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"I can't believe I agreed to this," she grumbled, plucking at the hood she wore low over her face. "If anyone recognizes us, we're in so much trouble."
Chat laughed, causing his hood to fall backward and revealing the tips of his wild locks.
Panicking, she grabbed the edge and tugged it back into place with a glare at her partner, not it deterred his laughter or humor in the least.
"You're too cute when you're cranky, my lady," he murmured. "No one is going to recognize us. Trust me. I've been staking this place out for the past few weeks, just so I could surprise you."
That pulled her up short.
Her steps slowed to a stop.
Her mouth gaped for a moment before she managed to say, "You've been planning this for me?"
Heat leaked under his mask, leaving a tell-tell staining of bright pink across his cheeks. His hands fumbled the flashlight as her surprised words washed over him.
Doing his best to recover, he shrugged, his eyes not quite meeting hers. "Well, yeah. You've been a little down lately, and I wanted to cheer you up. We're friends, aren't we? That's what friends do for one another. Plus, you've been wonderful to me these past two years, my lady. This was the least I could do."
He didn't need to say the words. She heard them clear as if he had, having heard the confessions too many times. They'd never meant much to her until that moment. Chat Noir loved her, and that wouldn't change anytime soon.
Mirroring heat rushed through her, filling her cheeks and nestling deep within her heart.
A stray thought or two flitted as she continued to stare at him. Would it be so wrong to give him the chance he's wanted? Could she find herself as in love with him as he claimed to be with her?
"Come on, it's starting soon." He took her hand and tugged her through the wide door.
A large screen stood before them with rows of seating that looked vaguely familiar to her.
Chat walked them toward the center seats a few rows back, settling deeper into the cushions. He flashed her a smile as his hand tightened around her own.
"I came here a few months ago with a friend. She'd been kind enough to join me on that surprise outing, saving me from some rather enthusiastic fans." He chuckled, the memory fresh in his eyes. "Unfortunately, we didn't get to finish the movie, and it was a special showing. Thankfully, the theatre agreed to play the film again as a favor to us. I hope you don't mind watching it with me."
She sat in silence. Her mind replayed his words over and over, trying to gauge them for any deeper meaning. Surely, he wasn't implying knowing something about her he shouldn't know. Surely, he wasn't giving away secrets about himself that she shouldn't know, either.
The coincidence seemed too strong for it to be real.
When she looked up, she found him engrossed with the previews playing across the screen, unaware of her inner turmoil. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe he didn't know, but that wasn't something she could say. Not anymore.
Debating the best strategy for this situation, she followed his earlier actions, settling deeper into the seat she'd claimed for herself. She watched him from her periphery. Something told her he knew more than he might be letting on, and she aimed to find out everything she could before the evening ended.
To his credit, he didn't flinch or react in any way. Instead, he looked quite content as he waited for the movie to play.
No one else had entered the auditorium.
"I rented it out," he whispered, the screen flickering. "I thought it best we weren't disturbed when you figured it out."
She gaped at him for a solid minute before she huffed, her hand wrenching from his to smack him in the shoulder. Not enough to hurt, but enough to get her point across as she practically shouted, "You mangy cat, you know who I am, and you thought this the best way to tell me? Ooh, you do realize I know who you are now, too, don't you? This isn't good, Chat."
"No, it's not," he agreed, his gaze meeting hers, "It's amazing and wonderful. I can't imagine being happier than I am right now, knowing who you are, my lady."
The lights finally dimmed. The movie came onto the screen.
A woman walked along the Seine as her name flashed beside her.
"Adr-Chat, I don't know how you figured out my identity, but this isn't safe. We haven't defeated Hawkmoth yet. It's not safe for either of us and--"
He silenced her with a finger to her lips.
When she glanced at him, he offered her a loving smile. "I don't care, my lady. Now that I know, there is nothing that's going to keep me from protecting you. You mean everything to me. I love you, Marinette."
His voice dropped to a whisper as he said her name, leaving her shaken as though it had caressed her.
She knew their conversation was nowhere near complete, but the look he wore and his mother's movie softened her earlier resolve. They would figure it out as they'd always done.
She kept her voice low as she said, "I love you, too, Adrien."
Resting her head against his shoulder, they finished the movie they'd tried watching before, enjoying the fact no akuma disrupted them. As the movie played, they scooted as close as their seats allowed, taking comfort from each other.
When the movie came to an end, Chat pulled her into a tight hug. "Thank you for coming with me, my lady. It meant the world to me that I could see it with you."
"I'm glad I came," she returned his hug, "though I could've done without the reveal."
"Aw, don't be too mad at me, my lady. At least, you know now I've only wanted you in and out of my suit." He pressed a quick kiss to her cheek, earning a smile for his efforts.
She cupped his cheek, rising up on her toes. "Yeah, you're right. I'll just have to kick your butt at our next marathon run of Ultimate Mecha Strike. That'll teach you a lesson, won't it, Chaton?"
He brightened, his head nodding enthusiastically. "I'm sure it will, my lady. I'm sure it will."