Chapter Text
Chat Noir landed on the top of the Eiffel Tower just five seconds before Ladybug did.
"Hey LB." Chat greeted.
She smiled at him "Hello Chaton."
This last week after the reveal, things had been a little awkward and people around them started to notice the shift of their relationship.
As Adrien and Marinette, they got drawn to each other more. Like times when one moment they were two meters apart, and the next their elbows were brushing. Or like when they fell in to an easy conversation, but suddenly they remember who they are standing with and then both of them would shut up and back away slowly whilst their friends gave them strange looks.
And as a Ladybug and Chat Noir there was a small crack in their dynamic. They both got distracted at battles. He didn't know about Ladybug, but for him , he'd just stop and stare at his lady in the middle of the battle thinking about the similarities between her and her alter ego and about how stupid he was for not noticing before. That was dangerous for sure. They have got close calls many times, but thankfully they survived each battle with Ladybug's luck.
The awkwardness made Marinette get frustrated, so they had a little chit chat with the kwamis (mostly, it was Tikki lecturing. Plagg just wanted to eat his cheese) about how important it was to act normal or else they would give themselves away.
And they were almost back to how they were before. almost not completely, but it was good enough.
"Chat?" Ladybug called, poping up in front of him. her arms were crossed over her chest and she was glaring at him.
He nearly jumped out of his suit "y-yes?"
"You are doing it again." She said.
Doing wh--
Oh.
He zoned out again. At least there were no akumas around this time.
"I wanted to say that the night looked peaceful, I guess we can skip patrol for tonight." The polka-dotted hero informed.
He sat down and patted the space beside him "why don't we use the time to catch up? We didn't get the chance to really talk without any one watching." Chat suggested.
"Okay, why not." Ladybug agreed and sat besides him.
He looked at her, there were dark circles under her eyes and she was blinking slowly like she was going to pass out at any moment. He was used to see a tired Ladybug, but not an exhausted one.
"Or maybe you should go home and sleep. You look more tired than usual. We can catch up an other time." Chat Noir said.
"It's okay, I want to be her. The night air is nice." She said and closed her eyes, the night breeze was swaying the strands of her hair.
His fingers itched to run through her silky locks "is there anything I can help with?" He asked instead.
"No, they're just thoughts, Nothing important. You don't need to worry so much for me, I'm okay." She replied.
"I can't help but worry about you my lady."
Ladybug faced him so fast that she almost snapped her neck, her eyes wide and her mouth open. She looked like he had slapped her.
"W-what?" He asked helplessly after a few seconds. Did he say something bad?
Ladybug blinked back to reality, and she shook her head "nothing. It's just...." She trailed off.
"Just?" He said hoping she would continue.
She sighed "you haven't called me 'my lady' since.... well, you know. And I didn't expect to hear it again from you."
Chat knew too well since when he stopped calling her that. It was the fateful day when Hawk Moth found master Fu, the miracle box, and the identity of the other miraculous holders.
He also suspect why his partner hated that day so much. Aside from the things that happened to the heroes she had a hard time as her civilian self too.
At the beginning everything was all right. He and Kagami helped Marinette, they escaped from his bodyguard and Kagami's mother, then they ran away from the hotel.
It was good until he suggested to eat ice cream from the sweetheart's ice cream. One second Marinette was with them, and the next she was gone. She had probably left because she didn't want to see him 'fall in love' with Kagami.
If you asked him if he was in love with Kagami two weeks ago, he would have probably said yes. But that was a BIG LIE.
If he really was, he would have felt something when they go out on dates, or he wouldn't have pushed her away every time she got too near, his heart wouldn't have fluttered every time he saw his lady, and he would never ever have developed a crush on his cute blue-eyed friend. Saying that Adrien Agreste was in love with Kagami Tsurugi was like saying his father had ate dinner with him that evening.
Chat Noir covered his face with both hands and groaned loudly. It's not the first time he thought about this, but it didn't make it any easier.
"Are you okay? Maybe you are the one who should go home and rest." Ladybug said. Cutting his reverie.
He almost forgot that she was here "Nah, I'm fine. 'They are just thoughts'. Besides it would be a waste to sleep at this fine evening while I can spend it with you."
She giggled and punched his arm lightly "Dork."
Your dork he wanted to say. But he didn't want to make things weird again.
Ladybug looked up at the sky "I wish I had brought some pastries from the bakery, there were so many leftovers."
Chat wished that too. If there was anything to make this moment perfect, it was a chocolate croissants, or a cookie or anything sweet. Not that he can't get one when he got home. But Marinette's parents make the best pastries ever.
At that a question rolled in his head.
"Mari-Uh I mean Ladybug?" He winced at his slip. They had agreed not to say there civilian names when they were transformed and vise versa. because even walls have ears whether those ears were nosy reporters or super villains.
"Yes?" Ladybug said obvious to his mistake.
Chat Noir unconsciously scratched the backof his neck "Do you remember the time your father got akumatized?"
She chuckled "How can I forget."
He could feel the blood rushing to his face "well, you said that you were in love with me--Chat Noir me I mean--so I was wondering if...." He trailed off not knowing what to say.
"You were wondering if I was actually in love with Chat Noir?" She continued the question for him.
He nodded.
"Well, about that," She laughed sheepishly. "I lied."
"What?" He didn't know what he expected to hear, but it certainly wasn't this. He used to believe that he had broke Marinette's heart. Sometimes he would stay awake at night thinking about what could've happened if he hadn't turned her down.
They would have probably gone to secret dates. He would've carried her princess style with her arms around his neck. He would jump from rooftop to rooftop until he'd reach to there private place where would be a romantic dinner for two people with candles and--
"It is pretty strange to hear that from a person who hate liers, right?" Ladybug said, bringing him back to reality.
"Huh?" Not really. They both were lying all the time to protect their identities after all, but this is a different case.
His partner faced him completely "that night, I was about to transform back, remember?"
"Yes." He nodded for her to continue.
"I had a few seconds left, so I just went directly to my balcony to de-transform. But you came right after me and you were about to figure out what's going on and I was freaking out--" She took a deep breath "--and the love confession was the first thing that came to my mind to distract you."
She said the last part so low that he couldn't almost hear it.
The leather clad hero couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Chat! That is not funny." She smacked him on the head.
"Haha-you--ha that's-HAHAHA"
Ladybug's face was as red as her suit, but she was glaring at him "okay enough, stop it."
He tried his best to calm down "ha, how come a love confession was the first thing came to your mind, hmm?" He rubbed his chin with his thumb and index finger, pretending to think. Then he snapped his fingers and pointed at her "unless you were actually in--"
She slapped her hand on his mouth to shut him up "Don't even go there, Mr. Cool."
"Mr. Cool?" He asked, but his voice was muffled by her palm.
Ladybug crossed her arms over her chest "That was the only thing that I thought about because Chat Noir would confess to Ladybug every chance he got, besides I knew you would rejected Marinette immediately." She shrugged "And the story would have ended right there, if only Papa didn't come up and see us."
"Oh." Chat Noir said, disappointed. He knew that Marinette had a crush on him, but maybe it was just a tiny crush, or she was over him by the time he knew. He felt a painful pang in his chest . If only he had seen Marinette in the light sooner.
He gazed at her as the same time as she did. She looked so beautiful her blue bell eyes reflecting the lights around them, her hair as the same color as the night sky, her cheeks were still pink making the tiny freckles under her mask stand out more, and the soft smile tugging on her rosy lips.
She placed a strand of her hair behind her ear, and looked away shyly "maybe you are right, maybe I was in love with Chat."
He looked at her with wide eyes, hope rising inside of him.
don't be foolish. Don't get your hopes up, she is talking about the past. THE PAST.
He gathered some courage and asked "and why you never showed any signs of being interested?"
She sighed "That's the thing, at first I thought you were just a flirt, and when I discovered that you were serious I found myself being attracted to you, but dating Chat Noir was a bad idea for so many reasons so I just tried to build a wall between us."
A painful laugh escaped her that made his stomach twist "think about how much time would return to us if I wasn't such a stubborn moron and loved you the way you deserve to be loved." She said in a shaky voice.
Dose that mean...she love him? Both sides of him? Does that mean that she still love him and hadn't moved on?
Yes, and boy was he happy. He couldn't believe his ears.
But why she said it like it was over? Why was she sad? She was speaking like he was dead or something.
He opened his mouth to say that there is nothing to regret and he was right there, but he closed it upon seeing the single tear that rolled down on her cheek.
He shifted closer to her and cupped her face. Making her look at him.
He wiped the tear with his thumb "you do realize that I'm here. We still can be together."
The girl in red sniffed and shook her head "No, we can't."
He could practically hear his heart crack. "B-but why? I-I love you! And you love me! Why we can't?" He snapped his tone getting louder and louder by each passing seconds.
It was her turn to cup his face "Chaton, please."
He rested his forehead on hers, inhaling and exhaling to calm himself "tell me why Marinette." He whispered after a few moments.
Ladybug pulled away a little to speak "you remember how master Fu lost his memories, well I'm the guardian now, and some day I'll pass the responsibility to someone else." Her eyes were shining with tears but they were not falling "If we become something more than friends, I'll break your heart kitty. I don't want to do that."
Chat Noir couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips " My heart will be broken to know that the girl that I love has forgotten me, indeed. But even if your mind forgets, your heart will still remember." He grabbed her wrist and set her hand where her heart located.
It was painful to know that, the thing you were always craving for was between your hands but you still can't get it. It's just like you were aiming to escape a dark tunnel and desperately trying to reach the light, but you run out of energy just mere meters away from freedom.
But right now, his feelings didn't matter. This was about her. He was afraid that she'd throw away all her dreams and waste her life just to guard the miraculous.
He enveloped her hands with his "I know it's hard, but you can't just leave your life behind. You have to keep going. And no matter what I'll be with you at every step, even as just a friend"
She hugged him, he warped his arms around her instantly.
A part of him screamed at him to say more, to convince her and take down the walls around her heart, they could be happy and he would do everything in his power to help her If she got a memory loss.
but he didn't want to push her. Like always he would respect her boundaries, it was fine as long as he was by her side. Yep, he was pretty much fine with that.
Okay, it wasn't.
He wanted to love her, and be loved by her. He wanted her to be his and he wanted to tell the whole world how much he loved her.
His throat was getting tighter and tears were willing up in his eyes.
oh no, not the tears. Not the tear, SHE CAN'T SEE THE TEARS.
he pulled away first without looking at her eyes "Okay, I think I should be going. See you later my lady."
He stood up and turned to leave, but a hand caught his wrist "Chat wait!"
He looked back at her, she was standing too and she was looking every where but at him "I love you, and I think you are right." She raised her head to look at him "Ladybugs have one life, and it's pretty short. I want to spend it with you, as more than just a frie--" her eyes widened "Whyare you crying?!"
Only then he noticed the wetness on his cheeks, he couldn't keep the tears at bay. Not after what she said. But they were tears of joy.
Ladybug seemed to be panicking "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to--Oh god that was too much--"
But he was so overwhelmed by the happiness that was rushing in his vines to care.
Did she really said that? She wanted to give them a chance?
He needed to know If what he had just heard was true.
Chat Noir stepped closer to Ladybug and gripping her shoulders, stopping her rumbling.
"Can you repeat the first sentence?" He all but pleaded.
She blinked at him, confused "Uhh...I love you?"
He grinned like a Cheshire cat "Again?"
She rolled her eyes at him, then she smirked.
Uh oh, that didn't mean well.
Without warning she grasped his bell and pulled him forward, smashing her lips on his. And...
.
.
.
His mind stopped working.
Her sweet scent was all around him, her lips were so soft, and they tasted like sugar.
And oh god he was swooning!
By the time his brain could function again, she pulled away slightly.
"I love you." She said in a hushed tone.
"I love you too." He replied.
Then he raised her hand to his lips and left a feathery kiss on knuckles "would you go on a date with me my lady?"
A huge smile tugged on her lips "Yes!"
Out of the blue a shadow crossed her face and her smile seemed to flatter "I have one condition though."
"Do tell."
"Can we keep it a secret?" She said, her eyes begging.
"Anything for my princess." He promised.
Relief was clear on the red hero's face as she sighed.
She smiled again, then she warped her arms around his torso and laid her head on his chest "Thank you kitty."
Chat hugged her back, running his claws in her soft hair.
As much as he wanted to tell all of Paris that he loved this girl, he knew that she had a good reason to keep their relationship a secret.
It didn't matter since the secret wasn't between them, and he could finally show her how much he loved her.
He knew that there was something wrong, but he trusted his lady. She would tell him eventually.
For the time being, he would try to take a hold of the fact that the lady of his dreams had kissed him and this time he could actually remember it!