Before reading, please take note of the added tag "Bittersweet ending" - this story doesn't have a necessarily sad ending, yet it isn't a necessarily happy one either – if that is not up your alley, please consider dropping this story. If not – go ahead and keep reading, though you have been warned.

oOoOo

Forget me not (because I will)
("Did Chat Noir know Ladybug's identity? Pictures show that [...]")

oOoOo

There wasn't just "one" Chat Noir, patrolling the streets of Paris at night. There were three. Most people knew that, too – though they might not always be aware of it.

There was the jokester Paris knew him as. The pun-loving, somewhat reckless superhero who'd put Paris and Ladybug before himself, any time it was needed.

There was the good friend he was (he hoped he was) to Ladybug. He loved her-

(He'd always do, because while Kagami was amazing, is amazing, but Ladybug was his first love and sometimes the light would catch her just right or she'd wear hat one smile or-)

-and he'd never forgive himself if something happened to her.

And there was Chat Noir. Adrien Agreste. A boy sitting in a room taken from every child's Christmas dream whose biggest fear was to never be able to leave again.

All of them were different. Paris would never know the advice he gave Ladybug. Ladybug would never know just how much he relied on her not leaving him. Adrien Agreste would never know what it truly meant to be free.

And yet, all of them had in common that they'd always wanted to know Ladybug's civilian identity. Paris-Chat Noir had imagined countless time what it'd be like to just drop in during a patrol just to drop her a pun he had come up with on the swing.

Ladybug-Chat Noit wondered whether he could help her with all the things that were going on in her civilian life-

she was getting bullied, he knew she was even if she had never directly told him

- and they could, they could-they could talk about more than just the weather.

And then there was Adrien-Chat Noir. Adrien-Chat Noir who hoped that if he just knew her name – knew where she lived, who her friends were, what she did all day long – she could never leave him like his mom had done.

And finally, they had gotten their wish, though it had gone nothing the way they had wanted it to.

. O .

He had found out through the Ladyblog – of course he had, all of Paris had after all – and at first, he didn't believe it. He had opened the blog and had seen a comment and he – he had laughed it off.

Because of how ridiculous it had sounded.

And because he didn't want it to be true, because if it was true then-it wasn't how it was supposed to happen and he knew how it was supposed to happen because he had envisioned it a time too many already.

They'd meet up at a nice cafe (he already had a place planned out – but Ladybug didn't need to know that) and then they could have a drink or two and talk and laugh and months ago-

and he had left that fantasy behind because she just didn't like him like that and he knew even if it still hurt, so, so much

-he might have hoped she'd agree to go on a date with him.

But he still wanted to meet up with her. Still wanted to know who that girl behind the mask was, who had been the first to steal his heart away and would never fully give it back. The girl who he swore to know inside and out and yet – he had failed to pick up on her obvious distress during their battle.

Everything had been normal up to the point where the Akuma had managed to smash Ladybug's first Lucky Charm and had then proceeded to fling her through the air.

He could still hear his own scream. Her transformation was running out and he knew that their protections faded over time.

This would hurt. And so he screamed and abandoned the Akuma, hoping to catch up to her in time, begging he could spare her the fate of whatever was to come.

They never broke bones while in their suits. But pain could go a long way.

Chat did not catch up with her in time. In fact, he didn't catch up with her at all. All he found were Marinette and Alya, silently starring at each other, eyes widened in shock.

He should have known. He should have known right then. But he hadn't and instead, he had snatched up Marinette not sparing Alya another glance-

Alya didn't want his help anyway so of course he would

-and had brought her to safety.

He had joked even. He had held Ladybug in his arms, Ladybug-

who had just lost the one thing she hadn't meant to share with anyone, not him, not her parents, least of all the world

-and he had joked! Had told her:

"Don't worry, purrincess! Ladybug and I have everything under control!", he had told her, before leaving her on the rooftop, hoping his words would be enough to cheer her up.

Marinette hadn't responded. Of course she hadn't! She hadn't said a single thing, no quip, not even an eye roll at the he should have known. He should have known when Marinette had barely paid attention to him, he should have known when Ladybug had rejoined the battle, her eyes-

skyblue, how could he have never recognized that color?!

-wide open, dazed in a way that alluded to her mind being elsewhere, just like Marinette's had been.

She didn't quip back at him either. And he had had a guilty consciousness at first, because he thought she had been mad at him.

She hadn't been. She had had to deal with the consequence of having her identity revealed in the midst of an Akuma battle and he hadn't noticed.

He had tried to talk to her, but she hadn't answered once and he had felt worse and worse and once he had gotten home, he had sulked for an hour.

Because he had been mad at her for ignoring him.

And then he had opened the Ladyblog and had read all the comments that demanded that Alya "release the clip" and Chat Noir had been hopeful, because surely, that footage would tell him why his lady had been so distanced.

It had held the answer. It just wasn't the one he had expected – he thought maybe he had made a grave mistake and Alya hadn't wanted to hurt him.

He had never expected to see a flourish of pink to flutter across his screen, revealing his lady's identity.

And then he had seen Marinette and god, it all made sense now and he felt elevated, because Marinette was his lady!

And then his smile dropped from his face and horror spread through his bones.

Marinette was Ladybug.

And everyone knew.

. O .

Adrien hadn't slept a wink that night. He had kept turning and tossing all night, trying to find a reason, trying to find a way they could change this, wondering time and time again if he would have been able to do something about it, until Plagg complained and told him to go to sleep already because now he couldn't sleep either (and Adrien knew his Kwami well enough by now to know that really, he was just concerned about him).

Adrien had stopped turning and tossing after that.

His thoughts hadn't.

. O .

The next morning, when he emerged from his room with dark circles under his eyes, Nathalie didn't say a thing. Instead, she handed him his schedule for the day and told him to hurry up or else he'd be late for school.

Of all the days, today wasn't a day where Adrien wanted to be late. So he hurried to get to the car, overthinking what he was going to say.

If he had to say anything. Somehow, he doubted Marinette would be there at all. But if she was, what would he say? How would Adrien deal with her identity being revealed and how would Chat Noir deal with it? Should he give her space? Should he comfort her, should he give her space, should he ignore the issues, should he talk about it?

Should he reveal himself? Did Marinette expect that, now that he knew? Should he talk to her before school (would she be on time? Early?) or during lunch break? Should he hint at it or show her Plagg or transform in front of her or, or…

Marinette was, indeed, missing from school. Adrien had been relieved and disappointed at the same time. Relieved, because she shouldn't have to go through this so soon – the moment she'd leave her house she'd be swarmed by everyone and their mother and she shouldn't have to go through that right now.

Disappointed, because he wanted to be able to be there for her. As Adrien or Chat Noir because they were friends.

It hurt when she didn't respond to any of his messages as either of them. When she didn't pick up the phone and he felt insulted, a bit, because he was going through it too.

She wasn't in it alone!

And then he had gotten mad at himself because he shouldn't be thinking about himself right now.

He had wanted to visit after school, but his father hadn't let him. Something about a rescheduled piano lesson and then he had been shuffled off during his lunch break and after school, he had been booked for a photoshoot.

Alya and Nino had wanted to visit too, but Lila had told them not to.

"I know this sounds terrible, Alya, but, you know? Ladybug and I are best friends and this is all about the Ladybug-side of her and she really just wants to be left alone..."

Adrien had wanted to expose her right then and there. There was no "Ladybug side" to Marinette's personality, there was simply Marinette.

But Chloé had stopped him.

Chloé of all people had stopped him.

"She's Ladybug. She will want to take care of that Liar by herself."

It was one of the first things she had said to him after Miracle Queen and Adrien hated to say that he agreed with her.

Marinette would want to take care of Lila on her own. She had wanted to do so months ago and hadn't it been him who had told her not to?

She deserved to do it on her own. So he hadn't said anything and Alya and Nino, and their entire class, hadn't visited her parents' shop and neither did he, because he was busy.

He had never wanted to scream into his father's or Nathalie's or anyone's face that badly.

His Lady needed him. And he? He wasn't there to help her.

This story will not cover any abandonment/bullying plotlines – Marinette's friends will be healthy, sweet and supportive, however I did want her to have some more time to reflect on her own before/talk to her parents. But, worry not, next chapter will finally have the promised Chat Noir/Marinette interaction, that is fairly fluffy, too!

And once again, the formating on AO3 allows more option, so I generally advice people to read my stories up there.