A/N A little late on this chapter but oh well. I want to say I have been having significant writer's block (for this chapter). I have so many ideas for what I want to happen, but I want them to be in school. I still have a week before school starts for them, and I really didn't want to write this chapter even though it's important. I got it done though, even though I wanted to write literally any other chapter besides this one. Enjoy :3


GirlfriendDid he just say what I thought he said… Marinette sat in shock as she watched Adrien walk away from her, "Tikki, did I hear that right?"

"I think so…" Tikki said hushed from Marinette's pocket. Marinette felt a tightness in her chest. I don't know how I am feeling right now. Someone I have loved for over a year just… confessed that he has feelings for me? "Marinette, are you okay?"

"I- I don't even know what, or how, I am supposed to feel," Marinette stood up, fixed her uniform, and returned to her parents, who were about to start packing up to leave the party. She put on a smile and assisted them. An hour later everything was packed and the Dupain-Cheng's heading back to the bakery. By the time Marinette was ready for bed it was nearly 1:00 am, and she was exhausted.

She climbed into her bed and stared at the hatch out to her balcony, "Chat is in love with me… and Adrien… might be in love with me…" She turned to look at Tikki, who was drifting in and out of consciousness, "Tikki, I don't know what I am supposed to do. I just got out of a relationship with Luka, I know I am not ready for another one… but, I don't think I want to give Adrien the impression that I would never date him…" Marinette turned away from her kwami, and closed her eyes, "I am unsure if it was a confession or not."


Adrien's heart was racing. Did I really just do that? He had taken off his suit and placed it in his closet, his hands shaking. "I- I don't know what got into me Plagg," the boy started pacing around his room, still shaking, "I shouldn't have said it… she just broke up with her boyfriend." Adrien hit himself in the head, "I am so stupid… I should apologize or say -"

"Chill out. So what?" Plagg flew in front of Adrien's face and looked at him sternly, "You told pigtails you want her as your girlfriend, no big deal."

"Plagg, you wouldn't understand. I was so sure that it was the right time, but looking at it now…" Adrien huffed, "it was selfish. She is probably still a wreck because of Luka and…" She now knows that Chat and I both are in love with her… "this is a mess…"

"It will be fine. Pigtails likes you, you know that right," the kwami flew into a drawer to grab a piece of cheese, seemingly ending their conversation.

"I know you're not listening anymore since you're gorging yourself on camembert, but she liked me. I have no clue how she feels about me now…" Adrien sat on the edge of his bed, "and I probably have risked my secret identity so that's great…"

Plagg popped out of the drawer, intrigued, "I don't see how you confessing your feelings to Marinette risks your identity."

"Well Marinette, or Ladybug I guess, knows Chat is in love with her, and now she knows that I have feelings for her, so if she can put two and two together then..."

"You'll be fine, you both are clueless. There were so many signs of Marinette being Ladybug yet you were oblivious," Plagg said, consuming one more large piece of camembert before he flew over to Adrien's pillow to sleep, "besides, what's the harm. You know her identity, she is the guardian… you would've needed to know her identity eventually, and she ought to know yours considering she is the guardian. Just tell her you to know her identity."

"It isn't that simple Plagg. She didn't want me to know yet, and I think she'll be mad at me if I tell her…" Adrien got under the covers of his bed and turned towards Plagg, "I will bring up the topic whenever I can and I will see how she reacts. If she seems okay about revealing identities then I will tell her."


"It has been a week and Shadowmoth still hasn't struck Paris… I am afraid, what if he is planning something huge?"

Chat looked at her and laughed, waving off her concerns, "Shadowmoth does this all the time m'lady, even villains need to take a vacation." He looked down at his feet which were dangling over the edge of the building they were on, "I have been meaning to talk to you about something anyway if you don't mind me changing the subject."

Ladybug huffed, "fine, what is it Chaton?"

"Well… you've been the guardian for a good amount of time now…" Chat kept his eyes on his feet, it is odd for him to not look at me, "and... I have been thinking that it is about time we know each other's identities. In case of any akuma attack where you are in trouble, and I need to distribute miraculous… or if I -"

"No, Chat. It is not the right time. I am sorry, but Shadowmoth has become more fierce and relentless. I am not going to take the risk of you knowing my identity," Ladybug stood up, "I want you to prepare for Shadowmoth to attack, and the attack will be strong I am sure of it. Have a good patrol." She yoyed away. I am not about to have this conversation with Chat Noir, I have too much on my plate already.

Ladybug climbed into her bedroom and detransformed. She looked at her phone to see that it just hit 6:00 am. I have time, great. She leaped down and started getting dressed. Alya was on vacation with her family, and the rest of her friends were busy, and she hadn't spoken to Adrien for a week, so Marinette had a clear schedule that her parents immediately filled. They wanted her to make deliveries in the morning, and assist with baking for the rest of the day. Marinette ran downstairs once she was ready and started her delivery route.


Adrien's schedule had been waking up, breakfast, Chinese lessons, photoshoot, lunch, photoshoot, fencing lessons, dinner, piano, sleep, repeat for the whole week. Adrien didn't want to disappoint Ladybug by not going on his patrols, but sneaking out was more difficult. In order to sneak out, he has to have Plagg cataclysm the security camera outside his room. It worked once, but it will look suspicious if it happens often. Adrien did inform Nathalie of the incident that happened at the party, but no amount of money or threats worked. The photos were released today, with an article claiming that Adrien and Marinette were now an item and that Adrien was responsible for her breakup with Luka. It is ridiculous, I explained everything and they still lied.

"I need to talk to her Plagg. It has been a week! I don't know how she is feeling or anything," Adrien said, getting dressed for another photoshoot.

"You were just with her," Plagg said, gulping down cheese as usual.

"Yeah but she doesn't know that I know she is Ladybug, and she made it very clear that she didn't want to reveal identities," Adrien said, fixing the fit of his jacket.

"It doesn't matter what she wants anymore, you know, it is too late. Just tell her."

Adrien waved Plagg off and put his shoes on. When will these photoshoots end? Adrien walked out of his room and found Nathalie, "I am ready. When can I have my things back?"

"So you've finally broke," Nathalie said, staring down at her tablet, "you will have to ask your father about that. He will be accompanying you to this photoshoot. He decided to watch you in person."

Adrien's eyes lit up, "really! Father is coming?" I know he is strict but I won't lie and say I don't miss him. "I am surprised." Adrien walked out of his mansion and got into the car to find his father in the seat next to him.

"Adrien, you have been performing exceptionally well in your photoshoots this week…" Gabriel looked out of the car window, not even glancing once at the son in front of him, "I will consider giving you your personal items back if you perform well at this photoshoot. I still don't want you seeing your friends yet, especially that Marinette girl."

"Marinette is a nice girl, Father."

"I do not doubt that, son. I just need to stop having your name plastered on gossip columns," Gabriel looked forward, "just give it time. You can see her at school."

Adrien looked down at his lap and fiddled with his ring, that is still another whole week before I can see her. "Thank you, Father."

They arrived at the photoshoot which was at a simple photo studio. Nothing too fancily set up. Adrien was modeling a new collaboration with the Gabriel brand. It was a unique suit and hat combination. Adrien was exhausted from his schedule but knew that he would be able to at least talk to his friends if everything went well. After the photographer liked how he looked he posed the teenager. It felt like hours were passing, time slowly dragging with every pose change, and it didn't help that his father was staring daggers into him the whole time, only taking a break to make business calls. Finally, the final photo was taken, and the photographer started showing the photos to Gabriel, who looked pleased.

The two entered the car once again and went back to the mansion. Gabriel looked at his son, nodded, and pulled out Adrien's phone, and handed it to him, "If you behave maybe you can have the last week before school to hang out with your friends, but not that Marinette girl, okay?" Adrien nodded, opening his phone to a lot of notifications. Most of his friends knew that he was grounded because Marinette informed them, but he still had a few texts. He said I can't hang out with Marinette but I am sure I can still text her, right?

Adrien texted their class group chat. Hi, I am ungrounded from my phone :)


Marinette had finished her route and went inside the bakery. Her parents waved at her, and she went upstairs to get lunch before she inevitably became a worker for her parents for hours. While she was gathering her food, she got a buzz from her phone, "Tikki, can you check who it is for me?"

Tikki flew over to Marinette's phone and opened the text, "It is the class chat, Adrien got his phone back."

Marinette dropped a knife that she was holding, "oh great!" That means I might have to talk to him… I hope he doesn't text me, I haven't figured out what I want to say to him yet. Marinette ate her food and left her phone on the counter as she dashed downstairs into the bakery. Her parents put her to work for hours, the sun setting when she finished. He body was covered in flour, it was even in her hair. Marinette looked at her phone on the counter but ignored it, she didn't want to know if she had a text from Adrien. She took the longest shower she could, ensuring all the flour was out of her hair, and then returned to the kitchen. Her phone taunting her. She grabbed it and dashed upstairs.

Marinette took a deep breath and looked at her phone. Sure enough, there was a text from Adrien. "I don't want to look at it Tikki, what do I say?"

"Say what you feel Marinette, all Adrien wants is honesty," Tikki grabbed Marinette's phone, "do you want me to read it to you?" Marinette nodded. Tikki slowly opened the message and read it, "he said: Marinette, I am sorry about the articles," shoot, I forgot all about that… guess Nathalie was no help, "and I wanted to say that I am sorry if what I said freaked you out. Looking back it was a bad time to mention it."

"Ugh…what do you say to that Tikki?" The creature just shrugged, bringing the phone back to Marinette. "Let me just say 'Oh Adrien the feelings are mutual, but I don't want to date yet."

"Yes, exactly," Tikki said with a confused look, "that is fine. Maybe word it a bit better, but be honest with him. You did recently get out of a breakup, and he threw this at you. It is Adrien, he will understand."

Marinette sighed, the keyboard taunting her. Finally, she typed what she thought was a good enough message: I want to let you know that you did not freak me out. I was shocked at first, that is all. I don't think that I am ready for another relationship yet, but in time I would consider one with you. Marinette hit the send button and turned her phone off, not wanting to know if he responds until morning. She climbed into bed and attempted to sleep.