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Alya awoke to a distant rumbling, seeing Marinette lying across from her. Even though she had her own bed, she insisted on sleeping on the floor with her when they had sleepovers.
Alya blinked. Marinette was always so beautiful, especially in the moonlight. It was nearing winter, and Alya would put up with the cold if it meant getting to see Marinette at night more.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the rumbling growing closer. She grabbed her glasses from beside her and reached over to shake Marinette.
“Mari, get up. Something’s happening,” she warned.
“Huh?” Marinette said, slowly blinking.
A loud crash shook the building, causing Alya to brace herself against the ground. The structure creaked and groaned around them.
“What’s going on?” Marinette cried, jolted awake.
Alya ran to the window, seeing a giant ice cream monster freezing people in place.
“It’s Glaciator!” she replied, watching him jump over the river to terrorise the other side of Paris.
Marinette rushed to the window.
“Well, there goes our sleepover,” Alya joked.
They watched Chat Noir jump past, running after Glaciator.
“Ladybug! I sure hope you’re not giving me the cold shoulder!” Chat joked, jumping around Glaciator’s blasts.
Alya turned to Marinette.
“Welp, time to be Ladybug right?” Alya said.
Marinette smiled slightly, and turned her head, pointing to her ear. “You still haven’t noticed.”
Alya stared at Marinette’s bare earlobes. Finally piecing together why she hadn’t heard from Tikki today.
Alya gasped, “w-what happened?!”
“Coming Chat Noir!” came a voice from outside. Alya turned to see a girl in a pink superhero suit, running along the rooftops. She had blonde hair with pink highlights, tied back into a bun.
“That’s…”
“Cœurcinelle, apparently,” Marinette said. “She did a secret patrol yesterday, but I purposefully knew where to look. Surprised you didn’t see it.”
“But, why?”
Marinette shrugged, and sat down on the floor again. Alya sitting down beside her.
“Tikki said it was over. That I’d been an exceptional holder but the strain was too much,” Marinette said, not meeting Alya’s eyes.
Alya knew Marinette was lying. Or, at the very least hiding something. There was no way she was this calm and collected over what had been her single goal for the past however many months.
“And?” Alya probed.
“And what?” Marinette retorted.
Alya groaned at her stubbornness.
“You gave up being Ladybug! The protector of the city! That’s gotta be emotional. Surely you're sad, or anxious, or something?”
Marinette shrugged.
“I mean, sure, but I know what comes next, and there are reasons to be happy.”
Alya stared dumbfounded, as Marinette drew closer.
“I mean, it might be less stressful, but even then. What possible reason could you have to be happier?”
Marinette leaned in closer. Alya looked directly into Marinette’s eyes. She could feel her breath quicken as Mari looked at her lips.
“This,” Marinette said, kissing Alya on the lips.