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Day 3: Dance
Ladybug sat on the edge of the roof and sighed. The street below was filled with music and light. She closed her eyes and smiled as bright melodies floated upwards and danced around her brain.
The spotted heroine longed to join the festival below, but patrol had been purposely scheduled for that evening. Unfortunately, Hawkmoth was notoriously active during events that drew large crowds; as a result, Ladybug and Chat Noir resigned themselves to keep a watchful eye from above while the rest of the city enjoyed the night.
She knew that Luka was among the throngs of people. Kitty Section was scheduled to play later that night. Her heart ached at the thought of the kind-hearted musician. She knew that he loved her, and she felt love for him; however, something was missing. When she was with Luka, she felt appreciated, but she didn’t feel complete.
They’d tried going on a few dates, but her duties as Ladybug always seemed to get in the way. Akuma attacks had interrupted outings on several occasions. Luka always smiled and told her that it was okay, but she knew that it wasn’t.
It was as if the universe was telling her that dating a non-full time superhero was out of the question. Sure, she’d given Luka the Snake Miraculous on a few different occasions, but it wasn’t the same as always wearing a Miraculous. After the fifth ruined date, she knew that she would need someone who understood her life both in and out of the mask, and there was only one person who fit that description: Chat Noir.
Since becoming the new Guardian, she’d grown closer to Chat. It was as if he finally saw the immense pressure that she’d been under since becoming Ladybug. He now went above and beyond to support her as a partner and as a friend. He’d always been loyal and kind, but now he was more focused and driven during attacks. This allowed them to get to know each other on a more personal level during patrols. It had taken a few months, but Ladybug could now safely say that Chat was her best friend. As a result, they became stronger heroes, and together they were nearly unstoppable during Akuma battles.
When she first heard that Chat Noir had gotten a girlfriend, she’d been thrilled. However, as time passed, she realized that she longed for his flirtatious quips and his overt declarations of love, but she always managed to shove those thoughts out of her brain before they completely took over. Who was she to go after a person who loved someone else? After all, that’s why she’d painfully walked away from her crush on Adrien Agreste.
The music stopped as the current group on stage took their leave and was replaced with a pianist. After taking a minute to set up, the new musician began to play a soft love ballad. Tears began to form in Ladybug’s eyes as she watched couples sway gently to the music.
Will I ever find someone who will dance with me like that? she thought.
“Good evening, Ladybug!” said Chat’s cheerful voice behind her.
She took a deep breath, put on her best smile, and turned around. “Hello, Chat. Shall we get started?”
His smile disappeared from his face. “What? No ‘how was your day’? Or not even a customary ‘it’s great to see you’?”
Ladybug looked down. “Oh, yeah...umm...sorry.”
Chat sat down next to her and placed a comforting hand on her arm. “You seem a little off tonight, bug. Is everything okay?”
Her heart ached while her brain desperately searched for a legitimate excuse that didn’t involve her non-existent love life. “I’m just kind of disappointed that I have to miss out on this year’s music festival. Everyone down there looks like they’re having a great time. I’ve been watching them sing and dance for about an hour now.”
Her partner crossed his arms. “Are you telling me that you would like to dance? You never struck me as the dancing type.”
“Well, maybe I’m full of more surprises than you thought.”
“You never cease to amaze me, bug.” He stood up, sheathed his baton, and held out his hand.
She cocked her head and pointed to his outstretched hand. “What’s that for?
“You said you wanted to dance, and I am simply giving into my partner’s wishes. So, Ladybug, may I have this dance?”
“Really? You’d dance with me?”
“If it’ll put a smile on your face, yes. I hate to see you looking so down.”
“Are you sure? I’m not a very good dancer. I kind of have two left feet.”
“Well, after being forced to take lessons in ballroom dance for years, I can safely say that I have two right feet, so we’re the purr-fect pair.”
“Two right feet? Oh, Chat. Wow, that’s something only you would say. Something tells me that you’re really proud of that one.”
“Maybe.”
“And did you really take lessons for years?”
“Dance with me, and find out.”
Ladybug shook her head and took Chat’s hand. “Silly, kitty.”
In one sweeping movement, Chat placed her hand on his shoulder and put his hand on the small of her back. He pulled her close and began gracefully turning in time with the music. For a moment, she was taken back to another dance with another blond boy. While Adrien would always have a place in her heart, she was suddenly willing to give Chat Noir all the love she had to offer. Dancing with him made her feel complete.
What if he really is the one? The one who will dance through life with me? No, stop. He’s taken. I can’t think like that. He’s just a friend. He can never be anything more than just a friend.
“Should we really be this close? I thought you had a girlfriend.” Ladybug asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Chat took a deep breath. “Uhh...yeah. That didn’t exactly work out. We broke up a few weeks ago.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that.”
“It’s okay. If anything, I feel worse for her. I had to tell her that I was still in love with someone else.”
“Oh?”
Ladybug gasped as her partner’s lips brushed against her ear. “I never stopped loving you, my lady.”
Her heart thudded against her ribcage. “It’s been so long since you’ve called me that.”
“I didn’t think you liked it.”
“I’ve missed it. I’ve missed you, Chaton.”
“I never left.”
“But it felt like you did. I felt so stupid when I realized what my heart was telling me. I thought I was too late.”
“My heart is, has been, and forever shall be yours.”
Her breath hitched. “Kiss me.”
He pulled away and met her gaze. “What?”
“Kiss me, Chaton. I’m giving you permission to kiss me.”
“As you wish, my lady.”
Chat leaned in and closed the space between them. Warmth spread through her body like wildfire. Her arms slowly made their way to the back of his head where she toyed with the long tendrils of hair that hung around his neck. His hands made their way to her waist, and he gently pulled her closer as he deepened the kiss.
While their feet had stopped moving, their lips were engaged in a beautiful and intimate dance. They drank in the music from below as they reveled in their closeness. It was the perfect moment, and Ladybug never wanted it to end. However, all too soon, they parted. For several minutes, they stood silently with their foreheads touching.
“I love you,” Ladybug whispered, finally breaking the silence, “I think I always have. I’m sorry for pushing you away for so long.”
He chuckled and bit his lip. “I’ve waited so long to hear you say those words.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t be. I wouldn’t trade anything for this. It’s perfect. You’re perfect. I love you.”
“How are we going to do this? We can’t just be superheroes and date.”
“We’ll figure it out, my lady. We always do. Just look at how we always manage to find each other. We got lost a few times, but here we are. And I’m not going anywhere.”
“But I don’t know if I could live with myself if something happened to you because of this.”
He silenced her with another kiss. “Please. Let’s not think about any of that right now. Let’s just enjoy the moment.”
Ladybug nodded and once again fell into his loving embrace. They held each other and swayed to the music for the rest of the night.
***
“Marinette and Adrien!” the gym teacher called out excitedly.
After putting the students into pairs, the gym teacher explained to the class that they would be learning how to waltz. The woman’s enthusiasm caused Marinette to release a heavy sigh. While she failed to see the benefits of ballroom dancing in Gym, Marinette still got up, put on a smile, and found her partner.
Ever since she’d given up her pursuit of Adrien, Marinette had worked hard to become a better friend to him. While her stammer had slowly gone away over the past few months, she still struggled with the awkwardness of residual feelings. She knew she would always love him, but she was doing her best to love him in a different way...especially after last night with Chat Noir.
“Good morning, Marinette,” Adrien said cheerfully.
“Hello,” she responded with a small smile.
He knitted his brows. “What’s wrong?”
“Why do you think something is wrong?
”I know someone else who makes the same face when she's upset. You remind me of her. Funnily enough, I was able to cheer her up last night by dancing. Maybe the same thing will work for you, too!”
He shot her a dazzling smile that melted her heart.
No, Chat Noir is my other half. I don’t love Adrien like that anymore, but why does it feel like I still do?
With a flourish and a laugh, he met her gaze and held out his hand. “Marinette, may I have this dance?”
Suddenly, Marinette was transported back to the night before as memories of her stolen moment with Chat came crashing into her brain. While she knew it was Adrien who was standing in front of her, all she could see was the familiar glint of her partner’s eye. The line that separated Adrien Agreste from Chat Noir became blurred as the two boys melded together in her mind.
“Are you sure? I’m not a very good dancer. I kind of have two left feet,” she said breathlessly.
She heard his breath hitch. “After being forced to take lessons in ballroom dance for years, I can safely say that I have two right feet.”
Marinette’s heart pounded against her ribcage. “What did you say?”
Adrien took her hand and pulled her close. “I said that I have two right feet.”
She could see the tears shining in his eyes. Marinette could feel the same cogs turning in his brain that were spinning within her own.
“I’m guessing you’re still really proud of yourself coming up with that one.”
“As long as it makes you smile, my lady.”
“Does that mean that we’re the purr-fect pair, Chaton?”
“Always.”
She rested one of her hands on Adrien’s cheek. He smiled, pulled his face away, and kissed her palm.
Marinette felt a hot tear escape from the corner of her eye. “I can’t believe it’s you.”
Adrien reached up and brushed the tear away with his thumb. “Of course, it’s you. Who else would it be?”
“We have a lot to talk about.”
“Let’s not think about any of that right now. Let’s just enjoy the moment.”
“We seem to be doing that a lot lately.”
“I hope we get to do it even more in the future.”
“My silly cat.”
“My beautiful lady.”
She reached up and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Adrien pulled her closer and began gracefully turning in time with the music.
Despite the stares and excited whispers from their classmates, Marinette fell into his loving embrace, just as she did the night before. For a few moments, it was as if they were the only two people in the room.
They had found each other.
They were in love.
They were complete.