"I told you, Princess, I don't skate."

Adrien, sporting his usual Chat Noir mask, watched as Marinette shook her head and rolled her sky blue eyes, but otherwise she ignored his comment. Her hand still gripped his wrist tightly as they snuck around the skating rink and slipped through the unlocked door at the very back.

"Oh, sneaking into a closed down rink? Maybe I have become a bad influence on you, Princess!"

The dark haired girl slapped his shoulder playfully and shushed him. "Hey, if we came in the main door during hours, everyone would see you with me and things would get complicated. Like you said, evil peeps could see me as a target. Besides, I don't like it when a lot of people are looking at me, skating or no."

Adrien chuckled but didn't complain when Marinette slid her hand into his. He knew it was only to make him move faster, he wasn't an idiot, but that didn't stop him from taking pleasure in it. He had to make sure that he didn't purr, but silently giggled in his head.

They entered the rink as silently as possible and made their way to where the skates were kept. After checking shoe sizes and tying laces, they both slipped out onto the icy surface.

Adrien had always loved skating. His mother had introduced him to it when he was four and he had done it ever since. But Marinette didn't know that. She thought, because he kept telling her, that he was a terrible skater and that she was going to teach him how to do it. That meant that she was going to hold his hands and let him pull her close to "keep him steady". He could be close enough to smell the sweet, sugary, cinnamon smell that was Marinette. He would be able to see her smirk and her grin and her blush in High Definition.

And seeing her take control was one of the cutest things.

"Come on." She said, taking his wrist and leading him out onto the ice. Her cheeks had already begun to turn pink from the cold and he reached up to pull tighter around her neck. She smiled in thanks and nudged his shoulder.

Things like that weren't awkward around the pair anymore. Those things were actually super common. They would make sure the other was eating, sleeping, warm, cold, alive. You know, the normal things that a superhero and his best friend check up on. Adrien would massage Marinette's shoulders when she was stressed and she would scratch him underneath his chin and behind his ears when he was tired. They were best friends, and those things were normal.

They shouldn't have made him so happy.

But they did.

"Okay." her soft voice brought him back to reality. "Now, try and stay on your feet and watch."

He did just that. His eyes were trained on her as she skated so skillfully around the rink, simple at first and then she began to jump and twirl. She seemed to enter her own world and completely forget Adrien was there. She laughed to herself when she would make a mistake. She closed her eyes and skated without looking like she had memorized every inch of the rink.

And he loved it. Every second where she was just her. She wasn't stressed with school or friends or him. She wasn't worried about the normal, simple, everyday things. She was free to be clumsy and mess up and laugh at herself because it was just them. Two friends having fun.

But they were more than that.

So much more.

"Come on, Kitty!" She beckoned to him. "Get your leather covered butt out here! I can't show you what to do if you don't try!"

Adrien chuckled and did as he was told. But after a few skates he "fell". Tumbling to the ground, he was greeted by the sweet melody of her laughter. He faked a groan and glanced up to find her skating towards him, shoulders shaking.

His heart fluttered.

She extended a hand. "Need some help, Silly Kitty?"

Adrien took her hand gladly and she helped him to his feet. He took the liberty of a quick sniff of her hair as she pulled him up and a sly smile slipped onto his lips for a short second before she began to speak again.

"Here." she took his arm and placed it on her shoulder and took his other hand and placed it in her own. She pulled him closer to her and met his eyes. A sweet smile that was filled with laughter was settled on her pink lips and he couldn't help but grin back. "Do what I do, alright?"

He nodded and winked. "I'm a quick learner, Princess."

Adrien's heart soared when he saw the light blush that dusted her cheeks. She shook her head and playfully slapped his shoulder. "Try and skate forward. Can you do that?"

"What am I, six?"

"Well…"

"Don't answer that."

Marinette laughed, throwing her head back. The heavenly sound filled the entire rink and sent an arrow straight to his heart. But he skated forward when she did. They repeated the step again and again, Adrien pretending to almost make them both fall.

"Okay, Chat. I think you're ready to skate by yourself now. Go on."

"Sure I can't hold on to you for a while longer, Mari?" He said in a low tone, raising an eyebrow and dipping his head to meet her eye level. Red soared through her cheeks and she rolled her eyes, but his mission had succeeded.

"As much as I would enjoy that, you'll never learn if you don't try yourself. Now go. Go on." And then she let go of him and skated away.

Man, she had no idea the effects she had on him. Her smile, her laugh, her voice, and don't even get him started on her body. Yeesh.

She also didn't know that he intended every fall that night. Every trip and fail was in his plan. Because then he could hear her laugh and snort and her giggles as she helped him up. And then he got to see the different shades of blue in her eyes and take a whiff of her lovely bakery smell.

Eventually, though, he could notice both of their expressions growing tired. His legs and feet ached, along with his chest. His heart was hurting and alight with joy at the same time. He didn't know you could feel both extreme sadness and happiness at the same time. But it was wearing him out.

Knowing that Marinette was reaching the end of the line, he decided to throw off the charade and show her what he could do.

And he did.

He twirled and jumped and danced around her. Her eyes widened and she gasped, hands flying to her mouth as her gaze danced with oncoming giggles.

And suddenly he was right in front of her, holding her waist and staring into her cloudless gaze. A blush was creeping up her face and he grinned in that mischievous way of his.

"Y-you learn fast." She stuttered.

Adrien's heart almost went into cardiac arrest. He could make her stutter. Testing this new discovery, he leaned down to her ear and whispered, "I had a great teacher."

Acknowledging the shiver that she gave, he turned his head slightly and kissed her cheek softly, her breath hitting his skin as she gasped.

"Thanks Princess."

And then he was gone.

That night, Adrien couldn't help but feel happy with himself. Despite Plagg's nagging to leave him out of those sloppy love things, he couldn't keep himself from smiling, grinning, laughing to himself.

Her blush. Her laughter. Her stuttering. Her gasps.

Maybe his feelings weren't so one sided after all.