Chat Blanc's Return

Much Needed Talks

When Ladybug landed on the metal beam, her partner was already waiting for her. He had his back turned originally, its slumped form taking hold in her mind because it looked just like Chat Blanc's when she first saw him in the timeline, but then he turns to face her, a comforting, reassuring smile on his face. A smile that you wear when you find a lost toddler and need to return the frightened being to their parent. A smile you wear when you are unsure of things. A smile you wear when you don't know things.

"Hey," he says, and Ladybug is grateful he chose to start the conversation because she doesn't think she can physically speak at the moment. Her throat feels so tight and her body wants to retreat to the comfort of her bed. But she wills her body to move forward and sit next to her kitty on the platform, both of their legs over the side of it.

"Hey," she forces her voice to function no matter how much it doesn't want to. She wants to get closer, to find comfort in his body heat and his hugs and his breath and his heartbeat, but she can't. Because she doesn't know where she and her Chaton stand.

(She wants a letter right now. Tears spring to her eyes at the prospect of never getting another one. Because what if he isn't happy she's Ladybug? Then she'd never get another letter.)

(She loves his letters more than she'd ever admit.)

Silence. Ladybug hates silence. She always has. But right now, she despises silence. Please talk, Chaton, she begs, even if he can't hear it.

But he does hear her. Because they're partners and her Chaton always knows what she needs. "So, Princess. What's up with Chat Blanc?"

She hunches over a bit and digs the palms of her hands into her eyes, an attempt to hold back the flood of tears that want to spring to her eyes. Would her kitty want to be her partner anymore? Want to stay by her side? Want to even see her again? Would she lose her kitty? She doesn't want to think anymore. Ladybug wants to sleep and avoid this.

(She knows her kitty wouldn't hate her. But the what if's plague her mind and make tears come to her eyes.)

(And the fact he isn't hugging her, or moving to hug her, isn't helping. Maybe he really is mad. Hateful. Spiteful. Maybe he hates her.)

"Princess?" Chat asks, his voice grounding her even if her body doesn't show it. "You okay?" Ladybug (She feels like Marinette right now. Vulnerable. Weak. Exposed.) inhales and looks off into the city for a moment, blinking rapidly to clear her eyes and vision from the tears that threaten to overwhelm her.

(She hates to think about Chat leaving her. Every time she even considers the idea, her eyes will always, at the very least, fill with tears.)

Chat allows her to do this, not moving more than to face her so only one leg is off the tower instead of both. He wants to grab her hand, but with the way they're clenched and digging into her lap now, he doesn't know if he'd even be able to. But he wants to comfort his lady however he can, so he moves his body closer and places his hand atop hers. He doesn't want his princess to cry. She has cried enough tonight. (Of course, she can cry, he thinks. Of course, she's allowed to cry, but it hurts his heart to see her so upset because of him.)

After a second, Ladybug looks down at the rusting metal of the Eiffel Tower and mirrors his position so one leg is off the edge of the tower and the other is in a triangle shape, her cladded foot against her inner thigh. Her face is impassive, and it honestly scares Chat a little. He would never say anything, however, so he keeps quiet, and only holds onto her hand lightly, his thumb running along the back of it carefully. Softly. "What do you want to know?" she asks.

"When was I akumatized?" he asks, figuring that would be a good place to start all of this.

"It's complicated. You weren't akumatized, but in another timeline, Chat Noir was akumatized." Her face is still blank, and Chat is a little unnerved. He doesn't interrupt. "Months ago, actually. At least six months, probably closer to eight. It's funny how much it still affects me." Her voice is anything but humorous, but Chat just continues to run his thumb along the back of her clenched fists.