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"I don't. . . I don't know." Adrien admitted quietly, looking away. There were butterflies in his stomach, and he felt a little sick. It had nothing to do with his injuries though, those were mostly gone at this point. Thanks to his Miraculous, he'd almost forgotten about them even. Though, given the current circumstances he could be forgiven for forgetting he was injured, even if they hadn't mostly healed in his sleep.

It suddenly occurred to him that he'd been consistently flirting with his classmate nearly every day for the last year. He felt his cheeks heating up as it really sunk in.

After all this time, after so much wondering and pondering and theorizing. He finally knew the identity of his partner. He'd promised himself that the day he found out, he would pick up where he left off on Valentine's Day.

But the words caught in his throat, this wasn't the time. Not the time at all. This wasn't how he imagined finding out Ladybug's identity. This felt wrong and awkward, neither of them were ready for the other to know. It was all so sudden, he still couldn't believe how fast their double lives had come crashing down around them. Couldn't believe how long they'd danced obliviously around each other the entire time.

If he hadn't passed out on her roof, if she hadn't found him. How much longer would this all have gone on? Another year? Two? Too long, it would have gone on too long.

When he looked back at Marinette, she sat down on her bed. A look of stunned realization having come over her. Adrien dropped to the ground, leaning back against the railing in a similar state of numbness. "D-does anything even change?" He asked in a faint voice.

Her attention snapped back onto him, a look of disbelief flashing across her features. "Does anything change? Adrien, everything changes!" He flinched, green eyes going wide at her sharp tone. Her expression fell again, voice going soft. "Everything. . . Changes. . . ." Her eyes seemed so far away, staring right through him, misty and uncertain.

He hated it. He hated that look on her. She was just as scared as he was about what this all would mean for them. Neither of paris's heroes had ever genuinely expected to find out the others identity, and if they had. Not like this, not out of the blue with no choice about it.

Everything changes, those words rocked him to his very core. He hated those words, he hated that things had to change between them. Hated that he didn't know how things would change between them. All the barriers were down now and it felt like he finally knew the real her. But now she could see the real him, would she like what she saw? Chat Noir was his truest self, the him that didn't have to hold back.

But he was Adrien Agrest too. He was both of them and neither of them, and he would have to reconcile that fact now. Not only with himself but with the girl who'd saved his life and whose life he'd saved on countless occasions. He trusted her with himself entirely, in mind body and spirit.

Although, suddenly he was very much doubting that those feelings were reciprocated.

Marinette couldn't get two sentences out around him as Adrien, and Ladybug always spurned his advances. Seeming to take them in jest, despite how genuine he tried to come off as.

He tensed, frowning and crossing his arms for a moment. "Does. . . does everything have to change? I mean, we're partners, right? We've saved paris together more than once a week. We've fought for each other, we trust each other with our lives. What- what about that changes?" Adrien didn't sound like himself right now, cautious and uncertain and lost. He wished his Lady would have all the answers, like she usually did.

Chat Noir counted on Ladybug to know what to do. She always knew what to do.

But this time . . . This time Lucky Charm couldn't fix things.

Adrien Agreste didn't know if he could count on Marinette Dupain-Cheng in the same way he could count on her when they had their masks on. That relationship of trust didn't exist between their civilian identities. But he couldn't help but feel like there was some carryover.

He looked at Marinette and saw his partner, but, did she look at him and see the same?

She looked almost panicked at the accusation, blue eyes going wide and desperate. Hands waving in the air as if trying to pull words from nothing. "Nothing about that changes! You're still- you're my partner Adrien. You're my Chat Noir-"

Marinette stopped suddenly, her declaration catching up to both of them. She blushed as red as her Ladybug costume and Adrien knew his face was even redder. He felt dizzy all over again, a light and fluttery feeling developing in his chest. She'd called him hers, she hadn't even hesitated! Suddenly all that uncertainty faded from his mind, at least, partially.

He could make this work. They could make this work.

The second half of paris's famous duo smiled up at his Lady. With a force so bright that it could have rivaled a small sun. He barely hesitated to stand and immediately dropped back to the ground next to the dark haired girl. Leaning over to rest his head against her leg, he looked back up at her with green eyes that shone with adoration.

"And you're my Ladybug." Adrien declared without missing a single beat. Sincerity dripping from his tone and with nothing but the utmost of affection. If you had told him yesterday that a human could turn that shade of red without being an akuma, he would have laughed at you.

It was a lovely shade of red on Marinette. But he'd already known she looked good in red.

There was uncertainty still in her eyes, disbelief even. He knew the feeling, but he had to let her know that she wasn't dreaming. That he was real, that this was real, that they wouldn't change. That they weren't going to become distant from each other because of this.

Maybe it was time that Chat Noir had all the answers for once.

"We don't have to change, Marinette." Her name felt foreign on his tongue, he didn't speak to her often. But it felt right. "We're still partners. We're still Ladybug and Chat Noir. Just because I know who you are. . . That doesn't mean I won't still fight for you, or with you. You mean the world to me, and I want to get to know you, the real you. The you behind the mask."

The blond stood again, this time standing before her with a small certain smile. He held out his hand, offering it to her. "I can only hope you're willing to do the same for me?" Her eyes were wide as saucers, big and blue and he felt like he could get lost in them. There was a moment of hesitation, before she accepted his hand.

Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes and he didn't hesitate to pull her to her feet. To her feet and straight into his arms, wrapped tightly around her in a protective embrace.

"You stupid, stupid cat. Of course I will." She mumbled into his chest, completely overwhelmed by the sincerity of his words and actions. By how much he truly cared, by everything about this.