Archive of Our Own

Marinette walks into school, her arms wrapped around the pile of book that she can’t fit in her bag anymore, shuffling her feet awkwardly through the halls and to her locker to try and tetris her books in a way the makes it so she doesn’t have to carry them around the entire day. She nearly jumps when the feels a tap on her shoulder (every day, she misses the heightened senses that being in her ladybug costume gives her). Marinette yelps as she spins around, glaring at her best friend when she registers Alya’s smirk. 

“So, Marinette, I saw the news,” Alya leans in closer to Marinette, trying to keep her voice down. “You seem like you were busy over the weekend.” She obnoxiously wraggles her eyebrows. Marinette groans and slams her locker door shut, making sure it stays closes before dignifying Alya with a response.

“You were busy, I couldn’t ask you to help.” Marinette sighs. Alya shakes her head.

“Nuh uh uh, that is not what I am talking about.” Alya gives Marinette a pointed look.

“Can we talk about later?” Marinette requests, her eyes flashing around the hallway. Alya merely smirks in response. “How did you even know about that? It’s not like there were any cameras there.” Alya shrugs, still grinning.

“I have my ways.” She responds, her words taking on a sing-songy tone. Marinette turns away and starts walking to their first classroom, not looking back to see if Alya is following. 

“They’re just… nice? Okay?” Marinette shrugs sheepishly, turning her gaze to the tile they’re walking on. Alya bumps Marinette’s shoulder. 

“Are you gonna do anything about it?” She asks, her teasing edge nearly disappearing entirely. Marinette takes a breath.

“I don’t know. They’re already together and… I’ve never felt anything like this for a girl before– or really, anyone. Even Adrian.” Marinette admits quietly, as if she’s ashamed about that. The two of them walk into the room, ignoring Chloe, who follows close behind them, as they sit in their normal spots in the classroom, setting up their desks as they talk. Alya hums understandingly.

“I think that you should at least think about it.” Marinette nods, watching as Chloe stands in front of their table instead of going to her own.

“Well, I think it’s weird that you like a girl.” Chloe scoffs. Marinette averts her gaze, trying not to let Chloe’s words affect her. Alya looks at Chloe with anger in her eyes. 

“I think you should mind your own business. There is nothing wrong with liking someone of the same gender.” Alya defends. Chloe opens her mouth, as if she wants to retort, but after a moment, she closes it, clenching her fists and letting out an annoyed, muffled scream before stomping away, her cheeks going bright red. She plops down in her seat angrily, crossing her arms with a huff, refusing to look back at them. Alya leans closer to Marinette.

“God, she’s so spoiled.” Alya rolls her eyes. Marinette absentmindedly hums in agreement. She knew that, once she actually started telling people other than her best friend, there would be a lot of people who won’t like it, but it still doesn’t feel good to be told that what she feels is wrong. Marinette shakes her head to rid herself of those thoughts, focusing as much as she can on the teacher’s lecture. She ignores the glances that Chloe sends her throughout the class, diligently taking notes (despite not understanding or processing a single word that’s being said nor written). She sighs in relief when the first bell rings, packing up and rushing out of the room to try and escape the suffocating tension.

~~~

Ladybug stands on the Gotham skyline, staring out into the dark, polluted streets below. She hears a sound behind her, spinning around and instinctively lashing out, throwing her yo-yo and wrapping it around the figure that stands in front of her. The dark figure tilts their head curiously. Ladybug freezes. 

“You are here.” The figure states. Ladybug stays silent, waiting for the figure to make the first move. She sees a flash of colour in her peripheral vision, and moments later, a familiar purple frame lands beside the darkened figure. Ladybug smiles.

“Hi.” She says awkwardly. Spoiler grin through her mask (Ladybug can see it from the way her eyes crinkle).

“I was starting to think you weren’t gonna come visit us.” Spoiler teases. Ladybug laughs nervously.

“Yeah, uh, sorry about that. I’ve been busy the past few days…” She trails off, her eyes bouncing around the rooftop as anxiety swirls in her gut. Spoiler huffs amusedly.

“Don’t worry about it, I’m just teasing ya’. You don’t gotta be so nervous, we’re all girls here.” Spoiler smirks as she moves closer to Ladybug. Ladubug squeaks.

“That’s why I’m so nervous.” She responds, her voice strained. Spoiler lets out a full laugh, laying a gentle hand on Ladybug’s shoulder, and keeping it there when Ladybug doesn’t move away. 

“I get that, trust me. When I first broke up with Red and started making moves on BB here, I was the most awkward person ever. Whenever I saw her, my face would go bright red and I ran away more than a few times.” Spoiler sucks air through her teeth, embarrassed at the things she once did, before glancing at Black Bat, who’s nodding along with her.

“Spoiler was… less than confident, then.” Black Bat says solemnly. Ladybug raises her eyebrows.

“Really?” Spoiler smiles gently.

“Yeah. Plus, it was my first time courting a girl. So there is that.” Ladybug nods understandingly, but turns her gaze to Black Bat.

“What about you?” She asks awkwardly. Spoiler laughs once more at that.

“BB was stoic as ever,” Ladybug frowns at that, “but, I did get her flustered a few time. As indifferent as she acts most of the time, she does still feel nervous every once in a while. She’s just really good at hiding it.” Spoiler explains. Ladybug nods slowly.

“I see.” She says, standing a little taller and letting a gentle smile dance on her lips. “Wanna show me around Gotham?” She asks nervously, a boyish smile growing on her face when the other two nod. 

~~~

Ladybug runs through the Gotham, adrenaline shooting through veins as she and the other two (literally) chase down a lead. Black Bat and Spoiler were investigating a drug ring that were supposedly getting a shipment at the docs, and they decided to let Ladybug tag along. The people they’re chasing, three men in fully black attire, weave through the alleyways and streets with practiced mastery, nearly losing the three vigilante/heroes more than a few times, but they always get sight of the men after a few moments.

Black Bat jumps to the side, cutting the men off in an alleyway as Ladybug and Spoiler catch up, landing behind the men to prevent their escape. 

“Y’know, it’s really stupid to be sellin’ drugs in this area. Don’t you know that Red Hood patrols this area? You clearly don’t have any rules against kids.” Spoiler mocks, slowly closing in on the group. Ladybug watches as fear creeps into the men’s eyes. She can tell that Spoiler and Black Bat have done this before, having the fear tactic down to a T. One of the men even let out a little whimper, and Ladybug has to hold down an amused snort.

“We’re sorry! We’re sorry, we promise, we thought we could stay off of Hood’s radar, we’re sorry!” One of the men cry. Spoiler hums condescendingly. 

“You should know that no one can stay under his radar. The Alley is loyal to him, and walls talk. No matter how sly you are, he will find you.” Spoiler replies, her tone threatening and ominous. The men shiver. 

“Who do you work for?” Black Bat questions. The men stay silent.

“She asked,” Spoiler grabs one of their arms and yanks it, the man gasping in pain as she twists it in an unnatural direction, “who you work for.” The man audibly sobs.

“Jackson Douglas,” the man finally chokes out, crying when Spoiler drops his arm, the man crashing down to the ground. Ladybug recognizes the name as a drug lord that’s been rising in the ranks recently, remembering that Spoiler has mentioned him before.

“When is the next shipment?” Black Bat inquires. 

“N-next week, Thursday at midnight.” The man gulps. Black Bat nods, grappling away without another word. Ladybug looks at Spoiler, who nods and tilts her head towards the roof that Black Bat stands on. The two join her up there, leaving the three men for the police to grab, racing off into the night to finish their patrol with a third, red flavored hero by their side. 

~~~

Batman drops in from the shadows, the other three vigilante/heroes freezing in their tracks. 

“‘Sup, Batsy.” Spoiler greets, wraggling her eyebrows at him.

“Spoiler.” Batman states stoically, glancing between the two bats and their guest. “Who is that?” He asks, although it sounds more like a statement. Spoiler groans theatrically.

“Don’t be like that, old man. She’s a friend.” Spoiler tries. Batman hums tentatively, making eye contact with the young, Parisian hero. Ladybug shift under the weight of his analytical gaze. 

“You know the rule, Spoiler. No metas in Gotham.” He reminds her, his voice gruff, taking on a familiar edge that he only uses when he’s trying to intimidate someone. Spoiler huffs, elbowing his side gently. 

“She is a friend. Last I checked, Superman was allowed in Gotham.” Spoiler retorts. Batman grunts.

“He isn’t if he tries to help. He is only allowed here in his civilian identity.” Batman locks eyes with Spoiler, the two holding eye content, both staring at each other, unblinking.

“If it, uh, helps, I’m not a meta. I don’t have any powers or anything.” Ladybug tries to say through the tense air that surrounds them, the other two turning their gaze to her curiously. 

“You have powers, clearly. At least, your… yo-yo, does.” Batman observes. Ladybug shakes her head, but freezes after a moment.

“Technically, yes? But I only get the powers while I’m wearing the suit, and once I use my yo-yo’s powers, then I only have five minutes to incapacitate the akumatized victim, catch the Akuma, revert it back to it’s unpowered state, and revert everything to how it was before the akumatized victim appeared.” Ladybug tries to explain. The two bats only look at her with confusion sprawled on their faces, though.

“That sounds… stressing.” Black Bat says, causing Ladybug to jump, a yelp escaping her throat as she startles.

“Oh my gosh! I forgot you were there," Ladybug blurts out, embarrassment crawling up her face as she realizes what she said. Spoiler laughs, pity lacing the sound.

“You get used to her creeping up on you after a while, don’t worry,” Spoiler says with a wink. Batman, though, remains unmoving, not even flinching at Black Bat’s sudden appearance. 

“She is trustworthy. She is allowed here.” Black Bat states, looking straight into Batman’s unnerving cowl, right to where is eyes likely are. Batman merely grunts once more, his posture giving off unsure vibes.

“Batman, she’s with us. Don’t chase her out of Gotham quite yet.” Spoiler adds on, her voice growing soft as she places a hand on Batman’s shoulder reassuringly. He grunts again, although this time, much warmer. 

“So long as she does not cause any problems, she may stay.” Batman finally gives in, a barely-there smile growing on his face when the two teenage bats cheer. 

“Thanks, B! C’mon, Ladybug, lets go kick some criminal butt!” Spoiler enthusiastically grins, hopping over to Ladybug and grasping her hand, pulling her over to the ledge of the building before grappling off, Ladybug and Black Bat following closely after her. 

~~~

“What would we even do for a date if, like, we don’t know each other’s identities?” Ladybug asks innocently, her legs dangling from the roof, the other two girls on either side of her. Spoiler shrugs.

“We could just do what I did with Red. Go out on normal dates with no regard over what others think.” Spoiler offers. Ladybug hums, weighing that option in her head. 

“Bat Burger.” Black Bat meaningfully contributes to the conversation. Spoiler gasps dramatically.

“Yes! You’ve probably never been to Bat Burger before; we need to change that!” Spoiler exclaims, jumping up from her spot on the roof. Ladybug looks at her, confused, scrambling to stand up when Spoiler holds out a hand for her. 

“What, right now?” Ladybug questions, baffled. Spoiler nods her head eagerly, dragging Ladybug across the roof. 

“There’s one, like, not even a block away. We should go right now! We deserve a little treat for working so hard.” Spoiler grin excitedly, much akin to an overeager puppy, while Black Bat merely begins to lead the way. The trio climb down the fire escape, running through the streets with adrenaline coursing through their veins. Spoiler slides up to a glass door, holding it open for the other two, playfully bowing when Ladybug thanks her. Ladybug looks around the establishment, the smell of grease lingering heavily in the air as the tired employee greets them monotonously, their words sounding like they’ve been rehearsed hundreds of times.

“Welcome to Bat Burger, what can I get you today?” Black Bat glides over to the register, pointing at the bat-meal on the menu. The cashier (which, now that Ladybug is closer, she can see the name tag that reads ‘Leo’) clicks something on the screen, then turns to Spoiler and Ladybug expectantly. 

“I was the same as BB, a Bat-meal with Robin Nuggets and Jokerized fries, please.” Spoiler smiles softly. The cashier, or Leo, nods while Ladybug stares at the menu, her mouth open slightly as her eyebrows furrow.

“What… are these names?” Ladybug asks, confusion lacing her words, her french accent giving her a slight lisp. Spoiler nods, understanding the look that the out-of-context names give the menu, ignoring the baffled look that Leo sends them.

“A tourist? We don’t get many of those.” Leo remarks, sounding uninterested despite choosing to engage in conversation. Ladybug looks at the cashier, an unclear expression crossing her face. Ladybug looks down at her own costume, then at Leo’s, questions running through her head at a mile a minute. She very clearly is not a civilian, wearing a skin tight, polkadot suit with a domino mask concealing her eyes. Do these employees get superheroes from other places often? So much so that they are unfazed by Ladybug’s presence as an actual superhero, only that she isn’t from Gotham? Or do they just not care? And are the bats such common customers at their establishment that the employees are able to serve them just like any other customer? As if they are any other customer?

“Not a tourist,” Ladybug replies slowly. Leo nods, seemingly accepting her answer.

“Yeah, she’s here for us,” Spoiler winks, nudging Ladybug’s shoulder and quietly cooing when a blush grows on her face. “Anyway, the foods are all named after either us bats or the rogues, like the Robin Nuggets are after Robin, and the Mr. Freeze’s, like the Mr. Oreo Freeze and Mr. Vanilla Freeze, are all named after Mr. Freeze, one of the rogues.” Spoiler explains.

“You are quite dedicated to your theming, aren’t you,” Ladybug chuckles, glancing at Leo before focusing her gaze back on the menu. “I suppose I will just get what the other two are having, as well.” She nervously decides. Spoiler nods approvingly as Black Bat pays Leo with a single (presumably large) bill, telling them to keep the change. 

“The Robin Nuggets are the best thing here.” Spoiler claims as they make their way to one of the faux-leather-covered booths. Black Bat shakes her head vehemently. 

“Freeze.” She states, narrowing her eyes at Spoiler, who merely slides into the booth, Ladybug following closely behind. 

“Maybe next time, I’ll try one and give you my opinion,” Ladybug smiles gently, speaking before Spoiler has a chance to retort back. The two other girls look at her.

“Next time, huh?” Spoiler grins obnoxiously. Ladybug sputters, trying to explain herself, but Black Bat quiets them.

“I think we would love to take you here again.” Black Bat quietly says, giving Ladybug a small, but genuine, smile. Ladybug’s face turns red, the small whine that escapes her only serving to make her even more flustered. Spoiler merely nods seriously.

“Yes, if you’d like, we do want to take you out again. If you want.” Spoiler specifies. Ladybug glances at the two, trying to gauge if they’re being serious or not. She doesn’t see any hint of them not being genuine.

“I’d really like that.” She accepts quietly, a shy smile adorning her lips. The other two let out a small, relieved puff of air, visibly deflating. “Plus, I think that’s the longest sentence you’ve ever said to me,” she teases Black Bat. The aforementioned Bat blushes, her cheeks visible now that her mask is pulled down just enough to eat.

“We’re glad. Now, try your food and tell us what you think.” Spoiler smiles before changing the subject, pointing at the food that Leo places in front of them.

~~~

Ladybug eyes the other two girls suspiciously as they lead her through the woods surrounding Gotham.

“Where are you guys taking me?” She asks curiously. Spoiler chuckles, humming brightly to herself, but not providing Ladybug with an answer.

“See soon.” Black Bat states determinedly, pushing some shrubbery to the side and holding it there while Spoiler leads Ladybug through the path. 

“We’re gonna get lost. I’m sure of it.” Ladybug states solemnly. 

“We are not going to get lost. Me and C-” Spoiler pauses, “me and Black Bat have made the trek countless times. We know where we’re going.” Spoiler comforts. Ladybug snorts.

“You were about to spill your names, weren’t you,” Ladybug teases. Spoiler bites her lip. 

“I mean, it’s not like you’d be able to tell who we are by our names. I know like, four people off the top of my head with BB’s name, and mine was one of the most popular names during the 80’s and 90’s. Literally, like, top 10, and when I was born it was in the top 50 I think.” Spoiler shrugs. Ladybug huffs out a laugh.

“I have one of the most old lady names, so you would probably be able to find me fairly easily if you looked.” Ladybug admits. 

“What, like, the french equivalent of Gertrude?” Spoiler raises an eyebrow.

“I once knew a Gertrude. Is that an old person name here?” Ladybug furrows her eyebrows.

“Yes, it very much is. I think that, if someone named their kid Gertrude in this day and age, that kid would get bullied relentlessly.” Spoiler explains. Ladybug nods.

“I see.” The three lapse into silence, enjoying the nature that surrounds them, paired with a nice breeze to combat the humidity that Gotham harbors in the late-summer, despite the fact that the sun rarely shines through the thick layer of clouds and pollution anymore. 

“We are here.” Black Bat states, nearly running ahead into a clearing in the trees. When Ladybug catches up, she lets out a stunned gasp. The clearing isn’t very big, the large branches still knitting together above them enough to block out most of the light, but her eyes are pulled to a small pond off to the side, a small stream flowing into it as fish swim around it. There are rocks surrounding the pond, a thin layer of moss covering them in slimy defence. After a moment, Ladybug pulls herself away from the pond, having approached it to observe the fish in wonder. She then notices a small blanket laying in the middle clearing, a basket filled with food keeping the blanket from shifting.

“Oh.” Ladybug says dumbly. Both Spoiler and Black Bat laugh at that, the former grabbing Ladybug’s arm and pulling her down to the blanket. 

“We wanted to do something special, so we decided that a picnic would be a good choice.” Spoiler explains softly. Ladybug smiles.

“Thank you.” She bumps her shoulder against Spoiler’s gently. Spoiler nods.

“We didn’t know what food you liked, so we got a bit of everything, but we did get something a little extra special,” Spoiler grins widely as she reaches into the basket and pulls out a cup filled with a white liquid and a familiar logo printed on the side. Ladybug gasps dramatically.

“Is that… a Mr. Freeze” Her tone is teasing and she giggles when Spoiler nods. 

“It’s to commemorate our first real date!” Spoiler defends her choice.

“Well, I love it.” Ladybug sobers, her words far more genuine then she was meaning for them to be. Spoiler blushes.

“I’m glad.” She goes quiet, Ladybug taking the time to catalogue all the food that lays on the blanket. There truly is everything, Ladybug notes, glancing at the sandwiches, salads, noodles (that somehow still look hot? And speaking of that, it took nearly 30 minutes to walk up there, so how is the shake still frozen?), and an assortment of meats, from BBQ to fried to grilled, and Ladybug also spots some classic French dishes amongst the pile of other foods. She reaches towards the middle, grabbing a few strawberries as she contemplates what she should eat next. 

“This is really fancy, why did you go all out?” Ladybug asks, more offhandedly than anything, but the other two go still.

“We, uh, wanted to ask you something.” Spoiler says quietly. Ladybug freezes, her eyes bouncing between the two as she tries to figure out if that’s a good thing or not.

“What… kind of something?” Ladybug asks hesitantly. 

“The kind that asks if you will be our girlfriend?” Spoiler blurts out, her face going pink. Ladybug feels as if her heart stops, bluescreening as she tries to process the question.

“...What?” She eventually asks, still not entirely present. Spoiler and Black Bat look between each other nervously.

“We want you to be our girlfriend.” Black Bat repeats, slower this time. 

“I… really?” Ladybug’s voice cracks when she asks that. The other two nod.

“We really like you, and we would love to be able to call you our girlfriend.” Spoiler softly clarifies. 

“Oh.” Ladybug oh-so-smartly responds. “I like you two, too. Or also? I dunno. I like you two a lot, as well.” Ladybug mumbles, embarrassment creeping onto her cheeks.

“So…” Spoiler starts, “do you want to be our girlfriend?” She asks once more. Ladybug nods.

“Yes, yes I want to be your girlfriend,” Ladybug nearly cries, feeling like all the air was stolen out of her chest when Spoiler jumps into her arms and gives her a sweet kiss on her cheek. 

“We’re gonna be the best girlfriends ever!” Spoiler exclaims, causing the other two to laugh.

“I can’t wait,” Ladybug replies with a dopey smile.

~~~

Ladybug lands dramatically on a roof, her attempt at startling her two girlfriends failing epically as they spin around almost instantly, smiles adorning their faces. 

“Hi, baby,” Spoiler greets, sliding up beside Ladybug with a small peck on the latter’s cheek. Ladybug blushes, her smile never wavering as Black Bat leans their foreheads together in a silent greeting. “What’cha doin’ here?” She asks, Ladybug shrugs.

“I got bored and thought I might swing by. Paris has been fairly normal recently and if Chat Noir needs me, he knows how to ask.” Ladybug smiles slightly. Spoiler hums. “Do you have any fun cases going on right now?” Spoiler and Black Bat glance at each other.

“Not really, Gotham has also been normal recently, which usually means that something big is going to happen soon, but that later us’ problem.” Spoiler shrugs playfully. She also seems to refrain from using the word ‘quiet’, which makes sense, since neither of them want to jinx their cities by saying that it’s been quiet. Ladybug may not be superstitious, but every time she calls Paris ‘quiet’, the city seems to prove her wrong. She presumes that Gotham works the same way, full of pettiness and contrarity. Ladybug shakes her head to rid herself of that train of thought and focus on the present. 

“Are we just going to do your standard patrol route, then?” Ladybug asks, already familiar with how these vigilantes work after spending so many nights with them. Spoiler nods, about to respond when a scream echoes throughout the street. The three freeze for barely a second before running off into the direction that the scream came from. As they near, they spot a girl getting cornered by a gaggle of large men, the smell of alcohol so potent that they can smell it from their position several yards away. The girl is shaking, fear obviously coursing through veins as the men close in on her. 

“Hey!” Spoiler yells, catching the men’s attention as she charges closer to them. The biggest of the men, likely the leader, scoffs.

“What do you want? I’m sure I can give you a nice night if that’s what you’re looking for,” the man smirks, leering over Spoiler, who mimicks a gagging motion before responding.

“No thanks, I’d rather kill myself than get anywhere near your bed.” Spoiler retorts. The man growls.

“You pathetic excuse for a woman would be lucky to get in my bed.” The man says angrily. Spoiler raises an eyebrow.

“Yeah, sure. I’d be so lucky to have a man that can’t even form grammatically correct sentences," she responds sarcastically. “Call off your little buddies and get away from the girl.” She orders, nodding her head towards where the girl is watching this go down, her breathing slowing down the longer than the men’s attention is on Spoiler. The man scoffs again.

“And what are you gonna do, girl? You couldn’t even land a hit on me if you tried.” The man mocks. Spoiler squares her shoulder, a blatant sign that she’s preparing for a fight.

“Is that a challenge?” Ladybug can hear the smirk in her voice as she kicks out her leg, knocking into the back of the man’s knees. This just serves to make the man more angry, Black Bat inching closer to where everything is going down as the man charges at Spoiler, stumbling when she moves out of the way just in time. The man roars, turning around and locking his gaze back on Spoiler. “See, that’s the thing about having a one-track mind. You can never seem to change course once you start running,” Spoiler laughs, jumping up and wrapping her arms around the man’s neck, her weight startling him and pulling him down.

Ladybug sees a blur of black in the corner of her vision, watching as Black Bat shoot out from the shadows and incapacitates the first of the other three thugs. Ladybug turns away from Spoiler, waiting until Black Bat leads the fight a little away from the girl before running in the get the girl to a safer spot.

“C’mon, the other two will take care of them, you’re safe now,” Ladybug comforts, leading the girl away from the fight and to a space where the sounds of the fight fall silent. 

“Who are you?” Is the first thing to come out of the girl’s mouth when she finally manages to calm her breathing down. Ladybug looks at the girl, both confused and amused at the question. Ladybug looks pointedly down at her costume, one that conveys her name fairly well, if you ask her. It’s obvious that the girl is able to understand what Ladybug is trying to say, and she scoffs. “I mean,” she glares at Ladybug, “what are you doing here? You clearly aren’t a bat,” she looks pointedly at Ladybug’s chest, where the bats’ seem to display their logos, “so what are you doing in Gotham?” She finishes. Ladybug purses her lips.

“I enjoy your city.” She decides to say after a moment. The girl looks unamused at her answer.

“Yes, because Gotham is such a lovely town.” She deadpans. Ladybug smiles.

“Exactly! I’m glad you’re safe, but I’ll get going!” Ladybug exclaims before the girl can say anything else, pivoting on her foot and walking back to where they came from. 

“Wait!” The girl calls out, looking sheepish when Ladybug turns back around, curious.

“Yes?” She asks kindly. The girl bites her lip.

“I… I had my dog, Daisy, with me. She ran away when the men approached us.” She states, looking anywhere but Ladybug’s frame. The latter furrows her eyebrows, worried. She takes out a small slip of paper and a pen from her waist belt (which she only has when she’s in Gotham, since she’s dealing with crimes like stealing, as opposed to akumatized victims, where her yo-yo provides everything she needs).

“Write down your information and what your dog looks like; we’ll keep an eye out for her.” Ladybug hands the paper and pen to the girl, waiting patiently for her to write down the information.

“Thank you,” the girl says quietly, handing the paper to Ladybug before running the other way. Ladybug smiles, amused, before looking down at the piece of paper, the name ‘Jay’ written beside a number and a description of a dog, presumably the ‘Daisy’ she had previously mentioned. Ladybug tucks the paper into her belt after committing the contents of the paper to memory, throwing out her yo-yo and watching it wrap around the corner of a building before swinging around it, smiling when she sees her girlfriends, slightly panting and looking down at the pile of unconscious men at their feet. Spoiler grins and waves Ladybug over.

“Is the girl okay?” She asks, bumping into Ladybug’s shoulder as soon as she’s close enough. Ladybug nods, watching as Black Bat ties the men to a lamp post while giving the information, presumably, to the person on the other side of their comms. 

“Yeah, she’s on her way home. She seems uninjured, so I let her go.” Spoiler nods, the corner of her eyes crinkling in the way that they always do when she’s smiling.

“Let’s continue our patrol, then, yeah?” Spoiler offers. Ladybug nods, following the other two through the Gotham alleyways and rooftops, undeniable joy settling in her heart.

~~~

Ladybug sits on the side of the building, staring out into the Parisian horizon wistfully. Chat Noir lands beside her, slowly approaching the girl with concern tainting his movements.

“What’cha thinkin’ about?” Chat Noir bumps her shoulder playfully after he sits down. 

“Do you remember, a few months ago, when I asked you about revealing our identities if we dated?” Ladybug asks after a moment. Chat Noir nods.

“Yeah, it was about those two girls from America.” He recounts. Ladybug sighs and looks at the street below them, people walking along them and looking like nothing more than ants from her tall perspective. Isn’t that what they are, though? Aren’t they all just pawns in the greater scheme of things? To be moved around by the universe’s desires? Is anything they do really ever going to make a difference? Ladybug shakes her head to rid herself of these questions that will inevitably end in a spiral, and she doesn’t need that added layer of issues on top of everything else.

“I… we’re dating. We started dating almost two months ago, and they don’t really seem all that cagey about their identities. Like, they’ve mentioned revealing them, or at least their names, as if it’s nothing. And, I dunno, maybe it’s because I’ve never really told anyone about who I am except for my best friend, and that wasn’t all that much my choice, as much as a last resort. They’ve probably told a lot more people, or at the very least, they’re allowed to reveal it. I just… I dunno what to do, because I want to tell them, but I’m scared.” She admits, her voice going quiet near the end. She sniffles and looks to the side, opposite of Chat Noir. 

“I think I’m just gonna repeat what I said a few months ago; if they don’t like your civilian identity, then they don’t deserve you.” Chat Noir states confidently. Ladybug lets out a breath.

“It’s isn’t that– I mean, it is, but not entirely. It’s also, what if something happens, and they tell someone? Or tell everyone?” Ladybug’s voice wavers with unshed tears at the thought of being exposed like that.

“Well, do you trust them?” Chat Noir asks gently. Ladybug nods rapidly.

“Of course? I- they’re my girlfriends, of course I trust them?” She turns her head to look at him, confusing and defence flashing across her face. Chat Noir merely smiles.

“Then, if you trust them, why not trust them with your identity? If they’re doing the same for you? If you don’t trust them enough for that, or if you don’t feel right about telling them, then that’s different, but you want to tell them, and you trust them, so all that’s keeping you back is your own brain catastrophising.” Chat Noir shrugs and looks into the distance. “I think you should tell them.” He finishes quietly. Ladybug smiles, laying her head on his shoulder.

“Thank you, really. You never hesitate to help me.” She responds tiredly, sincerity heavy in her tone as her eyes begin to droop.

“Always,” Chat Noir whispers, Ladybug already drifting off and unable to here the devotion in his words.

~~~

Spoiler and Black Bat stand in front of Ladybug, the sound of Gotham flowing around them and filling the silence that stands between the trio, awkwardness tainting the air. Ladybug is the first to speak. 

“Let’s go somewhere a little more private, yeah?” Ladybug gulps, leading the pair to a familiar spot in the forest. Black Bat and Spoiler glance at each other as they near the clearing, nervousness exuding off of them.

“Don’t tell me you’re gonna break up with us,” Spoiler teases, but the tenseness of her words cause the joke to fall flat. 

“No! Of course not, that’s not– no, I, uh, really like you two. I don’t wanna break up, don’t worry.” Ladybug tries to soothe, but she’s just as tense as the others, so it doesn’t comfort them much.

“Okay.” Spoiler quietly says. Ladybug pushes the foliage to the side, holding it there while Black Bat and Spoiler walk through and look around the clearing, looking almost the exact same as it looked last time they were here, only without the blanket and food, and it’s a lot colder this time, the October winds bristling past them despite the trees that typically provide adequate cover. 

The three stand there awkwardly, none of them making an effort to move or speak, the two Gotham vigilantes waiting for the Parisian hero to make the first move. Ladybug opens her mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. Nervousness runs through her veins, feeling almost suffocating as her skin heats up, her cheeks a flaming red as she takes a deep breath, trying to summon every ounce of courage she has, just to be able to mutter three words. She takes another steadying breath to try and calm herself down, and, ignoring the war going on in her mind, she finally says, four syllables that took so much energy to choke out.

“Tikki, spots off.” She whispers brokenly, not looking at the other two, even as she feels her suit melting off of her skin, or the feeling of her Kwami settling in her cupped hands. She hears the other two gasp, but she doesn’t see their reaction, her eyes still screwed shut. She nearly jumps when she feels a hand rest on her shoulder, her eyes flying open at she stares at the sight in front of her.

Spoiler’s mask has been discarded and her hood has been pulled down, revealing curly, blond hair framing a beautiful face. When Marinette looks past her, she spots Black Bat, her cowl hanging on the back of her suit to show short, black hair and sharp brown eyes. 

“You’re so pretty.” Marinette chokes out, tears trailing down her cheeks with no clear reason. Spoiler lowers the two to the floor when Marinette’s legs give out, allowing the crying girl to collapse against her chest, wrapping her arms around Marinette’s shaking form in an attempt to comfort her.

“I could say the same about you,” Spoiler gently retorts, a smile present in her words. 

“Really?” Marinette hiccups, “you’re not… disappointed?” She asks seriously, looking up at Spoiler, who glances at Black Bat before shaking her head, concern showing on her face.

“Of course not, why would we be?” She asks. Marinette shrugs.

“Because I’m me? And you’re you, and you are so cool, and pretty, and I’m not.” Marinette cries, not caring if her words don’t make sense. Spoiler frowns.

“Says who? I think you’re the coolest, and have you seen yourself? You’re beautiful. Just because we know what you look like without the suit now, doesn’t mean our opinions of you have changed at all. You’re still our girlfriend, and we still love you.” Spoiler responds. Marinette freezes.

“But you don’t even know me! You just know me as Ladybug, not as Marinette. And I’m so lame when I’m Marinette.” She huffs out a flat laugh. Spoiler smiles, taking Marinette’s face in her hands and tilting it up to look at her. 

“I think that, no matter what you’re like as Marinette, we’re gonna love you either way.” Spoiler states, resolute in her words. Marinette smiles.

“Promise?” She asks. Spoiler leans their foreheads together.

“Promise.” She confirms sweetly. Marinette pushes herself up instead of leaning her full body weight onto Spoiler. 

“I love you too.” Marinette whispers, her throat still tight from her tears, but she doesn’t care. She leans in nervously, looking at Spoiler to make sure that she isn’t pulling away, before she connects their lips. Now, Marinette has never kissed someone before, not her girlfriends, not any of the guys at school, none. But she understand what the books mean when they say that sparks fly when you kiss someone. Spoiler smiles against Marinette’s lips, a small giggle coming out of Marinette’s mouth.

When they pull apart, they’re both smiling, breathless from their kiss. Black Bat stands behind them, watching them with a dopey smile plastered on her lips. She kneels down beside them, barely catching herself when Marinette throws herself onto her. 

“Can I kiss you, too?” Marinette asks, her voice small but utterly giddy. Black Bat huffs out a laugh before leaning closer. Marinette sighs into the kiss, her hands on Black Bat’s cheek, and the latter’s arms resting on the former’s hips. When they pull apart, Black Bat is smiling widely, matching Marinette’s own expression. Spoiler chuckles.

“Cass is like, the best kisser ever, I think.” Black Bat– or is it Cass– glares at Spoiler playfully.

“I think that Steph is biased.” Cass responds. Spoiler– Steph– rolls her eyes.

“You are Cass and Steph?” Marinette asks before the other two can keep retorting. 

“Well, it’s actually Stephanie and Cassandra, but nobody ever calls us that. Except for maybe, like, Alfred, but he never calls anyone but their nickname.” Stephanie clarifies.

“Alfred?” Marinette asks, her eyebrows knitting together. 

“Oh, that’s Cass’ butler.” Stephanie smirks when Cass elbows her.

“Butler?!” Marinette exclaims.

“My father is… quite wealthy.” Cass chooses her words carefully. Stephanie scoffs.

“She’s lying, her dad is absolutely loaded. He’s the richest person in Gotham, and he’s in the top, like, 10 richest people in the world.” Stephanie spills. Marinette’s eyes widen. “We’ll have to introduce you two sometime. Actually, we have to introduce you to the whole family. Tim has been dying to meet you.” Stephanie nods solemnly.

“Tim?” Marinette asks after a moment.

“My ex, Red Robin.” Stephanie clarifies. Marinette nods.

“Oh,” Marinette says dumbly. “He’s Cass’ brother, right?” She asks. Stephanie nods.

“Yeah, Cass has,” she pauses to count on her fingers, “5? Siblings right now? I think?” She looks over at Cass, smiling when she nods.

“Yes, unless B has had more children since I have talked to him this morning.” Cass confirms. Stephanie shrugs.

“Knowing him, you’re probably already in the double digits on siblings.” Cass huffs out a laugh at Stephanie’s words.

“Yes, I would not be surprised.” Cass responds, causing Marinette to look between the two, confused.

“Does your dad… often adopt kids then?” She asks, baffled. Both Stephanie and Cass nod.

“Yeah,” Stephanie looks at Cass, nodding when the two lock eyes, “let’s just… give you a crash course on Cass’ family tree; Bruce is her dad, and his parents died when he was nine, shot in front of his eyes, which is what caused him to become Batman, it was to avenge his parents’ death–”

“Wait, Batman is Cass’ dad and also rich?” Marinette interrupts. Stephanie nods.

“Yes, so anywho, when he was like 22, I think, he went to the circus and the leading act, the Flying Graysons, their rope was cut by Tony Zucco in an attempt to make more money? Which doesn’t make sense, but anyway, John and Mary Grayson’s child, Richard, or Dick Grayson, saw his parents fall to their death and thus came Bruce’s first child. Dick is also the original Robin, by the way, which he created because he wanted to avenge his parents as well and kill Tony Zucco, but Batman didn’t let him, so he just beat Zucco up instead. So flash forward like, 9 years, and Bruce and Dick are at odds with each other and so Dick runs away and Bruce gets empty nest syndrome and, when he goes out one night to find a street kid stealing the tires off of the Batmobile, he adopts the kid and thus comes child number two; Jason Todd. A few years after getting adopted, Jason dies at the hands of the Joker and Dick is still mad at Bruce and so he starts going crazy and the neighbor kid notices this and intercepts Batman before he kills himself.” Stephanie pauses, taking a deep breath.

“What?!” Marinette exclaims, but Stephanie ignores her and barrels on.

“So the neighbor kid forces his way into the suit, after asking Dick to become Robin again, which Dick obviously says no to. Dick is Nightwing, by the way. So the neighbor kid becomes Robin and his mom dies in a place crash and his dad falls into a coma, which is when Bruce fosters him, and then his dad wakes up but a little while later, his dad gets killed by Captain Boomerang, so he gets adopted and he’s kid four, technically, because Cass was adopted before him. That’s Tim Drake. Cass, during the time when the government basically disowned Gotham, she saved Babs’ dad and that when Bruce found her and took her in, and she was adopted before Tim. Also during this time, a new rogue roamed the street under the name of Red Hood, a former alias of the Joker, and he has a vendetta against Batman and his team, Robin specifically, and he tires to kill Tim, which is when I become Robin for a short period of time, but it’s eventually revealed that Red Hood is the formally presumed dead Jason todd. After Red Hood comes to town, a child is dropped on the Manor’s doorstep, and thus came child 5, Damian Wayne. The technically only blood son of Bruce Wayne. A little while ago, Duke got fostered since his parents were hit with the Joker Gas, so he isn’t technically a child, but he basically is. And honorary mentions go to Barbara Gordon, who is Oracle, and me, Spoiler.” Stephanie finally wraps up, looking rather proud of herself. Marinette, on the other hand, is completely lost, just about bluescreening.

“You broke Marinette.” Cass says solemnly. Stephanie laughs. 

“Yeah, it’s a lot, but you’ll get it some day.” Stephanie comforts, or at least, tries to comfort. Marinette is still confused.

“Why did you act like Bruce adopts kids all the time, though, if he actually only has 6?” Marinette asks. Stephanie and Cass lock eyes before turning back to her.

“Because he technically actually has like, 17 if you could those who he just looks after and hasn’t actually adopted. Like, me and Babs, of course, but there are a lot more.” Stephanie explains.

“Oh.” Marinette nods slowly, trying to understand everything she was just told. She barely remembers any of it, though. She’ll learn it all someday, she supposes.

~~~

Marinette runs around the kitchen, trying to make all of her food look immaculate for dinner. Her parents are laughing at her, sitting back as she prepares everything with the upmost of care. On the table sits several classic Parisian dishes, as well as some American dishes, and more than enough pastries to last the five of them several weeks (Marinette stress bakes, okay?). The doorbell rings and Marinette gasps, running towards the door to open it for her girlfriends. She reaches towards the door handle, her flour-coated hands leaving prints on the knob. Marinette pauses, looking down at her outfit to see a stained apron and smears on her actual clothes. She turns to her parents, panic crossing her face.

“I look like a mess,” she cries, looking at her parents, distraught. They raise their eyebrows at her in sync, amused.

“Honey, why are you so nervous? They’re your friends, aren’t they?” Her mom asks, trying to comfort her despite being confused. Marinette freezes.

“Yeah, they’re just friends but… I still want to look nice,” she says with a shrug. She momentarily forgot that she had told her parents that her and the other two were just friends. She hasn’t told either of them about her not being into guys… or the fact that she likes more than one person at a time. She wanted to tell them but she chickened out before she could. Before she can think any further about it, she yanks open the door, barely having any time to prepare herself before Stephanie throws herself into Marinette's arms. 

“Hi.” Marinette greets with a dopey smile.

“It’s been so long! I’ve missed you,” Stephanie playfully wails. Marinette huffs out a laugh.

“It has been a while.” She nods, glancing at Cass.

“You look good. Healthy.” Cass greets with a nod. Marinette hums in appreciation at that. She knows that that’s Cass way of showing love, especially since they can greet each other like they normally do, having to hide their relationship from her parents and all that (maybe she’ll tell her parents soon. She really doesn’t like hiding things from them).

“You too,” Marinette returns the sentiment, “let’s go set down at the table, yeah? You can get to know my parents.” Marinette gently leads them to the dinner table, pulling out their chairs like the good host she is. Her parents smile at the two guests in greeting.

“Hello, welcome! Marinette has told us… a little, about you two.” Her mom’s smile is strained when she says that. 

“Oh, really? She’s told us quite a bit about you two. We’re so excited to finally meet her parents.” Stephanie responds, her bubbly energy lifted the tense mood in the room. Her parents nod.

“I’m gonna go get the food.” Marinette laughs nervously, shooting out of her chair in an attempt to escape the awkward atmosphere. She wanders into the kitchen, grabbing a few dishes and bringing them out before returning to the kitchen to repeat that process a few more times (she made a lot of food…). When she returns for the final time, Stephanie looks at the assortment of food on the table in awe. 

“Wow, baby, this looks delicious,” Stephanie grins up at Marinette. The room goes silent, and Marinette can see Cass kicking Stephanie’s leg under the table. Stephanie opens her mouth to ask what’s wrong, before she realizes what she said and freezes. 

“Baby…?” Tom questions nervously. Stephanie lets out a strained laugh.

“I call everyone that… I’m just naturally flirty, y’know?” Cass nods, as if to confirm this.

“Even Tim.” She tacks on at the end of Stephanie’s words. Stephanie laughs.

“Yeah, even Tim. Honestly, he’s my favorite to do that to because he always gets this constipated look every time I say that. And Kon always glares at me, which is amusing because I would never in 100 years date Tim again. I love the guy, but I don’t know how Kon does it, or Bernard, for that matter. They’re both so sweet and Tim is so… Tim.” Stephanie rambles. Marinette sits down at the table, ignoring her blushing face. 

“Oh,” Sabine replies, looking down at her lap.

“Alright, let’s eat!” Marinette exclaims, piling food onto her plate, watching as the others do the same.

“So, how did you two meet?” Tom asks Stephanie and Cass. The latter two glance at each other before Stephanie responds.

“Tim is Cass’ brother, so when she got adopted, I was already, like, absorbed into the family. I’m the honorary sister-in-law,” Stephanie jokes. Tom and Sabine nod slowly.

“I see… and you two met Marinette at a Jagged Stone concert?” Sabine clarifies. All three of the girls nod.

“Yeah, B got us VIP tickets since he dragged us all the way to Paris for some Wayne Enterprise business, so he wanted to do something to thank us, and Marinette was there because she, you know, designs his album covers and whatnot, which is really awesome, by the way.” Stephanie explains. The two parents nods once more.

“And your dad is Bruce Wayne?” Tom aims that question at Cass, who nods, but Stephanie is the one that answers.

“Yep! She was adopted, like, what, three years ago, now?” She looks over at Cass, who nods. 

“I’ve notices that you tend to answer all of the questions; why doesn’t Cass ever speak?” Sabine asks pointedly. Marinette freezes, staring at the two girls. 

“I… don’t know language well.” Cass responds, her posture tense.

“Is English not your first language?” Sabine asks curiously. Cass shakes her head.

“No, it is. And I know French, too, and a few others, but… didn’t learn until I got adopted.” Cass tries to explain. Sabine’s eyebrows furrow.

“You didn’t learn French?” Confusion coats her words. Cass shakes her head.

“Didn’t learn any language until I got adopted. My father, he only had me to make me his puppet; he did not bother to teach me language.” She tries to explain, her throat straining from overuse. Marinette clenches her jaw, ready to step in at any moment, but Stephanie gives her a gentle look, what that says she has everything under control, and Cass can take care of herself. Marinette lets out a breath and sinks into her chair. 

“Oh.” Sabine says awkwardly. “What about you, Stephanie, tell us about your family,” Sabine tries to pivot the conversation. Marinette nearly chokes, giving her parents a wide-eyed look.

“Well, dad is in jail again, he got out for, like, five months? I believe? So he’s back in jail which is good, and mom’s been a lot healthier lately, so…” Stephanie trails off, nodding acceptingly at her own words. Sabine gasps.

“Oh my, what did he do?” She blurts, startled. Marinette glares at her.

“Mom!” She yelps. Sabine shrugs nervously.

“No, don’t worry, Mari, it’s okay. My father strives to be, say, a good criminal. Except he sucks at being a criminal. He’s actually awful at it. He escapes every few years and it’s always a pain to get him back in Blackgate, but you know, it is what it is.” Stephanie’s eyes bounce around the room nervously. Marinette’s parents nod awkwardly.

“That’s, good, I suppose, that he’s back. Well, regardless, why are you two visiting now?” Tom changes the subject.

“Oh, Bruce needed us to attend some meetings in his steed for Wayne Enterprises, since he’s injured right now from another jet skiing accident, he really needs to stop doing that, but anyway, he wanted me and Cass to attend them since it has to do with the Hong Kong office, which is Cass’ territory.” Stephanie smiles gently, glancing at Marinette’s furrowed brows.

“What happened with the Hong Kong office?” She asks, worried. Stephanie purses her lips.

“There was an incident that spanned over nearly every office, but Hong Kong got hit the hardest, so some people from the Paris office is getting sent over there to help with the rehabilitation efforts.” Marinette nods understandingly.

“I’m glad you’re getting it all figured out,” she smiles, turning her attention back to her food as the dinner table falls into a far more comfortable silence then before

“So, how old are you two?” Sabine asks rather suddenly after a moment.

“I’m 17, and Cass just turned 18 a few weeks ago, in late January.” Sabine nods at that.

“So you’re about the same age as Marinette, yes?” She continues. Stephanie smiles.

“Me and Mari are actually only a few weeks apart.” Marinette nods.

“I’m almost exactly a month younger than her.” She confirms. Sabine smiles.

“That nice.” She says before turning her attention back to her food, the air awkward once more. Marinette nearly wants to cry.

~~~

The final bell rings and Marinette lets out a breath of relief, packing her bag with her books before slinging it over her shoulder and waddling out of the building. She was up until nearly two am the previous night (or that morning?) since she didn’t get home from her, say, extracurriculars until a little after 11 pm and she still had to study for her history test that day, so she barely slept and it reflected in the way her day has gone; moving at a snails pace and everything that can go wrong, did go wrong. Alas, it’s the end of the way, which means she can finally go home and take a nap. Hopefully. She thinks that she’ll cry if someone gets akumatized.

As she walks through the halls, she hears whispers follow her everywhere, but she’s far too tired to evesdrop, so she ignores the feeling that sits in the back of her head that tells her something is wrong and instead she heads towards her locker robotically. That might make her a bad Ladybug, but she isn’t Ladybug, so it doesn’t count right now… right? She shakes her head to rid herself of those thoughts and instead focuses on loading all of her book in her locker. She hears the whispers grow into gentle chatter and she assumes that they moved on from whatever was happening before. She walks down the hall, beelining to the entrance of the school, when she feels a familiar presence beside her.

“Hi, Alya,” Marinette smiles, leaning into her friend’s gentle touch. 

“Marinette, when were you gonna tell me?” Alya asks, her voice stern, Marinette’s eyes furrow, confused.

“What do you mean?” She asks, turning to her best friend as the light from the entrance graces her face. Alya grunts. 

“This!” She exclaims, pointing to the courtyard. Marinette turns to the outside world, confused, but before long, she spots what Alya is talking about and everything clicks into place.

“Mari! Hey!” Stephanie runs up to her, her greeting in french with a heavy American accent.

“Steph, what are you doing here?” Marinette asks, breathless.

“We wanted to say hi, and maybe take you out?” Stephanie winks. Marinette bluescreens.

“What?” She questions, confused.

“It’s our nine month anniversary, me and Cass wanted to do something special for you, so we set up a nice surprise for you.” Stephanie explains softly.

“Oh.” Marinette replies. Stephanie looks at her, concern heavy in her eyes

“Are you okay? We can postpone it if you need us to.” Stephanie leads Marinette to a bench off to the side of the courtyard. Marinette shakes her head.

“No, no, it’s okay, promise. I’m just… really tired.” Marinette laughs, but it sounds more strained than anything, causing Stephanie to look up at Cass worriedly (when did Cass get there? Maybe she’s more tired than she originally thought…) 

“How about we take a quick nap before we go out, does that sound alright?” Stephanie says, her voice quietly, which Marinette appreciates even more than she could ever explain, her pounding head already feeling better at the presence of her two lovely girlfriends. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’d like that. A lot.” Marinette gulps, leaving into Stephanie’s chest as she finally lets the tiredness fall over her, knowing that she can trust her girlfriends to take care of her and protect her. Sometimes, the only time she feels like she can take a deep breath and truly relax in around then, since she’s always wound up, even when she’s sleeping, from the responsibility that the miraculous instills in her. 

~~~

Stephanie looks at her beautiful girlfriend, watching as Marinette’s face melts into peaceful contentness, the way it always does when she’s around her and Cass. Stephanie looks up at Cass, a dopey smile grace both of their lips as they’re filled with such love and adoration for their youngest partner. The moment is shattered, though, by a blond girl with a high ponytail stomping up to them.

“What are you two doing here. You’re clearly Americans, so why are you encroaching on our territory, and acting like you’re close to our students.” She asks, her tone taking on a bratty edge in a way that makes Stephanie and Cass roll their eyes.

“We’re taking care of our girlfriend, is that such a big deal?” Stephanie retorts boredly. The girl scoffs.

“You two? Dating Marinette? I seriously doubt that. She’s not even into girls.” The girl looks at the two with disgust. Stephanie raises her eyebrows, amused.

“You seem to know her quite well, are you her friend?” Stephanie mockingly leads her on. The girl seems oblivious, puffing her chest up in pride at Stephanie’s question.

“As a matter of fact, I am her best friend.” She says proudly. Stephanie laughs.

“So you’re Alya? It’s lovely to finally meet you.” Stephanie clearly knows the girl is not Alya, since she’s seen pictures of Marinette’s best friend, and she can spot said friend a few yards away from them. The girl deflates, instead filling with anger.

“This is ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!" The girl stomps her foot again, and if Stephanie wasn’t a bat who was trained to read body language, she probably would’ve missed the tears welling up in the girl’s eyes as she runs away. Stephanie looks at the girl, concerned, before glancing at Cass, communicating without words. She slowly wriggles out from underneath Marinette, replacing herself with Cass’ warm body. Marinette barely shifts, merely humming and settling down once more, even as Stephanie runs the way the girl had gone a few moments prior.

She finds the girl sitting against a wall, hidden behind some large pieces of machinery. The girl has tear tracks streaming down her face, her skin bright red and her eyes looking hollow. Stephanie sits quietly beside the girl, not saying anything, just providing her with company.

“I’m surprised you ran after me, even though I was so rude to you.” The girl sniffles. Stephanie smiles sadly.

“I could tell that you were sad, and you didn’t mean what you said. You knew Marinette liked girls, didn’t you.” Stephanie asks, or more accurately, states, after a moment. The girl nods.

“If I pretended that she didn’t, it wouldn’t feel like she was rejecting me.” The girl says so quietly, a whisper felt louder. Stephanie nods.

“Did you ever… tell her how you feel?” Stephanie raises a curious eyebrow. The girl shakes her head.

“She hates me, you really think she would go out with me?” She laughs bitterly. Stephanie shrugs.

“You’d be surprised. I threw a brick at my ex boyfriend the first time I met him, and we only stopped dating when I went missing for a few months.” Stephanie smiles lightly at the girls baffled expression.

“It doesn’t matter, anyway. She’s clearly happy with you guys, so it’s not like my confession would mean anything.” The girl says, the expression sobering. Stephanie hums.

“She might still like to know. I’ve heard a bit about you, Chloe, and I think that a confession would change her perspective of you and your actions.” Stephanie lightly bumps her shoulder. Chloe hums.

“Maybe…” She trails off, looking wistfully into the distance, which is actually just a steady trail of cars honking at each other. 

“Just think about it, yeah?” Stephanie requests, getting up and dusting off her pants before offering a hand to Chloe. The latter nods, taking Stephanie’s hand.

“Okay.”