[Adrien's POV]

I slump down on a park bench and stare up at the orange sky. It's getting late. Ladybug and I have patrol tonight...but I'm just so tired. I am emotionally drained... First Marinette confesses her feelings for me, only she doesn't know that I know. I feel so guilty and two-faced that she has no idea who she was confiding her secrets in. Even though she told me voluntarily, it was not meant for Adrien's ears. It feels like an invasion of privacy...

Then I—I...

My hands tremble as I recall the Volpina incident. Tears begin to well up in my eyes.

Watching Marinette disappear felt like my heart was getting ripped straight out of my chest. I cried into her shoulder for hours that night and even removed my ring so that I could be just that tiny bit closer to her...

I slowly close my eyes, causing tears to overflow and trickle down my cheeks.

Marinette means so much to me. She is always there for me and she is always sacrificing herself for my sake, so it feels wrong not to be able to put my complete trust in her. It feels wrong to wear a disguise and hide my secrets behind a mask. Because she already knows who I am...I want her to know...

"Adrien...?"

My eyelids flutter open to see Ladybug sitting down next to me.

"Oh, L-Ladybug...Hey." I say, sitting up straight.

"I was swinging by when I saw you sitting alone in the park," Ladybug scoots closer to me, her eyes filled with concern. "Is everything okay?"

That single question seems to open a faucet that I cannot close. Warm tears roll down my cheeks, dripping down into my lap.

"Have you ever had a secret that you've kept bottled up for so long that it starts to weigh down your heart?" I ask. "A secret that you want to tell someone so badly that it psychically hurts?"

Ladybug smiles weakly. "Adrien...you're looking into the masked eyes of a superhero."

"Oh...right." I sniff.

Ladybug grips my shoulders gently before pulling me into a hug. I'm surprised at first but then I reach my arms up to return her embrace. She rubs my back softly with one of her hands and uses the other to hold my head. It's so tenderly and comforting, and...loving. I feel my troubles settling.

"It's hard dealing with things all on your own..." Ladybug says softly. "You know when they say actions speak louder than words?"

I give a small nod.

"Well," Ladybug continues. "If you can't relieve your troubles by sharing them then maybe you need to seek support through other ways, like spending time with the people who make you happy. The people who make all of your worries melt away just by being there."

"Thanks, Ladybug." I smile. "My worries feel pretty melted right now."

Ladybug pulls away from me and smiles. "Good, then no more crying."

Ladybug clasps my head in her hands and uses her thumb to wipe a tear from my eye. She then leans in and kisses my cheek just below my eye where the teardrop had been.

Heat rushes to the surface of my cheeks. I look up at Ladybug and she instantly freezes up.

"I...don't know why." Ladybug says slowly as she stands up.

Her cheeks have gone red. I don't know if it's because she is flustered or embarrassed, but it is adorable.

"Motherly instincts?" Ladybug grins nervously and shrugs. "A-Anyway, I have patrol now so..."

I smile and wave her goodbye. Ladybug gives me an awkward wave back before quickly swinging away on her yoyo.

Plagg immediately comes whizzing out of my jacket. "What was that?"

As I watch Ladybug fade away in the distance, I think back to the very start of this year when she kissed me during the school's sports carnival. She had immediately told me that it meant nothing. But this time she was blushing afterwards. This time it wasn't a necessity, she kissed me out of love. Even if she claimed it was motherly love..

I smile and reach up to touch the cheek that Ladybug had kissed. "That, Plagg, was a meaningful kiss from My Lady."