Okay I’ve sucked at the fluff week stuff. I’ve been writing for all my other fanfics, so it’s not like I haven’t been writing. But today is REVEAL day!! So I gotta do another take on a fluffy reveal!!
Fluff Week Reveal Day #7
Adrien knew they had to wait till Hawkmoth was defeated. He knew if they revealed their identities, it could put them at a great risk of Hawkmoth using their love against them. He knew all of this. But it didn’t stop his heart from longing to know.
Who was she?
Why did she affect him so?
Why couldn’t he let go??
He could have easily been with Kagami. She was willing, and he tried to give their love a chance, but his heart wouldn’t let go of his Lady. Why did he have to love someone who was in love with someone else?
Adrien packed up his bags from fencing class and waved good bye to Kagami. At least they were still friends.
He walked outside to see it was raining. There was a big umbrella with two people underneath it. He realized it was Marinette and Luka. His heart pounded as she reached up on her tippy toes to kiss Luka on the cheek.
But it didn’t look like a happy kiss. It looked like a farewell kiss. Luka looked a little dejected, but he nodded as he listened to Marinette’s words. The guy was the epitome of understanding. Adrien wished he could be like that. Luka waved good bye to her and started walking off in the rain. Marinette called after him to see if he wanted the umbrella, but he shook his head no and blew a good bye kiss to her.
Marinette looked as if she would cry. Adrien ran up to her, concerned. “Marinette! Are you okay??”
She looked startled at first and wiped a tear away. “Oh, Adrien! Did.. did you finish your fencing class?”
“Yes, but never mind me, what happened? You look awful!”
“Um,” she looked a little dazed.
Adrien waved his hands, “Wait, I mean you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to!”
She sighed. “No, it’s okay. It’s just, I told Luka we just won’t work out. I... my heart belongs to someone else.”
Marinette looked off in the distance, avoiding his eyes.
“Someone else?” He asked dumbly. Wait, so the guy she was in love with wasn’t Luka??
She laughed nervously. “Yeah, but uh, he only sees me as a friend. Nothing more. But I can’t help... loving him.”
His heart pounded in his chest for some reason. Wait, did he wish that person was him??? No way!! He was just thinking about Ladybug! What kind of guy would think of another girl at a time like this?? His heart felt like a battle ground.
“I’m sorry about that, Marinette. If it makes you feel any better, the girl I love looks at me the same way...”
She looked surprised. “She only sees you as friend??! The Adrien Agreste??? Heartthrob of Paris??”
Adrien laughed. “Well, to be fair, she doesn’t actually know who I am. To her, I’m just a normal guy.”
Her eyebrow quirked up. “Is this like an Internet relationship or something?”
Uh oh. Back peddle, Agreste. Back peddle. “Uh, yeah, I guess you could say it’s something like that.”
“Why don’t you just tell her who you are then? I’m sure if she knew, she might just fall for you.”
She saw the look on his face and it dawned on her. “Oh. She’s in love with someone else, huh?”
He nodded, feeling a stone pit in his stomach. “Yeah, so I guess I have it worse than you. She can’t love me because her heart belongs to someone else.”
She wrapped her arms around him awkwardly as she held her giant umbrella. “No, I get it. The boy I love also loves someone else.”
He laughed at the absurdity of the pair of them. She leaned back looking at him questioning. “Sorry, I was just thinking what a pair we make. A bunch of heartbroken people on the day before Valentines Day.”
She laughed through her tears. “Yes, that’s true. I’m glad I have you, Adrien. You’re amazing and I...”
“You what?”
“Um, I have to go. This umbrella is getting heavy. I should probably go get the umbrella you lent me that first day of school.”
He remembered that day. It was a lot like this day. It was a fond memory. She had been so dorky.
“You’re laughing at me aren’t you?”
He startled himself when he realized he’d been laughing out loud. “Haha, sorry. I was remembering when that umbrella collapsed on you. Typical Marinette. But it will always be a good memory to me.”
She giggled as she looked at him. But they both stopped laughing and gazed at each other. What the heck was happening???
“I, uh, gotta split! Got homework to do! Bye, Marinette!!”
He started running full speed towards his house. Plagg was snickering in his jacket. “Hush, Plagg. It’s not what you think.”
“Uh huh. I’m sure you feel absolutely nothing for that bakery girl, do you?”
Adrien could feel his face heating up. “Shut up. She’s not Ladybug. I only love Ladybug.”
“Sure. And I’m the kwami of creation. Come on. I know you. You feel something for her. Your heart rate always picks up around her. You’re just denying it because you love Ladybug.”
“I don’t want to hear this from you, Plagg. Ladybug and I were meant to be. As much as I like Marinette, my heart will always belong to Ladybug.”
“Well, I mean, technically you love both of them. And what does that tell you?”
“That I’m stupid and I feel like I’m cheating on M’Lady. Even if we’re not in a relationship.”
Plagg face palmed with his little paw and sighed dramatically. “You’re not listening, kid. I’m telling you to really think about this... who is Marinette? Really?”
Adrien stopped in an alley before getting to his house. “Look, I need time to clear my head.”
“Adrien, don’t you dare...”
“Plagg, claws out!!”
**************
Marinette sighed as she stared off into space on top of her balcony. Tikki floated nearby looking worried.
“I just... can’t let Adrien go, Tikki. He drives me crazy and my heart is all messed up! Even as I said good bye to Luka, he was all I could think about.”
“And having him come up to you right after breaking it off with Luka didn’t help...” Tikki sighed.
“Am I just crazy, or did we have a connection just then?”
Tikki looked thoughtful. “I mean, he looks like he really does care for you. But does that translate to romantic love? I’m not too sure.”
Marinette looked off from beneath her umbrella to the bleak Parisian skyline. “Wait, is that Cat Noir?”
Tikki looked and nodded. “Indeed. And it’s not patrol time yet. He must need a distraction.”
“Why do you say that, Tikki?”
“Just something I’ve noticed about both of you. If you’re feeling down or need to think, both of you transform and jump along the rooftops. It’s quite endearing.”
Marinette sighed. “Cat Noir is an interesting case. I get the feeling he’s lonely a lot.”
Tikki nodded sagely. “That’s probably true. You should go say hi. He may need a friend.”
Marinette felt her heart squeeze. She cared a lot about him. He had saved her life so many times, and even though he was a jokester, they made a good team. Why couldn’t she love him? Why did she have to love someone who didn’t love her back?
“Okay, I’ll go talk to him. Tikki, spots on!”
Before she left, she saw the black umbrella still out. It was the one Adrien had lent her. She didn’t feel like letting the rain drench her, so she picked it up. The chances of anyone recognizing it was slim to none. It was just a regular black umbrella after all.
She felt a little like Mary Poppins, and she had to be careful not to break it while she went swinging from building to building. She found Cat Noir sitting with his back to her, getting drenched. He looked so thoughtful, it surprised her.
Marinette snuck up behind him and placed the umbrella over his head, waiting for him to realize he wasn’t being rained on anymore.
“That’s weird...” he looked up to see the umbrella and whirled around to face her. “M’Lady? What are you doing here? It’s not patrol time.”
She smiled. “I saw you jumping around and thought I’d come check on you.”
He placed his hand on his heart. “Oh, M’Lady, you honor this black cat.”
She giggled. “Here, take this. You can do the honor of holding it since you’re such a gentleman.”
Their gloved hands touched briefly and an electric current went up her arm. What the heck??
Cat Noir looked at her and looked surprised himself. “You CHARGE me up you know.”
She groaned. “WATS do you mean by that??”
Cat Noir grinned. “I will win you over yet with my ELECTRIC jokes. See I’ve already got you using puns too.”
“I doubt that.”
He looked at the small umbrella and realized how close they were. It made his heart thump madly in his chest. “I totally thought you’d own a cuter umbrella than this? You seem like you’d be one for style.”
“Oh, it’s not mine actually. A friend lent it to me his first day of school. I actually need to give it back, but I’m having a hard time letting it go...”
“Why is that? Who’s this he?”
She looked suddenly bashful. “Well, I guess it can’t hurt. You see, there was a total misunderstanding between this guy and I the first time we met. At the end of school, he explained what happened, and since it was raining, he lent me his umbrella.”
When she met his eyes, she was surprised to see him looking really confused. He looked down at the handle then. Crap, Adrien’s initials were on it. Why hadn’t she thought of that??
He looked back up at her in shock.
“What, what’s wrong?”
“Um, I uhhhhhh.”
She’d never seen him speechless before! “Cat, what’s wrong?”
He started laughing then. Like really laughing. “I’m.. such an idiot. Of course, of course you would be her!”
“Her? Wait, wait, you know who I am?? Cat, this is bad!! We can’t know each other’s identities!!”
She started pacing.
“But how can you be so sure?? And how do you.. wait, the umbrella.. No....”
She looked at him as it finally dawned on her. The only one who was there when she received the umbrella was Adrien. “Adrien.”
He nodded and smiled at her. “Hello, Marinette.”
Oh no. Oh no no no. The boy she loved was the boy who was also her dorky partner! And yet, all the pieces fell together in her mind. She started laughing as well. What was wrong with her??
She took a deep breath and looked him in the face. Yeah, no good. She was totally and completely in love with this dork. “Adrien, I...”
He took her hands and kissed one of them. “I should have figured I would fall in love with the same girl twice.”
“Fall in... love?” She squeaked.
He laugh a little self deprecatingly. “Yeah, I mean, I suppose this is as good of time as any. I was falling in love with my best friend. I didn’t want to admit it to myself. I suppose I always knew in my heart who you were, but just couldn’t make the connection in my head. I called you our Ever Day Ladybug for Pete’s sake! Come on, Agreste. I really am a lost cause.”
Marinette wanted to say something. Anything.
“I know you’re in love with someone else. I just had to tell you now, before I lost my nerve.”
She was crying! He looked concerned as he watched her.
“I’m sorry. I’m probably ruining our friendship now. I just couldn’t ignore my feelings anymore. And knowing the most amazing superhero of Paris is also the amazing superhero of my school. I guess you can say I don’t stand a fighting chance.”
That was it!! She took his head in her hands and kissed him deeply. He started to protest but then slowly put his hands around her waist and pulled her closer.
She finally pulled back but remained in his arms.
“Um, well, that wasn’t what I expected.” He mumbled a little incoherently.
“It’s you, stupid.”
He blinked uncomprehendingly for a second. Then realization dawned on him. “Oh. OH.”
“Yes, Adrien Agreste, it’s you. I’ve been in love with you. I could never find the right words, and then, when you told me there was a girl you were in love with the day at the Wax Museum, I was crushed. I didn’t realize the girl you were in love with was me... and before I knew it, I was falling for my best friend and partner.”
He looked stunned and in awe. “I can’t believe it. I’m the luckiest guy in the whole world.”
She blushed deeply. “It’s like a fairy tale.”
“Can I kiss you again?”
Her heart beat wildly on his chest as she stood in his arms. She nodded and pushed up on her tippy toes to meet his lips.
“That will never get old.” He sighed as they came apart.
“Tikki, spots off.”
A bright light blinded him for a second till Marinette appeared in front of him. “Well, this is me.”
He grinned. “Plagg, claws in.”
Her heart hammered as the boy of her dreams dropped his mask. “It really is you.”
He winked at her. “In the flesh.”
Her heart sank then. “But what about Hawkmoth? What if he finds out? What if our love destroys the world again??”
He looked confused. “Again?”
“Ah, that’s right. Although, knowing who you are, it all makes sense now. You see, one day, Bunnix came to me after I dropped that beret off at your house. Originally it had been signed “from Marinette” when I left it on your bed.”
“The beret was from you??”
She nodded a little embarrassed. “Yes, but I made a terrible blunder that day, and you must have discovered my secret. I don’t know the details of the other timeline, but eventually Hawkmoth found out and used our love against us. He akumatized you and in rebellion, your power destroyed the planet and the moon.”
His eyes looked alarmed.
“But don’t worry! I saved you! And fixed the timeline. But that also meant you never knew who I was.”
Adrien looked thoughtful. “If I had found out, I probably would have tried to keep it a secret. Perhaps something happened and maybe Hawkmoth hurt you. But don’t worry, Marinette, I won’t let that happen this time. Besides, Bunnix hasn’t appeared yet, has she?”
She nodded, some hope coming to her eyes.
“Perhaps now is when we were supposed to find out.” He took her hands in his. “And now we can be stronger than ever. We will defeat Hawkmoth. We have no secrets between us anymore. Love conquers hate after all.”
She smiled at him through her happy tears. “I love you, Adrien Agreste.”
“I love you too, Marinette Dupain-Chang.”
He gently tipped her face up and kissed her again oh so sweetly.
Whatever came next, they would fight together. They were a true team in both forms now.
“Bout time.” Plagg interjected floating up between them.
“Plagg! Give them some privacy!!” Tikki chided him coming up next to him.
Adrien grabbed Plagg. “You little weasel, you knew all along didn’t you??”
“Hey, I was just trying to help.”
“Adrien, it’s okay. We had to wait for the right time anyway.” Marinette laughed as Adrien let him go.
“Marinette is right.” Tikki agreed.
“Good to see you again, Tikki!” Adrien exclaimed patting her little red head.
“You too, Adrien. It’s about time. Marinette was going crazy over you!”
“Tikki!!” Marinette exclaimed feeling mortified.
Adrien blushed as he looked at her. “Well, Plagg can tell you I was going crazy over he as well.”
Marinette was so thankful for him. So thankful to have a man who loved her just as much as she loved him.
“Since Valentine’s Day is tomorrow, you should probably know Marinette is the one who replied to your poem a few years ago.” Plagg causally interjected.
“Wait, seriously?? I had wondered if it was you after I saw the handwriting, but I was convinced you loved Luka...”
She nodded, feeling super self conscious.
He picked her up and swung her around. “I love you, Marinette!!”
She felt like she was flying! She looked down at Adrien who was laughing so joyfully. This was right. They were right. And her heart couldn’t take it so she just laughed with him.
He finally put her down and burrowed his face in her neck. “Adrien!”
“Let me just stay here for a second.”
She stopped protesting and ruffled his hair lovingly.
“Okay,” he said eventually backing off, “I’m good now. Though I may need a recharge soon.”
“I will gladly give it.” She giggled.
He sighed as he looked at her. “You’re amazing, Marinette.”
“And you’re the cat’s meow.” She said winking at him.
“Okay, that deserves a kiss.”
He kissed her again, loving that she was in his arms.
“Ugh, are we going to have to deal with this from now on???” Plagg protested.
“Come on, Plagg. Leave them alone.” Tikki demanded dragging him off.
Adrien looked at her. “Aw man, you’re soaking wet!”
“To be honest, I didn’t even notice the rain.”
He placed his hand on her cheek. “Yeah, me neither. But come on, we should probably get you dried off before you catch a cold.”
She nodded. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Want to come over to my place?”
He nodded enthusiastically.
“Okay, let me go get the umbrella.”
There was no way she was ever getting rid of that umbrella!!
