Cat Noir leapt expertly across the rooftops, holding Marinette secure in his arms. She felt his heart pounding as they traveled, but Marinette was too distracted to think about it, worried instead about the sound of wailing in the streets they jumped over. Despite herself, she looked down to see clusters of people collapsed on the ground, all crying piteously. She felt tears begin to well up in her cheeks, knowing that she was the cause of all that pain. I'm going to fix this, she reminded herself, soon this will all be over.
They alighted on her balcony, but Cat Noir didn't put her down immediately. She looked up at him and saw he was regarding her with a certain fondness in his eyes, a look she usually only saw as Ladybug. It made her blush and turn away when she saw that.
"You can put me down, now," she said softly.
"Oh, sorry," he said suddenly, as though coming back to attention. He gently put her down, allowing her to stand on her own two feet, but it felt like he did so reluctantly.
"Thank you, Cat Noir," she told him, not looking him directly in the eye, feeling suddenly very uncomfortable around him, "and… I'm sorry, if I did anything to hurt you."
"Huh?" Cat Noir sounded surprised, "No, of course not! I'm fine."
"But you have a bruise on your chin," she pointed out, "It's pretty hard to miss."
"Oh, that," Cat Noir rubbed his chin, wincing at the pain, "Don't worry about it. Once Ladybug fixes everything, I'll be fine."
Yeah, and I need you to leave so I can do that, was what Marinette wanted to say. "Don't you need to go help Queen Bee with the akuma?" was what she said instead.
"Oh, right!" he said, turning to leap away. He seemed unusually distracted tonight. "Good night, M-Marinette." With that, he leaped off into the night.
Cat Noir leapt through the city, holding Marinette close. Could it really be true? Could she really be Ladybug? Maybe he was jumping to conclusions, but it just explained so much! Her comment about the earrings, her understanding of his fighting style, and her knowledge of what Nightmare Ladybug had said. Also, didn't Ladybug say something to him about losing a miraculous when he had been turned into a statue by Style Queen? That's the same excuse Master Fu used for Ladybug.
He could feel his heart pounding, so hard he was certain Marinette could feel it, too. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Ladybug was always ready whenever something happened at school, just like he was. She was never around when Ladybug was, except that one time with Timebreaker, and then there were two Ladybugs. How could I have not seen it before?
In short order, they landed on Marinette's balcony, but Cat Noir was in no hurry to let Marinette go. It really is her, isn't it? he was coming to terms with this epiphany, staring at her lovingly. She shifted uncomfortably in his arms.
"You can put me down, now," she said softly, turning away from his gaze.
"Oh, sorry," he said snapping back to reality. He did so, but reluctantly. He had no desire to let his lady go now that he had finally found her.
"Thank you, Cat Noir," she said, not quite looking him in the eye, "and… I'm sorry, if I did anything to hurt you."
"Huh?" he wasn't even thinking of his pain anymore, "No, of course not! I'm fine."
"But you have a bruise on your chin," she pointed out, "It's pretty hard to miss."
"Oh, that," that had been hurting him all evening, but he was just ignoring it at this point. He tried rubbing his chin to show that it didn't really hurt, but instead he winced at the pain. "Don't worry about it. Once Ladybug fixes everything, I'll be fine," he reassured her.
"Don't you need to go help Queen Bee with the akuma?" she reminded him.
"Oh, right!" he said, finally turning away from her. Before he leapt away, he turned toward her one more time. "Good night, M-Marinette," he said, catching himself before calling her M'lady. Then he leapt off into the night.