Chapter Text
Days felt long in Paris. Nights felt even longer. It seemed almost every day there was an Akuma threatening the minds of its people. Ladybug and Chat Noir were growing tired of the constant need to save the city that was brought to destruction by a man who had no conscious, not an ounce of regret for his evil. Of course, they saved Paris every time because the two of them were stronger than Hawkmoth, but they wondered what life could be like if evil didn’t exist. They pondered what their future would hold.
“Be careful,” Ladybug loudly whispered at Chat Noir as he stood in the middle of the street, scanning the scenery in hopes he would see the villain. He hears her faintly, making his leather ears perch back. The two superheroes had the perfect plan to lure Lady Electra out with a flashlight, as she had cut the power in all of Paris, making it immensely dark. Ladybug’s lucky charm saved the day, though, giving them the red and black spotted flashlight to attract the Akuma.
Chat Noir looked left and right, high and low, but still no signs of Lady Electra. He waved the flashlight faster in hopes it would provoke her. She despised light in any and all forms, using her sunglasses (which the heroes assumed were night vision) to shoot lightning bolts from the frames. Anything that it hit cut the power off. The silence in the city was deafening. No honking, no screaming, no talking. It was silent. Paris was gloomy and dull.
Chat squinted his eyes, which were equipped to see in the dark, and inspected the street slowly with the light in his hand, looking behind every corner for Lady Electra. He turned his head to peek back at Ladybug who was ducking behind an abandoned car in the empty street, waiting for the perfect moment of attack. The heroes both knew that the Akuma was nested in the sunglasses, so all they had to accomplish was make sure that the villain was in plain sight in time for Ladybug to jump on top of her and throw the glasses to Chat Noir so he could use his cataclysm to the destroy them. The plan was near perfect.
As Chat turned his head back around, he shines the light straight in front of him. It hit Lady Electra, who had returned from hiding, making her seep with rage. She touched her finger to the side of her glasses which created an electrified lightning bolt that shot out of the lenses at full speed. Chat Noir jumped out of the way quickly, leaping to the other side of the street. He landed on all fours and turned to look at Ladybug, who was already on top of the Akumatized villain.
“Chat Noir, catch!” she shouted while tossing the object over in his direction. Lucky for him, he has cat-like reflexes.
“CATACLYSM” He yelled to activate his power of destruction. He caught the glasses in his right hand and the device crumbled to ash, revealing a purple butterfly. Lady Electra transformed back into her human form, kneeling on the ground to catch her breath.
“No more evil doing for you, little Akuma. Time to de-evilize!” Ladybug chanted as she swung her yo-yo towards the creature to capture it. She purified the Akuma and let it roam free in the dark, Parisian air, “bye-bye, little butterfly.”
“MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!” She called out as she threw her lucky charm into the air, revealing millions of magic ladybugs to return the city back to its former glory.
“Pound it!” Ladybug and Chat Noir said in synchronicity. They turned their heads to the former Lady Electra, who revealed herself to be an electrician from the Louvre.
“Wh-where am I? What happened?” The woman frantically asked as she took a look at her surroundings. Ladybug swiftly walked over to her and helped her get on her feet.
“You were attacked by an Akuma, Madame. Everything is fine now,” Ladybug comforted the electrician. She grimaced due to the embarrassment of causing destruction to the city.
“Will you make sure she gets home safe?” Ladybug asked Chat, “I’ve only got two minutes left.” Her earrings gave a small beep as she was left with two tiny black dots.
“Will do, bugaboo, but only if you give me a smooch first,” Chat Noir closed his eyes and puckered his lips, waiting for his partner in crime to reciprocate. After a few agonizing seconds, he split his eyes open to see her still standing there and with her arms crossed, not amused… at all.
“Not a chance, kitty… Bug Out!” She spoke as she swung off into midnight.
“OKAY, BUT WE’LL TALK ABOUT THIS LATER, RIGHT?” Chat yelled after her, but she didn’t respond back, “or, maybe not.” Chat Noir sighed, picked up the electrician, and bounced off the roof towards the museum. He set her down gently in front of the doors.
“Take care, okay? Remember to think positive thoughts. I know it’s easier said than done, but good conquers evil,” Chat prompted the woman. She grinned and took his hand into hers.
“I will. I am forever grateful to you and your partner,” she said sincerely, “and remember to not give up on love. I know that’s easier said than done but waiting for the right time can be magical. You’re young and have a lot more life to live.”
Chat smiled back at her and squeezed her hands harder as a silent thank you. He let go and immediately used his baton to bounce over to his respected home. Once he got close, he checked to see if there were any lurking eyes watching him climb into his bedroom window.
“Claws in,” Chat pronounced to transform back into Adrien. His Kwami, Plagg, flew out from his ring looking exhausted and limp. Adrien quickly grabbed a piece of camembert from his shirt pocket to feed the creature. He lifelessly trudged over to his bed and flopped onto it dramatically, reminiscing about the events just a few minutes prior. Why did being a superhero have to complicate things? Why couldn’t he just be happy with the girl of his dreams? He loved being Chat Noir, but he longed for the day when he could be the hero everyone wants him to be AND have love at the same time.
Every day, it felt like, Ladybug and Chat Noir were doing their duty to save Paris from Hawkmoth. It was a never-ending cycle. Endless days of catching Akuma’s, using his cataclysm, flirting with Ladybug, and keeping a secret from everyone. It repeated every 24 hours or so and he grew tired of never getting a break. Adrien wanted to have more time with his friends. Chat Noir wanted to have more time with Ladybug outside of crime fighting. He wanted to know her better, know her truly. He wanted to know her without evil interrupting their moments together.
12 o’clock rolled around and it was time for patrol. Adrien transformed into Chat Noir and pounced out of the window, leaping off building after building until he got to their designated meeting spot. He was there first, as always, so he gazed into the distance to search for his lady. A couple of minutes flew by and still no sign of her. Chat took out his baton dialed her number. It rang a couple of times on his end before he heard the high pitch ringing of Ladybug’s straight behind him. He gasped and twirled around in a quick, yet swift, manner. He was met with a smirking Ladybug.
“Can’t give a girl a few minutes, can you?” She taunted him while pushing his shoulder playfully. He chuckled and watched admiringly as she walked past him to scan the city for any questionable action.
“Okay, to be fair, you’re always late. Last time you didn’t show up until patrol was almost over,” Chat explained, “I was trying to be proactive.”
“You know I got a lot on my mind, Kitty,” Ladybug sat on the edge of the tall building, letting her legs dangle off of the sides. Chat Noir followed her lead, scooching in as close as he could to her. Chat loved being with her. She was his best friend and he always hoped she could be more.
“Like what?” Chat prodded her for information, “You can always trust me. Spill your guts.”
“I know I can trust you. The things on my mind go beyond Ladybug. If I told you anything, you’d for sure figure out who I am,” Ladybug sighed. As much as she wanted to talk to Chat Noir about her problems, she couldn’t. She just wanted someone who would understand. She needed someone who could be there for the real her.
“Have you ever considered the fact that maybe we don’t actually know each other?” Chat Noir looked at her to watch her face for a reaction, “Paris is a big city, you know.”
“You’re right, but we can never take any chances.”
The two heroes fell silent for a while, staring off into the distance only half looking for Akuma action. They didn’t feel up to the challenge. Both Ladybug and Chat Noir had their own personal tasks to attend to and they never had time to do them.
“Do you really think that because of all this,” Chat spoke up and referenced their suits, “that we will never find love?”
“I don’t know, Chat. I’d like to say the answer is no, but I know from my experience that I can’t get involved with anyone right now. It wouldn’t be fair to them, you know?” Ladybug explained.
“Why is that?” Chat interrogated her. She looked to her left to gaze into Chat’s bright, green cat eyes and smiled sincerely, knowing that he wanted the answer to his forever question.
“Because it’s dangerous. We’d have to hide who we are to our significant other constantly. We could never tell them why we take off suddenly or why we miss school, work, or dinner. It’s all for everyone’s safety.”
“I get that, milady. I’m not asking about when we’re human. I’m asking about us. Why do you think that we would be such a bad idea?” Chat was at a crossroads. He asked the question that he already knew her answer to. He just didn’t understand or agree with it. Ladybug put her hand on top of his, squeezing it comfortingly.
“It’s because I’m in lo-“
“Love with someone else, yeah. You’ve said that a time or two… or 20… or 200.” Chat looked down at his feet as they were kicking the building he was perched on, “but tell me why you’re still in love with him if you know you can’t be with him.”
“It’s more complicated than that. I hope that someday I will get my chance with him, so I am holding on to every shred of hope I have that we defeat Hawkmoth so we can both find who makes us happy.”
“You make me happy, Ladybug. I don’t have anyone in my personal life. It’s just you,” Chat whispered sadly. Ladybug felt her heart constrict, feeling terrible for him and wanting nothing more than to make him feel wanted without hurting him in the process. The best solution was to apologize and leave it alone.
“I’m really sorry, Chat Noir. It’s just not a good idea to mix work and play. We have a job to protect this city and we can’t let that go to waste if one day we’re holding hands and the next we hate each other’s guts. We can’t be a team if we’re not on the same side,” Ladybug moved her hand up to Chat’s shoulder and rubbed it for a moment, “and I want to always be on your side.”
Chat pursed his lips together to keep from falling apart in front of his lady. He nodded in agreement. He understood fully well why they had to stay professional, but that didn’t mean he had to like it. Chat took a peek into Ladybug’s eyes. They were sympathetic. He could tell that she didn’t want to hurt his feelings.
“Well,” Chat cleared his throat trying to mask his sadness. He hopped up from his position and dusted off his suit, “I see no danger here, so patrol is over for now. See you later.”
“Chat, wait!” Ladybug called after him, but he was already halfway across the city.
Chat Noir got close to home and repeated the same actions he did every day. He’d search for peeping eyes to see if anyone was watching him before jumping back into his bedroom window.
“Claws in.”
As soon as Plagg appeared from the ring, he soared over to the cabinet in Adrien’s room where he keeps an assortment of cheeses. Adrien chuckled lightly, watching as his Kwami decided on camembert even though his power was never used.
He strolled over to his comfy bed and laid on it, as he normally does after having his dreams shattered by Ladybug time and time again.
“Is there something wrong with me, Plagg?” Adrien asked him defeatedly. His eyes were closed, but he could feel the wind of his Kwami as it flew up next to him.
“Other than the fact that you don’t have enough cheese, no there isn’t,” Plagg smugly replied with a mouthful of camembert, stinkier than ever. Adrien squinted his right eye to glare at him.
“Plagg, you just roamed through a cabinet full of different cheeses, but you only eat camembert. Why do I need more?”
“In case you run out of camembert! It’s my emergency cheese!” the creature yelled. Adrien just scoffed and closed his eyes again, exasperating a sigh.
“I just mean, like, does Ladybug think I’m awful or something?”
“Adrien, you know she has said multiple times that she’s…”
“IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE ELSE. I GET IT!” Adrien yelled. He flipped over, back facing away from Plagg. He was about to speak again when there was a knock at his bedroom door.
“Adrien?” His father’s assistant, Nathalie, opened the door, “Did you call for me?”
“No, no. I’m sorry, Nathalie. I was reading a book. It got pretty intense” Adrien fake laughed to throw her off. She just hummed and nodded her head.
“Okay. Remember that your father will be taking a trip to New York for fashion week starting tomorrow. I will be staying here, so if you need something, let me know.”
Adrien smiled and nodded. Nathalie shut his door and he dramatically dropped his head back onto his pillow. Plagg then zoomed over to face him.
“Think about it this way, kid: if someone at school came up to you and said they’ve been in love with you since the first time they laid eyes on you, what would you say?” the Kwami grilled Adrien as he stuffed his mouth with another piece of cheese. He opened his eyes to realization. He was such a hypocrite for expecting Ladybug to fall in love with him as if he wouldn’t feel the same way in human form.
“So, all I’m saying is that you can’t wait around forever or you’re never going to find love,” Plagg announced. Adrien sat with this information, studying it in his head. He soon realized how he could win his lady over and sat up speedily.
“That’s it! I can’t wait around forever, BUT maybe I can!” Adrien protested. Plagg swallowed the last bit of cheese and glided over to be eye to eye with him.
“Okay, you lost me there,” he said honestly. Adrien laughed and put his hands out so his Kwami could sit there comfortably.
“I’m going to find someone to date as Chat Noir,” Adrien told Plagg, “I’ll find someone, anyone, and tell them my secret plan which is to fake date them to make Ladybug jealous, so she’ll finally realize that she’s been in love with me this whole time.”
It was silent for a minute. Adrien and Plagg staring at each other, blinking ominously.
“That is not where I was going with that, Adrien. It’s kind of genius, but my duty as your Kwami is to tell you not to use Chat Noir for your own benefit. What if the person you choose is in love with Chat Noir already, huh? What are you going to do then? Because IF the plan works and Ladybug actually does fall in love with you, you will have broken some poor girl’s heart for no reason and then she will hate you and she will turn everyone against you and then everyone will hate you and then…”
“Plagg,” Adrien put his finger to the Kwami’s mouth to stop him from blabbering, “Relax. I’ll make sure whoever I pick is truly indifferent. Don’t worry. Chat Noir is the decoy. Once Ladybug see’s that I’m dating a human, she’ll realize she was wrong about everything and finally understand that our love can conquer all and she’ll have to love me. It’ll take a week or two at the most,” Adrien separated his hands to let Plagg roam free, then jumped up from his bed to find his phone at his desk, “I’d have to find someone both Ladybug and I know, right? I mean, she wouldn’t be jealous over some random girl I met walking down the street, would she?”
“Probably not. Plus, that would be weird… ‘Hey, lady I just met! Do you want to fake date me to make Ladybug jealous?’” Plagg imitated Adrien, but he wasn’t listening to the little cat. Instead, he was searching through his contact list by alphabetical order.
“Alya is a no, she’s dating Nino. Alix, no. Chloe? No, there’s no way Ladybug could be jealous of her. She’s too self-absorbed. Uh, Juleka, no. Lila… well, she would sure get a rise out of her, but Ladybug might not ever speak to me again,” Adrien was talking to himself at this point, “Marinette, Mylene, Rose…”
He stopped after Rose but scrolled back up to Marinette’s name and picture, “Marinette…” He couldn’t think of a reason not to choose her. She was the perfect fake girlfriend. Kind, caring, selfless, dependable, and most of all, Ladybug really likes her. Adrien grinned as he put his phone down and spun his desk chair around to face Plagg.
“You know, Marinette is a good friend of yours and I don’t want to see her get hurt,” the Kwami berated Adrien.
“Chat Noir will personally make sure she’s okay with it before doing anything. Marinette is a great friend, and I would be indebted to her if she did this for me,” Adrien assured Plagg.
“You better know what you’re doing because I’m not gonna be here to clean your mess. I’m gonna be right here eating my cheese,” the cat crossed his arms. Adrien giggled and rolled his eyes playfully.
“Okay, you have a deal.”