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Chat Noir was sent flying head over teakettle across the Seine.
This wasn't exactly unusual for him, it being now the third time this week he'd had the pleasure.
What was new for Chat was doing so at the same time as his transformation was timing out. He barely had enough time to use his baton and make sure he went careening through a window, rather than landing in the street, in the hopes of keeping his identity safe.
Well, safe from everyone who was outside.
The owner of the newly-broken window was a different story.
There was also the added complication of having the final impact without the protection of Plagg's magic.
So, battered and bruised and needing to find some cheese, Adrien took stock of his surroundings.
Later, he'd discover the context that it was a space Kitty Section had been considering renting out as a place to practice, and that Luka was there on official band business.
Fortunately, the rest of the band had been in school with Adrien when the akuma attack started, so none of them were witness to his sudden arrival.
In the moment, however, Adrien wasn't in much of a mood to contemplate his luck at only having one person witness what happened- and someone he knew he could trust, at that. Instead, Adrien looked Luka dead in the eyes, and deadpanned "Well, shit."
Right before passing out.
Adrien slowly came to in an unfamiliar space.
His first panicked instinct was to check his finger to make sure his Miraculous was in place- and thank whatever powers granted him a reprieve from Plagg's luck, it was there.
Taking stock, Adrien noted that the surroundings, while not immediately recognizable, did upon inspection have a level of familiarity to them.
He also noted how incredibly verbose his internal monologue had become, and that he ought to check if he'd had a concussion at his earliest convenience.
With a few more moments of not-quite-lucid thought, Adrien was able to determine where he'd woken up- belowdecks on the Liberty.
It only took a split second to register that his last memory before waking up was panic at his identity being discovered, and by whom.
Quietly, Adrien got up from what he realized was a sofa-bed, and looked around for any signs of people- or hopefully Plagg.
Not that Plagg didn't count as a person, that was-
Adrien shook his head. He could debate his choice of words later. Right now, he had to find his kwami.
The room Adrien found himself in was the main living area aboard, complete with the sofa-now-bed, coffee table, TV stand, kitchenette, and a small dining space overridden with random knickknacks and miscellany.
No signs of movement.
Adrien debated his choices- search the boat, and possibly surrounding area, for Plagg; or get word to Ladybug that he (Chat Noir) was in trouble.
With the slowly-dissipating yet ever-present headache refusing to budge any quicker than it damn well wanted to, Adrien opted for the latter option. He rationalized that it probably involved less moving.
He'd had this plan in his back pocket for a while, in case of emergency, after he'd realized it was possible.
See, Alya hadn't said anything but it was clear to Adrien that she had a direct line to either Rena Rouge or Carapace- possibly both- from how she talked so frequently about approaching them to ask questions.
From there, he knew Rena had direct access to Ladybug.
All he'd need to do was convince Alya to pass a message along.
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Alya: No
Adrien: I cannot stress to you how important it is that I get in touch with Ladybug
Alya: I don't have contact info for any of the heroes, and if I did I wouldn't waste the privilege so you could ask your crush to prom
Adrien: That is not what this is about
Alya: Prove it
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Adrien groaned, tossing his phone across the floor.
There was no way in hell he was divulging his identity to the reporter most invested in telling Paris everything she could about him and his partner.
If he did, Ladybug would flay him alive for being so stupid.
So, contacting Ladybug was officially off the table.
Hunting for a kwami would likely be equally fruitless, considering how they could phase through matter.
Plagg might even be with Ladybug right that second, anyway, explaining how Adrien's miraculous had to be taken away for having his identity discovered.
Adrien resigned himself to staying put and waiting for something to happen.
It took about 5 minutes, but something finally did.
Lying around in someone's living room, as it turned out, was a sure fire way to eventually run into said person.
"Hey," came a voice from the ladder (stairs, albeit steep ones, to anyone but Anarka) to the top deck, "you awake down there?"
Adrien let out a half-assed groan of acknowledgement, his mouth not responding to his brain’s instructions for verbal communication.
Footsteps accompanied the voice's next line. "It's me, Luka. Sorry to leave you alone when you woke up but I needed to run to the store for a few things."
Adrien let out a sigh, figuring now was as good a time as any to read Luka the riot act on identities. "Did you…" he started, trailing off as his voice was weak and hoarse, much more so than expected.
Luka came into view carrying some grocery bags. "Rest your voice. Seriously. Plagg let me know how hard you were going to have it before he went to debrief Ladybug."
Adrien sank into himself, his worst fears realized. Luka must've read the reaction pretty easily, as he was quick to follow up.
"I've been assured Plagg would sooner eat, and I quote, 'any of that non-cheese stuff Adrien likes' than let anyone take him from you."
With a chuckle, Adrien relaxed. "Sounds like him," he mumbled.
Luka smiled warmly, sitting next to Adrien on the sofa-bed. "He did make me promise not to tell you he said as much." Reaching into the bag, he continued. "Here, I've got some tea that's supposed to be good for your throat. Marinette recommended it."
Adrien gave a thumbs up, and tried to croak out a "why?"
With a frown, Luka got up to make some food as he answered. "All I got out of Plagg was some vague answer about someone else being transformed with your miraculous while the cure was cast."
Reflexively, Adrien's hand snapped across his body to re-confirm his miraculous was indeed present on his finger.
"Right," Luka said glibly. "Sorry, should've said something. Plagg insisted Ladybug needed backup right that instant, muttered something about snakes, and made me borrow it."
"Ladybug?"
"Asked a lot of questions that I said I wasn't authorized to answer. I figured it was best to return the ring to you and talk before I accidentally give away any identities that were supposed to be secret. She insisted I send Plagg to talk to her as soon as possible to confirm I'd returned the miraculous. Didn't even tell her who I was."
Adrien took a sip of tea while he considered the current lay of the land. "Does anyone know I'm here?"
Luka nodded. "None of your wardens, but my mom and several of your classmates know I ran into you during the akuma attack and took you here until you were feeling better."
"They ask about the cure?"
"I vaguely implied it's a cold unrelated to the akuma, and that most of why you're hiding out is mental health."
Adrien nodded thoughtfully. "This wasn't how I'd hoped I'd tell anyone my identity, but I must admit you are on the shortlist of people I had considered trusting with it."
Luka smiled again, pausing his busywork to look up at Adrien.
Their eyes met for but a moment, before Luka looked away and busied himself again with preparing some snack food.
"I appreciate that," he offered simply.
The moment hung in the air for what could have been a solid minute before it was interrupted.
"I'm back! You better have brought me the good cheese. Is he awake yet?"
Adrien took a breath, mentally steadying himself for Plagg's strong personality. "Yes, I'm awake," he quipped sharply, suppressing a grin. "And since you know where I keep your cheese and could have gotten it yourself, you'd best not have extorted Luka into buying you any."
Plagg, for a brief moment, let his mask down and beamed with excitement to see Adrien up and about, before remembering his carefully crafted demeanour and settling for "Glad to see my cheese supply hasn't been cut off by your premature death."
Adrien smiled. Sure, he could have done without the attitude, but he could see how Plagg really felt and he was happy to let it slide.
"I did buy cheese," Luka announced, "but I stayed within the usual guest-snacks budget so I wouldn't call it extortion."
Adrien rolled his eyes. It felt a little weird to see Plagg openly about and talking with another person.
"So how'd it go with L.B.?" Adrien asked, once they were all sat and eating.
"The usual. She asked a lot of questions, I gave vague answers, she pressed me, I asked if she really wanted you to know each other's identities yet, she decided to let me keep being vague."
Adrien sighed. Ladybug was the one and only person he could share everything in his life with, and she always insisted on that boundary.
"What did you actually tell her, though?" Luka asked, reminding Adrien he was there.
"Yes, the new guy had permission to use the miraculous. No, he didn't pressure me- I practically ordered him. Yes, he's already returned the ring. Just because he saw Chat's face doesn't mean he was recognized. No, Chat was unconscious at the time. Due to being thrown through a building without any powers. You cast the cure so of course he'll be okay. Etcetera."
Adrien smirked. "First time I've ever been happy for you to be snarky with your answers."
Plagg gave a noncommittal shrug. "I've always been happy to be snarky."
"You would," Luka chuckled.
"In all seriousness," Plagg said more dryly, "I assuaged her concerns about the situation while providing little to no actual information. Told her I trusted the new guy as much as I'd trust Ladybug, and other than that I declined to comment on the grounds that they weren't my beans to spill."
"So," Luka asked, turning to Adrien "how much of the beans get spilled?"
"What do you mean?"
"How much do we tell Ladybug? Do we tell her I know your identity? That we already knew each other? Do we tell her who I am? Who you are?"
Adrien blinked, overwhelmed by the questions.
Luka stopped himself, taking a breath to slow down. "So, is telling Ladybug who Chat is on the table?"
Adrien shook his head. Ladybug had always been adamant.
"What about telling her who I am?"
Adrien paused.
"So, that's a maybe. Do we tell her we know each other?"
"Well," Adrien mused, "I do want to tell her that if I'd been conscious I would've backed Plagg's choice for you to cover for me. And maybe even that I'd already been considering telling specifically you."
Luka nodded thoughtfully. "We probably can't do that and tell her exactly who I am, without it leading to you. So my identity isn't in the cards either."
Adrien hummed his agreement.
"Do you want to tell her how we know each other?"
"There isn't any version of the truth that really feels right," Adrien decided. "Your sister's classmate makes us sound more distant than we are, and bandmates is a little overstating it considering how often father lets me make it to practice."
"We could tell her we're dating," Luka teased.
Adrien went red almost instantly. "I don't want to lie to her," he stammered out.
Luka paused, organizing his thoughts briefly. "I don't want this to sound like extortion, because I swear I'll keep your identity secret no matter what you say to this, but I thought I'd noticed some signals from you, and- well, I wasn't suggesting lying."
Plagg kindly chose not to chime in, leaving Adrien to sit there and think about what Luka had said.
After a moment, Luka began to backpedal. "You don't have to," he insisted. "It just, well- I know it wasn't a good time to ask you out, and I wasn't meaning to, but then-"
Plagg shoved a piece of feta in Luka's mouth and hovered to his ear.
"Let the boy process," the kwami intoned, quiet enough that Adrien didn't hear.
It was somewhere between a number of hours and a number of seconds when Adrien unfroze.
"I'm not ready for word to get back to my father," he said slowly. "But I'm open to trying it."
Luka let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "Wait," he said. "Now probably isn't the best time to make that decision. I mean, emotionally this is a hard day already, and technically I have you over a barrel, not that I'd do anything, and it feels like I'm pressuring you-"
"Luka," Adrien intoned. "I haven't actually agreed to anything. I just said I'd be open to it. I chose my words carefully and I meant what I said."
"So, what now?" Luka asked carefully.
Adrien sighed, getting up and downing the last of his now-lukewarm tea. "Now," he declared, "I go for a run to clear my head before I meet L.B. for patrol."
Luka squeaked. "Are you sure you're okay to patrol?" he asked quietly. "After what happened?"
Plagg let out a burp, his signal that he was going to answer. "The kid isn't deathly ill, he just needed to recharge. Now he has. I hereby pledge an unbreakable kwami oath that he's in no additional risk now than he is any other time he transforms."
"Just text me when you're home safe," Luka relented.
Adrien opted to walk off the Liberty and find somewhere else to transform, giving him an opportunity to question Plagg.
"An unbreakable kwami oath?" he probed.
"It got him off your back, didn't it?"
"It's not even a thing."
"He doesn't know that."
"Sometimes I wonder why I bother with you."
"You and me both, kid."
"Claws out!"
"Glad to see you prowling about," she quipped as he landed beside her. "I got worried this morning."
"I timed out right before impact. I was out of action until the cure no matter what, and you needed backup."
"So you gave your ring to the stranger who discovered your identity."
"I'll remind you I wasn't exactly conscious at the time."
"That was more of a segue than its own point. Your identity is compromised."
"Not exactly."
"You trust them to keep it secret? Even if they mean well, Chat, mistakes happen."
"Milady, I promise you I trust him as much as I trust you."
"Well that's high praise from my number one fan. Did you already know him?"
"You could say that. I've had a crush on him for a while and only just unpacked my sexuality enough to realise it."
Ladybug beamed. "That's great for you, Chat! I'm glad you figured yourself out."
"Thanks, bugaboo. Point is, I trust him."
"Not that I'm questioning you," Ladybug said slowly, "but it's possible to have a crush and later find out they're an awful person."
Chat smiled. "I have an answer to that, milady. I can personally guarantee you at least 2 people you've trusted with miraculouses would vouch for his character. Possibly more, since I don’t know who everyone is."
"The only 2 you know the identities of are Marinette and Chloe. Somehow, I doubt they'd agree with each other on anything."
"I actually know a third, but I can't divulge who for reasons pertaining to my own identity."
"Chat, why do you always have to make my life so- so complicated?"
"It's not like we were going to be able to actually call witnesses without compromising identities, I just figured you'd take my word for it."
"That's not- I thought I'd finally figured out how much everyone knew about everyone else, and you drop that vague nonsense! I don't even know how to put that in my spreadsheet!"
"...you have a spreadsheet."
"...more than one, actually. This whole secret identity thing is really complicated."
"Bugaboo?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't you think it would make both our lives a little easier if we knew who each other was?"
"It's too ri-"
"Risky, yeah. Do you know what's risky? When I'm stuck in an elevator with civilians and can't transform, with no way to warn you I'm not coming. When we need to get each other urgent messages and have to wait until we're both transformed. When I'm incapacitated and you have no idea who I am or how to find me. I'm serious, Ladybug. I think it's the smart play. I'm not even saying this to make a move on you because honestly, I'm thinking about asking New Guy out."
Ladybug sat in silence for a moment.
Eventually, she spoke. "I can't think of any reason to disagree with you."
"It sounds like you want to," Chat observed.
"I'll think about it, okay? I'm just- I'm not ready."
"That's all I ever asked, bugaboo."
"So you're thinking of asking him out?"
"I- I forgot I even said that. Um, maybe?"
"Listen, if you trust him, I'll back you the whole way. So promise me you trust him."
"I trust him, L.B."
"Good. If you're wrong, I'll kill him myself."
"Trying to get rid of your competition already?"
"Don't even start, Chat," she said with a laugh.
Adrien: Home safe.
Adrien: Not sure they even noticed I was gone all day? Noone said anything.
Luka: Everything I hear about that damned excuse for a house, I want to call CPS even more.
Adrien: Actually, I genuinely did the maths and at this point it's easier for me to wait for adulthood.
Adrien: He's got some damn good lawyers who'd make it last at least that long anyway, plus he'd be extra nasty the whole time and I'd spend a lot of time dealing with the legal stuff.
Luka: Wouldn't you be put up elsewhere pending the result of any investigation or lawsuit?
Adrien: He's not actually that bad, he's just negligent rather than abusive, so I'd just be losing out on the benefits of being in a wealthy family
Luka: One of these days I'm explaining why emotional abuse is equally abusive as physical abuse.
Luka: One of these days.
Adrien: Having an absent/negligent parent makes my 'side gig' so much easier to schedule.
Luka: Wouldn't be surprised if the bastard turns out to be your
Luka: business rival, I guess
Luka: for your side gig
Adrien: Okay but genuinely we investigated that possibility.
Adrien: Investigation was interrupted when he became the target of one of my business rival's schemes
Luka: Wait
Luka: Under the assumption your business rival couldn't scheme themself
Luka: Cause like
Luka: Doesn't your business rival have (or at least used to have) an assistant
Adrien: Good point, well made
Adrien: But like, there was that scheme in America when both of them were still in Paris
Luka: right
Adrien: Fun fact, I quit my side gig on that trip. My business partner was barely able to figure out how to contact me and ask me back after I'd thought we'd already permanently lost contact
Luka: Holy shit
Luka: Wait I remember juleka saying your side gig was happening after you left on the early flight back
Adrien: My side gig has really good commuting benefits. I used the flight time to finish up.
Adrien: I should see if my business partner is okay with bringing you aboard.
Luka: Your business partner actually brought me aboard already, just for one or two schemes your rival cooked up.
Adrien: Wait yeah! I remember that!
Luka: really?
Adrien: She tried to bring me aboard without realizing I was her partner already so I declined and recommended you
Luka: I appreciate the recommendation, considering you run the place
Adrien: I totally forgot about that tbh
Luka: You forgot you run the place?
Adrien: Not what I meant but sure sounds like me
Adrien: But actually, though, I did forget recommending you.
Adrien: I feel stupid for wondering who it was that helped on that gig
Luka: I mean she wasn't necessarily going to take your advice
Adrien: Yeah but it didn't even cross my mind
Adrien: Never even had the thought 'of course not, she wouldn't have'
Luka: Plus, now you know she respects your opinion, not just her partner's opinion
Adrien: Oh you're missing the part where she apologised for recruiting someone because of her feelings about them instead of their suitability
Adrien: then stumbled over 'not that you're generally unsuitable, we just need this specific job done and it's not your kind of job'
Adrien: Honestly it was adorable
Adrien: Tbh I did try to do the gig from the subcontractor role instead of as her partner. Spent a few months on it.
Luka: months
Luka: you spent months on the same gig, over and over
Adrien: Yeah it was mildly traumatizing
Luka: I.
Luka: I want to come by and give you hugs
Luka: Do you think you could sneak me
Luka: Let's say work clothes?
Luka: So that I can use them to come over?
Adrien: I'm not in charge of wardrobe, sadly.
Adrien: Might be close to breaking our respective NDAs though, in which case we could just ask outright
Luka: Woah what?
Luka: You mean you're going to do a reveal to each other?
Adrien: *might be*
Adrien: we talked about the possibility.
Adrien: we talked about a lot of things
Adrien: I may have mentioned that at least 2 subcontractors in addition to her partner could/would vouch for you if asked
Adrien: May have to revise that to 3, didn't realise you were a subcontractor
Luka: So, me and you. Who's the third?
Adrien: NDA, I really can't.
Adrien: the only things I could say don't exactly translate well to this sort of conversation
Luka: I see.
Luka: more reasons for me to get some late-night kitty cuddles.
Adrien: careful with your jokes, I might think you're serious
Luka: Who said I'm not?
Adrien: You're a bad influence
Luka: And proud of it.
Luka: Srs though you're always welcome to pop by.
Luka: heads up would be nice but is entirely optional
Luka: considering your side gig I think it's reasonable for me to want you to have access in event of emergency, so might leave you a spare key
Luka: Not that we ever actually lock the door
Luka: the key is symbolic
Adrien: What would you tell the fam?
Luka: Ideally that I gave my boyfriend a key
Luka: alternatively, juleka knows your home life ain't great and she'd back me doing it just for you to have a fallback
Luka: actually between that and your side gig, I'm gonna give you a key
Luka: I don't care
Adrien: if the key is symbolic then why bother
Luka: having a key to the front door is enough evidence to prove you aren't trespassing.
Luka: A cop tried to arrest my partner-at-the-time for trespass while the fam and I were out, which is when we had the keys cut
Adrien: Like they'd arrest someone who works for my side gig
Luka: Like you'd tell them about it if you weren't in uniform
Adrien: fair
Luka: So Juleka backed me with mom, all I had to do was say I wanted to give you a key and she was in.
Luka: Good thing, since mom asks us to agree on it before giving keys to people she hasn't met. Something about being equivalent to a ⅔ majority vote.
Luka: Juleka and I are each carrying a spare, whichever of us sees you next will turn it over.
Adrien: I didn't think you were serious…
Luka: Adrien
Luka: Sunshine
Luka: You were mistaken.
Luka: Very serious
Luka: Much wow
Adrien: This is seriously carte blanche to drop in whenever?
Luka: Pretty much
Luka: text me or jules once you climb aboard if possible, but otherwise yeah
Adrien: your mom seriously okayed this without ever meeting me?
Luka: she's chill like that
Luka: Listen, I’m gonna let you go
Luka: So you can get that beauty sleep
Adrien: You think I’m beautiful? ;)
Luka: …
Luka: You’re literally a model
Luka: So yes
Adrien: I
Adrien: Okay point taken
Adrien: Good night handsome
Adrien: Why did I type that
Luka: Goodnight lol