Dazzling in the clear night, the lights of Paris twinkled like stars on the wrong side of the horizon. Chat Noir perched on the railing looking out over the city. Normally he seemed so cheerful, above reproach, but tonight she saw the lights reflected in the blank stare of his eyes. Tonight he was distant, tonight everything about him was different than it ever had been before. Ladybug turned her eyes to the city now. If her gaze lingered too long he might notice, he might get the wrong idea and tease her. Then again, maybe being teased was better than this distance?
The City of Lights was truly a sight to behold but their eyes were not seeing it. Ladybug's mind was working in overdrive, trying to figure out what could possibly be wrong with her partner. Subconsciously her eyes wandered back to Chat Noir. His form hunched and unmoving, like a gargoyle on the tower of a cathedral silently watching over the people of Paris. Mind buzzing, she tried to think of how to break the silence.
"I'm sorry I called you here," Chat's voice sounded hollow and unremarkable, almost lost in the din of the city. A beat passed before Ladybug realized that he'd even spoken. He chuckled but it echoed humorlessly in Ladybug's ears. "I don't know what I was thinking. I can't tell you about it. Calling you here was pointless..."
"Chat...?" her question caught in her throat. If she asked and he answered, would she know too much? If Chat Noir heard her, he didn't show it as his eyes never left the twinkling lights before them. An immeasurable amount of time passed between them. An eternity in a single moment.
"I... I gotta get home," he paused for a moment before standing slowly. The smile on his face was forced and didn't reach his eyes. "Until next time, Milady."
Ladybug barely had enough time to stretch her hand towards her partner in uncertainty before he pulled away. Disappearing into the night, he never once looked back.
A wave of concern washed over her. Watching him go, she breathed out a long sigh of worry, her brow furrowed with thought. Several seconds after he left, she turned and headed back home as well. He was Chat Noir. He would be fine... right? Perhaps next time he needed her she wouldn't be such a coward...
Chat Noir jumped down into the cavernous room, his steps echoing quietly off the high ceiling. The flash of light that flooded the room was gone in an instant and there stood Adrien where Chat Noir had been. Sitting down on the edge of his bed, Adrien sighed heavily and rubbed the back of his neck in exasperation.
"Seeing her didn't help at all?" Plagg nudged. His voice was a little quieter, more gentle than usual as if he were tip-toeing around a precarious cliff edge. Adrien's silent response was less than hoped for. The kwami's ears and whiskers sagged and he tucked himself away to allow his charge some privacy.
Adrien sat for a long time, the night passing him by. His eyes drooped and his body slumped but still, he did not sleep. At long last, he moved. Taking the phone from his pocket and flipping through the gallery of pictures, he landed on one from a couple of years ago.
The first light of the sun was dawning, breaking the deep velvety night into the softer shades of morning.
"Happy Birthday Mom..." he breathed at the picture. The beautiful blond woman in the photo smiled up at him. Her green eyes shining as she leaned her cheek against the top of Adrien's head. His tired eyes misted over.
"I miss you... so much."