start notes—
Even if Ladybug can't be there for him, Marinette, at the very least, is.
my tellonym: milkisande
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can i borrow your miraculous
if only you would notice,
what i'm dying to reveal.
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MARINETTE was as surprised to find Chat Noir on her balcony as he did.
"Chat…?" She asked, confusion and worry lining her features as she saw her partner (not quite: the partner she knew was happy-go-lucky, optimistic, and energetic. This Chat was anything but.)
He looked tired.
"Sorry for waking you." He apologized, barely managing to smile. "Mind if I stay here for a bit? Just taking a break from patrol."
That, she knew, was a lie.
She and Chat Noir had been fighting akumas nonstop that week, so as Ladybug, she asked Rena Rouge and Carapace to take over patrolling for the weekend (the two were more than happy to oblige, stating that it was their duty to Paris— though Marinette suspected it was really because they could go on a superhero date together).
So patrol was definitely not the reason why he was there.
As Ladybug, his partner-in-heroics, she knew she had to send him home. (The miraculous should only be used to save Paris, not for any other reason!)
But as Marinette Dupain-Cheng, his friend, she knew she had to be there for him. (After all, Chat Noir knew his responsibilities as a hero. He wouldn't simply use his miraculous for a laugh or some other shallow reason.)
She decided that she should listen.
"Of course," Marinette finally replied. "Stay as long as you want."
"Thanks."
Chat Noir only spared her a glance, before leaning onto the railing, looking downward to the almost empty sidewalks (save for a few passing Parisians; barely aware of the hero watching them from above).
He didn't speak, and Marinette knew better than to push him for a reply. Silently, she just moved next to his form, looking down along with him.
"…"
"I'm jealous of them." Chat Noir finally spoke, breaking the silence between the two.
Marinette only nodded, urging him to continue.
"They get to live their lives as normal," he simply responded. "Going to work or school, hanging out with their friends, having fun together, then finally going home to their families… they look so happy."
Marinette's voice was quiet; almost like she hadn't spoken at all. "You're not happy, Chat?"
The hero sighed. "It's not that, exactly." He finally looked at her, a forlorn smile on his face. It broke her heart. "Sometimes, it's just… a lot."
"What is?"
"Everything." Chat Noir made a large circular gesture, as if to illustrate his point. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I love being a hero. It's just, with everyone's expectations on me, not just as Chat Noir, but even when I'm…" he paused, "… me, you know, it gets… suffocating."
Marinette could hear the distress in his voice; as if he were on the verge of breaking down.
She wanted to ask him more, tell her she would be there for him, that she would listen.
But she couldn't. Not without compromising his identity and the secrets they were both trying so hard to protect.
And it felt wrong, too, knowing the most intimate parts of him without him even knowing who he was truly talking to.
"Sorry," Chat Noir said, as if realizing that he might be oversharing. "I'd tell Ladybug, you know. But she wants to stay professional." He exhaled. "And I get that; I admire that about her so much, but it hurts not to be able to talk to the girl I'm in love with." He laughed bitterly. "Besides, I can't tell her. I know how busy she is— how much pressure she's under. I don't want to be a burden to her."
Marinette wanted to cry.
It's me, she wanted to scream. I'm Ladybug. I'm here. You're not a burden. Talk to me.
Chat Noir sighed, heartbroken. "Maybe it makes sense." He paused, already welling up with tears. Marinette had to expressly stop herself from hugging him. "I am the hero of destruction. Pretty expected that my life's a mess, too." He laughed, but it was nothing like the laugh she knew; it was bitter, self-deprecating.
"Maybe if I had Ladybug's powers. The power of creation." He continued. "But it's not like I can just go ahead and say, 'Hey Ladybug can I borrow your miraculous? I'm having a meltdown and it'd be nice if my powers didn't reflect that by literally telling me that I destroy everything I touch for once ha-ha!'"
Marinette couldn't help it anymore.
To hell with keeping boundaries or being professional.
She hugged him.
Chat Noir froze with her sudden contact, as she looked up at him with a stare so soft that the hero felt like he was about to melt on the spot.
After a moment, she pulled herself away, though leaving her hands holding his. She squeezed them, actively catching his attention.
"You don't destroy everything you touch, Chat." Marinette stated, pointedly making him look at their entwined fingers. "See this?"
"Mari—"
"This isn't destructive." The girl simply continued, smiling softly. "And Ladybug would never think of you as a burden. You bring light and love into her life, and she's extremely grateful to have you as her partner."
Chat Noir tried to smile back, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "How would you know that?"
Marinette paused.
She didn't know what to say.
She remembered Master Fu's words, about keeping their identities secret.
But she also remembered the importance of trust and honesty: how these were basic foundations when it came to keeping a friendship.
And finally, she remembered her partner: Chat Noir, who was always loyal and true to her; Chat Noir, who would never lie or willingly keep secrets from her; and Chat Noir, who was completely in love with her—
Ladybug, who arguably also loved him back.
Suddenly taking his hands, Marinette brought them up to cup her ears.
She smiled.
"I know because of one simple reason." She whispered, then stepped back.
Her eyes glimmered with determination.
"Tikki, spots off."
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end notes—
i was wrong THIS was the hardest prompt . i really had no idea how to work this so i just ended up using it in a sentence once ahahha i hope that's okay ;n;
anyway give sad kitty noir the love he deserves let him be happy and in love w ladybug im begging :( but yes, as usual:
thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～