Of course it would be her clumsiness which would ultimately lead to her identity being found out… and not by the person she wanted. Her best friend? That would just take some explaining. Her crush? Marinette would have just died of a heart attack and rolled over a couple of times in her grave. But her Chloe? Could someone just kill her now?
It had taken place on Tuesday, when she'd transformed behind a building… more specifically, Chloe's father's hotel. And of course it was in Chloe's direct line of sight.
The akuma which they had battled that day (he had something to do with cheese and… whine…) was particularly easy and Marinette had hoped for a good, easy, relaxing day but…
"You're Ladybug?!" Chloe not-so-quietly screeched.
"Shhhhh! Shush Chloe!" Marinette pleaded.
Chloe brattedly (if it's not a word, they should make it one because it describes everything Chloe does) folded her arms and gave a "hmph"
"You don't get to tell me what I can and can't do!" Chloe snapped.
"Okay, whatever! Just keep it down! I can't have all of Paris knowing my secret identity!" Marinette begged.
"Of course you can't!" Chloe said with a plastic fake smile, "And I won't tell anybody…"
Marinette sighed.
"What do you want?"
"Oh nothing… just umm…" Chloe paused to pretend she was thinking. (Funny… since when does that girl even think) "Leave Adrikins alone and… step down as class president… and… leave school… and… don't ever get in my way again!"
Marinette gaped at her demands.
Leaving Adrien alone she could do. It's not like he ever saw her romantically anyway… She would just have to grow up and get a new crush. But stepping down as class president and leaving school, and never challenging Chloe's bullying was impossible. If she didn't stand up to Chloe who would?
She couldn't back down. Even if her identity was at risk.
"No." Marinette said finally.
"No?" Chloe scoffed. "All it takes is a text, a tweet, and a post, and everyone in Paris will know that their idol superhero is a lame little high school girl who trips on air.
Marinette faltered.
Could she really let Chloe tell everyone? The peoples trust? Her relationship to Chat Noir… it was all at stake…
No! She had to! Chloe was a bully. And she was not going to let Chloe bully her into silence and a life of always being pushed over.
"No! Go and tell everyone for all I care! Nothing will change. I am still Marinette and I'm still Ladybug! I am still the hero who risks her life on a daily basis making sure the citizens of Paris, including you, are safe from Hawkmoth! No matter how hard you grind me to the ground, I will not give in! Be it with you, Hawkmoth, or anyone else! I will never give up!"
Chloe took a step back, surprised by the passion and confidence in Marinette's voice.
Maybe she was wrong.
When Chloe had first found out, she believed that clumsy Marinette could have possibly been Ladybug. Marinette was a pushover, a thorn in her side, an ugly little leech on society while Ladybug was a hero. But now… they didn't seem so different.
Just as Marinette had said, she was Ladybug and Ladybug was her.
Backing away, Chloe didn't say anything and just ran.
Marinette sighed. This was not how she wanted this day to go. Now, probably soon, all of Paris would know she was Ladybug. However, before the news became widespread, there was probably one person she should share her identity with before the whole world knew.
Her partner.
Ladybug paced nervously on the top of the Eiffel tower waiting for her partner to appear. She didn't know how this evening was going to turn out, probably not well.
Marinette had always been… well… Marinette.
And some of Chloe's words had really affected her just as her words affected Chloe. She was clumsy and she knew it. She was mostly a mess and almost always late and just… plain. A disappointment.
Not everyone else though.
Alya was an awesome reporter/blogger/writer. Rose was just pretty. Nino could mix beats. Juleka was cool. Nathanael was an artist, a really good one. Ivan and Mylene were just plain out cute and also talented in certain areas. Max was smart, really, really, really, smart. Kim was a jock. Alex was fast. Chloe was… well… Chloe and Sabrina was really sweet… if she wasn't hanging around Chloe all the time. And even Lila, though a liar, was gorgeous. And Adrien… he was so… perfect.
They all had their strengths and their weaknesses but Marinette… she felt she only had weaknesses.
Her partner however, though a nearly intolerable flirt was pretty cool. He always had her back, even at the risk of his own. He was there, understanding, and just… her best friend.
But what if…. After tonight… he didn't want to be anymore…
It seemed irrational but in that moment, Marinette felt like if she told him… he would just walk away. Ladybug was confident but Marinette was not. Sometimes, she felt as if Ladybug and Marinette were just two different people. Ladybug was everything Marinette wished she could be and Marinette were the faults and flaws of Ladybug.
Her pessimistic thoughts were interrupted by the smooth arrival of her partner.
"The stars in the sky don't compare to beautiful bug who called me here, my-"
His horrible flirty comment was interrupted by the swift hug Ladybug gave to him. Right now, as he still knew her as Ladybug, she would treasure it.
"My lady?" He asked.
Marinette felt a small tear roll.
"I'm sorry." She said.
"For what?" Chat Noir asked.
Ladybug pulled away.
"For everything you're about to hear." She whispered.
"I don't understand my lady." He replied.
"Earlier today… a civilian found out about my identity. She was very nice about either. Long story short, she threatened me with my secret. So… I… I told her I wasn't going to back down so… probably sometime tonight, or tomorrow the whole world is going to know… I just thought… I would tell you first." Marinette answered softly refusing to meet his eyes.
"Then I'll give you mine as well." Chat Noir stated.
"What?" Ladybug said confused. "You don't have to! It's my identity which is getting plastered on billboards tomorrow not yours! Don't you get it? I'm going to be targeted by Hawkmoth and if I know your identity, your life could be at stake as well!"
"It doesn't matter!" Chat Noir fired back. "If you share with me your identity, I'll give you mine. We're partners. Partners trust each other and if you trust me enough to give me yours, then I can trust you to give you mine."
"But… What if you regret it?" Marinette said. "As soon as I give you mine… and you see who I really am… what if you don't want me to know… I'm not the hero you think I am. I'm just a clumsy, no good, and untalented… disappointment who-"
"Stop it." Chat Noir interrupted. "You are not an untalented disappointment. You are a hero."
"But I'm not-" Marinette tried.
"Let me finish!" Chat Noir said, slightly raising his voice. "The girl behind the mask… that's who I promised… that's who I promised I'd fall in love with."
Ladybug gasped.
"Ladybug… you are confident, you are special, you are beautiful, you are… perfect just the way you are. I know how it feels… separating your civilian life from your hero life but… the girl behind the mask and Ladybug herself are one person. You are Ladybug and you are… you. Just as I am Chat Noir and I am… Adrien Agreste…" Adrien said suddenly dropping his transformation.
"… Adrien?" Marinette whispered.
"I hope it's not too much of a disappointment. You know, cool black cat of the night being a pretty boy model but…" He trailed off when he saw Ladybug giggling slightly.
"What?" Adrien asked.
"Cool… black cat… and pretty boy… model…" She said stifling laughter.
"Are you making fun of me?" Adrien said. "Here I am trying to help you regain your lost confidence and you are getting rid of my own!"
"No! No! No! It's just, I never imagined you were Chat Noir! I mean, you have polar personalities!" Ladybug said still giggling.
"And all faith I had in myself just disappeared." Adrien said his shoulders sinking.
Suddenly, he felt a hand on his sinking shoulders. When he looked up, he saw not Ladybug but…
"Marinette?"
"Pretty boy model is better than clumsy Marinette." She replied softly.
After staring at each other for a good long while, they sat down, facing the city below, just registering everything which had taken place. It was a lot to take in. But as the minutes dragged on, four separate people became two.
And two became a couple.