This is kind of a reimagining of those episodes where she thought she fell for chat noir instead of using him to cope. I hope you enjoy it! I honestly wasn't planning to write a fanfic, but I'm heart broken by the final and the missed opportunities in the writing. I probably won't do any better with my own writing, but it'll let me cope in my own way lmao.
Things to note:
-Marionette isn't the guardian of the miraculous.
-They are in their last year of high school.
-Adrien was admitted in their public high school at the beginning of of their senior year.
-Most of the characters follow the canon of the show and have already had their character developments.
-They acquired the miraculous by being chosen by the Kwamis. I won't include the monks or master fu.
- Rated M as their may be some suggestive moments.
It was late at night, the cool summer breeze gently grazed her face as Marinette stared out beyond the rooftops of Paris. Her gaze lingered, filled with longing, as her fingers loosened their grip on a crumpled page she had been clutching onto. Tikki, peeping out from her door, noticed the anguish etched on Marinette's face.
"What's wrong, Marinette?" Tikki inquired.
"Huh? Oh... nothing, Tikki," she replied, shaking her head and holding the paper in front of her.
Tikki folded her arms and stared at her with a face saying 'just spit it out already'. She sighed knowing couldn't hide much from her overly empathetic Kwami.
"I've just been feeling conflicted. It's been a year now since I've become Ladybug. Everything has been fine up until now." Her fingers brushed over the empty slots of her college application. She sighed and leaned against the edge of the railing.
"What's bothering you, then?" Tikki asked, casting a concerned glance at the application.
"Well, I'm growing up. I have to decide soon which college to attend, or if I should attend at all."
Tikki felt unease knowing where this was leading.
"I'm not sure I can continue being Ladybug. It's either I sacrifice my future and my love for fashion, or I continue fighting Hawk Moth and keeping the city safe. It's not like I have much to show for anyway. I haven't had time to work on my portfolio. I've been so caught up with trying to fit in at school and being Ladybug. I haven't really given thought to much else."
"Oh, Marinette," Tikki said softly, flying to her hand and offering a comforting touch.
Marinette's gaze shifted, and her tone grew more troubled. "Not to mention, I haven't been able to get my feelings for Adrien off my chest. I'm so stuck. He's been such a good friend, and I don't want to ruin what we have."
Meanwhile, an encroaching shadow neared the rooftop in the distance, but both Tikki and Marinette failed to notice.
Marinette continued, frustration evident in her voice. "I have to juggle so much! School, future plans, being the hero of Paris, being head over heels for a literal famous model, and being enchanted by that darn kitty."
Tikki's expression stiffened in discomfort as she watched Marinette's turmoil, especially hearing about Chat Noir. She attempted to offer solace. "I'm sorry for not noticing sooner, Marinette. We'll look for a solution together."
The dark shadow drew closer, only a building away from Marinette's terrace. Glowing green eyes shone in the darkness.
"I sure hope so, Tikki," Marinette sighed deeply, letting her arms and the college application dangle loosely over the ledge.
"I wonder what Chat's up to. I miss our late-night hangouts sometimes."
Swisshhhhhhhhh.
A long pole extended onto her terrace, and the encroaching figure made his grand appearance.
"You called, m'lady?" Chat Noir's voice filled the night.
Marinette fumbled in surprise, clumsily dropping the page she was holding over the railing of her terrace. She yelped and panicked, trying to retrieve it. Tikki hid in Marinette's nightwear, staying out of direct sight.
"Whoa, whoa!" Chat Noir reached out, grabbing her waist that had gone a bit too far over the ledge for his comfort.
Marinette pouted at him, her application flying away, sputtering in the wind. "Aha… sorry! Let me get that back for you."
He leaped off and snatched the page mid-air, swiftly returning to her side. He glanced down at it, recognizing its purpose instantly. Holding onto it quietly, he hesitated before giving it back.
"Thanks. Yeah, I know it's blank. I have a lot to work out."
"Looks like we're in the same boat," Chat Noir remarked.
"Oh yeah, I didn't expect the great Chat Noir to struggle over a college app," Marinette teased.
"Ha! You'd be surprised!"
They stood side by side, gazing into the distance from her little terrace. It was their routine nightly chat, but it had been a while since they'd been busy with their own set of challenges.
They stood in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying the others presence. Chat would steal a couple of glances at her while she'd do the same. Their eyes never quite meeting though.
Chat broke the silence after a while.
"I have a lot to think about too. Being a hero to Paris is a world of fun for me, but I'm still human underneath this mask," Chat Noir confessed.
Marinette looked into his eyes, which seemed so pure and deep as he said that. They almost reminded her of Adrien.
"I'm sure whoever is under that mask will figure things out," she said, reaching out to touch his arm in comfort. "You're a good person, Chat. You have a bright future."
Chat Noir felt a shiver at her touch, gently placing his claws over her hand. He couldn't help but look at her with a slight smile, though pain still lingered in his eyes.
After all, his future had been decided for him. He was his father's puppet, the undying icon for their family's brand. He had no choice but to bend to his father's will.
Marinette noticed the hint of pain in his eyes and couldn't resist reaching for his face. His eyes shifted, and he suddenly felt his heart beat harder. Blood rushed to his face as he was unable to look away from her soft-hearted gaze.
Embarrassed, he moved her hand away from his face and held onto it.
"Ah! Sorry... I—"
Marinette realized she had gotten too comfortable and casually touched him. She felt the need to comfort him, unconsciously making him uncomfortable. Before she could retract her hand, he squeezed it lightly.
"Sometimes, it feels like you peer right through me, like you can see through the facade of Chat Noir... and see me," he admitted, his voice low, almost a whisper, his eyes glazed as if he might cry.
Marinette's words were caught in her throat, and she couldn't even finish her sentence or reply. He let go of her hand and, in a heartbeat, he vanished into the night sky with his extending pole.
Her knees went weak, and she lost her footing, sitting on the floor and watching in the general direction he had disappeared to.
"Are you okay?!" Tikki popped out.
"Uhhhh," Marinette griped the page tightly and crumpled it onto her face.
"Tikki, I think I'm in love with Chat."
"What?! What about Adrien?"
"I don't know! I have feelings for Adrien too, but this is different. Ughh, I don't understand!" She hit her head with the page.
"It's quite an established pattern for the miraculous holders of creation and destruction to fall in love. You're not the only one who's gone through this."
"I know, Tikki. I just didn't expect to fall for that silly kitten. I didn't know he had such a side to him."
She clutched her heart. "God, and I've ignored him for so long as Ladybug. Look at me falling for him out of the suit while he flirts with me in it."
Marinette headed to her room while Tikki tailed behind her. Her heart beating madly in her chest. She couldn't help revisiting the memory of his eyes gazing back at her, or the way he squeezed her hand before vanishing.
He mostly behaved like a kid, mischievous and punny, cracked jokes worse than her dad. Although, moments like this, where he actually took a moment to slow down and talk with her, he felt real… too real in fact.
"What did he mean by that, Tikki?"
"What do you mean, Marinette?"
"When he said it's like I could see under his mask and see him."
She sat at her computer desk covered in college applications, mixed in with cluttered clippings of Adrien modeling in magazines.
"I'm not sure, I can't be the one to read his heart. It does seem like there's something deeper he's holding onto."
She swiveled around in her chair facing Tikki, and swiveled back to her desk. She spotted a magazine with Chat Noir and Ladybug posing. She pondered over it quietly while Tikki hovered over her nearby.
She pulled out her scissors and clipped around Chat's face. She sat there holding the clipping, his eyes and bright smile made her face burn as the moment with him was fresh in her mind. She eventually looked over the wall where all her Adrien images were posted and spotted a tiny empty corner. She walked over and pinned the clipping in that spot.
She gazed between Chat and Adrien, eventually sighing and questioning what she was doing. Tikki watched her silently, mulling over Marinette's concerns.
"Ugh, what am I doing… I'm going to bed.
"Good night, Tikki."
"Good night, Marinette."
Marinette laid in bed still staring at her wall and holding her beating heart, hoping it would quiet down.
To be continued!
Let me know if I should add or remove anything, I'd love to elaborate or add things back from the show that worked story-wise. I don't have have the best memory so let me know what I can do to keep everyone in character!
