Adrien vaulted across the rooftops, feeling the wind through his hair, the moonlight energizing each leap.

Ladybug was Marinette.

Marinette was in love with Chat Noir.

Marinette was in love with him.

It had been impossible to stay trapped inside knowing that. Plagg had gotten so fed up with his pacing that he actually asked Adrien to transform.

But there hadn't been any messages on his baton. He thought for sure Marinette would want to talk to him. She'd said she wanted to talk to him.

So where was she?

He stumbled to a halt so he could check his baton again. Still no messages. It was tempting to just stop by her house, but "Chat" wasn't supposed to know her identity yet, and he doubted he could be subtle enough not to give it away.

Heck, he doubted he could talk to her without throwing his arms around her neck and kissing her.

Stop that. He shook his head. He'd just told Kagami he wasn't ready for a relationship. And he'd found out about Marinette and Ladybug so fast, he really shouldn't go rushing headfirst into things.

Besides, what if she didn't like him once she found out he was Adrien? She'd always been so awkward around him…

A beep sounded from his baton before he could catastrophize too much. Ladybug.

The message was only a single word. Hey. Yet it still set his heart racing.

Hey yourself, he texted back. What's up?

That was fast. Are you out? Are you okay?

He smiled. I'm fine. But I'd be better if you were out here with me

Be there in 5

Good. That would give him time to calm his nerves, plan how he could explain his identity in a way that was least likely to upset her.

Then he heard the familiar thwip of Ladybug's yo-yo. He yelped when she landed mere centimeters from him.

"I thought you meant five minutes, not five seconds!" He said, clutching his hand to his heart. "I think you shaved off one of my nine lives."

"S-sorry." She hooked her yo-yo back at her hip. Her blue eyes dodged his, skimming the shingles beneath his feet. "I can leave and come back, o-or—no, that's stupid, none of the ways I planned this had me scaring you half to death…"

She trailed off into muttering to herself, tugging at her pigtails, so Marinette that he couldn't imagine not recognizing her. Of course, normally Ladybug wasn't quite so frantic around Chat Noir. Maybe she was still shaken from yesterday's akuma fight and from "Adrien" learning her identity.

"Technically I would've only been scared one-ninth to death," he joked, hoping to bring a smile back to her face.

She said she loved him. She hadn't changed her mind already, had she? Maybe she thought Luka wasn't so bad after all, or maybe Adrien's jokes weren't funny enough.

But she laughed. High-pitched and strained, but she did.

"I'm so sorry, kitty. I'm not—can I start over?"

"Of course." He grinned and went back to standing in the same position he had before she startled him. "Where's Ladybug? Will she ever come and end my sorrows with her miraculous presence?"

This time her laugh sounded more natural. "I didn't think alley cats knew that many big words."

"Maybe I'm an aristocat now." He winked. Flirting with her still felt easy as breathing, despite the way his heart thudded harder against his ribs. It was who they were. Chat Noir and Ladybug. Adrien and Marinette.

They were going to be okay. He knew it.

"You wish." She stepped forward to flick his bell, but her cheeks were as red as her mask. Her fingers ended up tangling together before she could touch him. "I-I can't just play around tonight. I wasn't sure how to tell you, but… someone found out my identity."

She said it quickly, while peering up through her lashes. Like expecting a rebuke.

Adrien probably should've faked surprise, but he'd never been good at lying to his Lady.

He smiled, slowly putting his arms around her, giving her plenty of time to push him back if she wanted. But she just crumbled into his embrace, holding him as tightly as she had underwater yesterday.

If he could even have just one of her hugs a day, he could die happy.

"You're not upset?" Her voice came out shaky near his ear.

"Come on, little bug, you know me better than that." It took all his self-control not to turn and press a kiss to her cheek. "I know you didn't mean to. And I know that whatever happened, we can face it together."

For a few heartbeats, she was silent.

"Thank you, Chat," she finally whispered into his neck. "I trust the boy who found out my identity. I just thought you might be… well, I always wanted you to know first."

The irony almost made him laugh. This would all be so much easier if he could just reveal himself already.

"That means the world to me," he said, pulling back just enough to look into her eyes. They glistened with unshed tears. How long had she been holding back, cracking under the pressure that just kept pressing down on her? "Do you think, maybe… it's time we both stopped keeping secrets? If someone already knows…"

"I-I don't know." She bit her lip. "I'm the guardian now, not just Ladybug."

"Then isn't it extra important that we know each other? If something happened to you—not that it will!—no one would know about the miracle box. And since you're the guardian, shouldn't you know who I am? You know, for safety purposes."

She giggled at his grin. "It sounds like you've got an ulterior motive here."

He shrugged unrepentantly. "Ulterior motives. Plural. But I really think it would be best, too. We need each other more than ever, my Lady. Master Fu is gone. No one is going to take our miraculouses."

He'd been thinking about this today, in between freaking out that Marinette was Ladybug. He wanted so badly to be there for her, the way he couldn't as just Chat to Ladybug, or just Adrien to Marinette.

"You're right. No matter what happens, I'd rather face it with you."

"And then we can over each other as civilians, and—wait. Did you just say I'm right?"

A smile broke out across her face. "Yeah, kitty. Don't expect me to say it again."

"Then—you want to know who I am? Really?"

"Really. I think you need to get your ears checked." She reached up to flick the fake ears on top of his head. "So, um… do you want to go first, or should I?"

"O-okay! I mean, I will!" He beamed. This was happening! His Lady wanted to know who he was!

A brief moment of panic punctured his giddiness. She thought she was in love with Chat, she'd said. What if knowing he was Adrien shook that uncertain realization? After all, she'd been quick to turn down Luka today, and that was someone she'd definitely liked.

"Chat?" Her head tilted. "It's okay if you're nervous, or not ready."

He shook his head. He was being ridiculous; if Marinette loved Chat Noir, then she would love Adrien too. He was still him.

Still, his hand hovered over the kazoo in his pocket.

"I wanted you to have this. Maybe Marinette would appreciate it coming from you."

He'd said that about Adrien, not Chat Noir. Did Luka know something Adrien didn't?

"I'm purrfectly ready, my Lady." He grinned. "I just have one other thing I'd like to do first."

Her brow furrowed. "Okayyyy…"

He unzipped his pocket and pulled out the kazoo.

Marinette's eyes practically bugged out of her head.

"Luka?"

He'd been about to bring the kazoo to his lips, but he broke off laughing.

"Oh my gosh, please tell me this is a nightmare." She covered her face with her hands, but peaked out between the slots of her fingers. "Or the universe is just playing a really sick joke… no, that's definitely his kazoo. But that doesn't make any sense! You're you and Luka is…" She waved a hand vaguely before groaning.

"Ladybug, wait, I'm sorry." He dropped the kazoo and held up his empty hands. "It was just a joke, I didn't mean to upset you. I should've learned my lesson the first time." He winced. This wasn't quite as bad as the time he pretended to be a statue, but still. Marinette had been through enough without him teasing her on top of it.

"So you are Luka? And you—do you already know who I am?"

"No! I mean, yes? I'm not Luka—sorry if that's a let down—but I, um, did find out who you are." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry. I should've just told you, but then you'd know who I was and I didn't know if you wanted to and—"

"Hey, hey, it's okay." She placed a hand on his arm, and he stilled instantly. "No, I never expected you to be Luka. Except for those ten seconds with the kazoo. I think you shaved off one of my nine lives."

He grinned sheepishly.

"But if you know about Luka and my identity..." Her eyes widened. "Adrien?"

He laughed nervously. "Surprise?"

"That…" she took a deep breath and let it out. He couldn't read her expression. Was she upset? Relieved? Confused? "That makes more sense. Still weird, but I can see it."

"You… you can?" He tried to release his own held breath. She wasn't mad. That was good enough for now.

"Of course." Her laugh shook. "Of course I fell for you again. Of course I'd be that stupid."

"Stupid—wait, what? My Lady!"

He caught her hand as she'd turned away. Had he read everything wrong? And why would she say…

"What do you mean, you fell for me again?" he asked quietly.

She shook her head, her back still to him. "I'm sorry. It's not fair of me to tell you now. But I already did, didn't I? Just—don't worry about it. I want you to be happy, and—and I hope we can still be friends, and that it won't be awkward having me as your partner—"

"Marinette, please!" He squeezed her hand in both of his, begging her to turn around. "I love you. If there's even a chance you love me back, please, don't—don't run away from me."

He must have sounded pathetic, his voice cracking, tears clogging his throat. But nothing she was saying made sense and they were so close. They knew each other. They loved each other. So what was the problem?

Over her shoulder, he caught her eyes glistening with tears. Then slowly she turned back to him.

"You… but I thought… what about Kagami?"

He winced. "She wasn't happy, but I told her the truth. That I couldn't be with her when my heart still belonged to someone else."

"Your heart…" She pointed to herself with her free hand before whispering, "Me?"

He laughed. She was just so cute, with hope and disbelief mixing across her face.

"Always, bugaboo."

She stepped forward, slipping her hand from his to instead throw her arms around him. "You dork," she whispered affectionately.

He shivered as he held her around her waist. Two hugs in one day. She was going to melt him to putty at this rate. He could smell the flowery shampoo in her hair, feel her breath tickle his neck.

"So, um, does this mean you, um, you like me…?" He trailed off.

She smiled. "If you're really Adrien, you know the answer to that."

"Just checking." His thumb caressed the edge of her shoulderblade.

"And for the record, I was in love with Adrien before I ever fell for Chat Noir. I feel kind of silly for not seeing it."

He pulled back in surprise. "Really? But I thought you—you were always so nervous around me!"

"Because I liked you so much my head just about fell off every time I tried to get out a sentence around you. Honestly, I'm surprised I'm not freaking out more right now."

"I could always play that kazoo if you really want to freak out," he joked, and she leveled a stare at him.

Then she kicked the plastic instrument off the roof.

He nearly doubled over laughing. "Well, that answers that question."

"Just stick to what you're good at, kitty. Like whatever you were doing with my back." Her face was bright red as she said it, but she didn't hesitate to step back into his arms.

He chuckled and began rubbing her shoulderblade again.

"I think I can live with that."