"Marinette, you're as red as Rudolph..." Adrien told the bluenette, who was clutching her shirt so hard that her knuckles were white. Her face was the most vibrant of reds that ever existed, as well.
"Yeah, well, when you get locked up by a rampant akuma and your transformations wear off so you find out that you've been pushing away the love of your life and stomping him into the ground for the past two years, that's what happens." Marinette said, avoiding his gaze.
"Are you...not happy that it's me?"
Marinette sighed. "I don't know how to feel about this. I've rejected the boy that I loved. I've been so mean. And to rerun that I've been telling you that I don't love you, that I love someone else...it's really hard."
"You're confused." Adrien said.
"Yeah..."
"Well, while we're snowed in, why don't we break it down?"
Marinette blinked at him. She watched him stand.
"First time I tried to make a move on you, you...pushed me away. Which was expected. Second time, pushed me away. Third, fourth, and all the twenty-nine thousand other times, pushed away-"
"You don't have to remind me that I hurt you, Adrien."
"That's not what I'm trying to show you. Your rejection did hurt me, but maybe it was to always be expected. We had masks. We didn't know who was under them. How old they were, if they were really a boy or girl...nothing. So how could you fall in love with someone that you barely knew?"
"I..."
"You couldn't. Your rejections may have hurt me but I've never held a grudge against you."
Marinette frowned a little. "Frozer, hello?"
"That...was hurt."
Marinette hummed, as if to say "Surreee it was."
"Hey, lovebirds! I'm recharged and ready to go and would prefer to get out of here!" Plagg interrupted the sweet moments the two had been having.
Marinette whined. She forgot about it. Frankly, she wanted to stay and talk with Adrien, vent to him her life story, love him every way humanely possible.
But Paris first.
Adrien practically sensed it.
"My lady, we can talk this out as soon as you release the akuma, okay?" He asked. "And if you do decide to fall in love with me then...fall in love with Chat, okay?"
"Chat?"
"Yep."
The two transformed.
"You wanna see me happy, right?" He asked.
"Of...of course I do. I want nothing more than that in the entire world."
Chat grinned as he kicked open the window.
"Well, all those puns and flirting is what I want you to fall in love with. Adrien Agreste isn't Chat Noir; Chat Noir is Adrien Agreste."
And with that, he hopped out the window.
Ladybug frowned.
"Hey, get back here! We aren't done!"
She hopped on the window ledge.
"Then come on and catch me, my lady!"
"That was horrible," she told him when she arrived by his side.
"Oh come on," He pouted. "You loved it. Maybe even more than you love me-mmmphh!"
She shut him up with a kiss.
She pulled away to glance at her partner.
He was frozen.
But his face was extra red.
"You poor, smitten little kitten. You're as red as Rudolph."
Before he could get in another word, the slits in his eyes followed her dart away towards the akuma.
He pulled out his mirror.
Well, he hated to admit it, but he was in the same state that his lady was previously.