Chapter 26: Nightmares and Lost Dreams
Marinette's POV
Marinette looks up at the beauty of the sun siting over the walls of the garden, all crimson and yellow. She feels warm and safe as she stares at the setting sun. The gardens around her are gorgeous, with scrubs shaped like varies animals and swirls. She sits on one of the stone benches in the garden, a rose bush next to it with lovely red roses. This was a great feeling, the warmth of the summer air on her skin with the cool breeze blowing, she smelled sage on the wind.
She takes a deep breath, smiling at the sunset. She looks down at her lap, noticing for the first time that her notebook is on her lap. She didn't remember bring it with her, but she was grateful she did as she starts to draw and sketch. She just sketches roses and leaves for some time, not really sure where she is going with this. She just enjoys the feeling of safety that surrounds her at this moment.
"What are you doing," a male voice asks.
She turns happily to the voice; Damian stands a few feet behind her. He wears her design from the gala, dark wash jean with a forest green sweater, no leather jacket. She frowns, thinking of the summer weather and the sweater looks to warm for a day like this. But her thoughts disappear and her heart quickens as he walks over to her. She was in the gardens of Wayne Manor; Damian's mansion home stands behind him.
"Nothing really," Marinette answers.
She can't help but to stare at him, his long strides bring him closer to her. His forest green eyes reflecting the light of the sunset, highlighting the golden flicks in them. All his masculine grace as he walks captivates her, like she is caught in a trance. She envies the light kissing his skin.
He reaches her and takes her chin in one hand to tilt her head up to his, as she still sits on the stone bench. Damian stands over her, a confidant smirk on his handsome face.
"Nothing, you say," Damian says. "Then you won't mind coming with me."
Marinette stands up quickly, to quickly, her clumsiness getting the better of her and she trips on a vine growing nearby. Marinette starts to fall forward, but strong arms warp around her middle and stop her fall. "We really need to work on this whole, weak of the knees thing you have going," Damian says in her ear. He holds her from behind, arms around her middle, her back press against him front, his cheek to hers.
Marinette was sure her face was as red as her Ladybug suit right now. But she wasn't Ladybug right now she was just Marinette; and that was enough for Damian. She feels so secure in that knowledge. So secure in Damian's arms, she turns in his arms to look at him, looking into his handsome face.
"Come with me," Damian says, taking her hand and starts walking her back to the manor.
Marinette stops suddenly, thinking that this was strange. The last thing she remembers was passing out in the stairwell.
"What's wrong," Damian says turning to her.
She stares at him; he looks like himself but not at the same time. She stares into his green eyes getting lost for a moment as the scenery changes around them. Marinette notices that they are in the stairwell of the RCA building, like her last thought summoned up the new location.
Marinette jumps away from him and looks around wildly. The feeling of securely disappear like a puff of smoke.
"What's going on," Marinette asks.
But before Damian can answer her, his chest starts to disintegrate before her eyes. A black hole appearing in the center of his chest, slowly spreading to the rest of his body. He doesn't yell and look like he is in pain as he turns to ash before her. Marinette is shocked by the sight; terrified that she is watching the man she loves died before her eyes. She reaches for him only is feel ashes in her hand.
A dark figure steps out of the shadows, Chat Noir. The wild Chat Noir for Montparnasse tower, his mangy homeless cat look back in place. Marinette reaches for her ear, feeling no earrings in her ear. Tikki?! Where was Tikki? Where was her Miraculous?
She steps back, afraid and uncertain. Her terror redoubles as Chat Noir steps towards her, opening his hand to her, like at the grocery store. She looks around wildly, fear and dread choking her. Marinette turns to the steps next to her and runs down them, away from Chat Noir, running until her lungs burn.
As she runs down the stairs the building shakes, like something crashed into it and the steps below her feet start to crumble under her. She jumps back quickly to avoid falling into the black hole below, grabbing the railing, Marinette clings to it as her feet dangle below her, where stair use to be. It like looking down into a galaxy, stars spinning around a black hole. It pulls everything down into it, the stairs continue to break away and fall into it. Marinette pulls herself up and back onto the remaining stairs, runs back up them. Only to stop on the next landing, as she remembers that Chat Noir was just up the stairs, she had nowhere to go.
A door appears to her right, making Marinette head jerks in that direction. With nowhere else to go she opens the door. And instead of going into the floor of the building she finds herself on top of Montparnasse tower in Paris. Marinette froze, shocked by her new surroundings for the second time.
It's night on top of the tower, it's just like … that night, months ago, when she fought Chat Noir and lost. Dark rain clouds rolling in the sky, threatening rain. The glass observation areas all around the rooftop. As she looks over the glass enclosers, Chat Noir jumps onto one of them. He crouches on the top of the glass like a cat waiting to pounce on his pray and that was her.
Marinette looks around for an escape, but the door she came thorough is gone. She looks back at Chat Noir as he leaps at her. Marinette puts her hands up to try and block his attack but he never reaches her as another figure jumps in his path. The newcomer hits Chat Noir back with a swift punch to Chat Noir face, knocking Chat Noir to the ground.
Marinette stares at her protector. She can't see his face; he wears all black with hints of red. A hood covers his head and a mask covers the lower half of his face, like a ninja. As she watches, he pulls a sword from its sheath on his back and leaps at Chat Noir. A furious sword fight breaks out between the two men. Chat Noir fighting with his baton and the ninja with an assassin's blade. As she watches, she realizes that the ninja is far more skilled then Chat Noir. Chat was always a good fencer but the ninja knew more than just fencing, now he attacks Chat Noir with moves Chat didn't know and had a hard time blocking them. Chat Noir seems to realize this and jumps away from the ninja's next attack and to one of the glass observation areas.
Marinette is surprised as the Ninja backs up to stands in front of her protectively. Who was this?
"Well, isn't this cute," a woman says. Marinette looks over to the voice and sees Talia Al Ghul standing on the other side of the roof, arms crossed over her chest. Ten assassins jump up out of nowhere and surround them. Chat Noir standing among them. "I would have expected better of you, Son."
Son?! What was she talking about? What was going on? Her Ninja protector jolts at hearing Talia says that. Who was she talking too? Marinette looks at Chat Noir, who now stands next to Talia, was he the one she was talking too. He hadn't done well against the ninja in their dual.
She feels something wet on her chest and looks down. The tip of a sword penetrates her chest, red blood spreading around the blade. Her blood. Marinette looks up at the ninja to see forest green eyes fulling with disbelief just like hers as he reaches for her. Strange that she feels no pain. Marinette suddenly realizes that this is nothing but a dream, a nightmare.
She opens her eyes, waking up from the nightmare. Her heart is still pounding in her chest from the dream. She had used a trick she learned from one of the guardian books she read. If she focused her mind on one point on her body, she could wake up by moving it. It was something that took her a long time to learn but at times like this she was glad she did.
Marinette looks around seeing the room she stayed in at Wayne Manor. Soft silk sheet surrounds her in a four-post bed; rich sky-blue drapes blow in the wind from the open window. How did she get here? Did the Gala not happen? Was this a dream too?
Confused Marinette gets up from the bed and walks to the door and walks out in to the hallway. At the same moment Damian walks out from the door across from hers. Shocked at his sudden appearance, Marinette jumps away, thinking that he was the strange dream Damian from earlier. She trips on her own feet and starts to fall backwards but Damian grabs her arms to steady her, concern on his face at her anxiety of him.
"Are you ok, Marinette," Damian asks.
Fisting her hand in his shirt, and staring down the hall, Marinette is unsure how to answer that. Was she ok? No. She was anything but ok right now. She was still upset over her dream and her …
Death.
"I-," Marinette tries to say. She can't bring herself to say anything on the subject.
"'iilaaha, you can tell me what's going on," Damian says, touching her cheek gently with his fingertips. "I can help you."
She shuts her eyes, scared and uncertain. She wanted to tell him everything but she didn't want to hurt him. She didn't want him to get hurt by her crazy life as Ladybug. As his hand moves over her face, she starts to feel that strange feeling of calm and security again just like in the dream. Marinette jerks away from him and stares up at his face, unsure what to do. Was she still dreaming or was this just an illusion?
But as she stares at his handsome face, she notices that this wasn't the dream Damian. The dream made Damian feature too perfect, unreal. Damian's face was handsome, but not perfect. His eyes were the beautiful forest green with flecks of gold as she has come to know, but he also had a faint scar over his left eye through his eyebrow. It wasn't very noticeable but Marinette could see it now as she looked into his face. His skin was an alluring olive tone but unlike the dream it wasn't unblemished, Damian had a few freckles on his cheeks, just three or four if you looked closely, and healed scars from his youth. His nose wasn't quite straight either, but looked like he had broken it once or twice in the past.
As she examined his face, she felt an overwhelming sense of wholeness wash over her. She melted and grabbed a hold of him suddenly, holding him tightly by his shirt. Damian wraps his arms around her as well, burying his face in her hair to take in her scent. Marinette allows herself to bask in the feeling of Damian's arms around her and the sense of safety he provides her. She hadn't felt safe and cared for in so long; always fighting to keep her head above water. Fighting the criminals in Paris and solve crimes, fighting the League of Assassins and Talia Al Ghul, hiding from unseen force after the Miraculous, and trying to learn to be a good guardian to the kwamis.
Marinette was tired of been strong all the time and hiding all the time. She rubs her face into his chest wishing to be closer to his warmth and this feeling of security. She presses feather into him, molding her body to his.
As she presses into him, she feels something hard hit her belly. She felt this before in the library. She shivers and looks up at him, seeing desire in his green eyes. She knows hers reflect the same back at him as he bends down to kiss her lips.
Threading her fingers in his hair, she clings to him, wishing to get as close as possible. Damian is just as incensed as she is to get closer to her. His hand moves over her thigh, making her nightgown ride up her leg and over her hip on one side. Emboldened by the skin-to-skin contact, she shifts her hands under his shirt to feel all of his glorious muscle underneath. Damian growls his approve and Marinette shiver involuntarily at the sound.
She wanted more of this feeling, Damian had a way of making her feel so safe and cared for. It felt like as long as she was with him everything would somehow end up alright. Her desire grows with every touch and nip at her lips. It had been nearly 4 years since she had anything close to this; a 4-year dry spell was, at time, one of the hardest thing Marinette had to deal with these past few years.
She suddenly felt her feet leave the ground as Damian's arms tightened around her. Damian moved backwards and she heard the sound of a closing door behind her. He pulled away slightly, breathing hard as he moved his hands over her throat, possessively. Giving Marinette time to notice that he moved them into his room, the closed door at her back.
Damian wastes no time touching every inch of her skin he can. She feels his breath on her neck as he nips at her neck with his lips. She can't help but shiver under his skillful hands and a moan leaves her lips unexpectedly. Marinette jerks her hands to her face in embarrassment, turning bright red.
Damian laughs against her skin and says, "No need to feel embarrassed, 'iilaaha."
"I-," She tries to say, and shivers again at his breath on her skin.
Damian pulls back, separating himself from her. Marinette hated to distance between them, she wanted him close. She needed him close. She never felt like this before. But she wasn't sure if she should stay here with him tonight, either. She would have to leave first thing in the morning and disappear from Damian's life for his own good. She was being so selfish right now, if Damian started to form an attachment to her and she died, she would cause him pain. She didn't want to hurt him, not like that.
"Do you not want this," Damian asks. He didn't sound mad or angry, maybe a little disappointed.
Oh, she wanted this. She really wanted him. But she needed to be honest with him first, or as honest as she could be.
"Damian," She starts, "I have a secret… I—I ha- … I can only give you one night." She finishes after dropping her eyes.
"One night," Damian says narrowing his eyes.
"Yes," she says. She isn't sure what she hopes his answer will be, if he says no then she will go and he will never see her again as she planned. But she would know that he didn't feel that strongly for her and that he would eventually move on with his life. She could be happy in that knowledge, it's not like she would live to see him fall in love with another girl. But if he says, yes….
"Then I will have to make it a night you will never want to leave," Damian says, pulling her into his arms and kissing her lips.
Damian's POV
He wakes slowly at his usually time, around 4:30 in the morning. He feels an unfamiliar presence next to him. He thinks about grabbing the knife from his nightstand but stops himself, he didn't want whoever it was to know he was awake. As he opens his eyes to look at who is next to him, he sees Marinette, curled up into his side, her small hand over his chest and her head on his shoulder. He didn't remember falling asleep last night, he had never slept next to anyone before. He didn't think he could sleep with anyone in the same room as him, this was a completely new experience for him, but he couldn't say he didn't like it.
Marinette's warmth radiated from her. Even if he couldn't remember falling asleep, he did remember last night. He remembers the passion filled sighs from Marinette's mouth and holding her close as she shattered in his arms. He had never been so satisfied before. They must have been going for hours and quite a few rounds too. Marinette was so eager for whatever he had to give. He wanted to make sure she never wanted to leave this bed, so he could keep her close and safe.
She seemed surprised that he could keep going after an orgasm. He knew Marinette was no virgin, but whoever introduced her to sex didn't do it right in his opinion. If she thought all guys were one and done well, he proved her wrong on that notion. She was strong and had far more stamina then most, he had the impression that the other guy never truly satisfied her. Or maybe he just wanted to be her best, and he was. Damian smiled to himself at the thought, if Marinette heard him say that out loud, she would probably tell him that he was the most arrogant bastard in the whole world, and he wouldn't deny it either. Well, it was a good thing she was asleep.
Damian stroked her hair as she slept next to him, watching her sleep, peacefully this time. He thinks about having another round as soon as she wakes up, he would definitely be up for that. He never wanted to leave this bed if he could help it.
He remembers being her home after finding her the stairwell, he had stayed with her as long as he could, but he had to help his father and brothers take care of some business with the Gala and the greats. They had to explain they were missing from the other guests and come up with a good alibi. He hated to leave Marinette though, she seemed so calm when he was nearby, but as he started to walk away from her, she started to toss and turn in her sleep like she was having a nightmare.
He hated that she said she could only give him one night, but he planned to make sure she wouldn't have the opportunity to leave this house. He would keep her safe, even if it was against her will. He hoped she would just want to stay on her own, that the sex and pleasure was too good to leave.
But he was sure Marinette wouldn't fall for that, so his reached for his phone. Looking at it, he pulls up the Manor's security system and actives it. Thanks to his father and Drake, this house was basically a fortress, no one in, no one out; without authorization. He, himself had a hard time escaping from this house as a kid, he didn't think Marinette would be able to bypass it.
He sets his phone down and continues to stroke Marinette blue-black hair softly, waiting for her to wake and thinking about last night. Before walking out into the hallway, he had awakened suddenly from a nightmare of watching Marinette died before his eyes. The sword sticking out of her chest, blood slowly spreading around it. He hated dreams that involved his mother too, she was a horrible person and he just wanted to be rid of her. Maybe he shouldn't think that way about his mother? Marinette would think him a monster for wishing his own mother died.
Click.
He hears the turn of the lock on his door and the door burst open. Damian quickly, feeling the threat, reaches for the knife of his nightstand and throws it at the intruder or intruders, as it was.
Thanks to their quick reflexes Drake and Grayson dodge the knife, that imbeds itself in the wood of his door. The two stand there in shock at the scene before them for a moment. Damian, now sitting up with a sheet over his lower half, arm outstretched from throwing the knife. Marinette, now fully awake holding a sheet over her chest, looking sleeping but shocked and surprised at the same time from the sudden jolt for her sleep.
Damian starts to stand but Drake and Grayson are smart enough to ran from the room and close the door. He wanted to strangle them right now for barging into his room like that. Damn them!
Dick's POV
"Soooo," Dick says. "Looks like someone got lucky. And you owe me 20 bucks."
"Fuck," Tim says, rolling his eyes and looking at the knife still imbedded in the door.
"Come on," Dick says. "You had to see this coming."
"Yeah," Tim says, taking the knife out of the door and walking down the hall. "Doesn't mean I have to like it."
Dick looks at the door to his youngest brother's room, feeling some pride that his brother got the girl. They had thought something had happened to Damian, worried for his wellbeing after he didn't show for their usually training at 5 AM. He was never late, which made them worry, and come to investigate.
But clearly Damian had more important things to do. Frankly, Dick was thrilled, maybe he could sleep in now and not have Damian tell him to came train first thing in the morning anymore. Hopefully this would be the end of 5 AM training. Thank you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
Marinette's POV
Marinette stares out mouthed at the man in front of her, a very naked man. Damian had just gotten up from the bed, looking like he wanted to go kill someone. She didn't get a really good look at what just happened, only that she was jolted awake by her pillow suddenly being jerked out from under her.
But she couldn't be to upset really. Waking up to the sight of Damian naked backside in full view was… well … quite nice. Damn this man had a great body, all lean muscles and strength. She kissed all of that olive tone skin last night.
"I'll kill them later," Damian says, running his hand though his hair.
"What?!" Marinette squeaks out, jerking her eyes away from Damian's ass. Her hand jump to her cheeks as she relieves that she could have been catch red hand staring at Damian's ass.
Damian turns to her as she still sits with her legs under her on the bed. He is unashamed of his nudity, which only makes her blush more. As she eyes trail down his body to see his… "SCREEEECH," Marinette screams and covers her face with her hands.
Damian hardy laugh fills the room at she bashful reaction to his naked body. She refuses to move her hands from her face, but like they had a will of their own her fingers part a little to see through. Marinette can't seem to help her own reaction as she stares at Damian's naked, muscular, sensual, erotic … ho God have Mercy. God Damn him for that damn smirk on his face too.
Marinette falls to the side on the bed and burying her face in a pillow, embarrassed at her own reactions. Her inside quiver as if she didn't get enough last night. God, she had never had sex so many times in one night before, she should be satisfied for weeks after last night. She was sore in all kinds of places, but she couldn't bring herself to care, and clearly her body wanted more.
"You know you saw all this last night," Damian amused voice says. "You did far more then look too."
"Aahhhh," Marinette muffled scream comes from the pillow she is curranty ramming her face further into. She feels the bed moves with the weight of Damian's body as he sits on the side of the bed. A tug at the sheets makes Marinette look to the side, thinking he is trying to take her covering and embarrass her further. But as she looks over at him, he only takes a little to cover his manhood from her. Marinette swallows hard as she meets his eyes, laughing eyes.
"Why do you tease me so much," Marinette speaks out. This was a totally new experience for her. She never allowed herself to spend the whole night with Chat Noir, for the sake of their identities. She wasn't completely sure why she was so embarrassed, but she was, waking up with a naked man next to you was foreign to her.
"Because it's fun," Damian says, that damn smirk still on his handsome face.
Marinette huffs and throws a pillow at his face, irritated by his relaxed demeanor. She pushes herself up on her hands with an irritable look on her face, pouting lips and narrowed eyes.
"I can think of a few things we could do to get you in a better mood," Damian says as he leans over and takes her chin in one hand to kiss her pouting lips. Marinette eyes go wide but her body soon melts into his, unable to resist him.
Damian wastes no time taking advantage of her position on the bed and twists her around and onto her back, pushing her back into the soft mattress. Damian body weight over her feels wonderful and so warm, that same safe and security overwhelming her. She can't resist him as he deepens the kiss and moves over her, his leg sliding between hers. She shivers and wraps her arms around his shoulders, embarrassment long forgotten.
But the morning light from Damian's window and the song of a morning bird makes her pull away and say, "I have to go."
"No, you don't," Damian says as his kisses her neck trying to convince her to stay. But Marinette knows she can't, she wouldn't put Damian in danger. Marinette presses at his shoulder and slides out from under him swiftly. She jumps out of the bed and quickly finding her nightgown from last night and puts it over her hand.
Damian sits up in the bed, he eyes narrows with annoyance at her refusal. Marinette hated to see him so upset at her. But she had to break this off quick so he could move on with his life. So, he could find someone else to love. Marinette's heart broke at the thought but she would do it for him.
"Damian really," Marinette says, with fake laughter. "This was a nice fling but I think we both know this would never work out, you and me."
Damian narrows his eyes further, his body shifting with anger.
"I mean really," Marinette says, turning away. "You couldn't really believe that I was really interested in a relationship with you. We are nothing alike. And well, I was only here to boost ML/DCs reputation. I never intended to stay here. I only wanted to use the Waynes to further my career, you were just a distraction."
Marinette said this with her back to him, she hated herself for saying it as soon as the words were out. But she had to make him hate her, so he would move on and love someone else. Someone who would live longer than her. A silent tear came to her eye as she looked at her feet. She could feel the angry vibrating off of him behind her and stubbornly refused to look at him.
She starts to walk to the door and back to her bedroom to dress and leave. But strong arms spin her around to face an angry Damian as he holds her upper arms. He had found him pants at some point with her back turned.
"You are not leaving this house," Damian growls out as his hand hold her arm in a strong grip, almost painful.
"What?" Marinette says in shock. Her earlier facade of cruel confidence gone.
"I know someone is after you, Marinette," Damian says, still angry but holding it in well as he sees her shock at his words. "This house is a fortress. No one can get in or out without authorization. And you are not authorized to leave."
Marinette's mouth drops open in surprise and anger after his words register in her head. He couldn't do this. Voicing this she says angrily, "You can't do this. This is false imprisonment and last I checked that was illegal here in the states too."
Damian releases her arms and steps back; his eyes narrow with derisive and confidence that he could and would hold her here against her will. "Well, not like you can call the cops on me for it, here," he says.
Marinette mouth drops open again at his words. Was he for real? Was he really planning to keep her locked up in his house? Shit, who was this person? Marinette's eyes harden with determination and angry that he would think to keep her here locked up after only one night together. She huffs and yells, "I WILL NOT BE BULLIED. I WILL FIND A WAY OUT!"
Damian steps back from her to sit on the bed, unfazed by her outburst. He sits with his arms crossed, confidence in his posture, as if he has already won this fight. His over confidence and arrogance only upset her more, but she tries the calm her voice to say, "You seem very confident?"
"I am," Damian says. "The doors will not open for you and the all the windows are wired with 10,000 volts. That will give you quite a shock, I'm sure, if you try to escape though one of them. Even if you do manage to get out a window, the grounds around the manor are teaming with trip wire and snares that can be most dangerous for you." His eyes told her that those trip wires and booby traps were going to do far more then make her fall.
She glared at him. Who had she given her heart too? What was going on? She was so angry that her eyes started to tear up with anger or sadness; she really wasn't sure at the moment. Marinette didn't know what she was feeling right now; shock, anger, pain, sadness, maybe all of them at once. She was so shocked and angry that Damian would try to trap her. But her heart still cared and loved him, the pain and sadness that the person she thought she knew was gone, replace by this monster of a man.
Last night had been everything she could have ever wanted for love making. She had more pleasure last night then she had in all the nights with Chat Noir. And she was a bit annoyed and ashamed that her body still wanted him. Damn him for sitting there shirtless and so God damn hot, all lean muscles and kissable skin. She wanted to hate him, but her heart said no.
Her body vibrated with all these emotions, unsure which would win out in the end. She didn't know how to feel or what to do. She wanted to scream with righteous angry and miserable pain at the same time. But that would get her nowhere. Her tears started to leak from her eyes as she looked away from him to his desk.
She heard the bed move and then a hand came to her cheek gentle wiping the tear. Marinette's body still shook with all her emotions fighting for dominance. She would not look at him, wanting so badly to hate him with all her might.
"'iilaaha, I-," Damian says, then pauses, after a moment he continues saying, "I only want to protect you from Chat Noir. This is the safest place for you. I know you hate me but I will not see you hurt because you think you can do this alone."
Marinette's eyes widened and she froze. How did he know about Chat Noir? How did he know he was hunting her? What else did he know? Oh God, how did she slip up so badly. Damian's hand on her cheek brushed against her earring and Marinette couldn't breathe as her body locked up at the thought that he knew who she really was…. Ladybug.
She felt a soft kiss her cheek as Damian moved around her and exited the room. Marinette didn't dare move, to shocked by all this. When her body did move, she fall to the floor on her knees. What was she going to do? He couldn't know, he didn't say anything about Ladybug only Chat. Marinette quickly stands up and starts pacing the room saying over and over like a chant, "He only said Chat, only Chat. That's right he only knows about Chat; that's all. No way he figured me out. Only Chat. Only Chat."
After a while, she put her hands on his desk in the room, hanging her head, exhausted, over it. Finally, calming herself and convincing herself that he didn't know about Ladybug. She opens her eyes to look at the desk and her heart stops again.
The writing desk in the room, she thought was for business Damian brought home, was really for his drawings. The desk was cover with sketches and drawings of people, buildings, items and things he saw firsthand. But the sketch that stopped her was the drawing on top, the one that was only partially done. At was of her and Damian on the rooftop, Marinette sitting on her knees in front of him as she leans in to kiss him after losing the slap match. It was as close as a pencil drawing could get to a photograph.
But more than that, Damian had told her that he only draws things he saw firsthand, with his eyes. This was not something he could have seen, since he was in the picture and she was pretty sure there was no mirrors around at the time. He had taken her suggestion to be more creative and draw more. And the first thing he draws is them kissing on the roof, like he wanted to immortalize that moment with a picture.
A strange calm settled over her as she stared at the sketch, one emotion had won the battle in her heart at that moment. An emotion she trusted as a young girl and followed willingly. One she had lost after Chat Noir's betrayal. Love.
But it wasn't the crazy, send you in all directions at once, love. The frantic, fever of your heart ponding in your chest love, of her youth. No, it was the calm acceptance of knowing that you love them, of a heart matured. No uncertainty or fear that they wouldn't return your feelings, even if Damian didn't really love her, the calm was of her just knowing that this would always be. She loved. It was like her heart turning the opposite of stone and into something so much more. If Damian loved another, she would not hurt, she would not cry, she would only feel happy that he was happy and would do everything in her power to protect his heart. She would not be jealous and envious; she would only continue to love.
The calm settled her fried nerves and allow her mind to form a plan. Taking the sketch from the table she walks calmly out of the room and across the hall to her room and quickly dressed. She looked around the room for her purse and took out Kaalki's glass and put them on, Kaakli quickly flying out to hover in front of her.
"Kaalki, Full Gallop," Marinette says. Marinette looks at herself in the mirror for a moment. She looks like a Matrix reject, a long black over coat with LOTS of buckles, dark glasses over her eyes and her hair in a high pony tail with braids. She kind of wished Kaakli would lower the buckle count a little. Sighing she says, "Voyage" Opening a portal in the floor and jumping though.
Author's Note: No need to worry, I'm not going to abandon this story. I intend to finish it. But I will be going a bit slower as I am expecting my third child now. Yup, I'm preggo now, so I have a lot of other things to think about and do at this moment. I'm due in February or March 2022, so if I don't finish by then this story will probably go on hiatus then.