Ladybug and Chat Noir were unable to hear one another over the screaming of their thoughts and the pounding of their hearts. Ladybug had no time to react when he had pulled her in for a full-fledged kiss. He had no time to react when he felt the need to kiss her. Now they stood, toe to toe atop a roof, lip to lip with eyes wide open. They stayed this way for five seconds. Ten. Five more and five more and five more and-

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Chat Noir pushed back with ears perked, "I am so, so, so sorry about that! I never meant to…that was strange…whoa."

Ladybug sighed. This was what she had been afraid of. "We need to talk elsewhere before our miraculous blink out and leave us stranded up here." She guided him across the roofs and onto the street again, and together they ran back to the bakery.

This is gonna be so, so, so awkward.

This is so, so, so awkward.

Adrien sat on Marinette's bed while she paced in front of him. Tikki and Plagg sat on her desk, eating chocolate chip cookies and a bit of camembert they had found in the Dupain-Cheng fridge before her parents noticed. They had said nothing since the kiss. Neither really knew who should start and who should reply. Finally Plagg let out a burp. Adrien gave him a look.

"Please try to be civil."

"Just because we have to be in front of girls?"

"I ask you not to burp when you and I are alone!"

Plagg rolled his eyes and glanced at Tikki. "Is your partner ever this cruel?"

The Kwami giggled. "Only when I tease her too often."

Marinette nodded. "You deserved it then. Cookies are for good Kwamis."

"You know Plagg and I are much older than you two, right?"

Adrien squished his fingers together. "Only by a teeny-weeny bit."

Marinette giggled and settled down beside him. She had almost pulled down and let him look at her whiteboard, before she remembered that she had his entire life schedule on it and would end up scaring him out of the country. Talking without visuals would have to do. "Thank you for helping us with the akuma again."

"Of course!"

"I know you and I are partners-"

"Naturally."

"But I never want you to feel pressured." She saw his confusion and smiled. "There are five of us now, and bound to be more in the future. Whatever happens, and no matter how many people Fu gets to join our team, you and I have to stick together."

Adrien cautiously took her hand in his. "I understand. I would never try to leave or get jealous. I really am sorry for suddenly kissing you like that." He shot another look at Plagg. "Turns out our bond as Chat Noir means my emotions can get a little wild."

Marinette put her other hand on top of his. "We can handle wild." Her smile turned to a frown as her mind returned to the fight against Construction. "…You think Povas is going to be okay? He seemed so down today."

Adrien understood her concerns. "Something was eating at him for sure. Best to let him have the day to himself to sort things out. After all, three hundred years is plenty of experience for dealing with bad days."

She noted the admiration in his voice. "Graham is still human..." They turned to look out of her bedroom window together,

"Isn't he?"

After she had taken Queen Bee home and made sure Chloe was alright, Vixen transformed back into Alya outside the Bourgeois hotel and stopped by the fire escape. There had been no signs of Povas or Graham in his private room. "I hope Arguss can help him sort out his feelings, Trixx. I wish he would ask for help."

Trixx clung to the back of her phone and smiled. "Give him time. Povas has only been around for a few weeks at the most. Trust is something to be earned and grown. Sooner or later, though, he will come to you and the others."

Alya smiled back and began her walk home. "I guess all this investigating has made me a little too impatient. I feel like I have all the pieces. I just need to fit them together…"

Chloe sunk down on her bed and would not speak to Huneyy. With tear stained cheeks she slept. Huneyy felt her tiny Kwami heart breaking in two at the sight. The shaky breaths her partner had while dreaming did not help matters.

Love can be so painful. I only hope that this will be a growing experience for her and Graham. I could never live with myself if anything happened to her. In such a short amount of time she had grown into a wonderful hero. I will do anything to keep her safe.

She was so focused on Chloe that she barely noticed the blue hero slipping up into his room. She stayed by the bedside until deep into the evening.

Graham had never felt so bad, not since he had gotten Nathanael hurt in the fire that convinced the world he was gone. Arguss said nothing to him. She knew well enough that he needed time in his thoughts. She fell asleep on the pillow beside him.

I never deserved such a wonderful partner.

As night fell and the moon replaced the sun, he slipped under the covers and thought of the next day. There was a party for Chloe. He would be skipping. How could he face her after the way he treated her today?

Besides, with Alya occupied, someone should keep up the investigation. Jalil mentioned vaults in the museum that were off limits. If someone were to be hiding secrets in there…secrets related to HawkMoth…

He shut his eyes and made plans in his mind as his thoughts became muddled and dreams swept his consciousness away. Come the morning he would be fully refreshed.

Come the afternoon, everything would change.

Things are beginning to dwell deep into the dramatic and mysterious. Things are also gonna be crashing into one another soon in twists and turns so unprepared for and out of nowhere that you guys are going to have to do your best to keep up, because I am writing on little sleep and have no idea how crazy my writing could be now 0_0

Until the next chapter!