Marinette's parents took the news significantly better than she expected them too. Her mom cried, and her dad was stony faced and distant, but they didn't try and banish her from being Ladybug. They sat quietly while Marinette told them everything from receiving her Miraculous to meeting Chat Noir to spending her nights out in the city on patrol with him. The idea of their only daughter sneaking out and facing off against dangerous villains scared them, but in the end they told Marinette how much they admired her courage and her dedication to the city, and offered to help her however they could as long as she followed a newly set curfew.

Alya didn't take it as well. She didn't speak once through the whole conversation, and she hardly looked at Marinette. It wasn't hard for Marinette to guess why Alya was so upset with her. She'd spent the last few months absolutely obsessed with discovering Ladybug's secret identity and getting inside looks at her life as a superhero, and discovering that it had been her best friend all along must have hurt. Marinette had lied to Alya on countless occasions, and she could only pray that she would find a way to regain her friend's trust.

Reassured that Paris was safe once again, Marinette's parents reopened the bakery, while Alya admitted that she had plans with Nino that afternoon and that they could work on the project some other time. Then, Marinette was left alone in the apartment with a passed out Adrien.

Marinette sat at her desk, scrolling through social media without actually reading anything and putting all of her focus into not turning around and watching Adrien sleep. She was painfully aware of the soft sound of his breathing, and the tip of one of his hands hanging out of the covers visible through a small mirror on her desk. Her mind wandered back to the conversation they'd had shortly before revealing themselves to her family.

"Adrien, really. I don't want you to get hurt! You're too important to me. If you got hurt, it would kill me!"

"You don't mean that."

"I do-"

"No, you don't."

Marinette put her head in her hands, feeling tears prickling at her eyes. Why would Adrien think she doesn't care about him? She'd practically obsessed over him since he came to their school. But the more she thought over the conversation the more she seemed to understand. When Adrien had said 'you don't mean that' he'd sounded more desperate than accusing. He didn't think Marinette didn't care about him, he was praying that she didn't. For some reason, the idea of Marinette caring about what happened to him scared him to death.

She took a deep breath and stood up, setting herself gently next to Adrien on her bed. He always looked so composed, but now his hair was messed up, his skin was bruised, blemished, and smeared with dirt, and a line of drool made a trail down his chin. This wasn't a face that would go on the cover of a magazine, and Marinette loved it. She wondered how Adrien avoided bruises showing all the time with how much Chat Noir got banged around.

Adrien shifted, squinting up at Marinette against the light from her window. "There something on my face?"

Marinette smiled softly, but it faded quickly as she remembered the sharp coldness in eyes back on the roof. "Adrien… You know I care about you, right?"

His sleepy smile faded and he dug his teeth into his bottom lip, sitting up and fisting the blanket in his lap. His hands were wrapped tightly with bandages. He sat deep in thought for a long moment, stuck in a staring contest with his lap. Finally, he glanced up at her, his eyes red. "Why?"

With that one word, Marinette felt a rush of emotions fill her. There was disbelief, despair, but she settled on anger. Who had led Adrien to believe that he didn't deserve to be cared for? Actually, she had a pretty good idea of exactly who the culprit was. Gabriel will pay someday, but for now Marinette can't just take Adrien from his home. Instead, she would do everything she could to keep Adrien together. "I-I don't understand. Why wouldn't I?"

"Marinette it's who I am. My powers they're… destructive. Chaotic. I channel misfortune. How could you want to be anywhere near me?" He tried to subtly wipe away tears with his sleeve. "Look I know we're supposed to be partners, but you don't have to pretend to like me outside of all that. I understand if I make you uncomfortable."

Marinette grit her teeth. How could Adrien be so blind? "You idiot," she scoffed, reaching out and taking Adrien's hand in hers.

He blinked, uncomprehending. "What?"

"This isn't about Chat Noir. This is about you. I, Marinette, care about you, Adrien. You're sweet and smart and funny and what happens to you matters to me."

"I don't know what to say," he whispered.

"It's okay." Marinette reached up and cupped Adrien's face, being careful not to press on the bruises there. "You don't have to say anything."

Then, in a moment of bravery that Marinette seemed to be having more and more of, she kissed Adrien.

She felt him go stiff, then relax into the kiss. Finally, he pulled away to breathe, staring at Marinette, his face flushed. "What was that for?" he asked blearily.

Marinette shook her head, laughing softly. "Idiot," she said again, pulling him in for another kiss.