"Today there was another akuma attack." Marinette's dad said. "I suggest coming inside the house."
"Good evening, sir." Adrien greeted. "I'd better go…"
"No way, young man." Tom put his hand on Adrien's shoulder and led him inside. "You'll stay at least at dinner. And then we'll call for a transport for you. It's too dangerous to stay outside tonight."
Marinette smiled slightly. Oh, if only her parents knew… She sighed and followed Adrien.
"Good evening, Adrien!" Sabine welcomed the boy with a smile.
"Good evening, Mrs. Cheng." Adrien answered her kindly.
"Marinette, maybe you'll take your guest upstairs?" mom suggested. "I'll bring you something to eat in a minute."
Marinette had no choice. Her parents set her up a bit in inviting Adrien for a dinner. She sighed and went upstairs. After a moment they were both in her room. All alone with each other.
There was an awkward silence between them.
"Uhm… It's changed a little since we practiced before the Ultimate Mega Strike III tournament." Adrien finally started, looking around.
"Oh, lately I've caught inspiration for designing. You know… All this Paris Fashion Week…" she explained quickly, a bit embarrassed with the mess in her bedroom.
"So, that's why…" he began, but hesitated, confused. It almost blurted 'that's why you were so overwhelmed when we talked last time', because when they talked he was Cat Noir. Double life may be more than complicated.
"That mess? Yeah…" She blushed. "I hope you don't mind."
"No, of course not!" he denied immediately. "I wish I had less sterile home. I prefer your way of designing than my father's."
"He's not so messy?"
"I think he would have a stroke if his studio looked like this." He joked, and she laughed.
Suddenly he noticed a dried rose hanging in the corner next to the mirror.
His heart stopped beating for a moment. What were the chances that it was the same rose he had given Ladybug? Was that just wishful thinking? He was completely confused – Ladybug didn't know about the Paris Fashion Week, and Marinette apparently was very interested in that event.
"Do you have an admirer?" he asked and blushed immediately. He wanted to kick himself for talking such stupid things. What a direct question!
"Not exactly…" she answered with a smile, unaware of his thoughts.
She looked at the dried flower, as if there was a romantic story behind it. Adrien felt a hint of jealousy for the first time in his life. Unless it was the rose. Then that smile would mean that she was thinking about Cat Noir, about him… Which wouldn't be so bad… Actually, it would be wonderful!
He couldn't stop the chase of thoughts that like pieces of the puzzle started to assemble into… into… into something he hoped for. But that was the only logical explanation of the whole sequence of coincidences. Marinette and Ladybug had the same problems, because too much was happening in their lives, Ladybug's kwami was convinced Cat Noir had discovered his partner's identity because he escorted her to Marinette's balcony, and… when Ladybug had kissed him, and he whispered Marinette's name… she replied. And now… Now a dried rose was hanging here – the rose so like the one he had given Ladybug…
"Adrien?" Marinette asked quietly. "Are you OK?"
"Yes…" he answered hesitantly. Was he OK?
"Are you sure?" she stepped closer.
"Who gave you that rose?" he asked directly, turning to her. He waited agog for her answer.
"I got it from a friend." She replied slowly, trying to guess what his questions might mean. "From a super-friend I can say…" she smiled.
"A super-friend?" he repeated, and his heart was beating so hard that he could hear it in his ears.
"You probably won't believe me, but I have it from Cat Noir." She smiled even wider.
Yeah. He'd probably got a heart attack, because now his heart stopped – again. Another piece of the puzzle fitted perfectly. He had to take a chance to get the final proof. He needed to know!
"Ladybug?" he asked in a whisper.
"What?" she stammered and blushed. "Why did you call me Ladybug?"
"You must be her, since you got this rose from Cat Noir." He replied calmly even though so many emotions were playing inside him.
"I don't understand…" she took a step back.
"Unless you're not telling me the truth. But you never lie, right?"
"Why you are so sure I didn't get this rose from Cat Noir?" Marinette crossed her arms and glared at him.
"I didn't say you hadn't got it from Cat Noir." He smiled. Marinette had never looked at him like that. Ladybug – oh, yes. Many times. Usually when he irritated her as Cat Noir.
"No?" she asked surprised. "You said…"
"I said that you must be Ladybug if you say that Cat Noir gave you that rose. That's all."
"I don't see the point."
"But I'm sure that I gave such a rose only to Ladybug and to no one else." He replied slowly, observing Marinette's reaction. There was no sense in hiding his identity, since he had just discovered that she was Ladybug.
"What?" she asked in a feeble voice.
An embarrassed smile was his answer. He ruffled his hair, because suddenly he didn't know what to do with his hands. It was done. He had told her he was Cat Noir. And what now?