Adrien always loved Ladybug.
He followed her around like the comical Pepe le pew, flirting and chasing around that wonderful girl.
Only to get rejected every time.
One day, he started to think as if...it was all for nothing.
What the heck, she doesn't care, she doesn't like you, she never will.
Your Father doesn't like you either, he doesn't even love his own son.
If Adrien isn't loved, then what about Cat Noir?
Cat Noir sighed sadly to himself as he sat on a rooftop on patrol night, he felt the wind blowing through his hair and suit, which always made him feel free to do anything and be himself. It always made him feel like that.
Sadly, it didn't do the same for his heart.
Ladybug and Cat Noir swung through the air as they chased after a crazy bubblegum akuma which made everyone sticky and unable to move from their current spot so it was crucial that they didn't get themselves in it, though Cat Noir got some in his hair- he didn't think that pink looked good with his stylish blonde hair so Ladybug huffed heartily at the fact that he couldn't make some puns for those.
"Looks like we better stick together!" He said, which Ladybug rolled her eyes at, looks like the puns still come. Cat Noir laughed at it cause he thought it was funny.
"Ha ha ha, very funny Kitty" Ladybug said, frowning, clearly not impressed.
"Heh..." Cat Noir's laugher died down at Ladybugs frown.
He could feel his heart swell.
"CAT NOIR!" He suddenly heard a yell when he felt his body clash against something hard and then he slid down to fall on the ground. With a groan, Ladybug came over to him.
"Silly cat, didn't you see where you were going?" She inspected him and bent down to help him up.
He groaned heavily at what felt like an arm popped out of it's socket, he grabbed onto it tight as he yelped out in pain as he felt the socket out of place.
"Are you hurt?" She asked, "Anything broken?"
"Popped socket my Lady, go and get the akuma. Don't waste any time" he said, groaning as he held himself together.
"Are you sure? Can you watch out for the bubblegum?"
"Yes. You can count on me, I'll just sit here..."
"I'll come back for you"
He believed that.
"Ladybug" He used his good arm to grab her before she left.
"Yes?"
"You know I love you right bugaboo?"
She smiled, "You and your jokes Kitty, I better go, no time to waste right?"
As she left he let his body go numb.
"Yeah..." he whispered, "Me and my jokes..."
It felt like an hour before she got back, in a way he got concerned that the Hawkmoth might have gotten her.
"Cat Noir. I'm back, are you alright?" She asked, looking concerned, "Does your arm feel okay?"
He felt her touch on his arm, which felt soothing. "I was worried about you more than my arm"
"The akuma was in the chewing gum packet, she was tricky but what's done is done" She looked at his arm, "This is going to hurt, I am going to pop it back in alright?"
"Alright" he held his breath as Ladybug pulled his arm up and then he felt a click in his bones, his arm was back in place.
"Thank you" he let himself be pulled up by her, he still supported his arm a bit, he didn't want to stress it out in any way.
"No problem, just be careful with that arm"
"I will"
She chuckled softly, "Well then, till next time then" She waved good bye as she threw her yoyo and leaped away.
On that day, it felt like as if his heart was crushed for good.
And it only got worse.
The wind felt cold now, freezing, not freeing anymore and the days just kept getting better.
He recalled a memory;
"Found it!" Ladybug banged her fist onto what she expected was to be cat Noirs but she only punched air, to find Cat Noir just standing there, his face blank.
"Cat Noir...?"
"See you then...I guess..."
He turned around and left a confused ladybug.
Apparently he had noticed that his tail had been flopping around more than standing up, he just didn't much life in it anymore, his cheery attitude gone, and his puns disappeared.
"You know what...I'm sixteen now, I can just run away, find a place where I could have a real family and fall in love with someone that is worth it" He stretched his body and leaned down on the roof.
"Chat?" He heard her calling, "Kitty?"
He got up, "I'm here Bug"
Ladybug frowned, "Calling me 'Bug' has become a great habit" She said as she sat next to him.
"Well, if I recall right, you didn't want me calling you 'Bugaboo' or 'My Lady', I thought it was what you wanted"
Ladybug put a hand on his shoulder, "Well...I did say that. But...you don't seem yourself lately. Your tail drags along the floor most of the time, you're not energetic and active as much, no puns and no smile"
"Well. Sorry"
He doesn't even look at her in the eye.
ladybug frowned, "Is there something wrong?"
"Why do you care to ask Spots?"
She sighed and a lot of silence followed. "Well...I realized lately that...you don't realize what you had until after you lose it. So I care"
Ah, true that.
She stroked his back. "Just tell me...what ever is the matter Kitty? You always look so...sad"
"You concern me, and you're my best friend. Just please...tell me" She added.
He took his time to speak.
"Well..." He started, Ladybug turned her head at him, ready to listen.
"I was serious when I told you I loved you"
She was kind of taken aback, "What?"
"But every time I show you my affection, you just turn me down"
"So after all that.." She started working it out, "Oh Kitty...I...I-I thought you were playing around" he gasped at herself, what had she done? "And you...oh god. I'm the worst aren't I?"
"No..." Chat smiled a bit, "You are..." He sniffed, "The most...wonderful and the most..." He started to feel the tears come and then used his knees to his his face as he sobbed.
"My Father doesn't love me, and I've never...I don't feel like my two identities ever feel happy anymore! And in the mask I had you! The only thing I have ever felt love from! And you just push me away..."
Ladybug cupped his cheeks and hugged the sobbing kitty, she felt her own heart cry. "I never meant to make you feel like this at all. The reason why I didn't listen or considered your feelings because I love someone else and...I didn't want us to get too close to find our identities"
"I don't care...about that...all that matters is that I love you" He sniffed as Ladybug wiped his red eyes.
She smiled. "You have to know that you will always be my kitty"
Cat Noir smiled through tears.
"There is no one unique like you, and though I didn't know that you were such a blubbering crybaby, it hurts my heart to see you hurt. I miss your puns, your flirting, and more importantly...your unique smile"
Sniffling, he chuckled. "Thank you my lady. I am sorry for being so selfish, I understand why you want to hide your identity but...I just want to know who is this amazing girl under the mask"
"Aw, I'm not amazing. I'm so clumsy, I can't speak right and...I always mess things up"
He smiled at her, "I don't want you to be disappointed" She admitted.
"I won't be. You know why?"
She shook her head, "You being Ladybug, it all comes from you. No matter who you are underneath,you and Ladybug are one and the same. Same as me being Cat Noir, and no identity is going disappoint me, because that clumsy person inside...flaws and all, I love them all"
She giggled, "That's very flattering but you don't even know me"
"Oh, there's someone in my class who can't make up her words very clearly, she stumbles, and she's clumsy but she's going to be a wonderful fashion designer one day. She is so nice and she helps people all the time, remind you of someone?"
She smirked a bit, "Funny, you make some sense there"
"Yeah, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, she is such a lovely friend. She reminds me of you in a way"
She froze, "Hold on, Marinette?"
"Yes?"
"You're a high school student?"
"Yes...?" Cat Noir twirked his head to the side in confusion.
She then looked at him, "No...it can't be..."
"What is it?"
"Adrien Agreste? Is that you?"
"Do I know you?" He asked, completely clueless. "You know me?"
Her mouth hung open. "Adrien?" She said a bit louder.
"Yes...?"
"ADRIEN?!" She squeaked happily, "It's you! It always has been you!" She wanted to jump around, "How could have I not seen it?"
"My Lady, please tell me what's going on"
She wiped the remains of his tears, "I cannot believe that I have been around the person I have loved for such a long time..." She smiled at him.
"What...?" Cat Noir could not believe his ears.
She exhaled, "I could never introduce myself properly" She stands up right before speaking, "Adrien Agreste, my name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng"
Now it was for his mouth to widen.
"I...I have always-always...l-l-l-loved...you...since you lent me...your umbrella on your first day of school" She stuttered through words, "Well...that wasn't really proper was it?" She blushed.
"Oh! Marinette!" Cat Noir gasped, he stood up and started laughing happily, "How unpurrfect are we now, not realizing. Oh, how stupid and blind we've been!" he hugged her tightly, which made Ladybug blush, knowing that it's Adrien that's hugging her, but she laughed nonetheless because Adrien was laughing.
When the laughter died out, there was loud purring coming from his chest which made her smile because from that, she know just how much he loved her. She realized that she was being held by such gentle arms, his cuddles were warm and she immediately forgot everything else but his presence.
"Hmm" She sighed happily. "You know, Adrien, if we keep cuddling like this- I more than don't mind, we are going to get less sleep for tomorrow"
"I have been aware, I think I might miss a class because I haven't been able to sleep well"
"Oh" She recalled that Adrien had been falling asleep in class a lot, "Should I help you sleep? Come with you?"
"That will mean the world to me"
When they had jumped through the window into Adrien's room they released their transformations, Marinette felt herself squeal at seeing a yawning Adrien and she looked at Tikki smile gently at her, as Plagg smirked.
She looked around his room and felt excitement run through her, but when Adrien yawned again, her attention went back to him.
"I am going to get dressed, wait here" he said and she stood still until he came out in long sleeved pajamas, yawning again, Marinette tucked him in.
"He must be exhausted, after he has been through" Marinette thought.
"Don't forget to close the window after you leave Marinette, you need some sleep too"
She nodded, "Yeah, you're my first priority first. I won't leave until you fall asleep"
Adrien smiled, "Thank you..."
She sat next to the bed as she watched him, "See you tomorrow Mari"
As she watched his eyelids shut, she wanted to leave some finishing touches, and she gently sang,
"Soft kitty, warm kitty,
Little ball of fur
Happy kitty, sleepy kitty,
Purr Purr Purr"
She saw Adrien fall into deep sleep.
"Goodnight Adrien" She leaned down and gave him a peck on the cheek. "I will see you tomorrow"
The next day, Adrien felt like a new person completely.
"Adrikiiiiins!" He heard that familiar squeal from Chloe, all of a sudden she came straight into his path and he dodged it, for her to stumble and fall over.
"Duuuude" Nino chuckled.
"I'm sorry I just panicked!" Adrien jumped at what just happened.
"Adrien, what giiives?! Look at my hair!" Chloe whined, "Er, sorry" Adrien apologized.
"It's no biggie, forgivesies Adrikins, where have you been all day! You weren't at class!"
"I slept in...I did alot of homework last night"
Chloe scoffed at the word 'homework',"I should talk to the principal about the work load the teachers have been giving you! My poor Adrikins has been a wreck, my poor baby-"
Chloe's squabbling had stopped when he caught sight of Marinette who had blushed, but then she waved. He waved back which made her smile.
"Excuse me" he waved Chloe aside, "I want to do something" He walked off.
"Wha- wait! What are you doing?!" Chloe complained as Adrien walked towards Marinette who had Alya next to her.
As he stopped in front of her, Alya pushed her in front of him to let her do her thing.
"Good morning Marinette"
"Er, good morning" She smiled widely, doing so made Adrien chuckle, "You're so cute when you do that"
Alya's mouth dropped. "Well, er, I have always thought so. Erm- thank you for last night er- now I'm stuttering, so weird" He rubbed his neck.
Marinette smiled warmly at him, "My pleasure"
"Well. I...made something for you" He pulled off his back, and opened it to give her a letter. "Please read it"
Marinette accepted the letter and opened it up.
"I love you too" She read, "Will you go out with me?" "Oh Adrien" She pressed the letter against her heart, "Of course I will! Then...will you call me your girlfriend?"
Adrien smiled, "Yeah"
Marinette started welling up with happy tears, "Now don't you start!" Adrien chuckled, "Oh! Come here already!" Marinette put out her arms wide.
As Adrien hugged her, she pressed her lips against his in front a very surprised Alya, she was cheering while Nino was whooping loudly.
"Ugh! Why did he have to choose her rather than me?!" Chloe whined, she grabbed Adrien's arm and tried to pull him away.
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa" Adrien pushed her away, "She is my girlfriend!"
"What are you implying?! Ew!" Chloe stuck out her tongue, "I wasn't trying to steal her!" She said as Adrien raised an eyebrow, "Whatevs, I'm out of here" She said, ignoring the people that chuckled at her, Marinette snorted with laughter.
"Silly kitty" She said as she flicked Adriens nose.
END -