Chapter Text
"Marinette, be honest with yourself. Are you ever going to ask Adrien out?"
Alya's look alone made her freeze.
A confession was always in Marinette's playbook- a someday rather than a today. But what teenager hasn't freaked out at the prospect of asking their crush out? A celebrity one at that.
Marinette tried to not let her defeat show on her face.
"Yes," Marinette finally admits, frowning as she worked her house key against the thin material tying their wrists together. Other pedestrians tried yanking their own arms free with mild annoyance. "But what if I ruin what we already have with my stupid fantasy?" Marinette grunts as her key finally cuts through their restraints. She hastily stands and holds out her hand for Alya to take, the red marks on her wrist sending a dull ache up her arm.
"First of all, it's not a stupid fantasy!" Alya says, taking Marinette's hand before looking down at her through her glasses with unwavering confidence. Marinette gulps. "but there's only so much I can do. You can't keep saying how much you want to be with him, without doing anything about it!"
Marinette nods her head and backs up, one her hand on her backpack. A certified villainous laugh cracked in the distance, as well as the demand for Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculous. "I promise, I'm going to confess to him! I swear!"
"There's only so many times you can say that, girl! Don't forget we all believe in you! You just have to do the same!" Alya yells out, adding emphasis on the last part.
Marinette winces as a someone jolts her side with their elbow. Alya's already getting her phone ready, her ladybug charm glinting in the morning sun.
"Get inside, Alya! I have to check on my parents!" Marinette says instead, gladly changing the subject as she pointedly stares at Alya's phone.
"Are you kidding? Ladybug and Chat Noir are going to show up any minute now! I need this for the Ladyblog! It's important to document every Akuma Attack for journalism-"
"I know! Just stay safe!" Marinette calls out, whirling around on her heel as she sprinted back down the street. She felt bad cutting Alya off, but she was already taking too much time to transform. The excuse sat unconvincingly in her mind as she held her purse close to her chest, Tikki pressing against the fabric ushering her to go. She couldn't help but push down her relief.
Just when she made it to the end of the block, a chariot with two horses billowed in front of her, causing her to stumble back to avoid being run over. Catching herself, citizens scrambled around her as the akumatized librarian grinned at the crowd, holding up a sword. Silver hair fell to her shoulders like a metal sheet, her body decked in armor as she held a thick book in one hand. It was glowing as though someone speared the pages with a flashlight. Marinette looked at the army that followed her, unfortunate citizens decked in greek robes, others with puff bell sleeves, and gowns.
Admittedly, it was jarring seeing the cast of Little Women glaring at her murderously.
"Nobody disrespects the importance of classic literature! We're all going back in time, friends!" Marinette's eyes snapped back to the woman who pointed to the teen couple beside her. "I'm The Curator, and I'm going to teach you a quick lesson!"
Before Marinette could even reach to save the person closest to her, the couple were both caught in a beam of light. A second later, Marinette found herself staring at what she assumed was Romeo and Juliet. Marinette wearily eyed the vials with golden powder strung over the necks, which was probably the "poison" they drank. The girl grabbed her skirts and shot around to face Marinette with a wicked grin.
Marinette whipped her hand back. "Whoa!"
But it's who Romeo leaps forward and Marinette doesn't have enough time to dodge.
Keeping her head up, she crashes into the ground, wincing as Romeo's vial shatters between them. The gold powder goes up in the air, making Marinette sneeze.
"Oh, Romeo, Romeo!" Juliet sings, appearing behind Romeo with a shining smile. Marinette ignores the way her eyes burn. "Why don't we join together to help find this girl's true love, just like us!"
Seriously? Marinette thinks with an airy feeling bubbling in her chest. Like this wasn't cringy enough? Now I'm snorting gold dust?
"Yeah, no thanks. You guys didn't exactly have a fairytale ending." Marinette coughs but her conversation is cut short when suddenly a metal baton strikes the ground beside her. Romeo and Juliet still just before they are suddenly blown backward with one swift hit to their chests. The force of it sweeps Marinette's loose hair from her face. The duo tumbles down the street, thankfully narrowly avoiding any pedestrians or cars.
Marinette blinks. Looking up, she sees his lean figure outlined, taller than she remembers, with a beautiful smile and golden hair. Her heart stutters.
"I'm sorry I almost missed my cue line," Chat grins as he helps her to her feet, his eyes flashing with worry. He's quick to joke to hide it. "What was that talk about true love? Does my Princess need a kiss from her Prince Charming to save her?"
In a futile effort to control her heart, Marinette takes a deep breath and cracks a smile.
"I don't see any damsels in distress here." Marinette teases, bringing her jacket sleeve to her face as she quickly tries to wipes away the gold dust. What the heck was this stuff?
"You're definitely right. There's no one tougher than my Princess," Chat winks, whirling his baton as Marinette rolls her eyes. Suddenly, Chat worriedly reaches forward and wipes the apple of her cheek with his thumb. Her face reddens. When he pulls back, it's covered with the powder. "What is this? Evil body glitter?"
Before Marinette can say she doesn't know, her eyes catch a glint of movement behind his shoulder.
"Chat!"
Chat sees her widening eyes and faster than she can move, Chat is already whirling around with his baton raised.
He parries the powerful blow Juliet delivers with a piece of wrought iron fence. Marinette finds herself tilting the side. Or was the world moving with her?
"Fear me not!" Juliet smiles, gesturing to the golden vial around her neck. "Tell me in truth, who is that you love!"
Just as quickly, Romeo arcs a broken stop sign towards their heads. Chat quickly grabs her and pulls her close as they both duck. Chat kicks out his foot and swipes Romeo's feet out from under him. Marinette, for the first time today, feels panic race through her veins.
Did I just inhale some love-truth serum?
"Well, the love of my life will be arriving anytime soon, so it's best if you start running now," Chat smiles, still holding her as he shrugs his shoulders. "So be fearful, or whatever."
Romeo growls and Marinette shakes her head. Chat quickly looks down at her, his eyebrows pulled together. She grabs his shoulder and presses her hand to her face as though she could force herself to feel normal again. The last time she felt like this, Marinette remembers she was having wisdom teeth pulled and how woozy she felt afterward. Her Maman recorded all the funny things she said that day, and when Marinette finally watched it later, she burned the brightest red. She only let her Maman keep the video under the condition she showed it to no one.
And now she was feeling the same way during an Akuma attack in front of Chat no less and for the world to see. Crap.
"Marinette? Are you okay?"
"I think- that powder-"
Suddenly, Chat's arms cover her head as he rolls them to the side, barely missing a heavily thrown object by the sound of it. Just as smoothly, Marinette feels herself being lifted into his arms before she could even protest, the sound of his baton hitting the ground ringing in her ears as she's lifted away.
She can't even keep her eyes open.
No, no, no! Marinette thinks, loosely grabbing her purse that's wedged between them. It felt as though a fog was settling over her mind. I can't be like this! I need to transform! Tikki-
"It's okay, Marinette, you can relax now. I got you," Chat says, holding her closer as they bound across rooftops. The cold air bites her face. "I'm going to get you home till Ladybug's able to take care of the Akuma. You need to rest until the effects of that powder wear off."
Too late, she belatedly thinks, just as giggles bubble in her chest. She begins to swing her feet, like when she was little and Maman would push her on the swing at the park. Why was she so worried in the first place? She felt fine.
After what seems like only a few seconds, Marinette feels Chat landing on what she assumes is her balcony. Opening her eyes, she smiles dopily up at him, pressing her hands to his face while still cradled in his arms.
"Wha-" Chat says as Marinette squishes his face. She giggles as Chat raises an eyebrow but makes no move to remove her hands. She notices how smooth his tan skin looks, especially pretty against the darkness of his suit, the proportions of his face were so perfect. Just like a teenage heartthrob.
"Chat, have I ever told you how handsome you are," Marinette sighs, the words rushed as she looks back at his eyes, impossibly green from what she knows is from the doing of his miraculous. "Like, you could seriously be a model. People should have posters of you all over their room! Yo- you're just too pretty!"
Chat blinks, staring at her for a few seconds before he has the audacity to laugh at her comment.
"So I've been told," Chat laughs as he carefully sets her on her feet and gently pulls her hands away. "but I don't think you'll feel the same way once you get whatever that is out of your system."
Indignant, Marinette shakes her head and takes his jaw in one hand and jabs her finger into his (totally not muscular) chest with the other. "Y-you heard hear! I can't lie! I would totally want posters of you in my room-" She feels herself stumble into the railing and decides to lean her entire weight onto it. She turns and folds the front of her upper body over it, feeling like those wavy inflatable tube guys on American television commercials.
"Whoa, whoa, Mari, lets not get too close to the edge!" Chat warns, reaching for her she then stares at the large Adrien advertisement across the street like she has so many times before. It was from one of her favorite collections, a perfume ad with Adrien's hair perfectly ruffled with his silvery shirt half-unbuttoned, causing her to scream into her hands the first time she saw it. The powder in her system seemed to make her feel the same way all over again.
"Haha, Adrien, look!" Marinette squeals, feeling her heart squeeze as she points across the square, unaware of her slight miswording.
Marinette doesn't even notice the way he freezes behind her, his hands completely still on her shoulders. He follows here hand, towards the advertisement, before he lets out a sigh of relief. Marinette continues, her loose tongue on a roll. "Don't you think he looks so handsome too? He actually kinda looks like yo-"
"Ooohkay." Chat quickly interrupts, steering Marinette away from the ad. "Let's get you inside."
Marinette hums in agreement before she gasps and remembers what's in her room. She dug her heels into the floor, almost causing Chat to trip over her as she shakes her head. "W-wait! We can't go in there, he's there!"
"Who? Your Dad? That's great, he can-"
"Noo! Not him!" Marinette laughs, dragging out the syllables as she wheezes, waving her hand. "Adrien, silly! My crush-"
Chat chokes like he just inhaled a mouthful of water.
"You have to promise me not to look!" Marinette decides, sighing as she turns around and presses her hands over her eyes. "Please? It's embarrassing."
"O-Okay, Princess. I promise I won't look. Cat's honor."
"Or tell."
"Or tell," Chat Noir amends, and Marinette notes the way Chat's burning bright red under his mask as he struggles to regain his composure, and she tilts her head, removing her hands to press them against his skin.
"Are you okay, Chaton? Your face feels so warm-"
"Yes!" Chat says, his voice high-pitched in an obvious lie. "I-I'm fine, Princess."
Marinette hums and nods. "Okay then." She raises his hands to his eyes before stooping down to open her door, but leans too far forward and falls awkwardly to the ground, laughing. Chat snaps his eyes open to help Marinette back up.
"Can I at least have my eyes open until we open the door, first?"
"Yes," Marinette says, laughing as she scoots to the side as she allows Chat to open the latch for her. "That sounds good!"
Chat flips the door open, remembering that Marinette still has to climb down a ladder. He doesn't want to risk Marinette somehow somersaulting off the bed too, so he asks if it's okay to go first. Once he gets her permission, he starts climbing down, keeping his eyes on her and away from her room. Marinette hums in approval as Chat then raises his hands up to grip carefully under her arms, and easily lowers her down the ladder.
"This is fun!" Marinette giggles, gripping his shoulders as Chat shifts his grip to carefully lay her onto her bed, and briefly wonders if he should take her blankets and wrap her up like a burrito to keep her safe. Instead, Marinette flops against her pillows and pulls all her stuffed animals to her chest. She casts her gaze to her ceiling where her eyes widen. Chat follows her gaze, before she yelps and takes his face, keeping it to still.
"D-don't look! He's there too!"
"Adrien?"
Marinette nods solemnly. "My crush," She reiterates.
Realizing it's just probably photos of him, Chat breathes a sigh of relief at the fact that she doesn't have a cardboard cut out of him or was maybe imaging his face floating in the wallpaper. He kinda finds it endearing how flustered Marinette is over the photos of him. She stares at him as though she could see right through his mask, and Chat has to steal a glance at his gloved hands to make sure he's still transformed.
"I guess it doesn't matter," Marinette decides, sighing as she lets go of his face and looks back up at her pictures. "You can look now."
Chat shakes his head and looks back at the door above him. After this was over, Marinette was definitely going to be mortified if she remembered anything. He wanted to respect her privacy, and besides, she wasn't like she was exactly herself right now. He moves to make his way back to the ladder.
"It's okay, I really need to go anyways, Marinette. There's still an Akuma-"
Marinette gasps and jerks upright as though she's been electrocuted. His eyes widen in alarm as he moves back to avoid clashing foreheads.
"The Akuma! I completely forgot!"
"Don't worry, everything is going to be okay," Chat says gently, and hastily moves to coax her back onto her pillows. "Ladybug's probably already there taking care of it."
"You don't understand!" Marinette wails, gripping his forearms. Chat feels his heart twist at how distraught Marinette actually looks, her eyes completely honest. He expects her to go on a tangent about wanting to help civilians, or maybe even more talk of Adrien when she suddenly says something that makes him think Hawkmoth waltzed into the room and completely decked him in the face with his cane.
"I'm Ladybug!"
The words ring in his ears.
I'm Ladybug.
As in, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the girl that sits directly behind him in class, is his beloved yoyo-wielding heroine.
To who he makes a point to profuse his love to at any given chance.
The girl who he stupidly only thought of as just a friend.
Completely frozen, they only stare at each other in mute horror.
Marinette slaps a hand over her mouth, her entirely blue eyes impossibly wide.
Chat's eyes move to the black earrings adorning her ears, then lines up Ladybug and Marinette's features in his mind like a projector, before a bright-red alarm seems to blare in his head.
"L-Ladybug?" Chat stammers, his words muffled as Marinette grabbed her pillow and smashed it against his face, throwing him backward as his head almost hits the wall behind him. It was her most precise move today.
"Shh!" Marinette rushes, both of their hearts pounding in their chests. Chat stares in the darkness, trying not to hyperventilate. "Oh god- I can't believe I-"
"I-It's okay!" Chat whispers, moving his hands to the side of his head placatingly. "It's okay, Marinette, I promise, it's okay. You're secret is safe with me, I won't tell anyone, I swear on my life-"
Marinette sighs and slowly removes the pillow from his face. His face is flushed, but she's not sure if it's from the accidental confession or the smothering.
"I know! I'm sorry!" Marinette blinks and is surprised to feel tears burning her eyes. "I'm sorry- I'm the worst partner ever." She leans back and covers her face as she tried to steady her breathing.
"Marinette, it's okay. It's not your fault," Chat says softly, and doesn't even realize his hands are shaking when they gently settle over her hands. "It was that powder's fault. You didn't do anything wrong."
Carefully, Chat pulls her hands away and she offers no resistance. Chat watches as tears softly stream down her face and his heart breaks. He carefully wipes them away with his thumb.
"Hey, Bugaboo. We'll figure it out, okay? Just like we always do."
Marinette shakes her head, pulling away briefly to grab the pink purse she always carries around with her. It rustled as though something was inside, and instantly Chat knew what it- or rather who it was.
"I guess since you know everything, you may as well meet Tikki."