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It was a chill Thursday evening. The air was crisp, the sky was clear, and the moon glowed like a giant pearl as Cat Noir reveled in the freedom of running the rooftops.
“There’s nothing like a cat run after a long, dull day,” he thought. Long indeed! He had half a day of school, then was rushed to a photoshoot that ran long and lasted the rest of the day. “Of course, it didn’t help that it was a photo shoot with Lila.” He shivered at the memory. She had been clinging to him and trying to snuggle up to him between shots, making his skin crawl. Adrien hated working with her, but he had agreed to do so as long as she left Marinette alone.
He hated missing school even more. He loved to learn, but it was seeing his friends that he loved the most and he had missed half a day of spending time with them.
Thinking of his friends always made him smile. Nino going on about his new mixes. Alya shoving her phone into his face to show him some new video for the Ladyblog. Marinette’s sweet, nervous smiles and occasional rambling. All of that wasted on photoshoots and Lila. He sighed. At least he would get to see them tomorrow.
As he passed by the school, he noticed lights on at Marinette’s balcony. It was late for her to be up on a school night, wasn’t it? He paused on the roof two buildings away from her home. Marinette had been acting strange lately. Her eyes hadn’t been as bright, her smiles fewer and more strained, and she seemed to be lacking her usual cheerful energy. He could have been wrong, but he thought his friend seemed tired and stressed. If she was still up, it might not be a bad idea to check up on her, just in case. Marinette was the last person he wanted to be akumatized, not his Everyday Ladybug.
She was sitting in her beach chair, arms wrapped around her knees, and staring off into the dark. A pink, fuzzy blanket was draped over her shoulders to ward off the chill, but it didn’t seem to warm her. She looked so sad and far away that it made his throat tighten.
“Is something wrong, Princess,” he asked, landing softly on the railing so as not to frighten her. Marinette didn’t jump or start like he expected. Instead, she quickly wiped her eyes on her blanket. “Hey, Cat. You’re out late. Did I miss an akuma alert?”
“Nope. Even Shadowmoth is tucked away in his bed, assuming he ever sleeps which has yet to be proven.”
She sighed and shook her head. “As clever as ever, Cat Noir.”
“Says the poet who didn’t know it,” he quipped. He swung his legs over the balcony rail and dropped onto the coffee table across from her. Seeing her dejected like this made the night seem darker and colder than before. “I am a clever cat. Clever enough to know something is bothering you, Marinette.” He tilted his head down so he could see her eyes. “I’m a good listener. I’m all ears, after all.” He tapped one of the cat ears that poked up through his blonde hair.
She just stared at him for a long moment and wiped her eyes again.
Cat rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Is this about… Buttercup?”
“Partly, but just a small part,” she said wistfully.
“Not to pry, but did he… turn you down? Your confession, I mean.” Cat really couldn’t understand why anyone in their right mind would not want Marinette to like them. He had been so excited when Marinette had confessed to being in love with him, well Cat, even though he had had to let her down because he loved his partner. Still, if it hadn’t been for Ladybug…
“I can never bring myself to tell him. Guess I’m just a coward,” she mumbled, this time not bothering to wipe away the tears that glistened like diamonds on her cheeks.
He frowned. “You’re not a coward, Marinette. If fact, you’re a hero.”
She stared at him, startled, then snorted derisively and rolled her eyes. “Sure. For all of one day.”
“No. I mean it.” He crossed his arms and stared at her intently. “Sure you accidentally revealed your identity to me when you shouldn’t have, but you didn’t know that. You thought Ladybug and I both shared everything. That wasn’t your fault.” Oh, how he wished she had been right and they did share everything. He started counting off on his fingers. “But Ladybug and I would have been lost without you that day. You willingly helped me try to take down Evillistrator and saved us both when it went wrong. You faced down Lady Wifi when Puppeteer took over Alya’s doll. And, from what I hear, you went toe-to-toe with Gabriel Agreste to convince him to let his son go to New York with the rest of your class. Those aren’t the actions of a coward.”
She looked up at him startled. “How did you know that? About Adrien?”
“I’ve rescued him a few times,” he said, shrugging in what he hoped looked like an offhand manner, thankful that she couldn’t see him sweating through the suit. “We chat from time to time when I pass his place. He doesn’t get a lot of company, you know.”
“Yeah,” she sniffed. “His Dad won’t let him have us over very often.”
There was silence between them and Cat found it uncomfortable, considering that his civilian alter ego had been the last subject under discussion.
“So, why haven’t you told Buttercup you love him?”
“I guess I’m just scared that I’ll mess up what we already have. I don’t want to lose him as a friend by making things even more awkward.”
“Yeah. I can understand that. Sometime’s love’s a scary place. Its like being a kid and standing in the dark reaching out, hoping someone will take your hand so you won’t feel alone any more.”
She smiled weakly. “I didn’t know you were so poetic, Cat Noir.”
He waved off the compliment. “Its not poetry. Just me being honest. So, if Buttercup is just a small part, what about the rest? What dragons do I need to go fight for you, Princess?”
“Does Lila count?”
“Ugh, Lila Rossi again?” He groaned. “That girl might as well be Shadowmoth.” He shivered in disgust, shaking himself, like a cat trying to shed unwanted water from its fur. “I heard about that upset she caused for you at your school a while back. What is she doing this time?”
Marinette hunched her shoulders and wouldn’t meet his gaze. He moved to kneel next to her and grabbed her shoulder comfortingly. “Please tell me, Princess. How can I help if I don’t know what is going on?”
“Lila has been threatening me, Cat.”
“WHAT?!” He felt pure anger rise to a boil in his chest. Lila was still hurting Marinette, even after he had told her to leave his friends alone!
“Yeah,” she sniffed again. “She keeps saying that she is going to make me miserable, turning all my friends against me until I am left all alone. And the worst part is, she’s done it some already!”
Tears were falling down her cheeks freely now. “Cat, I know this is weird, but could I have a hug?”
Without a word, he just pulled her into a tight hug, rubbing the fuzzy blanket over her back. “Its not weird, Marinette. You’re not alone. I’m here. Just get it all out.”
“She says she is going to turn everyone against me, that I won’t have any more friends, and she’ll take Adrien away. She has most of the class wrapped around her little finger with her lies and they already sided with her against me once. The teachers too. Nearly the whole class was akumatized because they believed I had let them down. A-adrien knows she’s a liar and I th-think Alya believes me now, but the threats have started c-coming more and more and I’m not sure how much longer I can c-cope!”
Cat balled his hands into fists in the blanket covering her shoulders. A deep, angry growl rumbled out of his chest and Marinette gasped. She quickly hugged him back, rubbing his arm trying to soothe him.
“I’m sorry, Cat! I never should have told you! I never meant to-”
“No,” he snapped, grabbing her shoulders with both hands. “I’m glad you told me. You need to talk to people about these kind of things, Marinette! You may be our Everyday Ladybug, but even she shouldn’t have to suffer being bullied!”
“I just don’t want anyone to get hurt,” she moaned, burying her face in his shoulder. ‘Especially Adrien. Lila already has some kind of connection to his father and she is modeling with him now. Yet another thing she keeps rubbing in my face, but have you seen the ads with the two of them, Cat? Adrien isn’t happy! I can see it in every shot. I hate that he has to put up with her and I don’t want to make things any worse for him!”
That shocked him! Marinette could see how uncomfortable he was modeling with Lila just from a picture? She was trying to stand strong so that he wouldn’t get hurt, knowing that Lila had threatened to take him away and had some sort of strange connection to his father? His friend had been suffering in silence and he had just assumed everything was fine. No wonder Marinette was looking tired and stressed!
He turned so he could lift her chin to look at her. “You may be a hero inside, Marinette, but it is not your job to go flying through the universe trying to fix everything but your own broken heart. There are always going to be bullies like Lila who lie and manipulate others to get what they want, but they can’t take away what they’ll never understand.
“So its okay to let it go. You don’t have to be so brave all the time. Let others in and let them help. You don’t have to do this alone.”
“But what am I supposed to do, Cat? Take a chance and see if someone else is going to swoop in to save the day? Hardly anyone believes me as it is and I can’t let her hurt Adrien. What if I make her angry and she turns on him and convinces his father to take him out of school? He would be heartbroken and it would be all my fault. We’d never see him again! I’d never see him again!
“That is not going to happen,” he answered firmly. “Because I won’t let it. You don’t have to face your fears alone anymore, Marinette. Don’t give her an inch! You keep being the amazing Marinette Dupain-Cheng and don’t let that lying fox drag you down. I know its hard, but you don’t have to worry ‘cause whenever you’re in trouble I’ll know and I’ll come running! I know how to take care of my friends.”
She wiped her eyes on the edge of the blanket. “Thank you, Cat, but you shouldn’t have to. I should be able to figure this out on my own! Its just-“ He stopped her with a finger to her lips.
“We promised to be friends, right?” She looked at him with wide, wet eyes and nodded. “Then let me be your superhero.”
She rolled her eyes at him and swatted his finger away gently. “Aren’t you already one? Isn’t saving Paris from evil butterflies enough for you?”
“Well, yes, but I meant let me be your champion, Princess. Let me fight some of the dragons for you. Cause there isn’t a place I won’t go to help you and whenever you need me by your side, I’ll be there.”
“You can’t be with me at school,” she muttered wistfully. “I wish you could.”
“Oh, you would be surprised what Cat Noir can manage, Marinette,” he said with a grin and a cheeky wink. “I’m everywhere!” He waggled his fingers through the air to indicate magic powers and she giggled. She had such a nice giggle and it warmed him inside.
“Sure! You’ll be there for me every time I fall down the stairs or trip over someone’s backpack or Chloe makes fun of my clothes?”
“Well, maybe not every time, but you never need to be afraid if you fall ‘cause I’ll carry you away. Anywhere you like to get away from it all.”
Her smile widened and her eyes brightened. “Really,” she giggled. “Where would you carry me off to?”
“Oh, probably a tropical island with beautiful beaches and lots of fruit.” She didn’t have to know that that was his dream home for when he and Ladybug were grown and married. After all, it wouldn’t be paradise if his friends weren’t there. …If Marinette wasn’t there.
Marinette threw back her head and laughed, the sounds ringing out in the cold night air. It was so sweet and infectious a sound that he couldn’t help joining her.
When the joyful sound faded away, she stilled and the sad look came back into her eyes. “Its a nice daydream, Cat. I almost wish you could just sweep in and fix everything.” She gave a long sigh that sent out a misty cloud into the dark.
Cat had to fight the urge to growl again. The fact that a lying snake like Lila could steal the light from her eyes, the trust in her beautiful smile, was like a bitter poison. It was just wrong.
He tilted his head to look at her imploringly. “Let me be your superhero, Princess. Please?”
“Its very nice of you to comfort me, but I don’t even know what you could do about her threatening me. I don’t even have proof that she’s doing it. She always does it when no one else is around, so its only my word against hers. And its not as if you could cataclysm her.”
“True, but I have friends at your school who could look out for you, Adrien among them, and I’m closer than you know.” He winked at her again and her eyes widened at him before looking away hurriedly.
“You shouldn’t have told me that. It was a terrible risk, Cat.”
He shrugged. “Not big a one and, besides, I trust you. The question is do you trust me?”
Her head snapped around so quickly her blanket fell from her shoulders and her ocean eyes locked onto his. “O-of course I do! You have always been … I mean, you’ve rescued me so many times… and…” She put her face in her hands for a moment and took a deep breath. “What I mean is that I’ll always trust you, Cat Noir.”
Her simple, heartfelt words, no matter how jumbled, warmed him to his core like a cheerful little flame that sparkled and glowed in his chest. Marinette had so much faith in him. He wondered if he was really worthy of it.
With a gentle smile, he pulled the blanket around her shoulders once more. “If you trust me, then you can take off your mask with me. And yes, I know, mine is literal, but we all have masks we wear around others. Let me be one of the ones who cares about you without it.”
“I know I have one, a mask I mean. A few, if I’m being honest, depending on the people around me and the situation I’m in. I thought it was just me. Well, me and Adrien.”
“Nope! And Adrien has several of his own, from what he’s told me.” Boy, was that true. He had the perfect mask that he had to wear as an Agreste. There was the mask of Cat Noir where he could run and joke with abandon, but it came with a price that hurt him deeply when he thought he might never know who his Lady was. There was the mask of caution he had to wear even with his friends, not to standout or say too much. Everyone except Nino, Alya, and Marinette. And she had noticed he wore one too! The little flame burned brighter.
“You can put down your guard with me. Who am I going to tell anyway?” He spread his arms wide to indicate the whole of sleeping Paris around them.
She giggled, but she bit her lip pensively. “But I shouldn’t drag you into my problems. You have enough to do as a hero. I would just stand up to her if I wasn’t so afraid she’d mess with Adrien.”
“Hey now,” he said, batting at one of her pigtails like an oversized kitten. “I bet if you told Adrien what was going on he would back you up regardless of her threats. And you don’t need a spotted suit or a symbol on your chest to be a hero for him. He already thinks you are. Doesn’t he call you an Everyday Ladybug?”
“Y-yes,” she stammered, blushing a bright pink in the glow of the fairy lights. “But-“
Cat shook his head. “No buts. From what I have seen, you are strong for everyone all the time. Even Ladybug only comes out when she’s needed. I know you fight for those you care about, like a true warrior princess and I admire you for it, but its alright for once to play the damsel in distress, Marinette. No one is going to judge you for it, least of all me. You’re going to use up all your strength trying to be so strong all the time!”
Tears were streaming out of her wide eyes all the sudden as she hugged him fiercely.
“I’m so sorry, Marinette! I’m not sure what I said to upset you, but please know I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings!”
“No,” she said, weeping softly. “I just… no one has… its felt like I’ve been all alone in this. It is nice to have someone worry about me and want to help.”
“Its okay, Princess,” he soothed . “I know you’re strong or you wouldn’t have made it this far, but you don’t have to shoulder all the weight. I know you say most of your class believes Lila’s lies, but Adrien doesn’t, right?”
“Yeah. I know he doesn’t trust her either.”
“So, I’ll make sure he knows what is going on so he can watch out for you better.” He should have been doing that anyway, but he never thought Lila would actually stoop to threaten Marinette. “And your Ladyblogger friend believes you too, now?”
“I think so,” she sniffed.
“Then we’re all set. The three of you should be able to look out for each other and I will always be waiting in the wings to swoop in and save the day if needed. Together we can take it on. You don’t have to face this on your own with your fears anymore. You’re not alone.”
“So… I have the Black Cat of Paris as my protector, ready to fight off the lying dragon for me?” She giggled.
“I offer myself as your purrr-sonal champion, Prrrincess!”
She rolled her eyes and pushed him away by the shoulder. “Two puns in the same sentence? Can I ask you to stop or do I need to bribe you with cookies?”
“You can always try asking.” He wriggled his eyebrows at her and grinned widely when she laughed. His friend was back, her smile was warm, and even if her eyes were still wet, they were happier. “But seriously, Marinette, promise me you won’t try to deal with Lila alone anymore ‘cause it isn’t necessary. Whenever you’re in trouble, I’ll do my best to make it right for you.”
“I know,” she murmured, blushing slightly.
Cat took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Promise me? You’ll let me be your champion in this?”
Marinette stared at him for a long moment, then pressed a soft kiss on his cheek, making him blush and swallow hard. “I promise. You are my superhero, after all. Thank you for being here for me.”
She bit her lip nervously. “Is there anything I can do for you, since you have been so kind about all of this?”
Marinette, his most amazing friend who had struggled against Lila’s threats for months with no one to help her, who had come out here to cry out her fears and frustrations into the night, wanted to know how she could help. And that kiss? It had fed that fire in his chest and, for just a moment, he envied her Buttercup that he was so loved.
“How about a hug for the road? A poor alley cat like me has to get his affection whenever he can.”
Her smile was soft as she wrapped her arms around his middle in a wonderful hug. Cat’s heart pounded hard in his chest as he held her tight, breathing in the sweetness that was just so… Marinette. It was already past midnight, but the thought of leaving this warm embrace didn’t appeal to him. After a long, frustrating day that had left him empty, a hug from Marinette filled him up again. It was the strangest feeling, cause even when things were going wrong in her world, she somehow made everything right in his.
“Thank you for being you, Marinette,” he murmured. “I needed that.”
“Anytime, Cat. I’ll always have a hug waiting when you need one.”
“You’re the best Princess a black cat could ask for,” he said, smiling as he reluctantly pulled away. “Now you should go to sleep if you’re going to gather your allies against the Liar tomorrow.”
She giggled, but nodded. “And so should you or does my champion not need sleep?”
My champion. Those two simple words echoed warmly in the chambers of his heart. “I do.” They both stood and he took her hand and pressed it to his lips as he had done once before, but this time it was genuine. “I’ll see you on the battlefield, Princess. Good night.”
He let her fingers slip through his and launched himself off into the dark with his baton. He landed a few roofs away, ready to leap again, when her voice carried to him on the cold night air. “Good night, Sir Kitty.” His grin was wide as he made his way home. He needed some sleep if he was going to be her champion.
Tomorrow, he would do his best to starting making her world right again.