When Marinette had heard the footsteps behind her, she knew she was in trouble. Usually, she tried to avoid walking around in Paris all by herself at night, but she had just finished fighting an akuma as Ladybug and had detransformed before she could zip home on her yo-yo.

As the footsteps crept closer, she felt her muscles tense similarly to the way they did when she was getting ready to fight an akumatised villain, and for the first time, she found herself hyperaware of how very vulnerable she was in her civilian form. As Ladybug, no man could overpower her or even hope to beat her in a fight, but as Marinette? Her clumsy, uncoordinated counterpart? Her steps quickened, but her pursuer's sped up behind her as well. She looked down to see Tikki staring up at her with large, worried eyes. Marinette knew that her kwami wouldn't be able to resist intervening if it got too bad, but she was determined that it wouldn't come to that.

She was practically running now, but Marinette being Marinette, her shoe soon got caught in a passing grate and she tripped over, skidding onto the cement.

Great timing, she thought bitterly.

Ignoring the pain in her leg and arm, she scrambled desperately to get up, staring up in panic at the man who was auickly advancing on her. He was at least double her size and fear gripped her like a vice. She had never felt this way before, so... so defenceless. Was this how the people she saved felt?

She felt Tikki stir in her bag, ready to defend her human, when a dark blur dropped in front of her with a dull thud.

She felt her eyes widen.

Chat Noir. He was facing away from her, and in the dim lighting she couldn't make out much, but Marinette would know her partner anywhere.

"What's going on here?" Chat said, his voice tight. He slipped his baton into his hand with ease, twisting it around in his fingers.

Marinette jolted at the absence of the usual lightness in Chat's tone. Even when they were fighting supervillains, he sounded eternally amused, entertained. Laid-back as if nothing was at stake. It was one of the things that bothered her about him when she was Ladybug. Now, however, his voice was hard and cold and unforgiving, and when she imagined the look on his face, she saw flashing green eyes that looked like chips of stone. She saw his full lips, usually quirked in his usual smirk, twisted into something harsh and jarring.

The man who had approached Marinette didn't answer, and she watched as Chat gripped his baton so hard his knuckles turned white.

"I said," the superhero said with gritted teeth, "What is going on here?"

Marinette could hear the restrained rage in his voice and it startled her - she didn't think she had ever seen him like this.

His back was still to her so she tried to go around him to see what was going on, but he wrapped a firm but gentle arm around her waist, pulling her behind him again. She felt warmth bloom from her cheeks down to her neck and blinked. Chat must've touched her hundreds of times while they were fighting akumas, protected her like this - just like she protected him - so why did her skin tingle now? Why did it heat where his hand rested?

She shook the feeling off just as fast as it came. It was just the exhaustion. The shock.

"I-" The man backed away, looking panicked. Ironic, considering he was probably much bigger than Chat Noir, as lean and lanky as her partner was.

Chat didn't say anything, and but his baton flew at the man in a black blur, hitting him square in the head and knocking him out flat on the floor. It then flew back into Chat's palm and he caught it like it was nothing, before turning back to Marinette, his eyes softening as he surveyed her for any injuries.

"Hey, are you okay, Marinette?" He said softly, releasing her waist and looking down at her with those startlingly green eyes. She wondered if they were that colour in his civilian form too. Surely, they couldn't be.

Marinette wrung her hands together nervously, "Yeah," she said, before giving him a small smile. "Thanks for... saving me."

The last words were a struggle to get out. In all honesty, part of her hated the idea of having to be saved. She was Ladybug. Little girls looked up at her for being a strong, independent woman. But, she admitted reluctantly, there was no one better to save her than her own partner. They were on equal footing, after all, even if he didn't know it - she had saved his leather-clad butt more times than she had count. He had done the same for her, of course, but this felt different somehow.

"Of course, Princess," his smile was warm, genuine. Rare. "But, and I hope you don't mind me asking," he said, looking like he was choosing his words carefully, "What were you doing out all on your own so late?"

Marinette stared at him for a beat, trying to think of a believable lie. "I, uh- I had an idea for a design and I, um, went out to get products," She said slowly, before flashing him her most dazzling smile.

"Ah," he nodded, and Marinette couldn't work out whether he believed her or not. She expected him to scold her, tell her she should be more careful, but he didn't. He simply just moved on, "Well, the police will be here to pick him up, don't worry," he grimaced at the fallen man's form in disgust before turning back to her. "Would it be okay if I were to take you home?"

Marinette blinked, the dry humour she picked up when she was Ladybug edging its way into her tone, "Like, to your home?"

Chat's laugh was hoarse, and he looked caught off guard, as if he was surprised at the sound himself. He looked down at her with a warmth in his eyes, "I wouldn't be opposed to it," he murmured, "But I should probably get you home before Papa Dupain hunts me down; I would not want to be on the wrong side of that man's baguette-"

Marinette choked. "Baguette?"

Chat hid a grin and dipped down into a low bow. Then he extended his arm out for her to take, ever the gentleman, "After you, Princess."

She reached out to take it and as soon as his fingers brushed her arm, the two of them shot up into the air. His baton extended and Chat crouched on it, pulling her with him as they ascended above the buildings of Paris.

"Chat!" She screamed, clinging onto him for dear life as they swayed in the air. This wasn't the first time she had done this with Chat, but the surprise of it had her terrified and hanging on to him for dear life. She heard him chuckle under his breath and suddenly it occurred how ridiculous she must look right now, her limbs flaying about as she screamed like a banshee and cracked a little smile of her own.

"Sorry," she breathed, glancing at him quickly. "I, uh- I'm not actually scared of heights," she mumbled.

"Oh yeah, yeah, I can tell," Chat said, straight faced as he looked pointedly at her legs which had wrapped around him in her panic.

Marinette felt herself go bright red - she hadn't even noticed that she'd done that. With an embarrassed smile, she peeled her legs off his torso, "Sorry."

Chat cracked a grin in her direction before settling her in his arms more securely, "Don't be."

With that, they were zipping over rooftops, Chat guiding them with ease around the streets of Paris until they reached her home.

He was just about to set the two of them down right outside her parents' bakery, when Marinette stopped him by laying a hand on his shoulder and he glanced at her, faintly surprised.

"Do you think you could drop me off on my rooftop, Chat?" She asked quietly. "I don't want my parents to know I was out."

Chat paused before nodding, understanding lighting in his eyes, "Of course, Mari."

"Mari?" Marinette questioned, her lips twitching upwards. He had never called her that before, but she found herself liking it. Alya often shortened her name that way, and she was Marinette's best friend, and although Chat didn't know it... so was he.

She felt the wind breeze on her cheek as he pulled them up to her rooftop and he grasped her hand gently to help her down onto her balcony.

"Yeah," he said, looking almost self-conscious, "Do you not like it?"

"No, I do," Marinette smiled, tucking a stray hair behind her ear, "I do."

Marinette watched as Chat leaned against her balcony, looking out at the view below with his long limbs strewn across the rail haphazardly.

She had always thought that her rooftop looked so very beautiful at night, with the moon and the stars bathing everything in a silver glow that made it all feel a little magical, and the golden lights of Paris gleaming in the distance.

Following his gaze, it all felt strangely familiar, and she was hit by a sensation of deja vu. A wave of nostalgia.

They had been here before, hadn't they? On a night a little like this, they'd been here.

'I don't feel like being a superhero tonight, and I also don't feel like being alone tonight. Would you mind if I hung out here for a little while?'

And he had, and for a while they had been broken-hearted, lovesick fools together.

She had never meant to break Chat's heart, would've never have dreamed she had the power to, but she had, unknowingly, just like Adrien had done to hers. She supposed that was the terrible irony of it all.

Marinette couldn't help but wonder if Chat was thinking about that night now. From the way he was looking out at nothing with an unreadable look on his face, she thought he must've been. Did it still hurt that Ladybug had stood him up? That she didn't love him? Marinette's heart ached a little at the prospect. She liked to think Chat didn't love her anymore, but deep down, in the place of her mind she refused to visit, she knew he still did. Maybe he always would. Just a she'd always love Adrien.

She came up to Chat and after a slight hesitation, placed her hand on top of his where it rested on the railing, "Thank you," she said softly.

Chat blinked, as if pulled out of a trance and then looked down on her with his signature crooked smile, "You already said that, Mari."

"I know," she said, squeezing his hand, "But I really, really meant it."

And there it was; she had won a genuine, unrestrained smile that dimpled his cheek.

"Just so you know," he leaned in a conspiratorial manner, "If I had been in my civilian form, and that giant of a man had come anywhere near me, I would've ran screaming like a little girl."

Marinette snorted, "Seriously?"

"Oh yeah," Chat nodded, "You would've heard me from the patisserie."

Maybe it was the time, maybe she was giddy, hysterical, insane, but Marinette found herself full-belly laughing until it hurt.

"Glad to know you find me so hiss-terical, Princess," Chat cracked.

Marinette's stared him down for a moment or two, her grin erased from her face, "You ruined it."

"Oh mes jours, tough crowd," Chat sighed dramatically before a sincere openness overcame his face, transforming him from the jesting, playful Chat in a second, "But seriously, I hope you know you have nothing to be ashamed of. I could tell back then, you know, I could see it on your face - how you were feeling. Everybody needs a little help sometimes. It doesn't make you weak, Mari. Never think that."

She stared at him, feeling her mouth form an O, "I- thank you."

She meant it.

"No problem," he said breezily, "Good night, Princess," Chat bent down with a smile, placing a feather-light kiss on the knuckle of her hand, and then just as fast as he was there, he was gone, flying into the night, and Marinette was just left leaning on the balcony watching him go with large eyes. As he faded out of her view, she thought it looked a little like he had joined the stars. They winked above Marinette, shining in their glittering multitudes, and suddenly she felt as if the heavens had bared witness to the inner workings of her heart and knew something she didn't.