She swung through Paris in a daze, the dimmed lights of the very early morning gleaming ever so slightly off her miraculous suit making her look like a meteor passing in the night. It was three in the morning, but Ladybug was restless. She'd finally submitted her application to design school, deciding that if she rearranged her portfolio one more time she'd have to have herself legally declared insane. So, what did she decide to do instead? Swing from the tallest buildings in Paris, of course, with nothing to slow her fall except a magical yo-yo.
It was a weird feeling of limbo, and it unsettled her and excited her at the same time. Suddenly, her future was out of her hands. She'd done what she could, and someone had to invite her to take the next step. Or not, but she decided to not focus on that potential outcome until it was an actual problem. Don't borrow trouble , as her Papa always said.
So instead, she flew. Tikki had been a little disgruntled about being woken up, the kwami had fallen asleep to the drone of Marinette's nonsensical babble around midnight, but she relented easily enough. Unfortunately for the sleep-loving red god, Marinette's late-night jaunts through Paris weren't exactly uncommon. Something else not uncommon? Spotting her favorite blonde boy, also out for a sleepless stroll through the city.
She was mid-jump over the Seine when she saw him, swinging around a lamp post on the lock-laden bridge, singing softly as he leaned outwards in his best impersonation of Gene Kelly. He seemed so at peace, the soft lamplight glinting off his golden hair, his eyes closed and posture open. She halted her progress and stood motionless, locked in her pondering as to whether it was the lamp or Adrien that was shining brighter.
She took a few steps closer and was able to hear the song he was singling.
"Everybody wants to be a Chat . Because Chat's the only cat who knows where it's at…"
She lifted a hand to her mouth to stifle her giggle, but it still slipped out and floated over to him. He paused in his song, his eyes remaining closed, but a serene smile spread across his face.
"Side by side with your loved one," he opened his eyes, switching his tune as he looked at her. " You will find enchantment here," he swung down from the lamppost and danced towards her. "The night will weave its magic spell," he spun around her. " When the one you love is near." He leaned down and kissed her hand. "Oh this is the night," he grasped her hand and pulled her into him. "And the heavens all rise," he started to waltz them across the bridge. "On this lovely, bella notte." He dipped her low and then pulled her back to him, continuing to hum and waltz her around the bridge.
"Someone's in a good mood tonight," she said, mostly to distract herself from the dizzying feeling of being wrapped in his arms. He just continued to hum, twirling her between the patches of lamplight and moonlight. She laughed in the breathless way only Adrien ever got to hear. "What's gotten into you?"
"IIIIII got no strings to hold me down, to make me sad or make me frown. I hate strings and now I'm free. I've got no strings on me." He hurled them into a lively quickstep across the bridge before breaking away from her and clicking his feet together in the air. " They've got strings, but you can see. There are no strings on me."
Ladybug watched him with a smile.
"No strings, huh?" She whipped out her yo-yo, lassoing him and pulling him back to her side. He was happily dragged along, grabbing her waist when he was finally in front of her. "So, you did it then? You told him?" She looked up into the peace that had settled on Adrien's face and noticed that for the first time in the three years she had known him, there wasn't any underlying trace of stress in his features. She retracted her yo-yo and his face broke into a playful grin.
"Some people settle for the typical things, livin' all their lives waiting in the wings." She watched him moonwalk away from her, hiding her smile behind a hand and he kept singing. For months now, he'd been trying to work up the courage to tell his father he had no interest in the family business. One sleepless night, much like this one, he'd confessed to her his dream of being a teacher, and she'd enthusiastically told him he needed to go for it. He'd spent most of his life so isolated, and all he wanted was to be surrounded by noise and life everyday. Ladybug watched him start galloping back towards her in a flawless gangnam style technique. She'd never met someone so full of life. He deserved nothing less.
"Once you're watching every move that I make, you gotta believe that I got what it takes!"
"I never doubted it, Agreste," she responded and was rewarded with one of his truly heart-imploding smiles. Slightly crooked and nothing like the practiced perfection of his modeling smiles, his lazy grin always shot through like a physical force. If he smiled like that at her everyday for the rest of their lives, it still wouldn't be enough.
"So, what's the plan now?"
" Gotta keep, one jump ahead of the bread line, One swing ahead of the sword, I steal only what I can't afford. " He was back swinging from the lampposts.
"I don't know, sunshine. I can't really see you as thief in the night. What's plan B?" He grinned at her, his Chat showing through so clearly in that moment she couldn't believe it took them until this year to finally see the light.
"People taking the easy way," his voice turned soulful. "But I know exactly where I'm going, and getting closer and closer every day. And I'm almost there, I'm almost there." He grabbed her against, fox trotting across the street with a jazzy swing to his hips. " People down here think I'm crazy, but I don't care. Trials and tribulations I've had my share. There ain't nothing gonna stop me now cause I'm almost there."
"You're almost there," Ladybug echoed, unable to help herself, his joy and optimism were contagious. He smiled brightly at her, his look turning tender as he hummed a softer tune and pulled her closer. She instinctively leaned into him, resting her head against his shoulder.
"So this is love. Hmmm. So this is what makes life divine. I'm all aglow. Hmmm. And now I know. The key to all heaven is mine." He spun her away from him, and jumped up onto the railing, arms stretched wide. "My heart has wings! Hmmm. And I can fly. I'll touch every star in the sky." She rolled his eyes at his theatrics, her heart not quite able to keep up with his kaleidoscope of emotions. He hopped down, his eyes turning tender again and pulled her close, cupping her cheek as he sang the last part. "So this is the miracle that I've been dreaming of."
She leaned into his hand, savoring it for a moment and memorizing the look in his eyes, before breaking away with a coy but slightly rueful smile. She still remembered all too well confessing her feelings to Adrien, only to have him reject her. Kindly, of course, and similar to what she had done to Chat, but that didn't erase the fact that their relationship was far more complicated than it needed to be. They'd spoken about it briefly when they finally figured out who the other was behind the mask. It wasn't that Adrien didn't care for Marinette and Ladybug didn't care for Chat, those feelings were just overwhelmed and confused by what their alter ego/civilian self felt, and...it was a mess. They hadn't really broached the subject since. Until tonight that was, if Adrien's serenading could be called a conversation.
She broke away, and sauntered backwards from him.
"I thought my heart had learned its lesson. If feels so good when you start out. No man is worth the aggravation. That's ancient history, been there, done that."
"You owe me so much cheese for this, kid." Plagg muttered to Adrien and surprised her by floating into her line of vision.
"Who you think you're kidding? He's the earth and heaven to you, try to keep it hidden. Honey, we can see right through you." Plagg's gravely voice rang out, in a surprisingly pleasant tone.
Marinette couldn't keep it together, and her peals of laughter echoed through the starry night. Adrien face lit up with the sound, and inspiration flitted across his face as he struck a jaunty pose.
"I got myself a notion. One I know that you'll understand. To set the world in motion .By reaching out for each other's hand. Maybe we'll discover what we should have known all along. One way or another together's where we both belong."
She wasn't sure if she should be concerned or impressed by his intimate knowledge of the Goofy Movie soundtrack. Regardless, she wasn't going to make it that easy. She ignored the outstretched hand he offered her and just shook her head at him. She wasn't as practiced at horrible puns as he was, but she refused to relent. Swinging away and down to one of the lower river walks, she smirked at him over her shoulder, daring him to follow.
"I look once more! Just around the river bend, beyond the shore! Where the gulls fly free." He rushed over to the railing, dramatically putting his hand on his brow to block out the non-existent sun and searching the banks for her. "Why do all my dreams extend just around the riverbend!"
He transformed, vaulting over the railing and down to where she was.
"Waiting for me," he finished, leaning in, but she put a finger to his nose and pushed him away gently. Then she put the finger to her chin, tapping thoughtfully.
" There's something sweet, and almost kind. But he was firm her didn't want this hand of mine." She changed the last lyrics, and watched Chat grimace a bit at her teasing. They'd both been idiots . "But now he's here," she continued, softening. " And so unsure. I wonder how I didn't see it there before."
He grabbed her hand as she started to walk away and released his transformation.
"There must be something there that wasn't there before." He responded, his voice thick with emotion.
"I guess there's something there that wasn't there before." she relented, releasing her own transformation, leaning towards him and tilting her face up. Their mouths impossibly close, he lifted her hand to his shoulder, grabbing the other firmly in his grasp and pulling her waist against him.
" A dream is a wish your heart makes, when you're fast asleep. In dreams you will lose your heartache, whatever you wish for, you keep," He pulled her closer, never breaking eye contact as they spun alongside the glistening river. " Have faith in your dreams and someday, your rainbow will come smiling through. No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, The dream that you wish will come true." He slowed their movement, whispering the last part to her. "You're my dream, Bugaboo."
"You're mine too, chaton." And in a burst of Ladybug confidence that she finally realized was hers all along, she leaned up and finally kissed her prince.
AN: Thanks for reading and showing some Ladrien love! To stay UTD on new stories, follow me on tumblr: unforgetabELLE