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Ladybug opened her eyes after losing sight of the akumatised villain. She was in… a random store in the city? Racks of clothes stood abandoned, mannequins frozen mid-pose. No one else was in there. Based on the screams she heard from the street, people probably hid because of the villain. She didn’t really understand what happened to her.
“Bunnyx would’ve told me” she muttered under her breath. “She would not just kidnap me. Neither would Kalki. This is someone else” she looked around, but the store looked empty.
She decided to walk to the door to find the villain and Cat Noir.
“NO!” she heard a woman’s voice from behind as her hand touched the handle. She stopped and looked back. Chrysalis was standing behind her.
Ladybug couldn’t believe her eyes. Weeks had passed since the last time they met. Ladybug was almost starting to miss her. Almost.
“You?!” Ladybug raised her yo-yo. “What did you do?” she asked.
“Me.” She bowed a little bit. “It’s been a while since our last encounter, Ladybug” she said, in a teasing voice, taking a step closer.
“What did you do?” she repeated her question, angrier this time.
“I sent back Gazebrabber to the past to snatch your younger selves’ miraculous. But in the past, Gabriel Agreste has the Butterfly Miraculous. So now… I somehow lost control over him.” she explained.
“How am I here? How are we here?” Ladybug asked.
“That’s the funny part.” she chuckled awkwardly. Ladybug took a deep breath, getting ready for the worst. “I sent you and Cat Noir back, to defeat the villain here since I can’t control him now. But Gabriel is now after me too, so I decided to send myself back too” she let out a chuckle.
“What’s his power?” That was all Ladybug asked.
“If he looks at something for more than two seconds, then it lands in his hands. I saved your younger self twice, she almost lost to him” the villain said. “I couldn’t bring her here, that would’ve been too dangerous, but I told her to hide.”
The room suddenly felt too small. The air was too thin. Ladybug knew this feeling all too well.
Despair.
Suddenly she was all alone in the purple space she had seen before as Marinette. The purple space closed in around her.
SERIOUSLY?
“Forgive my intrusion but I sensed a–” Ladybug heard the familiar voice in her head. She let out a loud groan.
“Don’t you dare” she said, rejecting the akuma. “We’re in this situation because of you, and YOU STILL TRY TO AKUMATISE ME?” She closed the distance between them and she pinned the villain to a wall.
“I mean… It was worth a try. Though I have to admit, this is the first time you’re the one pinning me to a wall. I usually prefer it the other way around” she glanced at Ladybug, who ignored her last sentence and still looked angry.
She stepped back, releasing her.
Then for a moment a thought crossed her mind. First time? She only did that once. In London. Right?
“Fine, maybe it was a bad idea. First we have to find your… cat. Any idea where he could be?” the villain said, her voice was unsure, Ladybug wasn’t sure if it contained jealousy or she just imagined that.
“I have no idea” she shook her head and took a step back, letting Chrysalis go. “This is terrible, we can’t leave the building, can’t do anything otherwise he’d know that we’re here”
“Fine, I am sorry, maybe this was my fault” Chrysalis pushed herself away from the wall.
“Maybe? Just maybe?” Ladybug asked. Her enemy had to take a step back, as the memory of her lucky charm being a piano that fell onto Gabriel Agreste came into her mind.
“Not completely, I mean I expected you two to defeat him” Chrysalis argued.
Ladybug glared at her, her grip tightening around her yo-yo.
“So you created your most powerful villain yet, The one who can snatch anything by just looking at it. And then, instead of keeping him in our timeline, you threw him back through time. Into the past. Where Gabriel Agreste was still Hawk Moth. And you’re blaming me?”
Chrysalis’ expression hardened for a moment, then she let out a sigh.
“I didn’t know I’d lose control,” she looked down. “I thought I could control him. Just like I did with Timetagger. I have no idea what happened. And it seems like none of us knows where did I send Cat Noir”
Ladybug’s stomach twisted as she sat down on the floor. The thought of the villain seizing Cat Noir’s ring made her terrified. Chrysalis seemed to notice her panic. She sat beside her and put a hand on her shoulder.
“Look, we’re here, because there’s no other duo who could figure this out” the villain looked into her eyes. “And trust that kitten, he survived worse. Just like you” she gave a small smile, which made Marinette confused in a new way.
She hated to admit but Chrysalis was right. She had to trust her partner. If she was safe, despite the fact that she’s with Chrysalis, then he definitely had a chance to survive.
“Okay, first, we’ll find Cat Noir. Then I will use my lucky charm, find out what to do with it, then he destroys the akumatised object” she explained like it was that simple. Well, in theory, it was.
“Can’t you just call the avengers?” Chrysalis asked suddenly.
Ladybug looked at her like she was completely insane.
“No, Thor’s a bit busy trying to fight Dr. Doom.” She rolled her eyes. “What are you even talking about?”
“I mean the whole group of miraculous users.” Chrysalis said.
“You mean the miraculers” Ladybug corrected her. “I guess I can try” she stood up and started pacing back and forth as she was trying to call Cat Noir, who didn’t pick up. Then she decided to call someone else. Someone who could get there without the villain seeing him.
“Oh my god, it worked” Ladybug said with genuine happiness in her voice. Chrysalis stood up and stepped a little bit closer to Ladybug, trying to hear the conversation.
“Ladybug? Are you alright?” he asked when he picked up.
“Now I might be,” she yelled. “Pegasus, I need you. I’ll send you my exact location. Find Vesperia, Viperion and bring them here through the portal.” She talked fast, but Max understood every single word. Chrysalis had to bite her lip, to stop herself from smiling.
“We’ll be there as soon as we can,” Max answered without hesitation.
Ladybug decided to try to call Cat Noir again, but the boy still didn’t pick up.
“And now we wait.” Ladybug sighed. The streets were quiet now. The villain was probably trying to find them.
“Can I tell you something?” Chrysalis asked. Ladybug raised an eyebrow.
“Did you send another villain after us?”
If she was going to confess about someone else hunting her miraculous in the past, she was going to throw the villain out the window.
“No. I just wanted to tell you…” she took a really deep breath “that the original plan would’ve been a bit more playful” she said.
“What?” Ladybug asked.
“I would’ve invited you to play a game of chess with me in exchange for the akumatised object” Chrysalis looked away, as she was afraid to look into Ladybug’s eyes now. “But the akumatised object wasn’t what I wanted it to be, so I had to change the plan.” she added.
“Was this just a game for you?” Ladybug mumbled under her breath.
“Yes. And no.” she answered. “Yes, I wanted it to be a game. And no, I never play when it comes to you”
Before Ladybug could’ve answered, a portal opened next to them. Vesperia, Pegasus and Viperion stepped into the store.
“Ladybug, what happened?” Viperion asked.
“Are you alright?” Pegasus looked at her.
“Who is this?” Vesperia looked at Chrysalis.
Ladybug let out a relieved sigh for the first time.
“Guys, I am not the Ladybug you know” she started. The heroes gave her a confused look. “I am from the future. An akumatised villain from my timeline is on the loose here.” Ladybug glanced at Chrysalis and cleared her throat.
“It’s my fault” the villain said quietly. “I am the holder of the Butterfly Miraculous in the future” she waved at the heroes.
“You caused all of this?” Vesperia stepped in front of Chrysalis and Ladybug. “I could just venom you and–” she started, but Ladybug grabbed her wrist.
“Don’t. We’ll need her.” she said. “But we’ll have to find Cat Noir. Pegasus go with Viperion. Find both Cat Noirs and the Ladybug of this timeline and bring them here” she looked at the boys. They looked at each other, and after a nod they disappeared through a portal.
Vesperia was still looking at Chrysalis like she was debating whether she wants to use venom on her or not. Chrysalis instinctively stepped closer to Ladybug, like the spotted superhero was a shield.
“May I ask why?” Vesperia asked.
“For the miraculous” she answered. “And I wanted to play with Ladybug a little.”
“Seriously? Ask her out next time. That wouldn’t involve us” the Bee Miraculous’ owner shook her head in disbelief.
“I’m not–” Chrysalis raised her hands in front of her.
“She’s right” Ladybug nodded. “She’s not into me”
“Not?” Vesperia tilted her head. “She can’t take her eyes off of you for longer than five seconds.”
“The same applies to you” Chrysalis muttered.
Vesperia stared at her for three seconds.
“Excuse me?” she asked finally.
The room was filled with awkward tension. Ladybug was confused, Vesperia looked nervous and Chrysalis was definitely enjoying the situation.
“I–” Vesperia glanced at Ladybug, then immediately looked back at Chrysalis. “I don't know what you're talking about.”
“Oh, come on! You've been staring at her since you walked through the portal” she pointed at the place of the portal on the wall.
Vesperia's face turned slightly red.
“I was making sure she was okay”
“For five minutes?” Chrysalis asked with sarcasm in her voice.
Ladybug looked between them, totally confused. In this mental state she was ready to fight a villain, but her enemy and her teammate beefing was too much.
“Can someone please explain what's happening?” she asked.
“Nothing,” Vesperia yelped.
“Nothing,” Chrysalis repeated with a small smirk on her face.
“Can we please focus?” Ladybug let out a defeated sigh.
“I am focused,” Vesperia nodded.
“On Ladybug” Chrysalis snorted, making Vesperia blush even more.
“You’re the one to talk” the blonde narrowed her eyes. Chrysalis looked away to avoid both of their eyes.
“Wait, what?” Ladybug asked. She was finally calm enough to pay attention to their conversation.
“Nothing” they said at the same time.
“This is going to be a long night, isn’t it?” she stared at the ceiling.
“I hope so,” Chrysalis smiled. Then she decided to annoy Vesperia a little more. “So, Lovebug, after we go home… would you like to play a game of chess with me?” she asked with a sweet voice.
Ladybug snapped her head toward her as a slight blush crept its way onto her face.
“W-what did you just call me?” the blue haired girl tried to process the nickname.
“Lovebug” Chrysalis repeated, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
“I heard it for the first time” Ladybug said with slightly pink cheeks.
“Then why did you ask?”
Ladybug tried to answer three times. But all she could do was to open and close her mouth thrice.
“You can’t just give her a nickname!” Vesperia said.
“She didn’t object” Chrysalis shrugged.
“But I did”
“Relax, I just asked her to play with me” the villain glanced at Ladybug. “So? Yes or no?” she asked.
“You’re actually serious about that?” Ladybug never sounded more surprised.
“I’m serious about you” she said.
Vesperia’s eyes widened. Of course Chrysalis noticed that. “Don’t worry, Bumblebee, this isn’t a hard launch or anything like that” Chrysalis said, looking at Vesperia.
“But you’d love it if it was,” Vesperia recovered enough to grin.
Chrysalis gave a small, almost amused smile.
“Maybe”
“Fine, I’ll play with you. Just stop whatever you two are doing” Ladybug interrupted the moment.
“Really?” Chrysalis asked, surprised.
“One game” Ladybug stated.
“Two” Chrysalis raised two fingers.
“One”
“Three” she raised a third one.
Ladybug let out a groan.
“Why are you negotiating?”
“I like spending time with you” she answered.
The words landed softly, but they hit hard. Ladybug froze. So did Vesperia, who looked like she just realised something. Chrysalis simply smiled, as if she hadn't just dropped another bomb into the middle of the room.
“I need a word with you” she dragged Chrysalis to another part of the store before Ladybug could’ve stopped her.
“What now?” Chrysalis asked.
“I don’t really understand you for being… this despite the fact that you like her” she started, pointing at Chrysalis. “I understand her even less. I don’t know why she said yes or what she sees in you. But if you make her happy, fine. She deserves it. But if you hurt her, use her or betray her–” Vesperia clenched her fist.
“I won’t” Chrysalis interrupted.
“Then why are you the next Hawk Moth?”
“That’s complicated” she answered. “I do want to make a wish. Not for my own, selfish gains.” she glanced at Ladybug, who was trying to read their lips.
“You want to make a wish for her?” Vesperia asked.
Chrysalis thought about how sure she was about Marinette being Ladybug and how many nights Marinette spent crying after she broke up with Adrien because of the secret that made her life hell. She watched her every single time. She was trying to tell herself it was just to gather evidence about the girl’s secret identity, but deep down she wanted to make sure that Marinette wouldn’t do anything stupid.
“I want to. I would do it in a heartbeat if I had the chance.” she nodded. “But I’m not going to steal her earrings from her if she actually agrees to spend time with me. Then I’ll find another way to help her”
“Why does she need help? Did someone hurt her?”
“I can’t tell you that. It would disrupt the timeline. Maybe the world would end. She trusted someone she shouldn’t have.”
“Is that related to you being the new holder of the Butterfly Miraculous?”
Chrysalis couldn’t answer at first. It was. But even if she wasn’t the holder, Marinette would still have to keep Gabriel’s secret.
“It is. But I didn’t cause what happened to her. I just… saw it. I can’t tell you more though.”
“It’s fine. I don’t wanna know the future. I just hope you can actually help her” Vesperia said with a sad smile.
“Even if I can’t do anything big… I just want her to smile again” Chrysalis whispered. If she can do it without a wish, then she’d do anything.
“You have weird ways to make people smile” the blonde chuckled. “I mean timetravel-kidnapping is not the funniest thing ever.”
“Okay, I messed this one up” she chuckled.
“I can tell. Next time try flowers and love letters” she glanced at Ladybug again.
Ladybug was still pretending not to watch them, although the way she was staring at the two of them from across the store made it obvious that she had been trying to read their lips.
“I’ll keep that in mind” Chrysalis laughed.
As they were walking back to Ladybug, a portal opened and Viperion, Pegasus, another Ladybug and two Cat Noirs walked through.
“M’lady!” Both of the Cat Noirs yelled as they saw Ladybug.
“This is going to be complicated.” Viperion said.
“They did this with me too” the younger Ladybug said then noticed Chrysalis. “You saved me twice”
“And I am the reason we’re here” she nodded. “Surprise, I guess”
“Are you the new Hawk Moth?” the younger Ladybug asked.
“I have my own name, but I guess we can say that,” the villain nodded.
The younger heroine hesitated, then said quietly, “Thank you for saving me.”
“Anytime.” Chrysalis offered a small smile. “I’m Chrysalis, by the way.”
“She didn’t ask.” Ladybug rolled her eyes. “So, the plan.”
“First, you” she looked at Chrysalis. “What’s the akumatised object?” she asked.
Chrysalis swallowed. “His bracelet.” she answered.
Ladybug closed her eyes for a second. Of course it was.
Ladybug wanted to believe this was just a bad dream. Chrysalis decided to lock in because she wanted to play a chess game. This was terrible.
“This could’ve been worse.” the younger Ladybug said. “It could’ve been something edible. Then we’d have to perform a surgery to get it out”
“I forgot how sarcastic I was this time” Ladybug glanced at her. “Let’s see… Lucky charm!” she yelled. A helmet appeared in her hands.
“Okay, I’ll wear this, so he won’t be able to see my miraculous” she nodded. “Don’t use your Lucky charm yet. You’d transform back five minutes later.” Ladybug advised her younger self who just nodded.
“We’ve grown up?” she asked quietly.
“We had to” Ladybug said.
She thought about the time she and Cat Noir almost transformed back in front of Paris. One of the most terrifying moments in her life.
“Okay, we go outside, I’ll try to distract him so Vesperia will be able to Venom him. Chrysalis will protect you. If we can’t do it without your lucky charm, then you’ll use yours too” she explained the rest of the plan.
“Can I trust you?” The younger Ladybug looked at Chrysalis.
“You can. It’s about her safety, I won’t try anything funny” the villain answered, looking at the Ladybug from her timeline.
“Fine” the younger Ladybug said, her eyes lingered on Chrysalis for a minute. “If anything goes wrong, we’ll have his second chance” she looked at Viperion.
The fight was long and exhausting. Multiple Second Chances. Multiple failed attempts. Vesperia couldn’t get close enough. At one point the villain nearly hit the younger Ladybug with an explosive; Chrysalis yanked her out of the way just in time.
“Okay, this is not working.” The younger Ladybug looked at their exhausted team. Everyone was exhausted, even her older self. “Lucky charm” she said.
A butterfly shaped keychain fell into her hands.
“It’s cute, but I doubt that I am your lucky charm, minibug” Chrysalis looked at it.
The younger hero looked at her, then at her older self.
“Give her a powerup,” she said.
“What?” Chrysalis asked with widened eyes. “She’s going to kill me if I try to akumatise her”
“Just do it!”
Chrysalis sent a butterfly toward the older Ladybug’s helmet. She froze when she felt the akuma’s presence.
Chrysalis appeared beside her. “It’s me, Lovebug. Your younger self said I had to. I’m giving you the power to make anyone temporarily blind. Nothing in exchange. Only if you accept.”
Ladybug looked at the purple figure, trying to decide whether this was a good idea or not. It wasn’t, but she had no other choice.
“I…” she sighed. “I accept the power” she clenched her fist.
A moment later she looked like herself, only her suit was purple. Ladybug sent a beam from her helmet toward the villain. She shot the villain, who stopped, and screamed.
“It worked!” younger Ladybug said, giving a high-five to Chrysalis.
“Of course it did,” the villain said with a smile. “It was your idea”
“Vesperia, now!” Pegasus opened a portal. The Bee Miraculous user jumped out of it.
“Venom!” she yelled, and hit the villain, who froze.
“Can I cataclysm it?” younger Cat Noir asked with an excited face.
“I mean, sure” his older counterpart shrugged.
Younger Ladybug purified the akuma, then her earrings beeped.
“Excuse me for a minute” She disappeared into an alley to detransform and retransform.
“I forgot about these times” the older Ladybug chuckled, and she was about to reject the akuma, when she heard Chrysalis’ voice in her head again.
“I’ll take it back, if you don’t mind”
In that moment, the butterfly left her helmet, and Ladybug was her old self again.
“Wow, you kept your word” she stepped closer to Chrysalis.
“Told you I would,” the villain said. “We can go home now.”
“Wait!” The younger Ladybug ran back. “Can I talk to myself for a minute?” she asked.
“Of course. I’ll open the portal, Lovebug” she winked at the older superhero, then decided to find the Cat Noir of their timeline.
The two Ladybugs walked away, so no one could hear them.
“I understand it now,” the younger one said with a bright smile on her face.
“Understand what exactly?” Ladybug raised an eyebrow.
“Why you like her.”
“I don’t even like her” she tried to deny it, but her cheeks turned slightly pink.
“You smiled when she called you Lovebug” she teased her. “It’s okay. She’s funny. And protective. And beautiful.”
“Are you sure I like her? Not you?” the older Ladybug rolled her eyes.
“I’m allowed to be amazed. She saved me three times today. It was attractive” she glanced at Chrysalis, who was talking to Cat Noir.
“Fair enough”
“Look,” her younger self started. “I don’t know what happened or will happen with Adrien in the future. If it wasn’t meant to be, it’s okay. But you have to allow yourself to like someone. Even if she’s really messy.” she said, looking at Chrysalis again, who tried to pretend that she wasn’t watching them.
“Maybe you are right.” Ladybug smiled at her. “I gotta go now. Take care of Paris, mini me” she hugged her.
“You too.” the younger Ladybug walked to the portal with her. “And you…” she stepped up to Chrysalis.
“Me?” the Butterfly holder pointed at herself.
“Behave. Every single day I’m closer to you”
“I’ll behave.” she chuckled.
As they were waving at their past selves, they all stepped through the portal. The city was in bad condition. There were cars thrown around, trees were on the streets and people were looking for the heroes of Paris.
“I forgot about this” Chrysalis looked around.
“Of course you did” Ladybug threw the helmet into the air. “Miraculous Ladybug”
In a swirl of light and ladybugs, the city healed. It was just like before the attack.
“Well, this was a fun day” Cat Noir stretched his arms. “Next time give me a heads up before throwing me into the past” he said to Chrysalis.
“I definitely will” she promised.
“There won’t be next time” Ladybug interrupted them.
“Shame.” Cat Noir fist-bumped them both. “Pound it. See you later?”
“Of course, Kitty” Ladybug smiled.
“Sure” Chrysalis said.
He vaulted away onto the rooftops.
Chrysalis and Ladybug stared after him for a minute in silence.
“All this for a game of chess” Ladybug mumbled.
“Three games” Chrysalis corrected her.
“But why?” she asked.
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“No” Ladybug gave her a confused look.
“You’re the smartest person I know. Don’t make me say it out loud” Chrysalis looked away.
“Say what out loud?” the superheroine asked innocently.
Chrysalis let out a sigh. She looked away for a moment, then forced herself to look into Ladybug’s eyes again.
“I like you in a way I shouldn’t. You’re incredibly brave and smart, but reckless at the same time. Honestly, you make my blood boil by being like this. And you’re beautiful in a way I can’t think straight near you. I never wanted to say this out loud. It’s terrifying. I understand if you want absolutely nothing from me, but I wanted to let you know” she said, not breaking eye contact with her enemy.
Ladybug stayed silent for minutes. The city around them was quiet, almost dark.
“This is complicated” she said finally. “Everything that happened today should make it easy for me to avoid you.”
“Right” Chrysalis nodded.
“But I still owe you three games of chess.” Ladybug said, and a faint smile appeared on her face. “And I still have a question for you, which I know you won’t really give me an answer to”
“Try me, I’m full of surprises” Chrysalis smirked.
“What did you mean when you said you enjoyed all the times you were pinning me to the wall? That only happened once.” Ladybug said with a confused expression.
Chrysalis’ smirk disappeared.
She realized her mistake.
Most times, it wasn’t Chrysalis and Ladybug.
It was Lila and Marinette. Crap.
“That” she let out a breath. “Is a conversation for another night. A night without time travel, Gabriel Agreste and more than one version of you”
Ladybug studied her face for a moment, then nodded.
“Okay, another night then”
She stepped onto the nearest rooftop ledge, yo-yo already spinning. Before she swung away she glanced back over her shoulder.
“Don’t be late for the first game, Chrysalis. Friday night. The top of the Eiffel-tower after closing”
Chrysalis watched her with an almost disbelieving smile.
“Wouldn’t dream of it, Lovebug”
Two nights later, they were on the top of the Eiffel-tower, with a chessboard between them. They played in near silence for the first twenty minutes.
On the twelfth move, Ladybug spoke without looking up.
“This is really complicated”
“I know. I knew you were going to be a strong opponent, but not this strong” Chrysalis moved her knight.
Ladybug looked up at her after she made a move with her queen.
“I meant us,” she said quietly. “I feel like I know you. As my civilian self.”
Chrysalis’ hand stopped mid-air.
“I have a new deal”
“I’m listening,” Ladybug said.
“I’ll tell you everything if you can beat me twice.”
“Fine” Ladybug nodded without hesitation. “But what if you beat me twice?”
“We’ll keep the masks on a little more, Lovebug. And I get to keep wanting you without having to watch you look at me differently once you know the truth.” she said, finally moving her rook.
Ladybug considered her next move for a long moment. Then she reached out and moved her bishop.
“Deal” she nodded.
They reset the board to start the first game over.
The first game was careful, almost cautious. Both of them played as if the pieces carried more weight than usual. Ladybug won it by a narrow margin after a long, tense endgame.
“One-zero” she said with a smile.
They set the pieces again.
The second game was sharper. Ladybug played with a focus that made Chrysalis’s pulse quicken. Every movement felt personal. Halfway through, Chrysalis realized she was no longer trying to win to keep her secret. She was simply trying not to lose to the girl sitting across from her.
She was afraid that her identity would ruin everything. She was desperate, as she didn’t want to go back to being only enemies. She claimed the second game with a quiet ‘Checkmate’.
“I thought you wanted to see me without the mask” Ladybug said, looking at the board.
“I do. But I’m not going to let you win.” she chuckled. “And maybe I like watching you observing people on the street, wondering if one of them is me,” Chrysalis added, as they set up the pieces one last time for their final game.
“I don’t do that” Ladybug looked away.
“Whatever you say” the villain said with a smirk.
The third game was the longest. Neither of them rushed. Pieces were moved, taken, sacrificed. At one point Chrysalis even sacrificed her queen, trying to turn the tide. But Ladybug saw through it. The endgame was quiet and precise. When Ladybug finally moved her rook into position, the word left her lips almost gently. “Checkmate”
Chrysalis looked down at the board. Two wins for Ladybug. One for her.
“You won” she said quietly. “Nooroo, dark wings fall”
As the words left her mouth, Lila Rossi was sitting in front of Ladybug. The Lila Rossi, who wanted to make her life hell, then disappeared.
“I understand if you don’t want to reveal yourself now” Lila said. “I took the Butterfly Miraculous because I wanted to use it to fix something. I wanted to help you in my own, kind of sick ways.” she continued.
Ladybug was silent for a long moment. Then she took a deep breath.
“Tikki, spots off” she said. Marinette was now sitting in front of Lila, looking at her with the same blue eyes. “I knew I recognized you. I didn’t know why, but the way you were watching me felt familiar.”
“I suspected you for a while. I just couldn’t prove it” Lila looked at her with a soft smile. “If you think I’m not worth the risk anymore, that’s fair. I can keep your secret and I can leave the city alone.”
“You didn’t reveal to the world that I lied about Gabriel. You kept your promise tonight. Why wouldn’t I think that you are worth the risk?” Marinette asked, placing a gentle kiss on Lila’s face.
“Because I’m not a nice person” Lila let out a tired laugh.
“No one is truly good or bad. You proved that you can be a better version of yourself and that’s enough for me” Marinette said, and as Lila intertwined their fingers, she didn’t pull her hand away.
“Don’t say things like that” Lila mumbled. “I can’t keep falling for you”
“If I can, then you can too” Marinette looked at their hands. “We can keep falling for each other while figuring out everything”
A few meters away, Tikki and Nooroo were watching them with smiles on their faces.
“I’m glad Marinette is Ladybug” Nooroo said after a long silence between them.
“Me too” Tikki nodded. “But why?” she asked the other kwami
“Every single time Master was unsure that Marinette was Ladybug, she started panicking about being in love with two girls at the same time” he laughed.
“Nooroo!” Lila yelled at him. “If you don’t shut up, I’ll make you eat cheese for a whole week”