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The akuma sets off the bomb, and Marinette has a moment to thank every god she’s ever known that it’s not the plain old C4 she was dreading before she’s knocked straight off of her feet and her world is awash in white. The white fades to darkness and there’s a chill in the air and sand under her hands where she’s crouched and watching shifting lights in the distance. There’s a girl in a black dress moving on silent feet in front of her. She grins and Marinette knows with all the certainty of a dreamer that it might not be Paris in 2020 but she is Ladybug and this girl is her Alleycat.
“C’mon milady,” she says, familiar patterns of speech audible even through the lingering accent that indicates that Tikki’s translating, “it’s going to be im-paws-sible to save the day if you’re to busy taking a catnap!” Alleycat grabs her hand, but Marinette can’t feel the warmth she knows her partner gives off. She is tugged forwards and the scene changes.
There’s a blonde girl, dancing under gaslit streetlamps in the rain. Marinette’s feet itch to jump into the pattern, but she’s frozen, watching the way the universe curls at her best friend’s feet. Reflected lights glitter off of puddles of water and shine like a curtain of diamonds between them. She turns, and familiar, impossible green eyes crinkle into a smile.
“Dance with me, my lady,” she says and Marinette is helpless to resist. They dance for moments, and eternities, and when this version of Alleycat spins her, Marinette is transported into another scene. She dances through dozens of past lives to the phantom beat of the rain, helpless to resist any Alleycat’s command. In every scene there is a girl with the same blonde hair, green eyes and feline grin. In the fifth one, Marinette realizes that in every scene there is a Ladybug who is helplessly in love with her partner. It takes until about twenty to realize that she herself is no different.
Finally, she lands, into a body settled into a comfortable couch. This time, for all that Marinette knows she is Ladybug, the girl who is always her Alleycat is missing. The woman curled up beside her is barefoot in a soft-coloured dress. Her hair is too light and her eyes are the wrong shade, but both are familiar anyhow because they match the colours that have been painted onto Marinette’s heart since she was fifteen. The woman smiles, and it’s a familiar feline grin. Marinette can’t breathe.
The scene shatters. Marinette falls back into her body and throws the conjured lasso without looking. Her luck is blessed by fate itself and the lasso lands, easily capturing the akuma. After that it’s a dance she’s had years to practice, one that both partners can do alone and blinded if they must. The akuma is cleansed, the evil released and Marinette runs to the alley where Chat was thrown and stops, breathless, over where Alleycat is crumpled at the base of a wall.
“Chaton,” she says, louder and more desperately than she means to, trying not to touch just yet. Chat stirs, and Marinette wants to cry with relief.
“Hey bug,” she says, rubbing at her eyes with a terrifying sort of yawn that seems to stretch her entire face. “What’d I miss?”
Marinette throws herself at Chat in a clinging sort of hug and a laugh startles out of her. Chat hugs back, always steady and supportive, even when Marinette isn’t quite making sense. Mari can’t help but grip tighter, because she’s in love and has been for years and for lifetimes and it’s always the same girl. She pulls back and Chat raises an eyebrow. Those uncanny green eyes stare back, three shades darker than the ones she sees every Sunday morning for brunch but familiar in either form. Clearly, Marinette has no control left over her emotions because she’s grinning like a lunatic now. Chat just shakes her head with an indulgent grin.
“Your miraculous,” she says and Marinette’s pretty sure she has three minutes left but it doesn’t matter because Alleycat is her best friend and her crush and her partner and if she can’t trust the love of her life with her identity then Mari probably doesn’t have good enough judgment to be a superhero anyhow.
“Spots off,” Marinette murmurs. The air clears and Tikki flies off to a better vantage point to observe the show. Chat looks breathless and overjoyed and hopeful all at once. Marinette should probably let her get a word in but there’s too many emotions going on in her brain right now to stop. She cradles Chat’s face between her hands with all of the fondness and gentle care she wants to shower Chat in for the rest of their lives.
“Alleycat. Adrienne. I love you.” She says, eyes falling closed because she can’t quite handle looking into her partner’s eyes and seeing all of the adoration reflected there. “I have loved you in every lifetime, I will love you until the day I die and I want to keep loving you every time that fate decides the world needs Ladybug and Alleycat and we come back.” Slowly, carefully, she lets her hands guide them closer together until she can feel the tiny hitch in Chat’s breath against her lips. She kisses her. Softly, a quick press of lips, but it’s the warm comfort of lovers finding home in each other yet again and it’s everything else Marinette needs to say.
“Claws off,” Chat says, pulling away. Marinette opens her eyes and there’s a storm of shadows clearing away from Adrienne down on one knee. “Ladybug,” she starts, “Marinette. I'm not sure what's going on but I love you and I trust you and I intend to stand by your side for as long as you’ll let me.” She undoes a clasp at the back of her neck and draws a delicate silver chain from under her shirt. There’s a gorgeous gold and emerald ring on the chain that she holds up in one hand. “Will you marry me?”
There’s only one answer that Marinette can give.
"Yes."