we can't see what the future has in store,
A heavy breath caused Marinette's chest to heave. The light filtering down through the windows on the upper deck of the factory cast long shadows against the contents of the room. Her head ached terribly and her fingers were clenched so tightly around her yo-yo she wasn't sure they were receiving any blood circulation. To her surprise, her suit had remained relatively undamaged, but there would be countless bruises, of that she was sure.
She stood over the crumpled figure on the ground as Ladybug and listened to the sirens wailing outside. Alya had done her job. She shakily brought her left hand, the one not clutching her yo-yo up to eye level, and she stared at the Miraculous. It was pretty, she supposed, but anger simmered in her stomach when she thought of all the damage it caused. Yet, she couldn't blame the Miraculous or the Kwami it contained. Her blame had to fall on the man, now powerless, that lay at her feet.
She knew him. Before this point, she had idolised him. He was a genius in his craft, and Marinette had loved every inch of his work. If being a villain was a full-time job, Marinette might give him credit in that sense too, but he'd caused so much pain and panic and grief to her city, that the remorse that simmered in her stomach, was easy to smother. However, she didn't want what she saw before her to be true. Yes, it was a relief that he was defeated, but it meant she would be taking a father away from someone she knew very well.
Gabriel Agreste made no sound. He simply stared at an open locket, eyes blank. If she looked Ladybug knew she would recognise the woman in the photo through the hair and the eyes, but she didn't want to. It would only make the next part harder.
Another shadow fell across Gabriel's defeated form and a hand gently brushed against Ladybug's elbow. Marinette turned, just enough to see him, and exhaled slowly. Chat Noir looked similar to how she imagined she looked, but she knew that he'd taken a much firmer beating than her. Marinette had a small cut on her chin, but Chat had a gash running from his hairline past the bottom of his ear on the left side of his face. His cheeks were smudged with dirt and his eyes looked exhausted. His suit was cut in a few places, specifically a decent sized cut just above his hip bones.
Their injuries were painful, but not life-threatening and she had to be thankful for that. Still, she lowered her hand and his gloved one curled around hers, even around the Miraculous that belonged to neither of them. Ladybug forced herself to finally looked away from the man in front of her, who, as Hawk Moth, had caused such trauma and disaster. She looked fully at her partner and let her eyes flutter closed, both in relief and exhaustion. They were still alive.
"My Lady," Chat murmured. His voice was soft, husky, but it brought her a little comfort.
She opened her eyes and looked up at his face. Her right hand reattached her yo-yo to her belt before reaching up to brush against his cheek. "We did it Chaton," she whispered.
Chat Noir looked away, a breath rattling out of his chest painfully. "Not without cost."
"No," she agreed gently.
Ladybug stood soundlessly at her partner's side, waiting for him to say something. She wanted to hear a pun; as stupid as they were, they reassured her that her kitty's spirit was alive and well. The Black Cat hero remained silent. His eyes were grieving as they fell upon their defeated foe. Marinette frowned. She used her hand to gently turn Chat's face so he was looking at her again.
"Are you alright?" she asked carefully.
He blinked his big, green eyes at her. "Nothing that won't heal," he replied.
It wasn't what she meant, but the bitter tone of his voice worried her. She herself was in pain, and it must be so much worse for him. "Your back," she probed gently, remembering the worst of his injuries. "Is it okay?"
The prosthetic cat ears on his head drooped. He released his hold on her hand and turned so she could see the damage. The material of his suit had been stripped away across nearly the entirety of his back, and his skin fared no better. Criss-crossing wounds caused her heart to ache. He'd received the brutal lashing while shielding her. It didn't help later that he was thrown through a window. Marinette brushed her gloved fingers against the intact suit beside his wounds and let out a shaky breath.
"This is my fault. You were hurt protecting me," she reminded sadly.
Chat turned quickly to face her, catching both of her hands with his own. He cradled them gently. "My Lady, I would do it again in a heartbeat."
His expression was so open and she could see the pain painted so clearly across it. Her heart shattered. "That's what terrifies me," she admitted.
Before either hero could say anything else, the doors at the other end of the factory banged open and uniformed officers poured in, weapons drawn. The officers hesitated upon seeing Paris' heroes and Ladybug drew away from Chat Noir, forcing on a confident mask. She stepped aside to reveal the defeated Hawk Moth and two officers rushed forth to cuff him.
Chat Noir's ring beeped and her earrings followed suit. Marinette exchanged a glance with her partner. Most of the officers were still staring at them, expecting an explanation. She wanted to give them one, but they didn't have the time. She and Chat were both injured and would need time to recover. It was an explanation that would come later.
"Keep this man in custody," she instructed the officers. "My partner and I have business we must attend to elsewhere, but everything will be explained soon."
She glanced once at Chat before slinging her yo-yo out the open window on the top deck of the factory. When she hit the peak of her launch, she attached to a nearby building and swung herself up towards the roof. She landed and had to wait for only a second before Chat Noir was at her side.
"Explained soon?" he questioned.
"The Ladyblog. It will reach the largest audience. When we are both healed, we'll schedule an interview," she explained. Her earrings beeped again, more insistently, and she turned to leave.
"My Lady, what does this mean for us?" Chat called before she could zip away.
She paused. "I, I don't know yet. We'll talk soon Chaton, don't worry."
With that said, she cast her yo-yo and darted away.
When Adrien found the black box on his desk, his brain nearly shut down. He didn't want to look inside. He didn't want to know why it was there, but he looked anyways. Nestled in the red lining was the orange and white hook shaped pendant that had once hung around an akuma's neck. Yet, Volpina's necklace had been nothing but a fake, and even brushing his fingers across this necklace or the gold chain it was attached too, made Adrien realize that this was real. It contained ancient magic-power similar to that carried by his own Miraculous.
He lifted the box up to study the necklace more closely. He prayed silently it was just another fake, but it was heavy and it felt as if his ring was reacting to it, pulsing gently against his finger. As much as he prayed, wished, it wasn't a fake. He was holding the real fox Miraculous stone and he had no idea why.
A flash of white on his desk caught his eye and Adrien spotted the note that had previously been nestled underneath the box. He closed the lid of the black box and placed it, like one might place an explosive device, back on the desk. Adrien picked up the note and read the address. It was to his alter ego, Chat Noir. He had transformed only once in the three weeks since Hawk Moth's defeat and it was to perform an exclusive interview with Alya for the Ladyblog with Ladybug at his side.
He gently unfolded the creased letter.
Chat Noir,
I hope this finds you in good hands. Wayzz ensures me it will, but I suppose I will not know for some time. As you could assume, I have entrusted you with a second Miraculous. I do not intend for you to keep it, you are simply the messenger.
I apologize to you, and your partner, about the pain and grief you two endured, alone, against Hawk Moth. This is a decision I should have made long ago, but I shall not put it off any longer. More Miraculous means more peace for Paris and more peace for you. In hopes that nothing else goes awry, this should be a blessing to you and Ladybug.
I wish for you, Chat Noir, to choose the next wielder of the Fox Miraculous. Ladybug has her own choices to make, so I entrust this decision to you. Whomever you choose, I hope you and your partner will train the new heroes and work in tandem to keep the peace you fought so hard for.
The Fox Miraculous is tricky. The wielder must be clever and loyal. There must be a sense of camaraderie and loyalty. The skills of this Miraculous lie in illusion. Illusions are best suited for protection and defense, but can still be used offensively. Choose someone you think will both protect and attack, and will not cower, but overcome.
The Turtle Miraculous is possibly the hardest to assign. It's previous wielder was myself, but I willingly relinquish it to younger hands. It is about wisdom and guidance. The wielder must be calm and collected, yet tough, resilient, and protective. The turtle's strengths lie in defense and physical protection. Choose, Ladybug, someone you think will protect your companions and fight admirably.
I also entrusted you with the Bee. It is a simpler set of values and I do not doubt there will be many worthy candidates. The Bee is very powerful. He or she must be a strong leader, but also willing to take orders. They must be a team player, but strong enough to lead their own pack. Look for the hive mentality: bees sting to protect themselves and those they care about.
Chat Noir and yourself are the finest match in wielders I have seen in many years. I have no doubt in the future of our dear city and no doubt that your choices will be right.
I wish you guidance and strength,
Fu
Marinette's hands trembled as she reread the letter. Her eyes wandered to the identical set of black boxes on her bed. The red Chinese lettering seemed to be calling out to her, and she could sense their powers even through their cases. She had been baffled beyond belief upon first seeing the boxes, and after reading the note, she was only slightly less confused.
A part of her was angry; all along there were more Miraculous that could have been distributed amongst people during the conflict with Hawk Moth. Perhaps time could have been saved and there could have been less damage and less pain caused. Yet, Master Fu, as she knew him, was remorseful that he did not acquire help for them sooner, but Marinette admired what he was willing to do to protect the peace in Paris now.
Still, she was unsure about the new Miraculous. For so long it had just been Ladybug and Chat Noir. She still wasn't sure how to approach the thought of there being other heroes. While she knew that the other Miraculous existed, Hawk Moth having wielded one, it baffled her that she was the one who would be choosing who to wield them. Marinette had half a mind to return the comb and bracelet and tell Master Fu that he should choose. Even as she told herself this, ideas were creeping around in her mind of who might be worthy.
Marinette looked from the letter to the boxes several times. She could do this. She would.
When Adrien transformed, he felt alive. It had been two weeks since he received the Fox necklace from Fu, and he still had not distributed it. He had been studying people, looking for the perfect fit. As his familiar suit took shape, Adrien knew he was going to alter someone's life drastically that evening. He picked up the box and headed for his window. He was making the right decision. In the end, the choice hadn't even been that difficult.
As he vaulted across the city, he told himself that his choice would be the same as Ladybug's for this skill set. There was no denying it. While he had toyed with the option of others like Nathanaël and Sabrina for a little while, he'd discarded them quickly. There was only one person he could see who would do the item justice.
Originally, he'd thought of Lila, but shot it down almost instantly. The girl was a pathological liar and hated Ladybug. The point of the new Miraculous was to create a stronger team, involving him and Ladybug, so having a Ladybug-hating team member would not bode well, at all. That thought line had also pointed him in the same direction as all the other clues were.
He landed on the roof of the building across the street and crouched low. The night vision in his goggles kicked in on full blast as he could just barely pick out his target through the window on the other side of the street. She appeared to be speaking, animatedly, on the phone with someone. Chat Noir smiled.
"And to think that people are still pestering me about the interview! They're still calling it fake and photoshopped and edited! It's so frustrating!" Alya vented angrily, pacing back and forth.
It was late and she was on the phone with Marinette, complaining about the comments from her blog. It had been several weeks, nearly a month, since she'd posted her interview with Ladybug and Chat Noir which explained everything, but there were still people that didn't believe her and were calling the video fake. It frustrated her to no end, and especially when they said that Ladybug would never spread her message through the blog.
"I don't know what you want me to say Alya," Marinette said. "You know I believe you. Ladybug trusted you with that interview and that's the important part. Really, I think you should just focus on that," her friend pointed out.
Alya smiled. "Yeah, you're probably right." She was about to ask Marinette if she'd finished the homework for English, when something tapped on her window.
She spun to face the glass. There was no fire escape and no balcony outside her window. Nobody could be waiting outside it, but she had no idea what made that noise. She peered out the window, but the glare cast from her light fixture made it impossible to see outside. Alya scowled. She was going to be furious if it was just some kid throwing pebbles or something.
"Mari, I'll call you back in a bit, just got to help my sister with something really quick," Alya lied smoothly. Marinette bid a slightly confused farewell before Alya hung up on her swiftly.
She slid open her window and leaned out, looking for the culprit. Nobody was in the streets below her apartment and it was highly improbably that they'd be above her. Alya frowned. She leaned back inside and was about to close her window when she saw the box. It was black and shaped like an octagon and decorated with assorted Chinese letters in red. It definitely had not been there before and it definitely wasn't hers.
Alya picked it up and closed her window. She wandered over to her desk and sat down. There was no note attached to the box or anything. She shrugged and carefully opened the lid. At first, she thought it was a joke. It was an exact replica of the necklace Lila had owned that was apparently a replica of a superhero's necklace. She stared skeptically at the piece of jewellery.
As she bent down to lift up the pendant and study it more closely, an orange burst of light shot out of it. Alya yelped and dropped the box onto her desk. The ball of orange light took the shape of some tiny, orange animal. She slowly recognized it as a floating fox that was almost fairy-like.
The creature blinked big brown eyes at her and smiled brightly. Alya stared.
"I'm Trixx and you're the one chosen to wield my Miraculous!"
Marinette paused at the mailbox. The small boxes for all the flats in the building were kept in the lobby and she knew exactly which apartment number to put it in. She'd been here plenty of times before. They'd been friends for a long time, longer than anyone but Kim, who she'd known since they were in diapers. Still, she had plenty of memories from this place.
She remembers being little and smelling the herbs and foreign spices and his mother humming along to songs from a different culture. Though she grew up with Chinese and French culture, the Moroccan was very different and very interesting. She always loved eating there too, the food was always warm and smelled like home. Perhaps his mom wasn't as good of a cook as Alya's, but she was still very talented.
Lately, she'd also spent quite a bit of time there. It was no secret what Alya felt, and if Adrien was there then Marinette always came over. It felt like the four of them were always at the bakery or here in the cosy and pretty cramped apartment. They'd do homework or just hang out, often sampling his newest tracks.
A smile slid onto her face. Marinette opened the mailbox and slid the wrapped box inside. She was making the right choice.
The beats of his latest mix echoed through his headphones and Nino tapped his pencil in time against the frames of his glasses. He was hurriedly finishing an assignment due in an hour and his mom was making him breakfast. Adrien had already finished the physics homework, but he refused to share his answers, claiming Nino had to do the work as well. While he appreciated his best friend, he also just really hated physics. He wasn't a whole fan of the school thing in general.
A loud thump caught his attention and he spun in his chair to look at the doorway. His mother was standing there, an amused smile on her face and a hand on her hip. He scrambled to knock his headphones off his ears and they fell around his neck as usual. Mrs. Lahiffe shook her head at her son.
"Grab the mail, will you?" she asked. "Breakfast is almost ready."
He nodded and brushed past her quickly, squeezing her shoulder in thanks. He slid on a pair of shoes and opened the door. He trekked down the stairs to the area where all the apartments kept their mail. The flag for their box was raised and Nino dug the key out of his pocket. The little door opened and he pulled out several envelopes containing bills and other assorted mail for his mom. Just before he could close the door, the package caught his eye.
It was a white, square box. There were no marks on it other than his name written across the top in black. He shook it gently and heard something clanking inside. He shrugged and tucked it under his arm. Nino scampered back up the stairs and back into his apartment. He passed his mom the mail and pulled out the chair across from her, placing the box on the table next to his plate.
"What's that?" his mom asked.
Nino shrugged and took a bite of his crêpe. "Not sure, but it's addressed to me. I'll worry about it later."
His mother raised a skeptical eyebrow, but Nino just wolfed down his breakfast. When he was done he shot to his feet, grabbed the box and retreated towards his room. He bumped the door shut with his hip and sat down on his bed, turning the little white box in his hands. He peeled the paper back revealing a smaller black box covered in red symbols.
He blinked at it. He fumbled with it until he found the clasp that opened it. Nino stared at the box's contents. The plush red lining held a bracelet with a leather strap and a pendant that appeared to be made of jade. It was shaped like a turtle and Nino wasn't sure what to make of it. It was kind of cool looking, but he was a touch uneasy about receiving it in the mail.
He brought it up to eye level and turned it around, studying it from all angles. Just before he could lay his hand on it to pick it up, it flashed with green light. The light formed a solid shape above the box. Nino's hand went slack.
"Are you some kind of tiny turtle god?" he asked in shock.
The creature just blinked at him. "God? I'm not a god, I'm a kwami and you've been chosen to wield my Miraculous."
His hands slackened and dropped the box into his lap. The creature remained floating in front of his face. "So is this a usual thing, or a one off?" Nino asked.
"Nino!" his mom called. "Who are you talking to?"
The green creature shook its head. Nino sighed. "Just Adrien, I'm on the phone!" he called in return, not taking his eyes off the 'kwami'.
"Well, talk to him on the way to school, you're going to be late!" she replied.
Nino's eyes widened. He grabbed his bag from beside the bed and reached for his shoes. The kwami floated over to him, this time holding the bracelet.
"You are Nino, correct?" Nino nodded and the creature held out the bracelet. "Put this on please. I'll be able to explain everything as you head to school if you'd like."
Skeptically, Nino took the bracelet. "Alright little man, let's go."
Delivering the Bee was a lot easier. All it took was waiting until she was asleep before Marinette slid open her window. As Ladybug, she crept stealthily across the room and placed the black box on the vanity. She looked across the massive penthouse. Her lips pressed together. This decision had not been easy.
There were many people she considered for the Bee, but in the end, she decided on someone a little unorthodox.
Marinette let out a soft breath. "Don't make me regret this," she muttered.
She slid back to the window and cast her yo-yo, disappearing into the night.
Chloé Bourgeois awoke in the middle of the night, a tingle in her spine. She sat up and pulled her silk sheets up with her body. Across the room, her window was wide open and she was sure she had not left it that way. Grumbling, she kicked her feet out of bed. She strode across her room slowly, studying her things. Her clothes appeared exactly how she left them and her vanity was as cluttered with make-up as ever, but her eye was caught by something that didn't belong.
Momentarily forgetting the open window, Chloé stared down at the black box. It was certainly not something she'd bought. She would have remembered buying something so ugly. It was shaped like an octagon and covered with red symbols. It looked like Chinese and she was instantly skeptical. She wondered if it was from some kind of stalker fan of hers. It wouldn't be the first time.
Finally giving in to her curiosity, she opened the lid of the box. A decorative comb sat inside, nestled by red satin. It was gold and had diamonds embedded along the top of it in white and black. There was a tiny bee visible on the top part too. Chloé frowned. Without the bee, it would have been so much prettier. She could take it off, she mused, and reached down to do just so.
As soon as her manicured fingernail touched the edge of the gold, a burst of light filled the room. Chloé squeaked and dropped the box in surprise, the comb bouncing out and landing on the carpet. She watched, half in horror, and half in amazement, as the light collected into a tiny being. As it faded Chloé realized exactly what it was.
"Bug!" she shrieked. She jumped backwards and bashed her knees on the edge of her bed.
"No!" the creature cried in reply. "Miss Bourgeois, I'm not a bug! You have to stay quiet, please just let me explain!"
"Oh god it's talking, what kind of akuma is this?" she squealed, crawling backwards on her bed.
"I'm not an akuma!" it insisted. "My name is Izzy and I'm a kwami! I possess the Miraculous of that comb and you've been chosen to wield me."
Chloé paused in her retreat. "Miraculous?" she tested, the words sounding odd.
The little bee-like creature nodded. "Yes! Ladybug selected you to become the bearer of the Bee Miraculous."
Chloé stopped retreating and slid forward on the bed until she was sitting on the edge, just an arm's reach from the kwami. "Ladybug chose me?"
Izzy nodded. "Now, would you like me to explain?"
Chloé didn't hear her. "Wow, Ladybug is finally recognising my skill!" She smirked at the kwami. "Alright Bee, let's hear it."
Alya was the first to transform. Trixx had explained everything to her and mentioned that Ladybug and Chat Noir would be waiting at Notre Dame. She ran nimbly across rooftops, relishing in the feeling of the wind on her face. As she leapt from one building to the next, she took her eyes off her landing point just long enough for her to crash headlong into another person.
They rolled along the roof until Alya was lying on top of the person, groaning. She stared down at who she was lying on, eyes wide. It was a guy with dark skin with a green mask with yellow lenses. He wore a suit similar to her own, but his was green and had darker spots that were clearly armour. His arms had wrapped around her as they tumbled and he was staring at her in shock.
"Well that was incredibly graceful," a voice sneered.
Alya's head snapped to the right and she saw another new person descending onto the roof. This girl was also wearing a suit similar to her own, except it was striped, like a bee. She also had gossamer wings fluttering quickly behind her. Her blonde hair was tied in a high ponytail and her lips were twisted into a smirk.
Alya quickly detached the arms of the guy below her and rolled off of him, jumping to her feet. She refused to be shown up by this new girl. "Who are you?"
"Who are both of you?" the guy cut in. "Last I checked, Volpina was an akuma."
Alya put her hands on her hip and scowled. "Well I'm not Volpina, and I'm definitely not an akuma. How do I know either of you aren't akuma as well?"
The Bee laughed. "Oh please, Ladybug chose me for this job. An akuma is the last thing I'd be. I'm Queen Bee."
The guy scratched the back of his head. "I really hadn't thought far enough into the future to come up with any cool names."
Alya rolled her eyes. "Well I'm still toying with a few, but it's definitely not Volpina."
"Hey guys!" a familiar voice cut in. All three new heroes looked across the roof and saw Chat Noir leaning against his staff, grinning widely. "They made it LB!"
He had turned to call this last part just over his shoulder and right after he did so, Ladybug landed lightly on the roof, smiling brilliantly.
"I guess everything worked out with the transformations then."
Alya had to force herself to keep her mouth shut. She couldn't afford to look too starstruck or she might give away her identity. Trixx had been very determined to make sure Alya understood how important her secret identity was.
"One question," the guy cut in. Alya glanced at him. He had picked up some kind of board that looked like a turtle shell. She supposed that his theme was turtles, like she was modelled after a fox. "Do you guys know our secret identities?"
Alya blanched. Then her brain jump started and she went into reporter mode. "Do you know each other's identities?" she inquired eagerly.
Ladybug and Chat Noir exchanged an uncomfortable glance. "No," Ladybug replied slowly. "We don't know each other's identities, but I know you two," she said, gesturing to the turtle dude and Queen Bee.
"And I know you," Chat Noir finished, nodding to Alya. "We delivered your Miraculous, so it's only natural."
"Izzy explained a little, but why is it so important our identities are secret?" Queen Bee asked, looking between her gloved fingers and the famous heroes.
Ladybug pursed her lips. "It's about safety. We don't want people coming after us if they know who we are."
"And are there people after us right now?" the turtle dude asked. Alya cast him another glance.
"No," Chat Noir assured. "You guys received a Miraculous so we could protect Paris and keep it safe."
"Look," Ladybug began, approaching the new heroes. "Our line of work is not safe, there is a possibility you could get hurt, and my cure will not cure everything. In order to do this, you have to want to. It's not a joke. If you want to back out, do so now."
Alya subtlety scanned the faces of Queen Bee and Turtle Man. Neither showed any change in expression and she looked back at Ladybug. Chat Noir walked up beside her and draped an arm around his partner's shoulders. They looked very comfortable together and Alya smiled. They'd make a good couple, if only they realized it.
"How about some patrols to get you guys used to the city. Fox, Turtle, you guys come with me, Ladybug will take the Bee," Chat instructed. He grinned one last time at Alya and Turtle Dude before he took off, leaving them to follow.
Queen Bee was pacing the roof of Notre Dame. Terre and Zorra were late, no surprises there, and Chat and Ladybug had already left on patrol. It didn't take long after the team of five formed, for them to reveal their identities. Chloé had been floored by the revelation. Chat was Adrien. Ladybug was Marinette. Nino was Tortue de Terre. Alya was Zorra.
It was strange. She'd changed as Queen Bee. She had an output for her bitterness and found herself no longer able to hate her classmates. She'd been accepted more and enjoyed hanging out with people more. It was bizarre, but it was a nice change. She thought perhaps, that it was a good thing.
Before she could reflect more, Zorra landed on the roof, quickly followed by Tortue de Terre. They were arguing about something, but they always were. Even after the reveal when Nino and Alya started dating, they still bickered like nuts. Chloé was torn between approaching them to play peacemaker or to antagonize them some more. The three of them were certainly an odd fit, and an odd addition to Ladybug and Chat Noir's pair. Yet, even with the strange dynamic, the five of them worked.
She decided on something in between peacekeeper and villain as she flew across the roof towards the bickering couple. "Hey guys! If you two are done flirting, we have patrols to do. Ladybug and Chat Noir took the south side and I want the north east. You two can split the north west."
"Oh come on Chloé, we had the north west last week," Nino complained, his arm winding around Alya's waist.
"Maybe if you were on time for once you'd actually get to have first priority," Chloé reminded. "Catch you later losers," she called as she ran and jumped off the edge of the building, letting her wings catch her as she flew off towards thenorth east corner of the city.
Adrien and Marinette were sitting atop the Arc de Triomphe in silence. They were transformed, but relishing in the peace. Queen Bee, Tortue de Terre and Zorra were currently out on their patrols, but Ladybug and Chat Noir had already finished. Things had been quiet since Hawk Moth's defeat. It was a nice change. They'd certainly needed the recovery time after their lives were flipped upside down, Adrien's especially.
At first, Marinette had expected that she and Adrien would naturally fall into a relationship after their identities were revealed, but it didn't happen. They'd become incredibly close friends, and maybe she was still in love with him, but she didn't push. As horrifying as it had been for her to find out that Hawk Moth was someone she knew, it had to have been downright scarring for Adrien to find out, especially since he didn't know.
The trials of his father were rough for Chat Noir and at the time, Marinette had no idea why. It was only after their identities were revealed that she realized why her partner had struggled to both testify and even appear in court against the defeated villain. The process had been exhausting, and even with the fledgling heroes to watch over the city, it was still full of sleepless nights.
Nightmares were more than common, and neither of them came away without scars. While the physical scars Adrien bore prevented him from doing anymore modelling stunts, the physical scars had Marinette almost having a panic attack around butterflies. They struggled and they were still struggling, but at least now they had each other for support.
Marinette found herself watching the pinks and oranges of the sunset setting behind the Eiffel Tower. The lights of the tower were already on for the countless tourists, but it appeared mostly as a silhouette thanks to the setting sun behind it. It was a scene she'd watched countless times, but it never failed to relax her and remove the stress that came with the approaching deadline of graduation.
She snuck a glance at Adrien. He was watching the horizon with a peaceful expression on his face. He was beautiful, Marinette knew that, but she refused to jeopardize anything they had in hopes of anything more. Besides, they were both happy. This way, they could lean on each other for support. These days, they needed it.
Lycée had passed far too quickly for Marinette's liking. She preferred to remember each day individually, but with nights spent training Zorra and Queen Bee and Terre, and days spent sewing or attending senior classes, the days flew by and now it was June. Graduation was only a week away and Marinette wasn't sure what to think of that fact.
She took in a deep breath. The fresh air felt good, and though not as clean as air from the countryside, it was city air from the place she knew and loved. It was the one thing Marinette knew that would always be a constant, much like the looming shadow of the Eiffel Tower. The future was uncertain, but there were things that were predictable.
"Hey Adrien, do you have a," Marinette paused thoughtfully before coming up with an appropriate end to the question, "favourite memory of us?"
The former model glanced at her, his green eyes reflecting the sunset beautifully. "I assume that means Ladybug and Chat Noir, and I don't know if I have a favourite moment. Every moment spent at your side was invigorating. It was a life of favourite memories. I guess though, if I had to choose, the day we met was pretty good."
Marinette stared at him. "I crashed into you and tied us both up in my yo-yo," she reminded, disbelieving.
Adrien laughed. "That wasn't exactly what I was thinking about, but yeah that did happen. I was thinking about the time when you were totally badass about banishing Hawk Moth and purifying Stoneheart's akuma. That was the first moment I really realized I loved you."
Marinette's breath caught at the word 'love'. He tossed it around so carelessly that she had to wonder whether it was really true. If he did, then maybe they did stand a chance. Still, she put it aside for that night and just laughed. "That was a pretty cool moment."
"What about you My Lady? Do you have a favourite memory of us?" Chat asked, green eyes twinkling.
Marinette thought about that. What he had said earlier was true. Every moment they'd spent as Paris' heroes had been memorable and it was hard to just choose one moment. Marinette quickly decided on one moment that came as close as it could to a favourite memory. She smiled fondly, even just recalling it.
"Antibug. After we beat her and I just had that moment of, yes I am Ladybug and I deserve to be here and it was one of our greater team efforts, wouldn't you agree?"
He nodded. "It's a good thing for us that Chloé is much less temperamental as Queen Bee than she was as Antibug. Speaking of Chloé, why'd you choose her for the Bee anyways?"
Marinette shrugged. "It just felt right. The Bee had to be loyal and protective and fierce, and I guess I just thought that there might be something in Chloé that fit that perfectly. I should ask you the same question about why you picked Alya."
"Well, she's certainly curious. And with her running the Ladyblog, I figured if she was a superhero, she'd stop trying to expose us," he explained. Marinette stared at him. Chat kept a perfectly still face for almost a second before he laughed. "Of course that's not the reason. I knew Alya was brave and fiesty and would make a perfect match to you My Lady." He tapped a clawed finger against Ladybug's nose and she flushed. He didn't seem to notice as he turned back to the rapidly setting sun. "And you, why'd you choose Nino?"
"Because he's protective and loyal and a pretty cool dude, if not a little slow," Ladybug explained.
Adrien whipped his head to look at her. "Oh my god Mari, did you just make a turtle joke?"
"No!" she yelped, covering her mouth.
He laughed. "You did! You totally did! Oh I'm so proud of you!" Adrien's smile split his face and Marinette felt a matching smile slide onto her own features.
After a second, Adrien's smile fell away. "It'll be weird next year, won't it?"
Marinette looked down at her lap where she'd intertwined her fingers through nervous fidgeting. "Yeah, very different. I mean, Alya's off to London, Nino's headed to New York, Chloé's going to Nice for a while, I'll be here at Esmod and you'll be at Sorbonne. I guess the team's breaking up for a bit."
He elbowed her lightly. "At least we'll both still be around."
She hummed in agreement before turning to catch his eye and study him. "Why'd you chose Sorbonne of all places? You could have gone anywhere." Chat Noir didn't answer right away, turning to squint out at the Eiffel Tower in the dusk light. "Did you," she murmured, "chose to stay here to be with me?"
A small smile poked up the edges of his lips. "My Lady knows me so well."
Her eyes widened. "Adrien, I don't want you to give up on your dreams to stay here with me!"
He turned and grabbed both of her hands in his own. He stared at her. "Marinette, I'm not settling. I love Paris and Sorbonne is a great school. I need to be here for Nathalie too since Agreste Fashion isn't exactly in a stable condition at the moment. While you staying here to go to Esmod was a factor in my decision, it wasn't the whole reason. I love this city too much to leave. Don't think for a minute I settled. I would give anything to stay in Paris, alright?"
"Okay," she replied quietly.
"Plus, I won't lie and say I don't like having you nearby. It's relieving because you understand my," he paused, struggling to find the words, "issues."
Adrien was speaking of the nightmares that plagued them both since Hawk Moth's defeat, both asleep and awake. Marinette squeezed his hands reassuringly.
"I'm not going anywhere," she promised.
He smiled at her again and withdrew his hands. He then reached out and put an arm around her waist, tucking her in against the side of his body. Marinette smiled and relaxed into him. Things were changing, but things were also staying exactly the way Marinette was comfortable with them. Graduation was coming, but with Adrien-Chat Noir-and her other friends at her side, Marinette-Ladybug-was ready to face it.
so we'll take our time.