Experimental Kisses

Their eyes met across the rooftop, about to part ways at the tail end of a grueling akuma fight, but something about the look on Cat Noir's face made Ladybug hesitate.

"Is everything okay, Kitty?"

His eyes peeled away, as if he were embarrassed.
"...Honestly? Not really," he confessed.

"What's wrong?"

"It was a close call this time, LB, I don't know how you came up with that crazy plan and how it actually worked, but..." he let out a shaky, self-conscience laugh. "I was so afraid of losing you. I feel a little...traumatized."

"Oh, Kitty..."

His smile disappeared, as if it required too much energy to maintain. "Do you mind if I..."

Ladybug crashed into him with a hug before he had finished his sentence. He looked like he needed it, and the way his arms wrapped around her, as if she might evaporate if he didn't hold her tightly enough, confirmed it.

They held the embrace for a few seconds, and Ladybug had the distinct thought that she felt safe there.

When the miraculous gave another warning beep, Cat Noir released her reluctantly. "I know you don't like spending extra time together, but...just this once...could you stay? Just for a few minutes. Please? You brought a snack for your kwami, didn't you?"

After a beat, Ladybug nodded-feeling indulgent, and partially pained by how dejected he looked, wanting to see the way his face would light up when she agreed.
"I always do."

Joy flooded his face, and Ladybug restrained her fond smile, loathing to encourage him too much.

They slipped into an alcove of the nondescript roof they had been standing on and sat back to back as the miraculous gave their final beep, releasing their transformations.

They fed their kwamis in silence before retransforming and settling near the edge of the roof. It was a tallish, long, and flat building near the top of Montmartre, shielded from pedestrian eyes by a perimeter of short safety walls and neighboring buildings-directly below them was an alley-but offering quite a breathtaking view of Paris. The superheroes went unnoticed, brushing shoulders as they sat side by side, overlooking the city.

Dusk approached with a golden glow, and the city lights were starting to turn on, echoing the hue of the sky.

"How do you do it, LB?" Cat Noir's voice was scarcely audible over the pedestrian murmurs and the sound of bird calls.

Ladybug turned to look at his profile. "Do what?"

"Handle the pressure. If you make a mistake...all of Paris ends up dead." Cat Noir let out a morbid chuckle.

"Ladybug covered her face and moaned. "Oh wow, Cat Noir. I really don't need you reframing it that way. I try not to think about it like that."

"Sorry." He did sound sorry.

A car passed somewhere below, playing loud music, but from Ladybug and Cat Noir's vantage point, they couldn't see anyone. It was like they were in another parallel universe, filled with the sounds of civilian life, but separated. It felt peaceful, especially since they were usually the center of public attention every other time they crossed paths.

Ladybug pondered how to answer Cat Noir's question. Considering her tendency to catastrophize, she wasn't sure how she managed to keep a cool head when dealing with akumas.

"Hmm...have you ever read La Strategie Ender?"

"Ender's Game, the American novel?" Cat glanced at her. "Yeah, it was part of my English curriculum last year."