Ladybug's head swayed as she stood on the edge of the Eiffel Tower. The night lights had never dizzied her to the point of near vertigo, and the space between the concrete below and her altitude had never seemed like such a menace.

"W-what?"

His eyes flickered between hers, trying to gauge her reaction before continuing. "I can tell you who I think it is, but if you want the details, I'd have to tell you who I am."

Oh no. She wasn't ready for this. She had imagined their revelation millions of times, but she had always assumed it would take place in the future after they had defeated Hawkmoth. Besides, what could have possibly happened in Chat's civilian life that would lead to him figuring out the identity of their enemy?

"Ladybug?" he called when she didn't respond. She dared a glance his way, worried that if she stared at him for too long, he would detransform, and then she would really know the boy beneath the mask.

"How long have you known?" she choked out after another minute.

He bit his lip, nervous. "A few hours. Right before my date began." She replayed the last few hours in her mind; the two had spent every moment together, and he had offered no indication that he knew of Hawkmoth's identity, whether she stood with him as Marinette or Ladybug.

"Hours?" Her ears grew hot with irritation. "This is important! Why didn't you cancel the date and tell me sooner?"

"I was scared."

"Scared? You looked fine while we fought Catnap!"

"Because I didn't want to think about it! If it's who I think it is, it changes a lot of things, and someone I care about in my civilian life would get hurt." Worry filled his eyes, dampening Ladybug's vexation.

"Ugh…" She raised her hand to her lips and gnawed on her thumb while pacing the top of the tower. "How do you know?"

"Well, I saw something. Or rather... someone."

"Who?"

Chat looked down. "Nooroo."

"Nooroo?"

"Yeah."

Oh, no. Ladybug sat herself down, no longer sure that she'd be able to stand without passing out. Chat followed suit, and she immediately leaned against him, feeling sick. She should've felt happy. She should've felt excited, even. For years, she'd been fighting Hawkmoth with the end goal of obtaining his Miraculous, and now that they were so close, she felt distressed. Chat didn't miss the green pallor beneath her mask.

"Milady?"

"Is he okay?" The thought that Ladybug's first concern was Nooroo's safety made Chat fall in love with her further.

"He looked fine, but I didn't get a chance to talk to him. Plagg was with me, and he's the one that recognized him right away, but I don't think Nooroo saw us."

"Where did you see him?"

"Er, well, I'd have to reveal my identity to you," he replied, and she allowed the anxiety to fill her every vein at the reminder. She wanted to agree to that, but for some reason, nothing was coming out. "Hey. We can wait if you want."

She shook her head. "B-but we shouldn't have to because of me."

"Yeah, but-"

"No. You saw Nooroo, and as the Guardian, it's my responsibility to return Hawkmoth's Miraculous to the box."

"I know, Milady, but you're clearly uncomfortable. You're tense, too," he commented, and she forced herself to relax under his touch. "Are you okay?"

She dropped her face in her hands, frustrated. "I'm just confused. I don't know what to do. What if you're wrong?" she asked, raising her head to him. He was flinching.

"That's also partly why I didn't tell you right away." He looked out into the Parisian sky, and his grip on her hand tightened as if she would fly away any moment. "If I'm wrong, you might have to take away my Miraculous, and I don't wanna give this up. I don't want you to find another Chat Noir." Heat swirled in her stomach at the affection in his words, even though she should've scolded him for that excuse. Deep down, she knew she couldn't be Ladybug without him, and she didn't want to be, either. "I know that's selfish, but I can't lie to you."

"I understand."

He eyed her, surprised but unconvinced. "You do?"

Ever since the Chat Blanc and New York incidents, she felt especially protective over her relationship with her partner. She flipped over his hand to examine his Miraculous, and she remembered the crushing weight of his ring in her bag after he had left it for her in the sewers. "I don't think I can take your Miraculous, Chat."

His eyes widened at that. "What? B-but you've always-"

"Losing you in New York hurt too much," she murmured. It was rare that she made him blush, and she would've normally teased him for it, but the air hung too heavy for jokes. "I can't do this without you. We've been partners for years, and nobody else could ever take your place. You have every right to be there with me when we do defeat Hawkmoth, whether you're right about your current guess or not. I want you there."

"Does this mean you're ready to know my real identity?"

As Guardian, she knew what she had to do. However…

"Not yet," she answered, betraying her duties. She was overwhelmed, and she was in no state to receive Chat Noir as himself, right now. "Give me some time. For now, just tell me your guess. We'll try to figure out this Hawkmoth situation without compromising our identities, and if it's not working, you can reveal yourself then. So, who is it?"

"Okay. I think it's Alim Kubdel. The historian at the Louvre."

Ladybug's face drained. "Alix's dad?" Wait a minute. Oh no. "Bunnix's father?! Why do you think it's him?"

"Milady, I can't tell you without-"

"Oh! I know, I know," she said, standing to pace around once more. "This is gonna be painful."

"If it's any help, he's never been akumatized."

Hm, that was true. "But for him to akumatize both of his children? You think he would do that? And poor Bunnix! What if she knows it's him? Oh, she probably does! She's from the future."

"I didn't even think about that."

"What now?"

Chat rose from his seat and shrugged, uncertain. "I don't know. That's why I came to you."

He was right. It was her responsibility to figure out the solution to this problem, Anne it's not like she had Master Fu to guide her through this. As much as she had grown to accept that she was the perfect fit for Guardian, she still trembled at the thought of creating a plan. She took in a deep, shaky breath because she had no idea what to do.

She looked at Chat, considering the thought of having him reveal his identity, but the more she looked at him, the less prepared she felt. She had grown used to this masked face with green eyes and blonde hair, and part of her wanted to know him like this forever. As her funny, light-hearted, and loyal partner. But what did knowing him imply? She could only imagine their trust would grow exponentially, but at what cost?

No.

"We're calling it a night," she decided at last, grabbing the yo-yo on her waist. Chat stared at her as if someone had replaced her.

"What? But we finally have a lead on Hawkmoth. I thought you'd want to talk about this more."

"I know, Chat, but my mind is blank right now."

Chat Noir watched her wrap her small arms around herself, and the exhaustion on her face was undeniable. "Okay. That makes sense. We can talk about it during our next patrol together. Anyway, I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. Talking about it now makes me feel silly for thinking it could've gone poorly."

"It's okay," she said, and memories of their shared evening flooded into her brain. How could she be upset with him when he had spent her evening making her happy? "Thank you for telling me. I should be the one apologizing for being a little harsh. I'm sure this has been weighing on you all day."

"Thanks for understanding, Bugaboo. I guess it's time we head home then?" he said when she yawned, and she nodded. He reached for her hand and pressed a light kiss to her knuckles, punctuating it with a wink. "Sleep well, Milady. Once you know who I am, I'm sure I'll be in your dreams every night."

She tapped his bell, leaning in a little closer than usual. "Flirting already? On the night of your date? That poor Marinette," she laughed, but guilt attacked him within seconds. Now that he knew about Marinette's crush, he couldn't help but think about it whenever he thought of his feelings for Ladybug. Thankfully, she didn't notice his face as she turned to leave, and she offered a small wave before leaping into the night.

haha what if arose from the dead to publish this chapter? hey everyone! long time, no see! I'm so sorry for the hiatus-if you had been following my other author's notes, you know that I have been dealing with carpal tunnel + school. I might have to get surgery, but I'm trying to avoid thinking about that right now. sorry this is so short; I can't write anything more right now, but I wanted to assure everyone that I do plan on continuing this story. I hadn't forgotten about it. life's just been rough, haha. I'll be done with school in less than a month, so hopefully I can update more often then! anyway, hope you're all doing well! missed interacting with all of you. and thank you for all of the sweet comments while I was away! I appreciate all of your support so much.