Chapter Sixteen

Adrien Agreste was staring into the familiar blue eyes of his partner. Eyes that were no longer surrounded by her infamous red and black spotted mask. But those eyes were no less familiar. It was Marinette who had been by his side all these years. Marinette, who he had fought more battles together with than he cared to count. Marinette, who had been his close friend for as many years as he'd been Chat Noir. And she was Ladybug.

His heart was beating so hard he wondered if Marinette could feel the pulse at his neck throbbing against her arms draped around him. Adrien's whole body thrummed with excitement at her nearness. But what had him on the verge of utter bliss was her confession of finding him attractive. After all these years, and Ladybug's countless rebuffs, he was gobsmacked.

"Really?" he rasped, needing confirmation.

"You once told me that I'd find you irresistible without your mask. Guess what?" She smirked and whispered in his ear, "You were right."

He chuckled at that memory. "So, are you suggesting, we should have done the whole reveal of identities a lot sooner?"

Marinette's cheeks pinkened, "Maybe."

Chuckles turned to laughter as Adrien pulled her close and kissed her temple. "It certainly would have resolved a lot of problems before they started." Then he grew quiet. Did he dare ask what he wanted to know? Was it possible that Marinette felt even a fraction of what he felt for her? Sitting back, he looked her in the eye and held his breath as he studied her.

There was a brightness to her blue eyes as she observed him in return, and her lips parted as her gaze drifted down his face to focus on his mouth. His heart threatened to explode as the yearning in her eyes had him leaning towards her. Yet he was hesitant to initiate the kiss, he'd been pushed away too many times as Chat Noir. If she wanted to kiss him, she was the one who needed to cross that final divide. Still, his hands had a mind of their own as he urged her forward.

"Adrien," she rasped as she looked between his eyes and lips. "Can I kiss you?"

"Do you even need to ask?" He purred, but when she didn't move he answered, "Yes!"

Apparently, that was the go-ahead Marinette had needed. She tightened her hold around his neck and brushed her lips against his. Her ministrations were tender and unsure, as if she couldn't believe she was actually kissing him. Adrien completely understood. He too was having trouble wrapping his brain around the fact that this was actually happening. His lady was kissing him and as much as he wanted to unleash nine years of pent-up passion on her, he knew he had to match her pace.

But it seemed he wasn't alone in his longing. Marinette's mouth began to move more urgently against his. Her hands relocated to cup his face, sliding into his hair as she angled his head for better access to his mouth. Adrien's fingers left her back to find her hips, pulling her body firmly against his. This move seemed to embolden her, as her tongue swept over his lips and he opened his mouth to replicate the move.

Marinette's right hand moved to fist the front of his shirt as she urged him up while she climbed back onto the lounge. Adrien followed her without question, his lips never leaving hers. To his surprise, she laid back and implored him to move over her with a tug on his shirt. The model eagerly complied, settling himself on top of her as they continued to kiss.

Adrien was nibbling his way down her throat and back up along her collarbone when he felt her hand push against his chest. Realising she wanted his attention, he raised his head to look into her dazed eyes. "Hmm?" he queried, not really sure why she'd prompted him to stop.

Marinette's chest was heaving heavily as she attempted to catch her breath. "Should we take this to the bedroom?"

Anticipation threatened to overload his brain, and somehow his heart managed to ratchet up another gear. "Is that what you want? I thought you'd still be angry at me."

"Well, there's certainly a lot more we need to talk about. But right now, I'm just so happy that we're back together."

"You and me both," he smiled as he sat up and extended his hand to her. Rising to their feet, Adrien couldn't help but snicker as he observed Marinette's tousled hair. Leaning forward, he removed the ties from her pigtails and plunged his fingers in her loose hair, shaking it out to fan around her face. "That's better," he grinned down at her.

Marinette reached up to grasp one of his wayward locks. "This is looking rather dishevelled too, very Chat Noir."

"Does the lady like?" he smirked with an arch of his eyebrow.

"The lady does."

His confidence wavered slightly as he cocked his head towards his room. "So, um, my bedroom is that way."

Stepping closer, Marinette gazed up at him without hesitation. "How about you show it to me?"

Sucking in a sharp breath, Adrien nodded, "Okay." Taking her hand, he strode quickly to his bedroom and prayed that she wouldn't change her mind.

They had barely crossed the threshold when Marinette closed the door behind them. Adrien looked over his shoulder in question. "So our kwami's aren't traumatised," she smirked. Before he could respond in any way, Marinette rounded on him, backing him up until his legs hit the mattress. With a wicked glint in her eye, she playfully shoved his chest so he fell backwards onto the bed. Much to his delight, she crawled her way up his body and resumed their previous activities.

For their entire partnership, he had wanted this closeness, this intimacy. Adrien trusted his partner unconditionally and he needed to show her that. He needed to reaffirm that link with her in the most primal way. Never had their relationship been this physical, but then they'd never been apart for so long either. The Marinette he knew was generally shy to a degree around him, but the woman with him now was exerting that brilliant Ladybug confidence and prowess that drove him crazy. He had no problem in following her lead, he was used to being second in command and it baffled him momentarily when she switched their positions, giving him the dominant role.

Adrien paused to look down at her, there were no barriers between them now. Only skin on skin as he gazed upon her with such love that he was almost brought to tears when he realised she was looking at him in the same way. There was no disgust, no pity or remorse in that moment. It was just them, finally acknowledging what had been unsaid between them for years.

He opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it. "I love you," she declared and he echoed her sentiment in both words and motions.

Hours later they lay snoozing, intertwined in tangled sheets. Thoroughly sated to the point that they'd finally slept well. Adrien awoke to the feeling of fingers sifting through his fringe. Green eyes drifted to the beauty beside him, squinting slightly at the midmorning sun peeking through the gaps at the edge of the blinds. "Good morning," he rumbled as he rolled to his side.

"Hey," Marinette smiled in a beguiling way that made him want to repeat what they'd done earlier.

"So, it wasn't a dream," he smirked as he pressed a kiss to the end of her nose.

"Nope, I'm really here and you can't get rid of me."

"Who said anything about getting rid of you? I plan to keep you forever, that is if you'll have me?" Adrien said playfully, though doubt still niggled at him.

"I thought I'd made it pretty obvious that yes, I want you forever." She told him as she ran her hand down his stubbled cheek to cup his jaw. "But what do we do about Ladybug and Chat Noir?"

Adrien let out a sigh. "I don't know. As I said, I don't want the attention from the media."

"But they don't know who you are under the mask, and you don't have to tell them. Just give a partial truth, that you had to go overseas to deal with some urgent family business. Say you need to keep it vague to protect your identity." Marinette suggested.

The model looked uncertain as he picked up a strand of her hair, twisting it between his fingers before tucking it behind her ear. "I guess that's a possibility."

"We don't have to do anything now. I don't want to pressure you into something you're not ready for. But I do miss the way we used to race across the skyline together." She poked him lightly on the chest. "Speaking of which, where were your fancy acrobatics last night?"

He shrugged, "I was trying to be stealthy. Flash and flair aren't exactly conducive when trying to remain unnoticed."

"That's not my Chat Noir." She said with a teasing smirk.

"Oh, so you're finally acknowledging that I'm yours?" Adrien said returning her expression as he shuffled closer.

Marinette gave him a saucy look down her nose, "Needing further affirmation, kitty?"

"Always," he grinned.

Snaking an arm around his shoulders, Marinette laid a long simmering kiss on her partner. As she pulled away Adrien whimpered while his lips chased after hers for more. She pressed a finger to said lips, stalling his progress. "We really should get out of bed."

"Why?" he mumbled around her finger.

"Because I'm starving."

"Well, we can't have that." Rolling away, Adrien glanced over his shoulder as he stood without any qualms in displaying his naked body, walking over to the closet to grab a robe. Amusement had him grinning as he watched the way Marinette's eyes roved over him with unveiled lust.

"Adrien."

"Yes?"

"Come back to bed."

After a greatly delayed breakfast, Marinette brought up a topic Adrien had hoped to avoid. "Are you going to tell your father?"

Looking into his empty coffee mug he scowled. "I'd rather not. Things are already tense between us. He's furious that I don't hold entire ownership of the business now. To add the fact that I'm also the guy who he's been trying to steal magic jewellery from, probably isn't the way forward in mending our relationship."

"But he has no idea how much he's hurt you."

Adrien let out a snort. "He's never had any idea how much his behaviour affects me. The man is completely absorbed in himself and his own needs. In all honesty I have to wonder if the only reason he had me was to parade me around as his clotheshorse."

Marinette laid a hand over his. "That can't be true. He's always been protective of you."

"Because I'm an asset. The face of the Gabriel brand, or at least I used to be. I'm working to change that."

"But don't you think it would give you the closure you need? Keeping this sort of thing a secret will eat you alive. Look at the last three years."

The worry in her eyes warmed him. "I've got to admit it was a relief to finally tell someone. But it's different for us. We're partners, allies to the end. My father was the enemy. It seems tactically wrong to give him this much information. What happens when he gets out of prison? What if he manages to lay his hands on another miraculous? He'd know exactly who to target."

She nodded as she considered his words. "That's true. I kind of assumed that we were probably safe to let that little detail slide."

Tikki stopped gnawing on her biscuit. "Adrien's right. The less people that know your identities the better. You never know when something might happen, and you'll need that anonymity."

Adrien pointed at the red kwami. "See, she gets where I'm coming from."

Plagg groaned. "Oh please, until you busted your father's ass you were all gung-ho for sharing your identity with Ladybug."

The model pointed his fork at his kwami, "Yeah, but only her."

"Because you wanted to seduce her," Plagg taunted with a wiggle of his brow.

"Shut up, Plagg." He growled as he flicked a chunk of cheese off his plate at the cat kwami. Of course, the twerp caught it with his mouth and swallowed it whole.

Marinette placed a hand over her face to stifle her laugh. "And to think Adrien Agreste has been secretly plotting to get into my pants."

"They wouldn't fit him," Plagg deadpanned.

"Leave them be," Tikki said with a shake of her head.

Adrien reached for Marinette's empty plate and stacked it on top of his. Eyeing the kwamis, he asked, "Since there's no longer a magical threat, are we meant to hand back our miraculous?"

It was Marinette who answered. "No, Master Fu was okay with us keeping them for now. But the last time I spoke to him was when you removed your ring. Why did you do that?"

Plagg eyed him sharply, "Yeah why'd you do that?"

Letting out a heavy sigh, Adrien pushed the plates away. "It wasn't long after I'd gone to the police to give my statement." His hand lifted to rub his nape. "I'd been torn up whether I should do it or not. I knew it needed to be done, but it still felt like a betrayal to my father. Yet I felt I owed it to you and to the people of Paris. He couldn't accept that what he'd done was wrong."

She got up from her seat and walked behind him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and resting her head beside his. "You did the right thing."

"Yeah, well. I um, was debating whether or not to return as Chat Noir. Things were crazy hectic at work. When I finally decided to transform I got your message. When you mentioned that you suspected I had a connection with Gabriel Agreste I freaked out. I wanted to distance myself from that aspect of my life and I impulsively took off my ring while transformed."

Tikki gasped and looked at Plagg. The black kwami rolled his eyes, "What can I say, he's a drama queen."

"What did you do with your miraculous?" Tikki asked.

"I put it on a chain and wore it around my neck. I didn't think it safe to leave it anywhere at home. Especially given that it had been Hawkmoth's domain. I was overseas when I finally caved and put it back on. Plagg gave me a thorough verbal roasting, which I won't repeat." Adrien eyed his kwami who gave him a self-satisfied smirk.

Marinette pulled away from him as she quietly spoke. "I thought you'd come back when Tikki sensed you were wearing your ring again. I was so disappointed when you didn't."

Adrien spun in his chair to face her. "I'm sorry. I was halfway across the world at the time. I had no idea that your kwami could sense what I had done. It was only later that Plagg told me. He's good at leaving out little details like that."

Plagg shrugged. "What's done it done. I didn't see the point in saying anything."

"No, you just played continual pranks on me."

"Ah, but you learnt your lesson, right?"

"Yeah, don't piss off your kwami."

Tikki looked to Marinette, "That's good advice."

"What about your partner?" she asked with a pointed look at Adrien.

"Um, yeah, same deal there. Again, I'm sorry. But look at it this way, I will endeavour to make it up to you repeatedly." He wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively.

"Oh, puke," Plagg grumbled. "I thought it was bad enough when he was just pining over her."

Marinette looked dumbfounded. "Adrien was pining, for me?"

Plagg fluttered his eyelids and held his paws together in mockery. "Oh, why won't Ladybug love me? Who could she be, Plagg? My heart bleeds for my lady."

"He's exaggerating," the model insisted.

Tikki giggled, "Marinette was the same, but it was 'oh Adrien' about anything and everything."

"Shut up, Tikki!"

"Really?" Adrien asked with a wide grin. "You were mooning over me? Wow, I'm flattered." He leant towards Marinette with a cheeky wiggle of his eyebrows, "Were you all breathy and sensual when you said it?"

She slapped his shoulder as she blushed. "I'm not telling."

"Why? Are you worried it'll get me excited?"

The kwamis looked at each other and nodded. Plagg loudly whispered, "Let's play Go Fish while these two make goo-goo eyes at each other."

Adrien laughed and turned back to Marinette. "I think we grossed out our kwamis."

"At least it'll stop them making embarrassing comments."

The model smiled at her and reached for her waist, tugging her sideways onto his lap so she faced him. "I think kissing in front of them is a purrfectly acceptable way of getting them to leave."

Marinette's eyes widened. "You punned."

"I did, wow I haven't done that in ages. Must be you."

"Are you saying I evoke the punster in you?"

Adrien threw her his smoulder, "You evoke a lot of things in me."

"Why do I get the impression we'll be staying in?"

"Because your instincts are rarely wrong, milady. Now then," he said hefting her into his arms, and carrying her back to the bedroom. "I'm determined to hear a demonstration of this 'oh Adrien' business."

The lovebirds are finally together, but will Chat Noir decide to return to the public eye? Let me know what you think?

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