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Ladybug quickly rolled to the side. “You’re here early.”
He smiled, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Anytime with you m’lady, are times I treasure.” She saw his mouth twitch as he finished his sentence, but before she could comment on it, the akuma shot at the ground beneath them.
Right, there was a victim on the loose.
She’d ask what was going on later. But for now, they had to take care of the very loud and very angry elephant in the proverbial room. She hated having to put their job between them, but there was a priority on the line, and unfortunately, compromises had to be made when one was a superhero.
Not that she’d ever give him half of what she could, because with him, she would always give him her all. They both knew that much of each other.
The transition from friendship into something more was smoother than either of them thought it would be. He was already her best friend and her most trusted person, and it just felt so right to be able to call him hers. The memory of the way he glowed when she first said that made her insides feel all fluffy.
The kisses were most definitely one of Marinette’s favorite parts. They were stolen on rooftops, in alleyways, and on a single night where they were both feeling adventurous, they shared a slow, deep kiss on the top of the Eiffel tower. Something about having her own little secret to share with her best friend and lover made it all the more exhilarating.
It was everything she could’ve ever wanted and more.
That beautiful, blooming feeling of love that bubbled up whenever he was near never failed to paint a permanent smile on her face. That was her kitty, alright. Her kitty and only hers. A lovable, awkward, flirty, pun-loving idiot that she couldn’t imagine her life without. He brought out the best in her, and at times, she hoped she brought out the best of him. And when either of them was carrying all too much on their shoulders, she made him promise that he’d come to her for help.
After purifying the akuma, Ladybug looked back to Chat, who was staring at the road below them in deep thought. His arms were crossed and his head was lowered, like he was trying to find an answer. To what, exactly, she wasn’t sure of. But maybe she could find out.
“You’re gonna burn holes into the street like that.” She said, and that seemed to break him out of his thoughts. He jumped slightly in surprise, his shoulders seizing up for a fraction of a second and his mouth half open.
He half-turned towards her, gawking somewhat. “Ladybug, I-”
“What’s wrong, chaton?” She asked. The interruption was only met with silence as Chat’s jaw was left slack, explanation absent on his tongue. She stepped close enough so she could cup his cheek with one hand and run a knuckle through his hair with her other. It was the least she could do.
She’d noticed that he wasn’t feeling like himself earlier today. Before and during their battle, his usual flair and energy just wasn’t there. She saw at least three opportunities for some dumb kind of pun, yet all of them were completely absent of any kind of banter. How out of it could her kitty be when he couldn’t even find it in himself to get his two cents in?
This just couldn’t do.
He faked a smile. “It’s… nothing you have to worry about.”
“ Chat. ” She scolded. She didn’t want to have to beat it out of him, but so help her, she would. When he gave a half-shrug, she blew a breath through her nose. If only she’d let her help him… “Chat, talk to me. Please. ”
It was at that, that when she looked up at him, she saw his gaze visibly soften. He leaned down to wrap his arms around her back and hid his face in her neck.
“Ladybug I-” he whimpered, “I can’t go home tonight.”
She froze.
“Chat?”
“I just can’t .” He squeezed her tighter, like his life depended on it. “I’m not being hurt, but I just- I don’t want to be alone tonight.”
Marinette finally found control of her limbs and weaved her arms around his torso. She remembered from what little he told her that Chat’s home life was hard on him. He told her that he had an absent father, and if she was right, his mother wasn’t in the picture altogether.
But, just how bad was it when he couldn’t find it in himself to go home? She’d never thought it was that bad, but as Chat held her even closer and hid himself in her neck, she learned better.
She couldn’t bring herself to imagine a de-transformed Chat sitting alone in his bedroom, neglected and forgotten. Her heart could break just imagining what awful things he’d endured.
Eventually, she found a resolve. “Meet me at Le Grand Paris in fifteen minutes.” When Chat pulled away enough to look into her eyes, she gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile, that this was okay, and she was going to help him no matter what. “You head right there, I’ll bring some stuff so we can stay the night.”
Her parents were out of town for the weekend, and she had an unusually free schedule on top of that. Her partner needed her, and she’d be damned if she left him out to dry.
Like. Hell.
She tried her best not to giggle when he looked so astounded, but it was completely forgotten when he squeezed her against himself so hard it felt like she could pop. Not that she was complaining, though. He could squeeze all day long and it would be a day well spent. Marinette was more than happy to have her thoughts be little more than mmm cuddly cat.
Cuddliest cat with cute cat ears.
“Thank you.” He pressed a quick kiss to her cheek, and she felt like she could love him all over again. He really had no idea how much she loved her, did he? She felt heat crawl on her cheeks as he excitedly hopped to the edge of the roof. He turned over his shoulder, and she could see his eyes sparkling. “I’ll see you then!” He called, and then he was off.
Well, that was that.
As she went back home to pack for tonight, she found herself so giddy she could hardly resist jumping for joy. After all, any time with her kitty were moments she cherished and held dear to her heart, so an entire night, alone and uninterrupted, was something that she couldn’t have planned even if she tried. They could spend all night just being with each other and enjoying their company, and it would just be perfect!
As promised, Ladybug made her appearance on the roof of Le Grand Paris. She saw Chat speaking to the doorman, and his presence already felt brighter. It reminded Marinette of watching the sun peeking over the horizon in the cutest, most handsome sunrise. Given the way he was practically shining while he moved excitedly, he may as well have been purring and meowing at her feet. He was too damn cute!
Her feet barely scratched the floor when Chat turned around to catch sight of her. “M’lady!” He beamed, and his eyes glowed with so much life and joy that she had to resist the urge to do something stupid like kiss him until the sun burned out. “I talked to Mr. Porte, he’s got the room ready.”
A while back, before they became a thing, the Mayor gave them access to any room that was available should they need it. They might not have been using it for official superhero business, but in her humble opinion, Chat’ wellbeing was just as, if not more important than any akuma they could face.
Ladybug bit her lip. “Great work, kitty.” To encourage his valiant effort, she gave the part underneath his chin a good scritch, which elicited a purr from him as he closed his eyes and leaned into the contact. Literal cat, he was. She gestured to the large duffel bag over her shoulder “I’ve got everything in here, so you don’t have to worry about a thing.” She propped herself up on her tippy toes to plant a kiss against his forehead. They might’ve had an audience, but frankly, she didn’t care. “This is all for you.”
He visibly softened, and she could see the mistiness in his eyes when he held out his hand for her to take. “Then shall we, m’lady?”
Ladybug took it and intertwined his fingers in her own. She squeezed as she held it between them. “We shall.”
They chose a fairly modest room, if not very cozy. There was the faint smell of cleaning substance still lingering in the air, and the carpet beneath her bare feet made her feel like she was walking on air. She rarely had the chance to indulge in such luxuries, and being able to spend it with Chat made it all the more lovely.
Much to her amusement, there was also a balcony which served as a sweet little inside joke to no one but herself. Oh, if Chat only knew who she was.
Chat was in the bathroom, changing into the clothes she brought with her. She had to admit, Marinette was rather proud of herself for the pyjamas she designed, and she couldn’t wait to see how cute he looked in them!
“Ready for your show, m’lady?” His voice came from behind the bathroom door. Marinette, now detransformed, fake mask on, and in her pyjamas, readied herself on the couch. “Gotta admit, I look purr-ticularly handsome in these garments. I look like a model!”
“Shut up and show me already, cat!” Marinette giggled behind her hands as she imagined a detransformed Chat modelling and posing on a runway. He definitely had the presence for it, and maybe even a certain swagger. What would he look like modelling her clothes? That could definitely be a sweet fantasy she could save for later.
The door burst open to reveal Chat in all of his civilian glory. The fake mask she got him fit nicely, since it looked just like his real one.
That, however, was the last thing on her mind.
He proudly stood with his hands on his hips as the black, cotton antennae on his hood bounced from side to side. He was covered in black polka dots, printed on a hot red hue, very similar to her suit. Adorable was the first word that came to mind when he bit his lip and wiggled his hips. Plus, the sight of her boyfriend wearing her colors, and her pattern, like she was claiming him, made her feel all warm inside.
Mine, the possessive part of her said, Mine and only mine.
But that was nothing compared to his reaction to her own attire. She was wearing a pitch black hoodie, which boasted a neon green paw print on the front. The outfit was complete with cat-print pyjama pants, as well as a pair of cat ears in the hood she sewn herself. It was a bit large on her, the sleeves coming out a bit longer than her arms, but she liked it that way. She liked the idea of being covered in him and his colors.
And judging by the way he gaped so adorably at her, he liked it too.
Marinette had to resist the urge to squeal and jump.
Eventually, the silent question settled between the two of them. What should they do first? After all, they had the whole night in front of them.
Her gaze scoured the room, and she quickly caught sight of a game console that was hooked to the T.V.! Score!
She bit her lips and bounced up and down as she looked back to Chat. Sure enough, he saw her excitement and immediately caught on after realizing what she saw. He raised his fists to his chests and bit his lip to stifle the squeal on his tongue.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” She squealed.
Chat flashed his teeth. “I get the Cat Mech!” He blurted, and he was off.
Ladybug booted the console and logged into her account, but not before making sure to ask him to turn around. The last thing she needed was for him to find out her identity from her in-game ID. She was never so thankful for the moment that UMS had an option to keep it hidden during gameplay. “M.D.C.”, no matter how vague, was sure to be a dead giveaway to someone as astute as Chat.
It would take a while for the game to download, but she had an idea on how she could spend it.
She reveled in the way his breath hitched when she pulled him in for a kiss. Their positions were a bit off-angle from the way they were sitting on the floor, but she heard no complaints when she deepened the kiss.
No matter how many times they kissed, she still felt her heart swell with so much emotion from just how close they were, both mentally and physically. She loved the way he would tilt his head slightly and take her chin in the gentle caress of his fingertips, teasing the skin on her face before finally giving in and taking her into a closer embrace. Direction became meaningless as she became lost in the ocean of him, and she wouldn’t want it any other way.
When they broke apart for air, her eyes fluttered open to meet his green eyes. Detransformed, they looked more human, yet the iris of his eyes looked just as vibrant with life.
She could fall just in love with those eyes all over again.
And… she really, really couldn’t wait to.
It was getting easier to admit now, but ever so slowly, the idea of revealing herself to Chat was becoming less of a fantasy, and more of a feasible reality that she could actually see herself doing. She knew this was what she feared when she first kissed him on that rooftop all those months ago, but yet, she couldn’t find it in herself to be scared anymore.
He already knew so much about her. He knew her strengths, her weaknesses, what made her tick, the facial expressions she didn’t know she made, he knew everything about her.
Yet, he didn’t know her name.
What was in a name?
Everything.
Her name was where she lived, the things she did in her free time. Her name was a bakery on the corner of Rue. Gotlib, which was next to the school she went to, where she said hi to her friends and studied for class in the library. The library where she spilled her water in once and worked with Adrien trying to clean it up before any of the staff noticed.
Her name was part of who she was, and she couldn’t wait to tell him hers.
The only question left begging was, what was his name?
“Game’s ready.” Chat muttered, his lips flickering into the soft smile she loved so much. His eyes were glowing with warmth and love, and her knees would’ve buckled if they weren’t sitting down. He tilted his head towards the screen.
Sure enough, the words displayed on the screen, clear as day.
“Ultimate Mecha Strike III: Collector’s Edition has been installed. Would you like to launch?”
Ladybug shot Chat a grin, and he shot one right back. It took all of the willpower inside of her to free herself of Chat’s loving embrace and take a controller. Somehow, she managed it!
“You better not have been lying when you said you, ‘-kick ass at this game.’.” She teased. Surely, he could back up all of that big talk?
Chat scoffed, feigning offense as he planted a hand against his chest. Though, it was very difficult not to laugh, given his colorful outfit. “I’ll have you know,” He thrust a pointed finger at her nose, though she was completely unphased as she raised a brow, “that I can do more than just tail you about my skills. I’ll completely, and fur-reely wipe the floor with you!” That elicited a giggle from Marinette at his stupid show puns. It was his delivery that did it for her, she swore it!
After they chose their mains, (much to her amusement, he did in fact, end up choosing The Cat), the game began.
Needless to say, he didn’t put up much of a fight.
Not to say that he was a complete rookie, no! He did surprise her every now and then, dodging and finding windows that she had to work extra hard to cover, but nothing that raised her out of her seat. Unlike Chat, who had his tongue poking out in concentration. Who knew catboys could blep?
As soon as the game proclaimed the winner, Chat groaned.
She smirked at him. “Huh, you were right about the Cat Mech being annoying to play against.” Marinette may be a superhero, but gaming was where she could feel no shame with rubbing salt into the wound.
Chat shot threw his hands up into the air, almost throwing the controller. “I didn’t know I was playing against a member of the top 1 percent!”
Ladybug shook her head. “Oh, It’s not just the top 1 percent, kitty.”
Chat tilted his head towards her, his brow furrowed and a disbelieving smile on his face. “What do you mean by that?”
Marinette hummed, trying to find out which details she could afford. “You know that week-long event they hosted online? Where they gifted a dozen crates to the top 100 players with the highest win/lose ratio?”
Chat nodded. “Yeah, I remember that. There was a huge social media campaign around it as well.”
She clicked her tongue and pointed a thumb at herself proudly. In response, Chat gaped and pounced forward on all fours. If he had a tail, it could’ve been wagging.
“No way!” He exclaimed. “What place did you come?!”
“Now now, kitty.” She put a finger on his nose and pushed him away. “That would give away my identity.” She winked at him playfully. This was different from the way she usually denied him. It was more light-hearted banter than a serious turn down.
Maybe it was because she didn’t know if she meant it this time.
All the same, Chat respected her boundaries more than anything, and he backed away with a smile on his face, his hands put up in fake-surrender. “Alright, alright. Frankly, it explains a lot.” He tilted his head, as if taking her in. “You truly never fail to amaze me. I think I’ve only ever seen combos like that in compilation videos online!”
She tried not to blush under his praise. How did he always know how to disarm her so well?!
Determined not to be the one to back down, she tried to disperse the heat threatening to take her cheeks. “Thanks, but I can’t take all the credit.” She said coyly, leaning up towards him.
Chat, not realizing the sudden closeness until it was too late, froze in place as his eyebrows disappeared into his bangs. “A-and why is that, m’lady?” He stuttered. Adorable kitty.
She leaned in just the tiniest bit more so their noses were touching.
“You’re just trash.”
Before he could reply, she swiftly plopped back onto her butt and giggled behind her hands, a snort or two coming through. She had to close her eyes at the way he glared at her, because he looked like someone stole the last cookie in the jar and ate it right under his nose.
“Ladybug, I didn’t know you were such a toxic gamer!”
Ladybug had to wipe a tear from her eye, catching the cheap plastic of her mask against her finger as she did so. “Oh ho no, that wasn’t even the half of it.” Thirteen-year-old Marinette said some pretty nasty things to herself in the privacy of her room. Of course, after she became more immersed into her work as a hero, student and designer, those nasty habits subsided overtime.
Still, it was so worth it to see him worked up like this!
Chat pounced on her and tickled her sides, eliciting even more howling laughter to come out of her. It was too much, and she couldn’t even control her breathing amidst the overwhelming sensation of his hands tickling her to death. She tried hunching in on herself, but the boy-sized weight on top of her refused to let her.
“C-Chat!” Ladybug managed to fit through each fit of laughs. “Stop! P-Please! Pfft, mercy!”
“Not until you say you love me!” He said with his mouth buried in her neck. She could hear the cheeky smile from his voice.
“Okay! Pfft- okay, I-” She gasped for breath and then burst into a fit of giggles as he went for her belly. That was her weak spot! “I love you! Now s-stop I- ha!”
At that, Chat ceased his attack and sat back, allowing her to sit up once again. Heaving for breath, she looked back at Chat, who was looking all too pleased with himself. Not to be outdone, she inched forward and planted a slow, gentle kiss against his cheek. He always got weak when she got like this, and she wasn’t above using such knowledge to her advantage. She was still a bit dizzy in the aftershock of his assault, but a good thing about being a hero for so long meant a strong sense of equilibrium. Something that, judging by the searing blush on her partner’s face, he didn’t have at the moment. Score!
“Wanna play again?” Ladybug whispered against his ear. Marinette pulled away to give him a challenging stare. Chat shook his head and brought himself back to the present.
“Always with you, bugaboo.” He said, and he picked up his controller, ready for another round.
They kept playing, match after match. A few times, he surprised her, coming close to dropping her health to near zero. But she managed to come in clutch every time. Often, trying to think of unorthodox openings out of his combos. They could be deadly once they began, but lucky for her, Chat had a few tells she could use to her advantage.
It’d been a while since she had a good gaming session like this. Between all of her other hobbies and work, she couldn’t find time to fit in any meaningful time for games, let alone find someone she could really run down with. But somehow, in an almost poetic twist of fate, here was her partner, mending a tiny stitch in her daily life, almost filling it in to make up for what she had to lose for this job.
It was symbolic, in a way.
Neither noticed the fact that the sun had long set below the horizon when the telltale sound of Chat’s stomach growling rang through the room like a siren. Silence settled upon the two of them where they merely stared at each other with raised eyebrows and giddy smiles, because they both knew what came next at a sleepover.
“Food?” He asked.
“Food!” Ladybug jumped off her butt and scrambled to her bag. A good go-to for a sleepover date would be pizza! Yeah, pizza would be perfect!
Right as she turned on her phone, she was met with her wallpaper, a selfie she stole when she snuck a kiss on Chat’s cheek. The surprise on his face was obvious, yet his mouth still curled into a smile. Normally, she’d be one to gloss over the picture and open her phone without a second thought, but something about the moment felt very sweet. Just her and her favorite person, hanging out and being dumb in a hotel room like there was nothing wrong in the world.
When she looked over her shoulder, she saw Chat looking at her phone.
A gentle smile caressed his face. “I didn’t know you kept that photo.” He said softly.
Marinette bit her lip. “Of course I did, kitty.” She kept every single one. Especially the ones they took. She always transferred them from her bugphone into her civilian one as soon as she got home. Whenever she was feeling alone and down on herself, their album never failed to cheer her up. She innocently titled it ‘Ladynoir’ to ward off suspicion.
Dialling the number to the pizza place, she stifled a giggle as Chat rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. Why did he always have to act so darn cute?!
The line connected and she was greeted by a cheery staff member. They asked for their order and looked to Chat for confirmation.
“I’ll take a large pepperoni?” Chat nodded eagerly. “Yeah, I’ll take a large pepperoni with two cokes.” The person on the other end of the line confirmed the order, and politely asked if she’d like anything else.
Chat must’ve heard, because he poked her side. “Cheese sticks?” He leaned down and gave her those adorable kitty-cat eyes. Ugh, how could she deny him when he looked at her like that?
Not that she disagreed, because cheese sticks were the absolute bomb, thank you very much.
Ladybug snickered. “I’ll take one order of cheese sticks on the side as well, please.” Chat pumped his fist and jumped in place. Oh god, he was an actual child stuck in a superhero’s body.
Once they finally confirmed the order, Marinette chucked her phone onto the bed. “Pizza’s comin’ in half an hour!”
Chat whooped, his antennae bouncing as he pumped his fist into the air.
They went back to their earlier gaming session, a few more matches in when they heard a knock at the door.
Chat shot up from his seat on the floor. “I’ll get it!” He turned the corner and disappeared from sight. Left alone with just herself and her wonderful, wonderful hoodie, Marinette fidgeted with her posture, already salivating for the food. She could vaguely hear their voices travelling down the small, short distance from their bedroom to the front door.
Eventually though, one moment turned into a really long one. It felt like torture. She was already primed and ready to stuff her face. She hadn’t eaten since earlier in the afternoon!
She groaned. What was taking so long? “Kitty? You still there?”
When she was met with no answer, she flopped back to lay into the carpet. If she was going to die of hunger, may as well do it in style. Maybe Chat could even say a few words in her honor.
After what felt like forever , her wonderful partner returned, laughing his head off as he returned from the front door. “M’lady, you should’ve seen the look on that guy’s face!” He plopped down, putting the box in front of them and opening it to reveal the heavenly scent of fatty cheese and pepperoni, all served on a bready platter. If she wasn’t drooling before, she absolutely was now.
Chat however, was wiping a tear from his eye. “H-he almost dropped the pizza when I opened the door! And then, and then you- ” He doubled over, pounding the floor with his fist. “-and then you called me kitty in front of him! I just-” He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. “I freakin’ winked at him after I gave him his money. Oh my god, it was beautiful.”
Ladybug was only half-listening when she stuffed a piece into her mouth. Amidst his story, she managed to stuff half of it into her mouth. “Mmmf?” Ladybug said around the dough in her mouth. It was hot, yet not so much that it was burning her tongue. Absolutely perfect for mouth-stuffing.
Upon seeing how much of the crust she managed to put in her mouth, his brow furrowed. In worry or surprise, she couldn’t tell. “Ladybug, how-” Chat huffed, still not fully recovered from his laughing fit. “-how did you eat that… so fast?”
She quickly chewed and swallowed the whole deal down. “Pizza-eating is an art form.” Taking another bite of her slice, she spoke again. This time, with her mouth full. “And I am an artist.”
“Ooh, is that a challenge, bugaboo?” Little did he know, however, that her eating competitions with her dad have trained her for this moment. She recalled every single technique her Papa ever taught her, and no way were they going to fail her now. He didn’t stand a chance.
“First UMS, and now a pizza-eating competition?” She scoffed, setting down her pizza crust temporarily to cross her arms. She’d get to that in just a moment. “Aren’t you tired of losing?”
In response, Chat sloppily shoved a slice into his mouth.
She grabbed her abandoned crust and tore into it.
Oh, it is on!
And that, was exactly how they both ended up lying on the carpet with their bellies full of pizza. Lethargic, lazy, and so, so full.
So full.
Marinette made a mental note to remember the name of that pizza place again. A superhero job, combined with the high metabolism her father gave her, meant she had one heck of an appetite. And the pizzas they served there were absolutely huge! New York style, she guessed.
“Mmm.” Chat hummed. He patted his belly in satisfaction. Against all odds, he managed to eat his own half before her, even with her head start. As if to taunt her, he finished the cheese sticks as she was finishing her last slice! Someday, she’d have to ask him how he managed that in such little time. And she thought she was good when she beat her Papa that one time. Imagine competing against an actual superhero!
Not like Marinette was complaining, as she was feeling full and satisfied like it was no one’s business. She could already feel like she’d pass out if she rested her head just right and closed her eyes…
She was blurred back into consciousness when she heard his voice. “Care to go to bed, m’lady?”
Ladybug hummed and sat back up. It felt stuffy and awkward from her full belly, yet it was still relaxing. In a weird, tired sort of way. Chat understood despite her lack of words, and helped her stand up.
They made their way to the bed and settled themselves underneath the plush comforter. There was enough space for the both of them to fit with room to spare. Facing towards him, she found his hand where it was hiding underneath the blanket and intertwined his fingers in his own. She brought their hands between their noses, which were only half a head apart, and gave it three gentle squeezes. The little girl inside of her hoped he knew what it meant.
I love you.
Chat squeezed three times back.
I love you.
At that, Chat took the initiative and let go of her hand. He shifted closer towards her and buried his nose in her neck before breathing in her scent, making her giggle from being so ticklish.
To give him more room, she shifted so she was no facing the ceiling. Chat took the extra space eagerly, bringing an arm over her torso and grabbing hold of her hand furthest from him, like a kitty taking claim on his owner. He hid his other arm underneath their pillow, acting as a support for her head. She didn’t mind the way his leg tangled between her own.
She liked being covered in him.
The cherry on top was when he retreated from her neck to plant a tender kiss against her cheek. It was fleeting, lasting only a few seconds before he went back to hiding in the juncture of her neck.
Last time she checked, her earrings didn’t grant her the power of flight.
With her other hand free, she used it to lightly run her fingers through his blonde locks. Detransformed, they were less frazzled. Instead, it took on a tamer quality. She had to admit, it was a good look on him. And it felt even softer against her hands, like it was melting from her touch. Each gentle graze of her skin against his hair doing wonders for her bliss. What other sides of hsi civilian self did she have yet to discover? She couldn’t wait to find out.
She wasn’t edging over the brink of sleep anymore, too enamoured by the boy clinging onto her to care about sleep at the moment.
Chat, who was in her arms.
Chat, who she was in the arms of.
Chat, who…
Who couldn’t go home tonight, so she asked him to stay with her.
“What’s happening at home?” She absently spoke, too slow in the haze of her thoughts to stop it before it could come out.
The silence felt heavy against her chest.
Chat didn’t respond, and she would’ve assumed he was asleep were it not for the way that he sighed, followed by silence. She wasn’t sure if she expected an answer in the first place, but it hurt to see him hurting like this.
“Chat.” Ladybug brought a hand to the back of his head, nudging his head up so she could look her directly in the eye. When she did, he wasn’t able to meet her gaze, as his eyes drifted to the side away from her. “ Kitty. ”
The nickname caught his attention, and he looked back at her. She could sense the hurt in his eyes, yet he still put on a brave, gentle smile on his face. For her. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He really didn’t know how much it hurt her to know that he wasn’t being taken care of at home. What she wouldn’t give to be able to be the one he came home to, to be able to fill the voids of a life she didn’t even know the half of save for the boy looking at her like she was his whole world.
It was a sweet, sweet fantasy that was all too real.
Chat swallowed, still looking into her eyes. “My father…” He shook his head, so slight that it was almost non-existent. “He never wants to see me.”
Ladybug brought her other hand to caress the hair on his head, right where his cat ears would be. She always loved to pet them during quiet nights on the rooftop.
“Nothing bad happened tonight, I guess. Maybe I was just-” He coughed. “I don’t know.”
“ Chaton. ”
Chat sighed, and the hurt she saw in his eyes when she looked back could make the iciest of souls cry.. “I-It hurts when he tells me to leave him alone.”
Ladybug cupped his cheek. “Oh, kitty.”
He leaned into the touch, and continued. “And then when he does want to see me it’s either work related, or he’s just going to scold me over something minor. He’s not perfect, I know that. But I just-” He choked. “Sometimes I wish he’d say “Wow, good job!” or maybe even an ‘I’m proud of you, son’ would be nice.” He gave an empty laugh, and it tore her heart in two. “Don’t even get me started on his job. Oh my god, I-”
His face scrunched, and she caught sight of the tears starting to roll down his face. She’d kiss them off of his face if he asked her to. “Sometimes I just-”
He opened his eyes to reveal the anguish beneath them. He may as well have taken off the mask, since he was bearing himself so openly before her. She’d been thrown into walls and flung across buildings, but the pain of knowing that her best friend was hurting caused more hurt than any akuma she could ever face.
Ladybug pressed her forehead against his, the only thing between them was the annoyingly necessary pieces of cheap plastic around their eyes. The urge to rip them off then and there was strong, but it was overshadowed by the need to comfort her kitty, to try and mend the wounds so deep in his heart.
And it hurt her so much that no matter how hard she could try, she wouldn’t be able to do that for him. He’d been hurt, and there would be no going back from that.
But, maybe…
“I love you, Chat.” She whispered, her breath filling the space between their lips. “A-and I don’t plan on stopping any time soon.”
His eyes glistened. He was still hiccuping from the tears, but there was something else in there she could see. Dare she say, hope?
“I love you too, Ladybug.” He whispered back to her, and it was the most beautiful truth she’d ever heard.
She loved him, and he loved her.
Her own love couldn’t fill the emptiness that’d been instilled in him by the cursed man that happened to be his father. She didn’t know him, but she was already primed to kick him in the jaw the moment she saw him. How could he not realize that he had the greatest son he could ever have asked for? How could he not realize that the boy under his own roof was starved of love, yet filled with so much of it that he was left with no one to give it to for so long?
No, she couldn’t undo the hurt he’d gone through.
But, that didn’t mean she couldn’t love him.
The least she could do was to shower him in whatever affections she could offer. The least she could do was to love him like he was her most favorite person in the entire world. Like he was her best friend. Like she would die for him. Like he would die for her. Like he would live for her. Like she would live for him.
Because those truths, no matter how much it could hurt, were their truths.
And their truths were them.
Them.
Ladybug and Chat Noir.
Amidst the closeness of silence, she gave him a new truth.
“You’re a promise I’ll keep.” She said.
He blinked. Slow, like a feather falling to the ground. His bottom lip quivered, like a dam holding in the crashes of a flood. If she listened closely enough, she could hear their hearts beating. A short, fleeting moment of silence passed between them before he finally ceased it.
“Then, please do.”
She brought her hand from his cheek to the back of his head and pulled him in to meet his lips.
She felt Chat melt into the kiss like it was all he’d been waiting for, and she felt herself be pulled towards him. Her fingers lightly ran her fingers up and down his hair, one centimeter at time in what she hoped soothed him as it did her. He was able to do that for her just by being with her, and Marinette wanted to return that favor in his moment of need.
Their kiss was slow, as the usual burst of energy they were used to was replaced by the comfort of their intimacy. His lips brushed hers as he went in for another kiss. He shifted so he was leaning over her more, and she used the new room to grab both cheeks to pull him in even closer to her. He sighed into their kiss, and she breathed him in. All of him.
Were it not for the fact that the world kept moving around them, she would’ve kept kissing him until the sun went up. It only became more tempting when she felt more than saw his energy slowly returning.
When he broke away, she still had her eyes closed. She followed, searching for his mouth blindly until her nose bumped into his, eliciting a delightful giggle to come out of him. The sound, no matter how much she heard it, always made her breath shaky. Opening her eyes, she was once again met with a world of green. That world that she’d been living in for months, and she never ever wanted to leave. His eyes gleamed with so much hope and promise, and she still wanted to learn more about it. The boy behind it. The boy smiling at her like she hung the stars.
“Ladybug.” He brushed his lips against hers, and there was nothing in the world she would’ve traded for him. “Thank you.” He said, as if she was the one needing the appreciation.
She grabbed him by the torso and pushed him onto his back, landing them on what was originally his side of the bed.
“I love you.” She said into the place where his neck met his collarbone. “I love you, Chat. I love you, I love you, I love you.”
Chat chuckled. “I could get used to hearing you say that.”
She splayed an arm around his chest as he lay on his back, her leg wrapping around both of his. “I’ll say it as many times as you want me to.” Her hold around his torso was so tight, for why, she didn’t know. She just wanted to hold him, was that so wrong of her? “Just please don’t think that you deserve anything less than.”
He curled a finger under her chin so he could meet her eyes. Now, he was looking down at her.
“It’s okay, my lady.”
But it wasn’t! The righteous, annoyingly loud part of her mind screamed.
She blew through her nose.
Maybe it wasn’t okay, but…
Soon, they would be okay.
And she was already counting the days until they could be okay together.
Unmasked.
A beautiful calm rushed over the hotel as she snuggled into him, clinging onto him like a leech. She used to laugh at his teasing when he called her ‘lovebug’, but now she could see why. Ladybug in love was a force of nature, and she would move mountains for him. But, she also knew that he’d do the same.
She shifted slightly so she could more properly breathe in his scent, her nose hiding in his neck while he nuzzled his face in her hair. His arms were wrapped around her neck and shoulders, and she quickly realized that in his arms, were her favorite place in the world. He was her favorite place in the world.
Because she knew that wherever he was, in whatever country, whatever world, she would still choose him, and she was still thanking whatever powers that be that Chat chose her back.
She snuck one more kiss into his neck before drifting to sleep, one final time.
Sleep almost took her over when she heard his voice. He probably thought she was asleep, since his voice was so quiet.
“One day,” Chat began, “I’ll tell you everything.” He took a deep breath, her arm rose and fell with his chest. “And there’ll be nothing… nothing stopping me from telling you I want to spend my whole life with you.” He chuckled, more ragged breathing than a laugh. “I promise you that, Ladybug.”
“I’m yours, and I will be yours.” He said, and he planted a kiss against the hairs of her head. “I love you, my lady.”
She couldn’t wait for that day to come.
Marinette’s vision was hazy as she blinked away the sleep trying to hold them down. Her whole body felt so heavy, and it felt just so easy to just close her eyes and let the wonderful claws of sleep pull her back into the void.
Her eyes fell to the alarm clock sitting on the bedside table. 4:49 AM.
She looked out the window. The sun hadn’t risen yet, and the usually busy streets of the city were now devoid of any movement save for the occasional car or two. The silence of the world outside meant she could hear the sound of her beloved’s breathing.
Now more fully conscious, Ladybug brought her attention back to Chat as she snuck a hand underneath his now-unzipped onesie. She slipped it underneath his shirt while her other hand went to her favorite spot in his hair to draw soft circles in it. Her other hand was doing the same against the skin of his abdomen while his breathing remained even, a steady rhythm letting her know he was fast asleep. Though, that didn’t stop her thoughts from racing as her hands went on autopilot.
She wanted to know him now. She wanted to know the boy behind the mask. Wanted to know his name, what he did in his spare time, and about the people she was so goddamn jealous of because they got to see the side of him that she couldn’t. Not while something as small as an identity still stayed out of her grasp.
If she knew so much about him already, why didn’t she know who he was?
No, that wasn’t true. She knew exactly who he was.
She knew that he had the biggest heart of gold, and that he had all of the overwhelming love he had to give everyone he met. Not everyone could be at the beck and call of a city needing saving, she herself knew that fact all too well. But Chat, in all of his righteousness, took up that mantle with no hesitation. He prided himself on helping people, on making the world a better place for others.
So who, then, was that boy?
There were times she wondered what he did in his free time when he wasn’t dancing around the rooftops with her. Oh, what she wouldn’t give to be able to shadow him in the smallest moments. To be able to greet him when he came home, or to send him a text saying she was thinking about him.
Take him out on dates inside the restaurant.
Sometimes, in the depths of her fantasies, she imagined a civilian Chat Noir getting out of bed into the ungodly hours of the morning, since she learned that he was in fact, a morning person. He’d quickly get his morning routine done, but not before practicing a line or two in the mirror to make sure he got the delivery just right for their patrol later that day. As dorky as it sounded, it was quite in character for him.
Then, she imagined him riding the bus or train to the job he couldn’t talk much about. She sometimes giggled to herself when she thought of Chat Noir, savior or Paris, serving burgers at a cheap fast food place in the heart of the city. It certainly wouldn’t be a good fit for someone as boisterous as her silly kitty.
All the same, the most she could do was fill in the gaps. Yet, those holes were frustratingly big.
Still, that didn’t take away what she did have.
What she did have, was him.
Him, sleeping in her arms, and her in his. The sun hadn’t come up yet, so she still had this time. If she pressed her ear against his chest just right, she could hear his heart beating, and it would be the most angelic music she’d ever listened to.
Upon further inspection, she noticed something.
His mask was askew.
A year ago, if Marinette was confronted with a detransformed Chat Noir, about to give away his identity, she would’ve thrown whatever her hands could grab and turned the other way. But certainly not without at least giving her a piece of her mind. ‘Our identities are supposed to stay a secret!’ She would’ve said.
But now…
It would’ve been so easy if she accidentally nudged it. Just a few centimetres, and his identity would become known to her. She’d never have to live another day not knowing what his face would look like. Not another day spent having to materialize his face in her fantasies of the future.
Maybe, if she were to just take one peek…
She sighed as she fixed his mask to sit properly on his face. Soon, she’d know. Just not now. He trusted her too much for that.
Chat’s blonde hair was wildly tousled, looking more like his superhero persona and sticking in all sorts of awkward directions. His arm was still wrapped around her, almost like he was trying to protect her, even in his sleep.
In her humble opinion, he’d never looked better.
Submitting to her own body’s craving for more sleep, she settled one again into their entanglement of limbs. Her face came to rest into that sweet, sweet patch of skin that was his neck, giving off so much warmth against the cool air of the hotel that she could melt in his arms peacefully. So, so warm.
One day, she was going to find out who this boy was.
And she couldn’t wait to fall in love with him all over again.