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“This is perfect, Chaton,” Ladybug murmurs as she gently weaves her fingers through his hair. “I didn't realize you enjoy the Dupain-Cheng bakery so much.”
Chat Noir smiles up at her from where his head is in her lap. “They have the best pastries in Paris! Don’t you agree?”
She laughs. “Of course I do.”
The two of them are currently on top of a rooftop. Paris’ night sky looks over them as they gaze at each other affectionately. After a week of little sleep and nearly a dozen akuma fights, spending time with her boyfriend is exactly what ladybug had needed.
She loves nights like these, ones where they can simply rest together. It’s rare for them to get a break, sometimes. But quiet nights like these are practically perfect. She has the best company in the world.
She only wishes they didn’t have to keep their relationship a secret.
The hand that’s been threading her fingers through his hair freezes, and Chat looks up at her. “M’lady? What’s wrong?”
Ladybug shakes her head, clearing her mind of the thought. “It’s nothing,” she says softly as she resumes running her finger through his hair. The last thing she wants to do is ruin their perfect moment by talking about the one thing they couldn’t change.
Suddenly, her hand is threading through empty air when Chat pulls away and sits up. She looks at him with a frown.
“What are you—"
“Are you okay?” he asks, reaching out to take her hand in his. Ladybug only realizes how stiff she’d been when he carefully intertwines their fingers, allowing for her to relax. “You’re tensed up.”
She bites her lip. “Yeah. Don’t worry about me. Really.”
“I can sense something’s bothering you, Buginette. Please?” He raises a hand to tilt her head towards him, and as soon as she meets his eyes, she can’t hold it in anymore.
“I wish we didn’t have to keep us a secret. that’s all,” she mutters.
“Oh,” Chat breathes. He stares at her with wide eyes as he squeezes her hand, signaling for her to continue.
“I just….” Ladybug takes a deep breath. “I wish we could do what other couples do, you know? go on dates together, hold hands in public, kiss each other without having to worry about someone seeing.” She sighs and looks away.
Their relationship has been a secret since the moment she’d confessed that she liked him. It’s been like this for months — in fact, Ladybug had agreed to date Chat only so long as they kept their relationship a secret, to prevent Hawkmoth from using it to his advantage.
Keeping their relationship secret had seemed like a good idea at first.
But now? It feels nothing but suffocating.
“I know, Bug. Me too. I wish we could be openly affectionate but... I’d hate to cause a scandal.“
“We’re not even doing anything wrong,” she whines. “I hate hiding around. Makes me feel like I’m some sort of sinner.”
Chat presses a kiss to her forehead and wraps an arm around her. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” she murmurs as she leans against him. “It's not your fault.”
Silence befalls them. the two of them sit on the rooftop, alone with nothing but each other and their thoughts. Ladybug looks up at the sky.
“You know… the stars.”
Chat looks down at her. “What about them?”
Ladybug peers up at the sky thoughtfully. Although the city lights blind them, she can faintly make out a few stars. “They’re kind of like us, in a way. So close to each other, yet so far.”
She can’t help but think about it. They’re close. After all, Chat knows about the bakery. They could’ve run into each other on more than one occasion without knowing who the other is.
But at the same time, they’re far, too, separated by masks that they can’t take off without risking everything.
The silence between them lingers, for a moment. Maybe she shouldn’t have said anything, maybe this is all in her head, maybe—
“You’re my star, my lady,” Chat murmurs. “You shine incredibly brightly. You bring so much light into my life.”
She feels a blush rising to her cheeks. “Chat...”
“I’m serious. And one day, I’ll get to tell everyone else just how brilliant you are. But for now, I suppose telling my world will have to suffice.” He presses a kiss to her knuckles. “I love you, my lady. You’re the best.”
“Dork,” she says affectionately. Her cheeks are as red as her suit when he looks up to meet her gaze. “Always so cheesy.”
“It's nothing but the truth, Buginette! And besides, who else will tell you these things if I don't?”
Ladybug giggles and boops his nose. “Oh I don't know, maybe your girlfriend already knew. Your heart eyes are pretty obvious, don’t you think?”
He laughs, and Ladybug can’t help but laugh, too. This is why she loves Chat; he always knows exactly what to say to make her feel better.
“But really,” she whispers once their laughing has ceased. “Thank you. I needed to hear that.”
“It's the truth,” he says earnestly, wrapping both his arms around her to pull her into a hug. He kisses the top of her head. “You mean the world to me.”
Ladybug smiles in his embrace. “I love you, Chaton,” she murmurs, “and I'm terrible with words but you know I feel the same way about you.”
“I do,” he whispers back. “I love you, too.”
Perhaps one day they finally won’t have to keep secrets, but they’ll always have each other. And maybe that’s all they need for now.