*Author's Notes*
Wow, the last time I published anything was LAST Plagg Appreciation Day (aka Friday the 13th back in March)! This year has been, frankly, quite trash for my inspiration. I am so blown away and in awe of all those creators that kept producing content during this hellscape year. You are some true heroes in helping me keep some of my sanity.
Back to this story though! I was DETERMINED to have SOMETHING up for today in order to keep my Plagg Appreciation streak alive. It was a rough couple of weeks trying to sort it out, and in the end I didn't actually start writing until today. About 12 hours later, I bring you this. Hope I was able to shake enough of the rust off.
Spoilers: Miraculous World: New York, United Heroez (the New York Special)
This story is an AU of the ending to the NY special. I wondered what would happen if the magic of the Miraculous transformations blocked enough of Uncanny Valley's scan (much like how she was having issues with Techclonizer) that it prevented her from deducing Ladybug's and Chat Noir's identities.
~ I Need Him Back ~
"Please forgive me, my friend."
It kept Plagg a second too long to realize what Adrien was doing. "No!"
"I renounce you, Plagg."
He couldn't say anything. In a flash, Plagg was gone. Banished to his ring. He had never expected this. Never thought Adrien could ever abandon him like that. He was safe. He was home. Adrien was family.
"Plagg?" Marinette was holding his ring now. The Guardian was once more in possession of the Miraculous. Adrien truly was gone, wasn't he? "Plagg, what happened? Why? Why would he-?" She hid her face in her hands. "This is my fault! I chased him away."
Plagg wasn't sure what to say. He was in too much shock himself. Tikki drifted over to him, grabbed his arm, and slowly drew him down into Marinette's purse with her so he could rest. At least, while the Guardian held onto his ring, he could be with Tikki. It was a small consolation, but it was all he had to hold onto at that point.
The rain drenched them the moment Marinette climbed out of the sewers. The teen didn't seem to notice, and Plagg certainly didn't care.
"This is all my fault," he confessed with a quaking croak. "I should have stopped him from leaving."
"He made his choice," was Marinette's somber reply, "What were we supposed to do?"
She wandered the city aimlessly for a little while longer before realizing her classmates must be wondering where she was. Reluctantly, she made her way back towards the hotel. Out front, she met up with Adrien, but their reunion was interrupted when a car pulled up beside them.
"Adrien, get in the car at once," Gabriel demanded through the video in the car.
"Adrien?" Plagg stirred in Marinette's purse, desperate to go to his boy. Tikki held him still.
"You can't," Tikki whispered.
"But-"
"My owner is the one with the ring now, so you can't stay with him anyway, and you can't reveal that he was Chat Noir to her."
"Tikki-"
"I wouldn't have minded being stuck here a little longer with a friend like you." Adrien's voice nearly broke Plagg's heart. The kid had lost so much; gave up so much. He was broken, and it was all Plagg's fault.
"I should have never convinced him that it would be alright to leave Paris."
Tikki's eyes widened. "You told him to come?"
"His father was sending him anyway, and you know how he has no say in his life when his father's involved. I just wanted him to have fun while he was here, so I came up with the plan to fly back to Paris when an akuma alert happened, and he'd press the communicator button to buzz for Ladybug while he was on-route. By the time Ladybug made it back to Paris she would never know he was gone. I didn't expect a supervillain here stopping him from getting back in time."
"She knew about the akuma in Paris the same time he did. She wouldn't have been able to get away even if he had stayed at home. It's neither of your faults."
Plagg hung his head. If only he could believe Tikki.
"Adrien!" Marinette bellowed, "Stay!"
Marinette's plea pierced through Plagg. He wanted to scream the same exact thing.
"I've already lost Chat Noir. I can't lose Adrien too." She did lose him, though. Her mad dash in the rain ended with her wiping out into the street and softly confessing her love to the empty city.
She then wandered in the rain once more, completely lost in what to do next or where to go.
"What are you doing out here?" Uncanny Valley elegantly descended before them, her three eyes darting around to make sure everything was safe.
"I- uh-"
"Hawk Moth is in New York City. It is not safe for you to be outside right now. I will take you back to the hotel." Uncanny scooped Marinette into a bridal carry and flew off before Marinette could refuse.
"Hawk Moth? He's here?" Marinette choked out.
"Yes. I am searching for Ladybug and Chat Noir to help. Have you seen either of them?"
"N- No. No, I'm sorry. I can't help you."
"That's alright. I am sure I'll find them in time." Uncanny landed on the hotel roof and put Marinette down. "Go hide inside until it is safe, okay? Don't worry, we will be victorious. I know it." Before Marinette could say anything else, Uncanny Valley had flown away, looking for a superhero that no longer existed and one who didn't have the will to fight.
"Marinette! You have to transform! You know you're the only one who can stop Hawk Moth."
"I- I can't. Not without him." She opened her palm and looked longingly at the Cat Ring.
"I know this is tough, Marinette, but New York needs you. You can't repair what happened in Paris, but you can help here. Besides, if Uncanny Valley is looking for Ladybug then she's not helping to defeat the akuma. They're going to need as many heroes as they can get."
Marinette nodded. "Tikki, spots on!"
It was a hard fight without her partner, but she was able to lean on Sparrow and Uncanny Valley for help. They managed to get the Miraculous away from the villain easily enough, but getting to the akuma was a different matter.
Plagg watched on from a distance, making sure Hawk Moth didn't spot him. It kept a little while, but he eventually saw an opening, snuck into the battle, and used his Cataclysm to help trap Techclonizer in the ground by the Statue of Liberty. It was then an easy task for Uncanny to break his handcuffs and for Ladybug to cleanse the akuma.
The rest of the class trip was uneventful. Everything more-or-less went as scheduled, and Plagg stayed cuddled in Tikki's arms. The three of them didn't have a moment alone to talk about Chat Noir or what to do next with the ring. If nothing else, Alya refused to let Marinette out of her sight for a moment.
On the plane, Marinette had debated sneaking away. It was a long flight, but she was also very tired. She ended up silently crying herself to sleep with her back towards her best friend so she'd never know.
Plagg likewise curled around his ring, nuzzling it as he too tried to get some sleep. Both Marinette and Plagg tried to push New York into as distant a pained memory as possible as they flew home.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~
"Don't worry, Marinette," Alya gave her best friend a tight hug before letting her off the chartered bus. "You'll see Adrien again in class tomorrow. You can make things right then."
"Y-yeah," Marinette forced a smile. "Thanks, Alya. See you tomorrow."
"Try to get some rest, girl!"
Marinette collected her suitcase and waved Alya goodbye as the bus drove to the next student's home to drop off.
"Marinette!" Sabine burst through the bakery door and flung her arms around her daughter. Tom came sprinting out shortly behind and wrapped both women in his massive hug. "Sweetheart, we're so glad you're safe," Sabine continued, "We saw that Ladybug had stopped a supervillain in New York City, and we were so worried."
"But if Ladybug was there, we knew you had to be alright," Tom interjected, slowly releasing his two favorite ladies from his grip. "Plus, we saw that sign you and your friends held up for that Adrien boy."
"Still," Sabine added, "it's such a relief to see for ourselves that you're okay."
As Marinette's parents ushered her home, Plagg slumped in her purse, tail curled around him.
"Plagg?" Tikki whispered.
"What if Ladybug wasn't okay? What if me convincing my owner to go on the trip instead of finding a way for him to stay here was enough of a distraction that-?" He swallowed hard and pulled his knees in closer. "Tikki, my owner feels horrible about what he did, but it was my power that did it! What if that other superhero didn't step in the way? What if Chat Noir actually did touch Ladybug with my Cataclysm? She might have survived, like how Chat Noir did when Miraculer hit him with the Cataclysm, but what if Ladybug didn't because it was me that was powering it instead of some akuma? What if it somehow damaged your Miraculous? What if it had hurt you?"
"Plagg." Tikki snuggled close to him, nuzzling her head against his cheek. "Plagg, that's exactly why your owner gave up the ring in the first place, because of all of those 'what ifs' he kept asking. It's not his fault though. It's not yours either. Poor decisions were made, but we've always learned from them in the past, haven't we? I know my owner has made a lot of mistakes as well, but we grow from them and make sure not to make them again."
"Well, there won't be a chance to grow and learn with him. He gave me up, remember?"
Tikki shifted so she could meet Plagg's eyes; staring intently into them. "Do you honestly think that's what he wants?"
It didn't take long for Plagg to break contact with Tikki. He turned towards the side of Marinette's purse, keeping his back towards his fellow kwami. "Even if he wants to be Chat Noir again, he can't. Marinette doesn't know who he was, and she can't ask Master Fu anymore. I can't name my owner, and you're such a stickler for the rules that I doubt you'll tell her and reveal his identity."
Tikki puffed and pouted at how Plagg snarled his final sentence at her. Exhaling her anger, she tried once more in a calming tone. "We can figure this out without my owner ever discovering his identity. I know we can. She's very good at solving puzzles like this, and-" Tikki rested a comforting flipper on Plagg's shoulder, "and you're pretty good at coming up with plans yourself." Plagg shrugged her off him, but she persisted. "Yes, Chat Noir coming to New York City with us didn't work out, but, I must admit, it wasn't the worst plan in the world. I don't know if the AstroCat transformation would have been fast enough to get you back to Paris before anyone got suspicious about the delay. However, my owner also kept forgetting to carry the Horse Glasses with her, so she probably would have used the same tactic. And the plan to contact Nooroo would have worked if he wasn't powering Hawk Moth at the exact moment of hitting his cycle. You have good plans. Just-" She shrugged, "just poor luck?"
Plagg sighed a shaky breath and quickly wiped away his tears before turning back towards Tikki. "How do we fix this though?"
Tikki rested her flippers on each of Plagg's shoulders and her forehead against his. They both closed their eyes and just focused on their connection for a second. "We'll figure something out, Plagg." She then pulled him closer into a hug.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~
A couple of hours later, a somber Marinette climbed to her bedroom, excusing herself from her overly doting parents by telling them how jetlagged she was. It wasn't an entirely false statement – something Marinette had grown quite skilled at – but her true exhaustion was due to the loss of her partner, and she still needed proper time to mourn that. The hours in the rain wandering New York City wasn't enough time. The long, nearly sleepless night after defeating Miraclonizer wasn't enough time. The eight-hour flight home wasn't enough time. Marinette was wondering if there would actually ever be enough time.
She pulled out the Cat Ring and rolled it around the tip of her index finger, studying every centimeter of its surface, as if that could give her some clue as to how to get her Chat Noir back.
Tikki and Plagg emerged from Marinette's purse, and exchanged a look. Plagg's eyes widened and he shrunk in on himself a little. Tikki, on the other hand, puffed herself up, squared her shoulders in determination, and gave a subtle nod in Marinette's direction. Plagg curled further into himself. His eyes darted between Marinette's inspection of his ring and Tikki's stern gaze and increasingly overt head nods towards her owner.
Exasperated with the pity-party around her, Tikki huffed before zipping down to Marinette's hand; catching her owner's attention.
"Tikki, I- I don't know what to do. Even if I have help like Uncanny Valley and Sparrow, or even if I find new bearers of the Miraculous here in Paris, it won't be the same. Even when I had Rena Rouge, Carapace, and Viperion helping me, it wasn't the same. No one- no one could ever replace Chat Noir. I can't do this without him, Tikki. I-" Marinette hid her budding tears with the heels of her hands, the Cat Ring dangling from her index finger still.
"Marinette, I think we- I think Plagg might have come up with a way to get Chat Noir back. Get your Chat Noir back."
Both Tikki and Marinette turned to Plagg. He promptly started shaking his head and waving his arms, trying to get Tikki to abort the plan, but it was too late. The seed was planted.
"You- you do?" Marinette squeaked with a tiny voice.
Tikki gave Plagg an encouraging nod, and he settled. His eyebrows scrunched down in conviction, and then he drifted closer to Marinette.
"I-" he paused, startled a bit that his own voice was so soft and squeaky as well. Clearing his throat, he tried again in a more confident tone. "I want to go to him. I know how to get to his house from here, and he should be there at this time of night. Let me bring the ring back to him. I'll tell him how much you want him back, and how much I want to be his kwami. I'm sure he'll accept-"
"No." Marinette walked away from the kwamis. "No, I'm sorry, but I can't chance letting the ring out of my sight. If Hawk Moth got it-"
"Then let me at least talk to him. I can still convince him to accept the ring again, and then I'll come back here to let you know where the two of you can meet up."
"I can't know who he is!" Marinette gasped and slapped her hands over her mouth, praying her parents didn't hear her outburst. The room was silent for a long minute as all three occupants listened for Tom or Sabine. Luckily, her parents seemed to have called it an early night as well. Holding a finger to her lips, Marinette waved for the kwamis to follow her up to her balcony to make sure they weren't caught talking.
Once outside, Marinette hissed again, "How am I supposed to ever give him back his ring? We're not supposed to know who each other is. If any of the other bearers had known then any of them could have told Miracle Queen or Hawk Moth when they were under that spell. I can't chance knowing who he is or him knowing who I am."
"You've worked together without being powered up before." Plagg became more animated. For some reason, the more Marinette pushed against his idea the more he believed Tikki that it was actually a good one. "I'm sure he still has his Bananoir costume somewhere. Or he could wear something else to hide his identity, and you can just be Ladybug. It'll be fine."
"What if Hawk Moth sees you going to him, or coming back to me? I can't have you leading him to either of us."
"He can do this, Marinette," Tikki interjected.
"Yeah. I was able to ditch Sandboy easily enough, and Hawk Moth never found out where Chat Noir was. He also never followed me when I want to Master Fu to let him know about Chat Noir losing his ring when Style Queen attacked. Or when I returned to Chat Noir. I'm a cat, remember? I can be sneaky."
"I dunno. I can't chance it. There's no one else now. If Hawk Moth somehow finds me-"
"He won't! I promise he won't. I can do this. Please. The kid needs me. I know he does. And- Look. Not everyone can handle the power of destroying anything they touch. I've- let's just say not every Chat Noir is as good and kind as yours. He's special. Let me try to get him back. Please."
Marinette glanced over at Tikki, who wore a proud smile and gave a simple nod.
"Alright." Marinette flung her arms and began pacing her balcony. "Alright, you can go talk to him. I do want to get his ring back to him as soon as possible, but I also have to be careful about hiding my identity, so try to not have the meet-up when I have classes, okay? You do know when my school hours are, right? Oh, this can turn out so bad-"
"Marinette, it will be fine." Tikki flew into her bearer's line of sight to try to calm the teen. "Kwamis can only be captured if we allow it, remember? And if Hawk Moth uses magic to try to capture Plagg like he did with Kwamibuster, you still have me and can become Ladybug to stop him. This is probably the best way if you don't want to fight without Chat Noir or have to pick a new one."
"I can do this," Plagg pleaded.
Marinette spun the ring around the knuckle of her finger, stopping to stare at the cat paw on the ring face. How could she see it on someone else's hand? How could she battle Hawk Moth alone? She needed him again.
"Okay. Go. Be careful."
Plagg beamed and started off in a dash, only stopping a few feet from Marinette's balcony as he heard her call out once more.
"Plagg?" It was Marinette's turn to plead. "Bring him back to us."
He nodded and zipped towards the Notre-Dame. He needed to throw Marinette off too if she were watching him. It was painful to meander around the city to make sure he wasn't being followed instead of racing to Adrien's room, but he promised he'd keep everyone safe. They were only in this predicament because of him. He had to make sure to get it right this time.
Bobbing underground, then popping back up, phasing through darkened buildings, and pausing long enough in trees to double check he wasn't being watched, Plagg wove his way through Paris for about ten minutes before nearing the Agreste mansion.
Home. Even after Adrien renounced him, this place felt like home. Specifically, Adrien felt like home. Checking once more that there was no one around to spot him, Plagg darted around the estate and made his way into Adrien's bathroom.
This was it. This was his chance to talk to Adrien again. This was probably his only chance to get his Chat Noir back. Plagg suddenly wished Tikki was still there to encourage him.
"Get in there, Stinky Sock," Plagg imitated her in a high pitched voice that didn't remotely resemble Tikki's. "You're the kwami with the brilliant plans. You're our only hope of getting him back."
"Well," Plagg responded to himself with his own shaky voice, "When you put it that way, Sugar Cube, how could I disappoint? Right?"
"Now, don't screw this up like you usually do," he replied in the high pitched voice before clearing his throat and awkwardly laughing.
"Yup," Plagg said in his usual voice, "that sounds like her. Now to prove her wrong about being a screw up."
He poked his head through the door to check that Adrien was actually there. He nearly burst into tears when he saw his former holder slumped at his desk. Pulling back into the bathroom, Plagg shifted to the far wall and again poked his head through, scanning for anyone else being in the room with Adrien.
All clear. The kid was alone. It nearly broke Plagg's heart all over again.
"Adrien?" Plagg cautiously floated into the room.
"Plagg?" Adrien jumped out of his chair, wide eyed and slack jawed. "Wh- what are you doing here? How? I gave you up!"
"I know," Plagg mournfully replied.
"Aww, Plagg. I- I'm so sorry, my friend. I didn't- I just- I'm not the right person to be Chat Noir. I just screw so much up. You and Ladybug are so much better off with a new Chat Noir." Adrien wouldn't look at the kwami. Instead he slumped back into his computer chair, keeping his eyes locked on his naked right ring finger.
"Don't say that!" Plagg flew closer. "I've already told you that you're the best Chat Noir I've ever had! No one could replace you. Ladybug has told you that before too."
"There must be someone-"
"No! No one else, Adrien. We want you as Chat Noir. We need you as Chat Noir."
"I saw the news report. After I gave you up the city was attacked again by that supervillain, and it was so much worse that time. I had abandoned Ladybug when she needed me most, and she still managed to save the day. The whole world could have been destroyed, and that was when I gave up my powers. How could I be a hero after that? How could she possibly need me when she was able to stop that from happening without me? I appreciate the thought, Plagg, but, seriously, you two don't need me. No one does."
"Shouldn't that be my decision? Or Ladybug's? Or the Guardian's – who happens to also be Ladybug, but nevermind that."
"Plagg-"
"You made a mistake. I did too. I was the one who told you not to warn Ladybug that you were forced to leave Paris. It was because of me that she got so mad at you. It was because of me that she lost faith in you like that. And it was because I made her lose that faith that you got so distracted with Cataclysm active. You are never that careless! That isn't you as a superhero. That was all me."
"I don't think it works that way."
"Either way, you didn't lose her faith permanently. She was just mad and shocked and didn't know how to feel. She does miss you. She needed you in New York, and only managed to win because she had to. She even allowed me to use Cataclysm by myself! You know how bad things have to be for me to bring that baby out!"
"Even if she did forgive me for leaving Paris, and for what I could have done with my Cataclysm if she wasn't there to fix it, how could she forgive me for abandoning her when she needed me most?"
"It was a tough fight. I'll admit that. And it was harder because you weren't there. I can't lie about that either. But that wasn't when she needed you most. Now is. Now that she's back in Paris and has time to think about everything. Now that she has to face Hawk Moth alone and fully understands how alone she is in this. She knows she's going to need a new Chat Noir, but she hates the idea of having anyone besides you. You are special to her. She's told you before that you're irreplaceable. Believe her, Adrien. You have faith in her about everything else, so why not have some faith about this?"
"Has she really forgiven me? Could she really?"
"Why not ask for your ring back and find out?"
"Plagg, I just can't." Adrien pushed himself away from his desk. He walked over to his wall of windows and leaned against them.
"Why do you think I'm here? Ladybug wants you to ask for the ring back. She wants to meet up with you again. She told me to get you back."
"How can I-?"
"Pick a time and place where you can sneak out. I'll go back to Ladybug and let her know when to meet up. Then all you have to do is find a way to hide your identity and show up."
Adrien turned back to his former kwami, his eyes were glossed over with unspilt tears. His eyebrows where knitted as they begged for Plagg to be right about all of this. They stood in a stalemate for a minute or two.
Then Adrien sprinted over to Plagg, scooped him up in his awaiting hands, and pressed the little cat to his chest.
"Plagg, I've missed you so much. I'm so, so sorry for ever renouncing you," Adrien cried.
"I know. I've kinda missed ya too."
"Let's make this right."
Plagg softly purred against Adrien's hands, ignoring the fact that he'd have to leave his home again in a little bit. Right now it was just him and this kid and he could milk this for a little longer, couldn't he?
He hoped the last thirty hours would be the longest he'd ever be away from Adrien. At least, for many, many, many years to come.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~
"There he is!" Tikki chirped out as Plagg zig-zagged through the terrace houses leading towards Marinette's balcony.
Marinette strained to catch sight of him, and any time she thought she did, he vanished again. "Huh. I guess he can be sneaky enough to lose anyone who could follow him."
"I told you it would be alright."
"Psst." Plagg hissed from between Marinette's feet, startling her has his head poked through the floor boards.
"Plagg!" Marinette caught herself on her balcony railing. After a couple of breaths to try to steady her heartbeat, she waved for everyone to go back inside. Nestled on her bed, she nodded for Plagg to continue. "Did you get to talk to him?"
"He'll sneak out tonight. He can get to the school by one A.M. He figured it was a place the two of you fought akumas at enough that you'd know where it is, but there wouldn't be any lingering tourists, so you should be safe to talk. It would also be easier to single him out that way."
Marinette glanced at her alarm clock. She had a little less than five hours to kill. She figured she should get some rest, but was terrified of oversleeping and Chat Noir thinking she had Plagg set up the meeting as a cruel joke. It was only with both Plagg and Tikki swearing to wake her up at midnight did she agree to get some sleep.
She tossed and turned nonstop the first two hours, barely getting any rest as she worried about the exchange; about the possibility of him standing her up or them getting captured. She was also nervous about what she was going to say to him. How could she ever apologize to him for being so cruel as to tell him she couldn't trust him anymore? She was upset about Paris being left undefended, but to say something so hurtful to him?
Tikki fussed over Marinette's restless sleep, but couldn't think of anything to help her holder. Plagg hated doing so, but he knew something that might help. It was something he only ever really did for Adrien. And even then, only when Adrien was his most distressed, and when the kid was asleep and couldn't know that Plagg did it at all.
Curling up in Marinette's hairline by her ear, Plagg started purring in a low, nearly inaudible hum. Marinette relaxed almost instantly. Relaxing herself, Tikki snuggled next to Plagg, and whispered, "Thank you."
Plagg waved her off, and kept doing whatever he could to soothe Marinette. The entire time, he wondered how Adrien managed the night before without him, and if Adrien needed him that night as well.
The hours ticked by quickly, and it became time to rouse Marinette. The trio was tense as she got ready for her meet-up. When the clock neared one, Marinette transformed into Ladybug.
"You ready, Plagg?"
"Let's get my boy back."
"Plagg. Return." Ladybug held up the ring, and Plagg gladly allowed himself to be sucked into it; once more locked within his Miraculous until a wielder claimed him. Tucking the ring away, Ladybug jumped up onto her balcony, and scanned the streets. It didn't take long for her to see a mop of blonde hair rush silently down the empty sidewalk between her family's home and the school. She watched him turn towards the front steps, and break into a sprint as he raced towards the school's front doors. The moment he reached them, she swung down, scooped him up, and flung both of them to the roof of the Collège Françoise Dupont. As soon as their feet touched the rooftop, the boy scurried away.
"Ladybug!"
Startled at how shocked he sounded, Ladybug studied the boy. He had the same shaggy blonde hair, and he had dressed entirely in black. Even at such a late hour, he had on thick sunglasses to obscure his face. He had also made a point of heading towards the school entrance at one A.M. precisely. This had to be her Chat Noir! Right?
"Chat Noir?" she whispered, afraid that he was going to tell her no; that she had made another horrible mistake.
"You- you actually came!" The boy's legs shook, and Ladybug was afraid he was going to collapse. "I- Plagg said that-"
Before he could say a syllable more, her arms were around him.
"Is it you?" she sobbed, "Is it really you?"
He held her close, pulling her even closer with every shaky breath she took. "I'm sorry. I am so beyond sorry for everything this weekend."
She abruptly pulled away, hurriedly wiped her eyes dry, and punched him playfully in the arm. "Yeah, you better be! Don't you ever do something as stupid as giving up your powers like that again! Do you hear me?"
He rubbed where she punched him, but smiled. "Does that mean you really have forgiven me?"
"Chat Noir," she pulled him right back into the hug, "Of course I forgive you. You know I can't do this without you. I can't be Ladybug if you aren't by my side."
"I'll never abandon you like that again. I promise."
"You better."
The two gave one last, tight squeeze, before releasing. Ladybug then took a couple of steps back and unlatched her yo-yo from her hip. Opening up the magical pocket, she pulled out the black Cat Ring, and held it in her outstretched palm for her companion.
"Chat Noir? I believe this is yours."
Timidly, he reached out for his ring. His hand hovered above it, but he didn't take it back.
"Chat Noir?"
"I'll do better. I promise I'll do better. I'll be the partner you deserve."
Ladybug's face fell, and she took a step closer. "Don't you realize you already are?" Her eyes drifted to the ring, then back up to him. "It's yours. It always was and always will be. I don't want anyone but you by my side. Please know that." She snatched up his right hand before he could react, and she gave it a squeeze. "I'm sorry I told you I couldn't trust you. I was hurt, and I just wanted to hurt you back. I didn't mean it, and I never should have said it. I know I can always trust you." Turning his hand over, she placed his ring on his palm. "This weekend showed us things we need to work on, but it doesn't have to mean our partnership is over, right?"
He stared at the ring for a long while before picking it up and sliding it back on his right ring finger. The moment he did, the ring turned silver as it camouflaged itself, and spat Plagg back out.
"Plagg! Welcome back, buddy!" Chat Noir reached up to scratch his kwami on the back of his head.
"Yeah, well, welcome back to you, too." Plagg leaned into the scratches, his eyes closing as he enjoyed the great feeling of being pet by his holder again.
"How about we make this official then? Plagg, claws out!" Plagg was once more sucked into the ring, and the black clad boy was transformed into a proper Chat Noir.
Ladybug wiped new tears from the corners of her eyes. "It's definitely a good look for you. Don't lose it again, okay?" She held up her fist.
"Never again. I promised, didn't I?" Chat Noir bumped her fist with his own.
The two spent the next hour coming to terms with what happened over the weekend. How were they going to help repair Paris? The citizens knew why Ladybug wasn't there to protect them, but what were they going to say about Chat Noir? How were they going to keep Paris safe the next time one – or both – of them needed to leave the city again? They also swore to never again keep secrets from each other, as long as it didn't involve their identities.
Completely wiped and borderline passing out against each other's shoulders, Ladybug and Chat Noir parted ways and headed to their respective homes.
"Plagg, claws in." Adrien grinned madly - albeit sleepily – as the kwami drifted into his awaiting hand. "Welcome home, buddy. I'm glad I couldn't bear to get rid of any of this yet." He walked Plagg over to the fully stocked mini-fridge of Camembert. The magical being greedily gobbled up a wheel before returning to Adrien. The teen had already changed for bed and slid under the sheets.
"Adrien?"
"Yeah, Plagg?"
"I'm glad you're my Chat Noir again."
"Thank you for making it happen."
Plagg curled up on Adrien's head and began lulling his friend to sleep with his purring. He didn't care that Adrien knew about it anymore.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~
A few blocks away, Marinette tried falling asleep as she wondered why Chat Noir's silver ring looked familiar.
~ Thank you for reading. Reviews are always welcome. ~
*Closing Notes*
Goodness was it a ride to write this! I was struggling to think of a Plagg-centric story for months now. In the end, I think this is more of an Adrien Sugar story than a Plagg Appreciation one, but, I guess appreciating Chat Noir is also appropriate for Friday the 13th, right?
Much like my last Plagg Appreciation Story, I had so many false starts with this. I now have about 3 new plot bunnies because every time I started up a Plagg-centric story it always ended up being more about the Love Square and a potential reveal and... well... Plagg just wasn't center stage. As it was, I'm nervous he wasn't center stage enough in this story, but it was the best of the bunch, and I ran out of days to scrap stories and start again.
In the end, though, I like where this went. I'm also just proud to be writing again. I've missed it so much. I didn't really feel like myself this year, and it was probably due to not writing. I have no clue if this is the start of me regularly updating again, but it was still nice to get SOMETHING up for you fine folks. So, thank you for your patience with me. You are all beautiful people. Mwah!
Wow! Next Friday 13th isn't until August 2021!? Well, I guess that gives me plenty of time to figure out my next story. Who's in?
Finally, if you enjoyed this, and are looking for more Plagg Appreciation, I currently have three other one-shots:
Breaking Monotony
Summary: Plagg's days are all starting to feel exactly the same. As he goes through yet another school day with Adrien, he wonders if he can do something to start shaking up the status quo. At the same time, though, he reflects on how great it is that his life is fairly predictable.
Forever in Darkness
Summary: Plagg has always been in darkness. It had become all he knew. Then he got a ray of sunshine, and it helped save him. There was a reason he believes Adrien is the best Chat Noir ever.
The Truest of Friends
Summary: It's the second day of the new school year, which also means it's been a year since Stoneheart first attacked Paris. Adrien wonders how he could best celebrate the anniversary of becoming Chat Noir, and how to properly showcase how much he cares for someone very special in his life.