I have crossposted this on AO3, you can find it under halcyon_epochs.

Just to clear up confusion prior to reading: this is an AU in which Marinette discovers the book later than in canon. She's slowly falling for Chat, while Adrien is falling for Marinette.

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug. It belongs to Thomas Astruc and his wonderful team.

...oOo...

Master Fu scrutinized Marinette thoughtfully. "Are you sure you don't know who this book belongs to?" he queried.

Marinette bit her lip, indecisive. She glanced at Tikki with an unspoken question in her eyes.

Should I tell him?

The kwami nodded immediately. You should. For Hawkmoth's sake and Adrien's.

Marinette turned back to the aged Miraculous holder. "Actually, I do," she confessed. "I saw Adrien Agreste, the handsome, kind, smart, selfless model who's perfect—"

Tikki threw her a warning look. Marinette hastily backtracked, not noticing the obvious glint of amusement in Master Fu's eyes.

"—anyway, I saw him looking through it and Tikki was really interested in the contents in it and I stole—well, rather borrowed it from him for her."

Marinette deliberately omitted the fiasco that occurred while attempting to retrieve the book; that didn't concern them at the moment. Plus, it was embarrassing and she'd had more than her fair share of mortification. (A/N: This is not the Volpina incident; I'll elaborate in due time)

"Interesting," Master Fu mused. "You don't think that this Adrien is Hawkmoth, do you?"

Marinette did a double take and emitted a forced laugh of disbelief. "A-Adrien? As H-Hawkmoth? No way. Zero chance."

"You seem rather...adamant," he pressed.

"Of course! Adrien as Hawkmoth? Unfathomable. Ludicrous."

Of course, the Miraculous holder knew perfectly well that the boy was not Hawkmoth, but he had merely wanted to delve into her feelings for this boy for a reason. And if her defensiveness said anything, she very much admired the boy and denied any accusations made against him.

"All right," he said noncommittally. "We have determined that it is not Adrien Agreste. Who else could've had possession of this book? Perhaps anyone close to him?"

"Maybe. I mean, he has a father, but his mother disappeared a long time ago," Marinette thought aloud.

"What is his father like?"

"I've never interacted with him personally, save for a few occasions, but his life was endangered by akumas. But from what I've gathered from Adrien, he's cold, distant, reserved—he's not the chatty type."

"Hmm," murmured Master Fu. "This is useful information...what does his father do?"

Marinette was surprised. "You really don't know?" When Master Fu shook his head, she blushed. "I'm sorry, sir, I didn't mean to be rude. He's Gabriel Agreste, a famous fashion emperor. Adrien models for him; you must've seen advertisements and billboards around Paris."

Master Fu inhaled and exhaled, contemplating this influx of information.

"Thank you, Miss Dupain-Cheng. I think I have a strong suspicion of who Hawkmoth is."

Marinette's azure eyes widened. "Really, sir? Who is it?"

Master Fu shook his head. "I cannot tell only you. Chat Noir must also be present. This impacts him profoundly."

She didn't recognize the intentionally disguised meaning of his words.

"But sir," she protested, but Master Fu silenced her with a raised hand.

"I want you and Chat Noir to come here one week from now, same time, same location," he said gravely. "I need to talk to both of you—detransformed."

Marinette gulped. "De-Detransformed?"

Master Fu correctly interpreted the apprehension in her voice. "You mean you do not know each other's identities yet?"

"I—well, we figured it wasn't the right time and there was no need to."

"It is imperative that you reveal yourself to him and vice versa," he replied solemnly. "It is a uphill battle from now on—from the book, I deciphered the language within it and discovered that not only do you and Chat Noir have extra abilities, but Hawkmoth does too, which makes him more of a threat to us—rather, you and Chat Noir."

"But there are other Miraculouses, right?" asked Marinette. "That gives us more strength on our side."

"Yes, but as we know, the butterfly is being abused and the peacock is still missing—which leaves us with the ladybug, cat, turtle, bee, and fox Miraculouses. I currently hold the turtle—" he indicated Wayzz, who was hovering over his shoulder, "—you hold the ladybug, and Chat Noir has the cat."

Marinette nodded impatiently; she knew all of this already.

"So, part of the next meeting will be devoted to establishing exactly who will be receiving those Miraculouses," he said.

This piqued Marinette's interest. "How will that happen?"

"Come next time," he replied simply, which left Marinette scratching her head as her kwami slipped into her handmade purse.

Marinette walked to door, then hesitated. "Master Fu?" she asked. "Why...why exactly do we have to reveal ourselves?"

"As I said, Hawkmoth has abilities unbeknownst to him that could potentially make him more powerful. You need to be able to contact with your partner in case one of you cannot be there when there is an akuma. In addition, it will help strengthen your trust in each other, and therefore, your bond."

Marinette was still uncertain, but she nodded carefully. "Okay, thank you."

...oOo...

All week, Marinette's mind was weighed down by the thought of the next meeting, or rather, what attire she would be clad in. Chat Noir would finally get to see who she was under the mask—and Marinette was more insecure than nervous.

What if Chat didn't like her? Marinette and Ladybug were two completely different personas despite being just one person. Marinette was shy, clumsy, and overthought things, while Ladybug was confident, agile, and surer. And another concern: who would Chat be? Was he a stranger she had never met before? Or would she recognize him?

These thoughts plagued Marinette and consequentially affected her attention span in school—she wasn't even thinking about Adrien anymore. When he greeted her one morning, she had merely flashed a weak smile at him. No stammering whatsoever. Naturally, Alya was concerned for her friend, who seemed mundane and withdrawn as opposed to her usual cheerful, talkative self.

"Girl, are you okay?" she asked.

Marinette surfaced from her reverie for only a moment to answer, "Yes," and then proceeded to sink back into silence.

The only humorous occurrence was when Chloe, seeking to pick a fight with Marinette, commented snidely on her outfit and then remarked on her tacky hairstyle. Marinette didn't respond for few seconds, making Chloe assume she'd scored a decisive victory.

Then Marinette pulled the ultimate comeback: "Huh? When did you get here, Chloe?" which garnered a laugh from everyone bar Chloe, who looked gobsmacked. She huffed and stomped away, steam literally gushing out of her ears.

"Good one, girl!" Alya congratulated her pigtailed friend. Marinette cracked a tentative grin.

That night, she informed Chat of the impending meeting. Chat's reply was nothing short of ebullient when he told her he would be there.

The highly-anticipated day dawned bright and clear. Marinette woke to the sun streaming through her balcony's trapdoor. Her mind was refreshed and energized. However, the hours before the meeting were strained. Marinette was in a sort of haze, tripping up the stairs and absently pricking her finger on a knitting needle.

Her parents were dealing with the Sunday bakery rush, so Marinette was able to slip out with an excuse of "going to Alya's for a project." She felt guilty for leaving her parents in such a frenzied state, and one call to Alya would prove that she was lying. However, she had much more important matters on her mind.

Marinette stepped inside Master Fu's antique little massage shop with minutes to spare. Chat had yet to show, so she made herself comfortable on a plush pillow and waited on tenterhooks for her partner to arrive.

"You should transform before he comes," said Master Fu abruptly. He was seated in front of Marinette on a bamboo mat. Marinette had offered to swap seats if he was uncomfortable, but he had politely declined.

"I thought we were supposed to meet detransformed?"

"Yes," the old man said calmly, "but I believe Chat Noir would rather reveal himself the traditional way."

So Marinette transformed into Ladybug and sat there fidgeting restlessly with her yoyo.

There was a knock on the door and Marinette's stomach somersaulted. She had never been so agitated in her life. Master Fu stiffly stood and answered the door.

Chat, jaunty and wearing an affable smile, strode in without any of the insecurity she was experiencing. Her heart clenched at his tousled appearance and she longed for some of the confidence he possessed and she was severely lacking in.

"So, you both know why you are here," said Master Fu without preamble. Marinette and Chat nodded simultaneously.

"Identity reveal and deciding the next Miraculous holders," Chat recited.

"Correct," affirmed Master Fu. "It is important to have allies—especially in a war like this."

Marinette gulped. She had merely thought of this as a fight for power over their Miraculouses, but she had never realized that that constituted as a war. Beside her, she felt Chat shift closer to her in a protective manner. She made no move to recoil and felt her body warm. Only one other person had this effect on her but he was still blissfully oblivious to her feelings for him.

Her heart was confused. She was sure about her feelings for Adrien, but little by little, without her knowing it, a certain cat had started worming his way into her heart.

Now, she was hoping that an identity reveal would help her decide whom to choose.

Master Fu was speaking again and Marinette tuned back in.

"...necessary to know each other's identities so there will be a stronger tie between you."

Chat nodded and Marinette copied him, delayed by her traitorous eyes watching his jaw ripple as he swallowed. Damn, that boy was fit.

If Master Fu saw her, he didn't say anything. "Are you ready?"

Wait. They were doing this now? Right away?

She turned her head and locked her eyes with Chat's brilliant green ones, which were warm but otherwise unreadable, and suddenly, she was overwhelmed by a sense of determination.

"We are," she said, her mouth dry as she spoke for them both.

Master Fu retreated a few steps into the shadows. "Whenever you're ready."

Ladybug stood and Chat rose with her. She took a few steps back to leave some distance between herself and her partner.

(And also because his proximity was making her flustered.)

"Hi," she said stupidly, because nothing else came to mind.

Chat released a low chuckle and chills zipped down her spine. Goddammit, he had no clue what he did to her and her hormones. Or maybe the imbecile did, and he was merely taunting her. And the worst part? It was working. Oh God, how her fingers itched to explore that tantalizing body of his.

"Hi," he replied in that utterly manly, sexy voice of his.

She swallowed.

I can do this.

Marinette repeated the mantra in her head.

Chat's eyes traveled up and down her body unabashedly. "Do you want to go first, or should I?"

Oh, someone please save her from this awkwardness.

"Neither," she said and watched as Chat's eyebrows lifted. "We're a team, aren't we? We'll do it together."

Warmth gushed through her like a flood at his beaming smile. "If you say so, my lady."

Some of her former uncertainty ebbed away, but the butterflies remained.

Just do it! Just say three words. That's all.

Tikki made it sound impossibly easy. All she had to say was Tikki, spots off and Chat would know who she was. No more secrets between them and they would finally be able to interact as civilians. But once Chat saw her, would his opinion of her be altered? Would he able to accept her as Marinette?

Would he still retain his affections for her?

She was doing it again. Overthinking things had become an unsavory habit of hers.

Marinette met Chat square in the eyes. The intensity of the green orbs was unnerving, so she squeezed her eyes shut and breathed, "Ready?"

"Always."

"On the count of three."

She inhaled deeply. She could do this.

"Three."

She was Ladybug.

"Two."

And Ladybug could conquer anything.

"One."

But not without Chat Noir at her side.

"Tikki, spots off!"

"Plagg, claws in!"

Synchronously, pink and green flashed throughout the room, merging together in a storm of light. Once the light died, however, Marinette's face turned ashen as she took in the sight of her kitty without his mask. Nothing on Earth had prepared her for this.

"Adrien?!"

"Marinette?!"

2070 words