In a weekend ritual that had become more commonplace, Alya, Nino, and Adrien were gathered in Marinette's room under the pretense of "studying." Marinette's parents didn't seem to mind giving the teenagers a place to relax, Nino and Alya enjoyed their time together, and Adrien was thankful to be out of his cavernous, empty house and in the company of friends. This particular evening had hosted an impromptu Ultimate Mecha Strike III tournament, as Marinette and Adrien were both eager to try out the new DLC. Not surprisingly, after a few rounds, they both resorted to their go-to characters, as the new unfamiliar fighters felt awkward and led to too many losses.
"Whirlwind kick, aaannnd rocket punch! VICTORY! Marinette style!" Marinette shot to her feet and struck a ridiculous victory pose, giggling with glee.
"Ugh dude, this isn't even like, fair," Nino complained, dropping his controller unceremoniously. "You are literally the best at this! How can the rest of us hope to compete?"
Adrien smirked from his spot on the floor, munching on a delicious confection that Mrs. Dupain-Cheng had brought up shortly before. "I almost beat her that one time!"
"You never-!" Marinette countered, but cut herself off when she caught his eyes. He was smiling at her. Not the perfect, cocky, fake-model smile that he could call at will, but the half-grin that caused his bright green eyes to dance. She had forgotten what she was about to accuse him of.
Adrien raised his hands in the air in defeat. "Oh I know, you destroyed me-" he stood to mimic her pose from moments before- "Marinette style!, if I recall…. but I still think I could take you if you weren't so damned lucky!"
You could take me any time, I wouldn't even put up a fight! Marinette's inner voice replied, causing her to blush. Honestly, now that they'd become friends, you'd think she'd be able to get past this silly crush! She had become much more comfortable around Adrien over the past months, but sometimes he would look at her in a certain way and send her right back to the old, jelly-legged, stammering Marinette.
Alya tossed a pillow at the blond from her seat at the desk. "Awe you're just a sore loser!" she teased. "Anyway I'm all done updating the Ladyblog for today, pending fresh drama of course, so maybe you guys would be interested in playing something you, I don't know, had a chance at winning?"
"I'm game," replied Nino, offering his seat on the chaise to Alya so she could join the group. "What did you have in mind?"
Walking over to them, Alya took Nino's hand and guided him to the floor, waving to Marinette to do the same so the four would be sitting in a cozy circle. "How about… truth or dare?!" Alya offered, shooting Marinette a determined look. She hadn't missed the familiar glassy-eyed look that came over Marinette when she was swooning over her Adrien. I am gonna get that girl to come clean about her feelings for Adrien, or I swear to God I'm gonna tell him myself!
Nino laughed. "Isn't that, like… a girl's sleep-over game?"
"Not if you want an excuse to force someone to kiss you…" Alya replied coyly, leaning into Nino so their faces were inches apart.
Marinette was acutely aware of the true intended recipient of Alya's message... and it was not Nino.
Sitting up straight again with an exaggerated Hrmph, Alya continued: "But that's cool it you're not interested."
Nino fidgeted a little in his spot. "Actually, that, uh… that sounds like a good idea after all!" Recovering quickly, he grinned wide. "You guys down?"
Marinette paled. This was not going to go well for her.
Adrien wasn't so sure it was a good idea either. What if they asked him, point blank, "Are you Chat Noir?" Sure, he could lie to his friends, but he didn't want to. Keeping something secret from them was different from flat out lying. He supposed he could answer truthfully, but play it off like he was kidding? They wouldn't believe him anyway, not in a million years.
"Sure, why not?" he said with a shrug. "Honestly I've never played before, but I gather the rules are pretty simple?"
Alya beamed. Alya 1: scardy-cat Marinette 0. Operation Valentine's Day Part 2: Commence! "Yeah it's simple, you pick someone, and they get to choose Truth or Dare. Truth is answer any question truthfully, and Dare is do a Dare! Refuse, you lose. Go ahead, try it. Ask me to get the ball rolling!"
"Oh! OK…" Adrien was caught off-guard. "Uh… Truth or Dare?"
"Truth, on my integrity as a journalist!" Alya replied, taking on a very serious expression and placing a hand over her heart for effect.
Adrien thought for a moment. "Oh! Do you and Ladybug know each other in real life? Are you friends?" She might be able to introduce him to Ladybug as Adrien! Then he would have a chance to spend time with her without fighting for their lives or racing the nagging beep that warned of imminent exposure.
"Oh I WISH!" Alya sighed. "What I wouldn't give to see who's behind that mask! (You and me both, thought Adrien). But no, I don't know her. Actually, I take it back. I should say: I don't know her yet!"
Wrong. Marinette thought, giggling to herself. But it doesn't count as a lie if the player thinks they're telling the truth, right?
"And just what are you giggling at, Miss Dupain-Cheng?" Alya's eyes were fierce. "Marinette, Truth or Dare!"
UH OH. If I pick truth, she might make me confess my crush to Adrien. If I pick dare, she might make me kiss him or something! Marinette's mind was going a mile a minute thinking of every possible outcome, each more embarrassing than the last.
"Truth," she answered quietly.
"YES! Mar-i-nette…" Alya sing-songed, "is there anybody that you have a massive crush on? Like maybe someone-"
"Yep!" Marinette chirped, cutting her off. She couldn't believe her luck that Alya had chosen her words so poorly. Alya's mouth hung open for a moment, and she slapped her hand against her forehead, realizing her mistake.
Marinette laughed in relief, and the boys chuckled lightly at Marinette having obviously outwitted Alya's plan.
"I didn't realize there was strategy to this game! Interesting…." Adrien mused, nudging Marinette with his elbow.
"Only if you're good at it!" Marinette smiled. The contact was welcomed, friendly and comfortable. Why were her reactions to him so unpredictable?
"Nino! Get in the game!" Marinette was gaining confidence, having narrowly escaped an embarrassing reveal. "Truth or Dare?"
"Dare, dude! Cuz I'm such a DARING guy!" Nino's enthusiasm gave away a tinge of nervousness he was hiding.
Marinette grinned. Nino's pun had given her an idea.
"OK, punny guy…" she challenged. "Let's see your best impression of Chat Noir, showing off after defeating an akuma!"
Adrien's eyes went wide, his lips pressed together and body shaking slightly with repressed laughter. Apparently he liked my idea! Marinette congratulated herself.
"OK, great! I'll need a sec to prepare…" He stood. "Ooh wait, can I put a pin in it until, Alya! DARE! or truth… but Dare!" Nino was obviously going somewhere with this, his eyes shining with excitement as he reached his hand toward Alya.
"Uhh.. Dare, I take it?" Alya responded with a giggle, accepting his hand as he pulled her to her feet.
"I dare you to be my Ladybug in the Victorious Chat Noir show!"
Ladybug in the 'Chat Noir Show?' PLEASE! Marinette couldn't help but smile at the ridiculous notion.
Adrien had erupted into a full-out laughter. This was gonna be amazing!
"OhmyGod yes, let's DO this!" Alya gushed.
The two friends bent their heads together and began to gesture and giggle, planning out their scene.
Marinette scooted closer to Adrien so that they were sitting side by side, ready to watch the performance.
Nino cleared his throat loudly. "Lady and Gentledude!" he addressed his audience of two. "We present to you… the heroes of Paris!"
Alya snapped into her hero stance, legs slightly wider that her shoulders, which were pulled back to thrust her chest out. Her arms were bent at 90 degrees, elbows pulled back, and hands balled into fists.
"You'll never beat us, Hawkmoth! Chat Noir and I are unstoppable!" She extended a fist in Nino's direction, which he bumped proudly as they said in unison, "Pound it!"
Marinette was already laughing. She shouldn't have been surprised that Alya had her mannerisms down, with her constant attention to all-things Ladybug to keep her blog current, but it was a little weird seeing her friend mimic her alter ego.
Adrien grinned. That was his Lady alright!
Nino strolled up to Alya with uncharacteristic grace and an air of confidence. "Well M'Lady, you were paws-itively purrfect!" Nino put extra emphasis on the puns, raising an eyebrow flirtatiously at Alya and leaning in close.
Adrien heard a groan come from Marinette, and he chuckled lightly. Maybe she should be playing Ladybug! She's got her reactions down perfectly!
Alya put a finger on Nino's nose and pushed him away in an embellished motion. "Now now, be a good kitty!" she teased.
That's more like it, thought Marinette, the grin returning to her face.
"Like THIS?" Nino closed the distance between himself an Alya in a moment, wrapping an arm around her waist and using the other hand to cradle her face.
Marinette and Adrien's jaws hit the floor simultaneously.
"OH CHAT!" Alya called out, overly-romaticized, as she threw her arms around Nino's neck.
"OH LADYBUG!" Nino echoed, before the couple shared an exaggerated kiss, hands exploring each other fervently, as they both faked moans of ecstasy to cover very real laughter that they could no longer suppress.
"WHAT?!" yelled Marinette, just as Adrien leapt to his feet with an exuberant "YES!"
"Oh come on Marinette," Alya broke character, ending the performance. "You can't tell me you don't think those two are in looooove! They're perfect together!"
"Oh, totally!" agreed Nino, the grin wide on his face.
Marinette shook her head. "They're partners, and friends, but they're superheroes! Ladybug and Chat Noir exist to fight evil, not to FLIRT!" Well, Chat Noir exists for both, Marinette corrected herself silently.
"I agree with Alya!" Adrien chimed in. "And Chat Noir has been pretty clear about his love for Ladybug." He paused, his expression turning more serious. "He loves her. I mean, why can't they be together?"
Marinette was a little surprised at Adrien's reaction. He actually sounded a little hurt when he had asked the question. She didn't realize he took the superheroes' relationship so personally.
"It's not that they…" Marinette sighed and collected her thoughts. For some reason, she felt like she was rejecting Adrien himself as she countered his declarations of Chat Noir's love. She couldn't explain to her friends that Ladybug could love Chat Noir, but they had no chance at any kind of relationship comprised of the 5 minute intervals they shared after battles, and revealing her identity to him would destroy any feelings he might have for her. Clumsy, plain Marinette would be too big a let-down for someone in love with Ladybug.
"I think it's just… complicated. I mean, I don't think it would go down like that," Marinette gestured to the impromptu "stage." She was backpedaling a bit, but she hadn't intended to spoil Adrien's OTP.
"Ok then, if you think you can do better, I dare you to prove it!" Alya challenged. "It IS my turn, after all! Show me what it would be like if Ladybug and Chat Noir finally kissed!"
Marinette balked at the idea. Play-act herself kissing Chat Noir? A hot blush rose to her cheeks.
"I didn't even get to pick!" the distraught girl whined.
Alya smirked. "Are you really gonna pick truth? I won't make the same mistake twice!"
"Fine fine!" Marinette conceded. She stood up to join Nino.
"Not with him, you're not kissing my Chat!" Alya pulled Nino away from the "stage" and toward the viewing area, taking their seats where Marinette and Adrien had been minutes before. "What do you think Adrien, are you up to playing Chat?"
Adrien smiled. Although he was a little nervous to kiss Marinette, he liked the idea of acting out a kiss with Ladybug as Chat.
Marinette felt the room spin as Adrien took his place beside her. This was like the Horrificator all over again, except this time she would have to be confident, strong, take-charge Ladybug, kissing Adrien! Would he wait for her to initiate the kiss?! Her face felt like it was on fire.
"Alright then…" Adrien said, a mischievous smile appearing on his face as he mussed his hair a bit.
Adrien bowed low, one knee bent behind him and the opposite arm reaching across his chest, the other hand extended, palm up. "It's a pleasure to see you again, M'Lady! Did you miss me?" His bright tone had a familiar flirtatious lilt to it.
Alya squeed with surprise as Marinette's eyes widened.
Both girls were thinking the same thing: Holy shit, he sounds just like Chat Noir!
Adrien lifted his gaze to meet Marinette's, revealing his emerald-green eyes, sparkling with amusement from under disheveled golden hair. He was beautiful.
You're Ladybug, he's Chat. You're Ladybug, he's Chat… Marinette repeated the words like a mantra, reminding herself it was just a silly play.
"What's the matter, Bugaboo? Chat got your tongue?" Chat Noir's voice came from Adrien again.
Marinette groaned loudly, the pun jolting her into character. He's just Chat.
"I'm fine, Chat, but that was a close call!" Marinette spoke confidently, drawing inspiration from one of her adventures as Ladybug. "I could face Puppeteer's Lady Wifi, Rogercop, and Evillustrator, but when she took control of you, I wasn't sure how I was gonna pull it off!"
Adrien shuttered at the memory. Although he couldn't remember what he said or did when he was controlled, losing that space of time and being fully aware of the villain's powers, he had put two-and-two together. The thought of being possessed was extremely unpleasant. But wait…. Was Marinette there for that fight? How did she know he had been controlled once they arrived in the studio to fight Puppeteer?
"My Ladybug, stumped? I don't buy it!" Adrien stood, bringing his face close to hers. "I never doubted you for a second," he purred.
Adrien found himself lost in Ladybug's bluebell eyes, not for the first time. Sinking into seas of blue that engulfed him, calming him while making his heart race, endless—
Ladybug's eyes.
Adrien's breath caught in his throat. He knew those eyes. He would know them anywhere. He saw them every time he closed his eyes. There was no mistaking it.
"It's you," Adrien whispered, his hand coming gently to her cheek.
That voice. These mannerisms, the puns, those EYES…. The pieces fell into place in Marinette's thoughts, one by one, as the images of her secret crush and heroic partner overlapped in her mind. That's why he was heartbroken over my resistance to Lady Noir. Because he… because Adrien is….
"C-Chat?" came her whispered reply, although she already knew the answer.
When their lips met in a soft kiss, Marinette felt as if a long-missing piece of herself had finally returned to her. Weaving her hands into his hair, she reveled in the fluttering sensation in her chest, the feel of his lips against hers, his seductive scent that she had never noticed before. He loved her, and she loved him… all along.
Neither Adrien nor Marinette heard the uproarious cheers that had erupted from their audience.