"Miraculous Ladybug!" Ladybug threw the sunglasses into the air and in a flash of red and white everything went back to normal. The villain –Trickster –reverted back to herself and Chat Noir gently approached her.

The woman was an apprentice for one of Paris's most famous magicians. She'd apparently been undermined by him and fired from the set when she'd failed to set the stage up properly.

Ladybug watched intently as he spoke to her, comforting her and ensuring she was well enough to walk back home. Ladybug had never noticed it before, the tender tone he used or the concern and understanding in his inhuman eyes. Had he always done this? Been so considerate towards the victims?

He helped the woman to her feet and she walked off through the crowd with a slight smile and her head down. The people allowed her through and quietly returned back to what they'd been doing before. Chat walked back towards her with a bounce in his step and a cheeky grin plastered on his lips.

"Did you see if Alya got out safely?" she asked. He nodded and gestured nonchalantly behind him. Nino had grabbed her by the upper arms, pulling her back with very little success from the superhero duo. Ladybug couldn't help but grin.

Chat leaned in closer to her. "I was waiting for you to graciously thank me and confess your undying love for me. But I think I'll just leave those words unspoken and respond anyway."

He titled his head down to her and Ladybug pushed him away, smiling. "Not so fast kitty."

She felt so confident behind the mask and without her heart clouding her judgement her mind was clear. Chat was her partner, someone she loved and trusted. But Adrien was the one she was in love with. And that wasn't going to change, especially with his overzealous flirting.

His ring beeped and Ladybug glanced down at it. Perfect. "It looks like your time as prince charming is quickly running out, Chat Noir." She looked up at him and stared him dead in the eye. "I couldn't have cleansed that akuma without you. I hope you know that."

He shrugged. "We make a great team."

Ladybug placed her hand on his shoulder. "We make the best team." They fist bumped and Ladybug's earrings beeped. "Looks like I gotta split. See you around, Chat Noir."

She threw her yo-yo towards a nearby rooftop and it hook around one of the balconies. She glanced behind her as she flew out the park, watching Chat's thoughtful and adoring gaze.

It was kind of cute. Maybe...if she hadn't fallen in love with Adrien, if she hadn't met him at all, then Chat would hold that special place in her heart. It was all just a matter of time and Chat had come just a second too late. But she didn't regret it.

Falling in love with her partner would cause all kinds of complications and affect their team work. It was better this way, better not knowing.

She transformed back on the roof of the Mayor's hotel and sat herself down on one of the pool benches. Tikki flew out of her earring and floated in front of her. "Feeling better?" she asked.

"Yes." she replied, "Being Ladybug helps me get my thoughts in order and I feel a lot more..."

"At peace." finished Tikki. She giggled and flew back in Marinette's purse, shutting herself away from the outside world. Marinette glanced around the rooftop expectantly and Chat jumped over the railing a few feet away from her.

He grinned and hurried over to her side. "Sorry about the delay, Princess." He bowed gracefully in front of her and the tip of his tail-like belt brushed against her foot. "Milady and me were a bit preoccupied with the magic man."

"Girl, you mean." Marinette couldn't help but giggle and his ears flattened bashfully against the top of his head. "So, is this rooftop going to be my regular safe house?"

Chat raised his head and looked around, as if noticing for the first time where they actually were. He smirked, "Would you look at that? My cat senses aren't so bad after all. Guess this place just gives me a good feline."

Marinette rolled her eyes and stood up from the pool bench. "Those jokes were bad before, but now I just think they're getting worse."

Chat pressed a clawed hand against his chest, looking somewhat confused and aghast. "Meowch, Purrincess. And here I thought they were growing on you."

She flicked the bell beneath his chin and Chat's eyes widened. "Guess you're finding yourself in a bit of a catastrophe then. Aren't you?" Chat's eyes never strayed from her and the confidence she'd gotten from her Ladybug persona was quickly melding away.

She blushed and turned her back to him, looking over the Paris rooftops. "I don't suppose you plan on taking me home anytime soon, are you?" she asked.

Marinette looked back at him, her brow arched and Chat Noir stepped back on his own tail. He hissed loudly and snapped his eyes back to her, "Uh, y –yeah! I said I would, didn't I? I mean, I'm a super and –superhero!"

He cleared his throat and bowed again, hiding his face behind his unruly fringe. "Let us be off then." Chat held out his hand to her and Marinette tried her best to muffle her laughter. She'd never seen him stutter before and it was just about the sweetest thing in the world.

She grabbed his hand and he moved behind her, gently sliding his arms around her waist. His movements were slow than usual, as if he were savoring them and Marinette was keenly away of the heat radiating from him.

His warm breath brushed against her ear and Marinette shivered. "Cold?" he asked.

"Chilly."

He vaulted off the rooftops and Marinette thought back to his bumbling demeanor on the roof. It wasn't nearly as bad as hers, but she was grateful she wasn't the only one who struggled with it. She wondered then...was he just as confident in his civilian form or was he like her? Shy.

"You can stop laughing now." he grumbled.

Marinette's smile widened and her cheeks flushed. "I can't help myself." She giggled again and Chat's feet touched against the floor of her balcony. He set her down in front of him and crossed his arms over his taunt chest.

"That's mean, Purrincess, very mean of you."

"It's not that clawful to laugh at something funny or cute." she replied.

He stiffened and narrowed his eyes in mock anger, "Cute? Cute?" Chat turned his head to the side and scrunched up his nose like he'd smelled something putrid. "I am not cute. I'm the devilishly handsome Chat Noir. Cute is for puppies and kittens."

"Well..." Marinette bit her lip to suppress a smile. "You are technically a kitty."

Chat's facade softened and he glanced back at her in the same adoring way he had with Ladybug. For a moment –if even a second –she'd thought he'd figure it all out, that she was Ladybug. And the thought left her petrified. Her heart ached and her breath caught painfully in her throat.

"I believe you're right." he replied, "I'm Ladybug's Chat Noir and I'm your kitty."

Marinette's face burned as he took small, calculated steps towards her. "Y –Yours?" she stuttered, "As in you're my kitty?" She chuckled nervously and scratched the back of her head. "I thought Ladybug called you that. Doesn't she?"

"We can change that." he murmured. And Marinette's back stiffened. This was wrong. This was terribly wrong. A few minutes ago he was flirting shamelessly with Ladybug and now he'd arrived to do the same with her. He didn't mean it –he couldn't. And she'd be a fool to take him seriously.

Chat placed his hand on her shoulder, the tips of his sharp claws pricking her shoulder. "You know you should really stop playing hero all the time, Mari. You could've gotten hurt today in the park when you tried defending the Ladyblogger."

"You saw that?" she asked. He didn't respond and his clawed hand moved higher, brushing against the side of her neck towards the edge of her jaw.

"I mean it, Marinette." He said, "I don't –I can't..." His vivid emerald eyes looked pained and Marinette saw fear in their depths. They were wild, feral and desperate...for her.

He tilted his head to her and rested it against her forehead, his nose gingerly brushing hers. Her heart went out to him and tugged at the thought of Chat broken down after another loss. She felt sympathy for him and the urge to make him feel better, to remind him of all the good things in his life –and to be one of them.

Ladybug had obligations to the people of Paris. They always came first, but Marinette was just like any other civilian. She could mean something to him and be there without anything else getting in the way. She could be there when Ladybug couldn't.

His breathing mingled with her own and her hands pained to reach out and touch him, to tangle themselves in his soft blonde hair and anchor him to her, to this moment. But he pulled away.

All at once his warmth left her and his pain was shut away again behind his playful pretense. "This has been fun, Princess." His clawed hands withdrew from her and he stepped back towards the railing of her balcony.

He climbed over, dangling his feet off the edge and winked at her, "Hopefully the next time we meet it will be around better circumstances." He turned away then, fully prepared to jump off into the night, but Marinette reached out stopped him.

"Chat?" He froze and snapped his head back to her, giving her his full, undivided attention. "You don't have to keep pretending, Chat." She shuffled her weight from one foot to the other and frowned, "Does it still hurt."

His eyes lit up in recognition and he turned his head back towards the busy streets of Paris. He paused, as if searching for the answer in the depths of his mind and Marinette waited. She didn't want a quick lie, she wanted the truth.

"No." he replied, with an expression so real and raw she nearly embraced him. "Not since you."

Then he leapt off the building into the road and ran, vaulting onto the rooftops and away from sight. Marinette heard as Tikki flew out from her purse, but her eyes were glued to where Chat's lean figure had disappeared. "Marinette." called the spotted kwami, "You still have more research to do on your history project."

She groaned, "Right. I forgot about that." Marinette ran her hands over her face and sighed in defeat. She climbed back into her room, shutting the trapdoor and set to work.

Chat would be fine. He was a hero, a valiant and courageous one who'd dealt with many other problems in his life. He didn't need her any more than he had all those years ago. But even so...

Not since you...

Marinette smiled to herself and stared up at her blank bedroom wall where she'd hung the countless images of Adrien. She'd taken them down to avoid the embarrassment of Chat finding out about her massive crush. But it wasn't just embarrassment anymore.

Hawk Moth would find out for sure if Chat Noir became anymore involved with her life or friends. Countless consequences played over in her mind, but the one that scared her the most, was the most irrational one of all.

If Chat found out she was Ladybug, he'd fall in love with her. Not because of who she was or who she wanted to be, but because of what she represented – a hero of Paris.

With Adrien it was different. A relationship with him would be simple, beautiful and real. There'd be no deception and no excuses. He was perfect, smart, kind and considerate, easily the most handsome boy she'd ever met.

He was it for her, and the thought of Chat squirming his way into her heart and the special place she'd reserved for him scared her.

She sat by her table and moved the cursor of her computer. In an instant the wallpaper she'd made of Adrien lit itself across her screen and Marinette swooned, taking in the silhouette of his tall, athletic build and caring green eyes.

No, Chat would never make her feel the way Adrien did. And not even his terrible puns would change that.

There you go lovelies. A special, long chapter just for you.❤ Marinette is having doubts about which boy she really wants. If only she wasn't so stubborn ;)

Please don't forget to vote or comment if you enjoyed it.