"Sorry about the indisposition during our heroes' heart-pounding encounter with Dark Cupid! Never fear though! I'm here at the scene of the fight and it looks like we have a witness here ready to tell us about what she saw! How are you doing today miss?"

"Oh my gosh oh my gosh you won't beLIEVE what I saw!"

"Ooh? What juicy tidbit do you have for us today?"

"Okay, so like. I was just passing by right? Right over there at that sidewalk across the street right? And like, I noticed, hey! It's Ladybug and Chat Noir! And then the next thing I know they're KISSING. LADYBUG AND CHAT NOIR WERE KISSING!"

"WHAT?! IS THIS TRUE?"

"Look look! I even got a picture of them! It's not clear but they're much closer than they'd need to be don't you think?"

"Oh my oh my! Ladies and gentlemen it looks like our favorite superduo might be closer than we actually thought? Did the Parisian Valentine scene prompt our beloved heroes of justice to find their own love? This bodes some closer investigating! Once again this is Alya, admin of the only Ladybug Blog around! Stay tuned on for heart-racing updates!"

"WHAT."

With a start, Adrien scrambled out of his chair to scrabble at his monitors.

"PLAGG. WHAT."

"Mmmm? What is it Adrien this camembert is calling my name~" The kwami sighed as he rolled around with another chunk of cheese (the glutton).

"PLAGG WHAT'S GOING ON WHAT HAPPENED IS THIS TRUE WH—"

"Hmm? Oh is that a picture of Ladybug kissing you? Well I'll be~ Isn't that wonderful for you Adrien."

"Is it true?! Did this really happen?! I don't remember this all of a sudden Ladybug was under me and—" Adrien gestured frantically at his screens. "Did she really?"

More concerned with his cheese, Plagg didn't even glance at Adrien.

"Did she now? I suppose she did then~?"

Adrien huffed and gave up interrogating the glutton he had for a kwami as he turned back to his monitors. Was it real? Did it actually happen?

"Uh, listen, about that kiss... I had to break the spell... so-"

Could it really be?

He quickly pulled out the valentine he received, unable to stop the giddy grin from spreading across his face.

One of the things Chat Noir loved about his routine night time patrols was the stunning Parisian night scene. The other, of course, was the time spent with—

"Looking good there tonight aren't we, My Lady?" Chat landed smoothly in front of Ladybug, leaning against his staff. When Ladybug stiffened in surprise and didn't answer, he offered a cheeky grin. "Speechless, My Lady? Cat got your tongue? I heard the most interesting thing about what happened earlier today..."

Ladybug sighed, the tension leaving her shoulders before she grinned back at him.

"Oh? Do tell kitty because I certainly don't remember anything in particular about today. Do you?" With a saucy smirk and a flick of her wrist, she was flying through the night again, jumping across buildings with a last "Catch me if you can!"

"Ladybug! Hey, not fair! I'm coming!"

"Hey, Plagg?"

"Hmmm?"

"I… Was it just me… but did… did Ladybug seem… scared of me today…? Just a bit…? She's not… normally so stiff when we meet to go on patrols? Is it just me?"

"..."

"Plagg?"

"..."

"Oops, I guess you fell asleep huh. Sorry about that. Good night Plagg."

"..."

"..."

"Good night, Adrien."

Tap tap tap.

He couldn't get it off his mind.

Tap tap tap.

Ladybug is free-spirited and energetic, part of what draws him so close to her. Whenever he spontaneously appears before Ladybug, she usually doesn't get startled or only starts a bit before poking him away.

But she doesn't freeze like she did last night.

Tap tap tap.

Mindlessly tapping his pencil while Miss Bustier lectures, Adrien thinks back to the fight with Dark Cupid. He doesn't remember much of the in between. One moment he's trying to protect Ladybug from Dark Cupid's arrow while confessing on the side of a building (okay maybe he could have chosen a better spot) and the next he's sitting on top of her (what) near the fountain at the park.

Tap tap ta—

Oops it looks like Nino's getting a bit annoyed by the tapping.

With an apologetic grin, Adrien turns back to the front, this time tapping his pencil soundlessly against his cheek as he tries to recall more of what happened.

Was Ladybug… disgusted by the kiss? Did she hate it? From what he's gathered it seems like kissing him was the only way to break him free from Dark Cupid's control. In that case was she worried he'd take it the wrong way?

With a sinking heart, Adrien thinks back to what happened following his awakening. Apart from the apology after the battle, did Ladybug display any signs of revulsion or rejection about what happened?

After Chat came to his senses he really didn't do much, Ladybug threw him at Dark Cupid and he used Cataclysm to—

Wait.

He used Cataclysm to destroy the strap that held onto the akumatized pendant.

He used Cataclysm, but when did he activate it.

He used Cataclysm, but when did he first call on its power and why.

He used Cataclysm, and the furthest his memory reaches is when he was sitting on top of Ladybug, likely to have been pinning her down.

The pieces push together into a picture he doesn't want to see.

His pencil falls with a clatter against the table.

As soon as class is let out into lunch break, Adrien excuses himself from Nino with a hastily murmured word as he races to the restroom stalls for a bit of privacy.

Once safely inside the stall he flips out his phone and quickly pulls up the picture of the kiss. It's not clear and he can't really see their faces, but he can clearly see where his hand is at his side.

Emanating with the dark glow of Cataclysm.

"Plagg."

"...Adrien?"

"I tried to… I almost…"

"..."

"Plagg I, I need to know. Did I really… to Ladybug…"

"..."

"Plagg, please."

"...It wasn't your fault you know. You were under Dark Cupid's influence."

"..."

"Adrien?"

With a silent leap, Chat lands in front of Ladybug as she readies for patrol.

"You're late Chat, I was just about to leave without yo—" As Ladybug turns to him, she quickly notices his somber demeanor.

"Chat?"

She reaches up to his face, only to pause as he flinches away.

"Chat, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

That shakes him out of silence.

"What's wrong? I tried to kill you that's what's wrong."

Damn it he hadn't meant to burst it out like that.

It's just.

He tried to kill her, he tried to kill her, and here she is asking if he's okay.

He takes a deep breath and shakily exhales.

"Chat… You remember?" She's looking at him with questioning, worrying eyes and he can't he just can't.

"I don't. I don't remember anything from after I was hit to before you… before you freed me. I don't remember anything between but I remember destroying Dark Cupid's belt strap with Cataclysm. I remember having Cataclysm activated, but not calling it and I remember seeing a picture of me lying on top of you, Cataclysm ready."

With a shaky breath and tears in his eyes, he thinks back to the valentine he received, his stupid, ignorant joy without even realizing what he had almost done.

"I remember you tensing up when I showed up the other night and I remember how you had to take a moment before running off. Ladybug I—"

"Chat."

He stops.

Ladybug gently cups his face in her hands.

"It wasn't your fault," she murmurs gently, eyes crinkling softly. "It wasn't you. It was Dark Cupid and it was Hawk Moth. It was the control of something dark and evil, something definitively not you."

She pulls him closer so she can stare into his eyes without having to look up, "I know you, Chat Noir. I know that Dark Cupid turned love into hate and I know that all your actions under his influence are everything you wouldn't do and everything you aren't."

"But Ladybug yeste—"

"I know I flinched the other day, but I'm doing better. It hurts to say this, but you did come after me, influence or no and the image is still fresh in my mind. But this, this is something we'll both get over, you know? Together. Because you're my most precious and irreplaceable partner, did you know that, Chat? Did you know? So stop your worrying you silly kitty. I'm fine, you're fine, and Paris is fine for another day. But it won't be if we don't get our butts moving out to patrol, m'kay?"

Chat closes his eyes, letting his forehead rest against hers, and, with a shaky voice, "Mm. I'm… Can we… can we stay like this… just for one more moment… just..."

She giggles.

"I'll be nice and give you two."

"By the way…"

"Hmm?"

"Did you know that when My Lady kissed me she was taking advantage of my poor possessed state?"

"Oh my god, Chat."

"You can repay me now by giving me another one, how about that, My Lady."

"You wish, kitty."