Marinette was stunned- shocked even. She couldn't stop staring, eyes wide, unfocused, unseeing. Face slack, lips trembling, mind blank. A gentle breeze danced between the curl of her pigtails and the nape of her neck as her bangs swayed rhythmically in front of her vision- and still she stared.

Dropping to her knees, hands falling flat against the hot rooftop, Marinette couldn't feel the jagged pebbles protruding against the elastic of her suit, she couldn't feel the line of sweat trickling from the back of her neck down the curve of her cheek, or the hot sunlight that was the cause of it- and still she stared.

Breathing was hard, like trying to swallow gulps of margarine around each heaving gasp- vaguely she wondered if this tightness in her chest was panic, if hyperventilating was a normal reaction to what just happened- and still she stared.

Because Marinette had just seen her partner, her Chaton, her gangling mess of arms and legs in black leather, land in an empty alley way and release his transformation. It took only one flash of vibrant green light, a couple of murmured words, and the sight of a small black creature flying into a blond boy's open shirt, before Marinette understood- before she knew- before all of the little signs that she had been unconsciously ignoring, connected in her mind to form one conclusion: Chat Noir is Adrien Agreste. Adrien Agreste is Chat Noir.

The blond hair, the impossibly green eyes, or that small, gentle laugh when they were all alone on patrol. How had she missed it? The terrible sense of humor, the shoulder touches, each and every look and battle and flirtation and time that he jumped in front of an attack meant for herself... it had always been him.

It had been Adrien who complained about high heels after Reflecta- it had been Adrien that she had lost in Timebreaker- it had been Adrien who she had kissed to break the control that DarkCupid had over him.

And suddenly, Marinette was laughing, laughing so hard that her body gave out weakly and she rolled onto her back, air expelling from her lungs accompanied by the most manic, joyful, utterly shocked laughter that she had ever heard- all because she now knew!

There hadn't been two boys that she was drawn to- she didn't have the boy that she loved and the partner that she trusted with her life- she had one amazing, fun, flirty, complete dork of a guy who kept up with an insanely busy schedule and was still able to save Paris with her whenever things went badly.

Lucky. This is the first time that Marinette truly understood the namesake that she had been entrusted with- she was the luckiest person in the world. All of this time, her Chaton was sitting just out of arms reach, far enough away that all she needed was to lean forward, across her desk, and tap him on the shoulder.

Tingles of heat spread quickly across the bridge of her nose- how many times had she been incapable of talking with Adrien only to turn around and tap his nose, or ring his bell, or swing through the night sky as the last remnants of sunlight blinked back at them from windows.

How many times had they come close to knowing who the other was? If he had only opened that closet door as her time ran out, or if he had questioned why Ladybug couldn't be there for Marinette's date with Evillustrator, or if they had only opened their eyes during the Dark Owl incident... Oh! Tikki, that little sneak, she must have seen him and hadn't told her!

The sun still beat down heavily, leaving warm marks on all of her exposed skin, as her laughter slowly lessened and trailed off. Marinette could feel the strain of her cheek muscles due to the smile she was sure would be permanently fixed there for the rest of the day. A small groan escaped her as her hands draped over her face, the heat once more dusting across her nose. What should she do now?

First things first, Marinette needed to get home. Chat had used his cataclysm well before her in the battle this afternoon, but she knew her time was running low as another beep sounded from her earrings. Regaining control of her body, limbs which felt numb and unsteady, swaying ominously as she flung her yo-yo out to begin the short trek home, her mind once more drifted onto her partner. What now, what now... it was only fair that she tell him- he had been anxious to know since the very beginning- and yet, how to do it?

Adrien didn't seem nearly as imposing as he had before- knowing that the model often made cat puns and shamelessly flirted with her on a regular basis did wonders for a girl's confidence- so Marinette supposed that she could let him know at school. Would it be better to let him figure it out with clues or should she just tell him?

Obviously it would be quicker just to spit it out, whether at school or after the next akuma or on their next patrol... but where was the fun in that? This is her partner, her Chaton, her crush that was forced into a regimented schedule with hardly any time for his own enjoyment- perhaps a game would bring more joy into his life- perhaps some key clues- a note or two throughout the day from his dear Ladybug.

With a plan forming in her mind, Marinette landed on her balcony with a soft thump and entered into her bedroom. A sudden embarrassment welled within her chest as her eyes scraped over the photos tacked into the wall above her desk. Oh, had Chat ever been in her room? Had he ever seen the wall of his face plastered in his classmate's room?

With a heavy sigh, Marinette released her transformation before grabbing a spare cookie from her purse for her tired kawami.

"Mari-" The small being's voice died with one look from her chosen.

"Hush now Tikki and rest, I'm still thinking things through. Eat up while I take these down and then you and I will be having a little talk." Green eyes stared out blankly from photo after photo as Marinette took her time examining her favorites before placing them into her desk drawer. She couldn't believe that she hadn't seen it before. She had prided herself on knowing Adrien's whole schedule... and she had missed the most important thing!

She huffed in annoyance with herself as she removed the pull down agenda from her ceiling. How had she been so blind?

"Tikki," Marinette began in a defeated tone, "why couldn't I tell that Adrien was Chat Noir?" Her friend's large blue eyes stared at her with a mixture of shock and pity.

"It's- it's the magic of it... a glamour, if you will, that helps to protect the both of you." The petite god floated nearer to Marinette's head. "Even the most obvious connections will be masked... only specifically seeing the transformation will be able to break through the effects."

"Huh. So what you're saying is that if I want to tell Chat who I am, I'll need to find a way to transform in front of him..." Her plan was already shifting and adapting to how she wanted to tell her partner. "Is it okay if I tell him, Tikki? It's only fair... I think he should know me... besides, I don't think I can keep it from him if I have to see him every day at school."

"I've told you from the beginning, my little bug, follow your heart and you'll know when the right time is." Marinette moved slowly to her chaise, body heavy with thought.

"I- I think it's time, Tik. I've kept it from him for over a year; this- this will help us be better partners... right?"

The small god nodded in agreement before a large grin spread across her chubby cheeks. "I'm so glad I can finally talk with you about this! It was so hard not being able to tell you Adrien was Chat Noir before now but I'm blocked by the magic of the glamour."

"I still can't believe I couldn't see it before now!" Clapping her hands together, Marinette steeled herself for what she had to do tomorrow. "Let me go grab you a couple more cookies from downstairs and then you can help me plan! My Kitty won't know what hit him."

After hours of thinking, scheming, writing letters, and daydreaming, Marinette sat satisfied in her bedroom. She would have to be quick, she would have to be sneaky, and she would have to hold herself back until the very end for the reveal … but she really believed that Chat would appreciate what she was trying to do and she didn't want to deprive him of any part of it.

The next morning, she and Tikki were up early- there were a couple of things that she needed to get into place before the school day started- mainly, she had to find a way to sneak the first note into Adrien's locker without anyone noticing.

It turned out to be surprisingly easy; Marinette was quickly learning that not a lot of students tended to show up an hour before first bell and the ones that were milling about were all half asleep, barely paying any attention.

She made her way steadily towards her partner's locker, asked Tikki quietly if she would faze through to unlock it, and then laid the first note deliberately so that Adrien would see it straight away. Now all she had to do was wait for him to arrive and then her plan would be put in motion.