Composure (A Miraculous Ladybug Fanfiction)

🕓 Can't Let Her Know 🕓

Clack.

Alya's phone dropped into the gravel. Her hand shot up to cover her mouth, and she directed a finger at Marinette, hazel irises fully on display. "M-" she blurted out. "M-M-"

Alya squealed before she broke out in a fit of laughter.

"My best friend is a superhero! No, better yet, she's Ladybug!"

Relief flooded Marinette's veins. She isn't angry?

She bent down and swooped her phone off of the ground before directing the camera at the blue-haired teen standing merely feet in front of her. "Hey, bugheads, take a look at this; at this girl right here, this amazing, clumsy best-friend of mine, Marinette Dupain-Cheng---the one and only Ladybug." Her bff glowed with a smile that spread from one ear to the other, and Alya gasped aloud.

"So it was your history textbook that she dropped! You're the girl behind the mask. It was you all along, wasn't it?" She clicked her tongue, shaking her head. An eyebrow rose, paired with a mischievous smirk. "Kinda disappointing, if you ask me."

"Hey!" Marinette exclaimed in feigned exasperation.

"Hahahah, I'm only kidding, ya know." A contented sigh slipped from her lips before she grinned in triumph. She switched the camera view back to herself. "So, peeps, there you have it—our miraculous spotted heroine has finally been unmasked."

Adrien gaped at the screen, and a dumbfounded expression glazed over his face. Marinette? She—

"Remember the pharaoh? Face change. And Camembert. Never forget Camembert. But seriously—really time you had one of those face changes right now," Plagg said.

"And I believe it's really time you had one of those cheese triangles stuffed in your pie hole so you could shut up." The blonde teen rummaged through his school bag, located a chunk of the stenchy stuff with his fingers, and shoved it in the kwamis mouth. He retched as it passed by his nose. "Are you happy now?"

The minute cat gulped down the much-welcomed gag and replied with a very unwelcomed, "Yes."

Adrien deadpanned.

"So, how does it feel to finally know the identity of your lady?" Plagg teased.

"You seem to be enjoying this a lot." He glared at his tormentor.

"Oh, I am. Ooh! Here's an interesting plan--why don't you go confess?"

"Plagg! Stop plaguing me with your awful---" He stopped, interrupting himself. "Wait... Huh. That actually doesn't sound like a bad idea," the blonde said as he pondered the suggestion. He tapped his chin, gazing up at the ceiling with interchanging expressions. "But what about protecting our identities?"

"I think that was thrown out the window when she revealed herself."

"I hate you, you know that?"

"I hate you too. You know I'm right. So, confession? How about it? I can always fly over there and tell her myself if you don't want to."

"Ugh, but--"

"No buts. It's as simple as eating Camembert. You just walk up and eat her hair," Plagg said seriously.

"Uh, I think I'll just stick with telling her I'm Chat Noir."

"Yes!" Plag twirled and snapped his tail.

Adrien's shoulders slumped in an irritated huff. "If looks could kill, you'd be so dead right now."

"But I'm not!" Plagg exclaimed, voice filled to the brim with mockery and delight. "Now let's get moving—I have a show to watch."