A/N: We're over halfway there now! Enjoy!

Some time after their success with Juleka, Gabriel finally decided to let Marinette and Claw meet his allies, who turned out to be none other than Nino and Alya.

Marinette was thrilled to meet the alternate versions of her best friends, happy to discover that they really didn't differ too much from the ones she knew dearly.

However, it did take a little longer for them to get used to her, especially since she wore Shadybug's disguise, the image of an enemy they had fought for multiple years now.

Claw Noir, as usual, remained wary of the newly revealed members of the resistance, which of course invited a very similar reaction to him in turn.

Nevertheless, Marinette and Gabriel's enthusiasm seemed to warm up the frigid meetings.

Progress on the plan continued slowly, with the new members being introduced only as more and more time passed.

Luka was the first one allowed in the meetings, his disarming attitude key to helping everyone relax.

Marinette still wasn't sure exactly how much he used his Second Chance ability, but it was an oddity how comfortable he seemed to be with everyone, despite how wary their own reactions remained.

Rose became the next target for the resistance, as demanded by Juleka.

Marinette continued to be the key to convincing new members to join their side, in part because of her ability to reveal the identities of the others. Time was still required, despite their growing numbers; it only would take one hasty attempt for their resistance to be blown fully open to the Supreme, after all.

So time began to trickle by, as surveillance and obedience to the Supreme's orders continued.

The slow progress towards the resistance's goal allowed Marinette and Adrien's growing relationship to take center stage in her life, though it stayed behind closed doors.

Their outward teasing remained mostly unchanged, if not slightly turned down in order to keep their relationship from the others, as well as the Supreme.

In the privacy of Adrien's apartment, however, they were finally able to truly relax into what they had.

Whether it was Adrien insisting that the alternate Bridgerton show they watched together was utter crap—despite his eagerness to continue at the end of each episode—or Marinette pulling Adrien into his bed for a more intimate moment, she enjoyed every moment of relaxation to be had outside of planning and missions.

She began to notice a subtle shift in Adrien as they grew closer; the aloof attitude he'd most often sported before seemed to fray more often into a single-minded focus on her—at least, when they were alone together.

The more careful they became in public, the tighter he seemed to hold onto her in private.

They also began to grow more attuned to each other, which became more and more helpful when it came to carrying out the Supreme's assigned missions.

Claw Noir could more easily recognize her own weak points when it came to their tasks, stepping in as necessary to cover up her falters and—at times—full on rebellion against certain requests, such as taking out a building while it was full of people working inside.

In the same way, Marinette was able to get through to him little by little when it came to watching out for civilian casualties. Instead of destroying said building, Claw Noir had merely gotten loud, attacking strategic points to give the people time to escape before finally bringing it down.

One thing Marinette was unable to get through to him on, however, involved his father.

Despite their continued success—especially as bringing Rose to their side afforded them her power of the Pig Miraculous, key to understanding the desires of their targets—Claw Noir seemed to grow no closer to patching things over with his father.

One evening at the mansion, after Claw had stormed off without waiting for her after, Marinette lingered, catching Gabriel before he disappeared as well.

"Mr. Agreste, may I ask you something?"

The man nodded, gesturing back to the chair. "Of course. What's on your mind, Miss Dupain-Cheng?"

Marinette hesitated before sitting down. She wouldn't say they had been getting closer, per se, but she did believe she was gaining more of his trust. Enough so that she felt comfortable asking a question that had been on her mind since first coming to this world. "I was wondering how it was that you came in possession of the Butterfly Miraculous in the first place."

Gabriel wasn't a particularly positive man in general, even this alternate version of him. However, what little light that burned within his expression dimmed at her question. He let out a sigh. "I figured you might ask that eventually." She saw the pain pass quickly through his gaze before it disappeared behind the cool façade, one more reminiscent of the Gabriel Agreste in her world. "I'm not sure you are aware, but I lost my wife some years back."

Marinette nodded. "I'm so sorry for your loss."

He nodded politely in response before clearing his throat. "Before it happened, before even Adrien was born, Emilie and I dedicated years to researching the Miraculous, alongside a close friend. It was Emilie's dream to one day be able to use their magic to make the world a better place." A small smile broke through the melancholy in his features, his eyes far away. "It was one of the reasons I fell in love with her. She was my light, her goodness shining from within and lifting me up as well. She made me want to be a better man."

The look faded from his eyes as he continued. "Eventually, we were successful. We found two Miraculous."

The Butterfly and the Peacock, Marinette realized, enthralled by the story. She stayed quiet, waiting for him to move on.

Another flash of pain streaked through Gabriel's eyes. "It wasn't without cost. Our companion, a dear friend of ours, didn't make it through the journey."

"Nathalie?" Marinette whispered, sadness gripping her.

"Yes," He glanced at her, surprised, before moving on. "It was extremely bittersweet. And so, though we had finally found them, the Miraculous were stored away. We eventually had Adrien, who became our focus. Perhaps overly so; I suppose we held the boy back too much from the outside world. But we were happy.

"Then, we almost lost him." Sorrow diffused through him, potent and all-consuming. "And then Emilie was gone."

Marinette could feel echoes of that pain she saw in him. She couldn't fully imagine how terrible it would be to lose so many important people in her life. She wanted nothing more than to give the man a hug, then return and give Adrien one as well.

Gabriel cleared his throat, the emotion clearing somewhat from him. "When the Supreme arrived, with some type of ability to control the Miraculous, I lost control of the ones we had. I knew it wasn't a good sign, and through my grief, I held onto Emilie's dream she had left behind, to protect her city using the gems. I managed to steal my Miraculous." He tapped the broach on his collar. "And I've been fighting the Supreme ever since. That's exactly what Emilie would have wanted me to do, when she could not."

"I'm sure she would be proud," Marinette said quietly. "What about your son? Does Adrien know any of this?"

His eyes pinched. "No. I've done my best to protect him from all of this. It's better that he doesn't know what I am doing."

"You're sure?"

"Yes," he said resolutely. "The last thing I want is for him to get wrapped up in everything. If the Supreme ever discovers my identity, I want him as far away from this as possible."

Too late for that.

Marinette wanted to press Gabriel to consider talking more to Adrien, but it simply wasn't her place. As long as Claw wanted to keep his identity a secret from his father, she would respect that.

Instead, she stood up, placing a hand on Gabriel's shoulder. "I hope we can defeat the Supreme soon, for you and your son's sake."

He nodded, the light catching on his glasses as he looked at her. "I've said this before, but I am grateful that you have come to help." He turned away once again, his face blank. "I'm looking forward to putting this behind me. Perhaps I can mend what I've broken between my son and I, afterwards."

As Marinette finally left the mansion, she felt determined to find Adrien. He'd left the meeting early, pissed off as usual, though she hadn't been able to tell why. The meeting had been easy enough.

Still, she had to find him. The need to tell him what she had learned from his father churned within her. Sure, she had kept Adrien's secret from Gabriel, but she had no such compulsion to keep what she learned from Adrien. Especially not if it would help mend the relationship between the two.

When she detransformed, Marinette felt something trickling from her nose, and she reached up to find a bit of blood. She scowled at her hand before digging around in her purse for a tissue.

She'd started getting nosebleeds more often, an annoyance that she chalked up to a change in the air in this universe versus her own.

She wiped the blood away before resuming her search for Adrien.

Finally, Marinette found him back in his apartment, gaming on the couch. "Adrien?"

He grunted, otherwise remaining tense and focused on the screen.

She walked over to him, watching him play a game she wasn't familiar with. After a few moments she asked, "Want me to join?"He glanced her way briefly before shrugging.

Marinette took the second controller and sat down beside him.

They played the game together quietly for a short time, before Marinette couldn't help but throw a taunt his way. He narrowed his eyes at her, his mouth twitching.

Soon, the tension leaked out of him, and they engaged in a bit of mutual ribbing before he tossed the controller onto the ground. "Damn, Sweetness. Have you even played this one before?"

A smirk slowly broke out on her face. "Nope."

He knocked into her shoulder with his. "Woman, get the fuck out of my place. You're not welcome here anymore." He grinned over at her as he said it, and she shoved him back before rising to her feet.

"Guess I'll leave then. Hope you enjoy your messy apartment alone."

Adrien merely leaned back into the couch, his arms above his head. "I can't wait."

She took a few slow steps before turning her head halfway. "Oh, and too bad you'll never finish the last season of our show. I know you were dying to find out what happens."

"Don't need you for that, Sweetness. I'll watch it on my own."

"Uh huh." Marinette strolled over to the fridge. "Better take my cookies with me then."

She opened the door, but before she could grab the container of macarons, she saw Adrien stand and vault over the couch. He prowled over to her, shutting the door in front of her before twisting her around to face him. Her breath caught at his nearness, his mouth close to hers as he looked down at her, warmth in his eyes.

She couldn't help a soft laugh from escaping. "The cookies did you in, then?"

"You do me in, Marinette." He brought his mouth down to the hollow beneath her ear, pressing his lips against her skin there and causing her to fully lose her breath.

Her head lolled to the side at his ministrations. "Mmm. So I can stay?"

His teeth scraped against her skin, sending a spark of heat through her. "I'd rather you never left, actually." He brought his head up to kiss her fully, but paused. "Well, not never. Whatever, you know what I mean."

She smiled against his lips before taking back possession of his tongue.

Until he pulled away again, fire in his gaze and a smirk on his lips. "Actually, I don't mind that image. You, tied to my bed. Unable to leave."

Pulsing heat slid through her belly and continued downwards. "Mmm. I think I'd enjoy tying you down while I have my way with you, instead."

Adrien's grin slackened for a moment before he dove for her neck, pressing his body closer to her and revealing just how much he liked that idea. "Fuck, that sounds—"

A ringing alarm from his pocket interrupted them, causing Adrien to let out a groan, though he ignored it as he continued moving his mouth on her neck.

"Adrien," she said softly, her voice hitching.

He grunted before finally releasing her. "Damn class," he murmured, taking out his phone to swipe away the reminder.

"You need to go," Marinette said, though she felt the same disappointment. "Didn't you say something was happening today?"

"Yeah." He let out a sigh, moving back a step as he ran a hand through his hair. "Damien should be getting a new belt today. I told the cretin I'd make sure I'd be there for it." Still, his eyes remained heated on hers as he moved in one more time, kissing her quickly, deeply. "Later," he said, his voice rough. He grinned at her before turning around to change.

Marinette was still cooling down in front of the fridge when he came back out. "Come with me?" he asked, and though he said it casually, she could see through him easily enough.

Though he kept up a front of indifference at times, ever since things had changed between them, it was as though some inner wall had broken down within him.

She wanted to keep working on that outer one of his, however, in order to show the rest of the world what lay beneath.

Marinette nodded and joined Adrien as they left the apartment.

On the walk, her mind turned back to what she had learned. After a short inner debate, she finally asked, "Why did you leave earlier, by the way? You seemed upset."

Adrien glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "No reason," he said.

"Hmm." She didn't really believe him, but she didn't question it. Instead, she decided to press forward. "I...talked to your dad afterwards. I learned a few things. He was trying to protect you, when he sent you away. He and your mom—"

Adrien interrupted, his teeth gritted, "No, I don't want to hear it. Can't deal with that right now. He could tell me himself if he really cared." His hand clenched into a fist.

After a few moments, Marinette said, "I'm sorry."

Adrien relaxed again, mood shifting in that abrupt way of his. "It's fine, Marinette. You don't understand, but I'm glad you don't. Wouldn't want you dealing with any of this shit I have to."

Marinette reached her hand over, slipping it into his arm. "You don't have to deal with it alone, you know. I may not know what it's like to lose a parent, but I'm here for you."

They stopped outside the gym, Adrien turning to face her. His expression was carefully neutral, but there was something buried beneath, something desperate. "For now," he said quietly, the hidden fear poking its way out for the barest moment.

"Adrien—"

Before she could continue, he turned away abruptly, walking into the gym.

During his class, Adrien attempted to lose himself in the instruction he gave, trying to keep his thoughts from turning dark again.

While Marinette had been selflessly offering herself up to help him minutes before, his mind had turned in an unpleasant direction, which he was sure was the last thing that she would have wanted.

Before her, he'd always handled the negative thoughts by accepting them, and moving on to other distractions.

Destruction is in your blood.

Easy enough. Time to destroy some things and prove it right.

It was simple when he had no one he cared about, no one in the crosshairs of his bad decisions.

Shadybug had been different. She had guided him in his destruction, and had seemed completely impenetrable. He could care about her, without it getting in the way of everything. They'd walked that darker path together, with nothing in their way.

Marinette, however...was different.

Sure, she brought a new path with her arrival, a way out of the pit of destruction he had fallen in. It was a lifeline he hadn't thought he really deserved, but would try and take anyway, both for her sake and for Shadybug, now walking the straight and narrow.

But when Marinette had suddenly opened her heart to him as well, it had revealed a completely unexpected detour, one filled with a beauty he'd never thought could exist, not for him, at least. It was a detour he found he was desperate to take.

The problem was that it, in turn, opened new doors to much less pleasant paths. The negative thoughts so easily batted away before now had more that they could hold onto, more ways to grab at him.

This happiness can't last. You don't deserve it.

You'll just bring her down with you.

Leave her, before you destroy something else you love.

Strangely, the thoughts—while harder to shake completely—seemed to only make him want to hold on tighter.

He didn't want to lose his tether to this brighter path, and so he would continue to cling to it, and hope that the darkness in his life wouldn't rise up to steal away this one beautiful thing he had.

He was once again falling, as he had been from the start with her. Only now, the ground became much more frightening as it approached, because he no longer fell alone. He wasn't the only one that might get hurt in the inevitable crash.

Adrien caught Marinette's eye from the corner of the bench where she sometimes sat to watch his practices. She gave him a smile, one that reached her eyes. It was a smile that banished the thoughts away, a sword destroying the creeping overgrowth threatening the edges of his path.

He only hoped it would last.

A/N: A little lore, a little teasing, a little angst. Hope you enjoyed, would love to know your thoughts! Verabraun_Art created a wonderful song for this fic, I was blown away! You can find it on my instagram or on the AO3 version of this fic.

Next week I'll be on vacation, so my update will come a little late, apologies in advance!