The Matchmakers

by: JuliaFC

Betas: KhanOfAllOrcs, Agrestebug, Etoile-Lead-Sama, Rosehealer02, Malauu-Ladynoir, Genxha. Thank you all so much!

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by (c) Thomas Astruc, TS1 Bouygues, Disney Channel, Zagtoon, Toei Animation. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

This story participates in the AU April fic exchange of the Miraculous Fanworks Server. This is for LadyEnna_50 who asked for:

"Something set in a historic context. Adventure maybe a little comedy. Secret identities being revealed." In the tags, she asked for Lovesquare and JuleRose, so there you go, LadyEnna, hope you like it! Crazy, crazy idea you gave me ^-^

oOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 1 — Of Balconies and… surprises

"Let's see who's the first to the Iron Lady!" Chat Noir started racing around the City with his baton and gave Ladybug a massive smirk.

"You're on!" said Ladybug. The yoyo zipping around and of the baton crashing against the ground regularly were the only sounds echoing in the sleepiness of the city in the first hours of the morning. Although it was mid August, the air was still fresh because the rays of the rising sun hadn't yet managed to warm the dusky atmosphere. A horse from the cart of a junk dealer raised its head as the crystalline laughter of the girl in red polka-dotted costume resounded in the silence when she landed first on the metal structure. "Told you, you haven't got a chance, Chaton!"

"Would never dream to take the victory from a Lady!" Chat Noir landed next to her just seconds later and presented the girl next to him with a yellow rose. "I'm a gentle-cat, after all!"

Ladybug's smirk softened. "So you stopped on the way to pick this up? Oh, Chaton, you're incorrigible. How many times do I need to tell you that I'm in love with someone else?"

"Why, M'lady, this is a yellow rose, not red. It's a symbol of friendship!" He pouted.

She gave him a sly look as she picked the flower from his hand and gave it a good sniff. "Smells lovely, Chat Noir. Thank you." Then she elbowed him in the ribs. "But don't think you can fool me. It's a yellow rose with red tips. It's a symbol of falling in love from friendship." The sheepish glance back she got told the girl that the feline was very well aware of that.

"Uh, well, a young bachelor can hope!"

Ladybug smiled and looked at the view in front of her for a while, but never dropped or gave the boy back his rose. Eventually, she picked up her yoyo, opened the top part up and placed the rose inside.

She observed with vigilant eyes the cart of the junk dealer trotting away from the Champs de Mars just underneath them, and the silhouette of the lamplighter slowly turning off all the lampposts around.

"You know you don't need these tricks, Chat Noir. You're my best friend and I really do love you. Just… not in a romantic way." She patted the metal structure they were sitting on fondly. "I will miss this when it's taken down. When are they starting the works, Chaton?"

He gave her a smile. "You don't know the latest news, Ladybug? They actually decided to keep it."

She turned to him and looked at him with surprise. "You're joking?"

"Nah. They decided to place the radiotelegraph station permanently on the third floor. Not that people stopped complaining." He huffed. "Artists really hate it. Guy de Maupassant will be turning in his grave at the news, God bless his soul. He kept going on and on about how it outshines the classic elegance of the city. Have you heard that he had his meals in the café at the bottom of the tower because it was the only place where he couldn't see it 'ruining his view'?"

"Pffffft, really?" The girl snorted in her laughter. She patted the metal structure fondly. "Well, I like it. Sod the artists!"

The rising sun was tinting the darkness of the sky in shades of indigo and gold as the lights of the lampposts were slowly being switched off everywhere and the sky lit up. Chat Noir sighed, his gaze getting lost in the skyline, the fresh breeze blowing on top of the tower gently messing his hair. "I like it too. And they would also like it if they saw this view. But I'm glad nobody else can see this. It's only for us; and for the birds."

Ladybug turned to look at his partner, his blond mane shining almost like a halo in the backlight. "Yes, our own private view of inspiration."

Chat Noir smirked, invading her personal space to wiggle his eyebrows in her face. "I wonder why M'lady is not reading the newspapers, though…"

She 'hmph'ed. "I'm a busy girl in my civilian life, Chaton. I don't have the time to read silly gossip."

"Especially when people criticise your choice of costume, right?" He poked her and she faked-glared at him.

"That Lila Rossi. Just because she started modeling for the Agreste fashion brand, she thinks she's an expert in fashion now. How dare she insult my outfit? I saved Paris from her akumatised self twice already, and her outfits as an akuma victim were... atrocious!" She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted, her eyebrows furrowing in an irritated frown. "What's wrong with my outfit, anyway? I need to be comfortable when I'm fighting akumas, I can't go around wearing bustiers and wide gowns!"

She looked down at the costume that wrapped around her body. Her top was like a second skin on her bosom starting from her neck, covering her up to her hands, but then flew into a long sleeved flap collar knee-length dress, all red with black polka dots and black accents. She wore a belt at her waist and covered her legs with a pair of red and polka dotted bloomers with black accents and skin-tight boots to cover her calves and feet. It was practical, it was comfortable, and it was decent. That Lila compared it to a bathing suit. How dare she!

Chat Noir sniggered. "Someone doesn't sound very happy about her comments, huh?" He gave her an amused grin when she shot him a second glare. "But you shouldn't be bothered by her opinion, Buginette. You know that, in my eyes, your outfit is the best in the whole world, because you are in it."

She smiled softly at him and rested her head on his shoulder. He gasped, but didn't move. In fact, soon his arm circled her shoulder and moved her a little closer as his cheek rested gingerly on the top of her head. She smelled of baked goods and wildflowers. He breathed in such an intoxicating scent and sighed happily.

It was only after a while that Ladybug shook herself out of her self induced réverie and moved to look at him. "Shall we do a last round of patrol before heading home?"

"You're on!" He smiled and as the girl started zipping her yoyo around, he gladly followed her.

They flew around different streets and neighbourhoods of Paris and everything seemed to be in order. The only excitement they had was helping a ginger cat come down a tree. So they were nearly going to end their round of patrol, when they passed in front of a big villa in the neighbourhood right behind the tower, a little out of the way from the Seine. Chat Noir saw Ladybug look at one of the balconies and freeze on the spot, her body stiffening as she lost control of her yoyo. He gave a push to his baton and dove down, managing to reach her and grab her in his arms before she could hurt herself and landed in an alley nearby.

"Wowow, M'lady, be careful, you nearly slammed your beautiful face against that chimney!" He took a deep breath to calm down and let the adrenaline rush wash off his body. "What did you see, is there an akuma?" He finally let go of her and she used her yoyo to pull herself up to a rooftop. She hid behind a chimney there and beckoned to him to do the same. He did as he was told and peeked curiously to understand what had caused such a reaction on his Lady.

"What am I looking at?" he said scratching his cheek.

Ladybug sighed. "That's the Lavillant villa. Since you said you read the news, you should know that they've been in every newspaper lately."

"Yes, I know," he said thoughtfully. "Because of the engagement. Why are we snooping at their residence?"

"Look!" She pointed at a balcony on the second floor of the mansion. Chat Noir squirmed his eyes to really pay attention to what she was pointing at and when he saw it, he gasped. "There, now you see it!" exclaimed Ladybug.

"Is that Rose Lavillant?" whispered the feline.

Ladybug nodded. "Yep, that's Rose. And the other girl is—"

"Juleka Couffaine!" He paused significantly. "Uh, it doesn't feel normal to see two girls kissing that way, especially when one is engaged," he mused, "and the other one is the sister of her fiancé…"

"I can't believe it. I knew that Rose didn't look happy, but I didn't expect her to… be…"

"In love with her future sister-in-law, you mean?" Chat Noir's voice still sounded stunned.

"Aha." Ladybug sighed and turned around, her cheeks dusting in pink because the two girls were getting more steamy with their kissing, and she was starting to feel bad about snooping. She saw that Chat Noir was STILL looking, so she grabbed him by his belt and moved him out of the view.

"Uh, you're such a killjoy, M'lady…"

She glared at him. "Chaton!"

"Okay, okay, sorry, I shouldn't have kept looking." He put a hand on his nape. "But you must admit that two girls kissing each other are the cat's meow… and they are doing it right in the open and, you know, a gentlecat's dream is—'' He stopped because Ladybug gave him a firm elbow in the ribs.

"A gentleman should be looking away! And may I remind you that it's not even five in the morning? They don't expect to have an audience!"

He sighed. "Okay, okay, I won't keep looking."

"You better!" She slid down and sat on the rooftop, resting her back against the chimney behind her. "So what are we going to do about it? I fear that the whole situation could become a real akuma magnet."

"Yeah… I'm sorry for Luka," mumbled Chat Noir under his breath. "I know he doesn't love her, but still… having competition in your own home isn't fun."

Ladybug looked at him in surprise. "You know Luka Couffaine?"

Worry filled his eyes, but he sighed and slouched his shoulders. "You could say I do, yeah. I don't think it would compromise my identity if I say that I'm in his circle of friends."

"Oh wow." She looked a bit startled. "I must have come across your civilian self sometimes, then, because I'm in Rose's circle of friends."

He looked at her funny. "She only knows and invites to her parties half of Paris… I'm so not surprised that you know her. Between her and Chloé Bourgeois, I think they know the whole city."

She looked down thoughtfully and pulled her legs close to her chest, hugging her knees. "I had noticed lately that her smiles weren't reaching her eyes and that she didn't laugh as genuinely as she always did anymore, but I would never have expected her situation to be so messed up." She sighed. "I'm really sorry for her. It must not be easy to have the one you love in front of your very eyes every day and have to pretend that instead, you love her brother."

Chat Noir's gaze locked into hers as she said that and the sadness and empathy she read in his green cat-like orbs caught her unprepared and made her heart skip a beat. "Yeah, it's terrible." He let out a big sigh. "I mean, not the arranged marriage; that's normal unfortunately." He broke eye contact and mirrored her pose, pulling up his legs and hugging his knees, his gaze getting lost in the endless view of the rooftops of the city of Light. "I did tell you that my father promised me in marriage, didn't I? I don't love her; I love you, M'lady. But I must pretend in public that I do. It's not that hard once you get used to it."

"I'm so sorry, Chat Noir." She put a gloved hand on his shoulder and placed a kiss on the top of his forehead. The intensity in his eyes when their gazes met made her feel weak in her knees.

"Rose is a nice girl, though," he said eventually. "I like her; she always has a kind word for everyone. I am sorry that she's not happy, don't get me wrong."

"Then we need to do something about it." Ladybug's frown was very determined as she slammed one of her fists on the palm of the other hand.

Chat Noir sat legs crossed and looked up at her. "Okay! So… what's your plan?"

"Still not sure, but I'll find a way. You're with me, partner?" She showed him her fist to bump.

His smile brightened. "To the moon and back, as always, M'lady. Operation 'matchmakers'?" And then he fist bumped with her.

"Good idea! Pound it?" she said, a determined gleam to her eyes as she smirked at him.

"Pound it!" Then he looked at the position of the sun and his smile faded. "Now it's better if I head home, or someone may notice my absence and I could get in trouble. See you next Wednesday, same rooftop?"

"Unless there's an akuma attack!" she retorted.

"Purrfect! See you then, LB!" And that said, he extended his baton and jumped high in the sky with a little pirouette.

Author's Note:

Hi everyone!

This, as you may have read in the introduction note, is my effort for the AU April exchange of the Fanworks server. I hope that LadyEnna_50 likes it, because the good stuff is yet to come.

This story took me an awful amount of research to get ready. I actually started writing it last night, but I had the idea for it right after I got my assignment, at the beginning of the month. But I had been asked to put historical references and… well, that needs research. And Moi because it's Moi… LOVES doing research, but is also VERY anal about her research. I think I've become an expert of the first decade of the 20th century by now.

As always, please drop me a line and review. The more reviews I see the more the story goes high on my updating list, because I feel I'd let down more people if I wait. Worry not: I love all my stories so I will update them all eventually. But surely the ones with more reviews take priority for me. So… you know the drill. You review. I update! ^-^

I hope to update as soon as possible anyway, but I want to focus on "Caught in the Loop" and "When Magic Fails" after this, and of course "Stuck in a Cabin"! I will come back here very soon! Please subscribe to know when the next chapter will be out.

If you read this and you're not part of our wonderful Discord server already, but you enjoy reading, writing and talking about Miraculous, please join our Discord server, Miraculous Fanworks (for people on FFN, discord dot gg slash mlfanworks). See you there soon.