(This is not a continuation of the other 'Breaking News' but just a reversal of what happened in that fic. So in this one, Mari believes that Chat is dead due to a news story. Enjoy!)

The thoughts of the weekend buzz through the crowds of students at Francois Dupont high school. Many have plans to meet up with others, while half have plans for a chill weekend to decompress.

Marinette is somewhere in between. She plans to work on some designs she drew up earlier in the week, refine them and maybe even make some prototypes if she has time. She makes a mental checklist of tasks she wants to hit as she stands at her locker, putting folders from her previous classes away.

She's about to close her locker when her phone beeps attentively, the same sound echoing through the halls from everyone else's devices as well.

She tenses up, the akuma alert effectively silencing any joyous chatter that had been going on. But when people open their phones to watch Nadia, something in her demeanor is off. The normally professional look in her eye, the neutral set of her jaw, is gone. Instead, her eyes are slightly glassy, her lips turned down ever so slightly. Marinette knows she can't be the only one to notice this; she unconsciously prepares herself for a very different news alert.

"This just in. Several reporters are coming in with the news that... Chat Noir has passed away."

A few gasps sound out across the school, the rest's jaws drop at the news, staring wide-eyed at their screens. Mari stops breathing, her shaking head almost imperceptibly.

"A close acquaintance of Jack Garnier, the real name of Chat Noir, came to several reporters this afternoon with the news." A school photo of a blond boy with brown eyes appears on the screen, "The acquaintance wanted the world to know what Jack did for Paris, and for him to be remembered as a hero after the unfortunate accident that led to his passing earlier today.

"Paris will mourn the loss of our hero Chat Noir, but will also mourn the loss of the brave Parisian boy who brought Chat Noir to life even more so." Nadia closes her eyes solemnly as the camera pans and fades to an 'In Memoriam' of Jack with the same photo as before.

Marinette stares into the eyes of the boy behind the mask of her partner, not wanting to believe it's true. She never met Jack Garnier before, his face is foreign to her but she searches for any sense of Chat in him. Maybe it's the way several muffled cries start to ricochet around the building, building off each other, or maybe it's the way her hands are practically vibrating holding the frozen picture of her partner's true face, that she lets herself slip into despair.

"Can you believe this crap?" Plagg chides, watching the transmission end on Adrien's phone over his shoulder. "People will make up anything to get famous these days."

Adrien had just finished at his locker when he got the alert. When Nadia stated that Chat was dead, he backed himself into a side hallway while everyone else was still as statues.

Adrien hopes this wasn't a prank, just a misunderstanding; definitely hoping that the young man, Jack, hadn't actually passed away to lead to this rumor.

At the end of the story, he pockets his phone, "We gotta straighten this out" he walks swiftly back to the main hallway. All around him, people are gathered with their close friends, either shock or tears on their faces. He shifts his gaze towards the exit, but his eyes stop on Marinette across the way, looking a little woozy.

He crosses to her just as her phone slips out from her fingers, her knees buckling for a split second. Adrien snags her phone before it cracks against the linoleum and steadies her with his other hand, holding her elbow. "Marinette?" He asks, concerned, looking into her far-away eyes, rimmed with tears.

She gasps for a staccato breath, her body forcing her to breathe as if almost every function of her body has shut down. She can't look at Adrien, barely registering his presence in the first place. She just shakes her head in denial, her chest feeling as if someone had cut her open, letting her soul drip to the floor.

Adrien closes her locker for her and leads her to a nearby bench, easing her to sit down. Everyone else has been slowly shuffling towards the door in various states of sadness. But Marinette seems to be the only one completely debilitated by the news. Marinette has always been his most passionate and empathetic friend, something he quite admired. But he couldn't have predicted she would have reacted this strongly to something like the death of Chat Noir, someone she's personally only met a handful of times. He wants nothing more than to say 'It's a lie, I'm Chat, I'm right here', he bites his tongue.

"It's going to be okay," he whispers, sitting next to her, not able to think of anything more original to say that wouldn't give anything away.

She stares straight ahead, blinking hard, releasing a new flood of tears down her cheeks. She shakes her head, "Is it?" she asks in a breath, almost a whisper.

His mouth hangs open, searching for words, "Um, yes... of course. Uh, I'm sure someone else will help Ladybug save the city...?" He tries to reason, wondering if that's where her worry stems from; that Paris will have one less hero to watch over it.

Her bottom lip quivers before dropping her face into her hands, leaning forward on her arms. Her shoulders shake with new sobs.

Adrien freezes, realizing he made things worse. He knows he has to show up at the news station as Chat to clear things up as soon as possible; it's the only way to really put an end to her sorrow. But he doesn't want to leave her here.

He stands to face her on the bench, "Let's get you home, Mari. They're going to lock up soon." He places a cautious hand on her shoulder, rubbing it encouragingly.

When she doesn't respond to his words or his touch, he puts his arm around her shoulders, helping her to her feet. He slings her bag around his other arm, slowly getting Mari moving. "Come on," he urges, taking slow steps with her towards the front exit.

Once outside, the bright sun makes her blink in recognition, seeming to be suddenly aware that she's been moved from the bench. Adrien watches her face as they go down the steps. The shimmering rivers of tear stains on her face are more prominent in the direct light of the setting sun. A numbness has come to her features, her eyes staring at the ground.

His arm loosens from around her shoulders, feeling her moving forward on her own, without his encouragement.

He can't help but wonder how he would react if it had been Ladybug's face on the news today. He shudders, not having to wonder long before a deep dread spreads through his chest, choking him for a split second. How must Ladybug feel right now? He shakes away the thought, focusing back on the present and getting Marinette home.

They cross the street to the bakery, Adrien watching for oncoming cars for the both of them. She stops them at her doorstep, not lifting her eyes. He hands her her bag. She sighs thoughtfully, "Thanks, Adrien," she nods once before reaching for the door handle.

"It's going to be okay," he reiterates, wanting to ease whatever pain she's feeling until he can expose the truth, "I promise."

She pauses halfway through the door, caught on his last words, before she nods again and heads into the bakery without looking back.

Adrien's shoes scrape against the concrete, running to the nearest alley to change into Chat Noir. Plagg emerges, "That Marinette girl sure seems broken up about you 'dying'" he notes curiously.

"Which is why we have to set things straight right away. Plagg, claws out!"

~

Nadia sent out an alert revoking the previous statement of Chat's death, even bringing Chat on the air to let him prove he's alive. The person who claimed Chat's death was brushed off as a prankster.

As Adrien transforms to Chat later that evening for patrol, he gets a message from Ladybug on his communicator. 'Place du Trocadéro. Now.'

Chat makes a b-line for the museum that overlooks the Eiffel Tower. 'Is it an emergency? Is she mad?' It's not their usual meeting place, so the reasons for the change swirl in his head.

He spies her silhouette pacing the ledge facing the tower from several blocks away. He flings himself the last few hundred meters to land on the pathway below her, making her jump. "M'lady, I hope you didn't-"

She leaps off the ledge to him and grabs his shoulder, giving it a squeeze, as if testing if he's a ghost. Her eyes are hard and scrutinizing, but he can't see the remaining redness rimming her eyes in the darkness, or their puffiness under her mask.

Ladybug touches his face with the back of her hand, running it down his cheek slowly, assessing.

This sends a tingle up Chat's spine, for she had never willingly been this close to him for so long before. "Ladybug? Are you okay?" he whispers, taking her hand from his cheek and holding it there.

Her eyes snap to his, and all the tension in her body eases, looking into her last bit of evidence. "It's really you, it's still you." She affirms, a small thankful smile pulls at her lips.

"Who else would it be?" He tries to joke, but sees a seriousness return to her eyes for a second.

She shakes her head, "I didn't know if... if you actually died, and whoever had your Miraculous, maybe still looked like you when they transformed- to keep the public thinking you were the same Chat Noir- but it wouldn't be you, not the real you, my Chaton-"

He wraps her in a sudden, comforting hug, realizing some of the extents to which his partner had been pained all day. She presses her forehead into his shoulder, hugging him back just as tightly.

'My Chaton' echoes in his head. "It's me. I'm right here." He swears, barely able to keep his voice level; wondering if she can feel his heart pounding.

She nods against this chest, "I... couldn't do this without you, I wouldn't." she settles on saying, though her own heart is yearning to say more after today's events

"Well, I don't plan on leaving you any time soon," he rests his cheek on her head, still waiting for her to pull away like she usually does when he gets a little too clingy. But she simply breathes with him, arms still firmly around his waist.

He loosens his own arms first, for once, "Are you sure you're okay?" He repeats from before, watching her lean on him with her eyes closed, but not quite peaceful looking. The corners of her mouth are still turned down, pensive.

"I thought you were gone" she exhales softly, eyes still closed, but tears are pricking at the corners of her eyes. "Just... just thinking you were gone, that I couldn't save you... it felt like I was just... drifting, gone..." she chokes out, "And- and I can't, I can't- you're here, but I can't shake that empty feeling even though you're here, and I don't understand why," she shakes her head, tears flowing.

Chat cradles the back of her head, stroking her hair; his own tears starting to form from watching her despair. "I don't know what to do," he consoles, "I want to make it stop. I want to help you."

Then, a thought pops into his mind. "What if... I showed you my identity...?" He asks cautiously, gauging her expression as her face lifts to look at him in confusion, but not total bewilderment, so he continues, "If you knew who I really am, you won't be tricked by any more rogue news bulletins." He reasons, not even asking for her to show herself in return. He would do anything to give Ladybug peace of mind.

Her eyes clear, sobering up, "You're serious?" She asks, looking up at him with only inches separating them.

He nods, "You'd be the only person to know, and nothing has to change between us otherwise." He holds her hands between them, "I never want you to feel how you did this afternoon again."

Her lips part, searching for words, for a reason beyond 'they're not supposed to', in regards to revealing themselves. Chat Noir is her partner, a friend... maybe more; would it be so wrong to know his identity just so she could know he's okay, whether wearing his mask or not?

But does that lead to her texting his cell phone when there are akumas? Whenever she fears the worst and not connected to his communicator? Does he share the same irrational fear of losing her without a way of contact? Maybe she's blowing the whole situation from today out of proportion...overthinking again...

But when she looks into his eyes, she now imagines the real reality of the situation. If something ever happened to Chat in his civilian form, no one would be there to tell the news that he was Chat all along. No one would know that this boy standing before her is a hero.

And she would never know what happened to him; why, one day, Ladybug would never see Chat Noir again.

At least, her Chat Noir.

Her Chaton...

"Okay." She whispers, barely moving her mouth.

Chat blinks in slight surprise, "Okay?"

She nods, knowing she must be clear, "Show me who you are. It's the only way" she resigns, but curiosity now tickles at the back of her mind now that it's really happening.

He can't suppress his incredulous smile, "Wow, if I knew all I had to do was fake die for you to let me-... nevermind," he disregards himself, remembering the very real pretenses that brought them here.

"Don't make me regret this, Chat." She warns, stepping back from him to scan the area for any security cameras pointing their way. Spying nothing, she still pushes them back into the shadows just in case.

He follows her lead, regaining his composure. "You're right, sorry. This is for you, and emergency situations like today."

"Right. Nothing else changes." She states, convincing herself that knowing whoever Chat is couldn't change their relationship or anything else.

"Right," he echoes while pushing down any thoughts that hope that this moment will lead to anything more than just a safety measure.

With his back against a tall stone wall, hands still holding one of Ladybug's hands, he takes a deep breath, "Well, I guess it's time."

She takes a matching breath, feeling nervous for some reason, "Yeah, whenever you're ready." She says in a neutral tone, trying to be nonchalant in order to lower the palpable tension in the air.

"Okay." He squeezes her hand, "Claws in."

Ladybug squints at the bright flash of green, having never been on the perceiving side of their transformations it catches her off guard. She blinks a few times, her eyes quickly readjusting back to the dim night of the adjacent streetlight and moon.

Within a heartbeat, the world freezes around her and him. Unconsciously, she banishes everything outside the two of them standing here in the darkness. The only thing she's certain of now, is something she would have considered the most outlandish scenario possible, if someone had told her this yesterday.

He clears his throat, only aware of her wide-eyed, blank expression, "So, my real name is-"

"Adrien Agreste...." she drops his hand like his touch burns her, staggering backward, reconnecting to her body to reality.

He watches his hand fall, then turns his gaze back to her curiously. "So you know who I am?"

The empty feeling from earlier is now quite the opposite. Her heart swells at just the sound of his voice; Chat's voice. Her shocked eyes lock onto his. Her head bobs up and down.

His eyes fall to the stone pathway they're on, eyebrows furrowing with concern after internalizing this adverse reaction Ladybugs having, "Is...is that a problem?" He asks, obviously hurt that maybe his fame has backfired in the one scenario that he cared most, and dreamed, about.

Her hands press against her chest, overlapping each other on her hummingbird heart. Her lip quivers like she's shivering from the cold, "I-I don't know..." she shakes her head, overwhelmed with the mix of emotions threatening to tear her apart from the inside.

Adrien feels his throat tighten, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. Maybe he had built this moment up too much in his imagination. Maybe he should have known his dreams were not predictions of how things happen in the waking world.

He swallows the lump in his throat. "Right. So. That's all you needed, right? Now you know." He clears his throat roughly, "I'll... I'll see you tomorrow for patrol. I guess." He gives a curt, awkward wave before turning to leave, ducking his head.

It takes Ladybug a second to process his reaction after wading through her own sea of emotion. "Wait!" She exclaims reflexively, reaching for him across the 10 feet between them. "Adrien," she says softly, tenderly.

This strikes a chord in him, making him turn back towards her pleading stance.

"You promised. I... understand now," she professes, mentally tumbling down a path without knowing where it will end. "Whether Chat or Adrien, you've always been there for me."

"'Promised?' When did I...?" His eyebrows knit together, but compulsively takes a few slow steps towards his high-strung Ladybug.

She stays in place, shaking her head to herself in disbelief, "I've been jumping around Paris with Adrien Agreste this whole time; cool and composed Adrien Agreste making cat puns in a black leather suit," she laughs at the thought.

He relaxes a bit at the sound of her laugh, also seeing the humor in it, "Yeah, well, every coin has two sides, or rather, every billboard with my face does too."

She chuckles at his comment, the tension thinning out between them.

He takes her outstretched hand, but still leaves a respectful gap between them, "Do I know you? You said I've been there for you as Adrien too? And what did I promise?" He cocks his head to the side, meeting her incredulous gaze.

Tears start to well in her eyes, "I'm glad I'm not the only clueless one between us." She jokes, "I can't believe we didn't put it together sooner."

His hand tightens in hers, "Honestly this is stressing me out. Who are you?"

"Today I realized that I cared about you, Chat, much more than I had previously calculated. And also today, I realized how much you, Adrien, cared about me:" she takes a shaky breath, "Marinette."

She sheds her Ladybug suit in a flash of light, leaving Adrien as dumbfounded as she had been a few minutes ago. "Mar- Marinette! Marinette!" He repeats the only coherent thought clogging his mind. She blushes from his sudden excitement.

He exhales raggedly, unable to catch his breath, "I-I can't believe it! I...I wish I could have told you this afternoon- told you I was Chat as soon as I saw you after the news story." He holds her hands in his, their intertwined fingers hanging between them.

She shakes her head lovingly at the boy who had unknowingly captured both halves of her heart. "You were still there for me, like you always are"

He kisses her fingers gingerly with the biggest grin she'd ever seen. "I promised you Chat would be okay. And I can tell you for sure, he's never felt better."