Dawn of Time

Every morning was just like the very first morning in the world to him. Every morning he took a shower first, then dressed for whatever ridiculous occasion he was assigned to, then he followed up with homeschool homework and fencing. On rare days he'd be given English studies and even Chinese. Every morning was a mimicry of the last day; boring and repetitious. Day in and day out he was slave to his father's agenda, a cruel punishment for a crime he never committed.

Every morning he woke up and stared straight out the large bay window in his bedroom to see the sun rising over the bustling French streets. He felt trapped in the never ending cycle of privilege. He daydreamed about being poor and free, but those simple wishes never came true.

Every morning he yearned for something more exciting than fencing, something more fulfilling than Chinese lessons, something more fun than having his picture taken hundreds of times a day…..

….something more magical than being rich and spoiled.

Once Plagg came into his life and he became Chat Noir it was like his fairy godparent had granted all of his wishes in one swoop. He reveled in the freedom the powers of the black cat gave him. His ability to speak freely and express his deepest desires lead him to many life-altering realizations. He came to realize three very important facts about himself; one he was very sneaky and cunning; two he loathed cheese and having his picture taken randomly; and third…..he was a romantic.

He discovered his passion in life wasn't sword fighting or modeling….it was puns and helping people. He was happiest when he pulled his claws out and saved a life or two and got a quick flirtatious comment in between.

It became his goal in life to completely fall in love and earn that woman's affections in return.

"To make a girl fall for you," Plagg started as he sat on Adrien's shoulder. "You have to first love yourself."

Adrien's frown turned into a scowl. "As if I could ever love someone as helpless as myself."

"Keep up that look on your face and you'll be stuck doing anti-aging cream commercials pretty soon." Plagg giggled in his ear.

The look on the blond's face softened, but the agitation remained ever present. "She's rejected me countless times, what would be so different now?" he asked through grit teeth. "Just because we caught my father and erased his memories doesn't mean she's suddenly just gonna fall head over heels for me."

"I'd love nothing more than to give you this juicy inside scoop I have on Ladybug, but that goes against the Kwami Law." Plagg waggled his tail at the boy's nose.

Adrien's entire expression changed to that of surprise as he awkwardly shifted his head to face the small feline on his shoulder. "Inside scoop?"

"Okay so I'm totally breaking Kwami Law right but even mentioning this, but I met up with Tikki, Ladybug's Kwami, some time ago. We're not telepathic or anything, but we can feel each other out sometimes. I got to talk to Tikki for a moment a few years ago and she told me something that changed everything for you."

"So? Tell me!" Adrien's emerald eyes lit up waiting for his response.

"I can't tell you what Tikki said, but you have my word that you do in fact stand a chance with your girl!" Plagg winked.

"What happens if you tell me?" he asked quickly as he scooped the cat into his hands to hold him in front of his face without having to look sideways at him.

"Well nothing happens to me now, but let's just say Wayzz won't be very happy and when Wayzz isn't happen ain't none of the Kwami happy!" Plagg chuckled nervously.

Adrien's shoulder sank and his eyes dashed to the floor in despair as he released the cat who floated towards his face a bit.

"I can't do anything then…all this time I've pondered what to do with my life…only one thing has been certain in the last seven years since I've become Chat Noir; Ladybug is my soulmate!" He paused to look up at Plagg with a silent plea. "Seven long years of quoting shakesphere, plucking flowers, writing the same love letter over and over again without the courage to give it to her…."

He stood up and bit his lower lip. "…seven long years of unrequited, soul searching love."

"It's probably hard to believe this, but…" Plagg drifted down to sit on the coffee table beside Adrien's mug of cocoa and vodka. "I was in love once, I even thought she was my soul mate simply because she was my counterpart. I was wrong though."

"You mean Tikki, Ladybug's Kwami?" he asked innocently.

"Yeah….I never confessed though."

"Why not?" Adrien said softly as he sat back down in wonder.

"How often do you think I ever get to actually see Tikki?"

Adrien pondered it for a moment before realization dawned on him. "Almost never…" he whispered sadly for his small friend.

Plagg looked almost tired, like after a long fight with an akumatized victim. "If the miraculous holders aren't together out of costume constantly, then a relationship between Kwami's won't work. After the costume is given up then we get sucked inside the miraculous until the next generation arises."

"I'm sure at some point in history Ladybug and Chat Noir have been lovers or –"

"Nope!" Plagg interrupted and crossed his arms. "Every single Chat Noir has fallen madly in love with Ladybug, but never once has she ever returned his feelings. It's the same story every time, it's a never ending cycle since the dawn of time when the miraculouses were forged by the gods."

Adrien's spirit broke as tears pooled in his eyes. He was a bit in denial, but he knew better than to doubt Plagg's words. "So it's over then….my dream girl is just a phantom…." He whispered just before the sob escaped his lips.

"But this time…" Plagg started. "Something is different about Ladybug…" he pondered as he tapped his tail on the table.

"She's amazing, isn't she?!" Adrien shouted and Plagg's eyes widened at the suddenness of his volume. "She's the most amazing person! She's so smart and pretty, she's confident and kind! She-"

"Okay I get it! Yes, she's all of those things, but that's not what I meant!" Plagg rubbed his ears in agony.

"What makes her different from every other Ladybug then?" Adrien's voice softened.

Plagg let out a deep and minacing chuckle before winking at him. "I've always wanted to do this, but….screw Kwami Law!" Plagg chirped proudly.

"Eh?" the boy blinked.

"Ladybug in her true identity…." Plagg grinned from ear to ear as he drifted up to touch his fore head to Adrien's forehead.

"Ladybug's true identity….what?"

"Is a massive Adrien Agreste fangirl!"

Adrien's eyes opened like the parting of the red sea and his face burned like a wildfire. "Y-you're…K-kidding?!" he blurted out.

"Not even close to joking! No other Ladybug has ever so much as batted an eye at the man behind the mask, much less gone to school with hi- I mean…Oops…" Plagg scrambled for the right words to fix the situation.

'Shit! I said too much! I just went above and beyond Kwami Law and triple dog dare broke it!' Plagg panicked as the gears in Adrien's head turned madly.

"She went to my old high school?" he asked almost dumbly.

"Well, Ladybug's out of the bag now it seems! Might as well spill the beans." Plagg sighed, he was in such deep shit when this generation ended.

"Tell me everything!" Adrien demanded.

"I honestly don't know her name, but she went to high school with you a few years ago, she was in your graduating class, that's how I found Tikki. She had a little purse with your daily schedule written down in it and a picture of you on it. If you ask me she seemed a little obsessed."

Adrien's face grew even brighter by the second. Ladybug thought he was attractive, it was enough to send him over the moon.

"Is she-I mean,,,gyaaak! I …oh god!...Plagg, we,…I gotta….augh!" Adrien struggled to make a coherent sentence as Plagg watched the boy flail around the sofa like a junkie looking for his needle.

"Sweet god boy, calm yourself." Plagg watched in mild amusement as the sophisticated Adrien Agreste turn into a pile of mush and ruin his hairdo.

"How do I….What do I do from here? What do I do….Where is she?" he glanced all around his room as if looking for something.

"Relax, I can sense Tikki is still in Paris, it's not like she moved or anything." Plagg huffed out as Adrien grabbed his keys and phone.

"Can you pinpoint her location?" Adrien pleaded.

"Nope, not an ability I possess." The cat said flatly and Adrien about ripped his hair out.

"I'll start by vising every girl in my graduating class!" Adrien stated proudly and opened his jacket for Plagg to fly in and hide.

"Keep in mind that there were a lot of guests at the ceremony, she could have been a sibling, cousin, visiting friend, or a bakery caterer, or an intern, or…."

"Or?" Adrien awaited his final suggestion.

"Or Chloe." Plagg said with utmost serious tone.

Adrien stopped and thought on it a moment. "Chloe can't be Ladybug, first of all she isn't kind enough, secondly I've seen Ladybug and Chloe in the same room at the same time before."

"I know, I just wanted to see your reaction!" Plagg cackled. Adrien gave him a scowl before dashing out the door and into his Mercedes.

He stopped by every girl's house and one by one he checked them off of a list. He asked each girl questions like who they invited as a guest and if they had female relatives. It wasn't long before he found himself at the steps of the Dupain-Cheng bakery where three very busy people were taking orders from a crowd of bustling patrons.

Once at the register Adrien watched his old classmate diligently finish rining in the previous order. Without looking up at him she casually asked "Hello, may I take your order?" in a rather cheerful tone.

'I've checked off every other girl on the list, she's the last one. It'd gotta be her.' He thought as he was too lost in his own pondering to answer her question.

"Perhaps try our new macaroons or puffs?" she asked as he quickly finished writing down an old order and looked up at him. "We have our new….." she paused and looked mystified at a very familiar, and very handsome, face.

"Marinette, it's been a couple years!" He said with a nervous smile. "Oh I like the long hair!" he pointed at her twin ponytails that were to her waist.

She looked him up and down slowly, in denial that Prince Charming himself was standing in front of her. She struggled to even make a single noise. She simply stared up at his gorgeous emeralds in silent awe.

"What's wrong? Don't you remember me?" he smile fell and she shook her head violently.

"Ah! Um..yes! Of course I do!" she finally spoke sheepishly with a blush. "I uhm…I was just thinking about the new macaroons…and…oh…the cookies…and pies….we have bread too…." he words trailed off into wonderland and Adrien giggled gently.

'Yup, she's the same as she was in high school alright!' he thought with relief. Most of the people had changed greatly since graduation, he was glad to see the reliable and steady Marinette was still her usual self and not stuck up like some of the others. He took note of her reddened cheeks and slurring words and became concerned.

"Are you okay? Maybe you've been working too hard." He said as he placed a hand on her forehead to feel she was quite warm. The sudden skin to skin contact sent her over the edge.

"I'm okay!" she stammered louder than intended and Adrien instinctively pulled his hand back.

'Maybe she did change….' He thought sadly.

"I'm sorry, I guess that was rude of me to suddenly-" he tried to say, but her sudden cheerful tone returned and cut him off.

"No it's ok!" she said coherently and sighed wistfully. "I was just….surprised to see you is all!"

His hopes returned and he placed a hand over his heart in relief. "When do you get off work?"

The wondrous look in her eyes gave him goose bumps. "I can leave anytime I want…." She whispered hoarsely, not sure what his intentions were.

"Do you wanna go get some coffee and catch up?" He asked almost hyper. She nodded her head dumbly and her mother gave her a knowing smirk.

"Go." She instructed and nudged her daughter to go get ready. She turned to Adrien and instructed him to wait in the living room.

Upstiars in Marinette's room she was having a heart attack.

"Tikki!" she whined and slammed her closet open to find the Kwami snacking on some cooking with a book open.

"What's wrong Marinette? Is there trouble in Paris?" the Kwami asked in fear as she watched the girl grab everything out of her closet one by one and throw them on her bed.

"Big trouble! Oh my gosh!" Marinette wailed and yanked on her own pony tails and gave Tikki a crazed look.

"Hurry! Transform!" Tikki pleaded.

"No! It's not danger, it's Adrien!" she screeched as she pulled out a pink dress and held it up to her body in front of the mirror.

"Eh….Adrien? The pretty boy you used to have a massive crush on in high school?" Tikki asked as she sat back down on her book.

"Yes! The gorgeous hunk of human that graced me with his presence every day for four years straight!" she said quickly as he tossed the pink dress down and picked up a yellow dress.

"Didn't you tear down all of his posters when you started college so when you had study groups they wouldn't think you were insane?" Tikki asked perplexed. "I haven't heard you even utter his name in three years, why would you freak out now over him?"

"You don't understand! He's downstairs right now! He asked me on a date!" she screamed and tore her clothes off. She hustled herself into a tiny red dress and posed desperately in the mirror.

"Oh dear…" Tikki sighed out. "Here we go again with the life-consuming crush on pretty-boy Agreste…"

"Oh no!" she whined suddenly. "There's flour in my hair and chocolate on my forehead! I can't believe he'd ask a girl on a date with chocolate on her forehead!"

Tikki suppressed a giggle and she grabbed a wet washcloth and used her tiny might to help get the flour out of her hair. She took her hair out of the pigtails and quickly wiped the flour out.

"Do the hairstyle you did for Halloween last year!" Tikki chirped brightly.

"You mean when I dressed as Miku Hatsune?" Marinette blinked down at her.

"Yeah, you looked super cute like that!"

Marinette thought on it and put her hair up into a very high pony tail off to each side. She examined herself in the mirror and looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Marinette!" her mother called to her from downstairs. "Your guest is waiting very patiently for you, it'd rude to keep them waiting!"

"Coming!" she yelled back and scrambled for her make up bag.

Adrien sat in the empty living room directly below Marinette's room. He passed the time by counting how many times he heard Marinette's voice screech and how many thuds and crashing noises he could hear. He couldn't make out her words, but she sounded panicked.

"Is she riding a horse up there? She's so loud!" Plagg asked almost jokingly, but he half wondered.

Adrien openly laughed. "That's Marinette for you, she's adorably clumbsy."

After what felt like an hour Marinette nervously tiptoed down the stairs and peeked around the staircase to see Adrien talking to someone who….wasn't there….

'Is he talking to himself?' she wondered. Maybe he'd lost his damn mind and that's what was making him ask her out on a date? 'Of course! The man of my dreams asks me on a date and it's because he's lost his sanity!' Marinette face palmed and almost wanted to cry, but that would ruin her mascara.

While Marinette's face was buried in her hands Tikki caught a glimpse of something that she probably should have; she witnessed Plagg dash into Adrien's jacket as he stood up.

"Oh Tikki, what am I doing? What if he's gone completely mad?" she whined.

Tikki smirked. "It's alright, he hasn't lost his mind!"

"Huh? How do you know that?" the bluenette looked dumbfounded.

"Trust me, he's just practicing his lines for when he confesses or something!" Tikki lied.

Marinette looked like she was wearing a pound of blush on her cheeks as she slowly descended down the stairs one agonizing step at a time. The slow pounding of her red heels on the wooden stairs brought Adrien out of his train of thought and he whipped his head around just in time to see the mythical sight of the girl with the blue pony tails in a tight red mini dress.

He took note of her ruby heels and realized that they were the cause of the thumping and horse clomping he was hearing on the ceiling. He choked back a laugh and instead beamed at her. She was a sight to behold for sure, she had the same face and shy expression as she always had, but her body had filled out into a womanly figure that did not escape his notice. His average male hormones wouldn't allow that detail to go unnoticed. The way the dress showed off her hips, thighs, and bust was enough to make him need to avert his gaze for a moment to clear his depraved thoughts.

"Man, you got all dressed up and I'm just in jeans and a jacket!" he said nervously.

"I'm sorry, was this supposed to be casual?" she looked to the floor ashamed of herself for being conceited.

"No, it's ok! I guess when you ask a girl for coffee you should at least dress up yourself!" he returned the sheepish notion.

"I think you look great the way you are." She managed to say without stuttering and Adrien visibly blushed.

"Enough dawdling!" said a gruff older man and the two looked over to see her father standing with the door held open. "Go have some fun for once Mari!"

Adrien offered her his arm and she took it slowly and he escorted her to his car.

The ride was quiet and honestly a bit awkward. He'd occasionally take his eyes off the road to steal a glimpse of her pretty face. Once he accidentally looked at her cleavage and forced his eyes to be glued to the road. If he kept looking at her he'd wreck for sure.

Puberty was an odd thing for him. He felt like his figure hadn't changed much in years, but every girl he'd known had blossomed into a forbidden fruit, even Ladybug's figure was noticeable in her skin tight suit. He found himself getting scoffed at by her more and more these days for staring. He'd assumed it was because he had romantic feelings for Ladybug that naturally he'd be physically attracted to her as well, but right now Marinette challenged that notion by putting him on edge with that tiny dress.

Once inside the coffee shoppe they caught up on their daily lives and stories from high school. They spent hours drinking coffee, snacking on desserts, and sharing stories. Time passed so slowly when he stared into her eyes, but time also flew by when she spoke. He felt like time stood still when she smiled, but like he'd been sitting with her at this table for seven years.

"Remember when Chloe pulled the fire alarm to get out of a math test?" Marinette chuckled.

"Remember when Nino got akumatized and threw me a birthday party?" Adrien added with a laugh.

"I swear, half the people who were akumatized were because of Chloe!" she crossed her arms and bit her lip trying not to laugh again.

"Can you believe she's still like that? She's giving her fiancé a hell of a time with the wedding planning!" he chided.

"Chloe is getting married?" she asked as he smile dropped, but not out of disappointment. She was honestly worried that Adrien would end up married to her.

"Yeah, it's a super long story, but basically a Prince from another country proposed to her. She initially rejected him and asked me to marry her instead, but I declined. So the next time he proposed she agreed."

"Why'd you reject her? I thought you two were really close friends." She asked surprised.

Adrien looked confused. "Just because we're childhood friends doesn't mean I'd want to marry her. I never had romantic feelings for Chloe. She's not my type in regards to romance and marriage. I wouldn't be able to handle her!" he slapped his palm to his forehead at the very thought of dealing with Chloe's outrageous demands.

"I'm just curious…" she began with a tiny sip of her peppermint mocha. He made a noise of attention. "What made you come all the way to my bakery and ask me on a date all of a sudden?"

He froze and gave a confused head tilt. "A date?"

Marinette's heart sank. "I'm sorry for assuming…..I'm sorry…" her horrified gaze hit the table and made a small noise of panic.

"It's ok! This could totally be a date!" he said quickly realizing his mistake. "I'm just bad at wording things!"

She looked up at him with the tiniest amount of hope that he changed his answer sincerely and not out of pity. "What did you mean by coffee then?" she asked with the voice of a little girl.

"Well I meant more like catching up over a drink, but in hindsight that's totally a date, isn't it?" he said nervously as anxiety attacked him.

"It's ok if you didn't mean it like that…I understand…" she mumbled quietly as she attempted to cover up her cleavage in shame.

Realization hit Adrien in the face like a freight train; this girl dressed up in a sexy outfit for him. There was something entrancing about the sweet and shy look on her face and she averted her eyes from him.

'She's adorable.' He thought as the blush crept back onto his cheeks and his anxiety settled into a silent heart pounding in his ears.

"I totally like you like that!" he finally said. He had blurted it out so thoughtlessly that he didn't even have time to register the feeling properly.

They both stared into each other's eyes silently as the words he spoke seeped into their bones.

'The way Marinette makes my chest feel….is almost identical to the way Ladybug makes me feel…' He thought as the whimsical look in Marinette's eyes drew him in further into the wonderland of bliss.

'Did he just….confess…? No way….' Marinette didn't even have time to panic or fumble for her words. Her very soul took over and spoke for her.

"I've always liked you that way too, ever since you showed me how kind you were." She replied. A surge of adrenaline hit her full force at the realization of her own words.

Once again, neither had enough time to think logically on the matter, one thing was leading into another and before they knew it the cards were being laid on the table. Everything was out in the open.

Almost everything.

'I had forgotten how amazing Marinette was in high school….the way she handled akuma attacks without fear. How she helped me catch criminals when Ladybug wasn't around…the way she conquered logic when I couldn't think of an answer…' Adrien wanted to tear up, but he didn't have time to before Marinette' mouth opened again.

'Why was I able to say that?' Marinette questioned herself as Adrien leaned a few inches closer. He was across the table, which was a fair bit of distance, but he was leaning on his elbows which made him seem a lot closer than he actually was.

Why he was leaning closer to her was a mystery, it's not like she'd leaned in first or anything.

But oh wait, she did. Without realizing it she had leaned in closer before he did and they were now only a few inches apart.

"I have spent the last three years since graduation pondering a feeling wound up tightly inside of me that I have been unable to unravel. Light a string of Christmas lights, it's so tangled I can't even tell where it ends or begins." Adrien said as he looked from her sparkling sapphires to her ruby lips. "I think just now the first of many knots has come undone and I know how to fix the rest."

She instinctively tilted her head a bit, waiting to hear more. He took this as an open invitation, but poised himself.

"I don't know how dreadlocked the rest of this feeling is, but when I saw you again for the first time in years I felt the knots loosen and…and…" he trailed off as her eyes put him in a trance.

"Can I untangle the rest?" she suddenly asked.

It was instant and light, but their lips met without another word. Her hot red lipstick allowed his lips to slide gently across hers in a hushed and smothered passion. The kiss wasn't aggressive or fast paced, but deep and slow. She backed up half an inch and he moved half an inch closer, unwilling to let it end. His lips recaptured hers and held on. She leaned back into him as one of his hands went up to her cheek and held her in place.

It was by pure accident, but she parted her lips and before she would close them him tongue licked outwards and touched hers. He could taste the sweet minty cocoa from her drink and she whimpered softly into his mouth. He gave a muffled sigh of content as their tongues met again and again slowly. She shifted so that her hands could go to the collar of his shirt and up to his hair. He could feel the smile forming on her lips as he bombarded her with his mouth.

One by one the knots that had wound up super tight over the years began to fall apart. All the tangles that wrapped themselves around his heart now lay in ruin as Marinette's mouth ripped them to shreds.

'I don't understand, it was supposed to be Ladybug who tears down this wall of pain and suffering. How is Marinette able to make me feel this way?´His mind asked a lot of questions that his heart just didn't have answers for. 'How long have I felt this way for this girl? Why did I never notice?'

A gleam of light caught Adrien's eye and he opened his vision to see the sunrise. It was the dawn of time crashing all around them. He hadn't realized that they'd been sitting at that table talking for well over twelve hours. The sun hit her hair and reflected the glow back at him. She turned to see the sunrise lifting over the horizon and gasped.

"Oh my god! I was supposed to help close the bakery when I got back!" she stood up abruptly and he grabbed her by the arm to stop her.

"Isn't it a tad late for that?" he asked, hoping she'd stay a while longer.

"I guess you're right…" she sat back down, but then another thought it her.

'Oh no! I was also supposed to help Chat escort the Mona Lisa from the Louvre to the new museum at ten o'clock! It's already seven!' She internally panicked. She didn't want to leave Adrien, but she had super important plans with Chat.

"So there's something I have to do a little later today, but we can totally hang out again tonight, right?" Adrien asked almost pleadingly.

"Absolutely! What did you have in mind?" she asked with glee.

"Dinner at eight?" he asked and she nodded.

"Oh, let me give you my new number." She said quickly as she whipped out her phone only to find the battery was long dead.

"Damn, mine's dead too. Here, write it on my hand." He said as he pulled out a pen and she wrote her number on him. He wrote his number on her hand as well.

When they parted she went straight up to her room and changed back into street clothes and headed for the Louvre. Upon arrival she noticed a mob of onlookers and grimaced. Any one of these seemingly innocent people could be plotting to hijack the armored car that would be transporting the famous painting. She found a secluded area and let Tikki out of her purse.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Always!" Tikki chirped.

Marinette took notice of the number written in pen still on her hand and smiled. She allowed thoughts of Adrien to fill her mind as she transformed into Ladybug.

She made her way through the museum and up to the designated meet up where she saw Chat was already talking to the officers and managers. Chat was completely content with the day until he caught the first glimpse of Ladybug in all her glory. His mind reeled back to Marinette and their kiss before flashing back to the super heroine. His heart rate increased as she drew nearer to him with that 'lets save the day' smile she always had. Without his permission his heart fluttered.

'Bat kitty! You have a girlfriend now, you can't get all mushy over Ladybug anymore!' he mentally slapped himself.

Ladybug began conversing with the officers about strategies and 'what ifs' and gave off her usual superhero aura. He allowed himself to stare at her and get lost in idle thought.

'Just because I've acknowledged my feelings for Marinette doesn't meant my burning passion for Ladybug has died at all.'

Reality was a tough battle. The loose strings around his heart began to tighten again. The more he stared at her the more he fell in love again. He couldn't control it, the feeling was something beyond his powers could contain. The heart is a terrifying thing with a consciousness of its own.

As the mission started he had yet to even greet her, which she found odd. Normally he was all over her like a lost kitten. She strode up next to him and laid a warm hand on his shoulder. The gentle touch startled him out of his trainwreck of thoughts. With wide eyes he whirled his head around to see her giving him a worried expression.

"You okay?" she asked simply.

"Oh uhh…yes! I'm just thinking about this awesome girl I went on a date with recently!" he grinned his usual cocky grin at her and crossed his arms.

She couldn't suppress her laughter. "And here I thought you were to absorbed in hitting on me to even ask another girl out!"

"Ouch! Rude!" he said jokingly. "Besides, she's super cute and funny!"

"Oh, does Mrs. Kitty have a name?" she asked with a knowing grin.

'He soooo does not have a girlfriend, he's just trying to see if I'll get jealous!' Ladybug thought all high and mighty.

"It's a secret!" he grinned proudly as they hopped in the backseat of the van with the painting and started their drive to the other museum.

"Oh really?" she huffed jokingly and crossed her legs. "What does she look like?"

"She's super sexy with really long pretty hair, she has the cutest smile and the biggest blue eyes!" Chat gloated as Ladybug choked back a hysterical laugh.

"Oh please, she sounds made up!" she covered her mouth with her gloved hand.

Char scowled and gave her a dirty look. "Well she's one hundred percent real!"

"Oh, then why can't you tell me her name?" Ladybug prodded with a cocked eyebrow.

"Why? So you can track her down and interrogate her for the Ladyblog?"

"I would never!" she puffed her cheeks out.

"I've got my secrets too, what about you? I've never heard you mention boys before." He sneered at her knowing she was likely a bachelorette that doesn't have time for dating.

"I have a boyfriend, and he's super-hot!" she said mimicking him. "He's a super model that's fluent in four languages, travels the world, and is super rich!"

'Well technically I'm not lying….but I'm sure he thinks that.'

He let loose a howl of laughter. "Get real girl, I know you're trying to one up me!"

'Is she really saying she's dating a rich supermodel like me? I know Plagg said she was a major fan of my modeling, but to think she's so desperate she'd stoop to this level… I never pictured her being desperate.' He thought as their witty banter continued the whole ride.

As they exited the van and walked side by side into the museum with the guards she continued to gloat about her 'boyfriend'.

"He's fluent in French, English, Chinese, and Spanish!" she bragged.

"My girl could be a supermodel and beat out that silly flamboyant model boy of yours!" he waggled his tongue at her.

"Do you even have any proof you're dating this girl?" she knew he couldn't come up with proof on the spot, and frankly neither could she.

"Right here chika!" he said proudly as he ripped off his glove to reveal a number written on the back of his hand.

Ladybug's heart stopped as did time itself. She gawked at the number in mystery as Chat continued to gloat and beam. She grabbed his hand quickly and pulled it closer to her face.

'No…it's very common to write numbers on your hand when you can't get to your phone…he could have written ANY number down!'

It was indeed her number.

In her handwriting.

The little heart was even still there.

She let go of his hand and took a step back.

"See?" he snickered. "I'm dating the hottest chick in all of Paris!"

Her breath hitched in her chest as she struggled with the very concept of Adrien possibly being Chat Noir. They're two totally different people, it was an impossibility.

Right?

He was going to continue bragging about how amazing this girl was, but he noticed the absolutely otherworldly look on Ladybug's face and paused. He knew he'd won the argument, but he didn't expect her to completely lock up.

'Is she possibly jealous?! I should have written numbers on my hand long ago!'

"What's….What's her name?" she asked pensively.

"Oh that's the game we're playing now?" he asked as he strut around her.

She watched his over the top cocky behavior closely, he wasn't even remotely similar to Adrien. 'Was the posh and polite boy charm just an act? Or is Chat Noir's ego the act? Who was the real one?'

"You got anything to retort to that?" he asked with a cheeky grin as he pressed his nose against her nose.

She wanted to back up because her brain was still telling her that this person in front of her was just Chat, but she also wanted to kiss him to see his reaction.

"Ladybug?" he asked worried again as his face softened into concern.

'I'm still not buying it, the evidence may be undeniable, but I can't wrap my head around it! I need more proof!'

"Let me guess her name then!" Ladybug suddenly grinned back at him.

"You get three guesses, if you get it right I'll tell you, if you get it wrong…well you're out of luck then!" he cackled darkly.

"Chloe Bourgioues?" she asked knowingly.

"Wrong, ew!"

'Ew? I thought Chloe was his friend? Maybe he secretly can't stand her…'

"Okay then…Alya Cesaire?"

"Hah! She's married to my best friend! Wrong again!" he had slipped up, but he knew she didn't know anything about Adrien's personal life, therefore couldn't pinpoint Nino as a friend of his.

It was at this moment that the truth settled in. Something very ethereal swept through her soul at that moment. The surreal feeling of affection for the dork in front of her hit her full force. Like thunder and lightning in the pounding rain, her heart thrashed in her chest.

"One more guess! You're at two strikes out already!" he teased

The tone in his voice held just the very tiniest hints of Adrien's soft undertone. Her ears picked it up with ease now that he eyes were opened to the facts.

'It's him! I see it now! He's been Adrien the whole time, how was I so blind?'

With a small smile she uttered the final blow. "Is it me?"

"…eh?" he blinked several times while processing her words. He gave her a perplexed look. He actually looked more thoughtful than dumbfounded.

She toyed with the idea of destransforming, but she had a better idea.

"Oh how I wish it were me!" she said woefully and pretended to collapse into him and he caught her.

He was bewildered by her sudden behavior. She continued to whine about being jealous and regretting rejecting him while the painting was hung up on the wall and they were dismissed. They moved to a secluded location in the museum where no one would accidentally walk in on them.

"Well I guess I'm going home to cry about you to my diary!" she gave him a cheesy grin.

"No wait!" he stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder. "I know you're messing with me and all, but how much of that is serious?"

She put a finger up to her lips in thought and frowned. "All of it?"

"Augh! What?!" he groaned out. "Of course, I get a girlfriend and now you want me!"

"Would you dump her for me?" she teased.

"No!" he screeched loudly. "Well…I loved you first, but…"

"It's ok Chat, I don't expect you to dump her for me. I'm teasing you." She giggled. "I wish you luck!"

She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and he blushed.

"Damnit…" she heard him whisper under his breath. He pulled on his fake ears and she realized just how cruel she was being.

She was going to tell the truth when he took charge and spoke first.

"I'd never dump her for you, I adore you and all, but I do love her. I was blinded by you for so long I couldn't even see her. She the most amazing girl and I wouldn't reject her just for a small chance with you. I've never felt better honestly….I feel so much freer now that…that…"

The first of many tears began to fall from his cheeks from under the mask.

"Did you really love me?" she asked.

"I've been soul-consumingly in love with you since the moment I met you! You're the reason I felt so tied up like a ball of tangled yarn! Do you understand what unrequited love feels like? It's like hot knives in your chest!" he cried out.

"I know the feeling well." She followed suit and allowed that one tear to fall from her eye.

"No, you don't! Someone like you can have anyone they want! Outside of this mask I'm pathetic!" he whined. "I have no confidence in myself, I'm surprised I even managed to get the beautiful girl I have now!"

Ladybug blushed, but not before letting another tear escape.

"The man I'm with now is so the kind and loving person I've ever met." She began and his attention was immediately drawn to her words. "He's inspired me so many times over the years and yet never once was I able to tell him how perfect he is. I just wish that he could see it himself."

"It sounds like we've both found the one we were meant for…" he said with sorrow. "I'm still shocked it wasn't you though, but I'm not unhappy…"

The serious look in his eyes told her that he had no regrets.

"Oh Chat!" she whimpered. "I love you, you dork!"

"Huh!?"

He just stared down at her with the most puzzled and twisted look. "How could you say that? You just got done telling me about how madly in love you are with this other guy! Don't tell me this is one of those farewell 'I love yous'!"

"No, it's not."

No other words were exchanged before her lips planted themselves firmly onto his. It took him a moment to adapt to the fact that Ladybug was kissing him. He was excited, he was panicked, he was dazed and confused.

He wondered if it was okay to kiss her back, if Marinette would be upset or not. His heart caved in and he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in.

'What the hell are we doing? We're both seeing other people! Why are we—' He felt conflicted, but at the same time he couldn't stop himself.

'I'm sorry, I can't do this." He stopped and pulled away from her, clearly embarrassed.

"It's ok Chat." She reassured him.

"No, it's not! She'd be so upset if she found out!" he turned away from her. "Wouldn't your boyfriend be upset too?"

"I don't know, why don't you call him and ask him if it's ok if we kiss again." She said with almost a giggle.

He turned around to give her an earful when he saw the most breathtaking sight he could have wished for.

Marinette stood unstansformed with her right hand held up showing Adrien's phone number written on it. "Go ahead, call him." She said with a genuine smile. Tikki floated around her head.

Plagg forced himself out of the ring and floated over to Tikki.

Adrien stood there unable to speak or break his vision away from the girl.

Always, the whole time…always she has brought both suffering and joy to him in multiple ways. Never once did he even guess that both of his dream girls were one in the same. Never once did he question the bravery Marinette exuded just like Ladybug did. Never did he understand how someone other than Ladybug could capture his heart.

Not until now when it all made too much sense.

Silently and feverishly he moved over to her in one quick motion and just grabbed her and buried his face in her shoulder and cried. He made a few incoherent attempts at talking, but she couldn't understand a word of his blubbering. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight.

"The whole time...you…this…why….what?" he asked repeatedly. He clung to her like the day his father was revealed.

He pulled his head up and held her by the sides of the face and just made a mess of his words.

"Calm down kitty, it's ok." He assured him and placed a warm kiss gingerly on his quivering lips.

It took him several minutes to calm down enough to say anything that made any sense.

"Are you real? Are you really Ladybug?" he asked with hope in his eyes.

"Yes, I've always been Ladybug. I'm more surprised that the perfect Adrien Agreste is the goofy and flirty Chat Noir!"

"The only time I can freely speak is with the costume on. I don't feel myself without it." He said as he wiped his tears away and attempted to straighten himself out.

"Adrien…Chat Noir…." She said warmly and he looked back up at her with wonder. "I love you."

His heart almost broke again, but he held himself together. "I love you more than you'll ever understand."

It was a long conversation on the walk home. They stopped at his house continued talking for hour after hour until the sunset lulled them to sleep side by side in his bed.

Every day after that was met with the eternity to follow. If this were a fairy tale you could argue over which was the beauty and which was the beast, but in the end both were beauty and both had beasts to battle in their hearts. That happily ever after we all seek is different for each of us, to them it meant the traditional acts of getting married and starting a family.

It also meant saving the world together, and saving each other's worlds too. The knots and tangles that restrained him were cut free and instead of tightly wound yarn that squeezed the soul out of him, it was his lover's arms that wrapped themselves firmly around him that held his heart together in one piece.

In time when their souls left their mortal shell they'd return again and again as the heroes to save the world, just like they did every other time they were reincarnated.

"Plagg, back then, why did you lie to Adrien about the past Ladybug and Chat Noir never falling in love before?" Tikki asked as she scooted nearer to him.

"I wanted him to face reality, besides it's no fun if you just tell him the answer!" Plagg cackled. His paw set atop Tikki's gently.

"Every single time…those two find each other….every time they are reborn, so is their love…" Tikki sighed happily.

"So will the next time, and the time after that." Plagg added as he snuck in and leaned against her.

Marinette's eyes peeked open to see the Kwami couple cuddling on the pillow across the bed and smiled slightly. Her weary and aged eyes closed again for the last time as she laid next to her beloved.

"The next generation is about to begin."

The Kwami faded back into their miraculouses where they slept peacefully as they awaiting the next generation, just as they had done since the dawn of time.