Marinettes' heart thumped against her ribcage, her eyes glancing back and forth between Tikki and Adrien. She had no words as the panic crept from her stomach up to her spine and settled itself in the back of her neck, nagging at her shoulder blades. What could she say? That she was holding Tikki for the real ladybug? Surely Adrien was much smarter than that.

"Are you ladybug?" he spoke slowly, his words driving the sense of dread deeper into her. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. It wasn't supposed to happen at all.

She was supposed to be the guardian, the protector of the miraculous. She was supposed to be so much more careful than this. If she couldn't stop her classmate from finding the Kwami in her bag, how was she supposed to protect the other seventeen?

She nodded after a moment for a lack of anything to say.

They sat in silence for a moment. Both of their minds raced. Hers panicking, his confused and happy. Marinette was Ladybug. Marinette was the girl he had loved for so long. She was also the one that had let him go, but for what? So he could have a relationship with her civilian form.

"This is Tikki." She said quietly, scooping the tiny spotted bug into her palm. Tikki looked up sheepishly at the girl and turning to stare back at the blond boy.

"Nice to meet you Tikki."

"Nice to meet you as well Adrien." The Kwami grinned. She seemed so formal. She was centuries-old after all. She and plagg were ancient.

"This wasn't supposed to happen. And if I'm being honest I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I've been the guardian for a few years but this has never come up. Cat Noir would never do this. He can be an idiot sometimes but he would never put the miraculous in jeopardy like this." Marinette settled Tikki back into her purse as she rambled. It was true. She had absolutely no clue what she was supposed to do. And there was no one to help her.

"What am I going to do?" she groaned, putting her face in her hands.

"Hey relax." He chose to ignore the comment about him being an idiot and comfort her instead. "I'm not going to tell anyone alright. I understand how important confidentiality is." His mind nagged at him to tell her, but another part of him wondered if she would be disappointed in him. She had been with Cat Noir, not Adrien. His face reddened as he thought about the things he had done to the sweet girl, who he now knew was the hero of Paris, only a few nights before then.

The clouds in the sky gave way, sending rain down onto the citizens roaming the streets, neither of the pair speaking. How fitting that the weather would be like this right now.

"Are you okay?" he decided to go first. The awkwardness was absolutely killing him.

She nodded. She was lying. How was she supposed to be okay? How was she supposed to be level-headed at a time like this? Her anxiety simmered at the edge, ready to be tipped over by anything less than pleasant. This wasn't Tikkis fault. It wasn't anyone's fault. This felt like a bad dream that she was oh-so ready to wake up from.

She let out a frustrated huff and stood, pacing the room. She felt angry. She felt anxious. She felt like a child who had done something wrong and was only waiting for her parents to find out. There was no one to punish her, to guide her. She had Tikki, she had access to many miraculous, but she didn't have a person. She had no mentor. She was the one that now had to mentor the miraculous holders, even though she didn't quite understand it herself. She plopped back down on the couch. She didn't even know what to do with herself.

"I wish I knew what to do to help." a hand reached over, placing itself on her knee. She would have been excited If she wasn't so nervous. "Thank you, I appreciate it." She did her best to smile at him.

It was now or never, he decided. He needed to tell her. It was perfect. Comforting her as her friend and lover as well as the partner she had trusted for so long. She would jump into his arms and hug him, saying that she was ecstatic that it was him. He could only hope. He was brought back to reality as Marinette stood and began to collect her things.

"I should really get going before it starts pouring out there." She gestured out the window, the rain plinking against the glass. "Alright, let me get my keys." He stood as well and walked over to his end table.

"You're driving me home?"

"Of course I am. Can't have ladybug walking home in the rain all by herself. The hero of Paris deserves better" he chuckled, Marinette giving him a weak laugh in return.

Too soon Agreste

The car ride was near dead silent, only Adrien asking if she was warm enough and the occasional direction. He took the long way, trying to work up the courage to tell her.

"Does Cat Noir know who you are?" his voice startled Marinette. She shook her head at him and turned to look out the window.

"No, he doesn't. It's not that I don't trust him. I certainly do. There are just so many factors. My guardianship, and the fact that it might get too messy. What if he doesn't like me?" the last part was barely louder than a whisper. It rattled him the way that the confident Ladybug was so different from the person sitting beside him. Maybe not so different, but the mask definitely gave her the edge of sass he had grown to love so much.

"I'm sure he would love you just the way you are. He loves Ladybug, right? Then he'll love you too." He already knew he loved her.

"He loves Ladybug. I doubt he would love the girl behind the mask." She zipped her purse as they pulled up in front of the Dupain-Cheng bakery.

"Marinette." He reached out to grab her wrist as she opened the car door.

She glanced back, her eyes wide at the contact.

He leaned over, pressing his lips timidly against hers. Her mouth was full of uncertainty, her lips turned down at the corners. She kissed back hesitantly. She felt like she knew these lips. like she had kissed and felt them before. He pulled away, his palm cupping her cheek and running his thumb along her soft skin.

"I love you Milady."

"Cat Noir?" she questioned, pulling away from him. He nodded, waiting for her reaction.

"Come inside." Her eyes softened, the confusion and panic still lapping at the edge of the blue irises.

"We have a lot to talk about."