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It's been a quiet night in Paris, which isn't unusual. Nathaniel sighs, crossing his legs as he hunches over. He wishes he had his sketchbook right now, because it's always a mesmerising sight seeing how the city looks at night, lit up with a warm glow from the lamps. He also wishes Marc was here to see it with him.
“Keep that up, and you'll be turned into an akuma yourself.” A familiar voice teases from behind him, and he turns to see Chat Noir standing behind him, blonde hair and green eyes standing out in the darkness. He smiles, rolling his eyes.
“I doubt it. I'm pretty sure they'd have bigger fish to fry than me.”
“I wouldn't be so sure about that, but that's speaking from personal experience.” The cat hero sits down next to him, twirling his baton around. “If your emotions are strong enough, anything's possible.”
It brings a grim smile to both of their lips, a heavy silence settling over them both. There's a heavy reminder that's settled in the air now, and he bites his cheek at the notion. He is a superhero now, he's someone people look to and rely on for support in the darkest times. Getting akumatised isn't an option anymore.
“So… you and Rooster Bold, huh?” Chat breaks the silence, eyes twinkling with mischief as he sits with his elbows on his knees, chin resting on his hands. Nathaniel rolls his eyes, grateful for the lightening of the mood.
“It’s not like that. Well, sort of.”
“You’re not sounding very convincing, you know.”
He shrugs his shoulders, trying to appear like he's unphased. “I’m just giving as good as I get. I’m sure you understand that sentiment.”
“I suppose.” The other hero pulls a face, eyes suddenly a lot sadder and more distant than they usually are. “I guess you probably don’t have the same struggles in your civilian life as I do. Not to say you can’t have problems! We all do. But…” His ears tilt down. “I’m not allowed to be so free in my normal life. So it’s nice having time to just be me.”
He can't help the snort that escapes him, despite the situation definitely not calling for it. “Flirting and shitty puns?”
“Yeah! I think it’s fun, even if it’s not going to go anywhere. Not that I want it to go anywhere, either. I like being able to call people pretty without inducing a heart attack in them. You probably know that feeling.” The cat hero suddenly perks up and starts poking at him with his claws. “From that look on your face, you totally do. What are they like?”
He bats the offending hand away, and tries to keep his blush down. “Shut up.”
“Caprikid’s got a crush! He's soooooo got a crush!” The blonde keeps poking at him, smile big and bright. Nathaniel decides to humour him, if the past five minutes have been anything to go by, he needs it.
“So? Who is it?” His green eyes are so big and sparkly as he says it, and for a moment, it's almost like they're both just normal teenagers. “Do I know them?”
A heavy weight suddenly rests on his heart, and he presses his lips together. Reverser flutters across his mind. “You've met them before, so possibly. Dunno if you'd remember them because it was so early on in your career.”
Chat picks up on his shift and sets a hand on his shoulder. “You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, because this is clearly not easy. No skin off your teeth, or whatever the saying is.”
He shakes his head. “It's not that I don't want to talk about it, in fact, this is nice, for a change. You're not gonna give me shit for it like my friends do because I'm too much of a coward to just come out and say it to him.” He tries for a small smile. “I just… it's easy to forget where we started from, and it wasn't a good spot. I was a dick to him, and I know it's been over a year now, but I still…” He bites his lip.
It's quiet for a moment. “You still agonize over it?”
He nods. “Yeah. I don't know what the fuck to do about it, either. He's forgiven me, he's told me he has, but I haven't forgiven myself for it, and I don't know how to.” He falls back against the roof, staring up into the black void. “Sorry, I shouldn't be putting all this on you when you've got your own troubles to deal with, let alone the rest of Paris's.”
“I don't mind. It's nice, every once in a while, to be honest with you. It's a reminder that people do also want to turn to me when they need guidance. I don't mind people going to Ladybug, don't get me wrong, but sometimes I just feel like I'm the same as you guys.” Chat curls up into a ball. “I know that I'm not always needed on the scene. Ladybug is, simply because she's the only one that can purify an akuma. I dunno, sometimes I just feel… useless? What good is it having a hero who destroys whatever he touches?”
Nathaniel doesn't say anything and waits, because it feels like there's more coming.
“I haven't told anyone this, mainly because I don't want to scare you guys. You know how we've unlocked our adult powers? I can destroy anything the akuma’s created. I can destroy memories. It's like a fucked up version of Miraculous Ladybug, don't you think?”
He turns the thought over in his mind, and while yes, that does sound shit scary it's also a comfort of sorts. “Kind of, not really? Good to know that we've got a backup if everything goes to shit and we don't have the Ladybug Miraculous. What else are we meant to do, catch the akuma in a jar?”
Chat bursts into a fit of laughter next to him. “Fuck, that's funny. I mean, I have on occasion had to destroy the akuma so… yeah. Guess I never thought about it that way, huh? Reminds me of what my kwami told me, actually.” He starts flipping and spinning his baton again, much calmer and much more relaxed than he was before. “Things hinge on balance. If you've got creation, you've also got to have destruction. Just like my kwami’s capable of destroying the entirety of Atlantis, Ladybug’s is able to create objects the size of this city.”
That makes him sit up. “You're telling me your kwami is the reason why Atlantis doesn't exist anymore?”
“So he tells me.” The blonde shrugs, looking over at him before wrinkling his nose up. “He was probably annoyed that there wasn't any camembert in his general vicinity and was hungry.”
It makes both of them burst into laughter again, and Nathaniel has to wipe at his cheeks. “That's really funny, man. I'd hate to see what Ziggy would do if she got upset or overjoyed.”
“Is your kwami quite emotional?”
He shrugs his shoulders. “Sometimes. I think it's because she's the kwami of passion that she gets so invested in things. I don't get how that’s linked to me drawing stuff into existence, but y'know.”
“You should ask her, I'm sure she'd be happy to tell you.”
“You think?”
“Of course. I know you haven't been doing this hero stuff for as long as me, but it does pay to listen to your kwami. It's quite useful to have more knowledge up your sleeve.” He pulls a face again. “Unless they keep asking you for camembert. Then don't listen to them. But then Plagg sneaks it anyway, so I can't win.”
They both share another laugh, before lapsing into a calmer silence. The city sleeps on, but they're still awake. Nathaniel will crash when he gets home, sleep for two or three hours, then have to wake up for school. He'll sleep on Marc during their breaks, so it's not a big loss, really.
It tugs a smile to his lips, thinking about how gentle his touch is when he's playing with his hair in his lap, humming gentle tunes as he dozes. The late nights suck, but it's worth being able to get gentle touches from the person who means the world to him.
“You're thinking about them, aren't you?” Chat’s teasing lilt is back, and he feels how he goes bright red all over again.
“Maybe.”
“Just admit it, you're so down bad for them. Can I know who it is this time?” The cat hero makes a big show of collapsing into him dramatically. “Can't you see I'm dying to know over here?”
He tries to shove him off to no avail. “If you want to waste one of your nine lives like that, feel free.”
“Was I right the first time, that it's Rooster Bold?” The teasing drops from his voice, but it retains the light and mirth.
Nathaniel’s world slows down, and his heart is racing in his chest at the thought. This time, Marc's face comes across his mind, and he curls up, thinking again how similar he is to Rooster Bold. He looks down at his hands and starts playing with the gloves of his suit, voice quieter than he's used to using in this form. “Can I trust you not to tell anyone this?”
“Yeah man. Cat’s honour.” He bumps their shoulders together, a small smile on his face. “Whatever’s on your mind.”
He feels a smile of his own come back onto his face. “Thanks.” He goes back to playing with his hands. “I think he’s one of us. I don’t know for certain, with that strange obscuring magic and all, but I don’t think there’s anyone else he could be. And I don’t want to say anything to him in case he’s not.”
There's been a couple times he's nearly let it slip, but his better judgement has won out every single time. But then maybe, just maybe, because sometimes the way Marc looks at him isn't that different from how Rooster Bold always looks at him.
Chat Noir tilts his head, ears twisted in curiosity and eyes shining. “What makes you say that?”
“It’s how he acts as a hero. It’s how I imagine he’d be if he wasn’t shy. It’s like the glimpse I get of him when he’s playing soccer when he’s cool and confident. God, he’s so pretty when he plays.” He smothers a hand over his mouth, and he can feel the stupid grin on his face. Dammit, he's meant to be cooler than this.
There’s snorts of laughter from next to him, and soon enough his fellow hero is in stitches. “Oh my god, of course you’d work it out, you’ve got more of a brain than you let on.”
He recoils a little. “Wait, you know who I’m on about?”
Chat has tears running down his cheeks, head thrown back and just laughing. “Why do you think I asked about you and Rooster Bold in the first place?” He takes a few breaths to calm himself. “Caprikid, you’re both so obvious. You flirt with each other so much I’ve considered using my cataclysm just to break the tension and get you two on the job again.”
He stares at him like a dumbass. “You aren’t worried I’ve potentially worked out who Rooster Bold is?”
“No. If you can see past the magic then you’re made for each other.”
“You know who we are?”
“Of course I do! Contrary to how I portray myself, I do know what I’m doing. Sometimes.” When he smiles this time, he can see his prominent canines. “I know I implied earlier that I sometimes wish people had a bit more faith in me but then… it makes it easier to play the fool, don't you think?”
Suddenly, it dawns on him just what this means. Marc is Rooster Bold, he's been flirting very openly with him for the past few months, and whoever Chat Noir is knows them in their ordinary lives. Slow down, one thought at a time. He stares at him like a dumbass again. “You… knew? Know? Fuck, I don't know the correct tense for this.”
The blonde’s smile is a lot softer this time, and it's now that Nathaniel is noticing he's quick to pick up on shifts in tone. “Yeah. Don't worry, it's safe with me.”
“That's not what I'm worried about. How'd you know? It's not like I pulled a Chloé and shouted it to the whole world.”
“When you've been in the game for as long as I have, you get pretty good at putting two and two together. Also, you draw, I know nobody else who can draw like you.”
That makes him blush hot all over again. “Oh god, that's kind of embarrassing that you know I've drawn you.”
“I think it's cool! And like, if you ever need a reference or anything, I'm happy to pose for you! I've had a lot of practice.”
Something about the inflection, or maybe it's just what he's said, but something clicks into place for Nathaniel. He rubs at his eyes, but now he looks, he can see it. “No way. I'm not gonna say your name but… fuck. You're in my class, aren't you?”
Chat makes a face, then smiles and nods. “Mhmm.”
“You sit near the front?”
“Sure do.”
“And you're like, super famous?”
“Obviously, duh. I'm a superhero.” He sticks his tongue out. “I'm fucking with you. Yeah, I am.”
There's too many things for him to process in one night. He drops his head in his hands and groans. “Oh for fucks sake. How are you the same person?”
He goes back to flicking his baton around. “This lets me express the part of me I can't when I'm a civilian, like you.”
“And you don't care that I've figured it out?”
“Nope! Wouldn't have said anything if I didn't want you to figure it out. C'mon, it's kinda obvious, right? How many swaggering blondes with bodies like mine do you know?” He flexes his muscles, and Nathaniel bursts into laughter.
“You know that my type is a shy guy who likes to write and runs around in a showy outfit when he's a hero, apparently.” He sighs, and leans against his hands. “It is kind of obvious, now you've pointed it out, though. The masks don't exactly hide our facial structure, and our hair is quite distinctive.”
“You see why I say it's easy to put two and two together?” Chat splats out onto the roof. “Are we still gonna be normal after this?”
He nods. “Yeah, don't worry about it. You're my friend, hero or not.”
In a quick movement, he's crushed into a hug that he doesn't quite know how to respond to. “Thanks. I mean it.”
He carefully wraps him up in a hug of his own, and they stay like that for a couple moments. Lord knows that Chat needs it, given he so rarely gets it.
“And Caprikid? You really should tell him how you feel.”
He chokes on his own spit, and the rest of the night is spent with him getting poked fun at, but in a way that's a lot gentler than what he's used to. He makes a note to try to make an effort to talk to Adrien a bit more.
He's tired as all hell the next day, which is pretty normal after patrol. Coffee takes the edge off, but he knows that sleep is the only real remedy. He pretends to pay attention during the first few periods, naps on Marc during their break, which feels… the same. Maybe his brain already knew, it just didn't want him to know just yet. He ponders this thought as Marc's hands card through his hair.
The third and fourth period is a double block of science, which sucks. It sucks a bit less when he realises that means they'll be doing something in the lab, though.
“Nino, Adrien, Alix, and Nathaniel.”
That makes him startle back to attention, and Alix grumbles as she drags him over to the two other guys. Soon enough, they're all settled around a bench with a dead frog in front of them. He's scribbling down a picture of the frog for the diagram they need later, and Nino is already writing up a method. Alix has gone and retrieved the gloves and dissecting tools, and hands them over to Adrien. “You make the first cut, your hands are steadier than mine.”
The blonde pulls a face, but tugs on the gloves anyway. “I wouldn't say that given I'm not the one always spray painting, but anyway.”
“You're more patient than me, does that sound better?”
“Anyone can be more patient than you, Alix. Except for maybe Kim.” Nathaniel leans over to capture how the frog is pinned. “Ok, you're right to make the first cut.”
“Prick.” Alix punches him in the shoulder, then watches intently as Adrien makes the first cut with extreme precision. He doesn't miss the soft calm that's come over him, like he's happy that things are firmly under control this time. Nino keeps writing next to him, looking up.
“Anything unusual?”
“Nope.” Adrien makes another clean cut, deeper this time, then steps back. He gestured to it, looking at Alix. “You can pin it, if you'd like.”
“Fuck yeah!” She tugs on her own pair of gloves and picks up the pins, and Nathaniel is hit with the sudden urge to draw the scene in front of him, his best friend curled over in concentration he rarely sees from her. He scratches out a half-baked concept in the corner, focusing on her posture and expression the most. When she pulls back, she's got a massive grin on her face. “Sick! Nath, get over here and draw it already, I want to pull apart the layers.”
He rolls his eyes and comes over to the other side. “You aren't just ripping it to shreds because you feel like it. We have to treat it with respect.”
“Blah, blah, blah. I want to see the other layers of organs in it.” She pauses. “Because that's why we're doing this dissection in the first place. How's the method going over there?”
“You haven't done anything else besides make two longitudinal cuts and pinned it so far, right?” Nino pushes his glasses up his face, and resolutely doesn't look down. He didn't think he'd be the type to be grossed out by dissections. You learn something new every day, he guesses.
When the lunch bell rings, they all sigh in relief. Adrien pokes at his shoulder. “So? You gonna go tell him yet?”
He goes to reply when Alix cuts him off. “Even Adrien’s picked up on it now? C'mon Nath, it's bad when even he's noticed. Just go spew it out to him already.” She whacks him in the arm, then looks up at the blonde as they walk out of the classroom. “When'd you work it out?”
Both of them share a look, and it's one they both agree on: lie. “I asked him for advice yesterday. He gave me a couple suggestions.”
She snorts, rolling her eyes. “I'm right here, you know.”
“You just give me shit for it! I wanted actual advice this time!” He points at her, and she sticks her tongue out at him.
“If you were being genuine, I'd be serious!”
He sticks his tongue out back at her, and then they're all laughing anyway, so it doesn't matter too much. When he breaks away from them all walking back to their lockers to head under the stairs he sees Adrien wink at him and mouth good luck, but he just rolls his eyes.
Marc's already there, and he drops his books with no preamble and collapses next to the other boy. “How was science?”
He groans, stretching up before curling back into his usual posture anyway. “Wasn't complete shit, we did a dissection.”
The black haired boy laughs, and it's a bright, clear thing. He rearranges his legs so they're straight out then tugs his head onto his thighs, stroking at his hair. “You can tell me about it later.”
He smiles, and wonders for the upteenth time if this is the moment he finally spews it all out, then decides against it because right now, he just wants to nap like he's being prompted to do. He closes his eyes and curls closer to him. “I will, don't you worry.”
He gets shaken awake, and it takes him a moment to regain his bearings until he sees Alix peering over his head with a bag in hand. “Eat, or you're gonna winge later.”
He knew it was a bad idea giving her his locker code. He pushes himself up and away from the warmth that is Marc, albeit begrudgingly, and takes the sandwich from her. “Thanks.”
She looks between them both with a discerning eye. Marc leans towards him, and he just rolls his eyes at her. “How long have we still got?”
“About…” She peers down at her watch. “One minute.”
One? The bitch! He chomps down his sandwich as he jumps up, narrowly avoiding the top of the stairs as he one handedly grabs his books. “Fuck you!”
She sticks her tongue out at him again. “Not my fault you'd rather sleep under here like a cat now, is it?”
The warning bell rings, and Marc also starts getting up. “I'll see you after school?”
He nods lightning quick. “Yeah, see you after school.” He and Alix both book it to their lockers, one of the perks of being Caprikid means his stamina has improved significantly, so they're able to book it across the school and back again with little to no effort. She does have an unfair advantage with her skates, though. When they get in the classroom, he sighs.
Hometime couldn't come soon enough.
Marc's waiting for him outside his locker room, now that all the people have milled out. His smile is soft but wave is confident, and he waves back. “How'd sport go?”
“Good!” The shy boy laughs, and he can hear Rooster Bold just under the surface, just like he always can when he's fresh from playing sport. “We played European handball today.” He follows him into the locker room and sits on the bench behind him as he gathers his things. “It's an odd sort of game. You'd hate it, but that's because you hate sport full stop.”
He turns around and gives him a look. “Not all of us are as multitalented as you are, mister pro soccer player and scriptwriter.” And hero, his brain supplies. He really can see it now, and it makes him feel like he was blind before.
“I'm hardly a professional!” And he's slipping back to Marc again. Was the distinction always this obvious? He doesn't think so, but then again, now that the cloaking protective magic whatever it is isn't around him anymore, he doesn't know. He shoves his books into his bag and shuts his locker, and they start the trek back to Marc's place.
“I call bullshit.”
He'll tell him when they get there.
They set up camp in Marc's room like they always do, and it relaxes him being under the soft fairy lights and having colour splashed all around him. It gives him confidence when their script gets set down between them for a break. “Marc, there's something I want to tell you.”
“Hmm?” He looks up at him, green eyes softer without his makeup on. It never fails to take his breath away, to see him in his natural state. He must click in understanding, because he takes his hands and drags them over to the bed, settling down. “It's okay to be nervous, I'm not going to judge you.” He rubs a hand soothingly over his knuckles.
Nathaniel hadn't even realised his hands were shaking. He smiles, and Marc smiles back. “Sorry, didn't even realise I was shaking.” He inhales, trying to imagine that if it was Rooster Bold in front of him, what he'd say. Ah fuck it, he's never been one for words anyway, that's Marc's job. “I think I'd rather just show you, actually. Ziggy?”
The goat kwami pops her head out from where she's been hiding in his bag, and smiles up at him. He smiles back. “Bleat it.”
When the familiar warmth of the transformation leaves him, he opens his eyes to see Marc’s mouth agape. There's unshed tears in his green eyes, and then a smile so bright and beautiful he could only dream of capturing it with a pencil and paper spreads across his face. “It's been you this entire time, hasn't it?”
He nods nervously, heart racing in fear. “Yeah.”
“Orikko, sunrise.” In a band of light, Rooster Bold is sitting across from him. “Surprise?”
Nathaniel feels how his smile stretches across his face as he reaches forward and draws him into a long hug. “Fuck, I was right.” He rests his mouth along the junction of his neck, and can't help the kiss he presses against it. “Oh my god, I should've said something sooner.”
“You knew?”
“I had a feeling.” He pulls away. “I'm just happy I have been flirting with the same guy for the past however many months.”
Marc bursts out laughing, eyes closed and smile firmly on his face. “It is a comfort, isn't it? Nice to know I don't have to choose between the two of you, because you're the same person.” He opens his eyes, and they're so painfully fond despite being yellow instead of the usually green. “Orikko, sunset.” In a flash, he's back to how he was before. Nathaniel gets the hint.
“Ziggy, bleat off.”
When he opens his eyes again, Marc's still got that megawatt smile on his face. He reaches forward and cups his face. “I'm not dreaming, right?”
He leaves his hands where they are, suddenly uncertain about where to put them. “No, you're not.”
“Good.” He leans forward and presses their lips together, and it's achingly tender. When he pulls back, Nathaniel chases after him and presses their lips together again. He drags them down onto the bed, and they keep kissing and touching each other's faces and necks because it's finally happening. It's everything he's dreamt of, but so much better because it's real.
He wriggles a hand around the other's waist and draws him in close, eliciting a giggle from him between kisses and starts running a hand along his spine. “Nath, that tickles.”
He stops, and snuggles into his arms again. “Alright, alright. I'll let it go for now. We've got a lot to talk about.”
“Later.” There's a gentle kiss against his temple. “Let's just enjoy this for now.”
He smiles, lifts his head up to capture a proper kiss, and just soaks in the feeling he's allowed to have.