Chapter Text
If Chat Noir had to pick one word to describe his lady, that word would be everything. Because, to him, that was what she was. She was his first thought in the morning, his last thought at night, and his ever present daydream in the waking hours. No matter how depressing his civilian life became, he could keep smiling because he knew that he had her.
And if there was one thing that he hated? It was that he knew that she couldn’t say the same thing about him.
It wasn’t that she didn’t love him. He knew that she did. Two years of fighting and training side-by-side had bonded them into a platonic power couple. But he also saw the way that her miraculous burdened her. He'd listened to her fears, anxieties, and doubts often enough to know that she would never view their time together as an escape. Never view him as an escape. As long as Papillon threatened Paris, she would forever be the dutiful and serious Ladybug.
Which was why it thrilled him to his very core to see his Lady smiling. Not the smile of a victor or the smirk of a sassy quip, but a true, joyful smile that made her glow, her blue eyes sparkling as she practically vibrated with excitement.
“I take it that your meeting with the mayor went well?” he asked.
She nodded, her smile growing as she said, “Remember that akuma that attacked the Palais Garnier last month?”
“Balletomania? Sure, what about him?”
“Apparently that fight got the attention of someone important, because a representative of the Paris Opera contacted the mayor and asked him to present us with invitations to the Paris Opera Ballet’s Opening Gala!” she exclaimed, bouncing up and down, her excitement palpable.
As soon as she named the event, Chat Noir’s smile vanished. Not that Ladybug noticed. She was too busy babbling. Her hands moving about wildly as she continued to recount the details of her meeting.
“I almost accepted on the spot, but I wanted to talk to you first. I know I’m big on the whole ‘no gifts allowed’ thing, but we do charity stuff all the time and the mayor knows that, so he had a fantastic idea! He’s going to arrange for us to have custom outfits created for the event, then he’ll have them auctioned off with the proceeds going towards the Paris Opera! After all, it’s not like we could keep them. They’d be identifying in the most extreme sense of the word! And, oh, Chaton, isn’t this exciting? I mean, can you imagine the fashion? Not just ours, but the whole event! I’ll actually get to see it all up close and personal instead of just looking at pictures online!”
The more Ladybug gushed, the more Chat Noir‘s heart broke. Of course this would happen. Of course it would. Finally, a chance for a night of fun with the love of his life and what did he have to do? He had to turn her down because he’d already be at the stupid gala.
But he couldn’t say that. Not without giving away far too much. Instead, he forced a grin and bowed as he took her hand in his, pressing it to his lips while she looked on in fond amusement.
“My Lady, I would be honored to escort you to a gala! When’s the big day?”
“September 28th,” she replied, smiling down at him.
As soon as she said the date, he allowed his true feelings to show. His shoulders slumped, his cat ears drooped, and his eyes turned sorrowful as he let go of her hand, rising from his bow. “A thousand a-paw-logies, my Lady, but I have prior engagement that evening. One that I really can’t miss. If an akuma comes to call, then I’ll be at your side with bells on! But otherwise? I’m booked.”
Ladybug's excitement drained away as she let out a soft, "Oh."
Then she forced a smile. “It’s okay, Chaton. I’m sure that there will be other events down the line. I’ll let the mayor know to extend our regrets.”
“What? No!” Chat Noir cried, grabbing his Lady’s hands, holding them to his chest as she stared up at him, her eyes wide.
“I’m the only one with a scheduling conflict," he pointed out. "You can still go!”
“Yes, but- are you sure?”
He immediately nodded. “Absolutely! You were so excited about this! I don’t want you to miss out just because I can’t be at your side. I want you to go and have an amazing time, then tell me everything about it! After all that you’ve done for this city, you deserve a night of fun.”
For a moment, all was silent as Ladybug scanned her partner’s face, searching for signs of insincerity. When she found none, she smiled, a bright, warm thing that made Chat Noir's heart skip a beat. A second later, she was hugging him, her lithe form pressed against his body, making a flush steal over his cheeks as she whispered, “Okay, if you’re sure, then I’ll go. Thank you, Chaton.”
Chat Noir did say a word. He just held her close, breathing in the moment, wishing that it would last forever. But, of course, it didn’t. All too soon, she was pulling away, starting their training session in earnest, back to her usual, serious self.
Chat Noir would have liked to say that his Lady’s happiness was all that mattered to him. That her excitement was more than enough to make him look past the devastation of missing out on what was, essentially, a date.
He’d have liked to say all of that, but it would have been a filthy lie.
As soon as he got home from training, he turned back into Adrien, tossed Plagg some cheese, and then curled up on the couch, transforming into a teary-eyed ball of depression.
Plagg took one look at his Chosen's miserable state before letting out a long-suffering sigh. Then he grabbed the TV remote, using it to pop on one of Adrien’s favorite animes. As the bold, fictional heroine began her journey, Plagg flew over to perch on Adrien’s shoulder, purring softly while his lovelorn Chosen mourned what could have been.
The duo continued in much the same manner throughout the weekend. Plagg feasted on cheese and did his best to lift Adrien’s spirits while Adrien tried to distract himself with anime and mindless video games, grateful that his schedule was blissfully free. The joys of summer vacation.
Then Monday arrived and his freedom came to an abrupt and unexpected end.
“Father wants to see me in person?” Adrien asked, staring up at Nathalie in shock, his lunch forgotten.
“Yes. You are to go to his office as soon as you’ve finished eating,” Nathalie confirmed, her gaze fixed on her tablet.
Sensing that she had other things to do, Adrien gave her a polite smile and said, “Thank you, Nathalie. I’ll be sure to do that.”
This earned him a brief nod and then Nathalie was gone, leaving Adrien to his meal.
He ate quickly, having no desire to keep his father waiting. Then he headed upstairs, anticipation and nerves warring inside him. What kind of news would be so important that it couldn’t be relayed by Nathalie?
When he reached his father’s office, Adrien pushed the door open, peeking inside as he said, “You wanted to see me, Father?”
“I did,” Gabriel confirmed, motioning for his son to enter, his gaze never leaving his tablet.
Adrien did as instructed, stepping inside the office, his eyes scanning the room for any hint of what was going on. They quickly spotting a cart containing a pile of red fabric swatches.
Suddenly, everything made sense.
Adrien allowed himself a brief moment of resignation, then moved to stand in the center of the room, his posture perfect.
Several minutes passed before Gabriel finished the sketch that he’d been working on. As soon as he did, he grabbed the cart by his side and pulled it over to where his son was standing. Then he began to hold the various pieces of fabric against his son’s face, considering them carefully as he said, “You are aware that you will be attending this year's Paris Opera Ballet’s Opening Gala, yes?”
Though the reminder brought with it a swell of sorrow, not a hint of it showed. Adrien merely smiled and said, “Of course, Father.”
Gabriel hummed his approval, his attention focused on a silent debate between two swatches. Once he’d made his choice, he continued, “Good. That plan has not changed, but there has been a slight alteration. André called this morning and requested that you act as an escort for his personal guest. As you had no assigned date, I accepted on your behalf. I’ve also agreed to dress her for the event and will want you in attendance for those meetings, the first of which will be later this afternoon. With the fashion weeks coming up, my time is limited, so we’ll need to have a design locked down quickly.”
Once he’d finished giving his orders, Gabriel fell silent, devoting his full attention to the remaining fabric swatches.
Adrien, meanwhile, was doing everything in his power to keep from bursting into tears. A date. He had a date. A date that he’d be expected to entertain and charm, which meant that his half-formed plan to seek out his Lady was now dashed to pieces. The last thing he wanted was to let her see him another woman was on his arm! Unless, maybe, well, father hadn’t said who he was escorting. Maybe there was a way to salvage this.
“Father?”
Gabriel’s only reply was a half-hearted “Hmm?” He didn't even look away from the fabric swatch in his hand.
Still, Adrien pressed on, asking, “Could I know my date’s name?”
“What?” Gabriel muttered, finally looking away from the swatch to stare at his son. A second later, he said, “Oh, yes. I suppose that you would want to know that, wouldn’t you? It’s Ladybug. You’ll be escorting Ladybug. Chat Noir is, apparently, otherwise engaged that evening and André didn’t want her walking into the lions den on her own.”
For a moment, Adrien just stared at his father. Then a brilliant, blinding smile spread across his face as he let out a high-pitched, “Really?”
Gabriel didn’t say a word. He simply raised a judgemental eyebrow.
Adrien immediately reigned himself in, schooling his expression into something far more neutral as he cleared his throat and said, “I mean, I will do my best to represent the brand and ingratiate myself to her.”
“See that you do,” Gabriel replied, giving his son a considering once-over. Then he turned his gaze back to the pile of fabric swatches. After a moment’s silent contemplation, he said, “I can’t eliminate any more of these until she’s here, so that will be all for now. You may do as you like until it’s time to meet with her, but be sure to be in the foyer at least fifteen minutes before she’s set to arrive. Since you’re to be her escort, you might as well starting establishing a repartee. Greet her and bring her up here.”
“Of course, Father,” Adrien agreed, bowing slightly before calmly walking from the room. Then he calmly walked through the mansion, making his way to his bedroom, quietly closing the door behind him.
As soon as it clicked shut, he let out a whoop of joy, jumping into the air, pumping his fist. This was quickly followed by a cry of, “Plagg, did you hear what father said?”
“Yeah, kid, I heard,” Plagg said, watching in amusement as his Chosen began to twirl around the room.
“This is going to be amazing! I know who Ladybug wants to meet! I know what she likes to talk about! I’m going to be the best date she’s ever had!” Adrien proclaimed, throwing his arms into the air before falling back onto his bed, letting out a lovesick sigh as he stared up at the ceiling, a dopey grin spreading across his face.
He lay like that for several long minutes, basking in euphoric bliss, giving Plagg a chance to get comfortable with his afternoon snack.
Then, suddenly, Adrien sat up, his eyes wide, all traces of happiness gone. Plagg was concerned for all of five seconds before Adrien gasped, “Wait, Ladybug’s coming here! She’s coming here today!”
As Plagg relaxed, rolling his eyes, Adrien jumped to his feet, crying, “I have to get ready!”
Then he was off, flying into his closet, babbling about outfit choices and whether or not he should wear cologne.
Plagg left him to it, seeing no need to help. After all, it wasn’t like he had any knowledge of human fashion! Plus this was Pigtails they were talking about. Adrien could show up wearing a lime-green suit covered with pink-and-purple polka dots and she’d still swoon.