"Are you sure about this, my Lady?"

They're in a small, secluded parkette on the outskirts of the heart of the city, tucked away between three high-rises and shielded from the street by a row of bushes. It's dark, and Ladybug can just make out the outline of Chat's body against the ivy-coloured wall behind him.

Ladybug doesn't answer at first. Because the truth is, she isn't. She isn't sure. She's got butterflies in her stomach that could rival the arsenal Hawkmoth supposedly has. But they've been partners for over three years now. They've been through hell, high water, and everything in between. She trusts him with her life, and he trust her with his (even when he's haphazardly putting it on the line to protect her) And as she's grown and matured, this mangy cat has wormed his way into her heart, where she had previously though would only be inhabited by Adrien, who she STILL gets tongue-tied over. But Chat never was one to follow the rules, so here she stands, with two boys twisted and tangled around her heart so tightly she can't imagine how she'll remove one without tearing her heart in two.

But she gathers her thoughts and emotions, bottles them up, and shoves them to the back of her consciousness. "Yeah, I'm ready"

"I don't want to do it if you don't." Now he's starting to ramble, hands flailing.

"I do want it"

"If you're nervous, or want to stop, all you have to do is say so, My Lady"

"Chat!"

He stops, looking at her.

"I want this"

His hands drop to his side. He looks at her, reading her face.

Finally he whispers "Okay"

Ladybug reaches up to fiddle with a bit of hair that's come loose. "On three?"

"On three."

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she squeaks out "One"

He feels like he's got a hairball, but he manages "Two"

Their hearts jump into overdrive, and together "Three!"

The parkette is lit up with two bright flashes of light; one pink, one green. When the light dies, the two adolescents blink away spots as their eyes adjust to the darkness.

Adrien is the first to recover. "Marinette?"

Marinette starts. He knows me? Hurriedly rubbing her eyes to erase the remaining spots, she squints at the dark figure before her.

She feels her heart drop into her stomach when she recognizes him. "Adrien!?"

Although it's been about half a month since they last saw each other, both having graduated Collège Françoise Dupont six months prior, he still looks exactly as she remembers. Soft smile, gentle eyes, hair that has absolutely no business looking that good. She feels the crush that she thought had died down come rushing back with a vengeance, compounded with her confusing feelings for Chat, and it all becomes overwhelming. Grabbing her head in her hands, she spins around and begins pacing the path, trying to sort out her thoughts. Adrien, watching her, grows increasingly nervous.

Is she mad? Is she disappointed? Is she happy?

Plagg, who's been strangely quiet so far, nudges him. When Adrien looks over, Plagg raises an eyebrow, cocking his head towards Marinette; asking a silent question. What's up with her?

I don't know.

Then go find out!

Are you kidding? Look how confused she is! I'll probably make things worse!

Only one way to find out!

And with that, Plagg shoves him forward (With considerable strength, considering his size). Stumbling forward, he notices that Marinette has sat down on a bench, head in her hands. As he approaches, he hears her talking, quietly, and he's confused until he sees a small red creature hovering by her head, comforting her.

Oh yeah, she must have a kwami too. Plagg told me about her. What was her name again? Tacky?

Whatever her name is, she looks up and catches his eye. She gives him a soft smile, and gestures for him to come over.

He does.

The small red creature darts down to Marinette's ear, whispering something, before whizzing past his ear so fast it ruffles his hair. When he looks back, he sees that she's tackled Plagg out of the air, and they're having an excellent time rough housing and wrestling about in the grass.

Turning, he sees that Marinette has raised her head from her hands and is regarding him silently, and he offers her a gentle smile, moving to sit beside her. A long, uneasy silence develops, before she sighs.

"I'm sorry"

"What?"

Marinette hugs herself "I'm sorry" she repeats.

Now Adrien is really confused "For what?"

"For... I don't know"

"Odd thing to apologize for"

Marinette gives him a look.

"Right. Shut up, Chat"

This elicits a choked laugh that dies halfway down Marinette's throat. "I guess I'm just afraid I'm not living up to your expectations. That I'm disappointing you."

Adrien cocks his head slightly, and Marinette is subconsciously struck by how cat-like he looks. He's gazing at her, blinking slowly, silently prompting her to continue. Despite the missing ears in his hair, she can tell he's listening.

She sighs "I mean, Ladybug has always been more confident, more graceful, and more useful than I could be myself. She saves lives, inspires people, and ensures the safety of everyone in this city. Marinette, she's just a girl who can't even form a coherent sentence around her crush. I can't get through the day without tripping over my feet, and I certainly couldn't save people's lives. I'd just make things worse. Nobody needs Marinette when they have ladybug."

She doesn't realize that she's crying until she feels something wet on the hands in her lap. She furiously wipes her eyes with the back of her fists, stubbornly refusing to let anymore tears out, until she feels the comforting pressure of a warm hand between her shoulder blades, and she comes undone.

She cries.

Years of subconscious feelings of inadequacy, of self-doubt, and fear of failure come to light, tearing from her throat in heartbroken sobs.

The warm hand on her back draws her against an equally warm, hard chest, and she cries harder, melting into him and grabbing the back of his shirt. He brings his other arm up to rest on her lower back, rubbing comforting circles up and down her spine. She feels his head settle on top of hers; feels dampness on her shoulder and realizes that he's crying; she's making him cry and she pulls back, because it's not fair to him for him to be crying over her insecurities.

Adrien however, seems to have other plans, tightening his grip and drawing her closer until she's basically in his lap. He gently rocks them back, and forth, and back and forth. She lets out a shaky breath, turning her head to rest flat on his chest, and comforts herself by listening to his steady, strong heartbeat.

They stay like that awhile, neither quite willing to break the delicate tranquility that settled over them, until Adrien speaks.

"I'll love you forever..."

Marinette pulls back, looks up at him.

"I'll like you for always"

He brushes a strand of hair behind her ear, and she lets out a breath, eyes fluttering closed.

"As long as I'm living"

He reaches up to cradle her face in his hands. He brings her face to his, presses a kiss to her forehead, before replacing it with his own, his face a breath away from hers.

"My lady you'll be"

Marinette manages a watery smile, bringing her hands up to cover his. "Chat..."

"Hush, my lady. Or should I say, Princess." Marinette lets out a weak giggle, and he smiles "I will not let you speak so lowly of yourself, especially when so much of it is blatant lies."

"But..."

"No buts. Who helped me defeat the Evillustrator?"

"Marinette..."

"Who took control when Dark Blade had City Hall under siege, looking out for everyone else and earning themselves the title of class president?"

"I did, but-"

"Who stands up to Chloè every day? Chloè, who in my opinion is scarier than a lot of the akumas we face?"

"Chat... "

"You did Marinette. Just because you're not swinging from the rooftops defeating akumas doesn't mean you're not making a difference in people's lives. Honestly, Marinette, I'm glad it's you."

Marinette sniffles, wiping her eyes. "Really?"

"Swear to God. Remember when Alya though Chloè was Ladybug?"

She laughs. "You didn't actually believe her, did you?"

"In retrospect, no. But at the time, I was seriously reconsidering myself and my taste in women"

Marinette pushes him playfully. "Silly kitty. I'm almost offended you would compare me to her."

Adrien darts right back in. "And what can I possibly do to make my lady forgive me for making such a terrible comparison?"

Marinette pretends to think. "Hmmm... Maybe if you stop making your ridiculous puns"

Adrien snorts. "My lady, you know I love you more than anything in the world. But that's like asking a man to leave one of his children. Besides, you know you love them."

"In your dreams."

"Every one of them"

"Adrien!"

Adrien laughs, and stands up, turning to offer her his hand "Hey, let's take a walk. It looks like we've got a lot to talk about"