The guilt pooled beyond all reason, and his arms looped around her waist pulling her in.

He longed to just press closer, let their fates become intertwined even before they realized all that they'd ever amount to.

Rena Rouge leaned in even though a part of her screamed that she shouldn't, and she let him press closer and ease her into a kiss that would grow more challenging, the longer that they pressed closer.

It was freeing in a sense as she lived through one of the thoughts that had always puzzled her since she'd came to admire the two original superheroes of Paris; he didn't overtly flirt with her, not like he did with Ladybug anyway.

They normally just bickered or goofed off or just shared more about their personal lives than the other three members of their superhero group would ever dare to reveal.

Rena Rouge though felt free to press closer, felt free when he did so as well and naturally knew that she shouldn't feel free when her timer beeped for the last time, and she became just Alya in his arms.

Naturally, his followed hers, and she peeked up to get a glimpse of Adrien Agreste of all people now pressed against her; she laughed as the guilt rode high in her chest though she couldn't shake the exhilarating feeling of being pressed closer to him.

Carapace and Ladybug stared them down from their spots on the roof right across from them; Queen Bee had been too busy tonight to join them on patrol which may have been a good thing as witnessing two of the five detransform in front of the rest of the superheroes, could have very well given her a heart attack if she were with them too.

"Alya?"
"Adrien?"

She couldn't tell whether they were said at once by two voices or whether they followed each other or if both names were spoken twice in startled surprise.

"Surprise?" Alya tried, feeling as if 'whoops' might have described her emotions a little better.

"Sorry?" Adrien tried from right in front of her, and she smiled at it, wondering why she had to find it endearing just now.

Ladybug was the next to speak though it came out in an irritated grumble, "You both know to keep your identities secret, and that you are supposed to keep a look out on patrol."
Carapace from beside her still little a little bothered by the two superheroes that had detransformed and the fact that they'd did so while kissing.

"I need to talk with you later, Alya." Ladybug sighed, looking disappointed with her superheroine friend as Carapace half nodded in agreement though may be meant to direct it to Adrien instead or both.


Needless to say with that talk taking too long, and with both Ladybug and Carapace feeling mischievous on a midnight patrol with the rest of their group present including Queen Bee who had long since admitted that she was regretful over missing that patrol.

Carapace and Ladybug locked eyes at the end of the patrol and pressed closer; his hands finding a gentle place to rest on her waist, and her hands pushing over his hood.

He leaned in, and she followed under the rest of their group's bewildered stares.

The last beep sounded on two Miraculouses and soon enough Carapace and Ladybug detransformed back into Nino Lahiffe and Marinette Dupain Cheng respectively.

Alya gasped; the guilt vaguely resurfacing, knowing that she'd temporarily gotten in the way of her best friend getting together with her long time crush.

It prickled her veins to see Nino kiss anyone else: best childhood friend or not.

Alya wondered briefly how Queen Bee was taking this since she hadn't been there the last time that a kiss reveal had happened within their group.

"You mean to tell me that the girl I hate is actually the superheroine that I look up to and have a crush on, argh..." Queen Bee grumbled and detransformed into Chloe, making Aya's head ache as she and Cat Noir dropped their identities for Queen Bee's sake.

Honesty and trust definitely built off of each other anyway.

Ladybug huffed at Queen Bee's admittance and detransformation despite herself and glanced back over at Carapace before whispering, "May be I really would have been better off just falling for you."

Nino pressed closer, smiling in faint amusement, "You missed your chance, Marinette."

She rolled her blue bell eyes before glancing back over everyone left in their civilian identities, "Want to recharge at my place?" She hoped that her parents wouldn't notice besides they were all her friends that she'd had over at some point in time already other than Chloe that is.

"Sure," Alya beamed, figuring that she could postpone jealousy and anger for a little free time with one of her best friends.

Chloe grumbled, "Do I have to?" She, despite her attempt at a miserable attitude, did not seem to actually mind.

"I have a moment." Nino's eyes twinkled in amusement, and Ladybug briefly wondered if she should hit him for finding all of these reveals amusing; she wondered if Cat Noir briefly was a bad influence on her.

"I can go." Adrien smiled, "Father hasn't noticed that I've slipped out yet." He usually didn't notice unless Adrien made too much noise or if he had to be somewhere or do something and skipped out anyway; he tended to avoid that as he did not need the missing person's cases or the fact that they'd probably find out he was Cat Noir pretty quickly while searching for him.

Marinette smiled at them, trying to ignore the fact that she was both a little annoyed by Master Fu's choices for Miraculous holders, a little relieved to not feel a secret press down on her during patrols, and a little glad all at once that the Miraculous holders tended to be her best friends with the obvious exception of Chloe.

The fact that Cat Noir probably had a crush on her still and that he was Adrien was worth further debate long after tonight was over; at the very least, she'd be able to spend some time with friends and sort out how to exactly manage all of this together later.