Summary: The Guardian is responsible for her heroes. So, it’s practically in her job description to know their identities, isn’t it? But when it turns out, Adrien Agreste was behind the black mask all along, things get a little complicated.

Not like Marinette planned to fall back in love with her old crush all over again. Certainly not when they’re both in two separate, functioning relationships. But things like that happen, even with the best of us.

Or read it on AO3    - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2

Beta read by the fabulous @1kiss4surrender! 

Favourite place

Mondays weren’t disliked by Marinette, but on this particular morning she still wished she could stay in bed and skip school. Let someone else deal with facing Adrien and playing it cool while he didn’t have the faintest idea about something being off between the two of them. Let someone else answer to Luka’s texts he kept sending like nothing would be wrong, since as far as he was concerned nothing was. Let someone else hide this mess, her life became on this short weekend from Alya. Ladybug would be the perfect candidate for the job. Unfortunately, she was out of office and wouldn’t be back for 1-5 business days, depending on the frequency of Akuma attacks. So, Marinette had to solve her own problems, like any other human being. 

She got up eventually and got ready for school equipped with the speed of a sloth-teamed superhero. Before heading out the door she made a distinct groan, with which she planned to leave home her stressed feelings and arrive at school in a more upbeat mood. To her great surprise, it helped a little.

By the time she had arrived to school grounds the bell has already gone off, meaning she was late. Nothing new here. She headed to their classroom in the empty halls. Standing in the door she collected herself and took a big breath, before entering. 

When she stepped inside the classroom Miss Bustier sent a disapproving look her way but didn’t say anything. After the first few weeks of the school year, starting every day with reminding her how late she was seemed unnecessary. Marinette hurried to take her place but to accomplish this she had to pass Adrien. As she put her leg on the first stair-step of the staircase leading to the end of the classroom, she foolishly looked at him and to her surprise, he was looking back. 

Only, it wasn’t Adrien. It was Chat Noir. Then it was Adrien again. The picture flickered before her, like her brain would be unable to decide, which one to show to her. She blinked a few and shook her head to clear it, but by this time she was sitting on the stairs. She didn’t even remember tripping and falling. 

“Are you okay, Marinette?” Adrien asked, lending his hand, to help her if she needed it. The whole class went silent and watched her alarmed. 

“Y-Yes, I’m fi-fine,” she stuttered out, feeling a blush creeping up her face. She collected her bag and sit down quickly, while Miss Bustier continued the class. 

“Are you alright, girl?” Alya whispered with a worried expression. “What even was that?”

“Just a slip. I’m surprised you didn’t get used to it already,” Marinette joked, while truthfully, she also very much would like to know the answer to that question. Her brain must have overcharged by seeing Adrien in close-up and decided to settle this misunderstanding of who was really sitting before her once and for all. 

“A slip, indeed. I thought you stopped this stuttering thing,” said Alya as she returned her attention to the class. 

Marinette thought it, too. She got unused to making a blushing fool out of herself and wasn’t pleased by the familiar experience. She could blame it on her unusual perception, but maybe her swiftly resurfaced feelings towards Adrien had more to do with it. However, she couldn’t allow herself to slide back into her previous patterns. It didn't matter, that he had Adrien’s face, and in fact, was Adrien, because he was also Chat Noir. Her most trusted, easy-going, tender partner. And in front of him, it has never even crossed her mind to behave like this or be embarrassed, in or out of the costume. Returning to fangirl mode just won’t do, she decided. For one, it was counterproductive. Second, Chat would never let her live it down after she revealed her identity to him. 

With this determination in mind, she tried her best to ignore her blonde partner sitting so close to her. She had to battle her urge to apologize in the next moment she got to speak with him, because Marinette couldn’t do that for Ladybug. Even if waiting for tomorrow night for the patrol seemed ridiculous, knowing they were sitting right next to each other. Only after this was all settled, could she finally direct her attention to listen to Miss Bustier. 

Chapters: 7/7 Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Characters: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug), Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug), Nino Lahiffe, Alya Césaire Additional Tags: Identity Reveal, Adrien figures things out, Hot Mess Adrien Agreste, Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, Adrien Agreste Is Sunshine, Adrien Agreste Knows, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Identity Reveal, Oblivious Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Identity Reveal Summary:

Chat Noir inadvertently learns a secret of Ladybug’s, and this secret ends up cluing him into who she is as a civilian.

 (Basically Ladybug ends up singing a song in front of Chat and Marinette ends up singing the same song in front of Adrien. And then Adrien starts connecting other dots.)

children, your alter egos are showing