It was a gorgeous night in Paris. Truly gorgeous. The sort of truly gorgeous night which inspired masterpieces and love affairs. The sky was blue like midnight, with diamond starlight spattered across its expanse, imbedded like precious jewels in the universe’s evening gown.
It was a magical night in Paris. If you stood outside and breathed the air and listened to the conversations between the stars and the moon, you would be able to feel it. Like all the world was holding its breath and waiting for something marvelous to start. Every leaf rustled with anticipation, every star simmered with impatience, every essence of the night searched for something to hold on to, an opportunity to create something beautiful.
It was a perfect night in Paris.
Or, it would have been.
If the stars had aligned all perfectly, two selfless souls would have found the love they wished for so desperately in each other, next to the light of Paris and under the silver moon.
He could imagine it so clearly that it was as if his fantasies were reality and he was living the moment he had played in his mind countless times. Just the two of them perched upon a rooftop; the city skyline spread before them and welcoming their embrace; a sky just like the one which possessed this night; they would be close, so close that their bodies would be touching; he would be holding her against himself; his heart would soar within her bluebell eyes; he would tell her everything, how he loved her as soon as he lied his eyes upon her, how he’s tried to tell her, how he’s thought about this very moment nearly every night before falling asleep, how he would give his life for her and wishes to give his life to her someday, even if he is just a boy in her eyes he would convince her that his feelings were as real as any man could feel; and lastly they would kiss, long and languid-like.
He had planned it for this night. He had asked her to meet him above the streets so that they could watch the stars together. But she didn’t show up. This had hurt more than anything, more than every other form of rejection she had ever given him. He was starting to understand that their relationship was purely professional and she had no interest of making it into anything more than saving the world together - as if that wasn’t enough to signify that their relationship meant more than the average acquaintanceship, but that was just his bitter thinking. Just because they worked together like they did, didn’t mean they were meant for each other like he wished they were. The mechanisms had started to turn within his chest, having been just switched on that night after being stood up. He would go through the long, horrid process of getting over someone you’re close to. The emotional anguish would only grow as he wrestled with his dreams and with reality. He would have to constantly remind himself that she would never feel the same way for him and always wonder if maybe she could if only he told her. It was like a disease, his mind would feel plagued for a very long time.
His thoughts were already starting to boil together when he stopped to take in where he was. He had landed on the railing of a rooftop balcony, one that looked suspiciously familiar though he couldn’t place exactly who it belonged to. He sat back on his haunches much like the feline species from which he took his name, and cocked his head to the side to take in the flower pots and modest decor. Ah, this was Marinette’s home. Somehow, he had traveled nearly across the city and landed here. He wondered for a second if perhaps it was his subconscious which lead him to a friend in order to seek out some form of comfort, but decided that doing so was pointless as it was past midnight and therefore past the time when sensible people fall asleep, and Marinette seemed like a sensible person to him.
He was wrong, however, and who the balcony belonged to quickly became confirmed, destroying any little doubt of familiarity he may have still had.
The door that lead to the bedroom which the balcony jutted off from opened without hesitation, clearly whoever was behind it failed to see the dark figure lurking atop the railing, or was not smart enough to be cautious.
Chat Noir clicked his tongue with disappointment at his princess.
Marinette had fully emerged from the safety of her home, holding a lumpy mass close to her chest which was most likely a pillow and a blanket. As soon as her eyes recognized the shape of someone crouching on her railing, she went stiff with fear. But, when she realized the silhouette belonged to someone she knew, her stance relaxed itself so far as to almost become annoyed. She tapped her bare boot against the floor of the balcony and gave an unseen, scolding glare to her visitor.
“Chat Noir, to what do I owe this pleasure?” She mocked the voice of a swooning maiden, one she believed he expected to hear from any lady he came across.
His ears twitched at the sudden break of silence. “I…” He hopped down from the railing and landed on her balcony with a dull thud in order to buy himself some time to make up an ample excuse. “I was on patrol, princess. I hadn’t realized this balcony belonged to a familiar face.”
Of course, she knew it would be a lie even before his words left his lips. “Oh, I see…” She played along, however, for no other reason than out of sheer necessity. Either that, or feed any suspicion that may be lurking around concerning how well exactly Ladybug knows her. Marinette was already a bit anxious to see Chat that night, on a night he requested to speak to her. A little piece of her mind that always sought out the worst possible scenario was certain that he knew of her true identity and came to her when she failed to come to him. “Well, I’m sure you have a bunch of important superhero things to get back to- Wouldn’t want to keep Ladybug waiting and all- I’d hate to get her on my bad side- Who knows what she’d think of me if she knew I was keeping you away from your responsibilities-” She spoke hastily in the hopes that her urgency would resonate within him and get him to hop right off of her roof.
“Actually, I’m a free man tonight. Paris is quiet and my lady is nowhere to be found.” He clasped his hinds behind his back and grinned rather mischievously, finally bringing real meaning to “like a cat that ate a canary”. The smile radiated impertinent confidence which set Marinette’s teeth against each other. Chat took his act with pride, as he always did whenever he possessed enough inner strength to hide the internal pain he so often found himself partnered with. The smile faded and his eyes began decoding the pillow and blanket she held limply by her side. “Where are you going with that? You aren’t planning on making a parachute with the blanket, jumping from up here and trying to land on the pillow are you? Because I’m about ninety-five percent sure that you’d be hurt.”
“I’m not going to jump of the roof, Chat, I’m not stupid.” She scolded him just as she would if she were behind a mask. She caught herself, and but her lip for good measure. Hopefully the sharp pain would remind her that she needs to be less abrasive with him now that she’s playing the role of damsel in distress. She hesitated. Her eyes roamed up to the sky. Her heart sent a shock throughout her chest as it sparked a thought into her mind. “I came out here to watch the stars actually…” She was cautious. Almost regretful. As if she was being forced to say what she was saying. But strangely, she found herself saying it of her own accord. “A friend of mine told me that the sky would be clear tonight, and that I’d be able to see hundreds of them.” As she spoke, her eyes never faltered from the blackness above.
Chat followed her gaze. “Your friend was right.”
“It’s been awhile since you’ve visited me.” She smiled, finally. Marinette began to relax, and she was decided about what she was going to do.
“Yeah, it has been.” He caught her smile, and a warm glow of satisfaction swelled in his chest. He said nothing about it.
He would, in fact, visit her from time to time. The meetings were scarce and lasted merely minutes but it gave her the rare opportunity to see him in a new light entirely. One where she wasn’t his partner, where they didn’t depend on each other, and where he wasn’t seemingly madly in love with her. In all honesty, Marinette found it refreshing to interact with him without all the joking and flirting - though he would occasionally do such things to Marinette, but they were much less often.
She unfolded the blanket, draping it from her hands to the floor and letting the pillow drop with a plop. She fanned it out in front of her until she was able to smoothly lie it down upon the wood. “Since you aren’t doing any important hero work would you like to stay and keep me company?”
His glowing, green eyes blinked in surprise. Chat mulled over the offer in his head for a moment before accepting.
Marinette sat down upon the blanket and patted an area next to her, indicating for him to do the same. He obeyed like a good little kitty and rested his bottom beside her. He folded his arms across his knees and watched the sky.
A few minutes went by in quiet. Crickets chirped unseen in the murky darkness of the night. The moon sang a soft love song that could only be heard by the breeze. The stars stood in vigil to what was happening down below them.
Both could feel the beauty emanating around them from the world. Their heads buzzed gently with a strange sense of significance. Their bodies were filled up with a passive knowing of what the universe around them knew, that something very extraordinary was starting that night. They just weren’t privy as to what.
Chat spoke first.
“I was actually having a bad night before you came out here.”
She could guess why, and for some strange reason she felt guilt twist her insides. “Why’s that?”
“Lady troubles.”
“Really? I doubt the charming Chat Noir has women issues.” Marinette huffed lightly, but it was soft enough to be unheard and hidden from the other.
“No, really! Even a stunning guy like me can’t win them all.” His words were riddled with humor, as almost always, but his chest held all the sorrow such a young person could.
There was silence between the two of them once again.
Marinette simply watched him. He was too preoccupied with the sky and marveling at the irony of existence - at how he was under the stars with a girl, but not the girl he was in love with - to notice her stare. She simply looked at him. His mask. His hair. His nose. His lips. His eyes. His shoulders and his arms and his knees and his legs and his feet and even his tail. That was her Chat. He threw himself into danger to protect her. The spoke every day. They laughed together. They fought together. They risked their very lives together. They were partners.
Marinette spoke this time.
There was a tangible shift, then. She dropped her scornful tone and addressed him softly and deeply like she would a friend. A real trusted friend. Because that’s what Chat was. Perhaps he was even her best friend, in some ways, and though he had no way of knowing that - especially that moment - Marinette had. For the first time that night, she saw him as her friend. How close the two of them were to each other. How much she trusted him. She appreciated him. She loved him. She smiled. “If it makes you feel any better, I suck in the love department, too.”
“A pretty princess like you? Impossible!”
“Really. I can’t even speak when my crush is around. I get all red and start spouting gibberish. He probably thinks I’m crazy.”
Chat chuckled. “I’m sure someday he’ll realize that you can form coherent sentences.”
“I hope so.”
Marinette’s thoughts rested upon Adrien for a second, but somehow the stars before her seemed to twinkle and draw her attention to where she was right then. In that moment with Chat. Adrien faded fast like a ripple in water and was gone entirely.
Chat sighed. He let go of his jovial demeanor and let his true colors fade in. “I’m in love with Ladybug.”
Marinette blinked in shock at the sudden declaration. Her heart hammered five times as hard as it had been before. It didn’t hurt, though, just echoed in her chest. “It’s kind of obvious…” She made a noise that was a horridly awkward and forced laugh.
Chat leaned backwards until his back hit the blanketed floor. His eyes steadfast to the night. “I mean it. I really really love her. I think about her every night. I even dream about her sometimes. I dream that she tells me that she loves me. That’s how much I want to hear her say it. I wanted to tell her tonight. I asked her to meet me but she never showed up. I wanted to tell her how beautiful she is. Her gorgeous eyes put this sky to shame. She’s strong and she’s funny and there’s never any doubt in my mind about what she says she’s going to do because I know that she can and will do it. I trust her with my life. She has the most amazing smile that I’ve ever seen. I want to tell her that. No matter what sort of day I’m having, no matter what I go home to when I see her smile I’m just so damn happy to be alive and grateful that I can be with her and I wish that she knew that and I wish that she felt the same way.” There were diamond teardrops falling from the corners of his eyes. He was pleading with the moon and asking it why just for once he couldn’t have something he truly wanted. He could feel the darkness of the night surrounding him, oppressive and threatening, holding horrors in the shadows no person could imagine. It would have swallowed him if he had not looked to his side where Marinette’s hand was resting just a few inches away from his lips.
He wasn’t alone this time.
It dawned upon him like the sun breaking free from the horizon to fill the world with light.
He was breathless at the realization that for once he had someone next to him to hear him.
A friend.
He smiled. Tearfully. But the tears were nearly dried and the few which remained were grateful for Marinette. He met her eyes with his own, but was disappointed to see her reaction was not positive.
She was scared. She was hurt. But she was happy.
She was confused most of all and shocked out of her mind to hear him say those things about her.
She was scared because she believed him.
She was hurt because he was hurting.
And she was happy because, well, she really didn’t know why.
“I’m sorry…” Her cheeks felt hot and wet. She had teared up along with him and now they were dropping down her cheeks and staining her shirt. “I just…. I didn’t know that you cared about her so much.” Her chest burned more than she had ever felt before. “I didn’t know that you really loved her.” This was love. He loved her and she loved him. Maybe not in the same way, no, but that night for the first time she felt love for him.
She was overcome by the sudden realization and ache in her chest. She lied down beside him and threw an arm around his chest and one beneath his back and lied half upon him and hugged him.
She wished that she could comfort him. That she was behind the mask and could tell him that he meant so much to her as her partner and as her friend. She wished she could explain why she was so moved by his words, but she couldn’t.
Neither of them quite felt the satisfaction they had wished for that night but they both found something entirely unexpected.
Chat was shocked still by her sudden embrace. After a moment he was able to pull an arm around her waste and hold her tightly to his body like she was doing to him. He really didn’t want to think it, but she felt so warm and her body was so soft and her hair smelled amazing and crazily enough she felt so familiar in his arms, as if he had held her against him countless times before.
It lasted less than a minute and they parted ways soon after. Each to replay the moment a thousand times in their head and marvel at all the bright new feelings within them.
The celestial bodies above them had gotten what they wanted. Their magic had not been in vain.
That night was the start of something big and beautiful, their fate having been written by the stars. Together.
