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She had hoped that when Marinette and Adrien had revealed themselves to one another, they'd get past this awkward blushing-and-stuttering stage.
Evidently, she was wrong.
Which meant that she owed Plagg a wheel of camembert.
Sighing, Tikki scrubbed her hands over her face. At least this meant there were no more secrets between the core of the team. She always thought it an unnecessary evil to keep the Miraculous holders in the dark about their identities, especially ones which worked so closely together as Ladybug and Chat Noir. Over the millennia, that rule had proven time and time again to be about as useful as adding extra sugar to salvage a damned recipe; that was to say, completely useless. They always found out in the end, with varying results.
At least this time around, the current Guardian had begrudgingly agreed that the Fox and Turtle Miraculous would be better suited to lie in the hands of their Chosen, rather than all gathered into one place for Hawkmoth to find like some sort of ill-conceived gift. She understood keeping the Miraculous that hadn't been assigned anyone away, but Trix and Wayzz had Chosen their holders just as Pollen had; they deserved to be by their Chosen's sides just as much as she or Plagg did.
As far as she was concerned, the old monk was simply too used to handling things on his own.
Which had surprised Tikki, even more, when Master Fu begrudgingly agreed to release the Fox, Turtle and Bee Miraculous into the care of their Chosen, under the caveat that they remain vigilant in their battles against Hawkmoth and to never reveal their identities to others.
Well, Tikki mused, looking down at the group that sat around Marinette's chaise all clutching the tea that Nino had so generously brought back up, as Plagg is so fond of saying, the cat's out of the bag now.
"Well, Sugarcube," he said from beside her, tail flicking back and forth languorously as he watched their charges below, "want to make another bet?"
"Plagg, you know we shouldn't be wagering on our Chosen like this, it isn't right."
"Hasn't stopped you before," Plagg countered, and Tikki rolled her eyes and nudged him away. He cackled and rolled over, looking at her from his now upside-down position. "C'mon Sugarcube, this time it'll be for two wheels of camembert."
"You mean boxes of macaroons," Tikki replied haughtily, and Plagg whooped so loudly that they gained the attention of the teenagers sitting below them. Tikki saw Marinette raise an eyebrow at them and Tikki smiled sheepishly.
"Atta bug!"
"Ugh, what are we wagering on?" Tikki replied, wrinkling her nose at being called a bug. Honestly, she couldn't help what she looked like any more than he could!
"Oh that's easy Sugarcube, we're wagering on when they finally get up the nerve to-"
"Plagg!" Tikki admonished, blushing on Marinette's behalf, though you could hardly tell against her already red skin. Plagg cackled again, flipping back over, and something told her he knew anyway.
"What do you say, bugaboo?" Tikki glared at him, not the least of which for the nickname that, up until now, had been used solely between Chat Noir and Ladybug. The lines are blurring. I wonder for how long?
"... I'd give it a week."
"A whole week? Camembert!" Plagg lamented, turning his gaze back to the teenagers below them. He observed them for a few minutes in silence, vivid green eyes plotting.
"You can't help them along, Plagg!" Tikki warned, pointing at the feline suspiciously.
"Moi? I would never." Even as he said it, he couldn't suppress the Cheshire grin that spread across his face.
"Plagg!"
"A week it is, Sugarcube."