Chapter Text
After yet another mission, Ladybug and Chat Noir bumped fists. Knowing exactly what would happen next, Chat stepped back and leaned sideways against his staff, leaving enough space for both himself and Ladybug. As always, the surrounding crowd erupted in cheers. A few brave citizens rushed up to Ladybug, asking if she could give them autographs or take photos with them. In stark contrast, there seemed to be an invisible barrier around Chat Noir; everyone deliberately or unconsciously steered clear of him.
Though he was long accustomed to it, Chat still sighed inwardly. His power was destruction, and people had watched various objects crumble to ash under his hand countless times. Coupled with his black cat attire, it was hard not to associate him with bad luck. Why does a hero have the power of destruction? People questioned. What began as a small suspicion resonated and amplified through word of mouth, eventually swelling into a flood.
At some point, a rumor had spread across Paris: if you stayed near Chat Noir for too long, you'd encounter minor misfortunes like stepping on a banana peel; if you actively made physical contact with him, all sorts of disasters would befall you; if you were kissed by the black cat, you'd die within minutes or even seconds. Some even claimed that Chat Noir was the embodiment of misfortune itself. Considering that many girls both longed for Adrien Agreste's kiss and avoided Chat Noir's, Chat wanted to mock this claim. The funniest part of this rumor was that it specifically emphasized that only actively initiated physical contact would bring misfortune, as most citizens still relied on Chat to carry them to safety during battles. Ladyblog had tried to debunk this rumor, but with little effect. People only believed what they wanted to believe.
Of course, they still respected this hero who was always on the front lines, appreciated his actions, and acknowledged his contributions to Paris. In that regard, Chat thought he should be content. People still liked him, just unable to control their fear. He couldn't blame them.
He glanced at Ladybug, who was swamped by various requests, and smiled bittersweetly. As the holder of the power of creation, she always bore the responsibility of repairing all the damage, including those he caused. She was seen as the symbol of good fortune, welcomed everywhere she went. Chat thought with a hint of pride: the girl he loved was just that outstanding. Seeing others love her so much, he was genuinely happy for her.
As he tapped his staff with pretended casualness, people occasionally cast a look of awe at him, while he could hardly tell whether there was more respect or fear in them. The moment their eyes met his, they'd look away guiltily, as if shocked. He tried hard to ignore the prickling sensation at the back of his neck, forcing himself to stay rooted to the spot rather than flee.
They don't hate you, he told himself. It was natural for them to be afraid; after all, sometimes even you would worry about losing control of your power or causing misfortune to those around you, don't you? They haven't done anything wrong. Don't blame them.
Ladybug was far more outraged by his unfair treatment than he was. She had gone to Alya several times, asking her to post debunks on the Ladyblog, repeatedly emphasizing to the public that Chat Noir was not dangerous, and telling Chat over and over that he shouldn't let people treat him this way. He had the right to speak up for himself and shouldn't be alienated just because of others' superstitions. Chat appreciated her efforts, but he didn't think he needed to fight for anything or care much about what ordinary citizens thought of him. They still saw him as a hero. That was enough.
As his mind wandered, a child of about six or seven ran toward him. He was surprised, as this child seemed to ignore the unspoken consensus among adults, stepping into the no-man's-land around him as if breaking through the invisible barrier. She blinked her bright eyes, her voice high-pitched with excitement. "Chat Noir! Can I have your autograph?"
She held up her notebook and pencil expectantly. Chat froze for a second, instinctively reaching out to take it.
Just as his fingertips were about to touch the child's hand, a middle-aged adult's voice rang out, laced with anger and barely concealed fear. "What are you doing running over here! Get back here right now!"
The child flinched and withdrew her hand. Chat didn't know what to do, still awkwardly maintaining his outstretched hand. The adult, clearly the child's parent, hurried over and grabbed her away. Chat was no longer a kid himself, and he understood perfectly well that this parent wasn't just angry about the child running off. This was merely an excuse to keep her away from Chat. As the they passed by him, Chat could clearly see the embarrassment and unease on the adult's face. It was plain that the other person knew this was unfair to Chat.
The child looked back longingly and waved at Chat as she was dragged away. Chat waved weakly back, which only made the parent pull the child along faster. It's a pity that he could have given out Chat Noir's very first autograph, which would have been a very memorable gift. He'd already planned to write in beautifully neat handwriting, using his superb signature skills honed as Adrien to create a perfect gift. Perhaps long after this wave of superstition had subsided, his first autograph would be highly collectible. Sigh, thinking about it, that child had unknowingly missed out on so much.
Ladybug had witnessed the whole thing and gave him a worried look. He shrugged, telling her he didn't mind.
Her earrings and his ring beeped, giving her an excuse to leave at last. Ladybug carefully pushed through the crowd—which wasn't difficult, as they automatically dispersed the moment they saw she was heading toward Chat—then took his arm and led him away.
"Where are we going?" he asked as she prepared to throw her yo-yo.
"Anywhere," she said in a huff.
They finally stopped in an empty alley. Ladybug paced excitedly, gesturing with her hands, opening her mouth several times as if to say something, only to end up letting out a frustrated, gritted sigh. Chat's ears drooped, unsure what he'd done wrong.
As if sensing his self-doubt, Ladybug stopped pacing and placed both hands on his shoulders. "I'm not angry at you, Chat," she said seriously. "I'm angry at those people."
"Oh." His tense shoulders relaxed.
She started pacing again. "This is so stupid. How can they believe such a ridiculous rumor? You've saved so many people, and they still think you're a jinx? If you really brought misfortune, I'd have died countless times by now! Are they going to say that seeing you cross the street will bring bad luck too?”
Chat thought it unlikely, because he usually used his staff and rarely had the opportunity to cross the street.
Their Miraculous beeped again; there were only two minutes left before their transformations ended. Ladybug finally composed herself. Before she left, she instructed him, "Don't forget the TV interview tonight. Though I know you're usually not late."
"Yeah, I'm a punctual cat. Though I happen to know a lady who's often late and likes to wear red-and-black-spotted clothes," he said, raising an eyebrow.
Ladybug wanted to retort, but was interrupted by another beep. Chat grew even smugger, flashing a provocative grin and pointing at her earrings. She had no choice but to stamp her foot in frustration and leave.
A TV interview... He hoped they'd prepared chouquettes this time too.
-
"Good evening. I'm Nadja Chamack..."
The host's voice echoed in his ears. Chat didn't bother to listen to what she was saying; he could pay attention when she started asking questions. To his pleasant surprise, the crew had forgotten to remove the table with pastries, so he could eat to his heart's content.
Ladybug wasn't particularly interested in these pastries, since their flavor didn't meet her standards. As far as Chat knew, she seemed to be a regular at Marinette's bakery, so it was only natural that she was picky about desserts. He agreed they weren't as good as the ones from Marinette's, but he wasn't that particular. Edible was good enough.
He sneaked his hand out to grab another chouquette. Ladybug kicked him discreetly, telling him to behave. He dejectedly lowered his hand and obediently complied. He still felt it was a waste; if the pastries were sitting there uneaten, wasn't that a kind of desecration?
Honestly, he didn't really care about appearing perfect as Chat. Adrien had already experienced enough. Ladybug probably didn't have as much experience with cameras as he did, still nervous sometimes and caring a lot about their image. If not eating pastries made her feel better, so be it.
"...What do you do when you're not busy saving Paris?"
This question marked the moment he should refocus on the interview, or he'd miss it. "Sunbathe, play with yarn balls, and meow," his flippant nature led him to answer without hesitation.
"Don't listen to him." Ladybug shot him a glare. "Underneath the masks, we're just normal people living normal lives."
If going to school while being a model and getting swarmed by fans outside counted as normal, then Chat Noir's life was indeed normal. He believed the audience in front of the television didn’t need to know that.
"The next question comes from a fan... Since you stated in a previous interview that you're not dating, do you have romantic lives in your daily lives?"
Chat had a vague idea of what Ladybug was about to say. He noticed her face reddening slightly, probably thinking of that mysterious boy she loved. He couldn't help feeling a pang of jealousy. What was so great about that boy anyway? He definitely couldn't compare to Chat Noir or Adrien Agreste!
But Ladybug definitely wouldn't want to talk about this in front of the cameras. Such conversations should only happen in private.
"Can we talk about something other than that?" Ladybug spread her hands. "Love isn't the only thing in the world!"
"By the way," Chat interjected, "I love my lady with all my heart."
They answered a few more innocuous questions, skillfully avoiding any information that might reveal their true identities. They were quite practiced at this by now.
Ladybug's responses always sounded formal and official, so perfect that he hardly needed to add anything. He found himself drifting off.
"...There's a rumor that Chat Noir is the embodiment of misfortune..."
Maybe he shouldn't have drifted off. What were they talking about?
This was absolutely the topic he least wanted to discuss. He knew that even if he defended himself, they simply wouldn't believe him. This question was only asked to embarrass him, or to satisfy some people's morbid curiosity, or to boost the show's ratings. At that moment, he felt helpless. If even a legitimate TV station was spreading this rumor, what could he expect others to say?
Before he could even react, Ladybug jumped up. He knew that expression, where she was genuinely furious. "This is utter nonsense!" she said, her muscles tensed as if ready to fight whoever had asked the question. "Where did this rumor even come from? Chat is a hero who protects Paris from destruction every single day, and yet he's still seen as jinx? What are you all thinking?"
"Ladybug..." Chat called softly, trying to calm her down. She didn't pay him any attention.
"Yes, his power is destruction, and yes, he's a black cat. So what? If it weren't for his power, I wouldn't have been able to defeat half of those akumatized villains!" She kept going. "Destruction is just a concept—it's not a symbol of evil! And the idea that black cats bring bad luck is nothing but superstition! Have you ever considered that if staying near him really brought misfortune, I would be the unluckiest person in the entire world?"
Nadja didn't dare say a word. Ladybug had scared her.
To prove her point, Ladybug grabbed Chat's arm and raised it high. "Even though I often touch him actively like this," she said sharply, "I've never encountered any disaster. When Chat saves you, you don't think about bad luck then, do you? How ungrateful!"
Chat thought, rather inappropriately, that he truly loved her resolute and fearless demeanor. She was the kind of person who would defend what she believed in to the death. Right now, though with one hand held up, standing in front of the cameras, having just been publicly slandered, all he could do was gaze at Ladybug with love, lost in her magnificent presence. So few people would protect him so recklessly, speaking up for his rights.
As if his emotions weren't already intense enough, Ladybug suddenly kissed him.
It was a very brief kiss that Chat barely had time to savor it before it ended, but it was enough to leave his mind completely blank.
Ladybug kissed him.
Ladybug kissed him.
Ladybug kissed him!
She had let go of his hand at some point. His mouth hung open, completely incapable of thought, still reeling from the shock. He almost missed Ladybug's next words. "And his kiss doesn't bring death at all! Honestly, why would anyone believe such an obviously ridiculous rumor?"
"My lady," he said dizzily, barely aware of what he was saying, as if some other part of his brain had taken over his speech system and was automatically outputting responses, "the rumor said being kissed by the black cat, not kissing the black cat."
The love of his life had kissed him to protect him from a rumor, and all he could do was contradict her. Agreste, you're really something, he scolded himself.
"Then kiss me!" Ladybug said impatiently, completely unaware of the effect her words were having on the boy before her.
Every processing module in Chat Noir's brain was analyzing what she'd just said. She wanted him to kiss her? She wanted him to kiss her! He had permission to kiss Ladybug! He felt like he was about to pass out.
He must be in heaven.
He didn't dare ask if she was sure she wanted him to. On one hand, he worried that if he asked, she'd get even more irritable and impatient; on the other, he was afraid she'd suddenly take back her permission.
He swallowed. He couldn't wait any longer. If he wasted any more time, Ladybug might kill him too. So he tilted his head slightly and gave her a kiss.
Her lips were so soft. That was the first thought that crossed his mind. He was so blissfully happy he could faint, wishing this moment could last forever. His remaining rationality reminded him that she didn't actually want to kiss him; she just wanted to defend him. So after a short while, he reluctantly pulled away.
"I'm still perfectly alive!" Ladybug raised her arms and declared loudly. "Now, if you'll excuse us."
She grabbed Chat's arm and dragged the still-dazed boy out of the studio.
"I just can't believe—they'll do anything for ratings!" she muttered furiously under her breath.
"You kissed me," he said dreamily.
Ladybug stopped, and for the first time tonight, actually started thinking about what she'd just done. Her face grew redder and redder.
"And I kissed you," Chat said, his voice sounding as if it came from the clouds.
"That was for you!" Ladybug defended. "I was helping you, not...kissing you!"
"This is the best day of my life," he said, not hearing a word she'd said.
"That wasn't... Forget it." She covered her face and let out a frustrated, helpless sound somewhere between a yell and a sigh. Finally, she made up her mind and dropped her hands abruptly, as if trying to erase what had just happened.
Ladybug decided to stop arguing with her partner about this topic. She cleared her throat and told him seriously, "I'm not sure how many people that segment will wake up. I'm not holding out much hope. But regardless, you don't deserve to be slandered like that. I'll always stand with you against these rumors."
"Thank you very much, my lady," he said, kissing her hand—and unusually, she didn't pull away. He teased, "I don't think I'm a jinx, you know. After all, I was lucky enough to meet such a wonderful lady."
"Flatterer," she muttered. Then, raising her voice, she told him, "You are absolutely not a jinx. You're my lucky cat, who's helped me win so many battles." She waved at him. "Bug out!"
Watching her retreating figure, he couldn't help but break into a slightly foolish smile.
This was definitely his luckiest day.