Chat Noir's ears twitched to the tick of the clock perched on her kitchen wall.

Exhausted as he was, he was no longer able to sleep. Not with his mind running at sixty miles a minute.

It was too busy, assembling the puzzle pieces together. Only to see the mental picture all fit almost seamlessly.

And it left him floored.

Well, he corrected, clamping a gloved hand over his mouth to suppress a rogue snicker, he had been floored earlier.

Now, he was just a blushing wreck, his heart racing just as it did every evening he raced the rooftops there beside her.

Now he was hoping against hope that she might fuss with his hair again.

She was a little too good at that after all.

He told her he would nap and head home.

But at the moment, nothing - outside of a screaming toddler - could move him from that spot.

As the early morning light filtered through her sheer curtains, Marinette's eyes slowly drifted open, leaving her dazed and more than a little confused.

She wasn't in her own bed. And she certainly wasn't used to the heavy weight in her lap.

But more importantly, she didn't expect her eyes to cross and lock onto a fretting Tikki.

Her kwami pressed her tiny paw to her mouth, miming silence, and gestured for Marinette to follow.

Blinking, Marinette complied.

Or at least, she attempted to.

Her too-tired brain was only now coming to terms with the heavy weight on her legs.

Looking down, she noted the blonde head of hair on her lap, as the memories slowly flowed back into her sleep deprived brain. Loup in pain. Her Chaton to the rescue.

It took a few seconds more for her to register that he was missing the ears and the mask.

And half an instant more for her to recognize the man who had clearly been beneath it for all of these years.

Tikki smacked her mitts over Marinette's mouth just in time to stifle the panicked shriek into a half-squeaked whimper, then attempted to tug her off the couch.

The slam of the door and the newly harsh light jolted Adrien's eyes open.

He had expected to see Marinette's serene face, still sleeping due to the extremely late hour. Or barring that, he had hoped she might be a little bit awake, again inclined to lazily fuss with his hair.

Instead, he was alone again.

This is just my luck, Adrien sighed, subconsciously sniffing the air, in the vain hope that a trace of her still lingered.

And that was when the reality came crashing down.

He could barely smell a thing. His wide eyes grew dazed as he held up his hand to confirm his de-transformation.

And - of course - it was only then the usual, general discomfort he had grown to expect each morning decided to make itself more fully known.

Hoisting himself up off the couch, Adrien grimaced as he noticed the light shining from under the bathroom door. He needed to wait to...deal with matters.

He definitely didn't want to freak her out, at least not any more than she might already be at this point, but it was definitely going to be a pressing matter. One he would need to handle - and soon.

But that was hardly the only trouble he now found himself in.

"Plagg," he hissed, as quietly as he could. "Plagg?"

Blinking, he lifted himself up off the couch, scouting around and noticing the waft of cheese and the louder hum of the refrigerator.

Frowning, he opened the door, to reveal Plagg leaving halfway into a second wheel of Camembert.

"Wait, I think there's a bit more brie in here."

Adrien's eyebrows furrowed as he leaned against the counter. "Plagg, when did we detransform?"

Plagg righted himself, peering back over his shoulder with a smirk.

Tikki sighed, hovering over her still-pale charge, leaning against the sink. "You need to calm down, Marinette."

Her eyes were shut, head shaking as if to clear her now-addled thoughts. She kept murmuring the words. "Adrien is Chat Noir. Chat Noir is Adrien."

Yes, yes. I'm afraid we kind of already established that when you woke up with a lap full of former teenage model."

Her eyes still furiously slammed shut, the blush burning her cheeks. "Yes, but I wasn't supposed to know that. Right? I wasn't ever supposed to know. At least not until all the threats were gone?

"Marinette, there are always going to be threats. And eventually, someday, you are going to need to hand me back over to the guardian." Tikki murmured, ruffling her charge's bangs. "This is just a little...earlier than we'd expected."

Marinette looked up at Tikki, her eyes half hidden behind the fringe of bangs. "So you're not mad? That I found out who he was."

"Of course, not." Tikki confirmed. "Are you?"

"Honestly, kid. This is better than the movies."

Adrien stalked back and forth, his shoes squeaking slightly on the title. He was worried enough that he might have overstayed his welcome, without the very real chance that she now knew who was hiding behind the black mask. "C'mon, Plagg. Does she know or does she not?"

Plagg snorted. "What do you think? Just consider how long she's been in that bathroom."

Wincing, Adrien grumbled. "I've been trying not to think about that." He gripped his nails into the counter top. "I think it might be better to assume that she knows…"

Nodding, Plagg chomped merrily on another hunk of cheese.

"Why would I be mad?" Marinette smiled, lips trembling slightly. "At least, I'm not mad at him. I've just spent years pushing away my best friend, only to find out he's actually one and the same with the guy I've been madly in love with all along." She scrubbed a hand over her face. "The same friend who totally went above and beyond to help me out of a really messy situation."

Tikki smiled. "He did. And don't think I didn't notice all the starry eyes you were giving to him."

Marinette grumbled, pressing her forehead against the mirror. "Tikki...What am I going to do?"

Large purple-blue eyes blinked. "What do you want to do?"

Eyes narrowing, Marinette sighed. "That's not helpful."

Tikki chuckled. "I think that is a question you are going to need to figure out for yourself."

"Think she'll still be in there for a while?"

Plagg shrugged. "The door hasn't opened while you were checking on the pup."

Adrien grumbled, carding his fingers through his sleep-mussed hair as he paced the kitchen. At least Loup was still out like a light.

He wanted to stay. Rather desperately in fact.

But it didn't change the fact that he needed to get out of there...and fast. It would be way more comfortable for them both if he could take care of matters elsewhere. And maybe also get a shower, too.

He sighed, still mentally puzzling out just what to say to her. She very clearly had never wanted to know who he was, and he had taken that choice away from her

Plagg burped, unrepentant as he happily patted his sated belly.

Adrien narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

Opening the refrigerator door, he sighed in defeat. A quick stop to the fromagerie wouldn't go amiss, either.

Resolved, his eyes darted around the kitchen for a paper and pen.

He scribbled out a quick note on one of the pink notepad beside the refrigerator. "Be back soon. - Chat Noir"

Pressing it to the counter beside Loup's bag, he summoned his transformation and dashed to open her balcony window and slip out into the early morning light.

"What do I want?" Marinette repeated.

Tikki nodded.

Marinette sighed. "Could I really ask for more?"

"The guy I've liked for...well, forever it feels like...and my best friend are actually one in the same? I'm still trying to wrap my brain around it, but it makes far too much sense, the more that I try." A choked laugh slipped past her lips. "It kind of feels unfair how lucky I am."

"What are you still worried about?"

Marinette tilted her head, worrying her lower lip. "I'm worried that I'm going to screw all this up. That knowing who he is will change my partnership with Chat Noir. Or that I'll scare Adrien off by reverting to the stammering teenager I was since he'd handed me his umbrella." She peered back at the locked door behind her. "I just don't want things to change."

"Marinette," Tikki soothed, pressing her tiny cheek to Marinette's own. "Things are going to change. That's just part of life. Yeah, it can be a little scary, but you need to remember: you've already done some of the scariest things together - with Adrien at your side - for years now."

With a curt nod, she looked up, meeting her own eyes in the mirror. "You're right, Tikki. After Hawkmoth, this should be a piece of cake."

Joyfully, Tikki cheered. "That's my girl!"

Pressing her lips together, she spun on her heel striding two steps to the door. Marinette inhaled deeply, forcing her rapidly racing heart to steady and calm.

It was just his luck that Alya was one of the few citizens of Paris up and out in the early morning hours.

"Chat Noir!" She shouted. "Got a minute for a quick interview?"

"In a hurry!" He called, barely slowing on his rooftop race. "Can it wait?"

Alya balled her fists at her waist. "Not too long, I hope. I need to get it out there so poor Marinette can leave her apartment again."

He winced. Turning on his baton, he yelled over his shoulder. "I can meet you back at your apartment in 20 minutes."

The Ladyblogger grinned.

As she opened the door, the bright smile Marinette had plastered on her face quickly faded.

"Chat Noir?"

Marinette padded out down the hallway, peering briefly into the kitchen and living room, before turning back down towards her sewing room. "Where is that cat?" she muttered.

It was a few minutes search before Tikki hovered out into the hallway, pointing over to the half-opened balcony door. "Marinette, look."

"He left?" Her shoulders slumped, her eyes staring vacantly at the open window. Only now registering the rush of the slight breeze. "But he didn't say a word…"

Tikki frowned.

"Abbbhbpth."

Marinette and Tikki looked at one another, wide-eyed.

Adrien might not have said a word, but Loup was awake and babbling in the other room.

The rush of hot water had been a blessing, but Adrien's timeframe barely allowed him to do much more than run a comb and a bit of gel through his hair and throw on a pair of clean clothes.

He was sorely tempted to linger for longer, fussing until he got his hair just right.

But he really didn't want to keep his Lady waiting a moment longer than necessary.

Alya leaned into the frame. "Our viewers wanted to know, just how good are you with little kids."

Chat Noir chuckled. "I got surprisingly good at helping out the occasional bedraggled mama when one of her little ones was Akumatized and she needed to give them a big hug."

Alya nodded. "And in this case, where quite a few folks submitted pictures of you walking beside the girl in question."

He smiled softly. "I was just helping out a very good friend."

"So you are still single?"

Cheekily, Chat Noir grinned. "For the moment, yes."

Alya didn't miss a beat. "Ahhh. You have a girl in mind…"

"I do, indeed." Chat winked. "But I have hopes of purr-suading her to come around someday soon."

"Hope?" He could hear the cant of Alya's eyebrow as the question was asked off camera.

"A gentle-cat never rescues and tells!"

Ears swiveling back towards the window, Chat Noir bowed out quickly. "On that note, I'm afraid I need to dash."

In one swift, fluid motion, he bounded out of the frame and the window.

"Wait. Rescue?" Alya blanched, knocking the camera tripod over as she shouted her next question after him. "Hold up! Does that mean she's a civilian?"

But he was too far away to answer.

Though it took quite a bit longer on her own, even with Tikki dancing just outside of Loup's chubby handed reach, Marinette managed to get his diaper changed on her own.

It was a small little victory that she would have loved to be celebrating with her partner.

If he hadn't bailed on her.

Marinette sighed, helping the wiggling toddler into a pair of pants, as his legs tried to kick the pants legs free.

It took a while, but she'd finally wrangled all of his clothes on before the doorbell rang.

Fred had arrived to pick up Loup. Concern marred his face when she answered the door. "Are you alright, Marinette?"

She smiled widely. "Just tired, Mr. Haprele. Loup is getting a tooth and we were both up a little late last night."

Fred sighed in sympathy. "Kids do tend to have the worst timing in those things."

"Any news from Ivan and Mylene?"

Fred grinned madly. "My granddaughter has arrived, and Mylene is doing well. They have the little one in the neonatal intensive care unit for now, but I should be able to take Loup to see her through the glass after I take the bags back home."

Marinette smiled. At least some happy news had come out of the last evening. Quickly, she gathered together all the paperwork on the counter top for him. "There was a still a little of the infant medicine left over if you need it. I know I wrote the right dosage down last night."

Adrien ducked into the bakery, bags from the fromagerie already in hand. "Good Morning!"

"Well, there's a friendly face!" Sabine grinned up at him from behind the counter. "Tom! Come up and look who is here."

Tugging out his wallet as he mulled over the glass counters, Adrien's eyes glazed over, with far too many choices. "I just happened to be in the neighborhood this morning, and thought I'd stop in. I am meeting up with Marinette, Alya, and Nino this afternoon."

Sabine grinned. "I think I can help you out with the favorites, then."

"Good to see you, Adrien!" Tom bellowed, wiping down his hands on a dishtowel. "I should get one of the new recipes we've been testing out."

Adrien smiled softly. "I'd like to stay, really. But I have...classes this morning."

Tom chuckled. "You're lucky you missed the early morning rush, then."

Sabine bundled up the box, handing it over to him.

"What do you I owe you?" Adrien asked, opening up his wallet.

Tom winked. "Just tell Marinette hello for us."

Alya was still ecstatic, practically bouncing in her chair when she dialed Marinette.

If Adrien couldn't get his mess together after this long, maybe Marinette was actually nabbing a superhero after all.

"Hey, Alya."

Alya frowned. Marinette never sounded so down over the phone. "What's up, girl?"

Her friend sighed. "It's...just a little oddly quiet here."

"Well, I've got the perfect fix for that." Alya grinned. "We'll stop somewhere for breakfast. My treat."

Whistling, Chat Noir dropped onto a now-familiar balcony, peace-offering in hand fresh from her parent's bakery.

He tried to slip his claws through the glass door, only to find it shut tight.

He frowned, pressing both clawed hands against the glass. He could have sworn he had left it unlocked when he'd left.