Opening Remarks

Here it is! The final installment of Bitter Truth! It's been an honor to have you all as readers, and I truly hope you enjoy the ending I've prepared. I would like to apologize that it's later than I originally promised... I've been under the weather as of late, and even now I worry that this chapter is riddled with errors due to the fog in my head. Please feel free to let me know if any parts don't make sense and I'll fix them as soon as I can, but I didn't want to delay getting this out to you readers any longer!

Bitter Truth
Part 6 of 6: Act V

'Welcome home, Adrien Agreste…' He thought, frowning to himself as he stepped foot in his room for the first time since he left for Normandy, only to be faced with a mountain of homework. It was an unfortunate side effect of having a job at his age – he'd often have a lot of homework to make up after his work hours demanded he be absent a few days. The homework was rather grueling, especially since he hadn't gotten much sleep the night prior because they'd traveled back from the beach in order for his father to make it to a press conference in Paris that morning. He'd been given the option of skipping another day of school to rest, but he had been too anxious to see his friends and didn't relish the idea of adding even more work to the mountain of homework he was now tackling. When his brain couldn't take anymore, he rose from his desk chair, yawning and stretching, thinking he should call it a night.

He exchanged his T-shirt for a night shirt, then began to follow suit with his jeans when he noticed the red string hanging out of the pocket. Pulling the charm out, he beheld it as though for the first time, running a finger over each bead to study its detail. It was a little odd, how this trinket had come to mean so much to him, and what it represented... He thought of Marinette, the person who presented it to him, a tender smile involuntarily overtaking his frown as he recalled their conversations earlier that day. He really hoped that everything she said to him had been true… that they'd be able to have more conversations like that, carefree and open, instead of tiptoeing around each other like they always had done, worrying about whether they'd upset the other somehow.

"It seems you really are a token of good luck." He told the bracelet as he lay it out on his bureau, reflecting on his recent luck with it. Not only had it played a small part in helping Ladybug defeat Bitter Truth, it'd also helped him progress his friendships. He couldn't help but wonder if some of Ladybug's luck had rubbed off on it even in just the short time she'd possessed it. His frown returned as he thought of her, his mind still conflicted, wanting to see her, but still thinking she'd be better off if he didn't return.

'I wonder if she's given up yet; since I haven't shown up yet... After how many times I've failed her... Even if she was still willing to work with me after Bitter Truth, she must've given up on me after I got cold feet that first night. There's no way she'd have continued to wait while I was away for the photoshoot... So there's no reason to try and see if she's there tonight, right?'

With a sigh, he plopped down upon his bed, half-dressed for slumber and half-dressed for a potential rendezvous with Ladybug, losing track of time as his mind battled with itself about what he should do.

A couple days later...

"No more evil-doing for you, little akuma!" Ladybug delivered her speech before capturing and purifying the butterfly.

Alya filmed the exchange from her perch in a nearby tree, priding herself on finding a nice vantage spot that wasn't too invasive. She was psyched to get some more footage for the Ladyblog, as there hadn't been a single akuma victim since Bitter Truth ten days ago. Now that Ladybug had released her lucky charm and everything had gone back to normal, Alya packed up her stuff, preparing to get down from her position, but was startled when Ladybug suddenly lowered herself into view with her yo-yo, like a spider dangling from its web.

"Gah! I mean, Ladybug!" Alya yelped, willing her pounding heart to steady itself as she needed to be composed in order to properly fangirl and perhaps solicit an interview.
"You were awesome! Any words for The Ladyblog?" Alya asked, quickly recovering and starting a new recording on her phone.
"Yeah, actually..." Ladybug began, settling herself onto a nearby branch, "I was hoping you could post another message to Cat Noir for me..."

"Time to take matters into my own hands." Alya resolved, taking off into a run towards Tom & Sabine's bakery. She had been shocked to find out that Adrien still, after being back from Normandy for a couple days, hadn't shown up to claim his miraculous from Ladybug even though she'd been waiting every night for him! What possessed him to stay away escaped her reasoning. It wasn't that he'd missed the message as Ladybug seemed to assume. Adrien had been there while Ladybug delivered her message for him after her final battle with Bitter Truth. She had been willing to let the first week slide - after all, he'd had that Normandy trip, and with that overbearing father of his, he may have not been able to sneak out that first night... but now that he'd been back for a couple nights, there was no excuse! If she could just find him and show him the second message Ladybug had recorded, rather than posting it on the Ladyblog, to show it to him in person… maybe reason with him... show him that Ladybug had been so unlike herself, clearly stressed from her ten day wait and despairing that he might not return. Hence her current mission: locate and knock some sense into Adrien Agreste!

Reaching her destination, Alya silently prayed that Marinette wasn't at home. It'd be awkward to explain why she wanted to have a look at Adrien's schedule for no apparent reason.
'Oh no! What if she got rid of the schedule since I had encouraged her to give up her crush on him!?'

Panting as she caught her breath, Alya approached Mr. Dupain, who was manning the front counter, and inquired if Marinette was at home. When he responded that she wasn't, she thanked her lucky stars and made up a white lie to gain access to her room, "Er, I think I left my history textbook here when we had our last study date and I really need it back." Marinette's father was more than happy to grant Alya access, so she rushed up the stairs, hoping that her urgency was interpreted as a need for her textbook instead of being up to hi-jinks and shenanigans.

Reaching the loft overhang where the schedule used to reside, she despaired when she noticed the pull ring was gone… as was the whole scroll.
"Oh no! She did get rid of it!" she cried. Franctically glancing about the room, she spied a suspiciously large pile of trash rising out of the garbage can, and among it, a tall cylindrical object.
"That's it!" She cried with glee, glad that garbage day wasn't until tomorrow. Stealthily removing the scroll from the bin and spreading it out on the floor so as to view it properly, Alya scanned the schedule looking for Adrien's current whereabouts.

"Wow, Marinette… so detailed… how the heck did you not find out that Adrien is Cat Noir before I did?" Alya mused with a giggle, then froze. "Wait… something doesn't add up. No way she can end up with this amount of detail in Adrien's schedule and not have run into him running off to be Cat Noir! Not unless of course she just happened to be busy every single time he turned into a superhero, and the odds of that are next to nil!"

Momentarily caught up in her indignation, Alya forced herself to refocus on the task at hand. 'Chill, girl… you've got a more important mission right now... But just you wait, Marinette, you're gonna get it for knowing all along who Cat Noir was without telling me!'

Tucking away that mental note for later, Alya discovered that Adrien should be at fencing practice for ten more minutes, re-rolled the scroll, and placed it back in the wastebin.
"Oh? What are these?" She remarked, noting the stack of papers next to the basket. Deftly picking them up, she thumbed through them, gasping as she realized that they were all the Adrien pictures Marinette had once decorated her room with.
Sighing, Alya muttered to herself, "Aw, girl, you really did take my advice… I guess you probably realized you really never did stand a chance with how much of a smitten kitten he is over Ladybug…"

'Okay, maybe I don't need to ream her out over keeping Cat Noir's identity from me… at least not right away… After all, Adrien is a friend to both of us, she probably figured she couldn't tell me for the same reason I realized I couldn't tell her. But since we both know now… I can't wait to see the look on her face when I tease her about not telling me, hehe. But I'll wait until she's over Adrien completely…'

Turning to head out, she hesitated, curiosity overtaking her. She had some extra time, after all… Casting her eyes to the computer screen, which was currently black, she stepped over to it, nudging the mouse with her finger to wake the screen up. To her delight, the overly-pink Adrien background was gone. Replacing it was a picture Alya had recently posted to her Ladyblog in the new Cat Noir section. It was a picture of Cat Noir and Ladybug laughing together that she'd dug out of her reserves. It had been a rare photo to capture of the partners, as they were usually in combat and had precious little time to spare after the battles. This particular time however, a bird had landed on Cat Noir's head at the precise moment they had fist bumped, prompting Cat Noir to start sneezing uncontrollably, and Ladybug had lost it. Cat Noir had looked annoyed at first, but the laughter of loved ones is infectious and after the bird left, he found himself laughing just as hard. Alya had taken the rare opportunity to snap a few pictures of them in that state until their miraculouses had beeped, but had ended up not posting the pictures because they turned out blurry. She had asked Marinette to help her doctor them up a bit the other day with her digital art skills so she could post them. Guess she had been pretty happy with the result. She worried briefly that Marinette technically still had a picture of Adrien on her computer, but given that all her other Adrien pictures were cleared off her wall and that Ladybug was also in the picture, Alya decided that Marinette's intentions were pure, supporting the superhero pair from a distance.

"Alya?" Marinette asked, making Alya jump a foot into the air and spin to face her friend. "Did you find your book? I didn't realize you'd left it here or I would've returned it…"
'Book…? Oh right! What I told her dad I was getting! …I guess I could tell her the truth since she no doubt knows that Cat Noir is actually Adrien, but… I still don't feel right bringing that up until she's had some more time to fully let him go…' Alya reasoned, choosing to instead keep up the ruse, "Oh, yeah, I actually couldn't find it here, so I'm thinking I must've forgotten it at school instead! So I'd better go get it; I really need it!"
"Do you want me to help you look?"
"No, that's okay! I'll see you later, Marinette!" With that, Alya bolted down the stairs, leaving a confused Marinette in her wake.

The last thing Adrien expected to see when emerging from the men's locker room was a girl. Yet there one stood. Alya, to be exact.

"We need to talk." Alya said firmly, making Adrien gulp. He knew it… it'd been too good to be true, thinking that all his friends would just accept some more of the real him he'd been letting out the past couple of days. Now Alya had come to pick a bone with him.

"Is there somewhere private we can talk?" Alya asked gravely, voice low.
"Er, I'm sure the classrooms are empty this time of day…" Adrien suggested nervously, resisting the urge to resume his nervous habit and place a hand behind his head. He didn't want to give Alya any inkling that he was lying to her or anything.
"Good. Come with me."

Reaching their empty homeroom, Alya closed the door behind them and cautiously pressed her ear up against it for a few seconds, listening to hear if they'd been followed. Her behavior certainly struck him as odd. He was beginning to doubt his assumptions on her intentions and now raised an eyebrow in bewilderment. Seemingly satisfied with her investigation, Alya whirled on him, her accusatory finger jabbing him painfully in the chest.

"Why haven't you returned to Ladybug?" She hissed.

Adrien stared at her, eyes wide as saucers. This was perhaps the last thing he expected to come from Alya's mouth. He'd been expecting anger and an accusation of some sort, sure, but the mention of Ladybug caught him way off his guard. His fencing instructor would be horrified. He'd just spent the whole afternoon being 'En Guard', and with only six words, his friend had completely disarmed him.

"Er… what?" Adrien offered feebly, hoping he'd only heard wrong.
"Don't even try to play that game, Adrien Agreste." Alya snapped, sliding her phone out of her jeans pocket and shaking it at him like it was a weapon, "I have graphic proof that you're Cat Noir."
"…I see…"
"…Well? You haven't answered my question. How come you haven't returned to Ladybug?"

Sighing in defeat, Adrien decided there was no getting around this, and a little part of him was even a little glad he finally had someone to talk to about his turmoil. He just hoped doing so wouldn't compromise their friendship in any way… but come to think of it, based on her current actions, she'd known he was Cat Noir for a little while and had kept his secret – the sign of a true friend. Actually, maybe that's why she'd kept giving him weird looks as of late. Maybe all this time she'd been silently asking him if he'd returned to hero work yet.

"I… I think Ladybug is better off without me." Adrien admitted, casting his gaze downward.
"Bogus!" Alya asserted, stooping to meet his eyes with defiance written all over hers, "How many times would Paris have been doomed if not for you? In just your last appearance alone, you saved Ladybug from being Bitter Truth's puppet and made it possible for her to win the fight in a later battle. You even showed up to that battle and helped change the tide even though you'd lost your powers!"
"It's great that you think that, Alya, but even if that was the result, my reasons for doing what I've done have been selfish."

Not to be deterred, Alya challenged, "Oh? You think that just because you let your love for Ladybug motivate you that you're unfit to be Cat Noir?"
"Uh, l-love? I-I don't know what you're talking about..." Adrien stammered, eyes darting this way and that to avoid her piercing amber gaze.
"Don't try to deny it," Alya commanded, wagging her finger in his face, "I saw your face during Ladybug's first speech to try and get you back. I even had to blur the footage 'cause I was worried some observant people would see how you looked at her each time she addressed Cat Noir".

How was it that Alya seemed to be reading his mind, even in a video? Had she been a mind reader all along and that's how she knew he was Cat Noir?
"Yet again, you're avoiding my question," she snapped, repeating herself, "Do you really think that your love for Ladybug disqualifies you from being her partner?"
"Uh… yes?" Adrien squeaked, unsure how to appease the intimidating woman's fury, "Wouldn't the people of Paris be upset that I put Ladybug's safety above their own?"
"The safety of Paris is primarily Ladybug's job… YOUR job is to protect Ladybug so she CAN protect us."

Adrien blinked. Was that really what the people of Paris thought? Was he really allowed to be selfish?
With an exasperated snort, taking his silence to mean he wasn't convinced, Alya feverishly worked on her phone, loading a video.
"Watch this." She commanded, holding the phone out for Adrien to take. He did so, and though apprehensive, didn't hesitate to press play, for fear of invoking Alya's wrath even further.

"Cat Noir, in case you missed my first message… I'll be waiting at the place we first had the chance to see each other's real identities. I'll have your miraculous with me and will keep my eyes closed so you don't have to worry about me finding out your identity. If…" The recording started out, the usual confident Ladybug he loved so much staring back at him with sapphire eyes. He resisted the urge to touch the screen, knowing that doing so would only serve to pause the video. As the video continued, her bright eyes clouded with worry, and he saw her exhibit a sort of vulnerable aura he'd never seen before.
She continued her monologue, a note of uncertainty taking over her voice, "...If you did get my message and just chose to ignore it… If you thought I was mad or upset at you; you're wrong. We're an unstoppable team, and that means we don't let things like this stop us! So, until you show up, I'll be waiting every night…"
Ladybug proceeded to thank Alya for recording the message and she swung off on her yo-yo, then the recording ended.

"My lady…" he muttered subconsciously, brows knit with worry.

"Well she ain't 'Your Lady' if you ain't supporting her as Cat Noir." Alya huffed, taking her phone back. "My suggestion is that you go tonight, before there's anymore akuma attacks."

'It's not that simple… I'm still inadequate…'

The witch - that's what she must be, for she managed to read his mind yet again, responding to his unspoken protest with, "Just ask yourself… if you think it's hard to forgive yourself now, what will you do if something happens to Ladybug while you were busy feeling sorry for yourself?"

The thought pierced him like an undulled fencing blade, leaving him shocked and panicked. 'No way... there's no way something bad could happen to Ladybug... right?' He was too shaken to respond, and only looked up helplessly, eyes pleading for an answer to his confusion.

No answer was to be had, however, as she seemed to tell him to figure it out for himself with merely the intensity of the glare she gave him. With a harrumph of frustration, Alya left, closing the door behind her a little forcefully, leaving Adrien reeling in his own thoughts.

Adrien absently ran his fingers over his lucky charm, more confused than ever after Alya's intervention. With a sigh, he held the charm up to eye level and asked, "Would you grant me the luck I need to face Ladybug?"
Her face shone in his mind's eye, those brilliantly blue eyes boring holes into his soul… and as he continued gazing at the bracelet, another image began to interpolate itself onto Ladybug's… No matter how he sliced it, Marinette and Ladybug's eyes intersected perfectly. The only discernible difference was that Ladybug's eyes shone with determination and bravery, whereas Marinette's were softer, emanating compassion and empathy. This overlapping of faces... maybe it was his mind trying to tell him something, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was... His thoughts drifted to Marinette, and he smiled as he recalled how friendly she'd been as of late, ever since they'd had a good heart-to-heart.

Her confession a couple days ago rang in his ears: "I just decided that I was going to stop worrying about what you thought and just… let things happen naturally."

He felt a sense of clarity begin to descend as he dwelled on her words. The more the words echoed in his mind, the more he thought he should apply that logic to Ladybug. If nothing else, regardless of what the future held in store regarding his status as Cat Noir, he owed it to Ladybug to meet with her and at least apologize… But the thought of that was equally gut wrenching.

The incessant beeping pierced her dreamless sleep, pulling her out of the realm of dreams with a jolt. With a moan, Ladybug extended an arm to grope about for the source of the alarm, reluctant to open her heavy eyelids. To do so would not only complete her awakening, but end her broom cupboard patrol. A couple weeks ago, never would she have dreamed she'd be slumbering in a closet, 'patrolling' as she waited for Cat Noir to return.

Finally giving up in the interest of not drawing too much attention to the otherwise inconspicuous lobby closet, Ladybug's eyes fluttered open and she located her yo-yo, toggling the alarm so it no longer rang. With a heavy sigh, she craned her neck and attempted to relieve the cramp that was beginning to form from having slept with it perched against a wooden shelf. She hated this part the most – the part where she woke up and was forced to come to terms with the reality that Cat Noir had failed to appear – yet again.

Each night weighed exponentially heavier on her emotions – the anticipation that surely tonight he'd finally show, the growing anxiety as the hours dragged on, and exhaustion, both physical and emotional, until it dragged her into restless slumber… and then the crushing disappointment, like another rock had found its way into the pit of her stomach, adding weight to the probable truth that if he hadn't come back by now, he likely never would… Yet despite their heaviness crushing down on her, she couldn't help but think, 'Maybe if I wait just a few minutes more…'

It had been Tikki's idea to set an alarm after the first night that she ended up accidentally spending the entire night in the closet, with a roll of spare paper towels as a pillow that left a quilted pattern on her cheek for an hour. She'd nearly been discovered by a first shift janitor, but luckily awoke to his approaching steps and was able to de-transform and mutter some excuses about needing some paper towels for a spill in room 103. She was finding it harder and harder to stay awake during her ladybug-in-waiting ventures, as the lack of proper sleep the night before compounded with how tired she was to begin with the day before that. Thus Tikki had put her foot down and insisted that she shorten up her 'paper-towel patrol' and set an alarm so she could sneak out and go home undetected and hopefully get some proper sleep in her own bed. Marinette had argued back, claiming she found it easier to sleep while waiting for Cat Noir than after she had to give up for the night… There was a twisted sense of peace, being able to sleep with the hope that you'd awake to the sound of your partner's voice calling out to you, saying something like, "I've returned; sorry I kept you waiting so long, m'lady", that was far more comforting than the plush texture of her bed. Tikki still won the argument, however, reasoning that she ran the risk of being discovered if she spent too much time sleeping in the closet… and if she ever got discovered, she'd no longer be able to wait for Cat Noir there and her chances on reuniting with her partner really would reach zero.

"Ten days…" she muttered to herself, as she had gotten into the habit of doing the past few nights. It was a bit of a ritual for her – a coping mechanism. It was like keeping a tally on how long she'd been stranded on a deserted island, waiting for rescue. It ended the patrol for the day so she'd be able to keep her agreement with Tikki and head home, but also kept a flicker of hope alive that tomorrow was a new day and rescue was still possible. Tomorrow evening she'd come back, repeat the ritual, issue an utterance of "Eleven days…", and the day after, "Twelve days…" and so on… however many it took for her kitty to come back.

It had always been a mystery to her why multiples of ten were treated with such importance… Tenth anniversaries, Fiftieth anniversaries, One-hundredth anniversaries, and so on… But whatever the origin for their importance, the fact that she'd reached a multiple of ten on her tally suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks. She finally understood... it was like a milestone... a point of no turning back... and before she had a chance to talk herself out of it – be the rational Ladybug that she was – the floodgates opened. All the weight that had built up over the last ten days came pouring out, wracking her body with sobs and making it hard to breathe. Although her kwami wasn't present beside her, she felt her presence implicitly trying to soothe Ladybug's breaking spirit, and the superheroine could almost imagine Tikki's eyes narrowing in sympathy as she whispered words of encouragement. Ladybug prepared herself for just that, knowing that no matter how desperately she had wished for it, Cat Noir would yet again not be making an appearance tonight, so she may as well shed the spots and let her sweet kwami comfort her in person.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

The unanticipated sound was enough to startle Adrien to the point that he felt like he'd just jumped right out of his skin, and miraculous or not, there was enough cat left in him to feel all the hairs on his body standing on end as a response to the fright the noise had just incurred. It hadn't helped that his hand had been mere millimeters from the door handle that would lead him into the maintenance closet in the lobby of Le Grand Paris hotel.

He took great pride in his miraculous feat of remaining completely quiet in response to the sudden noise, maintaining stealth mode. It had been hard enough to sneak into the lobby without getting detected, as the prestigious place prided itself on having twenty-four hour lobby service for equally prestigious guests who arrived at all hours of the night, fresh off their flights from places where it was still daytime.

He had held his breath since the start of the strange beeping noise, holding as still as he could so that he wouldn't be discovered in the shadows, but now he dared to look around, trying to identify the source of the sound and ensure that the receptionist was still asleep at the desk. He finally dared to exhale when a quick glance asserted that the overpaid part-timer was indeed still snoring, undisturbed by the unidentified beeping noise. The term 'scaredy-cat' came to mind as he allowed himself to relax his tensed shoulders and properly take in his surroundings. The beeping had now stopped and the only sounds that filled his ears were the clerk's snores and the thump-thump of his own adrenaline-charged heart.

Satisfied that the situation had passed – 'Perhaps the clerk set an alarm for himself but it failed to wake him up?' - Adrien tried to regain his bearings. He'd come this far, he should probably go through with it, even if Ladybug was no longer waiting. Goodness knows the battle within him had made the trip here three times longer than necessary as he constantly changed his mind. Even now, at the end of his journey, hand hovering over the handle, he couldn't bring himself to go through with it. 'Come on, Agreste, just open the door… she won't even be there, knowing your luck… then you can get over all this tension, head home, and get some much needed sleep… and maybe get enough courage to come here tomorrow night in time to actually MEET Ladybug..'

He'd been playing this game for the past couple of nights now… convincing himself he should go see Ladybug and beg her to take him back as a sidekick so he could protect her like he wanted… Alya had seemed to think that was a good idea, and it never hurt to ask, right? But who was he kidding? The only reason Ladybug was waiting for him was because she was just that awesome, kind, and loyal… not because she actually needed him. As soon as he showed up, she'd no doubt see how unworthy he was and realize what a failure he'd been as a partner and change her mind. Then again, she was probably too nice to admit that… but he owed it to Ladybug to at least tell her himself that she needed to find a new Cat Noir – one who deserved to wear the mask and fight by her side. As much as he wanted to be that person, it was a selfish desire and Ladybug deserved better. Either way, he needed to stop chickening out about it and actually go when she'd be there. Each night he had ended up turning back and going back home with his tail between his legs in shame… or at least that's what it would've looked like if he'd been suited up with his miraculous at the time. He just didn't have the courage to face her – not when he'd failed her so utterly and completely. But today had been different... Today he'd had some encouragement from his friends. Well, actually, Alya's push felt more like a slap to the face than encouragement, but it was what he needed to motivate him to finally talk to Ladybug. Marinette wasn't even aware that she'd encouraged him, but as he gripped the lucky charm in his pocket, he knew he wouldn't have made it this far without her encouragement too, however indirect.

Adrien was roused from his inner reverie by a soft, feminine sound coming from the closet. If he'd already jumped out of his skin when he heard the loud beeping noise, this subdued - 'Was that a whimper?' – noise caused him to jump out of his muscles, heart pounding at full throttle.
'My lady… is still here!?' Panic seizing his muscles, he found himself unable to move, yet nonetheless planning his escape – there was a large flower pot with ample plumage to his right… if he could just dive behind that and avoid contact…

Just as he began to pivot on his toes to execute his plans for evasive maneuvers, another sound stopped him dead in his tracks – a sharp inhale followed by staggered sobs and sniffling… and it was beginning to build in intensity. Could it be…? 'My lady… is crying?'

The realization unraveled every fiber in his being, and suddenly, all the apprehension about seeing her again vanished. His lady was in distress, how could he NOT rush to her aid?
'Though even in such a situation, I'm powerless to aid her… but I cannot bear to let her cry alone…' Steadying himself with a shaky breath, Adrien mustered up every last ounce of his courage and closed the distance between himself and the door that separated him from Ladybug.

Ladybug's breath hitched mid-sob at the sound of a soft 'click', alerting her that her privacy was about to end. Her mind raced, wondering if she should be excited and allow herself to hope for the slim chance that it was Cat Noir, or if she should be steeling herself to be caught by the hotel staff, putting an end to her hopes forever. Time seemed to stop as the door creaked open and she found herself unable to move, unable to breathe as she kept her eyes tightly shut and ears perked for any further sounds. Her whole future with or without Cat Noir hinged on this moment – and she prayed to God Cat Noir would be in that future and able to applaud her for such puns. Heck, she'd even swear to God that she'd never roll her eyes at another one of his puns if her prayers were answered and it really was Cat Noir at the door in this moment. Letting her hope win over the pessimistic odds, she whispered, "…Kitty?"

Adrien hesitated at the entrance, struck dumb by the sight of the beautiful bug looking up at him – well, if her eyes were open, she'd be looking at him, but as it was, her head was turned in his direction, tears streaming from those hidden eyes, hope and apprehension pulling at her brows. She'd obviously been waiting for awhile, as her suit was wrinkled and her hair was disheveled, the twin tails coming loose from their bands. Yet seeing her there, his blue-eyed lady, weary with the wait for him... It was the most breathtaking sight he'd ever laid eyes on – even though her own eyes were closed. Then she spoke… that sweet voice breaking the silence with the most disarming word he'd ever heard in his life. "…Kitty?"

In a moment, he was down on his knees, drawing her into a tender but desperate embrace. She was tense at first, but when he finally found his voice and responded in a strained whisper, "I'm here, m'lady…", she threw her arms around him, nearly toppling him over backwards as he hadn't been prepared for her… uh, enthusiasm. He felt his cheeks begin to burn as she sobbed into his shoulder and he was once again at a loss for words – this was not how he had planned on things going – not that he was complaining, of course. Allowing himself to get a little caught up in the moment, he sought to comfort her in some way and ease her tears, holding her tight and reaching a hand up to run his fingers through her hair.
'Gosh that feels nice… No! Focus, Adrien! This about making Ladybug feel better, not yourself!'

As if reading his thoughts, like everyone seemed to be doing lately, Ladybug finally spoke again, chiding him harshly, "You're such an idiot!"

'You're right of course, but I'm not sure what idiotic behavior you're referring to at the current moment…' Before he had a chance to ask her to clarify, she continued, "I've been waiting for ten days! Why'd you take so long to come back!?"

He instinctively pulled back, taken aback by the turn of her accusations. He'd expected to be berated for his failure on the battlefield, not on failure to return to the battlefield after his original failure had certainly earned him a dishonorable discharge…

Ladybug surprised him further by tightening her grip on him, like she was afraid he'd leave again. Feeling a tinge of guilty pleasure for reveling in her possessive touch, he decided that she clearly wasn't in her right mind right now and he needed to proceed with his prepared speech – it'd be selfish of him to continue letting her fawn over him when she needed some sense talked into her… Though he had to admit he was internally swelling at the thought that his lady had actually missed him.

Holding her at arm's length so he wouldn't be distracted by her continued touch, he launched into his speech, speaking fast so he wouldn't lose confidence halfway through. "You're right; I'm beyond idiotic. Look, I'm sorry… for everything. I failed you, I failed Paris, and I don't deserve to serve by your side as Cat Noir. So – "

He had anticipated he would get interrupted by his own cowardice, but he never expected to be stopped with a gloved hand to his lips. The abrupt action of his scarlet heroine caught him so off guard that both his body and mind froze, at a loss for an explanation of her actions. When his mind began to churn once more, the most preposterous thoughts began to bounce around within, everything from 'She hates me so much she doesn't even want to hear my voice anymore' to 'Mon bleu! She's touching my lips! With her own hand! Of her own volition!'. He felt his face again grow hot, though he wasn't sure if it was the shame from his failures or sheepishness at her touch that was causing it.

Ladybug's mind was reeling with how she should form her next words. She'd brashly reached out to stop Cat Noir from speaking, guessing what would be coming next, and she didn't want to hear it. She selfishly wanted to demand he continue to be her partner. She simply couldn't imagine having to work with a different Cat Noir, not after all they'd been through. Past experience told her that acting on such self-centered impulses rarely went well, however, so she cast about for what she could say to convince him to serve at her side once more, without seeming desperate.

At the sound of a muffled cry from the aforementioned partner, Ladybug had a classic Marinette 'spaz' moment and immediately released her hold on his lips, and panicked that she may have inadvertently begun to suffocate him. She began to apologize profusely as her arms flailed about her head as they were oft to do when she was greatly embarrassed.
"Gah! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you! I can't see anything, so I kinda had to guess where your mouth was – I mean I guess I didn't have to go for the mouth – I mean!" she stammered.

'Ugh, it's like talking to Adrien all over again… But I'm only panicking because I don't know what to say, and with Cat Noir's flirtatious tendencies, he's probably taking my words all wrong!'

Deciding it was better to just start over, she heaved a sigh, relaxed her arms, and tried to speak in a calm, even tone, "You're not the one who needs to apologize… I am. If it weren't for me, you would've never found yourself in such an impossible position. But even so, you did the right thing… It's Ladybug who failed Paris… and Cat Noir is the one who saved it."

'My lady… she doesn't think I failed?' Adrien found his heart racing at her kind words, but knew he couldn't let her continue to believe a lie… She must not have realized his selfish reasons behind his actions. That was his lady, always thinking the best of people.

"I'm afraid you're wrong, m'lady." At this he instinctively ran a finger along her cheek to wipe a tear that was falling. When she didn't recoil like he thought she surely would, he dared to let his hand linger, but was startled into withdrawing his hand when the shelf Ladybug was leaning against gave way with a loud clatter. The two froze for a moment, worried that the sound had attracted the attention of the receptionist. But when nothing happened, he hesitated a moment, but ultimately decided to resume his contact, gently cupping the side of her face as he resumed his speech, voice now lower and huskier, "I wasn't thinking of Paris, but only of you… and if my vision is so narrow, you deserve someone better to serve at your side. Even now, I'm being selfish, asking you forgive me for my mistakes and even consider letting me be Cat Noir again… But I both understand and encourage you to instead find a more noble bearer for the ring."

A funny thing happened when she felt the contact between Cat Noir's de-gloved hand and her own tear-streaked flesh: her heart thumped, her chest tightened, and her stomach did a back-flip like it was an Olympic gymnast. Such a thing had only happened once before… on a certain rainy afternoon when a classmate had given her an umbrella and their fingers met. There was even a clap of thunder, just like there had been back then - oh wait, that was the shelf she was leaning on deciding it didn't want to support her weight anymore. 'Ow.'

The realization caused all other senses to cease functioning, leaving her in the vacuum of her own mind – a dangerous place to be when there were new, unexplained thoughts to dwell on. All at once all those uncomfortable little thoughts she'd been shoving to the side presented themselves as large thoughts, crowding the wide open spaces of her focus, screaming at her to notice them... to notice the feelings she'd been repressing but had nonetheless grew... It took all of her concentration to compose herself and return to reality, realizing that Cat Noir was again talking to her, appealing for forgiveness.

When the entirety of what he'd said during the time she'd been reeling from his touch finally rendered itself in her mind, she shook her head vehemently.

Adrien's heart sank. Like an anchor had been tied to an artery, he felt it being pulled down deep into the lake of despair. She'd said no… she wasn't going to forgive him. He knew he deserved it, but that didn't make it hurt any less. His only consolation was that she hadn't had the heart to verbalize it. Forever the lady, she had the courtesy to only shake her head, sparing his heart at least a little weight. Resolving himself to say his final goodbyes then and wish her luck on her search for a new Cat Noir, he dropped his hand and opened his mouth to speak –

"I won't forgive you - " She interjected.
'…Well, she always did have her more direct moments too… but that's what I find irresistible.' he lamented.
"- because there's nothing to forgive. I'm the one who needs forgiveness… I took you for granted… If anyone deserves to be replaced, it's me. I've made so many mistakes – I've helped provide candidates to be akumatized, I've let villains taunt me and terrorize more people when I could've ended it earlier, and my worst mistake was putting you in the situation where you had to sacrifice yourself. No, even before all that... I failed you as a partner… I didn't take the time to get to know you and help you, even though you've always done so for me."

Every word had Adrien pulling the anchor on his heart up another knot – daring to hope that he wasn't a complete failure, that Ladybug wasn't just being courteous, that she really did want him by her side, that she'd really let him… Emboldened by her speech, he excitedly scooped up her hands in his own and proposed, "Well then, why don't we both just do our best moving forward… together?"

She lit up at his suggestion, a small but genuine smile creasing her lips – a most welcome sight for Adrien, particularly after the pain of having to see her tears, knowing he was the cause. Rather than speaking, she answered by adjusting her hands while they were still in his own, pressing an all-too familiar object into them.

Taking it gratefully, he slipped the ring on before he had a chance to second guess his decision and not a moment later, Plagg swirled into being and launched himself at Adrien's face, nuzzling it affectionately.
"It's you! It's finally you! Not that wretched lady!" the charcoal kwami cried.
"Good to see you too, Plagg." Adrien beamed, truly glad to have his companion back.
"…Did you bring me any Camembert?" Plagg ventured to ask, abruptly withdrawing.

Adrien scowled at his little obsidian companion, his prior elation all but gone as he showed his true colors. "Sorry, Plagg, that'll have to wait until we get back home. Claws out!"
"WHAT!? Aw come on, that's not faaiiirrrr!" the feline squawked as he was forcibly drawn back into the ring.

Thankful to be wearing the suit again, Cat Noir stood to his feet, offering a hand to Ladybug where she sat, with an affirmation that she could now open her eyes. Nothing could have prepared him for the sight that met his eyes once Ladybug was standing, facing him, eyes wide open. Her hair had completely shaken loose from her pigtails and was falling on her shoulders in wispy tendrils of ebony, her eyes shone far bluer than he remembered them being, glistening with the moisture from her past tears, and the kicker – she looked ecstatic to finally see him. It was written all over her face and he found it positively radiant.

Momentarily overwhelmed by her beauty, he continued to stare into her eyes as he instinctively drew the hand he was still holding to his lips and brushed it ever so slightly, lingering far longer than was necessary. Usually by now he would've been shaken off, so when she made no move to do so, and instead let out the cutest gasp of surprise, he chanced a glance at her facial expression and was pleasantly surprised to see her cheeks beginning to color. The unexpected but welcome reaction prompted him to cast off the remainder of the weight on his heart as it soared into the clouds. Unable to stop himself, his lips spread into the biggest Cheshire-cat grin of his entire Cat Noir career.

Not wanting the moment to go to waste as he felt himself slipping back into a comfortable 'Cat Noir' style persona, he cheekily began to plant kiss after kiss on her hand, daring to begin an ascent up her arm in true Parisian fashion.

Ladybug tensed as the blush upon her cheeks deepened, not expecting the sudden turn of events. Sure, she was glad he was back to his old self and back on 'Team Miraculous', but this was a bit much – though if Bitter Truth were present, she would've had to admit that she found it almost enjoyable… but more than a bit confusing.

Deciding the best way out of this was to return to the status quo, she withdrew her arm from his grasp and pushed him back by the nose, like she'd done so many times before. With a light-hearted smirk she teased, "I know you're happy to see me, but calm down, no need to have a kitten." She smiled smugly, mentally patting herself on the back for her clever use of a cat idiom and a quick recovery from… well, whatever that arm thing was, relieved that she deflected it.

She knew her victory was short-lived, however, when Cat Noir donned his signature impish grin, wagged his eyebrows, and countered, "Couldn't agree more, m'lady. We only just got back together; we should wait a few years before we have any kittens."

What he wouldn't do for a camera right this moment. The look on her face was priceless. She'd gone beet-red, her mouth had opened involuntarily in shock, and her eye had begun showing hints of a twitch. If he had to guess her thoughts, he bet it was something along the lines of 'What grave sin did I commit in my past life to deserve this!?', though secretly he hoped that a part of her liked it... But even if she didn't, nothing could dampen his mood right now. He'd been reunited with his lady, and she'd wanted him back – had practically begged him to come back. Yep, this cat was over the moon in elation.

He knew he'd soon have to pay the consequences for his boldness, but her reaction had made it one-hundred percent worth it. He even dared to go one step further, both figuratively and literally as he re-invaded her space, figuring he'd already dug his own grave, so why not call the undertaker?
"What's the matter, m'lady? Feeling a bit clawstrophobic with just the two of us in this cozy clawset?"
'Double score for the same pun used two different ways in the same sentence! Lookout Paris, Cat Noir is back and he's on fire!'

Ladybug was four for four on surprises that evening, though, as she shocked him yet again by avoiding the usual retort such an uncomfortable comment would usually warrant and instead just sighed, "I'll let you off the hook this time, but I think we should have a little chat about your comedic timing…"
"Whatever my lady desires…" He agreed with an exaggerated bow, though he hoped she wouldn't wish for the end of puns and flirtation – such a demand would strip him of his very identity.

"I'm serious! I think we should start getting to know one another better – it would help us be more in sync during battle and prevent anymore incidents like what happened with Bitter Truth… If we were able to understand how each other thinks, know what's currently troubling each other… we could help each other become better heroes for Paris." She rambled, cheeks still adorned with an adorable pink blush.
"I'm touched, my lady…" and he meant it. The fact that she wanted to get to know him, even if it was primarily for duty's sake, made his heart soar ever higher. "When and where should we meet, then?"
"Hm… how about the the Pont Des Arts bridge this Saturday at 8pm?"
"Then it's a date, m'lady!" Cat Noir affirmed with an enthusiastic nod.

"It's not a date!" Ladybug protested, perhaps a little too forcefully. But seeing as how his heart was already on cloud nine, it could stand to come back down to earth a bit. "Goodnight!" she added, quickly pivoting so that he could not see her face grow hotter.

"Wait!" he cried desperately, not wanting to see her go already, though she was already halfway out the door and he'd no doubt wake the sleeping clerk just outside. When she turned and raised a quizzical eyebrow, he hastened to explain, "Er… It's just that, I owe you a fist bump… for a job well done defeating Bitter Truth."

Her lips curled into a sweet smile he didn't deserve as she replied, "I owe you one too."
"Huh? I uh, wasn't even there when you defeated her!" Cat Noir protested, eyes shifting about nervously at the thought she might have found out his identity. 'I was there as Adrien though…'
"Maybe not, but it wouldn't have been possible to defeat her if not for you. It should've been over the moment she took control of me, but you broke her hold on me and bought me more time, so… good job!"

Even after ten days of separation, they managed to time their efforts perfectly, fists meeting halfway as they gave voice to a belated, but nevertheless triumphant cry, "Pound it!"

Marinette hummed happily to herself as she strolled through the streets of Paris, making her way back home. The night was old and cold as by now it was quite late, but nothing could dampen her spirits, for her Cat had returned to her. All that fretting, all that despair, all that worry – gone. Her days awaiting rescue had come to an end, their duration ending at ten. Albeit, they'd arguably been ten of the worst days of her life, but still, they were over now and things were looking up.

She felt she'd come to understand Cat Noir a whole lot better than before and she found herself pleasantly surprised at the knowledge. She had misjudged him… which she hadn't thought possible for she had always thought of him fondly… just… never took him as seriously as she should have. Part of it was probably due to the fact that she'd obsessed over Adrien Agreste for so long, she didn't pay any mind to any of the other men in her life – and that just wasn't fair to them, as friends, of course... 'Emphasis on "friends", you silly little butterflies in my stomach...'

Ironically, Adrien had been the one to show her that. By getting so caught up in her romantic interest in him, she'd missed out on a year of opportunity to simply be his friend. Going forward, she resolved to be a more attentive friend to Adrien, Cat Noir, Nino, and all the others, regardless of whether she had romantic feelings for them or not. It was only fair. "Que sera sera…"

"Marinette?" Tikki asked tentatively in-between bites of the cookie Marinette had packed for her.
"Ah, sorry, did I say that out loud?" Marinette apologized, "I was just thinking that I'm ready to take things one day at a time from now on is all."
Thoughtfully chewing and swallowing before speaking up again, Tikki admonished, "That's well and good and all, but you might want to start thinking a bit ahead of time, about Saturday in particular."
"Why's that?"
Using her kwami paws to make air quotes, Tikki explained, "You just made a 'date' with Cat Noir the same night you have a 'date' with Adrien to the school dance."

It took a moment for the realization to hit, the happy-go-lucky contentment sticking around for just a moment longer before the words processed in her brain. When they did, Marinette launched into a full scale panic attack with a shout of, "WHAT?! OHMYGOSH YOU HAVE TO HELP ME, WHAT SHOULD I DOOOOO!?"

"Oh Marinette…" the kwami just sighed, shaking her head at her owner and wondering if she'd ever overcome her more clumsy and forgetful tendencies.

Episode 1: Bitter Truth - Fin

Coming Soon! Episode 2: Double Date
Marinette couldn't be more excited for the school dance. Her dress was ready and sure to blow Chloe's out of the water, and her best friend was going to be the photographer so she didn't have to worry about any embarrassing photos - for there was bound to be embarrassment... How could she keep her cool when she'd managed to get THE Adrien Agreste to go as her date!? There was just one problem: the night of the dance also happened to be the night Ladybug and Cat Noir were supposed to go on their first ever patrol. Surely there must be SOME way to make this work?

Closing Remarks

Please leave a review and let me know what you thought of the conclusion! Did you have a favorite part in this story? What moment made you laugh? Did any scenes tug at your heart? Did anything annoy you? Let me know if I created any out-of-character moments or went overboard on the angst or fluff (which it felt like I did at times, haha). Are you planning to check out following episodes? What would you like to see happen in them?

The excuse Alya uses of needing to get a textbook back from Marinette was originally used by Sabrina in the episode, "Knightmare"

The overhanging schedule Marinette keeps of Adrien's itinerary can be seen in the episode "Copycat", and potentially others... but I know for sure it's in that episode.

The reason I used 'Mon bleu!' as Adrien's exclamation was partly to make a bit of a pun… It was derived from 'Mon Dieu', which is an older French exclamation equivalent to 'Oh my God' in English. The word 'bleu', which means 'blue', has historically been used as a substitute to 'Dieu' to avoid taking the Lord's name in vain (such as in the antiquated phrase 'sacre bleu') , much like how in English, one might say 'Oh my gosh!'. I personally avoid using phrases which take the Lord's name in vain, both for my personal convictions and to avoid offending anyone else who may have religious sensitivities to a proper title for a deity being used as a curse word. I figured that most children's cartoons aim to avoid the same offense, and so I had the thought that if Cat Noir ever had to say it, he'd say it this way, both for pun value and kid-friendly filtering. He's also more or less referring to her as his blue-eyed lady by saying this.

The moment Ladybug is thinking of when Cat Noir wipes her tears is the umbrella scene at the end of the Origins part 2 episode. But if you didn't know that, then shame on you! And you call yourself a fan… Re-watch the series, or at least the origins episodes.

The shelf giving way in the closet is another homage to the thunderclap from the origins part 2 episode (See note about the broom clatter in the previous episode). I imagine Ladybug's thunderclap moment being the moment that realizes that there's something there with Cat Noir… something she hadn't dared let surface before, but now it burst forth, and maybe letting it do so isn't such a bad thing.

The trail of kisses up the arm is an old cinema trope used to characterize a Casanova character, and as Paris is known as the city of love, these Casanova characters are often French. Hence the 'true Parisian fashion' comment, although chances are that's not actually something you'll see in France… My apologies for misrepresenting, it just seemed like a very Cat Noir thing to do.

The idiom 'have a kitten' is rather dated and not widely used, so I figured I should probably explain it here. It typically means that someone is losing their mind, usually in anger, but Ladybug uses it here to imply that Cat Noir is losing his mind in his elation. Cat Noir's response isn't expressing his hopes to be co-pet-owners with Ladybug someday, but is rather implying that he'd like to, erm, purcreate with her… hence her "URK!"-type reaction and subsequent chiding.

I've never wished so much that I used the French phrases instead of the English ones than now… 'Pound it' is just so cheesy… and in the context of the ending scene, they just wanted to resume their ritual of telling the other 'well done' after an akuma was successfully defeated… so I had to add the explicit 'good job' verbalizations to their individual dialogues before their fist bump…

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