Chapter Text
The rain pounding on the windows matched Marinette's own racing heart. She'd broken Adrien's heart. But it really didn't matter what she did; regardless, she knew she'd break his heart. At least this way she still kept her promise to Gabriel.
That son of a bitch.
Even in death, he didn't leave them alone. And Marinette felt as filthy a liar as...as Lilia.
She shuddered at the memory of her old nemesis as she climbed the stairs up to her bed. The faces of all her friends, and Adrien, stared back at her from the bulletin board next to her bed.
In a flash of anger, Marinette tore down every single photo, their remains now lying across her bed. She lied to all of them. And worst of all, she'd never be able to stop. She'd never be able to tell them it wasn't the truth.
Her eyes stung as hours of crying had dried them out as she lay down on the crumpled photos, clutching a single piece of one of her and Adrien's photos.
Even when she didn't have many friends, even when no one at all knew she was Ladybug, she'd never felt so alone as she did now...
The gears in Marinette's distraught mind began to turn. Through it all, she had Cat. Fearing her own sound logic, the thought didn't even finish forming as she transformed and called for Bunnix.
~ A few hours later ~
For years, Adrien had had dreams, nightmares, daydreams about the moment he found out the identity of the girl behind the red and black mask. And now here he was a year later, staring at her dead in the eyes.
Marinette's mouth was agape at his own reveal that followed hers. She'd told him she was Ladybug, and he transformed in front of her without thinking.
"Claws in", he whispered, breaking their silence.
In another life, Adrien would be ecstatic. The girl he loved and loves was the same. His lady was his lady. The lady who, hours ago, had just broken up with him without an explanation. But right now that didn't fucking matter.
"My father was Hawk Moth, and you didn't think the right thing to do was to tell me ? I'm tired of people deciding what I can and can't handle Lad...", he stumbled over his words as to what to call the girl in front of her. She was Marinette. She was Ladybug. She is...was his lady.
"I'm so sorry-", she seemed to hesitate on his name too but Adrien didn't give her a chance to ponder.
"Is that everything you've been keeping from me? For all this time, this is what you couldn't tell me? Is this why you broke up with me?."
She wiped her eyes, taking in a shaky breath to say, "No, I didn't... I didn't plan on you being Adrien of all people...but no that's not...", Marinette hesitated before sputtering out, "For the longest time, I stopped treating you like a Partner...In every sense of the word."
She made eye contact with him before she closed them and began unraveling every truth in front of him between stutters and pauses.
He was a sentimonster.
Kagami and Felix are too.
They know she's Ladybug.
Alya knows she's Ladybug.
Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng knew she was Ladybug
Fucking Luka knew she was Ladybug.
His dad died to be with his mom.
His dad almost killed them to be with his mom.
His mom was in their basement.
Natillie Knew.
Natillie knew everything, always knew everything.
In this and every universe, after they knew each other's identities, it was the end of this and every universe.
Chat Blanc.
When she was done, she opened her eyes and crossed her arms in an attempt to comfort her own shaking, hollowed frame.
Adren felt lightheaded and heavy. He sank to sit inside the Burrows' "floor". The place Ladybug had told him would be the only safe place to say what she needed to say.
"For...for months I didn't know what to do. I've tried so hard to get help, but every time I ask for help, it's like.... I asked Luka, I asked Alya, and well, that's actually why I asked you to erase her memories; she knew what your dad did, and even now she's pissed at me. Kitty, I was so scared that you'd do the same. I feel so fucking alone that I selfishly couldn't bear to lose you too. You and Adrien".
She too sank down on her knees and cried into her hands.
"Plagg, claws in". Tikki looked up from where she hugged Marinette and nodded at Plagg. They both floated off to the far side of the Burrow.
Adrien's world consisted of putrid lies with memories that would now always haunt him with demonic vigor. But it wasn't fair; Marinette bore that intensity just as he did. Though Marinette never saw it that way.
Marinette knew that telling Cat Noir...Adrien, she was Ladybug, was a risk. But the new holder of the Butterfly Miraculous knew who she was, knew seemingly everything about her, while she knew nothing about them. So although Adrien knew how serious Ladybug was about their identities, he knew that if she'd caved in enough to decide to tell him, it was because this was far greater a battle than he'd anticipated.
His father was only the practice run, so to speak.
"You said", Adrien started as he reached out for Marinette's hands to uncover her face, "that in this and every universe of you and me, that once we knew who we were, that was the end."
Marinette shook her head in agreement. "Chat Blanc...that...that still haunts me to this day".
"Well, what if, and you're going to have to hear me out, M'lady- this is the one universe where it doesn't. The one in a million chance it doesn't. I don't know how I feel about any of this. I don't even know..."
"Adrien I-"
"No, no, please let me finish. I don't know my ass from my head at this point in my life but the one constant in this and every universe is that you and I, M'Lady, are made for each other. I don't care if we're kids and I'm stupid for saying this, but I know that I could never love anyone but you, even when I tried to, I still feel in love with you over and over again ".
Marinette trembled and launched herself into Adrien's arms, wrapping him in a warm embrace.
Into her ear, he whispered, "I mean, honestly, every time I've loved a girl was you by a different name. I've never loved another girl that wasn't you. Ladybug. Marinette. Lady Noir, Renardette. It was always you".
Marinette pulled back and smiled at him. She held up a fist in front of Adrien, the question lingering in the air.
He couldn't help but smile back as he mirrored Marinette's hand with is own.
In unison, they said, with an unspoken promise of love, "Pound it".