Plagg unleashed a long-suffering sigh as he spiralled out of his transformation.

Not that the kid noticed. No, he was still a bit dazed by it all. As if the sheer prospect that Ladybug might have finally succumbed to his questionable charms was too heady and baffling for him to have had the slightest bit of common sense.

"You're lucky that pigtails thinks you are cute." Plagg scoffed as he stopped momentarily to consider his chosen.

"Huh?" Adrien looked up, startled.

"You are spectacularly dense."

Adrien frowned.

Plagg didn't explain why, letting his silence speak volumes more than he could as he dove into the fridge. Not that he actually could fill those gaps in understanding… not without the threat of Tikki's all-encompassing rage raining down on his head.

Sighing again, Plagg tossed open the mini-fridge door, hefting the wheel of cheese out as a well-deserved trophy. He had to give pigtails credit; she'd tried so hard to be sweet and encouraging. But there was enough there—in those tensely awkward silences—that it really should be giving the kid pause.

But no. Plagg grumbled, biting into the delectable morsel of cheese just as fast as he could demolish the rind. No, he just had to end up with the fairly clueless kitten.

After he'd arrived at school the next day at school, Marinette had lingered close.

She had arrived early—very unusual for her—and was watching him studiously, making a careful point to check on his leg. "How is your leg doing?

She looked a little distracted… not quite meeting his eyes, which puzzled him immensely.

Adrien was quick to reassure her with a smile. "Fine. Really, I'm surprised that you even noticed it." It wasn't often that he had been well and truly injured as Chat—and only after he'd been injured as a civilian first.

"You think I…" she trailed off. Marinette gaped at him, stunned. "Adrien! Of course, I pay attention; we're friends, aren't we?" She had just been so tired—and a little distracted by well, things—that she had entirely forgotten about his injured leg until after he'd left.

He nodded, blushing a bit.

Her eyes strayed away, carefully. "Adrien, I know you've been injured in battle before, but I wasn't really sure how well the suits healed everything up. Especially since the only other time I knew about, you took the injury as a civilian."

Adrien goggled at this.

Marinette hedged, "I puzzled it out, considering past injuries. You don't spend more than a year or so as the best friend of Paris' Ladyblogger without hearing way too much detail about every battle." She smiled. "I think the last time must have been when Kagami had been Akumatized—after the first time you sparred here at school." She wasn't exactly sure what had Akumatized Kagami, but the timing made her feel guilty for sure.

He nodded. "You must be right… it really wasn't something I was considering. Ladybug's magic always seems to do the trick."

Marinette nibbled at her lip. They were both lucky enough that Ladybug's own luck out of the suit had held thus far… but she was never entirely sure that everything could be fixed.

It wasn't until later in the class that Adrien came to a rather startling awareness.

Only Ladybug had really been close enough to see that he had been injured, and they were on the move almost as fast as the battle had begun.

He hadn't imagined that the Ladyblog could have footage, but Alya seemed capable of far more than he'd ever thought.

Not all of Alya's footage and camera shots went up onto her website. Alix had managed to get some from inside the Louvre, but she hadn't gotten her dad's permission to even view it, so it wasn't like it was posted for anyone else to have seen.

Somehow, Marinette had noticed something that even Alya hadn't. She was way more observant than he'd ever thought…

Adrien gulped, his eyes growing wide. What else had she been noticing? An errant thought crossed his mind. If she'd known and noticed enough to puzzle together who he was with little more than seeing Plagg, would she maybe have some idea who it was that was hidden behind Ladybug's mask?

Would she have some secret insight into Ladybug's head—or dare he hope—heart?

He gnawed at his lip, peering anxiously over his shoulder.

If she did? That would technically put Marinette more at risk…

And that wouldn't do at all.

With each passing hour, Marinette struggled more with how to act around him.

At least the glamour problem wasn't nearly as bad outside of the suit, but that didn't mean that this new-found knowledge wasn't starting to get under her skin a bit.

Pinpricks—not unlike Chat Noir's claws—chased along the back of her neck when Adrien beamed down at her with that crooked smile.

It was purely her partner—she could see it for the unchecked, genuine fondness.

But it was the sweet softness in those placid green eyes that was threatening to be her undoing.

She could hardly keep her eyes off of him.

Chat never really had a good concept of personal space as it was, but now, he kept watching her. Every time she looked up—more frequently than she'd like to have admitted—his eyes were trained on her, and it felt like he was invading the very air she breathed.

Though he was usually all-too aware of the destruction he could cause, Adrien appeared to be entirely oblivious to the havoc he was wreaking to her composure…

Even though his eyes kept locking with hers.

Even though she was barely holding back the growing wave of panic each and every time.

Marinette pulled at her pigtails; she'd been so distracted that she tanked a test.

And sweet (oh-so-oblivious) Adrien offered his help.

Alya accepted for her, assuming Marinette's usual word soup was better headed off at the pass.

There was no way she could say no now… not without making Alya suspicious, and not without quashing the softly pleased smile on Adrien's lips.

She glared down at her bag in askance. Where was Tikki's luck when she so desperately needed it?

Marinette hunched over her desk at home, scribbling furiously as he paced the softly creaking floorboards behind her.

Chat Noir sighed. With his father away in Milan for business for a few days—and because Nathalie wasn't nearly as observant once he appeared to be safely sequestered in his room—Adrien could safely escape and help his friend out as much as he pleased.

Marinette was falling behind in classes, and he couldn't help but feel partially responsible.

Of course, she should never have had this extra burden dropped upon her shoulders.

Drawing in close, Chat peered down to check her progress on the problem set. All things considered, she was actually catching up pretty quickly.

She froze when he hovered close, soft blue eyes growing wide as she glanced back up at him.

Blinking, he took a step back. "Sorry."

Her face flushed as she snapped her focus back to the page. "It's fine." Her voice was a little high to his more sensitive ears. "It's… just a little distracting…"

Rueful, Chat nodded, drawing back to pacing. He stretched, and his gloved hands slipped back behind his neck. After a near endless assault, Hawkmoth had backed off a little. Neither he nor Ladybug had the slightest clue why. But he owed it to her—and to Marinette—to be ready to set off at a moment's notice.

She sat back in her chair, peering over at him anxiously. "I'm just not used to you being so close, you know?"

He tilted his head, lips pursing slightly. "Really? I had kind of thought we were both good friends…"

"Not like that…" Her eyes drifted up to the high ceiling, searching. "I mean, I've seen enough footage of your battles to know that you and Ladybug are always close… it just isn't something I'm used to… from you. If that makes sense…"

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." His face seemed to lose some color and guilt took over his features.

"Neither did I, Adrien. I'm just not used to seeing that from you."

His shoulders slumped. "Being close to other people… I'm sorry, it's a bit of a novelty for me. Generally, I have Father's eyes forever over my shoulder, so I really don't feel relaxed enough for that."

Marinette rested her chin in her palm, quietly watching him… urging him to continue.

"All this?" He gestured to this suit. "It came when I was just finally starting to get out from under some of Father's hardest set rules. I wasn't able to attend that first day of school because Father had Nathalie and the Gorilla chased me down and bring me home. He'd never approved of me going to public school in the first place."

He looked up to see her confused expression, which seemed to ask 'why'. Chat Noir just shrugged, answering the silent question. "It was only much later that I realized how that escape to school was what actually let Plagg find his way to me…"

"I'm glad he did… choose you, that is. It really does suit you." Her cheeks held just a tinge of pinkness as she watched him.

"You think being Chat Noir suits me?" His green eyes sparkled a little because of her endorsement; she only nodded quietly. "There's a lot that people don't know about the Black Cat miraculous—heck, there's a lot that even I don't know about it. I am glad you think I'm suited for the job, because I really do strive to be what Paris—what Ladybug—needs. I think the powers Plagg has… they're really strong. And in the wrong hands… well, I almost don't even want to consider that."

Marinette's head tilted slightly as she gave him an appraising look. "You have the power to be destructive… but you also have the wisdom when to be… well, not."

"You think I'm wise?" Chat smiled playfully over at her.

She snorted, then smirked slightly. "I think you have the potential to be."

He pouted, slumping back down onto the chaise. "I'm plenty smart."

She nodded. "Sure. And plenty reckless."

His expression turned suddenly serious. "I'm only reckless when I need to be… At least, I am now." His gaze dropped from hers and he had a faraway look on his face.

"In the beginning, recklessness came easy. I learned about my powers mostly mid-battle—mostly from watching and listening to Ladybug. She was amazing. I just viewed these powers as freedom, but she had basically the same set… and despite all her fears and doubts, she faced the responsibility head on. She called out an insanely powerful villain and took him on—barely a few minutes after she'd been outright terrified of failure."

Her nose scrunched up. "Then, why are you still so reckless now."

"I'm reckless now because she needs me to be. Even though I know she hates it. But Paris cannot afford to lose her, so it means I'm going to take risks. Besides, I trust that she wouldn't stop until she brought me back—if it ever came to that." He finally lifted his eyes to meet hers, and was almost surprised to see how wide they were and how solemn she looked.

"Hopefully, it never will," she said quietly.

Chat Noir nodded. "I can't help but hope… that maybe someday she'd be able to see the same tenacity in me. I know she would do everything in her power to protect me; I know she cares about me in some way, but I can't help but want more. That's why I've found it so hard to move on… even after she's asked me to…"

Marinette's eyes narrowed, setting her pencil down to the desk with finality. "She's allowed to have a crush on someone, you know. Just like you are…"

"Marinette," Chat Noir murmured, sitting up and gazing back toward her. "I understand that. She's a human underneath her persona, the same way I am. Her crush doesn't change the way I feel about her though, even though she keeps pushing me away. I know there's someone else that holds her heart… even if she can't ever tell me who." He sighed then, and his shoulders slumped. "I've just assumed my hope at a relationship with her keeps being foiled by my rotten luck. I want her to be happy though, so I can only hope she's been having more luck with her crush..."

"I'm sure Ladybug never meant to hurt your feelings… I'm sure of it."

He nodded. "She's told me as much. It doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt."

"Chat…" she whispered sadly. Not low enough that he couldn't hear it.

"But… is it really so wrong to hope, despite all the time she's spent pushing me away? I just don't know what to think… not after she just pulled me into her arms."

"Maybe she doesn't know what to think, either, Chat Noir." Marinette nibbled at her lip, her eyes dipping to the patterns along the floor. "I don't think she would have left you so quickly afterwards. Not if she was so sure of herself and her own feelings."

He nodded automatically. "I can only hope you're right…"

Silence filled the room, as she slipped her pencil back between her fingers.

He let the scritch-scratch of graphite to paper fill in the lull until it came to a screeching halt.

"Wait…" Marinette's nose scrunched up. "Then, what about Kagami? It definitely seemed like you liked her a lot, especially when you'd asked for my help on your ice skating date with her."

"I was trying to move on. At that point, it was basically what Ladybug had asked of me." Chat grumbled, fingertips scrubbing over his masked eyes. "But even that hasn't gone according to plan. I'm not exactly the type to downshift so fast."

He shook his head. "When you fell on the ice that day, I couldn't help but rush in. I can't stand to see my friends get hurt… even if Kagami hadn't apparently been all that happy with me about it."

When he chanced a glance at her, Marinette wore a pained expression.

"I dunno. I'm probably not the most attentive boyfriend..." He sighed wearily. "But Kagami has been a great friend."

Marinette nodded, a mischievous smirk lighting her too-blue eyes. "And an excellent foil, huh?"

Chat Noir beamed, a hearty guffaw slipping past his lips.

Even minutes later, as Marinette was winding down the last of her study problems, he was still shaking with silent laughter.

"Feeling better now?"

He smiled over at her, resting his chin on his outstretched, folded arms. "I think I'll survive."

Marinette's lips curved upwards, as she loaded her books into her school bag. "I thought you'd like that. I was saving that one up for a while."

His lips mirrored hers. "Thank you, Marinette."

Startled, she blinked before snapping her eyes back to his. "You were the one helping me, you silly Chat."

"Was I?" He drawled, half-lidded eyes blinking slowly as he gazed at her, trying to borrow every spare ounce of Plagg's extra perception to puzzle his good friend out.

Marinette's confidence buckled a bit under his intense scrutiny, a fierce heat darkening her cheeks.

But to her credit, she didn't let her eyes slip away. She didn't dare.

Bounding up to his feet, Chat Noir stretched absently, pretending not to notice her fleeting embarrassment as he readied to leave his friend for the night.

The chill of the wind on his rush back home woke up Chat Noir's sleepy mind.

Try and try and try as he might, he definitely wasn't over Ladybug.

But at least for a while, Chat knew that it was Marinette who had helped him to forget.