AN: Yay! Here we go!
First, the title reveal. Some recognised it, but not many. "Under The Moonlight/By The Sea/Kiss Me!" is a quote from a Jagged Stone song that comes up in the game Marinette and Luka play in Truth. And I thought it fit here perfectly, with Chat and Marinette talking at night, then them all finally getting together on a boat (though be it on a river, not the sea), and then this last chapter. O:)
I'm going to say more at the end, but I want to thank you all so much for your support and patience, for your enthusiasm that helped carry me through this story.
. o O o .
Chapter 27: Kiss Me
"Tikki—"
For Adrien, time stopped moving.
That name…
He'd heard it before, hadn't he? Why else would he know it was a name and not some random word? There was something familiar about it, too, but it took him an endless moment to remember.
Plagg. He'd mentioned this name once. It was the name of another Kwami. Of Ladybug's Kwami.
But why would Marinette know that name?
"—Spots On."
A red light flashed, and his mind stopped working entirely.
…
In the place where Marinette had stood in the middle of Luka's cabin now stood Ladybug. Silence filled the room. Both boys just stared at her in disbelief while she stood still, her eyes closed.
"Ma… Marinette?" Luka was the first to react.
Slowly, Ladybug turned toward him and opened her eyes, the same apologetic smile on her face as the one she gave him before.
"Yeah, it's me. I'm Marinette. And Ladybug." She paused, biting her lip. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. But keeping my identity hidden was too important. Nobody could know. And I thought my superhero identity wouldn't affect you anyway, so it wouldn't matter…" She was babbling, her words nearly tripping over one another.
"And then I told you who I am," Luka realised, his eyes growing wide.
Ladybug nodded.
Clearly still stunned, Luka brought a hand to his mouth, thinking. "I… I understand," he eventually said, blinking as if to clear his head. Then he looked up at her, saw how nervous—almost scared—she was, and smiled softly. "And I don't mind." He chuckled—despite or maybe because of how weird a situation this was. "It's not as if I told you—Marinette—who I am, either."
He held a hand out toward her, and after only the briefest moment of hesitation, she took it and let him pull her toward him.
"So… this doesn't bother you?" There was still concern on her face, heavy in her voice.
But Luka was positively beaming at her. "Bothering me? Why would it? You're still you. Marinette. The girl I'm in love with, and nothing can change that. The only difference now is that we can be more honest with each other. I already knew you were amazing, being Ladybug only adds another layer to that."
Ladybug was nearly trembling with emotions, and with pure happiness gleaming in her eyes, she kissed him. At first, Luka was too surprised to react, her enhanced speed only slightly adding to the unexpected move. But just like before, he only needed a moment and then wrapped his arms around her. Kissing her back and grinning happily against her lips.
When they parted, there was a new sense of closeness between them, a new intimacy. It was noticeable in the small things, like how her hand rested on his arm or in the way his hand cradled her face.
"It makes sense now," he murmured. "That I couldn't hear you. But now, I can…"
Ladybug cocked her head, but he just smiled and shook his head. "I'm glad you told us. Thank you."
At that, she lowered her gaze, guilt crossing her face. "I didn't think I should do it at first," she murmured. "I thought the only option was to break up with you and keep everything as separated as possible."
Despite her words and her tension, Luka stayed calm. And why wouldn't he? Evidently, she'd decided not to go that route. "And what changed your mind?" he asked softly.
"It changed…"
Ladybug paused mid-sentence and turned toward Adrien. With his mind still not working, he'd witnessed the last minutes without being aware that he was actually there. As if he was merely a spectator, or maybe even less than that. He'd all but forgotten that he was with them in this room, felt strangely detached from reality. All this… Ladybug and Luka… Marinette… it was all so surreal.
"It changed because of what you said," Ladybug finished her sentence, talking to Adrien now.
Adrien managed to blink, not understanding. What could he have told Ladybug, so she changed her mind about keeping her identity a secret? When was even the last time Adrien had interacted with her?
Seeing his confusion, her expression softened further, the way she looked at him turning more intense.
"Keeping our identities hidden is important, yes. But I don't want to risk destroying what we have by keeping this secret, either."
Something in Adrien's mind started working again, slowly. Those words, they felt familiar. He'd said them, yes. To Marinette. Who… who was also Ladybug! Was this even real or just a dream?
But there was still something wrong there. It hadn't been Adrien who's talked to Marinette on her balcony that night. And why would Marinette—Ladybug!—reveal her identity to him, anyway? Adrien meant nothing to Ladybug, and only a little to Marinette… didn't he?
His eyes widened as something clicked into place, slowly. "You know," he breathed.
Smiling guiltily, she nodded. "Told you I knew how to contact you, kittycat."
Then realisation really hit him.
Marinette was Ladybug! The two girls he was in love with were actually the same person. And she knew who he was as well; no secrets. She'd just revealed them all to him. Adrien gasped, his hands shaking, and as if to confirm his thoughts, she nodded.
"But… but since when do you know? About me?" he asked in a shaky voice. "Why did you never say anything?"
Ladybug flinched. If he were to trust in his senses right now—something he wasn't so sure he should—he'd say she looked worried.
"I haven't known for long. Only two weeks. I… I recognised your shirt lying here on the floor when I came to tell Luka he should keep Sass for good. And.. I didn't know what to do." She looked pleading now. "Master Fu always insisted that keeping our identities hidden is absolutely essential. And me finding out alone should have been reason enough to replace you, if not both of us. But now that I am the Guardian, that's not an option anymore. Besides, you were right. He never explained why, and… and I…" She swallowed, eyes glistening. "I didn't want to lose you."
Her gaze wandered to Luka. "I love you. But I knew I couldn't be with you without telling you the truth. Not as Marinette, and not working together as Ladybug, either."
With a soft smile, Luka nodded.
Ladybug smiled as well, then turned back to Adrien. "And I—" She gulped, her breath catching in her throat. She inhaled deeply, eyes and mouth pressed shut, then slowly exhaled again. When she opened her eyes, there was a fire in them, a determination that made her even more beautiful. And when she spoke, she unhinged his world.
"I love you, too. Both of your faces. I've been in love with Adrien right since the first day we met. But I also love Chat Noir. I'm sorry it took me so long to realise, but I do. I love you! And I didn't want for this secret to—"
He kissed her.
It wasn't something he'd decided to do, not something he'd spent even a split second thinking about. In fact, if he'd thought it through, then he'd probably held himself back. Because it was insane. All his worries and fears; solved within moments. All his hopes and dreams; coming true within only a few quick minutes. It couldn't be real.
But it felt real.
Ladybug gasped as their lips met, standing still as a statue, stunned, trembling. Worried he might have been too hasty, Adrien pulled back—but before he could even open his eyes to gauge her reaction, she leaned in to kiss him back. One of her gloved hands cupped his face while the other went to his neck, holding him in place as her lips found his.
But even though her enhanced strength nearly took his breath away, Adrien didn't care. Too sweet was the moment, her soft lips against his own, her scent and warmth around him, her soft noises all he registered. Without his help, his arms wrapped around her waist, holding her as close as he could. She'd kissed him back, and everything was perfect.
For the second time in only a few minutes, time lost all meaning to him. The slide of lips, almost teasing nips, tongues caressing, searching; it all made his head spin, his heart overflowing with joy. A single tear ran down his cheek, but he was too overwhelmed to pay it any mind.
Marinette was Ladybug, and she loved him.
When the kiss ended, he held his eyes closed for a little longer, trying to hold on to the moment. And then smiled when he opened his eyes and saw her doing the same.
"It's you," he murmured, getting lost in her wide blue eyes. "It's always been you. I… I can't believe it. Is this real?"
Smiling in understanding, she nodded. "It is. Though I know only too well how you feel." She chuckled. "Took me two weeks to really get it, after all."
"So," Luka said from where he still stood a bit to the side, interrupting them but not unwelcome. For a brief moment, Adrien worried about what he would see in his boyfriend's eyes after he'd kissed his girlfriend, but he really should have known that there wouldn't be anything but love and joy. "I figure this means you made a decision?"
Ladybug's laughter rang truer this time, fuller. With one hand still on Adrien's shoulder, she reached out for Luka with the other. "Spots Off," she said after Luka had taken her hand, transforming back in a flash of red light. From the corner of his eye, Adrien saw a red Kwami, Tikki, fly over to where Plagg and Sass usually were resting, and if he wasn't mistaken, there was a clearly satisfied expression on her tiny face.
"Yeah, I made my choice," Marinette said. She was unusually composed compared to how he knew her from school, but with knowing that she was Ladybug as well, it suited her. She smiled at Luka, then leaned against his chest, her eyes searching Adrien's. "You said there would be a way for us to be together as three, and… and I want that. I still don't know how, but… I trust you. When you say it's possible, I want to try."
Adrien's eyes wandered to Luka's, and they both nodded, communicating without words.
"Don't worry too much about the how," Luka murmured, placing a light kiss on her hair. "As long as we all talk openly, I'm sure we'll find a way that works for us."
Looking back at her, Adrien stepped closer, holding her hand in both of his. When their eyes met again, he could see a shadow of doubt and insecurity in her, and if he was honest, he felt the same. Being honest and open with Luka, without reservations, had come naturally to him right from the beginning. But with Marinette, it was different. Up to this point, there was a long history of—No, not of lies, exactly. But of secrets. And as much as he wanted to wipe them all away, he knew it would take some effort. Still.
"We can do it," he assured her, intently holding her gaze. "Only the truth from now on, open talking. Together, we can do anything, Milady."
Marinette let out something between a sob and a laugh, and nodded. Still leaning against Luka, she pulled him into yet another kiss. And even though it was lighter and softer than those before, it felt more meaningful—especially when Luka's lips touched his forehead and their hand intertwined at Marinette's side.
In fact, to him, this moment was perfect.
. o O o .
With a satisfied smile, Tikki poised herself on a book on Luka's nightstand. Even though this outcome wasn't very traditional, it very much suited Marinette. Which was enough to make Tikki happy.
"Now, look at you, sugar cube," Plagg commented with a raised eyebrow. "I can't remember ever seeing you so smug."
"Well," Tikki replied with a self-satisfied smirk. "It took her long enough. For two weeks, I've been trying to convince her to come here and tell your holders the truth. Master Fu wouldn't have approved, but, well… He wasn't exactly the most traditional of Guardians, either. And I feel that it's the right decision for her. I'm glad it turned out this way now."
Plagg scrunched up his nose and looked back at their three humans, still tightly entangled in their group hug. "I guess you're right," he grudgingly admitted. "Though it's kinda sad, too. I'll miss how clumsy your holder always got when she was around mine. That was so much fun."
Tikki snorted. That wasn't quite how she'd felt about it. "That was the crucial point, though," she elaborated, partially because he hadn't asked. "The toughest part for her was to accept your holder is actually Chat Noir. That she'd talked normally to her crush right from the beginning, that it was just her nervousness that made her act weird. But now, she knows she can do it."
Another soft smile crossed Tikki's face as she watched how the two boys took turns hugging and kissing her Marinette. At how soul-deep happy she looked. Yes, this truly had been the right decision. Every Guardian had to make their own rules and go their own way, and this was the one for Marinette.
A snivelling noise coming from behind her drew Tikki's attention then, and she turned to where Sass was sitting somewhat hidden in a colourful plastic bag. Concerned, she flew over to him, cocking her head at how he had his arms wrapped around some sort of sweet in the form of a large worm, tears streaming down his face uninhibitedly.
"Sass?" she asked, and carefully she placed her hand on his shoulder. "Is everything all right?"
"He's just a total softy," Plagg commented nonchalantly. "Who would have thought…"
Tikki glared at him but quickly turned back to Sass.
"Y-yes, I'm ok—hic—kay," he sobbed. "I'm just s-so… so hap-py." Snivelling, he used his long tail to wipe his face. "I don't know how you could stand it for so long."
Tikki blinked in confusion. "Stand it? What do you mean?"
Hiccuping, Sass nodded at Marinette, Luka, and Adrien where they were kneeling on the floor now, somewhat awkwardly cuddling and talking quietly. "I mean not telling them. I've seen how torn our Guardian was because of her feelings for them. And then I know saw and overheard how Chat Noir was feeling the same. That in addition to Luka's own torn feelings; it was awful. So much suffering! And I knew I could end it with just a few words but was banned from doing it. These last two weeks were the worst of my entire existence, and I'm not kidding. And you two had to endure that for over a year. How did you do that?"
Tikki's mouth twitched. Plagg was right, Sass really was a softy.
"By enjoying the show," Plagg said cheerfully. "One delicious bite after the other of the most exquisite collection of tasty treats you can imagine. As I said, it's a shame they figured it out now. The next months are going to be unbearably sappy."
Now, Tikki really had to fight to keep a serious face. As little as she wanted to admit it, on that last point, Plagg was probably right as well.
Sitting down next to Sass, she said, "At least they're happy now. That's all that matters, right?"
Sass nodded, fresh tears glistening in his eyes. Looking around, Tikki quickly distracted him with another gummy worm, patting his back as his fangs tore into it.
This was going to be a looong day.
. o O o .
AN: So, that was that.
To me, this chapter felt a little flat, but that's always true when a story ends. I can only hope, you enjoyed it.
And I said this is the last chapter. That's true, but also it's not. Luka, Adrien, and Marinette finally found toward each other and can now start their happy little polycule. But, of course, there are still many things to say, and I want to wrap those up in one or maybe two epilogues. I'll see how it goes.
Either way, thanks again for tagging along, for all the encouragement, and for all the joy you brought me by reading this story, by leaving Kudos, and most of all by commenting. Thank you!
