Showdown

:19:

Ladybug looked towards her partner, concern being written all over her face.
She ran up to him, putting her hand on his shoulder right before he jumped the gap between the current building they were on and the next one.

"Chat" she called out.

"Yes my lady" he looked over his shoulder at her.

"You wanna about back there?"

He sighed before turning his body to face her "I was just... distracted"

Ladybug nodded slightly before grabbing his hands, interlocking her fingers between his.

She slowly sunk down onto the roof, dragging Chat with her until they were sat on the roof, their legs criss-crossed in front of them.

She looked back up to him, her blue eyes gazing into his green ones softly.

They kept up this eye contact for a while, or was it a few seconds, none of them would honestly be able to recall. When there with each other, time wasn't a thing, it was as if they were in a totally different world, their only focus being each other.

"Continue" Ladybug eventually spoke up.
"I'm listening" she squeezed his hands in hopes of incouraging him to open up.

The cat glanced down at their joint hands before going back to his lady.

He exhaled.
"It's the press... when they asked if I was working with my father"
"It just got to me. I know that they don't know that I'm actually Chat Noir but... it still hurts that they think I knew about all this just because I'm his son, or they think that I was working with him and it just got me thinking... am I really like him, will the media always associate my name to my father?"

Unable to maintain eye contact anymore, he looked back down to his and Ladybug's conjoint hands.

"Chat" Ladybug started softly.
"It'll eventually die down. As soon as something more important comes up, they'll care more about getting the latest scoop rather than following you" she unlinked their hands before placing them on either side of his face, only then noticing the thin streaks of tears running down his face.

"And no one thinks your anything like your father kitty, you're your own person. You're Adrien, Chat Noir, my partner, my best friend who I love so much" she smiled to the blond before planting a kiss to his forehead.

Her hands slid down to beneath his eyes, stopping momentary to wipe away his tears with the pads of her thumbs before placing a light kiss on both of his eye lids.

Ladybug wrapped her arms around his neck before resting her head on his chest. Soon after, she felt her partner's head on her shoulder and his hands slither around her waist.

A relaxing silence settled upon them once more. They didn't say anything to each other either, choosing to enjoy the presence of each other instead.
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"Hey Chat" Ladybug spoke up a good while later, to which he hummed to in response.

"It's getting late" she lifted her head off of his torso, instantly missing warmth of body.
"We should get going"

Chat looked up from her shoulder, still in a half dazed state, unaware that they had spent so long on the rooftop. The once blue sky having changed in favour for red and pink hues.

He looked back down to the girl in his hands before nodding.

Ladybug stood up before extending her hand towards her partner, which he accepted.

As soon as Chat was on his feet, Ladybug ran to the edge of the building, holding his hand tightly in hers.

"Wai- what?" Chat blurted out as she jumped the gap between two buildings, forcing him to do the same.

"Where are we going?" Chat called out as the lady in red dragged him from one property to the next.

"You'll see" Ladybug looked over her shoulder and flashed him a sweet smile before turning around to focus on where she was taking them.

The spotted hero continued to drag her partner through until they reached a very familiar balcony.

"Tikki, spots off" the heroine called out, turning her back into Marinette.

Following her lead, Chat, transformed back into Adrien.

"What are we doing on your balcony" the blond asked.
"I should get back to my house"

Ignoring him, Marinette opened the trapdoor to her room before going down it, dragging Adrien with her in the process.

"I'll be back" was all she said before leaving her bed and descending down the trapdoor of her bedroom.

Confused, Adrien decided to get off of her bed and down onto the floor. He then sat on her chaise, waiting patiently for his lady.

Marinette reappeared a few minutes later, bearing croissants, macaroons, cookies and camembert.

"My parents know you're here" she said as she placed down the treats, the two egsasusted kwami's instantly going for their food.
"They said that you can stay for as long as you like" she sat down on the chaise next to Adrien.

Adrien looked up at her and smiled, a rare feature on his face today. It wasn't one of his model smiles either, it was a real, genuine smile.

"Thanks Marinette" he said wholeheartedly.
"Really, thanks... for all of this... and I know that I've said this a bunch of times today but I really do really mean it Marinette"

A subtle smile grew on her face.
"Your welcome Adrien but its honestly nothing. This is what friends do for each other"

"But... I... still..." Adrien stuttered over his words, unable to think of an expression just for what he wanted to say.

He sighed "Just... Thanks" he finally settled on.

"You're welcome but it's seriously nothing" she reassured the blond.
"Now take some" Marinette said as she offered the tray of food to him.
"You've got to be starving after today"

"Thanks Princess" Adrien said as he took a buttery croissant.

"Adrien, I swear, if you thank me one more time today I will stop feeding you"

"Okay, okay, I'll l try to stop, but I really am thankful for everything you've done for me"

"That's it, you're croissant privileges have been revoked" Marinette snatched the flaky baked good out of his hand.

"Marinette!"