Summary:
Adrien struggles, Marinette fumbles, and love wins out in the end.
Chapter Four: Overtime
There were a lot of things in life that Adrien Agreste knew. How to converse fluently in Mandarin, how to play a decent number, if not all, of Chopin's Preludes by memory, and—perhaps most impressively—how to successfully guilt Gorilla and Nathalie into turning a blind eye to his increasingly frequent escape attempts.
But what he also knew was that today, for some reason or another, there was something seriously, seriously wrong with Ladybug.
Er… Marinette.
Milady-nette.
Mari-bug...?
"Gah! Why is this so confusing?" Chat groaned, shaking his head in an attempt to clear his cluttered thoughts. This was obviously going to take some getting used to…
"Chat, stop muttering and move!"
Dropping down on all fours, Chat felt the heat of the basketballs as they whizzed by above him, way too close for comfort. He felt like kicking himself. Now was not the time to be getting distracted by semantics of all things. He needed to focus on the fight because frankly—
"This is a mess!" Ladybug cried angrily, moving to swing over to join him. Her attempt was met by another round of fiery projectiles, courtesy of a cackling Foul Play, who appeared to be immensely enjoying the fact that he was running them ragged.
Forced back onto an adjacent roof and cut off from Chat for what was possibly the hundredth time, his partner let out a string of expletives that had Chat whistling lowly.
Ladybug was pissed.
"I know, this isn't working!" Chat hollered back, batting away projectiles with his baton, attempting once again to circle around and re-join Ladybug. They'd been separated early into the fight—the akuma clearly understanding that his chances were better the longer he kept the two heroes from teaming up. "We need a plan!"
"I'm working on it!" Ladybug snapped. Chat might have been standing a hundred feet away, but he could read the tension and frustration in the lines of her body as clear as if he was standing right next to her.
"I know you are," he sighed, ruffling the hair at the back of his head. He knew he was probably acting weird in light of, well, recent revelations, but that didn't explain Ladybug's odd behaviour. It seemed like she was only half there, her movements sloppy and her mind all over the place. Sure, Foul Play was a crafty bastard, but he wasn't nearly as strong as some of the villains they'd handled. He was mostly a one-trick pony with the flaming basketball thing. At most, all they'd need to do was have one person create a distraction while the other swept in and snatched the akumatized object. Wham, bam, thank you ma'am.
Except Ladybug was clearly off her game, trying to rush through the battle and inadvertently slowing things down in the process.
Hence why Chat Noir was Very Confused™.
She hadn't even used her Lucky Charm yet, so it wasn't related to her transformation.
What else would Ladybug possibly have to rush off for?
And suddenly, like a bolt of lightning, it hit him.
Ladybug was worried. About Adrien.
The civilian classmate to whom she'd spilled the biggest and arguably most dangerous secret of her life; the one she'd left unattended in a gymnasium storage closet while she left to fight the supervillain with a personal vendetta against him. Her worry made sense, in a way. If their roles were reversed, Chat knew he would feel the exact same way at the thought of Marinette, alone and defenseless somewhere.
But honestly, the whole situation was just so ridiculous that he couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry at the absurdity. I'm right here! He wanted to scream. I've been right in front of you this whole time!
It seemed like virtually all of their problems could be solved over the course of a simple conversation. Yet with Foul Play running rampant, and the possibility of Hawkmoth listening in at any moment, there was no way Chat could safely broach the subject.
He'd just have to figure out another way to snap Ladybug out of her funk and get her back to her typical, ass-kicking self.
The early stages of a plan began to form in his head.
And this time, he really did burst out laughing.
-x-
When he found her again, Ladybug was crouched on the roof of the school, taking refuge from a slew of basketballs being volleyed at her head.
"Wow, it looks like someone's in a foul mood. This guy's a real basket case if I've ever seen one."
Her blue eyes flashed in warning as she glared at him. Yes, Chat thought, swallowing a laugh. That's more like it.
"I am revoking your right to spoken language, effective immediately."
Chat smirked, his eyes alight with mischief. She could pretend all she wanted that she didn't like his jokes, but he could see the tension slowly easing out of her frame. "Aw, My Lady, you know you love my puns."
Ladybug rolled her eyes. "False. Your puns are dreadful."
"Blasphemy! I always bring my A-game."
"Stop." She sighed deeply, the tense line of her shoulders finally, finally slipping down into something more relaxed.
He could feel his smile growing wider, stretching across his face until it almost hurt his cheeks. I've got you now, Bugaboo. Hook—
"No need to score-n my jokes."
Her lips were twitching. "Chat, please."
—line—
"I've got puns of steel."
"Oh my god."
—and sinker.
His partner's exaggerated groaning was music to Chat Noir's ears—it sounded an awful lot like sweet, sweet victory.
He couldn't help but laugh uproariously at the look of exasperation on her face. It was so Marinette that he felt his heart swell with fondness. Knowing her secret was suddenly like seeing his Lady in a new light, and glimpsing this whole new side of his friend left him feeling almost giddy.
She looked over, catching his expression and the joyful grin he could feel plastered across his face. Her playful scowl softened into something warmer, a gentle look that had Adrien's heart stuttering in his chest.
When she smiled, it was equal parts Marinette's sweetness and Ladybug's sass, and Adrien gave up trying to fight the feelings swelling within him. He was desperately, hopelessly and irrevocably in love with his classmate slash partner slash friend slash confidante. Ladybug. Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
He knew in that moment, without a shadow of a doubt, that they would be okay. Sure, there were a lot of things that needed to be addressed – like feelings and confessions, and no longer secret identities, and where exactly they would go from here – but for now standing together, bathed in late afternoon sunlight, was enough.
"What do you say we wrap this up, My Lady?" He held out a fist, waiting.
Standing by her side, always.
That would be enough.
Ladybug paused, glancing between his outstretched hand and his face, before gently reciprocating his fist bump. "Ready when you are, chaton."
He gave her his most flamboyant bow, the tips of his hair practically brushing the ground, and was gratified to hear the warmth of laughter in her voice as she called out a second later.
"Lucky Charm!"
The item had barely landed in her hands before she was breaking into a run and heading straight for the akuma. Trusting him to know her well enough to connect the dots, she didn't bother to stop and explain the details of her plan.
But then again, she didn't need to.
"Ball's in your court now, Kitty!" Ladybug hollered, tossing the object to him over her shoulder.
Chat whooped ecstatically, grabbing it from mid-air. "Oh, My Lady! You know how I love it when you talk punny to me!"
-x-
Between the two of them, the fight was relatively simple after that, and in no time flat Ladybug was stomping on the infected object, capturing and purifying the akuma. Chat felt the comforting brush of her magic as clouds of bright red ladybugs rushed off, righting any and all wrongs caused by the attack.
Well, most of the wrongs that is.
"My Lady?"
Ladybug turned from where she was poised at the edge of the roof, yoyo in hand, ready to launch herself off.
"Do you have a second?"
Ladybug grimaced, reaching for her earrings. "Now's not really a good time, Chat. I have to go make sure–"
"That Adrien's okay?"
Blue eyes widened, her lips parting in surprise.
"How…" Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "How did you know that?"
Adrien swallowed, steeling his resolve. He had to be honest. He owed her this much at least.
"He's not there."
Ladybug was gazing at him now, her face a mixture of fear and confusion. "Chat, I don't understand. You're scaring me. Where is Adrien?"
"Plagg, claws in."
Ladybug recoiled, raising a hand too late.
"Chat—!"
He didn't give her a chance to cover her eyes or look away before the green flash enveloped him. Black leather gave way to soft cotton and denim, black steel-toed boots traded for bright orange sneakers. Chat Noir's swaggering and bravado fading just like the setting sun, leaving Adrien Agreste in all of his awkward and uncertain glory.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier," he blurted out, looking down at his feet, studying the roof tiles below them, too afraid to look up or anywhere even remotely near his partner's face. He wasn't sure he could handle the anger and disappointment he was almost certain he would find there.
"I tried, but you left before I could say anything and I'm really, really sorry—"
"Adrien…?"
He stopped at the sound of her soft exhalation, awe and wonder bleeding through her tone. He chanced a peek up at her through his eyelashes.
Ladybug was staring at him, eyes the brilliant blue that he loved so much and wider than he had ever seen them. Her hands were pressed against her lips and even from where he was standing, Adrien could tell they were shaking. She looked shocked and off-kilter and overwhelmed, but she didn't look angry which he took as a good sign.
Feeling encouraged, he lifted his head a little further, gazing at her with as much openness and honesty as he could muster.
"I know I sprung this on you, and that was kind of unfair of me, but I don't regret it. I've been waiting for this for so long, I could hardly believe it when you finally told me. You trusted me with your secret – me me, not Chat me – and I knew I had to tell you because it wasn't fair of me to know your secret without sharing my own."
Something warm and heavy settled in his chest as he gazed at his partner, radiant in the golden sunlight. Adrien could hear the affection in his own voice when he spoke again. "I'm glad you know who I am and I'm so glad I know who you are, Marinette."
At the sound of her own name, she shook off some of her stupor. Her eyes roved his face with such intensity that Adrien felt himself flushing under the scrutiny. She took a hesitant step forward, then another, and then she was reaching out towards him.
Adrien barely had time to feel the impression of her gloved hand on his face, before the sensation was replaced by tingling magic and finally warm, soft skin.
Her thumb lightly traced the skin of his cheekbone, right under where his mask would have ended if he was transformed. He shivered.
"All this time," she breathed. "You were right in front of me all this time."
Her touch was electric; he could feel its buzzing warmth from his head all the way to the tips of his toes. Her presence was like a drug and he felt high on her proximity.
He reached up, grasping her hand and holding it to his face.
"Great, awesome. You two can now be sickeningly in love with one another instead of mooning from afar, and this infernal love square can return to the fiery depths from whence it came. Now where is my cheese?
"PLAGG!"
"What? What did I say?"
-x-
The sun had long disappeared over the horizon before the two made any move to head home, both content to enjoy the other's company as they vaulted and swung across the Parisian rooftops.
Ladybug watched the bustling streets below, and Chat watched her as she gazed fondly down at the people and the city they had both sworn to protect.
"Chat?"
"Yes, Bugaboo?"
"There's something I've been meaning to ask you."
His ears twitched, curiosity peaking. "My Lady can ask of me anything her sweet heart desires. Your wish is my command."
He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, and was rewarded with a snort for his efforts.
"Does this mean you've officially confessed to me now?"
Adrien stumbled, barely landing his next jump. Confessed…?
'You like her a lot, don't you?'
He whipped around to face his smirking partner, feeling his cheeks grow redder by the second.
"Gah—!"
Ladybug leaned in, close enough that Chat was sure he could count the flecks of grey in her irises and the individual freckles on her nose. The look on her face sent a strange, though not entirely unpleasant, heat through him. It travelled down his spine, before pooling languidly in the pit of his stomach. He could feel the puff of her breath as he swayed toward her, eyelids fluttering shut in anticipation.
Her lips were light as a feather as they brushed his burning cheek, there and gone before he knew what was happening.
His eyes flew open.
"For the record, I like you a lot too, Kitty."
Her laughter found him on the breeze as he stood there, rooted in place and completely dumbfounded, watching her dart off across the rooftops.
After what felt like an eternity, he finally found his voice.
"You—you cheeky little MINX! GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!"
He set off at a dead run, chasing after the sound of her laughter and the promise behind the kiss he could still feel tingling like a brand on his skin.
Fin.
notes:
I'm not 100% happy with this last chapter but I didn't want to keep y'all waiting any longer so here we are. THE END. I don't think anyone is more surprised than I am to see that I actually managed to complete a multi-chapter fic for the first time in the history of my existence.
(; v ;)
Anyway thank you to those of you who stuck with me through this whole crazy process (and who actually read the end notes lol). Your encouragement, whether it was in the form of comments, bookmarks or kudos really inspired me and helped to keep me motivated.
Much love to you all and until next time!
xx
this work has been cross-posted from AO3