It was forbidden.

Marinette knew she couldn't tell Chat Noir her identity. Char Noir knew he could not tell her his identity.

But here they were.

It was a long day for Marinette, after a fairly long akuma battle with an ice cream vendor who turned into an actual ice-cream, and an emotional conversation with Chat Noir, she was drained. She knew she couldn't fall in love with two people at once. She felt like it was forbidden.

She loved Adrien, she knew she did. Not just for his looks, but for his identity. For his kindness, for his patience, for his soul. It sounded very deep and meaningful for a teenage girl, but she felt like she understood him. She still kept all the photos of him on her walls, but it was no longer an obsession, more like a dream that she felt like she was unable to attain.

Until she met Chat Noir.

Granted, she had met him before, as Ladybug. He couldn't know that. It was forbidden. He knew someone else was in love with her, and he would be lying if he didn't feel a pang of jealousy. However, he later learned that Nathaniel's love was unrequited, which subdued the green-eyed monster that was stirring inside. He had saved Marinette on many occasions, whether she needed to be protected or not. He had a soft spot towards her that he didn't have towards any other civilian. Maybe it was an excuse to hold her close without her realising it, or an excuse to hold her hand.

Marinette had relished every moment. Until she had explained to Chat Noir, as Ladybug, that she didn't love him the way he wanted her to. Instead of giving her closure, it left her more confused.

Chat had appeared on her balcony less than an hour after she had left him as Ladybug. She wasn't sure if his sudden appearance helped or hindered her thoughts. Chat felt comforted by her presence. He felt safe. Somewhat liberated from Ladybug, he felt more obliged to explore his feelings for Marinette, but it still felt forbidden.

"You look as lost as you did before." Chat observed, not greeting Marinette as if he was continuing the conversation that they had had hours ago. Marinette was torn between completely ignoring him and sobbing into his chest. She shrugged, eventually turning towards Chat, who had perched himself on the railing of her balcony. She couldn't help but admire his broad shoulders and his slim waist and was struggling to chastise herself for admiring his body when her heart and soul was intertwined with Adrien's (in her opinion, anyway).

"Can I tell you something?" She asked, looking at Chat, pretending she hadn't known him for the past year already. He nodded, inviting her to carry on.

"I'm torn."

"How are you torn, Princess?" He asked, scuttling closer slightly along the railing.

"Is it okay to love two people at the same time?" She asked him, her gaze unwavering. It felt safe to him. It felt like home should feel, if he had one.

Chat was about to give a dry remark when he saw how upset she looked, as if she was heartbroken without the heartbreak.

"They say that you only have one true love," he said, looking at her and trying not to think about the fact that he related to her more than he realised. "Although I think if you're not stringing anyone along, it's not wrong to explore your options."

"It's not a buffet" Marinette replied, with the wit Chat Noir had done his best to repress. "I just feel like the one is unattainable. He will never love me, so maybe it's time to move on"

"How could someone not love you?" Chat wondered aloud. Sure, Marinette was not Ladybug, but she was as close to Ladybug as any civilian could be. He was sure many of the boys in his class admired her, and probably thinking about it, he was included. He couldn't deny the jealousy he felt when Nathaniel fell in love with her, or when she encouraged Kim to follow his heart, or when she encouraged Nino to pursue Alya. If he could give her some form of happiness, he would.

"I'm clumsy," she said to him, starting what looked like a long list of flaws. "I'm not conventionally attractive, I'm not elegant, I'm not organised, I'm not particularly intelligent…" She trailed off, as if she was challenging him to intervene.

He conceded.

"I can't deny that you're clumsy" He chuckled slightly, trying not to dampen Marinette's mood. "But it's adorable. You're attractive in a unique way. You're elegant through your art, and since when have creativity and organisation come hand in hand? Your intelligence combines all these things." Chat paused, aware that these were things he'd been mulling over for a while but unable to say aloud, let alone as Adrien. He was unsure whether he would be able to say them as Adrien yet, especially while he probably felt as torn as Marinette.

On the other hand, he couldn't deny the warm glow he felt in his stomach as she smiled at him. She fully faced him, feeling comforted that Chat considered these things about her, without her mask. She wondered how he knew.

She wondered if she could ever forget Adrien if she pursued anything with Chat. She wondered if she would hurt Chat if it turned out her love for Adrien was buried deeper than she thought. She wondered if she was overthinking about everything in her love life all this time.

She knew Chat loved Ladybug. She knew she was Ladybug. Maybe if she could confirm that Chat loved both sides of her, that she could combine those two halves into one whole. Was that some kind of manipulation?

Chat knew Marinette stuttered and stumbled around Adrien but could flirt and confide her way through Chat to make him feel like jelly. Why were these two sides so different to her? Was this such a bad thing? This was his true self after all, in his opinion.

They looked at each other, unsure where to go from that abrupt confession. Neither had moved, until Chat shuffled further along the railing, lowering himself so he was directly in front of her. Marinette was almost flush against his chest.

Marinette couldn't deny that she was enjoying how close she was to Chat. She closed the gap with her body, aware of Chat's arms either side of her, gripping the railing. Chat couldn't help but lower his head to kiss her.

He pressed her against the balcony, almost encasing her as his possessiveness couldn't help but remind her of a normal cat- territorial, almost. The coolness of the railing kept her grounded as she hungrily ran her hands across his body, something she could never do as Ladybug for fear of leading him on.

He kissed her until his neck was close to cramping, and instead of stopping he grabbed her waist and lifted her onto the railing with a gentleness which contrasted with the intensity of his lips. Now almost level, he moved to her neck, leaving marks yet to bloom. Marinette, not one to let anyone control her, hooked her legs around his waist which let a purr escape his lips.

Was it forbidden?