Luka didn't know what it was like to wield a miraculous, but he imagined it wasn't that different from his own hero persona, Truth. His powers worked a little differently, leaning more towards heightened intuition and emotional perception, but not being as flashy didn't change the actual role in any form.
The only exception for him was Ladybug, who was absolutely necessary for every battle due to the akuma requiring purification. Inevitably, that made her feel obligated to be around for every superhero-related thing, no matter how small.
He'd been delaying mentioning it to her because it wasn't his place, but the problem had become worse with time. That, and it simply wasn't in his nature to sit around idly while someone was suffering.
Patrol just happened to give him the perfect opportunity to do something, so he grabbed his wallet thirty minutes prior and went about his plan.
——-
Besides himself and Ladybug, there were a few other heroes, but all excluding Ladybug tended to rotate in terms of who participated in patrolling. It actually wasn't supposed to be his day to join her - it was Chat's - but he didn't see any problem with having extra help. His schedule had been carefully cleared for the occasion, and he could always claim to have nothing better to do if she asked.
It wasn't wrong, technically. They might've been heroes, but he felt that they'd become close friends. Ladybug might've appeared like some untouchable celebrity to the public, but he knew her better: she was creative, intelligent, kindhearted, sensitive, and had the prettiest smile he'd ever—
Focus.
The meeting place for patrol was the same every time: near the top of the Eiffel Tower. He could already see Ladybug waiting there, her red bodysuit sticking out starkly against the dark sky and dull colors of the structure. Chat's own bodysuit would've blended in better, but as Truth went closer, he noticed that there was no Chat in sight.
He must've been busy, he thought, because it would've been out-of-character for Chat to not show up for one-on-one time with someone he called "his lady." Truth wasn't upset with him, but he did question whatever process had dropped the miraculouses into a person's hands and if someone's schedule went into consideration.
Either way, it wasn't important to the task at hand, and while he didn't like that Ladybug wouldn't have had anyone with her had he not shown up unannounced, at least it would make it easier to talk to her.
Having been used to his hero form from the months he'd spent fighting akuma, he ascended the Eiffel Tower with ease. He could've summoned Pharo to fly him up, but he much preferred the extra practice he got in by doing things himself where he was able. All he had to be careful of was the bag slung around his shoulder, afraid to jostle it too much.
Finally, he reached the top and hopped over the railing. Ladybug seemed distracted, staring out blankly at the city, but turned as he approached her.
"...Truth?" She blinked rapidly, then rubbed the side of her head and squinted. "Isn't it Monday? I thought—"
"It is Monday," he confirmed, gripping the strap of the bag he held, "but I wanted to come. Is that okay?"
Confused, but not seeing any reason to refuse him, she replied, "Uh... sure? I'm still waiting for Chat Noir though."
Even as Luka, he had an innate sort of ability to see through people, most of the time through the sounds they made, how fast they were breathing, or the tone of their voice. Upon transforming into Truth, he could detect so much more, from body language, to how people avoided his eyes, all the way down to micro-movements and micro-expressions that a normal human wouldn't be able to catch. When he really needed it, he could go so far as to be certain when someone was lying or not, meaning that deceiving him was impossible unless he chose not to use his power; such moments were reserved for those he considered friends, like Ladybug.
Yet, he never would've needed to use it with her anyway. Contrary to what everyone else seemed to believe, Ladybug was an open book with just about every emotion only display, provided that one was willing to read the words. He'd continued to be baffled by people who couldn't get her beyond her professionalism, as if the very words in the book that was Ladybug were written in another language entirely.
Or, maybe he was just good at paying attention when it came to her. Regardless, he could tell that she didn't actually believe Chat Noir would show up; there was still a few minutes before the appointed time, but Chat would've come early if he came at all as an excuse for extra time with her. She already looked mentally prepared to go out alone, though now she didn't have to.
Taking the bag off his shoulder, he settled it carefully on the ground and offered, "Why don't you let Pharo patrol by itself today?"
"Pharo? But..." She stared anxiously out to the side, head flicking in every direction like danger might appear the second she let her guard down.
"I know." His voice was gentle, and he tried to hide his concern that she couldn't imagine taking a break for one patrol. It was all the more reason to keep pressing. "It's an all-seeing eye that can catch things we couldn't, and I'll know if it sees anything suspicious. Wouldn't that be better than us going around instead?"
Pharo did join them on patrols whenever it was Truth's turn, but it was the first time he'd suggested that Pharo go solo. Really, it would've been more efficient than if he hadn't shown up at all and Ladybug went on her own.
She fumbled at first, definitely wondering why he was there, why he would bother with this at all, and most importantly—
Her gaze fell to the bag. "What did you bring?"
It was the easiest way of asking for his motives without being direct about it. He opened the bag, reached inside, and brought out a to-go container, explaining, "I bought some cake for you. Do you want some?"
The way her face contorted at such a casual thing was almost amusing, because they're heroes, they're supposed to be doing hero things, and how dare a hero encourage another hero to—
Then her stomach growled when she went to reprimand him. It was so loud that he wondered how many meals she skipped, but he felt that a steady stare was enough to communicate his thoughts.
Ladybug made a noise of discomfort in the back of her throat, then sighed. A bit of the exhaustion left her face as she dropped herself down into a sitting position, arm extended towards the box.
"I... guess I'd be a bad leader if I wasted your effort."
He grinned even though she couldn't see it, happily passing the box over to her. Her stomach had unintentionally lightened the mood, and there was a hint of shyness on her face at the kind gesture.
"Thanks. Sorry if I didn't seem grateful for a second there."
"Don't worry about it. I know how important this is to you." He turned his head, closing both of his human eyes as the third on his forehead began to glow. "Pharo."
With a flash, Pharo appeared in front of him, its single eye wide and observing. It scanned the area around them, from the cake to the location and the two heroes in front of it.
To the public, the motions looked like a drone in some fantasy story written by someone with a Halloween obsession. To Truth, it looked more like a curious child, eager to absorb anything and everything.
"Hey," he greeted, reaching out to rub Pharo's side. "We have something to do here. Can you go on patrol in our place?"
With a nod - more like an awkward bounce and tilt - Pharo agreed. It flew up to get over the railing, then went off to explore the city.
Ladybug watched until it was little more than a dot in their vision, then looked at Truth with worry. "Something we have to do?"
He shook his head to assure her that it wasn't a big deal, then popped open the box for her. "I wanted to check on you, that's all."
"What?" she asked, stopping halfway to picking up the plastic fork next to the cake. "Was I worrying you?"
He could already feel it coming on: the whole I'm supposed to be the responsible leader and I'm ruining morale if my teammates are fretting over me. As patiently as he could, he called, "Ladybug."
She quieted.
"Everyone gets stressed now and then; that's why you make sure not to ask for anyone unless you need them, right?" He gestured at her. "But it feels like you don't do the same for yourself. You're always putting everything you have into being a hero, and I don't think you can keep doing that forever. I know it won't do anything to tell you to just relax, but..."
He shrugged helplessly and gave her the chance to talk rather than carrying on, basically saying, 'if I'm wrong, tell me now.'
She studied him, perhaps not reading people as easily as he would, but he hoped that his sincerity came through. Her hand dropped into the box to pick up the fork, and she bumped her chin with the flat end in thought.
"You're..." Her lips pressed together in a tight line, hesitating.
"I don't think there's anything to be ashamed of," he added, noting her difficulty. "I just... I'd hate to be where you are right now. I feel like I've been taking all the freedom I've had for granted, when you have to be ready to drop everything as soon as there's an akuma."
Her face fell; his words had struck where he intended them to. She looked down at the cake, nudging at a cherry with her fork and asking, "Is it that noticeable?"
He put his hands on the ground, moving himself over so they were properly side-by-side. Dragging his bag to rest next to him, he looked her in the eyes to answer, "You're my friend, Ladybug, and I care about you. If you want to talk, I'll listen, and I'll be here for you even if you don't want to talk at all."
Her eyelids drooped, her cheeks turning a faint pink at the delicate words. Stabbing at the cherry she'd been playing with, she thrust it into her mouth with a bit more force than necessary, shutting her eyes tight and swallowing hard.
She held the position for a few seconds, then sighed. "There's nothing I can do about it."
He bit back a, 'Why not?' because he knew it wasn't actually that easy. Had it been up to him, she would've been allowed to lessen her workload - or outright quit - if she wanted to. He at least chose to be a hero, but she was riding off of some sort of... guilt? Obligation?
Paris would never trust him again if they knew the priorities in his head. Ladybug was great, but even if she was the best, he didn't care. It would hurt to never see her again, but if it came down to that...
"...You can still talk to people," he said instead, as only a fraction of what he was really thinking.
"I can talk to you," she corrected. She separated off a piece of the cake slice, then split that piece in two and ate one of them. "You know how the others can be."
He frowned. "I—"
"Not that it's a bad thing!" She grinned sheepishly. "I mean, I like talking to you; I was just saying that everyone else wouldn't really get it since they're having so much fun as superheroes. I wasn't trying to worry you either, Truth, I..."
She faltered, dazed just from admitting that much. He raised a hand to settle it on her shoulder, then ran it down to her back when she relaxed at the touch.
"...Talking to people usually never helped me, so I'm not used to doing it," she managed to continue. "It's easier not to; then no one gets annoyed that I'm ruining their fun or making them do more than they signed up for."
It was upsetting, but Truth couldn't say he didn't understand. He too had been guilty of that, not asking for help if he felt it "wasn't a big deal" and he could do it himself.
However, those were for unimportant tasks. Ladybug was doing it on a grand scale and seemed convinced that it was the best way to go about it. He tried to picture himself in such a position, but it was hard; he could only gauge it based on her reactions.
Like the cake: she took more dramatic bites when she was trying to get herself to say something, but otherwise nibbled at it to cherish the taste. It did well at conveying her wide, emotional range without saying it.
"The cake's good," she said suddenly in an attempt to shift the mood. She stabbed at another piece, then turned her upper body to him with the piece raised. "But I feel bad eating all by myself. You should—"
She stopped, eyes flicking down at his full face mask, then blushed in embarrassment and went back to eating on her own. Had she been about to feed him?
He took a second to recover from the thought, shaking his head. "I...I don't think heroing is supposed to be just for fun, but if you don't want to bother them, then you can bother me."
She raised a brow at him.
"I can free up my time more, so you can ask for my help whenever you need it. I can go on patrols with just me and Pharo if you need a break." It wasn't as simple as he was making it sound, but he knew he could absolutely make it work if he wanted to. Yet, he noticed that she didn't look satisfied with that. "What's wrong?"
She let out a weak, breathy chuckle, setting the box aside to rub her shoulder. "It might sound stupid - really, really stupid - but I like going on patrol in a weird way. It's a distraction from my real life, because there's not much I can do without having to plan for an akuma attack at any time."
He hesitated, wondering if he was pushing too much, but also knew she would tell him if he was. "Like what?"
She stopped her fork partway to taking a scoop of frosting. She didn't answer for a moment, then reluctantly set the box aside and put the fork into it as well. Standing up, she offered her hand to him and inclined her head towards the railing.
Truth took it without a word, not missing the little squeeze she gave as she helped him up. Together, they stepped forward, and she let his hand go so she could lean over and rest her forearms on the railing itself. Even at night, Paris was still beautiful and bright with the streetlights on, but the lights reflecting off her blue eyes was the prettiest thing to him.
"When I watch Miraculous Ladybug sweep over the city, my problems always seem so small in comparison," she said with a bittersweet smile. "So who cares about Ladybug's love life?"
His pure white eyes narrowed into slits in response, to the point where she sensed it and peeked up at him. She choked, then laughed in amusement at the expression.
"Okay, okay," she acknowledged, trying hard to suppress the giggles. "Who cares who Ladybug is actually in love with instead of who Paris wants her to be in love with?"
He grinned, physically turned his back to the city and leaned against the railing. "I care, but your opinion is the only one that should matter." He paused, fingers twitching in an awkward rhythm. "You and the person you like. So, you want to date someone?"
He did his best to sound neutral. It was really none of his business even without identities involved.
"Yeah." She pushed herself back up with a conflicted expression. "But I'm stressed and high-strung and dating me would be terrible."
"That's not true," he stated adamantly, hitting the railing with a hand. "I'd know; the truth's my specialty."
She gave him a delicate smile, but her eyes were alight in mirth and fondness. "Thanks..."
He could hear the doubt in her voice. "I mean it. Maybe it won't be in the same way as everyone else, but I think you could figure out how to make it work even if you can't tell them you're Ladybug."
The silence lingered, but he allowed it to let her process. The wind blew gently past them, shifting her bangs just slightly as they both stared back out at the city.
They caught a brief sight of Pharo off in the distance, who was still flying around looking for any danger. It peeked through the window of a store and accidentally startled an owner who was just closing up shop, which earned a snort out of both of them that they equally tried to hide.
"Hah—" Ladybug let out, avoiding eye contact with him and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "What if I'm already Ladybug, so I don't have to tell them that I am?"
"What?"
At the single word, she fully turned her head away from him. Truth was tempted to lean over to try and see her face, but he didn't have to.
Her ears were red.
Swift enough that he felt the breeze of it, Ladybug spun to speed-walk back to the box. She crouched, took off a large piece of her slice of cake using her fork, and practically inhaled the whole thing in one go. When she got back up to finally look at him again, she was still in the middle of licking frosting off her lips.
"You really think someone would date me?"
He didn't answer right away, catching himself in the act of staring at her tongue. Forcing his eyes up to hers, he answered, "I don't know why anyone wouldn't. You're the total package."
There was a shift in the atmosphere that he was distinctly, acutely aware of, but didn't say out loud. It made his face heat under his mask when his usual compliments wouldn't have done a thing to shake him. She was staring at him so intently, like he'd trespassed into a space previously untreaded by anyone else.
Someone had moved, but he wasn't sure who. He only knew that they were closer than before.
"You think anyone would want to kiss me?"
He nodded, as the words weren't forming exactly how they wanted him to. He didn't care if he was biased or not; anyone she was interested in would be lucky to get a kiss from her.
Fingers brushed his hand, the body heat transferring easily despite their bodysuits preventing skin-to-skin contact. He looked down, eyeing her fingers curling around the side of his hand as her thumb brushed his palm, but then her other hand found the back of his neck and his attention returned to her face.
He barely had time to react, freezing up when she got on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his in a short kiss. They were limited by his full face mask, but he definitely felt it, a startled breath escaping him as she pulled back.
Her face had reddened, her hands releasing him as she brought the back of one to her mouth. It muffled her voice somewhat, but he would've heard anything she said in that moment.
"Since you're wearing a full mask, we can say it doesn't count if you didn't like it."
The hand over her lips moved up to partly cover her face: that gorgeous transition from shyness to confidence and back again that he loved so dearly. She tried to swivel around and away from him, but he caught her wrist before she could.
"Ladybug," he called, soft and breathless. Knowing his actions would speak better than any reassurance he could've given, he guided her hand back towards his neck and instructed, "Right here. You can pull it up here."
While showing her, he intentionally had her fingers run over where the vein in his neck would be. She gasped, his pulse pounding hard enough that she felt it, and it wasn't even a second later when the bottom of his mask was being lifted.
His chin was exposed to the air, followed by his mouth and nose. Ladybug stopped there, seemingly unaware of her mouth hanging open in fascination as her thumb ran just underneath his lower lip.
"Pink..." she murmured, then realized that she'd blurted it out. Rather than taking it back, she looked up at him and explained, "Your lips are my favorite shade of pink."
"Really?" He beamed, utterly charmed by her and even more so by her blush at seeing his smile for the first time.
She let out a series of giddy, stuttering giggles, then dropped her hand to slide it back over his. "Well, it's my favorite shade now."
He loved her. He loved her so much. His heart was full and he felt it might burst if he didn't return the kiss she'd given him.
They both leaned towards each other, his free hand going around to her back to pull her closer. Just before they made contact, she whispered to him, "Since you offered... be my permanent patrol partner?"
"Every day," he swore to her, then shut his eyes and moved in harmony with her.
She tasted like chocolate cherry cake and the promise of more kisses in their future.
