"Claws in." Adrien said, voice low, as he slipped the ring off his finger and into his palm, holding it out in surrender to Ladybug.
Ladybug stared down at his hand, at the silver circle as it gleamed up at her.
Her eyes drifted up to his face, and it took her a long moment to see that Plagg was hugging Adrien's cheek, unwilling to let him go. It looked like the tiny Kwami was crying, and Ladybug's heart squeezed.
This wasn't...this wasn't right.
It wasn't Adrien's fault that she had accidentally figured out his identity; it was pure coincidence that they had landed in the same alley and that he had detransformed without noticing her. That is, not until she began screaming.
It was a week later, now, and Ladybug had finally gotten enough courage to go on a patrol with him. They had cycled the entire city together - taking double the time as usual. It felt suspiciously like Chat Noir - Adrien - was delaying their inevitable talk at the end of patrol, but Ladybug had pretended she hadn't noticed.
The moment they began talking, the first words out of Adrien's mouth were an apology, followed by him promptly detransforming. And now…
He was obeying the rules. All the previous Guardian's rules. Master Fu's rules. Ladybug's - her own - rules.
Adrien's visage was lowered, as if he was trying to hide his pale face, his blood-shot eyes, and his sunken shoulders. It was obvious he hadn't slept well for days and had spent the majority of the time he spent awake and alone sobbing. It really wasn't right.
She wondered if he had cuddled with Plagg a lot during that time. If he was treasuring his last moments as Chat Noir. She knew his activity as the feline hero had doubled that week; his lonely patrols twice as long as they had ever been.
The poor kitten. He didn't deserve a lick of this.
She…she couldn't. She couldn't take it away from him. Pry away the last bit of freedom he had. That was wrong, and…and heartless, and…
"Ladybug?" He asked, confused by her hesitation, her classic nickname lost on his tongue. Adrien held out the ring closer to her. He was shaking, terrified. "Are you okay?" Yet, even in his lowest moment, he was only wanting to know about her. Ladybug wanted to cry.
"I'm fine." She said, quietly, forcing her hands to move, to take the ring that suddenly weighed two tons from his palm. Take it away from him. Rip out his joy, his heart, rip away his best friend. The best years of his life were now cradled in her hands. She had the power to deliver them back or keep them away.
Plagg was resting inside the onyx metal, thrust away from his holder. They were now divided; not meant to remain friends any longer. Separated for all of time. Destined to be apart. Lonely on both sides.
She stared down at the spandex covering her fingers, feeling sick.
The spandex turned to skin as Adrien picked up her hands in his, gazing down. "Ladybug?"
"Y-yeah?" She asked, feeling herself quivering simultaneously with Adrien.
"Please. Promise me that you won't let Plagg go dormant. He's an active little guy. He wants – needs – to be free. Please, get a new permanent partner, get someone who will love him and be his friend, and be your friend, and someone you'd trust with your life, and…and…" Adrien's shoulders rounded inwards as he sank into himself. "Just, please. Take care of Plagg."
Ladybug pulled one of her hands from his grip to wipe at her eyes, to cover them from him, so he wouldn't see her crying. "I-I promise. I will."
"Thank you." He whispered, releasing her hands, a smile beginning to form on his face. "For everything. For giving me the adventure of a lifetime, for sticking around and being there for me. It means more than you'll ever know that you were my friend."
Ladybug forced back a sob, gazing at him from between her teary fingers. That was about when she realized three things in quick succession.
Number one; Ladybug really didn't deserve Adrien. He was too amazing, sweet, and perfect for his own good.
Number two; Nobody else knew Chat Noir's identity. Only she did, and she certainly wouldn't tell anyone. And neither would Adrien. If she found another partner, only she, other than him, would know his identity.
Number three; She didn't trust anyone as much as Adrien. Adrien would have been her second choice to be her partner after Chat Noir, and now that they were one in the same…it was too perfect. Nobody else would make quite as good of a Black Cat as he did, not even Luka. Who she couldn't choose anyway, even if she wanted to, because there was still a bit of tension between Luka and Marinette after their recent breakup.
If she wanted to keep her promise to Adrien, there was only really one option.
The gears in her mind began turning, and a plan began to form. Now, this…this was going to be wonderful. She couldn't wait to put the idea into action.
(:)
Ladybug had to wait several days before she did her plan. She had to fight several Akumas that were trying to take advantage of Chat Noir's absence, and had to pull Temps in to help her out.
Marinette watched Adrien at school, took note of his behavior. She studied the copy of his schedule that she had managed to receive from Nino and briefed all the Kwamis of her plan. She recited and practiced in front of the magical beings and was able to get some tips from their constructive criticism.
Yet, most of all, she waited.
A week and a half passed before Marinette saw the perfect opportunity. She transformed and slipped the black orb that now served as the transportation for the individual Miraculous into her yo-yo and took off.
She arrived at the Agreste Mansion, gazing through Adrien's window until he entered the room, wiping his forehead with a towel. He didn't look outdoors to see her, but instead collapsed on the couch, curling up as if exhausted.
Day-long fencing tournament, if she remembered properly.
She swung down onto the window's sill, amused to see that his eyes were squeezed shut and didn't open even at her soft landing. No more ridiculously advanced hearing, she supposed. Which was probably for the best.
She tossed her yo-yo upwards, latching onto some part of the upper building, climbing up the wire until she could turn a complete 180o turn, until she was in the 'classic Spider-man position' that Adrien loved.
She knocked, causing the boy to jump upwards like a startled cat, tumbling off the couch and hitting his head. She winced but returned to being entertained as he jumped to his feet at seeing her, rubbing his forehead one time before scurrying to open the window.
"Ladybug!" He greeted, quietly, trying not to alert his bodyguard – as if the ex-hero needed one - to her presence. "What are you doing here?"
She sighed, feigning exhaustion. This was just too funny. "Something of urgent business, I'm afraid."
He nodded, eyes narrowing in his 'focused kitty' look. "Right." He stepped to the side, inviting her inside. The moment she was indoors, he snapped the window shut, seriously frowning as he turned to her. "What is it?"
Now came the extremely fun part. "Adrien Agreste," she said, opening up her yo-yo, withdrawing the black orb from within. He blinked at it, not recognizing it. "This is the Miraculous of the Black Cat, which grants the power of destruction. You will use it for the greater good." She dropped to one knee, holding it out. "There's no one I'd rather trust."
Adrien stared in shock, eyes widening. Little by little, his eyes filled with realization, until it seemed to hit him like a truck.
Adrien began to sob, hands covering his mouth to muffle the noises, tears rolling down his cheeks. He looked like she had just proposed to him, which was exactly the look she had been going for. He sniffled, wiping at his eyes, trying and fail to stop himself from crying. "You can't…you're not serious!"
"I have never been more serious." Ladybug assured him, smiling gently. Her heart pounded at his expression, full of such love and shock and joy that it overwhelmed her senses. "I'm not going to push away my best friend due to a mistake on both of our parts."
Adrien covered his face completely, trying to hide the salty water, to act strong in front of her. "I-I–"
"Adrien Agreste, Chat Noir, Aspik, Mister Bug, Snake Noir, Bananoir…" she took a deep breath after saying all those names, "will you be my partner again?"
He whined low in his throat and nodded, furiously. "Yes, yes!" He picked up the orb from her hands, trying and failing to open it. He glanced up, green eyes wide and pitiful.
Ladybug laughed, reaching over to press a black button on the top which blended in perfectly with the smooth surface of the ball. The top half slid underneath the bottom half, revealing the Black Cat ring sitting atop a green cushion.
It gleamed with light, scintillating a green circle which eventually folded away to reveal Plagg, his eyes downcast and refusing to look up. "Hi, 'm Pla-"
"Plagg!" Adrien cried, causing the Kwami's head to snap up.
"A-Adrien!" Plagg shouted in shock, surging forward to knock into his holder's chest. "Kid! Kid! What- why-?!"
"She brought you back, and…wait, you didn't tell Plagg?" Adrien inquired, still laughing as he regained balance from Plagg's impact.
"I wanted to surprise both of you." Ladybug shrugged, smiling at the two of them. "I told Plagg I was bringing him to his new holder, and that was it."
Plagg let out a purr, cuddling into his owner's shirt. "You still smell like Camembert~!"
Adrien began to tear up again, looking up at Ladybug. "Thank you…thank you so much."
"You're my partner." Ladybug smiled, closing the distance between them. "I'm always going to try to make you happy, my kitty."
Adrien jumped over and hugged her, burying his face into her hair, sniffling into her locks. "I love you… I love you so much."
"Happy tears?"
"The happiest." He agreed, sniffling again. "You're amazing."
She could not wait for him to calm down so she could give him her biggest surprise, revealing her own identity. Then, finally, they could be together and stop sharing secrets from one another. Then they could be happy forever. Forever and always; the two of them.