Ladybug woke slowly, feeling warm and cozy, but strangely stiff. Had she fallen asleep on her chaise after patrol? Had she gone on patrol at all? There was a rhythmic thump-thumping beneath her ear, and a low rumbling that sounded like...purring? What in the world…?

Her eyes fluttered open, and fell on the black leather-clad arms draped over her body; all at once she identified the sounds at her ear as well as the 'seat' on which she reclined.

Chat Noir.

She remembered coming out for patrol now. She must have been too tired to complete it, which was embarrassing. It would have been better to just stay home and miss it entirely, than to show up drunk from lack of sleep.

She sighed, and Chat shifted a bit beneath her, tightening his hold on her body. The rumbling stuttered briefly and then resumed, louder than before.

Was Chat…purring?

Her eyes widened, and she put a hand to his chest to feel the vibration there.

He was! Chat Noir was purring!

Ladybug giggled, her embarrassment forgotten. She pulled her hand from his chest and slowly reached up to his head. Her hand hesitated near one of his black cat ears, brushing it with a fingertip, and it flicked—just as a real cat's ear would. She gave in to the temptation and sank her fingers into his hair, gently scratching his scalp at the base of that ear.

He smiled in his sleep, and the purring grew louder.

Ladybug was absolutely delighted with that response. She brought her other hand up to join the first, scratching his scalp to either side of that ear, and was rewarded with a feline stretch as he sought to push his head farther into her hands. Unfortunately, he stretched a bit too far and began to list to the side. Ladybug pulled him upright once more, but the damage was done. His purr faltered, and stopped completely as he came awake.

"Good evening, mon minou," she greeted him, smiling.

"Mmm. My lady." He stretched, arching his back away from the wall. "Did you rest well?"

"I did, thanks to you, and that purr of yours."

He blanched, and his cat ears laid back on his head. "My…purr?"

She nodded, smiling widely. "Did you know that you purr?"

"I—I did, actually." He glanced at her, and started fiddling with his tail. "It's uh, it's kind of embarrassing."

"What? No! It's adorable!"

His ears perked. "Really?"

"Really." She scratched under his chin experimentally, and his eyes slid closed as the low, resonant sound started once more. "Oh my goodness, you're like a giant house cat!"

He sighed happily. "Only if I can be your house cat, my lady."