Breaking Free

16) Faces

Marinette's POV
The rest of the day, Marinette couldn't get the idea out of her head. Every time she looked at Adrien she couldn't help but imagine a golden bell hanging from his neck, or leather cat ears sticking out over his blond locks.

Every joke he made, every time he used sarcasm, it felt familiar.

But who was she kidding, there was no way Adrien Agreste could be Chat Noir.

Unless he is...

The blunette continued to try and throw those thoughts out, the idea eating her alive. It wasn't rational. The chances of it were infinitesimal.

But there was still a chance. And Ladybug was all about chances, odds, and luck... right?
- • - • - • - • - • - • -
Chat Noir's POV
That night, Chat made his way through Mari's trapped door like usual.

Her mood had increasingly brightened since he had last seen her at school, but he was still planning on figuring out what had been bothering her.

"Good evening, Princess."

"Hey kitty!" She climbed up to the bed to sit next to him, running her fingers through his hair. Much to his dismay, he couldn't help but purr as she scratched behind his ears. The resemblance to a real cat was uncanny... or worse... to Plagg.

"Wow," she giggled, "you really can purr."

"What can I say? I'm a man of many talents."

"I bet." She rolled her eyes as she cuddled in closer, now practically sitting on his lap.

They spent the next couple of hours talking. Discussing school, hobbies, their families, and friends as much as they could without Chat spilling too much information.

"So," Mari began to ask. It was almost 11 now, and the moonlight shining from her window reflected in her midnight hair. She looked absolutely stunning. "Did you turn in the math homework today?"

"Of course," he replied without thinking. "It was due this morning, wasn't it-" he froze as he saw Marinette's jaw drop.

"I knew it." She muttered. "I knew it!"

Though Chat was confused to what exactly she knew, he mentally scolded himself for answering her question. It was so casual, and he didn't think twice before answering. Unfortunately, if she was paying any attention, the minor detail that he was in her class could be a pretty big clue towards his identity.

"I mean- umm..." his usual wittiness and quick retorts were failing him as he attempted to correct himself, trying to come up with some excuse.

"Not gonna work kitty," she leaned in against him, her lips smashing passionately into his.

She quickly pulled away, her mouth still close to his. He shuddered with each word she spoke, the faint brush of her lips on the corner of his mouth with every syllable she pronounced.

"Or should I say Adrien."

He froze. He didn't know what else to do. He couldn't respond, he couldn't make an excuse, he couldn't just run out the window.

So instead, he froze. Absolutely petrified.

"W-what?"

"This morning," she admitted, "your eyes gave you away. I was starting to notice all the similarities, but your eyes are what did it. Thanks for confirming my suspicions babe. And I'm still expecting a lot of answers."

"But I'm-"

"Save it pretty boy." Her original excitement was slowly fading into something else, anger or confusion, it seemed.

By now, the model had realized that fighting was futile, so instead he asked the single question he had been dreading to hear the answer to.

"Are you disappointed?"

Her expression quickly reconstructed to shock as the words flew out of her mouth.

"Disappointed? How could I be disappointed? The two boys that a part of me has always loved turned out to be one in the same. My best friend, my boyfriend, and my partner... this whole time... how did I not see it sooner? You are the most selfless, kind, confident, and brave boy I've ever met. How could that possibly disappoint me?!"

"Are you sure? I mean-" he cut his self criticism short as a single word she had used popped back into his mind. "Partner."

"What?"

"You said partner. Best friend, boyfriend, and partner..."

"W-well I meant like romantic 'partner', you know... like soulmates. That kind of-"

"Ladybug and Chat Noir are soulmates." The realization hit him like a brick in the head.

In fact, he probably would've figured it out sooner if he had been hit in the head.

"Plagg was telling the truth. Claws in." He muttered. He watched the look of awe on his girlfriend's face as he detransformed, still looking shocked despite knowing his identity.

"I finally found you, m'lady."