Chapter Text
Adrien Agreste might be naive and lack social skills when it comes to understanding small hints or diffusing difficult situations but he was not a bully or someone who would let his friends suffer for nothing and to prove that, he would have to make things right. He was now fully aware what his choice caused for his dear friend Marinette. "Take the high road" he said, while Marinette would have liked to end Lila's - the liar's - journey even before it had truly begun. Instead he gave that stubid advice to her, causing more suffering to fall on her. He never intended it to happen, he had hoped Lila would change similarly to Chloe, who had shown great promise in redeeming herself. But now, a couple of months after that fateful day, he knew it was an awful choice and he swore on Ladybug to fix it before it would be too late.
To fix his mistake and to ease Marinette's suffering, Adrien started to collect evidence against Lila’s lies which proved to be surprisingly easy. Some of her lies were easily debunked, just a simple Google search could tell the truth from fiction. But he wanted more than that. Sure, he wanted solid evidence to disprove her lies but he also wanted evidence to prove that she was a bully and that Marinette was innocent all this time. So he slowly slipped into conversations during breaks which was easy considering how much Lila loved to cling on his arm. He mostly stayed quiet and just listened, took mental notes which he later put on a notebook he kept hidden amongst his mangas in his room and even took some audio recordings with his phone, making sure to upload them on his cloud service to avoid losing them. It felt wrong to betray his classmates this way since some of the material would prove their participation in the bullying too but his need to help Marinette grew stronger day after day when he witnessed first-hand how the cheerful and optimistic girl from the start of a school year slowly turned into a quiet, reserved shell of her former self.
During his research Adrien also noticed how incompetent Miss Bustier and principal Damocles were in handling the situation. They had a working security system and a very professional and capable nurse but never checked the footage of the cameras or asked the nurse whether Lila had truly injured herself during her “charity work” or when she claimed Marinette had hurt her. Instead they just took Lila’s side, no questions asked, before Marinette even had the chance to defend herself. With Plagg’s support he started to collect evidence against them too, the kwami of destruction just casually floating around in hiding spots with a mini camera whenever the teachers broke their code.
Plagg of course loved this new determination Adrien had. He liked his Chosen, he really did, but the way he always declared his love for Ladybug got annoying fast. Now he was at least doing something productive which seemed to control his overwhelming crush and didn’t drool over his lady all the time, making the akuma battles easier in the long run too.
Even though Adrien mostly used his free time on helping Marinette, as Chat Noir he couldn't help but notice how Ladybug grew more silent. He barely heard her laugh or make jokes like she used to, she didn’t stay too long after their patrols to talk and plan future tactics and just seemed occupied with something. He wanted to help his beloved partner badly so when she randomly suggested one night that they should meet on top of Eiffel tower after their patrol to talk, he agreed to it without any hesitation. He could see the dark circles around her eyes, even with the mask, and knew that tonight’s talk was going to be rough.
Chat Noir went through his patrol faster than normally due to his nervousness and arrived at the meeting spot before Ladybug. He tried to stay calm but ended up pacing around the small flooring until he heard Ladybug’s yoyo clanging with the metal structure, only moments before the spotted heroine emerged from the darkness. She seemed to be nervous too, placing the yoyo hesitantly on her hips as usually before looking up at him, rubbing her arm.
“Oh, you’re already here” she laughed nervously. “I thought I would be the first one to arrive as usual.”
Chat Noir wanted to joke and say that this time there weren’t any fans to distract him but seeing his lady in this state, he just looked at her, more serious than normally. “You wanted to talk with me, I didn’t want to keep you waiting.” Ladybug blinked a few times, seeming confused that her partner wasn’t joking around, before gathering her thoughts.
“Thank you Chat. That… That means a lot to me” she said with a small smile before sitting on the edge, Chat Noir joining her without a word from her. She tried to keep her legs steady but Chat could see the small shaking, even in the dim lighting. They just sat there, Chat giving her time to collect herself and be the first one to talk. He had learned much about consent and patience lately during his research for Marinette and tried to enforce it even in his superhero form.
Ladybug shifted her position a bit before talking, eyes on her lap. “I know we agreed to not reveal our identities before Hawkmoth’s defeat but I’ve been thinking about it for some time now. I have so much going on in my civilian life and being a superhero makes everything harder than it already is. On top of that, the stress of being the new guardian is just too much to bear. I have no idea how I haven’t been akumatized yet” she confessed, Chat Noir looking at her with concern. Her voice was filled with sadness, was she really in that much of a trouble?
She continued before he could say anything, this time talking a bit faster. “Without Master Fu I feel like I’ve lost my only support in both lifes. He was always there, supporting me, but now he doesn’t even remember me as anything more than a friend.” She bit her lip and Chat could swear he saw glimmer in her eyes. “That wouldn’t be so bad if I had someone to support me in my civilian life like you support me in my superhero life. Instead I’m feeling lonelier than ever because my friends have all abandoned me for a liar. They won’t listen to me and most days are just a blur. My parents are worried about me but I can’t tell the truth to them if I want to keep them safe” she said, her voice breaking down a bit at the end. Chat Noir felt his heart sink, a knot forming in his throat. His partner seemed to be just moments away from a breakdown, barely holding it all in.
“I… I feel so selfish but I need someone to be there for me. To protect both parts of me like we protect Paris everyday” she explained, tears starting to form up in the corner of her eyes when she finally turned to face him. “I’m so sorry to ask you this but please, could you be that person? Can we… Can we reveal our identities now? I’m scared that you won’t like me without the mask and that you’ll just abandon me like everyone else but that’s a risk I’m willing to take and..” she would have continued her desperate monologue, tears starting to roll down from her eyes if it wasn’t for Chat who pulled her in a tight hug, holding her like she would disappear any minute.
“I could never abandon you Bugaboo, no matter who you are outside the mask. You are still my partner, now and forever” he almost whispered into her ear, causing her to sob louder, hugging him in return. She buried her face to the nook of his neck, her small shaking arms going around his upper body, clinging into him. Chat Noir’s heart broke more with every sob she made, but he stayed still, stroking her back gently. He could feel the tears even through the leather suit. He couldn’t even begin to understand the amount of stress she was in if she honestly feared for him to abandon her the moment she told him the truth. He swore then and there, while holding her shaking form in his arms, that he would do anything in his power to protect Ladybug, with or without the mask.
He didn’t know how long they stayed like that, he didn’t even try to count. He just focused on being there for his partner, making sure she had someone to support her even through her breakdown. The tears and loud sobs slowly got more quiet until she was just hiccuping slightly against him, her body relaxing but still holding onto him. Eventually she made the first move, slowly pushing herself to sit upwards, leaving her hands on top of Chat’s. The feline hero smiled supportively, the spotter heroine smiling back weakly.
“Thank you Chat, I really needed that” she thanked him sincerely, her voice raspy from all the crying.
He just smiled, looking at her bluebell eyes. “Anything for you m’lady.”
She smiled for the nickname, before slowly pulling her arms away from his. She stood up and walked in the center of the small area, away from the edges.. He could see she was tired both physically and mentally from the breakdown but didn’t mention it, just stood up and walked in front of her. She looked at him hesitantly, with a little bit of fear in her eyes.
“Would you be okay if.. If we did it now?” she whispered.
Chat of course heard it with his enhanced hearing, nodding in return. “Of course. Together?”
Ladybug smiled, taking his hands in hers. “Together.” She closed her eyes and took a calming deep breath or two before continuing. “On three, okay? One, two, three…”
“Spots off.”
“Claws in.”
Pink and green lights blinded them for a second before it was once again dim, the lights of Paris illuminating the space slightly. Chat had only closed his eyes because of the flashing lights but when the transformations were over, he slowly opened his eyes. He saw Plagg floating next to him with Ladybug’s concerned yet supportive looking kwami Tikki but quickly forgot about them when he saw the girl in front of him, still keeping her eyes closed, as if the moment would break if she opened them. The girl he had failed once, big time, and who he was trying to save from her tormentors. All this time, it was her by his side.
“Marinette?” Adrien asked, voice almost as low as whisper. The girl in front of her jumped a bit, squeezing his bare hands. It felt like forever before she opened her eyes, moving her gaze from his shoes up to his face. Her eyes opened wide with shock and confusion, cheeks turning red with each passing moment.
“A-adrien? B-but, how?” she stuttered, not moving an inch. He smiled to her.
“In the flesh m’lady.”
Marinette stood frozen for the longest time, Adrien worrying if she was disappointed to find out that Chat Noir was him all along. Then, she laughed a bit, new tears appearing in the corners of her eyes.
“It’s really you! How did I not see it before?”
Adrien chuckled, relieved that his lady wasn’t disappointed at him. “How did I not see it before? I literally called you our everyday Ladybug!”
Marinette laughed a bit more, seemingly relieved that it was someone she knew. Adrien was happy about this too, his best friend and his partner being the same person. He almost started planning their happy future together until he realised what had caused this reveal, his shoulders tensing up. Marinette of course noticed this, looking at him with concern.
“Adrien, is somet-” she tried to ask before Adrien interrupted her.
“Lila. Our classmates. They have caused you this much stress?” he asked firmly, already knowing the answer. Marinette looked ashamed, almost lowering her gaze. He felt so much anger towards the culprits and more towards himself.
“I shouldn’t have given you that advice back then. Nothing good came out of it” he stated, Marinette almost opening her mouth to protest.
“No, don’t try to make it better. It’s my fault you are in this mess even though I swore to protect you. I’m so sorry Marinette, I should have been there for you” he apologized, hating himself. Before he could continue, Marinette talked again.
“You were still there for me. It helped to know that even one other person believed me. It did hurt to see you hanging with them during breaks but you never abandoned me like they did” she assured him, stroking his hands with her thumbs.
“But I should have helped you more. Expose Lila earlier.”
“It’s not your fault Adrien. If they didn’t believe me, how would have they believed you?” she argued, sadness in her voice. “They chose their side, we just have to live with it until we graduate and get away from them.”
Adrien shook his head. “No, we don’t.” This confused Marinette, her looking at him with a slightly tilted head. “I realised I made a mistake with Lila, I really did. So I’ve been gathering solid evidence against her. And while doing so, I also gathered evidence against our classmates, miss Bustier and principal Damocles. To help you. I just didn’t know how to tell you about it before I had enough material since I felt so guilty about the whole situation.”
Marinette looked shocked at first, not believing his words. Adrien squeezed her hands, determination in his eyes. “I never wanted to hurt you Marinette. You were my best friend, even before I knew you were my lady. And I want to prove it to you by making things right.”
Marinette looked at his green eyes, opening and closing her mouth as if she was trying to figure out what to say. In the end, a huge smile grew on her face. “Thank you Adrien. That means the world to me.”
It almost seemed like they were synced, hugging each other at the same time. This time there were no sobs, no clinging. Just two people finally finding a friend who will share their ups and downs. When they finally pulled apart, Plagg zoomed in the middle, floating in front of Marinette.
“Finally! I’ve been waiting for this for so long! You have no idea how much time he talks about you and Ladybug, it’s so annoying.” Adrien and Marinette both blushed before Plagg turned towards Adrien. “You better give me some camembert now, okay? Then you can continue your talk with Pigtails”. Adrien yielded, giving him the cheese from the pocket inside his shirt. Tikki flew up to his face too, smiling.
“Hello Adrien!” the kwami of creation chirped cheerfully. “Thank you for being there for Marinette. Just make sure you’ll be there for her in the future too, hm?” After Adrien nodded, Tikki flew to get her cookie from Marinette before flying somewhere with Plagg. The teens were left alone, standing there in silence until Marinette broke the silence.
“So… Care to tell me more about the evidence you have gathered so far kitty?” she smiled, Adrien experiencing so much happiness upon hearing the nickname she gave him. His lady’s healing process was starting already and he was going to be there for her until the end.
“Anytime Bugaboo”