I ask of you: give me your midnight
You who knew not to fear the shadows
When far worse wanders in broad daylight
Though that's the reality you chose

Still if it's that mask that is the act
Then why take it off to play your part
Pretending that you don't spend your nights
Composing poetry to the dark

And there's time enough for blue skies
The world is still new and youth is blind
So stray a bit from your lover's eyes
Say you'll leave the midnight hour as mine

Adrien's mind was elsewhere, occupied with the physics lesson that he'd just finished, when his body acted almost involuntarily as he was passed by someone in the school hallway.

The girl made a noise that could have been only described as a squeak. "Aah... Adrien?"

He had caught her arm in an uncharacteristically smooth movement on his part, surprising himself even more than her. If only, Adrien Agreste's life always ran like that. Smoothly, that is. Maybe one day, he would truly be as graceful as his alter ego. Without the falling from high places and getting beat up bits.

"Sorry, I just wanted to say... I like your perfume, it's nice." He complimented the scent that had spurred his unconscious reaction in the first place. The scent that made him think of moonlit rooftops and the gold lights of a night time Paris, and that had made him forget, for a moment, that he was currently just the dull, serious Adrien. The scent that had momentarily made him forget the emptiness always present when his Lady was nowhere to be seen.

"Ah, um... Thank you... It's, uh, new." Marinette dropped her gaze to the floor and blushed furiously. She had gone shopping last month with Alya and had let herself be convinced by her friend to spend money on this expensive perfume that she had fallen absolutely in love with. Alya, of course, had fully approved the scent, however it was much different hearing the words coming from Adrien. And he was making actual physical contact with her as he said it. "Umm..." She stuttered, shifting her eyes to the source of her current internal emotional freak-out.

Adrien followed her line of sight to his hand and realized that he was still holding onto her arm. He abruptly released it in embarrassment, saying "I guess I'll see you in class," and turned to head back down the hallway, escaping before anyone saw the pink tinge threatening to filter across his face.

After school, Adrien came home and went to his room to start his homework. Or rather, tried to start his homework. He would have succeeded if his mind wasn't still buzzing with the events of the day.

It was stupid really, that he felt so hung up on this small fact. It was probably because everything that could possibly connect back to his Lady, constantly consumed his thoughts. "It's just a coincidence," he told an inattentive Plagg. "I'm sure that there are countless other girls in Paris who've worn the same perfume as Ladybug. It's hardly something to take note of." He sank deeper into his desk chair, eyes misting over as he daydreamed. "I wish it was that easy, though. I wish Ladybug could be some cute girl at my school, and we could hang out all the time, not just in costume. She'd be cool and confident, always standing up for herself and others. And she'd be okay with being with me, Chat Noir and all." He looked up and saw Plagg focused intently on a piece of camembert. "Hey Plagg, are you even listening to me?"

"Yes, yes," muttered Plagg, reluctantly tearing himself away from the cheese. "Girls are smelly. Your life is boring."

"No, I was telling you that this girl in my class has the same kind of perfume as Ladybug? Do you think it could mean anything?"

The kwami hummed, "Probably not. Humans have a terrible sense of smell anyways. That's why they're always going on about how things look. As if the look of things is more important than the smell. Or the taste." It then resumed its snacking with vigour.

Right, thought Adrien, it must be a coincidence. I mean it would be totally crazy if Marinette actually looked even a little like his Lady...

...Totally crazy.

"Why are we here again?" Plagg yawned.

"Because everything matches: the hair, the eyes, height, perfume..." Adrien walked towards the front glass display of the bakery and pushed the door open, immediately being rushed by the scent of baked bread and pastries.

"Hello, how can I- A-adrien?" Marinette turned a bright shade of red. "What are you doing here? I mean how can I help you? I mean what would you like?"

Adrien frowned slightly. He couldn't imagine his fearless Lady stuttering and blushing like Marinette was doing. Though a part of him did wish that he personally could get that kind of reaction from her. But it didn't necessarily mean that Marinette was Ladybug. Adrien did a lot of things that Chat Noir wouldn't have.

There was only one way to find out. Time to loosen up a little, let the Chat Noir out of the bag.

"I'm sure that a lovely Lady like you would have no problem finding something sweet to my tastes." He said with a wink, and then added out of consideration for his kwami, "Preferably not chocolate. Anything with cheese would be fantastic."

Marinette's legs promptly gave out and she collapsed to the floor, face feeling as though it was on fire. Was she dreaming? She must be dreaming...

"...Are you alright?" He asked from the other side of the counter, feeling concerned now. It had not been his intention to cause that, at all. And okay, maybe Adrien had been wrong. His Lady wouldn't have missed an opportunity to laugh at him for such a line, and certainly wouldn't have lost her footing over it

"Y-yes, I'm fine. I mean I'm sorry." She gathered herself off the floor and tried to resume her professional persona. "Is that all? An assorted dessert?"

"Yes. Make it for two." Plagg could have his own, Adrien didn't fancy the kwami trying to steal his. Ladybug or no Ladybug, this bakery was one of the best in Paris.

"Here, choux au saveur citron with a mascarpone filling: easy for sharing. We're only trying them out for now so let us know if you like them." Her voice was uneven but at least her words were coherent. Two. That meant Adrien had someone that he was planning on eating them with.

"I'm sure they'll be delicious." Adrien smiled and Marinette was sure that her heart had nearly stopped once again. That it was so incredibly close to going on strike, picket sign and all.

Crushing on Adrien was more exhilarating and exhausting than anything else that she had ever known. It was a rollercoaster ride to the extreme.

"Um, I'll be going now." Adrien suggested awkwardly, snapping Marinette from her zoned out state.

"Ah yes, of course, of course. I'll see you in school."

"Uhuh, until then."

Later that night, Chat Noir and Ladybug were on their regular patrol. So far, it had been without disturbance with not a single akumatized victim spotted and so they filled the time with informal sparring and chatter. Adrien was renewed with determination in his search for answers, this time directly from the source, but he proceeded carefully. Ladybug was inflexible when it came to both of their maintained anonymity.

"I must know, my Lady," Chat put on his trademark grin, "Is your hair naturally that beautiful?"

"What?" Ladybug laughed, "Don't tell me yours isn't also a part of the costume. I suppose the blond colour clashes far too much for it to be by design."

"As cruel as always. I'm burned by those icy blue eyes. Now those, those can't be fake."

"Oh, I wouldn't assume anything," she teased, "After all, colour contacts are rather in fashion right now."

"Colour contacts?"

"Silly cat, you ask too many questions. One of these days, that curiosity of yours is going to kill you."

"Aren't you ever curious? Of what I'm like when I'm not with you?"

"Hmm, I think it's better when some things are unknown. The civilian version of Chat Noir is probably too much of an unrestrained flirt for me to handle." She smiled playfully at him and he felt as though his footing had just slipped out from under him despite the solid, flat ground that he was actually standing on.

"You think the mask makes me more serious?" He suggested, feeling as though he should laugh at the idea. Oh, if only she knew...

"Chat, I don't think anything could make you serious. However, I like to think that this duty of ours gives you some form of focus."

"The only focus I've ever had was you." He told her sincerely, not caring when she once again believed him joking and laughed. Her laughter was a prize in itself, worth the misunderstandings.

"I rest my case, kitty cat."

Well, if she thought the superhero alter ego carried with it a sense of duty and restraint, then he couldn't even begin to imagine the unconfined civilian that Ladybug spent her days as; now, that girl must really be unmistakably brilliant.

The next day, the class was on its way to a much looked towards field trip: they had been granted the opportunity to sit through one of Paris's more well known fashion expositions. The bus carrying the students had hardly gone far from the school grounds when traffic had reached a dead halt and the ground had started shaking.

The driver tried to peer around cars in front of him to no avail. "Excuse me, I'll be right back as soon as I check out what's going on." And then he disappeared into the line of cars.

He'd been gone for only a few when the trembling increased and weird movement appeared up ahead on the road. One particularly strong jolt caused screams from the students. Sensing everyone's fear, their teacher then stood up and announced she would just step outside for a second to see what was happening, that nobody should worry and that she was sure that it was going to be fine.

Except that, the moment that she had left, the cars in front of them were pushed out of the way like billiard balls and the bus was thrown slightly by a forceful quake, stabilizing once it had turned onto its side.

The world inside it erupted into chaos.

Marinette huffed in frustration. She needed to be out there, fighting the akuma that was causing all this mayhem rather than cornered like a rat in a flipped school bus.

"Don't worry," said someone behind her. "Ladybug will save us."

No, she thought irately, Ladybug can't save you at the moment because she's trapped in this sardine can along with everyone else, and is not quite ready to sacrifice her secret identity just yet thank you very much.

The bus shook again and people screamed. Again.

Okay, there was only so much time wasting that a hero could handle.

"Hey everyone, calm down; I have a plan."

Nobody paid her any attention. One of the kids in the back had started hyperventilating.

"I said I HAVE A PLAN!" Quiet reigned. Finally, thought Marinette. "I need everyone to grab a buddy." Alya made eye contact with her, and across the way, she could see others grouping up. "When you get out of the bus, stick with your partner and quickly but carefully move along the side of the bus and the building until you reach the smaller side streets. If home is too far away for you, head back to the school. But remember, we need to do this in an organized fashion and nobody will be left behind."

"But how are we going to get out? The door was blocked when we were flipped." A worried voice called from the back.

"Easy," Marinette pointed at what used to be the ceiling, "Emergency escape hatch."

The walls trembled again and people surged towards her in a panic.

"Calm down! I need you to line-up in twos!" She thanked her stars for the extensive time spent in school as the terrified students automatically obeyed. She flung open the hatch and ushered each pair through: "Now, go. Go. Go. Stay together and head towards the school." She and Alya made it out last and she cast an eye behind her as they snuck away. Fortunately the rampaging akuma had moved its attention elsewhere and had missed the line of students fleeing from the turned over vehicle.

But she needed to get alone to transform now.

"Are you planning on going back to the school?" She asked her friend as they ran.

"Yes, why? Aren't you?" Alya called back.

"I'd like to go check on my parents since my home is nearby. I'll meet you at the school afterwards."

"Okay. But be careful!"

"Don't worry, I will."

When they had been still trapped in the bus, Adrien had been uselessly struggling with his own conflict over transforming in the open until Marinette had taken charge. Which is hindsight seemed to make perfect sense: his Lady had always been the better one with plans.

But at the time, he just sat there dumbfounded and asked himself over and over how he had been so blind as to not see it when it had been right before his eyes. He had toyed with the truth before he had known it, and he had dismissed for reasons that seemed so short-sighted now. He of all people should have known how possible it is for one to entertain another personality from their own, pretend to be someone they're not. He'd just had no idea how similar his Lady and him had been? How was he supposed to have guessed that she could play reserved even better than him?

Well, he placated himself, at least he knew now. There's was no more denying it. He knew.

Maybe someone else wouldn't have seen it; someone else who hadn't fought alongside Ladybug for so long, trained with her, done midnight patrols laughing as they raced across chimneys and attics. Adrien Agreste wouldn't have seen it. But Chat Noir, the other half of the Miraculous duo knew his Lady when he saw her: Marinette was Ladybug.

She was his Lady, Adrien repeated to himself.

And she had been there all along.

Hey,

In case you haven't guessed: this is an identity reveal, my apologies if it feels a little too similar to the multitude of other identity reveals. And it"s a little bit ooc, I concede.

It's largely inspired by that really long headcanon where Adrien and Marinette become friends first after learning about the other's identity.

post/130660893422/okay-but-after-marinette-and-adrien-figure-out

And Adrien's (in-show) line about girls smelling better than cheese. Because, come on, he must have tried to smell Ladybug's shampoo or perfume at some point if he's going to say things like that.

The rest is a construct of my own mad mind. Which I'm sure I'll be back to edit once I've fixed my sleep deprivation.

Thanks for reading,
Lady J, over and out.