Author's note: Yeah, after the Reverser episodes, I've shipped Nathaniel/Marc hard. This is inspired by the music video in Frightningale where Nathaniel can be seen wearing a Chat Noir mask while Marc wears a Ladybug mask.
Nathaniel had decided that the only reason he wasn't currently freaking out right now was simply the fact that he didn't currently have the time to sit down and process things right now, given that there was a super villain currently attacking Paris that he apparently had to stop.
He did know that he shouldn't even be jumping around Paris in a black cat suit. According to the bug-cat-thing, he wasn't the person intended to get the ring currently on his finger, it was meant to go to some other guy. But it was too late to correct things now, on account of Ivan running around as a big rock monster and destroying Paris, so they just had to deal with the cards they had been dealt.
"I think I'm getting a hang of this." Nathaniel muttered to himself as he used his pole to traverse a wide gap between buildings.
"Ahhh!" Was the only warning he got before something crashed into him.
'Something' turned out to be someone as they both picked themselves off the ground, their suits apparently protecting them from fall damage.
"Sorry." The boy dressed in the red and black spotted suit apologise shyly. "I don't really know what I'm doing."
"It's alright, I don't know what I'm doing either." Nathaniel said. "I'm guessing that you're my partner the Kwami told me about." He said, wondering if he got the name of the thing in his ring right.
"Sort of, I guess." The boy looked down. "I don't know if I'll be your partner after this. These powers were meant to go to someone else, I think I just ended up with them by accident." He confessed, holding his arm.
"You too, huh?" Nathaniel asked. "Looks like whoever gave us these powers didn't make sure who they were dropping them off with."
"Do you think we'll be able to beat this guy, if we're not meant to have these powers?" The ladybug wondered nervously.
"Well, we clearly weren't the first choices for these powers and have no experience with them." Nathaniel said. "That being said, we have these powers now and we can't just do nothing with them. An artist doesn't know how good they'll be until they try, how different can it be to being a hero?"
"Yeah." The other hero perked up. "I guess you're right. Let's go try and be heroes."
With new determination, the two heroes set off in the direction of Stoneheart.
Marc sighed as he wrote in his note book, documenting his thoughts and feelings, which his legs swinging off the top of the Eiffel tower.
'It's been a few months since I became Red Beetle/Red Lady. I still find it a little strange to swing around Paris, defeating villains alongside Cait Sith, but I guess it's become part of my daily life now. And I wouldn't give it up for anything. Having Tikki and Cait Sith there for me has helped so much, I'm able to say and do things as Red that I'd never dream of doing as just me, I was even able to stand up to Hawkmoth in front of all of Paris-'
"Hey, Red, you're up late."
Marc turn to see his partner, quickly snapping his book shut and hiding it in his pocket.
"Hey, Cait." Red greeted. "I wasn't feeling that tired yet, so I went for a swing around the city, the view helps me think."
"I know what you mean." Cait Sith said, sitting down beside Red. "I come up here sometimes for inspiration. By the way, are you Beetle or Lady today?"
"Beetle." Red answered.
"Okay, Red Beetle it is." Cait Sith said. "You know, I'm jealous of how open you can be about who you are, all of Paris knows that part of you and has to accept it."
"Well, not all of Paris accepts it." Red Beetle said, remembering all the people who proclaimed hate for him as Red, both vocally and online, just because he didn't have a set gender. "They just have to tolerate it. Because the alternative is getting beat up by us after Hawkmoth Akumatises them because of their hate, by you more than me."
"I stand by what I did." Cait Sith crossed his arms. "He shouldn't have said those things about you, Akumatised or not."
"Did you have to intimidate him after we turned him back?" Red Beetle questioned.
"Of course I did, I had to send the message that we don't tolerate hate." Cait Sith said. "On the brightside, we've both become LGBT+ icons because of it."
"I think that was also the day that the number of people who ship us skyrocketed." Red Beetle pointed out.
"I don't mind being shipped with you." Cait Sith grinned.
"Stop it." Red Beetle laughed.
"I mean it." Cait Sith said. "You're amazing, and strong, and caring, and not afraid to be who you are, that's what I love about you."
He then immediately turned the same colour as his hair when he realised that he'd let the 'L' word slip.
Red Beetle also blushed.
"T-thank you." He said. "But don't forget about yourself. You're just as amazing and as strong as me, we're partners after all, and I wouldn't be able to beat the Akumas without you."
Cait Sith smiled, warmth filling his chest at his partner's words.
"Thank you, too." He said. "By the way, I made you something."
Cait Sith then pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Red Beetle, who opened it up to look at the drawing inside.
The drawing was of Red Beetle and Cait Sith, looking as if they were about to head into battle with their weapons out.
"It's amazing." Red Beetle smiled. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Cait Sith smiled back.
Red Beetle took out his notebook and slipped the drawing inside for safe keeping.
"With all these drawings you give me, I feel like I need to do something for you." Red Beetle commented.
"It's okay." Cait Sith waved off. "Just being with you is enough…by that I mean you're a great muse…which you are to all artists, not just me…"
The two partners grew progressively redder as Cait Sith fumbled with his words, eventually giving up and going quiet.
Red Beetle then shuffled closer to Cait Sith before hesitantly leaning against him, his partner startle for a second, looking down at Red Beetle before leaning back.
The action seemed to calm both of them down as they continued to sit there, leaning against each other on top of the Eiffel Tower, content with the other's company.
Author's note: Please comment
Just a quick one-shot to get the idea out of my head, not my usual work. If anyone wants to take this idea and run to the hills with it, go right ahead.
Marc is apparently gender-fluid because that's what the person he's based off is, so I've translated that into the story. Marc goes by Red Lady when they identify as female, Red Beetle when they identify as male and just Red when they don't identify as either. Cait Sith always makes a point of asking Red how he's feeling gender-wise each time they meet up, so he can get Red's name and gender right, though he uses Red as the default name since it can apply to whatever they identify as.