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It was hard not to notice the similarities, one had her heart unknowingly in the palm of his hand, the other she trusted with her life. She wanted to know everything about the one, and couldn't help knowing the other despite her best efforts. Still though, she was able to keep herself from noticing the similarities for a long while.
Then he had to make the same joke she had heard earlier that morning in battle. Then he had to grumble about a confusing assignment, the topic which she had been assigned that afternoon.
She couldn't deny it when he placed his hand on her shoulder, reminding her she had done her best. She couldn't deny it when he winked at her to quickly express to her she had done great as they went their separate ways. The memories were even getting muddled. Which had been Adrien and which had been Chat Noir?
Knowing was bad enough. Telling was worse, because she couldn't! At first she gave herself the time needed, once she was sure, to just digest this information. The two most important boys in her life were one in the same. She should have been happy, and honestly she was, but her anxiety was now through the roof.
Alya could tell something was up. After all Marinette had graduated away from being a stuttering mess most of the time around her crush by now. Except it suddenly came back in a rush. Every interaction she had with the model there was a voice in the back of her head saying "Tell him. Tell him."
There was no way to get Adrien alone long enough to tell him. Even if she could express her need to talk to him alone. Even if someone didn't interrupt. People would know. People would talk! All the worse case scenarios played out in her head.
She should have been able to talk to him as Chat Noir. Not during battles of course. Marinette was scraping up every last bit of will power to keep her mind on the objective of beating and cleansing the akuma and every time she thought maybe she should suggest they go the same direction afterwards she chickened out. She couldn't seem to get the words out. And worse, worse! She could tell he could tell something was up. Damn him and being a gentleman and waiting for her to say something.
And she should have during patrol, but she was always rambling on. It made no sense to her at all. Why didn't he try to stop her, or say something? At this point she half thought maybe he knew too, but if he did he wasn't acting any different as Adrien.
It had happened as most things do, by accident, and because of Chloè. Marinette had left her seat to go down the stairs, when Chloé pushed her chair into the aisle, causing Marinette to try to dodge it by moving closer to the desk Adrien and Nino shared. In so doing she accidentally kicked at Adrien’s bag and all the contents fell down the last step.
“I’m so sorry,” Marinette cried out as she quickly jumped down to try to help Adrien gather up his things.
He had been fast. Scarily so, but maybe that made sense. It was possible his kwami was inside the bag with the way he was all but hovering over the bag and it’s spilled items. “It’s okay. Really. I got it!”
“Are you sure?” Marinette asked in concern, her hand going behind her back.
“Yes, thank you though.” And he smiled. One of those beautiful Adrien Agreste smiles that she too easily felt herself falling into.
“Problem, I mean at all problem, I mean NOT a problem at all!” Marinette then swung around and raced out of the classroom. It wasn’t until she was halfway down the stairs that she realized something was in her hand.
Panic set in as Marinette looked at the phone. The logical part of her mind that might have suggested she just return it immediately was not responding, so instead she raced to the bathrooms.
Once she was safely in a stall she sighed in relief. But what to do? Surely she should just slip it into his bag next class. Could she be so smooth? She'd have to be.
Marinette looked at the phone longer with a frown. Adrien, Chat Noir, what was she going to do about knowing who he was? She was such a coward! Why couldn't it be easier to just tell him? She honestly wanted to!
She wasn't sure why she unlocked his phone, the code having not changed since the last time she had his phone in her possession. Absently she went to his contacts and scrolled. It didn't take long to find her name under the Ds for Dupain-Cheng. The accompanying photo she didn't recognize. She wondered when he took it. It was a picture of her with her sketchbook. It was a very different picture than the ones she'd seen on Alya and her parents' phones. Those pictures were snapshots of her being cheerful and in action. Here she was very focused.
"I wonder if that's how he sees me?" Marinette muttered to herself.
She was not alone in the stall though. "Who sees you how? Oh Marinette, not again!"
Tikki had peeked out of the purse and was looking at the phone in her hand.
"I didn't take it on purpose!" Marinette said defensively.
"And you opened it because...?" Tikki looked up at Marinette waiting for an explanation.
"I don't know! I just, I... I guess maybe I was hoping to find some sort of inspiration to tell him." She blinked her eyes rapidly, feeling them get moist. It wasn't the first time she was frustrated enough to cry, but she didn't want to do it here, in the bathroom, during the middle of the school day.
Tikki flew up and patted her cheek. "You'll figure it out Marinette. You're just thinking about it too hard. For now though you should return Adrien's phone."
Marinette sighed. Tikki was right. As she was about to tap out of the app an idea struck her. She couldn't tell him, and he hadn't guessed yet, maybe she could give him a hint!
With a grin she editted the contact name for herself. Not Ladybug, just on the off chance someone else got his phone, unlocked it, went through his contacts and.... Okay so it was unlikely, but it could happen. Now there were several nicknames Chat Noir had for her, but there was only one that would work for this.
If he looked at his contacts. If he saw "My Lady". If he realized who it was, and why of all nicknames she chose that one!
Marinette quickly got out of the app and went for the stall door. With this little act she was confessing more than just her identity. She had no idea when he would notice though. Before she could change her mind she exited the bathroom. She'd have to wait until after school to get her kwami's opinion on what she just saw her do!
Entering class she was nervous. Adrien was talking to Nino though and his bag was atop the desk. She patted the bag with one hand, her other quickly slipping the phone in. "E-everything secured? I didn't break? I mean anything broke I hope, I didn't break anything I mean!"
Well no more awkward than any other time she was flustered around Adrien, right? Adrien just smiled at her and shook his head. "No, everything was fine Marinette. Don't worry about it."
She smiled back and nodded her head then went to her desk. Maybe she could just melt into the floor and die? But no, then she wouldn't get a chance for Adrien to know who she was and then they could form a closer bond and then they could date, get married, have two or three kids, and...
The rest of the day passed in a daze for Marinette. After school she went home in a state of hoping Adrien would see the change soon and fear over she'd be waiting forever. And what if he didn't get it? Oh no!
"There there Marinette it will be alright!" The tiny hand was patting her head as she tried to suffocating herself with her history book. It was of course not working. "Maybe I should just try telling him next patrol. Just tell him we can't start until I tell him and just, just, agh, I get tongue tied just trying to imagine telling him. Why is this so much harder than facing off an akuma?"
She needed to do this though. This was Adrien, this was Chat Noir. She had so much affection for this boy she felt like she was going to burst if she couldn't let it out soon.
And bursting into a scream is what she did when her phone rang with a very particular ring tone. Can't Help Falling In Love With You by Haley Reinhart might have been a little over the top, but she had never been successful at being anything but overly smitten by the boy.
Marinette grabbed the phone quickly and looked at Adrien's beautiful face on the screen. She took a deep breath to steady herself. This could be it. Or he could be calling about something to do with school and just had her on speed dial. Though the idea she was one of his speed dials seemed unlikely. Regardless, she needed to answer.
"Hello?" Did she sound hesitent? Her voice wasn't too low was it? She was pretty sure she didn't whisper or mumble, right?
"Hello. Is this Marinette," Adrien's voice sounded unsure.
Her heart was pounding fast, but she couldn't help but smile. No more secrets were going to be between them. Her voice reflected her returned confidence. "Yes it is."
"Oh thank goodness," and she could hear the obvious relief in his voice and she couldn't help but giggling.