Prologue

Chat Noir waited in his and Ladybug's usual meeting place, outside a park, clutching a red rose in his hand. Shortly before, he had called her and asked to meet and she had accepted. Now he was waiting nervously as he ran through his lines in his head. He took out his baton-phone to see if he had any messages and as he flipped it open he whacked it against a red and black figure who had just landed from above.

"OUCH!" Ladybug exclaimed, holding her head in her hands. Chat Noir froze, horrorstruck. "Ladybug, I'm so sorry, I swear I didn't mean to hit you!" he babbled, frantically "It was an accident! Are you okay-"

"I'M FINE, CHAT NOIR!" Ladybug, cut in, still wincing from where Chat had hit her. "I don't have long so what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" "Oh, yes...that," Chat mumbled. He didn't think Ladybug was in the best mood to have this conversation but he still wanted to try.

"So," he began, nervously rubbing his gloved palms together. He looked around for the rose and noticed it crushed, under his feet. Quickly he tried to kick it out of Ladybug's view but instead slipped on the wet grass, flung his arm out for balance but instead dragged Ladybug into the mud with him.

Chat blinked the mud out of his eyes and tried to shake some out of his hair. He opened his eyes and saw before him, a very angry, mud covered Ladybug glaring daggers at him. He gulped. "Ladybug, I'm sorry-" "Stop, Chat, I don't have time for this, I have better stuff to do than play in the mud with you. Whatever it is you wanted to say can wait. I have another life you know," Ladybug said sternly, turning to leave, as if he was just some child who had broken something and he was in trouble.

"NO, WAIT LADYBUG!" Chat yelled desperately, "Please, just listen to me! I've loved you since the day we met and I would do ANYTHING to protect you, not that you need protecting, of course, you're the all powerful, super strong Ladybug!" he blurted out, manically. She glared at him, crossing her arms. "What I wanted to say is that we should reveal our identities. I'm ready to reveal mine, and I would protect your secret with my life!" he looked at her beseechingly, waiting for a response.

Ladybug gaped at him, her eyes widening as her mouth dropped open in surprise. Then to Chat's shock, her face went red as she scowled at him. "Chat, you're not in love with me. You're in love with the idea of me. You wouldn't feel the same about the girl under the mask, would you? Its exactly the reason we can't reveal ourselves. That and its too risky. I'm going have to see how well I can trust you before I tell you my biggest secret,"

It felt like a kick to the stomach. Ladybug didn't trust him. "Ladybug-" he called out weakly, extending his arm out towards her. It was too late, she had already swung away.

Utter despair. That's what Chat Noir felt as he blindly stumbled across the rooftops of Paris, tears streaming down his face. He spotted an empty balcony ahead of him and vaulted himself over the railing. He sunk into the shadowy corner and curled up, shaking and crying into his knees.

He was so wrapped up in his misery he didn't hear the creaking of stairs and then of a trapdoor opening and closing. "Chat Noir?!" Marinette exclaimed, incredulously. Chat spun around to face her, his face full of distress. "Marinette? I'm so sorry, I didn't realize this was your balcony, I'll just-" his voice died down as he saw Marinette walking closer towards him, peering at his face.

"Chat, were you...crying?" she asked him, softly. Chat hung his head, his cheeks burning red with shame. He felt a hand gently touch his shoulder. He looked up through his still mud dried hair as she looked back at him, concerned. Chat nodded. "Its just," he began, his voice still thick with emotion, "I wanted to badly tell someone how I feel but I messed up and now she hates me,"

Marinette blinked. She had not been expecting that. "Hates you? Whoever she is Chat, I don't think she hates you-" "She does." he says simply, looking at her. "She said she can no longer trust me. That's the same thing, isn't it?" Ladybug wanted to argue. Tell him that she did care about him and he could be trusted. But she couldn't, not without revealing her identity.

She wasn't Ladybug then, just Marinette Dupain Cheng. So she just stood there, tightening her grip on his shoulder as they gazed at the city lights of Paris at night, from her balcony, their sense of comfort being in each other's presence.

A/N:

Hi! I know this is a short beginning, but its only a prologue to set the story; the other chapters will be MUCH longer, I promise! Thank you for reading!