A/N: The end is here! This story was so fun to write, I hope you've all enjoyed the ride. Thank you to all of my readers, reviewers, and followers.

At school Marinette became a full-on detective. She considered wearing her trench coat that morning to properly play the part, but it was too nice out for a coat and she needed to be subtle.

Adrien's car pulled up and when he stepped out from the back seat Marinette watched him stand straight up and wave to his friends, jogging over excitedly. Hmm... Chat was more of a sprinter, and he liked to use all four limbs sometimes to really capture the cat-essence like the goofball he was. A sudden image of Adrien running on all fours popped into Marinette's mind and she giggled aloud to herself.

"You okay, girl?" Alya nudged her, giving her an odd look.

"Oh yeah, just remembered something funny my dad said earlier." Marinette smiled and went back to her observing. Adrien was now standing with them and talking to Nino.

Adrien had a nice voice. He wasn't exactly soft-spoken, but he also wasn't overly expressive. Chat was boisterous and loud, and short of waving his hands around like a windmill he loved being the center of attention. Adrien, however, wasn't like that at all. He patiently listened, he smiled softly, he spoke with a mild tone.

So far nothing was adding up. Marinette pursed her lips. She was two minutes into her investigation and it was already turning sour.

"Hi, Marinette," Adrien said abruptly, undoubtedly having noticed her staring.

"Gah! Hello! Hi, um, hello," Marinette waved and smiled awkwardly, standing up straight and clutching her books to her chest. "How was your morning?"

"It was slow, which is good. Mornings without photo shoots or personal training sessions are my favorite." Adrien smiled nicely while Marinette nodded along. The warning bell rang and the the four of them started to walk to class. Marinette's shoulders sank when she realized that this was going to be more difficult than she anticipated. Even if Adrien was Chat she still couldn't get two words out to test the theory.

She was going to have to focus on this.

Chat was playful and bantered with Ladybug because Ladybug wasn't a nervous wreck around him. Heck, even when Chat would come visit her on her balcony he was easy to talk to and Marinette didn't stutter like a fool.

Suddenly Marinette stopped walking when she realized something monumental.

If Adrien was Chat he had visited her multiple times - on her balcony.

Adrien had brunch with her and her parents, as Chat.

She had told Adrien she was in love with him, as Chat.

Adrien called her princess.

She couldn't breathe. Her face was turning pink in a mix of pure joy and complete embarrassment. She wanted to hug him and hide herself forever all at once.

It was one thing thinking that Chat flirted with Ladybug, it was a whole other thing to realize that Chat (who very well may be Adrien) had flirted with her as Marinette!

"Marinette!" Alya was waving her hand in front of Marinette's face, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Alya!" Marinette was bursting - she wanted to tell her so badly but... but she couldn't reveal Chat's identity!

"You've been standing here for, like, an entire minute. Everyone else is in class already. We're going to be late, come on girl!" Alya dragged her and Marinette had no choice but to follow.

They made it in the nick of time. Of course, Marinette's eyes landed on Adrien as soon as she saw him. He gave her a small smile. Nothing like Chat's grin that took over his entire face. She frowned at the discrepancy and Adrien cocked his head in confusion at her negative reaction.

So much for subtlety.

Now red, Marinette fumbled her way to her seat and Alya shook her head, bemused, sitting beside her.

This was going to be a long day.

By lunchtime Marinette had no solid answers. Adrien was absolutely nothing like Chat. She sat behind him in class so it was easy to pay attention. Adrien sat still. Chat was constantly moving. Adrien didn't raise his hand once, even though he definitely knew the answers. Chat would have tried to show off his knowledge and answer every question the teacher asked. Adrien said please and thank you. Chat did what he wanted and asked for forgiveness later.

The anticipation from the night before was quickly waning and now Marinette was half convinced that all of this was just semi-wishful-thinking that her brain created after a magically-induced dreamscape.

She sat down next to Alya in the cafeteria and poked at her food. Adrien and Nino were seated across from them, which was giving her an extra level of anxiety. She already had a plan but the seating arrangement made it more difficult: she was going to talk to Adrien like she talked to Chat.

Easy.

The easiest!

Except he was sitting directly across from her with his adorable smile and sweet disposition. Marinette could hardly look at him without turning into a pile of goo, let alone pretend he was Chat and banter with him!

She forced herself to look down and listen to the conversation, trying to calm down while also trying to find a good time to make a cat pun.

Yes. It had really come to that. She was resigned to making cat puns to ultimately test her theory.

"Dude you have to come next weekend, it's going to be one of the best shows of my life! DJ Castle is going to be headlining. I know how much you like him." Nino was trying to convince Adrien to come to his show by asking his father, or resort to sneaking out to attend.

"I have to ask but if he says no I can't sneak out, Nino, I'll never be allowed to leave ever again if I get caught."

How odd that if he really was Chat, then Adrien was sneaking out daily. Marinette looked up at him, trying to detect a lie. But it was flawless. Frowning slightly, Marinette couldn't decide if it was fair that his lying was upsetting her as much as it was. She was Ladybug, after all, and knew how difficult it was to lie and how much it pained her to do it. Knowing that Adrien may have been lying to her all of this time still stung a little, even if it was justified.

"It can't be that hard to sneak out, right? I thought your father didn't check in on you very often, and you seem like the kind of person who always lands on his feet."

Maybe it was because she was feeling a little salty about potentially being lied to, but Marinette found herself making direct eye contact with Adrien and was able to gauge his reaction very clearly. He looked surprised and his brows raised slightly. But he responded quickly.

"Are you suggesting I jump out of a window to sneak out, Marinette?" He was grinning by the time he was done asking and a sudden wave of something washed over Marinette giving her the confidence she needed.

"Maybe, if you're feline up for the challenge. We're all going to be there and I'm sure you can find some way to join... whether its by window or car. Hey, maybe you can ask Ladybug to sneak you out; aren't you friends?"

His jaw dropped just a fraction of an inch before he snapped his mouth closed. A blank expression took over his face and he went completely neutral.

"No, I don't know Ladybug. Other than the times she saved me I've hardly spoken to her."

"Maybe Chat Noir can help you then," Marinette fired back quickly, giving him an imploring look.

"Nope," he said simply, with a little 'pop' of the p.

"That's odd, since Chat himself told me that the two of you were friends..." Marinette said innocently, not ready to drop the subject since she finally worked up the nerve to breach it.

"No he didn't," Adrien said immediately with a odd look on his face. Marinette narrowed her eyes, suspicious at his confidence. He was telling the truth, after all. Chat hadn't told her that Adrien and he were friends. But how would Adrien know that?

"I-I mean he can't have told you that since I don't know him. Why would he say that?"

"He's stopped by the bakery a few times, he likes the cheese croissants and macarons. He said you two were friends," Marinette gave him a pointed look and Adrien narrowed his eyes back at her.

"Chat Noir comes to your bakery and this is the first I'm hearing of it?!" Alya suddenly chimed in, gripping Marinette's arm and interrupting the interrogation.

"Well... just a few times. He has a sweet tooth," Marinette said quickly, trying to brush Alya off so she could continue talking to Adrien. But of course Alya would not be deterred and unfortunately that was the end of the conversation. An interview about Chat Noir's favorite pastries ensued and Marinette secretly wondered if Adrien was getting a kick out of her being interrogated by Alya when the real Chat was sitting just a few centimeters away. The smug little grin pulling at the corner of his lips was definitely convincing her that it was the case.

Marinette tried not to sulk as she made her way to the exit of the school after classes let out. She had been able to talk to Adrien without stuttering at lunch, and she felt like she was on the cusp of some real answers before Alya changed the subject.

She was determined to figure this out before asking him directly. She needed concrete evidence if she was going to put their identities on the line like this. Since the dream she wondered if she would be so eager to unmask her partner if she suspected he was was anyone other than Adrien. If she didn't already love him would she really want to know?

It was also confusing her feelings about Chat. If Chat was Adrien... she had to admit that she would love him more for it. Chat was her best friend and other half in many ways. But... if Adrien wasn't Chat, Chat was still her best friend and other half and, well, where did that leave Adrien?

The thought of losing Adrien made her want to cry for weeks.

But the thought if losing Chat made her agonize in despair.

Now that she was facing the fact that the two may be one in the same it was truly forcing her to face her feelings for Chat Noir.

Adrien had to be Chat Noir. Because she loved them both.

It was a heart pounding revelation and one that made her head spin, one that made her want to scream. She loved Chat as much as she loved Adrien; maybe more. Definitely differently.

The determination and need for them to be the same person drove her forward throughout the day. She had to prove this because if she couldn't she would fall apart.

"Adrien!" He was walking towards the gymnasium when Marinette spotted him. He looked directly at her, his eyes wide, and then... turned away and bolted.

Marinette stood still for only a second before chasing after him immediately, feeling exasperated. He was running away from her! Adrien - Chat? - was avoiding her... which was the extra fuel she needed. Why would he avoid her unless he suspected that she suspected? That stupid cat! Of course, he didn't know that she was Ladybug so he was probably nervous about revealing his identity... but still! He was running away from her like a five year old playing hide-and-seek!

"Hey scaredy cat, stop running away!" Marinette said loud enough for him to definitely hear once she was half a hallway away from him. At that he finally stopped, admitting he was caught, and turned around. His cheeks were tinted pink from the run and he looked guilty as he put his hand behind his neck and stood awkwardly. They were in a deserted hallway, one that was rarely used and near the equipment storage rooms.

"Oh hey, Marinette. I didn't see you there," he lied, obviously.

"You looked directly at me," Marinette gave him an exasperated look and poked him in the shoulder gently. He shrugged and grinned guiltily.

"Okay, I admit it. I'm sorry. I'm running a little late and I really have to get to my fencing practice..."

"Adrien, I think I know why you're avoiding me," Marinette said confidently, surprising even herself. She had to do this. Chat had to be Adrien.

"I wouldn't say I'm avoiding you, I'm just feeling a little... confused," he finished lamely. She couldn't blame him. He was trying hard to not reveal anything at all. But Marinette had him cornered and was ready to break down that armor.

"Did you know that Chat Noir's favorite macaroon is passionfruit?"

Adrien's face went even more pink and his eyes began shifting back and forth, looking for an escape. He didn't respond. Marinette pulled her backpack off of one arm and moved it in front of her so she could access it. She took a moment to withdraw the item that she was carrying around all day: the plushie that was giving her the strength to do any of this.

"I thought-," Marinette stopped abruptly as her heart began to race. She looked up at Adrien, who was now looking even more worried. His eyes were wide as he stared at the familiar plushie in her hand. She had to do this.

"I thought my favorite gift for my birthday was what you got me - more specifically the note." Marinette was certain she was as red as a rose. "In the note you wrote that you hoped I remembered the day we met and how you let me borrow your umbrella. Of course I remembered, Adrien. It meant a lot to me that you remembered that too."

"You were my first friend here, aside from Chloe," Adrien confirmed, rubbing the back of his neck again - his nervous habit.

"Chat Noir made this for me," Marinette lifted the plushie and stared into Adrien's eyes. "But I think you already knew that."

Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes...

"That was nice of him," he said shortly. Adrien looked apprehensive, and unwilling to admit anything. Marinette couldn't blame him. They were in school, for goodness sake, and even though they were in a rarely used part of it, it was still a relatively public spot to have having this talk.

"How about you tell Chat to come visit me later tonight?"

Adrien didn't nod or shake his head, instead he pursed his lips and looked resigned to not respond at all.

"I'll be waiting for him, okay? Please don't be worried." Marinette decided that she should probably stop pushing him for now, because he looked like he was about to explode. Not only did he need some time to think, she did to. She wanted to make sure he was comfortable and - most importantly - she wanted to make the moment special for both of them.

He had no idea she was Ladybug, and she had to tell him. She finally wanted to tell him that she loved him back, after all of the rejection and pining, and she had to do this for him - for them.

"I-I'm not worried... I... you're my friend, Marinette." Adrien still refused to say anything.

"Okay, I'll see you later, Adrien." Marinette reached out and squeezed his hand in reassurance, bursting with excited confidence. She couldn't help but smirk a little at his completely flustered expression before she walked away.

She couldn't stand still. She debated whether or not she wanted to decorate her balcony in a full-on Chat-inspired romantic way, but decided against it. Adrien didn't know she was Ladybug and she didn't want to scare him even more by revealing her crush on Adrien as Marinette before he knew he loved her back. That was a recipe for an awkward disaster she wanted to avoid.

It was a weird situation to be in. She loved Adrien, she hadn't loved Chat; Adrien didn't love her as Marinette, but Adrien did love her as Ladybug. Tikki groaned and called it the inevitable "love square", a fate that some Chat-Ladybug duos in the past had also faced.

"I know this isn't how it was supposed to go, Tikki, but I can't live like this knowing that Adrien is Chat. I have to tell him. When Bunnyx sent me through time to face Chat Blanc, I had triggered something dangerous by revealing my identity first. This time it's different. This time I know who Chat is first. I won't let it happen again. I'm going to tell Chat - Adrien - everything about Chat Blanc so we can prevent it; so we can prepare for it. We can decide together."

The world-ending issue of Chat Blanc was not something that Marinette took lightly. She was terrified but at the same time, more determined than ever. She now understood the dynamic, and knowledge was power.

"I trust you, Marinette. The four of us can work as a team." Tikki was finally done pretending that Adrien may not be Chat. After the exchange in the hallway and the subsequent hours of excessive planning and thinking aloud, Tikki knew that Marinette was not going to back down. Once solved it was an unbreakable truth.

"I'm going to wait outside, I can't keep pacing in here anymore," Marinette said quickly, wringing her hands anxiously. She made it halfway up the stairs to the balcony before squealing and running back to her desk. The little Chat Noir plushie was sitting next to her laptop and she grabbed it, hugging it against her again. She really, really needed his confidence for what was to come.

The sun had set about an hour ago and it was nearing the usual time Chat patrolled. Now that she could compare Chat's schedule to Adrien's she also new that his piano lessons ended around this time. More proof of Chat's identity popped up now that she was looking for it. She had gotten rid of the physical copy of Adrien's schedule about a year ago, but it didn't stop her from having it live rent-free in her head; she used to stare at it, after all.

She blushed at the thought; she had a lot of embarrassing stories to share if she was going to take the honesty route with this situation. (Which she was determined to do.)

Every embarrassing thought disappeared from her mind when Chat (Adrien!) finally landed on her balcony. He looked nervous, his shoulders stiff. Marinette stared at him and a lot of the confidence melted away with the rise of her pulse.

"Hi, Marinette." He shifted on his feet and let his baton retract, getting more settled. He took a deep breath and Marinette guessed he was about to start a well-practiced speech. "So I think there was a misunderstanding today, according to a friend of ours."

Marinette huffed. So he was going to play it that way? Denial? She almost liked the challenge, a little bit; it really was making her more determined, which she desperately needed for the situation. Before he could continue she abruptly spoke over him, cutting him off.

"I need to tell you about the day we met, Chat. Please, before you say anything else." She made sure to speak sternly, because she really needed to go first. She had practiced, too.

"I could retell the story about the time I walked into my classroom to find a boy I didn't know putting gum on my chair. I could tell you that story and I know you would tell me you were not putting gum on my chair, but taking it off. For a long time I thought that was the first time we met, too. But as it turns out..." Marinette held out the plushie, cupped in her hands gently to show him, and then hugged it to herself. "It turns out that I'd actually met you the day before. Before your first day of school."

Chat looked at her and cocked his head, confusion written on his face. His eyes moved from her face to the plushie. He was probably trying to figure out when he could have met her before that. She desperately hoped he wouldn't be too disappointed to find out that she was Ladybug.

"Chat Noir is always there for me. More than you even know." She tried to smile a little and then took a deep breath. "Do you remember, have you figured it out?" she said quietly, so incredibly nervous. Chat looked puzzled, his brow was narrowed in concentration as if he was trying to remember her on the sports field at the school, or as a spectator in the crowd when they defeated Stoneheart for the second time. But he wouldn't remember her in the crowd because she was actually by his side.

"I-I don't remember, I'm sorry, Marinette," Chat said and he truly did sound sorry. Marinette smiled and let out a little huff of laughter because that she knew, was not true. Chat Noir loved to remind her of how they were fated to tie the knot after getting literally tied up together at first sight.

"You made me this plushie to watch over me when I'm at home." Marinette paused and swallowed. Her heart was pounding. "To watch over me when we're not fighting akumas."

Chat blinked.

And blinked again.

And Marinette watched his face transform from confused to shocked.

"Wh-what?!"

Marinette stared at him, holding the plushie tighter against her chest, knowing the little Chat Noir would protect her heart from bursting out of her chest.

"My... lady?" He sounded unsure and hesitant but as soon as it left his mouth Marinette burst with joy. She jumped up, hugging him tightly, trying her best not to squeal in his ear. He returned the hug with equal enthusiasm.

"Hey, Kitty," she whispered instead.

"Marinette?!" Chat pulled away, his hands not releasing her shoulders, and his eyes scanned her face.

"Chat got your tongue?" She flicked his nose and his signature, full-teeth smile appeared on his face. His eyes were twinkling with pure joy.

"Adrien...?" she asked with only the slightest bit of hesitancy because although she was ninety-nine percent sure that she was right, there was always that one percent...

"Plagg, claws in." Marinette felt a little dazed as she stared up into Adrien's (Adrien Agreste's!) eyes, having just watched him detransform. It was real. They were the same person. Adrien was Chat. She loved Adrien; she loved Chat! Adrien loved her! She took a moment to collect herself (and her jaw off the ground) before snapping out of it.

"What gave me away?" Adrien asked.

"It wasn't you. It was Tikki, actually."

"No way! Sugarcube broke the rules?" Plagg whizzed between them. Tikki floated up from her hiding spot behind one of the chairs and flapped her little arms in denial.

"I didn't break the rules. It was a mistake, a magical mishap!" Tikki said sorrowfully, but stuck her tongue out at her companion. Plagg and Tikki flew off to the side, giving the teenagers some space of their own. Marinette and Adrien locked eyes, both smiling and feeling glow-y.

"So what do you think, bugaboo?" Marinette let out a sigh. She was definitely going to have to get used to that coming out of Adrien's mouth.

"You're very different as Chat," she admitted.

"Is that a good or a bad thing?" He asked with a guarded look.

"I couldn't have asked for anything more perfect. My best friend is... well, one of my best friends." She blushed and hugged the plushie again.

"You realize that you have the real thing right in front of you, right?" Adrien pointed to the plushie she was hugging and stepped closer.

"Adrien Agreste, this is going to take some getting used to." Marinette giggled and looked down at the plushie that she was admittedly much more comfortable hugging than the real thing - for now.

"Are you disappointed?" She asked in a small voice, needing to know the answer but also afraid to hear it.

"Never. Like I've always told you, I love the girl under the mask. That it's you makes it better than I ever expected."

Okay. She was going to faint. Adrien just said he loved her. Adrien just said he loved her. She was going to combust.

"You-you love me? Still?"

Adrien gave her an incredulous look. "Of course I do!"

"I-I love you, too, Chaton." Marinette looked into Adrien's green eyes and made sure to call him Chat as she finally admitted it. Because even though it was Adrien that she fell in love with first, it was Chat that was her soulmate.

Adrien gaped at her, eyes wide in shock. "What? What about the other boy?"

"Funny story... it turns out it was you all along." Marinette tried not to groan when she admitted it.

"Me?" Adrien was shocked. "Me, Adrien, me?"

"After we got off on the wrong foot, you apologized. You told me you were just trying to make friends and were nervous; you stood up for me and... you're kind and vulnerable and honest."

"You were rejecting me for me?!" Adrien said with a pout. "I'm going to kill Plagg."

"Unlike some kwamis, I follow the rules," Plagg chimed in and Adrien scoffed. Marinette laughed at their interaction, finally able to see the way Chat interacted with his kwami. It was loving and playful - exactly what she expected.

"When you showed me the rooftop that you set up for us, the meeting that I missed as Ladybug... it was beautiful. If I hadn't met you as Adrien first I wouldn't have been too blind to see what was right in front of me."

Adrien groaned and shook his head in dismay. "No camembert for a month," he said heavily. At that Plagg was once again floating between the pair.

"If you think you're transforming without feeding me my camembert you have another thing coming!"

"I'll feed you, Plagg. You were just following the rules." Marinette scratched Plagg behind his ear lovingly.

"Traitor," Adrien said to Marinette, but good-naturedly.

"Best Ladybug ever." Plagg saluted and returned to Tikki.

"So now what?" Marinette said shyly. They were standing awfully close to one another, toe to toe, both feeling a cocktail of love, contentedness, and excitement.

"Now we make up for lost time." Adrien grinned and stepped forward, closing the gap between them. His arms circled around her waist and Marinette knew she was blushing. She was still gripping the plushie with one hand but wrapped her own arms over his shoulders.

"And how do you suppose we do that?" she said coyly.

Adrien dipped his head, leaning forward. His lips were level with her ear and he whispered softly, "Like this."

He quickly pressed forward and started peppering kisses along her jaw and neck, surprising her with the playful, intimate action. Marinette giggled, unable to contain the sheer joy as the boy she loved nuzzled into her neck, his hair tickling her as it grazed against her skin.

"Chat!"

The end.

Chat, Chat, Chat! :)