The two heroes land on a rooftop away from where the akuma was, Ladybug's concern for her partner growing as Chat becomes silent. She grabs his hand as he goes to leave her, stopping him from running off to hide from whatever he is struggling with. The black cat stops and looks round with his saddened eyes he had been wearing for most of the night.
"Chat, what is wrong? You've been quiet all night and you have something you need to say. You can tell me anything." She smiles at him and keeps the cat from disappearing into the shadows, pulling him into a hug that he desperately needs. She chuckles softly at hearing the familiar purr she missed.
Chat Noir allows himself to relax in the arms of his partner, one of the few people he truly trusts in his life. Someone who sees him for who he really is even if it is behind a silly mask and ears. His emotional mask to his friends something he struggles to break down and be true with them, who they know is fractions of who really is as a person. Alya, Nino and Marinette are people he wants to be true to but his fear of his father and jealousy over their families makes it difficult to do so.
His lack of love at home making him unstable many times which he covers to keep his friends around him. Sure they would help him but he's scared to be vulnerable as he doesn't want his dad to find out what he's said, every attempt to find the heartless man's love failing. He has no real father in his life and the modelling makes him feel worse about himself as he has to be perfect. No fun. No friends. Nothing.
Ladybug holds the cat close as he purrs more, feeling him lose his emotional mask of jokes and smiles which he wears so often. It hurts her to see it be so natural for him, someone innocent of crime but given a home where he must hide what he wants. She hums softly to sooth him as his drops his mask of smiles.
Chat Noir pulls away from the hug and sits down against the ledge, his back to the street bellow and facing the wall in front of them. Ladybug sits beside him and takes his hand as he prepares to talk, to pour out his heart to her as he can't take the hiding anymore.
"I like someone… but I am scared to say I do. I don't want to let them follow my life if they want to be with me. I'm nothing but a stupid pawn for my dad. I am forced to be a model even though I hate being in front of a camera and my life has been nothing but 'Do this. Do that. Stand up straight. Stop slouching. Stop eating that cake you'll look ugly and fat!'" He sighs heavily and leans back, staring at the sky with empty eyes. Ladybug moves close to Chat Noir and rubs his hand with her thumb to comfort him.
"I… I can't remember when I was able to choose what I wanted to do…" He looks away from the sky as it starts to rain. "It's has always been what is on the schedule. Photo shoot at 10? Better eat at 8 and exorcise for 40 minutes so you don't look bloated. Had some cake 20 minutes ago? Better have a laxative and be ready for the interview in 1 hour. Remember to brush your teeth twice we want a white smile!" Chat hits the wall behind him in frustration, his life is not something he will ever share with someone as it is hell to live through. He lets his partner cradle him in her welcoming arms, taking his hand which he has bruised from hitting the wall.
"I hate it. I hate it all. I hide my anger at everything because then my dad will get bad press and then I will have more piano lessons or be refused dinner again so I am left to starve all night. I don't want to share this with anyone. I hate myself for not having the strength to fight for my own life and health, I hate looking in mirrors because I am reminded of how perfect I must be." He sniffs and lets the tears come down his face as he is held by the one person he is willing to open up to. The light rain becomes heavier and starts to soak their hair as she rocks him gently.
"Tell me about the person you like." Ladybug gently changes topic in her soft voice so he can calm himself from his hysterical frenzy he has worked himself into. She pets him as he talks and runs her hand through his hair. He cleans his face and smiles, adjusting his position a little so he remains in her arms and nuzzles her.
"Her name is Marinette… She's got the most amazing bright blue eyes that always make my day brighter when I see them." He smiles and blushes at the thought of seeing her face in his head. "She… She brings me treats from her parent's bakery and refuses any payment for her hard work on the cakes. She's very kind to everyone and makes an effort to help her friends how she can, she makes sure I smile every day and have some time for myself because she knows I never get any."
Giggling at the thoughts of Marinette in his head, he becomes the warm and bright bubbly cat Ladybug is used to. "My other friends do the same. She has an amazing imagination and art. Her ideas for fashion are something I want to see her succeed in because she puts in so much effort and care into every stroke on the page." His spark of energy about Marinette makes him pull away to bounce a little in his excitement.
"It always comes out as something I would frame and put in an art gallery!" He grins and doesn't see his partner become more flustered at his words. "She has such a great passion for what she draws and she always brings to life an unmatched brightness to nothing more than lines on a page. She could create a world with simple words and I would be able to see and live in it!"
The wonder in the cat's eyes drowns out the sadness once there, the genuine love for Marinette shining through his broken down mask that has faded as he talks and talks and talks about the person he loves more than anything as she brings to his life a light he has always needed and treasures as it is so rare to him.
Ladybug manages to hide her blushing face as she hears everything he says about her, the love and care he has for her something she has always craved in a relationship and wanted to bring out of him. The feelings she could never put into words pouring out of his mouth as she realises she likes the person underneath the mask of her partner. The one she trusted more than her parents sitting in front of her, talking about her like she's an angel.
The beeps of their miraculous are ignored as Ladybug pulls forward the cat to kiss him, her face as red as her mask as it disappears. Both close their eyes as they kiss, Marinette feels him wrap his arms around her as the rain continues pouring out of the sky.
She opens her eyes to see Adrien in front of her, his face red like her own as they take in what just happened. The words of her that he spit out making Marinette feel something she never has before, the knowledge of being the presence of someone so special to him making Adrien calm as he smiles through the love sick fog in his brain. "Hi."
The two teenagers kiss once more with a sweet taste in their mouths, wanting to stay with the other for the rest of their life as they hold such a special piece of their lives in each other's hands. Marinette wraps her arms around Adrien's neck as they get soaked by the pouring rain from above in the ink black sky.
Adrien awakens finds himself in Marinette's bed the next morning, still fully clothed and dry. He looks around in confusion as he doesn't remember much after the second kiss the night before, pitching himself to make sure that this isn't a dream and real. That he actually confessed his feelings to Marinette and she wanted to be with him.
He looks round as the door opens and smiles at seeing her come in some breakfast for him. Moving away from Marinette as she approaches as he doesn't know what happened and doesn't want to make it worse. She sees this and smiles. "Good morning, and nothing happened. I have a feeling we'll be taking this slow." Adrien relaxes at hearing the words and nods, a blush growing on his cheeks as he takes the breakfast she prepared for the both of them to share.