Hawkmoth shouldn't love the hero and he doesn't, no, he's just been feeling slightly more lonely recently and finds the hero's apparel just a tad on the sexy and seductive side. Seriously though, what good was the slit in her dress up to her mid-thigh? Why was that design necessary? Whatever he feels for Mayura isn't romantic, nothing close to what he feels for his wife, his late wife.
"Do you guys ever wonder why Hawkmoth does all this?" Mayura asks her partners.
"No," Chat promptly replies.
"I used to but not much anymore," Ladybug says, "no matter the reason, he is still abusing his power."
"I guess. I was just thinking like what if he had a child that had cancer and he just wanted to wish for a cure," Mayura suggests.
"Or what if he wants to wish for world domination," Ladybug points out.
Mayura knew Hawkmoth was a bad person, anyone who thought otherwise was foolish and naive. This didn't stop her curiosity with the villain, what if he needed help that he was never provided with? The superheroes could help him in a way that others couldn't. They could possibly persuade him to use his powers for good. If, for example, his child did have cancer they could help him create a person that would discover the cure. It was stupid though, she would never help a villain.
Mayura was nowhere near an optimist but was a firm believer people could change. She had seen changes in people ever since she was young. Her best friends from when she was ten turned out to be more plastic and fake than a doll. Her parents could turn on a dime from abusive to a picture-perfect family wearing bright smiles. Even she had changed from a once positive little girl to a woman who was a realist without much emotion.
When Ladybug and Chat Noir leave her, Mayura is left alone to wonder by herself. The night is quiet, no sign of any akumas. She appreciates these nights, the ones where Hawkmoth lets her rest. Sometimes, she visits the Agreste mansion and watches the men she almost considers her family. It's really not as creepy as it sounds. Not when she tries to calm Gabriel's night tremors, the ones where she knows he relives seeing the crash of studio lights, the bright fire that took his wife away. Not when Adrien somehow turns himself so his head is at the foot of the bed and his duvet is shoved off him but he is shivering. So some might consider it a little weird but she has the best intentions at heart for the only people she's ever had as a family.
Gabriel had meant for his akuma to be where he was, another situation that could make him less suspicious, the heroes had to have a list of people that they thought could be the villain. What he never had intended for was the help of the blue heroine.
Hawkmoth's latest victim was weak, more of a ploy just to get him off the hero's radar because why would Hawkmoth put his civilian self in danger? The villain was the mother-daughter duo Nadja Chamack and Manon. While Manon had been bratty about wanting something from her mother's bag, Nadja had insisted that the child was not getting her bag. Manon's new akumatized outfit was similar to her outfit as Puppeteer, a blue and black dress. Nadja was wearing a similar dress to her daughters but pink and white. The villainous pair was able to create an army that would obey them. Nadja with her watch that worked similar to Lady Wifi's phone and Manon had her wand as Puppeteer did.
The goal of the villains was hardly a goal at all but it was better to be angry if everyone was miserable beside them. Everyone on the opposing sides started fighting, creating a mini-war in Paris. This would have been a decent power if either one could hit any of the heroes. It was still not one Hawkmoth expected to win, though, of course, if his villains could get the miraculous he wouldn't be disappointed.
Gabriel had planned to go on a television news interview, though, an akuma attack by any means would cancel the event. An akumatization of the interviewer and her daughter would definitely lead to a cancelation. He hadn't even detransformed yet to let his villains do the work when he had found himself trapped in the crowd of now mindless staff. They were all fighting among each other as well as anyone that wasn't on a designated "team" which included him. The stage lights fell around him, almost too similar to how his wife had passed, he couldn't help but wonder if he was going to go out the same way. He couldn't see any way to escape, the fire drew closer and got larger as more and more things were captured by the flames.
Mayura burst into the news station looking for any sign of where the mother and daughter duo could have gone as well as for any civilians in need of help. She didn't expect to find Hawkmoth cornered by the brain-dead zombies as well as a raging fire. She doesn't know if she should save him, it is her duty as a hero she supposes. He doesn't even appear to be trying to escape from the situation. Mayura doesn't know why she doesn't want to see harm come to the villain, she blames her hero complex, but she makes the decision to save him.
Hawkmoth couldn't reject help from the blue beauty that quickly flipped as she jumped over the hoard and managed not to get burned. She picked him up as she escaped the crowd and the bright flames with the villain in her arms. Bringing him up to the roof, she realized that the hypnotized folk were trying to break down the door to the area. The building couldn't have been that stable with the roaring fire underneath them.
Mayura could have taken the man to a different roof but it seemed as if most of Paris was affected by the akuma, she didn't know where he would be safe. She sets him down, realizing that she was still holding him close to his chest, he could have stolen her brooch. Mayura shakes her head trying to clear it. She shouldn't care if the hoard injures him or not, he should be able to escape now. She takes a feather from her fan and adds some energy to it.
"I'm sorry," she says before putting the amok on the cane. She hadn't even tried to feel for an emotion, she knew that emotions were always high during akuma attacks but she didn't know what to expect in the villain. She is surprised to feel little fear in the man. The amok latches onto an emotion, Mayura doesn't try to feel it out, right now any emotion works.
The blue glob in front of them forms a sentimonster, a butterfly that has swirls of purple and blue as if it is supposed to represent both of them. It flaps its giant wings and creates a barricade in front of the door.
"Give me a good reason to take your miraculous right now," Mayura demands.
"Because the villain was just defeated," Hawkmoth points in the general direction of where Ladybug and Chat Noir had been fighting the villains. It was clear they won when the miraculous ladybugs washed over them fixing parts of the building that were destroyed.
Mayura turns around to see Hawkmoth retreating like the coward she should expect the villain to be. She would chase him with the sentimonster if he didn't technically have control over it, instead, she just retrieves the amok and watches as the sentimonster dissipates. She can't believe how foolish she is, she shouldn't have let him mess with her head like that. Next time, she will get his miraculous and put an end to this mess.
Mayura has this habit, something she insists helps her rid herself of emotions, she ventures outside Paris and will scream. Sometimes it's just the sound, yelling as loud as her body allows. Other times it's facts, or the emotions that have invaded her body.
"I hate him!" she screams tonight, "I never should have let him get away! I'm weak!"
She detransforms, Nathalie has this habit too. Screaming away any pain, among other things she thinks she shouldn't feel.
Tonight she is exhausted, she lets herself collapse onto the grassy hill. Her mind shouldn't go to Gabriel Agreste but it does, where had he been when the akuma attack was happening, was he safe? He had to be, the miraculous ladybugs should have reset everything, he should be alright. She was a horrible assistant, why didn't she know this? She had at first considered herself lucky when Gabriel was out of office when the akuma struck but now, she couldn't recall ever seeing Gabriel come back once she had returned.
"Are you ready to transform?" she asks her kwami.
"Are you going to visit Mr. Agreste?" Duusu asks with an excited squeal.
"He never came back after the destroyed interview," Nathalie points out.
"I know, you talk aloud when you're stressed," Duusu tells the worried assistant.
The kwami had spent many years with Nathalie, it shouldn't be a surprise that the kwami has learned to pick up on these things. Duusu was like Nathalie's best friend but sometimes it was those little things that Duusu had picked up on that were the best and worst times for Nathalie. It didn't matter now because Duusu was right, she was worried about Gabriel, and while she knew better than to let her crush dictate her actions, her head didn't win this battle.
"Duusu, spread my feathers," the woman commands before transforming back into Mayura.
Nathalie really needed to tell Gabriel how lackluster his security system was. For him claiming it to be one of the best in the world it was surprisingly easy for Mayura to get through. She didn't know how to approach the topic but if she could enter this easily, so would Hawkmoth.
Mayura didn't expect Gabriel to be awake, he rarely was at this hour. So when she gets the window open, she is surprised as Gabriel's head snaps around and looks at her.
"Mayura?" Gabriel gasps, there are plenty of people he could expect to break into his home, the peahen was not one of them.
"I- I just wanted to check up on you. I know the akuma happened at the studio where you were supposed to have your interview. I didn't see you there so I wanted to make sure you were okay," Mayura tries to explain, that is why she had come here, wasn't it?
"Yes, I got out unharmed from the whole situation," he lied to the heroine, "it was much better than being akumatized myself."
Mayura shudders at Nathalie's memory of being trapped in the Collector's book. It wasn't a pleasant place, to say the least. In between the pages of the book, it was cold and only white as far as her eyes could see.
"Are you alright, Mayura?" Gabriel asks, faking concern for the woman, stealing her brooch isn't necessary but it could help him.
She nods, "yes, I'll be on my way, I'm sure Ladybug and Chat Noir will be happy to hear you're alright."
Ladybug and Chat Noir didn't send her here but it was a good excuse to use as anyone could assume that the heroes were all a little worried about the fashion designer.
Even though she says she is going to leave, she doesn't make a motion to go. Gabriel doesn't push her to leave either. Part of him remembers he is Hawkmoth, he shouldn't be looking at the hero the way he is. Is it really his fault if her legs are perfectly sculpted and he's only taking notice of that. He says it's the fashion designer in him, who notices she would be a beautiful model. He wonders if her human self was a model, he assumes her other identity has to be equally as gorgeous. Gabriel tries to snap himself out of it, he shouldn't be thinking like that, he looks down at his ring, he needs to remember his wife.
Mayura moves, she couldn't stay here forever. Back towards the window she had climbed through to get in.
"Stay safe," she says as she looks back at him.
"Wait," he calls out and closes most of the distance between them, he grabs her hand and kisses it gently, "it was a pleasure to meet you."
"So so stupid," Nathalie reminds her as she detransforms in her apartment, "you made yourself look like a fool."
At least he doesn't know Mayura and Nathalie are the same person, she reminds herself, if he knew her identity that would be worse.
The next day is quiet, almost too much so. Ladybug and Chat Noir split the patrol shift and it's weird to just be Nathalie. She doesn't transform all day, she sees no reason to. If he's using the day to have more energy, she knows she has to take the opportunity too.
The next week continues like this. No akuma's, no signs of Hawkmoth, and very little transforming for all the heroes. They wish it could always be like this, it is how it should be.
Mayura sits on a random Parisian rooftop as she watches the sunset. Another day without an akuma should be a relief but it adds to her growing anxiety, he has to have something big planned. She would like to say it hits her and he hits the ground behind her, of course, he would go after her, she has shown weakness towards him.
"Why did you do it?" he spits before she even has the time to stand up.
"Do what?" Mayura asks, "save you? Would you prefer it if I let you burn?"
"No, but why? You hate me, you shouldn't save me!"
"I'm a hero," Mayura reminds him, "it's what I do. I save people regardless of who they are."
"I'm glad you hear I gave you a little savior moment," he rolls his eyes.
"Where have you been?" Mayura asks, ignoring the previous comment, "it's been a week."
"I was thinking about how you could help me," Hawkmoth tells her.
"I would never help you!"
"Except you have," Hawkmoth points out, "you had the chance to get rid of me but you saved me."
Mayura sits there silently, she can't argue with that but she certainly won't help him twice. She can't let herself fall into his trap again. Her eyes fall to his brooch, she is going to get it from him one way or another.
"I thought you would want to hide your little affair with Gabriel Agreste too," Hawkmoth adds.
"I do not!" Mayura objects, "I'm not having an affair with Gabriel Agreste, that is. There is no need to hide what isn't there."
"So is sneaking into his room just a friendly gesture now?"
Mayura scowls, the villain manages to bring out the worst in her, and to top it off he was stalking her now, "give me one good reason not to leave this excuse for a conversation."
"I have a proposition," he tells her, "a proposal if you will."
"I don't want to hear anything you have to say."
"What would you prefer to do?"
Mayura should leave, she shouldn't entertain the villain and all the crazy ideas he has. She could also get his miraculous this way, at least she hopes she can. What harm would just a little fun for herself really have though? It's stupid to make two sentimosters at once. Mayura should know better but anything sounds better than talking to the villain and she hasn't had a sentimonster race in a while, it couldn't hurt, at least she hoped it wouldn't.
An amok goes into his cane. The blue magic forms a black and purple hawk. Mayura sets an amok into her feather hairpin. The sentimonster that forms is a blue jay.
"I call it a sentimonster race," Mayura explains, "we each race to the Eiffel Tower and back. No rules."
With that, they are both off, with no rules, why wait for a 'go' signal?
Mayura can win, Mayura should but maybe she should have expected Hawkmoth to play dirty like he always has.
He lets out a shout as he 'loses balance' from his sentimonster. Mayura should let him fall but she can't do that. She destroys his sentimonster as she forces hers to dive and catch the villain.
"Why go after Gabriel Agreste when you clearly care for me?" Hawkmoth asks with a smirk. Of course, he had planned the stunt.
"I should have let you fall," Mayura says, annoyed.
"You don't mean that."
"I can still throw you off," Mayura points.
"Who would your hero complex 'force' you to save then?"
Mayura gives up, he must be the most annoying person on the planet. She throws him a few roofs down. She can tell by the way he lands it's not pleasant but he isn't injured as he immediately stands up and goes over to where she had landed her sentimonster.
"And you think you're not a villain," Hawkmoth says as he rubs a sore spot on his back.
"There is a difference between someone who has bad in them and a villain. We are all parts of good and bad. You just let the bad consume you and you convince others to do the same when you akumatize them."
"Don't give me your metaphorical phrases."
"You're going to tell me you have never done one good thing?" Mayura asks, stretching the word one.
"Nothing compared to what you have done," he answers.
"You don't have to save lives to be a good person. Give someone a compliment, hold the door for someone, you've never done either of those things? I refuse to believe you are a completely evil intended villain."
"I'm trying to get the miraculous so I can help my wife, does that count?"
Mayura rolls her eyes, "give me your miraculous, I'll help you, I promise, but you're a better person than this, I just know it."
"You don't know a thing about me!" Hawkmoth fires back at her.
"There has to be another way to help your wife, this isn't a path you should go down."
"Unless you know how to bring the dead back to life, I think I'll carry on just fine."
"I'm sorry," Mayura finally says and lets her voice soften.
"I don't need your sympathy."
"No, I mean, I am sorry about your wife, but I'm sorry for assuming you didn't have a valid reason for being like this, and I'm sorry that I got aggressive because of it."
"Why are you so good?" Hawkmoth asks, he doesn't expect an answer, it's more a rhetorical question meant to fill the gap of silence between them.
"Because I've seen a lot of bad. I've seen cruelty and violence, I just knew I never wanted to be that and I never wanted to be the reason someone would take on a life like that."
"I hate you," the villain says. He doesn't know whether he is reminding himself or if he is telling her. He knows he shouldn't be here but part of him doesn't want to leave her.
"I thought you might care about the woman that saved your life but so be it. If you ever want to be a better person, you know where to find me," Mayura says as she turns around and leaves the man speechless on the rooftops of Paris.
Mayura knows she was probably more than capable of taking his miraculous, she didn't understand while she was struggling too now. She has let him walk away free two times, the villain shouldn't be distracting her like he is. It makes no sense why he has some sort of power over her. Mayura groans as she flops onto her bed and detransforms.
"You see the best in him," Duusu points out, "and just because nobody else does, doesn't make you foolish. The only way he is going to see it is if someone believes in him, he needs someone like you."
"I can't change him, he made that very clear," Nathalie snaps back at her kwami, and Duusu recoils a bit, "I'm sorry Duusu, I didn't mean to say it like that."
Nathalie holds out in a way to ask for forgiveness but Duusu immediately hugs the woman's cheek, "it's okay, Miss Nathalie, I know you're stressed with everything."
Nathalie hates that she is still daydreaming about the villain. She hates that the fashion designer still plagues her mind. She hates how she can't control her feelings.
Mayura asks Ladybug to take her patrol the next night, she just needs another night without thinking he will randomly approach her. She wants to enjoy a quiet night by herself. She almost has that, unfortunately, an akumatized villain is out there, and it's her job to go and stop it.
"I would have thought that after a week the villain would have been stronger," Ladybug says, almost confused.
"It does seem strange," Chat agrees.
"I don't see Hawkmoth anywhere though," Mayura points out, "just be ready for the next akuma, that's all we can do."
That might be the only thing the teenagers can do. Mayura still thinks she might be able to change the villain for the better.
Mayura watches as the other two heroes disappear over the horizon. She half expects Hawkmoth to show up, he doesn't. The Paris night becomes silent after the defeat of the akumatized victim. She shouldn't expect him to want to change but her hope got the best of her.
"I just wish you saw what I know is in you," she whispers to the world around.
Mayura shouldn't see good in the villain, nobody else does.
She waits, she wants it to feel right. The air feels colder, she feels alone, but a part of her refuses to go back to her apartment. He isn't coming, she tells herself, he doesn't want your help, that's why he is continuing to akumatize people.
Maybe it's been hours, maybe it's been five minutes, she goes to check on the only family that she has known. Adrien sleeps peacefully, Gabriel on the other hugs a pillow tightly to his body, his sleep-deprived mind probably thinking it's his wife.
"Mayura," she hears muttered from Gabriel.
Her breathing stops, there can't be a way he knows, he isn't even facing her.
"You, it's for you," he says.
Mayura knows he has to be dreaming, perhaps the pillow he had pulled taut to him wasn't his wife, but it couldn't be her, they had only meant once.
"Someday, I'm going to make everything right," she swears, "I don't know how but I'm going to get rid of Hawkmoth, and somehow, you are going to get over this pain, even if it isn't me, you deserve so much in this world."
The next night Mayura leans against a balcony railing. Looking up at the stars she doesn't bother to wish. Wishing isn't going to change anything.
"What's the pretty peahen doing tonight?" Hawkmoth asks as he lands next to her.
"Waiting," Mayura signs, "it's all I ever do. I wait for you to show up, I wait for an akuma, I wait for you to give up."
"It's not that easy," Hawkmoth tells her.
"I know but you don't think there is someone out there who can help you, who understands you, who wants the best for you."
"Nobody wants the best for a villain."
Mayura doesn't know if she can argue with that.
"You don't count," Hawkmoth tells her.
"I think I do," Mayura tells him, "there has to be something more worth fighting for. I get you're fighting for your wife back but there is no one else besides me who will push you in the right direction."
"My son wants her back," he says, certain.
"Maybe he wants to see you happy. Maybe he wants to see his father smile again. Maybe he just wants to make the best of what you were given."
"Maybe you shouldn't speak on a life you don't know," Hawkmoth spits.
"What if it takes his life as a consequence?" Mayura finally prompts, "what if after everything you worked for, it takes his life in exchange for hers."
"It-"
"It gets better, you just have to let it," Mayura tells him.
Mayura hadn't realized she had gotten closer to the villain. They had been a few feet away before and now she carefully took his hand in hers.
"I shouldn't trust you but I do. I know you're better than this, I want to help you. I know I said I wouldn't ask again but just try."
Hawkmoth looks down at their now intertwined hands, their fingers linked together, anyone would have said they were both out of their minds. He looks back up at her pink irises, the ones that hold so much faith, hope, for him. His mind had already been made up.
Hawkmoth nods slowly, hoping the hero means what she says.
"You're going to have to give up your miraculous at some point. I won't demand it from you know but-"
"I'll give it to you, tomorrow," Hawkmoth says, "I just want to do one last thing with it still in my possession."
Mayura agrees, this is what she had told him, and tomorrow was honestly a lot sooner than she expected for the miraculous.
"Until then," he says and kisses her cheek.
Hawkmoth smirks and as he watches the purple blush scatter across her face.
"Oh, and meet me at the Eiffel Tower," he tells her.
As he leaves Mayura allows her weight to be on the balcony railing once more. She tries to convince herself that she doesn't like him, at least not like that. She can do this, this doesn't change her plan, she just has to get him to believe that he is a good person. Now if she only believed this didn't complicate everything further.
Mayura waits anxiously on the Eiffel Tower as she bites her nail. Regardless of what she had been told about the habit she still bit them subconsciously whenever her anxiety ran high.
She had been zoned out. She wasn't paying attention to the noise around and her vision relaxed into a blur. He kisses the back of her neck and she jumps startled at the sudden sensation.
"What do you think you're doing?" Mayura hisses.
"Did we not agree to meet here?"
"You can't just go around attacking people like that!"
"I didn't attack you."
"Physical contact is off-limits, okay?"
"You like it," he tells her.
"I do not!"
"Then you like me. You wouldn't be so opposed if it had no effect on you."
Mayura shakes her head, already regretting the decision to even try and help him.
"What did you want to do while you still had the miraculous?" Mayura asks, changing the subject.
"I said goodbye to my wife. I needed closure to let her go."
"I'm proud of you," Mayura tells him. She is.
"You haven't changed your mind, then?" she cautiously asks, "you are still willing to give up?"
"I don't think you're ready to see who I am," he says, "the chances are you know of me and I don't think you want to know."
"I'm not going to judge who you are," Mayura promises, "but you can have another day, as I said, I trust you. The miraculous doesn't matter, but it will for Ladybug, Chat Noir, and the rest of Paris."
"Maybe one more night."
"It's easier to hide behind the mask," Mayura tells him and fidgets with her own miraculous a bit, "I know."
"Do I get to know your identity?"
"As soon as I know yours," Mayura agrees.
It's silent, the hero, the villain, the city of Paris, silent. They look out over the beloved city, the lights illuminating the area even in the night. Hawkmoth shifts closer to Mayura, she doesn't seem to notice. He does this once more, no reaction. Soon enough he is by her side and he grabs her hand. Their fingers intertwine and Mayura gives his hand a gentle squeeze. The warm gloved hand contacts hers which had been cold in the Parisian night air.
"I don't think this is what my wife would have wanted," Hawkmoth finally speaks up, "you remind me of her sometimes. She was sassy but one of the nicest people you would ever meet, always wanted the best for everyone. Maybe it's good I never brought her back, I don't think I would've ever heard the end about how I terrorized Paris."
"You don't think she would ever forgive you?"
"Not fully, no."
"I partially forgive you," Mayura says, "you're trying, at the end of the day, that's what matters most to me."
"I'll see you again tomorrow?" he confirms.
"I'll be here," she agrees.
"Can't wait," he says, placing a quick peck to her cheek before leaving.
Mayura brings a hand to her where he had kissed her. She feels the heat radiating from the purple blush. Why did he have this effect on her?
She walks back and forth, slowly pacing the tower. Mayura is trying to piece it all together in her mind because there has to be a better reason for this.
"I can't love him," Mayura whispers, "that would be ridiculous. He is still a villain and he still loves his wife."
The way he had greeted her though, a small tingle on the back of her neck from where his lips had been was still tracing her skin. That couldn't have meant anything either. He must have just wanted to get a rise out of her. Yes, that would explain it all. She was just falling into the little trap he had set. Mayura told herself to keep her balance, a hero never falls.
"No more," she tells herself, "you don't love Gabriel Agreste, you don't love Hawkmoth, and you aren't getting involved with either. It's just better that you don't."
Mayura thinks about visiting Gabriel and Adrien but decides against it, she really shouldn't, she needs to separate work from her own personal feelings. The Agreste's aren't her family, they never will be, she needs to remember that.
She goes home, she lays alone on her bed, she forces herself to sleep, she knows she will have a busy day tomorrow, every day at work is.
Nathalie can't define why Gabriel Agreste seems more upbeat. Nathalie hasn't seen him like this since Emilie was still alive. He seems to have a lighter presence, not a heavy and stone-cold demeanor that is typically following him. He doesn't smile but there is a certain light in his eye as if things have gotten better. Nathalie missed this, her workload remains the same but it feels different when Gabriel isn't weighing down the office.
She wears a small smile as she watches his sketch, he seems less stressed than before. Today he looks calm, almost carefree, he lets his hand guide him instead of the strict motions he had done before. Nathalie glances down to his non-dominant hand, the wedding band is gone from his finger. He must have forgotten to put it on this morning, but why had he ever taken it off.
Mayura thinks the air feels cooler that night as she waits for him. When he greets her from behind again, this time just wrapping his arms around her, she enjoys the momentary warmth provided by it.
"You're cold," Hawkmoth tells her.
"Yes, I suppose," Mayura says.
"Couldn't you create a sentimonster that would give you warmth or something like that?" he suggests.
"Or," Mayura objects and grabs ahold of his hands that are still wrapped around her torso, "we could just stay like this. I feel pretty warm."
"I am a recently single man," he reminds her.
"Shush, I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't freezing."
Hawkmoth hums, "whatever you insist, May."
The nickname shouldn't make her warmer inside. It wasn't that, at least that's what Mayura tells herself. She wants to know if this whole thing is a plot to him, if he ever plans on giving her his miraculous, or if it's just a plan to steal hers. Mayura trusts him and she knows it could be the greatest mistake she had ever made, but could it also be the greatest decision she ever made?
"I trust you," she mumbles and allows her eyes to close as she relaxes against his body.
The hero, who he had seen fight and conquer, who he had seen smile and worry, had never seemed this fragile, vulnerable, so trusting of the man she had once hated.
"I wouldn't betray you," he tells her in turn.
His breath is warm and gentle against her ear. It sends a shiver down her spine, no that's the cold, she reminds herself.
"Tell me one thing about yourself," Hawkmoth asks, "just something small, one thing true about you."
"I have no family. I live in my own apartment and support myself."
"You can't enjoy that, being by yourself. I can't imagine a world without my son."
"I wasn't close to my parents and I'm an only child so I'm used to being alone. I think it's probably better that way."
"I'm sure you're lovely," Hawkmoth tells her, "I don't know who wouldn't want someone like you."
"It's not like they could know I'm Mayura. I'm not anyone special without my miraculous."
"I think you're very special, regardless of who you are underneath the blue skin."
Mayura's face becomes warm from the heat of a blush, she knows the statement isn't true but that doesn't change her reaction.
"How about you?" Mayura asks, "tell me something small about yourself."
"I-" he takes a deep breath, "I'm ready to tell you who I am."
Mayura turns slightly to face the villain. She remains snug still in his arms but looking up at his face she can't tell whether he is serious. She doesn't want to admit she liked the mystery of not knowing who she is falling for. Mayura mentally slaps herself, she doesn't love him.
"May?" Hawkmoth's voice interrupts her thoughts as her focus snaps back to him.
"I- are you sure?" Mayura asks.
"I am," he says, taking a deep breath.
Mayura releases a quiet whimper as his arms leave her. Now the night certainly feels colder. He reaches up to his miraculous.
"It's okay if you love Gabriel Agreste," Hawkmoth says as he touches his miraculous, "I understand," the brooch is removed revealing Gabriel Agreste.
"No, I, " Mayura backs up, more scared of everything that comes along with Hawkmoth being Mr. Agreste, more so than she ever had been of Hawkmoth himself. Mayura backs up slowly, shaking her head, he wasn't supposed to be someone she already knew.
"May," Gabriel says slowly.
"No, don't call me that," Mayura shouts nervously and continues backing up, she can't put enough space between them. It's not his fault but she really doesn't know if she can deal with this. Mayura backs up, more until she is an inch away from the railing.
Gabriel runs and grabs her by the waist as she bumps into the railing.
"Be careful," Gabriel warns, "we wouldn't want you falling."
"No, it wasn't supposed to be you. I- this isn't-"
Is it stupid? Gabriel thinks so, especially with the reaction she had to his identity. He had been so sure that part of Mayura was infatuated with the designer though.
He pulls her closer and presses his lips against those of the hero. As much as Mayura wants to kiss him back, she pushes him away. He isn't going to force himself on her, he isn't that cruel.
"What do you think you're doing?" Mayura is so loud that parts of Paris can probably hear her.
"You- I thought that you cared for me, either as Hawkmoth or Gabriel, at least I know I did."
"You care because you don't know who I really am," Mayura insists.
Gabriel hands the miraculous to her, "I don't care who you are, you don't have to show me. I just want to know if you somehow feel the same about me."
Mayura pauses because she does. She might even feel more for him but fate was twisted in the way she fell for her boss, for the villain, no matter what ego was presenting.
"I do," Mayura says, taking a slow breath, "but I really think your feelings could change if you found out who I am. You asked when you got to know who I was and I promised after you showed me yours-"
"You also gave me time," Gabriel reminds her, "you didn't push me to immediately give you my miraculous and I'm not going to force you to show me who you are."
"No, you deserve it," Mayura supposes, especially when they both admit to sharing an affection for each other, "fall my feathers."
"Nathalie," Gabriel gasps, it had made sense why she had been so surprised to see him.
"I told you, you wouldn't like to see who I was," Nathalie tells him, "I should go. I'm sorry. Duusu-"
"Nathalie, wait!" Gabriel grabs her hand, "I don't know what we were before but you said you feel something so please don't go, not yet."
"This is wrong, you're my boss, you were a villain, you-"
"I love you," Gabriel interrupts her, "I loved Mayura and you're just as important to me."
"I just don't know if we should-" Nathalie tries.
"I have never cared what anyone else thought of me, if you love me, Nathalie, that's all I need."
"It's not that-" Nathalie tries to explain once more.
"I don't care, Nathalie. You either want to be here with me or you want to leave me behind. It's your choice but I don't need to know what anyone would think, I just need to know what you think."
"I love you, sir," Nathalie tells him, she does, there isn't a point to deny it anymore.
"Then don't call me, sir, anymore," Gabriel says, the hand that isn't holding hers cups her face, "can I kiss you now?"
Nathalie doesn't respond, she leans forward and gently connects their lips.
"I love you, Nath."
"I love you too, Gabriel. I meant it when I said I'm proud of you too. You've come far in a few days, I've noticed it in the office too."
That's when and where it all starts. Because when bad loved good and good loved bad, they were neither good nor bad. There was a sense of balance that overcame it all. They both hold onto each other promising not to let the other fall. This was their balance.