FEBRUARY | WRITING DUMP

━━━DIFFERENT

written: exact date unknown

prompt: ladynoir

words: 700 (short and oh-so-bitter)

extra notes: this book still exists haha, don't forget! i haven't been able to write anything that would fit in here without making no sense at all, so here's a short fandom-related oneshot! if you're in the miraculous fandom, it might make sense. if not, well. it's pretty broad, anyways. they're superheroes, he loves her in the mask, she loves him without the mask. both are unaware they know each other in their civilian lives. this is a simple chat noir pining shot i wrote at like midnight a few months ago. enjoy.

-ˏˋ 🐞 ˎˊ-

He wished it was different.

He wished they could be so close and know they were each other's. When their hands brushed and their eyes met and they communicated without words. When they were tied up together, when they fell from the sky together, when they saved each other.

She didn't get so close out of love. When they were close, it was duty. They fought together. They weren't together.

Chat Noir wished they were.

He found himself in a familiar predicament. Their noses could touch they were so close, and yet her eyes weren't on him. They tracked the akuma like cerulean torpedos. He could feel her breathing, he might've been able to feel her heartbeat, too, if they both weren't so out of breath.

Ladybug pulled away, her hand lingering on his chest. "He's getting away––we can't let him get away."

He wanted to grab her hand and pull her close, promise her a life full of his love. He'd already made that promise. She simply didn't feel the same way.

"We finally lured him away from the civilians, Chat, we can't let him get back over there––"

"I'll distract him," he said, like he always did. "Keep him occupied long enough for you to swoop in and grab the item. What was it again?"

She spared him an amused look and thankful smile. "The bracelet, Chat. The bracelet."

"Right."

And then they did that silent communication thing he loved so much and she was gone, swinging over rooftops and tumbling to a stop to conceal herself behind a chimney. Chat gripped his baton with a bitter rush of anticipation. He launched off of the roof they'd been thrown on, using his height to find a perfect place to intervene the villain.

"Hey, wait up!" Chat extended his baton so he hovered right before the villain's nose (the akuma was as big as a skyscraper; Hawkmoth was feeling extra that morning) sticking out his tongue. "It's rude to leave someone behind, y'know. Hey, I'm talking to you!"

He dodged as a hand came up to swat him out of the sky. "What's the matter?" Chat teased, falling back on one of his usual punny monologues. "Cat got your tongue?"

He could practically hear Ladybug's eyeroll. But soon enough she was airborne and using some crazy makeshift plan to free the akuma and purify it. Before long they were standing beside each other, celebrating another victory.

Ladybug raised her fist. "Pound it?"

Chat Noir would rather lace their fingers together and celebrate with a warm embrace. But he raised his own fist, as he always did, and accepted the gesture. "Pound it," he agreed.

"Glad we took care of that one." She smiled. He wished it was a smile just for him. "I've got something I need to get back to, the alert took me by surprise. Can you handle things here?"

Chat glanced reluctantly to the hordes of press and confused victim. "Of course, M'lady," he said, like he always did. "I'll see you whenever Hawkmoth has another tantrum. Good luck with whatever you need to do."

She laughed. "Will do, chaton. If it makes you feel any better, I usually just ignore Nadja when I'm too tired for an interview. Don't stay if you don't want to."

He bowed until his head was almost touching the ground, unable to look into those bluebell eyes any longer. "Whatever you say, Bugaboo." When he rose she was already halfway off the ground, waving over her shoulder as she went.

His miraculous pinged, warning him of his lack of time before the cameras were in his personal space and he was pushing through them to help the victim up.

"Chat Noir, how personal is your relationship with Ladybug? Are you together? Are Paris's superheroes taken?"

He wished it was different.