Chat was exhausted. Beyond exhausted. Like, fall asleep standing levels of tired. And yet, he still didn't care for the thought of going home. He didn't need another lecture, didn't need to feel worse than he already did. He'd somehow found himself back at the Eiffel Tower, staring out at his city. It was supposed to be a distraction. Part of him was glad for the quiet night; considering how things went with his partner, he deserved a nigh off from Hawkmoth's BS. Even so, that meant he was completely alone with thoughts that were quickly betraying him. If he knew it was going to turn out like this, he'd have stayed at home.
A loud screeching of an alarm caught Chat's attention. He turned towards the source with a frown. The Louvre. Gee, wonder who that could be. Reluctant to move, Chat weighed his options. He wasn't ready to face her yet; that, he knew for sure. But, would he ever be? His ears drooped at the thought. He already knew the answer.
As soon as he got to the museum, Chat more or less found the front door wide open for him. At first, he wondered how he was going to find the thief. That worry was gone once he went inside. It seemed Spades had been kind enough to leave a trail for him. Of opened tuna cans.
"Really?" he muttered. "Really?"
"Where the hell did she get all these?"
Chat jumped. For the second time, today, Ladybug had managed to scare the ever-living daylights out of him. He hadn't expected to see her so soon. Then again, it did make sense. Of course she'd want to check up on him. His ears folded back as he offered her a sheepish grin, ignoring the sickening feeling growing in his abdomen. Yep, there's the guilt. Right on cue.
"H-hey there, bugaboo." He mentally kicked himself for the stutter. Clearing his throat, Chat spoke again, this time much steadier. "I, uh... wasn't expecting you."
"Seems like you were expected, though," she said with half a laugh.
His tail flitted behind him in agitation. A nervous laugh bubbled out of him. "Yeah, does look like she's trying to reel me in." He cringed at his own joke.
Surprisingly, though, Ladybug only smiled and shook her head. "We might as well follow them. It's obvious she wants something."
"W-we?!"
"Well, yeah. Is something wrong with that?" she asked with a frown.
"Noofcoursenot!" Yes! Yes, there very much was! But he couldn't exactly tell her that. Chat cleared his throat. "I just meant... What if it's a trap? It is kinda suspicious-looking."
Ladybug smirked. "Are you trying to say this trail smells fishy?"
They stared at each other in a long silence. A soft blush dusted the heroine's cheeks.
"W-we should trail the fish- Imeanfishthe- follow... Let's just go."
Chat blinked as his partner breezed by him. How had he not seen it before? It seemed so freaking obvious. Yet... Yet he chose not to see it. That's really all there was to it. He couldn't justify his ignorance in any other way. Marinette deserved so much better than that. Biting his cheek, the cat followed his partner. The trail wound throughout the museum, leading them down a corridor of paintings. Not that Chat was really paying attention. He kept his gaze glued to the floor, silently counting the cans as they passed. The blaring of the museum's alarm had finally ceased, though the eerie silence it left behind put the cat even more on edge. He glanced up just in time to notice his partner halt in her tracks and sidestepped to not run into her. Following her gaze, he saw the reason for her stop.
Spades stood in front of the Mona Lisa in quiet contemplation. Chat felt a sudden rush of déja vu.
"Y'know, I always thought this painting would be bigger," the thief said. "Hard to believe this is one of the most famous artworks in existence."
"This is hardly the time for art appreciation," Ladybug said.
She lifted the picture off the wall. "There's always time to appreciate beauty, lovebug. Especially in the things often overlooked. So many people know of this painting, but I wonder how many people actually stop to marvel at it, anymore."
Ladybug grabbed her yo-yo with a growl. "You're not leaving with that."
"We both know you have no say in what I do. Besides, this is more of an insurance policy than something I plan on keeping," the thief said with a wink. She then spun the canvas between her palms. "I need to make sure the two of you are up for a round of 'follow-the-leader'."
"No games, Spades," Chat said. "Not tonight."
"Don't be like that, kitten. You might actually like where this one goes."
Chat clenched his fists. He really hated that sugary tone of hers. Hated just how hollow her grin looked. When did this stop being fun for them? Sighing, he took out his staff and extended it.
"The painting stays here," he reiterated.
A brief spark of mischief illuminated the thief's eyes. "Wanna bet?"
It didn't matter how fast they ran, Spades seemed to stay one step ahead of them. Chat practically felt Ladybug's frustration. Not that he was fairing much better in that department. Why was she dragging this out? Was she trying to get him lose the bug? If so, how was he supposed to do that? Bounding from rooftop to rooftop, he tried to wrap his head around the thief's actions. She was making no sense to him. And Chat was getting real sick of guessing.
Suddenly, the thief stopped running, causing both heroes to halt in their chase. Chat frowned through his panting. Was that it? Seriously? Why make them run halfway across Paris if she was just going to... He sighed. No point in asking if he knew he wasn't going to get an answer.
"Y'know, this is just a bit anticlimactic," Ladybug said in a huff.
The thief smirked over her shoulder. "Well, as much as I love the idea of you chasing after me, lovebug, this is business, not pleasure."
"Of course it is," Chat muttered.
Her smile melted away into annoyance. "Look, I don't wanna be here any more than you do."
He threw up his hands. "Then, why are we here?"
"I'm not the one you need to ask." Her eyes narrowed onto his partner. "Last chance to back out, Spots."
The heroine's jaw clenched as she hugged herself. "You know that's not gonna happen."
Confusion colored Chat's face. His gaze shifted between the two girls. "'Back out'? Back out of what?"
"Long story short, kitten?" Spades said, setting the painting down against a nearby chimney. "Your lady seems to be on your side."
Ladybug bristled. "Of course I'm on his side!"
"My side of what?!" Chat snapped.
"You cannot honestly be that dense."
He frowned at her for a moment before turning ghostly white. "You didn't."
"Someone had to."
"No! No, we didn't! Why would she have to know anything?!"
"Chat," Ladybug said, touching his arm. He didn't look at her. Anger and shame heated his face. Why? Just fucking why?!
"Chaton, please," his partner cooed. "It's okay."
"How?" he snapped. "How is any of this okay?! This is a nightmare!" Chat covered his face as he sank to the ground.
Spades shifted on her feet, rubbing her bicep. With a sigh, she knelt down next to him.
"You're right," she told him. "Nothing about this is okay."
"Why would you tell her?"
"Because I care about you, believe it or not. I wasn't going to leave you floundering by yourself. I know what it's like to not have anyone to turn to."
Chat scoffed. "Right."
Ladybug rubbed at his back. "We're not here to gang up on you, minou. I said I'd help, remember?"
He gave the bug a wide-eyed look. "What?"
"I'm not going to pretend I get it. Or that I really approve. But... I'd rather have you happy than hurting."
"So, wait. What does that mean?" Chat glanced between both girls before settling on the thief. "You... changed your mind?"
"Not exactly," Spades said. "But I'm willing to wait a couple weeks. In case you two can come up with a better option. There is a slight catch, though."
"That being?"
The thief stood and stretched. "You two need to have a talk. Without the masks." As she spoke, she opened a skylight hatch.
Chat stared at her in disbelief. "N... no! We can't-"
"It's alright, Chat."
"But... no one can know. Not even us."
"You kinda passed that point, kitten," Spades said.
Ladybug shot her a dirty look. "She's right, chaton. There's no point in keeping the secret, anymore."
"Are you really sure?"
"Absolutely."
His ears flattened. "Okay, then..." He glanced up at his thief. "Can... Could you give us a moment first, bugaboo?"
Spades quirked a brow. Chat looked away. He tried to ignore the weight in his chest. Part of him wanted to be relieved. He should be... but... 'Not like this,' he thought. He felt Ladybug's touch slip away as she stood, and already he missed her comfort. She made her way over to the open hatch, eyeing it warily.
"Where exactly are we?" she asked.
"It's called a safehouse, Spotts," the thief said. "Figured you'd want to be away from prying eyes." When her mistrustful look didn't ease, Spades rolled her eyes. "There's no one else here, and I don't plan on sticking around. You two are the only ones going in there, tonight. So, if you wouldn't mind cutting me a little slack? It'd be great."
Chat winced. He heard the pain hiding behind her biting words. Both girls stared each other down for a bit before Ladybug finally descended into the safehouse. With a sigh, Spades shut the hatch and turned her attention back to the cat.
"You really gonna make her wait, kitten?" she asked, folding her arms.
Chat buried his face in his hands. "Spadesy, I can't do this."
"What do you mean you can't? You would've died to know who she was a few days ago." Spades waved to the hatch. "She's right there, Chat. Ready and willing."
He huffed in frustration. Slumping her shoulders, the thief sat on her knees in front of him. "It's not like she's gonna bite you, kitten. If you really want me to wait-"
"You know what this'll do to her."
Spades blinked at him. "... Do you?"
Adrien sighed, closing his eyes. Silence stretched out the seconds as Luna put the pieces together.
"You already know who she is."
The blond ran his fingers through his hair. "What is telling her going to accomplish? Besides leaving her heartbroken."
"You think hiding it's gonna make it any better?" Luna asked.
"No. But... Dammit, Lu-"
She cut him off with a finger to his lips. Her face grew somber. "I know. But we've already hurt her, kitten. We can't exactly take back a kiss."
Chat took her hand, laying a kiss on her knuckles. "I wouldn't want to."
He watched her for a moment. A small blush darkened her cheeks, making him smirk a bit. Chat pulled his thief close. He felt her sigh as she settled against him. They pressed their foreheads together, staring into each other's eyes.
"You okay?" the hero asked.
Luna pulled a face. "Considering I stole my best friend's crush? Why wouldn't I be?"
Chat chuckled a bit, then threw his head back. "God, what the hell am I supposed to tell her?"
"Well, in my experience, the truth is always a good start."
"How much of it, though?"
The thief chewed at her lip. "You don't have to skip out on details, kitten. She'll probably figure it out, anyway."
"You sure?"
She snorted. "No. But if we're gonna have a relationship, I'd rather you not lie to your partner for me."
Amusement shined in his fluorescent eyes. "So, what you're saying is we're definitely a thing."
"Can you not be a dork for two seconds?" she asked with a grin.
"Eh, you wouldn't like me as much."
The thief giggled. "Probably not." She hissed in a breath. "Should probably tell you your dad's flipping out trying to find you."
Chat groaned. "Of course he is."
"Need me to cover for you?"
Chat shook his head. "I'll deal with it, later." He did not want to think about what would happen when he finally did go home. He'd probably be lucky if he was ever allowed out of the house, again. Spades' fingers found their way to his hair, massaging small circles at the base of his neck. He sighed at the sensation.
"I think we've stalled enough, kitten."
Chat pursed his lips. "You sure you'll be okay?"
"I'm not the one you need to worry about, right now."
"That's not gonna stop me."
Shaking her head, Spades grabbed his bell and guided him into a kiss. Chat closed his eyes. His chest began to rumble, catching them both off-guard. Oh god, he was actually purring. He could feel her fighting a grin against his lips. She was gonna give him hell for it later; he could already tell. As she pulled away, though, he decided the playful look she wore was totally worth the heckling.
"Get going," Spades said. "You've made your lady wait long enough."
Still hesitant, Chat nuzzled his thief. He didn't want to let her go. So much was left unsaid between them. He couldn't help his concern, nor his frustration with her. If they left things as they were... Chat sighed. He really was stalling.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I know you do."
The thief slipped out of his arms, and he let her go. With a deep breath, Chat descended into the safehouse, not at all ready for the conversation to come.
Hi all! Another chapter finally done. A little bit shorter than normal, but my muse was fighting me, and motivation met gaming and therefore abandoned me. But I am very close to the end, so next chapter shouldn't take as long! Hopefully... How bout some reviews?
Davey: I will literally never be sick of your praise. Thank you so much, and I'm glad you love this story.
OKAYKARLAE: You aren't the only one to suggest this. I will say the inconsistency is due to the fact that I didn't really know Luna before writing this fic, and given what I know now, I might have written her a bit differently if I started over. But at the same time, I don't think much would change. I dunno, I guess I like her too much as a flirt.
old gods: I'm actually more surprised that so many of you are so open to the AdrienxLuna relationship. I feel like there's a lot of stigma around OC's in fanfiction. I mean one of the first reviews I got said Luna was a Mary-sue (which stung more than it should have). I'm just glad you guys like her.
Fox in the hen house: Eyyy, love the nickname. Also, glad you like the drama; it's literally all I'm good at.
56423168: Hi, Alex!
To everyone else, thank you so much for your kind words and infinite patience. This story truly wouldn't have got this far without you. And with any luck, I'll see you all soon! Bye!
Playlist:
Careless Whisper (cover)- Seether
Fences- Paramore
Pieces- Icon For Hire
Rewrite the Stars- Zac Efron and Zendaya