Cat Noir pulls Marinette closer as they continue kissing. They're both so into it before they realize what's happening. Eyes wide, Marinette jumps back and climbs off Cat Noir. "I am so sorry!"
"No, I'm sorry." Cat Noir forgets he's not Adrien at the moment. He shouldn't be kissing Marinette. "It was my fault."
"I can't believe I just did that!" Marinette shakes her head. "No! I did not just cheat on Adrien!"
Cat Noir wants to laugh at the irony of the situation. Technically, it wasn't cheating, but he couldn't tell her that. Telling her he's Cat Noir would only put her in danger, as Plagg keeps reminding him. "Mari-"
"I-I can't believe I did that." She starts crying. "Adrien's going to hate me."
"No, Mari." Cat Noir steps forward and grabs her hand. "Adrien could never hate you."
"Adrien's probably sitting in his room worried about me and I'm out here kisssing other guys!" Marinette lets go of Cat Noir's hand and leans against the railing. The sky turning to a dark gray. "I'm such a horrible person."
Cat Noir stands behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You can't blame yourself."
"Why not?" She turns to glare at him. "I kissed you, Cat Noir. Not the other way around."
"We're both just confused."
Marinette turns her back to Cat Noir, afraid to look at him. "How am I supposed to tell Adrien? I mean everything to him and I just ruined everything." She snaps. "Like that. Ugh! Why do I have to destroy everything I touch? I'm such a disaster. But I have to tell him. I can't keep another secret from him."
She's referring to Ladybug. "Do you have to tell, Adrien?"
"Of course I do, Cat Noir. Adrien deserves to know." Marinette looks down at the empty streets of Paris. "I just don't know how I'm going to do it in person if his dad won't let him out of the house."
No matter what Cat Noir said, he couldn't convince Marinette that she wasn't in the wrong; she was just misled.
"Please, Cat Noir. I can't look at you right now."
Cat Noir sighs. "I understand, Princess." He grabs her hand, and she doesn't pull back. "I hope this doesn't change anything between us. I'd go insane without these midnight balcony visits."
"I just need some time to breath. To clear my head, Cat Noir." Marinette finally faces him. "You can come back later. I promise I'll let you in." Smiling, she steps forward and hugs him. He gives her a salute before the cat jumps off the railing.
Tikki flies out. "Marinette!"
"I know, Tikki!" She covers her face with her hands. "I kissed Cat Noir! I'm a horrible person. Adrien will be so crushed"
Tikki pats Marinette's head. She wants more than anything to tell her the truth, but she doesn't. She can't. The kwami closes her eyes and rests her little head against her owner's wet cheek. "I'm sorry, Marinette."
"Cat Noir and I have just gotten so close after Evillustrator and our midnight balcony visits." Marinette faces the city. "I need to clear my head. I need to see Adrien. Staying here won't help. Tikki, spots on!" She transforms into Ladybug, using her yo-yo to jump from building to building. She had to see if Adrien was okay. Keeping her yo-yo sturdy, she lowers herself outside Adrien's window.
Adrien sits at his desk, staring at a picture of Marinette on his computer. He sees Ladybug's reflection in the screen and spins around. "Ladybug?!"
Startled, Ladybug lets go of her yo-yo and falls through Adrien's open window, landing directly on her face. "Ow..."
"Are you okay?" Adrien runs over and helps Ladybug stand. "Ladybug-"
"I'm fine, Adrien." Ladybug straightens her shoulders.
He raises an eyebrow at her, asking, "What are you doing here, Ladybug?"
Ladybug hadn't planned on getting caught. "I heard it was your birthday and wanted to come celebrate in person. You know, since I wasn't invited to your party." She fakes a laugh. It wasn't the worst lie. "Happy birthday, Adrien."
"Thanks, Ladybug." Adrien's happy to see Marinette, mask or no mask. "And don't even worry about the invitation. My party was a complete disaster." He sits down on his bed, frowning. "The first party my father lets me have in years and it's ruined before the day's even over."
Ladybug walks over and sits beside him. She's been so focused on herself that she didn't realize Adrien's birthday was ruined. And it was Marinette's fault. "I'm so sorry, Adrien."
"It just would've been nice if one thing went right in my life." Adrien turns and faces Ladybug. Their faces are inches apart. "I bet your life is perfect, being a superhero and all."
Don't cry, Marinette. Do not start crying in front of Adrien as Ladybug. "Superheros aren't perfect, after all. We make mistakes. Ones that we deeply regret, even if we can never take the moment back."
Adrien leans in closer. "I can't see you making a mistake, Ladybug. You're absolutely perfect."
"Adrien..." She decides for a moment if now's the right time to come clean about everything. Her secret identity and her kiss with Cat Noir. But staring into his emerald eyes, so full of light, she didn't dare be the one to break that. At least not yet. Adrien's lips are so close.
So close that we can just-
In a second, Ladybug and Adrien are kissing, scooting closer to one another. Adrien cups her face as she wraps an arm around his neck. Her eyes widen and she stands up fast. Not again! "Oh! Oh! Adrien, I'm so sorry. I don't know why-"
"No, it's okay, Ladybug." Adrien grabs her hand. "It's okay."
Ladybug steps back. "No it's not, Adrien. You have a girlfriend." And I have a boyfriend. You are my boyfriend. "I'm sorry. I have to go now. Happy birthday, Adrien."
"Wait! Ladybug!" Adrien chases after her as she leaps out his window.
Plagg flies over, ready to tease Adrien. "Wow. First Marinette. Now Ladybug? Got a bit of whiplash, Adrien?"
"Stop it, Plagg. This is serious. You know they're the same person." Adrien's eyes widen. "Wait! It's perfect!"
"What, you kissing Ladybug?" Plagg rolls his eyes. "I have to admit, you could improve in some areas."
Adrien glares at his kwami. "Not that, Plagg. I mean about Marinette feeling bad about kissing Cat Noir. I'll just confess first that I kissed Ladybug, then she'll confess about Cat Noir, and we'll agree to put this behind us and move on."
Plagg blinks twice at Adrien. "That actually makes sense to you?"
"Why wouldn't it, Plagg?"
"Try to see if from Marinette's perspective." Plagg clears his throat. "She doesn't know you're Cat Noir. She thinks Adrien and Cat Noir are two different people. You know she's Ladybug and Marinette. So when you kissed them both, it wasn't technically cheating, but Marinette doesn't know that you know that she's Ladybug. So she thinks she actually cheated. And now you just had to go and kiss Ladybug as Adrien and now she's going to think Adrien's cheating on her, too."
"That was too many words for my head to process at once," Adrien admits, pouting.
Plagg rolls his eyes again. "Basically Marinette's gonna think you're both cheaters and don't belong together. That you don''t deserve each other. She's going to break up with you, Adrien."
"But... But I love her."
"Well, you shouldn't have kissed her as Cat Noir! Then we wouldn't be in this mess."
Adrien falls back on his bed. "What should I do, Plagg? Should I come clean about everything?"
"If you tell Marinette you know she's Ladybug, you're going to have to tell her you're Cat Noir." Plagg takes a bite out of cheese, adding, "And the world would probably end."
"I just need to convince Marinette that we're still good together. That we work. I don't care that she kissed Cat Noir. I mean, I'm Cat Noir. And she shouldn't care that she kissed me as Ladybug." Adrien sits up and grabs his phone.
"What are you doing?"
He dials Marinette's number. "I'm calling Marinette." She doesn't answer. He tries again. "She's still not answering me."
"She's probably off being Ladybug somewhere."
***
Marinette sits on her bed, holding Tikki in her hands. "I can't believe Ladybug kissed Adrien! I mean, I kissed Adrien!" She hides her face in her pillow, muttering, "I kissed Cat Noir and Adrien kissed Ladybug. We basically cheated on each other. Except Adrien doesn't know I'm Ladybug." Tikki doesn't say anything. "So, everything should be fine, right, Tikki? Adrien will have to get over me kissing Cat Noir and I'll forget about him kissing Ladybug. But it still hurts that he would kiss another girl..."
"You are the other girl, Marinette!" Tikki points out. "But also like how you kissed Cat Noir?"
Marinette sighs. "Yeah. That was stupid of me." She sits up. "Adrien keeps calling me, but I don't know what to say to him."
"Ask Adrien to sneak out and meet you at the Eiffel Tower."
"What?!" Marinette looks at Tikki. "Adrien, sneak out? If his father found out he'd lock him in his room forever."
"You know Adrien would do anything to see you, Marinette."
"You're right, Tikki. After the whole sentimonster disaster, we haven't had a chance to really talk. He's probably really worried about me." Marinette climbs off her bed, dialing Adrien's number.
Adrien picks up on the first ring. "Marinette!"
"Adrien. Will you meet me at the Eiffel Tower tonight? I really need to talk to you."
"Of course." Adrien smiles to himself. "Anything for you, Marinette." She melts into the sound of his voice and grins. "I'm so sorry about my father and my party earlier. I was so worried about you, but my father wouldn't let me leave."
"I'm sorry I ruined your party."
"What?" He asks, confused. "It wasn't you. It was that sentimonster."
"Yeah, I know, but..." Marinette sits down on her chaise, hugging a pillow. "I wish your dad hadn't got so mad."
"Mari, none of this is your fault." Adrien wanted to just jump out his window and go see her. But Cat Noir's already had enough of Marinette for one day. "It wasn't your fault. I don't know why that sentimonster was created, but you can't blame yourself."
She starts to smile, but frowns when she remembers her secret about Cat Noir. "How soon do you think you can sneak out and meet me?"
"Consider me there already."
"Alright. See you soon." Marinette hangs up. "I'm going to tell him everything."
"Everything?" Tikki asks. "Even-"
"I don't know about Ladybug yet. I'm still considering other things." Marinette throws on a beige coat over her clothes, tying the belt in the front. She brushes her hair, leaving it down. "Do you think Adrien and I belong together?"
Tikki smiles. "Of course. You and Adrien are soulmates."
"Even after I kissed Cat Noir and he kissed Ladybug?"
"Yes, Marinette." Tikki pouts. "You both just made a mistake."
"Cheating ins't a mistake, Tikki. It's a choice. I chose to kiss Cat Noir."
"In your defense, you and Cat Noir have gotten really close, especially after he saved you from Evillustrator again." Tikki taps Marinette's face. "Besides, Cat Noir's really flirty. You can't help but be charmed by him."
Smirking, Marinette asks, "Are you talking about Cat Noir or Plagg?"
Tikki blushes, flying to hide in Marinette's purse. Marinette laughs and heads downstairs. Her parents are asleep on the couch while a movie continues playing. She kisses their foreheads before leaving. She walks to the Eiffel Tower, putting her hands in her pockets as a chilly breeze washes over her. She spots Adrien already waiting for her. He's holding a pink rose. Adrien finally sees her and waves to Marinette. She waves back.
"This is for you." Adrien hands Marinette the rose. "Your favorite, right?"
Marinette nods and lifts the rose to smell it. "Yeah. My favorite."
They're both quiet, neither one not knowing what to say. Adrien clears his throat, scratching the back of his neck.
"I kissed Ladybug."
"I kissed Cat Noir."