Chapter Text
Chapter One
“Hey, Chat, are you okay?”
“Hmmm?”
“You just seem a little down tonight,” Ladybug said.
Chat Noir scratched at the brick beneath him with a clawed finger. “I’m okay, My Lady. Just dealing with some stuff in my civilian life.”
“Oh. Well…if you need to talk…” Ladybug looked out over the Paris skyline. The heroes sat on the roof ledge, legs hanging over the side. They had been patrolling but it was a relatively quiet night so the pair had decided to enjoy a moment of relaxation.
“Really?”
Ladybug nodded.
Chat Noir took a deep breath. “So, my mom is gone; she died a few years ago. I don’t know that I’ve ever told you that.” He paused to look at her and Ladybug shook her head, eyes wide. “And…and my dad isn’t ever really around. He works a lot but sometimes it feels like he’s intentionally avoiding me and I don’t know why.” Chat Noir sighed and began to tap his heels against the roof ledge. “I get lonely sometimes, but lately it has just felt a lot, I don’t know how to explain it really…more.”
“Oh, kitty.” Ladybug rested her head on his shoulder and put an arm around his waist.
“I have friends,” Chat Noir continued after a beat, leaning into Ladybug’s touch. “They’re great, it’s just…I don’t know. I guess no one really knows how bad it is? And then I started thinking that you’re my best friend and you don’t even know.” He let out an awkward laugh.
“I’m your best friend?” Ladybug asked, lifting her head.
“Well, yeah.” Chat Noir scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “I guess I feel like you’re the only one who sees the real me…well, most of the real me anyway, aside from the whole mask and secret identity thing.”
Ladybug leaned back and studied his face for a moment. “I think you’re my best friend too actually.” She laughed lightly. “I guess I hadn’t really thought about it before now, but you are. Don’t tell anyone though, Alya would be pissed.”
Chat Noir swallowed thickly. “Alya?”
Ladybug looked at him. “Well, she’s also my best friend. I guess my civilian best friend?”
“Is she, uh, she the same Alya who runs the Ladyblog?”
Ladybug looked a little embarrassed. “She is but she doesn’t know who I am! Not for lack of trying,” she murmured.
Chat Noir was having a hard time keeping it together. If Ladybug’s best friend as a civilian was Alya, the same Alya who ran the Ladyblog, the same Alya who was also his friend, that meant that Ladybug was…
Ladybug stood and stretched. “I need to get going, Chat. I’ve still got to finish up some homework. My new class load is kicking my butt a little bit.” She held her hand out to him to offer help up.
“I think I might stay out a little longer, M-my Lady.
“Okay,” she said, sensing the shift in his mood. “I’m glad we talked tonight.”
“Yeah…” Chat Noir’s voice had a faraway quality to it.
“Chat, if you ever get lonely at home, you know I’m here for you.” Ladybug shifted her weight anxiously. “We can talk anytime…akuma battles withstanding,” she smiled and Chat Noir could now clearly see that it was Marinette’s same soft smile.
“Thanks, My Lady,” he grinned up at her.
Ladybug stepped to the edge of the roof but then paused. “Do you want my phone number?”
“Huh?”
“My phone number…my, uh, civilian one? That way if you ever get lonely, you can call me or text me or something.”
Chat Noir stood up. “Really?”
“Of course,” she smiled again as if it was the easiest thing in the world. “We are best friends, after all.”
“I would love that.”
Ladybug looked around for a moment. “I don’t guess we have anything to write it down with.”
“Here!” Chat Noir held up his baton. “I’ll record you saying it and then write it down before I transform back at home.”
Ladybug reached up and tapped his bell. “Such a clever cat.”
He beamed at her and held up the baton. She recited her number and winked. Chat Noir played it back to be sure. “Thanks, My Lady.”
“Have a good night, kitty.” She gave him one last look and then cast her yo-yo out and disappeared into the night.
“Goodnight, Marinette,” Chat Noir replied quietly, a small smile playing on his lips.
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“I’m glad Chat was a little happier when I left. He really seemed down most of the night,” Marinette commented as she combed through her damp hair. “And the thing about his parents…I’ve gotten the sense that he’s been lonely before but I never realized it was that bad. I can’t imagine Maman being gone and Papa not being around.”
She slipped a long nightshirt over her head. “Chat is always wanting to hang around after battles and patrols. If he’s going back to an empty house, who could blame him?”
“I guess it does make sense,” Tikki said, nibbling on a cookie.
“I should have known this before now.”
“Why do you say that?”
Marinette crawled up in the bed, Tikki following her. “I didn’t even realize how close we’d gotten until he said I was his best friend. Lately, I spend more time with him than I do with anyone else.”
“Except for me,” Tikki interjected.
“Except for you,” Marinette agreed. “I guess I just feel bad that I’ve always tried to keep him at arm’s length when it comes to sharing. He’s been feeling all alone and I had no idea. I trust him with my life, it seems kind of silly not to trust him with other stuff.”
“Are you planning on telling him who you are?”
“Maybe. I don’t know if I’m quite ready for that. I do want to know more about him though. I should know more about him. We’ve been working together for years now.” Marinette flipped off her lamp and laid back. “He’s kind of great, Tikki.”
“I know he is,” the kwami smiled, snuggling up.
____________________
“Ladybug is Marinette.”
“So you said,” Plagg replied dryly, watching Adrien pace.
“This is amazing. You get how amazing this is, right?”
“It’s amazing. It’s spectacular. It’s miraculous,” Plagg yawned. “Are you going to sleep anytime soon? You’re making me dizzy.”
“How can I sleep?” Adrien dropped himself into his desk chair. “Marinette is amazing and Ladybug is amazing and how did I get so lucky that they are both the same amazing person?”
“I’m getting you a thesaurus for your birthday, Kid.”
Adrien looked a little abashed. “I’m sorry, but I’m just so happy.”
“So when are you going to tell her you know?”
“What?”
Plagg rolled his eyes. “You can’t just not tell her you know who she is. You’re not that good an actor, Kid. She’ll figure it out.”
“Oh…right.” Adrien tapped his fingers on the desk. “But Marinette’s my friend so it will be fine!”
“I didn’t say it wouldn’t be fine,” Plagg complained. “I asked when you are going to tell her.”
“Probably soon, right? I should do it soon.” Adrien grabbed at his phone.
“Probably calling her to tell her you know right this second isn’t the best idea,” Plagg said dryly.
“Right. Right, right, right.” Adrien dropped the phone to the desk with a thump. “Well, I should see Marinette in Economics tomorrow and I have patrol with Ladybug on Tuesday, so maybe I will just see which moment feels right.”
“I thought you had a photo shoot tomorrow.”
“Damn it.”
Plagg curled up on a pillow. “There’s no need to rush it. Just don’t draw it out.”
“I know,” Adrien sighed. “I just want to see her again.”
“You literally saw her not even an hour ago.”
“Maybe I can—“ Adrien stood quickly.
“No.”
“But, Plagg, it will be quick! I will only peek in and maybe say hello and—“
“Nope.”
“I could make you transform me,” Adrien threatened.
“You could try,” Plagg shot back.
“Fine.” Adrien flopped down on the bed. “Will you get my phone?”
Plagg simply blinked at him. Adrien sighed and got back up to grab his phone.
Adrien: Goodnight, My Lady. I hope you have purr-leasant dreams.
After a few minutes, the blinking ellipses appeared under his text. Adrien held his breath.
Maribug: You too, sweet kitty. :)
Adrien held his phone to his chest and fell asleep with a big goofy grin on his face.