Their second training was much like the first. They traded a few blows, and Ladybug showed him another new move she'd found, this time from some martial arts website. Chat Noir had so far managed not to get hit in the head. Probably because she'd (tragically) kept her hands to herself much better than she had the previous week.

Everything seemed normal until they sat down for their first break, when she announced that she was tired and didn't want to train anymore.

Chat Noir looked over at her where she lay, snuggling into the grass like she was comfortably stretched out on her bed, eyes bright and alert and roving over him.

"Should we finish with a short patrol?" he asked. It wouldn't give them a lot of time to talk, but it would be better than cutting their rendezvous short completely.

She hummed, thoughtful. "I don't know if I have the energy for running around like that."

Disappointment prickled in his throat.

"But how about a rooftop stroll instead?" Ladybug popped up from her spot on the ground. "We've never done that before."

His hope rose with her. "Really? You want to?"

She laughed and held out a hand to help him up. "Yes, really. Why are you so excited about a rooftop stroll anyway? I thought that might be too boring for your tastes."

Ladybug hadn't dropped his hand yet, so he regrettably let go first lest he make it awkward. "My tastes are quite refined," he agreed. "But boring can be fun when you're with friends."

Her mouth twitched into a frown. "Okay."

"Okay, what?" he asked, unsure of what he said wrong.

"Okay, so, let's go?"

The weather was probably pleasant. His boots probably made some sort of sound as he walked across the tiled roofs of Paris. The sun was low in the sky and would be setting soon. He thought. He wasn't sure, even of that.

All of his consciousness was fixated on Ladybug's arm, which she had looped through his. Other details were not important. Only how much like a couple they looked. And where they touched, and how her shoulder bumped into his upper arm every time she took a step, a rhythmic reminder of how close she was.

It had been a formal move, but she was pretty, so she wasn't going to comment on it. If he did, she might realize the message she was sending and move away.

Crud, she was saying something.

"Huh?" he asked eloquently.

"I said, do you want to head over the river or keep going on this side?"

Chat Noir looked out ahead of them, comprehending their surroundings for the first time. They stood on a squat building. Below them, the Seine cut a dark path, snaking to their left and right as far as he could see. Identical buildings sat on the other side.

Ladybug tugged his arm as she stepped forward.

"A-across?" he said. It seemed like that's what she wanted.

She unhooked their arms to grab her yoyo, and he scrambled to fill the void she left behind by grabbing his staff and laying it across the chasm created by the river. It was too far to jump, even for them.

Ladybug huffed, her yoyo still resting in her palm. "I can't see anything to latch onto."

Except me, he thought, remembering her firm grip on his arm. He stepped onto the baton, turning away to hide the warm blush he felt creeping into his face. "Too bad. Guess you'll have to stay here."

"Hilarious."

There was a tug around his hips, and his blush deepened as she reeled him back in by his tail.

Distract, his instincts told him. Evade. A hand on his shoulder pulled him until he spun back around. Her other hand was still coiled in his tail. Imminent danger of doing something stupid.

"You're not leaving me that easily."

Before he could sink to his knees and declare that he was never leaving her ever, she laughed, bright and happy and utterly oblivious to his struggles. It helped, a little, knowing that for one of them, this was just a regular hangout between good - platonic - friends. Jokes would help.

Looking directly at a spot on her shoulder, he said, "Oh no!" He forced a smile that he hoped matched her lighthearted one. "Our only option is for me to carry you." Because she would definitely push him away with a finger on his nose, and he desperately needed her to put him back in his place.

"Okay!"

His eyes snapped to her face as she closed in and looped her arms around his neck, preparing to be lifted.

His arms were numb noodles at his sides. There was no way she just agreed to that. It must have been a prank. A game of chicken. "I was kidding. I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"You're so sweet. I don't mind. And it really is the only way across."

So Chat, careful to keep his hands in neutral places, picked Ladybug up bridal style, and carried her over the river.

Why is she acting like this? That was the thought that kept circling through his brain as he cradled her in his arms, and as she rested her head against his shoulder, and as he tightened and relaxed his fingers, and as she sighed happily. If he didn't know any better (and sadly he did), he might assume she had a crush on him. But that didn't make any sense. Not that it wasn't possible, but he knew her well enough to know that she was usually very direct with him. In the past, she'd had no problem telling him to back off romantically, so she would probably have the same frankness if she wanted to pursue him romantically.

Especially since she already knew how he felt about her. There was no risk of rejection from him.

When they reached the middle of the baton, the wind blew. Ladybug tightened her hold around him.

It probably meant nothing. Her hold on him was because they were partners and good friends, and she trusted him. That was it. Anything beyond that was him just seeing what he desperately wished was there. It wasn't what she was trying to communicate to him, and he needed to put it out of his mind. For his own sanity. So he focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

By the time he reached the other side, he'd completely forgotten about it. (If he kept repeating that lie to himself, it would eventually be true, right?)

He put her down and noticed with a tender pang how quick she was to pull away from him and keep walking, before reminding himself that he wasn't thinking about it so it didn't really bother him.

There was no itinerary, no place for them to be, so when she suggested they spend the last minutes of daylight at the park peeking at them from behind a neighboring building, he was quick to agree.

Ladybug tossed her yoyo up in the air and caught it deftly. "Race you to the edge?"

Chat Noir ran instead of answering. He didn't want her to see how the smirking smile on her face had temporarily driven out his powers of coherent speech. (But he wasn't thinking about what that smile may or may not mean. He wasn't.)

He won that race. Partly because he hadn't slowed down to check on Ladybug's progress. Partly because the park was devoid of tall structures, which gave her yoyo a distinct disadvantage against his baton.

The far edge of the park was little more than a picnic spot. Weathered wooden tables surrounded a few metal grills that were black with use. The lingering smell of charcoal and food mixed with the scent of the thousands of flowers that ringed around them. Blues and reds and oranges and pinks. He should learn what their names were and what they meant. Maybe then he could give some to Ladybug to send her a message she didn't understand either, and then they'd be even.

"Winner gets a reward!" Ladybug exclaimed, when she finally dropped down next to him, a little way away from the picnic tables, where the flowers had been allowed to take over the lawn.

"Oh? How about–"

"A flower crown! I bet I can make one."

It was probably a good thing she'd interrupted him. He was pretty sure the words "a kiss" were about to come out of his mouth, and that wouldn't have gone over well. He rubbed his hands over his face and looked away from Ladybug, who was struggling to weave stems together, her tongue poking out of her mouth and her forehead scrunched up in concentration. Adorably.

"Aha!" She held up three conjoined flowers, only for them to fall apart immediately. "Oh."

"It's okay," he said as Ladybug pouted at the three very unconnected flowers in her hands. "I don't need a crown to tell me how meow-velous I am."

"Hmm." She glanced over at him, eyes crinkling mischievously and with a smile that always meant trouble for him. "Can I braid them into your hair instead?"

"Uh." Alarm bells started going off in Chat Noir's brain, loud and incessant. Would he be able to handle having her that close? But she was already waddling closer to him on her knees, looking so intent on this new plan that he numbly nodded, and she settled herself behind him.

It was even worse than he'd expected.

Her body heat seeped into him where she leaned against him. The smell of her shampoo surrounded him. But the worst were her hands in his hair, gliding through the strands, fingers dragging lines along his scalp. He swallowed the rumbling purr that was building, but he couldn't help the flexing of his fingers against his thighs as he struggled with the idea of turning around and running his fingers through her hair too. And pulling her face close to his. And kissing her.

"Ooh! You look so good!"

He took a calming breath. Good. Not hot. Not handsome. Not even cute. Just good. A nice, friendly, neutral good.

He pushed down his fantasies harder. Being friendzoned was awful.

Ladybug grabbed his arm and pulled him around to face her. "Almost done!" And then she tucked a flower behind each ear, letting her fingers brush his hair out of the way and graze behind his jaw. Blazing heat followed her fingertips, pulsing and tingling as she adjusted the final flowers, and then swept across his cheek just below his mask as she said, "You look flushed. Are you okay?"

He choked out enough of an answer to deflect her suspicions (he hoped), and she mercifully pushed his shoulder until he was facing away from her again. He focused on each movement and shift behind him until she leaned forward and looped her right arm around him and lifted a flower to his lips. Like the it was kissing him for her.

"Smile!" she said as she held up her yoyo in her other hand.

Blue petals contrasted his black mask and blushing cheeks in their selfie. The first time she looked closely at the photo, she was definitely going to see how red his face was. For now, she didn't notice. Quickly declaring the picture, "perfect!" and pulling away from him, taking her warmth, her flower, and what felt like most of his sanity with her. She was definitely going to drive him crazy.

A/N: This chapter comes with art! Go check out Sketchy-panda on Tumblr!