Love Language

by Rose Thorne

Disclaimer: Don't own Miraculous Ladybug or make any money writing fanfiction.

Chapter Five

Kagami and Marinette decided on New Year's Eve Eve as date night, since the Eve itself was spoken for. While they normally didn't frequent many Chinese or Japanese restaurants given the quality of what they could have at home, this particular restaurant was a new Asian fusion place, one that mixed Vietnamese, Thai, Cambodian, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese cuisines. It had received glowing reviews.

The fusion theme also appealed to both of them, based on the symbolism of their recent engagement, and they had dressed appropriately. Kagami was wearing a kimono-style tunic Marinette had designed and made for her, red and black with a diagonal half-skirt, over leggings with some very stylish boots. A matching fabric headband finished the look. Marinette was wearing the full-length qipao she had sewn for last year's Lunar New Year. It was black with pink embroidery, and she'd added an experimental French flair with peeping black lace down the false slit along the shoulder and all the way down the dress. Kagami had confessed it was one of her favorites, so she loved to spoil her by wearing it. She had put her hair in twin buns again, the same style she had worn when Kagami proposed.

Even in a crowded restaurant, Marinette was hyper-aware of Kagami, of the details of every moment. She loved the feeling that they were in their own world, a special intensity to everything. No moment spent with her was boring; she brought life to everything by virtue of her presence.

Some fusion restaurants simply had food from multiple cultures, but this one actually fused different dishes in fascinating ways. Even better: the servings were tapas-style, so smaller portions, enabling them to try an assortment of options. With each dish, they posted pictures to Instagram, tagging the restaurant and working to come up with descriptions of the flavors to describe to people who might want to try it.

They were both fascinated by the menu and its many options. For her drink, Marinette chose a Korean, Chinese, and Taiwanese inspired omija chrysanthemum milk tea with rose jelly, which was unique and delicious. The mix of flavors was heady, hitting the whole tongue at once. Kagami selected a Taiwanese and Vietnamese fusion, orange tamarind boba smoothie; also fantastic, both fruits a mix of sweet and tart that somehow leveled out both in a way that enhanced the drink.

Since soups traditionally started the meal, they decided on seafood chao ga with dashi flavoring and clams, whitefish, and sea urchin—lovely rice porridge for the cold. The texture was thick and the dashi lent a savory flavor that balanced the fish well. Kagami mentioned that one of the flavors was possibly the light earthy-sweet of miso paste, as well as ginger and a touch of rayu chili oil.

Then they decided on an assortment of bāozi stuffed with different things, including Korean bulgogi, Thai coconut curry chicken, Japanese unagi no kabayaki, Cambodian fish amok, and Vietnamese bun cha. Marinette was familiar with all but the last two. The fish amok turned out to be a unique yogurt-thick fish curry made with coconut milk and a mixture of spices that offered a savory quality rather than heat. Bun cha was amazing grilled pork belly that had been marinated in fish sauce and mixed with rice vermicelli and pickled vegetables, all stuffed in a perfectly-steamed bun.

They also tried a couple types of okonomiyaki, one with kimchi and japchae and the other with spicy Sichuan làzǐ jī. The japchae folded into the pancake was sweet potato glass noodles, strips of beef, and a variety of thin-sliced vegetables, and it matched well with the spicy tang of the kimchi spread atop. A sweet umami Korean junganjang cream sauce, a light spiral on the red kimchi, cut the heat a bit and added another layer of flavor. The làzǐ jī was the kind of spicy that would put off those not used to Sichuan peppercorns, a wonderful numbing sort of flavor that was tempered by the okonomiyaki batter, paired well with a Japanese-style sweet ginger mayonnaise drizzled over the top.

By that point, all they could handle was dessert.

Kagami ordered Chinese gāo diǎn stuffed with Thai pumpkin coconut pudding; they were glazed lightly with a spritz of honey-rosewater. Still warm, the pudding and pastry melted together in the mouth. Marinette opted for Cambodian mango sweet sticky rice with a scoop of black sesame ice cream that both of them knew had roots in both China and Japan. They tried each part separately, then mixed, enjoying the texture of the slightly-warm sticky rice against the icy cream of the ice cream, and the way the different varieties of sweet melded.

Marinette had just fed Kagami the last spoon of the ice cream when their table was abruptly surrounded by people with cameras and microphones, startling her into dropping the spoon. The clatter it made sounded louder than the cacophony of competing voices that assailed them.

She only made our pieces of them, words and phrases.

"... that you're a gold-digger…?"

"...stalked Adrien Agreste…?"

"...settled for…?"

"...Chinese concubine…?"

Though Marinette felt frozen under the deluge of abusive questions, Kagami stood at that last one.

The reporters quieted somewhat, waiting for a response.

"You dare imply the love of my life is the equivalent of ianfu?!" She pinpointed the man who had asked the question and Marinette noted absently that he was, of course, an older white man. "Ah, you work for that rag. My lawyer will be in contact."

Marinette stood, trying to find courage in the fire in Kagami's eyes.

"We do not consent to be filmed or photographed. If any footage or photos appear in any of your media, you will hear from our lawyers," Marinette added, reaching out and taking Kagami's hand.

She received a reassuring squeeze. This had happened immediately following their announcement, and in preparation for that Tomoe had the Tsurugi family lawyer appraise them of their right to control being photographed and the use of those photographs—one of the lovelier facets of French law.

The cameras lowered, but the questions commenced, their personal space invaded as what she realized were tabloid reporters jockeyed for position.

Marinette felt hemmed in, trapped by the ugly questions.

In the distance someone yelled, "Is that Adrien Agreste?!"

The shift away from them allowed Kagami to pull her toward the kitchen, which they were thankfully seated near.

Marinette nearly jumped out of her skin when someone touched her shoulder, but standing behind her was Wayhem.

He pulled them into the kitchen, where a waiter handed them their coats and whisked them toward a back exit.

"Adrien?" Kagami asked Wayhem, slipping several large bills to the waiter, far more than enough to cover their meal.

The clipped nature of her tone hinted at her stress.

"In the car. One of my buddies in a wig is distracting the morons."

Marinette let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Whatever had sparked this, it was big enough for Adrien and Wayhem to mount a rescue—and do it quickly.

The back door of the car opened as they rushed out, and Adrien scooted over to make room for them. Wayhem didn't bother trying to squeeze in back, instead taking the front passenger seat beside the Gorilla.

Before she could entirely register what happened, the car was pulling out of the alley, the restaurant receding in the background.

Kagami squeezing her hand brought her back to the present.

"I don't understand," she murmured. "I thought it had died down."

"You missed us talking about that, Mari." Adrien offered her a smile that was tinged with sadness. "It had. Then there were rumors spread by someone to major and minor tabloids. They literally started breaking an hour ago."

Marinette felt overwhelmed, almost like her skin was too heavy and smothering to bear. "The things they were saying…"

Kagami wrapped her in an embrace, and the feeling started to ease immediately—because they were together, in this. Together in everything.

"My father is coordinating with Tomoe on finding out what happened. But it sounds like different rumors were released to different places, all at once almost."

"Throwing shit at the wall to see what sticks," Wayhem added.

Adrien scowled then, a look she almost never saw on him, and she realized he was truly angry on their behalf.

"I would bet anything we know who it was, though these faux journalists might pull the 'protect their sources' routine."

Marinette went cold, her eyes meeting Kagami's. They were filled with a fire that consumed, rather than that which usually smoldered.

"Lila." Kagami said the name like it was something disgusting she had to expel.

"H-how… You got here so fast," Marinette murmured. "Thank you."

"We were on our way out for date night when the news broke," Wayhem explained. "We saw you were at that restaurant-sounds amazing, by the way—and had the Gorilla divert."

"Wayhem called ahead to the restaurant. Then he had a friend who lives nearby and does cosplay at comic conventions play decoy. I called my father, and he's gotten in touch with Tomoe. Nathalie's texting me updates." Adrien's lips twisted further. "Some of those rumors involve me, which means he'll actually do something. Because 'it affects the brand.' Otherwise he wouldn't care."

Oddly, his anger helped ease her distress. Marinette let herself melt into Kagami's arms, using breathing exercises Fu had taught her so long ago to work on finding her calm. As awful as this was, she couldn't afford to get Akumatized.

"We aren't headed to my home," Kagami noted. "Or to Marinette's."

"Paparazzi." Wayhem turned in his seat. "They're camped out. It's a mess."

"Chloé called. We're going to the Grand Paris."

Marinette looked at him incredulously.

"She's changed." Adrien shrugged. "She's probably mad on my behalf, not yours. But she extended the offer. My house is mobbed, too."

A buzzing sensation registered against Marinette's leg, and she realized it was Tikki trying to get her attention. She reached her hand in her purse and Tikki pressed her phone into it. She had missed calls and texts from Alya.

Alya: I didn't know he'd do that.

Alya: he took evrythng out of context

Alya: that bastard i;m sorry

Alya: Mari pick up plz

Another call came in from Alya and Marinette pressed accept.

"Oh thank god! Mari, you got away?" Alya sounded positively frantic. "The feeds cut when you told them off."

"Yeah. Adrien and Wayhem helped us escape. Putting you on speaker."

"Thank god for the gays." Alya's voice filled the car. "Fucking Alec Cataldi, he… Dammit, I had no idea. He asked about our friendship and I thought it was like for a fluff piece or something."

Marinette's heart sank into her gut as she catastrophized over what Alya could have said.

Adrien held out his phone, a video playing.

"Yeah, we're all awesome friends. For a while Mari had trouble talking to Adrien, had a big crush, bu—"

The clip cut to Alec Cataldi. "And there you have it, folks. An inside source confirms: Marinette Dupain-Cheng, fiancée of Kagami Tsurugi, was involved in a love triangle. An anonymous source revealed a history of stalking and trying to use Adrien Agreste to jump-start her fashion career. So is she a gold-digger…?"

Adrien stopped the clip.

"I'm so sorry!" Alya's voice was strangled with rage and guilt.

Kagami wiped at her face with the sleeve of her tunic; Marinette hadn't realized she'd been crying.

"That… You didn't know," she managed. "I can't talk right now, though. I… I just can't."

They had ignored Cataldi's requests for an interview because he did this sort of thing, but Marinette had never expected this. She felt sick, wondering if Nadja had been involved at all. She doubted it, but...

"I understand, girl. I'm gonna do a livestream. Set the record straight. That asshole."

The call ended. Marinette let Kagami take her phone and tuck it in her purse, likely handing it off to Tikki.

She let Kagami gather her close, pressing her face into her shoulder. Her friends stayed silent the rest of the drive, letting her work to clear her mind, to push through.

By the time she really was able to focus on the world, she and Kagami were ensconced in a plush room at the Grand Paris, and a cup of tea was being pressed in her hands.

"Oh, you're back." Chloé's voice was oddly gentle, the arrogant tone missing. "It's chamomile. Helps me when I'm stressed."

It was strange, seeing Chloé almost as though for the first time. The fallout from Miracle Queen back in collège had left her friendless, Sabrina eschewing her, and she'd left to finish her studies through online courses, then attended a different lycée. Marinette hadn't seen much of her since.

She'd toned down, it seemed. Maybe even gained a little humility. She was wearing much more muted tones of makeup that fit her skin tone and hair. The smirk that had often twisted her features was absent. Even her hair was styled differently, in a loose bun.

"Hi," Marinette murmured. "Th-thank you."

Chloé nodded, looking a bit uncomfortable as she backed away. Their previous relationship had been oppositional. This was different for both of them.

Kagami was pressed against her side, offering comfort in her presence. Marinette noted she had her own cup of chamomile, shaking slightly in her hands. She leaned her head against her fiancée's shoulder.

"I'm okay, mon beignet," she whispered, and was relieved when Kagami laughed at the endearment and her hand stopped shaking. "We're in this together. We can do anything."

A giggle caught her attention, and she was surprised to find it had come from Chloé. Her laugh had always had a haughty quality. It was absent now.

"Those rags are ridiculous, falling for those rumors. You two… just ridiculous how in love you are. Bakery endearments. Geez."

It was almost strange to hear her say ridiculous as she always had, compared to the rest of her tone.

"It's like they think collège wasn't forever ago for us." Chloé offered a soft smile. "Sorry, I know this is weird."

Marinette nodded. "You're… different."

Chloé shrugged. "I was a complete bitch. But… Well, we're not in collège anymore. And I didn't want to be that person who peaked there as nothing but a mean girl."

A look passed over her face, almost anguished, and she turned away slightly.

"I didn't want to keep being the stupid entitled brat who willingly worked with a supervillain as part of a fucking temper tantrum."

The silence that followed was uncomfortable. Chloé offered no attempt at justification, no request for forgiveness.

"I'm glad," Marinette finally said, at least offering that much, if not absolution. "And I hope you're happier."

When Chloé turned back, there were tears on her face. "You know, when you said you thought I could be a hero… I was so awful to you, but still you…" She took a breath. "I just want to let you know it really meant a lot. It was important. So thank you."

Marinette didn't know what to say, and just offered a smile.

Chloé fidgeted a bit for a moment. "Um, anyway. This is Jagged and Penny's suite. They're getting here later tonight. Already told them what's going on. Wayhem and Adrien are staying, too, in another suite—you'll be sharing that one once it's ready." She flashed an awkward smile. "I'll get you guys pajamas and such. We'll figure this out."

Then Chloé fled.

Marinette let her; no matter how much she had changed, she knew this was more than a little uncomfortable for both of them—more so for Chloé's developed conscience.

And Chloé had given her something new to consider, something positive. Something else Marinette could cleave to as she worked through the shock of the awful things she was going to be reading about herself, and that she would have to refute.

She brought the fine china teacup to her lips, the delicate scent of chamomile wafting through her even before she took a sip. The warmth of the tea, of Kagami's presence, the remnants of their date tattered but still existent, the knowledge that this couldn't touch the world they had created… all came together to help calm her.

I'm big on verisimilitude, and I know if I read a fic that had the kind of restaurant described at the beginning, I'd want to know the fusion aspects. So I did a bunch of research on foods from each culture. All the foods do exist, but I've actually melded them in ways that I don't believe do. With the exception of Thai curry chicken bao, which you can get at Wow Bao. Man do I wish a lot of them did, though!

I didn't expect the chapter to go the way it did, in some respects. I actually thought I'd get further, to the New Year Tsurugi family event. But there was a lot happening in this chapter and I realized my initial estimation was way off.

I also wasn't sure if there was going to be Chloé redemption, but then it just… happened.

Oh, and happy Adrien/Wayhem for Valentine's Day. In Catch a Falling Star-verse after "Never Let It Fade Away," Adrien will have done some soul-searching and come to the realization he's bisexual and was just so hung up on Ladybug he didn't realize it (much like Mari being bi but hung up on Adrien). So when Alya jokingly calls them "the gays," it's more a general statement than bi erasure. Wayhem is totes gay though. Also, it's casually brought in because they've been together a bit and is thus a normal thing to all the characters.

Enjoy the Alec Cataldi and Lila salt.