Chapter Seventeen
"Come on, Bugaboo, that's 37…38…39…"
Marinette smiled as she pulled her upper body off the floor, her chest meeting her knees. This time, she reached forward and grabbed the front of Adrien's shirt and pressed her lips to his as she lowered herself back down. He released his grip on her tennis shoes and fell forward over her, bracing himself with a hand on either side of her body. "Forty," Marinette said as she pulled away. Adrien chuckled and beamed down at her, brushing a strand of sweat-soaked hair that had escaped her headband.
Marinette took silent inventory of her body, as she had after every workout. She was sore from the constant abuse she was putting her healing muscles through—and from that day's five-hour workout in the apartment's renovated gym. But she wasn't as sore as she had been the day before. She still had those wonderful endorphins pumping through her system, making her feel a bit light and airy, but heavy and grounded at the same time. That had been the end of the first part of their cooldown. All that was left was the stretching—not the intensive yoga stretching that constituted their warm-ups and boundary-pushing flexibility tests—stretching that eased the tension that the exercise had placed on their muscles and helped the body calm itself back down.
"As much as I would love to stay exactly where I am, Milady," Adrien said, pressing a much more chaste kiss on her lips, "I don't want to be stiff as a board later because you didn't let me stretch." Marinette rolled her eyes. He leaned back and stood, holding out his hand. Rather than take it, Marinette grinned, giving him only a split-second warning before she swept her leg up, hitting him just behind his knees and forcing him back down, using the momentum to spring back up on her own. She looked down at him with a cocked eyebrow and pretended to pop her collar. "Yup. She's definitely back." Adrien grunted, the fall having knocked the wind out of his lungs for a second. She helped him up, and they moved to their yoga mats, falling into a routine they knew they could do in their sleep. Knees shoulder-width apart, back straight, rotate the hips and touch the ground, hold…Roll the back, returning to a standing position, hands reaching up…Three deep breaths and sun salutations…lean to the right, hold, up…lean to the left, hold, up…feet together, bend at the waist, grip the backs of the ankles, hold…roll back up. It went on for about 30 minutes longer, neither speaking, both stealing quick glances at each other as they enjoyed the peace of the cooldown, stretching out their splits, making sure no muscle was left wanting. They both ended up laid out on their backs on their own mats, staring at the ceiling, sighing as the tension just released and flowed away.
Marinette stole a look towards Adrien, whose eyes were closed in relaxation. He looked so calm, so innocent, like the last four months had never happened. Like they were back in high school without a care in the world. She suddenly wanted to be touching him. Her muscles tensed as she readied herself, before she pushed her body off the floor and sprang to the side, tackling him and rolling sideways a few times until they hit the padded base of the sparring ring.
Adrien spluttered, automatically catching her as they rolled. "What on earth was that for?" He demanded. Marinette giggled and shrugged, throwing her arms around his neck. He quickly realized how they had landed, but he didn't move. She was on her back, her left side pressed against the wall. He had grabbed her around the waist, and had rolled on top of her, pinning her against him in the corner. He suddenly wasn't so tired anymore. One hand slid up from her waist, over her ribcage, stopping just below her breast, watching her pupils dilate and her breathing hitch. He groaned and rested his forehead against hers. "What are you doing to me?" He muttered. Then, surprising her, he pulled away and stood again, pulling her up with him. She quirked a brow. "Not here. With the others coming in and out, and the random reporter somehow sneaking through, we don't want to get caught down here. And I don't want to get started and have to stop like the other day."
"Right, my parents." She said. "Ugh, way to kill the mood." She shoved him playfully in the chest and made to walk away.
Like they were part of some intricate dance, Adrien grabbed her hand and spun her back into his arms. He put his mouth to her ear. "I wasn't trying to kill the mood, Bug. I just meant that I wanted to make sure your cries were all mine." Marinette gasped as his hand slid over her butt, then between her legs, brushing lightly over her core and setting her on fire. She could barely manage a breathy 'okay,' as he swept her up into a bridal carry and brought her upstairs, checking their apartment to make sure they were alone before latching the door. "Come here," he growled pressing her body against his. He pressed her back against the door and gripped her thighs, pulling them around his waist as she grabbed the sides of his face and kissed him hard.
"How much do you love these yoga pants?" Adrien moaned into her neck as he kissed his way down to her breasts, his fingers massaging her thighs.
"They're old and getting worn. Why?" She answered breathlessly. There was a tearing sound and Marinette gaped as she realized what he had just done.
"Sorry, Bug. You're just too sweet." He grinned, feeling her shudder.
Marinette pulled his face back up to hers and kissed him harder, like she was trying to draw his soul out through his lips. "Oh, god, Adrien, please, just…" She reached down with one hand and rubbed his hard length through his shorts, her legs easily keeping their grip around him.
Adrien groaned in response, arching into her hand and pressing his face into the crook of her neck for a moment before pushing her hand away. "I need you, Milady," He purred in her ear as he lowered the waistband of his shorts just enough to free himself, lining himself up.
"Yes, please," Marinette gasped, hips grinding towards him, desperate to get closer. Adrien lightly bit into her shoulder as he thrust forward, pinning her to the door. Marinette let out a loud cry, and he was thankful that their friends had gone out on the town for a while; they would have definitely heard that. They would have certainly heard the next cry, and the string of curses and pleas coming from Marinette's lips as he set a quick, forceful tempo, driving her crazy. He kept one hand under her, holding her up in case she let go of him, while the other pulled away what remained of her pants to expose the rest of her core, realizing for the first time she had not worn any underwear. He groaned and nipped at her again, resuming kissing her throat as he found the center of her heat and pinched it in his fingers, making her jerk against him and let out another curse. Her nails were digging into his back, but he didn't care, watching her lose control like that. He held himself back until he saw her shatter around him, the sight of her mouth open in a silent cry of pleasure, eyes closed in ecstasy finally driving him over the edge.
Adrien rested his forehead against her breasts as he caught his breath, feeling her fingers combing through his hair absently. Marinette let out a happy sigh, relaxing some of the tension keeping her held aloft. He helped lower her to the ground, steadying her as her knees wobbled. They shared a sated look, and started laughing, holding each other up. They were a collective mess. Their hair was ruffled, frizzed out from the humidity of the gym—no matter the temperature, something about the body heat and the sweat—what little makeup she'd had on smudged around her eyes like a racoon's mask, her pants literally in tatters, while his pooled around his ankles, both drenched in sweat, skin slightly red from the laps they'd swam in the sun the day before. They wordlessly agreed on their next mission: The shower. They scrubbed the salt from their skin and the oils from their hair, then splashed a bunch of water at each other like children at a water park, before finding themselves curled up on the couch wearing nothing but their towels, Marinette wearing one around her breasts, hanging like a dress, and one wrapped around her hair, Adrien wearing just one around his waist.
"Are they done?" Came a quiet, muffled voice, making them freeze for a moment.
"Hush, Plagg. Quit being so nosy. They deserve their fun."
Marinette blushed; she had forgotten the Kwami were there. "It's safe!" She called, seeing the two little gods zoom out of their home and over to their small cushion on the coffee table, placed there so that they could take part in discussions comfortably.
"Good, because, you may have forgotten, it's Tuesday." Tikki said. "Which means it is time for our weekly talks." Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. He had actually forgotten. As soon as Marinette was healing well-enough, they had decided that every Tuesday the four of them would get together to talk about what was going on with them, internally and externally—like a group therapy session—and especially anything involving their Bonding with the Miraculous. This had, of course, happened after a confusing incident one night…
Master Fu was checking on Marinette. It was maybe 1:30 or 2:00 AM. He just needed to check her vitals, make sure she was sleeping well, all those good things. He groaned as he slid out of the pullout couch-bed in the living room—those things were definitely not made for comfort—and quietly slipped his way into her room. She was laying on her back, still as death, looking pale and weak. He would have thought she was dead had it not been for the faint beep of the heart monitor. Its glow illuminated the room enough for him to see the fluff of unruly blond hair belonging to her faithful companion. They had obviously fallen asleep talking. He was sitting in his chair beside the bed, slumped over the edge with his head almost resting in her lap. Her face was turned towards him, her hand resting in his. Master Fu smiled. It had taken this pair a while to find each other, longer than most of their predecessors, but he was glad they finally had. Their new team would need a strong, unified front, especially if his dreams were an indication of struggles yet to come.
He was about to turn and walk from the room when he saw…something. He couldn't place it, exactly. It was like a shiver in the air. Then, Marinette twitched, her head turning to the other side, her leg sliding under the blanket. Then again, pulling on the hand attached to Adrien's. Adrien's grip seemed to tighten, and his body drew closer to hers. Master Fu watched closely, seeing a bit of…shadow…pass over his hair…no, that was fur, black fur. It stood straight up on the back of his neck, then moved on. He could see it move under Adrien's shirt down his spine before it was gone. The heart monitor started beeping faster as Marinette's heart began to race, sweat beading on her skin. She began thrashing, whimpering in her sleep, finally stirring Adrien. He opened his eyes, and the sight stopped Master Fu in his tracks. Adrien's—Chat Noir's—irises were glowing brilliant green, a scowl on his face. But his expression was empty. He was seeing something other than the room.
Adrien focused on something Master Fu couldn't see. The old man turned on the lights, but there was still nothing there. Then the boy began speaking, but not in French, or English. It was…Italian. From what he could hear, it was something along the lines of "You will not touch our Emmaline; You will not have our daughter."
Then, Marinette opened her eyes and sat straight up, with the same not-quite-there look Her eyes were glowing red—not the usual blue, but bright scarlet—the small pinpricks of her pupils almost like the spots of a ladybug. She began shouting in Italian as well, much more loudly. Master Fu could hear a commotion as the other five occupants living on this floor heard and came running. She was saying, "Emma, run! Get out of here! Go with Esther! We love you, darling!"
Adrien stood and lunged over the bed towards whatever he was staring at, just as people ran into the old man's back. Marinette's blank, fiery eyes followed him, then her entire body at once recoiled and jerked towards him, as he slumped motionless to the floor. "Paolo, no!" She yelled, so loud and so full of anguish and rage that everyone else in the room flinched. The same red glow of her eyes touched the palms of her outstretched hands, aiming at the imaginary foe. It grew brighter, hotter, until Master Fu had to turn away, pushing everyone else out of the room and down on the ground just as a shockwave went off. The lights snapped off, the heart monitor going silent. Out the windows they could see streetlights flash into darkness, the bulbs bursting into a shower of glass like glitter or snow on the cold morning. The city went dark.
"Marinette!" Alya called, scrambling up first and rushing to the bed side. Everyone else followed suit, Sabine going to Adrien and turning him over, tapping his cheek. Both had calmed, slumping back into sleep where they lay.
Adrien awoke first, and violently. Had Sabine not been expecting it, he would have slammed their heads together with concussing force as he bolted onto his feet, then crouched like a cat, eyes narrowed and glancing about for enemies. Seeing the worry around him sobered him. "Mari?" He said, straightening and pushing through to the bed. Marinette blinked up at his face as he took her hand.
Then, with a cry, she threw her arms around his neck. It happened so fast that only Adrien saw. When she blinked, her eyes had been red before blue. He pulled her face away from his shoulder and looked into her eyes, but they were normal. He rested his forehead against hers. Without moving he said, "What just happened. How did I end up over there?"
"You don't remember?" Nino asked. "Dude, you just, like, attacked air. Something really weird just happened."
"Did he say…Did he say something about Emmaline?" Tikki asked. The others glanced up. Tikki and Plagg were hovering near the foot of the bed with stunned expressions.
"And did she say Paolo? And Esther?" Plagg continued.
"Who?" Adrien and Marinette chorused, sharing confused looks.
"Why, do those names mean something to you?" Master Fu asked.
"They should mean something to you too, Master." Tikki said quietly, alighting onto Marinette's lap and looking up at her Holder.
Plagg landed on Adrien's shoulders, voice solemn, not cocky. "Paolo was the last one."
"The last what?" Adrien asked, giving him a quizzical look.
"Paolo and Arabella Vicci were the last Ladybug and Chat Noir that bonded to our Miraculous. Esther was Paolo's sister, and the Holder of the Peacock Miraculous at that time. Emmaline was their daughter. She was twelve when…" Tikki's voice faded out, filled with grief.
Marinette and Adrien looked like they had both seen a ghost. "How did…you said the others that Bonded died horribly…how did it happen with them?" Marinette asked quietly.
The Kwamii flinched. "Their identities had been compromised, but they didn't know it. An enemy took their daughter, and they used her as leverage. They managed to wrestle her away and hand her off to Esther, but…" Plagg's voice was even touched with loss. "Paolo was killed. Instantly. There was nothing any of us could do to save him. Arabella was forced to watch, and something in her broke."
Tikki took up the story. "She always had an issue with controlling her temper, and it got the best of her. She, quite literally, blew up. She could no longer see the light, and everything became about revenge for her lost love, in an instant. Such a violent thought did not synch with the Miraculous, and the energy could no longer flow directly through her. It built up with no outlet until with a final explosion, it escaped, taking down the church and most of the surrounding buildings. Plagg and I never knew what happened to Esther and Emmaline. We hope they got away. But the Peacock Miraculous has been missing ever since."
Master Fu nodded. "Ah, yes, now the story comes back to me."
"But that's not possible." Marinette said shakily. "Th-that was just a d-dream. That's all. I was just worrying about Adrien jumping into danger, that's all."
Adrien glanced at her. "I had the same dream," He said quietly. Marinette gaped at him.
"It must be the Bond." Tikki conjectured. "It must be a warning. You," She pointed at Adrien, "Have a tendency for leaping into dangerous situations before you consider the consequences, and you," She turned on Marinette, "become entirely focused on him when he does, forgetting other things."
"Of course I do!" Marinette almost shouted. "I love him, and he's going to get himself killed."
"You're the one who exploded." Tikki pointed out. The room fell silent. "The Miraculous must sense that one or both of you is harboring feelings that don't mesh with our goals. It's trying to tell you to change what you're doing before you end up just another couple doomed to die in the cause." The pair looked at each other somewhat guiltily.
"I think…it's more about me," Adrien said. "I tried to hide it with white lies and pretty words, but part of me just wants to hurt Queen Bee for causing all of this, for tearing a hole in my life."
"And I've been focusing, as much as I hate to admit it, just the tiniest bit, on getting revenge for her hurting you." She took his hand. "But that's not what we are about, is it." She didn't phrase it like a question.
Adrien pressed his forehead against hers again and breathed deeply. "You're right. We can't do that. This is about the city, about Nooroo, about the future. Our future." Marinette shared a tiny smile.
"If this is going to work," Master Fu interrupted their sweet moment, "You both need to be completely honest with each other. You cannot be bottling up negative feelings. I warned you how dangerous this Bond is, and you must not take that warning lightly."
Admonished, the two bowed their heads and agreed.
"I'm feeling alright. Fantastic, actually." Adrien fluffed his almost-dry hair. Marinette took hers down out of the towel and started combing through it with her fingers. "Hawkmoth is gone; Queen Bee is gone. We have an amazing team, and a city that doesn't want to crucify us for the little show we put on. And we're finally together." His smile was almost completely genuine.
"I'll be honest." Marinette said. "I'm sort of…terrified." The others looked at her in mild concern. "Look, yeah, it's amazing that everything with our superhero lives is shaping up nicely. But Ladybug isn't all I am. I had to take a semester off university, moved out of my apartment. The whole world knows I'm Ladybug. My email is full of messages from reporters and talk shows and people wanting pictures or movie deals." She shook her head. "I had a plan. I would get my degree, intern somewhere prestigious, and become a—hopefully world-famous—designer. Maybe settle down quietly, get married, have kids, retire the Ladybug mask."
"With the exception of that last little tidbit, no one is stopping you from doing those things." Adrien said, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her against his chest.
"But they are," She insisted. "I'm a statistic, now. I'm the famous person that everyone will hire or give scholarships to or make deals with just so that they can have my name associated with theirs. Whatever name Marinette Dupain-Cheng could make for herself is now going to be overshadowed by Ladybug. Our families will always be in danger—remember, remember Emmaline." Adrien frowned and rested his chin on her head, protectively drawing her closer. "Yes, we have each other, and a nice big house, and no sword of Damocles-esque secret hanging over us. But we'll never really be free again, minou. And we will never retire. Do you understand that, yet? Do you realize what that means for us?" Tears prickled the corners of her eyes. "If we could, maybe after years and years, people would calm down. Maybe then we would be able to pull out of the limelight. But we will always be Paris' heroes in their eyes. Always watched, always judged. We'll live a long time, because of the Bond, meaning we'll be around for our children, our grandchildren, maybe even our great grandchildren to feel the effects. Your modeling career, if you keep it up, is about to be nothing but Chat Noir shoots, sexualizing the cat-suit, and they'll try to drag me into it, and our children, when they come along. My fashion career is over."
"No, it's not," Adrien said firmly. "You won't have to give up your passion."
"We have new day jobs, minou, with the Police Department. Because of the Bond, we have no choice but to agree to take them. I can't do both, Adrien. I can't."
"My modeling is over. That was all my father's dream anyway. Yeah, I was planning on taking the Police up on the job offer. But that doesn't mean you have to."
Marinette turned in his lap to look at him incredulously. "You don't think I'd let you go out there alone, do you?" She raised her left hand. "This ring is a promise, and one I don't intend to break."
"Fine, how about we both go part time. At least until we finish university. Then we can decide what we want to do from there. If you want to start an underground fashion company under a false name, I will help you find contacts. If you want to break all ties and become a masked hero 24/7, I'll be by your side. If you just want to drop any pretense and join the police force and settle down and have eight kids, I'll be helping you change all those diapers. That's my promise." He kissed her hand, over her engagement ring.
Marinette was quiet for a moment, trying to hide her amusement, and her small flush of joy at the picture in her head. "If we have eight kids…well…let's not have eight kids?" She said, realizing how stressful and crazy that would be. "Just, maybe, two. Or three. Maaaaybe four. Eight is definitely pushing it."
"Darling, any children I had with you would bring me so much joy I wouldn't need to count. Even if we decided never to have kids, you would be a source of eternal joy for me."
Marinette couldn't hide her happiness anymore, and turned to kiss him, soft, gentle, full of love. Her worries were easing back, and she felt whole again. "Thank you, minou," She whispered. "Thank you for always knowing what to say, and for being there when I need you."
"Thank you for being the light in my life, Mari." He answered, pressing his lips to hers again.
Tikki and Plagg shared a satisfied look and darted back to their nest. This was how their chats always ended, sickening-sweet, happy. An outsider would think they were unnecessary. But they knew differently. They could feel that pent up emotion in their Holders' hearts, the dangerous energy. These talks let that tension ease. Hopefully, they wouldn't have to witness their Holders tragically torn apart this time.
"You know," Plagg said, snuggling his girlfriend. "I think these two are my favorite."
Tikki smiled. "I couldn't agree more." They were quiet a moment. "Do you think they're ready?" She whispered.
Plagg frowned. "If what Master Fu told us is true…they better be."
Obliviously, Marinette and Adrien cuddled together, watching Firefly and relaxing on the couch, letting the show lull them to sleep.