Beep!

"I really have to go, my lady. I will see you again soon." Cat Noir departs with a most suave bow, stopping just short of kissing her hand. The latest akuma thoroughly handled, Ladybug turns to zipline her way home before her transformation wears off as well.

Cat ducks into the nearby metro, but of course it would be too crowded just when he needed it not to be. Ladybug once told him she often ducked underground to detransform. But he shouldn't have been surprised; she was the lucky one of the two, after all. Ugh, where do I go? He sprints out again, ignoring the fans as they openly gawk and point and try to catch his attention.

Marinette's place is right there.

What a useless thought. He is trying to hide his identity.

He could just do it on the bakery roof, then sneak away.

He shakes his head at himself. But really he can't think of any other option. So, he vaults up just as the catsuit and its enhancements melt away. And just like that he's Adrien again, just a regular boy with an exhausted kwami in his left hand.

"Cheese," mutters Plagg feebly.

"I got you covered, my man," says Adrien, handing over a wedge of stinky camembert, which the (outwardly) ungrateful kwami instantly begins wolfing down. "You know, for such a connoisseur of camembert, you don't really savor it. Plagg chooses to use his mouth to continue eating the cheese rather than dignify his charge with an answer.

"Who's there?"

Oh no! "Plagg!"

"Adrien, no! I've only just regained my stre-"

"Claws out!"

The rest of Plagg's admonishment is cut short as he is sucked into the cat miraculous, And Adrien's identity is once again safely hidden behind an eye-mask and a form-fitting bodysuit.

'Who's-" Marinette's head pokes out of the door to her loft, and her eyes are level with his boots. "Cat Noir?" Her brow wrinkles in confusion. It's quite cute actually. Wait, what?

"Uh… Hi Marinette…" He smiles like a cat that just ate the canary, his hand tugging at the hair at the back of his head.

What is Cat doing here? Does he… No, he couldn't possibly… know?

She climbs up the steps, pinning him with a look of withering suspicion. A look that feels… almost familiar… before she rearranges her features into a more friendly expression. "Cat Noir on my roof! What a surprise," she trills. She's decided to play it cool. She gives him an indulgent smile, and he feels himself relaxing.

"Well, you know, I like to check in with the civilians every now and then." He punctuates his statement with a wink.

Civilians, huh? So he doesn't know. Then why is he here? Then it dawns on her. Of course. He needed to detransform. And I've disturbed him. Feeling uncharacteristically gracious toward Cat Noir in her guilt, Marinette turns up the hospitality. "I saw you and Ladybug battling that supervillain. You must be, uh, tired? I'll get you something to drink." She ducks back down into her loft, emerging with a couple of soda cans, one of which she hands to Cat.

"Thanks!" And his smile is genuine. "May I," he gestures to a lounge chair nearby, "sit down for a moment?"

"Of course," she nods emphatically.

Because she is definitely right. He is very tired. He was already on his second transformation of the afternoon when Ladybug finally captured the akuma. Now this is his third. Well at least he isn't fighting anyone right now. Poor Plagg. He makes a mental note to properly thank his overworked kwami later. And by 'properly,' he means 'with camembert.'

"I can leave if you want to chill by yourself for a while," Marinette offers, wanting to give him a chance to make his getaway.

"No no," he waves a hand. "Stay," he adds, after a swallow of Pepsi.

"Oh. Okay." She sits across from him and cracks open her soda.

What was that Alya was saying the other day about Marinette and Ladybug? "So you're friends with Ladybug, huh?"

Marinette's eyes jump up to his. If he's about to ask me if my own alter ego is actually secretly in love with him, I will flip. It won't do to accidentally reveal herself out of sheer annoyance. Better to downplay it. "Well, friends is a strong word. Ladybug is a friend to all of Paris. I look up to her, and yeah she knows who I am."

When will she know who I am? "She's amazing isn't she?" It's more a rhetorical question than an actual inquiry. Friend or not, there's no way this girl knows more about his lady than he does. He doesn't push the topic. He quirks an eyebrow as another thought occurs to him. "I hear you have an unrequited crush."

How could he possibly know that? "What?" she asks rather dumbly.

"Don't deny it. I have my sources. A hero needs to be informed about his citizens after all."

As a hero herself, Marinette has never felt the need to be thusly informed about any citizen. She huffs.

"Don't worry," says Cat, candidly. "I know the feeling." Remembering Nino's gossip, (which came from Alya, so it had to be true), about a mystery boy Mari likes. He must be really oblivious not to notice a sweet girl like this pining after him. "Between you and me," he sympathizes, "I have a crush too. "

And she can't stop herself from rolling her eyes. But she has to give herself credit for holding off for so long. Oh, the irony.

"Does she not know you exist?" she asks, voice dripping with sarcasm. At least she thinks it's dripping, but it must not be, because Cat doesn't catch it.

"Oh, she definitely knows I exist," he pontificates. "I just wish my existence mattered to her more."

"It does!" It's out before she can stop herself. "Err, I mean, uh, I'm sure she, whoever she is, cares about you, even if she doesn't feel the same way as you do." Nice save.

He nods sadly, and in that moment looks so endearing that Marinette has a sudden urge to hug him. But then he opens his mouth and the moment is gone. "What about you? What's the deal with your crush?" He seems to gauge her reaction before she's even given it, because he hastens to add, "I'm not just a talker, you know. I'm a good listener, too. Besides, I think your guy is dumb for not noticing you. Convince me I'm wrong. Go."

She can feel the indignation warming up her face. "He is not dumb. He's smart and talented. Plus he's nice, and considerate, and sensitive. And…" she stops herself before the blush can take over her whole face. Remember, this is Cat Noir, the loudmouth. A surprisingly easy-to-talk-to loudmouth, but a loudmouth nonetheless.

She looks over, and he's smiling at her so contentedly. "Isn't love divine?" he sighs dreamily.

This time she laughs, because it really is. And if someone had told her earlier this afternoon that she would be talking love and crushes with Cat Noir later, she would have bola'd them with her yo-yo. But here they are. And now he's laughing with her, a giggle turning into a yawn, which spreads to her because, unbeknownst to him, she was battling at his side not too long ago. "Even superheroes need their rest," she announces, as much to herself as to him.

"Right you are, Bakery Girl." He takes her hand and brings her knuckles to his lips, planting the softest of kisses there. "We should do this again sometime. I enjoyed talking to you. I hope you felt likewise." And then he's gone, having vaulted onto some other rooftop.

Not for the first time, Marinette finds herself wondering where he goes when he's not fighting by her side. Or, in a new development, chatting with her over soda… Also, Bakery Girl? That's almost as bad as Bugaboo. Oh, mon chaton…