Requested by @StutiSDoshi and several others

I'm super surprised so many people wanted a second part to this... like a lot of you. I wasn't expecting that at all. But here we are. I hope you enjoy it!

After Chat Noir discovers Marinette is Ladybug... to say he was shocked would be an understatement. But at least now he understands where she's coming from... and knows how to help. Convincing Marinette not to completely distance herself from her friends, he helps open up her heart... and perhaps reveals himself to her like she did so willingly for him.

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Chat Noir had to admit... he had not expected Marinette's big secret to be that she was Ladybug, and when she'd mentioned that revealing said secret could put her friends in danger, he hadn't understood why it would. But now it all made sense.

And now he knew how to help.

It was true that Adrien sometimes felt the same way when it involved protecting his identity. It was a pretty hefty burden to carry. He'd always assumed it was pretty simple to do though, and it really didn't affect his friendships too terribly. But then he remembered that Marinette was the guardian, and therefore, had a lot more responsibility regarding miraculouses than he did. So it was plausible that she was under a lot more stress than he could've possibly imagined.

The first thing Chat Noir did when Marinette told him that she was Ladybug was pull her into a tight hug. He didn't really need to say anything, only show her that he was there for her. And his embrace seemed to work too when Marinette let out a very audible sigh in relief, her posture loosening as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

By telling him, the weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

He pulled back eventually to get a better look at her face. He was almost in awe just at the mere sight of her, entranced in all of her beauty, as he studied her features. Marinette had always been a beautiful girl, and a part of Adrien had always found her attractive. But as he quickly began to connect the dots, already coming to terms with the similarities that both Marinette and Ladybug shared, he had to admit, it didn't surprise him at all that they were the same person.

Marinette and Ladybug were so incredibly alike. That was probably why he found himself longing for both of their affections.

He wanted to laugh at how silly he sounded.

When Marinette noticed his staring though, she frowned almost instantly. "Are you... disappointed?"

He had to blink several times before those words actually processed correctly in his brain.

"What?" And then he was looking at her with a pained expression etched into his features, because how could she think that she wasn't good enough? "No way! I'm just surprised... and honestly so relieved. I... I know you... in real life."

He decided in a split second that it was okay to reveal that to her.

Marinette's eyes widened at that. "You do?"

He nodded, unsure of what else he could say in response to that.

"Do I..." She looked uncertain as she tried to formulate a question of her own. "Do I know who you are in real life too?"

A part of him was reluctant to answer her honestly, mostly because of his insecurities. Would Marinette be happy finding out that Adrien was Chat Noir... or would she be disappointed? He knew he was being hypocritical, immediately shutting down Marinette's cynical idea that he was disappointed that she was Ladybug, even though he had doubts that she wouldn't like the real him. But that was absurd, wasn't it? Because Marinette was already friends with Adrien.

But Marinette also acted really weird around Adrien.

So did she really even like Adrien?

He decided he wouldn't lie, no matter how insecure he was feeling. Marinette had trusted him enough to tell him the truth, so he would so the same. "Yeah... you do."

At his response, she pressed her lips together into a thin line, as if she was trying to think hard on if she knew who he was. He held his breath and waited for the inevitable.

But all he received was a frustrated sigh when Marinette couldn't seem to figure it out.

He offered her a sympathized smile in return.

Despite her frustration, she didn't ask him to reveal himself to her.

After they fell into a somewhat tense silence, the second thing he did was offer Marinette his help, insisting that it was possible for her to still keep her secret a... well... secret and keep her friends safe, without having to distance herself from her friends. At first, Marinette didn't seem to buy it, and if anything, seemed only more skeptical. But... he was able to eventually convince her to give his idea a try.

So... on Monday morning... Marinette emerged from underneath the doorframe of homeroom with a box of freshly-baked macaroons in her hands.

All of her friends instantly rushed to greet her, relieved when Marinette didn't run away from them that time and instead smiled when they welcomed her, and offered them each a tasty treat as an apology for her strange behavior. When questioned why she had even been acting like that in the first place, Marinette explained that she was going through a rough time and wished not to burden her friends (or put them in compromising positions) when it came to her guilt and need for just wanting some space. Her friends seemed to except that explanation—courtesy of Chat Noir, of course, and Adrien watched from a distance as Marinette's friends embraced her in a group hug.

The blonde was beyond overjoyed to see Marinette smiling again, and his heart warmed at the mere thought of being the reason why she had decided to open up to her friends. But a part of him also frowned as he watched Marinette reconnect with all of her friends... except him. And when she gave each of them a macaroon, there wasn't even one saved for him.

Nino actually ate his right in front of him too. The audacity.

Nonetheless, Adrien was feeling a bit sad as he trudged on to last period. He couldn't understand why Marinette always treated him differently than the rest of her friends, and he wished she wouldn't. He wished he could laugh and talk and hug her like they could. He wished to be close to her too.

He hadn't realized his wish had already been granted until he rounded a corner.

They were both looking down... and so... Marinette and Adrien bonked heads before he could even blink.

She stumbled backwards, looking as if she were about to fall, but Adrien quickly rushed forward, grabbing ahold of her upper arms to keep her from tumbling back. Marinette was able to steady herself with his help—and she was quick to shove a box she'd been carrying into his arms before he'd even realized she'd been carrying said box. Out of curiosity, he slowly opened it, finding a dozen macaroons all freshly baked and warm inside.

He looked up at her in surprise. "Are these for me?"

The blush that instantly fanned her cheeks was easy to spot. His smile widened when she nodded.

"Thank you." He picked one out of the box and brought it to his lips. Taking a bite, he hummed in delight the moment the wonderful taste graced his tongue. "Wow Marinette. These are so good! And... mmmmmm passionfruit? That's my favorite!"

"Y-Yeah?"

"Are you kidding? Yes! They're the best macaroons I've ever tasted!"

"I'm glad you like them."

"How did you know passionfruit was my favorite?" He asked with a smile so wide his jaw was starting to hurt. But he just couldn't contain his smile. He was so happy that Marinette hadn't forgotten about him after all.

Marinette shyly rubbed the back of her neck. "Ah.. well... Nino sorta told me..."

Adrien chuckled as he took another bite of his delicious macaroon. "Of course he did."

Marinette chuckled as well, hers sounding a bit nervous. "I wanted to apologize for... for distancing myself from you... and just... from everyone really." She told him, suddenly sounding incredibly guilty as she looked down at her shoes. "I haven't been the best friend to anyone lately and I didn't really explain—"

"You don't need to explain anything, Marinette." He interrupted her before she could apologize for something he already knew and had already forgiven her for. He smiled brightly, hoping that his smile showed just how genuinely he meant that. "I'm not upset. Just glad to have you back and acting yourself again. I missed you."

He leaned in to hug her before she could run away from him, and the little squeak she let out only further widened his grin as he hugged her closer. Eventually, Marinette's stiff figure relaxed in his embrace, and he felt her arms move to wrap around him, holding him just as tightly as he was holding her.

"I missed you too." She whispered against his shoulder.

He hugged her tighter. Now that he couldn't see her face, he too was starting to feel more relaxed. Adrien was so tempted to never let her go. And perhaps he wouldn't have to if he told her who he really was.

Which is why, building up all the confidence he could muster, Adrien whispered right beside her ear: "You're welcome for the advice by the way."

It took Marinette a few seconds to understand the meaning behind his words. But when she did, she pulled back abruptly, staring up at him with wide, bizarre eyes.

"IT WAS YOU THE WHOLE TIME?!"

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Honestly proud of myself for getting this done so soon. I was hoping I would have the time and I did!! 😆 Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the second part! See you in the next one-shot!

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