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They decided to do it when autumn was approaching, casting away the heat and bringing with it light breezes, and freedom. At least in theory.
The two of them were starting university, saying goodbye to the sweet disorder of adolescence, and waiting for the uncertainty of the next phase of their lives. They would stay in the city; they had to. They were Chat Noir and Ladybug, heroes of Paris, and no temptation would take them away from each other, and from the place they protected.
They looked over that place from a rooftop after a patrol. She leaned on a chimney, practising her yoyo tricks. Chat Noir lay down, his hands acting as a pillow as he rested. Then, as he was reminded of his idea, he jolted up.
“Our anniversary is coming up” he said. “5 years. Can you believe it?”
Ladybug smiled “We should do something special.”
“I have an idea”
“Oh really?” Ladybug raised her eyebrows. He wasn’t going to ask her on another date, was he?
“We should get matching tattoos”
Ladybug furrowed her brow. “I’m not the type to get tattoos” she said.
“It doesn’t have to be very big. Just a little cat, or a ladybug the size of an actual ladybug. Subtle, but cute”
“But someone would see it”
“They’d just think you were a big Chat Noir fan. Lots of people already have tattoos of us. Also, you don’t have to put somewhere everyone can see it” he said.
Ladybug looked away from him, to the horizon. It could be nice, having a little reminder of her alter ego on her body. A little secret, maybe on her back. No, she’d want to be able to see it. Perhaps her wrist.
“Anyway, even if you don’t get one, I’m going to get a Ladybug tattoo on my chest. Right here.” Chat Noir pointed to his heart.
Ladybug was silent for a few more moments. “How about a black cat paw? But you wouldn’t be able to see it under my costume”
“I don’t mind. Just knowing that you love me enough to have it permanently etched on your skin is enough for me.”
Ladybug stood up and Chat Noir followed. She offered an extended hand to the blonde.
“Matching Tattoos, to show our deep friendship. Deal?” she asked.
He shook her hand and replied “Deal”
-
Marinette got hers with Alya, in a shop that came highly recommended.
She wanted her cat paw (based on Chat Noir's ring) to be somewhere hidden, since she knew Chat Noir as Marinette, and the tattoo would be a dead giveaway. She settled on the left side of her torso, just under her armpit. If she wanted, she could leave her arms at her side and you couldn’t see it. It was so small, you could mistake it for a mole for afar. But she loved it. She admired it whenever she could, which was usually when she was undressing at home.
The only time it could ever be visible in public was if she was in a bikini. Which never happened, since she never went to the beach.
It was hers and Alya’s secret.
-
Adrien paid cash for his, hoping his father wouldn’t be able to trace it.
Not that it mattered much anymore, he’d quit modelling.
The tattoo was slightly larger than a real-life ladybug, and as promised, it was inked in on the place his heart beat from. He’d shown Nino, who had teased him about his crush/ borderline obsession with the superheroine.
Adrien felt pride every time he saw the little bug in the mirror when he woke up. A memento of her, of the one who held his heart.
They’d showed each other photos of their new inkings on a cold rooftop on the day of their anniversary. Ladybug didn’t tell Rena Rouge about the tattoos, for obvious reasons. But she did invite Rena and Carapace to their anniversary party, a small get together on a roof, with pizza and music from a wireless speaker.
That day, Adrien accepted that Ladybug would never love him back. Suddenly aware of how many years he had wasted on her affections, and that he was an adult, with the ability to gather new experiences not prohibited by his father, he knew he had to move on. He had to move on if he ever wanted to be happy, to live his new life at university as a person ready to grow, become better, unconstrained by a years long unrequited love.
He was going to find someone else. It was what he deserved, what he wanted, what he needed. Someone who would give back to him everything he gave to her.
Which is how he feel into the arms of Marinette.
The school girl who grew out of her pigtails, and who fought for the dignity of her friends. And who asked him out. He’d almost couldn’t believe the words that came out the usually stuttering mouth, talking so sweetly to him, confessing years of longing he had never been aware of.
He’d taken her by the hand through parks, concerts and cafes, all the while noticing little things about her: the way she pinched the bridge of her nose when she was frustrated, the tiny dimples in cheeks that showed when she smiled and how her freckles appeared in the sun.
They’d joke around, and sometimes she would find a pun before even he did. Or she’d tease him lightly. He loved being around her. To her, it didn’t matter that she was Gabriel Agreste’s son, or that he had the keys to further her young career. Just that he was there. And she was there for him.
On their fourth date, he walked her to the bakery, where her parents were away for the winter. He stood outside the door, rubbing his hands together to warm them.
“Are you cold?” she asked with concern in her voice.
“A little bit"
“Do want to come inside?”
How could he say no to that voice? He followed her up the stairs until her apartment, he accepted a drink from her, sat next to her, and as he drew closer to her, she followed.
They spent the night lit only by the faint hints of moonlight resting on the bed. It was like a dance that had no rules, and neither partner knew the steps by heart, but all they needed was the rhythm to keep them in sync to the other.
-
When Adrien woke up, the rising sun was illuminating the pink room. Marinette was still sleeping, her dark hair unravelled and flowing over the pillow. Her left arm was raised, and the duvet hung at her hips, exposing her bare chest.
As he admired her, he noticed a black patch underneath her armpit. He squinted and moved his head closer to the black spot, taking care not to disturb her. The spot, was in fact five. Four smaller patches surrounded a larger one, all heralded together in a motif of cat paw.
Adrien lay over his lover’s body, frozen in shock. He couldn’t be sure, he hadn’t seen the photo of Ladybug’s tattoo in many months. It was not an uncommon image.
How could he ask her without revealing himself?
He put on a t-shirt and walked downstairs to the kitchen, fishing out a glass to pour himself some water.
Marinette woke up to the empty bed. She called out Adrien’s name to hear him reply from downstairs, letting her now he was there. She signed with relief and melted back into the sheets. She lay there, waiting for him to come back. She loved staying in bed, and she was sure if he offered, she could cuddle with Adrien forever.
He walked back into the room, wearing nothing but a grey t-shirt and boxers.
“Do you want a drink?” he said.
“Cooooooome back to bed” she pleaded.
He agreed and jumped lightly on the bed, and Marinette ran her hands through his messy hair as he crawled on top of her.
“I noticed you have a tattoo” he said once he reached her head. “Big Chat Noir fan?”
Marinette smiled. “I guess you could say that”
He rested his chin on her chest, staring at her, blowing a waff of his blonde hair away from him. She gently moved the strand behind his ear, dragging the edges of her fingertips along his jawbone, eventually ending them at his chin, then pulling him softly closer until their mouths were touching.
“I have a tattoo too” he said after the kiss.
“Oh really?”
Adrien rose up, kneeling above her. He grabbed the back of his collar, pulling his shirt off in one fluid motion. As he did so, Marinette’s breath rose in anticipation. That was, until she noticed the round black and red circle next to his left nipple.
She sat up, and realised that it was a ladybug, and that she recognised it.
“Do you like it………………… Bugaboo?” Adrien said tentatively.
A short half laugh, half gasp escaped Marinette’s lips. “I told you not to call me that”
Adrien lifted her up gleefully, pulling her into a solid embrace. He was laughing, burying his head in her shoulder.
“Are you disappointed?” she asked.
Adrien broke the embrace, an looked her seriously in the eyes.
“Absolutely not. This has to be too good to be true.”
She ran her hand over the tattoo, and looked up into his emerald eyes.
“I love you, Chat Noir”