Archive of Our Own

As Adrien walks out of school he notices the rain, pouring across the street like fresh tears, the sky clouded in grey, and the girl. 

Marinette. 

She’s pouting, her nose scrunched up, her lips pursed, and she’s practically glowing in the light. 

He hesitates. Ever since the gum incident, she’s been avidly avoiding him like the plague, a look of disgust on her face the minute he’s in view. It’s disheartening, to say the least. 

“Well, go talk to Marinette. You know, about the chewing gum.” 

Nino’s words ring in his ear, and Adrien feels a surge of confidence rush through his body. 

He stops beside her. “Hey.” He says, smiling hopefully, breathless at the sight of her. It’s reminiscent of the way he feels when he’s with his Lady. 

However, the second Marinette sees him she glares, turning away with a huff. 

Adrien can feel his smile drop and his stomach sink. He doesn’t know why the thought of her hating him bugs him so much, but at that moment Adrien would do anything to make her stop. 

How?

“Just be yourself.” 

The last time he did that, Marinette thought he was trying to bully her. 

Adrien sighs. Maybe he should just give up and accept that Marinette will never be his friend, no matter how much it hurts. 

Opening his umbrella, he pauses. Even if they won’t be friends, he still doesn’t want her believing he hates her. “I just wanted you to know that I was only trying to take the chewing gum off your seat. I swear.” 

She looks at him curiously, furrowing her brow and opening her mouth slightly. 

“I’ve never been to school before,” He continues, glancing away. “I’ve never had friends. It’s all sort of...new to me.” 

He offers her a smile, turning and holding out his umbrella. Marinette just stares, looking at him in a way that makes his heart pound and stomach flutter. 

Please take it. 

Slowly, she reaches out, grasping the umbrella from him. 

All Adrien can do is smile. 

And then the umbrella closes. A gasp sounds from under it, and Adrien can’t help the laugh that bursts from his lips. It’s the most he’s laughed in a long time - probably since his mother died. 

He’s still laughing when he hears it. Soft at first, then loud and light and all things lovely. He opens his eyes to see Marinette giggling, beaming so bright it hurts, her blue eyes shining, and Adrien finds himself thinking she’s the most beautiful person he’s ever met. 

“See you tomorrow.” He says before he can contemplate the fuzzy feeling in his chest, hurrying down the steps. 

Plagg pops out, a sly grin on his face. “First day of school and we already have two lovebirds.” 

Adrien huffs a laugh, ignoring the beating of his heart. “Whatever, she’s just a friend.” 

It occurs to him a moment later what he’s just said, warmth pooling in his chest. He’s made a friend. Marinette Dupain-Cheng is his first friend. 

“A friend!” He feels like he’s floating, his whole body alight as he walks to the car. The last time he felt so light was as Chat Noir, fighting alongside his Lady; free and alive and happy. 

He doesn’t stop smiling the whole day. 

~

He probably shouldn't put so much hope on a girl he just met, but call him an optimist, because the next day, Adrien is ecstatic.   

There’s a skip in his step as he walks into the classroom, and a grin on his face. Sunlight filters through the windows, a soft breeze blows, and chatter buzzes as Adrien spots her. 

His friend . 

She’s wearing her usual pigtails, chatting happily with Alya, her face lighting up at the sight of him. 

Adrien can barely contain his excitement. 

“Hi Marinette!” He grins, chuckling as she startles out of her seat. 

“A-Adrien!” She squeaks, flushing a bright red. Alya giggles beside her, earning an elbow to the ribs from Marinette. 

“How are you?” He asks, sliding into his seat. 

“Me? I-I’m g-great, y-you’re perfect, no, I mean h-how are y-you?” 

“Um, I’m good. I was-”

“Great! U-Uh I have t-to...I-I have to marry y-you. No! I-I mean go! I have to go!” She suddenly jumps up, blushing furiously.

“But class starts in five minutes.” He points out, chuckling lightly. 

“W-well, bathroom! I have to, I h-have to go!” 

“Maybe we could hang out at lunch?” 

Marinette doesn’t even acknowledge his question, freezing, her eyes locked onto something past him. “I-um, is that an akuma?”

Adrien spins round, spotting the warped figure making their way towards the Eiffel Tower. Perfect timing. 

Muttering a quick excuse, he sprints out the door, all thoughts of Marinette’s awkwardness disappearing as he focuses on the akuma. It would probably pass, after all. 

How wrong he was. 

After that, Marinette is different. She trips and stutters and blushes around him and Adrien can feel his heart sink every time. He gives up on the whole ‘friend’ thing when, two weeks later, Marinette falls down the stairs at the sight of him. She’s in crutches for a month after, and Adrien can’t help but feel somewhat responsible. 

It’s only at night when he lets himself give into the ache. Lets himself imagine a life with Marinette; one with weekends spent playing video games, hours wasted talking about anything and everything, and more love and laughter than he could ever possibly imagine.

It’s a special kind of torture that he can’t help but relish in. 

~

The sky is blue, birds are chirping, and chaos wreaks havoc across the streets of Paris once again. Cries echo over the city, ripping through the streets like knives, debris crumbling onto roads, car crashes littering the paths. 

Chat chases broken screams, running past couples glued together by what looks like a red fog, dialling Ladybug’s number for the fifth time. It’s been twenty minutes since the akuma attacked, and there hasn’t been so much as a whisper about his Lady. 

“Where are you, M’Lady?” He mutters, landing in a park to catch his breath. He tries Ladybug’s number again but it goes straight to voicemail. Annoyance itches his skin like fleas, and a little voice in the back of his head tells him she’s probably with another cooler superhero, taking down the akuma without any thought of him. 

From the civilians he’s talked to, he knows that the akuma’s chasing Marinette, cursing her name to anyone who’ll listen, for what reason he has no idea. He hopes to god she’s safe. 

It’s then that he hears whispers. He’s on his guard immediately, cataclysm on the tip of his tongue, when he sees someone - a girl - crouched behind a bench.

On closer inspection, it’s Marinette, speaking in a hushed voice to her purse. 

Strange. Though he can’t really talk considering he’s dressed in a leather catsuit. 

He slowly approaches her. “Marinette?”

“Tikki spo-C-Chat?” She spins round, her eyes wide in alarm. “W-What are you, um, why are you here?”

“Don’t know if you noticed, but there’s an akuma running around.” He says. 

Marinette blinks at him. 

It then occurs to him that they haven’t met, not as Chat Noir and Marinette, and he shouldn’t really know who she is. Which is strange, considering most of their class has been akumatized and you’d think they’d have run into each other at least once before. 

“Actually, I should introduce myself.” He says. “I’m Chat Noir.” He bows, taking her hand in his and placing a soft kiss on her knuckle. 

He braces himself for the stuttering, tripping, and completely illogical sentences, but all she does is roll her eyes, yanking her hand away. “I know who you are. I’m Marinette.” 

He’s stunned for a moment, before grinning. “Well, Marinette, I heard this akuma is after you.” 

“Oh, right.” She frowns, “You know Alya?”

“The girl who runs the Ladyblog, right?”

“Yeah. Today we were supposed to watch a movie, but I couldn’t make it. I guess she thought I didn’t care about her, completely untrue by the way, but Hawkmoth did his thing and now here we are.” She explains, a sudden sadness settling in her eyes. 

“Sounds like a cat astrophe.” 

She gives him a look. “Seriously? That was a weak pun.” 

“Hey! I’ll have you know that pun was purr fect. You couldn’t do much better, anyway.” 

Marinette smirks. “I’m feline paw ly from that paw ful pun.” 

Chat forgets how to breathe. 

Where is the anxious, blushing Marinette Dupain-Cheng he knows? Where is the girl who ran into a door when he smiled at her? Where is the girl who literally fainted when he complimented her designs? 

Just as he opens his mouth, a familiar voice screams, “Marinette!” 

Alya. 

The ground thunders and the buildings rumble. Chat instinctively grabs Marinette’s arm, tugging her closer to him. 

A look of panic flashes across her eyes. “I need to get out of here.” 

His stomach twists uncomfortably at the thought of her being chased by an akuma with no one to keep her safe. “Grab onto me.” He says. “I’ll take you home, okay?” 

“No, you need to fight the akuma!” 

“My first priority is keeping you safe.” 

Marinette glares. “Chat you need-”

“Marinette, I know you’re hiding from me! Don’t you want to come out and play?” Alya’s voice booms as she comes into view. 

She’s about twice her usual size, clad in a blood red suit, a deep crimson mist swirling around her like a menacing devil. When she spots them, her lips twist into a disturbing smile, an eyebrow raising. 

“Oh, what’s this? I didn’t realise we had company.” Alya taunts, eyes flashing. 

Chat can feel the fear ooze through his veins, paralysis freezing his limbs, but the hitch in Marinette’s breath distracts him. 

She’s trembling, sweat beading at her forehead, her breathing erratic. Her eyes are locked onto Alya, and Chat is shocked back into hero-mode. 

Scooping her up, he smiles reassuringly. “Hold tight, okay?”

Marinette’s eyes are hazy, her mouth agape, and she’s looking at him like she’s seeing him for the first time. He squeezes her shoulder and she nods faintly.

Using his baton, Chat launches them onto the rooftops, gripping Marinette like a lifeline as they run away from Alya’s cries. 

They land on the balcony with a soft thud, holding onto each other for dear life. Marinette is the first to break away, slowly opening the hatch that leads to her room. 

“I’ll try to come back after the akuma’s defeated.” He says, turning away. 

She grabs his arm. “Be safe, Chat.”

He winks. “Always am.” 

Ladybug arrives not too long after - alone, to Chat’s relief - and then it’s only ten minutes before the akuma has been defeated. Alya apologises profusely, but all Chat can see is Marinette paralysed, on the brink of a panic attack, tears welling in her eyes, and something akin to a growl escapes his lips. 

Ladybug shoots him a look, so he leaves. 

Anger boils in his stomach, poisoning his thoughts like vines; twisting and wrapping about him until he’s so consumed by rage he feels on the brink of exploding. He’s never felt so furious before - especially when he knows Alya never meant to hurt Marinette - and he suddenly has the dire urge to make sure Marinette’s okay. He needs her to be. 

It takes him approximately two minutes before he’s on her balcony, peering through the skylight. She’s sitting on her bed, holding a plate of something Chat can’t see. 

He eagerly taps on the window. 

Marinette emerges. Her cheeks are flushed, and she’s breathing heavily like she’s just done a sprint. “Hey, Chat.” She says. “You know you don’t need to check on me, right?”

“Ah, but I want to.” Then, in a softer voice. “Are you sure you’re okay? I know getting chased by an akuma can be scary.”

“I feel better now.” She smiles at him and it’s like he’s been struck by lightning, the way his body buzzes like he’s finally woken up after sleeping for so long. 

“Just what I like to hear.” 

Marinette laughs, “You must be pretty hungry, do you want a croissant? They’re fresh from the oven.” She holds up a plate full of golden-brown croissants, the delectable smell of butter and pastry filling his senses. 

“Marinette, you might just be my new favourite person.” He grins, biting into one of the pastries. 

The buttery flakes melt on his tongue, light and fluffy, tasting like heaven. After he finishes, he eagerly grabs another one, sighing as he swallows another bite. 

In between mouthfuls of croissant, he says, “Thanks, Marinette. I really needed this.”

“It’s the least I could do. You saved me.” She gives him a fond look and he can feel his insides melt. 

That’s when his ring decides to beep, signalling the three minute warning on his transformation. 

“Well, looks like I have to go, but I'll see you soon.”

“Hopefully not when an akuma’s chasing me.” 

“That’s unlikely. You’re im paw sible to resist, Princess.” 

A blush floods her cheeks. “W-What? Princess?” 

Chat’s about to tease her, when the ring beeps again. He dramatically sighs, hopping onto the railing. 

“I’ll be back for more pastries!” He calls over his shoulder, bounding across the rooftops. 

“And I’ll poison them!” He hears her shout after him. He’s laughing all the way home. 

As Adrien tucks himself into bed, hope blooms in his chest and he welcomes it. Being Marinette’s friend had always seemed like a fantasy, a what if that haunts him most nights, but after meeting her as Chat - after seeing how much lighter and bolder she is with him - the dream feels almost real, so close he could touch it. And if Adrien has learnt anything in his fifteen years of existence, it’s that when life gives you an olive branch you grab onto it and you don’t let go. 

~

Chat Noir runs across the rooftops late one evening, watching the moonlight pool across Paris, listening to the music dance with the wind, when Marinette comes into view. 

He stops in his path. 

She’s leaning on her balcony, her hair falling loosely around her shoulders, gazing wistfully at the moon, bathing in the light. She’s absolutely stunning, and all Chat can do is stare. 

Ignoring the way his heart flips, he leaps closer, hiding behind a chimney so she doesn’t notice him. He wonders briefly if it’s normal to care so much about someone he doesn’t really know, but brushes it aside as he catches a clearer view of Marinette. 

She looks like she’s been crying, her cheeks stained red. An overwhelming urge to help her pushes Chat to jump onto her balcony. 

He lands softly behind her. 

“Hello, Princess.” He purrs, grinning as Marinette jumps into a fighting position. 

“Chat? What are you doing here?” She quickly wipes away any tears from her chin. 

He leans closer, the sweet scent of vanilla filling his nose. “Can’t a lowly stray visit his princess?” 

She rolls her eyes at the nickname, fixing him with a stare. “Your princess? Come on Chat, tell me the truth.”

For a moment, all he can think about is how blue her eyes are. They remind him of early spring, of dewy bluebells and sunlight flooding the horizon. They’re utterly captivating, lovely, and home. 

“You were looking pretty paw lorn Princess, and I just had to check on you.” 

She sighs, a sadness settling over her. “I’m okay, kitty, you don’t need to worry about me.” 

He frowns, his stomach twisting uncomfortably. “You sure? From my experience, bottling things can be rather paw ful.” 

A small smile flickers on her lips, and Chat doesn’t regret the pun for a second. 

“That pun was terrible.” She says. 

“Ah! But it made you smile.” 

Marinette rolls her eyes, a deadly smile gracing her lips.  “It was still a cat astrophe.” 

Chat nearly doubles over, his heart fit to burst. The sight of Marinette smirking, her eyes glinting playfully, sends shivers clawing at his spine. 

“My Princess punned, I think I’m in love!” He swoons, winking at her. 

“Ladybug would be so upset.” She’s laughing now and Chat is taken back to that day in the rain, that same fuzzy feeling flooding him until he’s drowning in it. 

“Oh Purr incess, you know you’re the only one who owns my heart...And don’t think I didn’t notice that change of subject.”

She groans. “Fine. Promise you won’t laugh?”

“Promise.”

“I-um...well, there’s this boy.” She fidgets with her shirt, pink flooding her cheeks. 

“A boy , huh?” His curiosity is utterly piqued. Who could have captured Marinette’s heart? No one in their class seems nearly good enough for her.

“If you want to listen, be quiet.” 

“As you wish, Princess.” 

“It’s...nothing really, he doesn’t even know I exist.” She whispers the last bit, her voice cracking. 

All the breath is knocked out of Chat. 

How could anyone not notice Marinette Dupain-Cheng? 

She’s an absolute force of nature. Bright, confident, witty, strong. He could go on and on. And in only the few months Chat has known her, he finds himself completely captivated.

“Then he’s a fool.” 

Marinette pauses, shaking her head. “He’s not a fool. He’s...amazing.” Her eyes glaze over, her cheeks flushing slightly. 

The realisation dawns on him. “You like him.”

She shakes her head. “I love him, Chat.” 

He doesn’t know why that hurts so much. 

“Tell me about this mystery boy.” 

Marinette opens her mouth, pauses, then closes it. “Don’t you have better things to do than listen to my problems, kitty?” 

“Nothing’s better than listening to you, Princess.” He replies easily. 

Marinette stares at him, a blush dusting her cheeks, nodding faintly. 

“...He’s wonderful, Chat.” She smiles softly. “ He’s kind and loyal and smart and I would do anything to see him smile.”

Chat’s heart lurches, and his stomach twists uncomfortably. He grins through the pain. 

“He sounds purr fect.” 

Marinette laughs gently. “I used to hate him, you know. When we first met I thought he was spoiled and mean like this girl in my class, but…” 

“But?”

“But this one afternoon it was raining, and I’m stuck at school waiting it out since I don’t have an umbrella, when he appears, honest to god, glowing like the sun.” 

He’s brought back to that afternoon with Marinette in the rain, probably the best memory he has of her.

“I ignored him, because I really wasn’t in the mood to be teased, but then he tells me he’s kinda new to the whole friend thing and - for no reason at all - he gives me his umbrella.”

Huh.

“I remember being so shocked I couldn’t speak. This boy - who up until that point I’d hated - somehow stole my heart from under me like a thief in the night. But I think what really did it was when I eventually took the umbrella, he smiled this bright, wonderful smile, like I was his whole world, and I just knew...Chat?” 

Her words hit him like bullets. His chest burns. All this time he thought it hadn’t been enough, that he hadn’t been enough. But Marinette loves him. 

Marinette is in love with him. 

It doesn’t feel real.

He registers a few moments later that she said his name. “What?”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” He is anything but okay. He feels lost, like he’s in the middle of nowhere without a map. No one’s been in love with him before, and he has no idea what to do. 

“I just remembered Ladybug wanted to meet for patrol.” The words slip past his lips before he realises what he’s saying. But it’s an easy escape to adjust his thoughts, so he takes it. 

Marinette furrows her brows, hurt apparent on her face. “Oh, um, okay.” 

“Goodbye, Marinette.” 

If she replies, he doesn’t hear. 

~

“She loves me.”

He breathes out, awe lacing his voice. It’s been twenty minutes since he arrived home, and he still can’t believe it. Marinette loves him. Like, loves him, loves him. 

Plagg snorts beside him. “Took you long enough.” He grabs a slice of camembert and squeezes it into his mouth. It always amazes Adrien how Plagg hasn’t burst from the amount of cheese in his tiny body. 

He arches a brow. “What do you mean it ‘took me long enough’?” 

“Oh come on, all the stuttering, blushing, tripping over herself around only you. I can’t believe you didn’t realise.”  

Adrien blushes, his lips turning up slightly. 

“I just thought she hated me.” He says. 

Plagg rolls his eyes, wolfing down another slice of cheese. “My god, you're oblivious.”

“Shut up, I am not.” 

“Just because a piece of cheese says it’s not stinky doesn’t stop it from smelling.” 

That earns a glare. “Don’t compare me to cheese.” 

“If the analogy fits.” 

Adrien sighs. 

“Plagg...what should I do?”

There’s no reply, and for a second Adrien thinks Plagg hasn't heard him over his chewing. But then, “I don’t know, kid, I’m not made for all this mushy bullshit.” 

“Yeah...I know that.” He sighs, thoughts floating back to Marinette and her confession.  At first, he felt like he was struggling through a thick fog; his limbs heavy with fatigue and his chest aching with burden. Rejecting Marinette hung over his head, squeezing at his heart like a parasite. He can clearly picture the pain clinging to her face, welling in her eyes, as he explains that he’s in love with someone else. 

Now it’s as if he can finally breathe after drowning for so long, like he’s been blind for all his life and now he can see. Hope twirls around his heart like vines, and he finds all those late-night fantasies rushing to the forefront of his mind. Marinette is in love with him and he doesn’t know why that makes him feel so happy. 

“What about Ladybug?” Plagg pipes up. “I thought she was the only one for you.”

Adrien grimaces. 

Over the past few months, Adrien has had to watch the distance between him and his Lady grow, so much so that she feels like a dream he’s grown out of. They’re still partners - and he trusts her with his life - but the secrets they’ve been keeping have taken their toll. 

“I...I love Ladybug, I do.” He says. “But she doesn’t love me, she doesn’t even trust me.” It hurts to say, but it’s a fact he’s come to accept long ago.  

Plagg scowls. “Of course she trusts you, dummy. You’re her partner!” 

“With all the new heroes, I don’t think I am anymore.” 

“You’re Chat Noir! You’re the cheese to her wine!”

Unease writhes in his stomach. “I don’t want to talk about Ladybug.” 

“So what now? Are you going to date Marinette?” Heat rushes to his face. He can imagine weekends spent sharing scoops of Andrè’s ice cream, romantic walks by the Seine, and baring their souls to each other between sips of hot chocolate on her balcony. His heart flips at the thought. 

But he’s never thought about Marinette like that, and it wouldn’t be fair to her. Besides, Ladybug already owns his heart. 

“Plagg, she’s just a friend!” 

“A friend who’s in love with you.” 

Adrien smiles. Hearing the way Marinette talked about him, seeing the way her eyes lit up, makes him feel warmer than anyone else ever has. “She does, doesn’t she? She really loves me.”

“You sound like a lovesick kitten.” 

Adrien pauses, stopping his thoughts before they could get out of hand. “I-...I’m going to bed.”

Plagg barks a laugh. “Fine, go ahead and ignore your feelings.”

“ Goodnight Plagg.”

“Goodnight Adrien.” 

That night, he dreams of whispered confessions, sweet smiles and bluebell eyes. It’s the best sleep he’s ever had. 

~

Patrol has always been Chat’s favourite part of the week; flying through the streets, Ladybug by his side, their laughter carried along by the wind. Paris is alive at night, living and breathing with its people, the lights dancing like fireflies, the hubbub a symphony of sounds, and Chat falls deeper in love every hour he spends there. 

But his absolute favourite part of patrol is the hour or so after when he collapses beside Ladybug on the Eiffel Tower, and they just talk about everything and nothing at all. He lives for the moments where he can make his Lady laugh, or when they just sit in a comfortable silence and watch the dawn slowly trickle through the darkness. It’s in those moments that he can tell her anything he wants and he knows she’ll just listen, and she'll do the same. 

So, by the time their next patrol comes around, Chat is determined to fix things with Marinette - leaving her abruptly was probably not the best idea - and he’s sure his Lady will help.

Ladybug is perched beside him, her hair blowing in the wind, cheeks flushed, and eyes twinkling like gems in the moonlight. She is a sight to behold. 

Chat fondly remembers the first time he saw her; literally falling into him like a shooting star, tunnelling her way into his heart before he’d even realised what happened.

“Hey, M’lady?” 

“Mm?” She glances at him, a flash of something passing through her eyes.  

“I need some advice.” He says, fiddling with his belt. 

“I’m listening.”

“I have this...friend.”

“A friend?”

“I think so? She’s really nice.” It’s probably strange that he can’t stop smiling whenever he thinks about Marinette. Or maybe not, he’s always wanted to be her friend and it’s finally coming true. 

“She? Kitty, do you have a crush on her?” 

He laughs, ignoring the way his heart thumps. “Bugaboo, you know you’re the only one I love.” 

Her eyes snap away, as if burned “...Right. You were saying?”

“Well, last night she was telling me about this boy she has a crush on, and I was stupid and left. She looked really upset and I have no idea how to fix it.” Chat grimaces, shame washing over him like cement. Ladybug is silent, her brows furrowed. 

“Why’d you leave?” She finally asks. 

“I-...it doesn’t matter.” 

“It matters to you, though.” 

“I don’t really know why I left. I just...panicked.” It’s the closest he can get to the truth without revealing anything, no matter how much he wants to tell her all of it. 

“Panicked?”

“I don’t really want to talk about it.”

“Okay. But if you ever do…” She’s so unbelievably kind and caring, looking at him earnestly, like his happiness is the most important thing in the world to her. Chat has no idea what he did to deserve a friend so amazing. 

“I know. I would like some advice though.” 

Ladybug sighs. “I don’t know, Chat. I have no idea who this girl is or how she’s feeling.”

“Please?”

“Fine.” She says. “You should apologise. She’s probably confused and a little hurt, but if you explain I’m sure she’ll forgive you.” 

“You’re right. Of course you’re right, M’Lady. I think I’ll go now.” He hops up, checking the time. It’s only a little past ten, so it’s a very real possibility that Marinette is awake. 

Ladybug stares, panic fresh in her eyes. “Now? Isn’t it a little late?” 

“I can’t wait, this is too important.” Shaking his head, he grabs his baton. 

Jumping to her feet, she waves him away. “O-Okay! Um, good luck!” 

He grins, a surge of confidence pushing him towards Marinette, 

~

Chat lands on Marinette’s balcony with not as much as a sound. She smiles sadly, waiting.  

“Hey, Marinette.” 

Her eyes flick over him briefly. “Chat Noir.” 

“How are you?” 

“I’m fine. You?”

“Yeah, I’m fine as well.” She nods. Silence drowns them like tar. 

“...Why are you here?” Her voice cracks. 

“I had to say I’m sorry.” He says. “I lied about Ladybug needing me for patrol, and I shouldn’t have.”

She nods. “Okay.” 

“I really am sorry. I let you down, Marinette.” 

“I forgive you, Chat.”

“Really?” He asks. 

She looks at him and smiles. “Of course, kitty.” Then she pauses. “But why did you leave?”

Because you’re in love with me. “I don’t know why I left.” He says instead. 

Marintte stares at him for a beat, like she knows it’s more than that. “You sure?”

“Yeah, I think I just...I don’t know.” 

“Okay. If you ever want to talk, I’m here.” She’s as kind as his Lady, he thinks. 

“Same for you, Princess.” 

Marinette grins at the nickname. “Shall I get some tea?”

 “Yes, please.” 

~

Adrien realises how blind he’s been the minute he steps into the classroom. 

When Marinette sees him, her whole face lights up like the moon on a clear night, and she smiles this bright, beautiful smile that he likes to think is just for him. Her eyes soften, and she looks at him with so much love that sometimes he finds it hard to look away. 

How did he miss this?

Marinette loves him fiercely, like no one else ever has, and Adrien can’t believe he never noticed. For a brief moment, he wonders if he could love her just as boldly.

But a voice stops him; a voice that sounds awfully like his father. 

Would she really love you if you weren’t an Agreste? 

The thought plagues him, keeps him up at night, squeezing at his chest for days. The question of ‘what if?’ on the forefront of his mind. Marinette can tell something’s wrong when he visits her as Chat, but what can he say? I think you only love me for my fame because no one’s loved me for any other reason?  

Adrien’s had to deal with fans chasing his name for years, and maybe this isn’t any different. Marinette does want to become a fashion designer, and what better way to get a head start than to date Gabriel Agreste’s son? It would be so easy to believe. 

Except, he can’t. 

Because he so desperately wants to believe Marinette. 

He wants to believe every look, smile, and sigh just as badly as he wants to believe that Ladybug trusts him the way he trusts her. But no matter how much he hopes, the voice in the back of his head is just as strong. 

Eventually, he decides he can do nothing but go to the source. 

~

It’s a Thursday night, and the wind whips across the roofs of Paris, the moon shines bright, and the stars twinkle in the navy sky. 

Chat Noir happily sips his hot chocolate, nestled in a pile of blankets, lounging on Marinette’s balcony. There’s a plate of croissants next to him, the buttery smell of pastry wafting over him like a warm hug. Marinette is beside him, swaddled in her duvet, gazing at the stars like they’re the most magnificent things she’s ever seen. 

Chat smiles. There’s something so pleasant and comfortable about Marinette; just being around her puts him at ease, as if he’s coming home.  

She doesn’t love you, she loves your fame. The voice insists. 

The thought is like a shard of glass, piercing his lungs and twisting the breath out of his body. Pain ripples through his veins 

He takes a breath. “Marinette?” 

She smiles at him. “Yes, kitty?”

“I was thinking-”

“And now you’re tired?” 

“Oh shut up. I was just wondering about this boy…”

“Don’t tell me you want him too. I don’t really want to fight you.” The implied ‘ because you’d lose’ makes Chat chuckle.

“Rest assured, Princess, I am not in love with your mystery boy.” He takes a breath. “I just want to make sure you are.”

Marinette’s head snaps towards him. “What?” 

Chat averts his eyes. “Do you even know him? Or are you just in love with the idea of him?” His voice echoes across the balcony and silence settles over them. The familiarity of it is unnerving, wrapping around his throat like a noose; tightening with each passing second. 

He’s about to break the silence with an apology when Marinette speaks. “I know he’s lonely. I know he lives in this big house with his father who’s never really there, and that everytime he has to go home, he’d rather be anywhere else in the world.”

Chat’s heart hammers in his chest. He didn’t realise anyone noticed that. 

“I know that he cherishes every moment with his friends because he’s never had any before. I know that I’d love him no matter what his life is like. And I know that I would do anything to see him happy, even if it means watching him fall in love with somebody else. If that’s not love, then I don’t know what is.”

“Oh.” He says, because what else can he say? Not only does Marinette know more about him than anyone else, but she cares too. She sees all the bad in his life and still loves him. 

“Yeah.” She breathes. “Why did you even ask that?” Her voice wobbles slightly and Chat can feel his heart break. 

“I’m sorry. It was rude of me. I shouldn’t have.”

“Then why did you?”

“I-I was worried about you. What if this guy isn’t as great as you think he is? I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

She seems sceptical but shugs. “You don’t need to worry about me, kitty.”

“Princess, I’m a superhero, it’s my job to worry about you. And, you’re my friend. I can’t help it.”

“That’s sweet, kitty. You’re my friend, too.”

“Aw, now how about another croissant for your buddy?”

She rolls her eyes, but hands him a croissant anyway. 

Later, when he’s running across the rooftops back home, Chat feels lighter than air. He can finally release the breath he’s been holding for days because Marinette loves him. Not for his fame or his father, but because she sees him, and loves what she sees. 

Chat can only wish he could make Marinette feel the same way. 

And then as Adrien collapses onto his bed, he thinks of how lovely Marinette is. Of how she deserves someone who cares about her as much as she cares about them. 

I’ll try , he decides. Try what, he has no idea. 

~

Marinette is sitting on the stone steps, scribbling in her notebook, her nose scrunched in concentration, when Adrien stops in front of her. If it wasn’t for his Lady, he’d think she was adorable. 

“Hi, Marinette.” 

She jumps, her notes flying over the ground. “Ah! A-Adrien! Goodbye, I-I mean h-hey! You-you look amazing. I mean good! No, no I mean-” 

He laughs softly, crouching down to pick up her drawings. It’s kind of surreal to know that she’s in love with him, seeing the affection in her eyes, hearing the care in her voice, and it fills Adrien with a kind of yearning that he can’t get enough of. 

He’s still laughing when one of Marinette’s designs falls into view and he recognises the figure as Chat Noir, dressed in a sleek black suit, holding a masquerade mask to his face in one hand, and his baton in the other. Adrien can feel the heat creeping up his face. He’s seen the fanart of Chat before, but never something so gorgeous, never something so detailed. 

“It’s okay, Marinette. Here you go.” He smiles, offering her back the drawings, though a small part of him wants to keep them for himself. 

“Oh, wow, you- um, thanks. Thanks, Adrien.” She packs them away into her bag, blushing furiously. 

“Your designs are amazing. It’s no wonder you won my father’s competition.” He says honestly, chuckling as Marinette falls over herself again. 

“Oh! Wow, um, I lo-thanks. Thank you.” 

Adrien melts. He wants to know her so badly it hurts; he wants to spend hours talking and learning and understanding who she is, he wants to know what makes her tick, what annoys her, what makes her sad and how to make her laugh. He wants and wants and he doesn’t even fully understand why. 

The bell rings, jarring his thoughts, and he notices Marinette begin to step away. 

“Do you want to walk to class together?” He asks. 

“You-I...yes! Yes, I want to marry you! Wait, sorry...um, y-yeah?” Marinette looks dazed, lightly pinching herself as if to check she’s not dreaming. 

Adrien bows. “After you.”

“Wow…” 

“So, how was your weekend?” 

“I-It was good! I-we missed y-you on Saturday.” She says, peeking at him surreptitiously. 

His smile falters. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. You know what my father’s like.” 

Marinette nods. “Yeah, he sucks.” Then she freezes, a look of alarm striking her face. “I-I’m sorry, I only meant that, well, it sucked y-you couldn’t come.” 

“It’s alright, he does suck at times. I really missed you guys.” Adrien smiles softly. I missed you, almost slipping past his lips. 

“U-Um, well, Alya a-and I, um, we were planning t-to go to mine and play video games after school, y-you and Nino could join us? If you want, of course, you're not o-obligated to at all.” Marinette stumbles over her words, blushing fiercely, hope twinkling in her eyes. 

Adrien can feel his heart leap, excitement rushing through his veins. “I’d love that, Marinette. I’ll talk to Nino in class.” 

“O-okay. I’ll tell Alya.”

“Great!” 

Adrien spends the rest of the afternoon in a daze, a grin permanently plastered on his face. 

~

As soon as the bell rings, Adrien turns to Marinette, dejected and head hung like a stray kitten. 

“Marinette, about this afternoon…” 

“I-Is something wrong?” She asks worriedly, packing her things into her bag. 

“The problem is, well, I was talking to Nino and it turns out he can’t come, something about babysitting his brother.” He’s slightly annoyed at Nino - even though he hasn’t really done anything - since Marinette probably wouldn’t want him imposing on her afternoon with Alya. 

Marinette casts a glance at Alya and Nino, snickering in the corner, blatantly staring at them. “Strange, Alya told me she couldn’t make it either.” 

He almost jumps with glee. 

“Guess it’ll be just us.” He says. 

Marinette’s jaw hangs open. “J-Just us? You mean, y-you and me...alone?”

“We don’t have to-”

“No! I-I want to! Let’s go!” She grabs his hand, tugging him out of the school.

Adrien can only stare at where their hands are intertwined, fitting together like puzzle pieces. Her thumb unconsciously stroking the back of his hand, his fingers squeezing tight - not wanting to let go. His heart pounds in his ears, drowning out the gasps and giggles of their classmates. 

It’s only when Chloe screams, “Get your hands off him!” that Marinette realises what she’s done and yanks her hand away. Adrien manages to restrain himself from murdering Chloe on the spot. 

They walk mostly in silence after that, Marinette sneaking glances at him when she thinks he isn’t looking, their hands brushing ever so often. He misses the warmth of her hand and aches to reach and grab it. He tries to ignore the thought. 

As they step into the bakery, Adrien is welcomed to the smell of butter and pastry, macarons of all colours towered in the displays, rows of desserts beckoning him to eat them. The Dupain-Cheng bakery also just feels like somewhere he’s actually wanted, somewhere he doesn’t have to be the perfect Adrien Agreste everyone expects him to be. 

Marinette skips behind the counter, kissing the cheek of the woman behind it. Her mother, he registers. That’s when the woman notices him, a warm smile gracing her face. 

“Mama, this is Adrien Agreste.” Marinette smiles shyly, ushering him closer. He steps forward, waving awkwardly. 

“Hello Adrien, I’ve heard so much about you.” She grabs his hands, shaking them enthusiastically, winking at Marinette. She must know then. 

He laughs, instantly at ease. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng.”

“Oh sweetie, you can call me Sabine.” 

“As you wish, Mrs-uh Sabine.” 

“Mama, could Adrien maybe stay for dinner?” Marinette asks sweetly, and Adrien’s stomach clenches harshly. Longing scorches him as he watches the easy familiarity between Marinette and her mother, the unconditional love behind every word, every touch. 

He aches for his mother - yearns to hear her voice one more time - but all he has is the memories of her. 

The last time he saw his mother she was deathly pale; her skin sallow and sunken, her eyes clouded, lips blue. He remembers her hands were like ice to the touch and every breath shredded her lungs like she was inhaling glass. But she smiled, through everything she smiled for him. 

“I’m not scared.” She had told him. “So you can’t be scared either. Be brave for me. Be brave, Adrien.” 

Hours later, she was dead. 

“Of course he can.” Sabine’s voice shakes him from his thoughts. “Adrien, do you have any allergies or anything I should know about?” 

He shakes his head. “No, nothing. I’m only allergic to feathers, and I don’t think you’ll be putting that in the food.” 

Marinette giggles under her breath, and Adrien just watches, noticing the way her eyes crinkle and lips curl into a smile. It’s only when Sabine clears her throat that his eyes are pried away. Her eyebrows are raised, a mixture of a smirk and a smile on her face, and Adrien feels like he’s been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. 

“Um, Adrien. Do you want to go um t-to my r-room?” Marinette asks, opening the door behind the register. 

“Sure.” 

His stomach twists as they climb the stairs, anxiety building in his chest, the fuzzy feeling intensifying, and Adrien isn’t sure why he’s so nervous. Probably because no matter what he can’t mess up this chance with her, he can’t. 

Marinette pauses at the stairs leading to her room, panic settling in her eyes. “Just, uh wait here a minute.” She hurries up the stairs, muttering to herself as she does so, and Adrien just watches, smiling fondly. 

He doesn’t wait for long, chuckling at the sound of Marinette rushing around her room, supposedly tidying up for him. And then Marinette is opening the trapdoor, beckoning him up, and Adrien is inside her room. 

His first thought is that it’s very pink. The walls, the rug, the vanity. It’s quite sweet, actually. He walks around, taking in the sewing stuff on her desk, designs strewn over the floor, the fashion magazines in piles on the floor, movie posters on the walls, and strangely a guide to karate half open on her desk. It feels lived in and warm and like Marinette. He loves it.

“Wow, your room is so-”

She flushes a lovely shade of pink that matches her walls. “It’s okay if you don’t like it. It’s a little pink.” 

“I was gonna say it’s cool. It’s you, Marinette.” He continues inside, marvelling at the pictures hung on the wall of her friends and family. He stops at one of just Marinette, standing on a beach, her hair in waves around her shoulders and the red dress she has on blowing in the wind. She’s beaming, the sunset behind illuminating her, and Adrien wishes he could’ve been there to witness something so magnificent. 

“O-Oh, thank you Adrien.”

He turns, drinking her in. “You’re welcome.”

“D-Do you want to play some Ultimate Mecha Strike?” Marinette points to the set up, offering him a controller. 

Adrien smirks, taking the controller in hand. He’s spent hours playing the game, and from the amount of times he’s beaten Nino at it, he doesn't doubt that this will be a piece of cake. “Yeah!”

~

“I can’t believe you won. Every. Single. Time.”

They’ve spent the past few hours playing the game and Adrien has never felt more in awe of a person in his entire life. Marinette was unbelievable, her eyes determined, mashing the buttons in record speed, beating him with ease each and every match. 

He’d thought the hours playing the game at home would’ve given him some sort of advantage but boy was he proven wrong. 

“Why are you acting surprised? We all know I’m better than you.” She smirks, pretending to wipe away sweat from her forehead. 

He shakes his head. “Not true. Where’s your proof?”

“Look at the scoreboard, Adrien. Who’s won every single match?” Marinette points at the screen, her name visibly displayed as the victor, tilting her head smugly. She’s acting the way she does with Chat - being herself, he realises - and he adores it. 

“But that’s just because you cheated.” He grins, hoping to keep whatever this is going.  

“How?” 

“Uh…”

“Exactly.”

“You’re so-” Infuriating. Amazing. Wonderful. 

“What?”

“Annoying.” 

“Have you met you?”

“Wow, that’s low, Marinette.” 

It’s the wrong thing to say, bursting the perfect bubble they were in. Marinette frowns, looking away. “Oh, um, I’m sorry.” 

“I’m joking.” 

“Oh!” Her smile is full of relief and she leans back, picking up the controller again, a challenge sparking in her eyes. 

“Kids! Dinner’s ready!” Marinette’s mother calls, accompanied by the mouth-watering smell of food. If Adrien wasn’t so hungry he would ignore the call, urging Marinette to play another match. 

Marinette shoots him a disappointed look, getting up and shouting, “Coming!” 

~

They sit round the table, bowls of steaming onion soup and freshly baked bread rolls in front of them, conversation flowing like water in between eating - Adrien perching on the edge of it all, watching them in wonder.

The last time he’d eaten dinner with his parents - on his mother’s insistence - he and his father had huddled around his mother’s bed, scooping food into her mouth from their plates. Silence filled the room, and anytime Adrien opened his mouth his father shook his head - pleading him not to speak. His father’s eyes were glassy and clouded over, his mother’s barely staying open, and it wasn’t until after that Adrien realised his mother wasn’t going to get better. 

A small part of him had been holding out hope up until that moment, believing that one day she’d feel completely fine and everything would go back to the way it was. That small part died that night, and every night after Adrien ate alone. 

Marinette’s father towers over Adrien, his beady eyes narrowed as he tears the bread in two with ease, the crack of crust sending shivers down Adrien’s spine. Tom’s gaze never leaves Adrien, stalking his every move as if he’s a threat to be dealt with. 

“So, Adrien, how’s school been? Marientte’s told me this is your first year.” Sabine smiles sweetly, and he rubs his eyes to make sure his tears don’t fall. 

He can’t remember the last time his father had asked him anything meaningful, something that wasn’t about modelling or arguments over school, and Adrien yearns for the time when his mother would ask him about his day or his favourite games and his father would listen with a feigned interest. 

“Mama!” Marinette nudges her, blushing furiously, unable to look at him. Sabine just laughs softly. 

“It’s amazing. I’ve made so many friends, and lessons are actually fun when it’s not just me and a teacher.” He replies, soaking up the attention eagerly. 

Sabine nods. “That sounds wonderful.”

The conversion lulls afterwards, the clinks of silverware filling the silence, until they’ve finished the meal and Sabine is taking the dishes into the kitchen. 

“Mari, could you please ice the cupcakes? It would be a big help.” Tom speaks up, joining Sabine in the kitchen to wash the dishes. 

“Of course, Papa.” Marinette answers, turning to face him. “Adrien, would you like to help?” 

“Me? I probably shouldn’t-”

“Nonsense. It’s easy, I’ll teach you.” She stands, looking at him in a way that feels vaguely familiar. 

“If you’re sure.”

She rolls her eyes. “Of course I’m sure. I-I trust you won’t let me down.”

“You can count on me.” He grins, getting up and following her down into the bakery.

Marinette - surprise, surprise - is an amazing teacher, and within a few minutes Adrien is icing cupcakes almost as swiftly as she is. They spend the next few minutes in comfortable silence, piping the icing, stealing glances at one another, and it’s better than anything Adrien could have ever imagined. It’s perfect. 

Once Adrien finishes his batch, he glances down at the piping bag, a devious grin crossing his face. Marinette’s back is turned as she checks the cupcakes, unaware of Adrien creeping behind her, piping bag aimed at her head. 

He fires. 

Icing squirts onto her hair, dribbling down her back, and he can’t hold back the laugh that erupts from his chest. He’s still giggling when Marinette spins around, grabbing her own piping bag, smirking as she aims at him. 

“Oh, it’s on!” 

~

“So, then he squirts me with the icing! I had to take five showers before my hair stopped feeling sticky.” Marinette laughs, jumping around her balcony, with a smile that could light a thousand suns. 

Chat watches her fondly, warmth pooling in his chest as she smiles. “Princess, this is amazing!”

“I know! It was so perfect, kitty. I was smiling the whole time.” Marinette bounds towards him, wrapping him in an embrace, sighing happily. 

Chat is overwhelmed, something akin to affection blossoming in his chest, filling his lungs until he can barely breathe, just the sweet scent of vanilla intoxicating him. 

“I’m so happy for you.” He murmurs into her shoulder, purring lightly.

“Me too, Chat. It doesn’t feel real.” Marinette breaks away, dancing along to the sound of music playing down the street. She is aglow, some luminous creature moving with the grace of an angel, so completely enchanting that it feels like a sin to look away.  

“You know, you never told me his name.” He says, raising an eyebrow. 

Marinette glares at him. “I can’t tell you that! What if you tell him?”

A little late for that. “You know I won’t do that, Princess. And chances are, I have no idea who he is.” 

“I doubt that.”

He leans closer. “Ooh, why?”

“He’s...kind of famous.” A blush dusts her cheeks as she fiddles with her shirt. 

“Okay, now you have to tell me.”

“Fine.” She nods. “It’s Adrien Agreste.” She says his name like a prayer, her voice dripping in adoration, and he’s glad she doesn’t notice the way his cheeks burn. 

“The model?”

“Yes, the model.”

“He’s hot.” Chat winks, grinning hard. 

“I know! It’s so hard to concentrate in class when he’s sitting right in front of me! And…”

He smiles, closing his eyes and listening to the soothing sound of Marinette’s voice, completely at peace. 

~

He appears on her balcony like a wisp of smoke appearing from thin air. It’s become somewhat of a nightly routine to visit Marinette, spending a few hours each night talking or eating or just sitting together and watching the stars, and everytime he leaves aching to go back.

She’s lying on her bed, reading some fashion magazine he vaguely remembers posing for, nails freshly painted pink. 

Tapping on the window, he calls, “Marinette!” 

She snaps her head upwards, rolling her eyes when she spots him, almost knocking over the bottle of nail polish beside her. 

“Stop doing that, knock like a normal person.” She huffs, clambering out of the window, placing her hands on her hips. “What are you doing here anyway? You always patrol on Sundays.” 

He can’t quite remember when he told her that. 

“I decided that Paris will be fine without Chat Noir for a few hours.” He winks, sliding onto one of the deck chairs and gesturing for her to do the same. 

She raises an eyebrow. “Uh huh, if you say so. What did you wanna do instead?” She sits down, returning his grin. 

“Twenty questions?” He was never allowed to play games like that as a child - his parents seemed to believe it would distract him from his responsibilities - and he wants to feel like a normal boy for once.

“Aren’t you forgetting about the part where you have a secret identity?” Marinette warns him, fidgeting with her shirt. 

“I’ll be vague, promise.” 

She worries her lip and Chat snaps his head away, cheeks warm under his mask. “Okay, I’ll go first.” She concedes. “What’s your favourite colour?” 

“Blue.” He says unbidden, frowning as his brain catches up with what he’s said. No, no it's green. He has no idea why he’d lie about something so trivial. He opens his mouth to answer correctly, but stops, nothing leaving his mouth as he looks into Marinette’s eyes. 

Huh. 

“What’s yours?” He hears himself ask, his voice suddenly so far away. 

“Pink.” 

He blinks away his thoughts, focusing on Marinette, not wanting to face what it might mean. He won’t let himself think about it. 

“If you had all the money in the world, what would you do?” He poses, tilting his head. Marinette is one of the most selfless people he’s ever met - second only to his Lady - so he’s genuinely interested in what she’d do. 

“Help people, end poverty and solve world hunger.” She replies easily. She’s too good, too kind. As kind as his Lady. He didn’t really expect anything different. Sometimes he can’t quite believe that she exists - maybe she’s a figment of his imagination - and he’s so incredibly grateful that out of everyone in the world he gets to know her. 

“Princess, whilst I admire your morals, I want to know what you’d do for yourself.” He laughs.

Marinette pauses, as if she’s never let herself want before. “I don’t know. Start my own fashion line, maybe. I wanted to take a course in sign language but it’s pretty expensive, so I’d pay for that. What would you do?”

He’s silent. He’s not lacking money by any means, but he’s never been allowed to spend it without supervision, never been allowed to have something that wasn’t pre-approved by his father. What does he want? The answer comes to him so suddenly he doesn’t have time to doubt it. 

“I think I’d buy myself a house, and move out of the current one.” He says. 

He shivers thinking about home; the cold white walls that always seem to be closing in on him, the large windows that always manage to feel like prison bars, his room so pristine sometimes he feels like he can’t breathe when he’s in it. 

“Is something wrong at home?” She asks, because of course she picks up on the pain scratching at his throat

But he wants to feel normal, not think about any of that. Not now. “No, not really.” 

Marinette stares at him, reaching out and intertwining their fingers. “Chat, you can talk to me.” 

It takes a lot to draw his eyes away from their hands, but the moment their eyes lock it’s like he can’t breathe, as if all the air has been sucked out of the world. She squeezes his hand, smiling softly, and it shocks him back. Back into being Chat Noir; the silly kitty of Paris.

“Hey, I think it’s my turn to ask the questions.” He wrenches his hand away, winking at her. 

She sighs. “Okay.”

“What is your...biggest fear?” 

Marinette stares at him in a way he can’t decipher, frowning sadly. “I think letting people down. What about you?”

Chat listens, nodding, head hung low. 

Marinette does so much for everyone - no matter who they are or how they treat her - and as much as he admires her for it he wonders if she’s ever done anything for herself. He wants to hold her, treat her, let her rest if only for a minute, and do everything he can for her. She deserves not having to live for other people, and he would do anything to give it to her. 

And he just wants to tell her that she has nothing to be scared of, because Marinette could never do anything to let anyone down, especially when all she does is lift people up. But he knows she won’t believe him, so he chooses to answer the question instead. 

“Not being good enough.” He answers honestly. 

He’s spent his entire life trying to be good enough for everyone - proper enough for his mother, smart enough for Ladybug, perfect enough for his father. But he’s never quite enough. It’s exhausting living his life with the fear that he’ll never quite be what he’s expected to be, but he’s so used to being tired all the time he never really knows what it’s like to be awake. 

The only time he hasn’t felt afraid is with Marinette, sitting beside her without the weight of what she wants him to be on his shoulders, and it’s the happiest he’s felt since before he can remember. 

“You know you’re more than enough, right?”

He shrugs. He doesn’t agree with her, but she doesn’t need to know that. 

Marinette opens her mouth, closes it, then opens it again. “Chat, why...why do you love Ladybug so much? Don’t you get sick of rejection, doesn’t it make you feel bad?”

He’s not quite sure why she cares, but she’s looking at him like her life depends on his answer, and who is he to deny her? 

“Not really. Ladybug is, well, Ladybug. Everyday I’m grateful to be fighting by her side even if we’re just friends. It’s more than enough for me, I promise.” 

Marinette stares at him long and hard, her gaze piercing his skin. “That’s...I didn’t know that.” She murmurs, dropping her eyes. 

“Yeah, well. You didn’t ask.” 

“Kitty?” He turns his head, a flash of something passing between them once their eyes meet. “Thanks.”

“What for?” He asks. 

“Being here.” 

He grins. “I’ll always be here, Princess. You’re stuck with me, now.” 

Shaking her head, Marinette offers him a smile. “That doesn’t seem so bad.”

It’s such a simple sentence, but Chat can feel his heart tremble at it. She’s so wonderful, so important that he fears what would happen if he loses her. He’d probably shatter. He doesn’t really know how to live without her anymore, like she’s carved a hole in his life that only she can fill. 

Chat stares, so amazed and overwhelmed by her that he sees then how easy it would be to fall in love with Marinette Dupain-Cheng. 

He won’t admit it’s what pushes him to say, “You know, I think you should ask Adrien to hang out.” He knows he’s being selfish, indulging himself in the delicacy that is Marinette, but he can’t help himself - he’s too far gone to stop. 

“Really?”

“Yeah. He’ll say yes, I’m sure of it.” I know I will. 

Marinette nods. “Okay. Okay, I will.” 

Chat smiles at her, taking her in like he’s done so many times before. And if his eyes linger on her lips a second too long, well, that’s his secret to keep. 

~

Adrien waits. 

And waits. 

And before he knows it, two days have passed and Marinette has barely spoken to him. 

By the third day, all hope has been lost, and he’s just about to walk back to class when Marinette rushes up to him, her cheeks beet red and the smile plastered on her face too wide to be natural. 

“H-Hey Adrien.” She says, her voice deepening in a way Adrien can only assume is to sound cool.

He sighs, relieved that she’s actually talking to him again. “Marinette, hey. What’s up?” 

“I was wondering if, um, you maybe wanted to come round mine after school? Y-You don’t have to, though.” She offers him a smile and he grins back, ecstatic that she took Chat’s advice. 

“I would love that! I’ll tell my father we’re working on a project.” They start heading to the lab, Adrien’s eyes never leaving hers. 

“Great! Um, I was thinking we could watch a movie, or something.” 

“Will there be sweets?” He’s been craving anything from the bakery since a few nights ago when Marinette managed to sneak Chat some extra macarons and profiteroles. 

She rolls her eyes. “Of course. I do live in a bakery.”

“Then I’m in luck.”

“Okay, uh, do you wanna, um, walk back to mine together?” Marinette stops outside the door, wringing her hands. 

He smiles fondly, starting to head inside. “Yeah, I’ll meet you on the steps. Sounds good?”

“Yep!” Marinette beams and Adrien is so taken back he walks straight into Mrs. Mendeleev. Marinette’s laugh is worth the lecture he receives. 

~

The afternoon slips away like falling snow, spent playing Ultimate Mecha Strike and just talking, sharing himself with her in a way that doesn’t leave him empty. Marinette is hot chocolate on a winter’s day, never leaving him cold, taking what he is willing to give. She laughs and smiles and Adrien is happy, really, truly happy. 

He gets so swept up in her that he doesn’t even notice the sunlight wane over the horizon, until he’s finished dinner and knows he has to leave. His chest aches. 

“D-Do you want to sleep over?” Marinette asks, and the ache subsides. 

He wants, wants so badly, so he nods, following Marinette back up to her room. 

~

The night creeps in slowly, smothering the last rays of light, a coolness settling over the room like sickness, and Adrien is drawn back to that night with his mother; the stench of death thick, ragged breaths piercing the silence, sorrow filling the house and never quite letting go. The date on his phone glares at him, guilt swallowing him whole. 

“Are you okay?” Marinette’s voice tears him from his thoughts, anchoring him. 

“Not really.” 

She sits beside him. “Well, if you want to talk about it, I’m here.” 

“Tomorrow is the anniversary of my mother’s death.” 

Before, Adrien had never seen his father cry. Not once. Not even when his mother was diagnosed. But that night his father sobbed, howling over her still body, telling her how deeply he loved her and waiting for a reply that would never come. He can still remember watching the last shred of warmth his father held be swept away with his tears. 

Every year after, Adrien would silently mourn his mother as his father watched from the window facing her grave. 

“Adrien, I’m so sorry.” Marinette breathes into his hair, pulling him into her, wrapping her arms around him. How can a person be so lovely? He wonders, damn near shaking as she holds him. 

“It’s not your fault.” He murmurs, taking a moment to calm his pounding heart. 

“I know that. Do...do you want to tell me about her?” 

“I don’t really remember a lot.” It terrifies him how little he can remember. Sometimes it feels like with every passing second he’s losing her, losing what little he still has of her, and one day he’s going to wake up and she’ll be gone. 

“Tell me what you do remember.” Marinette suggests, and Adrien could cry at the understanding in her eyes and the softness in her voice. 

“I remember she was kind. She used to buy cat food for the strays that would sometimes come to our house. She’d sing me lullabies whenever I was sick, and if I had a nightmare, I remember she would stay up with me and we’d watch movies until I felt better.”

He can feel tears falling down his cheeks but he doesn’t wipe them away. He’s never spoken about his mother since her funeral - the eulogy he gave barely audible through his cries - but now it’s as if he’s come from standing under a waterfall and can finally breathe. 

Marinette uses her thumb to gently rub away the tears. “She sounds lovely, Adrien.” 

“She really was. I wish...I wish she was here to see me now.” 

“She is. She’ll always be with you, Adrien. And I bet she’s so proud of you.” She replies, and he knows she means every word. His stomach flips but he ignores it, he’s too scared of what it’ll mean if he faces it. 

“You think so?”

“I know so.” 

It’s the most perfect thing she could’ve said. 

His heart is so full he can barely breathe and he doesn’t run from the feeling. He lets it engulf him, swallow him whole, collapse his entire world. He still can’t name this feeling,  but he knows he’s close, feels it moments away, and that’s enough for now.

“...Thank you, Marinette.” He says, not quite ready to let go of her. 

“Anytime.” 

~

They lie facing each other, illuminated by the moonlight, silent except for their breathing. Adrien feels something bubbling in his chest, squeezing his heart tight until it is overflowing, forcing him to break the silence.  

“You know, Marinette.” He whispers.  

Her eyes flutter open, finding him at once. “Yes?” 

“You might just be my new favourite person.” 

Her eyes widen, lips parting in disbelief. He nods lightly, hoping to reassure whatever doubts she may have. Because she is. She means more to him than anyone ever has. 

“Adrien?” She speaks slowly, choosing her words carefully, and for a moment he thinks she’s going to finally confess. 

“Mm?” He can see it on the tip of her tongue, begging to be spoken. And he finds he wants her to. 

“You might just be mine too.” 

As he watches her, he realises that he’s in love. It’s a quiet realisation, like placing down the final piece of the puzzle, and he smiles at the relief of it all. 

He’s in love with Marinette and that is it. That is all. 

He drifts off to sleep not long after, easily and content. 

~

When he wakes, it’s not with a start. 

His heart isn’t pounding, sweat doesn’t cling to his neck, visions of death don’t linger. 

Instead, he wakes wrapped up in Marinette, her hair in his face and her arms around his waist. He breathes her in, holding her tighter, desperate to preserve this moment in his memory. Their legs are tangled together like vines, their fingers intertwined and Adrien is happier than he’s ever been. 

When he wakes, he wakes in love. 

~

Loving Marinette is like coming home; tenderly wrapping him in a warmth so lovely he can’t remember how he survived without it. He finds any excuse to talk to her, to make her laugh, to make her smile. Just the sight of her makes his day. 

She is unlike anyone he’s ever met - bold and bright and unafraid to burn - and he savours every single second he spends with her. She is everything to him, his heart drumming her name like a prayer. 

Marinette. 

Marinette. 

Marinette. 

He learns quite quickly that Marinette Dupain-Cheng is going to be the death of him, and he finds himself more than okay with that. 

~

Chat can barely contain his excitement when he lands on Marinette’s balcony to find her smiling wistfully. She looks like a dream, and he can’t quite believe she’s real. And now he finally knows why he feels this way when he’s around her. 

“Hi kitty.” She greets him.

“Hello, Princess.” He bows, and then, “You seem to be in a good mood.”

“I’m in the best mood.” 

“And why’s that?” 

“Adrien came over yesterday.” She gushes, her smile stretching across her face. “We played games and he slept over. Oh Chat, it was amazing.”

“I think he’s falling for you, Princess.” 

Marinette sighs. “I wish. I think he still sees me as just a friend.” 

He gapes. “He doesn’t.” 

“He does.”

“Princess, you are the most amazing person I’ve ever met. You light up every room you walk into, you help anyone no matter what, you’re the kindest and most beautiful person I’ve ever seen, and I’m constantly in awe that you exist. If this boy doesn’t see that, then he’s a fool. And I’m betting you anything he does.” 

“Oh.” She’s still, looking at him like it’s the first time, her cheeks flushed and eyes blown wide. That may have been a bit too much.  

“Are you okay?” He leans forward, reaching out. 

She backs away, not meeting his eyes.  “I-yes, thank you.” 

Definitely way too much. 

“You’re welcome.” He says, though he has no idea why she’s thanking him. 

“D-Do you want to come inside?” She’s stuttering. Around Chat. What the hell has he done? 

“I would love to, Princess. But I’m afraid I have to go.” It’s late, and he has a shoot in the morning that he has to be awake for. “I'll see you soon, okay?” 

Marinette just nods, her cheeks stained pink, watching him as he goes. 

~

Growing up, Chat had always been mesmerised by love - the falling, the pining, the confession - begging his parents to read romance books to him or let him watch rom-coms, always asking his mother to tell him how she’d met his father. 

“I think we just knew.” She always told him, as eager to tell him as he was to hear it. “From the moment I first saw your father, something told me that he was it for me. He makes me so very happy, more than I could have dreamed of.” She would often smile and kiss her wedding ring, turning to Gabriel with a look of pure adoration.

“I know you’ll find someone like that, Adrien.” She had said once. “Someone who makes you laugh, makes you smile, makes you happy. Someone who would do anything for you, and who you would do anything for in return. We may not think it, but we all deserve love, even for a moment.” He believed her blindly. 

His parents were the epitome of romance in Chat’s eyes - so truly devoted to each other that he used to believe they’d been made just for each other - and since he was a young boy he wished nightly that he’d find someone who he’d love just as madly. 

When he looks at Marinette all he thinks is: you, you’re it, you’re the one that I want. 

She’s waiting for him on the balcony - a thought that makes his heart tremble - dressed in a red polka-dot jumper and light pink skirt, her hair braided, and Chat’s stomach swoops at the sight of her. Marinette is like the first rays of dawn; a golden halo for the midnight sky, luminous beams to be watched in awe. 

I love you, he thinks, fighting his lips to be spoken, tipping off of his tongue. He can’t, though. Chat doesn’t doubt it would ruin everything, he can’t even bear to think of what it would do to him if it did. But still he thinks it, thinks it as easily as breathing. 

I love you. I love you. I love you. 

“Care to join me, Princess?” He voices, leaning beside her on the railing.

Marinette glances at him, a pleasant pink settling on her cheeks. “Where are you taking me?” 

“You’ll see.” He winks, offering his hand. “Hold on tight.” 

Rolling her eyes, Marinette loops her arms around his neck, and Chat breathes her in as he lifts her into his arms; she smells like vanilla and spring and he loves her. I love you.

~

Chat lands with a soft thud at the top of the Eiffel Tower, setting Marinette down as she takes in the scene, mouth parting in surprise. Before her is a spread of cakes, sandwiches, and fruits all set on a gingham blanket and pillows. Flickering candles illuminate the area as music softly ripples throughout the air.

Marinette stares at it all, eyes bulging. “Wow. This...this is amazing, Chat.” 

“Do you like it?” 

She turns to him, a bemused expression settling on her face as she takes his hands, intertwining their fingers as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. “Like it? I love it! It’s beautiful.” 

“Not as beautiful as you, Princess.” Rolls off his tongue before he can stop himself. 

She freezes, pulling her hands away. “W-We should probably eat, right?” She laughs awkwardly, sinking onto the blanket. 

“O-of course.” Chat tries not to frown, keeping his distance as he joins her, digging into the food.

~

“You know, you’ve never told me what you do when you’re not Chat Noir.” Marinette pipes up, taking a bite of the sandwich she’s holding. The food is almost gone, eaten in relative silence which Chat despises - cursing himself for complimenting Marinette so boldly, even if she deserves it. 

He lets his shoulders relax, thankful that she’s speaking to him again. “Usually, I play the piano.”

“Really?” 

“Yeah, I’ve been playing for a few years actually. My mother used to play, and I fell in love with it.” He can almost hear her music drifting around him, lilting and flowing and so beautiful. He tries, but he can never quite capture the magic his mother could create. 

Marinette smiles and Chat’s thoughts snap away from his mother. “That’s so sweet, kitty. I wish there was a piano here so I could hear you play.” 

“Want me to serenade you?”

She flushes red. “W-What, no!”

“You’re cute.” He teases. 

“Chat, stop.”

“Never.”

“I hate you.”

“You love me.”

She rolls her eyes. “Whatever.”

“Now you have to tell me something.” He pokes her arm, smirking. 

“Well, I love to design. I want to be a fashion designer in the future.” She replies. “What do you wanna be in the future? I’m sure you can’t be a superhero forever.” 

His mouth curls down, chest tight. “I-I don’t know. I’ve never really thought about it.” 

Marinette raises an eyebrow. “Think about it.” 

He almost rejects her. Being a superhero is his everything. For once in his life he is free; free to be himself without criticism. Taking that away would be like nailing the mask onto his face, locking him in the cage and throwing away the key. He can’t go back to when he didn’t have Chat and Ladybug and light nights on the Eiffel Tower. 

But, realistically, he knows it won’t last forever. One day he’ll need a job to support himself, and he’s taken back to his first day of school; sitting in the classroom, eager to make friends and learning things he’s not forced to for appearances, falling in love with his first class. And maybe that’s enough. 

“Maybe…maybe a physicist?” He answers slowly, the thought taking root in his chest, blooming into a dream. 

Marinette tilts her head. “Why?” 

“I like learning about the world, the way it works. And I’ve always been pretty sheltered, so I’ve always wanted to explore and experience life outside of my bubble.” He admits, suddenly shy she’ll judge him like his father would. 

Her smile is glorious. “That’s fascinating, kitty.”

“Not as fascinating as you, Princess.” He purrs, wincing as her face pales. 

“U-Um, tell me what it’s like being a superhero. Paw some, right?” She laughs it off, looking everywhere but him. Shit. 

“Oh sure, sure. Totally paw some.” He says noncommittally, grimacing at the thought of Ladybug off with one of the many new heroes. 

“You don’t sound like you believe that.” 

He sighs. “It’s nothing.”

“Don’t give me that, talk to me.” 

Sometimes it annoys him how well Marinette knows him - he’s not used to being so seen, so heard - but it also feels good. So he hears himself saying, “It’s not that I don’t love being Chat Noir, I do. And I love Ladybug. But...sometimes I feel like she doesn’t need me anymore.”

He knows she doesn’t. 

Marinette gasps. “What! Of course she needs you!” 

He shakes his head. “You don’t know that. Half the time I’m sacrificing myself for her and she defeats the akuma without me. And she’s brought on so many new heroes, so it’s pretty obvious that I’m not needed by her.”  

Ladybug is one of his best friends - his partner - but sometimes he wonders if it’s supposed to hurt so much. He’s tired of all the jealousy, the not feeling good enough, he’s so sick of his heart aching every time she finds a new hero to replace him. And he can’t even hate her for it. He knows she’s just doing her duty, saving Paris from Hawkmoth, but it would be so much easier if she was doing it just to be cruel. The worst part is that he wouldn’t give it up for the world; he’d take years of misery just to fight by her side once more. 

Marinette leans over to grab his face, forcing him to look at her. Her eyes are fire. “Chat. Look at me. Ladybug needs you, more than anyone else. You’ve saved her more times than I can count. And as for the other heroes...just because you guys need more help, doesn’t mean she doesn’t need you any less.”

“You really believe that?” 

She nods, never breaking eye contact. “I believe every word.” 

Something in his chest breaks, forcing him to look away. “Thank you, Marinette.” He says, but it’s not really enough; it doesn’t fully encapsulate how grateful he is for her. 

I love you.

She moves away. “Anytime, kitty.” 

Standing, he checks his watch, plastering a grin on his face. “Well, I guess it’s time to get you home.” 

Marinette head droops, reluctantly standing and letting him carry her.

“Hold on tight.”

~

He sets her down, already missing her warmth, and it all feels too sudden, too soon to be going. He needs more time with her.

Before she goes, Marinette swivels round, suddenly unsure. “Chat, why did you do all of this? N-Not that I’m not grateful, I am, but...well, I was just wondering.”

Because I love you. “I thought you’d like it.” He says instead. 

She smiles her beautiful, beautiful smile. “I do. I really do. And I can’t believe you’d go to all this trouble for me.” 

“I’d do anything to make you happy, Princess.” 

Marinette looks at him, brow furrowed. “You-you really mean that?”

Rolling his eyes, he smiles. “Of course I mean it. I lo-I really care about you, Marinette.” I love you. 

“I-I really care about you too. You’re so important to me, Chat.” 

“Princess…” He trails off, noticing how near they’re standing. They’re close, close enough he can see the flecks of green in her eyes, can feel her breath on his cheek. It’s so much, and somehow not nearly enough. He’s so busy staring at her that he almost misses Marinette’s eyes lingering on his lips. 

His breathing stills, and for once he doesn’t question it, doesn’t doubt it. He wants so badly and it’s right within his grasp. 

“Can I?” He whispers, and he knows this is it; they’ll never be able to go back now. Their friendship has been completely ruined. He doesn’t mind the thought so much. 

Marinette’s lips curl up and she nods, pulling Chat towards her. He goes happily. 

The moment their lips touch, Chat melts. They’re tentative at first, questioning, shuffling together to find a position that fits, like the slow start of a dance. Her arms end up around his neck, his hands on her waist, and Chat thinks he wouldn't mind doing this for the rest of his life. 

Marinette’s lips are warm and faintly taste of vanilla, and Chat kisses her with the hunger of a man starved. He kisses her the way he’s wanted to for so long; tenderly caressing her cheek, running his hands through her hair, smiling against her lips with every small sound she makes. It’s completely new yet familiar at the same time, like feeling at home in a place he’s never been. 

He’s not sure how long they spend on that rooftop, wrapped up in each other, completely unaware of the rest of the world, until Marinette sharply pulls away. The euphoria of it all quickly vanishes once he hears her breathing tremble. Her head is low, but he can still see tears welling in her eyes. 

“I...I can’t do this.” Her voice strains.

He freezes.

“I love Adrien.” She continues, shaking. It’s no surprise, really. He’s known this since the beginning - used it to finally get close to Marinette - but somehow his heart still crumbles at it. 

It feels worse than it should - like all the light in the world has been snuffed out - especially when she’s still in love with him. But he feels hollow, empty, because he’s not enough. Because Marinette is in love with Adrien , the perfect person he has to be, and Chat can’t compete with that. 

“I love you, Marinette.” He says, because he’s desperate enough to think that it might be enough. 

She shakes her head and Chat’s stomach sinks. He can see her slipping away, sand between his fingers, and he’s gripping on so tightly because he can’t - he can’t lose her. “Chat, please-” 

“Be with me.” He pleads, his voice thick. Tears prick his eyes as he grabs her hands. “I love you. I love you so much. Please , be with me instead.” 

Her lips wobble, tears streaming down her cheeks like an avalanche. “...I can’t. If it wasn’t for him-” 

“Don’t.” Cold washes over him, freezing his veins, wrapping his heart in thorns. He doesn’t want to hear it, hear what he could’ve had. If only she’d met Chat first, if only Adrien hadn’t been so damn perfect he could have- 

“I’m sorry.”

Chat can feel his heart break; hear it crack and splinter, the shards piercing his chest. He’s shaking, his breathing short, and he knows this is it. They’re done. He should’ve left when he had the chance. “I-I need to go.” 

She wipes away her tears, brow furrowing in that way he loves. “Is this it? Am I ever going to see you again?” 

He’s silent. 

“No, no you don’t get to do this to me. You don’t get to leave.” Marinette steps in front of him, holding herself as if she might break. 

“I have to.” 

She glares. “You don’t have to do anything.”

“Marinette, just stop.” 

“No. Do you really expect me to be okay with losing one of my best friends?”

“Marinette-”

“Chat! Please! We can work this out, pretend it didn’t happen!”

Her words sting. Pretending is something he’s had to do his entire life, and he knows he won’t be able to survive doing it with her. The agony would be too great, too harsh, so much so that he’d rather not have her at all than bear that pain. 

With Ladybug it was different; he could love her without consequence, always knowing they would never be more than partners, and though it hurt he accepted it with open arms. But with Marinette it would kill him; forcing him to live constantly wondering what could’ve been. Day by day it would break him until he was a shell of his former self, every smile a lie, every word a manufactured response, just waiting for the heartache to be over. 

“I can’t do that.” 

Her face falls. “No, no, please. Don’t, please don’t leave me.” Her sobs grow louder, drowning Chat, and he almost stays. Almost. 

“I’m sorry.” With that, he leaps off the balcony, plunging himself into the darkness of the night. 

~

He doesn’t cry, at first. 

That night, he slips into his room, climbs into bed, and doesn’t cry. Nor does he sleep. He spends the night staring at the ceiling, trying to feel something . But no matter how hard he tries, he can’t. 

It’s the next day, however, when everything crumbles. 

“Adrien? Are you okay?” Marinette asks, her hand burning his shoulder. Adrien leaves the room just before the tears fall. 

He doesn’t stop crying after that. 

Adrien can barely get out of bed, his limbs feel heavy, and his heart burns. The days pass in a blur, hours slipping through his fingers like sand. He cries until his eyes are dry and his throat is raw. Even her name sends tears spilling down his cheeks. 

Every little thing reminds him of her. Vanilla. Marinette. Bluebells. Marinette. Pink. Marinette . And everytime the tears fall like heavy rain. The worst part is that Marinette is everywhere. In the sky, in the wind and how is that fair? 

How is that fair?

~

After a week of moping, he finds solace in patrol. He doesn’t have to think, he can just run and let the wind take away his thoughts. Patrol is a relief, but the moment after he dreads.

“Chat, are you okay?” Ladybug tentatively asks him, a worried expression on her face. She reminds him so much of Marinette he wants to throw up. 

They’re sitting atop the Eiffel Tower, in the exact place he sat with Marinette only a week before. The agony is unbearable. 

“Why wouldn’t I be?” He tries to play it off, flashing her a grin, but even he knows how fake it looks. 

Ladybug frowns. “You’ve been off the last week. You haven’t been making any puns, you’re late to patrol, you haven’t been yourself, Chat. I’m worried about you.” She knows him too well, better than anyone except Marinette. And now she’s all he has. 

“I’m just...M’Lady?” 

“Yes, kitty?” 

“Have you ever been in love?” His voice cracks on the last word, pain shooting through his heart like ice. 

“I have. Twice, actually.” His eyes snap to meet hers. She’s looking at him so intensely it’s almost unbearable, her blue eyes filled with so much he can’t decipher that he has to look away. He wants to ask, but his heart is so tender he doesn't think he can take hearing about Ladybug’s lovelife. 

“Have you ever had your heart broken?” 

“Is...is that what’s going on?” 

He’s silent for a brief moment. “Yeah.” 

“Do you want to talk about it?”

He shrugs. “I don’t know what I’d say.” 

Ladybug lays her hand over his, watching him with a sort of nervousness he can’t quite place. “Tell me about her.” She responds earnestly. 

He almost rejects her. How can he talk about Marinette - he misses her, so, so badly - when his heart fractures at the mere mention of her? When his bones shake at the thought of her? When his skin burns anytime he thinks he sees her?

But he knows Ladybug; he knows she’ll listen without judgement, and she’ll be there for him because she cares way too much. So he lets the words fall out. 

“She…she’s kind. Kinder than anyone I’ve ever met. And smart, and brave, and my best friend.” He sighs. “I would do anything to go back to the way things were.”

Sometimes he wishes he’d never met Marinette. He’d still be in love with Ladybug and everything would be easy, painless. But then he’ll think about Marinette’s laugh, or her eyes, or any little thing about her and he’ll mourn a world where he doesn’t know Marinette Dupain-Cheng. 

“What happened?” Ladybug squeezes his hand and he hopes she doesn’t notice he’s shaking. 

“I fell in love with her even though I knew she loved someone else.” 

“I’m sorry.” It weighs heavily in the air and he feels like she means more, like she’s waiting for him to understand, but he has no idea what she could mean. 

“It’s not your fault Bugaboo.” 

She pauses, frowning slightly. “Right. What’s her name?” 

He pauses. “Marinette.” It’s the first time he’s said her name in over a week and it comes out no more than a whisper. 

“She’s friends with Alya, isn’t she?” 

He nods.

They sit in silence for a long time, just watching the dark slowly settle over the night. Chat gazes at the velvet sky and wonders if Marinette is doing the same thing - he desperately hopes she is. Beside him, Ladybug is watching the sky, tides rolling in her eyes, and Chat has never been more grateful for her. Eventually, Ladybug wraps her arm around Chat and rests her head on his shoulder, and for the next hour he is at peace. 

And it’s in that hour that he knows one day he’ll be alright. 

He stops by the balcony later, tapping lightly on the skylight, but she doesn’t come out. He can’t tell whether he’s relieved or disappointed. 

~

The rain is thick and like ice, thundering onto the ground, dripping from the drooping trees like silver, coating the park in a cool mist. Adrien curls into himself on one of the benches, soaked to the bone, shivers wracking his body. The wind cuts through his skin, and Adrien curses himself for not bringing an umbrella. 

It’s then that he starts to cry; large hot tears rolling down his cheeks, gasping for air through his sobs. It feels good, so good it hurts, but the ache in his chest doesn’t fade. Every morning he wakes hoping to feel whole again, and every morning he’s disappointed with himself. He craves to move on, but his heart betrays him and no matter how hard he tries he can’t forget her. 

He cries because he’s in love with Marinette and he doesn’t know how to stop. He cries because his father is practically ignoring him nowadays and he has no idea what he did to deserve it. He cries because his mother is dead and everything is worse now. 

A twig snaps. 

His neck prickles and he raises his head and spots her. 

Marinette. 

She’s holding an umbrella - his umbrella - and it’s the first time he’s seen her since that night on her balcony. Bags hang heavy under her eyes, and she’s sickly pale, as if she hasn’t slept. He can still taste her on his lips, and he’s struck with the realisation that she doesn’t even know what they’ve shared. It kills him. 

“Adrien?” She approaches him, stopping by his feet. 

“Marinette.”

Her brows are furrowed and she’s frowning. His chest burns. “What are you doing?” 

“Just...thinking.” He murmurs, wiping away his tears. It had become a habit to sneak away to the park when things became too much, when he needed to feel without raising his father’s suspicion. 

She doesn’t mention his tear-stained cheeks or his red eyes. “In the rain?” 

He tries to laugh. “I didn’t check the weather when I went out.”

“Here.” 

He looks up and she’s holding out the umbrella, a desperate look in her eyes, and his heart swells with so much love for her. He’s taken back to that day in the rain; the beginning of it all, the day he fell in love with her.

Slowly, he reaches out, grasping the umbrella from her. She smiles her beautiful smile. 

“Is this my umbrella?” He asks, dumbstruck. He’s missed her smile more than he’ll admit. 

Her face flushes. “Um...yeah. I’m sorry I never gave it back.”

He feels his lips turning upwards, a light in the dark. “No, no I don’t mind. You can keep it, Princess.” 

It’s as if time stills. The blood drains from his face as he realises what he said. No. Not like this. 

“...what did you just say?” She whispers, horror striking her face. 

He gulps, his mind whirring, searching desperately for an excuse or a lie. “I-I said you could keep it.” He tries, praying that she’ll let it slide. He can’t do this now. 

Marinette shakes her head. “No. No, you called me Princess.” 

“Marinette-”

“Y-You...you’re, you’re...Chat?” She’s looking at him in a way that makes his heart wither - like she doesn’t even recognise him. 

Adrien wants to lie, oh how he wants to, but he can’t. He can’t do that to her again. Besides, she knows now, so there’s no use denying it. 

Reluctantly, he nods. 

“S-So what? This has been a joke?” She asks, her voice cracking. 

“No! Of course-”

“B-But you knew! This whole time you’ve known that I was in love with you!” She seethes, spitting the words like venom, like all that love is gone. 

“It wasn’t like that!” He can feel himself losing her - again and again and again - and it’s agony. Tears prick his eyes as he feels his heart break all over again. 

“Then what?” 

“I-I didn’t mean to find out, just when you told me about well, me, I pieced it together and…”

Marinette scoffs, stepping away from him. “And you felt bad for me? Is that why you started talking to me?”

He shakes his head, his voice raw as it all tumbles out. “No! I-I…I wanted to be your friend. Ever since we first met I wanted you to like me. I thought you hated me, after the gum thing. So when you told me you loved me, I was selfish and took the opportunity to get close to you. I’m sorry.” 

She’s quiet, before glancing up at him. “…So you lied? You’re not in love with me?” She whispers the last part, tears welling in her eyes. 

“No, Marinette-”

“I’ve been so stupid.” Her laugh is hollow, a shell of its former self. She glares at him, backing away like she can’t stand to be near him. “You know, I thought you were a good person, I let myself believe that you actually cared about me. Of course you didn’t.” 

His heart shatters; smithereens piercing his lungs, his breathing lost. She’s going to leave and he can’t do anything to stop her. The thought smothers him. 

 Panic courses through his veins as she steps away, pushing him to say, “Marinette, no, I do care about you. I lo-”

She stops. “Don’t. Don’t say it. Please , don’t lie to me.” The realisation that she doesn’t even believe he loves her smashes into him, crushing what little of his heart was left. He can’t let her leave believing he doesn’t completely adore her. She has to know. 

He steels himself, forcing himself to look her in the eye so she can see he’s telling the truth. “I’m not lying. I love you.” 

Marinette sighs as if it pains her, her voice soft and pitiful. “Adrien, you don’t.” 

“Marinette, I have loved you since I gave you my umbrella, and I have loved you every moment since; with every breath, every word, every morning.” He confesses, stepping towards her. “You make me happier than I ever thought possible and you are everything I’ve ever wanted and all that I need. You don’t need to believe me but I am yours, Marinette, I am yours. And I am so incredibly sorry that I lied to you.” He’s in front of her now, aching to reach out, hoping that if anything she’ll understand. 

Adrien stares at her, breathing hard, and Marinette stares back, a whisper of a smile on her lips. It’s then that he hears it; soft and light and all things lovely. She’s laughing. Laughing. 

“How?” She asks through her laughter. 

He frowns. “How what?” 

“How can you be so wonderful, yet so stupid!” She teases, her smile luminous. She’s smiling. He can feel his heart slowly piece itself back together. 

He raises a brow. “Excuse me?” 

She rolls her eyes. “Of course it’s you, of course. Why wouldn’t it be?” Her voice is fond, and he feels like he’s missing something. 

“I’m confused.” He says, and Marinette just sighs affectionately. 

“Tikki, spots on!” Marinette yells, winking before a light pink glow sparkles around her, fading away to reveal his Lady. 

Oh. 

Oh. 

Oh it’s you.

He doesn’t quite believe what he’s seeing; his Lady standing before him, a shy smile on her face, her bluebell eyes urging him to understand. And for once he does. His mind runs through the past months; every similarity, every moment, everything she couldn’t possibly have known as Marinette. His brain is too full placing the final puzzle pieces down, and the realisation feels like bliss. 

Marinette Dupain-Cheng is Ladybug . 

“My Lady?” He breathes, terrified that he’s going to wake at any moment. He’s had dreams like this before, but she always vanishes before he can reach her. 

She beams. “Yes, kitty.” 

“Holy shit.” 

Ladybug laughs and he suddenly understands why it sounds so familiar. “Yeah. Holy shit.” 

He has so much he wants to say. “I-” 

“I love you.” She interrupts him, her eyes determined. 

All the breath is knocked out of him. “What?” 

“I love you.” She repeats, blushing furiously. “I love all of you.” 

The weight on his shoulders, the fear creeping into his stomach, all of it disappears in an instant.  “You do?” 

“Of course I do, you silly kitty.” She says, rolling her eyes, pulling him down to meet her lips. 

It’s not good. It’s messy and rough and their teeth clack against each other and Adrien can taste his own tears - or maybe they’re Ladybug’s - and it’s probably the worst kiss of his life. It’s absolutely perfect. 

When they break away - breathing hard and grinning - Adrien hugs her, refusing to let go. 

I love you. I love you. I love you. 

And as they embrace, the rain pitter-patters away, the clouds clear, the sun shines bright and brilliant on them, and Adrien is happy.