Adrien got back to the mansion and slipped into his room. He detransformed and sank onto the bed, thinking about what had just happened.

Was he beginning to fall for Marinette? Marinette, who'd been his friend for so long? Marinette, who he'd never properly noticed? He was beginning to doubt it, until he thought about that moment they'd had in her room. He'd felt a protective instinct to brush her hair behind her ear. then she'd grabbed his hand.

His chest had been on fire, and it still ached now as he remembered that feeling with a small grin. He touched his hand, and it was as if she'd left an imprint on her. he could still feel her: her smell, her voice, her touch, just her.

It was true. He couldn't deny it anymore.

"Oh my god, I have a crush on her," he thought out loud. "I like Marinette Dupain-Cheng... as more than a friend."

"And you just realized?" Plagg's sarcastic voice returned once again, as Adrian expected. "You idiot."

Adrien laughed. He was still incredibly giddy from that memory of Marinette, and his stunning realization. "I guess I have been stupid, huh?"

"Yeah. Definitely," Plagg said, munching on a piece of camembert that looked like it had come out of nowhere.

"Hey, where'd you get that?" Adrien asked confusedly.

"Oh, just my secret stash hidden in the lining of your shirt. No biggie."

Adrien rolled his eyes. Typical Plagg.

He thought of Marinette again, and the joy came back to the surface. The most amazing girl in the world was his soulmate. Everything was perfect in that moment.

Meanwhile, Marinette was in her room, smiling as she thought about Cat Noir. Then she stood up. Her overthinking had begun to ruin her calm, sure state, and now she was doubtful that Cat actually liked her, and that she hadn't done the wrong thing.

"Oh. My. God."

"Hm? What's wrong, Mari?" Tikki asked, concerned.

"I held his hand! What if he didn't like it and I weirded him out?" she fretted, pacing the floor and wringing her hands.

"Marinette, he was not weirded out. He liked it," Tikki said, once again being the voice of reason to Marinette's panic-fueled rants.

"But what if he was just pretending? What if I ruined everything?"

"Trust me, you didn't. This is what happens when people are soulmates. They hold hands. They are sentimental. They kiss," Tikki said, giggling.

"Kissing? I've never kissed someone before! I'm going to mess this whole thing up."

"You are not, Marinette."

"I'm not?" Marinette asked. Tikki sighed.

"You're in this together. He wants this just as much as you do, and he's not comparing you to Ladybug. He likes you for you."

"Okay. Okay... but I need to do something first," Marinette told her kwami, filled with determination.

"And what's that, Mari?" Tikki asked gently.

"In order to let go of Adrien... I have to confess my feelings to him. I have to pour my heart out so I can open it to Cat Noir. I need to be completely in this." Marinette paused. "I'm going to tell Adrien I like him."

Tikki was impressed by Marinette's decision. She had certainly come a long away in a short time. Why, just a week ago, Marinette wouldn't even have entertained the notion at all of confessing to her crush.

She was very proud of her, and she loved seeing Marinette accept her soulmate, even if the process was hard. Very hard.

Marinette, meanwhile, was filled with nervosity, but knew this was the right decision. "Tomorrow. After school. I'm going to tell him I want to talk, and then... we're going to talk. I'm going to confess. It won't be that hard. Tikki, it won't be terrible, right?"

"No, Mari. Don't spiral! Just do it."

"Alright. Okay. Yeah, I can do this."

The next day, at school, Adrien couldn't stop staring at Marinette. There was a different quality to her now, something ethereal. She had an invisible glow, and he wanted to bask in it.

She was beautiful. He couldn't believe he'd never really noticed it before. She was stunning, and he could smell a faint scent of almond shampoo coming off her dark hair. 'Just a friend.' Plagg was right - he'd been quite an idiot, not realizing he liked her sooner. There'd been all the signs. But he'd been just too blinded by Ladybug and her beauty, bravery and amazing personality.

Alright - he was still in love with the superhero. But somehow his discovery of his feelings for Marinette had lessened the blow of Ladybug not being his soulmate. Marinette was! And she was absolutely amazing, so he could definitely get over Ladybug. Definitely. He could try, at least.

Just then, Marinette pushed a piece of hair behind her ear as she concentrated deeply on her math worksheet, and Adrien's heart clenched.

Beautiful.

He heard a voice whisper over - Nino. "Dude, why are you staring at Mari?"

Adrien panicked for a second. He wasn't ready to reveal his feelings to anyone, even his best friend. "Uh, just, I was stumped for an answer, so, I was... cheating. I stole one of her answers."

Idiot, he thought to himself, mentally facepalming. Nice save, Adrien.

Nino looked very confused. "Uh, alright, bro. Maybe don't get caught, dude."

Adrien nodded awkwardly. Ugh. Why did I say that?

He tried to concentrate on his own work at that point, so as to avoid any weird interactions like that. It was just hard not to focus on Marinette when she was so... so intoxicating.

Marinette, meanwhile, was trying her best not to look at him, so she didn't notice his constant gaze. She did the math worksheet in the silence of the classroom accentuated by the scratching of pencils, she whispered occasionally to Alya, and she focused on other things. Everything except Adrien Agreste.

She didn't need to become more nervous than she already was.

At lunch, her and Alya shared a table outside, as they usually did. Marinette had croissants from the bakery at home, that she was sharing with Alya, and Alya, in turn, was sharing the latest information from the LadyBlog.

"Mari, I got an interview with Ladybug herself!"

"Oh, really?" Marinette said, putting on her practiced face of surprise she often used with Alya.

"Yes, and she's already had her eighteenth birthday. She got her soulmate mark!" said Marinette's best friend excitedly.

"Yeah? Did she say who it is?"

"No, but I asked about Cat Noir, and she definitely evaded the question, like she was hinting that it was him."

"Oh, wow!" said Marinette, using her best acting skills. Oh no...

"Speaking of soulmates, any chance you've gotten yours yet?" said Alya inquisitively. Marinette winced. She was reminded once again of the fact that she'd been lying to her best friend.

So maybe it was time to at least get rid of part of the lie. She could probably tell Alya a little bit, right?

"Uh, yeah."

"So, what is it?" said Alya, smiling in surprise and quickly hugging her, then pulling back to look Marinette in the eye.

"Actually... I can't tell you. I'm sorry. I just... I need to figure things out with him. I will be able to tell you pretty soon, I promise," Marinette said earnestly. Alya's face fell slightly, but she soon regained her smile.

"It's okay, Marinette. I understand. I'm sure there's a good reason."

"Yeah, it's-"

"Hey, guys!" a voice interrupted Marinette. It was Juleka, accompanied by Rose. They were holding hands, and they both looked deliriously happy. Marinette and Alya exchanged glances. It looked like there had been some new developments recently.

"So, new discoveries, I see?" laughed Marinette.

"Are you two... soulmates?" asked Alya.

Rose nodded as she looked up at Juleka with a smile.

Later, after school, Marinette was packing up her stuff and getting mentally ready for the upcoming conversation. (Well, maybe more one-sided. Marinette suspected that she'd end up running away crying.)

Everybody was walking home, and Adrien was left alone waiting for the limo. Marinette tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned around. He smiled immediately. His smile was beautiful. She reprimanded herself - that was exactly the kind of thought she couldn't be thinking anymore.

"Uh. Adrien. I talk wanted to."

"Huh?" he asked confusedly, still staring at her like he'd never done before.

"I mean, I wanted to talk. To - to you, I... mean." She was so stupid. Why couldn't she talk properly? She had to pull it together. She pinched herself, and she realized Adrien had noticed.

"Oh, just, a mosquito. The summer bug bites, you know the feeling," she played it off.

"It's late fall, Marinette," he said, smiling gently. He just looked so happy fro some reason. Oh no. Had he gotten his soulmate initial? Was he dating someone? Was he in love with another girl?

It doesn't matter, Marinette, because you have a soulmate of your own.

She straightened herself. "Okay. Adrien. Here's the thing. So. I-I like you. I 'like' like you. And I have for a while. But, uh, you don't like me, and I have a different soulmate, and everything's messed up. And I can't like you anymore, so I have to let go. But to do that, I have to tell you. I need everything to be out in the open. I-I hope you are happy with whoever your soulmate is, Adrien."

Marinette barely got a moment to observe his stunned expression before she turned and walked away, her chest pounding with exhilaration. She'd finally done it. She'd confessed.

Adrien, meanwhile, was standing there in shock. So, his crush liked him. Both sides of him, he assumed from the hand holding.

And then reality came back, and his soulmate was walking away from him.

"No, wait, Marinette!" he started to say, but just then the limo pulled up, and the door opened. She was too far ahead to hear him, anyway, so he got in, and put his head in his hands, thinking about Marinette's confession on the way to fencing practice.

Marinette had liked him as Adrien, but now she thought she couldn't like him anymore, only Cat Noir. And Adrien guessed she was right, in a way. As of now, Adrien Agreste and Cat Noir were two different people, and Marinette's soulmate was Cat.

Not Adrien - not until they eventually revealed themselves to each other. That had to happen someday, right?

Adrien knew it wasn't supposed to happen, but Marinette's confession had made it even harder for him to keep his secret identity, well, secret. He wanted her to know both sides of him.

But for now, he'd have to stick with coming to her in Cat form. Marinette was so amazing that it was enough for him anyway.