"Are you okay, LB?" Chat Noir worriedly asked, hands holding her shoulders. When she didn't answer, the boy gently shook her, not liking her silence at all.

It has been a fight like usual. They had won, like always, but he had been possessed once again. Nothing too serious, how he understood it, he had a strange addiction to singing or something- the Akuma had been musical based, after all, so it wasn't hard to believe.

Of course he felt bad now that the fight was over because he hadn't been the help he should have been. But he knew his partner had everything in control and did an amazing job on her own, so why was she -

"Why did you do that, Chat?" Ladybug pulled him out of his thoughts, her shoulders tensing before shaking. It alarmed him. "What-" "Why did you think it was okay to take that hit for me? And don't come at me with 'Only you can restore everything and save us' because that's not true. We both know you are smart enough to figure out a way to save us, too! You're a hero, too, and I don't get why you always put me first! Don't you care about yourself, Adrien?!" By the end of the lecture, her voice had become high and breathy, a small clue to the tears that fell down her eyes, one by one. She was now looking up at him, blue eyes an ocean of tears and sadness, but he saw no real anger. All the boy saw was confusion and panic.

He understood, now. Ladybug - Marinette- was afraid for him. She was scared something would go wrong and she wasn't able to save them. She was scared of the expectations of her and scared he wouldn't be there with her one day. It broke his heart.

His hands came up to cup her cheeks, carefully measuring his words. "Of course I do care about myself. I really have no intention of - uh.. getting hurt. But the thing is that I care about you more than you could ever know. You are my best friend above all and if there is one thing more important to me than my own wellbeing, it is my friends wellbeing. I will try to, rather than take a hit for you, get out of the way with you. But you know me, I'm not a big thinker, I do things quickly and without real after thought. I'm sorry, Princess. I didn't want to make you worry. But you have to know that I will always be here with you and never ever leave you alone."

Chat wasn't too sure if it had been a good idea to say all that at first because once he finished, his friend began crying harder before hugging him tightly. He was quick to hug her back before she inhaled deeply, calming herself.

It must be hard, the boy thought, to watch him get possessed again and again only because he was either protecting her or just too slow. If it was her, he knew he would be furious with himself and scared, like she was.

She sniffled once, twice, before leaning back again and wiping at her eyes. "It's okay, but please try to not get hurt or possessed all the time. I need you, Adrien."

Tell her, Adrien thought, don't be a coward.

Chat pulled back completely to look her in the eyes. And what he saw was the answer to what he wanted to ask her. It was all in her smile right then.

Her eyes shone with unshed tears but the also shone with something much deeper than friendship. They shone with love and it seemed like she didn't even know- it was just there. Her eyes were smiling with the rest of her.

"Marinette," Chat started just as her transformation fell away in the soft light in his room, the setting sun lighting up her everything. Though he thought she was shining all by herself, anyway.

"Adrien," she responded readily, his own transformation falling away at his feet, leaving two emotional teenagers in the light of dawn.

It had taken them a while after finding out to get there. To be okay with all their imperfections, to be okay with this. But now it was okay. They were ready for this love with all the risks it'd bring because it was worth it.

Both were smiling now and it was definitely time for these confessions that came out if their mouths at the same time.

"I love you."