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“Hey.”
“Hi.”
They were seventeen, wide awake in the biting chill at two in the morning. Their classmates were asleep, while Chat Noir stood next to Marinette Dupain-Cheng on her rooftop balcony.
“Tell me a secret?”
She raises an eyebrow. “That’s a little unfair that the secret superhero is asking me to share mine.”
“I’ll share a secret.”
“But-“
“It won’t be anything personal - well, it will - but nobody even knows my secrets other than me.”
Marinette looks at him skeptical, but Chat keeps his gentle smile steady. “Okay.” She finally replies, leaning over the black Victorian railing.
“When I was fourteen, and absolutely stupid-“
“Just when you were fourteen?”
Marinette punches his arm. Chat yelps in surprise, not because he didn’t see the hit coming, but because she was pretty strong to make his arm tingle behind the magical protective suit.
“Anyways,” Marinette continues. “I had a huge crush on this boy, but I could never tell him how I felt.”
“Why not?” Chat asked, very interested. That was the first year he attended public school and he remembers clearly how Marinette was the most sought out girl in their grade.
She still is.
“No, like I literally couldn’t tell him how I felt. I gained so much confidence at the beginning of that school year. I finally stood up to Chloé Bourgeois who tormented me for many years prior. I, uh…got this new ability to be a quick problem solver, but no matter what I couldn’t figure out how to get a simple sentence out to him.”
Chat’s not trying to be hopeful, he learned to be realistic after finally accepting that him and Ladybug will just be friends. However in the last year, Marinette has slowly but surely made a way into his heart.
So if he greatly recalls every moment Marinette was stumbling with her words and feet around him three years ago, he stubbornly tries to dim the spark. The idea that Marinette likes him.
Then another realization occurred. Marinette was no longer shy or nervous around him. It’s what made him finally realize his feelings for the girl, but if Adrien had truly been the boy that Marinette liked, then that means it was only in the past. She had liked him.
His heart deflated like a balloon.
“My best friend really tried to convince me to ask him out, but you know what I ended up doing?”
Chat shrugs in response.
“I helped him set up a date with another girl!”
Marinette had helped him set up a date with Kagami, but Marinette also helped a lot of other people with love related issues.
“And that’s not the worst part, I showed up as a double date because he asked me to!” She groans into her hands.
She could’ve been on other double dates.
“We went to the ice rink, and I made a complete fool of myself! Arghhh!!” Marinette dramatically drags her feet to the foldable lounge chair and slumps into the seat.
Chat’s half aware that she’s still rambling about that embarrassing moment, but he couldn't really focus with the air travelling back into his lungs, and his heart inflating again. If Marinette is still so hung up about that, perhaps she still has a thing for Adrien.
His smile glows like the moon.
—
They were seventeen, and were alone in a waiting room, awkwardly waiting for their scheduled interview, or rather interviews in Adrien’s case. He had a marketing interview for the next Gabriel collection right before he was supposed to show up as Chat for a brief interview with Ladybug.
Who is sitting a few chairs away to his right.
There weren't many times in which Ladybug had been around his civilian self, but when she had been, Ladybug acted foreign to how she normally would around Chat.
Gone was the banter, the eye rolls, the playful quips that she would make with Chat, Instead, a nervous, shy, and almost flustered Ladybug replaced in the models presence.
It somewhat made him annoyed, when he was in love with her. Of course she would have a small celebrity crush on him in his civilian form.
“Can I ask you something?” The words come out of his mouth before he can stop himself.
Ladybug jerks her head towards him, her lips pursed. “Hm?”
“Why did you act nervous around me whenever we would encounter each other for the past few years.”
A blush blossoms on her cheeks. “I, uh.” She clears her throat. “You typically were in danger and I was just nervous because it’s my duty to make sure civilians are safe!”
Adrien raised an eyebrow, and Ladybug harmlessly glared at him.
There’s the Ladybug I know.
“Okay, truth is,” She sits up a little straighter. “I had a huge crush on you.”
The statement rang an alarm bell in his head, but Adrien couldn’t figure out why it was going off in the first place.
“Wow. I can’t believe the Ladybug had a crush on me.” Adrien mutters
“Yeah, well don’t get too cocky. My heart belongs to another.”
That was the first time he heard that. Ladybug had become more lenient of their secret identities, but she didn’t tell him she’s in a relationship? He’s not jealous, not in the way he would;ve been years ago, but he does feel sad that his best friend kept something like that from him, but not from his civilian self.
“I’m happy for you.” He swallows the bitterness in his throat.
“Hm?” She replies absent mindedly.
“I, er, am happy that you're in a good relationship.”
“Oh I’m not dating anyone!”
“Oh…” Adrien rubs his neck in embarrassment.
Ladybug frowns at the tile floor. “Yeah, I would love to be with him, but there are just so many problems that could go wrong. Plus, I’m not sure if I should tell him.”
“Why not?”
“He’s…”
“Adrien Agreste?”
A woman wearing a white blouse and navy blue pencil skirt walks out of the double doors near the elevators. Adrien gives Ladybug one last polite smile and disappears from the waiting room.
He had been the boy all along, or at least, he’s assuming he was. How funny, ironic, and cruel that Ladybug did really love him, just not him as Chat Noir.
Whatever. It doesn’t matter anymore. Maybe younger Adrien wouldn’t mind too much, but the bitterness of Ladybug rejecting someone so close just for a celebrity she didn’t know was enough to make him a bit angry at her. Even though he knows he shouldn’t be. It doesn’t matter anymore anyways.
Then a sudden thought occurred to him. What if it wasn’t a celebrity crush? What if she was someone he knew?
That idea was swept away as Adrien met up with the interviewer.
—
They were seventeen, and were watching the sunset disappear into the horizon on top of the Eiffel tower. Patrols have become more relaxed since Papillon had akumatized people less frequently. In recent months, Ladybug has finally felt like she was able to enjoy her superhero job. Without all the pressure and stress, she could bask in the comfort of the weekly patrols with Chat Noir.
Truth is, something has changed. Rather, Ladybug had become aware of her feelings for her partner. It had always been there, but was brushed away with the anxiety that came with the realization. A little older, a bit more mature, Ladybug thinks she no longer has anything to fear.
“Chat,” She turns her head and smiles. “Can I ask you to tell me the truth about something?”
“Depends. Will you truthfully ask me the truth?” He asks, gazing at the people hundreds of feet below them.
Ladybug snorts, but continues. “This is serious.”
Chat finally turns his head and looks at her. Her heart thumps wildly while his green eyes study her own blue ones. Her heart also may be racing because of her next question.
“Do you still love me?” She breathes out.
His eyes briefly widen, then narrow and Ladybug begins to feel like this was a bad idea. Chat hadn’t been expressive with his feelings for a while. Perhaps he was secretly angry at her?
Chat Noir swallows, then glances away from her. Ladybug’s stomach drops.
“I love someone else. I think I have for a while now.”
“Oh.” She attempts to not sound disappointed.
“Why?” He looks at her again.
This time she looks away, shielding her face from his sight to hide the tears forming in her eyes. “Because I love you.”
Ladybug doesn’t know what he’s thinking, she probably could if she’d just look at him, but embarrassment and self pity convinces her not to.
After a minute or two he finally answers.
“I’m sorry.”
—
They were seventeen and nearing the end of the school year. Their class took a trip to the Louvre for history related reasons, but the trip ended up just being a big hang out with all of their friends. With the last year of Lycee nearing around the corner, and Marinette’s classmates focusing on the beginnings of their careers, she’s had less time to catch up with them outside of school.
Afterwards, Marinette, Alya, Nino and Adrien all went out to find Andre’s ice cream. Marinette and Adrien weren't getting any – Adrien being on a model diet, and Marinette being too sad from last night's patrol. So the two sat on a bench while they waited for Alya and Nino to buy their ice cream.
“Are you okay Marinette?” Adrien asks, startling the girl.
“Yeah, yeah! Everything is fine.” She weakly smiles.
“Then why are you skipping out on some yummy ice cream?”
“Why are you?” She says defensibly.
“Well, I’m a model. I have to keep up my good looks.” He flicks his hair with a brush of his fingers for dramatics.
Marinette snorts. “Adrien, you could eat my parents' entire bakery, and still look good.”
“Yeah well,” He sadly smiles. “My father would disagree.”
She places her hand over his. An action that would've been impossible for her to do years ago. Marinette gives him a sympathetic smile that he reciprocates.
She curiously takes note of the blush blooming on his face.
“Why are you sad Marinette?”
“I’m not sad.” She removes her hand.
He doesn’t push any further, waiting for her to either continue or change the conversation.
“Can I ask for some advice?”
He grins. “Of course!”
Marinette unconsciously begins fidgeting with her left earring. “What would you do if you realized you loved someone who has been open about their feelings for you for years, but when you say something it’s too late.
Adrien frowns. “There’s not much you can really do. I learned the hard way that you can’t force someone to love you. So I would just continue to love in silence until I hopefully move on.”
He stares longingly into her bluebell eyes. “Maybe one day they’ll learn to love me again.”
Marinette begins to wonder if Adrien has, or is experiencing this. The way he’s observing her…
Is she delusional to think that he may be referring to her?
She clears her throat and looks down at her flats hovering above the wooden boards of the floor.
“Can I ask who you’re talking about?”
She hurriedly thinks of a way to talk about Chat Noir without saying Chat Noir. “Oh, just this guy that I, er, uh…have late talks with! Yeah, uhm, he’s my best friend, and I’m scared that I’ll lose him.”
Marinette looks back up at Adrien and is met with a shocked expression plastered all over his face. Like he’s seeing a different version of her. “Adrien, are you okay?”
He opens and closes his mouth. Then licks his lips. ”Marinette–”
“Hey dudes! Missed us? That line took forever!”
The rest of the night Marinette avoids any one on one conversations with Adrien, but the whole time she can feel his eyes considering her in a new light.
—
They were seventeen, and unaware how the future is about to change.
He knows.
The dots connected yesterday evening when Adrien had that conversation with Marinette. The scenario she was explaining was way too similar to what happened with him and Ladybug at patrol two nights ago. Chat fell out of love with Ladybug, She fell in love with him.
Marinette fell out of love with Adrien, he fell in love with her.
Marinette loves Chat. Chat loves Marinette.
Adrien still loves Ladybug. Marinette, unknowingly, still loves Adrien
They were in a damn love square.
If he’d thought the universe was being cruel the other day before his interviews, then now the universe was vicious.
“You never told me a secret.”
“Huh?” Chat tilts his head to look up at Marinette who is braiding little strands of his hair.
“Last Monday you promised you would share yours if I shared mine.
“Oh, right.”
“So pay up. What’s the dorky superhero’s secret?”
“Hey!” He pouts.”I’m not dorky, I’m smart–y.”
She snorts. “Okay Mr. Smarty, spill your deepest secret.”
He taps a claw finger on her nose. “Oh you would love to know my deepest secret.”
‘What is it? You’re actually from the future and traveled back in time to torment Marinette Dupain-Cheng with your awful puns because future me makes fun of you.”
“Present you makes fun of me.”
“Like I said.” She smirks. “Dorky.”
A few seconds of the wind breezing passes between them. Marinette continues to braid some of his hair, and then takes it apart just to repeat the action again.
“Uh, Marinette, this is less of a secret but more of a question.”
“Okay?” She says skeptically.
“So, hypothetical, what would you do if the boy you had a crush on—“
Her fingers freeze. “You like boys?”
“What? No, I’m talking about the boy you had a crush on and went on that double date with.”
“Why?” She removes her fingers from his hair, and he almost whines like a kid.
“Will you just let me finish?”
Marinette huffs and then nods.
“Okay, what would you do if that boy, ended up being your superhero partner that you started having feelings for? And what if that same boy, who loved your superhero persona, now loved your civilian self? What would you do? Hypothetically…maybe.”
Chat’s shoulders tense waiting for an answer. He witnesses the puzzle begin to connect in her brain, probably slowing down and repeating what he just said.
“Marinette-”
“I’d think I’d kiss him.” She glances at his lips and looks back up at him.
“Well what are you waiting for M’lady?”
Swiftly, Marinette reaches for his bell, pulling him up to his feet, until he’s now above her. She hesitates for a few seconds and then pulls him to meet her lips. Chat cradles her head, and his other hand gently holds her elbow. The clarity of their identities spill into the desperate kiss, tender, yet passionately.
When they break apart to catch their breath, Chat moves his hands to hold her waist, eager to never let her go. They just stare at each other, still in shock from the overdue kiss, from everything.
“Sorry for making you go on a double date with me, well you weren’t with me but, y’know.” He says awkwardly.
Marinette punches his arms.
“Ow! Now I understand how you’re so strong!”
“I can’t believe you let me unknowingly confess to you twice!” She yells without any anger.
He sheepishly grins. “To be fair, I wasn’t really sure who you were referring to both times! You never said a name.”
Marinette bites her lower lips and turns her head away to gaze at the city. Chat restrains the temptation to use his thumb to pull her lip out from her teeth.
“Sorry.” She suddenly says.
“Huh? Why?”
“I was too late. I never realized how comforting it is just to be around you until you stopped being close around me. I love you Chat. I really do.” She turns back to face him. “This may sound a little too much, but being around you feels like home. There’s nowhere else, no one else, that makes me feel so safe and loved.”
“That doesn't sound like too much.”
“Really.”
“Yeah.” He replies. “You know I’ve always been the happiest when I’m with you. All of you.”
Marinette brings the back of her hand to hide her flush. “I, uh…you never told me that.”
“I had told Ladybug. Numerous times. ” Chat reaches and and grasps ahold of her hand, bringing it down from her face.
“Adrien.”
“Yes?”
“Can I kiss you again?”
He quickly nods, which produces a giggle from her.
They were seventeen, and as sure as the moon and stars in the sky, that they were never letting each other go.