Chapter Text
It had started out innocently enough.
Usually, Cat Noir and Ladybug would patrol Paris together. But as time wore on, they found themselves becoming more bogged down with homework and other commitments. And Hawk Moth didn’t seem to be letting up his akuma attacks any time soon, despite the weeks turning to months and the months turning to years, so Paris’s superhero duo ended up making a schedule where some nights they would take turns doing rounds by themselves.
So on nights where she had to patrol alone, Marinette eventually found herself often stopping by Alya’s house to watch her friend through the window. More often then not she was glued to her phone, updating the Ladyblog. Marinette made sure she stayed in the shadows, lest she be spotted and have Alya chasing after Ladybug for another exclusive interview.
Then she started to add Nino’s house to her list of places to stop by on her route. He was usually blasting music, working on his next set. He also spent a lot of time playing video games too. Of course, all the practice in the world wouldn’t get him to Max’s level. Or to her level, she thought with a giggle.
After a couple of months, she played around with the idea of putting the Agreste Mansion on her list of homes to swing by. Imagine it: being able to see Adrien when he was alone, being totally himself. His truest likes and dislikes. His little quirks. The mere idea made her giddy and a blush nearly as red as her suit colored her cheeks.
It took some time to build up the courage to even entertain the idea. When she was at home, she would talk it over with Tikki at length (who was honestly probably tired of hearing about it, Marinette thought distractedly) who had enthusiastically told her to give it a go. Maybe this would help build up her confidence! If she could get more comfortable with watching him from afar, then it should help her be able to get closer to him at school.
Really, what harm could it do, right?
So the first night she was going to attempt to swing by, she sat on a rooftop a couple blocks away just steadying her breathing. Marinette scrunched her eyes shut and shook her head to try and settle down. She was Ladybug, damnit! Not-scared-of-anything Ladybug! ‘Stop letting the nerves get the best of you, you big wimp,’ She told herself as she stood up. ‘You’re not a little girl. You’re 18 and you’ve been a superhero for years now to boot. You can do this!’
Swallowing hard, Marinette threw her yo-yo into the distance and swung into the night. Closer and closer to the Mansion with every movement. She looked for the window she new to be Adrien’s room…and her shoulders sagged in disappointment.
The lights were out.
‘Maybe he’s not home?’ She wondered, latching her yo-yo onto a higher part of the house to allow herself to hang in front of the window. Marinette peered inside and saw no one, Adrien’s room looking just as she remembered it from the last time she had breezed in as Ladybug. The only lights on were the blinking lights signaling power travelling to his large computer. The window was open a few inches to let in fresh air, and she could faintly hear the hum of the expensive machine.
Marinette chuckled in spite of herself. All that nervousness for nothing.
She was about to leave when she made out the sound of keys in the doorknob break the silence. Panicking, the superhero zipped herself higher on her string so she was hanging just above his wall of windows. She pulled up her legs tightly to her belly to be sure she wouldn’t be seen as the door creaked open and the lights went on, spilling out from the window below her. ‘Abort, abort, abort!’ Marinette’s brain screamed at her, but she was frozen.
“Finally…” Adrien’s voice reached her ears and she heard the door shut. “All locked up. You can come out now, Plagg.”
“It’s about time!” Another voice shouted. An unfamiliar voice. “I’m starving!”
“You’re always starving.” Adrien groaned and she could hear his footsteps grow closer to the windows. “Why do you have to be obsessed with such disgusting-smelling cheese? Is that a normal kwami thing?” Marinette’s heart stopped. Did he just say kwami?!
“Well we each have our own favorite food. So that means I’m special. You’re lucky to have one as wonderful as me.”
“Lucky, huh. I bet Ladybug’s kwami likes normal food.”
“Tikki likes sweets, especially cookies. That’s also why she adores me, because I’m sweet like dark chocolate.”
“Right. Sure.”
“Hey! Tikki and I have been together for thousands of years. Always have been. I love her because she’s caring and thoughtful and adorable. And she loves me because I’m amazing.”
“Uh huh.”
“You’re just jealous because Ladybug doesn’t take your feelings seriously.”
Adrien’s laugh sounded very close to the windows now. “I’ll win her over, you’ll see. I know she’s the one for me. And besides, my Lady can only resist my romantic charm for so long. I can be a patient cat.”
Marinette’s heart had finally started beating again and it was now racing a mile a minute. ‘Adrien can’t actually be…Am I really hearing what I’m hearing?!’
“And until then you can keep spending your lonely nights with that trash you call fanfiction, your weird Ladybug merchandise collection, and your hand.”
“Plagg!” Adrien roared, and Marinette could hear him running away from the windows to chase him.
Now is when she should leave! But she still couldn’t bring herself to move. What if he looked out the windows and saw her swinging off? She couldn’t get caught now!
He must not have caught his kwami because she soon heard a heavy sigh. “You’re an idiot.” Adrien said with as much malice as he could muster, and was met with a snicker. Marinette heard him walk close to the windows again, and her breath caught in her throat. The window slid open all the way, and she saw Adrien’s fingers resting against the windowpane. She could hear him inhale the summer air and begged any powers that be that were listening to keep him from looking up.
“Come on, don’t pout. I doubt Ladybug likes a sore loser.” She heard Plagg sing-song from further away.
“Can you just go be annoying somewhere else?” Adrien’s hands moved slightly as he must’ve turned to look over his shoulder. “I’m sure there’s more camembert in the kitchen, I told them to buy more.”
“Why didn’t you say that earlier?” Plagg’s voice grew even fainter as she heard him add, “You know where to find me if an Akuma shows up!”
Adrien groaned and Marinette briefly saw the top of his head as he put his forehead in his hands. He stayed like that for a moment, an agonizingly long moment. Then he stepped back and the bluenette allowed herself to breathe once more. The window slid shut beneath her, but she still didn’t let herself move a muscle. The lights stayed on for a good ten more minutes, and Marinette’s arms were starting to ache. But she waited longer still once the lights were out before she felt like she could swing away.
Once she finally made it safely back home, she collapsed onto her bed and stared at the trapdoor in the ceiling. “Spots off.” She whispered, then asked, “Tikki?”
“Yes Marinette?” Came the soft voice of her kwami as she floated into view.
“…Did you know?”
Tikki sighed and sat on Marinette’s stomach. “I did. But you said you wanted to keep your secret identities a secret from one another. When you said you wanted to try vising Adrien’s house, I encouraged you because I wanted to build your confidence around him. I had no idea this would happen. I’m sorry you had to find out before you were ready.”
Marinette was silent for a while, then she looked down at Tikki. “So Adrien Agreste is really Cat Noir.”
“He is.”
“So…since Cat Noir is in love with Ladybug, that means Adrien is too.”
“It does.”
“But I’m Ladybug.”
Tikki giggled. “Yes you are.”
Another period of silence. “That means Adrien…is in love with…me.” Marientte felt herself blush and a small smile tugged at her lips. “Adrien is in love with me.”
“And by the sounds of it, he really has it bad for you.”
Blush darkening, Marinette thought back to the conversation she’d overheard. It did sound that way. It sounded like he even thought about her when he was alone with himself and he would…A shiver crept over her body and Tikki floated off her belly at the sensation. “Yeah…”
“Does that mean you’re not mad you found out his identity, then?”
Marinette chewed her lip. “I don’t know.” She said honestly. “I’m not sure if this will make it easier to be around Adrien and Cat Noir or not.”
Her kwami flew off to the plate of cookies Marinette had left by her computer. “Well you’ll find out at school tomorrow, I suppose.” She mused, picking up a cookie and taking a big bite.
“School!” Marinette sat straight up, eyes wide. “Oh no…H-How am I supposed to face him tomorrow?!”
Tikki tried not to laugh, crumbs lining on her mouth. “I’m sure you’ll do just fine.”
Panic now filling her brain, Marinette watched Tikki eat for a moment more before forcing herself to change into her PJs. ‘A whole day of school tomorrow…knowing that Adrien is…’ She shivered again as she went back to bed and laid down. She pulled the covers over herself and forced her eyelids shut.
It took a long time before she finally fell asleep.