This is an AU where Chat Noir is a villain. He works for his father in trying to take Ladybug's Miraculous. Ladybug defeats akumas by herself, and occasionally fights Chat Noir himself. He doesn't go to school, so he doesn't know Marinette. Anyways, enjoy!
In the dead of night, a lone figure leapt from a balcony onto a rooftop. The shadow stood at the edge of a roof for a moment, gazing over the city lights. Then he continued on his way, weaving through buildings, swinging over streets, twirling a silver baton in the air like helicopter blades.
Silver-tipped black boots landed almost silently in an alleyway. A Cheshire grin spread across the masked face as he caught sight of something, or rather, someone. A victim.
To lure his sworn enemy out, for yet another attempt.
A man lay slumped in the alley, propped up against a Dumpster. He was mumbling something, his hands waving occasionally to gesture wildly at imaginary subjects. He was drunk.
The feline grin never left the figure's face as he crept closer, closer. Until he was standing directly in front of the man. He pulled out his baton and poked it sharply against the drunkard's chest.
The man jerked awake to see the twisted smile, complete with gleaming fangs, of none other than Chat Noir.
A scream sounded through the air. Ladybug immediately changed direction and swung towards the sound instead. She zipped and ran along the rooftops, finally landing in a crouch in the mouth of an alleyway.
A man was struggling and kicking against a muscular figure.
Chat Noir's signature feline grin was in place, as usual. His leather-clad arm was hooked around the man's neck in a headlock. His tail was swishing slowly from side to side, and the cat ears sitting at the top of his head twitched slightly.
"Ladybug," Chat drawled. "Nice of you to drop in."
Just like every time she sees him, her heart beat just a bit faster, and her stomach has a slightly strange feeling to it. She couldn't help glancing at his lips, which were curled in a cruel smile, fangs glinting, before steeling herself and glaring at him straight in the eyes.
"Let go of him," Ladybug said firmly. "It's our fight, not his."
"How else to lure you out, m'Lady?"
Ladybug swung her yo-yo at Chat Noir's arm, pulled it from its place on the man's neck, and the man dropped onto the ground. He crawled back to his place by the Dumpster, slumped down, and began to snore.
Chat's electric green eyes flashed as he gave a hard jerk on the yo-yo around his arm. Ladybug was yanked through the air by the string. She crashed against Chat's chest and his arm wrapped around her waist, pinning her in place.
"And for your Miraculous," he chuckled. His fingers reached for her earring, his fangs glinted. She lifted her elbow and slammed it down on his shoulder.
"Ow!" He let go of her and she backflipped away, landing in a defensive stance.
Chat Noir hissed in annoyance as he whipped out his baton.
"We'll do it the hard way then," he growled.
He sprang. Cat and bug clashed in battle, spinning and clanking. In the heat of combat, Ladybug managed to fight her way to the drunk man. She picked him up and launched herself onto the roof. By the time Chat Noir figured out what she was doing, they were already gone.
Chat grumbled to himself as he hurled himself onto the roof with his baton. He had, once again, failed in his mission. He planned to go straight home but found himself heading towards the Eiffel Tower.
Oh well, he decided. Nothing more than coldness and disappointment awaits at home anyway. He settled himself onto the balcony of the Tower and closed his eyes, breathing in the night air.
He imagined the scolding he would get once he returned home. Adrien, his father would say, cold disappointment in his eyes, as usual. Once again, you have failed me.
Maybe his father would take away his ring for good this time. He was getting more and more impatient. If he deemed Adrien useless enough to take the Miraculous away, he would lose the little freedom he had. He had failed countless times already; maybe this time would be one time too many.
There were many times that Chat Noir has gotten quite close to getting Ladybug's Miraculous. Many times that his fingers had grazed her earlobes, many times that his claws had skimmed her earrings. But they had all been nothing more than almosts.
He squeezed his eyes shut to try to stop the burning of his eyelids. His hands crept over his face as a whimper escaped involuntarily from him.
"You okay?" A sweet voice asked as a hand landed on his shoulder.
He instinctively jumped up and grabbed the hand simultaneously. He flipped around, landed perfectly onto his feet in a fighting stance, and found himself staring into bluebell eyes. His heart ping-ponged inside his chest for a moment and his mind scrambled for a retort.
As soon as he got his bearings, his lips twisted into a smirk.
"Didn't expect to see you so soon, m'Lady," he drawled, leaning in closer. "Couldn't stay away from me?"
Ladybug's face flushed as her eyes crossed to see Chat's nose an inch away from hers. She shook her head quickly and stepped back, only to realize that her hand was still in Chat Noir's.
His eyes never left hers as he slowly brought her hand up to his lips. Ladybug shivered slightly as he brushed a tender kiss on the back of her hand.
He let go and stepped back.
"Well," he said. "If it wasn't your intent to see little ol' me—" He put a hand to his chest dramatically. "—then what is?"
He put on a show of looking around. "I don't seem to be terrorizing anyone just now."
Ladybug had to take a few seconds to register his words. Blinking quickly, she picked up a paper bag by her feet.
"You weren't looking great," she said. "So I brought some pastries from the Dupain-Cheng Bakery. The best bakery in Paris. They always cheer me up."
She held out the bag to him, and his eyes widened in surprise. Carefully trying to keep his emotions under control, Chat took the bag from her cautiously. The heavenly smell of baked goods wafted up to him, and his stomach growled in response.
"You're hungry," she said, eyebrows creased in worry. "How long has it been since you ate?"
"None of your business," Chat said. He reached into the bag and pulled out a croissant. It was warm and flaky.
After snarfing it down, he sighed and answered her question. "One day."
It was true. Between photo shoots, private lessons, and attempts to get Ladybug's Miraculous, he hadn't had time to eat since dinner of the day before.
Which reminds him. His gaze flicked up from his third croissant to her earrings. She was so close, he could just reach out and grab it. He tensed, his fingers ready—
"A whole day?" Ladybug exclaimed. "How could you just not eat for a day?"
Chat relaxed again. It wouldn't hurt to talk for just a little while, would it? To gain her trust. To make the final movement a bit less anticipated. Yes, that was a better plan.
"Well, I have these delicious pastries now," he said, throwing in a wink.
By the end of the evening, Chat Noir was sitting side by side with Ladybug on the railing, overlooking the city. The empty pastry bag was discarded on the floor.
"—and then the guy started turning people into chickens..." Ladybug was saying. He barely registered what she was talking about. His gaze were on her soft pink lips, illuminated by the Tower's lights.
She turned her head, midnight pigtails bouncing.
"Hey, are you okay?" she asked.
Chat Noir blinked twice before turning his face away. "Yeah, why?"
"You were looking at me funny," she said, swinging her legs.
"Actually," he said. "I was looking at your earring."
"Come on," she chided, putting a hand to her ear. "This isn't the time. You can try to take my Miraculous some other day, okay? I was having a good time here."
"Sorry," he smiled. "But that's kinda my job. Ruin good times, take Miraculouses, etc., etc."
She scooted away from him a little. Chat couldn't help but feel a bit cold after being in her warmth for so long.
"Alright, if you insist on interrupting fun moments, then maybe it's time for me to go home."
Ladybug rolled her eyes, then stood up on the railing, balancing as she readied her yo-yo.
Chat fought the urge to grab her hand and scream "No! Stay!". Instead he watched her throw her yo-yo and swing away.
That night Adrien lay in bed, tossing and turning and thinking. How is it that in all the months he had known—and fought—Ladybug, he had never had a real conversation with her?
How is it that he had never came across the thought that the red and black polka-dotted superheroine was more than just an obstacle in the way of his mission?
He slowly drifted off to sleep, and his dreams that night were of blue blue eyes and midnight tresses.
Over the next few months, Ladybug and Chat Noir met up every night at the Eiffel Tower. They had both agreed that those meetings would be a time of peace. Sure, Chat Noir would still attempt to steal her Miraculous daily, and they still battled ferociously, but during those nighttime rendezvous, he doesn't even spare a glance at her earrings.
Ladybug was curled up next to Chat with her head on his shoulder. On his lap sat a paper bag of pastries from the Dupain-Cheng Bakery, as usual. Ladybug seemed to have an endless supply of those.
"May I ask you a question, m'Lady?" Chat asked.
The word "m'Lady" was no longer said in a mocking tone. Instead, it was used more like a nickname... like one a friend would use.
"Mmm, sure," Ladybug said. She was comfortably snuggled against his warm body.
"How old are you?"
"Why?"
"Just curious," Chat answered.
"Sixteen," she answered. "I turn seventeen... oh! Exactly 2 months from today!"
"What a coincidence," Chat said, amused. "I turned seventeen the week before you first came to me on this tower."
He didn't mention that that birthday was no more than just a normal day, with just a quick "Happy birthday" from his father before he retreated back into his office.
"Awww, I didn't get to celebrate your birthday with you," she said.
"So that means I'm—" He counted on his fingers. "—about half a year older than you?"
"Yeah," she murmured sleepily.
Chat realized that she was falling asleep. He stayed quiet until he heard Ladybug's deep breathing. He was elated that she felt comfortable enough with him, that she trusted him enough, to sleep.
He turned his face down to look at her. Her long eyelashes were fluttering gently, and her pink lips were slightly parted. He couldn't help but lift a finger to touch her face. She stirred slightly, and her hair shifted around her earrings—
Her earrings.
Chat realized that this was the perfect time. He had finally gained her trust, this was his chance! After almost a year, he could finally get what he most wanted. His father would no longer view him as a disappointment, maybe would even praise him, and most importantly, he would get his mother back.
And Ladybug would hate him.
He could picture her blue eyes clouded over with hurt and betrayal, a look that looked so strange and wrong on his Lady.
His fingers reached once again to her earlobe. He had done this action so many times, but never once had he done it during one of their nighttime meetings. They had agreed he wouldn't, hadn't they?
But he was so close. It's not like he's under any contract. And why should he honor even a simple verbal agreement with Ladybug? She was his worst enemy. She was the one stopping his from everything he wanted.
His fingertips grazed her ear. Just as he was about to pull out the jewel, Ladybug gave a small mumble and a sigh in her sleep. Chat froze.
He stared at her eyelashes that brushed against her cheeks. And he couldn't do it. Instead, he lay her down on the floor, kissed her forehead gently, and jumped off the railing into the night, tears stinging his eyes.
He knew. He knew that the girl with raven hair, with eyes the color of the sky on a nice day—she will be his downfall. But in a much, much different way than he had expected.
Thank you for reading and please leave a review—they always make my day.
P.S. I have the other chapters pre-written so updates won't take too long, but I still have to edit them.