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“...you wanna know one of my least favorite things about being a superhero, Chat Noir?”
“What is it, m’lady?”
“Bailing on my friends to fight akumas.”
Ladybug sighed, tilting her head back against the chimney supporting her weight.
From this high up, she and Chat Noir had a pretty impressive view of the Clara Nightingale concert currently underway at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. Though the sound quality was a bit echoey, they could hear well enough, and there were no crowds to compete with in order to be able to see her. But…it wasn’t the same as actually BEING there. Marinette imagined Alya, Nino, and the rest of her friends—well, most of them—dancing and laughing in the crowd.
Being a superhero was an honor and a privilege….but every so often Marinette missed the days when she was just a normal girl with a normal life.
“You had plans to go to this concert?” Chat asked.
“Yeah, I was going to go with friends, but then that barista just HAD to get akumatized across town right before the concert started. I made up some excuse about homework so I could leave to join the fight, but it took way longer than I expected…”
“I’m sorry, m’lady,” Chat replied. He understood more than most how painful it was to sit out on fun activities with friends. “At least we’re getting to see Clara now, right?”
“Yeah, I suppose so…but it isn’t the same, you know?”
Ladybug had proposed an “extended patrol” after the akuma fight so they could catch a bit of the concert. They didn’t want to risk stealing Clara’s spotlight or being mobbed by the crowd by attending on the ground, so they compromised and watched from the roof of a nearby building.
“...did you have plans to attend in person too?”
Chat chuckled dryly.
“I was invited by some friends, but….I ultimately wasn’t allowed to go. If it weren’t for the akuma, I’d be watching the concert via Instagram stories.”
Ladybug blinked at him, shame itching at her gut and making her wince. She’d automatically assumed Chat Noir would be just as peeved as she was, never stopping to consider that their current vantage point was better than he could have hoped for in his civilian life.
“I’m sorry, Chat….I didn’t realize…..” She bit her lip.
“Don’t sweat it, Bugaboo. How could you have known?” Chat replied. He managed a smile, but it didn’t meet his eyes...and it broke Ladybug’s heart.
Alya, Nino, and the rest of her classmates would survive without Marinette for the night.
But Chat Noir needed Ladybug. And she was going to coax a real smile out of him if it killed her.
“....you know, now that I think about it…” Ladybug mused, glancing at her partner. “...I’ve attended plenty of concerts with my friends before, but never with a view this spectacular.”
Chat’s face lit up, excited to hear his Lady finding a silver lining in what HE considered to be the best concert experience he’d ever had.
“Right?? We can see Clara, her pianist, AND all the spotlights and technical stuff from up here and…..uh….”
His voice trailed off when he realized Ladybug was gazing at him.
“Yeah, the stage is alright too,” she sang, flicking his bell with a cheeky grin and a twinkle in her eye.
Red flushed beneath Chat’s mask.
“Uh...I...uh….”
He barely registered Ladybug nestling her head against his shoulder with a giggle.
“Silly kitty….” she whispered, looking out at the lights below and feeling the rhythm of the music in the air.
“....you’re not so bad yourself, Bug."
Ladybug could hear the smile in his words.
So she smiled too.
(And if she blushed just a bit? Who could blame her?)