Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

When Felix had decided to go out for the day, he had expected the usual: a leisurely walk to the bookstore for a new historical fiction, a stop by his favorite cafe for his usual black coffee and perhaps even a trip to the nearby botanical gardens to find a place to read the book and drink the coffee. 

What he had not expected was for his hand to be grabbed and for him to be yanked into an alley, an arm pressed against his throat and furious blue eyes glaring into his.

“What did I tell you about following me, Adrien? I told you that if you tried it again, it would get ugly, but no, you couldn’t listen for just once in your life!” She paused, still glaring, but almost as if waiting for him to defend himself. 

“Um, I believe you have mistaken me for someone else. My name is Felix, not Adrien, though I have been told countless times how remarkably similar we look.” Much to his chagrin, he and his moronic cousin were the spitting image of each other, alike in every way until you got to their personalities, in which they diverged dramatically. It was interesting, though, usually girls were squealing messes when Adrien was the topic of the conversation, yet this small girl had only violence on her mind. 

The girl looked closer at him, and he could see the gears turning in her head as her eyes widened and grip slackened. 

“Oh my god. Oh my god,” she immediately let go of him, backing away, her hands rising to cover her mouth. “I can’t believe I just accosted a random person. I am so incredibly sorry!” 

It was amusing to Felix how quickly her mood shifted from warrior-like anger to preteen-like panicking. He was surprised to find that he wasn’t angry at her, simply curious to know what Adrien had done to be at the receiving end of her wrath. 

“If you tell me why you hate Adrien so much, I will forget this ever happened,” he bargained. 

“You’re not at all mad that I threw you against a wall?” Her tone was a mixture of confusion, wariness and hope.

“Usually, I would be, yes, but it is so rare to happen across someone who dislikes Adrien as much as I do that I am willing to forget it if I get to hear the story.”

She thought it over for a moment, then shrugged. “What the hell? Maybe pouring out my woes to a stranger will make me feel better. Couldn’t hurt. I’m Marinette, by the way.”

“Felix, though I believe I introduced myself earlier.” He smirked.

Marinette cracked a smile as well, even as her cheeks pinked a bit at the mention of their one-sided fight. “Yeah. Hey, my story’s a pretty long one. Wanna get ice cream to eat while I tell you?”

“Sure.”

- - - - - -

“Soulmate ice cream,” Felix deadpanned, staring at the cart. 

Marinette shrugged, which seemed to be her go-to move. “Believe it or don’t. Either way, Andre makes a good ice cream cone. I’m going to go find us a quiet place to sit. You go order us two cones, alright?” Before Felix could argue, she walked off.

Felix went up to the stand, his face set in a grimace as he ordered two cones. Andre had seen him with Marinette and had her cone ready but made Felix’s in no time flat, complete with a weird rhyme that Felix forgot as soon as Andre said it. 

When he got back to the table and handed Marinette her cone, she groaned. “God, it even looks like him still.” She eyed his cone, then made to hand hers back to him. “Here, trade me.”

“What if I want to eat my own magical soulmate ice cream and not yours?” 

“You don’t believe in this stuff. Now, gimme.” Marinette made a swipe to grab his cone, which he easily dodged. 

“But maybe that would all change if I had just one magical ice cream cone. You could be depriving me of that magic forever. Is that what you want?” He couldn’t resist the smirk at the unimpressed look she was giving him. 

After making another failed movement to get his cone, she sighed. “Please. I don’t want to eat something that reminds me of Adrien.”

Felix’s teasing died instantly at her expression. It was filled with so much pain and suffering, the kind that someone only got from the worst kinds of troubles. He wordlessly handed her his cone and took hers, feeling the pressure in his chest lighten as her shoulders slumped in relief. 

“Now, tell me your story.” 

Marinette made a face. “As you command, sire.”

And so she proceeded to tell him her tale, a long and winding one filled with deceit, betrayal and many things lost, starring a particular liar and his cousin. Many tears rolled down her face and her voice trembled through the course of the story, but she had kept going, outlining each thing that had been done (or not done, in Adrien’s case) by the people she had trusted. 

At the end of it, she looked at him steadily, waiting to hear what he had to say. He was unaccustomed to being speechless, but the level of cruelty and downright malevolence of her peers in the defense of a liar was the worst kind of incredible. 

“I am entirely ashamed to be related to that idiot,” Felix said, rubbing his temples. He was sure that this probably wasn’t the proper response to that tale, but it was honestly all he could think of to say. 

“You’re related to Adrien?” She then facepalmed. “Of course you are. That makes total sense. You two look almost exactly alike.”

“Yes, so I have heard. Repeatedly.” His tone was sharp.

Marinette took the hint. “If it’s any consolation, I’m sorry you’re related to him too.”

This startled a laugh out of Felix, startling himself and from the looks of it, Marinette too. 

“You know, you are truly unlike anyone I have ever met before. One minute you are trying to crush my windpipe and the next minute sympathizing with me even after telling me the tale of your own severe hardships.” 

“There’s not much I can do to change my situation, but I can always, well, almost always, be nice to others. It costs nothing, you know.” She gave him a pointed look, though her teasing smile told him she was kidding.

“To be kind to those idiots, you must be nothing short of a saint. Especially my cousin.” Felix hadn’t known her for more than maybe two hours at this point, but something about her felt different. 

“It’s not easy, but I have to believe that it’ll pay off some day. I mean, it already kind of has. It’s how I met you, isn’t it?” When Marinette turned that radiant smile on him, he felt a flutter in his chest and couldn’t help but smile back.

“I cannot say that our meeting was under ideal circumstances, but I am glad that we did.” He could feel the blush on his cheeks, but he took consolation in the fact that hers were pink as well. 

“Me too.”

“In fact, I would like to keep getting to know you. I must get going now, but are you free this Friday, perhaps for a date?” He could hardly believe his boldness, but the smile that spread across her face made it all worth it. 

“Yes, I believe I am.” 

“Excellent.” They exchanged numbers. “I will see you then.”

“Bye.” She smiled shyly and waved. 

Felix walked away, feeling happier than he could ever remember being. While he hated that Marinette had gone through all of that, some selfish part of him was glad about it if it meant that their paths had crossed. Then at least something good could potentially come of all that suffering. Felix would gladly be that silver lining if she’d let him.

After all, Felix was not his cousin. The mistakes Adrien made served as a blueprint, a template of exactly what not to do. 

And Felix would do better. For her. He hadn’t known her for long, but if the butterflies in his stomach were any indication, that didn’t matter. He would take the time to get to know her and perhaps they would grow into something more. 

He hoped they would. 

Chapter Text

Marinette lay sprawled on her bed, staring up at the skylight as she thought about today’s encounter. Her face still turned bright red when she thought about it, but it had ended rather well. She was actually really looking forward to Friday, the first time she’d looked forward to any social event in a long, long time. 

It was surprising how freeing it had been venting her troubles to a perfect stranger. He’d had no previous expectations of her and could make his own judgements on the situation without any attachments to anyone involved, save for Adrien, who he already hated of his own accord. Of course, she hadn’t told him all of the parts involving her alter ego, as she’d decided to keep it a secret even after Hawkmoth had been defeated. 

Marinette was only eighteen after all, she wanted to enjoy her adolescence and college life in a way she hadn’t gotten to while being a superhero. The last thing she needed was more expectations heaped upon her as the hero of Paris when she was finally able to do what she wanted with her life. As awesome as being a superhero had been, she was more than ready to leave that part of her life behind, a tightly closed chapter. Unfortunately, not everyone shared her mindset. And by everyone, she meant Cat Noir. Or Adrien Agreste, as she now knew that they were one and the same. 

Their last real patrol together had been a disaster in a way she wasn’t expecting. Their relationship had been strained for a while due to an aggressive upscale in his flirting, something Ladybug had shut down whenever possible. It had all come to a head one evening at the top of the Eiffel Tower as they cooled down after patrol. He must’ve had a bad day in his civilian life, because when she’d been ignoring his flirting as usual, he’d lost it. 

“-we could go to Andre’s, get some of his ice cream. What do you think, milady?”

Ladybug was caught up in her own thoughts, barely listening to her partner, but she didn’t have to anymore, just gave him her normal response. “I don’t want to go on a date with you, Cat Noir.”

His fists clenched. “Is this still because of that boy you’re in love with?”

Ladybug thought back to the isolation and misery that had become her normal at school, despite Adrien promising that they were in this together. No, the part of her that loved him had long since withered and died in despair. “No, I’m not in love with him anymore,” she answered absentmindedly.

Cat Noir stood suddenly, causing Ladybug to turn to him with a curious expression. He looked angrier than she’d ever seen him and all of Ladybug’s instincts were whispering that she should be ready for anything. She stood too, cautiously, as if trying not to frighten a wounded animal. 

“So, you’re telling me that you’re not in love with this boy anymore, not in love with anyone from the sounds of it, and you still won’t give me a chance? Why? What do I have to do to get you to notice me? I lay my life on the line every akuma to make sure Paris is saved and you still won’t give me the time of day!”

Ladybug put out her hands in a placating manner. “Chat, I don’t do it out of spite or pettiness, it’s just that I don’t see you that way. You’re one of my best friends, isn’t that good enough?”

He let out a frustrated sound. “Of course I’m glad to be one of your best friends, but I know we have the potential to be more if you’d just give it a try!”

Ok, so the gentle approach wasn’t going to work. Time to switch it up.

Ladybug put her hands on her hips and assumed the Ladybug demeanor Paris knew all too well. “Chat, I’m not interested in going out on a date with you or really with anyone right now. Please accept this and move on, for both of our goods.”

He was silent for a moment and she thought she’d gotten through to him. But when he raised his head, she knew that something was wrong. He had that steely glint in his eyes combined with desperation that meant that Ladybug was not going to enjoy what came next. 

“Prove it. Kiss me.”

Ladybug rolled her eyes. They’d had this discussion (argument) many times now and the outcome was always the same. 

“No.”

He got closer, slowly encroaching on her personal space. Her hand drifted down to her yoyo, but her eyes never left him. 

“What are you afraid of if you don’t have any feelings for me?”

“Why would I kiss someone I don’t have feelings for?” Ladybug retorted, backing up. 

“It’s just one kiss,” he murmured, eyes zeroing in on her lips, still advancing. 

She saw his muscles tense for a jump before he did and dodged. She didn’t think he would’ve tackled her, but the jump would have put him much closer than she would’ve liked. Quickly unspooling her yoyo, she spun it until it formed a shield in front of her. 

“Don’t come near me. I’m going to leave now and if you follow me, I will find a new holster for your baton. From now on, we are simply colleagues. If you try anything, I will go to the Guardian and lobby to get your Miraculous revoked. Goodnight, Cat Noir.” 

She’d made it home that night much later than expected, having used many roundabout ways and often doubling back on herself to make it impossible for Cat Noir to follow her. Once she made it back and detransformed, she collapsed on her bed, sobbing. 

“How could he do this to me, Tikki? Being Ladybug was the last escape I had from my everyday life and now even that’s ruined because apparently his feelings are more important than mine. What am I gonna do?”

Tikki nuzzled into her neck, murmuring comforts. In reality, the kwami was very concerned about Cat Noir’s behavior, but there would be another time to address that. Right now, what Marinette needed was comfort and comfort she would give. 

Marinette rubbed the spot on her neck where Tikki used to snuggle. She was still adjusting to life without the kwami and missed her terribly. She was allowed to visit her at Master Fu’s shop, of course, but it wasn’t the same. She’d been a constant in Marinette’s life for four years and having her leave so suddenly was an adjustment. Marinette still found herself sneaking cookies in her purse before remembering she didn’t have a kwami in there anymore. 

She understood Master Fu’s reasoning, of course. Now that they had the butterfly and peacock Miraculouses back, it only made sense to reunite them all. Tikki especially would be integral in helping the two abused kwamis recuperate and it was certainly a worthy cause that Marinette couldn’t begrudge. It just didn’t stop her from missing Tikki. 

Marinette put her arm over her eyes, trying to block out those memories. Everything that happened with the reveal would likely go down in her list of top ten worst moments and she didn’t want to think about it any more than she needed to. 

She got up with a sigh, grabbing her sketchbook. She needed to design something perfect for her date on Friday and to push the thoughts out of her head. 

Before long, she was lost in the haze of designing, all thoughts of her past to the side, only looking forward to the future.

Chapter Text

Felix had never been one to be nervous to meet with people. He’d been trained from the beginning of his life on how to interact with people and was constantly speaking with investors at the company, so talking to people was nothing new to him.

So why did this girl have his stomach in knots? 

It must have something to do with his slowly developing crush. He was new to the romance thing, so he didn’t really have a cornerstone to fall back on like he did with most things, so that must be it. He hated not knowing things, but he was trying to come to terms with it, which was fairly good progress where he was concerned. And he was able to admit to himself that it was a developing crush, which was also progress. 

So, in lieu of having any previous knowledge or, God forbid, asking his mother for advice, he did what any seasoned businessman did: research. 

Ten minutes later, he was regretting that decision. These websites were shoddily put together and seemed more concerned with evoking some form of emotion from the reader rather than being of any real help, and Felix was largely still in the dark on what he was expected to do or feel. He supposed that a concept as abstract and timeless as love would be rather hard to define, but surely at least two sources could agree on something to give him a clue. 

From what he gathered, he was meant to feel: butterflies in the stomach, warm cheeks/general blushing, a tingling sensation when your skin accidentally brushes theirs, a rush of happiness when they’re happy and for time to stop when you make eye contact. 

To be honest, love sounded a lot like a strange disease. 

He was willing to admit that he liked Marinette so far. At the very least as a friend, if not more. The date on Friday would help him to figure out what direction he was going in. Any good businessman did trial runs, and this was his. 

But as her eyes (a gorgeous shade of blue he’d never seen before) stayed in his mind, he had to admit to himself that he wasn’t only going as a good businessman and that his reasons weren’t logical. He just wanted to, so he was. 

Felix checked his watch again. He only had an hour before their date, so he ought to get ready. 

But that only took around 20 minutes. Which left him pacing around his room, overthinking and overanalyzing every second of their previous encounters. He decided to leave a little earlier, to make sure he got to the park they’d agreed to meet in on time. It would be rude to not arrive on time, after all. 

But when he got there, something was clearly wrong. Her body language was stiff and she was facing pointedly away from a group of people sitting nearby. Her phone was clutched in one hand, the other one in a fist at her side. The group was sneaking glances at her and whispering amongst themselves, but neither Marinette nor the others directly acknowledged each other. 

When he walked up to her, she looked up, her face tight and clearly expecting a fight. Once she saw his face, though, her features relaxed and her bright smile returned. 

“Felix!” Her relief was clear in that one word, the happiness that the person that approached her was not an enemy, but a friend. He had also noticed that there hadn’t been any hesitation in her relief, that she hadn’t mistaken him for Adrien. He wondered if there was something that only she could see to tell them both apart. 

“Hey. Sorry, I’m a little early.”

“No, please don’t apologize. I’m glad you were early.”

“Not to pry, but are those-” he subtly jabbed a thumb in the direction of the group, letting his sentence trail off. 

The smile dimmed a little. “Yeah. I forgot they have class picnics at least twice a week here.”

Felix looked over the group, but didn’t see his cousin. Probably at his eight thousandth photoshoot of the week , Felix thought with disgust. 

“Well, there's nothing we can do but leave.” He held his arm out and she looped hers through it, seeming more than happy to ignore the group. 

“I have only a month left. I can’t get out of there soon enough,” she muttered. “Do you go to school?”

“Homeschooled. My family is, ah, well-off, and I’ve never been much of a people person, so my family hired private tutors.” 

She smirked playfully. “‘Well-off’? Is that what we’re calling filthy rich these days?”

He looked down at the sidewalk. “Yes, well, we try to avoid advertising it.”

Marinette stopped him and put a gentle hand on his cheek, forcing him to look at her. “Felix. I was just cracking a joke. I couldn’t care less about how rich you are. But if it makes you uncomfortable for me to make jokes about, tell me and I’ll never mention it again.”

He stared at her in wonder for a moment. Rarely did people think about his feelings about the wealth of his family. “No, you can make jokes. Because I know that’s all they are, jokes.”

She smiled. “Never be afraid to tell me things, Felix. Now, shall we go find something to eat?” 

Felix tilted his face into her hand for a moment more, then gently grabbed her hand from his face and laced their fingers so they were holding hands as they continued to walk. 

The conversation was easy and flowed naturally, that spark between them melding easily into a glow that warmed them both from the inside. They talked about everything from family, friends, childhood memories to plans for the future. Their dinner was the best Felix had ever had and it wasn’t the food or the restaurant’s ambiance, it was just…. Marinette. 

He got home that night, pondering what it was about her company that was so different from everyone else’s. He was a classic cynic, someone who wanted to pick apart every piece of everything and figure out how and why it worked. 

The answer he came to was that he didn’t know why she was different. She just was. There was a quiet strength about her that was constantly battling against the pain he could see so clearly in her eyes when she thought nobody was looking. She had a gentle heart that had been battered and bruised, so she hid it under layers of false standoffishness. He could tell that she hadn’t always been this way, that she used to wear her heart on her sleeve, but she’d been burned too many times. 

Felix balked at his thoughts. When did he start psychoanalyzing people? Especially people he’d only met up with twice? 

Crushes are weird, he decided, shaking his head. Perhaps with time it’d get better. 

Chapter Text

Marinette twirled her pen idly as Ms. Bustier droned on about something in the background. She’d long since stopped paying attention in class, finding it easier to look through the textbooks later to find the information she needed. It was also faster and less biased. 

School offered her nothing anymore, which she still found slightly sad. The only thing she looked forward to now was meeting Felix after school. To be fair, she’d had more than enough time to mourn the loss of her friends and what she used to think of as a refuge, so the thoughts didn’t bring her to tears anymore, but it was still saddening. 

At least they’d moved to just ignoring her now instead out outright hostility. It was boring when your victim didn’t fight back, apparently. So she stayed silent, guarding her heart. It didn’t matter what the liar said or what the class saw, she didn’t care. Not anymore. 

The bell rang, and Marinette sprang out of her seat, sprinting down the stairs and out of the classroom. 

“Hey-woah!” Hands grabbed her shoulders to stabilize her as she slammed into someone, stumbling backwards. 

“Oh, Aurore! I’m so sorry! You see, I was just in a rush to go see… someone and I wanted to get out of class as fast as possible because- well, anyway, I’m sorry.” The words bubbled up and rushed out of her like they used to, which surprised her. She hadn’t done that in so long, the nervous babbling that used to be her trademark. It was like she’d briefly reverted back to her old self in her brief panic at running into someone. 

Aurore was staring at her with mixed concern and amusement. “Are you alright, Marinette?”

Marinette recovered control over her words. “Oh, yeah. Sorry, I really need to start paying attention to where I’m going.”

“No worries! Let me walk you out.” 

“Uh-” Marinette was going to decline, but swallowed her objection. It really would be nice to have more friends, after all. And Aurore had always seemed genuine and sweet. “You know what? That’d be nice.”

- - - - - -

“No way! Really?”

“Yeah…” Marinette looked away sheepishly, rubbing her arm. 

She didn’t know how it happened, but she and Aurore had gotten to talking, which turned into hanging out, which somehow turned into Marinette blurting out what had happened when Marinette met Felix. She left out who exactly it was and why she had, omitting the truth a little to just say it was because she thought he was following her.

“That’s so cool! I mean, not that throwing random strangers against the wall should be your go-to move, but that’s seriously badass. Maybe I should learn some self-defense of my own.” Aurore swung her parasol in front of her to mime a sword and they both giggled.

“Marinette?”

They both spun quickly, Aurore still holding her parasol out in front of her. It smacked Felix in the shoulder, who looked at it with a displeased expression.

“Is there something about me that makes girls want to attack me or are the two of you just unnecessarily violent?” 

Aurore gripped her parasol like she was ready to swing again. “An akuma? Some weird Adrien clone?”

Felix’s expression soured into disdain. “Akumas do not exist anymore, Hawkmoth has been defeated. And if I were, I’d change my face so I wouldn’t look like a clone of my idiot cousin.”

She lowered her parasol, looking ashamed. “Sorry, old habits die hard. Marinette, you know him?”

“Yeah, he’s kinda the guy that I was telling you about,” Marinette admitted. 

Aurore’s eyes widened. “No way! Adrien’s cousin was the one you threw against the wall?”

“Did you really have to tell her about that?”

Aurore smirked. “Why? Afraid to admit that a girl got the better of you?”

“It’s not like I went out that day expecting to be attacked by some random stranger! It’s not hard to take someone off guard who isn’t paying attention!” 

“Sure, sure. So you wouldn’t mind me telling other people about this story!”

“Don’t you dare.”

“See? Ego.” 

Marinette’s eyes darted back and forth, unsure if she should jump in and stop this. It didn’t seem like anyone was getting hurt and Felix’s face had relaxed, so she let it go. 

Eventually, Felix turned to her. “You really ought to choose less annoying friends.” He said it with a straight face and a serious tone, so anyone who wasn’t close would have taken him seriously, But Marinette could see the small smirk that played at the corner of his mouth and the small twinkle in his eye and knew that he was joking. 

Friend. A word that had hurt her harshly in the past, that had been used against her with such recklessness that it had all but conditioned her to feel bad emotions upon hearing it. But with Felix and Aurore, it felt better. More natural. Those bad feelings were there, for sure, but the warmth of having two people that knew all about her past and still chose to hang out with her anyways was a good suppressant. 

She breathed out. This wasn’t a dangerous situation like her anxiety was telling her. She could tease them back without worrying about it being taken out of context and used against her. 

Marinette smirked. “She’s never been annoying when I’m around. Maybe it’s your influence?” 

Aurore grinned, skipping closer to Marinette and slinging an arm around her shoulders. “See? She loves me more.” Aurore stuck her tongue out at Felix, who crossed his arms. 

“You have corrupted her.” 

“Corrupt, nothing. Come on Marinette, let’s go get some ice cream.” Aurore began to drag Marinette away, who threw a panicked expression over her shoulder. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to go with Aurore, she just felt bad about skipping out on her plans with Felix. 

But when they made eye contact, he made a small ‘go forward’ motion, then putting his hands back in his pocket, looking perfectly at ease with the situation. Marinette smiled, turning back to her new friend that was leading her away. 

She hadn’t known these two for very long and after all that she’d been through, it would be smart to keep her cards close to her chest, but her heart wasn’t made for that. It was a heart that valued love and friendship and desperately needed it to survive, despite what she’d been telling herself. 

Marinette could trust them, even if it was hard. She couldn’t let her past define her any longer. 

It was time to move forward. 

Chapter Text

It was curious how much having a friend made Marinette want to just spill out everything that had happened in the past months. Everything with Lila, Alya, Cat Noir/Adrien, the Miraculous; the words piled up in her mouth, begging to be laid out in the open. 

But she couldn’t. Even though she desperately wanted to and probably needed to, the Guardian had trusted her to keep the secret. She couldn’t talk about Miraculous problems to a civilian, even if Hawkmoth wasn’t active anymore. Even if all the Miraculi of the box were guarded, there was always the possibility of some other magic-user coming in and wreaking havoc. It didn’t matter that the possibility was infinitesimal, she couldn’t justify risking Aurore.

“So…. you and him?” Aurore nudged her playfully.

Marinette blushed. “Yeah, uh, I guess?” 

“You guess? That boy practically had hearts in his eyes looking at you. It’s almost like how you used to-” Aurore stopped mid-sentence, glancing guiltily to the side. “Uh, never mind.” 

Marinette laughed ruefully. “Almost how I used to look at Adrien is what you were going to say, right?”

Aurore smiled sheepishly. “Yeah. Sorry. Clearly something bad happened there.”

“Yeah.” Marinette tipped her head back, staring at the blue sky. 

It had been about a month since the incident with Cat Noir. She’d been patrolling the city every other day on her own and Cat Noir was presumably picking up his days. She’d messaged him through her yoyo but hadn’t seen him since, so she quite honestly had no idea if he actually was. 

She couldn’t help but feel like patrol was just a formality at this point anyway. Hawkmoth and Mayura had been defeated, there was no need for superheroes to patrol anymore. Any crime could be taken care of by the police, since regular, non-magical crime was their jurisdiction. As there wasn’t an immediate reason to be out anymore, Marinette wanted nothing more than to just be a normal teenager for the first time in 4 years. She was 18, for god’s sake, she was ready to move on. 

Marinette had talked to Master Fu and he’d agreed, though not without sadness on his part. 

“You were a fantastic Ladybug and I will never be able to thank you enough for what you did for Paris.” 

She’d smiled with tears in her eyes. “Thank you.”

“Now, for one last mission before Ladybug can be a thing of the past. I need your help to get Cat Noir’s ring back.”

“Do you think he’ll fight it?”

Master Fu looked pensive and a little troubled. “It is always possible. Cat Noir was always more of an escape for him than Ladybug was for you. He has done some growing up, but I do not know if it is enough to find an escape in his everyday life.”

Marinette looked down, fiddling with her fingers. “Do you… do you think it’s a good idea to reveal our identities to each other?”

“That, I’m afraid, is something that you must decide for yourself. But do not think too much about it, trust your instincts.”

“I was afraid you’d say that.”

When Marinette went home that night, she was so anxious she could hardly sit still. Tomorrow was Cat Noir’s patrol night and the night Master Fu had decided to take back the Miraculi. That meant that Marinette had about a day to figure out what to do about the identity reveal.

Option 1: she kept her identity a secret as she had for so many years. But that would mean that she wouldn’t have anyone to talk to about the battles and the stress she’d gone through for so many years. She couldn’t talk about it with any of the temporary heroes, they couldn’t know who she was. There were too many of them to tell, too many people would know, and she’d feel bad only telling one of them. Cat Noir would be the only person that could understand it all and even though he’d been a terrible partner lately, her empathetic heart hoped that there was still the partner she loved (platonically, mind you) somewhere in there still. 

Or, Option 2, she revealed her identity. This came with a whole new set of problems though. What if the person was a complete stranger? How would she know if she could trust them? Or what if she knew the person? How would that impact their relationship? It felt like there were so many more unknowns with this option, but could she live the rest of her life with Cat Noir’s identity forever a question mark?

She didn’t think she could.

And if things went south, she’d have the Guardian with her. What could go wrong?

Her mind tried to spin a thousand scenarios, but she stopped it, suiting up for patrol. She could either worry about the inevitable and lose time to it, or do what needed to be done. 

- - - - - -

Ladybug landed on the roof with the Jade Turtle, startling Cat Noir. 

“Milady? What are you doing here? Master? Why are you suited up? Is something wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong, Kitty. Actually, the opposite. Master has decided that we can give back our Miraculi and go back to being regular teenagers again!” Ladybug couldn’t hide the joy in relief in her voice, which directly contrasted with the immediate dread and panic that spread across Cat Noir’s face. 

“What? Why do we have to give them back?”

“We don’t need them anymore, Chat. Hawkmoth is gone, there’s really no point in us having the Miraculi. It’s actually more dangerous to have them out. You understand that, right?” She was trying to soften her tone, but by the look on his face, it wasn’t working.

“But-but, we were good heroes!”

“You were. But Paris does not need heroes when there are no villains. Both of you must focus on growing as yourselves. Your civilian selves. So please, Cat Noir, give up your Miraculous,” Master Fu ordered gently. 

“No.” He grabbed his hand, holding it close to his chest. 

“Please, Chat.”

“No! How can you want to get rid of this? How can you never want to be a hero again?”

“I want my life back! I want to not be known as the flaky friend because I have to keep leaving! I want my freedom!” Ladybug took a deep breath, reeling her anger back in. 

“Don’t you care that this will hurt me?”

Or maybe now was a good time to release that anger. 

“Hurt you? Hurt like thinking your friendship is good enough for someone only to find out that they don’t think it is? Hurt like speaking your mind several times only to be ignored? Hurt like having a partner that I can’t trust since I cannot change how I feel?” It felt good to get it out.

He stared at her, stunned. Master Fu stayed silent, sensing it was best to allow her to get out her woes. Eventually, Cat Noir shook off his shock.

“So maybe I wasn’t the best partner! But how will I be able to fix it if we’re not heroes anymore? You’re taking away that opportunity too!”

“So make amends in your civilian life! Be a better person there! There’s always another option!”

“But it won’t be you!”

“Fine!” Ladybug threw her hands in the air. “Then we’ll do the identity reveal. If we do the reveal, will you give up the ring? Quietly, easily, without a fight?”

Cat Noir nodded once. “You go first.”

“Fine. Spots off.” She dropped her transformation, looking expectantly at Cat Noir, who looked as if someone had just hit him in the back of the head.

“Marinette?” He breathed, his hands falling in shock.

She clenched her jaw. “Your turn.” 

He opened his mouth, then closed it and shook his head. “No.”

“What do you mean, no?”

“I’m not going to give the ring back.”

“Cat Noir, if you do not give the ring back, then we will be forced to fight you. Please do not make your partner turn against you.” Master Fu moved his feet into a fighting stance, already anticipating how this would go. 

“She won’t hurt me,” Cat Noir said confidently.

“I’m fighting for the good of the Miraculous. I won’t hold back,” Marinette warned. “Spots on.” Since she hadn’t used her Lucky Charm, she could transform without refueling Tikki, which was definitely a plus in this situation. 

Cat Noir lunged, not at them, but to get off the roof. To try and escape with the Miraculous.

“Oh no you don’t,” Ladybug muttered, throwing her yoyo. It wrapped around Cat Noir, bringing him to the ground with an unceremonious thump. His arms were pinned to his sides, with no chance of getting loose enough to Cataclysm her yoyo. 

She handed the yoyo to Master Fu while she got closer to Cat Noir, intending to take his ring off. Just when she was about to pull it off, magic began dancing across its surface, indicating that he had called on its power. 

Ladybug sighed. “Lucky Charm.” A paper ball landed in her hands and she touched it against Cat Noir’s hand, using up the power. With the threat of Cataclysm out of the way, she slid the ring off easily, backing away as his transformation dropped. 

She handed the ring to Master Fu, then closed her eyes, sighing deeply. Was she ready to know who Cat Noir was? All the buildup, all the almosts, led up to this moment. 

She had to know. 

She summoned all her courage and turned around, only to feel like she’d been punched in the gut when she met familiar green eyes. 

“Adrien.” 

He was futilely straining against the yoyo. “Give it back! I need it!” 

“No. Neither of you needed these and I am sorry that I had to bestow them upon you at such a young age. I will never be able to make it up to you for that. Now, please, go live your life as you were meant to. Ladybug, come with me, please.” 

Ladybug lowered Adrien to the street, not caring if he saw where they went. She knew he wouldn’t be able to follow them as a civilian.

When they made it back to the massage parlor, Marinette detransformed for the last time, feeling bittersweet as she handed over the earrings. 

“Goodbye, Tikki. Thank you for being my best friend all these years.” She hugged the small kwami gently to her cheek, trying not to cry. 

“Goodbye, Marinette! You were the best Ladybug I’ve ever had! I’ll never forget you!” With one last hug, Tikki flew into the box, making sounds that sounded suspiciously like sniffles. 

There was nothing left to say between Marinette and Master Fu, so with one last round of ‘thank you’s’ and goodbyes, she left. 

The sky looked like it had on that day, Marinette mused. Something about a clear sky and sunny day was invigorating, full of new possibilities and freedoms. 

“Hey, are you ok? You kind of went in your head there.” Aurore looked concerned but not not annoyed at Marinette’s spacing out, which was nice. 

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Just… putting the past where it belongs, you know? Looking forward to the sun instead of backwards at the stormy days.”

“Now you’re speaking my language!” They both giggled at that and proceeded to try and outdo each other with weather puns, getting progressively worse and worse as they continued. 

She wanted to remember this moment. Arm-in-arm with Aurore, the sun soaking into her skin with no threat of an akuma hanging over her like a dark cloud and laughing until her stomach hurt at terrible puns. 

This is what true friendship was like and she intended to hold on to it.

Chapter Text

Since their last outing, Aurore had started slowly introducing her to a few other people, letting Marinette get comfortable with them at her own pace. Privately, Marinette likened it to helping an abused animal become comfortable with people again. She’d endured endless psychological verbal and to a lesser extent physical abuse as a civilian in her class, not to mention the issues she had from being a hero for years. 

It was nice to meet people that had no prior expectations of her and that didn’t know her beyond a few passing remarks they’d overheard as a result of going to the same school. It was tiring, getting to know new people and constantly having to fight off her own negative thoughts, but it was a good kind of tired. The kind of tired that came from a good day’s work, not the kind of tired that came from being constantly beaten down. 

They made efforts to understand her too, which was a refreshing change. They didn’t expect her to be unendingly bubbly and happy, nor did they get upset when she wasn’t. She was able to be herself with them, able to be human for the first time in so long. She could relax when she was out with them and take comfort in the fact that she wouldn’t have to run off because a megalomaniac got bored. It was the best she’d felt in ages. 

“So, when are you going to finally kiss Felix?” Mireille wiggled her eyebrows, snickering at Marinette’s sudden bright red face. 

Mireille had become one of Marinette’s closest friends, right up there with Aurore. While she was shy at first, once you got to know her, she was a blast to be around. 

“Probably around the same time you find the guts to ask Aurore out.” Marinette fired back. She’d learned to give as good as she got, though none of their banter ever crossed the line. 

Mireille crossed her arms, sinking down in her chair. “At least you know Felix likes you like that. How do I know if she likes me? This is impossible.” She punctuated her last sentence with a flop onto the desk in front of her. 

“Please. Have you seen the way she looks at you when you guys are on air? There’s an entire fanbase out there for the two of you.” Marinette personally wasn’t a fan of shipping real people together, having had enough of that as Ladybug with Cat Noir, but even she had to admit that they were adorable together. “Plus, imagine telling your kids how you met. ‘I beat out your mother and she was such a sore loser that she got akumatized and tried to beat me up.’ The poetry writes itself.”

She dodged the pillow Mireille threw at her, laughing, then flopping back on her chaise.

The trapdoor opened then, and Aurore’s head popped through, her smile bright. “Hey, sorry I’m late! I ran into a grouchy lump on the way and decided to drag him along!” 

“Could you please just go all the way through the trapdoor?” Marinette popped up once she heard Felix’s voice. At Mireille’s smug look, she threw the pillow right back at her, managing to hit her right in the face. 

“Direct hit!” Marinette cheered, throwing her hands in the air. 

“Nice shot,” Felix commented. He’d shoved Aurore through the trapdoor and had just gotten into her room when the pillow had connected. 

“Thanks!”

“I am wounded. I am done for. I shall perish now.” Mireille leaned dangerously far back in the desk chair, the back of her hand to her forehead. 

Aurore rushed over. “No! You can’t die! What will I do without you? We must go downstairs and retrieve sustenance from the bakery to revive you fully!” Aurore dragged Mireille down the trapdoor, drawing a surprised squeak from the latter as Marinette snickered. 

Felix rolled his eyes, settling down on the chaise next to Marinette. They were well used to the dramatics of their friends. There was a reason that of the quartet, the two of them were on TV. 

“So, what’d she get a pillow to the face for?” Felix asked. 

Marinette felt her face get red again and she looked away, trying to keep Felix from seeing her face. 

“Oh, no, no, no. You can’t get away that easily.” His fingers gently tugged her chin back in his direction, making her look him in the eye. “What did she say?”
“Nothing.” She silently cursed the higher pitch of her voice. 

“Mhm.” He got closer, not letting her back away. She could easily escape his grip if she wanted, but he wasn’t trying to trap her, not really. He never would, and she knew that. 

“She wanted to know when I was going to kiss you.” The words tumbled out of her mouth unbidden, and she instantly clamped her mouth shut. If it were possible for her to get redder, she did. 

He raised an eyebrow, his lips curving into a smirk. “Do you want to kiss me?”

She cast her eyes to the side. She didn’t want him thinking he won, but she wouldn’t lie and say that she didn’t want to kiss him. The only kisses she’d had were under unfortunate circumstances and not her idea, so she’d be counting it as her real first kiss. 

“Because I want to kiss you. It’s difficult not to every time you concentrate and you bite them while you’re thinking, or when you smile that smile that means you’re trying not to laugh and doing a terrible job hiding it. So, do you want to kiss me, as well? I won’t kiss you unless I know that we both want it.”

No. Anxiety would not steal this moment from her.

Marinette made eye contact with him for the first time since he’d gotten here and nodded once. It was quick, the best she could do while so nervous, but clear and unmistakable. 

His mouth met hers, gentle and soft. His hand left her chin and the other hand came up, cradling her face. She grabbed his wrists, using the feel of his skin under her fingers to ground herself. 

The kiss was hesitant by nature, neither of them really knew what they were doing, just following what felt good. But they both cared strongly for each other, both liked each other romantically and platonically, so it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that it was the two of them, that it was because they wanted to, that it wasn’t a result of someone else’s interference or magic. 

They broke apart just in time for Mireille and Aurore to finally make it back, looking much more disheveled than they had when they’d left. Each duo looked at the other, taking in their appearances. 

Eventually, Aurore cracked, laughing so hard that she was hunched over. Mireille and Marinette followed suit, laughing to the point of tears. Felix wasn’t one to really laugh like that, but he was grinning. He looped an arm around Marinette’s shoulders, letting her lean on him as she laughed. 

When the laughter finally ceased, Mireille spoke. 

“So, double date?”

Chapter Text

Aurore groaned, covering her face with her hands as Marinette laughed hard enough to attract attention from the other people in the restaurant. 

“Let me get this straight,” she said between giggles. “Mireille said that she liked the pastry because it was sweet and you said, ‘just like you’?” She dissolved into laughter again, leaning against Felix for support. Felix wasn’t laughing like she was, but the expression he had made Aurore stick her tongue out at them both. 

Mireille snickered but came to Aurore’s defense. “I thought it was cute! And at least I knew she liked me then.”

“And then you guys made out in the kitchen. What a storybook ending,” Marinette teased, dodging the straw wrapper Mireille threw at her. 

“Not like you guys were doing any more innocent things in your room.” Aurore waggled her eyebrows suggestively. “And on the chaise, no less. All you had to do was adjust your position and then-” Mireille clamped her hand over Aurore’s mouth. 

“There are children sitting right behind us, sunshine. They don’t need to hear that. Even if it is true.” 

Mentioning it brought certain thoughts to her mind unbidden, but they didn’t need to know how right they were. “Listen-”

“Marinette?”

The voice hit Marinette like a train and she froze in her spot, her mind going blank. Thankfully, she was sitting on the inside of the booth, so Felix was able to shift himself in front of her, hiding her from view. She huddled behind him, drawing in her limbs until she was sitting with her chin on her knees behind him. She had no illusions that this would make them magically forget she was there, but it was nice to feel protected. 

“And what do you want?” Felix asked, his voice icy enough to make a person shiver. 

“To talk to my friend!” 

“I was unaware that you were a friend, Cesaire.” 

“Of course I am! I’m her best friend, so stop blocking her and let me talk to her!” 

“Where’s Lila, Alya? Aren’t you two supposed to be besties now? At least, that’s what your blog says,” Aurore asked innocently, putting her chin in her hands. 

“No, of course Alya isn’t Lila’s best friend, that’s Ladybug, remember? Oh wait, Ladybug said she didn’t want anything to do with Lila, didn’t she,” Mireille added, assuming a look of false contemplation. 

“I took all that stuff down. She was lying.”

“And water is made of oxygen and hydrogen. Now that we are through with stating the obvious, what do you need to see Marinette for?” 

“I need to… I need to apologize. I didn’t believe her and I’m sorry.” Alya made her voice louder on the last two words, clearly intending for Marinette to hear them. 

Marinette slowly unfolded her limbs and put her hand on Felix’s shoulder, silently asking him to move aside so she could face this. She knew she wasn’t alone, though, with Felix’s hand holding hers and the silent support of her two friends across the table, which made all the difference. Alya’s face was blotchy and she looked like she’d gone through a terrible endeavor, but it didn’t make any difference to Marinette. She’d looked like this too, and nobody had ever cared before her current group of friends. 

Upon seeing her, Alya brightened. “Girl, I-”

Marinette held up a hand. “Stop. I told you all that Lila was a liar, that she was making my life miserable, and none of you listened. I have my suspicions as to why, but they don’t matter now. Everyone knew me, yet listened to a newcomer over me. We are not friends, nor have we been for a long time. Nor do I want to resume our friendship now that you and presumably the rest of the class have managed to pull your heads out of the sand.”

Felix squeezed her hand in support. 

“Please tell the rest of the class that I don’t want to be friends, nor do I want them to contact me. I have real friends now and I don’t want to go back to the fake thing.” 

Alya opened her mouth to protest and Marinette half expected to get involved in an argument, but Felix let go of her hand and stood. He easily towered over the journalist, and that combined with the glare he was giving her convinced her to leave. As soon as the door closed behind her, Marinette sagged against her seat, the back of her head leaning against the top of the booth. Felix gently lifted her head, positioning her to be tucked under his arm in a more comfortable position. She burrowed into his side, seeking his comfort. 

“You did great, Marinette,” Mireille said softly.

“If they try to bother you again, let us know. We can take care of them.” Aurore cracked her knuckles to accentuate her statement, making Marinette laugh softly. 

Their double date continued from there, though the mood was much more subdued than it had been. Felix spoke more than he usually did, gently trying to bring Marinette into conversations, but he backed off immediately if she didn’t want to. It felt nice, having friends that understood that she was going through a lot at the moment. They wanted to include her and keep her from getting too much in her head, but they understood that some things took a lot of processing.

She didn’t know if her class would respect her wishes; they had a lot of practice at ignoring what was right in front of them and steamrolling over it to get what they wanted, which in this case was her friendship. Thankfully, only a week or so of school remained, so even if they did decide to be irritating, she’d be escaping them anyway. 

Still, she’d seen the way that Alya’s eyes had zeroed in on Felix holding her hand. The news of their relationship would likely be making its way around school tomorrow. They hadn’t even labeled it yet and now everyone would know. 

But now she had friends she could trust. She could rely on them to support her and protect her if she needed it. 

She could do this.

Chapter Text

Going back to school the following Monday was, to put one word to it, odd. Whereas before the class had been split into everyone vs. Marinette, now it was split into two different groups: those that were determined to get Marinette’s friendship back at any cost necessary and those that left her alone. Needless to say, she preferred the second group. 

The first group was spearheaded by Alya, who seemed to believe that what she’d said at the restaurant was just a test of some sort to see how dedicated they were in proving that they were sorry. Now that Lila wasn’t there to hound his every step, Adrien was just as annoying in school as he’d become out of it. The others probably thought that it was because he was in love with her, but she knew that he just wanted the ring back and thought he could convince her to help him. It didn’t matter to him that she’d rather eat glass than be Ladybug again, of course.

She speculated that he’d reveal their secret identities in a heartbeat if he didn’t know that she’d happily tell everyone who Mayura and Hawkmoth were in retaliation. They’d been quietly dealt with by the Order and they were suffering for their crimes, with a bit of magic making everything go smoothly in Paris, so their identities were currently unknown. It’d likely become one of Paris’s biggest cold cases in the future, but she couldn’t care less.

Nino seemed to want to join the group leaving her alone, but he clearly felt like he needed to support Alya, so he went along with it. Rose seemed caught between the two groups, but her shame won out most of the time. Everyone else left her alone, ducking their heads with a guilty expression whenever they tried to talk to her. Chloe, true to form, didn’t care either way.

She’d made no secret of how she felt about them. After everything she’d done for them and then what they’d done to her, she owed them nothing, least of all her friendship. It helped that Mirielle and Aurore walked her to and from class and sat with her at lunch, shooting anyone who bothered her an eerily good imitation of Felix’s trademark glare. 

But of course, without Tikki in her pocket, her good luck couldn’t last forever. She’d forgotten that she’d had a book from the library in her locker that she needed to return for graduation, so she’d run over after school to take care of the problem quickly. The less time she spent in school during school hours, the better, in her opinion. Unfortunately, she’d forgotten that Adrien’s fencing club got out around the time that she was getting the book from her locker. 

“Marinette!”

She stifled several swear words and turned, not bothering to hide the annoyance on her face. She’d listen to him one last time, threaten him to stay away from her and if he tried anything, she was more than willing to flatten him. While she wasn’t normally a fan of violence, her patience had run out. 

“What?” 

He looked taken aback. “I just wanted to know when you were going to stop being so stubborn and be our friends again. Alya’s really hurting, you know.”

Marinette snorted. “Sucks. I wonder what it’s like to be hurt by someone you considered a friend. Oh wait, I don’t have to.”

“Come on, you can’t blame them for being excited about new opportunities.”

She rolled her eyes, turning to slam her locker door. “Adrien, we’ve had this same conversation about a thousand times and it goes in circles every time. I’m not going to forgive any of you for what you all did to me, nor do I need to. As for your personal interest in getting my forgiveness, I’m not helping you get the ring back.”

“You’re not going to help your soulmate?” He had the audacity to look hurt.

“We’re not soulmates. You made that clear by harassing me for years after I said no, multiple times. I might have thought that I loved you as a civilian a while ago, but that crush is long gone. I’m dating someone else and the Miraculi are long gone, safe with the Order. Get over it.”

“You’re dating someone? Who?”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m dating Felix.”

Adrien sputtered. “Felix? You won’t date me, but my cousin is fair game?”

“I was single, he was single, we both like each other and he’s a good person, so yes.”

He looked stumped until he got a knowing expression. “I get it, you’re using him to get close to me, since you can’t admit that you’re in love with me. It’s ok, we don’t have to tell anyone.” He got closer, invading her personal space. 

With ease, she grabbed the front of his uniform and slammed him against the locker, her arm on his throat in the exact move she’d used when she’d met Felix. “Talk to me again, and you will regret it. Follow me, and you will regret it. If I find out you’ve been talking about me or making plans to see me behind my back, you will regret it. You are not my friend, my partner, or my boyfriend. Goodbye.”

Marinette strode from the room, leaving the stunned boy behind. She expected that after the inevitable confrontation with Adrien that she’d feel victorious or happy, but she just felt a sense of finality. It was a long time coming, and it was finally done. They graduated in a few days and after that, she wouldn’t see any of them again, she was sure of that. 

She returned her book to the library and left the school.

“Marinette!” 

She turned, seeing Felix leaned against the wall of the bakery, a small smile on his face. 

She had better things to look forward to.

Chapter Text

If you’d asked Marinette how her life would have turned out when she was 14, she would’ve given you the spiel about Adrien, a house, kids and a hamster. She would’ve laid out every detail of the wedding, from who her maid of honor was going to be (Alya), to what the color scheme would be (emerald and a deep blue), to the guest list (basically her entire class). Never anywhere in her mind would she have anticipated her life turning out the way it did. 

Of course, that wasn’t to say that she regretted any of it. Sure, life had thrown her a ton of curveballs, but most of them had resulted in things even better than what she’d been planning. They’d hurt, like her class abandoning her, but it had opened her eyes to what she should’ve seen before. She’d never managed to get back to the same level of trust with them, even Alya, and probably never would, but that was ok. That planned path with them on it would’ve only resulted in misery, it was better to realize it sooner rather than later. 

She shook her head, trying to get her thoughts back on track. Reminiscing on her childhood wasn’t going to get this design finished, and she had a deadline so that the dress could be made with enough time for any alterations before it hit the catwalk. She studied the design, pursing her lips at the half-finished sketch.

A brief knock on her door brought her out of her contemplation. 

“It’s open!” 

Felix slipped into her office, shutting the door behind him. “How’s the dress going?”

Marinette groaned, leaning back in her chair. “You’d think that being successful would mean that you don’t have to contend with designer’s block anymore.”

He snorted. “If it was easy, any half-wit would do it.” A brief thought of Adrien crossed her mind at the mention of a half-wit in fashion, but she easily brushed it away. Last she heard, he was modeling somewhere in America, which was all she cared to know. 

“At least they can come up with something, my mind is totally blank” she whined. 

“Would it help if I showed you the pieces I designed for the show?”

“Always.” She leaned forward, interested to see what he’d come up with this time. 

After they’d graduated from college, her with a degree in fashion and him with a degree in business, they’d decided to open up a boutique together. Besides being a whiz with all business-related matters, Felix’s family also had a long background in jewelry making, a skill he’d inherited and honed throughout his life. She’d known that he could make jewelry, but she’d never seen the breadth of his talent until then, and it had taken her breath away. 

With Marinette’s fashion talent and knack for customer service combined with Felix’s genius behind the scenes and jewelry making, the boutique had soon grown into something bigger. It wasn’t long before they were at the head of one of the largest fashion houses in Paris, a feat that sometimes Marinette still couldn’t believe. It had only been a little over 10 years ago that she’d been closely following fashion trends, but now she was the one making them. It was daunting, but ultimately so rewarding. 

Felix spread some papers on her desk, pointing out various pieces as he spoke about them. His preference tended towards the understated, which balanced out Marinette’s love for bold colors and styles perfectly. He made it to the end of the papers, then paused, holding one finger up while he put the other hand in his pocket. 

“I have one more thing to show you.” He pulled out a small box and opened the lid before putting it on her desk, facing her. 

Inside, a beautiful ring sparkled in the fluorescent lights. It was a simple silver band with an oval shaped diamond in the middle, two smaller diamonds flanking it. 

“It’s gorgeous,” she breathed, tilting the box this way and that to catch the light from different angles. 

“Good. Because it’s yours.”

“Mine? I thought this was a piece for the-” She cut herself off when he grabbed the box off her desk and came around the side of her desk to kneel at her side, a look on his face that told her that he was both trying not to laugh at her confusion while also being uncharacteristically nervous. 

“I am not one for sappy speeches, mostly because I am absolutely terrible at them. But you’re the type of person that makes me want to try. When I was 18, I never thought that I would fall in love with the girl that pinned me against the wall and almost crushed my windpipe.” Marinette covered her face in embarrassment. He loved to bring up that story at any possible opportunity, so of course he would bring it up now. “But then I got to know that girl, how wonderfully strong, brave and talented she was. Even with everything you had going on in your life at the time, you hadn’t let it erode away who you really were. It’s been incredible being at your side to run this business as your boyfriend, but now I’d like to run this business at your side as your husband. Will you marry me?”

Marinette dropped to her knees and pulled his face to hers, awkwardly squishing his arms between them. “Of course I will. I should’ve known something was off when the diamond had an oval cut. You hate that style,” she laughed when they broke apart, sniffling as the happy tears started to fall.

“The things I do for love.” He sighed dramatically, pulling away to slide the ring on her finger.

Her door burst open, letting in Aurore and Mireille, who were holding a banner that read Congratulations! , flowers and balloons.

“Is that a yes? We didn’t hear a yes!” Aurore asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet. 

Felix rolled his eyes as he stood, bringing Marinette with him. “Do you think she would’ve let me put the ring on if it was a no?”

“Maybe she just felt bad and took pity on your gremlin self, you never know.” Aurore snarked back. 

“No need to project the cause of your friendship on me, weather girl.”

Mireille and Marinette exchanged long-suffering looks, well used to the two’s bickering by now. Nobody in the group had siblings, but if they did, they imagined they’d argue much like Aurore and Felix always did. 

“So, any idea when the wedding will be?” Mireille asked loudly, cutting through the bickering. 

“Oh my god, I have to plan a wedding,” Marinette realized, covering her face as the reality of it all hit.

“Don’t worry. My mother and your mother have already joined forces to start planning. Between the two of them, they’ve got it covered.” Felix came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. 

“What a simultaneously terrifying and comforting thought.” Marinette had a feeling that this wedding would be planned within an inch of its life, but it was better than her trying to get her scatterbrain to keep track of all the little details. 

Aurore began excitedly talking about all the things they’d get to pick out for their wedding, with Mireille trying to wrangle the balloons from the blonde’s hands as they waved while she spoke while Felix chuckled in her ear. 

Yeah, she might not have seen this outcome for her life coming when she was 14. But it didn’t matter, she thought, looking at her friends fondly while leaning back into her fiancé’s chest, she wouldn’t change this for the world.