Chat Noir's POV

"Princess, are you sure it's okay for me to be in your bed?"

"Shhh," she interrupts, tugging on my blond locks. "I'm braiding your hair."

A slight smile creeps across my face. "My hair isn't long enough to braid."

She giggles like a child. "Well, I'm gonna make it work."

Her fingers brush and comb through my hair. Her slight touches against my scalp send shivers down my spine. Her nails feel good on my skin. I feel her warm breath on the back of my neck as she tries to grab enough hair to braid, but it's no use, and my short blond hair escapes her grasp. I snicker.

"Ugh, I was so close!" She whines, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Your nails look good. Who did them?" I ask.

She smiles and turns to her side on her bed. We're so close that our noses touch.

"I did."

"Really?"

She eagerly nods her head. "You like them?"

I smirk. "I like you, princess."

She laughs and stuffs a pillow in my face. "You giant flirt! We all know your head over heels for Ladybug!"

Marinette's phone vibrates and the screen lights up. Mari notices and starts to get out of bed, but I stop her.

"Don't move. I'll get it."

She smiles a warm smile. "Thanks, kitty."

I climb down from her loft and walk toward the phone. I pick it up and tap on the screen for it to turn on. I realize it's a text from Alya.

Alya: girl! i just checked snap map and ur so busted!!

I tilt my head in confusion and text her back without telling Marinette.

Marinette: What do you mean?

Alya: ADRIEN??? AT UR HOUSE???? LATE AT NIGHT?!!! GIRL I WANNA KNOW EVERYYYYYTHINGGGG 🥴🥰

I quietly gasp. Marinette can't read Alya's text messages or she'll figure out my secret identity.

Marinette: He's helping me with a project.

Alya: be careful. we all know what happens when you get sleep deprived ;)))))

Sleep deprived? A winky face? What does she mean?

"What's taking so long?" Marinette whines. "I want my warm pillow to cuddle with!"

Oh. So that's what Alya means.

I quickly make up a fake excuse in my head. "Give me a second, princess. It's Alya and she... uh... is talking about the Ladyblog."

I quickly text Alya one more text from Marinette's phone.

Marinette: Don't worry. Nothing will happen, I promise.

Alya: since when do you use full punctuation??

I snicker at Alya's response and delete the message. I leave Marinette's phone on the table and walk back to her loft, then climb back into bed with her.

"What was she talking about?" Marinette asks.

I run my hand through her blue hair. She takes a deep breath in and closes her eyes, digging into the pillow.

"Something about Ladybug's identity," I lie.

Her eyes snap wide open. "W-what?"

"Uh, y-yeah?" I nervously stutter. I'm never good with lying. "She has a theory on who she is."

Marinette giggles and lays her head on my chest.

"About time. I'm her best friend after all," she mumbles like she's drunk. "She's gonna kill me."

"What?" I ask, confused.

She looks confused as well, but then smiles and continues to cuddle me. "Oh, she doesn't know yet. Never mind."

My heart races in my chest. Is Marinette Ladybug? I start thinking of how she would always disappear when there was an akuma attack. Her dark hair and blue eyes. It would make sense...

But then Alya's text hits me. Marinette is sleep deprived. What if I got my hopes up for no reason? She was probably just babbling nonsense. I quietly sigh but still keep the thought in the back of my head.

Marinette squeezes me. "Your hugs are very nice, if I do say so myself."

I chuckle. "You're very cute when you're half asleep."

"What was that?" She mutters slowly lifting her head up to look at me.

My face immediately turns bright red when I realize what I said. "I- uh, actually I don't know myself."

She giggles and taps my noes with her finger. "Boop!"

I sigh. "Alright princess, I think I have to get home..."

"No."

"Pft, excuse me?!" I laugh.

She smiles half-asleep. "I don't want you to. Sleep with me."

"M-MARINETTE?!"

"Oh, that did not come out right," she giggles.

I look at her surprised. "No, it really didn't!"

She stays quiet, waiting for an answer from me.

I sigh looking away. "Fine, but promise me you'll sleep. You're too much when you're sleep deprived."

She yanks my hand and I fall back into the mattress. She rolls on her side to where her back is pressed against my stomach. I smile gently. What the hell, I might as well. I hold my arm across her shoulder and hold her, closing my eyes, slowly falling asleep as we spoon.

I don't know for sure, but I could have sworn I heard her mumble 'Adrien' in her sleep.

Beep beep beep...

I hear rustling around in the sheets and realized that someone turned off the alarm clock. I groan and sit up in the bed. I rub my eyes and run my hand through my hair. I slowly open my puffy eyes and glance around at my surroundings. Bright sun peaks through the blinds and rests against the light pink sheets. I smell a faint smell of pancakes accompanied by a light sizzling sound from bacon.

Where am I?

Wait. I slept over.

I'm wide awake now. I look down at my hands and gasp. I look over at her mirror and confirm. I'm sitting on my knees on top of Marinette's bed sheets with my messy bed-head accompanied by my baggy white t-shirt and sports shorts. Yep, I'm de-transformed.

I whip my head around to look at the girl slowly walking up. If Marinette even sees the slightest peak of me, she'll immediately realize that her classmate is Chat Noir.

"P-Princess, close your eyes!" I frantically stutter.

She starts to sit up in her bed, confused. "Wait what..."

I immediately jump up and slam my palm of my hand over her eyes, shoving her back down into her pillow.

"Excuse me!?"

"Marinette! I-It's Chat Noir!" I whisper shout, careful that her parents don't hear me.

"Chat Noir?! What are you doing here? Pervert!" She screams, clearly ignoring my hushed voice.

"Excuse me missy, but you begged me to sleep over!"

She quietly gasps with her vision still blocked from my hand.

"Oh my god. I was sleep deprived. I don't remember anything. Did I say anything?" She asks ashamed.

I snicker. "Only that you wanted to sleep with me, but whatever. You're lucky I belong to milady."

She groans. "Just transform and get out of my room."

"Keep your eyes closed, okay?" I whisper, pulling my hand away.

She nods.

"Plagg, claws out."

"All good?"

"Yep," I reply.

She opens her eyes and sits up in bed. She stretches and yawns, combing through her silky blue hair. I have to turn away because I feel pink growing on my cheeks. She reminds me just of Milady. Her hair is gorgeous. Her smile is breathtaking. Her eyes... you could just get lost in them.

"You good kitty?" She asks.

"Yeah," I quickly reply, getting out of her bed. "See you later, princess."

"Wait," she calls out, grabbing my hand.

I turn around and look at her.

"Do you... uh..." she sighs and shakes her head. "Never mind."

I place my finger under her chin and tilt it up to my face. "What's on your mind?"

She looks away. "Do you go to my school?"

"I don't know if milady would let me tell you that," I whisper rubbing the back of my neck.

"Please. You can trust me," she insists.

I look at the poster of me - I mean, Adrien - behind her. I sigh and shake my head then look back into her bright blue eyes. "Yes, princess, I do. Find someone who acts the exact opposite I do, and you'll know who I am."

I salute with two fingers and jump out of her room through the open trapdoor and out her balcony.

Marinette's POV

"Marinette!" Alya squeals and runs towards me once I arrive at the front of the school. "How was it?!"

I look at her confused. "How was what?"

"Lying to me now?" She asks, but then her eyes light up with pure mischief. "Girl, you've got something to hide, don't you!"

"W-What?!" I squeak.

She places her finger on her chin and thinks, shifting her weight from side to side. Suddenly an idea hits her and she grabs my shoulders. She brushes my hair off my neck.

"I'm sure there's a hickey here somewhere..."

"A-ALYA!" I scream, pushing her away.

She just snickers and crosses her arms. "Don't try and fool me, Dupain-Cheng. I know your secret!"

I feel my cheeks heat up and I stand as straight as a board.

"C-Chat Noir?"

Her eyes glimmer bright and she jumps back on me and pulls out her phone to the Ladyblog.

"Chat Noir! Right! I have a new theory on him!" She eagerly explains.

I sigh from relief. Whatever she knows, she doesn't know that Chat Noir was in my room last night.

"Hey Marinette!"

I twirl around on my foot to face the familiar voice.

"H-Hey Adrien!"

He walks up to me, but Alya quickly jumps infront of me with her arms wide open.

"Don't even think about taking another step towards her, Agreste," she threatens through closed teeth. "If you do, I'll do something to you so bad that it will make hitler look like a saint."

"ALYA!" I scream, surprised. "It's fine, Adrien and I are on good terms!"

I step in front of Alya and grab Adrien's hand and start walking. I cant waste any more time. Every second that goes by is another second the rose thorns grow tighter around my heart.

"Where are you two going?" Alya asks suddenly.

"Somewhere. I'll meet you in the classroom, okay?" I answer, dragging Adrien inside the school where it's quiet.

"Marinette, are you okay?" Adrien asks, concerned and confused.

I nervously giggle to myself, surprised at the courage I had. "Oh! Uh, y-yeah, there's just something I really, really have to tell you."

"Oh? What?" The blond asks.

Okay Marinette, don't waste anytime. Just tell him. Straight up. Do it.

"Adrien, I-"

Ringgg

Adrien's eyes widen. "Oh, that's the bell for class! Let's go and meet up with Nino and Alya, or we'll be late!"

I curse the bell, I curse my luck, but most importantly, I curse myself.

He looks back at me. "You good, Mari?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," I lie, but then something hits me. "You have never called me Mari."

I could have sworn his face turned bright red.

"Oh, uh, I think it suits you. Is there something wrong with it?"

I shake my head. "Oh, no! It's fine. It's just someone really close calls me that."

"I'm glad you consider them close." He smiles. "Now, do you want to go to class?"

I start to nod my head, but then I start to choke. I cough. I double over and continue to cough, louder and louder.

"M-Marinette!" Adrien stutters. "What's wrong?! How can I help you?"

He bends down and wraps his arm over my shoulder. I continue to cough, feeling the petals climbing up my throat. I can't let Adrien see me like this. He'll probably think I'm weird, and then he'll hate me, and then he'll want to move away all because of me!

"Marinette!" Adrien snaps, interrupting my thoughts.

I look up at him, still coughing, with my eyes watering.

"I'm going to take you to the bathroom, okay?"

He picks me up and starts running towards the girls restroom. I cough over his shoulder and hold to him tightly. We burst into the bathroom together. I cough violently and petals spill out of my mouth.

"M-Marinette?" Adrien stutters. "Are those flower petals?"

I push him aside and dash to the toilet. I fall down onto my knees and cough up the rest of the petals with blood oozing out of my mouth. This time, eight petals fall out of my mouth accompanied with two leaves and a broken thorn. I swish blood around in my mouth and spit the rest of it out. I wipe my mouth and stand back up as if nothing happened.

"Marinette?" Adrien asks concerned.

I look back at him. "What?"

He stands up straight and broadens his shoulders.

"What was that?!" He snaps, with a hint of frustration in his words.

He knows I'm not telling him something.

"Nothing." I lie in a monotone voice. "If you knew what it was, then we would have a problem."

I turn around and walk out the bathroom back to class, leaving him alone.

Marichat seems to be working well, but not Adrienette... :0

how early would you like the reveal to happen? comment so i can know your input!

also some people were commenting on the blond vs blonde thing. blond is for boys, blonde is for girls. hope that helps :))

Thanks for 2k, and as always, upvote the chapter!! <3