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Marinette didn’t know what colors looked like.
Many people didn’t; after all, humans were born seeing in black and white. It wasn’t until they touched their soulmate’s skin for the first time that they began to see in color.
Some people accidentally bumped into their soulmates in the street. Others shook their soulmates’ hands and watched the world burst into color around them. Marinette’s parents had accidentally brushed hands in the school hallway as teenagers when they barely knew each other.
Sometimes, people who had yet to find their soulmates would convene and shake hands with everyone in the room in the hopes of finding their soulmate. These events were known as Soul Searches, and the people who attended them were seen by society as sad, miserable beings who were desperate to find their soulmates.
Marinette couldn’t see herself ever going to a Soul Search, no matter how old and desperate she got. She knew she would find her soulmate eventually, even if it didn’t happen until they were seventy years old. It would happen on its own time, and when it did happen, it would be perfect.
***
Adrien didn’t know what colors looked like.
He dreamed of what it would be like to see in color for the first time. Even at the young age of thirteen, his heart ached in longing for the person who would be able to show him.
He had once asked his father to describe what the colors looked like to him.
“I can’t explain what colors look like,” his father had insisted. “You’ll just have to wait patiently for the day to come when you can see them for yourself.”
In all honesty, Adrien had never been entirely sure that his father could see colors. He had asked him to describe the colors in the hopes of finally determining whether or not his father could truly see them, but he still didn’t have his answer. Maybe he never would.
Adrien hoped for his father’s sake that he couldn’t see colors. After the disappearance of Adrien’s mother, many people said that Gabriel was going to be miserable for the rest of his life without his soulmate.
If his mother and father weren’t soulmates, then maybe there was hope for him after all. Maybe he would find someone else someday, and then he could be happy again.
But if they truly were soulmates, that meant that not every love story- even between soulmates- had a happy ending. A person could be doomed to a life of misery, even if they did see in color.
Adrien wanted- no, needed- to believe that his father saw in black and white.
He needed to believe that, whoever his soulmate was, the two of them would never end up like his parents.
***
If someone had told Marinette that she would hate her soulmate when she first met him, or that he was friends with Chloé Bourgeois of all people, she would have said it was ridiculous.
She had always imagined that she would fall in love with her soulmate the moment she saw their face. She had always imagined that she would know from the moment they met that they were destined to spend their lives together.
Then, her hand accidentally bumped into Adrien Agreste’s as he handed her his umbrella, and the world exploded into color around her.
Her eyes went wide as she stared at her surroundings in wonder. Her heart racing, she turned back to stare wide-eyed at the blond boy.
“You…” she whispered. His green eyes had gone wide as well, and he was currently staring at her intensely. “We’re…”
He gave a small, breathy laugh and a nervous smile. “Yeah, I… I guess we are.”
“That- um- that’s cool,” she stuttered awkwardly.
He smiled down at her. “Yeah, it is.”
They merely stared at each other for a moment longer, not tearing their eyes apart until Adrien’s driver honked impatiently.
Adrien pushed the umbrella into her hands. “I should get going.”
She nodded, feeling a blush grow on her cheeks. Suddenly, the umbrella closed around her.
What is wrong with me? She thought, her face burning as she fumbled with the umbrella. I finally meet my soulmate and then instantly embarrass myself by getting trapped in an umbrella? Nice going, Marinette.
She heard his laughter ring out in the chilly air, and she shyly lifted the umbrella to peek out at him from underneath it.
“I’m looking forward to getting to know you, Marinette,” he said with a kind smile once she had fixed the umbrella.
“Y- you, too,” she said softly.
“See you tomorrow,” he said, waving at her and turning to leave.
She hesitated for a moment. “Hey, Adrien?” she called.
He turned back to look at her. “Yeah?”
She swallowed hard. “Do you- um- do you mind keeping this between us for a bit? Y’know, until we get used to the idea?”
He smiled at her. “Of course. It’s our little secret.”
***
The next day, Adrien and Marinette met up at a small café after school to talk.
“So, is this when I’m supposed to ask you out on a date?” Adrien asked with a teasing smile at one point, though Marinette could see the nervousness in his eyes.
Her cheeks heated up as she bit her lip, looking down at the table between them. “Actually, I- um… well, I was just kind of thinking we should take some time to get to know each other before we jump into a r- relationship.” She looked back up at him, hoping he wouldn’t be upset.
“I was thinking the same thing, actually,” he said. “I mean, we’re soulmates, after all; we’ve got our entire lives. There’s no need to rush.”
Her heart thudded, and she swallowed hard.
That was the first time either of them had actually said the word “soulmates” to the other. It was strange to know that she would one day fall deeply in love with the boy sitting across from her and spend her entire life by his side.
She nodded. “Thank you.”
He smiled gently at her. “Marinette… you don’t have to be so quiet and reserved with me. I know you can be feisty and outspoken; in fact, feisty was my first impression of you. Plus, Nino told me a bit about you earlier today, and he said that you’ve been standing up to Chloé for years now. That takes some guts.”
She looked up at him, trying not to let her mind linger too much on the fact that he and Nino had talked about her. “Speaking of Chloé… I think we should t-talk about- um- that situation.”
He furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”
She sighed. “Well, you’re friends with Chloé, and obviously I’m not going to, like, ask you to stop being friends with her or anything, but… I’m afraid things will get complicated with, y’know, your- um- soulmate and your good friend hating each other.”
He thought about it. “Yeah, I guess that could get bad. But… well, I know Chloé can be a pain, but until I started school here, she was my only friend for a long time. No matter what happens, she’s always had my back, and… she was really there for me when my mom disappeared. It sounds crazy, I know, but she was more of a comfort to me than my own father was. I can’t just abandon her.”
Marinette nods. “I know, and I would never ask you to do that.”
He smiled at her. “Thank you. She… has a soft side, you know. It’ll take some time, but I think if you guys put aside your rivalry and got to know each other better, maybe you could… I don’t know. Maybe not be friends, but at least not hate each other anymore.”
Marinette nodded slowly, trying to swallow her disgust at the thought of being friends with Chloé.
“I- I’ll try,” she said finally.
He smiled gratefully. “Thank you.”
“And… you didn’t tell anyone, did you?” Marinette asked.
He shook his head. “Nope. You?”
“No one,” she agreed. “I almost let it slip when I was talking to Alya earlier, though.”
He nodded. “I was having a hard time with it when Nino and I were talking about you.”
She let out a small laugh. “I want to tell them, but… I want to take some time to get used to it first, y’know? Like, obviously they’re both going to freak out when we tell them, but I’ve kind of been freaking out, too, and I want to calm down and get used to it before they freak out.”
“You’re freaking out?”
“Well, yeah,” she said, her face heating up again. “I mean, I just found out that my soulmate is a famous model whose face I’ve been seeing all over the place for years and the son of my favorite fashion designer.”
Adrien’s face lit up, and he smiled widely at her. “You’re a fan of my father’s work?”
“Of course,” Marinette said. “His designs are amazing.”
“I didn’t know you were interested in fashion.”
“Well, we’ve only known each other for what? Three days now?” she leaned back in the booth and smiled at him. “There’s a lot we don’t know about each other.”
“You’re right,” Adrien responded. “So… tell me about yourself.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Everything.”
“That’s ambitious.”
“Hobbies, family, favorite food- that kind of stuff.”
“Okay,” Marinette said. “Well, my hobbies are sewing, designing clothes, drawing, and playing video games. I’m an only child, and my favorite food is… probably camembert cheese.”
Adrien wrinkled up his nose. “Ew, camembert? Really? Are we sure we’re soulmates?”
“What, you don’t like camembert?”
“No, I don’t. It smells worse than a rotting corpse in a port-a-potty.”
Marinette laughed. “I didn’t know you were so dramatic.”
“Well, I’m a model,” he said with a shrug. “We’re all dramatic.”
Marinette laughed. “Okay, well, it’s your turn to answer the questions.”
Adrien thought it over for a moment. “My hobbies are playing the piano, fencing, and playing video games, I’m also an only child, and my favorite food is chocolate chip cookies.”
Marinette hummed. “Good choice.”
He smiled. “My mom and I used to make them together all the time. I pretty much like all sweets, though.”
“Well, then, you’re going to love my family,” Marinette said. “My parents own a bakery, and we live right upstairs from it. We always have sweets at my house.”
Adrien’s eyes went wide in awe. “Marinette, have I told you that I’m so glad you’re my soulmate?”
Marinette laughed, trying to force down the blush rising on her face.
***
The next day, Marinette took a deep breath and nervously approached Chloé before class started.
“I like your top,” she told the blonde.
Chloé turned and gave her a suspicious once-over. “Of course you do. I have a fantastic fashion sense.”
Marinette sighed. “Chloé… I just want to say that… I think we should put our rivalry behind us. Maybe we can start over with a clean slate and become-“ Marinette nearly gagged. “Friends.”
Chloé burst out laughing. “Please. As if we could ever be friends. Go away now before your perfume gives me hives.”
The dark-haired girl huffed and stormed back to her seat.
“What was that all about?” Alya asked her. “Why would you want to be friends with Chloé?”
She glanced at Alya, Nino, and Adrien, who were all awaiting her response. Adrien gave her a symathetic face and mouthed “sorry.”
“Because I’m a good person,” she finally grumbled.
***
That night, Ladybug and Chat Noir went on their first patrol of Paris.
They spent most of the patrol becoming more familiar and comfortable with each other while they kept watch over the city. They didn’t tell each other anything that could reveal too much about their civilian identities, but they did their best to get to know each other regardless.
“Chat,” Ladybug said slowly after a while. By that point, they had finished patrolling and were simply sitting together and talking.
“Yeah?”
“I… found my soulmate a few days ago.”
Through the corner of her eye, she saw Chat smile. “That’s great, Ladybug. Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” she said. “But… do you think I should tell him I’m Ladybug? I mean, we haven’t even known each other for a week yet, but… we’re soulmates, y’know?”
Chat hummed thoughtfully. “Well, I’m not sure. I mean, you are soulmates, so you know the relationship’s going to last. But if you want to wait until you know each other a bit better, I think that would make sense, too. You’re going to spend your entire lives together, so it’s not like you’re super limited on time to tell him.”
“Do you think he’ll be mad if I don’t tell him at first?”
“I don’t know,” Chat responded. “I mean, I know I wouldn’t be mad, but that’s just me. Does your soulmate get mad easily?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. I haven’t known him for long, but he’s… incredibly kind. I have a worse temper than he does.”
“I think he’ll understand, then.”
She nodded with a smile. “Thanks, Chat.”
“Of course,” he said, smiling at her. “Y’know, I found my soulmate recently, too.”
“Congratulations!”
“Thanks. I… I actually came close to telling her that I was Chat Noir yesterday, but… I think I’m gonna wait. She does have a bit of a temper; she actually got really mad at me when we first met, but that was just a big misunderstanding. She’s really sweet, though, so I don’t think she’s going to get mad at me for keeping it from her.”
“That’s good,” she said. “You sound fond of her.”
He smiled. “Well, we haven’t known each other long, and I still don’t know a lot about her, but I definitely like her. I mean, obviously I like her, she’s my literal soulmate- I meant I’m glad she’s my soulmate.”
She smiled happily at him. “That’s great, Chat.”
“What about you? Are you happy about your soulmate?”
She leaned back on her hands and looked up at the sky. “I am. I mean, I didn’t care for him when I first met him, but now… now I’ve gotten to know him a bit better, and he seems like a great guy. I’m looking forward to… well, falling in love with him.”
He smiled at her. “That’s great. I’m happy for you.”
***
Because she and Chat stayed out so late, Marinette was too tired to finish all her homework and had to rush to finish it before class the next day.
As she was speeding though the assignment, a hand subtly slid a small scrap of paper in front of her. She looked up to see Adrien walking past her on his way to use the electric pencil sharpener in the back of the classroom.
Marinette looked down at the piece of paper. It was a note on which a single question was written in neat handwriting.
Cats or dogs?
The note was signed with a little heart and the letter A.
She smiled to herself and turned it over, scribbling the word “cats” and signing it with a heart and the letter M.
She covertly handed it back to him as he walked back to his seat. She watched the back of his head as he read the note and turned just slightly to give her a thumbs-up.
***
The note-passing continued regularly for the next couple of months. After a while, they began writing all their questions on a piece of notebook paper that traveled back and forth between them throughout the day. Soon enough, that single piece of notebook paper turned into two, two turned into three, and the pattern continued until they had filled nine pieces of notebook paper.
Favorite video game?
<3 A
Ultimate Mecha Strike III. You?
<3 M
Same- you have good taste
<3 A
Favorite singer/band? (Mine’s Jagged Stone)
<3 M
Once again, same. Do you play any instruments?
<3 A
I played the violin for about a month when I was nine, but I don’t think that counts
<3 M
Well, you already know I play the piano. Have you ever been to another country?
<3 A
I’ve been to America a couple of times. I have cousins who live there. You?
<3 M
I’ve been to most countries in Europe, and I went to the states for a fashion show last year
<3 A
Okay, now you’re just bragging
<3 M
Maybe ;)
<3 A
Okay, what’s an incorrect thing that a lot of people think about you?
<3 M
Ooh, good question. A lot of people think that since I’m a model, I must be super stuck-up and self-obsessed, but I’m only a little bit stuck-up and self-obsessed ;) you?
<3 A
People see that I’m small, quiet, and nice, and they assume I’m a pushover
<3 M
Well, I know that’s not true judging from how you reacted when you thought I was putting gum on your seat
<3 A
Yeah… sorry about that. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions
<3 M
It’s okay. I know how Chloé can be- if she had been torturing me for years, I would have been wary of any of her friends, too. Favorite show?
<3 A
Thanks. I don’t watch a ton of TV but I like The Office
<3 M
Mine is Naruto
<3 A
Of course you’d be into anime
<3 M
What’s that supposed to mean? :’<
</3 A
Oh, nothing. If you could live in a movie, which one would it be?
<3 M
Obviously the greatest movie of our generation and possibly all time, High School Musical. Who’s better, Ladybug or Chat Noir?
<3 A
Chat Noir
<3 M
Nah, Ladybug is where it’s at
<3 A
Ladybug is cool, but overrated tbh. She wouldn’t be able to do any of what she does without CN, and he sacrifices himself to help her all the time. He deserves more credit than he gets
<3 M
Marinette slipped the folded-up sheet of paper onto Adrien’s desk as she entered the classroom and passed him on her way to her desk. She glanced up at him to see his reaction and noticed that he was staring at the paper, his ears turning slightly pink.
“Hey, what’s that?” Nino asked suddenly, leaning over to look at the paper.
Adrien quickly moved the paper out of Nino’s reach, his cheeks reddening. “N- nothing.”
Nino narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “What’s up, dude?”
“Nothing,” Adrien repeated, holding the piece of paper away from the table. He was watching Nino so closely that he didn’t even notice Alya sneaking up behind him to grab the paper out of his hands.
“Hey!” Adrien protested, turning around as Alya held the paper out of his reach to read it.
Alya furrowed her brow at the paper as she scanned it. “Oh my gosh, he’s been writing notes with someone, and they sign them with little hearts!”
“Dude, no way,” Nino said, moving to peer over Adrien’s shoulder at the notes.
“So, who’s M?” Alya asked with a teasing grin.
Marinette reached forward to snatch the paper out of her friend’s grasp.
“Mari, what the heck?” Alya said.
“I think we should respect Adrien’s privacy,” she said, passing the paper back to Adrien as he squeaked out a thank-you. “Whoever this M person is is his business. It’s probably- um- someone from another class or something. When he’s ready to tell us, he will.”
“Another class?” Nino asked, furrowing his brow. “Like who, Marc?”
“No!” Adrien shook his head quickly. “Not Marc! M is a girl!”
“Adrien, you know there’s nothing wrong with liking guys, right?” Alya said. “We’re your friends. We’ll totally support you no matter what your sexuality-“
“I’m not gay!” Adrien interrupted, his face bright red.
“Okay,” Alya said slowly. “But just so you know, if you were gay- or bi, or pan, or anything like that- there wouldn’t be anything wrong with that.”
“I- I know,” he said. “But I’m not. And M is a girl.”
“Is it Mireille?” Nino asked.
“Um. You guys don’t know her.”
“Boo,” Alya said. “Come on, Adrien, tell us who she is!”
“She’s- um- no one,” he said nervously. “I mean, we’re just friends. It’s not like we’re, like, soulmates or anything.” He let out a forced laugh.
Alya’s eyes widened. “Holy crap, you totally found your soulmate, didn’t you?!”
Adrien’s eyes grew huge as Marinette mentally facepalmed. “What?!” Adrien exclaimed. “No, of course not!”
“Yes, you did!” Nino said excitedly. “Dude, you’re as red as a tomato! Who is she?”
Adrien huffed. “Look, she… doesn’t want to tell people yet.”
“Why?” Alya asked.
“It’s kind of new, and she wants to get used to it before people start making a big deal out of it.”
“But it is a big deal,” Alya insisted. “I mean, you’re going to fall in love and spend your lives together. That’s kind of huge!”
“Exactly,” Adrien said. “She needs to take time to adjust before we tell anyone.”
Alya sighed dramatically. “Fine. But you’d better tell us soon.”
***
That afternoon, Marinette and Adrien met up at a table in a secluded corner of the café where they usually met.
“Thank you for not telling them,” Marinette told him. “But… I’m sorry you have to go through them freaking out over it alone.”
“I’m sorry they found out about it at all,” he said. “I should have been more careful with our notes. But I’m not going through it alone.” He smiled at her and gently took her hand in his on top of the table. “I have you.”
Marinette’s face burned.
***
“Hey, Mari,” Alya said as she entered the bakery later that day.
“Hi, Alya,” Marinette greeted her friend cheerfully from behind the cash register. “What’s up?”
“I just wanted to stop by and make sure you weren’t upset about earlier,” Alya said. “I shouldn’t have pressed Adrien like that, and I shouldn’t have tried to make him talk about his soulmate in front of you.”
“Oh, it’s fine. I mean, we’ve touched before, and I still see in black and white, so obviously I couldn’t be his soulmate,” she lied with a forced laugh. “I came to terms with that a while ago.”
“Still,” Alya said. “It was insensitive of me.”
“It’s okay,” Marinette insisted. “Really.”
“Okay, if you say so,” Alya said. “Hey, you’re not M, are you?”
“Of course not,” Marinette said, her face turning bright red. “I think I would have told you by now if Adrien was my soulmate.”
“Right, right,” Alya said, turning to leave. “Well, I should be getting home. Sorry again, and I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye!”
“Bye,” Marinette called back as the girl exited the bakery. “See you tomorrow.”
***
Later that night, Marinette couldn’t help but feel guilty as she lay in bed.
She had lied right to her best friend’s face. She was making Adrien keep her a secret from his friends and suffer under their watchful eyes all by himself, no matter what corny lines he told her to make her feel better about it.
Finally, she gave up on sleeping and picked up her phone to text Adrien.
[Are you awake?]
After a minute, she got a response.
[Yeah, what’s up?]
She bit her lip apprehensively as she typed out her next words.
[Do you think we should tell Alya and Nino?]
She watched the screen as she awaited a response. Three little dots showed up at the bottom of the screen to indicate that he was typing, but they kept disappearing and then showing back up.
Finally, she received a text back.
[Do you?]
[Idk. I feel bad for making you keep it a secret tho]
[Plus today Alya asked if it was me and I flat-out lied to her face]
[Tbh at this point I’m ready to tell them whenever, but it’s up to you]
[If you’re ready, we can go ahead and do it. If not, I can wait]
[I don’t want you to HAVE to wait]
[It’s okay, Mari]
[Really. I don’t mind]
[I just want you to be comfortable]
Marinette’s heart was racing in her chest, and she felt her face grow warm.
[Thank you]
[But idk what I want to do]
[That’s okay]
[It’s a big decision. It’s okay to take your time]
He was too sweet.
***
The next day as the four of them were eating and chatting together during lunch, Marinette suddenly cleared her throat.
“I have a confession to make,” she said, interrupting their conversation and drawing their attention.
“What is it?” Alya asked.
“Well, um,” Marinette began nervously. “I… kind of lied to you yesterday. I told you… that I still see in black and white. But… I don’t.”
Alya raised her eyebrows. “You… don’t?”
Marinette shook her head and glanced up at Adrien, who gave her a small nod of encouragement. “No, um… actually, I’ve been seeing in color for a few months now.”
“Mari!” Alya exclaimed. “That’s so awesome!”
“So,” Nino said, grinning at her. “Who’s the lucky guy, gal, or nonbinary pal?”
She blushed and bit her lip. “Well, actually…” she looked over at Adrien, who gave them a shy wave.
“Hey, guys,” he said with a sheepish grin.
Alya practically screeched as she threw herself across the table to hug Adrien around the neck.
“I knew you two were perfect for each other,” she gushed. “I knew it! I’m so happy for you guys!” She let go of Adrien and sat back down in her seat. “So, are you guys dating?”
“N- not yet,” Adrien said, a blush creeping up on his face. “We’re, um, taking it slow.”
Marinette nodded. “When we found out, we had only known each other for a couple of days, so we figured it would be better to get to know each other before rushing into anything.”
Alya nodded. “I guess that makes sense. Hey, Mari, can I be your maid of honor?”
Marinette laughed. “We’ll see.”
***
That afternoon, Adrien and Marinette walked together to the Dupain-Cheng bakery after school.
“Hi Maman, hi Papa,” Marinette greeted her parents nervously as the two of them entered the bakery.
“Hi, Marinette,” Sabine said, turning around to face her daughter. “How was- oh, hello, Adrien.”
“Hi, Madame Cheng,” Adrien said with a shy wave. “Hi, Monsieur Dupain.”
“Are you two studying together today?” Marinette’s mother asked.
“Um, no,” the petite girl said. “Actually, we have something to tell you.”
Sabine quirked an eyebrow. “Oh?”
Marinette took a deep breath. “We- um… we’re soulmates.”
Sabine froze, her eyes going wide, and Tom slowly turned around to face them.
After a moment, both their face broke into wide grins, and they both rushed forward to pull the blond boy into a tight embrace.
“Oh, that’s wonderful,” Sabine said excitedly. “How long have you known?”
“A few months,” Marinette admitted sheepishly. “I’m sorry we didn’t tell you sooner.”
“It’s okay,” Tom said comfortingly. “We didn’t tell my family for about six months.”
“Adrien, dear, would you like something to eat?” Sabine offered.
“Oh, that’s okay; thank you though,” Adrien smiled at her politely.
“Are you sure? You’re terribly thin- do they feed you enough at home?”
“Maman!” Marinette hissed.
“My father has me on a very strict diet because of my modeling,” Adrien explained. “I’m okay, though, really. Thank you.”
“Oh, right, I forgot you were a model,” Sabine said, turning to look at her husband with an excited smile. “Can you believe our Marinette’s soulmate is a famous model?”
“Maman!” Marinette said again.
“You know, I really ought to have a word with your father about that diet of yours,” Sabine said to Adrien, ignoring her daughter’s protests. “You really do look underweight for a boy of your age and height. Oh, speaking of your father, have you told him yet?”
“No,” Adrien said. “We were planning on doing that tomorrow.”
“Well, tell me how it goes,” Sabine said, smiling warmly at them.
“We will,” Marinette promised.
***
The next day, Marinette was buzzing with nerves as she approached the Agreste mansion with Adrien by her side.
Adrien glanced over at her. “Hey,” he said, and she turned to look at him. “It’s okay. He can be intimidating, but he’s not going to, like, freak out or anything.”
Marinette swallowed hard. “But… what if he doesn’t like me?”
Adrien gently took her hand in his for comfort, and her heart fluttered. “He will like you,” he assured her softly. “You’re amazing, Marinette. You have nothing to worry about.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
Together, they entered the mansion, still holding hands.
“Hello, Adrien,” a woman greeted him.
“Hello, Nathalie,” he responded. “Is my father home?”
“Yes, he’s in his office,” she said, eyeing Marinette curiously.
“Thank you.” Adrien led Marinette to a set of doors, then knocked.
“Come in,” Gabriel Agreste’s voice called from the other side of the doors.
Slowly, they entered his office.
“Hello, Father,” Adrien greeted the man.
“Hello, Adrien,” Gabriel said, then looked up from the designs he was inspecting. “Oh, I see you’ve brought a guest.”
“Yes, um, this is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She’s a friend from school.”
Gabriel quirked an eyebrow, glancing down at their intertwined hands. “Friend?”
Marinette swallowed hard, and Adrien cleared his throat beside her. “Well, um. We’re soulmates.”
Gabriel froze, raising his eyebrows in surprise as his gaze darted back and forth between the two of them.
“Oh,” he finally said. “I see.”
Adrien hesitated for a moment. “Okay. So… we’ll just be going, then.”
“Okay.”
Without another word, they exited the office, closing the doors behind him.
“Sorry about him,” Adrien said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.
“He’s kind of… cold, isn’t he?” Marinette observed.
“Yeah… he’s never really been great at expressing his emotions, but… it got worse after my mom disappeared.”
Marinette gave his hand a comforting squeeze, and he smiled down at her.
***
“That’s it?” Sabine said in surprise. “’Oh, I see?’ Three words? That’s all he said?”
“Yep,” Adrien said from his seat at the dinner table. “He’s kind of… distant.”
Sabine gave him a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry to hear that, dear. But just so you know, we’ll always be here for you if you need to talk about anything. You’re our future son-in-law, after all.”
Adrien smiled. “Thank you.”
Marinette’s parents had invited Adrien over for dinner, and they were all gathered around the table eating what must have been one of the biggest and most delicious meals Adrien had ever had in his entire life.
“And if you’re ever deprived of food,” she continued. “We’ll always feed you.”
Adrien laughed. “Thank you.”
***
Over the course of the next few days, more and more of their classmates and friends found out that they were soulmates. A couple of them heard about it directly from Adrien and Marinette, but most heard through word of mouth.
“Marinette,” a voice said from behind her at one point while she was at her locker.
Marinette turned around to see Chloé standing behind her.
“Yes, Chloé?”
The blonde huffed. “I’m not going to lie; I don’t like you.”
“I know,” Marinette responded. “Did you come over here just to tell me that?”
“Let me finish,” Chloé snapped, then took a deep breath to calm herself. “As I was saying… I don’t like you, but… I do like Adrien. And since you are apparently his soulmate, and I don’t want to lose him as a friend, I… would be willing to try to put our rivalry behind us. For Adrien.”
Marinette nodded slowly. “I’m willing to do the same. For Adrien.”
“Good,” Chloé said.
***
To everyone’s surprise, Marinette and Chloé actually did begin to get along better after a while.
They weren’t the best of friends by any means, but they weren’t arguing every time they came within twenty feet of each other, either.
Every time Marinette had a pleasant- or as close to pleasant as the two of them could get- interaction with Chloé while Adrien was nearby, he would smile and give her a thumbs-up.
She knew he was grateful to her for trying, and that alone was enough to get her to keep being nice to her.
***
Adrien and Marinette remained close friends-slash-soulmates until a year after they first discovered they were soulmates.
Then, finally, on the anniversary of the day they accidentally touched hands in the rain, Adrien kissed Marinette for the first time.
They were walking together in the park after getting ice cream to celebrate their anniversary when he suddenly stopped, took her hand in his, and leaned in to kiss her.
What they didn’t know was that Nino and Alya were staked out nearby, watching their best friends’ romance blossom.
***
They were sixteen when Adrien told Marinette that he loved her for the first time.
They were in his bedroom, cuddling on his couch while they watched a movie. He had his head on her chest, and she was gently stroking his hair when he told her. She turned bright red and stuttered out an “I love you, too.”
***
“Chat?”
“Yeah?”
Ladybug sighed as she kicked her legs back and forth, dangling them off the edge of the Eiffel Tower. “I… still haven’t told my boyfriend I’m Ladybug yet. And we’re soulmates, so I know that I should, but… I’m scared.”
Chat looked at her for a moment, then sat down next to her. “I haven’t told my girlfriend I’m Chat Noir, either.”
She turned to look at him. “Really?”
He nodded. “Really. I have no idea how to tell her.”
“Me either,” she said. “And… he told me that he loved me. And I said it back. But… how can I keep this up without telling him? I mean, it’s been more than three years since we found out we were soulmates, and I still haven’t told him. Does that make me a bad girlfriend?”
“No,” he assured her. “Of course not. Years ago, you told me that your soulmate was kind and didn’t have much of a temper, and I told you that I thought he would understand if you didn’t tell him until you were ready. I still think that’s true.”
She nodded. “But… I’m still scared.”
“Me too,” he admitted. “But they’re our soulmates. Everything will be okay. If they do get upset, we have to believe that we can work it out with them. Because we’re meant to be together.” He looked up at the starry night sky. “I’m in love with my girlfriend. Deeply, madly in love. But… how do I tell her that I’ve been keeping this secret from her for three years? How do I tell her that I regularly put myself in danger and fight supervillains?”
Ladybug placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and gave him a kind smile. “I’m sure it’ll be okay, Chat. Yeah, it’s scary, but like you said, she’s your soulmate. If she’s as amazing as you always say she is, she’ll love you no matter what. I know I would.”
Chat felt his heart race as he looked into her eyes, and his stomach lurched. He averted his eyes, looking out at the city. “Thank you.”
***
That night, Adrien paced back and forth around his room.
He couldn’t have a crush on Ladybug. There was no way, right? Marinette was his girlfriend. Marinette was his soulmate. He loved Marinette. He was crazy about her. There was no way he could have feelings for someone else.
But he couldn’t ignore what he had felt as he looked into Ladybug’s eyes.
Sure, he had imagined it before. And yes, he’d had a little crush on her when he was thirteen. But he had squashed it. No, his feelings for Marinette had squashed it.
Or so he’d thought.
***
The day after her conversation with Chat Noir, Adrien pulled Marinette aside after school to talk to her.
“What’s up?” she asked as he led her into an empty classroom.
He sighed. “I’m a horrible boyfriend. No, I’m a horrible soulmate.”
She furrowed her brow. “Why?”
Adrien reached out to take Marinette’s hands. “Mari, you know that I love you, right?”
“Of course.”
“Well, don’t forget that. I love you more than anything else in the world. And I’m telling you this because I believe honesty is key to any successful relationship, and I think you have the right to know.”
“What is it, Adrien?”
He took a deep breath. “I… think I have a small crush on someone else.”
Marinette froze, her stomach plummeting. “Oh.”
“I’m not going to act on it, I swear,” he said quickly. “I love you so much, Mari, and I would never intentionally do anything that could damage our relationship. But I can’t help how I feel. It’s just a crush. It’s nothing compared to what I feel for you. I love you, and only you. I just… felt guilty hiding it from you. I want you to know that you can trust me, and I don’t want to bottle up my emotions and keep secrets like this from you.”
Marinette took a deep breath. “Thank you for telling me,” she finally said.
He bit his lip apprehensively. “You’re not… mad?”
She thought about it for a moment, then shook her head. “You told me the truth, and I trust you.”
“Thank you,” he breathed, a relieved look washing over his face.
“But…” she bit her lower lip. “Who is it?”
He hesitated. “Mari…”
“I can take it, Adrien,” she said. “Just tell me.”
He was silent for a long moment before he finally spoke. “It’s… Ladybug.”
She didn’t even react for a long moment, her brain trying to process this information. “Ladybug?”
He nodded. “I’m sorry, Mari, but-“
He stopped talking when she started laughing.
He furrowed his brow. “What?”
“You really had me going for a minute there,” she said.
“It’s not a joke,” he responded, confused.
“No, I know,” she said. “But you don’t have feelings for someone else.”
“But… I just told you-“
“Adrien,” she said, placing both her hands on his shoulders and looking into his eyes. “You don’t have feelings for someone else.”
“But Ladybug-“
“You’re supposed to have feelings for Ladybug,” she told him, her heart racing nervously. She gave him a shy smile. “She’s your soulmate.”
He furrowed his brow in confusion. “But… you’re my…” he suddenly stopped, his eyes going wide as he looked at her. “You… you’re Ladybug.”
“Yeah,” she said softly, removing her hands from his shoulders and smiling sheepishly at him. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before, but… I was-“
“Scared?” he said.
She nodded. “Yeah.”
“You didn’t know how to tell me?”
“Exactly.”
“You were afraid I would react badly to you keeping this secret from me for three years and that it made you a bad girlfriend, but ultimately you knew it was okay if you waited until you were ready because Chat Noir assured you that I would understand because we’re soulmates and we would be able to work it out if I did get upset?”
She furrowed her brow. “That’s… how did you know that?”
“Lucky guess,” he said with a shrug, biting back a grin. “While I’m making wild guesses, I’m gonna say that Chat Noir told you he found his soulmate over three years ago, too, and he still hasn’t told her he’s Chat Noir. He’s deeply, madly in love with her, but doesn’t know how to tell her that he’s been keeping such a big secret from her for so long and that he puts himself in danger all the time. And you told him that you were sure it would be okay, because if his girlfriend was really as amazing as he said she was, she would understand. And you said that you would understand.”
She stared at him in shock, and he grinned.
“Chaton?” she said after a moment.
He bowed dramatically and kissed her hand. “Milady.”
She grinned. “We are… so ridiculously blind.”
He straightened and pulled her into a hug, kissing her on the top of her head. “Yes, yes we are.”