Night time on San Valentino Island during the contest was a formal affair. People dressed up, went to the bars and restaurants, spent a small fortune on alcohol consumption—and watched Mr and Mrs Valentine Island.

"You'll be pleased to know, tonight will only consist of a short challenge where you need to answer four simple questions about your other half to move onto the next stage. Sort of like a Mr and Mrs quiz."

Anthoney had gathered all the prospective champions side of stage ready for their evening entertaining the crowds—and completely embarrassing themselves.

After their talk last night, Ladybug was feeling even less confident than she should be. Not only was she thinking she and Chat Noir knew nothing about each other, but she was also dealing with the knowledge that Adrien Agreste had managed to make her fall for him again as Catwalker. She felt like an absolute idiot for not putting it together, and even more so that he'd tricked her again.

She'd managed to push the information to the back of her mind for most of the day, but here she was, face to face with the green-haired goon who was as sweet as pie and as beautiful as a sunset...or at least she used to think that—asshole!

She couldn't help but wonder if her old crush (or soon-to-be ex-friend) was coated in honey or something. What was it with this guy and holding out a hand in help that made her fall head over heels? Though not to say she had fallen in love with him that night—but give it more than an hour and she would have had more than those few (dozen) dreams about him. However, now that she knew Catwalker was Adrien Agreste, she felt like someone had told her Santa wasn't real.

"How many points do we need to get through to the next round?" Chat Noir asked, his hand gripping firmly around her waist. Years ago, she would have seen the move as possessive or territorial, but now she saw it as him anchoring himself against the impending uncertainty of what was about to happen.

Over the past couple of days, he'd opened up to her, with this afternoon a momentous change to their relationship. Gone was the façade he showed to the world as he opened up about not understanding who he was. She couldn't help but allow her heart to grow for him as he tried to explain the meaning behind his getaway.

His anxiety seemed to beat a level to easily battle hers. They hadn't relied on each other enough, the time spent together so far only cementing the fact they were both living under unrealistic expectations. She couldn't help but think this bonding activity was going to be quite the change to their relationship.

Adrien and Kagami stood beside them looking every inch the loved-up power couple. Kagami with her beautiful black flare pants and red crop top, Adrien matching in his black shorts and red shirt. It made her want to rip it off him and ask him why he was wearing her colours, but she wouldn't. She wouldn't want to waste her time on him.

"The most points go through. The least will be out." Anthoney explained, everyone sucking up a rather vast amount of oxygen. Adrien smirked, his eyes moving directly to Chat Noir, it what could only be described as an unwritten challenge.

She really wasn't in the mood to play games, especially with someone with more faces than a die.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir, we would like to save you for last. Keep the audience in their seats; there's a lot of our visitors rooting for you both."

Adrien scoffed before Kagami elbowed him with a sharp jab to the ribs and he started to cough instead. There was something not quite right about the two of them. She'd seen them together before and this wasn't anything like that, it was almost as though Adrien was a whole other person, someone moulded by Kagami into the man she (now) despised.

"You ready, M'Lady?"

Now there was a voice that was growing on her. One that was making her feel whole and complete, like she was more than just her Ladybug name. Her partner had always been caring and considerate, and she couldn't help but adore him for it. But being here with him, she was having fun...something she hadn't done in a while.

She sighed, resigning herself to her fate. "I suppose we have no choice."

"That's the winning spirit." His voice was full of something she didn't possess, and she couldn't help but smile at him.

"What did I ever do without you?"

He smiled in return. "I ask myself the same question everyday."

She wrapped an arm around his waist and buried herself into his side. It was times like this that she realised just how close they were. She could be herself around him. She could spend time with him and react to her impulses. She wanted a hug? He'd give it to her. She wanted to scream? He'd give her time to get it all out of her system. If she wanted to have a couples massage? He'd book it for her.

He was such a pivotal part of her life. She didn't know how she'd ever denied him, knowing that she was only complete with him. They should have just come to this place together.

They moved around from the backstage area and stood on the corner of the dance floor so they could watch the couples go before them. One by one they took to the stage, answering weird and wonderful questions the tournament hosts had come up with—everything from favourite colours to what they would prefer to be covered in: melted chocolate or whipped cream? The blush which coloured both of their cheeks proved they were both thinking about it (for research purposes, obviously: she'd want to be covered in cream but lick chocolate from every delicious crevice of his new and improved body, preferable with pink and white mini marshmallows and rainbow coloured sprinkles).

The couples came on and off, the maximum score so far being a 50% being the highest score so far. Even though it didn't matter if you won, Ladybug couldn't deny she wanted to–shoving the victory up Adrien's ass.

Each couple who took to the stage were divided by a high, makeshift sparkly gold wall. They sat in two cubicles, each loaded with a board and pen to write their answer on, before holding it up to the audience. Simple really. Except it seemed to be catching couple after couple out. Not one pairing had vacated the stage yet in a display of love and affection. Instead, they were bickering, and, from the looks of it, some couples had started to reconsider their options. Happy Honeymoon to all.

Finally, it was down to them and one other couple. Adrien and Kagami.

Her ex-crush stepped onto the stage holding his ex-girlfriend's hand. Her gut stirred at the sight.

"Are you good?" The question from her partner caught her off guard. She turned her head and looked at him, slightly perplexed by the question.

"At what?"

He looked more confused than she felt. "What? I was just asking if you were okay?"

The words dawned on her and she realised how stupid her response had been. "Yes, I'm fine." The short response blocked him from asking anymore. Instead, they stood and focused on the couple seated on either side of the wall. It would all be over soon with just four questions: three regular and one "golden".

Kagami held the board in her hand, her face completely expressionless. Adrien, on the other hand, stared over at them both, an eyebrow raised and a corner of his mouth pulled up. Smug asshole.

"Question number one: What is your partner's favourite movie?"

"They could have at least given them a hard one to begin with." Ladybug crossed her arms under her chest and popped her hip to one side.

Chat Noir chuckled and looked down at her. "Go on then, little Miss Confidence, what is it?"

"Solitude. It plays once a year at the movie theatre just down from François DuPont. He used to sneak out of his house to watch it if his father wouldn't take him."

She looked up at Chat Noir whose eyebrows had disappeared underneath his mask. "How did you know that?"

Ladybug shrugged. "Can't you remember pyjama girl and the online posts? It went viral!"

"Oh, yeah. I'd forgotten about that."

He was precious. She bet he only looked at information online about himself.

"Mission Impossible."

Ladybug looked up to the stage, noticing Kagami standing there with the board flipped around. Her face was still unreadable, and Ladybug couldn't help snorting. So much for her knowing Adrien better.

"Wrong," Ladybug scoffed, only to almost choke as Adrien turned his own board around.

"It's a match," the presenter cheered, everyone in the audience whooping and applauding.

"What?" She couldn't believe it. Adrien never watched those movies. She remembered when the last ones were released, and the boys were going to watch them. Adrien (though restricted because of his schedule) had said 'no' because he wasn't interested in them. Had he been lying?

"Are you okay?" Chat Noir asked for the thousandth time that evening.

"I—um, yeah! Yeah! I'm fine. Silly me, I was getting confused with which movie he emotionally connected with the most." And what a lame save that was.

"Perhaps he has two? It could have just been a lucky guess."

"Yeah," she replied. "Maybe?"

"Second question. What is your partner's greatest fear?"

"Being locked up," she muttered. Now this one she was certain of. They'd made a movie and he'd freaked out about being in the cage. He hates being restricted.

"That sounds a reasonable option," Chat Noir responded, giving her a smile.

"It's a match!" the presenter squealed again.

Ladybug couldn't believe what was happening. On both Kagami and Adrien's boards was written one singular word: 'clowns'. Since when had Adrien been afraid of clowns? He was a little jumpy at the Harry Clown show, but she thought that was more about her ambush than anything else. He was laughing along with her during the show with no fear at all.

"How? He's a fan of Harry Clown! I don't get it!" She had never been so confused in her life. She'd been wondering over the past couple of days if she had misjudged Adrien. And this just seemed to be cementing it. She didn't know anything about him! Nothing!

Who was Adrien Agreste? Because right at this minute, she had no idea. Yet, Kagami knew everything about him. Everything. Maybe she'd changed him? Maybe when he was with Kagami he wasn't his sweet, loveable self anymore? He was someone who hated clowns and watched action flicks, instead of being able to run free and watch classics with his friends.

"Final question before moving onto the special, golden one." An 'oh' sound came from the audience, each now on the edge of their seats, sounding excited. It pulled her from her thoughts and listened into the third and final question. "What is your partner's favourite colour?"

Ladybug snorted at the question, shaking her head. Anyone who knew Adrien Agreste well enough knew that answer. It was a fact with a story, and one she most certainly will get right. They'd literally had a conversation about this colour a week ago.

"It's blue," she whispered, not entirely sure who to.

"What?"

"It's blue. Not a sapphire blue though—that's too dark—it's more like a topaz blue," she said again with conviction and Chat Noir looked slightly impressed.

"Like your eyes?" he questioned back.

She shrugged. "Kinda, I guess. He had a scarf for his fourteenth birthday. His friend made it for him. It's been his favourite colour since."

Chat Noir stumbled over, her arm reaching out to grab him. She straightened him up, only to notice his newly tanned skin had gone as pale as the white shirt he was wearing.

His voice broke sporadically as he spoke. "Are you his stalker or something? Does he have a restraining order against you and that's why you hate him?"

"What? No! Of course not!"

"Then how do you know something like that? Does he even know that?"

She shook her head. "He thinks it's from his father and she never wanted to tell him about the mix up because it made him happy."

"She? A girl made it?"

"What is wrong with you?"

"It's a match!" Ladybug's head once again shot to the stage and away from the conversation with his partner.

Purple. The answer was purple.

She felt sick to her stomach, almost like she had been involved in a lie—a long, drawn-out lie by a fake friend, and she didn't know what to do.

"It's okay, Bug." A hand came around her shoulders and began to rub up and down.

"I thought—he said..." she trailed off, not entirely sure what she was going to say.

"Blue's a nicer colour," Chat Noir said, pulling her closer into his body. "If it was my choice, that's what I would have chosen." But it wasn't his choice. This was Adrien Agreste. Adrien Agreste who she'd obviously wasted time on loving because she loved a completely fake version of him.

"I just don't understand." She was in shock. If there was ever a clearer sign to move on than this, she would have hated to experience it. Adrien and Kagami were perfect for each other, the look of pride on Adrien's face was a sharp stab to her heart.

It was time she drew a line through her fantasy and considered something real with someone reachable and reliable, someone she knew. And, as Kagami and Adrien matched their final, more challenging question correctly, she knew she had no other choice.

It was time to let go of her dream.