Chapter Text
Ladybug was sitting with Chat Noir atop the Eiffel Tower. She'd asked him to meet her at sunset, and they'd spent some time idly chatting while she worked up the courage to get down to business. By now, stars dotted the sky.
After a while, Chat Noir interrupted the conversation. "I know there's something on your mind," he said. "Do you want to talk about it, M-"
Ladybug's mind flashed back. "-arinette!" Chat Blanc had called. "Our love did this, Marinette. To- to Paris. To the world."
Ladybug shook her head, bringing herself back to the present.
"Milady?" Chat Noir asked, concern on his face.
"Sorry," she replied. "I- I was reminded of something."
It had only been a few days since Bunnyx had taken her to the future and she'd met Chat Blanc. Ladybug had debated telling Chat Noir about it, but decided it was for the best. If he knew, then he'd understand they can't discover each other's identities. But every time she tried to talk about it, she found herself unable.
Ladybug looked to her partner. Chat Noir was smiling - trying to show compassion, she could tell. He put a hand on her shoulder.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked. Ladybug wondered briefly if he wanted her to talk so he could get clues about her identity. But all she could see on her face was love. If seeing him as Chat Blanc hadn't convinced her his feelings were more than a simple crush, this did.
Ladybug wanted to tell him what had happened, and considered how to sneak up on it. "Let me tell you a story," she said. "It starts a few days ago, but it's not quite what happened in reality." in this reality, she fought the urge to add.
Chat Noir sat back, his attention rapt. "I'm all ears, milady," he said, playfully gesturing to both his real ears and the costume ones atop his head.
Ladybug smirked, and got down to business. "A few days ago I delivered something to Adrien Agreste," she said.
"Now, in reality, I told him it was a delivery from a Brazilian fan club." Ladybug saw Chat Noir nodding along like he knew this. She filed that thought away for later.
"But in the story, it was from me. I signed it with my civilian name, thinking he wouldn't see me deliver it. Thinking he'd still have no idea I'm Ladybug." Ladybug breathed. This was making her nervous to tell. She had hoped mentioning Adrien wouldn't be too much of a hint to her identity - most of Paris knew who he was, and at least half of them had a celebrity crush on him. Looking at the pensive look in Chat Noir's eyes, she wasn't sure anymore - but it was too late. Best thing to do was keep talking.
"So Adrien Agreste sees Ladybug leaving him a present signed with a civilian name. Somehow, word of my identity gets to you." Chat Noir smirked when Ladybug said this, though she wasn't sure why. She paused to consider just what that somehow might be, zoning out.
Chat Noir spoke - "Getting lost in my eyes, milady?" he asked with a grin, snapping Ladybug back to reality. She realized she'd been making eye contact when she zoned out, and how that must have seemed.
"No, kitty. Just thinking," she said. Ladybug looked out over Paris as she continued the story. "Anyway, you find out who I am. Or, in the story. You love me as both Ladybug, and as M- my other self. But something goes wrong. I'm guessing I reject you again, since I'm still in love with A- another boy."
"Whatever happens, we eventually face down Hawk Moth together. Just down there," Ladybug pointed to the spot.
"You get akumatized. And it's bad. Queen Wasp turned up to eleven. You become..." Ladybug struggled not to cry. To get the words out. "...Chat Blanc."
She curled up, putting her head against her knees and hugging her legs. Ladybug started to sob, and felt Chat Noir hug her.
"This is quite the story, Ladybug," he said.
The two sat quietly for a while, before Ladybug worked up the courage to continue. Slowly, and between deep breaths, she spoke. "You must have summoned a massive cataclysm. All of Paris subjected to it at once."
Ladybug looked up at the night sky. "You broke the moon, Chat."
For his part, the other hero still had an arm around her. Normally she'd be concerned about romantic intent, but Ladybug could tell that this was platonic. He was comforting a friend.
"Bunnyx finds out about the situation. Remember when we fought timetagger?"
Chat nodded to this. Of course he did- from his point of view, that was the most recent battle they'd fought.
"So Bunnyx figures out that something went wrong with history, and goes to the day that didn't happen right. She goes to the day I delivered a present to Adrien Agreste."
"Bunnyx catches up with me, on the rooftops, a few minutes after I made the delivery. I didn't know I'd been seen, and was giddy at having left a present for my crush." Ladybug froze at the word- it had slipped out. "Celebrity crush," she corrected quickly.
Still watching Paris, instead of Chat, she continued. Somehow it was easier to speak if she could pretend he wasn't there. "Bunnyx told me something had gone wrong- very wrong. I didn't know what, and told her as much."
Ladybug bit back a sob. "She decided I needed to be taken to the future. To fight Chat Blanc, and rescue you." She felt Chat's hug tighten, and took a few breaths.
"Paris was flooded. Probably most of France was. The moon was in pieces, so tidal forces must have- have caused that. The Eiffel Tower was knocked over. The only living soul there, other than me- was you."
"I did rescue you, eventually. You told me that our love broke the world. That's what you said- 'Our love broke the world, M-' milady." Ladybug altered the quote on the fly. She'd not thought about how it ended until she was already saying it.
"I took my Lucky Charm - it was an eraser. Hadn't helped in the fight. I took my Lucky Charm back in time with me. I told Bunnyx to drop me off a few minutes before she got me from, and intercepted myself at Adrien's place." Ladybug started to relax, the hard part over.
"I erased my civilian name from the gift, and summoned the miraculous cure. All it needed to do was merge two Ladybugs into one. And because I'd delayed my past self, Adrien walked in just after it did. I made up some excuse about a Brazilian fan club and left."
Ladybug finally turned her head to look at Chat Noir. He was crying.
----
Chat Noir felt hopeless. Ladybug had admitted that he- or, Adrien Agreste- was her celebrity crush. But learning each other's identities had led to an apocalypse. He had been comforting Ladybug with a hug, but now the hug was for his own comfort. He cried into her shoulder. After she finished the story, Ladybug must have noticed how he was feeling, because she hugged him back.
They stayed like that- crying into one another's arms- for a long time. Eventually Chat Noir spoke.
"Do- do you think, in that future- did you know who I was?" He didn't move when he spoke, still hugging Ladybug with his closed eyes pressed against her shoulder.
"I'm not sure," she replied.
Chat Noir tried not to hope. He tried to think clearly. If he told her, then they'd know they both loved each other. Then him finding out her identity was inevitable. Then, Chat Blanc. It seemed hopeless. He needed more information about that other future. He needed to talk to Bunnyx. The only question was how.
----
After class, Alix confronted Adrien in the hallway.
"Why have you been staring at me all day?" she accused.
Adrien froze, stammering. Alix didn't have the patience to deal with this.
"Spit it out!" she ordered. The attention from Adrien made her feel uncomfortable, and if she knew why he was suddenly staring that might make it better. Or maybe she could make it stop.
"I need to talk to Bunnyx!" Adrien blurted out, making Alix freeze. That was her older self, whom she'd met during an akuma attack at the Louvre. Only three people knew that name, as far as she knew. Even if more knew the name, definitely only three knew it was her older self. Herself, Ladybug, and... "Chat Noir?"