HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BEAUTIFUL FANFICTION WIFE, WONDERFULWIZARDOFTHOZZ! It might not be your birthday where you are, but it is in Australia, so here you go! Everyone go read my wifey's fics because she is amazing!

Here's my last Reveal Week fic. It's super late, but I've been drowning in uni assessments. It was nice to write something today that didn't make my brain want to give out.

So here's Day 7: Loved Ones. Please let me know what you thought in the reviews!

Much love,

Leisey.

P.S: Sorry if there's typos. It's late here.

Aftermath

When Gabriel Agreste was revealed to be Hawk Moth, all of Paris was shocked. They were thankful, of course, because it meant that Ladybug and Chat Noir had won, and there'd be no more risk of being akumatised. They were a strange combination of shocked and elated, but that didn't stop them from singing the superheroes praises.

They didn't know that in order to win, Ladybug and Chat Noir had to seal away the Butterfly miraculous with their own. They didn't know that the power of miraculouses would be dormant for an indefinite amount of time, while the Bufferfly and Nooroo were being purged of Gabriel's negative energy.

They didn't know that Chat Noir had put his own Father in prison, and they didn't know that Ladybug and Chat Noir had no idea who each other were. The people of Paris didn't know that their superheroes couldn't contact each other. That they had no plan for what to do once the fight was over.

What they did know was that Adrien Agreste was heartbroken over what his Father had done. "That poor boy," people would whisper in the streets. "Who will look after him?" Asked talk show hosts and news reporters. "What will happen to him now?"

When Marinette Dupain-Cheng heard talk like that, her heart would sink further than it already had. She should feel happy—they defeated Hawk Moth!—but instead she felt guilty for ruining Adrien's life. She felt guilt and an overwhelming sadness, because she'd lost Chat Noir.

It would be easier to deal with everything if she had her Chaton. She missed him. Wanted to talk to him, hang out with him, listen to his stupid puns. Marinette didn't even care about secret identities anymore, she just wanted to know who he was, hold onto him and never let go.

And Adrien? God, Adrien. Marinette knew her feelings for him would result in nothing. She'd put his Father in prison; she'd ruined his life. There was no way anything would happen between them now. She wouldn't let that happen. Not when there was something like that hanging over them. Not when she could never tell Adrien that.

What she could do was be his friend. So, when Adrien sent a group text to her, Alya, Nino and Chloé—the first contact any of them had had with him since this whole mess started—she'd rushed to the Agreste mansion to see him.

Nathalie let them in. Despite the situation, she looked no different than usual: suit clean and not a hair out of place. It was as if the last few days hadn't happened at all.

The only thing different was the smile she greeted them with. "I'm glad you're here. Adrien…Adrien needs his friends. His body guard is with him now, but he needs people his own age to talk to. Please, go on up to his room. He'll be happy to see you."

It warmth Marinette's heart that Adrien still had Nathalie and the Gorilla looking after him, despite everything that had happened. She and her friends took Nathalie's words to heart, thanked her, and then hurried up the stairs.

As they went, Chloé said, "I'm calling a truce for today."

That gave Marinette, Alya and Nino pause. "Huh?" the latter eloquently asked.

Chloé gave him a look; she seemed like she was barely restraining an eye roll. "Today isn't about us. It isn't about how we feel about each other, or how we act at school. It's about Adrien. He needs us, so we're going to have to get along."

Silence reigned.

"Well said," Alya eventually spoke up. "I agree."

Nino nodded. "So do I. I wasn't even gonna mention it; I thought we all just knew that today was about my best bud, not us."

They all turned to Marinette expectantly.

"I wasn't going to say or start anything, either," she said. "We're here for Adrien."

Chloé took a deep breath and then held her hand out, palm facing down. "Truce?"

Marinette didn't hestitate. She put her hand on Chloé's and said, "Truce."

Alya put her hand in. "Truce."

Nino put his on top. "Truce, my dudes."

This was a side of Chloé that Marinette hadn't seen before. Maybe—just maybe—the blonde wasn't as bad as she thought.

The Mayor's daughter snatched her hand away and kept walking. "This doesn't make us friends!"

Ah well, baby steps.

The Gorilla was just coming out of Adrien's room when they arrived at his door. The bodyguard nodded at them in greeting and then gestured for them to go inside. The four trooped into the room, and found Adrien pacing in front of his TV.

Whereas Nathalie and the Gorilla looked no different than normal, Adrien looked awful. Marinette had never seen him look so unkempt. His hair was a mess, his usual white over-shirt was gone. He black one looked creased and stained. His eyes, that normally shone so brightly, were dull and puffy from crying. There were bags under them and it looked like he hadn't slept in days.

He looked like he was barely keeping it together.

As guilty as Marinette felt, it was ten times worse seeing him like that.

"Hey, man," Nino greeted.

Adrien stopped pacing and looked at them. A small, barely-there smile graced his lips. "Hey, guys. Thanks for coming." He gestured towards the lounge. "Take a seat."

Even with the four of them, they had no trouble fitting on Adrien's ridiculously large and comfortable lounge. As soon as they were comfortable, Adrien resumed his pacing.

They watched him go, concerned, until Alya asked, "Adrien, you okay?"

Chloé scoffed in derision. "Of course he's not okay. His—"

Adrien stopped his pacing and put a hand up to interrupt her. "It's okay, Chlo. It's just—I, uh—I don't really know how to say what I want to say."

Marinette could understand that. He'd been through a lot. It was no wonder Adrien didn't know where to start.

"It's no rush," she told him. "We can wait until you're ready."

He sent her a grateful smile. "Thanks, Marinette." He took a deep breath and let it out with a sigh. "I can do it. No time like the present, right?"

"Whatever it is, we're here for you," Nino promised, and the rest of them nodded in agreement.

Adrien smile became a bit more pronounced after that, but it disappeared once he started talking. "I asked you guys here because I don't know what to do and I need your help. I don't have anybody else. I don't have any other family." Adrien cringed. "My—my Father was all I had."

"Not that he was much of one," Chloé muttered, scowling.

"Chloé!" Marinette, Alya and Nino protested in unison, because she couldn't just say that when Adrien was right there!

Adrien actually laughed. A harsh, bitter sound, but a laugh nevertheless. "No, but he had his moments…and I'm sure, that for all that's happened, he had his reasons."

Marinette had wondered about that. Why would the world-famous and powerful fashion designer, Gabriel Agreste, want the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous? What could possibly be the reason? He'd remained tight-lipped on the matter when Chat Noir had asked after they'd defeated him. Although, 'asked' was a bit of an understatement. It was more like a confused, angry, guttural demand of, "Why?!"

"For my son," was the only answer he gave.

And now, here was that son, standing in front of her and looking absolutely wrecked. Whatever Gabriel's reasons were, it wasn't worth the outcome.

"I've got Nathalie and the Gorilla," Adrien continued. "They care about me, but they don't know me all well as you four do." He paused and gave them a sad smile. "You guys are about the only loved ones I've got left."

They gasped at that.

"Adrien," Marinette whispered, feeling tears build in her eyes.

Within seconds, they were all off the couch and squishing Adrien in a giant group hug. They all babbled at him at the same time, ensuring him that they loved him and that they always would.

It took Adrien a while to detach himself from the hug, but he didn't look quite as upset once he did. "Thanks, guys."

"So, what do you need our help with?" Chloé asked, once they'd all sat back down.

"I said you guys are 'about' the only loved ones I've got left; I need your help to find the other one."

They stared at him in silent confusion.

"Did you…lose them?" Nino asked at length.

Adrien shook his head. "I never knew who she was to begin with, but now she's gone."

"Oh, like an internet friend?" Alya lit up in comprehension. "They might be hard to track down, but I can put something on the Ladyblog—"

He shook his head again. "No, she wasn't an internet friend. She was a real-life friend. She was everything to me, and a loved her—I still love her—and now she's gone."

Adrien's composure was rapidly declining, and he put his head in his hands to try and pull himself together.

"Whoa, dude," Nino said, staring at his best friend in surprise.

Marinette could relate to that. Her own feelings aside, how could they have missed that Adrien was in love with someone? And why would that someone just disappear on him?! Especially right now, when Adrien needed her the most?!

"It's okay," the DJ continued, hopping up to put a comforting hand on Adrien's shoulder. "We'll help you find the girl. Promise. What's her name?"

Adrien slowly lifted his head. With a shuddering voice, he said, "It's Ladybug."

It—what?

"Huh?" Marinette, Alya, Nino and Chloé chorused.

Marinette had to try hard not to gape at him. She was the one Adrien was looking for? And did he just say he loved her?!

"I need to talk to Ladybug," Adrien said.

"Why?" Marinette couldn't help but ask.

Chloé gave another scoff of derision. "Duh, Marinette, it's because he loves her! He just said that."

Adrien shook his head. "No, that's not it. Well, it's part of it."

He loved her?! What?! The revelation sent her heart pounding. Oh god, could they hear that? How were you supposed to react when the person you liked returned your feelings? How were you supposed to react when you sent said person's Father to prison?

Just—what?

"I just—she'd the only one who'll understand. She was there when Father—when he—"

"Do you need us to find Chat Noir, too?" Alya asked.

"No," Adrien responded immediately. "I don't need him."

"Why not?" Marinette asked, feeling defensive of her partner. "He was there too. Ladybug wouldn't be able to do anything without Chat Noir—"

"I put my Father in jail," he interrupted, looking wretched. "We fought him and he struck Ladybug across the face with his cane and I wanted to hurt him. I wanted to lash out. I didn't though, not yet." Adrien looked close to tears. "We had a plan, we stuck to the plan, and we won…but we lost."

No one said a word, and Marinette couldn't breathe.

Because Adrien knew things he shouldn't know. No one else was there during the fight, no one else was there unless…

Oh, my poor Chaton, Marinette thought.

"No way," Alya broke the silence, looking a strange mix of shocked, excited, and sorry for Adrien's situation. "Are you saying that…" She trailed off, unable to voice the conclusion she'd come to.

"Dude," Nino hovered next to Adrien, his hand slipping off his shoulder in surprise. "You're…you're…"

Chloé frowned at her childhood friend, her expression thoughtful. "What was the subject of the homework I tried to make Chat Noir do when Nathaniel was akumatised? No one else but me and him would know that."

"Physics," Adrien replied, looking at them all; his eyes were begging them to believe him. "I—I said it was my favourite subject."

They all turned to Chloé expectantly.

"He's right," she said.

"Adrien!" Nino cried, once again flying at his best friend in a hug. "Adrien, oh my god!"

Held in the arms of his best friend, the last of Adrien's composure the was lost. They watched as he sobbed into Nino's shoulder, holding onto the DJ tightly, as if he was afraid he would disappear.

Watching Adrien—Chat—her best friend—looking so broken, made Marinette start crying herself. She needed to fix this. She needed to tell him.

"We had to give up the power of our miraculouses," Adrien said through his tears. "They've gone dormant." He looked down at the ever-present silver ring that was on his hand. "We can't transform. The creatures that give us power are stuck inside the miraculouses, but they're dormant. That's why the ring looks normal. We can't transform, and we don't know who each other are under the masks. I've been going to the place we first met every day, trying to find her. Or to any of the places we used to hang out on patrol, but people keep recognising me. They keep asking me questions about my Father, or about how I feel, and I can never stay there for long. I just—I just want to find her."

Alya and Chloé moved to hug him as well.

"We'll help you find your partner, Sunshine," the blogger assured him.

"I'll get my Father to send out whole search parties," Chloé added. "We'll find her, Adrikins."

Adrien wipes his eyes. "Thank you."

Marinette rose to her feet, tears running freely down her face.

"Whoa, girl, are you okay?" Alya asked, concerned.

The designer didn't reply. Instead, she gently pulled Adrien away from the group hug he found himself in.

"Marinette, are you alright?" Adrien asked, as if he wasn't the one who was in tears moments before. She should have known he was her Chat Noir; both Adrien and Chat were too kind for their own good.

"We had a plan, we stuck to the plan, and we won," she said, echoing his words from earlier. "But you're right: we lost, too."

Realisation was slowly dawning on Adrien's face. "Marinette," he murmured, "are you…?"

"The plan failed and we had to use the backup plan. The one Tikki and Plagg told us about, but we didn't want to do. We lost them and we lost each other, but I'm right here. I'm right here, Chaton."

"You're…"

"I can prove it!" She said earnestly, determined to make him believe her. She would just have to tell him things only Ladybug would know. "When we first met, I fell out of the sky and crashed into you. We got tangled up in my yoyo and you called me Miss Maladroit. When I didn't think I was cut out to be a superheroine, you said that I was. You told me to trust you, and I always have. You call me Buginette, even when I tell you not to, but I actually really like that name. You once said ten cat puns in one sentence and I'm still not sure how you managed it and—"

"My Lady!"

Adrien pulled her in for a hug, burying his face in her shoulder. Marinette could feel him shaking in her arms and she began to rub soothing circles on his back. "It's okay, Chaton," she said soothingly. "It's okay. We found each other."

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I'm sorry, my Lady."

She shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."

He pulled away from her, only far enough to look her in the face. "But you are. You're here, aren't you?"

"I'm still sorry you had to go through all that."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not."

"Maybe it isn't, but now that I know I haven't lost you, it feels like everything's going to be."

"I'm giving up my dream of journalism!" Alya announced to the room, startling the pair of them out of the little bubble they were in.

Oh right. There was other people with them.

"The pair of you!" Alya continued. "The freaking pair of you! You're my classmates, my friends, and I never noticed it! Some journalist I am!"

"I cosplayed as Marinette Dupain-Cheng?"

"Duuuuuuuuuuudes."

Alya, Nino and Chloé were looking at them in varying states of surprise.

"Urgh, I have to go home and burn the costume," Chloé said.

"We're on a truce," Alya reminded her.

"My Ladybug cosplay didn't agree to any truce."

"In your defence, this one thought you were me for a moment," Marinette put in, gesturing at Adrien. "So the cosplay was convincing."

"For, like, a minute!" He protested.

"You know what? I'm going to take that," Chloé said. "Chat Noir thought I was Ladybug."

"A minute!" Adrien repeated. "Not even that."

"Thanks, Adrikins!"

He sighed. "You're gonna hold this against me forever, aren't you?"

Chloé laughed. "You mean like how you would let me dress you up as a princess when we were five?"

"Oh my god, do you have pictures of that?" Alya asked, looking excitedly at Chloé.

"Please tell me you do!" Nino added.

Chloé held up her phone. "I even have them on here."

"Actual Disney Princess, Adrien Agreste," Marinette laughed.

Adrien turned from where their other friends were excitedly crowded around Chloé's phone. "How about Actual Superheroine, Marinette Dupain-Cheng?"

"She'd be nothing without her partner."

"He'd be nothing without her."

"Good thing they've got each other, then."

Adrien blushed. "I missed you," he confessed. "I couldn't find you and I missed you."

"I missed you, too," she said, taking his hand. "We'll get Tikki and Plagg back. They won't stay dormant in the miraculous forever."

"And until then?"

Marinette looked over to where Chloé was now sending photos to an eager Alya and Nino. "We've got our friends," she said. "And, well, you've always got a home with me, Adrien."

"Thank you, Princess."

She smiled at Chat's familiar nickname for her. They'd found each other, despite everything that had happened. She had felt guilty and lost before she'd arrived at Adrien's place that day; now she felt at ease and complete for the first time in days.

Adrien was right: the situation they found themselves in wasn't an ideal one, but with them together, it could be. Therefore, it only seemed natural that went he leant in towards her, she reached up to meet him, her eyes fluttering closed.

And if Alya, Nino and Chloé started screaming and taking pictures…well, she couldn't find it in herself to care.