Chapter One
It had become abundantly clear to Chat Noir that Ladybug required a partner. In every akuma battle she needed an ally she could trust to take the hits, play the distraction or provide additional assistance. What had also become evident was how easy it was to substitute him for a different partner. Over the last few weeks the akumas had been stronger and for whatever reason Ladybug had been in dire need of additional skills. Apparently, cataclysm didn't cut it anymore.
Yet it wasn't simply the fact that he was interchangeable which upset Chat Noir, it was also Ladybug's need to keep secrets from him, including where these additional heroes came from. With the limited information he had garnered, Chat could only assume Master Fu had something to do with it. Last time he'd had a hissy fit about being left out of the loop, the miraculous guardian had finally deemed it time to reveal himself and boost his kwami's powers.
Relief had washed over Chat Noir at the time, having this additional information had made him feel important. Add this to him being the only other miraculous holder who was permanently active, along with the enhanced food that would supercharge his kwami, granted him a status that made him special. Or so he thought. Yet Ladybug had another advantage over him: three other miraculous holders she could call on. All of which she knew their secret identities. He knew but one, only because Chloe Bourgeois had announced to the world that she was Queen Bee.
While Chloe was a friend to him out of the mask, Chat Noir had really questioned that particular choice. Oh wait, that's right, Ladybug had lost the bee miraculous and Chloe found it. Yet he wasn't trusted with any miraculous but his own. Still the grudge was fleeting as he knew Chloe better than most. By nature, she was selfish but deep down she could be really nice and Ladybug seemed to have tapped into that deep well, but it still irked him that such a spoilt brat could be considered a reliable ally. Hell, the girl even had the nerve to call him a sidekick to his face.
The other more hurtful thing was Ladybug's continued dismissal of his romantic feelings. Chat Noir understood she was interested in someone else. Some other boy had managed to turn her head so thoroughly that he had little hope in diverting her attention. Being a romantic at heart, Chat had tried to woo her in ways he thought would impress most girls. Heck, if he'd done the same thing out of the mask to one of his many female fans they would have fainted.
Worst of all was his complete lack of ability to stay angry. His fury was quick to build but equally quick to fade. There was something about Ladybug that melted his heart no matter how badly she damaged it. Inwardly he knew he deserved to be treated better. But he also knew he was a fool to continue to pursue her when she was into someone else. Yet each time he got his nose out of joint, Ladybug acted like he was throwing a tantrum.
Chat Noir's shoulders sagged as he paced the narrow roof pitch. His kitty ears were turned back and his tail whipped in irritation. Ladybug had told him he was irreplaceable but was that really true? Was she merely placating him? When it came down to it, she managed just fine when he was out of the picture. How many times had he been either turned against her or immobilised and she'd still come through to save the day?
With a huff that blew his hair from his eyes, Chat Noir dropped to a crouch and sat down. In all honesty, would Ladybug even miss him if he were gone? Most of the time she seemed annoyed by his ploys to draw her attention. Sure, she trusted him in battle but did she even like him when they weren't working together?
His attempts at trying to get to know her seemed futile. She was so damn determined to keep their identities a secret that he could barely express anything to her. Yet she knew all the other holders' identities. How was that fair? How did that make logical sense when her argument was about protection?
Glaring at his ring, Chat Noir began to twist it around his finger with growing agitation. He thought back to Syren and how he'd considered removing his miraculous. Plagg would miss him, but would Ladybug? If someone else took up the mantel of Chat Noir would his partner even notice the difference?
As if summoned by his thoughts, the baton at his back began to ring. Jutting his bottom lip, Chat Noir snatched up his weapon and flicked open the screen. Ladybug was looking out of shot as she spoke. "Chat, I need you at the Louvre. There's an akuma turning people into marshmallows." She didn't even wait for his response before she closed the line.
Good old Chat Noir would hurry to her side. Even now he felt the urge to race to his partner. Rising to his feet, the hero sprung his way across the rooftops and landed at a nearby vantage point to view the chaos at the Louvre.
Sure enough, there were a bunch of people frozen in their last poses, now cast in marshmallow. The rest of the people were running and screaming as they dove for cover. Amongst it all was Ladybug, twirling her yoyo into a shield as she deflected liquid blobs of marshmallow shot her way by the akuma that was a lumbering marshmallow man. It was reminiscent of Ghostbusters.
He knew he should drop down there and help her, but for once he wanted to be the one to come up with the solution. Chat Noir was sick of playing the human shield due to Ladybug's need to face things head on. With a bitter frown he stalked around to the rear of the akuma and called upon his power. Ladybug didn't even see him when he laid his right hand on the belt of the rotund figure, freeing the akuma.
The blobby victim dropped to his knees as the magic bubbled away. Chat Noir finally made eye contact with his partner who stood staring at him, slack jawed. He pointed to the tainted butterfly with his baton. "You going to catch that?"
Ladybug snapped out of her funk and did her thing. But she wasn't able to revert things back to normal without calling upon her lucky charm. As soon as she did, Chat Noir's hackles rose. Some sort of tea brewing instrument fell into her hands, "Master Fu," she uttered. Blue eyes blinked at him before she tossed the object in the air and chanted, "Miraculous Ladybug!"
Out of habit Chat Noir raised his fist to bump against hers. "Pound it," he said with little feeling.
His partner smiled at him, looking shaken. "That's a first. We've never defeated an akuma without using my lucky charm before."
Chat Noir's masked eyes narrowed. "Could that be because you always have to do things your way?"
She stepped back at his sharp retort. "I-I…"
"Forget it," the cat themed hero replied as he gave her a dismissive wave as he turned away. Then he paused to look over his shoulder. "You always say we're partners, that I'm not your sidekick. You're wrong you know. I'm the one who takes the hits, I'm the one who panders to your every whim. You told me I'm irreplaceable, yet every time I'm out of action or not up to the standard you need, you replace me."
Storming back to her, Chat Noir snatched up Ladybug's hand and tugged her to his side. With his arm around her waist, pressing her firmly against him, the hero launched them into the sky with his baton. His ring beeped in warning but he ignored it.
Ladybug's fingers dug into his suit as she held on. "Chat, what's going on with you? Why are you so upset?"
The stern look remained on his face as he continued to travel across the rooftops, taking the most direct route home. "Isn't it obvious? Partnership implies being equals. But when it comes to our relationship you are clearly the alpha to my beta. Normally that doesn't bother me, someone has to lead but you don't share. If this partnership were true, you'd tell me what you know but instead you hide things from me."
Chat Noir knew her eyes were rivetted to his face. If they weren't she would have noticed where they were going. She would have recognised the imposing façade of his home. It was only as he launched them through his window to land on his bedroom floor that Ladybug let out a gasp of incredulity.
Dropping his arms from his partner, he waited for her response as his miraculous continued to beep.
"W-why are we in Adrien Agreste's bedroom?" she asked in a startled voice as she rubbed her arms.
"Why indeed," he muttered as he walked towards his desk drawer to remove the box his miraculous came in. Stalking back to her, Chat Noir reached for Ladybug's hand, he placed the box in her limp fingers. "Hold this," he instructed as the magic dissipated to reveal his true identity. With a glance at his kwami, Adrien tossed him a piece of camembert and waited for him to swallow it. "Sorry about this Plagg."
While Ladybug stared at him in shock, Adrien pulled the ring from his finger and wedged it into the box, closing the lid firmly with both of his hands over Ladybug's. "You know who I am now. Secret identity revealed. Since you're so good at finding other miraculous partners I have no doubt you'll score yourself a better Chat Noir."
Ladybug's mouth opened and closed as she looked at him with pleading eyes.
Adrien placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face the window. "You said you need to see Fu. Better not keep him waiting."
She eyed him over her shoulder as he began pushing her towards the exit. "Adrien," she managed to utter.
"Shh," he murmured, pressing a finger to his lips. "Keep it a secret for me, bugaboo. You're good at that." Then he turned his back on her, pulled out his desk chair and opened his text book to do some homework.
There was no noise from his partner but her breathing and the chirp of her earrings. Adrien flicked through the pages of his text book until he reached the appropriate chapter and smoothed his hand over the pages. Picking up his pencil he began jotting notes. He was halfway down the page when he heard the final warning from Ladybug's miraculous. The pencil froze in his hand.
A flash of light reflected on his blank computer monitors and Adrien immediately fixed his gaze on his books. The impulse to look away had been conditioned into him, even if part of him was dying to know who Ladybug really was. His heart began to pound as her footsteps quietly headed his way. An arm reached over his shoulder, not clad in red, to place the miraculous box on his notebook. "T-this is y-yours, Adrien."
Ladybug rarely stuttered. Thinking about it, the only times he'd ever heard her do so were when he was out of the mask. Adrien caught her wrist before she could pull her hand away. In doing so he felt her tumble forward to land on his back. Her breathing was erratic as she placed a hand on his opposite shoulder to compose herself.
His own respiration was rapid and he desperately wanted to turn around. But he couldn't take being rejected outside the mask. Instead, he picked up the miraculous box and put it back in her hand. "I don't want it. Not unless you want me as a full partner and start treating me as such. No more secrets."
The fingers before him trembled as she held the jewellery box and her hand on his shoulder tightened. A higher pitched voice spoke up. "Adrien, I advised her to keep your identities a secret. I was only trying to protect you both, not cause a rift in your relationship."
Adrien pushed his text book towards the computer monitors. "I understand the reasoning. What hurts is the lack of trust. You don't trust me with what you know. Yet you expect me to work with you side by side, without question. For the most part, I'm fine with that. I do my job. But as soon as I try to get close you push me away. When I'm no longer of use you find someone else." His voice cracked as he continued on. "Clearly I'm not good enough because you constantly replace me."
The arm holding the miraculous box tightened around him, pulling him into a fierce hug. Ladybug's face nuzzled into his hair, against the back of his ear. "You are good enough, you are the best," she assured him in a hushed tone. "I'm sorry that you feel like I'm neglecting you in some ways. That's never been my intention. You are my cornerstone, my inner strength when I doubt myself. You are my other half, Chat Noir, even if I've been too blind to see it."
Ladybug said all the things he longed to hear but when it came down to it, they were only words. Closing his eyes, Adrien tucked his face against her inner elbow. His hands rising to hold the arm that hugged him. He didn't want to let her go but she had to realise how strongly he felt about this. "Ladybug," he rasped, lifting his head as he licked his dry lips, "I want to believe what you're saying. But time and time again you confirm otherwise. I need something from you to prove how much you trust me. To show me that you see me as your equal."
"I could show you who I am." She started, he felt her pulling away from him as if preparing to face him.
But the higher pitched voice cut in. "Are you sure about this, Ma- Ladybug? Chat Noir has been influenced by akumas a number of times. If he knows your identity it could jeopardise you both."
Adrien slammed his fist on the desk. "Take the damn ring and go."
The voice of Ladybug's kwami continued. "I'm not trying to upset you, Adrien. But Ladybug's powers are what cleanse the akumas. If she's compromised then there will be no one to do that."
"Yet she knows my identity now, along with all the other miraculous holders'. Doesn't that make Ladybug the greatest threat, if we use your logic?" Adrien growled, "Think about it. If Ladybug is the one to be compromised then how on earth am I meant to provide backup to help her if I don't even know where to find it?"
A prolonged silence was his answer. Shaking his head, Adrien thrust his fingers into his hair, pulling it away from his face. "Just go," he said to the figures behind him. "Find a Chat Noir that meets the standards you required." With that he reached for his text book and studiously ignored the pair behind him.
Given that Chat Noir is having a bit of a rough time in season two I wanted to give voice to his frustration. Do you think he's justified in his reasoning? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the box below.
Thanks for reading, and cheers in advance for reviews, favourites and follows :)
