Hola my friends and welcome to the next chapter. The last one didn't have a lot of engagement, so I guess it wasn't that good lol. Probably because it had almost nothing to do with Lucy or Adrien. Don't worry, this one does! And I think you're going to enjoy it. Or at least I hope you do. This chapter will actually probably end up being very short in comparison to my typical chapters, mostly because I am using the episode Simple Man to set the tone more than anything else. Hopefully that won't bother anyone too much.

Anyway, today is 2/27 so lets see how long this one takes me, yeah?

This chapter is mainly from Adrien's POV

OoOOoOoOoO

Adrien sat on Lucy's bed as he watched her sketch from across the room at her desk. He had gone over to her house early that Saturday morning. It was a rare one where he had nothing scheduled till the afternoon. When he arrived, Lucy's mother was heading out the door, a bagel in hand. She greeted him mid chew and he held the door for her to exit the building. Monica then asked if he would be joining them for dinner, and although he would have loved to, Adrien wasn't sure how long his photo shoot that afternoon would take, thus he declined.

When he made his way up stairs, he gave a small knock before letting himself in. Over time Lucy had made a point to drill into his brain that "Mi casa su casa." and waiting for someone to come to the door was unnecessary. Lucy was sitting at the kitchen table eating her own bagel while across from her on a plate was an additional one waiting for him.

They had spent the morning doing nothing in particular. Lucy had warned him ahead of time that she had some chores to catch up on and that her company might be a little boring, but Adrien didn't mind. In fact, he found something endearing about simply being in the same space as Lucy. Enjoying her company by just being there. There was an almost domestic bliss that followed with having breakfast together and then assisting her with the small handful of tasks she needed to complete.

Later, as he watched her sketch, the afternoon sun beaming through her window and illuminating her in front of him, Adrien could only hear one thing repeating over and over again in his head.

I love you.

I love you. I love you. I love you.

He hadn't said it to her yet. Not out loud. Not as Adrien. They had been together almost a month now, but it still felt too soon. It felt too soon because she didn't know that he had loved her long before they started dating. It felt too soon because she didn't know that at least one point, she already loved him too. How much time was an appropriate amount of time to be with someone before declaring that you're completely and utterly in love with them?

Would she say she loved him too? Lucy had told him, or should he say, she had told Chat Noir, that she thought she could love him eventually. Adrien desperately wanted to know when eventually would come.

Loving Lucy was the simplest and most complicated thing Adrien thought he would ever do in his entire life. Loving someone and having them love you back while under the impression you're someone else. Then having them love you for you while unaware that they had already loved you before. How unreasonably complicated.

"Are you alright?" Lucy's voice called out, stealing him away from his inner thoughts.

"Perfectly content, why do you ask?"

"You just keep looking at me is all."

"I like looking at you."

Lucy grinned and looked away while shaking her head. "Cheese ball."

"I wanna tell you something." Adrien said, making Lucy bring her eyes back over to him.

"Well, I'm all ears."

"I can't tell you. I want to. But I can't." Lucy snorted, swiveling in her chair.

"You wanna tell me but you can't, huh? Is it a secret?" She grinned while wiggling her brows at him.

"Sort of."

"Sort of a secret. How cryptic of you." Lucy teased. "Why bring it up if you can't tell me?"

"I just wanted you to know that I want you to know."

"Then why can't you tell me? Don't trust me with your secret?" she asked mischievously.

Oh, how he longed to tell her how trust had nothing to do with any of it. Lucy placed her sketch book on her desk and got up from her seat, strolling over to where Adrien sat on her bed. He swallowed hard as she brought her knees to each of his sides, straddling his lap as she rested her forearms on his shoulders. The look in her eyes looked almost predatorial. There was nothing threatening about her gaze but there was something about the way her lips gave their crooked grin while she stared down at him with half lidded eyes that told him she had ways of making him talk.

"It's complicated." he answered, resisting the urge to fold.

"So, simplify it."

Adrien almost adhered to her command but was saved the buzz. That is, the buzz of his phone alarm in his pocket. Lucy didn't remove her gaze from him as he slipped his hand in his pocket and pulled out his phone to look at the screen. He offered her a cheeky smile.

"Maybe later." He then said, tossing his phone to the side and taking ahold of Lucy's thigh, shifting her weight and placing her on her back against the bed with a slight bounce.

He relished the feeling of her hands in his hair as he kissed her. Almost upset with himself for not having made a point to do so more during his visit. There were things he missed about their relationship while he was Chat Noir, but if there was one thing he got to do that Chat Noir didn't, it was having the luxury of kissing Lucy whenever he wanted, wherever he wanted, for as long as he wanted, or for as long as time would allow given the circumstances.

OoOoOoOoOo

The shoot was as per usual on the extra side. It was another fragrance ad. The name of the fragrance was "Heaven Sent." Thus, Adrien found himself dressed in all white with a pair of Angel wings attached to his back. He was then to be strapped to a wire and hung in the air to give the illusion of him flying. First, he was flying with pigeons, or he supposed "Doves" at the local pool, now he was flying as an angel. Adrien didn't think he would ever truly understand what about a person being in midair attracted people to buying a product, but it wasn't his job to figure out the logistics, it was his job to smile.

Unfortunately, during one of the many attempts to get all the perfect shots, one of the wings tore and a break was called. Adrien watched as the photographer cursed at the inconvenience, noting that getting the costume designer to come fix the wing would cost them time they did not have. Adrien patted him on the shoulder.

"I might have a solution. Give me a sec." Adrien said, pulling out his phone. It was a long shot, but he did know one person who might be able to help. The phone rang only twice before it was picked up.

"Hey Marinette." He greeted. "I'm fine, I'm actually at a photo shoot right now and was wondering if you could do me a favor. My costume Angel wing tore and there's no one here on the set to repair it. And since I know how talented you are with sewing, I was hoping you could come and give me a hand."

Marinette seemed hesitant to agree, making Adrien believe that his request might be pulling her away from doing something else but before he could say another word she complied. Saying she had to take care of something first but would get to him as soon as she could.

Adrien informed the photographer who let out a sigh of relief, shaking Adrien's shoulder encouragingly while thanking him.

"You know how your father is." The older man spoke. "He doesn't take delays well."

"Trust me when I say I know all about it." Adrien said with a smile. "I'm sure we will be back on track soon."

Marinette didn't go into detail about what it was she had to do before arriving when Adrien asked.

"Oh, it as nothing," She explained while working on the wing. "Just needed to stop at my grandfathers."

"Good, I would have hated to have pulled you away from something important."

Marinette paused. The reality was that Marinette was an unapologetic people pleaser. She had agreed to watch Manon even though she knew how much the girl loved to snoop. To add to that poor plan, she had also agreed to watch Etta and Ella, Alya's sisters, as well as Nino's little brother Chris.

When Adrien called, she should have declined. She had four tiny humans to take care of. But for the same reason she had all those children in her care in the first place, when Adrien called and asked for her help, Marinette couldn't deny him. Instead, she shipped them all to her grandfather's temporarily while she fixed up Adrien's wing hoping that they wouldn't cause him too much trouble while she was away.

"Nothing I couldn't step away from for a little while to help a friend."

Adrien drummed his fingers against his arm while he waited patiently, trying to think about something to talk about in the meanwhile rather than standing there awkwardly while she worked on the wing behind him.

"So, I hear you and Luka are on speaking terms again." He spoke casually. Another pause came from the girl behind him, and Adrien wondered if maybe he had made a mistake in mentioning it. For the most part Adrien and Marinette's relationship carried on as it always had, but there were a few times like this one where he was reminded that Marinette was, or at least had been at one time, in love with him. He wondered if asking about her love life ever bothered her because of it.

"Um, yeah. We are." Marinette confirmed. "How are things with you and Lucy? You both seem happy. At school at least."

"We're good." Adrien answered quickly. "Great even. I was with her this morning actually."

"Awesome." She replied awkwardly.

"Marinette, can I ask you a personal question?"

"I, uh, I suppose. Sure." She answered, her focus remaining on the wing.

"Did you ever tell Luka you loved him?" Another pause.

"Eh, yes." Marinette answered, clearing her throat, clearly a little thrown off by the question.

"How long did it take you?" Adrien then asked, looking over his shoulder at her. "To say it. Or even feel it."

Marinette paused her sewing and looked at Adrien with kitted brows.

"I don't know...I...um, why are you asking me this exactly?"

Adrien looked down sheepishly while picking the hem of his shirt. "It's just..." He hesitated. "I've loved Lucy for far longer than we have been together. I know exactly how I feel, but I worry that she might not be there yet. I just don't want to say it and freak her out."

Before he had met Lucy, and his affections were held by Ladybug, Adrien had felt it important to throw all his love at her. He realized now that there had been many problems with how he went about perusing a romantic relationship with Ladybug. One of them being how he insisted on telling her how much he loved her even when she wasn't ready to hear it. Even when she didn't want to hear it.

A part of Adrien seemed to think that maybe by telling someone you love them often enough, that eventually it would make them love you too. He realized now how foolish that was. And even if it hadn't been, that he wanted Lucy to love him simply because she did, not because she kept hearing it from him.

"You know," Marinette spoke, pulling him from his thoughts. "You remind me of myself. When things are really important to me, I get so scared that they won't work out that I can't help trying to control every possible outcome. To me, the more you love someone, the harder it is to tell them. The first time around at least." She shared.

Adrien suddenly remembered. He had had this conversation with her before as Chat.

"If there is one thing I am still working on, it's that you can't let the what ifs be the things that control you. We can only do what we can, with what we have, where we are. Lucy loves you, Adrien. I know that, I'm sure she knows that, and I would bet that you know that too. Sometimes knowing a person loves us can be just as scary as not knowing. It makes it hard not to complicate it."

Adrien felt one final tug before Marinette moved herself in front of him.

"There, good as new."

"I'm glad I thought to call you Marinette. What can I do to thank you?"

Marinette offered him a small smile. "You want to thank me? Take my advice. Don't be like me Adrien." Adrien lost his smile but before he could retort, Marinette continued.

"Don't spend your days lingering on the what ifs and just do what makes you happy. Do not set aside your happiness. Do not wait to be happy in the future. The best time to be happy is always now."

He placed a friendly hand on her shoulder. "I'll try and take your advice, but only if you do the same."

"I'm working on it." Marinette said, patting the hand he had placed on her. The photographer called for Adrien and the teens stepped away from one another.

"I gotta go. Thank you again Marinette." Adrien said, walking away. Marinette sighed and started her walk back to her grandfathers as Tikki poked her head out from her bag.

"Maybe you should take Adrien's advice and start listening to your own Marinette."

"I wish it was that easy Tikki."

"Why can't it be?"

Marinette was about to reply when suddenly an energy wave surged past her. In that moment everything seemed to become much simpler in her mind.

"You're right Tikki! It's so simple! I'll just tell Luka I'm Ladybug. He will keep it a secret and we can be together without any lies!"

"Wow! That does seem simple!" Tikki agreed. Marinette smiled giddily.

"This is so great! I'm gonna go tell him right now!"

"Wait! What about the kids? Don't you have to get back to them?"

Marinette paused with a frown. "Oh, you're right again Tikki. Maybe-" The sound of screams interupted her train of thought and Marinette found a Helicopter falling from the sky.

"Oh, a falling helicopter! What should I do? Oh, I know! I have to transform!"

"Careful Marinette! It's a secret! You should find somewhere to hide."

OoOoOoOoO

Back at the shoot Adrien was being lowered from the rig that held him in the air. The photographer had decided that the shoot was too complicated, and instead they would just take pictures of Adrien smiling. Adrien couldn't help but agree. That did sound a lot simpler.

It didn't take long before the Photographer seemed to think he had everything he needed. The sound of cries for help flowed into Adrien's ears as the people from the helicopter had jumped before the crash and now hung onto the edge of the building he was at for dear life.

"I'm supposed to smile, but I'm supposed to save people. This is a complicated choice."

"The simplest think to do would be to stay hear and eat cheese!" Plagg announced doing just that.

"No Plagg! The simplest thing to do is whatever Ladybug does! She always knows what to do and she's my partner so I'll just do what she's doing!"

Adrien transformed and quickly joined Ladybug, helping the civilians down safely. They thanked the heroes before running off and Ladybug frowned.

"When bad things happen, it's simply the fault of the big bad-"

"ShadowMoth!" The pair shouted together.

"An akumatized villain is going to want to fight us so they can steal our Miraculous!" Chat told Ladybug and they both groan.

"Oh, boy, it's gonna be really complicated." Ladybug complained.

"Wouldn't it be simpler to fight ShadowMoth directly?" Chat suggested.

"Oh, of course!"

"Let's go!"

OoOoOoOoOoO

When all was said and done, Adrien reflected on the day's events. If you had asked him how he thought the day would go, he would never have guessed that he and Ladybug would almost give up their miraculous in exchange for candy. He also had a hard time wrapping his head around the fact that for a moment, he thought the simplest solution while facing the Akuma was to cataclysm the old man turned villain. Nor did he ever expect that a group of eight-year-olds would stop them from doing any of it.

If there was anything he was able to take away from the whole experience it was that people (himself included) definitely did have a way of making even simple things complicated. Adrien had for the longest time going over and over in his head the things he wanted, along with all the reasons he couldn't have them. Yet, every time, in ways he never really expected the things he wanted had a way of working out.

He had wanted to go to school, but figured his father would never actually allow it. And then it happened.

He wanted to make friends outside of Chloe that didn't care about his celebrity status but figured it would always be the first thing people thought about when they saw him. Then he met Nino. Nino, Marinette, Alaya, Alix, Juleka, Rose, Ivan, Mylene, Max, Nathaniel, Kim...and Lucy.

He wanted to do something more with his life than Gabriel Agreste's son but figured that wouldn't even have a chance at happening until way later in life. Then he became Chat Noir.

He wanted Love. He wanted to find someone who he could be himself with. Someone who he could give everything too who would give him everything in return. But when he thought that person might be Ladybug, only to have her reject him at every chance, he thought that he would be stuck forever with unrequited love. And then Lucy managed to wrap her arms around his heart. She had done it so quietly, so easily, that to this day he wasn't even sure when it really happened.

He wanted Lucy. He wanted her wholeheartedly. But when he made the mistake of gaining her affections as Chat Noir and realizing loving her that way would only allow him to give her a small part of himself it all came crashing down. Faster than it had come. Thus, he figured, they didn't stand a chance. But then, in time, with a little help, Adrien found her in his arms again. This time without a mask.

He wanted to tell Lucy he loved her. He wanted her to know that he was Chat Noir. He wanted no secrets between them. But he figured he might scare her if he said it too soon. And if he shared his identity with her, she might end up in danger. Or even reject him. Feeling somehow tricked by his deceit.

The more you love someone, the harder it is to tell them.

Adrien felt like a part of him almost agreed with Marinette. But with that logic, it surprised him that strangers didn't stop each other on the street to say I love you.

He could go over it and over it again and again and let his whole being be filled with doubt or he could trust that much like everything else in his life, with a little luck, things will simply work out. As much as it frightened him, there felt like there was no better time to test it.

OoOoOoO

Lucy jumped at the sound of Chat Noir crashing through her window. She shot him an annoyed look as he offered an apologetic one.

"You know, I don't mind you stopping by, but must come crashing in like a bull in a China shop?"

He stood, rubbing the back of his neck nervously as he apologized. "I'm sorry. I raced over here, and I am really trying hard not to chicken out."

Lucy raised a brow while taking ahold of her ankles as she sat crisscross on her bed. "Chicken out?"

Chat Noir nodded his head vigorously and Lucy watched him tip back and forth on the heels of his shoes.

"Okay, well, take your time, I guess. Is it more hero tea?"

"No," He answered quickly. "This isn't about anybody else but me."

Lucy sat with an obvious look of confusion on her face but nodded anyway. Chat let out a deep breath and outstretched his hand in an attempt to regulate himself.

"Okay, listen. I have something I need to tell you. Something I have wanted to tell you for a very long time but have given myself a million and a half excuses as to why I shouldn't."

Lucy felt as though she now knew where this was going. Chat wanted to tell her his identity. He had admitted as much before. It seemed obvious from his demeanor that he was trying to convince himself to tell her, even though his instincts were telling him otherwise.

"Chat, you don't have to-"

"Lucy please," he interrupted. "Hear me out."

Lucy remained silent and gestured for him to continue though the way her brows knitted together and how her lips cast downward into a slight frown made it clear she was concerned.

"My whole life, the things that I have truly wanted have always felt just out of my reach. It sounds selfish when I say it because the reality is that I am so fortunate in comparison to so many others, but I can't help it." He admitted, looking at Lucy intensely.

"I am a hero of Paris. I am free to be the person I want to be while I am Chat Noir. I have this gift...this privilege to be a person that other people can depend on to help them. To save them when they cannot save themselves. But with this privilege came a burden. The burden of loneliness. The burden of not being able to share a part of me with anyone, especially the people I care for the most."

Sympathy and perhaps a little bit of pity engulfed Lucy at Chat's words.

"You," Chat continued. "You are the one person that makes me feel like there might be the slightest possibility that I don't have to choose between what I love and the people I love. Maybe that's wishful thinking but I can't keep thinking up reasons in my head to not try and be happy. To stop making excuses. Some of life's biggest heartaches come from missed opportunities and lame excuses. I refuse to miss out on what could be the best chapter in my life because I'm too scared to turn the page."

"Chat what are you-?"

"I'm uncomplicating it." He answered simply. "Plagg, claws in."

Lucy's eyes widened as green light flashed at her briefly. Her jaw dropped and her heart pounded in her chest at the sight before her.

"The truth is pure and simple: I'm Adrien Agreste, and Chat Noir, and I love you with every fiber of my being and I can't go another day without you knowing it."

Adrien watched as Lucy's face shifted from shock to pain as she clutched her head and groaned. He reached out for her hesitantly as Plagg floated out of his pocket.

"Oh boy, that looks like it hurts." He winced.

"Plagg! What's happening? Is she okay?"

"Jesus-fuck!" Lucy shouted, bringing her head back up to look at him.

"You revealed yourself, so now all the surpassed thoughts Lucy might have had connecting you to Chat Noir are resurfacing. The gaps are being refilled." Plagg explained. "I've seen it a few times. The more that had to be suppressed the more uncomfortable finding out the truth is. I'm told its similar to-"

"A hammer being swung at my forehead!" Lucy answered glaring at the two. Adrien quickly moved to the bed and placed his hands on Lucy's shoulders.

"I'm sorry. I've wanted to tell you for what feels like forever. I didn't think doing so would cause you physical pain. I just...I love you, and I understand if this is a lot to take in and that maybe your feelings might be unclear because of it, but I needed you to know-" Adrien's rambling was interrupted as Lucy placed her hands on his cheeks and pulled him into a kiss.

When she pulled away, only so slightly, she smiled at him. "I love you too." She breathed out. "There is nothing unclear about it."

This time he kissed her. He kissed her like the world was rolling right off a cliff, like he's trying to hang on and he's decided to hold on to her, like he's starving for life and love, and he's never known it could ever feel this good to be close to someone. Like it's the first time he's ever felt anything, but hunger and he doesn't know how to pace himself, doesn't know how to eat in small bites, doesn't know how to do anything anything, anything in moderation. He would kiss her every way he could possibly kiss her, because he plans on loving her every way he can possibly love her. Every single time they refused to cave into their feelings in the past makes this kiss completely worth the sacrifices.

Plagg, who had been examining the collage of photographs on Lucy's wall sighed and spun around.

"Alright, now can we-?" His words were cut short as Adrien's button up was tossed in his direction, covering his tiny body and almost making him crash to the floor. Phasing through the shirt Plagg went to shoot an insult at the teen when his eyes bulged from his head, and he found himself turning back around as fast as he could. He brought his arms up to hide his face in embarrassment and annoyance.

"

Every. Damn. Time." He cursed. "What is it with humans and secret identity reveals that make them throw themselves at each other?!"

With his back to the couple in the bed, Plagg crossed his arms.

"Don't you think maybe-"

"Plagg." Adrien spoke, his head coming up from under the covers. "I love you buddy, but I need you to do a favor and go away."

Plagg rolled his eyes. "Go away." He scoffed. "Yeah, yeah, if I had a piece of cheese for every time I heard that one! Fine, I'll go keep an eye on Paris by myself. It's not a big deal, it's not like you'll be long." He sassed, before floating out the window earning a snort from Lucy.

"Plagg!"

Alright, I think this is probably the shortest chapter I have ever made for this story at about 4500 words, but you can see why I initially wanted to post it on Valentines Day. So much for that.

Anyway, I could end it here right? Lucy knows, and they both live happily ever after!

But oh no. That would be too simple. No, we have 5 or 6 chapters left to go. I would like to end this book with 75 chapters, but it could go to 76. Plus, I have 2 ways in which I might end this book and I have yet to decide if I will do one or the other or even both so we shall see.

I hope you all like it! Remember to heart and vote and comment and let me know what you think! I love hearing your feedback as it's a major motivator! Till next time, chow for now, And I will see you in the next chapter!