Hardest of Hearts ( KLANCE )

II.

"Do you ever think about how sad this all really is?" Chat's voice was very, very quiet for once, gaze turned starbound as he lay on his back. The top of his head brushed lightly against that of Ladybug's, who was laying directly opposite and behind him.

"What do you mean by that...?" The other paladin replied, the barest trace of confusion audible in his voice. "I thought you loved being Chat Noir."

"No, no, it's not about that," came the murmured answer. "It's just... Everything in general. Hawkmoth. The akumas. How he, or they, or whatever.... Just... prey on anyone who's had a rough day. You can't even be allowed to be anything other than happy anymore, or you'll get turned into a goddamn monster. It's.... Not fair to anyone. It's sad. What if... what if there comes a time when you can't bring them back from that? Just think about how torn up someone's family would be about it."

Ladybug frowned at this, though of course Chat couldn't see it. The dark-haired boy was quiet for a few ticks before responding again.

"...yeah. I think I get your point." His words were stiff. "But you know the Lucky Charm's never failed before."

Would his 'family' really care if something bad happened to him? How important was he to the people he hadn't even known for five years? Was he someone they loved willingly, or out of obligation?

....He'd never be able to risk telling them who he really was. He didn't even think he'd be able to risk telling his best friend.

"...Something wrong?" Chat frowned now too, at the coldness in the other's voice.

"No, I'm fine. Just sort of... thinking."

"..oh." Another momentary pause.

"You know what else is kinda sad? ...Us. Like... we've gotta fight together nearly every day, y'know? I know everything there is to know about the way you fight, about the ways we work well together. But... I don't know who you are, or anything about you, really. I don't even know your name..."

"....that's just how it is. You know that. It's way too risky." Ladybug sat up, suddenly feeling as if he needed to distance himself. Things were getting personal. He didn't like personal. "If we knew who each other were, it would be so much easier for Hawkmoth to figure out, too. What if we slipped up, and called each other by our real names?"

They still weren't sure whether they, as Miraculous paladins, could be akumatized while not in their hero forms, or if they were just more resistant to it. Ladybug recalled that one incident a few months back, when Chat had been afflicted and corrupted by an akuma victim, yet not akumatized directly himself.

On Ladybug's end, this had been an extremely awkward experience, having to give his partner a kiss in order to cure him.

Luckily, the black cat wielder seemed to have no memory of the incident- he claimed, anyway. He'd gotten more than a bit defensive on the subject of Ladybug carrying him- cradling him bridal-style.

"Yeah, I know..." Chat's tone was almost disappointed, in a way. "I just... Wish we could be better friends rather than just a team, y'know?"

He wouldn't admit that he'd love to hear every little detail about Ladybug, that he wanted to know everything there was to know, that he wanted to be close to him.

"....if I tell you a fact about me, will you tell me one about you? Nothing really personal, I swear."

Ladybug let out a soft sigh, raking a fingerlessly-gloved hand through the dark strands of his ponytail.