Hey, y'all. This is a very short what-if one-shot, it's very basic but just popped into my brain. I'm sure it's been done before, but regardless, I hope you like it :)

Marinette

Something brushes my ear, sending shivers down my spine. I huddle further under my covers, but the sensation doesn't go away.

All the hairs rise on the back of my neck.

I groan, groggily clearing the sleep from my eyes and blindly reaching for the piece of paper that miraculously hadn't been there before.

I glance up, my skylight wasn't open before.

I gape as Wayzz peers back at me, before disappearing. "Wayzz?"

The ink on the page blurs together for a moment before focusing.

Adrien,

You are a most incredible Char Noir. But I cannot let you and Ladybug risk your lives to fix a mistake I made.

I hope you can forgive me.

Be happy and forget all about me.

- Fu

My mouth drops open. Adrien? Chat Noir? Ladybug? Master Fu?

Wait—but Wayzz.

I bolt upright, looking frantically around my room. "No way. Tikki?" I don't see her. I propel myself through the skylight up to the balcony, nearly throwing myself off the railing. "Master, wait!"

Master Fu startles before riding off in a panic.

I fly downstairs, not caring if I make a racket and wake my parents. He took Tikki. He's running away!

I throw open the door to the bakery, pounding down the street in my slippers. "No. Master, Wait!" I thrust a hand out as if an invisible force will stop him, but nothing does.

I vault over the park gate, sprinting over the dirt and grass in a hopeless effort to cut him off at the corner. "Master!"

I reach the other end of the park, once against vaulting over the gate. I'm so close! I can reach him—

A massive purple blob near splats onto the cobblestone in front of me. Four legs protruding from its round body.

I gasp, skidding to a stop.

"Yummy, yummy, Miraculous!" It seems to say in a deranged voice and sprints after Master Fu on his bike.

I glare after it, clenching my fists. I won't be able to catch up to them on my feet, and if that thing is an akumatised villain or a sentimonster, I can't have Hawk Moth and Mayura finding out my identity.

All of this will have to wait.

Adrien

My sheets rustle, followed by a startled squeak.

"Plagg?" I question groggily, cracking open an eye. The only thing that greets me is the corner of a sip of paper, dangerously close to my eye.

I make an alarmed noise, shifting my head away before picking it up.

Marinette,

You are a most incredible Ladybug. But I cannot let you and Chat Noir risk your lives to fix a mistake I made.

I hope you can forgive me.

Be happy and forget all about me.

- Fu

What…?

Marinette?

What does Marinette have to do with Master Fu?

Marinette… Ladybug.

My mouth slowly drops the more I read over the text. But then… wait.

I glance around my room, seeing no sign of Plagg nor the fake doll he made of himself from one of my socks. He's not here, and the lack of evidence left behind by him means he was taken unwillingly.

I throw off my covers and fling my hand out blindly for my phone. No akuma alerts yet. So, then why? It's clear to me it was Master Fu who took Plagg, and he left me a note for Ladybug—or well… it seems like Marinette.

I scour the news, nothing unnatural having occurred so far overnight. A few reports of accidents and crimes committed, but nothing massively out of the unusual. There are a few detailed columns on the new exhibit in the Louvre of that 'lava monster'. Interestingly, it had the Miraculous insignia on its forehead.

The question of why has been plaguing me since I noticed it.

Fifteen minutes later, an akuma alert sounds on my phone. Immediately, I bring up the live feed.

"Master Fu!" I recognise on screen, being chased by a massive purple monster, very much resembling that monster from the museum—only much bigger. How could it be alive now? How could it have grown so much? Is it akumatised, is it possible to akumatise something like that? Or is it a sentimonster?

But without Plagg there's nothing I can do.

Unless…

I rush to my wardrobe, flicking through outfit, after outfit—most of them the same everyday wear.

I pull out a Mr. Banana costume, I kept it after what happened with Oblivio, figuring I must've had a good reason to use it, and that it could be useful later.

Even though my lip curls, I have to admit, the time for later is now.

Now to figure out a way to catch up with them and be safe while doing it.

Marinette

The bike swings side to side between my legs as I rush to catch up, glancing down at my phone constantly as I use the live feed to navigate my way to them.

Eventually I skid around a corner, nearly losing my balance on the bike before eventually merging with the traffic.

I know driving on the road is dangerous, especially without Tikki's transformation, but even so, all my time as Ladybug has increased my stamina and endurance. Somehow, to my surprise—even without Tikki, I manage to keep up with the cars.

My thighs are burning. But I can't stop now.

"Hi there, Bugaboo!"

I glance to my left, taking in the banana suit and broom strewn over his back. "Chat Noir?"Adrien."Is that you?"

"Course' it is, who else would you expect by your side?"

"Isn't that costume of yours a littleunsafe."

"Only on the outside. I've got a helmet and pads on under my banana peel, Bugaboo."

"If you call me Bugaboo one more time—I'll start calling you Bananoir!"

"~As you wish, Bugaboo."

They dealt with it as quick as they could. Working together as Ladybug and Chat Noir once again. As always.

I throw the metal detector over my head, thrusting it into the air. "Miraculous Ladybug!"

I watch as my magical ladybugs fix the surrounding damage, and Master Fu's staff, sweeping it back into his hand. He smiles fondly between it and the Miracle Box.

"Pound it!" The three of us extend out fists.

"Thank you, Ladybug. Because of you, I won't have to run anymore."

I smile. "I only put your teachings to practice, Master."

My earrings begin to beep just as Chat Noir's ring does too.

We glance at each other, taking in one another longer than usual.

Master Fu looks between us, and I realise,he doesn't know. He doesn't know he mixed up our letter. He doesn't know thatweknow.

If we tell him, what would happen?

Chat Noir's lips twist unsurely, before he sighs, looking down at his ring and finally away. "I know two people who'd better run before they transform back," he says.

I smile sadly. "Goodbye, Master."

The two of us disappear our separate ways.

I pace the length of my bedroom once I'm home. "Hawk Moth knows now, Tikki." I chew my lip. "He's interacted with Master Fu through an akumatised sentimonster. This puts him at a whole new level of risk, and us!" I groan, putting my head in my hands. "And Adrien—beingChat Noir!" I pull at my hair. "How is that possible? Neither of them are alike!" Except now that I know, I can see it.

"You can see it now, can't you," Tikki says, reading my mind.

I rub my arms, and nod. "At least in appearance. But they're so different. Who is Adrien and who is Chat Noir?"

"They're both the same person, Marinette."

"I know that, Tikki." I stare at the floor. "But which one is the real Adrien, which one is the real Chat Noir? W-who am I in love with? Am I still in love? A-and Chat Noir! He's in love withme!"

"Ladybug," she says.

"Me!" I reiterate. "Did you not just say Adrien and Chat are the same person?"

"…Yes."

"T-then."

"What are you going to do, Marinette?"

"I don't know, Tikki. I'm honestly so lost. Should I say something? If I do, what will happen? Would I even be able to say anything at all? I can hardly string together a coherent sentence to Adrien's face."

"But not you know he's Chat Noir. You tease and joke and are serious with him. You can talk to him! They're the same person." She rests her hands against mine, reassuring me. "You can do this!"

Adrien

"What do I do, Plagg?" I glance around the school wall, searching for any sign of Marinette. I feel like an idiot. Why am I hiding?

He yawns. "Just tell her."

"But what do I say?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

"You're not meant to! You're meant to help me."

He huffs. "That sounds like the same thing to me."

I glare at him. "Should I say something to her in the first place? I don't feel like it's right to stay quiet. I got her letter, that must mean she got mine."

"Or Master Fu didn't address you as Chat Noir in your letter like he did her Ladybug in hers."

I groan. "I think you're missing the point."

"And what point is that?"

Finally, I spot her, walking absentmindedly it takes her a moment to realise Alya is calling her name. I'm surprised she's not late.

I smile. "I think I want to share this with her." I glance back at him. "As me, as us."

He considers me for a moment. "Do you really think that would do you any good, either of you? What if something disastrous happens."

I look back to Marinette. "Then we'll face that together too, as we always do."

The school bell rings, and the realisation settles in my stomach that she'll be sitting behind me all day.

When should I talk to her?

During recess I realise trying to talk to her during out scheduled breaks is futile. There are too many people around. Too many people who could overhear or interrupt.

Not a good idea.

If she asks to go to the bathroom I could as well, and vice versa… hope if I ask that she'll follow. But that might be creepy and weighs too much on chance.

The best option would be to ask her to meet after school, even if that draws unwanted attention. Unlike the people around us, Marinette and I can go anywhere we want.

"Marinette." I approach her and Alya at recess.

She jolts, eyes going wide and blood rushing from her face.Yep, she knows.

"Do you want to do something after school?"

Alya's mouth drops open before she bites her lips and cheeks blow out like a chipmunk's, almost as if a scream is about to burst the seam of her lips.

"S-s-s-s-s-sure," she stutters, racketing as she turns to face me.

I glance at Alya. "Eiffel tour?" I mutter, hopefully quiet enough for just her to hear.

She stops shaking, inhaling deeply before nodding and not uttering another word.

I let out a breath as I walk away.

"Dude," Nino chuckles at me, "what was that all about?"

Marinette

I don't turn back as I swing my way to the Eiffel Tower, I know he's following. He waited for me to leave before doing so himself.

My legs nearly give out as I set my feet on solid ground at the very top of the Eiffel Tower. We have many places we meet across Paris, but this one is by far the most secluded, offering us as much privacy as we need. Save for the occasional helicopter footage. But the media has learned to respect us when we seek solace alone, either by ourselves or together.

I turn to face him, hardly able to stop shivering even though it's not cold.

Chat smiles nervously. "Hi."

"Hi," I breathe, clenching my fists.

Neither of us say anything more. I don't know what to say to further the conversation. I don't know how to start or how to end or how to talk in the first place.

"So…" he begins only to trail off.

I shut my eyes, inhaling deeply to calm my nerves and heart before opening my eyes to face him again. "So." I sigh. "We know."

He nods. "We know."

"Have you told anyone?"

He balks. "Of course not! Have you?"

"No!"

"I didn't think you would. And I hoped you'd think I wouldn't either."

"Of course I didn't!"

"Then why'd you ask."

"Because I figured it… I… that I should." Months.Monthswe've been doing this together. I'm starting to realise how much I don't know about him. About Adrien, and about Chat Noir. Even though I know him as both, they're still two different persons in my brain. I saw him at school today, a friend, a model, a student, a classmate. And now here before my, my partner, a superhero, my most trusted friend. It's hard to wrap my head around.

"Well," I start again, "are you disappointed?"

I expect him to ask 'about what', but he doesn't. Instead, he says, "How could you think that?" He gapes at me. "Of course not! You're amazing. You're Ladybug, you're Marinette. You help people, every day, so many people." He raises a clawed hand to his chest. "I admire you so much, you inspire me every day." He looks away. "I know I've sung your praises, professed my love, heavily, to your face." He huffs. "I meant every word and I still do because I think you're amazing."

"T-thank you." I look down. I wasn't expecting that.

"And me? Wh… what do you think?"

"The same. Every word. Maybe not to your face." I chuckle at that. "But I care for you a lot and I feel so incredibly lucky to know both sides of you."

He smiles at that. "I'm really looking forward to being with you, learning to read between the mask."

"Me too," I beam.