Author's Note: This took a slightly darker turn than I expected, but please enjoy :)
WARNING: Somewhat graphic descriptions of injuries near the end.
Stand By Me
Red and pink hearts streak across the sky, scattering over the city as they magically reverse the damage caused by the latest akuma, restoring all to its former glory. Ladybug watches wistfully as the healing light dissipates, and she turns to her partner with a grin.
"Great job today, Chat."
"Likewise, my Lady," he purrs in response, winking at her just as the sound of familiar beeping fills the air. "Oops! I'm afraid I must bid you adieu, it seems like my time here with you is up."
"What's the rush, you silly cat?" Ladybug laughs. "There's no need to hide anymore, remember?"
Chat smirks and blows her a kiss. "True, but I'd rather not risk Nathalie catching me sneaking back past curfew. Besides, your place is all the way across the city. It's not safe for a pretty girl like you to be walking home all alone in the dark now, is it?"
"Alright alright, you win! I'll see you around, Chat." Ladybug gives him a parting wave before turning to leave, but then she pauses. There's a nagging feeling in her chest, as though she has forgotten something important.
By the time she looks back, Chat is already gone.
"Now what's this?" Alya waggles her eyebrows with interest, peering over her best friend's shoulder to catch a glimpse of her drawings. "You working on another project?"
"If you wanted to look, you could have just asked!" Marinette giggles, handing over her sketchbook easily. "Winter is coming, and I'm trying to design some new hoods for my coats."
Alya squeals in delight as she flips through the pages. "Ooh, they're so beautiful! This is amazing, Marinette! Which ones are you planning to make?"
Blushing slightly, Marinette points towards several of her more recent ideas. "There's the waterproof one here for keeping out the snow. Over there's a rough pattern with some fake fur for extra warmth. Oh, and this one has a Chat Noir themed design! That's for Adrien though. You think he'll like it?"
There is a moment of silence as Alya sends her a funny look, but it quickly disappears in a flash of understanding. "Yeah, he will. Just don't forget to leave your signature this time round, okay?"
"I won't cry, I won't cry," Ladybug sings, hearing Chat humming along to the tune next to her. "No I won't shed a tear. Just as long as you stand, stand by me."
She swings her legs absently where she sits at the edge of the roof, gazing at the full moon hanging in the Parisian night sky. The sight of it makes her feel small and insignificant, but all it takes is a side glance at Chat, the peaceful smile on his face brighter than all the lights on the Eiffel Tower combined, to remind her that she will always have her faithful partner, and she fights the urge to lean against him.
"And darlin', darlin'..."
It isn't uncommon for civilians to corner them after a battle, especially if it had taken place in an open area where they have plenty of spectators. Ladybug waves politely at her fans as they surround her, humbly accepting their praises and indulging several requests for a selfie. She is the center of attention as usual, but it doesn't take her long to notice the empty space at her side.
She turns around to see Chat shying away, ever so willing to let her take the credit for their heroics. Shaking her head fondly, she beckons him over. "You know I couldn't have done it without you, right?"
Chat smiles affectionately at her and she returns the gesture, ignoring the way the crowd falls silent around them.
"Do you think we're being selfish, Tikki?" Marinette asks one day.
The kwami doesn't answer for a while, too busy munching on a strawberry-flavored macaron. "Maybe," Tikki replies eventually. She doesn't seem inclined to elaborate any further, and hungrily reaches for another treat on the plate.
Marinette hums thoughtfully and goes back to bandaging her hand, bruised and scratched up from the fight with the latest akuma. There is a deep ache in her knuckles, and she wonders if it comes from that punch she had landed on the akuma's face earlier that day, or the fact that she doesn't remember the last time she and Chat shared a fist bump after a battle.
She asks herself why, even though it is a question she already knows the answer to.
Ladybug grits her teeth and yanks harder at her leg, trapped beneath the floorboards where the akuma's attacks had weakened the polished wood. She doubles her efforts as Pin Striker approaches her, explosive bowling balls in hand.
"Aww, looks like the poor little bug is stuck! Too bad, I'm having a blast!" he cackles madly before releasing the bombs in her direction.
Unable to free herself in time, Ladybug throws her arms up and braces for impact –
"Oh no you don't!"
– just as Chat Noir lands in front of her, staff at the ready. He swiftly knocks the bowling balls away, sending them flying back towards the akuma. Pin Striker yells as they detonate near his feet, forcing him backwards and away from the duo.
"My Lady, are you alright?" Chat asks worriedly, heaving a sigh of relief when Ladybug finally manages to pull her leg out.
"I'm fine, thanks for the save," she replies with a wink. "Now, time to pick up a spare!"
With loud battle cries, they charge.
"You nearly got killed at the bowling alley yesterday and all you can think about is your stupid video? Nino, what's wrong with you?"
"Hey, how often do you get to witness an epic battle between good and evil?"
"That's not the point! Alya, talk some sense into him."
"I don't know, Marinette. That's some high-quality footage he's got there. Nino, mind if I upload it to my blog?"
"Alya!"
"Come on, you have to admit it was pretty cool! I thought Ladybug was done for, and then WHAM! The scoreboard falls right in front of her and knocks those bombs away! I know she's lucky, but damn, someone up there really loves her."
Marinette stands up from her chair and stretches. Tikki snores softly on a pillow next to her, and she pulls the cotton handkerchief over the kwami's tiny body where it has slipped down. Her worktable is cluttered with needles and fabrics, the half-finished product resting at the side. She contemplates taking a break, having been stitching and sewing since after dinner, and climbs up onto the terrace above her room.
The moon is round and bright that night, and she lets out a tired sigh as she leans against the railing to stare at the sky. A light breeze ruffles her hair and sends goosebumps down the skin of her exposed arms, but it isn't until a loud yawn tears itself from her lips that she decides to head back inside. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she blinks in confusion when she pulls her hand away to find them wet.
Hours later, after she finally goes to bed, it starts to rain.
There is the crisp sound of crinkling plastic as a bouquet of white carnations is placed gently on the grave. Brushing off the light dusting of snow on the headstone, Marinette kneels and carefully hangs the completed Chat Noir hood on one corner.
In Memory Of
Adrien Agreste
1999 – 2016
A cherished friend, an irreplaceable partner
Tracing the elegant inscription etched onto the smooth marble, she looks up with a sad smile.
Chat Noir stands before her, a broken illusion from the depths of her memories. Blood trickles over his mask and down the sides of his face, dripping onto his chest where a gaping hole resides just above his punctured lung. His left leg is mangled beyond recognition, his right arm bent at an unnatural angle near the elbow.
She remembers being shoved out of the way as the building collapsed on them, screaming as she watched the jagged end of a broken pipe impale him. Pinned to the ground and buried alive under debris, it was a miracle he was even still breathing after she had dug him out. She remembers cradling her dying partner in her arms, pressing desperate kisses to his lips, whispering pleas and promises and threats to make him stay, seeing in his face the sheer amount of raw devotion to his Lady even as the light finally faded from his eyes.
You said that you didn't regret it, that you'd do it a thousand times over. Do you really still think that?
Marinette looks away and sighs. She knows the words that will set him free, but she's not ready, not yet. Soon, she tells herself, repeating the same empty promise. Just for a while longer.
So she stands up and says, "I'll see you later during patrol. Don't be late!"
Author's Note: So basically Adrien/Chat can't cross over and rest in peace until Marinette/Ladybug lets him go, but of course she loves her kitty cat too much for that.