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rosalind2013 · 1 year

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Snowflakes

Ao3 | Wattpad | FFnet

Summary: AU where Adrien never went to school, and Chat Noir never showed up to fight Stoneheart. Aged up Christmas enemies to lovers story.

…

As Chat Noir stared up at Ladybug from his personal crater in the street - sun at her back, casting a halo around her like she was some sort of red spotted angel - his breath left his chest for a reason other than the yo-yo string wrapped taut around his torso. She glared down at him, masked brow furrowed in discontent and vibrant blue eyes flashing with determination.

“Stop lazing about and seize her Miraculous,” Hawkmoth’s voice snapped in his earpiece.

Chat Noir reflexively moved to follow his father’s orders, and Ladybug planted a foot on his chest to force him back down into the human shaped dent he’d made in the pavement. He was infinitely grateful that the suit protected him from most of the impact of his involuntary collision with the concrete earlier.

That had been quite a fall. In contrast, Ladybug’s foot was much kinder than gravity.

“Stay down, Chat Noir,” Ladybug warned, tugging the yo-yo string a bit tighter to emphasize her point.

Her midnight hair whipped in the wind as she stared him down. In a stark contrast with his father’s signature steely gaze, Ladybug’s eyes were full of fire. She was somehow warm and caring, despite her pointed words and the fact that she’d very soundly kicked his butt not five minutes prior.

Chat Noir’s heart stuttered traitorously, and he felt his face growing warm. How did his father expect him to best this absolute tempest of a woman? The lady in red could squash him right here and now, and he’d probably thank her.

“I was hoping you’d step on me,” he blurted out.

“What!?” Ladybug squeaked.

The superheroine’s eyes widened in shock and she stumbled back a bit, grip slackening on the yo-yo string as she gaped at her cat-themed adversary. Her foot left his chest, and Chat Noir simultaneously flushed bright red.

They’d been fighting like this for well over two years, and not once had anything more than playful banter or puns escaped his mouth in her presence. Shame at his inappropriate remark welled up inside him.

“N-No, I didn’t mean to say that!” He spluttered, struggling against the yo-yo string in an attempt to free his hands enough to cover his flaming face.

Chat Noir kind of wished the ground would finish swallowing him up, so he could pass away from embarrassment peacefully. Without a superheroine and all of Paris watching while his soul left his body.

“Ahem…Adrien, I changed my mind. You may retreat,” the voice in his earpiece said awkwardly.

Oh good.

His father heard it too, and would understand why his only son met an untimely and shameful demise. He finally freed his hands and promptly covered his face as if that could hide him from the bewildered beautiful blue eyes that stared down at him.

“I’m so sorry!” Chat Noir whined through his fingers, refusing to make eye contact with Ladybug.

“Um,” Ladybug replied eloquently.

“I d-don’t know why I said that,” he stammered. A voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Plagg told him he was a liar, and he knew exactly why he said that.

‘I must be a masochist,’ he thought miserably.

Because he could no longer deny the definitely-not-platonic feelings that he had for his frankly intimidating adversary. She really was like an angel: in the way that Chat Noir was in awe (and more than a little bit terrified) of her.

Ladybug suddenly snorted, drawing his attention enough to peek through his fingers at her.

“You- You’re all red! I never thought I’d see a- a supervillain blush,” Ladybug gasped out between giggles as she retracted her yo-yo.

Chat Noir shot her a half-hearted glare and propped himself up on his elbows. Ladybug wiped a stray tear from her eye and offered him her other hand. He eyed it distrustfully, and she rolled her eyes at him in a much friendlier way than she ever had before.

“Come on, let me help you up,” Ladybug said, an amused smile curling her lips up at the corners.

He weighed his options, realized that his father had definitely cut off communications to avoid more secondhand embarrassment, and Chat Noir decided he’d be daft to turn down a friendly gesture from the gorgeous woman who kicked him halfway across Paris on a regular basis.

He took her hand with the one that didn’t bear his Miraculous (one could never be too careful), and she easily hauled him to his feet. He would have been surprised by her strength if he wasn’t uniquely familiar with just how strong she really was.

“Thank you,” Chat Noir said carefully, ears flattened against his skull as he avoided eye contact again.

“Um, I wasn’t offended earlier. Just so you know,” Ladybug said, voice wavering as she held back more laughter.

Chat Noir’s eyes snapped to attention against his will, and he found himself entranced by the kindness he found on her face.

“Really?” He asked, a bit incredulous. He’d said something rather crude, after all.

“It was funny,” Ladybug replied, extricating her hand from his.

Oh no, he’d been holding her hand this whole time. His face flamed again, and he snatched his hand back as if he’d been burned.

“Well, I am hiss-terical,” Chat Noir deflected, forcing himself to look relaxed as he grinned at her.

She pouted and crossed her arms at the cat pun, and Chat Noir found himself wishing she’d touch his hand again. He was definitely in trouble.

“You’re such a menace, you know that?” Ladybug said with a quirk of her brow.

Her eyes were warm and inviting, and for the first time Chat Noir truly wished things were different. That he could be the recipient of that kind gaze all the time. That he could stand by her side instead of against her.

Plagg did take every opportunity to remind him that he was supposed to be Ladybug’s partner. He wondered if that was why he felt so drawn to her.

Maybe if he made her angry again, he could prolong this conversation and see her a bit longer.

“You know you like me, Bugaboo,” Chat Noir said in a sing-song voice, stepping toward her and leaning in with a flirty grin. The nickname had just rolled off his tongue, and he wasn’t sure where it had come from. He fully expected Ladybug to launch him into next week for stepping into her space and taunting her.

To his immense surprise, she let him advance until there were only a few inches of space between their faces. Then her eyes flashed with steel, and Chat Noir braced himself for an impact that never came. With a single finger on his nose, Ladybug gently pushed his face backward.

He blinked at her in surprise, crossing his eyes to ensure that, yes, her index finger was still positioned over his nose.

“I do like you. I wish you wouldn’t fight me, Kitty,” Ladybug said, a sadness that he didn’t particularly like dancing in her eyes.

“Wha-?” Chat Noir began, cat ears snapping to attention as his heart fluttered at her words.

“We’re supposed to be a team,” she said, eyes pleading as her finger left his nose and carefully pushed a strand of hair out of his eyes.

“I know,” Chat Noir whispered, leaning into her touch.

“Then why aren’t we?” Ladybug murmured, slipping her hand into his hair.

Chat Noir melted.

Any walls he still had to protect himself from his own feelings for Ladybug came crashing down, and his eyes pricked with unshed tears as she squeezed them shut.

When Chat Noir first received his Miraculous, he was young and impressionable. He truly believed in his father’s cause. Gabriel loved Emelie more than anything in the world. It was beautiful and inspiring what lengths he would go to for the woman he loved. And what child wouldn’t want to see their mother smile again?

But now Adrien was an adult, and he could see that Gabriel Agreste’s fervor for his late wife wasn’t love. It was an ugly thing: an all-consuming obsession.

Deep down, he knew that if they succeeded, Gabriel would treat Emelie no differently than he treated Adrien. The thought of bringing his mother back just to be locked away in a gilded cage was enough to turn Adrien’s stomach.

Emelie didn’t deserve the same unfortunate fate as her son. To be given a life not meant to be lived…it was cruel.

“I don’t have a choice, Ladybug,” Chat Noir said urgently, half to remind himself of that fact.

“There’s always a choice,” she insisted.

“You don’t understand,” he replied forlornly.

“Then help me understand,” she countered, eyes inquisitive as she pleaded with him.

Maybe if he told her…

Would things really change? Could he fight alongside this woman who had soundly stolen his heart? Could he save his mother from a second life as Gabriel’s prisoner?

Or would his father simply confiscate the Miraculous of the Black Cat and make sure Adrien never saw the light of day again? That seemed a much more likely outcome.

Besides, no matter how kind-hearted Ladybug was, he couldn’t ask her to set him free. Adrien Agreste wasn’t her burden to bear.

“I can’t,” Chat Noir whispered, eyes falling shut in defeat as he took a reluctant step back.

Ladybug’s hand hovered between them for a second before she let it drop to her side. He sighed and turned his back to her as he prepared to leave, pulling his staff from its place at his lower back.

Chat Noir paused and glanced over his shoulder at Ladybug. Her eyes were filled with sadness as she gave him an approximation of a smile.

“See you later, Bug,” he called to her.

Then he took off in the direction of home.

…

From that point on, he found himself half-heartedly fighting Ladybug. When she tossed him a few blocks away during an Akuma battle, he found himself taking the long way back to give her time to defeat the akumatized villain.

And when he did fight her, more and more flirtatious banter slipped out. He found that his father had no desire to listen to his cringe-worthy pickup lines, and the word “Bugaboo” was a sure fire way to get Hawkmoth to cut off communications.

Ladybug picked up on that quickly, genius that she was, and even seemed to flirt back on occasion. That never failed to disgust Hawkmoth, and the man couldn’t seem to hang up fast enough. Once his father was no longer in his ear, Chat Noir was free to be genuine with Ladybug.

Sometimes they’d perch atop a secluded building and just talk. Over time, Ladybug and Chat Noir secretly became friends despite being on opposing sides of a magical battle for the Miraculous.

And little by little, Ladybug chipped away at the iron bars that kept him separated from her. She had an uncanny way of seeing straight through Chat Noir’s bravado. It was as if she somehow knew about the somber young man that hid behind his mask, despite his valiant effort to hide it from her.

Before long, Adrien could no longer deny that he was head over heels in love with his secret friend, and it only exacerbated his longing to be by Ladybug’s side.

…

Christmas Eve came around sooner than Adrien expected, and with it Gabriel’s already constant foul mood worsened. This particular day involved another weather akuma, so the streets were slick with ice and rain. It had been a long and tiring battle, mostly because Chat Noir’s staff would become a lightning rod if he wasn’t careful, so he had to stick to scaling the slippery buildings the old fashioned way. It would be nice if Hawkmoth had kept that inconvenience in mind when creating his villain, but that kind of oversight was to be expected when he was in such a terrible mood.

He was often in a terrible mood.

Chat Noir hadn’t the energy to even protest when Ladybug bound him to a lamppost with her yo-yo and took off after the akumatized villain. In fact, he welcomed the break from sliding through frozen puddles and slumped against the post while he waited for the battle to end.

“Chat Noir, where are you?” Hawkmoth barked in his earpiece.

“A little tied up,” he responded with a sigh.

“Typical,” Hawkmoth replied. “Don’t bother showing up for our scheduled dinner, I’ll not be eating with you.”

“Yes sir,” Chat Noir responded evenly.

The rejection didn’t sting the way it did when he was younger. Now he felt numb to his father’s attempted manipulation. It was a hollow victory.

“I’ll handle the rest of this battle without your assistance, as usual. You are dismissed,” Hawkmoth snapped, before cutting off communication.

“Great,” Chat Noir huffed to the empty streets, misery seeping into his bones along with the cold.

He vaguely wondered if the water in his hair had turned to ice yet, but the way the thunder rumbled overhead made him reconsider that. Perhaps it was still liquid because of the torrential downpour that was still going on. His teeth chattered despite the insulation his suit was supposed to provide, and Chat Noir wondered if he could wriggle free of the yo-yo string and take cover somewhere until the battle was over.

He tugged experimentally and realized that the string was much too tight to get free on his own. He might be able to Cataclysm it, but he wasn’t sure how that would affect Ladybug and he definitely didn’t want to somehow hurt his friend - who he was somehow even more desperately in love with than before.

He’d just have to wait for her to return; she needed the yo-yo to purify the akuma, after all. She’d be back.

Chat Noir saw a flurry of lightning a few blocks over, and he hoped she was faring well against the villain.

The rain grew impossibly heavier as sleet began to pelt the top of his head, and the wind whistled through the buildings. Chat Noir shivered violently and frowned at the distant battle, hoping it would be over soon so he could spend his lonely Christmas Eve wrapped in a blanket instead of as a cat-sicle.

“Alya, what the heck are you doing?” A male voice shouted from the left, and Chat Noir’s head snapped over to the noise.

A young woman wearing a Ladybug themed Christmas sweater had emerged from one of the shops, and was marching toward him. The man who had yelled was running behind her with a rain jacket, trying to drape it over her shoulders to shield her from the rain.

“Somebody has to do something,” Alya - he assumed that was her name - said.

The man’s eyes darted between the woman and Chat Noir apprehensively, “Alya, that’s Chat Noir!”

Alya marched on, seemingly unphased by the sleet that pelted her unprotected head or her companion’s concerns. Chat Noir’s ears flattened against his skull as the woman advanced on his position.

“Go back inside if you’re scared, Nino,” she called over her shoulder.

Nino whined and continued to follow a few paces behind Alya, obviously terrified and freezing but unwilling to leave her to face a supervillain alone. She stopped a few feet in front of Chat Noir, hands on her hips as she regarded him sternly. He finally recognized her as the reporter who ran the wildly successful Ladyblog, Alya Cesaire.

He wondered if she was going to take his Miraculous.

He also wondered if that might actually be for the best. He shook with cold as he awaited her decision. He could activate his Cataclysm to protect his Miraculous, but he couldn’t find it in himself to fight to protect it. Maybe this was fate.

Alya’s intervention could finally end his fight with Ladybug; he lowered his head in defeat.

“I’m gonna untie you,” Alya said, raising her hands placatingly.

Chat Noir blinked at her uncomprehendingly.

“Uh, what?” he asked.

“But! You’re gonna sit on the sidelines and not interrupt Ladybug’s fight if I do,” Alya said sternly, gritting her teeth to fight the impending chatter.

“Alya,” her companion, Nino, looked ready to keel over from the stress of the situation.

“S-Sure, you’ve got a deal,” Chat Noir stammered.

“Good. Don’t make me regret this, Cat Boy,” Alya warned, before grabbing onto the yo-yo and tugging at it the way he’d seen Ladybug do many times. The yo-yo retracted like it always did, and Chat Noir wondered how Alya had known what to do. Perhaps years of following Ladybug around gave her an advantage.

His arms were finally free, and he immediately tucked his hands into his armpits in an attempt to warm up his numb fingers. Nino flinched at the abrupt motion, and Chat Noir gave him an apologetic smile.

“Thank you,” he said to Alya, inclining his head in her direction.

“Don’t thank me yet, you’re gonna stay where I can see you until this thing’s over. A deal’s a deal,” she said, crossing her arms against the cold and nodding toward the shop she’d come from.

He could see now that it was a bakery, and the idea of waiting indoors surrounded by good smells was way too good to pass up. Not that he was necessarily planning to double cross his bossy savior.

He gave her a two finger salute and a cheeky smile, “Yes ma’am!”

Nino’s eyebrows rose in surprise at his easy agreement and Alya chuckled, “Let’s get outta this rain!”

The three of them dashed over to the bakery and ducked inside. It smelled even more heavenly than he expected, and the warmth was such a relief from the biting wind outside. The three of them dripped large puddles onto the floor, and Chat Noir met the eyes of the stunned shopkeepers with an apologetic smile.

The shopkeepers immediately rushed out of sight into what he assumed was the kitchen. His cat ears drooped in disappointment at the idea of leaving the warmth and heavenly smells of the shop, but he was fairly sure he could convince Alya he’d stay out of Ladybug’s way so he could stop imposing on the bakers.

“I don’t think I’m welcome here,” Chat Noir began, turning to Alya with a frown.

Before Alya could respond, the shopkeepers rushed back into the room armed with a pile of towels.

“You kids are going to catch your death of cold!” The small Asian woman admonished, draping a towel over Alya’s head and wiping her face dry.

The large man did the same to Nino, who protested that he could dry himself off, thank you very much. Chat Noir openly stared as the shopkeepers fussed over his two saviors. He shivered again, rubbing his tingling hands together to generate some heat.

The woman must have noticed the movement in her peripheral vision, because she swiftly turned to Chat Noir. There was a moment’s hesitation, and then she approached him with another towel in hand. He stood stock still as she carefully draped the towel around his shoulders and rubbed his cheek with the end of the towel.

An old familiar ache sprang up in his chest as he looked into her kind motherly eyes.

“My name is Sabine, and this is my husband Tom. We hope you won’t be causing any trouble, young man,” she said, quirking an eyebrow playfully.

Chat Noir shivered again and clutched the towel with both hands as he shook his head.

“Of course not. Thank you,” he said, blinking at the kind bakers in surprise.

“Let’s get you kids something warm to drink,” Tom declared, ushering them all to a table. Nino took a seat immediately, and Alya motioned for Chat Noir to sit too. He obeyed, and Tom replaced their soaked towels with dry ones.

“Tea or hot chocolate?” Sabine asked.

It took Chat Noir a moment to realize she was talking to him, and he scrambled to answer.

“Tea?” He squeaked.

Sabine looked unimpressed with this choice, and he wondered if he’d somehow chosen wrong. Tea was simpler, right?

“I think the dude actually wants hot chocolate,” Nino drawled.

Chat Noir raised an incredulous eyebrow at Nino, and the other guy shrugged.

“It was super obvious, my man,” Nino said.

Everyone else nodded in agreement, and Chat Noir shrunk down in his seat.

“Hot chocolate, then?” He said, looking to Sabine for approval.

She nodded and headed off to the kitchen, he assumed she already knew what the other two wanted. Tom sat down a tray of assorted baked goods and Chat Noir’s eyes widened with unrestrained glee.

“Dig in,” Tom prompted, a laugh in his voice as he regarded Chat Noir’s unfettered interest in the plate.

Chat Noir immediately grabbed a chocolate chip cookie and took an eager bite.

“This is so good!” He proclaimed, prompting another laugh from Tom.

“Thanks, glad to know even supervillains have good taste!” Tom joked.

“I’ll have you know, I’m purr-fectly cultured,” Chat Noir said easily, placing a clawed hand over his heart.

Tom looked delighted at the joke, and pride swelled in Chat Noir’s chest. Nino snorted in surprise, and Alya barked out a laugh.

“So the cat puns are a constant with you?” Alya asked, leaning forward with interest.

Chat Noir shrugged and took another bite of the heavenly cookie he’d been blessed with. Sabine returned with a tray of hot chocolates, while Tom mopped up the mess they’d made at the entrance. Chat Noir took a grateful sip of the hot chocolate, and decided that these people must just have some sort of food magic that made anything they touched absolutely delicious.

There was another flurry of lightning outside, and Chat Noir sat up straight as he squinted out through the window.

“She’s still fighting the akumatized villain?” He mused to himself, ears flattening again.

Alya nodded, “I was out there live-streaming before, but it was way too slippery to keep following her on foot.”

Chat Noir winced at the memory, “Tell me about it.”

“Do you think she’s okay without her yo-yo?” Nino murmured.

Chat Noir’s eyes widened as he glanced at the yo-yo Alya held in her hand.

“Crap,” Alya said, gazing down at the yo-yo with wide eyes.

“She needs that to purify the Akuma,” Chat Noir said, a pit forming in his stomach.

“Why would she leave it here?” Tom asked, brows furrowed in concern.

“Because of me,” the cat villain said with a frown.

Chat Noir stood abruptly, causing the chair to scrape against the floor. Alya followed suit, brandishing the yo-yo in an approximation of a threat.

“Hey, you promised not to interrupt Ladybug!” Alya shouted.

Chat Noir raised his hands placatingly, “She needs that yo-yo if she’s going to finish the fight.”

Nino’s jaw dropped as the implications of that statement dawned on him, “What?”

“I’ll take it to her,” Chat Noir said, flinching as the lightning picked up in frequency.

He held his hand out for the item, giving Alya a pleading look.

Alya eyed him distrustfully, “Why would you do that? How do I know you’re not gonna take it to Hawkmoth?”

“Alya, she needs it now,” Chat Noir urged, glancing between her and the lightning in the distance.

She followed his gaze, and her eyebrows pulled together in concentration.

“I’m coming with you,” she declared.

“Alyaaa,” Nino whined.

“Let’s go then,” Chat Noir said, dropping his towel on the back of the seat and striding toward the door.

Tom watched with worry as Alya followed him to the exit. Nino trailed behind her, raincoat in hand as he tried to put it on her once again.

Sabine called out, “Come back here to dry off when you’re done. You have to finish your hot chocolate, after all.”

Chat Noir grinned at her, “Absolutely.”

“You keep Alya safe, you hear,” Nino said, frowning at Chat Noir.

He nodded his agreement as Alya finally tugged on her raincoat again.

“So how are we doing this?” She asked, glancing between the supervillain and the rooftops.

“I’d offer to just carry you, but with the weather conditions, I kinda need both hands to climb the buildings. Are you cool with a piggy-back ride?” Chat Noir asked with a cautious grin.

“Yeah, I’m basically a pro at hanging on for dear life while someone really dangerous drags me across rooftops,” Alya said with a wave of her hand.

Nino grumbled something unintelligible at that.

Chat Noir laughed and turned his back so she could jump on.

Then they were off.

He was infinitely grateful that his suit came with claws as he scaled the building in the sleeting rain. Having Alya on his back provided a tiny bit of extra warmth, so he tried to convince himself that bringing her along wasn’t a completely terrible idea.

He dug his claws into the brick one more time and then jumped the rest of the way up to the rooftop. Once they were up there, he scanned the skyline for any sign of Ladybug. Alya shivered against his back, and he once again doubted whether he should have brought her with him. He blinked freezing cold water out of his eyes and sighed, causing a puff of mist to escape his lips. A flash of lightning to the north alerted him to the red figure in the distance, and he turned in that direction, poised to jump to the next rooftop.

“Hang on tight,” he told Alya, and then leaped across the chasm.

To her credit, Alya only screamed the first time, when his landing on the other roof involved more sliding on ice than she expected. After that, she had faith that he wouldn’t cause them both to plummet to their deaths.

As they drew closer to the battle, the proximity of the lightning grew too close for comfort, and Chat Noir dropped down to the streets again for Alya’s safety. It suddenly occurred to him that he had no idea how he was going to give the yo-yo to Ladybug without his father knowing about it.

He skidded to a stop and peeked around the building, seeing the akumatized villain atop the neighboring villain and ducking back before he could be spotted.

“What’s the problem?” Alya asked, shouting over the wind.

“I can’t let him see me,” Chat Noir answered, lowering Alya to her feet and turning to her with a puzzled frown. She wrapped her arms around herself to defend against the cold.

“Why not?” She asked, yo-yo still clutched tightly in her hand.

“Hawkmoth will know I helped Ladybug, and that would be bad,” he admitted.

Alya’s eyes widened, “Bad how? Is he threatening you?”

Chat Noir grimaced, “No. Yes? It doesn’t matter, we need to get that to Ladybug!”

Alya grinned, “I got this. You just be ready to get me out of the way if Sparky over there decides to fry me.”

Chat Noir nodded his agreement, hoping it wouldn’t come to that. Alya took a deep breath and then looked up at the sky, shielding her eyes from the rain as she searched for Ladybug. Another flash of red to the left alerted Chat Noir to her presence, and he pointed Alya in the right direction.

The Ladyblogger took off into the street, and Chat Noir followed in the shadows.

“Ladybug!!” Alya shouted, waving her arms to catch the heroine’s attention.

Ladybug’s head snapped over in Alya’s direction, and Alya held the yo-yo up triumphantly. Unfortunately Weather Master noticed her too, and Chat Noir tensed in case he needed to get her out of the way. Ladybug bolted to Alya, feet sliding on the rooftops as she went, and then jumped off the building to hurtle toward Alya at breakneck speed.

Weather Master readied a lightning bolt, and Chat Noir gritted his teeth.

“Come on, come on, come on,” he muttered to himself, watching the clouds darken over Alya’s head.

Ladybug caught Alya around the middle, grabbed the yo-yo and swung them both around the adjacent building - effectively dodging the lightning strike. Chat Noir could feel the static in the air, and the smell of ozone burned his sensitive nose.

He sighed in relief as Ladybug swung around the building, she must have deposited Alya there for safe keeping. She did seem very distracted though; perhaps she was waiting for Chat Noir to join in the fight. She had no way of knowing that he’d been dismissed, and the return of her yo-yo might have meant he’d escaped her trap.

She whacked Weather Master with her yo-yo, causing the akumatized man to redden with anger. Electricity gathered around him as he prepared another attack. Ladybug glanced around again, and Chat Noir winced as Weather Master took advantage of her distraction and blasted her off the roof with a gust of wind.

She managed to catch herself before she hit the ground, but Chat Noir realized he really needed to let her know he wasn’t going to interfere.

Before he could move, Ladybug launched herself back up into the air and dove toward the akumatized villain. She reached out to make a grab at the man’s necklace at the same time that he generated another blast of wind. She veered off course, and aimed herself at a neighboring rooftop. Ladybug slid haphazardly as she made her landing, and just barely managed to stay on the roof.

She glanced to the left and locked eyes with Chat Noir, eyes widening with what looked like fear and exhaustion. Her hair was plastered to her face, her teeth were chattering, her nose was red from cold, and despite it all Chat Noir had never seen anything more beautiful in his life.

Her distraction bought Weather Master time, and the lightning appeared fully charged. Chat Noir’s heart dropped as he realized that Ladybug was unlikely to dodge the strike.

Chat Noir growled, slammed his staff into the ground, and extended it to create a lightning rod. He shot up into the sky, hoping and praying that he’d be fast enough. Chat Noir cleared the building as the lightning flashed, and he abandoned his staff in favor of hurtling toward Ladybug at top speed. He felt the heat of the lightning at his back as he tackled Ladybug to the ground, cradling her head to lessen the impact. She stared up at him with wonder, and wasn’t sure which one of them was trembling at the moment.

“Move, Chat Noir! Or I’ll zap you too!” Weather Master shouted.

If Hawkmoth didn’t know he saved Ladybug before, he definitely knew now.

Chat Noir’s ears flattened against his head, and he took up a defensive stance in front of Ladybug. He heard her get to her feet, and he flinched as his father’s voice came through his earpiece.

“Adrien. Return to base immediately,” Hawkmoth snapped.

He knew that tone. It was the tone Gabriel used when he refused to let Adrien move out into his own apartment even though Adrien was an adult.

It was the tone that came before the bars on 14 year-old Adrien’s windows. It was the security cameras in his room. It was the tracker on his phone.

It was the sound of Adrien’s freedom slipping from his grasp.

Chat Noir narrowed his eyes at the glowing butterfly outline over Weather Master’s face, indicating that Hawkmoth was talking to the villain.

“No thanks,” Chat Noir retorted, baring his teeth at the villain before yanking the earpiece out and tossing it off the roof.

Small hands wrapped around his left arm and pulled, getting him clear of a second blast of lightning. He looked into Ladybug’s wide hopeful eyes. He offered her a weak smile.

“Thanks, Bug,” he said, voice tight with emotion.

“Now we’re even,” Ladybug said as her spinning yo-yo picked up speed.

He took up a defensive position protecting her back, and there was a distinct feeling of rightness about it.

Ladybug and Chat Noir dodged a flurry of lightning strikes, dancing around each other as if they’d been working together for years. The smell of ozone hung heavy in the air while wind and hail pelted them from all angles.

It was exhilarating.

It was terrifying.

After what felt like a lifetime of dodging and weaving, Weather Master needed to recharge again before he could use more lightning, so they had a bit of time before they needed to dodge electricity again. All it took was one look from Ladybug, and Chat Noir instinctively knew he needed to cover her while she called for her Lucky Charm.

“Hey Weather Wizard, taking you down will be a breeze,” Chat Noir taunted, directing the man’s attention away from Ladybug.

“It’s Weather Master, not Weather Wizard!” The akumatized villain shrieked, blasting Chat Noir with more wind. He barely managed to stay on the slippery roof by digging his claws into the cement.

“Is that all you’ve got? I thought you’d be cooler. You’re just a discount Stormy Weather,” Chat Noir quipped with a smirk.

Weather Master howled in frustration as the clouds overhead darkened. Chat Noir hoped Ladybug’s plan would come together soon. He glanced over to see her holding a kickball, of all things.

He raised an eyebrow at her, and she just shrugged helplessly. The butterfly outline glowed over Weather Master’s face, and the villain turned to face Ladybug once again. Chat Noir sighed and mentally prepared himself to be as annoying as possible.

“Weather Meister, heads up!” Chat Noir taunted as he leaped toward the villain, flipping in the air, bouncing off Weather Master’s shoulders, and landing masterfully in front of Ladybug.

The villain clenched his fists with rage and grabbed for Chat Noir, seemingly forgetting that long range attacks were his preferred method of fighting. Chat Noir managed to keep him busy for a bit, but eventually Hawkmoth reminded Weather Master that his lightning attacks were fully charged now.

Then Chat Noir and Ladybug were dodging lightning again, which was pretty miserable when they were already so cold, wet, and tired. Ladybug aimed her kickball at the adjacent building and kicked with superhuman strength, sending the ball flying at top speed. It set off a domino effect of falling objects, and Weather Master was so distracted trying to hit his adversaries that he wasn’t paying much attention to the tumbling items around him. He aimed a lightning strike at Ladybug, just as an empty bucket rolled into his path and tripped him.

Ladybug grinned and moved to dodge another lightning strike, but her foot hit a patch of ice and she wasn’t moving fast enough to get clear. Chat Noir instinctively shoved her out of the way, and then it felt like fire was coursing through his veins. The world spun sickeningly, and Ladybug’s muffled shout filled his ears. In a way, he recognized that he’d messed up, but he couldn’t bring himself to regret his actions.

Then everything went black as he lost consciousness.

…

Suddenly, he was upright again, and everything was crystal clear. It was as if he’d never been hit by about 300 million volts of electricity. He blinked in confusion at the beautiful gentle snow blanketing Paris. The horrible rain, wind, and sleet from earlier were nothing but a distant memory.

The man who had been Weather Master was nowhere to be seen. Ladybug must have cast her Miraculous Cure and dropped the victim off at ground level. Now she was gracefully sailing up over the side of the building he was standing on, and she was hurtling toward him dangerously fast.

Chat Noir yelped as the yo-yo string wrapped around his torso and was yanked taut. Suddenly he was nose to nose with Ladybug. She stared into his eyes with pinpoint focus, and he blinked back at her with no small amount of trepidation.

Apparently this was how it ended for him.

And what a way to go.

“What were you thinking?” She demanded, eyes blazing with unfettered fury and lips turned down in a deep frown.

“I-“ he began.

She crashed her lips to his, and his brain short circuited. The kiss was rough and desperate, and he vaguely wished his arms were free despite not having much capacity for thought in the first place. Not that he’d make any complaints about being thoroughly kissed by Ladybug, however it happened. His heart pounded in his chest as he returned her heated kiss with equal fervor.

Ladybug broke away with a sad sigh, and Chat Noir’s stomach did little cartwheels at the feel of her breath on his face. The anger had simmered down, and now he could see the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.

“Are you okay?” She asked in a small voice.

His heart ached at the pain in her voice.

“Of course. You fixed everything,” Chat Noir breathlessly reminded her wearing what he was sure was the dopiest smile in the entire world.

She retracted her yo-yo string, and his arms were finally free to reach for her. He pulled her to his chest, and she placed her ear against his heart. They stayed like that for a moment, and it was like they were the only two people in the world.

“You helped me,” Ladybug said, voice full of wonder.

Reality came crashing down on Chat Noir like a bucket of ice water.

“I helped you,” he repeated, eyes widening with realization.

He had turned on his father. He had finally worked side by side with Ladybug. Joy and terror wrestled for control within him.

Terror won out.

He extricated himself from Ladybug’s embrace and held her at arms’ length, looking into her eyes with urgency.

“Hawkmoth is my father,” he said, inwardly begging her to also understand the things he didn’t know how to put into words.

“What!?” She yelped, obviously taken aback by this new information.

“I live with him. He’ll confiscate my Miraculous when I get home,” Chat Noir said, giving her upper arms a gentle squeeze before yanking the ring from his finger and placing it in her hand.

The gentle cold of the snow cut straight through Adrien’s sweater, and he shivered as he gazed into Ladybug’s bewildered blue eyes.

“That’s why I’m giving it to you,” Adrien said, closing her limp fingers around the ring that contained Plagg, his only friend during his lonely teenage years.

His heart ached at the loss.

Ladybug gaped at him. Her beautiful blue eyes were wide with shock as she searched his face. What she found there, Adrien wasn’t sure. She obviously recognized him, and no doubt had unraveled the identity of Hawkmoth. His eyes swam with tears as he gently brushed Ladybug’s bangs out of her eyes.

“Take care of Plagg for me?” Adrien asked, voice raw with emotion.

Ladybug snapped out of her daze and shook her head quickly.

“No, I won’t take your Miraculous! We’re finally partners,” she said, blinking back tears of her own.

“My father will take it if you don’t,” Adrien said with a sigh.

She sniffled as she looked between his face and the ring in her hand, eyes narrowed as she tried to think of alternatives.

“I’m sorry, My Lady. I loved being your partner for the day,” Adrien assured her.

Ladybug’s eyes glinted with fierce determination, and he recognized it as the look she got when she’d figured out a tricky Lucky Charm.

“I’m not letting you go. It’s you and me against the world, Kitty,” Ladybug said, taking his hand and sliding the ring back onto his finger. Adrien’s heart leapt at that declaration, and he wondered how it was possible to love this woman any more than he already did.

Plagg swirled out of the ring with a disgruntled yowl.

“Listen to the bug, Kid. You hate living with that control freak anyway. And don’t you ever renounce me again,” Plagg snapped, jabbing his little arm at Adrien in an approximation of a threat.

“Plagg, you know I’m right. He’ll find me in no time. It’s dangerous to keep you,” Adrien argued with a shake of his head.

Plagg crossed his little arms, “I fried your phone so he can’t track you. You’re welcome.”

Adrien sighed, “I’ve got one of the most recognizable faces in Paris. If Ladybug hides me, it’ll put her identity in jeopardy.”

Ladybug rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand, which she was still holding onto.

“I know Hawkmoth’s identity too now, thanks to you. We can keep you hidden until I defeat him. Once I hand him over to the authorities, you should be able to get your own place without fear of him taking your Miraculous,” Ladybug said with a bright smile.

Adrien blinked at her in shock. She was handing him the proverbial key to his gilded cage, with no qualifiers or special conditions. She didn’t even expect Adrien to fight with her against his father. Ladybug only wanted to set him free.

A large grin split across his face, and he pulled her into a gentle embrace.

“You have no idea what that means to me, Ladybug,” he murmured into her hair.

“Finally. Hurry up and transform so we can get out of this snow,” Plagg remarked in his signature grumpy voice.

“Claws out,” Adrien said with a laugh, allowing the transformation to wash over him again.

This time, he was free of the shackles his father placed on him the first time he transformed. It felt different somehow. Ladybug pulled back to get a good look at her partner, and then she smiled just as brightly as he did. He leaned down to press his forehead to hers, and her cheeks reddened.

“Ohmygosh, I kissed you,” Ladybug gasped.

Chat Noir chuckled and wiggled his eyebrows at her, “I’m hoping it wasn’t a one-time deal.”

She rolled her eyes good-naturedly and gently pecked his lips, which caused his heart to skip a beat. Then Ladybug danced out of Chat Noir’s grasp with a playful grin, and he gave her an exaggerated pout.

“I wasn’t ready,” Chat Noir complained.

“Really sorry to interrupt, but I am freezing and my boyfriend is probably freaking out,” a female voice cut in.

The color drained out of Chat Noir’s face as he turned to face Alya.

“How much of that did you see?” He asked, voice sounding almost strangled with nerves.

Alya smiled sheepishly, “A lot of it? But don’t worry, I’m an expert secret keeper. Just ask Ladybug.”

He looked to Ladybug for confirmation, and she smiled encouragingly.

“Chat Noir, I’d like you to meet my best friend Alya Cesaire,” Ladybug said, unaware that this wasn’t their first meeting.

“We met earlier, actually,” Chat Noir said with a shrug.

Ladybug tilted her head questioningly, “Really?”

Alya laughed and placed her hands on her hips, “He brought me here to return your yo-yo.”

Ladybug smiled at him, gratitude radiating from her entire being.

“Kitty, you brought me my yo-yo? And protected my crazy best friend?” She asked with a teasing glance in Alya’s direction.

Alya made a sound of mock indignation at being called crazy, and he reluctantly peeled his eyes off of Ladybug.

Chat Noir grinned over at Alya, “Well, it was a team effort. Alya was very helpful.”

“I can tell you all about it on the way back, girl,” Alya said, rubbing her arms in a vain attempt to get warm.

“Oh! I promised I’d return you to that bakery,” Chat Noir said, stepping toward Alya with a sheepish shrug.

“Oh no worries, we’re all headed there!” Ladybug said with a smile.

Chat Noir tilted his head, trying to understand why Ladybug would be headed back to that bakery.

Ladybug giggled and reached up to ruffle his hair playfully, “So, I actually have a close circle of people who are aware of my identity. This hero gig has been pretty lonely, so the people I’ve told have kept me sane.”

Chat Noir nodded in understanding and tried to ignore the gnawing guilt at the idea that he was the reason she was so lonely. He opened his mouth to apologize, but she only pressed a finger to his lips.

“I’m telling you this so you aren’t blindsided, not so you’ll apologize for circumstances beyond your control,” Ladybug said sternly.

Alya nodded vehemently and glanced longingly in the direction of the warm bakery.

“I’m going to reveal my identity to you. First, because I trust you. And second, because my circle of trusted people will be more than willing to help me hide you from Hawkmoth,” Ladybug continued.

“But they’ll need to know my identity,” Chat Noir concluded.

“Yeah, that’s not something we can get around, but you can stay transformed until you feel ready to tell them. They won’t pressure you,” Ladybug said.

“Now let’s go,” Alya declared, grabbing Ladybug’s hand and pulling her forward.

Ladybug laughed and scooped Alya up before she tugged Chat Noir into a run beside her. Ladybug threw out her yo-yo and launched herself and Alya into the sky. Chat Noir kept pace with her so naturally that it felt like breathing, vaulting from building to building with practiced ease. He whooped with joy as he leaped across a busy street with Ladybug swinging at his side, and she answered with an elated laugh.

The civilians had started to emerge from their hiding places, and their exclamations of surprise ranged from amazed to fearful as they watched the super powered duo race across the rooftops. Chat Noir had been seen chasing Ladybug very often, but they’d never been spotted running side-by-side.

Ha, spotted.

They were nearing the bakery, and he wondered how they’d get in unnoticed. Ladybug swung around a building, which conveniently had no windows facing the balcony on top of the bakery, and alighted on the aforementioned balcony. She pushed open the trapdoor with her foot and unceremoniously dropped Alya into the hole. Chat Noir gaped at her and rushed to the opening to ensure Alya’s safety.

Sure enough, there was a soft bed for Alya to land on beyond the trapdoor. He sighed with relief.

“Haha you should see the look on your face,” Alya said with a Cheshire grin before starting her descent into the bedroom.

Ladybug was the next to drop into the room, expertly avoiding the bed and landing in the middle of the floor like a gymnast. Chat Noir followed her example and closed the trapdoor before he landed lightly in front of Ladybug with catlike grace.

“Ten out of ten, great form,” Alya called from the steps she was climbing down.

Chat Noir tipped an imaginary hat at Alya, before Ladybug’s voice called his attention to her.

“This is my old room in my parents’ apartment. I keep some of my things here, but I have my own apartment closer to the university,” she said.

He nodded along.

“So I can get this space cleared out, and you can have this room until you’re ready to get your own place,” Ladybug said with a smile.

Chat Noir was incredibly touched by the gesture, and since his throat felt a bit too right for words, he tried his best to convey his gratitude through his smile.

“Spots off,” Ladybug said, before her super suit melted away in a flash of pink light.

Now a beautiful dark haired young woman dressed in a cozy pink sweater stood before him, looking so normal and yet so extraordinary. Her red, spotted Kwami gave Chat Noir a brilliant smile and inclined her head in greeting.

“I’m so glad to finally meet you! My name is Tikki,” the red creature said in a sweet voice.

Chat Noir blinked at the sweet Kwami in amazement, “Hi Tikki.”

“Marinette, I’m gonna borrow some clothes. I’m soaked,” Alya said as she made her way to the closet.

“Help yourself,” Ladybug, no Marinette, said.

“I’m sure you heard just now, but I’m Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” she said with a soft smile that made his heart skip a beat.

Chat Noir hesitantly reached for her hands, hoping he wasn’t being too presumptuous. Marinette smiled a bit shyly as she accepted his request, and he gave her fingers a gentle squeeze.

“You are so beautiful, Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” he said reverently.

“Eep,” she squeaked.

Her cheeks flushed prettily, and he became acutely aware of the sound of Alya searching through the closet. It would be rude to ask to kiss her again with Alya still over there, right? Instead, Chat Noir brought Marinette’s left hand to his lips experimentally, and the young woman’s face grew impossibly redder.

“You’re beautiful too,” she blurted.

Chat Noir’s heart leapt, and he smiled against her knuckles. He’d never seen this softer side of her before, and he was blown away by how absolutely adorable it was.

“Thanks, Bugaboo,” he replied with a flirtatious wink.

He was rewarded by another flustered squeak from Marinette.

“You two are so freaking sweet. I’m gonna get cavities,” Alya exclaimed with a grin as she returned to the room wearing a pink polka dotted sweater.

“Oh, let’s go show Nino that Alya survived,” Marinette said with a giggle and a roll of her eyes.

“Yeah, I think he’s going insane down there,” Alya said with a laugh.

“My parents own the bakery below, as you’ve probably guessed.They live here above it,” Marinette explained as she released one of Chat Noir’s hands in order to guide him toward the trapdoor that presumably led to the rest of the house. Alya had already disappeared through it, and they both followed her into the main house.

Nino looked like a nervous wreck sitting on the couch next to Sabine, who was patting his back reassuringly. Tom was bustling around the kitchen, seemingly whipping something delicious up, if the fantastic smells were anything to go by.

Chat Noir’s mouth watered.

“I’m alive,” Alya announced to the room.

Nino jumped to his feet and immediately rushed to his girlfriend, checking her over as if he expected to find something broken despite her obvious amusement at his antics. Once he determined that she was unharmed, he crushed her in a hug.

“I was so worried about you! Why didn’t you answer your phone?” Nino demanded.

Alya grinned sheepishly, “Honestly, I didn’t think it would take this long to get back. I figured I’d fill you in when I got here.”

Sabine’s eyes immediately locked on Chat Noir, and then drifted to his and Marinette’s joined hands. The woman seemed to almost sag with relief.

“Oh Marinette, you brought Chat Noir back with you,” Sabine said with a watery smile.

“We worked together this time, Maman,” Marinette said, squeezing his hand in her own and smiling more brightly than the sun itself.

Tom dropped the pot he’d been drying with a loud clatter that made Chat Noir’s ears ring. A surprised hiss escaped through his teeth as he shrunk back, and Marinette graciously ignored his reaction. Nino and Alya flinched in surprise, but they recovered well.

“Oho! That’s fantastic news! We need to celebrate,” Tom Dupain declared as he scooped the pot off of the floor.

“I’m so glad you came back, dear!” Sabine said to Chat Noir.

“Yeah, man. I’m glad you’re gonna have Marinette’s back from now on. Even if you did scare the crap outta me,” Nino said with an amused grin.

Tom nodded vehemently, “We’ve been so worried about our baby girl out there fighting Hawkmoth all by herself! But now that she has you to help her-“

Sabine and Nino grinned at Chat Noir, whose cat ears pinned back against his head at the unexpected attention. Marinette took a half step in front of him, as if to shield him from their expectations.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Chat Noir isn’t working with Hawkmoth anymore, but he still needs to decide for himself where to go from here. We’re here to support him, whatever he decides,” Marinette declared, crossing her arms over her chest with authority.

Her family and friends looked properly contrite, and Chat Noir’s chest twinged with guilt.

“I want to help, honestly. I just don’t know if I’m ready to stand up to him yet,” he said, staring at his boots instead of meeting the eyes of Ladybug’s trusted circle.

A gentle hand on his face lifted his chin so that he was meeting Marinette’s warm gaze.

“And that’s okay, Kitty. I would never expect you to take a step you aren’t ready for,” she said.

“But you need help. You need me,” he began.

Her eyes narrowed, but the kindness didn’t dissipate despite the flint in her eyes.

“I do need you, Chat Noir. But you’ve done so much to stand up to him already. This is so much harder on you than it is on me, so let me shoulder the things you aren’t ready to handle for now,” Marinette said, tenderly brushing her thumb across his cheek as she smiled up at him.

Affection for this amazing woman bubbled up inside him, and he surged forward to embrace her. One of his arms wrapped around her strong shoulders, and the other wound around her waist. Her small hands rubbed his back comfortingly as he buried his nose in her hair.

“I can’t believe this is actually happening,” he whispered.

“I’m sorry, Kitty,” Marinette murmured into his shoulder.

“Don’t be. I-I haven’t been this happy in a long time,” Chat Noir assured her.

“But you’re also sad,” Marinette said, her voice tight with emotion.

Chat Noir gave her a gentle squeeze, “Yeah. But I’ll be okay, Bug.”

He brushed a quick kiss against her forehead before he stepped back to a respectable distance. He hadn’t forgotten about their audience, after all. Said audience looked curiously unsurprised at the closeness between the Miraculous holders.

Tom looked especially smug as he shared a conspiratorial look with Sabine. Chat Noir’s brow furrowed as he tried to decipher the meaning of the wordless exchange, but Marinette’s fingers laced with his once again, drawing his full attention back to her.

“Papa, is the food almost ready?” Marinette asked, smiling in her father’s direction.

“Oh, yes! I just have to take the rolls out of the oven,” Tom replied with a jovial laugh before returning to his work in the kitchen.

He paused and turned, as if he’d just remembered something important.

“You’ll still join us for dinner, won’t you, Son?” Tom asked with a bright grin.

“Sure,” Chat Noir replied meekly.

“Fantastic! Glad to have you,” Tom called as he resumed his path to the kitchen.

Sabine gave Tom’s retreating back a fond look before turning to Chat Noir with a kind smile.

“Would you like anything special for yourself or your Kwami, dear? We’ve got Tikki’s favorite cookies already,” Sabine said.

Chat Noir blinked at her in surprise.

“Oh, there’s no need to do anything special for us. We’d be happy to have what you’ve already prepared,” he said, voice dropping into the overly respectful cadence he often used when he was interacting with the media as Adrien Agreste.

Marinette’s mouth suddenly pulled down into a frown that looked more sad than angry, and Sabine’s expression wavered for just a second.

Chat Noir wondered what he’d done wrong.

“At least let me get something for your Kwami.They must be famished,” Sabine said with a gentle smile.

Chat Noir nodded his agreement, realizing that denying Sabine her request would be much more rude than imposing on their family dinner.

“Plagg likes cheese. Camembert, specifically,” Chat Noir replied.

Sabine smiled at him.

“We do happen to have Camembert in the bakery fridge! Marinette and Tom wanted to experiment with flavor combinations tomorrow,” Sabine said.

Marinette flushed, “What a coincidence.”

Chat Noir gave her a sly grin, “Aw Bugaboo, were you planning to make something for Plagg?”

Marinette pouted, “Well, now you’ve ruined the surprise. I made you a gift in case I got to see you on Christmas, and Tikki told me Plagg’s favorite cheese. It would only be fair to give him a gift too.”

Chat Noir reached for Marinette’s hands, and she allowed him to thread his fingers through hers.

“That is so sweet. You hoped you’d see me on Christmas?” he said in a teasing sing-song voice.

“Yes, you dumb cat. Now I’m regretting it. Maybe you’ll get your gift next year instead,” Marinette replied, turning her nose up playfully.

“My Lady,” Chat Noir said, pulling her closer even as she continued to avert her gaze. A smile tugged at the edges of her lips despite her efforts to maintain a pout.

“Are you saying you hope you’ll see me on Christmas next year too?” he teased.

“Maybe I am,” Marinette replied, finally meeting his gaze with a confident smirk that made his heart stutter.

“I think that could be arranged,” Chat Noir responded with an elated smile.

“Chat Noir, I warmed your hot chocolate up,” Tom bellowed as he entered the room again with a mug in hand.

Marinette yelped and blushed furiously as she yanked her hands out of Chat Noir’s grasp in order to cover her face.

Chat Noir’s smile was a bit strained as he accepted the mug from Tom.

“Thank you,” he said through his teeth.

Alya snickered on the other side of the room, where she was in the middle of setting the table. Nino was making a show of being completely engrossed in putting the plates in their places.

Tom laughed awkwardly, “Sorry, I guess I interrupted something.”

“It’s alright. Is the food ready?” Sabine asked her husband, shaking her head with a fond smile.

Tom grinned, “Yep! Marinette can help me finish setting up, and you can take Chat Noir to get that cheese.”

“Would you like to come with me to get the cheese, dear? You could detransform in the supply room to feed your Kwami,” Sabine offered.

Chat Noir nodded and moved to follow her.

Sabine led the way to the door, and Marinette gave him an encouraging smile as he followed her mother down the stairs.

The petite woman stopped on the second landing and turned to face him, fingers laced together behind her back as she gave him another motherly smile that made his heart ache.

“I hope I’m not overstepping by saying this, but I wanted to let you know that I want to help you in any way I can. We may not have met before today, but I have been wishing you well for a very long time. I’m not sure what the connection is between you and Hawkmoth, but I can see that this is a very difficult time for you. You are not obligated to tell me or Tom anything at all, but we are more than willing to listen if you decide you want to share,” Sabine said, fingers still laced behind her back, as if she were doing so to prevent herself from reaching out to him.

The idea that she offered support without demanding anything from him made his chest tighten, and more tears pricked at his eyes.

“And I’m sure Marinette has already extended the invitation, but if you need a place to stay, you are more than welcome here. We would be happy to have you as a guest for however long you may need.” Sabine said, finally unlacing her fingers from behind her back and giving in to the temptation to give his cheek a gentle pat.

Marinette hadn’t even spoken to Sabine about his needing a place to stay yet, but Sabine was already offering their home to him freely; without any context or explanation of why he might need it. It cast his father’s way of dealing with things into sharp contrast.

“Thank you,” he said with a sniffle. “You’re very kind.”

Sabine gave him a bright smile and gestured for him to follow her once more.

“You’re very welcome. Come, let’s get that cheese,” she said cheerfully as she led the way down to the bakery.

As they ventured into the bakery, Sabine flipped on a light switch in the display cabinet, illuminating rows of decadent desserts. Chat Noir tried to keep his eyes facing forward, but they drifted to the beautiful pastries in the case against his will.

“Grab one, dear! They’re the items that didn’t sell today,” Sabine said with a kind smile as she opened up one of the industrial sized fridges to retrieve the Camembert.

She approached him with the cheese in hand, and opened the display case.

Chat Noir meekly reached in and picked a lovely cookie decorated like a Christmas sweater. Sabine nodded knowingly.

“I shouldn’t be surprised that you picked one Marinette frosted,” Sabine explained with a shrug.

Chat Noir’s eyes widened as he gazed at the cookie with a new appreciation.

“She did this?” He asked.

Sabine nodded.

“Wow! She’s so amazing,” he said, holding the cookie up with reverence.

“Go ahead and eat the cookie, I won’t tell Tom you spoiled your dinner,” Sabine said conspiratorially.

Adrien obliged, and it was easily the best cookie he’d ever had in his entire life. Though maybe he was a bit biased because his Lady made it.

Marinette’s mother chuckled and patted his shoulder affectionately.

“The supply closet is over here,” Sabine said, opening the door to what appeared to be an oversized pantry.

He accepted the wheel of cheese from her and approached the door, pausing in the doorway as he gazed at the kindly woman in wonder.

“I won’t peek,” Sabine promised.

“N-No, I didn’t think that! I just-“ he paused, shuffling the cheese in his hands as he deliberated.

“Would it be weird if I just…stayed detransformed? I mean, Plagg would probably like to be present for dinner too,” Chat Noir trailed off uncertainly.

“We’d be honored to be trusted with your identity, but again, please don’t feel obligated to disclose anything personal,” Sabine said with an assuring smile.

Chat Noir took a deep breath, “Claws in.”

After the flash of green light faded, Adrien found himself standing in the kitchen of the bakery in his sweater and jeans. Thankfully, the transformation had miraculously dried his clothing.

“Camembert! I knew these people would have good taste,” Plagg said in his signature obnoxious tone.

The Kwami tried to snatch the Camembert from Adrien’s hand, but the young man held it out of reach.

“Wait, Plagg,” Adrien chided.

Sabine looked a bit surprised by the sudden transformation, but she immediately recovered.

“And who do I have the honor of meeting today?” Sabine asked with a kind smile.

“My name is Adrien, and this little glutton is Plagg,” he said with a shy smile.

“I’m very glad to meet you, Adrien. And you too, Plagg,” Sabine said.

“Thank you for your hospitality,” Adrien said, inclining his head in a sign of respect.

“Of course. Shall we go eat?” She continued, gesturing to the stairs.

“Yes! I’m starving,” Plagg whined, making grabby hands at the wheel of Camembert in Adrien’s left hand.

“Okay, one for now,” Adrien acquiesced, giving the Kwami a wedge of cheese.

When they arrived back at the door to the apartment, Adrien hesitated to follow Sabine in as anxiety suddenly struck.

“What gives?” Plagg asked.

“Plagg, what if they hate me?” He whispered to his friend.

“If they didn’t hate actual supervillain Chat Noir, they’re not gonna hate golden boy Adrien Agreste,” Plagg drawled with a roll of his eyes.

That was reasonable. Plagg had a point.

“Okay. I can do this,” Adrien said as he took a deep breath and stepped into the Dupain-Cheng home.

He immediately locked eyes with Marinette across the room, who beamed at him and beckoned him forward. She gestured to the seat beside her, and Adrien made it almost all the way there before Nino caught sight of him.

Nino tilted his head as he processed the new person in the room, and then glanced at Marinette for confirmation.

“Hey dude,” Nino greeted with a casual wave.

Tom came around the corner and skidded to a stop, blinking in surprise before resuming his jovial smile.

“So you took off the claws for dinner?” He asked, placing the rolls in the center of the table.

Adrien chuckled nervously, “Yeah, I did.”

Tom nodded as they all took their seats.

“When are we gonna eat?” Plagg demanded.

“Plagg,” Tikki scolded.

Adrien shot the Kwami a glare, and then turned his attention back to Marinette’s friends and family.

“Um, my name’s Adrien. It’s nice to meet everyone,” he said, his back was ramrod straight as he tried to calm his nerves.

Marinette’s hand found his under the table and his shoulders relaxed a bit.

“Nice to meet you, Adrien. Let’s get started,” Tom said.

With that, everyone began to eat. Adrien tossed the wheel of Camembert to Plagg, who happily zipped away to join Tikki on the coffee table.

The conversation between Marinette’s inner circle flowed easily, and Adrien found himself laughing along with their jokes. He wasn’t quite ready to join in yet, but he hoped he’d hit his stride soon.

“You know, Adrien. You look familiar. Do you stop in for pastries often?” Tom asked, brows furrowed as he thought.

Adrien smiled sadly, “I wish. I don’t really get out much.”

“I think the dude looks familiar too. He’s kinda…radiant, y’know?” Nino drawled, peering at Adrien over steepled fingers.

Adrien’s smile froze on his face.

No.

Surely that was coincidental.

“Nah, he strikes me as kinda carefree,” Alya said, eyes sharp and calculating.

Oh.

Marinette grinned at him and rested her chin on his shoulder.

“Dreamy,” she murmured into his ear.

“That’s it. I’m leaving,” Adrien deadpanned despite the rising flush on his cheeks at the feeling of her breath on his ear.

Tom’s eyes lit up, “You were in that perfume ad!”

Marinette, Alya, and Nino devolved into laughter. Adrien tried his best to pout, but eventually he gave in and joined them. Was this what having friends was like? It was nice.

Marinette’s thumb brushed across the back of his hand, and hope bloomed in his chest. Perhaps this was a sneak peek of his new life.

As Tom cut into the bûche de Noël cake and distributed it to everyone crowded around the dinner table, Adrien had a feeling that this was how things were going to be from now on.

Adrien was finally able to look forward to what the New Year had in store for him, because Ladybug and Chat Noir would face the challenges ahead together.