A/N: I got the idea for this fic from a comic dub on youtube. I've been reading fanfic for a while and this is my first attempt at writing one... So here goes nothing.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Miraculous Ladybug.
Chat Noir stood on a rooftop over looking the scenery of Paris. Lights from building windows dotted the landscape, proving that he was not the only one up at this hour of night. With a sigh, he vaulted to the next building. It seemed like this was the only time he was ever truly free; free of his daily commitments, free of the lonely house, and free to actually be who he really wanted to be.
He looked down at his baton, debating on if Ladybug would answer a call at this hour. All he wanted was just for someone to talk to, someone to vent to. Dinner had been another disappointment on his father's behalf. Though Adrien figured it was his fault for getting his hopes up in the first place. He might as well be just another live in employee for all his father seemed to care.
Another leap across rooftops, as Chat picked up speed, using his baton to vault himself across. But out here, in this suit, no one would see him as Adrien Agreste. He was not the teenage heartthrob on the cover of magazines nor the face of the upcoming fall line up. He was Chat Noir to all, known for his quirky humor and charming personality.
Chat was at ease as the center of attention, because it was a spotlight that he deserved. He and Ladybug stopped the akumas that attacked the city. Yes, Plagg gave him the abilities, but everything Chat did was his own doing. As Adrien, all the attention he received was due to his father or other assistants. It was Gabriel's clothing lines he wore. Others spent time on his hair, make-up, and light angles to get the pictures right. And of course there was always Photoshop to fix any mistakes. All Adrien had to do was pose and smile. Sure people said he had the looks of a model, but even that was because of genetics. Not much of a say in that was given to him, he did not even like to model. It was fun in the beginning as it gave him an attempted connection with his father. Now, he gave the camera the same fake smile as the one Adrien useed in everyday life.
Even Adrien's friends did not get to see the real him. There was always the threat of cameras, and heaven forbid if Gabriel caught wind of him being a normal teenage boy. Public school and his friends would be the first to go, since obviously there would be where the bad influences were coming from.
Chat sighed. No, Adrien had to be all up tight, never really able to relax and never really able to enjoy life. This is not how things were supposed to be. His life should be more like Marinette's, with parents that support what he wanted to do, and showed their affection towards him.
He took another leap, not even paying attention to where he was in the city. He just needed to move, that was until a billboard with his smiling face stood in his way. Chat leapt onto the ledge of the billboard, pacing back and forth.
"I'm sick and tired of you..." Chat sighed. "I don't even want to see your face anymore." His hands balled into fists as he raiseed his voice. "I wish I never had to see you again." One of his fists slammed against the billboard. "CATACLYSM!" His other hand opened up, his dark power gathering in the palm of his hand. "I hate you!" he yelled as he slammed that hand against the sign.
The power of destruction started to slowly eat through, causing the picture to flake, then disintegrate. The metal parts started to rust and crumble. "I HATE YOU!" Chat screamed at the billboard as it crashed down into a pile of rubble. His hands dropped to his side as he hung his head. "I hate you so much," but it came out barely above a whisper.
Marinette sat on her own rooftop balcony, drawing in her sketch pad as she drew inspiration from the nighttime skyline. A crashing sound drew her attention to the east. She set her pad down and surveyed the area for any signs of trouble. The scanned left to right, then back again, but she kept stopping at one building in particular. Something was missing... Her eyes widened as she remembered. "Adrien's billboard... It was there when I started sketching." She remembered because that had been the first thing she looked to for inspiration, his smiling face looking right at her.
A high pitched voice came from next to her. "Do you think it could be an akuma? Maybe this one is upset with Adrien for some reason." Tikki floated in front of Marinette as she looked off in the distance.
"I don't know, but we better check it out. Tikki, spots on!" Marinette transformed in a flash of pink. Next thing Ladybug was swinging towards the billboard wreckage with her yo-yo.
Damaged was not the word that Ladybug would use to describe the state of the billboard. It was demolished. The metal looked worn and rusted but it just seemed to crumble. "This almost looks like..." The sound of scurrying on the rooftop caused her to leap into action, just in time to see a figure dart behind an exhaust fan hood.
"Don't...," came the choked out reply to Ladybug's movement. "You can't see me like this."
Ladybug paused at the voice. "Chat? What's wrong?" Worst case scenarios rushed through her head. Was Chat akumatized? If not then did he have a grudge against Adrien? But he wouldn't do anything to hurt him, would he? Questions swarmed her mind, but she could not bring herself to ask any of those.
"Just stay over there." Another sniffle was heard. "I'm not transformed and I have to wait for my kwami to regain his energy." Adrien hugged his knees up against his body, resting his head against them. It was just his bad luck that she had to show up right now. He glanced down at Plagg who seemed to be nursing his cheese.
"Look Chat, I'm here for you, whatever you need. And I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's wrong." Ladybug took another step closer to prove her point.
"You wouldn't understand." The sound came out a bit muffled since Adrien refused to look up.
With a glance towards the destroyed billboard, Ladybug tried to lighten the mood. "Do you have a problem with Adrien Agreste?"
Adrien's words stuck in his throat. How did she...? The billboard, she had to have seen it when she came by, but how did she even recall what picture had been on it in the first place. "It was the first thing I came across that seemed fairly expendable. Just a casualty," he lied.
Ladybug sat down on the opposite side of the fan, to respect his wishes. "Well then try me. Even if I can't fully understand, you can tell me. Whatever it is obviously is causing you a lot of pain." She sighed as she looked up at the sky. "Don't try to keep it all inside. I'm your partner, I want to help you."
Adrien sighed heavily as he lifted his head up. He could tell she was close, but still being respectful. "I don't wish to burden you, m'lady. You are already too nice to me, I couldn't bare to have your pity."
"Chat..." Ladybug stood up, putting her hand on the hood between them and closed her eyes. She walked around until she heard him directly in front of her. Kneeling down, she embraced him in a hug. She could feel him tense up from her touch. "I have my eyes close, so your identity is safe."
She was right next to him, hugging him. How long had he waited for this exact moment? Only the circumstances behind it sucked. Adrien leaned against Ladybug's shoulder. This was his lady and he trusted her with his life. "This whole living a double life is getting to me."
"Wait, you want to stop being Chat Noir?" There was so much concern for him in her voice, but she was also worried about losing her partner.
"No, it's not like that at all." Adrien sighs. "I want to give up my other life. This past year as Chat has shown me all the great things I miss out on. With the mask, I have the ability to finally be who I want to be. I... I have freedom." His hand wiped a tear from his eye. He tried to keep telling himself that he would stay strong in the eyes of Ladybug, but with her so close and comforting, that resolve melted away.
Her embrace tightened upon hearing those words. "I never realized that things were so hard in your civilian life." Chat always seemed so upbeat and goofy, never really showed any signs of this internal pain. "If our civilian selves knew each other, I'd like to think that I'd be able to help you."
"No one can help me." Adrien looked up at the face of his lady. True to her word still, her eyes were tightly shut, the corners of her eyes glistened with tears. With his thumb, he wiped away the moisture. "You're crying for me?" That one question caused his heart to skip a beat. Ladybug truly cared for him, probably the first person since his mother to really care about him. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back.
Ladybug did not know when the tears had started, but she just wanted to make him feel better. This was her strong, wise-cracking partner reduced to a huddled mess on a rooftop. "I will help in any way that I can."
His mouth did not even have time to register the thought before it came out. "You could open your eyes." Even after he said it, he was shocked. Ladybug was always insistent on their identities remaining a secret. He knew he would not pressure her into revealing hers until she was ready, but maybe if she knew his it would help her understand.
She pulled away from his embrace, though left her hands on his shoulders. "What? You're still not transformed though." The dreams she had of this moment never really turned out like this, and she always awoke not being able to remember who her subconscious thought was ideal for Chat Noir. To say that she was not curious was an understatement.
But she was brought back to the present by sound of his pained voice. "I know, and I can honestly say that you've seen me at my worst. But I trust you completely, m'lady. There is no one else that I would want to know other than you."
Ladybug wanted to help him, no one should go through their life as Chat had described his. Besides Paris was a big city, the chances that she knew him were slim. But then he always seemed to show up when the akumas attacked the school during the day, so that could mean they went to the same school. Even then, she could just go out of her way to make sure she did nice things for him. He never needed to know that clumsy, forgetful Marinette was Ladybug. "Alright." Her mind was made up, this was too important to him at the moment. He needed her help.
Adrien's eyes widened as she answered. He could not believe the words that came to his ears. He still would not be any closer to knowing the identity of the one that had captured his heart, but at least it was a start. He would be able to confide everything to Ladybug. It seemed like forever as he held his breath for that fateful moment. The moment that Ladybug opened her eyes and stared back into his, her expression could only be described as surprised.
"A... Adrien?"