The New Guardian

Chapter 5: Soulmates

Three Days Later:

Adrien laid on his back in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Plagg flew over him with a shard of cheese.

"Oh, she kissed you." Plagg teased. "So when's the wedding?"

"She only kissed me to break a spell." Adrien said, closing his eyes. "It didn't mean anything."

"To you or her?" No answer. Plagg smiled, landing on his pillow. "You still have feelings for Ladybug and you're afraid to say anything." Adrien frowned. "I wonder how long you'll last against these new holders before you shout your feelings in the streets?"

Adrien's eyes shot open and he jumped up. "What am I supposed to say, Plagg?! Profess my love to her on the rooftops? That never worked before." He sighed. "I can't say anything. The kiss . . . was just a kiss."

"You might explode if you don't tell her. That could put a dent in your partnership." Plagg took a bite of his cheese. "And besides . . . maybe her feelings have changed.

"Why would they? She's made her mind up already and her feelings are pretty clear." He sluggishly sat down. "Ladybug always said she loved another guy and that she couldn't have feelings for me. I tried for years and faced her rejection several times, so why would she change so fast?"

"You're 22, Adrien." Plagg laughed. "Childhood, teenage, and adult crushes are often not forever."

"What's your point?" He asked negatively.

"There's no denying that you and Ladybug have changed since you were fifteen." He swallowed the rest of his cheese. "Your feelings haven't changed, but you have as a person. Who's to say her feelings aren't different?"

Adrien closed his eyes and fell back. "I don't think that's possible."

. . .

"Do you think they're coming back?" Chat asked, sipping his mug.

"It's been three days." Ladybug answered, staring down at her coffee as she mixed it with a spoon. She leaned back against the cold metal beam of the Eiffel Tower.

"It's odd for them to make a scene like that and then just disappear like they did." Chat said. "Either they're planning or something big is going to happen. It can't be over yet."

"Maybe they gave up." She suggested. "We beat them, so maybe they've accepted that we're stronger and moved on."

"I don't think so." He shook his head, looking at the city below. "They attacked the whole city, not just us. They wanted to create a scene that was bigger than us and honestly . . . I don't think it's just those three. I think there's way more. Maybe the entire academy is out to get revenge on us and Master Fu."

Ladybug stared at her drink as she listened to his theories. She couldn't make eye contact even if she tried. Their kiss has been the only thing on her mind for the past three days. Even if Chat Noir didn't remember or feel the same, she wouldn't forget it. She should because the kiss was only to solve the problem at hand, but that would be near impossible. Hopefully, Chat Noir is wrong and these attacks are over. Maybe she can get over the whole mess and they can move away and avoid each other again.

Chat Noir sipped his coffee and looked back to her. "What do you think, Ladybug? You're a little quiet right now and . . . it's kind of scary."

"I'm . . . just processing." She answered, taking a drink awkwardly. "I don't really know what to think. They have guardians and they have miraculous. We don't know how bad this could get because they could be lying and what if they aren't? We're still in the dark no matter what they say." Ladybug suggested. "This could go either way and we might lose."

"Why would you assume we'd lose?" He scooted a foot forward. "We've crushed so many enemies before. These three popped up out of nowhere . . . and don't hold a candle to us." Chat smiled. "We're an unstoppable couple."

"Couple?" Ladybug mumbled, her eyes widening. "We're just . . . a team. Two members of a team. Not much else. Those three obviously have the numbers and probably more. They could crush us."

"We always have our own friends." Chat countered. "We can have a larger team for the battle."

"No." She shook her head. "We can't get them involved in this mess. This enemy is completely different than anything we've ever faced. They know too much about us and there's so much that we don't understand. For all we know, they're baiting us to give out every miraculous in the box for support only so they can pull out some secret weapon that destroys us all. Then they have our miraculous and we lose . . . everything." Ladybug sighed. "We don't know their resources enough to increase out numbers like that without an actual plan."

"I guess you're right." Chat agreed. "We'll just have to be stronger than them then. Our connection is better than theirs anyway."

"Our connection?" Ladybug's cheeks turned red and she looked up.

"Yeah." Chat smiled. "Those three were arguing half the time and they didn't seem compatible like we are. Our teamwork totally tops theirs."

"Sure it does." She smiled, taking a sip. "Master Fu specifically chose us."

"Yeah, but we were two complete strangers back then." Chat said. "We never could've known how great of partners we'd be."

"Well Master Fu told me Ladybug and Chat Noir are meant for each other." Ladybug stirred her coffee. "They're always soulmates."

"What?" Chat Noir questioned, concerned. "We're . . . we're soulmates?"

"No-o, no, no, no . . . no." Ladybug anxiously set her mug down and stood up, rubbing the back of her head nervously. "We aren't-we're not . . . Master Fu just always said that Ladybug and Chat Noir are made for each other and they'll always end up together." She panic laughed. "That's why our connection's so strong and why we should be attracted to each other. It's only n-natural. O-Or that's, that's . . . just how . . . Master Fu put it." Ladybug breathed, staring at the metal beneath her.

"So . . . we are supposed . . . to be together?" Chat stood up and stepped forward.

"N-No we-we were never. Not possible. Clearly we aren't made for each other. We hardly get along. In fact, we aren't so different from those three." Ladybug rambled. "It's only been true with every other Ladybug and Chat Noir that came before us, but history shouldn't effect us. Why should it effect our lives or our decisions?" She panted as her face grew hotter. She could hardly comprehend what she was saying. "It's not that big of a deal really."

"It is to me." Chat insisted, stepping forward again. They only stood a foot apart. "That could've changed everything years ago."

"I don't know about that." Ladybug looked away, feeling her pulse catch in her throat.

"But it could've." Chat said. Ladybug's eyes met his and it felt like lightning between them. Both of them seemed to be searching for something. It was strange for Ladybug to look at him differently. "I don't think for a moment that we would've lost contact like we did if we had known."

"Well I knew for years and that didn't change anything for me." A lie. An obvious lie. "Master Fu has been dead for years and I knew way before that. And since we aren't together, it clearly didn't have any effect on me, Chat Noir." Half of a lie.

"But-"

"I need to go, Chat Noir." She turned, grabbing her yo-yo. "Thanks for the coffee though." She swung away before he could protest.

Chat Noir was left alone on the Eiffel Tower. He sat down and stared off, leaning his cheek on his fist. "Soulmates . . . "