The midday sun was scorching as Chat pole vaulted himself onto the rooftop of a building that he'd known since childhood. He had spent many afternoons playing make believe and dress up with Chloe while their moms both sat conversing over their newest film project, and he had come to think of the hotel as a kind of second home. It was a place that he often thought of fondly, filled with golden hair and bright eyes and gentle smiles that were so agonizingly missing from the mansion that his father kept him in.

He hadn't been on a play date in years- not that he missed his games of make believe, but he missed the memory of his mother that Chloe had helped him keep sheltered and protected. Adrien thought longingly of the days before both of their moms had left and he made a mental note to check in with his old friend to see how she was holding up.

But that was a priority for tomorrow- today, he still had a mission to accomplish… he had a Lady to find and a mystery to solve.

I stead of finding the boldly colored envelop that he had been anticipating, Chat's sharp gaze came to rest on a small wicker basket laid out on a plaid blanket. With the curiosity to match his namesake, he took small steps towards the strange set up while sweeping the area for any other people who may be up there.

No movement except for the flutter of a couple of pigeons caught his eye and so he proceeded to kneel down and examine the small, brightly colored, post it note attached to the basket.

'Even Kittens need to eat- I made these especially for you. Enjoy!'

Now that the idea was planted in his head, Adrien felt his stomach grumble. He hadn't even realized that it had been hours since he was given breakfast and as he shifted the cloth in the basket, he was suddenly overcome with the smell of delicious baked good that made his mouth water.

How had he gotten so lucky as to deserve this? Chat grabbed one of the fluffy, perfectly browned croissants and stuffed it into his ravenous mouth. Flavor exploded from the pastry and a low groan slipped from the depths of his throat. Adrien wasn't allowed to eat baked goods that often, but compared to what he had sampled from the Dupain- Cheng's shop, these ranked just as good if not better in taste.

Munching happily on a second one, Chat shifted the cloth to get a better view of what was inside. There were croissants, frosted cookies, and a few assorted macaroons- all of his favorites. Huh, there was that feeling again- the one that had him straining to match a face with a name- the one that made him frustrated beyond belief at his inability to do just that.

It had to be the magic of the miraculous'… Hadn't his Lady's first letter said that she hadn't been able to piece it together before she had seen him de-transform? Sighing, Adrien supposed that he might just have to be patient a bit longer. There was no use in dragging his mind in circles if he literally couldn't make the connection until he saw her… right?

Which reminded him, he still had a letter to find. It hadn't been in the basket but as he lifted it up to search below, he found it resting serenely against the clashing pattern of the blanket. Sucking the ends of his gloves to clean off any crumbs, he carefully split open the seal and began reading those cute looping letters.

'Dearest Chaton,

Up until the point where I saw your transformation drop, I had no idea how much you actually did for me. I knew that you were there each and every Akuma attack, but that is only the tip of the iceberg… how could I have known that you were so close to me in my day to day life? Who would have thought that you would be helping me out even when I had no idea that it was you without the mask?

You've done it over and over and over again and each time my heart has fallen a little bit more for your charms. If you don't stop, I'm not sure how much farther I have left to fall.

Do you remember where we faced off against Animan? Visit the animal that started it all to find the next note.

With Love,

Your Ladybug

P.s. creativity isn't only limited to my Ladybug half.'

He's helped her as Adrien… Of course Chat could recount the times that his civilian self had stepped in to fight before being able to transform, but he couldn't think of any instances that Adrien has helped out any other civilians… at least not any more so than most people would offer to help.

Why would she bring this up in connection to the Kung Food incident? Did he help anyone while he was transformed as Chat and she's referencing that? With a shake of the head, he realized that he was doing it again… Adrien was running his mind around an unanswerable question when he really should be focused on her gratitude.

The heat gracing his cheeks was proof of the words she had written about falling for him. Could he be such a lucky cat? He grabbed one of the cookies to munch on while mulling it over in his brain. "I'm not sure how much farther I have left to fall." That sure sounded life an admission of some sort of attraction to him… it might not be that she full on loved him, but at the very least she liked him as more than a friend… as more than a partner.

Chat sat on that blanket for much longer than he had anticipated. It wasn't that he wasn't eager to get moving on so that he could finally see her again, but he wasn't particularly excited about reliving this next Akuma attack. He still woke up some nights screaming her name after witnessing her jump behind the razor sharp teeth of a Tyrannosaurus Rex… it was something that he didn't think he would ever forget.

A small ding issued from his baton and his heart skipped a beat knowing that it was another message from the woman he loved.

'No time for cat naps, Chaton. I'm only two clues away and I'm waiting for mew.'

As a grin flirted across his features, he wondered idly if Ladybug was watching him. Was she enjoying this game of hers… was she delighting in every blush or smile that would light up his face after reading her words? He hadn't caught sight of the distinct red of her suit all day, but he wasn't about to dismiss the idea so easily.

A sly smirk danced the corner of his mouth up as the young superhero languidly stood up and stretched his arms above his head stretching and showing off his assets. It wasn't until he purposefully bent down to gather up the blanket and show off his back end, that he heard a very faint 'Eep' sound from a nearby cluster of trees.

'Got her.' He thought triumphantly as he quickly turned towards the sound. Movement caught his eye as he spotted the already shrinking dot of red as she made a quick escape through the narrow, winding streets of the city below him. Before he could even pull his baton out to give chase, he had already lost sight of his partner.

With a resigned sigh, Chat decided to leave the picnic supplies… they could collect them later that night while on patrol. With a swoop of his stomach, he realized that by this evenings patrol, he would know who his Lady really was- they wouldn't have this large secret residing between them- he might even be brave enough to hold her hand…

With a jolt of adrenaline, the cat superhero let out a laugh of joy before taking off like a shot towards the city zoo- a place he had refused to visit since that one fateful battle- with a newfound bounce to his step. Only two more clues, she had said, only two more and he would know.

The zoo was busy. Not only had they gotten in a new white lion cub, but the resident elephants had just given birth to their first baby, so people were turning up in droves in the hot heat to see them. Chat took one small second to ogle at the baby elephant from the top of their enclosure before he sprinted off towards where he remembered the black panther to be housed.

The giant cat was just as beautiful as the last time he had seen it, but he was glad to see that she was securely locked into the cage that Alya's dad was happily tending to. A blip of red caught his attention from the top of the cage and Chat bounded over to it before easily picking the envelop up and pouncing his way into the largest tree that he could find.

Perhaps it was the long day that he's had or maybe it was being surrounded by all of these wild animals, but Adrien couldn't restrain himself from ripping open the paper with vigor- he was just too excited to keep everything in check and the spotted envelope took the brunt of his force at the moment. He tried to more carefully extract the pink lined paper before his eyes flew with ferocity over each word.

'Dearest Chaton,

I know this Akuma was hard on you- I can still your troubled eyes in my dreams as you forfeited our customary fist bump for a tight embrace- I knew that feeling well and I never meant to put you through that.

I couldn't imagine losing you just as I'm sure you couldn't imagine losing me. My hope is that from here on out, we can protect each other just as much in our civilian lives. We can be there for each other and we can chase away the nightmares that find their way into our dreams and we will have someone right there in battle to remind us not to make rash decisions. We will have someone to come back to each night… someone who cares if we live or die… someone to live for.

Your last clue is hanging where Volpina once dangled 'you' as a treat to gain my miraculous.

With Love,

Your Ladybug

P.s. Words have always failed me too when it comes to you.'

Adrien was trying not to get his hopes up, he really was… because what his Lady seemed to be suggesting was something that he had only dreamed of up to this point. He had been yearning for her for so long, that he wasn't sure what they would actually do once everything was out in the open, but her words- her words written plainly in front of his eyes- hinted about a life shared… and he was trying not to get his hopes up, but they have been mounting all day and he just really needs to see her.

Without a second thought, he stuffed the paper into his protected pocket and rushed to the top of the Eiffel Tower- one more clue and he would find her- one more and he could finally tell her how much he loves her.

The wind whipped at his face as his pole extended upwards as quickly as he could manage. The envelop was waving in the wind like a flag, surrendering all of his hopes and dreams between carefully sealed words. Adrien's hands shook as he hesitantly reached out to grasp the thin strips of paper as he perched balancing on the top of his weapon.

He could do this. It was one last letter and he would find her. All of the clues she had been leaving throughout the day filtered through his mind. They all pointed to one person, but his brain was refusing to let him in on the secret despite how much his heart was already jumping around for joy.

One last letter. One last clue. One last breath before opening it.

'Dearest Adrien,

I have loved you since the second time we met. Although we didn't start off on the right foot, we gave each other a second chance and I have never looked back. It has always been you. When Volpina was dangling your illusion off the side of this tower, my heart broke with fear and I was willing to give up my miraculous to save your life… Now that I know you've been my partner since the beginning, I somehow love you more.

I never thought that the human heart could love someone so much, but every single moment that I spend with you just proves me wrong.

Come find me at our typical hangout below- I'm waiting for you.

With all of my love'

Adrien couldn't breathe- not fully at least. The air had been sucked from his lungs only to be replaced with the warm glow seeping from his heart. She loved him. Ladybug loved him.

He needed to see her, he needed that reassurance that this wasn't all a dream, and he needed that nagging sensation of being just out of reach of her identity to disappear.

With movement that were even too fast for him to comprehend, Chat retracted his baton before gracefully jumping off onto their favorite hangout. Countless nights of patrols, laughs, banter, exhausted sighs, and comforting companionship flooded through his senses while he sought her out. Movement in the shadows caught his gaze and he hesitantly called out to her.

"Ladybug?" He voice sounded weak in his own ears- soft, begging for solace. Her figure moved with grace despite the uncharacteristically shy posture that she held. Her hand was ghosting over a support beam as though she were afraid of falling and her other arm was twisted in front of her body so as best to protect herself, but her eyes- her eyes were boring into his own, a small smile crept its way across her features as she took in his undoubtedly pleading expression. "Please…" He whined low in his throat.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours Chaton." Her sly smirk drove his heart into over drive as Chat stumbled forward, calling off his transformation as he went, he was sure his expression was pathetically lovesick as he heard her whisper to her Kwami and saw the pink light flash over her features. His eyes shut of their own volition against the bright light and he had to remind himself to breathe before he was able to open them again.

There before him was the only other person missing from his class and his heart did summersaults as he gazed upon the gentle features of a girl that he knew so well: she was one of his best friends, her favorite color was pink, she babysat in her free time… her family owned his favorite bakery, she was more than fashionable with just as much creativity as her counterpart, and she was always running late. Had she ever learned to speak her mother's native language?

"Marinette." Adrien could hear her name drift from his lips, dripping with every emotion he was feeling. His heart sang her name in a gentle rhythm as he watched pink dust across the bridge of her nose. She nodded slightly and he was lost. Without permission, his legs closed the distance between them, his arms wrapped around her, and he held her tightly as he danced them around in circles.

A laugh ripped itself from his throat, full of glee and wonder, and he only increased his spinning as her own giggle joined in with him. This was her- she had been so close this entire time- and knowing that his Lady was Marinette definitely only made him feel that much stronger.

His movements slowed and he gazed into the beautiful blue of her eyes before bending down to secure his lips overtop of her own. He could taste to small squeak of surprise that she let out before her own lips began to move against his. This was perfect. She was perfect. Adrien broke the kiss before he lost all of his nerve and bent down to rest his forehead against her own. His eyes slipped shut as he sent up a silent prayer, hoping that this wasn't a dream, before he let loose the words he had been dying to say ever since that first day of becoming Chat Noir.

"I love you."