.” Chat could feel himself gasping for air as he slid onto his knees. “How could I have been so careless? This is my punishment. The universe is punishing me for using my powers as a weapon and not for the greater good.”
Ladybug was quickly on her knees beside him, her arm around his shoulders as she pushed her own pain to one side. “You are not responsible Kitty!” She said, trying to get him to look at her. “What Monrach did was his own fault. No one thought he was crazy enough to cataclysm himself and take with him the only thing that could have saved his life in my Lucky Charm. And he did not have to die the way he did. He had a choice.”
She touched his face and brought his eyes to hers. “He could have spent those last moments with his son. He could have told him the truth and mended their broken relationship, but he chose not to. That is not your fault, Chat, that was his choice and his alone.”
“Maybe he didn’t want to spend his last moments with the monster he had helped create.” Chat abruptly stood up and walked across the room, standing in front of Marinette’s mirror.
“I hope that isn’t Adrien you are referring to.” Ladybug said angrily. “Or Félix or Kagami for that matter.”
“From what you told me that’s how Colt Fathom felt about Félix. And Tomoe Tsurugi is hardly the picture of a loving mother. Maybe that’s our punishment for our existence. In the end we are despised by the ones who were meant to love us.”
“They are not monsters, Chat.” Ladybug said angrily. “They are human just as much as anyone else, and now that they all have their amoks no one can tell them what to do or control their actions. They are free. Free to live the life they want to and free to love who they chose.” Ladybug wrapped her arms around herself, her voice trailing off a little as she finished the sentence.
That was rather specific. What was it she had been rambling earlier? Something about -him- not wanting -them- to be together. That sounded awfully familiar. There was only one person his father didn’t want him to be with. Chat rubbed the part of his hand where he knew the twin rings were concealed under his glove. He remembered when Marinette had slid the rings onto his finger at the pool party - “You don’t have to be like him, just be yourself.” She had said. “You’re the only one who can decide what you make of your life.”
“What’s Adrien Agreste to you?” He asked suddenly, his back still to her. “You seem quite defensive of him. Do you think his girlfriend would leave him if she knew the truth?”
Ladybug’s eyes widened at the coldness in his voice. “Marinette isn’t like that.” She replied angrily. “I know you said you had feelings for her, so you have to know she would never betray someone she loved like that. She loves Adrien with her whole heart. Amok or not, senti or not, it makes no difference. Adrien is not defined by the circumstances of his birth, but by the person, yes person, that he is.”
Chat smiled to himself, but he didn’t let her see that. “You still didn’t answer my question, Bug.” He said, turning back around to look at her. “What is Adrien Agreste to you and why are you so desperate to protect him?”
Ladybug could feel the tears starting to return. Dare she tell him the whole truth? The truth that she was Adrien’s girlfriend who only wanted to shield him out of love.
“Marinette?” Came Sabine’s voice from below the trap door. “Marinette, did you put your plate and cup from earlier into the dishwasher? I’m about to put it on.”
Ladybug’s face morphed into one of sheer panic. They were both transformed and the last thing she needed was her mother coming in and seeing the hero’s of Paris in her daughter’s room. Quickly she dived on to her trapdoor in the hopes that her mother wouldn’t open it.
“Yes I already took it down.” She called out, sounding slightly panicked. “Don't come in though, I… ahhh, I have patterns all over the floor.”
“That’s alright sweetheart, just make sure you don't stay up too late alright?”
Ladybug was about to breathe a sigh of relief when Sabine added one more thing. “Oh, and Adrien dear? Next time to just come in through the front door? You don’t have to sneak around us, alright. You are always welcome here.”
“Um… okay… sorry Mrs Cheng.” He replied, catching the stunned look on his partner’s face as Ladybug’s eyes markedly widened.
“Claws in.” He said quietly, releasing Plagg out from his ring and handing him some camembert. “I guess there’s no reason to go on pretending anymore.”
He didn’t look angry, he looked hurt and somehow that felt a thousand times worse. Marinette dropped her own transformation, handing Tikki a cookie. “How did she know?” She asked her Kwami, still bewildered by what had just happened. “All this time we didn’t know and yet Mama knew in an instant.”
“She had no reason to think it was anyone else.” Tikki replied. “She heard voices and applied the most logical answer which was you and of course Adrien. It was your own reactions that gave it all away.”
Marinette looked over to where Adrien was feeding Plagg by the mirror. The sadness in his eyes gave her a pain in her chest.
“Adrien…”
“What do you want from me Marinette?” He snapped at her. Then he let out a long breath. “Sorry, I just… I need a second alright.” He replied, his head still turned from her. “Tonight has been a lot.”
A suffocating silence filled the room and Marinette had to sit on her chaise before her legs collapsed from under her. Her heart was pounding and her mind was a plethora of questions, but one more than the others. Would he renounce his miraculous and never come back? Would he leave her? That thought was unbearable.
“So… here we are.” Adrien finally said, breaking the silence.
“You… you didn’t seem that surprised th-that it was me.” Marinette spoke nervously. “H-how long have you known?”
“I didn’t.” He replied frankly. “Not really. I’ve had suspicions before, but I wasn’t certain and you never wanted us to know each other’s identities so I didn’t pursue it. You bringing me here tonight didn’t change my mind much though. I mean why else would we come here of all places, if you weren't Marinette?”
“I wasn’t thinking.” She replied honestly.“I just felt like I needed a place where I felt safe. It didn’t even occur to me that I was bringing Chat here and not… well not you. Maybe the truth was that deep down, on a subconscious level, I wanted an end to the secrets. All the secrets.”
Adrien couldn’t help but be affected by the brokenness in her voice. “The truth about my father wasn’t your secret to have to keep.” He said gently. “If anyone should have told me the truth, it should have been Nathalie.”
“To be fair to her, she tried to help me. She wanted to stop the madness just as much as I did. She cares about you so much Adrien, and wanted to honour your mother’s wish not to be brought back. I used the video she had shown me to try and persuade your father to abandon the wish, because it wasn’t what your mother wanted, but he took things into his own hands.”
Adrien hummed in thought. “I can see I will need to have a good long talk with Nathalie, and Félix. I guess I can understand now why you left the Peacock with him. Gosh all that nonsense he seemed to be going on with at the Diamond Dance makes so much more sense now.”
Marinette could see him twisting the twin rings around on his finger. He looked down at his hand and let out a long sigh. “It will just take me some time to get my head around everything. To understand what I am.” He switched his focus from the twin rings to his Miraculous. “To understand who I really am.”
He ran his finger around his Miraculous. Marinette felt a panic begin to rise in her. He was going. He was going to leave her again, and this time he might never come back. She stood up with her hand outstretched. “Don’t.” She cried breathlessly. “Please don’t.” He stopped and looked back at her. She retracted her hand and didn’t come closer, but was shaking her head, her eyes pleading. “Please, don’t go. I couldn’t bear it. Please. I can’t be Ladybug without you Adrien. You’re the only Chat Noir I want by my side. If you don’t want to be with me anymore, then I understand but just know that I’m sorry. I'm so sorry I didn’t tell you everything before.”
Adrien looked back at his ring and realised how it might have looked to her. “I’m not giving up my Miraculous.” He said decidedly. “Before I might have, but not now.” He shook his head with a softened expression. “Not now that I know it was you behind the mask all along.” He cocked his head to one side and regarded her. “It doesn’t mean that I’m okay with everything that has happened, but I can understand that you were doing what you thought you had to do. It doesn’t mean I’m totally okay with it though.” He repeated just to be clear. “Not yet. Maybe not for a while.”
Marinette lowered her head. “Then I guess you and I… are we…”
“I still love you Marinette.” Adrien interrupted her. “I’ve been in love with you on both sides of the mask and considering you did go on that date with me as Chat, I guess you fell for this black cat too.”
There was a hint of a smirk on his face which was all Chat Noir shining through Adrien’s eyes and brought a small curve of a smile to her lips.
“I might be feeling angry and hurt, but…” He took a few steps closer to her. “But you still continued to love me, even after knowing what I was.” Reaching out he took her hands into his. “I can’t let you slip away from me just like that, and the truth is, you might have actually saved my life. God only knows what could have happened to me if something had happened to the rings, if they had fallen into someone else’s hands but yours.”
“I only ever wanted to keep you safe.” Marinette said earnestly.
“I know. Sometimes you confuse me, but your heart is always in the right place. It’s one of the many things that I love about you.”
Marientte could feel fresh tears flooding her eyes as Adrien pulled her into a tight embrace, burying his face into her hair. “We still have a lot to talk about, and it’s going to take some time, but we will get through this m’lady. You and me like we always have. Okay?”
Marinette could barely hold back her sobs of joy and relief.
“Oh Kitty.” She cried into his chest. “I was so scared to tell you. I was…”
“Shhh.” He soothed, pulling back enough so that he could cradle her face in his hands. “You don’t have to be scared anymore. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere, I promise. I won’t let you down, but thank you.”
“For what?”
“For loving me.”
“I’m not perfect, Adrien. I’ve made so many mistakes and…”
Adrien placed a finger down over her lips to silence her. “I’m done with perfect, Marinette. I don’t want perfect, I just want you.”
He could taste the salt of her tears as he kissed her. A soft, reassuring kiss so that she knew he meant it. Sitting on the chaise, Adrien held her across his lap, cradling her in his arms with her head on his shoulder. The only sound was their own breathing - strong, steady and true, just like they would be.