It took me a while to decide what to do with this chapter and it finally decided to write itself after several days of contemplating.
Leave a review if you've enjoyed it!
Nathaniel stood at center stage, hair pushed behind his ear. Marinette had given him a hair clip to keep his hair out of his face. Nathaniel had given her a small smile before turning to climb up the stage.
I messed up tonight
I lost another fight
I still mess up but I'll just start again
His heart was pounding, especially since it was already so rare for him to be the center of attention. He felt his mouth dry and sweat forming on his brow. Rose and Juleka stood near the front, giving him bright smiles. Juleka had even given him a thumbs up and a mouthed 'good luck'.
I keep falling down
I keep on hitting the ground
I always get up now to see what's next
Art school was hard, everyone was just so talented. It was one of the best schools in the immediate area and Nathaniel had made it through the first semester barely keeping afloat.
The environment was so different compared to what he was used to when he was in Collège. He didn't know anybody and making friends was hard. He felt isolated and alone with nothing but blank canvas staring back at him as company.
Birds don't just fly
They fall down and get up
Nobody learns without getting it won
This was his go-to song whenever he was feeling overwhelmed - which lets not lie to ourselves, it's a huge majority of the time. Social anxiety was a bitch. He spotted a head of dark hair and bright blue eyes and sent his crush a wink.
Marinette cheered and clapped to the music, amazed at how confident Nathaniel looked when he was on stage. This was the most confident that she had seen him in a long time. While the two hardly met or talked now that they've graduated from Collège Françoise Dupont, Marinette would check in with her redheaded classmate once in a while.
She also got frequent updates from Rose and Juleka, who the redhead actually did keep in touch with. Alya nudged Marinette in the side and the two of them shared a smile. While Nathaniel still had feelings for Marinette, the two had come to terms that Marinette just didn't like him that way and remained fast friends.
I won't give up, no I won't give in
Till I reach the end
And then I'll start again
While this was almost public knowledge - no gossip remained private for long in the halls of Collège Françoise Dupont. Except Adrien had been in and out of school due to his hectic modeling schedule. So while everyone knew the open secret that Marinette had already declined Nathaniel's affections, Adrien was almost burning with jealousy.
He had seen how Marinette had clipped up the hair of the taller boy and how the two had exchanged a smile. His stomach was churning uncomfortably, like it did whenever he saw Marinette and Felix together. Clenching a fist, he had forced himself to stay in place instead of standing between the two of them.
Though I'm on the lead
I wanna try everything
I wanna try even though I could fail
I won't give up, no I won't give in
Till I reach the end
And then I'll start again
Then suddenly blue blue eyes were staring into his soul and Adrien felt like he could breathe again. Because those eyes were looking at him with that strange intensity that had missed. Adrien could only give Marinette a smile before he found himself winding around the bodies of his ex-classmates. Making his way over to her and that's all that really mattered didn't it?
As long as Marinette, his Lady, his partner, was by his side then nothing in the world truly mattered. The next thing he knew, Marinette was in front of him, his back facing the stage, effectively blocking Nathaniel from the shorter girl's view.
No I won't leave
I wanna try everything
I wanna try even though I could fail
"Want to dance?" Adrien tried his best to give Marinette a charming smile. Marinette had only blinked at him for a couple of seconds before a wide smile broke out. Without a reply she had looped her arm in his and dragged him to the front of the stage to join the other dancing kids.
"Oh oh try everything" Nathaniel watched with a heavy heart as Marinette and Adrien made their way to dance near the front of the stage. He knew Marinette didn't think of him like that, but it still kinda hurt. Despite the entire semester that the redhead had spent away from his crush. He tried his best to shake the heavy feeling away and concentrated on his song.
Feeling bold from his song choice, Nathaniel jumped off the stage, landing right in front of Marinette, flailing slightly but managing to catch himself before he fell.
Look how far you've come
You filled your heart with love
Baby you've done enough that cut your breath
Singing while staring Marinette right in the eyes made the both of them blush but Marinette gave him an encouraging smile and suddenly it felt like he was in his own little world. Nathaniel felt like he was merely an insignificant planet while Marinette was the sun and he could do nothing but to orbit around her.
Don't beat yourself up
Don't need to run so fast
Sometimes we come last but we did our best
Marinette really was like the sun. She was bright and cheerful. She made him feel better about himself when the self-doubt was overwhelming. She was always gave warm hugs that made you feel safe, even though she was probably smaller than you.
Adrien made to cut in and grabbed Marinette's hand to twirl her, making the shorter girl laugh breathlessly. Rose took Nathaniel's other hand pulled him to dance between her and Juleka. Both of them giving him wide grins. This was the most forward Nathaniel had ever been when it came to Marinette. Not counting the Evillustrator incident.
The rest of the group started to sing along to the music as they all dance around Nathaniel. Marinette even managed to squeeze past the dancing bodies to make way to the singing redhead. He blushed and stumbled over his words when Marinette managed to carry him and then spin him around as if he were nothing more than a stuffed toy.
When both his feet were back on solid ground Marinette was swept off her feet by a loud Kim, somehow she found herself sitting on his shoulder. The two of them singing off-key to the lyrics between loud uncontrollable laughter.
Kim managed to catch Adrien's eye and gestured to the dark haired bundle perched on his shoulder. Adrien's eyes widened when he realised Kim's intentions and Marinette had only a moment to prepare herself before she was sailing through the air with a shriek.
Adrien caught her in his arms, looking frazzled but the two of them exchanged grins and Marinette laughed before skipping away from the blond. Nino came up to his best friend and nudged him the ribs.
"Guess it was just a lucky catch, eh bro?" Nino teased good naturedly. Adrien blushed, the sudden warmth and weight of Marinette's body in his arms had startled him. But it was so damn familiar from all the nights he had spent on her balcony and the subsequent tucking her in bed.
Nathaniel and Mylene were sharing the microphone now, Ivan looking over the pair with gentle eyes.
I'll keep on making those new mistakes
I'll keep on making them every day
Those new mistakes
Oh oh, try everything
The group of friends cheered. Even Chloe, in all her stuck up glory had joined in the impromptu dance session. Alya snatched the microphone back from Nathaniel who was flushed and made her way to the stage.
"That was the amazing performance by our most talented resident artist Nathaniel!" Alya encourage the loud cheers for the redhead before continuing with the program.
Marinette's attention was on the blond who stood off the side of the stage, ready for his turn. Marinette watched as he took out something from his pocket and brought it to his lips for a quick kiss. Blue eyes widened when she realised that it was the lucky charm Marinette had given Adrien all those years ago.
She thought of the matching one that Adrien had gifted her for her birthday, sitting next to Tikki in the sling-bag she always carried.
"Up next we have the poster child himself, Adrieeeennnnnn!" Adrien made his way up to stage, grabbing the microphone from Alya's outstretched hands. Alya winked at him before running down the stairs to stand next to Marinette.
"I wonder what else he wants to kiss" Alya snickered at Marinette's steadily reddening face.
Being on stage getting ready to sing a solo was a totally different feeling compared to walking down a catwalk. Everyone had their eyes on him. Marinette was next to Alya, the two girls gave him an encouraging thumbs up. Nino was over by the DJ booth, grinning at his best friend and held a fist out in support.
"I've always been the kind of boy that hid my face." Adrien gestured to himself with a shy smile.
So afraid to tell the world
What I've got to say
But I had this dream
Right inside of me?
He pulled his outstretched hand to his chest, his green so very expressive as he looked into the audience. Marinette continued to watch Adrien as she had before. Blue eyes boring into emerald. Watching not Adrien but Chat Noir.
I'm going to let it show
It's time
To let you know
To let you know
There was no mistaking it, now that she had broken whatever Kwami magic that had been protecting his identity from her. The similarities between Adrien and her partner were too overwhelming.
This is the real, this is me
I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now
Gonna let the light
Shine on me
She had been terrified, when Adrien had asked her to dance. It hadn't just been Adrien Agreste. It was Chat Noir. And it made an entire world of difference. The same boy she had been letting spend time on her balcony, the same boy she marathoned movies with on Netflix, the same boy she had tossed across Paris, the same boy who had professed his love for her numerous times.
Now I found
Who I am
There's no way to hold it in
No more hiding who I want to be
This is me
It really was as if the admittedly roguish hero Chat Noir was the one who was on stage and not perfect model Adrien. Marinette watched as Adrien sang with a confidence she never really got to see without a camera in front of him.
Do you know what it's like to feel so in the dark
To dream about a life where you're the shining star
Even though it seems
Marinette blushed when the fact that Adrien Agreste, had been confessing his undying devotion to her for the past two years, made itself known in her mind. Alarms were blaring and all she wanted to do was go into an emergency mental lockdown so that she could process the information.
It was... Unbelievably lucky.
How much of her Ladybug luck had she used up for the cosmos to align just so? When Kim had tossed her in the air, she hadn't been afraid because Adrien - Chat Noir, was there and she trusted him to never let her fall. Trusted him with her life.
Like it's too far away
I have to believe in myself
It's the only way
Suddenly she had a microphone shoved into her hands and a knowing look from Alya. Marinette gathered everybit of her Ladybug courage and took a deep breath. Adrien stood on stage with one arm raised and his head thrown back as he sang. Praying to all the gods in the world that he knew that Marinette would sing with him. To confirm all his suspicions. To just... Well he didn't know what he wanted but his head whipped so fast the moment he heard the hesitant voice of Marinette coming from the speakers.
You're the voice I hear inside my head
The reason that I'm singing
I need to find you
I think I've found you
Marinette sang shyly into the microphone, a grinning Adrien laughed from his position on stage, punching his fist in the air. Bright green eyes glittered in an a flurry of emotions Marinette couldn't even begin to name. But the relief and joy were apparent.
You're the missing piece I need
The song inside of me
You need to find me
You gotta find me
This was all the proof Adrien needed. Marinette really was Ladybug. Adrien could feel the magic practically wash away as the gears finally clicked into place.
"Find me…" That request had been replaying in his head for weeks and he had finally - FINALLY - found his lady.
"This is the real, this is me. I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now" Marinette joined in with Adrien, their voices harmonizing. She stood in her place as she gestured Adrien with her hand to join her. "Gonna let the light. Shine on me."
Impulsively the blond jumped off the stage and made his way to Marinette. The audience parting for him, like moses and the sea. Adrien briefly registered the various expressions on their faces. Surprised mostly and a lot of happy faces. He only had one thing on his mind, getting to his Lady.
Now I found who I am
There's no way to hold it in
No more hiding who I want to be
The two held hands and the rest of the world diminished as their minds could only focus on each other. They couldn't, wouldn't break eye contact.
They had found each other.
Intertwining their fingers the two of them, yin and yang, creation and destruction, chaos and order. It felt like their very hearts were singing for each other.
This is me
You're the missing piece I need
The song inside of me
This is me
You're the voice I hear inside my head
The reason that I'm singing
Alya held her phone in one hand, having retrieved it from the tripod when Nathaniel had been singing his number. With a satisfied smile she recorded her best friend singing with her long time crush. Nino wrapped an arm around her waist and she leaned into his embrace. It was nice to see the two of them finally getting together.
Now I found who I am
There's no way to hold it in
No more hiding who I want to be
This is me
The crowd cheered and applauded. Kim had even wolf-whistled when the pair of them finally broke apart. Both their cheeks were red as they stammered compliments to each other. Neither willing to let go of each other's hand.
The ex-classmates thought it was the birth of a new couple that they were applauding. But really, it was the fact that Ladybug and Chat Noir had finally found out each other's civilian identities. The thoughts of romance and crushes were too far from their minds. Their best friend, their partner, had been right there by their side the entire time.
The relief that washed over them that their suspicions had been right, washed over the two of them as they finally realised who they really were.
Ladybug had been the one who had been feeding and keeping lonely Adrien company on her rooftop for the past two years. Chat Noir had been the one who had been fighting Akumatized villains with Marinette by his side for the same amount of time. The two were sporting matching grins and flushed cheeks.
It all happened so fast.
One moment everyone one was enjoying themselves at the party and suddenly the next thing they knew, the earth shook from multiple explosions. Marinette tried her best to evacuate everyone out of the park. They had no idea what was going on. All they heard was screaming coming from the other people who had been in the park and the high pitched feedback from the microphone the pair had dropped.
Adrien had ran ahead with the rest of their friends in an effort to help Marinette with the herding, pulling Rose from the ground where she had lost her balance and tripped painfully onto the now uneven ground. Alya was being dragged away by Nino, both of them were screaming for Marinette. Marinette who was still under the tentage. The others had scattered trying to head for cover.
A dark figure loomed above the tentage, catching Marinette unaware. Adrien shouted a desperate warning.
Alya screamed for her best friend. Nino trying his best to hold both of them back. They were suddenly thrown into the air from an overpowered aftershock of another explosion.
Nino tried his best to cushion Alya's fall, Adrien landed not too far from his best friend. Adrien spat some blood out from his mouth, coughing desperately as he tried to fill his lungs with air. He turned to the wreckage that had been the park, what had used to be the pristine gardens had been reduced to dangerous craters in the earth.
The fountain was barely a shadow of its former glory, now only a pile of rubble with water overflowing to the charred ground. Adrien turned his head to see Marinette hiding behind the upturned food table with a terrified looking Mylene.
The menacing figure loomed in front of them. It gave an evil grin as it locked eyes with the dark haired girl and raised its hands above its head. Adrien could only watch as Marinette pressed her sling bag into Mylene's trembling hands before she picked up the shorter girl in her arms and used all her strength to toss Mylene as far away as possible.
Then the world burned when another explosion detonated right where Marinette was standing. The horrified screaming of the nearby civilians were drowned out by the sharp ringing in his ears. His eyesight was blurred and he couldn't hear anything.
Mylene had landed near him, tears streaking down her cheeks as she clutched Marinette's bag. The force of the explosion had propelled her further than where Marinette had intended to throw her.
Mylene scrambled to her feet, limping her way to Adrien. In the corner of his eye, he could see Nino shaking an unconscious Alya, begging her to wake up presumably. His ears were still ringing and he couldn't take his eyes of the blazing inferno that had been the tentage.
"I am BOMB VOYAGE and everybody will say goodbye to their loved ones tonight!" the voice wasn't human and it sounded way too pleased with itself.
His ears had begun to filter sounds again and he had just managed to catch the akumatized villain's name. Now he began to hear the cackling of the fire. He could hear Nino's desperate pleading, wrecked with sobs over his unconscious girlfriend. He could hear Mylene's footsteps as she continued to hobble towards Adrien.
"Adrien! She told me to give this to you no matter what! Adrien!" Adrien scrambled to his feet, noticing the ache in his shoulder and the sharp pain in his wrist.
'If anything ever happens to me, promise me that you'll make sure that the civilians are safe first, Chaton.' Ladybug stared up at him with a piercing glare with too blue eyes. He had promised her and now he regretted that promise. There was nothing that he wanted to do than to run right into that fire and save his Lady.
He rushed towards the hobbling girl and lifted Mylene off her feet and started running towards the rest of his friends. Yelling at Nino to follow him. They had taken refuge behind the remains of the fountain. No that won't do. That's not safe enough. Ladybug would never approve of such an unreliable hideout. She would never forgive him if he had let their friends remain in danger just so that he could rescue her.
1. Find a better hideout
2. Get Marinette
Plan in mind he searched for a solution.
He scanned his surroundings and saw an abandoned bus just outside of the park and shouted orders for his friends to head towards it for cover. Mylene clutched onto Marinette's bag in a white-knuckled grip. Her friend couldn't be dead. That couldn't be possible. She turned and faced the fire that burned high into the sky with terrified brown eyes. Marinette had tossed her only a moment before the explosion had gone off.
There had been no time for Marinette to have gotten to safety. No time for Marinette to even protect herself.
Marinette.
Marinette?
Marinette!
MARINETTE
She hadn't noticed that she was the one who had been screaming until she felt Adrien's grip on her tighten almost painfully and something wet landing on her clutched hands. She turned brown eyes to see Adrien's soot covered face sporting two stark tear tracks. The sight of the normal composed boy freely crying as he ran away with her in his arms shocked her into silence.
She had never seen Adrien cry.
Please leave me a review. They give me motivation to update.