missed a day whoops ~ well if you knew the day i had yesterday you would get it so two published today

in which Marinette learns the truth

Adrien arrived on her doorstep at 2pm, just as she'd told him.

Before that, he'd spent hours deciding what to bring and whether it would be too cheesy to wear the charm bracelet she gave him and whether or not to wear cologne. This whole ordeal made him realise...

This time with Marinette, it was magical. And... he loved her.

He loved her laughter in the sunlight, her eyes that sparkled with joy during even the heaviest of storms. He loved her kindness and optimism, simultaneously reassuring him and uplifting his heart and spirit. He loved her courage and confidence, so ready to stand up for anyone. Her quirks and habits, every single trait, if she'd let him learn them, he'd love them all.

Perhaps Ladybug wasn't who he loved, but rather, who he aspired to be. Sure, he could picture himself and Ladybug together, but he could see himself and Marinette together forever. 

And... if he could see himself with her... perhaps... 

Well. She at least was certainly trustworthy, and secrets can sometimes be a burden easier to share with someone else.

But first, facing her parents.

"Adrien!"

...guess it wouldn't be that hard?

He was pulled into a hearty hug, lifted off the ground by the bulky man in an apron that was probably Marinette's father. 

"Papa! Put him down!" 

"Yes, dear, put him down and let me look at him." The unfamiliar voice was probably Marinette's mother, Sabine. Her tone was calm and soothing and loving. He was set on the ground with a jovial grin from Tom when Sabine stepped in front of him with a warm smile. "Hello, Adrien. Nice to meet you again."

Adrien blinked, taking in the small woman who looked remarkably like Marinette with her blue-black hair and petite frame. "N-nice to meet you too, Mrs Dupain-Cheng."

"Oh no, dear, call me Sabine. All of Marinette's friends do." Her warm smile seemed to melt the anxiousness in his heart. "And call this impolite giant Tom."

"Oi! I'll have you know I am no giant! Giants are ten feet tall and grow hair on their feet!" Tom butted in, pointing at his toes.

Marinette snorted. "You have hair on your feet." She moved to grab at his bag, cheekily grinning at his lost expression. "Come on, Adrien, we'll go upstairs while Maman cooks." 

As he followed her up the narrow stairs, he wondered about her parents. She was a perfect mix between the two - loving, kind and caring as well as cheerful and friendly. 

She stopped, so he did too, but she also groaned. 

"Did you plan this, Papa?!" She yelled downstairs, a pout on her face. 

"Oo! Oo! Let me get the camera!"

"Oh, no way are they documenting this." Marinette grumbled and, upon seeing his confused expression, pointed up at a green plant tied up with a ribbon above their heads... oh. 

Before he could assure her that she didn't have to do this, her lips were on his. Just for a second (or three), he could feel her soft but slightly chapped lips that tasted a little like coconut (probably Chapstick) and her heartbeat, erratic and quick but soothing. And then she pulled away and dragged him upstairs.

"Sorry, I just didn't want any risk of pictures." She flopped down in her desk chair, motioning for Adrien to sit on her chaise. "I didn't actually ask you if you were okay with it."

"Oh, I was okay with it." The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them, making Marinette stare at him, wide-eyed and incredulous. "Uh-I-I mean..."

She was laughing. 

He was stuttering and red and embarrassed and she was laughing. 

"Oh, how the tables have turned." Marinette wiped a tear from her eyes and almost started laughing again at Adrien's bewildered expression. "Sweetheart, stop looking at me like that! It's not helping!"

"Sw-Sweetheart?!" He sputtered, confused and mostly embarrassed as she laughed harder. 

"Nicknames come with the package!"

"Yeah, but sweetheart?!" 

"SWEETHEART IS A CLASSIC THANK YOU."

"Come on, does sweetheart really fit me?"

"Yes. You're practically a muffin. And are you just debating with me to cover up the fact that you're blushing?" Marinette got up and leaned close to his face, a triumphant smirk on her face. "Careful, tomcat, you might have claws but I have catnip."

"Tomcat?" He questioned, trying to ignore how his face was heating up even more. "If you're comparing me to Chat Noir, I'm flattered."

Marinette giggled, leaning back and sitting back in her chair. "Well, I'm sure you would be. He's a heck of a guy."

Adrien perked up. "Really?" At her questioning look, he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the redness creep up towards his face again. "I-uh-haven't met him."

She shook her head, a soft half-smile on her lips. "Chat Noir... he deserves so much but gets so little." Her eyes held a faraway look as her eyes flicked to her window. "He's honestly amazing. He's just so... human. Compared to Ladybug, he just seems, he just is so real." She shrugged. "He does so much for this city, and he barely gets any of the recognition. I think he deserves admiration from us."

She turned her gaze back to Adrien, and was mildly startled to see his starstruck expression.

"Um... Adrien? You, uh, right there?"

"Don't worry, Ladybug. He's just startled by how much you like him in both forms."

Marinette leapt up and swung around to face the owner of the nasally voice, which happened to be a guffawing black cat floating in the air. 

"PLAGG WHAT THE HELL?!" Adrien scowled and jumped at the cat kwami, who swiftly avoided his grab with a cackle.

"YOU FORGET THAT SINCE WE'RE LINKED I CAN SENSE YOUR URGES!!"

"EW! PLAGG! STILL, YOU CAN'T JUST DO THAT!"

"YEAH PLAGG I THOUGHT WE AGREED TO LET THEM FIGURE IT OUT THEMSELVES THIS TIME!!"

This time, Adrien's head swiveled around to see a floating... bug-like creature that was the same size as Plagg. The high-pitched sweet voice had to have come from it...her?

"Tikki." Marinette tapped her foot and folded her arms, a dangerous smile on her face. "How about you take this... Plagg and leave before I trap you both in a jar?" 'Tikki's' eyes widened further as she swooped over to grab Plagg's claw, who was still chuckling.

"I like her!"

"PLAGG SHE'S SERIOUS LET'S GO."

The two kwamis zipped away, one still snickering and the other scolding. 

Marinette turned back to Adrien, biting her lip and hugging her arms, but she couldn't meet his gaze. Her blue eyes downcast, her entire stance nervous and too similar to how she used to act around him. And he was having none of it.

"Hey, Marinette, Princess, milady." He moved to lift her chin, hands on her shoulders, hiding his fear when he saw the tears reflecting the rainbow lights around her room in her eyes. "Hey, hey, it's okay, we're okay, it's all okay."

"I-I didn't w-want y-you to find out like this." She whimpered quietly, reaching up to rub at her eyes. "I-I just-I wanted you to be happy, and-and I w-was planning to-to reveal myself on-on Christmas Day, if you c-came around b-because I owe it to you and nobody deserves to be alone." Her wide blue eyes finally met his, shimmering with all the light and happiness and love and anxiety that he felt in his heart. "Because... even if I was in d-denial, I was in love with you. And I still am."

His green eyes softened, and his smile did too as he kissed her forehead. "I am completely and totally in love with you, Marinette. All of you." He hugged her close, afraid this whole day had been a dream and he was going to wake up alone and cold. 

"Thank you for coming." She whispered against his neck, arms tightening around him for a moment of warmth and comfort. "Now, come on, we better help Maman and Papa cook our Christmas dinner."

Adrien was glad he got to watch her pull herself together and pull him downstairs, glad he got to hear her tinkling laugh that sounded brighter than any sleigh bells, glad he got to hold her hand while they watched Christmas movies on a couch underneath a blanket. 

He was glad he came.