Chapter Text
we were going to have to reveal our identities. they need to know who we are to be able to blindly trust us after almost dying because of me. I was supposed to be there leader, the person who could protect them, someone the could count on. I was supposed to be ladybug, the fearless heroine who always saved the day. not this time, and not with a damaged miraculous.
"tikki spots off.."
as I detransformed in front of them they watched with only shock written across there sad bloody faces. my white t-shirt and pink skinny jeans were soaked in my blood from the previous battle, my hair was matted and my face bruised and bloody. besides all the notable flaws i was still just Marinette Dupain-Cheng. there classmate and friend. I knew who they were and now the knew me, every hidden away secret every lie or excuse. they understood and they were shocked.
"it's you.. it's always been you!" Alya exclaimed rather loudly before quickly detransforming next, she engulfed me in the tightest hug we ever shared. she was my best friend, I didn't have to say anything I just had to grip her tight incase it was the last hug we ever got to have.
Nino and Chloe were also in there civilian forms looking just as beat up and bloody as the two hugging before them, eyes still wide with shock and disbelief.
"I cannot believe ladybug is dupain-cheng.. I mean.. I makes sense, like total sense. why would you pick me to be a hero? after everything I did to you.. why did you give me this chance to fight with you? there are so may other people that are worthy to fight by your side!" Chloe ripped Alya off me before pulling me into a hug of her own, "I'm so sorry.. I'm sorry." Chloe sobbed into her shoulder as her eyes met with chat noir's.
"you're okay Chloe, it's okay, I've forgiven you." I rubbed the blonds back, my eyes never left the black cat behind her.
she pulled away looking at the floor, "thank you Marinette" the blond furiously rubbed her eyes before putting some distance between her and the rest of the group. from what I could tell she was inspecting her wounds.
"plagg.. claws in." Adrien appeared where chat once stood. my heart stopped. it was like the world had stopped spinning. I forgot about hawk moth and the war. I forgot about my missing parents. I forgot how to breath. my first love was my partner, he was the one person I could always depend on, the only person in the world I would trust whole heartedly with my life, the boy I rejected time and time again, was also the boy I was rejecting him for. I loved who he was with and without the mask. chat noir or Adrien, he was perfect. he is the reason I am even alive right now. both of the most important boys in my life were actually the same boy the entire time. all the talks I had with chat noir as Marinette and as ladybug were all talks I actually was sharing with Adrien. all the kisses and flirting was all with the boy I could barley form words around. chat was Adrien.
Adrien was chat noir..
"my kitty.." tears streamed down my face as I leaped into his arms crushing him in a hug. "princess.. it was you... I knew it was you all along.. your the only one who made sense.. god m'lady I love you." we didn't care about the lingering eyes on us, or the pain from our wounds as we held each other. we cried together, cried over our lost time, our lost family, our lost life, over our failure..
no matter what happens its always been me and him against the world, as civilians and as hero's.