Chapter Text
Adrien was a morning person, but that didn’t make waking up any easier.
No, when his alarm went off that morning, he tried in vain to ignore it. He mostly succeeded, until someone called him, and that was twice as loud. Groaning, he sat up and fumbled for his phone, answering the call.
“Hello?”
“You sound just as tired as I feel,” Marinette said warmly, following it with a timely yawn. “I wanted to make sure you got up and actually got to school on time.”
“What does it matter if I’m on time? It’s the first day. No one cares about the first day.” Adrien pushed his hair out of his face, trying to wake himself up.
“Well, if supermodel Adrien, son of Gabriel Agreste, can show up late, the rest of us shouldn’t have to be on time either, should we?”
Adrien swung his legs out of bed, smiling. Marinette had played this card many times before. “Ah, but I’m a good supermodel, not a good role model. It’s not my fault I’m famous.”
“Whatever. You still have to be on time like the rest of us.”
Adrien made his way to his bathroom, rolling his eyes. “Well, if I’m going to be on time I need to take a shower, and I can’t do that while I’m on the phone.”
“I see how it is.” Marinette was probably sticking out her tongue—Adrien could almost see her. “You’ll be by my place before eight?”
“Yep. Ask Tom to save me something for breakfast.” Adrien grabbed a towel and a change of clothes as he went into the bathroom.
“You have a chef, and you need my family to feed you?”
“Your family has better croissants.”
“Fair enough. I’ll see if we can spare anything.” Marinette giggled. “See you later.”
“Bye.” Adrien set his phone down on the counter, smiling. Although he’d been homeschooled for a few years when he was younger, Marinette’s parents had convinced his father to let him to go to public school with Marinette. They’d finished primary school together, gone through college, and now they were entering their second year of lycee, premiere. Two more years together, and then they were off to université. Marinette wanted to go to design school; she always had, and Adrien knew she’d go far. He was going into business school, and he would probably end up working for Gabriel and helping run the company. He didn’t really want to keep working with his father, but he liked numbers and business and he figured it would at least start him off.
Adrien shook his head, focusing. He still had to go to school. He went through his normal routine—shower, get dressed, fix his hair—and then grabbed his bag and slipped on his shoes before heading downstairs. Nathalie’s office was his first stop; she went over his schedule for the day, made sure his phone calendar was up to date, and sent him off. He was early still, so he stopped by his father’s office, knocking first.
“Father?”
“Come in, Adrien,” Gabriel said softly from inside, and as Adrien walked in, his father set down a pen and looked up.
“I’m heading off to school,” Adrien said. “I’m stopping by Marinette’s on the way, like usual.”
“Good. Will you be at your normal café after school?”
“I haven’t talked to her yet, but we’ll probably be there.” Adrien shrugged. “We’ll probably stay wherever we go for a little while to do homework.”
“Alright. Be sure you’re home in time for dinner. Nathalie told you the trainer isn’t coming in today?” Gabriel shuffled some papers on his desk, looking for something.
“Yeah. I was gonna do the normal routine. It’s not a big deal.” The personal trainer normally came three times a week for Adrien, but after having worked with him for two years, Adrien was capable of working out on his own. He did so the other days of the week, anyways.
“Good. I’ll see you tonight, then.” Gabriel smiled. “Work hard at school. Don’t start off the year weak.”
“I know, Father, I’ll do my best.”
“Your mother would be so proud of you,” Gabriel said, almost as an afterthought. “You’ve grown so much, Adrien. If only she could see you now.”
“Yeah. I miss her, too.” Adrien smiled. “I’ll see you later.” Adrien adjusted his bag over his shoulder as he left the office, quietly shutting the door behind him and then leaving the house. A year ago, a bodyguard would have come with him, but Adrien had convinced his father that was unnecessary. He was capable of protecting himself, and besides, who was going to attack him?
Not that he could blame Gabriel for worrying—not after his wife disappeared. Adrien had stopped entertaining hopes that she’d come back after the first year, and while he still wished she’d return, he knew it wasn't likely. They didn’t know what happened to his mom. She was just...gone. It hurt, but he also had Marinette and her parents to help him through. After his mother’s disappearance, Sabine and Tom had all but adopted him. They took him in for a few months when being in his home became too lonely and offered refuge and support whenever he needed it. Marinette had been by his side the whole time, too, and she never left. If anything was the same as it had been before the disappearance, it was Marinette, and Adrien was beyond grateful for his best friend.
The walk to her home was short, which made hanging out all the easier and getting pastries that much quicker. He stepped into the bakery, waving at Sabine.
“Hello, Adrien. Excited for school?” Sabine smiled, reaching behind her for a plate and holding it up for the boy.
“I am.” Adrien came up to the counter to grab the plate, smiling at the croissants Sabine had saved him. “Thanks, Sabine. These look great.”
“I saved the best ones for you.” Sabine patted his hand. “It’s the least we can do for you. Since you mentioned us in that interview for Marie Claire Idées, we’ve been running out of room in the bakery.” She gestured at the full tables behind Adrien.
“I meant every word I said. This is the best bakery in Paris.” Adrien smiled. “I’m glad to do what I can.”
“Well, we certainly appreciate it.” Sabine tapped Adrien’s plate. “Eat up, now. And Marinette should be upstairs as well. She was in the kitchen last I saw her.”
“Thanks.” Adrien ate his croissants as he walked through the bakery and up into the rest of the house, finding Marinette sitting at the kitchen counter and absentmindedly eating an apple while scrolling on her phone.
“Hey, Mari,” he said, sliding into the seat next to her and setting his plate down. He dropped his bag on the floor. “You ready for school?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Marinette smiled at him, then turned off her phone and put it in her pocket. “You ready for your bac? Technological sciences of management?”
“Ugh, don’t remind me.” Adrien took another bite of his croissant as he rolled his eyes. “Not that I hate business,” he said around his food, “but it’s the beginning of a lot of work.” Normally, Adrien didn’t talk with his mouth full, because with his luck a photographer would be nearby. But the Dupain-Cheng household was safe. Marinette was safe. He was a normal person around them, and it was an amazing break from reality.
“Right. You’ve got to do prépa and then go to some crazy big school.”
“You mean I suffer for at least two years in prépa until I literally go crazy, and then go to HEC and suffer three more years, the last of which is in English and probably also Chinese?” Adrien smiled drily. “Ah, yes, I can’t wait.”
“You’ll do fine. You’re smart.” Marinette placed a hand on her chest, sighing dramatically. “Oh, Adrien Agreste, he’s got beauty and brains. What have we done to deserve him in this world.”
“That would be funnier if it wasn’t something people actually said.” Adrien took another bite of his croissant. “I forgot to mention somehow keeping up my modeling career throughout all of this so as not to upset my father.”
“You’re going to spend your whole life trying not to upset Gabriel. You could skip prépa and get a BBA, and get out with both a degree and a soul.” Marinette stood to throw her apple core away, patting Adrien’s shoulder as she passed him.
“I wish. Gabriel wants me to study traditionally. A BBA would probably make more sense, to be honest, but I am an Agreste and as such I should only attend prestigious schools such as Emylon or HEC and go into the prestigious Grand Ecole programs. No, a BBA is too low for me.” Adrien rested his chin in his hand, eating the last of his croissant.
Marinette picked up his plate, bringing it over to the sink to wash it off. “You’ll be fine. One step at a time, right? All you’ve got to worry about now is your bac.” She smiled.
“You’re right.” Adrien stood, picking up his bag and Marinette’s. “We should head out soon, though. I’m a famous supermodel. I can’t be late.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Marinette took her bag from him, rolling her eyes at his mention of their morning conversation. “Let’s go. Maybe we can sneak some more pastries for a snack during school.”
Adrien glanced at his watch as he walked out of school. It had been a relatively easy day, but he already had homework. Marinette wouldn’t be out for another half hour, but he decided regardless to go to their cafe and wait for her.
Their café was only a few minutes from the school. He sat in a table on the sidewalk, setting his backpack in the other chair to keep it for Marinette. He pulled out a notebook and his pens and began rewriting notes from his French class so they were both legible and color-coordinated. When he finished those, he moved onto his English notes, which gave him a headache. He wasn’t as good at learning languages as he was at processing numbers and formulas.
“Are those your English notes?” Marinette said from over his shoulder, looking at his paper. She began speaking in English. “Class was so boring today. I hope the teacher isn’t always so dull.”
“You’d know better than I. I could barely follow what she was saying,” Adrien replied in French. He smiled at her as she sat across from him. “I’ll give you my maths notes if you give me your English.”
“Deal. You’re so much more organized than me.” Marinette picked up the menu and turned through the pages. Adrien was pretty sure she had it memorized after the years they’d been coming here, but she still looked at it every day. “Did you order anything yet?”
“No. I was so enthralled in conjugating English verbs that I wasn’t concerned with physical drawbacks such as hunger.” Adrien raised an eyebrow, and Marinette giggled in response.
“Well, if you don’t mind me reminding you that you are a human who has to eat sometimes, I’m going to order some snacks.” Marinette waved the waiter over. She ordered hot chocolate and croissants for both of them, then reached in her bag for her school work. “Okay, here are my English notes. They’re not color coded the way you like them, but you’ll figure it out.” She slid her papers across the table so Adrien could see.
“You know, one day you’ll appreciate my color coding. It’s very helpful when it comes time to study for the tests.” Adrien glanced at the notes, then pulled his phone out to take a picture. He’d have to copy them down for himself later so they’d be more organized. Marinette definitely had thorough notes, but she jumped all over the place when she wrote them down.
“I do appreciate your organization, but only during cram time the night before the test,” Marinette clarified, smiling. “You’re already famous, but I’m pretty sure you’re everyone’s favorite come exams.”
“Oh, I’ve noticed.” Adrien passed Marinette’s notes back. “So, how were your classes today?”
“Oh, they were great. I didn’t get to really do much, but I can’t wait for the rest of the year. I feel bad for you with all your boring maths classes; I really do. How were those?”
“Not terrible, but it’s only the first day, so there’s still time.” Adrien smiled dryly. “But Gabriel did make me take those classes over the summer and he’s gotten me a tutor for during the year, so I’m not super worried.”
“Good ol’ Gabe. As demanding as he is, at least he wants you to succeed.” Marinette pulled her sketchbook out of her bag and opened it to a clean page. She normally sketched after school and in any other free moment she had.
“He does care,” Adrien agreed, but he wasn’t sure if that was really enough. Gabriel also had really high expectations, and he was closed off. When Adrien’s mom had been around, it hadn’t been so bad, but now Adrien felt isolated in his home. He looked at Marinette who had begun sketching out a jacket, already completely focused on the design. He was so grateful she was in his life. Without her, he didn’t know what he would do.
Their food arrived, and Adrien pulled out his homework so he could get some done before he went home that night. There were far less distractions at his house than the cafe, but for some reason it became a hundred times harder to focus there. He fell into a rhythm with his maths, running calculations through his head and racking his brain to remember the right formulas. It wasn’t easy. It was familiar and comfortable, though, which was good enough for him.
He and Marinette sat in a comfortable quiet for a while, working and eating while surrounded by the sounds of the city. After a couple of hours, in which Adrien had finished his maths and gotten Marinette’s help on the English assignment, they packed up their things to head home.
“So, I start earlier than you tomorrow,” Marinette said as she swung her backpack onto her shoulder, “but if you still want to stop by the bakery, let me know. I’ll make sure my parents save something for you.”
“I’d appreciate that.” Adrien smiled, securing his bag over his shoulder as they began to walk. “I can’t believe we only have two more years in lycée.”
“Me neither. Then we’ll be off into the world, getting degrees and jobs.” Marinette sighed contentedly. “I’m excited, though. It won’t be easy, but I’m ready.”
“Knowing you, you’ll do just fine.” Adrien moved as if to ruffle Marinette’s hair, making her duck and pout. “The fashion world is harsh, but you’ve got thick skin.”
“And I’ll be having fun, which is always the most important part.”
“Yeah. I don’t know if I’ll have time for fun for a few years.” Adrien shrugged. “But I’ll be happy.”
“Will you be, or will your father?” Marinette gave Adrien a pointed look. “I worry about you. Eventually you’re going to have to do something for your own good, not Gabriel’s.”
“Eventually. But I like working with numbers, and I can do a good job running a business. As long as I stay on this track, I’ll have a job lined up working for Gabriel without being a model.” Adrien offered a smile to Marinette, but she didn’t seem convinced. “Look, I’ve told you this. I’m going to do all this to keep Gabriel happy, yes, but I really will be happy, too. And I don’t want to model for longer than I have to. I don’t like modeling that much. Going through prépa gives me a perfectly reasonable excuse to get out of it, and then I can just stay out.”
“I know. I just want you to be happy.” Marinette adjusted her backpack on her shoulders, taking a moment to think. “I believe you when you say you like doing business stuff. I just don’t think you want to do it the way Gabriel wants you to.”
“As appealing as getting a BBA is, I will be better off the traditional route,” Adrien said, trying to infuse his voice with as much confidence as possible. He really did believe doing what Gabriel wanted would be better for him in the long run. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t be miserable along the way, but it would pay off. “I promise, I’ll be fine, especially once I get my degree and get a job. Besides, if I don’t want to work for Gabriel, I’ll just work for you.”
“What?” Marinette froze, causing Parisians and tourists alike to grumble as they walked around her. Adrien took her arm to pull her forward again.
“Why are you so surprised? Did you think I wouldn’t want to help you run your business?”
“Adrien, I won’t have my own business for years after I get out of design school. You’ll only get out of business school a couple of years after me.” Marinette shook her head. “I appreciate the sentiment, but that’s not that feasible.”
“I’ve been thinking about this, actually,” Adrien said, linking his arm through hers. “I have a plan.”
“A plan?” Marinette looked at him incredulously, shaking her head. “Okay, let’s hear it.”
“Like you said, you have a couple of years after you get out of design school before I finish school, too. During those years, we work on getting plans together for a business. You put together a portfolio, get some work experience, we figure out how much it would cost, all that fun stuff.” Adrien paused to gauge her reaction. So far, she still seemed in disbelief. He didn’t think she’d be on board right away, anyways. “I get out of school, and I go to Gabriel with a proposal: the Agrestes are investors in your company. I show him all the work you’ve put in, and how organized you are, and I basically just beg him to give us the money. Plus, I’ll have plenty of my own to contribute.”
“Adrien, that’s . . . plausible, actually, but I’ll need more than a couple years experience to run my own business, even if you’re on my side.” She patted his hand. “I appreciate that, and I’ll keep it in mind, but I also don’t want you throwing all your hard work away to work for me when we don’t even know if a company I start will even survive.”
Adrien had thought through all of that, and every other possible scenario, too, but he felt he was better off keeping that to himself for now. “You know I have full faith in you. Besides, I can spend some time getting experience at Gabriel too, or elsewhere. America, maybe.”
“That’s more like it. Go do what you want before you give yourself away to others.” Marinette smiled. “You know I love you with my whole heart, but sometimes I worry you’re going to keep giving even when you run out of things to give.”
Adrien smiled, feeling a warmth in his heart at her statement. “Thanks, Mari. I won’t forget that.” They reached his home and stopped walking, pausing for a moment as Adrien looked at his mansion. “Well, I’ve got to go. Can’t keep Gabriel waiting too long. He might get grumpy.” He smiled and nudged Marinette with his elbow.
“Oh, better not. We don’t want grumpy Gabe.” She giggled. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Marinette waved as she continued her walk to her house, a bounce in her step. Adrien watched her for a moment before turning to go into his home.
He stopped in Gabriel’s office to let his father know he was home before heading up to his room. He had a bit more homework he wanted to finish off, and then he’d have time to work out before dinner. As he sat down at his desk, however, he saw a strange black box sitting in the center. He set his bag down and picked up the box, inspecting it. It didn’t have a note, so he hadn’t received it from some fan, and if it was from Gabriel then he would have said something about it earlier. Adrien had half a mind to call for Nathalie to see if she knew, but he decided it couldn’t be dangerous if it had made it all the way up to his room. He opened it and was immediately blinded by a flash of pink light. He dropped the box onto his desk and pushed himself back in his chair, rolling several feet. The light faded as quickly as it came, and what was left was a small, floating . . . thing. Adrien had never seen anything like it before; it was several inches tall, with a small body and an oversized head, complete with short limbs and a weird, fan-like tail. It was red with black polkadots, and it had two antennae coming out of its head.
“Hello,” it said in a high-pitched voice, rather calm.
Adrien yelped in surprise, standing from his chair.
“I don’t mean to scare you—” the thing began, but it froze when another voice called from elsewhere in the house.
“Adrien? Are you alright?” Nathalie was speaking, and she sounded close. Close enough to find Adrien with this floating, talking thing. He shooed it back between his desk and bed in case Nathalie opened the door. He hadn’t locked it, which meant she could enter at any moment.
“Yeah, I'm fine. I just, uh, I knocked my book off my desk. It scared me a bit,” Adrien called back. “It’s fine.”
Nathalie didn’t respond, but Adrien waited several seconds before he let out a sigh of relief. He turned back to the thing, which was still floating beside his desk, looking up at him patiently.
“I’m sorry to have scared you,” it said quietly. “We didn’t get off on the best foot. I’m Tikki.”
“Adrien.” He looked at the thing for a few more moments, sitting on his bed. “I don’t want to be rude, but, what are you?”
“I am a kwami. I believe the closest word in your language is a fairy, or a god,” Tikki replied.
“Oh. A fairy-god. In my room.” Adrien ran a hand through his hair, nodding. “Okay. That’s cool. Um, another awkward question. I’m just guessing here, but are you a girl or like, no gender, or, you know, what’s up with that?”
“Female is fine. I don’t have gender in the way you humans have them, really, but female would be similar.” It floated up a bit higher to be at eye level with Adrien.
“Okay. Great. Nice to meet you, Tikki.” Adrien paused, looking at the thing for a moment. “So, what brings you here? To my room?”
Tikki smiled. “You have been chosen as the wielder of the Ladybug Miraculous.”
“The . . . the what?”
Tikki flew back to the box, grabbing something out of it and returning to Adrien. “These are miraculous stones. When you wear them, you can call on me to transform into a superhero.”
“A superhero! Seriously?” Adrien leaned his elbows on his knees and looked closer at what Tikki was holding. In her hands—paws?—were a pair of earrings, each red with five black dots. They were definitely ladybug-esque.
“Really,” Tikki reassured, holding the earrings out for him to take. Adrien held them cautiously in his hands. “We will have much to talk about, but for now, we’ll stick to the basics. You will have a partner, who wields the Cat Miraculous. You are the hero of good luck; they, bad luck. You also have a weapon and a special power, and when transformed, I’ll be able to guide you on how to use these effectively.”
“Okay. I’ve got a partner, weapon, and special power. Got that.” Adrien picked up one earring and held it closer to inspect it. “What else?”
“Your weapon is a yoyo.”
“A yoyo? That’s a toy.” Adrien looked at Tikki again, doubting her.
“I am serious, Adrien. The wielder of the Ladybug Miraculous has used a yoyo to fight for millennia. It’s proven to be a very effective weapon.” Tikki paused, but Adrien didn’t say anything, so she continued. “You also have a power: lucky charm. If you use it while transformed, you will receive an item that will help you win whatever battle you are fighting. However,” Tikki paused again, floating a bit closer to Adrien, “you will only have five minutes after using this until you detransform. Your earrings will act as a timer and countdown to remind you how much time you have left.”
“Okay, I’ve got all that.” Adrien nodded. “I just have one concern.”
“I’m happy to answer your questions. What is it?” Tikki looked at him with her bright blue eyes, smiling.
“Um, my ears aren’t pierced.”
“Oh! Well, that’s easy to fix.” Tikki gestured at the earrings. “I know you humans often have others pierce your ears, but I’d be happy to do it myself. I’ve done it plenty of times before.”
“Oh, no, my father will freak if I do that.” Adrien frowned, thinking. “I’m a model for him. He’s a fashion designer. I can’t just change my appearance like that.”
“Could you ask him for permission, then?” Tikki proposed.
“It couldn’t hurt, but I don’t know what he’ll say.” Adrien shrugged. “But I suppose I’m the hero of good luck, right? What could go wrong?”
His good luck prevailed, all right. In fact, not only was Gabriel perfectly fine with Adrien piercing his ears, he also got an appointment for the next day. Marinette came with him, never once questioning his decision, and he walked home with her with sore ears but absolutely full of excitement.
Tikki sat on his bathroom counter while Adrien looked at himself in the mirror. His hair wasn’t long enough to cover the earrings, so there they were in proud display. They were disguised as simple silver studs, but he was sure he’d still get plenty of attention for them. That was a problem for tomorrow, though. Just then he was more worried about being a superhero.
“Okay, Tikki,” Adrien said, looking down at her. “Are you ready?”
“Yep!” Tikki smiled, floating up off the counter. “Just say ‘transformez-moi’ when you want to transform. Remember, I’ll be absorbed into your earrings, but I’ll still be able to guide you a bit.”
“Alright.” Adrien took a deep breath, resolving that he would go through with this. “Tikki, transformez-moi!”
With a rush, Tikki flew into his earrings, and he was surrounded by her signature pink light. In seconds, he was transformed, and he was left standing alone in his bathroom wearing a Ladybug-themed costume.
“Woah.” Adrien looked at himself in the bathroom mirror, mesmerized by his new look. His hair looked windswept, pushed back on top of his head and off of his forehead. He thought he was wearing spandex head to toe, but it was hard to tell the exact material. It was red and black, like Tikki, but in sections. His shoulders, upper back, chest, and stomach were all black, while the rest of his torso was red with black spots, with the exception of his neck—it was simply red. The same applied to his legs- everything from the knees up was black, but the knees down were spotted. He had on short black gloves and boots and a spotted mask covering his eyes and eyebrows.
“This is so cool,” he said softly, turning to look from different angles. Around his hips was a red belt, and on the right side was his yoyo, just as Tikki had described it. He picked it up, hooking the string around his finger and tossing it down a few times. Although he hadn’t used a yoyo in years, and he was never very good in the first place, it seemed to come naturally, the yoyo easily finding its way back to his hand. “Okay,” he said to himself, catching his eyes in the mirror. The green stood out clearly against the red of his mask, bright and piercing. He looked older, more confident, and entirely like a superhero. “Let’s do this.”
Cautiously, Adrien crept out of his bathroom window, crouching on the windowsill. He grabbed his yoyo, testing the string a few times before casting it out to the roof, pulling the string to be sure it was secure. He then stood, took a deep breath, and pulled himself up to the roof, the string shortening as the yoyo re-wrapped itself. Adrien pulled himself up to the rooftop, holding his yoyo again. “This is crazy.” He looked over Paris in the semi-darkness, streetlights shining and people meandering down sidewalks. He smiled at the view, then threw out his yoyo again, this time swinging himself over the street to another building. The skill came naturally to him, as if he’d been doing it for years, and it fortunately saved him from crashing into the ground. He turned, preparing to swing out again, when he saw someone running across the rooftops, leaping gracefully from building to building. As the person came closer, he was able to pick out details- they were dressed in all black, with a long tail and cat ears on their head. They moved closer, and Adrien could tell it was a girl, with her dark hair pulled half back and flying behind her. She had the brightest blue eyes he’d ever seen.
She jumped over to a building close to the one he was on, slowing to a stop. They stood several meters apart, staring for a few long moments. Adrien decided she had to be the partner Tikki talked about- she was also dressed in a skin-tight suit, though hers was all black and had short sleeves and shorts. Her arms and legs were covered by long gloves and boots, leaving only an inch of skin between these and her suit. Her mask was shaped similar to his, but came down further on the nose, and on her cheeks were whiskers. He didn’t know how they were staying put, but there they were, starting just beneath her mask and fanning out. Her tail was actually a belt that looped around her waist once. Cat ears sat alert on her head, a golden bell rested at the hollow of her throat. And her eyes- they were so blue, like the ocean, and he could stare into them forever.
She smiled, and her eyes lit up even more, and Adrien almost lost himself in them. She jogged closer to him to stand just a meter away, and he could see freckles peeking out from beneath her mask. “Hey,” she said, holding her hands behind her back. “You must be my partner.”
He forced himself to focus on her words instead of her eyes. “Must be. I doubt many more people in Paris got surprised by little fairies promising to make them superheroes.” Adrien smiled, and she giggled. She was practically glowing, and God, she was so pretty. He’d seen a lot of beautiful girls before, but something about her just reeled him in.
“We’re gonna need hero names, right? I was just thinking earlier, if we’re supposed to keep our identities secret, then we need to be called something else.” Her tail was flicking back and forth behind her, almost like it was real. Adrien found it endearing and struggled to focus on her words.
“Right.” Adrien nodded. “Call me . . . Coccinelle.”
“Coccinelle?” She giggled again, making Adrien’s heart sing. “Is that the best you can come up with?”
“C’mon, it fits, you can’t deny that.” Coccinelle held out his arms, showing off his outfit.
“I suppose. Well, if you’re Coccinelle, then I’m Chat.” Chat curtsied, smiling up at Coccinelle. She was at least a head shorter than him, and she was so cute.
Coccinelle smiled and bowed in return. “Nice to meet you, Chat.”
“So, we’ve got powers and stuff, right?” Chat reached behind her back and grabbed a metal stick, holding it in front of her. “I’ve got this thing. I’m still trying to figure out how to work it.” She pressed a button and the baton extended, and then she put it back to its small size.
“Well, that’s definitely cooler than mine.” Coccinelle pulled his yoyo off his hip, holding it out so she could see.
“A yoyo?” Chat shrugged. “Well, you’ll be a wild card. People won’t think you’re any danger because, I mean, yoyos aren’t exactly threatening.”
“Not until we defeat the villain and the whole world knows our names.” Coccinelle put his yoyo back at his hip, smiling. “Speaking of, what villain are we supposed to be fighting? I mean, do we just handle normal crime, or do we have a supervillain?”
“Is there a villain?” Chat looked at him dumbfounded for a moment, then shrugged. “We can ask our kwami later. I want to see what we can do.” She glanced around, then pointed at the Eiffel Tower. “Race you there?”
Coccinelle smiled. His nights were about to get a lot brighter if Chat was in them. “You’re on.”
Chat set her baton on her back, crouching into a runner’s sprint. “Ready . . . Go!”
She took off, Coccinelle at her heels. She was fast, but he had longer legs, and so they were side by side as they ran. Chat laughed as she jumped to the next building, her hair flying out behind her. Coccinelle knew without a doubt that he loved this girl, whoever she was.
When he realized that they were probably going to tie, he threw out his yoyo and began to swing to the next buildings, saving him time and putting him ahead of Chat. He heard her shout in defiance behind him but only laughed, continuing to run and swing himself closer to the tower. As he got closer to the tower, though, she managed to catch up, running even faster than before. As they reached the tower, side by side once again, Coccinelle tossed his yoyo up to the top to swing up and Chat used her baton to push herself up, her feet landing a second before his.
“Ha!” she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in victory. “Beat you!”
“That’s because I was going easy on you.” Coccinelle smiled, placing his yoyo back on his hip.
“Whatever. I’m still faster than you, even with your yoyo.” Chat walked over to the railing, leaning on it and looking out over the city. “The view is great from up here.”
Coccinelle smiled, eyes lingering on her for a second longer before joining her at the railing, watching over his city. “Yeah, it’s beautiful.”
They stood that way for a few minutes, quietly enjoying each other’s presence. Coccinelle couldn’t explain it, but he already felt immeasurably safe with Chat. He didn’t know her name, but it didn’t matter. She was already his partner.
“So, Chat,” he said, looking at her again. “I know we’re not supposed to reveal our identities, but who’s to say we can’t get to know each other?”
“What do you mean?” Chat met his eyes, one eyebrow raised.
“I mean . . . Let’s play a game.” Coccinelle turned so he could lean his back against the railing. “One of us asks a question, and we both answer, and then the other gets to ask one.”
“Alright.” Chat hopped onto the railing, legs dangling out over the edge. “What’s your favorite color?”
“Blue.”
“Mine’s pink.” Chat smiled, and Coccinelle matched it. He thought of Marinette’s bedroom- pink from floor to ceiling. It was a good color.
“Any pets?”
“No. I had a goldfish once when I was little.” Chat’s tail was flicking back and forth playfully
“Me neither.”
Chat took a moment to think, looking over the city again. “How old are you?”
“Are you sure we should answer that?” Coccinelle wanted to tell her, wanted to know who she was as a civilian, but he hesitated. It wouldn’t be good to disobey Tikki the first time he transformed. He’d have to talk to her later.
“Come on, it can’t hurt. There’s millions of people in Paris. It’s not like I’m going to be able to tell which of the thousands of people your age are you.”
“Alright, alright.” Coccinelle smiled. “I’m sixteen, but my birthday’s coming up soon.”
“When?” Chat leaned closer to him, eyes sparkling in excitement.
“It’s a secret.” Coccinelle smiled, folding his arms. “Besides, you haven’t answered the question yet.”
“I’m sixteen, too.” Chat giggled. “Your turn.”
“If you could have any pet, what would you get?”
“You are fixated on this pet thing,” Chat teased, smirking. “I would get a hamster.”
Coccinelle smiled for a moment, holding Chat’s gaze. “Dog.”
“What?” Chat leaned back and held her chest, gasping, feigning disbelief. “You would choose my mortal enemy to be your companion?”
“I’m kidding,” Coccinelle laughed, his heart singing when Chat’s laughter rang through the air. “I’m a cat person.”
“Really?” Chat looked back over Paris, kicking her feet, almost like a child.
“Yeah. I mean, dogs are cool and all, but cats and I are on the same page. Eat, get attention, and sleep all day. That’s the life I want to have.” Coccinelle relaxed back into the railing, looking up at the stars.
“Fair enough. Cats have a good life.” Chat smiled. “Okay, my turn.” She hummed for a moment as she thought, a brief tune Coccinelle thought he might know. “Describe your best friend.”
“My best friend?” Coccinelle looked at her to find her bright eyes staring right back at him, unwavering. “How does that describe me?”
“Well, the people you surround yourself with have a strong influence over how you act. It’s some psychology thing. I forget the term.” Chat shrugged. “Anyways, your best friend. Go.”
“Well, she’s a bit headstrong, but she’s smart.” Coccinelle pictured Marinette and their adventures together over the years, smiling. “She’s dedicated, and the most loyal person I know. No matter what happened, she’s always been by my side.” He paused, trying to measure Chat’s reaction, but her expression didn’t waver. “And you?”
“He’s probably the best person I know. He’s thoughtlessly kind, which worries me sometimes because he’s a bit self-sacrificing, but he’ll also help with my homework whenever I need it. He always takes the time for others, and is the most selfless person I know.” Chat let out a small laugh. “Considering his job, it’s kind of surprising.”
“His job? What does he do?”
“Ah, I think that would give him away, to be honest.” Chat smiled at Coccinelle. “It’s like your birthday. Top secret.”
“Fair enough.” They laughed together, and then Adrien looked back over the city. “Do you know what time it is? I’ve got to get back home before someone notices I’m missing.”
“Oh, me too.” Chat frowned, grabbing her baton from off her back. “Cool, this thing tells time. It’s almost twenty hours.”
Coccinelle huffed. “I’ve got to go, then, unfortunately.”
“Yeah. I should head home too.” She paused, looking at him. “Can I just . . . I have to say something, and it’s kind of weird, but just promise you won’t laugh?”
“Promise,” Coccinelle said, leaning closer to her. “What is it?”
“I just feel so comfortable around you. It’s kind of weird because I’ve known you for less than an hour, but . . .” she trailed off, searching for words.
“It feels like we’re best friends?” Coccinelle suggested, to which Chat nodded. “I feel it, too. It feels safe to be together.”
“Yeah, that’s it. I don’t want to leave.” Chat sighed, swinging her legs around to the other side of the railing to stand on the balcony. “Can you come out again tonight?”
Coccinelle ran through his schedule in his mind. After dinner, no one usually bothered him. He could always say he fell asleep early. “Yeah, I can. Can we meet here in an hour and a half?”
Chat nodded. “I’ll be here. Don’t miss me too much.” She giggled, her whole face lighting up and making Coccinelle almost lose himself.
“I’m sure I won’t miss you nearly as much as you’ll miss me.” He winked, then threw out his yoyo to go home, leaving her laughter behind him. Although he’d said it, he definitely didn’t believe it was possible to miss someone as much as he’d miss Chat.
She was right, that they hadn’t known each other long at all, but he already felt like he knew her. She was kind, quick thinking, funny, beautiful, and most importantly, Coccinelle knew without a doubt that he was falling for her, hard.