Marinette wasn't a fool.

With as much as she ogled over Adrien (and his modeling photos if said model wasn't present to ogle over), it was really only a matter of time before she noticed the ring he always wore. The one that looked remarkably like Chat's ring. The one they wore on the same finger. The one in every single photo as if he never took it off.

Once it clicked that Chat's miraculous obviously turned silver when not transformed, Marinette spent the preceding week kicking herself. Honestly, they had been partners for over a year, yet it never clicked that Chat looked exactly like Adrien? Same hair, same electric green eyes (in essence), same stature, same voice.

Same person.

Really, how had she not noticed before?

It took her another week to actually calm down and return to normal. (Something Alya was thankful for because she was growing increasingly unsure how to handle her frantic friend.) Now, Marinette had to figure out her next move. She had just figured out her partner's secret identity, after all. What does someone do with that kind of information?

Nothing. That's what she decided. Absolutely nothing. She would pretend she never knew. Why? Because they were secret identities. Secret identities were supposed to remain secret for a reason. And what better reason than the safety of her family and even Adrien himself? She couldn't ask him to risk that.

But at the same time…maybe he would if she asked. Or was that selfish?

So she decided to throw caution to the wind. Chat was still his usual flirty self, the one madly in love with her. (Coming to that revelation was a whole other story that, frankly, wrecked her for a week. Who would have thought he seriously had a crush on her?) So when he flirted with her, she decided to flirt back. It shocked him at first, but it slowly fell into their routine.

Chat would come to her when he was ready. He would ask her again to reveal her identity, she knew it. She just had to encourage him to do so. And above all, she hoped that this would only strengthen their bond, not wreck it.

Because she wasn't a fool, and she knew he was far too precious to lose.

Adrien wasn't a fool.

Ok, so maybe he would never have noticed had Alya not made a comment on Marinette's earrings, but once he noticed, it was impossible to un-see. He had spent enough time in close quarters with Ladybug to get a good vision of her earrings, and he was confident he would recognize them anywhere. And he did…once Alya pointed out that Marinette never took them off.

Granted, her earrings were black and missing the spots, but it was undeniably his Lady's earrings. He had spent the rest of the day kicking himself. He went to school with the girl for crying out loud, yet how did he never notice that Marinette looked exactly like Ladybug? Same hair, same gorgeous blue eyes, same stature, same voice.

Same person.

Really, how had he not noticed before?

He spent the proceeding week completely freaking out. (Nino was no help whatsoever. Thanks, bro.) It was understandable. He had just figured out his partner's secret identity, the one she was adamant about keeping secret. What on earth was he supposed to do with that kind of information?

Tell her. He was going to have to bite the bullet and admit it because she would want nothing more. She hated liars. She fought for truth. So he was going to tell her everything, and if he was lucky, then she'd fall head over heels for him, (because discovering Marinette had a, in Nino's words, "monster crush" on him had been a…not wholly unpleasant development) and they'd live happily ever after.

But at the same time…maybe she wouldn't want that. Maybe that was selfish of him to force something she wasn't ready for yet.

So that plan flew out the window and he settled for getting to know the shy designer better. To make and effort into building her friendship outside the mask. It had surprised her at first, but once she got over the shock of it all, her sentences became more coherent, and she almost became…playful. Their friendship grew, and they happily settled into this new routine.

His Lady would want things to be kept secret. And as hard as it was, he would respect keeping the distance between their two lives. So he would strengthen his bond to her in every way he could and hope it wouldn't destroy what he had with her.

Because he wasn't a fool, and he knew she was far too precious to lose.

"They are such fools."

"For once, I fully agree with you, Plagg."

The two kwami sat in a secluded corner of Marinette's room while their Chosen battled in a game of UMS III. (Considering the way Marinette was dancing, it seemed she had just won her fifteenth straight game in a row.) Plagg had sneaked out of Adrien's shirt within five minutes of arriving at the bakery so he could meet with Tikki. They had known exactly who Chat and Ladybug were since the umbrella incident. they had sensed each other immediately because they were perfectly in tune with each other, but that's what happens when you're two halves of one whole.

"Come on, Tikki, we have to do something."

"You know we can't interfere directly."

"Well, I'm not sure how much more of Adrien's lamenting over his Maribug I can take."

"Maribug?"

"Yes," the black cat sighed exasperatedly. "It slipped out of his mouth the day he discovered her identity, and it stuck."

Tikki giggled.

"It gets real old after the hundred and twenty-seventh time."

"I'm shocked you and your patience lasted that long."

Plagg glowered at her. "Honestly, Tikki, either they come to their senses, or I'm going to do something."

"You can't break the rules, Plagg."

"I'm not going to be breaking any rules. They both know who each other is. But he's a fool for refusing to tell her because he's respecting her wishes to stay secret. And she's a fool for wanting him to come out first because she's concerned for his safety. Furthermore, they are fools because the reasons they came to are just stupid. Face it. The only reason they aren't telling the other is that they're scared, which puts them at an impasse. So if one of them doesn't make the first move, I will."

"But the rules—"

"The rules state we can't tell. The rules say nothing about creating a situation that force them to come to their senses. It won't be like the other time I did break the rules."

Tikki looked highly unamused. "So what, exactly, do you plan to do?"

Plagg smirked. "Watch."

Tikki sat shock still for half a second before grabbing the tail of a quickly shooting off kwami. "Plagg!"

Her voice echoed loudly throughout the room. And even if the two teenagers hadn't paused the game, they would have heard it. After they got over their momentary shock, they simultaneously turned around to stare at the pink kwami, who had let go of Plagg's tail in favor of covering her mouth.

And darn, did that cat look smug. If Tikki didn't know any better, she would have said he planned it that…

Oh, she was going to strangle him!

"Oops," Tikki squeaked before sinking back down to her spot hidden in the corner.

Plagg, while still floating in the air, was soon ignored by the two blushing teenagers.

"So…"

"So…"

They both stopped, voices caught in their throats. They had been caught. Each of them knew it. And each of them hoped that what they said next wouldn't ruin their relationship.

"This wasn't how I wanted you to find out."

Slowly, each of them processed the other's words…which sounded a whole lot like their own.

"Wait, you knew?!"

A/N: So, I'm not sure this turned out quite like I wanted. I feel like it's missing something, yet I really like the way it ends. Any critiques and comments are really welcomed. Thanks for reading.