"Stay. I won't tell anyone who you are. Cat's honor." He said, holding his hand up. Ladybug wanted to. She really wanted to reveal herself to him, but Tikki's warning that no one can know that she's Ladybug flashed through her mind.

"Nobody must know who we really are. Not even us." She said, pulling the door to the closet mostly closed. She knew that he could easily follow her or even just wait for her to leave. As she turned back into Marinette, she saw the door handle jiggle and the door open slightly. She stared at the door in anticipation, part of her wanting him to disregard what she said and open the door. But then the door shut the rest of the way.

"Phew, that was too close for comfort." Tikki said in her hands.

"Tell me about it." Marinette said, looking back at the door and wishing that a certain blond would open it. She waited a moment and then peeked out of the closet. Her heart dropped as she saw that the lobby of the hotel was empty.

Over the years, there had been many close calls, but Chat hadn't tried to find out what her secret identity was since that day. He respected her wishes and kept himself from finding out her identity. He hadn't stopped flirting with her, though. Marinette was now a senior in school. She had changed greatly during the years. Her crush on Adrien had ebbed into a friendship. Alya and Nino had set them up on a few dates which resulted in awkward conversations for them. Those awkward conversations turned into enjoyable conversations. That, in turn, turned into a weekly addition of gaming night with Adrien.

The two had become such good friends, that Marinette often laughed about how much of a crush she had on him when she first met him. She still hadn't told him about the crush. Instead, feelings she didn't think were possible had bloomed in their stead. Marinette found that her daydreams had changed from being about Adrien to being about a certain leather-clad feline-themed superhero.

She found herself looking forward to akuma attacks, not that she would tell her partner. That was why, when she heard sirens during homeroom, she immediately asked to go to the restroom, not even noticing Adrien making the same request. They both rushed to their respective restrooms and transformed. They then met at the scene.

"Give me your miraculouses." The victim shouted when they arrived at the news station. This victim was a camera-man who had been fired that morning.

"Not a chance." Ladybug said to the man who aimed a video camera at her.

"You will give me your miraculous." He said as he pushed a button and red sparks shot out at Ladybug.

"Ladybug!" Chat shouted as she dodged the attack. Neither of them knew what would happen if they were hit by those sparks.

"I'm fine, Kitty. Let's get that camera out of this filmer's hands." She said slinging her yoyo at the akumatized victim. The yoyo wrapped around his arm and Ladybug yanked him off balance.

"It's time for your 15 minutes of fame." the victim stated as he aimed the camera again as he regained his composure.

"I think M'lady is famous enough." Chat said before shouting, "Cataclysm."

The victim smirked as Chat ran at him. Ladybug saw the smirk and her eyes widened. "Chat!" She shouted as red sparks shot at her partner from the camera. Chat Noir was engulfed in the sparks and suddenly disappeared. "What did you do to him?" She asked angrily as a purple butterfly figure appears over the victim's face.

"Yes, Hawkmoth." The man said.

"Where is Chat?" Ladybug demanded.

"There" he said, pointing to a monitor as it turned on to show Chat Noir in a white room. His Cataclysm was still bubbling around his right hand as he looked around at his surroundings. "If you want him back, you'll need to give me your miraculous."

Ladybug watched as Chat slammed his hand into the floor of the room that he was in resulting in the floor eroding briefly before repairing. He looked at his hand and then patted the floor a few times. Ladybug could see mounting fear on his face. She started to reach for her earrings and then stopped. If she defeated the Filmer then she could set everything back to normal including Chat Noir.

"Lucky Charm" she shouted, throwing her yoyo in the air. Her yoyo fell back down with a banana.

"Not the best move." the Filmer said as he aimed the camera at Ladybug. Ladybug quickly looked around, forming a plan. She threw her yoyo and sailed across the room as red sparks shot at where she had been. Once she landed, she peeled the banana and then launched herself across the room again, dropping the peel behind the Filmer.

"Over here." She shouted. The man turned and aimed at her, taking a step forward. His foot suddenly flew out from underneath him and the camera tumbled from his hand. Ladybug threw the yoyo at it and brought the piece of equipment to her. She threw it on the ground as hard as she could and smiled when the black butterfly escaped. She caught it easily with a smile before tossing the banana into the air and shouting, "Miraculous Ladybug."

Her power swept through the news station setting everything right, including her partner. "Chat." She called as she ran over to him and pulled him into a hug.

"Were you worried, M'lady? You know that I'll always come back to you." he said. "After all, I'm still curious about who is under that mask." He said, gently poking her cheek.

Ladybug laughed and shook her head. "Don't you know that curiosity killed the cat?" She asked.

"I guess the satisfaction of finding out who you are would have to bring me back." he said with a smirk. Ladybug's eyes widened briefly. "Don't you worry, Bug-a-boo. We'll both be on our way before the clock strikes midnight." He said just before his ring beeped. "I guess I'll have to cat-ch you later." He said as he stood.

"Y-yeah." Ladybug said, standing as well as Chat ran out of the studio. She stared after him until her earrings beeped. She then found a window and cast her yoyo out. She swung through the city and back to the school.

"Marinette! You have to stop doing that!" Tikki said when she popped out of Marinette's earrings.

"Stop doing what, Tikki?" Marinette asked.

"You almost gave that akumatized victim your Miraculous!" Tikki said angrily.

"Chat Noir was in danger." She said.

"That's no excuse Marinette!" Tikki said.

"If something had happened to him, it would have been my fault." Marinette responded.

"No it wouldn't. You need to stop being so reckless." Tikki said. Marinette nodded as Tikki flew into her purse to enjoy the cookies that were inside. Marinette rushed back to class. The news was on in the room as she rushed back to her seat.

"You missed it!" Alya exclaimed. "Ladybug totally kicked his…" she was cut short by Ms. Bustier's disapproving look. Alya shut her mouth as Ms. Bustier turned the TV off.

"Now that Paris isn't under threat, let's move on to your history lesson." she said. The students all brought out their notebooks. The rest of the day flew by without incident. This night would normally have been her gaming night with Adrien, but instead Alya, Nino, Adrien, and Marinette had decided to go out to dinner.

As the four friends sat around the table at the local spaghetti shop, Alya brought up the akuma attack again. "Ladybug was so awesome." Alya said. "She beat the Filmer with a banana peel!" She said.

"What about Chat Noir?" Marinette asked.

"He got himself captured. Ladybug had to save him." She said.

"I'm sure that's not what happened." Marinette responded. Adrien and Nino stayed quiet as the girls talked.

"That's totally what happened. Ladybug almost gave up her miraculous to save him even. If I didn't know any better, I'd think she fell for him." Alya said with a laugh.

Marinette's cheeks started to burn. She didn't look, but Adrien was also blushing. "I d-don't think that's the case." Adrien stuttered.

"Y-yeah. I don't think she's fallen for him. He's her partner. She was probably just worried for him as a partner." Marinette responded.

"You can believe what you want. I bet they have plenty of fun after akuma attacks." Alya said with a wink.

"Alya!" Marinette shouted in shock. "C-Chat Noir probably wouldn't do that." She said.

"Aw, does someone have a superhero crush?" Alya asked in a baby-voice.

Marinette just felt her blush deepen. "She's not the only one." Nino muttered.

"Nino!" Adrien said, his whole face had turned red. "I-I do not have a crush on L-Ladybug." He stuttered.

"Dude, I've seen you around her. Whenever you see Ladybug you freak." Nino said.

"Do not." Adrien stated.

"You can barely say two words to her!" Nino responded.

"Shut up, Nino." Adrien said quickly as their food arrived.

"It's nothing to be ashamed about, Dude. Even Marinette has a superhero crush." He said, making Marinette's cheeks turn red again. They had been slowly turning back to their normal hue when the conversation had focused on Adrien.

Marinette just started eating, hoping that the conversation would end. She knew that years ago she would have been elated to find out that Adrien had a crush on Ladybug. However, now it just seemed strange. She could imagine her younger self visiting him as Ladybug in the middle of the night to '...STOP' she shouted at herself. This was Adrien she was thinking about. He was practically a brother to her now, much to her parents' disappointment. Tom and Sabine had been excited for Marinette to start dating and she did end up going on a few dates over the years, but nothing ever got even halfway close to serious. She still hadn't even kissed anyone. Well, anyone other than Chat when he'd been hit by Dark Cupid's arrow.

"I'll bet Ladybug and Chat Noir know each other's secret identities and that they spend their days together as civilians. I mean, they always seem to show up at roughly the same time to akuma attacks. They have to live or work close together." She said.

Marinette furrowed her brow. Alya was right. She and Chat Noir did seem to always arrive at akuma attacks around the same time. She wondered if she knew her leather-clad partner when he wasn't wearing the mask. "I doubt they know each other. They probably keep things strictly professional." Marinette replied.

"I wish they wouldn't. That would be one of the most romantic stories ever. The story of Ladybug and Chat Noir the heroes of Paris." Alya said, moving her hand through the air in front of her.

"Well you would probably know more than anyone if they were together. You do, after all, still run the Ladyblog." Marinette said. She then looked at her watch. "Looks like it's about time to go." She said. It was getting late and her parents would likely worry about her if she didn't get home soon.

"If you guys want, I could have the Gorilla drop everyone off." Adrien stated.

"I think we'll pass. We have shopping to do." Alya stated, putting her arm around Nino.

"Marinette?" Adrien asked, looking at her hopefully.

"Sure. Maybe we could play a round or two of Ultimate Mecha Strike?" Marinette suggested.

"I'm sure that my father will expect me home. Maybe next week?" He asked and Marinette nodded in approval. Alya and Nino made their way into the city when Adrien's bodyguard arrived. Adrien and Marinette got into the backseat and Adrien instructed his bodyguard to drop Marinette off before going home.

"So, we both missed Chat Noir and Ladybug, huh?" Marinette asked.

"I guess you could say that." Adrien said hesitantly. "I wonder who they are." He said.

"Do you think that Alya's right? That they know each other when they aren't saving Paris?" She asked. Adrien shook his head.

"No. I don't think they know each other." He said.

"What do you think they do in their regular lives?" Marinette asked.

"Maybe they're high schoolers? Alya did find that textbook that Ladybug dropped." Adrien mused. Marinette had almost forgotten about that mishap.

"Didn't they find out that Ladybug is thousands of years old?" She asked nervously.

"That's assuming that the current Ladybug is the same as Ladybug from ancient Egypt. I don't think they are the same. I think that the power is handed down from one Ladybug to another." He said. Marinette's eyes widened.

"H-how would that happen?" She stuttered, hoping he hadn't figured out that she was always gone when Ladybug showed up.

"Well, the Miraculous of course." Adrien said. Marinette thought he seemed nervous. She couldn't help but to wonder if he had figured out who she really was.

"Yeah, I guess." she said. The rest of the ride was quiet. "See you on Monday." She said as Adrien's bodyguard arrived at the bakery.

"Yeah, see you then Marinette." Adrien replied as she got out of the car. Marinette made her way into the building, not noticing how his gaze followed her until the car pulled away.

"How was your dinner?" Sabine asked as soon as she saw Marinette.

"It was good. I'm going to go and get started on my homework." Marinette said as she started to make her way upstairs. Once upstairs, Marinette tossed her backpack in the corner and opened her purse. Tikki immediately flew out. "Want to go out for a bit, Tikki?" She asked.

"Marinette, you should really do your homework." Tikki stated.

"I have all weekend to do my homework." Marinette reasoned.

"If you don't do it now, you'll put it off until the last minute again. And then you'll rush to finish it." Tikki said exasperatedly. Marinette widened her eyes and pulled her lips into a pouting expression. Tikki's eyes narrowed. "That's not working again, Marinette!" She said resolutely.

"But Tikki…" Marinette was cut off by the small kwami.

"But you want to go out and see Chat Noir?" Tikki said. "It's a bad idea, Marinette. We've been over this. You even said that you shouldn't get close to him until after the two of you defeat Hawkmoth." Tikki added.

"I can't help it, Tikki. I just want to see him." She said. "When we aren't fighting an akuma." She added.

"You still need to do your homework." Tikki said defiantly. Marinette gave the kwami another pleading look. Tikki finally gave in. "Fine, but you really need to keep it short, Marinette." She said.

"Tikki, spots on!" Marinette said happily as Tikki was pulled into her earrings. Soon, Ladybug swung through the city looking for her leather-clad partner. She didn't know anything about him other than that he would often find her at either their sculpture or the Eiffel Tower. She made her way to the park where their statue was as it was closer. She smirked as she passed the car that she knew Adrien was in.

She again thought about what she would have done if she had found out about his crush years before this point. She found herself blushing slightly. When she couldn't find Chat in the park, she made her way to the Eiffel Tower. She didn't see him there either. She sighed as she sat down on one of the higher beams and looked out over the city. It was quiet for the time being.

Her spirits lowered as she looked around, not seeing Chat. She knew that it wasn't likely to see him as the night was quiet, but that didn't stop her disappointment.

"M'lady?" A voice asked from behind her after she'd gotten lost in thought for at least half an hour. She jumped as she turned to see Chat perched on top of his staff.

"Chat." She said with a smile.

"What's wrong?" He asked. Ladybug tilted her head slightly.

"What do you mean, Kitty?" She asked.

"Why are you out? Is there an akuma?" He asked, quickly as Ladybug marvelled at his balance.

"No. Just wanted some air." She said, silently adding the real reason she was there.

Chat smiled and with a hop and a spin of his staff he was seated next to her and the staff was collapsed and on his back. "Good because I don't think I'm ready for round 2 after earlier today." He said.

"Are you okay?" Ladybug asked.

"You know I am. This cat always lands on his feet in the end." Chat said using his thumb to point at his chest. "Why? You worried Bug-a-boo?" He asked.

Ladybug couldn't stop the smile that formed on her lips. "Always." She said. She then looked back out at the city. She felt comfortable with Chat near. She bit her lip as she thought about dinner that night. "S-so what do you do when you're not Chat Noir?" She asked before realizing what came out of her mouth. Her eyes widened and she clasped a hand over her mouth briefly. "I didn't. I mean…" she started, flustered. "You really shouldn't answer that. We shouldn't know about each other. I...sorry for…" she was rambling as she heard him start to chuckle.

"You know, Ladybug, you remind me of someone." He said through a chuckle. "If I didn't know better, I'd say that it seems like you've developed feelings for this stray." He added which only deepened the blush Ladybug felt on her cheeks. She was just thankful for the mask covering her face.

"Oh you do, huh? And how many other girls do you know who had feelings for a silly Tom Cat?" Ladybug asked with a laugh, willing herself to feel comfortable.

Chat smirked. "More than you know. I happen to be very popular with the ladies." He said, giving her a wink and leaning toward her playfully.

"Oh? Trying to make me jealous?" Ladybug asked, leaning toward him as if in challenge.

"Maybe." He responded.

'What if I told you it was working?' she thought as she bit her lip. She knew that she couldn't let that one fall out.

"Cat got your tongue?" He asked, tilting his head with a smirk.

"Maybe" Ladybug replied, noting how close they were to each other. Either one of them could easily lean forward and steal a kiss from the other. Instead, she turned away to look back at the city.

Both heroes could feel the weight of the words left unsaid between the two of them. As much as they flirted, neither had ever disclosed their true feelings about the other. Both always ended up getting close and then stopping. Each wondering what would happen if the other didn't return their feelings and how that would affect the city as a whole. Would they be able to function as a team if one turned the other down? What if their flirting was just a game to one of them? What if they found out that they did feel the same way about each other? Would they still be able to protect the city?

Ladybug slowly turned her gaze back to Chat. She hoped her longing for him didn't show as she saw that he was still staring at her. "W-what if I told you I'm a model?" He asked with a smirk. Ladybug tilted her head. She didn't know whether to take him seriously or not.

"Well, what if I told you I was a designer?" She asked.

"Maybe I've worn something you've designed." Chat said, scooting closer to her. Ladybug felt herself drawn to him. She stopped just short of touching him as she leaned toward her partner.

"That's not very likely." She said, looking up at him.

"Why not?" He breathed.

"I only know one model and I haven't sold my designs, so only people that I know have worn them." She said.

"We're playing a dangerous game here, M'Lady. Maybe we should stop?" Chat suggested. He was so close to Ladybug, but so far away.

"We've been fighting alongside each other for so long yet we don't know anything about one another." Ladybug said, turning to look away from him.

"I know that you're one of the most amazing women I've ever met." He responded. Ladybug smiled and glanced at Chat out of the corner of her eye.

"You're pretty amazing yourself, Chaton." She said, leaning toward him to bump shoulders with him playfully.

"M'Lady! That might be the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me." Chat said with mock enthusiasm as he placed a hand over his heart. "Really, though. I wouldn't want for you to accidentally figure out who I am. You've always been so protective of both of our secret identities." He said, moving his hand to the back of his neck as Ladybug bit her lip.

"What if it wasn't an accident?" She didn't know how it slipped out of her mouth. Both sat in shock at what Ladybug had said for a moment before Ladybug looked over at Chat and turned more toward him. He looked shocked. "I...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have...it's just…" she trailed off, losing confidence quickly as she put her head into her hands.

"It's just what, Ladybug?" He said. "You know you can tell me anything, right?" He asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. Ladybug peeked up from behind her hands with her face still mostly covered.

Ladybug stared at her partner, trying to determine what she could tell him. What would she be able to say? Could they reveal themselves? What would happen if they did? What if she revealed herself and he didn't like her? "I...I want you to know how much I care about you." She murmured. She assumed that he didn't hear her because she spoke so quietly, but his face softened and he moved to gently grasp her hands and pull them away from her face.

"I care about you a lot, too, Ladybug." Chat said with a Cheshire-like smile. Ladybug's heart beat wildly in her chest as she stared at him. After a moment, he cleared his throat. "We're partners. We've been through a lot together. It makes sense that we would have grown closer over the years. You're my best friend, Ladybug." He said as Ladybug's heart started to shatter. "I wouldn't have it any other way." He said, a worried look crossing his face while he gauged her reaction.

"I see." Ladybug said, looking down and turning away.

"Ladybug, I…" He trailed off.

"You don't have to explain." She said before standing. "I should get home." She added.

"Wait." Chat said, standing beside her. "Stop. Did I say something wrong?" He asked, hesitant to put a hand on her shoulder again.

"No, you didn't say anything wrong, Chat." She responded. "I just really should get home." She added.

"Ladybug…" He trailed off as she dove off the tower into the night, swinging to her home.

"He thinks of me as a friend, Tikki." Marinette cried as she detransformed.

"His best friend." Tikki corrected.

"I thought there was something more." She responded. "I thought he liked me."

"He does like you." Tikki replied.

"No, I mean I thought he liked me." Marinette countered.

"I'm sure he was just trying to keep from pushing you away." Tikki stated.

"Right, he was trying to keep from pushing me away by friend zoning me." She said as tears threatened to roll down her cheeks.

"Chat Noir has fought by your side for five years, Marinette. In that time, he's shown how much he cares for you. Always putting you before his own needs." Tikki said.

"Then why would he call me a friend?" Marinette asked.

"You haven't accepted any romantic advances from him." Tikki said. "He's probably respecting your boundaries."

"He hasn't made any romantic advances since I was 14 and thought I was head over heels for Adrien." Marinette said, not seeing the knowing smirk from Tikki.

Tikki was going to speak when Marinette heard a thump on her roof. She looked quickly up at the hatch above her bed. Tikki was gone long before a familiar face peeked through the glass pane. Marinette stared, making eye contact with her eyes wide in surprise like a deer in headlights. Neither of them moved for a few moments until Chat smirked and tapped on her window gently.

Marinette slowly climbed up to her bed and stood, staring up at Chat. She didn't see him in her civilian form often. It was generally only when there was an akuma and she hadn't been able to transform. Well, other than the night that he had made a romantic dinner for Ladybug. He had briefly visited her to lament about Ladybug not coming.

"What are you doing here?" She managed to ask. Chat's face fell.

"Can I...Marinette, can I talk to you?" He asked.

"W-what about?" She asked, still looking up at him through the hatch. She wasn't nearly ready to see him, but she couldn't exactly tell him that.

"I just...can you come out here? I really need to talk." Chat replied. He seemed just as sad as she was.

"Isn't there someone else you would want to talk to?" She asked hesitantly. "I mean, you don't really know me." She clarified, hoping she didn't hurt him.

"I know that you're a good person." Chat offered. The look that he gave her was one of hope mixed with what she could only think of as pain.

"I-Okay." She responded before Chat backed away from the hatch and Marinette opened it and hoisted herself out onto her balcony. "W-what did you need to talk about?" She asked.

"I think I made Ladybug upset." Chat said, his back to Marinette as he looked out over the city, leaning against her railing. Marinette walked up beside him as he continued. "We were talking and giving hints about who we are and I just...I didn't want to push her into anything." He said. "She told me that she cares about me a lot and I told her that I care about her a lot, too and then she just...ran away." He said. "I don't even know what I did wrong." He added.

Chat turned to look at Marinette as silence came over the two of them. "I...I don't know what you want me to say." Marinette said.

"I just don't understand. Why would she run away?" He asked, turning back to looking at the city.

"Maybe you don't care for her the way she wants you to care for her." Marinette stated.

"I told her she's my best friend. That's all she's ever wanted to be." Chat said. Marinette furrowed her brow. "She always said she didn't want a relationship. I've respected that." He said.

"The two of you flirt all the time!" Marinette responded, growing upset. How could he not see her feelings for him?

"It's playful flirting, though. She doesn't really mean it." He said.

"No it's not!" Marinette said angrily. "Ladybug wouldn't toy with your emotions!" She added. Chat looked at her surprised.

"I...I don't think she was toying with me. Just having fun...like a friend." He said.

"Maybe she wanted to be more than a friend!" Marinette said.

"She's never said anything like that!" Chat replied defensively. "The truth is...I gave up on a relationship with her years ago." He said, hanging his head as he turned away from Marinette again. "W-when I did...my friends set me up with this girl." He said. Marinette's eyes widened as her face fell and her heart shattered again. "She's amazing. We spend time together every week. I wish I could spend more time with her, but between being Chat Noir and my other responsibilities I just can't." He said.

"D-do you like her?" Marinette asked in a tiny voice.

"Yes." Chat said definitively.

"As a friend?" Marinette asked hopefully.

Chat shook his head. "I don't know...she's not like any of my other friends. I've wanted to...move forward...in our relationship, but I don't know if she would want to. And things are so good right now. I guess I just need advice." Chat said.

"D-do you love her?" She asked.

"I...I think I love them both…" he said, his shoulders slumping. "I don't want to...I mean, I wouldn't want to hurt either of them." He said. "They both mean so much to me." He responded.

Marinette's eyes widened. "So, what are you going to do?" She asked.

"I don't know. I just don't know." He responded, looking back up at her. "What would you do if you were me?" He asked, looking at her wide-eyed.

"I...I would want to go with the person who knew me best. The one I could share everything with." She said. Chat looked away from her.

"That's the thing. I can't share everything with either of them. I can't share my civilian self with Ladybug...and I can't share my superhero self with…" he trailed off.

"M-maybe you could share your civilian self with Ladybug?" Marinette suggested.

Chat shook his head. "It's too dangerous. With Hawkmoth still free we can't risk sharing our identities." He said. "Plus, Ladybug has never wanted to reveal ourselves. She's always wanted to keep things between us professional."

Marinette had opened her mouth to argue when he had continued speaking. She quickly shut it after his last statement. He was right. She had always tried to keep things professional despite her growing feelings. "Maybe she wants more now." She said quietly.

"Would you? Hypothetically?" Chat asked.

"Me?" Marinette asked with wide eyes as she stared at Chat and his head turned toward her.

"If you were Ladybug?" He continued.

"Yes." She said, getting lost in his eyes.

"And what if you were the girl in my civilian life? Would you want me to pursue you or Ladybug?" He asked.

"I…" Marinette trailed off. She didn't know what she should say. She wanted him to be with her, so obviously she would say that she would want him to pursue Ladybug. However, something in how he was looking at her cause her to stop. "I'd want you to…" she trailed off again.

"Yes?" He asked, leaning closer. Marinette cleared her throat as she felt flustered by how close he was.

"I would want…" she didn't realize that she was leaning closer to him, too. "...you…" she trailed off, her gaze moving from his eyes to his lips.

She felt his arms wrap around her, pulling her close. "You would want me to…?" He trailed off in a question.

"...to kiss me…" she said, her eyes sliding closed with her face inches from his. She could feel his breath hitch.

"Even though you don't know who I am?" He asked.

"You're Chat Noir." She responded in a whisper as her arms circled around him.

"You're sure?" He asked. Marinette could tell that his face had moved ever so slightly closer to hers.

"Yes." She said. Butterflies exploded in her stomach as she felt his lips finally brush against hers. It was a short, chaste kiss and was over with far quicker than Marinette wanted. Within a moment, Chat had pulled away from her embrace.

"I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry, Marinette." He said. She reached out and grabbed his hand before he could leave.

"No. Don't be sorry. I...it's my fault. I shouldn't have said that or...it's my fault. And now I've just made things more complicated for you. I...I'm so sorry Chat. Whoever you choose...she's a lucky girl." She said, her breath hitching at the end.

Chat turned and put his hands on her shoulders. "That's not what I meant at all. Marinette, you haven't made anything complicated for me." He said, making eye contact with Marinette as her eyes welled up with tears. "Don't cry, Mari." He said.

"I'm sorry." She said, trying to look away from him.

"Don't be. I should be sorry. For coming here so late." He said. "Thank you, Marinette, so much for talking with me." He continued. "I'll see you around." He added.

"Right. See you around." Marinette said as he backed away from her. Soon, Marinette was left alone on the balcony and she sat down, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"What's wrong, Marinette?" Tikki asked, popping out of Marinette's room.

"Chat likes someone else, Tikki." She said.

"From what I heard, he likes you, too." Tikki stated.

"But what if he chooses her?" Marinette asked through her tears.

"I think you're overreacting." Tikki said.

"Why would he come to me for advice? Me of all people?" Marinette asked.

"He must trust you." Tikki said.

"But why? He hardly knows me!" Marinette responded.

"Maybe he knows you better than you think." Tikki responded.

"You know who he is, Tikki. You've known all this time." She said.

"And, as I've told you before, Marinette, I'm not telling you who he is. It's his identity and he's the one who gets to decide whether he shares it with you or not." Tikki said.

"I just want to know who he is." Marinette responded.

"Maybe you should get some rest. Take the weekend to cool off and then on Monday you'll feel refreshed and ready for school." Tikki suggested.

Marinette nodded. "Maybe you're right, Tikki." She said before following the kwami back to her room and quickly getting ready for bed.

She went to sleep, but it didn't seem very long before Marinette's mother knocked on her door. "Marinette, wake up. You have a surprise downstairs." She called through the door.

"Okay" Marinette called sleepily as she sat up trying to think about what would warrant a surprise for her. This day wasn't special to her knowledge. She quickly got ready for the day and made her way down the stairs only to see Adrien sitting on the couch with her mother. "Hi, Adrien. I thought you were busy this weekend." She said.

"I got out of it. I was hoping maybe we could play some UMS?" He asked.

"Sure, you're on." Marinette said with a smile. Though something seemed off about Adrien that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"You should play up in your room, Marinette." Sabine said as Marinette moved to join the two on the couch. "We all know how loud the two of you get when you play and we don't need you worrying the customers." She added.

"Right." Marinette said with a small laugh. She then led Adrien up to her room, recalling the first time he came over to play Ultimate Mecha Strike. "So, how did you get out of what was going on today? You're father's always really strict about everything." She said as she started up the system and took her seat next to Adrien, grabbing her controller.

"I, uh, pretended to be sick and snuck out." He said, scratching the back of his head and avoiding eye contact with her.

Marinette started to laugh. "You know, you look so silly when you're guilty." She said as she leaned back in her seat and watched the opening cinematic for the game.

"I, uh, kinda wanted to ask you something…" Adrien trailed off hesitantly as he stared down at his controller.

"What was it?" Marinette asked.

"I was wondering if you would want to go out with me...on a date." He said softly before looking up at her for her reaction. Marinette's jaw just dropped while she stared at him.

"Adrien, I…" Marinette started, still surprised. "I'm sorry. I can't." She said as a heartbroken look crossed Adrien's face. Within seconds, the look was gone as Adrien masked it.

"Why?" He asked quietly.

"It would be like lying to you. I don't lie to my friends." Marinette said, recalling a similar conversation she'd had with Chat years before.

"Why are you talking about lying?" He asked.

"Because there's this guy that…" she trailed off.

"There's a guy?" He asked. Marinette couldn't help but to feel like this conversation had happened before. "Who is he?" He asked.

Marinette hesitated. "You're going to think I'm lame...or stupid." She said after a moment as she grabbed a pillow from her chaise to hug tightly.

"I would never think that you are lame or stupid, Marinette. Who is it?" He asked gently.

"It's…" she trailed off. "It's Chat Noir." She said after a moment and watched as Adrien's face went through a range of emotions that he wasn't able to mask.

"I…" He started slowly.

"I know! I'm stupid! Like a hero could fall in love with stupid, clumsy Marinette! I don't even know who he really is. But last night…" she started rambling, cutting off what Adrien was going to say.

"Last night?" Adrien cut her off.

Marinette nodded. "Last night he came over to talk. He wanted relationship advice. I guess he is trying to choose between Ladybug and a girl in his civilian life." She said, shaking her head. "We got swept up in the moment and…" she trailed off.

"And?" Adrien asked urgently.

"And we kissed. I know it was probably nothing. But I really care for him and...and…" Marinette started to tear up. "I'm so stupid!" She said burying her face in the pillow.

"You're not stupid." Adrien said, placing a hand hesitantly on her shoulder. "He shouldn't have done this to you." He said, his voice comforting, but Marinette could hear anger behind it.

"It's not his fault. I...I asked him to do it." She said, her voice muffled by the pillow.

"Still, it's like he's leading you on." He said.

"I'm sorry, Adrien. I just wouldn't feel right about going out with you when I have feelings for another guy." She said.

"I...I am…" Adrien started. As Marinette peeked over the edge of the pillow, she saw him grimacing as if what he was saying was extremely difficult. "I understand." He said after a moment.

"I feel so stupid!" Marinette said, burying her face again. "Saying it out loud just makes it worse!" She added through the pillow.

"You're not stupid, Marinette. He's stupid for putting you through this." He said angrily. "I, uh...I guess I should go." He said hesitantly.

"Adrien, we're still going to be friends, right?" Marinette asked, her head shooting up from the pillow. "You're one of my best friends and I don't want to lose that friendship." She said, worried as Adrien stood.

"Of course, Marinette. I just have some things I need to do." Adrien said. Marinette nodded, but she felt like there was a lot that he wasn't telling her. She sat in silence after he left with just the sound from the menu for Ultimate Mecha Strike playing in the background.

"Marinette?" Tikki asked hesitantly.

"If he'd asked that even a year ago, I would have said yes." She mused.

"Marinette…" Tikki started again, but Marinette wasn't listening.

"Now, with everything going on…" she trailed off. "Do you think I'm wrong for not going out with him, Tikki?" She asked, questioning her own motives. "I mean, Chat is obviously going to move on with the girl in his civilian life. Maybe I should be moving on, too. But I wouldn't want to jeopardize my friendship with Adrien if things went badly." She said.

"Marinette!" Tikki said firmly.

"What, Tikki?" She asked.

"Pull yourself together." Tikki said. She opened her mouth to say more when a siren started to go off.

"Tikki, spots on." Marinette said instantly. She made her way through the city to where she saw people running. She stopped on top of a roof once she could see what appeared to be a giant crab.

"Well, someone seems a bit crabby today." Chat said. Ladybug hadn't even noticed him landing next to her.

"Chat, how long have you been there?" She asked.

"Not as long as you, M'Lady." He replied. Ladybug looked back at the crab.

"I wonder if that's the victim." She said as she watched the crab grab a car in it's giant claws and break the car in half.

"Whatever it is, let's get to the bottom of it quick." Chat said, vaulting off of the roof. Ladybug swung after him and watched as the crab snapped at him.

"Chat" she called out as he managed to dodge. "Don't get close to it. Those claws will kill you." She said.

"Yes, that would be a shame." A voice said. Ladybug looked toward the voice to see a man who was clearly the akumatized victim. The man was wearing red and blue suit. "A crab should never have to deal with having claws covered in cat blood." He said.

Ladybug quickly looked over the man. "He must be controlling the crab somehow." She said. "I bet the akuma is in the pin on his shirt." She said, noting a pin that was shaped like a lobster.

"I don't know, Ladybug. Something seems fishy about this." Chat responded.

"We should at least try for the pin." She responded.

"Okay, I'll distract crab-cakes here." He responded. Ladybug nodded and used her yoyo to swing toward the man. Before she reached him, a beam of light shot out of his pin. Ladybug had to roll away quickly to avoid getting hit.

"Pity. You'd make a lovely crustacean." He said.

"That's a person?" Ladybug asked, wide-eyed as she looked over her shoulder at the crab.

"No. That is a group of people." The man said. "They were polluting the Seine. This is their punishment." He said.

"Chat, don't hurt it. Just keep it from hurting people." Ladybug shouted over her shoulder.

"Got it." Chat called back.

"I wouldn't worry about him hurting them. He'll be joining them soon. As soon as the two of you give me your Miraculous." The man said.

"Not gonna happen." Ladybug responded. "Lucky Charm" she called, throwing the yoyo up into the air. It came back down with a wrench. She sighed, looking around for what she could use the wrench on. She managed to dive to the side, avoiding another attack from the victim as she pieced together a plan.

She ran forward and threw her yoyo to allow her to get to the top of the building that the victim was standing in front of. She then suspended herself above the victim until he sent another attack at her. She realized that it took him a while to be able to charge up his attack. She took the next few moments to put her plan into action.

"What are you doing?" The victim called out as Ladybug threw the wrench across the street at a fire hydrant. She immediately dropped down behind the victim as he looked at where she threw the wrench. She threw her yoyo at the crab's closest leg and pulled it tight while the man was distracted. The man stopped moving as a purple butterfly appeared over his face. Ladybug took the opportunity to rush across the street, splashing in the water pouring from the hydrant. "I need him alive." The man suddenly shouted at the crab.

Ladybug paused to look up at the crab, seeing Chat struggling, caught in its claw. "Chat!" She said, pulling as hard as she could on the yoyo. This knocked the victim forward into the pressurized water coming from the broken hydrant while also pulling the crab off balance. The claw released Chat as Ladybug started to rush toward him. Meanwhile, the man's pin had been ripped from his clothes by the pressure of the hydrant.

"Get the pin." He shouted, pointing toward the victim. Ladybug followed his directive and snatched the pin from the ground before throwing it back down and stomping on it. A black butterfly was released before Ladybug caught and purified it. She then quickly threw the wrench into the air, releasing a swarm of ladybugs before she ran to Chat.

"Are you okay?" She asked, looking him over.

"I'm fine, Ladybug." He said as her earrings beeped.

"Are you sure?" She asked when she didn't see any tears in his suit. "What about bruising. Did it squeeze you?" She asked, gently touching his stomach where the claw had snatched him.

"I told you, I'm fine. It'll take more than a crab to break this kitty." He said, taking a step away from her. "You should go." He added. "It would be shellfish of me to keep you here." He said with a smile that looked a bit off.

"Are you sure you're okay, Chat? You look...different." She said, ignoring the fact that her earrings beeped again.

"I'm really fine, but you need to recharge. Go." He said.

"No, talk to me." She said.

"It's personal." He responded, turning away from her. "I just...look, I don't want you to be exposed. How about we meet later? At the tower?" He asked.

"I'll be there after I get my kwami recharged." Ladybug responded. She hated leaving him, but knew he was right. She launched herself into the sky and quickly made her way back to her home. She got to her balcony just as she detransformed. Marinette didn't even wait for Tikki to say anything before she ran down the stairs and grabbed some cookies for the kwami. "Just need something to munch on while I work on my homework." She called out to her mother before rushing back up the stairs.

"Marinette, you need to stop getting distracted during fights." Tikki chided her once Marinette got back to her room.

"How did I get distracted?" She asked and Tikki just gave her a knowing glare. "Okay, but he was in danger." She said.

"He's going to be in danger during fights. You both are." Tikki replied.

"Okay, just eat the cookies maybe so that I can go and see him? He looked down." She replied. Tikki nodded and ate quickly. Soon, Ladybug was soaring through the air again, making her way to the Eiffel Tower. "Chat?" She called out as she neared. He looked over at her, his form slumped over slightly.

"Hi, Ladybug." He responded.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I...well, it's difficult to tell you this, but I like this girl." He said. Ladybug nodded. She knew this, but it didn't hurt any less when he told her again. "I've been seeing her as a friend outside of the suit for a while now and we've grown very close. Today, I tried to take our relationship to the next level and found out that she only thinks about me as a friend." He said.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Chat." Ladybug said, though this confirmed for her that Chat had at least been trying to move on from her.

"The thing is that I think I might have shot myself in the foot because I visited her as Chat Noir before and now she's told me that she likes Chat instead of me." He said.

"That's stupid, you are Chat." Ladybug said, angrily.

"I can't exactly tell her that." He said.

"It's still not fair. You like her and she likes you and you still can't be together!" She responded.

"It's okay, Ladybug, really." He said.

"No, who is she?" She asked.

"Pers…" he started before Ladybug cut him off.

"I know it's personal information, but she hurt you!" She responded.

"Are you alright, Ladybug?" Chat asked, looking over at her.

"I'm fine." Ladybug said, though it was clear that she wasn't.

"What's wrong? Is it something I did?" Chat asked, looking downtrodden.

"No. I just hate to see you looking down. I want to find that girl and give her a piece of my mind!" She said, determined.

"Then she would know who I am." He responded simply. Ladybug's shoulders slumped.

"You're right. I just. I don't see how anyone could turn you down for you." She said. "It's all so confusing." She added.

"Yeah." He replied.

"So, really, who is she?" She asked after a moment of silence.

"Ladybug, we don't know what personal information we could tell each other without revealing who we are beneath the masks. I just...I don't want you to feel like you have to know." He said.

"I want to!" She responded immediately as Chat's eyes widened. "I've wanted to since you tried to find out after we fought Lady WiFi. I just...I've never been able to tell you and I keep wanting to wait until we catch Hawkmoth. But I want to know who you are and for you to know who I am." She said, turning to him. "And I want you to know how I feel." She responded as she leaned forward stopping so close she could feel his breath on her lips. "If you feel the same way…" she trailed off as she closed her eyes. However, she didn't feel him close the gap.

"Ladybug, are you saying what I think you're saying?" He asked with shock in his voice as he backed away from her slightly. Ladybug's eyes opened and she stared into his.

"Yes." She said simply.

"But you want to wait until we defeat Hawkmoth?" He asked. Ladybug nodded slowly. "I see" he replied, looking away. Ladybug's shoulders slumped. "I don't want to wait." He said quietly. Before Ladybug had a chance to react, Chat swiftly turned and, with a hand cupping her chin, pulled her ever so slightly toward him and placed his lips on her own.

This kiss was far different than the one she had the night before. This one was passionate and hungry. It was as if Chat had been waiting for this moment since he was born.

Or at least that had been what she'd wanted to happen. Instead, as Ladybug's shoulders slumped, Chat continued to look out at the city. "I wish you'd have told me that years ago. I really do." He said. "I just...I really care about this girl, even though I screwed things up with her. It wouldn't be fair to you for me to pursue you after choosing her." He finished.

"I...I understand." Ladybug responded. "I shouldn't have expected you to wait for so long." She said.

"I know you probably hate me right now. Believe me, Ladybug, if I'd had any idea you were serious, I would have stopped flirting with you." He said. "I didn't mean to hurt you." He added.

"I understand, Chat. It's my fault really." She replied. "I didn't make myself clear before." She said.

Chat simply remained silent for a while. "Think we can put all of this behind us?" He asked.

Ladybug nodded. "I hope you work things out with her...whoever she is." She said. Chat smiled at her.

"I hope so, too." He replied. "I also hope that you get to find someone in your life, too. Maybe that guy you told me about a few years ago?" He suggested. Marinette smiled and shook her head.

"We're actually really good friends now. He's like a brother to me." She replied.

"Well, maybe you should see if he wants to be more than a brother?" Chat said with a smile, nudging Ladybug. She smiled and shook her head.

"I just don't know, Chat. I mean, even if I get past the fact that he's practically family, I then would have to wonder about what dating might do to our friendship. I mean, what if things went bad? He'd hate me and then I'd have lost one of my best friends." She said.

"I doubt he would be that way with how highly you talk about him." Chat said.

"You're right. And I know that he's interested in being more than just friends, too. I just...you're right. Next time I see him, I'm doing it." She said, determined, though she didn't really feel that way.

"That's great. And I'll try to fix things up with...my princess." He said.

"Your princess? What is this a video game?" Ladybug laughed.

"I happen to like video games." Chat said indignantly.

"I still wish I could know who she is." She said.

"Sorry, Ladybug." Chat responded. "I really am." He added.

"I know." Ladybug said, nodding. She then stood. "Guess I better get home. I've got homework to do." She said.

"So you are a high school student?" Chat teased.

"Oh shush." Ladybug replied before jumping from the tower, trying to mask the pain that she felt from the conversation. Chat really did like someone else. He liked this girl enough to turn her down. He was moving on and Ladybug couldn't help but to feel sick to her stomach. When she got back to her room she detransformed and made her way immediately to her bathroom, closing the door tightly.

"Marinette, I'm sure it's not as bad as you think it is." Tikki said through the door, attempting to respect her holder's privacy.

"He likes someone else, Tikki." Marinette responded.

"And he's still respecting you by not lying to you. Just like how you wouldn't lie to him." Tikki responded. "Just like how you told Adrien this morning that you didn't want to lie to him." Tikki added.

"It's just not fair, though, Tikki. I tried to do everything right. I wanted to wait until it was safe. Now, all I've done is lost him." Marinette replied.

"You haven't lost him. He's still there." Tikki explained. Marinette shook her head.

"I don't want to talk anymore, Tikki." She said through the door.

"Okay, Marinette. Just think about what I said." Tikki responded. Marinette nodded even though her kwami couldn't see her. She stayed in her bathroom until she heard a loud thump on the ceiling to her room followed by a tapping sound on her window.

She slowly crept out of the bathroom and looked up at the hatch above her bed. Chat stared down at her with a wide smile until he saw her tear struck face. At that point, he took the initiative to open the hatch and jump down to her.

"What's wrong, Marinette? Why are you crying?" He asked, concerned with his hands on her shoulders. Marinette just shook her head.

"Why are you here, Chat?" She asked.

"I...wanted to see you." He replied hesitantly. "What's wrong?" He asked again.

"It's nothing." She said.

"Obviously not." He countered.

"I just...the guy I like likes someone else." She said, feeling silly telling him since he was the guy she liked.

"Oh...who is he?" He asked after a moment. Marinette didn't notice the way his shoulders slumped.

Marinette just shook her head again. "It doesn't matter." She replied.

"No, I want to know who he is. I want to know who hurt you like this!" He responded, anger creeping into his voice.

"Really, Chat. It's my fault for being stupid enough to fall for him in the first place." She said.

"You're not stupid." Chat growled. "Don't you dare say that about yourself ever." He added angrily, watching as Marinette's eyes widened in shock. She hadn't expected him to respond like that. "You're one of the kindest, smartest, strongest people I know. Whoever was dumb enough to not see that is the stupid one." He said.

"Chat…" Marinette started.

"Tell me who he is?" Chat asked, still angry. He didn't seem to notice the blush that was forming on Marinette's cheeks.

"...you…" she whispered.

"Me? Why would you...oh...the relationship advice last night." He said after a moment. His anger disappeared as quickly as it came. "I...Marinette, I didn't mean…" he started. "I'm such an idiot." He said after a moment, taking one hand away from her shoulder to smack himself in the face.

"Stop, don't do that." Marinette said, grabbing his wrist. "You're not stupid. I'm the one who read too much into that kiss last night." She replied, her cheeks burning as she remembered it. Chat looked at her as he allowed her to pull his hand away from his face. A smile formed in its place and soon he was laughing. "What? What is it?" She asked as he laughed loudly, closing his eyes. "It's not that funny." She added, thinking he was laughing at how she thought about the kiss.

"All day, I've been kicking myself for that kiss." He managed to say before laughing again. "B-because I wanted to kiss you...as a civilian." He laughed. "And it turned out that's the kiss you wanted all along." He finished.

"Well, maybe I shouldn't have even talked to you last night!" She responded angrily, not understanding why he thought it was funny.

"Princess, has anyone told you how adorable you are when you're angry?" He said after laughing again.

"Chat so help me, I will…" Marinette stopped mid-sentence. "Did you just call me Princess?" She asked. It was Chat's turn to blush.

"I...I did. If you don't like it, just tell me. I just…" He was cut off.

"Why are you calling me Princess?" Marinette asked.

"Because...I like you, too." He said with a smile.

"But what about the girl?" She asked. Chat looked away slightly.

"Marinette, I like you." He said. "I…"

"You were going to pursue the girl from your civilian life instead of Ladybug." Marinette said, staring into Chat's eyes as he nodded. "B-but why are you here now? Why not...you were going to pursue her as a civilian." She cut herself off as she continued staring at him. "...you tried to pursue her as a civilian...earlier today...and she told you she kissed you as Chat...and turned you down." She said, piecing everything together as Chat stared at her intently. "...A-Adrien?" She stuttered as Chat smiled.

"I guess the Chat's out of the bag." He said. "Seriously, though, don't tell anyone or Ladybug will kill me." He added.

"Y-you don't have to worry...your secret's safe with me." She said as Chat's smile widened. "S-so long as you keep one of mine." She added to which Chat tilted his head. "T-Tikki? Spots on."

—

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this one-shot. I've been working on it off and on for quite a while along with a few other short Miraculous stories. Not sure how many of them will eventually be released, but you'll be able to see them as they come out. As always, I love constructive feedback...or feedback in general. Also, if you have any story ideas/prompts feel free to send them to me and I'll do my best to get them out.