Chapter Text
Marinette had made up her mind. If she didn’t find someone to talk to about her double life, she was bound to go nuts within the next week.
It wasn’t that she couldn’t handle the secrecy of being a part-time super hero. Sure, it kind of sucked to have to lie to everyone she knew, but the risk of them getting hurt far outweighed the benefits of telling them. And it would probably complicate things more than she needed anyway.
What she was really craving, though, was someone to rehash the battles and details with. She could always talk to Alya about it, but she couldn’t share her real perspective, and it just wasn’t the same as talking to someone who knew. It had been almost a year since she had received her kwami and her powers as Ladybug, and the bottle inside her that contained all of the excitement and worries that came with the responsibility was about to shatter. She needed a release, and fast.
So after lying face down on her bed for nearly two hours, she finally decided to tell someone, but it couldn’t be just anyone. Her parents couldn’t know the truth because they would worry too much and never let her continue to save Paris. Alya couldn’t know because she would freak out too much and would probably (no offense to her) “accidentally” oust her identity on her Ladyblog. She could tell Nino, but she didn’t know him that well and he probably wouldn’t believe her and/or would think she was crazy. That left Adrien, but she would sooner confide in Chloe than him.
Then who was left to share her biggest secret with? Well, the only person in Paris who could, remarkably, relate to her situation.
Chat Noir.
Marinette knew it was crazy, stupid, and probably something she would soon regret. But she just couldn’t handle the solitude anymore. And it had been made clear since day one that Chat had been willing to reveal his identity, despite Marinette’s apprehensions to share her own. So it was with great bravery and will power that Marinette stood up off of her bed, asked Tikki to transform her, and made off into the evening-lit streets of Paris.
It didn’t take long for her to find Chat Noir, perched gracefully along the edge of the roof of some building near her bakery. He greeted her with a huge grin and a small wave, before he stood up to grab her hand and kiss it.
“What a purrfect time for my beautiful Ladybug to arrive and bless me with her presence,” he said playfully, laying it on thick. Ladybug laughed at his ridiculous behavior before sitting down next to him and swinging her legs off the side of the roof.
“Oh quiet you,” she giggled. “Sorry I’m late, as usual.”
“You had better have an excellent excuse, young lady,” he put one hand on his hip and the shook the index finger of his other hand at her with a big shit-eating grin splayed across his face.
“Well, if you simply must know, I was contemplating our identities and lost track of time.” She didn’t want to reach this topic so early in the evening, but it seemed that now was as good a time as any to discuss it. Chat seemed relaxed and comfortable with where the conversation was heading, so Ladybug felt like it was alright to bring it up right way.
“Our identities, you say? Are you trying to claw your way into knowing who the mysterious Chat Noir is?” He just couldn’t be serious about anything, could he?
“As if,” Ladybug replied with a chuckle. “But I have been debating if I should let you in on my secret.” She looked over to him and met his eyes. They had opened in surprise, but he was still smiling, leading Ladybug to believe that he was okay with what was about to happen.
“My lady, it’s been almost a year of fighting crime together, and just now you’ve decided to consider revealing yourself? What’s with the sudden change of heart?” He was more serious now, grasping for an explanation as to what had happened to lead his lady to this decision. His voice reminded her of someone she knew, but she couldn’t quite place her finger on it…
“I guess it’s because I’m finally finding it to be too much to bottle up. I mean, I want to be able to talk to someone about what it’s like from this perspective, not just from the sidelines.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “My best friend is really involved in watching what Ladybug and Chat Noir do, but I can’t talk to her about what it’s actually like. She can’t know who I am, so trying to talk the details is a no-go with her. I guess, out of all of this, I figured that you would be the most understanding of anybody.” She smiled at him shyly, reminding him of someone he knew, but he couldn’t put his finger on…
“My lady, I am absolutely touched that you’ve considered me to be your confidant, and as long as you’re sure about this, I’m willing to take your identity to my feline grave.” He stood up, taking her hand and pulling her up along with her. “It would make winning your heart even easier if I knew who you were as a civilian; I’d be able to figure out and destroy this other man competing for your heart.” He winked at Ladybug and she laughed quietly.
“Just for that comment, I’m gonna make you wait until the end of the patrol to see who the woman behind the mask is.” She chuckled before taking off across the rooftops, leaving Chat to sigh disappointedly before chasing after her.
“I’m absolutely purring with anticipation, my lady.” Chat whispered as they arrived in a dark alleyway, well outside of the view of unsuspecting Parisians.
Ladybug sighed anxiously before turning to meet Chat’s gaze head on. “I just need you to promise me one thing.”
“Anything for the girl about to bare her soul to me,” he whispered dramatically. She rolled her eyes before carrying on nervously.
“Promise me that no matter who I am outside the mask that you’ll still be my partner and best friend, even if you absolutely can’t stand the klutz I am in everyday life.” Chat’s eyes widened and he felt the most intense sadness that he had felt in a long time. Why would she say something like that? No matter what, she was still Ladybug, regardless of what her name was outside of her miraculous. It broke his heart to hear the self-loathing in her voice as she asked him for this one incredibly unnecessary favor.
“Ladybug,” he said as he walked up to her. “You will always be my lady, my princess, no matter who you are, because no matter what kind of person you are on the other side, you’ll always be Ladybug. You were chosen for this job for the same reasons I was, and there is no reason that you should feel like you aren’t worthy. So of course I promise.” He hugged her then, and she hugged him back twice as hard, hiding her face in his shoulders.
He had grown so much over the last year alone, both physically and emotionally. No longer was he (always) the immature flirt that he had started out as. Just as his shoulders had broadened and his jawline strengthened, his relationship with Ladybug had expanded to be more than just jokes and fighting, but of friendship and partnership. If she were honest with herself, she had a bigger crush on Chat Noir than she had on Adrien, but she would never admit it to anyone.
She stepped back from him just as her earrings emitted their first warning beep. “You’d better be ready to talk the rest of the night way once I’m not Ladybug.” She smiled at him, and he winked in return. He had nothing more to look forward to in his entire life. Suddenly, he was engulfed in a bright light as she transformed back into her civilian self, and Chat Noir began to laugh as soon as he saw who she was.
“I knew it would be you!” He laughed out, before once again pulling her into a tight hug. “You make a beautiful Ladybug, Marinette.”