Hi, we're back! (Speckle and Anonymous) Sorry for not updating for weeeeks! *sigh* If you knew what we've been doing while keeping you guys waiting. (Mind maps, timelines, video chats, and many folded up pieces of paper covered in scribbles (that needed to be deciphered and typed up) were involved)

Anyway, here's some fluff! (But angst will soon dominate *cackles evilly*)

Adrien

"What do you mean, you know who they are?" Alya asked incredulously. Adrien opened his mouth to answer, releasing Ladybug who was watching him, looking slightly dazed. Shaking her head, and smiling to herself, she grabbed his hand- snagging Alya's arm as she passed- and dragged them away from the empty square.

Adrien knew he was lucky that the city had got so used to akuma attacks, the evacuation more muscle memory than anything, so there was no one to see his identity revealed.

Except Hawkmoth…

The hand in Ladybug's felt so warm and perfect; he always longed for moments like this, little moments of affection, even if it was out of necessity. He could at least relish the fact that Ladybug was holding his hand, while she only had a hold on Alya's shirt sleeve. Adrien couldn't help but notice how Carapace kept close behind Alya, eyes flickering around as if he was looking for some sort of threat. For a first time hero, he was awfully good at it.

Hovering just behind her, Carapace smiled, sighing in relief, something that sounded oddly familiar. Adrien raised an eyebrow at him, seeing how protective he was. It was almost as if he knew her- as if he… loved her. Maybe that was why he recognised it. Carapace wanted to save the girl he loved, just like Adrien tried to do every akuma. He wondered if Alya knew he loved her, but as far as he knew, the only person who had enough confidence to confess to her was Nino.

Ladybug pulled them into an alleyway, and Adrien relaxed, finally out of sight. "It's safer to talk here," she explained, "If Paris hasn't realised Anansi's gone yet, it won't be long now."

With a slight frown, she turned to Carapace. "You can detransform," she glanced at him, "There's not much point with secret identities anymore."
"You're right, Ladybug." The voice came from above them, causing all four of them to look up. There, floating calmly, was a purple kwami- Hawkmoth's kwami… his father's kwami. "Hawkmoth and Mayura already know who Adrien is, and I doubt it will take long for you three to be revealed too."

Ladybug nodded solemnly, holding her hand out for the kwami. He settled after a moment of hesitation. "Are you okay, Nooroo?" She asked, and he nodded, falling silent.
"Hang on a second!" Carapace exclaimed, Nooroo squeaking at the sudden noise, "You said 'you three', but only Ladybug and I are here. What do you mean?" Adrien spun on his heel, Alya breaking down into hysterical laughter. She bowed dramatically, "Rena Rouge, at your service."

Carapace's jaw dropped, and Ladybug giggled. "Shell off." He whispered, voice hoarse from shock, and then it was Nino standing in front of Alya.

Ladybug

Ladybug watched with an amused smirk as Alya and Nino stared at each other. Adrien looked equally incapacitated, and another laugh escaped her lips. She instantly regretted letting it out, when Adrien looked across to her, catching her eye before she could look away as she usually did. She wanted to look away more than anything, but her partner's eyes were locked on hers, searching for something she didn't know how to give him.

How was she going to fight while she was so distracted by him? It was so much easier when all she had to do was care about him as a friend, but now she had to admit that she loved him- it had been so much easier when he'd been just her partner, and nothing else. Her thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of Adrien's kwami, who flew up to her at eye level, so that all she could see was his glowing green eyes. "Hey Pigtails!" he called, "Got any cheese?"

Adrien groaned, and Ladybug peered around Plagg to see him blush. It was probably one of the strangest things she'd even seen- Ladybug couldn't remember the last time she'd seen either Chat Noir, or Adrien, embarrassed. "No, Plagg," she replied, holding up Nooroo, "But I have got you a friend."

Plagg zipped through the air, laughing in disbelief and taking Nooroo away from all the humans, muttering, "Humans are basically fleshy lumps anyway, but those four are some of the most blind I've encountered." Adrien chuckled, fixing his gaze on her again. She shifted, uncomfortable. She knew what was coming.

"You're the last one, M'Lady." Adrien stated, motioning to Alya and Nino, who seemed to have stopped hugging and actually joined the conversation, "Will you show us?" His words were gentle, if not a little desperate, and she knew they were a question, not a demand. "I- I-" She took a deep breath, trying to control her stuttering and something she hadn't thought of before popped into her head. Panicking at first, she managed to keep a straight face. "Okay," she told him, feeling a spark of confidence. Adrien blinked at her, eyes wide, "You're being serious?" Ladybug nodded.

"Honestly, I didn't think I could do it," she confessed, "I just remembered something." With- what she hoped was- a mischievous grin, she added, meeting Adrien's eyes, "I kissed you twice." She looked away before she could see his reaction, seeing Alya rubbing her hands together in anticipation, her eyes bright with curiosity.

"I want Chat to know first," she stated, tugging him further down the alleyway away from their friends' watchful gazes, "Come on, Chaton."

Adrien

Ladybug led him away from Alya and Nino, and he tried to clear his head so he could concentrate. Too much had happened in the last hour- his identity had been revealed, then his father and Nathalie, Alya and Nino, and now Ladybug.

"You ready, Minou?" she asked, stopping but not letting go of his hand.

"Wait." He said, twisting his fingers through hers. He was surprised that she'd actually let him do it- she'd usually pull away by now. "Do you know me outside the mask?" He asked, looking at his feet. It wasn't that he was embarrassed, more that he was confused. As soon as she'd seen it was Adrien under the mask, she'd started acting differently- more… hesitant, nervous even. Was it because he was a celebrity and his status scared her? Or maybe she didn't like him? Yeah, what if she didn't want to upset him by saying she didn't want him as a partner anymore? What if she thought he was a failure for not being able to protect his identity?

"Yes, I do know you," she told him, and Adrien couldn't help but hold his breath and wait for the 'but', "And if I hadn't fallen in love with your civilian form, I don't think I would've been able to stop myself from being with you."

Adrien choked on the air that he involuntarily pulled into his lungs, his chest burning. "You- I- love me?" Ladybug giggled as he struggled to form a coherent sentence, squeezing his hand reassuringly.

"Tikki, spots off."

In a pink flash, Ladybug was replaced by Marinette. Marinette Dupain-Cheng was Ladybug. "M-M-M-Marinette?" He pulled her into a tight hug, laughing at himself for not seeing it sooner, "My Princess is M'Lady!"

Ok, so more is coming soon, maybe tomorrow, because there's another part to this scene, but the chapter was becoming long and we just wanted to post before getting simultaneously yelled at by parents to go to sleep :)