"What's the plan, Bugaboo?" Chat asked, twirling his baton as The Historian rampaged the city.

"Ah umm..yeah, a plan. Okay. You sneak behind him up- I mean- sneak up behind him while i distract him. Then you can cataclysm book the back. I mean, the book on his back! Ugh! Just do what we always do!" Ladybug swung off towards The Historian and Chat Noir frowned.

"What's up with you today, M'Lady?" He shook his head, following after her and breaking off at the last moment to sneak up on the akumatized victim. Ladybug's plan went off without a hitch and Chat bounded up next to her as she purified the akuma and sent the miraculous ladybugs to restore Paris. "Pound it, M'Lady!" He held up his fist and Ladybug absentmindedly bumped it with her own. "You alright, Bugaboo?"

"Y-yeah. Good I''m going. Doing good, I mean. I should go before I back change!" She swung away and Chat frowned. She was acting weird. In fact, as he thought about it, it reminded him of Marinette. He smiled at the reminder and quickly found an alleyway to detransform in. His feet had just hit the ground when he heard her.

"Spots off."

Chat Noir ducked behind a wall as pink light blurred his vision. Rubbing his eyes, he opened them just in time to see Marinette. Marinette holding a cookie. A cookie that she was feeding to a kwami. A ladybug kwami.

Marinette is ladybug.

~•••••~

"Adrien!" Sabine welcomed as he stepped into the bakery exactly three minutes after seeing Ladybug detransform. "How can I help you?"

"I'm here for Marinette..to see Marinette. Can I see Marinette?"

Sabine laughed and gestured to the stairs.

"She's in her room. Here," She handed him a plate of cookies. "Take those up as you go."

"Thanks Mrs. Cheng!" Adrien hurried up the stairs and knocked on Marinette's door.

"Come in, maman!"

"Actually," Adrien called, peeking through the trap door. "It's me."

"Adrien!" Marinette squealed, turning to face him. She had multiple push pins in her mouth, a measuring tape wrapped around her wrist and a needle in hand.

"Sorry, you busy?" He pulled himself into the room, setting the plate of cookies on her chaise as she fervently shook her head.

"No! No! Just working on Alya's dress for the dance, but I can finish it later." She turned, putting her things away.

"The end of year dance? Are you going?" Adrien looked around the room, eyes eventually settling on her.

"Maybe. I'm so busy making the girl's dresses I'm not sure I'll have time to make my own. Are you going?"

"Only if you'll be my date." He winked and suddenly Marinette was stuttering, trying to piece words together.

"Ah oh, uh okay. Yeah. Yes. Please."

"You're adorable, Marinette." He smiled at her as her phone began to ring. She glanced at it but let it go to voicemail.

"Nothing important?"

"Just Alya. She probably just wants to talk about Lila coming back. Ms. Bustier told the class today while you were at a photo shoot."

"I'm sorry. I know that will be rough for you."

"I just hate people who hide things and lie."

Adrien's heart stopped.

If he told her he knew she was Ladybug, would he hate him for not telling her right then in the alleyway?

He decided then to keep it to himself.