Chapter 15: Happy Montage

Morning came and Adrien proceeded to his father's study, returning to his room an hour later.

"So kid, what's the verdict?"

"Another month of grounding," Adrien sighed, remembering the earful he received with a grimace. "It probably would've been worst, but my grades came in and I received 100% on every subject."

"Talk about perfect timing." Plagg flew across the room, but froze in midair when struck with a sudden realization. "If Adrien's grounded…that means you're going to spend more time as Chat Noir…which means more work for me. Argh! And here I was hoping for a quiet summer spent eating my delectable cheese," Plagg sighed dramatically.

Despite everything, Adrien couldn't help but chuckle a little at how disappointed the kwami looked. Nothing could break Adrien's high spirits at the moment, even the fact that he would be spending a month of summer break locked inside his house.

I'll still be able to see Ladybug on a consistent basis. Smiling to himself, Adrien's mood suddenly dropped when it dawned on him he wouldn't be able to see Nino, Alya, or Marinette for an entire month. He flopped onto his couch with a heavy sigh.

"What's eating you?" Plagg asked, grabbing a bite of cheese from the fridge. "It's not like being grounded is going to interfere with your Ladybug time."

"I know, but I just realized I won't be able to see my friends for a while," Adrien mumbled in discontent, stifling another sigh as a bout of restlessness threatened to overtake him.

"Camm hhhhmp uuu bere." Plagg mumbled.

"You know I can't understand you when your mouth is full." Adrien replied.

Swallowing his cheese, Plagg repeated himself. "I said I can't help you there."

"I know," Adrien sighed. "I guess I'll go read a book before my piano practice begins."

"Hvvvv fmmmm mith bat."

Over the next month, Ladybug and Chat Noir spend a lot of quality time together. When they weren't fighting akuma, they were playing tag across the rooftops, sneaking into Jagged Stone concerts (still buying the appropriate tickets), visiting the Jardin des Plantes, having a candlelit dinner beneath the stars, etc.

Chat Noir was pleasantly surprised to learn that Ladybug was an avid gardener. The way she brightened up as she listed the various plants she'd grown and the properties that made each special, brought a smile to his face. They both talked about their personal kwamis to each other; Chat Noir marvelous at how supportive and helpful Tikki could be, Ladybug laughing at how lazy and demanding Plagg could be. The time they spent together was precious; however, as time went on, they couldn't help but notice a wall growing between them. Although they were spending a lot of time together and getting to know each other better, there was a limit to what they could share.

Ladybug kept both her friends, school life, fashion hobby, and family business to herself. Likewise Chat avoided talking about his parents' professions, the fact that he even worked at all, all of the various activities he needed to participate in, and his strained relationship with his father. They both wanted to be completely honest with each other, but they knew doing otherwise would jeopardize their secret identities.

One night, while the two were laying down side by side on the Eiffel Tower stargazing, Chat Noir broached the subject.

"Ladybug," he cautiously began.

"Yes Chat?" Her tone was light and clear, a good sign.

"Do you think…do you think that maybe, just maybe we could reveal who we are to each other?" He was lying down on his back, but he swore the words settled heavily between them.

Ladybug was quiet for some time before sitting up with a sigh and crossing her arms over her legs. Chat Noir slowly followed suit.

"You know we can't," Ladybug solemnly stated. "Our kwamis made it very clear to us that no one must know who we are, not even each other."

"I know," Chat Noir sighed. "But aren't you getting tired of this? Don't you want me to know who you are? Don't you want to know who I am?"

Ladybug placed a hand on Chat Noir's face, slowly tracing over his mask. How many times had she imagined what he looked like without it on? How many times did she wish she could talk about her love of fashion, her friends, and her family? How many times had she dreamed of actually walking into an establishment like two normal people on a date?

She stared at him, lost in thought as he leaned gently into her hand, pressing his cheek into the grooves of her gloves.

"Tonight, let's talk it over with our kwamis. Despite what we may want, we cannot simply just ignore the rules," she finally said. Ladybug stood up. "We are superheroes and we have a responsibilities to ourselves and others to keep our identities as safe as possible."

Ladybug planted a gentle kiss goodbye on Chat Noir's cheek before swinging off towards her house. Several swings later she landed on her roof. Crawling through the trap door, Ladybug softly lands on her bed.

"Tikki, transforme moi." Sitting cross-legged on her bed, Ladybug released the transformation.

Tikki immediately flew towards Marinette's face, a stern look in her eyes.

"Marinette, exposing your true identity is extremely dangerous," the kwami said solemnly, without even a greeting.

"I know that Tikki, but this is Chat Noir we're talking about. He's a fellow superhero and has been my partner for almost a year now. Why can't we just reveal ourselves to one another?"

"Marinette," Tikki explained. "Secrets are strongest when kept secret. The more people who know a secret, the greater the chance that it will be exposed."

"Surely there must have been Ladybugs and Chat Noirs in the past that knew each other's identities." Marinette reasoned, facing the kwami head on.

"There have been many and even more amongst all the miraculous wielders. Sometimes the identity reveals were harmless enough or actually helped the heroes fight together; however, there were several times when the reveal led to slip ups and other problems, hurting the heroes more than helping them. In order to protect our wielders from harm, the rule about secret identities remaining secret was put into practice."

Tikki placed a comforting hand over Marinette's. "I'm not saying flat out that you can't tell him, I'm just saying you need to fully consider the possible ramification before you do."

Marinette flopped down on her bed, weighing the consequences of telling Chat Noir her secret identity over her own personal desires. Tikki decided to take this opportunity to explain in detail just why keeping the secret was so important.

"So you want to reveal your secret identity to Ladybug? Sure." Plagg nonchalantly replied before taking a bite out of his cheese.

"Sure?"

"Sure."

"...you mean that?"

"Yes."

"…really?"

"Yep."

"…are you serious?"

"Argh!" Plagg snapped. "How many times do I have to tell you? If you two want to reveal your secret identities to each other then go for it!"

"I'm sorry it's just…you made such a big deal out of keeping my identity a secret from everyone. It feels a little strange that you would so casually say I can reveal it." Adrien rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of how to process everything.

"Well it's not like revealing one's identity comes without any risks," the black kwami flippantly replied, taking another huge bite of cheese.

"What do you mean?"

"Thwwww wmmmm casssmmm wmmmrrr," Plagg mumbled.

"Plagg!" Adrien scolded. "How many times do I have to tell you not to talk with your mouth full?"

Plagg swallowed before continuing. "I said there was a case were an identity reveal went horribly wrong."

"What!" Adrien cried in surprise.

"Yeah, about 800 or so years ago a Ladybug and Chat Noir got together. Miraculous wielders don't always end up together, but occasionally they will; and in this case they did. Wanting to be together forever, they decided to tell each other their secret identities. Everything was fine at first until Chat Noir slipped up one day by shouted Ladybug's real name out loud in front of a large crowd."

Plagg continued. "Soon after her identity was revealed, Chat Noir's was as well. Everyone knew about the relationship between the heroes, so it was easy to conclude that Ladybug's, or Susan's in this case, husband was Chat Noir's secret identity. Afterwards their life fell apart; enemies constantly attacked their families and friends, their family business went under, it was a complete mess. The worst occurred when one of their children was kidnapped and killed. Ladybug went into a rage, killing the culprit and losing her life in the process."

"Plagg, that's terrible!" Adrien cried. "How could you tell me to reveal my identity when something that like occurred in the past?"

"Because that's just the worst case scenario." Plagg put down his cheese, flew over to Adrien, and looked him right in the eye. "Look kid, being a hero isn't all fun and games it comes with some serious risks. The story I just told you is one of countless Miraculous Wielders, each with a different circumstance and outcome. I've seen identity reveals between other wielders, family, and friends that turned out smoothly and I've seen some that didn't. I've known wielders who fell in love with each other, but ended up broken hearted because they couldn't truly be with each other while keeping their identities a secret."

"As a general rule to keep our charges safe, we advise against revealing ones identity to anyone, but seeing how close you and Ladybug have become, I don't want to see you two end up broken hearted because you were playing it safe."

Adrien was caught off guard by how heavy the tone in Plagg's voice was. The little kwami was always so carefree and upbeat it surprised him to hear Plagg speak in such a serious and thoughtful manner. While he did worry about Adrien's safety, he also worried about Adrien's own personal happiness as well.

"Knowing Tikki though," Plagg began. "She'll definitely advise against it. She took the tragedy of that Ladybug pretty hard and never truly got over her loss."

Adrien blinked and looked out the window, thinking deeply about the kwami's words.

"So kid, what do you want to do?" Plagg asked.

Adrien was silent as he continued contemplating. I've wanted to know who Ladybug was for so long and now I finally have to chance to finally find out. Our relationship can't continue like this, but do I really want to risk her safety? "I-I don't know yet. You gave me a lot to think about."

"Well let me know when you decide," Plagg replied as he flew over to the fridge, grabbing another slice of cheese.

"Dude, how have you been?"

"Hey Nino." The two greeted each other with a fist bump.

"How's it feel to be a free man again?"

"Honestly, it couldn't have come soon enough. I missed hanging out with you."

"Me too bro, me too." Nino placed his arm around Adrien, pulling him in close. "But now that's all behind us and you can experience your first summer break completely unhindered!"

Adrien's bodyguard grunted in disapproval.

"…slightly unhindered," Nino corrected, flicking a grin at the bodyguard who stared stoically ahead.

"Is it just me or does your bodyguard look extra scary today?" Nino whispered into Adrien's ear.

"My dad's been unhappy with how often I slip away from him. This last time put him over the edge apparently…" Adrien explained in a whisper.

"And the gorilla took the brunt of his anger." Adrien cringed slightly as Nino finished his thought.

"Dude, you shouldn't beat yourself up over this. It's not like you meant to cause trouble for your bodyguard. Besides, it your dad's fault for being so overprotective. Now let's turn that frown around with some summer time fun!"

Adrien smiled, appreciative of Nino's company. "When are we meeting up with Alya and Marinette?"

"Later in the afternoon," Nino replied. "I figured we'd have some fun just the two of us first."

"Sounds like a plan," Adrien replied with a grin as the two headed out for a full day of fun.

"So how was your day?" Tikki asked.

"It was a lot of fun," Marinette replied. "I didn't realize how much I missed Adrien's company until I saw him again today."

"I'll say, you even turned back into your stuttering self the moment you laid eyes on him."

"Tikki! That was only for a moment and I recovered after that." Marinette assured. "He just caught me a little off guard is all; I thought I was over him already."

"Getting over someone is a process Marinette," Tikki explained. "And there will be moments when your heart beats uncontrollably."

"I understand Tikki, it just feels weird being in love with two different people." Marinette sighed. "It would be so much easier if I just loved Chat."

Marinette looked at the clock.

"Chat Noir should be finishing up his patrol soon, I need to head out now if I want to be done before he is." Marinette stated.

"Have you made a decision on whether you'll reveal your identities?"

Marinette paused. She remembered the tragic story of the previous Miraculous holders Tikki told her about. She'd be lying if she said that it didn't scare her. They aren't us though and plenty of wielders reveal their identities without incident. Marinette observed. Besides, I'd rather take the risk then end up like those who broke apart because they didn't reveal themselves. I just hope Chat Noir agrees with me.

"I want to." Marinette affirmed. "I know it's not the best decision for us as heroes, but as a couple it's necessary. I love Chat Noir and I'm willing to take whatever risk I have to for us to be together."

"If that's your decision, then I'll respect that. Just remember to be careful."

"Thanks Tikki, transforme moi!" Marinette said before her body was engulfed in a bright light.

Sitting on the Eiffel Tower waiting for Ladybug to arrive, Chat Noir felt himself becoming more and more anxious.

"Why did Plagg have to tell me that story in the first place? Now my mind's a total mess. Argh!" Chat Noir pulled on his hair in frustration, thinking back to what Plagg said right before they went on patrol.

"You know if things don't work out with Ladybug, there's always that Marinette girl." Plagg said. "You two get along quite well."

"That's because she's my friend and just that, a friend." Adrien replied in annoyance.

"That may be true for now, but the best love stories are rooted in friendship."

"Since when did you become an all knowing love guru? I thought the only love you understood was camembert."

"Just because I don't understand love between human beings doesn't mean that I can't quote a phrase or two I've heard over the years; and that one has been stated a lot so it must have some merit to it."

"Some god he is," Chat Noir muttered to himself. "Can't even make up his mind as to whether he understands human affection or not."

"I just hope this goes well," Chat Noir sighed as he spotted Ladybug approaching.

"Hello there my lady," Chat Noir greeted as she landed softly beside him. He bent down and placed a kiss upon Ladybug's hand. "This night is made brighter by your presence."

"Always with the pickup lines," Ladybug giggled.

"Ready for another night strolling under the stars?"

"Actually, I had a different idea in mind for tonight. Follow me." Ladybug swung away with her yo-yo, Chat Noir following close behind.

The two continued flying through Paris, until Ladybug landed next to the River Seine.

"A stroll down the river bank, I like it." Chat Noir stated landing next to Ladybug.

"Not quite," Ladybug pointed to a spot upstream. Chat Noir followed the direction of her hand until he spotted a red boat with black polka dots.

"Your lucky charm I presume?" Ladybug nodded. "But won't you transform back soon then?"

"No worries," Ladybug assured him. "I already de-transformed and retransformed before arriving at the Eiffel Tower. So is the kitty ready for a romantic boat ride down the river?"

"This cat is up for anything that includes spending time will his lady." Chat Noir lifted Ladybug's chin ever so slightly before planting a kiss on her lips. Ladybug wrapped her arms around his neck, returning the gesture. Pulling apart, the two walked hand-in-hand over to the spotted motor boat.

"A romantic boat ride down the Seine. I take it this is your way of celebrating our one month anniversary."

Ladybug nodded, snuggling next to Chat Noir on the bench after turning on the radio she brought from home. Chat Noir wrapped his arm around Ladybug before laying his head on hers. They continued enjoying each other's warmth in silence for several minutes, taking in the scenery around them.

"Did you talk to your kwami?" Ladybug asked after a while.

"I did." Chat Noir replied after a short pause. Ladybug heart began to pound in her chest. He probably heard the same story I did.

"Chat, did you…"

"Yeah, I heard. I'm guessing you did too." Ladybug nodded her head.

"I still want to know who you are."

"Really?" Chat Noir asked turning towards Ladybug in surprise. "Even after that horror story?"

"I know it may not be the smartest decision, but I love you Chat and I'm willing to take the risk so we can be together." Ladybug kept her voice steady as she stared straight into Chat Noir eyes, conveying her complete determination and confidence. "Besides, it's not like it's guaranteed something bad will happen; there have been plenty of cases where wielders shared their identities without incident. Are you willing to take this risk with me?"

"I-I don't know anymore…" Chat Noir replied. "I know I'm the one who's been pushing the issue since the beginning, but now, now I'm just not so sure anymore. I need more time to think about it."

Ladybug looked away, feeling the disappointment yet trying to tamper it before it showed on her face. She really wanted to know who Chat Noir was and hoped he felt the same way. Is this how he felt when he brought this topic up months ago? Chat Noir placed a comforting hand on Ladybug's cheek.

"It's okay Chat, I understand." Ladybug indicated, seeing the hurt in his eyes. "I'm a bit disappointed, but I'll get over it so long as I have you by my side."

Chat Noir began to purr as Ladybug scratched him behind his ear.

"In other news," Chat Noir began while pulling a box out of his pocket. "I also got you a gift for our one month anniversary."

Ladybug opened the box revealing a beautiful gold chained necklace with a blue stone attached in the middle. "Oh Chat it beautiful."

"I'm glad you like it," Chat picked up the necklace and placed it around Ladybug's neck. "A good friend of my pointed it out to me when we were shopping."

"She has good taste," Ladybug replied, marveling at the necklace around her neck.

"Yes she does."

"How does it look on me?"

"It suits you. I think it really enhances the blue in your eyes."

Ladybug smiled, right before a thought hit her. Enhances the blue in your eyes…wait. Ladybug looked down at the necklace again, realizing with growing horror that she recognized it. Her mind began to race, comparing everything she knew about Chat Noir to what she knew about Adrien. Hair color, eye color, age, height, Adrien's fencing, Chat Noir's combat skills, their missing mothers, their love of long strolls, their loneliness, the timing of Adrien's mysterious depressive state, etc. No way…

"Adrien?" Ladybug hesitantly stated out loud. Chat Noir look at her wide eyes. "Adrien Agreste?"

"How…how do you know?" Chat Noir started back at Ladybug in bewilderment.

Ladybug opened her mouth to reply, before focusing on something behind him.

"Duck!" She cried, tackling Chat Noir to the ground. A shower of bullets flew pass right where Chat Noir had been standing.

"I guess the crime syndicated is out of hiding," Ladybug said as she stood up. "Chat, call the flics (cop) while I give chase. Come find me when you're done."

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" Chat cried as Ladybug swung away.

Author's Note: My basis for leaving the lucky charm intact after Ladybug de-transformes is the Bubbler episode. Notices the record remains and continues playing after Ladybug goes back to being Marinette.