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“Wait, you mean I have to kiss this stranger to become a superhero!? What the hell?” Marinette yelled out as she pointed both her hands at the blond boy next to her. She looked to her left, eyeing the boy and his handsome face. Why did he look so familiar?
Marinette was not sure what was happening. She had seen this old man, or rather pervert, the other day when he fell down. This old man, Wang Fu, suddenly appeared in her room through a magic portal and told her to jump in. Now she was sitting in this strangers living room being tasked to take down the stone creature attacking the city.
The pair would occasionally look at each, Adrien gave a small wave with a genuine smile toward Marinette. She awkwardly waved back, knowing that her cheeks were flushed. And that smile. It made her heart flutter just looking at it. The charm that came off this boy was none like any other.
“Yes, though this rule is very new. Believe me, I do not make the rules when it comes to transforming. If it were up to me I would rather you not know each other’s identities.” He reached to the box sitting next to him, producing two similarly designed boxes and setting them in a small table between them. He slid the objects toward the teens, tapping them gently. “This could cause problems down the road, but there is also much good. I won’t lie when I say I can see more of the good it will do. You two will be a more effective team and be able to beat evil. Tikki has not been wrong yet. Though I sometimes question her choice when it comes to the moth odd of transforming.”
Master Fu smiled as he drank from a small cup of tea, enjoying the warm beverage on this cool day. The moment he saw these two he knew they were meant to be. They needed a little push. Tikki could see the connection between people before anyone. When she had informed him of these two he got curious to see ‘The most perfect pair I have ever laid eyes on!’
Marinette wrapped her arms around her stomach. She could feel it twisting into knots. This couldn’t be real. She had to be dreaming. This had to be some weirdo's dream. And she had just jumped into a stranger's dream and is now experiencing it alongside them? Ok, now she was just being dumb.
Adrien looked over at Marinette. He could see just how nervous she was. He couldn’t lie to himself though. He was pretty excited. The prospect of being a superhero like his favourite comics made him feel giddy. Plus he wasn’t opposed to kissing this girl. She was cute, had spunk, pretty, and could probably kick his ass. Did he mention that she was beautiful? She put the models he had done work with to shame.
“So you’re telling me that in order to transform into a super cool hero, I have to kiss her? The prettiest girl I’ve ever seen who looks like she could kick my ass?” He looked over at the girl, feeling his face become flushed as he looked at her. “I don’t mind as long as she’s okay with it.”
“Y-Y-YOU THINK I’M PRETTY!?” She turned crimson as she tried to cover her face. Her stutter made his heart beat a little faster.
She wasn’t uncomfortable at all with Adrien, or the kiss itself. In fact she could probably be convinced if he just asked politely. But didn’t she want her first kiss to be something like this. She wanted it to be with someone she felt a connection with. And while this boy had made her heart speed up, she wasn’t entirely sure. She looked out the window and saw the stone creature’s destructive path. If she could do something to help these people though she would make that sacrifice.
“You better not be lying to us old man. I swear if this is some sick joke I will kick your ass.” She looked at the man as she reached for the small box. She grabbed it, looking at Adrien with a nod. She was going to have her first kiss. But would this count? It’s like being in a play or movie. This won’t count. It’s part of the job!
Adrien smiled at this, being infected by her confidence and grabbed his own box. They opened their boxes together and were enveloped each by a green and red light. A small black cat appeared floating in front of the teen. It looked up at him, yawning as he looked at his partner.
“Man Tikki, it sure has been a long time since we have had owners. And they actually know each other this time. Might make this interesting Suagr Cube.” The cat teased his friend as he floated next to her. He touched her nose which made her frown.
“I told you not to call me that Plagg! Call me that again and I will start calling you Stinky Sock again.” She swatted his hand away and pushed him back. She turned her back to him as she crossed her arms.
“Whatever you say Sugar Cube.” Plagg said as he gave a small shrug.
Marinette then took a deep breath. They needed to hurry. The couldn’t let Stoneheart parade around any longer and cause mischief. Though they were apparently teleported here to save time, it didn’t mean they could dillydally. They quickly equipped the jewellery, Marinette sorta wincing as it had been a bit since she wore earrings.
Adrien walked to Marinette, grabbing both of her hands and held them up to his chest. He gave them a small kiss, thinking that it would help calm her nerves. When he looked up she was red once more, which made Adrien want to do it again, but he would have to wait till next time.
Marinette squeezed his hands tight, looking up at him. He was much taller than she thought. She looked into his green eyes, gulping as she was nervous. When he kissed her hand, she felt better honestly, just super flustered. She did her best to not show it as she smiled. He was rather gentle with her like he was putting her feelings before the whole situation.
As they looked into each others’ eyes they slowly drifted toward each other. They closed their eyes as their lips locked. This kiss sent shivers up their spines. It made Marinette want to press deeper into it. Adrien didn’t want to let her go. Her lips were cold against his warm ones. They didn’t kiss long, but they could feel a spark through it. It felt right to kiss each other. And
Marinette was the first to pull away, though she was hesitant to do so. After they finished their 4-second kiss the Kwamis flew inside their jewellery, forming the costumes of their personas.
They looked at each other for a moment, smiling as they stepped back from each other. The grabbed their weapons, Marinette whirled her yoyo a bit spinning it a little to fast. Adrien looked at his staff, examining it as he pressed the green paw print on the handle. Marinette lost control of the yoyo, it flying in the air and hitting Adrien in the head as his staff extended and hit Marinette in the temple. They both groan in and rubbed their heads, chuckling as Fu opened the window, gesturing toward it.
“Go forth young heroes.”
______________________________________________________
“Pound it!” They both yelled out in Unison as they smiled at a job well done. Their Miraculous beeped and Chat Noir looked at his ring.
“Until later Mar….um m’ lady! Let’s meet up tomorrow morning. I know a pur-fect place to meet” He said nervously. He had almost given her name away. He knew who she was, but he remembered the fact that Master Fu wanted their identities originally secret from one another. So he probably shouldn’t say her name.
“Ladybug. You call me Ladybug, Chaton.” She quickly said as she twirled her yoyo. She swung out the field and toward her home as Adrien used his baton to exit quickly.
Ivan and Alya just watched the heroes leave. She quickly made her way towards Ivan, who looked very confused. “Just where exactly am I and why was there a couple in a leather suit out here?”
Ladybug entered her room, her transformation wearing off just a few seconds after she landed on her bed through the trap door. She let out a sigh, laying down on the bed, as she quickly crawled under the covers.
“Why isn’t school just cancelled for tomorrow. Makes no sense…” She fell asleep, exhausted after fighting her first supervillain. Tikki watched her and smiled. She soon rested on the pillow falling asleep with her chosen. A nagging thought wasn’t able to leave her mind though. Was she forgetting something?
The next morning Marinette woke up excited to see Adrien again. She had received a text from him, saying to meet at a local diner. She actually woke up early, to doll her self up. Which meant a bit of lip gloss and clear coat on her nails. She looked at Tikki, she was deep in sleep even with all the noise she made. She must be exhausted after not using her powers for so long. She gave the small Kwami a kiss on the head and headed out without explaining to her parents. They just looked at each other and said “Teenagers.”
After about a half-hour of walking and jogging with excitement, she arrived at the designated in the text. It was a local chain, about a few dozen across the entirety of France. There were about 6 in Paris. She walked in, the smell of fresh bacon and baked good along with the TV’s plastered all around was comforting. She noticed college students working, some talking, and what she assumed was the table of old men who were regulars that came for the coffee and company of their peers. She spotted Adrien in the back and waving at her. She was nervous because she had no idea if this counted as a date or just friends eating out together. Friends who kiss. To become superheroes. And may or may not have kissed a second time before the battle for good luck.
She sat across him in the booth, his goofy smile plastering his face as he rubbed the back of his head. He hoped this didn’t weird her out. They had about two hours before school started, so he had time before heading there. He was thankful that Nathalie bought his excuse.
“Why did you want to meet here?” She placed her book bag on the seat, resting her elbows on the table as her head was placed on her palms.
“Well, I thought that we could know each other. I doubt we will ever see each other outside of our ‘jobs’ so I was hoping we can be...um...friends....” That word felt like poison to him. Like he was hated if he referred to Marinette as a friend only. He had no idea why he thought this.
They only began to start talking, Adrien mentioned his father before every TV in the diner switched to the news. Nadja Chamack was on screen, her hair a mess and out of breath.
“Breaking News. It seems that the Villain our new superheroes stopped yesterday has returned 10 fold! He appears to have multiplied and is all across the city. Several eye-witnesses claim that a large swarm of black butterflies erupted from the Effiel Tower and spread across the city. These butterflies came into contact with random people and turned them into the monster. They are as still as statues. The one question I know is on everyone’s mind is; Where are Ladybug and Chat Noir?”
“I failed…Those people….They….”
She let out some tears. An event like this, something that affected many peoples lives negatively. She failed them. She hurt them. Their lives put on halt because of her inability to act. She began to hyperventilate, clutching her chest as she looked at the screens. She couldn’t take it. She grabbed her bag and ran and out the diner, Adrien is not far behind her.
She kept running until she ran face-first into one of the Stoneheart clones. She let out a scream, cowering for a moment before realising that it wasn’t moving. Adrien caught up with her, grabbing her hand and taking her to an alleyway. She fell against the wall, dropping her bag and closing her eyes.
“Marinette, listen to me. Everything will be ok. We just have to-”
“It’s not ok! I am the reason we failed. There was a tiny voice screaming in the back of my mind to do something about the Akuma but I failed to act! It is my fault!”
She looked at Adrien, taking his ring off him suddenly and grabbing his face. She forced a quick kiss from him. Tikki woke up suddenly, grabbing on to the bed railing as if she was being sucked by a powerful vacuum. She lost her grip and with great speed, she was transported to an alleyway. She saw Marinette pulled away from the kiss as she was sucked into the Miraculous. She transformed into Ladybug, tears in her eyes as she gave him back the ring. She grabbed her backpack and grabbed her yoyo, spinning it as she refused to look at him.
“WAIT! M’LADY!.
She ignored him and used her yoyo to soar through the air and head home. She reached her balcony in about 6 minutes. She entered her room, clutching her sides as she sobbed. Her transformation dropped, Tikki forcing the transformation to go away. She slid across the bed, looking up at Marinette. “I am sorry Tikki. I don’t think I can be Ladybug any more. I will find you someone who can.”
Before Tikki could object and explain what to do she took off the earrings, unknowingly renouncing her position. She looked at the red jewels, placing them back in their Miracle Box and setting it in her backpack. The rest of the morning she felt dreary, and her dad tried his best to cheer her up, even managed to get her to smile. But she couldn’t stop thinking about how she was the reason those people were trapped. She couldn’t handle such a responsibility. The clumsy baker would never make a great superhero.
When she arrived on campus she spotted a bag falling from the second story. Alya groaned from above, looking at the bag as it fell onto the ground. Alya. She loves superheroes. She would be great to be the next Ladybug. Marinette quickly moved to her bag, setting the Miracle Box inside. She grabbed the bag and headed up the stairs, smiling at Alya as she handed it, and the burden of heroism, to her. Alya thanked her and headed to the classroom.
Just outside Adrien was running up the steps to the school. He wanted to use his powers to sneak out and get a head start, but he couldn’t activate them without Marinette. Not that it was a possibility anyway. He was halfway up the steps when he heard a loud honk. He looked back, seeing Gorilla and Nathalie in the car. Nathalie stepped out and walked toward Adrien. She was about to say something before Adrien yelled out.
“Please, just tell my father you were too late and couldn’t get to me in time.” He had a pleading look in his eyes as he ran up the remainder of the steps. Disappearing into the school Nathalie just sighed, holding a brown paper bag. She had made a small lunch for him. Though it was only PB&J with yoghurt she thought he might need it.
Alya had walked to the seats, Marinette close behind when she heard a yell, causing her to tense up and curse to herself from being scared.
“MARINETTE!!!!!!”
“Adrien!?!?”
Adrien ran up to Marinette, wrapping his arms around her tight. Her face turned red at the contact. Several emotions welled up inside of her. One part joy, one part fear out of him knowing her decision. But she can’t help but press her arms around him. He wasn’t mad at her, he could tell. Was he worried?
“How could you leave me! 'I can’t save Paris on my own! You don’t just kiss a guy and run away!” Adrien blurted this all out loud, his face buried in her neck as she said this.
Alya walked up to the pair, smirking as she pushed her glasses up on her nose with her middle finger. “Marinette~ I didn’t know that you had a boyfriend.~” She said teasingly as she chuckled.
Chloe looked was in the background. Kim, Alix, Max, and Rose had to hold her back. They swore that they could see fire spewing from her mouth as she screamed and kick.
“How is she this strong!” Kim yelled out.
“ADRIKINS!!!!!!”
“Boyfriend? I’m her partner.” Adrien answered innocently, finally showing his face. He squished his cheeks against the deadpanned looking Marinette, quirky smile on his lips as everyone else took a double-take at his words.
“Can you excuse us for a minute, please? Thanks!” Marinette stormed off with a love-struck Adrien being led by the wrist. She brought them to the locker room, pushing Adrine inside with a huff. This room is soundproof thanks to nobody wanting to listen to young teenagers gossip
“What the hell is wrong with you! You almost exposed your identity to everyone in the classroom. I was an exception but they can’t know about you being Chat Noir!”
“Wait, what about you?” He crossed his arms and leaned closer to her. “What about your identity.”
Marinette looked down and to the left. She rubbed her forearm, feeling small as she clenched her mouth shut. She wanted to speak, but she couldn’t.
“Well?”
“I gave it up! I gave up this stupid burden I didn’t want to have in the first place!” She yelled out as she threw her hands down. Tears threatened the corner of her eyes as she looked up at Adrien. Not to her surprise, but he had a look of shock, but...hurt? That surprised her.
“Why would you just give up on me...I mean this job like that? We could do great things together!” He took a step toward her, and she moved a step back. She felt a small amount of shame build-up, but she pushed it back as she took a hard step toward him.
“I never asked for this! All I have done is help an old man not get run over by a damn car! Suddenly that qualifies me to be a hero! Then Ethan Mars definitely deserves to have my...The Ladybug Miraculous then.”
“Marinette you shouldn’t be so harsh on yourself. We are human and we make mistakes-”
“Exactly! I am a teenager and I just made a huge mistake that could get many people killed. I can’t do it. I won’t do it. I...I can’t.”
Adrien looked at her. He hated this. He hated this feeling brewing inside of him. He felt hate. But it wasn’t toward Marinette. It was toward the person who caused this.
“So that’s it…? Fine… but don’t mistake this as me giving up on you. I’ve seen your potential and I know why Master Fu has chosen you. I’ll make you see how amazing you are, even if it takes me a thousand years! That’s a promise.”
He looked at her, his face, his whole demeanour more serious than he had even been his entire life. He grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle, yet loving kiss. At the same time, the two felt something. They were both not entirely sure what it was, but they liked it.
The duo walked back to class, sitting down across from each other. The entire time they kept glancing at each other. The entire class could feel and almost see the tension. Alix even said out loud, “Does anyone have a knife? This tension is in my way and I can’t focus on my school work.” This got some laughs from the rest of the class and caused the two teens to blush in embarrassment.
Later that day Marinette tried to cheer up Ivan. She knew that he was a strong boy and that he could beat these negative emotions. She gave him a small pep talk and the idea to write a song for Mylene. After talking with him she went back to the classroom, talking with Alya for a moment as she spied Chloe and Adrien talking. She let out a sigh, only to have the door burst open and the wall destroyed. Stoneheart yelled out his name as it was called. He grabbed Mylene and Chloe, the latter screaming about her hair as he burst through the wall.
“Ivan is a supervillain and is going to terrorize the city! I am so there!” Alya yells out loud. Marinette looks at Alya, seeing her reach into her bag and get excited for a moment. Alya takes out her phone and throws her bag at Marinette. She catches it instinctively and watches her new friend leave.
“Thanks for watching my bag! Love you!” Her voice got farther and farther away.
Marinette tried to yell at her about her bag, grabbing it and letting out a breath. Adrien was at the hole in the wall, looking out of it and closing his eyes.
“This is crazy. This is crazy.” He yelled as he jumped out, landing on the street he began running in the direction of Stoneheart. Along the way he found a street vendor selling kitchen supplies. He stopped and examined them all. He picked up a frying pan, nodded, paid for it, and continued to run. He grabbed a mask from a different vendor selling cheap costumes, ignoring the banana costume as some weird man was looking at it. ‘Like I’ll ever wear that right…..’
Marinette was at the hole, groaning she gripped Alya’s bag tight and ran out the door. She tried her best to follow Alya, but she had too much of a head start. She finally found Alya, she was recording behind some trash cans and filming Adrien. She raised an eyebrow, watching as this goofball was narrowly missing giant stone fists that were crashing down upon him. He was dodging them as best as he could, thankful to his father that his fencing lessons have a practical use outside of looking cool.
That’s when it happened. Stoneheart backhanded a car, sending it flying toward Alya unknowingly. She screamed, pushing herself to the wall, falling into a very narrow doorway. The car had her trapped, the door behind her locked and no space to crawl out. She felt like this was the end. She reached her hand out, feeling the fresh air on her hand as oxygen supply was low in this space. If she didn't she get more soon, she would suffer brain damage. Due to the space that she had, she had more than normal circumstances with no oxygen.
This awoke something in Marinette. Time seemed to slow down for her. She watched her friend’s hand desperately reach out for help. Adrien was trying and failing, to fight off Stoneheart. It hit her. She knew why she was chosen, and she was going to make it right. She quickly grabbed the earring out of Alya’s bag, putting them on as Tikki appeared from the box. Before Marinette could say anything she was hugged by the creature.
“I’d knew you would come back.”
Marinette smiled, kissing the Kwami on the head and bolted toward Adrien. He was out of breath, his lovely frying pan was dented to all hell, and worse of all, he didn’t have a single pun the could throw at this oversized Thing™ without cringing himself. He closed his eyes, ready to embrace whatever the Stoneheart was gonna do to him. But he felt himself being tackled. The scent of vanilla wafting through his nose. They rolled away, going into a small alleyway and away from prying eyes. He had landed on top of this girl, revealing herself to be Marinette.
“You came back …why?” Adrien gasped, hope bubbling in his chest as he peered down into the girl’s vivid blue eyes. They shone with determination that he has never seen on anyone, ever. This look in her eyes was infectious. She saved him and filled him with determination.
“Seeing my partner and new friend in trouble may have sparked the fire within,” Marinette smirked. It quickly turned into an apologetic frown. “Listen, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have deserted you like that and let my insecurities take over me. I shouldn’t have yelled at you. You know what I’m going through the most and I just-”
She was silenced with a finger on her lips- or was it the fond, loving smile of his that radiated pure sunshine?
“What matters the most is that you came back, Marinette,” The way he breathed out her name did wonders to her heart. Was she falling for him? “I’ll follow you, protect you, and help you all the way. You and me against the world!”
Marinette couldn’t help but melt. If she can’t do it for Paris, then the very least she can do is do it for him. She’ll protect his smile no matter what. And if she should fail, she hopes that they are together in the final moment.
“Guess it only took you two hours to get me back on track,” The dark-haired girl grinned cutely, clasping her arms around Adrien’s neck before pulling him in for a kiss. Adrien’s eyes went wide but quickly closed them. He held her close, feeling the passion that she put into the kiss and applied his own. He felt a strange connection form between them as during this kiss. He couldn’t explain it, but it felt right. When they pulled away from each other, which admittedly was hard for both of them to do, they were already transformed.
“Now let’s go save Alya and get this Akuma.”
______________________________________________________
Marinette stood outside, the rain pouring down as she stood under the small shelter of the arc under the door. Everyone had left, and Marinette was hoping to catch Alya before she left. Wanting to hopefully talk and just make sure she was ok. She always hated the rain made her hair almost impossible to comb or brush. Tikki flew out from her purse, smiling at her and tapped Marinette on the nose.
“I’m so proud of you and what you did today,” She said with a smile as she sat on her shoulder.
“Thanks, Tikki. I am glad you never gave up on me. I have a feeling this will be the start of a wonderful friendship.”
She heard footsteps behind her, seeing Adrien with his umbrella and sent a wave to him. Plagg was on his shoulder whispering in his ear. “Go get her.”
Adrien smiled and took a few steps back to her. He gave her that charming smile she first saw when they met at Master Fu's place. He walked up to her, extending his hand out to her with the umbrella.
“You don’t have to walk in the rain. If your hair is anything like mine you will need a special comb just to get it untangled.” He laughed and offered his umbrella to her.
She looked down, blushing as she extended her hand out. Their fingers touched, and at that moment Marinette felt her heart speed up. She knew she was in love. This model, who was a stranger to her not 24 hours ago, stole her heart and held it close. Adrien felt it too. He told himself he felt the love for her during her fantastic display at the Eiffel Tower. But when she touched him, it only confirmed his feelings. She took the umbrella, about to say something when it collapsed on her. Adrien laughed. He didn't realise just how long it had been since he laughed like this. Being around this girl was like a shot of dopamine to his entire being. He leaned in, kissing her cheek and narrowly missing the corner of her mouth.
“Bye m’ lady. I can’t wait to save the day with you once more, and to see you at school tomorrow.”
He smiled and walked away, leaving Marinette flustered. As soon as Adrien entered the car he couldn't help but express his happiness. Marinette did the same, her butt wiggling in excitement.
“I love him”
“I love her.”
Master Fu stood in the rain, holding his umbrella and smiling as he began to walk away.
“That went better than expected Wayzz. They really are meant for each other. Best not to tell Marinette and Adrien the kiss wasn't completely necessary this time around. Tikki knows destined love when she sees it of course..”
“That would be wise Master. That would be very wise.”
They both had a laugh before heading to their own home. Knowing many trials and tribulations will await Ladybug and Chat Noir. .