Holy shit this took me too long to get out. 6 months? I'll be surprised if there's still a person out there who didn't give up on this story, I would have. The only thing I can say is that I could never find time to work on this in between working on Barriers(when that was still up) and school. Its longer than the first two chapters combined though, so I guess that's a plus? I don't know, but I hope you enjoy it. It has been a fun ride, if an overly long one.
Adrien couldn't stop pacing. He couldn't help it. To the door, to back to the edge of his bed, and then back again. Plagg stared at him sourly from where he was sprawled across the bedsheets.
"Plagg, this feels wrong. That felt wrong. Why did I ever think this was a good idea?" Adrien ranted to the familiar. Looking down at the amber heart that hung from his chest, thrumming softly with golden light.
Plagg simply huffed in response, stretching himself out even more.
"I knew I should have just confessed to her as Chat. She likes Chat well enough, right? We have known each other for almost a year." Adrien ran his hand through his hair, pausing for a moment to try and calm himself down. It never did him any good to get worked up like this.
How did it ever get to this? Why couldn't love just be straightforward, like the stories he had grown up with? All he had wanted after escaping from under his father's cold thumb was to try and live his life to the fullest, focus on the things he had been neglecting for far too long.
That's where Ladybug had come in, in all of her glory. His first major assignment while working for the magic council. A lone witch who had a penchant for stealing hearts at her clients request, even from those who weren't magically inclined. He had been asked to monitor her activities and put a stop to her if she broke the guidelines laid down by the council.
That's where this all started, the moment he laid eyes on her he knew there was no coming back. Chat Noir was known for being silent but deadly, only talking to those he deemed necessary. Not with her though, never with her. Words leapt from his mouth, sometimes without his bidding, and almost a third of them flirtatious, much to his embarrassment at first. He hid that well enough, at least he thought so, and soon enough he had a whole new persona built around her. Chat Noir, the cocky, arrogant, flirty, but kindhearted and powerful warlock.
He cherished every moment they spent together, and had soon begun to prefer his time as Chat over his time as Adrien, if only for her.
Adrien Agreste was still needed though, as a high school physics teacher for kids with special needs. Don't get him wrong, he adored both his jobs, but he wanted Ladybug just as much, if not more so. She offered him a serenity that he had been sorely lacking for far too long.
Every time she smiled, he couldn't help but fall in love just a little bit more. A warmth blossomed in his chest whenever he thought of her, and he was content knowing that she was the reason for it.
She always had a smile on her face, even if it was pressed from stress, or barely visible because of exhaustion. Even if everything else about her looked like she wanted to curl into a ball and hide from the world, her smile stayed, plastered on like glue.
Like today, especially today. Adrien didn't think he had ever seen her this upset. He was angrier with himself, though. He should have pressed harder as Chat, shouldn't have resorted to walking in as Adrien. He only felt like he had made everything worse somehow. He had just wanted answers. And his dumb ass had decided that prying for them as Adrien would be the best option. Yeah right.
The necklace gave a loud thrum, a small pulse of magic leaking out. The necklace. It should make him feel better, but it's doing just the opposite. How Ladybug made the necklace had sent a chill down his spine, flooding his senses with an innate feeling of just wrongness, as if they were breaking some unspeakable taboo. Although, he was the one who specialized in destruction magic, the ability to wilt away anything he touched, but this was different, so different.
He should have stopped her, as soon as he felt that the spell was going sour, he should have stopped her. Why didn't he just stop her?
"Plagg, I'm going out." He was going to do something, better than sitting here and chasing his thoughts in circles for the rest of the night.
Plagg ignored him, more content to snore to himself as his paws twitched. Probably dreaming about cheese, the little imp. But Plagg did put up the disguise again without Adrien having to ask him, so he let it slide with an amused smile. Grabbing his favorite scarf from his closet, the one his father had given him years ago, he walked out.
The night air nipped at his face, making Adrien pull up his scarf more. Even when he was bundled up in his coat, the chill still gave him goosebumps.
He fingered the amber heart that weighed on his chest, its light dimly shining in the dark street.
"Guide me, please. I just want to know." He whispered to it, trusting that it would respond. To distrust it would be to distrust his lady, and that was something he couldn't make himself do.
Please let it lead back to her, even if it was her civilian persona, he wouldn't care, so long as it's her. She had always been against revealing themselves, even long after they had grown to trust the other, but if it could silence the storm in his chest, or ease her troubles somehow, then it would all be worth it.
The heart shone brighter, lifting itself out of the folds of the scarf to hover in front of his nose. There was a small tug at his neck as the necklace pulled against his body. As he stepped forward it followed him, continuing to gently tug him towards his destination.
He followed it wordlessly, whispering a simple spell to conceal the necklace from prying eyes. The chill of the air faded as his focus centered around the necklace floating in front of him, only giving a whispered "I'm sorry" to anybody he happened to bump into in his quest.
The light swelled bright in a flash that made Adrien shield his eyes from the intensity, then swiftly cancelled itself out, leaving Adrien standing beneath a small, modest apartment. He checked the necklace one last time to make sure this was where it had intended to come. Satisfied with its silence, Adrien looked over the exterior of the apartment with wonder filled eyes.
This might just be where his lady lived, his hopes fulfilled. Or, it could be someone else, a stranger he didn't know or care for. He walked up, fully intent on knocking right here and now, but stopped as he took in the dark sky. What time was it? He took out his phone, staring down in shock at the time that stared back at him, 12:43 to be exact.
He couldn't just come out of nowhere in the middle of the night, he'd be more likely to be taken as a creep, even if the person behind that door was his lady. But, shouldn't he at least try right now, ease his worries as soon as possible?
Shaking his head in disagreement with his thoughts, he reasoned that he could just as well come back tomorrow. He'd be much less likely to startle her then, there he went assuming the occupant inside was Ladybug, and would probably be a bit more presentable and orderly than he was right now.
Affirming his decision with a nod, he made sure to memorize the apartment number along with the directions he took back to his house for tomorrow. Tomorrow, he would settle all this tomorrow.
Marinette was curled into a ball, swaddled with blankets as she stared blankly into the wall in front of her. An empty tin of ice cream sat beside her, its contents slowly devoured throughout the course of the morning.
Tikki sat beside her on the couch, leaning onto Marinette's legs, trilling soft notes into the air.
Marinette had already seen her parents this morning, only minutes after telling them everything over the phone, tears streaming down her face. They had wanted to stay for longer, until the end, but Marinette had convinced them to leave not too long ago, at the excuse that she wanted to spare them the pain, which was true.
She didn't want anyone but Tikki to witness her pitiful demise, and she wouldn't even have Tikki here if she could. Why should she force others to sit through the consequences of her own stupidity? Her death would be painful, from what she had read, and prolonged, possibly for hours. There was no way out of this now, not with Adrien long gone.
Head in her knees, Marinette reached down to stroke Tikki, feeling her familiar lean into her touch.
That reminded her, she had a contract to break.
Keeping her hand on Tikki, she muttered "From stranger to comrade and stranger once more. End the cycle, stop the flow, return to what each was."
Tikki squirmed as she felt Marinette breaking the bond they had formed many years before. That bond was precious, it didn't need to be touched, not now.
The breakage didn't require any magic on Marinette's part, just speaking the chosen words was enough. Tikki felt her magic being pushed back into herself, leaving Marinette completely alone internally.
Ladybug collapsed, the disguise coming down with a sigh from Marinette and a cry from Tikki.
Once it was done, Marinette let go of Tikki, who sprung up immediately with another cry. Tikki jumped up onto Marinette's knees, rubbing her head across the top of Marinette's head, crooning softly. She held out her magic, an offering to renew what had been shattered. The offering was shut down with the subtle shake of Marinette's head.
"I'm not letting you get hurt by this Tikki. If we're not bonded, then you won't feel any of it. It's better for both of us."
Tikki ignored her, choosing to envelop the girl in her magic anyways, just in case Marinette changed her mind.
"Plagg, can you come with me? In case it's really her." Adrien asked, giving the sour cat a hopeful glance.
Plagg only lifted his chin, a silent message of "I don't feel like it" coming across loud and clear to Adrien.
"I'll get you Camembert if you do." Adrien offered, "Of course, that's only if you want."
Plagg jumped up at the mention of Camembert, practically racing to the door. He scratched at it, looking back at Adrien expectantly.
"Come on Plagg, up on the shoulder before we go." Adrien got down on his knees and leaned a shoulder over. Plagg leapt up, draping himself across Adrien's shoulders.
His familiar content, Adrien headed out, retracing the path he had walked late last night. He wished he had been able to come sooner, but classes had gone longer than usual, and he hadn't been able to make it any earlier.
The apartment was upon him sooner than he expected, looming and ominous. He walked up to the door, but stopped his shaking hand just as it was about to knock.
What if this was a mistake? There were so many things that could go wrong. What if he was just a disappointment to her, them, whoever was behind the door. What if she-they- just hated him? What if-
Plagg gave out a questioning mew, interrupting Adrien's panicked thoughts. The annoyed cat jumped to the ground, scratching at the door as if to say "Why don't you just knock already?"
"Take off the disguise first Plagg." Adrien ordered.
Plagg tilted his head in confusion, but did as he was asked, the magic slipping away with ease.
Taking a fortifying breath, Adrien knocked on the door. He waited for a reply, bouncing on the balls of his feet with anticipation and worry.
None came, the door stayed shut, not a sound to be heard from inside. Plagg weaved through Adrien's legs, growling with impatience.
"Give it a minute Plagg." He muttered. Maybe he should come back later. One more knock couldn't hurt, right?
Adrien went with it, giving the door a couple more knocks, now shifting from foot to foot.
Silence again, he couldn't hear any sounds of movement no matter how hard he strained. With a sigh, he turned around, prepared to go home and give it another try later, then a crash resounded from within the apartment, followed by the familiar screech of a bird he knew only too well.
"We're going in Plagg." Adrien warned Plagg before summoning his magic, stepping into a nearby shadow. He usually wasn't inclined to go and sneak into other people's houses, but that crash had sounded anything but good, he just hoped she would forgive him later. The shadows reached up at his whispered command, enveloping him and Plagg in darkness as they dragged them into the ground.
Looking up from the pitch black abyss he and Plagg now stood in, Adrien scanned the pools of white that sat above Plagg and him, looking for the one that would lead into the apartment. He found one quickly, experience on his side, it appeared to be the shadow of a kitchen chair. He reached for it, managing to snag its edge. Forcing it to expand, he pulled himself upwards through it, Plagg following him with a swift jump.
Standing up next to a chair, true to his assumption, Adrien took in his surroundings.
The chair accompanied a small table. The kitchen was off to his left, compact but pristine. He took a couple of hesitant steps forward, suddenly double guessing his decision to come inside uninvited.
Plagg had no such inhibitions though, and strolled straight down the hallway in front of Adrien, tail beckoning for him to follow.
So, Adrien did, although he kept his shoulders hunched in and tread carefully. All hesitation was dropped as soon as he rounded the corner, turning into what appeared to be the living room. The sight he saw was a rush of nostalgia and horror all at once.
It was Marinette, sweet and shy Marinette from his college days. In any other situation he would have been glad to see her again, but not here, not like this.
She was collapsed on the floor, curled up into herself and shaking with either pain or fear, it looked like a culmination of the two.
Adrien ran to her, setting himself down on his knees as he probed her with his magic, searching for any sign of what was wrong. His magic focused on her right hand, an unpleasant feeling settling in his stomach as he magically examined it. Taking her hand in his, he slowly turned it over, watching to make sure he didn't put her in any more pain, and discovered a brown spiral decorating it. The spiral had one dash going through it, although it was barely visible, even when he squinted at it.
His magic was centered around it, so it had to be somehow related to Marinette's pain, but he hadn't ever seen anything like it.
"Adrien? What are you-" Marinette whispered the question, only to groan in pain, curling into a tighter ball.
"Marinette, can you tell me what's wrong?" Adrien asked, his mind slowly drifting back into a panic. The problem was clearly magically based, so an ambulance wouldn't be able to help, and he didn't know any magic healers. He had to do something. What? What could he do? There had to be something, anything.
A flash of red feathers blinded him for a moment, he looked up to see Tikki flying in front of him. She let out a desperate cry, landing besides Marinette to nuzzle the whimpering woman.
Marinette had Tikki. Ladybug's familiar. Tikki was with Marinette. Marinette was, Marinette was, Marinette was. Ladybug was…
Ladybug-Marinette was in pain, everything else Adrien could sort out later.
"Tikki. I don't know what's happening. Can you help me, show me how to stop this?" Adrien pleaded with the bird while running a hand through Marinette's hair, trying to soothe her as best he could.
Tikki stared at him for a moment, her eyes piercing, before flying off towards the back of the house, Plagg following her.
Marinette whimpered, flinching away from his touch suddenly. Adrien quickly pulled his hand away, looking around for anything that might comfort her. Seeing nothing of use, he resorted to babbling whatever came to his mind, hoping that his voice didn't sound as panicked as he thought it did.
Waiting for Tikki to return, it gave him a few moments to calm the storm in his head. Although, most of it went towards forming the cascade of questions he would have for Marinette once this was over. If Marinette came out of this-no, he couldn't think like that, they would find a solution for this.
The feeling of paws on his leg notified him of both the familiar's return, Tikki settled next to Marinette, stepping off a small book that was clutched in her claws. She nudged the book closer to Adrien, a clear message to use it.
Adrien picked up the book, flipping through the first couple of pages. It was Marinette's diary, starting from her first day in college. How could this help him?
"Tikki? What am I supposed to do with this?" Adrien asked the bird, still scanning the pages desperately for an answer.
Tikki responded with a rush of magic, turning the pages in a blur until they stopped on the entry Tikki was looking for.
"Read this?" Adrien asked for conformation.
Tikki nodded her head, turning her attention back on Marinette.
Adrien read, words flying beneath his eyes. The entry was dated, the day he and her had become friends. He remembered it well, but… Why this? What could this entry have that could help him now?
Marinette started to shiver, coughing violently.
"Marinette? Marinette?" Adrien set down the book, keeping the page marked so he could get back to it, and rubbed circles on Marinette's back. It seemed to help, until one bout of coughing ended with Marinette spitting up a puddle of blood.
The shivering stopped just as quickly as it had begun, Marinette's body slowly relaxing, uncurling and going limp.
Adrien checked the back of her right hand again, eyes going wide when he saw that the black dash had faded even further, only the edges visible at all. He had a feeling all would be lost if he didn't find a solution before that mark was gone.
"Marinette. Just stay with me, okay? Just stay with me." Adrien said, grabbing the book and reading with even more vigor.
He found it, she had started talking about the spiral on her hand.
"Maman says that every dash is about a couple days in time, and if you haven't gotten a kiss from the one it appears for before the dashes disappear, you'll die. It's pretty extreme, if you ask me, but every mage in our family has it, whether they want it or not. It's just the price we paid, at least, that's what Maman says. I just hope I can get Adrien to kiss me by then. I mean, I think he's charming, but if he doesn't want it then I'm ruined."
Wait a minute, Marinette liked him!? He always thought she was terrified of him. But there were more important things than that, judging by what it said, he just had to kiss her to stop this, easy enough. But…
What if it didn't work? But it's all he had, it was the only clue he had.
Marinette started to cough again, another pool of blood joining the first one. The dash looked fainter than ever, and her cheeks were paler than the tile floor she was laying on.
He had to go for it, he had to try. He would apologize afterwards, since he technically didn't have her consent, but if it saved her life it would be worth it.
Taking a deep breath, Adrien bent his head down. Making sure to cushion Marinette's head with his hand, he closed his eyes as lips met lips, and the world exploded with sensations.
It was electrifying, that was how he would describe it at first, then it melted down into something softer, but just as intense. A fire ignited, spreading its soft warmth all the way down to his fingertips. It was everything he imagined it to be, yet nothing like he thought. And god, was it incredible.
Eyes widening, Adrien realized he had been there far longer than he had any right to be. Scrambling back, he gave out a mumbled stream of apologies, even if Marinette still looked to be unconscious.
Adrien stared, the seconds ticking by as he scanned for any sign of movement, any at all. He checked the spiral on the back of her hand, and found it to have turned completely black, with no dashes in it at all. What did it mean? Was he too late? Did he fail? Was she gone?
Dammit, please be okay. Please have let it work. Adrien felt for a pulse, almost collapsed in relief when he found it. It was faint, too faint, but it was there, and Marinette didn't appear to be in pain anymore.
He did it. He actually did it. The realization came with a breathless laugh, he didn't know what he was laughing at, but did it matter at this point? The relief flooding in his veins was overpowering, chasing out his fears, as well as his adrenaline. He felt himself start to relax, his body wanting nothing more than to just sleep right where he sat, but he had more important priorities.
Now, he had to get Marinette comfortable. Picking her up gently, he set her in her bed. Tikki landed on her chest, settling herself down to sleep as well. Adrien simply pulled the blanket over both of them, figuring that if Tikki was against it she would find her own way out.
Plagg jumped up as well, never one to refuse an open bed, and curled up next to Marinette's side. Adrien could have sworn he heard the cat purring softly, but that was crazy, Plagg only purred for cheese.
Adrien pulled one of the kitchen chairs in and set it down next to the bed. He had to be here in case something else happened, especially since it didn't look like Marinette had anyone living with her.
Oh right, Marinette was Ladybug. Now that the situation was mostly over, Adrien had some more time to process the information. Marinette was Ladybug, she had had a crush on him, Ladybug had had a crush on him, and he loved Ladybug and- that was enough of that.
Still, Marinette really had a crush on him? Well, she probably didn't by now, considering they hadn't talked in years, not since his father had all but kept him jailed inside his own home. He wished he had realized it back then, before this evolved into the tangled mess it was now. It would have been a lot simpler.
He certainly wouldn't have been against the idea of going out with Marinette, even years before meeting Ladybug. He had gathered that she was an incredible person, if only from the glimpses he got when she didn't know he was looking. Although, a relationship would have been hard to maintain with his father involved; so, maybe it was a good thing that this was happening now?
Ugh, he was just going around in circles again. Save it for when Marinette wakes up, or else he would drive himself insane. Instead, Adrien entertained himself throughout the night by creating figures from the shadows on the ground. Grand adventures of cats and ladybugs, told through ragtag shadow puppetry, entertained his weary mind.
Marinette woke with a groan, shifting the blanket off her. Tikki greeted her with a happy chirp, flying to Marinette's shoulder to rub her cheek.
Marinette sat up, looking at her hands in confusion. Blinking, she muttered "I'm still alive?"
Was this the afterlife? Well, she hoped not, since Tikki was with her. Moving her legs to stand up, she was distracted by the annoyed growl that followed the motion. Peering at her legs, she was met by the emerald stare of a clearly miffed black cat.
"Who are you?" Marinette asked, eyes unconsciously moving to watch the cat's tail as it waved back and forth. Reminded her of Chat in a way.
The cat mewed in response, jumping down to brush up against someone's leg. Someone who happened to be Adrien, as she found out as her eyes traveled upwards, her jaw slowly inching towards the floor at the revelation.
Adrien was here. Adrien was in her room as she speaks. He's in her room, sleeping on a chair next to her bed. He's in her room, and she's still alive, so…
Marinette's face flushed, her mind reduced to its stuttering teenage years in an instant at the conclusion she had drawn.
Adrien kissed her, he'd have had to. It was the only logical explanation. But how? Why? What?
Now her head was really spinning. Taking a fortifying breath, she steadied herself and her nerves, and stood up from her bed. At least, she would have if she hadn't fallen to her knees the moment she tried to support herself. He arms flailed out, latching onto the nearest surroundings for support, one of which just happened to be Adrien's knee.
Adrien yelped, jumping up quickly, and Marinette didn't need her magic to feel the air around him supercharge as he summoned his, clearly expecting a fight.
"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." Marinette said, her voice surprisingly calm to her ears.
"It's fine." Adrien said with a yawn, the charge in the air dissolving. He then seemed to realize where exactly he was, his complexion melting into a bright face, stuttering mess. The sight made Marinette want to laugh, but she felt that she would just hurt his feelings and make him feel even less easy, so instead she smiled reassuringly up at him.
"You can explain in a minute; can you help me up though? I don't think I can get up on my own."
"Of course! Do you want coffee?" Adrien immediately offered his hand out, easing her back up onto the bed.
"Umm, sure." Marinette agreed, ignoring the strangeness of it all for now. As long as Tikki didn't have a problem with it, Marinette could deal with it. She knew for a fact that the bird wouldn't stand for anyone with less than pure intentions near her, not that she didn't trust Adrien, but Tikki's acceptance was the best reassurance Marinette could have right now.
She supposed that she ought to be more shaken up after her near death experience, but she could only feel relief and serenity from the simple fact that she was still here, alive and well against the odds. She looked down when she felt the touch of fur around her ankles, to see the black cat staring up at her, Plagg if she remembered right.
Plagg purred against her leg, asking for a scratch. Marinette complied, scratching him behind the ears to his satisfaction. Even Tikki hopped down beside him, clearly enjoying the feeling of the cat's fur.
She barely noticed Adrien come back in, coffee in hand, not when Plagg had become a purring blob underneath her fingers.
"Are you some kind of witch?" Adrien teased, smiling when Marinette jerked her head back up with a start. "Plagg doesn't even do that for me unless I offer him cheese." He explained, setting the coffee down on her nightstand, taking one cup in his own hands.
"Huh." Was all Marinette managed to say, the surprised blush fading slightly. Plagg had perked up at the mention of cheese, but decided that he didn't feel like wasting effort on moving.
"So," Marinette and Adrien said simultaneously, each stopping when they realized they were talking over the other. "You go first."
"You start, please. I'm very interested in how you ended up in my house." Marinette cut in before they could interrupt each other again. An unconscious smirk rose up on her face as she saw Adrien completely shut down at the statement, muttering unintelligible noises as he tried to get his mind in order.
"Oh! That. Well, I'm really sorry for coming into your house without asking, but I was outside and I heard a crash from inside, and I got worried." Adrien explained, keeping his gaze on the floor. "So, I maybe sort of snuck in here to make sure that whoever was inside was okay. I didn't know it was you, not until I saw you on the floor. And it kinda went from there."
Adrien trailed off, taking a hesitant sip of his coffee, only to recoil when his tongue came back out thoroughly scorched.
Marinette couldn't help but snort at the sight, only smiling even more at Adrien's petulant frown.
"So, yesterday." Adrien probed gently, checking her reaction to make sure she was okay with it.
"Yesterday." Marinette hummed back, falling silent as she turned over possibilities in her mind. She would have to come clean, about everything, that much was obvious. But how to go about it?
"I, well. What do you know?" It was Marinette's turn to stumble, hugging herself as she kept her gaze downcast.
"Tikki showed me one of your diary entries, and it cleared up a lot of things. About your spiral and all of that."
"Ah."
"Why didn't you tell me? Back when it first showed up." Adrien narrowed his eyes, gritting his teeth.
Marinette shrunk down, wrapping her arms tighter. "I didn't want to."
"Why not?" Adrien stared at her like she was crazy.
"It's not like you would have said yes. I'm a nobody and you're Adrien Agreste, the son of possibly the most famous designer in all of France." Marinette sighed. "Why would you even notice me? You had plenty of better options."
"What are you talking about?" Adrien fumed, indignant and outraged. "You're amazing. I thought you were great. You were always helping anyone and everyone who asked. You didn't deal with any of Chloe's crap." Adrien smiled. "And you're one of the most respected witches in all of Paris, Ladybug."
"I, uh-who's Ladybug!" Marinette squawked out, her eyes blown wide.
"Marinette." Adrien said gently. "I recognized Tikki from yesterday, she's your familiar, right?"
Marinette turned to give Tikki a small pat on the back, her gaze downcast as she whispered back "Not anymore."
Adrien froze for a moment, processing the information before saying "What?"
"I destroyed our contract this morning." Marinette's hand retreated back to her stomach. "She's not my familiar."
"Why?" Adrien stared at her, dumbfounded. "Why would you break it?"
"I didn't exactly think I was going to make it past sunset." Marinette gave a bitter chuckle. "I wasn't going to let Tikki go through that."
"Like me?" The comment was given before Adrien could process it, but he had spent all night turning over his thoughts, and once the floodgates were open there was no stopping the tide. "You were just going to leave me alone? If I hadn't walked into your shop as Adrien, if I hadn't been able to get here in time, you would have just left?" Adrien's breath hitched, his eyes beginning to burn. "Is that all I meant to you? After a year?"
"A-Adrien," Marinette stammered, reaching out to put a hand over Adrien's. "We haven't spoken in years. What are you talking about?"
Adrien jerked his hand away from Marinette's as he jumped to his feet, snapping. "You can see it for yourself, can't you?"
"See what, Adrien?" Marinette's voice rose to match his, her sympathy turning into annoyance.
"You can't play dumb this time, Ladybug." Adrien's face twisted into a bitter grimace. "I won't let it slip past me this time."
"What are you talking about?" Marinette cried out, exasperated. Beside her, Tikki begun to puff up, her feathers bristling as the air grew tenser.
"Plagg. Make sure it's on." Adrien turned to his familiar, barking out the order. Plagg responded with an annoyed hiss, his magic flaring for a moment before settling around Adrien.
Turning back to Marinette, Adrien sighed, spreading his hands wide to reveal himself. "See it now?"
Marinette didn't respond though, her gaze still scrunched in confusion as she scanned Adrien head to toe, searching for whatever he was trying to show her.
"Adrien, I can't see anything." Marinette admitted quietly, trying to get across that she truly meant it.
"Of course you can't." Adrien grumbled, his shoulders sagging.
"I'm serious!" Marinette stood, ignoring the dizziness that followed the action. "I'm trying to see something, but I can't see any difference!"
"You have magic, don't you?" Adrien spat back. "You can see it just fine."
Marinette froze, her face stricken. With a shaky breath, she lowered herself back onto the bed, steadying herself as she struggled to breath. Silent tears slipped down her cheeks, and she quickly scrubbed them away, but not before Adrien had seen them.
"Marinette?" Marinette, what is it?" Adrien's anger had faded, shoved down by the concern that now flooded his features.
"Adrien-oh god Adrien. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Marinette, buried her face in her hands, her quiet sobs distorted in her palms. "I'm so stupid-why was I so stupid?"
"Sorry? Marinette, what are you saying?"
"What have I done?" Marinette whispered, turning up her face so she could look up into Adrien's eyes. "I don't have magic anymore Adrien. I gave it up."
"You what?" Adrien nearly squawked, guilt flashing on his face. "How? No wonder you couldn't-I'm sorry I snapped, but-how do you not have magic anymore?"
"I uh, funny story actually, that-" Marinette fumbled, her eyes flickering between the necklace peeking out from Adrien's shirt and Tikki, who was looking up at her with knowing eyes. "There was a customer that came in yesterday. He said he wanted-" Marinette took in a shuddering breath. "he wanted something that would help lead him to his soulmate, or something like it."
Adrien felt dread coiling in his gut, weighing him down as his mind realized just exactly what customer she was talking about. Part of him felt sick, but he didn't dare interrupt for fear that if he did, Marinette might stop talking about it completely.
Marinette refused to look up at him now, staring resolutely downwards at her trembling hands. "So, I asked my mother about it. There was just one issue, I needed a- a heart. And stealing hearts isn't exactly something that's allowed.
"But I wanted him to be happy with the person best for him, even if that person wasn't me. Since he was my last customer, I decided I might as well use mine." An empty laugh creeped out from Marinette's throat, but she brushed away Adrien's offered comfort. "It seemed like the perfect solution at the time. Let the guy I had no chance with move on with his life, since I wasn't going to be able to get him to kiss me willingly."
Marinette was cut off as she felt herself suddenly enveloped by a warm embrace. Her arms slipped around to return it as Adrien clutched her tighter.
"How dare you." Adrien whispered, his words coming out fast and jumbled. "You idiot. Why didn't you just talk to me or something. You didn't have to do this. Why didn't you tell me when we were in the same fucking school?"
"I know Adrien. I know." Marinette whispered back, not even trying to stop the silent tears that were getting Adrien's shirt wet.
"Why do you think so little of yourself? Why didn't you tell me anything?"
"I didn't want to. I didn't think it would do me any good."
"God, why are you so stubborn my Lady?"
Marinette's brows furrowed at the nickname, one that only a certain warlock ever cared to call her. "Chat?"
Adrien pulled away, giving Marinette a small, but overdramtic bow. Sweeping his hands out in flourish, he offered a small smile to her wide eyes.
"You're Chat Noir. Adrien, you're Chat." Marinette managed to stammer out, her voice choked.
"And you're Ladybug." Adrien sat down beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We've both been stupid."
"Not really. You just didn't know about it." Marinette said quietly, letting Tikki settle herself on her lap, Plagg curling up around the bird. "Ignorance isn't stupid."
"I wish." Adrien snorted. "I've loved Ladybug for almost a year. I didn't say anything though, because she didn't seem interested."
"I might have been interested." Marinette admitted. "For a bit. But I thought it wouldn't be worth it to get into a relationship if it wasn't with Adrien."
"Just like I didn't want to get into a relationship with anyone in college. Not with my father around." Adrien's eyes narrowed, his voice turning sour for a brief moment before he turned back to give Marinette a smile. "I guess we've always been dancing around each other."
"We have, haven't we." Marinette agreed softly.
Adrien reached up, taking the necklace off and placing it in Marinette's hands. "Here," He said. "You need to have this. There has to be a way to get your heart back to you."
Marinette gazed down at the necklace, longing clear in her misted eyes. "Why do you think the council bans it? There's no documented way to put a heart back in a body once its removed."
"If anyone can figure it out, it's you." Adrien reassured her as she put the necklace on, the amber heart giving out a soft glow.
"And, if you want to, we could do it together." Adrien offered Marinette his upturned hand, looking away while his ears burned.
Marinette put her hand in his, squeezing it softly as she replied. "I'd like that."
Fun fact for any who are interested, I originally intended for Marinette to die despite Adrien's efforts. I was going to enjoy writing about how he was just a few seconds too late, but after I spent time thinking about it, it didn't make sense no matter how much I tried. Because I wanted Marinette to be conscious enough to talk when he finds her, but if he did, wouldn't he most likely have a chance to have Tikki or Marinette tell him what to do? It never added up to a logical ending. That, and maybe I felt like being nice and actually having a mostly happy ending. But you gotta consider what could have been...
This is the final chapter of the story, sorry to say. But I hoped you enjoyed it!