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Marinette had never thought that this moment would come.
Looking at Chat’s lifeless form, she could only feel dread. It had been scary before that, to watch Paris burn and to be running for their lives, but then he had been there with her, giving her strength. Now…
It was so wrong. To be calling him and not have him answer. To see his eyes remain stubbornly closed.
She’d never felt such pain. It was not physical, the cuts and bruises and aching muscles could heal. This was something else. This was a loss that ran too deep. So deep, she hadn’t been able to comprehend it before.
To imagine her life without Chat, it was unthinkable. She hadn’t even known him for that long, but the bond they had and what they shared went beyond time.
The pain was also accompanied by regret. She shouldn’t have hesitated. She shouldn’t have waited. She should have given him a chance. She should have kissed him when she could.
She had wasted time daydreaming about Adrien and now it was too late.
Or it was about to be.
She didn’t hear the footsteps behind her on time. She was bent over Chat, her hands cradling his cheeks, helplessly calling his name and getting no answer. Even knowing that Hawk Moth was there, she couldn’t bring herself to care.
So when he suddenly yanked her Miraculous off her ears and she transformed right there, the first feeling was shock.
“Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Well, well, well.”
The voice was so haughty and so belittling, it made her feel sick to her stomach. She wanted to give in. To feel the way he wanted her to feel. To give up. It would be easier. But she couldn’t.
“You won’t have him,” she growled, even though she knew that she was completely vulnerable and not much help to Chat. Her hand gripped Chat’s, seeking courage. He still didn’t react.
“You’re just an ordinary girl with no powers,” Hawk Moth sneered.
And this was where he was wrong. Tikki had put her faith in her. Master Fu had trusted her. There was more to her than a magical jewel.
Marinette, simple, ordinary Marinette, was going to save Chat even if it was the last thing she did. She could see the truth now. She loved him and no sacrifice would be too big for him.
She just needed a moment to collect herself.
This was when a sharp gasp made her look up. She realised that she was gripping Chat’s hand too hard and had dislodged his ring, making it slip. With horror, she watched the mask around his eyes disappear to leave behind Adrien. Her Adrien.
She didn’t have time to assimilate this beyond the instant happiness. She now knew. It was him. Of course it was him.
The sound of her earrings hitting the ground shouldn’t have been so loud. But she was hyper aware of everything around her. And she didn’t waste time.
She reached for the earrings and without pausing to put them on, she gathered Chat in her arms and made a run for it. This wasn't as easy without superpowers but she called on all her strength.
A gush of water startled her where she had expected fire. The city was now not only burning but also flooded. This was in a way better.
She threw herself from that rooftop, clinging to Chat and hoping that they would somehow survive. To her surprise, she felt him respond to the touch, holding her tightly as they fell.
“Marinette,” he whispered. He wouldn’t have heard him if his lips weren’t right next to her ear. He knew. Well, this was even better.
The shock of the water hitting her was almost too much. It was everywhere. With one arm holding onto Chat and praying for him to hold on for one more minute, she scrambled to put on the earrings.
She wasn’t giving up, not even close. She just needed to take Chat away. As soon as she found a dry spot where she dragged him out, she turned around to survey the area.
Hawk Moth was still where she had left him. She still had no idea what had happened. Why seeing Chat without a mask had shaken him so bad that he’d lost the advantage he had.
“Lucky Charm!” She called out.
The fabric that fell into her hands made her frown. It was just a piece of cloth with the Gabriel logo on it. It was nothing and yet it made her mind spin.
Gabriel Agreste. Adrien Agreste. What would shock the villain more than seeing that he had been fighting his own son?
She had the clue she needed. She could take advantage of his surprise. She could win. For Adrien.
“I’ll be right back,” she leaned in, her lips brushing his cheek. He didn’t respond.
With a swing of her yo-yo, she was back on that rooftop.
“Gabriel Agreste, give me your Miraculous,” she said, trying to sound braver than she felt. This was her only chance.
“Adrien, what did I do to Adrien?” He muttered, his eyes almost unseeing. She was afraid that he was losing his mind.
“He will be alright. Hurry up so I can repair all this,” she said briskly.
After a moment that felt like an eternity, she heard the butterfly brooch hit the ground. It left behind a shell of a man.
Marinette didn’t care about this. She gripped the Miraculous and shoved it into her yo-yo before throwing her Lucky Charm in the air.
She was running even before she was done saying the words. Even as the Miraculous ladybugs repaired everything around her, she had eyes only for the lone figure she had left behind. The last thing she saw was him take a deep breath and open his eyes. Then tears blurred her vision but she still found him and threw her arms around him.
“Kitty, oh kitty,” she sobbed.
“Shh, it’s ok,” he said.
“I was so scared. You… “
“I’m here. You did it.”
She had done it. Around them, the ruins disappeared and Paris emerged under the blue sky. But she didn’t really care about this. She had all she cared about in her arms.
“M’lady.. Was this a dream?”
When she pulled back, the guarded look in his eyes told her enough. He remembered. But he needed her confirmation that it was alright.
“No, Adrien,” she smiled through the tears. “It was real.”
“Marinette,” he smiled back.
She couldn’t take it anymore.
It was instinct that helped her lips find his. This was the only thing she needed. It might not be the perfect first kiss she had imagined so many times, but it was real. It was real because she could feel his surprise give way to delight.
“I love you,” she gasped when she could force herself to disengage from him. “I always have. But I should have admitted my feelings sooner. I almost lost you.”
“Oh, m’lady,” he sighed, pulling her into another tight hug. They had to talk more, but for now, this would work. “Wait, what about Hawk Moth?” He asked, suddenly remembering.
“I have bad news, Adrien,” Marinette said gently. “But we’re going to deal with this together, ok? Do you trust me?”
His answer was everything she needed.
“Always.”
She knew that she was going to do her best to help him recover after this shock. He needed her and she was going to be there for him.