BlackLynx17: Hello! This is my first Lady Bug fanfiction, so I hope I do the cartoon justice. I've become a really big fan recently, I'm even thinking about cosplaying as Lady Bug for the next expo coming up, so I wrote this because of my fandom. This story takes place between episodes and I mention some of the episodes as well, just small things though that happened. That's about it, hope you enjoy.

Scratching The Surface.

Chapter 1.

Leather does not help with sweat.

If anything it makes it worse because now he feels like his outfit is two sizes too small. It's sticking to his skin, his sweat running down his neck into his suit, slipping further down his back to his regions he doesn't want to think about right now. The heat has never bothered him before, but the sun shining on him right now is absolutely killing him. Sweat, leather, sun, dying, now is not a good time to-

No, no, he's done making excuses. He can't make up another one, he's already made up so many before. He swore to himself that today is going to be the day, it has to be today... he can't wait another day not knowing that they could be together already if he only had the courage to ask.

Asking out the opposite sex has to be the bravest thing in the world, more dangerous than anything else in the world including fighting bad guys. He doesn't know how people do it on a daily basis, how the world is as populated as it is. He wishes he had some of those people's courage, the courage to put himself out there and risk... risk...

No! He will not think of that word! He won't jinx himself, he won't back out of this, he won't-

"Chat Noir? There you are; do you have any idea how long it took me to come find you?"

He feels his heart sink all the way down to his stomach; he can't gulp down the ball that's logged its way in his throat, he can only turn around and see his beautiful ladybug jumping up to where he is, shaking her hair as she leans up, resting her hand on her cocked out hip as she poises. She could be a model, a beautiful model, they could even model together sometimes. Adrien and Lady Bug- no, Adrien and whoever she really is behind the mask.

"Hello? Chat Noir? I'm talking to you. Do you have any idea how long it took me to find you? All you left me was a note and your signature; you're lucky someone posted a picture of you online sitting at the Eiffel Tour or else I probably wouldn't have found you."

Oh no, the tone in her voice sounds like she's not happy. He's already ruining this moment between them. Come on already, speak. Speak!

"Aw, you were looking for moi? I'm flattered, really I am Lady Bug. You should already know though that whenever you call out my name I'll always be there for you."

The feline inside of him awakens and takes over his body, trying to entice her with sweet words as he walks over and takes her hand, leaving a kiss on it to mark his territory. What is he doing right now? She doesn't fall for things like this! The expression on her face right now says so!

"I mean- sorry, I just-... I drew a picture of the Eiffel Tour as a hint. Didn't you see it?" Chat Noir leans back up, taking his hand away from hers to rub the back of his neck.

He instantly regrets it feeling the sweat forming back there; he laughs awkwardly rubbing his hand on the side of his suit, taking a step into the shade of the tower hoping that it will cool him down. Her blue eyes watch his every move, her body moving along with him to face him. At that moment the sun hits her in all the right places and she's... she's simply beautiful. More beautiful than any model he's ever seen, more beautiful than any sunrise or sunset. He's the luckiest man in the world to see a wonder like this, probably the only man in the world who will ever see a wonder like this.

"Oh, is that what all those scratches were? I thought you were just sharpening your claws. You know the mayor isn't going to like you tagging and destroying public property like that."

"I'm sure he won't mind, after all if it wasn't for us he'd be fixing up a lot more than just one side of a building." He winks at her with a smile.

Stop that right now! His flirting doesn't work! Besides, he's not here to flirt, but to confess his undying love to her. Keep that in mind, keep it in mind! Chat Noir takes a deep breath in and sighs it out of his mouth, bouncing in place to shake it off. Lady Bug raises an eyebrow at him, but decides not to ask. She really doesn't have the time to be playing these games with him, especially with the test she has tomorrow in which she hadn't study for at all! Plus it's about to be sunset, so her parents are bound to be wondering where she is right now. Honestly Lady Bug is surprised they haven't called her already; they must really trust her-

"I wouldn't have to do those things anyway if I simply knew who you were underneath the mask."

Her eye twitches, "is that what you called me out here to talk about? Chat Noir, I have more important things to do than discuss secret identities. Why does it matter so much to you anyway? Our teamwork is flawless, knowing who I am won't change that. If anything it'll make our lives more complicated if we do actually know each other. It'll be another secret we have to keep from our friends and our-"

"I love you Lady Bug!" He blurts out.

Lady Bug's mouth falls open, Tiki screaming and cheering in her ears as she fangirls over this. Chat Noir ignores his own kwami's congrats about him finally being able to confess his feelings, he ignores everything around him except for her.

Her, staring at him with her wide blue eyes, her luscious pink lips making a perfect 'O' shape from his confession.

Her, who he's been in love with since the first time they've fought crime together.

Her, who is just standing in front of him right now saying nothing, doing nothing other than staring at him with her hypnotizing eyes.

It's too late to take anything back, and now that he finally confessed his hidden feelings after so long it doesn't feel as scary to do it a second time.

"I'm in love with you Lady Bug. This isn't a joke or a tease, I'm not flirting with you just to get a rise, all those times before when you brushed me off those were actually moves I was trying to win you over with. I'm in love with you, and sure right now it might only be with the mask, but I'm sure even without it on I'll fall for the girl too because... well because how different can you really be? These are 100% my honest feelings and I want to know your 100% honest feelings as well. I'm ready to tell you everything, show you everything, I've been ready for so long. All you have to do is say the word and I'll do it Lady Bug. I'm ready to be honest."

The sweat isn't bothering him anymore, nor his tight outfit, or the burning heat from the sun. He actually walks back into it, step by step, until he's standing right in front of her. She has to look up at him because he's so tall and she doesn't think she's ever noticed it before. Chat Noir, no matter how much of an annoying and useful partner he's been, is a man. He's always been a man, she's just never seen it before. His chest is more puffed out, his posture straighter than usual, the expression on his face... so serious. A strand of his hair is a little out of place and she wants to reach out and brush it back into place, but she knows that will send the wrong message. No matter how much of a man he truly is, no many how many times he's saved her life, no matter how honest and pure his feelings are... no matter how hard it is going to be to tell him, she's in love with Adrien. She's always been in love with him and those feelings aren't wavering in the slightest after hearing his confession.

He isn't the one for her.

"I'm sorry."

His world comes crumbling apart.

"I never knew, I thought flirting was just second nature to you, you always seemed like a playboy to me- well playcat, but thinking back I don't remember you flirting with any of the women we've saved before."

He doesn't know how he's still standing up right now.

"I know how strong you had to be to be able to confess like that, even I'm a little jealous. I wish I had half of your courage Chat Noir."

Adrien? It's going to be okay.

"I hope this doesn't change anything, but I simply can't accept your feelings Chat Noir. I'm sorry."

The familiar sounds of beeping saves him from continuing on this conversation. From putting a fake smile on and shaking it off, playing it off as a joke or something to keep her from thinking she's hurt him; from acting like this isn't breaking him apart, body and heart, and saying those dreadful words of we're still friends.

Because friends is something he doesn't want to settle being with her.

He wants love.

He wants lovers.

He wants dates in the park, kisses in the the rain, a single moment where their eyes meet and love flashes between the two of them in the heat of battle. He doesn't want friendship, he doesn't think he can handle being her partner for the years to come, always beside her, but never with her.

Adrien, our time is about to run out.

"I have to go." Chat Noir spits out, balling up his hands so tightly his claws start digging into his palms.

"Chat Noir wait-"

"I'm sorry, but if I don't you'll find out who I am and I bet that's another thing you don't want me to burden you with."

He doesn't mean to hurt her, he doesn't mean to make her face scrunch up together in pain by his sharp tongue, but he can't help it. He wants her in pain, he wants her feeling a least a quarter of what he's feeling right now by her rejection. He turns around so all she'll see is his broad back, not his crippled front as the tears start to come out.

"I'll see you around."

"Chat Noir!"

For a second he doesn't think about saving himself as he jumps off the tower; he thinks about letting himself fall to his doom, to his death, finding piece in heaven. Heaven is a paradise, right? Where all your dreams are suppose to come true? For a second he wonders if he'll see her up there? The real her.

ADRIEN!

He could never do that to Plagg, or his friends, even to his father. His sharp green eyes open up wide and he flips back, kicking himself off the tower to a lamp post, grabbing it and spinning around to a halt before he let's himself drop on the ground. His feet cripples underneath his weight and he falls on his butt.

Whoever said cats always land on their feet obvious has never been rejected before.

Adrien? Our time-

"I know Plagg," Chat Noir sniffs wiping his eyes, "I know."

He doesn't even bother trying to make it home knowing the tears in his eyes blind his sight too much. He settles for the next best thing, a public bathroom where he shuts himself inside of a stall and curls up on the ground, crying out loud in the empty room. Plagg floats around him, a thick frown on his face. He settles right on his hand and rubs his cheeks against it, showing him that he's there.

"At least you finally said it Adrien, at least she finally knows how you feel."

"I know, I know this is a good thing, I couldn't have lasted another day without her knowing. That doesn't make this situation suck any less though."

Plagg sighs, "I know Adrien, I'm sorry. I'm always going to be here for you though."

He needs to hear that, but not right now. No, the only thing he needs to hear right now is nothing. No support, no kind words, nothing to make this situation sound better than what it really is. He wants this pain, he wants this suffering. All of this that he's feeling right now is going to help him become stronger the next time he sees her. The next time he'll smile and act normal, throw in a few flirts to make her think he's back to his usual ways. He'll get it all out right now, so that the next time they meet things will be alright.

For right now though it's okay that nothing is alright. His first love, his first adventure... over before it even started without even the chance of being made into a beautiful love story.

This is a beautiful ending to a perfect tragedy.