Archive of Our Own

It was strange enough to find someone knocking on her door a little before seven in the morning, but when Kagami opened it she was only more confused.

“Morning.” Juleka stood there with a tired smile, hands resting on her daughter’s shoulders.

Élyse was all wide, worried eyes and gangly limbs. Despite her obvious unease, her chin was set stubbornly, as though she’d decided seven was too old to show fear. Still, she grabbed onto her mother’s hand in protest when Juleka tried to nudge her inside.

Kagami’s heart squeezed in her chest when she realized why they must be there.

She wiped the remnants of sleep from her eyes and stepped aside. “Come in.”

“Thanks so much for doing this,” Juleka said as Kagami shut the door behind her. “I know it’s super last-minute, but Luka’s a little tied up with Zoé on bed rest, and Anarka’s…” Juleka shook her head and slipped off a pink backpack as Élyse sat down to take off her shoes. “I honestly don’t know what country she’s in right now. And as for Rose’s parents…”

Juleka didn’t finish her sentence, but Kagami could fill in the blanks. A heart transplant was no small thing; they had enough on their minds.

Kagami took Élyse’s backpack, walking over to set it on the kitchen island. “Have you…been in touch with Marinette at all this morning?”

“Uh, no, actually.” Juleka let out a strangled sort of laugh. “She didn’t answer. I figured she was still asleep? But I guess not, if you’re asking. She said whenever we needed though, and I…”

“Don’t worry,” Kagami said, smiling. “It’s no trouble.”

Maybe she hadn’t spoken to Marinette in a little over a week, but that was no big deal in the grand scheme of things. The memory of Marinette crying as she fled Kagami’s apartment—not theirs anymore—was still vivid, and Kagami almost swore she could still hear the bump of Marinette’s suitcase descending the stairs outside. But they could set aside their personal issues for the sake of Élyse.

And if Kagami selfishly hoped this might even work to her advantage? That it might give her and Marinette a chance to talk? That was just a bonus.

Juleka sighed in relief. “Thank you so much, we owe you big time.”

Kagami shook her head and smiled at Élyse, who carefully lined up her shoes and tightened her long, dark ponytail before standing up and moving back to Juleka’s side. “No need. We’re happy to help.”

At least that much was true—Marinette would never refuse a friend in need.

Kagami and Marinette had watched Élyse plenty of times before, so Juleka didn’t have much in the way of instructions. She gave a brief overview of what she’d packed, explained that Rose’s parents would pick Élyse up tomorrow, and told Kagami she’d call to check in once Rose was out of surgery. Then she stood there stiffly, staring somberly down at Élyse.

This was the part Marinette would have been better at. The part where Kagami knew she was meant to pretend for Juleka’s sake that everything would be alright, even though she couldn’t be certain. There were so many risks involved with surgery, and she didn’t feel comfortable lying about that for the sake of social convention.

Still, she couldn’t say nothing. “Rose is strong. And I’m sure she’s in good hands.”

Juleka responded with a weak smile. “Thanks.”

Normally, Kagami appreciated the fact that Juleka wasn’t a big hugger, but it made this moment a little hard to navigate; how else was she supposed to provide reassurance? She focused on Élyse instead.

Kagami crouched down and stuck out her arm for a fist bump. “We’re going to have fun together, right?”

Élyse glanced up uncertainly at Juleka for a second or two, then walked over and returned the fist bump with a small smile. She then ran back over to give Juleka, who picked her up for a giant hug and kiss. Élyse murmured something in Juleka’s ear, which Kagami did her best not to eavesdrop on—Élyse’s ability to whisper was dubious at best.

Juleka laughed as she set Élyse back down. “Sure, you can go ask. Remember your manners.”

Élyse walked back over to Kagami. “Can I have waffles, please?”

Kagami smiled, setting a hand on Élyse’s shoulder. “Sounds good. Why don’t you go have a seat?”

“Yay!” She wasted no time in rushing over to the table, taking the same seat she always did when she came over. The seat that used to leave her between Kagami and Marinette, her antics always making them smile across the table at each other.

Would that ever be the same again?

Juleka wore a wistful smile when Kagami turned back to her. “We didn’t really have time for food, and…I never thought I’d see someone who loves breakfast as much as Rose, but…” she shook her head. “Thanks again, Kagami. And Tell Marinette thanks as well.”

“Absolutely.”

Ten minutes later, Élyse was happily chewing away on a freezer waffle, and Kagami stood staring at her phone, searching for the courage to dial. Then she shook her head, cursing her own indecision. It was just a phone call.

Marinette took four rings to answer, her voice still thick with sleep when she spoke. “Hello?”

“Hello.” Kagami had meant to say more, but the words died in her throat.

“Kagami?” Marinette paused “Is everything okay? Why are you calling so early?”

Kagami took a deep breath. “We need to talk.”

“I’m so sorry,” Marinette said for what felt like the hundredth time.

She’d done a whole lot of apologising in the several minutes since she’d stormed into the apartment, but none of it was for anything that was actually getting on Kagami’s nerves. Kagami would have preferred it if Marinette had thought to clean up the contents of Élyse’s bag after dumping everything out on the counter, or if she’d actually keep her voice down so Élyse didn’t keep turning around from her spot reading on the sofa.

Still, Kagami didn’t complain. This was how Marinette processed things.

But it was a lot less charming than usual when Kagami couldn’t reach out to calm her with a gentle hand, or a kiss to her shoulder, or any other method she used to employ to distract Marinette from a crisis. Instead, all Kagami had was her words, and Marinette…wasn’t really listening to those at the moment.

Kagami sighed and tried again. “It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known this would happen today.”

“But I’m the one who volunteered us for this! And I should have told them that we…that we’re not…”

She stopped pacing, turning back to Kagami. The pain in her eyes was reflected sevenfold in Kagami’s shattered sense of pride. It was Kagami who had caused her that feeling, and now Kagami had to pay the price.

“I’m the one who screwed this up,” Marinette whispered, which was a lie.

Especially since Kagami suspected she wasn’t talking about childcare anymore.

“It’s a two-way street,” Kagami said.

Marinette might feel responsible for the break-up, but Kagami was the one who’d actually ended things. She was the one who’d caused their rift to begin with.

Kagami leaned back against the sink and stared at her feet. “I…haven’t told anyone about the break-up either.”

“Really? But you never have a problem saying what’s on your mind. You’re always so…”

“Blunt?” Kagami supplied, looking up.

“That’s not what I was going to say.” Marinette slapped her palms down on the kitchen island. “You always do that. You just assume you know what I’m thinking, like you think I’m so…predictable or something.”

Kagami narrowed her eyes. Predictable was the last word she’d use to describe Marinette, but it wasn’t the part of the sentence Kagami chose to fixate on. “Oh, but you can assume you know what’s best for me? How’s that fair?”

“I was never trying to do that,” Marinette hissed, curling her hands into fists. “I just wanted—you know what? Never mind.” She pushed up from the countertop, relaxing her shoulders and closing her eyes. “I don’t want to fight.”

Kagami inhaled, trying to ease away her own tension. “Me neither.”

Marinette nodded, then walked slowly around the island. She leaned back against it, staring at Kagami for a long moment.

“What do we do?” she whispered.

Kagami hated the pain in Marinette’s eyes. She hated the way there was so much space between them and she could feel every bit of it.

She still couldn’t bring herself to say anything other than, “I don’t know.”

Even in shambles, Kagami’s pride was still getting in her way.

A loud sigh escaped Marinette. “Okay, well, I guess it’s not the end of the world. I can just take her back to my parents’ place, and—”

“No.” As quickly as it had dissipated, Kagami’s frustration returned.

She hated feeling this way, with her emotions so out of control. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to kiss Marinette senseless or never speak to her again.

Then again, the two weren’t necessarily mutually exclusive.

“What do you—” Marinette broke off when Kagami jerked her head towards the couch, where Élyse seemed to be listening in. She continued in a quieter tone. “What do you mean, no? Juleka and Rose are my fr—” This time she cut herself off.

Kagami narrowed her eyes. “I wasn’t aware we were dividing up friends. Can I at least see Adrien every other weekend, or is this a no shared custody type deal?”

The anger drained from Marinette’s face. “That’s not what I meant,” she said. “It’s just…I knew them first, and they asked me to watch her, so…”

“But I’m the one Juleka left her with. I promised to take care of her.” Kagami couldn’t recall if she’d used that word specifically, but it was implied.

Marinette opened her mouth—no doubt to protest—then slammed it shut again. Kagami suppressed a smug smile, knowing she was well on her way to winning. To ensure victory, she added one more thing.

“Élyse feels comfortable here. And she’s worried enough about Rose without adding a change of environment into the mix.”

Marinette glanced back over to the couch. “Does she…know what’s going on?”

Kagami considered that for a moment. “I think she understands enough. She might not fully understand the risks involved with surgery, but…I think she knows her moms are scared.”

“I can’t imagine,” Marinette whispered. “If it was you…”

She didn’t finish her sentence, but the implication was clear. The implication was a punch to the gut, twisting Kagami’s insides into even more of a mess than they already were. Because on some level, Kagami had known Marinette still loved her—you didn’t get over a three-year relationship in a week. But seeing the way Marinette glanced away guiltily after her admission, like she thought she wasn’t supposed to feel that way anymore…It was too much.

Kagami wanted to tell her it was okay, that she loved her too. She wanted to admit that Marinette had been right, and she’d just been too stubborn to see it.

“You should stay,” she said instead.

“What?”

“It’s like I said. Élyse is more comfortable here. She’s more comfortable with both of us here. I’m sure we can set our differences aside for one day.”

“And one night,” Marinette pointed out. “There’s only one bed.”

Kagami rolled her eyes. “What, you can’t even handle one more night with me?”

Marinette waved her hands in denial. “Of course not! That’s not…I didn’t mean…”

“It was a joke, Marinette.”

“Oh.” Marinette sucked in a sharp breath. “Right. Just a joke.”

“I can take the couch,” Kagami said. “You and Élyse can share the bed.”

“What? No, it’s your apartment, you don’t have to—”

“Fine. You take the couch then. I don’t care. I just don’t want to spend all damn day arguing about this.”

“Fine,” Marinette agreed. “I’ll take the couch.”

Kagami tried not to notice how her voice trembled. But when Marinette’s next move was to turn around, sniffle rather aggressively, and excuse herself to the bathroom, it was impossible not to notice.

And Kagami somehow felt even worse.

Halfway through the movie they’d put on after dinner, Élyse let out a giant yawn and dropped her head onto Marinette’s shoulder. Marinette smiled across the couch, briefly meeting Kagami’s equally amused expression. But it was only a split second before Kagami glanced away, shattering the illusion of normalcy.

The whole day had been like that—full of painful reminders of what had been. Marinette lobbed playful insults across the table as they played Monopoly and waited for the light squeeze of Kagami’s hand that never came. Kagami offered to help with dinner, and Marinette didn’t know if she was still allowed to roll her eyes and tease Kagami about being the only person in the world who could somehow manage to burn a pot of plain water, so she politely declined instead.

But now the day was almost done. Marinette would soon be able to curl up on the couch, bury her face in a pillow far more comfortable than the one she’d been using for the past week, and let go of the tears she’d been clinging to for hours.

Just a few more minutes.

She shook Élyse’s shoulder. “Hey, sweetheart. It’s time to get ready for bed.”

As expected, Élyse only mumbled something indecipherable and shook her head. Marinette normally would have laughed, but tonight she could barely force another smile.

“Come on,” she coaxed gently. “I’ll help you brush your teeth, and Kagami will grab your PJs. Then I bet she’ll tell you a story before you fall asleep.”

Marinette swallowed, hoping she hadn’t overstepped. She knew Kagami wouldn’t refuse something that had been promised to Élyse, but she wasn’t quite sure if she was allowed to promise those things anymore. And Marinette wished she could be there for storytime too. To hear the way Kagami’s voice melted into the words for Élyse’s benefit, or to see her secret eyerolls when she read through a section she thought was absurd.

Nobody else really got to see Kagami that way—to see her with her walls down. Even Marinette had hardly seen that in months, and she had only herself to blame.

Élyse finally let out another long yawn and pushed herself up, rubbing at her eyes before blinking them up at Marinette. “Will you come for storytime, too?”

“I’m not su—”

“Of course she will,” Kagami interrupted. She didn’t look away from Élyse when Marinette glanced back over, and Marinette stole those precious seconds to take in the view she’d been missing. The way Kagami’s smile crept into her face slowly, like it would never stop growing. The second piercing in her left ear which Marinette had helped her with when they were seventeen and a little reckless, and Kagami had just wanted to say a big “fuck you” to her mom, consequences be damned. The way her nose wrinkled playfully when she wiggled her fingers towards Élyse, threatening tickles.

All of those details nearly sucked the breath right out of Marinette, until the aforementioned tickles made Élyse squirm so hard she elbowed Marinette in the stomach, and Kagami laughed at the face she made in response.

The laughter took Marinette’s breath to a whole other dimension, leaving her a trembling shadow of her former self as she stood and beckoned Élyse to the washroom. She leaned against the door frame when she got there, trying her best not to cry when she realized her toothbrush was still there in the holder. A new toothbrush too, the one she remembered opening the night Kagami had come home from her last business trip.

The one she’d opened on their last night together.

“Marinette?” Élyse said, laying a hand on Marinette’s arm. “Do you want some of my toothpaste?”

It was the kids’ stuff—the kind that tasted a little too sweet and felt like it did nothing. But Marinette thought it would be rude to refuse, so she grabbed her brush and held it out. “Sure, sweetie.”

Élyse bit her lip as she squeezed some out, putting all her concentration into making sure she didn’t spill. Marinette tried to focus on that, not the fact she was about to sink into ridiculously high thread count sheets alongside her ex-girlfriend. Élyse passed Marinette her toothbrush before adding paste to her own. When she was done, she held out her brush with a small giggle.

“Cheers!”

“Cheers,” Marinette echoed as they tapped the sides of their brushes together before running them under the tap.

Élyse finished brushing first, lasting only as long as her patience. She ran out into the bedroom as Marinette rinsed her mouth into the sink. Marinette nearly jumped out of her skin when she stood back up to see Kagami standing behind her in the mirror.

“Here,” Kagami said. “I found some of the pyjamas you left.”

“Right.” Marinette set down her toothbrush as Kagami set them on the counter. “I’ll, uh…come by this week sometime to grab the rest of my things, I guess.”

Kagami’s gaze hardened. “If you feel like you must.”

Knowing it was over was one thing, but knowing Kagami didn’t want to see her at all?

Tears burned the corner of Marinette’s eyes as she stared down into the sink. “O-or another time if next week doesn’t work for you. I can…send someone else, too, if you don’t want it to be me...”

“Are you serious?” Kagami’s voice broke a little, filled with a rawness Marinette had scarcely heard from her before. She cleared her throat before continuing, “You really can’t stand to be around me anymore than you absolutely have to be, huh?”

“That’s not it! I was just trying to make things easier. You seemed like you didn’t want me to come by and gather my things, so—”

“I don’t.”

Marinette didn’t expect the confirmation to hurt so much, but suddenly her grip on the bathroom counter seemed to be the only thing keeping her upright. She felt the first few tears slip down her cheeks, and she didn’t even try to wipe them as she squeezed her eyes shut and dragged in a few shuddering breaths.

There was no sense in trying to preserve her pride if Kagami already hated her.

But instead of walking away, she felt Kagami step closer, laying a tentative hand between Marinette’s shoulder blades. Even through her T-shirt, Kagami’s touch was electric. It was the most contact they’d had all day, and it forced a shaky sob through Marinette’s clenched teeth.

“Marinette…” Kagami’s voice was soft, her tone the same as one she might have used to console Élyse.

“Just go,” Marinette didn’t want pity. “Make sure Élyse doesn’t have to see me like this.”

Marinette braced herself for the loss of Kagami’s touch, but it didn’t come all at once. Kagami’s hand slid up to her shoulder, squeezing gently before ghosting down her arm. Lingering by her wrist as goosebumps erupted over Marinette’s skin and her heart pounded.

Kagami’s breath was warm against her ear, making her suppress a shiver. Kagami was close enough that Marinette knew if she turned her head she might taste something other than the salt from her tears.

She might taste everything she’d been missing.

But before she could bring herself to make a move, Kagami’s hand fell away. She took a step away and stole back the warmth Marinette so desperately craved.

It had been too easy to ask her to go.

It was too hard to ask her to stay.

Marinette stood there for a solid minute once Kagami shut the bathroom door, taking slow breaths and using a face cloth to muffle the cries she couldn’t hold in. She stared at her reflection for a little while afterwards, not recognizing the person staring back.

Red cheeks, puffy eyes, and tear-tracks she might as well get tattooed into place—they were becoming far too familiar.

Élyse was curled up beside Kagami on top of the blanket when Marinette emerged from the bathroom in her pyjamas. It was strange to think they were lying in the same bed where Marinette had slept for the better part of a year—nothing about it had changed, but it somehow looked different.

Kagami had her phone in hand instead of a book, which seemed an odd choice until Marinette recognized Juleka’s voice coming through the speaker. Not wanting to interrupt, Marinette settled carefully on the edge of the bed, but it didn’t take long for Élyse to notice. She smiled over and patted the spot beside her eagerly, so Marinette had no choice but to join them. Still, she was careful not to brush the arm Kagami had draped around Élyse’s shoulders as she leaned into the frame.

“Maman, can I talk to Mamou?” Élyse asked.

Even through the phone, Juleka sounded tired. “She’s sleeping, Ély-boo. But she loves you very much.”

“Can I see her then?”

Juleka froze, seeming unsure of how to answer. Marinette couldn’t imagine seeing Rose in the ICU would be all that reassuring to Élyse—there would be wires and tubes everywhere, and she thought she remembered Juleka saying something about a ventilator.

Kagami came up with a response. “The screen’s too bright, love. It might wake her up.”

Juleka smiled gratefully at the lie.

“But I don’t wake up when I fall asleep watching a show,” Élyse argued.

Marinette poked her gently in the side. “That’s because you have a magic power to sleep through anything.”

Élyse scrunched up her nose in a dubious sort of smile, turning to Marinette as she asked in a high-pitched voice, “If I have powers, then why don’t I have a Miraculous?”

“Because your parents have enough to worry about,” Juleka said. The look she sent Marinette’s way after that translated to something along the lines of don’t you dare give her one. Not that Marinette would…at least not for a long time.

Élyse allowed Juleka to change the topic after that, and Marinette zoned out a bit as they chatted. It was near impossible to ignore the fact that Kagami was lying right next to her, and that stole all of Marinette’s focus until a nurse came by to talk to Juleka.

Élyse didn’t quite appreciate the lack of attention. “Mamaaaaan.”

“I’m sorry,” Juleka told the nurse before turning back to the camera. “Élyse, I’m going to have to go.”

“No,” Élyse whined. “I miss you.”

“I miss you too, darling. I’ll come see you tomorrow, okay?” Élyse pouted at the screen until Juleka sighed and added, “You can be brave for me, right? Just for tonight?”

Élyse took a moment to consider before issuing a rather reluctant nod. She made it through the goodbyes and I love yous after that, but as soon as the call ended she started to cry.

“I d-don’t underst-stand,” she said between sobs “If M-mamou’s sup-p-posed to be better, why c-can’t I see her?”

Marinette and Kagami exchanged a helpless glance. None of their past babysitting experience had quite prepared them for this challenge.

“She just need lots of rest,” Marinette tried.

“It’s not f-fair.”

“No,” Kagami agreed, wiping a tear from Élyse’s cheek. “It’s not fair.”

“So can you take me to see her?” Élyse sniffled.

Kagami sighed. “I wish I could. But do you know what we can do?”

“What?” Élyse asked, wiping her eyes.

“We could learn a little bit more about heart transplants instead of reading a bedtime story. If you want to.”

Marinette almost spit out a protest, but when Élyse nodded attentively she realized Kagami might be onto something. It wasn’t actually the first time Kagami had exchanged a story for a learning experience, and she wouldn’t tell Élyse more than she could handle. Still, it would give Élyse some sense of control back, letting her find answers to some of her questions.

A warm smile spread across Kagami’s face. “Let’s get cozy under the blankets first, yeah?”

If Marinette had been going wild before, getting under the covers made everything worse. Élyse cuddled into her side so Kagami had some space to use the phone, but that just meant Marinette was lying there with her face maybe half a pillow apart from Kagami’s. And when Kagami started to speak, Marinette was just as enthralled as Élyse.

First, Kagami asked Élyse what she knew about the surgery, then she worked from there, focusing mostly on the recovery process and letting Élyse’s questions guide her. Eventually, Élyse worked her way back to, “But why can’t I see her?”

Kagami tried a new approach. “You know when you go someplace new and exciting, with lots of things to see and new things to try?”

“Like Disneyland?”

“Sure.” Kagami chuckled. “Going to Disneyland for the first time is…sort of like a heart feels after a transplant. Everything’s new and exciting, and it needs lots of rest afterwards. So right now, Mamou is hooked up to machines to help her new heart rest. And some of them might look…a little scary. And they might keep her from talking or sitting up or lots of other things she does normally.”

“Because she has to rest?” Élyse confirmed.

“Mhm. But it’s only for a few days. And then…”

It didn’t take long for Élyse to drift off, and when Kagami set down the phone her eyes found Marinette’s. Despite what had transpired in the bathroom, there was a certain softness there now that Marinette couldn’t ignore, especially when Kagami adjusted her pillow and scooched the tiniest bit closer.

“You’re so good with her,” Marinette whispered.

Kagami smiled, carefully reaching out to brush a loose hair from Élyse’s face. “So are you. There’s no way I could have spent that long searching for that ridiculous unboxing video she was dying to see earlier.”

Marinette swallowed her laughter, not wanting to disturb Élyse. “You would have. And you probably would have found it in half the time.”

“Maybe. Maybe not.”

Then there was silence, but it wasn’t as heavy as the weight that had been hanging between them all day. Maybe it was too hard to be angry with Élyse cuddled between them, or maybe Marinette was just too tired to hold a grudge.

“How have you been?” she asked, barely audible and half-hoping Kagami wouldn’t hear. Of course, that was foolish to wish for—Kagami never missed a thing.

Kagami didn’t beat around the bush, either. “I’ve missed you.”

Marinette watched Élyse’s chest rise and fall, trying to ignore the pang in her own chest. “But you don’t want to see me?”

There was a noise as Kagami shifted beneath the blankets, and Marinette didn’t realize why until Kagami reached across Élyse’s torso and laced her fingers through Marinette’s. Her eyes widening, Marinette looked back to Kagami.

“I never said that,” Kagami said. “You didn’t let me finish in the bathroom. If you had…I would have told you I didn’t want you to come back for your stuff because I don’t want you to move out at all. I love you, Marinette. I don’t know how to stop, and even if I did…I wouldn’t want to.”

Marinette sucked in a sharp breath. She should have felt some sort of relief—after all, that was all she’d wanted to hear from Kagami all day. All week.

But it couldn’t just be that easy.

“You were the one who said we were done,” Marinette hissed, pulling her hand away. She winced when Élyse shifted, but thankfully she didn’t wake.

“I know,” Kagami said. She rolled onto her back and rested her hands on her chest, staring up at the ceiling. She grew almost preternaturally still, and Marinette had given up on waiting for a response when she finally added, “I was wrong.”

That was big. Those were three words that Kagami rarely, if ever, said.

But Marinette felt a wave of irritation upon hearing them. “You can’t just decide that. You broke up with me. You hurt me. You can’t just take it back.”

“I know that too.” Kagami turned her head sideways. “I meant I was wrong about everything, Marinette. I wasn’t happy working for my mother—I knew I wasn’t—and I should have listened to you months ago. It shouldn’t have taken you leaving for me to figure it out.” She paused, then added, “I quit, by the way. Walked into the office on Monday and decided an hour later I couldn’t take it anymore. My mother isn’t pleased, but…” She shrugged.

“What?”

Marinette sat up, forgetting all about Élyse until Kagami put a finger to her lips. Maybe Marinette had been a bit loud.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Marinette whisper-shouted.

Kagami carefully shifted away from Élyse, then stood and walked over to Marinette. It was only a few steps, but it felt like forever before Kagami sank down beside her and grabbed her hands from underneath the blanket.

“I wasn’t sure you would want to see me,” Kagami said. “I did hurt you, and…I wasn’t sure I deserved you anymore.”

“‘Gami…”

“I don’t deserve you,” she whispered, her thumbs brushing against the backs of Marinette’s hands, “but I would would like nothing more than the chance to try and make things up to you. The chance to try again.”

Marinette was speechless. She wanted to say the concept of deserving someone was stupid, and that it scared her to know Kagami was thinking that way because it was just so unlike her. She wanted to ask what Kagami planned on doing for work now. And part of her wanted to be bitter a little longer, to go into the other room and hash out their issues in detail.

It turned out that she had very little self-control, because instead of saying anything, Marinette just leaned in and kissed her.

Kagami froze at first, her hands going limp and her mouth rigid. But the second Marinette tried to pull back, thinking she’d misread things, Kagami surged forwards and captured her lips with fervour.

The kiss was a little messy. A little desperate. Kagami’s lips were hard and her fingers insistent. Marinette was half-trapped under the blanket and couldn’t move much for risk of disturbing Élyse. She was trying to tie a dozen different feelings into her movements, and everything ended up a a little muddled. A little confused.

By the time they broke apart, breathing heavily, Marinette had no idea how to feel. She was elated. She was frustrated. She was terrified.

But she could see a wild energy shining in Kagami’s eyes, the same one that sent her heart racing and had her skin tingling all over.

She saw passion.

She saw herself leaning back in to claim another kiss, heedless of any and all responsibilities and ignorant of anything that wasn’t the sensation of Kagami’s lips on hers.

But then her brain caught up to her body.

“We…we still…”

Kagami grabbed her hand, squeezing it firmly. “We have a lot to talk about.”

“Yeah.”

“And…” She glanced over to Élyse’s sleeping form, her gaze softening as she looked back.

“We have other priorities,” Marinette finished sadly.

“Hm…but she is asleep.”

Their night was nothing too exciting in the end. After leaving the bedroom and grabbing some wine, they sat on the couch for hours and talked things around and sideways and in a thousand different directions before they finally made it through. Sort of.

They had a lot more to figure out.

But when they finally gave into exhaustion and returned to bed, they were as close as could be with Élyse sandwiched between them. And when Marinette turned onto her side and smiled over at Kagami, she found warm brown eyes already twinkling in her direction.

Marinette fell asleep before either of them looked away.