Adrien's jaw dropped as he saw his friend, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, leaving the alleyway he was currently occupying. The same alleyway that Ladybug had just detransformed in.

- A Few Hours Earlier -

School had just let out when all of a sudden, screams were piercing the air. Students began running home or looking for a safe place to hide, as the daily akuma made itself known. He'd called himself Chien Noir, going on about how he would be a better partner than Chat Noir, for Ladybug.

"You don't need him!" He'd said. "I'll make a much better partner, then that mangy alley cat!"

Ladybug frowned at that. Chat Noir hadn't made his appearance yet, but she was thankful for that; hearing this probably would've been a blow for his ego. While she knew people always considered her the better, and more important superhero, she'd beg to differ. Chat Noir was the best partner she could've ever asked for. She trusted him, and could count on him to be there when she needed him. He was literally the reason she even had her miraculous. Had he not been there when she'd decided to give it up, and convinced her not to, they wouldn't even be where they are now. So yeah, she had a few things to say to this akuma.

"You do not get to talk about him like that." She ground out. "He is my partner, and no one will ever replace him."

Only then did he make his appearance.

"Hello, M'lady," He greeted her, with a kiss to her hand. "How are you, on this feline afternoon?"

The barest hint of a smile adorned her features, but he'll take it.

"No time for you puns, silly kitty. We have a job to do."

He nodded, his face taking on a serious expression.

"Of course, Bugaboo."

Chien Noir chased them through town, throwing hit after hit, yet they hadn't even seen what his power really was, and that's what they were counting on. A lucky charm and cataclysm later, Chien Noir was defeated, and in his place sat a confused teenage boy.

Ladybug threw her charm in the air with a, "Miraculous Ladybug!"

She de-evilized the akuma, before bumping her fist against Chat's, in their celebratory, "Pound it!"

"Ladybug? Chat Noir? What happened? Where am I?" The boy asked.

Ladybug laid a hopefully-comforting hand on his shoulder.

"You were akumatized, but don't worry, everything's been taking care of."

He nodded, before standing up and running home.

"I think it's time this Chat takes his leave. Until next time, M'lady." With a kiss to her hand, he left, landing in the closest abandoned alleyway he could find, before de-transforming.

"Cheeeeeeeese!" Plagg whined, landing in Adrien's hands. "I need fooooood."

"Of course you do." He said, with a roll of his eyes, but nonetheless handing it over to his kwami. "You did a good job today, buddy."

"Does that mean extra cheese!?"

"...We'll see."

Plagg cheered in silent victory. All of a sudden, Adrien heard someone coming and as he didn't want anyone to see Plagg, he quickly hid behind the dumpster, that was so conveniently placed in the perfect spot so no one would see him. He quickly ran behind it, to see... Ladybug enter.

- Present Time -

"What's she doing here?" He murmured to himself.

Only then did he hear the beep meaning— He watched a flash of pink covered her body, but only a second too late did he realize what this really meant. She wasn't transformed. Which meant he'd seen her, without her transformation. He knew who she was. Because he'd recognize that hand-crafted Marinette original anywhere. He just apparently couldn't recognize her when she was covered in red and black spandex, and was donning a mask. He absently noticed her kwami silently slip into her bag, before she left, and only then did he let himself process what this really meant.

His friend, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, was the love of is life: Ladybug.

-x-

Adrien paced his room, face set in an unreadable expression. The only thing going through his head, being: Marinette is Ladybug. Marinette is Ladybug. He just didn't understand!

"Kid," Plagg called from across the room, "You've being doing that for hours. Why not get me some more cheese." He suggested.

"I just don't understand, Plagg!" He ignored his kwami's request for cheese (as Plagg was already surrounded by dozens of containers anyway), "How can Marinette be Ladybug... If she's just a friend?"

Plagg rolled his eyes, before moving so he was directly in front of his chosen.

"If Marinette is just a friend, then so is Ladybug. And if your feelings changed for her the second you found out her identity, then did you ever really love her at all? Maybe you were just infatuated with the idea of her. The invincible, amazing, strong, graceful, can-do-no-wrong, Ladybug. But, just like you, she's only human. And if you think after everything you've done for Ladybug, trying to win her over, every pun, flower, gift, hug, everything, and you're going to give that all up just because she's Marinette, then you're not who I thought you were, Kid."

And with that, he flew away probably trying to find another container of camembert, leaving Adrien to make this decision. And he thought really hard about it, too. He realized all the things he loved about Ladybug, were the same traits he found in Marinette. Strong, brave, always did what was right, graceful, though, he thought absently, theybothcan be pretty clumsy at times as well. And if he was being completely honest with himself, if he hadn't fallen for Ladybug, he could've seen himself falling for Marinette instead. So yeah, he'd come to a conclusion: He was still in love with her.

-x-

Adrien had woken up bright and early that morning, excited to confront Marinette, and get everything out in the open. He quickly took a shower, got dressed, packed his bag, made sure he had a wheel of camembert and Plagg, and ran downstairs for breakfast.

"I didn't realize you'd be up early today," Nathalie commented, her ever-present tablet in hand, "I'll have the cook put a rush on your breakfast. I assume you're having a... Study session in the library again?"

"Uh... Yeah, something like that." Why create an excuse, when she just gave him one?

"I see. Very well."

Once he finished his breakfast, he said a quick goodbye to Nathalie, before heading to the car, and asking the Gorilla to take him to school. He arrived to find his friends sitting on the school steps, as school wasn't starting for another fifteen minutes. Perfect, he thought, I can talk to her now. It was then that they spotted him, and he waved, quickly walking over to join them.

"Hey, guys." Adrien said.

"Hey, dude. What's up?"

"Could I... Talk to Marinette, please? Alone?"

Alya and Nino shared a quick glance.

"Yeah, totally!" Alya said, already grabbing Nino's hand, and beginning to run off. "See you in class!" She called over her shoulder.

Adrien turned back to Marinette, to find her cheeks pink, and a shy smile on her lips.

"S-so, Adrien. What did you talk wanna about? I mean, wanna about talk! I mean, What did you wanna talk about." She laughed nervously.

He chuckled, but then something struck him. Ladybug used to do the same thing around him. Well, Adrien, not Chat. They really did have so much in common. But then he sees her still staring at him, and realizes she's still waiting for his answer.

He took a deep breath.

"The truth is I—"

Screams pierced the air, and Marinette's features transformed into a look of determination. Fitting for his Ladybug, he though absently. But what reminded him he had a job to do, was Marinette calling over her shoulder, something about forgetting her... Swimsuit at home? They'd end up just having a half day of school. Throughout the day, he'd try to tell her, but every time, just like the first, they were interrupted. It was honestly pretty annoying. He'd tried to catch her before she'd left school that day, but Chloe had latched on to him, talking about god knows what, and Marinette had already left by the time he'd gotten her off of him. Guess there was only one option left.

After arriving home, Adrien said he was going to do his homework, and asked to not be disturbed. He quickly gave Plagg a slice of camembert, before transforming and heading over to Marinette's. Yeah, they had patrol tonight, but he couldn't wait, and he didn't want her to have the luxury of being transformed so she could run away, and avoid talking further. He landed on her balcony, and knocked on her skylight. He heard a few whispers, before he saw her open it up.

"Chat... Noir? What are you doing here? Is everything okay? Is there an akuma?"

"Can't a knight simply visit his Princess?" He asked, swinging his tail.

She sighed, but backed up.

"Fine. Come on in, Kitty."

"Aww, Princess. You're warming up to this lonely cat."

She rolled her eyes, but he could see the smile donning her lips. She went back to her desk, probably to finish homework or work on some designs, so he just made himself comfortable on her bed. After almost a half hour, Chat decided it was time. Just confront her.

"Marinette... Can we talk for a minute?"

"Sure, Chat. What's up?"

"I know."

"You know, what?"

"That your Ladybug."

"I- Me!? Ladybug? You must be joking." She laughed, but he could hear the nervous edge to it.

"I saw you."

She sighed. "When?"

After yesterday's akuma attack.

"And you couldn't tell me then?"

"I've been trying to, something just keeps coming up."

"Were you trying... As your civilian self?"

"Yeah..."

She took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. There was only one person she'd been avoiding today, ever since that morning, as she really didn't want to talk to them, though for a completely different reason.

"...Adrien?"

"How'd you know?"

"That doesn't matter. Do you know how dangerous this is? What if Hawkmoth took control of you again? He could get you to tell him who I am, and then all my friends and family will be in danger! Seriously, Chat, what—"

He kissed her. He kissed her. He kissed her, obviously to shut her up, and before she could return it he pulled away. He put his forehead on hers.

"I love you, Mari-"

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold up. You love me? Since when!?"

"Since the day I saw you stand up to Hawkmoth."

"So you don't then. You love Ladybug, not Marinette."

"I love both of you. Both sides. And while Ladybug is pretty paw-some all on her own, Marinette is the reason she exists. Marinette can be all those things Ladybug is, and more. Marinette is real, while Ladybug is an idealistic figure. I'd always had her on this pedestal, thinking she could do no wrong, but you're only human, just like me."

She nodded.

"Could you maybe, detransform? I believe your you, I just want to see you, if that makes sense."

He did.

"You know," he said, "I've always wondered why you turned Chat down."

She put her head on his shoulder.

"Because of you."

"Me?"

"Yeah, I may or may not have had a crush on Adrien you, so I may or may not have kept pushing Chat away for the sake of one day ending up together."

"So... You wanna date me?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

"Ugh, nope. You've totally ruined that."

"You like meeeeee." He teased.

"Nope, not anymore."

"Come on, Mari." She ignored him. "So your telling me if I asked you out right now, you'd say no?"

She pretends to think, placing a finger on her chin.

She places a quick kiss to his lips, before whispering in his ear, "Yes. I'd say yes."

"Great! So how about Friday night?"

Her response was a smack to the head, with her pillow. Hey, he deserved it.