Miraculously in Love

comfort crowd

ladynoir ; comfort crowd (previously titled "many thanks")

Chat Noir swung his legs back and fourth atop the Eiffel Tower, awaiting Ladybug. She wasn't usually late, and this raised a feeling of worry and concern in him. Was she alright? Did she need help?

His questions were all answered when she landed down quite limp. She sat down, forming herself into a little ball before greeting him meekly.

"M'lady, are you alright?" he asked, scooting closer to her and placing a hand on her shoulder, rubbing it slightly to comfort her.

She sighed, looking up at him with a meek smile and it was then he saw red eyes; she had been crying.

"Is my lady okay?" he asked softly, moving his hand to stroke the back of her head.

She shook her head, before another round of tears welled up.

It genuinely broke Chat to see her like this.

"Why did you come to patrol then? You could've stayed home," he asked, using that same soft voice as earlier.

"I just needed to talk to someone. To you."

His heart hammered in his chest at her words, very much flattered that she would come to him to talk about her problems.

"If that's alright with you?" she asked, looking up at him with the tears still sparkling in her eyes.

He nodded. "Yes, of course I'm alright with it, go ahead, I'm listening."

She ranted about how being guardian was a lot more than she could handle lately, her friendships were on the brink of ending, She told him how she couldn't be honest to anyone because of all these responsibilities, and on top of school work and everything, she really was falling apart.

"I just can't do this alone," she hiccuped, wiping down her tears.

Chat had never learned to comfort someone, being alone at home with his very unavailable father and no other family present in his life had left him affectionless whenever he was his civilian self. Yet, for Ladybug, he just knew what to say. He knew how to comfort her, genuinely each time she talked about something that was bothering her he knew what to say.

"M'lady, you aren't alone in this. I get what the secrets are like, but I really see how much more you have on your plate than me. I'm proud of you for how far you've come, how strong you are. We can do this together, you and me. You and me against the world, M'lady."

Ladybug looked up at him with a smile and a small laugh.

"As always, Chaton."

Chat returned the smile, proceeding to wrap an arm around her. She leaned in to his touch, finding it comforting, the same type she felt when she was with Luka; well, used to be with.

"Thank you, Chat. Thank you for always being there for me, I genuinely do appreciate it and I don't say it enough," she told him, leaning against his shoulder.

His breath caught in his throat, a slight blush creeping up on his face.

He still couldn't get over her. His love for her was too strong to give up just like that. He had tried to convince himself that he liked Kagami, proceeded to date her and only to be broken up with because she said he was "lying to stay away from her". He honestly couldn't say he was wrong, he felt awkward around her at one point.

His attention turned back to the softly sobbing bluenette laying against his shoulder.

"Everything is gonna be okay Madamoiselle," he comforted again, resting his head on hers.

"As long as you're with me, I'm sure of that too."

Chat almost melted right on the spot at her sentence, butterflies swarming in his stomach.

"I'm glad you trust me M'lady, I really do," he told her, still rubbing her back.

"What about you, Chat? Do you trust me?" she asked, wiping her remainder tears away before lifting her head up and looking at him.

"Yes M'lady. I trust you with my life."

"Even if you don't know who I really am?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Even if I've made mistakes with akumas?"

He nodded again.

"Why?"

"Because..." his voice trailed off.

He knew the answer to that. He knew very well indeed.

But to say it outloud?

That would be another thing.

"Chat?" she called his name with a look of concern. He sighed, looking back at her reassuringly.

"You're my partner, Ladybug. We fight side-by-side almost everyday, and not once have you failed to prove to me what an amazing, bold, heroic person you are. Trust in a partner is one of the most important things, and I have no problem complying to that rule."

The heroine hesitated, seemingly choosing her words carefully before they left her mouth. Instead, what escaped was a soft laugh amidst the sniffling from her crying earlier.

"That's flattering, Chat. You have a way with your words," she tells him with a smile.

He mirrors her expression subconsciously; no matter what, his lady's smile would always be contagious. It was the illness he'd want to catch any time of the day, of the week, of the month, of the year.

"Thank you. I really needed it. I knew I could count on you to make me feel better. Thank you so much, so so so much," she repeatedly expresses her thanks, burying her head into the crook of his neck.

At this, Chat Noir chuckles, his arms wrapping around her comfortingly.

"It's really no trouble at all M'lady, go easy on the thanks, 'no problem' isn't easy to say that many times without it turning into a tongue twister," he jokes, earning a pair of raised eyebrows from Ladybug.

Immediately, he laughs harder.

"You're cute," he then comments casually.

Taken aback by the sudden flirtatious comment, she breaks character and now is the one laughing.

"You don't just say that randomly, idiot!" she playfully slaps his arm, without realising he's staring at her in complete awe.

When she does, she gives him a weird look. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

He snaps out of his trance, trying to play it off with a chuckle. "Like what?"

She gives him a knowing look. "Like that."

Chat chuckles briefly again. "Hey, I like seeing you smile, is there anything wrong with that?"

Ladybug's head falls against his shoulder once more as she laughs even more.

He deemed her laughter like music to his ears, and her smile like a million dollar painting in an art gallery, and each moment with her like he was living in his favourite romance movie.

"If it means never failing to cheer me up, then no, I don't think there's anything wrong with that," she says.