While I know I should be working on my other fic "Please Tell Me I'm Awake Right Now", this idea popped into my head, and I had to write it down.

Enjoy the first installment of "Chat for a Day".

Any and all comments are greatly appreciated. They fuel my fire to keep writing about these two adorable, lovesick dorks.

I cross-post on AO3 and on Tumblr.

Tumblr: gryffindorcls (I will be posting my fics to the "Princess In Training" blog)

AO3: clslovegood47

I own nothing but the plot.

I'm Not Perfect

Adrien walked by two girls who were gawking at his latest spread in Teen Vogue.

"Oh my God! He's just so perfect," he heard one of them squeal.

Ugh.

There it was. That word again.

Perfect.

"I'm not perfect," Adrien mumbled under his breath as he quickly distanced himself from his fangirls.

Didn't those girls know that none of what they saw was real? Those smiles were fake. Those scenes were fake. Everything was fake. It was all directed, airbrushed, and retouched. He didn't even find it endearing when someone told him he was perfect.

He was so tired of being called "perfect". Every single day was an exhausting blur of keeping up appearances. His father expected him to be nothing less than the perfect model, the perfect gentlemen, the perfect student, and the perfect son. He was so tired of that stupid word.

For once he wished that the world could know him as he truly wanted to be. He was seldom granted the opportunity to simply be himself.

Nino occasionally saw glimpses of his carefree and outrageous personality; however, his best friend was (unfortunately) his sounding board for all his complaints about his father. Typically, the young DJ dealt with an Adrien who's daily mood vacillated between annoyed and remorseful. Nino was a saint for having to put up with the grumpiness that stemmed from Adrien's never-ending disappointment.

No, the only one who saw him for who he truly was (and who he wanted to be all the time) was Ladybug.

Ahhhh...Ladybug. His first love. His lady. His everything.

If only his lady was open to listening to details regarding his personal life. He couldn't help but think about how much easier his everyday activities would be if he could talk to Ladybug outside the mask. She definitely didn't think he was perfect, but (if he had to guess) she at least thought of him as a friend.

Snapping himself out of his reverie, Adrien briskly walked across the courtyard, down the stairs, and towards his car. As he slid into his seat, he turned around only to see the same group of girls still gushing over his pictures.

Adrien sighed and closed the car door.

At 9:00 that evening, Adrien called for his transformation and hopped out his bedroom window. Finally, he was free to be himself. When he was Chat Noir, he was everything he wanted to be. He was no longer "Adrien Agreste: Perfect Poster Child". No, he was just Adrien.

Other than spending time with Ladybug, being Chat Noir was the greatest thing in Adrien's life. He loved the feeling of the wind rushing past his face as he leaped across the rooftops. Whenever he was transformed he knew that being a miraculous holder was part of his destiny. He was born to do this.

Chat stopped at his and Ladybug's meeting place and took in his surroundings. He never wanted to take Paris' beauty for granted. He smiled as the lights on the Eiffel Tower twinkled in the darkness.

Shortly after arriving, Chat heard the familiar zinging sound from his partner's yo-yo in the distance. He sat criss-cross on the edge of the roof and rested his head in his hands.

When Ladybug landed on the rooftop, she greeted him. "Good evening, Chaton."

Chat whipped his head around and beamed, "Why hello, my lady. It's certainly good now that you have graced us with your presence."

Ladybug squinted.

"What's wrong?" she asked brusquely.

"Why would you think there was something wrong?" he replied. Chat chuckled nervously after his response.

"Chat," she began, "you think that I don't know when something is off? Happy Chat would be bouncing on the balls of his feet and punning at every opportunity. Angry Chat has his fists clenched at his sides and his teeth gritted. Sleepy Chat has a distant look in his eyes and a droopy smile. But sad Chat? Sad Chat is quiet except when he is addressed. When you talk to sad Chat you can tell that he's covering up his sadness like it's a secret, but you know that it's all an act. Happy Chat has a smile that lights up a whole room. Sad Chat has a smile that never reaches his eyes."

"Well, I guess there's no hiding anything from you."

"Nope! I see right through your BS. I can cut it like butter."

Chat snorted. "And pray tell, my lady, exactly how did you come to these conclusions?"

Ladybug sat down next to him. "When I actually take the time to observe others, reading them becomes pretty easy, but I'm by no means perfect at it. Sometimes I make snap judgments. Like this one time, I met this new kid in my class, and I totally thought he was a snobby, rich brat. Turns out I was really, REALLY wrong about that, but usually I'm on the mark. I can always tell when someone is lying."

"Really? You think you're that good?"

"Not to toot my own horn, but yeah. There's this girl in my school who lies about everything, and I mean everything. She lies about things she doesn't even need to lie about, and she has everyone else eating out of the palm of her hand. Except for the one boy who I once thought was a brat. As I said before, I was definitely wrong about him."

"I know someone like that," Chat added, "Someone who lies all the time, I mean. I don't think I would have known it unless she hadn't gotten caught in one of her lies. There's this one girl in my class who can always tell when she's lying. I wish I had that ability sometimes. The girl who lies is such an awful person, and she's always hanging on me. She keeps telling me how she needs me and how perfect I am. UGH!"

Chat slumped over and buried his face in his hands.

"Well, that seems to have struck a nerve," Ladybug mused, "Would I be wrong in thinking that what you just said has something to do with what's bothering you?"

"No," he mumbled into his hands.

Ladybug rolled her eyes. "What did I just say about being able to tell when someone is lying?"

Chat offered a grunt and an incoherent grumble as his response.

Would you like to talk about it?" she asked with an understanding smile.

Chat lifted his head and met her eyes. "God, she's amazing," Chat thought.

"You don't want us divulging too much about our civilian lives, and I don't know how I can talk about this without going into detail," he responded.

"Well, the last time you went on patrol upset you got distracted and vaulted into the side of a chimney. Don't get me wrong. It was hilarious, but you were kind of useless after. Just laying there on the ground...moaning."

"Wow," Chat said with no intonation in his voice, "you really do care, my lady."

Ladybug laughed. How he loved the sound of her laugh. "But in all seriousness, Chat. I really do actually care about you. I don't like to see you sad. It's just not right for a soul as pure as yours to have any darkness in his features. You're my partner. You're one of my best friends, Chaton."

He was floored. He had always hoped that Ladybug considered him at least a friend. While he was hopelessly in love with her and wanted nothing more than to take her out on a date, hearing that she considered him a best friend was incredible. Being friends is always a great place to start.

"You really mean that?" Chat asked hesitantly.

Ladybug rolled her eyes. "Of course I do. Why do you always do that? Think you're this worthless, expendable human being. I don't know who caused you to have such low self-esteem, but if I ever find out who it is, I will not hesitate to kick someone's butt."

This made Chat laugh...hard. Ladybug joined him. The thought of Ladybug kicking Gabriel Agreste's butt was too much for him to handle.

After several breathless minutes of side-splitting laughter, Ladybug wiped the involuntary tears away from her face and said, "Chat, won't you at least try to tell me what's wrong?"

Chat groaned. "Fine!" he said throwing his hands into the air, "I'll try. But if I accidentally give away my identity, it's your fault, not mine."

"It's fine. I'm sure what you have to say can't actually be all that revealing."

"I dunno, Bug. I don't exactly live what you'd call a normal life."

Ladybug shot him an incredulous look.

Chat crossed his arms. "No, I'm serious. In my day to day life, I may or may not be kind of...famous."

Ladybug raised an eyebrow. "Famous? Really? Are you sure?"

"Trust me," Chat responded, "I and my 20 million Instagram followers are one hundred percent sure."

"So, you're Insta-famous?" she smirked.

Chat sighed. "A little more than that. I may or may not have been in a movie, been interviewed for television and magazines, and kind of super-rich."

Chat looked at her and waited for a response with bated breath.

Ladybug simply nodded after a minute of processing the information. "You know, surprisingly, I'm not actually all that shocked. I can see it. You do have a larger than life personality."

"That's just it. I act almost nothing like this outside the mask. I'm a tad repressed, and quite honestly I feel like a total social outcast most of the time," Chat explained.

"Oh, come on. You can't be that different. Like, I know that being Ladybug gives me a bit of a confidence boost, and I'm way more coordinated with the spots...but I'm not a completely different person," she retorted.

Chat shook his head. "I'm not saying that I'm a different person. That's not it at all. There are just certain expectations that I have to meet outside the mask. Because I'm a well-known public figure I can't really act how I want to act all the time. My dad also keeps me pretty isolated, so not a lot of people know what I'm like in private. I have a best friend, but I don't get to see him all that much. My dad doesn't like him."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Ladybug scooched closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Who I get to be as Chat Noir is who I am inside my head all the time. Sometimes I wish I could just get over this compulsive need to not disappoint anyone and be myself," he sighed.

"Why do you think anyone would be disappointed if you acted like you? I'm not disappointed with you. Yes, I've been frustrated with you a few times, but you're still pretty awesome. I know for a fact that I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. I can honestly say that you make me a better person." Ladybug offered Chat her biggest, most sincere smile.

Chat blushed and turned his head. He could feel the prickling heat of tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

He let a small chuckle escape his lips. "My lady, you have no idea how much I needed to hear that. Usually, I have girls fawning over me. They tell me I'm perfect. I just want someone to look past my stupid pretty face and my stupid shiny hair. I want to be more than just some teen heartthrob who has some pictures in a magazine. I just want someone to know me...the real me."

"You know, you kind of remind me of that boy I once thought was a spoiled brat. He also lives a pretty sheltered life. He's so busy all the time, and he often has the same sad smile as you did tonight. His dad is really strict, too. He doesn't have the most self-esteem, and I think he gets kind of nervous in new social settings," Ladybug said wistfully.

Chat looked at Ladybug. "My lady, that is the third time you've mentioned this boy tonight."

Ladybug chuckled nervously. "Yeah, he's kind of a constant presence in my life. His best friend is dating my best friend, and I think we're pretty good friends ourselves...I hope."

The creeping blush that spread across his lady's face did not go unnoticed.

"No," he said with disbelief, "is this the guy you like? Are you finally telling me about this infamous 'other boy' you keep talking about?"

"Maybe," Ladybug said as her blush intensified.

"Oh my God, IT IS!" he exclaimed.

"Kitty, no," she shook her head, "I'm not going to tell you about the boy I like. That would be mean."

"Come on," he teased, "I told you about my crush!"

"Yeah, me."

"That's right."

"Chat, no. You're my friend. I don't want to hurt you. That's unfair."

"Uh, no. Unfair is that I know nothing about my competition."

"Chat!" Ladybug pouted.

Chat sat up and comically held one finger in the air as he stated, "Bugaboo, I have confidence that one day you will wake up and realize that it was me you were destined to be with all along, but until that day I will help you with your boy problems." He dropped his hand back at his side and grinned.

"Ugh, Chat, no," she buried her face in her hands, "I told you that I love him. What makes you think that I would drop him and go out with you?"

"Well, we have kissed," he shot her a toothy grin.

Her mouth hung open momentarily before responding. "We were under the influence of an Akuma! Both times!"

He sighed. "Ladybug, my feelings and all kidding aside. All I want is for you to be happy. If being with this other boy makes you happy, let's hear about him."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm paw-sitive."

She bit her lip and blushed again. "Well, a lot of people think he's perfect. I would be lying if I said that I didn't think parts of him are perfect...like I don't think normal humans are supposed to have hair that nice."

Chat nodded and gestured for her to continue.

"But as a whole, he's perfectly imperfect," she stated.

"Perfectly imperfect," he repeated, "I like that."

"He did not make a good first impression...AT ALL," Ladybug winced, "However, he went out of his way to apologize for something that wasn't his fault. He even admitted to me his insecurities when it comes to making friends. He's kind of oblivious, and he doesn't always give the best advice. He trusts and forgives way too easily, but all of that is overshadowed by his kindness. I've never met someone so willing to help others without question or hesitation."

"He sounds...pretty cool," Chat remarked quietly.

"Yeah," she shrugged, "he is pretty cool, but I am definitely not cool around him."

"How so?"

"Every time I see him my brain stops working, and I get all tongue-tied and stuttery, and I'm just a mess. It's not that I'm intimidated. I think I just have trouble processing my feelings. I get too caught up in myself. He's so patient, but he probably thinks I'm a total spaz."

"Honestly, I doubt he does. Trust me, I speak from experience," he said shaking his head.

Ladybug looked confused. "What kind of experience?"

"Well," he began, "there's this girl in my class who stumbles over her words a lot. Strangely, it only seems to happen when she's around me. She doesn't do it all the time, but when she does it's kind of endearing. Yes, it's a little weird sometimes, but it's overall not that bad. I think she just has problems with anxiety, and she seems to be working through it. I've seen her stand up for others, be completely selfless, and incredibly fierce. She kind of reminds me of you sometimes."

"And she only stutters around you?"

"Yeah."

"Are you sure she doesn't have a crush on you?"

Chat shook his head and waved his hands. "No. I know she doesn't."

"How can you be so sure?" Ladybug questioned.

"Because," he said with a hint of sadness in his voice, "I know she loves someone else."

Ladybug squinted and pressed her tongue into her cheek. "Are you sure you don't have a crush on her?"

"No, my lady," he said confidently, "My heart belongs to you."

"Uh, huh," she responded, "You know you can like more than one person at the same time right?"

Chat's heart thumped a little harder in his chest, and he swallowed. "It's a thought I would rather not entertain right now. It's already confusing enough in my brain."

"Fine," Ladybug dismissed nonchalantly, "I'll let it go, but maybe it would do you some good to look for love elsewhere. You deserve to be happy, as well, Chat."

"Thanks, my lady."

A comfortable silence fell between them. The sounds of the city below sang a soft, peaceful melody. The crisp autumn air swirled around their huddled forms and caused the duo to move closer together.

Chat broke the silence. "You know what would make me really happy?"

"What?" Ladybug hummed.

"If I could walk into school tomorrow and act like Chat, I would be ecstatic."

"Then why don't you?"

"Uh...because?"

"That's not a good enough reason."

Chat frowned. "Because if I acted how I wanted to act all the time, then my dad would probably disown me."

"Then just do it at school," she suggested.

"My friends would probably freak out."

"So! If they were your real friends, then they would accept you for who you are. Besides, it's not like you're a terrible person. You're generous, polite, and a gentleman. You don't always have the best timing with your puns, but you're a good person. The people in your life should count themselves lucky to have someone like you as their friend."

He felt breathless. Did his lady really think so highly of him?

"Thank you for the compliments, Bugaboo," he smiled.

"It's the truth."

Chat thought for a moment. "It would be fun to let loose."

"You know what," he began, "I think I'll do it."

Ladybug beamed. "Good."

"BUT…I'll only do it if you use some of your Ladybug confidence around this mystery guy of yours," Chat teased.

"What!" she squeaked, "No, I can't."

"Ladybug, you just said that the mask doesn't change who you are. It may make you stronger and faster, but it doesn't make you a different person. The mask helped me become who I really am inside. Let it help you with your boy problem."

She pursed her lips and fixed her gaze into the distance. "Fine!" she eventually blurted, "I'll try it."

"And tomorrow we'll come back here and tell each other all about our day," he grinned.

"You're just looking for an excuse to spend more time with me, aren't you?" she asked flatly.

"Me? Pssh! No," he said sarcastically.

She threw her hands into the air. "You just told me to go talk to the boy I like. That makes no sense."

"Well, we're still friends, aren't we?" he asked with kitten eyes.

Her expression softened. "Yeah, kitty. We're still friends, and friends hang out."

Chat smiled. "Thank you."

"Come on, let's start patrol."

"Sounds good, my lady!"

Ladybug unsheathed her yoyo and readied herself. She threw her weapon to the next rooftop and leaped into the night. Chat followed her.

"Besides," he called out to her in midair, "I'm still confident that one day you'll love me back."

"Chat!" Ladybug called out angrily before landing.

He stopped next to her and chuckled. "Tomorrow's going to be a great day."