A/N: Just a reminder that, like all my stories so far, this one follows canon only to the end of Season 1. I haven't yet seen any of Season 2!
In Chinese tradition, the peony is a symbol of spring and female beauty. It also implies richness, honor and social class, with a subtext of peace.
The gala was beautiful. Crystal chandeliers poured their magic light over the prettiest people of Paris. The notes of the music that they danced to hung in the night air, simply perfection. Beyond the glittering room high at the top of the skyscraper, the city lights spread out to the horizon, broken only by the Eiffel Tower. People passed in and out of the diamond-organza-draped open doorways, circling from the dance floor and tables inside to the flower garden on the surrounding balcony.
Adrien drifted outside. He was, frankly, bored. And the Swedish consul's daughter was very nice, but there was only so much time you could spend with someone before people talked about it so he'd handed her off to Chloe. Who had been as bored as he was until he introduced the two of them. It was part of a long-standing deal – if either Adrien or Chloe found someone who made the night more interesting, they made sure they shared. Sadly, Lykke had been the only person around their age worth sharing. He found a place on the balcony that was within clear view of the lighted ballroom, so that nobody could claim he was doing anything that he wasn't, and leaned on the rail to watch the night. Behind him he heard the faint sound of his bodyguard settling discreetly into position against the wall, the ever-present chaperone.
People came and went around Adrien as he watched the night. Paris at night was a second home for him, and watching it like this made him restless. Out there people were talking, laughing, dreaming, moving from place to place, an endless fount of tiny stories happening on street corners and living rooms. Real people, with real lives, busy with the sheer act of living. So much happening. And he was here, trapped high above in crystal and glimmering light, forever unable to reach it. At times like this, the gulf between who he was as Chat Noir and who he was as Adrien seemed unleapable.
A tiny flash of red drew his eye to the Eiffel Tower. There she was. His Lady. On patrol alone, as she knew he wasn't free tonight. Often he watched her simply for the beauty of motion, the irresistable charisma and sheer power that had him following wherever she led. Tonight he watched her with envy as she flew and swung to their favourite perch at the top of the Tower. High above him and a neighbourhood away, she stood there against the stars, touching the night in a way he couldn't.
The peonies in the flower box next to him drew his attention. His Mandarin tutor had told him that they implied honor, social class and female beauty. Ladybug's honor was impeccable and unchallengeable. She was the most beautiful girl he knew. And while he knew nothing of her civilian life, surely a superhero automatically counted amongst the highest class of people. Not that that meant much to him. He reached down and picked a peony, double petals ruffled into a close ball, and held it out to the distant speck of red. "For you, my Lady" he murmured in a salute too quiet to reach any other ears.
The flash of red swung down from the tower, and began making its way towards the towers of the central city. He watched her idly as she drew closer, her form becoming clearer as the distance lessened, until she disappeared amongst the skyscrapers. He sighed. Patrol night.
Then his enhanced hearing picked up a familiar sound. A zip, a whirr... his breath hitched. Darnit, she could have this effect on him even as she passed nearby.
Except... that was the sound of two feet landing. Just above him. He turned from the rail, and looked to the roof of the ballroom.
There she stood, looking down at him. "A- adrien? I mean, Adrien Agreste?" she said, startled. He bowed. "None other. I'm flattered you know me. But you seem surprised?" He left the sentence open, part questioning.
She looked below. The balcony was relatively empty where they were, only Adrien and his bodyguard nearby. Nobody had noticed her arrive. She took a step off the roof and dropped to their level, landing in the shadow between the doors with a grace that made his breath catch again. "I'm sorry," she said, "From a distance I saw you standing here with your black suit and I thought for a moment... never mind". She seemed almost embarrassed as she gestured at his tuxedo.
Adrien could fill in the gaps that she left unsaid, though he knew better than to admit it. Still, his heart was leaping up and down cheering. Yes! See me! My Lady, I'm here! See me! The hope he felt hurt, and he pushed it back down again. Right now he was Adrien, and his demeanour must remain perfect. No cracks visible. Instead he said "You were on the Eiffel Tower. You must have excellent eyesight to have seen me from so far away".
"That's why..." she trailed off for a moment. "That's why I thought you were someone else. I could feel you watching me."
Oh, I was, My Lady. He clutched her admission of a connection between them deep into his heart, where he could pull it out and treasure it later. For now though... he closed the distance between them with two swift steps and bowed again, holding out the peony.
"For the most beautiful Lady I know", he said, never taking his eyes off her. Which is how he came to see Ladybug blush more fully than he'd ever seen her blush before.
"Th..th...thank you", she said, stammering slightly as she took the flower. "It's beautiful".
"Adrien!" a familiar voice called out. Ladybug started, half turning. Adrien saw the moment when she recognised the girl calling, and smiled at her double-take.
"Adrien, oh there you are! There's someone inside that I wanted you to meet... oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt". Chloe's manners were far sweeter in these surrounds than her normal classroom style. If you weren't expecting that, she'd seem like a completely different person. And then Adrien got to enjoy watching Chloe's double-take as she stepped far enough from the ballroom's glitter to recognise just who was standing in the shadow. He also caught her swift and perceptive glance that went straight from the flower in Ladybug's hand to Adrien's face. He gave her just a flicker of a sheepish grin. It was all Chloe needed to understand.
"It's delightful to see you here", she smiled at the superheroine. "You'd be welcome inside, but," she added discreetly, "I'm guessing you prefer not to be gushed all over?" Adrien chuckled at the so-familiar expression on Ladybug's face, laced this time with confusion. He knew she hated Chloe's usual gushing. He guessed she didn't know that Chloe had worked it out too.
Ladybug seemed to draw herself together, and then looked gently at the blonde girl. "I was just passing by", she said. "I'd rather not get caught up in a big fuss". Chloe nodded. "I thought that might be the case. I'll leave you two then".
Ladybug stopped her with a quiet "Wait, Chloe". The mayors daughter stopped, part way through turning away, and looked back.
The superheroine held out the peony to her. "In my... in some cultures, the peony means peace." There was a look of deep kindness on Ladybug's face as she offered the flower. "I wish that for you."
Chloe stepped to the edge of the shadow and took the flower. Adrien noted that she was allowing her true emotions to show on her face, and internally applauded. His Lady was unfailingly kind to others, and he loved that in her. It often brought out the best in others. Then she smiled at him, and his heart hammered so hard it felt like it was pushing his whole skin inside out. She tossed her yoyo – and then she was gone.
Chloe let out an audible breath, looking at the flower. Adrien walked over to her. "You gave this to her, didn't you?" she said, quietly.
"I did. But it's all right." And it really was all right. "She gave it to you. You should keep it".
He nodded at his bodyguard as he offered Chloe his arm to walk back inside. She shook her head. "I might stay out here a little longer", she said quietly. "I shouldn't enter on your arm carrying a flower that it looks like you gave me." She was right, of course, and he knew it. But he also knew that she wanted to treasure that moment for just a little longer on her own.
As he reached the door, she called softly after him. "You weren't going to share, were you."
He paused, turned.
"No, I wasn't." He smiled at Chloe. "But I'm glad I did."
She smiled back.
He turned, and stepped back into the glittering light, the floating people. The crystal world that held his body trapped for now. Except for his heart. It remained outside in the spring night, held hostage by all the people of Paris – and one Lady who flew by his side.
A/N: Hey, so you get the next chapter of this quicker than I thought. I am badly procrastinating writing the followup chapters I said I'd write for a couple of my other stories, as well as several other things I'm supposed to be doing RN. Oops :-) As with the first chapter, this is written in a bit of a rush, pushed out of my head to try and get my writing restarted after a week of dry. It'll be rough. If you see points that need editing, please tell me!