Another day, another akuma purified. Like Clockwork almost, Ladybug and Cat Noir worked together to defeat the "Collector" who had wanted to shrink landmarks and people for their collection. After the token fistbump, they prepared to go their separate ways, but before she could swing off, Cat Noir grabbed Ladybug's arm.
"Say, doing anything tomorrow, m'lady?"
She looked at his hand then back at his face, "Not in particular, why?"
Cat let go of her arm, scratching the back of his head nervously. "Well, if you're not busy, I was wondering if we could hang out or something."
Ladybug frowned, crossing her arms. "Asking me out on a DATE?"
Cat Noir held up both hands in surrender, "NO! No... not unless you WANTED it to be one," He said with a wink.
The beeping of their miraculous warning the 2 they were down to 2 minutes each.
Ladybug rubbed a hand down her face, "I've told you before Cat, we can't date, we can't get close. It's too dangerous. And besides, there's someone I'm already interested in. I didn't want to tell you this way but," BEEP BEEP BEEP. One minute left. She gave him a sad frown. "I'm sorry." And swung off.
Cat watched the love of his life swing off. He barely had time to jump behind a dumpster before his own transformation wore off.
Tomorrow was his birthday, and he knew he would end up celebrating it alone, which is why he hoped Ladybug would join him. That wasn't going to happen.
It was dinner time when he got home, not feeling very hungry, when Natalie gave him even better news.
"What do you MEAN I have a photo shoot tomorrow!? Tomorrow is my birthday!" He asked her in despa4.
Natalie sometimes loathed being the messenger. It usually was always bad news. "Yes, I know it's you're birthday, but your father wanted this photo shoot scheduled sooner than later. There's not much in changing his mind on it, either." She already tried.
"IS he even going to show up for it, or is he 'too busy' too?"
Natalie averted her eyes, which was answer enough. Adrien shoved his food away from him. If he wasn't hungry be fore, he definitely wasn't now. He got up and stormed to his room, slamming the door.
Plagg came out of hiding, worried about his charge's state of mind. "You ok Adrien?"
"He does this EVERY TIME. Every year, since mother disappeared he's decided he was 'too busy'. And it's not just my birthday either. For once I'd like to know what's more important than his own son." He banged his fist back against the door in frustration.
Plagg shrugged. "It eldefinatly sounds like a ba-" his voice cut out. Adrien looked up with a scowl, but Plagg had just vanished.
'Family and friends can be so hard to trust, can they?'
Adrien vaguely recognized the voice ringing in his head, as a purple haze clouded his vision.
'And trust goes 2 ways doesn't it, CHAT BLANC? There's a reason for everything, and with your help, our dreams will come to fruition! Do you accept?'
Adrien felt compelled to listen, understanding g the familiarity of that voice. "Yes, Father."
Marinette was at home, working on the birthday gift she was making for Adrien. He didn't show up at school, and she wondered if he was doing something special. But as she put the finishing touches, this time ensuring that it was signed, she had heard something strange on the tv. The news had mentioned something about Cat Noir. She looked at the tv, seeing Tikki staring entranced at what was rolling. Marinette turned up the volume.
"He looks like our beloved hero Cat Noir, but we know that he wouldn't go around causing the destruction this new villain has wrought.
The camera, zooming in on a blond figure in a cat suit.
"That can't be Cat Noir. " Marinette said, as the tv showed the villain taking out several windows of the Louvre pyramid.
"But it sure looks like it," Tikki chimed in response.
"It must be an akuma then, either way we got work to do! " Marinette exclaimed, shouting her catchphrase. She swung off her balcony heading towards the museum.
When she arrived she noticed the police had already evacuated everyone and cordoned off the area. She took in the damage of the area, noticing that several of the windows had been smashed.
"About time you showed up, PEST" a nearby voice spat out with disgust. What looked like Cat Noir, only wearing a white version of his suit slid down from the top of the pyramid.
"Cat Noir? " Ladybug asked the figure in front. He we the spitting image of her partner, only his suit was white all over except for his claws which were black tipped, and the ring which was a deep purple. And his usual gold believe was now silver.
"Its Cat Blanc, now." He shouted. And pointed at her. "Now be a good BUG and hand over your miraculous. "
Ladybug took a step back, taken off guard by the anger and hatred radiating off her once partner.
"You know i cant do that." She also knew it was an akuma trick.
The once hero smirked, reaching behind his back.
"I know. And I was hoping you would make this difficult too." and lunged toward her, extending the staff as he swung.
Ladybug leapt back, avoiding the strike, but still feeling the movement of his staff.
It seemed almost an uneven fight. Ladybug held her yoyo in hand, but not swinging it; dodging each of Cat's swings. It wasn't often that she got to see her partner in action, usually either working different areas of akumas, or the only other times she ever had to fight him was when an akuma used control over him. This time tho, was different. She could tell, he was not holding back.
"Cat Noir, this doesn't have anything to do with what happened last night, does it?" She asked, finally using her yoyo to block a thrust.
"Its Cat Blanc, you annoying bug. And OF COURSE you think it's all about you, Don't you? You think everything here has to do with you!?" He screamed. Something about his demeanor made Ladybug wary.
"Maybe something else caused this, maybe..." He trailed off, in the low light Ladybug saw a flicker in his eyes, for a brief second they were purple instead of green
"I don't need combat advice, FATHER," He spat. "I can manage this on my own!"
That was the last thing she ever expected to hear. HawkMoth was Cat Noir 's FATHER? WHAT THE HECK?
But Cat Blanc didn't let her pause long enough to think on that news. His staff came within a hair's breadth of her face.
"Cat n-" She caught herself from saying noir, knowing she wouldn't get anywhere with that.
"Cat please, you are better than this. Fight t, you are a hero of Paris!"
Somehow those words seemed to have the opposite reaction than she hoped.
"Am I? " He screamed. "I seem to remember constantly being used as an akuma pawn. You know what Paris thinks of that?" He sneered. "Hell, I bet if people knew that a world famous model is so weak minded he uselessly just attacks Paris's heroine, atleast maybe I'd get some peace! "
Ladybug couldn't make heads on half of what he was saying. What was all that about being a famous model? Before she could ask, as she looked at someone she cared deeply about, it hit her... the voice had a very different inflection, but... the blond hair and green eyes...
"ADRIEN!?" She yelled in shock. The narrowed eyes on Cat Blanc's face was answer enough.
"So, one of his little fangirls? I bet that's why you blew me off." He laughed derisively. "I wonder what Paris would think to find that out. Atleast maybe I'll get some RECOGNITION? instead of being g Ladybug's sidekick who always becomes a worthless pawn."
"Cat Noir, stop this! None of that matters!" She cried out, not letting him correct her. "This isn't you at all. Even when you werebei.g mind controlled, I knew it wasn't you. THIS isn't like you." Her back was against a nearby wall, she had no where to go. Her eyes widened in fear as he called forth a Cataclysm; the black cloud stark against his white costume. "I know the real you can fight this, you've fought against that before.
"What makes this time different?" He screamed, his right fist clenched; eyes glistening.
Ladybug held one hand out, reaching for her partner, the other over her heart; tears unshed from her eyes. "Because, you are mon petit chatton. My partner. That will never change, no matter who is behind the mask, or who your father is. And I will do whatever it takes to bring you back.
Cat Blanc looked at his clenched fist, before running straight at Ladybug. She closed her eyes, trusting him regardless of her screaming instincts. But instead of him attacking her, he repeatedly punched the wall. Till finally the ring shattered freeing the akuma.
"Its not worth it." He muttered.
He then fell to his knees in front of her, eyes closed, head down. And quietly whispered, "Please help me, my lady."
Ladybug stared in shock for a moment, before snapping out of it and opening her yoyo. "No more evil doing for you, little butterfly. " and expertly captured the butterfly, cleansing it.
Chat Blanc's outfit went from white, to black, then dissolved completely, leaving Adrien in his regular outfit. He held his battered right hand in his left, staring at it. "I'm sorry, father."
Ladybug, tho she didn't use a lucky charm, wondered if she could use a cure on the damaged buildings. But at the very least the ring reverted itself. She picked up the silver ring and walked over to Adrien, still kneeling by the wall.
She carefully placed a hand on his shoulder, starting him out of whatever thought he was lost in. "Ladybug... I. .." he looked at the Louvre pyramid, with its broken windows. He knew what had happened, tho the memories were in a purple haze, he remembered.
Ladybug smiled. "I told you, it doesn't matter who you are behind your mask... or even who your father is, you will always be my partner."
He gave a tired smile back.
They had moved to a quiet bench at a nearby park. It would have been bad if anyone showed up to catch the tail end of the battle. The sun had started to set, which was a beautiful sight. Adrien still held is bruised hand in his left. They just sat there in silence. Then Adrien remembered.
"Wait, where's Plagg?" Adrien jumped up looking around for the lazy ball of fur and magic,
"Plagg?" Ladybug asked.
"My Kwami. He disappeared right when the akuma entered my ring."
Ladybug looked at the miraculous in her hand. "Oh, maybe if you put it back on with the intention of staying as Cat Noir, he'll come back."
Adrien looked over at her. "How can you be sure?" He asked with uncertainty.
Ladybug gave an embarrassed smile. "Well right when we first started, I wanted to give up being Ladybug, and Tikki disappeared when I took my earings off. But she reappeared when I put them back on."
Adrien was surprised to hear that Ladybug had wanted to quit at the start. He sat back down and reached out for his ring. Then he remembered. "Oh, I don't think that ring will fit on a stolen finger." He scratched at the back of his neck.
Ladybug took his left hand and carefully slid the miraculous on his left ring finger. "Hopefully it doesn't matter which hand you wear it on for now." She gave a smile, Adrien turning tomato red.
In a small flash of light, a small black cat appeared, yawning. He blinked at Adrien in civilian form sitting next to Ladybug and asked. "What's going on here? What'd I miss?"
Ladybug and Adrien looked at eachother.
"Its a long story."
"Oh. Well you can explain it to me over some fresh camembert. I'm starving! "
Adrien blinked, then burst out laughing. Ladybug joined in, grateful he could now. It's been so long since he had laughed like that, so genuinely. She was reminded the first time they met, a moment that now seemed so far away, when an umbrella snapped close on her…. back before this whole mess.
She wondered where they would go from here. But thought to herself, that was something to worry about later.
...-...-...-
This whole fic stemmed from a dream I had that all I remember was Adrien getting akumatized, punching a wall to break the akuma object and saying g it wasn't worth the sacrifice
Only thing from my dream not in this fic is Adrien not wanting to be Cat Noir cuz he was akumatized, but there was no room for it.