(This one-shot, takes place after Miraculous Team: The Screamer)
You Are My Strength
The clocks on the front of the Musée D'Orsay had just struck eleven o'clock; its noise echoing through the air, in what seemed to be a calm night. Even though it was a night with a starry sky, the wind was blowing quite hard, mimicking the howling of a lone wolf. At that hour, near the museum, few people were still walking on the street. With the exception of a few tourists returning to their hotels after a stop at a bar, or a homeless person looking for a place to sleep, or even a policeman making his rounds in the service car, there was no one else on the streets. But on the building rooftop, things were different. Moving north like arrows, and with their footsteps echoing, each time they stepped on a tile, Ladybug and Chat Noir were on patrol, while also enjoying each other's company.
There were nights when the heroes, during their patrols, prevented all kinds of situations from happening. From robberies, invasion of property, car theft, attempted suicide, among others, they gladly prevented them all. And that, was not counting car accidents and fires, or an occasional Akuma attack. But that night, the closest to an emergency they came across was a group of tourists asking for directions, as they left their cell phone at the hotel, and got lost. Not that the scarlet heroine and the feline hero minded. It felt good to have a quiet patrol night, when nothing bad happened.
And like it always happened, Ladybug and Chat Noir patrols ended on a sweet note. And by sweet note, it meant that they stop somewhere to share something sweet, before each returned to their residence. And on that night, the place they had chosen for their stop, had been Notre-Dame. Over the course of the months, since they first put on their miraculouses, they had learned that there were places in Paris that were perfect stops to rest, depending on the weather, and on the time of day. And on that night, there was no place better for them to stop, than Notre-Dame. The cathedral was a place where the heroes, as well as their friends, liked to hang out, especially on windy nights, because it had numerous places, where they could avoid the wind.
Sitting between the pillars of the top of the South tower, they were greeted by some friendly pigeons, who were nesting for the night, as Ladybug took out from a backpack, she had brought with her, a thermos and two cups. Opening the thermos, the smell of delicious hot chocolate invaded her nostrils, as well as Chat's. As he watched the steamy hot chocolate pouring into the cup, he told himself that after running around the way they did, they had both earned that treat, which was sure to warm them up.
"Thanks, milady. This is just what I need to warm myself up." -Chat Noir said, before sipping the delicious hot drink. –"Mmm… you make the best hot cocoa in this town, you know that?" -he told her, with a lovable smile on his face.
"Thanks, my silly kitty." -Ladybug said, as she finished pouring herself a cup, and closed the thermos. –"But I can't take full credit for it. Mylene was the one who taught me how to prepare it this way." -she admitted, as she warmed her hands around the hot cup.
"Well, then I have to thank her, for teaching you how to make it, just the way I like it." -Chat chuckled. –"It's the perfect ending, to a perfect night." -he declared, before taking another sip.
"Yeah, it is…." -Ladybug sighed.
After that last comment, there was a brief period of silence between the two of them. None of them spoke. They just sat there, drinking their hot chocolate. But it did not take Chat Noir long to realize that something was wrong with his girlfriend. He had begun to learn to perceive the state of mind, not only of her, but of all those dear to him, just by looking them in the eye. And in that moment, he realized that something was wrong with Ladybug. He might not quite know what was bothering her, but he knew it had to be something important. She had not said much that night, while they were on patrol, but he thought it was because she was tired. Determined to find what was bothering her, he did not hesitate in asking her, if she was alright.
"Is there something wrong, Marinette?" -Chat Noir asked her.
"N-No… Why do you ask?" -Ladybug asked him.
"I don't know… usually, when we finish patrolling, we tend to chit-chat a lot. But today, you seem like you have your mind somewhere else." -Chat Noir commented. –"Did you have difficulties in the test today?"
That morning they had taken a French language exam, but Chat had not even managed to ask her, if it had gone well or not. Because of a photoshoot that had been scheduled for lunch, he had to miss the rest of the school day, leaving as soon as he finished the exam.
"No, I think I did okay in it." -Ladybug declared, as she sipped the hot chocolate.
"I think I did okay, too. I thought I would not be able to finish it in time, before heading to the photoshoot." -Chat Noir told her. –"I'm not going to score a 20, but I'll definitely score a 15." -he chuckled. –"But if it's not the exam that's bugging you, what is it?"
"Oh, it's nothing really. I'm just having… one of those days." -Ladybug said.
"Marinette." -Chat said, looking her in the eyes. –"I know I'm not Alya, or any of the girls, with whom you like to vent your troubles. But I'm your boyfriend, and I'm also your friend, and whatever it is, that's bugging you, I want to know, so I can try and make you feel better… please." -he told her.
The sincerity and the sweetness in Chat's words made Ladybug smile, as he reminded her that they were dating and that he wanted her to bug him with her troubles, no matter what they were. The truth was, she sometimes forgot that the two of them were dating, but not because she wanted to. She did so, because she sometimes felt that everything they had experienced as a couple, felt like a beautiful dream, which was too good to last. Smiling back at Chat, she decided to share with him, what was going on with her.
"It's nothing serious… I… I just had a really bad dream, this afternoon, when I took a nap." -Ladybug admitted, in a low voice.
"A bad dream?" -Chat Noir asked her. –"What was it about? Tell me." -he said.
"Like I said, it's nothing serious… oh, who am I kidding? It was serious… If it hadn't been, I wouldn't be having these thoughts in my head." -Ladybug sighed.
"Tell me what happen, please. And take your time." -Chat asked her, before sipping his hot chocolate.
"Okay… We were both on our way to school, when suddenly, an Akuma appeared and plunged us both into what I can only describe as liquid darkness, with a will of its own. Then, I saw myself was alone, and I tried to transform into Ladybug, but I wasn't able to. I was screaming for Tikki and for you, and for everyone else, but no one answered me." -Ladybug told him. –"I started to walk, while continuing to calling out your name, Tikki's name, and the names of everyone else, hoping someone answered. But no one answered. And then, after walking for what felt like forever, I stopped and a glass case with my Ladybug outfit showed up. I tried to open it, but I wasn't able to. I looked for a way to open the case, but I couldn't find one… and then, came the part that no matter how much I try to, I just can't forget about." -she sighed, upset.
"And what is that part that's bothering you so much, milady?" -Chat asked her, concerned about her.
"The outfit came to life, and an image of myself as Ladybug wearing it, showed up, and told me that I'm not worthy to wear it, nor I was fit to be the leader of the Miraculous Team." -Ladybug answers him. –"But it's not just what she said that's bothering me, Adrien. It's the way she said it… she said it in a voice which sounded just like my own, but it was different. And she sounded disappointed and angry… like I did a bad job." -she said. –"She kept saying that, over and over… and then, other voices joined hers. They were the voices of all of our friends, including yours, the kwamis and even Master Fu, telling me that I'm unworthy and that I should've never been chosen to carry the ladybug miraculous, or to lead our team. It was awful, Adrien!" -she exclaimed, as a tear ran down her face. –"The only way that nightmare could've been worst, was if Hawk Moth had showed up as well."
The way scarlet heroine told her tale, left Chat Noir speechless. She had told him about other nightmares she had had, but the way she spoke about what happened to her in it, was different from the other times. The feline hero did not know what to tell her, to make her feel better, so he did the only thing he could think of. Without speaking a word, he placed his arm around Ladybug's shoulder and allowed her to rest her head on his shoulder. They remained like that for what looked like an eternity, and Chat decided he would allow Ladybug to be the one to speak first, when she felt ready.
"Thanks, Adrien." -Ladybug said.
"Anytime, my sweet bugaboo." -Chat Noir told her. –"And remember, it was just a nightmare, that's all. No matter how bad it was, it was just that. A nightmare. You shouldn't be thinking about it." -he told her.
"And I don't want to, Adrien. Whenever I had nightmares, I used to forget about them, the moment after waking up. But ever since I put on these earrings, I can always remember my dreams, whether they are dreams or nightmares." -Ladybug declared. –"When they are nice dreams, I don't mind remembering them. But the nightmares…" -she sighed.
"I know, I know... Nightmares are never pleasant." -Chat Noir said.
"I just feel… I don't even know what to feel, Adrien." -Ladybug sighed, frustrated. –"I don't want to think about this nightmare, but I continue to do so… maybe because what happened in it, might be true."
"What might be true?" -Chat asked.
"That I'm not good enough to be Ladybug or to lead the team." -Ladybug sighed.
"Why would you say such a thing?!" -Chat Noir asked her. –"Of course, you are good enough to be Ladybug. And as our leader, you've proven yourself, over and over." -he told her. –"Every step of the way, you managed to prove you are a fitting leader."
"But what if I was just lucky, Adrien?! And you know what they say about luck. Sooner or later, it runs out." -Ladybug sighed. –"What if my luck runs out, and I end up losing my miraculous, or one of you loses your miraculous… or even worst, what if one of you dies, because I was just not good enough?" -she asked him, trying as hard as she could, not to start crying.
"There she goes again with this talk. I hate that she continues to sell herself too short, even though she shouldn't. It breaks my heart, when she does that." -Chat Noir thought to himself, feeling sad for his girlfriend.
And the truth was, Chat had heard her vent off about not being good enough. But never once he complained about it. Never once did he agree with her, when she self-doubted herself. And he was not going to let her to do that to herself, when he knew that every doubt, she was having about herself, right then, was unfounded.
"Look." -Chat Noir said, as he put down his cup, and gently got Ladybug's from her hands, before grabbing her hands, holding them together. –"It was just a nightmare, Marinette. That's all." -he smiled. –"Dreams and nightmares are nothing more than the desires, the expectations, the beliefs and the fears that we carry in our minds, all day long. It doesn't mean that they will come to happen. And the idea that you're not good enough to be Ladybug, that's just silly, and deep inside you know it."
"Maybe it's silly, Adrien… but I still feel that… I feel like part of what happened, might be true." -Ladybug told him, with a serious voice.
"Did you talk to Tikki, about it?" -Chat Noir asked her.
"No, I didn't. She was also taking a nap, and I didn't want to wake her up." -Ladybug sighed. –"Also, I didn't want to bother her with this, when I know what she was going to tell me." -she said.
"And what would that be?" -Chat Noir asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
"That I'm a wonderful Ladybug, and that I'm a terrific leader, and that she's proud of me." -Ladybug told him.
"And she would be right. You are a terrific leader, and you're one hell of a Ladybug." -Chat Noir smiled at her. –"You're the best Ladybug there is." -he said. –"You're the best Ladybug I know, milady."
"I'm the only Ladybug you know, Adrien." -Ladybug told him, in a sarcastic tone.
"Still doesn't change what I think. You are the best at what you do, Marinette." -Chat Noir declared.
She could tell that he was trying to cheer her up, as he so often did. Of the many qualities that Chat had, being able to see the positive side of the negative, and trying to cheer up a person, when they needed it most, was one of the ones she most appreciated in it. But even with sweet words and a good dosage of encouragement from her boyfriend, not to mention the romantic view over the Ile de la Cité and the Seine, what she had dreamt about continued to bother her.
"I know you're trying to cheer me up, and I thank you for trying to do it, Adrien, but it's no use. I can't get these horrible thoughts off my head." -Ladybug soughed.
That nightmare had done a pretty good job, messing Ladybug's mind and self-confidence, who kept reliving it inside her mind. Even after all the praising from Chat, she still had doubts about her talent as a superheroine, and more importantly, those doubts were making her feel as low as a beagle's belly. But Chat Noir was not one to give up so easily. He was not going to let his girlfriend feel bad about herself.
"Alright, that's it!" -Chat Noir exclaimed. –"This self-pity party is over, Miss Ladybug." -he said, in an amused tone. –"I'm going to remind you why you're such a great leader and a great Ladybug. So, from this moment on, you listen to me, and don't try to stop me, okay?"
Determined to cheer her up, and make her forget all the bad thoughts caused by that horrible nightmare, Chat Noir began enumerating all the qualities Ladybug possessed, by giving examples of those same qualities, reminding her of times in which those qualities helped her overcome obstacles, and help others.
"And what about the time when Kim hurt Max's feelings, by insulting Markov, and you helped them make amends?" -Chat Noir reminded her. –"Or the time, when you stood up to Chloe, after she insulted Juleka and Mylene, because she thought that her and Sabrina's science project was better than theirs? And speaking of Chloe, who was it that decided to bury the hatchet, make amends with her and give her a second chance at friendship, when most felt she did not deserve it? The answer, is you. You were the one who did all those things. And it takes a really strong heart and will to do that… and in Chloe's case, you had every right not to forgive her, or give her another chance, especially when she hurt you and bullied you, countless times. But you still did it anyways, because that's you. Deep down, you're always concerned about others, and you believe that everyone deserves a second chance." -he told her.
He went on, and Ladybug just stood there listening to him. And little by little, his words began to do their magic. They began remind her just what a leader was supposed to be, and just how much of a leader, she had proven herself to be, by leading through example, and just being true to the things her parents and every other people she cared for, had taught her over the years.
"And if that's not enough, then let's see what else I can do, to convince you… Oh, I know! You see this bicep of yours?" -Chat Noir asked, as he gently held Ladybug's arm with one hand, while touching her bicep with the other. –"Could you flex it for me?" -he asked her, which she did. –"You see the size of your bicep? It's huge! And by being huge, it means that you're super strong… but if you want my opinion, your physical strength, which is of a small titan, is nothing, when compared to the strength of your heart and your spirit, Marinette. And you have proven over and over, whether facing an Akuma, or dealing with any kind of everyday life trouble, that no matter the challenge, you can handle it, with one… no, make that both hands behind your back."
As he continued to speak, Chat forced himself to hold back his tears, such was the passion he was talking with. And it was not easy, because he believed in every word that came out of his mouth. Words that he was using to show the scarlet heroine, just how important she was to him and to others. But more importantly, to show her that with or without her mask on, she was someone that had all the attributes of a great leader.
"And if even all that is not enough to make you stop thinking you're not a great Ladybug and a great leader, then I have one last trump card, which I'm about to use." -Chat Noir said, as he placed Ladybug's right hand on his chest. –"You feel that? That's my heart pounding. And right now, it's pounding because I believe in everything, I just told you, which is the honest truth, Marinette. You are an incredible girl, with a heart of gold, and the strength and will of hundreds of men. You alone are so strong, both physically and psychologically, that just by being yourself, you give anyone who needs it, a bit of that same strength to go on." -he smiled at her. –"Marinette… milady, you are my strength, when I need it the most, and believe me, when I say that there are times, when I think I don't have the strength to go on. It's thanks to you, that I am able to carry on. You are my strength, and you are also the strength of every last one of our friends. And that alone, makes you the best leader any of us could have ever asked for… so, tell whatever crazy thoughts caused by that nasty nightmare, that they can take a hike, because I won't allow them to make you think that you're not good enough to be Ladybug, or the leader of the Miraculous Team. Just from looking in your eyes, I know you have everything you need to be both those things."
Chat Noir's speech was so passionate, so personal, so full of life, that unless you were a psychopath or someone with a heart made out of stone, you would begin to shed tears. And that was what happened with Ladybug. Chat's passionate words touched her heart and made her realize he was right. She was allowing her fear of not being good enough, to cloud her judgement, and thanks to his speech, she saw she was being too hard on herself.
"You're right." -Ladybug tearfully smiled at Chat, just before leaning forward and placing a sweet kiss on his lips. –"Everything you said, is true. But you forgot one thing, Adrien. You forgot that even though I am your strength, as well as out friends' strength, that I need to get my strength from somewhere… and that is you, and our friends. You all are my strength, because I don't know what I would do, if anything bad happened to you."
"The same thing goes for me, bugaboo." -Chat smiled. –"I don't know what I would do, if something bad happened to you." -he said. –"That's why that whenever the situation demands, I'll blindly put my life in your hands."
"Ditto." -Ladybug smiled back at him, as a tear ran down her face.
Following those words, the two heroes embraced each other, and it did not take long for them to start kissing. On such a chilly night, each kiss they shared, made them feel a little bit warmer, and neither Ladybug, nor Chat Noir minded getting a little bit warmer. When they finished kissing, they looked awkwardly at one another, and chuckled.
"Thanks for the pep talk, Adrien. Guess I really needed one." -Ladybug thanked him. –"That, and the kisses." -she chuckled.
"It was my pleasure, bugaboo. It's not every day that I get to tell you just how amazing and wonderful you are… oh, wait, I do that every day!" -Chat chuckled. –"But I love doing it, and I still hadn't told you today. Plus, your kisses are incredibly addictive. Just like chocolate. It's impossible to just wat one single piece. Speaking of which…" -he added, as he looked down to his cup, and noticed the hot chocolate had gone cold. –"Guess the hot chocolate isn't so hot anymore."
"You're right." -Ladybug said. –"Oh, well, we'll just have to wait until tomorrow, to have some more. In fact, we can even share a cup of hot chocolate, with whipped cream and marshmallows." -she said.
"What are you… oh, right! I forgot! We're going on a double date with Alya and Nino!" -Chat Noir exclaimed, remembering it.
"And Mylene and Ivan, too. We're going to that café that opened near the Opera house, where they serve breakfast cereal and other goodies." -Ladybug chuckled. –"I've been dying to go there, ever since Rose talked about it, the other week." -she admitted.
"Me too. But we'll probably have someone else sticking with us." -Chat Noir said.
"Let me guess, your bodyguard?" -Ladybug asked, while raising an eye,
"Yeah. You know how it is. If he doesn't keep an eye on me a few certain hours a week, and report what happened, to my dad, he'll get in trouble. And so will I." -Chat Noir said. –"You would think that he would be able to just lie about keeping an eye on me. Then again, he's too sincere to do that… when it comes to Nathalie, she doesn't have a problem in omitting a couple of truths, but Gorilla, he's a whole different story." -he thought to himself.
"Well, if we can't do anything about that, we might as well ask him to join us." -Ladybug chuckled.
"It's impressive, just how she goes from completely gloomy to positively the happiest girl in the world. Just one of the countless things, I love about Marinette." -Chat Noir thought to himself.
The conversation regarding their date the following day continued for quite a little longer, with them making extra plans, which included the possibility of the blue-haired girl having dinner at the Agreste Manor. Without noticing it, time passed. and when they looked at the hours, it was only a couple of minutes until midnight. Because the following day was Saturday, they did not need to get up early. But they did not want to risk getting home too late, in case anyone checked on them.
"We should be going." -Chat Noir said.
"We should… but not just yet. Let's just stay here, and enjoy the view a little bit more." -Ladybug told him, as she leaned her head, on his shoulder. –"We'll go, when Emmanuel, Marie, Gabriel, Anne-Genevieve, Denis, Marcel, Étienne, Benoit-Joseph, Maurice and Jean-Marie strike midnight." -she said, referring to the name of the 10 bells of Notre-Dame.
"Whatever you say, bugaboo." -Chat said, smiling, as he placed his arm around her waist, and gently pulled her closer to him, making her giggle.
And it's done. People asked me for more MarinettexAdrien, and well, you got it. This particular one-shot was originally part of a chapter that I ended up ditching, because it was slowing down the story's progression. So, instead of just throwing it into the garbage, I decided to keep it, and turn it into something new. And this is what we got, a one-shot where Chat Noir reminds Ladybug that she's a great leader and an incredible superheroine, and that he has complete faith in her. But the whole chapter also explores just how much their bond has strengthened.
This small one-shot also allowed me to take a break from the action in "Miraculous Team: Cosplay Chaos" (I'm enjoying writing it, but writing battles is always a double edged sword for me, because I have to coordinate so many characters, while always trying never to forget a single thing, because I hate loose ends. So writing this, allows me to relax for a bit, and clear my mind. Hopefully, I'll get to finish the latest chapter soon.
Anyways, I hope you all liked it, and as always, feel free to comment, fav and leave your suggestions for future one-shots (which might or might not be used. But as always, I accept suggestions, and who knows, maybe you guys can come up with ideas that I might have not pondered about).
P.S. This particular one-shot is dedicated to my grandma Adelina, who passed away in 2017, a couple of weeks after I began this fan project. Today would have been her 91th birthday. I miss her so much... :(