(A/N): Hey Guys!
Just wanted to say how freaking wonderful you all are and thank you for your patience through this story, your comments and your love and all the feedback you've given me.
I love to write and I love to read back over my work to remind myself that I can actually do this, craft a story. However egotistical that may sound, sometimes it's so nice to remember that something I love and enjoy so much is actually greeted so well and so supportively by you awesome, awesome people.
I've really loved writing this story, to the point where I'm almost sad to tell you this is the second-last chapter.
One more to go guys!
It's been so exciting and fun and I just want to thank everyone who came along for the ride, and I hope you've all enjoyed it.
As always, your comments make my day, your criticism helps me build my ability and your support is profound.
Happy Reading!

Chapter Fourteen

They were late, of course, racing across the snowy ground towards the large group of their classmates in their hats and scarves, already tossing snow around and calling to each other with laughter and screams. When Marinette and Adrien slowed to a stop beside their friends, Nino turned to give them a bright grin in welcome, throwing his arms around Adrien's shoulders for a brief hug before pulling back for a fist bump.

Alya gave Marinette that look, her gaze slowly and deliberately looking from one of them to the other before back at Marinette with a barely-concealed shark's smile.

"You're late." she teased, eyes dancing, "Becoming a regular thing with you two."

"Shut up, Alya." Marinette mumbled, her cheeks going pink as she began to shift her weight from one foot to the other.

But Alya, of course, only laughed. She gave her best friend a nudge with her elbow, trying to make her laugh with her.

"And together, too." she said lowly, mostly for Marinette's ear, but not low enough, "Anything you care to share?"

Marinette stuttered a denying gasp, her face bleeding scarlet and her eyes first frowning at Alya for asking such a thing before glancing, as though instinctively, to Adrien. His heart began to skip a beat.

Adrien looked at her and he saw how nervous she was, right down to how her bottom lip was caught between her teeth when she looked away. Alya was nudging her with her elbow still, her giggle growing quieter and becoming half-apologetic as she began to realise their friend wasn't laughing any more. Adrien caught sight of Nino reaching for Alya's other arm, his eyes concerned.

So Adrien did what Cat Noir did best. He improvised impulsively, slinging an arm around Marinette's shoulder and subtly tugging her closer as he stuck a grin on his face.

"Alya's just jealous that I'm stealing her spot as BFF." he laughed in a stage-whisper, giving her shoulder a comforting squeeze with his hand, "You can totally see it all over her face."

Alya pulled an outrageously offended expression and began to splutter, waving her arms in that way she always did. Marinette snorted, her hands coming up to smother her laughter as she looked up with glittering eyes. Adrien's grin grew, encouraged.

"Oh, look, see? Look she's turning red! Gosh, I knew it was jealousy." he teased, his heart soaring at the way Marinette choked back another giggle, her shoulders jerking with the strain.

Alya stopped, putting her hands on her hips and pretending to scowl.

"Now see here, Agreste! That is completely unfoun-"

"See!" Adrien laughed, pointing at her to complete the act, "Mari, see? Oh! She's turning purple now!"

And Marinette was lost. She spluttered, laughter spilling from her as she bent almost double, the sound sweet and wonderful as her eyes began to gleam with tears.

"I see." she answered, gasping through the noise, "I see- haha! hahaha!"

Alya crossed her arms and stuck her nose up in the air in a scarily accurate impression of Chloé, but she was holding back a grin as she peeked from under her lashes. Marinette met her eyes with a suppressed grin and she knew thy were okay. No hard feelings, just like always.

"Okay, so you two were last here." Nino started, looking like he too had questions he wanted to ask, if the way he kept shooting Adrien secretive glances meant anything.

"How catastrophic." Adrien demurred.

He'd bent no inflection at all, but Marinette knew he'd picked he word on purpose, doing her best to swallow the giddy laugh that wanted to burst from her. She was buzzing with energy and she knew it, almost on the wrong side of hyperactive with the euphoria being near Adrien always brought. Cat Noir, her heart sung when she looked up at him, his hand warm against her shoulder still, he's Cat Noir!

In that moment Marinette couldn't think of a single fact she knew that could make her happier right then.

But then her heart only laughed at her and found one anyway.

He loves you.

As though he knew, Adrien met her eyes. She watched in fascination as the light danced in the emerald, fuelling the sugar-rush feeling she was intoxicated with right then.

"Disastrous." she answered him, her mouth slipping to show part of her knowing smile, "Positively disastrous."

Adrien's laugh was rich and warming and made Marinette flush all over with pride while Alya and Nino looked on, faintly bemused.

"Okay…" Alya said slowly, her face slipping into that familiar, thoughtful, I-will-work-this-out expression.

Marinette felt mildly nervous, but at the same time began feeling something almost desperate, like she needed Alya to figure it out. Suddenly she wasn't so afraid of their friends knowing, suddenly exited and eager right in the pit of her stomach. She looked up again at Adrien to find him looking at her softly, that smile - dear, sweet and lovely on his face - giving her butterflies.

"We got tied up." Adrien answered Alya's unspoken question, his eyes never leaving Marinette's, "Something important."

"Important how?" Nino asked pleasantly, and when Marinette peeked over at him she could see the dawning notion behind the amber in his eyes.

Nino was there, she knew. He was right there, knowing, waiting to be told. It made Marinette feel like giggling, that Nino had worked it out and yet Alya, so desperate to know all secrets as soon as they come into existence, was still mired in the wait-what? of suspicion.

It was pretty funny.

She looked back at Adrien, reading the light of his eyes and the way he tipped his head a fraction to the side, asking if she wanted to tell, asking if she wanted to be the one to tell it. She loved him right then, that knowledge, of knowing what he was thinking because of how unbelievably close they really were, without her even knowing he was the one she was so close to for so long.

And that was what gave her the courage; their partnership and his heart-felt support of her in everything always.

"Personal." she answered, looking at Nino building her strength to look at Alya, "Important and personal and- and-"

"Awesome." Adrien supplied, flashing a cheeky, full grin.

"Awesome," she repeated, unable not to grin with him as she turned her gaze on Alya, "and long-awaited."

Her voice almost failed her, that admitting, finally, what she had after wanting so long. If she wasn't too busy preparing herself for the inevitable screech, Marinette might have thought to take a picture of Alya's face as it morphed through several stages of understanding at once, from confusion to suspicion and everything else one after the other so fast and yet so slowly it was comical.

And then her eyes grew wide as saucers and her mouth dropped open as she stared, taking in their close stance and all the pieces clicking together in her head. Marinette smiled weakly, her outside hand reaching up to cover Adrien's on her shoulder. For support, for reassurance because she was suddenly so nervous that her knees were shaking. He curled his fingers around hers and squeezed.

Gods, she loved the boy.

"Congrats." smiled Nino warmly, right before Alya let out an almighty screech and threw herself at Marinette.

"OH MY FREAKING GOD!"