Do you believe in true love?

"Marinette?" Adrien looked around. He was trapped inside a wall of curtains, with a spotlight shining down on him. "Princess? My lady?"

Receiving no answer, he tried to tug away the curtains, but behind that wall was another wall of curtains.

Panic rose up inside him. He promised he wouldn't leave her alone, and yet - "Marinette! Can you hear me!"

Before he could transform and Cataclysm his way out, a mask floated in front of him.

Your truth.

Adrien glared at it. "Who are you?"

Your truth, little boy.

Adrien Agreste stood straight. "I'm Chat Noir."

Wrong!

Adrien stepped back, startled. He growled. "But that's the truth!"

Your truth!

"What do you want me to say?" Adrien snapped.

Your truth!

"I hate being in closed spaces."

Your truth!

"I want my mother back!" Adrien shouted, gasping as he spit out what he had never dared to say.

That is not your truth.

Adrien glared at it and swiped at it, but the mask disappeared and reappeared behind him.

Your truth.

Maybe he should just really transform and Cataclysm his way out.

The mask just bobbed in front of him.

Your truth.

Adrien touched his mask.

Your truth.

The masks.

Your truth.

Adrien swallowed.

Your truth.

"I love her. All of her."

"Your truth."

He gazed at the mask. "I want her to love me. All of me."

The mask crumbled away and the curtains parted.

…

She whirled around the enclosing, eyeing it, wondering if there was a way to get out. But with the heavy fabric and its magical properties, there was no way out except to transform and hope that Lucky Charm would help solve the problem.

A mask appeared in front of her.

Your heart's desire.

Marinette eyed it warily. "Get me out of here."

Wrong.

The mask disappeared and then bobbed on her right. Your heart's desire.

Blonde hair - green eyes - "Adrien Agreste."

Wrong!

Marinette stiffened. It's an akuma. What it's saying doesn't make sense. It's being controlled by Hawkmoth.

Your heart's desire, little girl.

Marinnete gritted her teeth. "Chat Noir."

Wrong!

"I want my Chat Noir!" Marinette shouted. "That is my heart's desire!"

Stop lying to yourself!

"I. Want. Chat. Noir." Marinette said between her gritted teeth. "Now and forever more. You can't take him away from me."

Your heart's desire.

Marinette stared at the mask.

Your heart's desire.

The mask stared back.

Your heart's desire.

In a whisper, she said, "I want all of him. With the mask and without."

The mask crumbled and the curtains parted and there in front of her stood her partner.

"Marinette."

That one word broke her as she ran forward and tackled him in a hug. Chat Noir wrapped his arms around her, dazed and slightly alarmed. "What happened in the room? What did it do to you?"

Marinette shook her head, only hugging tighter to get even closer to him. She needed his warmth, to know that she had chosen right, that he was real and her heart didn't lie.

Chat Noir was red from head to toe, from the tips of his ears to the back of his neck. Hugging her back just as tightly, he gently stroked her hair which had come undone from inside. "I'm right here, Marinette. You're safe now. I'm right here."

That was the truth. He would always be with her, be it Marinette or Ladybug. Gratitude and another feeling welled up inside her.

She didn't want to call it love.

Not now. Not yet.

All decorations fell away on their own. The akuma butterfly turned white as the individual let go of her anger all by herself. A few minutes later, the Akuma Medic Team came and took the individual to the hospital for the required check up on akumatized victims. Chat Noir sent them off with an assuring pep talk and a wave. He then took Marinette and they bounded back to the bakery.

People wondered where Ladybug was during the mess.

…

"Thanks, chaton. I had fun." Marinette said shyly.

Chat Noir smiled as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He had transformed back into his normal suit and tie complete with the sunglasses, and blushed as Marinette held his hand in place by her cheek.

Looking up at him with her big blue eyes, she asked, "So what was your trial?"

Chat Noir gazed at her contemplatively. "The truth."

Marinette blinked. That was pretty wide. But nevertheless.."And did you find out the truth?"

Chat Noir shifted until he had drawn her closer. Quietly he said, "Close your eyes."

Marinette did so, rarely compliant to his requests, but this intrigued her. She felt him take both of her hands and inhaled sharply as she touched his bare face. "Chat-"

"This is my truth." Chat Noir said.

He shuddered as Marinette slowly traced the line of his jaw, the arch of his brows, the slope of his nose. He closed his eyes and she ran her fingers over them, eyelashes fluttering under her fingertips. Touching his lips, he gave them a kiss and she pulled away with a giggle.

"Tickles." Marinette chuckled. She grew solemn as he tucked back her hands by her sides and put on his glasses. As he took her hands once more, she opened her eyes. Her reflection stared back.

"My truth is something I have to tell you." Chat Noir said.

Marinette's eyes widened. "But-"

"I won't. Not until my lady gives me permission."

Marinette studied him but she couldn't read him. Moments like this frustrated her because as much as he was an open book, he could close and lock it freely.

"Goodnight, Marinette." Chat Noir said with a smile. "I had fun as well."

And with a kiss on the back of her hand and a transformation later, he had leaped away into the night.

Marinette gripped the railings, her heart aching. She knew what it longed for, but she didn't want to accept it yet.

Tikki floated up to her.

"What should I do, Tikki?" Marinette asked.

The kwami gazed at her. She had been passed down to hundreds of Ladybugs and a handful of them had gone through what she was going through. But depending on their choice, it could either be blissful happiness or heart wrenching sorrow.

"It is up to you, Marinette."

…

Leaping through his window, he dropped his transformation and laid down on the couch, pulling away the glasses from his face and tossing it on the coffee table.

Your truth

"You were right, Plagg," Adrien said in the unusually silent room. "You were right."

Plagg flitted to him and rested on his charge's chest, breaking his routine of eating cheese first. A sob broke out as Adrien brought his palms up to his face. "I'm selfish. So selfish."

Too many of his kittens had fallen in love with their red heroine. But due to their namesake bad luck, their feelings went wayside. Some turned rogue, some returned the miraculous, but many held on.

And Plagg would fight tooth or nail to keep this kitten. This kitten who doubted himself and thought the best in all people. This kitten who felt too much and loved so much. This kitten who put others before himself. This kitten who fell in love with his bug wholeheartedly.

His kitten.

"You should tell her."

Adrien laughed. "Which one?"

"Both of them."

Adrien stilled. He looked at his kwami. "Are you sure?"

Plagg knew what he was doing was dangerous. It could lead either to happily ever after or world destruction. The powers of the Chat Noir miraculous were not to be belittled.

"You have my permission."

Adrien looked at him warily. "What's going on, Plagg?"

Plagg floated up and shrugged his shoulders. "What? Can't I be kind sometimes? On the day I finally give you advice, you question it." Plagg shook his head and flew to where a roll of camembert was covered in a glass case. "This is why cheese is so much better. It never doubts you."

Adrien rolled his eyes as he wiped the tears away. He would do it. He would tell her. Tomorrow.

He didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but he hoped it was worthwhile.

fun part is coming you guys ;)

((if you know what I mean))