This one's not really a difference, more of a double meaning that gets lost in translation: in French, the verb âbullerâ also means "to laze" and is a subtle reference to Nino's cool and laid back attitude (which is demonstrated more literally by him blowing bubbles during the episode).
Adrien, talking about his father
En: I'm pretty sure he was a downer back then too.
Fr: Je suis sĂťr qu'il a toujours ĂŠtĂŠ vieux jeu, mĂŞme jeune.
I'm sure he's always been old fashioned (lit. "old game"), even when he was young.
I can't believed they missed out on Adrien making a hilarious joke!! And it actually wouldâve been even funnier in English since âold fashionedâ can be a reference to Gabrielâs job.
ChloĂŠ to Marinette
En: Out of the way.
Fr: DĂŠgage, boulet.
Go away, boulet.
Here, âbouletâ ("ball" as in "ball and chain" or cannonball) is a word used as an insult to qualify a person who is annoying or drags/weighs you down, like the ball attached to a prisoner's chain. ChloĂŠ uses that word very often when talking about Marinette in French.
ChloĂŠ
En: Happy birthday Adrien.
Fr: Bon anniversaire Adrichou chĂŠri.
Happy birthday dearest Adrikins.
The nickname ChloĂŠ uses for Adrien in the French dub is over the top while she only says his name in English.
ChloĂŠ about the delivery men
En: Those slackers.
Fr: Les petites natures.
Lightweights. (lit. "Little natures.")
In French the emphasis is put on the workers being weak, when they're lazy in the English dub (it's just a linguistic difference here).
Alya, to Marinette
En: Don't be a pushover, literally.
Fr: Te laisse pas faire tu vaux mieux qu'elle.
Don't let yourself be pushed around, you're (worth) better than her.
Alya sounds more supportive in French.
Marinette talking to the house camera when leaving her gift at Adrien's house
En: [...] ... did I already say that?
Fr: [...] cadeauuu!!! pour Adrien.
giiiift!!!! for Adrien.
Just Marinette being awkward in slightly different ways (I didn't put the whole quote since the rest of it is pretty similar in both dubs).
Alya, to Marinette
En: Girl, girl, girl
Fr: Marinette, Marinette
I'm not translating that one for obvious reasons, but I noticed that whenever Alya calls Marinette "girl" in the English dub (not just now but also later in the episode), she actually says her name in French. It's not a big deal but I just thought it was interesting.
Nino leaving Adrien's house after being kicked out by Gabriel
Fr: Ouais c'est ça au revoir.
Yeah, right, goodbye.
The sentence was deleted in the English dub.
Adrien to Nino, about his father
En: It's just best to stay out of his way.
Fr: Vaut mieux faire ce qu'il dit, c'est plus simple.
It's best to do what he says, it's simpler.
I didn't really pay attention to this one back when I was taking notes of the differences but it hits different after the sentibeing reveal đĽ˛.
Hawkmoth
En: It won't be long before Ladybug and Cat Noir show up to meet their doom.
Fr: Ladybug et Chat Noir ne tarderont pas à se montrer pour leur dernière danse.
It won't be long before Ladybug and Chat Noir show up for their last dance.
One of Gabriel's many puns, since it refers to the party that the Bubbler is throwing thanks to his new powers.
The Bubbler after Ladybug changes the music that was playing
En: Dude, who just hijacked my mix?
Fr: C'est quoi ce truc ? Qui a osĂŠ remixer mon mix ?
What's that? Who dared remixing my mix?
I think "remix my mix" is very funny.
Ladybug, replying to him
En: Yours truly.
Fr: DJ Ladybug.
She <33.
At one point, ladybug calls the Bubbler "DJ bubulle", which is a way of making fun of him since âbubulleâ is a cute word for bubble (bulle in French).
Hawkmoth
En: You can't run forever, Ladybug.
Fr: Tu ne tenvoleras pas ĂŠternellement, Ladybug.
You won't fly forever, Ladybug.
A little pun that got lost in translation.
Adrien to Nino about his awesome new scarf
En: Yeah. Can you believe my dad got this for me? It's so awesome. He's given me the same lame pen for three years in a row.
Fr: Ouais, j'arrive pas à croire que mon père aie fait ça pour moi, tu te rends compte ? D'habitude il oublie tout le temps le jour de mon anniversaire.
Yeah, I can't believe my father/dad did this for me. Do you realise? He usually always forgets my birthday.
I can't tell which one is sadder :')). Also, "mon père" can be translated as either father or dad so I left both since I think it would be more likely for him to say "father", but the official translation chose to have him say "dad".
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I think if Miraculous didnât have its bloat problem then Luka wouldnât exist, at least in the form heâs in now. Nathanael was always there as a secondary love interest that had season 1 set up and they did nothing with it? Why?
I mean, heck, Nino could have been a secondary love interest for more than two seconds if we got down to it.
Imagine a scenario where the two of them are competing for Marinette while she's chasing Adrien, Alya's eating Popcorn, and Chloe thinks everyone's gone insane.
This episode was written by Matthieu Choquet, and premiered on October 26th 2015 on France's TFOU. Despite being the 2nd episode in production order, it aired⌠8th. For some reason. Get used to this; it's gonna happen a lot.
My favorite international title is the Polish one, "Ilustrachor". It's a play on "ilustrator" and "strach" (fear), and I think it works really well. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the French title is just "The Artist", which is less of a name and more of a boring descriptor. Then again, the French dub does that a lotâ"Copycat", for example, is simply called "The Impostor". Also a boring descriptor is the Hebrew title, which is just "Painter", not even with a "the". And I know Hebrew has the definite article, so it's not like this is a language thing. Truly, zero fucks were given in Israel that day.
Then we have the Korean dub, which decides to break convention altogether and call the episode⌠okay, on the Miraculous wiki it's "Draw Then Erase You", while Google Translate says it's actually "I Draw You Again"? Yeah. Point is, the Korean dub likes to go with whimsical titles like this, which I think is really nice. The akuma name titles do help the viewer tremendously to keep track of what happened in what episode (especially useful for a series of this length), but they're also kind of bland and they force the show into a very rigid formula, a formula which I think is more of a liability than a strength at this point.
Lastly, the German dub opts to mix things up a little, so that while this episode is called "The Revenge Plan", Darkblade, for example, is still called " Darkblade". I would've called this episode "Drawn to You", but that's just me.
The font for the title card is also different in the French dub vs. the English one. While the English dub and the French one for the previous episode both use Kleymissky, now it's a sans serif font that I can't identify. It looks like Futura, but not entirely.
Marinette is chased by Stormy Weather and Lady Wifi. We'll find out in a bit that this is all part of NathanaĂŤl's fantasy, but even as a fantasy it doesn't make a lot of sense. What the hell would they want with Marinette of all people? I mean, I'd understand if they were after ChloĂŠâŚ
You know what? Hold that thought.
This episode takes place after Lady Wifi, despite Lady Wifi being the next episode. Both the English and French dubs put that episode before this one, which makes a lot more sense. Then again, it's also entirely possible that NathanaĂŤl can predict the future, so what do I know?
"Super Nathan"? Yyyyeah. Really sapped out all the coolness factor with that name there, NathanaĂŤl.
NathanaĂŤl is named after the show's art director NathanaĂŤl Bronn, who he bears a rather striking resemblance to.
NathanaĂŤl is failing Science. Noted. Then again, this could just be Mendeleiev exaggerating. That'd be hilarious, honestly. Imagine if it turned out NathanaĂŤl was one of the better students and Mendeleiev just has insanely high standards.
French Mendeleiev says that he's not going to improve his Physics grade like this, which is slightly better? Kinda?
French Mendeleiev uses the formal "you" with NathanaÍl. Kinda weird for a teacher this crabby, especially since she's also calling him by his first name, but⌠w/e. It is what it is.
Okay, to explain for those who might not know, French has what's called a T-V distinction. This means it distinguishes between formal and informal speech, using the 2nd person plural ("vous") in formal situations, and the singular ("tu") everywhere else. English actually used to have this too in the form of "you" and "thou" respectively, but thou was lost in most dialects, only surviving in parts of northern England and in Scotland.
The logo on NathanaĂŤl's shirt is meant to vaguely resemble the logo of the French progressive rock band Magma, which both NathanaĂŤl Bronn and Thomas Astruc are huge fans of. If you're into ambitious concept albums and weird time signatures, then by all means give it a shot, but I personally can't get into it. Their whole deal strikes me as extremely pretentious. Even the constructed language most songs are sung in, KobaĂŻan, isn't as alien as they'd like it to be; seriously, it's just Hungarian but a little to the left. Just look at a word like "ĂmĂŤhntĂŤhtt-rĂŠ". I rest my case.
Honestly, Eths strikes me as being much more up NathanaĂŤl's alley.
Mendeleiev just⌠casually lifts NathanaÍl into the air. Either he weighs next to nothing, or she's the Hulk. I'm going with the second one. Mendeleiev be like "Do you even lift, bro?".
"Draw him into our evil web." Motherfucker, you're a moth, not a spider.
Also, he missed the opportunity to say "Fly to him, my evil akuma, and draw him into our evil web." You know, just so you know he's evil.
Also also, dat delivery. Can we take that again, Antoine?
French NathanaĂŤl also uses the formal you with Hawk Moth. What is up with everyone being super formal this episode?
Not even two minutes in and NathanaĂŤl is already getting akumatized.
I haven't timed them all, but I think out of all the characters who were akumatized on screen, NathanaĂŤl's akumatization actually holds the record for being the earliest one relative to episode runtime.
ChloĂŠ's French voice is grating as all hell. It's like Marie Chevalot can't decide whether she's going for evil witch or spoiled five year old, so she's doing both at the same time.
Then again, ChloĂŠ isn't very well cast in any language except English and maybe Hebrew. She had a lot going for her, but I don't think she'd be the fan favorite she is without Selah Victor's performance. Someone give that woman a treatment for hernia; she carried ChloĂŠ's character on her back.
This is a group presentation, not pairs. Deal with it!" Mrs. Mendeleiev is based. ("Based? Based on what?" â Mendeleiev, probably.)
This moment led some people to hold up Mrs. Mendeleiev as "the good teacher" as opposed to Ms. Bustier (we'll get to that), ignoring the fact that she casually announced to the entire class that a kid was failing.
[⌠btw, as I was going through my notes I read that as "announced to the class that an entire kid is failing". I need to pay closer attention when I read.]
That blue eyeshadow is horrendous. Brown would have gone way better with those cold blue eyes and really made them pop. Someone edit that for me, please.
Also, I can't get over how dated ChloĂŠ's look is. Electric blue eyeshadow is a very 80s thing; you can see it in the music video for ABBA's "The Winner Takes It All". Astruc and Bronn are showing their age here.
ChloĂŠ and Sabrina have known each other since elementary school. Noted.
Marinette, I love you, but offering help no one asked for and butting into situations you know nothing about is a really bad idea.
"Because without me, she has nothing." French ChloĂŠ says "Because without me, she is nothing." Yeesh.
I love how one of the richest girls in Paris gets her hair done by her butler rather than a professional hairdresser. Then again, it might also be that this Jean-Claude and Jean-Something aren't the same person, but I highly doubt that.
"I got wind that you were being blown away by a hairy situation." Three in a row, really?
"Fewer puns, more action!" Took the words out of my mouth, Ladybubs.
In French, Ladybug says "Help me instead of making jokes!", which is even more blatant.
"I dunno, but he sure has a way of illustrating his point." Heh.
Oh, lighten up, Marinette. That pun was brilliant.
French Marinette doesn't react to the joke at all, which I guess is slightly better.
ChloĂŠ is so oblivious she can't even tell when Marinette is being sarcastic.
"I'm just a little camera shy." French Ladybug says "I'm a bit allergic to selfies." Hilarious.
I like how ChloĂŠ scribbled all over Marinette's face, but not NathanaĂŤl's. If I didn't know any better, I'd think she's a bit jealous.
"It's hard to keep my cool. Especially in school." Shut up!
The rhyme is a bit better in French, where Marinette says something to the effect of "It's hard to keep my cool. Like when she said to Sabrinaâ" (" C'ĂŠst dur de garder mon sang froid. Comme quand elle a dit au Sabrinaâ"), which also connects better to the next line about Sabrina and the project.
That is a lot of missed calls. You know, I'm starting to think only ChloĂŠ is friends with Sabrina because Sabrina is exhausting.
"'Cause ChloĂŠ is cruel and selfish!" I mean... not that he's wrong or anything, but I can count on one hand the amount of times that these two have interacted in five seasons, and what she did this episode was mild compared to Mendeleiev repeatedly insulting him in front of the entire class.
NathanaĂŤl does have the tendency to easily fly off the handle (more on that when we get to Reverser), but all this vitriol feels very pastede on yay, even for him.
Then again, a lot of things about this episode don't really make sense when it comes to NathanaĂŤl, like the fact that he likes Marinette to begin with. We're talking about Mr. Trust Issues and the queen of going behind people's backsâif his characterization made sense at all, NathanaĂŤl would want nothing to do with Marinette. Heck, we actually see this later on; their only other interaction this season is him getting mad when Marinette accidentally accuses him of theft, and in Reverser he, apropos of nothing, assumes Marinette is making fun of him.
Can't believe it's taken watching this episode in French for me to notice the freaking record scratch noise. Then again, the record scratch is way more appropriate in French. English NathanaĂŤl sounds shy and awkward, like a normal schoolboy with a crush, while French NathanaĂŤl is a tad overenthusiastic. I mean, just look at this change in dialogue:
English NathanaĂŤl: (shyly) You? You're Marinette! You're beautiful and sweet and perfect and I could never hurt you.
French NathanaĂŤl: (enthusiastically) You? You're Marinette! You're so sweet, so pretty, so perfect!
The French line also rhymes ("Toi? T'es Marinette! T'es si douce, si jolie, si parfaite!") What is up with everybody rhyming this episode?
I really like NathanaĂŤl's English voice. Michael Sinterniklaas is very pleasant to listen to.
The same, however, cannot be said for NathanaĂŤl's French VA, Frank Tordjman. Honestly, since Sinterniklaas is French, part of me kind of wants to hear his take on French NathanaĂŤl's dialogue, just to see what it'd sound like.
(Also, yeah, NathanaĂŤl's English VA is actually French. And Dutch. You now have that cursed knowledge.)
Yeah, a party for two. Just say you wanted to ask her out on a date, you insufferable little shit.
Seriously, I have no idea why the writers had him say it's his birthday and that he's inviting her to his party. It doesn't affect anything, it doesn't help pin the episode down in the timeline, and it doesn't even do anything for NathanaĂŤl's character except maybe making the viewer feel a tiny bit worse for him. It's a completely useless detail.
That said, when do you think NathanaĂŤl's birthday is? He gives me Taurus vibes, so I'm gonna chuck a dart at a calendar and go with May 14th.
He could've at least fixed the window.
"Sabrina's so selfishâŚ" Oh, shut up and taste your own medicine.
Then again, I love the fact that ChloĂŠ actually tries to work on the project, if only for a few seconds before completely giving up. If she were as much of a brat as later seasons would have you believe, the idea would have never even entered her head.
"This cat's got particle physics in the bag." In French, Cat Noir says Physics is his favorite subject. If you were wondering why a lot of S1-era fanfic has Adrien studying physics later in life, now you know.
"Really cute, isn't she?" Marinette complements herself to Cat Noir. I love her, your honor.
Sabrina turns on both ChloĂŠ and Marinette on a dime. She's also very quick to flip out at Marinette, and I think the only reason she doesn't do this with ChloĂŠ is because she knows ChloĂŠ would smack her into the next week.
"I can't believe I did your geography homework for you." In French, Sabrina says, "And to think I worked all evening on your geography homework.", which. I'm pretty sure this episode takes place all in the same day. What are you talking about, Sabrina? Did I miss a scene?
The flexing would be a lot more impressive if he wasn't built like a twig.
"That birthday boy date of yours is bad news." How do you know it's his birthday? I'm guessing Adrien is a lot closer with NathanaĂŤl than Marinette is.
Speaking of which, Polish Cat Noir calls Evillustrator by name. I⌠How do you know his name, Adrien???
Polish Adrien is straight-up psychic, geez.
French Cat Noir says "I'm your knight for tonight's ball, Princess." If you were wondering why a lot of MariCat fic has him calling her "princess", well, now you know.
An artist and a musician? Why do we need Luka, again?
I kid, I kid.
Also, the fact that NathanaĂŤl can write sheet music means he can play an instrument, so what do you think it is? I'm going with violin. Like drawing, it requires a lot of dexterity.
Yes, Adrien, don't do anything. Just sit there like a block of moldy cheese and let the guy monologue.
But you're really just like ChloĂŠâteasing me, mocking me, leading me on!" Look, I know what the writers were going for here, that Marinette leading him on is just like ChloĂŠ messing with him (and indeed, French NathanaĂŤl says something more along the lines of "You're just like ChloĂŠ, mocking me, laughing at me! You betrayed me!"). However, the way this sentence is phrased and those two pieces of information are stuck together ends up implying that ChloĂŠ strung NathanaĂŤl along at some point. The double meaning of the word "tease" doesn't help, either. I don't know if the English translator did this on purpose, but I bloody hope they did.
Then again, this might not even be on the translator. We'll get into this more in Animan, but the final French dub is not the original French script, it's an adaptation of the English script. Not only that, but the writers have a level of control over the English dubâ"evilize" was apparently Astruc's idea. So, for all we know, this might actually be on Choquet, and knowing that his favorite character is ChloĂŠ, I wouldn't put it past him. His favorite episode is also the Heroes' Day two-parter, so we know exactly which version of ChloĂŠ he prefers.
"Seriously?! Why is everybody comparing me to ChloĂŠ tonight?" Oh my god, thank you, Marinette! No, really, why are people comparing her to ChloĂŠ this episode?
Now, I'm not saying these two aren't similar, because they definitely are. They both have self-worth issues the size of France (albeit in different ways and for very different reasons), they both have trouble seeing from other people's points of view and are thus capable of stunning disregard of those around them, they can both be petty as hell, and they both project their idea of the "perfect relationship" onto Adrien, trying to mould him into what they thing is their ideal boyfriend instead of just treating him like a person. Problem is, this episode isn't trying to make a point about any of those similarities. It's just: say Marinette is like ChloĂŠ, refuse to elaborate, exit stage right. If that's how you're going to do it, why even bother?
Also, at least in Sabrina's case we knew she's ChloĂŠ's best friend. This is being said by a guy whose relationship to ChloĂŠ we know literally fuck all about. We know that he thinks she's "cruel and selfish" for some unspecified reason, but we never learn what that reason is.
"Great thinking!" No it isn't; you're just dumb.
Both the show and the fandom make a big deal out of Marinette being smart, but she's not; she's a semi-normal person in a world where everyone has the IQ of a banana. Y'all really have no right to complain about Lila.
Then again, writing smart characters is super hard, so I'm not surprised that the writers didn't bother and just dumbed down everyone else instead.
The way the light reflects off of ChloĂŠ's blazer makes it look plastic-y, like it's made out of a piece of linoleum.
Fuck me, is NathanaĂŤl ruthless. Dude is like a cat toying with his prey.
ChloĂŠ also uses the formal "you" with Evillustrator. It's basically the equivalent of calling him "sir" in English, which is really weird for someone this irreverent and especially considering she's calling him a monster in the same breath.
ChloĂŠkins, there's a time and place for roleplay. This isn't one of them.
Speaking of which, time to take that pin out: NathanaĂŤl doesn't read like a bully victim. He reads more like a jilted ex. Think about it, the dude has no reason to care what ChloĂŠ thinks of him or to be hurt by her nonsense (no readily apparent reason, at least), so his reaction to her should be similar to that of the rest of his classmates, a kind of annoyance, frustration, and semi-confusion. Something like, "Girl, what's your damage? Do you seriously have nothing else to do with your time besides bothering me? What did I even do to you? Get a life!" Instead, he's out there acting like ChloĂŠ killed his cat. Nobody gets this pressed if they don't care in some way. Yes, I know he's akumatized and his anger is at an all-time high, but he's still the same person. Akumatization can only amplify what is already there; it can't give someone a completely new personality. Unless we're meant to believe NathanaĂŤl is so unbelievably fragile that the least trustworthy person in the room making fun of him is enough to send him into a tailspin, his anger is deeply intimate and personal. This is not helped at all by the weird mix of playfulness and sadism in the way he toys with ChloĂŠ. Nor by Mike Sinterniklaas' line deliveryâseriously, listen to him without looking at the screen and tell me he doesn't talk like an abusive boyfriend getting revenge on his girl for breaking up with him.
Not only that, but both here and in Reverser, he gets super mad when he thinks people are toying with his feelings and taking advantage of his trustâwhen he thinks the person he's opened his heart to is taking him for a fool. It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together.
This does raise the quesion of what the hell is it about ChloĂŠ that NathanaĂŤl would find attractive, but I'll hold off on answering that until we get to Reverser. I promise it'll be interesting.
"Cat Noir! He can't draw in the dark!" Yell a little louder, why don't you?
"Sadly, those who get in my way get erased." I freaking love this line.
This sequence is completely ruined in the French dub, where NathanaĂŤl uses baby talk and Frank Tordjman does this derpy, sing-songy delivery that kills any and all intimidation factor Evillustrator might have. But yeah, guys, the French dub totally sounds more mature than the English dub. Totally.
Yes, I'm being petty, why do you ask?
Both Cat Noir and NathanaĂŤl call Marinette "little lady". (This doesn't happen in the French dub, btw. Boo!)
"Once I have them all in my grasp, I shall rule the world!" As we're going to find out later, that's not actually his motivation, which makes this line really weird in hindsight.
French Hawk Moth says "I'll have absolute power", which is slightly better, I guess?
Mind if I pat your shoulder again? No? Good. â Adrien, probably.
"Girl, you have got to get better control of your emotions." Tikki's starting to sound like Alya. I guess Marinette has that effect on people.
In French, Tikki says: "Marinette, when will you learn to control your emotions?", which sounds a lot more like her.
Nath's drawing is one of the Mini Menace Ladybug fake comic book covers, the first drawings of Ladybug that Astruc made. To be specific, it's Issue #10, just with the title changed from "Mini Menace Ladybug" to "Miraculous Ladybug", and the guns removed to make it suitable for younger audiences.
Honestly, I think Astruc should've stuck to making Miraculous Ladybug as a series of comics. He wouldn't have had to deal with the same limitations he does with a cartoon (such as lowering the age of the target audience, twice), and if it got popular, it would've been made into a cartoon anyway. This is actually what happened with Lastman, an adult animation series that Choquet worked on.
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Summary: AU where Adrien never went to school, and Chat Noir never showed up to fight Stoneheart. Aged up Christmas enemies to lovers story.
âŚ
As Chat Noir stared up at Ladybug from his personal crater in the street - sun at her back, casting a halo around her like she was some sort of red spotted angel - his breath left his chest for a reason other than the yo-yo string wrapped taut around his torso. She glared down at him, masked brow furrowed in discontent and vibrant blue eyes flashing with determination.
âStop lazing about and seize her Miraculous,â Hawkmothâs voice snapped in his earpiece.
Chat Noir reflexively moved to follow his fatherâs orders, and Ladybug planted a foot on his chest to force him back down into the human shaped dent heâd made in the pavement. He was infinitely grateful that the suit protected him from most of the impact of his involuntary collision with the concrete earlier.
That had been quite a fall. In contrast, Ladybugâs foot was much kinder than gravity.
âStay down, Chat Noir,â Ladybug warned, tugging the yo-yo string a bit tighter to emphasize her point.
Her midnight hair whipped in the wind as she stared him down. In a stark contrast with his fatherâs signature steely gaze, Ladybugâs eyes were full of fire. She was somehow warm and caring, despite her pointed words and the fact that sheâd very soundly kicked his butt not five minutes prior.
Chat Noirâs heart stuttered traitorously, and he felt his face growing warm. How did his father expect him to best this absolute tempest of a woman? The lady in red could squash him right here and now, and heâd probably thank her.
âI was hoping youâd step on me,â he blurted out.
âWhat!?â Ladybug squeaked.
The superheroineâs eyes widened in shock and she stumbled back a bit, grip slackening on the yo-yo string as she gaped at her cat-themed adversary. Her foot left his chest, and Chat Noir simultaneously flushed bright red.
Theyâd been fighting like this for well over two years, and not once had anything more than playful banter or puns escaped his mouth in her presence. Shame at his inappropriate remark welled up inside him.
âN-No, I didnât mean to say that!â He spluttered, struggling against the yo-yo string in an attempt to free his hands enough to cover his flaming face.
Chat Noir kind of wished the ground would finish swallowing him up, so he could pass away from embarrassment peacefully. Without a superheroine and all of Paris watching while his soul left his body.
âAhemâŚAdrien, I changed my mind. You may retreat,â the voice in his earpiece said awkwardly.
Oh good.
His father heard it too, and would understand why his only son met an untimely and shameful demise. He finally freed his hands and promptly covered his face as if that could hide him from the bewildered beautiful blue eyes that stared down at him.
âIâm so sorry!â Chat Noir whined through his fingers, refusing to make eye contact with Ladybug.
âUm,â Ladybug replied eloquently.
âI d-donât know why I said that,â he stammered. A voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Plagg told him he was a liar, and he knew exactly why he said that.
âI must be a masochist,â he thought miserably.
Because he could no longer deny the definitely-not-platonic feelings that he had for his frankly intimidating adversary. She really was like an angel: in the way that Chat Noir was in awe (and more than a little bit terrified) of her.
Ladybug suddenly snorted, drawing his attention enough to peek through his fingers at her.
âYou- Youâre all red! I never thought Iâd see a- a supervillain blush,â Ladybug gasped out between giggles as she retracted her yo-yo.
Chat Noir shot her a half-hearted glare and propped himself up on his elbows. Ladybug wiped a stray tear from her eye and offered him her other hand. He eyed it distrustfully, and she rolled her eyes at him in a much friendlier way than she ever had before.
âCome on, let me help you up,â Ladybug said, an amused smile curling her lips up at the corners.
He weighed his options, realized that his father had definitely cut off communications to avoid more secondhand embarrassment, and Chat Noir decided heâd be daft to turn down a friendly gesture from the gorgeous woman who kicked him halfway across Paris on a regular basis.
He took her hand with the one that didnât bear his Miraculous (one could never be too careful), and she easily hauled him to his feet. He would have been surprised by her strength if he wasnât uniquely familiar with just how strong she really was.
âThank you,â Chat Noir said carefully, ears flattened against his skull as he avoided eye contact again.
âUm, I wasnât offended earlier. Just so you know,â Ladybug said, voice wavering as she held back more laughter.
Chat Noirâs eyes snapped to attention against his will, and he found himself entranced by the kindness he found on her face.
âReally?â He asked, a bit incredulous. Heâd said something rather crude, after all.
âIt was funny,â Ladybug replied, extricating her hand from his.
Oh no, heâd been holding her hand this whole time. His face flamed again, and he snatched his hand back as if heâd been burned.
âWell, I am hiss-terical,â Chat Noir deflected, forcing himself to look relaxed as he grinned at her.
She pouted and crossed her arms at the cat pun, and Chat Noir found himself wishing sheâd touch his hand again. He was definitely in trouble.
âYouâre such a menace, you know that?â Ladybug said with a quirk of her brow.
Her eyes were warm and inviting, and for the first time Chat Noir truly wished things were different. That he could be the recipient of that kind gaze all the time. That he could stand by her side instead of against her.
Plagg did take every opportunity to remind him that he was supposed to be Ladybugâs partner. He wondered if that was why he felt so drawn to her.
Maybe if he made her angry again, he could prolong this conversation and see her a bit longer.
âYou know you like me, Bugaboo,â Chat Noir said in a sing-song voice, stepping toward her and leaning in with a flirty grin. The nickname had just rolled off his tongue, and he wasnât sure where it had come from. He fully expected Ladybug to launch him into next week for stepping into her space and taunting her.
To his immense surprise, she let him advance until there were only a few inches of space between their faces. Then her eyes flashed with steel, and Chat Noir braced himself for an impact that never came. With a single finger on his nose, Ladybug gently pushed his face backward.
He blinked at her in surprise, crossing his eyes to ensure that, yes, her index finger was still positioned over his nose.
âI do like you. I wish you wouldnât fight me, Kitty,â Ladybug said, a sadness that he didnât particularly like dancing in her eyes.
âWha-?â Chat Noir began, cat ears snapping to attention as his heart fluttered at her words.
âWeâre supposed to be a team,â she said, eyes pleading as her finger left his nose and carefully pushed a strand of hair out of his eyes.
âI know,â Chat Noir whispered, leaning into her touch.
âThen why arenât we?â Ladybug murmured, slipping her hand into his hair.
Chat Noir melted.
Any walls he still had to protect himself from his own feelings for Ladybug came crashing down, and his eyes pricked with unshed tears as she squeezed them shut.
When Chat Noir first received his Miraculous, he was young and impressionable. He truly believed in his fatherâs cause. Gabriel loved Emelie more than anything in the world. It was beautiful and inspiring what lengths he would go to for the woman he loved. And what child wouldnât want to see their mother smile again?
But now Adrien was an adult, and he could see that Gabriel Agresteâs fervor for his late wife wasnât love. It was an ugly thing: an all-consuming obsession.
Deep down, he knew that if they succeeded, Gabriel would treat Emelie no differently than he treated Adrien. The thought of bringing his mother back just to be locked away in a gilded cage was enough to turn Adrienâs stomach.
Emelie didnât deserve the same unfortunate fate as her son. To be given a life not meant to be livedâŚit was cruel.
âI donât have a choice, Ladybug,â Chat Noir said urgently, half to remind himself of that fact.
âThereâs always a choice,â she insisted.
âYou donât understand,â he replied forlornly.
âThen help me understand,â she countered, eyes inquisitive as she pleaded with him.
Maybe if he told herâŚ
Would things really change? Could he fight alongside this woman who had soundly stolen his heart? Could he save his mother from a second life as Gabrielâs prisoner?
Or would his father simply confiscate the Miraculous of the Black Cat and make sure Adrien never saw the light of day again? That seemed a much more likely outcome.
Besides, no matter how kind-hearted Ladybug was, he couldnât ask her to set him free. Adrien Agreste wasnât her burden to bear.
âI canât,â Chat Noir whispered, eyes falling shut in defeat as he took a reluctant step back.
Ladybugâs hand hovered between them for a second before she let it drop to her side. He sighed and turned his back to her as he prepared to leave, pulling his staff from its place at his lower back.
Chat Noir paused and glanced over his shoulder at Ladybug. Her eyes were filled with sadness as she gave him an approximation of a smile.
âSee you later, Bug,â he called to her.
Then he took off in the direction of home.
âŚ
From that point on, he found himself half-heartedly fighting Ladybug. When she tossed him a few blocks away during an Akuma battle, he found himself taking the long way back to give her time to defeat the akumatized villain.
And when he did fight her, more and more flirtatious banter slipped out. He found that his father had no desire to listen to his cringe-worthy pickup lines, and the word âBugabooâ was a sure fire way to get Hawkmoth to cut off communications.
Ladybug picked up on that quickly, genius that she was, and even seemed to flirt back on occasion. That never failed to disgust Hawkmoth, and the man couldnât seem to hang up fast enough. Once his father was no longer in his ear, Chat Noir was free to be genuine with Ladybug.
Sometimes theyâd perch atop a secluded building and just talk. Over time, Ladybug and Chat Noir secretly became friends despite being on opposing sides of a magical battle for the Miraculous.
And little by little, Ladybug chipped away at the iron bars that kept him separated from her. She had an uncanny way of seeing straight through Chat Noirâs bravado. It was as if she somehow knew about the somber young man that hid behind his mask, despite his valiant effort to hide it from her.
Before long, Adrien could no longer deny that he was head over heels in love with his secret friend, and it only exacerbated his longing to be by Ladybugâs side.
âŚ
Christmas Eve came around sooner than Adrien expected, and with it Gabrielâs already constant foul mood worsened. This particular day involved another weather akuma, so the streets were slick with ice and rain. It had been a long and tiring battle, mostly because Chat Noirâs staff would become a lightning rod if he wasnât careful, so he had to stick to scaling the slippery buildings the old fashioned way. It would be nice if Hawkmoth had kept that inconvenience in mind when creating his villain, but that kind of oversight was to be expected when he was in such a terrible mood.
He was often in a terrible mood.
Chat Noir hadnât the energy to even protest when Ladybug bound him to a lamppost with her yo-yo and took off after the akumatized villain. In fact, he welcomed the break from sliding through frozen puddles and slumped against the post while he waited for the battle to end.
âChat Noir, where are you?â Hawkmoth barked in his earpiece.
âA little tied up,â he responded with a sigh.
âTypical,â Hawkmoth replied. âDonât bother showing up for our scheduled dinner, Iâll not be eating with you.â
âYes sir,â Chat Noir responded evenly.
The rejection didnât sting the way it did when he was younger. Now he felt numb to his fatherâs attempted manipulation. It was a hollow victory.
âIâll handle the rest of this battle without your assistance, as usual. You are dismissed,â Hawkmoth snapped, before cutting off communication.
âGreat,â Chat Noir huffed to the empty streets, misery seeping into his bones along with the cold.
He vaguely wondered if the water in his hair had turned to ice yet, but the way the thunder rumbled overhead made him reconsider that. Perhaps it was still liquid because of the torrential downpour that was still going on. His teeth chattered despite the insulation his suit was supposed to provide, and Chat Noir wondered if he could wriggle free of the yo-yo string and take cover somewhere until the battle was over.
He tugged experimentally and realized that the string was much too tight to get free on his own. He might be able to Cataclysm it, but he wasnât sure how that would affect Ladybug and he definitely didnât want to somehow hurt his friend - who he was somehow even more desperately in love with than before.
Heâd just have to wait for her to return; she needed the yo-yo to purify the akuma, after all. Sheâd be back.
Chat Noir saw a flurry of lightning a few blocks over, and he hoped she was faring well against the villain.
The rain grew impossibly heavier as sleet began to pelt the top of his head, and the wind whistled through the buildings. Chat Noir shivered violently and frowned at the distant battle, hoping it would be over soon so he could spend his lonely Christmas Eve wrapped in a blanket instead of as a cat-sicle.
âAlya, what the heck are you doing?â A male voice shouted from the left, and Chat Noirâs head snapped over to the noise.
A young woman wearing a Ladybug themed Christmas sweater had emerged from one of the shops, and was marching toward him. The man who had yelled was running behind her with a rain jacket, trying to drape it over her shoulders to shield her from the rain.
âSomebody has to do something,â Alya - he assumed that was her name - said.
The manâs eyes darted between the woman and Chat Noir apprehensively, âAlya, thatâs Chat Noir!â
Alya marched on, seemingly unphased by the sleet that pelted her unprotected head or her companionâs concerns. Chat Noirâs ears flattened against his skull as the woman advanced on his position.
âGo back inside if youâre scared, Nino,â she called over her shoulder.
Nino whined and continued to follow a few paces behind Alya, obviously terrified and freezing but unwilling to leave her to face a supervillain alone. She stopped a few feet in front of Chat Noir, hands on her hips as she regarded him sternly. He finally recognized her as the reporter who ran the wildly successful Ladyblog, Alya Cesaire.
He wondered if she was going to take his Miraculous.
He also wondered if that might actually be for the best. He shook with cold as he awaited her decision. He could activate his Cataclysm to protect his Miraculous, but he couldnât find it in himself to fight to protect it. Maybe this was fate.
Alyaâs intervention could finally end his fight with Ladybug; he lowered his head in defeat.
âIâm gonna untie you,â Alya said, raising her hands placatingly.
Chat Noir blinked at her uncomprehendingly.
âUh, what?â he asked.
âBut! Youâre gonna sit on the sidelines and not interrupt Ladybugâs fight if I do,â Alya said sternly, gritting her teeth to fight the impending chatter.
âAlya,â her companion, Nino, looked ready to keel over from the stress of the situation.
âS-Sure, youâve got a deal,â Chat Noir stammered.
âGood. Donât make me regret this, Cat Boy,â Alya warned, before grabbing onto the yo-yo and tugging at it the way heâd seen Ladybug do many times. The yo-yo retracted like it always did, and Chat Noir wondered how Alya had known what to do. Perhaps years of following Ladybug around gave her an advantage.
His arms were finally free, and he immediately tucked his hands into his armpits in an attempt to warm up his numb fingers. Nino flinched at the abrupt motion, and Chat Noir gave him an apologetic smile.
âThank you,â he said to Alya, inclining his head in her direction.
âDonât thank me yet, youâre gonna stay where I can see you until this thingâs over. A dealâs a deal,â she said, crossing her arms against the cold and nodding toward the shop sheâd come from.
He could see now that it was a bakery, and the idea of waiting indoors surrounded by good smells was way too good to pass up. Not that he was necessarily planning to double cross his bossy savior.
He gave her a two finger salute and a cheeky smile, âYes maâam!â
Ninoâs eyebrows rose in surprise at his easy agreement and Alya chuckled, âLetâs get outta this rain!â
The three of them dashed over to the bakery and ducked inside. It smelled even more heavenly than he expected, and the warmth was such a relief from the biting wind outside. The three of them dripped large puddles onto the floor, and Chat Noir met the eyes of the stunned shopkeepers with an apologetic smile.
The shopkeepers immediately rushed out of sight into what he assumed was the kitchen. His cat ears drooped in disappointment at the idea of leaving the warmth and heavenly smells of the shop, but he was fairly sure he could convince Alya heâd stay out of Ladybugâs way so he could stop imposing on the bakers.
âI donât think Iâm welcome here,â Chat Noir began, turning to Alya with a frown.
Before Alya could respond, the shopkeepers rushed back into the room armed with a pile of towels.
âYou kids are going to catch your death of cold!â The small Asian woman admonished, draping a towel over Alyaâs head and wiping her face dry.
The large man did the same to Nino, who protested that he could dry himself off, thank you very much. Chat Noir openly stared as the shopkeepers fussed over his two saviors. He shivered again, rubbing his tingling hands together to generate some heat.
The woman must have noticed the movement in her peripheral vision, because she swiftly turned to Chat Noir. There was a momentâs hesitation, and then she approached him with another towel in hand. He stood stock still as she carefully draped the towel around his shoulders and rubbed his cheek with the end of the towel.
An old familiar ache sprang up in his chest as he looked into her kind motherly eyes.
âMy name is Sabine, and this is my husband Tom. We hope you wonât be causing any trouble, young man,â she said, quirking an eyebrow playfully.
Chat Noir shivered again and clutched the towel with both hands as he shook his head.
âOf course not. Thank you,â he said, blinking at the kind bakers in surprise.
âLetâs get you kids something warm to drink,â Tom declared, ushering them all to a table. Nino took a seat immediately, and Alya motioned for Chat Noir to sit too. He obeyed, and Tom replaced their soaked towels with dry ones.
âTea or hot chocolate?â Sabine asked.
It took Chat Noir a moment to realize she was talking to him, and he scrambled to answer.
âTea?â He squeaked.
Sabine looked unimpressed with this choice, and he wondered if heâd somehow chosen wrong. Tea was simpler, right?
âI think the dude actually wants hot chocolate,â Nino drawled.
Chat Noir raised an incredulous eyebrow at Nino, and the other guy shrugged.
âIt was super obvious, my man,â Nino said.
Everyone else nodded in agreement, and Chat Noir shrunk down in his seat.
âHot chocolate, then?â He said, looking to Sabine for approval.
She nodded and headed off to the kitchen, he assumed she already knew what the other two wanted. Tom sat down a tray of assorted baked goods and Chat Noirâs eyes widened with unrestrained glee.
âDig in,â Tom prompted, a laugh in his voice as he regarded Chat Noirâs unfettered interest in the plate.
Chat Noir immediately grabbed a chocolate chip cookie and took an eager bite.
âThis is so good!â He proclaimed, prompting another laugh from Tom.
âThanks, glad to know even supervillains have good taste!â Tom joked.
âIâll have you know, Iâm purr-fectly cultured,â Chat Noir said easily, placing a clawed hand over his heart.
Tom looked delighted at the joke, and pride swelled in Chat Noirâs chest. Nino snorted in surprise, and Alya barked out a laugh.
âSo the cat puns are a constant with you?â Alya asked, leaning forward with interest.
Chat Noir shrugged and took another bite of the heavenly cookie heâd been blessed with. Sabine returned with a tray of hot chocolates, while Tom mopped up the mess theyâd made at the entrance. Chat Noir took a grateful sip of the hot chocolate, and decided that these people must just have some sort of food magic that made anything they touched absolutely delicious.
There was another flurry of lightning outside, and Chat Noir sat up straight as he squinted out through the window.
âSheâs still fighting the akumatized villain?â He mused to himself, ears flattening again.
Alya nodded, âI was out there live-streaming before, but it was way too slippery to keep following her on foot.â
Chat Noir winced at the memory, âTell me about it.â
âDo you think sheâs okay without her yo-yo?â Nino murmured.
Chat Noirâs eyes widened as he glanced at the yo-yo Alya held in her hand.
âCrap,â Alya said, gazing down at the yo-yo with wide eyes.
âShe needs that to purify the Akuma,â Chat Noir said, a pit forming in his stomach.
âWhy would she leave it here?â Tom asked, brows furrowed in concern.
âBecause of me,â the cat villain said with a frown.
Chat Noir stood abruptly, causing the chair to scrape against the floor. Alya followed suit, brandishing the yo-yo in an approximation of a threat.
âHey, you promised not to interrupt Ladybug!â Alya shouted.
Chat Noir raised his hands placatingly, âShe needs that yo-yo if sheâs going to finish the fight.â
Ninoâs jaw dropped as the implications of that statement dawned on him, âWhat?â
âIâll take it to her,â Chat Noir said, flinching as the lightning picked up in frequency.
He held his hand out for the item, giving Alya a pleading look.
Alya eyed him distrustfully, âWhy would you do that? How do I know youâre not gonna take it to Hawkmoth?â
âAlya, she needs it now,â Chat Noir urged, glancing between her and the lightning in the distance.
She followed his gaze, and her eyebrows pulled together in concentration.
âIâm coming with you,â she declared.
âAlyaaa,â Nino whined.
âLetâs go then,â Chat Noir said, dropping his towel on the back of the seat and striding toward the door.
Tom watched with worry as Alya followed him to the exit. Nino trailed behind her, raincoat in hand as he tried to put it on her once again.
Sabine called out, âCome back here to dry off when youâre done. You have to finish your hot chocolate, after all.â
Chat Noir grinned at her, âAbsolutely.â
âYou keep Alya safe, you hear,â Nino said, frowning at Chat Noir.
He nodded his agreement as Alya finally tugged on her raincoat again.
âSo how are we doing this?â She asked, glancing between the supervillain and the rooftops.
âIâd offer to just carry you, but with the weather conditions, I kinda need both hands to climb the buildings. Are you cool with a piggy-back ride?â Chat Noir asked with a cautious grin.
âYeah, Iâm basically a pro at hanging on for dear life while someone really dangerous drags me across rooftops,â Alya said with a wave of her hand.
Nino grumbled something unintelligible at that.
Chat Noir laughed and turned his back so she could jump on.
Then they were off.
He was infinitely grateful that his suit came with claws as he scaled the building in the sleeting rain. Having Alya on his back provided a tiny bit of extra warmth, so he tried to convince himself that bringing her along wasnât a completely terrible idea.
He dug his claws into the brick one more time and then jumped the rest of the way up to the rooftop. Once they were up there, he scanned the skyline for any sign of Ladybug. Alya shivered against his back, and he once again doubted whether he should have brought her with him. He blinked freezing cold water out of his eyes and sighed, causing a puff of mist to escape his lips. A flash of lightning to the north alerted him to the red figure in the distance, and he turned in that direction, poised to jump to the next rooftop.
âHang on tight,â he told Alya, and then leaped across the chasm.
To her credit, Alya only screamed the first time, when his landing on the other roof involved more sliding on ice than she expected. After that, she had faith that he wouldnât cause them both to plummet to their deaths.
As they drew closer to the battle, the proximity of the lightning grew too close for comfort, and Chat Noir dropped down to the streets again for Alyaâs safety. It suddenly occurred to him that he had no idea how he was going to give the yo-yo to Ladybug without his father knowing about it.
He skidded to a stop and peeked around the building, seeing the akumatized villain atop the neighboring villain and ducking back before he could be spotted.
âWhatâs the problem?â Alya asked, shouting over the wind.
âI canât let him see me,â Chat Noir answered, lowering Alya to her feet and turning to her with a puzzled frown. She wrapped her arms around herself to defend against the cold.
âWhy not?â She asked, yo-yo still clutched tightly in her hand.
âHawkmoth will know I helped Ladybug, and that would be bad,â he admitted.
Alyaâs eyes widened, âBad how? Is he threatening you?â
Chat Noir grimaced, âNo. Yes? It doesnât matter, we need to get that to Ladybug!â
Alya grinned, âI got this. You just be ready to get me out of the way if Sparky over there decides to fry me.â
Chat Noir nodded his agreement, hoping it wouldnât come to that. Alya took a deep breath and then looked up at the sky, shielding her eyes from the rain as she searched for Ladybug. Another flash of red to the left alerted Chat Noir to her presence, and he pointed Alya in the right direction.
The Ladyblogger took off into the street, and Chat Noir followed in the shadows.
âLadybug!!â Alya shouted, waving her arms to catch the heroineâs attention.
Ladybugâs head snapped over in Alyaâs direction, and Alya held the yo-yo up triumphantly. Unfortunately Weather Master noticed her too, and Chat Noir tensed in case he needed to get her out of the way. Ladybug bolted to Alya, feet sliding on the rooftops as she went, and then jumped off the building to hurtle toward Alya at breakneck speed.
Weather Master readied a lightning bolt, and Chat Noir gritted his teeth.
âCome on, come on, come on,â he muttered to himself, watching the clouds darken over Alyaâs head.
Ladybug caught Alya around the middle, grabbed the yo-yo and swung them both around the adjacent building - effectively dodging the lightning strike. Chat Noir could feel the static in the air, and the smell of ozone burned his sensitive nose.
He sighed in relief as Ladybug swung around the building, she must have deposited Alya there for safe keeping. She did seem very distracted though; perhaps she was waiting for Chat Noir to join in the fight. She had no way of knowing that heâd been dismissed, and the return of her yo-yo might have meant heâd escaped her trap.
She whacked Weather Master with her yo-yo, causing the akumatized man to redden with anger. Electricity gathered around him as he prepared another attack. Ladybug glanced around again, and Chat Noir winced as Weather Master took advantage of her distraction and blasted her off the roof with a gust of wind.
She managed to catch herself before she hit the ground, but Chat Noir realized he really needed to let her know he wasnât going to interfere.
Before he could move, Ladybug launched herself back up into the air and dove toward the akumatized villain. She reached out to make a grab at the manâs necklace at the same time that he generated another blast of wind. She veered off course, and aimed herself at a neighboring rooftop. Ladybug slid haphazardly as she made her landing, and just barely managed to stay on the roof.
She glanced to the left and locked eyes with Chat Noir, eyes widening with what looked like fear and exhaustion. Her hair was plastered to her face, her teeth were chattering, her nose was red from cold, and despite it all Chat Noir had never seen anything more beautiful in his life.
Her distraction bought Weather Master time, and the lightning appeared fully charged. Chat Noirâs heart dropped as he realized that Ladybug was unlikely to dodge the strike.
Chat Noir growled, slammed his staff into the ground, and extended it to create a lightning rod. He shot up into the sky, hoping and praying that heâd be fast enough. Chat Noir cleared the building as the lightning flashed, and he abandoned his staff in favor of hurtling toward Ladybug at top speed. He felt the heat of the lightning at his back as he tackled Ladybug to the ground, cradling her head to lessen the impact. She stared up at him with wonder, and wasnât sure which one of them was trembling at the moment.
âMove, Chat Noir! Or Iâll zap you too!â Weather Master shouted.
If Hawkmoth didnât know he saved Ladybug before, he definitely knew now.
Chat Noirâs ears flattened against his head, and he took up a defensive stance in front of Ladybug. He heard her get to her feet, and he flinched as his fatherâs voice came through his earpiece.
âAdrien. Return to base immediately,â Hawkmoth snapped.
He knew that tone. It was the tone Gabriel used when he refused to let Adrien move out into his own apartment even though Adrien was an adult.
It was the tone that came before the bars on 14 year-old Adrienâs windows. It was the security cameras in his room. It was the tracker on his phone.
It was the sound of Adrienâs freedom slipping from his grasp.
Chat Noir narrowed his eyes at the glowing butterfly outline over Weather Masterâs face, indicating that Hawkmoth was talking to the villain.
âNo thanks,â Chat Noir retorted, baring his teeth at the villain before yanking the earpiece out and tossing it off the roof.
Small hands wrapped around his left arm and pulled, getting him clear of a second blast of lightning. He looked into Ladybugâs wide hopeful eyes. He offered her a weak smile.
âThanks, Bug,â he said, voice tight with emotion.
âNow weâre even,â Ladybug said as her spinning yo-yo picked up speed.
He took up a defensive position protecting her back, and there was a distinct feeling of rightness about it.
Ladybug and Chat Noir dodged a flurry of lightning strikes, dancing around each other as if theyâd been working together for years. The smell of ozone hung heavy in the air while wind and hail pelted them from all angles.
It was exhilarating.
It was terrifying.
After what felt like a lifetime of dodging and weaving, Weather Master needed to recharge again before he could use more lightning, so they had a bit of time before they needed to dodge electricity again. All it took was one look from Ladybug, and Chat Noir instinctively knew he needed to cover her while she called for her Lucky Charm.
âHey Weather Wizard, taking you down will be a breeze,â Chat Noir taunted, directing the manâs attention away from Ladybug.
âItâs Weather Master, not Weather Wizard!â The akumatized villain shrieked, blasting Chat Noir with more wind. He barely managed to stay on the slippery roof by digging his claws into the cement.
âIs that all youâve got? I thought youâd be cooler. Youâre just a discount Stormy Weather,â Chat Noir quipped with a smirk.
Weather Master howled in frustration as the clouds overhead darkened. Chat Noir hoped Ladybugâs plan would come together soon. He glanced over to see her holding a kickball, of all things.
He raised an eyebrow at her, and she just shrugged helplessly. The butterfly outline glowed over Weather Masterâs face, and the villain turned to face Ladybug once again. Chat Noir sighed and mentally prepared himself to be as annoying as possible.
âWeather Meister, heads up!â Chat Noir taunted as he leaped toward the villain, flipping in the air, bouncing off Weather Masterâs shoulders, and landing masterfully in front of Ladybug.
The villain clenched his fists with rage and grabbed for Chat Noir, seemingly forgetting that long range attacks were his preferred method of fighting. Chat Noir managed to keep him busy for a bit, but eventually Hawkmoth reminded Weather Master that his lightning attacks were fully charged now.
Then Chat Noir and Ladybug were dodging lightning again, which was pretty miserable when they were already so cold, wet, and tired. Ladybug aimed her kickball at the adjacent building and kicked with superhuman strength, sending the ball flying at top speed. It set off a domino effect of falling objects, and Weather Master was so distracted trying to hit his adversaries that he wasnât paying much attention to the tumbling items around him. He aimed a lightning strike at Ladybug, just as an empty bucket rolled into his path and tripped him.
Ladybug grinned and moved to dodge another lightning strike, but her foot hit a patch of ice and she wasnât moving fast enough to get clear. Chat Noir instinctively shoved her out of the way, and then it felt like fire was coursing through his veins. The world spun sickeningly, and Ladybugâs muffled shout filled his ears. In a way, he recognized that heâd messed up, but he couldnât bring himself to regret his actions.
Then everything went black as he lost consciousness.
âŚ
Suddenly, he was upright again, and everything was crystal clear. It was as if heâd never been hit by about 300 million volts of electricity. He blinked in confusion at the beautiful gentle snow blanketing Paris. The horrible rain, wind, and sleet from earlier were nothing but a distant memory.
The man who had been Weather Master was nowhere to be seen. Ladybug must have cast her Miraculous Cure and dropped the victim off at ground level. Now she was gracefully sailing up over the side of the building he was standing on, and she was hurtling toward him dangerously fast.
Chat Noir yelped as the yo-yo string wrapped around his torso and was yanked taut. Suddenly he was nose to nose with Ladybug. She stared into his eyes with pinpoint focus, and he blinked back at her with no small amount of trepidation.
Apparently this was how it ended for him.
And what a way to go.
âWhat were you thinking?â She demanded, eyes blazing with unfettered fury and lips turned down in a deep frown.
âI-â he began.
She crashed her lips to his, and his brain short circuited. The kiss was rough and desperate, and he vaguely wished his arms were free despite not having much capacity for thought in the first place. Not that heâd make any complaints about being thoroughly kissed by Ladybug, however it happened. His heart pounded in his chest as he returned her heated kiss with equal fervor.
Ladybug broke away with a sad sigh, and Chat Noirâs stomach did little cartwheels at the feel of her breath on his face. The anger had simmered down, and now he could see the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.
âAre you okay?â She asked in a small voice.
His heart ached at the pain in her voice.
âOf course. You fixed everything,â Chat Noir breathlessly reminded her wearing what he was sure was the dopiest smile in the entire world.
She retracted her yo-yo string, and his arms were finally free to reach for her. He pulled her to his chest, and she placed her ear against his heart. They stayed like that for a moment, and it was like they were the only two people in the world.
âYou helped me,â Ladybug said, voice full of wonder.
Reality came crashing down on Chat Noir like a bucket of ice water.
âI helped you,â he repeated, eyes widening with realization.
He had turned on his father. He had finally worked side by side with Ladybug. Joy and terror wrestled for control within him.
Terror won out.
He extricated himself from Ladybugâs embrace and held her at armsâ length, looking into her eyes with urgency.
âHawkmoth is my father,â he said, inwardly begging her to also understand the things he didnât know how to put into words.
âWhat!?â She yelped, obviously taken aback by this new information.
âI live with him. Heâll confiscate my Miraculous when I get home,â Chat Noir said, giving her upper arms a gentle squeeze before yanking the ring from his finger and placing it in her hand.
The gentle cold of the snow cut straight through Adrienâs sweater, and he shivered as he gazed into Ladybugâs bewildered blue eyes.
âThatâs why Iâm giving it to you,â Adrien said, closing her limp fingers around the ring that contained Plagg, his only friend during his lonely teenage years.
His heart ached at the loss.
Ladybug gaped at him. Her beautiful blue eyes were wide with shock as she searched his face. What she found there, Adrien wasnât sure. She obviously recognized him, and no doubt had unraveled the identity of Hawkmoth. His eyes swam with tears as he gently brushed Ladybugâs bangs out of her eyes.
âTake care of Plagg for me?â Adrien asked, voice raw with emotion.
Ladybug snapped out of her daze and shook her head quickly.
âNo, I wonât take your Miraculous! Weâre finally partners,â she said, blinking back tears of her own.
âMy father will take it if you donât,â Adrien said with a sigh.
She sniffled as she looked between his face and the ring in her hand, eyes narrowed as she tried to think of alternatives.
âIâm sorry, My Lady. I loved being your partner for the day,â Adrien assured her.
Ladybugâs eyes glinted with fierce determination, and he recognized it as the look she got when sheâd figured out a tricky Lucky Charm.
âIâm not letting you go. Itâs you and me against the world, Kitty,â Ladybug said, taking his hand and sliding the ring back onto his finger. Adrienâs heart leapt at that declaration, and he wondered how it was possible to love this woman any more than he already did.
Plagg swirled out of the ring with a disgruntled yowl.
âListen to the bug, Kid. You hate living with that control freak anyway. And donât you ever renounce me again,â Plagg snapped, jabbing his little arm at Adrien in an approximation of a threat.
âPlagg, you know Iâm right. Heâll find me in no time. Itâs dangerous to keep you,â Adrien argued with a shake of his head.
Plagg crossed his little arms, âI fried your phone so he canât track you. Youâre welcome.â
Adrien sighed, âIâve got one of the most recognizable faces in Paris. If Ladybug hides me, itâll put her identity in jeopardy.â
Ladybug rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand, which she was still holding onto.
âI know Hawkmothâs identity too now, thanks to you. We can keep you hidden until I defeat him. Once I hand him over to the authorities, you should be able to get your own place without fear of him taking your Miraculous,â Ladybug said with a bright smile.
Adrien blinked at her in shock. She was handing him the proverbial key to his gilded cage, with no qualifiers or special conditions. She didnât even expect Adrien to fight with her against his father. Ladybug only wanted to set him free.
A large grin split across his face, and he pulled her into a gentle embrace.
âYou have no idea what that means to me, Ladybug,â he murmured into her hair.
âFinally. Hurry up and transform so we can get out of this snow,â Plagg remarked in his signature grumpy voice.
âClaws out,â Adrien said with a laugh, allowing the transformation to wash over him again.
This time, he was free of the shackles his father placed on him the first time he transformed. It felt different somehow. Ladybug pulled back to get a good look at her partner, and then she smiled just as brightly as he did. He leaned down to press his forehead to hers, and her cheeks reddened.
âOhmygosh, I kissed you,â Ladybug gasped.
Chat Noir chuckled and wiggled his eyebrows at her, âIâm hoping it wasnât a one-time deal.â
She rolled her eyes good-naturedly and gently pecked his lips, which caused his heart to skip a beat. Then Ladybug danced out of Chat Noirâs grasp with a playful grin, and he gave her an exaggerated pout.
âI wasnât ready,â Chat Noir complained.
âReally sorry to interrupt, but I am freezing and my boyfriend is probably freaking out,â a female voice cut in.
The color drained out of Chat Noirâs face as he turned to face Alya.
âHow much of that did you see?â He asked, voice sounding almost strangled with nerves.
Alya smiled sheepishly, âA lot of it? But donât worry, Iâm an expert secret keeper. Just ask Ladybug.â
He looked to Ladybug for confirmation, and she smiled encouragingly.
âChat Noir, Iâd like you to meet my best friend Alya Cesaire,â Ladybug said, unaware that this wasnât their first meeting.
âWe met earlier, actually,â Chat Noir said with a shrug.
Ladybug tilted her head questioningly, âReally?â
Alya laughed and placed her hands on her hips, âHe brought me here to return your yo-yo.â
Ladybug smiled at him, gratitude radiating from her entire being.
âKitty, you brought me my yo-yo? And protected my crazy best friend?â She asked with a teasing glance in Alyaâs direction.
Alya made a sound of mock indignation at being called crazy, and he reluctantly peeled his eyes off of Ladybug.
Chat Noir grinned over at Alya, âWell, it was a team effort. Alya was very helpful.â
âI can tell you all about it on the way back, girl,â Alya said, rubbing her arms in a vain attempt to get warm.
âOh! I promised Iâd return you to that bakery,â Chat Noir said, stepping toward Alya with a sheepish shrug.
âOh no worries, weâre all headed there!â Ladybug said with a smile.
Chat Noir tilted his head, trying to understand why Ladybug would be headed back to that bakery.
Ladybug giggled and reached up to ruffle his hair playfully, âSo, I actually have a close circle of people who are aware of my identity. This hero gig has been pretty lonely, so the people Iâve told have kept me sane.â
Chat Noir nodded in understanding and tried to ignore the gnawing guilt at the idea that he was the reason she was so lonely. He opened his mouth to apologize, but she only pressed a finger to his lips.
âIâm telling you this so you arenât blindsided, not so youâll apologize for circumstances beyond your control,â Ladybug said sternly.
Alya nodded vehemently and glanced longingly in the direction of the warm bakery.
âIâm going to reveal my identity to you. First, because I trust you. And second, because my circle of trusted people will be more than willing to help me hide you from Hawkmoth,â Ladybug continued.
âBut theyâll need to know my identity,â Chat Noir concluded.
âYeah, thatâs not something we can get around, but you can stay transformed until you feel ready to tell them. They wonât pressure you,â Ladybug said.
âNow letâs go,â Alya declared, grabbing Ladybugâs hand and pulling her forward.
Ladybug laughed and scooped Alya up before she tugged Chat Noir into a run beside her. Ladybug threw out her yo-yo and launched herself and Alya into the sky. Chat Noir kept pace with her so naturally that it felt like breathing, vaulting from building to building with practiced ease. He whooped with joy as he leaped across a busy street with Ladybug swinging at his side, and she answered with an elated laugh.
The civilians had started to emerge from their hiding places, and their exclamations of surprise ranged from amazed to fearful as they watched the super powered duo race across the rooftops. Chat Noir had been seen chasing Ladybug very often, but theyâd never been spotted running side-by-side.
Ha, spotted.
They were nearing the bakery, and he wondered how theyâd get in unnoticed. Ladybug swung around a building, which conveniently had no windows facing the balcony on top of the bakery, and alighted on the aforementioned balcony. She pushed open the trapdoor with her foot and unceremoniously dropped Alya into the hole. Chat Noir gaped at her and rushed to the opening to ensure Alyaâs safety.
Sure enough, there was a soft bed for Alya to land on beyond the trapdoor. He sighed with relief.
âHaha you should see the look on your face,â Alya said with a Cheshire grin before starting her descent into the bedroom.
Ladybug was the next to drop into the room, expertly avoiding the bed and landing in the middle of the floor like a gymnast. Chat Noir followed her example and closed the trapdoor before he landed lightly in front of Ladybug with catlike grace.
âTen out of ten, great form,â Alya called from the steps she was climbing down.
Chat Noir tipped an imaginary hat at Alya, before Ladybugâs voice called his attention to her.
âThis is my old room in my parentsâ apartment. I keep some of my things here, but I have my own apartment closer to the university,â she said.
He nodded along.
âSo I can get this space cleared out, and you can have this room until youâre ready to get your own place,â Ladybug said with a smile.
Chat Noir was incredibly touched by the gesture, and since his throat felt a bit too right for words, he tried his best to convey his gratitude through his smile.
âSpots off,â Ladybug said, before her super suit melted away in a flash of pink light.
Now a beautiful dark haired young woman dressed in a cozy pink sweater stood before him, looking so normal and yet so extraordinary. Her red, spotted Kwami gave Chat Noir a brilliant smile and inclined her head in greeting.
âIâm so glad to finally meet you! My name is Tikki,â the red creature said in a sweet voice.
Chat Noir blinked at the sweet Kwami in amazement, âHi Tikki.â
âMarinette, Iâm gonna borrow some clothes. Iâm soaked,â Alya said as she made her way to the closet.
âHelp yourself,â Ladybug, no Marinette, said.
âIâm sure you heard just now, but Iâm Marinette Dupain-Cheng,â she said with a soft smile that made his heart skip a beat.
Chat Noir hesitantly reached for her hands, hoping he wasnât being too presumptuous. Marinette smiled a bit shyly as she accepted his request, and he gave her fingers a gentle squeeze.
âYou are so beautiful, Marinette Dupain-Cheng,â he said reverently.
âEep,â she squeaked.
Her cheeks flushed prettily, and he became acutely aware of the sound of Alya searching through the closet. It would be rude to ask to kiss her again with Alya still over there, right? Instead, Chat Noir brought Marinetteâs left hand to his lips experimentally, and the young womanâs face grew impossibly redder.
âYouâre beautiful too,â she blurted.
Chat Noirâs heart leapt, and he smiled against her knuckles. Heâd never seen this softer side of her before, and he was blown away by how absolutely adorable it was.
âThanks, Bugaboo,â he replied with a flirtatious wink.
He was rewarded by another flustered squeak from Marinette.
âYou two are so freaking sweet. Iâm gonna get cavities,â Alya exclaimed with a grin as she returned to the room wearing a pink polka dotted sweater.
âOh, letâs go show Nino that Alya survived,â Marinette said with a giggle and a roll of her eyes.
âYeah, I think heâs going insane down there,â Alya said with a laugh.
âMy parents own the bakery below, as youâve probably guessed.They live here above it,â Marinette explained as she released one of Chat Noirâs hands in order to guide him toward the trapdoor that presumably led to the rest of the house. Alya had already disappeared through it, and they both followed her into the main house.
Nino looked like a nervous wreck sitting on the couch next to Sabine, who was patting his back reassuringly. Tom was bustling around the kitchen, seemingly whipping something delicious up, if the fantastic smells were anything to go by.
Chat Noirâs mouth watered.
âIâm alive,â Alya announced to the room.
Nino jumped to his feet and immediately rushed to his girlfriend, checking her over as if he expected to find something broken despite her obvious amusement at his antics. Once he determined that she was unharmed, he crushed her in a hug.
âI was so worried about you! Why didnât you answer your phone?â Nino demanded.
Alya grinned sheepishly, âHonestly, I didnât think it would take this long to get back. I figured Iâd fill you in when I got here.â
Sabineâs eyes immediately locked on Chat Noir, and then drifted to his and Marinetteâs joined hands. The woman seemed to almost sag with relief.
âOh Marinette, you brought Chat Noir back with you,â Sabine said with a watery smile.
âWe worked together this time, Maman,â Marinette said, squeezing his hand in her own and smiling more brightly than the sun itself.
Tom dropped the pot heâd been drying with a loud clatter that made Chat Noirâs ears ring. A surprised hiss escaped through his teeth as he shrunk back, and Marinette graciously ignored his reaction. Nino and Alya flinched in surprise, but they recovered well.
âOho! Thatâs fantastic news! We need to celebrate,â Tom Dupain declared as he scooped the pot off of the floor.
âIâm so glad you came back, dear!â Sabine said to Chat Noir.
âYeah, man. Iâm glad youâre gonna have Marinetteâs back from now on. Even if you did scare the crap outta me,â Nino said with an amused grin.
Tom nodded vehemently, âWeâve been so worried about our baby girl out there fighting Hawkmoth all by herself! But now that she has you to help her-â
Sabine and Nino grinned at Chat Noir, whose cat ears pinned back against his head at the unexpected attention. Marinette took a half step in front of him, as if to shield him from their expectations.
âLetâs not get ahead of ourselves. Chat Noir isnât working with Hawkmoth anymore, but he still needs to decide for himself where to go from here. Weâre here to support him, whatever he decides,â Marinette declared, crossing her arms over her chest with authority.
Her family and friends looked properly contrite, and Chat Noirâs chest twinged with guilt.
âI want to help, honestly. I just donât know if Iâm ready to stand up to him yet,â he said, staring at his boots instead of meeting the eyes of Ladybugâs trusted circle.
A gentle hand on his face lifted his chin so that he was meeting Marinetteâs warm gaze.
âAnd thatâs okay, Kitty. I would never expect you to take a step you arenât ready for,â she said.
âBut you need help. You need me,â he began.
Her eyes narrowed, but the kindness didnât dissipate despite the flint in her eyes.
âI do need you, Chat Noir. But youâve done so much to stand up to him already. This is so much harder on you than it is on me, so let me shoulder the things you arenât ready to handle for now,â Marinette said, tenderly brushing her thumb across his cheek as she smiled up at him.
Affection for this amazing woman bubbled up inside him, and he surged forward to embrace her. One of his arms wrapped around her strong shoulders, and the other wound around her waist. Her small hands rubbed his back comfortingly as he buried his nose in her hair.
âI canât believe this is actually happening,â he whispered.
âIâm sorry, Kitty,â Marinette murmured into his shoulder.
âDonât be. I-I havenât been this happy in a long time,â Chat Noir assured her.
âBut youâre also sad,â Marinette said, her voice tight with emotion.
Chat Noir gave her a gentle squeeze, âYeah. But Iâll be okay, Bug.â
He brushed a quick kiss against her forehead before he stepped back to a respectable distance. He hadnât forgotten about their audience, after all. Said audience looked curiously unsurprised at the closeness between the Miraculous holders.
Tom looked especially smug as he shared a conspiratorial look with Sabine. Chat Noirâs brow furrowed as he tried to decipher the meaning of the wordless exchange, but Marinetteâs fingers laced with his once again, drawing his full attention back to her.
âPapa, is the food almost ready?â Marinette asked, smiling in her fatherâs direction.
âOh, yes! I just have to take the rolls out of the oven,â Tom replied with a jovial laugh before returning to his work in the kitchen.
He paused and turned, as if heâd just remembered something important.
âYouâll still join us for dinner, wonât you, Son?â Tom asked with a bright grin.
âSure,â Chat Noir replied meekly.
âFantastic! Glad to have you,â Tom called as he resumed his path to the kitchen.
Sabine gave Tomâs retreating back a fond look before turning to Chat Noir with a kind smile.
âWould you like anything special for yourself or your Kwami, dear? Weâve got Tikkiâs favorite cookies already,â Sabine said.
Chat Noir blinked at her in surprise.
âOh, thereâs no need to do anything special for us. Weâd be happy to have what youâve already prepared,â he said, voice dropping into the overly respectful cadence he often used when he was interacting with the media as Adrien Agreste.
Marinetteâs mouth suddenly pulled down into a frown that looked more sad than angry, and Sabineâs expression wavered for just a second.
Chat Noir wondered what heâd done wrong.
âAt least let me get something for your Kwami.They must be famished,â Sabine said with a gentle smile.
Chat Noir nodded his agreement, realizing that denying Sabine her request would be much more rude than imposing on their family dinner.
âWe do happen to have Camembert in the bakery fridge! Marinette and Tom wanted to experiment with flavor combinations tomorrow,â Sabine said.
Marinette flushed, âWhat a coincidence.â
Chat Noir gave her a sly grin, âAw Bugaboo, were you planning to make something for Plagg?â
Marinette pouted, âWell, now youâve ruined the surprise. I made you a gift in case I got to see you on Christmas, and Tikki told me Plaggâs favorite cheese. It would only be fair to give him a gift too.â
Chat Noir reached for Marinetteâs hands, and she allowed him to thread his fingers through hers.
âThat is so sweet. You hoped youâd see me on Christmas?â he said in a teasing sing-song voice.
âYes, you dumb cat. Now Iâm regretting it. Maybe youâll get your gift next year instead,â Marinette replied, turning her nose up playfully.
âMy Lady,â Chat Noir said, pulling her closer even as she continued to avert her gaze. A smile tugged at the edges of her lips despite her efforts to maintain a pout.
âAre you saying you hope youâll see me on Christmas next year too?â he teased.
âMaybe I am,â Marinette replied, finally meeting his gaze with a confident smirk that made his heart stutter.
âI think that could be arranged,â Chat Noir responded with an elated smile.
âChat Noir, I warmed your hot chocolate up,â Tom bellowed as he entered the room again with a mug in hand.
Marinette yelped and blushed furiously as she yanked her hands out of Chat Noirâs grasp in order to cover her face.
Chat Noirâs smile was a bit strained as he accepted the mug from Tom.
âThank you,â he said through his teeth.
Alya snickered on the other side of the room, where she was in the middle of setting the table. Nino was making a show of being completely engrossed in putting the plates in their places.
Tom laughed awkwardly, âSorry, I guess I interrupted something.â
âItâs alright. Is the food ready?â Sabine asked her husband, shaking her head with a fond smile.
Tom grinned, âYep! Marinette can help me finish setting up, and you can take Chat Noir to get that cheese.â
âWould you like to come with me to get the cheese, dear? You could detransform in the supply room to feed your Kwami,â Sabine offered.
Chat Noir nodded and moved to follow her.
Sabine led the way to the door, and Marinette gave him an encouraging smile as he followed her mother down the stairs.
The petite woman stopped on the second landing and turned to face him, fingers laced together behind her back as she gave him another motherly smile that made his heart ache.
âI hope Iâm not overstepping by saying this, but I wanted to let you know that I want to help you in any way I can. We may not have met before today, but I have been wishing you well for a very long time. Iâm not sure what the connection is between you and Hawkmoth, but I can see that this is a very difficult time for you. You are not obligated to tell me or Tom anything at all, but we are more than willing to listen if you decide you want to share,â Sabine said, fingers still laced behind her back, as if she were doing so to prevent herself from reaching out to him.
The idea that she offered support without demanding anything from him made his chest tighten, and more tears pricked at his eyes.
âAnd Iâm sure Marinette has already extended the invitation, but if you need a place to stay, you are more than welcome here. We would be happy to have you as a guest for however long you may need.â Sabine said, finally unlacing her fingers from behind her back and giving in to the temptation to give his cheek a gentle pat.
Marinette hadnât even spoken to Sabine about his needing a place to stay yet, but Sabine was already offering their home to him freely; without any context or explanation of why he might need it. It cast his fatherâs way of dealing with things into sharp contrast.
âThank you,â he said with a sniffle. âYouâre very kind.â
Sabine gave him a bright smile and gestured for him to follow her once more.
âYouâre very welcome. Come, letâs get that cheese,â she said cheerfully as she led the way down to the bakery.
As they ventured into the bakery, Sabine flipped on a light switch in the display cabinet, illuminating rows of decadent desserts. Chat Noir tried to keep his eyes facing forward, but they drifted to the beautiful pastries in the case against his will.
âGrab one, dear! Theyâre the items that didnât sell today,â Sabine said with a kind smile as she opened up one of the industrial sized fridges to retrieve the Camembert.
She approached him with the cheese in hand, and opened the display case.
Chat Noir meekly reached in and picked a lovely cookie decorated like a Christmas sweater. Sabine nodded knowingly.
âI shouldnât be surprised that you picked one Marinette frosted,â Sabine explained with a shrug.
Chat Noirâs eyes widened as he gazed at the cookie with a new appreciation.
âShe did this?â He asked.
Sabine nodded.
âWow! Sheâs so amazing,â he said, holding the cookie up with reverence.
âGo ahead and eat the cookie, I wonât tell Tom you spoiled your dinner,â Sabine said conspiratorially.
Adrien obliged, and it was easily the best cookie heâd ever had in his entire life. Though maybe he was a bit biased because his Lady made it.
Marinetteâs mother chuckled and patted his shoulder affectionately.
âThe supply closet is over here,â Sabine said, opening the door to what appeared to be an oversized pantry.
He accepted the wheel of cheese from her and approached the door, pausing in the doorway as he gazed at the kindly woman in wonder.
âI wonât peek,â Sabine promised.
âN-No, I didnât think that! I just-â he paused, shuffling the cheese in his hands as he deliberated.
âWould it be weird if I justâŚstayed detransformed? I mean, Plagg would probably like to be present for dinner too,â Chat Noir trailed off uncertainly.
âWeâd be honored to be trusted with your identity, but again, please donât feel obligated to disclose anything personal,â Sabine said with an assuring smile.
Chat Noir took a deep breath, âClaws in.â
After the flash of green light faded, Adrien found himself standing in the kitchen of the bakery in his sweater and jeans. Thankfully, the transformation had miraculously dried his clothing.
âCamembert! I knew these people would have good taste,â Plagg said in his signature obnoxious tone.
The Kwami tried to snatch the Camembert from Adrienâs hand, but the young man held it out of reach.
âWait, Plagg,â Adrien chided.
Sabine looked a bit surprised by the sudden transformation, but she immediately recovered.
âAnd who do I have the honor of meeting today?â Sabine asked with a kind smile.
âMy name is Adrien, and this little glutton is Plagg,â he said with a shy smile.
âIâm very glad to meet you, Adrien. And you too, Plagg,â Sabine said.
âThank you for your hospitality,â Adrien said, inclining his head in a sign of respect.
âOf course. Shall we go eat?â She continued, gesturing to the stairs.
âYes! Iâm starving,â Plagg whined, making grabby hands at the wheel of Camembert in Adrienâs left hand.
âOkay, one for now,â Adrien acquiesced, giving the Kwami a wedge of cheese.
When they arrived back at the door to the apartment, Adrien hesitated to follow Sabine in as anxiety suddenly struck.
âWhat gives?â Plagg asked.
âPlagg, what if they hate me?â He whispered to his friend.
âIf they didnât hate actual supervillain Chat Noir, theyâre not gonna hate golden boy Adrien Agreste,â Plagg drawled with a roll of his eyes.
That was reasonable. Plagg had a point.
âOkay. I can do this,â Adrien said as he took a deep breath and stepped into the Dupain-Cheng home.
He immediately locked eyes with Marinette across the room, who beamed at him and beckoned him forward. She gestured to the seat beside her, and Adrien made it almost all the way there before Nino caught sight of him.
Nino tilted his head as he processed the new person in the room, and then glanced at Marinette for confirmation.
âHey dude,â Nino greeted with a casual wave.
Tom came around the corner and skidded to a stop, blinking in surprise before resuming his jovial smile.
âSo you took off the claws for dinner?â He asked, placing the rolls in the center of the table.
Adrien chuckled nervously, âYeah, I did.â
Tom nodded as they all took their seats.
âWhen are we gonna eat?â Plagg demanded.
âPlagg,â Tikki scolded.
Adrien shot the Kwami a glare, and then turned his attention back to Marinetteâs friends and family.
âUm, my nameâs Adrien. Itâs nice to meet everyone,â he said, his back was ramrod straight as he tried to calm his nerves.
Marinetteâs hand found his under the table and his shoulders relaxed a bit.
âNice to meet you, Adrien. Letâs get started,â Tom said.
With that, everyone began to eat. Adrien tossed the wheel of Camembert to Plagg, who happily zipped away to join Tikki on the coffee table.
The conversation between Marinetteâs inner circle flowed easily, and Adrien found himself laughing along with their jokes. He wasnât quite ready to join in yet, but he hoped heâd hit his stride soon.
âYou know, Adrien. You look familiar. Do you stop in for pastries often?â Tom asked, brows furrowed as he thought.
Adrien smiled sadly, âI wish. I donât really get out much.â
âI think the dude looks familiar too. Heâs kindaâŚradiant, yâknow?â Nino drawled, peering at Adrien over steepled fingers.
Adrienâs smile froze on his face.
No.
Surely that was coincidental.
âNah, he strikes me as kinda carefree,â Alya said, eyes sharp and calculating.
Oh.
Marinette grinned at him and rested her chin on his shoulder.
âDreamy,â she murmured into his ear.
âThatâs it. Iâm leaving,â Adrien deadpanned despite the rising flush on his cheeks at the feeling of her breath on his ear.
Tomâs eyes lit up, âYou were in that perfume ad!â
Marinette, Alya, and Nino devolved into laughter. Adrien tried his best to pout, but eventually he gave in and joined them. Was this what having friends was like? It was nice.
Marinetteâs thumb brushed across the back of his hand, and hope bloomed in his chest. Perhaps this was a sneak peek of his new life.
As Tom cut into the bĂťche de NoĂŤl cake and distributed it to everyone crowded around the dinner table, Adrien had a feeling that this was how things were going to be from now on.
Adrien was finally able to look forward to what the New Year had in store for him, because Ladybug and Chat Noir would face the challenges ahead together.
