Masked Permanently

Senses

Adrien constantly worried for his partner. As he walked the streets as a civilian, he couldn't help but feel scared that she wasn't safe, or that maybe she was sleeping outside while he was in a warm bed.

"Ladybug, I have a question for you," Chat Noir asked his partner, watching as her black and red pigtails shifted behind her back when her head turned towards him. Her blue eyes... they had little dots of red? What was this puberty thing doing to Ladybug? Was this going to happen to him? He couldn't be sure, due to Plagg's explanation that everyone's 'superhero puberty' was different.

"Yes?" Ladybug asked, narrowing her eyes as if she were trying to see more clearly.

"If you don't mind my asking, where do you... um- sleep now? I mean, does your family know your identity? That's understandable because you're unable to change back, but do you have a place to sleep?" Chat asked, a bit distracted by the change in her eyes.

"Oh, I have a place to stay. Don't fret, kitty," she told him, purposely ignoring the question about her family.

"How is your family coping without you?" Chat asked, getting a bit too close to the subject of identity for Ladybug's comfort.

"They're... fine. My family and friends know I'm okay. I already told them about who I am, but I'm staying with someone else to keep suspicion of my identity down," she lied easily. Oh, she knew Marinette hated liars, but it didn't feel right to tell him.

"That's good," Chat sighed in relief, but couldn't help but feel disappointed she still couldn't trust him with her identity.

"Did your kwami say anything about me after I left?" She asked, a bit nervous.

"No, he refused to even tell me where you went. He's so secretive," the hero whined to his partner.

"Trust me, you wouldn't want to know," Ladybug laughed, turning her head back to face the city. Her sense of smell picked up on every part of the city, some more strong than others. It helped her paint a mental map of Paris in her mind, only using smell.

"LB, you know I'm here for you no matter what, right? I don't care how crazy things are. You're my partner, my best friend. I may not know you under the mask, but I can tell that you're a good person," Chat placed his clawed hand on her shoulder gently.

Ladybug turned to him, a small smile forming on her face. "Of course I know you're here for me, kitty. You're my best friend as well, and the same goes for you. I trust you."

Even though he could see the... pure Ladybug in front of him, something seemed missing or a bit off. She didn't have the same sense of fear or worry he'd noticed within her from the last few encounters he'd had with her. Of course, it was her, but she seemed different from before. It was probably just the development working it's magic, he assumed.

"Can I-I... um- ask you something?" Chat Noir finally found the courage to say what he'd been thinking.

"What is it?" Ladybug turned to face him once again, those blue eyes struggling slightly to focus on her partner's face. His emotions seemed difficult to read, and it confused Ladybug.

"Who... are you under the mask?" He attempted, now that it had been over a year that he had known and worked with Ladybug. They trusted each other with their very own lives and constantly patrolled with one another. Was he like one of her friends? Did she truly trust him enough?

"That's a question off limits, Sir Kit-Kat," Ladybug finally said after a moment, giggling a little.

"Well then, can I tell you who I am?" Chat Noir gulped, a bit hurt that she didn't trust him as much as he thought she did. They were partners after all.