It was done.

The sentence repeated in Lila's head.

It's finally over.

Lila watched as the delicate white butterflies fluttered about, and then turned to Ladybug, mixed emotions filling her body.

Would Marinette be upset?

Lila bit her lip as her limbs suddenly felt heavier. Gravity seemed to suddenly get stronger, and Lila winced. Something weighed down on her body.

Was Marinette mad at Lila?

Lila put a hand to her head as it began to pound.

Ladybug was tying the her yoyo back around her waist, looking calm and composed. Chat Noir was walking to Ladybug, eyes all sparkles of admiration. His mouth was moving, he was saying something, gesturing to Lila. But all she could hear was the beating in her ears.

Lila's legs began to shake as her vision swam.

She probably hates what I did.

Lila fell to a knee and her hand found the floor, trying to steady herself.

I did it to save her.

Ladybug and Chat Noir were getting blurrier and darker as Lila sank down, squinting up at them. The red blur was getting larger and closer. Something was reaching out to her. But Lila was falling. Falling faster than the red hand stretching towards her. With a shaky exhale, Lila's eyelids fell shut and she dropped into oblivion.

Ladybug felt her heart rate accelerate as she gathered Lila in her arms, her breaths coming faster and faster.

"Lila!" She called out, pressing a hand to Lila's face.

Suddenly everything was too much. Marinette was bursting at the seams. She was repeating Lila's name as she held the girl closer, tears brimming in her eyes until a familiar hand closed down on her shoulder. Ladybug hadn't realized she was hyperventilating until Chat Noir started talking.

"She's breathing," He said, his tone more serious than the usual playful hero. "Fighting the akuma like that… that must have taken a lot out of her,"

Ladybug slowed her breaths and tried to discreetly wipe her tears as she held on to Lila's prone body. Sure enough, Lila's chest rose and fell as she breathed. That helped calm Ladybug down. Chat Noir knelt next to her and rubbed her back gently. Ladybug squeezed her eyes shut as her shoulders sagged, relaxing into her partner's comforting touch.

"I just…" Ladybug began and felt the tears well up again, "I couldn't protect her, Chat."

Chat Noir's face turned serious.

Ladybug looked down at Lila as she pulled her closer. There were slight tears in Lila's leggings. Dirt and dust patterned her clothes and face. Who knows what else happened to her before they showed up?

"I was useless. So useless," She whispered, head down, "I couldn't do anything."

"Ladybug-"

"I couldn't do anything, Chat!" Ladybug's voice suddenly rose. Chat Noir jumped slightly and fell silent, and then she was sagging again, small and weak. "She was hurt. We were supposed to save her. It wasn't supposed to happen like this."

Chat Noir remained quiet for a few moments, pressing gently on her shoulder.

"When she took out the akuma, I just froze," Ladybug confessed past the lump in her throat. "I could have stopped her. I could have taken her and run out, and come back to help you. This didn't have to happen, Chat." She gently laid Lila's head back down on the ground and placed her fisted hands on her knees. "But I just stopped. I was so confused and scared. I didn't know what to do."

"Well," Chat Noir said after another pause, "happens to the best of us."

Ladybug turned her head and looked at him incredulously.

"What?" She stared at him, disbelieving. He raised his hands up in defense.

"We're not perfect, Ladybug. Well- I mean- you are perfect, don't get me wrong. But we're going to make mistakes along the way. I let Lady Wifi get the Chat Noir doll. I let myself get hit by Dislocoeur's arrow. I even got captured by the Copycat!" He explained, and then glanced away. "And… I ruined our plan. Maybe if I hadn't jumped out, I could have gotten Lila out too. You're not the only one who made a mistake."

Ladybug bit her lip. It was different. Ladybug was always the one who saved the day in end. She beat Chat Noir when she had to fight against him. She purified the akuma, and she returned everything to its rightful state when all was said and done.

"You were just trying to protect me," Ladybug said, unconvinced, wanting to justify anyone but herself.

"Doesn't change the fact that I still messed up, Ladybug," Chat Noir sighed regretfully. "I've made plenty of mistakes. And anyone would have done the same thing if they were you. No one would know what to do if a civilian just pulled out an akuma like that. I was just as confused as you," he continued.

"I'm supposed to know what to do," Ladybug returned, still upset. I'm supposed to be the perfect hero.

"Now you will know what to do if this happens again. Mistakes happen, and you learn from them, my lady." Chat Noir was unyielding.

But his words made sense, and she found herself coming to agree.

Maybe Ladybug wasn't so perfect after all. She'd placed herself up on a pedestal, only to have it crumble down. Perhaps she was supposed to stay on the ground all along.

"You're human, too," Chat Noir said softly, and Ladybug frowned in resignation.

Because it was true. She was human. Marinette was a human.

So what? She still was also a superhero. She needed to be better. People were at risk. She couldn't afford to make mistakes if it meant others would be hurt.

Ladybug grimaced; she and Marinette were differing in their ideas. Chat Noir, for once, seemed so sensible. His words; Ladybug wanted to be true. But no matter how much she reasoned with herself, Ladybug persisted in the thought of her responsibility.

She pushed it aside and sighed. Duty still rang out in her head.

"I'll… I'll bring her home," Ladybug said, scooping Lila into her arms once more as she got to her feet. She frowned down at the limp body in her arms, wondering what else she had been put through.

"Wait!" Chat Noir called out as Ladybug took a step. She felt a stab of annoyance as she turned to look back at her.

"What?" She said, and then felt ashamed that her voice was so pinched. Chat didn't deserve that.

"You need to use your lucky charm… to reverse the damage…" He said quietly, and Ladybug blinked.

She'd forgotten all about it.

She looked around, suddenly feeling bashful that she'd forgotten one of the most essential powers she'd had. She wasn't having a good day.

"It's here," Chat Noir bent over and picked up the fake ring she'd summoned from her previous transformation.

"Thank you," Ladybug returned in a small voice, eyes down.

"I can take her if you want," Chat Noir offered. Ladybug barely managed to keep from lashing out as she tightened her grip, holding Lila closer to her.

Now she just wanted to be alone with Lila.

But she had to let her go so she could reverse what the akuma had done.

Ladybug reluctantly set Lila in Chat Noir's arms and took the ring in her hand. She frowned as she looked down at it. A lucky charm had never failed her before.

This was the first.

With a deep breath, she tossed the ring up in the air and called out the required words emotionlessly. The ring burst into a million sparkles, sending out pink and red swirls that danced around them. Red particles gently spiraled around Chat Noir and Lila, wiping away the dirt that touched her clothes. Pink waved over the unconscious teenager on the floor, bringing him to faint awareness.

"Do you want me to bring her home?" Chat Noir asked, his voice all gentle and kind and Ladybug hated how it annoyed her. He was just being nice, and she should be appreciating it, but at the moment all she wanted to do was be alone.

"No. You should help him," Ladybug was firm; she just wanted to go. She nodded her head in Game Over's direction, where a teenager sat up and looked around in confusion. Chat Noir frowned but lowered Lila back into Ladybug's arms. Even though damage had been reversed, Lila was still unconscious.

"If- if you ever want to just… talk to someone," Chat Noir suddenly said, earnest eyes looking directly at Ladybug, "I'll listen to you."

Ladybug's eyes widened.

"Chat…" She said quietly, facing away from him as she felt Lila's weight settle, "Thank you. Really," Guilt filled her body, and for a moment she felt tears begin to well up again, but she hurried out, taking quick steps so she could be alone.

Lila felt herself floating.

Warm. Soft.

You did it.

A voice whispered gently in Lila's ear. She blinked once, then twice, and she felt her breath vanish.

Lila was suspended in air, lost in the night sky. The world seemed dark at first, but the space was filled with hundreds of small winking lights. Stripes of color ran through the air, dancing past Lila. She turned in the air, watching the ribbons fly around her.

You've changed.

The same voice echoed in her mind.

Lila looked around, wondering who was speaking. Her movements sent her into a slow rotation, and she turned weightlessly as her hair floated around her. A bright blue swirl of color made its way towards her. A feather light touch brushed her wrist.

You should tell them the truth.

You're strong enough now.

Lila blinked several times, taking in the words.

She knew what it meant. The ribbon moved from her hand and spiraled around her body.

You'll be okay.

And she closed her eyes one last time, Lila left that space behind.

Cold wind swept across her face. Her bangs shifted and turned with every gust. She was moving through the air, with quick and delicate movements. Even though it was cool out, her left side was pressed against something warm. Her back didn't hurt anymore, and she felt refreshed.

Lila remembered this feeling, and she didn't want it to end. But she had something to do, and she opened her eyes.

"Marinette?" She whispered faintly, looking to the left. It was red and black and when she looked up, the midday sky shined down on her.

Ladybug jerked to a stop and Lila lurched forward, but Ladybug's arms held her from falling.

"Lila!" Ladybug said, and Lila had never seen the girl look so relieved in her entire life. Ladybug set Lila down on the ground, which turned out to be some concrete roof somewhere in the city. Her feet felt foreign on solid ground, and she used Ladybug's arms to steady herself.

Lila bit her lip; she knew she had a lot to explain.

"Marinette I-"

Lila was stopped when Ladybug pulled her into a tight embrace, and the words in her mouth vanished. Arms came around her and held her close, and Lila realized that the girl holding her was shaking. Ladybug's shoulders trembled and shook and Lila automatically moved to return the embrace.

"Marinette…" Lila was expecting anger or disappointment or something like that, maybe some worry because it happened last time.

But this?

It dawned on her how much a risk of she took. The pain she caused Marinette.

"I'm sorry," She said in a small voice, and she felt Ladybug push her head into her shoulder. "You were right. I shouldn't have been around you so much as Ladybug. I never thought this would happen. And I'm sorry for lying to you. I just… I've never been able to talk to people about my life before."

There were so many more things to apologize for. So many more things to say, but Lila found her voice weakening as Ladybug continued to press her face into Lila's shoulder.

A few seconds passed before Ladybug mumbled something, but Lila couldn't hear it.

"What?"

Ladybug lifted her head and looked directly at Lila.

"Are you really leaving?" She asked, and Lila's mouth thinned.

Her parents wanted to.

But that didn't mean she had to.

"No," Lila finally said, determination filling her body, "I won't."

"Really?" Ladybug pressed, and Lila was astounded by the vulnerability in her voice.

"Really." Lila was certain. She wouldn't let her parents push her around anymore.

She'd done something incredible. Confidence flowed from her heart to the tips of her fingers. There was no reason why she couldn't confront her parents, and no reason why she should have to go along with them when they couldn't even get along with themselves.

"I won't let them take me away."

Ladybug's face broke into a weak smile, and Lila moved.

One of her hands moved up from Ladybug's back to cup her face. In the same movement she pressed her lips gently to Ladybug's and let her eyes fall closed. Ladybug relaxed in the kiss, her arms settling gently as they shared the moment together. Even if everything wasn't quite resolved just yet...

It felt right.

Just as Lila was about to pull away, a familiar buzz sounded and Ladybug nearly jumped.

"It's your phone," She explained sheepishly as she reached behind her and pulled out the device.

As expected, Lila had several missed calls and text from her parents.

She narrowed her eyes.

"Marinette," Lila said, lowering the phone, "could you take me to my house?"

"I'll be back soon," Lila had said, her eyes determined. She'd strided into the building with her head held high and power radiating from every step.

She'd changed.

Marinette stood outside of Lila's house, looking down at the ground.

"I wonder how much I don't know," She said, glancing to the front door where Lila had disappeared through a few minutes ago.

"It's not your fault for not knowing everything, Marinette," Tikki returned from her purse, and Marinette lifted the kwami up.

"I know," Marinette sighed in resignation, "but if I had… maybe I could have helped her. If she'd just told me..."

"There's definitely a reason for why she didn't talk about it," Tikki said in response. "It's probably in her nature to keep her troubles to herself,"

Marinette frowned, and it was silent for a few minutes.

"I always thought Ladybug could do everything," She then said, moving on to her next worry, "I never realized there would be a time when she would fail like that. I… I was useless, Tikki."

Tikki looked thoughtful as she mulled over the words.

"No one is perfect, Marinette. Not Ladybug, not you, not even me. We're all bound to make mistakes. We're all bound to have some failures in life,"

"But Tikki!" Marinette's voice suddenly rose, and she then quieted down. "I don't want my mistakes to put others at risk. Ladybug should be saving people, not putting them in danger."

Tikki was calm and took the outburst in stride.

"Then what you can do is to learn from your mistakes. You have to embrace your failures, Marinette. Accepting your mistakes and learning from them will make you grow. You'll never be able to learn if you always succeed," Tikki said wisely, and Marinette bit her lip.

It made sense. But it was still painful to accept it.

"It might be hard to accept that," Tikki said sympathetically, "But I know that you will become better for it."

Marinette smiled. She wasn't entirely convinced, and she wasn't sure she ever would be, but she appreciated Tikki's words.

Just then the front door opened and Marinette jumped, peering past the gate.

Lila was walking out, her stride purposeful and full of confidence.

"Lila! Where are you going?!" Someone called from inside the house, presumably her mother.

"Somewhere else," Lila said back, and then she was running. Marinette's eyes widened; Lila had a spring in every step and a flush in her cheeks.

She looked alive.

"Lila!" Another voice yelled out.

Lila took Marinette's hand as she passed and then the two were off. Marinette was too surprised to question it, and she went with the flow. Even though there were other issues at hand, Marinette pushed them aside for now. Fast and wild and free, their feet pounding on the Paris ground, Lila and Marinette ran hand in hand.

"Who lives here?" Marinette inquired curiously, and Lila smiled.

"My grandmother," She answered as they stepped through the spinning doors.

"Why are we here?" Marinette then asked, and Lila squeezed her hand.

"I have to talk to her about what's happened. Even if I don't want to go back to Italy, my parents will probably have to go somewhere else sooner or later. I… I want to see if I can stay with her," Lila confessed, "My parents aren't bad people, but they do have their jobs and their own lives. And I while I don't want to get in their way, I don't want to have to move for them."

Marinette nodded, and Lila sighed.

"And… I've accepted that they really don't have a lot of time to spend with me. I've always gone along with what they said, but even if I go with them all over the world, I'll never get to spend the time I want with them," Lila continued, feeling like a weight was lifted off her chest. She felt lighter and happier. She'd foiled Hawkmoth's plans. She'd stood up to her parents' decisions.

She felt like she could do anything. Lila stopped at the list of apartments, and pressed the doorbell to Silvia's.

The two of them stepped in the elevator, and the doors slid shut.

"Lila," Marinette suddenly said, "what… what exactly was going on with you for the past few weeks?"

Lila froze for a second before looking down at her feet.

For a split second she was about to lie. She was about to say how she'd been fine, that nothing had been wrong. But she remembered how hurt Marinette had been. How her lying and deception had caused Marinette's pained expression.

"My parents were fighting," She finally said, and then looked back up at Marinette, "They were fighting about me. Whether I should travel with them or not."

Marinette frowned at her words.

"Why… didn't you tell me?" Marinette asked finally, and Lila closed her eyes for a moment, gathering her words.

She didn't have to lie anymore.

"I've never really relied on anyone before," Lila told her truthfully, "I always thought I could handle my issues alone. I didn't want to cause you trouble. And… I thought you might think I was weak… for being unable to deal with my own problems."

Marinette turned to Lila, mouth open in shock.

"I wouldn't!" She took a small step towards Lila.

Lila managed a small smile.

"I know you wouldn't. I know I should have told you as soon as it happened. I really wish I had. I hated lying to you; it made me hate myself. But I've always been alone. I'd never had someone I could talk to before." Lila looked down.

Marinette squeezed her hand.

"But you're not alone anymore," She said softly, and Lila met her gaze, a rush of affection moving through her.

"I have you now," Lila agreed, and Marinette moved closer.

Lila closed her eyes, waiting. Marinette's hand left hers.

Still waiting. Maybe her hands would come to touch her face. Maybe she-

"So that means I'm allowed to be upset when you do dangerous things,"

Lila opened her eyes, and saw that Marinette had turned her head away.

"Mari?" She said, suddenly nervous.

The elevator gave a ding, and the doors slip open. Marinette stepped out, not looking behind. Lila frowned and followed.

"I'm sorry…" She said quietly, eyes downcast.

She'd known that the kind of thing she had done would make Marinette upset. She'd known Ladybug wouldn't like it. She'd known that Marinette would think she was betraying.

But it was her fault she had been used to lure Ladybug.

Lila had felt responsible. She thought she had to be the one to save Ladybug,

It was the least she could do.

"You had always told me to stay away when you were fighting… I never listened," Lila accepted.

"No!" Marinette exclaimed, and Lila's foot took a step back in surprise. But she still didn't turn around. Marinette's hands curled into fists.

"Marinette…"

"I know you were trying to save me. I know that," Marinette said, her shoulders beginning to shake, "I… I thought I lost you,"

Lila felt her heart nearly stop.

"I was so scared. I was so worried about you. I thought you were gone when you took out the akuma."

Lila closed her eyes. There was the guilt. Even if she had saved Ladybug, saved Marinette, there was no denying the pain she'd caused. She'd put her in danger and then hurt her while saving her. From the beginning, it had all started with her pretending to be Ladybug's friend and then just being around Ladybug. She'd lied to her and hurt her the whole time.

Maybe she didn't deserve to be with her, after all.

Lila bit her lip. She hadn't realized just how much she had messed up. How much pain she had caused her. But if she wasn't worthy to date Marinette, to love her, then…

A small lump formed in her throat.

"I- If you want to, um, if you want this whole thing to- to just stop, t-then- I can leave you alone-" Lila was saying, trying to stop the tears from forming. Her heart began to ache.

Marinette suddenly flung herself at Lila, curling her arms around her. Lila stumbled back, confused and startled.

"That's not what I was saying at all," Marinette said, her quiet voice right beside Lila's ear, "You're so important to me, Lila. You're so important that when I think about losing you I-" She cut off, and Lila understood.

"I'm sorry," Lila repeated, knowing that these apologies wouldn't be enough to make up for the damage that had been done. But relief coursed through her; she didn't have to break up.

"I… I can't forgive you just yet." Marinette stepped back from the hug, not meeting Lila's eyes.

"I understand." That was something Lila could accept, even if it hurt.

"Give her some time," A small voice said in Lila's ear and she turned to see Tikki sitting on her shoulder. "I could feel how worried she was when… when it happened. I've never felt that kind of terror from her before. She really cares about you, Lila."

Lila nodded, mulling over that information.

"She was also really impressed, by the way. Just throwing that out there," Tikki added quickly, and Marinette turned, eyes wide.

"Tikki!" She frowned at the kwami, who winked at Lila and then flew back to her holder.

Impressed?

Just then a door ahead of them opened, and none other than Silvia stepped out.

"Lila!" She exclaimed, and Lila felt her mouth stretch into a smile.

"Nonna!"

Marinette pulled out her phone, unsure of what else to do at the moment. Lila was talking with her grandma and discussing the issue with her parents.

Earlier when she'd first come in, Lila had introduced her as her girlfriend.

Then Silvia had fawned over both of them, left to make tea, returned with tea and snacks and then entered a long conversation with Lila.

During the whole fiasco, Marinette had missed the rest of lunch break and half of the second set of classes and Alya had texted her a million times. This was something that happened often, on account of her being a superhero.

Alya: yo adrien nino and i split up and went to look

Alya: hey we're still looking, any luck?

Alya: ;; i havent eaten yet, im gonna have to stop

Alya: hello?

Alya: MARI THERES A SUPERVILLAIN GET OVER HERE

Alya: IM SCREAMING HERES LADYBUG AND CHAT

Alya: tfw chat noir makes u go to safety ;; how am i supposed to record this from here

Alya: WTF MARI IM HIDING NEARBY

Alya: I JUST HEARD LADYBUG SAY THE DUDE HAS A HOSTAGE

Alya: ITS A GIRL

Alya: MARI I THINK THE AKUMA KIDNAPPED LILA O-O

Alya: MARI I DEFINITELY KNOW THE AKUMA KIDNAPPED LILA

Alya: y did i post that interview in the distant past ;;;;;

Alya: LB AND CN ARE GOING TO SAVE HER ITLL BE OKAY! MARI!

Alya: mari WHERE ARE U

Alya: lb and cn just left, they are gonna go get lila

Alya: tfw the teacher finds you

Alya: tfw adrien is missing ? ?_?

Alya: where are yall disappearing to i dont understand

Alya: nvm he back after like 120389 years

Alya: mari where are you? did you find lila?

Alya: MARI

Alya: MARI MARI MARI

Alya: tfw class starts

Alya: TEXT ME BACK WHEN U C THIS!

Marinette took a deep breath as she read through the texts.

The whole thing really had taken a long time.

Mari: hhhheyyy alya wats up haha

She stared at her phone warily, fearful of what Alya would say.

Alya: mari ur lucky im ur bff or else id kick ur butt rite about now

Alya: WHERE did u go

Mari: i was looking for lila T_T my phone was on silent sry

Alya: mari i STG

Mari: i found lila after she got saved im with her right now

Marinette had to ride a fine line right about now.

Alya: R U SKIPPIN SKOOL TO HANG WITH UR GF

Alya: OMFG

Alya: is she ok tho

Mari: yea shes fine now we're at her grandmas

Alya: WOW already meeting her family ;;;;)))

Mari: :|

Alya: check the ladyblog later girl i posted a video

Alya: ttyl mari ive been texting u in the bathroom for like five min already

Alya: btw tell lila to come talk to me later about her adventure w the akuma

Mari: cya

Marinette looked up from her phone. Lila was smiling and laughing and Silvia was chuckling.

Marinette felt a smile on her own face. She was happy that Lila was happy.

Just then Lila stood up.

"I'll be right back," she said, and headed towards what Marinette assumed was the bathroom.

"So you're Marinette Cheng," Silvia said as soon as the door closed, and Marinette stiffened, wondering if this was going to be a good or bad conversation.

"That's me," she replied, giving the lady a nice smile.

"You're the one that kissed my granddaughter when she was temporarily a supervillain?" Silvia continued, and Marinette stared at her as red suddenly flooded her cheeks. Oh no.

"Uh." Marinette blinked and looked away, "maybe?"

At that, Silvia gave a hearty laugh and Marinette didn't know whether to be glad or not.

"I'm sorry," Silvia managed to say between chuckles, "I don't know why I thought it would be a good idea to phrase that question like that."

Marinette managed a smile, feeling her anxiety simmer down.

"Alright, alright, how about this: so you're the one dating my granddaughter?" Silvia tried again, and Marinette blushed again and laughed as well.

"Yes."

"You know, Lila really likes you. She always talks about you when she's here." Silvia glanced at the bathroom door and then back at Marinette, who jumped to attention.

"Really?" She asked curiously.

"Yes. She always tells me how pretty and amazing you are." Silvia nodded, and Marinette suddenly felt embarrassed. Pleased, but still embarrassed.

"I'm not sure I can live up to that…" She murmured.

"Nonsense!" Silvia declared, "I'm sure you can. You're a beautiful young lady and if Lila likes you that much, I'm certain that you're a wonderful person." Marinette froze under the praise, simultaneously happy and bashful.

"I… thank you," Marinette settled on that.

"It's truly a shame that her parents are so busy, you know. I wish I'd suggested living with me way back." Silvia wrapped her hands around a cup and sighed. "My son isn't exactly the warm and caring type, and the same goes for my daughter-in-law. I never knew that it was this bad, though." Silvia fell silent for a few moments, and Marinette took hold of her own cup of tea.

"I never knew, either," Marinette finally said, eyes downcast. Her reflection in the tea was serious and somber.

"She never did share her troubles with anyone else. But I'm glad she has you, now," Silvia said, "I'm glad she had you when I wasn't there, however brief that time was." Marinette looked up to see Silvia's bittersweet expression for just a second, and then it was gone.

"I… I hope she thinks the same. I really like her, too," Marinette confessed, and Silvia smiled.

The two sat in a comfortable silence until Lila returned.

Lila entered the room quietly to find Marinette asleep on the guest bed (which, she thought gleefully, would be her bed from now on). Well, she couldn't really blame her. The discussion she'd had with Silvia and her parents on the phone had been a long one. So long, in fact, that the sun had gone down awhile ago and darkness had fallen.

Lila reached for the light switch and flicked it off, plunging the room in a cozy dimness.

Before the call, Silvia had suggested that the two sleep over. Both girls had agreed excitedly, and Silvia had given them some large t-shirts and pajama pants.

Lila smiled fondly at Marinette's sleeping face, and tried to gently sit down on the other side of the bed without waking her. But the mattress settled and moved as she did, and Marinette's eyes fluttered open.

"Sorry for waking you," Lila said apologetically.

"It's okay," Marinette replied tiredly, rolling onto her side to gaze up at Lila.

"You might be better off getting under the covers, though," Lila suggested, and laughed when Marinette looked down at her body and realized that she had, indeed, just gone to sleep on top of all the blankets.

"Oops," Marinette said, supremely unconcerned with the fact. Lila rolled her eyes playfully and started tugging the comforter out from underneath her girlfriend. "So, how did it go?"

Lila paused in her task and smiled at Marinette.

"I'm staying," She said softly, and Marinette's mouth stretched into a sleep smile.

"I'm so happy." Marinette looked up at Lila, her smile reaching her eyes.

"Me too," Lila agreed, and then did a particularly mighty yank on the comforter that nearly made Marinette roll off of the bed.

"Hey!" Marinette said sternly as she sat up on the bed. In the dim light, Lila could see her hair was down and a little messy. She looked slightly disheveled but still managed to be as cute as always.

"Yes?" Lila said innocently, satisfied with what she'd done. She got on the bed and slid her legs under the covers, and then lifted the blanket up so that Marinette could to. Marinette pouted, but did the same.

She was a little nervous about sharing a bed with Marinette, but it wasn't like there was another bed in the apartment. Furthermore, it was a pretty big bed, and there was more than enough room for the both of them. She was so apprehensive that she nearly turned around and faced her back to Marinette, but she persevered. It was so dark that she could barely make out Marinette's face, anyway; it shouldn't be that big of a deal.

"Thank you," Marinette suddenly said in the silence, "for staying."

Lila, who had been lying on her back, turned to face Marinette.

"Of course," She answered quietly, putting a hand on top of the one Marinette had set between them. Warmth closed on top of her open palm, and she realized Marinette was holding her hand with both of her own.

Both girls faced each other in the darkness, the space between them warm with their own body heat. Lila felt her knees brush against Marinette's, but neither moved away.

"Goodnight, Marinette," Lila breathed, feeling a sense of relaxation calm her body, "I love you."

Marinette made a sound that sounded like a gasp and her hands tightened almost imperceptibly. Love and happiness glowed inside of Lila.

The two still had issues to work out and things to deal with. But they would get through it together, and figure out their place in the world. For now, they were content to be happy.

"I love you, too," Marinette returned, and Lila felt her own smile grow bigger.

As the two fell asleep and the moon traveled in the skies above, Tikki curled up inside Marinette's purse and was thankful that the two had found each other.

LMFAOOOO YALL ITS HERE

SORRY FOR 2 MONTH BREAK, I STARTED COLLEGE RIGHT AFTER THE LAST CHAPTER :V

there will be an epilogue coming

THANKS ALL FOR FAVES, FOLLOWS AND REVIEWS AND FOR READING THIS! i wouldnt have gotten this far without yall!