Marinette had intended to put a proper plan into action, or at least to give the whole Adrien situation some more thought, but the next couple of weeks had a sudden influx of work and she found her days flying by as she desperately tried to cram in cooking and cleaning alongside the projects she was forced to take home to work on. Her boss, Claude, was a stern taskmaster, and he had high expectations of her. Marinette started to feel that she was busy every hour of the day and yet still wasn't able to do everything she wanted to. Quite suddenly, it was Friday night and she hadn't had time for anything more than a quick phonecall to Alya for two weeks.

Finally putting down the jacket she was sewing a pocket back into, deciding that it was about time she took a break, she stretched and rolled her shoulders, feeling the ache that long hours of bending over her needlework always produced in her back. The worst of the rush was over – for now at least – and she could surface back into the world once more. She considered texting Alya and suggesting that they go out for a drink. It would be nice, but she felt that it might be a bit of a sudden reintegration into society – especially with Alya's habit of getting louder and more enthusiastic whenever she drank alcohol. As much as she adored her best friend, occasionally she could be a lot to handle.

Marinette just needed some time to herself; a few moments to appreciate the peace of not being so stressed she could feel her own heartbeat. She smiled suddenly, her pulse racing with excitement as inspiration struck. Some fresh air might do the trick…

"Tikki!" she called, tidying away her sewing kit and leaning forwards to open the double doors that led onto her balconette. A tantalisingly refreshing night breeze rushed in, soothing against Marinette's warm forehead and cheeks.

The kwami appeared from the drawer where she liked to curl up when she wasn't on Marinette's shoulder. She only needed to look at Marinette's face to know what she had planned. Her eyes sparkled.

"It's a perfect night!" she said.

"I know, and it's been weeks and weeks since I was out last. Tikki, transforme moi!"

The night was cool and fragrant after a day of hot sun. Paris, one of those cities that does not sleep until well into the wee hours, if at all, was studded with lights, giving it the appearance of a strange, star-filled sky.

And Ladybug, who loved her city more than perhaps anything else in the world, flitted through the shadows and across its rooftops, revelling in the exhilaration of freedom.

For a while, as was her habit, she followed the old patrol routes, though without any real attempt at actually patrolling. This outing was more for the sake of exercise than anything else – a chance for her to breathe the sweet-smelling air and stretch her cramped limbs. At last, feeling a tiredness that was more a pleasurable relaxation than actual fatigue, Ladybug swung up to where she inevitably ended her excursions: the tour d'Eiffel. Here, she leaned against the familiar wrought iron and sighed happily, looking out over the beauty of Paris.

It was a long time ago now that Ladybug and Chat Noir had defeated Papillon and made a mutual decision to step down from their heroic positions. They had been just nineteen; five years of akuma battles, five years of hasty excuses and absences, five years of being constantly tired, five years of partnership. It had broken Ladybug's heart to let it end, but she couldn't deny that it was a huge relief at the same time. They had served their city well. Now they had lives to lead.

Almost to their surprise, the kwamis and Master Fu had agreed with their decision. Ladybug had been half afraid that she would be asked to give up her miraculous – the idea of parting with Tikki was unbearable – but as it turned out, she didn't have to. One day, perhaps, Ladybug and Chat Noir would be needed again. For now they could do as they liked.

For a few months they had half-heartedly kept up their patrols, more out of a desire to spend time together than to watch over Paris. That time had been happy too, though bittersweet – Ladybug thought of it now with a sigh, her heart aching with mingled pain and affection as it always did whenever she remembered. Chat had finally found the courage to confess his love to her, taking her completely by surprise. Though she had known he cared for her, she had never realised how deep his feelings ran, disguised as they were by flirtatiousness and his endless supply of jokes. Confusedly, miserably, through a storm of tears, Ladybug had tried to explain that she felt only a sisterly love for him – he was her partner, her best friend, her chaton, but nothing more than that.

The look on his face had been the worst thing she had ever had to see. Even now she couldn't think of it without tears springing to her eyes. She had not been surprised when, a few weeks later, he had come to her to say that he was leaving and did not know when he would be back… if at all.

She missed him fiercely, still. His absence was a constant ache whenever she transformed, though fortunately this was rarely, these days. Whenever she thought of him, which was often, she hoped that he was happy, wherever he was. He deserved happiness.

Realising how melancholy the direction of her thoughts was, Ladybug started and shook her head. It wasn't like her to brood over the past, no matter how painful it was. She was better off thinking about the future, especially when so many things seemed to be changing. Alya and Nino were getting married… Adrien was back, and apparently a huge jerk now… the next year was going to be interesting, to say the least. She grinned.

"Penny for your thoughts, Bugaboo," said a teasing voice from the shadows just behind her that was dreadfully and wonderfully familiar.

Ladybug screamed, lost her balance, and fell.

She was just in time, as she fell, to catch a glimpse of a masked figure whose expression changed abruptly from a grin to horror, outstretched hands missing her by a whisker – haha, whisker, must tell him that one – and then the wind was whistling very loudly in her ears, and her stomach had been left behind on the tower, and she was falling.

Fighting against the air currents, she twisted, trying to get to her yoyo, but she was sorely out of practice and it had been years since she'd fallen off anything. It vaguely occurred to her that she should probably be more afraid, because there was a pretty good chance she might not survive this, suit or no suit.

And then there was a thud that knocked all the breath out of her, and two strong arms wrapped around her, and whoosh! She was suddenly flying in the opposite direction, back up to the top of the tower. He landed gracefully, tucking the baton that had been her saviour back into his belt, and set her on her feet, and Ladybug looked up into Chat Noir's face.

A thousand different thoughts crowded into the forefront of her mind. She had pictured this meeting more than a few times, wondering whether she would cry, hug him, slap him for staying away for so long, or groan at the inevitable pun he would greet her with. Part of her wanted to do all of these things, possibly at once. The rest of her was too busy being furious at the fact that she had literally just fallen for him.

She waited for the joke, the wink, the insinuation, secretly aware that she wouldn't really mind at all. God, she had missed him.

But instead, Chat simply said: "Are you all right?"

"Huh?" said Ladybug stupidly. Then, scrambling for a little more intelligence: "Um, yeah, yeah, I'm fine." Something strange appeared to be happening to her where his arm was still braced around her waist – a sort of fluttery feeling of warmth that spread from the contact and went right through her.

Chat looked… different. He was so tall she had to almost crane her neck to look at him, and his shoulders had broadened, his frame filling out. She had seen him grow from a skinny boy to a long-limbed teenager with a slender, lithe figure, but now he was undoubtedly, well… grown-up. She remembered with certainty that his suit had never been moulded or padded but simply skin-tight, which meant that those rippling muscles clearly visible on his abdomen were –

She gulped, and stepped away. "F-fancy seeing you here," she said, with a nervous laugh that sounded ridiculous to her own ears.

Chat Noir grinned, the corner of his mouth pulling up in a way that was so familiar it made her heart jump for a second.

"I had a hunch I'd find you here," he said. Then he laughed. "That's a total lie – I've been checking my baton for a few nights now to see whether you were still around. I thought it'd be nice to catch up."

"Oh." So eloquent. What the hell is wrong with me? "I – I can't believe you're back! I mean – are you back? Or just visiting?" She cringed, hoping she hadn't sounded too demanding.

Chat didn't answer for a second; he turned to look at the view she'd been admiring and took a deep breath. It gave Ladybug the fleeting impression that he was a prisoner who had just walked free for the first time, and she wondered what he had been doing all these years.

"Paris…" he said. "I almost forgot how amazing it is. It's good to be back." He looked back at her. "I don't really know yet. But I might be around for a while."

"That's great!" Her enthusiasm fell slightly flat, discordant against the memory of their awkward goodbye. She searched desperately for a way back to their old banter, and spoke half laughingly, half in genuine frustration. "When did you get so damn tall?"

"I think you'll find, milady, that you are the one who has become adorably tiny." Chat pretended to measure her height with a hand and then held it against himself. "What do you come up to now? My chest? My bellybutton, perhaps?"

Suddenly Ladybug felt more at ease. "Excuse me!" She thwacked him lightly in the arm. "I'll have you know I am a full two inches taller than my mother."

Chat snorted. "Then your mother must be—"

"Watch it, alley cat, or you'll feel my wrath." Ladybug threatened him with her yo-yo and Chat made a show of cringing away in fear.

"No, not the yo-yo! I surrender to the great and powerful Ladybug! I am but a humble stray—"

They both laughed, and suddenly it was as if the last five years had never happened: Chat had never left, Ladybug had never broken his heart, and they were just a couple of teenagers messing around and trying to save the city.

"You look good, Buginette," said Chat, giving her a light punch on the shoulder. "I missed you."

The words slipped out of him so easily, so casually. Ladybug caught her breath. Something about the way he spoke was oddly hurtful. There wasn't that old flirtatious edge to his voice, nor the look in his eyes that she had come to realise (some time in the last couple of years) was adoration. He said it as one might say it to a little sister.

Am I really that shallow? she thought, angry with herself. Just because he doesn't worship the ground I walk on, I'm upset? Even though I'm the one who turned him down in the first place? She clenched her jaw. She would not mess up a second chance with Chat Noir. She was the one who had shattered their partnership, and now it she had the opportunity to prove to him that they could go back to being friends.

Pushing down the unwelcome feelings, she grabbed her yo-yo and turned to Chat.

"Race you to the Place de la Bastille," she said impulsively.

Chat gave her a bow. "Very well, milady, but I hope you're feline hungry."

Ladybug was so confused she didn't even bat an eyelid at the pun, which was one of the more appalling ones he'd come out with. "What? Why?"

"Because you're about to eat my fur!" he crowed, and then he was off, gaining at least a three second head start on her.

"Hey!" she howled, following him. "Not fair!"

"Don't you mean not fur?" he yelled over his shoulder.

"You're lucky you've got nine lives!" she tossed back easily.

The race was exhilarating. She could hear her heartbeat loud in her ears, the wind rushing past her as she swung and caught and swung again in a rhythm as familiar to her as her own breath. It felt good to be doing this again with Chat, to know that she was no longer alone.

For the first time in longer than she would have cared to admit, Ladybug felt whole again.

Thank you for all your lovely, lovely reviews! I'm going through a pretty hard time at the moment, both health and emotions-wise, and every review or favourite in my inbox makes my day just that little bit better :) love to you all!

Btw, the anon who mentioned the French: I totally understand what you mean, and I'm sorry you find it annoying! The reason I try and keep a little French in my ML fics is that I try to be very conscious that the story is set in Paris. I may not have lived in Paris, but I know that when I read fics supposedly set in the UK that have really unrealistic backdrops or terrible English, it really gets to me. Having some French words here and there helps remind me that I'm writing in a different country and, kind of, in a different language - I guess you could call it a grounding technique. Btw, if I have any French readers, please do let me know if anything seems a bit unrealistic or if the French is off-key! :)