Work Text:
The world was nothing but a big pile of petals.
Roses and peonies, daffodils and forget-me-nots. Despite all the pain it caused — aching lungs and people throwing up bouquets left and right as the merciless hammer of unrequited love smote down on them — this picture was the most beautiful thing Marinette had ever seen. For way too long, she had little doubt that it would be the last thing she’d ever see, too.
But despite all of her previous misfortunes and disappointment, she stubbornly held onto the last ray of hope, still cherished her fantasies of a happy ending. Even if her chances were incredibly slim, even if she would have needed to be the luckiest person in existence for her dreams to come true, Marinette still hoped. She had her reasons after all, one of many being that she was Ladybug! The superheroine of luck had to have things going her way, right?
Marinette sat on one of the major beams of the Eiffel Tower — the most romantic place one could imagine in all of Paris, the city of love — with her legs dangling off the edge. She occupied the exact spot, where she had crouched down several months ago, with her head buried into her hands, after she had rejected Chat Noir’s love declaration. At the time, she was desperately trying and failing to tune out her own sobbing and the miserable sound of sunflower petals forcing themselves out of her partner’s chest.
So, Marinette had more than enough bad memories of this place to last a lifetime. Still, when searching for a suitable place for today’s meeting, she couldn’t take her mind off of the Tower. She couldn’t deny it; the possibility of the sappy romanticism of redeeming their lives in the exact spot where it had gone awry in the first place appealed to her a great deal. And Marinette felt really optimistic about the outcome of today’s meeting.
Her lips curled into a small, anticipatory smile, as she brought her palm to her lips to catch a petal of a cherry blossom that escaped her aching lungs. As more time passed since her unanswered confession to Adrien, the worse her symptoms got.
But that was fine. If fate had her in its favour, it would still be fine. Actually, Marinette trusted that it would be more than fine. She counted on a fairytale happy ending, one fitting of a Princess.
She checked the time on her bugphone and squirmed in her place. It wasn’t like him to arrive late for patrol but Marinette wasn’t too worried. She knew that Chat Noir would never let her down. He must have had a bad episode once again, that kept him late.
Of course, he would have never told her that — to spare her the pangs of conscience for his state — but she knew that his symptoms were getting worse day by day, too.
Not for much longer, though, Marinette vowed.
She yearned for her suspicion to be proven right. That she could be so lucky to find the one boy under the black mask, who had the power to stop the fire in her lungs. That, despite it being bafflingly convenient, Adrien Agreste and Chat Noir would turn out to be the same person.
They had to. Marinette felt that this had to be more than wishful thinking on her part, it had to be the ultimate truth. Not only because the similarities between the two boys — including coughing up the same kind of flowers — were one too many to be coincidental; but because of the look Adrien had given her when she confessed her feelings to him. It was one of pain, of heartbreak, of anguish. She knew that look all too well.
It happened exactly one week ago, that perfectly matched the amount of time since Chat Noir didn’t come to patrol. Since Adrien didn’t show up at school. The teachers told them he was just sick but Marinette knew him better than anyone else. She knew that it wasn’t only the droopy sunflowers that consumed him from the inside.
The life of a teenage model wasn’t easy in a world where every turned down date invitation and crushed heart sent the recipient into a coughing fit, until they were forced to surgically remove every emotion they were capable of feeling, in the past, present or future. Or of course, there was always the other solution, learning to move on and loving someone else. In case, they lived long enough to do that.
The prospects of the fans varied. However, Marinette didn’t know of many girls who had actually died after Adrien’s rejection. Chloé was fortunate too. With her father’s resources, financing the operation wasn’t an issue. Kagami was more stubborn than lucky, though.
Marinette had never heard of such a stupid tradition as bringing flowers to a funeral.
So Marinette knew all too well how difficult Adrien’s life was. But even out of consideration, she couldn’t postpone confessing to him any longer. The situation was starting to get out of hand and she had to grab for the last straw, that could have saved both of them.
It didn’t then — when she confessed to Adrien and watched him go pale, before apologizing deeply and running away in shock at the sight of cherry blossoms hitting the tiles in front of the school — but miraculously, it had shown Marinette the way out of this madness. It helped her to open up her eyes and to identify the cause of the magnetic pull she had always felt towards her partner but denied tenaciously, until it didn’t endanger her blinding feelings for Adrien anymore.
Now, when she contemplated the two boys being one and the same, it just made so much sense that Marinette couldn’t fathom how she did not think of it sooner. Of course, Adrien had to be her partner. There was no one else who could have been her other half, that Chat Noir undoubtedly was. It just made perfect sense! It was exactly how soulmates would have to work, if they existed. Finding each other again and again, even when- especially when the odds were so low and the stakes so high.
Marinette had to admit, in hindsight, the whole ‘love-square’ and identity shenanigans were kind of funny. Life-threatening and maddening, but hilarious at the same time. Proof of the love she knew both of them felt towards one another. Proof of being destined to be together.
So lost in thought, Marinette barely noticed the soft thump of his boots sounding on the metal surface, as he walked up to her.
“Good evening.”
“Hello, Chaton!” Marinette stood up to welcome her partner with a beaming smile.
In his impossibly green eyes, there was no sign of sadness, which, treated at face value, would have been a good thing but Marinette could see right through his façade. He must have been trying really hard not to let his misery get the better of him. It warmed her heart that he cared about her so much to go through all this trouble, only to keep her blissfully unaware of his internal turmoil. His thoughtfulness only solidified her resolve.
She had to save him. She had to save both of them.
“I know that we vowed to keep our identities a secret, but I think it’s time we reconsider this.”
She didn’t want to admit that it was a matter of literal life and death. If, by a bafflingly unfortunate miracle, he didn’t turn out to be Adrien, there was no need for him to feel guilty for the duration of the remaining limited time that they could still spend on this world.
But in all honesty, Marinette didn’t believe in this possibility.
“You want us to reveal ourselves?” Chat asked, raising an eyebrow in question.
Marinette, although, didn’t trust her voice to remain calm if she started to explain it; so she just nodded, shortly but surely, smiling up at him hopefully as her stomach did a somersault. She was fairly certain in herself but despite it all, she couldn’t shrug off all of her doubts and presentiments.
Chat didn’t inquire. He hummed in understanding and only said, “well then.”
Marinette’s body trembled and her palms clenched into sweaty fists beside her sides as she shut her eyes. She said her detransformation words in unison with Chat Noir.
After every bit of magic disappeared from all around them and Marinette could only hear the cold whizz of the wind against her linen clothes and her throbbing pulse in her throat, she cautiously opened her eyes.
Her breath hitched as the image of Adrien Agreste filled her vision-field. She felt a wave of absolute relief wash over her and didn’t waste any more time but jumped upon the boy’s neck with a smile so bright that it could have melted the ice of the Antarctic. She enveloped him in a tight embrace and enjoyed the feeling of his arms tentatively wrapping around her. She breathed in his soothing scent and buried her face into the crook of his neck, reveling in his warmth. She didn’t pay any attention to the tears of joy and relief that started to spill down her cheeks.
Marinette couldn’t contain her happiness as the words of confession escaped her lips. “I love you so so so much, Chaton!”
At first, she thought that it must have been her mind playing tricks on her, when she felt the oh-so familiar aching in her chest and the soft texture of a petal on her tongue.
“Oh, Marinette. If only I could still love.”