Luna sat on a beam of the Eiffel Tower, taking in the night view. Her fingers worked her favorite puzzle box, but she didn't put any real heart or thought into it. The thief knew she should be fine tuning the details of her heist. The deadline she set for herself was only a couple days away. However, the original excitement she held for it was nearly gone now. Her teasing was going to get the wrong reaction from them. Anger and embarrassment led to mistakes; loathing led to determination. Not to mention, it wasn't nearly as fun to deal with. Ladybug would be on her at full force, which meant Chat wouldn't be up for any games, either. What a lovely little hole she'd dug herself into.

"Something on your mind?"

To her credit, Spades didn't jump. She did, however, mentally kick herself for letting the cat sneak up on her. She tucked her toy away and made sure her goggles were secure over her eyes.

"Fancy meeting you here, kitten," she said, not really looking at him. "What brings you out this late?"

"It's my night to pawtrol," Chat said with a grin. He sat crouched beside her, facing his city. "As a hero of Paris, it is my sworn duty to protect her from any and all scheming criminals."

"I see. Then, as one of these 'scheming criminals', I should make myself scarce. Getting caught isn't on the agenda, tonight."

Chat frowned at her cold words. For some reason, he didn't like how distant she was being. It wasn't like they were all that close to begin with. They barely knew each other at all. But as she got up to leave, all he could think was how much he wanted to see her smile again. Without realizing it, he grabbed her hand to stop her.

"Hold on a sec," he said. "I... um..." Dammit, why couldn't he think of anything clever?

Spades yanked her hand out of his grasp. "Second's up. Am I free to go now, officer?"

Chat pursed his lips. What the hell? "Are you always this much of a bitch?"

"What can I say? Most people just bring it out of me."

"I don't remember doing anything to deserve it."

Spades huffed. "What do you want from me, Chat? I'm just a tad bit pissy. Sue me."

He folded his arms, eyes narrowing. "Well, hey! Seeing as I'm now your punching bag for the evening, think you can at least tell me why?"

"How about you bite me?"

"Fine!" Chat raised his hands in defeat. "Sorry I asked."

Spades took a deep breath. She wasn't being fair to him; she knew that. The thief sat back down, rubbing her temples. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I don't really like sharing my feelings."

Chat watched her for a moment. Sighing, he plopped back down beside her in his signature crouch. "You know, I'm told bottling it in isn't all that good for you."

"No offense, kitten, but I don't know you well enough to want to spill my guts."

Chat frowned. "Okay, so you just need to know me a bit better then, right? Shouldn't be too hard."

She raised a brow at him. "You really willing to spill all your secrets, kitten?"

"We'll stick to the harmless stuff," he said with a wink.

"Like what?"

He thought for a moment. "Well, I'll be sixteen in the fall. I'm currently going to public school, and most girls find me irrrrresistable." He purred into her ear, enticing a giggle. A grin spread across his face. There was that smile he wanted.

"Is that so?" The thief asked, resting a cheek in her palm.

"Hey, I can't help my greatness. They're totally attracted to my killer bod." Spades laughed as he flexed. Chat watched her from the corner of his eye. It was weird for some reason. For the life of him, he couldn't ever remember making someone laugh by just... well... being Chat. Ladybug may have cracked a smirk at his antics every now and then, but deep down he knew she was just humoring him. He wasn't used to someone openly enjoying his presence.

"Well, while all that's interesting, kitten, I don't think it's enough for me to trust you," Spades said.

"Ask me something, then. If I think it's harmless enough, I'll answer it."

She stuck her tongue out as she thought. "Alright. Why be a superhero?"

Chat raised a brow. "I was chosen to. The city was in danger, and I was given the power to protect it."

"Yeah, but why did you accept it? You could've said no, right?"

"I never really thought about it. When I got my Miraculous, I kind of just ran with it, you know?" He eased out of his crouch, letting one leg dangle over the edge. "My civilian life is actually pretty restricting. Everything is more or less mapped out for me, and I have no say in it. Being Chat lets me escape from that. Even just for a little bit."

He felt her eyes on him as he played with his ring. Her silence made him wonder if he should have kept what he said to himself. It felt good to actually talk about it, though. Maybe Ladybug had a point. When the silence dragged on, Chat gave the thief a little nudge.

"Okay, my turn to ask." She pulled a face. "Hey, it's not fair if I'm the only one spilling all my dirty little secrets. We can even keep the same rules. What do you think?"

Spades sighed as she contemplated it. "Alright. What do you want to know?"

"Hmm... okay. Same question for you. Why be a thief?"

"Family business," she said with a shrug. "I mean, it's not like I was pressured into it or anything..." Her eyes grew distant. "The Thief of Spades is more or less a mantle that gets passed from generation to generation. My dad used to do it, and I always thought it was the coolest thing ever. Growing up, I wanted to be just like him. I'd collect news scraps of all his heists. I'd pester him every night to teach me how to pick locks and bypass security systems. He was always so happy to teach me. By twelve, I knew how to hot wire and drive almost every kind of vehicle."

Jealousy rose in Adrien's chest. It seemed like everyone else was getting the one thing he wanted. "I wish my dad was like that."

Spades gave him an understanding smile. "I take it he's your dictator?"

"His word is law in my house." Chat sighed. "I love the man, but ever since... I can't-"

"-touchy subject," she said, cutting him off. "I get it."

"Thanks..."

She nudged his arm. "Your turn, then."

He ran a hand through his hair, studying her for a bit. "Why'd you come to Paris?"

"Well..." Spades grimaced. She thought about not answering, but couldn't really see the harm in it. "I got myself into a bit of trouble overseas. I came her to basically lay low for a bit."

"Okay wait. So your definition of 'laying low' is to come to Paris, announce your presence, flirt with two well known superheroes, and challenge in a way that's sure to get the whole city paying attention?"

Spades fought a grin. "Yeah, um, I actually lost my dictionary a while back? Not really familiar with the term."

The two shared a laugh. Chat looked out at his city, taking a deep breath. "It's getting pretty late. I should probably get back to my patrol."

"Oh, no you don't!" The thief said. "You fired two questions in a row. I think I'm owed one."

He chuckled. "Alright. Shoot."

"Do you make a habit out of cheering up girls?"

Chat's grin widened. "Only the ones I like."

"Ooo, a charmer. No wonder you can't keep the ladies off of you."

"What can I say? I am just that clawsome," he snickered.

She giggled. "Alright, Catsanova, simmer down."

"Oh, that one's good. Totally using it."

"I would be insulted if you didn't, kitten."

Chat beamed. A voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Plagg reminded him that he had a job to do. He didn't want this to stop, though. It felt like he had just found something he didn't realize he was missing in his life. He feared that if he let it go, he wouldn't be able to get it back. Either the thief had read his mind, or she was thinking the same thing.

"Will you be out tomorrow?" She asked.

He shook his head. "Tomorrow is Milady's watch. But I do believe we have a date planned for the next day."

"Eh, I don't know. I have a feeling I'll just end up being a third wheel. Besides, we wouldn't want your owner to be jealous of me."

Chat didn't miss the sad note in her voice. Thinning his lips, he thought back to earlier. Was the slap why she had been upset? He rubbed his neck.

"Hey, um... I heard that you helped Ladybug with the akuma today," he said.

She snorted a laugh. "Not really. I was more of a nuisance than anything else."

"You saved a civilian, though. That's gotta count for something."

"Maybe." Spades stretched. "But I think I'll leave the superheroing to the professionals."

The hero smiled as she stood. "Still, though. Thank you."

"Don't mention it. And try not to make a habit out of being late." She started to climb down only to stop. "Oh, and you might want to check your pockets when you get home."

"Why?" He asked, frowning.

"Just trust me on it."

With a wink, the thief disappeared over the edge. Chat frowned at her words, trying to figure out what she could've meant. Just as he was about to get up and leave, himself, Spades popped back into his view. All he could manage was a surprised "hey" before a pair of lips on his own cut him off. His eyes went wide, and his breath hitched. It couldn't have lasted more than a few seconds, but to Chat, time seemed to stop. The thief pulled back with a sigh, licking her lips.

"Damn. Kind of regret turning you down, now."

The model's brain stopped working for a bit. "Wha?"

Spades just chuckled. "See ya around, kitten."

Chat watched her make her descent again, still trying to wrap his head around the kiss she stole. "Yeah... see ya..." He murmured. He touched his lips as a small blush started to form. He could still taste her. Like mint and strawberries.

The rest of the night went by in a blur. Chat managed to finish his patrol despite his obvious distraction. When he finally made it back home, he detransformed and collapsed face first on his bed. He would've been content in staying just like that if his kwami hadn't been pulling on his hair.

"Adrieeeeeeen! I need cheeeeeese!" Plagg whined. Groaning, the boy forced himself to get up and silence the creature. He set a plate of camembert on the bed and watched the kwami devour every morsel. Once again, his fingers traced his lips as his mind wandered. He was so out of it that he barely noticed Plagg speak to him around a mouthful of foul smelling cheese.

"Huh?" He asked, blinking down at the cat-like creature.

Plagg swallowed before speaking again. "I said you're obsessing again."

Adrien rolled his eyes. "I am not."

"Can't fool me, kid. She's really starting to mess with your head."

"It's not that big a deal, Plagg."

"It isn't?" The cat god floated up to stare his chosen in the eye. "Kid, this girl is dangerous. What if she knows who you are?"

"How could she possibly have found out?" Adrien asked. "Isn't my identity protected by magic or something?"

Plagg folded his arms. "That magic only goes so far. Think about it. What did she say before she left?"

Adrien frowned. "She told me to check my pockets. But I would've noticed it if she'd put something on me, right?"

"Just like you noticed when she put that card on your back? Or when she took your wallet, earlier?"

The model paled. His wallet! He quickly fumbled into his pockets, praying he hadn't been that stupid. When he finally got it out, he leafed through the folds and froze.

"Oh no," he breathed out.

"What is it?" Plagg asked, trying to look inside.

Adrien didn't speak. Instead, he pulled out the playing cards he had kept tucked inside. He had been dumb enough to keep them on him at school, mostly because he didn't want Natalie finding them in his room while he was out. Of course she had seen them! She had to have recognized them, too! Sure, one of them could've been explained away, but not the first one. Spades had given the ace directly to Chat. He fanned them out and found another had been added to his stash. The Three of Spades sat nestled in between the two others, matching them exactly.

If the thief wasn't already the death of him, then Ladybug was going to skin him alive.