Appreciating Chat Noir

Chapter One

Their final year of high school was nearly coming to an end and after all those years of each wondering the identity of the other partner, they had still not been able to figure it out. Marinette understood that being a superhero it was impossible to reveal something like this and still remain hidden. After all, it was for their safety. But that didn't stop her from wondering who Chat Noir could be...

As for Adrien, he knew that his days with Ladybug were numbered. Even though he was a superhero, life had to go on. He knew he had been accepted into a prestigious school in London and would be moving there as soon as the school year ended. This was finally his chance to get away from the pressure his father constantly put him under. Besides, he wasn't that great of a superhero anyways. Surely ladybug could easily find a much better chat noir.

Being so busy with studying for finals, exams, and all of their other responsibilities their senior year contained on top of their responsibilities as superhero's; they hadn't really had time to talk about it. Marinette wasn't sure what her partner's plans were for the future but she never really considered the possibility that he would leave Paris. She had never really even thought about it.

Adrien wasn't really sure how to tell Ladybug this but, he had accidentally stumbled across the identity of Hawkmoth. He didn't even have to leave the house. As Chat Noir he knew he had a responsibility to tell her but, how was he supposed to tell her it was his very own dad?! So instead, he kept quiet, hoping to avoid having to confront the issue at hand. He knew it was selfish but, surely the new chat noir could deal with Hawkmoth without having the complication of it being his father – and do it much better than he ever could. Right?

Ladybug was out on patrol that evening swinging from roof to roof, making her way across Paris. She hadn't seen Chat Noir in a while and when she had he had been awfully quiet. It had been strange – normally he was quite chatty and was constantly cracking jokes or bringing up ridiculous puns. But last time they had fought hawkmoth's latest accumatized villain, a servant in the Agreste household of all places he had strangely disappeared rather quickly. Had something happened she wasn't aware of? Was there something he wasn't telling her?

Seeing all was well, she made her way to the Eiffel Tower and chose a spot towards the top so she could admire the miraculous (sorry not sorry I love puns) view only to see a very much dejected-looking chat noir sitting at the top. She felt a strike of alarm and knew something was most definitely wrong. Was it something closer to home?

The moment he noticed her there, Chat Noir jumped out of his skin. He had been trying to figure out a way to tell Ladybug hawkmoth's true identity and also that he was leaving Paris when suddenly she appeared beside him, as if he had conjured her. He felt extremely guilty for his negligence. Could he be a worse partner?

How was he supposed to tell her all that and how he felt and without also telling her his true identity? How much more of this could he take?!

"Oh uh hi ladybug." He looked so miserable, she was almost convinced the guy in front of her was a completely different guy.

"Hi kitty. There aren't any chat-tastrophies tonight." Ladybug said with a smile hoping he'd cheer up with the cheesy pun she just made.

There was a tug at his lips as he smiled. But it didn't reach his eyes. It must be really bad whatever it is, if even a pun that cheesy couldn't cheer him up. Ladybug made a mental note for later to find out what was the source of his misery. But for now all she could do was keep him company, and listen, if he felt up to talking.

He felt so miserable and guilty, he couldn't even enjoy the pun.

"I- there is something I need to tell you." Chat Noir managed to say. His palms felt strangely sweaty underneath the suit and the words he needed- and wanted to say felt like chalk-dust in his mouth.