Her lips were smooth. Chat Noir could almost taste the bakery's chocolate treats and a hint of mint with every movement her lips made against his. He was sure mint chocolate was now his new favorite flavor.

Marinette was kissing him back. Never in his life did he expect to want to kiss someone other than Ladybug, but here he was, kissing and hoping for more of Marinette Dupain Cheng.

Her lips were soft and delicate. They brought a warmth that simply Chat couldn't describe. They felt at HOME!

Chat Noir couldn't explain it, but he was one to follow his heart, and at that time, his heart wanted nothing more than to taste the bluenette's lips. He wished to have Marinette in his arms all night long. Before he knew it, his body had reacted on its own.

Chat Noir kissed Marinette with all the want in the world.

Chat Noir did not think of what this could mean, but at that moment, he didn't want to. All he wanted was to make this moment last forever.

He expected her to push him away, slap him and tell him that she never wanted to see him again, but she didn't. Marinette was kissing him back! Her soft, plump lips were moving against his, returning the same if not more love and care he was.

It was a dream! It simply had to be because Chat Noir couldn't understand how another girl other than Ladybug had to power to make him so weak in the knees. The was no way his heart could pound this quick. There was no way it could have moved on from Ladybug so fast and even less that Marinette Dupain Cheng would allow someone to kiss her the way he was.

But yet, it felt so real. Her lips, touch, smell, everything was all very real for Chat Noir. If this was a dream, then he never wanted to wake up. With Marinette was the only place he wanted to be.

But what if it wasn't a dream? What if it was real, and he was here, kissing his shy classmate, Marinette? Would she hate him for kissing her? What if this was her first real kiss ass well, and he took it from her? His first real kiss. The other was due to akumas, and he couldn't remember, but this one? This one was real. If this was not a dream, Marinette Dupain Cheng had been his first real kiss, but was he hers?

What if this was a dream? How could he look her in the eyes again, knowing he wanted nothing more than for the kiss to be his reality?

*beep, beep, beep*

The teens jumped away the second the sound of Chat Noir's miraculous rang loudly. Once again, signaling his shortness of time.

Both Chat Noir looked away from each other, embarrassed. Neither one could believe what had just occurred. If you asked either teen a week ago if they could imagine kissing each other, they would have probably laughed and called you crazy, yet here they were, neither one being able to look each other in the eyes.

Chat Noir watched as the young designer touched her swollen lips in shock. It was clear that she was attempting to process everything in her head. Unlike Marinette, Chat Noir did not need to process what had happened. He knew what he had done, exactly. In fact, he was struggling to keep himself from diving in for another kiss.

Chat Noir scratched the back of his neck nervously as his eyes met Marinette's bluebell ones. He had no idea what she was thinking. Was she angry, or did she feel the same? Not knowing what to do or say, Chat decided to follow his Cat like instincts. He was going to run.

"Marinette, I d- I'm sorry," he mumbled before opening her hatch and vaulting out of her room and into the night.

_______________________________________________________

Plagg watched as Adrien paced in his room with worry and confusion. He almost felt bad for the kid. If only he knew that his heart was only leading his body to his soulmate.

"Kid,"

"I kissed her, Plagg! I just kissed Marinette! I don't even know why I did it, but I- I," Adrien interrupted but soon hesitated.

"You liked it!" Plagg finished his holder's sentence. Upon the kwami's words, Adrien halted, turning to look at him guiltily. No matter how hard he was to try to deny it, the truth was that he did like it. In fact, he loved every second of it.

Plagg watched as the blonde bit his lip and shily nodded. There was no point in lying. Plagg knew him better than he knew himself.

"I-I did," he admitted. "I don't know how or when it happened, but I-" once again, Adrien hesitated. How could this be happening to him? At what moment did his heart decide to turn on him? He promised Ladybug eternal love, and he still loved her, but it was as if now another girl was taking over his heart.

No! He couldn't like Marinette. He just couldn't. He was simply confused. Yes, that was it! He was confused because of all her kind words. He wasn't thinking clearly. That had to be it. He must have confused her with Ladybug. Right?

"You what, kid?" Plagg asked, genuinely wondering what his holder was about to say.

"Nothing, Plagg. I am sure I'm just confused. I am going to bed. Goodnight, Plagg."

___________________________________________

Marinette screamed as she covered her face with her pillow. She didn't know what the heck she was feeling. Chat Noir had kissed her. HER! Marinette Dupain Cheng, not Ladybug, but her. And she kissed him back!

What was she thinking? She had never wanted to kiss Chat Noir before, but when he kissed her, she couldn't help but respond to it. It felt right.

But why is that? They had kissed before only out of necessity. To break spells or recover from memory loss and as Ladybug, but not today. Today, she had willingly given Chat Noir her first real kiss. CHAT NOIR, NOT ADRIEN!

"AHH," she yelled again. How could she be so stupid? How could she do this to Adrien?

"Marinette," Tikki tried to speak but was quickly interrupted but her holder's breakdown.

"I know, Tikki, I messed up. He kissed me, and I- I don't know what came over me, but Tikki, it felt so- It felt like I- Ahh, I don't know!"

"Marinette, are you starting to have feelings for Chat Noir?" Tikki asked, genuinely wondering.

Marinette took a moment to think. She wanted to say No right away, but would that be the truth? Was she starting to have feelings for her feline partner? Marinette had to admit she was beginning to see Chat in a new light. Something was different. Something was happening between the two. Something she couldn't explain yet, but what was it?

Marinette bit her lip as she looked at Tikki and then her walls. It was almost as if the pictures of Adrien looked back at her. She felt guilty for kissing Chat. She loved Adrien, she was sure of it, but she had to admit kissing Chat Noir felt right. What was happening to her? She was so confused.

"N-no. At least, I don't think so. I- I don't know. Tikki, I am in love with Adrien, you know that. What happened with Chat tonight w-was a spur of the moment, or I don't know, but I am sure Chat didn't mean to kiss me. He loves Ladybug, not me. We were both a bit emotional, and we got confused. Chat is just a friend, Tikki."

At this point, Marinette did not know if this was the honest truth or if she was lying to both Tikki and herself, but she was beginning to feel emotionally exhausted. She would think about it later.

"Well, good!" Tikki responded, feeling annoyed. She knew her holder was confused, but she would never admit that. It was her job to give her the push she needed.

"What?"

"I said that you not having feelings for Chat Noir is a good thing. Marinette, you are Ladybug and the Guardian of the Miracle box. You have a mission to protect Paris. Chat Noir can't keep coming around here. It is dangerous. If he keeps coming around here, it is only a matter of time before he figures out your identity and place you both in danger. Marinette, you need to stop seeing him as your civilian self," Tikki informed, crossing her arms and studying her holder's reaction.

"What? Tikki, I can't. I refuse to leave him on his own. He needs me. I am not going to stop seeing him. I am sure he is careful when he comes here. I trust him, and, I will also be careful, I promise," Marinette responded defensively.

"Marinette!"

"No, Tikki! I am the guardian. I know what I am doing. Just trust me, okay? Chat Noir needs someone right now, and I will be there for him as long as he needs me. I will be careful. I always am, but I will stop seeing him."

Marinette did not know what had gotten into her, but she refused to do as Tikki said. As the guardian, she knew Tikki was absolutely right, and the risk of Chat Noir finding out her identity grew the more he made his presence known, but she was finding it hard to care.

Marinette wanted to continue seeing Chat Noir. The thought of not spending time with the leathered hero shattered her.

Tikki shook her head. Her holder didn't even see what was happening to her.

Images of their kiss played in her mind. The way his arms wrapped around her figure and he held her close. The way his lips molded onto hers was almost magical. Marinette wondered what Chat Noir felt when he kissed her the way he did. Did he mean it? He loved Ladybug, didn't he? Why did he kiss her? Why did she let him?

Marinette bit her lip again. She should have pushed him. She should have told him she loved Adrien, but she didn't. She didn't do anything. Instead, she kissed him back, and it felt great. That was what confused her the most. The fact that she liked it.

Tikki watched as Marinette touched her lips for the fourth time since Chat Noir's departure and sighed. It wasn't that she wasn't happy that this was happening because she was, but not like this. Her holder claimed that she had no feelings for her clawed-leathered partner, but the smile on her face as she touched her lips claimed something completely different. Her confusion would not end well, and she knew it.

Tikki had no problem with the two heroes being in a relationship as they were soulmates, but she knew they were not ready. Before the two could love each other, they needed to love and accept every part of themselves and each other. Sadly, the teens were still far from that.

Marinette thought that Ladybug was nothing but a fictional part of her. Someone made up, simply unreal, but that was not true. The thing that Marinette failed to understand was that the miraculous only gave her special abilities. The Ladybug part was all her. She was Ladybug with or without the mask.

As for Adrien? Well, he thought Chat Noir was the real him, but that was indeed not true. While turning into Chat Noir gave him a sense of freedom that was not the real him. He had yet to understand that Adrien was as much part of him as Chat Noir was. Adrien enjoyed exceeding and following rules. He enjoyed being good at many things. He was Chat Noir, but he was also Adrien.

In the end, the two were not ready to love each other as they still did not fully love themselves. It didn't help that Hawkmoth was only growing stronger. He now held more miraculous than before. While the two heroes managed to get a few of the miraculous back, they were still far from winning this battle. Hawkmoth would capitalize on any mistake they made. Now was not the time to be distracted. Paris depended on them. Without them, Paris would be doomed.

At this point, All that Tikki could hope for was the best.

"Oh, Marinette, I really hope you know what you are doing."