Work Text:
New York back in August, tenth floor balcony
Smoke is floating over Jane and Greenwich street
Goosebumps from your wild eyes when they're watching me
Shivers dance down my spine, head down to my feet
“Team, meet Ladybug.”
Marinette stood tall next to her older brother as his voice projected across the room, trying not to fidget with the yo-yo at her side. The four-year anniversary of her becoming Ladybug was quickly approaching, and many things had changed since the fateful day she came home to find that hexagonal box on her desk. From a lost 13-year-old to a more assured Guardian, she had grown more than she could possibly imagine, but this was an entirely different conquest. For one, it was uncharted territory—she would be joining an already-established team of heroes who had gone through hell and back together, and she would be the rookie; most significantly, she wouldn’t be the leader. As someone who had been raised as a fairly independent individual and thrived in leadership positions, it was staggering, like being able to navigate the treacherous terrain of one world, only to be unceremoniously dumped into an unfamiliar sea of carnivorous, slavering creatures that were eager to rip her apart limb-by-limb. Of course, her situation wasn’t quite as gruesome, but it could quickly become so if she didn’t learn to adapt.
Despite her catastrophizing, it had been entirely Marinette’s decision to join the Young Justice team after spending her summers training with the Order in Tibet. Her parents sent her to visit Bruce that time of year, which made it easy for her to get away and complete the necessary training to become Grand Guardian. Even with Hawkmoth defeated, though, it hadn’t felt right to let the Miraculous sit in disuse, so she followed her instinct and figured joining another superhero team was the best she could do. She had an in, with Batman being her biological father and all, but the prospect was still daunting. She was joining the big leagues now, and she had to act the part.
Speaking of, it was interesting to see the way Dick interacted with his teammates. She had seen her family in action in Gotham—even joined them on patrol more than a few times—but something about the gloomy city put an extra mask on all of them, enough to damper any good mood. Here, her brother was different. Brighter, almost. She only ever saw him like that around his school friends, though she supposed Wally did count. She could feel the redhead’s gaze on her as Dick continued to talk, and she let her eyes drift over the lineup until they landed on him. She hadn’t seen him in over a year thanks to her trip to Tibet, but there he was: Kid Flash, in all his mustard-and-ketchup glory. His hair was windswept, enhancing the exhilarated look that all speedsters seemed to share. Considering that she and everyone else in the immediate vicinity had heard him super-speeding into the room a minute ago, his disheveled appearance wasn’t surprising. There was a dorky, wide-toothed grin on his face that was ever-present and currently directed at her. The corners of her mouth instinctively tugged up in response, but she quickly quelled the smile to adopt a more stoic look, a habit she chalked up to being inherited from Bruce. Regardless, she pushed all extraneous thoughts away until the introduction was finished, after which she found herself being swept away by her brother to talk to Zatanna. According to him, the magician was excited to meet another magic user, especially a Miraculous wielder. Marinette was similarly delighted, letting herself be pulled along, but as Dick tugged her hand, she spared a glance behind her to acknowledge a certain red-haired speedster and wave.
Swimming in your eyes, in your eyes, in your eyes
Egyptian blue
Something I've never had without you
“Nice job out there.”
Marinette yelped as a smooth voice spoke right into her ear, the accompanying warm breath sending a chill down her spine. Wally narrowly dodged the offending punch she sent, ducking before she could slug him in the face. She hadn’t expected anyone to come into the room, and she certainly hadn’t heard anyone come inside. Talk about warning a girl. Her palms came to rest on her chest as if they would slow her racing heart. “Kwami, you scared me.”
“Still on the adrenaline rush?” he chuckled.
“Maybe a little,” she admitted.
“Well, you did great out there, especially since it was your first time against Klarion. Two weeks in and you’re already better than me!”
Marinette flushed, feeling her cheeks warm. “Don’t sell yourself short. It’s just because I have magic.” She wiggled her fingers, which made her look more like a poor imitation of a ghost than anything. “Besides, you did really great too! That last maneuver was pretty cool.”
“Ah, well, you know me! Cool.” He puffed his chest out, leaning back with crossed arms only to miss the counter behind him and go flailing backward. He landed on the floor gracelessly, looking very put-out at the fall. Marinette burst into laughter at his expression, and a few seconds later, he followed in suit. She laughed until her lungs were gasping for air and her cheeks hurt from smiling, and when it died down into a comfortable silence, she chanced a look at his face.
Wally was beaming, wild and untethered and free. It reached his eyes, endless fields of lush grass and emeralds that pulled her in like an unstoppable force. It was like the sensation of falling, of tumbling head-over-heels into his ardent gaze—but perhaps she had been falling all along. It sent a thrill through her, the zap of a lightning bolt not unlike the one on his uniform. It left her breathless.
“Oh! Um… I got this for you.” She didn’t know why she chose that moment to speak up, but she had to do something, anything to break the clamoring of voices in her head. Reaching behind her, she grasped the object she had kept from the earlier fight and held it up. “Teekl’s collar. It got torn off during the fight, and I figured you’d want to keep it. Dick told me you liked keeping things from missions.”
Her words became more unsure the more she spoke, but her worries were swept away as Wally practically bounced up, a delighted expression taking hold. He took it from her hands in an almost reverent manner, and she tried to ignore the tingling she felt when his fingers brushed hers.
“Souvenir!” he whooped, waving it over his head. “Oh man, I can’t wait to show everyone how cool this is.” He was almost vibrating out the door with excitement, and Marinette smiled at his antics. Just as she expected him to leave, he turned back, and in the blink of an eye she found her arms full of a hyper speedster. “Thanks, M. You’re the best!”
“You’re welcome,” she laughed. He bounded out, leaving her in the bathroom alone. Marinette turned to the mirror and sighed, hoping her face hadn’t shown anything more than she wanted it to. At the end of the day, Wally was… well, him, and she was just his best friend’s little sister.
You're giving me chills at a hundred degrees
It's better than pills how you put me to sleep
Calling your name, the only language I can speak
Taking my breath, a souvenir that you can keep
Giving me chills
Chills
Marinette threw the covers off her bed and stood with a frustrated growl. The fact that it was 2 in the morning was the only thing keeping her from ranting her frustration aloud. For some reason or another, she just couldn’t sleep. She had tried everything from meditation to pills, but it had eluded her the last two weeks. She could already feel it taking a toll, her movements groggier and her brain obscured with fog—not exactly ideal for someone meant to be in peak condition. But trying to sleep had done nothing but make her frustrated and more tired, so she made the executive decision to go downstairs. To do what, she didn’t know, but anything would be better than lying in bed, listening to every little creak and mechanical bump.
She grabbed her sunglasses from the counter, sliding them over her nose. She doubted anyone was awake, but better to be safe than sorry. Besides Wally, no one knew her identity or the fact that she was related to Dick. She wasn’t keeping it under wraps the way she had when Hawkmoth was still active, but she was still the Grand Guardian, and the less people who knew, the better. Still, any of their teammates could connect the dots given their closeness to Dick. Her identity was implied, surely.
Marinette tiptoed her way out of her room, making sure to slide her door carefully shut behind her, before sneaking out to the kitchen. Mount Justice was normally completely dark after everyone went to bed—she wasn’t going to lie, it was a little spooky at night—but she could see a faint light alongside muffled talking noises which she concluded came from the lounge. Someone had probably left the TV on by accident. She decided to turn it off after grabbing a glass of water, switching the stove light to its lowest setting before standing on her tiptoes, reaching overhead to grab a glass from the wooden cabinet. Just as she wrapped her hand around the cool mug, she heard a voice. “Hey, Mari!”
The glass nearly dropped from her hands as she nearly jumped out of her skin, barely saving it from meeting its doom and shattering all over the counter. Before she could shriek out of sheer shock, a hand slapped across her mouth and pulled her close. Well, if she wasn’t awake before, she certainly was now. “Calm down! It’s me, Wally.” Oh. Now that appeased her annoyance the tiniest bit, if only because she couldn’t think of anything other than the way her back was pressed flush again his body. “I’m going to take my hand off. Please don’t scream.” His hand left her face, and as soon as the warmth on her back disappeared she whirled around, glaring.
“We have got to stop meeting like this,” he joked. Marinette was not amused.
“What on Earth possessed you to think that was a good idea?” she seethed through gritted teeth. “You nearly gave me a heart attack!”
“Sorry, sorry!” the redhead winced. “I just heard someone come downstairs and wanted to see who it was.”
“Fine,” she grumbled, making her way to the sink to fill the glass still in her hand. “But why are you awake at this hour, anyway?” Wally raised an eyebrow and gestured to her, a silent et tu? “Touché.” They both stood, listening to the quiet chatter of the television and the burbling of water. She could feel him searching her face all the while.
“Hey, you ok?” The ambiance was broken; Marinette had no choice but to face him, that low voice now unnaturally solemn. He was still looking at her, his eyes piercing yet soft in that hypnotic way, and she guessed he had noticed the bags under her own.
“I’m just tired. Can’t sleep and all that.” She shot him a rueful smile.
“Me neither,” he replied. “I’ve tried, but it only makes me more… ” he paused, as if racking his brain for the right word.
“Restless,” they finished in tandem. Wally gave her a surprised smile that stole the breath from her lungs, and she let out a quiet exhale.
“Anyway, I’ve been watching TV ever since.” Ah. Marinette eyed the bags on chips laid out on the counter. “It would be nice to have some company,” he continued, “and I heard there’s some leftover cake in the fridge.” He drifted closer to her as he talked, until she only needed to shift an inch to bump her leg to his.
“Are you suggesting we raid the fridge?”
“Well, if you insist,” he grinned.
Half an hour and a slice of chocolate cake later, Marinette was fast asleep, wrapped in a burrito blanket with her head resting on Wally’s shoulder. He tilted his chin to look down at her. Her bangs fluttered with each soft exhale, and the light from the television illuminated the delicate curves of her face. Wally slowly reached for the remote and turned it off, taking care to reduce his movements so as to not wake her up.
As gently as he could, he let her head rest on the couch before lifting her blanket-swathed body into a bridal carry. As a speedster, he liked to use his abilities whenever they could convenience him, but he refrained this time in fear of jostling the sleeping girl. The weight of her in his arms was grounding, the journey to her room seeming much shorter than he recalled.
Wally pushed her door open and set her down on her bed, pulling up the covers with care. Even in sleep she looked ethereal, hair fanning across her pillow in a way that should have been messy but instead looked radiant. He placed the sunglasses she had removed earlier on her dresser and gave her one last glance that lasted a beat longer than it should have. He tore his gaze away and slowly crept to the door, but right as he touched the handle, he heard a mumbled, “Wally.”
He turned on his heel, expecting Marinette to be awake, only to be met with that same peaceful expression. He frowned, scratching the back of his neck in confusion. Maybe he really did need sleep. He was starting to imagine things.
Sunset Tower lobby, waiting there for me
In the elevator, fumble for your key
Kissed in every corner, Presidential Suite
Opened that Bordeaux from 1993
“What the hell was that?”
“Excuse me?”
Wally was leaning on the wall left of the medical bay, arms crossed and an irate look on his face. Marinette looked around, bewildered. Did she miss something? She had been getting her wounds tended to for the last hour alongside the majority of their team. They had taken a large blow from the strange new villain they had been up against, one that had no name and was unusually strong. Luckily, her suit was impenetrable and indestructible. Not-so-luckily, as she discovered today, it was not so impervious to brute force. She had been thrown around Paris more times than she could count and flung from the top of the Eiffel Tower, but apparently getting tossed around by a hulking monster was too much. Still, she wasn’t sure why Wally was acting like this. She had only seen him truly angry every once in a blue moon, and his righteous fury was only directed at villains. So what was it now?
“What happened?” Marinette asked, walking over to him with a concerned frown.
“What happened?” he mocked derisively. She recoiled at the harsh tone. “You don’t even know what you did, do you?”
“No, so tell me.” She was starting to get annoyed at his accusation, anger rising to combat his, but she used the technique she frequently employed during Hawkmoth’s reign and took a deep breath.
“You put yourself in danger out there when you called that monster’s name,” he said as he stalked closer to her. “It was reckless and really, it was stupid.”
Stupid? Oh, she so was not letting this go. “You’re right.”
“Really?” his face quickly morphed into one of surprise.
“Yeah, I guess I should have just let it kill our teammates and crush Kon under its sasquatch feet.” Frustration again.
“You know what I meant!” he ground out. “You don’t need to go throwing yourself into danger for no reason.”
“Wow!” she laughed. “For no reason, he says. Is that what you really think about your team?”
“Of course not!”
“Then why does it matter to you?”
“Because you can’t just do stuff like that without thinking of the consequences!”
“Don’t you dare treat me like I’m stupid. I did what I did because our team was in danger. Like I said, it was about to go after Kon!” She could hear her voice starting to rise in correspondence with his.
“Kon is invulnerable!”
“So am I!”
Her shout rang through the silence, giving way to her heaving breath.
“If that were true, you wouldn’t be needing that," he nodded to her cast. Marinette closed her eyes, steeling herself.
“You know what? I’m done here. Clearly it’s not me you’re really mad at.” She motioned to leave, but as she reached the door, a hand caught her wrist.
“Wait.” Marinette turned, looking at him expectantly. “I’m sorry.” Wally’s apology seemed genuine from the way he was staring at the ground, like if he looked hard enough he would gain Superman’s x-ray vision and burn a hole through it. After a moment he looked at her, which really wasn’t fair. It was hard to stay mad at him when his eyes transfixed her like a siren. “You’re right. It wasn’t okay for me to get mad at you like that. I just…” He took a deep breath. “I care about you. A lot. And seeing that monster go after you like that…I was scared you would get hurt.”
Marinette felt herself soften at his explanation. Curse her inability to stay mad at people she cared about. “I can protect myself, you know,” she started. “I’ve been a hero for years, and I’ve led my own team. You don’t need to look after me just because I’m Dick’s little sister.”
Wally frowned, looking some variation of hurt. “You’re not just Dick’s little sister to me.”
Marinette didn’t have time to think about what that meant as she felt herself leaning in, in, in, pulled by his magnetic gaze like a moth to a flame. She was sure he felt it too, that undeniable tug in his chest. But then Kaldur walked out of the medbay, and all she felt was doubt and hesitation as Wally pulled away. Kaldur sent a polite nod their way, but the look he gave her was almost knowing. Marinette waved back, face hot.
“I should go,” she told Wally hesitantly. “Unwind and all that.”
“Yeah, me too. I got a new souvenir to add to the case. See you later?” She nodded and they split ways amicably. But on the trek to her room, she couldn’t help but feel like something had changed.
Swimming in your eyes, in your eyes, in your eyes
Egyptian blue
Something I've never had without you
If something had changed, maybe she was the only one who felt it. Marinette spent longer than she’d like to admit dissecting what he’d said. You’re not just Dick’s little sister to me. But what did that mean?
She knew what she wanted it to mean. Somewhere along the way, she had stopped seeing Wally as Dick’s goofy best friend—if she ever had in the first place. She wondered if he meant it the same way. When she saw him, it was a chorus of Wally, Wally, Wally, haunting green eyes and a brilliant smile. Every wayward glance he sent her during meetings made her heart skip a beat, every grin made her feel like Ladybug, soaring through the sky.
Maybe it would be simple infatuation if things were how they had been a few years ago. But they now lived in the same mountain, shared a team, shared moments hidden in the blanket of night. She knew it was more than a simple crush on her end. She wasn’t sure if there was anything at all on the other, because if Marinette knew one thing about Wally West, it was that he was an incorrigible flirt. He was notorious for it—between seeing it for herself and hearing Dick talk about his flirting fails, it was something you could count on, yet she’d never been on the receiving end. In fact, she hadn’t heard any of his one-liners in the months since she’d joined the Young Justice team.
Maybe it was the simple case of growing up. Maybe he just didn’t like her. Whatever the case, it didn’t matter, because the unwritten rules went like this: even if the world is ending, know that Wally West is still a flirt, and even if the world is ending, know that Marinette Dupain-Cheng is still in love with Wally West.
You're giving me chills at a hundred degrees
It's better than pills how you put me to sleep
Calling your name, the only language I can speak
Taking my breath, a souvenir that you can keep
Giving me chills
Take my, take-take my breath away just like
Take my breath away just like a souvenir
Take my, take-take my breath away just like
Take my breath away just like a souvenir
New Year’s: catalyst of stupid who will be your midnight kiss? billboards, soon-to-be-broken resolutions, posts of happy couples, and most importantly, a reminder that Marinette would be forever alone. Apparently even villains took New Year’s off, because the day had been punctuated by a startling lack of crime. And it wasn’t like she wanted the team to get an urgent call, but anything would be preferable to the party they had planned later. Watching other people make out while she was stranded alone wasn’t exactly her idea of a fun time. Alas, the universe hated her, which was ironic considering the whole purpose of being Grand Guardian was to maintain its balance. Or maybe it was just telling her she was doing a bad job at it. Either way, she was fighting a losing battle, but she would go down in style.
Marinette had a particular inclination to design showy clothing. Perhaps it was a side effect of being around Jagged Stone for so long, surrounded by the likes of Audrey Bourgeois and having so many formal dress commissions. These factors all translated into the inordinate amount of non-casual attire she had in her closet, most if not all by her own design. She had a particularly flamboyant dress perfect for New Year’s, one that had taken painstaking experimentation but resulted in her dream fringe dress—not too understated nor gaudy. She paired it with low strappy heels and minimal makeup, glancing in the mirror on her way out to make sure there was nothing that could become an embarrassing faux pas.
When she arrived, the party was in full swing—well, as full swing as a party with a dozen or some people could be. Most of her teammates were gathered in the kitchen, where there was a variety of food laid on the counter. There was a tiered cake in the center, a combined effort of the girls. Marinette and M'gann had come up with the idea somewhat last-minute, but she enjoyed spending the day with her friends. Watching their almost disastrous baking fails was quite amusing.
She weaved her way through her teammates, waving at each person she passed by. Her first stop was with Dick and Wally, who were engaged in an intense debate about which Justice League member would be the last survivor in a zombie apocalypse. She gave her brother a welcoming hug, reveling in the comfort of his warmth. Wally stood to the side; she could feel him watching from the chills that erupted along the trail of his stare. She greeted him similarly but didn’t linger as long, both for her own sake and due to Dick’s presence. Their conversation resumed with a third party, and Marinette wouldn’t deny stirring the pot with her own thoughts. It seemed as if Plagg had worn off on her more than she thought.
After causing a fair amount of chaos, she conversed with a few different groups, joining in on the chatter and games. Her spirits were significantly lifted, though she couldn’t quite forget the prospect of the midnight kiss hanging over her head like mistletoe. Mistletoe might’ve been preferable, actually, because at least she would have someone. For now, though, she tried to ignore the way her eyes always seemed to drift over to Wally and instead focus on the present, which was filled with the laughter of her newfound family.
As it approached midnight, the volume in their abode waned. Marinette had instinctively stuck by the core group of girls, but everyone was starting to converge in the lounge for the countdown. There was a fireworks countdown displayed on the television, and she could already see people drifting off towards their chosen person: M’gann with Conner, Dick with Zatanna…she quickly decided that the best course of action was to temporarily relocate somewhere farther or to go back to her room entirely. Everyone was so engaged with their partner of choice, she was sure no one would notice if she slipped away. Her mind made up, Marinette slinked away, about to exit by way of the kitchen. Before she could even make it out of the lounge, a voice stopped her in her tracks. “Where are you headed?” Okay, she really needed to speak to the universe. Someone clearly had it out for her.
“I was just going to my room. Uhm, wardrobe malfunction.” Lie. Wally looked her up and down, and pressed her lips together nervously. He wasn’t checking her out, she scolded her straying mind.
“You look more than fine to me. Did you make that yourself?” he nodded to her ensemble.
“Yeah, I did. Last year, actually.”
“Well, it looks great on you.” A pause. Marinette took the opportunity to fake a yawn, wincing behind her palm at how fake it sounded. Wally wasn’t as easy to fool as the people back in Paris.
“Oh, I’m so tired. Guess I’ll head upstairs—”
“Aren’t you gonna stay for the countdown?” he interrupted “There are only…what,” he checked his watch, “two minutes left.”
“I’d rather not be the only single person on the team at midnight, but thanks,” she crossed her arms.
“You wouldn’t be the only single person,” he said, stepping closer. “You don’t have to be single at all,” he murmured, almost too quiet for her to catch.
“What was that?”
“I said, you don’t have to be single at all. I could be your midnight kiss…if you want.” Marinettte’s lips parted in shock, trying to make sense of the offer. “I’m not asking out of pity,” he clarified.
“Then why?” She needed to hear him say it.
“I like you, Marinette.” It was like a dream, the haze of late-night partying and New Year’s festivities and his face right there, green eyes looking at her like she was the only person in the world.
“Okay,” she breathed.
“Okay?”
“I like you, too.” And she had seen him grin a million times, but this one was more brilliant than any firework. Dick raised a brow when they entered the room hand-in-hand, right in time for the countdown’s start. At the shouted “10!” Wally’s calloused hands came to rest on her waist. At “8!” she hooked her arms around his neck, carving the planes of his face into her mind. At “6!” he brushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear, and his face drew near. She lost track of the seconds after that, the only thing in her thoughts being the boy in front of her and his intoxicating presence. The cheers came, and so did the whoosh of fireworks, and then it was the warmth of lips against lips, his body against hers and the stirring in her chest that could be nothing else but love. She could have kissed him for hours, maybe even longer, but she soon became acutely aware of the dying noise and her surrounding teammates. Marinette pulled back hesitantly, and Wally looked at her, brows ticked up in concern.
“You okay?” She didn’t answer right away, looking around the room at her friends, but they all seemed to be absorbed in their own dream world, oblivious to whatever was happening around them. Maybe it was her turn to do the same.
“I’m doing better than okay,” she smiled, then pulled him in by the collar for a searing kiss. She was choosing to start the New Year right.