Chapter Text
The homework neatly laid out on the desk was being purposefully neglected. Instead, his Chosen was tapping out a meaningless rhythm on the paper with his pen, lost in thought.
"You know Nathalie expects that to be done by eight." Plagg reminded him. The kwami was perched on top of the computer monitor, munching away at a slice of gruyere meant to keep him quiet while Adrien worked.
"What did she mean by 'kiss'?"
Plagg swallowed the rest of the cheese whole with a satisfied gulp and made a noncommittal sound.
Adrien looked back down at the paper for a moment, pen poised to write.
"It's just," he said, setting the pen down. Plagg heaved a sigh. "I mean, it sounded like... but nothing happened. I don't remember anything happening. I don't remember anything at all after I got hit with that arrow." His eyes narrowed in suspicion as he looked at the small black spirit. "Is there something you're not telling me?"
"Nope!" Plagg glanced around for more cheese before remembering that he'd eaten it all, and hopped into the air, floating in front of Adrien. "That is, I don't remember anything either. You'd have to ask Ladybug yourself."
Adrien sighed in defeat and sat back in his chair.
"Although..." Plagg mused. "I guess a kiss would be the most obvious solution."
"To what?" Adrien asked quickly, looking back up.
"To the spell we were under. It was a spell of hatred, so it makes sense that it would be broken by a true love's kiss. Or, well, any kiss maybe. I'm not really sure how it works. Just that it works. Some of the time."
Adrien had clearly tuned him out, staring back down at his homework without actually seeing it. "True love's... kiss?" he murmured. "So... you're saying that in order to free me from the spell, she... we..."
Plagg ducked out of the way as Adrien stood up, nearly knocking over his chair. The boy dug both hands into his hair. "Aw, man! She finally kissed me, and I don't even remember?!" He groaned in disappointment and fell onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Figures. I get all the bad luck."
"Were you even listening to what I was saying?" Plagg said, hovering around Adrien's head before zooming off to perch on the windowsill. "I said I don’t know- Hang on. Do you hear that?”
Adrien waved him off. "I heard. You said true love's kiss. Does that mean..." He bit his lip, his cheeks growing red. "Could Ladybug… actually love me? Like what she said in the Valentine? I never asked if it had been from her, but…" He sat up, a smile beginning to grow on his face. "Wow. She might actually love me back!"
"That's great and all, loverboy," Plagg said, "but there's an akuma nearby."
Adrien blinked, thrown off by the change of subject. "What? Another one?"
"On the street outside," Plagg said from where he was peering through the glass. This remark was punctuated by distant, muffled screams.
"O-okay! Let's go," Adrien said, holding out his ring and trying not to think about the fact that this meant he would likely see his lady again very soon.
A moment later, Chat Noir jumped from the balcony.
Ladybug met up with him a few minutes later. Together, the two of them managed to stop the akuma and return the trashed streets to normal, just like always.
The battle finished on a rooftop a few blocks away from his house. Chat Noir had opened the door leading downstairs so the akuma's victim could stumble through, and was just closing it when he sensed movement. He turned to see Ladybug crouched on the chimney, poised to disappear into the twilight.
"Wait!" Ladybug turned to look at him, surprised, and he plastered a grin onto his face. "Leaving so soon, my lady?"
She huffed out a soft, exasperated breath. "That's the plan. Til next time, kitty cat." She turned away again.
"Ah, wait!"
Ladybug hesitated, then hopped back down onto the roof and regarded him strangely, as though she wasn't sure whether or not to be skeptical or concerned. "What is it?"
He approached her, a little nervously, but mostly with determination. "I wanted to ask about earlier today. What happened when I was under that spell? I don't remember."
After a moment, Ladybug sighed. "It's no big deal. You said some nonsense about hating me; we fought for a while. I assume Hawkmoth wanted you steal my Miraculous. You tried to use Cataclysm on me, but I'm faster and smarter than you so obviously that didn't happen." She smirked at him.
The fact that he'd tried to use such a destructive power against her made his stomach turn. He'd always wondered what it might do to a person... but he never intended to actually find out. He wondered what would have happened if she hadn't been able to stop him.
"Hey, don't worry about it." Ladybug's soft voice cut into his thoughts. "It wasn't you doing those things."
Chat shook himself out of it and gave her a sly smile. "Oh, I know. I was just wondering how you managed to cure me."
His mood was lifted almost immediately by how flustered Ladybug looked. "I... well. I don't see how it..." She trailed off and looked at him more closely. "Chat... you already know, don't you."
"I don't know what you mean." He put on his best innocent face, and she punched him lightly in the shoulder. "Ow!"
"Did your kwami tell you?"
Rubbing his shoulder in an attempt to garner sympathy, Chat pouted. "He doesn't remember anything either. But... we figured it out."
Ladybug sighed. "Well..." She seemed to be searching for words. "Don't read into it."
He crossed the remaining space between them with one smooth stride, catching Ladybug's hand in both of his. "Why not?" he asked earnestly. He appeared confident, but his heart was beating like a drum.
She frowned at him, though she didn't pull her hand away. "I did what I had to do. I was saving your life, and mine."
True love, Plagg had said. He gripped her hand tighter, and her frown deepened. "Let go, Chat."
He dropped her hand as if it had burned him.
She sighed again. "Look..."
"I can't even remember it!" he interrupted. "That's hardly fair."
"Fair?" Ladybug echoed, raising an eyebrow. Then she laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "I guess that's just your bad luck in action, you silly cat." She glanced over at the horizon, where the last glimmers of sunlight were starting to fade. "Day's almost over. I need to get going."
"But..." His voice was soft, feeling the moment start to slip through his fingers. Once it was gone, he might never get it back.
"Goodbye, Chat," she said.
"I love you.”
She stilled.
"What?"
His hand clenched into a fist to keep himself from reaching out to her again. "When I saw you this morning, right before the arrow hit... I was trying to tell you. I promised myself that I would. I needed you to know." His chest ached from the force of his heart pounding against his ribs. "All those times I flirted with you... it wasn't just to tease you. I might not act serious most of the time, but I'm serious about this." He swallowed, keeping his eyes fixed on hers as she stared at him. "My lady, I really do love you. With..." He drew in a shaky breath. "With all my heart."
The few seconds that followed were the longest, most excruciating seconds of his life. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, not seeming to know what to say. He waited.
"Chat..."
He bit his lip, unsure how to interpret her hesitant tone. "Yes?"
She looked subdued now, and maybe a little bit sad. "You don't even know me..."
"I do!" Her eyes widened. "Well, I don't know who you are beneath the mask, but... I know you. You're smart, and strong, and beautiful, and kind-" Was that a blush on her cheeks? He took it as a sign of encouragement and went on. "You're the most amazing person I've ever met. You're a hero, not just to everyone out there..." He gestured to the sprawling city beside them. "But to me, too."
She was silent for a while. "I," she said at last, "I need some time to think."
"O-of course," Chat said hastily. "You don't have to respond. It's okay if you don't... feel the same." His voice caught on the words, but he forced the thought aside, instead touching her lightly on the shoulder, reassuringly. "It doesn't have to change anything. I just wanted you to know."
She smiled at him, but her smile was thin and wavering. "Thanks for telling me."
He stood aside and let her make her way back up onto the chimney. Then he remembered. "Oh... actually, there’s something else, too."
"Yes, Chat?" She was facing away from him. She sounded tired.
"Plagg said..." He hesitated, not sure whether or not he should tell her, but he'd come this far. "My kwami said that spell might only have been broken by... a true love's kiss."
There was a long pause. Then:
"Goodnight, Chat." She leaped off the chimney, and was gone.
Tikki knew her Chosen well enough to know that it wasn’t a question of whether she would bring it up, but when.
It turned out to be sooner rather than later. Marinette had been unusually quiet after getting home and detransforming, silently changing into her pajamas and crawling into bed. A few minutes passed. Tikki sat on the other end of the pillow, waiting.
“Hey, Tikki?”
“Yes, Marinette?”
The girl rolled over to face the kwami. Her cheeks were a little flushed. “Would the kiss really only have worked if it was true love?”
Tikki had expected the question and knew Marinette wouldn’t like her answer, but it was the only one she had. “I honestly don’t know,” she admitted. “Every akuma is different. Probably the only one who would know is Hawkmoth.”
Marinette let out a long sigh, turning onto her back. “Well I’m not gonna ask him.” She stared up at the ceiling and was quiet for another minute. Tikki could practically see the gears spinning in her head. “I mean… when I did it, I guess I assumed that any kiss would do. Any act of… love.” Her blush grew darker. “Even if it’s not true love.”
“Is it not?” Tikki asked, innocently.
Marinette’s reaction was both pitiful and amusing as she waved her hands and sputtered, propping herself up on one elbow. “No! I mean… no. I mean… Chat’s my friend.” She gestured at the poster-covered walls of her room. “Besides, in case you’ve forgotten, my heart is a little occupied right now.”
Marinette looked so put-upon that Tikki couldn’t resist zooming over and giving her cheek a tiny kiss. “I know,” she said with a giggle. “But… from the sounds of things, his is too.”
The way Marinette looked away told her she’d been trying to avoid that particular detail. “Maybe… maybe Chat really does love Ladybug. He said all those good things about her... But I’m not Ladybug. If he met the real me, he’d only be disappointed.”
“He has met the real you,” Tikki reminded her. “And he likes you just fine.”
“He flirted with me!” Marinette shot back. “So how do I know if his feelings for Ladybug are real? Maybe he does this to all the girls!” She flopped back on the bed. “Ugh, why is this so complicated? It’s just Chat… but he’s never looked that serious before.” Her voice lowered to a whisper. “I know he was telling the truth… I just don’t know what to say. I don’t want to ruin our friendship. That’d be awful.”
Tikki landed back on the pillow. “Well, it’s always better to tell the truth. He won’t hold it against you.”
Marinette didn’t look convinced; instead, she looked even more troubled. “But what if I don’t know what the truth is? I don’t… not like him. I just never really thought about it. I mean… Adrien.” She waved a hand in the air as if the name alone explained everything. “He and Chat are like… the two most different people on the planet.”
They sat in silence for a while.
“You don’t have to give him an answer right away,” Tikki said eventually. “Let’s sleep on it.”
Marinette nodded wearily and lay back down, turning to face the opposite wall.
Tikki sat by her head, petting her hair until she fell asleep.
Marinette avoided Adrien in school the next day. She’d been getting better at being around him, honestly, but she was too preoccupied to deal with the usual heart palpitations and scrambled brain function that accompanied their interactions. A night’s sleep had helped some, and she spent some time at Alya’s place after school, but even kicking butt in a round of Ultimate Mecha Strike III wasn’t a satisfactory distraction.
It was growing dark when she began the walk home, but she took her time, meandering through parks and kicking pebbles down the streets as she walked. What would she say to Chat the next time she saw him? She’d have to play it cool, but he probably expected an answer. She just wasn’t ready!
“Ugh!” she said aloud. “Stupid Chat Noir!”
“You called?”
Marinette shrieked as a dark figure landed in front of her, and out of sheer reflex she smacked it in the head with her book bag.
“Ow!”
She knew that voice.
Marinette stared at Chat, who was rubbing his temple with a pained grin. “Wow, what do you have in there? Books?”
“I- well- yes!” she sputtered. “What are you doing here?! Were you spying on me?”
The superhero threw up his hands in a placating gesture. “Woah, calm down! I just happened to be running along the roof over there when I heard my name! Although, I’m not sure what I did to offend you.”
Inwardly, Marinette cringed at the timing. “It’s fine,” she said, adjusting her bag on her arm. “Sorry, I guess I’m just a little on edge today.”
Chat Noir sighed. “You and me both.”
Marinette felt a twinge of guilt. “What are you doing out here, anyway?” she asked. “There isn’t an akuma, is there?” That would be just her luck, she thought. If there was an akuma and Ladybug didn’t show up, leaving him to fight it alone… what would he think then?
To her relief, however, he shook his head. “Nah. If I’m honest… I was just hoping to see Ladybug.”
Oh. Marinette forced herself to start walking again. Chat Noir began to walk alongside. “So, uh… what do you want to see Ladybug for? I thought you didn’t see each other that much, when you’re not saving the city and all that.”
“We don’t,” Chat admitted. “But… well… I kinda told her something really personal the last time I saw her. She left without saying much, and I don’t know what she’s thinking… or how she feels about it.” He sounded genuinely frustrated.
“Well, what do you expect?” she said, a little annoyed. “When someone tells you they love you, it’s kind of a big deal. She clearly respects you enough to think about her answer.” She stopped when she noticed Chat staring at her.
“How do you know that’s what I said?” he exclaimed, bewildered.
Oops. Marinette flashed a nervous grin as she scrambled to make up an excuse. “Uh, well, it was kinda obvious. How you feel about her, I mean.” She glanced at Chat out of the corner of her eye.
Chat’s confusion melted into resignation. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
Marinette breathed a sigh of relief and kept walking. “Well, yeah. But I guess I’m mostly just… surprised. You don’t even know the real Ladybug, do you?”
Chat pouted. “No,” he said forlornly. “I wish I did.”
“So,” Marinette pointed out, “you don’t love the real Ladybug. You just love the person she pretends to be.”
“That’s not true!” Chat had stopped again, and Marinette was surprised by his vehemence. He wasn’t looking at her anymore, but was instead staring out across the dark and empty street. “You’re right… I don’t know her real name, or her family, or her favorite food… I don’t know anything like that.” He paused. “And I know she’s not perfect. I mean, she can be grumpy, and stubborn, and petty, and really selfish sometimes…”
Marinette’s grip tightened on the strap of her bag.
“Except,” Chat continued, “I don’t care about those things! You know, actually, I kind of like them? I like knowing that Ladybug is real person, with flaws, just like me. Believe me, I’d give anything if I could know her. The real her.” His eyes were shining. “I’d love her even more.”
After a moment, Chat ducked his head. “Man, that got weird, didn’t it?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry I got all mushy on you. I’ll uh… I’ll see you later, okay? Thanks for listening.” He twirled his staff and planted one end of it on the ground, then paused and glanced back at her. “You know, Marinette, I bet if I did know the real Ladybug, she’d be a lot like you.”
Then he extended his staff and launched into the air, landing gracefully atop a nearby building and running out of sight.
“You know what this means, don’t you? It means we screwed up. We’ve chosen a pair of idiots.”
Plagg was sitting next to Tikki on the windowsill outside Adrien’s bedroom. He watched as she rolled her eyes. “Plagg, you know that’s not true. If anything, it means we’ve chosen the right people! They aren’t the first Chat Noir and Ladybug to end up in this situation, and they won’t be the last.”
“Yeah, but they’re the first ones to be this dense,” he muttered. He’d had to sit patiently in Chat Noir’s head through that whole sappy speech, directed at Ladybug herself. How was he still expected not to blow anyone’s cover? There wasn’t enough cheese in the world.
“You made this worse, you know,” Tikki reminded him. Plagg knew her well enough to detect a hint of smugness in her tone. “Telling him that it might be true love when neither of us know if that’s true or not.”
“It just slipped out,” Plagg complained. “Force of habit from back in the day when everything was true love this, true love that. How could I have known he’d take it so literally?”
Tikki patted him on the arm. “I know it’s hard, but we have to be there for them.”
Plagg glanced back through the window to where Adrien lay, fast asleep. “Easy for you to say. You don’t have to live with him.”
“That’s mean,” Tikki said sternly. She looked up at the night sky. “Marinette thinks about it a lot, too, you know. She all but cried herself to sleep tonight, and I don’t even think she knew why. They’re young! It’s how humans are. They’ll figure it out eventually.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Plagg yawned and stretched. “I just hope it’s soon, for both our sakes.” He floated lazily into the air. “You should head back to your Chosen. I’m going to get a midnight snack.”
Tikki nodded. “Remember, don’t tell him,” she chirped before zipping off into the darkness.
“I’ll try not to let it slip.” Plagg phased through the glass and paused over Adrien’s sleeping form. It wasn’t just for his own peace of mind that he wanted the kids to figure it out. The boy had enough on his plate without adding heartache to the mix.
Still, a promise was a promise. Resigned, the kwami wandered off to the kitchen in search of more cheese.