"Um, care to explain what just happened at the airport?" Alya was laying on Marinette's bed, but turned to look at her expectantly. Marinette was sitting on the floor, unpacking her clothes into piles to be put away and washed and tried to pretend she didn't know what Alya was talking about.

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, Mari," Alya flipped onto her stomach to better stare down her best friend. "You leave barely able to hold complete conversations with Adrien and you come back not only more eloquent than ever, but you hug him. What is it? Did you find the magical cure to your crush in China?"

"Maybe." She continued to sort through her things, wanting to tell Alya about her revelations, but not knowing how without going into the whole I'm Ladybug topic.

"Um, excuse me? So we're completely over blondie?"

"That blonde, at least," Marinette responded absentmindedly, only realizing her mistake when she saw Alya's eyes widen.

"That blonde? That blonde?! Marinette Dupain-Cheng, are you holding out on me? Three months and you've not only moved on from pretty boy, but you've moved on to another boy? I'm not sure whether to be proud or pissed that this is the first I'm hearing of it. Who is it? Do I know him?" Alya had propped her head on her hand during this barrage of questions and focused all the power of her gaze on Marinette, making her friend squirm under the attention.

"It's not-I mean-It's someone I've known for a while. We were friends, but-I don't know. Something changed, and we talked a lot while I was away, and…" She trailed off, not knowing how to explain that she realized the one person she really loved had been by her side the entire time and it took a three month separation for her to finally see sense.

"Ah, l'amore. Absence does make the heart grow fonder." Alya threw her arm dramatically over her brow and Marinette was grateful for the humorous tone shift. "But you didn't answer my question," Alya continued. "Who's the lucky guy?"

"Erm...well, you don't exactly know him." Marinette hedged and tried to focus on her luggage.

"Is he in our class? Did you meet him somewhere else?" Alya watched her for a reaction, and Marinette started to fiddle nervously with the bell on her hoodie, looking anywhere but Alya. Still, she noticed the moment Alya put it together, the light shining in her eyes as if an actual light bulb went off inside her head.

"Wait. Another blonde. Chat Noir? You're in love with CHAT NOIR?"

"Erm…" Marinette cringed, not wanting to deny it but not wanting it to seem like she was just moving on from one celebrity crush to another either. Thankfully, she wouldn't have to.

"Finally," Alya sat up and swung her legs around on the bed, her statement catching Marinette completely off guard.

"What?" she asked intelligently. "Wait, what do you mean finally?"

"Mari." she said, raising her eyebrows and giving Marinette a look.

"Alya?" Marinette had no idea what that look meant.

"Mari." Alya tried again, dropping her head and looking up at her friend in an expression that clearly said Come on.

"We can keep doing this or you can use actual words," Marinette finally said, completely befuddled. Usually, she could speak Alya pretty fluently, but either the time apart or the jet lag were messing with her because she had no idea what her friend was thinking.

"Mari, I mean, come on. I know."

"You know?" She tilted her head in a question.

"I know," Alya stated again and widened her eyes at Marinette, waiting for her to put it together.

"Oh my god. You know? When? How? WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING?"

"Please. I'm an investigative reporter. You think I couldn't figure out that my best friend, who doesn't so much as change her hairstyle, is the masked superhero swinging through Paris everyday? Please, you offend my skills."

"But...when?"

"About the third akuma attack. I dropped so many hints, but I read comic books. I get the whole Clark Kent alter ego and no one must know angle."

"You know," Marinette repeated, her brain stuck on repeat as she listened to Alya.

"Yes, dear," she said consolingly. "Does he?"

Marinette's head shot up and she shook her head no. Alya sighed.

"Are you going to tell him?"

She nodded.

"Good. Tell him, and then come back and tell me everything. I won't even bombard you with the list of Ladybug questions I've been stockpiling to ask you because I can tell by that look on your face that you've been screaming internally since you realized that you were in love with him." She paused to look over at Marinette and her friend just nodded again, for some reason no longer capable of speech. "Also, once it's done, I expect the exclusive first interview with LadyNoir."

"LadyNoir?" Marinette managed to repeat.

"Your couple name, silly." Alya tossed a pillow and it hit her lightly in her face, seeming to break her out of her stupor.

"Alya, I'm terrified," she admitted suddenly.

"I know, hun." Her friend's face softened and she gave her a small smile. "But you know he loves you, right? All of Paris can see that."

"But what if it's just Ladybug and not me?"

"One: you are Ladybug. Two: that definitely isn't true. And Three: I doubt Chat-boy is that stupid, but if he is, then he didn't deserve you in the first place." Alya carefully ticked off her fingers as she listed each one and Marinette felt a surge of gratefulness for her pragmatic friend. She smiled just as she saw a blur of red appear over her shoulder.

"That's what I keep telling her." Tikki squeaked and Marinette watched Alya's face freeze in shock at the appearance of the small god. She remembered that Alya had apparently known she was Ladybug all this time and let her keep floundering for excuses to explain her absences during akuma attacks; so, she returned the favor and held off introductions, letting Alya freak out a bit over the strange talking bug-creature.

"Ummm, Mari?" Alya whispered, still not daring to move.

"Oh, you haven't figured this part out yet? I didn't realize. I figured since you've known for sooo long…"

"Okay, I'm sorry for messing with you. Please explain the small talking creature floating near your head."

"Tikki, my kwami. She gives me my miraculous powers." Alya's shoulders started to relax.

"Oh. So, you're like a lucky ladybug goddess." Alya addressed Tikki directly, and Marinette smiled at her kwami, but Alya wasn't done. "Well, for battle anyway. Lord knows her love life is the opposite of lucky."

The two snickered together and Marinette looked on with a sardonic expression.

"I knew I liked you," Tikki piped up just as Marinette commented, "I'm going to regret introducing you two."

They only laughed more.

Chat paced on the roof where she had messaged him to meet. He had been pacing a lot recently. At least it meant he wouldn't have to hear about how his summer sweets addiction was ruining his model physique from his father when he got back. His nervous eating was being offset by his nervous pacing, though he doubted this is what doctors meant when they said to lead a balanced lifestyle. Nevertheless, he paced and with every turn on the rooftop he changed his mind. Should I tell her immediately? Should I wait? Should I reveal my identity first? Will she be angry? Will she hate me?

It was exhausting, and he had worked himself up into such a state that when a pair of familiar arms wrapped around him from behind, he freaked out. In a very heroic manner, he screamed, lost his balance, and tripped, falling face-first to the ground. Looking up, he saw his Bugaboo with a bemused smile on her face but blushing as well. God, she's pretty, his love-addled brain managed, before he realized he should probably pick himself up and say something suave to impress her.

"Hey," he said instead. Close enough.

"Hey," she waved, probably scared to come near him after his reaction to her hug. "Sooo," she drew out, walking halfway around him as if sizing him up. "I'm back."

She stopped and looked at him, hesitant and waiting for him to make a move. He finally realized that he hadn't imagined their new closeness these last few months. She did feel something for him as Chat, and even if in the next few minutes that was shattered by him revealing his true identity, he was going to savor the now.

"Yeah, you are," he smiled widely at her, but she rolled her eyes and spread her arms out wide.

"I'm back," she tried again, giving him a pointed look and he finally got the hint. Swooping towards her, he gathered her muscular frame into his arms, holding her tighter and longer than he'd dare to earlier at the airport. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her cheek against his, her soft hair tickling the side of his face as he smiled wider. Lifting her feet off the ground, he spun them around the roof. Her rewarding laugh energized his entire being and made him never want to put her down.

"Okay, okay, chaton," she gasped through giggles. "Put me down before I puke and ruin the moment."

He set her down, but didn't let go.

"So you admit we're having a mew-ment?" He raised an eyebrow at her, grateful that his anxiety had subsided enough for him to be himself again.

"Hmmm…"She tapped her chin in thought. "At least half a moment."

"I'll take it," he responded immediately and she laughed again. God, he wanted to hear her laugh for the rest of his life.

"I missed you, Kitty," she leaned in and wrapped her arms around his waist this time, and he added holding her like this to his list of things he never wanted to live without.

"We talked almost every day."

"Not enough." Her muffled voice floated up to him and he felt like his heart would burst.

"No, it wasn't."

He didn't know how long they stayed like that, but he couldn't bring himself to break away. He needed to tell her he knew, but maybe just a few minutes more...

She was procrastinating. She was fully aware of this, but the way she fit into his arms...Why had she never realized this before? She had the overwhelming urge to go back in time, slap Marinette from a year ago and say to her wake up! He's right in front of you, you idiot!

But it couldn't last. She needed to be completely honest with him and she needed to do it now before she lost her resolve. She reluctantly let go of her Chat and walked towards the roof's edge. She'd contemplated exactly what she would say, but none of what she'd come up with sounded right anymore. She heard him start to move towards her, so she spoke before he could touch her again and make her lose her nerve.

"Do you still want to know who I am?" She asked softly, still facing the darkened city.

"I do know who you are." He replied immediately and she smiled. That was true, but only a idealized version of the truth. Unfortunately, their lives were more complicated than that, and she held a big part of the blame for that.

"I mean my name, chaton. Who I am out of the mask."

"You're the same person in and out of the mask."

"Oh really?" She turned to face him now, and saw his eyes staring at her intently. "And who is that?"

He regarded her for a moment and then a tender smile spread across his face.

"You're brave, kind and caring. You're compassionate towards others and fierce in the face of opposition." He slowly walked towards her.

"You're a voice of logic when nothing makes sense, a loyal friend and stubborn when you know you're right."

He took another step towards her.

"You hate liars and your family makes macarons to die for."

He took another step and she gasped as she realized what he just said.

"Chat," she gasped, but he continued his slow prowl.

"You're going to be a designer some day and I have no doubt you'll take that world by storm because you're a force of nature when you put your mind to something."

Another step.

"And I already love you, Marinette. With and without the mask. I'm sorry it took me so long to realize it."

Her tears were freely flowing at this point, but she saw the flash of green through her watery vision as Chat released his transformation.

"I just hope you love me too," Adrien stood in front of her then and her brain was only functioning enough to get out the only four words that made any sense anymore. Luckily, they were the only four words she needed.

"I love you, too."

Tikki released her transformation of her own volition; so, when Adrien's lips crashed with hers, there were no boundaries left between them. They were just Adrien and Marinette, and despite every fear, that was absolutely enough.