Work Text:
Adrien would be fooling everyone else and mainly himself if he said that he felt like celebrating. Which was a pity.
They were free. Hawk Moth was gone. All of Paris was celebrating, but especially all of their classmates who had been targeted by him more than once. This was how he'd been roped into this party at school.
He still wasn't sure what had happened. Su-Han had shown up one day, holding the long missing Miraculouses, saying that their job was done. Typically for him, he didn't tell them anything. He just told them that he'd see each of them at home in half an hour to take their Miraculous.
Adrien had been at a loss. He hadn't expected the end to come like this or so soon. He should have felt relief, but it had been dread that had filled his heart. This was it. He was no longer going to be Chat Noir. He no longer had a reason to be Ladybug's partner. She no longer had a reason to want him nearby.
It was too late to beg her to reveal herself. She'd never wanted to do that. She was probably relieved that she wouldn't have to put up with him anymore.
And still, he waited for her. For a sign. For a word. Anything.
For her part, she looked just as shocked as him. She also seemed to be waiting for something. But their time was soon up and Adrien felt his throat close up at the thought of saying goodbye to her.
"I have to go," she gasped eventually. All of a sudden, Adrien was crushed into a tight hug but before he could blink, she was gone. Forever.
Now Adrien felt lost. Days without Plagg, days without her. He didn't want to feel like that. He wanted to appreciate the new opportunities opening up. To enjoy his freedom. To celebrate.
But he couldn't. All he could do was look for a pair of blue eyes in the crowd.
When to his surprise he found them, he felt hope flare up inside of him before it fizzled out with the realisation that he had already been there. He'd already thought that Marinette was his lady, but he had been wrong.
With a shake of his head, he went outside. He needed the fresh air. To feel alone, not just lonely.
He looked up at the darkening sky and realised that he was hoping to see a familiar silhouette across the rooftops. Of course, it was impossible.
A part of him wanted to go back inside, to dance with Marinette and open up his heart to the future. But he couldn't bring himself to do it.
And then it was too late because he was no longer alone.
"You don't look like you're celebrating," Marinette said quietly. Wasn't it ironic that she had followed him out?
"I didn't want to dampen the mood," he sighed.
"What's wrong?"
"It's... nothing."
"Tell me."
He could tell her, right? Maybe not the whole truth, but some of it. Although, with everything over, would it do anyone any harm if he told Marinette who he had been?
"I had to say goodbye to someone," he started, his eyes still on the sky. "Someone very precious to me."
"I'm sorry."
"I didn't even manage to do it," Adrien shook his head, disappointed in himself. "I was so scared. And then she was gone." He felt a change in the air but didn't pause to consider it. "She's probably glad that I'm gone anyway," he continued. "She was tired of me. I don't blame her. I was tired of myself. But I couldn't help it."
Absentmindedly he rubbed the bare spot on his finger. It felt so strange to be without his ring.
"I'm sure that this is not true," Marinette said quietly, something strange in her voice.
"Oh, trust me, I know that it is," he laughed mirthlessly. "I know her. I used to fool myself that she'd eventually fall in love with me. If I didn't give up. So foolish," he closed his eyes with a tired sigh. "Maybe I didn't even know her. Maybe it was all in my head." It hurt to think this, but there was nothing to convince him in the opposite. "I wanted to believe otherwise. We were just partners, barely friends. After all, I didn't know a thing about her. And yet, I loved her with my whole heart. I still do."
He felt close to tears. But crying wouldn't help. He knew that already. He just had to get over it.
"I'm sorry, Marinette," he forced himself to say. "I shouldn't have dumped all this on you."
Only silence met his words. He looked at her and his alarm grew when he saw tears in her eyes.
"You're wrong," she said, making him frown. What exactly did she mean? "You did know her, you still do," she added. There was something in her eyes, beside the tears, that gave him pause. "I felt it earlier. Now I know why you ran away. You knew that it was me."
This time Adrien couldn't let his heart hope. But he had to know.
"You?"
"Me," she gave him a watery smile. "Your frightened partner." This time he couldn't stop the jolt he felt. "Because I was scared as well," she continued. "I was so afraid that it was too late. That I had finally managed to push you away for real. So I ran away before you could tell me that you no longer wanted to know who I am anyway."
He couldn't believe it.
"M'lady..."
"I'm not done," she shook her head, looking more determined now. "I wanted to feel happy that I could have my life back. That I could think about ordinary things. That I finally had a chance to confess my feelings to the guy who held my heart and hope for a better outcome. This is why I followed you outside," she said in a small voice. Another surprise that made his heart jump in his chest. "But I wasn't happy. I realised that someone else had ran away with half of my heart and now I didn't even have all of it to offer to you. So for the first time I decided to stop thinking about myself and to see how you felt. And here were are."
When their eyes met, he could see in hers the same regret he felt for all the missed opportunities.
"I'm sorry. I should have seen it," he whispered.
"No, kitty," she cried out. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let you go."
This time he didn't say anything, he just opened his arms to her. When she fell into them, he finally felt the relief he'd craved for so long.
"It's not too late." He murmured in her hair.
"Are you sure?"
"Everyone deserves a second chance, even without magic involved," he smiled ruefully.
"Oh, Adrien."
"I hope we'd need just one take this time. If you want to, of course."
"I do. There is nothing I want more."
It was surreal to finally see in her eyes what he'd always wanted to see there. He lifted a hand to her red cheek, the contact another reassurance that she was there, she was real. She closed her eyes and leaned into the touch, while also moving closer. It was an invitation he couldn't resist.
The kiss wasn't as tentative as he would have expected. He needed to show her just how much he loved her and he couldn't hold back. But the way she kissed him back told him that she felt the same way. This time they were on the same page. This boded well for the future.
"Now it's really time to celebrate," he said when they finally came up for air.
"I agree," she smiled happily.