Once the two were outside Mr Damocles' office, they both burst into a fit of giggles. "Marinette you had no idea how strange that felt, maybe I should go apologise-"
Marinette grabbed his collar, "Uh-uh, you owe me ice-cream, and my sweet tooth is demanding it now."
"It'll take 2 seconds Mari-"
Marinette yanked him away from the door, "You go in there, I'll tell everyone your secret."
Adrien blushed, a small bit of panic grew inside of him. Does she know I'm Chat Noir?! I mean I visit her almost weekly now, and we've become very close in civilian form... Maybe she put two and two together and figured it out! What will Ladybug say if a schoolgirl found out my identity?! You need to play dumb, Agreste. She might not know that secret.
A drop of sweat fell from his neck all the way down his back, "What secret-? I don't h-have any secrets."
Marinette smiled cheekily, she was bluffing, but it was fun seeing him squirm over something he clearly is worried about being shared. "Then why are you sweating?"
Marinette clearly knows I'm hiding something! She's too intelligent not to know, but I can't reveal my identity on an assumption. Agreste, whatever you do; DO NOT MENTION CHAT NOIR!
"What secret do you know Marinette!"
Marinette stepped closer and leant into his ear, "If you go into his office, you'll find out tomorrow."
You need to get yourself out of the pit she dug you into! Quick! What's a secret of Marinette's?...
Adrien chuckled, he had the perfect one in mind, she wouldn't want anyone knowing about what happens to her each week. "I know some of your secrets too Marinette, tell mine, and I'll tell yours."
Marinette's cheeks were covered in a slight blush. He would've already confronted me if he knew I was Ladybug... What else could he know that's so bad to share? Surely he doesn't know that I like him! Then again, he's the only one in this school who doesn't know.
"I know about your nights with Chat Noir"
...
"Whaaaat! How! That's impossible!"
Marinette took his hand and started pulling him toward the stairs.
"Marinette! Where are we going? Are you okay?"
Marinette shook her head and sped up her pace, once she was outside the school grounds; she stopped beside the stone stairs at the entrance.
"Marinette- If I put my nose where it doesn't belong I'm sor-"
"I want you to tell me right now. How the fuck you know about that!"
"Woah woah, language Marinette."
I have never seen Marinette curse before, I must've really hurt her. Oh my gosh, angry Marinette is really scary!
Right now, angry Marinette to Adrien is one of the most frightening thoughts he could muster. Adrien was hoping that Sandboy would never reappear because just the idea of Marinette going rogue on a rampage; almost made Adrien wet himself.
As he was looking down on her, he was thanking god that she didn't get her father's masculine body from genetics.
"Do not tell me to watch my language Agreste."
Adrien had to bite his tongue to not laugh, although angry Marinette was scary; she was also extremely cute. I need an excuse ASAP. Just blame it on Chat Noir, he is invulnerable. Adrien however... is not.
"Chat Noir told me."
Marinette went from angry to confused, she stared blankly at Adrien. "Why does he visit you Adrien?"
Adrien scratched the back of his head, he couldn't think of an excuse so he decided to come up with something on the spot. "I guess it all started around the time Ladybug saved me when Audrey Bourgeois was akumatised. He said he was out of action and he saw the newspapers on how she saved me. I guess he was jealous; I don't blame him. I'm a model and I have hundreds of fans chasing after me everyday, and a lot of them are attracted to me. Once I assured him that there was nothing between Ladybug and I, he decided to have a little fun in my room. I taught him a song on piano, played my arcade, we even did a few rounds of basketball. He's a true friend to me; it's almost like I've known him my whole life."
Chat thought there was something between Ladybug and Adrien? I guess I shouldn't be surprised.
"How does your father allow that?"
Adrien chuckled, "He uhh-, he doesn't know."
Marinette's eyes widened, "Your father. Gabriel Agreste. One of the most overprotective and intelligent people in Paris. Doesn't know that a superhero visits you?"
"Pretty amazing when you properly think about it. He is always busy, or he used to be."
Marinette stared at him, "What do you mean? Is he getting too old to work so much?"
Adrien laughed, "Oh please! My father is too stubborn to ever let that happen! But he has been going on a lot less business trips, and he's trying to make more time for me. It took over a year but he's finally moving on from my mother's death."
Marinette didn't know how to reply, but as her father always says Food is the best distraction and attraction!
"Walk and talk? You do still owe me ice-cream."
"You're right, I do need a dose of sugar."
The first 30 seconds of walking was just silence, until Adrien broke it. "So why does Chat Noir visit you?"
"Pardon? What did you say?"
"Why does Chat visit you?"
I don't even know the answer to that question, but I'm curious. Why does she think?
"I'm actually not sure, it all started-"
"When you told him you loved him."
Marinette froze in her place, it was like Queen Bee had just injected her with miracle venom.
"Chat said that after an attack by Gigantitan, you told him that you loved him out of nowhere. I was so surprised, never thought that-"
I just realised... If Marinette fell in love with Chat Noir, she fell in love with me; the real me. Not the person my father wants me to be, but I am myself around Marinette. Minus the Cat puns and superpowers. If she doesn't like Luka, and I know she isn't in love with Chat Noir anymore. Is it possible that the mystery person Marinette secretly loves, is Adrien Agreste?
I can't deny it now, Adrien has proof that I liked him. Chat may be a bit of an idiot sometimes, but he is no liar.
"Yeah, I was in love with Chat Noir, but I can assure you. Those feelings are long gone."
"Why are you acting like it's such a bad thing? Being in love with a superhero is completely okay."
"I don't mean it as a bad thing, Chat Noir is amazing, I just realised I liked someone else more."
"The same thing happened to me too."
Marinette laughed, "You were in love with Chat Noir?"
Adrien giggled, "Bad grammar, sorry. I meant I was once in love with Ladybug, but as I got to know someone else a little better, I fell in love with them."
"You were in love with Ladybug-?"
"For a little while, yeah I was."
"But you only ever had real moments with her like 3 times."
If only you knew Marinette. I so wish I could tell you, but, I can't.
"There was always the Ladyblog, and there is a magical thing called living in Paris and always being a first hand witness to akuma attacks. And Youtube."
"Ladybug likes jokes."
"Where did that come from?"
"On the way back from the wax museum, you said that the girl you loved didn't like jokes. Trust me, all girls like jokes."
"From my experience, Ladybug hates Chat Noir's jokes. And I always thought they were hilarious so I assumed she hated jokes."
As a friend of Chat Noir, I can say his jokes are hilarious. But I've seen him in Alya's footage, he does not stop telling jokes and being all flirty. Ladybug and Chat Noir aren't just friends, they are the protectors of Paris. She probably thinks that Chat should save all that talk outside of saving the city from doom, destruction and chaos."
She does have a point, but I have cut down on all the flirtatious jokes.
Marinette looked down, remembering what Adrien said about falling in love with someone he got to know better. As much as I'd hope he meant me, it's pretty obvious it's Kagami he's talking about. Ever since I was made Guardian those two have grown incredibly close. They probably would've been together if I hadn't have interrupted their kiss to recruit Ryuko.
Adrien stared at the pavement that he walked along, watching each time as his foot touched the floor. I'm not that lucky to have Marinette love me, it's Luka she's talking about. If only I could've realised these feelings when she was in love with me- well Chat Noir. Maybe we could've been happy, I could've trusted her with my identity. She could help me go out to fight akumas, nice job Agreste. You were too arrogant and helpless and now you've lost both the women you love.