Chapter Text
Ladybug stood alone on a roof overlooking Paris. Shivering in the rain, she pulled out her yoyo, about to send a chat to her partner, when she heard a soft thump behind her.
“M'lady.”
Ladybug turned around to see Chat Noir. His usually golden hair was bronze from the rain. A smile played at his lips and his eyes flashed mischievously. Ladybug narrowed her eyes in suspicion when she saw one of his hands was behind his back. Another rose, she thought, unable to suppress a chuckle at her kitty’s hopeless-romantic antics. Chat Noir fell to one knee, pulled his hand from behind him, and, as she suspected, presented a rose.
“A gift for the Guardian of the Miracle Box, and-” he stood up as Ladybug accepted the flower, “-my heart.”
Ladybug smiled at the rose. Its pink petals were glossy with raindrops. “Silly kitty,” Ladybug laughed, “And where am I going to keep this while we’re patrolling?”
“Well, you could just hold on to it.”
“And prick myself on thorns? No thank you.”
“You wound me, M'lady,” Chat said with a pout and a hand on his heart.
Ladybug shook her head and rolled her eyes, stepping closer to her partner and sliding the flower into his belt. “There. Now save that for someone who won’t be jumping across rooftops in the immediate future.” With that, she threw her yoyo and leaped away.
Chat Noir sighed, conveying both desire and heartache. “If I knew who you were, that could be you.”
* * *
“It’s probably too miserable out, even for Shadow Moth,” Chat remarked, crouching by a chimney. Although the rain had died down, it was still gloomy and humid, and now bugs were swarming in the muggy weather. Chat swatted at a mosquito. “Oh! Sorry Bugaboo, was that your cousin?”
Ladybug wasn’t listening, busy mumbling to herself and gnawing on her gloved fingertips. Chat Noir frowned. She was stressed, but why? Patrol went fine, no akumas or sentimonsters, just poor weather. Pushing himself up, Chat went to put a hand on Ladybug’s shoulder. She jumped at the sudden contact.
“Hey, it's just me, Bug,” Chat Noir soothed, “You alright?”
Ladybug sighed and leaned into her partner. “Not really,” she admitted, “Something feels wrong. There hasn’t been an akuma, nor sentimonster attack all week, which is very unusual for Shadow Moth.”
“Maybe he’s finally given up.” Chat folded his arms around Ladybug in a soft embrace. He loved when his partner got comfortable with him like this, even though he knew she’d only see it as a hug between friends. Which was okay too, of course. Ladybug’s friendship was everything to him.
“Wishful thinking,” Ladybug scoffed, “More likely, he’s planning something big.” She broke away, much to Chat’s disappointment, and crouched at the edge of the roof.
Chat Noir looked after her longingly and sighed. How could someone so weighed down with worry look so beautiful? As the street lights lit up, Chat grabbed the rose from his belt and sat next to his partner. “Well, M'lady, I should get going.” He offered the rose once more.
“Leaving me already?”
“As much as I enjoy your company, I do also love my cat naps,” Chat Noir teased, ignoring the pang of sadness he felt as she ignored the flower.
Ladybug let out a soft laugh and swung her legs over the edge of the roof. “You go ahead, I’ll be out a little while longer.”
“Ok, but don’t hesitate to call me if anything goes south.”
“Am I to assume you’ll be transformed all night?”
Chat leaned against the damp roof, using his arms as a headrest. “Maybe. Sometimes the only way to have any freedom is wearing the suit.”
“Or maybe you just like being clad in leather,” Ladybug teased, poking him in the side.
“Hey! Feisty bug today, are we?” Chat joked, sitting upright once more and dramatically rubbing where he was jabbed. He shook his head with a smile and got up to walk away. Then he remembered the rose. Turning back, he presented Ladybug the flower for a third time. “Take it,” he offered, “You won’t be jumping off rooftops all night, I hope.”
Ladybug’s blue eyes flickered from the rose, to Chat Noir’s face, and back. She reached for the flower, hesitating for a moment, before wrapping her fingers around the stem. There aren’t any thorns, she thought suddenly. Looking back to Chat Noir, she saw a genuine smile light up his face. He bowed forward and planted a kiss on the back of her empty hand. His green eyes flashed in the yellow light of the street lamps below as he lept away.