Lovebug had not been expecting the kiss. When Adrien's lips touched hers, she nearly collapsed. She barely noticed that he was only holding her up with one arm, or where his right hand had removed the akumatized object from her left hand. After a moment, he released her, and saw her lovestruck expression. He smiled, then stepped back and ripped the note in half.
"Tikki, now!" he yelled, and Lovebug lunged for the hopeless akumatized object. The red kwami intercepted the dark moth that had flown from the paper and held it to her chest. She glowed a bright pink for a moment, then released a white butterfly.
"Bye bye, little butterfly!" she almost whispered, then fell into Adrien's hands. Another stream of pink ladybugs flew away from the kwami, restoring everything that Lovebug had done.
Marinette realized that she was sitting in the street. With Adrien standing over her. And pink ladybugs coming from his cupped hands.
"Is this a dream?" she groaned. She stood up just as the restoring ladybugs stopped flying over Paris. The light faded and she saw Tikki, unconscious, lying in Adrien's palms. "Yup, it's a dream! Adrien has Tikki, who's sick again, and I need to do something now! What do I need to do?" Marinette started pacing in front of her crush, who just smiled, stepped forwards, and pinched her.
"Sorry, but it's not a dream. You were akumatized, and your kwami helped me purify the akuma when you were defeated," Adrien explained. He handed Tikki to Marinette, who stared at him for another moment.
"Tikki... what happened?" Marinette cuddled her kwami for a moment, then looked at Adrien again. "You know what a kwami is. How?"
"Plagg?" he called, and the cat-themed kwami flew out from behind his head.
"Guys, stop beating around the bush. Ladybug, meet Chat Noir. Chat Noir, meet Ladybug!" Plagg said, slightly annoyed but also relieved that they didn't have to keep secrets anymore.
"Oh." was all that Marinette could reply.
"I'm sorry I rejected you earlier. I didn't know you were Ladybug... If I had, I would have said 'yes' in a heartbeat," Adrien apologized. Marinette gently lay Tikki in her pocket, then ran up and hugged Adrien.
"If I knew you were Chat, I wouldn't have brushed off all of your flirting!" Marinette released Adrien, then looked around. "We should probably get back to school. We'll say that I carried you off as an akuma?" she asked, knowing that they needed an excuse.
"I guess that sounds alright... m'lady," Adrien replied with a smirk. Marinette playfully punched his arm, but looked at him with amusement.
"We can't start dating in civilian form and superhero form at the same time. It would be too suspicious," Marinette decided as they walked.
"We could wait a few weeks before 'Ladynoir' becomes official," Adrien replied. Marinette gave him a weird look. "Yes, I check the Ladyblog. I have to make sure no one actually knows who we are."
"Alya is going to have a field day when she realizes that we actually got together. And a second when she realizes that we're also together," Marinette said, rolling her eyes, knowing her best friend's most likely behavior.
"Does she know? I know she has the Ladyblog, but she seems like she could help cover for you," Adrien asked.
"No. I didn't even trust my own parents. Do you think I would trust her if I couldn't trust them?" Marinette noticed that they were within sight of the school. "Maybe I should tell her. But if I do, you're telling too. I'm not taking it alone."
"If I tell, you're telling me who Rena Rouge is," Adrien challenged. "Or is it Alya?"
"We should stop talking about this now. There are going to be people in the hallways," Marinette replied, but she had a small smile, showing that his guess was correct.
The couple walked into Mme. Mendeliev's class just as the lunch bell rang. Everyone walked out, but Marinette and Adrien went to their teacher's desk to find out what they missed.
"Marinette, why is Adrien late as well? He should have been with the class when we came back in when you left," Mme. Mendeliev asked.
"While I was... akumatized... I carried him off. He was the reason I was akumatized. But we talked it out, and everything is just perfect now!" Marinette replied.
"Your friends should have the notes you need, and I have a worksheet for each of you. I just want it back by tomorrow. Maybe you can stay in class after lunch, for once?" the teacher asked, but the pair was free to have lunch with their friends.
"Marinette!" Alya had been waiting outside the door and practically tackled her best friend as soon as she walked out. "Don't deny anything, tell me all the details. You guys are too obvious for me to miss it. So. How did you guys talk it out after the fight?"
