Hi everyone! Got a new story for you for the new year and it's a fluffy reveal piece. Hope you guys enjoy it!

Trust was something that wasn't easy to come by for Adrien. His status as a model in his father's fashion company would cause many people to want to get close to him for reasons that included his money, his fame and position in society. Gabriel warned him that most people are like snakes in the grass and to always watch out for them. Adrien did get skilled in determining who was genuine and who wasn't and his friends helped him see the differences. Nino, Alya and Marinette were people he trusted most and Ladybug as well. He trusted her with his life and if she would let him, his identity. He just wished she would trust him with hers. Chat was out on his night of patrol when he got an alert of a disturbance. He made it to a club where people just stood there not moving. He went down to one of them and noticed the blank expressions on their faces and strangely colored swirls in their eyes.

"It's like they're hypnotized," Chat said aloud.

"That's because they are," said a sultry voice.

Chat Noir jumped to see a woman with blonde hair in a high ponytail with blue human eyes and green scales around her face. The top half of her was human with a snakeskin dress and the lower half a snake tail. She smiled sweetly at her new prey.

"What a sweet little kitten you are. Here to help save everyone. Where's that partner of yours?"

"On her way," Chat bluffed. He hadn't had the chance to call her.

The woman sneered.

"You're lying. I can sense it in your heartbeat."

"So what are you called? Medusa?"

"No, Charmer actually."

"Not what I would consider a snake to be."

"Oh but you see, snakes can be quite charming when you don't know it is one. I've dealt with charmers my whole life and each one turned out to be a snake in the grass. Well, this snake in the grass will bite back."

Chat was getting anxious; she was calm and collected and unpredictable. Normally Akumas were raging monsters so you knew they already were lashing out. With her, you never knew what was going to set her off.

"Oh, don't be scared little kitten. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Yeah, right," he scoffed.

"Come now, little kitten. You can trust me."

Her tone was sweet and dripping like honey. For some strange reason, Chat wanted to listen to her. He wanted to trust her, but Plagg's voice was able to keep him from falling. He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"Sorry, but there's only one person I need to trust and she's My Lady."

"Your Lady? That's funny; how can she be your lady if you don't know her?"

"I do know her!"

"You do not; she hides behind her mask. She never wanted you to get close to her. If you were true partners, you'd know who the other was under the mask."

"There are safety reasons for that."

"Is that what she told you? Poor, naive little kitty. We both know the truth; she doesn't trust you. But you can trust me."

Plagg's voice tried to bring him back but Charmer's words struck a cord with Chat. Could it really be that Ladybug doesn't trust him? She's told him she trusts him with her life so why couldn't she do so with her civilian form? Chat looked into Charmer's eyes and got hooked in. He saw swirls of colors flood his vision and a sweet voice flowed in his ears.

"Trust in meeeeeeeee, just in meeeeeeeeeee. Lay down your head," the Akuma sang. She had brought her tail around the hero and he fell over into the coils. "Let everything goooooooo. Trust in meeeeeeeee, just in meeeeeeeee."

Chat looked very content with his current state. He had a silly smile on his face and his once green eyes swirled like the ones he saw before.

"Do you trust me, kitty," Charmer cooed.

"Yes," Chat said dreamily.

"Then let me have your ring."

Charmer picked up his hand with the ring and was about to take it off. She was so focused on getting the ring, she didn't notice a red suited figure kick her away. The newcomer picked Chat up and swung away on her yo yo. They were gone when Charmer came to.

"All those who trust me! Get Ladybug and Chat Noir!"

The other people who were hypnotized soon began to move to find the two heroes. Meanwhile, Ladybug got Chat Noir and herself onto a rooftop and she proceeded to shake him awake.

"Chat! Wake up! Snap out of it!" It wasn't working. "Sorry about this."

Ladybug slapped him, hard.

"OOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWW," he cried. "What the heck?!"

"Are you okay," Ladybug asked worriedly.

"Did you just slap me?!"

"Yeah, sorry. Shaking wasn't working."

"A kiss would have been better."

"Been there, done that," she mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Why didn't you call me? I had to use the Ladyblog to find out about it."

"Sorry, must have slipped my mind."

"Yeah it sure did slip. What happened down there?"

"Nothing, just an akuma getting into my head."

"Chat, come on, you can tell me. We're partners."

"Are we? You know I would give up anything to help keep you safe, but I can only do that with the mask on. Why can't I do it without the mask?"

"Chat, how many times must we go over this? It's too dangerous to know who we are under the mask."

"Bull crap."

"What?"

"I said that's bull crap! You once said you trusted me with your life, but I'm not to be trusted with who you are?! That doesn't sound like an equal partnership to me!"

Before Ladybug could answer, she noticed the Akuma was still at large.

"Look, we have an Akuma to deal with. We can talk afterward."

Charmer was growing angrier by the second. She had that cat's Miraculous and that bug just kicked it away from her. No more playing around this time, Hawk Moth had told her and she agreed. Charmer would squeeze them both and pull their jewels off them. Thankfully, said two heroes came forward.

"Thank you for saving me the trouble of hunting you down."

"Didn't you know that snake-skin is so last season," quipped Ladybug.

"So are spots," Charmer quipped back.

"Hey! I happen to like spots," yelled Chat.

"Oh come now, kitty. Don't tell me you've turned on me? I thought you trusted me."

"Oh no! That trick won't work on me twice," yelled Chat shaking his head and closing his eyes.

"Very well."

Charmer's minions then swarmed the two heroes. Ladybug managed to get away and go after Charmer herself. She looked to see if there was anything that would be possessed by an Akuma; a dark purple pin stood out against the snake skin. Before Ladybug could grab it, she noticed something coming toward her. Next thing she knew, Charmer's tail wrapped around Ladybug.

"Struggle all you want bug, but I have you. I'll squeeze those earrings out of your ears."

Charmer tightened her grip and Ladybug gasped in pain and for air. She felt the tail squeeze her tighter and tighter.

"Ladybug!"

Chat Noir leapt down and struck Charmer. That made her grip loosen and Ladybug could get away. She felt a little dizzy from the lack of oxygen and Chat was there to help set her straight.

"You okay, my Lady?"

"I'm fine, just need to catch my breath. She has a pin, we need to get to it."

"Right, I'll get her worn out and you can swoop in and get it."

Chat dropped down and started his taunting.

"I was never a fan of snake skin; looked pretty cheap."

"Then perhaps a nice cat skin will do," growled Charmer.

She whipped her tail at him and he dodged it effortlessly. He may be nimble, but Charmer's reflexes were quicker and he couldn't get close. Ladybug managed to recover and decided to use her Lucky Charm. It was a pair of earrings. They lit up in her Ladybug vision. She saw Chat light up and then Charmer. She knew what needed to be done. She signaled Chat over.

"Take these earrings and make her think they're my Miraculous. You jump and evade and get her tangled up in herself."

"Causing her to be immobilized and you can snatch the pin," Chat finished. "Don't worry, I got this."

Chat took the earrings and taunted Charmer. She lunged for him but he would dash away at the last second. They did this enough times that soon, Charmer had tied herself into a big knot. Ladybug then sauntered her way toward the Akuma and grabbed the pin. She broke it and the butterfly was freed. After purifying and releasing the ladybugs. Chat approached her with a more serious face than his usual grin.

"We need to talk."

"Not now, my Miraculous is going off," she said followed by a beep.

"Please! This is important," he begged.

Seeing as how he wasn't going to take no for an answer, they retreated to a rooftop. Chat placed himself into a dark corner, his back facing her.

"Chat," she began.

"Go ahead and release it. I won't look."

She did and her kwami sat on her shoulder.

"Here you go, Tikki," said Marinette handing her a cookie from her bag.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"Tikki? That's a cute name," he chuckled.

"Hi, Chat," Tikki greeted.

"Chat, what did you want to talk about," asked Marinette.

"I want to know the real reason why we can't know our identities. And don't say it's for safety reasons. I think we can better protect each other if we know our civilian selves. I can cover for you and you can cover for me. If one of us can't transform, we wouldn't have to worry when the other will show up. If something happens to one of us or to our kwami, we can help each other. I just want to be by your side on both sides of the mask."

Marinette felt his sincerity and what he said made sense. It would make things so much easier, she knew it in her head. But her insecurities made it difficult to accept.

"You wouldn't like me under the mask," she mumbled.

Thanks to Chat's hearing, he fought every urge to turn around and shake her at the ridiculous notion.

"So, you don't trust me then," he said sadly.

"What?"

"You don't trust me enough to know that I would never think any less of you. You're my partner and my friend. I know you're more than just a mask. I know I would like the you under the mask. Can't you let me decide for myself?"

"Well, what about you?"

"What about me?"

"You expect me to expose myself while you hide in the shadows?"

"I can drop this anytime you want me to. Just say the word."

Marinette thought for a bit. Then decided on a plan.

"Okay, I will turn around. When I say so, you release your transformation and then we walk towards each other with our backs still turned."

"I can do that. Will I be able to see you after that?"

"I hadn't decided yet."

"Fair enough. I'm ready when you are."

Marinette turned and took a deep breath.

"Okay, do it."

"Plagg, claws in."