Chapter 27: I Love You

Marinette kept cursing herself on not having been able to tell Adrien what she truly felt about him, as she walked home. It was bad enough she was feeling like she had been run over by a truck, but knowing that she had failed to reveal Adrien her true feelings for him, was making her feel even worst. Because Master Fu showed up when he did, she lost her courage and did not went ahead with her plan. Alya, who was waking by her side, continued to hear her, without saying a word. She knew her friend was already suffering enough. But after cursing herself over and over, she told Alya that she was not going to let that stop her from telling Adrien how she felt about him, that day.

"Never seen you this determined before, girl." -Alya told her.

"Well, I don't like to admit it, but Chloe did really open my eyes to what is going on, Alya." -Marinette said. –"If I don't tell Adrien how I really feel about him, someone else will end up steal him, and… well, I love him! I need to tell him that." -she declared.

"You know, as your best-friend, I should be incredibly jealous over the fact that it was your former bully, turned one of our best friends, who did open up your eyes to that matter, but I'm actually happy she did that." -Alya admitted. –"It's about time that happens. You've been drooling over him for more than two years." -she said.

"I know that. And that's why I need to do this. I'm not going to let that girl he was with him the other day, to steal him. I'm not going to let her steal my kitty cat from me." -Marinette said.

"Your kitty cat? Is that your new nickname for Adrien?"

"N-No… it's just…" -Marinette hesitated. She did not even know why she had called him that name. –"I don't' even know why I called him that." -she admitted.

"I'm just kidding, girl." -Alya chuckled. –"You can call him whatever you want." -she kept chuckling. –"Just promise me one thing."

"What?" -Marinette asked her.

"When you and Adrien become a couple, if you become a couple, that is, you let me know, so you two can go on a double date with Nino and I." -Alya told her, already knowing that they would become a couple. –"Wait, not a double date, a quadruple date. We could even ask Rose and Juleka to come with us, and Ivan and Mylene too. All the couples in our classroom, going to the movies." -she said.

"That's not a bad idea, I'll give you that. But before that might happen, like you said, Adiren and I have to become a couple… which will happen tonight, hopefully." -Marinette sighed.

"Hopefully? Girl, what are you talking about?" -Alya asked Marinette, sensing doubt in her voice.

"Well, what if he doesn't like me? What if he likes the other girl?" -Marinette asked Alya.

"Marinette, stop thinking those things, okay? If you start thinking about that, you're bound to go crazy." -Alya told her. –"You're going to tell him you like him, and I'm sure he'll say he likes you as well. Just think positive." -she said, already knowing what Adrien's response would be.

"You're right, as always, Alya." -Marinette declared. –"I can't let those negative thoughts cloud my head. I'm going to tell him my real feels for him, and that's that." -she said with a determined voice.

And that was what she intended to do. After her parents went out that night, she began to summon up the courage to do what she knew had to be done. She herself was surprised to see them going out that night, especially after everything that happened to them. You would expect them to be traumatized after being attacked by an Akuma. But when she asked them what had happened, they told her that though they were still recovering from the scare, that that had been a unique experience, and that everything had turned alright. Tikki herself could not believe just how casually Marinette's parents were handling it. After a good nap, she was feeling slightly refreshed and ready for anything, anyone would throw at her, as long as it was nothing big.

"I can't believe your parents actually went out to dinner after everything that happened to them today." -Tikki said, as she ate another cookie. Marinette had brought her a whole plate of them.

"Stranger things have happened, Tikki. Besides, it's already a tradition of theirs to go out on Valentine's Day." -Marinette said, as she continued to pace around her bedroom. She was nervous she did not even touch the dinner her mom had left her. –"Still, I'm glad they didn't come out traumatized from everything that happened. I just wish I had been the one to save them… I know this sounds super selfish on my part, but…"

"You were just worried about them, there's nothing wrong or selfish about that. You just wanted them to be safe." -Tikki told her. –"Besides, Kim and Alix got here just in time to save them." -she smiled.

"It's true. Once again, their speed allowed them to do the impossible." -Marinette said, as she continued pacing around the bedroom. She was still sore from the battle against Aphrodite, but she was trying to ignore it.

"Marinette, would you please stop pacing around like that?" -Tikki asked her. She could see the blue-haired girl was even more nervous than usual, and it bother her to see her like that. –"I know you're nervous about Adrien, but if you keep pacing around like that, you're bound to make hole on the floor." -she said.

"Sorry, but I'm having second doubts here." -Marinette sighed.

"Again? Marinette, after what you told me, you told Alya this afternoon, I really thought that any shred of doubt would have left your mind and your heart by now." -Tikki declared.

"So did I, Tikki, so did I." -Marinette admitted, as she sat down on her chaise-longue. –"But the more I think about it… crud! Why do I have to be one of those girls who overthink everything?" -she cursed herself. –"Why did Hawk Moth decided to throw that Akuma at us today?! If he hadn't, I would've told Adrien the truth about my feelings… and it didn't help when Master Fu showed up. Which reminds me, I need to talk to him about the way my 6th sense power is working now, like I told you earlier. I completely forgot about it."

"Well, I hate to say it, but this day just hasn't been your day, when it comes to your love life." -Tikki admitted.

"By the way, regarding the way my 6th sense is working now… did any other Ladybugs had it working like this?" -Marinette asked her. If there was one person who could tell her that, was Tikki.

"Now that I think about it, there was only one other Ladybug whose 6th sense power evolved like that. It was Hippolyta, the Amazonian Ladybug." -Tikki told her. –"But, it took years for her 6th sense to evolve like that. I didn't tell you about it the first time it happened, a few days ago, because I thought it was a one-time thing. But now, I'm sure that you have unlocked that ability… you are evolving faster than any other Ladybug before." -she declared.

"And what could that mean?" -Marinette asked. She had not even questioned herself about it.

"I don't know. It never happened before. In fact, you and the rest of your friends are all evolving faster than what any of us kwamis could have anticipated." -Tikki told her -"I don't know if it's because you all have something the other miraculous holders didn't have, or if it's because your bond to us is stronger…" -she said, throwing away guesses.

"In other words, the reason why this is happening is a mystery, even to you." -Marinette sighed. She'd hoped for Tikki to have a straight answer for that matter.

"Afraid so." -Tikki said. –"But, it's like they say, "Never look a gift horse in the mouth". Whatever the reason this is happening with you and the rest of the gang, it's a good thing it's happening, because it has allowed you to stand up to stronger Akumas. And believe me, Hawk Moth's Akumas will continue to grow in power. As time passes, his powers also become stronger." -she declared. –"But let's not think about that now. You and the others stopped Aphrodite and something tells me that we won't be hearing from Hawk Moth for at least a couple of days. Right now, we need to think about what you're going to tell Adrien."

Once more, Tikki was right. Whatever the real reason why her powers and the others were evolving that fast, was something they could think about later. Right then, she had to focus on telling Adrien about her feelings. She needed to focus on that matter.

"You're right… but it's easier said, than done, Tikki." -Marinette said. –"I'm feeling like my heart pounding in my chest, like if I was having a panic attack… in fact, I think I'm having one right now." -she said, while taking deep breaths, trying to slow down her heart beat.

"You're not having a panic attack, Marinette. It's all in your head." -Tikki told Marinette, as she flew in her direction and stopped in front her face. –"Just breathe in and out, and empty your head. You'll see that… whoa, I'm feeling… a little dizzy…" -she said, as her body began to slowly descend.

"Tikki!" -Marinette exclaimed, as she grabbed the little kwami in mid-air, with both hands. –"Are you okay?" -she asked her

"I'm fine… I guess I'm not as rested as I thought I was." -Tikki told her, as she felt her head a little dizzy. –"But don't worry, I'm fine." -she assured her.

"Maybe I should…" -Marinette said. She was hesitating once again.

"Don't you dare postpone what needs to be done, Marinette. If you don't tell Adrien you love him, tonight, you're going to keep postponing it, until it might be too late." -Tikki told her with a serious voice. –"I know that your heart is trembling with fear, and that you are afraid of getting hurt, but the more you delay it, the worst it will be. Just go and tell him what you feel. Even if he says that he doesn't love you, the same way you love him, you'll feel much better, trust me." -she smiled at Marinette.

Wise as always, Tikki knew just what words to say to Marinette and to make her do what needed to be done.

"Tikki, I know this is a bit selfish, considering you're not fully rested, but I'm going to ask you to lend me your powers one more time today." -Marinette told the scarlet kwami. –"Lend them to me, so I can go to Adrien's house and tell him I love him." -she smiled at her.

"Say the magic words… and good luck, Marinette." -Tikki smiled at her. –"Not that you'll need it, of course." -she thought to herself.

"Tikki, transforme-moi!" -Marinette exclaimed.

Adrien had just finished eating dinner in his bedroom, and was trying to relax. Even after a shower and a brief nap, his body still ached from the battle with Aphrodite. Upon arriving home, Nathalie did two things. First, she told him how happy she was that he was alright and that nothing had happened to him, during the Akuma attack. And second, she once more, scolded him for supposedly leaving his cell phone at the cafeteria, making it impossible for her to contact him. He knew she was just worried about him, so he did not even try to argue with her. It was best for her to think that he merely forgot his cell at the cafeteria, instead of knowing what really happened to him. If Nathalie or his father, ever found out what he really did, whenever an Akuma showed up, they would forbid him from leaving the house, and would lock him up in his bedroom, just to make sure he would not get hurt.

Sighing, he tried to relax both his body and his mind. But although his body was getting the well-deserved rest it needed, his brain was a whole different story. He kept replaying in his mind the moment when he was about to tell Marinette, what he truly felt about her, only to see it ruined by Master Fu, who showed up, just as he was about to pop up the speech he and Nathalie had been working on. All that made him also remember that Nathalie had not asked him if everything between him and Marinette had turned out alright or not. But he quickly tossed that matter aside, believing she did not say a thing, because it slipped her mind, given just how worried she was about his well-being. What he could not toss aside was just how close he was to tell Marinette he loved her, and how much he wanted her to be his girlfriend.

"If you keep thinking about that, your brain is going to burst!" -Plagg told him, as Adrien looked at him. –"And no, you don't have to tell me you're thinking about Marinette. I can see it in your face." -he said, as he hovered above Adrien's head. –"And like I said, you keep thinking about her and how things did not go according to plan, and your brain is going to burst."

"I know, I know, Plagg… but I can't stop thinking about it." -Adrien sighed. –"I can't stop thinking about how I lost the courage to tell Marinette I love her!" -he said. –"Why did Master Fu showed up, just as I was about to tell her everything?!"

"Not that I'm defending him or anything, but in his defense, Master Fu did not know you were going to tell Marinette you loved her." -Plagg said.

Adrien hated to admit it, but Plagg was right. How could have Master Fu know what he planned to do? Sighing, he realized that what happened was just bad luck and bad timing, and that he should have just told her how he felt. Once again, he allowed his shyness to prevent him from doing what he wanted to do.

"You're right. How can I blame the master for what happened?" -Adrien asked, as he sat on his bed. –"I should have told Marinette that I loved her… Plagg, tell me something. Why am I this shy?! Why can't I be more like Chat Noir, when I'm not wearing the suit and the mask?" -he asked him. –"I don't know where I inherited this shyness from."

"I don't know… your dad's not the shy kind of person, and as for your mother, I never met her, so I don't know how she was." -Plagg said. –"But, given that she was an actress, she probably wasn't very shy. Actors don't tend to be very shy, most of the times… unless you count Mylene. That girl is incredibly shy for someone who loves to go up on the stage." -he said.

"I should have told Marinette how I feel about her… instead, my shyness got the best of me, and now I'm here, complaining about it." -Adrien sighed.

"Then, go to her place and tell her you love her. Or you can just hang out here with me, the rest of the night, while I devour this wheel of Camembert." -Plagg said, as he looked at the cheese and imagined how delicious it was. –"But it would be a shame to not give her that beautiful pendant you bought for her." -he said, teasing him.

In his own way, Plagg was trying to make Adrien to act up. He knew he was shy, and knowing that, he knew that he would need an incentive, to persuade him to do what needed to be done. And by making that comment, regarding the pendant, he hoped to force him to get out of his bed and go after Marinette.

"In the best case scenario, we end up dating, I offer her the brooch as a symbol of my love for her, and everything will be alright. As for the worst case scenario, we remain good friends and the pendant will be a symbol of our friendship… though I really wish the first option is the one that happens." -Adrien thought to himself. –"Do you think she's still awake? I mean, it was a really tough day for all of us." -he asked his kwami, as he looked out the window. –"She's probably already asleep."

"Stop trying to come up with excuses to not go, and go!" -Plagg told him. -Grab the pendant and go see her. And before you say anything about it, no, I don't think Nathalie will come and check on you. When she brought you your dinner, she said that she had lots of work to do before bedtime, and asked you nicely to only call her if it was an emergency." -he reminded him, as he swallowed a large chunk of Camembert cheese, before burping loudly. –"Pardon me… now, say the usual words and go tell her you love her more than the Joker loves joy-buzzers, acid spitting flowers and bad jokes… or more than I love Camembert, whatever you think works better for you."

"Alright." -Adrien got up from his bed and went to his desk, where he had left his backpack. –"Where is it? Where is it? It's got to be around here, somewhere." -he said, as he looked for the box where the pendant was in, finding it. –"Found it! Okay, let's go, Plagg."

"Say the words, Adrien." -Plagg smirked at him.

"Plagg, transforme-moi!" -Adrien exclaimed.

And while both Marinette and Adrien raced to each other's respective homes, Rose and Juleka were arriving at the bar where Luka was going to play, for a Valentine's Day date. At first, the girls were not too sure about attending the concert, because of what happened that afternoon. They were both exhausted from their battle against the Akuma, and just wanted to go to bed. But at the same time, they wanted to spend a little time together. And on that day, they had plenty to celebrate. It was their first Valentine's Day together, they had saved Paris from another Akuma, and they had revealed their relationship to their friends, who were incredibly supportive of it. Plus, Juleka knew that if they did not go, Luka would nag her about it, during the next month. So, they made an effort and went to the concert.

They had decided to wear something that was both beautiful and comfortable for that date of theirs. Juleka decided to wear a black tank top from one of her favourite bands, along with a black leather jacket with metal studs on the lapels, a black mini-skirt, purple leggings with skulls stamped on them and a pair of army boots. Rose, on the other hand, decided to wear a pink long-sleeved shirt with a magenta skirt, a pink faux fur jacket with numerous badges, and a pair of pink pumps with bunny ears. They were dropped by Juleka's mom, who told them, she would pick them up, along with Luka when the concert was over in two hours.

"Now, girls, remember. If something happens, just call me and I'll come and pick you up. Don't talk to strangers, don't drink any alcohol and tell Luka that I'll be rooting for him, in spirit." -Anarka told her daughter.

"Alright, mom, don't worry. I'll tell him that. See you in two hours." -Juleka told Anarka, as she closed the car's door behind her.

"I'm glad we decided to come." -Rose said, as Juleka's mom drove off.

"Same with me." -Juleka smiled at her. –"I couldn't say this before, because of my mom, but you look really pretty tonight." -she said, making Rose blush lightly.

"T-Thanks. You also look super pretty tonight." -Rose told her, as they held hands. They both wanted to kiss each other, but decided not to. They did not feel comfortable to do that in public. –"Shall we go in?"

"Yes. I can't wait to see Luka playing." -Juleka said.

Already inside, the girls saw the place was packing. A lot people had come to see Luka playing that night. The bar was not the biggest one the girls had ever been, but it was not the smallest one either. Its décor reminded them of most bars they had seen to. They had left Flint and Tamara at home, so they could sleep all they wanted. They feared that the noise would not allow them to rest properly, and they did not regret doing it, because the concert had not yet begun, and there was already enough noise in the air to wake up the dead. Looking for an empty table, they found one near the stage. Taking a seat, a waitress showed up shortly after, and asked them what would they have, and they asked for a couple of sodas. While waiting for their drinks to come and for the concert to start, Juleka left Rose alone for a minute, and went to check on Luka on the backstage, to give him Anarka's message and to also warn him they had already arrived.

"So?" -Rose asked Juleka, as she sat down. Their drinks had arrived a few seconds before.

"He's just finishing tuning his guitar. And he promised me that the first song is for the two of us." -Juleka smiled. –"Hmm… I know that face. You're thinking about something good, aren't you?" -she told Rose.

"Yeah, I am. I was thinking about how glad I am we told our friends about us." -Rose declared.

"You and me." -Juleka looked at her. –"I never expected they would all take everything so well. I mean, I had hope they would, but you never know how these things might turn out." -she said. –"I keep hearing all of the nice things they said in my head."

"The same thing's happening with me. I also keep hearing them saying they will be here for us, no matter what, and how we don't have to hide our relationship from them." -Rose declared.

"Now, all we need to do is tell our parents." -Juleka said with a slightly more serious voice. –"And that's going to be our rial by fire." -she told Rose.

"I know… and I'm a little scared about it." -Rose admitted, as Juleka placed her left hand over Rose's right hand. –"But I know that as long as I have you by my side, and the rest of our friends, I know that everything will turn out okay. I don't know how I know that, but I know." -she smiled.

Juleka was never the kind of girl who considered herself an optimist or believed that by just being positive about something, that things would be better, but since she met Rose, little by little, she began to change her view on that matter. Looking her in the eyes, she saw the hope in her eyes. The very same hope that allowed her to believe that everything would turn out okay.

"Well, I'll take your word for it, my beautiful flamingo." -Juleka giggled, as she gently squeezed her hand, making her giggle as well. –"Look, here comes, Luka." -she told Rose, as she spotted her brother.

When he climbed onto the stage, Luka was greeted with a couple of applauses, most of them coming from Rose and Juleka. Smiling at the people in the audience, Luka tried his best not to look nervous. It was not the first time he got up on a stage, but every time he did, he felt like his stomach was full of butterflies. But like every good performer, he had come up with a trick to make that feeling disappear, and that was to imagine there was no one else on the room, except him.

"Good evening, everyone! I'm Luka Couffaine and I'll be your entertainer for the next couple of hours. Since it's Valentine's Day, I'm going to start with something for those who are in love." -Luka said, winking at his sister and her girlfriend, as he began to play the guitar.

Swinging through the streets as fast as her arms allowed her to do it, Ladybug made her way towards Agreste Manor, with her heart pounding like a crazy ticker inside her chest, and her body feeling like a mass of bruised muscles. Even transformed, the soreness that afflicted her had not disappeared. Still, she tried to ignore it, while focusing on the task at hand. She was determined to tell Adrien she loved him, even knowing that he might not reciprocate her feelings. That would not stop her, as she prayed that in the end, everything would turn out fine. On top of praying, she was also visualizing the moment when she would tell him she was in love with him, so as to give her the courage to not back out. Spotting Agreste Manor, she had to force herself to keep swinging in its direction, instead of just turning back.

"Come on, Marinette, you're not going to chicken out now." -Ladybug thought to herself.

Landing on top of the wall surrounding the manor, the scarlet heroine did her best not to be spotted by the security cameras. Not being her first time there, Ladybug knew just where those were and when she was to move to avoid them. There was almost no noise, so she had to be extra silent, not to raise unnecessary attention. The last thing she needed was for any of the house staff to spot her and ask her what she was going there. Jumping as high as she could, she landed on top of the manor, and then proceeded in the direction of Adrien's bedroom. Once she arrived at the large window that allowed one to have an almost full-view of the bedroom, she looked inside and to her surprise, Adrien was nowhere to be found.

"Where is he? Where is Adrien?" -Ladybug questioned herself, as she kept looking through the window and did not see any sign of Adrien. –"I don't see Plagg either…" -she whispered to herself.

Wondering where he was, Ladybug decided to wait a little, hypothesizing that he left the room for a bit, and would be coming back shortly. But after nearly 10 minutes, she began to think that he had left.

"Could he have gone out on patrol? No… if he would, he would call me. We usually go on patrol together." -Ladybug thought. –"Then, again, he could have gone out for a walk." -she said. –"If so, I'll go check our usual stops and see if he's there. If I don't find him, I'll come back here and wait for him."

And while Ladybug decided to check that, Chat Noir was making his way towards the Dupain-Cheng residence. To say he was nervous would be understatement. The truth was, the feline hero was terrified, a feeling which he thought was funny; he had faced countless Akumas and even Hawk Moth himself, and never once he was terrified of them. And now that he was about to reveal his feelings to the girl he loved, he felt like he was heading straight into the lion's den.

Still, he tried his best not to think about it, reminding himself of the words he thought earlier about the best and worst case scenario. Stopping on top of the building facing Marinette's home, he hoped she was still awake. After such a busy day, he would not be surprised if she was already sleeping. Using his staff, he extended it and created a bridge between the two buildings, crossing it. Though he could have jumped the length, he preferred to do that. Already on the other side, he collected the staff and made his way towards Marinette's window. Knowing she sometimes left it unlocked, he gently tried to push it, only to realize it was closed.

"Marinette? Marinette, are you awake?" -Chat Noir asked, as he knocked at the window.

He continued to knock on the window, hoping to call the girl's attention. A few seconds went by, and she did not answer. Looking inside, he tried to see if she was in the bedroom, but saw no sign of her, or Tikki.

"She doesn't seem to be home. Could she have gone on patrol?" -Chat Noir asked himself. –"Nah, she would have called me… still, she could have gone out for a walk." -he said. –"Well, if that's the case, I'll go and check our usual stops when on patrol, and see if she's in one of them. If I can't find her, I'll just come back here and wait for her."

What happened next was what some people would have called a game of cat and mouse, or in this a game of cat and ladybug. Both heroes checked their usual stops, when on patrol, hoping to find the other. The trouble was that they never checked the same spot at the same time. It did not take long for the two of them to believe the only way they would find one another, was to go back to each other's homes and wait for them to show up.

"Where could he be?" -Ladybug thought to herself, as she landed on top of a moving truck, heading towards the next spot.

"Where could she be?" -Chat noir asked himself, as he jumped over a building's ledge, only to land on the one in front of him.

Each one had only one last place to check on their list of usual stops. But as luck would have it, they had saved that stop for last. And that stop was the top of the Palais de Chaillot. The two of them had made that place a stop during their patrols, not only because it was place where a lot of action happened, but also because it gave them a perfect view of the Eiffel Tower at night. Sometimes, they would just sit there talking about what happened to them on that day, while staring at the tower. And on that night, the tower looked even brighter than usual, making it incredibly beautiful. Ladybug was the first one to arrive. Landing on the rooftop, she looked around, but saw no sign of her partner anywhere. Believing the best thing to do was to just go back to Agreste Manor and wait for him to show up, she was about to get out of there, when she heard a noise from behind her. Turning around, she saw none other than the person she was looking for, Chat Noir himself.

"Chat!" -Ladybug exclaimed, a little startled.

"Milady!" -Chat Noir exclaimed. He was hoping to catch her there. –"Okay, Adrien, don't screw this up. Don't screw this up. Just keep calm and relaxed. In the worst case scenario, you remain friends and you give her a present, which will be a token of your friendship. And in the best case scenario, you start dating." -he thought to himself, as he kept staring at Ladybug. –"S-So… nice night for a walk."

"Y-Yeah… nice night." -Ladybug giggled nervously. –"Don't screw this up, Marinette! Just tell him how you feel." -she thought to herself.

After those words, there was eerie silence between them. Neither one, nor the other knew what to say. They were both afraid to take the first step in a conversation they both feared would not end up the way they wanted it to. Still, they both knew that if they did not say a word, the other might think something was wrong.

"So… you couldn't sleep?" -Chat Noir asked her, trying to stir up the conversation.

"Y-Yes, I couldn't." -Ladybug hesitated. –"Come on! What are you waiting for? Just tell him." –she thought. –"It was a really crazy day."

"It sure was." -Chat Noir agreed with her. –"Stop stalling it and tell her how you feel! Come on, you can do it!" -he thought to himself. –"You know… I was…"

Looking at him, Ladybug could see he seemed nervous, but more importantly, that it seemed he was trying to tell her something, Usually, she would allow him to take his time talking, but on that night, she knew her nerves would not allow it. She desperately needed to get the words in her chest out.

"I… I have a confession to make." -Ladybug declared, as she did her best to think of the best way to approach the subject.

"A confession? What kind of confession?" -Chat Noir asked her. –"I bet she's going to tell me she only seems me as a friend… please, don't let it be it, don't let it be it." -he thought to himself.

After hearing him say that, Ladybug quickly regretted saying that, and cursed herself for choosing those words. Quickly reflecting on it, she wished she had chosen a different approach. Still, with no other option in sight, she decided to go with the flow and hope for the best, while trying not to sound incredibly stressed and nervous, which was how she was feeling right then.

"Look, Adrien…" -Ladybug said. –"Don't say something stupid, Marinette, don't say it." -she thought to herself. –"… look, this isn't something easy for me to tell you."

"She must have found out that I've got a crush on her, and she's really going to tell me that she only sees me as a friend…" -Chat Noir thought, believing that was what she was going to tell him. –"Wait, Marinette!" -he said. –"I'm sure that what you have to say is really important, but I also have to tell you something."

"Is he going to tell me that he only sees me as a friend, and that he loves the girl I saw him with the other day? It must be that…" -Ladybug thought, as she tried not to start crying. –"And I'm sure that whatever you have to say to me must be really important, but not as important as what I have to tell you… sorry if that sounded a little rude, but it wasn't intentional on my part." -she apologized herself, as she did her best not to start crying. She was fearing the worst, and that was beginning to affect her. –"Crud! You shouldn't have said that! Now he's going to think that you're just being rude to him!"

"It's okay. I guess you can go first." -Chat Noir told her. He was beginning to notice she was a little nervous, for some reason.

There was no turning back. Ladybug had his full attention and she knew that if she did not tell him what she wanted to tell him; she was going to throw up. Her stomach was beginning to feel upset, due to the nerves, and she felt like was about to throw up. Taking a deep breath, she did her best to calm herself down a bit, before continuing to talk.

"Adrien… I know that this might come as a shock to you but… but I'm in love with you." -Ladybug said, whispering the last bit of the sentence.

"What?"-Chat Noir asked her, not having heard the end of the sentence.

"I said, I'm in love with you!" –Ladybug yelled into the air.

Upon hearing those words, Chat Noir felt like he was on top of the world. He felt like a weight had been removed from his chest, as a surge of happiness spread all over his body. All the fears he had regarding the girl of his dreams not loving him back, and seeing him as only a friend disappeared. He just wanted to smile, jump as high as he could, and even start breakdancing, but the shock he was in, did not allow him to do any of those things. All it allowed him was to remain still, staring at Ladybug.

"Y-You are?" -Chat Noir asked her, still a little shocked.

"Yes… and I should have told you a long time ago. I've had a crush on you, since the day you came to our class." -Ladybug told him. –"For more than two years, I've been wanting to tell you that I love you! I know this sounds childish, especially since we both know that there's no love at first sight, but attraction at the first sight. And I'll admit, it was attraction at the same time. I had been following your career as a young model, even before you came to the school, and when I found out that you were going to be my classmate, I nearly fainted." -she continued to talk a mile a minute. –"At first, it might have wished to be your girlfriend, because I thought you were the most handsome boy I've ever seen in my life. But as I got to know you better, that attraction turned into love, a kind of love that I've nurtured, afraid to tell you the truth… and that has probably cost me my chance to be loved back by you."

"What are you talking about?" -Chat Noir asked her, as his brain tried to process everything he had heard in the past minute. –"W-What do you mean cost you your chance?"

"I'm talking about the girl I saw you with, at the jewellery the other day. I was not spying on you or anything… I just… I was just passing by and I saw you with her." -Ladybug told him, as she replayed the whole scene in her mind.

"Then, you already know about it, don't you?" -Chat Noir asked, thinking she knew about the reason why he and Kagami went to Cartier's.

"Y-Yes… and I will respect your decision, whatever it might be, Adrien." -Ladybug told him, as the very first tear dropped from her eyes. When he said that, she believed that he did love Kagami, and not her.

"My decision?" -Chat Noir asked, puzzled by that last comment.

"Yes. Your decision. I do love you, with my all heart and soul, and I would be lying if I said that I did not wish for you to love me back, the same way I love you. But if you love that other girl instead, then I won't stand in your way. I want you to be happy, even if it's not with me. And I want you to know that our friendship is very important to me, and that I want us to still be friends. I don't want lose your friendship, Adrien." -Ladybug said, as tears kept rolling down her face.

"Marinette…" -Chat Noir said, as he grabbed her by the hand. –"I don't want to lose your friendship either. You've been a really good friend to me. The best I could have ever asked for. It's true that the rest of our class have also been great friends, but you… you're special. You never gave up on anyone… well, you may have given up on a Chloe, because she bullied you and all, but only for a bit, because you have a heart as big as the world, and you gave her another chance. In fact, you always give people more than just one chance to show their true selves. You're a wonderful person, Marinette, and I'm lucky to have you in my life as my friend." -he went on, as he tried to find the words to express what was in his heart. –"But I don't want to be just your friend. I don't want to be just a food friend to you. I want to be more, so much more. I want to be by your side… and I know that everyone is always saying that in real life, there aren't such things as "Happily ever after" endings like in fairy tales, but I'm willing to prove people are wrong about it, if you can give me a chance to do so. To prove that "Happily ever after" endings do exist, but that they need to be achieved through hard work, on both sides of a relationship."

Hearing him say that, Ladybug understood what he was trying to tell her. She understood that he was in love with her, the same she was in love with him. She wanted to say something, but her brain froze, as Chat's words echoed inside her mind. She did not know what to say.

"Then…" -Ladybug said, being the only word, she was able to pronounce.

"Yes, I'm also in love with you, Marinette. I admit that I fell in love with you on my first day of school at Collége Françoise-Dupont. When I first laid my eyes upon you, I couldn't help but to think you were the prettiest girl I'd ever seen. And as I got to know you better, I fell in love with your beauty and your heart, because I've never met anyone as selfless, as generous and as noble as you, and in today's world, that's something so rare." -Chat Noir told her, as a tear rolled down his eye. –"I admit that I tried to ask you out more times than I can remember, and more importantly, I wanted to tell you just how I really felt about you, but my shyness prevented me from doing it." -he revealed to her. –"But now, I'm proud to say that I told that same shyness to take a hike, and I'm no longer afraid to tell you that I'm in love with you. Whenever I look at you, as both Marinette and Ladybug, I can't help but to wonder how wonderful you are, and how you make my heart go faster. And if you want to, I'll prove just how much I love you, by yelling it to the entire city of Paris. I'll yell that I'm in love with you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

Ladybug did not even know how many times she dreamed of hearing Adrien saying those words. And now, she could hardly believe those exact words had come out of his mouth. Placing herself on the tips of her toes, Ladybug leaned forward and kissed Chat Noir, with him placing his arms around her shoulder and gently pulling her body closer to his. The moment their lips met, both teenagers felt every pain and the feeling of exhaustion in their bodies disappear as if by magic. The world could end right then, that for them, nothing else mattered. The only thing that mattered was them and the feeling of absolute bliss they were sharing with one another. One kiss led to another, each more passionate than the one before. Without them realizing it, they were both shedding tears, tears of joy and happiness. It was only when they finally broke the kiss and the embrace, that they noticed those same tears on each other's faces.

"That was… magical." -Chat Noir smiled at Ladybug. –"I can't believe it took me this long to tell you about my real feelings for you." -he admitted.

"Me neither… but I'm glad I only did it now." -Ladybug smiled back at him, as he kept looking her in the eyes. –"And if you allow me to say it, you kiss even better than in my dreams." -she told him, as another tear ran down her face.

"Same thing goes for you, milady. I've imagined our first kiss countless times, and right now, everything I imagined it would be, pales in comparison to the real thing." -Chat Noir told her, as he caressed her face. -"I don't think I'll ever be able to look away from your eyes, ever again, milady. You have the prettiest eyes I've ever seen." -he said, as continued to stare into her eyes. –"God, I wanted to say that so many times to her."

"Well, you better find a way, because if you can't do it, things might get strange for the two of us." -Ladybug giggled nervously, as she shed a few more tears of happiness. –"You have no idea of how many times I wanted to tell you that I loved you, and I couldn't, because it always got stuck in my throat, because of my unbearable shyness." –she told him.

"Same with me… Nino kept telling that if I didn't tell you about my feelings for you, I would end up losing you, sooner or later." -Chat Noir admitted.

"Alya told me the same. And, so did Chloe the other day. They told me that I couldn't let my shyness get the best out of me, because if it did… Wait a moment! You had Nino telling you that, so that means he knew about your crush on me?!" -Ladybug asked him.

"And you had Alya telling you the same, meaning she knew about your crush on me… I bet those two knew we liked each other, but never told us the truth!" -Chat Noir exclaimed, realizing what was happening there.

"Those two are so dead, when we catch them." -Ladybug said, before they both started to laugh like crazies. –"I guess that's what happens when each of our besties date each other." -she said, still chuckling a little.

"I'll be honest. I've always felt that Nino knew a little bit more than he told me…. Some friend he turned out to be." -Chat Noir said in a sarcastic tone, before laughing about it.

"Speaking of friends, who was the girl that I saw you at the jewellery the other day?" -Ladybug asked him, curious. –"Is the a friend of yours, I don't know about?" -she asked.

"The girl? Oh, that was Kagami. She's an old friend of mine, from my old school. We practice fencing together, every week." -Chat Noir told her. –"I asked her to help me choose something pretty to give you for Valentine's Day, when I told you that I loved you. I first thought about asking Alya about it, but I was afraid that she might tell you and… oh, crud! I forgot all about it. Hold on a second." -he said, as he clumsily opened one of the pockets in his outfit. –"Like I said, I was planning to give this to you, upon telling you how much I love you."

Holding the box on his hand, he showed it to Ladybug, who immediately saw the Cartier logo on the cover of the small box. Whatever it was in it, she knew it had been expensive. Just thinking about it, she felt bad about not having bought anything for Adrien.

"Go ahead, open it." -Chat Noir told her.

Smiling, Ladybug grabbed the box and opened it. Looking at what was inside, she blue-haired heroine could not help but to gasp at the sight of the object she had been offered. Even though it was dark, she could see the beautiful white gold ladybug pendant with a matching chain inside the box, and she immediately fell in love with it. It was a beautiful present. Just looking at it, made her shed a tear.

"Oh, my God." -Ladybug said, as her eyes kept staring at the content of the small box. –"It's beautiful… Adrien, you shouldn't have." -she told him, as she wiped a small tear that was rolling down her face.

"Don't be silly, of course I had to. You deserve it, and much more." -Chat Noir declared. –"A ladybug for the cutest Ladybug in Paris." -he smiled.

"I'm the only Ladybug in Paris, remember?" -Ladybug joked, while raising an eyebrow at him. –"But I love it. I just wish I could have gotten you something as well" -she told him.

"You already did." -Chat Noir said, smiling at her. –"That chocolate cake you did… that was the best chocolate cake I've ever had. And I'm being absolutely honest about it. You can ask Plagg later, and he'll back me up on that." -he said. –"Not only you're beautiful, courageous, fearless, you're also a great baker, milady."

"It runs in the family." -Ladybug giggled. –"I can't wait to tell mom and dad about this. They're absolutely going to flip their lids." -she thought to herself, as she imagined her parents' reaction to the news. Right then, she was feeling like she was on cloud nine, and she had no intention of coming out of it. Thinking about it, she believed that was how people must feel, when a dream comes true.

"So, does this mean we're dating now?" -Chat Noir coyly asked her.

"I guess so." -Ladybug smiled at him. –"But, if you don't mind. I would like to ask you to be my boyfriend, as Marinette, not Ladybug. I don't know if you noticed it, but sometimes I feel like we're two different people, Ladybug and I. I'm beginning to accept that we're one and the same, but from time to time, I see myself thinking about it again." -she confessed to him. –"And it's not just because of that that I want to ask you, as Marinette, to be my boyfriend. It's because I fell in love with you, way before I became Ladybug."

"I totally get it. It happens with me too. Maybe not as often as it does with you, but it does. From time to time, I feel like Chat Noir and Adrien are too completely different people. In fact, I think that happens with the rest of our friends as well. But some of them are better at hiding it than others." -Chat Noir said.

Listening to him saying that, Ladybug could not help but to feel he was her soulmate. She had talked about the subject of feeling like she was two completely different people before with Alya, and some of her other friends, but this was the first time she talked about it to her partner, the boy she loved, and it felt nice to know that just like her, he also felt that way. It made her feel like he understood what she was talking about.

"So, I'm going to turn back to normal, and then I'm going to go to ask you just that… if you're okay with it?" -Ladybug asked Chat Noir.

"Why wouldn't I be okay with it? If it's something you want to do, I'm not going to stop you." -Chat Noir smiled at her, making her smile grow even wider. –"But wait a moment… let me turn back to normal, as well. We don't want people to think that Marinette is dating Chat Noir, now do we? I mean, I don't see anyone up here, other than us, but you know just how the paparazzi are. They manage to do the impossible, just to get a good photo of yours truly." -he told her, making her giggle.

In a matter of seconds, the two of them turned back into their civilian selves, as their kwamis landed on their shoulders. Both Tikki and Plagg looked exhausted. Looking at them, both Marinette and Adrien promised themselves that as soon as they got home, they were going to let them rest as much as they wanted, which included the following day.

Looking at Adrien, Marinette felt like she was in a dream, and for a split second she begged God it was not another dream she had, when Adrien and her ended up together. And she was not the only one who was begging God for that. Adrien had also dreamed about that a couple of times, and right then, he also begged for all of that to not be a crazy dream of his.

"You know, usually it's the boy who asks the girl." –Adrien pointed out. –"I even asked Nathalie to help me with a speech." -he told her.

"Really? Do you want to do it, then? Do you want to be the one to ask me?" -Marinette asked Adrien. Even though she was now calmer and more relaxed than before, she was still a little nervous. She had never asked anyone to be her boyfriend before.

"No. To tell you the truth, the speech is kind of lame." -Adrien admitted.

"It is really lame. It has too many roses and other flowers in it… and not even a single mention to Camembert. Who in their right mind can come up with a romantic speech, without talking about the beauty of Camembert, or any other cheese, for that matter?" -Plagg asked in a sarcastic tone.

"Plagg!" -Tikki yelled at the black cat kwami. –"You're killing the mood and ruining the romance." -she told him.

"It's okay, Tikki. It's just a joke." -Marinette giggled. –"Well, here goes nothing… don't laugh if I mix up the words, okay?" -she told Adrien, who nodded silently. –"Adrien Agreste… now that you know that I love you very much, I want you to know that I'm not perfect, In fact, I'm extremely clumsy. I procrastinate a lot when I'm alone and things don't go my way, I sometimes forget things that I shouldn't. But I want you to know that I think I'm someone who listens to whatever others tell me. Someone who's more than happy to admit that she's wrong, when wrong… and I think I just lost myself..."

"It's okay. You can start from the beginning if you want to. I don't mind." -Adrien told her.

"Thanks, Adrien, but, for once, I think I'm going with one of Alya's advices on this: "Keep it simple", and that's what I'm going to do." -Marinette declared. –"Adrien Agreste, would you like to be my boyfriend?" -she asked him.

"Well, it depends. Who's asking. Marinette or Ladybug?" -Adrien asked her, with a mischievous smile on his face.

"It depends on who's answering. Adrien or Chat Noir?" -Marinette asked him, as a mischievous smile also showed up on her face.

"Touché." -Adrien chuckled. –"Allow me to give you my answer, by placing this around your neck." -he said, as he took the pendant from its box and placed it around Marinette's neck, only to not be able to close its clasp –"Come on… Come on… okay this is humiliating. I can't close the clasp."

"Hold on, let me do that for you!" -Plagg said, upon seeing Adrien having difficulties with it. As tired as he was, the black cat kwami still had enough juice in him to help Adren out.

"Let us do that for you, Adrien." -Tikki said, as she went to help Plagg.

Flying up to Marinette's back, the kwamis took the two ends of the chain from Adrien and gently closed the clasp. Once done, they flew over the girl's shoulders and saw how she looked with it. And she looked beautiful. The pendant was simple, yet beautiful. Still, it paled in comparison to Marinette, who's beauty was stunning. Looking at it, Adrien felt that he, with a little help from Kagami, had chosen the perfect Valentine's Day gift for Marinette.

"You look beautiful with it." -Adrien sighed, as he kept staring at Marinette. –"And you know what's the best part?" -he asked her. –"No matter how beautiful the pendant is, id doesn't hold a candle next to you."

Just from hearing him say that, Marinette blushed lightly. She just could not help it. It did not matter if Adrien was now her boyfriend or not. Whenever anyone praised her, she would blush, and she believed that would never change.

"Thank you for this beautiful gift, Adrien. But more importantly, thank you. Thank you for revealing your true feelings for me." -Marinette smiled tearfully at him, as she placed her arms around his neck. –"By doing that, you made me the happiest girl in the world." -she told him.

"And you, you made me the happiest guy in the world, Marinette." -Adrien told her.

"Oh, come on, get a room the two of you!" -Plagg said, as he made silly faces, pretending to be disgusted with them. –"Ouch! What was that for?" -hr asked Tikki, after she hit him on the head.

"For being yourself, as always, of course." –Tikki told him, with a sarcastic tone.

The little stunt between their kwamis, made Marinette and Adrien laugh. The day had not been the way either one of them had thought it would be. But in the end, it turned out to be better than they expected it to be. It was not the perfect Valentine's Day that both of them had imagined it would be. But it was one they would never forget, for as long as they live… the Valentine's Day, when two became one.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Marinette Dupain-Cheng… my sweet bugaboo." -Adrien Agreste smiled at his girlfriend.

"Happy Valentine's Day to you too, Adrien Agreste… my handsome kitty." -Marinette said, as she pulled him for one more kiss.

And it finally happened! After all this time (which was only 6 months, since the beginning of the team's adventures in this AU), Marinette and Adrien are finally a couple! I just loved to write this chapter, and that was part of the reason why it took me an extra day to finish it. I couldn't come up with a satisfying ending for it. Luckily, my inspiration never left me, and after a couple of tries, I did manage to find the right words. Some people didn't believe these two would end up together in this AU, well, guess those people were wrong. I always planned to have them becoming boyfriend and girlfriend on Valentine's Day.

We're almost at the end fo the story. Only the epilogue remains to be written, and I hope you all come back to read it, because the epilogue will have my version of a certain iconic scene in the series, which I think is one of the most beautiful ones ever.

As always, feel free to comment, fav and leave suggestions to improve this and other following sequels. :)

P.S. You might want to check out Liehl-FerZ page on DeviantArt, because she posted the new upgraded version of Louve Grise, and she's already working on the next hero, Nathaniel as Panda Rouge. Be sure to check it out, and let her know what you think of the new upgraded designs of our favourite Miraculous heroes.