"So this is…"

"Awkward," Marinette finished, unable to look Adrien in the eyes. She knew that if she did, she'd see her partner in there too. The person who'd risked his life for her, and the whole of Paris time and time again. And it just. Didn't. Make. Sense.

Adrien scratched the back of his head, once again finding himself staring at his own shoes, the orange shade they held slowly burning its way into his eyes, "... Yeah."

Awkward didn't even begin to describe it. How are you supposed to act when you find out that your superhero partner is someone you generally know. And in her friendship group no less!

"But… it's a good kind of awkward," At the silence on her end, he decided to elaborate, "Turns out Ladybug is one of my most trustworthy friends! I mean, just when I thought you couldn't get any more amazing," He shook his head with a chuckle, which Marinette found to be contagious. She found herself laughing too, a mixture of joy and relief at the situation. Things just might be okay from here on out.

A warm tear trickled down Marinette's cheek, hot where her face had been cold from the cool air that circulated the room. She wiped it off with a finger, giggles dying down into hiccups as she stared into the depths of the droplet, the words in which Adrien had said finally registering in her brain.

"... You mean it?"

"Huh?" Adrien's eyes flicked up back from the floor and oh mon dieu that was the most innocent kitten-like face she'd ever seen. How had his identity stayed so secret with a face like that?

"You really think that I'm amazing?"

His face shifted to a smile, though not like the ones you'd see on any of his posters across the streets of Paris. No, this one was soft where the others had been charming. Earnest and sincere when the others had been fake. It was a smile just for her, one that made her insides bubble with warmth just thinking about.

"Of course you are. Not everyone would be able to save Paris every single week with the most bizarre of plans, keep Alya safe and out of the way of Akuma attacks despite how much she loves to get close to the action-"

But-

"Or look out for every single member of her class… that time you tried to get Markov back from Mr. Damocles for example! You bring in macaroons and croissants for the class! Oh, and there's that time you gave me my lucky charm-"

By now her face had to have been as red as Nathaniel's, Marinette imagained, staring numbly as Adrien sang her praises, listing off every good deed she had ever done in his presence on his fingers. Was this boy trying to kill her? Because it was definitely working and she was going to become a puddle of mush on the floor because of it.

"I still can't believe you've kept it for so long, you sentimental dork," She found herself saying, if only to stop him from complimenting her. HER HEART COULD NOT DEAL WITH THIS!

"What? The lucky charm?" He began to smirk, a look that would fall more in place on someone such as Chat Noir…. Who he was so it made perfect sense. Yeah, okay, maybe she wasn't as ready for this as she first thought, "Well how could I pawsibly give up a gift as charming as that?"

...And here came the freight train of puns, "Oh mon dieu. That was awful, I'm seriously not going to be able to put up with you."

"I think you mean-"

She stopped him before the words could even escape his mouth, "Nope! I know exactly what you're going to say and nope, I really, really don't mean it."

"Aww, were you offriended by my unbeadable string of puns?"

"..."

"I literally hate you right now."

She didn't think that that smirk could appear even more… 'smirkier', for lack of a better word, "Are you sure about that?"

"Posit- Uh, yeah I'm sure."

And just like that, things were back to normal. The two of them, Ladybug and Chat Noir, bantering in and now out of costume.

Well… except...

"You're pretty amazing yourself too, you know?" She said at last, a shy smile curling onto her lips as she looked up at him. The words were worth it, seeing him with the rosy red blush on his cheeks that usually adorned hers.

She reached up and tapped him on the nose with the tip of her finger in a way she had done so many times when in the suit, "Every Ladybug needs her partner, Chaton."

"And I couldn't have asked for a better one."

A/N: *Sweats nervously* I can't believe people actually have read this (over a hundred follows?! When did this happen?) So, after, uhm… 6 months (oops…) I've decided to pick up this fic again (sorry this one's so short after such a long wait.)

Don't know when the next chapter is going to be up, but your not going to have to wait six whole months for it. Thanks for reading!