Nebula - Adrien Agreste

Chapter 10 - End of Season 1

"I'm so embarrassed..." Nadine whimpered as she buried her face in the palm of her hands. It was the day after her getting Akumatized, and we had decided to hang out. She had the day off, her sister helping her out at the store when she saw that she had gotten Akumatized by Hawk Moth. Must have been a sign for them that she was stressed, considering she was mainly the one who ran the store in the first place.

I gave her a sympathetic look. "It's not embarrassing," I assured, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. She looked over at me, and I felt so sorry for her tear stained face. "From my understanding, Chloe does that to everyone. Most people in Paris who have been Akumatized were because of her." That probably didn't really help much, though she smiled at me trying to make her feel better.

"I told myself not to get so butt hurt at her comments though..." She trailed off with a bedraggled sigh. "I let myself anyway. The girl with her was a model." I knew it. Chloe just needed someone who would agree with her, and while Sabrina always agreed with everything the girl said, she wasn't as nasty with her comments. In fact I liked Sabrina well enough, and talked to her a few times without Chloe's influence.

"She never should have followed me," I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "Listen, she does that to everyone. She's pissed because I told her off, she wanted me to bring in good faith to my mother and I refused." Now I definitely refuse. There was no way I was going to reward the brat.

Nadine raised her eyebrow at me. "Your mother?" She wondered, taking a bite of her macaron. We had decided to bake macarons and now we were hanging out in her room. Her black and white tuxedo cat, Jasper, was sprawled between us with the biggest purr imaginable. He reminded me of my own black kitty teammate, who I had grown quite fawn of.

"She owns Caviar Cadence," I explained and her eyes widened.

Snapping her fingers she now had a look of understanding on her face. "Now I understand why you're name seemed familiar!" I gave her a blank look, not understanding what was going on. "My mother talks about Julia all the time," she explained casually and I gaped. "They're good friends." Well I had no idea. Mother wasn't forthcoming on anything really. "Julia mentioned having a daughter around my age. Coincidence that you showed up in La Bella."

"The store looked interesting," I shrugged, scratching behind Jasper's ear. The cat purred, leaning into my touch and I smiled softly. I had always wanted a cat, though mother would never let me have any animal in our house. She wanted everything to stay perfect. Only things weren't perfect. Everything on the outside might be, but on the inside...

I shook my head from the thought. Nadine was giving me a curious look and I gave her a tight smile. "It's nothing. Anyway, I was wondering..." And we began to talk fashion the rest of the time I was there.

When I left it was just beginning to get dark. I glanced around before popping into an alleyway that was hidden from eyes. Gulla popped out of my coat pocket, tilting her head. I knew we wouldn't be home for a while, I had wanted to check in on Nadine, so I opted to leave my bag at home. Not wanting to leave it anywhere that I would have to find it - and that bag was a clear indicator of who I could be, as I carried it daily.

"Want to go on a quick patrol before we head back?" I didn't want to go home just yet. I wasn't sure if mother was going to be there or not, but the house was always so lonely. Gulla gave me an understanding look and nodded her head. "Gulla, Screech Increase!" And in a blink I turned into Nebula.

Taking the route towards my mansion I glanced around the area, making sure that it was safe. To my relief, or sadness, it was and I landed on a building close to my place. Only to jump when someone joined me.

Whirling around I relaxed when I saw it was Chat Noir. "What are you doing out here?" I wondered, tilting my head to the side. This was my patrol night. Tomorrow was his, and than the next was Ladybug's.

Chat Noir raised an eyebrow. "What, I'm not allowed to be out here?" He countered and I crossed my arms over my chest in defiance. He sighed in defeat. "My father is being unbearable," he admitted and I winced in understanding. "He just doesn't understand that I want to be my own person," he growled, and that I could also understand.

"I'm sorry Chat," and I was. It was tough when you're parents expected the world out of you.

He just shrugged nonchalantly. "Not your fault," he waved his hand dismissively. "So where are you coming from?" He wondered in curiosity. You know what they say, curiosity killed the cat.

I snickered at my own joke, grinning when Chat Noir narrowed his eyes at me - waiting on an answer. "Sorry, cat joke in my head." I chuckled, and the cat themed hero rolled his eyes. "To answer your question I was hanging out with a friend. Decided to go n patrol a little early on my way home, but don't exactly want to go home yet."

The one thing that Chat Noir had against Ladybug was that he understood loneliness. I had no idea who he was behind the mask, and the Chat Noir facade he played but something told me that he was just like me in civilian form. Alone with no one that really understood them. No one understands people like us, who have everything we could ever want - but the one thing that we wanted most was for our life to be a little bit normal. For our life to have meaning.

For our life to be what we want and not what someone else wants.

Nodding his head he took a seat, leaning up against a chimney. I took a seat beside him, sitting Indian style. We had a bond. I had no clue what that bond was, but it was something I was unwilling to give up. "You know, I don't think I would have been able to do the hero business if it weren't for you," I admitted and he snapped his head over to me in surprise.

"Really? But you're a natural!" He protested and I laughed lightly. "Seriously, Ladybug and I fumbled on our first excursion. You, you pop up and just demanded attention. You got the job done and made you're own ay of doing things. I admired that." I blinked in surprise, my mouth open a gap. He admired me? I was honored, and a little shocked.

"Thanks Chat," I stated honestly, laying my head on his shoulder. He jumped at the sudden contact but relaxed. Was he not used to affection? "This is actually some of the most exciting days I've had," I admitted with a chuckle, lifting my head back up. "Before... before my life changed, I was constantly in trouble. Mostly because of the lack of attention in my civilian life, but now... now I actually think I belong somewhere." And I definitely did not want to ruin that.

Chat Noir smiled softly at me, placing his hand over mine and squeezing it gently. "You do belong, Bat Queen. If I knew your civilian self, I'd show you you'd belong there as well. You're never out of place. Don't even try to think that," he wiggled his free hand at me and I grinned at him.

Yeah, this was where I belonged.

And where I wanted to stay.