Work Text:
Chat Sat on the rooftop, dangling his legs and whistling idly.
He and Ladybug were scheduled for patrol in about an hour, and they liked to meet up early to hang out before they made public appearances.
Before long, Chat's ears twitched in response to a familiar sound on the next roof over.
"Hey Milady," he called cheerfully, only turning to face her after he spoke. "I was expecting you a bit earlier than this, did something come up?"
Ladybug chuckled, running a hand across the back of her neck. "Yeah, kinda," she said hesitantly. "Carapace wanted to talk."
Chat frowned. "Work-related?" he asked. It was a short-hand they'd developed over time- he was asking whether she'd spoken to Carapace as a civilian, or as Ladybug.
"I wasn't Ladybug, but it was work-related," she replied neutrally. "He, ah, he told me he knows about my miraculous."
"He knows?" Chat asked, suddenly worried.
Ladybug shrugged. "Kinda? I'm, ah-" she paused to rub her neck again. "I'm not out to him as trans yet. He kinda thinks I'm you."
Chat blinked, then chuckled. "Interesting," he commented.
"Then he said, not only does he know about me, but he *also* knows who *Ladybug* is."
"This is gonna be good," Chat said with a smirk.
"Chat!" Ladybug objected playfully. "Okay, yeah, it's funny."
"Well?"
Ladybug sighed, opening her yoyo to pull out some papers. "This is the script he wrote for a TV show about us, based on who he thinks we are."
Chat grinned, holding out a hand.
Ladybug passed the pages over.
My name is Marinette.
I'm just a normal girl, with a normal life.
Chat looked up, holding back a bark of a laugh. "Marinette does not have a normal life. She's designed for how many celebrities now?"
Ladybug just shook her head.
Chat kept reading.
But there's something about me, that noone knows yet.
I have a secret.
(Title score plays)
"Hold up," Chat said suddenly. "He thinks you're Marinette?"
Ladybug just nodded, smiling at the absurdity.
"After how she reacted to being Multimouse?" Chat pressed.
"Nino doesn't know about that," Ladybug pointed out. "But yeah, she was very adamant not to be brought back. Not nearly enough self-confidence."
Chat nodded, looking back down at the page.
"This script is titled 'Bubbler'," he pointed out.
Ladybug let out a chuckle. "Trust Carapace to pick the time he threw me a party for his first script," she joked. "I can't even remember what I told you to explain why I was held up."
"Oh yeah!" Chat exclaimed. "That was before I knew!"
"I'm glad we don't have to deal with that anymore," Ladybug said earnestly, leaning into Chat's shoulder.
Chat purred in agreement. "It's nice to know I'm suave enough to get such a hot model for a girlfriend."
Ladybug laughed, pushing Chat away playfully. "Glad you can finally admit how shallow you are, kitten," she joked.
She took a beat to calm her laughter a bit.
"Seriously though," she added. "I couldn't do any of this without you- not Ladybug, not modelling. None of it."
Chat smiled, leaning into his lady. "You and me against the world, bugaboo," he intoned. "No matter what Carapace might think he knows," Chat added, waving the script he was holding.
Ladybug smiled. "Give him some credit," she teased. "He know I'm one of us, at least. And that we've liked each other this whole time, even if the masks got in the way for a while."
"Wait, he wrote that you and Marinette like each other?" Chat interjected, both amused and surprised.
"Yeah," Ladybug admitted. "Well, kinda. He wrote that Chat Noir is in love with Ladybug, and that Marinette is in love with Adrien Agreste."
Chat frowned. "You don't think…"
"Oh, she does," Ladybug confirmed. "Nino said as much. I'm gonna pull her aside and tell her I'm queer, at some point. Maybe the specifics, maybe not, but either way it tells her to move on."
Chat looked down at the script. "This thing is an unholy straightwashing of our relationship."
Ladybug giggled. "I guess it is, yeah," she agreed. "He made me a cis het white guy! The only accurate part of that is that I'm white."
"Am I even in here?" Chat asked, an eyebrow raised.
"You, ah-" Ladybug paused, gauging Chat's expression. "You're a background character."
Chat threw the script down onto the roof dramatically. "That's it," he declared, "Nino's fired. We need a new writer for our love story."
Ladybug smirked, picking the script up and stuffing it unceremoniously into her yoyo. "I'm told he's going to write your akuma next," she shared. "That was a complicated night, and I'm kinda curious how he'll write it not knowing you're… well, you."
"I could do without reliving Evillustrator, thanks," Chat groaned lightheartedly. "Wasn't Marinette there for that? And yet, Nino thinks she's you."
"I dunno," Ladybug shrugged dismissively. "From what he told me about the script, he seems to think I was the no-show- or, uh, that Ladybug was."
"Does he at least have us find out each other's identities?" Chat asked. "It was a pretty big milestone for us."
"I don't think so?" Ladybug guessed. "The whole reason I found out was because Plagg brought me your ring when the akuma came for you. Nino wouldn't know to include that, since he thinks I'm you and Marinette is me."
"He's fired," Chat joked again. "I'm gonna fire him. Get Marc to write it instead."
Ladybug smiled. "If I'm Marinette, do I get credit for introducing you two?" She joked.
Chat shot Ladybug a playful look. "If you want that credit, you have to take credit for akumatizing Marc," he threatened.
"I thought that was because you snapped at him for not being me?"
"Marc and I agreed to blame Marinette for the miscommunication," Chat said with a shrug. "Not that we actually blame anyone, other than Hawkmoth."