Chapter 6: Partners no more

The day went by in a haze. Adrien hardly slept the night before, tossing and turning in worry and confusion. What was happening to his Ladybug?

He usually put on a facade in public to hide his thoughts and feelings, projecting a calm demeanor, polite and attentive. Today he already had three teachers calling on him to pay more attention, with Nino harassing him to tell him what's wrong.

Ladybug was as brave as ever. Adrien felt almost redundant as she did most of the fighting, taking down akumas in record time. She put herself in danger far more often than she used to, protecting the innocent. She's always been confident, he's loved that about her. Except lately, she seemed more cocky than just confident. He won't say she was arrogant, but it never used to make him feel inferior.

Walking down the corridor in a daze, he accidentally bumped into someone. It took him a few steps to realize what happened. He was a few meters away when he realized he's knocked Kim's books to the floor. He was about to walk back, to apologize and help, when a short girl cut him off. A girl with her blue-black hair tied back in twin pigtails. Marinette went straight to Kim and bent down to pick up the books. She did not pause to consider her actions. The books fell down and she straight away went down to help.

Adrien just stood there observing the scene, and kept watching her as she picked up all the books, said a few kind words to Kim and continued down the corridor.

She's amazing. Kind and caring. Our everyday Ladybug.

Ladybug is also kind and caring. She cares so much about the Parisians she puts herself in danger all the time. Fights for them and protect them. Making sure the akuma victims are doing ok, that they don't get over stressed at getting akumatized.

Well, not so much lately. She hasn't really been doing that anymore. Chat Noir is more often talking to the victims to calm them down. Throughout the years it was mostly Ladybug which did it. He knew what to do by watching her. So why wasn't she doing that anymore? Was she relying on him for that now?

Adrien noticed he was alone in the corridor. Marinette was long gone and so was everyone else. He rushed to class, relieved that Nino won't be there to question where he was.

He spent the afternoon in his room staring at the ceiling, trying not to think of Ladybug. Plagg was unusually quiet. There was no joking, no sarcastic remarks nor any condescending comments to tell Adrien to 'snap out of it'. For the first time Adrien could remember, Plagg was worried.

She hit him! She snapped at him. Worse of all, she accused him that his feelings for her were just for show.

He eventually fell into a restless sleep and woke with a cry a few hours later, grabbing his phone to check on the time.

Nine o'clock.

Enough time to show his presence to the household, grab some food and still make it to his ten o'clock weekly patrol with Ladybug. If she will be there.

She'll definitely be there. There's no reason for her not to be.

After a quick supper with Natalie, Adrien left the house, leaping over rooftops with cat ears and a tail.

Ladybug was not there.

He was a few minutes early, and she was often late. Still, his heart sank. She was not coming. Chat crouched, balancing on the balls of his feet, watching Paris's skyline as he rocked slightly. Did he cross a line? What did he do wrong?

Deep in thought, he was not aware of time passing until a voice called from behind him.

"I believe I owe you an apology."

She came. She wants to apologize. Everything will be fine.

Chat could not stop the smile even if he wanted to. He rose to face Ladybug. His first instinct was to rush ahead and hug her, but that was probably pushing it.

"I didn't mean to hit you, you startled me. I was," she paused for a split second and looked away, "distracted when you arrived. I never meant to hurt you. I would never do that. You know that."

Adrien looked at Ladybug, contemplating what to say. Hitting him was the least hurt that she inflicted on him. Did she not see that? Should he tell her?

"That? That was nothing. Hardly felt it." Chat smirked.

Oh no, what was he doing? Bravado was not how he should handle this.

Talk to her, tell her how you feel. Tell her how she deeply hurt you.

"I'm glad to hear that. I know you are tough, I admire you for it."

Chat blushed slightly. "Flattery will get you..em..well...anywhere you want."

"I don't believe that's how the saying goes," Ladybug smiled.

She smiled, and his heart fluttered. It has been some time since she smiled at him when they were by themselves.

Chat froze. Really? A smile is so rare that even a small one affects him so? When did she stop smiling at him?

A minute went by with neither saying a thing.

"Shall we take the regular route?" her asking him showed she was not as relaxed about the situation as she put on.

"It's not all for the cameras," as the words escaped his mouth, he wanted to pull them back in. He was not sure he wanted to hear what she had to say on the topic.

Ladybug was quiet for a while.

"Of course it isn't all for the cameras. We've been partners for years. I cannot do this myself. I trust you with my life. Our partnership is not fake."

"Only our relationship is." Adrien could not keep the bitterness from his voice.

"Don't you start," Ladybug's voice rose in volume. "You are the one who convinced me to do this."

"I know, I know, I'm sorry," Chat brought up his hands in a defensive action. "I never claimed it was more than it is. It's getting confusing knowing what is real and what is fake. I no longer remember what's appropriate and what isn't."

"It is working Chat, we must continue this. There have been fewer people who let their emotions control them. Not by much, but it definitely feels that there are fewer people who let Hawkmoth in."

Chat's head tilted to the side, sizing up Ladybug. "Those are a strange choice of words. We don't refer to Hawkmoth's victims like that." That was the phrase Lucas Boucher used. He was one of the major advocates for the anti-akuma campaign, trying to get akuma victims to stand trial for the damage they did while akumatized. He disappeared from the public's eye after he became one of the most destructive akumas ever. His words sounded very ominous coming from Ladybug.

"You know what I mean," she became defensive. "They are too weak to control their emotions and end up getting angry giving Hawkmoth a window to come in."

"They're not weak. They're human."

Ladybug was now pacing, her arms flinging agitated at her sides.

"All this work fighting these akumas would not be needed if they stopped themselves."

"I am not sure they can stop being human."

Ladybug stopped, looked at Chat, grunted and continued pacing.

"You know what I mean. Stop being flippant."

"I wasn't. Everyone has been trying to control their anger, you know that." Chat's eyes followed her from side to side. "We always said how it is ironic that Hawkmoth has actually improved people's general behavior. The fear of getting akumatized has calmed down many a tempter. But with millions of people, there are plenty of situations where the negative emotions are unavoidable."

"I work so hard, fight and fix, fight and fix, on and on, only to have another akuma come again another day. There is no stop to this. What is the point?"

"To protect the innocent. Obviously. You know all this. You taught me all of this. Are you testing me or something? I am simply repeating your own words. Your own answers that you gave to Lucas and his cronies."

Ladybug stopped her pacing. She stood looking at the ground in front of her for a long time. Chat kept his mouth shut, not knowing where this was going. Did she think he lost faith, that he was going to stop fighting?

"I will try harder," he said at last. "I will be there with you, fighting as much as you and not let you do all the work. I," he hesitated, "I did not mean to put it all on you. I just thought you wanted to fight and I didn't want to get in the way."

"That isn't it," she did not look up, "I am the leader of this team and I am responsible for the fight to go well. You play your part very well and I have no complaints."

Her compliment stung. This was the first she called herself the leader. She always referred to them as partners. Chat always followed Ladybug. She would plan, instruct and execute, and he would do as she told him; so she really was the leader. Why then, did her saying it disturbs him so?

"Maybe I was wrong," Ladybug continued. "Maybe it is all pointless. Maybe if we leave the akuma then Hawkmoth will stop sending new ones. All he wants is our miraculous. If we don't show up, then he has no reason to send the akumas."

"That is a good argument, we've heard it before. Your answer was always that we could not let the innocent get hurt. We cannot leave that poor soul akumatized, or the people it attacks."

"Like I said," Ladybug looked up at Chat, "maybe I was wrong."

A moment later they both looked away. Chat walked over to the edge of the building, looking at Paris by moonlight. The silent form of Ladybug moved in to stand by his side. The lights spread out before them, mapping out the streets and avenues traversing the city. The checkers' board lights of residential buildings marking the evening activities of Parisians. Bright dining rooms of a late supper or a dim bedroom reading before bed. Colorful flashing lights where the family is enjoying a relaxing evening in front of the television or the dark windows of those who have gone to sleep.

"These are our people, my lady, out there, living their lives. Feeling safe because they know that we are out here watching over them. Knowing that when things go wrong Ladybug and Chat Noir will be there."

They stood in silence, watching the cars go past. Some happy couple out to enjoy a night in the city, or perhaps a father returning home from a long day at work. People continue their normal lives unaware of how the turmoil happening above them could have a major impact on their lives.

"We care about these people, we must not abandon them."

"You are right, Chat. I have a responsibility for these people. I will not stop fighting these akumas. I will not stop until we destroy Hawkmoth. We must track him down."

It felt as if a breeze come and pushed Chat away from the cliff's edge, saving him from falling to the abyss. Ladybug's wavering belief in their purpose has struck deep. Her coming back, even if reluctantly, has patched the hole forming in his heart.

Her attitude towards him is the least of their problems. He'll hold it in and accept the new dynamics. This is not the time for him to put a strain on their team.

"It is too late to patrol now. Everything seems quiet. You should go home and get a good night's sleep." Incredulously, Ladybug's words made him think of his father.

"You're going home too?" Chat asked tentatively.

"I will."

"Okay. Erm, good night then."

"Good night, Chat."

Dismissed, Chat went home. He expected another restless night, because of an entire list of new reasons.

A/N Next chapter: "Helping the needy "