so I can finally meet you

She's fourteen when she finds her soulmate, a young girl with a full heart and disbelief washing over her as she looks high above the city's skyline and sees him. And she knows it's him because there is her M, loopy and it's tail curling much like a vine as it wraps around itself, on the back of his palm next to his thumb.

Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?

He said that too, just last night high above a sleeping world where dreams are dreams and they keep the nightmares away. But when he said that, he was not posted on a billboard, his face composed and his stature poised.

For Chat Noir is everything but poised. He's silly and sweet and zany, but not poised. Not perfect, not composed, not programmed to be beautiful and out of reach.

And Adrien Agreste might be her classmate, a handsome classmate at that, but he's not Chat. He's kind, thoughtful, and shy. Not boisterous, not loud, not overwhelming.

And so her jaw remains dropped and she stares. Blue eyes bigger than dinner plates, with her neck cranked so far back, all Marinette can do is try to stitch the images of Chat Noir, Adrien Agreste and her soulmate together.

It's kinda not working.

It's me.

do you miss me yet? makes her jump from her tumbling thoughts, but Marinette can't stop the small smile that travels onto her face.

sometimes more than others, she replies, giggling as she imagines a pouty face–whose's she's not sure, but it's still worth giggling over–and quickly adds but i do.

Marinette is fourteen when she walks into her classroom Monday morning, her mind still trying to piece three boys together into one: hers.

She's late as she always is, Ladybug's luck only contained in a suit of red and refuses to do double duty for real life too. A blond spot she never noticed before catches her eyes and just like on the poster board, all Marinette can do is stare.

Because Adrien Agreste/Chat Noir/her soulmate are literally in the same room as her and…

"…you're just beautiful."

And the words slip out out of her mouth, running like water that won't stop. The same can be said for Adrien as he snaps his head up into Marinette's direction, green eyes wide and a blush flooding his cheeks (not electric green eyes, but familiar nonetheless).

There must be six feet between them, but it feels like six miles, six long miles fenced in by embarrassment.

Her soulmate swallows and tries to smiles. "Thanks, Marinette…" he mumbles before ducking his head back down.

As she races up the stairs to her seat, all she can push out of her mouth is "No problem."

But it's just as horrible.

Marinette doesn't tell him she's found him at school that day.

you've been quiet lately.

The words write themselves on her arm, swirling in a circle, the beginning starting in the middle. The early morning sun glimmers through her window and reflects off her mirror, searing her eyes like how those words sear her skin.

Marinette doesn't know the words to explain what she's feeling…

…so she doesn't write him back.

There's an akuma for the first time in two weeks since she's found her soulmate. And its been thirteen days since she's learned that her soulmate is also her classmate.

Three personalities that just don't add up and she can't be trying to figuring out this particular equation when she has Paris to save.

Ladybug wears her mask, dons the red suit to hide the confusion that swims through her soul and only speaks to Chat Noir when necessary.

Because she doesn't have words for him spoken or written.

She's about to leap off the building, her yo-yo pitched in her hand when a staff clatters loudly on the ground beside her. It echoes in the silence of their non-existent conversations.

Chat Noir speaks, hushed anger rolling off his tongue, "What gives, Bug?"

Ladybug turns around, but she feels naked, exposed and in her mind, on the rooftop she can only see herself as Marinette. And she can only see him as Adrien.

They don't even know each other.

"I just…" she starts, her words fading as she looks away. "I'm just so confused right now."

There's an intake of breath, and he takes a step back, his foot crunches the gravel on the rooftop. "About?"

Though her blue eyes are shrouded by her bangs, she knows he can see them. She knows that he can see the blue of her eyes and instead of seeing the sky, he sees her fears painted as clear as day.

She doesn't even get to open her mouth and word doesn't even fall out, but they both heard it loud and clear.

Us.

So, he runs away.

The billboard is taken down today.

Her loopy M no longer displayed for all of Paris to see on Adrien's hand.

It's late at night and there is no searing on her skin.

Marinette has been fifteen for two days and he didn't wish her happy birthday.

Not that she blames him, because she doesn't. Even as Ladybug and Chat Noir, they're not speaking.

Which a part of her is okay with, but the other part of her hates it.

It is sunrise, bright and golden like Chat/Adrien's/her soulmate's hair. Tikki smooths her brow bone, laughs when Marinette's eyelashes tickle her when she flutters them open.

They rest there, kwami and charge, for a brief moment before Tikki breaks the quiet. "You should tell him the truth."

As she stares up at the ceiling, Marinette nods her head.

"I know."

When Marinette comes to school today, she makes sure she gets there early.

Just like she knows Adrien will be on Tuesdays.

And when she walks into the classroom, all she can see is that his head is down, buried in his arms. Her steps are light as she tiptoes over and more than ever, she wishes she could just touch his hair.

But she doesn't.

Instead, she pulls up right next to him, purposefully dragging Nino's chair so that it shrieks a little in the quiet room. To that, Adrien jolts awake, purple bags under his eyes and clutches a hand over his heart.

With a deep breath, he finally calms himself and gives her a gentle smile. His voice is so soft when he says, "Hi Marinette."

(It makes her heart twist).

She offers her own smile, a mix between shame and joy that compose her entire being lately. Shame because she's been ignoring him, but joy that he's near.

We're corresponding shapes, she remembers he told her once. Made from the same clay to compliment each other. And Marinette has to agree as she sits next to him that they do indeed fit.

However, her daydreams are interrupted when he clears his throat and it brings her back to reality.

She's right next to her soulmate.

To a boy she might or might not know.

But to know something means you have to learn and right now, there's nothing more she wants to do.

So, she smiles and leans on her hand as the room fills with people. "What's your favorite color?"

It's three a.m. when Marinette gives up sleeping, her mind muddled with three different smiles that surround one boy.

I heard Adrien laugh today, she thinks. And the day's events only a reminder as rain beats softly against her skylight.

But of course he only laughed when she was caught in his umbrella, the one he lent her because he's a nice person.

I heard my soulmate laugh today, she thinks again and a dopey smile makes its way to her face. And it was wonderful.

Tonight Ladybug climbs up the Eiffel Tower, her heart drumming against her rib cage as she hoists herself onto the platform. Chat Noir is already there, his back facing her.

His posture is tense, stiff even and she's reminded of photos she's looked up of Adrien–ever still image she could find.

She can't help but hug herself as she walks towards him, her feet feeling like concrete. But she finds the courage to stand right beside him and knows when his eyes flicker over to her because she can feel the burn of his gaze.

She takes a deep breath and tries to find her own smile, but she's scared. Yet being scared got her in the first place, so she swallows the bile that tries to rise up.

"I'm sorry," she whispers simply. "I'm sorry," she repeats and this time blue meets green and she refuses to look away despite that she's folding into herself as she hugs herself tighter.

"Hey, hey," she hears him say as his face falls into a panic as she continues to crumble. "Hey."

But now her vision is blurry and she's just so tired and confused but he's here–three boys that are actually one and it's all finally clicking into place.

He awkwardly pulls her into a hug and for once, it doesn't feel like there are miles between them and it's best awkward hug she's ever had in her entire life. "Don't cry now, LB," he tries to say as he pats her back. "…I literally don't know what to do with crying girls."

To that she laughs and picks her face up that was pressed against his chest, "Well, making them laugh is a good start."

Chat Noir grins in the light, his teeth model white. "Noted."

With a hum, she digs her face back into his chest and throws her arms around him. He holds her just as tight and finally it seems like all the confusion that has surrounded her heart has dissipated.

It's you.

And that's all she needs him to be.

She wakes up late like she normally does and rushes out the door with a bun in her mouth. She knows that her soulmate told her good morning, but he must have had his morning shower for there is no longer a mark on her body.

Marinette dashes into the classroom with a few minutes to spare, but pauses for a moment to smile at Adrien. Big and broad like her heart as it fills up with affection for the one she loves.

Because she's right here and he's right here and that's exactly where they're supposed to be.

He returns the smile because he's kind, she knows, but that's okay.

Because today's the day.

It's break and his hands are in her perfect line of sight from her seat. He's chatting with Nino and Alya is catching up on some sleep.

With an inky red pen, she sketches her familiar loopy M on the place by his thumb. Both boys stop and watch with wonderment as the symbol forms on Adrien's skin magically.

"Your soulmate, huh?" Nino asks.

Adrien blushes and rubs the back of his neck. "Yeah, this is kinda her thing. I think her name starts with a M."

But before Nino can reply, Kim and Max call him and he excuses himself for a moment. Leaving Adrien alone.

Grabbing a pen of his own, she can feel his words sear her skin as he writes to her. miss you he simply says.

Her heart is about to burst in her chest because she's never seen him write her before, but the way he's looking at his message is so filled with love that she can't help herself from speaking up.

"Did it hurt?" she prompts and catches him off guard.

Like a day not too long ago, Adrien snaps his head towards her and tilts it to the side with question. "Did what?"

And from her seat, her smile only grows as she shows him the back of her hand, the loopy M and miss you plain to see, watching with joy bubbling as his eyes go wide at their meaning.

"Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?"