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Stories are cross-posted on Ao3, so go check them out over there.

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Thanks~!

- Galaxy

"Do you ever wonder why we were the ones chosen?" Marinette asked, legs swinging wildly off the edge of the Eiffel Tower. It had been a rough day, full of Akuma, school, and best friends who were getting better at detecting lies. Oh, Alya, Marinette sighed mentally. She hated lying to the wannabe reporter, but that was precisely why she had to keep it a secret. Alya was always on a constant search for the truth, which would lead to some unfortunate outcomes if she were to know who exactly was behind the red-and-black-spotted mask.

"Not really." Her partner in crime-stopping, Cat Noir, was sitting next to her. He was her go-to for a pick-me-up after such a tiring week. He understood what it was like, balancing regular life with the job of keeping the city safe. Sometimes, like now, she would blurt out random thoughts while watching the sunset, which he never ridiculed her for, unlike other people in her class might. "I mean, I think I know how and why, but it doesn't matter, you know? We were, and I wouldn't prefer to save Paris with anyone else, m'lady."

She laughed. "Same, kitty. I was just wondering- wait, what?" She paused, thinking back over his words. "What do you mean, you think you know how and why?"

"Something weird happened to me the day I found the miraculous in my bag. Based on the timeframe from when I last looked in there to when I discovered a magical god-like being was eating all my cheese, I have a good idea of who put it there."

"Oh, right. The same thing happened to me. I mean, I was leaving the ba- my house! And as I was heading to, uh, somewhere, I saved someone from the traffic, and he gave me the miraculous."

"Impressive." Marinette glanced over to see him smiling softly. "You weren't even a hero with slight invulnerability yet, and you still rushed in to save someone from getting hit by a car."

"A hero doesn't have to have powers. But you're right; even if it was a somewhat stupid idea, I still don't regret it. And I don't mean the superhero part." She reached for her sketchbook, only to remember she had left it on her desk. Her fingers went instead to her yo-yo, held together with a magic string that even the strongest of enemies couldn't break through. "That's why I do this, to save the people who have their whole lives to live. They shouldn't be afraid of the own emotions, worried about turning into some monster."

"Yeah..." It's silent for a moment until Cat Noir says, "It's odd, though, 'cause that sounds like what happened to me. I was in front of my sch- someplace, and I helped up this old man who couldn't do it on his own, and I missed a big opportunity, but it was worth it. And later, I found out I could still do the thing, so it all worked out."

"Ha! What a coincidence. I suppose you'll tell me it was an old man wearing a red Hawaiian shirt with a white hibiscus flower pattern."

Cat Noir stares at her in shock. "How'd you know?" It takes her a moment to breathe again after the revelation of those words hits her. He figures it out too, just a moment behind. "Oh."

"My kwami knows him." Marinette begins, trying to get the words all out before she can stop herself. "She was sick. Princess Fragrance. That's where I was before the battle at the Pont des Arts. She directed me to a healer, and it was him."

"Huh. It sounds like your kwami's competent. All mine does is eat cheese, complain about not having cheese, and influencing my decisions. The result is not something you want to see." And they're both laughing, enjoying the little free time they have left. There are precious few moments together where they feel like the children they are. During the heat of battle, when they are running themselves ragged to stop Hawk Moth, they sometimes forget what it's like to have the simple worries of a typical teenager.

And for now, this moment is enough.