A/N: Previously titled "Masks". I have decided to reboot this with a different plotline. I hope you guys continue to enjoy it!

"Chat Noir!" Ladybug held out a hand to grab her partner, who was dangling from the side of the building with one hand. She grabbed his free arm with both her own and he held on desperately.

"My lady!" Chat gasped as he could feel his hand growing tired and losing its grip.

Ladybug dug her heels in the edge of the building, right under the ledge and crouched low, bringing her centre of equilibrium lower. She clenched her teeth and scowled in preparation.

Chat could feel his fingers losing strength and slipping off the edge. He curled them inwards, his claws digging into the cement. His arm quivered and he knew he'd have to let go very soon. If he let go, he would most likely drag the both of them over the edge and to their deaths. "I'm going to have to let go soon!" he warned her.

She nodded and braced herself, putting all of her strength to her lower body and started to haul him up. As she did, Chat let go of the edge of the building and for one jarring split second, hung freely. He quickly grabbed onto her arm, his feet scrabbling to find a foothold. Trouble is, the ledge of this building stuck a good foot out and he couldn't find a foothold if he tried; he was just freely hanging in there.

As he let go and his full weight hung from her arms, Ladybug was pulled forward a few heartstopping inches before she dug her heels in deeper. Even with the Miraculous, Chat was a dead weight and he was heavy. Her legs quivered and she gasped, putting in the last reserves of her strength into her arms and legs, using her position for better leverage. It took a lot of work, but she managed to pull him over the ledge until he could get his elbows on the edge.

Then the work was much simpler, because he could support his own weight. Together, they pulled him over the edge and onto the roof; both collapsing onto each other afterwards from exhaustion.

Ladybug forced herself to sit and crawl forward to him. She'd beaten the newest akuma-ridden human, only to turn around to find Chat hanging over the ledge, calling out to her desperately. Chat Noir was a few inches away from her, lying on his side and curling in a foetal position. She put a hand on his shoulder tentatively.

"Chat?" she murmured softly. "You're shaking."

He laughed weakly. "It's what happens when you see all nine of your lives flashing before your eyes." He tried to sit up.

Ladybug kept him firmly where he is. "Stay where you are until the shock wears off," she soothed, crawling forward until her knees met his. "I thought you said cats and nine lives are a myth," she tried to make light of the situation. Trying to sooth him, she stroked his hair gently, watching the strands glide easily between her fingers.

He gave another shaky laugh. "If that was just one life, it was a very long one. I'm sorry, my lady."

"Don't be. I'm here for you." Just as she said it, her earring beeped. She had three dots left.

Chat Noir's ring beeped as well, mirroring hers.

She looked around hesitantly as she stood up, knees still shaking from the adrenaline. "I- I guess I have to go...?"

"No, wait!" Chat Noir called out, scrambling to a stand as well. "Ladybug please. I'm tired of all this secrecy. I'm tired of hiding. When I was dangling on the side of this fifty storey building, I thought about all the things I've wanted to do but never got the chance to; things I've always told myself that I shouldn't let others know. But now I'm done with that. I just want you to know. I want you to know who I am behind this mask. I'm ready."

Ladybug hesitated still. "Chat Noir, I told you a while ago that this wouldn't be a good idea. I'm not ready for this." Her earring beeped midsentence. Two dots left. She clasped a hand over her ear.

"Then I'll close my eyes. I swear on my life, I will not peek. But for me, Ladybug, I want you to know. I want you to know beyond who you think I am. I want you to know me." His ring beeped and he curled his hand into a tight fist. He was still shaking, but not from his near death experience. "I'm ready," he repeated, his tone firmer than before.

Both their Miraculous beeped. One dot left. Ladybug could feel the seconds ticking as she struggled to make a decision. By now she knew it was too late to make a legitimate escape. She took a deep breath and let it out in a soft whisper. "Okay." She closed the small gap between them and took his hands in hers as an act of faith. Faith that he will keep his word and that he will ensure his eyes stay closed. "Close your eyes."

Quickly, he scrunched his eyes tight. A split second after he did, the Miraculous beeped its last beep and their transformations wore off. She closed her eyes as well against the glare of the transformation. When the transformation wore off, she could feel the heat of his hand on hers without the gloves. His hands are cold and they were still shaking.

Slowly, hesitantly, she opened her eyes. She was apprehensive; this was Chat Noir, her fighting partner. He was ready to reveal himself to her and respected her wish against revealing herself. Still, it felt almost like fear. She was afraid to open her eyes.

Finally, she forced her eyes open, blinking in the glare of the setting sun. The first thing she noticed was that her back was to the sun and she cast a shadow over him. Her eyes fell on their hands, loosely intertwined. Her fingers looked pale and very delicate in between his. Slowly, she ran her eyes upwards. When her gaze fell on his face, this face without its mask, she gasped in absolute shock and leapt back as if she'd touched a live wire. She felt very odd, like she was doused in icy water or like she was watching everything from somewhere else. Like she wasn't here.

But there was no mistaking it. She knew this blonde hair, she knew almost painfully that if he'd open his eyes, they'd be a brilliant shade of green. This was the face that she'd watched with earnest yearning for so long.

"My lady?" His mouth opened, his voice rolled out exactly the way she'd always admired it. But these were not his words.

Marinette walked backwards, away from him. She can't believe it; all this time she'd yearned for him, all this time she had pined for him and he was right there by her side. After all this time, he was by her side. Unconsciously, her hands flew to her mouth and she let out a sob.

"Ladybug?"

"Stay away from me!" she squeaked, tripping over her feet and falling down with a hard thump, wind knocked out of her.

"My lady, are you okay?" Adrien made to help her, eyes still scrunched tight.

"No!" She instinctively held out a hand to stop him, which was unnecessary. "This was a mistake! I'm sorry but this was such a mistake. I knew I should just leave things as they are; I knew this was a bad idea." She was rambling now and she couldn't stop. She just couldn't believe it, couldn't wrap her head around it. Adrien is Chat Noir?

He stopped short, arms still outstretched to blindly help her. She could almost see the wheels turning in his head as he let his arms fall lifelessly to his side. "You know me." It was a statement of fact. There was no going about it now. "I'm not who you thought I was." His voice had taken on a flat tone.

"I'm sorry," Marinette blurted out as she was turning away. "I need to think about this-"

"What's there to think about?" Adrien lashed out, his voice turning harsh, pinning her to where she stood. "I am Chat Noir and I am Adrien Agreste. What is so hard about it?"

"Chat-"

"You can call me Adrien," he spat out. "I'm out of costume. I'm out of my mask."

Marinette just stared at him and he just stood there, glaring back from behind his eyelids to where he assumed she was. Steeling herself, she crossed the distance between them and put a hand on his, which he had unknowingly turned into hard fists.

She never knew that she would be able to do this before, if someone were to tell her. She placed a hand on his cheek, not touching it, just letting it brush his skin. The taut muscles of his cheek jumped but he remained resolute.

"I'm sorry," she breathed out shakily. "I just have to go think about this."

"But why?" His voice just sounded like it was dragged over rusty nails. "Why is it so hard to understand?"

"It's a shock to me," she tried to explain.

"I didn't even open my eyes. I kept my promise." Now he just sounded plaintive, like a child who had lost its way.

You can picture happy gath'rings

'Round the fireside long ago,

"And I'm very grateful for it." His hands had unclenched and her hand was resting easily in it. "But I have to go."

"You don't care about me. Now that the mystery's gone, you want nothing to do with me."

"Don't say that," she said firmly, her tone soft and consoling. "I have to go."

She made to leave, but he held her hand tight. She sighed wearily. "Adrien, please. Let me go. I just need to think. I'll come back. I promise. Please."

His eyes were still shut tight, but she saw the tears running down his cheeks, reflecting the setting sun until they looked like rivers of fire. "Don't leave me."

"I won't, I promise. I'll come back. Please, let me go."

There was a long silence before she felt the grip on her hand loosen.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled again as she turned away.

And you think of tearful partings,

When they left you here below.

The sun had set fully yet Adrien was still where he was, his eyes still screwed shut so tight he saw stars. "Plagg, transform me," he whispered to the cooling air.

The black kwami zoomed out of his hiding place and peered at Adrien in concern, "Adrien, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Plagg, transform me," Adrien repeated, his voice harder. This was no longer a request, it was a command.

Plagg blinked at this boy whom he'd grown fond of in the time they'd spent together. He acquiesced in the end. As Chat Noir, he finally opened his eyes to the dark sky.

Somewhere, a wall opened its panels, revealing a clear window, letting the bright moonlight stream in the otherwise pitch black room. "Well, this is a new turn of events," Hawkmoth said silkily, his grin growing wider than ever.