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It was a normal evening. Well, at least they thought so.
Adrien was at Marinette’s house, who was showing Adrien some of her newest designs. They had started dating a few days ago, and both of them were slightly blushing at the presence of each other.
The designs Mari showed him were amazing. They were breathtaking.
She closed up her notebook. “So,” she said, putting her hands on her knees. “What do you think of them?”
“They’re… they’re beautiful,” he said. “Just like you,”
She blushed and looked away.
Adrien looked outside the window. The sun was just going down, the pale orange light shining through the windows. Swirls of pink and red clouds surrounded the setting sun.
He suddenly felt something in his hand, and he slightly jumped. It was Mari’s hand, and he blushed. They were so soft. He squeezed it a little, showing he was there.
Mari smiled. Then she frowned. She felt something hard on the back of her palms. She looked at his hand. She saw a ring.
“Oh, that’s what I felt, the ring,” she said. Adrien laughed a bit, but she couldn’t help but hear a slight nervousness.
“Yeah, the ring,” he said. “It’s really special to me,”
She looked back at the pink clouds, but something about his words got stuck in her head.
*”It’s really special to me,”*
She whipped back around. “Wait, show me that ring,”
Adrien put his hand on the table. She looked at the ring. It glinted… more than a normal ring.
And that shape… that shape.
“Adrien, when did you get this ring?” she said, an urgency in her tone.
Adrien was taken aback by her desperation in her voice. “Ummm, the beginning of the school year. The same day we met,”
*That’s the same day… The same day I got my miraculous!*
“Adrien… oh Adrien,” Marinette whispered.
It was so breathtakingly obvious. How did she not see this before?
“Mari? Is everything alright,” he said.
She looked into his lime-ish eyes.
“You… you,” Mari said, breathless. “The ring, it all makes sense!”
Adrien panicked. Has she somehow figured out his secret?
Turns out, she had.
“You’re- you’re-”
Adrien scooted away, panicked. “It’s- it’s not what you’re thinking!”
“You’re Chat Noir!” she gasped.
Adrien froze. He couldn’t breathe.
*Oh no. Oh no no no no no! M’lady is gonna be so mad!*
“Adrien, it’s okay,” Marinette said, putting a hand on his shoulder. Adrien’s breathing became ragged.
“No no no, it’s not okay!” he said, choking on air. “No, this wasn’t supposed to happen! God, I’m the worst Chat Noir ever, I’m so stupid! Why did I not remove the ring? M’lady is gonna be really really mad-”
“Adrien!” Marinette half yelled, half spoke. “It’s okay! I won’t reveal your secret,”
He looked into her blue eyes. “You sure?” he whispered.
“Of course,” she smiled. She looked fine on the outside.
But inside, she was panicking.
*Adrien is Chat Noir!? My crush now boyfriend is Chat Noir!? Oh my god, I rejected him so much! Wait, that means my crush has had a crush on me this whole time!? Oh my god oh my god oh my god. Wait, but I’m not supposed to know his identity! Oh no, his miraculous is gonna be taken!*
“Mari, you okay?” Adrien said, tilting his head like a little puppy.
“Adrien…” she whispered. “I won’t reveal your secret, but god, I shouldn’t have figured it out. Master Fu is going to take your miraculous!”
“Yeah, I know,” he said, looking away. “I guess I’ll have to tell Ladybu- wait a second, how do you know Master Fu!?”
Marinette panicked. “Oh! Umm, I- uhhh, I- I-”
Suddenly, Adrien had a thought.
A horrifying one. His eyes widened.
*Oh my god, is this real!?*
He slowly turned to look at Marinette’s ears.
And there he saw it.
The earrings.
The very same ones he saw his former crush wear every single day.
“Mari…” he whispered, shocked
She gasped and she grasped to cover her ears.
“You didn’t see anything,” she said, her voice screechy. “You didn’t see anything at all, nothing suspicious behind my hands, totally not!”
“I saw them,” he said to Marinette. “No need to hide them. I know you’re Ladybug,”
She gasped softly.
Adrien gaped. “Wait, I was right!? It was just a theory and I was bluffing just to confirm it. It’s true!?”
She didn’t respond, but her silence said everything.
“My girlfriend… is my former crush,” he said, breathless.
“And my crush… loved me back with both of us in different identities," she said.
“We’re so blind,” Adrien said, a nervous laugh escaping his voice.
“But we’re now done for,” she whispered. “Master Fu is going to take our miraculous,”
He then grabbed her hand. “If he does, you still know you have me, I’ll never leave your side, M’lady, I promise. Like I said, you and me against the world, M’lady”
She smiled softly and squeezed his hand. “You and me against the world,” she repeated back.