"Tikki, what have I done?!" Marinette asked, panicked, as soon as she detransformed in the same bystreet next to the cinema.

"Oh, Marinette…" Tikki chuckled. "You kissed Cat Noir. Not the first time…"

"You don't get it!"

"I think I get it perfectly!"

"Tikki… He… He said my name…"

"And you were Ladybug." Tikki added.

"Oh… Do you think… Do you think he's guessed who I am?"

"No, I don't think so…" Tikki shook her head. "I think you just took more space in his mind as Marinette than as Ladybug."

"How's that possible?"

"It's the same with Cat Noir and Adrien in your mind." Tikki explained. "You think about Cat Noir much more than about Adrien. Even though you still love Adrien."

"Adrien!" Marinette reminded who she had left before the fight. "Hide, Tikki! I have to find him! And explain him why I was looking for my phone for so long…"

She ran out onto the street and looked at the direction she had left Adrien. He was standing at the same place and looking around anxiously. When he noticed her, he sighed with a relief.

"I was worried." He said after glancing at her briefly.

"They… uhm… They turned off the lights…" Marinette stammered, blushing. "I couldn't find it. My phone, I mean…"

"I'm glad you're not hurt."

"What was that?" she asked moving forward. She tried to calm down after seeing him so worried about her. Adrien had never shown her so much attention before, not to say: feelings.

"I don't know…" he murmured, walking by her side.

And he fell silent for good.

They walked in a complete silence – each lost in their thoughts. Marinette couldn't shake off the shock that she had kissed Cat Noir, even though Adrien still meant a lot to her. What was that? She only raised his hope. He had confessed his feelings and she kissed him now. He could think that she felt the same to him. And she… she wasn't sure if she did. Because if she did, why she felt her heart trembling when Adrien was nearby? She'd thought she was over him, but this evening in the cinema made all those feelings come back.

Meanwhile, Adrien tried to understand what had happened a few minutes ago. His biggest dream came true – Ladybug kissed him! – and all he was thinking about was… Marinette… And at the end he just whispered her name! It wasn't surprising that Ladybug escaped straight away. Wait. Wait a moment… Did she… Didn't she respond to that name? He stopped, shocked with the conclusions.

Marinette turned to him and looked in surprise at him. Adrien forced himself to move. He was afraid of following his own thoughts and where they could lead him. It would be too… too painful if he found out it wasn't true. It was better not to hope for a miracle. It was impossible that Ladybug would reveal her identity to him. And if Marinette was Ladybug, he could be more than sure that she would never confirm it was the truth. Even if he asked directly.

As he was walking next to her, he glanced sideways at her profile from time to time. He was looking for similarities, and yet… he tried not to find them. As if the reveal could destroy his world. What if he believed that Marinette was Ladybug and the truth would be completely different? What if the truth would be so wonderful? And she would reject him – both as Cat Noir and as Adrien? And yet… She had just kissed him! That must have meant something! But – would Marinette ever kiss a boy? Even if she liked him? Nope. She wouldn't. It wasn't in her style.

Before they realised, their walk was over – they stood in front of Marinette's house. Somehow neither of them could find words to say goodbye that evening.

"Marinette?" he asked, and she felt that familiar tremble of her heart.

"Yes?" she replied breathless.

He froze and gazed on her carefully. She sounded the same as Ladybug when she had answered to Marinette's name after their kiss. He was to ask another question, when suddenly the door opened and Tom Dupain – Marinette's dad – showed up, irreversibly ruining that magical moment.