simply the best

The other runner, who's been keeping pace with her for the last half-mile or so.

He's running on the opposite side of the street, dressed in all black, including his hat that's adorned with kitty ears. Bits of blonde hair stick out from underneath, and its unruliness reminds her of Chat Noir's.

In fact… the way he runs reminds her of him, too. The eyes, maybe, but he's wearing sunglasses just like she is, and of course, there's no tail… but she can picture one behind him pretty easily.

She's so distracted watching him that she doesn't notice the uneven sidewalk in front of her, her foot catching on it and sending her down to the ground. So much for vigilance. With a groan, she brings herself back up to her knees, checking for any injuries, and only finds a few scrapes on her hands. No big deal, and easy enough to take care of once she gets home.

"Are you alright?"

Startled, she looks up, the other runner in front of her now, holding his hand out to her.

"Never better," she says, a little sarcastic, though she does take his hand, appreciating the kind gesture.

Standing face-to-face with him, she tries to see through the dark lens of his sunglasses, and she thinks his eyes might actually be green underneath. He glances at her hat and grins, and she wonders if he's thinking that it's funny, both of them being out wearing Ladybug and Chat Noir attire specifically.

"Might wanna keep a better eye on the road," he says, not unkindly, " …my lady." 

And then he smiles wide, as if he just told the world's funniest inside joke.

Except, she's the only other person actually in on the joke.

"Chat Noir?"

The shock on his face freezes him still, and it's only when he stiffens that she realizes his hand is still in hers. She carefully takes her hand from his, and he jumps back a little.

"... Ladybug?"

"Chat Noir."

The shock quickly leaves him, though she's still reeling from it. Instead, he looks a little bashful, sticking his hands deep into his coat pockets- probably to protect how his ring looks outside of the transformation. She's suddenly glad that her hat covers her ears and keeps her earrings from being seen, although hers are pretty generic.

"Funny meeting you out like this. Civilian patrol?" he asks, and the awkward question makes her smile.

"No, just out for a run. It clears the head, you know?" She pauses. "Wait. Are you?"

"No! No, I'm out for a run, too. Before it gets too cold."

She nods, understanding. Once winter comes around, she won't be able to get many runs in herself, unless she's wearing her actual Ladybug suit. Akumas are a holiday season staple, unfortunately, and the cold tends to make people more miserable than not.

"Is this… I'm not asking to pry, but we probably shouldn't be catching the same running paths in the future, so is this one of your regular routes?" she asks.

"Yeah, I come this way a lot. It's pretty quiet, not much traffic… I've never seen you running in this area before though. At least, not at this time."

"I am a little late to run today," she admits, cheeks warming slightly as she shifts her weight from one leg to the other. "But I don't usually come down this way anyways. I'm just looking for a little inspiration and thought I'd change up my route today."

"Inspiration?" he asks, cocking his head to the side. The ears on his hat move, too, and she has to stifle a laugh.

"Oh, you know, trying to figure out a certain kitty's gift for this year." A lie, but not really. She does want to figure out something nice to get him, even if it isn't the purpose of her run today. "What about you? Why're you out running?"

He shrugs, rocking back and forth on his feet, which is a little funny to see from her partner.

"Just getting some fresh air."

"Oh, okay."

"Yep."

They stand there, neither one moving as the wind rushes past them. It's… more awkward than Marinette would like to admit, and she's sure Chat Noir feels the same, but she doesn't want to leave him quite yet. Even if it's dangerous for them to be meeting like this- unplanned or otherwise- she never truly enjoys saying goodbye to him.

Struck by that particular realization, she peers up at him, and smiles.

"So, do you-"

"Do you want to-"

"Sorry, wait, you go on-"

"No, you first," he says, gesturing with his arm to let her go.

"Alright, well," she begins, clearing her throat. "Do you want to finish our runs together? We can pick a new place to stop and split up from there."

Chat Noir's expression lifts, and she can imagine his cat ears perking up, his tail swinging side-to-side from excitement. It's a silly thought, but then, she knows her partner's mannerisms better than anyone, and that includes the cat components that are absent on his civilian person.

"I was going to ask the same thing!"

"You know what they say about great minds, don't you, Chat Noir?"

He beams at her.

"Of course, my lady. After you," he offers, letting her take the lead so that she can set their pace.

She accepts it, starting off at a brisk jog before ramping their speed up to a run, the same pace as before. He runs right beside her, ring clenched in one of his fists, and she grins. Pushing herself a little bit faster, she watches him match pace with her, speeding up as she does, and slowing down when their path requires it. 

Each time they stop at a stop sign or traffic signal, they don't stop, running in place. Marinette laughs when Chat Noir presses the cross button for the wrong crosswalk, and he returns the favor when she just barely stops herself from crashing to the ground again.

They don't talk much between catching their breaths, but it's still one of Marinette's most enjoyable runs to date. Turns out, running with someone- especially someone you like- makes the experience that much better, and when she thinks of what she could make for her project, ideas swarm her mind. She has a much more clear vision than before, but she's pretty sure chat Noir has more to do with it than the run itself.

When they finally come to a stop, they're both breathing hard, but they just smile at one another. When she raises her fist up to him, he connects his fist to hers. The touch is electric with no suit to keep them apart, but it fades just as fast.

"Bien joué!" she says, letting her fist drop.

"Bien joué, my lady."

"I'll see you later for patrol, okay?"

"It'll be my pleasure."

With an over-exaggerated bow, in typical Chat Noir style, he splits away from her, and she watches him until he disappears at his next turn. Feeling a little too warm for her hat, she just barely fights off the temptation to take it off; protecting her identity came first, but just barely. Her morning runs have never left her feeling so warm, and once again, she's pretty sure that she has Chat Noir to thank for that.