Disclaimer: I don't own this show or any of its characters. I only take credit for the plot in this story.

Ladybug and Chat Noir had a thing for kissing on Valentine's Day.

It didn't happen all at once. It was a gradual thing, after all. Falling in love, real love, always is.

However, the way it started was kind of pathetic, really.

Allow me to explain . . .

Adrien Agreste was well aware that Valentine's Day was coming up. In fact, everyone around him, especially the female population, made sure he wouldn't forget.

"I'm free this weekend, if you want to hang out . . ." a random girl on the street called out. Adrien awkwardly shuffled away, keeping his head down.

"No thanks."

"What about me? We are in the city of love!" another stranger said.

"Really, I'm good."

"MARRY ME!" screamed a teenager. Adrien internally groaned. See, this is why he hated being an Agreste during this holiday. When you're a famous model, girls tend to want a piece of you. This sort of thing happened not once, not twice, but consistently on this occasion.

It made sense, he supposed, but he wasn't too crazy about the swarms of fans mobbing him at every turn. He didn't even know any of them; they didn't even know him. Yet another reason to love being Chat Noir during this time of year. If there was ever a moment that his miraculous allowed him the luxury of freedom from his confining lifestyle, it would be now.

And, of course, there was the added benefit of getting to see his lady.

That didn't exactly hurt.

Unfortunately, when he was jolted out of his thoughts by a blond pedestrian practically tackling him to get a photo op, he began to run. Adrien seriously couldn't afford to be on the streets for very long; he would get kidnapped for sure.

"I swear, Plagg, they get nuttier every year!" the unmasked superhero groaned into his pillow. Currently, the kwami was sitting on Adrien's nightstand, eating cheese with relish.

"What do you want me to do about that?" grumbled the being, his mouth chalk full of camembert. "Honestly, kid, you get whinier by the day and I graciously put up with you. You can handle some fangirls for a day." Adrien flipped onto his stomach.

"This is different, Plagg," he informed the kwami, exasperated at this point. "It's not that simple."

"How is this any different than what I suffer?"

"You hardly look like you're suffering, Plagg," the teenager grumbled, crossing his arms.

"How would you know? It's not like I don't do anything."

"You literally sit in my shirt all day."

"That's not the point! The point is that this isn't that bad. I'm sure it's not out of the usual to have girls flocking to you, kid. How is this worse?"

"I don't chase you around Paris demanding dates," Adrien deadpanned.

"Yes, but with my help, you chase Ladybug around Paris, and you want to date her." Another hunk of cheese dissapeared into the black creature's stomach. "I'm just saying, it's not some big tragedy. It's only for a night."

"A long, strenuous night." With a sigh, the boy stood up. "I wish Ladybug were here." Plagg hummed in a noncommittal fashion.

"I'm sure you do, since she kissed you last year." With a wince, the kwami dropped his cheese. Adrien shot up out of his bed, eyes wide.

"WHAT?!"

"Just forget I said anything," the creature told him, looking around nervously. "It was nothing, really."

"You just said I kissed Ladybug."

"Not really, no." The kwami stared at the boy oddly. "Technically, she kissed you."

"She kissed me." He put a hand to his forehead, completely gobsmacked.

"Um . . . yes, she did," Plagg reiterated slowly. "I'm kind of confused. I literally just went over that."

"My lady was my first kiss." Now the kwami was annoyed.

"Yes, kid, we've established that! It's not like you remember any of this, anyways. You were being controlled by an akuma." Adrien, in the equivalent of a lovesick haze, started pulling on his tennis shoes. "What are you doing?"

"I've got to go see her," he breathed. "This is incredible!"

"Patrol doesn't begin for another hour!" Plagg whined. Honestly, his chosen ones were becoming more sappy with each new generation. It was a wonder that they weren't braiding their hair or writing love songs at this point.

"I can't wait for tonight!" Without really thinking beforehand, the model stuffed huge hunks of cheese down his pockets and putting up his hand. Plagg began to panic.

"Oh, kid, please don't say - "

"CLAWS OUT!" he screamed with relish. The black kwami was sucked into his miraculous before he could finish. With an unheard sigh, Plagg was forced to transport Adrien over the city.

Humans. So emotional.

Ladybug knew that there was something off about her partner that night even before he opened his mouth. As they sat in their normal meeting spot, his feet were tapping anxiously. At first she had assumed he was nervous, but when she met his eyes, she nearly took a step back. They were so wide and bright that they were almost dilated, and his smile was stretched in an almost unnaturally wide proportion.

So, not nervous. Insane, purr-haps?

Oh, great. Now his puns were even invading her thoughts.

"What a pleasure to see you tonight, my lady," he grinned giddly. Marinette was withholding the urge to grimace at him. Again, why exactly was he smiling like that? It was already getting creepy.

"We come here every day, chaton," she reminded him, shifting on the balls of her feet. "Why wouldn't I be here?"

"No reason, Ladybug."

"Well . . . okay, then," she responded slowly, trying her hardest not to stare. "I think we should go down the - "

"Do you ever think about kissing?" he asked suddenly, now noticeably closer.

"What?" Ladybug said softly, completely taken off guard. That had been a rapid change in conversation, if their five lines of dialogue could even be considered that. "Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering."

"I guess so, sometimes." Unconsciously, she tugged at one of her pigtails.

"Why?"

"Well, I suppose it's because it's Valentine's Day, and the whole holiday's about love and - " He cut her off, stepping in so close that their chests were nearly touching. Chat Noir internally cursed himself. He hadn't planned on any of what just transpired; he just let all coherent thoughts go to the wind. It wasn't until just then that he realized how all of this might look.

Wasn't this a lot like what those random girls on the street did to him? Sure, he knew and loved Ladybug, but he didn't know her secret identity, her true self. To push his affections onto her in one sitting might seem really aggressive.

Well, too late to stop now.

"What about our kiss?" Here it was, the question that had begun to plague him. Suddenly, her face under the mask began to flush a dark red, emphasizing her several freckles.

"You know about that?" she croaked out, looking as though she had just swallowed marbles. Chiding himself for making her uncomfortable, Chat refused the urge to rub his partner's back. The gesture wouldn't be appreciated right now.

"Yeah," he smiled uneasily, letting his terrifying happiness slip away for a moment. "I've known for about the last hour." She was too mortified to talk, so he continued, scratching the back of his neck. "I'm sorry about all of this, I just got really excited, and then with you . . . I look really stupid right now, huh?" The duo sat down in silence, watching the way the stars sparkled for several minutes. Finally, Ladybug broke the calm.

"Why do you think you look stupid?" His head snapped back to her. He hadn't been expecting that.

"I mean, it was pretty stupid to think that you might like me too, you know. You kept on shoving me away for over a year." He began to laugh now, really wishing that this crappy five minutes was just some sort of bad dream and not an example of why his life was a terrible parody. "It was dumb to think my first kiss was going to be some magical romantic thing that would change everything. I can't even remember any of it." Another series of bitter laughs followed that statement. "See? Stupid." He turned away. Chat really didn't want to see his partner's face right now. It would be too hard to bare.

"Chat . . ." she began. Like always, his ears perked up at the sound of her voice. Those traitors. "You're not a joke. It's not stupid." Now his companion laid a hand on his shoulder, massaging it gently with her hand. He looked at her, and she brushed away one of the tears on his cheek.

Strange. He hadn't even realized he had started crying.

"It's not dumb to think that someone would like you. You're a great person. You're brave, selfless, loyal, compassionate, and so much more. Any girl would be lucky to have you." She bit her lip for a second, wondering whether or not she should continue. "If it makes you feel better, I know how you feel. There's this boy in my class . . . I always act like such an idiot around him. I stutter and trip over myself all the time. I call him a friend and vice versa, but sometimes I wonder if he even realizes I exist."

"But you're Ladybug. You're a hero," Chat protested. "You're amazing!" She smiled sadly, almost resigned.

"No, I'm not. I'm just . . . normal. But you seem to like me well enough. That always gives me hope." Now she grabbed his hand, gripping it tightly. "You'll be all right." There was another moment of silence, although this one was much more companionable.

"The guy in your class is an idiot for not noticing you," he blurted out. At this, his companion laughed.

"Maybe." Without warning, she leaned in and kissed his cheek soundly. Her lips were soft, just as he had imagined them, and Adrien almost fell off the ledge he was sitting on. He clutched his face in shock, trying to regain coherent thought.

"Wha . . . what . . ." he stuttered helplessly. Ladybug only laughed harder before getting up. She grabbed her yo yo and began to swing. "What was that for?"

"For being you," she informed him with an almost devious smirk. As she launched herself over the building, she called something back over her shoulder: "By the way, it was my first kiss, too!"

He started to smile. It was a small, hesitant one, but an expression of joy nonetheless.

Perhaps he had a chance with her after all.

It was another year before the next kiss, which was considerably more accidental. As usual, since nothing between the two could be easy, the events that led up to the kiss included an akuma attack, being continuously slammed against a building, and dropping 50 ft in the air.

It was so much fun for our heroes.

"Chat! I need some help right now, minou!" screeched Ladybug. She was desperately trying to trip the akuma with her yo yo string, but so far it was pointless. With a grunt, Chat picked himself back off of the pavement and back into battle.

See, this was another reason to hate this time of year.

"Nobody can defeat Heartbreaker!" the akumatized woman wailed from behind them. "My boyfriend broke my heart - now I will break yours!" If their enemy wasn't capable of stealing all the love and happiness from your body by touching you, Chat would have laughed. The names of these people were getting stupider by the day.

Suddenly, he noticed a metal pole hanging almost directly over the akuma's head. Attached to it was a massive french flag. How convenient.

"Cataclysm!" the superhero yelled, touching the beam and watching as the flag tangled around its head. For the moment, the monster was distracted. "Quick, use your lucky charm!" His partner nodded.

"Lucky Charm!" the blue haired girl cried. She was rewarded with what appeared to be a box of Valentine's Day chocolates. "Seriously?! WHY?!" Chat Noir could only shrug. Those chocolates were nasty.

Behind them, the akuma finally pulled the flag off of its head, looking around for the superhero duo. However, when she located them, her eyes locked onto the candy.

"Chocolate! I must have my spoils!" Now she began to run towards the heroes, grabbing for the candies. It seemed that every love-stricken girl wanted gifts at this time of year, even those cliche obligatory hearts. Ladybug, realizing how to beat the akuma, hefted the box into the air.

"If you want the chocolates, come and get them!" The spotted girl took off towards the tallest building in sight, the akuma following closely behind. She began to climb the structure with a practiced sort of ease. Chat Noir, realizing her plan, ran towards the fire escape and ascended the steps.

"I'm so close!" squealed the akuma as Ladybug reached the roof. The superhero dangled the box over the ledge, smiling encouragingly.

"Don't you want to grab them?" she asked in a sugary sweet voice.

"I do!" the akuma cried triumphantly, letting go of the wall in exchange for the treats above her. Chat was starting to wonder if akumatization made people dumb as well as evil.

Just as she started to fall, Ladybug wrapped her yo yo string around the victim, effectively restraining her.

"Chat! Grab her necklace!" grunted his partner. She was strong, sure, but holding someone over the side of a building wasn't exactly fun.

"On it, my lady!" responded the blonde, reaching out and snapping a silver pendant off of the akuma's throat, being careful not to touch her skin. He snapped it in half easily and Ladybug purified the butterfly.

In the place of the akuma was a brunette. She was wearing a crumpled dress and a shocked expression, coupled with wide blue eyes. They were pretty, Chat couldn't help but think, but they had nothing on his lady's.

"Where am I?" she asked, still rather confused. "Why am I tied up?"

"You were akumatized, but you're safe now." The girl flushed in embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry, it's just been a rough day so far, and I - "

"It's fine. It's what we do!" Chat answered confidently. If anyone knew what bad days were like, it was him. He helped the cured victim onto the fire escape steps and walked over to his partner.

"Miraculous Ladybug!" she exclaimed, throwing her yo yo into the air with a flourish. As always, it fixed everything.

Except what was already broken.

After her transformation on Paris had passed and their customary fist bump had been dealt out, the female superhero started towards the other side of the building. She was eager to get home and pass out on her bed. However, luck seemed to be smiling on Adrien for once, and she tripped on a split concrete slab on the roof.

While she fell, she threw out her arms in hopes of grabbing onto something.

That something was Chat.

Her partner didn't have time to even blink before he landed hard on the ground. Usually he would be complaining if this happened, but now Ladybug was pressed up against him. Not an inch of room lay between the two heroes; their chests were flush against eachother, their legs were intertwined, and their foreheads were smushed together. The same was true of their lips.

Chat Noir hadn't thought that his first kiss (or at least, the first one he remembered) would take place on an abandoned roof after falling beneath his lady. In his dreams, there had been a great deal more candles and romantic music. This was a far cry from what he had envisioned.

Maybe that's why he liked it so much; it was real.

Over the last year, the two had gotten even closer. Now they met earlier for patrols in order to talk longer, and their conversations were far more personal. He knew her favorite color; she knew his favorite food. Their hobbies, hopes, and dreams had been revealed in those chats. It was as if last Valentine's Day had flicked a switch; they realized just how much they needed each other.

But kissing, he had assumed, was outside the realm of possibility. Adrien had always figured that his lady would never see him as more than a friend. Although it hurt to be friend-zoned by someone he loved more than life itself, he had excepted this. Of course, not without wanting to rip out his heart every time she mentioned her mysterious (and oblivious, apparently) crush, but this was progress. He would never be able to get over Ladybug, but he would let her be happy.

Yeah, well, that sorta went out the window right then.

Oops?

He couldn't help but squeal internally as he applied the slightest bit of pressure. It was just a touch, not enough to be noticeable, really, but something had shifted between them. What was once an accident now became slightly different, because he could feel her on top of him.

A twitch. Just for a split second, she kissed him back.

She tastes like strawberries, he thought delusionally.

And then, in an instant, she pulled back away.

"I'm so sorry, chaton!" squeaked Ladybug, blushing from head to toe. She was as red as her costume, if not more so, and incredibly embarrassed. It was nice to see her as the shy, almost awkward half of the group for once. It was . . . cute, in a way. "I need to . . . go home. Yes! That's it! I'm about to time out, so . . . bye!" She scuttled off quickly, soon leaving only a scuffed footprint from where she fell as proof that she had been present.

Adrien couldn't bring himself to get off the ground. He was too wired; maybe he was broken or something. That would explain the way that his stomach was doing all these flips.

"I think," he said breathlessly into the afternoon sky, "that this was the best day of my life."

He stayed there for another hour. His brain needed the time to process the full extent of his joy.

"I honestly thought that Valentine's Day should belong in February," Ladybug grumbled with a sigh. "I mean, who's idea was this? First Christmas in July, now Valentine's Day. If they decide to move up Halloween as well, I'm out, Chat. You can handle the akumas for the month."

"Look on the bright side," he told her weakly, his heart not really in it. Valentine's Day for him was an endless cycle of swarming girls and photo shoots, except for when he was with her. With her at his side, Valentine's Day was awesome.

But, of course, he couldn't exactly say that. Or bring up . . . well, bring up the kiss. It was a sensitive topic for her.

Imagine being a superhero with, say, a red polka dotted suit and millions of admirers and fans. She had always felt braver in the suit, he gathered, and the one time she slipped up it was because of something entirely preventable due to a lapse in concentration. No matter how much he loved the kiss, he wouldn't take her pride away from her by mentioning it again.

"There is no bright side," she moaned in annoyance, gazing down at all the people scrambling to get flowers and expensive chocolates last minute. "Citizens are just going to be even more stressed out than usual and couples are going to be attacked by Hawkmoth. It's not exactly a recipe for romance."

"True, I guess, but it's still special. It's a day for people to spend time with the ones they love. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, chaton," she sighed. "It's just . . . I don't know. Earlier didn't go so well and I'm tired. I just want to curl up and forget today happened." This caused him to look at her curiously.

"What happened to you earlier, my lady?" She shrugged away, turning towards the street. "Was it a boy?" he asked her softly, wishing it weren't true. Unfortunately, her eyes misted over, which was as good a confirmation as any.

Well. There's that knife to the side he was waiting for.

Great.

"I wanted to tell him that I like him. I mean, I've liked him for years. But I froze. I didn't do anything. And it sucks that I thought I could talk to him without collapsing. You'd think after years of being his friend I could do something. But I can't."

"You're not just anybody, though. You're Ladybug, in and out of the mask," he told her fiercely. "And don't you dare get intimidated by some guy. You deserve to be happy more than anyone else I know."

"You really think that?" she breathed, albeit a little softly.

"I know so. No ripoff holiday in July is going to shake you. I'm going to stay with you all night until you get better." At this, she smiled. Thank god she had him.

"Okay."

True to his word, Chat Noir sat up on the roof of the building with his lady for 3 hours, watching the streets of Paris fade into darkness. The two of them had been quiet for a while, simply choosing to observe the dimly lit city as the stars came out. The black clad boy was confident his partner had forgotten about whatever happened that day while they hung out.

"My lady? I think we should start heading back home. Your family is going to be worried." There was no response to his words. With a slight frown, the blonde looked at the girl. "My lady?"

Ladybug had fallen asleep on the rooftop, slumped up against the wall behind them. With a fond grin - she really was adorable - he shook her lightly.

"Not now, Maman, I don't want to got to school," she whined gently. He made a conscious effort to stifle his laughter.

"It's me, Ladybug. You need to get up so you can go home. It's late at night." At this, she merely rolled over.

"I'm too sleepy to move," the blue haired girl slurred. It was clear that she wasn't awake enough to go anywhere herself, and to be honest, Chat was afraid of what might happen if she did. Propelling herself across the skyline while impaired? Yeah, he wasn't eager to see his partner fall to her death.

"I'll carry you somewhere, but you have to tell me where to go," he offered. "You need a real bed." Considering this in her tired state, Ladybug allowed herself to be scooped up by Chat.

"Dupain-Cheng . . . bakery. Cookies." His brow furrowed.

"Marinette probably won't mind if you stay there, since she knows you," he reasoned. "I'll just take you, then." The teen started towards the bakery, his red partner tiredly clinging to his neck while he held her bridal-style. In almost the blink of an eye, they were there, standing on the balcony of Marinette's room. "Here we are, my lady. Be careful and tell Mari I said hi."

For once, he was grateful to his father for scheduling so many activities. As they often ran late into the night, he was used to going to bed at odd hours. Sadly enough, Ladybug clearly wasn't adjusted to this sleep schedule, as was apparent by her actions.

"You're my good kitty," she yawned. "I . . . like kitty."

"You what?" he gulped, his face beginning to turn red. It was obvious that she was tired and she was probably spouting off randomness, but still. Did she really, or was his partner just confused?

"I like kitty," the superhero affirmed. Then, without warning, she shot forwards and grabbed his cheeks. "Kitty's a good cat." In less time than he could say 'huh', she was kissing him. It was sloppy and short, and he was way too shocked to do anything in that moment but close his eyes. Suddenly, just as soon as she had kissed him, she pulled away with a sleepy frown. "You didn't kiss me."

"You've got to give this cat some more warning next time, my lady," he sputtered, trying to process what just happened. "I have to . . . I have to go." Chat couldn't stay with her any longer. Not when he was so very tempted to kiss her again.

She was tired and without her wits. It didn't mean anything to her. He was just there and convenient . . . right?

Meanwhile, Ladybug crawled into her bed and detransformed, snuggling into the covers with a sigh. Tikki looked upon her chosen one with mixed emotions.

"Chat's a good kitty. I like my chaton." Tikki smiled wryly at the teenage girl she had come to know as a friend.

"I know you like him. I just hope that he figures it out, too."

"I know you've heard it all before," he said nervously, kicking at the ground. "But I need to tell you something." She looked at him expectantly, seeming encouraging. And thus he continued with the scariest thing he'd ever attempted in his life. "I'm in love with you. Again, I'm pretty sure you know. I'm not exactly subtle." Despite the obviousness of the situation, her eyes couldn't help but widen. "I love the way you laugh, and that's why I always make up puns around you. Your laugh is the best thing I've ever heard. Your bluebell eyes are mesmerizing; they always mess with me, not matter what. You're always going to have my back, and I'm always going to have yours, because you're the best friend I've ever had and the best person I've ever met. No matter who it is, you risk your life to help those in need. You're brave, selfless, kind, beautiful, and downright incredible. I know I'm only seventeen, and it's hard to say this and mean it at such a young age, but I'm in love with you, my lady. I have been for a while." He scratched his neck. "That was really cheesy and terrible. Actually, can I just start again?" After snapping out of her complete and utter stupor, the heroine responded.

"Well, that had nothing to do with our conversation on sandwiches," Ladybug said bluntly. It was true; that had been a gigantic leap from their last topic. Adrien had been saying he liked his with crusts; she had just been arguing firmly against it.

This was new.

It had been a year since their accidental rooftop kiss, and Ladybug had ever so slightly developed a (huge) crush on her partner. Of course, being the oblivious idiot he was, she figured that he didn't notice her change in attitude. In actuality, it really had more to do with willful ignorance; he didn't feel like getting his hopes up. Little did he know that he wouldn't have been dissapointed if he had.

"No, it didn't."

" . . . alright, now that this has been established, I suppose you can. Go on, chaton." He almost couldn't believe his ears. She was letting him try again?

"Well, I know that you may not feel the same way, but I love you, my lady. I know everything about you, inside and out. You're the whole world to me, and I can't imagine a life without you. I . . . no, this isn't right either," he sighed. And to think that it had started out so well. "You know, I don't know what I was thinking during any of this. I've got the worst luck ever. When my confession falls through, is it all right if I just hurl myself off the roof?"

"Don't you dare; I would catch you anyways."

"You'd catch me whenever I fall, my lady?"

"Chat . . ."

"I'll stop." They looked out over a sleepy Paris, hand in hand. Ladybug felt stronger next to him, smarter, braver - everything she was and better. Although she had liked other people before (hi, Adrien) nobody had made her feel like this. Like she could fly, if she wanted to, no superpowers needed. That's just what being around Chat was like; he made her feel at home.

"If you asked me to say it back, you know, I'd definitely do it," she informed him softly. The cool wind brushed past her face as he looked back at her questioningly. "No blackmail or begging necessary."

"To say what, my lady?" he asked her, glancing down at her lips. A small shiver flew down her spine as she saw that he hadn't looked away.

"You know what." They had both moved closer, almost pressed against eachother, their mouths almost touching. It would be almost too simple to connect them. Slowly, as if reading her thoughts, her masked partner began to close the gap. He was barely a breath away when -

"AHHHH!" she screeched, jolting up from the covers. All of it had just been a dream.

Darn it. She had rather liked that dream, and the boy who she was dreaming about.

Marinette wasn't sure she knew how to take that revelation.

Currently Marinette was in her own room, as per usual in the morning. Everything was as it was, which allowed her to take comfort in normalcy for a moment. Her sewing materials were strewn in a fit of organized chaos over her desk, her bag was dropped in the corner, and her windows were peaking through with a golden sort of sunrise. Dawn had just arrived. As she fisted the sheets and tried to relax, she marveled in how ordinary everything appeared to be.

But, as was often the case when dealing with superheroes, everything wasn't alright at all. Something had changed, but it was something inside of herself. She had finally become aware.

"Tikki?" she called out softly to her kwami, who had been startled awake by her impromptu scream. The ancient creature flew to the side of her chosen one, albeit a little groggily.

"What is is, Marinette?" Upon seeing the girl's expression, which was a mix of excitement, horror, and love, the kwami straightened up. "Boy problems?" The blue haired teenager nodded, biting her lip. "Who are you thinking about?"

"You know how I told you that I might like Chat after the rooftop things, Tikki?" The kwami, still rather tired, only agreed.

"Yes, but that was a long time ago. Why does it matter?"

"I think it's a little more than a stupid crush, now. I just had this dream, and he's so . . . " She didn't know quite how to end that statement. Her minou was wonderful; he was simply charming, no matter how much of a dork he could be. "I don't want to lose him."

"No matter what, I doubt you will. He's your match." The red and black creature stared at her chosen one curiously. Never in her years had she met a more oblivious pair of humans.

"I know."

What she didn't know was that, across Paris, Adrien had woken up from an incredibly vivid dream as well.

"Woah," he breathed out to the ceiling. Next to him, Plagg shifted back and forth, unable to get comfortable. In that respect (and most others), he was just a finicky as a real cat.

"Huh?" he yawned, turning over once more. "Go back to bed, kid, it's late."

"I know, but . . ." The model ran a hand through his hair, sitting up. "I just had a dream. About Ladybug, I mean." Plagg rolled his sleepy eyelids.

"So? I'm sure you've had lots of Ladybug fantasies before tonight." The blonde sighed, exasperated with the lazy kwami but not annoyed.

"This was different. It was almost like . . . like it really happened. More like a memory than a dream . . . maybe it was more of a vision, actually. I don't know. But this was the most real fantasy I've ever encountered. I swear, I could feel her next to me," he ranted onwards. "It was cold, and you could count all of the lights on in the windows of a nearby apartment. The sky was lit up with lots of stars, and the flag on top of the Eiffel Tower was flapping to the east." He shot a stink eye at his companion, who was only rubbing his eyes and didn't seem to be paying attention. "You don't believe me, do you?"

"No, I believe you kid. I've just seen it all before and I'm tired." Adrien scooped up the black creature in his hands, looking at him with interest.

"What do you mean you've heard it all before?" Sensing that he wouldn't get to sleep again until he explained, Plagg grumbled slightly and spoke up.

"It's happened before in past miraculous wielders, Adrien, that partners sometimes become so close they can share strong dreams or feelings. If Ladybug died, for example, you'd probably feel intense pain wrack your body as she passed. Food for thought."

"Are you saying that Ladybug could have been sharing that dream with me?" the unmasked superhero asked excitedly.

"It's certainly possible. If your dream was as vivid as you claim it was, it's likely. You two have gotten a lot closer these last several years." The small god turned over, satisfied with his own answer. "I'm going to bed now, kid. You should, too."

"Okay," he hummed, laying back down but not able to fall asleep again for the next several hours. One thought haunted him: She let me kiss her.

If he felt the inexpiable urge to blush as Marinette and her strangely familiar eyes walked by the next day at school, well, that clearly meant nothing.

"I had a weird dream last night, chaton," Ladybug said to him. Patrol had never been more quiet until she spoke up. For once, it was strangely silent.

"Yes, my lady?"

"In it, me and this guy . . ." She bit her lip. "He told me he loved me. We almost kissed." She pulled her legs close to her body and rested her head on her knees. "I don't know what to do."

"Why?" Chat asked, sliding slightly closer to her. The part of his mind that wasn't panicking because he was next to her was wishing that he didn't sound so breathless.

"Because I really like him. I've liked him for a while. But I always liked somebody else, so I shoved him aside." She looked at her partner with hope in her eyes. "The thing is, I don't think I should be paying attention to the other guy anymore."

"Is that so?" He dared to hope that guy she liked was him. At least, he really wished he was worthy of her. It was a long shot, but still. A guy could dream.

Err . . . dream again, maybe? Chat already shared a dream with her anyways, so . . .

"Yeah, it is." She shuffled closer to him, and now their feet were touching.

"Was it anybody in particular?" Ladybug shoved him lightly, laughing a little. Hey, at least she was slightly more at ease.

"You're an idiot."

"Yes, but I'm your idiot, after all." She stopped laughing suddenly, looking at her partner strangely. It was an almost remorseful stare, and he instantly regretted whatever he did to have caused it.

"My lady? Are you alright?" The dark haired teenager shook her head.

"I don't want to loose you because I don't know what to think." He cocked his head.

"Huh?"

"It's just that, I know you told me you liked me before, but that was a long time ago. Years, if you can believe that. And now that I like you, it's awkward. I don't know if you still feel the same way, if I waited too long, or if I'm going to regret telling you this later. It rips me to pieces, sometimes, when I wonder if when I was chasing that other boy and I found you that you fell out of love with me."

"Wait, what are you - "

"I'm not always Ladybug. I'm just a girl who didn't realize she had the best guy in the world as her best friend, all at her disposal, and I didn't even stop to look at him until we kissed. I've kissed you back at least 3 times now, and I was going to kiss you in some dream last night! Heck, I even dream about you! I'm the stupidest girl ever because I just started rambling on and on about you right now and you probably don't even feel the same way. A guy like you should have been snatched up by somebody else a long time ago, and you're probably done waiting for me." Her chest was heaving and her eyes were blurry as she stopped, trying to catch her breath. "That . . . that did not go smoothly at all. It all just sorta . . . came out, I guess." Nobody said anything for a few minutes, and Chat looked utterly wrecked. "Well, do something, you silly cat!" She snapped, a tear coming free. "The least you can do is put me out of my misery."

"I love you," he informed her on instinct. Now it was her eyes that widened.

"What? You do?" It was the most cliche thing in the world when her breath caught. With a small smile, he grabbed her hand.

"I would say it back, you know. No blackmail or begging necessary." The superhero looked at her, catching a glimpse of her surprise.

"That . . . that sounds a lot like what I said in that dream, Chat. How did you - "

"Did you really expect me to leave you hanging? You're my partner, we share everything."

"Even that dream?"

"Even that dream from Valentine's Day."

"That sounds really dumb," she - dare it be said - giggled. Yes, he was able to make Ladybug cry, giggle, and admit her undying love for him all in one night. If that wasn't a boost for Chat Noir's ego, he didn't know what was.

"Hey, I didn't pick when the magical dream sync thing would kick into gear!" he fake grumbled. It was fake, of course, because there was no way he could be angry right now. The girl he had loved for years just so happened to love him back - Adrien, masked or no, couldn't be happier. "And besides, i'm pretty sure I'm still dreaming. You actually like me."

"No duh. I've liked you for years, kitty; I've just been trying to ignore it."

"Well," he told her with far more confidence than he felt, "Let's live that dream, shall we?" With no further ado, he kissed her.

It was even better than the first 3 times. There were fireworks behind his eyelids and a swarm of butterflies slamming around his chest. His hands cupped her neck and hers tangled through his hair. They were slowly catching fire together; the world could have burned and the superheroes wouldn't have cared. They were together and in love, and Chat was kissing Ladybug. Nothing else mattered.

"Wow," he breathed upon pulling away, resting his forehead on hers.

"Wow is right," she agreed. He took an insane amount of pride and affection from knowing that he was the cause of her breathlessness.

"You are never going to loose me now, my lady. I'm not going anywhere," he stated firmly. He had a funny feeling that she knew, but he wanted to say it out loud anyhow.

"I know," she grinned, her tears from earlier already dried. There was no evidence of any confusion, doubt, or sadness in her face anymore, not when kissing her partner felt so right. "Me neither."

"Another akuma? Seriously?" the spotted heroine moaned. "And just when this was getting good." Her chaton couldn't help but sigh a little as well; he had been looking forward to seeing this movie with her.

Recently, as many a local news station reported, something unbelievable happened; Ladybug and Chat Noir had become a couple. It was hardly a surprise to the public, since lots of people had claimed that they were obviously infatuated with eachother for years and had only needed to make it official. Although the two could hardly argue with this point - and really, why would they want to? - it was still interesting to see the citizens of Paris so riled up about their romance.

Especially at times like this, when the akumatized people of France were the reason they couldn't have dates.

Couldn't they have waited a day or two before bothering them again?

"Hey, we can watch the end of the film after this. We'll just have to finish the villain off quickly this time," he assured her. With a nod, the dark haired teenager transformed in front of him.

Oh, right. They know eachothers identities now.

Surprise, I guess?

It had happened about a week after Valentine's Day when Ladybug decided she didn't want to enter a relationship without knowing his identity and vice versa. Naturally, Chat agreed, and the two detransformed on top of the Eiffel Tower that night. Long story short, Adrien was more than satisfied with her, but Marinette was furious that he had made her struggle with her feelings.

"It's not fair that you made me fall for you twice! I was ignoring Chat because I fell for Adrien Agreste!" she had shouted in annoyance.

"Wait, I was competing with myself? That means you liked me before you even knew I was a hero! This is great!"

"UGGGRRRRHHHH! CHHAAAATTTTTTTT!" After throwing her shoes at him, angrily ranting for another 10 minutes, and cursing whoever invented love squares, she forgave him for being 'irresistible'. Needless to say, it was an interesting night.

Luckily, they both loved eachother too much for anything as dumb as that to pull them apart. So it was alright.

However, loving eachother didn't mean that their many attempts to go on dates would be successful. With the influx of akumas, having the perfect date (like, oh, watching a new film at Marinette's new apartment) was pretty much impossible. Whatever they did was interrupted, it seemed, like the universe had it out for them.

"Remind me again why we fight crime if we can't even watch a movie?" she complained, now clad in red. Chat Noir couldn't help but be enamored by watching her transform; even though he knew the girl beneath the mask now, seeing the suit appear always made the whole thing seem more real. She was all his now. They went on dates and drunk coffee and crammed for tests as college students. The duo was together, in every sense of the word.

How had he gotten so lucky?

"It's our responsibility; nobody said it would be fun," he reminded her. Then, with a sly grin, he leaned into her space bubble and whispered, "How about a kiss? It is Valentine's Day today, after all; it's kind of a tradition now." Instantly she perked up and adopted a sly smile of her own.

"I will, but only when you defeat the akuma." He gulped as she moved closer, whispering the words into his ear. "I've got to give you some incentive to perform."

"Yes, Princess!" She couldn't help but laugh. She had never seen him run out the door so fast.

"Do you want to get married?" the masked Adrien Agreste stated casually. Marinette's head shot up; what had he just said?

"Are you serious? You're proposing now? We just started patrol!" she cried out. Sheepishly, he shrugged.

"I don't . . . well, yeah. We've been dating for, what, 4 years now? It's Valentine's Day again, when we first kissed, and I guess it just came out."

"It just came out? Have you planned this at all?" she said skeptically, crossing her arms.

"I've literally had a ring for you stashed in my sock drawer since we started dating," Chat deadpanned. When she started blushing, he flushed back. "Yeah . . . I just . . ."

"You've had the rings since then?"

"I knew I wouldn't want anybody else," he informed her sincerely. "I mean, of course I was thinking it would happen in some fancy restaurant at dinner or at the Eiffel Tower, but here we are. I guess my subconscious just couldn't wait." He fiddled with his hair, running an anxious claw through the locks. Suddenly the temperature just rose a good 20 degrees. "So, what are you say - "

"Of course!" she squealed, reaching up to kiss him properly. Chat couldn't help but smile against her lips in relief - finally. They were going to get married. They were going to have a future. He could practically taste the wedding cake and hear the bells.

"I love you," he purred.

"Me too."

Ladybug and Chat Noir seemed to have a thing for kissing on Valentine's Day.

It didn't show any indication of going away.

So . . . was this a oneshot or a small novel? Seriously, this took me forever to write; I don't know if you guys have noticed, but I'm the worst procrastinator on the face of the earth. This was meant to be done by Valentine's Day. Clearly that didn't happen.

I'm only over a month late. No problem at all!

. . . Nah.

In any case, I just wanted to get this out before I forgot all about it and lost the motivation to finish it up. So, tada! I tried.

I hope everybody enjoyed my (probably really bad/incredibly cheesy) Valentine's Day oneshot. I know that my first attempt at writing this ship was received very well in the story 'Purr-fect'. I wish that this one is greeted with the same support and favoritism that the other one was.

Bye, everyone! Be sure to leave a review and be on the lookout for any other Miraculous oneshots!