Marinette wrapped her arms around herself as a cool breeze drifted over the rooftop. Paris glittered below, soft and gold, but her mind felt tangled and heavy.
She hated lying to Adrien. Every time she dodged a question, every time she pretended she wasn’t rushing off to save the city, it carved another tiny crack in her heart. And yet… she loved him. She always had. That quiet, steady ache never really faded.

But what confused her most was the warmth blooming in her chest every time Chat Noir smiled at her — the kind that crept up on her when she least expected it, like a sunrise she didn’t mean to watch.

She sighed and shook her head.
What is wrong with me?

“You look like you’re thinking hard enough to melt the Eiffel Tower.”

Marinette jumped, spinning around.

Chat Noir stood there at the edge of the roof, balanced comfortably on the railing as if gravity didn’t apply to him. His smile was soft, not his usual dramatic grin — the kind he used only when things mattered.

“H-How long have you been there?” she stammered, pressing a hand to her racing heart.

“Long enough to know you’re beating yourself up again,” he said, gently hopping down. “You shouldn’t do that. You’re too kind to everyone else to be so cruel to yourself.”

Marinette swallowed.
Kind. Right. If only he knew how many secrets she was keeping.