Notes
Alright, friends. There is the next chapter. Sorry it took this long to get it put out. I lost all my notes for this story, and half of the chapter. And then the other half of the chapter. And it has been CRAZY over here. Anyway. I SHOULD be able to be posting more regularly...and, yes, I realize I've said that before. Again, I am sooooo sorry. Enjoy, though!
Marinette nodded, resolving to wait for this conversation until it was a little less…public. She grabbed 9 plates out of the cabinet while Alya pulled a tower of plastic shot glasses from the crate. She brought the pizzas, plates, and cookies back to the living room and sat on the blanket they'd laid out on the floor. She handed her friends and the Kwami each a plate.
"I don't know what you like," She told Nooroo and Plagg as she placed a couple of cookies on Tikki's plate.
"Camembert." Plagg said, smacking his lips.
"Oh, is that why you've got that cheese stash in your room, dude?" Nino said, reaching for Adrien's backpack, the latter nodding. "I just thought it was, like, a comfort food or something, so I brought you some."
No one saw him move, but Plagg was suddenly holding the small wheel of the awful-smelling cheese that Nino had held outstretched. He struggled for a second with the wrapping while everyone but Adrien stared at him in shock. With a sigh, the Kwami held it out to his holder. "How ever would you go on without me?" The blond joked, opening the cheese and handing it back over to Plagg, who proceeded to inhale it greedily.
"Do you have any honey, Ladybug?" Nooroo didn't seem phased at all by the other Kwami's actions.
"Sure, but, please, call me Marinette."
"Thank you, Marinette." He said, as he settled down. Marinette went back to her kitchen to grab a jar of honey and a teaspoon, setting them next to the plate, while the humans of the party began digging into the hot, cheesy pizza and passing around shots. The only sounds for a moment were chewing and the crunching of Tikki breaking a cookie into smaller pieces.
Adrien didn't immediately jump on the food, fingering a shot glass and staring into the clear, potent liquid.
"Adrien?" Marinette asked, looking at him in worry. Everyone else stopped eating.
He was silent for a moment, then he raised the cup, his eyes holding Marinette's. He looked as though he were trying to drown himself in her baby blue eyes, like they were all that was holding him down on the earth. "To the end of an era." He said softly. Marinette knew he meant so much more than his father's death; they had been hunting the faceless demon Hawk Moth for five years—he was the reason they'd come to possess the Miraculous in the first place. Now, though, their mission was complete; Hawk Moth was defeated, his Miraculous captured, and set to be returned to the Keeper.
And, now, Adrien was alone.
She made a vow to herself then and there: Adrien Agreste—her friend and partner, and the only person she knew understood her—would never, ever be left feeling alone.
"And the beginning of a new one." She replied, trying to convey everything she meant through her gaze. The others murmured in agreement and raised their own shots. As a group, they threw the alcohol back. There was a strange comfort in the knowledge that all five friends felt the same burn as it ran down their throats and settled in their stomachs.
"You know, though," Marinette said with a cough, "That this era isn't finished with us yet? We still need to put an end to Queen Bee's reign of terror." Only7 then would the evil Hawk Moth had spread be corrected. She had no clue what they would do once that task had been completed; it might end up being the end of Ladybug and Chat Noir. She didn't say that aloud, though. Her eyes still watched Adrien's, so she caught the brief look of equal parts pain and relief that Marinette recognized all too well, as the same sensations raced through her own thoughts.
There was a tense silence, the heroes still staring each other down, no one quite sure what to say.
Alya broke the tension. "Okay, now that we know the big secret, I'm dying to know the scoop. You had to have had some intense adventures. Come on—spill!"
Her words made Adrien and Marinette both blink, breaking the spell. They shared nostalgic grins.
"Did you get your powers at the same time?" Chloe asked. And did you train together, at all? You've always been so in sync." She was sitting against the wall with her knees pulled to her chest. Alya was tipping another shot into her outstretched glass.
Marinette smiled and stole one of Tikki's cookies—the tasted like home. "I think we got them on the same day. I don't think we've ever actually talked about it before."
"Did we?" Adrien mused, pouring another shot into his mouth. "I suppose you were a bit clumsy with that yoyo on our first mission, Milady—not that I was complaining…" Marinette flushed at the meor he was referring to. The others leaned forward eagerly. "On our first mission together," he began conspiratorially, "Our dear Ladybug tied us together around a light pole while we were chasing Stoneheart."
Chloe giggled, and Alya eyed Marinette with a smile.
"And who was it that was hitting on me when we were trapped together by the Bubbler, hmmm?" She shot back, crossing her arms defiantly.
"I remember you flirting back, Milady." He took a third shot. He leaned toward her, his face a foot from hers.
"I believe you are confused, kitty," She said teasingly, leaning forward to close the distance a bit more. "You're the flirt; I only give what I get."
He leaned in even closer, and she could feel his warm breath on her face and smell her shampoo in his hair. "That sounds like a rather boring way to live." His voice dropped lower, husky.
Marinette's eyes flicked down to his lips unbidden. "Oh, I don't know. It can be a lot of fun." They were an inch apart. All the romantic frustration and sexual tension that had built up over the years was sparking between them. Neither noticed when Nino cleared his throat to get their attention.
"Okay, I think it's time for a little Never Have I Ever." Alya said loudly.
Marinette and Adrien pulled back slowly, twin looks of contemplation—of what if—on their faces. Then Marinette gave Alya a long-suffering look. Never Have I Ever was her friend's favorite game—get everyone drunk and let them reveal their secrets. The alcohol was distributed liberally. Marinette grimaced; she was a lightweight, and Alya knew it. And they were starting out with pure undiluted vodka, the smell like nail polish remover hovering in the air. Just her one shot had her thoughts fuzzy and her heart fluttering—although, that could have in part been her recent teasing. Chloe looked uncharacteristically excited.
"Never have I ever…" declared Alya, brandishing her drink like a weapon. "Been a masked hero." She grinned evilly at Marinette.
Adrien answered her as soon as the alcohol passed his lips. "Never have I ever been a masked villain." His four rapid-succession shots were beginning to get the better of him. His eyes were wide, his voice a little louder than necessary.
"Touché." Alya said, as the other three took their shot.
"Never have I ever had a crush on someone in this room." No surprise—everyone took a shot.
"Never have I ever hated someone in this room." Chloe, Alya, and Marinette drained their cups again. Marinette giggled randomly, covering her mouth with her hand.
"Never have I ever kissed anyone in this room." She slurred, saluting Alya and Nino, who had been dating since high school graduation. They linked their arms together to take their shots, and Nino started saying something.
"Wait." Adrien was staring at Marinette with a predatory gleam in his eyes. "Marinette didn't take her shot." He said triumphantly.
It was dead silent for a full minute. Marinette looked confused for a second; then her eyes widened in recognition, and her mouth flopped open. "You can't…that is not…" She stuttered.
She was cut off by Alya. "Wait, MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG, did you kiss this boy and forget to tell me about it?" She had raised up onto her knees and turned to the side, clapping both hands onto Marinette's shoulders.
"Maybe…" She muttered.
"And you didn't mention this earlier because…?" Chloe asked, looking only mildly surprised.
"I…forgot." She mumbled, trying to hide her face.
Adrien pouted at her and clutched at his chest dramatically. "Ouch! Am I that fur-gettable, Milady?"
"No, it's just…" She mumbled so low no one heard.
"Oh, no, you aren't getting out of this one. Spill." Alya sat back, cross-legged with her arms crossed over her chest and glaring angrily.
Marinette groaned and leaned her head back against the wall. There was no escaping this one, and she knew it. "So, there was this akuma." She said with a sigh. She could still feel Adrien's eyes on her like a branding iron hovering over her skin. "You remember Lady Cupid?"
"She was that fandom-obsessed one, right? Big fluffy angel wings and a David Tennant t-shirt?"
Marinette nodded. "That's the one. We, uh, we were fighting, and she got the drop on me with one of those stupid fluffy arrows, and I went a little…crazy."
"That's an understatement, Purr-incess." Adrien glanced around conspiratorially. "She attacked me. I saw the arrow sink in, then shatter into that T.A.R.D.I.S. blue light, and she was kind of frozen there for a second. I was scared; I thought she was hurt, so I stepped forward. The second I moved, she looked up. It was like looking into the face of a beast." He was beginning to slur his words together, so the story sounded like it was being told by a sugar-high 5-year-old. "She leapt at me, tack-tackled me. I was so freaked, didn't know what to do, an' then she kissed me. And I mean kissed. Tongue and everything."
The others looked at Marinette, expecting her to argue, but the blunette, while so red they were worried for her for a second, didn't contest his telling of the story. They returned their attention to the drunk blond.
"I woulda been fine with the kissing." He grinned wildly. "But then she started pulling at my suit like she was trying to take it off—which was silly. She knows they can't come off when we're transformed. And she seemed to realize this, and started going for my ring, trying to take the Miraculous. I had to hold her off while she was trying to simultaneously trying to fight me and rip my clothes off. Made quite the sight."
"How do I not have this on the blog?" Alya said, trying hard to hold back her hysterical giggles—and failing. Marinette groaned, burying her head. She peeked up when Alya went suddenly silent. The brunette was looking at her open-mouthed. Marinette's brow creased in confusion. "Dark Cupid!" Marinette squeaked and hid her head again, not wanting to look at Adrien.
"Another cupid?" Adrien asked, confused. "Wait, that was the one that was killing relationships, right? What's that have to—"
"Ladybug kissed Chat Noir to break Dark Cupid's spell!" Chloe said, slapping her palm against her forehead.
"She—she what?!" Adrien's eyes went bug-wide as he turned to his partner in shock. She had…and all this time, not mentioning it again? "Mari?" He asked quietly, scooting so he was sitting right next to her, almost brushing against her body, electricity tingling over both of them. She nodded to confirm it.
"You didn't know?" Chloe asked Adrien, a little surprised. "She never told you?" They all looked at Marinette then.
"I didn't want…to get his hopes up." She muttered into her knees. Adrien almost said something, but she continued, making him shut his mouth. "And then…we got closer. And there was…" She knew she wouldn't have been saying any of this if not for the alcohol. "There was something there, like a…what-if…like, what if we kissed, could we still work together? Could we still be the heroes Paris needed? And I wanted to say something, tell him that we have kissed before, and the city didn't fall. That it was what had really saved us that day—the bond we share, you know? And…by then, it was just…I'd held it in for so long. The longer I went without telling him, the harder it got. And I…" She stopped, and raised up, leaning her head back against the wall. "Besides, that was different. Then, it was all about snapping him out of it. It was cruel. With Lady Cupid…she didn't cause feelings, she only took away inhibitions. She made people do what they truly wanted to do, in their hearts. And…"
"You wanted me?" Adrien asked quietly, shock in his voice. And fear of rejection. More emotions a trashed student needed to feel, for sure.
Silence filled the room. Everyone knew the answer; no one wanted to say it.
"Never have I ever," Nino said loudly, seeing his blunette friend in distress. "Failed a test at school."
Marinette gave him a gracious smile and took her shot along with everyone else. That seemed to break the tension a little. They went through about twenty minutes of the standard questions, ignoring the elephants in the room.
It was Alya who broke first. "Okay, I'm sorry, but no. I need to know things." Marinette laughed, face flushed with alcohol.
"So, you two have been running around Paris as masked superheroes for five years. And you didn't know about each other? Did anyone know?"
Marinette and Adrien shared a glance, smiles faltering. "I can't speak for mon Chatton, but no one knew about me. I was alone except for Tikki." Her Kwami pressed a hand comfortingly to Marinette's let and gave the girl a smile.
"It was the same for me." Adrien answered, shifting to mirror Marinette's position, still right next to her.
"Wasn't that lonely?" Alya asked in a small voice.
"In a way." Marinette spoke up after a second. "I guess…I mean, yeah, no matter if I was Ladybug or if I was Marinette, there was always a piece of myself I had to keep hidden, for everyone's safety—even from my partner." Her eyes held Adrien's, obvious affection filling them. "I learned to…separate them, I guess—Marinette and Ladybug, I mean. I made the two different people in my head, as much as I could. It worked for a while." She frowned.
"But…?" Chloe asked quietly, entranced by the conversation.
"L'Arc de Triomphe." Adrien answered, green eyes piercing into Marinette.
It was silent for a heartbeat.
"What happened?" Alya glanced, looking between the two with a frown, picking up a new kind of tension.
Marinette sighed. "It was…almost three years ago. You remember, spring semester, right before finals Freshman year?" She and Alya had been roommates at the time. "I wasn't sleeping, and when I did, I would get these nightmares. I was depressed, couldn't get out of bed, had to do most of my classes online to keep up." Alya nodded.
"Ladybug wasn't much better off." Adrien continued. "I could tell something was wrong, but I couldn't get her—get you—to talk to me. You were all business, for weeks. But you started showing up late. I could see your exhaustion even with your mask on. And then came Bat Wing."
"I remember him." Nino spoke up, throwing an arm around Alya as she curled into his side. "That was the zoo keeper right? The one that got blamed when some jerks came in and vandalized his bat enclosure?"
The others nodded. "Yeah." Marinette continued. "I was almost too late to the fight. Chat even got hurt, broke a couple of fingers on a hard landing. We tore up his pink slip, and released the akuma, but I was too slow to grab it. I ran forward, focused on getting it before it could roost and spread more darkness. The battle had ended at the top of the Arc de Triomphe. I didn't even notice the edge coming up. Just as I sealed the akuma away, I stepped out into nothing. For a split second, everything stood still. I could hear Chat make a noise, could see the lights of the city, and I could see the open air under my feet. And I felt this sense of…clarity. I realized I was run completely ragged, so much so that I was failing as both Marinette and Ladybug—and it clicked. I couldn't separate the two—it made no sense. Because they were both me. I was treating them like 2 people—with the abilities and strengths and needs of 2 people—and it was about to kill me. I couldn't grapple anything fast enough; I was just falling. Chat Noir managed to catch me and bring me back to the Arc. I just—I just sat there, clinging to him, sobbing, and we talked."
Adrien reached over and took her hand, squeezing it lightly. "I realized II was starting to do the same thing, but I had always known Chat Noir was just the better half of Adrien Agreste. School was beginning to force me apart, though. Especially since none of my friends knew about my secret. I think…That moment was when I finally realized I wasn't alone. That someone else in my life knew how I felt. And it didn't matter if we knew each other's civilian identities or not; the point was that they existed, and they were every bit as much a part of ourselves as the masks were."
"You know, we were very close to learning our alter-egos that night." Marinette said, eyes drooping as the booze made her drowsy, still holding Adrien's hand.
"You what?" Alya's head lifted slightly from where it rested on Nino's chest. The two had fallen back onto a mound of pillows, and they'd pulled a throw over them.
"We were there for so long, and we needed to talk, but we ran out of time So, we sat back-to-back on top of the Arc, and let the transformations fall, and stayed there until Tikki and Plagg were better."
"And you didn't peek?!" The brunette asked with interest.
Marinette shook her head, eyeing the couple. They looked awfully comfy. She scooted towards Adrien, leaning against his shoulder. He lifted his arm automatically and wrapped it around her, her face falling onto his chest. "We didn't need to." She answered sleepily. "It wasn't about that. It wasn't about needing to know each other's secrets. It was about needing someone there who knew what we were going through. It was like…confession. We just sat there and talked. We've been closer ever since. Like two sides of the same coin." Marinette's eyes closed in exhaustion, the swimming room making her not want to open them again just yet. She didn't stir when an arm snaked under her knees and pressed against her shoulder blades, lifting her off the floor. She simply curled closer to the warmth—like a real ladybug seeking heat.
Chloe smiled as she saw Adrien chivalrously picking her up—despite his stumbling and wobbling from his imbibing more than twice as much alcohol as the blunette. She watched him gently lay her on the pull-out sofa bed, then pause, looking conflicted between the floor and the bed. Chloe rolled her eyes. "Take the bed." She said softly, careful not to disturb the three in the room who had already fallen asleep. "They took most of the pillows." She pointed at Alya and Nino. "There's really only enough down here for one more. Besides. You need it." To make her point, she gathered the remaining pillows and situated them perfectly, curling up under a warm fleece blanket. He nods, and takes off his shirt; he hated sleeping in the damn things. He inevitably would awake from a nightmare with it strangling him. Then, he crawled onto the bed, and pulled the fluffy comforter over the both of them, trying to keep a safe distance from Marinette.
She, of course, was having none of that. Marinette frowned, feeling a chill from lack of body contact, and reached out, seeking that heat again. There. Her hand found his bare chest, and she wriggled towards him, until she was pressed against him. They were both on their sides, facing each other. Adrien stiffened for a moment. "It's okay, Chatton, I'm here." She whispered as she rubbed her nose against the center of his chest, one of her arms wrapping around his waist. Her words brought a tear to his eyes, and he wrapped both arms around her, burying his face in her hair. Even asleep, she knew he needed her.
Chloe let sleep take her, smiling at the sight of her two friends cuddling together, finally realizing how perfect they were for each other.