Adrien pulled the picture out of the frame and laid it flat beside the unopened book resting on top of his computer desk. He smoothed his hands over the special printing paper making sure there were no creases or imperfections before opening the book and adding it underneath the page titled.

'Partners forever'

... And wasn't that just the truth?

There was no one else in this entire world he would have wanted to be the cat holder for; no one else he'd want to support and risk his life so ceremoniously for; she was wonderful, she was his everything.

His thumbs grazed her face. A face full of determination and righteousness, a face more beautiful than a thousand shooting stars, their twinkle mediocre in their trail across the midnight sky. She was stunning. The young face of a newly promoted citizen to the hero of Paris, the one they all loved; but no one as much as he did and he knew that for a fact.

He wasn't sure what it was about this certain picture that took his breath away, but everytime he looked at it a cyclone of emotions erupted in his heart and lungs, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

He wasn't completely sure what it was about that specific moment, but one thing he did know was at that moment she had completely stolen his heart; embedding herself into him so deeply nobody could even come close to moving her out. She owned it all. He'd tried to move people in, only for there to be no room in the inn. The most he could offer was a mere inch, nothing more than a minuscule part of his main organ.

Adrien wasn't sure if it was her confidence, the way she'd embraced their new life, or if it was the adrenaline kick from the moment that had made him fall hook, line and sinker; deeper and deeper into the spiralling pit of loving Ladybug, a pit so deep he knew he would never be able to get out of. His own freedom was forever chained to his Lady, his love.

Life had continued on so quickly after Monarch's defeat. The people of Paris moved on, and seemingly forgot about the one time super villain and two superheroes. Instead they carried on with their lives as though nothing had ever happened; it wasn't like the two of them who had to carry around a burden of memories, of fears and destruction. They were the only ones who had to live with the overhanging cloud of memories, dreams and nightmares —it wasn't as simple as just moving on with life. It wasn't as simple as forgetting the past. And he didn't want to either.

There wasn't a day that went by that he didn't think about himself and his Lady, jumping and sprinting over rooftops and on their way to a destination of some sort. That they laughed and joked, that they celebrated and cried.

Many times he wondered what would have happened if he hadn't had tried to sneak to collège that day. If he hadn't helped Master Fu, if he hadn't had attempted to do something for himself.

Would Fu have chosen someone else?

Would another have been her Chat Noir?

It made him feel sick to even consider that he wouldn't have had the chance to become this person to her, that she had developed this relationship with someone else. A relationship of deep trust and support.

She'd completely turned his world around, changing the black and white memories of his mother into a multitude of colours that not only represented them, but also his life. She was wonderful. His Lady was everything.

He knew they helped each other, not only when suited but in their ordinary day to day lives. She was the moon to his sun, one reflecting the other and helping create what it's intended to. It wasn't sheer coincidence... well at least he hoped it wasn't; instead it was fate and luck that brought them together to make them a whole.

Reaching to the side, Adrien took another photograph; one of the team all together on the rooftop, their first win as a group before the effects of Strike Back happened. They'd been so happy, so victorious only for it all to come crashing down abruptly around them. None of the others knew or understood what had happened, what it all meant, and even with the close friendships with the other members of the team, it was him she'd needed and wanted. Him, who stood beside her and supported her through that ordeal. Another picture coming into his eyeline, one of the two of them hugging on one of the worst days of their life.

He orbited around her, he knew he did. Her spirit and mood were a big influence on him. If his Lady wasn't happy then neither was he, their moods bouncing to and from each other.

Picking up the glue, Adrien added it to the corners of the picture of the two of them and added it onto the next page, taking his calligraphy pen and adding little illustrations around the picture. Patterns, little kitties and tiny bugs, and, of course, hearts.

She set his world on fire and as he smiled he understood exactly why his heart desired her so much. Everything about her made him want to be with her; to hold her; to grow old with her. He'd do anything — defeat Paris with her; defeat the world with her.

A quick look at the time told Adrien he only had an hour left until he went to meet her, an hour until he gave her this present. A present which meant so much to him.

In an hour's time, everything would change.

.·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .

Marinette was fretting, marching up and down the room. She couldn't blame him this time, this had been her idea. After years and months of consideration, she'd finally decided to reveal herself and there was no better day to do it than Christmas Day... well, that's what she'd told him, her idiot side obviously winning out.

She walked over to the desk where her sewing machine sat and attempted to sit down, only to stand up once more and pace the length of the room. She'd made him a thick woollen cardigan complete with a pocket and her embroidered signature sitting proudly on show. The idea was he would open it, put it on and then she could dramatically say — with as much cheesiness as he possessed — 'Merry Christmas Chaton, I've made you think so you always have me close to your heart.'

God, she was an idiot. What did she expect him to say? 'Oh, M'Lady, you didn't need to do this. You're always in my heart.'

What an idiot!

"Marinette, stop this over-thinking," Tikki said, flying around and into Marinette's face, stopping her in her mid-march.

"I'm not over thinking," the raven haired girl said, shoving her thumb into her mouth once more and chewing on her nail. Today was huge! So huge she'd even go as far as labelling it one of the most important days of her life. She was finally revealing herself to Chat Noir.

They had gotten so much closer, not just as Ladybug and Chat Noir but as Chat Noir and Marinette too, so close that she wanted him to know she was both the girls he claimed to adore, the girl who adored him with her whole heart.

He was everything to her; he was the constant love which kept her heart beating and her panic attacks to a minimum. Her room had changed over the year. What was once a shrine to Adrien had transformed, a second blond taking their winning place on her wall, the two sitting aside each other and smiling brightly.

It was 11:30 and she was due to meet him in thirty minutes.

In thirty minutes everything would change. In thirty minutes she'd finally learn who was hiding behind the mask.

She felt sick.

.·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .

Chat Noir landed at their meeting point just before Notre Dame started its welcome into Christmas Day, the first chime sounding mere seconds after his feet hit the concrete. In his hands he held the bag containing the precious gift, the gift he'd put his heart and soul into.

In the next few moments he knew his life would change. He'd either gain a girlfriend or lose Plagg, obviously he knew which he would desire most, which he wanted with all his heart. Now he just had to wait, the sound of a yo-yo zipping indicating he didn't have to wait too much longer.

"Good evening, M'Lady. Merry Christmas." He stepped forward, Ladybug meeting him in a hug as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Good to see you, Kitty."

As she clung to him, he could feel the whole of her body shaking.

"Are you cold?" he whispered into her hair, her body still trembling against his.

"No, j-just nervous," she replied.

"Me too."

He stepped back, removing his arms and letting her go. He smiled softly at her, before reaching around his back to the present connected to his staff holder.

"How do you want to do this?" Chat Noir asked, moving over to where cushions, candles and sweet treats were positioned on a blanket — sweet treats, he noted, she'd probably made herself.

"Open them at the same time?" she suggested, coming to sit by him and positioning a large white box on her lap.

A nod of agreement had them moving, exchanging gifts and counting to three. As soon as the number hit they began to open the gifts, however, as soon as Ladybug had opened hers he stopped with his own and turned to study her, he wanted to watch her expression on every single page. From that first battle photo, to the extra special ones he'd placed at the end.

Her face morphed through different emotions, ranging from happy to awkward, Chat knowing exactly which picture she would be looking at as her face gave the story away.

50 pages.

40 of their super stories.

10 of another.

Through the wind and drunk Parisians wishing each other a very loud Merry Christmas below them, Chat Noir heard every single page flip over. The sound of moving paper building up his tension and nerves. He could just pull it back. Take it from her and rip the last pages out of the book, keeping his identity a secret for another day, keeping the fact he knew her identity a secret too.

He hadn't meant to find out, but with his new close friendship and infatuation with Marinette it was bound to happen. It was just a series of unfortunate events and an akuma. Lost in thoughts of her possible reactions to the last pages of the scrapbook he'd lost track of where she was.

But as soon as he heard her gasp, he knew she'd reached the specific page that started their next journey. The tears glistening in the Iron Lady's roaming light a solid answer to his thought and question of whether he should do this or not. Now, he just had to wait; every minute felt more than a decade.

"Since when?" she asked.

He gulped, swallowing down a thickness of worry and denial. Everything was counting on this moment, on her reaction.

"Turn the page." His demand was nothing more than a hoarse whisper as he attempted to keep himself together.

Anxiousness.

Nervousness.

Fear.

Hope .

A toxic cocktail of emotion ran through his body as she glared at him. A face so stern and, for once, unreadable.

"Please." The tears betrayed his unease, the foreboding presented to her as he begged her to continue. "Turn the page."

Her eyes remained on his as her hands once again moved. The swoosh of the page attacked his ears as he watched her nibble fingers manoeuvre to where it needed to be; her eyes followed slowly after—moving down to study the intricate details he'd added to the page.

It was embedded in his mind. The most important page of the 50+ in the scrapbook. He could vividly imagine the pink and red hearts he'd drawn over the page, the glitter and stickers of hamsters. The pressed pink rose. The pressed red rose. The picture taking centre stage under the cursive title.

My heart always knew what my head wouldn't allow me.

Her hand shot to her mouth as a muffled sob escaped her lips. It was out now. The picture of him and Marinette dancing together, a neon flashing sign bringing her to the fact that Marinette Dupain-Cheng had been fighting crime with none other than Adrien Agreste.

Her friend.

Her partner.

...and maybe if he kept waiting—her partner in another sense of the word.

Chat Noir waited, his stuttering breath being the only indication he was alive, that he was still there waiting. He didn't want to become too emotional and make her uncomfortable, but he'd never been so nervous in all his life. His hands joined together and an intricate tangle of uncertainty as he continued to wait, not wanting to push her or suffocate her as she took in this new piece of information.

"Do you mean it?" Her voice was small, almost mouse-like, which come to think about it, was quite a coincidence.

"Every word."

She nodded her head, her top teeth trapping her luscious bottom lip under them as they chewed away in a nervous disposition he'd come to know.

All of a sudden she sniffed, using her hand to wipe under her eyes.

"So, where does this leave us?" her hoarse voice reached his ears as she took a large stuttery breath. He lunged forward wrapping his arms around her.

"I know where it leaves me. It leaves me in love with the most wonderful girl in the world. A girl who is kind and compassionate. And perfect for me." He froze and looked at her, licking along his lower lip in anxiety. "Can — can I make a Christmas wish?" he whispered in her ear, nuzzling into the side of her neck and enjoying the fact she hadn't pushed him away.

"As long as it involves me," she laughed through the tears still trickling down her cheeks.

Chat Noir moved back to look at her, his own smile as wide and wet as hers. The lights from the tower reflected every colour of the rainbow on her cheeks as it reflected against the fresh moisture.

"It wouldn't ever involve anyone else, M'Lady. My wish is you, always you." Taking control of the situation he moved forward a little, kissing her delicately on her cheek. "I am a fan after all."

"A fan? Huh?" she giggled, closing her eyes and obviously waiting for his lips to connect with her nose in a replay of past times. He didn't keep her waiting too long, only instead of finding her nose, he took her lips instead.

His hand moved to cup her cheek, his eyes fluttering closed as his stomach celebrated with a routine equivalent of Cirque Du Soleil. This was a kiss of new beginnings, a first step in the right direction for both of them, and most importantly a step together.

Chat Noir pulled away, a soft and happy sigh leaving his lips only to be met with one of her own. Offering an arm out, she slotted in beside him and snuggled against his chest.

"Does that mean I need to get you another present now? Because I'd only planned the one."

Ladybug giggled at him, lifting her head and pressing a gentle kiss to his chin in response. "I think it fully covers both my Ladybug side and Marinette, though I'm not sure what I'm going to be able to do with it."

"For our eyes only, Bugaboo." He snuggled in closer, smiled and buried his head into Ladybug's hair.

Who knew where they were going to end up, but for now one thing was certain, he would do anything for her and as Notre Dame struck half past midnight, more magic was added to this memorable occasion — it started to snow.

Laughing together, the heroes stood up, Chat Noir lifting her and spinning her around making crazy whoops as he did.

"It's a Christmas miracle," he shouted to all who could hear. The drunk passers by shouting up to him to be quiet.

"I love you, mon Chaton, thank you for giving me the best Christmas gift ever." Ladybug kissed him on the lips once more as he lowered her back onto the rooftop.

"It's only just begun," he replied, bending down and kissing her slowly and passionately on the lips, his smile and her giggle making it a messy affair. "How would you feel about sneaking home with me for a movie and hot chocolate?"

Ladybug smiled. "I'd love to."

"And I love you." Kissing her on the nose he grabbed his unopened box from the ground and his baton from his back making a mental note to open it as soon as he got back home — with his girlfriend.

...But right now all that mattered was making sure he celebrated his first Christmas with Marinette as his girlfriend, after all, there wouldn't be many until he would beg her to be his wife.