Boy I like making characters depressed. Yay for outlets of my own emotions. Hem.

I don't own Miraculous Ladybug.

GENERAL POV

Bad luck.

That's all he really was, anyway. That's all he ever had been. Bad luck.

His mother's death, his father's negligence, Ladybug's dislike of him? All of it his stupid bad luck. His best friend got possessed because of him, for god's sake.

Adrien swallowed the lump in his throat and gazed out over the darkened city of Paris from his perch on the very tip of the Eiffel Tower. He wasn't worried about falling; his sense of balance was the one thing about him that wasn't unlucky.

Some nights he wouldn't have minded the fall, though.

Please don't think like that.

Plagg's concerned voice resonated clearly in his mind and Adrien winced, shutting his eyes and ducking his head. His shoulders hunched forward and he reached up to press the heels of his hands against his eyelids to prevent the tears from slipping out the corners.

"Chat?"

Adrien took a shuddering breath and slid his hands back over his head, rubbing the excess tears against his hair before letting his hands drop to his sides as he looked down at Ladybug. Her head was tilted, her eyes watching him carefully and her yo-yo twirling lazily next to her.

"Milady," he whispered, giving a nod in her direction before turning his gaze back to the city.

There was a long silence as he waited for her to say something, for her to leave, for her to do something. Because she would leave, eventually. They always did, and to be frank, he wanted them to. He was tired of getting so attached to people that he always ended up hurting in the end.

"You okay?"

Chat's lips twitched upwards in a very convincing smile, one that he had taught himself over the years so that people would stop asking him that very question. "Yes," he said firmly, glancing over at her. "Just a bit tired."

Ladybug bit her lip, locking her gaze with his for a second. "You sure?" she asked finally.

He was going to cry. He could feel it, from the way his throat ached to how badly he was struggling to keep his lower lip from quivering. "I'm sure," he assured her softly.

There was another long silence and then she was right there, somehow balanced on the same thin point as him and wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. He barely hesitated before burying his head into the crook of her neck and taking a shuddering breath, ashamed of himself the second the tears slipped down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry," he choked out.

Ladybug shook her head quickly, lifting a hand to stroke at the back of his head and letting her fingers tangle in his hair. "There's nothing to be sorry for," she murmured. "Sometimes you just need a hug."

He managed to splutter out a laugh, tightening his grip on her and wishing that he never had to let go.

"You wanna talk?"

Chat shook his head against her shoulder and Ladybug made a soft sound in the back of her throat. "Okay. Just…you know I'm always here, right?"

When he didn't respond immediately, Ladybug pulled back enough to look him in the eyes, her own cheeks damp with tears. She pressed both hands to either side of Chat's face and he leaned into the touch, his eyes more heartbreaking than she could ever remember seeing them. "Chat? You know I care about you, right?"

A weak chuckle came from his mouth and he glanced away. "Yeah. Though I don't see why you would," he admitted. "I'm just…"

He shrugged and his mouth tightened as he clenched his jaw, struggling to get the words out. "…I'm just a lot of bad luck. Useless. I make everything….so much worse. For everyone, both as Chat and…and as me."

Ladybug tilted his head so that she was looking him in the eyes again, and she gave him a shaky smile. "You are not useless. You're my partner. Do you know how many times I would have died if you hadn't been there? You're not bad luck, Chat. At least not to me."

Her voice cracked and she pulled him back into a hug, pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek. "I don't know what I'd do if…"

Ladybug broke off and Chat shivered, pulling her closer. "I'm sorry," he murmured again.

She shook her head once more. "Like I said," she promised, "there's nothing to be sorry for. Will you be okay?"

He pulled back from her and raised a slight eyebrow. Ladybug smiled weakly and tilted her head towards the horizon. "It's um…it's getting late. Or early. I need…but I don't want to leave you if…will you still be…?"

She trailed off, her eyes terrified, and Chat leaned down to press their foreheads together, skin burning at the contact. "I'll be here," he promised softly, his breath ghosting over her skin. "You're not…you're not gonna lose me. Not tonight."

Ladybug shut her eyes and reached up, brushing trembling fingers over his cheek. "Not ever," she murmured.

He lifted his hand to grab hers, pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles. "Whatever you want, My Lady."

Ladybug opened her eyes again and smiled sadly at him, squeezing his hand gently before flying off into the ever brightening dawn, leaving Chat to balance on the tip of the Eiffel Tower alone.

You know she means it, right?

Adrien stared after Ladybug, rubbing at his jaw thoughtfully. "Yeah," he mumbled out loud. "I do."

And you know I uh…I….

He let a grin slide over his face and chuckled, finally hopping down from the point onto the more solid observation deck. "Yes, Plagg, I know. Thank you."

Adrien shut his eyes for a long moment, clutching tightly to the railing of the Eiffel Tower and listening to the wind whip past his ears.

For now, he didn't want to fall. For now, he preferred the wind when he knew he would hear it again later on. For the time being, at least, he didn't feel quite so unlucky.

"Let's go home, Plagg."