Slowly the light faded and Chat lowered his arm, he gulped deeply as he took in the dressing gown and pyjamas.

His eyes wanted not to, but he couldn't control himself as he looked to her face.

Blue eyes meet his as he felt his blood go cold and all he could hear in the back of his mind, was a comment he made long ago.

"Marinette is my friend."

Just a friend he had told himself, but he was at a loss for words as he stared at her. She looked panicked and it was then that he began to see her shivering and his brain snapped out of his trance.

He grabbed her, Tikki calling out to get them out the cold. He didn't even register to tell Nino and Alya that he was going.

He didn't even check to see if they had looked.

He vaulted along the roof tops, his mind going a mile a minute as he tried to get his thoughts in check.

What was he going to do?

How could he face her like this?

How was she going to react?

Would she hate him?

Would he hate her?

There were many thoughts that just seemed to overlap, his legs pounding off the roof tiles as Marinette clung on the best she could, but she felt numb on her finger tips.

She could hear his ring beeping; she glanced up worried as Chat landed on his balcony. With a moment's thought, she pulled the hood fully over her eyes.

Adrien by now had a look that could kill someone as he walked into his warm flat. He flicked his wrist and send Plagg out the ring and flying away. "Oi!" The cat spoke up, unhappy with the sudden aggression. "What was that for?" Tikki floated over as Adrien glared at them.

"Shut it, I'll talk to you in a while." Both Kwami glanced to one another, worried about how Adrien was acting.

They couldn't really blame him.

Adrien went to his room, and set Marinette on the bed. He looked at her slightly, before taking a moment to calm himself.

Marinette didn't look at him; she was shivering like a leaf in the wind.

Going over what he knew, he crawled into bed with her, she tensed. "I need to stay with you; you took a plunge in the ice water, Marinette. I need to help you regulate your body back to a normal temperature, so..." She nods slowly; he wrapped his arms round her and tucked the quilt round them.

He was nervous, scared, and angry.

He had so many questions, but so many answers at the same time.

"C-chat..." Marinette began as Adrien quieted her.

"Don't speak. I know you have questions, but for now. Recover, we'll talk then." She nods as Adrien held her.

He'd do everything he could, praying to any god that there would be no long lasting damages.

He must have been tired from his scare, as he awoke a while later; Marinette was also asleep and seemed to be in a much better state.

He hoped so, till she checked for damages, he could only hope.

Slowly, he got out of bed and made sure she was tucked in. He looked at her for several seconds before frowning and walking out the bed room.

He found the Kwami in the kitchen, with a phone by them.

"We are sorry for the trouble Miss Daupin-Cheng. But Marinette has fallen asleep and I don't think anything will wake her." Tikki spoke, Plagg looked to Adrien who was confused, but Plagg held his palm up for him to wait.

"Not at all, thank you for looking after my girl. Let her know to come home when she wakes up, and thank you again." Sabine spoke up, rather pleased that Marinette was fine.

"You're welcome Sabine." Plagg spoke up, trying to sound a deep as he could. "We'll make sure that she's taken care of. Good night."

Adrien blinked then looked to the window, it was dark out. Slowly he turned to the pair, who was glad that Sabine had believed them.

"Right," Plagg spoke, he was nervous now as Adrien looked back to them annoyed. "Go on then, this is what was coming for a long time." Tikki glanced to Plagg then flew up to the Agreste boy.

"Adrien, please, I know you're angry." Adrien put a hand up.

"You both knew, you both knew and didn't say anything." He growled out, his irritation starting to flare.

"We were only doing it to protect you." Tikki tried to argue.

"Protect us?" Adrien barked back. "You let me, break her heart! Then let me accept her as Ladybug? How is that fair on her?!" Tikki glanced down. "How could you just let her go through that?" He pointed to Plagg. "Why? You think this funny or something? Watching me do that to her."

"I did my best to salvage it." Plagg retorted. "I had promised to Tikki and I knew that after that last debacle that I needed to make sure you salvage your friendship for any chance for her, for you."

Both cats glared at each other. Tikki looked on nervously.

"Please, Adrien." Tikki started again. "I, I didn't want this to happen, I wanted Marinette to be happy. But I didn't want you two to be in danger as heroes." Adrien glanced to her, as wide tearing blue eyes stared back. "If you knew who her civilian life was, it would put her in more danger. As if you got affected by an akuma villain like you have been before, imagine just agreeing to get her earrings and she wasn't there to know."

He could walk right up to her with her guard down, and even potentially kill her to get them.

Adrien flinched at the thought. He slammed his hands on the table. He growled in frustration, he was angry, but they were right.

What was he going to do now?

What was she going to say?

How was she going to feel?

"Adrien," Tikki began, putting her palm on the boy's cheek. "Marinette is going to be affected by this, I need you to be calm and level headed for what is about to come maybe. I need you to be ready to help me deal with this."

"Heh, me?" He chuckled bitterly. "You want me, to side with your mess up, just because 'you' don't want her angry with you?" Tikki glanced down, gazing at the floor. "Sorry, you're not getting my help, not after this."

Adrien stared at the table for a while. Tikki glanced up in a worrying thought. "Adrien," Tikki began nervously. "D-do you..." She seemed to not want to ask, but she needed to know right now. "How do you feel for Marinette now? Do you still." Adrien glanced quickly.

Did he still love her?

Adrien glanced back to the table. "How can I say I love Marinette? I loved ladybug. Do you realise how hard it is for me, to change my thoughts after pushing her away." Tikki looked upset.

"You lying piece of-," Adrien stood quickly, his head turned to the new voice, a very unhappy voice as both Kwami looked scared.

But the words that faded from her mouth, as Adrien and Marinette stared at one another. Slowly, as she stared at the blond teen with shock, her mind trying to get her thought together. "Adrien?"

"Marinette?" He was surprised to see her out of bed, she should be resting.

He made a step forward and she stepped back. "Wait!" He called, as she slammed the door shut. "Marinette, wait!" He begged as he got to the door, but wouldn't move.

Marinette slowly sat on the floor, back to the door as she began to tremble.

Adrien, he was Chat Noir?

"My lady, I love you." He had said to her that night. "No matter who you are behind that mask, I love you, all of you. You may not see it, but I see your flaws, you're not perfect and I will prove how much you mean to me." He had been such a sweet and kind person that night, making her feel that she had been a fool.

But now, she sat here with the knowledge that Adrien had looked passed her, Marinette, for Ladybug.

Ladybug had been a better person to Adrien in his eyes than she would be.

How was she supposed to believe him, if this in itself proved that it wasn't true?

Adrien sat down on the other side of the door. "My lady-"

"No! Not another word, Chat Noir." Marinette spoke out, her voice sounding very upset. "I don't want to hear any more lies."

Adrien tucked his legs up; he closed his eyes and rested the back of his head to the door.

They said nothing for a while. Both lost in thoughts.

"M-" Adrien stopped. He didn't even know what to do, did he want to start this as, 'My lady', or 'Marinette'.

What would she want to hear from?

He could hear her crying, "Please don't cry. I... I'm so sorry Marinette."

The two Kwami sat watching, they weren't sure if they should get involved, even if this was their mistake, their chosen needed to fix the bridge that was falling apart before them.

"She was right." Marinette spoke out, loud enough for Adrien to hear. "I didn't want to believe her, but she had been right."

"Who, Marinette? Right about what?" He turned to the door, what was she talking about.

Marinette closed her eyes. "About me, who, what I am. Everyone likes Marinette, but no one will love her. No one will love some half breed like me."

Adrien clenched his hands, who would say something like that. "Marinette, that's not true." She laughed bitterly; it seemed very true right now. "Listen to me; remember that there have been people who have seen you, for you. I-I know I haven't, but those few that have, they did."

Marinette closed her eyes in thought, she knew he was right, but everything in the pit of her stomach just twisted all the thoughts.

Even if those people did 'love' her, they either didn't want to come forward, or had fallen for someone else.

"Even so." Marinette spoke back. "I just wanted to believe that, for one last time, that maybe. I could be loved for who I am. I may have gotten ahead of myself when I fell in love with you, but I felt I had maybe done something right by picking Chat."

Adrien sighed, what could he say to her.

"Maybe," Marinette muttered. "Maybe I should have listened to my Grandmother." She clenched her hands. "Maybe I should have gone and lived with her in China, least then I could have had a full fresh start."

Adrien looked up at that thought, had she considered that? Was she still considering that?

The thought felt numbing; he'd lose ladybug and Marinette in one instant.

He lost his mother, then the love of his father.

Nino was still his best friend but he and Alya were always so close to one another.

Chloe was a good friend, but she always held that space when things were bad in his younger days.

Marinette though, even if they had a rocky start and it had nearly been lost those months ago, she had been this warm source that drew people in.

If she left, that source would be just an empty void.

And if Ladybug left, then he'd feel lost without her.

"Please," Adrien spoke out in a scared tone. "Whatever you do, don't go." He put his hands on the door. "I'm sorry for what has happened, but please, don't even think about leaving. You are important to people here, you're important to me." He trembled. "If you left, I'd be alone without you, both of you." He took a breath. "I'm not perfect, no matter how much people want me to be. Please, let me work this out with you. I said it once, so I'll say it again. Your important to me, to lose you would hurt. You're my friend as Marinette, and my love as Ladybug. I want to make this work, even if it takes time to fix this."

There was a long silence.

"I want to know who you are. Who your truly are, I want to know every detail about you, Marinette. I want you to know everything about me." He sat back, staring at the door. "Please, let's work this out together. Like we always do, like we do when facing any challenge."

There was no response, slowly he stood and stared for a while, before he turned and walked back to the kitchen where the Kwami sat.

There was a sound of the door opening behind him and he stopped and turned back slowly.

Marinette slowly came into view, but she stood still, staring at the floor.

"Marinette?" He stepped back towards her as she looked up; she glanced away for a moment as she rubbed her arm nervously.

She took a breath and looked back up to him.

They stared for a long while, her eyes looking for answers that he was trying to give her.

Adrien couldn't help but smile at her stare; she looked so adorable right now. He chuckled and she blinked out her stare and she chuckled slightly.

They both chuckled, till Adrien watched her start to cry with a smile on her face. He stepped forward taking her into his arms.

She didn't fight it, as she gripped his shirt and cried.

Both were unsure where to go from here, both scared about their own fears.

But unlike Marinette, Adrien was able to contain himself. So for now, he'd let her vent herself.

What were minutes, felt like hours to them in that moment, till they were both sat on the floor.

Marinette finally collected herself and sat up as Adrien let go. "So," he began. "This was a pretty messed up reveal, huh?" He chuckled slightly.

Marinette gave a long sigh, she was upset but least now after all this, she could find the urge to meet his gaze now, properly.

"Marinette?" Tikki's voice finally spoke up. The girl turned to meet the Kwami, who was looking worried, scared and sad in one moment to her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for this to get out of hand."

The Kwami was taken into her chosen hands. "I should have told you, Adrien was Chat Noir. I'm sorry." The girl smiled sadly, she was upset Tikki had with held this and let her go thought this whirl wind of emotions, but the Kwami had tried to salvage it.

"It's okay, Tikki." Marinette muttered as she hugged the Kwami close to her. "It's going to be okay."

Plagg landed on Adrien's head with a thud. "Yeah, I'm sorry kid." Adrien glanced up to his hair.

"Unlike her, I haven't forgiven you yet. Don't expect as much cheese as before, okay." Plagg whined and both Tikki and Marinette giggled.

There was a sense of ease for them there. Like all the emotional struggles eased out in this small time point.

But it was a ease of uncaring, that something was floating about them that this wished to not face,

But they had to, they couldn't ignore it.

"So," Adrien started again. "Where, do we go from here?" He looked worried, but this was something they needed to deal with now.

Marinette glanced to his eyes, and then glanced away to the night outside, her reflection looking back at them.

"I think that the ship for LadyNoir has sunk Chat." Marinette mumbled slightly as Adrien looked down with a frown. "After all this, it isn't going to be a simple case of 'going back to normal'." He sighed again, guess not. "But," she spoke with a small smile as she glanced to him. "It could be a start of something better."

"Hm?" Adrien looked confused, but hopeful in the same moment.

"Well," she began as her hand traced lines in the floor. "LadyNoir may have sunk, but Adrienette could still sail." She looked with a small smile at his surprised face. "Not straight away of course."

He blinked. "Y-yeah, right of course."

"After all, they did have a bit of an emotional event happen to them." Marinette stated aloud.

"Yeah, they did have a bit of an event." Adrien agreed.

"So, I think they need to really get their acts together and have a nice long chat. Don't you agree Kitty?" Marinette smiled slightly as Adrien nods slowly.

Marinette stood slowly as she walked to the window. She put her hand on the window and muttered to Tikki.

"Chat?" Ladybug spoke as she looked to her partner with a small, but sad smile. "Thank you. It's been nice, but I think a super hero relationship was never going to work for long."

Adrien, smiled sadly. "I was nice while it lasted, my Lady. Thank you." He bowed as she opened the balcony window.

"See you later. Good night." With that she left into the night.

"Good bye..." Adrien walked up and closed the door, Plagg floated behind him.

"What was that?" Adrien sighed, but smiled.

"A new beginning. At least, I hope that's what she was hinting." Plagg tilted his head.

"Sounded more like she just dumped you, kid."

"Oh yeah, Ladybug dumped Chat Noir." Adrien stated with a smile. "But Adrien still has a chance with Marinette." Plagg sighed in a groan.

"Humans are so complicated, no matter what century."