Hello Miraculers this 2 part one-shot is a gift for my friend's (JuliaFC) birthday.

Happy purr-thday sweetie. I'm glad to know you. You're an amazing author, mom and woman. Love you, Miraculous kisses

BETAS: Agrestebug, Etoile-Lead-Sama, Rosehealer02 Genxha.

Good reading!


I'll be needing stitches.

(the speed dating)

A gift for Giulia's birthday.

*

"You watch me bleed until I can't breathe

Shaking, falling onto my knees

And now that I'm without your kisses

I'll be needing stitches.

Tripping over myself,

Aching, begging you to come help

And now that I'm without your kisses

I'll be needing stitches."

Shawn Mendes - Stitches

*

Marinette sighed, following Alya with slow, indecisive steps. When her best friend stopped, their destination finally reached, she only wanted one thing: run away. Very far away .

She took a step back, looking suspiciously at the door in front of her. A hand grabbed hers and pulled her forward before she could take another step away. "Oh no, no, no! No way you're going anywhere!" Exclaimed Alya.

"It's a bad idea... A very bad idea!" Marinette protested, moving a hand to the back of her head. She searched for the satin ribbon that was tied behind it, trying to remove the red lace mask that covered the upper half of her face.

Alya immediately slapped her fingers, formally prohibiting her from getting rid of it. "On the contrary, it's a great idea! You need to move on, Marinette. It's been six months now…"

"Six months, nineteen days and two hours..." She said with a trembling voice.

Her eyes fell on her right hand, where a large ring in pink metal adorned her ring finger: the Black Cat Miraculous. She gently caressed the cold and smooth ring before looking up at her friend. "I'm not sure I'm ready to write another story…"

Alya's hand came to rest on her arm, the young woman exerted an encouraging pressure on it and gave her a comforting smile. "Just start by trying to write a new chapter," she replied in a soft and reassuring voice. "You don't have to get out of here tonight with a boyfriend. Just try to have fun and change your mind. Who knows maybe you'll meet interesting people," she added.

Marinette adjusted the Venetian mask before her eyes, touched the red rose that adorned the upper right corner of the mask and ensured that the flower held in place.

"Let's try this," she whispered in a weak and unconvincing voice, following Alya inside the bar where the speed dating was going on.


"Speed dating can begin! Ladies, these young men present tonight will each have five minutes to get to know you,"

explained the evening's host.

"At every gong ring, gentlemen, we will ask you to leave the table where you are and go to the table to your left," she then explained, pointing to the eight tables in the room.

" You will have the opportunity to get the contact details of your chosen one at the end of the evening if the attraction is mutual," she added with a wide smile.

"We remind you that this evening is organized in a friendly and caring atmosphere. We expect a respectful and polite attitude from all of you. Any excesses will be punished by exclusion without prior warning," she insisted in a stern voice.

The ambassador of the evening rang the gong and Marinette began to feel a twisting in her gut as the first young man took a seat in front of her.

He wore a dark blue velvet mask, had brown eyes and hair, and a rather thin figure.

He sat down and, quickly, Marinette felt like she was spending the worst five minutes of her life. The man couldn't look her straight in the eyes, his eyes drifting to her chest each time. His conversation was limited to the automobile in all its states: Motocross, Car tuning, Formula 1...

When the gong rang, Marinette felt relieved but only for a brief moment, because another boy was already sitting at her table.

The latter was rather tall. Very tall . Brown haired with gray eyes. He was wearing a purple and black Butterfly's shaped mask.

This forced Marinette to close her eyes for a moment, in order to regain control of the erratic beats of her heart and the growing panic in every square centimeter of her body. They had defeated Shadowmoth, she and her missing partner, six months and nineteen days before. It was certainly just a coincidence, or maybe some weird super-villain fanatic.

Her memory drifted slowly to that day, when the lives of the two boys she loved, as well as her own, had changed forever.

Adrien had lost all he had at once. His father and Nathalie had been thrown in prison and his mother sent to Tibet to the celestial guardians in the hope of finding a solution to cure her. He had to slowly rebuild himself, despite the turbulent media storm that had collapsed on him. Marinette, Alya and Nino were present for him on a daily basis, but the ordeal remained hard for the young man to live through.

On that day, Chat Noir's life had also changed, turning her own upside down in the process. He was missing. Without a trace, without a single explanation, without a goodbye. She could still feel the pain that lacerated her heart when Plagg landed at her home, less than an hour after the arrest of their enemies, with the Black Cat Miraculous between his paws and his face discomfited and bruised by grief.

Her mind wandered over these sad memories, so much so that she only half-heartedly listened to what the boy in front of her was telling her. Not that it was very exciting anyway.

He was talking about himself, himself and himself… He was self-centered and imbued with himself, which didn't help Marinette's lack of desire to add something to the conversation.

When he finally left her table, she realized that since the timid hello she had told him, she hadn't said a single other word.

She sighed, glaring at Alya who had been joined by her boyfriend, with whom she was quietly sipping a cocktail at the corner of the bar.

Her best friend smiled back at her and pointed at the third young man who was walking toward her table.

Marinette clenched her jaws and took a deep breath... Six contenders left to meet...

She finally looked up at the newcomer, and was caught by an intense and piercing green gaze.

He was blond, rather tall, with large and muscular shoulders and torso but a fine and sculpted waist. He was wearing skinny jeans with a black shirt under which she could see a dark green t-shirt. He was wearing a black velvet wolf that looked a bit like a Batman's mask.

He sat down in front of her and addressed a shy smile to her, before taking her hand into his and carrying it to his mouth to lay a quick kiss on it. The gesture made her shudder and she remained frozen, unable to remove her hand, while he seemed just as disconcerted as her.

She could see the boy's emerald green gaze looking at her fingers, or rather her ring, in a strange way that she could only guess as to why. His eyebrows frowned under the black mask, his lips turning down.

As inexplicable and strange as it seemed, he didn't seem ready to let go of her hand. Gently, he touched the pink metal of the ring with his thumb, barely brushing against it.

Marinette shivered at the contact and watched him slowly trace the contours of her ring, when a detail suddenly caught her attention. There, on the side of his ring finger, at the base of it, the boy had a little red spot, barely perceptible: a tiny ladybug-shaped tattoo.

She jumped and her gaze immediately crossed with that of the blond already looking at her with a devastating intensity.

"Chaton…"

"M'Lady…"

Marinette blinked several times, before opening her eyes wide and giving her partner a deeply disapproving look.

"Speed dating? Really Chat Noir? You gave me an intense kiss before we faced Shadowmoth." She yanked her hand free of his, clenching it into a tight fist, "You kissed me, sealing the promise of a better future for us and then you abandoned me. You vanished, without a word, and for what? So that I could find you six months later at a speed dating night?!" She murmured, clenching her teeth to the point of feeling a pain through her cheeks.

"I was dragged here by force by a friend... I totally understand that you're angry with me." His hand went to the back of his neck, looking away from her, "I deserve it. I acted like an idiot. I'm sorry, Bug."

"Angry? You think I'm angry? No, I'm not angry! I'm furious! REALLY FURIOUS!" She shouted, drawing the attention of the other participants.

Her hand snapped to his wrist the second she was on her feet, forcing him to stand up, and dragging him outside the bar with her.

Outside, she let go of his hand and pushed him away, hating that he didn't react. He stood there and took it without so much as flinching, while the overwhelming torrent of her pain threatened to once again drag her under. Unshed tears tightened around her throat, but the underlying hurt refused to stay silent.

"Do you have any idea what I've been through since you left? Do you know how hard it was for me not to see you anymore? Not being able to find you because you forbade Plagg to tell me anything?!" She sobbed, unable to hold back her tears.

"I know what you've lived," he whispered, not able to hide the guilt that plagued his heart, "not a single day has passed without me missing you! Not a single day has passed without me regretting having renounced my Miraculous, without me regretting having abandoned you!" He answered, his body shaking and his voice trembling.

"Why? Why did you do this to me when we had defeated Shadowmoth together? When I was finally about to reveal my identity and give my heart to you, since Paris was no longer in danger? Why Chat Noir? WHY?" She screamed, striking her fists firmly against his torso as she begged for an answer to the question that haunted every waking moment.

Tears rolled out from under her red lace mask, leaving black mascara furrows along her cheeks that darkly contrasted with her pale skin.

*

Inside the bar, Nino looked out of the window at his two best friends.

"Dudette, are you sure that was a good idea? They are screaming at each other and Marinette is crying."

"Trust me…" Alya said, gently tipping her glass back and forth, "It was the best thing to do so that these two finally opened their eyes to the truth they refused to see."

"Sometimes you're really weird…"

"They will thank me later, you'll see."

*

Suddenly two strong arms wrapped around her and she found herself pressed against the familiar strong muscles of her partner's chest.

She then felt him draw small circles in her back while his other hand caressed her hair. He held her tightly, clinging to her for dear life.

"I'm sorry, m'Lady. So sorry . I've been through hell since that night, and maybe if you're willing to see my face, you'll understand…"

Marinette moved a little away from him. She remained silent and wiped away the salted tears on her face with the back of her hand. Then, slowly, she wrapped her arms around her partner's neck, looking for the knot that held his black mask in place.

She wrapped her finger around the cotton ribbon and cast him a final glance to make sure that this was really what he wished for.

He nodded, giving her his blessing to tear down the walls that had stood between them for far too long. Allowing her to finally find the answers to all her questions.

Marinette approached him a little more, her face only a few mere millimeters from his. She could feel the frantic and nervous beats of his heart corresponding to the same rhythm as her own. She could clearly hear his laborious and quick breathing and feel his warm breath spreading against her lips.

Cradled by an impulse, instead of removing his mask to discover his identity, she filled the distance between their mouths, capturing his lips in a soft and tender kiss.

She loved him no matter what his real name was. He was Chat Noir, her faithful partner. The brave, altruistic and kind boy who had managed to find his way to her heart and find a place where he was now unmovable. It was something she'd unfortunately learned by losing him and thinking she'd never see him again.

And now he was there with her, and judging by the fervor with which he responded to her kiss: he still loved her.

Relieved, happy, satisfied and dizzy, she slowly pulled on the black ribbon, letting go of the mask without ever breaking contact with his lips as it landed on the ground next to them. His lips still had the sweet and slightly bitter taste of the Martini he'd had during the evening. It was completely intoxicating. The delectable taste and warmth of their kiss made her sigh with contentment in his mouth and he picked the opportunity to deepen the exploration of these new sensations.

Blown away, satisfied and filled —for the moment— they separated to catch their breath as well as finally regain consciousness of the reality around them.

Marinette still had her eyes closed. She felt her partner's hand stroking her cheek tenderly before drifting towards her mask and the back of her head.

The moment she felt his fingers pulling on the red satin and her mask falling, she opened her eyes. The blue of the sky, meeting the green of the forest.

"Adrien…"

"Marinette…"

He laid a sweet kiss on her forehead and she shivered. It was him… her partner… Chat Noir, Adrien…

"You have always been by my side all this time," she whispered. "You were the one for whom I tried to put stitches on my wounds, the one for whom I put my suffering aside because his own came before mine. I wanted to be strong for you... you ... it's always been you... the other boy," she added, her voice overwhelmed with emotion.

"I was sure it was you... It could only be you!" He breathed, moved. "This strength and the determination with which you have supported me for months... I know such a strong devotion and kindness only in one person. My partner . Of course it was you. It's you! I love you Marinette, I love you so much !" He confessed in a cheerful and sincere voice.

With sparkling eyes, she gave him a tender smile and delicately caressed his cheek.

"I love you too, mon Chaton ," she breathed, kissing him once more with renewed vigor.

*

A satisfied smile stretched Alya's lips, watching out of the window her two best friends enjoying the happiness they amply deserved.

She knew that Adrien was Chat Noir. It was obvious. All signs converged in this direction. But her best friend, Marinette, Ladybug , had withdrawn so deeply into herself these last few months, between sadness and anger, to notice it.

"You owe me a drink, Nino."

"Are you sure you don't have powers of illusionism, for real?" he asked, calling the waiter to honor his cost.

"No, I don't have anything like that. Even if it's true that Miraculous magic can be really powerful sometimes…" She sighed.

Even if this time, love had been the most powerful magic of all and had triumphantly surpassed that of the Miraculous.

*

The End. For now…


It's not the end. Part 2 is coming... Maybe tomorrow or Monday :)

Don't forget to leave a comment if you enjoyed the first part.