Dear Bugaboo

The Reveal

So so so so so so so so sorry! I was busy yesterday and tried to get the chapter done but, by the end of the day, I fell asleep without completing it! But, I did finish it and that's what matters!

I hope you all enjoy!

Now, are y'all ready? :)

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   Out of the many reactions Adrien imagined Ladybug to compose, whether it is shock, excitement, or stunned, it was all expected.

   Yet, there was one outcome that was...unexpected.

   His shaky fingers latched onto either side of the black coverage. He didn't dare close his eyes to see Ladybug's reaction to his true identity. He didn't want to miss a single second. Yet, he is also terrified all the same.

He dreaded and hoped for her reaction to be a good one but not over the top. Adrien wanted Ladybug to treat him like any other person—like the friend he's grown to know through their letters. He prayed the bluenette wouldn't judge him for his reputation (or his father's), thinking he's another snobby rich kid.

This one moment will decide all of that if she is a genuine friend, someone that hates his guts, or just another fangirl. If the scale is at hundred and divided among the three choices, a genuine friend would be sitting at ten. With his luck, the odds are stacked against him. While the chances of success are lower than dirt, the running risk of failure skyrocketed.

   He is going to go out on a limb with that ten for the reward.

   Adrien removed the mask from his head, having a hard time keeping his gaze locked onto Ladybug's face. Adrien needs to decipher what type of emotions are swimming inside those light blue eyes. Yet, it is hard to tell when Ladybug kept a straight face and is scanning his face, trying to figure out something.

   "Wait..." Ladybug said before gasping in realization, "I know who you are!"

   Adrien flinched, feeling his very soul compacted into a ball and fall into the pits of his stomach, making his body sage in despair—disappointment. His hope dispersed into thin air.

"She's just another fangirl," he thought, about to place his other mask on his face—his facade—and smile like nothing is wrong. Like he isn't humanly hurt but happy to play someone else's role.

"You're the boy from the costume store."

Suddenly, the blonde's gut-wrenching sadness swiftly changed into mind-boggling surprise. His eyes widened and nearly gaped in disbelief. The blonde is having a hard time comprehending the words Ladybug spoke.

"She...she doesn't recognize me...or maybe...she doesn't even know me at all!" Adrien spoke inside his head. Adrien was expecting many dumps with the way his thought's directions turned to. Yet, he is pleasantly gifted with a smooth layout.

Whatever the situation of the matter is, he's just so glad that it happened.

"You're the one that paid the dollar for my mask," Ladybug explained, thinking Chat didn't understand. In actuality, he is merely blown away by how things are going. Yet, the blonde is able to snap out of his shocked stupor to tilt his head in confusion.

The bluenette took off her red mask, revealing the girl's true identity. Adrien tried to recall the memory before taking a moment to analyze her features. Then, it clicked. He did remember seeing her at that Miraculous Costumes store, unable to pay for the very mask within her grasp.