#now WHO'S ready for ladynoir july

[anna-scribbles]

first chapter 7/4 :)

[tsuki-chibi]

Ladynoir July 2023 Day 16: Rewrite the Stars

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Chat stood on the Eiffel Tower, staring down at the wreckage of Paris with hollow eyes. His beloved city looked totally different now; it was hard to believe just how quickly things had gone wrong. And it was even harder to believe just how bad things had gotten in the span of a couple months, but here they were.

“Are you sure about this, Chat?” Tikki asked quietly. She was hovering in the air beside him, also looking out at the city.

Was she thinking about Ladybug?

She probably was.

Chat thought about his lady constantly. He was convinced that things wouldn’t have gone this way if Ladybug was still here… but she wasn’t. And because she’d died as a civilian, Chat still didn’t know who she was. So he couldn’t even visit her grave to pay his respects the way he wanted to. He hadn’t even known that she was dead until he was on patrol one night a few days later and Tikki had shown up holding the earrings.

That had easily been the worst moment of Chat’s life.

And things had only gone downhill from there.

So that was why he was here right now, looking out over the city and contemplating the most drastic choice possible. Ladybug had literally taken the secrets of the miraculous to the grave with her. They had no idea how to open the miraculous box. And now, they didn’t even have the miraculous box. Hawkmoth had stolen it, and somehow got it open, and now…

“I’m sure,” Chat said, finally answering Tikki’s question. “I can’t do this by myself, Tikki. And there is no one more suited to the Ladybug miraculous than Ladybug herself.”

Tikki sighed. “I know. She was…” Her voice trailed off.

Perfect, Chat filled in mentally.

Ladybug was perfect.

No one else could compare.

“Even if I were to choose someone else, they’d never be able to get up to speed fast enough to fight Hawkmoth,” Chat said. It was a conversation they’d already had dozens of times, but he didn’t think it would hurt to have it again.

“I know,” Tikki said again. “But this… when you rewrite the stars, it's... it's dangerous, Chat. Dangerous in ways you can’t even imagine. For every wish that is made, there’s a sacrifice. Something is given, but something is also taken. In ways you can’t even imagine.” She looked at him with troubled eyes.

“I’m prepared for that,” Chat said. Or at least, he thought he was. Hoped he was.

In the end, it didn’t matter. He was going to do it anyway. He couldn’t keep going like this all by himself. He needed his lady. Plagg was already on board, so all he needed was Tikki’s agreement. He really didn’t want to do with without both kwamis being on board.

Fortunately, Tikki seemed to come to a decision, because she flew in front of him and looked him in the eyes. “Alright. If you’re ready, I’m ready. Do it.”

“Thank you, Tikki,” Chat said sincerely.

“Good luck, Adrien,” Tikki said softly.

“Plagg… Tikki… unify!”

[flippin-fins]

Roommates

LadyNoir July 2021 Day 21: Roommates

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It made sense after they had revealed their identities to each other.

What better roommate than someone who had been your partner since you were 14?

Even if he had to push down his unreciprocated feelings, sharing an apartment with Marinettee (and all her fabric) had been an easy decision when he was old enough to move out of the mansion. Plus, having all of the kwamis were fun as roommates, even if the trouble all of them got into together could put Plagg to shame.

Adrien smiled as he watched Marinette beat Nino at yet another video game. Why Nino had thought he could beat Marinette at any of their video games was beyond Adrien’s comprehension.

Adrien pulled out his phone to check the time, not realizing how late it had gotten. Trying to figure out how to get Marinette’s attention, she was better at ending the night with minimal questions or lingering, Adrien missed Alya watching him.

“Nino, I think it’s time for us to head out,” Alya called to her boyfriend. “Maybe it’s time to accept that she’s just better than you.”

Nino scoffed, but set the controller on the coffee table as he stood up. Marinette joined him a moment later, extending her hand.

“Always a pleasure.”

“Yeah, yeah, but your winning streak can’t last forever.”

The room filled with laughter as Alya and Nino grabbed their things, Marinette pressing a tupperware of baked goods into her friend’s hands.

As the door closed, Adrien looked at his roommate. All he wanted was to wrap her up in his arms, leaving a kiss on the top of her head. Instead, he stepped towards their balcony.

“Ready for a race around the city, Bug?”

She turned, never one to turn down a competition. “So eager to lose?”

She transformed and was out the window before he could blink, and Adrien quickly changed into Chat Noir before chasing her with a laugh.

He let his muscle memory carry him along to rooftops, setting an easy pace. He’d let her win every race she wanted for the chance to see the smile on her face. He couldn’t make it look like he let her win (and often he struggled to keep pace with her), but tonight he was caught up in his thoughts.

When he’d first approached her to be his roommate, Adrien had been nervous. He didn’t want to overstep, didn’t want to scare her away. He knew there was someone else, and while his feelings hadn’t changed, he didn’t want Marinette to be too uncomfortable to be his friend.

But sometimes, sometimes being just roommates was hard. Hanging out with Alya and Nino, all he could think about was the potential for double dates. Cooking together in the kitchen, all he wanted was to hold her close and dance to the music filling the room. Their sleepy, late night conversations were something he treasured, more precious than late night patrols or when he used to meet Marinette on her balcony and see the stars.

Maybe he wanted more, but for now, this had to be enough. In the past, he’d made it clear where his feelings were his partner lay, and it felt wrong to push when she’d set that boundary.

Too soon, Chat landed on their favorite landmark, the twinkling lights of the Eiffel Tower glittering around them.

Ladybug turned to look at her partner, to gloat at her win, but one look at his face stopped her.

“Chat? Are you alright?” Ladybug asked, moving to step towards him.

Plastering a grin on his face, Chat looked up at her. “Of course, just a little caught up in the sights of the city tonight.” He wanted to add that she was his favorite sight, but that felt too far.

She sat down next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. Wrapping an arm around her, Chat Noir held her close, trying to ignore the distance he felt between them. Far below, he imagined the lovers strolling the city, couples that held no secrets, just kisses and held hands warming each other.

He tried to ignore how much he wanted to be one of them.

He turned towards Ladybug as he heard her hum, lost in thought. He squeezed her shoulder lightly, and felt her eyes on him.

He could question her thoughts, but knew she’d voice them when she was ready. Instead, she took his free hand in both of hers, playing with his fingers.

“Alya made a funny comment tonight.”

Chat frowned, trying to think of what could have been said, but nothing came to mind.

“When we were in school, in lycee, I wouldn’t have imagined it would end up like this. I mean, Alya and Nino being together still is no surprise, but for you, for the guy who sat in front of me to be my partner, the flirtatious Chat Noir,” he grumbled at that, but she pressed on. “For us to end up such close friends, to be roommates. I just think that 14 year old Marinette would be surprised.”

“Is it that surprising that we’re friends?” Chat tried to joke, to sweep the pieces of how her words broke his heart under a nearby rug.

“No no, it’s not that. It’s just, well,” he could feel her tense against his shoulder, and Chat resisted the urge to turn, to see the secrets hiding in her eyes.

He was sure she could hear his heart pounding, desperate to know more.

She took a deep breath before continuing, and it felt like the longest silence he’d ever experienced. “Did you know I had a crush on you back then?” Her voice was just a whisper, but if she hadn’t been leaning on him then Chat would have fallen off the beam. He must have stiffened, frozen by her words. “I mean, it’s not, don’t misunderstand. I didn’t agree to be roommates to be creepy, I mean I did want to be roommates but not like that I mean we’re friends and partners and it makes sense and if this is weird just tell me and I can move out and -”

“Marinette,” he whispered, cutting off her rambling.

She dropped his hand, sitting up, away from him.

It was amazing how fast his side grew cold, how quickly he missed her presence.

He twisted to look at her, to fully see her, even if her eyes were hidden by her eyelashes as she looked down at the city.

“Marinette,” he repeated, reaching out to brush a stray hair behind her ear. “Do you remember what I told you, well before we revealed our identities?”

Her eyebrow furrowed as she tried to figure out what he was talking about.

“I said that I loved you, whoever you were under the mask. I loved the superhero, and all I wanted was to know who she was, so that I could get the chance to love her too. But then this girl in my class started to capture my attention, so I would visit her balcony some nights, just for the chance to see her.” Ladybug tried to turn away, to hide the tears shining in her eyes, but he kept going. “Imagine my surprise when I discovered they were the same person.”

“But that was so long ago-”

“I told you I would wait until you were ready. Maybe I hoped being roommates would speed up the process.”

She whipped her head around to look at him, and Chat couldn’t tell if he was imagining the hope he saw in her eyes.

“Do you still?” She breathed, still speaking so softly, as if anyone could overhear them.

“Of course, I planned to wait my whole life if I had to.” Chat grinned, and he tried to ignore the cracks in his heart as he focused on her, on what she’d said. “Was I too late? Did you leave it behind at lycee?”

He startled as she jumped forward, wrapping her arms around him. “I have loved you since the day you handed me that umbrella in the rain, offering an apology I never deserved.”

Chat didn’t realize he was crying until a sob choked it’s way out.

“What does this mean for us? Now that you know my motives, does that change your decision on being my roommate?”

“Adrien, nothing could make me not want to be your roommate. I want to be your roommate as long as you’ll have me.”

He thought back to a joke that he’d heard Alya say, something that always made Marinette blush.

“Even if it includes three kids and a hamster?”

He heard her gasp, knowing exactly who he’d heard that from. She leaned back to look at him.

“Three kids and a hamster was always about you, so I’m in it especially if being roommates leads to that.”

Chat pulled her back into a hug, content with knowing the rest of his life was safe as long as she was in his arms.

[giuliafc]

Betrayal chapter 2 - The Heart of Nathalie

<<1 -- 2: Ao3 || FFN -- 3>>

Beta: miraculyfe and myimaginationflows ;)

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by (c) Thomas Astruc, TS1 Bouygues, Disney Channel, Zagtoon, Toei Animation. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Written for the "Snippet July" challenge of the Miraculous Fanworks Discord server @miraculousfanworks AND for LadyNoir July @ladynoirjuly Day 13 — Saint/affection. Let me know what you think!

oOoOoOoOoOo

When they landed inside Adrien's bedroom, Nathalie stared back at them coolly. She was sitting on Adrien's bed, exactly like she was when Chat Noir had left.

"Thank you for coming, Ladybug," said the older woman while Ladybug checked her surroundings.

"I hope this isn't a trap."

Nathalie's smile was hard. "If I meant any harm, I would've done it already." She adjusted her glasses. "Come, sit down and watch. It may change your perspective." Then, she stopped Chat Noir from approaching with a firm gesture. "This is between me and Ladybug, Adrien."

She waited for the girl to sit; then, she opened a greyed out folder on her tablet and clicked on a video. Ladybug's heart stopped. The video showed her landing on Marinette's balcony, detransforming and entering her room. The heroine's heart was into her ears, when bluebell met cerulean blue.

"I have a few videos like this one. And some more for Adrien. Optigami was very thorough in collecting data and information. I've shown M. Agreste the videos it had collected about the lives of all the other holders. But these specific details about you and Adrien, I haven't shared with him. I have intentionally withdrawn crucial information, which would've handed him the victory on a plate." Her gaze darted to Chat Noir, who was still standing where he had landed, looking seriously unhappy with being kept out of the loop again. "I haven't even shared this knowledge with Adrien himself. I won't, unless you allow me to."

Ladybug looked at Chat Noir and noticed the hurt in his eyes. She appreciated the intentions of Nathalie, but this situation felt wrong. It was wrong that her enemy knew her identity before her partner did. "You can tell Adrien," she declared after inhaling a big breath. "I think that the time for secrets has ended the moment you managed to put your hands on that video." She saw the eyes of her partner lighting up instantly and she sighed in relief.

"As you wish, Mlle. Dupain-Cheng."

The sound of Chat Noir's gasp echoed in the silence of the room like a slap.

"Marinette?"

He gasped again when she closed her eyes shut, balled her hands into fists and nodded. When she looked at him from behind her eyelashes, his eyes were still wide, his mouth still open. He looked at least ten shades redder, and probably so did she (based on the warmth exuding from her neck and cheeks).

"It's me, Chaton. Hi!"

She could hardly finish her greeting when Chat Noir jumped on her and wrapped her in a hug. His forehead pushed tenderly on hers as his vision filled her own. Their faces were so close she could feel his breath tickling the skin of her lips. But he didn't take advantage of it, he just placed a kiss on her cheek and hugged her tighter.

"It's you," he whispered into her ear.

It took a while for their mad beating hearts to calm down enough for them to once again pay attention to Nathalie.

"Why are you helping us?" asked Ladybug.

Nathalie took her glasses off and put them aside on top of her tablet. "I love Gabriel. I know it's toxic love, as he will never reciprocate my feelings. In fact, by helping him, I was making sure that my feelings wouldn't be reciprocated."

She noticed the confusion in both heroes' frowns and chose to momentarily ignore it. "But I love Adrien too. He's a good kid and, as the years went by, my affection towards him has grown so much that I consider him like my own." She crossed gaze with Chat Noir: Ladybug could sense the fondness exuding from the woman's blue eyes. "I'm doing it for him. As much as Gabriel's intentions are noble, there's a line I'd never cross, and that line is harming Adrien."

Then, she brought them to Gabriel's atélier and down to the downstairs lair. "I called you today because he's away. He's too far to sense our emotions, and we won't risk him catching us here either. What you need to see is over there." She pointed towards a big butterfly symbol towering in the centre of a small platform connected to their location by a long bridge. It didn't take long for the two teens to reach Emilie's coffin, and even less time for Chat Noir to break down completely in front of it.

"He wants your Miraculous to bring her back. She overused the Peacock when it was broken and fell into this state," announced Nathalie. "He thinks it's the only way to save her."

Ladybug's heart sank twice. Once for Chat, who was now a weeping mess in front of the body of his sleeping mother. She went to him and hugged him tight, whispering soothing sounds and rubbing behind his ears until he didn't have any more tears to cry.

But Ladybug's heart also sank for Nathalie. That woman was a saint.

"You love him so much that you're ready to sacrifice your own happiness with helping him get his wife back," she whispered as she let go of Chat and stood up to face her. She swore she saw tears in the eyes of the older woman as she held onto the coffin, lowered her head, and nodded. "Is your current sickness due to overusing the Peacock Miraculous?"

Nathalie nodded again. "Yes. My health has been damaged too." A strong fit of coughs shook her frame. "But Emilie was my friend; I'd do anything to get her back, and make Gabriel—and Adrien—happy."

She gasped when Ladybug grabbed her hand. "You're a kind woman, Nathalie. Thank you for choosing to help us. We can come up with a plan now."

More coughs shook Nathalie and the woman held strongly onto Ladybug's shoulder, looking for more than just physical support. "You still don't know the reason why I reached out. Let's go back upstairs and I'll tell you everything."

To be continued… day 14

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Author's Note

Here we are… day 14, here we come. I'm not sure if the story will end next chapter or not, I may need to add an extra one the following day, or on any other day that would fit the prompt. I'm really happy with how this story is going and am so excited to share it with all of you.

Please let me know what you think and leave me a comment. You know that comments are my bread and butter, scones and clotted cream!

[2manyfandoms2count]

I love you (not) - Chapter 14

Ages later, the next instalment of the @marichatmay fic, heavily featuring Ladynoir (it is, after all, Ladynoir July. Although that's almost over as well. Everything's absolutely fine.) Hope you enjoy!

First | Previous | AO3 | Next

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Chapter 14: In which our favourite heroes are distracted messes

The battle was a massive disaster. It wasn’t the worst that Ladybug and Chat Noir had ever tackled, but it really wasn’t great.

Of course, it didn’t help that the Akuma had had a head start - by the time both heroes had caught up with her, most of the top floors of the hotel had been torn apart, and the rampage had extended towards the Louvre (at least it made for an easy trail to follow).

Noticing that Adrien had left “her” party, and that Marinette had seemingly vanished as well, Chloé had assumed that the latter had convinced the former that the event wasn’t good enough, and lured him elsewhere. Having failed to locate Adrien in the vicinity of the hotel, she’d set off to create “the most amazing party ever”, the one she would’ve organised had she not been held back by her classmates and their ridiculously small budget, the one who’d no doubt attract everyone like moths to a flame.

Chat Noir twitched at the sight of a blue blur out of the corner of his eye and whipped around towards it, just as a Louis XV chair came hurtling at him from the other side. Hostzilla had been very vocal about the fact that she’d be bringing Marinette in to make her see how good of a party planner she was once she was done with her set-up, but he knew Marinette well enough to know that if she’d heard the Akuma’s plan (and how could she not have, Chloé's voice sounded louder than ever), she’d soon be on the scene to try and help. He’d been on the lookout for her ever since the beginning of the fight, but this was the first time it had distracted him from what was going on around him.

“Chaton, watch out!” Ladybug ran from the place he’d thought he’d seen Marinette and tackled him out of the way, their momentum making them roll over a couple of times.

They came to a halt behind a dresser, Ladybug’s face hovering mere centimetres above Chat’s. Her eyes glanced down to his lips, so tantalising all of a sudden, and she felt her cheeks warm as she stared at them.

“My Lady, are you okay?” Chat asked when she didn’t move away. “You seem a little… feverish.”

“Well, maybe I’m worried sick about how distracted you seem to be tonight.” She cleared her throat, pushing herself up and extending a hand towards him. He took it and she pulled him up, holding his gaze rather curiously, he thought. Another piece of furniture came flying at them, breaking his attempt at deciphering what his partner might be thinking; they crouched down to dodge it and started discreetly changing hiding spots, Ladybug taking the lead.

“I just thought I saw someone,” Chat whispered.

She threw him another cryptic glance; as her hair whipped around, he realised that it was definitely her that he’d mistaken for Marinette earlier. He would’ve been lying if he said that he’d never noticed similarities between both girls, but he really didn’t have time to delve into them at that particular moment.

“Someone?” Ladybug prompted when he didn’t elaborate.

“Yeah, my… very good friend.”

He winced at the epithet. It seemed rather weak a way to describe who Marinette was to him, especially given what had happened earlier, but then again, he’d tried so hard not to think of her as his girlfriend that it was difficult to not be bland about it. Especially when the person asking was Ladybug, the girl he’d professed his undying love to more than once, and probably hadn’t clocked that he now had his sights on somebody else.

To be fair to her, he hadn’t seen that his arguably already existing crush on Marinette was this serious until he’d seen her in her dress, she’d turned him down, they'd danced in the rain and he’d found himself kissing her in a blocked elevator. Just thinking about it had butterflies fluttering in his stomach, and Ladybug somehow snatching his tail to pull him out of the way as a new piece of furniture made its way towards him.

“Just a very good friend, huh?” she asked, cocking an eyebrow. She hoped her curious façade efficiently hid how flustered she felt at having him so close. She really needed to get a grip. Soon.

She let go of his tail as he nodded slowly.

She couldn’t go on like this, feeling weak anytime they touched. It happened far too often for it to be manageable. Taking a deep breath and calling for her Lucky Charm, she internally repeated to herself that it had just been a kiss. What more, a panic-induced kiss.

She knew she was kidding herself when she mentally argued that her attraction for Chat Noir was mostly due to setting, that the quiet build-up of their relationship over the past few months was in no way the gentle slope that inevitably would have led to them kissing at some point, but she also knew that she needed it. If one kiss had her in this state, then what would a full on relationship give?

Maybe her fluster was just due to things being sprung on her unexpectedly. Maybe she'd eventually be able to keep her feelings sequestered to either of her identities.  But maybe she wouldn't - and was she really ready to take that risk, when so much was at stake? Her heart and her head had different answers, but she knew where her duty lied.

Chat watched his partner sprint towards their opponent with an odd mix of determination, frustration and sadness in her eyes, and a tube of what he assumed was lipstick in her hand. She uncharacteristically flung it at Hostzilla, breaking her “host vision” glasses in the process.

As Ladybug purified the akuma and worked her fixing magic, he discreetly let out a relieved sigh. Marinette hadn’t shown up; his surveillance was over. The feeling receded quickly, however, replaced with something heavier. He knew the dread he’d felt during the whole fight wasn’t sustainable, and he wasn’t sure it would ever go away if things got more serious (admitting to himself that they’d been dating, for one) with her. Not that he’d never been concerned about her wellbeing during a fight before - far from it; but dating her would just mean fully opening the obsession dam, the one that once had been Ladybug’s, and thinking about her most of the time.

On a larger scale, dating Marinette would also mean spending a lot of time transformed, which he personally wasn’t bothered by at all - Plagg’s cheese bill and his ranting would surely increase, but he would’ve considered it a small price to pay for their happiness. The real downside, he realised as Chloé begrudgingly took Ladybug’s hand and mumbled something about Adrien and Marinette, was that Adrien would have to disappear anytime he spent time with his girlfriend, and that would surely raise questions, if not full on akumatisations like this one.

He wasn’t sure he could bear that responsibility.

“Hey, Chaton?” Ladybug asked almost shyly after their customary fistbump.

“Yeah?”

“I hope whatever was bugging you today sorts itself out.” She gave him a small smile. “I don’t want to pry, but I’m here to talk if you need.”

“Thanks, my Lady, I might take you up on that someday.” He patted her shoulder gently. “But this is actually a conversation I need to have with somebody else, first.”

Ladybug sighed as she watched Chat Noir disappear off towards the Grand Paris. She knew exactly what he’d be doing there, and as much as she enjoyed the thought that he was going back for her, she knew he couldn’t find her. She wasn't ready to talk to him just yet. She hid her face in her hands and let out a frustrated grunt.

She’d have to backtrack with Chat, tell him the situation had gotten to her head, that the kiss was nothing more than a distraction, that she wanted to remain friends. It was the only solution, besides telling him who she was, and she knew how that ended. She’d do it later, though.

Everything would be better this way.

(Maybe not her heart, but she was ready to make that sacrifice. For now.)

---

Chat Noir looked for Marinette in the magically repaired hotel, but nobody had seen her since she’d gone into hiding. His assumption (and hope) that she must’ve made it home was validated as he saw her shadow pace in front of her window, untying the unhealthy knots that had formed in his stomach during his fruitless search.

He kept watch from the bottom of her building for a long time, hesitating to check in.

It broke his heart, but maybe, probably, surely Marinette would be safer if they just stayed friends. Not to mention Paris might be, too. Breaking up with her would save her from her honourable, yet reckless instinct to rush into battle, and distract him.

It would be difficult, he thought, but this could be the perfect incentive to get cracking on getting rid of Hawkmoth. Or on making her fall for him on the other side of the mask. He wasn’t sure which was likelier to happen first.

[tizzymcwizzy]

Home Is Where The Heart Is - Chap 2

Ladynoir July Day 11 - Comfort

i guess i did die before then, huh SORRY THIS IS LATE AAAAAAAHHH this was waaayyy longer than I expected, whoops,, anyway, we've reached our conclusion!! I tried proof reading it as best I could but it's like 1 am, and i also didnt do the art prompt for today but whattheever, school ends Wednesday, ill be fine, this makes me emotional and its probably bad but i hope you enjoy!

@ladynoirjuly2020

Chap 1   Chap 2 - Here

Ao3 Link

“I,” Chat took a deep trembling breath as a small sad smile formed on his face. “Okay,” he grasped Ladybug’s hand on his cheek and held it tight. “Okay.”

She smiled softly and took his hands in hers, leading him to follow her across the rooftops. 

The buildings around them became familiar as they leaped from rooftop to rooftop, and he'd be lying if he said his heart wasn't going a mile a minute in anticipation. His breath got caught in his throat as she landed on a particular balcony lit up in soft golden light. He landed behind her as she stood faced away from him, fiddling with her hands.

Chat felt his chest swell and he put a hand over his mouth, glancing around at the familiar balcony. There’s no way, no way...

"Tikki," she said with a small voice, cutting through the silence, "detransform me." 

He glanced up at her to see her suit fade away in red and white sparkles, revealing a simple pink t-shirt and sweatpants. Marinette turned slowly, looking down at the floor. Tikki hovered next to her head and glanced between them with a huge grin on her face. She waved at Chat and flew behind them into some plants.

Chat couldn't breathe. But it was a different kind of speechless than his sadness, this time, he had a million things he wanted to say, but no words reached his mouth.

"Surprise?" She laughed awkwardly and looked up at him from underneath her lashes, then, she was taken aback by his expression. 

He was grinning ear to ear, holding back tears, trying to take in a deep breath.

Worry covered her face and her hands flew up to reach out to him. "Chaton, are you-" she started, but was cut off by his bear hug.

"It's you," he breathed, holding her tight in his arms, freely sobbing again, but with tears of joy. "It's always been you." 

She wrapped her arms around him instantly and laughed into his hair, holding him tight. "It's me," she sighed. 

His heart swelled as he took her in, of course, it was her, of course, it was always her, who else could it have been? The two most treasured people in his life, the two he'd tried to sort out his feelings over, for almost a year, it was her, Marinette, Ladybug. The one who had carried him and held him in his lowest and the one who had jeered with him and laughed with him at his highest. The one who had snorted over stupid jokes and had cackled at bad movies with him. The one who tripped and dumped paint on both of them and helped him study for a history test. It was her.

Chat pulled back to hold her face and gaze into her eyes, smiling like a little kid. He shook his head in disbelief and laughed breathlessly, rubbing away stray tears. Was any of this real? How was he this lucky, there was no way he was this lucky. Was he? 

Marinette slipped her arms up and around his neck, standing up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek lightly. He gasped, staring at her as she chuckled to herself. "Your face is so pink," she giggled, poking his nose.

"I- you-" he sputtered. How dare she look so cute while teasing him. Adrien tried to think of something to say in response but he only gaped at her as she continued to giggle at him. He settled on sighing heavily and smiling at her.

"Are you feeling better?" She asked, brushing his bangs back with a light hand.

"Yes, definitely," he sighed and rested his forehead against hers. A million times better.

"That's good," she said softly, closing her eyes. They swayed together, holding each other and just breathing.

"Marinette," he whispered. She opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Should I, um, y'know," he reached for the words.

"Detransform?" She offered.

"Yes, that," He sighed.

"If you want to, though it's probably best if you do, I'm not sure what my parents would say if I told them I was dating Chat Noir." She cringed, looking away nervously.

"Da-dating?" He stumbled. Oh, his face was very very warm.

Her cheeks turned rosy as she looked away from him. "W-well yeah, I, I mean. If- if you're cool with it, y'know, I, I wouldn't, y'know," she glanced back at him and let her head fall on his chest in exasperation. "You know what I mean," she groaned. 

"I do?" He asked, glancing down at her.

"I can hear your stupid smile you dumb tomcat," she replied. Chat laughed and lifted up her chin to see the very intimidating pout on her face.

"I know," he whispered, smiling at her. Chat closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Are you ready, cause I'm not sure I'm ready." 

"I'm ready," she giggled, cupping his cheek again. 

"Okay. Plagg, detransform me." The first thing he felt was the cool breeze of the night air cover him. Then, he heard a distinct gasp, and the absence of warmth as Marinette let go of him and took a step back. Adrien opened his eyes slowly, to see Marinette standing in front of him, hands cupped over her mouth, eyes wider than the moon staring at him wordlessly. "Marinette?" He asked, feeling his stomach plummet. Oh no. This was not a good sign. The worried smile fell from his face as he stared at her. "Are you-" 

Adrien fell backward into the railing of the balcony with the force of her hug. "Adrien!?" She cried. Burying her head into his neck. He blinked for a second and wrapped his arms around her as she pulled back, cupping his cheeks and staring into his eyes. "I, oh my God, I am going to fucking kick your dad's ass." 

Adrien blinked and then promptly burst into laughter, doubling over and trying to catch his breath. 

"Don't laugh at me! I'm going to do it!" She cried as angry as a puppy could get.

He stared up at her and wiped tears from his eyes. "I'm sure you will," he laughed and shook his head. Marinette pouted at him and then started laughing along with him. Adrien reached up and curled a lock of hair over her ear. She sighed and rested her chin on his chest, making a funny face at him. 

“I’ll leave you two be,” Plagg jutted in, making a fake vomiting sound before Tikki dragged him away with a quiet scolding.

The two of them giggled at the sight and watched the kwamis go before turning back to each other.

"I can't believe it's you," she said.

"Can't believe I'm a superhero and a fashion model?" He joked, raising his eyebrows.

"That I can believe, your face is too handsome for your own good," she snarked, squishing his blushing cheeks. 

"You think my face is handsome?" He tried not to sound as surprised as he did.

"You kidding? Your face is like, completely symmetrical, you've got big, pretty eyes, and a tiny, cute nose, and these baby cheeks," she laughed at his increasing redness. "Maybe you're more cute than handsome," she mused, squishing his cheeks again.

"I'll take what I can get," he laughed. Adrien hadn't felt this good in a while. Just to stand here, with her in his arms, laughing at each other, he felt like he was on cloud nine. If his cheeks weren't already sore from the sobbing they were now sore from smiling.

“I really can’t believe it,” She sighed breathlessly. “The two boys I love the most in the world turn out to be the same person?” She shook her head and laughed lightly. Adrien, however, was frozen in place.

“Love?” He whispered. What was- was she, was she serious?

She smiled even wider. “Yeah,” Marinette sighed. “I fell in love with you that day you gave me your umbrella.” He remembered that day. That day something blossomed in his chest that he tried to ignore for the longest while. “And then again, sometime later. I can’t put a date to it cause it was slow, but, your silly, cute, cat-face found its way into my heart somehow. No matter how much I tried to deny it.” She shook her head and smiled. “Maybe Chat noir was always there.” Marinette laughed softly, and in the glow of the night, he knew she couldn’t look more wonderful.

“You know when I fell for you, right?” He started softly, cupping her cheek in his hand. “That day you saved Paris and a million different times after that.” She rolled her eyes fondly. “I knew, I know I love you, but I never seemed to know why this shy girl in my class always caught my eye.” Her eyes grew wide and her mouth clamped shut. “I guess I know now,” he laughed. Marinette’s face was very red and she was doing a poor job of hiding it.

“You’re so stupid,” she groaned and rested her head back on his chest.

“But you looove me,” he beamed at her and choked back laughter. But even through the joke, his heart soared.

“I do,” she whined and looked up at him, trying to hold back a smile. Adrien brushed her bangs aside and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. She squeaked, which made him burst into laughter.

“Shut up!” She cried, laughing herself and hitting his arm playfully. He only laughed harder, doubling over and stumbling back onto the lawn chair behind him. Marinette folded her arms and pouted at him.

He stared up at her, grinning like an idiot. “You’re cute.”

“You’re cuter!” She whined, throwing her arms up in the air. Adrien burst out laughing again, hugging his sides. Marinette laughed with him, collapsing into the chair beside him. He took a deep breath and sighed, looking at her fondly. And she made a funny face that melted into a mirrored smile. He grasped her hands in his, pulling them up to his lips and kissing her knuckles.

“I think you’re the cutest.” Adrien grinned at her again.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “I think you’re wrong, but I won’t fight you in something I know I’ll win.” Marinette closed her eyes and put a hand to her chest.

“Oh, confident are we?” Adrien raised his brows at her.

“Yes, very.” Marinette hooked their arms together and rested her head on his shoulder with a thump.

Adrien brushed a lock of her hair back and the whole world seemed to melt away around them. He didn’t think he’d forget what happened earlier today, maybe he never would, but with her in his arms, he felt like he would be okay, somehow. And that was good.

"Should we go inside?" Marinette asked, shifting her head to look at him.

"Uuh," She knocked him out of his thoughts. How long had he just been staring at her? "Oh, yeah, you gotta tell your parents..." he trailed off. A small prickle started in his gut. What if they-

"I know what you're thinking, Adrien," she frowned. "They may be opposed to you sleeping in my room, but they won't turn you away. If anything, they would probably force me to sleep in the guest bedroom since my mattress is more comfortable." She closed her eyes and put a hand to her heart.

He tried to ignore the notion of sleeping in her room as best he could. "Are you sure?" He asked in a small voice. Adrien knew Marinette's parents, but he saw how Tom could get when his daughter's feelings were in tow. 

"Absolutely, they'll love you, if they haven’t fallen for you already," she giggled, poking his nose again. "Come on, they'll be weirded out if you come out to my bedroom, so you can come through the front door with me." Marinette pulled him up and toward the opposite end of the balcony to a ladder reaching down the side of the building.

"Has that always been here?" Adrien asked, watching her take the first climb down.

"Yeah, I mean, it would be suspicious if Ladybug always left the same building, right?" She slid down the rest of the way and gestured for him to follow. He'd admit he'd never thought about that. Adrien followed her around to the front door of the house and into the dimly lit foyer.

 "Maman? Papa?" Marinette called into the bakery. He heard some shuffling and music coming from inside.

"Marinette?" It was Sabine's voice. Even with Marinette's reassurances, the pit in his stomach only grew. He felt like crawling into a dark hole."Dear, what are you doing coming in through the front?" He heard a light set of footsteps as Marinette’s mother made her way to the door.

"I, um," Marinette looked at him and back through to the bakery. Sabine walked in folding a towel in her hands and stopped dead when she saw him.

"Adrien?" She looked at him, even though she was confused he couldn't sense any malice in her tone. "Marinette, what are you two doing here?" 

"I, I have to talk to you and Papa. It's," Marinette glanced at him again, strength in her eyes, and grabbed his hand in hers. "It's important."

Sabine blinked for a moment and then nodded. "Oh, okay, well, we've got to finish up some things in the store, but go upstairs and make yourself at home, I'll go tell Tom." She smiled at them and gestured that they go upstairs. 

"Thanks, Maman!" Marinette called as she pulled him up the steps. 

"Tha- thank you, Mrs. Cheng!" Adrien stuttered and followed her up.

She smiled and waved at them until they reached the front door out of sight. 

Marinette took a deep breath and opened the door, glancing back. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" She ushered Adrien into the house and closed the door behind them. "Okay, do you want anything to drink?"

"Huh?" Adrien turned to her as she opened the fridge. 

"We have maybe 10 minutes to get our stories straight so they aren't suspicious. I was thinking that we go with, we both snuck out, ran into each other, talked about it, and then essentially the same thing happened where I invited you over." She explained this while wrestling with the lid to a carton of orange juice. "Or," she snapped it open with a pop and poured it into a glass, "we could do something else if you have another idea." She turned back to him and pulled out another cup from the cabinet.

Adrien stood and watched her, not really moving from where he'd stood when they walked in. He felt, out of place.

"Want anything?" She asked again.

"I, um…" he blinked at her. Trying to get his head to think straight.

"We have tea, cocoa, orange juice," she pointed to the carton behind her, "milk, some other Chinese fruit juice thing my mom got," as she explained she pulled out a green bottle with Mandarin on it. "This tastes good, I forget what the fruit is called, but it's really sweet." Marinette smiled at him. 

Adrien, well, Adrien was completely dumbfounded. Dumbfounded by normalcy with which she treated him, the ease with which she spoke, and just, well, her. Her, standing in her kitchen with a t-shirt and sweatpants, asking him if he wanted to drink a glass of juice. "I, I can try the Aloe juice." He recognized the characters on the bottle. 

"Okay, here," she poured the cup and handed it to him. "It's got some health benefits or something, I'm not too sure." She put both juices back in the fridge and bumped the door closed with her hip. 

"Thanks," Adrien said in a small voice, taking a sip of the drink. It was sweet.

Marinette drank the orange juice and walked over to the couch, pulling him by the hand to sit across from her. "Okay," she started, placing the cup down. "So, do you think we should go with my idea, or do you have one," she asked.

"I, I think it's fine. I'm just worried that your parents will be mad if you snuck out." He stared at his reflection in the cup of green juice.

"Oh Adrien," she reached out rested a hand on his arm, making him look up at her. "Don't worry about that, they'll probably take my phone away for the next week but it's nothing I can't handle. What's important is that we keep our identities safe. And that you're here and happy." She gave him another soft smile. Adrien put this hand over hers and smiled back. 

Some footsteps came from the stairs. Marinette jumped up and glanced between him and the door. "We'll go with my plan for the sake of time, alright?" 

Adrien blinked and nodded, then grabbed her hand before she left for the door. "Good luck." He squeezed her hand reassuringly. She smiled and squeezed it back, then left to the door. Adrien watched on as Marinette explained animatedly, but in a hushed voice, what had happened. He glanced back at his hands to avoid eye contact whenever either of her parents would glance over at him. Their faces turned from confused, to horrified to the same angry determination that Adrien had seen on Marinette’s face earlier that night. At least he knew it ran in the family. 

“Of course,” he heard Sabine say. “Adrien,” she called for him.

Adrien looked up from his hands and stood on wobbly knees. “Y-yes, Mrs. Cheng?” The pit in his stomach felt like a raging storm. He wanted to run.

“Please, dear, call me Sabine,” she laughed and waved him over to their circle. Marinette gave him a reassuring grin. “So, Marinette explained to us the gist of what happened,”

“We don’t have to talk about it if you’re uncomfortable,” Tom assured, putting a large hand on his shoulder.

“And we would be more than happy to let you stay with us.” Sabine rubbed his arm gently. Her smile was filled with such warmth. And suddenly, all the tension in his gut was washed away. It evaporated almost as quickly as this new feeling replaced it. Warmth.

“For as long as you are comfortable, or feel like.” Tom nodded. Even though Adrien couldn’t see the man’s mouth behind the mustache, he could tell he was smiling. Adrien felt his throat tighten. He tried to swallow it down.

“Of course, we would probably have to get in touch with, what was the lady’s name?” She turned to Marinette.

“Nathalie,” Marinette replied. She glanced between him and Sabine, fiddling with her hands.

“Right, but, feel free to stay here, as we said. We can focus on all of that stuff tomorrow.” Sabine waved her hand over her shoulder. “Does that sound good, Adrien?” she asked.

“I-” Adrien started, getting the words caught in his throat. He choked out a breathe. “Sorry,” he mumbled trying to get a handle of himself. But, it seemed all his willpower for holding it in was gone, so he just cried into his hands.

Sabine glanced quickly to her husband and back to Adrien. “Dear, don’t be sorry,” Sabine rubbed circles into his back. “Come here,” She opened her arms to him and gave him a tender smile. Adrien stumbled into the hug slowly as she patted his back. And even with her small size, she engulfed him in the hug.

“I’m, I’m sorry,” he mumbled through tears. What was he sorry for? For everything? His body shuddered in a hiccup. It was surprising that he was able to cry at all after the tears he’d shed earlier.

“It’s okay, son, you’re okay,” Tom said and bear-hugged the both of them, giving them a gentle squeeze. Adrien felt himself melt.

After a moment, Adrien felt one of the arms around him leave his shoulder. He rubbed the tears from his eyes to see Tom beckoning to Marinette, who was standing, holding a hand to her mouth, smiling and wiping stray tears from her eyes as well. She ran up to them and wrapped her arms around Adrien, holding him close. He held her with desperate hands, sobbing into her shoulder again. Waves of emotion came over him, and he felt so free to just cry, and so he did. He just let it all out. The pain in his chest was there, but for a different reason than before. Instead of hate, and sadness, it was warm. And full of, well, full of love. 

“Tha-thank you,” He cried. “Thank you.”

---

Bonus:

The only light in the room came from the moon through the window and the screen of his phone. 12:29 AM. How was he going to get through the night? Adrien’s body felt exhausted, but he couldn’t fall asleep. Maybe he was afraid of this being all a dream and getting thrown right back where he started. No, that’s a stupid thought. Adrien turned his phone off and placed it on the bedside table. He sighed and rolled over to see Plagg, snoring away on his pillow. He wasn’t alone. Especially now. 

Adrien pulled the shirt he was wearing over his nose and smelled the fruity-bakery sent he’d come to know as Marinette’s brand of shampoo, which was mixed into his hair, and the sent of the bakery, which lay underneath him. The t-shirt was something that Tom bought, accidentally shrunk in the wash, and gave to Marinette, who used it as a sleepshirt occasionally.

He closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep. It wasn’t quieter or noisier than his own room, but it still was very different. Adrien couldn’t even imagine being in his own bed.

He was barely asleep when he heard light footsteps creak down and around the living room. Adrien turned over to see if he could see who it was through the opened door. A head with messy hair peeked through. His eyes widened. Marinette put a finger to her lips and came to sit next to the bed wordlessly. Her hair stuck up in a funny way, but the moonlight reflected off her face perfectly. She smiled at him silently and put out her hand, resting it on the blanket in front of him. He took it slowly and held it, her fingers where warm. Marinette gave it a squeeze and then turned to look out the window.

It was a small, silent moment, but it assured him, that he was truly home.

;3 are you crying? im sad lmao, anyway, i did art for these, feel free to check it out!! I like drawing sad emotions so this was fun,,

Thank you for reading and liking and commenting, I read every comment even if I don't reply, THANK YOU!!! Y'all make me go doki doki

[coffeecomicsgalore]

Navigating the Chaos

Ao3

@adrinetteapril

TW NOTE: This has a temporary character death via cataclysm. Also mentions a beating, but I do not explain how it happened. Marinette panics.

I will post the chapter under the cut, and I'll post a TL;DR at the very end.

Chapter 15: Dreams

“Adrien?” Marinette called out into the black void, the only light coming from beyond her line of sight.

“Adrien!” She called out to him again, cupping her hands around her mouth to amplify her voice.

When silence was the only thing that answered her, she tried to remain calm, but she could feel the panic begin to brew within her chest. She turned to the left then to the right, before tugging on her sleeve to try and aim her focus on something else.

Marinette slowly moved forward, wary of the way the silence engulfed her. It was cold, enough for the cold to seep into her bones; even her soul felt the suffocating feeling from the nothingness. But she continued forward, knowing that within her heart that Adrien was here somewhere.

“Adrien.” She called again, her voice breaking as the panic began to take hold of her. Soon her walking became a slight jog, and before she knew it, she was running. She could feel her breath getting caught in her throat, and her cheeks were cold as she continued to run.

Swiftly wiping at her eye as if something was in it, she noticed it was wet, and it only dawned on her that she was crying.

“Adrien!”

Silence.

Darkness.

Nothing.

But then a laughter. A deep, hearty laugh that sounded demented and demonic. Marinette abruptly stopped to hear where the sound was coming from, but the fear began to fill her core making her wary of moving to find the monster tied to the noise. But finding Adrien was more important than hiding, and she hoped that she could use her Ladybug courage and strength to find him.

More laughter. More walking. Finally, a sound—a monologue maybe, the voice was too low to determine the words. But then she saw him. Her heart plummeted as she noticed Chat Noir beaten and bruised, his body tied to a chair as the man in purple stood in front of him, the tip of the cane pressed into his cheek to make the superhero look up him.

“You will tell me where she is.” Hawkmoth growled, and Chat only stared blankly at him, refusing to utter a word. “Fine. Then I’ll remove this.”

Hawkmoth reached down to snatch his ring, but Chat called his cataclysm to avoid the capture. Hawkmoth only laughed, taking his staff and pressing it against the bubbling destruction, incinerating it to ash.

Marinette gasped, ready to call on her transformation when Hawkmoth removed the ring, leaving Adrien unprotected and vulnerable to the villain.

“No!” Marinette cried out, but her voice never carried through to them. Hawkmoth and Adrien stared down at each other before the unthinkable happened—Hawkmoth unified with Plagg and called upon his cataclysm.

“Marinette!” A sound broke through, but Marinette ignored it.

Tears were streaming down her face as she watched Adrien stare calmly at the villain, waiting for the final ending to his current life. And as Hawkmoth inched closer and closer to Adrien’s face, the only thing she could do was scream.

“Marinette, please!”

“Goodbye, cat.” He uttered out with disdain, pressing his fingertip to Adrien’s cheek, black bubbling destruction took over his body until there was nothing left. She continued to scream, the tears falling faster and faster as the world came crashing in around her.

“—nette!” Adrien cried out as he continuously shook Marinette to wake her up from the nightmare. She wouldn’t wake up and continued to scream out, her eyes pressed tightly shut as the tears fell down her cheeks.

“Marinette. Come on!” Adrien tried again, afraid that her parents would run up here at any moment to see him here with her.

He hugged her close, pressing kisses to her cheek and lips, trying every trick he could think of to wake her up. Finally, he lifted her up and opened up the skylight, rushing her out into the cold November air, hoping that the sudden change in temperature would bring her back to reality.

The plan working, causing her to stop screaming and gasp out for her. Marinette’s body was now shaking from the cold, but her eyes shot open when she realized she was not in her bed.

“Marinette.” He whispered, hoping that his calming voice would calm her down. “I’m here, bug. I’m here.”

“Adrien?” She asked groggily, still trying to comprehend what was going on.

“You had a bad dream. It’s okay. You’re okay. I’m here.”

Marinette stared into Adrien’s eyes as she touched his cheek, feeling the warmth through her palm. She inhaled deeply before lunging at him, holding him tightly as she cried into his shoulder, forcing her to forget the pain of losing him to that monster.

-------------------------

NOTE: This chapter is important and not something that is thrown in for the sake of a chapter. It's actually foreshadowing to something that happens down the line in Ladynoir July, but I promise no actual cataclysm will be used to destroy a character.

TL;DR: Marinette has a dream that Hawkmoth captured Chat Noir and tried to get information out of him. Marinette sees him bruised up and tied to a chair. HM is able to take the ring, unify it, and cataclysm Adrien. Marinette wakes up screaming from her nightmare via Adrien who happened to fall asleep beside her.

[authenticcadence18]

Day 7: Interview

A little girl with big dreams asks Ladybug and Chat Noir for an interview after an akuma attack, and Chat gives her a few pointers on what being a true hero is all about.

@ladynoirjuly2020

AO3

...

“Ladybug!! Chat Noir!!!! Wait!!!”

Ladybug and Chat Noir whipped around in unison at the sound of a voice calling out to them from behind, their adrenaline still high from Paris’ most recent akuma attack.

The source of the exclamation was a little girl with wide eyes and a gap-toothed smile. She held an official-looking notebook and bright pink crayon in her hands.

Both heroes let out sighs of relief: they weren’t eager to fight another battle so soon after the last one.

“Can I get an interview?” the little girl asked as she practically swayed with excitement. “My maman said I can use her special notebook for it!”

A couple meters or so down the street, a woman with kind eyes smiled sheepishly and shrugged at the heroes.

Ladybug and Chat Noir exchanged a glance and smiled. They’d been approached for interviews numerous times, but never by a reporter so young before!

“Well…” Ladybug began, pursing her lips and tapping her cheek thoughtfully in an exaggerated manner. “We only have a few minutes before we transform back, but I say we have time for a quick interview with an up-and-coming reporter. What do you think, Chat Noir?”

“Sounds good to me, LB!” Chat replied brightly. He knelt down until he was eye-to-eye with the little girl and gave her a wink. “What hard hitting questions do you have for us today, ma’am?”

The little girl giggled and grinned widely. “I wanna be like you and Ladybug someday!!” she exclaimed. “How can I become a superhero?”

Ladybug didn’t have the heart to answer this question...although she loved wearing spots and saving Paris, she wouldn’t wish the full-time occupation of keeping the city safe on anyone, especially not an impressionable young child.

Fortunately, though, Chat Noir was more than ready to provide an answer.

“You wanna know how to be a hero, huh?” Chat mused. He narrowed his eyes before gesturing for the little girl to come closer. “Well, I can tell you how to be the best hero ever, but you have to keep it a secret, okay?”

“Okay!!!” the little girl replied.

“To be a true hero, you have to be brave,” Chat began. “Anyone can have superpowers, but only someone who is brave can be a superhero! Sometimes, heroes have to do scary things...do you ever have to do scary things?”

“Oh yeah,” the little girl replied softly. “Sometimes I have to try new things at school...that can be pretty scary.”

“But you tried them, and you made it out fine!!” Chat replied. “That’s definitely something a superhero would do.

“It also doesn’t hurt to be a good leader,” he continued. “No superhero team is complete without an amazing leader who comes up with crazy-awesome ideas to help save the day!! BUT, good leaders also know when they need to step back and ask for help, and they are always open to suggestions from their team. Can you do that?” “Definitely!!” the girl replied. “I ask for help from my maman all the time!”

“That’s great!!” Chat said. “You’re already on your way there, then!”

The little girl smiled proudly, and from her position down the street, her mother smiled as well.

“Now, there’s one more thing you need to know…” Chat whispered. “The best superheroes have kind hearts. Do you know what that means?” The little girl furrowed her brows and thought for a moment. “....can you tell me?”

Chat chuckled and nodded. “Of course! When someone has a kind heart, it means they go above and beyond to be there for other people and show them how much they care no matter what they do. Any old person can fight bad guys, but only someone with a kind heart can be a true hero.”

Ladybug’s eyes watered as she listened to Chat. His heart was definitely one of the kindest she’d ever known, and she felt so fortunate to have him as her partner.

The little girl pondered Chat’s final words for a moment. “Hey, it kinda sounds like you’re talking about Ladybug!” she pointed out.

Chat Noir grinned and replied, “You’re a pretty smart reporter!! And what can I say?” He looked up at his lady with a gentle smile.

“She’s the greatest hero I know.”

Ladybug’s heart stuttered in her chest.

Chat Noir gazed softly at her for a bit longer before turning back to the little girl.

“Now, you seem to have a pretty kind heart…” he mused thoughtfully. “if you ask me, I’d say you’re already a hero!”

The little girl beamed. “Yay!!!!!!!” She turned to her mother and exclaimed, “Chat Noir says I’m a hero!!!!”

Her mother laughed warmly as she walked to her daughter and scooped her into her arms. “He sure did!!!! Now, let’s thank Chat Noir and Ladybug and get out of their hair, shall we?”

“But I had another question!!!!!!!” The little girl wriggled her way out of her mother’s arms and rushed over to Ladybug. Ladybug knelt down beside her, heart still pounding from Chat’s earlier declaration.

The little girl cupped her hands over Ladybug’s ears and whispered, “Is Chat Noir your boyfriend?”

A bright red blush bloomed across Ladybug’s face. “N-no!!!” she managed to stutter.

The little girl giggled into her hands. “Don’t worry!” she whispered. “I know you like him, but I can keep it a secret!!

Suddenly, Ladybug was keenly aware of the dots blinking in her ears.

“Welp, this interview has been lovely, but I should be heading out!” With a hasty wave and smile, she was swinging up and out into the cloudy afternoon sky.

Chat definitely was NOT her boyfriend.

And she definitely didn’t want to be his girlfriend.

Not even after all the lovely things he’d just said about her.

Or the way he’d looked at her.

Nope, no way.

“BYEEEE, LADYBUG!!!!!!!!!!!” the little girl cried.

Chat watched Ladybug go with an amused expression on his face. “She sure got out of here in a hurry, huh? What did you ask her?”

“It’s a secret!!!” the little girl replied with an elated giggle.

Chat chuckled and replied, “Well, superheroes DO have to be good at keeping secrets, so I suppose I’ll just have to live with it.”

He glanced down at his ring and started.  

"Speaking of secrets, I’d better head out, or MY secret identity will be out of the bag!! Thanks for the interview, ma’am!!” He saluted the girl and her mother before vaulting away on his staff.

And the little girl waved until Chat Noir was nothing more than a black speck on the horizon.

...

Instead of sleeping that night, Marinette found herself replaying the events of the interview over and over in her mind.

What exactly had Chat said about her?

And why did she get so flustered when she realized he’d been saying all those things about her??

….had he heard what the little girl whispered to her before she left??

Needless to say, Marinette was quite tired at school the next day.

...

I’m writing some one-shots for Ladynoir July! What days will I write for? How many fics will I be able to finish?

…only Ahtohallan knows.

[ladyofthenoodle]

Fanfiction Year In Review - 2020

more like fanfiction life in review but hey if my first year as a writer isn’t worth reviewing than what is?

1 List of fics completed this year in the order they were finished:

it's hard to get to know you (but i'm down) my first fanfic ever!

Me, My Best Friend, and Her Cat (for fanfiction exchange)

full exposure

our hands would not be taught to hold another's (ladynoir july)

coin operated boy (dark fic october event)

he is rugged and long lasting (adrichat november)

five times Caline Bustier tried to find love (and one time she did)

2 Number of words written:

58,408 words published on Ao3 - not bad considering I only started in June!

3 Your most popular fic:

our hands would not be taught to hold another's, by far, although Me, My Best Friend, and Her Cat also gets quite a bit of traction when people are looking for Alya sugar fics!

4 Your personal fav:

our hands would not be taught to hold another's is my baby and a labor of love. before writing this, I didn’t think I had what it takes to be a writer - sure, I’d published my first fic, a little one shot, but that was a flash in the pan - nothing like a long, heavy, multichaptered work. I honestly didn’t think I could do it so I’m incredibly proud of it and so grateful for everyone who helped me and encouraged me throughout it, including Cass (@sing-in-me-oh-muse) who betaed and commented on every chapter.

5 Your fav scene:

ahhhh, how to choose? probably Adrien getting the ring back in “hands” - certainly there are other moments I am very proud of as a writer but man, I was SO READY to write that once I finally got to that chapter and I was also super pleased with how the scene turned out.

6 A fic or scene that challenged you:

coin operated boy was so hard for me - I can do angst okay but this was much darker than I’d gone before and way out of my comfort zone! I would like to go back to the story some day and resolve it because I cannot stand leaving the babies sad, but... I am just not ready to touch it again.

7 A line of writing you’re proud of:

oh gosh this is also hard to pick ummmm idk here’s my favorite lines from my unpublished fics because who knows when they will get a chance to shine

I was very proud of the alliteration here

Marinette flopped forward now, her arms coming to rest onto the desk a little too hard, making her cell phone lose its precarious perch and topple onto the tabletop. 

and my favorite moment of Tikki dialogue I’ve ever written

“Why don’t you make him a scarf, like your other friends?” Tikki chirped. “Or one of those themed money cards!”

“Themed money — Tikki, are you suggesting I give Adrien a gift card?”

8 A comment that touched you:

ahhhh this is so hard to choose??? i treasure every comment and i got so many lovely ones this year. Rikka gave me my very first comment ever and even though it was short it is very important to me because she is very important to me. and so many talented people gave me such wonderful comments on “hands” when I was discouraged and every one of those touched me so much. @aquawsm wrote so many lovely comments and created stunning art of my black cat Alya and @raisinraven found my fic on tumblr and joined Ao3 just to comment which is amazing!

9 Something that inspired your writing:

the Miraculous Ladybug fandom and the people in it. I’ve read fanfiction for so, so long and while I always had story ideas in my head, I never thought I’d be able to write them. shout out in particular to @kasienda for looking at the prompts I’d written and seen a writer in them when I couldn’t see it myself, to @sing-in-me-oh-muse and Rikka for encouraging me to just go for it with that first story and for every story since, and to everyone in the Miraculous Fanworks discord for all the writing resources and support and encouragement over the last 6 months

10 Your proudest accomplishment (that one scene; finally finishing that one fic; posting your first fic; etc):

oh I like this question, it gave me my answer already - definitely posting my first fic. and people actually LIKING it, oh my gosh, what??? wild

11. Do you have any writing goals for the next year?

mmmm nope, I should probably try to set some! I have a long list of things to write and half-finished and barely-started projects and I would like to get at least some of it done! hopefully I can finish another multi-chaptered work but other than that I just hope I can keep writing and improving

tagging @silveryeet @noirequin @fictionalinfinity @sae-what @miabrown007 and whoever else I forgot sorry tagging makes me nervous

[macaronsforchat]

Ladynoir July Day 8 - Kwami Swap

@ladynoirjuly2020

read on ao3!

“Pound it!” they both smiled, gazing into each other’s eyes for a little longer than they’d intended. Ladynoire looked away first, starting to move over to the man who sat on the ground looking perplexed.

“You’re okay now,” she smiled, squatting down to his level and offering him a hand.

“Thank you,” he said hesitantly, glancing between the two superheroes and smiling.

Once they’d made sure he would get home safely, they turned back to each other. She smiled to herself when she thought back to the battle. They’d swapped miraculouses for a while, wanting to practice and expand their skill set. She also thought that it would be good for them to see a fight from the other person’s perspective.

Usually she’d be dead tired and ready to sleep after dealing with an akuma, but seeing how proficient they’d become with each other's powers had energized her all over again. She would have been stumped if she’d received the lucky charm that he had, but Mister Bug had known how to use it within seconds. And when she’d figured out a way to use her Cataclysm, she had looked over to her partner and seen that they were on the exact same page. It was exhilarating.

“We’re pretty good at this,” she said, watching his smile widen to match hers. He chuckled, shrugging and nodding.

“We also look pretty good,” he said playfully, posing dorkily. She let herself give his suit a once over like she didn’t already know how good he looked.

“Some more than others,” she teased right back, shooting him a wink. Even though she started blushing immediately, it was nothing compared to how it would usually be. She was always amazed at the effects that the Black Cat miraculous had on her.

Mister Bug, however, went as red as his suit, stumbling over his words for a few seconds before she began to giggle at him. It was unfair for him to get even cuter, but somehow he always surprised her. He covered his face with his hands for a moment, shooting her an adorable frown when he dropped them back at his sides.

That was enough to make her blush rise to try and match his, so she turned away, trying to think of something else to say.

“So, uh, Plagg told me that sometimes you threaten to never give him cheese again,” she blurted out, that thought being the first that came to mind. She glanced over her shoulder at him, her long braid brushing against her back. “He can’t be that bad.”

“You’ve been hanging out with him for almost a week now. Tell me honestly that you haven’t wanted to tear your hair out at least once,” he responded, his cheeks returning to a normal color. She pretended to think, tapping her chin.

“Actually, I haven’t. He’s really well behaved,” she said, watching Mister Bug’s eyebrows shoot upwards.

“Seriously?” he asked, staring at her in disbelief. She shrugged one shoulder at him, smiling playfully. He narrowed his eyes at her, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Yeah? Well, Tikki told me that you trapped her in a cup when you two first met,” he shot back, making her giggle a little remembering it.

Looking at her partner, she wondered if he knew how cute he was. She also wondered if he knew that he got a thousand times cuter when she teased him.

“Plagg also told me that you hide pictures of me in your trophies,” she said, watching his eyes become wider than she’d ever seen them.

“He told you that?” he asked, sounding breathless. She let out a short, loud laugh followed by small giggles, covering her mouth with her hand. She didn’t want to tell him right away that when Plagg had told her, she’d jumped up and down and squealed like she was the happiest girl in the world.

“I think it’s cute,” she said through a chuckle, watching his open mouth close suddenly. He was blushing again, and she realized her heart was racing just watching him.

But when her ring beeped at her, her smile faded quickly. It always felt like the time they spent together was cut short. She heard his earrings beep from across the rooftop, their eyes meeting as the joking air died down.

“You were fantastic today,” she told him as a beginning to a goodbye, crossing the space between them to stand in front of him. He gazed down at her, and she smiled, standing on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek gently. She felt like she’d used up all her confidence at that point, blushing as she turned away from him quickly and started to walk off.

Before she made it even two steps away from him, she felt his arm wrap around her waist, gently pulling her back. He kissed her cheek in return, their eyes meeting when he pulled back.

“So were you,” he said quietly, both of them bright red with pounding hearts. Their miraculouses beeped at them once more, his hand slipping from her waist.

“I-I’ll see you at school,” she said stiffly, unable to tear her eyes away from him. He stepped away from her, letting out a small laugh and finally breaking their eye contact. Pulling his yo-yo from his waist and throwing it, he glanced back at her once more.

“Can’t wait, m’lady,” he said just before winking. He jumped and let his yo-yo pull him across the city, leaving her to melt into a blushing mess on the rooftop.

~~~~~

i couldn’t think of a great idea for this one, but i hope you all enjoyed it! thank you for taking time out of your day to read this! you all are the best!! <3 

[missbugaboo]

LadyNoir July 2020 | Day 1

"Chat let his fingers hover over her fist, coming close enough to nearly brush the back of her hand with the tips of his claws, but not close enough for her to feel it distinctively. Ladybug wanted to scream."

Written for @ladynoirjuly2020

And a big shout-out to @nerdypanda3126​ for proofreading it for me again!

Day 1: A Wall Between Us

C’est fort quand je le vois Je veux crier sur tous les toits Notre amour qui nous tend les bras Mais je sais que je ne dois pas Ce n’est pas le moment Il faut être patients Être patients

It is strong when I see it I want to shout it out on all the rooftops Our love that reaches us But I know I shouldn’t It is not the moment We need to be patient Be patient

"It doesn't matter, does it?" he asked the night before him, his words echoing in the cool Parisian air with a note of resignation that surpassed even the sadness in them. He was calm, he was composed, he was anything she could wish him to be, handling the situation with all the dignity of a true young gentleman.

A true hero.

And yet, as Ladybug watched his back, stiff and tense under his ebony suit, she couldn't help but regret every wish she had ever made regarding his conduct.

It would have been so much better if he had just screamed with annoyance at her.

"It doesn't matter if I say it or not," she heard him pick up after the shortest of pauses and refocused her wandering gaze at the back of his head; she wished she could look into his face instead, but clearly, that wasn't an option now... and who knew if maybe it wasn't for the best, for both of their sakes. "It doesn't matter if I hold back and pretend that I've moved on or if I throw caution to the wind and go back to telling you how much I actually care. Meaning, there really is no point acting as if I don't."

"Chat, please-" she tried to respond, but he gave her no chance.

"You know that I love you, Ladybug," he said, his voice as firm as it was cold. "You do, so don't hurt me even more pretending that you don't. It's bad enough as it is, without you treating me like a fool."

She nodded, biting her lower lip as she fought desperately in the battle against her own misery. There was a stinging behind her eyes and a wetness under her lashes; a lump rising in her throat and a headache she could feel coming.

Her nails dug against the palms of her hands, so deep that even the magical fabric of her costume wasn't enough to nullify the pain.

She saw Chat turn around slowly and suddenly, she realised that it was far more difficult not to look away on her part. She had prayed for him to face her, she reminded herself, forcing her rebellious body to remain still and meeting her partner's gaze steadily. She would not succumb to her own weakness and run, no matter how much she wanted to.

After all, she owed him that much.

"I do know," she whispered at last, hoping that her resolution would be enough to keep her from falling apart, if only for a little while. "But I never intended to hide it from you. I just... didn't think it would do any good bringing it up again. Perhaps I was the one being foolish this time."

He was closer now, so close that she could see that sad smile of his without even looking directly at it. It made her heart clench with pain; all the more so when she once again recalled that there really was nothing she could do about it.

They were in a pit, and there simply wasn't a way out at this point.

"Because you can't love me back, right?" Chat mused quietly. "But Ladybug, I know that. You've been as clear as you could be and even if that weren't the case, the last two years would have been enough to teach me that sometimes you just can't change how things are. That... stubbornness... regardless of how noble the intentions might be, may often lead to suffering, for both of the parties involved.

"However, the same experience that made that clear to me also taught me something else. Namely, that no matter how much I try, what means I take, I just can't get over my feelings for you; and my hopeless endeavours to do so were exactly what hurt people most."

She felt it rather than saw his next movement, when he raised his hand and reached towards hers. Her instincts told her to step away, or at least to clasp her hands together in a way that would make it impossible for him to grasp her - and yet, that first first impulse was soon overcome by the next, one that made her freeze in space, unable to as much as lift her finger, and much less to make a motion that was not only conscious, but effective as well.

And then it turned out that all of it was of no importance, as Chat himself was the one restraining himself in the end.

She almost wished that he had gone through with it.

Yet, he didn't. Instead, he let his fingers hover over her fist, coming close enough to nearly brush the back of her hand with the tips of his claws, but not close enough for her to feel it distinctively.

Ladybug wanted to scream.

"I'm not asking you to change your mind, you know," he continued in a hoarse whisper that matched her trembling murmurs from before. "Mostly because I know it's not your mind that needs changing. I've learnt first-hand that you can't make your heart feel differently than it does, whether you want to fall in love or to fall out of it... So, I would be an idiot trying to impose something like that on you."

"I've never felt that you did," Ladybug answered quickly, before he could start another monologue. She saw him raise an eyebrow at her and blushed, abashed. "I mean, I did in the early stages, I guess. In those first months of this whole superhero thing... At the time before you found a girlfriend two years ago. But never after that."

"Even though you knew how I felt?"

She shrugged and crossed her arms, embracing her own body tightly. "Maybe? It's not like I knew all along, after all. I really did believe that you'd moved on at first... I mean, you seemed to glow whenever you mentioned that girl of yours, so it couldn't have all been fake. And even when I realised that you still thought about me that way, it was different. You were different."

"I thought I was," Chat agreed with a smile. This time, Ladybug did sense his touch against her hand, before he stepped back and turned away from her. His hand rose to scratch the nape of his neck; once again, she had to restrain from reaching out and grasping it herself. "Though it's certainly good to know that it was more than my wishful thinking. The last thing I wanted was to make you uncomfortable, even if I knew the odds of that happening were slim. So, I'm relieved."

"I'm glad that you are," she offered with a weak smile of her own.

"And I swear that hasn't changed," he went on, as if he hadn't heard her say it; then again, it really could have been the case. "I'm not trying to convince you to reconsider your stance, or to give me a chance. I know that I don't have any. The boy you've always talked about... I don't know if you've reached an understanding with him - quite frankly, I don't think I want to know - but it's obvious that he still means the world to you. That in the same way that I was unable to get over you, you can't really give up on him. And it's fine, it really is... Because I have no intention of standing in the way of that. All I want is for you to let me admit my own feelings and to acknowledge them. I won't ask for anything more than that."

He spun on his heel one more time, ready to face her. His initial animosity was long gone at this point, his trademark grin back in his place with no sarcastic vibe attached to it. There was a melancholy in it. Anguish, perhaps.

Nothing but that.

Ladybug watched him for a while, processing his speech, analysing word upon word of what he had said. She could almost feel herself drowning in all the warmth that had radiated from his assertions, the selflessness and attentiveness with which he had treated her for the longest time, unable and unwilling to break the comforting silence with her own untimely response.

And yet, she was bound to respond.

"You're wrong about one thing," she chose to say eventually. "The boy you mentioned... He's not the reason why I'm keeping my distance with you."

The shock on his face was as great as it was expected, and it almost made Ladybug chuckle - or it surely would have, had the matter not been as serious as it was. Still, it made some of the tension between them dissolve; Ladybug quickly decided that it was an opportunity she should not allow to pass.

In for an inch, in for a mile.

"I don't want to play with your feelings, Chat, which is why I didn't say anything before. Maybe I shouldn't say anything now, either... But you were honest with me, and I feel it's only right if I repay you in kind," she explained carefully. "I don't want to go into details, not yet... However, I believe you have the right to know the reason I'm  still keeping you at arm's length at times - or at least to know what isn't that reason."

"So, what you're saying is... You're no longer in love with him?"

Again, Ladybug nodded.

"But... You still won't fall in love with me?"

His question resonated in her ears for a good few moments, silence falling over them once more as she let herself ponder over his words, trying to find a way to answer him in a way that would be both safe and sincere. There was still so much at risk, way too much for her to easily disregard the first of the requirements, yet at the same time, she couldn't lie to him about a matter so major.

Sadly, she couldn't exactly tell him that she had fallen in love with him already, either.

Which was precisely what had happened. She couldn't tell how or when, though certainly not for the luck of trying to determine it ("I've fallen for Chat Noir, Tikki! When did I do that?!"), and no one, no one had been more surprised than the young superheroine herself (again, not that she was in the position to tell anyone about this insanity). She didn't know if there was a specific moment or event that made her heart speed up for him, or even if there was one that only made her realise her advancing infatuation when she'd been in too deep to even think of going back.

It was unclear, unsettling, confusing... while simultaneously, the more time had passed since she had first accepted a possibility of thinking of her friend in terms of romance, the more obviously natural it appeared.

Because she did love Chat Noir.

Of course she did.

Still, it had taken her aback at first. When Adrien and Kagami broke up (a good five months after she had parted ways with Luka), she was sure that her treacherous heart would take over her brain again, making her go back to square one despite the progress she had made beforehand. Sure, she probably wouldn't fall apart every time Adrien might decide to talk to her when she'd been perfectly able to speak with full sentences (or paragraphs, when her creativeness struck her) for the majority of the previous year. However, that could hardly be a guarantee of her overall success.

Surprisingly, though, the catastrophe she had feared so much didn't come. Weeks and months had passed and the two became closer than ever before - and yet, their relationship never reached the point of being a romantic one. There were a few... instances when it seemed it might go that way - a farewell embrace that lasted a little longer than necessary, a cheek kiss that held more to it than a traditional greeting required.

A few of the many night-time calls that hinted at the prospect of not remaining entirely platonic after all.

All those were one time incidents, too few and too trivial to be given any consideration afterwards. Nothing but hints which, not taken up by the other person, were left alone and forgotten about.

The funniest thing?

It was Adrien who dropped those hints most of the time.

But he wasn't petty or disappointed about it. They were friends - best friends - who also happened to be testing waters a little, after both of their relationships had gone south. She stopped doing it as soon as she realised to whom her heart really belonged now; Adrien went on with it still, though frankly speaking, it seemed more of a habit he'd developed than a serious offer on his part.

So there she was, head over heels in love with her other best partner and friend, who apparently never managed to get over her. A perfect situation with a perfect ending in sight.

If only it was some other time.

"I'm sorry, what?" Chat asked suddenly, making her snap out of her reverie.

The disoriented look he was giving her made her realise that she had said the last part out loud and, not wanting to confuse him more, she rephrased, "The time. It's not the right time."

She had no trouble noticing the change in him, prompted by her words. His eyes widened behind the mask; his breathing hitched for a second while his mouth opened a bit, the hope and anxiety visible in every inch of his being.

Oh, how she wanted to tell him more! To run up to him and throw her arms around his neck, heedless to the risk that was bound to such an act. To forget about Hawkmoth and their duty to defeat him, of Chat Blanc and the tragedy meant to occur if they gave in to their own dreams and needs.

To tell him that she loved him and that she was sure she always would.

But she couldn't tell him that. Even if she made the condition of not becoming official and waiting until Hawkmoth is no more, it would have been to risky. Official or not, a couple or not, they would not be the same after the confession was made - and as much as she yearned to say the words, it was not something they could afford right now.

The moment just wasn't right.

So she stared back at him, their eyes locked together as she tried to convey her affection without making a statement itself. Then she took a deep breath and, making sure he was listening carefully, she asked:

"Will you wait for me, Chaton?"

The gleam of happiness she saw in his irises was all she could ever ask for.

[tsuki-chibi]

Ladynoir July 2023 Day 2: Emergency Contact

Read all the entries on AO3

---

It was late by the time that Marinette finally left her house. A few workers had called in sick to the bakery, so she’d been roped into helping her mom out front. The hours had slipped away under the rush of customers, until Marinette had looked up and suddenly realized she was over half an hour late for her meeting with Chat.

She tucked a box of apology cookies under her arm as she left, telling her maman that she was late for a meeting with Alya instead. A few blocks from the bakery, she slipped into an alley and transformed before taking to the rooftops. Over forty minutes late, she finally arrived at the spot where she had agreed to meet Chat, half-expecting that he’d left already.

But there he still was, sitting on the edge of the roof, looking out over the city. The slump to his shoulders told her that he was having a bad night. Ladybug walked over to him.

“I’m sorry,” she blurted out. “I got caught up doing things at home and totally lost track of time.”

“It’s fine,” Chat said quietly, not looking at her.

It clearly wasn’t fine, and Ladybug sat down slowly while she thought about what to say next. Chat always brushed aside her apologies and excuses. He was always so kind when she was late or, worse yet, when she forgot entirely and didn’t show up. Determinedly, she thrust the box of cookies into his lap.

“Here. I stopped at Dupain-Cheng bakery and brought you these. I know you love them,” she said.

Chat blinked down at the box. “What – you didn’t need to do that.”

“Yeah, I did,” Ladybug said. “So… what’s up? You look like you’re having a hard night.” She studied his profile. “I thought you’d be happy now that Hawkmoth is taken care of. Is this about the fact that we didn’t get the Peacock miraculous back?”

They’d done their best, but Gabriel Agreste and Nathalie Sancoeur were both refusing to talk and there was no sign of the Peacock miraculous in the Agreste mansion. Adrien had granted Ladybug and Chat Noir his permission for them to search the mansion from top to bottom, but the Peacock miraculous simply wasn’t to be found. It unnerved Ladybug to know it was still out there somewhere, possibly in the wrong hands.

“No. Well, kind of. But not really,” Chat said, lightly kicking his heels against the wall. “Ladybug…”

“Yeah?”

Chat was quiet for a long moment before sighing. “Never mind.”

Ladybug bit her lip, frustrated. Chat had been different ever since they’d unmasked Hawkmoth and Mayura. She thought maybe he knew Gabriel Agreste or Nathalie Sancoeur in real life, but she wasn’t sure how and she obviously couldn’t ask how.

Really, between Chat and Adrien, she was worrying nonstop over blond boys right now.

“Hey, you can tell me,” she said, gently bumping their shoulders together.

“I really can’t,” Chat said with a bitter smile. “You wouldn’t want to know.”

“That’s – well, I’d say that’s not true, but… is it about your identity?” Ladybug asked uncertainly. Technically, with Hawkmoth taken care of, there was nothing stopping them. But they hadn’t had that conversation yet. Ladybug didn’t know if she was ready.

“Kind of,” Chat said. “It’s just – who is your emergency contact?”

The question gave Ladybug pause. She scrunched her nose and tried to figure out where this was going, but couldn’t. It seemed like such an obvious answer.

“It’s my parents,” she said slowly. “I mean... who else would it be?”

Chat’s shoulders hunched and he made a quiet sound, turning his face away.

That was obviously the wrong answer. But Ladybug couldn’t figure out why.

“Chat? What’s wrong?” she asked, worried, and reached out to put a hand on his shoulder. It shocked her when he pulled away before she could touch him, getting to his feet. Ladybug stared up at him in surprise.

She didn’t think Chat had ever pulled away from her before like that. His reaction hurt more than she’d expected. She got to her feet too, unsure if she should reach out to him again. The box of cookies sat on the ground, forgotten, and that too stung. Chat loved the cookies from the Dupain-Cheng bakery. Normally he would’ve stuffed at least half a dozen into his mouth by now.

“You know what, I’m not feeling it tonight. Everything’s quiet, and it looks like it’s going to start raining any minute, so I’m just going to head home,” Chat said, still not looking at her.

Ladybug opened her mouth, but she was too late. Chat was already gone, using his baton to propel himself off the roof and in the opposite direction of the bakery. Within moments his black costume was swallowed up by the dark, growing clouds, and Ladybug couldn’t see him anymore.

@ladynoirjuly

[flippin-fins]

Secrets

LadyNoir July 2021 Day 17: Secrets

Read on AO3

A/N: Catch me trying to catch up after all my traveling recently

Ladybug flinched as her partner landed behind her. "Hey Chat."

"‘Hey Chat’? That’s all you have to say?”

She turned slowly, hands raised defensively.

“Chat, listen I -”

“No Ladybug, you listen. I thought after everything with Master Fu and agreeing for nothing to change when you became the guardian you understood, but maybe not. I’ve been here for you the entire time, as your partner, but I guess you don’t see it that way.”

“Chat you don’t understand I -”

“Ladybug!”

She flinched from his voice, withdrawing her outstretched hand. How did it come to this?

Ladybug opened her mouth, ready to stay silent if he cut her off again. She searched his eyes to find the edges of his anger, but the pain staring back made her gasp.

“I thought we were partners, but all you do is cut me off and leave me out. If I wanted to be left out of the loop and ignored I could just stay home and experience it there.” He looked away for a minute, and when he caught her eye again, the fire was back, a barrier protecting his heart. “If you don’t want to be partners, if you want to continue keeping all these secrets when I could help you, why am I even still here?

“You don’t want secrets? Fine! I’m drowning! The lines between being Ladybug and M- me were already blurry, but you don’t understand the added pressure of being the guardian! Chat, I’m 14 years old! I should be having fun with my friends or staying up late finishing homework! Not wrangling kwamis to keep them in my room or risking my life for this city!”

“So you revealed your identity.”

“Yeah Chat, I revealed my identity so I could finally brea-,” Ladybug froze, turning to him. “How did you know I revealed my identity?”

“I wasn’t sure, not at first. But Alya’s been getting the fox miraculous pretty often, recently. Hasn’t she?”

“Alya?”

“Oh, sorry, I meant Rena Rouge.”

Her blood ran cold. He knew?

“I thought we were partners, but I had to find out an identity secondhand that even Hawkmoth knew!”

“Chat, it’s more complicated than that!”

“Oh I’m sure it is.”

She hadn’t meant to hold him at arm's length. She’d just been so busy, so stressed, so scared to be responsible for so many things. She should have noticed the signs, shouldn’t have cut him out of her life.

And now he stood in front of her, and the rope holding them together was frayed, barely clinging together.

She blinked tears out her eyes, ignoring the rain freezing her to the bone. It had been nicer falling in love in the rain. But really, wasn’t anything nicer than whatever this was?

“What are you saying, Chat?”

He looked at her, and if he was listening he could probably hear her heart breaking.

“Are you done? Done with this, with us?” ‘Done with me?’ her heart whispered.

Lightning lit up the sky around them, and for a moment Ladybug saw a white suit and blue eyes staring back at her.

“It feels like lately the only one you’ve been keeping secrets from is me. So yeah, maybe we need a break.”

“Chat,” she reached out, wanting to tuck him in her arms and tell him everything.

“Ladybug.” She recoiled as though he’d slapped her.

“Chat, I’m sorry. This hasn’t been fair to you. If you’re willing, we can just sit down and talk.”

“So you can reveal only bits and pieces and have to go through this all over again in two months when I find out something else you’ve been hiding from me?”

“Chat, I’ll reveal anything to you. Anything to make you stay.”

“Anything?” His mask lifted and she could just picture the raised eyebrow.

“Anything, Chat. I’ll tell you who I am, who the other miraculous holders are, I’ll tell you how much I-“ she took a breath. “I’ll detransform right here on this roof. Please just don’t leave me. I can’t lose you. Not again.”

“You’d think if New York affected you so much we wouldn’t be here.”

Glimpses of a flooded Paris flashed across her vision, and it took everything in her not to sink to her knees. Ghosts of his voice, words from a different timeline echoed in her ears.

“It was our love that did this to the world, M’lady.”

“Chat, there’s something I need to tell you. Something bigger than identities.”

[giuliafc]

Betrayal Chapter 11: Volatile Victory

<< 1 -- 2 -- 3 -- 4 -- 5 -- 6 -- 7 -- 8 -- 9 -- 10 -- 11: Ao3 || FFN -- 12 >>

Written by: JuliaFC

Beta: @itsagrestebug

Summary: Big trouble in Chinat… er, I mean, the Agreste mansion. Gabriel thought he won, but his victory was volatile. And now... the Butterfly Miraculous is gone? Nathalie is sick? OMG! (998 words)

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by (c) Thomas Astruc, TS1 Bouygues, Disney Channel, Zagtoon, Toei Animation. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Written for the "Snippet July" challenge of the Miraculous Fanworks Discord server @miraculousfanworks AND for LadyNoir July @ladynoirjuly Day 22 — Volatile/heal. Let me know what you think!

oOoOoOoOoOo

Back at his lair, Papillombre’s eyes widened in shock, mirroring the expression of Sentijacques. "You know who I am?" he asked the blond boy in the cage. Adrien smirked at him.

"There are so many things you don't know about me, Father!" he said as he patted the head of the little black kwami that had twirled out of the ring and came to rest in his hand. Adrien proceeded to take a wedge of… cheese… from the pocket of his shirt and give it to him. The kwami was very quiet as he chewed his food.

Papillombre groaned. "What else d'you know?"

"I know everything. Why you want our Miraculous; and although I'd love to get her ba—"

"So help me!" interrupted Papillombre. "We can bring your mother back and be a family again."

Marinette's gaze darted to Adrien as SentiJacques said that. His eyes were full of tears, and she saw him gulping audibly and sniffling. "She's gone! She won't come back and it wouldn’t be fair if she did! That wish can have serious consequences, someone could die if you tried to revive Maman. Instead of fixating yourself on bringing the past back, look around, and think about your present, your future! You need to heal, and you won't until you let her go!"

SentiJacques banged a hand against Adrien's cage. "SILENCE! You ungrateful brat! You will nev—" But as he said so, the Sentimonster froze.

"Father? Are you alright?" asked Adrien, but SentiJacques didn't reply.

In his lair, Papillombre looked in horror at the figure coming off the lift. He tried to speak, but his whole body was paralised.

"It's over, Gabriel," said Nathalie, (or better, Natha...bee?) when she approached. She looked very different. Her hair was in a ponytail in the shape of a bee's sting and her uniform was gold striped with black. She wore a 1930s style dress similar to the one she wore as Mayura. Her smile was hard, devoid of softness as she took the Peacock brooch from his chest. Duusu appeared in a flash of light and Papillombre changed back into plain Papillon, who was left staring at his assistant saying it quietly, her eyes still trained to his, "Duusu, Pollen, Unify." A flash of energy wrapped around her and a familiar blue toned woman took the place of his previous opponent. She was different, in the sense that her hair was still long and combed into the same ponytail and a yellow and black striped mask covered her face, creating a strange contrast with the blueness of her skin and the purple of her eyes.

"Adrien doesn't deserve this, Gabriel," she whispered. Then, she grabbed a small boat figurine that Papillon held into his hands. The sentimonster in the room with Marinette and Adrien flinched.

"What's going on?" asked Adrien as SentiJacques approached his cage, opening both with a key that came from nowhere.

"I couldn't leave you like this, Adrien," said the Sentimonster. Adrien's eyes widened in shock.

"Nathalie?" he whispered. "You're sick. Why are you wearing a Miraculous? It could damage your health even more!"

The sentimonster coughed. "I'm okay. I couldn't stand by and do nothing. Mlle. Bourgeois isn't a threat any more, I have her Miraculous and Gabriel is paralised. Now don't waste time talking. Transform!" The tone of voice was harsh, but the eyes of the sentimonster were full of love.

"You've unified Duusu and Pollen?" said Marinette out of the blue. Adrien's eyes widened. "Nathalie, that’s extremely dangerous in your condition! You should never have done that, the power of the two Miraculous combined can kill you!"

They both watched in horror as the sentimonster crouched over itself and fell to the ground, a fit of coughs shaking its frame. "I'm okay," it whispered, but it said nothing more after that. In fact, it didn't move at all.

"NATHALIE!" shouted Adrien. "PLAGG CLAWS OUT! I can't leave her like that. M'lady, we need to do something!"

Marinette had tears in her eyes as she whispered her transformation phrase. "She sacrificed herself for us. She really loves you, Adrien." Chat Noir hugged the crouched figure of the sentimonster and let his sobs flow freely. Reluctantly, he let go of the sentimonster and they wiped their eyes. With a single look they jumped out of the window, running across the rooftops to reach the mansion.

Unseen from anyone, someone muffled a laugh in Papillon's lair. The figure approached Papillon and, without being seen, took his brooch off. A blob of purple wrapped Papillon's body and Gabriel Agreste appeared in his place, looking stiff and extremely uncomfortable being unable to move a single muscle. "You won't need this anymore," said a female voice, but when she took a breath in and was going to continue, a portal opened in front of them as Gabriel heard the thief running to hide in the darkness.

Gabriel wanted to scream, but could utter no sound. In a few minutes he had gone from being victorious to having lost everything. That's when the figure of a girl wrapped in a brown and white costume came into view. She reminded Gabriel of Rena Rouge, but her hair was combed in a ponytail and instead of having the fox tail behind her back, she displayed a fluffy horse tail. Next to her stood Carapace.

"Monsieur Agreste?" said the superheroine. "Damn, we're too late. What's going on?"

Carapace had approached Nathalie's listless body. "She feels cold, babe. She’s not moving."

Gabriel's heart sank. No, it was impossible. Nathalie hadn't fallen into a coma like Emilie, right? The Peacock was fixed now, why should she? He still couldn't move and his eyes stung with tears he didn't think he was ready to shed. As Carapace picked Nathalie up and started walking towards the lift, the horse superheroine moved his hands behind his back to tie them up. Then she grabbed hold of him too and followed her partner to the lift.

To be continued… Day 23

------------------------------

Author's Note

Here we are, day 22. Did you really think I'd leave Adrien and Marinette like that? Nathalie on the other hand… poor woman. Gabriel is also devastated (he deserves it though, Nathalie doesn't!). And… the Butterfly is gone again. I wonder who took it… ;)

I hope you liked the chapter and will leave me a comment. I love reading your feedback!

Until tomorrow, bug out!

[helgabatwrittings]

Hi, everyone! It’s finally July!! And since I’m Ladynoir trash, I’m writing some prompts for @ladynoirjuly2020 . I also want to thank @miraculouslyinloveagain for prompting me into writing this, and @sassykittynoir and @smileytrinity for their support. You guys are the best, and I’m so happy to have you as friends! Anyway, I hope you like this, and let me know what you think!

Day 1: The Wall Between Us

"LUCKY CHARM!" Marinette screamed, and a spotted fork immediately fell to her hands. Really, did Hawkmoth never sleep? It was 2 AM already, and it was a school night, so all Marinette should be doing, wanted to be doing was sleep. But of course, Hawkmoth could not have that, maybe this was a new tactic of his, to run the heroes of Paris ragged, and let exhaustion be the true winner. The victim was a student who felt overwhelmed over the stupid amount of work they had. Seriously, professors should be more lenient towards their students, especially when a supervillain who strives on negative emotions is on the loose.

Chat was busy distracting "Exotherman", God even his name was lame, while Marinette thought of a strategy to defeat him with a fork, once again courtesy of Tikki. But as she looked around, she also noticed how strangely quiet Chat Noir was. Perhaps he was just tired since this was, in fact, the 4th-night Akuma they had in a week, but Chat had also stopped punning, adding that to the fact that he didn't call her "M'lady" once, and Marinette was worried sick.

“Ladybug!” Marinette heard Chat screaming, and she barely dodged the fiery blast intended for her. Right, she had to focus on the battle. Once again Paris depended on its heroes, even though said heroes were running on fumes alone after almost a week of getting almost no sleep.

Her earrings beeped and Marinette looked at the spotted fork in her hand, and the cogs inside her brain started to work again, like a well-oiled machine. But of course! The solution was right in front of her!

So, after one meticulously placed “Cataclysm” and one “Miraculous Ladybug”, the victim was back to his normal self, and his friends were already next to him, asking all kinds of questions that the student had no answers. They climbed to a rooftop near the scene, effectively avoiding the journalists who were arriving at the spot.

“Pound it!” Chat Noir was definitely gloomy, the way he lightly pounded her fist, the silent sigh he released right before saying the familiar words. Something was wrong with her partner, and Marinette would get to the bottom of it.

“Right… I have to go…” Chat numbly informed her.

“Wait!” Marinette grabbed his arm, causing him to flinch slightly and her heart sank. “Is everything okay, Chat?” Her earrings beeped and she cursed. Why couldn’t they have unlimited time like the adult miraculous owners had!

“You should go, Ladybug. You’re about to transform back.” Chat tried to dodge her question.

“Nu-uh! Don’t think you can get away with it, Chat.”

“Seriously, LB, I’m fine!” Gosh, his smile was so fake! Did he think he could fool her? They were best friends, Marinette could read him like an open book. She looked around the rooftops and noticed a tall chimney nearby. It would have to do.

“Chat, you know you can tell me whatever is going on in your life! As long as we don’t compromise our identities, we can share everything.” Marinette looked gingerly at her stubborn partner. “Look, I’m almost out of time, how about we go to that chimney over there, and we stay on opposite sides. I have food for Tikki with me, so I can transform back, and you tell me what’s bugging you.”

Suddenly, the despondent look on Chat’s face morphed into a smirk, his eyes lighting in amusement “Was that a pun I just heard coming from you, M’lady?”

“Well, it was enough for you to start calling me M’lady again!” The  weight she was previously feeling in her chest suddenly dissipated almost completely, “So, can we talk now?”

Marinette hoped that Chat was quick in his decision, she would transform back at any moment. Thankfully, he nodded not even a second later, and so each of them jumped to their respective side of the chimney right in the nick of time for that matter, since a pink light engulfed Marinette as she returned to her civilian self, and an exhausted Tikki fell to her hands. “Can you tell me what’s wrong now, kitty?” She picked a macaron from her purse and gently gave it to Tikki.

“It’s just that…” Marinette heard him slump to the floor, “Well, it’s kind of stupid, to be honest…”

“I’m sure it isn’t stupid, Chat…” She heard him sigh softly.

“I… M’lady, you know that I love you, right?” Her heart started to race, the weight on her stomach came back a hundred times heavier than ever before.

“Chat, you know we can’t be together…” Her eyes got misty and her face was starting to feel warm, “I already like another boy…”, Marinette looked up, “Besides, I can’t love you…” She murmured, images of a grim alternative timeline featuring a lonely, bleached version of her partner flashed through her mind.

“I know… I know that... it’s just that…” Chat paused, “I think I’m in love with another girl… She’s always been a friend to me, and now, I’ve started to spend more time with her, only her, and I got to know her better. I guess she always held a special place in my heart, but now… now I see it as clear as water… and I feel terrible.”

Marinette’s heart plummeted. She should be happy for Chat! He was finally moving on, and she didn’t have to break his heart anymore. So… Why was she feeling this strange weight in her gut?

She wanted to be happy for him, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. “Why, uh, why do you feel terrible, Chat Noir?” Marinette stuttered, trying to contain the tears gathering in her eyes. God, why was she feeling like the floor under her feet has been ripped away?

“Because I love you.” He answered as the reason was obvious.

“And you love her…”. A shiver ran down her spine as her heart sank into an ice pit.

“And I love her…”. Marinette heard him sniff.

Her peripheral vision caught the green light, and her hair floated with the soft swoosh signalling his return to his civilian self. She heard rustling. Chat was probably fetching some food for his kwami. Her eyes drifted to Tikki who stopped eating her macaron so she could glance at her and give her a reassuring nod.

“Chat, I don’t know what to say…”

They spent some minutes in silence, it wasn’t tense or uncomfortable, but it wasn’t also like the familiar silence that fell upon them while they were patrolling. It was just silence, as simple as that. Her brain couldn’t stop shifting to selfish thoughts. She could stand up and run to his arms, stroke his soft golden locks, and whisper in his ear that everything would be alright, while she drowned herself in the sea that was his peridot eyes. God, when did she start to think of Chat Noir like that? He just sneaked his way into her heart, occupying a place right next to where her love for Adrien rested. Maybe it was the late meetings that Marinette shared with Chat on her balcony, where she got to know him better than anyone ever could. Spending time with him made her realise that Chat wasn’t only this flamboyant, flirty, larger than life boy. He actually managed to become really small when something was wearing him down. She learned that he was a lonely boy, dropped on this world with no one to look after him. His family was distant, and he always looked down at his feet when she talked of her mum, so she knew better than to ask him if he got along with his mother. He was kind, although she already knew that, and incredibly naive too! He always believed in the best of people, and sometimes Marinette worried if someone would take advantage of that.

Tikki looked up to her, her smiling face telling her that she was ready to transform. Marinette sighed, and she got up. She murmured her transformation phrase and a pink light suddenly enveloped her, turning her into the famous hero of Paris. She heard him mutter his own transformation words.

They both stepped away from their respective sides of the chimney, meeting face to face once again.

“Chat!” Marinette rested her hands on his shoulders. She let herself get lost in his loving gaze, “You are free to love whoever you want. If you love this girl, then don’t let her go! She’s a really lucky girl for having you in her life.” It probably wasn’t what he wanted to hear, since he immediately broke their eye contact. But they couldn’t be together, Marinette saw what happened if their relationship evolved from a close friendship to something else. And Chat deserved to be happy, even if it was with another girl.

“I don’t think I’ll ever stop loving you, M’lady…” His eyes were puffy and red, his face was wet, and Marinette could see how his lower lip trembled, trying to contain a fresh wave of tears.

Her fingers searched for his face, and she rested a hand on his cheek, while the other gently caressed his hair, eliciting an involuntary purr from him, “Probably, but you’ll also love this other girl. And that is okay! We will always be friends; you won’t lose me. You deserve to be happy, Chat Noir!”

He smiled at her, and that was enough for her entire being to recuperate from the cold she was feeling inside, for a fresh wave of pure energy to hit her all at once. When had he started to hold such power over her? “Thank you, M’lady. You deserve to be happy too, you know? Go after that boy of yours, sweep him off his feet. And if he doesn’t fall to his knees after you declare your love for him, well, then he’s an idiot!”

“You silly cat!” Marinette laughed with him, suddenly the air around them felt much lighter.

 A mellow chuckle replaced Chat’s laughter as he kept looking at her lovingly. He took a step closer, and her heart started to beat faster once again. “Thank you, Ladybug! You always know how to brighten my day!” He delicately said. Soft lips touched her skin, and all Marinette’s blood rushed to her face. She stopped breathing while Chat Noir kissed her cheek, her brain halting all function while her eyes widened, and she gaped in utter shock. He looked at her once again, his eyes reaching something deep inside of her, “Have a good evening, M’lady.” He whispered and took off, leaving an astonished Marinette alone on that rooftop.

[2manyfandoms2count]

#LadynoirJuly Day 1

I’m back for Ladynoir July! I’m really glad I got an excuse to write something for this side of the Lovesquare :D Hope you like this first piece, it started out slightly angsty but then I decided to save most of it for the Breakdown prompt 😉

Thanks @ladynoirjuly2020 for organising the event!

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Day 1: The Wall Between Us

“Ladybug, wait!” Chat Noir jogged up to his partner, who’d been about to yoyo away. 

“Yes, Chat Noir?” She interrupted her movement and waited expectantly. The patrol had been very quiet, for once, so it wasn’t as if she had to be somewhere. 

The pair had long abandoned their nicknames for each other, some time between their battle against Miracle Queen and their first relationships. It hurt somewhat, at first, but they’d quickly learned how to interact without them. There was something slightly uncomfortable about lying to Luka and Kagami about their comings and goings, which wasn’t helped by the fact Ladybug felt like she was cheating anytime she’d call Chat by his pet name. Chat Noir refrained from calling her ‘my lady’ or ‘Bugaboo’, afraid he’d slip up someday with Kagami.

Unfortunately for Marinette, the secrecy and sneaking around had  done little to help her develop a lasting relationship with Luka. Add to that the fact that her boyfriend had been singled out by Jagged Stone as a back up guitarist after a competition and was now touring Europe, one could say that long distance, both emotional and physical, had signed the death of romantic Lukanette. They did remain friends, Luka sending her postcards of every city he stayed in. They were gradually replacing Adrien on Marinette’s board. 

“Did you think about it?” Chat asked.

Ladybug sighed as she finally let her hand fall to her side. She should’ve known Chat wouldn’t drop the topic. The previous month, drunk on lack of sleep from repeated Akuma attacks and anxiety at the idea that her relationship was slowly, but surely unraveling, Ladybug had carelessly told her partner that she was getting tired of secrets and that they deserved to know more about each other, if only just to facilitate out-of-costume communication. She tried not to rely on Chat too much with the Guardian job, but she was determined to make him realise how important he was to her (and, incidentally, to Paris) by delegating more tasks to him. She was tired of the mystery that surrounded their identities, which prevented them from communicating as freely as they should’ve been able to. With all due respect to Alya, Chat Noir was her best friend, and something told her that she officially held the same place in his life now that he had a girlfriend. 

They were the only ones who shared the burden of saving Paris every day, while still having to juggle friends, family, school, and extracurriculars. All of their conversations, however, were censored by the looming wall between them, a filter which she thought it was high time to tear down. She couldn’t take the duality of their conversations anymore, either far too mundane or way too deep, the constant being the vagueness that surrounded their anecdotes. She just wanted something in between. Chances were they didn’t know each other anyway, so what difference would it make to be able to talk about the Françoise Dupont shenanigans without making the story convoluted enough that it couldn’t be traced back to the Collège?

At first, Chat had been ecstatic at the idea. He’d dreamed about this moment since the first time they’d gone home from fighting an Akuma. He’d daydreamed about a proper way to reveal his identity at least a thousand times, but scrapping all his ideas as either too sappy, stupid, obvious, in short not right. It had actually made him rethink wanting to tell her who he was. 

There was no way the person behind the mask hadn’t heard about him. His father had made sure of that by apparently buying the ad spaces on all the Paris billboards, buses and whatever else could hold a perfume poster (not to mention the fact Ladybug had saved him a good dozen times), and that was the problem. What if her opinion of him was tarnished by his celebrity? Worse, what if she started treating him differently because of it? He desperately wanted to get to know her, to share his whole life with her, but the wall between them did provide a shelter he was reluctant to give up. As much as he tried to be himself in his day-to-day life, he could tell he got special treatment from a lot of people, and many of the remaining crowd was intently studying his every move, waiting for him to slip up. With Ladybug, as Chat Noir, he got to be… well, not completely ordinary, but they did share a status. He could slip without worrying about what his father or the press would say, and he knew that the fall wouldn’t be long anyway with his partner around. He was terrified about losing what they had.

Ladybug shook her head lightly, looking at her feet. Chat Noir took her hand in a reassuring gesture, and helped her sit down facing him.

“I’m sorry.” She said, hiding her face in her hands. “There are a million reasons why we should do this, but I always feel like why we shouldn’t outweighs them all.” 

Chat placed his hand on her knee tentatively. “It’s alright, LB. I actually wanted to tell you… I don’t think this is the right time.”

Ladybug’s head snapped up. Of everything he could have said, this was probably the last thing she would have expected. She looked attentively at her partner, who looked more serious than she’d ever seen him before. 

“Really?” She breathed, squeezing his hand in hers. She didn’t quite know how to feel, frustrated that they were putting off something inevitable again, offended that he didn’t want to know anymore, or relieved by it.

He gave her a sad smile in response, his eyes filled with fondness and something else she couldn’t quite make out. “M’lady,” her old nickname rolled off his tongue before he could register what he was saying, his thoughts directed solely towards his very best friend. “If this was it, we’d know. And maybe it won’t even happen then, purr-haps we’ll be caught off guard when the time comes, but it should be something we don’t lose sleep about.” 

“I guess you’re right, Chaton.” She smiled softly, absentmindedly stroking the back of his hand with her thumb. “What made you change your mind?” She asked curiously.

“The reasons why we shouldn’t started being louder than the others.” He shrugged, his gaze losing focus as he looked into the distance.

“You know you can talk to me if you need to, right?” Ladybug said tentatively after a short pause. “Maybe we’re not ready to know who we are, but I still think we should loosen the rules a little.”

 “That could work.” Chat nodded. “How do we do that?”

“We could change the names of the people we talk about. And the exact story.”

“Okay, so for example… My girlfriend’s name is... Kelly?” He tried. She nodded encouragingly. “I met her because we both… play tennis in the same place. I like her very much, but I’m afraid she’ll get tired of me finding flaky excuses when the city’s attacked by Akumas. It’s not very honourable.”

Ladybug patted his knee with her free hand. “As long as you know you’re doing the honourable thing by protecting her and this city, I’m sure you can find a way to compensate. I promise that someday, she’ll know why you couldn’t stay by her side. And if you need me to talk to her, I’ll gladly do it! She should know how amazing her boyfriend is.”

Chat was thankful for the darkness around them, which concealed his blush. Ladybug’s compliments were becoming less rare, but they generally concerned his skills or actions, not himself directly. He cleared his throat. “What about you? Didn’t you say you have a boyfriend?” 

“Had.” She corrected. “Louis and I are still friends, but he left town to… study.” It wasn’t that far from the truth. “He’s a little older, so we didn’t get to see much of each other, anyway. Especially with the whole Guardian business and everything.” She gestured vaguely at the city at their feet.

“Was he the boy you had talked to me about before?” Chat pried. 

Ladybug thought about Adrien. Seeing him so happy with Kagami, she had abandoned her pursuit, which had led her to Luka. In both cases, she thought, the outcome would have been the same anyway, especially since Adrien had an even busier schedule than the blue-haired boy. They would have barely seen each other if they’d dated. “No. That was… Arthur. He was a very accomplished musician. He wouldn’t have been happy with me; like you said, I would’ve been very absent for a supposedly caring girlfriend. We’re good friends, though, and I’m satisfied with that.”

“His loss, I guess. And who meows, maybe it’ll work out someday.” He winked at her.

They continued chatting for a while, moving to the edge of the roof to get a better look at the illuminated streets. Soon, they had more or less rebuilt their lives and were talking freely, Alya becoming Alice or Audrey, Nino, Nathan or Nicolas, Marinette, Madeleine… The way they distorted things, or pulled up older events they’d meant to talk about earlier made them unrecognisable, although there were times where the stories felt familiar, without them being able to put their finger on it. They laughed, more than they’d had in months, talking about their excuses to justify their absence during a fight. It felt good to finally talk about something else than strategies, Akumas or Sentimonsters. 

When the Eiffel Tower flickered for the third time since the beginning of their conversation, Ladybug and Chat Noir agreed it was probably time to go home. As they walked away, both turned around before leaping off the roof, giving each other a small wave and a wide smile before leaving, already looking forward to the next patrol. Ladybug realised they hadn’t shared a moment like this in a while, if ever. 

Maybe they’d be okay sitting on their own side of the wall, after all.