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Adrien Agreste wasn’t used to positive feedback. After all, his father wasn’t exactly… understanding. Or caring. Or a father in general, actually. When Adrien did something right, Gabriel Agreste didn’t look at him with pride, or satisfaction. No, his eyes said ‘You can do better’ or ‘This is to be expected from an Agreste’, or something similar. The real feedback came when he did something wrong. It didn’t even have to be something big. The slightest mistake caused his father to call him in his office. Gabriel was a cold, distant man. He never made time to just talk or eat with his son, so when he wanted to speak with Adrein, he knew he was in trouble. He would always say stuff like “You disappointed me", “I had to waste time just for this” and other, equally hurtful phrases. By now, Adrien understood that Gabriel didn’t think of him as his son. To him, Adrien was just a troublesome employee who was a good asset to his company. The aftermath of these meetings always left him drained, and tonight was no different. He had ‘performed poorly’ during this morning’s photoshoot and ‘disappointed his father’ or whatever.
Adrien had been fighting an Akuma almost all night the day before. It had gotten so bad that Chat Noir had to bait the akumatized person so Ladybug could go and get Rena Rouge, Carapace AND Viperion. It was rare for the Dream Team of Paris to need more than one helper per fight. While the spotted heroine was absent, Chat got his ass handed to him. The akuma was a monster with six arms (which reminded him way too much of Anansi) and he packed a punch. Once the back up had arrived, the black cat was down for the count, too exhausted and hurt to even use his Cataclysm. Luckily Ladybug had his back, and with the help of the others had managed to break the akumatized object and restore the city. And his broken bones, but she didn’t need to know that.
Adrien’s body was still aching when he got home and he only managed to fall asleep at dawn. He was woken up not even an hour later. So, yes, he wasn’t in the best of shapes. But so what? Everyone has a bad day once in a while. Well, according to Gabriel, not an Agreste. Adrien was fed up with him, so as soon as Gabriel had dismissed him, he told Nathalie that he wanted to be left alone for the night and snuck out. Plagg, sensing his chosen’s mood, was all for it and only asked for more Camambert in exchange.
That night, Chat Noir ran through the city, thinking he could at least patrol. He jumped and ran and sprinted above the Paris skyline, trying to burn as much energy as possible. With his rounds done, tired but still not enough, he climbed the Eiffel Tower and laid down to watch the stars.
Adrien sighed. If his mother was still here, Gabriel wouldn’t have become what he was now. His father was always happy with Emilie around. Adrien didn’t even remember the last time he saw an actual honest smile on the designer’s face. Adrien had resigned himself to the fact that he would never see his father smile again. It had been more than a year since his mother’s disappearance and Gabriel had yet to move on. He knew his father needed therapy, someone who could dig around his brain and help him process the loss and pain. But Gabriel wasn't just cold and distant, he was also prideful and arrogant. Asking Gabriel to seek help would be like asking the sun to stop rising every morning.
A zipping sound he knew all too well filled the air, and he immediately stood up. Ladybug landed gracefully a few meters from him and retrieved her magical yo-yo.
“Since you’re relaxing here I’m guessing that it wasn’t an Akuma that drew you out.”
“And right you are, My Lady.” He said with a bow. “It’s lovely to see you!” Ladybug smiled and sat down, Chat Noir following her lead. They star-gazed, enjoying the comfortable silence that only they could share. It would be awkward if it were anyone else, Adrien thought, not knowing that Marinette was thinking the same thing. Even if Alya was her best friend, no one in her life could come close to what Chat Noir was for her. Ladybug peeked at her partner’s face, taking note of his eyes. Distant, sad, a terrible match for the smile he wore like the mask over his face.
“So,” she started, “what brought you here?”
“It’s something private. It might not be a good idea to--”
“I know,” she interrupted, “but maybe, if you leave out names and details…”
Chat Noir smiled, sincerely this time. There was a reason he couldn’t move on from his feelings for her. In that regard, he felt he was similar to his father. Chat lowered his gaze. “It’s… my father.” Ladybug frowned. She knew her partner didn’t have the best home life, but she had never seen him so empty.
“What happened this time?”
“You know I work for him, right?”
Ladybug nodded.
“Well, after yesterday’s akuma I wasn’t really in shape. I slept less than an hour, and I was constantly dazed and nodding off. So my father made sure to tell me how disappointed he was and how if it happened again he would pull me out of school and--” She hugged him. Chat Noir hadn’t noticed, but he was tearing up while he talked. He sobbed.
“I just wish he said something-- anything besides that. I know I’m not… I-- But I’m trying my best! Why?” he asked desperately. “Why can’t he see that?”
Ladybug hated the man with a burning passion. Chat Noir was a beautiful person, with a solid moral compass, kind and supportive. Before he talked about his home life, she had thought that he must have the perfect family. How else would he grow up into such a purely good person? She wished she was right. She hated seeing him like this. He was supposed to be the funny one! His sense of humor was her favourite thing about him.
Ladybug realized that he needed some positive feedback, so she decided that she would give him so much he’d get sick of it. She would compliment him until he couldn’t take it anymore!
“You did good yesterday, Chaton.”
She felt him stiffen in the hug.
“You held your own against that powerful akuma all alone. I don’t think anyone else on the team could have done that! You’re the bravest, kindest, most determined person I know! And your father is blind if he can't see that!” He started trembling and sobbing even harder than before. She held him until he stopped crying. By that time, they had both fallen asleep in each other’s arms, taking care of each other even in their dreams.