CHAPTER 7

Marinette reached home and de-transforming, lay on her bed and pondered over all the things that had happened that week.

Tikki flew up to her, munching a cookie. "Chat Noir wasn't like his usual self today, was he?"

Marinette hummed before answering, "He did reveal quite a bit about himself, too. Ohh, not like that, Tikki!" she hastily interjected, seeing the kwami's eyes widen uneasily. "He just….. well, he just seemed so thoughtful and, I don't know, a bit sad?" She sat up and idly stared at the bracelet. "He also seems to prefer his superhero self over his civilian one."

"Hmm." Tikki finished her cookie and sat on her knee. "But he sounded like you being in his life has made it better."

Little does she know who her superhero partner is, Tikki thought.

Marinette blushed but didn't deny her words.

"Hey, Marinette! Did you see this?" Tikki questioned her, looking up from the bag.

"Non, what is it?"

Picking up the bag, she saw a paper, folded in half.

"What could this be?" Suddenly realizing something, she said aloud,

"Oh no, I hope this isn't what I think it is….."

The paper wasn't quite what Marinette feared it was. It wasn't a love-letter, but a few lines were scrawled, presumably in Chat's handwriting, which was surprisingly neat. And familiar as well? Her brain supplied, but she couldn't recall where she had seen that handwriting before.

"I hope you remember the times that we spent together,

I want these memories of ours to last forever."

-CN

Marinette sighed as she folded the paper in half again and held it to her chest.

"Chat is a surprisingly deep person, isn't he?"

Adrien was debating what to do with the gift he had received from Ladybug.

On one hand, he dearly wanted to keep it on his desk, for all the world to see.

It would be wonderful to wake up everyday and view it, first thing in the morning.

On the other hand, he knew that keeping in plain view like that was practically giving away his identity. While he could pass it off as being a more devoted fan of the two heroes, he couldn't very well explain the message at the back.

"Sooooo," Plagg drawled out, "Someone seems a little happy today."

"More like ecstatic," Adrien sighed, dreamily, collapsing on his bed with the frame, "Ladybug was so wonderful today. She was interested in me! She even made puns!" "And ohhh, Plagg, can you believe it! She said she wants to reveal our identities!"

"She didn't say that," Plagg interrupted, "She said that she wouldn't mind knowing your identity, AFTER Hawkmoth is defeated."

"Yeah, but still!"

A silence fell as Adrien contemplated, not for the first time, how that would take place. Suddenly, he sat up, as a glimmer of recognition hit him.

He had seen that handwriting before. But where?

"What are you doing?" Plagg asked as Adrien got up and began to rifle through the drawer.

"Here it is!" Adrien held up the Valentine that was supposedly from Ladybug.

"I don't get it."

"Look!" He held up the pinkish-red card, next to the frame that he had received that very day.

"I knew I had seen that handwriting somewhere before!"

Plagg put down the piece of Camembert that he had been enjoying, and flew to inspect the frame himself.

He couldn't reveal the fact that he knew the identity of his holder's partner, however, he could give Adrien a few hints.

"Aaaand? What do you infer from that?"

Plagg could literally see the wheels turning in his head.

"It proves that the Valentine was really from Ladybug!"

Plagg facepalmed. "Besides that very obvious fact, what else does it prove?"

Adrien looked at the cat-like kwami, bemused."Hold on a second, since the Valentine really is from Ladybug, how did she know who I am?

Plagg sighed. "I'm done," he announced to the world at large, then flopped dramatically down on the bed. "If you become any more dense, you'll-"

"I GOT IT!"

"Geez, Adrien, why don't you shout more louder, that last shout barely woke up the neighbours."

Adrien giggled, a bit light-headed. "Sorry, but Plagg, I just figured it out, since I threw away that card in the dustbin in my class, it must mean Ladybug goes to my school. What's more, she could actually be in my class!"

"You're forgetting the fact that she obviously has a crush on you, like, Adrien you."

Adrien froze.

Uh-oh, Adrien. exe has stopped working. Please try again later.