As he faced the Eiffel Tower he could feel the steady breathing of the beautiful girl next to him. There was still something that pulled her to Chat Noir more than Adrien, and he couldn't understand why? He was trying hard in his civilian form but she just wasn't as comfortable yet.

He'd received a text Friday afternoon once Marinette had gone home, from "Ladybug". She was desperate to see him and she had seemed a little broken as the conversation advanced. He couldn't understand why though? He'd been with her most of the day and even after her run in with Nino she'd seemed fine.

As soon as he landed on the rooftop behind her, it took her approximately two seconds to throw herself around him, sobbing into his arms.

It seemed the whole altercation with Nino had effected her more than she had let on to Adrien. She told him everything, including spending the night with Adrien Agreste in a shared bed. Obviously he already knew all of this, but still it shocked him to hear the sheer hurt she felt by Nino. All he could do was listen and give reassurance. Not that it was much help.

She had blamed herself. She had blamed herself for not being with Luka, and for going after him (as Chat) instead. She even mentioned that Adrien had more of a chance than Luka, fulfilling much of his own desire. She just couldn't be with someone she didn't love, though if it helped her friends perhaps she should have.

"He's right you know, everything Nino said was right. This is all my fault. I just up and left. No one had an idea. Not even you! I'm the worst, I don't deserve friends. I am so selfish."

"Woah! Slow down bug. It wasn't great what you did, actually let me rephrase, it wasn't ideal what happened but it was out of your hands. However not one of them spoke to your parents after you'd been gone a month, they all just stopped. I know for a fact your parents had information and I spoke to them a few times, I was only one of two asking. So don't you blame yourself! They could have asked questions and shown they cared as much as you always do."

"You don't get it through! If I'd just stayed and been with Luka none of this would have happened."

"You can't make yourself love someone Mari. Just like everyone else in the world you deserve whole hearted happiness." He kissed her gently on the forehead, savouring the feel of being able to freely place his lips on her.

"I did like him though, it's just no one can match up to you." Her big bluebell eyes met his and he fell into their trance. He could see the lights of Paris reflecting in her clear Iris'.

"You have no idea how long I've waited to hear you say that." Chat sighed out. He really had. Regardless of Kagami and his many blind dates, nothing matched to her. Ladybug, Marinette, were in a league above anyone else and he loved her immensely.

"Then why can't we be together." She whined. He placed a delicate kiss on her nose, enjoying the feeling of kissing her face. Her skin was as soft as silk and she smelt divine. He sighed before he spoke.

"Listen, M'lady. I understand wanting to know each other. I've spent most of my teenage years dreaming about you, but something just doesn't feel right yet. I want you to be as comfortable with me in both my forms as I am with you. I know this is annoying, but I also know it will be worth it. Tearing down the bricks of the wall one by one. I just hope you don't hate me when you find out who I am."

"I could never hate you kitty. You're my most favourite person in the whole world."

It was now two o'clock in the morning. They'd been talking for six hours about everything and anything. Only there was one piece of conversation he had been ignoring. The text message from Thursday night.

When she had woken up the following morning and had forgotten all about it, he seriously thought he'd won the lottery. He didn't want her to figure it out just yet. He wanted her to continue developing her comfort around him as Adrien. He was smitten with her and one thing for sure was there was no way he was losing her.

"Hey Bug, the message you sent me Thursday night?"

She was relaxed on his shoulder. He could tell she was as edging to a state of tiredness. She let out a 'hummmm' noise to let him know she was still awake and listening.

"What did it mean?" She grumbled on his shoulder and began to shift so her head was in his lap. Her hair was down and fanned out around her like a blue glowing halo.

"I was drunk and I can't remember, but I figured that obviously something happened with someone close to me that made me think I'm close to finding you out. So watch out cat-boy. I'm days away from making you mine."

He began to laugh. There was something so joyous about her messing around with him. She really made his heart flutter, and now he was starting to receive it from Marinette too ... well ... life had never been sweeter.

"So do you think I'm the same as I am in costume?" He asked, completely intrigued by her answer.

"When I was fourteen I did, but now ... well I'm not too sure. I mean I'm quite sure that you're the kind, caring kitty that I know and love but I think there's something more reserved about you in your civilian life."

"Just like you being a complete klutz?" Marinette's eyes widened.

"How rude!" She responded before breaking into a laugh. "What I meant was, I bet your just as handsome and swavie, however you also have a smart side. I can imagine you wearing a business suit and bossing people around."

"Ooooo you're getting hot there Lovebug!"

"It's the thought of you in a suit." She sighed, before looking into his eyes and bursting out into laughter.

"No leather fetish then?"

"Kitty, I've been looking at you in that outfit for years. You may as well be wearing jeans and a jumper by now." He took the moment to attack. Tickling her in the ribs.

She squealed at the sudden impact and tried to move away, causing her to sit up too sharply and knock Chat backwards onto the rooftop.

Ladybug was straddling him. The girl of his dreams was sitting on his lap. All he could do was smile and calm himself from laughing at her. Her hair fell around her shoulders as he continued to stare at her, she looked like an angel as the moonlight shone down on her. There was always something about Marinette and the moon. She just fit with it so well, the colours, the shine ... it was perfect just like she was.

Before he could think of anymore romantic comparisons between Marinette and other worldly objects, she did something unexpected. So unexpected he would have given anything for Alya to be there filming for the Ladyblog. She kissed him.

Sweet Marinette Dupain-Cheng, strong Ladybug protector of Paris kissed him. A lonely messed up kitten trying to survive in the big bad world. She kept her hands on his chest as she leant down, allowing his hands to hold onto her waist.

She pulled away, eyes closed and smile on her face. He was quite sure he had died and gone to heaven.

"You're beautiful." He whispered to her, moving a stray piece of hair behind one ear.

"We could do it more if you just told me who the hell you are."

Groaning, he sat himself up and looked into her eyes. She remained straddling him, arms over his broad shoulders.

"Chat come on please! At least give me a clue if you want me to play this game."

Chat Noir pursed his lips and looked out at the view in front of him. He needed to think, and in all honesty he wished he could speak to Plagg. It was less than ten days until the masquerade gala. Perhaps ...

"Ok, I've got it! One clue each day leading up to the gala."

"And you promise we will reveal properly at the Gala." Ladybug asked her blonde haired companion.

"Of course. We'll be there in our civilian forms and we can dance, and sing, and you can give me a big expensive Christmas gift." Ladybug snorted with laughter.

"In your dreams pussy cat."

She climbed off him and prepared her yo-yo.

"I suppose we better be off. I need at least some beauty sleep before tomorrow." She explained, putting a hand out to pull him up.

"Have you got a date or something?"

"I have, there's a hot Model coming around to entertain me." Chat raised an eyebrow.

"Really now?"

"Uh-huh! You jealous?" Chat smirked he'd got her now. Walking over to her he placed a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"Clue number one: no matter what happens, no matter what you do with him, I will never be jealous of you and Adrien Agreste." With a quick wink and salute he made his way back to the mansion, hearing her whispered questions as he progressed further and further away.

Landing in his room he de transformed and fed Plagg his usual cheese.

"I like the clue thing." Plagg announced. "Means we might be a family sooner."

"I'm going to propose to her Plagg."

"What? Now?" Plagg almost chocked on his fine specimen of Camembert.

"No, Christmas Eve. If she accepts me without the mask I'm proposing there and then at the gala. We've wasted too much time." Plagg started to tear up and wiped the ones which had escaped from his cheek.

"You've finally got a brain kid. I'm so proud of you." Adrien grabbed his kwami and hugged onto him, only to be interrupted by an almighty smash.

"That's ridiculous, utterly ridiculous! Felix, hit him! He's ruining Christmas." Chloe's high pitched voice echoed through the house causing Adrien to run out his room and down into the foyer. He saw Nino sitting in the Christmas tree, Chloé sobbing into Felix's arms, and Felix looking as though he was going to kill Nino. Both were wearing pyjamas and obviously the noise had alerted them to the hallway.

"Woah! Stop! Stop all of you!" Adrien made it next to Chloé and Felix, as his best friend drunkenly stood up.

"Chloé, Felix ... go back to bed."

"But Adrikins he's ruining Christmas."

"Chloé, please. Just ... Felix ... please take her upstairs. I've got this."

Felix nodded to Adrien before giving one more disgusted look at Nino.

"Come on Chlo." He led her upstairs as Adrien stood staring at his best friend.

"Nino! This needs to stop! You told me you weren't drinking anymore!"

"If you can date that poor excuse for a friend, I can drink as much as I want."

Adrien walked over to Nino and pulled him up with a vice grip on the top of his arm.

"I've told you," he said through gritted teeth, "don't ever speak about Mari that way. She's done nothing wrong."

"Nothing wrong?" Nino tore his arm out of Adrien's grasp.

"The guy she was meant to be dating slept with my girlfriend because they were both missing her. Why didn't Alya let me know exactly how much she was hurting?"

"She was never dating him before she left Nino. Do not blame her for choices you and Alya made, that's your problem not hers."

"Yeah! Right!" Nino scoffed back at Adrien.

"Nino, come on." He walked Nino over to the lounge area and sat him on the sofa before going to get a glass of water for him.

When Adrien returned he found his friend curled into a ball weeping. It made Adrien's heart ache. Where his heart was about to explode with love for his soul mate, Nino was fighting the demon taking over his own.

"I love her so much Adrien. How could she do it? How could she prefer him to me?"

"I don't agree at all with what she's done but I really think you need to take a paternity test. What if the baby is yours Nino? You going to let it grow up without a father around. You know how it affected me, would you seriously do that to one of your own?" Nino shook his head. Adrien was right, of course he was. Nino sat in silence contemplating what his next move should be.

"Do you think I need to speak to Al?" Nino whispered.

"Honestly, yes I do! There is a lot of unsolved issues and only you two can understand what happened."

"I need to apologise to Mari too, I knew she didn't love Luka like she loved you. Though I'm shocked she's finally found the courage to tell you."

"Nino, she hasn't told me anything. We're still 'just good friends'." Adrien let out a sigh and sat next to his friend.

"Well aren't we bad at love."

Adrien laughed, the Nino he once knew had finally made an appearance.

"We're not the best. But everything happens for a reason and I trust that."

"Perhaps we can talk with Alya and Marinette together and I can do some explaining."

Adrien slapped his friend on the shoulder as he made his way back towards his room.

"You need to control this drinking. You've been drunk all day. That's not how a father should act."

"Ha! Father!" Nino nodded towards his friend as he made it upstairs to his room. He could probably get a good six hours sleep before waking up to get to Marinette's ready for his afternoon with the Dupain-Cheng's.

The six hours, however, turned to seven and he ended up rushing to shower, dress and get to the bakery. Running out the door he grabbed his coat and scarf making an insane rush down the street and around the corner.

His hair was a mess, he was quite sure his briefs were inside out, and he had zero idea about the colour of his jumper. He just prayed it wasn't the one with the giant hole in the armpit.

The chime echoed through the small store as he entered, unfortunately his entrance wasn't in normal, kept together Agreste fashion. He'd miss judged his step and found himself flying onto the floor.

"Ouch!" He heard an angels voice, meaning he was either dead or Marinette had been working in the bakery. "Well, well is the mighty Adrien Agreste falling for little old me?"

Adrien rolled onto his back in time to see Marinette place her delicate hand over her chest.

"You just going to stand there or you going to help me up?" He questioned with a smirk.

"Hummmm... I suppose it would only be kind of me to help." Marinette placed out a hand to him as her papa laughed in the background. Neither young adult knew the extent of why he was laughing but that was soon to change. Adrien stood up and brushed himself down as Tom continued to laugh.

"What's so funny Papa?" Marinette asked. They both looked at Tom to find him pointing above their heads. Hanging proudly just inside the entrance to the bakery was a bundle of mistletoe.

"I'll leave you two to sort this out." With a wink Tom left, leaving two very flustered heroes staring at each other.

"I suppose it is tradition, and it would be wrong going against Christmas." Adrien was first to speak.

"Definitely." They both stepped forward. Adrien bought his hands to the delicate indent just about her hip done.

"And I know how much you love Christmas."

"That I do." Marinette breathed out a breath she never even knew she was holding. She moved her hands into his thick biceps and stretched onto her tippy toes.

"And I know I want to kiss you."

"I think I might want to kiss you too." In the matter of seconds their lips were meeting underneath the tiny display of Christmas love.

He was enjoying it. For some reason kissing her in Marinette form was so much more personal. So much more right. Just him and her ...

Ding!

... and the person who'd just entered into the bakery. Marinette made their apologies to the new customer before grabbed Adrien's hand, pulling him all the way to her attic room. They were seconds from making out standing in the doorway. It just felt so right, just as it did earlier that morning on top of the Eiffel Tower.

Adrien just stood and watched as she walked backwards and forwards, her fingers firmly placed on her lips.

"It's almost like ..." she was mumbling and he was unsure whether to interrupt or not. "But it can't be ... can it? It just felt ..." she stopped in front of him looking him over from head to toe.

"You ... you ... him." Adrien stood shock still. Had she? No! There was no chance. Was there? From a kiss? Was he that good?

Her hand went back to her lips and neither moved. Suddenly a buzzing was heard on Marinette's desk followed by her ringtone. Adrien sighed in relief as she turned away. That was close. Was his kiss really that revealing?

He watched as Marinette's demeanour completely change. She was answering questions down the phone to someone who sounded almost frantic. Within a couple of minutes her phone was shut off and Adrien could see her scurrying around the bedroom grabbing outdoor clothing, her bag and cookies, which he guessed were for Tikki. Adrien watched her mesmerised. This was full battle mode Ladybug.

"Do you have a car?"

"I- ? Ummm? Pardon?"

"No time to mess around Agreste. Do you have a car?"

"Y-y-yes!" She grabbed his hand again and led him down the stairs.

"Then come on. We're going to the hospital."

"Are you hurt?" He asked out of fear. She seemed ok a minute ago. Was it the kiss? Did he hurt her?

"No you idiot. Alya's in Labour."