That afternoon, there was an akuma attack. This one, Slither, was stronger than most and proved extremely dangerous. He was a snake charmer and was able to control and even conjure snakes at will. At one point, Ladybug lost one of her earrings, something that had only happened twice before. Just as she was about to get it back, though, that's when they showed up again: the peacock miraculous holder.
This time they heard a name from the akumatized for their new enemy: Mayura. A giant snake materialized, lashing out at them as they tried to retrieve the earring. Ladybug herself was forced to retreat, with her identity close to being revealed. Shortly after, Cat Noir showed up with the recovered earring and she was able to retain her form. At that moment, she realized it was convenient not having to hide her identity from him anymore.
After that, they were afraid they would need to find another hero to help them. Surprisingly, though, the giant snake vanished after just a few minutes. With that out of the way, they were able to finish up the fight and win the day.
Before they could get to their usual fist bump, Cat Noir's ring beeped its last minute. He turned quickly to leave.
"See you, m'lady," he said over his shoulder, flashing her a smile, "I gotta split."
"Bye," Ladybug said quietly, watching him go. Then her own miraculous started beeping and she knew she had to get going as well. Still, she lingered for a moment, watching Cat Noir disappear over the buildings into the distance.
With a sigh, she jumped off to head for home. It seemed this was happening often lately, that Cat Noir would immediately jump off after the job was done, not stopping to chat at all. She had hardly had a chance to speak with him, ever since that night, and she felt she really needed to.
After he discovered her identity, he had seemed really enthusiastic. He even insinuated that he knew her in civilian life. After that, though, he seemed to close himself off, and Ladybug was left to wonder why. The only explanation she could think of was that he really was disappointed in discovering her identity. She was, after all, just Marinette; not very impressive at all.
But she couldn't stop thinking about him. Now that Adrien was no longer a consideration for her, she started to consider how she actually felt about Cat Noir. Was it possible that there could be something more between them? She had never entertained such ideas before, but now she thought about it every time she saw him.
I have to find a time to talk to him, she told herself as she landed on her roof, transforming as she did, I need to know if he still loves me. I need to figure out… if I love him.
That afternoon was a particularly difficult akuma battle. Not only did Slither manage to grab one of Ladybug's earrings, but then Mayura showed up again. They were in a rough spot for a bit, until the giant snake summoned by Mayura suddenly vanished. After that they were able to finish off Slither and save the day as usual.
As Cat Noir watched the magical ladybugs spreading out across the sky, a satisfied smile on his face, his ring beeped its last minute. I have to get out of here! he realized.
"See you, m'lady," he said over his shoulder at Ladybug, "I gotta split." Before waiting for an answer, he jumped away, leaping over the buildings and never looking back.
Ever since that night, everything had changed between them. He never let his feelings get in the way of their teamwork and they still made an amazing duo, but Cat Noir just couldn't be as laid back or playful like he once was. It pained him to do so, but he found himself shying away from speaking to her at all anymore.
All the akuma attacks lately had only made it harder. While he was brooding about how he had unwittingly pushed Ladybug away, he found himself constantly in her presence, working together with her. He could've used these opportunities to talk to her, but it felt like cheating. He had hurt her, really hurt her, so much so that she didn't want to see him again, let alone speak with him. Yet, with his mask on, she didn't recognize him and he could talk to her all he wanted. But that wasn't what he wanted, not anymore.
He wanted to get closer to her as Marinette, and for him to spend time with her as Adrien. He couldn't build this façade of a relationship with her as Cat Noir when he knew she hated him as Adrien. He needed, somehow, to find a way to fix what he had done. Only then could he and his lady be together.