Author's Note: This show may not find me as part of its usual demographic, but with littles at home, I have watched this show, and most episodes, many times. I have wanted to speculate a bit on what the future may look like for the super-duo, say ten years ahead. If you look at other fanfic I've written, you'll notice the theme: I am a bit impatient when shipping a couple, so I couldn't resist writing one for this fandom. This started as AdrieNette with a little MeriChat thrown in, but that got completely reversed somehow. I also intended to stop with a one-shot, and I'm currently on the fourth chapter. Guess I have been slowly coming to love those two even more than I realized!

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir and I make no profit from this story. No copyright infringement is intended. I'm just enjoying some time with a few of my favorite television characters. The story is mine, except where directly quoting or referencing episodes.

Like so many Parisian nights of late, it was gorgeous, mild, and akuma-free. It had been a remarkably long stretch since Hawk Moth had caused trouble in France's capital. And with the setting sun, Marinette found herself on her balcony as had become her custom, forearms supporting her against the railing, fingers loosely linked, as she looked into the twilight.

The softly padding feet behind her brought a smile to her face when she recognized their approach. "Hello, Kitty. I was wondering if I missed hearing about an attack while I did the dinner dishes," she said without turning.

"Not at all, Milady. I was just a bit late starting patrols this evening, but still wanted to check everything out. Miss me much?"

"You know I did, silly Kitty." She turned and grinned at his expectant face, then quickly traversed the steps between them to enter his open arms. She felt at ease and peaceful as he nuzzled her hair; a light rumble from his chest reached her ears at the same time she heard his heartbeat quicken.

"This is where I have wanted to be all day, Marinette. You don't know how much." She leaned back in his arms a bit, though neither went far. "Everything okay?"

He nodded. "Now it is. But I have something to tell you." He inhaled deeply, then exhaled again. "I won't be back like this for a while. Maybe never."

The floor rolled beneath her feet. Despite the time they'd spent together, he wasn't coming back? He had changed so much, they both had, grown, together, she'd thought. What had she missed?

When he began calling her "Milady" several years ago, she thought he'd finally uncovered her alter ego. After a bit of shock, she realized he hadn't even noticed what he'd done; it had been subconscious on his part. It felt right, natural even. But the next time they met, she in her Ladybug role, he flinched when he called her by the familiar nickname.

"Chat Noir? Are you all right? Are you hurt?"

"Fine, Mi—Bugaboo." He flashed her the wide, flirty smile she now recognized as his professional superhero persona. "I just remembered a previous engagement. We have to keep up our normal appearances, don't we?" A wink later, he was gone, and she was confused.

From that moment, something had changed, though it took her a while to understand that a shift had occurred. Anyone leading a double life is bound to get a little loopy at times, but seeing the same person in both lives can become dizzying. It was a gradual shift, but Chat's visits to Marinette's balcony had increased after that, and his flirting with Ladybug had decreased. They were still great partners, friends even, but he never called her "Milady" again. Occasionally a "Bugaboo" would slip out, but most often he simply called her Ladybug.

At the same time, he called Marinette by the nickname almost daily. When she questioned him about it, he stumbled over himself a little bit and finally asked, "Do you mind? I—I didn't realize I was doing it, but I find it fits you. I'd never wish distress upon the fair Marinette, but should you need me, this knight would ride bravely to your defense, Milady." He finished with a flourish and kissed her hand with a wink.

Marinette laughed, a full, happy sound. "No, Kitty. I rather like it." She wasn't sure when it had happened, maybe because he hadn't been trying so hard to impress her as Marinette as when she'd been Ladybug, but she enjoyed the banter they shared and deciphering the man behind the mask. And the better she knew him, the more she loved him.

It hadn't scared her to admit it finally, as it crept up on her slowly. He was still flirtatious, but not like he had been with Ladybug. There wasn't as much joking around about it; it seemed more focused somehow, almost serious. And as he focused on her, his pursuit of Ladybug seemed to go the natural way of one-sided affection.

But now he wasn't coming back? Their time was over? The shock was something she'd have to deal with later. Perhaps her own affection had been of the one-sided variety, though his act had certainly been convincing and she'd never seen this coming. Her defenses were weak, she supposed, since Chat had been chipping away at them a long time, though he didn't know she and Ladybug were the same woman.

By unspoken agreement, she never sought to know who he was when he visited her as Marinette, and he'd never revealed himself. Maybe it was out of respect for Ladybug's edict that he had not shared his true identity. Though Marinette felt she knew him far better than anyone else, far better than she ever could have had she only known him as Ladybug, she also understood that if he left now, it was well and truly over; she'd never find him without knowing his real name.

She inhaled sharply as she stepped out of his embrace. "I see." Her arms crossed over her chest, a shield against the hurt.

"Marinette! Wait!" He stepped toward her, hand reaching out for her. "I'm bungling this terribly."

"No, it's okay. We were never anything official, Chat. No declarations, no promises were made." She stepped further away and turned, willing the sobs down, trying to preserve what dignity remained until he vaulted away into the night, this time for good. "But surely saying you hoped you'd never return wasn't necessary, even if it was honest."

"No, Marinette. Oh, no! That's not what I meant at all. I've made a complete mess of what I really want to say. Please, give me a chance to explain?" He reached for her once more but was afraid to touch her lest she refused him.

"Okay." She nodded but didn't turn to face him again.