Ladynoir July 2023

Masks

Day four! I noticed all of the one-shots up until now in this series have either love confessions or a reveal, so here's some (mainly) platonic LadyNoir, I hope you guys enjoy! I know I certainly enjoyed writing this! -Colorado

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The first time he saw through Ladybug's mask, it was the very moment they met. She rammed into him and introduced herself as "madly clumsy." The two of them had no idea what was happening, and Ladybug seemed apprehensive at best about charging into battle. Yet one day later, she had solidified herself as the savior of all of Paris. She had also solidified herself as Chat Noir's very first love.

The next time Chat Noir saw through Ladybug's mask was when Alya had gotten a bit too close to the akuma. He knew she was trying not to seem worried, but he also saw how her movements were frantic, how she was more concerned about saving Alya than stopping the akumatized victim. He never brought it up, of course, that would only open a can of worms she would happily close, but still, he noticed it.

The third time he saw through the mask was when her lucky charm seemed to lead her astray. She was down to her last two minutes and nothing seemed to click in her head. Chat Noir noticed how her breathing got shallow, how she hunched in on herself, how there was the smallest amount of tears in her eyes. So he had taken over for her, proposing a solution that allowed her to de-transform safely and call the charm again. It worked and Hawkmoth remained defeated.

The fourth time Chat Noir had seen through her mask, he was Adrien. Lila was spinning her golden threads, weaseling her lies into his life. Then Ladybug had shown up and yelled at her for doing so. It had caught him off guard, he didn't think Ladybug could lose her temper like that. Especially not to a harmless girl (it wasn't until later that he realized Lila was far from harmless). Ladybug had seemed embarrassed by it, to give her some credit, but it still surprised him.

Throughout their first few months of fighting side by side, Chat Noir was desperate to get any glance he could at the girl behind the mask. It was like a game to him, he'd banter, she'd shut him down, but he still saw that girl in the hidden moment. The Ladybug he knew, his partner, was not the same Ladybug Paris knew. He reveled in that fact. He loved Ladybug, the savior of Paris, but he also loved Ladybug, his partner. Any time he even got a glimpse on who she could be behind the mask, he held onto it as if it were a prized possession. To him, it was.

Still, he never told Ladybug about his observations. He was nervous that she would push him away out of fear, like she had done so many times in the past. So he took the sassy rebuttals that he loved so much, the facade of her being perfect, and combined it to the moments when she was vulnerable, when she needed his help. He knew whoever Ladybug was behind the mask was a mix of those two girls, just like he was a mix of Adrien and Chat Noir. He would never search her out with his Lady's permission, but dammit he was going to know the girl behind the mask, with or without knowing her name.

The first time Ladybug saw through Chat Noir's mask, it was the day after they met. She had screwed up big time by not capturing the akuma. Chat Noir had noticed her doubts, her fears, and silenced them all. He gave her the strength to push through their very first battle, he gave her the strength to become Ladybug.

The second time she saw through his mask, it was during their very first interview. Ladybug, of course, had been a nervous wreck, but Chat Noir helped float them through. He was always good in front of the cameras, but the poised and perfect boy in front of her was something new. He was still punning like a madman, much to her chagrin, but he seemed much more deliberate about everything he said.

The third time she saw the boy behind the mask was when she suspected Gabriel Agreste was Hawkmoth. Chat Noir had seemed upset the entire day, just wanting to get the battle over with. That was until he realized The Collector was Gabriel and so he couldn't possibly be Hawkmoth. He seemed okay after that. But the boy who was hurting and angry at the thought of Gabriel being Hawkmoth? She knew that wasn't Chat Noir, but the boy who was chosen to wear the ring.