Author's Note: Thank you all so much for the reviews, favourites, and follows. I'm glad that you have enjoyed this fic so much and I hope you continue to enjoy this final chapter.

As soon as those last few words left Marinette's lips there is suddenly a horribly heavy and prolonged silence between them. It dragged out for an excruciatingly long time as they stared at one another and then just as sudden as it had descended upon them, Marinette gasped loudly and slapped her hands over her mouth

That is when it really hits Adrien what exactly Marinette had said.

Because I already have a Kwami of my own, why the hell would I want yours?!

I already have a Kwami of my own.

A Kwami of my own.

The words echoed over and over again in Adrien's ears as it truly began to sink in what that meant.

She had a Kwami.

Marinette had a Kwami!

There were only two people other than Adrien (that he knew of) that had their own Kwami and that was Ladybug and Hawk Moth. So either Marinette was one of the many in a secret society that Adrien didn't know existed or….or….or…

Before his mind could grasp hold of a solution or actual answer there is a deep, heavy, sigh and slowly a beautiful red creature with black spots and big, deep, blue eyes – a few shades darker than Marinette's own – floated down towards him.

He gaped at it gormlessly unable to comprehend what he was actually seeing.

The Kwami stopped right before his face and gave him a sympathetic, sweet, smile that made him feel strangely warm and fuzzy and safe. "Hello Chat Noir," the Kwami said softly, "my name is Tiki and I help Marinette become Ladybug."

Adrien's jaw dropped open unattractively at that. He hastily snapped it shut and opened his mouth again to say something only for nothing to come out. He tried again over and over again making the most embarrassing fish faces.

He honestly didn't know what to make of this.

A part of him was still hurt, and scared, and angry, and upset. Mostly at Plagg for leaving in the first place and starting this whole mess, a little with Marinette for being so bloody perfect and lovable that Plagg would prefer her, and a lot with his father and even a little bit with his mother who are both the root of his problems. Another part of him was quite honestly dancing with glee and happiness that he could finally gaze into the unmasked face of the girl he loved. He was also greatly relieved for many reasons (that involved romantic feelings he didn't know he had until this point and was a whole other mountain of emotions that made his head spin) but mainly because this meant Marinette was definitely not going to steal Plagg away.

But the emotion that drowned it all out the most was simply sheer embarrassment!

He had just made a complete prat of himself in front of his Lady!

Oh he could die right now!

"I...you…Lady…?" he stammered incoherently. "What?!" he squeaked.

Tiki giggled at that.

"It's nice to meet you too," she replied, "I'm sorry for all the trouble Plagg caused," she added, "he's a nuisance like that."

Adrien would have said something in reply to that as soon as he finally had an actual coherent thought but before that could happen he felt his transformation wear off. The greenish light almost blinded him before Plagg suddenly zoomed up to Tiki.

"Excuse me?!" he cried out indignantly. "I am a what now?!"

Tiki opened her mouth but before she could say anything she was immediately cut off by-

"EEK!"

That was, of course, when Adrien realised that he had just de-transformed in front of Marinette!

Marinette blushed so deeply and brightly that she rivalled the scarlet of her superhero suit. Her blue eyes were wide and fixed on his face in shock and her hands had dropped to reveal that her mouth, like his earlier, was wordlessly opening and closing.

"Erm," Adrien rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "I'm sorry for accusing you of trying to steal my Kwami away."

"D-d-d-d-don't be!" Marinette stammered. "I-I-I pr-pr-probably would have done the same if I thought someone was going to take Tiki away from me."

There was another painfully awkward silence as Adrien and Marinette could barely meet each other's eyes before they ducked away and blushed.

"Honestly!" Tiki huffed irritably. "I can't believe you Plagg! Just dropping your transformation like that. Wayzz and I have told you enough times that the identity reveal is a-"

"A part of the spiritual journey of growth of our Miraculous Holders, I know, I know," Plagg rolled his eyes, "and it was! Adrien has grown lots these last couple weeks. He now knows that he doesn't have to repress his negative feelings and its okay to have them. Good work, Kid."

Adrien spluttered indignantly at that. "Good work?!" he repeated incredulously. "Good work?! I just spent two whole weeks thinking you were going to leave me again!"

"I know," Plagg rolled his eyes again, "God knows why."

"Because all of you have done these last two weeks was talk about how amazing Marinette was!" Adrien cried out. "And you let her pet you and…and…and…"

"Ah Kid," Plagg said fondly, "I was only talking about Marinette so much because I was trying to make you jealous. You know, get you all worked up over your precious Princess and maybe nudge you in the right direction." Adrien suddenly felt very hot under the collar at that while Marinette squeaked in embarrassment and was hastily returning to her bright red, flustered, state. "Never thought you would get jealous over me though," Plagg frowned slightly at that but then shrugged it off, "but what can I say? I'm paw-stively gorgeous! If I was full-sized I would be a sexy beast."

"You would have a bigger head that's for sure," Tiki said flatly as Adrien spluttered indignantly at Plagg's casual dismissal of his feelings while totally boosting his own ego. "Don't pay Plagg any attention," Tiki said reassuringly to Adrien, "he's just history's biggest wind-up merchant."

"It's not my fault these humans are so easy to tease!" Plagg protested. "And face it, Kid, you're very easy to tease."

"I'm so glad to provide you with your entertainment," Adrien replied dryly. "Never mind that I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown just as long as you were having fun."

"I knew you would understand," Plagg nodded sagely causing not only Adrien but Tiki and Marinette to splutter in disbelief at that one. "Now, do you finally get that I'm not going abandon you anytime?"

Adrien squirmed at that. His first instinct was to agree and get this situation over and done with. To continue with the charade that he was perfectly all right with everything and content with the state of the world. But Plagg had just commended Adrien for finally learning to not bottle everything up and Adrien really wanted to prove Plagg right and make him proud of him again.

So he said the truth instead.

"The fact that Marinette is Ladybug doesn't change the fact that you like her more than me," he mumbled, "you might want to swap with Tiki."

"You probably want to swap me for Tiki," Plagg argued, "she's the Kwami that likes to coddle her charges and suffocate them with affection. That's not my style."

"But you let Marinette pet you," Adrien pointed out.

"Well she's prettier than you for a start," Plagg teased which earned him glares from all corners of the room ("Plagg!" Tiki had even added in a low stern voice). He rolled his eyes in reply. "All right, all right," he grumbled, "Marinette just did it and I wasn't going to argue. It felt great! You, however, Kid haven't even asked if you could and in my experience - thousands of years of experience I might add! - most teenage boys don't want to cuddle the cute magical creature. I'm not one to beg."

"I have seen you beg for cheese!"

"Cheese is different!" Plagg cried out melodramatically. "It's the true heaven on Earth!"

"Trust you to only think with your stomach, Plagg," Tiki rolled her eyes.

"Oh I don't know, Tiki," Marinette said lightly, "I think I heard you say the same thing about cookies before."

"Marinette!"

Adrien was momentarily distracted by the twinkling sound that was Marinette's giggle. He watched how her face lit up completely with a radiant smile that caused his heart to flutter and his palms to sweat and he wondered how he could be so blind to the way she made him feel without the mask on before this.

Then he remembered what Plagg said and his priorities shifted back to the matter at hand.

"So…." He said hesitatingly and shyly, "….I'm okay to pet you?"

"Eh," Plagg shrugged, "knock yourself out."

Adrien slowly reached out before he gave Plagg one, long, soothing stroke on the top of his head. Plagg's black fur felt like silk beneath Adrien's fingers. So very soft and comforting to touch. Adrien eagerly repeated the motion and soon settled into petting Plagg as the tiny black cat closed his eyes and purred deeply in reply.

Tiki had been playfully chiding Marinette (who was still giggly and sweet in reply) but they both fell silent and watched Adrien and Plagg. The sudden silence and the feel of two matching, big, blue eyes on him suddenly made Adrien feel very self-conscious and he hastily yanked his hand away from Plagg.

Plagg opened his eyes and smirked. "Better now?" he asked smugly. Adrien merely nodded in reply unable to form any words from the humiliation of making such a big deal out of nothing. "Good," Plagg said satisfied as he gave a little stretch, "so now that's all sorted and you know who your Lady is we can now live happily ever after and ea-"

"Oh no!" Adrien interrupted. "Just because I'm happy now doesn't mean you don't deserve any punishment for the hell you put me through."

"Punishment?!" Plagg yelped indignantly. "Haven't I been punished enough?! I barely left you for three seconds before I was attacked by the Hawk Moth of pigeons. It was obviously out to eat me! I lost all my cheese, slammed into a tree, temporarily lost all consciousness, only to be kidnapped by an evil, pink, demon that tried to force feed me cookies and put me on an evil contraption that spun me till I was almost sick, slammed into another tree, and then when I finally make my daring escape I collapse to wake up and find myself surrounded by hundreds of photos of YOU staring down at me-"

"OH MY GOD!" Marinette shrieked. She then suddenly darted towards the nearest wall of her bedroom and hastily began to tear down posters. "Don't look!" she wailed over her shoulder.

But it was too late Adrien's attention was entirely taken back by the realisation he was essentially surrounded by a shrine of himself.

"She's sweet on Chat too," Plagg added slyly in Adrien's ear, "she thinks he's so heroic and noble and sweet."

Adrien grinned as he felt his Chat Noir confidence flicker to life at that. His Princess and Lady liked both sides of him.

He could work with that.

He channelled his best Chat Noir attitude into his walk as he approached Marinette, who was still frantically tearing down the posters, and reached out to grab her wrist. "See," he smirked, "I told you I was a breathless gorgeous model beneath the mask."

"Mpfl!" Marinette squeaked as she flushed bright pink all over again. She tried to speak but choked for a moment as her cheeks burned brighter and brighter but then she took a deep, soothing, breath, and something Ladybug-esque sparkled in her eyes. "Such an arrogant Kitty!" she chided teasingly.

He smirked and then, emboldened by everything with Plagg, he held his arms out towards her. A silent plea for some more affection.

He was a needy kitty as well as an arrogant one.

Marinette didn't even hesitate as she stepped into his arms and wrapped her own round him gently but firmly. She even rested her head on his shoulder and nuzzled against his shirt which caused his heart to do somersaults in his chest from sheer happiness. He soaked in her warmth and scent as he felt his own purr build up in his chest rather embarrassingly so.

Marinette didn't seem to mind though. He could feel her smile through the flimsy material of his shirt against his collarbone.

It felt like an eternity before they finally stepped away from one another and once again an awkward silence fell over them.

"So….I…erm…" Adrien muttered shyly, "I….suppose I should go now?"

"Or," Marinette blushed, "you could stay a little longer. I could make you a cup of tea or….?" She trailed off as her cheeks rivalled her suit once again.

"I would like that," Adrien replied softly.

She beamed at him and he smiled back, feeling utterly giddy, and they stood there just smiling at each other right up till Plagg suddenly picked up a box and shook it.

His neon green eyes lit up in delight. "Is this my camembert tart?" he asked hopefully. "I did earn it. I talked to the Kid and sorted out all of his issues."

"You did not!" Adrien retorted irritably. "As soon as I told you what I was feeling you laughed in my face!"

"What?!" Marinette and Tiki shrieked in unison. "You laughed at him?!" they asked Plagg, disgustedly.

"He was being ridiculous!" Plagg protested.

"It's not ridiculous for him to feel anxious, Plagg!" Tiki snapped. "You're supposed to comfort and reassure him not laugh at him!"

"Oh come on, Tik," Plagg grinned, "you would have laughed too."

"No I wouldn't have!"

Plagg opened his mouth, most likely to say tha Tiki would have, but Marinette cut him off with a loud, disapproving, sniff. "Well!" she said huffily. "It sounds to me like you didn't earn this camembert tart whatsoever. Adrien, would you like a piece?"

"What?!" Plagg yelped. "You're offering it to him?!" he pointed at Adrien dramatically. "He doesn't even like camembert!"

"You know," Adrien smiled, "I think this is the purr-fect time to acquire the taste for the cheese. Could you make my slice extra big, Princess?"

"What?!"

"Of course!" Marinette beamed.

"No!" Plagg cried out. "It's my tart not his!"

"Do you know," Tiki piped up, "I suddenly find myself craving a slice of that tart myself."

"What?!"

"Of course, Tiki," Marinette replied sweetly, "I'll go and fetch some plates. Would you all like a drink too?"

"Ooh!" Tiki cooed almost evilly. "A hot chocolate would be lovely to dunk the tart in."

"WHAT?!" Plagg screeched. YOU DON'T DUNK CHEESE INTO CHOCOLATE! WHAT KIND OF SAVAGES ARE YOU?!"

They all ignored him as Marinette went to fetch the hot chocolate and plates.

Adrien then spent the rest of his evening devouring the camembert tart with the help of Marinette and Tiki. Although he never liked the cheese he savoured every bite of that delicious pastry while Plagg melodramatically sobbed in the background.

Never before had Adrien felt happier than he did in that moment and what made it all so much the better was that he knew there were happier times ahead with Plagg and his Princess (and Tiki too!)

Adrien never thought that he would be so thankful that Plagg had left his camembert in his shoes.