"You…know me?"

Ladybug's hands flew to her lips far too late. The damage had been done, and now not only did she know Louis was Volpino, but Louis knew that she knew too.

Panic attack in three, two, one-

Louis stepped closer to her, dark eyes frantically scanning her facial features for something he recognised. Behind her hands, Ladybug scrunched her lips together, frozen in fear.

"Louis, I err- well- err," Chat stammered rubbing the back of his head with a nervous chuckle, "this is paw-kward."

Louis immediately whirled around, light cotton t-shirt flapping wildly with the wind.

"Wait, you know me too?!" he cried, somewhere between amazed and befuddled. "Does that mean you both know each other? How fateful!"

Ladybug groaned, her hands moving from her lips to her forehead.

"Great, Chat! Now he knows we both know him!" she cried, throwing her arms up into the air. Honestly what was the point of secret identities? Why didn't she just broadcast her address to the whole of Paris?! Why, Ladybug wondered in despair, did Master Fu choose two of the biggest idiots in the universe to wield unimaginable power?

"Um, pardon me," Louis replied, gazing at his Kwami in confusion, "but I do believe this was the point? That we know our secret identities as a precaution? I'm unsure why this is a bad thing."

There was a sharp inhale. Ladybug was unsure if it was from herself or Chat. Silence built between the three of them, and Ladybug bit her lip in agitation. How could she even begin to tell Louis how very wrong this was?

Instead she settled with turning on the fox Kwami.

"Didn't you tell him the rules? You know, how we're not supposed to know each other's identities? No one must know? Remember that old mantra?" she frowned, back muscles so tense that she was sure they would have simply shattered under the pressure, were it not for her super-powered state.

Before her mind could combust, she felt Chat's hand rest against her shoulder blades in reassurance. She sighed, relaxing a little into the touch, and allowed herself a moment to revel in how well he knew her. However, she couldn't ignore the slight tremor of his fingers as they skimmed past her spine and back down to his side, knowing he was thinking the same thing.

How could they fix this?

Trixx wriggled her black nose, the base of her tail ruffled, and she fixed Ladybug with a stern stare.

"As much as I adore Tikki, we've both have very different opinions on secret identities," she replied in a clipped tone, before shaking her head and allowing her expression to soften. "You two were much younger when you were introduced to your miraculous. It was a lot of responsibility to gain in such a short amount of time and it can be overwhelming. Adding in secret identity reveals to the mix can sometimes do more harm than good. I understand Tikki's precaution, Plagg's feigned indifference, but I don't agree with it. I never have and never will- so I always leave it up to my chosen to decide after telling the benefits and drawbacks of each side."

"Wait," Louis interjected, pressing two fingers to his temple. "Are you telling me that you two don't know each other's identities?"

"We know," Chat replied quickly, "I mean- we haven't known for long…"

He trailed off staring at his boots as Louis gaped at him.

"I'm sorry, but that makes no sense to me! You two have always seemed to share such a close bond. Forgive me if I'm overstepping my bounds but, what if anything happened to either of you? What if you went rogue, not that you two would ever, but just in case? What if Hawkmoth found out who you were first? What if you were injured or worse? Who would have let your families know?"

Ladybug winced. With anyone else she might have been agitated at the accusations, but Louis didn't seem angry or judgemental. On the contrary, he sounded downright distraught, and it stung all the more when she realised it was something she'd never considered.

With a great sigh, Louis wandered over to the railing, overlooking the city with his back partially turned, and Trixx went to rest on his shoulder- concern etched into her tiny features. In that moment, Louis was still, solitary, almost statue-like; the kind of statue that's been worn by time, weathered by years, and is seconds away from crumbling. Ladybug could just about see his profile. It only took a brief glance to know that he was looking beyond the city limits, looking beyond what lay before him.

His eyes were in the past.

Chat was the first to walk forward, treading softly.

"Of course. I get it," he uttered, leaning against the railing next to Louis, but turning his back to the panorama beneath them. "It's because of your dad, right?"

Louis chuckled, but there was no humour behind it whatsoever. His head dipped low, the curls from his unruly mop of hair fell forward, too short to cover his eyes. The smile on his face was the saddest one Ladybug had ever seen. Now she understood what Trixx had meant about Louis' introspective self, understood why quiet, introverted Nathanael had been drawn to him beyond the fire which seemed to exude from Louis' soul.

"It's weird to get a therapy session from Chat Noir you know? Especially when you know me but I am unsure who you are. But yes, it's because of my father," Louis sighed again, standing up straight, one hand gently resting against a steel beam as he looked between the two with an unreadable expression. "The day he- the day he died, his partner was away. He was out sick. So, someone else called us, someone who I didn't recognise, and they came to escort us to the hospital so we could get there in time to say goodbye. I will always remember it- riding in a stranger's police car, following a stranger to my father's hospital room, being told by a stranger that my father did not have a lot of time left with us."

He smiled again, his eyes crinkling, and the small dimple in his left cheek made a dent in Ladybug's heart.

"My father's partner, he was a good man, and he never forgave himself for not being there that day, to comfort us at the very least. Do you know he still sends my mother flowers on her birthday? Good man, yes… a very good man." Louis inhaled sharply though his nose, for a moment he placed a hand over the top half of his face, his lower lip quivered. Ladybug moved towards him, instinctively reached her arm out to comfort, but the moment passed. When he removed his hands, the fragility was gone and in its stead, a quiet flame burned.

"Nothing is promised us. Not one day. Not tomorrow, or the next day, or the next. Nothing. All we have is hope. We had plans, my father had plans- and with one bullet, his hopes were silenced forever. You may not trust me with your identities yet, I have no problems with this. I can earn your trust. But my decision is my own. You have my identity, and my faith that you won't allow my mother to be alone if I am a casualty of this war, and know that if you ever choose to honour me by placing your secret identities in my hands, that I will vow to do the same for you both."

As Louis finished his speech, the air grew still. Indeed, it was so quiet that Ladybug was sure, were she to drop a pin over the ledge, she would hear it when it fell to the ground hundreds of metres below them.

Chat Noir peered over at Ladybug, their eyes meeting, conversing silently. Ladybug didn't need words to know what he was thinking. Their shared gaze was a solemn one, and Chat blinked slowly at her before raising his thumb in the air, tilting his head in a question.

Ladybug nodded.

From beside him, Louis saw a flash of green light. Instinctively, his eyes trailed up to its source-

His face paled.

"Adrien?" He spluttered, similar to how Marinette had cried his own name minutes before.

Adrien didn't quite know what to do to comfort Louis. Standing awkwardly, he at least attempted a smile, but it seemed wrong somehow, as if he were mocking Louis rather than comforting him, like he was saying 'haha gotcha!' with a look.

From his spot beside Adrien, Plagg rolled his eyes at Trixx, but chose to stay silent for a change.

"You know," Adrien attempted to break the tension as Louis stepped backwards, gripping the railing tight. Where Chat might have normally made some kind of witty comment, instead Adrien chose to speak from the heart, "the day my mother went missing, my father was out at work. It was supposed to be a normal day, but then they always are, aren't they? The police showed up at my house to report that my mother hadn't turned up at the charity she volunteered at. They should have waited until my father got home to say something. But they didn't."

Adrien placed a hand on Louis' shoulder, and Ladybug wanted to turn away from the gut-wrenching exchange, but found herself unable to do so. Deep down she knew she shouldn't feel guilty for her family, how close they were, how little they'd been marred by tragedy. But she couldn't help it, couldn't help but feel very much like the outsider in this scenario- this terrible, heart breaking conversation.

"I still, totally irrationally, loathe the policeman who told me. It's stupid I know, I shouldn't hate him. He was only doing his job, and it was a pretty sucky one at that," Adrien sighed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "But in those first few weeks, it felt like he was the reason for everything bad happening, and that feeling never really went away. So, I guess, you might be right. It might have been easier to hear it from a loved one, or from someone who at least knew my mother beyond a basic background check."

Louis turned to Adrien, then to Ladybug, his face full of despair again.

"You don't have to- you didn't have to do this you know. Either of you. I admit my path has flaws too, and I'm sure you had your reasons for not revealing yourselves right away. Your way wasn't wrong, and neither is mine."

Stepping forwards, Ladybug wrapped her arms around Louis in a fierce hug, unable to help herself any more.

"We know," she replied, yanking Chat Noir down to hug her too. As the three embraced, Ladybug closed her eyes and imagined she could send a Miraculous Cure to their hearts, to help them heal. They carried so much sadness in their pasts, and all she wanted to do was make it better, whatever way she could. "But it's not really fair, is it? That we know yours and you don't know ours. Besides-" Ladybug opened one eye, fixing it lovingly on Chat Noir- "I've sort of warmed up to the whole identity reveal thing recently and if Nathanael trusts you enough to fall in love with you, then that makes you ok in my opinion."

And without another word between the trio, Ladybug took a deep breath, and released her transformation.

---

"Well," Chat whispered as he cradled the curve in Marinette's back, "that certainly went unexpectedly."

"Mmm," Marinette replied, but made no further comment as she rested her head against his black-suited chest, making sure not to disturb Tikki, who was sleeping on the cushion by her feet.

He wasn't wrong, about things being unexpected. When they'd left to meet up with the new miraculous holder, Marinette had anticipated awkwardness, maybe a few shared jokes to ease the tension, and then to show Volpino the ropes.

It was a little while before Chat spoke again.

"Do you think we did the right thing? Telling Louis I mean," he whispered, snuggling closer to her. After the identity reveals, they'd decided to do a mini patrol, laughing and joking along the way. Volpino was still getting used to running and jumping across buildings and the trio had a wonderful time acting like it was a video game tutorial he needed to get past. But the hour grew late and, eventually, they decided to call it a night.

Chat had followed Ladybug home, mainly so he could get a kiss goodnight. He was pleasantly surprised, however, when she invited him in for a quick late-night cuddle. But then again, he didn't know how much she needed to hold him, to comfort him, and Marinette felt a bit silly talking to him about it so he'd assumed it was strictly romantic.

The soft humming and gentle purr-filled breaths Chat was giving soothed her soul. To know he was content, despite the painful memories he'd brought up earlier, made her feel a lot better. She wished she could do more than that to help him, remove the pain entirely.

"Time will tell I guess, but I think we did the right thing. I mean he already told us, and I promised myself years ago that if I ever accidentally found out your identity, I'd tell you because that way it's fair, right? If it wasn't someone we're friends with, I would have given it more time though," Marinette replied, staring at her ceiling idly. "Although if Louis' reaction to us being Ladybug and Chat was any indication, I think Alya especially can never find out."

"Why's that?"

Marinette twisted over, legs tangling with Chat's, and she pressed one hand against his chest to prop herself up, giving him an incredulous stare.

"If Louis can squeal that much, when he's barely known me a year, and has known you for like a couple of weeks, can you imagine what Alya would say? She'd never stop! It would be an endless garble-fest about how her besties are the best couple in Paris or whatever," Marinette wrinkled her nose. "It'd be sooo embarrassing."

Chat grinned up at her then, that sly cocky grin just short of his smouldering underwear-shoot look, and Marinette's heart began to beat twice as hard, traitor that it was.

"But we are the best couple in Paris," he whispered with a conspiratorial wink.

Marinette rolled her eyes.

"What? You don't think we're the best couple in Paris?" Chat asked, his tone dripping with honey as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back down, so she was half-sprawled across his chest.

"Don't start," she chided softly, tapping him on the nose.

"I never start anything my lady," he replied, wriggling his nose where Marinette tapped it. "I'm a pro-furr-ssional."

"Chat it's like the middle of the night," Marinette groaned, burying her head into the crook of his shoulder with a huff.

"Oh? Am I bugging you?" God help her she could practically hear his smirk. Were it not for the fact that his hand was currently playing with her hair, making her more than a little drowsy, she would have attacked his nose again.

"Chaaaat."

"I'm not stopping 'til you admit we're the best couple in Paris," he chuckled, "scratch that, we're the most claw-some couple in Paris!"

"Oh my god, get out!" Marinette giggled despite herself, and leaned up to kiss his lips. He hummed against her, fingers coiling in her hair, as their tongues sought to deepen the kiss. His hands trailed down, to the base of spine, and further still. Chat felt a sense of bravery and triumph flutter in his chest- to be kissing her like this. At night. On a bed.

The fact that Marinette gave a little squeak when he squeezed his hands made it even better.

A part of him, a very obvious part, wanted things to go further, to spend all night letting his hands wander where they may. A quiet voice inside whispered that he didn't have long, only a few months, to kiss Marinette as much as possible, before he left for London for a year.

But you have the rest of your lives after that, another part of him argued as he moved his hands back to her hair, earning a soft sigh from Marinette which made his heart melt. God, he loved the sounds she made.

Slow and steady.

Marinette broke their kiss to lightly press her lips to his jaw, then leapt upright with a slight yelp.

Chat immediately sat up with her, eyes wide.

"What's wrong, Princess?"

Marinette had her mouth covered, her cheeks were visibly redder from their embrace, even in the darkness of her room, but she seemed to be unharmed beyond a brief shock. Furrowing his eyebrows in both concern and confusion, Chat reached up to brush his fingers against hers.

"Ah nothing sorry," she soothed, taking her hands away from her lips with a sheepish grin. "You have stubble. It- it caught me off guard that's all."

Chat blinked at her a few times then, suddenly, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back onto the bed in what could only be described as a fierce cuddle.

"How are you so adorable?" he uttered, placing little butterfly kisses along her neck.

"I love you too," she replied, settling down by his side again and closing her eyes, "but it's late and you should get going. We've got a big morning, what with you telling Nino and Alya you're leaving tomorrow. Besides we don't want you getting in trouble with Nathalie for staying out all night or worse, getting caught here by my dad!"

Chat pulled a face.

"Yeah, that doesn't sound too nice," he agreed. "So, I guess you better hurry up and tell me we're the most claw-some couple in all of Paris, right?"

"Can't hear you, I'm asleep," Marinette replied airily.

"Then I guess I'll have to stay here all night, or at least 'til you say it," Chat countered, suddenly feeling the weight of their emotion-fuelled patrol pressing against his eyelids. He yawned.

"Well then…" Marinette whispered, her breathing slowing as she lazily tugged the blanket over them both, "I guess…you'll be here…forever."

"Fine."

"Fine."

---

Whilst two of the current miraculous holders slept in each other's arms, another was about as far from sleep as you could get.

Volpino hadn't gone home after saying goodnight to Ladybug and Chat Noir. His mind was buzzing, overwhelmed by information, and that was saying something, considering how much he was used to his brain never stopping for a moment. So he allowed his feet to follow his minds foot prints (or rather paw prints), getting rid of an abundance of energy by practicing scaling walls, leaping, backflipping, practicing evasive manoeuvres just in case. He even snuck into a quiet alley so he could practice using his flute to conjure illusions. It was something he was slowly getting better at.

He sniffed, legs dangling off of the edge of the bridge he'd subconsciously wandered to, cradling his weapon in his hands. The glint of the street lamps caused the silver flute to reflect shadows across his thighs and the lights blurred together the longer he stared at them, lost in thought.

Better at conjuring illusions, better at lying, better at keeping secrets.

His gut twisted, and his hands tightened around the flute in solidarity with his writhing conscience.

Of course he was happy to be chosen. Of course he'd been amazed to find out that Marinette and Adrien were his partners of all people, that they were the ones who'd been protecting Paris all this time. Of course he was honoured that they trusted him enough to place their identities in his hands.

But Louis was never one to keep secrets, never one to hide things from his loved ones. It was true that everybody lies from time to time, and Louis was no exception to that fact, but that didn't mean he had to like it. The lies he'd already told, the secrets he already had to keep, felt like black coal sitting in the base of his stomach, weighing him down with every passing moment. Yet he would keep them, the secrets, protect them with his life despite how much it burned him to lie.

Truth, honesty, forthrightness with one's emotions, these were at the very core of Louis' self-perception.

And yet he'd been chosen to wield the miraculous whose very power was steeped in deception.

"What are you doing here?"

Volpino almost fell backwards, off the bridge and onto the cold hard floor, but his tail managed to keep him balanced. He blanched, swivelling around with wild flapping ears, to seek out whoever had made him jump.

His heart jutted to a halt when he saw Nathanael standing there, pale skin almost glowing blue in the night air, sketchbook tucked under his arm, red hair standing up at awkward angles.

It seemed, to Louis, that fate enjoyed toying with him.