"Mission accomplished!"
It had been another typical Akuma battle and once again Ladybug and Chat Noir had triumphed over evil and purified another innocent soul. However, unlike the many other times, when Ladybug whirled round for the traditional fist bump she caught sight of Chat's grim, miserable, face, and her smile instantly faltered.
"Chat?" she said worriedly. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Chat managed a weak, unconvincing, smile, "why ever would I not be, My Lady?"
"Chat," Ladybug said sternly, "don't lie to me. We're partners."
"It doesn't always feel like it!" Chat blurted out. "Sometimes it feels like I'm more a hindrance than a help."
"Nonsense," Ladybug said flatly, "you're always a help and never a hindrance."
"Really?" Chat scoffed. "because after all the times I collided into a wall, or tripped over something, or got inconveniently hit by an Akuma attack because something distracted me, or somehow got hit my own baton, I can tell you right now I feel more of a hindrance than a help." He sighed heavily and rubbed his face. "Face it My Lady, I'm just an unlucky black cat encroaching on your glory."
Ladybug pursued her lips at that. She was so used to seeing Chat Noir being so strong and confident and almost borderline arrogant that she felt rather unnerved seeing him so vulnerable and fragile. It was not something she liked to see. She wanted to see his beautiful smile and hear his confident voice utter those terrible puns. She reached out and squeezed his shoulder comfortingly. "You know," she said in a loud, casual, voice, "black cats are actually lucky not unlucky."
Chat looked up startled. "What?"
"Black cats are lucky," Ladybug repeated, "it's always been believed that a black cat arriving at home brings prosperity and if a lady owned a black cat she would have many suitors."
Chat Noir hissed at that. As if his Lady needed more suitors. She had so many fanboys and fangirls who lusted after her (there's been one too many overheard locker conversations that he has been comfortable with) but there was that sculptor who went as far as framing Chat for burglary so he could have Ladybug to himself and Jagged Stone has declared his admiration one time too many as well….Chat really didn't think he could cope with another suitor after his Lady's hand.
As if she could read his thoughts Ladybug rolled her eyes.
"And it has always been believed that a black cat walking towards you brings you good luck," she powered on before Chat could say something about the suitors, "and when they walk away they take that luck away."
At this Chat's face lit up. "Really?" Chat asked hopefully.
"Uh-huh," Ladybug hummed. "So I suppose what I am saying is," she said a little nervously as she pulled Chat Noir in for an awkward hug, "always walk towards me, my luck charm," she murmured against his ear, "and never away from me."
He hugged her back so tightly that she could have sworn she heard her ribs crack. "Don't worry bugaboo," he breathed into her hair, "I could never walk away from you."
