Cat Noir found himself forming a habit. Whether of not it was a good or bad habit, he wasn't sure yet. Since running into Lucy at the park, Cat began keeping tabs on the girl. Not at all times of day of course but more specifically at night. After patrolling, Cat Noir would make a pit stop by Lucy's apartment and check in on her. Lucy was not lying when she said she did not sleep much. In the time he spent looking through her window, Cat learned some things. Like that Lucy liked to paint watercolor art. She read a number of different style books but seemed to particularly like historical romance novels. She liked to watch anime, and comedies, and psychological thrillers. She had a number of scars. Mostly on her back. Some small, others larger, no pattern to them. Lucy's usual half-sleeve top kept them all well hidden, but the loose tank tops she wore to bed, left much of her skin exposed for him to look upon. He wondered how she got them. He wasn't sure why he felt so compelled to watch her. For the most part she seemed fine. Sleep deprived but fine none the less. It was not until a few days in that he stopped by to find her already asleep. The Hero was almost pleased with the discovery till he noticed Lucy begin to move abruptly. Her breathing picked up and her head tossed back and forth. Just as Cat convinced himself to step in she awoke. She sat up startled and took a shaky breath. Sitting crisscross on her bed, Lucy rested her elbows on top of her legs and placed her face in her hands, rubbing her face then running her hands through her hair. She looked angry with herself and before Cat Noir could do anything to avoid it, Lucy brought her eyes to the window and made contact with him. She got up from her bed and Cat's instinct was to run. Being frazzled and caught off guard seemed to make any reflexes he had diminish however as he stumbled face first against her window. Lucy gave a look of bewilderment as she opened the window, only to have the feline hero fall through as she did so. Cat rubbed his head as he landed with a thump.
"Are you spying on me?" Lucy asked accusingly, crossing her arms.
"What?! No! Uh- of course not." Cat answered, quickly getting up from the ground.
"Uh-huh. Then what would you call what you were doing?"
"Just checking up on ya..." Cat said with a nervous smile pushing his two pointer fingers together.
Lucy sighed and ran her fingers through her hair again. She was too tired for this.
"Well, I'm gonna need you to not do that anymore."
"What? Why not?" Noir asked confused. "Most people would be flattered to have a hero like myself checking up on them." He placed his hands on his hips and posed heroically. Lucy gave a small smile but shook her head.
"Your job is to protect Paris from Akumas, not check up on girls who make the mistake of telling you they don't sleep well."
"I'll have you know I am puuuuurfectly cable of deciding what my job description is, thank you meowy much."
"Oh. Okay. That's a thing you do huh? Puns?"
"I am famous for my hilarious cat puns, yes. They are probably what I am most well known for actually. Well that and my dashing good looks." The cat said with pride.
"I bet they are." Lucy retorted. "When people hear the name Cat Noir, they don't think 'hero of Paris.' Instead 'Oh yeah, the hot pun guy.'."
"So you think I'm hot?" Noir winked.
"You have very selective hearing, don't you?"
"It's been mentioned."
Lucy rolled her eyes and climbed back into her bed.
"Go home Cat Noir."
"Why is it so wrong of me to want to make sure you're okay?" Argued Cat.
"Why do you need to make sure I am okay? You don't know me. We're not friends. I'm not trying to be a jerk but it's the truth. You have no ties to me, no reason to be here so why are you? What do you want?"
Cat Noir didn't respond at first. The problem was that the truth was he did know her. They are friends. That was his reason, but it wasn't the one he could give.
"A few days ago I met a girl sitting alone on a park bench and decided I wanted to try and be her friend."
"Why?"
"Because she looked like she needed one."
Lucy's accusing gaze turned soft at the Heroes words. She didn't know why a super hero would take such interest in her. It wasn't a bad thing, just...weird. She thought he was joking. Being flirty that night at the park. It seemed however that the cat was trying to be true to his word. She appreciated it, but didn't want the boy to think he was responsible for her. He had enough things to worry about. She had been this way for a long time now. She could handle it.
"I appreciate the sentiment Car Noir, but I'm fine."
"Are you?" He asked.
Not really. "I will be."
"Fine." Cat finally agreed. He stepped away from the bed and climbed into the window. "But don't think this means you've seen the last of me! I'll be watching out for you Lucy. Allllways watching." She let out a laugh, and then she put her hand over her mouth, like she was angry at herself for forgetting her sadness.
"Oh, stalkerlicious ."
"Call it what you want." Cat said with a wink before jumping out. It was terrible. All of the things we couldn't share. The room was filled with conversations we weren't having.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
A girl walks down the street enjoying the nice weather that Paris was experiencing. Her destination is not far. so she takes the trip slowly, taking in the scenery. Something she never expected to come across the lovely morning was an old man trying to kill himself. At least that's what it looked like her was doing, because he decided to cross the street at the slowest pace possible right before the light changed. The girl rushed over and dragged the man out of the street as cars came whizzing past.
"Are you crazy?!" She asked and the old man smiled at her.
"No, just old I'm afraid."
The girl sighed and smiled back.
"Well be more careful. There are too many people on the road that shouldn't be."
The old man thanked her and went on his merry way. The girl watched him leave before shaking her head and continuing on to her destination. Unaware of the small box that was placed inside her purse.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Lucy almost fell over as Alya rushed past her on the verge of tears.
"Hey! Alya wait!" She called out, grabbing her friend by the shoulder. "What's wrong?!"
Alya shrugged her shoulder out of Lucy's grasp. "Everything. No one believes me and now I'm suspended!"
Lucy's eyes widened. "Suspended? What are you talking about?"
"I tried to uncover who Ladybug is. Its Chloe. I tried to get more proof but she caught me and now I'm suspended!"
"You think Chloe is Ladybug?" Lucy asked doubtful.
Alya rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Of course, you don't believe me either."
Alya turned and ran down the steps before Lucy could get another word in. Lucy sighed before making the decision to have a word with Chloe after school.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
"Young friends, whose string-and-tin-can phone extended from island to island, had to pay out more and more string, as if letting kites go higher and higher. They had more and more to tell each other, and less and less string. The boy asked the girl to say "I love you" into her can, giving her no further explanation. And she didn't ask for any, or say "That's silly," or "We're too young for love," or even suggest that she was saying "I love you" because he asked her to. Instead she said, "I love you." The words traveled through the long, long string. The boy covered his can with a lid, removed it from the string, and put her love for him on a shelf in his closet. Of course, he never could open the can, because then he would lose its contents. It was enough just to know it was there."
Adrien listened to Miss Bustier read and felt his heart grow heavy. He wondered hat it would be like. To ask someone to tell you they love you, and them not hesitate to do so. Also, not hesitate and mean it. He was a romantic at heart. Anyone who knew his father would assume the boy got such a trait from his mother, but they would be wrong. Even as a young boy, Adrien did not spend tremendous amounts of time with his father. Though it was significantly more than he did now. However one thing his father did for him when he was a small boy, was read to him before bed. His father was a collector of classic literature, and many of the tales read to him involved some form of romance. His father told him that in a number of ways, the tales he read were unrealistic, and had a tendency to be much more dramatic than real life. The one constant being that life will constantly put obstacles in the way of your path. Rivers to cross, mountains to climb. It is up to us to over come those things. In this journey of life, even though we may begin at different times and places, our paths cross with others so that we may share our love, compassion, observations, and hope. His father went on to tell Adrien how he would marvel at how even the wrong choices can keep us on the right path. How the worst mistake can wind up being the best thing that ever happened to us. That was after all, how he met he met his mother. Adrien didn't recognize his father anymore. It was true that as a boy, Adrien had always been closer with his mother but it was not until she was gone that he felt like his father was becoming a stranger. The older Agreste had always been a littler serious, a little stern, and one would never quite put in in the category of fun, but Adrien never doubted his fathers love for him. Not until now that is. Now it was if his father was slowly losing his ability to love. He had moments. Like when he allowed Adrien to go to school. Unfortunately that wasn't enough for the blonde boy. It was the little things Adrien wished for. Just to share a meal once in a while would be nice.
Adrien was pulled out of his thoughts when Marinette tip toed inside the class room. The pig tailed girl looked at the empty seat beside her and frowned. Tapping on Nino's shoulder she asked where Alya was.
"She's been suspended." Nino whispered, causing Marinette to shout in surprise causing Miss Bustier to scold her.
"What happened to her?" She asked.
"Accused of breaking into Chloe's locker, I mean Ladybugs locker."
"What?!"
The class all looked at her as Miss Bustier, having enough interruptions sent Marinette to the principles office.
"What are you talking about?" Adrien asked Nino.
"Exactly what I said dude. Alya thinks Chloe is Ladybug. Chicks crazy."
Adrien looked over at Chloe who winked at him. Adrien raised an eyebrow and looked away. The thought of Chloe being Ladybug made him uncomfortable. It seemed far fetched but the theory alone was enough to make Adrien question his love for ladybug and how deep it ran.
Suddenly the projector came on showing a video.
"I'm Lady WiFi! Exposer of the truth! For our first tidbit your principle has something he would like to share with you!"
She had the principle admit he had wrongly suspended Alya before she put him on pause, claiming she was off to show everyone who Ladybug was. Miss Bustier quickly dismissed her students and told them to go home for their safety. As everyone left Adrien went into the bathroom.
"If Chloe is Ladybug like Alya says, she must be heading straight for her house!"
"It also means you must have a crush on Chloe." The Kwami joked. Adrien looked at him taken back for a moment before transforming.
OoOoOoOOoOoOoOoOo
Lucy walked into the Le Grand Paris hotel and looked around. It was definitely a fancy place with its marble flooring and red carpet stairs. Perhaps now wasn't the best time to confront chloe. Being that Alya, or Lady WiFi as she was going by at the moment, would be showing up at any time. However, Lucy figured maybe if she could get Chloe to see reason then maybe this whole thing could get cleared up and Alya wouldn't do...whatever it was that Alya planned to do with Chloe. A man at the front desk addressed her, asking if she needed assistance.
"Um, my name is Lucy. I'm here to see Chloe. I'm...a friend from school."
The worker looked at her funny, as if it was impossible for someone to claim to be Chloe's friend.
"Shall I inform miss Bourgeois of your arrival?" He asked skeptical.
"Let it be a surprise."
The man told her the that she could find Chloe in the penthouse at the top of the hotel. When Lucy got to the room she paused before knocking. She wasn't sure how this conversation was going to go down after all. Chloe was mean to most people, but so far the meanest thing she had done to Lucy personally is ignore her existence completely. To some that would actually be considered niceness from Chloe. With a deep breath she tapped on the door with her knuckles. Instead of someone answering all she heard was a loud,
"What!?"
Lucy looked down at the door handle, to the door, back to the door handle. Was she supposed to just go in? She grabbed the handle and pushed the door open. On the other side she froze to find Chloe dressed in a Ladybug costume, tossing around a yo-yo.
"Um." Lucy went and when Chloe noticed her, she panicked and managed to tie herself up in her own yo-yo.
"What are you doing here!? Who let you up!?" Chloe said from the floor.
"Um...I.." Lucy blinked snapping out of her daze. "Ladybug fan huh?"
"Shut up! If you tell anyone I'll-!"
"Whoa easy." Lucy said holding her hands up in defense. "I wont tell a soul. What you do in your free time is your business. I never took you for the cosplay type. I just...oh." Lucy said, now seeing why Alya thought Chloe was Ladybug. She must have seen her costume at some point. Chloe being secretive about it made her assume it was to hide her identity when in reality she was just embarrassed at the thought of anyone knowing she was such a big fan.
OoOoOoOoO
In the distance Cat Noir watched Chloe dressed as Ladybug through his stick. For a moment, he actually believed Chloe was Ladybug, that was until the real one showed up. When he looked across the way again he saw Lucy walk into her room causing the mayors daughter to wrap herself up in her yo-yo and fall.
"Oh no, what's Lucy doing here?" Ladybug asked with worry. Lucy wasn't trying to prove Alya was right was she? Did she really think Chloe was capable of being Ladybug too? As the watched that didn't seem to be the case as Lucy went to help untangle the blonde Ladybug with a laugh.
OoOoOoOoOooOoOoOo
"Let me help you." Lucy said approaching Chloe with a light laugh. Chloe glared at her.
"I don't need your help." Chloe struggled out of the yo-yo's bind as Lucy got closer.
"Chloe..come on...let me just.." She grabbed onto the string and helped Chloe loosen from its hold.
"What are you doing here?" Chloe asked looking at Lucy suspiciously as she got up from the ground.
"I wanted to talk to you about-" Lucy was cut off by Chloe's phone ringing. Chloe walked over to the table and picked up the phone.
"Hello?" She answered, but then her phone gave a strange glow causing her to throw it across the room. Lucy watched wide eyed as Alya popped through the phone.
"Hello there Ladybug." Lady WiFi greeted with a smile. She whipped out her phone and shot a pause icon at her. Chloe tried to run but was not fast enough and within a second was frozen in place.
"Wait!" Lucy called out, gaining the villains attention.
"Lucy? So you did believe me? Well, now everyone else will too!" Summoning up a video icon Lady WiFi spoke. "Everyone things the girl behind the mask is an angel. Well think again people! The real Ladybug is...Chloe Bourgeois!"
Just then the real Ladybug, along with Cat Noir burst into the room. Lady WiFi looked at them confused.
"Who are you?"
Lucy slapped her hand on her face as Ladybug looked at WiFi like she didn't understand how she could even ask such a thing. Cat Noir flexed as if it would Jog her memory by showing his muscles even though it was clear she was not even referring to him.
"But I thought you were Ladybug!" WiFi said annoyed as she pointed at Chloe.
"Sorry to bust your news story, next time check your facts!" Cat Noir said with a smirk.
"You'll be sorry!" Claimed Lady WiFi as she released Chloe from being paused. The fake Ladybug stumbled and fell off to the side.
"Alya.." Lucy called out but the Villain shook her head.
"Alya has been disconnected, I'm Lady WiFi. News flash! Ladybug lets find out who you really are!"
Ladybug and Cat jumped out of the way as Lady WiFi shot pause icons at them. The two heroes ran out of the room, Lady WiFi right behind them. Lucy ran over to Chloe and helped her up.
"Get out of that Costume. I hear the sirens. The police are here. Probably your dad too." Chloe didn't say anything, but nodded. The two girls peeked out the front door of the hotel. Chloe's father opened his arms and Chloe ran to him. Lucy noticed her own mother there and ran out to her as well.
"I was so worried!" Lucy's mom said holding her tightly. "I'm never letting you out of the house again!"
"I'm fine mom." Lucy reassured her. "I wasn't who she wanted."
Chloe's phone went off once again and Lady WiFi hopped out of it to the top of the building announcing that Ladybug was about to drop the bomb on her identity. Clearly that didn't go to plan as everyone watched Ladybug whisper to Cat Noir, who then blocked the camera view.
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
Later that evening Lucy heard a tap on her window and saw a familiar figure outside. She sighed before opening the window, watching Cat Noir carefully hop in.
"Back again I see."
"I told you I would be."
"What do you want Cat?"
"Are you alright?"
Lucy tilted her head to the side as she looked at him. She then held her arms out and did a 360 spin.
"Fit as a fiddle."
Cat Noir smiled. "I'm glad." Lucy watched as his smiled faded. Sitting down on her bed she patted the seat beside her, motioning for the boy to join her on the comfy surface. Cat didn't hesitate to sit beside the blonde girl who looked at him closely.
"You say your hear to check up on me but something tells me I need to check up on you. Are you okay, Cat Noir?"
"Fit as a fiddle." Cat Noir joked, throwing Lucy's american term back at her. She smiled but nudged his arm with her elbow.
"I almost found out Ladybugs identity today." He admitted. Lucy nodded.
"Almost? What stopped you?"
"Myself. She was transforming back and hid in a closet at the hotel after we took care of the Akuma. All I had to do was open the door but...I couldn't do it."
"Good." Lucy commented.
"Good?"
"A secret identity is a delicate thing. Ladybug trusts you to not go out of your way to figure it out. You had the opportunity to put at ease a curiosity that I am sure is constantly in the back of your mind but chose not too. It means your trust worthy. It's a good thing Cat Noir."
"Yeah, I guess your right." He said softly causing Lucy to raise an eyebrow.
"Was there another reason you didn't look?" She asked.
Cat Noir looked at Lucy. He wasn't sure what about her made him feel like he could share everything with her. He had so much to say to her. He wanted to begin at the beginning, because that is what she deserves. He wanted to tell her everything, without leaving out a single detail. But where is the beginning? And what is everything?
"I was scared I guess."
"Of her being mad?"
"No," Cat began. "I mean that would have been awful too but..."
Lucy silently waited for him to continue. The poor boy looked so unsure of himself.
"I've been in love with Ladybug since I met her. She was this courageous, strong girl and I always believed whoever she was under that mask. That was the girl I wanted to be with forever."
Cat Noir fiddled with his thumbs as he spoke, unable to make eye contact with Lucy as he spoke.
"And then, for just a moment, I let myself believe that Chloe was Ladybug."
"Not a fan of Chloe?" Lucy asked jokingly, trying to lighten the Cat;s mood.
"Chloe is...Chloe. I just...if she really had been Ladybug..."
"You wouldn't feel the same." It wasn't a question and Cat Noir didn't answer her as if it was.
"Is there someone in particular you hope Ladybug happens to be?" She asked, trying to understand.
Cat shook his head. "No, if I'm honest I can't think of a single person I wish Ladybug was. But I can think of a list of people I hope she is not."
"Cat Noir can I be honest with you?"
"Preferably."
"Are you sure you are in love with Ladybug and not just the idea of her?" Lucy asked carefully.
"What do you mean?" Cat asked, looking at Lucy intently.
"Its just...you say you love Ladybug, but if you did then whoever she is under that mask wouldn't matter. But, if what your saying is true then it seems like it matters a great deal. Ladybug, I'm sure has a lot of wonderful qualities. If she had been Chloe, those qualities wouldn't go away. They would just belong to a girl-"
"Who I don't actually love." Cat said solemnly.
"Being in love, means accepting someone for all that they are. Even the parts we don't like that much. Its all or nothing. You can't say you love only half a person. The same rule would have to apply to you. If someone claims to love Cat Noir, they also have to love...not Cat Noir."
"That's kinda hard to do when you can't share your identity with anyone." Cat said with slight bitterness.
"I would imagine so. Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Have you tried going for anyone in your civilian form?" Lucy couldn't help but take note of the slight color of pink that seemed to dust his cheeks at her question.
"Uh, no. I haven't. I'm a one woman kinda guy."
Lucy chuckled a little. "Well that's a good quality to have. But maybe you should give that a try. I just mean that, realistically it would probably be easier to find a special someone who knows you as...not Cat Noir. I mean if you dated someone in your super hero form, Ladybug or otherwise, you could only know them that way, and when you think long term that could make things hard."
Cat Noir laughed and nodded. "Yeaaaah, I have to agree with you on that one. Walking around as Cat Noir with a girl on my arm would probably draw more negative attention than positive."
"Just a bit." Lucy said with a smirk.
"I wish that wasn't the case though. I like me better as Cat."
Lucy frowned at his confession.
"I'm freer, bolder, braver, more confident, over all just a better version of myself as Cat. Nobody knows who I am so I can be anything."
"Cat, being a super hero is a part of who you are but it doesn't define it. All of those things are a part of you, with or without a mask on."
Cat sighed. He knew what she was trying to say but also knew she didn't fully understand. Adrien couldn't be like Cat, as much as Cat was a part of him.
"We've spent all this time on me, what about you?" Cat said changing the subject. Something that didnt slip by Lucy, but who chose to let it go for now. "Anyone caught your eye yet?" He asked wiggling his eyebrows.
Lucy scoffed. "Uh, no."
"No?" Cat asked in disbelief. "Not even a little, ity bity, bit?"
A smirk fell on Lucy's lips as she looked at the boy beside her.
"Well you know actually...there is this one guy.." She said leaning closer to Cat who raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
"Yeah..he does this thing where he likes to creep in my window. He seems a little complicated though, and really who has the time?"
Noir rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Ha ha." His unenthusiastic laugh caused Lucy to grin and shrug.
"Nah, but really, who has the time?"
"Gotta make the time. Make time for loooove." Cat said suggestively.
Lucy laughed a hardy laugh and it was a sound Cat knew he would never tier of hearing.
"I don't know about that." She said lightly and Cat found his smile falling a little.
"Had some experience with heartbreak? The way you talk about love, its what made me assume you had someone you were interested in to begin with."
"You could say that, but that's a conversation for another time maybe." Lucy said looking at her clock.
"It's late. Go home Cat Noir."
Cat looked her over once more and gave her arm a light squeeze.
"I'll see ya around Lucy Goosey." He said before jumping out the window.
Lucy nodded as she laid back on her bed knowing the truth behind that statement. A second later however her eyes opened and she looked towards the window. Lucy Goosey. Only one person had called her that.
Alrighty. There is chapter 5. Somehow ended up super long even though I cut out a lot of the main episode tid bits. I typically try to aim for my chapters to be around 2-3 thousand words, but this baby ended up having 4529. Personally I like the long chapters. Anyway. Remember to like and comment, I really like to know what you guys think!
