"Pound it!" Ladybug took an extra second to look at him as they bumped their fist together.
Thankfully the fight was barely 30 minutes and Catnoir was eager to jump back to Marinette as fast as possible. "I'll be going now." Catnoir saluted her and pulled out his staff ready to go.
Ladybug's eyes widened, "Already‽"
"Yeah, I have somewhere I really really need to be right now." He rubbed the back of his neck out of habit, Ladybug noted.
She tilted her head to the side in confusion. She knew he was going to go back to her room to see her as Marinette but she didn't expect that he would just pass on a chance to spend some time with her alter ego. They hadn't seen each other almost the full month and he was just walking away?
"Well.. there haven't been any akumas lately and we haven't patrolled together in a long time, I was thinking you would stay and..." She was abruptly cut off by a loud banging noise from a distance.
Utterly confused, they both looked to the direction of the sound. Almost immediately the all too familiar chime sounded from his baton and her yoyo. She didn't even need to check. "You have got to be kidding me?" She grumbled under her breath.
It was truly another villain in the space of less than five minutes. Shadow moth was definitely getting desperate.
The fight was not as successful and quick as the first one. Coupled with the fact that the villain was much more powerful, Catnoir was also terribly distracted. Every second felt like a waste because he wasn't with Marinette. Even worse was that, she might've fallen asleep because the fight was going on much longer.
It was far past midnight when they finally de-akumatized the villain. After Ladybug turned everything back to normal, they did their fist bump again.
Ladybug looked at him concerned, "Are you alright? You seemed..."
"I know, I'm sorry I messed things up for us." He looked up at her with sad eyes and her chest lurched for a second as she stared. She wasn't Marinette at the moment so she didn't want to move too close than she was meant too even if she so badly wanted to comfort him.
"No, you didn't mess things up. It's obvious that something's wrong."
He shifted his gaze away, looking in the direction where Marinette's balcony was even though he was so far away he couldn't see it. Gosh he was too far away from her. "Yeah..." He mumbled sadly.
"Was it the thing you needed to do?" She asked, genuinely curious if it was really because he wanted to be with her civilian form. He nodded again, his gaze still far off.
Her heart fluttered at the thought that he cared that much, "I know it's hard to mix our personal life with bring superheroes, I'm sorry."
Ladybug stepped closer and placed her hand on his shoulder. He looked up to her gleaming eyes, somehow they still made his heart rate speed. "But remember that I'm always here to listen if anything's wrong?" She offered him a sweet smile.
He couldn't help but smile back as he slumped his shoulders. He did need someone who was not a cheese obsessed kwami to talk to about his feelings for Marinette.
They both sat the edge of the random rooftop looking down at the dark city. There was a long moment of silence, a weirdly comfortable silence as the night breeze blew against them.
"Ladybug..." He finally whispered breaking the silence, his eyes still transfixed on the city but his thoughts running miles. "Mmm..." She muffled a reply still enthralled in the night's breeze.
"I need your advice on something." When she heard his reply, she turned to him concerned. "Sure, anything."
He fiddled with the ring on his finger before looking up at her. "This is kinda awkward because well... It's about...it's about a girl." He looked away again, feeling bashful, the thought of Marinette enough to bring a blush to his cheeks.
Ladybug's brows furrowed hearing his response, "A girl?" She asked back incredulously.
"Yeah... A girl." He smiled this time looking up to her. She didn't match his smile this time, her stomach twisting up in discomfort. Somehow she knew she wouldn't like whatever it was that he wanted to say.
"Well...I..I don't know exactly how to say this...But... How do I tell a girl I'm in love with her?"
Ladybug's heart stopped for a second before it began to race. Her brows drew into a thin line as confusion spread across her features. After another second, her expression changed and she tilted her head to the side, "Is this another one of your try to make me jealous tricks?"
Catnoir's eyes widened and he immediately waved his hands awkwardly. "No! Not at all! There's actually someone."
Her stomach twisted up into more knots hearing his response and she looked at him almost in disbelief, "So you're not in love with me anymore?" The question was almost accusing and if Catnoir found it weird, he decided to brush it off.
"Well.."
Her heart sunk and she looked away, almost as if she didn't want him to see her face. "I didn't think that was how feelings worked." She muttered more to herself but he heard it perfectly. He was slightly surprised at her response.
She was not even trying to be subtle about her annoyance. If it were a time when he was still head over heels for her, he would've been ecstatic that she was actually getting jealous. But those feelings had changed.
"My feelings for you didn't just disappear. I still love you, it's just different now." He paused for a while, "I spent so much time loving you that I almost forget that love and care was actually a two way street. I thought I had to earn it. But now, I've met the most amazing girl in the world." He sighed dreamily as he stared into space.
Her stomach did not feel any better as she saw him talk dreamily about someone else. If she was being honest, she hated the fact that Catnoir could actually move on her from her. It was selfish of her but she couldn't help the feeling.
"She's wonderful in every way and she's shown me how much I matter. I love her so much." He gushed. Ladybug felt a painful pang on her chest and she swallowed roughly. She could literally see how much he loved her. "She's a really lucky girl then." She mumbled.
"No, I'm the lucky one." Catnoir meant it. He couldn't believe how much time he'd actually spent pinning for Ladybug when Marinette was literally right in front of him. "We've been friends for a really long time but I got to spend more time with her and got to know her better recently and I just see her differently now."
A thought crossed her mind and there was a part of her that wanted it so badly. She hesitated but then she asked, "Was..was it the girl you wanted to see tonight?" Her tone was almost hopeful.
"Um...well...not exactly..."
"Oh..." She mumbled deflated. Her unease worsened and she felt like staying another second would make it even worse, "Well, I'm happy for you." She lies, looking away, "You should tell her how you feel, she deserves to know."
With that, she stood up and retracted her yoyo. "I'm feeling tired, I think I should go."
"Oh... okay..see you later then?"
"Bye, see you later." She took an extra second to stare at him before swinging away.
Catnoir stared into the distance watching her till he couldn't see her anymore. A smile formed on his lips. He had to admit, Ladybug being jealous had just made his list of favorite things.
Even though he knew it was an utterly stupid decision, he decided to go to Marinette's house. Her lights were turned off when he checked. It wasn't like he even expected her to be awake but gosh he really wanted, no...needed to see her.
It was already the 24th, and he couldn't come earlier because he knew she would be with her family for most of it. But he could wait. He just had to be patient. He knew it would be worth it in the end.
Ladybug watched Catnoir jump off her balcony and when she was sure he was far gone, she swung over there. She spent a while staring at the spot where he left.
~~~~
"No, Alya, I'm not coming." Marinette muttered into the phone.
"Girl, are you sure you're okay? You seem down, I mean it's Christmas tomorrow, you're usually off the top. You should celebrate, you know, it's Christmas Eve." Alya was quick to notice the transition in her best friend. She knew Marinette too well to know that she could only be refusing to attend the Christmas Eve party for some reason.
Marinette was not at all grateful for that, she didn't need anyone asking her what was wrong when she didn't even know, "I'm just not in mood, I'll talk to you later, I'm tired."
"Oh..okay...sure." Alya decided not to probe and hung up.
Marinette's stomach felt worse. The unease never lightening for even a second. It was almost irritating how the thought of Catnoir in love with someone else that wasn't her was driving her crazy.
At first she tried to convince herself that she was just being unreasonably selfish and Adrien was still there. Once school resumed again, she would go back to full on crushing on him and the whole Catnoir thing would die down. She tried not to think about it.
But it was easier said than done. Alya was right. It was the first time her spirits were down on a Christmas Eve.
She shifted the peas around in her plate with the fork, sighing at intervals.
"Marinette, are you okay?" Sabine asked from the other end of the dinning table, "You're not acting like yourself."
She forced a smile and looked up at her parents, "I'm fine, just a little tired. Is it okay if I just go to bed now?"
"It's okay, hunny." They didn't want to push her.
Marinette muttered a small thank you before standing up and heading straight for her room. Tho the Kwamis had been asking her all day, she insisted that she was fine. She went straight up the balcony but Tikki followed her.
She rested on the railing and just stared into the night.
"I know you don't want to talk but are you okay?" Tikki hovered over her, concern written all over her face. Marinette nodded in negation.
"Do you want to talk about it?" She nodded in negation. With a sigh, Tikki flew back into the room. The bluenette probably just needed her own space.
Seconds turned into minutes and minutes multiplies as well. She wrapped her arms around herself even tighter as it got colder.
Then she heard that thump. The sound of him landing behind her and then his shallow breathe, obviously from scaling the rooftops as fast as he'd done.
"I'm over here." She whispered, imagining that he would've tried to knock on the hatch.
Catnoir snapped his head to the side to see her leaning over the railings. His smile widened and in a brief second he was at her side. "Hey..." He whispered breathlessly and leaned next to her.
"Hey.." She replied, eyes still fixed on the sky. It wasn't exactly the reply he was hoping for but he didn't read too much into it. He took the time to stare at her, absorbing every feature. He just need her to be engraved in his memory forever. Gosh he loved her.
"Why are you staring at me?"
Despite being caught, he didn't look away, "I missed you." He mumbled, his eyes still on her.
She finally turned to him and their eyes locked for a moment. She tilted her head back to stare at those green eyes and then straightening up, she immediately wrapped her hands around him.
Catnoir purred at the sudden closeness and with blushed cheeks, he hugged her back, letting hus hand trail around her waist eager to pull her closer.
The hug lasted longer than usual and she just let her mind float as his scent absolved all her senses and she melted into him, burying her face into his chest.
After a moment, she pulled back to look at him. A real smile finally dotted her lips and Catnoir thought she was incredibly beautiful. She trailed her hands to rest on the side of his face and he leaned into her.
"I missed you too." She looked up at him from her lashes. It took everything in him not to just kiss her. Every thing about her was enchanting his entire being. She just needed to know how much he loved her.
"Sorry I couldn't come back last night."
"It's okay." She whispered as she let herself stare into his eyes. This was something Marinette had with Catnoir that Ladybug could never have.
"Marinette, there's something I need to tell you." He leaned down to get closer to her.
She held in her breath. "What?" She whispered, her breath hitched and her body growing hot with the proximity.
Catnoir stared into her eyes. Those beautiful eyes. She was irresistible. He let his eyes flicker down to her lips, his stare just sending jolts of electricity down her spine.
He knew he needed to tell her. He shouldn't need to procrastinate anymore. "Marinette, I..." His words stuck in his throat and before he could stop himself, he was already backing out. "I couldn't wait to see you today."
A look of disappointment flashed across her face and she mumbled an oh, her gaze shifting down.
He trailed a finger under her chin and lifted her face to meet his, "I have a surprise for you tomorrow."
Her eyes lit up and she fully smiled for the first time since the day began. "Me too."
"I can't wait." He leaned down all the way to place a kiss on her nose. She giggled, her skin feeling ticklish as his hot breath fanned her. "Me neither."
"Did you get to celebrate the Christmas Eve?" She asked trailing her finger sling his face, outlining the edges of his mask.
"Well we had dinner and decorated the tree."
"C'mon let's go inside. I need to spoil you with lots of affection today." She bopped his nose and almost immediately his tail wrapped around her ankle.
"Meow...I like that." He purred and she chuckled, "I can see that."
"Come on." This time she stood on her toes to place a kiss on his cheek.
(A/N- This is super late and extremely overdue. I had this in my draft for a long time but I had to rewrite that Ladynoir scene a lot of times.
Anyways, I wish you all a Miraculous new year. Even though it's coming extremely late.
Sorry for the errors again)
