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Lou stretched their fingers and back during their quick break, as they took a brisk walk up and down the avenue. It was a stunning, sunny day. The sunshine glinted off the Siene, sending gorgeous cascades of rippling light up and down the surrounding buildings. As Lou turned and headed back to the salon they worked in, they smiled to themselves. Paris was such a lovely place to live and work, especially on a perfect June day like this one.
They looked up just in time to see Ladybug and Chat Noir racing over the rooftops. As Lou pushed the salon door open, the television in the back corner showed an ongoing akuma battle. “Ah, that explains it,” Lou nodded sagely. “Where’s the battle this time?”
Lou’s co-worker, Adel, glanced up from the television and sighed, “The Grand Palais. I’d say it’s a category four, maybe four-point-five.”
Lou nodded at their unofficial categorizing system. A cat-ten akuma was the worst of the worst, like Sandboy or Risk. A four was pretty run-of-the-mill. “Well, I just saw Ladybug and Chat Noir heading their direction. I’m sure they’ll have it cleaned up in no-time.”
Adel sighed and looked back at the footage of the battle, “Wonder if they’ll ever hook up?”
Lou stiffened and glared at Adel, “What?”
“Ladybug and Chat Noir, do you ever wonder if they’ll—”
Lou held up a hand, “That’s their business and their business alone.”
“But Louuu—”
“Don’t. Don’t even start.” Lou shook their head. Seriously, the preoccupation with the entire city over Ladybug and Chat Noir’s dating status was ridiculous. It’d been six years since the first attack. It was time for people to stop asking about the superheroes’ love life and let the two do their jobs in peace.
Lou headed for the computer behind the front desk and checked their afternoon schedule. They had another fifteen minutes, then a couple’s mani/pedi. Adel was going to be the second stylist of the mani/pedi, which made Lou groan a bit. Adel was… fine. He did excellent work. But Adel was a chatter, and Lou was not. Oh well. It would be fine.
Lou went to prep the foot baths. The couple had pre-purchased the salon’s top pedicure package, so there was extra work to do. They noticed, though, as they worked, that the salon was growing rather quiet. One of the other stylists, Chanelle, was even gathering her belongings to head home. “Hey, you going home already?” Lou asked.
“Yeah, your 14:00 booked the whole salon. Apparently, it’s some VIP couple that wanted to keep a lower profile,” Chanelle waggled her eyebrows. “I’m a little jealous, to be honest. Please tell me who it ends up being, ok?”
Lou just rolled their eyes playfully, “Maybe that’s why they booked me—even Rose knows I’m the most trustworthy one here.”
Chanelle giggled and waved, “Whatever. Have a fun afternoon, Lou, see you tomorrow!”
Before too long, the salon was pretty well vacant, except for Lou, Adel, and a couple managers, including the owner, Rose Lavillant-Couffaine. Lou looked at the clock and gnawed at their lower lip. 14:04… 14:09… 14:12… Late. Adel started complaining about rich snobs who book a whole salon and then are no-shows, when a wash of sparkling, magical ladybugs raced past their window.
“Category four, what did I tell you? That was thirty-three minutes, on the button!” (Generally, category fours had to be dealt with in 35 minutes or less. Adel had made up most of the rules of the categories… don’t ask Lou what all they were…)
“Good to know that Ladybug and Chat Noir are that predictable. I wish I could say the same for our clients.”
Adel shrugged and turned off the television, “Well, they paid in advance. It’s on them if they don’t—” Just then, the front door opened and in walked a cute girl with dark hair, and none other than— “Chat Noir! Oh my gosh, it’s Chat Noir!” Adel gasped.
“Adel!” Lou hissed, feeling secondhand embarrassment as Adel fussed over the superhero.
“Do you want anything to drink? Can I get you a warm towel? Would you like to hang up your… uh… tail? No, that’s weird…”
The girl beside Chat Noir thought this whole scene was hilarious. Lou sidled up beside her and the two started giggling as Adel bustled around.
“Um, Marinette?” Chat Noir said, blushing, as Adel fanned himself.
Rose came out from the backroom, “Marinette? Chat? I thought I heard you!”
Marinette stepped up then, placing a hand on Adel’s arm, and smiling softly, “We’re here for our fourteen-hundred appointment.”
Rose swept in and greeted Marinette with a kiss to the cheeks. “I’ve made sure we have our two best stylists today. This is Adel and Lou.”
“Hi,” Lou said softly.
“Oh, this is the best day ever! ” Adel squealed.
“My deepest apologies for being late. My companion here was kinda busy,” Marinette winked.
Chat Noir nodded solemnly, “Yep, seems to happen every time. I just get the pedicure arranged, and Hawkmoth decides to strike. That man has an uncanny ability to know precisely when I’m trying to relax.”
“Oh, it’s no bother, none whatsoever!” Adel gushed. “You have a better excuse than most people!”
Lou watched as Marinette rolled her eyes and laughed. “Well,” Lou said with a smile, “we’re ready for you now, so all is well.”
They led the superhero and his friend back to the foot spa, then got them settled in with orange juice and a shiatsu massage pillow. The first conundrum came when Chat Noir sat next to the foot bath, and everyone looked at his magical pair of steel-toed boots.
“Um, I apologize for asking, but… about the boots…” Lou said quietly.
“Oh,” Chat grinned, “Don’t worry. They come off. And I tell you what, it’s a good thing too. Do you know what it feels like to run around on the rooftops of Paris? What it does to your feet?” He sighed noisily as he removed the boots and set them to the side, then peeled off a pair of socks and pulled up the suit so that his feet were bare from the knee down. Then, Chat Noir settled back into his chair and dropped his feet in the foot bath. “Aaah,” he grinned. “This is going to feel so good.”
Marinette was already settled into her foot bath, and smiled at her friend. “Sometimes, when it’s been too long since his last pedicure, Chat Noir starts getting grumpy. That’s when I know I need to make some arrangements. We’re grateful that Rose was willing to put up with us this afternoon. Thanks, Lou and Adel, for helping us out!”
“Of course,” Lou smiled, getting to work setting out the files and trimmers, and then beginning massaging one of Marinette’s petite feet.
“So,” Adel asked, bouncing on his stool as he set out his supplies and started working on Chat Noir’s feet, “you two seem to be friends. How do you know each other?”
Marinette and Chat Noir looked at each other and grinned. “Oh, we go way back,” Chat said cryptically. Lou noticed this interesting exchange, but returned to their work quietly.
“Yeah,” Marinette continued, “I think we fought an akuma or two together at different times.”
“Is that so?” Adel carried on, oblivious to the way Marinette and Chat kept glancing at each other. “That’s so cool! Have you ever been akumatized, then?”
“Nope,” Marinette said gently.
“Me neither,” Adel sighed forlornly. “I mean, not that I want to be akumatized, but,” he blushed, “Ladybug and Chat Noir are just so cool!”
“Thanks,” Chat grinned. Then, looking at Marinette with a slight wink, “I’ll tell Ladybug you said as much too.”
“Do you hang out with her a lot, then? Ladybug?”
Chat shrugged, “Other than fighting akumas or running patrols of the city, you mean?”
“Yeah,” Adel nibbled his lower lip, and Lou could feel it coming. Adel was about to ask something invasive. Lou cleared their throat to maybe head the other stylist off, but it was too late. “Like… dates? Or something?”
Marinette giggled and Chat Noir inhaled sharply. Lou quickly interjected, “Their relationship status is none of your business, Adel. But you know what is? What color Chat Noir wants on his toes, right? Did you know I actually am really good at recommending nail polish colors?”
“That sounds awesome!” Marinette chirruped. “What do you think for me?”
Lou surveyed the adorable young woman, asked a couple simple questions about her mood, then stood and found an electric green polish that would be paired with black nail art. Marinette squealed with delight and started bouncing in her chair.
“That’s perfect! What do you choose for Chat?”
Lou didn’t have to ask questions this time. They immediately came back with a rosy pink polish. Saying nothing, Lou showed it to Chat, who pursed his lips and nodded solemnly. Marinette and Lou burst into laughter at this pleasant exchange.
But nothing could dissuade or distract Adel. As soon as Lou was settled back into their seat, Adel launched right back into inappropriate territory. “So, Chat… you can tell us… what do you really think about Ladybug? Like, really? ”
Chat floundered for a moment, until Marinette turned to him, winked, and sassily remarked, “Yeah, Chat, do tell. After all, she’s not here… you can really bare your soul!”
“ Marinette!” Chat hissed, which Lou found intriguing. Marinette only grinned. Even more intriguing. Hm. “Ok,” Chat groaned, “if you insist. Ladybug is… wonderful. I love her more than anyone or anything I’ve ever encountered. She is powerful, brave, caring, and strong.” He looked intently at Marinette, who, Lou noted, started blushing. “I have been incredibly blessed to count her as my best friend and partner for all these years.”
Adel paused the pedicure for a moment to flap his hands and squeal, “Oh, it’s so sweet!”
“But,” Chat Noir held up a hand, “we are friends. We bring out the best in each other, especially when our friendship is first, foremost, and unimpeded by anything else.”
“So…” Adel pouted, “you’re not dating—”
“I think what Chat’s trying to say,” Marinette smiled softly, “is that dating, romance, even sexual chemistry, is so… so less than what Chat Noir and Ladybug share. They’re happy together as friends. And I say, good on them. We should all celebrate the powerful, platonic love that friends share, right?”
“Right,” Lou grinned, feeling a warmth in their chest that hadn’t bloomed in a long time.
Adel nodded thoughtfully, then looked down. He didn’t notice the way Chat Noir reached over and squeezed Marinette’s hand.
But Lou did.
Soon enough, Adel shifted the conversation, but Lou continued to watch the two young clients. They quietly absorbed the realization that they were in the presence of both of Paris’ superheroes, but that wasn’t nearly as powerful and moving as discovering just how special and precious the love between friends could be.