Major thanks to all of you who've stuck around with this story for this long. I am forever grateful for your unending patience as I struggled to close this chapter of Luna's story. I haven't forgotten you, I promise!
To say Alya was surprised to see Marinette arrive to school early was a major understatement. It was such a rare sight that it almost made her overlook her bestie's current appearance. Almost, but not quite.
The poor girl looked like hell. Her usually bright bluebell eyes were dull and bloodshot, and her clothes looked practically slept in. Not to mention the girl seemed to be moving through an invisible fog, nearly stumbling twice into other students. The blogger thinned her lips. Part of her was hoping Marinette would bounce back to her typical, bubbly self once the weekend was over. She knew it was wishful thinking, but if she was going to patch things over with Luna like she'd promised, she needed Marinette on board for it, too. And that just wasn't likely if the girl was an emotional wreck.
This wasn't going to be easy.
"Hey, girl," the blogger said.
"Hey," Marinette answered. She tried to offer a smile, but it didn't sit quite right on her face.
Alya tilted her head as she studied her. "How you feeling?"
Marinette shrugged, tracing a finger along the strap of her backpack. "Been better. Kinda had a rough weekend."
"Yeah, you look it." She scratched the back of her neck with a grimace. "No offense."
The pigtailed girl shook her head. "No, it's okay. I kinda figured I did." She let out a broken chuckle, which did nothing to ease her friend's concerns.
"You wanna talk about it?" Alya asked, adjusting her bag. "I'm all ears if you need me."
Blue eyes glanced at the ground as Marinette began toying with the hem of her shirt. "Well, uh... actually, I met up with Adrien."
Alya's brow furrowed. "You did?"
"Yeah..." she said with a shrug. "We ran into each other yesterday and kinda got talking... He, um... apologized for not liking me."
"Oh, hun."
Marinette shook her head. "I'm alright. He wasn't cruel about it or anything."
The blogger pursed her lips. "I doubt that makes it any better, though."
'No, it doesn't,' Marinette thought. She heaved a sigh. No matter how hard she tried to convince herself, she knew she wasn't over it. It was still too fresh an ache.
Alya pulled her into a quick hug. "I'm sorry, Mari. If you want, I can go beat him up for you."
The blackette hid a giggle in her palm. "No, don't do that."
Alya's face brightened at the sound. "Hey, I mean it! Just say the word, and I will absolutely lay his fine ass out!"
"I think Nino might object to you beating up his best friend."
"Yeah, well, if the boy's smart, he'll hold him down for me."
They shared a laugh as they made their way inside. On the way to their lockers, Alya began to prattle on about the heist, and while Marinette didn't really want to think too much about it, she was thankful for her friend's attempt at a distraction. In all honesty, her head had been so wrapped up in the reveal that she forgot all about their loss.
"No, that's not fucking okay!"
Both girls halted in their tracks.
"Lila, please," Luna said in a groan. "Can we just not?"
"Oh, I'm sorry if I'm inconveniencing you, right now. I just found out the chick I've been flirting with is a fucking two-timing slut!"
"I didn't two-time you, Rossi. We were never even a thing."
"So, you were just leading me on, then. Glad we cleared that up."
"No! I..." Luna sucked in a breath. "I'm allowed to change my mind, alright? Maybe I was interested before, but now I'm not. That's not a fucking crime."
"No, it's just a really shitty thing to do."
Luna sighed. Her gaze shifted to the growing crowd around them. Anxiety crawled in her chest.
"Look, I'm sorry, okay? I wasn't trying to be like that."
"Yeah, well, this kind of thing just comes natural to you, am I right?"
Luna stared daggers at her. "Thought you didn't care for popular opinion."
"I don't. But facts aren't opinions, babe." Lila folded her arms as her eyes swept over the other girl. "And it looks to me like they sure as hell pegged you right."
"Fuck off, Lila."
Said girl just rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever. Don't know what I saw in you in the first place." She made a point of shoving Luna with her shoulder as she walked passed.
"Obviously, you were looking for an easy fucking lay. Thirsty-ass bitch."
"Go sit on a cactus, Galemore."
"A cactus might actually get me off!"
"Kinky."
Luna turned a fiery glare at the sourceof the comment. "Seriously, Kim? Do you not have anywhere better to be right now?"
Kim raised his hands as he backed away with a smirk. As Luna stormed off in the opposite direction, Marinette and Alya shared a look.
"Wonder what that was about," Alya said.
"Dunno."
The redhead shrugged. "You wanna go check?"
Marinette bit her lip. Adrien was right; she didn't want to believe Luna was Spades. The image didn't fit in her mind. Spades toyed with people, manipulated them without a second thought just to get her way. Luna wasn't like that... right? Pegging Chloé as the thief would've been a safer bet.
"Mari?"
Her eyes found Alya's again. The red-head nodded after Luna with a frown.
"She's still our friend, right?"
Marinette sighed. "Yeah. We should go check on her."
Alya smiled at her and the two made their way over to the locker room. They found Luna rummaging through her things, muttering to herself in irritation. She gave the oncoming pair a quick glance before burying her nose deeper into her locker. Alya cleared her throat.
"Hey, girl," she said. "Got a second?"
Luna practically groaned, but still turned to face them with half a smile. "Sure. How can I help you?"
Marinette played with her bag strap. "We... uh... Y-you see..."
"We were just wondering if you're doing okay," Alya finished.
"Yep, just peachy," Luna said. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Well..." Marinette shifted on her feet. "We kinda caught Lila laying into you back there. Figured you could use a friend after that."
"'A friend.' Right." Luna huffed out a laugh. "Nope, I'm all good. Thanks for the concern."
"You sure?"
"I honestly couldn't care less about that tramp, okay?"
"Well, I did warn you about her," Alya said with a shrug.
Luna's gaze narrowed in on her with a lethal chill. "Gee, thanks Césaire. Definitely needed to have that rubbed in my face."
The blogger grimaced. "Sorry. That came out wrong."
"Sure it did." Luna turned her attention back to her locker, but when the pair didn't leave, she slammed it shut before leaning her shoulder against it. "Seriously, can I help you two?"
"Whoa, dial it back girl. We just wanna talk."
"Well, good for you. Not interested."
Alya balked at her. "Seriously? You're gonna act like that after the shit you pulled? I think you can spare five minutes. You owe us that much, at least."
"I don't owe you shit, Césaire."
"Guys, stop!" Marinette said as she forced herself between them. She then glanced at the thief, pursing her lips. "We're not trying to start a fight, Luna. We just wanted to make sure you were doing alright."
"Well, you've done that, already. You can leave now."
"Wow. You are unbelievable!" Alya huffed. "What, you lock lips with Agreste, behind our backs—"
"Alya!" Marinette hissed.
"—And now you're too good to give us the time of day?"
Luna smirked. "Gee, Césaire, why don't you tell me how you really feel?"
"You know what?-"
"Enough already!"
Silence echoed through the halls at Marinette's snap. Then came the whispers. An ugly weight she wanted nothing to do with settled in the heroine's chest. Why? Just why? Ignoring the stares aimed at them, Marinette closed her eyes and counted. In. Out. In...
Luna's snort pulled her out of her thoughts. "Well, as fun as this is—"
"Luna, please," Marinette begged. "Can't we just—"
"'Just' what, Marinette? Start over? Pretend we're all buddy-buddy and nothing happened? Are you fucking serious right now?"
Marinette's shoulders sagged. "Well, why can't we?"
For a moment, Luna just stared at her, eyes a turbulent sea of emotions Marinette couldn't name. Then her face settled into a blank, unreadable canvas.
"Tell me you don't actually hate me."
Alya growled. "Girl, did we not just come over he—"
"Not you, Césaire," Luna snapped, gaze still trained on the heroine. "I wanna hear it straight from the horse's mouth."
Marinette swallowed. Nails bit into her palms as she turned the thought over in her mind. Luna was Spades. The same thief that lived to get under her skin. Who made her blood boil like no other. The girl breaking Chat's—Adrien's—heart.
And yet...
Shaking her head, Marinette let out a sigh. "I don't hate you, Luna."
Another stretch of silence fell over them. Finally, Luna huffed a laugh.
"Bull," she said. "You don't believe that any more than I do."
Heat licked along Marinette's face and neck. "Believe what you want, then."
"Sure thing. Are we done here?"
Alya fumed before giving her a sarcastic smile. "... Sure. Sorry we bothered you."
Luna rolled her eyes, then shoved passed both of them. Alya glared at her retreating back.
"What a bitch," she seethed.
Marinette stared at her shoes. Fatigue ate at her limbs and weighed down her mind. God, she wanted her bed. A gentle hand landed on her shoulder.
"Hey," Alya said. "You alright?"
The blackette gave her a half-hearted smile. "I'll get there."
"Forget her, okay? She's clearly not worth it."
It was meant to cheer her up, but the words felt empty to Marinette. They did nothing to ease the ache in her chest. She walked along in silence and couldn't help but wonder what hurt more. Losing out on love, or losing a good friend?
Luna found herself hiding in the girl's bathroom, doing everything she could to get a handle on her emotions. Her puzzle cube cranked and whirled in numb hands. She tried to count her breaths, praying this wasn't the start of another attack. She'd promised them two weeks, and it hadn't been half a day, yet! If she didn't find a way to calm herself... A small whine slipped passed her lips. Why on earth had she let them talk her into waiting? How was she supposed to keep stable? Luna folded in on herself, pressing her forehead against her wrists. She never should've agreed to Marinette's offer. Two weeks was asking way too much of her. She sobbed in frustration. There was no way she'd be able to keep herself together for that long. She was going to get them both killed.
The squeak of the bathroom door opening brought her back to reality. She watched as a shadow moved towards the sinks and stayed there. For a moment, she juggled the idea of staying inside her stall. Maybe if she stayed quiet enough, they'd just leave. Then she could go back to her breakdown in peace. But as she counted the breaths, it was clear whoever was there wasn't leaving anytime soon. Looking down at her hands, Luna traced the edge of her cube. The more she thought about it, the she realized how ridiculous she was being. It didn't matter if she thought she could keep her emotions in check. She didn't have a choice. Either she did, or people were going to get hurt. People she cared about. That wasn't something she was prepared to live with.
Sighing, the thief wiped at her face and stood. She tucked her cube away in her bag before opening her stall door, only to freeze when she finally saw who was there with her. Apparently, Chloé had decided she needed to touch up her makeup. She didn't even bother looking away from her reflection as she smeared on her lip gloss. Luna immediately went rigid. Of course, it had to be Chloé. The one person she never wanted to be weak around. Biting her cheek, Luna adjusted her bag strap and went over to wash her hands. Thankfully, the heiress hadn't seen it fit to acknowledge her presence, yet. Luna almost thought she'd be able to just leave without incident, until she noticed a small pack of wipes being offered to her. She glanced at her blonde in confusion.
"Your liner's ruined," Chloé said, still enamoured with her own appearance.
Luna glanced at herself in the mirror. She was right. What little makeup she'd bothered with was now a smudged mess. Thinning her lips, she silently took a wipe and set to work erasing the evidence of her breakdown. Silence stretched between them until Luna began to dig through her bag for her own kit. She huffed in annoyance as she came up short, but Chloé once again slid something toward her, this time a liquid liner. The actress muttered a soft "thanks" before taking it.
"... I'm surprised you let someone get under your skin like that."
Luna turned to her with a frown. "Excuse me?"
Chloé pulled out her mascara and continued her preening. "Heard your little tiff with Lila halfway across the school. It's not like you to get riled up."
"Yeah, well... Haven't really been feeling like myself, lately."
"That's pretty obvious." The blonde capped her mascara and passed it along to the other girl. Luna took it without a word. Chloé sighed as she began fussing with her hair. "Y'know, I never really liked that bitch. Always seemed way too full of herself."
Luna stopped painting her lashes to give the queen bee a pointed look. "Oh, really?"
Chloé rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't even start. I'm getting better, aren't I?"
The actress chuckled. A few quiet seconds passed as both of them finished their preening. Luna capped the mascara tube and handed it back. She was about to thank her again when their eyes locked. Chloé's gaze was cold and piercing, bearing into Luna deeper than she cared for. The white haired girl frowned.
"What?"
"You really okay with leaving things like that?"
Luna huffed. "Seriously? Who gives a shit about Lila-"
"I was talking about Marinette," Chloé aid, taking back her mascara. "Not that I really care or anything, but are you seriously okay with letting that bridge burn?"
She looked away with a sigh. "If you don't care, why ask?"
"Hey, you and baker girl can tear each other apart. Go for the throat. I won't lose any sleep over it." The heiress folded her arms and set her hip against the countertop. "What I do care about is Adrien. And, unfortunately, he happens to care about the two of you."
Luna pursed her lips. "Yeah, well... He's also the cause of this mess, so..." She shrugged. "Don't know what you want me to say. Can't exactly be friends with someone you've screwed over."
"Oh, please! You'd be surprised what some people will let you get away with."
"Yeah, well, some of us have a conscience."
Chloé frowned at that, her perfect eyebrows pinched together. Then her eyes turned to the mirror in front of them.
"Y'know what I do when I'm upset?"
"Find the source and utterly ruin their lives?"
"...Clearly, I meant after that."
Luna snorted out a laugh. "What?"
"I find the nearest mirror and I'll pick out a feature of myself I like the most. Sometimes it's my eyes, but more often than not, it's my hair."
The actress raised an incredulous brow. "Really?"
"I will take a moment and admire that part of myself," Chloé said as she leaned forward. "Because I like that part of me. Even if I don't really care for some other parts, there's still something about me I enjoy. So, I remind myself of that. That even if it's shallow, there's still a part of me worth liking. No matter what anyone else says."
Luna went quiet, staring at her own reflection. Chloé watched her in the mirror for a moment before clearing her throat.
"Anyway, it's just something to think about. What I really came in here for is a warning."
"Warning?" Luna had to lean back as a manicured finger was shoved in her face.
"You even think about breaking my precious Adrikins' heart," Chloé snapped, "and I will bury you so deep in shit that even a dog wouldn't want anything to do with you. You got that, Little Miss Starlet?"
Despite the threat, Luna found herself smiling. She slid the hand away with a wink. "Why, honey buns, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous."
"As if," Chloé aid with a smirk of her own. "Honestly, I don't know what he sees in you. But, as long as he's happy, I'm happy. Just make sure you keep it that way."
"You got it, honey buns."
"Good." She sniffed. "Well, now that that's out of the way, I definitely have better places to be."
"Right" Luna watched her turn away. But as she got to the door, the thief cleared her throat. "Hey, Chloé? Thanks."
She scrunched up her nose. "Eww, don't thank me. You make it sound like I'm being nice!"
Though she tried to hide it, Luna still caught the half-smirk Chloé wore as she finally left. Once again, the thief found herself completely alone. With a sigh, she shifted her gaze back to the mirror in front of her. Was there really something worth liking in that image? It didn't seem likely. Luna honestly didn't know what Adrien saw in her, either. She knew him well enough to know it wasn't her looks. And beneath that...
"He'll get bored of you, eventually. All you're doing is humoring him."
She closed her eyes and smirked at the thought. Of course he will. Why wouldn't he? It wasn't like she had anything to offer him. Well... besides a criminal record. Less than ideal for a superhero. Maybe she should give the stealing a rest for a bit? He'd probably appreciate that, and it wasn't as though she couldn't be Spades afterwards. If she just let things run their course...
"He'll get bored..." she whispered. "...just humor him..."
Luna picked up her bag. She didn't bother with another glance at her reflection; she couldn't stand to see her own midnight gaze any longer. With one last sigh, the thief gathered herself and made her way back into the hall.
Adrien honestly thought the stares would be worse than this. Sure, more than a few heads were turning, and he could've sworn someone had snapped a picture, but as far as he could tell, no one was really making fun of him. He'd even received a few compliments, one especially so from Juleka. Apparently, his outfit had unintentionally fit her aesthetic. As happy as he was with the praise, though, there was only one opinion he really cared about.
It took him a bit to find her, but eventually he found Luna tucked away beneath a set of stairs. She was silently cranking her puzzle cube and so lost in thought that she didn't catch him approaching.
"Hey," he said, leaning against the wall in front of her.
Luna looked up at him in surprise. Her gaze swept over him, and he could immediately see her fighting a grin. Adrien smiled wider. He knew the purple dress was the way to go. It was slightly form-fitting and androgynous enough that he didn't feel overly feminine. Marinette had helped him pick out a pair of black leggings and knee-high boots, and he himself chose a leather jacket, belt, and choker. He'd purposely messed out his hair to further allude to his alter ego.
"Like what you see?" Adrien teased.
"There's no way your dad let you out of the house like that," she said.
"Oh, absolutely not. I changed when I got here. He has no idea."
Her eyes danced at him. "How, rebellious."
"I know, right? I used to be such a model son, too. Clearly, someone's a bad influence on me."
"Couldn't be me. I'm the epitome of innocence." They laughed. "It looks good on you."
"Thanks. I'm actually kinda digging it myself. I mean these leggings are hella comfy."
Luna giggled, again.
"So, how'd it go?"
Adrien sighed. "About as well as you'd expect." Luna didn't meet his gaze, so he laid a hand on her arm. "You sure you're okay with this?"
"What?"
He shifted on his feet with a shrug. "I know this isn't exactly ideal for you. I don't want you to feel like you're being pressured into something you don't want."
"You do realize that is exactly what I was going to do with you, right?"
Adrien gave her a flat look. "Yeah, and I know just how fun it is to be in that position."
Luna's gaze shifted away as her mouth pressed into a thin line. Adrien sighed, rubbing the corner of his eye.
"That came out wrong."
"No, it didn't."
"I'm not trying to acuse you, Luna."
"I know. Can't exactly blame you if you were, though."
He leaned his head against the wall. "Well, I'm not. I get it. This whole mess is a little more than either of us bargained for." He tried to swallow his own pulse. "And I'd understand if you'd rather... just not."
"...What're you trying to say?"
Adrien licked his lips and sighed. "I guess... I'm asking if you really want to risk a relationship."
Silence followed his words. In truth, Adrien already knew what her answer was. And, he was ready for the rejection. But the longer she held her tongue, the more he dreaded hearing it. Closing his eyes, the teen tried to brace himself. Why wasn't she saying anything? Was she trying to let him down easy? Of all the times for her to not be blunt–
Adrien suddenly felt himself being pulled by the neck. He opened his eyes to blue pools staring intently at him. Luna had hooked a finger in the metal ring of his choker, guiding him towards her until they were a breath apart. His mouth ran dry as she held him in place. She still hadn't said a word, and it was slowly killing him.
"Luna..." he whispered. Begged.
Thwack!
Adrien jumped back in surprise. A hand shot up to cover his now stinging forehead as he blinked at the now smirking girl.
"Was that really necessary?" he asked, blandly.
"Oh, absolutely."
He groaned. "Luna-"
She quieted his protest with a finger. "Save it, pretty boy. I thought we settled this, already. Two weeks, remember?"
"Yeah, but-"
Luna rolled her eyes. "But nothing. We made a deal, and I'm not backing out of it. Sorry, but you're stuck with me, Agreste. Besides..." she said as she slid her arms around his neck. "What's life without a bit of risk?"
Her eyes danced at him, and Adrien didn't bother to hide his grin.
"Plus, if I dump you now, Chloé will literally have my ass by the end of the day. And I'd just rather no—"
Before she could say any more, Adrien silenced her with a kiss. They melted into one another, his arms sliding around her waist. A content hum slipped from her lips which he drank down with vigor. When it finally broke, Adrien kept hold of her and pressed their foreheads together.
"How's that for settling?" he asked with a smirk.
Luna scrunched her nose and hummed. "I've had better."
"Liar."
"Am I, though? The last guy I kissed actually purred for me."
"Yeah, I'm gonna choose to ignore that. Especially, because I don't have to return this."
As he spoke, Adrien released his grip on her and began to root through his bag.
Luna folded her arms as she watched him. "If it's more gaudy jewelry, I'll return it for you."
"Ha ha." He finally fished out an envelope and handed it to her.
Luna took it with a frown. When she opened it, she couldn't fight the smile that grew. Inside was a pristine playing card; the Ace of Hearts. She pulled it out to show him.
"You are an absolute dork," she told him.
"That's not all that's in there." He gestured for her to look again. When she did, her whole face immediately lit up.
"What are these?" she asked, pulling out two tickets.
"Well, I figured on the off chance you weren't going to dump me on the spot, I should probably take you on an actual date. You're not doing anything this Thursday, right?"
She raised a brow at the title. "Rimbaud Verlaine?"
"Yeah, I hear it's pretty good. Just don't ask me what it's about, 'cause I literally have no clue."
"Yikes. Remind me not to let you plan any more dates."
"Hey!"
"Relax, you get an A for effort." She chuckled, quickly laying a peck on his lips. "I'd love to go with you. Assuming neither of us are grounded by then."
"Somehow, I don't see that stopping us."
Luna let out yet another giggle, and Adrien couldn't resist claiming one more kiss.
"Y'know, I came to school expecting a lot of things, today. This is not one of them."
Both teens separated from one another. They turned to see Nino blinking at them. Adrien scratched at the back of his head with a nervous smile.
"Uh... hey!"
"Yo..." the other boy said. "Nice outfit."
A blush lit up the model's face as his girlfriend tried to hide a laugh. Adrien narrowed a glare at her. Thankfully, the bell rang before she could attempt to embarrass him any further.
"That sounds like our cue, boys," Luna said. "See you in class."
She gave the dj a mock salute before heading off. Nino sort of gave her half a wave, but it was clear his attention was elsewhere. Adrien shifted on his feet; the staring was getting a bit weird.
"So, uh..." he said with a laugh. "I'm sure you have questions."
Nino gave him a nod. "Understatement of the year, dude. But, they can wait 'til after class."
Adrien sighed in relief. "I think I can live with that."
They made their way to class, and as soon as he stepped inside, Adrien noticed two things. The first of which was the death-glare Alya pinned him with. He held in a wince. Yeah, he should've expected that. Then he locked eyes with Marinette.
She seemed just as wrecked as she'd been the night prior despite the small smile she sent his way. He returned it with a polite wave as her eyes swept over him. Her smile faded into a slight frown.
"Really?"
"What?" he asked with a frown.
"I thought you were gonna go with the blue one?"
Adrien rolled his eyes as he sat down. "The blue one had frills. I don't do frills."
Marinette leaned over her desk. "Then what do you call last year's cover of Teen Mode?"
"Those were ruffles, and we don't speak of that issue."
A strangled choke sounded beside them. Adrien glanced over to see Sabrina rapidly beating her best-friend's heaving back. When she finally stopped prematurely dying, Chloé gawked at him through bleary eyes.
"Adrikins, what on Earth are you wearing?!"
Adrien chuckled as Ms. Bustier walked in to begin their day. He did his best to focus on the lesson, but the buzz of his phone pulled his attention away. Hiding it beneath his desk, he quickly read through the message sent to him.
Luna: I would've totally paid to see frills.
Adrien fought a smirk. He quickly typed back to her. And that's why u never will. It wasn't long before he got a reply, one that made him grin even wider.
Luna: Wanna bet?
Playlist:
I'm Not Okay (I Promise)- My Chemical Romance
Let the Flames Begin- Paramore
Theatre- Icon For Hire
Hi-Lights- Savlonic
Love Myself- Hailee Steinfeld
Sweet True Lies- Beast in Black
Forever- In This Moment
Rebel Love Song- Black Veil Brides
Kotik- Alexander Rybak
Three years. It took me THREE YEARS to be satisfied enough with this chapter to post it. This story has lived in my head, rent-free, the entire time, too. I feel so bad that I dragged my feet with it, but I'm so happy to have it done! And I still plan on writing a sequel; I just know better than to make any promises on when I'll post it.
Once again, major thanks to all my readers. I would never have gotten this far without all your wonderful words of encouragement. I certainly hope this chapter was well worth the wait.
Love and take care~