A/N: Hey everyone! I'm so so sorry it's taken so long to get the second half of this out. I got really stuck with the actual reveal, but today the dam broke and everything came pouring out. So... hope it was worth the wait.

The park was quiet for a weekend, especially one during Summer. It was to her benefit though: she couldn't exactly walk from her house to the park in a ballgown. Even so, Marinette found herself constantly checking to make sure no one was around that she knew before she ducked behind a small copse of trees to transform.

"Marinette, it's going to be all right. Try to calm down before Chat gets here," Tikki instructed. "You don't have to do this tonight if you don't think you're ready, okay?"

"No, it needs to be tonight," Marinette argued, though she tried to take deep breaths. "If I keep waiting, we may grow so far apart that even my confiding in him won't help."

Tikki smiled. "I'm proud of you. I was hoping you would tell him soon, after all, who else can really understand what you go through every day?"

Marinette hesitated, feeling uncertainty well up inside her. "I know that, but what if… what if he's disappointed? I mean, I'm just me."

"And you are more than enough. I promise."

Honestly, what did she have to lose? It wasn't like they could become much more distant with each other than they already were. She took a deep breath and gave Tikki a little nod. "It's time. Tikki… spots on!"

The familiar feeling of her transformation washed over her, but it wasn't quite the same. Instead of encasing her entire body, she felt it floating along her hips, squeezing around her torso, and crawling up on shoulder. Having only tried out the dress transformation once before, she couldn't help but run her fingers along the delicate satin material, the beading along her bodice. It was still so unreal to think she had designed this herself.

"My Lady?"

She stood up quickly from her hiding place, Chat's voice carrying to her across the empty park. It took a moment to locate him in the dimming light of the evening, but once she did, she was completely awestruck. He was standing a few feet from her, dressed from head to toe in black as was his usual style, but this time it was more refined. The tuxedo hugged his frame, accentuating his shoulders and chest. The black dress shirt and tie beneath it just added to the overall effect. At least, it affected her. It took almost a full minute for her to catch her breath.

"No tail tonight?" she asked with forced casualness, stepping around the bushes and making her way to his side.

A shy smile crossed her lips as she took in his reaction to her outfit. He was used to seeing her in something utilitarian, a dull, boring superhero suit. Tonight she was feminine, pretty… and she was getting a hell of a response.

His pupils dilated, his breathing quickened, and he reached out a hand toward her involuntarily. She was relieved that all the time spent designing the dress had been worth it.

"I… uh…" he choked out, "coat-tails. No need for another."

It was almost coherent, but she figured she got the picture.

"So," she said lightly, sliding her hand into the crook of his arm, "how long do you think this thing is going to last? I promised my parents I'd be back by ten."

They started walking across the park at a leisurely pace, as though they had all the time in the world to be together. Ladybug certainly wasn't interested in rushing their evening. She still wasn't sure how she was going to find the right moment to reveal herself. Hopefully luck would be on her side and an opportunity would present itself. If not… she may have to drag him up onto the roof of her home and do it there. But that was plan B.

"I really have no idea, but we are the guests of honor tonight. I think if we need to sneak out early, no one can blame us," he teased, tossing a wink her way. She smiled in return. It was good to have him back to his old self, even if only for a little while.

Silence fell between them again, hovering in the air like a presence in an of itself. Conversations between them always seemed to be stilted lately, but it could be ignored when they were busy chasing down an akumatized victim. It was a little different when they were going to be at each other's side the whole night, dancing and making small talk. The silence was actually more painful than she had imagined, which was why she jumped on the first topic of conversation she could think of.

"So… tell me about this girlfriend of yours. What's she like?" she blurted out. When the words reached her ears, she winced. It wasn't exactly the best topic of conversation for them, but she couldn't take the words back now.

His muscles tightened under her hand, and then he placed his own on hers, threading his gloved fingers through hers. It was most likely unconscious on his part, but she got the message loud and clear: he preferred her.

"She's actually really wonderful," he said, his voice soft and filled with a note of regret. "I like her quite a bit, could probably love her if it wasn't for the fact that I met you first."

Her heart thudded painfully in her chest. For the first time since she had devised her plan, she wasn't sure if it was going to work… if it was going to be enough.

"The thing is, I enjoy being with her. She makes me smile, makes me laugh. She makes me feel special and wanted," he continued, as though he hadn't just essentially told her that he loved her. "She's a good person, especially when she pretends to let me win at video games." The smile that crossed his lips was one she had never seen on him before. It was gentle, affectionate, genuine. He had never smiled at her that way, and that stab of jealousy that pierced her was both painful and surprising.

"It sounds like she means a lot to you," she said glumly. "She must be something really special."

"She is." He sounded surprised, as though he had never really thought about it before. "What about the guy you're seeing? What's he like?"

Ladybug was taken aback, she hadn't been expecting him to ask about Adrien, though in hindsight it was a logical progression of the conversation. "He's… perfect," she admitted, a hint of a smile on her lips.

"No one's perfect," Chat argued, "there must be something wrong with him."

"I…" she hesitated, unsure of exactly how to put her thoughts into words, "I think he needs me. It's nice to be needed."

"But all of Paris needs you. You're Ladybug," he pointed out. His voice held notes of both surprise and censure. "You don't get enough of that on the job?"

"It's different," she said with a shrug. Her feelings for Adrien, and his feelings for her, were complicated. She wasn't sure it was possible to explain his home life to Chat, or if it was even her place. Thankfully she didn't have to elaborate, because they reached the entrance to City Hall. Within moments they were swarmed by adoring fans, and she lost sight of him in the crowd.

The evening sped by in a flash. She shook hands, took pictures, danced with numerous men that she didn't know… and she hadn't seen Chat for more than a minute at a time since they had arrived.

It was late in the evening, probably too close to her curfew for comfort, when she finally managed to get a moment alone. She stepped out of the ballroom and into the cool evening air. It felt heavenly against her overheated skin, but even better was the silence that greeted her. She needed the quiet to help her gather her thoughts.

She laid her arms on the balcony and looked out over the lights of the city she loved so much. As she took in the sights and sounds, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Someone was approaching her and without turning around she knew who it was.

"Hey, Chat. Care to join me?" she asked, not tearing her eyes away from the view.

Footsteps crossed the balcony toward her and then he settled in at her side, letting his arm brush against hers.

"You know, this has been a terrible date," he said.

She turned to look at him, her gaze moving across the face she knew as well as her own. "Oh? And why is that? You don't like being the center of attention?" she asked.

"I only want the attention of one person here," he teased, bumping her arm with his elbow, "and she disappeared on me."

He may have been teasing her, but she knew he meant what he had said. He had been saying it for so long that she had grown deaf to it, only to realize he truly meant it. If ever there was a time for her to reveal herself, it was now. Maybe if he knew who she truly was he would back off. Maybe Marinette wouldn't hold his interest, and he would be satisfied just being partners. Her heart clenched painfully at the thought, and for the second time that evening she ached at the thought that she could lose him to someone else.

She opened her mouth to speak, to tell him that she needed to talk to him somewhere a bit more private than this balcony, but he turned toward her and held out his hand, effectively silencing her. "Would you care to dance, my lady?"

She hesitated a moment, knowing that if she blew this chance she might not have another tonight, but then she shrugged. It was a ball after all, and she had yet to dance with her "date." "I'd love to," she told him, and grasped his hand in her own.

The moment their hands touched, he spun her into his arms, letting his free hand linger on the small of her back and pulling her close against his chest. The motion was so smooth, so practiced, that her first thought was to wonder how often he danced like this with his new girlfriend. Her second thought was that his his hand, his chest, it was all so much warmer than she was. It was the only explanation for that same warmth stealing into her cheeks.

The music from the ballroom was barely a whisper out on their balcony, but with Chat leading their movements they didn't need much more. His steps were smooth and graceful, as if he had done this hundreds of times before. He was a natural, which made up for the fact that dancing wasn't exactly her strong suit. With him leading, she didn't misstep even once. It was a miracle.

"You seem distracted," he whispered in her ear. His breath tickled her neck and a shiver ran through her.

She tried to laugh, but it sounded hollow to her ears. How was it that he knew her so well? He could always tell when she was upset, when something was bothering her. How could he know her so well… and yet not figure out who she was underneath the mask? He had spent time with her as Marinette a few times, but never had she seen recognition light his eyes. He knew her and yet he didn't, but wasn't that what this was all about? Showing him both sides of herself?

She took a deep breath and looked into his eyes. They were filled with so much concern that her words tumbled over themselves in her nervous state. "I… I need to talk to you, and it's important. Do you think we could find somewhere more private?"

Her favorite cheeky grin appeared on his lips. "As you wish, my lady," he said and pulled his staff from his pocket. He slammed it into the ground, secured his arm around her waist, and they were on their way up to the roof before she could blink.

It only took a moment for their feet to land on one of the small, flat areas of the roof, but when he let her go she stumbled. She couldn't count the number of times she had been airborne, either using his staff or her yo-yo, but somehow this was different. The entire night had her off balance, and she didn't like it. It was probably why the words she had been rehearsing all week came out in an anguished rush.

"I'm not who you think I am," she began quickly, "I know that you think you love me, but if you knew who I really was under the mask you wouldn't give me a second look…"

"That's not true," he insisted, slashing his hand across his body like he could negate her words. "It doesn't matter to me who you are under all this. You are still Ladybug. Nothing can change that."

Tears pooled in her eyes and trickled down her cheeks. She hated to cry, hated the pressure in her chest and stinging in her eyes that came with it. She wiped the tears away with the palm of her hand and took a deep breath. She had to get this all out before she could change her mind.

"Look, Chat, you mean a lot to me, more than I thought you ever could. You are my partner, my best friend… and you deserve to know the truth."

Before she could stop herself, before she could decide that it was too risky, she reached up and gently removed the masquerade mask that was concealing her identity. She and Tikki had had long conversations recently about the magic behind the mask, the fact that it couldn't be removed unless she willed it to. It was possible to remove it and keep her transformation, she just had to want to share her secret… which no Ladybug had before. She supposed she was breaking tradition by showing her true self. She just wished her partner would say something.

She looked up into his eyes, into the surprise and confusion held within them. He wasn't sure how to handle her revelation. She waited for a moment, and then another, but he didn't move. He didn't even blink. He just stared at her with wide eyes and a slightly open mouth.

"I know I'm not much," she admitted quickly, saying it before he had the chance to, "and you probably need some time to think this through, but this is me. I'm Marinette... Just Marinette."

The last words choked her, and more tears pooled in her eyes. She had expected to feel relieved letting him know, but instead she felt raw. Why wasn't he saying anything?

Her gaze dropped to the ground. She couldn't keep looking into his eyes when all she saw there was confusion. She was tempted to walk away, but she couldn't do that either. Marinette or Ladybug, she wasn't a coward. She had to see this through to the end.

"Marinette," he finally whispered. The word rushed out of him as though it was a breath he had been holding for a long time and hadn't even realized it. It was such a relieved, joyful sound that her eyes shot back to his face just in time to see him cross the space between them and scoop her up into his arms. He crushed her against his chest and spun them around in a circle, whooping with exhilaration.

It was her turn to be confused.

When he finally put her back down on the ground, his hands cradled her cheeks and he stared into her eyes. "How could I have been so blind! It was obvious that it was you!"

He wasn't disappointed. In fact, he looked thrilled. She couldn't quite understand it. She had been expecting a much different reaction, but then again he never failed to surprise her. Still, she felt she had to ask.

"You aren't disappointed that I'm just Marinette?"

He gave a sharp bark of laughter. "Are you kidding? I've been tearing myself apart between the two of you, and I never had to. I had everything I wanted all along."

He bent his head to hers and for a moment she couldn't process what was happening, but when she realized he was going to kiss her, she put her hands on his chest and firmly kept him at arm's length. "Chat, this doesn't change anything. I'm still seeing someone else, someone I care about very much," she said quickly. She didn't want to hurt him, but her heart belonged to Adrien.

Confusion returned to his eyes, as though he couldn't understand why she was pushing him away… and then he started laughing. It was deep and rich, full of genuine humor. It was also familiar, though she couldn't quite place it.

"You took your mask off, but I forgot that I was still wearing mine," he said, still chuckling to himself. "I think this will clear things up."

With a quick and precise movement, he swiped two fingers across his face, removing his mask and revealing his identity.

She felt rooted to her spot, unable to move a single muscle. Adrien. Adrien was Chat Noir. It had been him the whole time! How had she not figured that out? As he had said only a few moments before, he had been tearing himself apart when he didn't have to. The past few months had been hell for her, growing closer to the boy she was madly in love with and yet losing her best friend at the same time. If only she had known the truth! She could have avoided putting either of them through this.

And then another thought occurred to her: Chat's smile… Adrien's smile… when he had been talking about his new girlfriend, he had been thinking about her. She had been the cause of that beautiful smile that had made her ache with jealousy. Somehow, miraculously, she had them both. She now understood why he had stared at her for so long before speaking. He was feeling exactly the same way she was.

"I have you both," she said, bringing a shaky hand to touch his face. She couldn't understand how it had happened, why it had happened, but fate had brought them together. How could someone so unlucky have stumbled across so much good luck?

He smiled at her with a brilliance that seemed to contain all the best parts of both Adrien and Chat Noir. The best of both worlds... and he was all hers.

"So, about that kiss?"