The Ace-ing on the Cake : A Mlb Fanfic

Chapter 14 : Valetines Day

As the sun fully crested the horizon, Ladybug lifted her head from Chat's shoulder. "We should go," she said regretfully. "My alarm will be going off soon. Maman always pokes her head into my bedroom ten minutes after to make sure I'm up for Alya."

"Right. I should go too," Chat said. Yet he found that he didn't want to. The night had flown by, to the point where he couldn't believe it was Tuesday morning already. He and Ladybug had spent the whole night talking. No question went unanswered. Chat had even talked about what it was like when his mother first disappeared, and he never spoke about that with anyone.

They had talked about everything... except the obvious.

Now, Ladybug stood and stretched. She rotated her shoulders to ease the stiffness, then turned to him and offered her hand. Chat took it and allowed her to pull him up, realizing that he was pretty stiff too. Miraculous or not, human bodies weren't really designed to sit in one position for hours on end. It felt good to stretch, and besides he knew any lingering stiffness would be worked out during the run home.

"I'll see you soon?" Ladybug asked, biting her lip.

Chat nodded. "I'm at school all day today."

"Good." She smiled then as she reached for her yoyo. "How about this, I'll bring some pastries for breakfast and you bring coffee?"

"Deal," Chat said instantly. He was pretty sure he could talk his bodyguard into stopping at a high-end café that made awesome coffee. This was what, his third night without any sleep? And he was pretty sure the same went for Ladybug. Both of them were going to need caffeine to make it through the day.

"Okay." She started to pull her arm back. Chat's hand flashed out and he grabbed her wrist to stop her. They stared at each other for a moment, and then Ladybug's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"I still love you," Chat blurted out, because he needed her to know that. "I meant what I said earlier. I always will. I don't know if – well, I don't know what you want... if this changes anything... but it doesn't for me."

For a moment, she just looked shocked. Then a pink blush crept into her cheeks. "I... um, could you detransform?"

Taken aback, Chat nodded. "Uh, sure? Plagg, claws in."

"You better give me the good quality Camembert for this!" Plagg cried the instant he was out of the ring. "This is kwami abuse!"

"Tikki, spots off," Ladybug said, rolling her eyes.

"Plagg, stop being so dramatic," Tikki scolded. "Hi Adrien!"

"Hi Tikki," Adrien said, a little flustered. By now, he knew for sure that Ladybug and Marinette were one and the same. But seeing it happen right in front of him, that quick flash of light changing red and black spots to red cotton and denim, still left him breathless.

"Hey Pigtails," Plagg said grumply.

"Hi Plagg," Marinette said. "Could you guys give us a minute?"

"Sure!" Tikki chirped, literally grabbing Plagg and dragging them away. Adrien was pretty sure he heard a ferocious argument breaking out as the two kwamis went.

"Adrien?"

"Yes?" He turned his attention back to Marinette, shivering a little; even for mid-February, it was colder than he had expected. But if Marinette noticed the chill, she didn't let on: she stood with her hands clasped behind her back, color still high in her cheeks, but a determined expression on her face.

"I have a crush on you," she blurted out. "No, wait. Actually, I'm in love with you. I have been for a long time now, but I could never work up the courage to say anything. So I'm saying it now. I love you."