Woah. I did not see that coming. Though now that I think about it, it kinda makes sense. The stuttering, the blushing faces, the everything really. I really can't believe I didn't see Marinette's crush on me. 
"Hey Chat!"
"Gah!" I shouted. "You scared me!"
She chuckled. "Oh, so the mighty Chat Noir isn't as fearless as he thinks he is."
I felt my face turn red. "Ju-just joking Princess! Nothing can faze this cat!"
"Mhm," she hummed. "whatever helps you sleep at night."
"Whatever...Purr-incess." I said with a wink.
Now it was her turn to blush.
Gosh, she's cute. Woah! Where did that thought come from!
"What thought?" Marinette inquired.
"What?"
"You said: 'Where did that thought come from?' so I was wondering what thought. If you don't mind sharing."
I stared for a bit before answering. "Some things are best kept secret little lady."
She rolled her bluebell eyes playfully. "Whatever."
"By the way Marinette," I started.
"Yeah?" She responded as she turned her back to me.
"Can I have some cookies?"
"Hmm...Nope!"
"Than- wait, what?"
She turned around to reveal the note that Ladybug wrote her. "Nope!" She repeated.
"Come on! You would really listen to Ladybug instead of me? How close are you two?" I whined.
She smirked. "Close enough, big boy."
I felt my face go completely warm. "She told you about that?!"
"Maybe."
I felt a light bulb go off in my head. "Well, you know what she told me?"
She paled. "W-what?"
"How you got it b-a-d for that Agreste boy."
Her snow white skin instantly turned into a tomato red. "I-i do not-" She stopped after seeing the look on my face and sighed in defeat. "Yeah, I do." She whispered.
"Why though? Wait. Lemme guess. It's 'cause of his stellar looks that are almost capable of surpassing mine isn't it?"
She blinked. "What? No!"
"Really?"
"Of course not! Before, Adrien Agreste was just the son of my idol. A boy on a magazine. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Go on..." I urge.
"But then, he came to my school. At first, I thought he was just like Chloè. A rich brat. And I had good reason to think that! He was putting gum on my seat!"
I frown. Didn't I already establish that I wasn't the person putting gum on her seat? I opened my mouth to say something but she continued.
"Turns out, I was dead wrong. He was taking the gum off."
"And then?" I asked.
"And then, he explained what had really happened and gave me his umbrella because it was raining and I had forgotten mine. He gave me his umbrella. He could've just said 'I didn't  do it" and left me to wait for who-knows-how-long for the rain to stop. But he didn't. He was still kind to me even after I was such a...such a...Chloé.  I didn't deserve his kindness after treating him so poorly. Not even giving him a chance. But he gave it to me anyway. That's why I fell for him. For his heart, not his looks." She smiled at the memory before giggling. "The looks are just a bonus."

I smiled. She really thinks that of me. She really loves me for me. Adrien Agreste the human being with feelings and emotions and not Adrien Agreste the model boy with the pretty face.  I always thought Marinette was pretty and sweet. Heck, I kinda even had a small crush on her. But that night, I realized that Marinette Dupain-Cheng was beautiful with a heart of gold. While a part of my heart would always belong to Ladybug, I know for a fact that Marinette will always be there for me. Either as Adrien or Chat. And I love her for that. 
"Although I wish he would smile more."
"What does that mean Princess?" I asked. Seriously. I needed to know. I thought I smiled everyday!
"I mean, I wish he would smile smile. I wish he would give us a smile that would reach his eyes. Not a smile that he gives to the photographer."

I felt my heart beat  faster. She could tell?

"I mean, sometimes I would see him smile smile, I know that he hasn't had the perfect life and I would totally try to get closer to him so that I can try to make him happy but whenever i'm near him, i'm a stupid, stuttering, blushing mess."

"W-when...um...when have you seen him smile smile?" 

"One when I made a fool of myself in front of him with his umbrella and another when I gave him his scarf."

I smiled as I remembered how she closed the umbrella over herself the day we became friends, but the scarf? She never gave me a scarf.

"The second one was a lie actually. I didn't give him a scarf. Well, I made it for him but was too nervous to actually walk up and give it to him. I gave it to his assistant but I guess that the sticky note that I signed fell off and he thought it was from his dad. I never told him that it was actually from me."

What? Why? "Why not Mari?" I asked, voicing my thoughts out loud.

"Because he genuinly smiled when he thought it was from his dad. I didn't want that smile to go away. I am so lucky he hasn't seen my signature on it yet."

"Where did you sign it?"

"In the secret pocket near the edge of the scarf." 

Suddenly, a look of  worry passed over her face. "Oh my gosh! Chat, i've been bothering you with my boy problems this whole time! It must be so awkward for you! I'm so so so sorry! Let's change the subject." 

I chuckled. "Actually, Princess, It's not awkward at all. Keep going."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Why don't you talk to him? Don't you want to become more than friends?"

"I don't talk to him more because I can't  talk to him more. I can never get a complete sentence out when i'm near him. Also, like anyone with a crush, of course I want to be more than friends but being just friends is fine with me as well."

I grinned. "I know how you can get him to notice you."

She looked at me with eagerness written all over her face. "Really? How?"

I walked over to where she was  standing and gave her a hug. "Just be yourself." I whisper. 

She hugs me back after a few seconds. Just standing there in her arms felt amazing. Right. Amazingly right. "Thank you Princess."

She pulls back, confused. "For what?" 

My miraculous beeped and I made my way to the trapdoor. "Everything." I said before leaping out into the beautiful Parisian night.