MariChat May Day 19: Identity Reveal AND Day 23: SIN. Chat and Mari have a heart to heart, with bonus Ladrien at the end. You'll have to imagine the rest.

When Chat Noir returned to Marinette's house late that evening, he found a green sticky note on the skylight, instructing him to come down for a proper thank you from her parents. He smiled at the little hearts she'd drawn next to her name, and felt a little of his trepidation ease. Hearts were a good sign, right?

Downstairs, he found all three of the Dupain-Chengs in the kitchen, preparing dinner, but all of the activity ceased when he said hello. Tom was closest, and he found himself suddenly engulfed in a painfully tight bear hug. He wondered idly whether anyone had ever before been killed by gratitude.

"Thank you, son, for looking after our little girl," Tom mumbled gruffly.

"Tom, put the boy down. He can't breathe." The huge man let him go, and he stumbled right into Sabine's much gentler embrace. "You have our everlasting gratitude, Chat Noir. Thank you."

He blushed, feeling uncomfortable beneath their steady regard. "You're welcome," he said, scratching the back of his head self-consciously.

"Maman, Papa, you're embarrassing him," Marinette scolded, slipping her hand into his. She turned to face him, a fond smile on her lips. "I'm glad you made it in time for dinner. I remember you saying that you love pasta, so we made ziti alfredo and a salad. Are you hungry?"

"Famished."

Dinner was a happy affair, and Chat allowed it to distract him for as long as it lasted. The pasta was good, the dessert was better, and the company… Well, the love that this family felt for one another was obvious, and it was equally obvious that he had come to be included in their number. They didn't expect him to be anything other than what he was, and they'd accepted him, mask and all.

Now, her parents had gone to bed and he'd followed Marinette to her room. She was reclined on her chaise, with her big cat plush clutched to her chest; he sat in her desk chair with his feet propped near her legs. A plate of pink, green, and yellow macarons sat on the corner of her desk. They'd both selected a cookie from the plate, and both of them sat nibbling quietly. He wasn't sure about Marinette, but he knew that he was definitely and deliberately stalling. The silence stretched thin as they ate, until finally, Chat finished his cookie and mustered the courage to speak.

"This is harder than I thought it would be," he sighed.

She nodded, hugging her plush a bit tighter. "It ought to be easy, right? I—I like you, and –"

"I like you," he finished for her. He dropped his boots to the floor, rolled the chair closer to the chaise, and leaned forward to take one of Marinette's hands between his own. "I really like you. You must know that I want more from you than friendship, Marinette."

She nodded again, blushing, and rubbed her thumb over his gloved hand.

He watched the motion quietly for a moment, and looked up to meet her blue gaze. "I want to feel your skin when we hold hands. I want to go places with you, without my mask. I want—I want to kiss you, and I want to hear my real name on your lips."

Her breath caught, and her blue eyes turned luminous. "Chat—"

"I need to tell you who I am, Marinette."

"I—I know. But…" She trailed off, and bit her lip nervously, dropping her eyes to gaze at their joined hands. "Th-there's something that I need to tell you first."

"There's nothing you could tell me that might change the way I feel about you."

Her eyes darted back to his. "This might."

"Marinette?" She pulled her hands away and he felt panic begin to stir in his belly. "What…?"

She rose from the chaise to stand directly in front of him, her eyes sad. "Tikki, spots on." The words were quiet, but clear. A small red blur shot past his startled eyes, and disappeared into her smoky earrings, turning them red. This triggered a pink light that sparkled over her body from head to foot, leaving a skintight red and black suit in its wake. When it faded, Ladybug stood before him, with her arms clasped tight around her body and her eyes on the floor.

Chat stared at her, utterly dumbfounded, and let his eyes roam over her familiar form. His eyes knew her curves in the suit; his hands knew those curves out of it. He opened his mouth to speak, but he'd been robbed of the ability. Fortunately, his limbs still answered to him. He stood, catching her chin with the side of his finger, and tipping her face up to his.

"My lady," he breathed, finally finding his voice.

"I—I'm sorry, Chat. I should have told you sooner, but I—mpf!"

He brought his hands to either side of her jaw and silenced her with his mouth, kissing her thoroughly until he felt her body relax, and her hands at his waist. With an effort, he broke the kiss, pulling back only far enough to see her face. "Why would you apologize? This is the best thing I could have imagined."

"It—it is? But, I deceived you. A lie of omission—"

He shook his head, letting his hands slide to her shoulders, and then down to her sides. "I'm guilty of the same."

Her mouth snapped shut and her eyes widened as she processed that. "So, I already…know you? Outside the mask?"

He nodded slowly.

He watched her yes move over his face, and then up to look at his hair. Her fingers tensed at his waist, her eyes blew wide, and he knew she'd figured it out. "Y-you go to my school?"

Another nod.

She licked her lips. "And you—we have classes together?"

"We do."

"A-Adrien?" she whispered, and his mouth curved into a sweet, sheepish smile that she knew only too well.

"Claws in, Plagg." The transformation left him in a wash of green light, and Adrien stood before her as himself.

"It's about damn time, kid."

Adrien didn't bother to look at his kwami; his eyes were still riveted on Ladybug. "Shut up, Plagg."

She giggled weakly, overwhelmed the evening's revelations. "I can't believe it's you."

"Are you angry? That I let us get so close, without telling you who I am?"

Ladybug shook her head. "No, of course not. It's as you said, I'm guilty of the same. I'm just, surprised."

"But, is it a good surprise? Do you—do you still want more, from me?"

She hooked her fingers through his belt loops and tugged him closer. "God, yes."

"Oh, thank God." He slid one hand into her hair at the nape of her neck, and bent to kiss her. "You have no idea how hard it was—kiss—keeping my hands off of you at school."

She scoffed, and nipped at his lower lip. "No more difficult—kiss—than keeping my hands off of you—kiss—during patrols, and after fights."

He grinned, and reclaimed her mouth.