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It wasn’t the first time one of his hugs gave Marinette the strength to keep going when all she wanted to do was break down and cry.
But after keeping Chat Noir in the dark for so long and pushing him away, to the point where he had given up his miraculous, she didn’t think she’d be in his arms again. She thought she would never feel safe again until somehow found a way to get back all the miraculous from Shadowmoth. And yet…
He gave her the strength to stand up and face down the apparition of Shadowmoth that loomed over Paris. To stand tall and look determined in the face of the encouraging chants of the people below. The immense relief she felt to know that he was there with her and still believed in her gave her hope.
But hope could be fleeting.
She realized this as she swung her way home, her partner having taken a different route a while back. She caught a glimpse of the light of her balcony and the realization of what was waiting for her at home crashed into her, leaving her breathless.
Silence .
She had lived with the kwamis for so long now, taking their random, spontaneous appearances in her room for granted. And now…
“Tikki, spots off,” she panted.
She held her hands out to cup Tikki when she flew out of the earrings, and couldn’t help the tears that flooded her vision as soon as she saw her.
“Tikki I’m so sorry. Oh god what have I done? Tikki I’m so sorry, I’ve left you all alone again,” she sobbed. A million worries brewed in her mind, leaving her vulnerable and unaware of everything around her. She couldn’t hear Tikki’s reassurances, couldn’t feel her warmth as she hugged her cheek and tried to catch her tears.
It’s all my fault.
The kwamis must be so scared.
I’m so scared.
Marinette failed to realize she was hyperventilating until strong arms wrapped around her. She felt her ribcage press into his arms repeatedly, going way too fast to be normal.
“Ladybug. Hey, listen to my voice. You’re okay. Breathe Mari, please .”
She felt his arms tighten around her as he gently spoke in her ear to calm her. The sound of her own name barely registered as she desperately tried to suck in precious air. She grasped his arms in a tight grip in an attempt to ground herself, holding her breath for a few seconds at a time to regulate her breathing. If it weren’t for his arms keeping her standing, she would have collapsed into a panicking mess on the rooftop.
Once she finally felt the knot in her throat loosen enough to attempt talking, she opened her mouth to reassure him she was okay now. But all that came out was a helpless croak, and in her embarrassment, she turned around to throw her arms around his waist and clutch him close.
“I-It - it’s… not home anymore,” she whimpered before letting out a sob mid sentence and burying her face in his shoulder.
She couldn’t let herself lose it. Not again. Her chest was heavy with all the panicking and crying she’d done already, and she was too exhausted to do it all again.
Her tight hold on Chat Noir slacked, and she felt her knees give out and bend until she was kneeling on the ground. Not alone, though. Never alone.
His hold on her never wavered as his body followed her and held her, his gloved hand cradling the back of her neck as he patiently waited for her to explain.
“The kwamis-” she hiccupped. “They were always loud and up to no good. How can I possibly go back into my room and face… they won’t be there anymore.” She shivered and looked up at him to gauge his reaction. “I can’t go back into a silent room to fend off my thoughts alone. They won’t be there to offer me comfort this time.”
She stared into his eyes, finding a flash of hurt before his gaze softened into understanding.
“I know milady. I know that feeling all too well,” he mumbled.
He pursed his lips in thought and looked around before facing her again. He offered her a shaky smile of reassurance and moved his arms to grasp her hands between them.
“I know this was the worst possible moment for me to find out who you are-”
Marinette instantly stiffened, looking down at herself to see that, yes, she wasn’t wearing her spots anymore. She frantically searched around her to find Tikki nestled in Chat’s hair, looking at her warmly.
Well, just when I thought this day couldn’t get worse.
Marinette shakily stood up, wincing at the soreness she felt in her calves before walking to the edge of the rooftop. She held her breath as she scanned the horizon for any sign of disaster or Bunnyx’s burrow.
“No dinosaurs,” she whispered hoarsely, chuckling mirthlessly. This was now the third time that one of them somehow found out the other’s identity, the third time she’d have to be subjected to fixing the past to save the future. Except this time, she was too tired to care. The worst had already happened, what else could possibly happen?
She stood passively, waiting a few moments for the telltale sign of impending doom.
“Marinette?”
Her shoulders tensed at the sound of her own name. She gave one last cursory glance at the horizon, before sighing in relief at the lack of chaos. Maybe… maybe nothing would happen this time?
She padded towards him, padding across the rooftop to where he stood.
“This isn’t how I wanted the reveal to go,” she mumbled, kicking her foot idly to avoid looking at him.
“Me neither,” he softly replied.
She pursed her lips at their unfortunate fate. It seemed not even one small, tiny thing could go right today.
She gasped when she felt his hand gently grab her chin, lifting her face to meet his eyes.
“Let me take care of you,” he whispered.
She was about to say no, to turn away and transform and run . Run until she was too tired to relive the day and too tired to remember her identity was compromised. But his eyes, his cursed feline eyes, were too earnest and caring for her tired heart to withstand.
“You did say I was your favorite superhero,” he added with a soft smile. His smile only grew when she snorted in response and rolled her eyes.
In reply, she shuffled closer to him and let her head fall against his chest again, finding comfort in the sound of his racing heart.
He bent down to hook his arm behind her knees and lifted her up, running the last few rooftops that separated them from her balcony.
The moment he landed on her balcony, her arms tightened unconsciously around him. She dreaded going inside with every fiber of her being, and almost felt the urge to cry again.
But her kitty was nothing if not gentle and understanding. He carried her inside her rooms, hopping from her bed to the space below.
She shut her eyes tightly, refusing to see all the kwamis’ favorite hiding spaces as if she could pretend they were still there, watching silently as Chat Noir ventured inside her room.
He set her down on her chair, and walked silently to the sink next to her desk. She stood frozen, unsure of what to do now that she was inside. She jumped slightly when she felt something soft and damp against her cheeks. Her eyes fluttered open and registered his glowing green eyes looking up from where he kneeled next to the chair. He held a soft pink towelette to her face, wiping away the sweat and dirt from the day.
The tenderness with which he looked at her and tended to her made her heart squeeze painfully in her chest, and tears once again sprung to her eyes. When he noticed, he reached for her cheeks and placed a feather light kiss on her forehead, whispering reassurances and telling her he would be strong so she wouldn’t have to be tonight.
She let him pick her back up and carry her towards her bed. He lifted the comforter for her to crawl under, and she felt the cool whisper of a tear make its way down the side of her cheek as he tucked her in, fussing over her and letting her hair loose.
She blinked slowly and sniffled, watching as he sat back and shuffled towards the hatch that led to her balcony. He reached for the latch and stopped, her breath hitching at the intensity of his gaze.
“I’ll always be here, to protect you Marinette. In and out of the mask, you’ll never be alone.” He smiled sadly and wiped the tears that raced out of the corners of her eyes. “Good night milady.”
“Wait!”
Marinette reached for his hand and tugged him back towards her. She knew it was dangerous to allow this, but she wanted – needed – him next to her. There was nowhere else she felt as safe as when she had him beside her.
Just this once , she thought.
“Can you… can you stay with me? For a little bit?”
She grimaced as her voice cracked, making her sound even more small.
“Always.”
She made room for him to shuffle next to her, and couldn’t help but feel a slight jab of disappointment as he sat with his back to the wall behind her bed.
She turned her back to him, as if she could turn her back on the whirlwind of feelings that clashed with the bone-deep exhaustion she felt. She felt safer now, with him behind her back as she faced the rest of the room. She didn’t really expect anyone to come for her, but she couldn’t help but feel defensive now, even in her own room.
She froze when she heard a soft hum coming from behind her, before she shivered at the feel of hands gently brushing through her hair. She sighed, feeling her body relax as she felt jolts of comfort race down her scalp at his ministrations. The sound of his soft humming soothed her as she finally felt her eyes grow heavy, and her chest sunk deep into her mattress.
She awoke a couple of times shortly after, but always had the sensation of hands brushing through her hair and a soft song to lull her back to peaceful sleep.
Hours later, she woke up to the warmth of sunlight caressing her cheek and two slight spots of pressure on her head. She shuffled backwards, seeking the warmth she felt behind her back throughout the night. She groaned in displeasure when she reached out, and all she felt was the coolness of an unused spot of her bedsheets.
She opened her eyes groggily, ignoring all thoughts so she could have the last few, precious moments of respite before her mind caught up with her. As she shuffled around, she saw a blur of black and red zip down from above her, landing on her blanket covered belly.
Tikki smiled warmly at Marinette, and Plagg watched her with a slight smirk.
Plagg .
The last time he was here, he was surrounded by kwamis that laughed with him, questioning him about his holder. And now…
As much as Marinette tried to hold back the flood of emotions, she couldn’t help but feel the guilt and shame course through her as she stared at the last two kwamis she had.
“Plagg I-”
Her voice cracked in surprise when Plagg rushed forward to headbutt her cheek, purring softly as he nuzzled her skin. Tikki rushed to her too, and gave Marinette a gentle kiss with a happy hum.
Before her eyes shed more tears, Marinette cleared her throat and held the two kwamis to her face to comfort herself. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“You have nothing to be sorry for, Marinette,” Plagg replied.
Tikki nodded vehemently, “He’s right, you have us. And we’ll always be here for you.”
Marinette gave them both a watery smile, her heart swelling with the amount of faith the kwamis still had in her despite everything.
“I’ll bring them back home, no matter what it takes,” she declared.
“We know you will,” Tikki smiled.
Marinette gazed at them both before stiffening. Plagg was right there, with her. Which meant that Chat Noir –
“He’s on the balcony,” Plagg smirked knowingly. “He was keeping watch on the lounge chair before falling asleep a few hours ago.”
Oh kitty, she shook her head fondly. Of course he knew how unsafe she felt, and brought it upon himself to try to stay awake to make sure she would be safe.
She bit her lip in thought, glancing at Tikki hesitantly. She watched as the kwamis looked at each other silently, before turning back to her and nodding in sync.
She took a deep breath to settle her nerves, and reached up for the hatch. As the door creaked open, she heard shuffling and a yawn. She slowly rose to her knees, her hand shaking at the prospect of learning who her partner was.
She peeked her head out, forcing her eyes to stare forward and not to the lounge chair to her right. She watched the horizon, waiting once again for any warning sign that she was doing the wrong thing. She waited for a flash of ice blue or weird apparitions in Paris, but nothing happened.
This is it, she thought to herself.
She pulled herself up and turned around slowly to face…
“ Adrien,” she breathed.
But as soon as he moved to stand, panic seized her and squeezed the air from her lungs.
The deception was still too fresh, too recent for reason to reassure her. How many times had she mistaken Felix for Adrien? The first time led to a failed attempt at confessing, but this time…
This time it could literally bring on the end of the world.
She panted as she scrambled backwards, catching herself on the railing of her balcony as she put distance between them to calm herself.
“Mari! Marinette, it's me, Adrien. I promise it’s me. Breathe.” He moved towards her with his hands outstretched before stopping suddenly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He scrolled frantically before showing her the screen.
Marinette squinted at the phone before plucking it from his grasp to inspect it.
She recognized herself in the photos, and scrolled through his photo gallery. His phone was filled with photos of their classmates, of Nino and Alya together, and a few of him and Marinette together. When she fell asleep on his shoulder on the train, as they danced together in the sky.
And many, many photos of Ladybug.
She slowly looked up at him, her mouth hanging open in shock. Chat Noir and Adrien, the same boy.
“It’s really you,” she whispered in awe.
She watched fascinated as a blush colored his cheeks and he smiled nervously at her. He extended his hand toward her, with the same determination and confidence as he did to Ladybug last night.
She timidly reached for his hand, grasping his fingers and gasping in surprise as he pulled her into an embrace.
Not everything was solved, not by a long shot. It would take blood, sweat, and tears to regain what they had lost. Their communication, their trust, the miraculous.
But they had also found something invaluable: each other.
Despite the masks, Adrien was the one Marinette loved. Marinette was the one Adrien trusted enough to open up about his disdain for his life as a model. Chat Noir was the one Ladybug trusted with her life. And Ladybug was the one Chat Noir loved and had faith in, time and time again.
“You a-and me?” she asked again.
Forever?
“Till forever falls apart, milady.”
And just like that, his faith in her was enough to keep her standing, and to keep her chin held high. She didn’t know who they’d become after this, or what their relationship would look like now that they knew each other’s identities. But she did know one thing for sure.
They’d be stronger together.