The Other You

First Steps

Breathless, Ladybug raced across the rooftops. Heart pounding in her chest, she soared above the streets of Paris. This feeling... exhilarating, indescribable, incomparable to anything else she'd ever experienced. One could never get used to it, and Ladybug didn't realize just how much she'd missed it in the week and a half that she'd forced herself away to catch up on her work.

Not anymore.

Hopefully never again, because her new assistant, though weird in his own way, was heaven sent.

Her body aching for a good workout, Ladybug didn't hold back as she jumped and ran, zooming through the city. Her eyes scanned the surroundings at every corner, searching for a specific person. As Ladybug, she hadn't seen him in over a week. Of course, Marinette hosted Chat Noir for dinners daily, save the weekends, but it wasn't the same.

Marinette couldn't lean on him, close her eyes, and listen to his heartbeat and breathing for hours at a time. Chat wouldn't wrap his arms around Marinette, pulling her to his chest at the slightest hint of sadness in her eyes. Marinette had no right to call him her Chaton. Chat would never call Marinette his Lady with reverence in his voice. Their dinners, however fun they were, could never be a substitute for the intimacy Chat Noir and Ladybug shared, and it was time for Ladybug to finally indulge, courtesy of her new assistant.

Felix. He really confused her. With his grey and black formal wear and his serious, almost frowning face, Felix looked like a copy of Mr. Darcy himself. Yet, the moment he opened his mouth, Marinette swore she was speaking to a completely different person. Shameless flirt in the disguise of an Ice Queen. The most mismatched person Marinette had ever met, in terms of character and looks. So much that sometimes it even felt like there were two people in that body of his. Felix was an enigma Marinette had yet to understand, but a week after he'd appeared at her studio's door, she was thanking all deities alive for him every second of her day.

Long story short—Felix was a genius when it came to garment construction. His speed and skills were unparalleled. In a few days, he had somehow managed to complete as much work as it took Marinette a week to do. It left her bewildered and somewhat shocked, yet immeasurably grateful because it meant that not only would the two of them be able to finish the collection by the deadline, but they also could afford to work regular hours and take weekends off. No more late nights. No more taking work home. No more stress that Marinette couldn't handle. Ladybug could return to her responsibilities. She felt like she'd won the lottery.

Ladybug rounded the corner to the Eiffel Tower, failing to find her partner anywhere along the route of his patrol. An uneasy feeling sank into her gut. Chat was usually quite diligent about his duties, and he had left Marinette's place only ten minutes prior to her departure. He shouldn't be done yet. He should still be out here. Maybe Ladybug should've told him she was coming today, instead of trying to surprise him.

She swung her yoyo and, securing it to one of the higher beams, ran up the Tower. A mop of familiar blond hair peeked from the top, eyes wide as he stared at her. Ladybug grinned. There he was.

"Ladybug?" Chat's voice mirrored the surprise on his face. "I didn't know—Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

"Because how else would I know that you're slacking off on your patrol?" she teased, booping his nose with a finger.

To her surprise, Chat stilled and looked away, his ears drooping flat against his hair. "Sorry, I was just tired and Paris seemed quiet... been quiet for years, so I figured I'd rest a little, and if anything happened I'd see it from here. Sorry."

"Hey." Ladybug gently touched his shoulder, settling down beside him. "I was just joking, Chaton. You don't have to justify yourself to me of all people. Wasn't it I who abandoned all of my patrols for more than a week? At least you're still showing up. I should be the one to apologize for ditching you like that."