"Me? You want me to model? Clumsy, awkward me?"

"You can do it, Marinette. I know you can. I'm going to give you pointers. Annette is a wonderful photographer and she'll help do your hair and makeup. Nobody can represent your pieces better than you." Adrien gently led Marinette to the changing room on site and pushed her over the threshold. "Pick whatever piece you want to do first, get changed, Annette will help with the rest."

"Okay.." Marinette stepped into the room, shutting the door behind her, and Adrien made his way to Annette.

"Everything set up okay?"

"Yes! Just making sure the settings on my camera are right…I'll help your girl with her makeup and hair as soon as she's changed. We've got some good lighting here, don't want to lose it so we'll move quickly."

"Thank you for doing this." Adrien smiled as the change room door opened and Marinette made her way to his side.

"You're paying me." Annette laughed, "You must be Marinette." Annette looked Marinette up and down then smiled. "You're making this too easy on me. Perfect lighting, great venue, beautiful girl. You're a lucky young man." Annette began rummaging through her hair and makeup supplies and Adrien snaked his arm around Marinette's waist.

"More than you know, Annette."

~•••••~

"So what did you think?"

"It was amazing!" Marinette excitedly began to blabber on about the photo shoot as Adrien led her to his room. "And the photos turned out great. I can't wait to add them to my website."

"You made the website?"

"Mhm! The other night after you gave me the idea. I stayed up all night working on it."

"Of course you did." Adrien laughed, opening his bedroom door and closing it behind them as they entered.

"So I was thinking of next steps for my line. I could-" Marinette was cut off as Adrien pulled her close, gently leading them to his bed. "Or we can just talk later."

"That's what I was thinking." Adrien pushed her down and Marinette giggled as she landed softly in his bed.

"This is so much comfier than my bed."

"The perks of being a rich boy." Adrien winked. She laughed, shaking her head as she reached up, pulling him in for a kiss.

"I love…this." She whispered, fear kicking in at the last moment.

"I love this too." Adrien smiled down at her. He still couldn't believe he was lucky enough to have Marinette as his partner, his lady, in his bed..he wasn't sure he'd ever believe it.

~•••••~

"You got back pretty late for just a photo shoot." Sabine mentioned to her daughter later that evening at dinner.

"We hung out after the shoot. Talking about more ideas for my new line."

"I'm sure Alya had a million to share."

"Actually," Marinette began as her father joined them at the table. "It was just me and Adrien."

"Oh?" Sabine questioned sarcastically. "We had no idea."

"Mom!"

"She's just teasing, Marinette. We know Adrien is a good kid." Tom smiled at his daughter's embarrassment. "Though I did much prefer Chat Noir.."

"Dad! I can't believe you're shipping me with a superhero."

"Well why not? He seems to fancy the idea too!"

"Chat Noir doesn't like me. Remember, Weredad?"

Tom and Sabine laughed and Sabine put a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"Dear…we didn't mean Marinette."

Marinette suddenly remembered her conversation with Tikki.

I'm sure you've noticed your mother has been particularly lenient with you since Ladybug arrived in Paris..it's no coincidence.

"Oh." She whispered, finishing her dinner and standing quickly. "I'm gonna go to my room."

"Alright dear." Sabine watched as her daughter climbed the stairs two at a time, hiding her laugh as her husband called out.

"Have fun on patrol, sweetie!"

"Dad! Oh my god!"

~•••••~

"Hello M'Lady!" Chat Noir called as he landed next to her. "Felt like a stroll along the Seine?"

"Mhm." Ladybug mumbled, looking over the water.

"Are you alright?" Chat Noir watched Ladybug closely as she wrapped her arms around herself.

"I have so much to tell you..even more after tonight. I'm afraid you'll be upset."

"I could never be upset with you, my little bug." Chat held out his hand and Ladybug took it instantly, not even flinching as Chat pulled her onto his lap, sending them into the air on his baton. "Let's find somewhere more private to talk, okay?"

"Eiffel tower?"

"Eiffel tower."

Ladybug threw her yo-yo, swinging away from him, and they met each other on the tower within minutes.

"C'mere, mon coeur, and tell me everything." He held out his hand again and she took it once more, this time placing herself in his lap before he could offer. Chat Noir startled. Ladybug had never been quite so comfortable with him. Did she know?

"Someone found out my identity…three people, actually."

That certainly hadn't been what he was expecting.

"Oh. Well..are they people you trust?"

"With my life." Ladybug sighed, unsure what to say next.

"Who?"

"My parents. They knew, actually, for a really long time. I just found out recently, but they've known probably as long as I've been ladybug."

"How would they have known?" Chat rubbed her back gently. Marinette's parents were definitely people he would trust.

"I've learned a lot about the miraculous lately. It's so much…my mother, she was Tikki's previous holder."

"The miraculous have been dormant for years there's no way." Chat Noir frowned. Sabine as Ladybug? He had trouble imagining it.

"They were used in secret. By my mother and her brother. That's how I got mine. Master was on his way to my mother but found me first…that's how you got yours too."

"Mine..?"

"Master sensed a miraculous holder in your family history. My uncle was…unavailable. So..you."

"A member of my family had a miraculous? Wow. I wonder who. Or when."

"I'm not sure." Ladybug sighed, telling herself that it was best to keep the news about Nooroo and Duusu to herself until she was sure.

"You said three people. Your parents..who else? Your uncle?"

"Well, come to think of it..i'm sure my uncle knows too. But no..my best friend."

Alya. Chat could have guessed. Her role as a superhero made much more sense now. Nino's too since he now knew Marinette was the one passing out the miraculous in the first place.

"If you trust her, I trust her, M'lady. I'm sure everything will be alright." He leaned down, kissing her cheek before he could think about it too much. The lines between their identities were getting too blurred for his liking. He needed to tell her. But how could she? How could he sit here and listen to her worry about the people knowing her identity and then add himself to the list? He couldn't, especially not when she looked up at him, wiping her eyes where tears had began to form, and pressed her lips to his. He kissed her back whole heartedly but pulled back suddenly when he remembered that this was Marinette. Marinette that was with Adrien. It was all getting too confusing. She was cheating on him..in theory, but not..he couldn't keep it straight anymore.

"Look, M'Lady. There's something I have to tell you. Now. Before this goes any farther."

She looked up at him expectantly just as the sound of screaming met his ears.

"Damn it! Just meet me after this. I need to talk to you!"