A blood red silk gown glided over the marble steps which sang to her as her heels kissed it gently, stepping with grace and trepidation as she waited for the young man who'd asked her to the dance. Her hair was twisted into an elegant knot crowning her head and her fringe swept across her forehead with a curl or two escaping the clasps she'd fixed in haphazardly.

She didn't know what to expect, honestly. These formal occasions weren't what she was used to as Marinette; Ladybug was totally familiar with ceremonies of course but as Marinette she was trembling in her shoes. Goosebumps rippled up her arm even though it was warmer than usual this evening.

As she waited at the foot of the staircase panic spread through her like a virus and chilled her to her core, wondering if he was coming and when and was it all a joke and was she overdressed or under dressed and should she have worn black instead when suddenly she saw him dressed in his sharp tuxedo and shining shoes and her heart leapt because she knew now that everything would be fine. His smile was gentle and his hands were in his pockets as she looked back at him with a flush peppering her cheeks. As he made her way towards her she felt her heart start to pound wildly as she panicked though it was totally unnecessary to do so because it was fine.

"You look," he murmured so no one else could hear them and she felt like she might pass out, "amazing, Marinette." How could his smile be so easy? She felt like her face must be on fire.

"Thank y-you Adrien," she said to her feet so she didn't get swallowed by those eyes again. He smiled again and offered a hand.

"Well, shall we?" She didn't need to reply, only took his hand and walked with him to the ballroom. Even now, Marinette wondered how in hell she was here. Adrien had asked her to be his date for this party his father was hosting out of town and somehow she'd managed to stutter through an acceptance without dying on he spot. She'd been shopping with Alya for hours on end before settling on this dress and her mother had spent another good chunk of time helping her do her hair, and now... Now she was holding Adrien's hand as he was dressed in a tuxedo which fitted very, very well and she was in a ball-gown of sparkling red and they were going to dance. Together.

She'd never been so petrified.

It was like Adrien could sense it. He placed a hand in the dip of her waist while placing hers on his shoulder gently. Feeling her hiss as she inhaled sharply he looked down at her.

"You'll be fine," he whispered. The band was already playing a slow, gentle and floating waltz which reverberated in her ears, making them ring. She took a breath, closed her eyes and opened them to meet Adrien's own, shining ones. Gritting her teeth, she nodded and he grinned.

All of a sudden he swept her against him and her breath nearly stopped at the way he was looking into her eyes, like he was boring into them with his own. She let him lead; there was no way she could trust her own initiative anyway and they swept across the dance floor, clearing a path wherever they went and onlookers looked and sighed with a gentle smile because they too remembered what it was like to be fifteen and so willing, so eager, to feel.

The dance seemed to last an eternity, but also a second, a fleeting sliver of song that was over all too soon. When the song slowed to a close though, Adrien made no move to step away from Marinette. He was breathing heavily and his hand gripped her waist more tightly, like he was imploring her to stay. She didn't move. Her legs weren't obeying her anyway.

The band struck up a more lively, upbeat tune and Adrien glanced around at everyone who seemed to be more willing to join in with the dancing now, and back to Marinette who was watching him, wide eyed.

"C'mon," he uttered to her. "Got something to show you." She followed, her fingers still gripping his tight as they slipped through the crowd, largely unnoticed. They reached a small balcony richly bathed in the buttermilk of moonlight and he stared out, over the city. Cautiously, she stepped beside him, unsure.

"When my dad had parties when I was a kid," he said quietly after a moment, "I'd come here to get away. I'd sit here for hours, waiting for everyone to just leave me alone, until my mother came and found me. She'd read me a story to send me to sleep, call me a silly kitty, tell me off for running away, but she'd be smiling and she'd kiss me and hug me real tight. Then Father would argue with her. Said I wasn't important enough to worry about and it was my own fault if I caught pneumonia or something. She'd argue back and it'd go on for hours sometimes. Then one day it just ended, and then there was nothing. She didn't come and say goodbye to me."

Catching sight of Marinette's eyes, wide in horror, he looked down at his hands.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, "it doesn't matter. It's just, these parties, they remind me of her. I could never say this kind of thing to Chloe, and even if I did she wouldn't care -"

"Adrien," she said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder, "it does matter. It all matters. If you're not okay, it really matters, because you deserve to be happy. You can talk to me, any time, you know that don't you?"

"I'm not a burden to you?"

"A-Adrien," she murmured, trying her very hardest not to stutter, "you're anything but. You're kind and honest and gorgeous and gentle and you deserve to be happy. Of course you're not a burden." She didn't quite realise why he was smiling to himself.

"I'm gorgeous?"

Marinette flushed a deeper scarlet than her dress and it felt like everything was imploding. Why did she have to slip up now? They were in the middle of a deep conversation and she was supposed to be making him feel better about himself, not making stupid comments! It didn't seem like Adrien minded though. He was smiling at her, one of the ones that made something twinkle in his eyes and she felt like the breath had been knocked out of her lungs because apparently she couldn't function when he was standing there. Tonight though, she promised herself, tonight would be different.

"Well," she said, trying her hardest not to stutter and keep her blushing to a minimum of tomato red, "you're a model aren't you? Of course you'd have to be gorgeous!" His smile faltered slightly and she steeled herself up. She'd been avoiding this for too long. "Adrien -" she murmured and he looked up at her, a little light shining in his eyes. "I - I think I - oh god, I've been meaning to tell you for so long and - well - I -"

"Marinette," he whispered back, a smile gracing his lips easily. "I know."

"You -" she breathed, "you what?"

"I know you like me," he said with a smile. A blush splattered across her cheeks and she hid her face from him. He laughed exasperatedly. "Well it wasn't exactly hard to figure out!"

"Don't talk to me -" she muttered, "oh god I did not picture it going like this..." With a grin he placed his hands on her shoulders, felt her flinch under his warm hands, and gently turned her to face him. Questions began bubbling in her head and it was like he heard them all.

"It helps that I like you too."

Rewind. Play that again. Say it louder for the people in the back.

"What, about, Ladybug?" Marinette gulped between words. Adrien smiled.

"She was always out of my league. Until I figured, maybe she was closer to home than I realised."

He knows. Oh dear god - he knows.

"Adrien-?"

"You're Ladybug, aren't you?"

Wordlessly, she nodded. He grinned, a great smile that seemed to split his face and looked very familiar to her. Incredibly familiar. She wondered if it would be possible, and if so, what an incredible coincidence and how could this be happening...

"I guess the cat's out of the bag huh?"

Oh the sheer nerve of that stupid alleycat - it was him. And he was still making puns at her?! Now, when he was so close and after that dance and heartfelt conversation and reveal for crying out loud?

"Chat you utter prick -"

"My Lady -"

"Do you know how long I liked you? The amount of times I pushed you away because I liked you as Adrien? Because I knew it wouldn't be fair to him but all the time I was falling for you, for both of you and for God's sake why didn't you just tell me because this wouldn't have had to have happened and I wouldn't be completely dying of shame and rambling through everything and-"

"Marinette -"

"-and when I kissed you when we were fighting Dark Cupid it was you all that time and all those times you kissed my hand and tried to make a move on me it was really you and why didn't I notice this before for God's sake it's so ridiculous and I'm so pathetic for not seeing it -"

"Marinette will you be quiet for a minute and just let me kiss you?"

She fell silent, her eyes open wide in shock. Adrien just smiled and held her gently as he leant down to close that tiny space between them and when their lips finally met it was just so right and perfect and it didn't matter that she was Ladybug or Chat Noir in fact nothing mattered now because she was so damn gorgeous in that dress and her hands were in his hair and his was latched to her back in an attempt to keep her on the ground should they float away into the endless oblivion obliterating their minds and wiping the slate clean but for each other and this moment.

And for that moment, everything was good and beautiful and right and as they held each other tight they wondered how they got so lucky, here, in the city of Light.

A/N god this took ages to write I am so sorry I've been so busy with school and seriously stuff's been a bit shit recently and this took so much work and idk if I like it but here it is just take it (actually don't do that theft is illegal)

Shorter version without the reveal available on my tumblr greenailis