Author's Note: This fits the prompt for Day 3: Favorite Ship

Comfort

'I know who Hawkmoth is,' Chat had been gathering courage to get this sentence out for a few very long minutes. He knew he had to pass the news sooner or later and the only thing that was holding him back him was shame. But their job was to stop the bad guy, even if it was his own father. 'And I know why he needs the miraculous. He wants to revert some damage and fix a past mistake.'

Ladybug withdrew from their embrace. 'A mistake?' she echoed.

'He- ,' Chat's voice trembled at the thought of his mother's pale face. 'He lost his wife and wants to bring her back, I think.'

'Who is he?' She knitted her brows and waited expectantly.

He gulped. Even if he wasn't going to reveal his connection to Hawkmoth it still took a lot of nerves. 'You were right in your first surmise,' he finally said, hanging his head. 'It's Gabriel Agreste,' his voice broke at the name. It turned out that knowing and admitting it out loud were two different things.

Chat saw a droplet falling on his leg, then another one next to it. A string of tears streaked his cheeks. He felt Ladybug's fingers on his face, wiping them out. A sudden fear gripped him. A true hero shouldn't be vulnerable or broken, but strong and confident. Would she despise him because of this? Would she consider him weak, not suited to be her partner? He raised his eyes to her.

Concern marred Ladybug's features as she looked at him, still silent. Her gaze was sad, yet he found no reproach there, no disdain, only compassion and something else, something that lit her eyes with a strange gleam. Something that looked worryingly like… recognition.

'It's okay,' she breathed, pulling him to her again. With his head rested against her chest and her arms tightly around him, he found it hard to think of anything but the erratic beating of her heart filling his ears. Had she worked him out? Did she know?

'I'm sorry,' she whispered into his hair, rubbing soothing circles onto his back. 'I'm so sorry this happened to you,' she crooned. 'But we'll think of something. We'll fix this. You are not alone, I promise.'

Chat pulled away from the hug to look at her again. He didn't dare to voice the question, but Ladybug knew what he wanted to ask anyway. She blinked and nodded slightly.

'Whatever happens, I won't let you handle this alone,' she vowed.

He stared at her for what felt like eternity. She patiently held his gaze. Finally the corners of her lips quirked in a soft smile as she put her hands to his cheeks. She lean in and gently kissed his forehead to seal her promise, caressing his face at the same time. His breathing hitched, as he let himself bask in her attention. When he felt her pulling away, he caught her wrists to keep her hands in place and she stopped mid-move. She resumed her caress, eyes brightening.

What had he done to deserve this divine presence in his life? Her touch felt like home, the one he missed, not the one he left behind. Her eyes were the best welcome he could dream of. Not only wasn't she pushing him away, but she recognized his distress and followed his need to be comforted. She took her time, slipping her fingers into his hair and stroking behind his ears. His real ears, hidden under the blonde thatch on his head. Her touch stirred something within him. Maybe it was irrational and selfish. Maybe it was a cat thing. Maybe it was a simple instinct to seek consolation. Or maybe it was the abandoned Adrien hiding deep down, longing for a companion, wishing to belong to her and claim her as his own.

Chat tilted his head up and looked at her. His gaze flickered to her lips and he licked his own instinctively. Ladybug followed the movement, swallowing hard. But she didn't take her hands from his hair, didn't pull away. Her eyes returned to his - wary, but trusting. She frowned, as if considering his signals before reaching a decision. When she leaned in and brushed her lips against his own he sighed blissfully.

The kiss was slow, tender and testing, her soft lips lightly moving against his own. But it still managed to set his skin on fire. Nothing and no one existed at that moment, just her. Her warmth, her affection was like air to him. He wanted-, no, he needed more. He needed all of her. Chat released the hold on her hands to caress her face. The kiss turned into something more desperate, hungry, when he reciprocated, pouring all the longing, all the love and all his distress into it. He crashed his lips into hers, wishing they could melt into one. Ladybug wrapped her arms around his shoulders, replying to his assault with her own fervor.

It was like a chain reaction. Once he started, he didn't know how to stop, he completely lost himself in her. He was greedy for every sigh, every touch, her presence anchoring him, giving him the comfort and strength he sought. His numb form filled with life again. And she was the source of it all. He simply couldn't let go.

Thankfully the need to breathe kicked in and Ladybug withdrew from the kiss. He tried to dive in for another one, but she put a finger to his lips, panting heavily. Only then Chat's brain finally rebooted, presenting him with a list of issues, one of which was the sudden outburst of affection that transpired between them a moment ago.

'You kissed me,' he pointed out eloquently. He was still a little high, but with no amount of satisfaction did he notice she was at least slightly flushed.

'Mhmm,' Ladybug pursed her lips. 'You kissed me back,' she whispered, arching her brow. His reply to her gentle touch was definitely more than "a kiss", but she mercifully didn't comment on that.

'I… um… I'm sorry,' he bashfully rubbed at his neck.

Ladybug snorted. 'Well, I'm not.'

'What about that… other boy?' Chat was a bit surprised with his own forwardness.

She ducked her head and wrapped her arms around her middle. 'There is no other boy,' she admitted.

'B-but you said…'

'I know what I said,' she sighed sadly.

Now he was at a loss, cognitive dissonance hitting him hard. Times when she was oblivious to his feelings or dismissed them were long gone after all, she had known how he felt about her for quite some time, but that kiss was no friendly peck on the cheek.

'Does this mean - ?'

'It means,' she squared her shoulders and finally met his gaze, 'that you were your own competition, Chat, and now that I know you whole, I love you even more.'

He gaped at her, mouth opening and closing a few times as he tried to comprehend all this. Did she just say she loved him?

'You… I… that was Adrien you were talking about?' he spluttered.

Ladybug blushed delectably and giggled at his stupefaction. 'Please don't talk about yourself in third person,' she chided. 'It's a very Chloe thing to do.'

'Chloe…,' he echoed. He had to agree that was a very Chloe thing. The cogs in his brain were turning at full speed now, clicking the pieces together. 'You know me outside of the mask', he gasped. 'You're not just a fan.'

'I am,' she proudly stated. 'Both Adrien's and Chat's. I am your biggest fan, Kitty,' she leaned in to brush her nose against his, causing heat to crawl to his face. 'But yes,' she added pulling back, 'this is not a fangirl infatuation. I know you. And since you let me know who you are the only thing that's left for me is to return the favor.'

She moved away from him, and before he could understand what she was doing, she uttered, 'Tikki, spots off.'

'No!' Chat squeezed his eyes shut. He breathed heavily when he realized Ladybug was now sitting in front of him, untransformed and unprotected. He reached out blindly and found her hand. It took heroic amounts of self control not to drop his own transformation and finally feel her skin against his own. But he couldn't resist just that little curiosity, so he raised her palm to his face and gently rubbed his uncovered cheek against it, reveling in the softness of the sensation.

'Please, Ladybug,' he whispered, keeping his eyes shut. 'Please, transform again, my Lady. I beg you.'

'But… you've always wanted to know,' not-Ladybug murmured.

Chat knew that voice. He had to stop himself before he could put a face to it. 'I still do,' he admitted. 'But considering who Hawkmoth is,' he winced at the painful knowledge, 'this is too dangerous now for me to know.'

'I trust you, Chat,' came a reply. Her hand was still on his cheek, thumb tracing the edge of his mask.

Up this close she also smelled familiar. The sugary, buttery scent with a hint of flower essense was driving his senses crazy. Even the way she breathed sounded familiar to his enhanced hearing. He knew he felt this presence before, more than once. He had to get her to transform before he would be able to figure it out.

'I know, my Lady,' he squeezed her wrist and kissed the inside of her palm. 'But not now. I'm not ready. It's too dangerous.' He pleaded. One revelation a day was more than enough for him. He wasn't sure he could handle knowing both Hawkmoth's and Ladybug's identities at the moment. 'I'll take a raincheck on that reveal? Once it's over, okay? Please?'

'Okay,' she agreed after a moment of hesitation. 'Whenever you're ready, just tell me,' she amended before calling on her transformation again.

Chat waited a moment for good measure before opening his eyes. Ladybug's suit was back in place, although the damage was done. He knew a lot more about his Lady than before, and he knew it would only take a clue or two now to connect the dots.

'Hi,' she waved shyly at him.

He smiled, taking her hands in his. He already felt the soothing effect of her presence, the solace he wouldn't have dared to ask for, but somehow received when he needed it the most. He trusted her, when she had promised he wouldn't be alone.

'Hi,' Chat replied, bringing their foreheads together. 'I don't know what I would do without you, bug,' he whispered, but then a thought hit him. 'Why are you here actually?' he asked pulling away.

Ladybug winced. 'I've been looking for you, because I have some bad news, Chat,' she said reluctantly.

'Worse than my father being Hawkmoth?' he snickered humorlessly. The laughter died in his throat when she bit her lip and nodded.

AN: Let me remind you that this author appreciates your follows, favs and reviews very much! Thank you.

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A huge thank you to Remasa for brainstorming the plot line with me and beta reading this story.