This chapter is a bit of a breather, but has a few Brilix and Brichat moments. The Ladynoir stuff is coming in the next chapter and I also assure you that at some point of the story, there will be a Félibug moment.

Also, I totally consider Rock N Roll by Avril Lavigne to be the definitive song that describes Bridgette/Ladybug and Félix/Chat Noir's relationship, especially the chorus part. Although when it comes to the characters individually, I'd say Bridgette's theme song is Confident by Demi Lovato, while Félix's is On My Own by Ashes Remain. If you have an opinion on that, share it with me.

Enjoy! ;3


Entry 14

Step By Step

''Let 'em know that we're still rock 'n' roll! I don't care about my make-up, I like it better with my jeans all ripped up. Don't know how to keep my mouth shut, you say, ''So what (what)?''. I don't care if I'm a misfit, I like it better than the hipster bullshit. I am the mother fucking princess, you still love it (yeah)! Some some how, it's a little different when I'm with you. You know what I really am all about, you know how it really goes – Oh, oh, oh, oh, yeah! Some some way, we'll be getting out of this town one day. You're the only one that I want with me, you know how the story goes – Oh, oh, oh!''

– Rock N Roll by Avril Lavigne

xXxXxXx

''…have been saved by two supposed superheroes named Ladybug and Chat Noir. According to the sources, these two may have been responsible for stopping the bank robbery by a different perpetrator, whose identity has yet to be uncovered. The police is warning the public to not engage with any of them and to notify the authorities in case they spot any weird activities…''

''This is the worst…'' Bridgette muttered as she walked towards her school, staring at the news broadcast on her smartphone. ''I told myself I would stay away from the spotlight and now something like this happens.''

''I guess you becoming more known as a superhero would happen eventually,'' Tikki noted, popping her head out of Bridgette's backpack. ''Your friends are happy that you saved them, though. That's a good thing, isn't it?''

''I guess it is,'' Bridgette said, shrugging and glanced back at the video, where Corinne was being interviewed about what happened. Considering how Monsieur Pigeon attacked the Fléchette Stars concert, there was no way that this would go unnoticed, even after she and Chat Noir escaped the place. She really disliked the spotlight, but she was glad that Corinne and Allan, who was part of the interview, praised her and Chat Noir. ''Well, now that the public knows about the existence of Ladybug and Chat Noir, I just hope they won't start to demonize us for acting like vigilantes.''

''Even if they do, do you think that the police would really be able to deal with people like the Mime, Monsieur Pigeon, and Belladonna?'' Tikki asked.

''I doubt that,'' Bridgette replied, pocketing her smartphone. She sighed. ''Besides, I have other things to worry about.''

''You mean Félix?'' Tikki asked.

''Yeah,'' Bridgette said, biting her lip. ''I… I just want to apologize to him, but I don't really want to talk to him. I mean, he'll probably think that I'm being obsessive again. To be honest, at this point, I'd rather take on Monsieur Pigeon again rather than deal with Félix.''

''I think that you should trust your intuition and do what you believe is best for both of you,'' Tikki told her in a warm tone. Bridgette smiled, gazing at the kwami for a moment and stopped walking, observing her surroundings. She then spotted a coffee shop. She hit her palm with her fist as she realized what she could do. ''My lucky star shines again!''

''Are you sure it isn't just the Miraculous?'' Tikki asked her in a concerned tone, but Bridgette ignored her, running over to the coffee shop. She did glance at the Ladybug Earrings, noticing a faint gleam coming from them and sighed in exasperation.

xXx

Félix yawned as he walked into the classroom, covering his mouth and taking a deep breath. He was too occupied with watching the news broadcast about the attack caused by Monsieur Pigeon to even think about buying his daily dose of coffee. He felt a bit tired and cranky, but what happened last night kept him in a surprisingly good mood. Not only did he have a heart-to-heart conversation with Bridgette, but Ladybug was trusting him again.

So far, so good. Although, I should talk to Ladybug about the news.

Félix spotted Allegra, Allan, Claude, Sophie and Bridgette talking to each other animatedly, assuming the topic was about last night's events. They weren't the only ones, as across the room, Amber was telling Jeanne and everyone who was unfortunately in her vicinity about how she'll be the one to determine whether Ladybug and Chat Noir were good superheroes or not.

''No one is going to be declared a superhero as long as my father is the major of Paris,'' Amber told Jeanne, while everyone else was ignoring her. ''They need to prove themselves first.''

''I think Amber is just jealous that she wasn't yesterday with us,'' Allegra said.

''While it was awesome to have Chat Noir protect us and Ladybug fight Pigeon Man, I still think it's not something we should be proud off. What if we accidentally get in their way and someone gets hurt?'' Claude said, with the rest of the group exchanging glances.

Félix's lips curved into a tiny smile as he overheard them praising him. Admittedly, he didn't care about whether people would consider him a superhero or not, but it was interesting to hear the opinions of others about his alter ego.

''Huh?'' As he was about to sit down, Félix was stunned to see a plastic cup of coffee on his table, with the word ''Sorry'' written neatly across it. He glanced back at Bridgette, caught his eye, her cheeks turning into a deep shade of red, and quickly turned towards Sophie, asking her about more details of what happened last night.

''It's really unfortunate you couldn't come,'' Sophie told her. ''Seeing Ladybug and Chat Noir in action was amazing!''

''I can imagine,'' Bridgette replied, still avoiding Félix's gaze.

Félix was aware that she did not want to see his reaction to the gift, but he was actually really happy about it, even smiling a little when he took a sip of the coffee. To his surprise, it was the bitter taste of black coffee, something he would usually drink every morning to keep himself awake. He wondered whether she knew what he liked to drink or had just guessed.

I assume it was the latter, he thought as he set the cup down and stared at the word ''Sorry''. He knew that he'd have to confront Bridgette today and he wasn't really looking forward to it. Sure, Bridgette may have been comfortable when talking to him while he was Chat Noir, but this was different. She had a crush on his civilian self and was now doing everything in her power, even removing herself to give him some privacy and apologizing in her own way for her seemingly obsessive behavior. He knew that she meant well and that she was a kind person, so the least he could do was to talk to her and figure out the best solution for both of them before things got too awkward.

How am I going to convince her to talk to me? He then glanced down at the Ring of the Black Cat, with a mischievous, Chat Noir-like smirk forming on his lips as the ring. Of course…

xXx

It was lunch time and Bridgette was at the locker room, having planned to leave some of her books there. Unfortunately for her, the books somehow slipped through her hands and fell on the floor, scattering across it.

''Why me?'' Bridgette groaned as she started to pick up the books. ''This day can't get worse…'' She then got up, placing the books back into her locker and closed it, only to get startled by the person who was standing right next to it.

''Hey, Bridgette,'' Félix greeted her, leaned against the locker next to Bridgette's, his arms crossed.

''Ehh, F-Félix!'' Bridgette cried out, her ahoge frizzled. ''Wh-What are you… I-I mean, I'm s-sorry for being in your way! I'll leave now!''

''Bridgette, wait.'' Félix stepped in front of her, with Bridgette taking a step back, staring at him anxiously. However, she didn't take in account the backpack she had left on the floor, tripping over it. Fortunately for Bridgette, Félix managed to grab her arm and pull her back before she fell over. Unfortunately for Félix, she fell right into his arm. Félix glanced at the ring, noticing the familiar gleam. This is not what I had in mind!

Meanwhile, Bridgette had her head leaned against his chest, slowly looking up and completely freaking out when she realized what exactly was happening. ''I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean- I'm such a klutz!'' She quickly stepped back, grabbing her backpack and tried to walk past Félix.

''Bridgette, listen, I wanted to talk to you,'' Félix said in hopes of stopping her from leaving. He didn't want to grab her by her arm, as he feared that she might see it as an act of aggression. Bridgette did stop, but she didn't turn around. Félix noticed that she was shaking, her hands clenched into fists so tightly they turned white.

''Félix, I'm so sorry for bothering you, for acting like some obsessive stalker… I didn't mean it. I was so stupid to think that I could… That we…'' she trailed off, feeling as if she was choking. She then turned on her heel and forced a smile. ''But, it's fine. You won't have to worry about me getting into your way anymore, I promise.''

She then quickly turned around, leaving the room. Félix stared at her, his eyes wide, unsure how to even react. He felt something heavy on lying on his chest as he saw Bridgette turning towards him and smiling. Despite the smile, he knew that she was deeply hurt and that she wanted him to be happy regardless of her own feelings.

''Now you made her cry, Kid,'' Plagg said as he popped out of Félix's backpack. Félix groaned.

''You know that I didn't mean to do that,'' he grumbled. ''Also, get back into the backpack before someone sees you.''

''Don't worry, you can just pretend you were talking to yourself,'' Plagg said, smiling mischievously. ''So, what are you going to do about Bridgette?''

''Obviously, I'll find another way to talk to her,'' Félix replied in a matter-of-fact tone. ''Although, I need to first figure out how to approach her without her freaking out. She probably thinks that I'm angry at her or something along those lines.''

''Considering how you always look so grumpy, I'm not surprised,'' Plagg chuckled, while Félix just glared at him.

He then walked away, with the kwami following him, hiding inside his backpack. Fortunately, he knew that there was another way for him to talk to Bridgette. After all, she did invite him to her family's tea shop, didn't she?

xXx

''Is it just me or is the Ice Prince staring at you?'' Sophie whispered to Bridgette. She quickly glanced behind her, locking eyes with Félix, who was sitting at the empty table behind them. Her cheeks turned a light shade of red and her ahoge was frizzled as she looked back at her friends, feeling rather stiff and uncomfortable.

''He is,'' Claude muttered as he glanced at Félix, who stared back at the former, his eyes narrowed, then focused on his meal. Claude then turned to Bridgette, with a worried look on his expression. ''Bri, is everything okay?''

''I'm fine,'' Bridgette replied, noticing Claude rising an eyebrow. ''For the most part,'' she quickly added and took a deep breath. ''I have decided I wouldn't pursue him anymore.''

''Really?'' Allegra said, her and the rest of the group giving her a surprised look.

''Yeah, I told him I wouldn't bother him anymore,'' Bridgette said, staring at her plate. ''However, he did approach me earlier. I had figured that he wanted an explanation or something like that. I apologized and left quickly, though.''

''If he keeps bothering you, I'll talk to him,'' Claude offered. Bridgette shook her head.

''It's okay, you don't have to do that,'' Bridgette replied.

''If you say so,'' Claude muttered, still concerned.

''Hello, everyone! How are my favorite people?'' The group looked up, seeing Carmilla approaching their table and grabbing a chair to sit down with them. ''Any interesting gossip?''

''Not really… Say, have you seen the news?'' Sophie asked.

''Oh, you mean Ladybug and Chat Noir battling that pigeon guy?'' Carmilla said, sighing dreamily. ''Too bad I couldn't be part of the experience. I wish I could've met Chat Noir again.''

The group heard loud coughing behind them due to Félix having choked on his drink. He didn't like what he heard. Carmilla just frowned, glaring at him, before turning back to the group with an innocent smile.

''So, anything you guys want to do today after school?'' she asked.

''Well, I'm busy with my project today,'' Sophie told her.

''I promised my grandma to decorate tea shop for the Mid-Autumn Festival,'' Bridgette said.

''Mid-Autumn Festival?'' Carmilla rose an eyebrow.

''It's a big day in my culture,'' Bridgette explained. ''It's all about celebrating family and love. Honestly, I'm excited for it, as my mum is going finally return home.''

''I see,'' Carmilla muttered.

''Not to mention, Bri always brings us mooncakes. They're the best pastries we've ever tasted,'' Claude added. ''Anyways, I'll be also busy today.''

''I was going to hang out with my sister today before she leaves,'' Allan said. Carmilla then glanced at Allegra, who shrugged.

''I have band practice in the afternoon,'' she said.

''I see,'' Carmilla muttered, looking a little disappointed.

''What's wrong? Don't you have some kind of hobby?'' Sophie asked her.

''I do, but that hobby requires me to be in the right mindset and right now everything is off,'' Carmilla replied, leaning against the table. ''I just feel sooooo bored.''

''I'm sure you'll get back into the right mindset eventually,'' Allegra cheered her up. Carmilla simply smiled back.

xXx

After lunch, Bridgette and her friends walked over to the gym, with the class showing varying reactions when they found a balance beam in the middle of the gym and the teacher standing next to a climbing rope in the corner.

''Girls, you'll be trying the balance beam today, while the boys are going to climb up the rope and ring the bell on the top,'' the teacher said, holding a notebook.

The class separated into two groups, with the boys being a bit more eager to try out whether they'll be able to climb up the rope, while the girls surrounded the balance beam. For the most of part, the class was just messing around, with some of the guys having a laugh when one just grabbed the rope and pretended to be too tired to climb up. On the girl's end of the, they would just climb up the balance beam and walk across it while trying to maintain their balance, with varying results.

Eventually, it was Bridgette's turn and she climbed on the balance beam. While she was a good runner, she wasn't particularly athletic. Still, she felt quite confident about doing a front somersault on the balance beam. After all, he had been doing stuff like that the whole time as Ladybug and she was sure it would work out.

On the other side of the room, Claude was high-fiving Allan after climbing down as he was one of the few boys who had managed to ring the bell. He was still holding the rope as he spotted Félix, who was leaned against the wall, his arms crossed, probably hoping he wouldn't have to take part in the exercise.

''Hey, Agreste, it's your turn,'' he said, throwing the end of the rope at Félix, who caught it. There was a moment of tension between the two, with Félix eyeing Claude for a moment, before going up the rope and starting to climb.

Admittedly, Félix didn't really care about gym class and he figured that his classmates didn't believe that he was athletic, as none of them knew that he was also taking karate classes, but he still went along with it, feeling that he had to prove himself for some reason. He couldn't explain it, but he felt that, when Claude offered him the rope, it seemed like he was challenging him. So he accepted.

Félix smirked when he reached the top and rung the bell, hanging onto the rope as he looked down. Aside from building some muscle thanks to his karate lessons, there were also the climbing skills he had developed as Chat Noir. However, he knew that he would have to climb down the normal way instead of just jumping and landing like a cat. There were limits to his body when it was out of the suit and he wasn't going to risk any injuries. As he was about to climb down, he glanced at the girls, realizing that it was Bridgette's turn and that she wasn't going to take the safe way by just walking across the balance beam.

What is she up to?

Meanwhile, Bridgette took a deep breath as she stood on the balance beam, with Allegra and Sophie giving her a suspicious look.

''Bri, what are you up to?'' Allegra asked, rising an eyebrow.

''I want to do a front somersault,'' Bridgette said. Before Allegra or Sophie could say anything about this being a bad idea, Amber laughed.

''Oh, please! You are going to do a front somersault?'' Amber said mockingly, with Bridgette glaring at her. ''Cheng, you're someone who trips over her own feet on solid ground. There's no way you'll be able to do a cartwheel, yet alone a somersault.''

Bridgette was annoyed, turning back to the balance beam and deciding to prove Amber wrong. After all, she was Ladybug. She could do anything she wanted as she had luck on her side. Bridgette took another deep breath and leaned forward, managing to place her hands on the beam. However, just as she was about to land on her feet, her legs missed the balance beam and she landed on the heavy gym mats with a solid 'thump'.

''Ow…'' Bridgette felt her whole back hurting her, but not as much as it hurt her hearing Amber laughing at her, with her friend Jeanne laughing alongside her. Sophie and Allegra quickly went over to Bridgette, helping her up.

''Bri, are you okay?'' Sophie asked worriedly. Bridgette just smiled, feeling sore.

''Yeah, yeah, I'm fine,'' she said, managing to stand up. However, she had to wonder why she messed up. What happened? I should've been able to do this without any problem. She glanced at the boys, noticing Félix on the rope staring at her. She felt a sudden rush of warmth in her cheeks.

''How pathetic,'' Amber said as she climbed on the balance beam, drawing everyone's attention. ''I'll show you what an actual somersault looks like!''

She stepped forward and did a somersault, landing on her feet with zero issue. She then turned around and did another front somersault, jumping off the balance beam. The girls stared at her slack-jawed, with the Jeanne being the only exception, as she was grinning.

''That was amazing, Amber! You were great!'' Jeanne praised her friend. Amber grinned.

''Of course I was,'' Amber replied haughtily, pointing at herself. ''Only someone as exceptional as I can do a good performance.''

''Why do I have a feeling that we're missing out on some important information,'' Allegra said in a dry tone, crossing her arms.

''If you must know, Amber was doing gymnastics since young age and has even won a gold medal at a competition,'' Jeanne told Allegra, with Amber looking at Bridgette smugly.

''That's an achievement you can only dream of, Cheng,'' Amber told Bridgette. Bridgette frowned, but didn't reply. She gazed back at Félix, catching his eye, but was unable to read his expression. She lowered her head. Frankly, her day was already bad enough and she didn't need any more humiliation and embarrassment.

xXx

''Here we are,'' Félix muttered as he walked up to Dynastie du Lóng, with Plagg hovering beside his shoulder, making sure he was hidden from the passerby. ''I know I messed up at school, but I'm not going to make the same mistake again.''

''Using your bad luck curse on Bridgette to increase your good luck wasn't a bad idea, but I don't think it really helped you much in the long run,'' Plagg commented. ''She was quite anxious today.''

''I know… But this is a confrontation that needs to happen,'' Félix said in a calm tone. ''We can keep avoiding each other, or talk things out.''

''You surprise me, Kid,'' Plagg replied, giving him a teasing look. ''I had no idea you were so desperate to have a conversation with Bridgette.''

''Don't get the wrong idea,'' Félix replied, feeling a little annoyed. Plagg just grinned and flew back into his backpack, with Félix entering the tea shop.

Bridgette was inside the tea shop, hanging up red and golden lanterns with the Chinese character for good fortune written on it. Her grandmother was in the back of the tea shop, sorting out the bags with the tea leaves, leaving her granddaughter in the front. Meanwhile, Tikki was hovering at the stairs leading up to the apartment, waiting for Bridgette to be done.

Why did I fail at the somersault? Bridgette wondered as she placed the lantern and then stepped off the stool. I know I didn't use my good luck charm to nail the landing, but I still messed up. What's going on? Am I cursed or something? She sighed, hearing a ringing and someone entering the tea shop. Maybe it was for the better. After all, my classmates know that I'm clumsy, so suddenly performing tricks like that would be suspicious. Perhaps my good luck charm caused me to fail in order to protect my identity as Ladybug.

''Good afternoon, Bridgette.'' Bridgette froze for a moment and quickly turned around, shocked to see Félix standing in front of her. He took a look at the tea shop, noticing the tables at the corner, then glanced at Bridgette. ''May I take a seat? I was wondering whether I could order something and stay for a bit here. You're open, right?''

''Uh… Y-Yeah, sure!'' Bridgette said, pointing at a table. ''J-Just, go ahead, I-I'll be right back.''

Bridgette then walked behind the counter, grabbing her apron and a notepad, even though she knew she probably didn't need it. She took a deep breath. Focus! Félix is just a customer. There's no reason for you to freak out. She then glanced at Félix, who already took out a book. It was clear that he was going to stay for a while. Gathering her courage, she walked up to him and forced a smile.

''So, what do you want to order?'' she asked, glad that she wasn't a stuttering mess anymore. Still, she couldn't help but wonder why he was here. I thought that he was angry at me. If he wanted to avoid me, why would he come here?

''Do you perhaps have Earl Grey?'' Félix asked, looking up at Bridgette. The latter was a bit stunned by his intense gaze, still being unable to read him.

''Sure,'' Bridgette replied. ''Do you want plain tea or tea with additives in it?''

''I'll take the plain variant,'' Félix replied. Bridgette just nodded and walked back behind the counter, starting to prepare a pot of Earl Grey. Félix turned back to the book he was reading, Journey to the West, well aware that it was only a matter of time before Bridgette noticed it. He may have acted like he didn't care, but he never forgot important details. He then added in a casual tone, ''I hope you don't mind me staying here for a while.''

Bridgette looked up, raising an eyebrow. Admittedly, she had never seen Félix act like that and she was curious about his change in attitude.

''Well, I will have to kick you out if you try staying after closing time,'' she replied in a deadpan tone. To her surprise, Félix just smirked and turned back to his book. When was the last time I saw you smile? After she was done, she placed the cup with piping hot tea on the table in front of Félix. ''Don't burn your tongue.''

''Thank you,'' Félix replied. ''I assume that you were the one who decorated this place. It looks quite nice.''

''Yeah, I did,'' Bridgette replied, noticing the title of the book he was reading as he held it up and rose an eyebrow. Fine! I need the truth right now or else I'll go insane. Her eyes narrowed and she moved the chair, sitting down. ''Félix, why are you here?''

''You asked me to visit your family's tea shop,'' Félix told her, placing down the book. He then took a card out of it, showing it to Bridgette. She realized it was the same card she made for him. ''Besides, you gave me this. I had thought about it and figured that I should talk to you.''

''Seriously?'' Bridgette asked. Whatever anxiety she felt was slowly fading away. ''So, what do you want to talk about?''

''I wanted to apologize for acting like a jerk towards you,'' Félix told her bluntly, taking a sip of tea. Bridgette was stunned. She did not expect this kind of conversation to happen, even though she did welcome it.

''I…'' she paused for a moment, before continuing. ''It's fine. I know you well enough to understand that you're not someone who likes to interact with others, so you can act quite standoffish.''

''I guess that the title Ice Prince was well deserved,'' Félix replied in a dry tone, with Bridgette lowering her gaze. ''Although, I never heard you calling me that.''

''Well, I…'' Bridgette trailed off, with Félix observing her carefully, taking a sip of tea.

''I don't mind the nickname, though,'' he added, lowering the cup back. ''Aside from the apology, there was something else I wanted to talk about.''

''What is it?'' Bridgette asked curiously.

''Bridgette, I know that you have a crush on me,'' Félix said calmly, only to watch, completely baffled, when Bridgette turned red as a tomato, her expression blank and looking like her soul just abandoned her body. ''Uh, Bridgette?''

''Ehh, I-I… How long did you know?!'' Bridgette blurted out in panic, her ahoge standing up, frizzled.

''Since the very beginning,'' Félix replied casually, not understanding why Bridgette reacted like this. He thought that she wanted to confess her crush to him. ''It wasn't that hard to figure it out considering how you behaved around me.''

''This is so embarrassing,'' Bridgette said, her ahoge lowering. She was completely flustered. Félix tilted his head slightly, wanting to ask her why she felt embarrassed when the two suddenly heard Bridgette's grandmother approaching them.

''I see that you have finished decorating the shop,'' Mei said, with Bridgette and Félix turning towards her. Mei eyed Félix. ''I assume that this is the boy you had told me about.''

''Yeah,'' Bridgette said. ''Gran Mei, this is my classmate, Félix Agreste.''

''Good afternoon, Mme. Cheng.'' Félix got up, extending his hand. Mei didn't accept it though, staring at him intensely. Félix sat down, wondering whether he said something wrong. While the stare Mei gave him wasn't on the same level as Gabriel's, he still felt a little unnerved.

''You were the one who gifted my granddaughter an umbrella, right?'' Mei said, surprising both Félix and Bridgette. Félix narrowed his eyes, nodding in acknowledgement.

''I did. I had a spare one with me,'' he replied. Due to his bad luck, he had figured that it would've been better to have two umbrellas on him, just in case one broke. When he saw Bridgette standing in the rain, he took pity on her and decided to just give her the spare one.

''I wouldn't have minded if Bridgette had borrowed it, but giving such a gift is just rude,'' Mei said. Félix turned to Bridgette, looking completely perplexed. Bridgette chuckled as she realized what this was about.

''Gran, please, leave him alone. I told you that he just let me keep the umbrella and besides, he doesn't know the meaning of his action,'' Bridgette replied in an amused tone. ''It's not like it was a birthday or a New Year's gift.''

''Could someone explain to me what I did wrong?'' Félix asked, feeling a little frustrated.

''In Chinese culture, gifting someone an umbrella means that you want to break up with them. You're basically saying that this relationship won't work out and that you want to dissolve it,'' Bridgette explained.

Félix was flustered, not responding to the explanation. Admittedly, they didn't even have a real relationship beyond being acquaintances and even though he was aware of her crush on him, he wasn't interested in pursuing a relationship. He even had slight reservations about being friends with Bridgette, wanting to first see her reaction to his apology before he made his next step. However, as the conversation went on, he realized that he wasn't sure what his next step should be.

If I was Chat Noir, this wouldn't be a problem…

Félix exhaled and stood up, reaching for his wallet and leaving the money on the table to pay for his order. ''I'll be leaving then. I don't want to cause any trouble. Thank you for the tea.''

He then grabbed his backpack and walked towards the door. Bridgette got up, staring at him for a moment, then quickly grabbed the money and walked over to the counter with a determined look on her expression. Félix was already a few buildings away when she ran out of the tea shop, holding a thermos bottle.

''Félix! Félix!''

Félix stopped walking when he heard Bridgette yelling for him and turned around just as Bridgette approached him, gasping for air. She then lifted the red thermos bottle with the black cap.

''You forgot the tea you had payed for,'' she said as she gave him the thermos bottle.

''You didn't have to…'' Félix started, but Bridgette showed both the thermos bottle into his hands.

''It's my personal thermos bottle, so you can return it to me tomorrow at school. I didn't want the tea go to waste,'' she added.

''I… Thank you,'' Félix said in a resigned tone. He knew that there was no way to convince Bridgette that she didn't have to do that.

''I hope that you liked it,'' Bridgette said.

''I did,'' Félix replied, his tone genuine. ''Also, about the conversation…''

''Apology accepted,'' Bridgette told him in a chipper tone, smiling. She then crossed her arms behind her back, adding in a shy tone, ''Does this mean that we could be friends?'' She looked flustered when Félix gave her a pointed look. ''I-I know that our earlier conversation implied something else, but…'' She gave him a determined look. ''I want to be your friend.''

Félix stared at her for a moment in silence, then slowly nodded.

''I'll think about it,'' he said. ''I'll see you tomorrow at school, then.''

''Bye!'' Bridgette waved as Félix left. She felt her heart racing as she turned on her heel, skipping merrily back to the tea shop. However, her walk was interrupted by a red blur who flew bumped right at her, falling into her hands. ''Tikki?''

''I had overheard the conversation between you and Félix at the tea shop and I decided to follow you outside,'' Tikki explained, sitting in Bridgette's cupped hands. ''Is everything okay?''

''Everything couldn't be better!'' Bridgette replied joyfully, then scratched the back of her head. ''Well, it could, but things are going well. Not only is Félix not angry at me, but he actually considers being my friend. Can you believe it?''

''I wonder what has caused that change of attitude,'' Tikki said, sounding a bit suspicious of Félix's intentions. ''He doesn't strike me as the guy who'd just go apologize to people.''

''I know, but I'm sure that his apology was genuine. Besides, if he wanted something from me, he probably would've told me right then and there,'' Bridgette replied, only to place her hands on her cheeks and squeal in glee. ''This is the best outcome I could imagine!''

Tikki smiled, feeling glad for her holder. Still, she couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something odd about Félix.

xXx

''Seems like someone is finally starting to develop an emotional attachment to another person,'' Plagg told Félix, holding up the piece of cheese he was eating and floating right next to his holder. ''That is, to a person who isn't Ladybug.''

''Why are you making such a big deal out of this?'' Félix asked, sitting at his desk and consulting the notebook he filled with information about Ladybug. The thermos bottle Bridgette gave him was right next to it, empty. ''I simply misunderstood Bridgette's intentions and apologized to her for my behavior. Even if this leads to us becoming friends, it doesn't mean that I'll suddenly become a social butterfly.''

''Don't take it the wrong way,'' Plagg replied, still having a wide grin on his expression, then added in a more emotional, choked up tone, ''I'm just proud that my lonely grumpy kitty is willing to make new friends.''

''Plagg…'' Félix groaned in a threatening tone, while Plagg just chuckled and ate the rest of the cheese. Félix then sighed. ''Even though I still have my doubts.''

''Trust me, Kid, you're doing fine,'' Plagg cheered him up. ''I think you just need a bit more time to adjust.'' He then grinned mockingly. ''Besides, it's not like making friends with someone is going to make you lose your title of the Ice Prince.''

Despite glaring at the kwami, Félix's lips curved into a small, knowing smile. He then shook his head and stood up. ''We're leaving.''

''Already? Isn't a bit too early for the patrol?'' Plagg asked.

''I still have something to do as Chat Noir,'' Félix explained, closing his notebook and walking upstairs to his private library, hiding it behind the other books. While he knew that Gabriel nor Adeline would comb through his room, he still didn't like the idea of leaving the notebook exposed. He then turned to Plagg. ''Ready?''

''Always!'' Plagg replied excitedly.

Félix lifted his hand, brushing with his fingers across the ring in a swift motion.

''Plagg, transform me!''

Félix got enveloped in a dark light, exiting the mansion as Chat Noir and took a little detour to a familiar tea shop.

xXx

''Today was a complete rollercoaster,'' Bridgette said, staring at the cleared floor and taking a step forward, only to withdraw, as if she was testing the ground. While she did fail that front somersault at school, she still wanted to prove to herself that she could do it as a civilian. ''Sure, I embarrassed myself in front of Amber and the rest of my class, but on the other hand, Félix wants to be my friend. That alone makes up for all the bad luck I experienced today.'' She then gazed at Tikki. ''Speaking of which, I don't recall using the good luck charm.''

''I can confirm that you didn't use it,'' Tikki said, crossing her arms. ''Still, it is possible that the Miraculous acted on its own.''

''It is possible,'' Bridgette muttered as she focused again on the floor and her attempt to make a somersault, only to be startled when she heard knocking coming from the hatch and flopping over on the floor. ''Oww… Okay, that hurt.'' While Tikki quickly flew away upon hearing the knocking, Bridgette looked up at the hatch, seeing a familiar face grinning at her. ''Chat Noir?'' She quickly stood up and climbed up the ladder, opening the hatch. ''Chat Noir, what are you doing here?''

''I wanted to take you up on your offer to talk to you whenever I need a another opinion,'' Chat Noir told Bridgette as she walked onto the balcony.

''Sure! What is it?'' she asked curiously.

Chat Noir shuffled for a moment as he tried to figure out how to best formulate the question, then said, ''You see, I used to call Ladybug M'lady, but since she doesn't like that nickname, I had figured out that I should come up with something else.'' His tail swished. ''I asked her whether she would mind if I call her LB, and she agreed to it.'' He crossed his arms and shook his head. ''However, I still feel that I could do better, but the only thing I could come up with is Bug.'' He then gave Bridgette a troubled look. ''Do you think that Ladybug would be okay with me calling her Bug? After all, she tends to call me Chat.''

''Uh, um…'' Bridgette was stunned that Chat Noir was actually asking her something like that. At the same time, she felt flattered that Chat Noir considered her opinion important and was pleased that Chat Noir was putting a lot of thought into respecting her feelings as Ladybug. She placed a hand under her chin, supporting it with her other hand as she thought about it. ''I guess that sounds okay. After all, it is just the shorter version of Ladybug's name.'' She then smiled. ''However, you should ask Ladybug what she thinks about it. After all, this is something between you and her, and I don't even know how she might react to it.''

''Still, I didn't want to risk making a mistake, which is why I asked for your opinion,'' Chat Noir told her.

''I appreciate that,'' Bridgette replied, placing her hands on her hips. ''Now, if I were Ladybug, I don't think I would mind being called Bug. If anything, it sounds like a cuter nickname than M'lady.''

''I see,'' Chat Noir replied, his eyes twinkling as he grinned. ''Thank you for your help, Bridgette.''

''Speaking of nicknames, just call me Bri,'' Bridgette told him, winking at him. ''That's how my friends and family call me.''

''I'll keep it in mind, Bri,'' Chat Noir said, jumping onto the railing and waving at her. ''Have a nice evening!''

''You too!'' Bridgette replied, watching him vanish into the night. She then crossed her arms, feeling quite satisfied. Tikki flew up to her as soon as Chat Noir disappeared, with Bridgette turning to her. ''Things are just getting better and better.''

''It's great that you get to enjoy yourself, but I still think that you should remain careful,'' Tikki told her. ''You never know what fate might throw at you.''

''True, but that doesn't mean that I shouldn't take advantage of the situation,'' Bridgette told her, brushing with her hand across her earrings, with Tikki nodding. ''Let's go! Tikki, transform me!''

After being briefly enveloped by a bright red light, Ladybug followed Chat Noir with a wide smile on her expression, excited for what the night had to offered to her.