*Author's Notes*

Happy Friday the 13th! I felt it was only fitting to use this day as a Black Cat Appreciation day. Originally, I was going to write a Chat Noir-centric story, but it just seemed so much more appropriate to take today to send love to my boy Plagg.

I also meant to publish this at 1:13 - the 13th minute of the 13th hour. However, my internet massively lagged. Oh well, still up within the 13th hour.

~ Breaking Monotony~

Plagg was torn. He wanted life to be delightfully boring. He would be content if the rest of Adrien's life was spent lounging in his room, allowing Plagg to eat as much Camembert as he pleased, and watch as much TV or play as many videogames as amused him. At the same time, though, Plagg knew he'd get bored, and loved the soap opera his latest owner somehow stumbled into. Plagg had to constantly choke down laughter every time he heard Adrien proclaim the love of his life was "just a friend." Such a clueless kid.

Still, even with the exhausting excitement of each day, there was a monotony there. Every day seemed to run the same way, and Plagg was getting bored with it. If he was going to be bored anyway, couldn't he at least be bored and lazy?

"Morning, Plagg." Adrien rolled out of bed at five sharp, as he did every morning. He picked out his clothes for the day – the same t-shirt, cover shirt, and jeans that he always seemed to pick – and went into the bathroom to shower. Plagg decided to use the extra ten minutes to sleep.

When Plagg woke again, Adrien was already dressed, his hair blow-dried and perfectly in place – something that bugged Plagg; he liked Adrien's hair shaggy and loosely hung – and Adrien was brushing his teeth. Plagg had missed breakfast, but Adrien was kind enough to smuggle him some cheese.

"You know," Plagg grumbled, "I wouldn't mind a nice croissant to spread my cheese on every once in a while. Shake things up a little."

"Well, if you want to shake things up so much, how about starting with a whole day without Camembert?"

"Hey! No need to go crazy!"

Adrien shook his head and held his shirt open for Plagg to hide inside. Instead, Plagg zipped to Adrien's messenger bag.

"I think I'm gonna spread out today," he called up before pulling his head through the cover flap.

"Oh. Uh. Okay." Adrien's voice was unsure. He still had his kwami beside him, but he seemed uneased by the idea of not having Plagg tucked within his armpit. While Plagg loved the smell, the humidity was a bit much, and he figured Adrien would like the reprieve from having something wedged there. Teenagers were weird.

It was a nice day, and Adrien had a bit of a head start on the morning, so he convinced Nathalie and his bodyguard that he as capable of walking to school. Plagg shook his head. What a strange bodyguard. He barely protected Adrien at all; being more of a glorified babysitter and chauffeur. Not that Adrien needed a bodyguard, but still. Such a silly title for someone who rarely fulfilled the job. Either way, the gentle giant was kind to Adrien, and Plagg appreciated that.

(='ｘ'=) =^.^= (=･ω･=) =^.^= (='ｘ'=) =^.^= (=･ω･=)

"Hey, Nino!" Adrien's voice was always so chipper whenever he saw his best friend.

Plagg figured it was worth getting out of the comfort of Adrien's room if the kid was able to be that happy. The going to school bit, though, still baffled Plagg. Why couldn't Adrien and Nino be at least a little delinquent? That way they could still hang out during a time that Adrien could be let out of the house, but then Plagg wouldn't be bored to tears listening to the lessons drone on and on. In the end, it probably was for the best that Chat Noir wasn't so irresponsible.

"A-Adrien!"

Plagg recognized that squeak. He lifted the flap of Adrien's bag just enough to see out of it. Yup. There she was: Marinette. She was practically fused to Alya's side as the bespectacled girl handed out slices of bread topped with butter and some jam.

"Hey, Marinette," Adrien casually replied. He seemed oblivious to how nervous he made Marinette. It was pathetic, but so wonderfully entertaining for Plagg.

"H-hey."

"Adrien, here, you have to try this out." Alya again offered him a slice of bread as they all stood outside the Tom and Sabine bakery. "Marinette's dad makes the best honeyed butter, and Marinette herself made the blackberry and acai spread."

"That's very cool of you, Marinette."

Plagg didn't even need to look to know by now that Adrien just gave Marinette a wink. Possibly finger guns as well. The kid really had no clue what he did to Marinette; it was as painful as it was hilarious.

Frankly, seeing Ladybug so flustered at all was pretty amusing.

Plagg was grateful that Adrien had taken their breakfast conversation to heart already. As the quartet walked across the street to their school, Adrien gushed about how delicious the breakfast treat was, but conveniently got distracted with a small bite of it left between his fingers. It hung by the front of his bag, and Plagg was able to easily gulp it down without any of the other kids noticing him.

The treat as a whole was still a touch sweet for his liking, but it reminded him a little of Tikki and her love of sweets. If Marinette had been left alone in the kitchen, perhaps Tikki even helped her make the jam. Maybe she was the taste tester. If not, Plagg at least knew that Tikki would enjoy the jam when she did get a chance to have some.

Plagg doubted Marinette would let everyone else get a taste before Tikki though. She was a good owner for his Sugarcube. A bit neurotic, but good.

He ended up spending most of the morning thinking about Tikki. There were a lot of days lately that he thought of her. Ever since the Dark Owl battle, in truth. She had been so close the whole time. Tikki was right behind Adrien for months now. Plagg had been a meter away from her; maybe less, depending on where they were each hiding at any given time. He had been so close to another kwami; she had always been just right there. If only he had known.

He could have whisked Tikki away when Adrien was visiting Marinette to play that video game. Maybe also when Marinette and Adrien were both distracted with Marinette's great-uncle. Or while the kids were distracted at Marinette's birthday party. All of those boring school days could have been spent chatting with Tikki. Months of isolation didn't need to have happened.

Adrien was a great friend; a kind owner who always treated Plagg more like a family member than a slave. Plagg would never trade him for anyone. He loved his owner. Still, it would have been nice to be able to talk to another kwami.

Perhaps it was for the better that Plagg hadn't known. Now that he did, it pained him to know how close Tikki was, but he still couldn't talk to her. He couldn't hear her groan at his jokes, or watch her roll her eyes at his attempts to get her to relax. He couldn't even take in the joy of disgusting her with his Camembert. That was part of the cheese's appeal, after all. She was so close, and yet insanely far.

Plagg poked his head out of the messenger bag just before the lunch break. Everyone was taking a test. The teacher was at her desk, casually monitoring that the students were all focused on their own papers. If Plagg phased out of the bag, and stayed close to the desks, he could easily reach Marinette's backpack. Tikki had to be hidden in there, right? Or maybe Marinette's purse? It would be so cramped in there, though. Maybe he could convince Tikki to join him in one of the bookbags instead. After all, no one saw him sneak into Chloe's bag the day her bracelet "went missing." Plagg was fairly certain he could reach Tikki without anyone seeing him.

He just hoped that Tikki didn't hide in Marinette's jacket the way he hid in Adrien's shirt.

Taking another look around to be certain no one was paying attention to him, Plagg dashed for Marinette's backpack. After a few whispers of "Sugarcube?" he realized she wasn't there. He'd have to try for the purse. Plagg poked his head out of Marinette's bag, checked the coast was clear, and then-

"Alright, class!" Miss Bustier called out and clapped a couple of times. "Pencils down. Pass your tests on up."

Sighing, Plagg zipped back into Adrien's bag. He'd have to try for the purse after the lunch break.

(='ｘ'=) =^.^= (=･ω･=) =^.^= (='ｘ'=) =^.^= (=･ω･=)

"You alright, Plagg?" Adrien muttered when they were alone in that massive dining room.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Just hungry. Can't you ever get something decent to eat?" Plagg huffed as he rested just inside Adrien's cover shirt.

Adrien chuckled and scooped up some cheese and a grape from a nearby plate. He offered both to Plagg.

"What's with the grape?"

"I thought you wanted something with your cheese to spice things up?"

When Plagg didn't take the fruit, Adrien shrugged and popped it into his own mouth. Pouting slightly, Plagg flew over to the plate, plucked a small grape off the vine, and quickly flew back inside Adrien's shirt. When the teen quirked an eyebrow at him, Plagg huffed and turned up his nose.

"The one you had was far too large, and would have overpowered the delicate flavor of the cheese." The then tossed both pieces of food in his mouth, a challenge in his eyes.

Adrien simply smiled, ate some more of his lunch, and offered Plagg more cheese with some of the smallest grapes he could pluck off the bunch. He was truly kind. Plagg wasn't sure how he got so lucky this time.

As much as he enjoyed having these moments with Adrien – especially because he could freely eat – it pained him that the kid was still lonely; that he rarely ever ate with his father. Even when he did, it was a tedious experience as they either sat in awkward silence, or Adrien gave succinct responses to his father's rapid-fire questions about his studies and photo shoots. Adrien deserved so much better. The kid was good. He should have a loving environment to eat in.

Maybe not quite as loving as Marinette's dad had made that one brunch – that was a bit extreme, although it was amazing to witness – but still, something sweet and welcoming. Like when he had that brief breakfast with his friends that morning. If only Plagg could convince Adrien to spend lunches with them. The kid would never agree, though; he was too concerned with how much his father and Nathalie wouldn't allow it.

(='ｘ'=) =^.^= (=･ω･=) =^.^= (='ｘ'=) =^.^= (=･ω･=)

As the second half of the school day started, Plagg instantly eyed up Marinette's purse. He had decided to stretch out in Adrien's bag a second time, despite how much Adrien seemed hurt at the decision twice in the same day. A kwami needed space too sometimes. Especially when he was trying to sneak to another one without their owners figuring it out.

Everyone seemed properly distracted again. Marinette was blushing at whatever Alya was whispering to her, and Adrien's back was towards Plagg as the teen chatted with Nino. None of the other students were out of their chairs, or looking in Plagg's direction. As fast as he could go, Plagg flew into Marinette's purse.

"Plagg?" Tikki whispered in shock as he phased through the fabric. "What are you doing in here? You'll get us caught, then what will happen?"

"Oh, calm down, Sugarcube."

Tikki groaned. It eased Plagg's heart a little.

"I was so bored just staying tucked away. Aren't you? Isn't it mind-numbing to be hidden like this all the time?" Plagg picked away at the crumbly edge of a macaron Marinette had stashed in her purse for Tikki.

"I find ways to keep my mind busy, or I get some sleep so I'm well rested for whenever my owner needs me." Tikki crossed her little arms. She was cute when she tried to act all mature and responsible. Too cute for Plagg to ever really take her reprimanding him seriously, but he usually complied anyway, just to keep the peace.

"Come on, Sugarcube, don't you want to get out of here? At least hang out in Marinette's backpack so we can have some space to move?"

"First of all, I've told you probably millions of times to stop calling me Sugarcube, Stinky Sock." She grumbled the nickname she came up with for him to try to prove her point. It only made her more adorable, so Plagg actually liked the nickname. Brought her down to his level. "Secondly, there's plenty of room in here when I'm by myself." She glared at him, but again, Plagg wasn't the slightest bit intimidated. It was precious that she tired though. "Most importantly, you need to get back to your owner. What if you're caught coming out of my owner's purse? Or if yours goes looking for you and can't find you? Or someone sees you floating back to wherever it is you hide? You could get them both found out, and Hawk Moth could then find out who they are. You are really willing to put all of Paris in danger like this?"

Plagg scooped some of the macaron buttercream filling out, and rolled it into a ball to play with.

"Plagg, this is serious!" Tikki hissed.

"Oh, calm down. I'm close enough to him, and no one will see me. I'm a sneaky cat after all. You worry too much."

"You don't worry enough, and it's rubbing off on your owner. I've never seen such a casual Chat Noir."

"He's endearing, and you know it." Plagg tossed the buttercream ball up and caught it in his mouth. Nope. Too sweet. Tikki can keep her confections. He stuck his tongue out in disgust before shaking his head to refocus. "Also, you're one to talk. Your owner is so overly fixated on being mature and serious. Sure, she's Ladybug, but she's also still a kid. Let her have fun with her powers."

"You know that has nothing to do with me. I don't guide my owners the way you do with yours."

"You think I bother guiding him?"

Tikki simply squinted over at him. "Well, you should. He's a sweet kid, and I appreciate how much he protects my owner, but we are still talking about the safety of Paris. And we're still talking about Nooroo being forced to do such horrible things. Not to mention poor Duusu now helping. It wouldn't hurt if either of you were a bit more serious."

"Maybe you and I can convince our owners to swap Miraculous again. That way you can 'properly guide' my owner. And I could get yours to loosen up a little bit. If she acted more like her Ladybug self around my owner he'd probably fall for her instantly. All this love drama solved."

"That's not how this works, and you shouldn't joke about it."

"Are you telling me you like her stumbling over herself so much? I mean, it is amusing, but still."

"She'll figure it out. She's still learning and maturing."

"Yeah, and so is my owner. Cut the kid some slack, okay? He's probably the best Chat Noir I've had the pleasure of working with."

Tikki softened, gave Plagg a small smile, and rested a flipper on his shoulder. "Yeah, I think so too. I'm happy for you."

Plagg sniffed back tears and shrugged Tikki off him. "Yeah, yeah, don't get so mushy. It's gross."

Tikki giggled.

"Well, I think your owner is pretty awesome too. I enjoyed working with her a couple of times. If she could learn to relax a little bit she might be the perfect Ladybug."

Tikki's smile grew, and they sat in silence for a few minutes. Then the bell rang.

"Oh! Doesn't your owner go to a different class this period?" Tikki went on alert as she started shoving on Plagg to get him out of Marinette's purse.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm going, don't worry." Plagg defiantly resisted Tikki's pushing. "I'll catch you later, Sugarcube?"

"Don't you dare! We can't chance it. You need to stay by your owner's side!"

"How about around one A.M.? Our owners would be asleep, and Hawk Moth rarely attacks overnight. Can we meet somewhere and talk? I miss having you to talk to."

Tikki stopped shoving.

"The rooftop where we met up for Nooroo's Cycle. It's half way between both of our owner's homes. No longer than fifteen minutes though. We need our rest, and we shouldn't be too far from our owners. We can't let our guard down and rely on how Hawk Moth behaved in the past."

Plagg nodded. "Thanks. I'll see you then." He then phased out of Marinette's purse, checked that he had a clear shot, and zipped back into Adrien's bag just as he slung it over his shoulder.

(='ｘ'=) =^.^= (=･ω･=) =^.^= (='ｘ'=) =^.^= (=･ω･=)

The next class was as boring as it always was. No Tikki to talk to. No video games to play or videos to watch. He was even running low on Camembert. Eventually he fell into his usual nap. Finally comfortable, he was rudely awakened.

"Plagg!" Adrien poked his head into his messenger bag. He was alone in the bathroom. Plagg knew exactly what the next words out of Adrien's mouth would be. "Let's go! Ladybug needs us."

"Five more minutes?"

"You'll have plenty of time to sleep later. Plagg, claws out!"

It was like an inescapable vacuum; an undertow; a black hole. No matter how tightly Plagg clung onto something, or how quickly he tried to fly in the opposite direction, the Cat Ring called to him and dragged him into it. It was annoying, but Plagg submitted to it most of the time. At least it was something to do.

His body dissolved into nothing as he merged with the ring. He was energy, as he once was before the Miraculous gave him form. He sensed everything, but saw nothing. Not yet. He was pulled across Adrien's body, encasing the boy with his protection; with his power. Then the world appeared again. He was seeing through Adrien's eyes, but with a separate consciousness. Whenever Chat Noir was brainwashed or otherwise manipulated by akumatized villain attacks, Plagg was never affected. He saw what Adrien was doing, but had no means of shaking the kid out of it, or controlling Chat Noir himself. He was simply pure energy. It was irritating, but that was life. Thankfully, Marinette made a brilliant Ladybug, and Adrien was always freed in the end.

"Afternoon, Buggaboo." Chat Noir landed beside Ladybug, and gave her a wink. She quickly responded with a groan. It instantly reminded Plagg of Tikki whenever he called her Sugarcube. He didn't have a heart to beat faster, but his power burned a touch hotter. Maybe that's what made Chat Noir feel so invulnerable; so capable of being the shield Ladybug needed. It was part faith in his partner, as well as the surge of Plagg's power as the kwami pictured his own partner in the battle.

As usual, the battle consisted of a flurry of blows nearly the instant Chat Noir jumped onto the attack. Adrien was skilled, which helped, but every hit by the villain was buffered by Plagg. It didn't hurt, but it was draining. Every impact chipped a bit more of his energy from him. He had to protect Adrien, though, so he could protect Ladybug; protect Paris' hope; protect Tikki. There were so few things that Plagg put effort into, but powering up Chat Noir was his main focus. His top priority. He would never slack off there.

"Cataclysm!" Chat Noir called out for his ultimate power. Everything that Plagg had left after protecting Adrien in the superhero costume and souping up the kid's natural abilities was sent to Plagg's core: the Cat Ring. The destructive force that was Plagg was diluted, funneling through Adrien's body, but it was still more than enough to achieve the results Chat Noir and Ladybug needed. Still, it was exhausting, and without Adrien knowing how to cycle some of his own life energy back into Plagg, the kwami could only protect Adrien for five more minutes.

BEEP!

Hurry up! Plagg thought to Adrien, his cries calling out as a beep each minute.

"Pound it!" Chat Noir and Ladybug bumped their fists, as they almost always did. It was a cute ritual, but Plagg could never fully appreciate it; as exhausted as he was becoming.

BEEP!

I can't keep this up much longer!

"Bye-bye, Kitty." Ladybug giggled, wiggled her fingers in a little wave, and then lassoed a nearby flagpole with her yo-yo. Then she was gone. Yet Chat Noir was still there, staring at the horizon she disappeared into.

BEEP!

Now's not the time!

As Chat Noir landed back at the school, Plagg was about ready to collapse. His strained pants screaming from the ring in a frantic succession of beeps.

"Plagg, claws in."

Finally! Plagg collapsed, his stretched out energy crashing together as the ring spat him back into his physical form. He landed in Adrien's awaiting palm, a slice of Camembert already held out for Plagg to recover with. He greedily gulped it down. It was already so soothing to him, and he rested up within Adrien's bag again as he nursed another slice.

Once his belly was full, Plagg again passed out.

The rest of the day was going to follow status quo anyway. Adrien would go through the remainder of his classes. He'd then do his after school activities, be it basketball, or fencing, or Chinese lessons, or practice piano, or go to a photo shoot. For the sports, since there wasn't really anywhere for Plagg to hide, he'd be stuck in Adrien's locker. All the more boring. He'd likewise be left in Adrien's bag during photo shoots. It was all so dull, and Plagg wasn't sure how Adrien could stand it.

Maybe if Adrien hung out with Nino or the other guys then it would be entertaining to watch. Plagg knew it would be a blast to witness Adrien interact with Marinette. He tried to make a mental note to wake up with the final school bell, on the off chance the two crazy kids would run into each other. It would provide something new to mentally tease Adrien about, at least.

Unfortunately, the day concluded with Nino asking Adrien over for a movie, and Adrien sadly rejecting the offer. On the other side of the room, Marinette listened intently, but skirted the wall as she walked towards the exit. She was muttering something with Alya, but the redhead didn't bother forcing her friend to interact with Adrien this time.

It was a fencing day, so in the locker Plagg sat. Adrien would be busy sparring and bantering with Kagami for the next hour or so. Plagg liked Kagami. She had spunk and didn't seem to really fear anything. She was bold and straight forward. It was refreshing after listening to all of Adrien's classmates dance around each other and plot and scheme; sometimes for good, sometimes for ill.

Plagg just wished Kagami were a bit more playful. She was as stoic and reserved as Nathalie, which really wasn't helpful with shaking Adrien out of his own shell. Thankfully, it seemed that Adrien was slowly rubbing off on his friend as they each began sneaking behind their strict parents' backs in order to hang out. It was a relief to see Adrien act around Kagami a bit more like he did around his other friends, as well as see the girl laugh and smile; actually act like a kid.

Still, Kagami wasn't Marinette. As intense as Marinette tended to be, Adrien seemed the most comfortable around her. Granted, he technically was the most himself around Marinette, but that was different; that was when he was Chat Noir, and usually while she was Ladybug. Even so, he could be vulnerable around Marinette; he could be flawed. He could just be a kid. Even when he was Chat Noir, he could just be a wounded kid whenever he was with Marinette.

Plagg wasn't sure why Adrien's walls didn't fall quite as much whenever he was around Nino or his other friends. Perhaps it truly was the work of True Love.

Plagg gagged at the thought.

He couldn't deny Marinette's influence, though. As much fun as it was watching Adrien slam himself into the romantic wall, as amusing as it was to see the kid constantly write off his true love as "just a friend," as hilarious as it was to watch Ladybug continuously reject the man she was in love with simply because she was too blind to notice, it was all still just too tragic. Adrien deserved a happy ending. He deserved Marinette.

Maybe Kagami could teach Adrien to ease up. Maybe Chat Noir would learn to better time his flirting, or even wean off of it so he wouldn't annoy Ladybug. A touch of maturity, rubbed off from Kagami's influence, could go a long way to Ladybug maybe respecting him enough to think of him romantically.

Likewise, maybe that Luka kid could do the same with Marinette. Help her calm down a touch; not be such a stalker. She could learn how to see Adrien as simply another teen; another friend. She could start talking to him the same way she talks to Chat Noir. Maybe then Adrien would be able to see how amazing Marinette was.

Then they could be together, Adrien would have his Happily Ever After, and Plagg would be rolling in Paris' finest bread, butter, and cheese.

"Plagg, have you been sleeping this whole time?" Adrien gingerly scooped his kwami out of his bag. They were back in Adrien's room; fencing was long-done, and Adrien looked like he was prepping to start his homework.

Plagg yawned. "You try spending your whole afternoon in a messenger bag. You'd pass out too, I'll have you know."

"You're probably right. Want me to start up a game for you while I'm doing my school work?"

Adrien started up an older game. Giant animals crashed through cities, destroying as many cars, buildings, and other property as they can before the military stopped them. It wasn't quite the same as using his unchecked Cataclysm, but Plagg enjoyed the ability to safely destroy things. Plus, while the concept and controls were both fairly simple, the gameplay switched up each time Plagg played. It was exciting and new. It was one of Plagg's favorite games.

Their night paused for dinner. Yet another meal where Adrien and Plagg ate alone. Nathalie hovered by Adrien's shoulder to start, asking him generic questions about his day, and whether or not he was able to stay safe during the latest akuma attack. Her curiosity – or perhaps Adrien's father's curiosity – about Adrien's day sated, Nathalie left the room. Plagg and Adrien chatted a bit; Adrien mostly commenting on things in class he wished he could have spoken to Plagg about at the time, but couldn't for obvious reasons. Most of it was further speculation as to who Ladybug could be.

Plagg fought against a giggle fit as Adrien continued to check off every female he knew; except for Marinette. Everyone in Paris truly was blind.

Back in Adrien's room, Plagg continued his game as Adrien polished up his school work, and then scanned the Ladyblog for new clues on his beloved. Around nine, Adrien and Nino chatted while Plagg played with Adrien's Foosball table.

Kwamis can't be caught on film, Plagg thought, Does that mean the cameras on phones also couldn't catch me? Could I make faces at Nino while Adrien is chatting with him, and the kid would never be the wiser? If so, how far could I go before Adrien cracks and tells me to stop? How much of a freak out would Nino have upon realizing his best friend is Chat Noir? How much would I get yelled at by Tikki?

Their conversation lasted about an hour before Nino said goodnight, much to Adrien's dismay. There was no patrol to fill the last of his night. With how stressful their schedules had gotten lately, Chat Noir and Ladybug agreed to only go out on Sundays and Thursdays for patrol.

"We could still go out, if you want." Plagg wasn't sure why he suggested it. He didn't want to have to work again that day. It was a blessing that they no longer patrolled more than twice a week.

"You're willing to transform me into Chat Noir?" Even Adrien was baffled by the offer.

"It's better than hearing you pining for Ladybug until you pass out."

"How sweet of you," Adrien mocked.

"Hey, it's just an offer. You don't have to do it if you don't want to." Plagg floated over to his cabinet of cheese and gobbled up a wedge of Camembert.

"You think she's out there? Just enjoying the lights of Paris?" Adrien leaned against the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined his back wall.

"If not," Plagg cocked an eyebrow, a potential plan brewing, "perhaps Marinette is out on her balcony again. I wouldn't mind you convincing her for more of that bread you had this morning. It's such a shame, thinking about all the bread and pastries they probably have to get rid of due to it going stale." He sniffed back his false sadness.

"You and your stomach, Plagg." Adrien chuckled, then walked over to pat Plagg gently on the head.

"So, no bread?"

"I'm not becoming a superhero so I could hit up my friend for some borderline stale bread her family might have pulled from the day's inventory. Besides, they're such a popular bakery, do you really think they have that much left over by the time they close for the day?"

"They can't be perfect, and I doubt they let their products run out before the bakery closes."

Adrien shook his head and sat in his computer chair. "I'm not begging for scraps like a stray. If you want, though, I can ask Marinette on Monday what her family does with the surplus."

Once more, Adrien was on the Ladyblog, sighing longingly with that love-sick look in his eyes. Plagg shrugged. He tried to get Adrien to hang out with his true love. The more he talked to Marinette as Chat Noir the more he could see the girl with her guard down. It was probably a long shot that she'd be on her balcony so late at night anyway.

Preparing for his own late-night rendezvous, Plagg snuggled into Adrien's pillow, and soon fell asleep. He had mastered his internal clock eons ago, and easily awoke roughly a quarter-to-one. Adrien was asleep behind him, looking at peace and happy. His lips were even curled slightly in a hint of a smile. He was probably having a good dream. Plagg hoped so, at least.

He brushed some of Adrien's bangs out of his eyes, and quickly whispered that he'd be back. Adrien didn't move, and Plagg wasn't sure what he'd do if the kid had woken up. Grabbing a wedge of cheese from his cabinet – he needed to eat a midnight snack in front of Tikki, just to see her reaction – Plagg slipped through Adrien's bathroom window; still slightly ajar to let fresh air in overnight.

"I wasn't expecting you to actually be early," Tikki teased as Plagg reached their meet point.

"I wasn't really expecting you to actually show." Plagg tried to play it off cool, but he couldn't help but smile at her. Then, with a smirk, he spun the wedge of Camembert on his flipper before tossing it into the air and catching it in his mouth with one large gulp.

"Ewww, must you, Plagg?"

"As often as I can," he replied while still chewing.

"You said you wanted to talk?"

"I wanted to catch up. We're not in the Miracle Box anymore, and I get lonely. Don't you?"

"I have my owner."

"And I have mine. That doesn't mean I don't still miss you or the others. At least you get to talk to Master Fu and Wayzz every now and again."

"Plagg, I didn't think you cared." Tikki was mocking, but her smile was sincere. She floated a bit closer to Plagg, then wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

"Of course I care about you, Sugarcube."

With a playful glare, Tikki backed away. "You ruined it."

The two kwamis spent the next fifteen minutes laughing and catching up the best they could with the spell restricting their speech. Plagg was refreshed by the contact with Tikki. It all went by too soon.

"Goodbye, Plagg. Take good care of your Chat Noir." Tikki pulled him into a hug and squeezed tight.

"You're talking as if we can't see each other again. Can't we make this a monthly thing? I promise I won't pop in on your hiding spot anymore. Kwami's honor!" He crossed his heart and held up his left arm.

"Mmm, we really shouldn't."

"It's just fifteen minutes. Every new moon, maybe?"

"So, in ten days?" Tikki crossed her arms and pursed her lips.

"Okay, every new moon starting with the next one. We'll consider this new moon visited early."

Tikki glanced over to Marinette's home. Then up at the sky, possibly calculating things.

"We have to make sure no one notices we're gone. No one can see us meeting up. If Hawk Moth discovers that our owners are vulnerable during those fifteen minutes they could be in real danger."

"Okay, then how about before we leave each meet up we come up with our next one? There doesn't have to be a pattern to it. That way Hawk Moth could never catch on?"

Tikki again pondered for nearly a whole minute.

"Alright. Our next meet-up will be the new moon next month. We can meet here again. At two A.M. next time."

"Sounds fantastic, Sugarcube!"

"I'll cancel if you keep calling me that."

"Aww, you are no fun. Do you know that, Sugah-" Plagg cut himself off when he saw Tikki's stare. "Okay, fine. We have a deal, Tikki."

"Until then." Tikki started floating away. She paused long enough to wave Plagg goodbye one last time. "Behave yourself in the meantime."

"You know I can't promise that." Plagg winked back, then headed home to Adrien, ignoring Tikki hissing out his name scoldingly.

He nestled back into his spot on Adrien's pillow, and let out a yawn. Yeah, the days could be a bit monotonous, but if it also meant Adrien was his Chat Noir, Plagg wouldn't trade them for all the Camembert in the world.

~ Thank you for reading ~

*Closing Notes*

I... was not expecting a 5800 word story when I started writing this two days ago! I just went "Oh! Friday the 13th is coming up! I should write something Chat Noir related; no! Plagg related!" And then it just kind of ran way from there. 0.0

I might come back to this at some point and sort of do a "Day in the Life" for more support/re-occurring characters, but right now that's up in the air.

Happy Plagg Appreciation Day, everyone!