In the dark of the observatory, Hawk Moth's dark laugh echoed off of the curved roof. His poor kwami shivered with nerve some distance away. He did not want to be used for evil again. He did not have a choice.

"My friends," Hawk Moth purred, gleefully, "we are about to embark on the most odious, the evillest, the most diabolical scheme of my illustrious career. A crime to top all crimes! A crime that will live in infamy!"

"What are we going to do tonight Hawk Moth?" Nooroo asked, anxiously.

"The same thing we do every night Nooroo, try to take over Paris!" Hawk moth chortled, "But this time - from the brain that brought you the Eiffel Tower Topple, the head that made headlines in every newspaper, and wonderous things like the Notre Dame job - that cunning display that made all of Paris sob - now comes the real Tour de Force!"

The glee in his voice did not make Nooroo any less nervous. "But Master-"

He went ignored by Hawk Moth, who continued his plotting aloud. "It's tricky and wicked of course. My earlier crimes were fine for their times, but now a greater plot is finished simmering in my mind and I have the perfect chance to put it into action!"

"Even meaner? You mean it? Oh, Ga - um, Hawk Moth, you're-"

"The world's greatest criminal mind? Why, thank you. But it hasn't all been champagne and caviar. I've had my share of adversity, thanks to that miserable, second rate heroine, Ladybug, and that insufferable pipsqueak Chat Noir. I haven't had a moments piece of mind from them."

The glee died and turned into a bitter snarl at the mention of them. He wasn't keen on Chat Noir, but Ladybug - oh Ladybug really got his goat. Who did she think she was, capturing his akumas and telling all of Paris that he was nothing to fear?! Now Chat Noir, he could be bargained with. Hawk Moth felt his pain every time he got close to the akuma. He could easily be tricked into handing over the ring, if Hawk Moth could figure out how to destroy the last hope he had.
Because the last hope he had was always Ladybug.
She always ruined everything! He had no use for her. What was the point in fixing the damage his akumas had created?

"The entire city adores Ladybug. Especially whenever the brat beats me," he said with disgust.

"But that's because-" Nooroo began.

Again, Hawk Moth ignored him. "that's in the past! This time, nothing, not even Ladybug, can stand in my way! All will bow before my ultimate power!"

"Oh, hawk moth! No one can doubt what we know. You're eviller that even you say."

Nooroo had meant it was an insult, but Hawk Moth gave a deep, dark chuckle.

"Yes I am."

The conversation between Adrien and his father was long and full of half-hearted-soon-to-be-broken promises, but it was enough. It was enough in the way that a plaster is enough to keep a wall together, or a single unsnapped thread of frayed rope is enough to keep a piano in the air. There was so much more to do, but it was a start.

"Hey chole."

"What now?"

"I wanted to say thank you. I wasn't very grateful yesterday but I should have been. You were right."

"When aren't I?"

"So thank you."

"You're welcome... you should tell the girl you like her."

"What?"

"I've seen the way you look at her. It's the way everyone looks at me. You love her. And you said I was always right so you have to listen to me!"

Adrien flashed back to when a very angry little girl with bright yellow hair and a horrible scowl stamped her foot and demanded Adrien listen to her. Chloe never changed. Unfortunately, neither did Gabriel. Adrien didn't expect him to keep all his promises, but breaking the very first one the very next day, was almost enough to cataclysm everything. But Adrien took a deep breath to calm himself. He could destroy something less important later. For now, he put on his best model smile, and climbed into the car, ready for school. Where he was instantly attacked by all three of his friends who had been on a knifes edge waiting to see him.

"Did you tell him everything you had to say?"

"Did he listen?"

"Is this your last day?!"

"IS this your last day?!"

"He can't actually take you out of school!"

"We won't let him!"

"We won't let anyone take you away from us!"

"Do you want me to post that video?!"

"Do you want me to start a petition?!"

"Do you want me to ask Ladybug for help?!"

Adrien burst into laughter. The three of them were so desperate to help that they didn't wait for him to answer before barraging onto the next question. God, he loved them.

"I'm still coming to school. You won't get away from me that easily!" He laughed.

A wave of relief crashed over his friends faces. Finally they could breathe again.

"So what actually happened?" Nino asked.

"Well-"

BOOM! The entire place shook. Marinette and Adrien made their half-baked excuses and ran in separate directions. Alya went racing to her bike to chase down this new akuma before ladybug could even get there. When the bell summoned them to class, Nino stood on the steps, all alone.

"Wow. My friends are weirdos," he realised suddenly.

Chat Noir balanced along the rooftop behind the chimneys where Ladybug crouched. His heart soared to see her. As horrible as it sounded, he wished akumas were more frequent sometimes. Going too long without seeing her made him desperate.

Well absence does make the heart grow fonder.

"Ah Paris! the city of lovers! Isn't it glowing this morning?" He purred.

"Might be because it's on fire."

Ladybug gestured to the smoke billowing up from the orange and yellow flames wrapped around a building across the river. Chat Noir's nose twitched.

"Ah... but there's still something so romantic. Is your heart not alight too bugaboo?" He teased.

It was. And she knew the guy it was burning for. She'd never known a guy like him before. He wasn't the kind of guy you'd meet every day!

A smile escaped her lips. "It is."

His heart sped up hopefully. "Oh? Does he have a look that's all his own?"

Ladybug glanced Chat Noir up and down. She sized up in one glance he was talking about himself. Him flexing his arm muscles kind of made that obviously.

"He doesn't," she said.

Chat Noir gave a fake gasp of horror. "What?! All these guys that you could dangle, they're all the same from every boring point of view! You need a surprise from every angle!"

"Well someone like that would get extra credit," she smirked.

"Because of that something extra more?" He waved his ring in front of his face, pointedly.

Ladybug giggled. "I want a guy who's face you can't forget. We've all gazed at some Adonis, but we need something more nourishing to chew."

From inside the ring Plagg smirked. "Well there's no question. She loves a guy like you!"

"Plagg!" Chat Noir warned, laughing.

He threw a glance at Ladybug, worried she might think he was insane, talking to himself like this. Ladybug wasn't any different. She could hear Tikki chatting away in her ear.

"Call me a hopeless romantic, but Mari, I feel it! He loves you!"

"A guy like you with all you bring her?! A fool could tell, that's why she fell for you!" Plagg insisted.

"Who wouldn't love a girl like you?!" Tikki urged.

"Stop it!" Chat hissed.

"Tikki Shh!" Ladybug hushed.

They glanced at each other anxiously. They gave each other a queasy smile.

BOOM!

Ah. Yes. The akuma. Their akuma. The akuma for them to fight. That akuma. They hadn't forgotten it. They had just been... momentarily distracted.

"Chat, fake a right and break left. Watch for the akuma and keep your eyes on the prize."

Chat nodded firmly, and darted across the rooftops towards the fire. The fire department were already there, containing the fire to one empty house. Chat just had to distract the cause for long to figure out what turned him into this fiend. The large man was built like a brick house and dressed like a phoenix. That alone didn't faze him, but the fire balls in his hand, they were unsettling. Alya was there again. she was filming from just beyond the police lines. She turned her camera to Chat, and you could hear her laugh of triumph on the film. she was glad he was there to defend them. even if he wasn't ladybug. Still, Chat hesitated. He watched for the akuma. For anything that could possibly be the akuma. Something – THERE! On his chest! A dark purple pendant with all the brood in the world shining on it. that had to be it.

"see it?!" Ladybug called as she swished past him.

"THE NECKLACE! IT'S IN THE NECKLACE!" he called.

Ladybug nodded with determination. She swung towards the phoenix, ready to grab his necklace. Suddenly he swerved. He cried out at Ladybug something that Chat didn't quiet catch. Something about her miraculous probably. Ladybug lunged out of the way, narrowly avoiding a fireball, that singed the building behind her. chat noir gasped. He suddenly realised how dangerous this whole superhero thing really was. He couldn't imagine what would happen if he lost her. He couldn't lose her. He couldn't.

"What are you waiting for?! don't be afraid!" Alya yelled at him.

Chat Noir glanced down. Alya wasn't really encouraging him because she cared, but because she knew Ladybug was going to need a hand. Chat knew that too. She needed him. but now chole's words were ringing in his head. If she was that self-absorbed and still realised that he loved ladybug, then everyone else must know it too. Even ladybug. So why hadn't she said anything about it? chat had to protect her. he had to leapt to her rescue and stop her from getting hit with a fireball. He'd been hit before by Dark Cupid and Time-turner in defence of her. but now he was nervous. That was real fire… this was getting intense…

"CHAT NOIR GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME!" Alya screamed from way down below.

Chat snapped back into the room. Ladybug needed him. he set off, pole vaulting over to her, just in time to fly kick a fireball out of her way. Where it instantly exploded into Chole's father's hotel, and set the third floor on fire. Adrien winced. Chat noir never did have good luck. He was too good at destroying things.

"Sorry," he muttered.

Ladybug flashed him a smile. "Don't be, we can fix this."

He frowned. "How?"

"Just make sure you catch the necklace on the rebound," she said.

Chat tilted his head in confusion, but he trusted her. after all, she was rarely wrong. When the necklace went flying through the air, it headed straight towards the firefighters. Chat dove. He tumbled through the air, streamlined, with his arm out stretched.

"CATALYSM!"

Chat narrowly caught the akuma in one hand, and instantly tripped, plummeting to the ground with a crash. The crowd gasped. Chat Noir groaned, and held up the crumbled black necklace to show he caught it. The crowd went wild. He had been given a second chance and grabbed it with both hands. Destroying it magnificently. Ladybug's light filled the air, and fixed up everything. The fires died, the buildings fixed themselves, everything was okay again.

"Well that was fun. Let's do it again sometime," Ladybug said, breathlessly.

"maybe we can do it in a less lethal situation," Chat asked, hopefully.

"this is it!" Tikki gasped.

"he's finally asking her out!" Plagg grinned.

Ladybug took a step back, urgently. She didn't want to hurt him, she never wanted to hurt him, but if he was going to do this, she was going to have to. She had to get out of there.

"err, I have to go," she said.

Chat reached out to stop her. "Wait a minute-"

"This is not the time or place," she insisted.

"No, wait a minute-"

"You have to clear your priorities and get your head in the game. D'you understand?"

Chat scowled. "My head IS in the game! It's my heart that's wrong."

Ladybug winced. Her own heart was getting fractious. She wanted to run but she couldn't be sure he wouldn't follow.

"I can't help you with that," she lied.

Chat gave her a nervous smile, she took her hand into his. "only you can."

Ladybug pulled her hand back and stepped back urgently, "I can't! My heart... it's not... it's not yours!"

The colour drained from Adrien's cheeks. "Your - my - huh?"

Ladybug reached for his hand, thought better, and wrapped her arms around her chest, looking as awkward as she felt. "I love you Chat, but not like that. I love someone a little more... he knows be better."

Chat frowned. He shook his head, confused, and irritated. "Who knows you better than me?! Who could possibly know what it's like to be a hero better than me?!"

"Obviously he doesn't," she bowed her head and admitted, "He doesn't know I'm ladybug, I'm not allowed to tell him."

Chat Noir felt his heart tearing at the seams. This wasn't possible. This couldn't be possible. No one could love ladybug more than him, no one, and no one could KNOW her better than he did! I mean, sure, he didn't KNOW if he knew her outside of fighting, but he FELT like he did. He had faith that they were tied together beyond these masks, and he thought she did too. It couldn't be possible that she didn't love him. it just… it just couldn't.

"Who is he?" chat didn't want to know. But he couldn't not.

Ladybug looked at the floor and shook her head. "I don't think I should tell you."

Chat Noir had a thought that chilled him to the core. He said, in a low voice, "You think I'd cataclysm him?"

Ladybug's head shot up, eyes wide with shock at the very idea. "No! No I do not! Never!"

Her tone was so shocked that it was tinged with anger at the mere suggestion that she didn't have faith in him. chat noir bowed his head guiltily. Of course, she didn't. she was too perfect to do that. but he was frustrated again. why did nothing go right for him anymore?!

"Why won't you tell me? Don't you trust me?"

"I do! I won't tell you because… it's just… he doesn't even know! If I'm going to tell anyone I love him it should be him. He should know before anyone else… Even my partner."

Chat winced at the word he once wore as a badge of pride. "So that's all this is? Partners?"

He felt her hand on his arm, trying to reassure him, but it just made his heart tear quicker. The pity… it was too much to bare.

"There's more to it than that," she insisted.

"Then what is it?" he challenged.

"We - I - you - us - we just - I mean- you know?"

"No. What?"

Chat's voice was cold and demanding and it filled Ladybug with guilt. She searched for the best way to word her answer, but none of them felt like enough. In the end she just sighed.

"Somehow, some way, we're bonded. You and I will always be bonded. But when I'm not ladybug and someone asks me who I'm dating I can't say "I don't know, but he's also Chat Noir" because it would complicate things!" she insisted.

"You don't know that!" he argued.

"We shouldn't risk that! Even if there was no one else, we shouldn't date. But there is... I'm sorry…"

Chat felt hot angry, heartbroken tears sting his eyes as he glowered at the ground, wanted to cataclysm it into rubble, like his heart had been. No it hadn't. That was the trouble. Someone like chole, they would cataclysm your heart and walk away, laughing. People like that, they didn't have room for love in their heart. People like ladybug… they were softer. Kinder. Warmer. Even when they tore your heart apart like tear-soaked love letters, it was gentle. Chat knew how much love was in her heart, and how none of it was his…

That hurt more than a cataclysm ever could.

"Yeah, my Lady... I am too."

Ladybug's miraculous beeped. She swung away as fast as the yo-yo could go. Adrien darted into a supply closet, and a bright flash stole away Chat Noir. He was left exposed and heartbroken on the floor. He had no tears left to cry anymore. He'd sobbed out enough tears to last him a lifetime in the last week. But the pain was still there. Throbbing in his chest. Burning like a fireball had hit him directly. The only other being who felt his pain, was Plagg. Plagg who now sat on his knee, exhausted and starving, and silent. That meant more to Adrien than any words Plagg could string together. Plagg was never silent. He even snored in his sleep most of the time. But now he was quiet, so Adrien would know he was hurting too.

"Kwamis… are better than people… Plagg, don't you think that's true?" Adrien said, slowly.

"Yeah... people will beat you and curse you and cheat you, but not all of them are bad… You aren't," Plagg replied, softly.

"I suppose…" Adrien felt a smile tug at his cheek. "At least people smell better than you, right?"

Plagg's heart lifted. He was making puns already. That kid was tougher than nails. "That's once again true, for all except you."

Adrien chuckled. "You got me there. I smell like cheese all the time!"

"Hey, at least it's nice smelling cheese. You smell delicious!" Plagg countered.

Adrien let out a soft laugh. He was so broken inside, he was almost numb to the pain. If he focused hard enough on Plagg, if he was stubborn enough to keep him constantly in his mind, the pain couldn't get in. he'd have something to make him laugh instead. Someone he loved, who loved him with every fibre of his being. Second only to camembert. As long as Adrien remained his access to camembert, he would always be number one in Plagg's heart.

"Why don't you like Chat Noir?" Tikki asked, between bites of her cookie.

Marinette sighed as she wandered down the deserted street back to school. "It's not that I don't like him Tikki-"

"Is it the cat-like way he walks? Or the silly way he talks? Or the claw shaped weirdness of his feet?"

"It's that I worry about how well he washes. He always smells like cheese. But then again so does Adrien sometimes," Marinette smiled, affectionately.

Tikki wasn't in the mood for letting Marinette dictate the conversation. she and Plagg were trying to help these idiots realise that they were already in love without giving away that Marinette was Ladybug, and Chat Noir was Adrien, and it just wasn't working.

"He's sensitive and sweet though," Tikki insisted.

Marinette raised an eyebrow at her. "Is that enough for you?"

Tikki threw her arms in the air, "Oh so he's a bit of a fixer upper! So he's got a few flaws! You can fix this fixer upper with a little bit of love!"

Marinette pulled her bag further up her shoulder as she passed by a couple on the street. she didn't want them to think she was mad, or glanced back to look at her, and accidentally see Tikki.

Quietly, when they were alone again, Marinette said, "I don't want to have to fix him up. I don't have to fix up Adrien. He's already perfect."

Tikki was put in the unusual situation of being frustrated that Marinette was in love with the wrong side of the right man. It irritated her. "What makes him perfect? Is it the way that he runs scared, or that he's socially impaired?"

Marinette frowned. "That's mean Tikki."

Tikki knew it was. She felt the guilt already. "Well it's not like you don't like Chat because he's blonde, so what is it? You and I both know he's covering up that he's the honest goods!"

"I know what this job does to someone Tikki. I had to keep running away from everyone I've ever cared about to go and risk my life for them. One day I'll get killed out on a job and the last thing I say to them will be a lie about where I'm going..."

Marinette hung her head, like she was holding something back. Something important. Tikki frowned.

"Marinette?" she asked softly.

"He's a fixer upper. He's isolating himself because he needs a hug. He's terrified that he'll lose everyone he's ever loved and I know that! But I nearly died today Tikki. That fireball could have hit me..."

The primal fear twisted through her as she remembered that moment. She had felt the blazing heat on her face even from five feet away. It was blinding. She was terrified. If Chat hadn't been there... Marinette was still pretty shaken up.

"If he loves me, and loses me, he wouldn't be able to handle it. And he's got the cataclysm Tikki! He could destroy the whole planet because I... I can't fix it if I'm not around…"

"But you're Ladybug. Ladybug fixes things," Tikki insisted.

"I'm also Marinette and she breaks things. Things that are important! Things like..."

The way she trailed off, the fear in her tone, it made Tikki realise what she meant. Tikki said softly, "You're scared of breaking his heart?"

Marinette whined softly. "I'm clumsy enough with my own, I can't handle someone else's."

Tikki was too close to see how much of a fixer upper Marinette was. Her brain was a bit too in between anyway, muddying it up by letting her fall for Chat would take her head out of the game. Like Adrien. And they'd get a repeat of Stoneheart. A small slip up that could turn the whole city against them. Tikki bowed her head, ashamed of herself for not noticing earlier.

"I'm not saying you can change him... or that he could change you... but love is a force that's powerful and strange... People make bad choices when they're mad or scared or stressed. Offer him some love, and you'll bring out his best," Tikki insisted.

"I... its... it's safer to love Adrien. There's not a lot of chance I'll ever get him to love me back, but there's enough that I can if I keep trying. And if I die on a mission... Paris will still be standing, and that's what matters."

Tikki's chest swelled with tears. It had never been so obvious to her that Marinette was a child. She was so young, and she was still thinking of her city before herself. Tikki should have been proud, but she couldn't. She couldn't think of anything other than how beautifully pure she was. How perfectly chosen she was, but far too young. Far, far too young.

An akuma attack really shakes up your day. an hour ago, the four of them had been hugging each other laughing. Now the mood had twisted. Adrien was broken hearted, no doubt because of his father. Marinette was miserable for no reason as far as they could tell. Alya was deeply focused on figuring out why Chat Noir and Ladybug were so out of character at the moment. Only Nino had any cheer left in him. even that was syphoned away by a sick cocktail of his friend's misery, and maths.

Poor Nino.