There were things in this world everybody knew for a fact. The earth was round. The sun went down at night and came up in the morning. Marinette Dupain-Cheng was crazy for Adrien Agreste.
And she was. I mean, if having the boy's schedule in her room didn't count as yandere crazy I don't know what does.
So imagine her when he said he wanted to talk to her. In private. That was how a lot of her fantasies started out; he said he wanted to talk, he confessed his undying love for her and they rode off into the sunset.
She stood up from her place next to Alya on the bench and followed him to a very secluded corner of the courtyard. Behind their backs, Nino and Alya were freaking out because "Oh my god, it's happening! It's happening!"
Marinette was freaking out too. I have to keep it together. I'm not going to stutter, I'm not going to make an utter fool of myself. I have this.
"Marinette, I, um…" Adrien said. I don't have this! "Look, I really need to talk to someone about some things and we're friends, right? I trust you and I feel like I can talk to you about anything, so… can you promise me not to tell anyone?"
"Of course Adrien, I won't tell a soul." Oh my god, I can't believe this! Adrien trusts me! He trusts me enough to tell me his secrets!
Adrien sighted in relief. "Okay, you might not believe me at first, but I'm telling the truth."
Marinette didn't talk, just nodded. She didn't trust herself not to squeal.
The boy took a deep breath and started talking. "I'm Cat Noir and I have this huge crush on Ladybug and I really really need some advise because I don't think she takes my feelings seriously and…"
And after that Marinette didn't hear a thing. Cat Noir… did he just say he's Cat Noir?"
"Excuse me, did you just say you're Cat Noir?"
Adrien ran a hand through his hair, a nervous tick of his that just made him look more like the leather clad hero. "Yeah. I know it's hard to believe but I'm not lying."
She would have loved it if he was lying. If this was just a prank. But it wasn't and she knew it. "Would I ever lie to you, Bugaboo?" Adrien asked in her head and Cat's words coming out of Adrien's mouth felt strangely right.
She didn't understand how she hadn't seen it before. Same hair, same eyes, same built – it was too much of a coincides yet her stubborn mind had refused to make the connection between her school crush and her crime-fighting partner.
Yet here he was now, telling her his secret identity and asking her for help. Adrien Agreste - the sweet and kind that sat in front of her in class - was Cat Noir - the confident and flirty boy who constantly made bad puns - and the realization hit her like a ton of bricks.
Then she thought of something else. She liked Adrien and Cat Noir liked Ladybug. But Adrien was Cat Noir and she was Ladybug. Adrien didn't notice her because he was too caught up in Ladybug but Ladybug turned Cat Noir down because she was really Marinette, who liked Adrien but Adrien was Cat Noir, who liked Ladybug, who…
This is so ridiculous!
It was then that Marinette started laughing hysterically. Because what were the chances of something like that ever happening?
"Marinette… I swear, I'm not lying…"
Marinette recovered her sanity instantly. He thinks I'm laughing at him, she thought in horror.
"No, Adrien, it's not that, it's…" she tried to explain. "Come with me."
She grabbed his arm and led him to the locker room and from there to the bathroom. Thankfully, no one was in there.
Off to the side, Nino whistled. "Didn't know Mari could be so bold."
Back in the bathroom, Marinette was panicking. This was so unexpected, but she didn't have a choice. It was either face her fear and do it or jeopardize her friendship with Adrien and her partnership with Cat.
"Marinette, what-"
"Okay, this isn't how I wanted this to happen and it's so sudden but please don't freak out" Marinette blurted out. "Um, Adrien, say hello to Tikki."
"Marinette, what are you talking abou-" Adrien started asking but his words died in his throat when his eyes fell on the small, ladybug spotted creature waving at him from inside Marinette's purse.
"Hey, kitty," Marinette said weakly.
Plagg flew out of Adrien's shirt and into the purse, greeting the other kwami – Tikki, her name is Tikki – and complaining that his charge should be a girl too so he could sleep in her purse.
But Adrien didn't notice any of that, because like Marinette earlier, he was freaking out over the realization that sweet Marinette - the girl Plagg insisted he had a crush on - was Ladybug.
But it couldn't have been anybody else. They looked so much alike – of course they do, they're the same person – he felt stupid for not at least being suspicious. Sure, Marinette acted weird around him and he honestly didn't know why, but he had seen how she took charge of the situation when Darkblade attacked and he had seen how she's stand up to Chloe. It couldn't have been anyone else.
He was so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't spoken in several minutes and Marinette was getting nervous.
"Um, Adrien…" She stammered, "I'm… I'm sorry if you're disappointed it's me –"
"Disappointed? Why would I be disappointed? You must be the one who's disappointed, I mean, you don't like me a lot, right? 'Cause you act normal around everyone else but when you talk to me you freeze and stutter and I'm sorry if you're still mad at me for that gum and –"
"What? Adrien, I don't act like that because I don't like you, it's because I do!"
Her words hanged in the air between them, both looking at each other completely frozen.
"You… like me?" He asked stunned. "Boring ol' Adrien?" It didn't make sense to him. He had always thought of Cat Noir as the better part of himself, the brave and confident part, he didn't understand why someone would like him like that. And when they did, they like the model, not the person.
"You're not boring!" She protested. "You're kind and sweet and you're nice to everyone, even Chloe or plain ol' me."
"You're not plain!" He fought back. "You're brave and amazing and you always do your best to help everyone, whether you're Marinette or Ladybug!"
They glared stubbornly at each other, refusing to take back their words. Until what they said fully sank in and they looked away, embarrassed.
The silence was finally broken when Plagg huffed. "Oh, just kiss already!"
"Plagg!" Tikki scolded him. "You ruined the moment!"
"What? You want them to kiss too!"
"Yes, but at their own time! Don't rush them!"
Why couldn't my kwami be nice like that too?, thought Adrien, dying from embarrassment.
"Um…" Marinette stammered. "I – I don't know about a kiss b-but we could hang out? I-If you want, of course."
Adrien smiled. "I would love to, my Lady."
