He... probably shouldn’t be doing this.

Somewhere, deep down, he knew that he shouldn’t be lurking around outside on some roof when he didn’t need to be for patrol. He could get in trouble with his father, could get called out for it on the text interview with Nadia Chamack, that vulture, could...

Could...

He couldn’t really think of anything else that made it a bad idea. He just... knew it was one.

But God if he wasn’t so bored. Bored, bored, bored. There was nothing to do! A superhero shouldn’t have to wait for something bad to happen to be out and about, especially not him.

Ladybug would probably scold him for being out right now. Patrolling when she hadn’t scheduled it, freaking people out with his presence so late at night with the thought of an Akuma attack, because that was apparently all they were good for—

He huffed a sigh under his breath. This was a stupid way to spend his free night, worrying about all that. That was a problem for future Chat Noir. Like, a day or two from now Chat Noir.

A flicker of movement caught his eye in the dark alley below him. Not dark dark, really, because all he could see were a ton of different greens, thanks to his night vision, but... whatever. Something had finally moved. He hadn’t seen anything since midnight.

He leaped down onto the cold, grimy ground soundlessly. Maybe it was a thief, or a villain, or a little crying kid he could help out. It felt like it was all just villains or crooks. Never anything... exciting anymore. Not that any of it was exciting, people getting hurt wasn’t—agh—

There was a faint, high-pitched cry. The moving figure flitted into his line of sight again—

Oh. A... cat. He probably should’ve guessed.

“Hey there, bud,” he kneeled in hopes of drawing the little thing closer. As if it could smell the cat in him, it creeped closer, though warily. “Yeah, it’s all good. ‘m all good.”

His ears twitched. Footsteps. Only one pair. Shaky steps. Somebody who either didn’t know this alley well, or who couldn’t see in the dark. Okay, he could work with that.

More movement in his field of vision. A person this time. Dressed casually, like they’d just crawled out of bed.

Oh. It was you. You were... in his class.

“I’m guessing this is yours?” Gently, he hoisted the cat into his arms, cradling it like an infant. He hadn’t known you had a cat. Granted, he didn’t know much about you at all. He didn’t know a lot about many of his classmates. Guess that was what happened when you transferred in when everyone else was already so familiar with each other.

He went on casually, grinning down at the little kitty. “Guess what they say’s true. Cute cats’ve got cute owners.”