They stood at the railing. Adrien smiled to himself. He had stood like this with Marinette by his side several times already. By another railing though – on her balcony. And as Cat Noir. And she was always more relaxed with him as Cat Noir than him as Adrien.

Marinette folded her arms – as if in a defensive position – and looked at him expectantly. She didn't help him with her silence. But he knew he didn't deserve help from her. He behaved like a total dork and now he had to bear the consequences. In the worst case, she would reject him. And he would have to live with it.

"Marinette… I'd like to apologise for… you know… that day."

"I don't get it. Why are you apologising?" she asked in surprise, lowering her arms.

"Well… I should talk to you then."

"Adrien…" she whispered his name so softly, that his heart started beating faster. It was like when she had touched his cheek. "Please, don't feel like you should do anything for me. Or don't feel guilty. I'll cope with that. I've almost coped. Somehow."

"But I don't want you to cope with that!" he blurted before he thought.

"You don't?" she asked quietly.

"I don't, Marinette." He repeated calmly. "And I didn't like your way of doing that."

"I couldn't find any other way." She sighed, casting down her eyes.

"What if…?" he started but stopped embarrassed.

"If what?" she spotted and looked at him concerned.

"What if there's another way?"

"How?" she asked suspiciously.

"You could go out with me and find out that I'm very boring."

"Bad idea." She replied shortly.

"Why?" Adrien asked almost breathless. Asking her out costed him so much, and he failed.

"A date with you may confirm my feelings. And the plan will fail."

"It depends on what plan you mean." He murmured.

"I don't follow."

"You're not helping." He sighed. "OK then. I'll tell you. But please, don't be cruel."

"Cruel? Me?" she asked in astonishment, but then she looked at his tense face and added: "OK. I promise not to be cruel."

"But it's so hard…"

"If I knew, what you want to say, I would help you. Really."

"I… I love you, Marinette." He stammered finally.

"Oh… I didn't expect that…" she whispered, and he looked at her in amazement. He didn't expect such an answer.

"So, what did you expect?" he asked after a while.

"That you'd try to convince me to be your friend again."

"In fact, I would like to convince you to that as well…" he said with a smile.

"But what about Chloe?"

"Chloe?"

"Your engagement and all of that…"

"You don't think that I took that letter seriously?" he laughed.

"But… But your mom wanted…" she stuttered.

"My mom wanted me to be happy. And that I found someone who loved me." He added, touching her cheek. "And she told me that personally. Not over the cradle, but when I was mature enough to understand what she was saying to me."

"I think there would be quite a lot of girls who love you." She gave him a half-smile.

"They all love an image of me. Or money. Or that I'm famous."

"It's hard to call them good reasons."

"Yeah…"

"Well…" Marinette smiled suddenly, and Adrien realised that her smile was so sweet and charming that he almost forgot what they were talking about. "What would you say if someone loved you despite all those undesirable circumstances?"

"Someone like you?" he asked, taking her in his arms.

"Someone like me…" she nodded.

"But you said you were over me."

"I lied." She winked to him.

"You don't lie."

"I wanted you to feel better. That you wouldn't feel obliged."

"I don't feel obliged. I feel in love. And with reciprocity."

"Definitely with reciprocity." She smiled again.

"That's what I hoped for!" he laughed happy. "I love you, Marinette."

"I love you too, Adrien." She said it finally.

And then he leaned over and kissed her.

x x x

"Finally!" Adrien's pocket sighed with relief.

"Plagg, you dork!" Marinette's purse squeaked in reply.

Marinette moved back from Adrien as soon as she had heard Tikki's voice. It made her blood freeze. She looked terrified at Adrien and caught his equally terrified gaze fixed on her face. They didn't understand yet what had just happened or what it meant to them.

"What are the chances they haven't heard?" Adrien's pocket muttered.

"None." Marinette whispered.

In reply to her words, a little black head of a tiny cat showed up from Adrien's shirt. Marinette held out both hands and took Plagg.

"You're so cute that I could stroke you all day and I wouldn't have enough!" she said warmly, and Plagg grinned in answer gladly offering his head for scratching his ears, giving Adrien a triumphal look.

"Why haven't you ever told me something so nice?" Adrien asked jealously.

"I've told you that I love you." Marinette replied calmly, scratching Plagg's ears. "Don't be greedy."

"Er… Marinette?" Adrien asked with a little hesitation.

"What's up?" she answered inattentively.

"Don't you want to ask me something?"

"Like what?"

"About Plagg, maybe?"

"I assume it's your kwami." She shrugged still focused on stroking Plagg, who was perfectly contented on her hands that he expressed with quiet purring. "Good for him that he's not mine. I would stroke him to death."

"It would be a wonderful death." Plagg murmured.

"Uhm… Marinette?"

"What's up, Adrien?" She answered again, a bit impatiently. "I'll give him back soon. Promise."

"Take your time." Plagg cut in.

"You don't want to tell me something?" Adrien asked hesitantly.

"You haven't guessed yet?" she was surprised, opening her purse. "This is Tikki."

Silence.

"Tikki, get out!" Marinette added, again in that impatient tone. "It's your fault, not mine, so you can't pretend that you're not there."

"But Marinette…" Adrien tried again.

"Yes? What's going on, Adrien?"

"Why… Why are you so calm?"

Marinette looked at him thoughtfully.

"Huh, good question…" she replied after a while. "I don't know… But everything seems to be quite logical and I accepted it. All in all, it's good, because I don't have to break Cat Noir's heart anymore. Although I should first give you a little lecture on infidelity."

"What?!" Adrien exclaimed.

"Well… Actually, you kissed me behind Ladybug's back."

"To kiss you behind Ladybug's back, I would have to turn you around." Adrien answered back, finally realising that Marinette was just teasing him.

"That could work…" she nodded and laughed.

And to Plagg's disappointment they began kissing again.

x x x

A little bonus…

"Hey, you're crushing me!" Plagg protested but they ignored him and hugged even tighter. "Eh… Kids…"

"Plagg, you idiot! Hide!" Tikki squeaked.

"Where? You won't be able to push a needle between them. Not saying about a poor kwami. Can you move a little?"

"There's no extra space, Plagg." Tikki protested.

"Oh, Tikki. We've been in worse places…" Plagg grinned and winked to Tikki.

"Plagg, I warn you. Paws off!"

"Recently…"

"Recently was recently. Anyway. Shut up!" Tikki cut short.

"Mmmmmm…" Plagg murmured.

"Plaaagg…"

"Mmmmmm…" Plagg tried again.

"Oh, OK. You won." She gave up.

"Mmmmmm…"

"Mmmmmm…"

:-)