It has been forever since I've written anything. I hope I'm not too rusty. Enjoy!

The morning found itself chilly, a cool autumn breeze blowing through the city streets, causing the girl to pause for a moment, bringing her hands up to her arms, attempting to warm herself up by any means possible. She was wearing long sleeves, but regretting the lack of jacket.

"Are you cold?" She heard a voice ask. She turned around and saw him standing there, bright smile, bright eyes, bright… everything. A summer breeze in the beautiful autumn.

"A-Adrien!" She squeaked out, attempting to collect herself and not seem like the total mess she was. "I- I'm mine… Fine mine! I mean… I'm fine. Thanks though!" She smiled and let out a sneeze.

"You don't seem fine." He let out a small laugh and shrugged off the light jacket he was wearing.

"N-no! It's okay! I appreciate it though!"

He shook his head, placing the jacket in her hands, letting go so she couldn't decline before walking over to his driver. "You walk home, don't you? I'll be fine!" As he was saying something, the gorilla of a bodyguard, ever prepared for any need of his young ward, gave Adrien another jacket. "See? I didn't even have time to get cold!" He got into the car and offered Marinette a wave. "I'll see you in class tomorrow."

"Yeah…" her breath has just been stolen from her lungs. She watched Adrien get driven off before shrugging on the jacket with a small smile.

"That was nice of Adrien!" She heard a small voice call. She opened her purse and looked at the red and black creature that sat happily in her purse.

"Yeah," she pulled the sleeves down over her hands, amazed how the jacket fit on her smaller frame, "it really was." She took a deep breath and let out a dreamy sigh. "It smells like him…"

"You're really happy!"

"Of course I am! I mean, I'm wearing Adrien's jacket! How could I not be?" She placed her hands in the jacket's pockets, pausing when she felt something in the pocket. "What this?" She pulled it out, seeing a carefully folded up piece of paper.

"Marinette, that isn't yours… you shouldn't open it…" Tikki said in her quiet and concerned voice.

And she knew Tikki was right. This was Adrien's jacket and this was his piece of paper. But, if it was folded in his pocket it couldn't be that important, could it? He wouldn't have abandoned his jacket so casually if had been. "I'm sure it's nothing, Tikki."

"If it's nothing then you won't mind not looking at it."

Marinette let out a sigh. She needed to do the right thing and not snoop through his personal belongings.

But a little ways away Adrien was rapidly patting his pockets looking for that very piece of paper. "What up, kid?"

"I can't find it, Plagg!" He looked through his backpack for good measure, knowing he hadn't put the folded piece of paper in there. He felt his face go pale. "Oh no."

"What's up?" Plagg asked, only half caring, his focus shifting to the smell of camembert that had begun wafting through the air.

"I gave Marinette my jacket."

"So?"

Inside that jacket was a folded piece of paper that absolutely no one other than him and his lady could see. He didn't take Marinette as the type to snoop through his things purposefully, but a piece of paper in a pocket… anyone would just casually open something like that up and take a glance. He had to get to her before she read it, if she hadn't already.

How was he going to get it back though? His schedule for the day was completely full. He could set up the piano and pretend to practice and sneak out as Chat Noir to get the paper… but he had a modeling shoot right after… he would have to be sneaky and try to get to the paper without Marinette noticing. If it was possible…

"Plagg, claws out!"

"Wait what?! There isn't an akuma! You can't do this to me without warning~!" Plagg's protests were drowned as the transformation occurred. Chat Noir quickly set up the stereo to play piano before leaping out of the window, leaping from rooftop to rooftop until he reached the balcony that belonged to Marinette.

Marinette hadn't seen Chat Noir swing through her alley, but Tikki saw a quick view of his tail. With a quick glance at Marinette, music playing and her eyes laser focused on the design she was sketching out, Tikki darted up to see what Chat Noir was up to.

Chat was pacing back and forth as he tried to figure out his next move. If he came in saying Adrien sent him then it would be a dead give away. If he waited for Marinette to leave the room then he could go in and grab it while she was gone… but who knows hold long she'd be down there? His heightened senses picked up the sound of her scribbling away on paper and the hum of her music. He looked around and saw the power box. Could he cataclysm the power box and shut off the lights? But without Ladybug there would be no way to undo the damage he caused… he was stumped.

Unless.. this was a friendly visit from Chat Noir? Marinette was friends with his alter-ego, was she? Perhaps this was the best course of action. He reached down and knocked on the door of the balcony.

Marinette looked up, confused. What was that? Probably nothing… just the wind or a bird landing on it. But the knock repeated. She paused her music and stepped away from her sketch, putting on Adrien's jacket to help fight the cold. When she opened the door she was surprised to see bright green eyes staring at her from behind a dark mask.

"Chat Noir? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, um, Ladybug and I decided to starting doing some, uh, random checks on people who were close to akumatized victims!" A blatant lie and she knew it, but she couldn't call him out on it, though he would be hearing about this. "Anyway, I just wanted to see how you were doing, Marinette, seeing as quite a few of your friends have been akumatized in the past."

"Uh huh." She crossed her arms over her body. "I'm doing fine. Thanks for the checkup… I really should be getting back to my work though…"

"Wait!" He grabbed her arm with his hand and pulled her close to him. He felt himself warming up with the interaction. He needed to tell her something that would get her to stay long enough to let him get his note… "That's not really why I came… I, uh, need to tell you the truth," he stalled for time before sighing, "I… need some advice… about Ladybug"

Marinette looked at Chat Noir, shocked. Her friend had come to her for advice about herself? "Oh? What is it, kitty?"

"Well, I'm in love with her-"

"I know that," Marinette had to swallow the laugh that was forming. "All of Paris knows that."

He nodded. "Well, you're a girl, right? What can I do to get her to fall in love with me?"

She shook her head and placed a hand on his shoulder. This was a golden opportunity. She could get him to stop pursuing her when she was Ladybug. "You can't force someone to fall in love with you. It'll have to happen over time."

"What can I do to speed that up though?" A legitimate question that he had being used for the sake of an excuse. Some things were more important, like trying to retrieve the paper. He was glad she was wearing the jacket at least.

Marinette let out a sigh, feeling bad for her friend, but this was a necessary evil. "Well, why won't she return your feelings?"

"She said she's in love with someone else."

Marinette nodded. "Then you have to respect that, kitty. Things turn out the way they're supposed to in the end." She paused. "You'll find someone that loves you with their entire heart, Ladybug or otherwise."

Chat stared at the girl in front of him. She was giving him such genuine, heartfelt answers to his lame excuses… He knew Ladybug was his soulmate though. She just had to see it. For now, he had to play the part of the upset friend. "Oh…"

Marinette sighed and opened her arms up to the poor superhero. Of course he was going to be upset. "Come here, kitty."

This was his chance! He could grab the note without her noticing. He went in for the hug, quickly grabbed the note out of her pocket, and subtly held it in his hand. Tikki watched and let out a sigh of relief. Whatever was in Adrien's pocket must have been important. She was glad Marinette hadn't read it.

The next time there was an akuma attack Adrien was prepared. He grabbed the note and ran to help his lady out. After they fist bumped he passed her the note. "M'Lady. Read this when you get home. It's important."

Of course she was confused about this, but she did as was requested of her. She watched her partner disappear before going away herself, heading home.

"I wonder what Chat gave me, Tikki?"

"I don't know…" but Tikki suspected this was the same note that Chat had come to get that day not too long ago.

Marinette opened the note, surprised to see that the piece of paper was covered in text, not just a simple, quick message.

M'Lady.

I ask that you forgive me for what I'm about to say, but I have good news, bad news and worse news. The good news, I figured out who Hawkmoth is.

The bad news… there's a possibility that he knows who I am. I cannot be sure this at this time, but I think Hawkmoth's suspicion is growing.

The worse news, and why I cannot be sure if Hawkmoth knows my identity, Hawkmoth is my father. This came as a shock to me, and I do not know his motives, and, Ladybug… (there were several words scribbled out) I'm not sure why he's doing this…

I wish I knew…

M'Lady, I need help. I can't keep doing this by myself. I… I want you to know who I am, and I want to know who you are. I know you said it's for our own safety, but since my father is Hawkmoth then I'm in danger anyway, and, by extension, you. I need to know who the girl I need to keep safe is. I need to know her name.

I wrote this letter to you on Monday, the 14th, but I don't know when you'll get it, but on the day I give this to you, I'll be up on the Eiffel Tower at midnight, as Chat Noir. I want you to know who I am, and I want to know who you are, but if you say no I'll respect that.

(A whole paragraph was scribbled out angrily, the pen threatening to rip the page with the pressure)

I'm not going to lie to you. I'm scared, no, I'm terrified. I'm not sure what to say to you… or what you're going to think. I'm scared of what you're going to think of me after discovering that my father is our enemy. I myself am not sure what I think…

I'll wait for you an hour. I won't blame you if you don't show up, and I won't bring it up again.

But I hope to see you soon.

Chat Noir

Marinette put the note down. Chat knew who Hawkmoth was? Chat's father was Hawkmoth? He's afraid that she'll blame him… of course he was afraid. But he's not his father, she wouldn't- no, couldn't blame him. The anxiety of not knowing what she was going to say must be killing him.. One thing was for sure, she wasn't going to leave him waiting on the Eiffel Tower for her.

"Are you sure about this, Marinette? Are you going to reveal yourself to Chat Noir?"

She shrugged. "I don't know what I'm going to do yet. I'm not sure what to make of this… but Chat needs help and I'm going to help him. He's my friend. He needs me." She looked at the clock, barely past eight. It would be a while before she would be able to go.

Chat would need a friend. She couldn't imagine how lonely it must be for him to discover that his father was his enemy. She tried to imagine her father, warm and jolly, as the bad guy… she was saddened by the thought. Was he feeling like this that night he came to visit her? Did he come because he wanted the company and not to ask about Ladybug? She wished she had showed him more kindness that night, invited him in and given him some hot chocolate.

She could make up for it now. It was another cool fall night. He probably needed something to warm him up. Hot apple cider and some pastries seemed like a good idea.

She waited, trying to distract herself as the moments on the clock slowly ticked by. She attempted sewing to pass the time, but her stitches were crooked from the nerves, so she utilized the seam ripper and determined no productive sewing would happen today. She turned on a movie but found her zoning out. She couldn't focus on her homework. She found herself pacing her room with her heart beating rapidly inside of her chest.

Finally the clock read 11:55, cuing her to gather pastries and cider and head to the roof, transforming into Ladybug and swinging away into the night.

True to his word Chat was sitting there, wringing his hands nervously. "M'lady! You came!"

She nodded, passing him the canister with the warm apple cider and the treats. "Of course I did, kitty. Come on," she sat down on the tower, her legs dangling off the edge, the air just becoming cold enough to make the outline of their breath in sky. "I think we need to talk."

He nodded. "Yeah." She didn't miss the downtrodden expression on his face, the usually bright spark missing from his eyes. "So, my father is Hawkmoth."

She let out a sigh and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I don't blame you. You didn't know."

He closed his hands around the canister he was holding, the metal slightly denting under the strength of his hands. "I should have. How did I not see it? It… it was so obvious."

She shook her head. "No, kitty, it's not. You love and trusted your father, didn't you?"

Of course he did. He… he was his father. What else was he supposed to do?

"Yeah."

"It's not your fault." She paused. "I do need to know one thing. Since your father is Hawkmoth will you still be able to fight him?"

"I can't forgive him for what he did to Paris. To my friends." He paused and looked at the girl sitting next to him, "To you."

"Then there's nothing to worry about." She stood up and dusted herself off, attempting to get out of the discussion she was dreading. "I think it's time I head off kitty."

"Wait!" He gently grabbed her wrist, taking care to not hurt her as he held on. "I- I want to tell you who I am."

"I know."

"Can I tell you?"

She took a deep breath, looking into the eyes of her partner. If he told her it would change everything. She would know the face behind the mask. She didn't want that to endanger him.

But… what was the danger? If Hawkmoth knew Chat Noir's identity then he wouldn't have a miraculous. If Chat revealed himself she would know who Hawkmoth was, or, at the very least how to find him. She could protect her partner. He wasn't the only one who wanted to keep his partner safe. It was her turn to protect him.

"Yes."

Chat looked stunned for a moment before composing himself and taking a deep breath. "Plagg," his voice was shaking. She could hear it. "Claws in." A flash of a green light appeared and the transformation started to fade. "Nice to meet you, Ladybug. My name is Adrien Agreste."

The boy who was in love with her was the one she had fallen for so long ago?

There was no hesitation on her part, looking into the terrified eyes of Adrien Agreste. "Tikki, spots off!"

"Ladybug you don't-" He stopped. "Marinette?"

The two stood looking at one another on that rooftop. Staring into the other's eyes. There wasn't much they were sure of, but one thing they did know was that they were going to protect the person in front of them, with their life if they had to.