Merlin wasn't totally sure what to believe anymore.
It made sense, the more he thought about it. But part of him didn't want to believe it. Chat Noir was, in his opinion, kind of a bastard. He was over the top, flirtatious and often a bit inconsiderate, he thought.
Or at least, that had been true.
But then there was Chat this last month. He was kind, caring, sweet, compassionate. Accepting unconditionally and unwilling to give up on Merlin. He wasn't sure if Chat was pitying him or if he had always been like this and Merlin had never noticed.
But the glaring similarities between his partner and his crush were becoming quite the lengthy list.
Merlin wanted to think they were brothers or cousins, after all, they weren't exactly alike - Chat had more hair and his personality was... louder than Adrien's. But maybe, just maybe, Adrien was able to be more himself in costume, just like Merlin.
It made sense.
Too much sense.
Merlin didn't want to believe it before but with Chat's new persona, maybe that wouldn't' be such a bad thing. After all, Chat loved him, right?
Oh no.
He had kissed Chat. And if Chat was Adrien...... He had kissed his crush and didn't even know it.
Shit.
Merlin turned back to his whiteboard, adding a small note about the kiss in the corner. His venn diagram was getting impressive. Adrien was compassionate, sweet, understanding, knowing, and smart. He was around 5 foot 9, if Merlin had to guess, the same as Chat Noir. He was blonde, with green eyes and he was bisexual high schooler.
And so was Chat.
Merlin couldn't be 100% sure. After all, without Chat or Adrien explicitly telling him, he couldn't read minds. The fact of it was, he wasn't certain.
But he was pretty sure. Adrien and Chat could be twins. Or they could be the same person. Now the question was how to figure out which it was. He erased his board with his sleeve and flopped backwards onto the bed.
Only to see a concerned Tikki gazing into his eyes from where she had been catapulted off the pillow. "Are you sure you should be figuring this out, Merlin?"
Tikki had a point. Merlin had always been the one most against the idea of identity reveals. But Bunnix knew who he was and nothing bad had come of that. Maybe that was because everyone was more responsible in the future. But if they were capable of keeping the secret safe then maybe it was possible now.
"I don't know. It matters to me." That was really the best he could say. For a long time, he hadn't cared who Chat was. Chat had only been a friend, albeit a friend he would have fallen for if Adrien wasn't in his life.
Sure, Chat probably cared who he was, which was why he had tried to force the issue of a reveal so many times. But it hadn't mattered to Merlin. After all, before now, Chat was Chat and Adrien was Adrien.
One was his close friend and partner and the other was the love of his life.
But now ... now a part of him desperately needed them to be the same person.
He sighed, rolling away from Tikki's curious gaze and flopping his arm over his eyes. His head was practically swimming with doubt, with hope, with something that might have been fear.
What could possibly happen if his identity was revealed?
Bunnix could keep the secret. Why couldn't he, really? Why had he forced the secrecy so long?
