Adrien answered his front door, surprised to see Marinette standing outside. "Marinette. Hi," he said, warmth in his voice as he pushed the door open wider.

His smile faltered at the expression on her face. He immediately knew something was wrong, though she was doing a decent job at hiding whatever it was.

"Sorry, Adrien, I should have texted first to make sure you were home." She didn't meet his eyes as she walked inside, and he felt a pit lodge in his stomach.

"It's fine, Marinette, you know I don't care. Hey–" He reached for her hand, pausing her movements. "Is everything okay?" Visions of an impending breakup flashed before him, and Adrien felt desperate to understand right then.

He wasn't ready to lose her, not now.

Not yet.

Marinette turned back to him, a hint of sadness and fear lurking behind her eyes. "I just have to… tell you something, Adrien." She squeezed his hand. "Will you come sit with me?"

Unable to speak through the lump in his throat, he nodded, following her to his couch.

Thankfully, she sat right next to him and took his hand, which eased his tension slightly. "I want to tell you how grateful I am that we found each other. I never expected to fall in love with you so quickly. But I would understand if this isn't something you can deal with, because I know it's only been a short while we've been together. And, I would understand if you didn't want to stick around, but I wish, I mean–"

"Marinette," he interrupted, relieved that she didn't seem to be breaking up with him, but concerned by her panicked words. Was she sick? He placed both hands on hers. "Tell me what it is."

Her eyes were glassy as she looked up at him. "I'm… I'm pregnant."

The words were completely unexpected. His eyes widened, but she continued speaking before he could fully process. "And… I'm so sorry Adrien, but I'm not sure if you're the father, or if it was from before we got together." She swallowed, clearly miserable, as Adrien froze.

Oh, no.

No, no, not this.

Not again.

Adrien felt the panic swirl through his body, threatening to immobilize him.

"You're… pregnant?" he rasped out. When she nodded, he quickly realized he couldn't handle it, jerking up to his feet. "I– I need… a moment. I'm sorry–" He saw the devastation on her face and forced himself to stop. Adrien tried to keep himself from falling apart for long enough to say, "Don't leave, please don't leave, Mari. I just need a few minutes alone. I'll be right back."

Adrien turned, trying not to stumble in his rush to get to his bedroom, passing straight through to the balcony outside before he hunched over, breathing hard with his hands on his knees.

Her words repeated in his mind, over and over again as he tried to take it in.

Marinette was pregnant.

The baby might be his, but might not be.

Fuck, how was this his life right now?

Any other circumstance, and Adrien would have been thrilled. A family with someone he loved? It was something he'd always longed for.

But Ladybug was also pregnant, potentially with his child as well.

The possibilities began to spread out before him.

He might have gotten both of the women he loved pregnant.

Ladybug and Marinette could both be having his child.

How would he… what would he do?

Or…

They both might be having someone else's baby.

Even that possibility left him with a strange feeling of despair.

Adrien shut his eyes tightly, trying to calm his racing heart. He had to get it together and get back out there. Marinette was upset, and he needed to figure himself out and be there for her.

He had to forget about Ladybug and her situation for now, until he found out for sure.

Breathe. Focus.

Marinette.

Pregnant.

If the baby was his, that was simple.

If it wasn't… that might be more complicated.

But he wouldn't abandon her. They would figure it out, together.

Unless having her ex's baby put her back in his arms, instead.

And Adrien was left alone. Again.

He tried to stop thinking. He had to get back out there.

When Adrien finally felt mostly in control of his emotions (a lie, really, he was a wreck), he walked back inside.

When he saw Marinette sitting on the couch with her face in her hands, his own panic drained away, leaving only guilt for his reaction and worry for her.

"Marinette, I'm sorry," he put his hand on her shoulder, "I just had to clear my head. You're–"

"There's more, Adrien." She lifted her head, her face twisted with pain. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you all this before now, but I thought I would try and get the paternity test done at my appointment today, but… but I found out… twins. Twins, I couldn't believe it." She let out a nearly hysterical laugh, and Adrien's mouth fell open. "And now I can't do the testing, not without an added risk to the babies."

Babies.

Adrien's mind spun like a hamster wheel, getting him exactly nowhere.

Marinette looked miserable. "Apparently… apparently they might… have different fathers? Because that's a thing that can happen, evidently. Oh god, it's such a mess. I wouldn't blame you if you didn't… if you needed space. And–" she sighed, cursing softly before dropping her head back into her hands. "There's… actually a third possible father. A guy I had a one-night stand with, as a rebound after my ex. Before you."

Something akin to a record-scratch sounded in Adrien's head, said hamster wheel screeching to a sudden halt.

Three… possible fathers?

Hold on.

But… why did that sound like…

"Who?" Adrien asked suddenly, his voice coming out more abrupt than he'd meant it to. "Who was the one-night stand with?"

An impertinent question, he realized belatedly. But he had to ask, because there was no way–

Marinette peeked up at him, the guilt marring her expression. "I… can you keep it a secret?" He nodded, his breath quickening. "It was… Cat Walker, actually."

Cat Walker.

But…. that was him.

And the only person he had slept with as Cat Walker was…

"And your ex?" he asked, something beginning to stir deep within him.

Marinette hesitated. "I… can't say. It's a bit of a… security thing? I'm sorry, I know that doesn't make sense, but, I really can't say."

Because her ex was Chat Noir.

Which meant…

Marinette was Ladybug.

The relief that both women he had loved were one and the same hit him then, the magic of the glamor breaking and nearly knocking him to the ground.

Instead of falling down like an idiot, however, Adrien merely tackled Marinette instead, throwing his arms around her and dragging her against him.

The quick release of his stress and tension left him almost weak.

He moved away, his hands on her shoulders as he looked at her, and something else clicked into place.

Adrien was her ex. And Cat Walker. And her current boyfriend.

There was no one else.

He was the father.

Pure joy filled him.

Somehow, they'd still managed to find each other, again. And now that they'd accidentally stumbled upon this backdoor around the magic keeping their identities hidden…

Perhaps they finally had the future they'd always wanted within reach.

"Adrien," Marinette said softly, watching his emotions play out on his face, obviously confused. "What's going on?"

"My lady," Adrien said, the words brimming with all of the love he'd held for her before, plus the love he had built up for her civilian side. "It's you."

Marinette's eyes widened and she gasped, staring at him silently for a moment with her mouth hanging open. "Chaton?"

His smile grew as his hands moved to her cheeks. "That's me." He kissed her then, unable to hold back any longer, though he kept it brief as it was clear she was still processing. She was smiling, though, which he hoped was a sign that she was okay with the revelation. He could barely hold in his excitement, free of the anxiety of the past couple of weeks. "Twins, Mari? We're having twins?"

Something shuttered over her eyes, her smile falling away. "There's still Cat Walker..."

Adrien dropped his forehead to hers. "That's also me, my lady. I was too much of a coward to face you right away, and I hid behind my old alternate self. I swear I didn't mean to take advantage of the situation that night, I just couldn't deny you one last time. But I'm so sorry I left without saying anything more, I thought it was easier for both of us that way."

Marinette seemed to barely take in his explanation, the awe slowly growing on her face. "It's you, then. They're all you."

"All me."

Marinette let out a small laugh, and then another that turned into a sob as she fell forward against him, her arms around his neck.

Soon, they both were lying on the couch, crying and wrapped up in each other's arms.

It took them both some time to calm down as they processed it all.

"Oh my god, Adrien," she eventually sniffled into his chest. "I can't believe… I've missed you, Chat. I know I fell for Adrien fast, but that didn't keep me from missing you, and now… Now you're here and you're you, and I love you."

Adrien tried to look down at her, but she was clinging to him so tightly that he could do nothing else but leave kisses against her hair. "I've missed you too, Bug. God, I've been so stressed out over how you were doing. Worried your boyfriend would hold it against you and leave you alone to handle the fallout."

She laughed softly, the sound muffled against his chest. "I mean, you did sort of leave me after I told you. I thought it was too much for you, and I hadn't even gotten to the worst parts."

"I'm so sorry," he groaned out. "I should have figured it out then, but I didn't and panicked instead."

She finally let him go, moving away slightly to look up at him with a small smile. "I was joking, I don't blame you at all for needing to think."

He let out a strained laugh. "Yeah, I still wish it had clicked right away, would have saved us both some stress."

"You figured it out," she said with a smile. Adrien couldn't look away from her, his hand moving from her back to her face as he began tracing her features with his fingers.

"Is… this okay?" he asked softly, a hint of his desperation showing through. "I know we had a rough time of it, before we broke up. I'm so sorry for hurting you."

She closed her eyes briefly, leaning into his hand. "Yes, I think we're okay. It was the right thing at the time, even though it was hard."

He let out a chuckle. "All that time we spent trying to decide if we could get around the Guardian's magic. And all I had to do was get you pregnant."

She giggled, then laughed harder as her fingers gripped his shirt tightly. "Maybe it weakened the spell he used, and that's how you finally caught on." She let out a sigh and laid her head down on his chest. "I'm not sure what this means for me as Ladybug. I still need to talk to the Guardian."

"Well, I'll be here with you, no matter what, Marinette. I love you."

She twisted her head in order to kiss him, her lips soft against his.

Then she turned in his arms until she was facing out on the couch, pressed against him with her head resting against his arm.

"So. Cat Walker was you." She hummed against his arm. "I should be more ticked at you, but I'm too relieved right now." She paused for a moment before letting out a huff of air. "I guess I'm just destined to fall for you no matter who you are."

"Wait," Adrien said, surprised, "you fell for Cat Walker?"

"Well, no, but I did have a crush on you when you first showed up when we were younger. Short lasting, of course; I missed my partner."

Adrien felt the warmth slide through his heart. "Of course you did. I cut out a lot of myself to become Cat Walker. A mask over my mask, I suppose."

Marinette went quiet for a few moments. "I'm sorry you needed to do that, Adrien."

He shrugged. "It helped me work through some things. Plus–" He paused, a grin forming. "It helps the ego to know you can't resist any version of me."

"Yes, well. You fell for me twice, too, so I'm almost as irresistible."

She sounded smug, and he couldn't help but smile as he said, "Go ahead, turn into a different version of Ladybug, and I'll fall for her too."

As they laughed together, he held her tightly. He was pretty certain he'd love any version of his lady, knowing that she was Marinette at her core.

Adrien let his hand wander down, sliding it beneath her shirt to rest on her stomach. He startled slightly, not expecting to feel a slight swell – how had he missed that before now? "Twins," he breathed, trying to imagine it.

"Mhmm."

His fingers gently caressed her skin as he contemplated something else. "Do you think our DNA changes when we're transformed?"

She tilted her head. "I… no. I don't think it works like that." He sighed wistfully, causing her to turn even further, trying to see him. "What is it?"

"...Thought it would be great if one had green hair."

Marinette snorted before smacking him with the back of her hand. "No, Adrien, you goof. That's not gonna happen. Don't you wish that on them."

"Maybe just some cat-like reflexes, then."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure they're bound to get your humor."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." He grinned down at her. "Come on, admit it. You love it."

Her eyes softened. "Okay, fine. You're right. I do."

Adrien pumped his fist in the air above her. "HA! Success!"

Her sigh was loud and dramatic as she sat up on the couch. "Oh come on, don't act like you didn't know. I fell in love with you as Chat Noir first, after all. I couldn't have done that without tolerating the jokes."

"Sure, sure. But now you've finally said it out loud. There's no escaping me now. Especially since you have…" he paused for dramatic effect, "...a pun in the oven."

Marinette grabbed the decorative pillow from the ground and threw it at him. "No! Nevermind, I take it back, you're not funny at all, and I'm leaving–"

He snagged her around the waist before she could get far, his voice coming out in a whine. "Aw, don't leave Mari. I'll be good, I promise. No puns."

She looked at him with narrowed eyes before the corner of her mouth quirked up. "You promise?"

"No more puns. For twenty minutes."

She groaned, but he saw the smile playing on her mouth as she sat back down, across his lap this time. "I don't know how you've managed to go this long without punning around me."

"Oh, it was bound to come out. Only a matter of time."

She laughed and took his face in both of her hands, bringing him down to kiss her. He eagerly obliged, the happiness coursing through him.

When the touch of her lips ignited his desire for more of her, he stood and swept her up into his arms. "Shall we go try for triplets, then?"

Her laugh was light and beautiful. "That's not how any of this works."

His smile turned mischievous. "Can't hurt to try, can it?"

Her bright blue eyes crinkled with laughter and an enticing flush reddened her cheeks.

Six months later, Marinette was quite relieved that neither twin was born with green hair.

However, there was a bit of commotion shortly after giving birth. Exhausted, Marinette looked up from a nursing Emma to see the nurse speaking quietly with Adrien, who was holding Louis.

"It's such a unique thing I've never seen before. Perhaps, a version of a coloboma? Here, let me show you. Marinette dear, hold her upright when she is finished."

Marinette shared a look of alarm with Adrien, having no idea what a coloboma was.

Adrien walked behind her, and when Marinette gently moved Emma into an upright position, the tiny infant's eyes opened wide for just a brief moment.

Bright green eyes looked back at her, the pupils coming to a point at the top and the bottom.

One might say that they looked quite similar to the pupils of a cat.

Fin

Bonus: Some Time Before the Breakup

Plagg flopped on top of Adrien's dresser with a sigh.

With his holder occupied and hanging out with that friend of his in the living room, Plagg had been forced to hide, cast off into boredom once again.

To make matters worse, he was low on cheese.

Feeling disgruntled, Plagg kicked the ball of yarn Adrien had gotten him as a joke, knocking it to the ground.

Ridiculous. He wasn't a cat; he was the embodiment of destruction in a tiny package, and he would never–

Something shiny caught his eye.

The nightstand was partially opened, and the sun from the window glinted off of something sticking out over the lip of the drawer.

Plagg pounced, dragging the odd shiny belt out of the drawer and to the ground. He batted it away, but then the end caught the light again, and Plagg dove for it.

One of his claws poked a small hole through the foil, letting out a satisfying quiet pop. Plagg popped a few more unnoticeable holes along the shiny material before growing bored once again.

He flew back up into the air, glancing at the words on the belt.

Plagg didn't know what condoms were, but the kid would probably notice if Plagg didn't return them.

He shrugged before dropping the whole thing back into the drawer, off to find something else to do.

A/N: This whole concept could have easily ended up anywhere between hilarious and angsty; is it a big surprise I leaned angsty? XD no but this was so much fun. If anyone else has their own take on it please write it because I would LOVE to read more!

Thanks for reading, let me know if you enjoyed the drama! Sadly I had no good ideas for commissionable art scenes from this one, but I still have a couple more in the works for Not Quite Right and my future Mariclaw spinoff to my Shadrien fic Dawning Light, so keep an eye out!