Hello and welcome to my first collab! This story idea was given to me by Yamina20 and really it was so good, I couldn't not write it. She comes up with the ideas and she also did the amazing artwork for this story that you really should look at, it is so cool *fangirls at it*

Anyway important note; this story takes place when they are older but in a world where Adrien didn't ever go to public school. Please enjoy the story and leave a review!

It had been another extremely long day for Adrien Agreste. His father had somehow managed to squeeze three different photoshoots for three different fashion lines in the same day and the constant changing, make-up, hair styling and posing made his body feel like a stretched out spring that had been pulled so far it couldn't return to its original shape. He was so tired his arms felt like lead as he lifted them to press against his back, which was sore from lounging on the most rock hard chair he had ever been forced to sit on, and he had to practically head butt his bedroom door to push it open. He groaned as he flopped hard onto his bed, causing the front of his shirt to wriggle in protest as a little black creature that resembled a cat flew out of his front pocket.

"Do you mind?!" Plagg snapped at his chosen, the golden-haired young man turning his head to the side to stare up at him with a single green eye. "You could have squished me there! I don't want to be turned into a pancake, thanks very much!"

"Sorry Plagg." Adrien whimpered, making Plagg's anger evaporate as he stared down at him. He now regretted snapping at him as his eyes filled with tears and he flew down to sit next to his head.

"Hey kid, it's OK, it's nothing to cry about," He tried to soothe him by patting his forehead but the tears kept falling, running into the lines of his almost perfect face like rivers as he cried. "Did something else happen today?"

"My father was there," Adrien sobbed out, choking on the word father like it was poison. "I saw him standing there in the corner when I was modelling. I kept looking over at him, hoping he would see me, but he didn't even look Plagg. It was like I wasn't even there, like I was nothing to him."

Adrien's eyes squeezed closed as more sobs shook his body and Plagg gave a little sigh. It was a well-known fact to him that the black cat Miraculous was drawn to troubled people. His kittens were nearly always people who were forced to suffer through means beyond their control and Adrien Agreste was looking to be the most troubled kitten of them all.

Though Plagg didn't often show it, he was worried about Adrien. The kid had been in a bad place when they had met three years ago in this same room when Adrien had discovered a funny-shaped box and opened it to free him. He had been fighting with his father over his want to go to a public school; Adrien had desperately wanted to go and make friends and be a regular kid but Gabriel Agreste had crushed that dream with all the emotions of an ice statue. This had left Adrien leading a very sheltered existence. He had only ever left the huge mansion he shared with his father for modelling jobs and when he was being tutored in various things, he stayed in his room like a hermit, surrounded by things most kids would dream of having but dreaming of just being outside. Adrien had told him all this when he had first slipped the silver ring onto his finger and Plagg had almost been stunned into silence by it. He had been glad he had been able to provide two bright spots in the boy's life; one being the chance of freedom and anonymity as Chat Noir and the other was the opportunity to meet his partner Ladybug.

"That sucks kid." Plagg murmured. Even though Adrien had finished all his tutoring and was working as a full time model and was a legal adult now, Plagg still couldn't kick the habit of calling him kid. In many ways, he still was a kid as he had all the naivety of one. "That really sucks. Maybe you should talk it out with Ladybug later, that could help."

Adrien opened his eyes again, already calmer just from the mention of her name. Aside from Plagg, who was more of a parent or a nuisance really, Ladybug was his only real friend and the only person in the whole of Paris he felt like he could confide in. He couldn't talk to any of the people around him; Nathalie was always too busy and she could be just as cold as his father and his bodyguards would only grunt in response or just ignore him to focus on his protection.

Ladybug was the only person who had ever reached out to him; he remembered how on their first meeting, he had been so shy and awkward, fumbling his words and dropping his baton as he had no idea how to talk with anyone, let alone a girl. He had almost died of embarrassment several times throughout the whole thing but she had been so nice about it, helping him up when he fell and encouraging him whilst they had fought their first akuma. She had giggled at his stuttering words and helped him to calm down, taking his hand and making him stare into the depths of her deep blue eyes until his breathing became even and he could actually form a sentence.

Since then, she had become his confidant in all things as on patrol, letting him talk and talk away as they went around the city looking for any signs of danger. Without spilling too many details of his life, knowing how important keeping their identities secret was to her, he told her about his problems with his father and she would listen, always giving him a gentle ear and a shoulder if he ever needed something to lean on. She would also offer tender words of advice, stuff like "Can't your mum help you? I'm sure if you talked to her, it could be resolved…" or "Why don't you tell this to other family? They wouldn't want to see you miserable…" Adrien always had to swallow a lump in his throat at that point; he had never told her he didn't know any other members of his family, he wasn't even sure many existed, and he couldn't tell his mother because she had disappeared from his life the year before he had become Chat Noir. He didn't know what had happened to her, his father had only cryptically told him she had 'left.' All he knew was, she had gone so quickly and she had taken a large chunk of him with her, one he still wasn't sure had returned.

Adrien sniffed and sat up a little, looking down at Plagg with a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Do you think so?" He asked, his watery eyes shining like dew on mountain grass as he thought of her. "Would she still listen?"

Plagg shook his head in exasperation. This kitten of his was really the most insecure man he had ever met; his father had left him with such a fear of displeasing people, he was always terrified he was a burden to others and Plagg was the one who bore most of his anxieties. "Of course, she'll want to listen," He said, flying back up to the level of his face. "She's your partner, she'll understand."

"Yes, yes I'm sure she will. She's amazing like that." Adrien gave the first real smile of the whole day as he thought about Ladybug. He had every part of her memorised; the way her freckles peeped out from just underneath her mask, how her body swayed like bamboo when she walked away from an akuma in triumph, how she would groan a little in exasperation when he made a pun to try and make her giggle. He knew the feel of her fingers on his shoulder, her soft scent like cinnamon and baked bread, the movement of her hair as it swung in two pigtails. He loved the way her laugh could rejuvenate him and make him feel like new and he loved how her blue eyes, eyes that contained every blue under the sun, could calm him and take his breath away. He gave a happy little sigh almost like the purr of a kitten and Plagg felt another jolt of worry go through his stomach. Adrien's devotion to Ladybug was clear for everyone to see, everyone except the girl herself, who seemed almost oblivious to it. Ladybug was Adrien's only real friend but he had wanted more than friendship for a long time and that scared his kwami. He knew many Chat Noir's who had fallen for their Ladybug's but never one who had fallen quite like this. His stomach rumbled again and he realised it was crying out for cheese.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, she's amazing," He said, whizzing around in the air to get his attention. "But can you stop mooning over her for five minutes so you can get me some cheese? I'm dying of starvation here!"

Adrien seemed to come out of his trance and he laughed at the irate kwami. "OK, OK Plagg, calm down, I'm getting some." He chuckled as he heaved his body from the bed and went to his fridge to get some Camembert out and put it on a plate. "You know, I think all the staff think I have a strange cheese obsession because of you."

"Not likely." Plagg answered as he munched his way through the wedge of cheese that was almost twice his body size. "If you got a cheese obsession, I'd have to share and I'm not doing that."

Adrien laughed again and Plagg had to give a smile. This was how he liked seeing his charge, smiling and laughing and carefree. It was a sight that was becoming less and less frequent as time went on and that was worrying in itself. Plagg continued to eat his cheese and tried to push the thought away. He wouldn't think of that, he thought. Worrying won't help matters one jot, he knew that. But in the case of this one particular kitten, he just couldn't help it. Maybe all he needs is some rest, he wondered hopefully, as he watched Adrien fall back onto the bed again, eyes already lidded as he settled in for some well-needed sleep. He finished his cheese quickly and, like a real cat, curled up to sleep in his mop of blond hair.

"Goodnight Adrien." The kwami muttered as his eyes started to close of their own accord. "Sweet dreams." That's the only place he'll ever get anything sweet, was his last bitter thought before he became too tired to think and sleep overtook both of them.

OOO

Unfortunately for Plagg, it seemed like Hawkmoth had other ideas for how they should spend their evening. The two were woken with a jump by the sound of distant screaming and Adrien quickly sprang up, launching a disgruntled Plagg across the room as he turned on his TV which was permanently switched to the local news station. The cameras were at the Arc De Triomphe and they were hooked on the akuma that was climbing up it, bellowing at the crowds of people that ran away screaming as it hurled what seemed to be large shards of sharp paper at the ground below.

"I am the Book Keeper!" The man yelled, his voice carrying over the screaming and echoing down the roads surrounding it. His skin was white and appeared to have millions of little black words scrawled all over it. His body was covered with what looked like a medieval suit of armour, only it was made of hefty books with hard leather covers and on his head was perched a black cap with a long quill pen sticking out of it that was gleaming blue. "And nobody shall take them away from me! Wanting to replace books, my books, with soulless technology… You are all heathens and you will all pay!"

"Where does Hawkmoth get these people?" Plagg grumbled as he stared at the strange sight on the TV but Adrien wasn't listening. His previously tired face had lit up into a grin as a red blur dived across the screen, spinning through the air before landing on the ground and breaking off into a run. The camera only got a brief still of her as she landed but it was still very clear who she was.

"Ladybug's already there!" Adrien cried out. "We have to get there now! Plagg, claws out!"

OOO

It took Chat Noir only a few minutes to reach the scene and when he got there, nothing had changed. The villain was still chucking large darts of paper around and was still raving on about his precious books and the evils of technology. Chat Noir rolled his eyes at the sight.

"Looks like somebody needs to shut this book up." He said, a small grin appearing on his face that was pleased with the pun. From behind him, he suddenly heard the twang of a yoyo string and his heart skipped a beat when he turned and saw Ladybug was standing there with her hands on her hips and a smirk playing across her face.

"Not bad kitty," She said in greeting. "What took you so long?"

"I had a long day," He said as a giant paper dart fell near them and they started to run towards the akuma. "I was trying to get some rest when I saw this on the news."

"Aw, were you having a cat nap?" She teased him but her smile went when she saw the look on his face as he thought of the day he had had. "Hey, did you have a bad day?"

He nodded. "I'll tell you about it later." He said quickly. "Right now we have this to deal with."

"Right." She gave him a quick grin as she used her yoyo to swoop up into the air, her movements graceful like those of an acrobat. He followed her using his baton, having to work harder at staying in the air but keeping his eyes focused on her. She could have been going through the gates of hell and he wouldn't have cared, he would have still followed her. He could see her brain was already formulating a plan, her tongue slightly poking from her mouth in concentration as she assessed the situation, and he patiently waited for her to speak.

"OK, here's what we'll do," She told him as they landed on the side of the Arc and carefully watched the akuma in case he spotted their position. "The akuma is in the feather on his hat, we need to grab that and get it away from him. I'll attack from this way," She gestured around the back of the Arc where the akuma was facing away from. "And you'll go around the other way. Look like you're going for one of the books in his armour, then he'll be distracted and protect the wrong place. Then I can grab the feather and purify it." She gave a satisfied grin as she looked at him. "Everything clear?"

"As crystal my Lady." He beamed up at her, his expression making it very clear he wanted to please her. It gave her an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach but she ignored it as she prepared to throw her yoyo.

"Let's go!" She gave a final cry as she flew through the air, her body swooping in one direction whilst he went in the other. He used his baton to vault himself in the direction of the Book Keeper and the villain caught sight of him almost instantly as he let out a taunting yell.

"Looks like somebody needs to be put back on the shelf!" He called over as the akuma shook with the force of his anger.

"How dare you mock me and my books!" He screamed, shaking a fist at him and throwing a giant paper dart at him. It was nearly the size of Chat Noir's entire body but he dodged it and carried on laughing, watching his Lady from the corner of his eye as she went to make her move.

"My my, your anger speaks volumes about you!" He joked as he got closer and closer to him. The villain's temples looked ready to pop with rage and Chat could see Ladybug approaching as she whipped through the air in silence. They had him now, he thought with another grin as he faked going in for an attack. This was going to be quick.

However, just before Chat Noir made to strike, the akuma suddenly leapt out of the way, flashing him a quick evil smile as he flipped around in mid-air. His eyes were focused on Ladybug as she came towards him and Chat Noir realised with a jolt of horror that they had horribly misjudged him.

"Time to squash this annoying bug!" The Book Keeper yelled as another paper dagger formed in his hand, this one almost twice the size of all the others. He hurled it with all his might at the superheroine and Chat Noir heard her scream when she realised they had made a fatal mistake. It was moving too fast for her to get out of the way and she fruitlessly covered her head with her arms as the giant paper bullet flew through the air at a lightning pace towards her.

"NOOO!" Without thinking, the sound left Chat Noir's lips as he flung himself in the air at it. It hit him square in the chest, the point sinking deep into the leather as the paper was dyed red with blood. From somewhere, he faintly heard Ladybug screaming his name and somebody cackling with laughter but it sounded distant as he stared down at the dripping wound that was oozing scarlet. He felt a pair of arms wrap around him and as he looked up, a pair of very angry yet concerned blue eyes were looking down at him.

"Chat!" Her voice cut through the blur the world had become and made him focus on her face. Her beautiful, tear-stained face… He tried to reach up a hand to brush the tears that were falling down her face but his limb felt too heavy and he let it hang in the air for a moment before it sagged back to the ground. He heard her call for her lucky charm and then felt something press against his wound which he realised when she made his hands push down on it was a red and black spotted towel. "You stupid cat, what were you thinking?"

"I had to…save you…" He whispered, his voice sounding strange to his ears. "Couldn't let… you…" He looked up and saw the akuma was approaching them, an origami paper sword in his hand and a grin on his face. He clearly thought he had won. "The akuma…"

"I'll finish him." Ladybug said, turning to face the villain darkly. "You stay there."

"But I…" His protests weren't heard as Ladybug whirred her yoyo around her head with a determined expression. It became a haze of black and red as she span it and charged into battle, using it to block and parry all of the akuma's thrusting attacks. Chat Noir watched the battle powerlessly, holding his hand up to his wound and trying to ignore the warm blood that spilled over his fingers as he tried to sit up. His baton bore his weight like a walking stick as he forced himself to his feet. He didn't care about the pain that was ripping through him. He just wanted to help her. He could see she was getting weaker, though she was powered by sheer fury, and the constant attacks were too much to hold off for long. He needed to do something, he thought as he racked his brain. Then he had an idea.

"Cataclysm!" He yelled at the top of his voice but his hands stayed by his side, no magic flowing to them. The Book Keeper turned around, expecting to see something being destroyed but nothing was there except for an injured and unsteady Chat Noir who was grinning at him. It took only a second for the villain to realise he had been duped but it was too late-Ladybug had already snatched the feather from his cap and snapped it effortlessly between her fingers. He howled and fell to his knees as the familiar black butterfly flew from the broken item and was instantly captured by Ladybug.

"Bye bye little butterfly!" She cried out almost hysterically as the now-white insect flew up to the sky and Chat Noir, knowing the drill by now, threw the bloody towel up into the air. The healing storm of ladybugs then went to work, transforming the akumatised villain back into a skinny young man in glasses and healing Chat's wound. He let out a sigh of relief as the burning pain was suddenly gone and Ladybug ran towards him.

"Chat! You're OK!" She cried out in relief as she hugged him tightly. At first he wasn't sure how to react, nobody had hugged him like this in what seemed like forever, and it took him a while to put his arms around her and squeeze her back in comfort.

"I'm fine." He said softly. "I'm just glad you're safe."

"I'm safe?!" She suddenly cried out, stepping back and looking up at him with eyes that told him she wasn't sure whether to punch him or hug him again. "What about you? Do you realise how dangerous that was?! I've told you before, I don't need to have you protecting me all the time! You're my partner, not my personal meat shield!"

"I'm sorry." He said, gently taking a step towards her. He was unsure about how to deal with this; when his father was angry at him, he was always so cold and calm, nothing like the explosion of emotions that was happening before his eyes. "I just can't see you hurt. I just…care about you too much."

The words he hadn't said, the three words that he had never said to anybody and choked in his throat before he could say them, hung in the air between them and they made her take a long look at him. The uneasy feeling in her gut came back ten times stronger as she saw the way he was staring at her; his green eyes, eyes like liquid emeralds, were filled to the brim with longing and that realisation made tears come to her own eyes. "Chat, this has to stop." She told him, her voice shaking a little with the tears but still sounding firm.

"Yes, I know I can't keep doing this but-"

"No Chat. This has to stop." She gestured between him and her as she looked up at him to show she meant it. "You have to stop looking at me like that. It just can't happen."

"What? Why?" He stared at her pleadingly but she held her ground, refusing to let any of her traitorous tears fall and make her look weak.

"Because we have a duty," She told him. "Because our job is dangerous and we have to keep ourselves professional. We can't value each other over the city, we can't afford to. And I can't have you always charging in to save me because of personal feelings!" The last sentence came out in a snap and Chat Noir felt like she had stabbed him in the gut. "I'm sorry Chat but that is the way it has to be. We knew what this entailed when we put on our miraculous. I'm sorry."

"Ladybug, wait-" He shouted after her desperately but she had already turned away. Her earrings gave a bleep and before he could say another word, she was gone, lost over the rooftops of Paris as she soared away. He stood there for a moment, his body feeling numb, until the flash of a camera spooked him from his daze. He hissed loudly at the cameras and reporters that suddenly descended on him, their questions about what had just happened sounding like the buzzing of flies in his ringing ears. He took off in a sprint and when he was far enough away from them, he turned and made his way back to the Agreste mansion, finally letting his tears fall as he felt his heart crumble to dust.