True Love Kiss

14 - Rooftop date

He probably beat the world record in rooftop running. He ran the distance between the Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame Cathedral in less than he could understand. He had done his job during the photo session, then he excused with his homework and disappeared in the air. Officially, he took a taxi back home. In fact – he ran headlong to his date with Ladybug.

He hoped she checked her voicemail and agreed to wait for him a bit longer. But until he didn't stand at the rooftop of the cathedral and didn't see her sitting there – curled up with arms around her knees, as a week ago, on Valentine's Day – he didn't dare to believe in that hope.

"You see? You managed..." she greeted him with a half-smile.

He sighed with a relief. No wry "You're late", "I was about to leave", "Finally..." No, she welcomed him, as if she didn't mind his being late, but was happy that he managed to come anyway.

"I hate my civilian life." He replied, approaching her.

"Don't say that." She stood up.

"It complicates my love life." He added, embracing her tight.

"You've come. And that's all that matters. You know..." she hesitated. "I really believed that you'd come. You've never let me down yet." She said plunging her hands in his hair.

Cat Noir's heart stopped for a moment. Another evidence. Another trail. Another proof that Marinette was Ladybug. He froze with his face close to her face. Ladybug looked at him in surprise. She would have expected a kiss a long time ago, while Cat Noir stopped the millimetres from her lips, apparently experiencing some dilemmas.

"Hey, are you okay?" She asked in a whisper.

"Today I was really afraid that it would be the first time I let you down."

"Unnecessarily. I checked my voicemail, heard your message. Even though I watched the sunset alone you appeared only a little late. You missed a beautiful view by the way."

He sighed. If only she knew. He also watched this picturesque sunset. After all, the entire photo session took place on its background.

Ladybug was still staring at him intently. And she still didn't get a kiss. Concerned, she asked again:

"Surely nothing happened? Cat, you behave strangely..."

"To whom did you send this Valentine card a week ago?" He asked frankly before he thought. For the second time that same day, he blurted something that he hadn't thought about completely. Or rather something that he would never ask directly in his life.

"Cat..." she sighed in reply and moved back from him. "I can't tell you. But you don't have to be jealous."

"But... It's not the point..."

"So, what's the point?"

That was the thing he couldn't tell her. He would reveal his identity, and she would never forgive him if he did. How should he ask her if that Valentine was from her? She sent it as a civilian girl, not as Ladybug. And in addition to his civilian self, not to him as Cat Noir. It was so tangled!

"Don't be jealous of that Valentine card." She whispered, embracing him tighter.

"I'm not."

"I feel something has happened." she remarked anxiously.

"I..." he hesitated. "I think I know who you are..."

She looked at him in shock. In her eyes he could see a million questions like "How?", "When?" And yet he heard:

"And that's why you haven't kissed me yet?"

He glanced at her uncertainly. Was she joking? He smiled with a half-smile.

"On the contrary." he muttered.

"So, what's the problem?"

That Marinette doesn't love Adrien... he thought sadly, but he was silent. He couldn't tell her that. Instead, he could finally kiss her. And forget about this conversation. It was better that it stayed as it was. Ladybug was right – they shouldn't know their identities.