The sun shone over Paris with an intense heat. It didn't help that the akuma villain of the week was a fire breathing human dragon hybrid.

"Grrr... Where are you, kitty cat?" Mari cursed to herself as she leaped and swung through the Paris landscape, dogging the magnificent display of flames streaking through the air, too close for comfort.

"YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE YOUR FIERY DOOM." The dragon-human yelled. He was locked onto Ladybug. This was the kill shot. He inhaled, and was promptly interrupted by a metal rod striking his face.

Chat Noir dodge rolled, then dove to catch his staff. Leaping back into the air with the help of it propelling him towards Ladybug. "Hey Bugaboo, miss me?" He said with a sly smirk as he whisked past her.

"You, mister, are a very bad and very late kitty." She said, swinging her yo-yo to land a satisfying smack on the dragon's face.

"Oh dear, will My Lady punish me~?" He quirked a brow and came in from the opposite side of the dragon's face to land a blow with his staff.

"Oh Chat, don't get ahead of yourself. You know I'm saving my self for the right guy." Mari said as she snatched the artifact holding in the akuma from the dragon man's belt and tossed it to Chat.

"Oh so you're saying I have a chance?" Chat asked playfully, also secretly hopeful. He extended his staff and used it like a cricket bat to smash the artifact into pieces.

"Not on your nine lives, kitty." She winked. Always a playful wink, never flirtatious, though, she felt odd after winking. She couldn't explain it.

After the akuma was taken care of, she and Chat approached each other. The man who was Akumatized awkwardly shuffled away, holding his pet bearded dragon close to his chest after it reappeared. Chat looked at Ladybug. His eyes stared into her ocean blue eyes.

"I do want to apologize for my absence. I was having a bad fur day, and I always need to look my best for My Ladybug." He waggled his eyebrows as he leaned in.

"You really aren't over that kiss, are you?" She suddenly said, giving him a playful accusing look.

"What?" He blinked, backing off a bit. It's been four weeks since that kiss. It's never been brought up since then. Sadly, he doesn't even remember it because he was struck with a hatred arrow. Ladybug was equally taken aback by mentioning it.

"I-It's not like I wanted to kiss you! I told you already that I had to break that curse on you." She stammered. "Besides, I... Already like someone else. Don't you have anyone else you like?"

Chat stared at her. His mind darted to Marinette, oddly her image filling Ladybug's place.

"I don't like anyone else." Chat said in an almost monotone voice.

They both beeped, signaling their transformation was about to happen. She was about to leave, but Chat grabbed her arm. She turned around to look at him.

"Don't leave. I promise I won't tell anyone. Please, Ladybug?" He looked at her with lost looking eyes. He let her arm go.

"Chat.. You know we shouldn't." She said quietly.

Chat exhaled. Looking away. "Okay. See you around then, my lady." He sounded defeated.

She regarded him for a moment. "Oh Chat.. Find some shade. I think the heat's messing with your head." Without thinking, she gave him a peck on the cheek. It was a totally innocent kiss, Mari would convince herself later. A pity kiss. She gave him a smile and leapt away, swinging out of sight.

"I don't like anyone. But I do love someone." Chat said to himself as she disappeared from view. He pulled out the paper heart he received, not signed. He always told himself it was his Ladybug who sent him this. Nevertheless, one day he'd get the courage to tell her. He was confident when he flirted, but when they would seriously talk about their relationship, he had no moxie. No swagger. Maybe someday he would.

HawkMoth roared at the window.

"You may have extinguished the flame this time, Ladybug, but you have yet to realize I'm a slow burner, and when I reach my highest temperature, you and your cat will be burned. He watched the window close. He was shrouded in darkness. There was a light behind him. The door opened to reveal a bright hallway. He walked towards it, transforming back into Gabriel Agreste, his costume dissipating towards his glowing broach. It was similar to his wife's before she disappeared. There was a call coming in from his son. He ignored it. He couldn't look at his son, because he reminded him of his wife. He had to keep his son out of his sight at all times if he can help it. He had to concentrate on getting his wife back.

Mari slid down the ladder into her room to be greeted by messages from Ayla.

[GIRL, you will not beLIEVE how close I got to the action this week with Ladybug and Chat.]

[I thought you were going to stay out of the action after the Pharaoh incident.]

[Yeah, girl, about that, you can't keep me from the action and you know it.]

[Anyway, I heard Chat talk, and you know how I told you he sounded familiar, so, I took the liberty of recording all of our friends voices and Chat's, and after many sleepless nights comparing voices, he sounds exactly like Adrien!1]

Mari stared at her phone, mentally comparing the voices, and denying all possible connections.

[You're hearing things, Ayla. Adrien is too suave to be that dorky cat.]

[But /girl/.]

[Shushy.]

[The truth is out there. I'll make you a believer. *x-files music plays*]

[Pffft. You're so weird.]

Mari put down her phone and looked towards the window, picturing her and Chat, unmasked, and it being Adrien. She shook that thought away.

Foolish fool. You will not fall in love with kitty boy. She thought to herself, and yet, there was a small, but loud voice crying out in the back of her head with ideas of her and Chat revealing their identities to each other. Her heart fluttered at the possibility it would be Adrien's face meeting hers after they transformed.

She took a cold shower.