Marinette sat at her desk, glancing over at the clock every thirty seconds. She tapped her finger rhythmically against her computer mouse.

"Why are you so anxious, Marinette?" Tikki glided down to sit on her restless hand.

She blinked at the sudden sensation on her hand and jerked her head in the opposite direction. "I'm not anxious, I'm just impatient for patrol."

"Why?"

"Uhhh... I think it's close enough to patrol time," she dodged the question and called for her transformation, despite Tikki's attempt at trying to get an answer out of her first.

Ladybug leaped up onto her balcony and tossed her yo-yo out into the city. It was still early, but with any luck, he'd be there soon.

Her connection with Chat Noir was nothing new. She had felt it since the day they met, but every akuma they faced, every situation they were in that relied on them working together to save the day, and every little detail she learned about him by being in his presence drew her in more and more each day. At first, she brushed the feeling off, and by doing so she brushed him off, too. But as time went on, it grew harder to ignore it - to ignore him.

It pained her whenever she had to lie to him to protect her identity, or when she'd reject him for that same reason. She hated seeing his expression and being the reason his toothy grin would fade and his cat ears would droop. The pure and selfless Ladybug had a selfish motivation for bringing down Hawk Moth once and for all, and that was so it'd be safe to finally tell her Kitty - her best friend - everything. But as patient as she was, even she had her limit to how long she could wait.

For now though, she took whatever moments with him that she could. She didn't talk about her feelings for Chat with Tikki. All the times she had been so adamant about not liking Chat Noir, and her crush on Adrien that still tugged on her heart, as well as the addition to Luka….

There was just no way she could talk about it. She just couldn't. What could be done about it anyway? That was what she'd tell herself whenever she thought about telling Tikki everything.

Ladybug arrived at their usual meet-up place; the rooftop of a random building in the city. She sat down and listened to the noises of cars and people below, her eyes shutting as she concentrated on them.

The sudden sound of boots next to her made her eyes spring open.

"Chat Noir!" she greeted him with a warm smile.
"M'lady," he grinned back. "What are we doing today?"

"I don't know," she replied with a playful shrug. "How about we go around the city and see if we can help anyone out with anything?"

Chat Noir hummed in agreement and they were off to take a look around the city.

They came into view of a park when they heard children calling their names.

"Look, it's Ladybug and Chat Noir!"

"They're so cool!"

"Ladybug! Chat Noir!" the kids screamed, pointing excitedly up at their heroes.

Ladybug looked back to Chat Noir. His face lit up and he nodded, knowing just what his Lady was suggesting.

Seconds later, they landed down in the grass in the park. The group of children ran up and gave them hugs before they had time to blink.

"Oh no, it's a swarm of children! Help me Ladybug, I'm getting dragged under! Aaaghh," he made a gurgling sound and his arm sticking out of the mob of kids engulfing him, as if reaching for a way out. The children and Ladybug giggled.

"Okay kids, give the poor Kitty some air," Ladybug said, coaxing the kids off of him. She offered Chat a hand to help him off the ground once he was free. He swiftly brushed the dirt off his suit.

"Ladybug, can I ask you something?" a little girl, who looked to be about 6 years old or so approached her shyly, taking her hand.

Ladybug lowered herself to the little girls level and laughed. "You're adorable. Of course! What is it?"

The girl looked to the side a moment and tapped her index finger to her cheek a couple of times. "Um, well, I was wondering if…" she started giggling, "if you and Chat Noir are going to get married," she finished her question that sounded more like a statement and giggled profusely with rosy cheeks and bright eyes.

Ladybug froze, her eyes wide and her mouth popped open in shock. "Uhhh," she began laughing nervously. "We're too young to get married," she answered lamely.

"Someday then?" the little girl pressed.
Ladybug turned her head to face Chat Noir, who looked highly amused at the little girl's question until he saw Ladybug's expression. Her eyes were screaming at him to help her.

He stepped in, kneeling beside Ladybug, facing the girl.

"What a question! Ladybug and I are best friends though."

"So that's a 'yes' then!" she said with a wide grin on her face.

"Why do you say that?" Chat Noir chuckled at her tone. This little girl was truly the cutest thing.

"Because my Maman married her best friend and she's really happy!" she squealed before running off to find her mother.

After several minutes more with the kids, Ladybug and Chat Noir parted ways with them, going back to the rooftops.

"Wait!" he called out to her when she wasn't showing signs of stopping. Ladybug did as he asked, lowering her yo-yo. But she didn't turn to face him at his call. "That little girl was something else, wasn't she?" he chuckled, approaching her. Instead of getting some witty comment back or a smile at the very least like he expected, she continued to look away from him in silence.

Chat hesitantly held his hand out and rested it on her shoulder. "You okay?"

She shook her head.

"I know I shouldn't ask, but… is it about that boy you told me about? You can tell me. You don't have to tell me who he is, but maybe if you tell me what's going on with him, I could help," he offered. "I just... don't want to see you hurting. I'll do whatever I can to help you."

He was too good, too nice. Ever since Chat Noir had told her, as Marinette, that he loved her, being around him became especially difficult. Knowing how he's felt about her all this time, but stepping back for her sake and then being willing to help her find happiness with someone else made her all the more impatient for her to tell him everything once and for all.

But she couldn't break her resolve to keep it from him. Not yet.

Sucking in a deep breath, Ladybug turned around with a small smile playing on her lips, one that didn't reach her eyes.

"It's… complicated. Are you sure you want to hear about it?"

"Of course," he answered. He sat down and rested his head in his hands, giving her his undivided attention.

Ladybug sat next to him, making a point not to look at his face. "Well, that boy I told you about, he's a very good friend of mine. We're close, but nothing's ever come of it like I've wanted it to. I sort of gave up, actually," she chuckled darkly.

"Why?" Chat frowned.

Ladybug leaned back and looked up at the sky. Stars were beginning to shine as nightfall approached. "I feel like there's this wall between us and I don't know how to bring it down. It's hard to explain, really. He's really an amazing person, but I don't think I'm what he's looking for."

"If you're not what he's looking for, he's an idiot," he mumbled.

"Chat!"

"What? It's the truth," he shrugged. "But I'll throw this guy a bone and say maybe he's wanted to tell you how he feels all along, but he just doesn't know how?"

"Is this coming from experience?" she smiled teasingly.

"Actually, yeah," he admitted. Her smile faded. "There's this girl I've known for a long time now, and she's amazing," he smiled to himself as he thought about her, his eyes lighting up a moment before it disappeared. "But something keeps stopping me from telling her how I feel. I don't know what. So maybe this guy of yours hasn't found a way to tell you yet."

So he had somebody he was interested in that wasn't her. Pain began to flood her system as his words began to sink it. But this was all her doing. She could've prevented it and told him who she was a long time ago, or at the very least let him know she returned his feelings. Ladybug was just so determined to hold her ground on the matter, to keep him safe, to keep everyone she cared about safe. Even if they were to defeat Hawk Moth now, maybe it was already too late for them. Being his best friend, spending time with him would have to be enough.

Ladybug swallowed. "Maybe… you know how I said it's complicated?"

"Yeah?"

"There's also this other guy…." she smiled sheepishly.

"What?!" Chat exclaimed, his bright green cat eyes grew wide.

Ladybug laughed at his reaction and gave him a playful shove. "And then this other one..."

Chat Noir froze in shock and she laughed harder.

"You're just joking, right?" he asked weakly.

"I really wish I were," she sighed as she nudged his shoulder.

He took a moment to compose himself, and once he did, he smiled and held out his fist.

"Best friends though, right?"

Ladybug gave him a fist bump. "Always."