go get 'em tiger! - suju - TOMORROW X TOGETHER (2025)

If the roar wasn’t telling enough, Soobin would’ve known where to go based off of the shrieks coming from the central courtyard.

And the accompanying, smaller roars.

He throws his yoyo out, waiting until it catches on a railing, then swings down into the crowd. It’s not an easy feat - getting from the upstairs classrooms onto the ground - but at this point, he’s got it down to an art. Throw. Fly. A blur of orange appears on his left and Soobin nearly jumps straight out of his suit before he realises it’s Beo- No, Vulpix. He’s sure that the smug smile of his friend’s fox mask is identical to the grin beneath it.

It’s practically audible too. “Did I scare you?”

Soobin scoffs, glancing around the court. Aside from the mayhem, there’s groups of students huddled under the beams and overhangs, some under the stairs, most of them trying to crowd through the main entrance.

Ah, so the spectacle has moved outside.

“You’re orange,” he provides, once he’s checked for no immediate threat. “I couldn’t be sure that I wasn’t about to get hit with a tiger ray.”

Vulpix taps his baton on the ground, letting it shrink into its flute form. “Ohhh. Is it Hoshi’s time of the month again?”

With a snort, Soobin aims his yoyo at the clocktower. “Seems like it.”

He doesn’t wait for Vulpix to respond, tugging on the string and letting it pull his body up, out of the courtyard and off the school premises. At least he gets to miss Maths for this. Professor Namjoon never fails to remind them of the real world applications, so here Soobin is, doing just that: figuring out an effective way to solve the problem. Preferably fast. It’s a little more intensive than the angle calculations he just managed to escape, but over the past year, Soobin has developed an acute ability to assess the probabilities and act.

Not to mention, the tally for this specific ‘villain’ is already high.

The more you practise a problem, the easier it is to solve, right? At least that’s what Professor Namjoon says. Soobin thinks it’s a bunch of shit.

The tiger growls make his eye twitch.

Perching on a nearby roof, he takes a moment to observe… the uproar around Vulpix. Mostly literal, though interspersed with clamouring shouts. What happened this time?

Soobin could bet every single spot on his suit that it’s something ridiculous.

Again.

At least the chaos can be used to their advantage these days - unlike the first few months of akuma outbreaks, where any procedures that their school came up with failed comically. Gathering on the field like they would for a fire drill? Way too crowded. They’d been easy targets for every villain, something that Soobin had to urge the Mayor to change after one too many close calls. Granted, he knows Kai’s dad, but Mayor Huening doesn’t personally know Ladybug. It had been awkward, at best.

And the new approach improved nothing. Staying in their classrooms - lockdown style - only turned them into easier targets. Sitting ducks. If the akumatised held a grudge against someone, they knew exactly where to find them. Door locks don’t stand much of a chance against superpowers.

The only solution?

Scatter and hide.

Or observe the spectacle, Soobin thinks, scanning the crowd. No harm done if the heroes can reverse any damage, right? He doesn’t really mind. Either way, it gives him a good excuse to say he missed the show by hiding in a quiet spot like the library or behind a staircase. That is, if anyone asks. Beomgyu did - the first few times - but Soobin had learned to think fast on his feet by then. Besides, the questions stopped coming after he, disguised as Ladybug, put the fox Miraculous in Beomgyu’s care. After that, his friend had lost interest, probably in fear of being asked the same.

Soobin snorts.

If only Beomgyu knew.

Thank god he doesn’t, because he’d definitely give Soobin shit for leaving him to deal with a mob of fans, excited students and… human tigers? Yeah, Soobin much prefers the rooftop. As much as he’s grateful for the chaos, it’s still a pain when he’s trying to locate Hoshi’s friends - they’re always nearby when this happens and most likely have the answers he needs. A faint clink of belts disrupts the shouting below. Soobin’s shoulders ease.

“Need some help, Bugaboo?”

A familiar hand sneaks over Soobin’s shoulder, the cat claw tips tickling his collarbone.

“Yeah.” Soobin smiles, glancing up. “You’re right on time.”

Cat Noir drops into a theatrical bow. “At your service, M’Lord.”

It almost works. Soobin almost laughs. His lips purse beneath the ladybug wing mask, thankful that it covers his ears or else Cat Noir would’ve gotten a kick out of the flush that colours them pink. “Do you know what happened?”

“Hoshi, right?” The slits in Cat’s eyes narrow as he searches the crowd. “Where is he, anyway?”

Soobin frowns, then mutters, “I haven’t seen him yet.”

“That’s reassuring.” A moment later Cat points left, to the outskirts of the mob surrounding Vulpix. “There! Mingyu and Dino.”

Soobin squints and sure enough, there they are: Mingyu and Dino, holding up their phones, aiming them behind the school building. For blackmail purposes, most likely. Their collection. Soobin would whine about the lack of urgency, if not for a two-month old, high quality video of Beomgyu with whiskers, roaring on all fours - courtesy of Dino. Since receiving it… well.

At least nobody will think to trace back Ladybug’s sudden leniency to a thirty second clip worth millions in the teasing department.

“Good catch,” he compliments, grateful for Cat Noir’s keen eye. Loud buzzing cuts off his upcoming proposition, a whir of yellow and black zipping down beside them.

“Hey guys! What did I miss?”

Cat Noir chuckles. “Hoshi.”

“Thought so,” Honey Bee laughs, his thin wings settling against his back. He points down at Mingyu and Dino slapping each other’s shoulders. “Should we let them film a little longer or is it time to get this show on the road?”

Most days, Soobin would let a few minutes of the spectacle slide. But, as much as he would love to miss more lesson time, he’d rather not work his ass off at the bakery later while dead on his feet. “It’s not like they lack the opportunity to film,” he says, slightly disgruntled.

In a month or less, there’s guaranteed to be another incident, just like this.

A snicker sounds behind him. Chaos personified. And though the black eye mask of Cat Noir’s costume covers his eyebrows, Soobin is sure that one of them is raised.

“Are their antics starting to bug you, sweetheart?”

Does Cat Noir ever run out of bad jokes?

At least Soobin knows how to retaliate. He glances over his shoulder. “Not at all, kitten.”

It’s more than worth the cringe to see Cat Noir grow flustered, full lips parting in surprise, the cat ears on his head tilting down. Honey Bee cackles, incentivising Soobin to reach over and tickle under Cat’s chin. For the joke, obviously.

“We should regroup,” Cat Noir mumbles. He doesn’t lean away. Is that a purr coming from his chest or is Soobin hearing things? “Then we could check behind the school?”

Definitely hearing things. Soobin drops his hand to squeeze Cat’s shoulder. “Good idea. Bee, can you get Vulpix while Cat and I go question Hoshi’s friends?”

It’s still a little weird to ask - a little hard getting used to working with a team of more than two. Honey Bee seems more than happy to oblige though, spinning top tossed around a chimney, wings unfurled.

“Got it LeaderBug!” He salutes, not bothering to hide his cheeky tone.

Likely at the fact that Soobin still prefers to pair himself with Cat Noir.

It’s for comfort, Soobin swears. He’s been teased about it by the group at every opportunity, but he and Cat have worked together for over a year now. They know each other’s style. Can communicate without many words.

It’s just… easier.

Before Honey Bee can rescue Vulpix, a loud roar echoes from behind the school, followed by a burst of light. Not a good sign. Soobin’s hand shoots out to cover Cat’s sensitive eyes, his own gaze caught on the figure rising over the rooftops, arms outstretched, stripes lining clothes and skin.

“Oh you’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” he hisses. “Tigers don’t float.”

Once the brightness dissipates, Cat Noir gives his hand a grateful squeeze. “We’ve found him, I assume?”

Honey Bee’s voice pitches up alarmingly. “More like he’s found us-!”

Without a second thought, Soobin dodges to the left, dragging Cat Noir with him. The cat hero lets out a startled yelp, belt-tail wrapping around Soobin’s thigh on instinct, and if Soobin were a little less preoccupied, he’d definitely find it cute. Alas, his grip on Cat only tightens as another beam lights up the rooftop, decorating it in stripes. No Honey Bee in sight. The swish of Cat’s baton extending is a welcome sound when the next attack strikes two rooftops ahead of them, answering Soobin’s question. Maybe they are getting better at this teamwork thing. Seizing the moment of peace, he lets Honey Bee - a master of distraction, second only to Vulpix - work his charm. His eyes stay glued to Hoshi, just in case.

“Get us into the crowd.”

“Your wish is my command,” Cat jokes, strong arm wrapping around Soobin’s waist.

Then, it’s air.

Still exhilarating like it was the first time. Soobin’s stomach drops, the wind from another blast breezing over his exposed forehead while whatever magic keeps his hair in place keeps his eyes from watering too. The beams start hitting closer. Herding them? Hoshi might be coming up with new tactics. His impressive streak of finding himself villainised once a month on average has taught him who will try to end his ‘tiger reign’, making Soobin mourn the days when he and Cat only had to worry once they got in close. What item are they even looking for?

Wings outstretched, he tries to ease his weight as Cat Noir lowers them to the ground, landing just in time to see Honey Bee swing down as well.

Hoshi, however, seems to have lost interest in them, noticing his mortal enemy.

The fox mask.

Non-striped orange.

“Vulpix! Dodge!” Honey Bee yells, his voice barely audible over the choir of roars.

Soobin breaks into a run, Cat Noir on his heels, but it doesn’t seem like either of them will make it in time before-

A beam shoots into the crowd, reflecting straight off of a translucent barrier.

“Everyone, disperse!”

The students, miraculously, heed the command, leaving Carapace in the centre with a hand around Vulpix’s waist, his other arm extended over their heads, green shield attached. He lowers it promptly, barrier flickering when he retracts his power to let everyone out.

Oh thank fuck.

Five out of five. Distracted by the surge of new targets, Hoshi beams them down at random, giving Soobin, Cat Noir and Honey Bee just enough time to rush in. Bingo. Much smaller this time, a sheen of green envelops them, guaranteeing a few precious minutes of safety. Soobin winces as he hears the roars outside grow louder.

“Carapace!” Honey Bee cheers. He looks slightly manic with the massive bee goggles but his grin seems honest enough, voice equally excited.

“Are you guys okay? Sorry it took me a second to get here.”

Stunned for all of three seconds, Vulpix pulls away the moment that he realises who saved him. “Thanks for the help. Maybe next time you could pick up the Cara -pace?”

Carapace stares back blankly. “That’s not how you pronounce it.”

Soobin tries so hard not to laugh.

Vulpix’s…

No, Beomgyu’s - because only Beomgyu could be this petty - rivalry with Carapace is almost more ridiculous than Hoshi’s adoration of tigers. Soobin wishes he could tease his best friend about holding a grudge against a guy for being careless once.

In Carapace’s defense, Kang Taehyun is phenomenal at hiding.

Technically they should prioritise civilian safety first, but with the knowledge of what Professor Taehyung’s cursed item was - mainly thanks to Carapace - they’d managed to de-escalate the situation before Taehyun could successfully be targeted. A win in Soobin’s books.

It’s not like Carapace knows that Beomgyu has a raging crush on Taehyun anyway.

True, he could’ve been less harsh when saying who cares where he is, we know the item, but they’ve all had their off days. Nobody got mad at Cat Noir that one time… Then again, Cat does wield the power to destroy. Not to mention his general intimidation levels. If Soobin didn’t know him like he does, he’d also find the belts and leather scary rather than attra-

Vulpix huffs. “How does Teenage Mutant Ninja Loser sound, then?”

Cat Noir’s fangs dig into his bottom lip, barely holding in a laugh. Soobin struggles too. Their eyes meet for a second, right as the barrier trembles, thundering under two stray tiger blasts. Four yelps bounce around their confined space, a hiss of pain among them.

Honey Bee claps his hands. “Okay, so what’s the plan?”

“Split up and attack?” Cat Noir offers, a hint of blood staining his lip. “Something like last time. We could have you three distract him while Ladybug and I try to get in close?”

And, the reassuring thing about Soobin often pairing them together?

Cat Noir always does the same.

“Sounds like you two want to spend more time-”

“Let’s go with it,” Soobin cuts in, lest Vulpix and Carapace finally display their best attempt at teamwork in teasing them. “Bee, the stripes and fur on your costume should help draw Hoshi away if Vulpix makes you look a bit more orange.”

“Add more stripes,” Carapace advises, “Like a Sumatran tiger.”

Vulpix falters, turning to him. “What?”

“That’s the subspecies Hoshi picked today.”

Honey Bee perks up. “How do you know?”

“His entire body is covered in stripes.” Carapace’s violet eyes scrunch at the corners, as if he’s grinning underneath his facial cover. “Sumatran tigers are known to have stripes on their forelegs, while most tigers don’t. Plus, the stripes are dark and well-defined, not narrow and singular like an Indochine-”

“Okay Donatello.” Vulpix retrieves his flute from behind his back. “Any other requests?”

“As many tigers as possible,” Soobin answers. Will his plan work? There’s only one way to find out. He’s never paired them like this before, but if Vulpix is silly for starting a rivalry, Carapace is even worse for playing into it. “Carapace, can you cover him?”

“Huh?”

“Protect Vulpix from getting hit.” Soobin grins at the sight of Vulpix’s clenched fist. “We’ll need his illusions in place if we want to get closer, but he won’t be able to focus if Hoshi is targeting him all the time.”

Right on cue, another blast echoes against Carapace’s barrier.

Cat Noir startles again, tail wrapping around Soobin’s waist - and this time Soobin does find it cute. So easy to scare. He reaches out to wipe the blood off Cat’s lip. Why hadn’t Cat licked it off?

“Everyone got it?” He addresses the group, glancing outside at the multitudes of students stuck doing the claw pose. “Bee, if you can get a clean shot with your stinger, it would help. If not, Cat Noir and I will handle it.”

“I’m sure you will,” Honey Bee says, in the way that always has Soobin questioning if he’s being teased or if it’s genuine.

“Scatter as soon as I lower the barrier.” Carapace sounds like he’s holding back a laugh too. Is he that excited to spend time with Vulpix? “Three, two, one-”

The shield goes down with a familiar whoosh.

Soobin takes off, straight towards the school entrance. Cat Noir follows. Vulpix rushes to the right, lips guiding a melody that slowly covers every building in stripes, materialises tigers on the streets and unravels the white wrappings at his waist, a sign that his power is at play. Nine tails. Yet, he still has the audacity to call Soobin a nerd. If only he knew. As a green shield branches over Vulpix, Honey Bee’s bodysuit and bomber jacket darken in hue, dark, well-defined stripes cutting across both. Good. Soobin hopes that it’ll buy him and Cat enough time.

“Hey, the effects are getting weaker,” Cat Noir points out, catching his breath. “At least nobody is walking on all fours this time.”

A miracle, truly. Soobin breathes a sigh of relief when he spots Jeonghan in the central courtyard, holding up his phone to capture Seungcheol’s first time being beamed. Which… He almost doesn’t want to interrupt. Vernon and Woozi seem invested in their own paw fight, Dokyeom prowls around them in a fursuit, tail swishing happily, Wonwoo stands, spectating… At least one of them should know what happened, right?

Soobin takes a step forward, freezing when a roar comes out of Wonwoo’s mouth.

“Ladybug! Cat Noir!”

That’s a voice he recognises.

Spinning on his heel, Soobin holds his arms out just in time to catch the boy that almost barrels into him. Han Jisung. Changbin’s best friend.

“Are you alright?” Cat Noir takes over, always better at the talking part.

“I’m sorry! Yes! I think it’s my fault!” Jisung rights himself then gestures wildly, his equally wild curls falling into his face. “My friend was talking to one of Hoshi’s friends about looking similar to animals and we were throwing out suggestions, silly ones, you know? Like pig and otter and quokka and stuff- Then we were joking about pet owners looking like their pets so I asked Hoshi whether he has a hamster at home because he looks like one and-”

“And he got akumatised,” Cat Noir finishes, sounding endlessly amused.

Jisung nods. “Yeah, he started sulking, then the next thing I know, Changbin’s covered in fur and stripes.”

Well. At least Dino was lucky enough to escape. Why is Soobin not surprised? He heaves another sigh, letting Cat Noir do all the talking.

“Do you have any idea what item the akuma got into?”

“I think it was his sunglasses.”

Sunglasses? On a cloudy day in February? Cat Noir doesn’t miss a beat, acting like it all makes sense. “Ahh, that explains the beams of light.”

Soobin… guesses that it does. “Thanks for letting us know, J-” He pauses before he can add a name that wasn’t given to the tail end of that sentence. “It’s j ust the thing we needed.”

“Happy to help.” Jisung grins, oblivious to Soobin’s near-mistake, big eyes darting between Ladybug and Cat Noir. “I’m sorry for the trouble.”

“It’s no problem, kid.” Cat Noir reaches out to ruffle Jisung’s curls, chuckling when the boy’s eyes seem to sparkle more. Oh, is he a fan of superheroes? “We’ve got it handled from here.”

“Of course! Good luck! Fighting!”

Soobin takes that as his queue, yoyo slung around a railing, up a few floors, then again, onto the school roof. In the corner of his eye, he sees Jisung’s dropped jaw, even from a distance. It’s… encouraging. Heartwarming. Soobin suddenly feels a little less exhausted by the task ahead of him.

Cat Noir lands silently at his side.

“There.” He points, not bothering to hide since Hoshi is already two streets down, following a stripe parade and one particularly fast tiger with wings.

“Looks like Vulpix and Carapace aren’t struggling to work together after all,” Soobin observes.

“You still had your doubts?” There’s no urgency in Cat’s voice, just a hint of humour. Warm. A moment of peace among the chaos, something that they rarely ever got when it was just the two of them. “I’m waiting for both of those idiots to realise how bad their flirting skills are.”

“Flirting?” Soobin turns to Cat Noir. Are Carapace and Vulpix flirting? He’d never viewed it like that, mostly since he knows Beomgyu, but…

“They could be. With all that unresolved tension? I wouldn’t be surprised if they kinda like each other.”

Soobin raises a brow. It sounds terribly plausible, if only Beomgyu wasn’t as loyal as they come, even to a mild crush. “Oh really?” He plays along, indulging Cat’s theory. “But didn’t you say that they had bad chemistry?”

“No.” Cat Noir slides a hand over Soobin’s nape, fingers tangling in midnight blue hair. “I said they could have better chemistry. Like me.”

Soobin doesn’t relax into the touch. Not at all. “Like you?”

“Yeah, you know… because I’m a Cat-ion. And I’m paw-sitively attracted to you,” Cat Noir purrs, breaking into a laugh right after. It earns him a shove to the shoulder and a scoff.

“That was terrible. Let’s go rescue the others before Hoshi wears them out.”

“Lead the way, Ladybug.”

What comes next is instinct; no words needed as they race over rooftops and in between buildings. Gaining ground on Hoshi.

Hoshi, who is still targeting Honey Bee with beams that shoot out of his chest. Like the Avatar, Soobin thinks, because there’s no way that Hoshi is this dedicated to his… tiger-sona without some sort of spiritual awakening. Has he actually been meditating with Minghao? That was meant to help, not make him stronger. Last time it was a sonic roar that made everyone within its range crawl on all fours - much more manageable than whatever this is. The cheeky smile on Hoshi’s face, his glowing belly and the tiny giggle Soobin hears even from a few feet below make Hoshi seem more like some… weird version of a Care Bear. Not that Soobin would ever say that out loud. If Hoshi heard himself being compared to a bear, he’d become a tiger villain again in no time, probably.

“There he is!” Cat Noir laughs, over the noise of poor, unsuspecting civilians caught up in the chaos. “Hoshi in his biblically accurate form. The stomach beam is kinda cool.”

“Any idea how we’re gonna get his sunglasses off of him?” Soobin glances around, taking in their surroundings. He’d rather not use his lucky charm, lest he grow too reliant on it.

“You could throw me.”

“No.”

It went badly last time. A whole array of tigers swim in front of them, dispersing like smoke against their fingertips as two figures land on the rooftop.

“What’s the item?” Carapace asks, quick, succinct, the circular barriers that he used to climb higher still in place.

“His sunglasses,” Cat Noir answers, finally giving in to the urge to laugh.

“We’ll tell Bee if he passes by us.”

With that, he turns around, giving Cat and Soobin the best view - Vulpix with his arms hooked over Carapace’s shoulders, flute held up against his mask and continuing a melody that sounds mildly hostile, legs wrapped around the turtle hero’s hips. Is this how they managed to travel so far, so fast? It’s a lot more teamwork than Soobin had in mind.

Was Cat Noir right?

Holding Vulpix up with one arm, Carapace projects another barrier with his shield, removing them from Hoshi’s range. At the same time, Honey Bee whizzes past, his wings only able to bear part of his weight like Soobin’s, but helping to manoeuvre around the more precisely aimed beams.

“Hey! Mr Hoshi, sir!” He calls. His trainers squeak against a window as he uses the momentum to run sideways down a building, swinging off of it right as it’s blasted orange.

“His sunglasses!” Soobin yells.

“Got it!” Honey Bee’s spinning top shoots out, knocking Hoshi off balance. “Sorry, sir!” Another attempt hoists Honey Bee up to Hoshi’s - now lowered - eye level. The hero manages a meek, “Horanghae, sir,” and a sheepish claw hand midair before a beam strikes him square in the chest, dropping him to the nearest rooftop with a growl.

Soobin sighs. He turns away from Honey Bee licking his own hand. “Bee’s down. Hoshi doesn’t seem distracted anymore.”

True to his observation, Hoshi starts targeting the street, still not having noticed Ladybug or Cat Noir thanks to Vulpix’s illusions shrouding them. Though that might change soon.

“I think it’s time for us to step in properly,” Cat Noir suggests, bouncing his baton around his hand. “The kids did a good job last time, they’ll get other chances to practise taking villains down without our help.”

“In a hurry?” Soobin jokes, watching Hoshi crack down Carapace’s shield. Another one goes up immediately, shifting in between the buildings, but they’re too exposed.

A swish as Cat’s baton extends. “We would’ve struggled with a long range attack like this too, back when we started.”

“That’s right.” Soobin huffs at the memory of how badly they’d fought against their first few villains. The kids, as Cat loves calling them, are already doing a better job thanks to seeing Ladybug and Cat Noir in action prior. “Vulpix should’ve given up on the illusions by now.”

They’d had instructions, yes, but those were guidelines. What if neither Ladybug nor Cat were fast enough? What if one of them was struck down by a tiger beam? It would be up to Vulpix, Carapace and Honey Bee, then. They can’t keep the illusion and shield combo up forever. At one point or another, they’ll need to figure out when to attack.

Cat Noir hums. “Mm. Among all of them, I thought Vulpix would be more of a rule breaker.”

That sounds like Beomgyu, on paper.

Soobin chuckles. “What, like you?”

“Yeah. I wouldn’t have listened to you,” Cat Noir says, smile soft. His messy hair fluffs up around his face, another beam sending a gust of wind their way. “If I saw an opening, I would go out on my own to attack.”

A rinse-repeat routine. Not that Soobin minds. Somehow, most of Cat Noir’s crazy plans really do work in their favour.

“And wait for me to save your sorry ass?”

“You always look so sexy doing it.” Calculating the direction, Cat positions himself at the edge of the roof. “Really gets the crowd wild. You should thank me for your wonderful PR.”

With a chuckle, Soobin goes to stand behind him. “What would I do without you?”

“Save everyone in a much safer, slower way, probably,” Cat teases.

As if Soobin could ever manage it alone. The few times he was left to handle villains by himself, it felt wrong. Off balance. Not as good or satisfying without Cat there to fistbump him afterwards, because, as untameable as he is, Cat Noir pushes Soobin out of his comfort zone in a good way, almost as much as being Ladybug does.

“Wouldn’t be as fun though, would it?” Soobin muses, feeling warm when Cat Noir grins so wide that his fangs poke out.

“Throw me, won’t you, Bugaboo?”

With that, he secures his baton like a pole vault, lithe back muscles tensing as he flings himself into the air. Soobin watches, yoyo at the ready, hand outstretched. He hates how risky this is. Cat’s acrobatics manage to catch Hoshi’s eye, beams following the cat hero’s uneven trail like a laser show display while tigers float into the air, blocking Hoshi’s vision. Vulpix’s handiwork. Much less familiar with the target on the ground, Hoshi tries to split his blasts, aiming a few of them at Vulpix. It’s fruitless, since Caparace blocks them with little to no effort, but Soobin does observe the way the turtle hero’s shield shrinks down to more of an umbrella, disc-like barriers shooting up to guard Cat from a few beams too. Good. Learning how to make better use of his power.

Soobin plants his feet, eyes locked on Cat Noir’s approaching form. He counts down the seconds in his head: three - a disoriented whine from Hoshi - two - a gleeful cackle - one - a clawed hand slipping into his own. Soobin pivots on his heel, holding onto Cat Noir in a spin so dizzying he almost falls.

Then, he lets go.

On cue, a beam strikes where he stood a moment ago but it’s too late. Soobin steadies himself one roof over, watching Cat Noir arc through the air, above the tiger beam and over Hoshi’s shoulder, clinging to him instantly. It’s only fitting: a hug attack for a Care Bear. The pair fall from the sky, bouncing off the barrier discs that Carapace throws out, and Soobin finds it in himself to laugh as he comes down to ground level. Stupid plan.

Cat Noir’s baton saves him and Hoshi from a graceless nosedive but once they hit the pavement, it’s a different story altogether. They land, then tumble, then wrestle for control, though it’s quickly clear who will come out on top. Too distracted by the grappling, Hoshi only manages to shoot a few stray beams. From his stomach. Right, Soobin thinks. Why didn’t he consider that? If Hoshi only aims from there, it provides a vast array of blind spots for attack. Cat Noir doesn’t even break a sweat while dodging. Within seconds, Hoshi is pinned on his front, the ground turning stripy beneath him. Messier than usual, Cat Noir’s dirty blonde hair falls into his eyes. He watches Soobin approach, long legs and strong arms keeping Hoshi down.

“Ladybug!” He greets, cheerful as ever, not sounding the slightest bit winded. Soobin knows they get enhanced stamina when transformed, but- “I swear, it’s not what it looks like…”

Not what it…? Cat Noir glances down at his position. At Hoshi struggling to break free. Arms pinned down, legs kicking behind him…

Soobin snorts. “Oh? Am I interrupting?”

“Let me go!” Hoshi yells, the veins in his neck matching the stripes across his skin as he fights to keep his head raised. “Get off of me! I’m not a hamster! I’m a tiger!” He roars, most likely to emphasise his point, hands forming claws even in the confines of Cat’s grip.

“You’re the one who threw me into this mess,” Cat jokes, as if Hoshi didn’t speak. He may as well not have. It’s common knowledge that akumatised victims hold barely, if any, memory of the time they were transformed, all things said a gross exaggeration of their real thoughts. Though with Hoshi, Soobin isn’t too sure if the last part still applies.

“I didn’t know you swung that way,” he quips, instantly regretting it when Cat’s eyes light up. “Would you like to do the honours?”

Crouching down, Soobin carefully removes Hoshi’s sunglasses, the darkened, purple sheen of an akuma making them opalescent, even on a cloudy day. He holds them out while Hoshi whines.

Cat Noir grins. “You sure know how to spoil a guy.”

Replacing one of Cat’s hands with his own, Soobin focuses on keeping Hoshi down as he hears footsteps come their way.

“Cataclysm,” Cat calls, his shoulder shuddering with power. The extra belts supporting his arm darken. Gently, he reaches for the glasses - a rare instance of avoiding Soobin’s touch - and, as soon as he makes contact, a brown rot spreads like poison over the frames, the lens, the temples, until they turn to dust in their shared grip, raining over Hoshi’s platinum blonde hair just like the heroes rained on his parade.

Powers nullified, Soobin watches the akuma’s stained wings flutter in front of their faces. He reaches for his yoyo.

“Are you guys okay?” Carapace runs across the empty street, sceptical before he spots the purple butterfly.

“Yeah, all good. Thanks for keeping me covered, your aim is getting better,” Cat Noir compliments. He lets his grip relax since Hoshi is a non-threat in this state anyway.

As Vulpix catches up to them too - on his own legs, this time - a thin pink line appears where Soobin runs a finger down the middle of his yoyo. He cuts across it cleanly, two halves opening like ladybug wings, retracting to envelop the whole yoyo in a white glow. Soobin takes a step back, spinning his wrist at his side. He gains enough momentum then swings for the akuma, capturing it in an arch of light. The spotted ladybug halves snap into place as the yoyo fits back into Soobin’s grip.

“Where’s Honey Bee?” Vulpix asks. His eyes follow the white butterfly, freed by Soobin gently tapping on his yoyo. Purified. No longer causing trouble.

“On a rooftop nearby,” Soobin answers. “Got hit with a tiger beam.”

Vulpix and Carapace both ah sympathetically.

“Would you guys mind getting him?” Cat Noir finally climbs off of Hoshi’s back, the poor guy making no effort to get up. “Let’s regroup closer to the school, okay?”

Vulpix shrugs. “Sure.”

After eyeing them curiously, Carapace relents too. He nods. “Don’t take too long.”

There’s a cheeky undertone to his voice. Soobin can’t be bothered to decipher it so he responds in kind, “Don’t take too long either.”

Cat Noir snorts.

“We won’t,” Vulpix assures. His flute extends into a baton and he takes off, Carapace close behind with his hood falling over his face, silver hair flattened over his eyes.

Did Soobin say something wrong?

“Come on, let’s wrap this up.” Cat Noir lays a hand on Soobin’s shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “We can’t have tigers wandering the streets like this.”

“I’m sure Hoshi would disagree,” Soobin mutters, loud enough to make Cat laugh. With a shout, he throws his yoyo in the air, a substitute for his usual lucky charm. “Miraculous Cleanse!”

In an instant, white light bursts forth, the yoyo falling back into Soobin’s palms as a swarm of ladybugs splits and dashes over everything affected. Hoshi continues to lay on the pavement but the stripes clear from his body, reverting him back into civilian clothing. The ground beneath their feet is freed of markings, the buildings too, bystanders in the distance losing tails and tiger claws. Everyone at school is definitely shedding the effects too. Soobin breathes a heavy sigh.

“Hey there~” Cat sings.

Hoshi lifts his head, disoriented. His dazed eyes glance around before they catch the silver paw ends of Cat’s shoes, the spotted red of Ladybug’s. He lets out a defeated groan, face buried instantly between his arms. “It happened again, didn’t it?”

Soobin has to admit.

It’s a little funny.

“Yeah... Do you want some help getting up?”

“I’ve already made you do enough,” Hoshi laments, hauling himself up, pausing to dust off his clothes. He’s got good form. Most akumatised victims have to sit for a few minutes, still stunned.

“Don’t worry about it,” Cat soothes, hands held out just in case. “If anything, it’s an easier day on the job.”

That much is true. The closest akumatisations they’ve gotten were two days apart, so really, Hoshi has guaranteed them an easy few days of peace.

“I’m so sorry,” Hoshi apologises anyway.

“It’s okay. We have no control over when it happens,” Soobin reassures. Even if it does happen to Hoshi more than most. More than anyone.

Convinced that Hoshi isn’t swaying on his feet, Cat Noir picks up his sunglasses, back in one piece thanks to Soobin’s magic. “Who do you want to hitch a ride with today?”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to-”

“Don’t be silly. We’re going that way too, we might as well take you.”

Hoshi gratefully accepts the sunglasses, storing them in one of many pockets on his cargos. Good choice. They’d probably get knocked off his head midair. “Um…”

He’s still a little awkward, though they’ve been in this position countless times. Soobin smiles. After finding out that Hoshi didn’t mind being transported via air, he’d figured Cat Noir would be the favoured pick. Mostly since… well. He’s a cat. Not too far from a tiger, right? Yet Hoshi seems to have a preference for Ladybug. Maybe it’s the yoyo. Soobin finds it safer too.

“Go ahead,” he says, addressing Cat Noir. “Make sure Vulpix and Carapace don’t strangle each other. I’ll catch up with you.”

“Try to keep up, slow poke,” Cat teases, sticking out his tongue. He takes off soundlessly, grip steady on the silver baton that raises him overhead.

“Right.” Soobin turns to Hoshi, arm outstretched. “Let’s get going?”

“You won’t actually try to keep up with him, right?”

Soobin laughs. “I couldn’t if I tried.”

The journey back is routine too. Hoshi clinging tightly onto him as Soobin - more carefully than if he were alone - swings down the street, out in the open. People cheer when they see him pass by, holding out their phones and waving at him. All back to normal.

There’s a figure waiting for them by the school entrance, other students all returning to their lessons. Soobin takes note of his teammates on a nearby rooftop, Cat Noir included, then lands smoothly on the pathway. He holds onto Hoshi, letting him get used to solid ground beneath his feet again, then, deeming it okay after a second, opens his mouth to say something. Don’t beat yourself up too much? Have fun in class?

The previously spotted figure cuts him off.

“Hoshi!”

Now, Soobin might lean heavily towards being an introvert, but he is nosy. “Is that your friend?” He asks, stifling a laugh when Hoshi’s neck turns bright red.

The figure approaches and- Oh?

No way.

Soobin has to bite his tongue. Head boy? Most popular Class President Taemin? What is he doing-? Unless…

“Are you okay?” Taemin asks, eyes zeroed in on Hoshi as if Ladybug isn’t there. Fascinating. “Thank you for helping him.” Taemin turns to Soobin, only after scanning Hoshi for any sign of injury. “Really, your aid and skill is as impressive as it is invaluable.”

Soobin finds himself blushing. After all, it is Taemin. And that was a lovely compliment. “Thank you.” Then, just because he’s more of a shit-stirrer than people give him credit for, “Will you be taking care of Hoshi from here, or-?”

“Yes, yes.” Taemin nods, opening his arms. Very fascinating. Soobin didn’t know that they were that close. “I’ll take him back to class.”

“Thank you again, Ladybug,” Hoshi chokes out, grabbing Taemin by the wrist and taking off towards the school.

Soobin watches them go, eyebrows quirked in amusement.

Are they…? He hopes Beomgyu saw that from the rooftop. That way, when they meet back up in class, they can both fabricate some bad excuse for why they saw the two together, giving them a fun, new thing to gossip about. Love calculator counts as Math, right? One efficient swing later, Soobin lands behind his teammates, all four shuffling instinctively to make space for him.

“At least he wasn’t cutting into our holidays this time,” Vulpix continues, some conversation that Soobin missed the start of.

He assumes it’s about Hoshi though. Hoshi, and the irreplaceable memory of a snowy, white tiger greeting them on Christmas morning. That had been a tough call. He assumes the others were no better than him that day, barely woken up, still in pyjamas when they had to transform, three of them only freshly gifted with a Miraculous.

Their teamwork had been… interesting.

To say the least.

“Don’t jinx it,” Honey Bee chides, his ensemble back to its usual creams and yellows rather than a glaring orange. “Valentine’s day is next week. What if Hoshi tries to set a record?”

“Akumatised twice in six days?” Carapace chuckles. “I don’t think even Hoshi is capable of that.”

“You never know,” Vulpix argues. His tendency to play devil’s advocate wins out. “Maybe what he wants for Valentine’s is to express his love for tigers as a… furry? Or, uh, in his tiger suit?”

“It’s not like any of us can judge.”

They all stare back at Vulpix in their own animal suits. Technically, Honey Bee’s is the only one with any fur, but they’re all themed. Ladybug, cat, fox, turtle, bee. Are they really any better? Besides, from what he just witnessed by the school entrance, Soobin thinks they might not have to worry about Hoshi on Valentine’s day after all.

The warning beeps of Cat’s and Vulpix’s Miraculous cut through the pointed silence.

“Alright,” Soobin says, gaining everyone’s attention. “We’ll worry about that in a week. If something happens on Valentine’s and any of you are busy, don’t worry about it.”

“Right.” Cat Noir nods. “At least one of us will be there. Now, should we get this over with?”

And herein lies the worst part. Rock, paper, scissors for patrol. That, as well as being chosen to accept Hoshi’s post-akuma apology muffins.

“Rock, paper, scissors,” they say in unison, holding out their hands.

Cat Noir, Carapace and Honey Bee all favour scissors.

Soobin stupidly picked paper.

Vulpix did too.

“Why do you guys always lose?” Cat Noir teases, though he’s forfeited more than one win in the past. Soobin pouts. Him and Cat are meant to balance each other, aren’t they? It’s only fair. Why is Soobin always catching all the bad luck when that’s not even meant to be his brand?

Vulpix turns to him, fox mask unreadable.

The group chants around them, “Rock, paper, scissors!”

Soobin holds his hand out. Vulpix does too.

Scissors. Rock.

Cat Noir cackles, “Oh, this never gets old.”

With a defeated sigh, Soobin lets his hand fall limply to his side. The others whoop in joy. He watches them grab each other’s arms and jump in a victorious circle, half of him endeared, the other half exasperated.

“Better luck next time, sweetheart,” Cat Noir whispers, sending him a terribly uncoordinated wink. In the midst of everyone’s shouting, Soobin hopes Cat didn’t jinx it.

♡︎ ⁀➴ ₊˚⊹

“It’s because he’s a Gemini,” Beomgyu insists. He pushes his thin, gold rimmed glasses into place, adjusting the strap of his brown backpack.

Soobin throws him a sceptical look. “Have you been spending too much time around your sister’s friends again?”

The guess must be correct, judging by how Beomgyu huffs. “Chaeryeong knows what she’s talking about, okay? Look, I don’t really believe in that stuff either, but dude, even I know Hoshi’s placements being, like… all kill in Gemini is crazy.”

“What does that even mean?”

They round the corner, arriving at their English Lit classroom. Soobin holds the door open, letting Beomgyu enter first.

“Apparently it means he’s two-faced…? So one of his faces could be a tiger.”

One would think that Beomgyu runs a horoscope column in the local newspaper rather than a well-established blog about superheroes. Soobin sighs. He’s seen Hoshi in enough tiger forms to know that the count must be higher than two. “If there was a tiger superhero…”

Beomgyu chuckles. “Oh yeah, that would definitely be Hoshi.”

Professor Yoongi glances up when they enter, but he quickly refocuses on scribbling in red pen across some poor kid’s paper. Ouch. Double ouch, because in trying to get to his seat, Soobin bumps his hip, stumbling around a desk. Where’s that Ladybug grace when he needs it? Thankfully most seats in the classroom are still empty.

“Maybe if he got a tiger power, he’d stop being akumatised all the time?” Yunho muses, chiming into their conversation. He’s sat a couple of desks back, Kai’s seatmate, Soobin recalls. That is, whenever Kai has the time to show up.

“Are we assuming he’d get it just because he likes tigers?” Felix questions. He turns to Yunho with a deep-voiced laugh, pretty hair swishing over his shoulders. “That’s like saying Yeonjun is Vulpix just because he looks like a fox.”

Ah, Soobin thinks.

Here comes the speculation.

Yeji puts her phone down. “You never know. He could be. Though that means me and Hyunjin also qualify, right? It could be us too.”

“And Jeongin,” Felix adds. “Maybe it is one of you.”

“Yeonjun would make sense though.” Yunho rifles through his class notes absentmindedly. “He’s super recognisable from his modelling stuff and, you know, Vulpix’s face is covered by a full mask.”

It’s not bad logic, per se, but the Miraculous would never make it that obvious. Especially Trixx, whom Soobin knows to be one of the wiser kwamis. The most quick-witted, too. From what he recalls being told about the interlinked obscuring magic, no civilian has ever been able to tell who’s behind the mask by simply looking at them. If his classmates looked a little closer though, maybe they’d catch Beomgyu sulking at their guesses. Soobin can’t fight back a laugh. The other three all turn to him, right as he’s in the middle of wrangling his long limbs into his seat.

“Oh? Do you not agree, Soobin?” Yeji leans forward, nearly knocking one of her highlighters off her desk. “I actually don’t think that’s a bad theory.”

“Yeah, but isn’t it just part of the aesthetic?” Soobin argues. The lie is ready on his tongue, tried and tested from months of running scenarios like this over in his head. “His whole thing is traditionally inspired, right?”

“Oh, that’s true.” Felix takes the bait. He holds his fingers up to list, “The flowing sleeves, the kimono style top, the sash at his waist, the nine tails… A kitsune mask does fit the style.”

“Of course our Class President would know,” Yunho teases, unbothered.

Feeling like he’s cut into their fun though, Soobin tries to play along. “Ah, it’s just an observation, we could be making guesses all day. Who knows? I mean, Taehyun could be Cat Noir. He’s got the aura of a black cat and has slightly pointed teeth…”

At least he knows this isn’t true: he’s seen Cat Noir and Taehyun in one room before.

“Nah, he’s more of a shark,” Yeji dismisses.

“There’s no shark hero, though.” Felix rummages through his bag, pulling out a pink pencil case with someone’s face printed on it. “What animal do you guys think you’d be if you were a hero?”

Crisis averted. Soobin leaves them to debate what suits them most, only tempted in the slightest to rejoin when he hears Felix call himself a little chick. Odd. Oddly fitting. He turns to Beomgyu, who’s carefully arranging all his washi tape and pens on the desk.

“You’d be a bear,” he says, poking the bear keychain on his friend’s bag.

Beomgyu turns to him, confused, but catches on fast. “Oh yeah? Then you’d be a zebra,” he retorts, pointing at Soobin’s fluffy, black and white striped bag. More of their classmates bustle in through the door, immediately swept up in the animal debate, allowing Beomgyu’s words to go unheard by anyone but Soobin. “I still don’t get why everyone feels a need to know who the heroes are, though. It’s just respecting their privacy, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Soobin agrees. “I know what you mean.”

Isn’t it enough that they save everyone from the akumas? Do they have to give up their own personal lives too? If Beomgyu wasn’t his best friend, Soobin thinks he would’ve picked him to be Vulpix anyway. Beomgyu gets it. No matter how much he writes or reports about the heroes, he’s never asked for their identities. Never so much as made a guess about them.

Beomgyu lowers his voice. “I bet they’re only saying Yeonjun is Vulpix because they think he’s cool.”

Most likely.

Yeonjun is cool.

If he already feels untouchable, why not assume that there’s more to it?

“I mean… his hair length kinda matches,” Soobin answers, just to tease. “If you lightened the colour by a shade and streaked it with blonde and orange.” After all, his own hair turns from black to blue. Soobin reaches over to tickle the longer strands at Beomgyu’s nape. “Your hair is long too… Are you trying to be cool like Yeonjun?”

“No.” Beomgyu rolls his eyes. “If anything, we match. It’s tasteful. From one connoisseur of style to another, you know?”

Soobin takes in Beomgyu’s outfit of the day. His usual trainers, his go-to pair of jeans, a stripy burgundy and navy jumper with a white collar… hm. Just a bit too warm for the weather. “Are you trying to impress Taehyun?”

The flush that creeps over Beomgyu’s ears is almost instant. “What about you? Trying to impress Yeonjun~?”

It’s a childish retort.

…If only it wasn’t half-right.

Soobin will admit, he has been trying to look more well put together this past term. Just a mild side effect of his very mild crush on Yeonjun. A good habit, if anything. And it just happens to be one of the magically warm days in February that warrants leaving the house in a pair of well-loved jean shorts and a loose dress shirt - an outfit that Soobin semi-regrets now, ruffling his hair until it hides his eyes more than his thick-framed glasses already do. “I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

Who is he kidding? Most of their classmates started dressing better after Yeonjun showed up. As if called forth, Soobin hears a laugh outside the class, accompanied by two voices, one of which makes Felix turn around.

“See ya later, darling,” Changbin coos, patting Yeonjun on the back. “And prepare to lose our fencing match. Mr Wang said I can give you a good run for your money.”

“Sure Changbinnie.” Over Changbin’s broad shoulders, Yeonjun’s eyebrows set, the one with a slit running through it tilting up in challenge. “Winner gets to give the loser a dare.”

Changbin’s confidence wavers, but he holds. “Deal.” With a glance over his shoulder, into the classroom, he raises a hand to wave. “Hi Mr Yoongi!”

Professor Yoongi gives a small wave back. “Hello Changbin.”

“I’ll get that essay to you tomorrow, sir!” At least he’s not the owner of the one soaked through with red. Changbin’s face lights up. “Oh, hi Felix!”

Felix’s smile could rival the sun. “Hi Binnie!”

“Okay, okay, you can go now. Stop trying to win people over.” Yeonjun pulls a laughing Changbin away, much to Felix’s - and most everyone’s - amusement.

Once they stop blocking the entryway, Taehyun slips into the classroom, just ahead of Yeonjun, smile still in place. He must’ve gone to exercise during his break, Soobin surmises, based on the black shorts and matching tank top. Arms out. Bold move. Not in a fashion sense - Soobin doesn’t know much about fashion at all, but he does know Beomgyu. No matter how many times Beomgyu tries to deny it, Soobin has seen him liking photos of some guy named Julien Kang, someone who doesn’t fit the bill of indie musician. Which means that Beomgyu follows him for one reason, and one reason only. A reason that Soobin is dead certain doesn’t have much to do with hiking. He’d even bet all of the pins on his backpack that he’s seen Vulpix’s attention linger on Carapace’s muscles too, as if holding back the urge to-

“Hey guys,” Taehyun says, setting down his leather shoulder bag - probably the most stylish variant that Yeonjun could convince him into while sticking to Taehyun’s preference for practicality.

Beomgyu sweeps his own bag off his desk, leaning forwards in his seat. “Hi Taehyun. Back from the gym?”

“Yeah, sort of.” Taehyun’s smile only grows wider, stretching out his snake bites. “Weather’s great today and Yeonjun wanted to get lunch outside so I went for a short run.”

Crazy. Soobin can’t imagine where he gets the motivation from. Beomgyu thankfully picks up the conversation, leaving Soobin to zone out in peace. Is the warm weather making him more sleepy? His parents had insisted he could go to bed early, but the orders at the bakery won’t make themselves and Soobin hates the thought of leaving them behind with all the work. He slouches in his seat, nearly as exhausted as that one time Cat Noir got sick, which had him taking care of akumas by himself for two weeks straight. Not to mention Yeonjun was in London for some modelling event, while Beomgyu had been struck down with some illness. Back then there was nothing keeping Soobin awake.

At least Beomgyu’s chatter is enough to keep him mildly alert this time.

Especially when there’s a pause to welcome one more person. Soobin blinks a little blearily, not sure if he’s seeing right. Baggy jeans, a hint of underwear peeking out above the waistband. Smooth skin around a cropped white tank, barely covered by a red and blue mesh jumper. He has to be dreaming. Professor Yoongi might be lenient when people fall asleep in his class but Soobin doesn’t want to make a habit of it. Hopefully he won’t get in trouble. There’s simply no way that what he’s looking at is real.

That is, until the gorgeous apparition speaks.

“Hi Beomgyu.” Yeonjun lets his bag slump onto the desk, the hem of his jumper rising to reveal more skin. He turns to Soobin with a smile. “Hi Soobin.”

“Hi,” Soobin responds, on autopilot. An out of body experience. Beomgyu’s still sat next to him, ruling out the possibility that this is one of Vulpix’s illusions, which means that the divine being in front of him is real.

Soobin hopes he isn’t staring.

“So, uh,” Beomgyu continues, “I was thinking…”

Yeonjun sits down, taking out his copy of the text, a highlighter and a pen. How is Soobin meant to focus during the entire lesson with a sight like that in front of him? He’ll owe Professor Yoongi an apology, even if he isn’t sleeping. Beside him, Beomgyu rifles through his pencil case until he finds what he’s been looking for.

A thin, metallic bracelet, spun together beads in different shades of green and brown with leaf shaped charms.

“I had a few spare beads and stuff, and made this bracelet out of them,” he says, turning it over in his hands. “I, uh, know you wear bracelets a lot…” Beomgyu points at Taehyun’s left wrist, armed with a variety that Soobin never noticed. Sports bands, beads and chains, the black cat friendship bracelet that matches Yeonjun’s orange cat one… it’s kind of cute for such an intimidating guy. “So I thought you might like it? You don’t have to take it or anything, I just thought the colours suited you and-”

“Are you kidding?” Taehyun cuts off Beomgyu’s rambling, eyes sparkly, offering his left hand. “Thank you! That’s so cool. You made it? Can you help me clip it?”

Beomgyu’s shoulders ease. “Yeah, sure.”

Soobin almost wants to coo. So cute. When he glances down, it seems that Yeonjun feels the same, shooting Soobin an amused look that reads those two have come so far. From Taehyun bluntly - too bluntly - making fun of Beomgyu for a horoscope comment, then coming in the next day, a joke about Beomgyu’s Pisces habits at the ready, to… whatever this is. Beomgyu developing a crush on Taehyun - Soob, he must’ve looked up horoscopes to make it up to me - and Taehyun losing his oddly guarded facade.

A tentative friendship between the left hand side front and second row seats.

“Did you make the charms on your bag too?” Taehyun questions, leaning back to see the multitudes of ladybug charms attached to every zipper.

“Yeah!” Beomgyu places his bag on the desk for Taehyun to inspect. “My sister’s friend makes them and she tried to teach me how to make a simple one. I ended up practising a lot with ladybugs. You know, for good luck.”

“Are you sure you’re not just a fan of Ladybug?” Yeonjun jokes, leaning over to roll one of the charms between his fingers. At the sight of Beomgyu’s scrunched brows, he clarifies, “I’m not judging.”

Taehyun laughs. “Yeah, Yeonjun’s a pretty big fan himself.”

Yeonjun?

Is a fan of Ladybug?

“Oh.” Beomgyu’s expression clears up instantly, eyes alight with interest. “You are?”

“Who isn’t?” Yeonjun says it like it’s obvious. “I mean, he’s really kind. He doesn’t think twice about helping people and takes their trust in him seriously. I think that’s pretty admirable.”

“Right? He’s always super attentive and patient in interviews too.”

Soobin would feel flattered, if only he wasn’t going through a crisis.

Taehyun looks up from the charms in his palm. “Oh, for the Ladyblog, right? I’ve read those, whoever runs it seems really respectful.”

Beomgyu nods, lips pressed together.

At least Soobin isn’t alone in his malfunctioning now.

Yeonjun nods his approval. “Yeah, the questions are never too personal.”

“But Ladybug still feels relatable,” Beomgyu gushes, making Soobin wonder if he’d say the same thing if he knew. “He never acts like he’s any different from us just because he’s a hero.”

Taehyun lets go of the charms to fiddle with his new bracelet. “I always thought that was cool. How he mentions mistakes he’s made and that he’ll try to improve.”

“It’s a good example for the kids that look up to him,” Yeonjun points out. He tucks a strand of hair that didn’t make it into his half ponytail behind his ear, tugging on the long sleeves of his sweater. “He also… uh…”

After a moment’s hesitation, Taehyun gives Yeonjun’s elbow a friendly nudge, encouraging him to continue. Have they talked about this before?

Soobin finds himself leaning forward, wanting to know.

What does Yeonjun think of him?

“I like that he calls himself Ladybug,” Yeonjun says, the small smile on his lips almost feeling private. “Not something stupid like… Manbug or Misterbug, you know? He doesn’t seem to care about stereotypes. It sets a good example, being secure enough to break away from the norm.” He glances up, assessing their reactions. Beomgyu nods vehemently. “Maybe I just pay attention to it more because my parents talk about genderless fashion a lot,” Yeonjun laughs, trying to play it off. “But I like that Ladybug isn’t flashy.”

“Yeah!” Beomgyu grins, reaching out to pat his hand. “He’s super sincere.”

Yeonjun looks a little stunned by the enthusiasm - the skinship too - but accepts it with an even wider grin. “Exactly.”

Without a second thought, Beomgyu unclips one of the nicer charms from his zipper. “Here, take this.”

“Oh.” Eyes wide, Yeonjun hovers out a hand unsurely until Beomgyu presses the mini ladybug into it. “Are you sure? You must’ve spent a lot of time working on these…”

“Yeah, and I’ve had no one to share them with,” Beomgyu whines, “Soobin took one, but he’s been bugging me non-stop about making black cat charms too.”

Still lightheaded from the exchange, Soobin scoffs. “It’s because you’re showing favouritism.”

“They’re harder to make!”

“I’m not sure if I trust that, coming from Ladybug’s self-proclaimed biggest fan.”

Yeonjun covers his mouth but Taehyun isn’t so gracious, laughing at them openly.

“As if you’re not secretly obsessed with Cat Noir,” Beomgyu accuses, arms crossed, leaning back in his seat. “I can tell these things, you know? You always smile when he’s mentioned.”

It’s all fondness Soobin wants to argue, but can’t. He tilts his head down, hair falling into his eyes to avoid Yeonjun’s sudden, curious gaze. “I just think he’s cool.”

“Doesn’t everyone think that?” Taehyun says offhandedly, taking out his copy of Romeo and Juliet alongside a pencil.

“It’s because of the leather and belts.” Beomgyu shakes his head, ever dramatic. “Our lovely Soobin is another fan who’s fallen for the charming smile and cool acrobatics.”

“That’s not it,” Soobin snaps, strangely agitated. Cat Noir is more than just his famed, mildly risqué appearance and ability to land on all fours, no matter how big the fall. Why does everybody only focus on that?

“So you are a fan?” Yeonjun questions, tongue in cheek.

Great, Soobin thinks.

Making a fool of himself, all to defend Cat’s honour.

He tries not to picture how smug Cat would look if he heard.

“Yeah,” Soobin acquiesces. There’s no point going back on his word now. He sighs, trying to dispel the voice in his head - Cat Noir’s - that sings my knight in spotted armour. “He’s… you know, he has the power of chaos but he’s still one of the friendliest heroes. I appreciate how he always makes sure the akumatised victims are okay, how he calms them down, takes photos with the kids… He’s charismatic, sure, but he’s also got this comforting presence… I don’t know.”

“No, I know what you mean.” Taehyun spares Soobin the embarrassment of coming up with more compliments. “He’s totally different from how I assumed he’d be. Not as intimidating as he looks.”

“Yeah, exactly. He always looks like he’s joking around with the others.”

Beomgyu cards through the pages of his Romeo and Juliet copy with a groan. “And don’t get started on the dad jokes. He’s got tons of them, it’s like he never runs out.”

“It’s kinda cute,” Soobin thinks out loud.

Yeonjun doesn’t even try to hide the fact that he’s biting back a smile now. Wonderful. Soobin has no doubt made a fool of himself. But if Yeonjun finds his lack of filter funny, then it can’t be too bad, can it?

“It’s part of the charm,” Yeonjun agrees. His teeth release his bottom lip, leaving it more red than usual.

Is that a split, too? Soobin frowns. He hopes that Yeonjun’s modelling schedules aren’t putting him through too much again. Last time he turned up with his lips bitten raw, he said he’d done a mediocre set for some important photoshoot. Soobin loved the way the feature turned out anyway.

“Speaking of charm.” Soobin turns to Beomgyu, eyebrows raised. “If you make any Cat Noir charms, let me know. I’ll take a whole bunch.”

“Pay me for them, asshole,” Beomgyu mutters, ears flushing pink when Taehyun chuckles.

The bell cuts Soobin off before he can give a warm, kind hearted response.

“Alright. Hello everyone.” Professor Yoongi stands up from his desk, carefully folding over the edges of his cardigan. “Let’s get settled down. I have a task for you today.”

A task?

Soobin hopes it’s not another class discussion about Mercutio and Romeo’s sexually themed verbal jousting. It was fun the first time. Loud too. If Professor Yoongi picks that as his poison of the day though, Soobin might have to spend the whole lesson massaging his temples to stave off a headache. He’d much prefer ridiculing the side commentary with Beomgyu, since they’re both of the opinion that Mercutio should find hobbies other than being overly invested in Romeo’s sexual exploits.

“Since we’ve made our way through a majority of the text, I thought it would be good to do a recap in preparation for analysing the last scene.” Professor Yoongi scans the classroom. “If you could get in groups of four, preferably where you’re sat, I’ll put some A3 paper on my desk that you can use to make mindmaps of key themes, quotes and moments.”

Oh. Not too bad. Soobin watches Professor Yoongi reach around an unmarked stack of papers - which he’s sure have nothing to do with this impromptu activity - to grab the A3 paper.

Yeonjun turns around in his seat. “Do you guys wanna be in a group?”

“Sure,” Beomgyu answers.

It’s more nonchalant than the we’d love to that Soobin almost blurts out.

“I’ll go grab the paper then.” Yeonjun slides out of his seat, jumper falling down to cover the exposed skin of his back.

Soobin feels more light headed by the minute.

He takes out his own copy of the text, focusing on that instead of Yeonjun. It proves fruitless because when Yeonjun laughs, bumping hands with Yunho as he reaches for the paper, Soobin’s eyes dart up to see him smile.

It’s a pretty sight, but maybe Beomgyu is right.

Maybe Soobin does have a problem.

At least it’s mildly unnoticeable, which can’t be said about Kai’s tardiness. Slipping past the open door, Kai gives Professor Yoongi an apologetic nod before rushing to his seat, a small wave sent Soobin’s way as he climbs up the steps. What schedule was he at? A photo shoot? The white shorts and baby blue varsity jacket could almost be mistaken for something in Kai’s style, but the leg warmers…

Is he trying to make people realise that he’s Honey Bee?

“Alright, should we separate the mind map into acts?” Beomgyu taps a rhythm with his pen. “Do we want different colours for each one?”

“If you’re okay with us using your pens for it.” Yeonjun points at his own singular highlighter and Taehyun’s lonely pencil. “We don’t have much variety.”

“Yeah, of course.” With a nod, Beomgyu pushes his highlighters closer to the centre. He takes a peach coloured one himself, using it to draw a cloud around the Romeo and Juliet that he writes in the middle.

After a few minutes of working on the page - with Beomgyu as their main scribe, since four people trying to write on one piece of paper proved too chaotic - Taehyun points his green highlighter at an extract. “We should add this,” he suggests, angling his book towards Yeonjun. “Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied; And vice sometime’s by action dignified.”

“I bet Professor Yoongi likes that quote,” Soobin comments, leaning over to see. “Act two,” he tells Beomgyu.

Taehyun tilts his head. “What do you mean?”

“Hm?”

“That Professor Yoongi likes it.”

“Oh… uh-”

Beomgyu manages to answer first. “It’s kinda his style, isn’t it? Very… jaded English teacher.”

They all glance over at Professor Yoongi, who has his earphones in, halfway through condemning the stack of papers with miles of red pen.

“It’s a quote that makes sense outside of romance,” Soobin explains, playing with the blue highlighter in his hands. “I have a feeling he’s more into the moral aspects of the play.”

Taehyun reads the quote again. “It’s kind of like akumatisation too, isn’t it?”

Soobin withholds a sigh.

Professor Namjoon’s apply it to the real world philosophy claims another victim.

Yeonjun stops twirling the pink highlighter between his fingers. “It is?”

“Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied,” Taehyun quotes. “That’s kinda like the way akumas feed on strong emotion, right? On their own, strong emotions are a virtue as long as they’re well handled. But they’re misapplied when the akuma gets involved.”

“And vice sometime’s by action dignified.” Yeonjun reads on. “That’s a bit like… There’s been akumatisations that led to good change, right?”

“Yeah, exactly.” Taehyun grins. He really is much less intimidating when he’s nerdy. “Being a temporary villain might not be the best way to go about it, but when there’s an overall good outcome and nobody gets hurt, then…”

“If you write an essay on that, Professor Yoongi might finally let go of his red pen,” Beomgyu jokes, gently holding down the page in Taehyun’s hands so he can note the words down.

Soobin muses, “Is that even possible?”

“Red is the colour of romance, isn’t it?” With a flourish, Beomgyu finishes the quote. “Maybe Professor Yoongi loves that pen so much because he’s a romantic.”

“A secret Romeo,” Yeonjun laughs.

Taehyun’s nose scrunches in distaste. “I never thought Romeo was a good example of a lover.”

Soobin couldn’t agree more. “Should we write that down too? Maybe Professor Yoongi will appreciate us being critical.”

“I don’t think Romeo is that bad.”

They all turn to Beomgyu.

“What?” The brunette asks, a little stunned. “He’s passionate.”

Is this going to be another disagreement between him and Taehyun? Soobin leans his cheek against his hand, watching it unfold.

“His ramblings about Juliet border on heretical.”

“Or lovesick,” Beomgyu argues.

“Insane,” Taehyun counters. He runs a hand through his black hair, scratching at the undercut - set on his opinion, but unsure if he wants to instigate. “He worships her even though they just met but if he didn’t attend the party, they never would’ve even set eyes on each other. Why did he move on from Rosaline so fast?”

Abandoning his highlighter, Beomgyu sets his hands down on the desk like he means business. “Because he didn’t love Rosaline. Everything he says about her sounds like it’s ripped straight out of shitty poetry. It’s more to show that he’s ready to fall in love, rather than already feeling it.”

“But how can he fall in love with Juliet that fast? They’re from feuding houses, why waste time on a relationship where your identity will always get in the way?”

“That’s the whole point of starcrossed lovers,” Beomgyu answers with a grin.

Taehyun scoffs, but it’s lighthearted. “More like doomed lovers. The sonnet when they first meet has the same rhyming form and style as the sonnet at the start that prophesies a doomed ending.”

Soobin slides the mindmap closer to himself, noting down what Taehyun just said. Their scribe might disagree and be otherwise engaged, but Soobin knows a good point when it’s made.

“Isn’t there inherent romance in their persistence, though?” Beomgyu offers, gaze soft. Try until you make it, in less words. The balcony scenes have made Beomgyu give enough eager answers in class to make his standpoint on Romeo and Juliet’s defiance of all odds clear. “I agree they fall ‘in love’ too fast, but is it so strange to have immediate interest in someone that only grows as you get to know them better?”

Like love at first sight.

A fancy notion to believe in, and one that Soobin almost wishes he was less cynical to accept. “They didn’t really get the time to know each other though, did they?”

All eyes turn to him.

“I think it’s, uh-” He stumbles over his thoughts, not quite used to pitching in on Beomgyu and Taehyun’s rapidfire debates. “I feel like you need to know a person really well to truly mean it when you say that you’re in love with them.”

It’s why he’s never used the phrase.

Despite Beomgyu teasing him near daily about loving Yeonjun sooooo much, Soobin wouldn’t dare to call it more than just a crush. Because sure, he knows some things about Yeonjun. He knows that he’s hardworking, dedicated to his art. He knows that Yeonjun has a preference for iced Americanos, that he likes to write a lot of notes, that his mum is like his best friend and, most of all, that he’s not as untouchable or intimidating as people always try to make him out to be.

Soobin had discovered that a week into the new term, stuck beneath an overhang by the school entrance as rain thrashed against the pavement just a few steps ahead of him.

Do you not have an umbrella?

Upon turning around, he’d found himself face to face with the school’s new IT boy, an unpracticed smile on the model’s face, almost as if he were feeling shy to approach his own Class President. Soobin wondered why.

Uh, no, he’d answered, glancing at the big umbrella casting shadows over Yeonjun’s face.

You live down the street, right? How had Yeonjun known that? Here, take mine. I have a driver picking me up anyway, you clearly need it more.

It would’ve been a perfectly suave first interaction, if only the umbrella hadn’t flipped inside out as Yeonjun tried to hand it over, sending Yeonjun into panic. He’d fought valiantly against the strong winds to save face, but Soobin had already doubled over laughing by then, endlessly endeared by the pink hue of Yeonjun’s ears.

He’s dorky.

That might be Soobin’s favourite item on the Yeonjun list. Perpetually mortified by himself every time that he does something silly, and unaware of how cute Soobin thinks it is.

Even so, they’ve never really hung out.

They don’t know each other well, no matter how much Soobin wishes it were otherwise. Maybe Beomgyu’s argument has some truth to it. Interest at first sight. The possibility of love.

“That’s right,” Yeonjun says, waking Soobin from his daydream. “You should feel comfortable around the person you’re in love with, but Romeo always feels the need to prove himself and act in a particular way.” He glances down at the mindmap, considering. “They trust each other though, which is important.”

Taehyun throws his hands up. “But there’s no reason for them to trust each other! No build up at all. It reads like a quick, intense fling borne of impulsivity rather than a long lasting love.”

Beomgyu laughs, tapping on the cover of his text. “I don’t think Shakespeare had the time to fit that kind of a slow burn into the play.”

“They don’t even have anything in common with each other,” Taehyun rambles, strangely passionate, like he’s presenting an evidence board that he prepared beforehand. “All of it feels superficial. Juliet is far more intelligent, while Romeo’s main draw to her is how chaste and angelic she is.”

Beomgyu’s eyes sparkle as if Taehyun just fell into his trap; the illusion of a winning argument. “Yeah, but he acknowledges her intelligence later. That’s the difference. He didn’t love Rosaline, though he liked how chaste she was too, because that was a single attribute, one that could easily be disputed at the party. If you love someone for one specific reason, when it’s gone, you no longer have a reason to love this person, right? To truly love someone, we need to love them as a whole person, not just a part of them , and that’s what happens with Juliet. It shows Romeo’s character growth. She challenges him more, he likes her personality as well as her looks, and doesn’t the fact that he chooses the harder path of loving her prove that he cares? That he’s devoted? That he can be a good lover once he stops being immature?”

Taehyun’s mouth opens and closes comically, lost on how to refute.

A fish out of water.

Or a shark, the Yeji voice in Soobin’s brain supplies.

When Taehyun turns to Yeonjun for support, the model puts his hands up, staying neutral. He turns to Soobin next, but with a pitying smile, Soobin stays silent on the matter too. How can they argue? Beomgyu hadn’t heralded Romeo as the epitome of a lover, just pointed out that the guy has his merits. Which is true enough. With a smug smile, Beomgyu sits back in his seat, sliding the sheet of paper with their mindmap on it closer to himself again.

Nobody tries to stop him when he writes his point under the title Act 1.

♡︎ ⁀➴ ₊˚⊹

There’s nothing Soobin wants to do less on a Friday evening than go out on patrol.

It would be nice to get a ping on his phone from the Ladyblog, linked to a post about a Cat Noir sighting; even Vulpix, Carapace or Honey Bee. Anyone but Ladybug. He’s sure that his phone, buried underneath the covers in his room lest his parents think it’s weird for him to leave the house without it, gets a silent notification though, titled Ladybug active!

He can’t remember what coding technique shifts the status - if it’s searching posts for keywords or some other jargon Soobin wouldn’t care for otherwise. Magic, maybe? All he knows is that a friend who Beomgyu won’t disclose helped him create it, that he took inspiration from Discord - the little moon symbols are so cute, Soobin! - and that, thanks to its speed, Hoshi finds himself in front of Ladybug in record time.

“Sorry for the trouble on Wednesday!” He insists, voice surprisingly steady after screaming Ladybug! a solid three or four times to get Soobin’s attention. “And thank you for helping me out, as always. I don’t know why I got worked up so easily… I have been meditating with Minghao…” Hoshi holds the box of muffins out, curled in on himself with a sulk that contrasts his usual boisterous demeanour. “Anyway, I hope you guys still like vanilla chocolate chip. Could you please tell the others that I’m sorry too?”

“It’s no trouble, I’m sure they’ll say the same” Soobin reassures, accepting the gift. “If it wasn’t you, it would’ve been someone else. I’m glad to see you’re okay.”

Hoshi grins, mood switching in the blink of an eye. Maybe that’s why he’s susceptible to the akumas. “You’re the best, Ladybug! Thank you again, hope you have a good day! Fighting!”

And then he’s off, running down the street to meet up with his friends.

Well… at least that was quick.

Seungkwan waves to Soobin after clapping Hoshi on the back and Soobin waves back awkwardly, reaching for his yoyo to escape onto the rooftops.

When he finds a more secluded spot, the streets oddly empty at this time of evening, he sighs, looking down at the muffins in his hands - the ones decorated with black and orange icing, imitating tiger stripes.

The muffins that he’d fought not to squash between his hands last night while baking them, as per Hoshi’s order.

Only one is actually vanilla chocolate chip, the half-mocking stripes hiding two red velvet flavours, one blueberry, for Honey Bee, and one chocolate, for Cat Noir. Soobin checks to make sure that he didn’t crush them as he swung his way across town. With a hint of tiredness, he pictures the tiger Miraculous, thinking I could do something so funny for about the fifth time this week before he dismisses the idea. Besides the obvious reasons for not giving Hoshi tiger powers, Yunho would get a kick out of being proved right.

And Soobin’s not a loser.

Not usually, anyway, though the longer he looks down at the muffins, the more he’s inclined to believe otherwise. Can his luck really be this bad? Maybe Cat Noir is actually the lucky one while in civilian form and their Miraculous are just the opposite of that. Soobin can’t count on both hands how many times he’s stayed up late to bake these muffins.

He’d be lying, though, if he said he doesn’t find the sight of Cat Noir’s downturned, relaxed ears and happy, swishing tail at least somewhat encouraging every time he almost curses out a faulty piping tube. The others smiling at the sight of stripy muffins helps a little too.

It’s for morale.

Though, there was a time, during one of many joint patrols, when Cat Noir had hesitantly mentioned that he doesn’t get to indulge much in treats outside the hero suit. Soobin remembers frowning. Is that why he gets so excited whenever Hoshi is akumatised?

Against his better judgement, Soobin thinks that that might be the reason why he’s never turned down Hoshi’s order or delegated it to spare himself some time.

For morale.

“Ladybug!”

The shout coming from below isn’t high pitched or excited, as most yells of his hero name are. It’s low, trying to draw less attention from bystanders. A voice that Soobin recognises very well. He swings onto the ground, clearing any weird thoughts about the muffins from his mind.

“Hi Beomgyu,” he says, trying not to mirror the excited grin that spreads over his friend’s face. It’s a nice reprieve, talking to Beomgyu while stuck on patrol, even if he has to act as if he knows him far less than he truly does. “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, it is. I see you’ve run into Hoshi already.” Beomgyu points towards the muffin box tucked under Soobin’s arm. “Must be my fault. Are you busy or could you spare a minute for an interview?”

Soobin appreciates it: how Beomgyu considers Ladybug’s time, not pushing for a feature despite the fact it’s been a while since the last one.

“Yeah, I can even give you a few. Not much to do today.”

There’s not much to do most days.

Patrols are meant for them to try and spot anything strange, the source of the akumas or where the damaged butterfly Miraculous might be located… but it’s been months with no lead. A few minutes spent on public image can’t hurt.

And, in Cat Noir’s wise words from the first time that Beomgyu came up to them with shaky hands, if it’ll bring him joy, and others too, then why not?

“Sounds good because I came prepared,” Beomgyu jokes, holding up his phone, open on the notes app. “Do you want to go somewhere that you’re less likely to be spotted, though?”

Ladybugs are always spotted, the Cat Noir voice in Soobin’s head pipes up.

It’s almost worse than hearing the real thing.

“That would be great, yeah.” Soobin nods. Beomgyu’s offer would sound shady if it didn’t benefit both of them. “Meet at the usual spot?”

It’s crazy that they have that.

Beomgyu laughs. “Yeah, I’ll see you there.”

The open rooftop might be one of Soobin’s favourite places, in and out of hero form. It’s mostly shielded from an outside view, the peaks of four houses surrounding a flat space. He lands on the washed out concrete - a perfect spot in summer to lie down and stargaze or do homework in peace - as he waits for Beomgyu to catch up. Shifting from a plain and cloudy blue to streaked with cotton candy pink, the sky, accompanied by a light breeze, feels peaceful. Soobin settles in. He places the box of muffins at his side, facing the direction that he knows will be best for recording - the one that looks identical to half of the rooftop views in the city, unidentifiable and featuring more sky than anything. It’ll be a pretty shot. He knows Beomgyu cares about those.

The middle loft window in front of him creaks open and Beomgyu clambers out, cheeks ruddy, probably from running the whole distance. He has a blanket tucked underneath one arm, another thrown haphazardly over his own shoulders, three bags of snacks gripped in his fist as he fights to climb out safely.

“Do you need some help with that?” Soobin grins, all too used to the sight.

“Nah, all good Ladybug. I hope I didn’t take too long.” Beomgyu steadies his breathing with gargantuan effort, something Soobin doesn’t think he’s ever seen him have to do in gym class. “I brought snacks for… Oh. You probably can’t have them with your mask on.”

“I can, actually,” Soobin offers. It was one of many experiments regarding his hero suit that Tikki had been kind enough to let him try. “It phases through the mask and looks a bit weird, but it works.”

Like a disappearing magic trick.

Carapace’s facial cover would allow it too, most likely.

“That’s wicked,” Beomgyu half whispers, eyes glinting with interest.

“Try it next time you’re transformed.”

Soobin laughs at Beomgyu’s torn expression, the brunette’s eyes glancing back towards his room as if he’s fighting not to call for Trixx and try it right now.

“I will,” he promises, sitting down in front of Soobin, snacks dropped on the ground between them as he tentatively holds out the other blanket. “This is, uh, for you? We could go to my room to do the interview but it’s nice out and-”

“And the intro shot would look better out here,” Soobin finishes. He takes the blanket gently, the same one Beomgyu always gives him when they hang out in civilian form too. “It’s okay, you know the hero suits provide more warmth than regular clothing.”

“Don’t tempt me.” Beomgyu chuckles, insistent on remaining in civilian form. It’s routine at this point, considering the interviews started long before Beomgyu became Vulpix. “Should we get the recording done first?”

“Sure.”

Pulling out his phone, Beomgyu sets the camera to his preferred setting and holds it up as usual, landscape, taking a few seconds to adjust the shot. He holds his thumb up.

“Hi everyone, it’s Ladybug,” Soobin starts, waving at the lens, posture easing as the breeze ruffles his hair. “I’m being held hostage to answer a few questions again.” He glances behind the camera - knowing Beomgyu wouldn’t dare to speak during the clip - and laughs at his friend’s unimpressed expression. “Just joking. I’m here with the wonderful journalist behind the Ladyblog to wish you all a good week and a happy Valentine’s. Stay safe!”

With a nod, Beomgyu presses end record. “The comments are bound to be full of everyone professing their love to you again,” he teases, setting the device down on his knee.

“At least there’ll be a good reason for it this time.”

“Ah, about that…” Beomgyu opens one of the packets, watching curiously as Soobin takes a crisp. He marvels at the way it passes through the mask without revealing so much as an inch of Soobin’s mouth. “I hope you don’t mind, some of the questions are Valentine’s related.”

“What would you have done if you didn’t get to interview me on time?” Soobin asks, surprisingly the first thing to come to mind.

They’ve done this for a while now, enough for Soobin to feel reassured that Beomgyu won’t ask anything invasive. A short clip first to prove it’s not fake, then a series of transcribed questions and answers: their standard routine. He can’t help but wonder what Beomgyu has prepared.

“Would’ve saved the questions for next year, I guess.” Beomgyu reaches over for the pack of gummy bears, his favourite. “I didn’t have backup ideas so I’m lucky that I caught you today.”

He’s lucky that Soobin lost at rock, paper, scissors.

“I’m ready whenever you are,” Soobin says, politely waving off the offer of a gummy bear. He knows that Beomgyu’s stash is running low.

“Okay, one second.” Beomgyu dusts his hands off as best as he can, tapping to pull up his voice notes. He presses on record. “It’s great to see you again, Ladybug. How have you been since the last time we talked?”

Cursory questioning.

A warm up.

Yet, Soobin has always struggled on how to answer things like this without giving too much away. “Great to see you too,” he starts. It’s not a lie like it might’ve been with any other interviewer. “I’ve been alright. A bit tired from staying up late but that’s my own fault, really.”

Beomgyu huffs a laugh. “I think most of us can relate. And from the looks of it, it seems tonight might be another late night for you.”

It’s good natured teasing, though the readers of the Ladyblog won’t understand the underlying reason. Ugh. Patrol alone. Soobin wants to spend the whole night on this rooftop instead. “At least my sleep schedule will stay consistent,” he quips, laying out the blanket on his lap. It’s cosy, even if he doesn’t need the extra warmth.

“I hope not to keep you too long, then.” Beomgyu fiddles with his foxtail necklace, the one that’s usually tucked underneath his shirt. The fox Miraculous. Would he join Soobin on patrol if Soobin asked? “I also hope you don’t mind that my questions have a slight theme today.”

“I thought they might,” Soobin says, pretending that he wasn’t warned. “I’ll do my best to answer.”

“Alright then. My first question… It’s well-known that akumas feed on strong emotions, and one upcoming holiday might just be centred around one of the strongest feelings to exist. As an expert on akumas, what is Ladybug’s professional opinion on Valentine’s Day?”

“That it could cause trouble,” Soobin answers, chuckling at Beomgyu’s theatrics. That’s one way to frame it. “The holiday itself is nice, though. Dedicating one day in the year to expressing feelings of love… whether it be for a partner, a friend or family, it’s really sweet. It reminds us that we’re loved and cared for, even if we don’t always hear it.”

Abandoning his notes, Beomgyu bounces off of Soobin’s reply. “If you had to pick an aspect of the holiday that you enjoy, would that be it?”

“Definitely.” Soobin wracks his brain for more, something that will make the interview worth Beomgyu’s time. Give them a chance to hang out too, since they’ll only have the time to talk over late night League matches on the weekend with all the bakery displays that Soobin will be tasked with taking care of. “I like the visuals as well,” he adds, as an afterthought. They are quite nice. “The roses and bouquets, the market stalls, handwritten letters, balloons, the bakery and café displays. Since love is something precious but invisible, seeing how it comes to life so… obnoxiously? Even for a day, it’s… Having love be openly acknowledged like that is heartwarming.”

Are Beomgyu’s ramblings finally starting to rub off on him?

“Ah, it’s romantic when you put it like that,” Beomgyu comments, grinning ear to ear as he pops a gummy bear into his mouth. “Are you excited to have your red colour scheme match all the Valentine’s displays, then?”

Soobin snorts.

He’s really going to blend in when he transforms, isn’t he?

“If anyone finds themselves akumatised, at least I’ll have a stealth advantage,” he jokes. “It’s a shame that Cat Noir can’t say the same.”

And the others, he forgets to add, but it’s a second too late now.

“That’s true… I’m sure Cat Noir will find it hard not to capture everyone’s attention with his black leather. And also with his infamous flirting,” Beomgyu teases, having witnessed it firsthand in previous interviews.

“Between the two of us, I think he’d have much more refined opinions on the matter of love,” Soobin observes. The cute nicknames, the jokes, the flirting… “He’s a romantic at heart, so it’s a shame he couldn’t join us for the interview today.” Bullshit. Both him and Beomgyu know it is. “I’m sure he would’ve posed a challenge to your list of questions.”

Beomgyu laughs, knowing that it’s true. Cat Noir would’ve sowed chaos and made half of anything they’d put on tape unusable. “I don’t doubt that, judging from his previous features.” A nice way to put it. Cat’s answers always range from unexpectedly witty to untameable. Beomgyu continues, “Do you think you’ll be seeing him this Valentine’s?”

Soobin’s breathing hiccups.

What?

He almost chokes on the half-chewed crisps inside his mouth, running the words over in his semi-panicked mind.

Seeing Cat Noir?

As in…?

Surely that’s not what Beomgyu means. Right? It would be too personal, and as Vulpix, he should know they’re not… Unless, maybe he thinks they are? Since Cat Noir jokes about Carapace and Vulpix flirting, what if the others think that…

Soobin shakes his head, trying to erase the sudden memory of late nights spent with Cat, sitting on the top beams of the Eiffel tower, talking in hushed tones while the city went to sleep below them. “We, uh… It’s not like… It couldn’t… I don’t- We don’t know each other that well-” Soobin coughs out.

Him and Cat Noir are not dating.

The denial gets a little muddled on his lips.

“Oh.” Beomgyu stares at him with wide eyes before bursting into laughter. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I should’ve phrased that better. My bad.” He wasn’t asking if they’re dating? “What I meant is, do you think you’ll get to see each other on Valentine's to help out someone who’s unfortunate enough to get akumatised?”

Soobin’s ears burn.

Not for the first time, he’s glad that his winged face mask covers them, though he’s sure Beomgyu can tell he’s embarrassed nonetheless. “Oh, right, yeah, most likely,” he recovers, swallowing before he speaks again. “I don’t wish that kind of a Valentine’s on anyone, but it’s possible.”

Beomgyu kindly doesn’t point out Soobin’s flustered tone. “Let’s hope it doesn’t happen. But for those that might have a hard time, what advice would you give to people dealing with rejection?”

Back to the script.

It feels ironic, asking that right after Soobin stumbled over his own words to deny the notion of himself and Cat Noir dating. He sees the natural progression that Beomgyu has devised though, and tries to roll with it.

“I’m sure most people would say not to take it personally, but I think it’s okay to cry a bit and let all your emotions out.” It’s Soobin’s stellar method from a few grades back, put to use whenever he heard harsh comments. Not exactly a romantic context but he’s sure it’s not much different. “Rejection sucks, so taking the day off to show yourself a little love can go a long way too. Getting your favourite ice cream, putting on a show you like, stuff like that.”

“Ah, that’s right, self love is important,” Beomgyu notes.

He makes a joke about the influence of capitalism and Soobin plays along, answering each question with a lighthearted tone.

Yes, he’s sure that Honey Bee will be in love with all the flowers and bouquets, endless pollen for him in the streets. No, he won’t be treating the other heroes to Valentine’s related gifts, he’s sure his loving words will be enough. Soobin says it with a cheeky tone but Beomgyu sulks, which prompts a mental note to go and buy some gummy bears as a surprise. A little bit of capitalism can’t hurt. The sky gradually grows darker, improvised questions and quickfire answers making the feature double its usual length.

An exclusive.

But through it all, Soobin’s heart refuses to stop beating overtime, a strange warmth lingering in his ears at the image of Cat’s toothy grin and honey-laced voice calling him sweetheart.

♡︎ ⁀➴ ₊˚⊹

Beomgyu groans, crumpling into his seat with the grace of a newborn fawn.

“You seem happy to be here,” Soobin teases. It borders on apologetic. After all, his own messed up sleep schedule might be partially at fault for Beomgyu’s dark under eyes.

“I hope Queen Mab brings me a dream,” Beomgyu grumbles, curled over the desk. His fluffy, brown jacket shapes him somewhat like a snoozing bear. “And I hope it explains why we have to be in English Lit last thing on a Monday when all we’re doing is a recap.”

“Wouldn’t you prefer a dream about Taehyun?” Soobin suggests, patting his friend’s shoulder. “In a prince outfit, maybe? Holding a rose?”

“I wish.” The response comes out muffled, but it holds all the devastation that a tired Beomgyu with his hopeless crush can muster. “He still wouldn’t be trying as hard as you are, though.”

And there goes all of Soobin’s sympathy.

Call him crazy, but spending his entire weekend in a ratty T-shirt and old pair of sweatpants - both of which are begging for a wash after some mass, olympic baking - made him want a change of pace this morning. So yes. He’s trying. A little too hard, maybe. It’s possible he spent more time than necessary digging out the oversized and acid-washed grey cargos, even more time spent on looking for a black shirt with red print, plus the matching dark jumper that he wrapped around his waist. In case he gets cold. Not for fashion. Definitely not because he read an article that tackled layering in outfits. And though the small, silver chain around his neck isn’t usually his style, he couldn’t just not wear it. Not when Beomgyu interrupted his croissant batch baking, 5am on Sunday, to hand him the requested clip-on black cat charm.

If Beomgyu wants to joke about him liking Cat Noir, then Soobin might as well start dressing like it, right?

He reaches up on instinct to adjust his beanie. “You can say you’re jealous, you know. Aren’t you meant to be a fashion connoisseur?”

Depending on what someone’s taste is, maybe Beomgyu’s sweatpants, checkered flannel and white shirt really do read as the peak of fashion. “Yeah. That’s how I know that half the stuff you’re wearing isn’t even in your style.”

“You don’t know that,” Soobin argues.

“You know who’s style it reminds me of, though?” Beomgyu lilts, more awake than he was a mere moment ago. “His name starts with a Y and ends with -jun. You might know the guy.”

Once again, Soobin’s very warm, kindhearted rebuttal about Beomgyu’s loss at League last night is cut off by the door sliding open.

And unfortunately…

Maybe Beomgyu’s comment has some merit.

Because the guy who’s name begins with Y and ends with -jun walks in, the hem of his oversized, pocket-covered, blue jeans at a risk of catching underneath his trainers. A lighter version of what Soobin has on. His shirt is different, but… Soobin kind of wishes that it wasn’t. Stripy, low collared, unbuttoned to show more of Yeonjun’s chest than Soobin is prepared to see. It’s styled with a pair of headphones and the necklace Yeonjun always wears, one of his more comfortable ensembles, reserved for days with photoshoots. He most likely has one after class.

Soobin fights a groan.

It’s criminal how Yeonjun never breaks his effortlessly stylish streak.

All while Soobin’s own idea of a ‘stylish’ look consists of wearing contacts over glasses. Even then, it’s usually because he has an order at the bakery and can’t be bothered to wipe off his foggy lens.

He hates when Beomgyu has a point.

Luck, however, might be on his side today. While the washed out jeans and thick-knit, green cardigan that Taehyun sports might not be the prince outfit Soobin joked about, he almost hears how Beomgyu’s brain reboots beside him. Oblivious to it, Taehyun leans over their desks, his cardigan slipping down to show a sliver of arm not concealed by the tank top underneath.

Certain Beomgyu death.

“Did you guys read the interview?”

Soobin, in an act of gracious mercy, gives Beomgyu’s brain a minute to catch up. He feigns nonchalance. “You mean the one on the Ladyblog?”

“Yeah, there was a new one posted last night.”

Soobin knows.

He read it straight away.

Beomgyu must’ve worked his ass off, keeping everything concise, the tone unchanging from their conversation. All except one bit. Instead of saying Ladybug got flustered, Soobin’s bumbling was edited into a cheeky ‘We don’t know each other that well…’

Which is what Soobin said.

Just, without the crisis.

A glance at the comments had revealed most people took it in the way that Beomgyu tried to make it seem: friendly teasing. Soobin breathed a sigh of relief over his morning sweet bread when he read it. Thank fuck. It would be too personal, having to explain why him and Cat could never be a thing. His answer was a half truth anyway. They don’t know each other’s real identities.

And Soobin… he’s scared.

Because Ladybug isn’t some nerd who watches anime or plays League in his spare time. He’s not someone who got chosen as Class President because of his calm and quiet personality, not someone who softens his image because of his height or pretends that he’s busy when the teacher looks for someone to pick on. No. Those are all Soobin. And sure, Cat Noir likes Ladybug. But what if he didn’t like Soobin?

It would be a bad example - especially for kids - airing out his insecurities to answer that behemoth of a question honestly.

Besides, it’s safer for them this way. Not knowing who the other is means it could never be forced out of them, not by mind controlling villains or some other bullshit. Soobin only knows who Honey Bee and Vulpix are because he chose them, in the same way Cat Noir chose Carapace. A great choice, really, but the less people know, the better. That’s what they’d decided.

A guarantee, no gamble.

He understands where they’re all coming from, though: the fans that think they’re dating. The ones that think they should. It makes sense, from their perspective.

And if Soobin lets himself entertain it for a moment, hanging out with Cat Noir on Valentine’s wouldn’t be half bad.

“I didn’t get through all of it,” he lies, busying himself with taking out a pen he might not even use. “But whoever runs the blog did a great job, right? I don’t think they’ve had an interview this long before.”

“Yeah, it’s more than double the length of the last one,” Taehyun says, leaning back into his seat. “I really like the tone, too. I mean, we all know Ladybug is friendly with whoever runs the blog but when I saw that it was Valentine’s themed, I was worried for a second.”

“Oh yeah, me too.” Soobin gently nudges Beomgyu’s foot under the desk. “It’s impressive how the interviewer managed not to make it personal.”

“Yeah! And how they made it feel like we still got to know Ladybug,” Taehyun observes.

“It’s because the questions focus on his character rather than identity,” Beomgyu points out, nudging Soobin back. He tugs his coat off, rummaging through all the textbooks in his bag before he realises he’s being stared at. “What?”

Taehyun’s brows furrow. “What’s the difference?”

Beomgyu falters for a second, hands gesturing with no real purpose. “Uh… It’s like-“ He clears his throat. “The questions focus more on showing what his traits are, right? How he views things. It’s more about his personality, rather than his life outside of Ladybug.”

“Ohhh. It must be really hard to come up with stuff like that,” Taehyun notes, elbow leaning casually on Beomgyu’s desk again. “Especially with a long feature on a topic such as Valentines. It’s gotta take a lot of work.”

If the weather was any colder than it is, Soobin wonders whether steam would wisp right off of Beomgyu's ears.

Beomgyu knocks his knee under the desk. Stifling a laugh, Soobin nods. Almost no one knows who hides behind the Ladyblog anonymous alias, but, after all, the anonymity was Soobin’s idea. He’d gladly spare a few minutes on patrol to answer all of Beomgyu’s questions, but never at the cost of Beomgyu’s safety. It’s… a happy coincidence that Ladybug had the same terms.

And an even happier coincidence that Soobin gets to witness Beomgyu being flustered over rightful compliments for his good journalism.

“Is this about the Ladyblog?” Yeonjun interrupts, getting settled in his seat.

Professor Yoongi glances over at them with a smile then returns to his computer, most likely noting down the schedule that Yeonjun just informed him of.

“Yeah,” Soobin confirms, “The post from last night.”

“Oh, I saw that!” Ditching his bag on the desk, Yeonjun turns around to face them too. “I haven’t had the chance to read it yet but I’m planning to.”

“Don’t you have a photoshoot after class?” Taehyun reminds him, fidgeting with one of his snakebites.

Beomgyu’s gaze seems drawn to the movement.

Yeonjun rolls his eyes. “Yeah, and since you’re coming with me, we can talk about it in the break.”

“I’m gonna get the full experience, then,” Taehyun sighs, receiving Yeonjun’s playful hit with a laugh. “Can’t wait to hear the five star review from Ladybug’s second biggest fan.”

Soobin finds his ears ringing for a reason that isn’t much related to the school bell signalling the start of class.

“Alright everyone.” Professor Yoongi stands up. The conversations fade to a quiet murmur. “I’ve got all of your mindmaps here at the front. If you could send one person from your group to collect them, we’ll be continuing the task from last lesson. Are there any questions?”

Soobin shakes his head no along with everyone else.

“Good.” Patting the stack of A3 paper on his desk, Professor Yoongi adds, “If you need extra paper, I have some here. Feel free to ask questions if you need to and please don’t be too loud when you’re discussing.”

With that, he sits behind his desk, tapping away at his computer again. Damn. Must be a busy day, Soobin thinks.

Yeonjun wordlessly gets up to go collect their mindmap, taking Soobin in for the first time as he walks back towards his seat. “Oh,” he says, lips curving upwards, making Soobin swallow nervously. “This is new. Are you trying out a different style?” Before Soobin can stutter out an answer, he continues, “I like it! The clean look really suits you, but the grungy clothes give you this edge- Sort of… intimidating? You look cool.”

Soobin might faint on the spot.

He feels like one of those anime protagonists he always laughs at, red faced, sweating, vision swirling, one second away from seeing roses around Yeonjun’s face. A gross exaggeration, but Soobin needs to take a deep breath. Then another, for good measure. “Thank you,” he manages, voice a little weak.

At least it doesn’t break.

Beomgyu snickers beside him but neither of the boys sat in front seem to notice.

“You should take Soobin with you to the photoshoot,” Taehyun whines, though he must feel comfortable enough to go if Yeonjun has invited him.

Trying not to make it obvious, Soobin slides the beanie off his head, fingers combing through his hair. It feels like adding it was overkill, all of a sudden. Snugly fitting it behind his textbooks, he finds his copy of the text, placing it beside his pen as if that was his aim all along.

He doesn’t even want to entertain the thought of joining Yeonjun for a photoshoot.

Not right now, at least.

“I’m sure he’d do well,” Yeonjun argues, playing into the joke. Why is he playing into the joke? “He’s tall, soft-featured. With the right kind of styling…” His gaze is intense, sizing Soobin up. “He could fit any kind of aesthetic. More importantly though, I bet he wouldn’t make fun of my interests.”

Taehyun snorts. Yeonjun takes it as a personal offence and the two of them break out into a petty, laughter filled squabble.

Soobin stares at the patterns on the wooden desk in front of him.

Was that a joke?

He opens his copy of Romeo and Juliet as a distraction - to stop thinking about Yeonjun, of all people, complimenting his appearance. Did that really happen? ‘Oh, I am fortune’s fool!’ he reads, right next to the big doodle of a ladybug that he’d left on the page. It feels ironic.

“Should I be the one noting our ideas down again?” Beomgyu asks, picking up a pen.

“Your handwriting is the nicest.” Taehyun relents his grip on Yeonjun’s elbow - leaving it unclear who won their fight - and reaches for his own text, ready to provide the necessary quotes. “If you don’t mind.”

Beomgyu gives a thumbs up. “Works for me.”

Yeonjun finds an extract first, but Soobin isn’t far behind.

“Act Two, Scene Six,” he offers, having flipped at random to the pages he’d marked down with Beomgyu’s washi tape. “It’s Friar Lawrence talking to Romeo. ‘These violent delights have violent ends’.”

As he scribbles down the quote, Beomgyu glances up at Taehyun. “You should add that to your essay about quotes that fit akumatisation.”

It takes Taehyun a second to remember, but he chuckles when he does. “Even the taste of honey can become sickly, right? I think that’s what was said. How would I relate that? Something about strong emotion again?”

A figure peeks past the open door, catching their attention - Kai? But no. Their hair isn’t blonde. It’s Professor Seokjin, stopping by to gossip with Professor Yoongi. As usual. No Honey Bee today, Soobin thinks. He makes a mental note to ask Kai later, curious about what Mayor’s Son Commitment kept him out of lessons this time.

“Maybe you could say how turning into villains is a shortcut?” Beomgyu suggests. He taps along his pen as if playing a melody. “Like a quick outlet. It helps temporarily - a violent delight - but facing it all afterwards is like a violent end?”

“It doesn’t solve your problems,” Taehyun follows. “You don’t even get to process anything before you’re taking your emotions out via akuma.”

Soobin hopes the two of them won’t ever be in charge of any scheme together. They bounce ideas off each other too well. He’d never thought about it that way either. Friar Lawrence might be questionable, but Soobin always found his point on moderation to ring true. If he doesn’t indulge too much in his crush - let it grow too obvious - then he’s safe, right? He supposes applying the philosophy onto akumas is more productive.

“Is this a fight to be Professor Yoongi’s favourite student?” Yeonjun rests his cheek against his hand, grinning at the sight of Taehyun and Beomgyu talking animatedly over the desk.

“Sorry Yeonjun.” Taehyun straightens up. “If Beomgyu and I worked on this together, you wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“Betrayed again,” Yeonjun laments, one hand covering his heart.

“You could try to compete with an essay on the gender roles within the play,” Beomgyu offers, a little sheepish under Taehyun’s rapt attention. “But I won’t guarantee you’d win.”

Soobin glances at the gender bubble on their mindmap, filled to the brim with commentary, things that he remembers Yeonjun volunteering avidly in discussions - how Romeo’s love for Juliet doesn’t make him ‘effeminate’ and how Mercutio was salivating over an excuse to start a fight. It’s burned into his memory, the way that Yeonjun tucked his hair behind his ears, pleased, when Soobin chose to speak in class, backing Yeonjun’s point by reasoning: Mercutio curses both of the houses as he dies, no loyalty to Romeo, so can’t it be argued that the tragedy is his fault?

Professor Yoongi liked the point enough to split the class in two, debating who came out most at fault in the scene: Tybalt or Mercutio. It had been one of Soobin’s favourite lessons, calling bullshit under his breath on the opposition’s argument - that it’s a masculine world, in which most notions are prone to end in conflict - and hearing Yeonjun giggle beside him.

“I think Professor Yoongi would like any critique,” Soobin offers.

The two essays would be Professor Yoongi’s cynicism vs Professor Namjoon’s real life application.

Now that would be a fight he’d pay to see.

“There’s the real favourite student,” Beomgyu sighs, shaking his head in defeat. “There’s no way we can win against our Class President~”

“Aren’t you meant to be writing down ideas?” Soobin fires back.

Taehyun breaks into a laugh while Soobin blushes, the bickering more comfortable than he’s let either of the boys sat in front hear before. Beomgyu chuckles too, hands raised as he says, “Alright, Class Pres,” but the motion is too fast, getting pen on Soobin’s cheek and making Beomgyu double over uselessly in laughter.

Soobin sighs.

“I’ve got a wet wipe,” Yeonjun says, digging through his bag, though there’s a small smile on his lips too. Great. He procures the packet, holding it between them. “Can I help?”

“Huh?” Soobin stares back.

“You can’t see where it is,” Yeonjun explains. “It would be easier for me to wipe it off for you, right?” When Soobin only blinks, he rushes out, “Or you could, uh, use your phone camera to see, but I thought I’d-”

“No, no,” Soobin cuts in, processing the request. It’s nothing, right? Just Yeonjun wiping pen off his face. A perfectly normal, friendly activity. If only his heart could get the memo. “I’d appreciate the help.”

It’s a small mercy that Taehyun and Beomgyu already seem engaged in a debate about some other extract, no witnesses to Soobin’s minor crisis.

“Okay.” Yeonjun folds the wet wipe, then leans forwards. “Turn your face to the side a bit?”

Soobin does as told, lips pressed together, trying desperately to focus on the view outside the windows rather than the pouty lips in front of him. Why does Yeonjun have to pout when he’s focused?

“You have dimples,” Yeonjun notes, seemingly entranced by the new piece of information as he cleans Soobin’s cheek.

The coolness of the wipe shocks Soobin into answering, “Yeah, they come out sometimes when I talk too.”

Yeonjun pauses. “Can I poke them?”

What?

Soobin must be dreaming.

This would be the third - no, fourth? - time that he’s done that in Professor Yoongi’s class. Not a good look. Yeonjun’s eyes await an answer, sparkly and hopeful. Soobin can’t deny him anything.

“Sure, go ahead.” He gives the most polite cat smile he can muster, the one that makes his dimples sink even deeper into his cheeks.

The small gasp that comes out of Yeonjun’s mouth is devastating. He might be confident, intense sometimes, but it’s this side Soobin loves to see the most - smile crooked as he presses gentle fingers against Soobin’s dimples.

Cute enough that Soobin forgets all about being embarrassed.

“Are you a fan of dimples?” He asks.

Yeonjun seems to realise that his hands are still on Soobin’s cheeks and pulls back, gaze a little shy. “They’re cute.”

The sudden confidence floods out of Soobin’s system. Cute, cute, cute. Does Yeonjun think he’s cute? No. Shit. He needs to pull himself together. “Thanks.”

“I’ll, um,” Yeonjun starts, clearing his throat. “I’ll go throw this in the bin.”

He gets up, Soobin’s eyes trailing after him.

Was that too awkward?

Soobin hopes not. Refocusing on Romeo and Juliet, he searches for a quote as he hears Yeonjun settle back into his seat. When he glances over, he finds that Yeonjun has resulted to the same, flicking through the text, fingers running absentmindedly across his bottom lip. It turns pink the more he plays with it, and the lip balm that rubs off plagues Soobin’s thoughts like poison, breaking through his careful concentration. He’s sure that one taste, however brief, would put him out of his misery.

Fuck.

Quotes.

Focus.

Moderation.

Soobin flips open on a page with more of Beomgyu’s washi tape, only to find something even worse. Romeo and Juliet’s first kiss.

The thoughts come to him unbidden, and the insecurities come even faster.

No doubt, if Soobin were to kiss Yeonjun, it wouldn’t go the way that he imagines it. Yeonjun probably has some experience, right? Soobin wouldn’t stand out to him, wouldn’t sweep him off his feet. By th’book, he reads Juliet say on the page. Bland. Soobin almost shrinks into his seat at the audacity to fantasise about a classmate who’s sat right in front of him.

“Oh, how about this scene?” Taehyun’s voice breaks through their silence. “The one where Juliet gives her ring, a token of her love, to the Nurse so she can pass it on to Romeo?”

“What would that go under?” Beomgyu questions, flipping to the same scene.

“Themes?” Yeonjun offers. “Either religion or something about loyalty. It’s a symbol of Juliet siding with Romeo over her own family, right? It contrasts how she’s set to marry Paris, even though she doesn’t want to.”

Beomgyu nods. “The individual vs society, then? Or maybe love and fate?”

“How about we do a reenactment,” Taehyun jokes, poking Yeonjun’s shoulder. “You’ve got a lot of rings.”

All of them glance down at Yeonjun’s hands. On his left, a triangular ring, edges lined with black, and another, thinner, crown shaped one two fingers down. On his right hand, a thick band with a circular centre and prominent prongs, a few smaller rings wound around his other fingers. The amount always ranges, but Soobin doesn’t think he’s ever seen Yeonjun with his hands bare before.

“Give one to Soobin,” Beomgyu teases, the little shit that he is. “He can be a Princess rather than Class President.”

“Juliet isn’t a princess,” Soobin argues, but it’s for nought.

Yeonjun shimmies off the crown shaped ring, playing into Beomgyu’s joke. "Oh Juliet, willst thou take this meagre token as a symbol of mine undying devotion?”

This, right here, is bound to replay in Soobin’s head before he goes to sleep tonight. He can’t help but laugh. “That’s not even how the scene goes.”

“Take it, take it!” Beomgyu slaps his shoulder.

Taehyun gasps, hands clutching at his chest. “Don’t tell me you’re rejecting him.”

“Of course not,” Soobin counters, much to Yeonjun’s exaggerated relief. “But I don’t think it’ll fit.”

He places his own hand in Yeonjun’s outstretched one, watching the brunette’s forehead crease as he realises that Soobin is right. His fingers are a little bigger, a bit wider.

“Did you hurt yourself?” Yeonjun asks, turning Soobin’s hand until it faces palm up.

The blue Cinnamoroll band aid that Beomgyu bought for him stands out, wrapped around his middle finger. “Oh,” Soobin says. He’d forgotten. “It’s just a small cut that I got while baking. No big deal.”

“How do you still manage that?” Beomgyu whines, though he looks pleased that Soobin made use of his gift. “Don’t you bake, like, every other day?”

“The oven rack is sharp, okay?” Soobin sulks. It is a pretty silly injury, and one that could’ve been avoided if he hadn’t been too busy… watching Yeonjun’s Fashion Week clips.

Yeah.

Definitely silly.

“Have you ever thought about painting your nails?” Yeonjun’s eyes are transfixed on Soobin’s hand, inspecting it to his heart’s content.

Soobin didn’t even realise he was letting him. “Uhh, my niece painted them black last week but it was really messy.” He remembers she insisted on black - even though Kai laughed about it being emo - since she wanted it to be like Cat Noir. Blatant favouritism. “And I bake a lot. I don’t think they’d last long even though I wear gloves.”

“Oh, that’s a shame,” Yeonjun comments, slipping the ring onto Soobin’s pinky finger.

What’s that supposed to mean?

The ring fits a little loosely, but it doesn’t stop the blush from rising into Soobin’s ears. Beomgyu claps while Taehyun sympathetically pats Yeonjun on the back, telling him the action is a symbol of bad luck. It might be. Because Soobin knows he’s doomed, never to forget the crescents that Yeonjun’s eyes scrunch into as he laughs.

♡︎ ⁀➴ ₊˚⊹

The trap door that leads up to Soobin’s room lifts, a head of fluffy, platinum blonde hair peeking out from underneath.

“Hi Soobin!”

Tapping at the armrest of his gaming chair, Soobin waits for Kai to climb up. “Hey.”

Kai doesn’t mind him, dusting off his black hoodie, then his matching dark jeans. Without waiting for an invitation, he gets settled on the carpet, sliding off the bright yellow Pikachu backpack that he’s had since he was twelve. Traitorous, Soobin thinks, since he left half of their Team Rocket unit to fend for themselves. As much as Beomgyu might insist he’s James, Meowth is more his calling, and Soobin’s Jessie soul was missing Kai today.

“Did you miss me~?” Kai sings once he’s comfortable, as if he doesn’t know the answer.

Humiliating.

Why would he make Soobin suffer more?

“Where were you?” Soobin tries his hardest not to whine.

“Did something happen?”

“No, no, nothing big.” It’s true, though Soobin’s pinky finger still burns with the imprint of a silver ring. Is he a vampire? Maybe that would make more sense than all the lovesickness. “Just- You know…”

“Ohhh.” Kai’s previously concerned eyes glint with humour. “Yeonjun?”

Soobin sighs. “Kinda.”

“Well, you’d never guess where I spent most of my day.” Taking out his pencils, both graphite and coloured, Kai spreads out the homework that he needs to get done. It’s a few sheets from their history class, diagrams for biology, a few chemistry equations. Thankfully no English, thanks to Professor Yoongi’s lax plans.

“Let me guess,” Soobin counters, because that teasing tone of voice can only mean one thing. “At Yeonjun’s parents’ agency.”

“Yup.” Kai pops the ‘p’. “Lea signed with them the other week, so they wanted all of us to come in for a joint photoshoot.”

“How was it?” Soobin asks, genuinely curious. While Kai doesn’t mind most schedules bestowed upon him, Soobin knows that photoshoots have always been a hit or miss.

“Different from the side gigs Hiyyih and I get.” Kai picks up two pencils and starts drumming with them on his thighs. “They didn’t get me heels again- A shame, by the way- But it was fun. We rarely get to do this stuff with Lea, so I liked that. Yeonjun’s mum came down to do the styling.”

Soobin stops tapping on his armrests. “No brands this time?”

“Nah, we got Madame Choi’s personal projects. Wait a sec, I think I have some photos from the set.”

“That’s pretty rare, isn't it?”

Yeonjun’s mum has been designing for a long time now - she usually has no hand in the photoshoots, letting Yeonjun’s dad and big name brands take care of it. Unless…

“She has this new collection,” Kai explains, on the way to proving Soobin’s mild suspicion true. “Inspired by Baroque and uhhh- Rococo? Art. I think that’s what she said. Like an old fairytale style, mixed in with mythology.”

Not for the first time, Soobin wishes he’d pursued art properly as a kid, because maybe then he’d have some semblance of a clue about what Kai described. Though, his interest had always been skewed towards manga, so maybe he wouldn’t know about traditional styles anyway. “With mythology?” He asks, the only part that he has any chance of understanding.

“She told me that I look like I’m the son of Aphrodite.” With a proud smile, Kai turns the phone. It’s a photo from the set: white ruffles crowding Kai’s neck, pearls accentuating his open collar, loose sleeves giving the illusion that his arms are even longer than they are.

Ethereal.

The word pops into Soobin’s head - exactly what Yeonjun’s mum must’ve been aiming for.

“Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty, right?” Soobin takes the phone from Kai to swipe through. Every detail of Kai’s styling blends into an old painting, something he imagines - with the recent recap still fresh in his mind - that a lover such as Romeo might wear. Soobin’s not a fashion connoisseur, but he knows the outfit screams romantic. “You look great in these, Kai. The theme suits you really well.”

“Thanks.” Kai’s chest puffs out unsubtly. He leans over, tapping on the screen until he finds a candid taken from behind the camera. “Madame Choi said she gave Hiyyih the Persephone inspired outfit, so we had matching pink details. I missed the other stuff she said but Lea got this cool crown made of leaves. They put some in her hair too.”

True to Kai’s description, there’s a photo of him standing in between his sisters, Hiyyih on one side in a puffy, garnet dress, a strikingly dark pomegranate in her hand that streaks red down her arm. Lea, on the other hand, is in a softer style, her gown a burnt orange with yellowed leaves around her temples, the pattern also sewn into her bodice. They’re all relaxed, talking to - presumably - an art director, but it’s times like these when Soobin is reminded just how beautiful Kai’s family is.

“That’s…” Soobin struggles for an adjective.

Would any of them be adequate?

As if the outfits aren’t enough, he can tell from the brief glimpses of the set - draped over with flowers and shrouded in greenery - that this will, without a doubt, be one of Kai’s most famous photoshoots to date. Soobin feels a massive surge of pride for his best friend.

“Cool, right?” Kai buzzes with excitement. He plucks his phone from Soobin’s hands and places it on top of his chemistry homework. “The end of our shoot coincided with Yeonjun coming in so I think Madame Choi planned to have him wear the same style. It’s cool that she wanted us to model her designs too. She’s really kind.”

“You got to talk to her?” Soobin asks. He tries to ignore the mention of Yeonjun. It’s difficult, though. Like trying not to bite into a yet-to-cool cookie. Because if Yeonjun’s styling looks anything like Kai’s, maybe Soobin will have to take a day off school too.

“Yeah! She came over when I was saying hi to Yeonjun.” The sly grin returns to Kai’s face. “She was surprised that we’re friends, but, you know, after seeing Taehyun too, she said that if all of Yeonjun’s friends are so handsome then maybe she should bring us all in for a shoot.”

No way.

“You’re kidding.”

Taehyun’s earlier joke rings sharp in Soobin’s ears - you should take Soobin with you.

It was just a joke, though.

Is Kai’s sixth sense kicking in?

“Nope.” Kai pops the ‘p’ again while Soobin stares at him, dumbfounded. “She was saying how inexperienced models with a fresh look suit her concept more than ones who know what they’re doing. Something about the slight awkwardness being more genuine? She used a lot of fashion terms but I don’t know all of them. There was this one she kept saying, uhh… avon guard?”

“Avant garde,” Soobin corrects.

“Yeah, yeah.” Kai waves his hand dismissively, fighting down a laugh. “How many of Yeonjun’s articles did you read before you learned that?”

“They taught us that in art class.” Soobin reaches out to flick Kai’s forehead and huffs when Kai dodges the attack. He continues, ignoring the rest of what was said for the sake of his own mental health. “The concept sounds really good, though. I can’t wait to see how all the photos turn out.”

Like something straight out of his daydreams, probably.

A real fairytale.

Yeonjun in delicate styling, unerringly regal yet soft around the edges… Soobin wishes he could see that in person. It’s a shame he can’t. Madame Choi most likely wasn’t being serious, and even if she was, Soobin doubts he’d qualify. The taste of crushed possibility is bitter but he needs to reel his hopes in.

“Mine or Yeonjun’s?” Kai teases.

Momentarily ashamed that his brain had mostly focused on the latter, Soobin insists, “Both.”

But Kai is no fool. “Will they be added to The Wall~?”

Of course they will.

“Maybe.”

“What about his Dior cuts?” Undeterred, Kai gets up to take a closer look. “You’ve only got, like, one.”

The Wall, as Kai calls it, is just a pinboard to the side of Soobin’s desk. It’s conveniently situated right next to Soobin’s gaming PC, filled with snippets of inspiration - manga panels that he likes, ones he wants to redraw, small notices, recipes he wants to try and… printouts of Yeonjun’s fashion features.

A totally normal collection of interests.

There’s prints of other models too, clothes that Soobin wants to wear, but Yeonjun clearly takes up a majority of the space. Which doesn’t mean that Soobin isn’t picky.

“The Wall,” he says, putting on a haughty tone, “Is reserved for looks that did instant, irreversible damage to my brain. Yeonjun can pull any outfit off, but that doesn’t mean Dior knows how to style him.”

In the midst of laughing, Kai seems like he might tease further.

That is, until he thinks the accusation through.

“You know… Yeah. As funny as your crush is, you’re kinda right. The baggy outfits aren’t even the type that he likes.”

Soobin nods, glad that Kai is finally appreciating him in all his wisdom. “I swear they just give him anything from their collection without making sure it’s tailored.”

“I wonder if he’s complained about it to his mum.”

He must have, right? Despite how many times Soobin has criticised a brand with Kai, he’s never considered stuff like that being a regular topic over dinner for the Chois. Does Yeonjun even get a say in what he’s chosen to promote?

“I would,” he says, “She’s a designer. If anyone would understand, it’s her.”

Maybe that’s an aspect of why Yeonjun’s mum is like his best friend. Soobin can’t count on one hand how many times shit talking stuff with Beomgyu brought them closer.

With a tap on the pinboard, Kai turns around. “Speaking of design. You know what your room is missing?” He pauses, taking in the space. “A life-size cutout.”

Soobin levels him with a blank stare. “Really.”

“Yeah!” Kai’s enthusiastic tone is nectar-sweet. “It would look really good next to your desk. Wouldn’t it? Don’t you wanna show that you’re a real Yeonjun fan?”

The Wall might be a little questionable, but even Soobin knows a cardboard Yeonjun in his room is taking it too far. With a snort, he shoves his hands into his pockets. “What, like that cafe with the Ladybug cutout?”

Kai laughs. “Yeah, we can pose with it and say we’re big fans like the Vulpix meme.”

That’s something Soobin wishes he could joke about with Beomgyu. Every time he sees the clips of Vulpix fanboying over Ladybug, the temptation to reveal himself grows.

“We wouldn’t be as viral, though,” Soobin argues, threatened by the manic gleam in Kai’s eyes. “It would be more weird than funny.”

With a sigh, Kai’s shoulders drop. “Fiiiine. But speaking of memes, did you see the new Honey Bee edit?”

Soobin wants to coo at Kai’s proud smile. “Which one?”

“The one that uses Hype Boy as the sound.”

Regretfully, Soobin shakes his head. He knows the song, has seen Woozi, of all people, dancing to it in the school courtyard, but… “I don’t think I’ve seen them.”

Kai reaches for his phone. “I think I sent it to you. Someone made a remix called Hive Boy and the edits are going kinda viral.”

“What type of edits?”

“I’ll show you, hold on.”

Right as Kai clicks on his gallery - which is so endearing that Soobin wants to coo again because he saved them - a ping echoes from his phone. At the same time, Soobin’s phone pings too. Which means it can be one of two things: either Beomgyu sending something to their group chat, or-

“Seems like there’s an akuma,” Kai reads. “The Ladyblog just changed Vulpix’s status to active.”

Still Beomgyu, but not in the form that Soobin would prefer. “Does it say what kind of akuma? Or who?”

“Nothing yet.”

A bad sign.

Soobin can’t believe he’s thinking it, but Hoshi would be better. Predictable, at least. But no memes on the Ladyblog’s forum means no tiger villain. And no posts at all could mean… a power that alters someone’s state of mind, maybe? Long range?

Not good.

Kai starts gathering his untouched homework. “My dad wants me to get home. Sorry we couldn’t hang out longer, but you know how he is about akumas…”

Soobin knows it’s a lie - a pretty good one, actually. Mayor Huening has enough to deal with in regards to outbreaks without worrying for Kai’s safety. He nods, opening the trapdoor. “Get home safe. Talk later?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Kai assures, sliding down the ladder. “I’ll text you.”

“Okay. See ya.”

In a few minutes, he doesn’t add. Standing quickly, Soobin checks his phone - no updates - then begins to climb towards the skylight in his room. The one that leads onto the rooftop terrace. “Tikki!” He calls. A blur of red shoots out from underneath his bed.

“No posts about the villain?” Tikki asks, her antenna flopping to one side, big eyes shiny with concern as she tilts her little kwami head.

“Nope. We’re going in blind.”

Less than ideal.

“Better get going then,” she says, and Soobin agrees.

The warmth of his earrings - his Miraculous - flows outwards as Tikki fuses into them, heeding Soobin’s invocation of her magic.

“Spots on.”

♡︎ ⁀➴ ₊˚⊹

Something is wrong.

Something is very, very wrong.

For a start, there’s the shouting. It echoes from every corner of the streets, shrill, argumentative, yet with no discernible path or direction. There’s also the branches. Spindly and pale, a variety that Soobin struggles to identify because most of his wood type knowledge comes from Minecraft. Beech, probably. It creeps over half of the buildings in his line of sight.

But the most concerning discovery yet?

Hoshi.

Soobin watches, half confused, half horrified. He knows that item - the tiger striped bucket hat which was a gift from Seungcheol, the one Hoshi refused to take off for a month. The one that Soobin had to rip apart to extract an akuma out of once.

It’s ripped again, though this time, entirely by Hoshi’s hand.

Other items lay around him on the ground. A tiger striped pencil case, torn in two. A tiger striped pen, shattered to pieces. Something that used to be a tiger keychain but is now marred by a slash down the centre, stuffing pouring out from inside.

Hoshi doesn’t even spare a glance when Soobin lands in front of him.

“Hey,” Soobin tries, as gently as he can. Is this some sort of mental breakdown? “Is everything okay?”

When Hoshi looks up, Soobin very quickly realises the answer is no. Not okay. There’s a pink shimmer, smeared across Hoshi’s face as if someone dragged glitter dusted fingers over his cheek, eyes glowing red, vampiric in their intensity. He seems… dazed. Not fully present. Dropping the hat on the ground, Hoshi stomps on it, then hisses out an entirely unpredictable set of words.

“Fuck tigers.”

Soobin almost laughs.

Almost.

The vitriol in Hoshi’s tone indicates he doesn’t mean it in the furry way that Beomgyu always jokes about. Which is a reason for… concern? There’s no point staying. Soobin can’t help Hoshi on an individual level, can only hope that the destruction doesn’t go too far. Where’s the source? That’s what he needs. With a swing of his yoyo, Soobin brings himself up onto a nearby chimney, taking mental notes. Pink glitter. Dust? As he avoids the branches, he notices that some of them have flowers sprouting at odd angles. Pollen, then?

That could be trouble.

Hoshi must’ve come in contact with the villain, attested to by the handiwork across his face, but what if some of the effects are airborne? Soobin pays enough attention in biology to know that won’t be good. Long range, just like he predicted. But the red eyes. What could those mean?

“Ladybug!”

“Bee!” The square of roof is not as safe as Mayor Huening’s apartment, but definitely safe enough to land on. Soobin shuffles to make space.

“What do we know? Have you seen Vulpix yet?”

“No, I haven’t.” Anxiously, he winds and unwinds the string of his yoyo. “But I saw Hoshi. He had something pink on his face and his eyes were red. I found him destroying all the tiger stuff he owns.”

Honey Bee’s lips press together in a pensive frown. “Hoshi? Destroying tiger stuff?”

“Yeah, it seemed like he hated tigers all of a sudden,” Soobin reiterates, because what the hell is going on. And why is Hoshi somehow always involved?

“Have you noticed the flowers?”

“What?”

“The ones on the branches.” Pointing at a nearby bloom, Honey Bee adds, “I saw a lot of them on my way here. My first thought was: well that’s an unconventional bouquet combo, but okay.”

Soobin leans down to get a better look, amused that Bee’s first instinct was to judge the floral arrangement when they have an unknown akuma on their hands. “And the second thought?” He prompts.

“That none of these flowers typically grow on branches. Or trees.”

“It’s an akuma, of course it’s not going to follow the laws of nature.”

Honey Bee huffs, then crouches down next to another flower. He doesn’t touch it, so Soobin doesn’t either. “That’s where my third thought comes in. All the flowers are red.”

Wow, Soobin thinks, Honey Bee’s - or Kai’s, really - part time job at the florist has taught him so much. “Okay, so that might explain the red eyes?”

“Maybe,” Honey Bee mumbles. It’s absent, deep in thought. Then, suddenly, he stands up with a gasp. “I think I know why this person was akumatised.”

“Huh?” Soobin is so lost.

Did Kai really figure it out from the flowers?

Grabbing his arm, Honey Bee steps onto the branches. “Okay, I think these are fine to walk on. Follow me. Oh, and don’t touch the flowers.”

Soobin treads along the makeshift path with careful steps, more confused by the minute. “Is it something to do with their pollen?”

“Yes. And no.”

There’s an array of colour bursting out from a convergence of branches ahead of them. One that Honey Bee was entirely correct about: it is a strange bouquet. Soobin tries to peer closer until he’s harshly yanked back.

Honey Bee nods once, barely, as if he just confirmed his theory. “I’m guessing you recognise the roses and tulips.”

“Yeah, I know those.”

They’re not hard to spot, the roses in particular appearing more frequently along the branches.

“They all have meanings,” Honey Bee explains, pointing at each flower as he talks. “Roses are associated with love, but also secrecy. Tulips. Unconditional, deep love. Then, carnations. They also mean love but these are variegated, or- uhh, striped, which means… I think it’s something like regret over a love that can’t be shared? And these are red pansies. Their name’s derived from the French word for thought, so these symbolise ‘the thoughts of lovers’.”

Soobin catches on. “All of them have something to do with love?”

Honey Bee nods. “I wasn’t sure until I saw the flowers on the rooftop.”

“The pink ones?” Come to think of it, they’re the only ones that match in colour to the pink that Soobin saw on Hoshi’s face.

“Yes. Dicentra.”

With that tone of voice, dicentra can’t be good. Why is a flower name so stress inducing? “And what do those mean?”

“Their other name is bleeding hearts, which is exactly what it sounds like.” Honey Bee glances around with a grimace. “Heartbreak.”

“So you’re saying…”

“I think the reason someone got akumatised was because of unrequited love. A broken heart. Something of that sort.”

“But how-”

“And bleeding hearts are poisonous.”

“What?” Soobin almost shrieks.

Isn’t that more important than what the flowers symbolise?!

Without so much as flinching, Honey Bee continues, “Except, like you said, akumas don’t follow the laws of nature. So I think the ones we saw are just visual replicas that have symbolic meaning.”

It’s been a long time since Soobin felt this dumb and helpless in his hero suit. “Which is?”

“That they’re poisonous but not in the normal sense. Hoshi was destroying tiger stuff, right?”

Soobin frowns. “Yeah.”

“And Hoshi loves tigers.”

The conclusion clicks in Soobin’s brain, eyes wide as he voices it. “The pollen is emotional poison rather than physical.”

“It makes you hate the thing-” Honey Bee pauses, listening to the shouting below, “Or the person that you love the most. Or love in general. I’m not quite sure.”

Hopefully they won’t get to experience it firsthand.

“So whoever got akumatised suffered from heartbreak and is making everyone else feel it too?”

The nod that Honey Bee gives is proud but melancholy at the same time. “That’s my current theory. Right before Valentine's, though? That’s rough.”

“Yeah.” Surprising, too. If anything, Soobin thought they might be dealing with confession related akumas on the actual holiday. “Let’s split up. Look for the villain or where the branches are thickest. Both of those could help in figuring out how to solve this.”

“I’ll let you know if I find anything.” With that, Honey Bee slings his spinning top and dives in between the buildings, towards the market square. Good call.

Soobin heads in the opposite direction.

As he goes, he can’t help but notice how the branches grow in frequency, encasing buildings to the point where his yoyo latches onto thick boughs instead of any roof or balcony that hides beneath. He follows their path, red roses guiding his way. It could almost be romantic if not for where they lead to.

A fashion agency.

The same one Kai left just a few hours ago.

Soobin taps on his yoyo, the wings splitting apart to activate his communicator.

Kai picks up in a matter of seconds. “Did you find the villain?”

“No, but I found the source. I’m at the Choi’s fashion agency.” Surveying all the pale roots that sprout upwards from beside the building, Soobin knows this must’ve been where an akuma struck. He recalls the flowers in the background of Kai’s shoot, then stares up at the sprawling roses right in front of him. It makes sense. A movement to the left catches his eye. Orange and… green? “I think I see Carapace and Vulpix,” he says, theory confirmed when the person dressed in orange reaches for a flute strapped to their back. “Maybe we should regroup and look for the akumatised together.”

“Got it, leader. I’ll be there in a minute.”

The call goes silent. Soobin snorts at being called a ‘leader’, then swings around the building to join his teammates. What greets him is a reassuringly familiar sight.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Vulpix backs away from Carapace.

The turtle hero’s laugh is hollow. “What’s wrong with me? You’re the one who can’t even have a normal conversation. Being friends with you feels like another one of your illusions. Are you gonna keep lying and say you hate me? Cos at least when I say it, I’m not being a liar. I fucking hate you.”

At such a close distance, Soobin hears Vulpix’s breath hitch. He frowns. That’s not normal. Carapace is the most patient member of the group. The calm one. What did Soobin miss?

Vulpix’s voice comes out meek. “Is that what you really think?”

“Does it look like I’m joking?”

He must be, right? Soobin tries to gauge what happened, glancing at Vulpix, then turning back around to search Carapace’s eyes.

Carapace’s red eyes.

“Vulpix,” he warns, moving to separate the two.

Things could get ugly fast.

“No!” Vulpix protests, stepping around Soobin to jab a finger into Carapace’s chest. “If Carapace has something on his mind then he should be honest instead of lying like I do, right?”

“That’s right,” Carapace agrees, head tilting up in disdain. It exposes the bridge of his nose, smeared with pink all the way across his brow.

Soobin’s mind moves at a mile a minute. Does the pollen require skin on skin contact? Was Carapace first on the scene? How did the villain get past his shield? And more importantly, Carapace… loves Vulpix?

Honey Bee touches down behind them. “What’s going on?”

“Let’s hear it then,” Vulpix huffs angrily, “What else do you think?”

Unmoved by their proximity, Carapace takes the offer. “That your powers are on par with your personality. Don’t you think it’s obvious how you say one thing as a cover up for something else? Have you ever been honest with yourself?”

A mask might cover Vulpix’s entire face but the tremble in his tone says it all. “You don’t know shit about me.”

“Yeah, I don’t.” Carapace refuses to let up. “Because you’ve been acting like a brat for half the time we’ve known each other.”

It all happens too fast.

Vulpix moves his hand.

To punch Carapace, to gesticulate frustratedly or to lift the flute to his lips, none of them know, but Carapace seems to take it as a threat, his signature green barrier expanding. Soobin stumbles back, bumping into Honey Bee who manages to steady him. Vulpix isn’t as lucky. He coughs, once, twice, then descends into a wheeze that seizes his entire chest, pollen rising up around him in a cloud. The batch of red beneath him looks tauntingly pretty in the sunlight.

Two heroes down for the count.

Soobin cringes. Their morning English Lit class won’t be easy, for reasons beyond their usual lack of sleep if Vulpix finds and curses Taehyun out.

“Ha.” Vulpix croaks, dusting himself off. “You talk shit about me hiding my emotions, yet here you are, putting up a literal shield.”

Soobin gapes.

Did he just-?

Wait.

What?

Carapace’s barrier dissipates. “Just being safe. At least I know when to lower my guard, something I don’t think you and your emotionless mask understand.”

Though it’s clear that nothing being said is earnest, Soobin almost wants to scratch his head. Why isn’t Beomgyu leaving to go look for Taehyun?

“Funny how I can still express more emotions with that mask on than you can without it.”

It catches up to him then; the subconscious realisation.

But... No way, right?

Beomgyu likes Taehyun. Without a doubt. If he’s here after breathing in a lungful of the pollen instead of searching for-

Then that must mean-

Holy shit.

Is Carapace…?

“Uh, Ladybug,” Honey Bee whispers. It’s loud, but the two heroes in front of them don’t seem to care, drawing closer and closer to each other. “They’re both affected, aren’t they? Cos it looks like they’re gonna fight. Should we do something about that?”

“Right, uh- Yeah.” Soobin shakes the shock off, saving it for later. “Hold back Carapace, I’ll get Vulpix.”

“Got it.”

They split off, Honey Bee approaching Carapace with held up hands, Soobin taking on a less refined approach. He grabs Vulpix by the waist, pulling him away.

The fox hero shrieks. “Let me go!”

“Not until you learn some manners,” Soobin huffs, knowing Vulpix won’t remember any of this anyway. Probably. Hopefully. He drags him over to the nearest lamppost, yoyo thrown around the pole and twisting around Vulpix’s entire body. That’ll do.

But then-

Soobin groans as he remembers that he’ll need that yoyo. He turns around to search for a replacement when a crash sounds from behind him.

“Okay, so, bad news,” Honey Bee reports, sprouting as if from the ground. “Carapace isn’t too happy about being kept away from Vulpix.”

“If only it could always be like that,” Soobin grumbles. He doesn’t get the time to dwell on any implications beyond a simple oh my god, Cat Noir was right about them before he’s forced to duck, a bright green disc flying over his head.

Honey Bee yelps. “How are we gonna stop him?”

“You didn’t say he was attacking!”

“I was getting there!”

“Fuck.” Soobin lets himself act unprofessional just this once. “I don’t have my yoyo. I used it to tie Vulpix.”

For a second, the mini, bronze hexagons of Honey Bee’s goggles bore into Soobin’s soul. What is he thinking? When another disc flies in between them, making Soobin stumble back, Honey Bee seems to have his mind made up.

“Alright, I got this,” he says.

As Carapace staggers towards them, shield ready to shoot out another barrier disc, Honey Bee flies overhead, spinning top in hand, reminiscent of the way that Cat Noir had tackled Hoshi just five days ago. “Venom,” he hisses out.

His weapon merges with his hand into a stinger that he stabs into Carapace’s arm.

The turtle hero freezes on the spot.

Soobin gasps. “Bee!”

“I know, I know,” Honey Bee whines, landing gracefully. “I’ve only got five minutes now. But that was the quickest way to solve the problem, right? We can’t waste time here making sure these two don’t fight.”

It’s… reasonably logical.

Which means that Honey Bee might be the action-taking-troublemaker Cat Noir was hoping for. Soobin has to admit, he’s impressed. “What about Vulpix?”

“There’s probably some rope in the studio.” The way Honey Bee says it means there’s definitely rope there and he knows it. “I’ll use that to tie Vulpix to the pole so you can have your yoyo back.”

Soobin’s brows furrow. “And what about you?”

“I’ll detransform and get Pollen some food to restore her energy. They’ll have some croissants in here, right? I hope they don’t mind if I steal a few.”

It’s a good plan. The best that they could get with Vulpix and Carapace at each other’s throats anyway. Which means there’s three heroes down temporarily.

Soobin bites his lip beneath his mask, glancing at the branches. He wishes Cat Noir were here. Not only would his power be of use in taking down the flowers with a single touch - alleviating one concern - but he’d be a reassurance.

As of now, Soobin feels off balance.

He sighs. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“It’s a buzzkill,” Honey Bee laughs. What has Cat been teaching him? First the chaotic problem solving methods, now the bad puns? “But I’ll stay out of sight and join you as soon as I can.”

“Alright,” Soobin agrees. They’ve already spent too much time here, letting the akuma run amok in the city. Where should he start? An idea comes to mind. “I’ll head towards the Eiffel Tower.”

Tourists.

Couples.

People in love.

The perfect hunting grounds for hate inducing spells.

Honey Bee nods. He goes to stand by Vulpix, ready to recover Soobin’s yoyo. “Please don’t get hit by hate magic. If Cat Noir doesn’t show up, I don’t think my knowledge of flower symbolism will help me out much.”

Kids, Cat Noir called them.

Soobin understands the sentiment now, patting Honey Bee’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, you’ve already done a great job. I’ll do my best too.”

With that, he yanks his yoyo free, watching Vulpix stumble forwards until the string of Bee’s yellow and black spinning top traps him back against the lamppost.

“Good luck,” Bee wishes, paired with a salute.

It makes Soobin laugh.

Saluting back, he hears a pleased giggle as he raises himself back to rooftop level, careful of the flowers as he races down the semi-shrouded tiles. It’s a mindless chase, thoughts straying from the path beneath his feet - namely things like Carapace’s combat style outfit makes a lot of sense, then the facial covering must hide his snakebites, and more importantly he was with Yeonjun at the agency when the akuma struck, which must’ve left him open for attack.

Distantly, also, he hopes that Yeonjun is okay.

Closing in on the tower, Soobin shakes his head clear, trying to assess the danger. One bridge left to cross, but even from a distance, it’s not the most inviting. Branches crawl over the roads, piercing through the water, climbing over parapets to form a tunnel filled with flowers. A trap for anyone who wants to walk across.

Because the only way is through.

Luckily, Soobin doesn’t share that problem. The shouting from inside the tunnel - all around him too - is equal to the roars that signal Hoshi’s transformation, but…

He sees a teenager throwing CDs from their window, another person yelling through the phone, a couple cursing at each other over freshly ordered coffee. The sudden hatred is non-violent but so full of spite that it makes Soobin pause. They all seem in a trance. Bleary, red-eyed zombies, stumbling around as if drunk until they find their target, no perception outside of that one goal. Less… aware than Carapace and Vulpix seemed.

That’s what feels most unsettling - the mindless arguing of some, versus the haunting, vacant silence of the others.

Are they aware at all of what they’re doing once they’ve breathed in pollen?

It must’ve been inhaled, Soobin guesses, judging from how many people seem affected. Long term exposure could be at fault too, settling like ash on skin from flowers that invade the streets.

It’s strangely beautiful.

In a way. Like nature that reclaims old settlement sites. Though less serene, the sight before him holds its own sort of power. Its own form of justice.

He lands on the pavement, surrounded by eyes reminiscent of the blinking red in cameras, though none of them are focused on him. For once, nobody notices. Soobin wouldn’t consider himself egotistical, but in his hero suit, he’s gotten used to being pointed out. Now, however, he feels like just another speck of red amidst the dreary backdrop, matching ill-fated flowers more than any of the cursed civilians.

It feels dystopian.

Soobin always wondered how he’d act if thrust into those worlds - he’s watched enough isekai and action plots to know adjusting would be rough. Especially alone. No Vulpix to diffuse the tension with a joke, no Honey Bee to skip across the street in wonder, no Carapace to ask him questions. No Cat Noir to lean on and distract him from the strangeness.

Just him and one of the most powerful akumas they’ve faced.

One that must be nearby, judging from the scale of the damage. It would be easier if everyone affected was attacking him. That much Soobin knows. He wanders down the street, assessing every face he passes. Pink dust isn’t smeared across their skin, the colour only present in their cheeks as they exhaust their anger.

A scratching sound ahead makes Soobin’s gaze shoot up.

Should he celebrate?

Or cower, maybe. A few of the branches that surround the bridge shift with a jarring scrape, extending outwards like a spider crawling forth, and, at their centre, a human figure, all in white.

The person who’s akumatised.

Soobin’s first instinct is to run.

But unlike every person he’s cursed out in horror films, he runs towards the danger, rather than away from it. Risk calculated, decision made. It helps that the akumatised often find themselves drawn to those who hold Miraculous, as if, on instinct, they’re aware that it can stop them. Soobin hopes it works to his advantage. If he can make the villain follow him, then hopefully no other people will be targeted. Overhead, grey clouds make everything seem greyer, duller while he weaves his way up to the bridge with purpose, eyes locked on the target. It’s a reach but Soobin manages to swing across the river, yoyo latched onto the Eiffel Tower. It lands him directly on the footpath where the tunnel ends.

And there’s arguing on this side of the river too.

Frustration. Swearing. To his left, though, Soobin spots concerned, unaffected eyes peeking from behind the trees. He holds their gazes, miming as best as he can. Don’t touch the flowers. Plugging his nose for emphasis, he breathes a heavy sigh of relief once the civilians nod and hide again.

Only to tense when he realises the scraping has drawn closer.

Soobin doesn’t want to look. He’s out in the open, in the middle of the road, drawing attention exactly in the way that he intended. Except, it doesn’t lessen the adrenaline.

The first thing that he sees is white boots.

Ending just below the knee, they match the tucked in trousers, branches twined around lean thighs for support. Spindly outgrowths creep around the villain’s chest to form a second set of ribs, clawing over wide shoulders, encasing them from behind; where every branch ends, the snowy colour of the villain’s blouse is stained with crimson. Endless puncture wounds around the deep red of a ripped out heart. Their arms aren’t spared, smeared with a shade of pink that also coats their hands beneath fluttering, cinched sleeves. Pollen.

Transferred by touch, just like Soobin guessed.

He looks up at the villain’s face.

And freezes.

What-?

No.

It can’t-

No.

Soobin blinks, hoping it’s a nightmare, but the features don’t change.

Real.

Instant horror washes over him, so pervading that it feels as if the clouds have opened on an icy rain. There’s no dark specks on the pavement. Nor is there an offer of an umbrella, nothing to protect him from the ghastly realisation.

That the face he’s looking at is Yeonjun’s.

It’s wrong.

All wrong.

Mesmerising brown eyes painted in a fiercer red. Soft, dark hair tinted cotton candy pink, while the bouquet of flowers that Honey Bee identified frames Yeonjun’s head, a crown to match the princely look.

Akumatised.

Soobin can’t deny it, not when he knows that those struck by akumas always have an outfit metamorphosed from the clothes that their civilian selves wore. The fashion agency. Carapace, no, Taehyun being hit first. It all makes too much sense. Yet, Yeonjun looks too pale, swathed in heartbreak, some part of him withered with the akuma leeching off of negative emotion.

Who would dare to break his heart?

It feels impossible.

Snapping out of the initial shock, Soobin stumbles back, muscle memory carrying him onto the first platform of the Eiffel Tower. Shit. He can’t let his usual rose tinted vision cloud his judgement now. With a steadying hand on the beam, he turns around to face the danger.

“Ladybug,” Yeonjun rasps, his eyebrows sloping angrily. “I was hoping you’d come.”

He was?

Jagged branches curl around the beam a few paces ahead of him. They start slithering towards Soobin right as Yeonjun touches down, boots clicking on the metal, each step light as if he’s being carried forward too.

“Yeonjun,” Soobin calls, dismayed, eyes darting between his friend’s face and the flowers trailing after him.

Yeonjun scoffs. “And here I thought we didn’t know each other that well.”

Don’t most people know who Yeonjun is?

What does he mean by that?

Brows furrowed, Soobin grips his yoyo tighter. “Of course I know you.”

“Ah, that sounds romantic.” In contrast to his tone, Yeonjun doesn’t look impressed. “But am I not the more romantic one between the two of us?”

Is this some sort of joke about his villain form?

Soobin finds himself resorting to his least favourite method of action: reasoning. If he can figure out what Yeonjun wants - what made him turn this way - then maybe he can help. “Did someone not appreciate your efforts?”

Even Yeonjun’s laugh sounds wrong, too self-pitying and manic. “Don’t you?”

He’s asking for Ladybug’s opinion?

What can Soobin say?

The flowers are pretty but they would be prettier if they weren’t engulfing the whole city. Or turning everyone into hate-imbued zombies. As the wind picks up, Soobin glances around cautiously for any pollen rising off the flowers. None so far. “It’s unique,” he says, trying to placate Yeonjun while he figures out where the akuma is, “I like the flowers, though I can’t say that the yelling is on theme.”

Yeonjun’s pink lips stretch into a grin. “How about I show you something more on theme, then?”

His fingers fan out.

Soobin gets a total of one second to realise that Yeonjun is about to blow a kiss - blow pollen his way - arm shooting out on instinct as a cover. He curls his body to the side, half blinded by the sudden glow that comes out of his yoyo. What the fuck? Blinking away white spots, he finds something new unfurling in his hand.

A fan.

Thank you, Tikki, he thinks desperately, grateful for the upgrade. Breath held, he sweeps his arm across his body with enough force to send the pollen back.

Can Yeonjun be affected by his own powers?

Soobin doesn’t wait to find out.

He visualises the fan retracting so that he can use the yoyo for its best intended purpose: pulling himself higher. Escape. Distance is key with long range powers, he recalls. Get some space, figure out a plan. His yoyo clangs against the metal as it unwinds, followed closely by a scraping. Though the fighting space is narrower, at least it’s far away from the evacuated civilians below, familiar enough territory to manoeuvre too. Not to mention, Soobin figures that the stronger winds could work to his advantage - they won’t carry pollen in the direction Yeonjun wants. As he turns around, a bundle of twigs shoots out, coiling tightly around the beam on his left. Another follows on the right, like a jagged extension of limbs, hoisting Yeonjun up onto the platform.

Soobin lets his fan unfold.

He assesses the escape routes. Four legs of the tower to swing around, standout platforms above to cling onto if necessary. Maybe he should try to knock Yeonjun off balance from below?

“Avoiding me?” Yeonjun takes a step closer, unhurried. “Is that any way to treat a fan?”

Was that… a pun?

Even Cat Noir has better jokes than that.

“Maybe your approach could use some work,” Soobin offers. After all, if Yeonjun wasn’t in this state, running away would be the last thing on his mind. Even now, it’s just a strategy. He waves his fan at Yeonjun, an invitation to come closer. “Wanna practice?”

Yeonjun’s eyes glimmer, filled with empty humour. “That sounds like you’re flirting with me.”

Does it?

Soobin flushes, taking a step back as Yeonjun counters forwards. Isn’t he supposed to have a broken heart? Was Kai’s theory about the flowers wrong? “I’m just saying,” he answers lamely, flustered at the sight of Yeonjun’s growing grin, even while in villain form, “This isn’t the best way to express your feelings.”

“Isn’t it?” Yeonjun switches over to his other lethal weapon. Pouty lips and sad eyes. “But I’m taking your advice. Crying a bit, letting my emotions out.” He spreads his arms, branches twining like a net behind him, blocking one escape route. Flowers bloom along the offshoots at a supernatural pace. “Putting on a show.”

When did he…?

The interview.

Beomgyu’s feature for the Ladyblog.

Soobin listed all those things as ways of dealing with rejection, right?

Putting on a show wasn’t meant like this, he almost whines but his eyes zero in on Yeonjun’s open, lace-up collar - the necklace laying delicately over exposed collarbones. A dark purple clip-on charm with an opalescent sheen.

Bingo.

Can he get close enough to break it off?

It’ll take some acrobatics if he wants to get his hands on it, though landing on all fours feels like a far away dream, especially with his own level of agility. Fuck. Where the hell is Cat Noir? Think fast. Distract.

“This type of show isn’t what I meant.”

If he keeps talking, maybe he can use his fan to break the distance safely. But what about the branches? Yeonjun won’t just stand and wait for him to approach.

“Oh?” True to Soobin’s belief, Yeonjun’s gaze darkens. The flush across his cheeks matches with the pollen, slightly blotchy, almost angry too. Is he? “But didn’t you say that you enjoyed the visual displays of love?”

Yeonjun rushes forwards, flowers blooming in his wake.

Dodging right, Soobin swings his fan.

His mask probably acts as a shield, but if too much settles on his face, he knows he won’t be immune. Vulpix wasn’t. He feints left, then jumps into the open centre, stepping on the branches that weave underneath - the ones blocking his escape below. First plan nipped in the bud. If he can’t trick Yeonjun then he’ll have to dance along. Soobin evens out the playing field, resetting the terrain, pulling himself up one platform higher, two, then three, the space narrowing significantly. He hears Yeonjun follow, hot on his heels.

The fresh air and wind give Soobin time to breathe.

Why isn’t Yeonjun looking for the one who broke his heart?

Why is he quoting Beomgyu’s article?

Did he get in a fight with someone over it?

Unless-

Soobin doesn’t want to entertain the possibility, but with Yeonjun chasing after him - while other akumas would’ve tried to get around the heroes by now, aiming for a different target - then…

Then maybe Soobin is the target.

Or rather, Ladybug.

But why?

Yeonjun doesn’t seem like the type to fall into a parasocial crush, at least not to this degree. Landing on a platform, Soobin doesn’t rest, using the momentum to kick off and swing around a beam as Yeonjun comes up through the central opening. Hurtling at him full force, Soobin hopes the contact - and a push towards the edge - will disorient Yeonjun enough for him to grab the charm.

But somehow, Yeonjun seems prepared.

Branches flood out just ahead of pink hair, splaying instantly over the platform, blocking Soobin from approaching midair.

Toying with him.

Soobin realises it then, through the brief haze of confusion over how the hell Yeonjun knew what his strategy would be - if Yeonjun wanted to, he could overwhelm him with ease. Which means the improbable theory might be correct: there’s a reason why he’s not going all out, a reason that might have something to do with Ladybug being the cause of his state.

Soobin needs to figure out why.

If not for de-akumatising, then at least for his own peace of mind.

“That wasn’t very romantic, was it?” Yeonjun taunts, rising through the outgrowths like a flower in bloom. His hands unfurl, like petals facing the sun. “But since you trust my refined opinion so much, I’m sure you’ll let me teach you. Starting with some boundaries.”

What does that-?

Soobin doesn’t get the chance to ask before thick boughs crowd underneath them, all around them, weaving together to cocoon the platform; a wayward bud enveloping the stalk provided by the Eiffel Tower. One of Yeonjun’s sleeves slips down his arm, exposing pollen all the way down to his elbow. The colour smudges on the metal beam he’s gripping too.

Trapped.

Yeonjun trapped them.

It’s not a boundary that Soobin is happy with. What can he do? He holds his breath, only to realise that there’s no fresh flowers joining the already bloomed ones. Did forming the cocoon exert too much of Yeonjun’s power to sprout poison too? Or is Soobin really being toyed with?

“What do you want?” He says, not expecting a real answer.

Yeonjun’s hand drops. A second passes, calm, quiet with the sudden lack of wind in their enclosed space. “To make you see me.”

The words echo.

They don’t make any sense.

What is Soobin doing right now, if not seeing him? If not staring at Yeonjun, in disbelief at how pretty he looks even when he’s on the verge of crying, even while akumatised. Shit. Is Yeonjun crying?

A frown takes over Soobin’s face. “I see you.”

The same laugh as before bubbles out of Yeonjun’s mouth, unusually high pitched, eyes too sad to match it. “No you don’t.”

He breaks off a nearby branch, slightly jagged and uneven, the same length as his arm. It melds beneath his touch. Smaller offshoots crowd around his wrist like antlers, guarding skin, more branches twining together to form a handle while the end grows thinner, sharper.

It takes Soobin a second to recognize the thing in Yeonjun’s hand but as soon as he does, his eyes grow wide in panic.

A rapier.

And, unlike most of those akumatised, Yeonjun knows how to wield the weapon he’s made.

Soobin curses under his breath. What good is a fan against a rapier? He should’ve just signed up for Mr Wang’s fencing classes back when Beomgyu teased him about trying it. At least then, he’d be better suited to taking Yeonjun headfirst in a fight, all at the low cost of his dignity and perhaps embarrassing himself in front of Yeonjun.

Because he’s definitely about to embarrass himself now.

“A fight isn’t going to solve anything,” Soobin tries, aiming to stall.

He gauges any footholds nearest to him. Evade. That feels like the right tactic until he can get close enough to grab the charm. Except… Can Yeonjun still manipulate the branches? What if Soobin finds himself tied down the second that he touches them? Entirely at Yeonjun’s mercy. For a single, insane moment, Soobin thinks it wouldn’t be so bad.

With a shake of his head, he clears that thought before it can take root.

Yeonjun huffs, weighing up the rapier. “Not if you keep running away.”

Soobin side steps closer to the wall. High risk, high reward. The branches stay in place, safe to some degree at least. “What about the flowers?”

“They’re just for you,” Yeonjun sneers, lowering his stance. “Why don’t you take one, sweetheart?”

He attacks from the left.

Soobin blocks the blow on instinct.

Then another, from the right, fan sweeping under Yeonjun’s blade to divert all the power from the swing. He rushes forward. The branches prove to be a decent springboard, thin wings helping him to flip backwards, overhead, in a stunt that Cat Noir would certainly be proud of. Thank god the fan isn’t as flimsy as he thought. Soobin lands, slightly dizzy, mind still reeling from what Yeonjun said because he could’ve sworn it sounded just like-

Yeonjun doesn’t waste a second, rapier poised for Soobin’s midsection.

Diving to the side, Soobin yelps as Yeonjun follows. Did he predict the dodge? So fast? The rapier misses Soobin’s arm but manages to nick his hand instead. Instantly, it starts to sting, the cut shallow but annoying.

What the fuck?

Soobin feints but Yeonjun seems to have this figured out too, jabbing with his rapier in a way that overbalances his weight enough for Soobin to push aside the blade - the branch? It’s a well-rehearsed manoeuvre; one he used to provoke Cat Noir with back when they’d first started sparring, when the baton felt awkward in the cat hero’s hand.

Yeonjun scowls, then aims for Soobin’s feet.

A buzz cuts through their strained breaths as black, translucent wings lift Soobin off the ground, knees tucked so that the rapier doesn’t snag his ankles. Using the momentum, Soobin flies backwards. He lands with less grace than he’d like, quicker than he’d like too, but he’s never tried to use his wings like this, on uneven terrain, in close combat. Yeonjun recovers from the shock quickly, bringing up his rapier in a smooth stroke that misses Soobin’s forehead by a hair. Fuck, that was close. Does Yeonjun want them to have matching eyebrow slits?

It’s such a stupid thought that it makes Soobin huff, the sound agitating Yeonjun even more.

The next sweep of the rapier draws another streak of blood, this time from Soobin’s other hand. Soobin winces. It’s not deep at all, though it definitely could’ve been. Is Yeonjun holding back? Their suits are able to withstand a lot, so maybe if Soobin hadn’t been transformed, the moment of stupidity would’ve ended much worse.

There’s just something… familiar about the way that Yeonjun fights.

It’s distracting.

Unnerving.

Yeonjun stands across from him, en garde, utilising all the grace that Soobin lacks. Still, Soobin moves to copy his position - somewhat, at least - bringing up the fan, leaning back on his right leg. Challenge accepted.

Is this what Yeonjun truly wants?

Before Soobin can speak, Yeonjun lunges forwards, forcing him to parry. The edge of his fan screeches where it meets the sharpened side of Yeonjun’s rapier, weapons sliding to the sides. It’s then that Soobin chooses to riposte, leaning forward as he slaps against the antler guard on Yeonjun’s wrist. He puts enough force into it that Yeonjun hisses.

Stung a little too.

Soobin doesn’t let himself feel smug.

He knows he’s lucky since there’s a clear imbalance. Not of power, though Soobin wagers the attacks themselves could wear them down after a while, but… he doesn’t want to hurt Yeonjun. He can’t hurt Yeonjun. The blood beading at the cuts on his hands proves the same isn’t necessarily true vice versa.

It’s a disadvantage.

One that feels more pressing now, despite how often he’s aware of it while in his hero suit. There’s been no chance to snatch the akuma off of Yeonjun’s neck, or overpower him without the threat of a long, annoying thorn in Soobin’s side.

He’ll need to use his lucky charm.

They can’t go on fighting forever - eventually, something will give, and Soobin isn’t willing to wait around and see if it’ll be him. With Yeonjun on the other end, it doesn’t feel impossible.

He flicks his fan, inviting Yeonjun to come closer, and with a frustrated expression, Yeonjun does.

It’s in that moment, as their weapons clash again, that Soobin is reminded of a week ago - or was it two weeks? - when his niece had sat him down to paint his nails, insisting that they watch Mulan together. Kai outdid himself with his Mushu impression, but it’s the ending fight that sticks in Soobin’s mind more than the nail polish they’d spilled over the table.

A fan and a sword.

Disarm. If he can get the rapier out of Yeonjun’s hands for just a few seconds, he’ll have enough time to call on his lucky charm and assess his surroundings with it.

To come up with a plan.

Yeonjun disengages from their struggle, rapier moving lightning fast beneath the fan but Soobin somehow knew that it was coming. Isn’t that what Cat does when they spar too? He pushes down with extra force, jumping to the side as Yeonjun lunges straight away, right into his trap.

A hint of shock flickers over Yeonjun’s face.

Allowing himself to feel a little smug, Soobin snaps the fan shut, twisting it, rapier still trapped in between the ribs. He sends a mental thank you to his niece. With a quick retreating step, aided by his wings, he manages to rip the weapon out of Yeonjun’s hold, extricating it and tossing it aside as much as the small space allows. Now or never.

“Lucky charm,” he calls, eyes never leaving Yeonjun.

It’s… a gamble.

One that Soobin intends to put all of his good luck towards.

The colours of the world around him bleed out of his vision, leaving everything in shades of black and white. All balanced. He holds his hands out.

Nothing.

Soobin frowns.

Did it not work?

His vision is still monochrome so the power must be at play, but if that’s the case, then where’s the item? Where’s the lucky charm?

Is it an object that’s already there?

Panic rises slowly in his throat. He’s never had a situation like this, empty handed after calling on the power, yoyo laying motionless in his hand. His- Soobin’s eyebrows shoot up.

His hand.

It’s…

Entirely red.

He hadn’t realised it at first because his suit is always red, but there’s no missing how the spots have disappeared, leaving him a glowing beacon in his own vision. He looks at his other hand in disbelief. It’s him. But hadn’t Tikki called the lucky charm a thing that can disrupt the balance? That can restore it? That’s why it glows red in his vision against the monochrome of everything.

It’s never been a person.

Legs equally bright, his torso too… It’s all of him.

He’s the answer.

But how? Unless… His theory must be correct. Ladybug is the reason Yeonjun got akumatised. Soobin glances up. It’s been a few seconds, enough for Yeonjun to instigate an attack while he stood still, confused. But no attack comes.

Yeonjun stares at him, mildly confused too. “Where’s the item?”

Soobin’s jaw… drops.

It’s no secret; the fact that ‘lucky charm’ is in his arsenal, or the way he always gets around a problem with its aid. He’s never described the inner workings of it to the public though, and few have been in a position dire enough to see it used.

Yeonjun isn’t one of those people.

Soobin would remember if he was.

So why did Yeonjun ask about it like he knows? Like he’s well acquainted with how it’s supposed to work? Sure, it could be word of mouth; there’s plenty of articles online debating the semantics of his powers.

But Yeonjun’s tone is demanding.

“There isn’t one,” Soobin confesses, willing his yoyo back into a fan.

“Bullshit,” Yeonjun growls, breaking off another branch, fingers coiling around it firmly as it undergoes the same magical girl, branch to rapier transformation. Half of Soobin wishes that his lucky charm had been a rapier too. “You always get an item.”

He knows.

It’s then, as Yeonjun swings at him again, that Soobin feels as if the air has left his lungs.

Maybe Yeonjun is familiar with the power.

It strikes Soobin with more clarity than any of their blows. He parries a hit on his left, then moves closer, underneath the blade as Yeonjun sweeps it to the right, hearing as it bounces off the half-uncovered beam behind him with a dull thwang. Is Yeonjun really-? A block on the side, a jump as Yeonjun tries to kick his legs out from beneath him, a muted whistle, followed by a dodge as Yeonjun’s left fist flies towards his face. All of it, practised. Relenting for a second, Soobin pulls back, fan expanded fully to dispel a cloud of pollen that soars in his direction in the same way handfuls of dirt have on multiple occasions.

The nasal laugh is missing, but Yeonjun’s voice is equally impatient as the sudden gust of wind knocks him off balance. “Where is it?!”

Soobin sees him.

Clearly, for the first time.

He swallows painfully around the tightness in his throat. “Isn’t my natural charm enough, kitten?”

It’s a stupid thing to say.

But Yeonjun’s eyes widen.

His rapier falters.

Suspended.

Their dual, heaving breaths fall loudly in the staggered silence, drawing Soobin’s focus to the lack of threat. No flowers. He’d missed it without colour in his vision, but the branches that entomb formerly lush overgrowths seem obvious now. His attention latches onto Yeonjun once more. A blush darkens already grey tipped ears, lips parted with no sound, feet rooted to the ground in shock.

Caught off guard.

Flustered.

It all starts to make sense then.

Why Yeonjun seems to know Soobin’s attacks like the back of his hand; Why, every time that he’s been on a modelling related trip, Soobin’s patrols felt empty too; Why Soobin has never had the chance to rescue him from an akuma, despite the countless times he’s daydreamed about doing so; Why Taehyun was chosen to wield the turtle Miraculous.

Why Cat Noir hasn’t shown up, despite how rare that is.

Soobin couldn’t voice it if he tried.

But Cat Noir has always been the one to do the talking. “You knew?”

If Soobin wasn’t sure before, he is now.

“What?”

There’s a slight tremble in his grip but Yeonjun doesn’t lower the rapier. “This whole time. Did you- Were you lying to me?”

“No. You know me,” Soobin insists, shoulders tense. The heaviness of Yeonjun’s broken voice weighs down on him. “I wouldn’t do that.”

Without moving a muscle, Yeonjun manages to land a stab. “I thought I knew you.”

The words dig into Soobin’s chest, twisting with the ragged inhale he takes. “You do.”

It dawns on him: how careless he’d been with his bluff.

Despite Beomgyu rewriting it, Yeonjun probably saw right through the comment.

And Soobin grows aware, at the wrong moment entirely, that if Cat Noir had said the same, he’d feel upset too. Undermined. He’s told Cat Noir things he’s never dared to share with Kai or Beomgyu - his two best friends - because being behind a mask made it easier. Cat Noir made it easier; provided warmth, solely with his presence. They’ve spent countless hours putting their lives in each other’s hands. Saying they don’t know each other that well - regardless of romantic undertone - is a disservice. Not only to the time they’ve spent together, but the bond that they’ve developed too.

One which felt so much like second nature that Soobin stopped paying attention to it. Even then, continuing to hide their real identities could never change the fact that Cat Noir is someone Soobin - Ladybug - holds closest to his heart.

While Yeonjun’s has been ripped from in between his ribs.

“Cat,” Soobin breathes, scared to say the name any louder. “I’m sorry.”

He knows it’s nowhere near enough.

“It’s not fair.” Yeonjun’s voice splinters. He sticks his rapier into the branch covered platform, a breathless laugh falling past his lips, equally stiff. “You knowing who I am.”

It’s true.

The scales between them aren’t so balanced anymore.

“I didn’t know before.”

Yeonjun frowns.

Is that not the problem?

“It’s not-” A sigh. “I’m not… allowed to be whoever I want when I’m like this. But every time that we hung out…” Yeonjun’s fingers trace along the antler guard, flower petals fluttering down from his hair when he shakes his head. “I got to be my honest self. And I thought-” He looks up at Soobin then, his eyes betraying hurt. “Don’t we know each other beyond the truth of who we are beneath our masks? I never lied about myself to you.” He takes a shaky breath. “Wasn’t that enough?”

It was.

It always has been.

Soobin’s crush on Yeonjun was a simple daydream. Not any kind of possibility. But he recalls the scene like it was yesterday, feels the phantom drumming in his chest - when he and Cat had first transformed, the day they’d stared up at the stars after their first victory, craving closeness, hands still trembling with fear. Had he suggested keeping their identities a secret as a way to guard them both? Or had it been a selfish impulse to keep Cat at arms length, knowing what he’d start to feel eventually if he let Cat know all of him.

Was he only trying to guard himself?

It seems like it. Pairing up with Cat Noir, savouring their time together, joint patrols being a way for him to decompress; the trust has never hinged on their identities. And the fact that Cat Noir - the person he so deeply cherishes - also happens to be Yeonjun doesn’t really change much, in the grand scheme of things.

Apart from making Soobin flustered.

He wishes he could take it back - have enough courage to make this moment sweeter. Maybe it’s still possible. Cat Noir is a romantic.

And he deserves the honesty, more than anyone.

“I panicked,” Soobin blurts out. Uncharacteristic of Ladybug, but so pitifully himself. “When I was asked the question-” What had it even been about? “For the Ladyblog. I thought that I was being asked if we were dating.”

The crease between Yeonjun’s brows smooths out a little. “What?”

It’s ironic, Soobin thinks.

Yeonjun feels more like himself as Cat Noir, while he himself feels like some parts of him are tempered while he’s Ladybug.

Did they have to be balanced in this way too?

“And I was… scared,” he barrels on. “Even of the implication that we might be that close. I just- I didn’t think it would make sense without sharing our identities.” The one thing he’s been scared of without realising. Soobin figures that it would’ve been much easier to… simply tell Cat. Share the insecurity. “You know almost everything about me,” he admits, “But what if the one thing you didn’t know made you like me less?”

Yeonjun looks affronted. “Why would you think that?”

“Because I’m not the same when I’m not Ladybug.” Soobin shifts his gaze away, still in his hero suit, yet somehow more vulnerable than ever in his life. “I didn’t want you to be disappointed.”

“I wouldn’t be,” Yeonjun protests, hand dropping away from his rapier.

“But you’re you,” Soobin argues, gesturing with one arm at the model, the hero, the person with the biggest heart, right in front of him. “Both as Cat Noir and Yeonjun, you’re… you’re cool. The kind of person that someone would imagine a hero to be. I’m nothing like that.”

“What are you even talking about?”

Soobin sighs.

There’s no point in continuing a self deprecating dance around the answer.

“I was scared of getting hurt. Of losing you.” And yet, he’d managed to hurt both of them. “Because…” Will being honest help? It’s the least he can do. Soobin digs up the confession from a place buried deep within him, one he never thought would see the light. “I…” He clears his throat. “I like you.” His fingers tense around his yoyo as he watches Yeonjun’s lips part in surprise. “Both sides of you. I didn’t want to let my feelings grow for Cat Noir but… ended up falling for you as Yeonjun anyway.”

From between the branches, dappled light shines over Yeonjun’s face. Beautiful. Light hair suits him well, Soobin thinks, trying not to focus on what he just confessed.

Yeonjun’s eyes gleam with some indistinct emotion. “You like me?”

“Yes.” Should he breathe the pollen in to prove it? It’s a dumb idea but Soobin feels possessed in some way, no control over the words spilling out of his mouth. “A lot. And it’s unfair that I hurt you while trying to protect myself. It was stupid of me.”

“It was,” Yeonjun agrees, though there’s a lightness to his tone that wasn’t there before. “You… Wait. You know me in civilian form?”

A beep interrupts them.

Soobin’s Miraculous.

Right.

The detransformation countdown. Confessing had distracted Soobin from the fact that Yeonjun is akumatised. Though, he is a lot more lucid than any other victims have been. Could it be because he’s a Miraculous holder?

Soobin doesn’t have the time to dwell on it.

He runs through all the options in his head. There’s one that stands out - not because it makes sense, not tactically at least, but somehow Soobin feels like it’s the best choice. It’ll fix a lot, that much he’s sure of. Without letting himself overthink it, he meets Yeonjun’s concerned, slightly confused gaze and says, “Spots off.”

Somewhere beyond the white light that envelops him, he hears Yeonjun suck in a startled breath.

It’s jarring.

Colour floods back into his vision, the branches all around still pale but with a faint half-shade of life. They barely hinder the crisp breeze that passes through, making Soobin shiver as he squints against the sudden onslaught of sensation. It’s all amplified without his hero suit. He relishes the sight of Yeonjun’s pretty, pink hair again, and is surprised to find a blush on Yeonjun’s cheeks that blends with it, ears so red that they almost match the patches on his blouse.

Could it be that he’s…?

“Soobin,” Yeonjun breathes out.

Quiet.

Testing the name on his tongue.

His eyes roam, taking Soobin in with no disguise. The same grungy outfit that he’d complimented only a few hours ago, before the whole city got forested in his…

Heartbreak.

Soobin’s eyes widen.

The roses.

People turning on the thing- The person they love. Hadn’t Kai told him that the flowers… suggest unrequited feelings? And- What else…?

Deep, unconditional emotion.

The thoughts between lovers.

Secrets.

He dares to hope.

Because why would Cat Noir get akumatised into a heartbreak villain? There wasn’t any hint of disappointment in his tone, and if Soobin allows himself to be delusional for one moment, his name on Yeonjun’s lips sounded almost like a plea. Though what can he- He’s detransformed. Except, his vision singled him out as the lucky charm. So maybe there’s a way for it to work.

It’s a stupid plan.

But hasn’t Cat Noir always been fond of those?

Soobin tugs down the sleeves of his jumper - the one he’d thankfully decided to wear after school instead of keeping it around his waist.

He doesn’t double guess himself.

There’s not a lot of distance left between them.

A bit unsteady, he treads across the branches to get even closer.

Yeonjun lets him, rooted in place, watching Soobin with some sense of awe or disbelief. Giving him a burst of courage. Soobin’s hands tremble as he reaches out, thumbs brushing over Yeonjun’s cheeks through his sleeves, avoiding getting any pollen on his skin.

One shared breath.

Soobin doesn’t waste another second.

He leans down, capturing Yeonjun’s lips in a gentle kiss. Slow, tentative. His eyes flutter shut. A brightness flares behind his eyelids but Soobin doesn’t focus on it, attention cornered by the eager hands pulling on his jumper, welcoming him in without a hint of hesitation. His stomach swoops, not unlike the first time he’d swung off a rooftop. Exhilarating. Adrenaline inducing. Shared with Cat Noir, as always. When he shivers this time, it’s from the warmth of Yeonjun’s mouth against his, the breeze barely noticeable between their arms. Soobin tilts his head, deepening the kiss, pulse thundering at the pleased noise Yeonjun makes. It’s better than he ever let himself imagine.

He slides one hand down, from soft skin to the jut of collarbone, branches pricking at him as the sleeve of his jumper slips. Soobin scarcely feels it. His fingers wrap around the charm on Yeonjun’s necklace, squeezing the small oval in his palm. Then, as if his lips alone can expel it, he kisses Yeonjun harder, willing the heartbroken emotion to be cleansed. Soft locks brush against his knuckles.

The need for air forces him to pull away.

It’s dizzying.

Yeonjun’s eyes blink open slowly.

No longer red.

Did it-? Soobin glances down in wonder to find that the branches have withdrawn from Yeonjun’s chest. Red stains cleared, hands white knuckled where they grip onto his jumper but a healthy colour now, no trace of pink. The trousers Yeonjun wears are brown, freed from bleak discolourment, his knee high boots a darker shade. When Soobin looks back up, he finds that Yeonjun’s hair is dark again, the pretty black that makes his eyes look warm.

And though stripped of the pollen, Yeonjun’s cheeks are rosy.

Soobin laughs.

It worked.

“Hi,” he murmurs, trusting that the tenderness of his tone says enough.

“I like you too,” Yeonjun whispers back.

Their voices are both raspy from the cold air, they’re still encased in a cocoon of branches, tired from their fight, but despite all of that, Soobin grins.

It’s perfect.

He lets go of the charm, a white butterfly fluttering out from in between his fingers.

Yeonjun stares at it in shock. “Is that- H-How did you-?”

Soobin rubs his thumb over the mini ladybug - the one that Beomgyu made. It’s funny. His own black cat charm burns beneath his shirt where it rests against his collarbone, a perfect match.

“I was the lucky charm,” he admits. It’s never been a person, but the power always channels cleansing. He’ll have to ask Tikki about the specifics later. “Your lucky charm,” he chances, hoping that the meaning comes across.

From the smile that tugs at Yeonjun’s lips, Soobin thinks it does.

A smile blossoms on his lips too.

He caresses Yeonjun’s face, heart spilling over his hands in the same, wretched, overwhelming way that Yeonjun’s feelings drowned the city. Impossible to misinterpret. “I’m sorry for upsetting you.”

A sigh. “I’m sorry that I let myself get akumatised.”

Soobin frowns. “You don’t need to apologise for that.”

“For fighting you, then,” Yeonjun corrects, the same sincere look in his eyes that Cat has always had when one of his plans fails.

Technically, Soobin would say this one didn’t.

His offer to talk about it is cut off by a scraping just above, on their right. Their heads both swivel to the sound - to some sort of cane prying apart the branches, allowing more light to flood in. Soobin instantly recognises the buzz.

“Honey Bee?” He calls.

“Ladybug! Sorry it took me a while! Are you alright?” Massive goggles and a fur hood block the light as Honey Bee peers in. “Is the…?” His voice trails off.

Soobin’s throat constricts around a laugh.

They must look silly; him in his grunge style, Yeonjun in old-fashioned, princely clothes. Two opposites, trapped in a - very obviously akuma made - cocoon, no hero in sight. Not to mention that, to Kai’s knowledge, Soobin should be in his room, not stuck in the middle of the Eiffel Tower.

“Right on time, Kai,” he says. It’s even harder not to laugh when Honey Bee’s jaw drops. If there’s one thing Soobin learned though, it’s that maybe keeping secrets isn’t always for the best. He decides to fix that, starting now.

“Kai?!” Yeonjun half yells, looking between both of them with wide eyes.

Kai’s jaw seems seriously at risk of falling off. “W-What-?”

“I’m Ladybug.” In the corner of his eye, Soobin spots Tikki waving.

“Hi, I’m Tikki,” she introduces herself, unphased by the reveal. She must’ve known that it would happen. “It’s nice to finally meet both of you!” She turns to Yeonjun, grinning. “Soobin talks a lot about you.”

“Okay, yeah, uh-” Soobin rushes to cut in. If he didn’t know better, he’d think Tikki is the real kwami of chaos. “Honey Bee- Kai, is there any way you can get us out of here?”

“You’re Ladybug?!”

“Yeah.” It feels good to say out loud. “We can talk about it later?”

A little shocked, Kai nods. Always sensible in these situations. “Right, yeah, priorities. Get you out first, talk about this later. No bonding in the freaky branch ball. How are we gonna get rid of this, though? I assume Cat Noir’s not coming?”

Yeonjun waves. “I’m here but Plagg stayed at the agency, I think.”

It’s a good thing Honey Bee’s grip on the freaky branch ball is steady, since his head clearly spins with the new information. “You- You’re Cat Noir?!”

Soobin gives up.

He laughs.

“Long story.”

“Of course it is,” Kai mumbles. He thinks about it for a second, then huffs. “It makes sense, actually. If you didn’t want to reveal your identity to me, you wouldn’t reveal it to a random civilian, even if it is Yeonjun.”

Yeonjun tilts his head. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

It’s Kai’s turn to laugh. “I’m sure Soobin can tell you.” Prying open a few more branches, he makes a hole big enough to swing out of. “You can fix the scratches on this cane with your magic, right?”

Soobin sighs. “Yeah, give it back to whoever you took it from. Cleanse should take care of it as soon as Tikki has the strength to transform me again.”

“I still have four minutes left,” Tikki notes. “You detransformed after the first beep.”

“You what?” Kai shrieks. “And you didn’t use your power to cleanse the city?”

“Long story,” Soobin insists.

“We can make it work.” There’s the tone. The one Cat Noir always uses when instructing them. Yeonjun wields it like a pro. “Honey Bee- Kai, could you go return the cane? In the meantime, we can use Soobin’s last four minutes to get back to the agency. We’ll get food for Tikki there and I can get Plagg to transform me.”

“What if you don’t get there in time?”

“Stay close, just in case?” Soobin asks, a little sheepish.

With a heavy sigh - like he’s the one who fought, confessed his feelings and revealed his real identity all in one go - Kai agrees. “Sure. You’re an asshole for making me believe I ditched our hangout, by the way.”

“We’re still hanging out, aren’t we?” Lips pursed, Soobin can’t resist adding, “Besides, you were bullying me instead of doing your work.”

“I should’ve bullied you harder.”

Before more loving words can be exchanged, Yeonjun intervenes. “Thanks for coming to get us.”

A kind smile softens Kai’s face. “No problem, Yeonjun. My pleasure. Do you need a hand?”

“We can get out fine,” Soobin grumbles.

Kai cackles. “Ah, it makes sense now why you’re always hogging him as Ladybug too.”

“I don’t-!”

“See you guys at the agency!” Using his elbow to hold the - definitely stolen - cane against his ribs, Kai flings his spinning top somewhere out of sight with a salute.

Then, he’s gone.

On one hand, thank fuck. But, on the other hand, Soobin quickly realises he’s just submitted himself to double the usual bullying, especially where Beomgyu is concerned. Fuck. It’s all a mess. He groans.

“Alright hotshot, wanna get us there before H- before Kai gets ahead of us?” Yeonjun smirks, patting Soobin’s shoulder to get his attention. As if he needs to do that.

Wait.

Hotshot?

That’s new. Soobin feels his ears flush and it’s certainly not from the cold weather. “Right, I’ll, uh-” He hears Tikki giggle quietly beside them. “Spots on.”

A flash of white surrounds him, and somehow with it, his confidence returns.

It makes Soobin wonder.

Has he convinced himself that he’s more confident as Ladybug?

The smirk drops off of Yeonjun’s face as fast as it appeared, lips parting, and for a moment, Soobin wishes that the lower half of his own face wasn’t covered. He aches to pull Yeonjun into another kiss. Later, his brain offers. Hopefully. Judging the angle, he flings his yoyo up towards the opening, making sure he has a safe, secure hold. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Should I…?”

Oh. Right. Yeonjun hasn’t travelled with a superhero in civilian form, since… he’s always been the superhero.

“It’s safer if you hold on from the front.”

Yeonjun’s smile betrays his nerves but it’s grateful nonetheless. “Yeah, I know.”

Soobin doesn’t hesitate to open his arms. He feels his heart thump wildly in his chest at the chance to be close again - to fulfil his wish of carrying Yeonjun across the city as Ladybug. When Yeonjun’s arms wrap around his neck, face nestling in his shoulder, Soobin feels one point of contact away from fainting. “Keep your head tucked and your eyes closed so they don’t water,” he instructs, on autopilot.

Yeonjun’s hands scratch lightly at his nape, playing with the ends of midnight blue hair. Cat Noir’s habit. “Don’t drop me. And don’t go slower for my sake.”

“Got it.” Soobin chuckles. He takes a deep breath in a poor attempt to even out his heart rate, though it proves impossible. His arm shoots out, gripping Yeonjun’s thigh when both of the model’s long legs hook around his hips.

Oh no.

He’s going to die.

“Go on,” Yeonjun encourages.

On muscle memory alone, Soobin tugs the yoyo, arm crossing over Yeonjun’s back as he brings them up to Kai’s makeshift escape route. He crouches when he lands and Yeonjun follows easily, leveraging himself to give Soobin’s legs the necessary space. Another well rehearsed manoeuvre, though they’ve never even tried it.

Maybe knowing each other’s real identities will be the same.

With the fresh breeze against his face and the akuma problem mostly solved, Soobin grins under his mask. “Hold tight, kitten.”

The pet name slips in out of habit.

Shit.

No other option.

Soobin doesn’t hesitate to dive straight off the Eiffel Tower. He feels - as well as hears - Yeonjun scream into his neck. It’s… kind of cute. Probably enough of a distraction . Aided by convenient boughs of branches, he swings across the river without issue, past the red eyed zombie hoard then in between the buildings. Yeonjun’s screaming quiets. His grip stays tight, and even out of hero form, his arm strength is impressive.

Soobin tries not to linger on that thought, despite how any sudden nosebleed would be hidden by his mask. Beep. Three minutes. Focus. They’re almost halfway across the city, far enough for Soobin not to worry about having to call Honey Bee for backup. The yellow and black blur somewhere on his left is reassuring nonetheless.

Especially since Soobin’s mind is elsewhere.

He’s glad he’s taken this exact route countless times because there’s barely any room left in his mind for the direction that they’re headed. Has he ever been this aware of someone? Soobin doesn’t think so. Somehow, Yeonjun feels much smaller in his arms despite his usual larger than life presence. And the fact he’s just as tall. Another beep. It punctuates the wild beat of Yeonjun’s heart, which Soobin feels acutely through his hero suit. Is it from fear? Or something else? A mix of both, maybe. It doesn’t matter that the wind is whistling around them as Soobin hurries past the last few streets towards the agency - Yeonjun’s body warmth seeps into him, creating a cocoon that, unlike the one they left behind, Soobin never wants to leave.

The last beep.

One minute.

Soobin lands with time to spare.

The ground crunches underneath his feet, roots and branches creeping over half the pavement, flowers still intact. They’ll have to be careful. A hand creeps into Soobin’s hair. He hadn’t even realised Yeonjun’s legs had unhooked, the model standing on his own now, still close.

“Stupid mask,” Yeonjun mutters breathlessly.

Have they been thinking of the same thing?

Content to stay in that position for a few more, stolen seconds, Soobin hums, head cradled in between Yeonjun’s hands. At the faintest brush of lips against his temple, his knees turn to jelly.

“You okay?” Yeonjun giggles.

Evil.

No doubt that he’s Cat Noir.

“Yeah.” Composure has never been so far out of Soobin’s reach. “Are you alright? That was some loud screaming back there.”

Pulling back with a huff, Yeonjun lets his arms dangle over Soobin’s shoulders. “I have no idea why Hoshi ever chooses to go with you.”

“Alright lovebirds!” Honey Bee’s sweet trill cuts through the cosy atmosphere. “Save the flirting for later. Let’s find some food and get this mess cleaned up, yeah?”

Two steps back, ears warm at being called out.

“Right.” As usual, Yeonjun recovers first. “I’ll go find Plagg. The food should be on the same tables as before, I’m sure Honey Bee can lead you to them.”

Before Soobin gets the chance to answer, the magic of his transformation falls, leaving him in his civilian form again. Exposed. A little cold. He finds himself immensely grateful for the fact that everyone in the vicinity got hit the worst with all of Yeonjun’s hate pollen. Revealing his identity to one - or, four people, if he counts the whole team - is enough for one day. For ever, probably. “Thank you, Tikki,” he says, catching the poor, worn out kwami in his hands.

“Cookies?” She asks.

Soobin laughs. “Yeah. Cookies. We’ll get you some.”

Yeonjun whines. “Tikki likes cookies?”

“...Yeah?”

“Oh, you’re so lucky. Plagg makes me buy Camembert and the stink does not disappear as fast as the cheese does. My mum looks at me like I’m crazy every time I ask her for perfume.”

Honey Bee’s distinct cackle echoes down the mostly quiet street. “That’s gotta be part of the bad luck end of your deal.” With his arm swung over Soobin’s shoulders, he walks them to the entrance of the agency. “Meet back here?”

The doors are held wide open by thick branches curling out from inside. Shaking his head, Yeonjun lets them through first. “I’ll only be a minute. Meet you by the tables?”

“Got it,” Honey Bee chirps. He directs Soobin to walk down the middle corridor instead of turning left like Yeonjun. “I’ll take good care of him, don’t worry.”

A soft chuckle rings out from behind the door that Yeonjun walked through.

“Shut up,” Soobin hisses, elbowing Kai in the ribs.

“Someone’s hangry.”

The hero suit is much too merciful.

Turning a few corners, they arrive in what must be a break room, tables up against one wall, filled to the brim with food, some couches nearby to relax on. Thankfully empty. Soobin’s eyes zero in on the cookies. It’s like Tikki has some sixth sense for them too because she sits upright, eyes sparkling the closer that they get to her beloved treat.

“Eat up,” Soobin says.

And eat up she does. The event organisers will more than likely be scratching their heads over where a large chunk of their cookies disappeared to. In the meantime, Kai picks up an egg tart, biting into it with poorly concealed glee.

The bonuses of being a hero, right?

When Yeonjun finds them, Kai is chin deep in his third egg tart, dusting crumbs out of the cream coloured fur on his jacket while Soobin munches on some sweet bread. It tastes divine.

“Feasting without me?”

“Sorry,” Soobin mumbles, succumbing to the force of Yeonjun’s cute pout. “Was hungry.”

The pout turns to a soft smile. Much cuter. “Eat as much as you want, Soobinnie.”

Kai chokes on his egg tart, the sound of his cough awfully resembling a laugh. “Shouldn’t we go rescue Carapace and Vulpix first?”

Yeonjun’s hand hovers over the snacks. “Rescue them?”

Soobin hums in confirmation, wiping crumbs away from his lips with a napkin - unlike Kai, he’s not an animal. At least… not right now. He swallows before explaining, “Yeah, they got infected with the hate pollen.”

“Ah.” Wincing momentarily, Yeonjun brightens when Tikki presses a double chocolate chip cookie into his hand. “Thank you, Tikki. Yeah, you’re right. Let’s go rescue them.”

“Tikki?!”

Any astonishment at Tikki sharing food is quickly overshadowed by the black streak that shoots out from behind Yeonjun’s clothes.

Ah.

That must be Plagg.

“Plagg!” Tikki floats across the table, strength thoroughly regained via severe cookie annihilation, to wrap her kwami friend in a tight hug.

Rolling his eyes, Plagg tries to pretend he doesn’t like it. “I missed the big reveal?”

Yeonjun manages to sound a little guilty. “Ah, yeah. Sorry.”

“How did it-?”

“Long story,” Soobin answers.

Where would they even start?

The look he shares with Yeonjun has both of them breaking into quiet laughter.

“You can’t just keep saying that,” Kai complains, dusting off his hands. “At least tell us how you got stuck inside the Eiffel Tower.”

Avoiding everyone’s eyes, Yeonjun takes another bite of his now half-eaten cookie, then mumbles, “I was the one who got akumatised.”

Soobin refuses to leave it at that. “And it was my fault.”

“No, it-”

“That’s why you didn’t bring me cheese?” Plagg whines when Tikki slaps him on the shoulder, fond, identical to the way Soobin always plays around with Cat Noir. “What? He didn’t come back for a long time. I was starting to get bored.”

Honey Bee points at Yeonjun first, then Soobin, brain likely buzzing with the implications of it all. “Does that mean you broke Yeonjun’s heart?”

Plagg interrupts again. “Ohhh, wait. Cute Class President is also Ladybug?”

Yeonjun doesn’t hesitate. “Claws out.”

Entranced, Soobin watches Plagg get sucked into the ring on Yeonjun’s right hand. An instant flash of green transforms the royal outfit into belts and leather; bleaches black hair to a dirty blonde; lightens brown eyes to a vibrant green, narrowing in slits, the sclera filling out with colour in the same way Soobin’s do.

Yeonjun’s canines lengthen into fangs but his cheeky smile stays the same. “We should get going, right? I’m way behind schedule for this shoot and I don’t wanna stay here ‘til midnight.”

Yeah, that sounds reasonable.

Soobin nods, a little dizzy as Yeonjun being Cat Noir finally starts to sink in.

“Spots on,” he calls.

Kai whistles, appropriately enthralled by the sight of his two friends - Paris’ most beloved heroes - transforming right in front of him. “Wah, that’s so cool. I never thought Soobin could be cool.”

Elbowing him in the ribs again, Soobin rejoices at the attack being effective thanks to his hero suit. “Careful what you say,” he threatens, though it doesn’t sound as serious as it’s supposed to.

“Right, right. I don’t wanna mess with the cute Class President.”

Cat Noir turns on his heel. “Let’s go.”

Honey Bee’s bright laughter bounces off the corridor walls as he follows.

Soobin lags behind, a little stunned.

His lips twitch up at the corners.

Cute…

When they make it outside, Bee leads them to his handiwork: Vulpix sitting on the ground, thick ropes trapping him in place, the knots expertly tied. Another one of Kai’s talents? One lamppost down, Carapace finds himself restrained in the exact same way - probably since venom wore off along with Honey Bee’s transformation.

Cat Noir stares at the pair, dumbfounded. “You tied them up?”

“We had no other choice,” Bee justifies. “They were attacking us, and we couldn’t just leave them here to fight it out alone.”

Red eyes fix on their approaching group.

“But wasn’t the pollen meant to-” With a gasp, Cat pauses. “Oh shit.” He turns around to Soobin, ignoring Honey Bee’s yelp when they almost all crash into one another. “I was right? They like each other?”

Soobin weighs his options; there’s no harm in telling them the truth, is there? Affected by akuma magic, it’s not like Beomgyu or Taehyun will remember any of it, nor can he lie about what the pollen reveals with such strong evidence in front of them. Even if he doesn’t say it now, it’ll come up in a team meeting - sooner rather than later. “It’s how I figured out that Carapace is Taehyun.” Cat’s wide eyes only confirm what Soobin already knew. “Beomgyu should’ve gone to find him after breathing in the pollen, but… he stayed here.”

“Beomgyu and Taehyun?!”

Honey Bee bends backwards with the force of his laugh. Distinctly Kai-like. Cat Noir startles but Bee doesn’t notice, amused beyond belief. If he didn’t have the goggles on, he’d probably be wiping away tears.

Composing himself, Cat joins in the laughter. “What are the odds?”

Soobin has to chuckle too.

Because really, what are the odds?

Sharing so many classes, sitting near each other, interacting daily - it’s like the magic, or rather the connection they all share, was pulling them together without any of them knowing.

“Ohhh.” Valiantly ignoring the red eyes that bore into him, Honey Bee crouches down next to a slumped over Carapace. “Now it makes sense why Carapace got hit with pollen despite having a shield.”

Cat quiets down as he observes the smudge of pink across the turtle hero’s brow. “I did that?”

Soobin frowns. “You don’t remember?”

Bee shoots a bewildered look their way.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to Soobin either. Akuma victims don’t remember anything that happens to them; what they do while they’re possessed. At best, the events all turn into one indecipherable haze, a sensation or two standing out if they’re lucky. But Yeonjun. Yeonjun seemed more aware and in control of his emotions. He could be reasoned with.

Confessed to.

Cat bites his lip, straining to recall. “It’s a bit… patchy. Taehyun and I were inside, reading the Ladyblog during my short break. That’s all I’ve got from before. I didn’t know he transformed or that I attacked him. After that, there’s only bits and pieces… up until-” He meets Soobin’s gaze, a little embarrassed. “My memory is clear after you- uh… after Ladybug showed up.”

Oh.

Soobin’s mind swirls with possibilities.

Was the akuma effect anything like the pollen?

Lack of lucidity until you find the object of your sudden hatred?

Yeonjun didn’t act like Carapace or Vulpix though - he hadn’t attacked Soobin blindly or spewed any real malice.

Did proximity to a Miraculous… affect him in some way?

It’s a discussion for another day, preferably with the whole team once they’ve recovered. No theories could ever eclipse Soobin’s pride anyway. Or is it warmth? Selfish satisfaction? He’s the most important part of Yeonjun’s memories. The person who restored his inner balance, made him more himself again. His anchor.

Honey Bee giggles. “Ah, you’ve only got eyes for Soobinnie, huh?”

“Hey,” Soobin chides, though secretly, he’s pleased. He points between Carapace and Vulpix, wondering why they aren’t on the other end of Bee’s ‘lovebird’ treatment yet. “Get ready to untie them.”

Pretending not to hear, Honey Bee picks at the rope, continuing, “Maybe true love breaking curses is a real thing after all.”

If only he knew.

Soobin flushes at the memory of plush lips.

The akuma spell, broken by true love’s kiss; on his side, anyway. How poetic. It still feels like a daydream. “Come with me,” he says, holding out his hand.

And though it could just be a trick of the sun bouncing off the flowers all around them, Cat Noir’s cheeks seem pink beneath his mask. “Where to?”

“Hey, don’t leave me alone!”

“Sorry Bee, we have to go where the branches are thickest. It’ll be more effective that way,” Soobin lies. They’ve both got wings. He doesn’t need Kai acting as his wingman all the time, even if the effort is… appreciated.

“It’ll help my power spread faster,” Cat bluffs, grabbing Soobin’s hand as he begins to lead them down the path, around the building. “You can handle these two by yourself, right?”

Honey Bee seems conflicted whether to believe them or not, but his chest puffs out a little. “Yeah, I’ve got it handled.”

“Great! We’ll be back in a minute.”

With a grin, Soobin follows, sticking as close as he can. “Wanted me all to yourself?”

He has no clue where the flirty comment comes from but it’s more than worth it. Cat Noir’s ears tilt down, fangs pressing into his bottom lip; an expression that Soobin realises he’s seen- or rather, been the cause of, many times before. It doesn’t last long.

“You’re the one who offered,” Cat says, shaking his arm. “Wanted me to hold your hand?”

“Yeah.”

Soobin’s voice comes out breathless. Honest. Despite the countless times they’ve held hands on missions, it’s never been like this - simply to savour it.

It catches Cat off guard. A small, pleased smile creeps over his lips before he tilts his head, eyes glinting with their usual, chaos-stirring edge. “So you’re ditching Kai for me? Again? He’s not gonna be too happy.”

“Eh.” Shrugging it off, Soobin chuckles as he glances over his shoulder at the faint outline of Honey Bee behind a wall of branches. “It’s alright to sneak off every once in a while. Weren’t you the one who said so last week?”

Cat nods. “Wise words.”

“Of course.” Soobin gives their joined hands one last squeeze before he’s forced to let go. “Who else would keep me in check?”

The warmth of Yeonjun’s laugh makes up for the loss of contact. “I wish I could sneak away from finishing this photoshoot,” he mumbles.

So that they could spend more time together?

As Soobin dreams up a solution, the butterflies in his stomach flutter like crazy; thankfully the crush-related, non akuma ones. An offer floats up his throat, carried by a gut feeling that Yeonjun wants this too. “We could always, uh-” He pauses, shy when Cat’s keen gaze fixes on him. “My room leads up to the bakery rooftop. It’s pretty easy to get to while in hero form, so if you wanted to hang out after your shoot…”

Cat practically beams. “I’ll be there.”

It might be the best day of Soobin’s life. “Let’s take care of this so you can be done sooner.”

“As you wish, M’Lord.”

The Ladybug mask could never hope to cover the radiance of Soobin’s laugh, uncaring if it feeds into Cat’s ego. It’s a stupid nickname. And yet, as he reaches for his yoyo, all he feels is fond, fond, fond.

Looking like the cat who got the cream, Cat Noir strides over to the sprawling branches, palm placed at their centre. “Ready?” He asks.

“Ready.”

“Miraculous Purr- ge.”

From beneath Cat’s hand, black tinted tendrils furcate over every branch and flower at the speed of lightning, crackling with power like the impact of a strike. Then, in an instant, the entire overgrowth blanketing the city crumbles to a fine, neon green dust.

Commanded to unravel.

Unmake.

It doesn’t even reach the ground before it disappears.

Mesmerising, no matter how destructive.

“Miraculous Cleanse!” Soobin calls, throwing up his yoyo to the usual effect. A swarm of brighter than life ladybugs split in multiple directions, eager to fix - clearing poison pollen, stitching ruined tiger items, replacing CDs back in someone’s room, removing scratches off a cane. Anything disturbed by the akuma, restored to its original state.

Soobin smiles, small but overflowing with relief. When he holds his hand out for a fistbump, the world feels right again as Cat Noir’s knuckles bump against his.

“You fucker!”

Or not.

The peaceful spell of aftermath vanishes in an instant.

Recovered remarkably fast, Vulpix strides over to them with Carapace at his side, Honey Bee trailing behind with loops of rope hanging from his broad shoulders. He must’ve made quick work of the knots. Unfortunately so. A year’s worth of reflex training doesn’t prepare Soobin for the harsh grip that pulls him close to Vulpix’s emotionless - yet somehow furious - mask.

“How would you feel if I spilled your crush, huh?”

For a brief, stupid moment, Soobin wonders if perhaps the pollen is still in effect. “Huh?”

“Vulpix.” Carapace, as always, seems to be the voice of reason.

Shrinking in a little, Vulpix doesn’t let up, but he does turn around. “What?”

“He couldn’t have known.”

“I thought you had it handled,” Soobin hisses.

Honey Bee’s bemused expression is obvious even with so much of his face obscured. “I did. In my defence, when I explained how the pollen worked while tying them up, I didn’t think they’d remember it.”

With a degree of awe, Soobin’s gaze turns back to Vulpix. “You were aware this whole time?”

It definitely calls for a team meeting; several, probably, which should be easier now, knowing that they’ll see each other every day while in civilian form.

“Yes!”

“Aware but unable to do anything,” Carapace clarifies, walking over to unhook Vulpix’s hands. “Or at least, vaguely aware. I didn’t know what was going on but I could mostly understand what you were saying, even if I had no control over my response.”

“Same here,” Vulpix confirms, mildly flustered by Carapace- no, Taehyun’s touch. It makes for a strange sight between the two. “Which doesn’t change the fact that you’re annoying, though. You watched me run a fanpage for you and said nothing?”

“Isn’t it for all of us?” Soobin tries, though it’s a weak defence for something called the Ladyblog. “I couldn’t say anything without outing my identity, and we’d agreed to keep those secret.”

If Carapace is surprised to note that Beomgyu runs the Ladyblog, he doesn’t show it. His curiosity seems as unshaken as the rest of him. “So what changed?”

Yeonjun.

An answer that Soobin is sure Beomgyu would never let him live down.

Sparing himself the headache, he opens his mouth to blurt out one thing or another - maybe a dismissive we’ll explain everything when we’re less pressed for time or a cryptic there’s some secrets that aren’t worth keeping, but before he manages to get a single syllable past his lips-

ROAR!

Soobin’s jaw clamps shut.

Was that…?

There’s no way, right?

But then the sound comes again, much louder.

ROAAARRRR!

All of them exchange a glance. It’s painfully familiar. In no time at all, the thundering growls become a chorus, which can only mean one thing.

And for the first time in a while…

Soobin cackles at it.

“That’s who I think it is, right?” Wings abuzz, Honey Bee floats off the ground and touches down in something that resembles an excited bounce. Itching to throw himself into a fight after having missed out on the first one. “Isn’t this a record?”

“Two times in five days! Not even six like we joked about!” Carapace’s eyes sparkle with identical enthusiasm.

Calmer than the other two, Vulpix abandons his grievances in favour of laughing just as loud as Soobin is. “That’s two akumas in one day,” he points out.

A double record.

No doubt a great article in the making for the Ladyblog.

“Guess we jinxed it,” Cat Noir jokes. His belt tail brushes against Soobin’s arm. “What’s the plan?”

Honey Bee rushes to answer. “We’ll deal with it. Vulpix, Carapace and I.”

The brief, surprised silence is cut through with another set of roars, then with the beep of Cat Noir and Ladybug’s Miraculous. Right. Soobin searches for a good response; motivation, or at least acceptance of the fact that he can’t help them even if he wanted to. Lost in thought, it’s with a start he realises that everyone’s eyes are on him. Awaiting his reply, a final verdict.

The words come easy, then.

“Show us what you got,” he challenges.

It works like a charm.

Making sure to threaten Soobin one last time with a we’ll talk about this later, Vulpix, Carapace and Honey Bee take off, whooping in joy. No time to waste. Their cheers ring out over the roars until they disappear behind a mass of buildings, yet somehow, Soobin knows that they’ll be fine.

“See you later?” Cat Noir asks.

There’s a bustle all around them as civilians realise they’ve just woken up from an unknown akuma, only to be thrust into the grip of tiger magic; more familiar yet no less disorderly. A chaos that’s convenient to get lost in.

Feeling brave, Soobin takes a hold of Cat Noir’s hand, bringing it up to his lips. “I’ll be waiting,” he says, pressing a kiss through the mask.

Cat barely manages to stutter out a goodbye, ears burning at the promise.

♡︎ ⁀➴ ₊˚⊹

The sky is overcast. Silvery to dull, the railing running all around the balcony drifts in and out of vision within gentle darkness, broken intermittently by moonlight peeking from behind a cloak of grey. No rain yet. The breeze carries a hint of dampness though, an undertone that promises a change in weather isn’t far away.

Soobin runs his fingers over ice cold metal.

He’s fucked.

It dawned on him; when he finally got home, without adrenaline or city-saving muting all the shock. How is he supposed to act? They’ve kissed and Yeonjun likes him back.

His crush.

His partner in… not-crime.

And worst of all, for the better half of the last year, he’s been calling Yeonjun kitten. Soobin groans, burying his head between his arms.

No amount of shadows are enough to hide his nerves.

He pulls his phone out, checking for a sign of any message. There’s none, but it’s not all that surprising, given Yeonjun’s schedules tend to drag on. At least nobody will be awake this late to spot them. Leaning back against the railing, he sends Beomgyu a reply. They’d started texting sometime in the midst of Soobin’s third stress baking batch, a very thorough mix of threats, excitement and Beomgyu proudly announcing that he’d bagged himself a date with Taehyun.

If any good came out of his mistakes, Soobin’s glad it’s that.

He should’ve realised sooner. That sense of mild frustration whenever they were forced to plan around not knowing when they’d see each other next; he’d been the only one adamant on keeping everything a secret.

It’s baffling that nobody had ever dared to challenge him.

They should have.

Or maybe, Soobin should’ve made them feel as if they could.

A gentle clang startles him out of his musings, phone shoved hastily into his pocket as he turns around. Steel capped paw ends catch the light along with shimmering black leather. Cat Noir, crouched on his balcony rail, so out of place yet so right.

“Cat,” Soobin whispers.

Or… Yeonjun?

How do they address each other now?

With his tail swaying back and forth, Cat grins. “Oh? Am I not ‘kitten’ anymore?”

Soobin knew it.

He knew that the whole kitten joke would haunt him. For all his waiting in the cold, he suddenly feels like he’s overheating.

“No.”

It’s hard to stay indignant when the wind tousles Cat’s hair, revealing foxy eyes paired with a wicked grin, his silhouette defined, lean-muscled, legs tense to keep him perched atop the thin rail. “Shame,” Cat teases, nails scraping gently over metal. “I like it when you call me that.”

He does?

“You do?”

“It’s cute.” Delighting in the chaos that he’s just unleashed on Soobin’s mind, Cat Noir reaches behind his back. “I have something for you.”

Though slightly hard to see it in the dark, the shape itself is telltale. Ironic, considering the day’s earlier events, and it speaks volumes for their shared sense of humour because Soobin can’t contain a quiet chuckle. “A rose?” He walks closer, standing in the space between Cat’s knees. “Where did you get it?”

Did he take a page out of Honey Bee’s book and pluck it from someone’s garden? No florists are open this late, at least as far as Soobin knows, yet the rose looks fresh.

Cat Noir holds it out for him. “Kai was more than happy to provide me with it when I asked.”

Ah.

Close enough.

Better, actually, since Kai probably got it at the end of his shift.

“Of course he was.” Soobin twists the long stem between his fingers. Outlined by the pale glow of street lamps, the bloom itself is beautiful, while the blush rising in Soobin’s cheeks is just as red. A rose by any other name, he thinks, and almost laughs. Cat Noir. Yeonjun. It’s all the same. Just as sweet. Love suddenly feels like an easier word on his tongue too. “I, uh… I didn’t get anything for you.”

Waving him off, Cat traces a clawed finger along the petals. “It’s customary for the one who does the asking out to bring the gift though, isn’t it?”

Soobin’s gaze shoots up, suddenly remembering that Cat Noir has night vision. His own, rosy blush must be hard to miss. “Asking out?”

“It’s Valentine's today.”

Oh.

It’s not so obvious, but Soobin knows the tells - reads every shy undertone in the downwards tilt of black leather ears. And it’s true. At half an hour past midnight, it’s the fourteenth. “Ah, I was right.” He chuckles. “You are a romantic.”

“I couldn’t help myself,” Cat mutters, gripping the rail to climb down onto the balcony in one fluid, graceful movement, leaving barely any space between them. “I wanted to do it right since I- uh… went a little overboard the first time.”

Only a little. Soobin twirls the rose in his hand, thinking how, if Yeonjun hadn’t been akumatised, he wouldn’t have the courage to admit how he feels - not to Cat Noir or himself.

“I still liked it.”

Cat huffs. “Even when I chased you all around the Eiffel Tower with a rapier?”

“It’s nothing that we haven’t done before.”

Midnight sparring sessions often left them with a bruise or two to show for it.

Despite the quip, Cat Noir grows quiet. His weight shifts from one leg to the other - ashamed? He doesn’t need to be. After all, he’s always the first one to tell others that being akumatised is no big deal. With a soft sigh, Cat lifts his hand to slowly pull the hair off Soobin’s forehead, breath catching in his throat, unreadable; even harder to decipher when his fangs poke into his bottom lip. He takes a long moment to stare…

Then grins. “You look hot with your hair pushed back.”

Soobin splutters.

Did-

Of all the things he could have said-

“Yeah?”

“Mhm,” Cat purrs.

He looks way too pleased with himself.

Smirking, Soobin brings his own hand up to Cat’s chest, tugging on the belts before he lets them snap back into place. “I can’t think of anyone else who could pull off all this leather.”

The tail looping around Soobin’s thigh pairs well with Cat’s warm laughter. But instead of taking the bait as he would on any other day - a crude joke about how Ladybug could pull the leather off, in both interpretations of the phrase - Cat Noir grows thoughtful once again.

It must be strange.

At least, Soobin feels like it is.

Trying to reconcile his hero partner with the classmate he’s been crushing on.

Threading together a mess of emotion with newfound possibility.

Neither of them say it, but Soobin sees it anyway; lingering in vivid green eyes, clear despite the veil of darkness and not so different from the warm brown that he’s come to know as Yeonjun’s. Which means Cat Noir must see it too. A colder brown instead of blood red, sclera white instead of blue, suffused with undeniable affection all the same. So obvious, Soobin thinks. Assuming Cat Noir wouldn’t love Soobin in the same way he loves Ladybug was stupid. Both of those are him. And loving Cat Noir comes easy, even easier than liking Yeonjun. They’re not completely different; just scattered pieces of the same puzzle, individual colours combining now to form an even brighter image.

As if reading his mind, Cat mutters, “Claws in.”

The nervousness is new.

Not the same kind as before; lighter, somehow, missing the awkward edge.

Anticipation.

Yeonjun’s dark hoodie and sweatpants are so Cat Noir that Soobin can’t help but grin wider. “You look the same,” he says.

It earns him a pleased huff.

“So do you.” Lowering his hand, Yeonjun lets Soobin’s fringe fall back over his eyes, as if detransforming him too. “You… I know we, uh… didn’t get to know each other as well in civilian form. But…”

The slight pause makes Soobin’s stomach twist.

But?

Yeonjun smiles. “It makes sense that it’s you.” Small, unpracticed, honest, the same smile that he had when they first talked. “I… I’m glad that it’s you.”

A confession, in itself.

Better than one.

The tight feeling unravels.

Soobin doesn’t even need to pluck the petals off his rose to know the answer is he loves me.

“You being Cat Noir is a dream,” he sighs. Too honest? Maybe. But when Yeonjun’s lips part in surprise, Soobin can’t stop himself from saying it; the realisations that he came to in the midst of panic induced baking. “What I mean is… Do you remember when you joined our class?”

“The-” Yeonjun pauses. His eyes dart to the side. “Uh, yeah, I think so. Not the whole day, but… Professor Yoongi played that movie for us, right? Since it was raining a lot.”

Low lighting.

Awkward eye contact.

Focus drawn away by Yeonjun’s fidgeting in front of him.

“Yeah, and after class, you tried to hand me your umbrella,” Soobin says, like the shittiest punchline to a joke.

Yeonjun groans, covering his face. “Shut up.”

“No, no, hear me out-” The memory alone makes Soobin burst into a laugh, body curling closer towards Yeonjun. “When it flipped inside out- And you were trying to fix it even though you had to fight against the wind! I still remember the proud look you had when you handed it to me. Like you didn’t care that I was laughing, even though- Because you were determined to get it right, no matter how silly it was.” That goofy, pleased grin, cheeks pink from embarrassment on top of the cold. Cute. “You reminded me of Cat Noir then.” A truth Soobin hadn’t let himself acknowledge. “I think… No- I’m pretty sure that’s why I started liking you.”

A winded breath leaves his lips, setting the confession free.

Displaced appeal.

He’d been hiding stubbornly from Cat Noir, only for his luck to send him reeling into Yeonjun, and no rain could’ve doused the interest sparked in him by the familiarity.

“I wanted to impress you,” Yeonjun mutters, lowering his hands.

Soobin’s eyebrows shoot up. “Huh?”

Smart response.

Did he hear that right?

Without the magic keeping it in place, Yeonjun tucks a strand of hair behind his ear. “On my first day… I got told about you.” He leans against the railing, expression soft as he recounts, “Class President. Thoughtful. Sweet. Quiet at first, but excitable when you get to know him. Kind of a smartass. Always smells of pastries after helping out at the bakery…” He chuckles, eyes scrunching at the corners. “Honestly, if I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought that Felix had a crush on you.”

Mind completely blank, Soobin blurts out, “He told you all of that?”

Who his classmate has a crush on can come later.

Soobin might be nosy but he has priorities, all of which include profusely thanking Felix at some point.

“Yeah.” Yeonjun chuckles again. “And you reminded me of Ladybug, you know? Or- At least, everything that I got told about you did. So… I wanted to make a good impression. I didn’t want you to think I was some loser who wasn’t used to being around others just because I got homeschooled… Though I guess proving that I’m not a loser didn’t go too well.”

No, it didn’t.

It went perfectly.

Like one of Soobin’s wildest, half-awake-in-English-Lit fantasies.

Yeonjun.

Wanted to impress him.

Soobin snorts. “I thought it was cute.”

“I was trying to be cool,” Yeonjun laments, a blush rising in his ears. “But I ended up ruining my image and making a fool of myself.”

“Who says that’s a bad thing?” Soobin’s lips purse. “I like seeing that side of you.”

Yeah, model Yeonjun is cool.

But the silly side of him… The one that most people aren’t privy to? It’s so much more endearing.

More personal.

Soobin makes sure Yeonjun meets his gaze before continuing, “You don’t have to pretend around me.”

Too serious, maybe, but he means it.

Twice over.

Tenfold.

However many times it takes for Yeonjun to believe it too. I’m not allowed to be whoever I want when I’m like this, the brunette’s pained voice echoes in his mind, but every time that we hung out, I got to be my honest self. There’s nothing else that Soobin wants more than to keep seeing that honesty. An honesty he can reciprocate in full now.

Yeonjun’s parted lips speak volumes.

“...Was that too much?”

“No!” With a quick shake of his head, Yeonjun lifts his hand to Soobin’s arm, clinging onto him. Onto the affirmation too. “No, it’s just- Ah. When you talk like that…” He pauses for a moment, lips curving up. “If I hadn't liked Ladybug so much, I definitely would’ve…”

He would’ve…

“...You would?”

Yeonjun huffs. He runs his thumb along a crease in Soobin’s hoodie. “It’s a good thing that the Ladybug mask covers your dimples, or else I would’ve spilled my feelings sooner.”

His tone is teasing, but sincere all the way.

He would’ve liked Soobin.

Felt drawn to him too. It was completely by chance, then - the coin flipping onto the Ladybug side. Because if it hadn’t, the other option would be Soobin. Always him, in the end. Soobin grins, even wider when he sees Yeonjun’s gaze fix on his dimples. “You like them that much?”

“Yes.”

Not bothering to ask this time, Yeonjun reaches out to poke, lips tilting down into a pout as if offended by the implication that he wouldn’t like them.

“Ah, I should’ve recognised that pout,” Soobin mumbles through squished cheeks. How many times has he been on the other end of this exact expression after vetoing another one of Cat’s crazy plans? “Maybe if you’d said a bad joke or two, I would’ve caught on.”

“Well…” Yeonjun’s eyes gleam playfully. “Cat’s out of the bag now, huh?”

…Soobin groans.

Of course.

Breaking into a jokingly pained chuckle, he shakes his head. What did he expect? Of course Yeonjun took the bait. And though he’d never say it out loud - at least, not while Yeonjun’s busy laughing at him - Soobin has to admit… The timing of that pun was kind of perfect. Almost as poetic as- “I can’t believe you got akumatised on the thirteenth of all days.”

Yeonjun’s laugh turns into a cackle, entirely too pleased. “At least I kept my brand in some way.”

“Yeah.” Soobin can’t help but laugh too. Cat Noir in flowy fabrics with a floral theme would certainly be something. “The all white was a change.”

“Yeah, it was.” Glancing at the rose still held in Soobin’s hand, Yeonjun’s eyes turn soft, voice startlingly hushed all of a sudden. “But what I mean is… I was far from unlucky.”

In what-

…Oh.

“You think so?” Soobin asks, lowering his tone too.

“Mhm.” Yeonjun looks up. “My lucky charm made sure of that.”

His lucky charm.

Soobin doesn’t think he’s ever grinned this wide.

“Did you like my crazy plan?” He asks. Using up his powers, detransforming, revealing himself - all with Yeonjun still akumatised - was a risk he never thought he’d take. Just because he’s Ladybug doesn’t mean that he’ll get lucky every time, right? And betting the whole city on a kiss… Not original, perhaps, but- “I had to get creative.”

Yeonjun chuckles, quiet, but bright enough to illuminate the space around them. “Finally, you’re learning.”

“Only from the best.”

And it’s then, as they look into each other’s eyes, that Soobin realises how close they are. Noses almost brushing. The air feels thick, though from the heavy rain clouds or the lack of distance, Soobin doesn’t know. His gaze lowers to Yeonjun’s lips. Soft. Pretty. The phantom warmth of them against his own draws Soobin in, head tilting just a little.

Just enough.

The steady rise and fall of Yeonjun’s chest stutters.

A good sign. Yeonjun takes a shallow breath, lashes fluttering against his cheeks, eyebrows relaxing and- “Soobin?”

“Hm?”

When Yeonjun smirks - the same coy uptilt of lips that Cat Noir has made his signature - Soobin knows he’s in for trouble.

“Since you took the sin from my lips… Shouldn’t I take it back?”

It’s loud.

The laughter that erupts from Soobin’s chest.

It’s loud and stupid and so out of place in the sereneness of the night, if not for the shit-eating grin that it brings out on Yeonjun’s face.

He might as well have said the lines.

Soobin’s mind recites them; Sin from thy lips? Oh trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again, but instead of Juliet’s line - the one that made him panic in class - he finds a much better alternative.

Grinning back, he says, “You’re such a loser.”

And the way that Yeonjun holds his face to pull him down into a kiss is not by th’book at all, though they seem to be on the exact same page.

Soobin sighs when warm lips press into his own.

Thrumming with nervous energy.

Yeonjun trembles with it too, hands shaky, careful touch stealing all the air from Soobin’s lungs. Leaving him a little dizzy. When Soobin tilts his head, still in a daze, the tenderness gradually dissolves. Their lips meet again, a new intensity, and any shyness from their first kiss seems to be a whisper on the wind, yielding to a messy yearning. Frantic in enthusiasm. Soobin sucks on Yeonjun’s lower lip and is rewarded with a gasp, a small sound that urges him to lean in for another taste.

Though, as usual, Yeonjun is two steps ahead.

The brunette’s hands fall to Soobin’s shoulders, guiding him, turning him around without the need to separate. It’s an unexpected bout of footwork, but one that Soobin has no trouble following with their bodies long attuned to one another. His back presses into the railing and oh-

Yeonjun steadies them, a quick puff of air brushing over Soobin’s cheek before his fingers slide back over Soobin’s nape, slightly chilled.

The kiss is searing.

Soobin melts into the thrill of it. His fingers find their way to Yeonjun’s hip before he suddenly remembers the rose clutched in his other hand. He holds it to the side, his free arm winding around Yeonjun’s waist. Not close enough. A pleased sound slips in between their lips when he pulls Yeonjun closer, almost a purr, gentle fingers carding through Soobin’s hair, a smooth caress across his cheek.

The first drop of rain dries up the moment it meets Soobin’s heated skin.

Ignoring it completely, Soobin tightens his hold, relishing the muted groan that rumbles deep in Yeonjun’s throat. Another drop of rain trails down the shell of his ear. Their lips part for a moment, Yeonjun’s breath warm against his chin, and Soobin chases after it, the urgent heat quelled by the next few raindrops that coast down his face. They trace a path down to his jaw, ticklish and slow. Soobin slows the kiss down too, tracing soothing patterns into Yeonjun’s waist; electrified by the shiver that he feels beneath his fingertips. Yeonjun’s hands go back to cradling his face, thumbs pressing into dimples that grow deeper.

Until Yeonjun’s fingers brush over his ears.

The high-pitched sigh makes Yeonjun falter, only long enough to register the sound before he’s doing it again. Soobin feels his knees go weak. Cold and damp in contrast to the heat of Yeonjun pressed against him, the railing digs into his lower back. His hoodie starts to soak through but it doesn’t matter. As Yeonjun’s tongue grazes his bottom lip, rainwater sliding down their faces to mix with their fervour, Soobin thinks it’s actually kind of romantic.

But then, a displeased grunt breaks free from Yeonjun’s throat.

Is something wrong?

Soobin tries to pull away.

Yeonjun doesn’t let him go far - he holds his face still as they pant against each other’s lips, foreheads touching, soaking in the warmth. Fuck, Soobin thinks; incapable of mustering up anything more coherent. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Is he in heaven?

Or are the heavens opening on them?

The rain doesn’t seem like it’ll stop anytime soon, its static pattering much louder with no distraction.

“Just my luck that we get interrupted by shit weather, huh?” Yeonjun grumbles, voice barely above a whisper.

A droplet falls on Soobin’s lip. Even as another rolls down in its place after he licks it off, Soobin finds he doesn’t care. The unruly skies could be a stroke of really good luck. He gathers all his confidence to offer, “We could go inside?”

Yeonjun’s hands fall, wide eyes meeting his.

Surprised.

Pleased?

It’s not a no, but the model bites his lip. “It’s late…”

“You could stay over?” Soobin facepalms mentally. Kissing Yeonjun must’ve fried his brain a bit. “I mean- Not like- Ugh. You must be tired after your shoot, so I thought… It might be easier to stay here than go all the way back home in this weather?”

The hero suit would probably protect Yeonjun from all the rain but… it is late. And Soobin has seen Cat Noir’s footing slip more than once when tired, on dry ground.

“Ah.” Yeonjun’s lips curl up into a teasing smile. “What a gentleman.”

“You don’t have to,” Soobin assures.

Continuing to stand out in the downpour won’t do them much good though. Even if… Oh, shit. They’d just been making out in full view of the street, hadn’t they? High up enough to not draw any notice, sure, but still. The cosiness of Soobin’s room would be much better.

Sleep, Soobin chides himself.

Sleep would be much better.

Yeonjun chuckles, as if reading the thoughts from his face.

“I’ll have to leave early,” he says, tilting his head. “So I can change my clothes and grab my stuff.” His lips brush faintly over Soobin’s. “But… okay. I’d love to stay.”

Soobin breathes out.

He tries to keep his cool, heart pounding in tandem with the rainfall. Great. Wonderful. He did not expect to get this far. The images pour in; Yeonjun in his room, on his bed, with that same playful smirk that stretches his lips now, the one he always has before-

“What? Cat got your tongue?”

Oh, fuck off.

Soobin groans internally.

That infuriating smirk ignites a fire in him; the usual competitiveness, doubled by an itch to knock Yeonjun - Cat Noir - off balance for once too.

Cat got your tongue?

Not yet, Soobin thinks, and, refusing to back down, he leans in. The kiss starts slow. Slick from the rain. When Yeonjun hums, all satisfied - as if he’d been expecting it, the fucker - Soobin parts his lips, much braver than he feels. Stoking the fire. He feels Yeonjun gasp before their tongues meet, with Soobin pressing forward this time, rubbing circles into Yeonjun’s hip, heady and exploratory. The cold tip of Yeonjun’s nose is a stark contrast to the heat of his mouth, jolting Soobin back into reality.

Right.

They stopped kissing for a reason.

Reluctantly, he pulls away, voice low and slightly raspy. “We should really go inside.”

They should. A shiver runs down Soobin’s spine, the rain soaked hoodie starting to feel heavy. He’ll have to grab some towels, both for himself and Yeonjun, and hope that neither of them catch a cold. His lashes flutter as he glances up from Yeonjun’s lips.

Only to find Yeonjun staring at him.

A little dazed.

“I…” Yeonjun’s voice is so thin that it’s almost drowned out by the rain. He clears his throat, then tries again, steadier this time. “Uh… Yeah. Let’s do that.”

Soobin stifles a giggle.

Cute.

Dropping his hold away from Yeonjun’s hip to grab his hand instead, he starts leading them towards the skylight. There’s a shade tarp covering the area above it, and within its safety, Soobin lifts the latch to let them in, gesturing for Yeonjun to go first.

The rain turns quiet when he closes it behind them.

At the bottom of the steps that lead down to his bed, he watches Yeonjun take his trainers off, hovering unsurely, eyes wide as he takes the space in.

“You can leave them on the steps,” Soobin says, doing the same with his own trainers. He climbs down and puts his hand on Yeonjun’s shoulder. “I’ll get some towels and- Uh…” How long had they been standing in the rain? “You can borrow my clothes?”

It’s the best anti-cold-catching remedy, though once it leaves his lips, Soobin is entranced by how… domestic it all sounds.

No.

No.

Kai borrows his clothes too, sometimes.

There’s no need to get ahead of himself.

“Are you sure?” Yeonjun asks.

Polite.

More Choi Yeonjun than Cat Noir.

Yet, despite that, his rounded gaze betrays his eagerness, and if he were transformed, Soobin knows that Yeonjun’s cat-like pupils would be wide. He huffs a laugh, comparing the expressions in his head.

“Yeah, you’ll catch a cold in those.” Cats don’t like water, Soobin’s brain supplies, and it’s a stupid thought but that’s what Yeonjun looks like, standing by his bed. A drowned cat. “Wait here,” he says, laughing silently as he descends from the loft to the rest of his room in record time.

He stops by the vase first - the one he’d decorated with Beomgyu to house Kai’s occasional, experimental bouquets - and slips the rose in, grateful that he doesn’t have to sneak downstairs to get some water. Kai must have told him what the flowers were. Hydrangeas and… delphiniums? He remembers making some joke about hydras and dolphins so that’s probably it. The red of the rose stands out pointedly among the blue, yet somehow, fits in perfectly.

Another spot of red catches his eye, though mixed with black instead - Tikki and Plagg, curled up on the beanbag by his desk. When did Plagg get down here? The two kwamis spare him a wave, which Soobin returns, before going back to talking in hushed tones.

Gossiping?

Soobin lets them be, especially since there’s more pressing matters to attend to. Digging quickly through his drawers, he finds a pair of sweatpants and a shirt, then a towel. With the bundle in his arms, he makes his way back up the steps. He passes everything to Yeonjun. “Here.”

“What about you?”

What about-

Soobin looks down at his own, drenched hoodie.

“I’ll… change and be right back.”

“Okay.” Yeonjun does him the courtesy of trying not to laugh. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Soobin answers, fighting the urge to smack himself as he makes his way back down.

Cool.

Why can’t he act cool?

It doesn’t take him long to change into dry sweatpants and a plain shirt, accompanied by quiet rustling as Yeonjun does the same above. It’s a good thing that he’s giving Yeonjun privacy, isn’t it? Though… they’ve changed in the same room for gym class on more than one occasion, so is it really…

Soobin gives up trying to do the math.

He peels off his clammy Cinnamoroll bandaids, then reaches for a new set as he gently towels his hands dry. The two thin slashes on his skin still sting, remnants of fighting Yeonjun; both half-healed already - all thanks to Soobin’s mystically increased healing stats, which Tikki still refuses to explain - more like scratches than real cuts, though unfortunately just as irritating.

At least the cute image of Cinnamoroll soothes the pain a little.

Maybe Beomgyu was onto something.

When Soobin finally returns, he finds Yeonjun sitting on his bed, the Cat Noir style hoodie and sweatpants hung over the railing. Domestic, his brain supplies. Soobin screams at it to shut up. The fact that Yeonjun looks so cosy, towelling his hair dry, dressed in Soobin’s clothes which, oh boy, are just a bit too big on him…

The internal screaming isn’t enough.

Soobin smiles, painfully smitten, as he makes his way over.

“You look good.”

Yeonjun’s head snaps up. “Huh?”

“You look good in my clothes,” Soobin clarifies, then, before the embarrassment can eat him alive, he points to Yeonjun’s ring. His Miraculous. “Do you take the ring off when you sleep?”

Reminded of its presence, Yeonjun starts to twist the ring around his finger, a flush colouring the tips of his ears; practically glowing in the low lamp light of Soobin’s room. “No, not really. It never hurts or anything, so I rarely take it off. What about…?”

“My earrings?” Soobin reaches up to brush his fingers over the black gemstones. He’d never thought to take them off because they… never hurt. “No, neither.”

Yeonjun frowns. “Your hands…”

“Hm?” Confusion clouds him for a second, before Soobin realises how eye-catching the Cinnammoroll band aids must be. “Oh… Don’t worry. They’re almost healed.”

He sits down and immediately, Yeonjun’s hands reach out, soft but firm, curling under his palms and lifting them up for inspection.

“I’m sorry,” the brunette mutters.

“It’s okay.” Soobin squeezes his hands. He’s had worse - the scratches are honestly on par with some of his wilder kitchen injuries - and by morning, he won’t need band aids anymore. The crease between Yeonjun’s brows doesn’t smooth out though, his shoulders weighed down by a similar guilt. “I could tell that you were holding back,” Soobin adds, hoping to ease some of that weight.

It’s not a lie either.

“I was trying to.” Yeonjun bites his lip, eyes fixed on their joined hands. “I think… I think I wanted you to save me.”

Intent.

Maybe it’s intent.

Akumas feed on strong emotion but the semantics are unclear, so what if there’s a conflict- Soobin blinks. Okay. That’s a theory to bring up at their next team meeting. For now, he focuses on Yeonjun. “...Really? You seemed pretty mad at me.”

“I was!” Laughing lightly, Yeonjun smooths his thumbs over the bandaids, “But it was blown out of proportion. I was upset, yeah, but I… Ugh, being akumatised sucks. I don’t even remember half of it!”

“But you remember me,” Soobin notes, finally allowing himself to feel a little smug.

Plus, it’s funny watching Yeonjun stutter.

“I- Yeah, but that’s- I was upset with you, so obviously-” Yeonjun pauses. His eyes narrow at Soobin’s teasing smile. “Yeah, alright. I guess Kai wasn’t wrong…” That change in tone is never a good sign. “You must really love me, because your true love’s kiss worked like a charm~”

Soobin stares up at the ceiling with a sigh.

Double combo.

What did he do to deserve this?

“I guess it did,” he answers, sounding way too enamoured for his own liking. “But doesn’t true love need to go both ways for it to work?”

Stunned by the lack of denial - the outright confession - Yeonjun’s hands pause. When Soobin raises a brow, questioning, a grin begins to slowly form on Yeonjun’s lips. “You’re right… I only had eyes for you, Soobinnie~”

A repeat of Kai’s teasing words from earlier but infinitely more raw, making Soobin blush.

“Ah, so cheesy,” he deflects.

Yeonjun’s nose scrunches. “Don’t talk to me about cheese.”

Why-?

Plagg.

Camembert.

Soobin snorts. In the same moment, Yeonjun’s jaw stretches into a yawn, one which he doesn’t bother to cover, not wanting to untangle their hands.

“Okay,” Soobin says, weak to Yeonjun’s unintended cuteness. He can’t imagine how tired the model must be. “We should really get some sleep.”

Or… not?

Yeonjun wiggles his eyebrows. “You sure you don’t wanna stay up?”

It has the intended effect. Soobin’s gaze flickers down to plush lips, his fingers itching to pull Yeonjun closer. The soft lighting and comfort of his own bed are so welcoming-

But it’s past 1am.

On a school night.

Yeonjun needs to leave early.

Soobin repeats those three things in his head like a fantasy-banishing mantra - the offer is Cat Noir-like in its deviousness, nearly destroying all of his rationale and self-control. Nearly. Soobin stands up before he gets the chance to do anything stupid. “Hm… We can stay up some other time.”

He’s not even surprised when Yeonjun pouts.

And, ah, Soobin knows this one.

The slight downturn of lips and sad eyes; Cat Noir’s classic I’m not actually upset but I’ll act stubborn and refuse to budge, just to tease you. Soobin is experienced with it. He walks around the bed and pulls the covers back, far enough to expose half of the mattress, then turns back to Yeonjun with a roguish grin. Two can play this game. Without much effort, he slips one hand under Yeonjun’s knees, the other curled around his back, and lifts him up, delighting in the startled yelp that it elicits.

“What the hell?” Yeonjun chokes out, right as he’s dropped unceremoniously by the pillows.

Soobin sinks a knee into the mattress and swings over the top, onto his own side, grin unfaltering as he stretches out his legs. Ignoring Yeonjun’s disbelieving huff, he leans back on his elbows. “You’re free to come over whenever you like, you know?”

It’s thrilling, knowing just how easy that’ll be now.

Yeonjun seems to realise it too, incredulity switching to playfulness. Never one to fall behind. “You might regret that offer,” he threatens, shuffling his feet under the covers, making himself comfortable.

Soobin hums. “I doubt it.”

Hanging out with each other whenever they want?

It’s daydream material that Soobin never even thought to consider. Technically, it applies to the others too - no more sneaking around Mayor Huening’s tight security or risking a tarot reading from one of Ryujin’s friends whenever he visits Beomgyu. Nonetheless. Any time alone with Yeonjun is something he’ll be hard pressed to turn down. Stretching his arms, Soobin catches Yeonjun’s gaze flicker down curiously.

Entranced, the model blurts out, “You’re stronger than you look.”

Soobin laughs.

Is that a compliment?

As if Yeonjun himself isn’t stronger.

“Probably from carrying sacks of flour around.” He means it in the literal sense, unfortunately, not just to poke fun at Yeonjun - city saving and baking is more than enough exercise in Soobin’s humble opinion.

Considering it for a second, Yeonjun leans back on his arms.

His very strong looking arms.

Trying not to stare, Soobin leans down to grab the edge of the duvet, pulling it up around their waists.

“The bakery must be busy on Valentine’s…” Yeonjun starts, more of a statement than a question. Hesitant, either way. “Would you, uh… like some help later?”

Soobin never knew his own imagination could be so vivid. Not until this very moment. In half-panic, half-giddiness, he resorts to humour. “Is this a ploy to see me carrying the flour?”

It definitely isn’t, Yeonjun is just sweet like that and wants to-

“No.” Yeonjun glances away, bashful.

The tips of his ears turn redder by the second and oh-

Maybe Soobin was spot on.

“You can come watch me, then,” he answers, confident all of a sudden. “I’ll have to bake stuff for the next day too, so I’d appreciate the help.” He can’t decide what’s better; being able to show off his skills or getting to guide Yeonjun through it. How much will they embarrass themselves? Despite the inviting image, reality is like a cloud, heavy, grey, and casting shadows of uncertainty. Soobin tries to dispel it. “Are you sure that’s how you want to spend your time, though?”

It’s a far cry from Yeonjun’s usual modelling gigs.

Does he have one later?

Even so - even if he does, and they only get a bit of time together - Soobin smiles at the fact that there’s a batch of chocolate muffins left to cool downstairs, ones he’s sure that Yeonjun will love just as much as Cat Noir does. A small gift, in return for the rose.

“Yeah, I asked you out, didn’t I?” Yeonjun huffs, jokingly affronted. Purging any doubt. “I wanna spend my time with you.”

With you.

Soobin’s heart flutters.

“I’d like that.” A mild way to put it. His grip around the duvet tightens, full of restless energy. It’s not just a hangout; it’s a date. Before his brain can sprint ahead and plan it, he feels the need to make sure, “No modelling gigs tomorrow?”

Yeonjun grins. “Not unless you wanna join me.”

Now this.

This is a scenario Soobin has daydreamed about. Laid out before him, it feels equally as daunting as it does tempting. “You’d want me to?”

He’d love it.

Soobin knows he would.

Unquestionably.

Obviously.

Even without ever- Well. He has stepped foot in the Choi’s agency, as of yesterday. Still, the possibility is staggering. Watching Yeonjun pose in ways that always look so effortless but Soobin knows require hard work to achieve, flipping through the raw cuts, getting to see Yeonjun in his element, bringing him his favourite food because the one time he saw Taehyun do so in class, Yeonjun’s reaction was so endearing…

With a chuckle, one that sounds a little nervous, Yeonjun nods.

“Yeah. I would. My, uh…” He bites his lip. For a moment, muted rainfall drowns out his indecision, thin as it is, before Yeonjun takes a deep breath. “My mum was asking me if there’s a friend- Not a model! Just- anyone who I would want to do a shoot with for her new concept, so… If you wanted to…”

Kai wasn’t bluffing?

Stupidly, that’s Soobin’s first thought.

Especially since Yeonjun wants to do a photoshoot with him. Lightheaded can’t even begin to describe how he feels, dizzier yet by the sight of his own shirt drowning Yeonjun’s broader shoulders, revealing pretty collarbone and god, Soobin’s sure he’s going to pass out. Entranced by all of it, he murmurs, “Friend, hm?”

Uh-

Oh no.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Yeonjun tilts his head, wide, expectant eyes slipping into a half-lidded gaze. He leans closer. “Boyfriend should be fine too.”

Soobin freezes.

Lips parted, heart beating out of his chest.

Boyfriend.

Oh god.

Dating? He really wants to. His voice sticks in his throat like caramel, clumped into a longing mess; stretching out the moment as he tries to push an answer past his lips. It’s kind of hard with Yeonjun looking at him like that. But then… He notices. How the cockiness of Yeonjun’s brazen grin doesn’t quite reach his eyes. Skittish. Soft around the cheeks. Fortified by that same boldness Cat Noir has when they struggle with a villain.

Soobin almost breathes a sigh of relief.

Their reactions - their approaches - may be different.

But the basics are the same.

It’s achingly uncomplicated, smaller ingredients mixed into a greater whole - flour; those first impressions, dusted over with hints of their hero selves; then butter; sliding into routine, into shaping their dynamic; baking powder; trust arising easily, comfort chasing it with every time they paired themselves together on a mission; milk; initial feelings overflowing into their civilian lives; a couple eggs; the gentle care they’ve held for one another, even when Cat walked on shells to not express it fully, especially when Soobin fussed over a minor injury Cat got during a fight; and sugar; stupid nicknames paired with quiet laughter.

It takes form now, the final addition in place.

Openness.

Leaving them both a bit out of their depth, unused to voicing what they really want. Soobin thinks it blends quite nicely, though - the constant switch from flustered bravery to pleased surprise, still unsure if there’s a boundary since there was one, for the longest time.

And with his… boyfriend offering to cross it, what can Soobin do if not what he’s always done?

He takes Yeonjun’s hand.

“I’d love to join you, then,” he says. It tastes sweet. Having photos taken together? They have those in their hero forms, but Soobin hopes the studio camera will capture every ounce of adoration in his eyes. “I’m a big fan~” he adds.

Yeonjun laughs. Tongue poking his cheek, he lifts a hand to Soobin’s shoulder, slowly tracing up his neck. “I think my fan deserves a kiss.”

The brightness of his smile makes any shadow of doubt dim to nothingness.

“I think so too,” Soobin whispers, smiling as Yeonjun pulls him in.

The smile quickly fades.

Yeonjun’s lips are warm, hot. A wildfire against his. So all-consuming that Soobin barely manages to hold a hand out to steady himself when his shirt is tugged on, fingers sinking into the covers next to Yeonjun’s hip. Impatient, he thinks, as if he isn’t either. Hovering half over Yeonjun, too lost in the kiss to care about his own eagerness. It feels safe - with Yeonjun. With Cat Noir. Soobin hums, the sound a little muffled, like the rain above. Yeonjun hears it anyway. He licks into Soobin’s mouth, that same low, content purr from earlier rumbling in his throat. Mellowed by the pace. Though just as intense as it had been on the balcony, the kiss turns languid, more satisfied than feverish; savouring instead of chasing. Boyfriends.

Soobin nearly vibrates out of his skin at the thought, reaching for Yeonjun’s hand to ground himself. His fingers brush over the silver ring, still slightly cold from the rain, while Yeonjun’s fingers find his earrings, touch weighed down by trust. Recognition. Soobin finds himself kissing back harder, letting go of Yeonjun’s hand to cup his cheek, smoothing a chilled thumb over the blush he finds there. Insane. Because of him. Soobin can’t get enough. He tangles his hand in Yeonjun’s hair, silky, mostly dry, soft beneath his fingertips, and pauses when he feels the hair tie holding up the half-up, half-down style.

“Isn’t that uncomfortable?” He mutters against Yeonjun’s lips. Unwilling to part but urged to by the slight ache in his arm, he slowly sits back on his heels.

“A little,” Yeonjun admits.

More visible now than in the darkness, his reddened lips make all of Soobin’s thoughts flee for a second. “Can I…?” He says, still drawing a blank. His hand hovers by Yeonjun’s head though, which makes the message clear enough.

Shuffling around to face him fully, Yeonjun smiles. “Yeah.”

It’s a careful process; Soobin has some experience from helping out his niece but he tries to be as gentle as he can, unlooping the elastic once to loosen it, then shimmying it off, all while Yeonjun watches him, an expression colouring his face that feels familiar. Fondness. Soobin tries not to blush under the magnitude of it. With the hair tie around his wrist, he sinks his hands back into Yeonjun’s hair, massaging his head, and when Yeonjun’s eyes fall shut, a small groan falling past his lips, Soobin breaks into a quiet chuckle.

Despite the way Yeonjun relaxes into his touch, he still asks, “Feels good?”

Yeonjun sighs. “Mhm.”

A little messier from the attention, Soobin realises that Yeonjun’s hair looks so distinctly Cat Noir like this. He smiles. “We should really go to sleep now.”

“...Fine.”

Only grumbling a little, Yeonjun withdraws, blinking slowly as he watches Soobin lie down. Then, between one blink and the next, he brings the covers back around them, draping himself over Soobin like an exceptionally affectionate cat.

And Soobin… can’t find it in himself to complain.

Even when Yeonjun guides his hand back into silky hair, he only huffs a laugh, playing with it as per the silent request. “Happy now?”

The tip of Yeonjun’s nose is still a little cold.

Soobin jolts when it brushes over his neck, though the happy hum that follows it, right by his ear, makes his insides turn all gooey, body melting back into the sheets.

Yeonjun takes another breath before he answers, a slight amusement to his voice, “You smell like pastries.”

♡︎ ⁀➴ ₊˚⊹

When Soobin wakes up, Yeonjun isn’t there.

Dull light filters in through the window, heralding another rainy day, while the time on his phone reads 7:30am. Soobin turns off the alarm. Patting beneath the sheets, he makes out the faintest warmth, proof that Yeonjun must’ve snuck out recently, so with a sigh, he lets himself sink back into the pillow. Why hadn’t he woken up? The bed feels oddly empty without Yeonjun in it.

Okay, no, weird thought, Soobin chides himself.

Still, he should’ve at least woken up to say goodbye or… something.

Was he really that tired?

He tries to recall, but his memory of falling asleep is hazy.

Murmuring and gentle touch, for the most part, a silly conversation he and Yeonjun struck up while waiting for the buzz of kissing to dissipate back into sleepiness. Something about favourite movies. Ah. Soobin remembers it now - Yeonjun picking Wreck it Ralph, an answer oddly on par for someone with destruction powers. The sensation of Yeonjun’s breathy laugh against his shoulder still feels fresh. Soobin rubs his fingers over it. Was there ever a reason to worry? Yeonjun hadn’t even poked much fun at him liking anime. A side effect of being friends with Kai who loves it too, most likely.

Nothing more than just another aspect of him for Yeonjun to know.

On a - generously counting - six hours of sleep, Soobin feels the most well rested that he has in ages, chest light, mind clear. He heaves himself up from the bed, intending to make use of it. A proper breakfast, maybe, instead of running out last minute, emergency sweet bread between his lips.

As he climbs down into his room, debating pancakes, he falters.

A post-it.

On his desk.

Did Yeonjun…?

He might’ve left a note. But what… Approaching slowly, Soobin’s eyes dart around the room, finding nothing else out of place - just the blue star stuck beside his keyboard. It’s clear Yeonjun must’ve left it. Thankfully his glasses are nearby. He rubs his eyes before he slips them on, blinking a little, then reads-

no Dior? wow, you’re handsome AND you have good taste

Soobin flushes red down to his fingertips.

To his knees, probably.

The Wall.

Yeonjun saw The Wall.

Fuck. Soobin glares at it, as if it’s not an evil of his own creation. He wishes for the ground to swallow him. Or not. No. That would be a mercy. He deserves to be shot through by Hoshi’s tiger beam. Why hadn’t he considered this before inviting Yeonjun to his room? In the midst of shame, he can’t even bring himself to take the photos down - no point anymore, right? Yeonjun’s sticky note sits like a pretty flower, placed on top of Soobin’s self dug grave. Soobin groans into his hands. Will his dignity recover? He runs his fingers through his hair…

And pauses.

Maybe.

Maybe there’s a chance.

Despite the peaceful morning he’d been planning, Soobin sprints out of his house chewing on sweet bread, in a rush, barrelling through the school’s entrance as he tries his best to make it to English Lit on time. With three minutes to spare, he steps inside the classroom, much-too-bright chatter for early on a Tuesday morning greeting him.

And amidst it all, comes Taehyun’s bright voice. “Hi Soobin.”

Waving at him from the front row, closest to the door, Taehyun grins so wide that his snakebites almost look like fangs.

Soobin waves back. “Hey.”

His eyes meet Beomgyu’s next. Beomgyu, who looks like he’s trying hard to appear murderous, though he can’t conceal his smirk, half leant over the desk. Closer to Taehyun too, which doesn’t come as a surprise. Definitely worth some friendly ribbing later.

And then.

Soobin gaze falls on Yeonjun.

An unmissable, bright pink coat nestled around him, elbows resting on the desk, hands fiddling with the long sleeves of his cornflower blue undershirt, layered with-

Is that-?

A familiar wash of blue at the centre of white cotton. The black streak cutting through, headlined with blurry orange lettering, well loved and soft and still on Yeonjun’s body.

Even more dumbfounding is that, somehow, it works perfectly with the outfit.

Soobin’s mouth goes dry.

His brain fires off all kinds of signals, the one’s usually accompanying sleepless nights. That’s why Beomgyu looks amused. Even with the looming threat of being teased to hell, there’s a triumph in the way that Yeonjun’s grin slips off his face, eyebrows shooting up beneath his beanie.

And finally, it feels like Soobin’s turn to grin.

He hadn’t done much with the outfit this time. Just a regular pair of many pocketed jeans - a style he most definitely picked up from Yeonjun - and a regular, white shirt, draped over with one of his more comfortable cardigans.

His hair, though.

Yeonjun’s starry eyed look is enough for Soobin to know that it was worth it.

He walks into the classroom, receiving an appreciative nod from Felix, which he returns with a smile, until he’s right by Yeonjun’s desk. Self conscious at the attention, he adjusts the strap of his bag. “Hey.”

“Hi,” Yeonjun answers, a smile slowly forming on his lips.

Soobin couldn’t stop himself from saying it, even if he tried. “You look good.”

The smile turns into a cheshire grin. Yeonjun leans back in his seat. “I look good in your clothes, right?”

Fuck him.

He does.

But fuck him.

There’s a blush rising in Soobin’s ears - he knows because he feels it - even worse, he sees the glee in Yeonjun’s eyes. So much like Cat Noir. The similarity catapults Soobin back into competitive fire. Sure, he can admit: the attitude is a little attractive. But he’ll be damned if he loses like this after the sticky note incident. Raising a brow, he looks down at Yeonjun with an air of nonchalance. “And I look hot with my hair pushed back, right?”

Yeonjun, clearly, did not expect a counter strike.

His mouth opens and closes, only managing to scoff out a weak, “Yeah,” as Soobin walks past, pointedly ignoring Beomgyu and Taehyun’s quiet snickering. From a few rows down, Kai gives an enthusiastic thumbs up, which almost cracks Soobin up too. He slips into his seat, fighting down a smirk.

“Nice hairstyle,” Beomgyu chirps, waggling his eyebrows. He leans in conspiratorially. “Nice hair tie too.”

Soobin looks down at his wrist.

Ah.

It looks…

Like it belongs there.

And any other time, he would’ve waged a kicking war against Beomgyu for trying to fluster him, but his attention zeroes in on the plain, white box on his desk, teasing comments fading out into a distant hum. The box is… standard issue. Single-use. On the smaller side. Its corner folds are identical to the stuff he and his parents use behind the counter to move pastries, though. What’s it doing on his desk?

Is it one of Beomgyu’s pranks?

Soobin’s eyes narrow at his friend, who turns suspiciously quiet, the shrug and small grin that he offers even more suspicious.

The school bell chooses to torment their eardrums before he can ask.

“Alright everyone. Good morning.” Professor Yoongi stands up, flicking through his copy of the text. “We’ve got a fair bit to get through today…”

Soobin tunes him out.

He feels a little bad about it, but at least he’s not falling asleep, right? Beomgyu can fill him in. With everyone’s attention focused elsewhere, he hooks his finger underneath the front tab of the box and slowly lifts it up, peering inside.

His brows furrow.

It’s… a muffin.

Of course.

What else would it be?

Except-

It’s his favourite.

Red velvet. The distinct hue of it bleeds through thin parchment paper, the top hidden beneath black frosting. Why…? Soobin blinks. There’s two green dots of frosting on top, a bit of pink between them, some lighter detailing and three white-frosted stripes on each side. Minimal but well executed, because Soobin instantly realises what it is.

A cat.

A black cat.

Curious, he waits for Professor Yoongi to face the whiteboard before he lifts the lid up further, finding a message scrawled across the underside.

you’re the cat’s meow <3

Soobin connects the dots.

He chuckles under his breath.

The pun and rounded handwriting are a dead giveaway.

It’s not hard to figure out the culprit.

But when did Yeonjun find the time for this? Did he sneak down extra early to apply the frosting? It’s stupidly cute. An equally stupid grin takes over Soobin’s face, eyes fixed on the long hairs peeking out from Yeonjun’s beanie, the anticipatory set of the model’s shoulders, cheeks lifted as if he’s smiling too.

Letting the lid fall back into place, Soobin only manages to take half-hearted notes; empty vial, happy dagger.

And when Professor Yoongi turns towards the board again, he gives up entirely. Leaning forwards in his seat, he ignores the snort from his left when Yeonjun leans back, closer to him too. “You made this?”

With a glance over his shoulder, Yeonjun winks, then whispers, “Yeah. So that you wouldn’t have to.”

Soobin stares down at him, perplexed.

What?

But when he looks back at the box - at the standard issue packaging, easy for transport - it hits him what the gift actually is.

An apology muffin.

Made by Yeonjun.

Well. Made might be a little generous, because Soobin’s sure it’s from a batch he baked last night, but Yeonjun took the time, the effort, to frost it, write the silly message, bring it to class-

“Your frosting skills are better,” he teases, now completely sold on Yeonjun’s baking date idea.

A shy, genuine smile tugs at Yeonjun’s lips, half covered by the hand that he brings up to cup his cheek, hiding a faint blush too. “Don’t tell Hoshi that.”

Soobin’s head falls between his shoulders.

A warm feeling spreads through his chest as he huffs out a laugh, seeping down his throat, around his ribs, into his heart. And when it reaches his fingertips - when he nudges Yeonjun forward in his seat in case they get called out for talking - he realises…

It’s love.

He’s in love.