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“So m’lady,” Chat charmed, resting hands and chin on his baton. “How ‘bout a late night stroll through the streets of Paris?”
Ladybug quirked a brow. “A stroll? At this time of night?”
“Yep!” He said, popping the ‘p’.
Ladybug looked up at the sky, releasing a sigh through her tired smile. Silly kitty.
They’d just finished fighting an akuma in the dead of night, and she was pretty sure that it was somewhere between 2-3am when she transformed. When she’d gotten up, she was just about ready to strangle Hawk-butt for waking her up past midnight for the third time this month, but what they said was apparently true. There really was no rest for the wicked.
Given, it wasn’t that nasty of a fight, since neither superhero had to summon Lucky Charm or Cataclysm. They were pretty much free to roam as they wished for a while, and even then, she had a (very rare) free day in the morning. Something in her wanted to spend more time with her kitty before she headed home. Besides, the fight left her restless and she wouldn’t be able to sleep if she went home anyway.
Those were good enough excuses, weren’t they?
“Alright chaton,” she met his gaze with the brightest smile she could muster, “Let’s go then!”
Chat dropped his jaw, along with his cool charisma. It made her insides giggle at how easy it was to get him like that. Though Ladybug had to admit, she did feel a little bad if her kitty was so surprised by the accepted invitation. A small gnawing of guilt settled into her stomach, so she made it a point to organise something for him soon.
“Oh!” He perked up. “Well, in that case, feel fur-ree to follow me!”
Chat gestured to his side on the pathway, and she followed graciously.
While they roamed through the city in the chill of night, it all felt like a different reality to Ladybug. It all felt so familiar, yet so… different. Alien. It was befuddling to the girl how the paths, streets and crossways that she’d otherwise walk through without batting an eye now felt like an entirely different world to her, like a new world that needed exploring. It was as if she’d crossed a threshold into an alternate universe and had no way of coming back, and she loved it.
Her and Chat flowed into comfortable conversation as he joked at her, one punchline after another. She’d never admit it, but he sure was on one hell of a roll today, firing pun after pun. Chat’s timing in battle could definitely use some work; she was sure enough of that. But, when they weren’t literally fighting for their lives, she had to admit that he did actually make her laugh a good number of times.
That was her kitty alright, never failing to put her back in good spirits. Whether it be on a sunny rooftop, or on an urban sidewalk in the too-early hours of the morning.
“-But you are agreeing that I would be an amazing actor, right?” Chat mused.
She simply shrugged her shoulders with a cool grin. “I’m saying that when it comes to being the center of attention, you excel more than anyone I know.”
“Aw m’lady, you flatter me!” He put a hand to his heart, and tilted his head to the side. “Although, if you were to shower me with any more pawsible compliments, I wouldn’t exactly be opposed.”
“Oh, it’ll cost you though, my services aren’t free.”
“I’ll pay you 5 euros per compliment.”
The superheroine examined her nails, hoping to rile him up. “Make it 20 and then we’ll call it a deal.”
“Seven.”
“Fifteen.”
“Ten.”
“Twelve.”
“Eleven, but that’s my final offer!”
She held his gaze, hoping to get him to crack. It lasted all but mere seconds before they were both laughing into a fit of hysterics, clutching at their sides. All sense of composure went out the window as her and Chat cackled at their stupid game, and a sense of pure bliss settled itself within her as her giggles died down. Ladybug couldn’t help but feel like it was thanks to her partner that she was feeling this way.
Now that she thought about it, she wasn’t exactly opposed to ‘showering him with compliments’, but it’s not like he needed to hear that right now.
He wiped a stray tear from his eye and looked up at the tall building beside them. “Oh, hey! Looks like we’re here, LB”
The spotted hero followed his gaze. It was a decently tall building, likely dusty from years of neglect. Its brown paint was chipping away, being eaten by the vegetation that was slowly forming at the corners.
She scaled the building with ease, thankful for the few years of experience her miraculous had given her. Chat followed closely behind with his baton in hand, letting her take in the view of Paris.
Needless to say, her breath escaped her.
The spot Chat chose was… beautiful. It gave them a wide, colourful view of Paris, all of the lights in full view from their vantage point. Yet, still away from any prying eyes and granting them some semblance of privacy. The way that the moon and stars twinkled in the night sky showed a contrast to the warm yellow hues of the lights of the city below. Chat was very smart when he picked this spot.
She’d definitely need to repay him for this somehow.
As much as she said the word, this wasn’t anything short of miraculous.
She turned around to gush about the breathtaking sight of their city, but was interrupted by the sight of her partner pulling out a dusty blanket out from behind an air conditioning unit, and tried to straighten it out before breaking into a fit of hacks and coughs from all of the dust that flew from the thin sheet of cotton. She tried to stifle the giggles, but the balloon popped, and one too many snorts escaped her as he brought his fist to his chest in an attempt to quell the coughs.
Dork.
Ladybug wasn’t aware of the lovesick smile on his face once he finally calmed down.
“Sorry! Sorry…” She sighed, trying to compose herself. The ache in her belly was too much to bear from all the laughing. “You okay, Chat?”
Chat shook his head in good spirit as he laid the blanket before them. “I’m doing just fine, m’lady.” He said, smoothing out the corners. “No need to worry about this stray kitten.”
She kneeled down on the plain blanket, patting her lap in open invitation. Chat simply smiled and eagerly nestled his head on her thighs, letting her pet his head in all of his favourite ways.
As they settled down, Ladybug found herself sharing stories about her week, holding back nothing, yet still careful not to include details that would give away her identity. It was surprisingly all too easy to trust him with anything she told him. She didn’t even have to think all that much, yet for some reason, she wanted to tell him everything.
Chat responded by telling her about the new shows he’d been watching, and she had no shame to admit, it was always nice to just spend time with him like this. With no akumas, no Hawkmoth, just her and Chat Noir on a rooftop under the night sky. They’d discovered a few months ago that they were both avid fans of a few of the same shows, and the duo positively geeked out for a good few weeks after they found out.
It was probably a given, since as she learned more about her chaton, she realised that they had a lot in common, like how he also liked UMS.
“Nonono, but you don’t get it!” Chat threw his hands up in the air in indignation, “The Cat Mech is way too OP! It has to get nerfed in the next update!”
Ladybug laughed at her partner’s childish antics, shaking her head. “It’s perfectly balanced the way it is, Chat! I think you’re just a bit of a sore loser.”
“But it’s true! They need to fix it otherwise it’s just a pain to play against!” Chat gave a humph of frustration as she continued to stroke her hand through her partner’s hair despite his grumpy mood.
She relished in his short-lived misery before she lifted her nose, sniffing. “Wait, Chat.” She sniffed again. “Do you smell that?”
“Smell what?”
She sniffed again, “I smell-”
“-What?” He pointed his nose in the same direction she was facing, probably in hopes of catching any sort of scent. She knew he had a better sense of smell granted to him, and Ladybug had to try her best not to laugh.
“Something smells…” She lulled, pointing a sly grin at Chat, “salty.”
He looked up at her then with the most betrayed look she’d seen. “I am not salty!” He proclaimed, as if she’d just accused him of murder.
Ladybug chortled at his outburst, trying desperately to hide her snorts with her hands but failing miserably. She knew he was probably trying to get an important point across but it was very hard to take him seriously when he’d been nuzzling into her lap and being pet like a household cat for the past 20 minutes.
As Ladybug looked down to meet his gaze once again, he stared back up at her with a challenging stare, as if Chat was daring her to break. She playfully glared back with equal fervor, not one to back down from a challenge.
Eventually, they both broke at the same time and were reduced to a giggling fit once again. She felt his head shaking on her lap, bouncing up and down as he guffawed along with her.
When they calmed down enough so their breathing was even, she craned her neck down to plant a swift kiss on his forehead. Normally, Ladybug wouldn’t be the one to initiate such an intimate gesture, but given everything that took place in the last hour, on top of the silent promise she’d made to entreat her partner to more of her time and energy, she wanted to indulge. Was that so wrong?
Noticing the stunned silence coming from her partner, she poked him in the belly. “Hey, how long have you been planning this anyway?”
Chat seemed to snap out of his reverie, and chose to look back up at her, giving a tender smile, “Not too long,” he confessed, “but I just wanted to do something nice for you.”
“Aww, remind me to pick an even better spot for next time then.” She cooed, flicking his bell.
At that, he shot straight up in shock. “M’lady, did you just pun?”
She merely winked in response. “ Purrhaps, but maybe if you’re good enough, I’ll keep ‘em coming.”
The genius execution of her pun made her huff in satisfaction at the masterful display of her superior humour. It would’ve been a sweet, sweet victory were it not for the look she saw on Chat’s face as he leaned the tiniest bit closer. He looked at her with such softness in his eyes that Ladybug swore that he could’ve been melting. Maybe she was the one melting instead, but that was neither here nor there.
“Can’t wait, Ladybug.”
Chat’s eyes lingered on her for a silent, bated breath before he tore his gaze away from her, taking in the urban skyline. The warm yellow glow of the lights below painted his face in the most beautiful colours, and he smiled with enough warmth to light up the entire city.
It was hard to point a finger as to why, but for some reason, she was reminded of the many reasons she stayed by his side all this time. They’d been through hell and back together yet were still standing, unscathed and ready to take on the world if need be. Their partnership together was never even a question; it was a non-negotiable. She had him, and he had her, and by god it was more than enough. He was more than enough.
At that thought, a sudden realisation sent her mind to a screeching halt.
Something in Ladybug just… clicked.
She didn't know when, or why, or by what means. But somehow, in the time she’d known him, Chat weaseled his way into the deep entangled strings of her heart, and it had no intentions of letting him go anytime soon. It made her pulse quicken when the realisation came. Meanwhile, the boy in question next to her was none the wiser. It should have come as a shock to the superheroine, but rather than the gut-clenching fear that she was expecting, it felt… warm, Like it was supposed to be there.
And she welcomed it fully, with open arms.
Chat Noir was her partner-in-fighting-crime-and-hawktrash’s-akumas (she had him to thank for the nickname), but he was also so much more. He was her friend, her closest friend. Her rock and source of unconditional love and comfort when everything in the world was too much to bear. No matter what, she knew she could count on him to always be there to support her in her times of need, and he knew too that she would never hesitate to do the same for him.
She didn’t even know his name, yet it felt like their bond was something that came from a lifetime together. Memories ran through her mind of sunny thursday afternoons busy fighting Hawkmoth’s akumas, or the loud banter they’d always share. One time, they’d made a bet on how far they could throw the other, which ended up with a broken nose on Chat’s part. (No number of assurances that it was okay soothed her conscience about that last bit).
He was Chat Noir, a dorky teenage boy who wasn’t just a superhero, but someone who liked to crack puns and spend time with the people of Paris. He could get jealous and petty sometimes, sure. It was a nasty habit that reared its ugly head at even worse times. But when it did come to his attention, he always pulled through and apologised. No matter how much of an ego he may put up front, at his core was a down-to-earth, lovable dork of a partner that she cherished. Every. Single. Day.
Even then, there used to be a big giant question mark when it came to her feelings towards the boy. Before now, too many obstacles were in the way of anything that might grow into any romantic feelings for the boy.
But she also knew that somewhere, in another life, in another timeline, she was already in love with him, and he loved her back.
The sheer knowledge of that dumbfounded her for weeks!
But now?
Now, she could’ve called herself stupid for not seeing why.
Because she knew that in any lifetime, any reality, any place, any moment in time, and through any twisted, convoluted plan Hawkmoth would cook up next, she would always find him and go back to him.
And she’d choose him in a heartbeat.
The only time she’d felt this way was, well…
Was with Adrien.
Her eyes aimlessly wandered over the stars as her thoughts drifted to her blonde classmate. Adrien was, and always will be her first love; it’d been said you’d never forget them. The first ones to show you what romance feels like. But, here was her kitty, standing there in her heart, lighting a fire just as fierce and passionate within her. The glowing presence by her side reminded her of his existence when he shifted his weight.
She made the mistake of wasting her opportunity with Adrien when she had the chance.
Like hell was she going to make the same mistake with Chat.
No. Way.
When he turned towards her to say something, he promptly stopped himself when Ladybug leaned in closer, their faces mere centimeters apart. She could feel the nerves in her stomach pinching as she braced herself.
“Hey Chat?” She croaked, as if she was speaking for the first time in years.
“Yes?” He whispered.
“Can I kiss you?”
It was a request quiet enough that it could’ve been lost in the wind, and she would’ve thought it did if she wasn’t looking into his eyes. Ladybug always believed that the eyes were the window to the soul, and his was moving fast.
A mellow, silent beat passed before she heard Chat speak the very words that would be ingrained into her memory for a lifetime.
“I’ve been waiting for you to say that for years, my lady.”
It was all the invitation Ladybug needed, and she inched closer to meet him in the middle.
His lips melded softly with her own, and she tilted ever so slightly to give him more room. The quiet beating in her chest quickened and pounded with intensity, but she could barely feel it when it was subdued by the glowing warmth that radiated within her from kissing him. To her, actions spoke louder than words, and she wanted to speak volumes about how she felt to him.
To her, nothing mattered in the world except everything in this moment. All that existed to her reality were their two souls in the universe finding and choosing eachother for the first time, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Their lips were brushing timidly, and Ladybug wanted to push just the tiniest bit further.
She was rewarded by the smallest undertones of passionfruit.
Ladybug felt a shy hand cradle her jaw as she deepened the kiss, and she hummed happily at the touch. The tiny contact of his hand on her face caused her entire system to be filled with sweet little nothings that meant everything to her. She trusted Chat so much, and she hoped he knew that.
They could’ve been kissing for seconds or hours, Ladybug couldn’t tell. But when Chat broke away, she opened her eyes to green.
Green, green, green emerald orbs that held an entire world behind them.
A world that she’d become so familiar with she was sure she could’ve lived there if she wanted to.
There were no words spoken, but she could see everything in his gaze. She could see a million different words that desperately swam for any kind of escape as his eyes darted between hers. She could see the unspoken confessions, the desperate pleads of acceptance, the quiet expression of gratitude for being his partner, and the silent I love yous.
Maybe, just maybe, he could also see right through her. Ladybug hoped so. She was silently wishing, praying he could see all the times she stayed up at night, thinking about the day’s akuma fight with him. Or maybe he could see the ink she used to write his name many times into her diary, and the songs she sang under her breath that reminded her of him.
It was an entirely new set of possibilities that was now laid before her feet, and it lit her with excitement.
Before she could be too caught up in her head, she took a deep breath.
And crashed herself onto him once more.
This time around, it was more. It was alive with the same passion from before, but now with an energy and excitement that Chat returned with equal fervor. Though, they were still just shy enough for the both of them to be comfortable. Anything beyond this was a territory that they would explore in due time. Together.
They giggled and smiled through their kiss as she shifted to sit on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck hastily to pull him even closer. Chat responded by resting gentle hands on her sides. Her heart fluttered to know that even though he’d been looking forward to this for years, he was still making sure to be careful enough to make her comfortable.
Ladybug could feel that their mouths were moving messily against each other, and it sure as hell was kind of sloppy. But, she really couldn’t find it in herself to care in the moment to even try to fix it.
This was enough, this was perfect, it was them.
And it was beautiful.
And it was.
Ladybug pulled away first so she could say something, a something that was long overdue for a while now.
“Thank you, Chat.” She smiled wide, letting a tear fall. “For everything. ”
His face showed the faintest traces of a glow before an unbelieving despair overtook his precious face, stealing his gaze away from her and on the grey rooftop. Ladybug almost had to reach out to him and find out what she did to make him so despondent before he croaked out a reply.
“Is this a goodbye?”
He sounded crushed, dejected, almost.
Oh no, he was scared he was losing her. Her heart poured out to her kitty, and she wanted nothing more than to take all of the pain forming in his eyes away.
“No, no, chaton,” she assured, curling a finger under his chin to bring his gaze back up to her, “It’s an ‘I love you’.”
At that, he shone with a fierce glow that was bright enough to light up even the darkest of days, and Marinette wanted nothing more than to preserve that lovable goofiness in a jar and keep it with her forever as he snuggled her so close to him she might pop. Even with how tight he was holding her, she couldn’t find it in herself to care the slightest bit. She nuzzled her nose against his in a lame attempt to smother his grin, but eventually settled to just contently resting her forehead on his.
She felt at peace from being so close to him
His wide grin showed all of his slightly crooked teeth, and the adorable sight burned itself into her memory. “No Ladybug, thank you. ” He said, as playful as ever.
Ah, that’s her chaton alright. She smirked at him as he shot her a smug grin that was so easily kissable. Did he really think he could outdo her affections?
Pfft.
Go ahead and try, kitty.