Chapter 6-Soulmates

Adrien is slightly more in control of himself at the end of the last chapter than he was at the start of it, but he's still struggling to figure out what he should do. But it seems he's wise enough to ask for help. Let's see how that goes, shall we?

Cat Noir waited, perched on top of the theater's roof. He'd spent a few hours mulling over his options. But either because the problem was so complex, or because his head was still addled, he never came up with a solution beyond simply confronting Marinette, Natalie, and Felix.

After transforming, he'd worked up the nerve to look at the note that had been left with the food. It just said that his counterpart and Marinette would check in on him after school. And sure enough, late in the afternoon he heard a familiar thumping sound behind him. Turning, he saw that Ladybug had come alone.

Ladybug looked at him cautiously. "Which Cat Noir are you?"

"The one that owes you a huge apology." Swinging his legs around and standing, he dipped to a deep bow and said. "I am so very sorry for the way I acted yesterday."

Cat Noir couldn't see Ladybug's expression, but he could hear the smile in her voice as she said, "Don't worry about it."

"I can't do that." Cat Noir replied, standing up straight. "I shouldn't have acted that way toward you or your Cat Noir. I was upset, and for good reason, but I was taking that out on you, and I shouldn't have. I'm sorry, please, forgive me."

"Forgiven." Ladybug said easily. "I'm glad that you're feeling better."

"Not so much better, as much as more in control of myself." Cat Noir admitted, with some embarrassment. "My head was spinning all afternoon after you guys left yesterday. But I've got a handle on myself. I still have no idea on what to make of it all, but I'm working through it step by step."

"That's good." Ladybug said, approvingly. "What step are you on?"

"Figuring out what the heck to do next." Cat Noir admitted bluntly.

Ladybug stared at him blankly for a moment, then started laughing. "Okay, well, at least you're at the starting line."

Cat Noir gave a light chuckle, appreciating her efforts to be lighthearted. "Where's your partner? I figured you'd come here together."

Ladybug blushed slightly. "We agreed that we'd meet up this evening to check on you, see how you were doing. But I couldn't help myself."

"Which means," Cat Noir said, waving a dismissive hand, "that we have about half an hour before my counterpart decides to do the same thing. An hour tops. But I'm glad you came to see me first. There are some things I wanted to talk to you about."

"Like what?" Ladybug asked, leaning back against a railing on the roof.

Cat Noir hesitated. He needed to make sure that he kept himself in check so that he didn't turn this conversation into an argument. The girl in front of him might be Ladybug, but she wasn't the Ladybug that had lied to him. He had to keep that in mind.

"Yesterday, you told me that you had some guesses as to why my Marinette kept everything from me." Cat Noir started slowly. "I'd like to get your opinion on why she did what she did."

Ladybug looked him over before she answered him. Cat Noir could read a very analytic look in her eyes. The kind of look someone used when deciding whether or not a bridge could carry their weight. Looking him in the eyes, Ladybug began, "Take everything with a grain of salt, okay?"

Cat Noir nodded.

"First of all, I'd guess your father's last request was a factor. Your Plagg said that your father's last request was that you be allowed to remember him as a good father. If he really changed his wish to something positive, then it sounds like he was trying to make up for everything he'd done. Have you figured out what he wished for?"

Cat Noir shook his head. "Not completely. I can't think of too much that's significant that's changed since then. Natalie recovered from an illness, but that can't be all of it."

"Well, whatever he wished for, I'm guessing it was for you." Ladybug said gently. "If his original wish was to bring your mother back, but then his last request was for you to be kept in the dark about him, then I bet the wish was partly for your benefit, whatever it was."

Cat Noir tensed at that. Could she be right? His father having a change of heart at the last minute and making the wish for his benefit was a comforting thought; a very slight comforting thought, but it was something.

Ladybug continued. "If his wish was for you, and he offered his life to atone, then it sounds like he was trying to do the right thing at the end. And someone like that, making a request like his, well, I can understand someone wanting to honor it."

Cat Noir looked at the ground. He didn't really have a response to that.

"The other reason, if I had to guess, was that my counterpart didn't want to hurt you. She probably assumed that with both of your parents gone, finding out the truth of your father would be too much for you."

Cat Noir's head snapped up. Too much? Is that what she thinks? That I'm too weak to handle it? His head had circled around that particular thought a great deal the day before. He opened his mouth, about to demand the question of Ladybug, then caught the look in her eyes. She looked so sorrowful that Cat Noir was again reminded that the girl in front of him was not the same one he was angry with, even if they shared a face. Swallowing, he slowly forced out, "If you're right, and that's what she thinks of me, then maybe she and I need to rework our partnership."

"What do you mean?" Ladybug asked sharply.

"I mean," Cat Noir explained calmly, "that if she thinks so little of me, then she needs to find a different partner."

"You'd quit being Cat Noir?" Ladybug asked, her eyes widening and her voice rising in alarm.

Adrien was quiet for a moment, unsure of how to answer. He'd thought about doing just that several times over the last day and a half. He'd given back his miraculous before, for different reasons, but each time he'd come back. But he'd always come back because he knew that Ladybug needed him. Now, it seemed like she felt she needed someone better than him.

But giving back his miraculous would mean giving up Plagg and losing the most wonderful escape he'd ever known. Being able to become Cat Noir had changed his life in more ways than he could describe. It was selfish of him, but he couldn't give that up. Especially not now that things had become so much harder for him as Adrien.

"No." Adrien whispered. Voice growing stronger, he continued, "No, I won't quit being Cat Noir. But there's no reason why Ladybug has to work with me. There's at least one other member of the team she trusts, probably more than me."

"I find that hard to believe." Ladybug argued. "I don't think I trust anyone as much as I do my Cat Noir."

"Not even Alya?" Cat Noir challenged.

Ladybug's face fell. Cat Noir knew that he was partially exposing someone's secret identity in his universe, but judging by the way Ladybug's expression was unsurprised, it was something she had already guessed. He had already told this Ladybug and her Cat Noir that the miraculous holders in his universe had been handpicked by the Ladybug he was angry with, so it wasn't much of a leap.

She didn't answer his challenge about trust, which made him feel more confident about his assertion. That confidence, however, was challenged when she said, "Do you really think it's so easy to hurt someone that you care about, even with the truth?"

Cat Noir didn't answer at first, which prompted Ladybug to continue. "I never knew how hard things were for my Adrien until after I found out he was Cat Noir. I knew my kitty had been depressed since his mother died, but I didn't know who he was. But if I'd known, and I'd been in a situation like your Marinette, then I can't say I would have done anything different." She paused. "Be honest. If you knew your Marinette had lost a parent, or even both parents, and then found out that one of them was a villain, could you really tell her something like that so easily?"

Cat Noir had been ready for that argument. "I wouldn't have wanted to lie to her. Especially not to her, and not long term. Maybe I would have kept it quiet for a little while, maybe, but I would have told her not long after I found out. I would have started working on a way to tell her right away. It's been months since my father died, and she's never so much as hinted at anything to suggest she was going to reveal the truth to me. Not as Marinette or as Ladybug."

Ladybug stood her ground. "And you wouldn't conceal the truth from someone, even out of kindness?"

Cat Noir felt his expression harden. "I prefer to be honest with people. I prefer to believe in them."

Ladybug suddenly smirked, which threw Cat Noir for a moment.

"Then why don't you explain to me why you've avoided telling me how the other me got the miraculous stolen."

Cat Noir froze, and the smirk on Ladybug's face grew.

"How'd you figure it out?"

Ladybug shrugged. "It wasn't that hard. My counterpart is the guardian in your universe, right? And you've gone out of your way to avoid mentioning exactly how your cousin stole the miraculous." Ladybug gave him a confident look. "I know my Adrien, and you two are so alike it's not even funny. If he'd made a mistake like that, he'd own up to it. And so would you, wouldn't you?"

"Probably." Cat Noir admitted.

"If one of the other members of your team had messed up and gotten them stolen, you'd have said so, and said how it happened, but not mentioned which member of the team it was, to avoid shaming them. Which really only leaves one possibility."

Cat Noir sighed. This Ladybug was as good as his when it came to non-linear thinking.

"What happened, exactly?" Ladybug asked, firm.

Cat Noir looked her in the eye and began explaining. He mentioned how Ladybug had once offered Adrien Agreste one of the other miraculous, not knowing he was Cat Noir. He explained that after building the team and handing out more miraculous, she had seemed to need Cat Noir less and called on him less often. He told her, trying to avoid seeming petulant, that Ladybug had started to confide more in another member of the team than she did with him. He informed her how there was an akumatized villain that caused everyone in Paris to be willing to take more risks than usual, and that his Ladybug had asked him to detransform, considering his power too dangerous while in such a state. And finally, he told her about how his Ladybug had offered the dog miraculous to his cousin Felix, thinking he was Adrien.

"He and I look so alike, it's not hard to believe she made that mistake." Cat Noir concluded. "We're cousins, but we look like twins. It's a little creepy, to be honest. But with the dog miraculous he was able to steal my Ladybug's weapon, which was tied to the miracle box. He stole the miraculous through it, and traded it to…my father," Cat Noir said the last two words slowly and bitterly, "for the peacock. I still have no idea why he was willing to go so far to get the peacock miraculous, but he was." Cat Noir scowled. "Which is one more thing I need to find out when I deal with him. If he made that trade, then he had to know my father was Monarch. And he didn't tell me either."

Ladybug didn't answer right away. When she finally spoke, it was in a soft voice. "I can't speak for your cousin, but I'm still sure that your Marinette acted for the right reasons. And it sounds like you haven't had any trouble forgiving her for losing the miraculous."

"That's not the same thing." Cat Noir insisted. "What happened with Felix was an honest mistake. This is different. She chose not to tell me the truth."

"Just like you chose not to tell me the truth about my counterpart's mistakes."

"That's still different." Cat Noir argued, feeling stubborn. "You shouldn't have to feel guilty for someone else's mistakes."

"If you really believe that," Ladybug continued calmly, "then you had no reason not to tell me in the first place."

Cat Noir had no answer to that one.

Ladybug went on. "I'm not saying you have to forgive her. I can tell just by looking at you how much you're hurting from all of this. And nobody likes being lied to or feeling like someone they trust doesn't trust them back. But this isn't an easy situation, and I think you need to talk all this out with her. Really hear what she has to say, really see what she thinks of you, before you make any judgements."

"And how do I do that?" Cat Noir asked, exasperated. "I've been thinking this over for the better part of a day and I'm coming up empty. Everything I've thought of just boils down to confronting her, and that's just going to turn into a shouting match. And how can I even trust her to tell me the whole truth now, anyway?"

"Simple." Ladybug answered. Apparently, she had been thinking this over too. "Confront her as Cat Noir."

That made the young man stop short. He looked at Ladybug curiously. She shrugged. "After we get to your universe, tell her that you found out who Hawk Moth was here, which means you guessed who Monarch was in your universe, and that your Plagg confirmed it. All of which is true, for the record." she added pointedly. "Tell her you don't like that she's kept the truth from everyone and ask why she did so, especially from Adrien Agreste, considering who Monarch was. She won't know that she's speaking to Adrien Agreste, so you know she'll be more straightforward. Especially if you threaten to tell 'Adrien' the truth."

Cat Noir was motionless for a long moment after she finished explaining her idea. After he thawed, he said, "How did I not come up with something that obvious?"

"Because you're exhausted and still riding an emotional roller coaster that started about half an hour after you arrived in this universe." Ladybug answered lightly.

Cat Noir gave a sighing chuckle at her words. Can't argue with her there, he thought.

Focusing on the Ladybug in front of him, Cat Noir gave her an appraising look. He wouldn't have been surprised if this Ladybug was just trying to cover for her counterpart or to try and defend her actions to make herself feel less guilty. But he also knew his own Marinette fairly well, which probably extended to the Marinette in front of him, as she had suggested. And that wasn't the sort of thing his Marinette would do.

"I'll hear her out." Cat Noir finally said. "That's all I can promise right now."

"Good enough." Ladybug answered with a smile. "But since you've been sharing secrets about my counterpart," she continued lightheartedly, again clearly trying to shift the mood, "is there anything else about her I should know?"

It was Cat Noir's turn to smirk. "Actually, yes." he said with a light laugh.

Ladybug started. She clearly hadn't been expecting that answer.

Cat Noir laughed again. "This one's not as serious, but it's a little more personal, so we should probably talk about it before your Cat Noir shows up." he told her, sitting down.

Ladybug followed suit, looking curious.

"Don't worry, it's not anything bad, but it's something you might want to watch out for." Cat Noir told her.

Ladybug pulled a face. "Are you being vague on purpose?"

"Maybe." Cat Noir winked at her. It was a little childish, but now that he had a plan to at least start getting answers when he got back home, he felt much less stressed than he had for over a day.

When Ladybug continued to wear the annoyed expression on her face, Cat Noir sighed, losing a little of his flippancy. "Okay, okay. Let me just ask, did you date anyone before my counterpart or was he your first boyfriend?"

"No, he was my first." Ladybug answered. "Boyfriend, boyfriend! First boyfriend!" she added quickly a moment later, her cheeks reddening.

Cat Noir considered making a joke about her response, but thought better of it. "Okay, that's what I thought, but I wasn't sure. I'm guessing my counterpart didn't date anyone before you either?"

"Not as far as I know." Ladybug replied, a thoughtful look appearing on her face as she gazed upward. "Nino never mentioned anyone, and Adrien always says he was so depressed after his mom died. And we were friends before we found out each other's identities. I could be wrong, but I don't think there was anyone before me."

"He'd probably have said something, or Nino would have, or Alya or somebody." Cat Noir agreed. "That makes this easier. What I wanted to tell you both was that, well, my Marinette wasn't my first girlfriend. And I wasn't her first boyfriend."

Ladybug stiffened, but didn't seem terribly surprised. "I figured that's where you were going, based on your questions." Ladybug hesitated for a moment. "Do you think I have anything to be worried about?"

"Honestly? No, I don't." Cat Noir assured her. "I just thought you both should know about it, since the girl I dated and the guy my Marinette dated are likely to cross your paths too, and because we're both still friends with each of them." Cat Noir smiled, remembering his visit to the wax museum with Luka, Kagami, and Marinette. "They even helped my Marinette and I come together."

"They did?" Ladybug asked in surprise.

Cat Noir nodded. "We have some really good friends in our universe. I hope the two of you are as lucky."

Ladybug nodded slowly, but she didn't speak. Cat Noir could tell she was deliberating on whether to ask the obvious question.

"Do I want to know who they are?" Ladybug finally asked.

Cat Noir shrugged. "Probably. I think my counterpart will want to know about his rival. So I figured you'd want the same info. I just thought it would be less awkward to tell you both separately."

Ladybug thought about that for a moment before asking. "You're both friends with both of them? As in, both you and your Marinette are friends with both of your exes?"

"Uh huh." Cat Noir replied, smiling.

Ladybug shook her head. "Either you and your Marinette are saints, or these two people have to be amazing." She paused. "I don't need to know who the other guy is, but I think I want to know who my rival is. Even between him and Cat Noir, I still chose Adrien. But I-"

"Still worried about his feelings for Marinette?" Cat Noir asked, not unkindly.

Ladybug blushed and looked at the ground, but didn't answer right away. When she did, it was just to say, "Before you tell me about her, what caused you to break up? Or is that too personal?"

Cat Noir snorted a laugh. "Not at all, and it's something you and your Cat Noir won't have to worry about. The girl I was dating didn't like that I was keeping secrets and lying to her. She didn't know I was Cat Noir. And I can't say for sure, but I'd bet my Marinette's first boyfriend broke up with her for the same reason."

Ladybug tilted her head back and forth. "I guess that makes sense." She took a breath and asked, "Okay, who was she?"

"Kagami Tsurugii." Cat Noir said, without hesitation. "Kagami and I weren't together long, and neither were Marinette and her first boyfriend. But…"

"What's she like?" Ladybug asked, far too casually.

Cat Noir smiled. "I'll describe her to you the same way I've described her in the past. She's perfect, but not perfect for me."

Ladybug didn't seem reassured by this description.

Okay, Cat Noir thought maybe 'perfect' wasn't the best choice of words in this situation. Out loud, he said, "Kagami is a very good friend to both my Marinette and me. But as much as I cared for her, as much as I still care about her, it was nothing like what I feel for my Marinette, even before I found out she was my Ladybug. Or what I've felt for Ladybug in the past. And I'm sure it's the same with your Adrien and you." Cat Noir grinned. "Plus, you already know each other's identities, and that has to help." His grin faded. "Keeping secrets doesn't help a relationship."

A thought seemed to occur to Ladybug, who didn't seem to be paying much attention to Cat Noir's words. "Are you serious about being friends with my counterpart's ex, or are you just saying that to reassure me?"

"Completely serious." Cat Noir confirmed. "He's been a great friend to both of us."

"And you're not the least bit jealous of him?" Ladybug asked, disbelievingly.

"No." Cat Noir answered, a little too quickly.

Ladybug raised an eyebrow.

"Okay," he admitted. "Maybe a little. But that's how love works sometimes. Most people don't meet their soulmate on the first try, right?"

"Soulmate?" Ladybug asked, looking very surprised. "You really think that way about her?"

Cat Noir blushed. He'd spoken without thinking and chosen a word that had been percolating in his head since (sort of) discovering Marinette was Ladybug. He hesitated before answering, but her expression made it plain that she wasn't going to let it slide.

"I know it's dumb, but ever since I found out that she was someone I fell in love with twice, in completely separate ways, that word's been bouncing around my head." He grinned sheepishly at Ladybug. "I didn't want to make things seem weird, so I didn't mention it."

Ladybug smiled, looked down, and in a quiet voice said. "I feel the same way about my Adrien. Even more so since meeting you."

Cat Noir's ears perked up.

"I fell for him twice, in costume and out. And now I find that another version of me in another universe did too?" Ladybug looked up and her gentle smile was comforting. "I know every infatuated teenager since the dawn of time thinks that about their first love, but our situation is slightly different from most teens." She shrugged. "It just feels like we're something more than most couples." She flinched. "I mean, my Adrien and I are, not you and I are, uh-"

Cat Noir started laughing as she continued to fidget. Eventually, Ladybug joined in.

As their laughter died down, Cat Noir started thinking again about the possibility of what they were talking about. How could he not have considered this a possibility? True, he still had his doubts about what his lady actually thought of Cat Noir. And Ladybug was right, most teens did mistakenly think their first loves were meant to last forever. But it had been a wonderful feeling, thinking that he and his Marinette were soulmates. That his attraction and feelings for her as both Ladybug and Marinette were because they were meant to be. His memories of when he and Ladybug experienced the power of Jubilation together surfaced too. The idea of a future with his lady had been his fondest wish, even before he knew the truth of her identity, And this Ladybug was also right in saying that they were not average teenagers.

"Have you said anything about this to your Adrien?" Cat Noir asked, curious.

Ladybug shook her head. "I only really started thinking about it with that word in mind since you showed up, but after I found out you and the other me were together, I couldn't get the idea out of my head." She paused. "I don't know if it's a good idea to bring it up with him or not. I don't want to freak him out, but I also think it might be a good idea to let him know what I really think about us."

"Most guys probably would think it's a little much." Cat Noir agreed. "But I don't think he's one of them. I know I don't mind, and I bet he wouldn't either. Just make sure to say it on a special romantic occasion, some time that he's making an extra effort, like Valentine's day or something like that." he advised. "Maybe suggest to him the same thing you said to me."

Ladybug nodded. "If you and I both think that way, then there's a good chance he thinks so too." She smiled. "Maybe I'll swing through his window some moonlit night to surprise him." Ladybug's eyes lost their focus as she started muttering to herself. The sounds Cat Noir could hear made him think she was working on some elaborate plan.

Her words made Cat Noir wonder why his Ladybug had never tried to approach him as Adrien. She would have had no way of knowing it, but he'd been crazy about her since he'd met her. Marinette had fallen for him around the same time; she would have had him in the palm of her hand. She could have tried to at least get to know him better that way, but she never had.

Maybe she was worried something would happen like that time I took her to Andre's as Cat Noir, he pondered. Thinking on it, that seemed likely. And thinking further on it, the memories of that night made him want to cringe. Marinette had insisted that he wasn't taking advantage of her, and now he knew why, but he'd insisted that it was wrong, that she just idolized him, and that he couldn't love her as Cat Noir. It was with difficulty that he resisted putting his face in his hands as he realized how ridiculous that situation had really been. If only they could have told each other…

Told each other. Cat Noir had let his relief at discovering a plan and the conversation about Kagami distract him for a moment. He felt his face fall and his heart drop as his thoughts went down the more unpleasant aspect of where his mind had been the past day, and the frustrations and anger associated with those thoughts came to the surface.

Ladybug must have caught the change in his mood because she caught his attention.

"Hey."

Cat Noir looked at her. She held a worried expression on her face, and it was clear she could guess where his mind was at.

"I promise. I'll hear her out." Cat Noir assured her.

Ladybug just nodded, a slight smile on her lips, but a concerned look in her eyes.

"Ok, tag in."

The local Cat Noir carried three bags of something that smelled greasy and delicious. He had leapt up to the theater's roof about 45 minutes after Ladybug had arrived, looking completely unsurprised to see her there.

Tossing a bag to both Ladybug and the shorter Cat Noir, he spoke the words "Claws in." and slid down to a sitting position on the rooftop. Pulling a piece of cheese out of his own bag and handing it to Plagg, he smiled at the two heroes in front of him.

The two heroes held the bags and just stared at him as he pulled a hamburger out of his bag and started eating.

"You two figured out how to handle his Marinette problem?" Adrien asked, between bites.

Cat Noir and Ladybug grinned sheepishly at him.

Adrien laughed. "What? You didn't think I knew you were going to sneak up here to see him about that as soon as you could?" He teased Ladybug. "I know you better than that." He looked at Cat Noir. "Has your Marinette ever been able to resist rushing to help someone who needed her?"

Cat Noir and Ladybug looked at each other, then both laughed and opened the bags of food. Ladybug started to eat immediately, but Cat Noir hesitated, looking toward his counterpart. He opened his mouth to speak.

"I'm-"

"Forget it." Adrien cut across him.

Cat Noir hesitated then tried again, but Adrien interrupted again. "I know that when I feel guilty about something, I feel like I have to apologize to everyone about it." He looked to Ladybug. "I'm guessing he already apologized to you at least twice?"

With an expression on her face clearly suggesting she didn't want to embarrass Cat Noir with the truth, Ladybug answered. "Perhaps."

Adrien snorted and shook his head, smiling. "Bro, you don't have anything left to apologize for. You didn't really do anything to me, you apologized to her, and I'm guessing you apologized to Plagg too, right?"

Grinning slightly, Cat Noir nodded.

Adrien shrugged. "Then we're good. Don't sweat it."

A slight nervous tension lingered, although it was lighter than it had been upon the second Cat Noir's arrival. That manifested in all three occupants of the rooftop remaining quiet until all food had been consumed. After that happened, Ladybug appeared to feel compelled to start up the conversation again.

"Master Fu should be back tomorrow, so we can get you back to your universe then."

Cat Noir smiled at her, appreciating a new subject to discuss. "That's good. While you two are at school tomorrow, I can go to him and explain the situation, and borrow the rabbit and butterfly miraculous. We can meet up here and leave after you're done with classes tomorrow."

"Oh hey," Ladybug interjected. "Don't forget about the fencing matches tomorrow."

Adrien snapped his fingers in remembrance. "That's right, that starts right after school tomorrow." He looked at Cat Noir. "Are you still okay with giving me an alibi?"

"No problem." Cat Noir agreed, at once. "I just have to find a crowded spot during the match, preferably while you're in front of the cameras and make myself seen. Easy."

"Probably best to start a little before the match and come a go a couple of times while it's all going on." Ladybug advised. "Then keep going just a little while afterward. Say, two hours overall, on and off. It'll look less suspicious that way. And then we can meet up here afterward."

Cat Noir looked to Adrien. "It's almost unfair how much she's the brains of the team, isn't it?"

Adrien just shrugged. "I choose to see it as one of her most attractive features." He winked at Ladybug, then looked back at Cat Noir. "Be honest, how many times did she come up with something brilliant and you thought to yourself 'She's awesome', or something like that in your universe?"

Cat Noir glanced at Ladybug, before saying, "I'm not sure it's wise for me to answer that."

"Oh no, please," Ladybug said, a large satisfied smile on her face, "I'd love to know."

Cat Noir glanced at Adrien this time, whose smirking expression somehow conveyed the message C'mon, help me look good. Cat Noir rolled his eyes before answering. "I'm not sure," he said honestly, "But that's mostly just because it's happened so many times."

Ladybug's smile grew, if possible, even wider.

"I mean," Cat Noir continued, "We've had to defeat some akumatized villains over and over again, so it makes sense that it would happen a lot. One guy? We de-akumatized him over seventy times."

"Seventy?!" Three voices exclaimed. Even the local Plagg had been shocked at that. Cat Noir just nodded while smiling.

"Wow." Plagg coughed out. "Your dad must have gone completely crazy."

The reaction to these words was drastic and immediate. From what had slowly transitioned to a comfortable conversation, suddenly the rooftop felt ten degrees colder, and all three humans were suddenly tensed. The kwami, however, seemed untroubled.

"What exactly do you mean?" Cat Noir asked carefully.

Plagg shrugged. "Nooru's power links the holder to the emotions of the person they akumatize or kamikotize. That exposes the holder to the villain or hero, which in turn affects Nooru's holder. Use the butterfly to make villains enough times, and it'll drive you nuts." Plagg looked distracted for a moment. "Speaking of nuts, did you bring any of that cashew cheese? I'm still hungry."

Adrien didn't appear to be paying attention to the kwami any longer. His expression was one of concern, and his gaze was focused on Cat Noir. Ladybug appeared to be in a similar state. Cat Noir, for his part, held one fist inside the other right up to his face, a look of deep concentration on his face.

Could this Plagg be right? His father had started to act differently in the last few weeks of his life. He went through so much to try and bring Mom back, Cat Noir thought. Hawk Moth, and then later Shadow Moth and Monarch, had unleashed chaos and misery on the people of Paris hundreds of times, had stolen the miraculous, and more, all to get his own selfish wish. Those were not the actions of a sane person.

But he had chosen to use the butterfly miraculous in the first place. Cat Noir realized that he had started to hope that his father had gone mad. He had wanted to use it to explain away some of the blame for his father's crimes. But he couldn't do that. Even if Plagg was right, his father had started on the path he walked of his own volition.

"Dad told me that he was trying to bring her back, but partly because he couldn't stand to see me so sad." Adrien said quietly. Both Ladybug and Cat Noir looked at him. "I'm not trying to defend or excuse what he did. What he did was wrong, no matter what his reasons were. But I think we both understand what it was he was going through."

"And that," Ladybug said, getting to her feet and walking toward Adrien, "is why I love you." She sat down next to her Adrien and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's why Cat Noir is the perfect partner for Ladybug. Because even when you're angry at someone, you try to understand them. You try to see things from their perspective, and show compassion." She moved her hand to take his, and laced their fingers together, then looked at Cat Noir. "And I think it's safe to say I'm not the only Ladybug to feel that way."

Cat Noir smiled at that.

"We'd have to meet at least that level to be good enough for you and your counterpart." Adrien commented in an offhand way.

It was Ladybug's turn to smile, but Cat Noir just frowned. "Wait, you actually think you're good enough for your Marinette?"

Ladybug looked surprised for a moment, but then caught the twinkle in Adrien's eyes. "Of course not. But that's the bare minimum threshold to being good enough for her."

"Ah."

Ladybug took in the amused grins on both boys' faces and rolled her eyes, raising the hand that was not still holding Adrien's to her head.

"You two are both completely ridiculous."

If she hadn't had her face in her hand, Ladybug might have noticed how the looks on both boys' faces changed at that moment. And if she had noticed, she might have been less certain about how much of their comments were a joke.

Darkness had fallen by this point and Cat Noir checked the time with this staff.

"Are you two good on time?"

Ladybug pulled out her yo-yo and checked too, pulling a face. "Actually, I probably should be heading home." she said, regretfully. She pecked Adrien on the cheek before rising and stretching. "You gonna' be okay?" she asked Cat Noir.

"I won't be okay until I deal with everything back home." Cat Noir answered. "But I'm good for the night. Thanks."

Ladybug turned to go, but looked back at Adrien.

"I'll head home in a few. Probably best to leave separately. In case someone sees us jumping across rooftops."

Ladybug nodded. "Ok, I'll text you later." She looked at Cat Noir. "And I'll see you tomorrow." Throwing out her yo-yo like a lasso, she leapt from the rooftop.

After she left, Adrien gave Cat Noir a curious look. Good, Cat Noir thought. His counterpart had caught the look he'd been giving him earlier, trying to get his attention.

"Don't worry, this isn't a huge thing. But I wanted to make sure I told you before I go back to my universe, and I thought it best to do so when your Ladybug couldn't overhear. I think you're gonna' want to watch out for someone named Luka Couffaine."

And so Adrien has a plan, some semblance of a plan at least, to start getting answers when he gets home. And now the Adrien and Marinette of this universe know about Kagami and Luka. What will their reaction be? And how will the confrontation with Marinette back in Adrien's universe go? One way to find out.

See you next time!

~Sneak Preview~

Let's see, I'll take…half a dozen macarons. Any style.

I really am a little too on the nose with names, aren't I?

I'd never conceal something this important from you.