A/N: So we have an extra chapter now I guess. I honestly forgot how much more detailed and in-depth my writing style is now Vs younger me. Reading over the first version of ABOI really made it obvious. It's crazy seeing all the differences. Like really crazy.

Nevertheless, I want to apologise to you all for taking three months to get this chapter done. I had some really important exams and completely forgot to post author's notes about them on all my works so it's my fault. Sorry for leaving you all hanging.

Tardiness aside, hopefully I can finish ABOI by the end of this year. Oh that would be great. So look out for updates guys. I'm planning to get all rewrites done by the end of 2023!

Till next time,

D.L.D

Chapter Three: Moonlight

Marinette

Everything was beautifully clear tonight, not a cloud in sight within the inky night sky. Only bright moonlight, gentle starlight, battled the darkness. Marinette released a content sigh as she leaned against her balcony railing, admiring the starry atmosphere. Rarely did the sky clear up enough in the city to see so many stars. Usually, on a night like this, she would have some treats stowed on the rooftop with her, keeping her company as she traced constellations and Tikki told her the stories behind them.

Tonight, though, it was more quiet. Pensive. Instead of listening to Tikki's tales about warriors and legends and myths, Marinette was absorbed within her own thoughts, puzzling over ice-cream once more. Her supposed soulmate. Andre had given her one of his magical ice-creams and said that the mint represented his eyes. Mint green, a deep green, a rich green - Marinette had only come across two people she knew with eyes of such a shade of green: Adrien Agreste and Chat Noir; Chat Noir and Adrien Agreste.

Both blondes were two people of high importance in her life. But while Chat Noir was her friend, confidant and crime-fighting partner, Adrien was her long-time crush, her unattainable love. In her eyes, Marinette could only see Adrien as the more perfect fit for her. Chat Noir, while still admirable and kind, just wasn't what she wanted. At least, she had always thought so.

So, for most of her evening, Marinette had remained on the rooftop, questioning just who her ice-cream could be. That got her thinking, theorizing, connecting loose strings into longer, more viable ropes. Wouldn't Chat Noir have black ice-cream to represent his suit? Wouldn't Adrien have lemon-flavoured ice-cream for his golden hair? What Andre gave her was way too vague to give any true conclusion. Any true difference to say which it was.

As if on cue, Tikki popped up beside Marinette, interrupting her thoughts. Carefully, the kwami took a seat on the ledge of the balcony, her little arms pressed against the cool metal surface.

"You know Marinette," Tikki blinked, a thoughtful grimace on her adorable face. "Maybe you're thinking about this all too broadly."

"Why would you say that, Tikki?" Marinette asked, turning to face the wise, little creature. Usually she wouldn't question Tikki and her musings. With her thousands of years of experience, it felt silly to critique the kwami on most of the things she said. Compared to Marinette, Tikki was much more experienced and seasoned by thousands of lifetimes. However, with this subject Marinette felt a little more wary.

Tikki, as wise as she was, didn't know as much as Marinette about it all. Tikki didn't have experience with Marinette's feelings, Marinette's thoughts and Marinette's problems. Sure, Tikki did experience them secondhand, and yes Tikki could advise on what to do, but Tikki ultimately could not say what was best. All she could do was advise.

"Well, Adrien had an ice-cream that looked an awful lot like Ladybug," Tikki answered, humming innocently as she shrugged. She tilted her head toward Marinette, raising a brow. "And aren't you Ladybug?"

"That doesn't mean anything, Tikki," Marinette blushed at the thought, rather flattered that Adrien could have actually received her alter ego as an ice-cream. But it was nothing new. Just about everyone knew someone with a crazy Ladybug crush - especially with the people around her age. "He could just be a fan of my work."

"But with the dark blue for your hair and the light blue for your eyes there's no denying it," Tikki sang, her little voice carrying well in the evening air. Cheerfully, she grinned, "Maybe he's figured out who you are."

At Tikki's words, Marinette felt her heart flutter. Maybe, just maybe, Adrien did return her feelings. Maybe he knew about who she was. Maybe he knew that she was Ladybug. But that was all just a bunch of loose maybes, a bunch of conclusions that are not strung together properly. Therefore, the opposite could be just as true. Adrien could not like her; Adrien could not know who she was; Adrien probably didn't return her feelings.

"I wish," Marinette mumbled, allowing her chin to rest on her hand. Idly, she gazed back up at the stars, wanting to distract herself. "I wonder what Chat Noir's doing right now."

Often, in her moments of calm, Marinette found herself wondering about how her partner was doing. What was his life like? Did he also go to school? Was he perhaps her age? Maybe she knew him in their everyday lives. Maybe she passed him every day, spoke to him, laughed and smiled with him without the mask, and didn't even realise it. Perhaps, just maybe, he was someone close to her - in real life. In her mind, the possibilities were endless, limitless.

There were so many answers, so many different realities. And sometimes, just sometimes, it was fun to think about it all. Questioning who he was, what his life was like, made Marinette think of what he thought of her. About her life. It made her wonder if Chat Noir even thought she could be herself, Marinette, an almost ordinary girl with an almost ordinary life.

"Hey there, Princess."

She heard his voice before she spotted him, being able to recognise his cheery timbre above all others. However, his greeting always made her roll her eyes. Not a moment could go by without Chat Noir playing his role as the resident casanova. He always had to use that smooth charm of his on her or any person nearby.

"Chat Noir is that you?" Marinette called out into the darkness, smiling despite herself. A laugh wanted to escape her as well, but she held that back. Laughing would give him too much credit; he would take it as her enjoying more than just his company.

"The one and only," He grinned, appearing to her left as he balanced on her balcony. Easily, he bowed, his back turned to the roads below, filled with the passing traffic of Paris' nightly commuters and tourists. Any normal person would think doing such an act would be insane. Asinine. But for Paris' famed Chat Noir, acts of great balance and faith were nothing new for him. More or less every day he had to do something that relied on his ability and faith.

Marinette knew that and so she didn't pay much attention to his theatrics. Chat Noir was always one to show off, to always put on his best performance for his watching audience - both when saving the day and just hanging around with her. So this - the grandeur of their opening exchange - was nothing new. Instead it was a welcome distraction, a way to try and take her mind off the Andre's ice-cream dilemma.

"So why did you come to visit this time?" Marinette asked, shaking her head as the superhero took a seat beside her, his legs dangling over the railing of her balcony. "I hope you haven't gotten into trouble."

"Me?" Chat Noir said, blinking innocently. Smiling simply, he shook his head, "Nope, I'm as good as gold." At his answer, Marinette raised a brow. Instantly, he rectified his words, scratching his neck sheepishly. "Ok, almost as good as gold."

'More accurate,' Marinette thinks, 'Definitely more accurate'. Although Chat Noir was not someone who intentionally sought out trouble, the black cat always seemed to attract it anyway. Whether it be a mishap with an akuma or something that happened in his personal life, Chat Noir was always winding up in some sort of trouble or misfortune. Bad luck - as they say - always followed black cats. Chat Noir didn't appear to be the exception - even if he was one of Paris' famed superheroes.

"So what's up, Chat?" Marinette got straight to the point, trying to stop the train of thoughts that kept steaming ahead in her mind. Right now, she wanted a break from thinking about ice-cream and soulmates. Now, in this moment, she just wanted to talk to her friend, her partner in fighting crime. Nothing else.

Fate appeared to disagree though, as Marinette immediately noticed how her question had affected the superhero beside her. Unlike usual, when he would fully relax and unwind in her company, Chat Noir appeared to hold a nervous edge tonight. An edge that felt almost permeable in the late evening atmosphere, dimming out the stars and their silver, shining lights. Even his costume's ears, usually perked with happiness or excitement, were tense and taught with hesitation. Anxiety.

Nerves, anxiety, rarely was present in Chat Noir. For all the time she had known him, all the moments she had spent with him, Marinette had only occasionally caught glimpses of a nervous and uncertain Chat Noir. Often, when that did happen, something serious was behind it. Something severe and weighted and important.

So, with baited breath, Marinette stared at the blonde hero, her anxiety rising as he shifted slightly.

"Well," Chat Noir began, rubbing at the back of his neck. Nervously, his eyes flicked away from her face, focusing on the ground far below him. "We need to talk actually."

"Talk?" Marinette echoed, swallowing the gulp that threatened to form. Now she was on edge, her hands feeling clammy as they tightened around the railing. "What about?"

Another pause from Chat Noir. Marinette could have sworn that she saw something flash across his face, caught a small whisper of some unspoken thought in the gentle breeze. There was something, just something, sitting within his green eyes, begging to be shared, pleading to be explained, but Marinette could not figure it out for the life of her. Not when he was keeping it hidden so well.

"Could we talk somewhere more private?" Chat Noir broke the silence, sounding sheepish as he caught her bluebell eyes.

"Yeah," She replied, more breathlessly than she would have liked to admit. Inside her chest, Marinette's heart raced, thumping erratically behind her ribs. Hopefully, Chat Noir could not hear it. "Just give me a moment to clear up."

Now more nervous than ever, Marinette stiffly turned away from Chat Noir and headed toward the trapdoor which led to her room. Honestly, she didn't think that this visit would turn into a deep conversation between them both, circling around the latest issue to plague one of their lives. Most of the time, when Chat Noir did drop in for his nightly visits, they would spend time wasting time. Talking about any and everything, watching movies or playing video games were at the top of their agenda.

Tonight appeared to be different. An exception. And that exception had Marinette feeling anxious, apprehensive, toward the news Chat Noir had to share.

Releasing a sigh that sounded more like a puff of panic, Marinette opened her trapdoor and dropped down onto her bed. Immediately, she was face-to-face with her collection of Adrien pictures, all of them pinned to her walls, scattered on her desk or taped to her computer. All of them incriminated her obvious crush on the model. They also were evidence of her crush straddling the line between stalker and mega-fan.

Chat Noir could not see this.

"Can you hide the pictures Tikki?" Marinette asked, already producing a poster to cover up her wall of Adrien pictures. Seamlessly, she stuck it over the bulletin board of memorabilia. "I'll cover this area."

"On it!" Tikki nodded, sending Marinette a curt nod before zipping off to the lower levels of the room.

Within moments all traces of Marinette's super-obvious crush were gone, the pair well-used to hiding the evidence. Every picture, all of the little notes and schedules and gifts, were stashed and stowed away in select hiding spots. Often, when unexpected visitors came over, Marinette and Tikki had to speedily tidy up the room; Marinette never liked it when people who weren't close to her knew about her infatuation.

"Alright, we're clear!" Marinette poked her head out of the trapdoor, sending a smile and thumbs-up to Chat Noir. Despite her nerves, the smile he gave her in return made her grin grow a little wider.

Soon they were sat side by side, sharing a box of muffins that Marinette had originally intended to take up with her to the rooftop. Leaving Marinette to have some sense of privacy, Tikki had gone to her own little hiding place, taking a cookie with her to keep herself busy and full. That left Marinette and Chat Noir more or less alone, the conversation they were about to have being only between them and no-one else. Not another soul.

"So..." Marinette began, picking at the chocolate chips on her muffin. Intense apprehension still sat in her gut, gathering and fluttering like butterflies crammed into a tiny cardboard box. "What's on your mind?"

A laugh left the superhero, "Straight to the point, huh?"

"Straight to the point," Marinette smiled, a somber chuckle leaving her as well.

Not knowing, having this knot of anxiety bundled in her gut, was much worse than knowing what was wrong. So many questions, so many thoughts buzzed through her skull at this moment. Did Chat Noir know? Had he figured out who Ladybug was? Was that why he came here tonight? If so then Marinette didn't know how she would respond - what she would respond with. So instead she shook her head, trying to clear away the questions, staring at her partner as she waited for an answer.

"I need you to promise something first," Carefully, cautiously, Chat Noir delivered these words, staring Marinette directly in the eye. An empty muffin wrapper was being toyed with within his hand, exposing his own jittery nerves. "You can't freak out about this. At all."

"Ok," Marinette responded slowly, trying not to show how much her panic had risen with his words. Now every single alarm was blaring in her skull, flashing bright red lights and screaming in high-pitched sirens and bells. "I promise."

At her response, he took in a deep breath before saying, "I think I know who Ladybug is."

Hot blood ran cold within Marinette's body, causing her spine to stiffen straight with a horrible, terrible chill. This was bad news! Terrible news! Chat Noir could not have a clue as to who she was. Chat Noir should not even have an inkling as to who Ladybug could be. Yet he was here beside her, more serious and nervous than she'd ever seen him before, confiding in her - Marinette - about Ladybug's possible secret identity.

There could only be one reason for that. There could only be one plausible cause.

"I don't think you should be telling me this," Marinette spluttered out, her heartbeat thundering within her ears. Nervously she twisted her own empty muffin wrapper. "You and Ladybug have secret identities in order to protect Paris. If I knew about it and became akumatised, then Hawkmoth could take you both down. Plus..." She bit her lip, "I doubt Ladybug would be happy if you told a civilian about her secret identity."

"You're right," Chat Noir nodded, agreeing with her points. However, he was grinning now, looking incredibly smug as Marinette became even more nervous. "So it's a good thing I'm asking Ladybug herself, right Marinette?"

More dread. Sudden, engulfing dread that grabbed her brain and told her to panic, to overload, to do everything and anything to get Chat Noir off her trail. He wasn't meant to know. No-one but Ladybug was meant to know about who she was; Marinette needed to keep it that way. All of Paris, heck more or less the entire goddamn world, was resting on her ability to keep her secret identity hidden away from watching eyes.

"What?" Marinette scoffed, rolling her eyes as she nudged the superhero. "Me being Ladybug? Psh, as if."

"Marinette, I'm being serious," Chat Noir sighed, shaking his head. Deja vu - instant deja vu. This had happened between them before, in some distant timeline that Marinette couldn't exactly pinpoint. But this moment, this feeling of being placed under pressure, under an intense spotlight, felt familiar. Too familiar. Even down to the way he trapped her under his stare, intense and imploring. "Are you Ladybug?"

"No," Quick, blunt, she answered staring at the ground, suddenly interested in the pattern of her floorboards. Tightly, the muffin wrapper was now twisted into a tense coil, ripping from the intense tension of Marinette's grip.

Deny, deny, deny. With Marinette - with Ladybug - it was always the denial game. Chat Noir would always be the person suffering from her denials - both romantically and emotionally. He was her best friend - her closest friend - but he couldn't know everything. Knowing everything was too dangerous, much too dangerous, and he always wanted to step closer to danger despite knowing how much she will deny him access.

And every time, Marinette - Ladybug - hurt him. To keep them both safe, to keep Paris safe, Ladybug always had to hurt Chat Noir.

Perceptive as ever, Chat Noir appeared to catch onto Marinette's apprehension and capitalized on it. Attempting to capture her attention, he turned her face toward him, his finger resting under her chin as he tried to register just what was going on in her mind. Marinette couldn't help but feel all the more panicked and worried now. Trapped under the intense spotlight of his waiting stare, aware of his building suspicion, she didn't know what to do next.

"I think you're lying," Chat Noir finally stated simply, seeming teasing as he gave an accusatory stare. "There's something you're not telling me."

"There's many things that I don't tell you," Marinette returned just as simply, grinning smugly. Triumphantly, she folded her arms, turning away from the superhero. "And you can't get the truth out of me that easily."

"So you are Ladybug?" Chat Noir pressed, raising a brow. He just wasn't letting it drop. At all. Marinette could feel her inner Ladybug groaning at his admirable yet also equally annoying persistence. It was like he wouldn't ever just let it drop.

"I'm neither accepting nor denying your claims," Marinette answered, snatching a fresh muffin from the basket placed between them. This one was blueberry, the wrapper red with black dots littered around it. "I'm just saying that Ladybug wouldn't want you to know about her identity."

"Yep, you're definitely Ladybug," Chat Noir decided, nodding. Now Marinette couldn't tell if he was doing to wind her up or to pressure her into revealing the truth. Either way she was getting annoyed with it, especially since such thoughts could lead to the wide-scale destruction of the city.

"Fine I'm Ladybug," Marinette admitted jokingly, rolling her eyes. Continuing her rant, she took a bite from her new muffin, "I have a kwami stowed away in my room and I fight crime daily. My flirty superhero partner is madly in love with me and I always have a bunch of random akumas to fight caused by dozens of other people who idolize a teenage girl who saves the city with a yo-yo and a red spandex supersuit."

For a moment, Chat Noir is silent. Like those moments when a cat gets caught in the middle of an act - like when anything gets caught in the middle of an act - he blinked, only blinked, his brain registering something that Marinette couldn't comprehend. She hadn't said anything wrong right? Everyone knew those facts about Ladybug, right? RIGHT? However, the length of Chat Noir's silence was beginning to unsettle her. Greatly.

Finally, he quietly asked, "Marinette, how do you know what a kwami is?"

This was it. This was it. She had been caught red-handed. Stupid, stupid rambling!

"Google?" Marinette chuckled sheepishly, but she knew that Chat Noir wouldn't buy it. He was too perceptive, too good at absorbing what she said. She had ran herself right into this car crash of an identity reveal. Now she had to try her damnedest to make sure that it didn't explode right in her face. "Alright you got me. I'm Ladybug. Tikki, you can come out now!"

Breathless. He was absolutely astonished with her - for a reason that Marinette honestly couldn't comprehend. Nevertheless, she could decipher the pure awe, the overwhelming admiration, that filled her partner's face as he looked at her, all of his words snatched from his tongue. Countless times, Marinette had caught Chat Noir gazing at Ladybug in such a fashion; never before did she believe that he would share that exact same look for Marinette.

Closing his agape jaw, Chat Noir breathed, "So you really are..."

"Ladybug?" Marinette finished, raising a brow. This day was just panning out to be great. Very great. Not only had she been discovered but she had also broken Chat Noir's brain in the process. "Yep. The cat's out of the bag."

"Hey, that's my line!" The superhero jabbed, playfully elbowing her.

"Too bad, I'm taking it as compensation," Marinette grinned, glad that some of the awkwardness had been diffused from the situation. But, as always, reality was looming about in the shadows, dragging her back to business. "That being said, did you just come here to expose my identity or- "

"No," Chat Noir shook his head solemnly. "I know you really hate the idea of it. But since I found out about your identity, I thought that- "

"Your secret identity?" Marinette gasped, shaking her head vigourously. Again, the panic was threatening to take over, filling her veins with stiff adrenaline. "No. Absolutely not. It's bad enough that you know who I am. If I know who you are, then Paris will definitely be doomed if either of us get akumatized."

"Yes, but it's not fair if- "

"I don't mind," Marinette immediately shut him down, aware of how much it would damage his feelings - but she needed to do it. Even though she would feel horrible about it afterwards, even if Chat Noir deserved better than her constant cold shoulders and biting remarks, Marinette needed to keep them locked and loaded. For their safety. For Paris' safety. For everyone's safety. Chat Noir couldn't know Ladybug's identity. "I really don't."

"But it's not just about how you feel about it, Marinette," Chat Noir countered, frowning. There was a shift in him, a change that she had never really witnessed before. A newly-lit passion. One that could rival his undying, unrequited love directed toward her alter-ego. The hand with the wrapper was balled into a fist. "I can't... it's hard carrying around this secret without anyone else to share it with."

Already Marinette could feel her heart throbbing, aching, for her friend. Yes, it was true; keeping secrets, hiding the truth, was always hard to do when you had no-one to shoulder that burden with. Too many times Marinette had found herself close to breaking down from the pressure of hiding the truth, constantly lying and editing the truth in order to protect her friends and family. No doubt, Chat Noir felt that way too - arguably, he probably felt it much more as he had always hinted at the estranged relationship between himself and his father.

Part of that showed tonight: in the balled fist, the tight frown, the edge to his voice. Maybe Marinette shouldn't be so harsh on him. Maybe, for once, Marinette should try - just try - to let him down much more softly than she typically did.

"I know it's tough, Chat, trust me I do, but..." Marinette sighed, shaking her head as she chalked up the many reasons why he couldn't reveal his identity to her. Millions were already there, flashing like blaring red warning alarms. "It's too risky."

"What if I told you that you already knew who I was?" Chat Noir pressed, seeming to gather more and more hope that she'd agree with every word. Hopefully, imploringly, he glanced at her, taking her hand in his. "That we were in the same class and were meters away from each other this entire time?"

"I still wouldn't mind," Marinette insisted, ignoring the part of her that niggled, begged, to just give in and surrender. To quit playing the bad guy. To just once - only once - let Chat Noir have his way. That part was quickly swallowed in the gelid panic of her more logical side. "For Paris' sake, for the world's, I don't mind."

"At all?" He echoed.

"Fine, I do mind," Marinette admitted, frowning. There, she said it - gave him a piece of what he wanted. However, she wouldn't let him win this battle; too much rested on her saying no. "But it's still too dangerous. Hawkmoth is out and prowling. We can't forget that just because you know who I am now."

"And I won't," Chat Noir promised, squeezing her hand in his. He gave her a tiny salute, grinning a little. "Chat's honour."

Against her better judgement, a light chuckle escaped Marinette as she glanced at her goofy partner. There was just this charm he had, this smooth charisma that could get a person to tell him everything without even thinking about it. Safety? Is that what it was? A sense of safety that seeped from his every fibre, wrapping around Marinette's brain and allowing her to unwind around him? Chat Noir was someone that she could always trust. When she was around him, Marinette could always be herself.

Nevertheless, it was unsettling. With just the right words, the right amount of charm, he could persuade her to do nearly anything. Not just anyone could do that to Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

"Fine," Marinette relented, removing her hand from his. She didn't want Chat to get any ideas - especially since she was giving him this liberty. "But if you do this, you have to promise not to grow distracted. All because we know who the other is beneath the mask doesn't mean anything changes. We're still partners in fighting crime and we're still whatever we are in the real world, ok? Nothing drastically changes."

"Ok," Chat Noir nodded, fully absorbing her terms and conditions. A classic Marinette move. Then, all too eagerly, he grinned as spoke the words to trigger a detransformation, "Plagg, claws in."

Flashing, a band of bright green light filled the room, causing Marinette to squint a little. She had forgotten how bright the light was from a transformation, used to being the emitter of said blinding, magical light. Nevertheless, her vision quickly adapted after the initial bright flash, focusing instantly on the oddly familiar face of her partner in kicking crime's butt. Golden blonde hair, and who could forget those gorgeous green eyes: it was Adrien Agreste. HER Adrien Agreste.

"A-Adrien!" Marinette squeaked, paling as she tipped over the edge of her bed. Too shocked to even notice, Marinette failed to catch her fall, instead focused on trying to process just how, HOW, her perfect crush was the same person as her goofy dork of a superhero partner. "H-how..."

"Whoa," Quickly, Adrien caught her before she fell, just grasping onto her arm. Eyes wide he peered down at Marinette, just a loose grip away from being an injured heap on the floor. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, you're per - I'm perfectly fine!" Marinette garbled out, her face now turning into a clear shade of pink. It only grew worse as Adrien hoisted her over the edge of her bed, making sure she was securely planted on the mattress before letting go. "I'm just star-struc... surprised! I'm surprised!"

"It is a huge shock," Adrien admitted, his own face tinged with a subtle blush. Chuckling, he scratched at the back of his neck as he glanced at Marinette's wall, noticing how she'd placed a poster for his father's brand on the wall right next to it. "I felt so stupid for not realising that you were Ladybug."

"It's not your fault," Marinette murmured, an edge of melancholy creeping into her voice. Rubbing at her arm, she continued, "I made her different from me on purpose. She's much more capable and brilliant, and that's because I wanted her to be like that. Ladybug had to be perfect."

"Sounds like the opposite of what Chat Noir was to me," Adrien sighed, letting his shoulder's deflate with the admission. Something that Marinette had never really noticed before he'd brought attention toward the matter. Did Adrien want to be... perfect? Had he always intended on being perfect? Part of her didn't think so. When she had first met him, yelled at him for putting gum on her seat, he didn't seem like the type who wanted to be perfect. If anything, it felt like Adrien Agreste wanted to be anything other than perfect.

Marinette didn't say anything. She couldn't say anything. What could she say in response to that truth bomb? What would be appropriate? Marinette didn't entirely know. So instead she opted to take his hand in hers, smiling as she squeezed it in support. When words failed her, she could always summon actions to try and bridge the gap they left. Adrien seemed to appreciate it as he smiled solemnly, his thumb swiping over the back of her own hand.

"Well, at least we're not shouldering it alone anymore."

"It's about damn time!" Plagg popped into the picture, an angry, tiny, black creature, seeming agitated as he scarfed down a large wedge of stinky cheese. "Sugarcube and I have been waiting for this moment for way too long."

"Speak for yourself, Plagg," Tikki joined him, wearing a tiny frown as she glared at her fellow kwami. Two minuscule hands rested on her hips as she floated beside her holder. "And at least I helped Marinette. You did nothing but tease Adrien."

"I did not," Plagg rolled his eyes, crossing his own arms. Floating on his back, he circled Adrien, nonchalant as he continued defending himself, "In fact I gave him some very important advice."

"Like?" Tikki raised a brow.

"Like the best types of cheese," Plagg answered confidently, wearing a smug grin. His tiny feline canines glimmered in the moonlight, making his grin appear like a crafty smirk. "And how good cheese is just like a good person: the longer you leave them to mature, the more enjoyable they are."

"Unbelievable," Tikki groaned, shaking her head.

"You know you missed me, Sugarcube," Plagg teased, now floating toward his counterpart. Grinning, he addressed Marinette, "Did you know that Tikki and I have been paired together since the beginning of time?"

"And it is absolutely terrible," Tikki sighed, mumbling something under her breath. "In fact, I miss you as much as I miss your stinky sock cheese."

Both kwamis then fell into a back-and-forth, zipping away from the bed to continue their debate in a much more private way. All the way, Plagg was taunting Tikki, taking on a sing-song tone as he circled her and spoke about the 'good old times' and how she tried to stop him from killing all the dinosaurs. Dumbfounded by it all, Marinette and Adrien could only watch as the two ancient creatures phased through the trapdoor, taking their dispute with them.

After seeing their two kwamis interact together, their dynamic as Ladybug and Chat Noir suddenly made a lot more sense. Tikki, with her no-nonsense attitude, clashed with Plagg's more lackadaisical and carefree demeanor. As a result, Ladybug always got frustrated with Chat Noir, who always tried to get her to lighten up and see the more optimistic side of things. Likewise, Chat Noir always grew tired of Ladybug's frigidness, taking her responsible nature as a sign of distrust.

Nevertheless, seeing the two kwamis didn't settle anything between the two heroes. If anything, it made them feel worse, anticipating what catastrophic event could follow this unexpected identity reveal.

"So, what now?" Marinette asked into the silence, still staring at the trapdoor.

How would things progress from here? What would the new normal for them be? Before, it was easy to hypothetically perform the action of acting normal and ignoring the glaring elephant in the room between them. When an identity reveal wasn't reality, it was easy to romanticize the idea of getting along with your crime-fighting partner; it was easy to act as if it wouldn't be awkward between the two of you.

Right now, Marinette was feeling the awkwardness set in thickly. Too thickly. She didn't know how to cope with this newfound revelation.

Luckily, Adrien always was the more adaptable of the pair.

"I guess we just continue as normal," Adrien shrugged, ignoring the intense confession that sat on the tip of his tongue, begging to be released. That could wait. Right now Marinette was nervous - too nervous - and piling on a confession of undying love would only make it worse. "Like you said, this shouldn't change anything between us."

"I know, but..." Marinette paused, taking in a deep breath. "How can we be normal if- "

"Just kiss already!" Plagg popped back in, glaring at the pair as he hovered over the trapdoor. In his hands was a new piece of cheese - this time Gouda - with a small cracker. "Half a million people have been waiting years for it to happen. It's overdue!"

"No-one asked, Plagg!" Adrien glared back at the kwami, knowing he was pushing it.

"Well I said it anyway," Plagg huffed, shaking his head as he swallowed the entire piece of cheese. As he phased through the door, he added. "Take it or leave it."

'Take it or leave it,' Marinette thought, her heart thumping in her chest. 'Take the moment or leave it.'

And in that moment, she did indeed take it, grabbing Adrien by his shirt and pressing his lips against hers. No thoughts passed through her brain, no anxious nerves, no nasty doubts, just pure action and seizing the day. Just as abruptly as she grabbed him, Marinette let Adrien go, face flushed and pink as a pink lady apple. Adrien was no different, completely caught off-guard by her actions. However, before he could even question her reasoning, Marinette spoke.

"I think I'm in love with you," She confessed between breaths, still flushed. And she meant it; no longer would Ladybug harm Chat Noir's heart.