Felix and Adrien returned to an empty home as usual. Felix had been staying with Adrien and his father for about two years. Felix's mother had remarried and Felix did not think much of the guy. His mother hated his father and maybe he reminded her of him. So, when he suggested staying with Adrien his mother never even protested. Felix and Adrien just have wonderful families, don't they? Felix went to his room to relax after the irritating day of watching Marinette swoon over his cousin. Adrien on the other hand had plans to sneak out to meet up with Ladybug. As soon as Adrien had shut his door, Plagg came flying out. "Oh, finally school is over for the day. I can finally relax after all that homework," Plagg stated it dramatically as he fell onto Adrien's bed. Adrien huffed in annoyance at Plagg. "What are you even talking about Plagg? I'm the one in school. All you did all day was sit in the bottom of my bag eating cheese." Plagg lifted his head up to look at Adrien who was standing next to the bed. "Yeah, but I had to hear all of it and it makes me exhausted. I have been around for many centuries Adrien. School is just as boring now as it was centuries ago. It never fails to make me tired." Adrien just lightly shook his head as he said, "Well sorry but we have patrol tonight with Ladybug so rest will have to wait." Plagg whined at Adrien's words before Adrien called out, "Plagg claws out!"
Adrien jumped from building to building. The wind ran through his hair as he raced around Paris. He spotted Ladybug in the distance. He landed next to her on a rooftop of a hotel. She turned to look at Chat and said, "are you ready?" Chat simply nodded and they were off. They did this almost every night. Patrolling the city looking for any signs of dangers or threats. It was hard to take care of pettier crimes when Hawkmoth was always evilizing people. Plus, they used this time to investigate who Hawkmoth could be. After running around Paris for a couple hours the two of them decided to take a break. They landed on the roof of a random building. Ladybug walked over to the edge and took a seat legs hanging over the ledge. Chat followed suit sitting next to his crime-fighting partner. Ladybug seemed to be lost in thought as she sat there gazing upon the city. Chat was about to ask why she had been so quiet when the spotted hero spoke up. "How do you get confidence?" Chat turned his head toward her in confusion. "What do you mean my Lady?" Ladybug had cut him off before he could speak anymore. "I mean how do you say the things you say without wavering? You are so confident! You have no filter Chat! Even when you get a negative response you don't backtrack you don't change your mind! You are confident in who you are and how you feel!" Chat was taken aback by Ladybug's shouting. He did not know how to answer such a question without revealing his identity. He can't even give her a partial truth because it could give her clues to his identity. So, he decided to give her the vaguest answer he could. "You have to be comfortable with who you are." Before he could continue Ladybug snorted at Chat's response. Comfortable with who you are. Really, that's your advice?" Chat's eyes narrowed as he spoke up. "You didn't let me finish. As I was saying, You have to be comfortable with who you are. You have to realize what other people think or say just doesn't matter. You have to be yourself and not back down from that. When you want something, you have to go for it. If you worry about what other people want then you will never truly be happy. When you see yourself as… unstoppable there's nothing you can't accomplish." Chat closed his eyes letting the last words wash over him as he spoke them. Those words still have an effect on him. He still remembers that so well. As Chat opens his eyes, he sees Ladybug looking back at him with an expression of surprise on her face. A small smile comes to her lips as she says in a teasing tone, "You should be a motivational speaker because that was excellent." Chat rolled his eyes at her as he said, "Yeah okay. Did you even take that seriously?" Ladybug laughed giving Chat a genuine smile as she stood. "Oh, I took it seriously. It's just I did not know you could be so deep Chat. I guess I'm just so used to the fun-loving Chat that I almost could not believe you could be so profound." Chat huffed as he stood too. "So did it help you at all?" Ladybug threw her yoyo out looking back at Chat one last time before leaving. "It helped me. Thanks Chat." Just like that, she was gone swinging off into the distance. Chat watched her go thinking of the strange conversation all the way home. He's not sure what could be troubling Ladybug so much. She's one of the strongest people he knows. How could she not be confident? She's beautiful, smart, powerful, awesome, and so many other things too. As Adrien came into his room through the window and transformed back. He could not shake the thoughts even as he laid down in bed.
When Marinette landed on her balcony, she detransformed and climbed down into her room. Tiki flew down beside her. The Kwami watched as her holder laid flat on her back on her bed. Marinette looked up at the ceiling in thought. Tiki sat on the bed near the girl as she asked, "Marinette is something wrong?" Marinette turned her head to look at Tiki. "I wish I had the confidence that Chat Noir possesses. I wish I could just go right up to people and say what's on my mind and not feel embarrassed or stupid." Tiki knew what her holder was referring to. "You mean like going up to Adrien and telling him how you feel?" Marinette blushed in embarrassment at what Tiki said. The Kwami of creation just sighed at Marinette's reaction to the question. "Marinette, you try so hard but you never execute any of your ideas when it comes to Adrien. Chat's right, you need to be confident." Marinette shot up out of bed in frustration face red as she paced back and forth in her room. "I know, he's right about having confidence and not letting anyone stand in your way I get it. It's just so hard Tiki." Marinette said facing Tiki while waving her arms crazily. "What if he does not like me back? What if he laughs at me? What if he won't be my friend anymore?" Tiki decided not to point out that Marinette and Adrien were not really friends. After all, Marinette always has an excuse to not talk to Adrien. The miraculous holder plopped back onto her bed staring up at the ceiling again. Tiki was not sure what to say. Marinette has had so many of these meltdowns that were about Adrien that Tiki has literally ran out of things to say. Maybe her holder will take Chat's advice and be confident but if Tiki is being honest, she does not see that happening.