|CONTINUATION|

Adrien is great with making up excuses to his Assistant and bodyguard, but in a moment like this, he wishes he were dreaming.

—

(M/n) slicked his hair back, letting it sit with some gel as he straightened out his clip-on armor. It was finally time to perform for their mock-live-action play. He slipped in his contacts, setting his glasses down on the tabletop. His expression was grim.

He hated fighting with Adrien.

He was doing this for Marinette, but also for himself. It felt like a wake-up call like he was getting slapped in the face with reality.

I need to make a call to my Mom soon...

The (h/c)-haired teen massaged his left arm, his shoulder aching. When he turned around, he jumped back at the sight of the blue-eyed blonde who was poking her head into the tent.

"Chloe—!" (M/n) breathed out, his hand resting on his chest in surprise. The boy relaxed slightly as he sent the girl an awkward smile.

"What's wrong..?" He asks hesitantly. The blonde blushed, seemingly embarrassed to say, but she rolled her eyes and walked into the room fully. She was wearing a black dress that brought out her blonde curled hair and watery blue eyes.

She's in all actuality, very pretty. (M/n) could see why Kim liked her so much.

"It's almost time to start, Mrs. Bustier asked me to come to get you," she starts—her gaze shifting to the ground, "so here I am!" She did a small bow making the boy smile.

Ever since he's played for her, she's toned down and mellowed out when they were around each other. He was relieved to see her acting softer around their classmates.

"Thank you," (M/n) made his way over to the girl, "are you excited?" He asks.

The boy picked up his knight's helmet in his hands, it was a simple cosplay for a knight. The girls did a stunning job on the costumes.

Chloe scoffed and placed her hand on her hip, "I was born ready for this, what do you take me for?" The blonde huffed and whipped her head away from the taller teenager. (M/n) smiled once more before reaching up to the girl's hair, loosening it from the ponytail.

Her light blonde curls bounced on her shoulders and mid-back.

(M/n) did nothing but smile warmly as he moved a strand of hair from the girl's face.

"Shall we go, Princess?" (M/n) offered his arm to the girl, making Chloe laugh mockingly but she hooked her arms around it anyway.

"Oh, yes, sir knight~," Chloe smirked. Milking the special treatment.

—

Marinette searched the boy's eyes in front of her, she hoped that she was only dreaming—hallucinating even—but what she saw was real.

Adrien seemed just as surprised, his eyes darting from the girl to the ground. He let it happen again, letting someone see Plagg. Even if it was by accident or on purpose, he could just sense Ladybug's disappointment in him.

"Marinette—"

"Don't start with that." Marinette hissed, her eyes watering, "You...You're so reckless!" Her shout made the boy recoil back. His lips sealed shut as he stared at the girl with wide eyes.

"Who else knows?! That your—" Marinette stopped herself, pinching her temple as she let out a quiet groan in frustration. She shifted uncomfortably, her lips parting but she stopped herself.

Adrien frowned deeper, "Listen," he breathed in deeply, catching his hitching breath, "I know that you saw him—and it might give you some ideas, but I'm not Chat Noir!" He tries to lie, but his shaky voice is too obvious.

"That's bullshit." Marinette cursed, her eyes narrowed, her heart was racing, "it makes sense, the blond hair, green eyes—Adrien, you can't lie about something so serious!" The model felt confused like he was missing something.

He examined the girl further, she was wearing a maroon-tinted red dress with black accents around the hems.

Her bluebell eyes, confident smile, and casual pigtails.

His eyes widened, lips quivering as he backed up.

He could never tell—he was sure that Ladybug had to be someone else. Someone whose appearance changed just like his. He pleaded his thoughts to travel back to when (M/n) talked about the two of them so fondly some nights they hung out.

Adrien had completely forgotten.

"You're.." Adrien didn't need to finish his sentence, Marinette smiled at him grimly.

"Yeah..." she whispered.

Adrien couldn't stop himself from letting out a relieved sigh, he gave the girl a hesitant smile that she didn't return. He noticed immediately and forced his smile into a frown as he wiped his sweaty palms on his pant legs.

It was quiet between them until they heard some laughter from one of the stalls near them. Shifting their attention to the voices, they were both equally shocked to see that both Chloe and (M/n) were walking together to the different stalls before they had to perform.

(M/n) was wearing a cat-ear headband that resembled Chat's black leather ones. Chloe was the first to notice them, scoffing to herself, the sound made (M/n) perk up. His eyes met Adrien's.

He looked down in an instant, grabbing ahold of the girl's hand and quietly dragging her over to the stage.

"We can continue looking later," he strained a grin for the girl making the blonde roll her eyes and pick up the pace to where she was leading them to the stage.

"Fine!" she groaned, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she stormed off with (M/n) in tow behind her. The (h/c)-haired teen cast a glance over his shoulder, his burdened (e/c)-colored irises catching the bright blue in a quiet somberness that made Marinette's chest feel tight.

He seemed so reluctant.

So...sad. It pained the girl to see such an expression back onto his face. It made her remember the times when he didn't smile--he didn't laugh, he didn't open up. She scowled and glared at the ground, her fists clenched at her sides. She whipped her head towards the blond, storming up towards him.

"Do not tell anyone that you are Chat Noir if we blab this to anyone--"

"Our miraculous gets taken, I know, Marinette," Adrien grunted, his eyes focused on the dusty ground, "But I do have one thing to say."

Marinette's eyes were watering, she didn't want this to be what she was thinking.

Please don't tell me that (M/n) already knows---

"(M/n) found out that I was Chat Noir."

Marinette could've sworn that her eye twitched in irritation. She quietly turned around, her back facing the model as she took a second to breathe in and out. Trying to calm herself before she slapped the model in pure frustration.

"The reason he got akumatized was because of me..when he found out that I was Chat Noir, he freaked out and got angry with me. That's why we got so close so quickly," Adrien tried to explain, "I had made a bet with him, saying that I could befriend him in a week tops. And I did it as Chat Noir to get closer to him and become his friend so he would open up to me."

Marinette's clenched fists loosened and she turned around to face the golden-haired model. Confusion laced her thoughts. She didn't bother to ask anything, patiently waiting for the boy to finish.

"I thought it made sense--if he hated Adrien Agreste, approach him as Chat Noir. But it didn't work out, it only made things worse and I understand that now," he muttered, gripping his left arm.

It was a habit he had developed from (M/n), ironic to think he picked that up from the taller boy.

"Adrien.." Marinette mouthed, she was at a loss for words.

(M/n) had to go through so much--they both did.

She let out a sigh as she crossed her arms, bashfully looking off to the side, she could see how the boy fell for the blond. She felt as though her crush on the blond was a little pathetic compared to the one that (M/n) had.

In (M/n)'s eyes, Adrien saved him from himself.

"I also told (M/n) that I was Ladybug, it was during an Akuma attack," Marinette starts, ignoring the way Adrien looked at her incredulously, "he was worried about me getting hurt when I went to get Tiki...so I told him."

Her hands tightened their hold on her arms, "That day, (M/n)'s mom came to take him away and made (M/n) want to quit everything...I thought it would make him feel better if he knew that I would be there to protect him as Marinette and Ladybug, so he could trust a hero to save him."

"It's stupid, but it gave me hope that (M/n) would trust me with everything. I think of him as family," she met Adrien's jade irises in a flicker of light from the setting sun.

"Just...take care of him when I can't, that's all I can ask for," Marinette sent the boy a smile for the first time since the start of their conversation.

She didn't need a painful love like this one.

Not when it was painfully obvious that he didn't feel the same way.

---

(M/n) felt weak in his knees, Did Marinette confess already? Why did she look so angry? I hope it went okay...the boy let out a groan, holding his dizzying head steady in his hands as he leaned against a pillar to support himself. Chloe was off talking with Subrina, thankfully, she left him alone when they got in the view of their classmates. Especially when Kim started to bother her with questions.

"Why were you with (M/n)?"

"Did he confess to you?!"

"DOn't LeaVE me!!"

Just thinking about the boy's whining voice made the (h/c)-haired teen feel bad. He let his back rest on the wooden pillar, taking a deep inhale before exhaling slowly, calming his racing heart.

He felt nervous--even if it were a practice playthrough of the show, he wasn't excited, his brain raked around the different possibilities that his arm could fail him--his memory could fail him. He was scared.

"(M/n)...are you feeling okay?" Rose's alluring voice and the cold touch of her fingertips forced a hiccup to escape the boy's throat in surprise. He snapped his head up from his hands, Rose's cool petite hand rested on his cheek, her thumb caressing the stressed bags under his eyes.

(M/n) nodded, swallowing his words, he didn't trust his voice. Fearing that it would crack, he kept silent.

"Are you sure? Your hands are shaking..." Juleka's soothing gentle voice made the boy look down with a guilty glimmer in his eyes.

"I'm not sure anymore," he starts, "I don't know if I can play in front of a crowd again. I want to be able to do this alone but I'm not sure if I can believe myself anymore." He blabbered, his deep voice cracking near the end, but at this point, he didn't care about that.

He focused on the chill that formed goosebumps on his arms from the blonde's loving touch.

"But you're never alone in something, (M/n)," Rose giggled, her smile making the boy blush, it seemed so simple to answer. It made him feel embarrassed. Rose seemed to notice and gave the boy another smile as she squished his face in her hands his lips puckering unattractively.

"Even if you think you're alone, you have people around you who..." (M/n) quirked his brows up and tilted his head lightly, Rose smiled wider with a warm blush forming on her cheekbones and earlobes, "Who cares about you and love you, like me and Juleka! We love you a bunch because you're dear to us, (M/n)." Rose brushed her forehead against (M/n)'s and closed her eyes before pulling away and pecking the spot with a cute grin forming.

(M/n)'s nerves seem to dissipate enough to where his hands had stopped trembling, Juleka held one of his hands reassuringly which made (M/n)'s heart grow warm. He reached up with his left hand, for once, not minding the shakiness of it as he held Rose's hand that rested on his face, leaning into her palm.

"Thank you," he spoke boldly, his voice louder than it usually was, not as hoarse as he sent the two girls a bright smile that melted their hearts.

Rose only smiled back and Juleka squeezed his hand supportively as she nodded.

When it was officially time for the first stage crew to make their way up on stage, (M/n) gave a nervous glance towards the two girls and earned a smile in return. (M/n) smiled back, placing his helmet on and walking up behind Kim onto the brightly lit platform.

He felt fifteen again.

Young and ignorant of his future ahead of him.

And Confident.

He felt Confident.

A grin grew underneath his helmet--he was thankful that it covered his face from view.