Read Author's Note at end for info on a possible sequel.

"Miraculous ladybug!"

Ladybug grinned and turned to Chat Noir for a fistbump. "Pound it! See you later, kitty."

She gave Chat a smile before turning away. Another day, another akuma. Another getaway.

"Wait, my lady!"

Ladybug turned her head, a questioning look on her face. Her yo-yo was already in her hand, ready to swing her out of the scene, as always. "What is it, Chat?"

Chat smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "I was wondering... Purrhaps you'd like to stay for a while today?"

Ladybug sighed. Of course. Why else would he ask her to stay behind? "We've talked about this before."

"I know, I just thought you might have changed your mind." Chat grinned, pressing his luck. "I just want to see who's my lady under that mask."

"Maybe one day," Ladybug teased and poked at the cat in the chest. Her earrings beeped their first warning. "Get going before you run out as well. Bye Chat!"

With that, the superhero swung away out of sight, leaving Chat my himself. Chat pouted. "And when exactly is that 'one day'?"

Turning to leave as well, Chat made a move towards the direction of his house when he noticed a ladybug on his baton. He grinned at it and gently poked it. "Why hello there, what are you doing on my baton, my little ladybug? Care to join me on my way home?"

Giving no answer, the bug simply flew away at his finger. Chat watched as it flew past him. Coincidentally, it flew in the same direction Ladybug was headed.

"Tsk, even you're leaving me? That's not very nice." Chat made a playful grab at the ladybug. Surprisingly, He caught it.

"Gotcha! See, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

Opening his hand, he allowed the ladybug to fly off once again. As he watched the bug fly off, he noticed the smallest flash of red, disappearing over a distant rooftop just as fast as he had noticed it.

His Ladybug.

His Ladybug.

What she didn't know wouldn't hurt her, right?

Chat grinned and tucked his baton away before leaping in the direction Ladybug had headed.

Unlike Ladybug, Chat hadn't used his powers yet. Well, technically, he had early on in the fight and was forced to transform back. But after returning to the fight a second time, he hadn't needed to use cataclysm again and, as a result, wasn't on a time limit before detransformation.

Keeping low on the rooftops, Chat raced as fast as he could without being spotted. He hadn't seen Ladybug again yet, but she was sure to be headed this way. She usually headed towards specific areas of the city after a battle. Not that he kept track intentionally, it just happened. It didn't take a genius to notice that Ladybug stuck to a pattern while making an escape.

There were two general areas in Paris that his lady normally ran to after a battle. One was his school. He hadn't asked her yet if she really was a student at his school but it was no coincidence that she just happened to make a run for it there every time they had a fight during school hours. The other area was one that wasn't too far away from the school either. Not exactly a neighborhood but it was a start. Chat was sure that she hadn't left for the school as it was Saturday, which left the other possibility.

Chat dashed along the rooftops. Practice had made him quick, yet quiet. At this rate, he should be catching up to Ladybug soon.

Where was she?

Who was she?

Chat slowed. Then he frowned before skidding to a stop.

He couldn't help but feel guilty. Wasn't it her right to remain hidden?

Chat groaned and shook his head. No, what if something were to happen to her one day while she wasn't Ladybug? It would be a lie if Chat said that wasn't something he worried about every day. What if she got seriously hurt one day and had to retire as Ladybug? Or worse, dead? How would Chat ever know? As her partner, didn't he have that right?

But what if she never forgave him for compromising her identity? Protecting their identities was always one of Ladybug's top priorities, even if it meant keeping the secret from each other.

Unless…

Chat broke into a run again. Unless, she never found out he knew!

Smirking, Chat resumed his chase once again. If what he had observed was right, he shouldn't have passed the area yet. Which meant she was close.

Another flash of red from the corner of his eye was all he needed to halt. He whipped his head to the right. An alleyway?

Chat smacked himself. Of course, she wouldn't just go home! He himself usually took a detour and transformed elsewhere before returning home, just in case someone unfavorable was watching. Like, well, Chat in this case. Leaping closer by rooftop, it didn't take long to get close to the alleyway when a familiar girl stepped out.

Chat nearly fell off the roof..

The girl quickly looked both ways before briskly walked off down the street. It was only half a minute later that she reached her house and ducked inside, greeting her parents inside the store.

The same house and store he had visited before for a school project.

Chat was stunned.

Marinette? His Marinette? Chat blushed. Well, not his, but the idea that his lady, his partner, really was in the same school, no, the same class was unbelievable. Not just that, she literally sat behind him for months.

He was almost tempted to confront her right away. How could he have not noticed? Well, considering his own change in personality as Chat, it wasn't surprising that Ladybug behaved differently as a civilian as well, but surely he should have noticed…

Chat shook his head. If he wanted to be sure, he had to see for himself. Somewhere on her must be a kwami. And he was going to find it.

"He was totally staring at you," Alya whispered, a smirk on her face. "Don't even try to deny it. Nino agreed too."

"Alya, he was not!" Marinette furiously whispered back, quickly scanning the room for anyone who may have heard. Luckily, most students had left the room during lunch break. Alya and Marinette were about to leave as well to eat outside, where they normally spent their breaks.

"Oh come on, girl. You know he was just as well as I do! He's got a thing for you." Alya poked her friend in the cheek, causing Marinette to blush and swat her hand away.

"Please, as if anyone could be interested in her," Chloe retorted as she walked past, Sabrina loyally following just a few steps behind. "Come on, Sabrina, let's leave these two losers alone with their fantasies."

Alya glared at the pair but Marinette stopped her with a hand on her shoulder before the girl could say anything. "They're not worth it, Alya."

Alya gave the pair one last glare but then sighed but nodded. "You're right. Argh, she just makes me want to wring her little chicken neck, you know? Anyways, let's go eat. Otherwise I really will wring her neck."

Marinette nodded and smiled, her own lunch already in her hands.

It was about halfway into the break, just as Marinette had finished eating her homemade pastries, when Adrien approached the pair sitting on a bench. Alya had, of course, noticed the boy coming from across the courtyard. After not-so-discreetly nudging Marinette a few times, she quickly snatched the shyer girl's trash out of her hands and left, muttering something about throwing away trash even though her own lunch wasn't finished.

"Marinette!" Adrien called out, a smile on his face. Marinette jumped.

"A-Adrien! How can I do you today–I MEAN, what can I do for you?" Marinette stammered, blush already on her cheeks. "I-Is there something you need?"

Adrien coughed awkwardly, hiding his own blush. Sure, he had interacted with Marinette before but that was before he realized that she was Ladybug. This was...different.

Suddenly, his plan didn't seem all that great anymore. It didn't take long for him to figure out that the one place a kwami could comfortably hide was in that bag she wore everywhere.

"I was wondering if I can see your bag for, um, design purposes. My dad's thinking about starting a new fashion line specifically for school girls and well, you're fashionable, right?" He asked lamely. He berated himself for making it sound so obviously like a lie but Marinette didn't seem to notice.

If it were possible, Marinette turned redder. "M-Me? Of course! I can give you my bag right after school." She breathed a mental sigh of relief. At least she got one sentence out right.

"Oh, that's okay. I don't need to borrow it or anything, I'll just look at it now. I just want to get a feel for the quality and everything," Adrien lied, this time more smoothly.

It was at this point that Marinette started to feel weary. "Oh, um, I have some stuff inside right now so I don't know if you want to see it now." Marinette laughed awkwardly. "I'll go empty it out for you and then you can see how the bag is really like…"

"It's okay." Adrien smiled. If he were Chat right now, he'd be smirking. "What better way to be acquainted with the schoolgirl feel than to be familiar with what they carry around? We want to make practical bags as well, after all."

Marinette laughed nervously and unconsciously brushed her hand over the bag. "I don't think that's a great idea…"

"Why not?"

"I…" Marinette racked her brain frantically for ideas. "I have some, you know…"

"Some…?" Adrien smiled innocently.

Suddenly struck by inspiration, Marinette smiled sheepishly and lowered her voice. "Well, um, Adrien, I'm a girl so I carry, well, girl stuff around… You know what I mean?"

Marinette almost felt guilty but seeing Adrien's sudden blush from being caught off guard made it worth it. If it were someone else, she would have probably laughed. "Oh, um, sorry. I didn't think…"

Marinette smiled and cast her eyes downward. She can't believe that actually worked. "I can go empty it now and give it to you," She offered shly.

Quickly recomposing himself, Adrien straightened up.

"Thanks. I'll come with you," said Adrien with a grin. Trying to hide her kwami, huh?

"That's not necessary–"

"I insist." Adrien said, giving her a "killer smile" as Nino had called it. Apparently, Nino was right. Marinette basically melted at the sight.

"A-Ah, okay…"

Marinette's head was in a daze as they headed to their classroom which was empty by the time the pair arrived. She nearly walked into her own table.

"Let me just...dump my bag out into my backpack…" Marinette chuckled nervously and proceeded to open her backpack before sticking her shoulder bag into the bigger bag and turning it upside down, out of Adrien's sight. As soon as Tikki silently slid out and took refuge in the new bag, Marinette quickly pulled out the smaller bag and handed it to Adrien, a smile on her face.

Amused, Adrien took the bag from her. That was all the proof it took to convince him. No one would act that suspicious about something like that. "Thanks, Marinette. Actually, could you do me one more favor?"

Marinette jumped. "Yes, of course, Adrien!"

"Can you show me your kwami?"

So much for not letting her know he knew.

Marinette's heart seemed to freeze before picking up, double the speed. How did he know about kwamis? She she say something before? She racked her brain. Did Alya somehow find out about kwamis and posted it on the blog? "E-Excuse me, Adrien?"

"You're Ladybug, right?"

"N-No," Marinette squeaked. "Y-You must be mistaken, haha. Me? Ladybug? That's funny, ha ha…" She forced out a laugh.

"Can I see your bag then?" He pressed. It was increasingly difficult to hide his grin. Marinette was many things, but she wasn't a good actress.

"Adrien, I.." Marinette stammered. On one hand, she felt like fainting. On the other, she felt like crying. "I'm not Ladybug."

"It's alright. Don't worry, my lady." Adrien smirked, a trait of Chat's.

Marinette's eyes widened. Only one person called her that. And did Adrien just smirk? "What did you say?"

"Here, how about I go first then?" Adrien said suddenly. A voice in his head warned him that he was being far too pushy, but ever since he found out who Ladybug really was, he's been too reckless to care. She probably thought he was a creep at this point.

He hadn't planned on revealing himself. Heck, he didn't even plan for Marinette to know that her identity was compromised. But what can he say, cat's out of the bag now. "Plagg, come out."

Adrien gently nudged his school bag with his foot. Marinette watched with a mixture of astonishment and disbelief as a black cat kwami sleepily floated out. It rubbed at its eyes, a look of boredom on its face. Then it yawned. "Honestly, Adrien, you took so long with this that I almost fell asleep. Are you even sure about this?"

Adrien smiled and lifted his kwami up and stepped closer to Marinette who really looked on the verge of fainting at any moment. "Marinette, meet my kwami, Plagg. Plagg, meet Marinette. Also known as Ladybug."

"I know who she is. I can sense Tikki," Plagg stated blandly. He peered curiously at Marinette. "Nice to meetcha. I'm Plagg, Adrien's kwami."

Marinette's bag shuffled a bit before Tikki flew out, a huge grin on her face as she tackled her fellow kwami, sending the two tumbling off Adrien's hand. "Plagg!"

"You must be Tikki, right? Nice to meet you," Adrien chuckled as the two kwamis spun through the air in Tikki's very much one-sided hug. Then he turned to Marinette. He frowned at her expression "Marinette? Are you okay?"

"I… You're Chat Noir?" Marinette asked, her voice small. She seemed to be going into shock. "Adrien?"

"Well...yes." Adrien scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I know, I know. You said to not tell each other our identities but, well, curiosity killed the cat. I'm sorry, my lady."

"You're Chat Noir." Marinette fell backward into one of the seats in a daze. "Adrien's Chat Noir. Adrien knows that I'm Ladybug."

Then she turned red and covered her face in embarrassment. "I've been next to Adrien this whole time?!"

Adrien laughed. "I had the same reaction when I found out who you were." He paused and looked at her in concern. "You're not upset, right? Nino told me you liked me."

"I do like you, I just didn't think you were capable of acting like Chat Noir and I didn't think that Chat Noir was anything more than a flirt. I never thought he could be so kind, so caring like Adrien…" Marinette trailed off, her ears bright red.

At this, Adrien was a little hurt. "You're...disappointed?"

Marinette quickly straightened up. "No, no! Chat Noir is my partner, my friend. Adrien is my...friend. Someone I admire. But I admire both Adrien and Chat Noir. Why would I be disappointed by someone like you? It's me who should be worried about being the disappointment. Ladybug is so confident. Smart. Heroic. I'm just...me." Marinette looked down. "I'm just Marinette."

"Marinette, you're more than that."

Marinette looked up in surprise.

"A mask is not some magical switch that turns us into another person," Adrien continued. "A mask just shows us another part of us. It lets us be who we are on the inside. You are just as much of a hero as Ladybug is because you are Ladybug."

Adrien knelt in front of Marinette and took her hands. "Superhero or not, you are the one who Chat Noir has been calling his lady. So can I, Adrien, call you my lady as well?"

Marinette stared at him in shock. "Adrien?"

Adrien turned red, almost as red as Marinette. "What I'm trying to ask is, will you be my, um, girlfriend?"

"Pfft. Cheesy. Go get a room," Plagg called out, only to be tackled by Tikki who clamped her kwami hand firmly over his mouth as she watched, bright-eyed.

"I, um, A-Adrien," Marinette stammered. She really felt faint now. Or nauseous. Maybe a bit of both.

Adrien looked down. Suddenly, the embarrassment was too much for him as well. "Sorry, I'm going too fast, aren't I? We can start off as friends. It might be a little awkward now but–"

"Yes."

"What?" Adrien looked up again, eyes hopeful. He didn't dare to believe his ears.

"Y-Yes," Marinette stammered, blushing.

Adrien grinned and jumped to his feet. Without warning, he hugged Marinette, lifting her off her seat and lightly spun her around. He didn't let go of her, not even when he set her down and whispered in her ear, "Thank you, my lady."

In the background, the two kwamis cheered, too distracted by the new couple to notice a third person walking away from the doorway.

Author's Note: This is the updated version, updated as of 1/31/17. If there are requests for the older version, I'll upload it as well.

ALSO

There are so many requests for an additional part that I'm considering writing one up (hence the update of this so I can work with something decent) I was thinking of uploading a few different outcomes with different people being the third person so I'm taking suggestions! Until then, the original "third person" who I had imagined will remain a mystery.

Yes, I was a butthole and posted this as a new chap and deleted the old one to notify the people following this. I aim to publish the sequels within a day or two though :)

Reviews make me smile :)