It was just a tiny speck on a roof in the Paris night sky, but somehow it caught Marinette's eye. She had been planning to swing straight home after this night-time Akuma fight, but then she saw her: White shirt, red skirt, hair as dark as the midnight sky, and those unforgettable brown eyes… Kagami was leaning over the railing of her house's balcony. At two in the morning. Intrigued, Marinette swung over.

"Ladybug", said Kagami, surprised. "What brings you over here?"

Yes, what did bring Marinette over here, actually? It wasn't like she hadn't seen Kagami just literal hours before. Something about the scene had just drawn her here.

"I guess I was just wondering what you are doing," she said. "So late at night?"

Kagami shrugged. "I was just considering some things. Personal things."

"Oh, okay, I don't want to intrude, I'll just be on…"

"You remember the time I told you about my love trouble, around Heart Hunter? It is something like that."

Marinette did remember that night well. The three of them on the rooftop; how she had decided to let the two lovers alone; Kagami, so conflicted and with nobody to confide in…

But how could it be something like that?

"Oh, are you in love with anybody?", said Marinette. Why hadn't she heard about this? Kagami was always brutally open with her views and opinions, especially around people she trusted. And Marinette prided herself on being Kagami's closest friend.

"Well… I don't know," said Kagami. "Earlier tonight, I was at the cinema with my friend Marinette. We were watching an old action movie. We laughed, we fed each other popcorn. It was a lot of fun."

Aww! Marinette was always really happy to make people happy, but Kagami in particular. It had been a good evening out, and she had been in a great mood even throughout this entire Akuma fight. Kagami's presence just made the world more fun.

"There was a scary bit, and Marinette cuddled right up against me. I think I made some joke how this was less scary than a fencing competition I had coming up. Then she turned towards me, and told me that she knew I could do it. She believed in me."

Kagami sighed happily.

"It made me feel like I could do anything. And I turned over, looked at her… and in that moment, I realised that I really wanted to kiss her."

Marinette did remember that moment. In her opinion, Kagami had clung to her as much as the other way around, at least, during the scary scene. And then when Kagami made that joke, and she replied, she remembered how Kagami smiled and blushed. It was etched in her memory how mind-numbingly pretty Kagami looked at that moment, and how happy she felt. A great a moment, a special memory, and Marinette would love to have more moments like that. But…

"Kiss?", she whisper-shouted. "You wanted to kiss Marinette? Why… why…"

Marinette paused for a moment, looking for the right question. Where did that come from? Was Kagami into girls? Was it a kissing kind of moment, and if so, why had nobody told her? Oh god, it was a pity she wasn't into kissing girls, because kissing Kagami… Argh, too many questions!

The only thing she managed to utter was a quiet, "why didn't you?"

Kagami smiled, and looked away.

"Oh, Marinette and I, we're not like that. She's a good friend. I don't want to do anything to risk it over a passing thought."

"I thought you never hesitated? Isn't that the rule from fencing?"

Kagami nodded. "In fencing, you cannot hesitate. But you also must not draw your blade if there's a chance that the game is actually chess."

"Is that an old saying from Japan?"

"It's a lesson I learned the hard way when I was eight."

"Right…"

Marinette's mind was still hyperactive. Kagami. Kissing! Her! They! Together! She needed to write herself a reminder to freak out properly later. How long had this been going on? Was she the first girl Kagami was interested in? Did she want to kiss Kagami? No, scratch that, that was obviously ridiculous, she couldn't kiss Kagami, right? Or could she? Never mind that, what did this mean? What…?

"Are you in love with Marinette?", she asked. "I'm sorry, that's probably too blunt–"

"No, no, it's okay. That is what I am trying to figure out," said Kagami. "This is all really new to me, and I am trying to sort my thoughts. She is objectively very kissable, I've always thought that."

Okay, it was getting slightly hot in here…

"But it's not just kissing", said Kagami, apparently unaware of Marinette's hot ears. "She takes care of everyone and always helps those in need. She is so brave! She has none of my training but twice the spirit. Frankly, she is an inspiration to me."

Yep, definitely burning ears now.

"And when I think about dating her… ice cream dates, holding hands, cuddling in front of the TV, picking out silly gifts for her, watching her blush when I find the flower that perfectly matches her eyes, riding unicycles along the Seine together, growing old on a desert island and adopting a hamster with her…"

Kagami was smiling happily, looking off into the distance. That was really good. It meant she couldn't see Marinette's intense blush. She was probably looking as red as her suit. Oh god, all that sounded so nice!

"…yeah, maybe I am in love," Kagami finally said.

"Oh," said Marinette. "Are you going to tell her?"

Kagami shook her head. "No. I had a previous love issue that involved Marinette, if you remember. There, I picked the selfish option, and it did not turn out well. I treasure Marinette's friendship too much to risk it over something like a silly crush."

She sighed.

"I never hesitate… except for Marinette's sake, it seems. Back then on the rooftop, and now again. Truly an incredible girl."

"I think you should tell her," said Marinette. "Whatever you're feeling, I know she'd want to help."

Kagami nodded. "Yes, she would. But just seeing her happy, carefree, that is already help enough. I know she would never love me back like that. She's not into girls as far as I know. So if I confess, at best I'll just make her sad."

So what, thought Marinette. Yes, it might be weird for a while, but dammit, Kagami was important to her! They could work through this together, and become much stronger friends, and she could encourage Kagami to date other… beautiful… girls… who weren't her… that was good, right? Kagami deserved to be kissed, ideally right now, and it would definitely be great.

"You don't know that," said Marinette, to both Kagami's and her surprise. "Maybe she does like girls?"

Wait, had she really just said that?

"I… what made you think that?"

Yes, why did she think that?

"I… uh… maybe she doesn't even know that she's into girls yet," she said, flailing her arms around.

"Maybe she just thought girls are really, really pretty, but never beyond that." Oh god, her infatuation with Clara Nightingale back when she was really young and stupid, last year? Did that mean…?

"I mean, if she's into girls, maybe that could explain a lot, actually." Like those dreams she had about actresses… or a certain fencer…

"And… and if she's into any girls at all, then she's definitely into you! You're so pretty, and gorgeous, and smart, and courageous, and adorable, and… and… what if she wanted to kiss you back then, too, but she didn't really understand that she was feeling it!?"

Marinette had no idea what her mouth was saying, but all of a sudden she felt free and flying. It was like the first times she had been swinging her yo-yo on purpose throughout the city. A bit scary, but also exhilarating. She had a chance to date Kagami!

"You think so?", said Kagami. "I guess you have known her longer than I have… somehow."

Marinette grabbed her hand.

"Go, tell her. In fact, don't just tell her, ask her on a date. I think she's feeling the same things you are, she's just five minutes behind you on figuring it out. She'll say yes, I know it."

Kagami was blushing.

"Do you… really think I have a chance?"

"Hey, Marinette told you you can do anything, right? Believe in her believing in you."

Kagami smiled, and nodded. Dammit, she was looking so incredibly cute, it should be illegal. And she was her girlfriend! Or would be, anyway, later, without the costume, but those were details.

On a whim, Marinette leaned in close, and kissed Kagami on the cheek. Kagami looked at her surprised, blushing.

"Go get your girl, Kagami", said Marinette, as she prepared to swing away. "I am rooting for you!"

Author's note: When I was writing this, I forgot the word for "tandem bicycle", and put a placeholder in there. Then I decided to leave the placeholder in because it was more fun that way. See if you can spot it!