Chapter Text
“Ladybug will win! She always will!” Alya shouts defiantly.
Ladybug shakes herself out of her thoughts.
That’s the past.
It doesn’t matter.
“Is that so? How can you be so sure?” the akuma sneers.
She’s fine.
Everything’s fine.
Everything is perfectly fine.
“Because! She’s Ladybug! She wins! That’s what she does. One day, she’ll beat you and then you’ll see.”
She stumbles as she lands, catching the attention of her partner. He glances over at her, but she just waves him off sheepishly.
“Zoned out.”
He smiles, and they continue on with their patrol.
“But what about the other side of her? The girl behind the mask? How can you put your faith in someone you’ve never met? She’s only human, and humans are made to fail. One day, she’ll slip up, and when she does, I’ll be there.”
A mistake. She zoned out, and she tripped. What if it’d been during an attack? A mistake like that could have cost them their miraculouses, their Kwamis, their very life as they know it.
That akuma - Hawkmoth, actually, because that was most certainly the man himself speaking through his victim - was right.
Ladybug is Marinette, and Marinette is a mess.
She has no place in a job like this. One trip up, and boom! It’s all over.
She doesn’t even realize there are tears trailing down her face until Chat Noir puts a gentle hand on her shoulder.
“Ladybug?” He looks at her, tilting his head to the side just a bit, concerned. She’s wiping furiously at her eyes now, cursing herself for being so stupid as to start crying in Paris.
“I-I-I c-can’t.”
“Can’t what?” he asks softly.
“C-can’t do th-thi-this!” She throws her hands out, motioning at the city around them. “I-I’m j-just s-some girl! Not a-a-a hero! I’m g-going to m-mess it all up.”
“No you aren’t,” he argues. “You’ve done great! You are a hero.”
“I’m a fraud.”
“No, Ladybug, you aren’t a fraud.” Chat frowns. “Is this about that akuma the other day?”
She sniffles. “Maybe.”
“Hawkmoth was just trying to get under your skin-”
“Well he did!” she shouts. “Because everything he said was true, and I’ve thought the same before!”
Chat pauses, unsure how to proceed. “I don’t think it’s true.”
“You haven’t met me before. The girl under the mask. She’s a mess, Chaton, she never should have been chosen for this. Who is she to have all this trust?”
“I think I see the problem,” he says gently.
“What? Me?” she mutters.
“No.” He hugs her. “You and your civilian self are the same person. Quit pretending they aren’t. Whoever you are, you have achieved everything you have as Ladybug, because you are Ladybug.”
Taking both of her hands in each of his, he holds them at their sides. They stand parallel in silence for sometime, Ladybug’s forehead pressed into his chest, the only sound being her occasional sniffle.
“I’m a disaster. Everyone thinks that Ladybug is the perfect hero, but I’m not. I’m just me.”
“And that’s what makes you such a great hero, Bugaboo. You’re Tikki’s chosen. That means something.”
“It means nothing,” she mutters derisively. “I’m going to mess up. I’ve done it before.”
“And what happened then?”
“Things got worse. Because I’m stupid.”
“No. You still won, because even though you make mistakes, you also fix them.”
“‘s’all ‘m good for anyways.”
“No!”
“Yes!” She steps back, gesturing at herself, somehow looking at herself critically while maintaining eye contact. “Let’s be honest, I wouldn't have done half of what I’ve done if it weren’t for you! Why should I get the credit for what you did?”
“Now, hold on. You always get mad when people write off what I do and credit it to you, so how is it fair to do it to yourself? We achieved all these things as a team. It was both of us, and neither of us deserve to be forgotten or ignored.”
“You were ready,” she argues. “That first day, you fought, and you were ready. I didn’t do anything until Alya shouted at me because you got in trouble. I was scared and stupid. I tried to give up.”
“It was a lot at once, and it’s understandable you were overwhelmed. And look at how far you’ve come! You haven’t given up!”
“Because of you. I couldn’t abandon you, Kitty.”
He shakes his head. “I may have been why you didn’t want to, but you were the one who stepped up and continued to fight. You’re the one who fought hard despite being scared. I was the why, but you were the how.”
She’s not convinced, and he sighs, sitting down and gesturing for her to do the same. When they’re both settled, he takes her hands and looks at her intently. She looks away.
“Ladybug, I just want you to listen to me. You don’t have to look, or respond, just hear me out, okay?”
For a moment, there’s nothing, then she nods.
“You’re an amazing person. Period. But clearly, it’s going to take more than just one conversation to convince you. That’s okay. Most things can’t be set right as quick as your cure.”
“What, so I’m broken?” she snaps, her anger not directed at him.
“No, you’re not broken. There’s nothing about you that needs to be changed, or fixed. You’re wonderful just as you are. I just want you to see it too.” He pulls her into a gentle hug. “We can just talk, okay? Partners support each other, no matter what. Whenever you’re feeling bad like this, just let me know, no matter where or when, and I’ll be there for you. To talk, or listen, whatever you need.”
She frowns. “That’s not fair to you. I can’t just interrupt your day like that.”
“It’s fair if I do the same to you!”
Despite herself, she can’t stop the small huff of amusement (a laugh, Chat would argue), that escapes her at his expression. “Fine. I’ll transform and text you next time. But you have to do the same! I don’t want to be just leeching off your time and giving nothing in return!”
Chat grins. “Silly! You’re no leech, you’re a ladybug.”
She rolls her eyes, sticking out her hand. “Is it a deal?”
He shakes it triumphantly. “It’s a deal.”