A/N: [School time now— gotta finish this book.]

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Marinette 🍪

He had the audacity to try and apologize through a piece of paper?! I shoved the envelope back through the trap door in frustration. He wouldn't even directly talk to me!

I folded my arms vigorously, hoping that he'd decide to leave me alone. Then there came that irritating knocking again.

"I think you should just let him in," Tikki said, "before he wakes up your parents."

I so badly wanted to disagree, but she was right. Chat was in the phase where he would do anything in order to make me forgive him again.

I slowly unlocked the latch and opened my trap door to be met with green eyes and cat-like features. He looked down at me with a guilty expression, which I ignored best I could.

"What do you want?" I spat rudely.

He caused me so much pain and anger as Marinette and I could not stand to endure it any longer. Now, Chat wanted to come back in my life so suddenly to change my mind.

"I know that you hate doing this just as much as I do," he spoke.

I resisted the urge to close my eyes and wrap the sound of his voice at the front of my memory storage. It reminded me of the times he'd make love to me or when he'd command me to go home and protect myself.

It reminded me of the past days that were filled with curiosity and comfort.

Then I remembered that he was actually Adrien who I had a crush on ever since he gave me his umbrella. He had never retaliated my feelings when I told him that I liked him.

I digressed and started climbing onto the balcony. If he wanted a confession then that's what I was going to give him.

Chat held his arm out to help me up my I slapped it away like I did on Christmas. It might have been a little harsh, but it wasn't worse that how hard the realisation hit me during the Feast.

"Why are you here?" I sneered, emphasising every syllable.

"I..." Chat began, staring down at his letter to me, "I wanted to make things right."

"With a card?"

"No," he answered with no emotion, "the letter was only ever a backup. I know you'd rather the explanation come from my mouth."

I raised a brow as I witnessed a hint of a smirk appear on Chat's face. I glowered at him once again.

"How exactly were you going to make things right?" I said.

"Say my apologies," he admitted, "give you the card and ask you few questions."

I rolled my eyes, "What questions?"

Chat stared at me, studying my every move like a game of chess where I was losing. I held my arms again, feeling the same sense of nakedness like when Adrien found out my identity.

"Why are you so angry at me?" he began.

I laughed in a cruel manner, "Are you serious?"

"Yes."

I winced in confusion. Did he really not know why I was so angry at him?

Finding out his identity shook me so badly— I had just discovered that my old crush was the person I had been having sex with for the past few weeks and he asked me that question.

"Because..." I groaned with gritted teeth.

Chat folded his arms, waiting. He was on to me, ready to prove me wrong.

"Because it's you," I said, "the boy I thought I loved. You knew that I did, disguised as a completely different person."

Chat bit his lip, taking one step closer to me. I didn't move as I knew that he'd just corner me anyway.

"Because you had never truly mentioned anything as Adrien to me," I continued, "even when I wanted to be close to the both of you. Even when you pushed Ladybug away."

"I never pushed Ladybug away, Marinette," he debated, whispering, "Both you and Ladybug have a huge part of my heart that I don't think I'll ever get back."

I shook my head and looked up to the night sky where the stars seemed to be pulsing, almost as if they were laughing at our conversation.

"Well, you can take it back now," I replied, tears forming in the corners of my eyes.

"I don't want it back. My heart will forever be yours and nothing will change that."

He was making it so difficult to get my point across. Did he not understand that I was uncomfortable knowing that all those nights, I'd been laughing, talking and making love to my crush?

"Why are you angry at me?" Chat asked again in a serious tone.

"Because it's you," I repeated insistently.

"Who am I?"

I shook my head, tears starting to fall. I didn't want to give him the pleasure of letting him think that I could accept it.

"Say my name, Marinette," he sighed, "Please."

His Miraculous beeped before I closed my eyes and turned my head to the side so that he couldn't see the tormented feelings on my face.

"Marinette..."

I felt his hand under my chin as he gently lift my face to his.

I slowly started opening my eyes, seeing Chat's complex, green eyes staring back. I watched his features carefully, comparing Chat to Adrien. Other than the hair and eyes, they looked exactly the same.

How could I not notice? We'd been together for months and yet I couldn't even see the resemblance.

Chat smiled at me sadly, which broke my heart. He went through so many things as Adrien and he wore a smile like that— his mother's disappearance, his father's rejection... As Adrien's friend, I hadn't truly been paying attention to his family issues.

He wanted to run away with me and show me his identity because nobody else seemed to be helping him as Adrien. And I was the only person helping him as Chat.

I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. A part of me wanted to apologise or push him away for not telling me earlier. Chat would always be the person I love, of course, but knowing that his actual identity belonged to my crush who I barely knew in the first place... I did not know what to feel.

"Are you even my Chat anymore?" I asked in a whisper.

"I will always be yours."

After a long moment of hesitation, I slowly rested my head onto his chest and reached around his torso to hug him.

He hugged back immediately, gripping me in a desperate, longing embrace. His shaky sigh shudded through me gratefully like he was thanking me for giving him something that he could only dream of: true love.

I gave myself some time to breathe and think about what we have been through together and what the end had in store for us. I thought back to the time Adrien gave me his umbrella and when Chat Noir sent me those letters.

They had different personalities, but that does not necessarily make them have different intentions. Both Chat and Adrien were wrong when he pushed me to run away. I was wrong when I tried to push him further away from me.

All we had now was the truth.

All we had now was each other.

"Adrien," I said.

That's when we both knew that I'd accepted him as Chat and Adrien— that it did not matter who was behind that mask. It only mattered as to who he chose to be.

Chat let out a shaky sigh— I could tell that he was trying his best not to sob with delight so I buried my head in the crook of his neck for comfort.

"Je'taime, Ladybug," he croaked, holding me tighter.

"I love you too, Chaton."

His ring beeped and I pulled him inside before he detransformed on my balcony. I closed the trap door behind us before hugging Chat in another embrace on my bed. Just before I had the chance to kiss him, Tikki appeared from under my bed.

"You're together again!" she cheered jubilantly.

Chat laughed, "Good to see you too Tikki."

His ring beeped one last time before a bright, green light surrounded him. I watched as Chat detransformed in front of my eyes. Adrien caught Plagg from the air and set him down on my bed.

"Finally," the Kwami groaned, exhausted, "It took all my energy to get him out of his own bed."

Tikki pulled him up, assuring us that they'd give us some time while she fed Plagg Camembert downstairs.

The second they were gone, Adrien and I just stared at each other while taking it all in: Adrien was Chat; Marinette was Ladybug— we only loved one another throughout our lives. It would have ended up like this either way.

Adrien reached out to me and held his hand to my face admiringly like I was the most beautiful art he had ever seen.

Before he could think of saying anything else, my lips were already on his, hungry and grateful. I kissed him as if I hadn't seen him in years. I wanted the closeness that we once had, back again.

Adrien kissed back and I was even more ecstatic when I realised that the sensation of our kiss was still the same: his lips caressing mine, hands rubbing up and down my arms.

"I missed you so much," he breathed in between kisses.

I didn't reply to that because I knew that words weren't needed anymore.

***

The next morning, I woke up thinking about Chat...well, Adrien— ugh, I was going to have to get used to that now.

At midnight, he had left after he transformed, telling me that he would see me at school later. Never had I ever been so excited to get out of bed to go to school. In fact, I put an alarm for myself so that I could wake up earlier than usual.

I got gone faster than I ever had, thinking back to the previous, amazing night with Adrien as I finally got to open my eyes while we made love. I had to shut my mouth extra carefully but it was all worth it. Everything was just worth it.

"I'm glad you had an exhilarating night," Tikki said, surprised at how fast I was getting done.

She was holding a green envelope in her arms, which I took excitedly for it was the letter he wanted to give to me just in case.

I still had more than enough time to eat and finish getting done so I opened the letter and sat down on the couch to read it.

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Dear Marinette/Ladybug

My time with you was worthwhile and I regret nothing.

I messed up a lot of times, but that got me closer to you. I saw goodness in my faults and loss in gain, but nothing can change the way you make me feel.

I look at you and see a future that I never could have imagined before we met.

I know that things didn't turn out the way we expected but, in all honesty, I think that makes it a thousand times more beautiful.

I don't regret us.

You will always be the one I love, with or without the mask.

The rest of my life is set out for me on a broken pavement, but with you I feel as if my journey will forever stay fixed. So, please don't leave me.

I'm sorry for all the pain I caused you. Allow me to make this right again? Please forgive me.

I love you, limitlessly.

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My legs turned into jelly and my arms couldn't seem to hold the paper right. Adrien's letters always made me weak in that way— ever since the Dark Cupid incident. I thought back to when we were talking about stars, how Chat mentioned that they were not limitless because they eventually die.

I love you limitlessly.

I knew why he wrote that: it's as if to say that our love will never end, to show that he will forever love me for all eternity.

I read it again repeatedly before holding in to my heart, reminding myself what a truly lucky bug I am.

***

I made my way to school confidently, mentally hitting myself because I had managed to be late once again. I had been reading Chat's letter for an entire hour and didn't even notice until my mom called me down for breakfast. I had to explain to my mom why I needed to stay after school.

I told her that I needed to finish homework in the library with Alya when, honestly, I just wanted to spend time with Chat now that we were back together again.

Once I entered class, the first person I make eye contact with was Adrien. He smiled at me with so much glee, waving nervously.

I blushed as the flashbacks from the previous night came rushing back and felt immediately flustered as I sat behind him in my own desk.

It felt so strange keeping such a huge secret from friends when the person you'd been having sex with for the past couple of weeks was siting near you the whole time.

Poor Adrien— he had to go through that everyday without me even knowing.

Thankfully, Ms Bustier and Lila weren't in class. Unfortunately, that gave the class an opportunity to ask me questions on Chat again.

"How long have you been seeing Paris' superhero?" Mylène asked.

"Why are you so close with him?" Théo added.

"Did you use protection?"

I didn't even want to know who was asking those types of questions.

I looked down at Adrien who tried telling people to back off along with Alya and Nino. I just sighed and looked around the crowd of curious students.

"He's probably just using her as his personal toy," Chloe laughed rudely, "She just doesn't want to admit it."

I pulled fists to my side, hating Chloe for making the class agree with her. If I did not give them an answer soon then the rumours would just get worse and that would be bad publicity for Chat.

Seriously, who would want to believe that their saviour was an irresponsible teenager who flung with innocent citizens every night?

"Actually," I spoke, finding my voice, "you know what? I feel like I've been keeping this secret for too long."

The class stared at me hungrily with surprise. Adrien wore a look of pure terror like he wanted to say 'What the hell are you doing?!'.

"Really?" Alya gasped, getting her phone ready.

"Yes," I said, urging myself not to sound too sarcastic, "I think you all deserve to know that Chat never actually did anything with me..."

Adrien gaped at me in surprise, but I gave him a look that said 'Don't worry, I got this'.

"I mean, it's all quite embarrassing really," I laughed," Chat Noir was just asking me for advice."

Students started screaming over each other, demanding I explain. I raised my hand to calm them down.

"He was having problems with Ladybug and he wanted advice to try and 'win her heart' back."

I gestured with my hands, almost to prove my point, "I told him that he should do something truly romantic in order for her to fully forgive him."

Adrien knew I was hinting at him, shaking his head at me unbelievably. I wanted to laugh at his reaction, but continued with my story.

"I told him to take her somewhere beautiful—"

"Like the Eiffel Tower!" Rose exclaimed, "At night!"

"Exactly!" I said, thanking her for bringing along the idea.

"With Music in the background," another voice added.

"Don't forget the flowers!"

Before I knew it, the class was shouting suggestions at me as to what I should tell Chat Noir to do for Ladybug so that he could woo her.

Adrien looked up at me with an amused smirk. He took out a sheet of paper and started writing something— it looked like he was taking down notes.

***

I walked out of class with Alya by my side who was wondering why Chat Noir would possibly believe I was the person to go to for advice.

"I'm quite the romantic, Alya," I answered with a shrug, "you'd be surprised."

"Yeah," a voice agreed from behind, "you'd be surprised."

I felt a hand in my own and immediately knew that it was Adrien. I looked up at him and smiled before he kissed me softly on the lips.

Alya's eyes widened, head bowed down in shock. She turned to Nino who had the exact same expression. I glanced at our surroundings to see people staring just as flabbergasted. I shrugged innocently as if to say 'Surprise?'.

The next thing I knew, the school exploded in squeals and cheers as Adrien guided me towards his limo outside.

***

The atmosphere was a bit awkward since Natalie, Gabriel's assistant, stared at the two of us pretty much the whole ride to the Agreste mansion.

We whispered to each other about what we thought Alya and Nino were going to do to us the next time we saw them.

I  thanked Adrien for the card he had given me last night and even stole a kiss to show him how grateful I was. Natalie cleared her throat and it took all my will power not to burst out in laughter.

Adrien noticed and could not help himself as he let out a soft laugh. I rested my head on his shoulder the rest of the way. I swear, I saw a hint of a smile on Natalie's face, but who am I to judge?

***

We made our way upstairs to Adrien's room, but before we could reach it, the intimidating figure of Gabriel Agreste stood before us. I stifled a gasp before Adrien took my hand in comfort.

"Father," he said, "I thought your meeting—"

"Cancelled," Gabriel interrupted simply, arms behind his back.

Adrien inhaled deeply after nodding his head and turning to me, "Father, I'd like you to officially meet Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

I stepped up from behind Adrien and greeted with all the confidence I could muster, "Good day, Mister Agreste."

Adrien smiled at me hopefully to which I retaliated squeezing his hand with assurance.

Gabriel replied easily, noticing our linked hands, "It is now."

He then walked away, the accepting tone of his voice ringing through the air.

***

Five years later

I used my yo-yo to swing to the Eiffel Tower where Chat said he needed help. That silly cat always getting himself in a mess, especially when he's at the bakery— Dad jokes about that all the time.

I landed on the top of the Eiffle Tower and look down at the whole town of Paris. After five years, the scene never changed.

Alya was busy patrolling as Volpina tonight so she was probably somewhere near the Louvre and Chloe promised to check out the post office just in case there were intruders.

Paris truly was a beautiful sight during the night. I could've stared at it for hours, but I had a cat to save (again). I turned to the centre of the structure to see a dark figure smirking at me with pink, glow-in-the-dark stars littering the background.

I could hear soft, gentle piano music from a distance and shook my head in disbelief. Was this a dream?

"I'm glad you could make it, M'lady," Chat said from above me, holding a bouquet of flowers in his hands.

"What is this, Chaton?" I giggled, holding my yo-yo in front of my mouth.

"Your advice."

He still remembered. I gaped at the stars, reminding myself of when Chat and I stared at glow-in-the-dark stickers on my ceiling, talking about stars, love and life. He landed in front of me, handing me the flowers.

I blinked in shock and joy and all the emotions that welled up inside me. Tears of happiness clouded the side of my eyes. Chat kissed them away, hugging me.

"You remembered all this?" I asked.

"Luckily I took notes," he replied.

I laughed and hugged back. Chat then started waltzing this me to the background, piano music. I sucked at dancing, but he seemed to be teaching me before I could step over his feet.

"Marinette," he whispered in my ear, sending chills down my spine, "you are the most amazing, talented, kind, smart, beautiful—"

"Oh, stop it," I scoffed, flattered.

Chat shook his head with a smile. I wasn't making it easier for him.

"Anyway..." he began to blush, "well, I was thinking that we've been together for a long time and I had gotten closer to you ever since that time when I sent you those letters and I feel as if it's time to make it official..."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, concerned.

I started to get worried. The last time Chat acted that way was when he wanted to run away with me. Did he want to do it again? Was there anything going on with Gabriel and him that I didn't know about?

"It's been five years and I feel like we deserve to be together for the rest of our lives..."

"Chat, what's going on?"

We slowly stopped dancing and then, suddenly, Chat stepped down on one knee. He held out a small, black box which revealed a beautiful diamond ring inside. I gasped and covered my mouth in shock.

"Marinette, will you marry—"

"Chat!" I squealed excitedly, "Oh my goodness, of course! YES!"

He placed the ring on my finger before I immediately jumped on him. We both fell back as I kissed him non-stop.

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A/N: this is still a Marichat sin book so I'm not done yet— the journey has been miraculous so far, guys. Thanks for reading, voting and commenting 😎✌️Almost complete, readers.

20~~ Delivered

[SPOILER: one chapter left]