Chapter Text
Art by Rose-Minou
"Adrien, wait!"
Chat Noir froze. He had just started the recording on top of his piano, transformed and walked towards his window to jump out and join his Lady for patrol. The very last thing he would have ever expected to hear was Nathalie calling his civilian name, addressing his transformed self.
He slowly turned, feeling his heart pounding in his ears. He looked at Nathalie standing tall, albeit a little pale, in front of the entrance of his room.
"E-excuse me?" he asked, praying that Nathalie would believe that he and Ladybug had just abducted Adrien, but his lie died at the tip of his tongue when he met Nathalie's unimpressed gaze.
"I saw you transforming. Multiple times, Adrien. Save your excuses for someone else. And sit down, I need to talk to you." She adjusted her glasses unnecessarily, a gesture Adrien knew she did when she was nervous or annoyed. He replaced his baton behind his back and sat at his desk chair, his heart still drumming—he was so in trouble. Nathalie began to walk towards him, but staggered badly and held onto the wall next to her.
"Nathalie! Nathalie take a seat, please!" He stood to offer his seat, but Nathalie shook her head and gingerly walked towards his bed, sitting down at the edge of it.
"Some time ago, I came into your room to inform you of a photoshoot schedule change. I found your ipod playing the music you should have been playing, like now." She must've noticed that he'd paled, because she reassured, "I haven't told your father."
Chat Noir breathed a sigh of relief.
"W-what did you want to talk about? I'm meeting Ladybug for patrol in a few minutes." He blushed profusely and looked down, a hand on his nape. "Or m-maybe not…"
Nathalie's smile was stern. "You will. And you'll pass on a message to Ladybug, on my behalf."
oOoOoOoOoOo
Chat Noir was still as pale as a sheet when he sat atop the usual rooftop where he and Ladybug met for patrol. She was late. Why was she late, today of all days?
His heart was beating madly in his chest as he kept looking around: left, right, ahead, behind. In the space of five minutes he stood up to pace the rooftop at least forty times. He kept looking around and nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the familiar thump behind him.
"Sorry, Chaton. I didn't want to scare you!" He turned around and the girl was shocked to see the tears streaming down his eyes. "Oh my God, Minou, what happened to you?"
"M-my housekeeper found out my identity," he whimpered, not daring to look Ladybug in the eye, especially after he heard her suck her breath in.
"Oh God, this is a—" started Ladybug, but Chat Noir cut her off:
"My father is Papillombre, M'lady." He inhaled the most painful breath of his life. "My housekeeper was Mayura, but now is sick and my f-father had to unify the Miraculouses." His legs failed him and he crashed on the rooftop, unable to withhold his sobs. "She discovered my identity when she was controlling Optigami." He felt Ladybug's arm wrapping around his shoulders and hugged her back, finally letting out all the pain he had been keeping in.
"Oh, Chat Noir, I'm so sorry," she whispered. She moved a hand to his hair and patted it softly, her fingers found the back of his ears and rubbed a soft spot. Chat Noir started purring; despite everything, Ladybug's lips curled in a smile.
Finally, after a very long time, the boy's sobs stopped shaking his frame and he removed himself from the hug, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.
"Better?" she whispered, the soft smile still curling her lips.
He nodded. "Yes, I'm sorry for breaking down like this."
"I am sorry, Minou. I didn't expect any of what you said." She stroked his cheek gently, as Chat Noir sniffled once more and looked away. "How do we know we can trust her?"
"She's putting everything that she holds dear to her on the line, M'lady. She… she loves him. My father, I mean."
"Right. Because she loves him, we can't trust her. What does she want? Why did she tell you about all this mess? Could it be part of Papillombre's plan?"
He gave her such an intense look that she thanked the stars she had sat on the rooftop to hug him, because her knees felt like jelly. "She could have told him my identity. She's known for a while. She wants to talk to both of us. She said that she was happy to help him until now, but apparently…" He sniffled again. "Father decided that it was a great idea to akumatise me." He looked up at Ladybug's loud gasp. "Yes, she told me that he'd never wanted to hurt me, so he'd never thought of using my emotions to create a new akuma. But recently he had learned some new information and had changed his mind. She was scared of the implications of him akumatising the wielder of the Black Cat, but she couldn't tell him so she decided to reach out."
"Makes sense," Ladybug muttered. "And she's wise for fearing your akumatisation. Does she want to meet us now?"
Chat Noir nodded. "Yes. She's bed-ridden and can barely walk; she asked us to go to her." Ladybug raised an eyebrow, so he continued, "M'lady, the second I tell you my father's name you'll know who I am. The secret is off."
"Yes but… maybe this… housekeeper…" she started.
"Nathalie," Chat Noir declared. "Nathalie Sancœur."
Ladybug's face blanched, as her bluebell's eyes widened in shock. "Wha…? This m-means that your f-father is…"
Chat nodded and gulped dryly before saying it, "Gabriel Agreste." He blushed crimson under her shocked stare. "And I’m… Adrien."
To be continued… day 13