The rest of the day for Adrien was quite the blurr. All that kept dancing around his head was the anthem, "Marinette is Ladybug! Ladybug is Marinette!" No mundane lessons or habitual fencing class could compare to such a truly miraculous revelation!

Adrien re-played each moment, each interaction, each battle, each conversation interchanging Ladybug's face with Marinette's, and vis-versa. Each undertaking was all that more impressive with the realization that Marinette has been the ultimate strategist, partner, and guardian all along. What truly shocked him though was how it all made so much sense! Of course Marinette was Ladybug! Who else could possibly fit so perfectly, and check every box. The only thing that dug at him was how he didn't realize it sooner.

How did he not realize how he felt about Marinette sooner?!

After everything that had happened...even nearly giving up his Miraculous all together...he had promised he would be a different kind of partner for Ladybug. He had resolved to be a partner, focused on their goal...not falling into his old habits of getting distracted and caught up by his emotions toward Ladybug. It had already been hard to put aside his heart in favor of what his head knew was logical and smart strategy. Knowing each other's identities had always been kept secret to protect each other, their loved ones, and the miraculous' themselves. He was never supposed to know Ladybug's identity...at least not until Hawkmoth had been defeated! But now that he knew...now that he had seen her...there was no going back!

He would have to be ever vigilant to make sure that Hawkmoth could not get to her through him. He could not allow Hawkmoth to akumatize him. If he did, the Cat and the Ladybug miraculous would undoubtedly be captured, and Marinette in danger. He couldn't let that happen! He wouldn't let that happen!

As soon as she had dropped her transformation, and collided into his arms he had wanted to tear away his own mask, and tell her everything. How easy would it be to just come up to her, sweep her off her feet, and tell her that one of her friends was also her partner! How good it would feel to not have to lie to her ever again...never hide the truth ever again!

Adrien's head jolted up as Kagami called out his name, making his snap to attention. The fencing lesson had already started, and the other pairs had already engaged in the initial strikes, while Adrien was just sitting off to the side staring into space. Adrien looked back at Kagami, who shrugged her shoulders, and raised her sword as if to ask, "are we doing this or what?"

Adrien shoved his helmet over his eyes, and clutched his foil in his hand. He jumped up, and trotted dutifully over to Kagami. Kagami smiled, and pushed her own helmet over her eyes preparing her attack. They exchanged attacks and parrys, building up momentum in their attack. Kagami never let up, and certainly did not hold back. She had always kept Adrien on his toes in more ways than one, and challenged him to push himself to become better.

"You're fired up today," Kagami observed bluntly as Adrien landed a decisive blow.

"Just trying to keep up with you," Adrien responded quickly, lunging again.

Kagami ended up winning, but it had been a close match. Both competitors retired to the locker room where they dropped down to the bench to catch their breath.

Kagami slid off her helmet, and shook out her short glossy hair with a smile at Adrien. "You nearly had me this time, there was something different about you today. What is going on with you? she looked at him.

"Maybe I've decided not to go easy on you any more!" Adrien popped his helmet off, and smirked at her with a much more Chat Noir grin than Adrien would have normally dared.

Kagami's deadpan expression told Adrien in no uncertain terms, that she was not buying his defensive maneuvers in throwing her off. "Seriously," Kagami pressed. "What is with you today?"

"I just found out some good news about one of my friends...I guess I'm just feeling happy," Adrien rubbed his neck with his hand, and glanced sideways at Kagami.

"A friend..." Kagami assessed Adrien's expression. "Perhaps one of our mutual friends? Like say...Marinette?"

Adrien blinked, with his face frozen, trying to decide how to respond. Should he smile...would a smile give something more away? Should he deny it after Kagami had guessed on the first try? How did Kagami know anyway? Did Kagami know? What did Kagami know?

Kagami sat watching him as his whole body rigidly seized up at the mention of Marinette's name. Whether or not Adrien admitted it now, Kagami knew Marinette was absolutely the one on his mind. Finally! Kagami thought to herself. It had been a painfully long process to watch them dance around each other. Maybe one of them had finally admitted what everyone else knew all along.

"Yesss...my friend Marinette," Adrien finally replied.

"You don't have to pretend with me just to spare my feelings," Kagami straightened her gloves on her lap. "I already knew."

"You...ah...you knew?!" Adrien gulped, still not sure exactly what Kagami knew.

"Of course. I feel like you were the only one who was blind to it," Kagami shrugged. "It was pretty obvious even when we started seeing each other more, not that Marinette tried to get between us. Actually one day she literally dragged me around trying to get us back together."

"Wha...she did?!" Adrien's mouth dropped open. "Wh...when did that happen?!"

"Oh, way back when you were doing that pigeon perfume ad at the pool that time, she could not stop talking about how I just needed to give you another chance to prove how perfect we were together," Kagami shook her head remembering Marinette insistence...Marinette was surprisingly strong for such a small girl who did not train in the noble arts.

"She did?!" Adrien repeated in shock, thinking back to that day. He had thought he had seen Marinette holding up Kagami during one of his dives. That was also the day Marinette practically tackled him off the high diving board. Adrien's face turned red now realizing that it had been Ladybug who had actually tackled him off the high diving board.

"That's when I told her," Kagami continued.

"Told her what?" Adrien asked, trying to catch up.

"That you were perfect for her," Kagami replied matter-of-factly.

"You did!" Adrien's eyes couldn't have been wider.

"It's the truth," Kagami shrugged, looking down at her feet.

"Kagami, I really am so sorry that I lied to you and messed thing up when we were just starting to get together," Adrien felt a fresh wave of guilt against his chest. "I care about you, and I never wanted to hurt you like that!"

"I know," Kagami looked up at Adrien, and patted his hand that sat on the bench next to her. "I loved you, but you never did feel the same about me."

"I did...I mean I do care about you...it is just..." Adrien tried to explain.

"You never made promises of love to me Adrien, and although I was hurt, I gradually came to terms with the fact that unrequited love is foolish. Why wait for someone to return your love when they cannot? There is no point wishing for something that would never happen," Kagami spoke these revelations as simple facts, without getting emotional about them. "I deserve more than that, and so do you...a relationship where both people value, respect, and love the other above all else!"

"There were times when we were together that I wished I could be that person for you," Adrien said sadly. The pain he had caused Kagami to go through must have been what he had felt whenever Ladybug rejected him.

"We are similar in many ways, and you will always be someone I value...but you and I..." Kagami shook her head.

Adrien looked down at his hands, and played with his ring, thinking about the times Ladybug had turned him down...even told him there was someone else that she was in love with. There was someone Marinette was in love with. "How can you recover if the one you care about...who means so much to you...just doesn't feel the same way?" Adrien asked in a small voice.

"By loving the person enough to let them go," Kagami squeezed his hand.

Adrien stared back at her, and there was a ease in her smile that assured him that through everything she would always have his back. There was love.

"I hope you treasure each other," Kagami said standing up, and pulling the strap of her bag over her shoulder. "What you two have is pretty special, and should never be taken for granted. You and Marinette are made for each other."

"Kagami, you really are incredible," Adrien smiled at her.

"Right back at you," Kagami waved, and closed the door behind her.

ooooooooooooooo

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