Work Text:
Marinette was panicking, she knew that, but how could she not? Even thought Chat Noir was right there, beside her, standing tall and ready to face whatever it was the future had to throw at them, the facts remained the same. Master Fu trusted her with the Miracle Box and all the Miraculouses inside of it. He trusted her to be a guardian and keep Paris safe. He trusted her.
And she completely failed. All of the Miraculouses were gone, the box now empty. She didn’t have her group of allies because she couldn’t turn them into superheroes anymore. All she had was Tikki, Char Noir, the support of the city she didn’t even deserve and Hawkmoth, ready to tear her apart from her Miraculous just so he could make some stupid wish that would tear their reality apart. She didn’t have Master Fu to turn to in order to figure out what to do. She was just a kid, trying to protect her city the best she could only to fail miserably.
Her mind absently informed her of the way Chat Noir took care of the giant face of Hawkmoth hovering near the Eiffel Tower, but she couldn’t really bring herself to do much more than to try and look strong for the people below who were too stubborn to realize that their hero has failed them. Utterly failed them.
“Let’s go, My Lady.” Chat whispered in her ear, keeping quiet for some reason. She didn’t know if it was because he didn’t want to startle her when she was already feeling like everything was breaking and collapsing around her, or maybe it was because he didn’t want any citizen to hear him. Whatever the reason was, she was glad he didn’t talk loudly or as usual. She was too stunned and panicked to really be able to take anything like his loud voice.
He took hold of her arm, first gently, as if to make sure she wasn’t going to just run away. When she didn’t move, he held onto her even tighter and then wrapped both arms around her, securing him against him before leaping from the roof with his staff, getting them somewhere quiet and empty, somewhere where people won’t cheer her on as if she deserved any of their attention after this failure. And Marinette just held onto him, burying her face in his chest and sobbing even more, because despite his rant earlier, and despite the feeling of security he managed to bring along with him, it wasn’t nearly enough to make Marinette forget about everything.
He stopped eventually and it took her a while to realize she knew this place like the back of her hand. He chose HER balcony. Although he was probably preoccupied with other things to notice that small part. And it shouldn’t have been that surprising because this wasn’t even his first time coming here. Chat’s been showing up on Marinette’s balcony every once in a while, usually when he looked down and sad. And then Marinette would cheer him up with some small talk or a couple of snacks. This time Marinette wasn’t inside her room, ready to help, though. This time Marinette was the one seeking comfort and Chat brought her home, whether he was aware of it or not (not).
Still leading her like she was fragile, Chat Noir sat Marinette down on the only chair around and then knelt down beside her, his expression both worried and determined. Maybe there was a little rage thrown in there, but Marinette was simply too out of it to really tell. Only after making sure Marinette was comfortable did Chat move towards the trapdoor leading into her room. The knock made Marinette stir a bit. He was looking for Marinette. Marinette wasn’t going to answer him because she was already with him.
He frowned when no one came to the door. “Hmm… that’s weird. She’s usually here.” He muttered and then turned to look at Marinette over his shoulder. A smile pulled at his lips. “I’ll be right back, My Lady.” And he jumped off the balcony to the street below. She had no idea how long it took him to come back, but the passage of time made her feel a little better. Maybe because it was quiet and peaceful on the balcony. Plus, it did help a lot that it was her home, an environment she was familiar with. “There you go!”
He handed her a glass of water and Marinette looked at it for a moment, her mind finally starting to move and work. She stared at the glass and then at Chat Noir. “I don’t deserve you, Kitty.” She mumbled sadly to herself before bringing the cup to her lips, gulping down the water and finding herself actually feeling a lot better. Who knew a little bit of water could make her get over herself for now? Chat Noir, that’s who.
Smiling, Chat sat on the floor next to her, his tail in his lap. His intense expression still made her blush. It was out of her control, really. He just reminded her of Adrien when he gave her the umbrella that first day they met. It was an expression she would never forget, and now Chat Noir had the same thing going on with his face. It made her want to curl up and hide. Because she couldn’t deal with any of this. She couldn’t even imagine pining after two boys. She was a disaster with only one in the picture, two would only mess her up even more.
Marinette sniffed and pursed her lips. “What do we do now?” She choked out, feeling lost.
With a proud smirk on his face, Chat straightened up his shoulders, making her believe he was capable of doing anything he wanted to. And he was the kind of guy who’d at least try to get things his way. “We’ll get back the Miraculouses. All of them. One by one.” He grabbed her hand with both of his and squeezed. “You and me against the world, My Lady. Remember? Just like old times. We can do it. And we will. No matter how long it takes and no matter who stands in our way. I don’t care if Hawkmoth comes over here right now on his own, I’ll fight him with all I’ve got. And so will you, because that’s what we do, right? We’re Ladybug and Chat Noir and we’ve been through a lot together. This is going to be a piece of cake.”
She smiled despite knowing he was definitely exaggerating. Hawkmoth had all of the other Miraculouses. That meant he was more powerful than ever before. Fighting and winning would take a lot out of the both of them. Marinette could only hope they would win because if not… she was going to lose absolutely everything.
“I don’t know if I can do this alone.”
“You’re not alone. I’m always going to be with you, no matter what. Together till the end, My Lady.”
Tears threatened to fill her eyes once more at the sincerity in his voice. “How can you say that? How can you just trust me like that? Or stand me at all? I ignored you and pushed you away. I called others instead of you and made you feel useless. How can you just move past that like that? I let you down for so long. I even let someone else fill your place for a while, and I enjoyed it.”
Sadness lined his features this time around and he sighed once before cocking his head to the side, still looking at her with his big, green, catlike eyes. “I was hurt, I’m not gonna lie. And it wasn’t even the first time I was going to give up my Miraculous. I actually did give it up back in New York.” He smiled gently at her and she felt her hurt fluttering at the intensity in his gaze. The way he looked at her reminded him of that night she rejected him on the roof, surrounded by candles and roses. He just… accepted it. “But we’re both human and we both make mistakes sometimes. And even if you did hurt me, you’re still my best friend and the person I trust most in the world. I know you don’t feel the same way, but it doesn’t mean I don’t love you, Ladybug. So no matter what, I’d follow you to the end of the Earth. I’d protect you at all costs and I’d stick by your side, especially when you’re down and need someone to lean on. That’s what I’m here for.”
Her eyes scanned his expression, looking for something, anything. Anything that would make this rant sound less genuine and honest. Because it both made her feel safe and secure. Loved, even. But it also made her heart ache so much at the thought of Chat Noir following her into battle knowing something might happen to him and being okay with it because he just couldn’t stay away from her. How long before he was hurt too? What if something happened to him and he could no longer be Chat Noir? What if he was in trouble and couldn’t reach her for some reason?
Chat’s brows furrowed a bit when Marinette’s hands began to shake and he was clearly caught off guard when she practically threw herself at him, hugging him tightly. She still had her parents, and Alya was mostly there if she wasn’t busy believing everything Lila had to say in class. She had her classmates support whenever they weren’t under Lila’s influence that made them believe Marinette was mean or horrible or a bad person towards her. She also had Tikki, although this connection was different. Sure, Tikki comforted Marinette more than once, but it simply wasn’t enough.
Adrien was on her side at school, she knew. He somehow knew Lila was a liar and that she constantly tried to make Marinette’s life worse. Sure, he didn’t know Lila threatened her that day in the bathroom, but he knew enough to not believe Lila’s lies and to actually be okay with Marinette. They were FRIENDS. Which was mind blowing even if not exactly what Marinette wanted from their relationship. But he was going away to travel around the world with Lila, so what did that even matter? God, he must have already left Paris by now. Was the air different without him around? Was she different? Was the light of the city dimmer than usual? It didn’t really matter, though. Adrien was a friend of Lila, as much as he could be. Marinette knew him. He was just nice to everyone, which meant he couldn’t really help Marinette expose Lila without looking like a brat himself.
Chat Noir was the person who always stayed by Marinette’s side and listened to her, making her feel like she was more than she could ever dream to be. He looked up to her and admired her in a way that once made her annoyed, yet now brought butterflies into her stomach and warmth to her chest. She trusted him the most and cared about him so much, it hurt to see him get hurt during battles just to protect her. And she should have been better. She shouldn’t have let him take so many hits for her like that.
Closing her eyes and squeezing Chat even more, Marinette sniffed again and tried to hold back her tears. “Tikki, spots off.”
There was a gasp from Chat although he didn’t pull away when there was a pink flash of light. And then Tikki was there, comforting Marinette as well with her tiny arms and soothing voice.
“Shh… it’s okay. It wasn’t your fault.” Tikki whispered. “You did the best you could and you made the decisions that made sense to you under the effect of an Akuma. You were all under a lot of pressure and yet Paris still survived. We’ll get the Miraculouses. Chat Noir is right. You did the right thing…”
A part of her was aware of the fact that she was still hugging Chat Noir, afraid to let go without her mask on. What if he remembered her from earlier encounters and laughed in her face? What if he saw her and suddenly told her he wasn’t in love with her for real. He was really only in love with the idea of Ladybug rather than who she really was, so she wouldn’t even be able to blame him for it. Not that she loved him back or anything, of course…
“Umm… My Lady? What are you doing?” Chat’s quiet whisper reached her ear and she bit her bottom lip for a moment, trying to figure out how to answer. Her thoughts were all jumbled up, but she needed to explain herself. She needed to tell Chat what she was thinking about and figure out what his reaction is before pulling away.
“I’ve been… thinking.” She started, voice timid and quiet, as if her voice alone would give her identity away. It’s not like she had a different voice as Ladybug, so this shouldn’t really matter to her, but it did. It really, really did. “Master Fu… when he was still a Guardian, he knew both of our identities and we could always go to him for help or rely on him to be there. But he’s not a Guardian anymore, I am. Until now I figured everything would be okay because I had the other Miraculouses and could at least rely on them, since I knew who the others were. So I let you be. But… shouldn’t we know each other’s identities? So that if something happens we can contact each other outside of the suits and, maybe, brainstorm together.”
He was quiet for a long moment. “You want to reveal our identities.” It wasn’t a question, so Marinette didn’t answer. She just waited for him to take it all in and make sense of the thoughts in his head. She knew he’s always been more eager to learn who she was and show her himself in return. She didn’t know if it was a part of who he was or because she was just the girl he loved. Whatever it was, she thought he'd jump at the opportunity.
Instead, he was silent.
Tikki moved away from Marinette. “Chat Noir?” Her squeaky voice prodded. “Are you okay? Don’t you want this?”
“I…” His voice trailed off. The arms engulfing Marinette were still holding on tightly, like he was afraid she might disappear or run away from him before he had the chance to… to what? Anyway, he wasn’t letting her go, which meant he couldn’t have been mad at her, could he? Flashes of the fight against Dark Cupid flashed in her mind. Chat Noir, moments after getting hit by an arrow, held onto her and she had to squirm to get away from him. It didn’t feel quite the same this time, but the memory made Marinette shudder all the same. “I think I’m just… confused. What’s changed? Why now?”
“We’ve actually talked about it for a while,” Tikki offered.
Marinette sighed. “Because I failed. Whether you want to admit it or not, I let all of the other Miraculouses end up with Hawkmoth and I call that failure.” She paused for a moment, holding back her tears in order to explain herself. “Yes, Tikki and I have been thinking about it for a while, but I didn’t really want to do it because I felt safe enough and didn’t think anything would actually happen to you or me while outside of the costumes. But now… now I don’t know what’s going to happen, and it terrifies me. And as much as I know this is a big risk, I feel like it’s the right thing to do.”
The boy shifted a little but still didn’t let her go. “Ladybug…”
“I CAN’T lose you too, Chat. I can’t. I have to know that if something happens to you, you can tell me so that I can come and help.” She hiccupped and closed her eyes tightly when Chat Noir’s clawed hands started combing her hair just a little bit. “And I can’t do it alone. Any of this. Not anymore. I need someone I can reach out to when I’m overwhelmed, and you’re the person I trust the most. I trust you with my life, Chat Noir. And with the life of everyone I care about in my life.”
He was clearly speechless because after that, he remained silent for over five minutes, just holding her. Tikki landed on her shoulder, snuggling against her to make sure Marinette could feel her presence as well as Chat’s. But other than that nothing’s changed.
And then Chat finally spoke up. “Plagg, claws in.” Marinette was dumbfounded for a moment before her breath hitched, realizing she was actually hugging the boy who was Chat Noir, her Kitty Cat, without the leather and spandex to separate the two of them. She could actually feel the soft fabric of his shirt under her palms and the clawless hands of his holding onto her, still not enabling her to get away, as if he didn’t really want to know who she was. She couldn’t really blame her. “I’m nervous.” He admitted.
Marinette choked on a laugh that sounded almost like a sob. Although it wasn’t. She was going to be fine. Especially hugging her partner after such a devastating fight. After losing. Sure, she was on the balcony of her own home, but Chat Noir was her other home. A safe place she felt like she didn’t need to worry at. He always cared about her. He was always around to keep her standing proud and he protected her when needed, which was way too much if you asked her. He was her knight in shining armor. The one she never asked for, and yet still got.
Her thoughts wandered to a different place. What if she didn’t like who he was under the mask? What if he was someone like Felix? Sure, Felix was Adrien’s cousin, but he was so mean and manipulative. What if he was someone like Chloe? Oh God, she’d never be able to look at him ever again, let alone fight alongside him like everything was normal. Her mind berated her for even amusing those kind of thoughts. After all, Chat Noir has been there for almost a year, fighting with her and joking around… but always willing and ready to help people, even if it risked his own wellbeing. People like Felix and Chloe weren’t like that. They thought of themselves first and only then chanced a look around. Maybe. If they felt like it.
She imagined someone like Lila under the black mask. What if he was a liar, a manipulative person who was only pretending to be nice around her and would be a jerk in real like? What if they just didn’t get along without having to fight? The adrenaline was doing a lot, after all. They were constantly trying to save civilians and their own lives while being together, so maybe without this rush… they would just… have nothing in common?
But that night Marinette met Chat on her balcony and they had a heart to heart… it didn’t feel forced or fake. She genuinely felt bad for how bad he felt over her missing their meeting (who was she kidding? For him it was a date). He didn’t sound like he was the kind of person to lie and play around with other people’s feelings. He actually seemed sad when he was with Marinette and not Ladybug, which begged the question of who the real version of him was. The talkative, extravagant, loud, pun-loving guy or the quiet, reserved one? The heartbroken one who couldn’t hide his sadness?
“I’m nervous too.” Marinette said, but then she let her fingers relax a little. Chat must have felt it, because his hold loosened a bit. “But what’s the worst that could happen, right?” She tried to sound optimistic, her voice wavering a little.
Sadly, Chat took it as a challenge. “You might end up hating me.”
Marinette actually snorted at that. “That’s the worst that could happen? Let me ease your mind – I don’t hate people, unless they’ve done something absolutely horrible. Like, say, Hawkmoth.” Or Lila. This liar who decided to take away Marinette’s friends… she threatened to take Adrien away as well, and finally… she did it. He was off to see the world even though he told her, HE TOLD HER, he didn’t want to and only desired to stay around his friends. So Lila’s threat was finally complete. She really did it. And all because she was a liar and Marinette was dead-set on making everyone see it, too. “Besides, I’m more terrified about you hating me.”
He chuckled and shook his head, his blond hair tickling the side of her face a little bit. “I could never hate you, Bugaboo. And I don’t really tend to hate people either. I mean, Hawkmoth is somewhere high on that Dislike List. And one of my classmates.” A shudder went through him, making Marinette giggle. “But that’s just because she’s trying to practically torture one of my friends. And I don’t have enough real friends to stand by and do nothing about it.”
“Somehow, I find that very hard to believe.” Marinette teased. “You’re too chatty and friendly to not have friends.” Then she sobered up and sniffed once again, praying to whatever God was out there (other than the Kwamis) that she didn’t look too much like a mess right now. First impression meant a lot. “Alright, on three, then?”
Instead of answering, Chat just started counting, his own voice both weak and curious at the same time. “One… two…” He gulped. “Three.”
Almost reluctantly, Marinette leaned back, her eyes opening just in time to meet a pair of green eyes staring back at her. For a moment, her only thought was that Chat Noir was still in costume because there was no way he had this exact shade of green without the Miraculous. But then the normal-shaped pupils and the white around the green made her realize that no, these were actually his eyes.
And then she noticed the rest of his face and her mouth fell open, her mind screeching to a halt. Because this wasn’t anyone she hated. No, this was someone she knew was now on a train to who-knows-where. So, obviously, this couldn’t have been who he looked like. He couldn’t. Just couldn’t.
She jumped up so fast that his mouth snapped closed and his eyes widened even more. He looked a little like a goldfish out the water, unable to make sense of anything in front of him. Marinette just glared at him, her lips pressed together into a thin line.
“Who are you?” She demanded and Tikki squeaked from her place on her shoulder, telling Marinette to calm down or something like this. But the girl just couldn’t listen. She messed up by trusting Adrien and realizing when it was already too late that the guy she found wasn’t Adrien but Felix. She wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. Not a chance.
His lips moved, creating the shape of her name, if she wasn’t wrong, but he didn’t say it out loud. Instead, he shook his head, as if finally paying attention to her question. For a moment he looked confused and slightly hurt, but then understanding dawned on him and he stood up, Plagg floating next to him and munching on a piece of cheese.
“Adrien.” He smiled a little but when Marinette still eyed him he sighed and shifted in his place, trying to think. “Umm… what would Felix not know about me?” Marinette watched as his eyes brightened with delight and he grinned at her, the bright and wide smile of Adrien making Marinette think about all of those smiles he sent her way from behind a mask. God, how could she have been so blind?! “At school, that morning, I told you I don’t want to travel for the photoshoots and how I hate the people who love me just because I’m famous or because of those stupid ads – “
“ – That don’t make any sense.” Marinette completed his sentence, her eyes a little softer. She took in a deep breath. “I… can you think of something from before? Something that happened before Risk showed up. I don’t know how long Felix’s been here.” She almost begged.
For a few moments Adrien just looked at her, his brows furrowed a bit in concentration once again. But then he smiled. “When you and I couldn’t figure out what career we want, Luka told us to try and find our inner melody. It was the day of the Wishmaker attack, remember?”
He looked surprised when instead of squealing with delight at realizing he was actually Adrien, she moved her arms frantically and jumped over her chair in an attempt to hide. Tikki finally left her shoulder and sighed heavily, like she expected such a reaction from her. And yeah, that was right. Tikki knew it was Adrien all along! How could she hide such an important detail from Marinette for so long?!
Sounding both amused and concerned, Adrien tilted his head to the side and looked at Marinette. “Are you alright, Marinette?” He asked her and she was certain there were word leaving her mouth in response, but they made close to no sense at all. Mostly just her incoherent bubbling that always manifested around Adrien, even if lately it’s been getting better and better. So… all if took was for Marinette to find out her partner has been Adrien all along for her stutter to reappear. Good to know.
The upset frown on his face made her remember their conversation in Adrien’s car, after the fax museum accident. He thought she hated him and acted strange only around him for that reason. Back then she reassured him that it wasn’t true, but her actions might as well just scream at him that she couldn’t stand him. She couldn’t imagine believing someone that acted like her was actually harboring good and positive feelings. After all, she just jumped AWAY from him. Not towards him.
“Give her a couple of moments, maybe.” Tikki suggested kindly and Adrien looked at her with worry in his eyes. “It’s just a lot to take in.”
His expression relaxed a little and he smiled a little towards Marinette. Not his Chat Noir smile, the cheshire, slightly mischievous one. But the one Adrien tended to give her outside of the mask, at school or while hanging out. The friendly, relaxed one. Not pressuring and not expecting anything. Just there to let her know she wasn’t alone.
“I guess I made the right call in bringing us here, then.” He said lightly, and oh, Marinette wished she could be as calm as he was about this identity reveal. And to think it was her idea and he was the one to hesitate before agreeing to it. Oh, how the tables have turned.
“Marinette!” The girl yelped when the trapdoor opened by her mother. Tikki and Plagg hid immediately, flying to their holders and disappearing just in time. But Marinette had no idea how she was going to explain Adrien’s presence at their house. Her mind was still reeling, really. No one could expect her to be able to come up with an excuse as well. Sabine smiled up and noticed Adrien first. The boy’s cheeks were a little pink, even in the dark of the night, when he waved at the woman. “Oh, Adrien. I didn’t know you were here.”
He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and looked so innocent, Marinette couldn’t believe that was CHAT NOIR. It was just impossible that these two different people, who had two different personalities, were the same person. She was dreaming, right? This was a dream. Or a nightmare. Whatever, it was just… impossible.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Dupain-Cheng. I just came here because I forgot my textbook at school and Marinette picked it up for me. I needed it to do homework. I guess we got carried away talking.”
She didn’t appear to be angry, at least. Of course she wasn’t angry, it was her mom! Marinette moved from behind the chair and hopped back next to Adrien, her entire body radiating and incapable of staying in place for more than a second. Her mother seemed to notice that, yet thankfully she kept quiet for once and let Marinette be anxious without any disturbances. Adrien’s eyes fleeted towards her for a brief moment before he smiled at Sabine once more.
Shaking her head, the woman spoke up, her voice cheerful and content. “Don’t worry, Adrien. I guess Tom and I were just busy in the bakery. It’s been one long day, hasn’t it?” Marinette really didn’t need to be reminded how badly this whole day went, thank you very much. But she just nodded at her mother, slightly disconnected. “Well, you can stay for as long as you’d like. Just remember that it’s a school night.” She turned to Marinette. “Oh, I’m going to give you some snacks in a minute, honey.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Marinette mumbled and luckily, her mother didn’t question her tone and just left them alone, closing the trapdoor behind her. The moment she was gone both Tikki and Plagg came out of hiding.
Plagg flew towards Adrien, looking displeased. “How come her parents are nice and yours is terrible?” He grumbled and Adrien just rolled his eyes at the Kwami, not even bothering with a reply.
Closing her eyes and taking in a few breaths, Marinette made herself calm down. She was a mess near Adrien, that much was true, but she was also Ladybug, and he, apparently, was Chat Noir. And both of them knew she could behave herself and act like a normal human being for more than three seconds as Ladybug. All she needed to do now was channel her Ladybug Courage and quit thinking about the way she had KISSED Adrien before. Dark Cupid, Oblivio, Puppeteer (second time around, at least)… God, how could she be so stupid!
Clearing her head quickly, Marinette smiled the best she could and leaned on the railing of the balcony, turning her back to the city and looking at Adrien as he returned her gaze, now looking a bit less sure of himself and of what was going on. “I’m sorry for freaking out.”
“I can’t really blame you.” He shrugged and ran a hand through his hair in a way that was so Adrien, she couldn’t look away if she wanted. “It’s been one hell of a crazy day, hasn’t it?” He sounded a bit unsure, like the idea of bringing up the events of the day weren’t the best idea he had in mind. She assumed he just didn’t want to make her cry all over again. When Marinette didn’t reply immediately, Adrien seemed to take it as his cue to keep on talking. “Can I ask you something?”
“S-sure.”
Adrien smiled sadly at the sound of her stutter but didn’t comment on it. “This morning… when we talked at the school you were going to say something but then Lila cut in and cut the conversation.” He sounded bitter about it, like he was actually upset with her. She remembered how he mentioned this one girl in his class he was close to hating because she was torturing his friend. Could it really be Lila he was talking about? “What did you wanna say?”
Yelping, Marinette looked both sides as if looking for an escape. But there was none, unless jumping off the roof was an option. She just wanted to get in bed and curl up under the blankets in order to block everything out. Sure, Marinette from the day before would have done anything to have a long conversation with Adrien, but now… right now she felt more like hiding because he was Chat Noir and she’s rejected him countless times without even realizing it was her crush under that black cat mask.
“O-oh. It was stupid. Something Risk was making me say, probably. Come to think of it, this whole day was Risk messing up with my head.” She frowned and groaned, rubbing her eyes with the palms of her hands. “First talking to you, then almost missing the fight because I was busy being completely insane… And I bet I wouldn’t have even tried looking for you to give you the Miraculous in the first place had it not been for Risk. He made me both find Felix on the train AND explain to him how I can reach all of the Miraculouses through it.” Her shoulders started shaking. “I’m such an idiot.”
Before she even knew what was happening, Adrien had his arms around her, keeping her steady and looking at her intensely, just like Chat Noir did earlier. Just like HE did earlier. “It wasn’t your fault, My Lady. None of it. I promise you, we’ll make sure everything goes back to normal and we’ll beat Hawkmoth and end the Akuma attacks. We well, I know it.”
Maybe it was him calling her ‘My Lady’. Maybe it was the fact that he was so close or how determined and sure he sounded… but Marinette found herself smiling and believing him. Sure, they had a lot of work ahead of them, but they were Ladybug and Chat Noir and there was nothing that could ever make them quit (alright, Adrien did quit twice already, but that’s different). They wouldn’t rest until all of the Miraculouses were safe.
With a weak smile and a shaly voice, Marinette spoke up, locking eyes with Adrien’s ever-so-green eyes. “You and me against the world, Kitty.” She sniffed and her cheeks flamed at the beaming smile that spread on his face.
“You said it!” He hugged her before she could even protest. Not that she was going to, she needed the comfort, whether it was coming from Adrien or Chat. It didn’t matter. They were both the same person and she cared about them so much, it hurt. Once he let go she noticed how red he was, like suddenly being close to Marinette was flustering. “Umm… I should probably go soon. Plagg and I still have to find a place to stay.”
The tender smile she managed to finally put on her face wavered and disappeared at the words. “What do you mean? Can’t you go home?”
Shifting in his place, Adrien shook his head. “My father would still send me away, and I can’t go. That’s the only reason I accepted Felix’s offer in the first place. I don’t know what he was really planning, but he took my place because I just didn’t want to go, and he said he’d take care of it. I guess he just wanted something from the city and wanted a free ride back.” He scoffed and shook his head. “Maybe I do trust people too much.”
“He offered to give you exactly what you wanted. Don’t beat yourself up over trying to get something your way.” She smirked then. “And you couldn’t think clearly because Risk was messing up with our heads, remember? Besides, switching with Felix is nothing. I literally considered chasing the train and picking you right out of there before I realized Ladybug was needed.” The moment the words left her mouth she slapped her hand over her lips and her eyes widened with horror.
Adrien gave her an amused look before just moving on. She knew Chat Noir would have pressed for more information in any other circumstances, but maybe he could tell she needed a break for a while after everything that’s happened, because he let the subject go. For now.
“Anyway, I overheard my father was looking for me before I went out after you. I can’t leave Paris. I couldn’t before and I definitely can’t now. I told you I’m not going to leave your side and I meant it.” He smiled at her, but she could see some fear in his eyes. It was clearly a result of him disobeying his father for once in his life and actively avoiding him.
Looking over the city they swore to protect, Marinette balled her hands into fists before going towards the trapdoor and opening it, gesturing towards the room. “You can get inside. I’m going to ask my parents if you can stay here for a while.” At Adrien’s shocked expression she smirked. “I can’t let my Kitty Cat suffer all alone. Besides, if you leave, you’ll break your promise. I definitely can’t turn you into a liar.”
For a moment he just stared at her, dumbfounded and speechless. And then his eyes softened and he looked like he was staring at an angelic being that could grant him every wish he could ever come up with. Marinette could maybe knit him a new shirt.
“I love you.” He said dreamily, and while Marinette’s eyes widened at the words, Adrien remained unphased, like it was the easiest thing to confess.
Biting her lip, Marinette’s shoulders slumped. “It’s precisely when something is important that it’s important to say it, no matter what. That’s what you told me when we fought Puppeteer.” Marinette reminded him and he took a moment to remember what she was talking about before nodding. “But I still don’t get how you do it. I mean, right now I don’t get a lot of things, but this is…” She looked over to Tikki who gave her an encouraging look. “I’ve been trying to say this exact thing to you for months and I just couldn’t. How are you doing it almost on a daily basis??”
There was a glint in his eyes that told Marinette her confession didn’t go unnoticed by him. “Everyone copes differently. I have to keep my mouth shut most of the time so when I’m Chat Noir I just say whatever comes to my mind.” He shrugged and pointed at her. “I know you’re more serious about this whole superhero thing. And it’s not that I don’t care, because I do. It’s just that for me getting Plagg and going out as Chat Noir is like finally being free to be myself. Or a different version of myself that I’m not allowed to be when I’m without the mask because my father would kill me.”
And it made sense. Adrien’s been suppressed for so long… getting to sneak out like that must have been a thrill. Which explained their first interaction as Ladybug and Chat Noir. Back then when he didn’t even know enough about his powers, like how Cataclysm was a one-time thing, Marinette was annoyed. But now she actually understood. Adrien heard he could go outside to protect the city after being locked away for so long that he just leaped at the opportunity and got out of there before even letting Plagg finish his explanation.
During Akuma attacks Marinette always assumed Chat Noir was acting so nonchalantly because he was childish or immature. But she was wrong. Adrien is smart and resourceful. Maybe not in the same ways as her, but he could handle a lot of things on his own. Anyway, he could be serious while fighting. He could be just like Cat Walker if he wanted. But then being Chat Noir would be a prison for him just like his everyday life, and –
“Oh my God!” She narrowed her eyes at him and tried to see it. Tried to deny it. “Cat Walker wasn’t a different person, was he?” The guilt appearing on his face was enough an answer for her. “I can’t believe it.” She turned to face Plagg who didn’t even seem bothered by her glare. “You lied to me!”
Plagg rolled his cat eyes. “Oh, please. Sugarcube lied to you too that day. We both agreed that was the best plan. You didn’t need a new Chat Noir and you,” He turned to Adrien who just folded his arms in front of his chest, not exactly like he was trying to protect himself, but… not at ease either. “You weren’t thinking straight. And I didn’t want a new holder. Besides, it all turned out great in the end so what are you all worked out about?”
Marinette pinched her eyes with her fingers and then pointed at the door again. “Just… I’m going to ask my parents.”