Hi all! Sorry for the delay on the new chapter. I got caught up writing a later part of this story (that I am very excited about) and had to reign myself in to write the connecting chapters.

This is a quiet chapter, but an important one, as the heroes get used to their realizations and the potential changes.

The creepy man in the beginning? Yeah, he comes back and he is important! (That's all I'm saying!)

Hope you enjoy and I would love to hear what you think! And as always, I don't own them but I'll happily play in their universe for a while :).


She landed easily on her balcony, not worried about the noise as her parents would surely be gone for the majority of the evening. Peering down at the darkened bakery, she noticed a slender figure slinking around the front entry doors. Without looking, she montioned to Cat Noir as he landed next to her. She climbed onto the railing off the balcony, easing herself onto the roof. Cat Noir silently followed without snide comment, his ears pricking back and forth trying to analyze the street-level stranger.

It appeared to be a man, although his face was hidden. Despite the slightly slouched posture, his movements were elegant. The duo watched as the stranger moved from window to window peering in each for a few seconds at a time. Cat Noir used every sense at his disposal to analyze the man, an uneasy feeling growing in his stomach with every passing second. Instinctively, almost as if he was protecting her, Cat Noir slid an arm around Ladybug's waist. She didn't shift or move to push him away, instead leaning further over the roof with the security of his tight grasp holding her waist. There was a simplicity to their movements, but it revealed a deeper trust than either of them noticed.

A few minutes passed as they watched the mystery man prowl around the front of the store. Ladybug's breath caught when she saw him attempt to turn the doorknob and yank on the door, internally grateful that in her sleepy state she had managed to lock the door. Turning on his heel, the man left without ever facing the two people observing him from the roof. Climbing back onto the balcony, Cat Noir reached up to offer his hand to Ladybug, pulling her into him as her feet hit the ground.

"We should go after him," Ladybug whispered into his chest, not really convincing anyone with her lackluster tone.

Cat Noir let his hand run over the back of her head. "Not tonight," he smiled when she looked up at him, "I'm so tired, you are so tired, and chances are it was someone who wanted to buy an amazing sweet from your father." He took a chance at running a gloved finger across her cheek. "Our minds are probably on overdrive from all the new information tonight." His stomach growled loudly causing both of them to jump.

Ladybug reluctantly pulled out of his arms and opened the door to her room. "We also both need to eat." She stepped inside, happy to remember that she had cleaned her room when her parents had asked her to earlier in the day. "Do you want to transform first so that my transformation doesn't hurt your eyes?"

"Yes," he said almost immediately. His sensitive cat eyes couldn't endure the bright flash for a second time in such a short period. "Expect Plagg to demand food as soon as he is released. He is a bit of an unsavory character when he is hungry."

Ladybug was laughing when Adrien appeared in front of her, Plagg floating next him. "Unsavory character?! You're rude!" Plagg crossed his arms and pouted away from Adrien.

Transforming, and not missing the look of shock and awe on Adrien's face as she did, Marinette returned to her laughter as Tikki flew out of her miraculous, already scolding Plagg. "You are unsavory! And a glutton!" Her tiny kwami giggles filled the bedroom when Plagg flung a hair tie at his tiny red friend. The level of comfort between the kwamis increased Marinette's level of comfort, even standing in her bedroom with the longest crush of her young life. She had never really paused to consider the level at which the kwamis' personalities affected their masters, but the thought was gaining momentum in her mind. It was more than the way Tikki guided her giving her advice when she was at her most inconsolable; Marinette was only beginning to understand that Tikki's way of being was influencing Marinette's growth as a person. Her appreciation only grew for her tiny red partner as she watched Tikki throw random small objects in the direction of Adrien's slightly less enduring buddy, their playful relationship striking a chord of familiarity for Marinette.

"Sooooo," Plagg materialized in front of Marinette's face bringing her giggles to a matching level with Tikki's, "cheese, then?"

"Come on you silly kwami," Marinette purred, cuddling Plagg to her cheek, "you can choose anything you want."

Plagg let Marinette cuddle him, making room in her arms for Tikki as she joined him. "Adrien," Plagg quipped, "why don't you smell good like Marinette? Or cuddle like her? I'm getting the short end of the stick." Plagg pouted as he snuggled close to Marinette's heart and into Tikki's side.

"I don't know, Plagg," Adrien trailed the trio, lopsided smile gracing his face as he watched Marinette love on his kwami, "maybe because you make me carry stinky camembert all the time."

"Sure, blame the innocent, sweet kwami," Plagg murmured, being lured back to sleep by the gentle heartbeat against his ear.

Adrien chuckled as they entered the kitchen, realizing even without Marinette's parents in the house, their warmth and love could still be felt there. The kitchen still smelled like the remnants of the love-filled meals that were prepared in it each day. Sighing, Adrien stood quietly taking in all the feelings that were missing from his own home.

Placing Tikki and Plagg on Tikki's pillow on the counter, Marinette set out to create a plate of cheese for Plagg and sweet cookies for Tikki. She could sense Adrien's sorrow, even though she wasn't looking at him, in the same way she could sense his presence on the balcony without seeing him. It was if the big reveal, which hadn't been as big of a deal after all, had lifted a cloud from her mind, allowing her to see and feel her partner in a new way. Setting down the food in front of the kwamis, her giggles returned as Plagg visibly drooled over his food options. "That's it," he announced, "we're moving in!" He began shoving cheese in his face as the humans laughed and Tikki rolled her eyes.

Marinette returned to the shelves pulling down plates for herself and Adrien. She liked seeing the kwamis together, their relationship so closely resembled hers and Cat Noir's that it had her shaking her head. Thoughts about how long they had been partners, and their feelings about moving from human partners to new human partners began to flick through her mind. There were so many questions piling in her brain that sooner or later she was going to need answers before they overflowed from her ears.

Adrien watched as Marinette absent-mindedly stacked food on her plates, heating each item in turn and then adding it to the stack she was building. He wondered if her mind was racing as fast as his was. His body was still desperate for sleep, but his mind felt as if it would never quiet again. The one subject he no longer had questions about was her. It was amazing how instantaneously his heart had accepted that both of the best women in his life were, in fact, the same woman. His brain hadn't even bothered to fight it, after the initial shock. It had been as if part of him had always known and the nagging feeling had disappeared entirely. Master Fu had said they were meant to be, and every part of him agreed with that sentiment. Adrien was hopeful that Marinette felt the same way.

Turning with one large plate of food, eyes wide at the mound of various savory and sweet dishes she had assembled on their plates, Marinette smiled sheepishly at Adrien. "I may have overdone it a bit." She slid the plate in front of him, laughing when his eyes went equally as wide.

"I'm going to eat of all this," he stated matter-of-factly, licking his lips. Never looking up from his plate, he began to shovel food in, pausing only to sip the water that Marinette placed in front of him.

In total shock for the second time of the night, Marinette watched as Adrien's form lost all appearance of the model he was. Shoulders slumped, food flying from the plate to his mouth, Adrien appeared like a normal teenage boy who hadn't eaten in hours. Marinette found she liked Adrien better this way, without the false façade clouding his age appropriate behavior. Picking up her own plate, she slipped quietly into the seat next to him. Glancing at the kwamis who were still digging into their own piles of treats and talking a mile a minute, she was astonished at how normal the situation felt. Normally, she would have been a catastrophic mess sitting this close to Adrien, but now she felt peace and comfort, like she belonged right where she was. She would have been lying to herself if she said the new feelings weren't equally parts disarming and incredible.

"So good," Adrien mumbled shoving more food into his mouth. He heard Marinette's faint chuckle and smiled in spite of himself. He had realized thirty seconds into his gorging that he was acting out of his pre-established character, but he didn't care. It was a rush and relief to feel relaxed around someone, especially someone he cared so deeply for. Pausing to chew, he watched their kwamis laughing, eating and lounging on the pillow Marinette kept on the counter. It was obvious that they had known each other for a long time, and the way they joked and teased each other seemed very familiar to him. He narrowed his eyes trying to place the similarity.

Almost as if she was reading his mind, Marinette waved her fork in the direction of the kwamis, "they are a lot like us, huh?" She didn't look up from her plate to see the realization cross his face.

"You're right." Adrien let the thought sink in as he shoveled more food into his mouth. The easy affection of Plagg towards Tikki, the playful annoyance Tikki was expressing, but mostly the relationship that screamed "partner" was exactly like him and Ladybug. The thought made him grin.

After her initial desire to stuff as much food into her body had surpassed, Marinette flicked her fork around her plate, new thoughts beginning to settle in her mind took over. "What if one of us becomes akumatized?" Again, she missed the look on Adrien's face as she had not bothered to look up from her plate when she spoke.

"That can't happen," Adrien swallowed, finding it harder than it had been prior to her question, "I mean, don't our miraculouses protect us from that?"

"I don't know really," Marinette furrowed her eyebrows together, "I guess we should ask Master Fu. For now, we should avoid negative emotions though, to stay safe. Now that we know each other's identities, I'm sure Hawkmoth would use that against us if he got the chance at one of us."

Adrien felt that worry sink passed his mind and into his heart. He would do everything possible not to have negative emotions. If he was akumatized he would throw himself into the nearest river to avoid hurting Marinette. "Speaking of identities, what are we going to do about the newbies?" He still wasn't 100% sold on the idea of new teammates.

"I don't know about that either," Marinette huffed causing her bangs to float off of her forehead. "In one way this was the best night ever, in others it has brought so much confusion to the table." She blushed realizing he was going to ask her to clarify.

Watching the blush rise on her cheeks made him feel giddy. "Why was it one of the best nights?" He glanced at the kwamis, who had snuggled together in the pillow and had seemingly fallen back to sleep. They looked like a perfect ying yang of red and black. Meant to be. Master Fu's words were back in his ears and he stared intently at Marinette waiting for her answer.

"I mean, you know," she waved her fork awkwardly, stammering her sentence, "finding out that Cat Noir is, I mean that you are, you know…" she trailed off meeting his eyes. She wasn't Marinette awkward now, but she found herself unable to identify the feelings she was having. Madly in love, whispered a voice in her head sounding remarkably like Tikki, who was now sleeping curled up with Plagg. Their red and black ying yang made Marinette smile.

"I was happy it was you," Adrien blurted the words out, hearing how uncontrolled they sounded and finding once again that he simply didn't care, "I like all of you, and it was satisfying to know I wasn't crazy for falling for two people." He stared hard at his plate as if the crumbs he left behind would bail him out of weight of the emotional reveal he had thrown into the room without caution.

Marinette choked. Patting her chest, she grabbed her water, drinking quick gulps. She felt his hand rubbing her back and immediately choked on her water. At least part of her was still very, very awkward. "You liked me?" she squeaked, instantly regretting speaking.

"Yeah, I did," he continued to rub her back liking the fact that she wasn't brushing him away, "I mean, I do." Marinette usually jumped when he touched her and Ladybug had only recently begun to be more casual about physical contact. The fact that he was sitting there, freely touching her without any jumping or shoving was making him feel like dancing and singing out of pure joy.

Playing with her fingers, Marinette tried to gather her words. "I like you, too," she knew he was grinning in a Cat Noir way without looking at him, "both of you." She felt his hand falter in its smooth circles, finally causing her to look at him. "What?" The cheesy grin on his face was more than Adrien and Cat Noir combined.

"Meant to be, right?" Adrien placed his hand on her shoulder, smiling brightly until she couldn't help but return the smile. "So, what now?"

"Well," Marinette fidgeted in her seat, "we need to recruit Alya and Queen Bee, right?" She snuck a glance at his face, bursting into laughter when she saw the famous Cat Noir pout. Falling off her seat, she rolled on the floor, a mixture of exhaustion and relief creating an insane level of amusement over his frustration. She had been frustrated with Adrien so many times over his obliviousness, it was absolutely wonderful to be the one making him feel frustrated in that moment.

Seconds after she began her overly-tired laughing fest which led her to the floor, Adrien realized she was teasing him. Crouching like the cat he was, he pounced on her, tickling her sides and making her laughter louder. When she cried for him to stop through hysterical wheezes, he stretched on the ground, pulling her on to his chest. He put an arm behind his head listening to her laughter calm as she snuggled against him. Neither of them realized that they had fit themselves into the same position their kwamis were in on the counter.

"So, is Cat Noir more who you really are? Or is that all Plagg?" Marinette flicked at his button, seeing the loose thread and vowing to remember to offer to fix it. Her nerves had settled quickly, adjusting to the new level of contact being initiated between them. If this had been a year ago, or even six months, she would have been a jumbled mess in this situation. Thinking of Tikki, she reminded herself to thank her kwami partner for putting up with and getting her through the most ridiculous of Marinette's behaviors.

"Some of both, I guess," he idly lifted her hair and let it drop. It was remarkable how fast their walls began to crumble when Master Fu had revealed them. Knowing someone, beside the older man and the annoying tiny cat, who knew all of him brought him an indescribable sense of relief. Now all he wanted to do was tell her everything, in a way he had never let himself tell anyone before. "When I'm me I have to be everything my father wants, the perfect son presented to the world on a platter." Adrien winced, "sorry that sounds bitter."

Lifting her head to look at him, she moved the hair off of his forehead. How strange it was that they went from partners who completely trusted each other, and school friends who were awkward as often as they were comfortable, to lying on her living room floor cuddling up together entirely in sync. It should be a lot weirder than it was, but somehow, she felt an overwhelming sense of right. She put her hand on his chest, chin on top of it. "Everyone puts a chosen face forward, it doesn't make you, or your dad, bad people. I'm sure he doesn't mean anything by it, it is the way he believes his son should behave, right or wrong. It doesn't mean he doesn't love you."

Adrien stayed focused on the ceiling letting her words roll around in his mind. Somehow they felt right, but also missing something. Whatever the detail was, it had been missing for a long time. "What about you?" he said, changing the subject, "Marinette is Marinette or Ladybug?"

Fiddling with his buttons again, Marinette pursed her lips. "I'm not really sure," she liked the feeling of his hands in her hair and sighed softly, "both, maybe. I'm definitely awkward, but as Ladybug all the confidence I feel can come out. For some reason, I can't get it to the surface when I'm myself." Her tired head was beginning to hurt from the efforts of deciphering and talking about both parts of herself. This had been the first time, since Tikki and Master Fu, that someone else knew all of her. It was overwhelming in the very least.

Yawning loudly, Adrien pulled Marinette closer to him as she laid her cheek back on his chest. "Sounds like we both have some thoughts to work through," his eyes felt heavy with the warmth of her body soothing him, "maybe later? After a nap?"

"We probably shouldn't fall asleep here," Marinette yawned, her eyes already closing. "Hm, maybe a few minutes wouldn't hurt." She yawned again, tucking her hand onto his chest under his button down shirt and over his t-shirt. Her body fell into a deep sleep, slumping further into his.

In that moment, he was completely relaxed in a way he couldn't remember feeling since he was a child. His breathing slowly matched hers and he quickly joined her in slumber, uncaring about the strange location on the floor.

From the edge of the counter, Tikki and Plagg watched their partners sleep. "They are so cute!" Tikki squealed quietly.

Next to her, Plagg made puking noises. "Ugh, I can't handle more lovey dovey Ladybugs and Cat Noirs. I thought they were going to be clueless forever!" Plagg grimaced at Tikki when she pushed him.

"You know that's not how it works, Plagg," Tikki propped her elbows on the edge of the counter smiling wistfully at the sleeping teenagers. "I'm glad they finally know, it will be easier now."

"They are teenagers! Nothing is going to be easy!" Plagg floated away, stuffing the last of the cheese from his plate into his mouth. "Help me with these plates, okay?" He lifted one edge of his plate, waiting for Tikki to grab the other side. Together they quietly rinsed the four plates and placed them in the drying rack.

"We should wake them," Tikki whispered, floating above her sleeping friend, "Marinette's parents won't be very happy if they find them here."

Plagg looked down at his blond haired partner with a devilish grin, "nah, it'll be funny if they get caught!" Plagg stuck his tongue out at Tikki when she moved next to him to shove him.

"We need to be out of sight at least," Tikki didn't want to disturb them quite yet, and Marinette's parents did say in their note that they would be out all night. Flying to look at the clock, Tikki realized it was merely 9PM, coming to terms with her own exhaustion. "Let's go upstairs. I'll set Marinette's alarm and we'll come back down later and get them. They are so wiped out after all." With a glance over her shoulder, Tikki led Plagg upstairs to Marinette's room.

Curling up on the cat pillow, Plagg watched Tikki float through the room. If he was going to have to ensure another Ladybug and Cat Noir love story, especially a teenage sappy first love version, he was glad that Tikki would be suffering along side of him. Although she would probably enjoy every minute of it, he snickered to himself. It was so nice to be with her, the past year and a half had been torture sensing how close she was, but never being able to reach her. Sure, he had caught peeks of her here and there, but this was the first real time they had spent together. He was hopeful that now that the teenage knuckleheads had been revealed by Master Fu that he was going to get a lot more quality time with his kwami partner. Cuddling into Tikki as she laid down on the pillow, Plagg smiled in spite of himself.