"Chat, what is this?" Ladybug demanded as she shoved the flyer into his face.

"What is what?" he asked, and she almost believed his innocence as the rooftop wind rustled his hair further into a childish mess. He grabbed the paper from her, and she watched his eyes scan it from confusion to flattery to humor in a matter of milliseconds. A smirk formed on his face, and she wanted to yo-yo it right off of him.

"So? Care to explain?"

"Why? Is Milady jealous?" he teased, and she clutched her yo-yo tighter. Deep breaths, she told herself.

"When did you agree to this?" she asked, pointing to the drawing of him standing with someone, a question mark over their face. The flyer claimed that for every donation to a nearby children's hospital, the donor would receive one online "ticket" for a raffle to win a date with Chat Noir. The work of Kitty Noirs, his fervent fan club, no doubt. Their logo decorated the top of the page.

"I didn't. This is my first time seeing this."

Ladybug narrowed her eyes at him, trying to identify to what extent his flirtatiousness and charm went. Though cocky and cheeky, she didn't think he was the type to play with a random civilian's heart under the guise of charity. "So, you had no idea?"

"No. Cat's honor!" he said, placing a hand on his heart.

"Hm. Well, we have to do something about it. We can't risk our identities, and going on a date with someone puts you in a vulnerable situation. We're not celebrities, and we need to maintain our professionalism."

"Milady," he began in a tone that made her raise an eyebrow. "Maybe I should do it."

She scoffed at his audacity. "I knew you liked the attention, but I didn't realize you needed it that badly."

He placed a finger beneath her chin and raised it, leaning in close so that they were only inches apart. "I only want and search for your attention," he purred, and she pushed his hand away.

"Is that how you plan to flirt with that unlucky person?"

"Strange. I thought you identified as Lady Luck." That was clever, but she would never admit it, so she crossed her arms instead. He had enough arrogance as it was.

"Oh, please. Even if this were a real thing, I wouldn't be entering to go on a date with you. I would just donate through an organization like a regular person."

His cat ears drooped, indicating a switch to seriousness. "Milady, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to do this. After all, we're quite famous in Paris, and we know that hospitals need all the donations they can get. We should be using our platform to encourage people to help each other out."

She stammered, receptive to his position but reluctant to compromise their identities. "But Chat, it's too risky. What if something slips and someone figures out your identity? You know I'd have to take your ring," she reminded him, referring to her guardianship of the Miraculous box.

"I'm a cat. I'm sly enough to avoid that."

"You're also bad luck."

He shrugged. "I'll be careful."

"Chat..." she drawled out, beginning to feel nervous. "Can't we at least change the prize? To something that won't put us in danger? Maybe you can autograph something?"

"If it makes you feel any better, I can talk to Kitty Noirs and see if we can work something out."

She shifted from one foot to the other. "And if they can't change their prize?"

He beamed at her, and when he slipped his fingers through hers, she let him. "I would never put myself in a position that threatens my being Chat Noir because that means I wouldn't be able to see you anymore."

There he went again with his unnecessary sweetness, prickling Ladybug's cheeks into a red that matched her suit. Her mask covered most of it, but for safety measures, she turned to look away into the Parisian night sky. "Just be careful. Don't get carried away, and don't break someone's heart." She turned to find a faux-hurt expression on his face.

"You think I would do that?"-

She rolled her eyes. "No. You're too nice to do that. A little too nice. Someone might take your kindness to heart and fall in love with you, so be careful about that, too. Just don't overdo it, Chat. Please. I-I like having you as my partner," she muttered.

"What was that?" he asked, his ears perking upward.

"I said that I like-hey! You did hear me," she accused him as he broke into laughter. She huffed, annoyed. "Whatever. I take it back. Maybe I'll find a more responsible partner after someone finds out your identity."

"You're not that lucky."

"When do they choose a winner, anyway?" The two looked at the paper and widened their eyes. "This Friday? That's five days away!"

"And the date's next Friday. I wish someone would've told me about it ahead of time."

"Why? Too busy making terrible puns that day?"

He ruffled the top of her head to irritate her, and to his amusement, it worked. She swatted his hand away. "No. I had plans that evening, so I'll have to make up an excuse to get out of it, but I'm sure my friends will be understanding."

"If the date is happening! Make sure to talk to that club! Their contact information is at the bottom of the flyer." She reached for her yo-yo and tossed it in the direction of her house.

"I'll see if I can pry myself out of their claws," he joked, prompting an exhausted sigh from Ladybug.

"Alright. Well, I have school tomorrow, so I need to get some rest. You should, too." She reached for her yo-yo and tossed it in the direction of her house. "Be safe, Kitty. I'll see you later."

"Sweet dreams, Milady."

The following day, Marinette was trying to enjoy her lunch with her friends when Alya clapped her hands to get everyone's attention.

"Guys! You will never believe who just contacted me." The evident joy in her voice as she stared at her phone intrigued Nino and Adrien, who stared at her with arched eyebrows.

"Who?" Marinette asked, taking a bite of her pasta.

She revealed the contents of an email on her screen. "The Kitty Noirs fan club! They want me to use the Ladyblog to advertise this raffle to win a date with Chat Noir!"

Marinette choked.

"Whoa! You okay?" Nino asked, handing her a spare napkin. Her face swelled like a tomato, and she tried suppressing her coughs. "Don't hold it in! It'll just make it worse."

Alya patted her back, trying her best to help, but the damage had been done. "Was it something I said?" she joked. Yeah, actually.

"Sorry. I think it just went down the wrong pipe," Marinette said, raising her shoulders to her ears in embarrassment.

"Maybe drinking some more water will help?" suggested Adrien, nudging her bottle toward her.

"You're welcome. I mean, er, thank you!" Her friends laughed for a moment, much to her distress, until Alya returned to the subject. Thank God.

"I've always wanted to partner with another Ladybug or Chat Noir organization! This is so exciting! They're even offering me a free ticket just for advertising for them. "

"You wouldn't go if you won, though, right?" Nino asked, a hint of jealousy in his voice. Alya flicked the tip of his hat and rolled her eyes.

"You know I'd never choose anyone over you. Besides, I'd only want to go because I'd love to go to ask Chat Noir some questions for the Ladyblog. Also, every entry is a donation to a children's hospital, so it's for a good cause!"

Marinette gnawed on her nail. "What about his identity? You wouldn't want to ask him too many personal questions, would you?"

"I'm sure he wouldn't give too much away," offered Adrien. "He's committed to protecting the citizens of Paris, and I doubt he'd risk exposing himself."

"Maybe you'd want to go on a date with Chat?" Alya giggled.

"Why not? He's quite the catch," Adrien said in a tone that sounded familiar to Marinette, but she couldn't find its origin. Regardless, her snort didn't go unnoticed. Adrien raised an eyebrow. "You disagree?"

"No, no! He's great, but he's just so flirty. Does the date mean much if that's how he normally acts?" she asked. Her face reddened when she realized she'd managed a few coherent sentences in his presence.

"He's a jokester, but he doesn't flirt much."

"I beg to differ."

Alya gasped. "What do you mean? Has Chat Noir flirted with you?" With starstruck wonder, Alya scrutinized Marinette, who almost laughed.

"He may have called me 'Princess' or kissed my hand before." Not to mention that elaborate rooftop dinner scene, she thought. Though, that was meant for Ladybug. But she was Ladybug. So technically, he was flirting with her anyway.

While Marinette reveled in Alya's amazement, Adrien hid a blush at the memory. He hadn't meant to flirt with her that day. He just felt comfortable around her, and he liked drawing that sassy side from her that she hid around his civilian form. Even now, he couldn't recall many times in which Marinette had been anything other than timid or reserved. At least around him. She was popular and outspoken in any other context, or, much to his anxiety, any other presence but his.

"I don't know," Nino started, breaking through all of their thoughts. "Have you guys seen the way he looks at Ladybug? He's admitted to having feelings for her before. All of Paris knows that he's in love with her."

"Some love it must be if he's willing to go on with a stranger," Alya said, prompting Marinette and Adrien to fidget.

"He may be a flirt, but he has a big heart, and he's always looking for ways to help people, whether that be through Akuma battles or philanthropy," said Marinette. At this, she found Adrien glowing with a soft smile.

"I wonder how Ladybug feels about all of this," Alya continued.

"She's definitely jealous," Nino replied. Once again, Marinette choked. "Dude, are you having trouble eating today?"

"Seems so," she replied bitterly. "What makes you think she's jealous?"

"Well, that stems from my theory that Ladybug is in denial about being in love with Chat Noir." Marinette repressed the urge to groan. Everyone said the same thing, and she was sick of hearing about their convoluted theories. "I mean, how can you not fall in love under that kind of relationship? They don't know each other's identities, and yet they know and trust each other more than anything. The two of them are always saving each other, and they're always in sync. Their comfort around each other is as clear as day. Not to mention, they tumble into each other a little bit too much for that to be an accident."

At the same time that Marinette began negating the last part, Adrien said, "You thought so, too?" Her face contorted at the thought of her crush supporting Chat Noir's pursual of her. Granted, he didn't know she was Ladybug, but it still made her cringe.

"You're a Ladynoir shipper?" Alya asked him with excitement dripping from her voice. Great, thought Marinette. All of her friends supported it while the actual love of her life sat right in front of her.

"Of course! I think they're made for each other." Wonderful. It might as well have been the one to suggest tossing Marinette in a ditch and leaving her to die without him. "However, I don't think she's in love with him. I'm sure they would have been together by now if she had." Did Marinette hallucinate the disappointment in his voice?

"Maybe she has good reason not to fall in love with him," she argued. "First of all, I imagine it would be risky. If they dated, it might affect their performance as superheroes, or Hawkmoth could use it against them. Especially if they revealed their identities to each other."

"That's a good reason not to date, but it doesn't mean she wouldn't fall for him," Nino countered.

"Have you considered that she might like someone else?"

"Anyway," Adrien began. "none of us are Ladybug, so we will never know how she really feels about Chat." Marinette stiffened because she did know how Ladybug felt, but of course, she would keep that secret to herself. "Only time will tell."

"And likewise, none of us are Chat, so maybe we shouldn't discuss his love life," Marinette said. "Even if Ladybug doesn't view him romantically, we all know that she loves him deeply as a person. They're a team, and she wouldn't be successful without him. They need each other regardless of romantic feelings, and I hope he knows that. I would hate that their friendship goes to waste because he doesn't know much he means to her."

The four friends sat in deep thought at her words until the bell rang, and they rose from their seats to return to class without another word on the subject. Two of them, however, could not stop thinking about the other. They just didn't know it.