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It isn't long before she sees him again. She's just Marinette now, and something about that makes Chat Noir seem like something more.
She can't look away.
"How are you?" he asks. The words are friendly, but there's a tension in the air. Everything is new right now.
She's so busy staring that she nearly forgets to respond. "I'm good," she says quickly. "And you?"
It's like she's seeing him for the first time.
"Good," he says. She nods. Then it's quiet; they're on uncharted waters.
She can't help but voice her thoughts in a murmur. "What now?"
He doesn't move—just looks over at her. She forces her gaze to remain steady ahead.
Finally, he shrugs, and looks out again at the city. "I dunno. We just keep on, I guess. Nothing has really changed."
This elicits a response. "Everything has changed," she says to him. She's turned full body in his direction. "Our whole lives. This—this is everything. We can fight bad guys day and night, but now we're classmates, Adrien. We're—" Here she pauses. What are they? She's been wrestling with this question for days.
"Friends," he finishes like it's natural. The soft confidence behind the word makes her feel warm.
"But we weren't before," she says. She looks at the skyline; he's already calmed her. "We were partners, but..."
"Now we're both." A glance at his face reveals the smile she could hear in his voice. It makes her blush, but she keeps her eyes on him. She could get lost in that smile.
She wouldn't even mind.