This whole scenario reminded Marinette of the plethora of times Chat Noir had confessed his love to her when she was Ladybug. To Ladybug, not her. Now he likes the real her instead?

It was a strange feeling. Relief?

He has learned to love both parts of her without even knowing it. Well technically he hates her as Ladybug now but still.

It seemed like her heart had skipped a beat when she thought of that. He liked Marinette.

"I know we don't have many interactions, me being a super hero and all. Not many times have the two of us have been in the same place together. However, ever since that letter- I Uh mean," he stopped for a moment and blushed, "let's just say at some point, there was something that made me see you differently, in a different light"

Marinette could only imagine how red her face was. Chat Noir was just confessing to her again but something about it was different this time. Her perspective and feelings about it was different. Maybe she should give Chat a chance.

No.

There's multiple reasons as to why she can't.

Excluding the fact that he hates her as ladybug right now, there's no way they can do that without revealing their identity to each other. Doing that would ruin everything. What they are doing is super dangerous, adding the slightest chance of their identity being revealed can put both of them in even more danger. Compromise them as heroes.

Besides, maybe he doesn't really like her. Perhaps it was just a small feeling he had before it was magnified to the hundredth degree. Along with his hated for her.

It was just like when Nathaniel was akumatized. As The Evillustrator, he had strong feelings for Marinette and stronger feelings of hate towards Chloe.

Or maybe it was nothing at all, just a small illusion to keep going on his part.

Now Marinette felt a little dumb for her previous feelings. Now this nice persona Chat Blanc displayed to her felt a little fake. Not that he was insincere or anything, but it wasn't real.

"Chat..." Marinette said a little disappointed.

Chat Blanc paused as if he could already tell where she was going to go with her words. The little twinkle in his eye disappeared. However, Marinette couldn't bring herself to continue.

Chat let go of her hands gently and leaned of the railing on her balcony, looking back out on to the city.

"All my life, I felt alone. Isolated. And unable to be who I wanted to be. Truly be myself. I don't play some character when I am Chat Noir. Chat Noir is who I really am. My only chance to be me." He said somberly."

"But you're not Chat Noir anymore", Marinette added. "You've been akumatized Chat"

"And what's wrong with that?!" He snapped as he whipped his head around to face her. That didn't stop her though.

"Everything! You're the very thing that you swore you'd never be. The very thing you fight against and protect the people of Paris from. The thing you've saved ME from" Marinette said desperately, hoping that even a little bit of him would understand.

"I'm not hurting anyone! Why does it matter?" He said with a bit of attitude. Clearly annoyed by the turn of the conversation.

"You're akumatized. You're working and following Hawk Moths bidding. Don't think people haven't witness you fighting with Ladybug-"

He cut her off, "that's none of your business!"

Chat Blanc angrily marched towards her, Marinette couldn't help but back up in response. She forgot how small her balcony was until she found herself already backing up into the bars of the railing. She was stuck here with him, and she pissed him off.

Way to go Marinette.

When he reached her, he spread out his arms out on either side of her, gripping on to the rails behind her. Forcing her to be smushed between them and his body. He was very very close to her.

Suddenly the expression on his face changed.

Chat Blanc leaned his face towards hers to look at her hair. He raised his right hand from her side and gently held onto a chunk of her hair that was very close to her face. He just looked down at it, as if to inspect every inch and detail of it.

"Lady bug... isn't as great as everyone thinks".

What.

Marinette felt a little sting in her heart. After all, she is ladybug.

Chat watched as he let the strands of hair fall between his fingers. When there was nothing left in them, his eyes moved to gaze upon her face.

For a moment, she forgot how close his face was to hers until she found her self looking straight into his eyes as he looked into hers.

"Chat..." She said, a little confused.

"...Marinette" he said back but instead his voice was soft when he spoke to her.

And with that one word, the whole tone of the situation had switched once again. His anger seemed to have left him as he look back down to her. His eyes moved slightly. From her own eyes down to her lips.

Marinette could feel her heart start pounding and the heat from her cheeks.

Was he about to...?

That same hand he used to hold her hair moved to touch her face.

And he moved even closer.

He was so close. Any closer and they would be touching. Their lips would be touching. Instead he was just hovering over hers. Hesitating to move any further.

Marinette took this moment to clear her head and raise her hands to his chest, to gently push Chat away from her.

In response, he looked disappointed as he put his own hands around hers, keeping them to his chest.

"This is wrong..." Marinette whispered.

She couldn't bring herself to look up at him.

"You are akumatized... Everyone knows that means you are but a minion for Hawk Moth. Used to cause destruction and chaos, to obtain the hero's miraculous and put everyone in danger" she explained.

He didn't say anything back. Not sass or any angry words either. Just silent.

"You are not of you're free will, how am I supposed to know if all of this isn't just a lie? Your kindness towards me, I mean", a part of her refused to say what it actually was. "You are putting my family and I in danger just by being here."

Marinette finally dared to look up and face the boy before her but he wasn't looking at her. He was looking out at the city once more as if deep in thought. It seemed like a thing everyone did, it is an easier thing to do instead of face what's right in front of you.

Yet he did not let her hands go.

Marinette sighed, assuming none of her words were getting through to him. "Remember the time you save me from the Evillustrator as Chat Noir? A villain that claimed to love me but would so easily turn around and hurt someone else? This... is exactly like that."

No reply again. Was he just not listening to her?

She tried to move her hands away to try and walk away but her just held onto them tighter. It was like she was being handcuffed to him.

"Chat?" She said softly.

He looked down at her hands and raised them to hold his own face. He closed his eyes as he leaned into them, like a cat who wants to be petted and loved.

"I'm not working for Hawk Moth" he said quietly with his eyes still closed.

What?? How is that possible? Then who-

"Everything I'm doing IS of my own free will. I listen to no one. Not Hawk Moth. Not ladybug. None of them can control me." He continued.

Marinette was in shock, "H-how? How can you do that??"

He smirked. "I was once the great Chat Noir. Is there anything more I need to say?"

She couldn't find any words to say back. The one time she was akumatized, she herself was under Hawk Moths influence and almost gave the creation miraculous herself!

Chat chuckled and she realize his eyes were open again. He was laughing at her surprised expression.

"No one can... Unless you want to try my purrincess?"