Hey everyone! Here is another one shot! It's a little angsty but has a happy ending I promise! Enjoy!
The Necklace
Strong arms tighten around her, her heart lifting as the words she's been waiting to say for three years finally spill out in relief, "It's over Kitty. It's really over."
Her grip around his middle tightens, her eyes filling with tears as he whispers it sounding just as relieved, "It's over Bug."
"I love you," she says, staring into beautifully familiar green eyes that widen in shock. She smiles, letting the tears fall. "I really, truly love you, you miraculously amazing kitten."
His shaking hand goes to her face, eyes slowly scanning her features as though he can't believe it's really her. He lets his head fall, his forehead touching hers lightly as his eyes squeeze shut. "You have always been, and always will be, my first love. Nothing in this world will ever make me love you any differently than I do right now."
She leans up on her toes and pressed her lips to his, snaking her arms around his neck as he responds with the passion of someone who no longer has to hold back. She can feel his heart pounding against her chest, her own becoming completely consumed by the love that only he could give. It was everything she ever wanted. He... was everything she ever wanted.
"Bug," he whispered breathlessly, hardly able to pull himself away from her embrace. "I… I have something for you."
She grinned, trying to calm her own breathing as she scratched softly at the base of his neck. "If you say you are giving me your heart, you are going to get a yoyo to the head."
He smiled, and her heart stuttered the slightest bit. It was his smile, but at the same time, it was… wrong, somehow. She just couldn't put her finger on why.
He reached into one of his pockets, pulling out a small box as he explained, "When we discovered who Hawkmoth was, and decided to confront him directly, we knew that things could go sideways. We hoped for the best, and thanks to the lucky ladybugs—" He tapped the tip of her nose, his smile softening as her smile brightened into her eyes. "—the best is what we got."
He thumbed the small box sadly. "I had this made for you, just in case. So that you'd always have something to remember me by, and instead, it can be a symbol of the end."
He opened the box, revealing a beautiful onyx cat with emerald eyes holding a heart shaped ruby ladybug around its body.
"Chat, this is, it's beautiful," she whispered, stunned. He carefully removed it from the box and placed it around her neck, the silver rope chain shining against the soft light of the setting sun.
"Not more beautiful than you m'lady." He kissed the back of her head before she turned around to face him.
"Chat." Her fingers brushed the pendant at her neck, and she knew in her heart that she was doing the right thing. "I want you to know who I am, and I want to know who you are. I want the last secret between us gone, if… if you want to."
He scooped her up, burying his face in her shoulder as he breathed in the the familiar scent of lavender and honey. "I've dreamed of hearing you say that."
He set her down and she told him somewhat shyly, "I know the Miraculous are safe inside the Miracle Box, but I want to check on Nooroo and Dusuu. I'm sure they'll be able to give us more information on what was going on. Will you come with me?"
"To… your house?" he asked, sounding surprised.
She nodded. "I think that's the best way to show you who I am, and we'll be safe to de-transform there." She took his hand. "I promise, no matter who you are underneath, I'll love you exactly the same."
He kissed her lightly, and his ring began to beep. Ladybug chuckled. "I guess Plagg wants us to hurry up."
Chat noir nodded. "No doubt he's after his disgusting cheese." He facepalmed. "Crap, I used the last of it during the fight."
"I should have cheese at my house that he'll agree with."
"I can run home and grab some really quick. You know how picky he is." They laughed together and he told her, "Stay transformed; I'll come find you."
"I'll wait for you." She held out her fist, asking the way she had a hundred times before. "Pound it?"
He smiled, tapping his fist to hers, "Pound it."
"See you soon."
"See you soon," he promised, pulling his baton and telling her softly, "I love you, m'lady."
"I love you too, Kitty." She watched him disappear into the shadows as night settled before returning home.
The night came and went, her eyes heavy as she fought to stay awake to wait for him. Tears burned as they fell, giving no measure of relief to the pain gripping her heart.
He never showed.
And she never saw him again.
…
3 years later…
She sketch idly as people walked by. It had been ages since she'd sat out here in the park to do this. The soft scratch of the pencil against the paper made her smile, and the design of the new suit came easily. She could picture the way it would sit on his shoulders, the way it would barely hide the muscled body underneath.
"How you always manage to do that still amazes me."
She sent a loving smile his way as he sat next to her with an ice cream in his hand. "It's not like I'm doing anything special, Adrien. This is sort of my job."
He chuckled. "Yeah, but I mean the way you just—" He made a circular motion towards the sketchbook. "Create, things. I'm not gonna lie, I envy your passion."
He took a bite of the ice cream before scooping some in the spoon and holding it out for her. She took the bite with a smile, leaning her head against his arm. "Have I told you recently that you're amazing?"
"Hm!," He feigned thinking, not able to hold back his smirk. "Not recently, no."
She looked up at him through her lashes, and his heart fluttered as she pressed her soft lips to his. It was a featherlight touch, gentle and loving, just like her. "Well, you are."
"I think you are just biased," he teased.
She huffed. "Moi? Biased? How dare you. I am one of the honored selected few who are without a doubt within their rights to tell you how amazing you are at any point in time."
"Oh? Pray tell, how did you achieve such an esteemed honor, Mari?"
She stared at him, amusement shining in her beautiful bluebell eyes. "Girlfriend privileges."
He sighed happily. "That'll do it."
She grinned in pride and he offered her more ice cream. They sat laughing and joking without a care in the world. Adrien still couldn't believe that it had only been 3 months since he first asked her on a date. He couldn't believe he had waited this long. Their relationship so far had been nothing but bright light and soft kisses, warm hugs and gentle hands. She had always been one of his best friends, but now, he was holding his heart out for her to take.
A twinge of guilt pooled in his stomach as she packed up her things so they could walk to her apartment. Despite the gentle cascade of dark hair over her shoulder, her face was framed perfectly in sight. For just an instant, she reminded him of Ladybug.
He quickly shook the thought away. He had given up Ladybug years ago, to protect her from the truth. He wouldn't have been able to handle her reaction, knowing he was the son of their greatest enemy. She would have hated him.
If she didn't already, for what he had done.
He fidgeted with the silver band on his finger, knowing that he should have returned the Miraculous to her. He just… couldn't bring himself to let it go. At the time, Plagg was the only person he had who, despite the half-hearted protests insisting that it wasn't true, understood why he'd made the choice he did.
It was a decision he still found himself conflicted over, a million 'what ifs' playing out like nightmares haunting even his waking moments.
A small hand slipped into his, pulling him from the plaguing thoughts. She smiled as though he were the only person in the world, and he knew he didn't deserve her. Her fire pushed back the cold, and he greedily stole that warmth.
"You ready?" he asked happily.
She nodded and they walked slowly, enjoying the nice day. Talking came easy, smiles and words of idle chatter comfortably filled the space between them. She laughed at his recent embarrassing moment with the guys, having taken nearly an entire two-liter bottle of soda to the face not realizing it had been put aside because it had been dropped multiple times.
Her laugh was enough to clear all thoughts of his first love, his heart solely focused on her once again.
A glint of silver caught his eye, pulling his attention to the simple silver necklace he'd seen more than once. There had to be a pendant or something attached, from the way the chain disappeared into her shirt, but he'd never actually seen it. He was curious, but was hesitant to ask about it. He didn't want to make things uncomfortable if it was just a gift from her parents or one of their friends. He didn't want to make it seem like he was paranoid about their relationship.
They turned into the park across from her apartment, the statue of Ladybug and Chat Noir slapping him in the face as it always did.
She paused it in front of it, forcing him to stop too. They stared, wearing equal expressions of longing that the other missed.
He had to look away before the guilt tore up what was left.
"Let's get you home huh?" he pressed gently, tugging at her hand. She blinked, a shy smile returning to her face.
The glint of her necklace caught his eye again as she asked, "Hey Adrien, do you miss it?"
Fear gripped his heart. "Miss… what?"
"Seeing Ladybug and Chat Noir, seeing all the magic?" She looked back at the statue. "I miss it… sometimes."
He told her the truth, "I do too. I don't miss the akumas, but I miss he-..." he quickly corrected himself, "them. I miss seeing them around."
"Three years." Marinette mused softly when they both went quiet.
"Three years."
Hearing it said out loud pierced his soul. It had been three years since he turned away from his lady after hearing the words he'd only dreamed about. Three years that he'd had to come to terms with what his father had done, and to convince himself that she was much better off without him.
He let his curiosity get the better of him. Needing a distraction before he could spiral down uncontrollably once more.
"Hey Mari!" He squeezed her hand, meeting her bluebell gaze, "I'm just curious so I hope it's okay that I'm asking. I know it's random and out of nowhere, but I've noticed you always seem to have it on so… where did you get that necklace?"
Her eyes widened, her free hand going to her chest no doubt where the pendant lay beneath her shirt. A deep sadness filled her face, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean,"
"No," she said quickly, shaking her head. "No, it's not you. I guess I never have it out for anyone to see huh?" She made no move to pull it out into view now, instead closing her eyes as her hand tightened around it.
"My greatest friend in the world gave this to me. Whenever I was sad or feeling down, he always found a way to make me smile. He was there for me when I was alone, when it felt like the world was crashing down on me." Her smile was sad. "I wouldn't be who I am now without him. He changed everything."
The question slipped past, knowing the answer already, and knowing that hearing it would chip away another part of him. "You loved him, didn't you?"
A tear fell from her eye. "Infinitely."
Their gazes met, and he drove another nail into his own coffin. "You still love him… then why..."
"He's gone." She smiled with the sadness of the world as more tears fell. "This necklace is my last reminder of him, that he was real, and that what he had was what I felt was real. It reminds me to have courage when I start to doubt myself, the way he would have."
She tried to make herself smaller, not able to look at him anymore. "It reminds me of when it was just us, me and him. Against the world."
He dropped her hand, his heart kicking into overdrive at her words, words that only one other person would have ever said.
With a shaky hand he reached behind her, grabbing the silver chain and pulling gently.
"Adrien, what…"
The familiar pendant came into view, onyx and ruby glittering against the afternoon sun. The emerald green of the black cat's eyes winked at him, mocking him with the knowledge that she had been this close all this time. That he had given her up, only to fall in love and be at her side all over again.
His voice shook as he whispered the name he hadn't dared uttered since that night.
"M'lady."
Her eyes widened but everything around them stilled as her heart hoped. Tears filled her eyes, knowing he would be the only one who could have ever recognized the necklace. In the same breath, so much more made sense. Their greatest enemy had been his father, who'd he fought ferociously with despite that fact. Chat Noir had protected her from Hawkmoth again and again, and they'd won.
But the cost for him had been something she knew he craved, even to this day.
"Chat Noir."
His eyes burned as they filled with tears. "Hey bugaboo."
She sobbed, crashing into his chest as she held onto him as tightly as she could. "Chaton."
He broke in her embrace, letting everything go as the dam inside him came crashing down. All he could do was hold on, not knowing what else to do. She cried just as uncontrollably into his chest, neither of them saying a word.
Her lips found his, and he kissed her back like a man starved. She pulled him closer, not willing to let any space linger. This kiss was the truth, filled with heartbreak and unimaginable passion. It was the love that had grown and persisted despite the odds. It was fate, gently guiding them home where they belonged.
Soft green eyes met glittering blue, their foreheads touching as they truly smiled for the first time in years.
Not a word had to be said.
He understood, and so did she.
Thanks for reading! More is coming soon so don't fret!
And as always leave a comment or review if you want!
Au Revoir for now!