Notes: Canon Divergent from Season 2 with some elements of Season 3. Ongoing. This was inspired by the prompt "major" for the Summer Mini Challenge 2019. More chapters to come!

The Tell-Tale Kiss

Chapter One: This is My Confession

Adrien thought it was amazing that two years of school could go by and he still made no major progress with confessing to the love of his life, Ladybug, the girl in the skintight spotted suit that saved the city by his side and stole his heart.

His father's rules had been a huge reason for his failing. Keeping him on a rigorous, isolated schedule certainly ate up time, and attending school to get high marks also kept him busy. He was thankful for his friends at least. They alleviated his stresses and gave him some light-hearted joy and respite.

Some of the girls in his class, though obvious in their attentions for him, did not interest him. Kagami had come close to attracting him, but she had stipulated early that if his heart wasn't completely sure for her… that if she wasn't his intended target… she had no time to spare to wait for him. She would always be his friend and his fencing partner, but even Adrien had ultimately felt something lacking between them.

Lila's interest made him uncomfortable, and there was something about the girl's personality that rubbed him the wrong way. She didn't sound entirely truthful, and her stories often sounded suspicious. She seemed to have more dubious intentions toward him than actual regard, and that was unsettling to him. No matter how she tried to catch his eye, or bully his friends, he had no romantic interest in her and never would.

Chloe's interest was, of course, laughable. He didn't mean to be cruel, but they practically grew up together and he had a sisterly affection toward her and nothing more. Plus, she didn't have the nicest personality. Not compared to Ladybug. Not compared to other girls he considered his friends.

Though if he was honest, if he was going to get anywhere with his feelings with Ladybug, he had to tell her how he felt in person. Telling her as Chat Noir failed, and though his spirits were crushed by her response, his last bit of hope was that she didn't know that Chat Noir was Adrien, so maybe he still had a chance.

"You really are an idiot," Plagg said unhelpfully, munching on his pungent cheese. "The densest person I know. Seriously, just go for it and get it over with."

Plagg was trying to encourage him in his own way, but that didn't mean Adrien wasn't nervous. If Ladybug had rejected him as Adrien AND Chat Noir, then it would be over. He'd be completely rejected, and he would know where he stood with her. His chances would be in shreds, and he didn't even want to think about an impending heartbreak. He'd been pining for her for years, and he had one chance left.

If he did fail again, as Adrien, he'd still have to work with her as Chat Noir. The idea made him shudder.

As if knowing what he was thinking, Plagg commented again. "Well, if anything, if she does reject you as Adrien, you could finally move on. Seeing you mope and pine for her is exhausting. It just makes me hungry."

Adrien scoffed. "Sleeping makes you hungry. Talking makes you hungry."

Plagg shrugged. "Just tell her already, then you can go on with your life and find someone else."

Plagg didn't exhibit much consideration for his feelings, not that he expected any less of the black cat kwami, but he did have a point. Plus, Plagg would only get involved in Adrien's human problems when it was certain the kwami knew something more than he was saying.

Adrien released another heavy sigh, feeling some resolve as the decision rolled over his brain. "I guess I have no choice. Either way, waiting and doing nothing like this, it just makes me more miserable. Whether or not Ladybug accepts me, I'll still love her. I have hope, Plagg. I can feel it in my bones." He closed his eyes and made a wish, trying to imagine the best scenario for confessing to his beloved. "The next time I see Ladybug as Adrien, I'm going to tell her. There's no turning back now."

The kwami grumbled and continued chowing down on his expensive cheese. Adrien laid on his bed, staring at his blank ceiling and trying to calm his nerves as he waited for his bodyguard to take him to school.

Marinette was crawling through a miserable morning. Not only did Lila threaten her the first chance she got when Marinette got to school, but she also tripped over a few cracks in the sidewalk and narrowly missed a bird crapping on her jacket from the sky.

It was also cloudy and humid day which only meant it was going to rain. Great, and she didn't bring her umbrella.

She tried not to be too upset because she didn't want to become bait for an akuma attack. So she tried to think happy thoughts, of Adrien's beautiful face, of Luka's deep aqua eyes and songs, and of Gabriel Agreste granting her an exclusive internship, vaulting her into the fashion world and fulfilling her wildest dreams. She let out a happy sigh, resting her chin on her palm and bending her elbows onto her desk. She yawned and closed her eyes, feeling sleep nudge at her to give in.

"Wow, you look really tired today, Marinette," said a recognizable male voice behind her closed eyes. She blinked open her baby blue eyes and meet Adrien's gaze. He smiled softly at her and her cheeks felt hot.

"Oh, uh… night late, um, late night," she said, giggling awkwardly. His smile grew, expecting her nervous reaction. Poor, shy Marinette and her inability to talk to him after all these years. She felt like an idiot.

Then, her misery cloud returned and she sighed again. Adrien was about to turn and settle into his seat in front of her, but he noticed her mood and became concerned.

"Rough morning?" he asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she said, letting out a sigh and turned her eyes to the desk. "Just… well, I haven't had the greatest start to my day." She turned around, giving a quick glance to Lila chatting happily with friends, and then turned back to him with her face paling.

Adrien narrowed his eyes. His voice dropped to a whisper. "Is...Is she bothering you again?"

Marinette's eyes widened. "She?" she squeaked.

Adrien made a motion with his hand against his cheek intending to whisper. "Lila. Is she um... bullying you again?"

The look she gave him made his heart ache. Her eyes didn't betray anything, but she gave him a sad smile and shook her head. "It's alright."

But it wasn't good enough. His inner superhero could not just sit by when people he cared about were troubled. "If she does or says anything, please, Marinette, tell me, and I will defend you in any way I can."

Marinette's bewildered face turned grateful and she gave him a sincere smile that warmed his heart. He shot a suspicious look to Lila's direction and then turned back to Marinette with his usual concern. It wasn't fair. Marinette wasn't the sort of girl that deserved to be bullied or treated this way. Adrien didn't know anyone kinder or sweeter than Marinette. She did things selflessly for others and was passionate about things that made a difference to everyone, even those that didn't seem to like her.

"Th-thanks, Adrien," she said, and he noticed her deep blush. He smiled, and when he turned around, he had an errant thought about her. Marinette was quite pretty when she blushed, or when she smiled, or…

Wait a minute… Why was he thinking about Marinette? He was planning on telling Ladybug how he felt!

As their teacher began class that day, Adrien's thoughts about Marinette and Ladybug lingered in his mind. After mulling over the feelings he was having, he came to the conclusion that if things didn't work out with Ladybug, maybe he could explore these thoughts he was having about one of his oldest and best friends.

He shook his head. He glanced down to his notebook and tried to draw his attention back to his studies.

It didn't take long for an akuma to attack their school again. A popular girl, one of Lila's arrogant friends, had refused a rather nerdy boy when he confessed his feelings to her, and he was prime pickings for an akuma to turn into a villain. It was kind of shocking that this time it wasn't because of Chloe that someone became a villain, but it was still bad enough.

The new villain, Heartbreaker, crashed through a few doors and windows and began zapping people with black and purple light, collecting their life energy and turning them into garden statues. In his fury he proclaimed that no one should feel if he wasn't allowed to be happy, so he turned everyone into soulless figures.

He called out for Chat Noir and Ladybug to give him their Miraculous, and Adrien rolled his eyes as the rest of his classmates scattered and he ducked in an empty room away from prying eyes. Before he could transform, something crashed through his hiding spot, sending him flying backwards. He groaned as he felt a pain against his leg and the side of his head, and in front of him, Ladybug met the akuma with fierce, determined eyes and spun her yo-yo like an offensive shield.

She turned around and noticed Adrien's disheveled state on the floor within a pile of rubble and debris.

"Adrien?" She looked surprised. He grinned sheepishly at her. And then he remembered his plan the next time he saw her. The blood rushed immediately to his cheeks.

"You have to get out of here," she yelled at him, and she was only distracted for a moment while the akuma launched another attack. She spun around, deflecting the energy bursts with her yo-yo, avoiding the danger of getting turned into a statue herself.

"You don't need to tell me," he said, beginning to run, and when the akuma saw his movement, he changed his strategy and started firing at Adrien. Ladybug gasped and jumped in front of him, her yo-yo narrowly shielding them from the blast.

"I'll have to take you somewhere safe. Hopefully Chat Noir can show up soon and help out," she said, and she spun around and quickly drew him into her arms before another round of akuma attacks could find them. She launched her yo-yo like a zipline and carried him away from the danger. He reveled in their closeness, and the way her skintight suit felt warm against his body. He heard her grumbling as they zipped and jumped away. "What is it with you and akuma? It's like they're drawn to you."

She set him down within a group of his classmates gawking at their school once again becoming another battleground for the akuma.

Ladybug gave Adrien a stern look and pointed to the ground. "Now stay here! It's not safe in there." Before he could thank her, she was already turning around and heading back into ground zero.

Adrien looked down at his pocket where Plagg waited. He began to shift through the crowd, finding somewhere else secluded to continue where he left off and complete his transformation. He let out a sigh as he looked at the chaos within the school. The building gave a shudder, and he called out the magic words.

"Plagg, claws out!"

After defeating and cleansing the Heartbreaker akuma, Ladybug and Chat Noir did their usual fist bump in celebration. The ladybugs had cleaned up the entire mess and put the school back together, but Chat Noir caught his lady worried about something.

Before he could inquire, the beep from his ring warned him that he needed to de-transform.

"Until next time, my lady," he said, giving her his usual grin. She smiled at him and gave a nod. When Adrien released his transformation, he didn't retreat far. He hid behind a tree, coming back toward Ladybug's way. He watched her and saw that she was looking among the crowd, chatting sporadically with people who thanked her for her help.

She looked isolated, still searching for the crowd for someone in particular. Adrien approached her and cleared his throat. She looked at him relieved.

"Thank you again, Ladybug, for rescuing me," he said politely.

She smiled at him, with a slight pink tint that colored her cheeks. She placed a hand to her chest. "Not a problem. I'm glad you're safe. I should go now…"

"Wait!" he said, and before she could dash off, he held out his hand to her. She blinked at him, surprised by his outburst.

If he was going to tell her, now was the perfect time. Now, and only now, will he get closure on this whole matter of his desperate heart.

"Ladybug, I...I need to tell you something. She looked at him bemused, but her face pinkened as he stared at her. "I know you probably get this a lot, but we've crossed paths several times, and well, you're probably the most famous girl in all of Paris but… wow, this is going to sound really, really inappropriate but…"

He met her eyes after a pause and said, "I like you. I like you a lot. In fact, I love you, Ladybug, and it's not just hero worship… I think. But, for years now I've…" He watched her mouth open in surprise, her face turning beat red. She sucked in a heavy breath like she was forgetting to breathe as he spoke, and he was sure she was going to reject him politely, but then, he saw something else across her face.

Was that… relief?

"I've loved you since you first showed up in Paris. No one else can compare to you, and I can't think about anyone else...Please forgive me for offending you if I have," he said quietly looking bashfully away from her surprised stare. His face felt like it was on fire he felt so embarrassed, but there was a weight that was slowly lifting off his shoulders.

"You...you do?" she said dumbly and he nodded. She stuttered,"I mean… Oh, well, um…"

"Then…"

"It's funny," she said interrupting him, though she didn't answer him right away. "I had a conversation with Chat Noir once. I told him, um, that there was already a boy I liked."

Adrien remembered that day. It was still a fresh slash across his heart.

"If he only knew…" She looked at him with bright blue eyes, and he watched as she licked her lips. They looked so enticing, as well as the redness on her cheeks. She seemed to tremble from anxiety, and it made him feel at ease to see her more as a real person. "You might be surprised to know that I love you too. Um, but it's really not as Ladybug. I mean, it is, but I love you as my non-superhero self too. I just never had the courage to tell you."

His eyes widened. He never… so Ladybug knew him in real life? Was she one of his fans when she wasn't transformed?

"Who…" he asked immediately, but she put a finger to her lips to shush him. She smiled and winked.

"You'll just have to find out on your own," she said cheekily. He gaped at her, feeling tension build up between them. They stared, both nervous and blushing, unsure what to say next. Suddenly her earrings beeped, and she looked panicked. "Gotta go! But…"

Before she dashed away, she turned to him, and she seemed to be filled with unbridled giddiness. She gave him a coy look, and then leaned in and pressed her lips to his. He tasted her for a dizzying moment and then when he tried to reach for her and pull her closer, she ducked out of his incoming grasp and threw her yo-yo in the air. Before she launched herself away, she turned back to him and blew him a kiss.

"Bye, Adrien. See if you can find me!" Her voice echoed throughout the alleyways and buildings of Paris like a lovely melody.

Adrien's heart almost stopped, and then, his whole body filled with pure elation. Ladybug liked him! She actually liked him!