Author's Note:

I do not own any of these characters.

"Happy birthday, kid!" Plagg spun around in the air given his unusually chipper mood. "I have a birthday present for you this year. Hold out your hand."

"Plagg... If this is camembert, you can keep it."

Plagg feigned hurt with an overdramatic paw to his forehead. "Rejected again... Maybe I shouldn't give it to you, then!"

Adrien held out his hand, whole-heartedly expecting Plagg to drop a wheel of camembert into it. "Okay Plagg. I'm sorry. Here... Give me my present."

Plagg returned to his previously excited state and spun around a few times, chanting slightly. Adrien watched on with a quirked eyebrow. Plagg finally spun around one last time and... spit into Adrien's hand. "Ew! Plagg! What the..."

"It's a kwagatama, kid. It's very special. It's made from the hairs of all the previous Cat Noirs."

Adrien watched as the slime coalesced into a black tear-drop shaped pendant. It had a hole on the large end and curved into a point. He looked closely at it and could see the little fibers of hair. "Awe, Plagg. Thanks. It's a bit disgusting at first, but it looks really awesome now. Did you really have to spit in my hand though?"

"I did. It won't form correctly unless it forms in the current Cat Noir's hand." Plagg turned away in a huff.

"Oh. Okay. Well, a warning next time would be nice. But... thank you. I really like it."

Plagg cracked open one eye at Adrien. "You really like it?"

"I do, Plagg. I just wasn't expecting you to spit in my hand, that's all."

Adrien gathered up his stuff for school and had Plagg hide in his jacket as usual. He hoped this year would be better than last year when Nino had gotten akumatized.

As Adrien got out of his car to head into school, he could see Alya and Nino waiting at the top of the stairs. He waved at them as he shut the car door. He started walking towards them when their faces contorted. Adrien was about to ask what was wrong but didn't get a chance as someone or something knocked him off his feet.

He tumbled around a few feet, landing with his back on the ground. He looked up to see Marinette, as red faced as ever, staring back down at him in shock. "I-I'm so s-sorry, Adrien! I was just trying to get to school on time for once and I guess I was in such a hurry I didn't see you."

"It's alright, Marinette. I hope you're not hurt."

"M-Me? No! I'm not hurt. Are you hurt? Did I break anything? Is your father going to kill me for hurting you? Is..."

"Marinette! It's okay. I'm not hurt." Adrien looked around and noticed a box a few feet away that was crumpled a bit. "I'm doing better than that box... that's for sure."

Marinette hopped up. "Oh No! Your present. I'm so sorry. Now it's ruined!" She rushed over to the box and picked it up.

By then, Alya and Nino had joined them. Nino helped Adrien up and they all gathered around the mangled box. Tears were making their way down Marinette's face as she mumbled to herself repeated about ruining it. Adrien realized it was a wrapped gift and noticed the little card that read, "Happy Birthday, Adrien!" on it. He placed his hands over Marinette's to get her attention... and to keep the box from being throw up to the roof of the school by a surprised Marinette.

"Is this for me?" Marinette nodded, tears still streaming down her face. Adrien gently pulled it out of her hands and turned it around so he could open it. Inside was a cookie cake that was now broken into various sized pieces. Frosting had gotten smeared and stuck to the lid of the box. The only thing he could really make out was his name... sort of. "Thank you, Marinette. I know you wanted to give it to me in pristine condition, but I'm sure it's still edible. I can still enjoy it. Thank you."

He smiled at her as Alya and Nino also tried to comfort her. She looked at him in shock... unable to understand how he could still be so nice to her after she not only knocked him down but ruined his birthday present. Despite trying to let him go and to be happy for him moving on with Kagami, she felt her heart surge with love for him all over again.

It was at that exact moment, Kagami walked up behind Adrien.

Kagami surveyed the damage. She surmised Marinette's clumsiness had something to do with the current state of the cookie cake and the tracks of the tears down her face. Kagami's heart broke for her new friend. She pulled out a tissue and dabbed her cheeks, surprising everyone. "We should go inside and fix your makeup." She pulled Marinette away from the rest of the group and into the school.

Marinette began to fuss at the attention. "Kagami, you don't have to, really. I'll be..."

"I'm your friend. Why wouldn't I help?"

They entered the locker room and stood in front of a sink together. Kagami started working on fixing Marinette's makeup. Marinette felt like a knife had been plunged into her heart. She didn't want to hurt Kagami. She knew Kagami didn't want to hurt her. She couldn't muster anything more at that moment than a simple, "Thank you."

Kagami pulled back and smiled, turning Marinette towards the mirror. "It was my pleasure. I couldn't let my beautiful friend go around with tear tracks through her makeup all day, could I? Besides, you want to look your best for Adrien, right?"

"For... Adrien?"

"Adrien and I have been trying to develop our relationship... but... it's apparent to me that he still can't fully commit. I know you're in the same situation with Luka. We talked." Marinette's eyes widened. That was a very Kagami thing of her to do after all. "And before you get defensive about me talking to Luka... it wasn't that I sought him out. We just bumped into each other the other day and got to talking."

"Oh."

"We decided it was time to put an end to everyone's misery. Luka is talking to Adrien right now."

"No! No. No. No. No. No. This is a disaster!" Kagami held up her hand at Marinette.

"He's not telling Adrien about your feelings, just that you and Luka are better off as friends. We understand that you've wanted to be the one to tell him. We would never take that right away from you."

Kagami's phone dinged. "Luka is done. My turn." Kagami started walking away. At the door she turned back to Marinette. "I wasn't sure how I was going to get you alone. So, thank you for providing me with an excellent excuse." Kagami exited the room, leaving a befuddled Marinette in her wake.

Once Marinette had the courage, she hesitantly exited the locker room. She instantly spotted Kagami and Adrien sitting on a bench, talking to each other. Adrien seemed a little sad. Alya and Nino were in a group huddled around Lila... soaking in every word of her latest lie. She took a step to head to class when she bumped into someone... again.

She looked up and saw Luka standing there, smiling at her like he always does. "Hello, Marinette. I heard about your run-in with Adrien this morning. Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine. H-How are you?" Marinette's demeanor saddened, remembering Kagami's words.

Luka nodded. "I guess Kagami already told you about our talk the other day." Marinette nodded, tears threatening to fall again. "Hey!" Luka placed a gentle hand under her chin causing her to look up at him. He wiped away the beginnings of a tear. "It's okay. I know you tried. I know you tried really hard. But the truth is, it wasn't enough. And that's okay."

Marinette threw her arms around Luka. Not realizing she was being watched from a bench across the courtyard. Kagami shook her head and said to Adrien, "I hope she's not ruining her makeup again. I just used the last of mine to fix her up." She turned back to Adrien and winked at him, so he knew she was half-teasing. "Why don't you go over there. I'm sure she could use a friend."

Adrien was across the courtyard in what seemed like two steps. He placed a hand on Marinette's shoulder, causing her to turn around and face him. Luka nodded from behind her and backed away, leaving her unknowingly alone with Adrien. "Are you okay, Marinette?"

"Me? How could you be asking about me? I'm worried about you."

"I'll be fine. Kagami is very perceptive... and understanding. She said she'll always be my friend."

Marinette let out a small humorless laugh. She looked back, expecting to see Luka. She turned back around to Adrien slowly. "I guess that makes two of us."

Adrien wanted so much to stop her hurting, but he didn't know how. He thought maybe he could distract her. "Hey! How about we change the subject." Marinette nodded. "I got a... unique... gift today and I could really use a fashion expert's opinion on what to do with it."

Marinette smiled up at him. "Okay... I'm all ears."

Adrien pulled out his kwagatama. "I was thinking either putting it on a necklace... or maybe a wristband?"

Marinette's eyes shot up from it to look at Adrien. It's his birthday, she reminded herself. He... he... he... Marinette fainted before she could complete the thought. Thankfully, Adrien caught her.

Marinette woke up in the nurse's office to sounds of chatter. As soon as she stirred, Adrien was in front of her face with a worried look on his face. She looked around to see who he was talking to, but they were alone. She instantly remembered what they were talking about before she fainted, so she surmised they weren't completely alone.

She tried to sit up, but her head hurt from the realization that her partner had been in front of her this entire time... and she'd been rejecting his feelings. Adrien helped her sit up and stood close by in case he needed to catch her again. "I'm sorry! I'm so, so, so sorry!"

"Hey, hey, hey! It's okay. I'm fine. I'm more worried about you." Adrien continued looking at her with the utmost of concern.

Marinette grimaced. She looked back at Adrien. It all finally made sense. He only ever saw her or Kagami as friends because he was pining for Ladybug. Kagami must've thought he was pining for her, which wasn't technically wrong, but explains a lot of the conversation this morning. Marinette wrapped her arms around Adrien, holding him tight. So tight, Adrien thought she was worried he'd disappear. Adrien gladly returned the embrace just happy he was able to comfort his friend in some small way.

She began to cry uncontrollably as she remembered Chat Blanc. Adrien assumed it was related to her and Luka's conversation from earlier. He rubbed her back. Adrien began looking around, trying to make sure he'd spot an akuma before it could get to her. He whispered softly to her, "Sh. Sh. Sh. It's all going to be okay."

"No! It's not. It's... It's..." Marinette couldn't finish as Adrien's lips crashed into hers, both shocking her and dispelling her negative emotions in one swift move. She couldn't help herself. Shock or no shock, she deepened the kiss. Pouring all of her longing for both Adrien and Cat Noir into it.

As soon as they pulled apart, Adrien's head immediately turned to look at something. She followed his gaze, landing on an akuma fluttering around the room. "Sorry... It was the only thing I could think of doing."

Marinette realized he only kissed her to stop her from being akumatized, not... Her thought was interrupted as Adrien moved swiftly away from her, trapping the akuma in a glass jar. "My hero," Marinette whispered.

Adrien turned around at that. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I-I'm no hero. I was just..."

Marinette hopped down and placed a finger over his lips. She slowly slid her finger off his lips, having succeeded in their mission to stop him from talking, but not wanting to leave their softness behind.

After a few more seconds of silence between them, they noticed Hawk Moth had given up as the butterfly in the jar was now white. Adrien released it and it fluttered off.

Marinette held his hand and started playing with his ring, making him very, very nervous. She looked like she was wasn't sure about what she was about to say. He was just about to defend his identity again when Marinette closed her eyes and sighed, indicating she had made up her mind. She opened them again and looked deeply into Adrien's eyes. "I think I know what to do about your birthday gift."

"Okay..." It seemed a bit odd to Adrien that she had switched topics again, but he seemed to relax at the thought that she wasn't going to try to figure out his identity.

"A necklace... like mine." She pulled out her kwagatama and held it up for him to see. His eyes widened looking at it. She could tell he was slowly putting the pieces together. She waited patiently until she was sure the expression on his face meant he had figured out her identity. "I'm so sorry for rejecting you all those times you had the courage to confess to me. I never even entertained the thought that you were someone so close to me in my civilian life."

Adrien pulled her into a tight embrace... as if he was worried she might disappear. He began laughing. "I can't believe my Everyday Ladybug was actually my Ladybug!"

"Please don't tell me it's too late... Please!"

"It's not, My Lady. It's not." She was pleasantly surprised by his lips pressing against hers again. This time, she could tell he poured just as much love into it as she did. They pulled apart again and laughed a little. He held up his kwagatama and hers in his other hand. He shifted his around a little and them placed them next to each other. "A perfect fit."

"Just like us."

Tikki and Plagg flew out. Plagg saying what he'd been wanting to say for the past year, "It's about time."

"Plagg! You know as well as I do, they had to figure it out on their own."

"Yeah... but it didn't have to take so long... especially as bad as these two are at transforming in not-so-subtle locations."

"Hey!" Adrien and Marinette objected at the same time. Marinette just giggled at that while Adrien added, "We're not that bad!"

It became a regular habit for Adrien and Marinette to put their kwagatamas together... while alone of course. It was comforting to both of them to see the reminder that they were two sides of a whole, that they completed each other perfectly.

Tikki was the one who rescued them from a repeat of Chat Blanc as she raced over to Adrien's after the video call from Gabriel to Marinette. He texted her to not despair and that they'd be together regardless of whatever threats his father made. After she responded and they video chatted, they decided to stage a break up and just meet in secret while Adrien continued wearing down his father so they could openly be together again... which for some reason didn't take as long as Adrien thought it would.

Many, many years later, after hosting Christmas with their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, Marinette informed Adrien she was going to pass on the miracle box to the next guardian she had been mentoring. He reassured her he'd help her remember everything... except for the miraculous stuff.

Marinette sat in an unfamiliar room. There was a man there she didn't recognize, but her heart fluttered at the sight of him. "W-Who are you?"

"I'm your husband."

"M-My husband?" She looked around for a second. "Who am I?" Her face filled with fear and Adrien's heart nearly stopped at the sight.

"You are the most awesome person I know." He pulled out his kwagatama out of habit.

She looked at it and pulled hers out. "I have one too."

"I know." He held his next to hers as he'd done millions of times before. As soon as they touched, a bright flash of light pierced through everything.

She blinked a few times. "A-Adrien? What happened?"

His eyes shot open, wider than he ever thought they could. "You remember me?"

"Of course I do... but something seems different."

"It's okay. It's going to be okay. You just lost your memory there for a little while. But it seems to be back."

"Oh!" She looked around the room. "I don't think I'm missing any memories." She looked down at their kwagatamas and grimaced. "Okay... maybe I am. I don't remember getting this."

"It's okay, My Love. We got them a long time ago... when we were teenagers. It's okay to not remember everything from that far back. You remember me, and that's more than enough."

"I think our kids, our kid's kids, and our kid's kid's kids would disagree."

"I think you might be right... as usual."