Okay, I was working on this before many of my other fics, but I hit some serious writer's block. After many months, I've done it though! I finally finished it! I don't think any of my writing will ever be perfect, but there are some parts in here I just love. I hope you like them too!

An akuma in hot pink and black flew through the streets of Paris. Her dark wings were spread wide as she blasted bright white beams from her pink gloves. As Ladybug and Cat Noir followed the akumatized marriage counselor, they swerved and swung above the resulting damage. People were chasing and kissing the first person they saw after being hit. Another love akuma then, Ladybug realized with some disdain.

"Ladybug, the chopsticks!" Cat Noir pointed out as they grew closer to their new enemy.

A pair of pink chopsticks with a black oriental design stuck out just above the black bun in the akuma's hair. They glowed with each "love" beam sent.

"Good eye, Cat Noir!" Ladybug praised.

Finally, they were able to catch up to the akuma and attempt to get to the chopsticks. Ladybug was almost there when mid-swing the victim turned on her. Cat Noir ran to jump in between the two, swirling his baton to block the beam from the akuma's glove. Unfortunately, he jumped too late, and Ladybug crashed to the ground at the beam's force.

Cat Noir fell into a somersault and barely registered an evil cackle from the akuma. Spinning around, he quickly saw that Ladybug looked unharmed. "What did you-!" He stopped when he saw that the victim had already left.

He looked back at Ladybug. She wasn't chasing anyone. Maybe the akuma had done something different? He hoped so; he didn't think he could take seeing Ladybug make out with some passerby.

"Ladybug!" She sat blinking, then looked at Cat Noir and her eyes grew wide. He reached down to help her up. "Are you okay?"

She took his hand and jumped up. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine!" she said quickly, brushing herself off and not making eye contact with him. Something was up.

"Are you sure?" he asked, reaching towards her arm. She all but leapt away from him.

"Yes! I'm fine!" Ladybug insisted. She put on a strained smile. "Let's get this akuma!"

Cat narrowed his eyes as Ladybug chewed on her lower lip. She looked nervous. Really nervous. Maybe the akuma had hit her with something that made her afraid instead of in love? Whatever it was, he wanted to reassure his lady. No matter how distractingly cute she looked right now.

"Don't worry." He placed his hand on her shoulder. "We'll find her."

"Y-yeah, of course!"

He furrowed his eyebrows at her tone again. Her earrings beeped. "Let's reconvene after recharging?"

Ladybug nodded so fast it almost didn't look like she'd moved her head at all.

Cat smiled and saluted. "See you soon!"

He didn't hear her sigh as he left. "Yeah."

In another moment, Ladybug remembered herself and swung home.

Marinette collapsed on her bed as soon as she de-transformed. "Tikki! How did I not see it before?!"

"What, Marinette?" Tikki asked cautiously.

"Cat Noir! He's… purrfect." She giggled and Tikki narrowed her eyes. "He was so concerned for me, he's always concerned for me, and…" she sighed, "…he touched me."

"Marinette," Tikki warned.

"Oh Tikki, he even set up a whole rooftop dinner with candles and roses. Remember? He's sooo romantic. I can't believe I stood him up. I mean it wasn't on purpose, but Adrien didn't even show up." She sounded slightly disgusted with herself.

"Marinette," Tikki tried again but her chosen kept rambling.

"And…" The girl paused but it was obvious she wasn't paying attention. She glanced toward the trap door as if she shouldn't say what she was about too. "He's hot." She finally released her breath. "Like that black leather…" She finally turned to Tikki, her face almost as red as the kwami's and let out a giggle.

Tikki looked back at her holder, trying not to shake her head. "Marinette, are you sure you weren't affected by the blast from that akuma…?"

Marinette furrowed her brows. "What are you talking about Tikki? I don't feel any different."

"Well…" The kwami pointed with her eyes to the wall of Adrien pictures. "What about Adrien?"

Marinette's jaw dropped, and she looked around at the pictures. "Hmm, I think a change in décor is in order." She started to jump towards her computer but Tikki tugged at her sleeve.

"Marinette! This isn't you! The akuma must have put some kind of love spell on you and now you're in love with Cat Noir! You're supposed to be recharging so you can meet up with him later."

Marinette had a dreamy look in her eyes. "Yeah…" Then she turned to her kwami with a set face. "You're supposed to be recharging. I'll change the scenery." She gestured to the room with a twirl and sat at her computer.

Tikki sighed tiredly and went to eat anyway. It wasn't long before she wasn't surrounded by pictures of Adrien anymore, but Cat Noir. Even fuzzy photos from civilians running from akumas had been printed for Marinette to see her new beloved black blur.

"Well," Marinette said finally pulling together all the Adrien pictures in her arms, "…better throw these away."

Tikki zoomed toward her. "Marinette! Don't you think you should keep those?" Once Marinette came out of this, she would be furious with herself for throwing them away. "Maybe you should keep them in a box for fashion inspiration! Since he is a fashion model…"

"Oh, that's a good idea, Tikki!" Luckily Marinette agreed and found a box to use. "We should probably get going. Don't want to keep our lucky cat waiting!" She sang and transformed.

"Ladybug! Thank goodness! I was afraid that maybe the akuma had some delayed effect or something," Cat Noir greeted her as she landed on the rooftop.

"Oh no, I'm good!" Ladybug responded, sounding much more like herself.

"Good." Cat smiled at her. "I don't know what I would have done if something really bad had happened to you."

She blinked, a blush coming to her face. "You care so much, Cat Noir."

"Well, of course, you're my lady." He sent her a more flirtatious grin.

Her face turned redder, enough so that Cat Noir took notice. "My lady, you okay?"

"Y-y-yeah, I'm fine. Let's get this thing!" She sounded too chipper. Her behavior wriggled something familiar at the back of Cat's memories.

"No, something's going on." He stopped and put his hands on her shoulders. "You're not acting like yourself. I hate to say this, but… the akuma can wait a minute. If anything, it'll come to us for our miraculous anyway. We need to trust each other though. I need you to tell me what happened to you, then we'll catch the akuma and fix everything. But I'm not going in there blind."

Ladybug blinked up at him from under her eyelashes. His cat ears could just barely hear a faint whine-like sound coming from her. What he didn't expect was for her to suddenly grab his shoulders and smash her lips to his.

And for a moment, it was all he wanted. His eyes fluttered shut and his hands slid down around her back. Forget the akuma, forget Hawk Moth. The feel of her lips on his was something he wanted to remember forever. He wanted to stay in that moment forever and yet, he knew something was wrong. Something felt wrong. She felt wrong. He pried her away with what strength he had to resist her.

He nearly pulled her back to him, hearing the gasp she made when they parted. "I'm sorry, Ladybug, but this isn't you. As much as I want it to be you… this has to be the akuma's doing…"

Ladybug looked at him with wide eyes. She looked hurt, then angry. "Why does everyone say this isn't me? I am me! This is me! I've always had feelings for you, but I let myself get fooled into thinking Adrien would like me. And he never will, and I've accepted that. You have always been there for me, Cat Noir. You've just been waiting for me to get with the program, and now I'm here, and you don't want me?!"

"What?" Cat Noir breathed. There was a lot to process there. In some ways he wanted to believe her and yet, the akuma made it impossible. He couldn't believe how hard it was to resist her. The pout, the big blue eyes. And could she be talking about him Adrien? There could be a thousand Adriens in Paris, right? She suddenly was leaning into him again. "Ladybug!" He rushed. "How about we finish this after we get the akuma? If these are your real feelings, it won't matter, right? We can talk about it then."

Ladybug frowned and conceded. "I guess you're right, Kitty. And maybe… we don't have to just talk." She winked and pointedly looked at his lips before sauntering away.

Now he knew every swing of her hips was meant to taunt him. "Maybe…" he agreed and launched into the air with his baton before she could see how red his face had become.

"Miraculous Ladybug!"

They had found the akuma, broke the chopsticks, and de-evilized the butterfly. The magic swirled around them, and Cat Noir watched Ladybug. Would she somehow look different after she had stopped being affected by the akuma? She didn't seem to.

Cat Noir walked up to her tentatively. "Ladybug? How are you feeling?"

Ladybug swung her head to him and he saw her face go red as she put a hand to her mouth. "Oh my gosh, Cat Noir! I am so sorry!"

"It's okay," he said. "I'm glad we could get it all fixed up." He smiled but it didn't quite meet his eyes. "But," he admitted, "part of me did kind of hope it wasn't fake…"

Ladybug blinked and then a light smile graced her lips. She spoke softly. "Maybe... not all of it…"

Cat Noir looked up at her so fast he couldn't focus for a second. She smiled and her miraculous beeped. "Gotta go! Bug out!"

He sighed as he watched her swing away.

Maybe not all of it…

Marinette groaned, landing face down on her bed for the second time that day.

"Cat Noir is lucky he doesn't remember the stuff he's done under an akuma's influence. At least he didn't when I kissed him."

"Which time?" Tikki giggled.

"Tikki!" Marinette whined.

"I'm sorry, Marinette. I know it's not funny, being controlled like that."

Marinette turned her face on her side to look at her kwami. "That's the thing, Tikki. I don't feel like I was controlled at all. All those feelings… weren't new. They were just… strong."

"Well you did say some things that made a lot of sense… if you felt that way about Cat Noir."

Marinette turned into her mattress again and sighed. "I don't, Tikki. I love Adrien." She turned onto her back. "Cat Noir is… Cat Noir is my partner. He means a lot to me… The akuma just… mixed up those feelings."

Tikki watched her chosen. "Marinette… It's okay to have feelings for Cat Noir and Adrien. You're young and your feelings can change. You're not committed to either one right now."

"I suppose you're right, Tikki. I just… it's going to be hard to look at Cat Noir for a little bit. I don't want to hurt him, but I don't want to give him some kind of green light either. I probably shouldn't have told him that not all the feelings were fake. Now he'll think I do like him like that and it'll be even worse. I don't know why I even said that!"

"Don't worry about it right now, Marinette. Tomorrow's a brand-new day and things will be different!"

"Thank you, Tikki."

The kwami hugged her chosen's face and hoped it would be enough to comfort Marinette until she realized that nothing had really changed. She still liked the same boy and he was sure to understand.

Marinette slouched in her seat in class. Her mind kept recalling Ladybug's kiss with Cat Noir. She knew it was fake. The memory felt tainted with how fake it was, but she kept thinking about it. She couldn't believe how much she remembered. The way his hands felt on her back, their hearts beating behind indestructible suits, how his strong shoulders had tensed under her hands and then slowly relaxed into the kiss. And his lips. Oh, his lips! They had tasted like… strawberry Chapstick.

Marinette took a deep breath trying to rid herself of the thoughts. It wasn't like they hadn't kissed before. She had saved him with a kiss during the attack by Dark Cupid. But that was different. Yes, she had forced him into that one too, but it was only in an attempt to free him. This kiss, this newly shared kiss had both parties fully aware of what was happening. She was lucky Cat understood she was under an akuma's influence and had stopped it from going any further. They never would have found the akuma otherwise.

Enough about Cat Noir! She scolded herself and looked down at the blond that had just sat in front of her.

"Hey guys, what are we talking about?" Adrien asked Alya and Nino who had been in a conversation only slightly involving Marinette.

"Alya's just lamenting about not getting any footage for the Ladyblog," Nino answered with a teasing eyeroll.

"Oh, why's that?" His question was innocent, but there was a tone underneath that signaled he knew exactly why.

Alya frowned and looked at the ceiling. Both her and Nino blushed. "I was hit by the akuma."

Adrien tried not to laugh, but a smile quirked at his lips. "And you, Nino?"

"We both got hit, saw each other and went at it. Is that what you want to hear, dude?" Nino explained in exasperation.

All four participants in the conversation's cheeks went pink.

"We did not 'go at it'!" Alya was quick to correct, her eyes wide at Nino's choice of words.

"I have a hicky on my shoulder that says otherwise," Nino replied, rubbing a spot on his shoulder just below his shirt collar.

"That's enough!" Alya, Nino, and Adrien turned to Marinette who was playfully holding her hands to her ears.

"Yeah, Nino that's enough!" Alya backed up her friend and glared at her boyfriend. "How about you, Marinette? Did you get hit or were you stuck running from someone until Ladybug and Cat Noir saved the day?"

Marinette flushed and glanced toward Adrien, making Alya smirk. Adrien had his eyebrows drawn together in concern as he watched the young designer. "I, um, I… didn't make out with anyone," she replied honestly.

Alya looked disappointed. "Aw, I thought I was in for a good story. Especially since my Ladyblog didn't get one."

Marinette smiled awkwardly. "Nope, none from here."

With that, the conversation shifted, and Marinette could finally breathe. She would have never been able to explain that she had been hit and kissed Cat Noir. At least, she could be honest and say she hadn't made out with him. But she had wanted to. No! she corrected her thoughts again before they went somewhere more dangerous.

She looked at the model in front of her. At least she could assume Adrien had been locked in his house and safe from the akuma. Then she wouldn't have to think of the possibility of him making out with someone else. Gross! Was that line of thinking any better? Especially since her mind had conjured Chloe as the recipient of Adrien's kisses. Why couldn't she have seen Adrien after being hit? Then she'd at least know what his kisses felt like. She sighed, letting her mind follow that path. Unfortunately, it proved to be corrupted too as she realized that thinking of Adrien kissing her had brought her full circle to the taste of Cat's lips.

"Stupid cat," she muttered under her breath and tried to focus on the lesson that had started.

Adrien, unfortunately, wasn't doing much better. His own mind went in circles from thinking about Ladybug's kiss, to being upset that it was all fake, to being excited because of her vague words afterward. Those words had brought a new element to their relationship even in the few seconds before Ladybug swung away. Would patrols be different? Would she start to let him romance her? Or should he back off? She was under an akuma's control after all. He shouldn't get his hopes up too high. He sighed and tried to focus on the lesson.

His mind drifted again after a few moments. He had licked his lips and noticed they were somewhat dry and sticky. Had they been that way yesterday when Ladybug had kissed him? He hoped not. He slipped some strawberry lip balm on, thinking of his lady's lips. They had been full and eager, soft and perfect. His first kiss had been with Ladybug, though he couldn't remember it. Nadja Chamack had let him in on that one, and Ladybug didn't seem too keen to discuss it. So he had dropped it. They had had other things to worry about at the time anyway, like Prime Queen. But this kiss, yesterday's kiss was different. She had still been the one to kiss him sure, but it was not of her free will technically. And they both remembered it. He could see why him not remembering their first kiss would be easier for Ladybug. The confusion they dealt with now could have been avoided had Ladybug's mind been wiped too. But of course, he would still have the memories, the feelings.

He hoped they could work this out soon.

Marinette felt like a toddler trying to throw a tantrum as patrol loomed closer. It was normal, even after an akuma attack for Ladybug and Cat Noir to make a few rounds of the city every other night. The sun started to set, and Marinette's nerves only increased. She didn't want to go on patrol. She didn't want to see Cat Noir, and she definitely didn't want to see his peach pink lips. But her responsibilities as Ladybug came first. Even if it meant being awkward around her partner and the possible embarrassing shame she would have to go through if/when he teased and/or flirted with her about it.

It was a rare occurrence, but Marinette spoke begrudgingly as she called her kwami. "Tikki, spots on."

In a matter of seconds, Marinette had transformed, and Ladybug swung across the rooftops. When she reached the heroes' meeting place, Cat Noir was already there, swinging his tail leisurely.

"Aw, My Lady!" he greeted, a smile on his face as if nothing had happened the day before.

Maybe they could ignore it? And things would go back to normal? No, Marinette realized, something was different. A tension would always be there, even if it was only in her own heart. It had to be addressed, and she had to be the one to do it. She sighed.

"Hello, Cat Noir." She focused on placing her yo-yo on her hip and avoiding his gaze.

"Ladybug…" the black cat hero started cautiously.

"We need to talk," the two spoke at the same time. They both chuckled, releasing some of the tension that had grown over them.

"I'm sorry," Ladybug started. "I was reckless and got hit. I know how you feel about me and I'm sorry you have to live with those memories. I never meant to lead you on, and… I'm sorry I don't feel the same way. I don't want to hurt you. I never want to hurt you. Your friendship is precious to me, but… none of it was real, and I want to make sure you understand that."

Cat Noir gazed down at her. He was silent for a moment, love still in his eyes. "It's okay, Ladybug. You got hit, but the akuma could have been much more dangerous, with much worse effects, and for that I'm grateful. I know you would never hurt me on purpose. That's one of the things I love about you. I understand." His smile turned flirtatious. "If we ever do end up kissing again, I'd much rather it be on our own terms. Without any akumas to defeat."

Ladybug smiled, noticing her face had heated up a little bit. "Thank you. And thank you for realizing I was under an akuma's influence and not taking advantage of it…"

Suddenly pink peeked out from the edge of Cat Noir's mask. "Of course not, My Lady!" He swooped down, grasping her hand and kissed it. "You must realize by now, I take your lead when it comes to this relationship."

"I appreciate it, Cat Noir." Ladybug realized how true his statement was. He might flirt and throw cat puns like there's no tomorrow, but he never forced her into anything. Puckered his lips, held out a rose, sure, but everything waited for her reciprocation. Her heart flipped in adoration of his withheld affection. She was tempted to kiss his cheek, but held back, accounting for how soon it had been since their not-so-"friendly" kiss and her own words of not wanting to lead him on.

"I do have one question, though," Cat Noir pointed out. He straightened himself, placing his hands behind his back. He glanced away and Ladybug tilted her head.

"What's that?" she asked.

"When you said 'Maybe not all of it' was fake…" A teasing high tone sang from Cat's lips.

"I hoped you wouldn't remember that," Ladybug responded flatly.

Cat Noir laughed. "Nope."

His shining eyes caught her off guard and Ladybug ended up giggling too. It'd be embarrassing but she could cover this. Maybe she had meant it and maybe she didn't. She wasn't even sure at this point.

"I meant I still think you look hot in the cat suit." Marinette was dying inside despite her smirk. She knew it was true, but she never had any intention of letting him know. How could she have not noticed, working so closely with him?

His eyes practically popped out of his head and his mouth formed an 'o' before he smirked and posed. "Think this cat is good enough for the catwalk, my lady?"

"Please," she rolled her eyes and gently pushed his shoulder as she walked by. "You already knew. You've mentioned it several times."

As Ladybug turned at the edge of the rooftop, Cat Noir sauntered towards her. His model walk was actually… pretty good, she thought. She laughed at his proud grin.

"Come on, Kitty. You're not Adrien Agreste. Let's get going!" She whipped out her yo-yo, missing the brief shock that crossed his face.

"Wait!"

Ladybug turned to him with an eyebrow raised. "What?"

Cat Noir opened his mouth then closed it. "You… you mentioned Adrien…"

Ladybug took a step back to face him. "Yeah… he's a model. His face is on every billboard in Paris," she answered, confused and hesitant.

"I know that." Cat Noir frowned. "I meant… when you got hit by the akuma…"

Ladybug's eyes widened. She'd forgotten all about that conversation. Her mind had been focused on other things that had happened on that roof…

…I've always had feelings for you, but I let myself get fooled into thinking Adrien would like me…

"I…"

"You said you liked… Adrien. Did you mean…?"

Ladybug stared up at him, frozen. How could she get out of this one? Suddenly, she burst.

"Adrien Agreste?! You thought I meant Adrien Agreste?!" A nervous laugh bubbled out of her throat.

Cat Noir raised an eyebrow.

"Why would I like Adrien Agreste? I don't even know Adrien Agreste!"

"It sounded like you did." Cat smirked down at her, recognizing her nervous behavior.

"He's a model, a celebrity-"

"You're a superhero, a celebrity. You don't think you have a chance with him?"

Ladybug folded her arms. "Not the point, Cat Noir. There are lots of Adriens. Stop trying to figure out who my crush is."

"Would it make a difference if I told you I knew he had a thing for the bug?" Cat Noir shifted his weight and gave her a pointed look.

Ladybug's face turned red. "What?! No! I mean he's never said any- I mean! No!" She moved her hands to her hips. "Why do you seem so eager to set me up with him anyway?"

Cat's eyes went wide. "No reason. Just… if you're going to have a crush, I'd rather it be on some fashion model than a boy at your school."

"He is a boy at my school!" Ladybug snapped while rolling her eyes before slapping a hand to her mouth as Cat Noir stared at her. "I-I mean he goes to school… and I go to school. Definitely not the same school though. That'd be crazy right?!" The awkward bubbly laugh came up again.

Despite his surprise, Cat Noir's eyes softened. "Ladybug, I think you've been revealing a few too many secrets. Maybe let's skip patrol for tonight. Take a break." He touched her shoulder with a light smile.

Ladybug glanced at his hand then back to his eyes. She worried her lip before sighing, "I think you're right, Cat Noir. Please… please don't try to find out who I am from what I said… I know you respect me enough for that. And I respect you enough to do as I ask. Thank you for understanding me tonight. And yesterday…" She paced to the other side of the building's edge to go back the way she'd come.

"I promise, My Lady," Cat Noir said softly, a slight pain coming through behind it.

She smiled before leaping away.

Adrien groaned into his pillow. Plagg floated above him, eating camembert and ignoring his chosen's love problems.

"How am I not supposed to find her? She's at my school, Plagg. She practically said so. And if she goes to my school, there's a huge chance that I'm the Adrien she was talking about. But she sounded like she knows me. Like she's tried to get my attention before. What if I've been ignoring Ladybug for Ladybug?"

He was going to have to keep a better look out. There weren't that many girls with black hair and blue eyes… but he promised Ladybug he wouldn't! He couldn't! If she walked by and he suspected, that was all he could do. If she never walked by, he'd never know and he'd die knowing she was so close but never having figured out the real her.

At the very back of his brain, Adrien wondered if he had let Ladybug kiss him for longer when she was akumatized, if he had even asked, might he know her identity? They could have shared their identities and perhaps be better for it. Especially if she really did like Adrien. But there was nothing he could do about that now.

For now, all Adrien could do was go to school and try to not figure his lady out, while equally scanning the halls for those blue eyes. She couldn't blame him if it was an accident, right? If he just happened to suspect a girl or two?

Marinette went to school the next day happier than yesterday. She had entered the halls, then, worried about kissing her friend and partner, that something had changed, but it seemed to be okay between them. It would be wrong to say she hadn't noticed her increased heartbeat or blushing around him, but the akuma's attack had been recent, it would still be slightly awkward for her. She could be understanding of that.

Even though she was happier, Marinette was still concerned about how much she had given away. She had basically told Cat Noir where she went to school, and while she trusted him, she also wouldn't put it past him to take some 'leisurely' stroll by the school just in case he saw someone eerily familiar. But really, even if he did, Marinette felt confident he wouldn't find her. If her best friend and reporter of all things Ladybug, Alya hadn't figured it out, how would some passerby? He definitely wouldn't look at the girl tripping down the stairs either. Ladybug had more poise than that.

Overall, she was embarrassed about well… everything, but somehow it felt manageable now. She could move on now. Cat Noir understood her feelings and their friendship still stood. She could figure out the rest as it went along.

Marinette was putting things in her locker when she caught sight of Adrien standing in the doorway. He seemed conflicted, as if he wasn't really supposed to be standing there. Rarely was he alone in the halls, Marinette thought; maybe he just felt awkward without Nino or Chloe around. Part of her doubted this reasoning, but she also recognized it as a chance to hang out with Adrien.

She rushed to put a book in her backpack and close her locker. She walked briskly toward the door, trying to be nonchalant in getting Adrien's attention.

"Oh, hi Adrien!" She raised a hand in greeting as she got closer. Her posture and movements were stiff and her voice a little shaky, but she felt successful when he waved back.

"Hi, Marinette!" he greeted happily. When his smiling eyes opened and took in her bright face, he blinked. A surprised look flashed across his features. "Heading to class?"

"Yeah."

"Cool. I'll, uh, join you." He glanced around the locker room as he reached for the door handle and held the door open for her.

"Oh, um, okay. Thank you." Marinette's heart beat faster at her crush's actions. She walked through the doorway and Adrien followed.

"So what'd you think about that akuma the other day?" he brought up casually to make conversation.

Marinette let out a huff. "I'm tired of love akumas honestly."

Adrien chuckled, then sighed. "Yeah, me too."

"You didn't…?"

"I didn't get hit, no."

Marinette quietly let out a relieved breath.

"But a girl did see me after she got hit." Adrien's face looked between a grimace and a smile.

Marinette let out a light gasp.

"Don't worry. This model has had enough experience running from crazed fans…"

"Oh, uh…" Marinette's face heated up. "That's good then."

"Yeah."

The awkward silence was filled with their steps toward the classroom.

"So… why are you so tired of the love akumas? You said you didn't get hit, didn't you?" Adrien looked thoughtful and tugged his bag strap more securely on his shoulder.

"I, uh… I just feel like they always end badly. Not that other akumas are good! Just… I feel like there's always more emotional toll when emotional akumas are involved." Marinette fiddled with her hands as she spoke.

She hadn't answered the second question.

"I agree," Adrien assured. "Though Ladybug's Miraculous Ladybug seems to fix a lot of that."

A shadow crossed Marinette's face. "Not always. Memories aren't always wiped. Sometimes people still hurt others. Imagine if one side of a couple was hit but they didn't see their boyfriend or girlfriend first. The confusion and pain from that moment doesn't go away." Her mouth flitted into a slight smile as if remembering something. "Luckily, people forgive. They understand that we all become victims of Hawkmoth sometimes."

Adrien matched her smile. "I suppose you're right. The people of Paris often suffer at the hand of that villain, but they also overcome and are quite strong. I'm proud of our city, Marinette."

The two looked at each other and their smiles brightened further. They had just reached the classroom.

"Me too," Marinette almost whispered as Adrien held the door open for her.

Taking their seats, Adrien looked down at his desk, his smile never faltering. Had he found her? Could Marinette be Ladybug? But how could she? Sure, her eyes and even her hair matched, but she fell over her feet and words often. Ladybug could lose her balance at times, but he had never seen her falter in battling akumas. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that his hunch was right. It couldn't have been that easy, he thought. Then his own words washed over him.

"You're our everyday Ladybug."

He had literally said it already. She was always helping others, kind, sweet, fierce, and maybe a little bit stubborn at times. Mostly when it came to Chloe and Lila. She was a fashion designer. She had also designed Jagged Stone's album which meant she was creative… just like Ladybug. Adrien's heart picked up at the thought.

Wait! And if Marinette was Ladybug… the awkward denials from the night before returned to his memory. His lady went to his school and she… she liked him. He could have written it off as a celebrity crush which was laughable seeing as Ladybug was probably more popular than he was, but now he wondered. Maybe, he needed to know more. Was Marinette Ladybug? Did she like him? And what if only one of those questions had the answer he was looking for?

Adrien sighed. He would only know if he acted, but he had promised his lady he wouldn't search for her. She found him! He practically screamed in his head in rebellion. He had already hung out in the locker room longer than necessary just to take a look around. He hadn't expected to actually find anyone matching Ladybug's description, not until Marinette had walked up to him, her blue eyes wide and pigtails drawing his attention.

It was time to figure out if Ladybug was in his class.

It didn't take long for the superheroes to become a topic in the classroom.

"Ladybug is a professional! She would not be making out with that alley cat on the job," Chloe insisted. Her arms were folded across her chest.

"That doesn't mean she's impervious to an akuma's influence. Cat Noir obviously isn't," Alya argued.

Adrien and Marinette had been turning red since their classmates had started this argument.

A citizen had gotten a shot of when Ladybug was hit by the akuma and posted it in the Ladyblog comments. A discourse was taking over, and it had melted into the very superheros' classroom.

The facts were these: Ladybug was hit by the akuma. The akuma's power was to make everyone kiss the first person they saw after being hit. Ladybug and Cat Noir disappeared for a short time after the hit before returning and defeating the akuma.

The obvious was being implied by some followers. Alya was excited about it, though she tried to keep out of the discussion on the blog. She struggled to be an impartial journalist when it came to a possible romance between Paris' two superheroes. Sticking to facts was how she had presented the couple to Nadja Chamack when she had been invited as a guest on her show. Though Marinette was not sure how Alya knew the kiss during Dark Cupid had been to break the akuma's spell. She could only assume her friend used the same logic as her since they did have the same class. Still, then, Alya had set down the truth; Ladybug and Cat Noir were not a couple. Outside of her blog, in the classroom with her own opinions, and after the latest akuma, she thought differently of the facts presented to her.

"Cat Noir is an unlucky black cat, of course, he's affected," Chloe sneered. "Doesn't mean he got lucky this time."

Adrien could feel even his ears heat up at Chloe's implications. He heard what sounded like a quiet groan behind him. With his face turned in Chloe's direction, he could sneak a glance Marinette's way. She was face down on her desk, her forehead resting on her arms. Adrien swore what little bit of her forehead he could see was as flushed as he felt.

Was that not proof, he thought. What other reason would Marinette have to feel as embarrassed about the topic of conversation as he did? She had said she didn't make out with anyone so why be embarrassed? Unless she was lying. Well, technically, he and Ladybug hadn't made out, so she would be telling the truth. Marinette and Ladybug both hated liars too much to lie about this, unless it was just withholding some information, like protecting her identity. Adrien had a realization. Of course! Obviously, Marinette couldn't say she had kissed Cat Noir; there would have been way too many questions. She also would have unknowingly outed herself to him.

In all this conversation, Adrien realized if Marinette was Ladybug, then he had kissed her. They had kissed multiple times if he included the picture Nadja Chamack had shown since he didn't actually remember that one. The idea that Ladybug kissed him always made him feel like sighing. Now his heart beat fast knowing she could be right there and that there was a very real possibility of Ladybug/Marinette liking him back.

Before Alya could rebuttal Chloe's comment, Ms. Bustier walked into the room. Seeing the murmurs and discourse between her students, she frowned. "Get back to work, students. We'll be starting a new subject after lunch, so I want you all finished with your worksheets."

The classroom quieted and the two secret heroes could not be more grateful.

Walking out of the school with Nino, Adrien spotted Marinette talking to Alya. Should he invite her to lunch? Would his father or Nathalie appreciate an unexpected guest though…? He didn't think so.

Sitting and talking with Marinette seemed like the best way to figure out if she was Ladybug. Though he felt kind of bad that he hadn't ever thought this much about her before. Marinette was amazing. Even if she wasn't Ladybug. There was a strong possibility she was though and it intrigued him to no end.

"Hey dude, I've seen those sly looks towards Marinette. What's going on?" Nino suddenly asked.

Adrien nearly jumped, swiveling his head back to his friend. He chuckled awkwardly. "Nothing. I didn't realize I was looking at her so often…"

"The real question was why," Nino prompted with a laugh at his model friend's obliviousness.

"No reason. I didn't realize I was doing it."

Nino's eyes narrowed at Adrien's attempt at being nonchalant. "So… you wouldn't mind if I dragged us over there to talk and asked you to keep Marinette busy while I slipped away with Alya."

While Nino spoke as if it was a question, he acted as if Adrien had already agreed, shoving his shoulder forward as he hurried them over to his girlfriend and her best friend.

Adrien rolled his eyes but noticed how his heart suddenly beat faster at the aspect of talking to Marinette alone.

"Hey Nino, Adrien," Alya greeted when they arrived beside their friends.

"Hey, Alya," Nino slid his hand into hers. "Did you want to work on that project for physics?"

"Oh," Alya said surprised by Nino's pointed look towards their friends. Looking over she saw exactly what she expected from Marinette.

The pigtailed girl stood staring up at Adrien, a smile on her face, cheeks turning pink. She held her hands close as if to keep them from flailing. Which was probably a smart decision really.

What she didn't expect was the way Adrien gazed back down at her. Honestly, the look on his face wasn't much different than previous times he had looked at her friend, but the usually shy, awkward, and sweet smile had a twitch at the corner as if he was trying not to laugh or say something. It was almost as if… the model had figured it out. Maybe he wasn't so oblivious after all. Nino seemed to be suggesting they leave the two alone.

"Yeah, of course," Alya went along with her boyfriend's made up project. "Marinette, you don't mind, do you? You can keep Adrien company while he waits for his bodyguard."

Marinette's eyes widened, looking at Alya in confusion and panic. "Y-y-yeah, that'd be fine!"

Alya caught Adrien's smile stretch. She smirked. "Thanks so much, girl. I'll see you after lunch then."

"See ya."

As Alya and Nino walked away, Alya leaned in and whispered, "The ship is sailing?"

"I think it just might." Nino smiled at his girlfriend's beaming face. He really hoped he wasn't wrong about this.

"Uh, thanks for waiting with me," Adrien said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh, it's no problem!" Marinette grinned at him.

A million questions were in Adrien's head and he couldn't ask a single one without looking like he might know she was Ladybug. He finally settled on, "So what do you do in your free time, Marinette? I mean I know you like fashion and video games, but what else do you like to do?"

There had to be some kind of gap in her schedule that allowed her the time to be Ladybug. Aside from when he was alone in his room, he knew he barely worked around his own schedule.

"Oh, well," Marinette looked at him with wide eyes and smiled. "I help in the bakery… and hang out with my friends… and um, sometimes I go to the park… or uh, take a run…"

Adrien smiled. Running was not something he had ever imagined easily flustered and clumsy Marinette doing, but he had seen her rush out of the classroom or through school or even away from akumas. She might not be so clumsy as she seemed, and images of Ladybug running across the rooftops ironically ran through his head. They seemed very similar.

"Oh, interesting," he said thoughtfully. "I take runs too, but I guess we just have different routes. I've never run into you." I might just be running with you, he thought.

Marinette blinked. Hopefully, she didn't find his statement too odd since his father would obviously not allow him to do such things. If Adrien had shown any interest in running, Gabriel would have set up a treadmill in his room.

A smile flickered on Marinette's lips, and now that Adrien was looking for it, the gesture reminded him of Ladybug. His lady often rolled her eyes but smirked at his puns; he knew she secretly enjoyed them. As he saw Marinette's lips start to stretch in that direction, he could see almost a copy of Ladybug's teasing smile. If she still hadn't seemed so shy, he was sure it would have been an exact match.

"Actually," she started. "You have ran into me. It was just you were running away from your fans."

Adrien grinned, remembering the incident. "I suppose that's true. Still, when do you usually go running?"

The way Marinette seemed almost more jittery at the question made him wonder if he had found it, if he had found her. Of course, she would take runs in the evenings, with him, if she was Ladybug. They had a regular patrol after all.

"Um, it depends," she spoke slowly. "Usually in the evenings, but at random times too. When I feel like it." She let out a short awkward laugh. A laugh that reminded Adrien of Ladybug's nervous laughter from the night before.

He chuckled. "Same." Whenever there were akuma attacks, obviously.

Her head tilted as if she had picked up on the things he was saying, how they didn't exactly make sense. Gabriel would never let his son just run the streets of Paris whenever he wanted to and especially not at night.

Before Marinette could address the concern however, the entire football team came running from the stadium. Immediately tensing, their stances subtly prepared for a fight, Adrien and Marinette both looked in the direction the team had come from. At the entrance to the stadium stood what had to be an akuma.

The akumatized victim was obvious because of its usual ridiculous garb. The man was decorated in a black spandex type suit with field green cleats, a wide, green belt, and a high green collar. His shoulders and knees were covered in pads that looked like literal footballs with their typical black and white hexagon pattern. A black cap sat on his head with another small football on top.

At the akuma's guttural scream, Adrien looked to Marinette. If she wasn't Ladybug, she could run home or somewhere safe quickly. If she was, they both needed to transform. Either way, he had to leave her. He started to run to the other corner, waving as he went.

"Oh, I think I see the Gorilla around the corner, I better go!"

Marinette didn't notice the odd behavior, looking around for an escape route for herself. "Oh, okay! See you, Adrien!"

Adrien transformed into Cat Noir hidden around the corner and jumped to the top of the school. He noticed that Marinette was gone from where he just left her on the sidewalk. He also didn't miss how Ladybug suddenly swung up beside him… almost as if she'd been in the school or nearby. Neither of those things proved anything though really. Ladybug apparently went to his school; she could have been anyone still hanging around. Marinette could have ran home… or inside the school... Ugh, he needed to give it a rest. Fight the akuma now; learn his lady's identity later.

Slipping into the locker room, Ladybug transformed back into Marinette. Fighting Fanatic had basically been like playing dodgeball. Except the dodgeballs were thick footballs that grew in size as they flew through the air. Basically, it was obvious that Cat Noir was better at the game than her since he was able to retrieve the football on the akuma's head and release the butterfly. All she had to do was de-evilize it.

Marinette ran out of the locker room and towards the front door. Hopefully, her parents would assume she'd found a safe place to hide at school or something. Still, she didn't want to worry them.

Despite the building being cleared during the fight as it had moved into the school courtyard, it was just Marinette's luck that she ran straight into someone, falling back onto the ground.

"Marinette!"

Marinette looked up after a quiet groan. "Adrien?!"

The model had an awkward smile on his face as he offered a hand to help her up.

"I thought you went home," she said as she took his hand and stood.

Adrien looked at her with wide eyes. "Uh… I only thought I saw my driver. Um, I ended up hiding in the school instead."

"You didn't leave with everyone else?"

"Didn't you?"

Marinette stopped. He had her there. She couldn't very well say she had stayed to watch. She shrugged. "I felt safe where I was."

"Me too," he replied with the same gesture.

It was quiet as they walked to the entrance of the school together. Marinette wanted to continue some kind of conversation, but from Adrien's drawn in eyebrows, it was obvious he was thinking about something and she didn't want to interrupt. As long as he didn't realize she was Ladybug, she would be okay.

When Adrien and Marinette had arrived outside, the Gorilla was already parked in the front. Adrien had made his goodbyes quickly and left Marinette, knowing he would see her later. Patrol wasn't until tomorrow, but now he had another day to think and observe what he already felt was true. Marinette was Ladybug.

This wasn't the first time they had ran into each other after an akuma attack either. In fact, Marinette seemed to be near attacks all the time. He had always assumed she was working with Alya or was a fan. She was often late when he was, never there when Ladybug was. A lot of things were adding up and Adrien needed time to think about them because… he really wanted her to be Marinette. Marinette would be a perfect Ladybug. He could see it now, and he hoped he wasn't wrong.

Adrien knew he needed to tell Ladybug his suspicions. He didn't want Marinette to laugh in his face or think he was crazy if he'd made an error in judgement. After another day with the subtlest of hints at his lady's identity, he was sure Marinette was Ladybug. But it didn't mean he knew. Not until she told him. And if she was, if she was right there, he couldn't keep his identity a secret.

He just wanted her to accept him, all of him. Whether it was Ladybug or Marinette who liked Adrien, he needed her to like Cat Noir too.

All of patrol, he debated how to bring up the subject. Just say her name and see how she reacted? Tell her he knew who she was? Transform before she could say anything and hope she came clean as well? He liked to think if Marinette knew it was Adrien, she might trust him more.

Almost missing the edge of another roof, Ladybug's hand wrapped around his arm to steady him as they landed.

"Got something on you're mind, Cat Noir? That's the third one tonight," Ladybug chuckled.

She tilted her head as her partner looked at the ground. Cat Noir took a deep breath. Now or never. "I'm sorry, My Lady… but I think I might know who you are."

The silence felt deafening. He was too nervous to even look up and see her reaction.

After another moment, Ladybug burst out, "Cat Noir! I told you not to come to my school!" She sounded exasperated, angry and even a little betrayed.

He didn't want her to be mad. He wanted her to understand. He didn't do it on purpose. He didn't mean to look up with Ladybug on his mind and see her replica in Marinette. Sure, he had been hanging around to see if anyone fit her description, but he had never expected to actually find her. He had every intention of respecting her privacy. He was just curious. For a moment too long.

"I go to your school!" he announced frustratingly before he could think.

They blinked at one another, surprised at their outbursts.

"You what?" she nearly whispered.

He sighed. "I think it'll be easier if I just tell you who I am." Cat Noir straightened ready to drop his transformation.

"Wait no!"

He raised an eyebrow.

"What if you're wrong? And I'm not who you think I am? Then we'll both be forced to reveal our identities. And that could be dangerous. Tell me your suspicions first, then we'll talk."

Cat Noir watched her. She looked nervous and he could see her. The way she bit her lip and ducked her head. Yet her caution and pulling her shoulders back anyway was definitely a Ladybug move. He wasn't wrong.

He spoke softly. "No need… Marinette. Claws in."

Ladybug's jaw dropped as much as Adrien's transformation.

"A-A- Oh my- No! I basically told you everything the other night! You probably didn't even try to figure me out. I knew I was being too obvious! I can't believe…" She was breathing deeply and rambling.

"Marinette!" Adrien rushed forward to take her hands and calm her, but him calling her by her real name just made her look at him with wide eyes. She was scared. He tried to give her a reassuring smile. "It's okay. It's too late now. But we can use this to our advantage. We can be stronger and defeat Hawkmoth!"

"Hawkmoth is exactly the reason we shouldn't be revealing ourselves! What if he finds out? Or one of us is under his influence. He'll try to take advantage, just like he tried to use Chloe's family to akumatize Queen Bee. Or Backwarder to get to Master Fu."

"Then we'll be careful. We can do anything, remember? You and me against the world, my lady."

She swallowed and looked at him. Really looked at him. His words seemed to spark something in her. He hoped it was good.

She sighed and closed her eyes. She nodded. "You and me against the world, Cat Noir."

Adrien couldn't fight the grin that appeared on his face and when Ladybug saw it, neither could she.

"Can you maybe… de-transform now? So I don't feel like I'm crazy for believing you're Marinette."

Ladybug laughed, but it sounded like tears were behind the happy sound. She did as he asked, her hands still in his. They both looked at their ungloved hands.

Adrien was trying to be serious but fought euphoric laughter because he was just… happy. "I think I love you, Marinette." He looked up and she followed with a startled look.

"I must be dreaming," she breathed.

Adrien laughed. "Only if I'm the boy of your dreams." He pushed some of her hair behind an ear and she blushed.

Marinette scoffed but looked away. "You know you are."

Adrien's heart leapt to his throat. He had suspected a lot of things, but finding they were true was something entirely different. He immediately pressed his forehead to hers. He squeezed his eyes shut and put as much feeling into his words as he could.

"I love you, Marinette."

A nervous but happy twittering giggle came out of the girl's lips. "I l-love you too, Adrien."

Adrien's lips turned up in a smile before he leaned in and kissed her. Her reaction was immediate. Her arms wrapped around his neck, holding him closer. One of his hands was around her waist, pulling her closer while his other was on her jaw, guiding the superhero teens' first real kiss.

Marinette moaned against his lips before pulling away briefly. "I can't believe I turned down Cat Noir for Adrien Agreste. Especially when I kept imagining Adrien's lips tasted a lot like my kitty's."

Adrien grinned down at her. "Does that mean… not all of it was fake?"

Marinette gave him a coy smile. "Maybe not all of it," she teased as she pressed her lips to his once more.