Chapter 6: Marinette
Ladybug's POV:
The next day, Ladybug got ready early for patrol. She landed on their meeting spot eagerly waiting. He came shortly after, looking more serious than usual. She could see it on his face. He needed the confirmation that his suspicions were correct.
"You were right. Its him" she spoke in a low voice. She could've sworn she saw something change in his eyes, but it happened so quickly that she doubted she even saw it in the first place. He nodded. "And I think Felix might have the Peacock miraculous. So, we can officially call him Hawkmoth again." She added
Chat's POV:
When he arrived, she had looked more beautiful than she ever had before. Her hair shown like dark silk in the setting sun. Her eyes were focused and concerned, but piercing blue. He knew the conversation would be hard, but he soaked in her beauty anyway. He would enjoy the small moment he had before she broke the news. His happiness was cut short however, by the sound of her voice telling him what he needed to hear.
"You were right. It's him" he heard her say as his ears began to ring.
It's him. He knew this already but somehow hearing it from her made it so…real. He was gone. His father was gone. He was Shadowmoth. He wanted to cry but decided to swallow it instead. He nodded. That's all he could manage.
"And I think Felix might have the Peacock miraculous. So, we can officially call him Hawkmoth again." That asshole. Of course, he would be the one making these sentis and taking them away. He never cared about anyone but himself.
Ladybugs POV:
She watched him as he swallowed. She knew it was hard to face knowing who he was. It was hard for her too. She decided to change the subject.
"let's get this patrol started before we go to the party tonight, eh?" she tried forcing a smile
"Right." His voice came out hollowly. He noticed her gaze growing concerned and decided to grin. "After you my lady" he bowed allowing her to get a head start.
Alya's POV:
Alya counted the rooms in the hall of the hotel with a stern look on her face. The clipboard in her hand was growing damp with sweat from her hands. She needed a better plan for this rooming situation because she couldn't pair Marinette with anyone but herself or Ladybug. Otherwise, someone could figure it out. Unless she stayed with Luka. He could be trusted. No, she wouldn't like that anyway. And she really wanted alone time with Nino. He would be gone soon. GAH.
The past few days had been tame for the city of Paris. Shadowmoth had remained secretive again after the previous attempt at using a miraculous on a sentimonster. He hadn't done anything since. Meanwhile his rivals, Ladybug and Chat Noir, grew more confident. Now knowing who he was. They also spent a lot more time together, as Marinette grew incredibly fond of late-night kisses and morning cuddles with her partner. Even if it stayed between them, it was fantastic. She couldn't believe how much she had been missing out on all these years. What it felt like to love him and to be loved by him was something only comparable to romance she'd seen in movies. Only it was better. He was so much more than she could have ever imagined.
Ladybugs POV:
Arriving at the hotel together had been difficult. She first had to make an appearance as Ladybug alongside her partner. They tried to seem like the same duo as before things had changed between them, but it was hard. Chat opened the door for her and winked in a very Chat like manner. Adorable dork. She thought but she had to keep up her front.
"Oh, how charming. But I can get my own doors thank you very much" she rolled her eyes sarcastically.
"I don't doubt that bugaboo but I must be charming if I'm to be your prince one day" he bowed down and kissed her hand. She blushed but pulled her hand away giving him a look that meant to back off a little.
Clearing her throat loudly, Alya interrupted. "Hey guys, Nino will be thrilled to see the two of you here." She looked at Ladybug with a teasing glimmer in her eyes. Ladybug made sure to look away.
"Where is he anyway?" Chat peered around looking for his friend.
"Hey super dudes!" Nino made his way towards them. He had been mingling with the rest of his friends in the lobby when he noticed them walk in. He walked up to Chat and gave him a slap on the back "You'll have to fill in for my bro Adrien tonight. He couldn't make it but we'll make sure to have a blast anyway. One blonde dude for another blonde dude" he laughed.
This made Ladybug squirm a little. The two of them did look oddly similar. She really did have a type.
"Sure thing man. Where are we all hanging tonight? The lobby?" Chat looked around the room at his old classmates. He wished he could be there as himself so that they could all know how much he missed them. He made eye contact with Kagami as she had been staring. He quickly looked away. He had made a habit of avoiding her as Chat, worried that his ex-girlfriend might sense that he and Adrien were the same person. He looked for Marinette and started to worry when he didn't see her anywhere.
"No dude! We're going to the ball room right down the hall. We can hang upstairs later though but probably not until were tired. I have some food and music set up. Come on." He headed down the hall and everyone followed.
"Is Marinette coming?" Chat asked hesitantly.
"She should be late!" Alya chimed in quickly.
"How Pawsome" he smiled
Later:
Ladybugs POV:
The party was a huge success. Everyone had been dancing and enjoying each other'ss company for old times' sake. It felt like the relaxed time Marinette should have been getting after graduation despite all her exterior problems. She had grown more and more comfortable dancing and mingling as Ladybug and being with Chat helped. They stayed rather close the whole night dancing every few songs. Whenever they got too comfortable however, they backed off from each other.
Ladybug was a lot more timid than she let off, so she relied on Chat to guide her through a lot of the social aspects of the party. She expected him to try and encourage her to let loose and leave her hanging but to her pleasant surprise, he had been a complete gentleman the entire time. He stayed near whenever she needed him, started conversations with people that were easy for her to jump into and he even defended her to some unfamiliar faces who asked her personal questions about herself. She knew she had the ability to handle herself alone and to defend herself alone but it felt comforting to have him lead the way. She never realized how much she needed it. She found herself practically clinging to his arm at one point.
"It's ok, I got you tonight alright?" he leaned down to her and whispered.
"Good. I'm so not good at this." she bit her lip.
He placed a hand over hers where she had been gripping his arm. It soothed her. "Hey, where were you by the way last night? You said you got yourself into some trouble?" she asked him remembering his texts.
"oh, uh, that." he cleared his throat trying to think of something to say. "I tried to explore, to look for signs of Hawkmoth alone and it sort of wore me out. That's all I really meant" he finished awkawrdly.
She backed away from him a bit and looked up at him, recognizing how strangely vague his response had been. "really? alone? why?" she questioned. He looked down at her and swallowed. She knew what that look meant. He can't tell me. It was the, secret identities could be revealed, look.
"Ah." she said knowingly. "Well, let me know if it starts to consume you... this whole private investigating thing you've got going on when I'm not around seems to be taking away from your free-time. I thought you were the one who liked freedom and fun most out of the two of us" she said playfully.
He tilted his head at her and smiled, making her swoon a little since he did look extra handsome. "I never had much fun in my free time before all of this either. My fun and freedom is when I'm with you."
Her insides jolted at the thought of his life without her. It was always such a mystery and nowadays she felt the urge to be a part of it, even though she knew she couldn't.
A familiar Spanish guitar song began to play, and she recognized it immediately. It was the song she and Adrien had danced to when they were freshman at Chloe's birthday and in New York that time. She sighed. She wondered "what if" briefly but decided to shake it off. She moved on.
Just as she dropped the memories of the song, her partner's hands pulled her into a slow dance embrace, and it gave her butterflies. He looked down at her. "Care to dance?" he asked. She looked up into his eyes and smiled, accepting his offer. He gave her a half smile like usual and she saw his eyes soften. Locked on each other they couldn't deny the power between them. She also couldn't deny that he was oddly reminding her of Adrien. Maybe it's just the song that makes him seem similar. They swayed together for a little, enjoying the excuse to be close. She followed his lead for much of the dance and was amazed to find out how well he danced. She looked up at him again and felt overwhelmed by the emotions he was stirring in her.
"Everything okay bug?" he spoke in a low voice near her ear.
"Yes chaton. I just had a strange memory. I think I danced to this song a couple times in high school with a friend of mine." She tucked her head into his shoulder
He moved his thumb in small circles around her waist. "Oh. Should I be jealous?" He teased trying not to show his actual jealousy.
"No, not anymore. It was the boy I liked then for a while. I danced with him at Chloe Bougiousse birthday party, and then another time I think somewhere in New York on a rooftop. It was nice but that was ages ago and it was long before I felt this happy with you. This close with you." she lifted her head to meet his gaze again, bringing her lips to brush his cheek, remaining subtle. People were definitely staring, but it was normal for them to kiss each other on the cheek and embrace. They never really appeared as buddies to the public anyway so she figured a small brush of her lips wouldn't give anything away.
Chats POV:
Chloe's house. New York. This song. His heart rate sped up a little. The music muffled and he could've sworn she had kissed him, but he was too focused on this information. If he had heard everything correctly then this meant only one thing.
He pulled away from her gently and searched her face for confirmation. She only tilted her head and giggled with a slight blush on her face. Her bangs fell slightly in front of her eyes, and she lifted her hand to brush it away. She seemed so shy and girlish in this moment and her mask seemed to fade. Her suit suddenly appeared to flash pink and blue. And that giggle. It was her. It was Marinette.
"Chat? I'm sorry I really mean it. You have nothing to worry about." Her face grew wary and embarrassed
"no no my lady! I'm ok! I just got nervous about people seeing us act like a couple!" he found the perfect excuse. He gave her a comforting smile and saw how happy it made her. Her smile. He could see it in her smile now. She chose Alya to be Rena. It all came crashing down on him. She repeated his name again. He could hear it in her voice. It was his lady's but it now carried something deeper to it. She had been there the whole time. Right behind him in class. Right next to him when he needed advice on her balcony. Right next to him in gym class when he needed someone to talk to about his father. And she had been there fighting by his side the whole time. He now understood why he always felt a certain way around his friend. He understood why she had been a part of his happy place. She was always there. Of course, she was Marinette. And she loved him. She had loved Adrien and now she loved Chat. He wanted to badly to tell her that she didn't have to move on from Adrien and that she could still have Chat. That he did return her love. That he always had and always will. Instead, he hummed the tune in her ear to ensure she knew everything was ok.
She let out small laughs of joy as he did this and leaned her head into his shoulder once again. "Oh, Chat I hope you know you have me at your feet" she giggled
"Do I really?" He asked sincerely
"Yes, really" she held him slightly closer.
"Well, I hope you know that I'm loving every bit of it. And every bit of you" especially now that he knew all of her. He thought.
Ladybug's POV:
The song came to an end and Ladybug realized that Marinette still hadn't made an appearance. "Speaking of seeming like a couple, I think we need to break apart again for a minute and pretend we want to mingle with other people" She stepped away from him and moved a piece of her hair behind her ear.
"You're- probably right" he responded lifting his hand to the back of his neck and peering around at the looking eyes. Nonetheless he had to keep up his confident demeaner and bowed cooing "Merci, for the dance" and headed towards Nino. She watched after him sighing and waited until he was across the room to make her way towards the doors. There was a bathroom outside the hall where she could detransform.
The doors shut softly behind her as she made it a point to make as minimal sound as possible.
"Spots off" she whispered in the stall. Tikki gave her a small wink as she flew into her bag. Here goes nothing. She gave herself a look over in the mirror before heading back in. Her dress was navy blue with a pink accented scarf. She had made it herself and she hoped it would look okay in front of Chat, even though he wouldn't be seeing her as his girlfriend. She shyly exited the bathroom and entered the ballroom once again, only this time she forgot to be careful with the door.
"Ow!" Lukas voice sounded as she slammed the door into his face by accident
"Luka! Hi! I—whoops" she tripped over her scarf as it fell down her leg.
Quickly, he picked up her scarf and bag and handed them back to her as she got to her feet.
"All good Marinette. Lovely to see you here tonight I was afraid you wouldn't show. You look amazing. Are you ok?" He looked into her eyes, and she looked away, slightly uncomfortable. He had always had feelings for her and didn't really mind showing them, even though she still really saw him as a friend.
"Well here I am. And yeah just a little socially… weird." she awkwardly laughed off his comment.
All the sudden she saw a familiar clawed hand grasping Luka's shoulder and she saw her kitty appear between them.
"Hey man I almost didn't see you hear! How have you been!" Chat boomed gearing Luka in the opposite direction forcefully. Well, that was strange.
Marinette was used to Chat being jealous of people flirting with Ladybug but not so much with herself as Marinette. Although he did seem rather protective of her usually. Thanks Kitty she blushed to herself.
Alya immediately spotted her and motioned for her to come dance. Happily, Marinette trotted towards her making small dances on her way. It made the two of them laugh.
The rest of her time as Marinette, she could feel his eyes on her. Whether she was at the punch bowl, on the dance floor, or talking with friends she had the strangest intuition that if she were to turn her head, she'd see two slitted emeralds watching her every move. And she wasn't wrong. A few times she turned to catch his eye and it made her nervous. Was he suspicious? Did he know? Was he mad at her for not talking to him? She decided to not overthink it and continue having fun. Eventually, she wanted to say hi to him as they were definitely friends even when she wasn't her superhero self. She spotted him standing with his arms crossed a little outside of the dance floor next to a wall.
Chats POV:
"I knew Cats were loners, but I never would've guessed you'd be the brooding type" Marinette started as she eased herself next to him.
"I wouldn't call myself a brooder. Just a resting cat face. People keep asking if there's something wrong these days" He turned towards her. Suddenly he found himself nervous in her presence. He couldn't make it known that he knew.
"hmmm I suppose that makes two of us. Everyone keeps asking if I'm ok. I just get shy during events like this, and it makes me stumble a lot." She looked at her feet.
"Do you normally stumble when you're shy? I thought that was just you" he questioned remembering how much she tripped and fell into him as Adrien.
"Well either when I'm shy or I guess in the past when I had a crush on someone." She looked back up and turned towards him with a small shrug
"Oh, I hadn't noticed" he responded shyly.
"Yeah, remember buttercup? That happened a lot around him. I should just come out and say Adrien now. I've moved on since and nicknames are so high school" she laughed making fun.
"Ohhhh you liked the model? How predictable" he mocked shaking his head.
"No, it wasn't that! He's lovely." She looked to the side feeling her heart move at the thought of him. "Besides, he doesn't even want to model anymore…I should've stood up for him before his trip, but a lot came in the way. He's always standing up for people. He's still a very good friend of mine." She paused wondering if he were still in London or where he'd be off to now. She was still fond of him in all honesty. Her heart would always have a soft spot for him.
"I'm sure he misses you" He blurted. "Everyone I mean." He added quickly.
"Yeah, I miss him too." She sighed a little
This made him wish he could tell her. She could have them both. He wanted to show her. He also really wanted to dance with her again, to kiss her and to hold her hand in his. He found himself staring again and it made her stir a little. He saw this and realized it must seem weird to her for him to be looking at her like that.
"You look… I mean… I… Did you make that dress?" He cleared his throat and stared out at the crowd again.
Marinette and Chats POV:
"I did actually!" His gaze was making her nervous. She knew he was checking her out but it didn't bother her. She found it quite adorable that he gave her that look in and out of the suit. Poor kitty. He probably feels like he shouldn't be looking. She wished she could tell him that it was okay and that he still only had eyes for her. She also really wanted to kiss him again. She looked at his lips briefly and it only made her desire stronger. She found herself stepping slightly close to him and immediately jolting back.
"Sorry I don't know why I did that." She turned away fast with a red blush rising hot in her cheeks. "I should go" she turned around and tripped. Chat caught her arm and drew her up carefully to her feet. His touch made her feel even more flustered, and she took her arm away from his grasp quickly.
"You, ok?" He chuckled at her cute clumsiness
"Everyone keeps asking that! Fime, im find- FINE!" She stuttered darting towards the door.
He shook his head laughing at how charming he found this to be. He was a lucky guy to get a girl like her to fall for him twice. Literally.
A loud screeching sound pierced the room as Alya picked up a microphone in front of the table where Nino had been DJ-ing. "If we could have a minute to say a few words guys!" she shyly tried to hide the painful sound she had just caused. She passed the microphone to her boyfriend, and he have her a warm smile.
He spoke confidently "Ahem. Hey dudes. I really want to say how happy I am that everyone could make it tonight. I'm gonna have a blast in America but I couldn't have made it this far without all you guys. And Adrien. I wish he could be here tonight. We've all had a crazy adventure these past four years. If I'm being honest, I never would have thought I would have such a roller coaster of events happen. For those of you who know what I'm referencing we really had some tough times recently, so this little break is important for us. I'm really gonna miss every one of you and I hope you dudes and dudettes take this as a final party before we party it up when I'm back! Don't worry this isn't that last one!" He gave a little fist bump to the group of people, and they laughed and returned the gesture cheering. "On a more serious note, though, I know there are some past hero's like myself here, but I want to make a shout out to Ladybug and Chat Noir. I want you guys to know that I have your back through this time. No matter what. I may not have waze to shield you anymore but that doesn't mean I don't want to be a shield in other ways. You can call me anytime. No matter what though, you've got this. I believe in you" He looked at Chat Noir who stood proudly nodding his head at his best friend. He scanned the room for Ladybug and caught her by the door. She stood smiling at his as well and gave him a knowing nod. He returned her gesture "Enough serious stuff though carry-on partying!" the music started up again and Nino put the mic back on the stand.
"Hey, come with me" Ladybug snuck up behind Chat Noir and grabbed his hand taking him towards the doors. He just gasped and let her take the lead. She pushed open the doors and pulled him behind a pillar in the hallway near the bathroom.
"hey what are you" his words were cut off by her kiss. It was deep and passionate, and it made him melt into her. She pushed him against the wall and continued. His hands reached her back, and he pulled her closer to deepen their kiss.
"I've been wanting you to do that all night" he purred
"Oh, you have no idea" she whispered raising her head again to meet his lips.
After a few minutes of making out, they decided to return to the party.
