Marinette slipped her legs through her jeans and pulled her tank-top over her head, tucking the bottom into her pants and then sliding into a nice, gray, long-sleeve shirt to keep her warm, along with a leather trench coat for the rain. She buckled her boots, tied her hair in a pony-tail, grabbed her umbrella, and was out the door.

The sun had barely risen and the stars were still glowing brightly in the sky. A thick cloud of mist had filled the city of Paris while the pouring rain slowly stopped. It was a little hard for Marinette to see through the fog, so she hid under a nearby streetlight and tried to remember what direction her work was.

"Watch out!" Marinette gasped after being pinned to the ground by a familiar person; Chat Noir. Her face flushed once he pulled her up off the ground and ran into an ally to hide, covering her mouth to keep her quiet. Marinette freed herself from Chat Noir's grasp and said "What are you doing!? Don't you know you-""Shhh! Quiet!" Chat hissed a hush and lured her deeper into the ally.

A minute or two of silence had passed, and Chat Noir finally let go of Marinette. "I apologize for my bad manners. I was being chased." "That's a perfectly good reason for grabbing me out of no where." "Sorry, Princess. I didn't want you to get hurt." Marinette blushed even more than before once Chat Noir had made eye contact with her. She tried to change the subject by looking away from Chat Noir and asking "S-So…wh-who was chasing you?" "Dream Walker." He said, immediately.

"I'm on a mission to defeat him." "So early in the morning? And without Ladybug? Why didn't you contact her?" "Because I can't take the risk of letting her get hurt." "But, she's your partner! You two are always supposed to work together!" Chat stepped aside and crossed his arms. "Yeah, I know. But Dream Walker is stronger than our past enemies. I'm taking care of this on my own. There's no way I'm letting her get hurt."

"Selfish." She said with a scoff and rolling her eyes. Chat Noir glanced at her and tilted his head, his ears perking. "What?" "I said that's selfish. Don't you think Ladybug cares about you? If something happens to you, or if you never come back alive, Ladybug would be sad. It's not fair that you get to protect her all the time. She doesn't like it." "How do you know?" "Wha-Well…I-I…I talk to Ladybug…sometimes…" "Really?" Chat Noir asked with a smirk, setting one hand on the wall behind Marinette and leaning over her. "Y-Yes. And…she told me not to tell you, but I think it's important." "Well, tell me. What is it?" Marinette hesitated for a moment, then she finally said "…Ladybug loves you, Chat Noir."

His eyes widened as he gazed down at her. "She cares about you a lot, and she doesn't want you to get hurt. She hates it when you protect her, because she doesn't get to protect you. You're always there to save the day, which is why she's always frustrated with you." Chat Noir didn't say anything, yet he just stood there, shocked. "She does…?" He turned around and stared at the ground. "Yes. And if you feel the same about her, then respect her feelings and let her protect you some time." Marinette waited for Chat Noir to answer, and she started thinking that it was probably a good idea to not say anything else.

It was true that Marinette loves Adrien…but there's something about Chat Noir that attracts Ladybug so much. If only Marinette knew that Chat Noir was really Adrien…and if only Chat Noir knew Ladybug was Marinette…

Chat Noir turned to face Marinette and said "Thanks…" He stepped closer to her, lifted her chin and placed a soft kiss upon her forehead. "That means a lot to me…" With that, Chat Noir disappeared within the shadows. Marinette covered her forehead with her right hand, her face bright red, but a smile across her face.

Ladybug and Chat Noir were on the floor, next to each other, with their enemy; Dream Walker, stepping closer and ready to continue fighting. Ladybug's left arm was covered in blood, after being stabbed twice in the same place, and this made Chat Noir step in front of her, protecting her. "Chat, it's okay, I can still fight.." She said, helping herself up off the floor and limping next to him. "Ladybug…tell me the truth…" He muttered, glaring at Dream Walker. "Do you love me?" Ladybug's heart skipped a beat. She remembered that Marinette told Chat Noir she loved him, so without any hesitation, Ladybug smiled and said "Yes. I do. Which is why I'm not letting you protect me this time." She grabbed Chat Noir's right hand and held it tightly. She could hear Chat's heartbeat beating faster by the second, along with hers. "Ladybug, I love you. I love you so much, that I'm not letting you get hurt ever again." "Well, good luck. Because from now on, I'm protecting you." Chat smiled at Ladybug, and she smiled back at him. Then, they faced their enemy and began fighting.

"…May I kiss you, my lady…?" Chat Noir asked, reaching for Ladybug's left hand and holding it gently. "My time is running out…and as we share our first kiss, my identity will be revealed to you. Will you stay with me and allow me to see who you are…?" Ladybug hesitated for a long moment, and time was quickly running out. Chat Noir placed one arm around her waist and the other under her chin. The two of them were standing on a bridge above a river in the middle of the night, so no one would see them. Fireflies floated above the water and filled the area with beautiful lights, making the setting even more romantic than before. Ladybug didn't budge. She wrapped her arms around Chat Noir and allowed him to kiss her.

Ladybug's hair began to loosen in the wind as her mask disappeared. Chat Noir's claws faded along with his ears and his mask. It wasn't long before the two of them had finally transformed into their normal selves. They didn't open their eyes until a minute later. "Adrien…?" Marinette asked, tears forming in her eyes. "Marinette…" He whispered, running his fingers through her long, silky raven hair. "So it was you, all along…?" He smiled at her and kissed her again. Marinette hugged him tightly with joy and relief.

"I still love you." Adrien held Marinette close to his chest while the sun began to rise, reflecting onto the water and lighting the sky with a deep orange shade.

Morning had arrived in Paris, and love had blossomed.

The two of them vowed to keep their identities a secret from others, but their love for each other was visible to anyone.