Chapter Summary: In which Ladybug and Black Cat have a chat


The tiny, beat-up, turquoise Citroën C1 was even more cramped than his small Renault, but Adrien had never been more grateful Nino had kept the hunk of junk running after all these years. The axle squealed slightly when he turned the steering wheel, the ancient green-blue paint job was peeling on the top and trunk, and it smelled like mold. Still, the blond knew to never look at a gift horse in the mouth - especially when that gift came from people who could easily beat him up if they ganged up on him. Turning off the main highway and signaling his blinker to the left, he waited at the empty stoplight to cross the Seine.

Marinette had been quiet during the ride. It was obvious she had something on her mind, but Adrien had never been one to pry.

That's why it surprised him when he heard a quiet, "Adrien?"

Claws clicking on the steering wheel, he glanced at her. "Yes?"

"Who… um…" she twisted her fingers in her lap, "who are you exactly?"

He sighed and felt his stomach sink to his leather-cladded lap. He was a grown man in a leather catsuit with black ears just for the added touch.

To be honest, it was a very reasonable question.

"What do you mean?" he stalled, hating the words as soon as they came out his mouth.

"Why are you… I mean, you are so calm during the moments we are in danger. You have this suit and all these gadgets. Who are you?"

He knew, even without the suit, she'd probably ask him this question at some point. He hadn't counted on it being so soon. Dwelling on the past, even explaining the story to someone else, would lower his concentration. He needed to keep a level head. The tragedy of the past would only hinder their progress. Allowing a full thirty seconds to tick by as he focused on the abandoned road in front of him, he finally exhaled shortly and said, "Can I answer you later?"

"Why?"

He could feel her cerulean eyes prickling the skin of his tan face.

"Look, it's not that I don't want to tell you. It's just… hard to explain without a tough story following it. I need to stay focused on what we are doing."

Marinette was silent before she nodded slowly. "Alright, but you'll tell me later?"

"Chat's honor," he smirked. God, he'd forgotten how fun cat puns were.

Her shoulders scrunched up as if visibly flinching and he glanced at her with concern before heading straight to cross the bridge. Turning right at the next available street, he stopped at another light. He shifted in his seat to look at her and her eyes flicked to her lap swiftly.

"And now my turn for a question: what was up with the hero comment back there?"

"I don't know what you mean," she answered immediately. He almost laughed at how horrible she was at evading.

"Oh, really? You don't know? Nathaniel almost clawing my green eyes out wasn't just a normal thing?"

She sighed slowly before finally looking him in the eye. "Alright, fine. Might as well tell you. It's not like it's a big deal and you might not believe me, but…" she hesitated, biting on her lower lip softly.

"Yes?" he coaxed.

"You remember Tikki, right? From the Orphanage?"

He nodded.

"Well ... she's always had a special gift. Every once in a while, only through her dreams, she has visions of the future. Fu used to say she was mìng yùn de dúzhě: A Fate Reader. She predicted that racing without a moon in the sky would put us all peril. Wouldn't you know it, the very night we were discovered by Hawkmoth was the first one I raced without a moon present. The next day, you were knocking at my door... and here we are."

Adrien stayed silent, waiting for her to continue.

"Well, Tikki had another prediction. One she's been having a lot lately for the past two years. It was about me." Marinette's cheeks blushed prettily and she looked away through the front windshield. "At first, she said she saw a black cat. He'd come from the shadows. She thought it was a bad omen."

"A black cat, huh? Makes sense why you looked that way when you saw me in this suit."

"I looked at you weird?"

"More like I was your cat in shining armor," he teased with a smug look.

She rolled her eyes, but he could tell she was fighting a smile. "I'm not sure about that, but, well, up until recently it's been clearer for her. A man with green eyes, yet he was still the cat. That's all she could see. The man was an ally. He's come to protect me - God, this is embarrassing… She said he'd come when I needed him most."

"I see where the green eyes issue came from now."

"Yeah. That's what that means." She turned away with her face charmingly red.

His spine straightened against the seat and he grinned to himself.

The hero, her hero, was a black cat.

Him.

He had suspected, but just knowing it was true - his own feelings and anxiety during the day even further confirmed what she was saying. He was her hero. Predicted to be by her side.

God, why did he like that so much?

"Funny thing is, I had a gut feline all day even before I was handed your photo. It was like I already knew."

She snorted at his pun. "Let's just- let's just please drop this. I'm humiliated enough as it is. I never expected that this would even happen. I mean, two years of hearing the same thing over and over. And I can take care of myself. Don't put yourself in harm's way just for my sake. You shouldn't have to get be in danger just because of some stupid prediction. I'm not anything special."

The Chat Noir inside bolstered his confidence and he leaned closer. "Au contraire, purrincess, you are very special."

"Purrincess?" She quirked an eyebrow at him. He chuckled with a shrug.

"Every hero needs a princess, right? And think about it for a second. If even fate is trying to protect your life then I think that makes you a little more than special. I think it makes you quite extraordinary."

Her gaze turned back to him in surprise, her cheeks still holding a solid blush. "You think I'm extraordinary?"

"You know you are," he said softly, all hints of teasing gone. His eyes held hers. "You risked your life for years to save helpless akuma. How is that not admirable?"

Her lips pressed together tightly and he could see her visibly swallow in her throat. "I'm not admirable or extraordinary. I didn't do any of this alone. Wayzz built the bike and Fu snuck into the Master's Circle. Everyone else was-"

"But you are Ladybug. You are ultimately the one who was out there putting yourself in danger. I can't think of someone who deserves to be saved more than the girl who daily put her life on the line to save others. I wouldn't want to be a hero to anyone else, Marinette."

Jesus, what was he saying? He was flirting with her. But her head ducked shyly and a small smile was on her pink mouth.

It was beautiful.

"I just did what anyone else would do."

"From what I've seen in this world, no one would ever do what you've done. And really, no need to be so modest. Even Alya called you a badass. That's saying something coming from her."

He was leaning closer. If he wanted to, he could turn up his hearing and listen to her heartbeat. Was it beating faster? Harder? He was tempted to find out. She was flustered, but leaning closer to him, too. Their eyes locked again and he rested his elbow on the unwanted armrest between their seats - his forearm ghosting her bicep. There was a static there. A charge between them that felt entirely too tempting. He barely knew this woman who'd stumbled into his life and yet he found himself glancing at her pink lips.

Alright, Adrien was man enough to admit it. She was beautiful. When he'd first gotten the picture, he'd found her pretty. But she was more of a mystery he needed to solve - a purpose and reason for saving a damsel in distress. He'd knocked on her door with the image of the photo in his mind.

He'd been greeted with something entirely different. She had been rumpled and sloppy; tangled hair, tired blue eyes, pajama shorts, and a wrinkled tank top. Though she was cute, his feelings had been little more than relief if anything. He'd found her alive. That was all he needed.

However - that opinion had quickly changed as he heard her story, learned of her struggle and her true fight. That this girl was Ladybug. She was so much more than a simple picture or a girl shivering in his coat. She was growing in his mind. An admiration brewing against his will.

She was strong, and brave, and good.

Seeing the Orphanage had only made her even more of an enigma to his feelings. They all loved her - the entire group. She was hugged, loved, and wanted.

Treasured.

And now, seeing her in the Ladybug racing gear and the sheer determination radiating from her in the face of all the tragedy she'd endured - he knew he was being irrational. He was starting to want something that wasn't his. Sure, he might have been predicted by fate to protect her, but he hadn't heard anything about her falling for him or anything. So, he shouldn't fall for her.

And Luka. She'd promised him. She'd held his thin hand against her cheek. Her expression had been a mixture of pure devotion and want.

She loved Luka.

Adrien was an idiot.

Feeling as if a cold bucket of water had been spilled over his head at that thought, he suddenly leaned away and pressed on the gas. The light had been green for quite a while in the empty street. Seeing her blink in surprise at his retreat, her blue eyes immediately went back to studying the passing streets, the pink still touching her cheeks.

He gripped the wheel a little harder than normal.

This was physical attraction.

Nothing more.

And physical attraction didn't mean anything. Those feelings could be easily controlled.

He turned a few more blocks.

Silence between them grew as the minutes stretched.

"I understand you don't want to talk about your past," she suddenly spoke up and surprised him, "but can you at least tell me how you went from construction worker to super cat spy?"

The question was easy and held the flavor of teasing. It relaxed him from his troubled thoughts. Teasing was safe. It was not flirting. It was joking around.

Adrien could do jokes.

"Or is it super cat spy turned construction worker?" He shot back with a smirk, the muscles in his shoulders unwinding. He hadn't been aware he was tensed. "Curious, aren't you, purrincess. You know what that did to the cat, right?"

"Do the puns come with the suit?" she smiled.

"Actually, yes. It's a feature. Cat me some slack, will ya? Been a while since I've been able to pun properly. Construction puns don't go over very well with coworkers. 'Did you take my hammer and cheese sandwich?'"

Her eyebrows disappeared into her fringe as she stared at him. "That was terrible."

"See? Simply im-paw-ssible."

"Are your puns going to help us sneak into a heavily guarded hotel?"

"I was thinking my lockpicks could do the trick."

"Lockpicks? I thought you need a license to carry lockpicks."

"Who says I don't have one?"

"Wild guess," she was laughing, her eyes twinkling merrily - not that he noticed. "A punny man in a catsuit showing up to help people unlock their cars and houses. That's a funny picture."

"I'll admit, the suit might be weird to you, but I happen to find the leather very comfortable."

"You even have the ears and the glowing green eyes with that mask. All you need is a bell."

"Maybe you can help me pick one out after this."

This was safe. This was teasing. Nothing more.

However, all humor left her face as the hotel appeared on Adrien's left. Her eyes tossed with a spark of igniting anger. The majestically columned building supported numerous patriotic flags waving on the tall balcony. Lights were on and bright against the white marble. Long stairs led to the beautifully intricate rotating doors. He drove past the hotel to an alleyway a block away on the left. Pulling inside, he stopped the car.

"Why did you park here?"

"Studying a map," he answered, pressing on the side of his mask. A thin blueprint popped up and he scrolled through with a clawed finger dragging around the outside of his left sclera. Marinette watched in fascination. "Seven tier construction. Six ground exits. Four rooftop. If it comes down to it, we might be able to escape on the roof. That's good. There's apartments behind the hotel. Not a bad jump. Less than two meters." He immediately begin mapping another exit in his head - his quick mind working through the various exits and strategies.

"Seven tier structure? Six exits? What are you-"

"For a building of this size, it is standard procedure to make sure every construction over the length of twenty meters to have at least six ground exits." He shut off the blueprint with a quick click of his claw and grinned at her. "That's not anything special, purrincess. I still work in construction, remember?"

Her scoff was charming, but he had to make a choice. Finally deciding the back alleyway was the best option to enter the hotel, he told her the plans and they both opened the squeaking turquoise doors. Checking to make sure the gun, his baton, and lockpicks were secure, he locked the car doors and headed further down the dark alleyway with Marinette following closely. Reaching for the pistol, he unclicked the safety and held it steady at his side. His sound-proof boots did their job. Not a single noise emulated from him.

Nor her?

Curiously, he turned back to check on her and noticed her slender hands relaxed and ready at her side. Her body naturally seemed to maneuver to the shadows. Adrien was impressed. She was following almost as silently as he was. He noticed her blue gaze check above their heads, studying the various windows and fire escapes for threats.

Smart. A potential ambush from above. He really liked that. Back in the day, she would have been a perfect partner for his squad. Thinking outside the box.

He quickly let that thought go.

"Is it quiet out here to you?" She whispered as they cut across an open alley and entered the backside of the hotel. "It's a Saturday in the city. The bars and clubs should still be open. It's not even two in the morning yet."

"I noticed that as well." - He hadn't, but she didn't need to know that.

Marinette suddenly let out a small sigh that sounded more like a disgruntled huff.

"What?" he asked.

"Kinda wish I had a domino mask, too."

He grinned at her. "We'll get you one after this. A ladybug printed one."

She snorted a quiet laugh - which was strangely dainty and Adrien did not think it sounded cute.

The back alley narrowed further. Adrien was glad only his vision and hearing were amplified in the suit. The smell of molding Chinese food and wet dog was enough to make him breathe through his mouth. A large blue and yellow dumpster stood proudly rotting further on against the bricked wall of apartments - and several feet in front of it -

"Hello, emergency exit," Marinette whispered as Adrien hurried towards an unmarked metal door. Bending to check the lock, he smirked.

Two deadbolts. Easy.

Reaching into the pouch flap at his belt, he took out the thin screwdriver and small metal pin. Working the keyhole, he felt her lean over his shoulder to watch. A line of pride ran through him as – with two quick flicks of his wrist – both dead bolts clicked unlocked within seconds of each other.

Even after all these years, he still had it.

"Wow, you weren't kidding," she said, impressed. "You're not a spy though - more of a cat burglar."

Adrien smiled and put away the tools before turning to her. "Just make sure to stay behind me. I'll purr-tect you."

"You may be a hero, but I can take care of myself. I told you I don't want you getting hurt because of this."

"And I don't want you to-"

Whatever he was going to say was cut short as the newly unlocked door suddenly swung open-

And was followed by the barrel of a gun.


Cliffhanger.

Next up: In which Ladybug and Black Cat become a team

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R-N