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Scattered clouds parted just enough to send beams of light across the city as Paris readied itself for evening lights and fireworks. Crowds were already drawn to the Champs-Élysées in preparation for the fireworks display at the Arc de Triomphe as the time counted closer and closer to midnight.
The windows of the bakery were slowly fogging due to the cold lingering in the evening air. Marinette leaned against the counter with a soft sigh as the last customer left the store. She had volunteered to watch the bakery so her parents could have their own New Years celebration before retiring early.
After filling up a pastry box to take with her later, Marinette stepped away from the counter and hurried to the door turning the lock with a soft click, the sound too loud in the suddenly still shop. She rested her hand on the door a second longer than necessary, peering through the glass at the street beyond.
Nothing looked out of place. People passed in loose clusters, scarves pulled tight, laughter drifting in uneven bursts. Streetlights cast long reflections across the pavement, broken by the slow movement of clouds overhead.
And yet.
The back of her neck prickled, a faint, familiar awareness settled between her shoulders. Marinette shifted her weight, scanning the sidewalk again, then the rooftops reflected faintly in the glass. Empty. Quiet. Too quiet, somehow.
She exhaled through her nose, shaking her head at herself. Long days did that. Too much sugar, too little sleep.
Still, she stepped back from the door, fingers brushing the knob as if checking it was really locked. The feeling lingered, not sharp enough to be fear, just a steady hum of attention, like someone had paused mid-step nearby.
“Get a grip,” she murmured softly, turning toward the back of the shop to head upstairs.
Behind her, the street remained unchanged, the glass reflecting only lights and movement and sky. If someone was watching, they knew better than to be seen.
***
Ladybug held her hands to her face, breathing hot air into her gloves as she sat atop the L’Arc de Paris. The lights around the Arc de Triomphe shimmered in gold, radiating outward as the avenues below filled with movement and sound.
Paris felt like it was holding its breath.
She shifted slightly, legs swinging against the building as she looked down at the crowd gathered far below. Laughter drifted up in fragments, music echoing between buildings, the low hum of excitement rolling through the city.
Almost midnight.
Ladybug glanced at the sky, where clouds moved lazily across the moon, opening and closing the light in soft intervals. Fireworks crews were ready now. She could feel it in the way the air buzzed, charged and expectant.
She hugged her arms closer to herself, more for the feeling than the warmth.
There was a strange comfort in being here, watching without being seen.
Her gaze drifted instinctively to the rooftops beyond the Champs-Élysées, scanning out of habit more than concern. Nothing stirred. No akumas. No emergencies.
Still, the feeling from earlier lingered at the edges of her awareness. Not danger. Just… presence.
She tapped her fingers nervously against the cold tiles, eyes fixed on the crowd below before she tipped her head back, tracing the slow movement of the clouds, and smiled faintly as the countdown clocks across Paris ticked closer, second by second, toward midnight.
She wasn’t nervous about the fireworks, or potential akumas. There were no emergencies. She was nervous about him. About her racing thoughts and what the New Year could bring.
“Only ten minutes till midnight, My Lady,” a familiar voice purred behind her.
She turned just in time to see Chat Noir land lightly beside her, eyes sparkling in the lights. He wore a simple black scarf around his neck, but no coat.
“Cutting it close, kitty. Thought I was going to have to celebrate alone,” she teased, hiding her nerves behind a smile.
He shrugged before offering her a sheepish grin. “Had to make a quick stop… I brought you this.”
From behind his back, he pulled out a small thermos and two cups. “It’s Hot Cocoa. Figured we could start out the year with the most important tradition.”
Ladybug smiled, before letting out a soft giggle. “You’re too sweet… but I doubt that’s the only tradition your hoping to celebrate.”
“Aw, Bug. I’m no Tom Cat. Completely house trained, the only thing I want for tonight is to spend it with my favorite partner.”
Ladybug felt the heat rising on her cheeks as he sat beside her and poured them both a cup.
“Well, kitty, you’re in luck. I brought something to share with my favorite partner too.” Ladybug pulled a bag that lay nearby, opening it before sliding out a simple pastry box. The very box she’d filled up earlier that evening.
She opened it and held it out to him.
“Pastries? For me?” Chat grinned as he reached inside taking one.
“For us, you greedy kitty.”
Chat snorted as he ripped a bun in half, holding out a piece to her. She took it without thinking.
They sat shoulder to shoulder, sharing the warmth from the cups cradled between their hands. Steam curled lazily into the cold night air, carrying the rich, sweet scent of hot cocoa—not unlike the kind sold at the bakery on particularly cold days.
Ladybug smiled down at the cup in her hands and murmured, “Thank you for this. You didn’t have to. I’m surprised you didn’t already have New Year’s plans.”
Chat Noir huffed a quiet laugh, rocking back slightly on the ledge.
“Well, I’m not exactly winning in the friend department,” he said lightly. “And my father always goes to bed early.”
She winced before glancing at him sideways. “That sounds incredibly lonely.”
“Sometimes,” he admitted, before smiling at her, “but nights like this help.”
“Oh?” Ladybug tilted her head, watching him.
He lifted his cup, putting it to his lips and sighed, “Yeah, I mean… this little bit of…” he hesitated, as if searching for the right word, then rolled his shoulders back. “I don’t know… Freedom?”
Ladybug’s fingers stilled against the cup as her eyes fluttered. “Freedom,” she repeated, almost thoughtful. “Yeah, I get that.”
Chat shrugged, eyes fixed on the crowd gathering below them. “It’s not always easy to come by. Not as my other self anyway. Too many people expecting things from you.” He exhaled slowly, his breath puffing out in small tufts in front of him. “They don’t always mean to do it, I guess… but it’s still there.”
She studied him for a moment before nudging him gently with her shoulder. “Well,” she murmured, “I think you’re allowed to take it when you can.”
He nodded, voice dropping as he whispered, “I think so too.”
For a moment, they simply sat there, the city noise from below rose in anticipation, laughter carrying on the winter air. The sound made Ladybug glance down at her yo-yo, her thumb brushing the face as it lit up.
Her eyes widened slightly.
“Two minutes to go,” she said softly.
Chat leaned closer, peering at the glowing display. “Huh. Guess that means it’s time for wishes.”
She rolled her eyes, but smiled faintly. “Do you even believe in those?”
He rocked gently back and forth on the ledge. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “But this year?” He glanced out at Paris, then back at her. “I think I do.”
Ladybug tilted her head. “Okay, then,” she prompted, “what’s yours?”
Chat bit his lip, as if thinking before whispering, “This year… I met someone new.”
He smiled to himself before continuing. “And I think I’d like to keep growing that friendship. See where it goes.” His fingers tightened slightly around his cup. “I really want to get to know her better.”
Ladybug froze, blinking. “Her? You don’t mean me, do you, because…”
He laughed quickly, waving a hand. “No, no. A girl I met in my civilian life.” Then he shot her a familiar grin, eyes bright as he leaned closer. “But don’t worry, Bugaboo. You’re still the only one for me.” He punctuated it with an exaggerated wink.
Her lips curved into a small smile, warmth blooming behind her ribs.
“Good,” she said softly.
Below them, a distant countdown began to ripple through the streets, voices rising as the final seconds of the year slipped away. The lights of the city glittered around them as the countdown echoed up from the Champs-Élysées.
10… 9…
Ladybug glanced at him. He wasn’t watching the fireworks. He was watching her. She could see the glow of his eyes.
8… 7… 6…
His smile was quiet, but he didn’t lean in. He didn’t make a joke, tease or beg for a kiss.
5… 4…
He just allowed them to exist. To be partners, to be friends sharing rooftop cocoa and pastries snuck from their favorite bakery.
3… 2… 1…
Boom!
Chat’s eyes turned to the sky as fireworks exploded in bursts of red, gold, and silver. Cheers rang out across the city as loved ones embraced, shouted and brought in the new year.
He turned back to Ladybug, wide grin, but before he could move, she’d already reached out and gently curled her fingers into his scarf, tugging him closer.
Chat blinked at her, wide-eyed. “B-Bug?”
For half a second, she hesitated, then her lips curved, the faintest flash of mischief crossing her face—the kind he’d seen a hundred times before in battle, right before she leapt. Her eyes softened as they flicked to his lips once before meeting his gaze again.
Then she leaned in and kissed him.
Not rushed, not teasing. Just warm, real and steady, her lips soft against his as the city (and Chat’s heart) exploded with celebration below them. His breath caught, hands freezing for half a minute before the empty one settled instinctively at her waist, holding her and himself in the moment.
The fireworks felt distant. Secondary to the thunder in their chests.
When they pulled apart, Chat’s eyes were glassy, expression slow and stunned.
“That wasn’t the nose… or the cheek.”
Ladybug smiled, cheeks crimson, eyes bright. “Nope. Happy New Year, kitty.”
He chuckled gently as he watched her. “That… was worth the wait.”
She nudged him with her shoulder, soft and playful. “Don’t get used to it.”
“Oh, I won’t,” He sighed dreamily, before smirking at her. “But I will replay it in my head every night until next New Year.”
She laughed, a quiet, breathless sound, as she glanced at him. “Silly Kitty.”
Chat snorted and shook his head, “You know,” he murmured, “I had a whole speech prepared for after midnight.”
Ladybug giggled, “Oh?”
“Yeah. Very poetic. Maybe a pun or two. But, uh… you really know how to short-circuit a guy, Bugaboo.”
She laughed before leaning back on her palms. “You talk plenty enough for the both of us. Thought I’d try something new.”
“Something new,” he echoed, shaking his head.
Ladybug pulled the last pastry from the box, ripped it in half and offered it to him without looking. He took it and brushed her hand for a second longer than necessary.
Chat sighed, voice low. “I just want it on record that this is officially the best New Year I’ve ever had.”
She tilted her head toward him, leaning on his shoulder. “Setting the bar high already, huh?”
“Always,” he replied. “I’m an optimist.”
They sat there a little longer, sharing the last bites, the last warmth, neither noticing that the cocoa was now only lukewarm, but when a breeze fluffed their hair, they were reminded that the night was still moving forward, even if they didn’t want it to.
Ladybug sighed, glancing toward the horizon. “I should probably go.”
Chat nodded, disappointment flashing but never touching his smile.
“Sorry, Kitty. Tomorrow’s… going to be busy. I promised my parents I’d help them with… stuff and…”
His ears flicked slightly, but he only smiled. “No worries, Bug. I get it. Responsibilities and all that unfun stuff.”
“Exactly. Happy New Year Chat. I’ll see you soon.” She rose and headed toward the edge of the roof before she paused, glancing back over her shoulder. The familiar playful look danced across her sapphire eyes.
“About what I said earlier…” she began lightly.
He grinned, “What part? You said a lot of things tonight.”
She rolled her eyes, still smiling. “The ‘don’t get used to it’ part.”
He froze, tilting his head, eyebrows furrowed.
“You could… you know, get used to it,” she whispered, “Maybe a little.”
Before he could find the air that immediately vanished from his lungs, she’d already launched herself into the night, her yo-yo whirling in the distance.
Chat sat there for a long moment, the city slowly returning to slumber as the memory of her kiss played in his head.
“A little,” he muttered to himself, still smiling like an idiot, who was completely and totally in love.