Nino had known Marinette since they were kids. They had been placed in the same class at school, and had ended up banding together against Chloe. Marinette had been shy and not willing to fight back most of the time, but the few times she did, it was Nino who would be ready with bandages and a few bubbles to make her smile again.

During his parents' divorce, Nino would often spend time at Marinette's house. Her parents were always welcoming, and while his own weren't horrible, most of the time, between the constant fighting he found that the bakery was a much nicer place to be. After the divorce, his father moved to a different part of Paris, so he rarely saw the man. Marinette's father ended up becoming his go-to when he needed advice and his Mama wasn't available. It was Marinette and her family who attended his piano and violin recitals, who helped him when he was stumped on homework, and who helped celebrate when he did well on a test, musical or otherwise.

Things changed in a big way the first day of his final year of collége when he was running late to school. Nino slowed in confused when a kid his age that seemed vaguely familiar stopped to help an old man that had fallen, only to be confronted by two adults (one of which looked huge and like he could easily punch a hole through a wall) who seemed very displeased with him. Nino glanced between the doors to the school and the other teen. His mom was going to kill him if he was late the first day.

Screw it, he was late anyways. Taking a deep breath, he reversed and headed for the other teen. "Is everything okay here?"

None of them saw the old man (who was moving surprisingly easily for having just fallen) still and then look back over his shoulder curiously.

"No. We were just leaving. Come along, Adrien," the woman said primly.

Nino frowned when the other teen slumped despondently. "You okay, dude?"

"Yeah, I… I was just… hoping to go here," the blonde replied, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

Nino blinked, then looked between the massive man that was probably a bodyguard, the stern looking woman, and the fidgeting teen. "Well, why can't you? What's stopping you?"

"Adrien, we need to be going," the woman stated firmly.

"My father." The teen, Adrien, looked down for a moment, then looked back up with a tight smile. "It's okay, don't worry about it."

The heck he wasn't going to worry about it, not when the other boy seemed so shy and jumpy. "Your dad sounds like a jerk if he won't even let you go to school, dude."

Adrien's jaw dropped, and even the bodyguard and the woman looked rather stunned.

Nino was just winding up to continue, because this was wrong and it ached deep in his bones to see the other boy so upset, when he was cut off by a sudden shout.

"Mister Lahiffe!"

Nino flinched, glancing guiltily back at the front doors to the school, only to see an obviously displeased Mr. Damocles standing there, arms crossed and tapping a foot.

"Um… yes sir?"

"Is there a reason that you're so late for class?"

"I was just… helping Adrien here," Nino sputtered, knowing it wouldn't do any good, but he still felt the need to defend himself.

"Detention after school. Now get to class." Nino slumped, disappointed, but perked up slightly at a warm hand on his shoulder.

"Thanks. I really do appreciate it," Adrien whispered, giving a tiny smile. Nino smiled back, giving a small wave as Adrien headed for the waiting limo. Only once the door had shut did he turn, shift his backpack a little higher, and start heading inside.

Unseen, the surprisingly spry old man in a brightly patterned shirt stroked his chin, then murmured to the tiny green being perched on his shoulder. "Interesting… Most interesting…"

When Nino finally got to class, he drooped at seeing all of the seats bar the front row taken. In addition, Marinette was sitting next to a girl he didn't recognize, so there went his chances of having her as a seatmate for the year.

At this point he didn't even feel up to arguing with the teacher, and just sat down in the seat she indicated, putting his head down on the desk.

What a fantastic start to the school year.

Once home for lunch, Nino quickly grabbed a bowl of leftovers and nuked them in the microwave. Barely waiting for the bowl to cool enough to not scorch his fingers, he grabbed a fork and carried it into his room, flopping down in his desk chair.

His elbow bumped into something.

Nino blinked and looked down. Contrary to what his Mama believed, he kept his room neat, and his desk spotless, since it was where he kept his equipment for doing most of his mixes.

And he certainly didn't remember leaving a weird little box like that on it.

There was no note or anything, maybe his Mama had left it in his room by mistake.

Curious now, Nino set his lunch down and carefully picked up the odd box. It was six sided, black, with a design in red on the top, and looked hinged.

'Some weird jewelry box?' Nino wondered as he opened it.

A sudden, gold-green light burst out of the box, and Nino yelped as he jerked backwards, tossing it reflexively so that it landed on his bed. Jaw dropped and panting hard, he tried to process what he was seeing as the light grew brighter, casting dark shadows behind his computer and chair, even as it floated higher, completely unaffected by him throwing the box.

Suddenly the light condensed down and a shape appeared in the middle, which quickly grew solid and jet black as the light finished fading.

Nino stared, then glanced at the bowl of leftovers in distrust. He didn't think they were that old, but that was his only explanation, because there was no span style="font-style: oblique;"way/span there was a tiny floating black cat in front of him.

The cat… fairy… thing uncurled and gave a gigantic yawn, revealing even tinier fangs and a purple tongue before sleepily opening glowing green eyes.

Marinette was right, microwaves really did rot your brain.

Suddenly, the tiny cat fairy thing sniffed the air, then dove for his bowl of leftovers.

"Hey, that's my lunch!" Nino protested, forgetting that he probably shouldn't be talking to something that didn't exist.

"Well, I'm hungry!" The thing replied with its mouth full. Its voice, contrary to what Nino probably would have expected if he had thought about it, wasn't high pitched or squeaky at all, instead being a little rough and raspy and much deeper than he would have guessed. The cat fairy swallowed a mouthful that should have been way too big for it, then shrugged. "It's not cheese, but it's not bad. Though if we're going to be working together, you're going to have to get me cheese. Camembert is best, but I can settle for less, so long as it's good quality." With that, it took another giant bite of Nino's lunch.

"Wait, working together?! What are you, and how are you in my room, and what is going on?!" Nino would forever deny that his voice got quite squeaky towards the end.

The little black creature rolled its eyes. "The name's Plagg. I'm a kwami, a sort of god. You're not supposed to tell anyone about me, by the way. The ring you tossed earlier is my Miraculous. You wear it, and say 'Transform Me', and I give you powers."

Well, that answered… some of Nino's questions, but now he felt like he had a hundred more. "Okay, then how did your ring end up in my room?!"

Plagg shrugged, unconcerned, as he took another bite of Nino's lunch, which was being depleted fast. "The Guardian gives out Miraculouses. He must have felt something bad was coming, to give me out. I'd bet a whole case of camembert that he's also given out my counterpart, since we usually work together, so you'll have a partner. As for why you, the Guardian must have seen something in you that he liked, kid."

Nino belatedly realized that his entire bowl of lunch had been eaten by a creature that was smaller than it. Where Plagg put it, he had no idea.

"Something bad is coming? Like what?"

The apartment building suddenly trembled, and a loud crash, like something had just plowed into a building, sounded through it.

Plagg turned suddenly serious green eyes on Nino. "Like that."

"I really don't think this is a good idea," Nino muttered to himself.

Currently, he was suited up as a freaking black cat, ears and belt tail and a freaking bell and all, and using his extendable staff (and hadn't that been a trip, when Plagg had briefly mentioned it before he ordered him to transform) to get to the roof of his apartment building.

Let's be real, this isn't how he had pictured his day going when he had first woken up.

Nino stopped the staff with a thought as he reached the top of the building, and before he had consciously thought about it he easily hopped across to the roof. Eyes wide, he stared down at his legs. Normally he would have been hard pressed to make a jump like that, but it had been as easy as hopping a curb.

Slowly, a grin began to grow.

A moment later, Nino was leaping from rooftop to rooftop, thrilling in the power and speed the suit was granting him. He had never considered himself very athletic, but he found himself bounding along as easily as he walked down the street, with no strain at all or even a shortness of breath. The sounds of the city floated up, easily picked up by the triangle ears he could feel twitching on top of his head.

He could have done without the enhanced sense of smell, though, because cities are not kind to kitty noses.

His ears twitched, and Nino looked up before he had even registered the screaming.

Which was getting closer.

Nino looked even further up, then yelped and lunged to leap across the gap in front of him, snatching the red and black figure out of the air where it… she… had been falling. Reflexively he scrabbled for a grip on the wall of the building opposite with his free hand and boots, doing his best to not let go of the smaller figure he had tucked against his side. Finally he steadied, boots finding purchase on a small ledge and claws digging into mortar, and looked down to a head of blue-black hair tucked against his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

The smaller figure shifted, then looked up, and Nino knew those eyes. He had grown up seeing those bright blue eyes, and he blinked in astonishment as he registered that he was holding onto Marinette.

Marinette, who had fallen out of the sky, and was wearing a suit that was red with black polka dots.

Marinette was his partner?!

Well, he assumed she was. How many new superheroes could be running around Paris at one time, after all?

"Um, yeah, I'm fine." Nino was shaken out of his thoughts as Marinette struggled a bit to be put down. Carefully, he set her on the ledge beside him, only letting go once he was sure she had her footing. "So, who are you?"

Nino had just been about to ask Marinette how she had gotten her... ring? Maybe?... when her question pierced him right through the heart. He stared at her incredulously. "You don't recognize me?"

"No, should I? I mean, I don't know many people with glowing eyes. They're a pretty color, though, all amber-y." Marinette seemed off-put by the way he was staring at her, and Nino knew through experience that Marinette tended to babble when uncomfortable. "I mean, my kwami said that we need to keep our identities secret anyways, so even if I did recognize you I wouldn't be able to say it-"

"Easy. Deep breaths," Nino murmured, a finger carefully pressed over Marinette's lips. "And I think I'm your partner, or you're mine, or whatever. My kwami said I should have one." He gave a lopsided smile, even as his heart broke a little that Marinette didn't recognize him. "So, what should I call you, then?"

Marinette looked down at herself, looked up, then shrugged. "I guess Ladybug will do. What about you?"

Nino hadn't thought about what he would call himself if he were ever a superhero, so he had to think quick. Since Marinette, Ladybug, seemed to have an animal theme going, and he was, well, a black cat…

"How about Matou Noir?" He suggested. Ladybug grinned, reaching out to ruffle his hair, which had become far wilder with his transformation.

"'Tomcat'? It suits you, you're scruffy enough."

Nino groaned as he hefted his bag, glancing down to make sure that Plagg was safely settled in a movement already becoming routine. A soft rumble of thunder outside simultaneously had the hair on the back of his neck prickling and soothed him. He had always liked thunderstorms, but a weird new part deep inside him wasn't looking forward to the rain, and his inevitable walk home in it.

Especially after the day he had.

Yesterday's fight against the akumatized Ivan… probably could have gone better. Especially if Plagg had told him beforehand that Cataclysm was a one-shot thing. Still, Ladybug had taken charge, and wasn't that a trip. Marinette was normally fairly shy and content to let others take the lead.

Apparently putting the girl in a skin-tight suit that came with a bundle of superpowers tapped directly into a well of confidence and leadership that even she didn't know she had.

They had parted ways after that, and Nino hadn't had a chance to talk to Marinette the rest of the day, due to after lunch classes (which he had spent starving, because Plagg, the little shit, had eaten all of his lunch) and then after school detention.

Today had been even more eventful, if that was even possible.

Nino had managed to be on time, thankfully, and who had been sitting in the empty seat next to his but Adrien. The other teen had happily said he had talked to his father, and he had finally agreed to let him go to public school.

On the plus side, Nino now had a new friend.

Of course, then Chloe had just had to go start trouble, and in the process of trying to get the gum off of Marinette's seat, Marinette had gotten the wrong idea and laid into Adrien. Nino had tried to stand up for him, because it wasn't fair that he should take the blame, but Adrien had shushed him when he went to mention that it was Chloe's fault, and Marinette had been too angry to properly listen anyways.

Then the Stoneheart army took over the city, and Nino had to rush off and try to deal with a bunch of what had handed his tail to him the day before.

You can take a wild guess how well that had been working out for him.

He had been wondering and worrying over Marinette, over Ladybug, and had just begun to hear the traitorous little thoughts deep in his heart that she had abandoned him, abandoned Paris, when she swung in.

And seeing her swing up to the Hawkmoth head and sweep out with her yoyo again and again, taking out great swathes of butterflies with each pass, then release them all, purified and white as snow to drift over the city while she declared that Ladybug and Matou Noir would defend them all…

Nino wasn't afraid to admit that he hadn't known that clumsy, shy Marinette could be so brave and strong, but oh was he glad to find out.

He also wasn't afraid to admit, at least to himself, that he had probably fallen at least a little bit in love with his childhood friend.

Nino paused as he cracked open the door leading outside, blinking a little in surprise at seeing Adrien offering Marinette his umbrella.

And, well, it didn't take a genius, or a superhero, to tell what was going on by the time Adrien left a blushing Marinette on the steps to race to his waiting car.

"Looks like your little girlfriend has a crush on someone else," Plagg hummed in his ear, making Nino jump.

Frowning slightly, Nino stamped down the hot flash of jealousy that spiked, then let out a long sigh. "Adrien's a cool guy, from what I can tell. And it's up to Marinette who she likes in the end. Though if he hurts her, new bro or no, I'll have to have some words with him. If Marinette doesn't string him up by his toes from the flagpole herself." Nino turned and blinked as Plagg regarded him with the first serious expression he'd seen on the kwami's face since telling him that he had to be kept secret. "What?"

"A lot of my kittens would have been jealous, is all." Plagg shrugged.

Nino gave a slight, bitter smile. "I didn't say I wasn't. But this isn't about me, it's about Marinette. And what kind of partner would I be if I didn't support her?"

"You're wiser than you look, kid. You would have been a good fit for Wayzz, in another place and time," Plagg said cryptically, then darted back into his bag. His muffled voice came out a moment later. "Don't let me get wet on the way home, okay?"

Nino sighed and rolled his eyes as he stepped outside. Even in what looked to be a rare helpful moment, Plagg was still a little shit.

"So, I think we should be doing patrols in the evenings," Ladybug said softly as they peered around a corner, trying to spot Dark Cupid. Matou's head was still fuzzy from the control the akuma had held over him, and Ladybug refused to meet his eyes for some reason.

"What for?" He murmured back, ears perked and twitching as his tail swayed slowly behind him.

"It would give us time to get to know the city by rooftop better, without worrying about an akuma. Plus, if an akuma happens in the evenings we can possibly head it off before it does too much damage." Ladybug was whispering, but with his enhanced hearing Matou had no problem making out what she was saying, even as she was looking away.

"I guess. Do you want to patrol together or alone?"

Ladybug hummed softly in her throat. "Together would probably be best, that way in case we span style="font-style: oblique;"do/span run across an akuma, we'll have backup. Can you manage a few nights a week, Kitty?"

"Yeah, I'm free most nights." Suddenly Ladybug took off, and Matou had to move fast to keep on her heels. "See you tonight?"

"Tonight," Ladybug agreed, teeth suddenly flashing in a vicious smirk as they closed in on Dark Cupid.

Nino couldn't remember the last time he felt this wonderful.

Ladybug, Marinette, was bounding ahead of him, laughter ringing across the rooftops as she flicked her yoyo out with hardly a thought and swung across a gap. Half a beat later, and he easily cleared the gap with a leap, landing and running on all fours for a few strides before switching back to running upright.

The patrol had started seriously, but neither of them had counted on just how fun it would end up being. So far, each time they had transformed had been to either take care of an akuma, or attend a public function.

They hadn't had time to just be.

Ladybug grinned back at him, challenge dancing in her eyes, and Matou grinned back, teeth flashing briefly in the night, and then was running on all fours again as they raced, twisting around chimneys, bounding or swinging across gaps between roofs, no clear destination in mind but each other's laughter and the singing of the night wind in their ears and veins.

And then they weren't racing anymore, they were circling each other, bodies twisting as they leapt and turned with an agility that they never could have possessed without their Miraculouses, eyes shining in the night lights of Paris. It was a dance, but one no normal human could have done. They never touched, but they didn't need to, not with a partner who knew where they would be before they themselves did.

If Nino had to choose one word for it later, it would have to be, simply, miraculous.

They stopped as one, panting and grinning so wide their cheeks hurt, night wind tugging at their hair and eyes only for each other.

And Nino knew, deep down, that Adrien may have Marinette's heart, but these night chases and dances, they belonged to him and him alone.

And that would have to be enough.

"Hey Nino? What are you looking at?" Adrien lightly poked his friend, startling him out of his daze.

"Um, nothing?" Nino squeaked.

Adrien stared at Nino, then in the direction that Nino had been staring. Across the school's courtyard, Marinette was laughing at something Alya had said.

Slowly, a grin began to grow.

"Bro, no."

"Ninooooooo…" Adrien sing-songed.

"Bro, I swear if you don't-"

"Do you have a cruuuuuuush on Marinette?"

"That's it, give me the rest of my lunch back." Nino made to grab at the plastic container that Adrien had swiped when Nino had finished, only for the other boy to pick it up and hold it out of reach.

"You do!" Adrien grinned and swung an arm around Nino's shoulders. "I can see why, from what I've seen Marinette is really sweet and nice. Even if she is bad at talking around me. Do you think she's still mad about the gum thing?"

"Dude, trust me, Marinette is very much not still mad about the gum thing," Nino said dryly, slumping a bit. "And that is so far from the reason she can't talk to you that it's not even in the same country."

"Anyways, we're going to get you a date with Marinette!"

"Adrien no." Nino had spent way too much time and energy supporting Ladybug for her crush on Adrien to have Adrien's obliviousness ruin all of it.

"Adrien yes. Don't worry, I've watched a lot of romantic anime, so I totally know what to do to get girls to like you."

"Adrien I do not want dating tips from anime you gigantic homeschooled dork," Nino said dryly, slumping in defeat. Once Adrien got hooked onto an idea like this it was best to just let it run its course, because trying to divert him was about as successful as trying to herd cats.

And Nino would know.

"Relax, it'll be great!"

Nino would probably feel guiltier about locking Adrien in a panther cage with Alya (for their own safety, of course) if he hadn't had the most awkward and embarrassing day of his life. Probably the rest of his life, too, even though he was only fifteen.

Vindictive? Him? Of course not.

And then the rest of the day had been spent being chased by freaking panthers and other various animals, and losing eight of his remaining nine lives when Ladybug had jumped inside a tyrannosaurus rex's mouth.

He was only fifteen, he was too young to die from a heart attack.

The relief he felt when Ladybug emerged without a scratch had nearly made his legs buckle out from under him, and he had staggered over to pull her into a tight hug. He knew his voice cracked, and he didn't care a bit when he whispered "Never do that again. Please."

Ladybug took a deep breath before hugging him back just as tightly. "It's not exactly on my short list of things to repeat."

Matou just hugged her tighter, burying his face against her neck and reassuring himself that she was okay, she was alive and safe and here in his arms. Her scent filled his nose, warm bread and sweet vanilla and sharp wind, her heartbeat sang in his ears, and her warmth chased away the cold that had shocked through his chest when that gigantic mouth had snapped shut.

"I'm sorry for scaring you," She whispered, squeezing him a little tighter before letting go and pulling back.

Shakily, he gave a crooked smile, then leaned in and pressed his forehead to hers. "I can't lose you, okay? I can't do this alone."

"You could-"

"No. I couldn't. Because my heart wouldn't be in it, not without you here." Matou let out a long, shaky breath, then pulled back. "Come on, let's finish up. And probably let those two out of the panther cage before the panther ends up back in it."

Really, he wasn't sure what he had expected when they let Adrien and Alya out, but for them to be happily chatting away about all things Ladybug probably wasn't it.

Though honestly, he wasn't sure why not, in retrospect he should have expected them to bond over their shared love and admiration for his partner.

He could relate, Marinette grew more amazing with each passing day.

Even if she did scare the crap out of him sometimes.

Matou and Ladybug were stopped for the night, perched among the gargoyles on Notre Dame as they looked out over Paris. The patrol had been a relatively uneventful one, so they were taking a few moments to rest in each other's company before going their separate ways.

Ladybug grinned slyly as she leaned over to lightly flick one of Matou's ears. "Yowling for the ladies there, kitty?"

Matou's humming cut off, and he blinked owlishly at Ladybug, then pouted and crossed his arms. "I do not yowl."

"I don't know why not," Ladybug said airily, a teasing quality creeping into her tone. "From the little I heard, you're not bad."

Matou shrugged, flushing a little as he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I hope I'm a little better than 'not bad', considering I want to go into music."

"Really?" It was Ladybug's turn to stare at her partner. Matou was just about to ask what was wrong when she went on. "You don't talk much about yourself outside the mask, so I never realized."

'Well, not on this side of it, anyways.' He mused. Out loud, he said "You don't want to share our identities, so I try to respect that."

Ladybug paused, expression conflicted, then scooted closer and gently laid a hand on his shoulder. "Well, if it helps I'd like to hear more about your music."

Matou shrugged and gave a lopsided grin. "I'm more into composing and mixing, I'm not much of a singer."

He closed his eyes and thrummed low in his throat as a gloved hand stroked through his hair, followed by a soft "Please, kitty?"

"… I guess, but I can't guarantee it'll be any good." From Ladybug's triumphant grin, he somehow got the feeling that she wouldn't care.

A little nervous now that he had an attentive audience, Matou cleared his throat, leaned against the gargoyle beside him, and began to sing.

He kept his voice low – after all, this was for one person alone, and she was staring at him in astonishment. The song wasn't one he had consciously chosen, just one that had popped in his mind and felt right. When that song ended, he glanced at Ladybug and she silently nodded for him to continue. He sang of long nights and starlight, of love and loss, of finding happiness in unexpected places.

A warm weight settled against his shoulder, and Matou looked down to find Ladybug leaning against him, head against his shoulder and a soft hum joining in as the song turned to one she knew. Slowly, not wanting to startle her, for right now she felt like some wild thing lured close that could dart away at any moment, he raised his hand and began to gently stroke his claws through her pigtails, working out small tangles that had formed during their run earlier.

He wasn't sure whether she noticed at first, but a moment later a gloved hand slowly buried itself into his hair and began to pet. Matou closed his eyes and relaxed back against Ladybug.

With the sounds of Paris itself as accompaniment, he sang for his Lady long into the night.

"Do it, or he dies!"

Ladybug and Matou were frozen, staring at the struggling Adrien dangling above a sheer drop, the cruel smirk of Volpina making it clear that she intended to follow through.

Matou barely realized that Ladybug was reaching for her earrings before he was moving, catching her wrist with one hand. "Ladybug, no!"

"I can't let him die, Matou!"

"You won't be able to save him, either, if you don't have your Miraculous! You're just walking right into Hawkmoth's hands! And we don't even know if it's real or not, it could be another one of her tricks!"

"I can't take that chance!" Marinette's frightened eyes stared deep into his through Ladybug's mask, and Matou knew his own echoed it.

He didn't want to lose either of his best friends today.

"Ladybug, please. I can't lose you," He pleaded, and he knew that his voice was shaky and cracking, a crying kitten's mewl. "I can't do this alone."

Ladybug stared at him, and belatedly he remembered the last time he had told her that, when he had thought he lost her to a tyrannosaur's jaws. Finally, she took a deep breath, and her expression steadied.

"I promise you won't have to, kitty."

Matou nearly sagged with relief, and just managed to give her a broken smile in return before they turned back to Volpina. Ladybug stood taller and stronger than she ever had, larger than life by his side, and Matou knew, deep in his bones, that they would get through this together. "No deal, Volpina."

"Such a shame. See how much the noble Ladybug actually cares about the people of Paris," Volpina mocked. "Now, watch your precious little Adrien-"

A blue, oddly shaped arrow sliced through the dangling Adrien, causing him to poof into smoke.

Matou had never seen an akuma so completely shocked before, although he knew his own expression wasn't much better, especially as a figure robed in a bright, royal blue swooped down, glowing green scarf flapping like wings and wide, multicolored tail flaring as he touched down, blond hair wild from flying.

(Elsewhere; in a large, darkened room; Hawkmoth had just been taking a celebratory sip of wine, and his own shock ended in him having to hastily clean up half of his secret lair before the stains set in from his spit-take).

'You have got to be kidding me.' Matou had no idea where Adrien had found a freaking Miraculous, but he had to admit that he looked good as a superhero.

"Your lies won't work anymore, Volpina. Not on me," He declared proudly, stepping forward and hefting what Matou had originally thought was an arrow, but proved to be feather-like throwing knives, one between each finger of his right hand.

And with that, the fight was on.

It wasn't a night for patrol, so Matou was startled when a gloved hand landed on his shoulder, ears and tail jerking up and a shocked yowl tearing from his throat.

Ladybug gave him a reassuring grin. "Sorry, kitty, I didn't mean to scare you."

He huffed, ears pinned flat and to the sides in his annoyance. "Don't sneak up on me like that. You give me enough heart attacks as it is during battle, I don't need any more."

"I wasn't sneaking, you were lost in thought," Ladybug replied, sitting down beside him. "What are you doing out here so late?"

"I could ask you the same question." When Ladybug didn't dignify that with an answer, Matou sighed and gave in. "Thinking. Stargazing, not that you can see many here in the city."

Ladybug hummed thoughtfully, leaning back on her hands to look up. "No, I suppose not." Another long moment of silence, and then, "Come dance with me, Matou."

Matou blinked in shock at his partner. They had danced before, their wild and leaping version anyways, but that had always been spontaneous, falling into it as easy as breathing during their patrols.

He couldn't have said no to her even if he wanted to, not when she looked at him like that, shy and hopeful and warm and brave all at once. And so he stood, and offered her his hand to help her up. "I would be honored, Ladybug."

She smiled, brighter than all of the stars in the sky, and then they were off.

This dance was just as wild and reckless and breathtaking as the others, but there was a current underneath it that left Matou charged, like his skin was a size too small and his heart a size too big. Ladybug's eyes never left his, and they trusted each other to make sure they found safe footing.

Then, fleeting along his side, a soft brush of her fingers.

Matou gasped, certain that it had been a mistake, a misstep. They had never touched each other while dancing before.

And then again, this time a hand briefly cupping his jaw before sliding away. Questioningly, he sought answers in Ladybug's eyes.

She smiled. "Dance with me, Matou."

A rush thrummed through his veins as they took off into their new dance, fleeting touches trailing fire after ghosting fingertips, his claws gentle and harmless against her suit and skin. A heady cocktail of friendship and love and trust and even a touch of arousal left his head spinning, but Matou couldn't have stopped for anything. Not when Ladybug was staring at him like that, like she finally saw him, all of him.

They stopped as one, facing each other and panting, misting breath mixing in the chill air and eyes still just for each other.

And then Ladybug reached up, cupped both of his cheeks, and brought him down into a searing kiss.

Matou gasped and shuddered, lagging brain taking a few precious seconds to register, and then one hand gripped Ladybug's hip, the other pressed gently between her shoulder blades, and he returned the kiss for all he was worth.

This may be the only one he ever shared with her, and he knew he would treasure the memory for the rest of his life. He poured every bit of his love and admiration and devotion into the kiss, please, please understand…

Finally they parted, eyes sliding open where they hadn't realized they closed them in the first place, and Matou gave a crooked grin. Ladybug echoed it, then pulled him down into another kiss.

"Hello, Nino," She whispered against his lips, and he let out a long, shuddering sigh before smiling.

"Hey, Marinette. Took you long enough." She giggled softly, and he echoed it with a soft rumble of his own as he dropped his forehead against hers. This time, when she went to kiss him again, he gently trailed a thumb along her jawline to stop her. As (very) enjoyable as that was… "What about Adrien?"

Ladybug shook her head gently, turning her head to press a soft kiss to his palm, and a pang of love so much it hurt for the amazing girl in his arms shot straight to his heart. "Do you know…" She whispered conversationally. "… how very annoying it is to figure out that you've been falling for someone for months without realizing it?"

"… How long did you scream into your pillow?" Matou couldn't resist teasing, even as the warm flush of love washed away every bit of chill from the cold night.

"About half an hour," Ladybug admitted. "I think I worried Tikki."

Matou chuckled, ducking his head for another kiss. They would need to have a long talk later, about what this meant for them and their partnership, but for now…

For now, he would just enjoy the time spent in the arms of the girl he was deeply, irrevocably in love with.