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It was the last day of term at Collège Françoise Dupont, and each grade had a different activity planned. One class had a trip to the zoo, another the Louvre, but Marinette felt her class scored the jackpot. A cruise down the Seine, with music and food, the latter of which was provided in joint conjunction with her parents bakery and Le Grand Paris, meaning that both her parents, Alya’s mom, and Chloe’s father had a hand in the trip, not that you’d know that from how Chloe was bragging.
‘You’d think she knows how an oven works, the way she’s going on.’ Alya commented, as she bit into the macaroon in her hand.
‘If she’s gloating, she’s not antagonising.’ Marinette commented. ‘We have to be grateful for small mercies.’
‘Well, she’s kind of antagonising the staff.’ Alya rested her elbow on her friend’s shoulder.
‘But if she’s antagonising them, she’s leaving us alone.’
Alya gasped exaggeratedly. ‘That’s not the Marinette I know. Where’s the girl who stands up for the little guy?’
‘She wants a day off from being the saviour of the Chloe-trodden.’ Marinette pulled a face.
‘You think Ladybug wishes she has a day off?’
‘She’s human, I’m sure she often feels tired and wishes there wouldn’t be an emergency.’ Marinette argued.
‘Are we sure she’s human? I mean, she has super powers, so she’s at least super human.’ Alya pointed out. ‘But no matter her genetic code, she gets up and does it anyway, even if she is tired.’
‘You want me to go over there and save the waiter? Really?’
‘Nah, girl, I’m messing with you.’ Alya laughed. ‘We aren’t being paid to deal with Chloe. He is.’
At the bow of the ship, Adrien leant on the rail, watching the buildings as their boat slowly drifted by. It was definitely a leisure vessel, slow and sure, giving plenty of time to enjoy the scenery.
‘One fruit juice a la Nino.’ His friend handed him a plastic cup.
‘Thanks, Nino.’ Adrien took a sip, grateful for the extra ice, as it was a ridiculously warm day, and everyone was in summer wear; shorts, t-shirts, some of the girls had on dresses, including a certain girl Adrien’s eyes kept tracking back to. He knew Marinette, she didn’t stumble over her words around him as much as she did, and he had come to learn what a sweet and talented girl she was, but what had him captivated was the fact she was today wearing a dress she had designed and made herself, or so he overheard her telling Juleka and Rose. Halter-neck and falling to just above her knees, the base of the dress itself was black, not a common colour for a summer dress, but its saving grace was the pattern, a bright green design of randomly placed green eyes and cat paw prints. She was stunning, he didn’t know how he hadn’t noticed before, but she had even added ribbons in her hair to match, a green and black on each pigtail. With her black sandals, she could have easily graced any magazine cover with him, and he would welcome her.
‘Dude, just go talk to her.’
‘What? Who? I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ Adrien said rapidly, turning back to his friend as he realised he had been staring. Again.
‘It’s just Marinette, man. Go talk to her. Ask her what plans she has over summer break. Ask her about the dress. Ask to rub lotion on her shoulders, whatever, just stop staring like a creeper.’
‘I’m not staring like a creeper.’ Adrien said defensively.
‘No, you’ve just had your tongue unravelled since she arrived at school this morning. Reel it in and go use words.’ He nudged his shoulder. ‘I’ll even come with you and distract Alya so she doesn’t pounce into matchmaker mode.’
‘Okay, fine.’ He drank the rest of his juice in one go, as though the cup contained something stronger, and placed it on a nearby table. ‘Let’s go.’
‘Ew, look at this, this is not acceptable!’ Chloe squealed, pointing dramatically at the table.
‘Completely unacceptable.’ Sabrina echoed from a step behind.
‘This cheese board my father provided is supposed to be served at room temperature. That is far too soft! Cool it down. But not too much. It needs to be perfect!’
‘It’s a very hot day, mademoiselle,’ the waiter tried to explain, ‘it is very difficult to maintain an exact temperature when the weather dictates…’
‘I don’t care about the weather, I care about if this cheese spoils. Fix it!’
‘But there’s nothing I can…’
‘Does this look like room temperature to you?’ Chloe squawked, picking up the tray and slamming it into the waiters chest, cheese first, turning her hand so it would do the most damage to his uniform. ‘Maybe that will teach you not to argue with your betters.’ And she stormed away, leaving the waiter to steam angrily while peeling the cheese tray from his chest, his uniform ruined, and cheese dripped unpleasantly onto the deck and his formerly pristine shoes.
‘Maybe I should have intervened.’ Marinette pulled a face as they watched the waiter go below deck.
‘Then you’d have ruined your dress, because Chloe was going to cover someone in cheese, and it was better the waiter than you.’ Alya argued.
‘I guess. But I should have tried to calm the situation.’
‘Chloe is a cranky bitch who is also dehydrated and sunburnt. She would pick a fight with a feather, as my mom says. So let’s stay out of her way.’
Across town, in Hawkmoth’s lair, he had seen the man humiliated by the arrogant Miss Bourgeois, always a good source of negativity for him to utilise, and he quickly sent one of his akumas, knowing that a little terror on the Seine would be just the thing to bring Ladybug and Chat Noir running to the rescue.
‘What do I say?’ Adrien asked, as they edged around their friends towards where the girls stood by the buffet table.
‘Tell her she looks nice, girls love that, but be specific; I like your dress, is it new? Have you done something different with your hair? Trust me, don’t be generic.’
‘Non generic compliment. Got it.’ Adrien stepped forward, an idea of what he would say in his head, when the deck before him exploded in a shower of splinters, an obviously akumatized victim standing before them.
‘I am The Server, and it is my job to give you what you want!’ He turned on Chloe. ‘You wanted cheese, and cheese you shall have.’ In his hand he held a silver serving tray, and he pointed it at Chloe, showering her in a spray of cheese cubes, intent on burying her.
Adrien jumped forward, there was nowhere he could go to change, not with all his classmates here, he had to try and get The Server off the boat, and he was sure he could sneak off and change if things were less hectic.
‘Sorry, no one ordered seconds.’ He quipped, grabbing the victim from behind and pinning his arms, the rain of cheese ceasing immediately.
Marinette stepped forward the same time Adrien sprang into action, but Alya grabbed her arm, pulling her back. ‘You can’t do anything to help girl, come on, we all need to find cover!’ Their friends were all panicking and screaming with nowhere to go, it was chaos.
‘But Adrien…’ She started, however she didn’t get to finish.
The akuma victim roared and threw his arms out, wrenching Adrien loose, and turned, firing a wave of croissants into him even as he stumbled back hard. It all happened in seconds, but for Marinette it seemed like she had all the time in the world to watch as Adrien was knocked over the side of the boat in a shower of pastries.
‘Adrien!’ She yelped, pulling out of Alya’s grip and racing forward.
‘Mari! Don’t! You’re not a strong swimmer!’ Alya called after her, but Marinette had already devised a plan, and losing Adrien wasn’t on it.
She leapt up onto a chair with one foot, the other hitting the barrier around the boat a moment later, and all her classmates could recall was a random yell of; ‘Tikki, spots on!’ and a flash of pink.
Marinette’s transformation was complete by the time she hit the water, and she had to hope that none of her classmates realised what was going on, however that was the bottom of her priority list right now. She looked around in the murky water of the Seine, for any shadow of size, but all she spotted was a small green glow coming towards her. It was her only clue, for now, and she kicked towards it. The green glow turned to two green lights, then two eyes, and she nearly expelled the breath she held when she realised it was another kwami, and not only that, but the black cat! Wait, what?
Plagg had no choice, he knew he didn’t want to lose Adrien as his chosen, he would worry about the fall out when Ladybug had got him back to the surface, hopefully breathing.
Ladybug kicked harder as a dark shape in the water lightened as she approached, seeing it to be Adrien, his white shirt now visible in the water, and she was with him in seconds, wrapping her arm around his body and pulling free her yo-yo. It was impossible to spin underwater, but as a magical artefact it propelled nonetheless, out of the water and onto the side of the boat, as rapidly as she dared, and she gasped as they hit the air, flying over the railing and rolling on the deck, the landing causing Adrien to start coughing, spitting up water from the river as Ladybug detangled herself from him. She didn’t know where the black cat kwami had gone, but she had her suspicions, then Adrien’s shirt moved in a way that wasn’t quite natural, and her suspicions were confirmed. Her breath caught, but her classmates just thought it was from the water as they gathered around.
‘Are you okay?’ She bent close to Adrien, studying him as though she hadn’t already memorised everything about him, looking for signs that had been there all along, she just hadn’t noticed.
Adrien nodded before turning his head, finding himself so close to the eyes he adored that they filled his vision, bluebell surrounded by red with black spots. ‘Ladybug?’ He managed, before another bout of coughing took him.
She smiled and rested her hand on his shoulder, before turning to her classmates. ‘He’s okay, anyone know which way that akuma victim went?’
‘Towards the Eiffel Tower.’ Max pointed as she got to her feet.
‘Ladybug, wait!’ Alya rushed forward. ‘My friend, Marinette, she went in the water after Adrien. She can swim, but she’s not the strongest. She hasn’t come back up.’
Ladybug just stared at her best friend. She had assumed her identity would no longer be a secret, that flinging herself off the boat as she changed had revealed her, but perhaps not. ‘Marinette?’ She checked, and Alya nodded. ‘I’ll find her, Alya, don’t worry.’ And she marched up to the side of the boat, huffing out a breath before diving over the side again. She swum underwater towards the shore, where there were sporadic emergency ladders, and took a tight grip.
‘Tikki, spots off.’ She said, glad it would still work underwater, then climbed up the ladder and up onto the path that ran alongside.
‘There’s Marinette!’ She heard Nathaniel yell, and she rocked back to sitting to wave at her friends, then heard Alya shout; ‘What about Ladybug?’
‘Oh, I saw her swing off that way!’ Marinette yelled, pointing in the opposite direction, before pushing to her feet and running towards the nearest building, where she transformed again, propelling herself into the rooftops, stopping for a moment to catch her breath as the last five minutes played over in her mind. Adrien was Chat Noir? Chat Noir was Adrien? All this time, all his flirting, and her rebuffing his advances…oh no. A scream reminded her she had a job to do, and she started to run again, grateful that the sun beating down should have her dry in no time.
Adrien was still breathing heavily when he pushed to his feet, his body shaking with adrenaline and the temporary lack of oxygen, noting Mademoiselle Bustier speaking rapidly to the skipper of the vessel.
‘What happened?’
‘Akuma, bro.’ Nino hugged him, then pushed him away as he remembered he was soaking wet. ‘Ladybug pulled you out of the water and went after it. Mademoiselle Bustier is trying to get the skipper to stop here and our parents to collect us.’
He pulled a face. ‘We’re seventeen, we can walk ourselves home.’
‘School policy.’ Nino looked equally put out.
Adrien growled and walked to the railing where he knew the akuma victim to be wreaking havoc from the noise and number of people running away from that direction. Ladybug was out there alone, and right now he couldn’t do a damn thing to help her.
The Server reached a cafe, where someone seated outside was leaving a substandard tip, and he buried them in checks, laughing as he ranted about them deserving it.
‘Hey!’ Ladybug yelled, drawing his attention to her from where she stood behind him, yo-yo spinning. ‘Don’t you know the customer is always right?’
‘The customer needs to learn to treat servers with respect! And this is the only way they will learn!’ He spun his tray at her, spewing forth a slew of breadsticks, but she easily slid under it, kicking his legs out and bringing him down.
‘Personally, I always try and treat people how I’d like to be treated, until they treat me otherwise.’ She remarked as she bound him with her yo-yo, knocking him onto all fours.
‘Knocking over your server isn’t polite!’ He used the tray to spray a powerful jet of water, launching himself into the air, and Ladybug dragged behind with a yelp.
‘Come on!’ Adrien groaned as the kids were let off the boat one by one, checked off by Mademoiselle Bustier as their parents met them.
‘I’m sorry, Adrien, but your ride isn’t here yet.’ She said, as he reached her.
‘Oh, it’s there, I see it!’ He pointed at a random silver car that passed. ‘Probably can’t park due to all the extra traffic. It was a fun day, Mademoiselle Bustier.’ He said rapidly before sprinting up the gangplank.
‘But, Adrien…!’ She called after him, but he was already lost in the crowd. She sighed. Now she had to go and explain to Marinette’s parents that she was somewhere down the path.
‘You could have at least grabbed me some of the cheese off the deck.’ Plagg complained as Adrien darted into an alleyway. ‘It smelled amazing.’
‘Plagg, priorities! I’ll get you a wheel of camembert when we get home! But for now, claws out!’
Ladybug wasn’t doing well. The server had a serious hatred of people in general, apparently, and any dining out “crime” was considered punishable by covering in the appropriate substance. One man had spilled the salt, for that he was buried in it. Another woman demanded a clean fork because of watermarks, and she found herself hemmed into a cage of the cutlery, unable to get out. And boy, was he picky. He seemed to know every food ever dropped, every condiment ever spilled, every time you put salt packets on a plate instead of leaving them on a table, apparently that really irritated servers, and Ladybug regretted that her Marinette side was so clumsy, because he had a lot of ammo to throw at her. Right now he was firing macaroons at her with speed and precision, and he hit her yo-yo, just as she was aiming for a high chimney, leaving her to plummet towards the ground.
‘Gotcha!’ Chat was there just in time, vaulting into her trajectory and catching her easily, landing on the roof of Le Grand Paris, where the restaurant was well renowned for its diners of a certain calibre.
‘Good catch, Chat.’ She sighed, more in relief at seeing him okay than at having been saved.
‘I’d never let you down.’ He spun his staff before leaning on it. ‘Your hair’s wet.’
‘I had to pull someone out of the Seine before here.’ She remarked, overly casually. ‘You’re wet too.’ She reminded herself to point out, knowing she wasn’t supposed to know what she knew.
‘I was…uh…showering! Yes, showering, you know us cats love our cleanliness.’ He stammered. ‘So, what are we dealing with?’
‘Crazy waiter, it looks like. Trying to punish people for their crimes against servers.’
‘Well, I happen to be a perfect guest to have to dinner, want to find out later? Say, eight o’clock?’ He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she just stared at him. Adrien Agreste was flirting with her, had been flirting with her for the last few years. And she had ignored it.
‘Sure, right, eight.’ She shook her head, trying to clear it. ‘But what are we doing about the garçon?’
‘Giving him a hefty tip and hoping for the best? Wait…was that a yes?’
‘Let’s talk later, Chat.’ She turned back to find their foe chasing a small group who had emerged from the hotel restaurant. ‘The akuma is obviously in the tray. Think you can distract him so I can get close enough to destroy it?’
‘Wouldn’t it make more sense for you to distract him while I sneak up and cataclysm the tray?’ He suggested.
Ladybug swallowed, not wanting to put him close to harm, knowing who he was. She loved him, she didn’t want him hurt, not if she could prevent it. ‘Let’s try it my way first, chaton.’ She forced a smile, before putting her lucky charm into action.
‘As my lady wishes.’ He shrugged, watching as a plunger dropped down into her waiting hands.
‘This is…interesting.’ She pulled a face at it.
‘Maybe all this rich food gave him a blockage.’ Chat shrugged.
‘Well, I guess it’s up to us to…something.’ She screwed up her nose.
‘You’ll figure it out, Bugaboo, you always do. Let’s do it.’ And he ran off in one direction, while she went in the other.
It seemed The Server was going after the root of the problem, that of Mayor Bourgeois, holding him responsible for Chloe’s bad manners, and Ladybug found herself sneaking in the doors after Chat had chased him into the restaurant, where he was now deliberately making a mess.
‘Oops.’ He had seated himself on his haunches at a large table at the back, and was casually knocking everything off one item at a time, like a pernickety cat trying to cause trouble. ‘Waiter, there’s something wrong with these flowers.’ He said, before knocking the entire vase off. ‘And this salt pot is almost empty.’ He knocked that next. ‘The pepper is gunked up. This spoon is dirty.’
‘Stop, you insolent fool! You do not deserve table service!’ And he launched a barrage of condiments at him, but Chat merely flipped to the next table, where he knocked a basket of bread on the floor.
‘Good job, kitty.’ Ladybug murmured, crouching behind the table nearest where she entered and crawling closer. So far nothing had lit up her ladybug senses to show her what to use the lucky charm for, but if this worked she might not even need it.
She managed to get under the table beside where he stood, hidden by the cloth, and lifted the edge so she could see his feet. She pulled the cloth back rapidly and sprung at the akumatized villain, just as he turned to attack Chat again, and she missed him, landing heavily face down on the floor with an; ‘Umph!’ loud enough to draw his attention. She heard Chat shout her name, and was suddenly showered with croissants. Yeah, she remembered dropping plenty of croissants over the years. She tried to push herself up, but it was as though they weighed so much more than normal croissants, which made sense; if they were evil croissants, why would they be light and fluffy?
Chat watched in horror as Ladybug was buried in pastries, almost disappearing entirely under their sheer volume, and he knew the plan wasn’t working. He sprang into action and hitting the villain hard enough to send him across the room, stopping the onslaught of food so he could clear the unusually heavy croissants from Ladybug and drop down beside her, checking she was okay.
Ladybug groaned and shook her head before pushing with her arms, finding herself helped, and she turned to find Chat’s green eyes looking at her in concern. ‘Chat, what?’
‘Are you okay?’
‘Where’s The Server?’
‘He’s…whoa!’ Chat pulled her closer and backflipped behind a table, just as a torrent of camembert struck where they had been. ‘Yeah, he’s there.’
‘You need to be more careful!’ She complained, pulling out of his arms and peeking over the table.
‘So do you.’ He quipped, joining her. ‘Any luck with your charm yet?’
‘I’m not…’ She started, just as the tray lit up, red with black polkadots, and she knew there had to be something else to lead up to it. She looked everywhere, the entire room, finally slumping back down and staring at the plunger in her hands. ‘I don’t get it. It’s just this and…’ then she realised that there was another spotted object in her field of vision, pretty much so under her nose she hadn’t noticed it. Her yo-yo, and then Chat’s hand.
Quickly she tied the yo-yo around the end of the plunger. ‘Okay, Chat, get cataclysm ready. That tray is coming to you.’
‘Alright.’ He nodded. ‘Cataclysm!’ And he crouched, hands ready. ‘On your mark, my lady.’
‘Okay, be ready.’ She jumped to her feet and threw the plunger like a javelin, hitting the tray dead centre, then pulling it out of his grip. ‘Now, Chat!’
He jumped up as she ducked, hitting the tray as it flew over her head, rusting as it came clattering to the ground and shattering, releasing the akuma inside.
‘Time to deevilize!’
It was only minutes later that the room was returned to normal, along with the rest of the city, although Chloe still smelled faintly of cheese. They helped the victim to his feet, just as their miraculous’ beeped for the first time.
‘We have to head off, right, my lady?’
‘Right.’ She agreed, letting him lead the way.
‘But, are we still on for tonight? Eight o’clock we said?’
‘Sure, Chat. Eight o’clock.’ She agreed. ‘Where?’
‘Champ de Mars?’ He suggested.
‘Alright.’
‘Catch you later, Bugaboo.’ He winked at her before propelling himself into the rooftops.
‘Bye, Adrien.’ She whispered, racing off herself as her earrings beeped again.
Marinette flopped down on her chaise and kicked off her shoes, as Tikki flew out of her bag to look down at her.
‘So, you know who Chat is now.’
‘Uh huh.’ Marinette stared up at the ceiling, not quite sure she was functioning.
‘But he doesn’t know who you are.’
‘Nope.’
‘And you met his kwami.’
‘Uh huh.’
‘Marinette, say something else? Please?’ Tikki asked.
‘What do you want me to say, Tikki? I just found out my biggest admirer, who I’ve been spurning for years, is the boy I’ve been in love with for exactly the same amount of time.’
‘His kwami’s name is Plagg.’
For some reason that single fact seemed to snap Marinette out of it, and she propped herself up on her elbows. ‘What?’
‘Adrien’s kwami is called Plagg. We’ve known one another a long time.’
‘Did you know Adrien was Chat Noir?’ She tucked her legs up, crossing them, putting her hands in her lap.
Tikki sighed and sat on her knee, facing her. ‘I did. Plagg and I haven’t spoken since you became our chosen, but we have interacted. Just gestures, waves. We shared that macaroon when you fought Dark Owl.’
She nodded. That made sense. Deep down she had known that Tikki knew Chat’s identity, but it hadn’t crossed her mind that she actually knew him, and well. ‘What do I say to him, Tikki?’
‘How about the truth? That you found out by accident while saving him.’ Her kwami shrugged.
‘That easy?’ She asked doubtfully.
‘It can be.’ Tikki flew up and kissed her cheek. ‘It will all be alright, Marinette. You’ll see.’
Adrien showered the Seine out of his hair and talked the whole while, not that Plagg was really listening. He had his cheese wheel and had no intention of letting the excited hormonal ramblings distract him.
‘She’s going to be there, she said she would. I’m going to take a picnic, with a blanket…and candles, we should have music too, I can play that through my staff, what do you think she likes to eat?’
‘Aphids.’ Plagg replied.
‘That’s gross.’ Adrien pulled a face. ‘I meant my Ladybug, not real ones.’
‘How should I know. Human food. Probably lots of cheese. Make sure you pack some.’
‘I know why you want me to take cheese.’ Adrien laughed. ‘But even your gluttony can’t ruin my mood. Ladybug agreed to meet me, outside of emergencies and patrols!’
‘Maybe she just wanted to shut you up.’ Plagg suggested.
‘It’s my chance to show her I’m more than she thinks.’ Adrien continued undeterred. I need to look my best.’
‘You need to look like Chat.’
‘I need to smell good then.’ Adrien went to the array of expensive colognes he had been given to promote. ‘Which do I pick?’
‘One that won’t make her eyes water.’
‘You’re no help.’ Adrien glared at him.
‘I honestly don’t care, go with your gut, and I’ll go with mine.’ Plagg replied before taking another huge bite of cheese.
Chat was early, he desperately wanted to make the right impression. He spread the picnic blanket on the ground beneath a tree, and had brought some battery operated string lights which he hung from the lowest branches. It would be twilight soon and the lights would look pretty, he hoped. He set out the juice and glasses he had brought with him, having decided against wine, then tried to figure out how to sit to wait for her. First he laid on his side, propped on one elbow, then decided it didn’t feel right, it was too flirtatious. He tried crosslegged, but felt it too childish, then he leant back on his hands and crossed his legs in front of him. Nothing felt right.
‘I think you looked most relaxed laying down.’ Ladybug’s voice from behind him made him jump, turning to find her dropping down to the ground elegantly, and he scrambled to his feet.
‘My lady.’ He swept in a low bow. ‘I’m glad you could make it.’
‘I’m not late, am I?’
‘Not at all.’ He grinned, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles softly, and Marinette’s heart skipped a beat. ‘Come take a seat. Apple juice?’
‘Please. This looks lovely, Chat.’ She indicated to the blanket and lights.
‘You’re worth it. At least the gardens are generally empty at this time.’
She nodded. ‘So, I’m glad you asked me here tonight.’
‘Me too. I never thought I’d get you to say yes.’ He smiled, and it was worth it just to see that alone.
‘I should have said yes sooner, but…’ she sighed, ‘today sort of gave me a push.’
‘What was different about today?’ He offered her the first glass.
‘I guess…I was more worried about you. I didn’t want you in harms way, but I still couldn’t do it without you.’
‘We’re good team.’ He reminded her. ‘We always have been.’
‘We have.’ She agreed. ‘I don’t want that to change.’
‘Why would it change?’ He tilted his head to one side before opening the picnic basket and bringing out a bowl of strawberries. ‘Are you hungry?’
‘Not just now. In a little while, maybe.’
Chat put down his glass and looked at her seriously. ‘Something is bugging you, Bugaboo, and I don’t know if it’s me.’
‘It’s not you, not really. I mean it is you, because you’re right there, I mean here, with me, but I mean it’s not something you’ve done, or even something I’ve done, but…’
‘You’re cute when you ramble.’ He smirked, and it made her stop.
She sighed deeply, taking a sip of the obviously freshly pressed apple juice. ‘I was more afraid for you today.’
Chat frowned in confusion. ‘Because of the villain it was?’ He asked, not knowing what else could have made her so worried.
She put down the glass in frustration at herself not knowing how to tell him. She had gone over it in her head a hundred times, but now each scenario had combined and she was confusing herself. Pushing to her feet she stepped off the blanket, hoping not looking at him would help, and trying a different tactic as the frustration ate at her, creating such irritation she all but growled; ‘I hate it when you put yourself in danger for me.’
‘But, that’s my job.’ He reminded her pointedly. ‘The city needs you to deevilize the akuma, to save the victim. That means I have to put myself between you and any imminent danger.’
‘That doesn’t mean I have to like it!’
‘You’ve never complained before.’ He looked at her back, her shoulders tense. This was obviously a real bugbear for her.
‘I…just…please, try not to do it, try not to get between me and danger. Don’t put yourself in danger for me!’ She said, harsher than she meant to, and the tone made him raise his hand, placing it on her shoulder and turning her to face him.
‘I have to!’ He argued. ‘I would take a hundred hits for you, and however many more it takes!’
‘I don’t want you hurt, Adrien!’ She blurted, and immediately went wide eyed, covering her mouth with both hands at what she had said as he staggered back.
‘You…you know who I am?’
She dropped her head, letting out a sigh that was as much a groan as anything else. ‘I found out earlier.’
‘Claws in.’ Chat said quietly, and Ladybug looked up in time to see a green wave pass over him, revealing the boy she was in love with. ‘It’s a problem for you that this is who I am? You don’t trust me, now that you know that I’m just a model, a kid playing hero? I’m no different than I was when we patrolled last night, but my civilian me makes me less…’
She couldn’t bear it, to hear him be so self deprecating, and the only thing she could think of doing was stepping close, taking his face in her hands, and kissing him.
Adrien wouldn’t have been more surprised if she had demanded his miraculous and left him there. His lady, she was kissing him, by choice, her choice, and…wow! Adrien’s arms reached around her and pulled her close, his lips responding to hers with desperation, so many years of feelings remaining unrequited, all leading to this moment.
Adrien kissing her back was enough of a reality check to shake her to her core. It was everything she wanted, but it wasn’t real, because she knew if she stood here as Marinette he wouldn’t respond, he would push her away. She was just a friend, and she couldn’t lead him on like that. She broke the kiss and stepped back, forcing her way back out of his arms as tears filled her eyes. ‘I’m sorry, Adrien, I didn’t mean to find out, I really didn’t.’
‘Don’t cry.’ Was all he could think of saying. ‘Please don’t cry, my lady.’ And he stepped towards her, fully planning on holding her and reassuring her it was okay, that he felt a great weight had been lifted from him, but she held her hands up between them to keep him back.
‘It was my fault.’ Plagg announced, from where he had been floating behind Adrien, well out of the way, and they both turned to him. ‘You would’ve drowned, and I’ve got kind of attached to you…I mean the cheese you have. It’s pretty good quality. And I’d miss you.’
Adrien turned to his kwami, surprised by his sudden emotional confession. It was more than Plagg normally let on, and he knew it hadn’t been deliberate but…
‘You were knocked off the boat.’ Ladybug’s voice said quietly from behind him, and Plagg flew up beside her so Adrien could see them both. ‘I couldn’t let anything happen to you. I didn’t care if everyone saw me transform. I had to save you, I didn’t know that…’
It was his turn to stop her with a kiss, but she broke it immediately, however he wasn’t letting her go that easily this time. He curved his arms around her and held her tight. ‘Thanks for the rescue.’
She swallowed hard enough for him to see, tears leaving streaks over her mask and cheeks. ‘All in a days work, right?’ She tried to sound cheery, but it didn’t work.
‘Right. And why are you crying, exactly? Because a few seconds ago you kissed me, and it’s a bit confusing.’
‘Because you’d only kiss me like this. You don’t see me in my civilian guise, but I’m right there, every day. And I look at you, and I had no idea you were by my side all along, but only like this.’ Her voice broke. ‘Only as Ladybug.’
‘I want to be beside the girl behind the mask, I always have.’ He argued. ‘But you have to give me the same chance you have, to know the girl behind the mask. You obviously know me, well enough to want to kiss me, even though you know I’m Chat.’
‘That just makes it better, and harder!’ She choked. ‘You’re my best friend, and the boy I love, all rolled into one, but without the suit I’m just a friend. That’s all I’ve ever been, that’s all I will ever be, and I can’t live a lie, hoping that you’d come to terms with who I really am!’
He looked at her, could virtually see the passion in her like a physical thing, how she stood up for whatever she believed in, such conviction, and he realised how blind he had been, all this damn time. ‘I’d take both of you, Marinette.’
‘If you knew you wouldn’t be saying that, you’d…what?’ She realised he had called her by her name, not Ladybug, or Bugaboo, or my lady, by her actual name.
‘I said I’d take Ladybug and Marinette, you know, if you’d let me.’
‘You knew?’ Her words came out high pitched, portraying her surprise perfectly. ‘For how long?’
‘About thirty seconds now. Maybe thirty five. I wasn’t really counting. I didn’t know there’d be a test.’ She just stared at him, unable to process what he had just said, if he had actually said it at all. ‘How about you sit down, change back into that cute little cat dress, and we talk about this?’
‘The dress got wet. I’m wearing shorts and a vest.’ Was all she could say.
‘Shame,’ he said as he carefully let her go, holding her hands instead and walking backwards to the blanket, ‘maybe you can have it clean and dry for our date tomorrow night.’
‘Our…what?’
He pulled her to sit down then pulled on her glove. ‘What’s your trigger words to get this thing off?’
‘Spots off.’ She whispered, and after moment of pink glow she sat before him, just Marinette, in her pink shorts and white floral vest top, and she was perfection.
Adrien smiled at her warmly, her cheeks flushed pink, and she was all he had ever dreamt of and more. He reached out without looking and picked up the bowl, holding it between them. ‘Strawberry?’
‘Thanks.’ She took one, but didn’t eat it, still amazed at how this evening had gone.
He wiped at the tears on her face, cleaning them up as best he could. ‘You know, princess, I think this is the beginning of something beautiful between us.’