Adrien streaked over the rooftop with blinding speed, flying through the night as the stars twinkled above along with the blinking lights of the Eiffel Tower just ahead. The mansion he'd left behind in the distance wasn't home—this was. The feel of leather encasing his skin, air whistling in the ears atop his head and his tail correcting his trajectory as he sprang through the air like an acrobat, landing on all fours before taking off again

Excited murmurs reached his ears as the Parisians on the streets below recognised the black blur of his outline, barely visible against the midnight sky, but he paid them no mind as he raced with the wind, the grin on his face almost splitting his face in two.

He reached the tower, scaling its many iron beams with graceful ease. Stopping at the second level, he took a moment to catch his breath, surveying the nighttime view of his beautiful city. Her sparkling lights rivalled that of the stars, the serene calm and chilling wind washing over him like the familiar embrace of a friend. Throwing back his head and lifting his arms into the air, he let loose a joyous cheer, revelling in the feel of the wind in his hair.

Then he heard her voice, and his night was made an impossibly thousand times better.

"Chat!"

Eyes flying open, he twisted around to look directly above and was greeted by the sight of none other than his Lady leaping down successive beams at dangerous speeds, nothing but a red blur as she hurtled towards him. His grin widened as he opened his mouth to return a greeting, only to grunt as she plowed into with an impact like a polka-dotted cannonball, driving the breath from his lungs and knocking them both onto the landing of the second level. He latched onto her as they rolled across the floor, coming to a stop with her on top of him.

"You idiot!" she screamed, actually screamed, blue eyes ablaze with fury as she hit and slapped every inch of him she could reach. His back flat on the ground, her weight settled on his stomach and preventing any escape, he held up his arms to shield his face and laughed even as her fists pounded at his chest, shoulders, and sides. "You stupid, idiotic JERK!"

"Haha! I don't know what you're—OW! We haven't seen each other in ages and the first thing you do is—ME-OWCH! Pffff! That hurt! Ladybug, stop—AGH! I yield! I yield!"

"No! I'm not stopping!" she roared, continuing her relentless assault. He stifled another laugh as he twisted to avoid a right hook to his head. She was showing no signs of relenting, but he'd take a hundred beatings from her if it meant he could stay in this moment forever.

"I'm not stopping until-until …." she trailed off, a half-hearted blow glancing off his forearm. He heard the telltale sniffle before before he lowered his arms in alarm, seeing the tears prickling at the corners of her eyes.

"Hey hey," he shushed, sobering enough to sit up and take hold of her forearms. "It's o—"

"Where have you BEEN?" she bellowed, delivering a solid punch to his unprotected solar plexus. He gasped, eyes watering, the blow paralysing him into silence for a moment as she continued her tirade. "I thought you'd left! I thought you weren't coming back! Thirty-four days, Chat! Thirty-four days without a single word out of you! What if Hawkmoth had captured you or gotten your Miraculous and you couldn't fight back or what if you were … you were …."

"Hey," he strained out, raising a hand to the tear at her cheek. "Ladybug—"

Another punch, but this one without any heart in it. "And-and I finally see you and you have the audacity to laugh as if I've been worrying myself to death for nothing—"

"Hey," he repeated, catching her wrists in his grip as he pulled on them to make her look him in the eye. "I'm here now, and that's what matters, right?"

She stared back at him, bottom lip trembling, and for a moment he feared she would resort to her legs to continue beating him up. Then there was a blur of red and the next thing he knew her arms were around his neck and pulling him in a hug.

"You silly kitty," she choked, tightening her hold on him as if she was afraid he would disappear. "I thought I was never going to see you again."

"P'Aw, you did miss me," he said, giving a half-hearted chuckle as he curled his arms around her sides and closed his eyes, leaning into the hug. The warmth she radiated spread across his chest, his heart thumping in response.

"I really was worried! You—"

"Shh, it's okay, My Lady," he whispered, voice almost stolen away by the wind as he played with one of her ribbons. "I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. Not unless you want me to."

She pulled away and gasped out a laugh, her hands a steadying pressure on his shoulders. "Silly kitty, I'd never want you to leave."

He could have made a joke, maybe another terrible pun that would make her roll her eyes and set everything back to normal again, but Adrien couldn't help the second thump of his heart at the sincerity ringing in her words.

"Never?" he repeated, phrasing the word like a question.

"Never," she assured, her grip on his shoulder tightening as if to emphasise her point. "So don't ever do that again, ok?"

He trilled a laugh, her words bringing to life a warm bubble in his stomach. "Understood, My Lady," he said, giving her a mock salute. She shook her head and rolled her eyes, smile taking root on her face as she wiped away brimming tears from the corners of her eyes.

Much like Marinette had done this afternoon.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" she asked, getting off him and rising to her feet before offering him a hand.

Much like Marinette had done.

He took it, allowing her to pull him up to his feet.

"My Miraculous was … well, there was an accident and it got damaged," he explained, eyes involuntarily dropping to the ring on his finger. In the corner of his eye, he saw Ladybug—Marinette—do the same.

"Damaged? But then how—"

"Plagg said to wait, and that it would repair itself so long as the damage wasn't caused by magic. But it took longer than expected, so I apol—"

"Plagg?" questioned Ladybug, tilting her head to the side.

Adrien gave her a meaningful look, choosing his next words carefully. "My kwami, he's what allows me to transform into Chat Noir. I'm guessing there's one with you too?"

Ladybug hesitated before giving a slow nod. "Her name's Tikki. She's a real treasure."

"I wish I could say the same about Plagg," said Adrien, with a crooked smile, casting his mind about for a change of subject to something more normal even as a twinge of regret prickled at his warm bubble. They'd never broached the topic of their kwamis before, and it was dangerously close to the topic of their civilian identities. Even if he had been right, even if Marinette really was Ladybug, he couldn't jeopardise her wishes based on—

"I want to know."

"Huh?" said Adrien, confused at her out-of-the-blue declaration and wondering if he had missed some part of the conversation.

"I …." She swallowed, seeming to brace herself for impact before soldiering on. "I want to know who you are. I want to know the face under that mask. I want to know your name, who you really are, and I think I owe you the same thing too."

"But … but wait," he said, eyes widening as the full implications of what she was saying sunk in. "I thought you didn't want us to know because it was too dangerous?"

She met his eyes, shaking her head. "And I was wrong, dead wrong. This whole episode could have been avoided if I hadn't been so stubborn. If we'd known each other outside of these suits, you could have simply told me what was going on. I put us in a bad and potentially dangerous position and for that, I'm sorry, Chat. So I want us to know who we are. Anything could happen, and I don't want a repeat of this month ever again."

He blinked, processing this new information. "Are ... are you sure, My Lady?"

She raised her head, offering him a thin smile and a nod. "Yes, but only if you're okay with it."

A moment passed, then his face broke out into a fiendish grin. "Okay? I'm more than okay with it!"

He was finally going to find out, find out for sure. See for his own eyes.

No, he already knew. It was just a matter of letting her know.

"So, then … I guess we release our transformations?"

So sure of herself a mere moment ago, now uncertainty coloured her tone, nervousness etched on her face. Adrien could only smile, taking her hand in his and drawing her close.

"Nervous?" he asked her, raising a playfully mocking eyebrow at her. She breathed a laugh, shaking her head.

"A little. Stupid, huh?" she said, tossing him a wink.

"If it helps, My Lady, would you allow me to go first?"

She looked up at him, eyes wide, but the responding squeeze on his hand was answer enough for him.

He took a deep breath, feeling himself teetering on the precipice of change as he focused his entire being into staring into the entrancing blue of her eyes. He smiled for her again.

"And I think I've already said this before," he told her, heart hammering in his throat. "But you're far from stupid. You're one of the smartest people I know."

She froze, blue eyes becoming impossibly round as her lips forming his real name in a dazed question, and he released his transformation in a flash of emerald green.

He never once let go of her hand.

A/N: And that's it, folks. That's the end! Thanks for putting up with all my screw ups, and remember to stay awesome.