Under The Mask 🎭 (a Miraculous Ladybug Fanfic)

-5- Realization

Cat Noir stares in shock as Marinette, who was just Ladybug, climbs down through her trapdoor to her bedroom. "Marinette is Ladybug? But that's... impossible." He starts to remember all the times he visited Marinette as his alter ego and when Ladybug met him as his civilian self. How could Marinette be Ladybug? But, if Adrien loves Ladybug, and Marinette is Ladybug, does that mean he's in love with Marinette? His thoughts were making his head hurt and he decides to go home. He needs time to think about this.

"Plagg, claws in." Adrien lowers his head. "Marinette is Ladybug."

"You don't sound so happy about it," Plagg says. "I can't believe you followed Ladybug home. Tikki will kill me if she finds out!"

"I was just so curious." Adrien falls back on his bed and stares at the ceiling. "I can't believe Ladybug is Marinette and Marinette is Ladybug."

Plagg floats over his head. "I was wondering when you'd finally figure it out."

"What?" Adrien sits up and glares at him. "Plagg, you knew?"

"Of course. I even know Ladybug's kwami." Plagg smiles. "Tikki..."

Adrien grabs Plagg and holds him in his hand. "This entire time, you knew Marinette was Ladybug and didn't tell me?"

"Hey, don't blame me! You knew I couldn't say anything."

He sighs. "Wait. Is that why you're always teasing me about Marinette?"

Plagg sighs. "Yes. You have no idea how hard it was to keep it a secret. I'm hungry. Do you have any cheese?" Adrien rolls his eyes and climbs off the bed to grab his kwami some cheese. "Thanks, Adrien!" Plagg finishes it in one bite.

Adrien sits at his desk and turns on his computer, scrolling through saved pictures of Ladybug. "The girl I'm in love with was right in front of me the entire time." He smiles and goes to a different photo album. A picture of Marinette laughing pops up.

"You creep," Plagg says over his shoulders. "First pictures of Ladybug, and now her?" He eats another piece of cheese.

He pushes Plagg away and smiles at the picture of Marinette. "What do I do now? Do I tell Ladybug, uh Marinette, that I know her identity?"

"NO!" Plagg grabs Adrien's face. "You can't let anyone know you know about Ladybug. It would put Marinette in danger! What if Hawk Moth found out who she really is?"

Sighing, Adrien frowns and looks back at the computer. "I meant what I said, Plagg. I would protect Ladybug and Marinette with my life."

"You can't tell Marinette you know. Got it?" After Adrien nods, Plagg flies and lays on his pillow. "I'm going to sleep now. Don't wake me up, unless you find some more cheese."

Rolling his eyes, Adrien scrolls through more pictures of Marinette. He grins at a picture Alya took of her, mid fall. He smiles at her clumsiness. Adrien can't believe he always chose Ladybug over her, even if they were the same person. Everything is clear to him now. Why Marinette is always so nervous around him. She loves him. That had to be why. His heart sank and he frowned. Ladybug didn't like Cat Noir, which meant Mariniette didn't like Cat Noir. If she found out Adrien was both, would she still like him? Both of him? He wants Marinette to love his alter ego, too, because then it would mean she loves everything about him. Good and bad.

"I can hear you drooling over Mariniette," Plagg mumbles. Adrien throws a dirty sock at him.

***

"Adrien..." Mariniette whispers to herself as she dreams about him. They're married, with three kids and a hamster named—

"MARINETTE!" Tikki shouts in her ear. "You're going to be late for school!"