And That Makes Four Of Us

The real you

A few days had passed since the car ride, where Adrien had confessed his love about her red-suited alter ego. Despite being able to contain herself in the car, she had since lost it; Marinette was as awkward as ever with any form of interaction at school, and as expected Alya continued to mock her for it. Thankfully, her Tuesday afternoon allowed her to be herself: calm and collected once more, well as calm and collected as you could be during an akuma fight. 

“Pound it!” 

The pair stood on a nearby rooftop, admiring their handiwork from the day, as a young boy run back to his mother’s embrace. “Well that sure was a tough one, but all good now.” Ladybug admitted with a sense of achievement, overlooking a reconstructed Paris. 

“One tough cookie!” Chat Noir winked at Ladybug. 

“Really Chat…” Responded Ladybug unimpressed. 

Chat shrugged his shoulders. “Hey, that’s how the cookie crumbles!”

“Please stop,” Ladybug rolled her eyes at her partners puns, referencing the cookie themed akuma victim they had just saved, Bakemania. “Anyway, I gotta get home before I change back. Catch you later kit-”

“Ladybug wait” Chat Noir caught her arm before she could leave. “Lets meet up again for dinner, here, let’s say 8 o’clock?”

“Do you not remember last time Chat…” She guiltily trailed off. 

As if he could forget. “I know, I know, but I was thinking we could go on a double date this time. Actually, get to know each other if you know what I mean.” Chat raised his eyebrows suggestively. 

“Um, what? Double date? With who? Rena Rouge and Carapace? Bit awkward don’t you think given we aren’t a couple Chat. You know I like someone else, it wouldn’t be fair on you to give you false hope. Besides, I don’t want to be a third wheel all night.”

Chat had completely forgotten about the other part-time members of the team. “No. You, me, and our kwamis. Plagg is always talking about how he wants to see ‘Sugar cube’ again, who could only be your kwami, given you’re so sweet too. Must be fate Bugaboo.” He leant on the end of his staff, eyes hopeful. 

“You know we can’t know each other’s real identities, it’s not safe.” Ladybug pined, hoping Chat would finish before her earrings gave out, and she wasn’t able to control her secret. 

“Aww come on Milady, I think you’d like the real me! I’m popula-”

“CHAT WE’RE NOT MEANT TO KNOW ANYTHING STOP!” Ladybug cried, moving her hands up towards her ears. 

“Oh, it’s nothing that personal shh,” He waved his arms dismissively. “I’m pretty good looking out of black, I know as if that was possible right, my family is pretty well off too ya know, I’m-” Chat continued to big himself up with a smirk on his face, spilling far too many details for Ladybug’s liking. 

“Stop.” Her tone caught Chat off guard. “For starts, you know we can’t. Besides you think those things impress me? You think if I were to be with you it would be because you are popular, because you’re handsome, because you come from a rich family? Because I can tell you right now that it won’t, and if you think it would then maybe you don’t know me as well as you think…” She took a slight step back, hurt that Chat would think 

“Ladybug I…” He spoke softly.

“Anyway, if I were to date you, IF!” She emphasised holding a finger of warning up to her partner. “It wouldn’t be because of your looks or your status, it would be for the real you, and not this ‘ooh I’m popular, ooh I’m rich’ ‘real’ you,” Ladybug mocked. “It would be the real you; the kind, caring, considerate guy who is always there for me…” Her voice got quieter as she spoke, looking away from her companion and back over towards Paris. “If anything, you know, I’d say Chat is more the real you, maybe a little exaggerated at times like with the flirting, but…” Chat continued to listen intently, his jaw slightly open. “I mean I don’t know about you, but for me at least I kind of appreciate the mask. I can be more of the real me, I don’t have to hide behind a charade that society will approve of, I can just be me… I know this is to an extent a persona as well,” she said gesturing to her outfit “but I’m not clumsy as Ladybug, or getting myself into all sorts of situations. I can go out and help people the best way I can, I can just… be free… I reckon I can probably tell more about the ‘real’ you from Chat, than I can knowing this boy you pretend to be without the mask.”

If only his lady understood how trapped he really was pretending to be Adrien, always having to impress his father, live up to the family name… As much as he hated to admit it, she had more-or-less hit the nail on the head; but he never thought that his Bugaboo of all people would be suffering the same fate. “As backwards as that sounds Milady, I do understand… But I still won’t be able to tempt you to go on a date with me as Chat though will I?”

Ladybug felt conflicted, it wasn’t often she got to see a soft side of her partner. She didn’t want to hurt or disappoint him, but she had to hold out hope with Adrien. Albeit the wrong her, he said he loved her. Maybe she was right maybe this ‘who is the real me’ thing was out of her depth. But how could they even date as superheroes if she chose Chat? Her lips spoke whilst her mind continued to ponder. “You know I’m in love with someone else… And I think he likes me too.”

“What?!” Chat choked. Ladybug’s eyes were wide open, realising what she had just said. “Who is it?”

“I can’t tell you Chat, we already have told each other too much tonight!” Her earrings made another beep. “I really have to go, I’m sorry Chat… I’ll see you soon kitty…” She gave a shy uncomfortable smile and swung her yoyo: with that she was gone. 

The dumbstruck hero remained on the rooftop. He could feel the jealousy causing his blood temperature to rise, who was this mere boy who had stolen his lady’s heart. “At least it was just a think?” He shook his head, trying to remove the negativity, in the hope determination would take its place. After all it’s not as though he could control her… He would just have to keep trying, even harder! With doubt still ever present in his mind, he swore to himself he would try, and after a nod of commitment to his lady, he too made his way off the roof.