Chapter 11

"You cut your hair!" Ladybug squawked elegantly at the sight of Chat and he let out a hearty chuckle.

"That I did, Milady. Cats do groom themselves on occasion, you know."

She gaped at him for a long moment, taking in the change. Before, his hair had been longer and shaggy, like an untamable bewitched mop. Now, the back was cropped short, while the top had been left longer, though still wild and unkempt. It accentuated his jaw line, making him look more roguish and matured and she simply couldn't. Stop. Staring. Tousled or not, its impact on her was hard to stifle. She felt heat creep into her cheeks when she realized she was blatantly gawking at him, the smirk on his face revealing exactly how much he was enjoying her attention. A dangerous glint sparked in his eye as he edged closer to his stunned partner.

"Chat got your tongue, Bugaboo?"

"It, uh," She cleared her throat. "You're nice. I mean, it's you! I mean - gah! It looks nice. Your hair." She forced herself to look absolutely anywhere other than at her partner, if only to spare herself the image of his smug grin being burned into her brain. "So, uh why - why the change?" She struggled to compose herself.

"Well, partly because racing around Paris makes it look like a haystack." He joked as he drew steadily closer to her. "But mostly just because I can."

He neglected to mention exactly why this newfound freedom was so meaningful. This was his time with his Lady, and he didn't plan to let it be spoiled by bringing up his oppressive past. Besides, that's exactly what it was. The past. And his future was right in front of him, with her raven hair shining in the dimming light and a crimson dusting on her cheeks that was making his heart threaten to race right out of his chest.

"So that's why you always look you were just electrocuted!" She exclaimed, trying to hide a smirk, and he shot her a deadpan look.

"Basically."

"I hate to break it to you, chaton, but you're plan didn't work." Regaining her confidence, she reached up to tousle his hair. He couldn't have fought back the resulting dopey grin if he had wanted to. "It still looks ridiculous." She teased, her fingertips sending electricity jolting across every nerve in his body with the movements of her fingertips. Much more of this and he was going to end up a melty puddle of goo in her hands.

"Here." She began to brush her fingers through his hair, attempting to tame the wild mass. Focusing on her task, it took her a moment to notice the low rumble that rose from her partner's chest. Neither of them knew how his hands had found their way to her waist, or how they had drawn so close to each other. Suddenly, it dawned on her and she pulled her hands down quickly, blushing furiously.

"How do you do it?" Chat asked before she could pull away. "Keep your hair from looking crazy, I mean."

"Oh, that's what the braid is for." She ran her hand over her raven hair. "I have to keep it pulled back somehow or it gets in the way during akuma battles." Chat hummed quietly in understanding.

"I've always wondered why you wear the same hairstyle all the time." Chat mused as he ran his fingers over her braid. She tried to find the will to bat his hand away, but somehow came up short. As she looked up at his face, she let herself relish the feeling of his touch. She let herself take in the details of his face that she had neglected to notice all this time. All those times he teased that she would find his alter-ego irresistible…maybe there was something to that after all. "The braid makes you look older, I think." Chat continued.

"That's part of the reason I made the change." She commented, breaking from her dangerous train of thought. "I miss having shorter hair sometimes, but pigtails were about the only thing I could manage. I got tired of being mistaken for a twelve-year-old."

"Wait," Chat exclaimed in faux-shock as he took a step back. "you mean you've already been through puberty?" Ladybug rolled her eyes.

"What? The skin tight suit doesn't give that away, kitty?" She teased with a challenging grin, placing her hand on her hip for effect.

"Well, now that you mention it…" He took the opportunity to unashamedly scan down her body.

"Alright, you mangey cat," She chided, pretending she wasn't flattered by his attention. "that's enough of your trouble making." He grinned widely in mischievous defiance. "I have to get up early in the morning anyway, so I can't stay long.

"Party pooper." Chat griped as she leaned against a wall and slid down. "It had better be something important." He playfully chastised her as he slid down next to her.

"It is, in fact." She stated as she scooted up against his side, not realizing the jolt of elation it sent through her partner. "I have an interview for a job. Well, more of an internship than a job. But I'm hoping it will help me get my foot in the door."

"That's awesome, Bug!" Chat praised her with sincerity.

"Thanks, kitty." She replied with a small smile. "To be honest, I'm pretty nervous about it." She confessed. "The interview is with the boss of the company. He has a reputation of being incredibly harsh, merciless even. I've met him a few times, and from what I've seen, even the rumors don't do justice. He's so…cold." She stared off into the distance, remembering how she had seen Gabriel treat Adrien. Like he was a forgotten trophy meant to sit on display and look pretty.

"I know someone like that." Chat spoke up, his voice carefully controlled. "People like that are impossible to get close to. Even for the ones closest to them."

She nodded in silent agreement.

"I pity them." She said.

"What about the people they trample over?" Chat asked in a low voice, trying not to loose control of his emotions.

"Of course, I pity them too." She replied. "But there's a reason they became like that, right?" She looked at Chat but he stared blankly at his hands. "Just like every person Hawkmoth has ever akumatized. Something happened to them that made them lose control. Sometimes the 'bad guys' are in the most need of some sympathy."

"I suppose you're right." He replied after a long moment. His father may be an emotionless chasm of a human, but there was a reason he had become that way. Losing the love of your life like that… Chat didn't even want to contemplate what that would be like. Maybe there was still a flicker of hope between him and his father. Maybe he shouldn't let that bridge burn quite yet.

He turned his head and marveled at the stunning woman beside him. Three years they had devoted themselves to defending Paris from super villains. Three years they had been forced to drop everything at a moments notice to rush in and save the day. Three years they had sacrificed their time, their energy, and their wellbeing. And yet, she still managed to see the good in those villains. How could he help but fall a little more in love with her?

"What?" She ducked her head shyly and he realized he had been staring.

"Nothing. Just…you. You're incredible."

He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and reveled in the fact that she didn't pull away. Instead a small, shy smile spread on her lips. He loved seeing her like this. Sure, he loved seeing her as the strong protector of Paris, but seeing this side of her, the girl behind the hero, made him feel genuinely privileged.

A cool spring breeze blew past them, causing Ladybug to shiver.

"Are you cold?" Chat asked.

"A little, but I'm fine." She replied, trying to play it down. "It's a lot easier to stay warm when you're sprinting across the city." She chuckled lightly.

"Come here." He offered, patting the space in front of him. She quirked a brow at him skeptically for a moment as she considered his proposal. "I promise to be the perfect gentleman, Milady. Cat's honor." He held up a hand and she rolled her eyes.

To his surprise, she shifted in a smooth motion to position herself in front of him, then leaned back against him, relishing his warmth. Cautiously, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her as close as he dared. The feeling of holding her, her back pressed against his chest, sent swirls of emotions rolling through him. In that moment, he couldn't imagine anything more perfect. He had never felt more thrilled, yet so content, and so…safe.

"Are you smelling my hair?" She said through a chuckle.

"You played with mine. It's only fair." He countered, pressing his nose into her hair and breathing in her scent. It was intoxicating.

"If you start purring, I'm moving." She threatened.

"No promises." He grinned mischievously as he pulled her closer.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a long while, simply enjoying the moment together with no chaos swirling around them.

"You saved my life once, you know." Chat commented, breaking the silence.

"Yeah? Which time?" She joked lightly. "When Copycat made you into a fugitive and almost got your miraculous?" Her fingers found his ring and began to slowly trace the edge. "Or when Lady Wifi locked you in the freezer and you almost froze to death?"

"Neither." Chat replied. "You saved me as a civilian."

Her interest peaked, she turned her head to look up at him, her nose nearly brushing the edge of his jaw.

"When was that?" She pressed.

"Ah, ah, ah." Chat chided, holding up a finger. "Spoilers." He booped her nose and she glared at him. "Your rules, not mine, Milady. All I can tell you is that there was an akuma rampaging through Paris, as usual, and I couldn't transform. I was injured and in serious trouble, and I probably would've been impaled if you hadn't showed up and saved the day."

She thought hard for a moment, trying to puzzle out the incident he was referring to, when she realized something.

"You've met me as a civilian before too." She stated and Chat's ears perked up.

"I did? When?" He blurted.

"Several times in fact." She replied with a nod. "I saved your tail then too." She teased and reached up to flick his bell. "But you saved mine too."

"Well there's no surprise there." He replied with a fond smile. "I guess we've got each other's backs in and out of the suits, huh?"

"You bet, partner." She held up her fist, and he lightly bumped it with his.

"Bien Joue."

**A/N**

I'm still alive! I know it has been an eternity since I updated this story. Sorry guys! Going back to college full time while still being a full time mom of two littles is only for the insane.

0.0

Seriously.

I'm absolutely blown away that this story has reached 94 followers! Sincerely, thank you to all of you. I hope you enjoy the long-awaited LadyNoir fluff. I still plan to finish this thing!

*edit* We broke 100 followers! I can't tell you guys how much this means to me. I have the next several chapters mostly written, so the next update shouldn't take as long as the last one.