❤️|| Miraculous One-Shots ||❤️

Chat Noir Knows (Reveal)

Disclaimer: The characters are aged up in this story. In France, they are in upper secondary school (Lycée) and in their final year (Terminale).

It was a normal day at school - nothing out of the ordinary. But for Adrien, it was the day he had been waiting for for years.

At first, he didn't even realise what was happening. He had been looking at Marinette from across the courtyard. She was deep in thought, scribbling in her notebook. Adrien couldn't help wanting to know what creative ideas she was putting together - She really was amazing.

"Just like Ladybug..." He thought.

Wait.

Why had he suddenly thought of Ladybug? Come to think of it, he had often compared Marinette to Ladybug in the past. But why? He loved Ladybug, and Marinette was...just a friend.

He shook his head, shrugging the thought off. It was clear why he always compared Marinette to Ladybug and it wasn't because he loved her. It was just because she was kind, hard-working, smart, brave and pretty just like Ladybu- Oh.

Adrien sat up straighter, furrowing his eyebrows. Did he love Marinette? He looked over at her again, and for the first time, he noticed his heart had been pounding since he had sat down. Did this make him unfaithful to Ladybug? Granted, she didn't even know he existed and made it very clear she did not like Chat Noir in that way, but still... Was it possible to love two people at the same time?

The bell for the end of school rang, shaking him out of his daze. He walked with the other students to the locker room, eyes still on the back of Marinette's head. Her pigtails bounced with every step. She had worn her hair like that ever since he met her. It reminded him of someone else.

He stopped.

Other students brushed by him but he didn't move. He had realised something. Maybe he wasn't in love with two people...Maybe, the two people he loved were the same!

Adrien looked around, wildly, to see if someone else had come to the same conclusion. It couldn't be true, but he couldn't shake the feeling. He sped up, trying to catch up to Marinette before she left, but she had already turned the corner. He managed to catch one last glimpse of her, and his eyes landed on her earrings.

He stumbled backwards. How had he not noticed any of this before?

"P-Plagg?"

Plagg whizzed out and into view.

"Adrien, I was in there for ages. Pay up." He held out his tiny hand for some Camembert, but after noticing Adrien's face, he asked, "What is it?"

"Is Marinette Ladybug?" His voice was quiet and he looked up at Plagg with desperation.

"I...I'm not allowed to tell you that."

"Please, Plagg!" He pleaded.

Plagg gave a long sigh. "I really shouldn't be doing this...But, maybe if I change my choice of words and get a payment..."

Adrien nodded, vigorously. "As much cheese as you want!"

"Then...I'll just say your guess is...not wrong."

Covering his face with his hands, Adrien sat down against the wall and stayed there for a while.

Plagg floated there, awkwardly.

"You okay there, buddy? Maybe I shouldn't have told you..."

Adrien shook his head and mumbled something.

"What? What are you saying?" Plagg flew closer.

"I'm more than okay, Plagg!" He uncovered his face, laughing. "I-I can't believe it. After all these years..."

He sprung to his feet. "I have to go see her!"

"Woah, woah, woah...Slow down!" Plagg pulled on his shirt collar. "If you go and tell her, I'll be in big trouble! You aren't meant to know!"

"But...We know each other in real life. Can't you make an exception?"

"If she finds out by herself, then I guess it's alright. But, you can't tell her." He warned.

Adrien sighed. Plagg was right. For now, he would just have to stay quiet.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That was far easier said than done, he realised, as he stood beside her on their nightly patrol. He couldn't stop looking at her. How had he not seen it before? Marinette shone through her mask. Brave and courageous - Who else could it have been?

"Kitty?"

He was broken out of his daydream.

"Uh, yes?"

"Did you even hear a word I said?" She had her hands on her hips.

"I always listen to you, M'Lady." He bowed and then backtracked."Except for this one time - I was distracted."

Rolling her eyes, she repeated her new layout for their patrol.

"Sound good?" She finished.

"Perfect, Marinette."

Silence.

Chat Noir cleared his throat.

"I-I meant Ladybug...Obviously - Marinette, who?" He laughed, nervously.

Ladybug was staring at him. Great. This was great. Two minutes in and he had already blurted out the secret. He thought of just admitting everything right there and then, but something stopped him as he looked at Ladybug in front of him. She didn't love him now. What would change if she found out his identity? It would just ruin everything.

"The poster." He said, quietly.

Looking confused, Ladybug turned around to look. There was a poster on the building behind them, showcasing Marinette's latest fashion design.

"I saw it and the names got confused in my head." He gave a pained smile. "Sorry."

Ladybug breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's good - N-not because I don't like Marinette, s-she's great...I was just confused." She rambled.

He gave a small smile and they finished up their patrol. Swinging back to his home, he transformed back into Adrien. Plagg flew out.

"You nearly blew it! Quick-thinking, though. Now - Where's my cheese?" He said, eagerly, flying around the room.

Adrien sat down and pointed to the cupboard filled with Camembert. Plagg flew away, gleefully, leaving Adrien alone to stare out the window.

"It's not meant to be." He sighed, leaning back on the couch.

"Maybe someday."