"It's rude to spy on people."

Both Marinette and the dark-haired boy beside her jump, and Adrien can't help feeling slightly guilty.

"No! It's not what you think at all!" Marinette says, clearly caught off guard. "It's just that... it's gonna be... eh... Nathaniel's birthday soon and, ehm, Marc and I wanted... to give him a disguise! I mean surprise!"

Adrien can't help smiling slightly.

"Cool," he says. "Very typical of you, Marinette. Well, if you need any help with that, let me know."

"Sure won't!" Marinette calls after him, and Adrien laughs to himself as he heads over to where Nino is standing.

"Where'd you go?" Nino asks. Adrien indicates where Marinette and the dark-haired boy, Marc, are crouched under the stairs.

"Wondering who Marinette is spying on," he says. "Apparently it's Nathaniel birthday soon?"

Nino frowns.

"Nathaniel's birthday was two months ago," he disagrees. "Are you sure she said Nathaniel?"

"Certain," Adrien says. Even though she was flustered, she definitely said Nathaniel.

"Strange," Nino says. "Marinette's been in Nathaniel's class for years, she should know when his birthday is."

Nino seems to shrug it off, but Adrien is still puzzling over it at the end of the day, when he almost walks right into the two of them. Marinette and Nathaniel.

"This isn't some kind of prank, is it, Marinette?"

"Meet at the Place des Vogues Square Fountain," Marinette grins. "Trust me, you won't be disappointed."

Adrien had intended to go home and draw some more TP with LadyBug, but gets the feeling he'll be detouring to Place des Vogues. And when he does, he's glad he did.

"LadyBug?"

Adrien, the hypocrite that he is, sits on the bench, watching Nathaniel approach a figure in red sitting on the fountain.

Nathaniel is meeting LadyBug?

How does Marinette know who LadyBug is?

His bodyguard honks, to tell Adrien that it's time for him to go, but he catches a glimpse of the person before he leaves.

Was that why Marinette was hanging out with the dark-haired boy earlier? Because he's LadyBug?

And why does Nathaniel get to find out who LadyBug is before him, ChatNoir?

Does Marinette think Nathaniel could be ChatNoir?

Now he thinks about it, it isn't too absurd a theory. Nathaniel is always drawing, and Marinette has no idea he even likes art. And, unlike Nathaniel, he's never seemed to show the slightest bit of interest in TP or Miraculous.

Maybe Marinette does think Nathaniel is ChatNoir.

Maybe Marc really is LadyBug. They both have dark hair, and LadyBug has always been so determined to hide their identity. Looking female in their profile picture must have been easy.

Or maybe Marc identifies as female.

With his newfound suspicion, Adrien is hesitant as he opens Miraculous. He wouldn't be upset or anything if Marc was LadyBug, but...

ChatNoir: hey, ladybug. u there?

The reply is fast. In all honesty, he's so much later home today compared to when he's usually home, he's more surprised that LadyBug didn't message first.

LadyBug: heya, chat. no teasing nicknames?

ChatNoir: i have an identity theory

Adrien can almost feel the teasing tone of the conversation fall away immediately.

LadyBug: go ahead

LadyBug's nervous. Adrien can tell from the speed of the reply, or perhaps it's the phrasing. He's not sure.

ChatNoir: marc anciel

He hesitates and then clicks send before he can change his mind. What if it is Marc? How will Marc react when he finds out ChatNoir is Adrien?

LadyBug: i promised you that i would tell you if you correctly guessed

Adrien stares at the message.

"Oh my God," he says aloud. "Marc Anciel is LadyBug?"

LadyBug: but you didn't get it this time. good attempt, chaton

Adrien breathes a sigh of relief, even though he isn't quite sure why he's relieved.

ChatNoir: when you try so hard but you don't succeed...

LadyBug: out of curiosity, why did you think it would be marc?

Adrien is beaming as he types.

ChatNoir: i heard someone at place des vogues call marc ladybug, and nearly had a heart attack

ChatNoir was at Place des Vogues today? Marinette is torn between crying and relief that she didn't film the exchange between Marc and Nathaniel.

"Rules out Nathaniel, I suppose," she says to her empty room. She'd just got home, after seeing Nathaniel move on from the disappointment that he hasn't met LadyBug and agreeing to make a comic book with Marc. Marinette is relieved, in all honesty.

She's not sure whether she's happy or upset that ChatNoir guessed wrong.

LadyBug: sorry, chaton. any more guesses?

ChatNoir: afraid not, mlady. you?

Marinette smiles.

LadyBug: i, like you, have simply got one name crossed off on a long list of potential people

ChatNoir: oh yeah?

LadyBug: nathaniel kurtzberg. he would be the one who accidentally addressed marc as ladybug

LadyBug: you weren't the only one who was at place des vogues, chaton

Technically, that isn't true, but it's close enough to quite probably drive ChatNoir crazy. To know he was so close to her.

And it's driving her slightly crazy, to know she was so close to him. Her best friend.

Ooh, Alya would not like that.

Second best friend, maybe.

ChatNoir: SERIOUSLY!?!?!?!?

ChatNoir: SO. CLOSE.

LadyBug: sorry to disappoint. considering we've already akumatised nathaniel, shall we akumatise marc?

ChatNoir: sounds good, bugaboo

[A/N: I meant to post the last chapter a week ago, but I got distracted (story of my life). Now Felix has come out, and my god, what have they done to my boy??]