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Chapter Text

"I brought you some flowers." Adrien stood before her, holding a beautiful bouquet of roses towards her. She sat up, not knowing how she ended up in a secluded corner of the Eiffel Tower's observation deck. The sky around them suggested night had fallen. She'd been asleep for some time.

"What happened?"

Adrien smiled a sad smile and settled down beside her.

Alya had been the first to move after she ran, but Adrien and Nino followed quickly. They wanted to visit her, but she hadn't gone home. Only Alya had understood why.

She had no choice but to explain it to the boys.

The three of them scoured the twenty-first arrondissement, separating it into sectors to make searching easier. He'd taken the tower. It was luck that he found her napping on a bench beneath it. He carried her to a better place to rest and kept watch over her until she awoke, only leaving to buy her food and water and gifts for when she did. Alya and Nino came and stayed as long as they could, but had to leave once night fell.

Marinette wiped tears from her eyes as he finished his story.

"You did all that for me?" she asked.

"I'd do it again, too." he answered.

She leaned on his shoulder, hiding her face, letting his shirt catch her tears.

=•=•=•=

Marinette Dupain-Cheng had disappeared.

No one knew where she went. No one knew why. No one knew how.

Her parents had no idea, even though they'd been there, in the same room, the night she disappeared. They'd been standing with her in the kitchen, their fighting drawing them to silence, and then she was gone.

They were devastated.

Her class got together and looked. They pooled their money and promised a reward for her return. They missed her. Even Chloé couldn't keep up her normal attitude without someone to challenge her.

But no one could ever claim the meager reward. There were no leads, no trails, nothing to find her with.

She was just gone.

=•=•=•=

Gabriel Agreste was in a good mood.

Adrien just didn't understand. Had a collection gone especially well? Did he land a collaboration with an international superstar? Had he been replaced by an alien or robot?

Okay, that last theory wasn't as plausible as the others.

But it was still odd to see his father's face every night at dinner. Or at his piano concerts. Or basketball games. Or fencing matches. Or... Anywhere, really.

Aside from magazines, of course.

Oh, well. The reason didn't matter. He was paying attention to Adrien, asking about his day and offering advice and just being there, and Adrien couldn't ask for more.

=•=•=•=

Adrien Agreste was happy.

His father was spending more time with him, of course he would be.

Marinette tried to soak in his happiness, letting it be her fuel to face her daunting home life. She let thoughts of him and his father fill her mind. If they could be happy without his mother, she could be happy without hers, right?

Or maybe she would be without a father soon.

Hopefully, she would keep both of her parents. The divorce was still just in the discussion phase, after all. Just an idea brought up when neither thought Marinette was awake and listening.

She really, really hoped it wouldn't come to that.

The fighting had come about so suddenly, a simple request to repaint the bakery that had been blown out of proportion. It was like a cascade of pain and fury after that, with every conversation quickly devolving into shouting and yelling. It was unexpected, it was scary.

Marinette definitely won't deny that it was scary. They had been together twenty years, after all. What could have driven them to divorce in the span of two months? It hurt just to think about it.

But only Alya knew about all this. She wouldn't want to spoil Adrien's good mood with something like this. He worried about her too much sometimes.

In fact, remembering the way he rushed to her apartment after learning she needed a translator was one of the few things that made her feel better. It seemed like only he could put a smile on her face now.

And she felt horrible about it. Shouldn't her family be able to do that, even in times like these? If not them, then memories of them should do, but they didn't. They didn't and she couldn't stand it and she wanted to cry and scream and just beat her frustrations away but she couldn't even do that because Hawkmoth wouldn't get off his lazy ass and send an akuma out and she was going fucking crazy and-

And she couldn't stand the stress right now, there were tears in her eyes and rolling down her cheeks and every eye was on her. Alya's hand was on her back, rubbing useless circles into her shoulders but she couldn't stay, the stares weighed on her chest and made it impossible to breathe and she needed out-out-out!

So she gathered her things and left, the eyes of her classmates following her every step.

=•=•=•=

Ladybug was there.

That was her, wasn't it?

It had to be. She had the same height, same build. She had the same mask, she was dressed in the same clothes.

It was her eyes, however, that made Adrien doubt her. They were once so full of life, with stars hidden in them, but now they stared blankly ahead.

"Ladybug?" he asked, his voice below a whisper. She turned to him.

"Monsieur Agreste." Her voice was cold, detached. "What a pleasure to meet you." She smiled, the corners of her lips raising only the smallest bit, and he swore she was closing to crying.

"Ladybug!" someone cut in. She faced the speaker, arms at her side in attention. Adrien turned to see his father at the top of the steps, smiling coldly. He started to step down, speaking as he did so. "You are relieved of duties for now. I want you to relax, continue hiding. You are more than welcome to stay here."

Adrien's eyes jumped between Ladybug and Gabriel, the question on his lips dying as soon as he tried to speak it.

"I am Hawkmoth," his father answered anyway, pulling off his tie. Underneath was a small kwami hovering over a pin.

Oh, that hurt.

It hurt in the worst ways. Adrien felt his heart stutter, felt darkness creep into its every crevice. He felt it drop into despair, he felt it chill into betrayal, he felt it roar in anger.

He wanted to voice his feelings. He wanted to let his father know he was disappointed, to tear into him with words sharper than knives, but he didn't get the chance.

Ladybug was transforming.

But no, that was not how she was supposed to do it. Her transformation was supposed to be pink and sparkles. He knew that; she'd told him it was the most ridiculous thing.

It wasn't supposed to be slimy and black, it wasn't supposed to drip off her skin in murky clouds of dark power, retreating into the rose tucked behind her ear.

It wasn't supposed to reveal Marinette, her expressive face now a mask of ice and stone.

=•=•=•=

"I brought some flowers." Marinette mirrored what had happened earlier. There was a bundle of red roses in her hands, arms outstretched to give it to her parents. They reached for the bouquet at the same time, brushing the tips of their fingers together. Whipping their hands back, they glared at each other, then turned back to what they were doing.

Sabine kneading dough, Tom separating it into pans. Silence settled over the kitchen, and Marinette wilted in the tense atmosphere. She set the flowers on the counter and took her seat on the stool between them.

She was able to wait until the bread was in the oven before breaking the silence.

"Uncle Cheng put the flowers I got him in his Celestial Soup," she said. "Maybe we could decorate some of our bread with the roses?"

Tom and Sabine looked at her, then the roses. Together, they reached out to gather a few petals, their hands touching on the stem of the biggest flower as a black butterfly landed on it.

Marinette felt her eyes widen, and then she was screaming.

=•=•=•=

The boy was young.

But he had experienced the pain of heartbreak yet again.

Was he just not lovable? Was he too headstrong, too much of a pushover? What had he done to deserve being saddened like this?

He didn't blame his ex. No, he was just too sensitive. It hurt so. Fucking. Much. But it was his fault.

It didn't make him feel any better when he saw couples walking hand-in-hand down the street. Or kissing beneath the stars. Or snuggling in the shade of a tree.

But it was all his fault.

But it's not, said a voice in his head. They could be more considerate of you. They could watch what they do or say. They could make sure it would help you, rather than ignore you. I can help you break apart even the most loving of families. But I just need you to do something for me, first. Something secret. You must be subtle. You can't let anyone know what you're doing. Can you do that, Rifter?

Rifter smiled. "Yes, Hawkmoth."

=•=•=•=

"Mama! Papa! Don't listen to him! Don't listen to him!" she screeched, her voice rising and her throat raw. Without thinking, she tore the tainted rose from their hands - and immediately stilled.

What do we have here? whispered a voice in her mind. I've never noticed your presence before. How have you hidden from me all this time?

"I-"

There's some strong magic here, isn't there? She could feel Hawkmoth's cruel smile. Magic that can only come from another Miraculous. Have I finally found you, Ladybug?

"No..." she whispered, but Hawkmoth taunted her more. "No. No, no, no, no, no, no, No!" Her voice grew louder, louder, loud enough to snap her parents out of their daze. Finally, she shouted, clutching her head, thorns digging into her palms.

"I am not Ladybug!"

Dark mist exploded from her hands at her outburst, swallowing her, suffocating her.

She was drowning.

=•=•=•=

Gabriel Agreste had magic.

It was he that terrorized Paris. It was he that set civilians' inner demons free. It was he that took advantage of the weak.

Yes, he was Hawkmoth.

And he wasn't sure if it was just latent power he'd always had, or if it was a side effect of wielding his Miraculous, but he could sense people.

He couldn't tell who they were, he couldn't tell what they were feeling, but he could tell they were there.

It was a useful ability, if somewhat limited. He could tell when someone was about to knock on his door. He could examine his whole house if he stretched his senses to the max. He could check on Adrien, Nathalie, and his other employees by doing that, but it wore him out.

But the best thing?

The best thing that had happened had been finding out Ladybug's identity.

How had he done it?

Observational skills. She'd been close the few times he'd met her. Close enough to feel the warmth radiating from her body.

But she gave off no aura.

There was nothing, no hint of life coming from where she was. He concentrated on her, testing his power, trying to sense something, but he failed. It was like she didn't exist. Like he was gazing upon the ghost of a girl with pale skin and blue eyes and dark hair tied into ponytails. Empty. Void.

Even Chat Noir had a faint presence.

Ladybug did not.

He never got an answer as to why - the book he'd learned about the Miraculous from had disappeared. And he could never get much out of Nooroo. But when he told the kwami about it, he'd smiled. A small smile, a gloating smile, one that only reached his eye for a moment before his worries settled in again.

"Tikki is a master of shielding magic," he'd said. "Her charge is invisible to you."

"But what about you?"

His smile returned for half a second. "She can even fool me."

Gabriel walked away in disgust.

Weeks passed, the summer turning to fall before he came across Ladybug's lack of presence again.

Only this time, she wasn't wearing her suit.

She was just the ghost of a girl, with pale skin and blue eyes and dark hair tied into ponytails. She stood in the foyer of his home alongside Adrien, his friend Nino, and one other girl. He almost hadn't noticed her.

It was only after she spoke up, with sparkling eyes and gentle voice, that he even knew she was there. His eyes caught hers, giving her an intimidating stare that she met head-on. He'd been on the verge of kicking them out when she told him all they wanted to do was study. It would help Adrien as well, right?

It took him mere seconds to realize he was looking at Ladybug.

He'd been so elated, he allowed their request.

He asked Adrien about her.

He learned her name.

He kept an eye on her.

And now he had the perfect opportunity to draw her in.

"Well then, Rifter," Hawkmoth whispered, "your mission is to tear apart the Dupain-Cheng family."

Chapter Text

Some say Gabriel Agreste had no soulmate. Some say he had one, but they perished in an horrible twist of fate. Some say these are the reasons he made Adrien, his son born of either his dead soulmate or some random woman, wear gloves all the time. So that he would never discover the joy of finding his other half, only to have it torn from him.

It's ironic, then, Adrien thought one night as he sat with Ladybug, that Chat Noir's gloves are fingerless. He just attributed the fact to an unconscious part of him that wanted to rebel against his father. He drummed his nails across his mask as a way to busy his hands, to stop them from tucking Ladybug's hair behind her ear.

If he did that, he'd probably touch her bare skin against his. And if he did that, one of two things would happen.

The first would be flashes of their future together. Holding hands, taking walks, talking, kissing, maybe even raising a family together. Everything he ever wanted and could ever hope for - including Ladybug's secret identity. Something she didn't want to share, not right now, and he'd never betray her trust like that.

The second would be nothing. Just a brush of skin on skin. No magic spark. No vision of the future. Nothing but a simple "Thank you," and a smile. Perhaps she'd offer him an apology for not being his soulmate. She'd definitely pity him. His heart could never take such a disappointment. Part of him was scared of this, of nothing happening between them, and that was why he avoided touching anywhere her suit didn't cover.

But oh, was he curious.

Adrien Agreste was her soulmate, of that Marinette was certain. She could feel it in her bones - though Chloé often said that as well, so she tended to avoid that analogy. But trust her, she just knew that they were destined to be together.

Or so she hoped. Oh how she wished she were over this infatuation of him. Or at least less awkward around him. Maybe if she could just get one solid sentence out, he'd consider her as something more than a friend. Something that held hands and took walks and talked and kissed - how awesome would that be?! She could see it all clearly - he'd lose his gloves and accidentally brush her hand when passing her a pencil. Then they'd pause for a moment as their minds were filled with the joyous laughter of their future kids playing in the front yard of their small suburban home.

Ah, yes, she could dream about that all day. And she was sure it would happen, too. She really hoped it would, anyway.

Because when he turned to look at her, with his bright smile and even brighter eyes, she was lost within them, exploring their depths, feeling like she was falling before breathlessly catching herself on his upturned lips. She couldn't bear it if he weren't her soulmate. She'd be heartbroken, and even with Alya's "not all soulmates are lovers" speech, she just wouldn't be the same.

So maybe it's best if she worked on romancing him naturally, to not rely on magical forces that may or may not bind them together. Besides, no one actually knew whether he wore the gloves for his father or for himself, and she'd never put him in a position where he'd feel obligated to reveal his soulmate without his consent.

This was not good. Not good at all. An akuma was attacking the school - again - and Marinette had no where to hide to transform - again.

She decided that the best option in this scenario was to run. So, with the akuma snapping at her heels, she ran. She glanced behind her now and then, judging whether she could duck around the next corner with enough time to hide before it came barreling after her.

She never saw an opening, but she did see Chat Noir chasing after them. She let out a rush of air and hopped as far forward as she could to allow him to jump between her and the villain of the week. What she didn't expect was his hands on her waist, whisking her into the library and pulling her between the shelves in silence.

The doors exploded inward as the akuma burst through them, and he pulled her to the floor and hovered over her to protect her. He put his finger to her lips as way of keeping her quiet - as if she didn't already know.

What he didn't expect was a flash of something pink, and then to be sitting at her desk. He felt someone take his hand and looked up to see Nathanaël smiling down at him. The scene changed, and he was in her room, staring at pictures of her, Alya, Nino, and himself - though his were cut out of magazines, not taken with the others. The scene changed again - to Gabriel Agreste welcoming her as an intern. The final scene rolled, and it was one he recognized - Paris at night, from atop the Eiffel Tower. A favorite hangout of his and Ladybug's. He took off into the darkness, throwing a familiar yoyo in front of him. His arm was covered in red, with black dots. He saw his reflection in a building - and it was Ladybug.

This hit him like a ton of bricks. He obviously knew what was happening. He'd found his soulmate in Marinette. Beautiful, wonderful, kind Marinette. But that wasn't all. To his surprise, she was Ladybug, too!

He wanted to laugh. It was so ridiculous. He could already feel the smile tugging at his lips when he blinked the haze of visions away.

"Finally back, Kitty?" Marinette greeted him. She smiled down at him, her face red.

But she wasn't blushing. He gasped in horror as he saw the blood splayed across her face.

Adrien saw Marinette's future when he put his finger to her lips. Marinette saw his, too - and it only lasted a few seconds. When the vision hit her, all she saw was herself on the floor of her school library. But as for what she felt? Man, did that hurt. The claws ripped into her side, shredding the supposedly indestructible material of Chat Noir's suit. It had hurt even with the numbing effects of the dream-fog. So when it ended - all too quickly, if you asked Marinette - she twisted them around so that she was on top of him, shielding him from the deadly blow.

No, it wasn't exactly smart. Ladybug could have healed all damage done to him in seconds with her Lucky Charm. But, she decides, I'd do it again. A million times over, I'd do it again. Of that she was sure. Despite the burning pain that engulfed her abdomen, she would do it again. Despite her strength quickly failing her, she'd do it again. Despite falling on top of him as her arms finally gave out, she do it again. Because he looked happy.

He looked so happy in while in his vision. So incredibly, genuinely happy. Something she thought she'd seen on his face before, but was less forced this time. The lazy smile and unfocused eyes. The blonde hair and black mask. The blood and tears that ran down his face- Oh, wait. Those are mine. She giggled, somewhat deliriously, and smiled as he started blinking.

"Finally back, Kitty?" she asked weakly. He smiled at her for a second before gasping. He shot out from under her and cradled her, pressing his hands to the wound in her side. "No, no, kitty." She pushed the hands away. "Akuma first."

"R-right," he stammered, then gathered her into his arms and jumped away. She wrinkled her nose. This wasn't what she meant. He needed to stay to defeat it, or at least distract it. She'd transform once they were out of the room. Hell, she'd transform right now if he'd put her down. Maybe she could do it in his arms.

It wouldn't hurt to try. She opened her bag (which was still faithfully wrapped around her) and tried to call for Tikki. Chat Noir heard the kwami's terrified, breathy "No," and immediately shut the bag.

"Sorry, Little Lady," he said to both her and Marinette, "but Ladybug needs a break right now."

"Ladybug needs to fight." Marinette glared at him, but he ignored her. Instead, he confiscated her bag and set her down in a place he deemed safe. He brushed her hair behind her ears.

"It's your earrings, right?" he mumbled to himself. She shook her head, leaning away when he tried to take them. "When did you get so stubborn?" he huffed. He stilled her head with one hand and gently pulled the earrings out with the other.

"No," she said, but she was weak. Maybe it was from shock, maybe blood loss, but she was too weak to fight, and that scared him. He popped open her bag to let her kwami out.

"How do I fix this?" was the first thing from his mouth.

"Throw the yoyo into the air and yell 'Lucky Charm!' You'll have to use whatever you get to defeat the akuma. I can help you with forming a plan. When the item is no longer needed, throw it into the air and yell 'Miraculous Ladybug!' Then cleanse the akuma."

"Got it." He ran off with Tikki in tow, leaving Marinette to be found by Alya.

He tossed his ring and Plagg into her bag, which was still wrapped around him. He didn't need both Miraculous for this. He just needed to fix it.

Which he did in record time. He tossed the charm into the air and, in his rush to get back to Marinette, almost left the akuma. He remembered when the earrings beeped their final warning, and with almost no time to spare, released a white butterfly from the yoyo just before it disappeared.

He made his way to the hall where he left Marinette. She was now surrounded by students, a crowd so thick that he couldn't see her. He wasn't gentle about forcing himself through them. He'll admit that in a heartbeat. He shoved and elbowed and probably knocked a couple underclassmen over, but he'd do it again to see that she was okay.

Which she was thank God. She was sitting upright, with Alya beside her, talking to and comforting her friend.

"I'm okay," she whispered into Alya's hair. "I'm fine. I promise. Not a scratch!"

That was so like her. To comfort others when they were scared about losing her. When she was the one who almost died. It was laughable, in a bizarre way.

And while he didn't laugh, he did chuckle. Once. But that one chuckle, no more than a softly released breath, drew her attention to him. And her eyes - those pretty, heavenly blue eyes so full of life - drained him. Exhaustion set in - both physical and emotional.

He sank to his knees in front of her and started sobbing. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in the shoulder that was not occupied by Alya. He clutched her shirt, her jacket; he tore his gloves away so that he could feel her skin, feel her warmth beneath his hands. Impossibly, he held her closer, tighter, and just sobbed.

She was shocked, at first. Words wouldn't form. But as she took in his haggard appearance, she caught a glint of black on his collar and understood.

So she wrapped an arm around him, rubbing his back and keeping her kitty close.

Chapter Text

12:00
She tends her garden at 12:03 exactly.

An odd hobby for the middle of the night, he thinks as he checks the watches on his wrist. He immediately focuses on the bottom one - the cute red one with the polka-dotted face. The hands are stuck, unmoving, both on the twelve. One year.

He glances upwards when she sets her watering can down to rub her arms. A cat dances between her feet, mewing loudly for the warmth of inside.

"Okay, Tikki," she says with a laugh. "Let's go to bed." She opens the hatch and disappears inside, clicking her teeth until Tikki follows.

12:07

She tends her garden at 12:03 exactly.

But never during the day. Well, maybe. He was never around when the sun was. As far as he knew, she only did this in the dark of the night. It certainly proved true for the past month and a half he'd been watching her.

Usually she only waters her plants. But tonight, she is moving some into a bigger pot, one that she could easily hide in. The weight of it as she hefts it into the roof almost knocks her over the railing, and he almost rushes forward to help her, but she rights herself with a nervous giggle. Breathless, she sets it down, and breathless, he calms his pounding heart.

12:10

She always feels safe at night, and this night is no different. To hell with the feeling that she's being watched! To hell with the idea that someone has been spying on her for the last two months! It's paranoia is all, brought on by the way the news speaks of murder and war as if their the latest trends.

She opens the hatch to her roof and shivers at the rush of ice and snow. Ignoring her need for warmth, she climbs up, more intent on helping her poor plants. It's as she finishes with them that she notices the darkness on the roof across from her.

She squints at it, wondering why that one patch on the roof of the school wasn't covered in snow. She leans forward, trying to get a better look, and slips on some ice.

Her hands flail, bumping the rail, the table, the ground, and she feels weightless for a second before gravity kicks in and she plummets. I wish I could brace myself, she thinks as she's falling, but it's over before even she thought it could be.

Strong arms have caught her and she wonders for a moment if she's still alive. The pain in her wrist suggests yes, but the stranger with the beauty of an angel suggests no. He hugs her to his chest, carrying her like a princess as he jumps from the ground to her roof. He sets her down with a gentleness she has seldom felt before, and is gone before she can even catch her breath.

12:22

He finally shows himself again.

It only took two months. Maybe he was out there watching her before she saw him again, though. She was always looking for him, but if he could make from the school to her in one jump, and from the ground to her roof in another, he could probably hide if he wanted to.

But she always waits for an hour or so, in her warmest blanket, a mug of tea in her hands and a thermos in her lap. She's almost fallen asleep in this position on the night he returns, and she blinks away her sleepiness in favor of offering him the thermos. His eyes flicker down to it, then up to her face.

"What are you doing?" he asks, and she smiles.

"Saying thank you," she replies. "You saved me from falling before, remember?"

Worry and guilt play across his face in a near imperceptible second. But he nods and takes the tea from her, giving her a small smile in return. They don't speak until he finishes it and he ushers her into her room to sleep in her bed and instead of the deadly cold.

12:32

His one visit turns into two, then three, then weekly, and finally he's there every night, waiting for her to open her door. In the beginning, they would sit inside her room and talk for hours. When it's warm, they stay outside, watching lights sparkle on the river until the sun comes up. He chastises her for her challenging sleep schedule. She just laughs it off and tells him not to worry, she can handle it.

It's a warm night that passes mostly in silence when she finally asks why he wears so many watches. He stiffens and rubs them, one by one. A trying task, considering they run from his wrist to his elbow on both arms. He lists names as he does it, one per watch, until he reaches one one the wrist of his left hand. He studies it for a brief moment before moving on, leaving that one unnamed. She takes that hand and studies the watch herself, absently noting that he is now watching her.

"It's like a Ladybug," she tells him. "A sign of good luck."

Her luck couldn't be any worse, he thinks.

12:40

"...beloved teacher Caline Bustier bravely defended her students..."

The name rings a bell in Marinette's mind. She thinks back to where she heard it, along with three others she'd recognized recently. She writes them down in her notebook, along with where she saw them last. She grimaces as she realizes she read those other names in the obituaries.

But they were in her head before that. Where they came from, she did not know. It took her a long time thinking to remember the way she'd heard them said - in a deep voice in the dead of night, rubbing a watch that seemed associated with it.

12:50

There's a chill in the air. Adrien almost doesn't go to her tonight. She's been getting closer to the truth, he knows. He should stay away, start distancing himself.

But she is so addictive. She is the honey that draws in the flies, the light that attracts the moths. He cannot help himself, he is drunk on the pleasant wine that is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and all he can do is crave more. His duty be damned! His guilt be damned! He will not allow any harm to befall her. Who cares what divine punishment be cast upon him?

(He knows she does. She wouldn't want him hurt for any reason whatsoever, it doesn't matter if he's brought it on himself.)

12:59

There's an accident in the park. A man falls asleep at the wheel of his car and it barrels onto the busy playground. It's a miracle no one was hurt.

Well, almost no one. There was one woman that pushed a little girl out of the way. Her last thought was of green eyes and blond hair and watches, so many watches.

The one they belong to is kneeling beside her as her final breath escapes her chest. He helps her stand, and she wants to look to her feet but knows she shouldn't.

Instead she looks at him. At Adrien, with his tear-stained cheeks and guilty eyes. He refuses to look at her, and it takes her lifting his head to meet his eyes. She knows what he is, what he has to do. She tells him this, and he breaks down, crushing her to his chest and sobbing into her shoulder. She lets him cry, but urges him, with all the gentleness he's shown her, to make a promise with her.

He nods, but doesn't speak, knowing his words will be little more than cracks and hiccups.

--:--

The cute red watch is gone now. It disappears at her funeral, as they always do. He's never attended one before, but he's never been that close to anyone before either.

After all is done, he stays by her grave. He stays there, sitting in front of it and just looking. No one approaches him. No one comforts him. But as day turns to night, and night ticks away into morning, he knows he has to move.

He goes into the city.

He goes to her roof.

He puts food out for Tikki.

He sits to watch the lights sparkle on the river.

He hates that he's alone now.

But there's something he has to do.

He tends her garden at 12:03 exactly.

Chapter Text

"Psst! Hey, girl!"

Normally when a disembodied voice beckons someone from a dark, deserted alley they ignore it. But Marinette, intrigued by its high pitch and childish tone, paused in her walking to investigate it. Blinking, she stepped closer.

"Get over here!" Something fluttered in the shadows, revealing itself to be a small, floating black cat. Marinette blinked again, recognizing the creature as a kwami. Her hand flew instinctively to the bag at her hip, and she stepped forward.

"What, eh bien..."

"What am I? Starving! You got any cheese?"

"I... do at home."

"Great! Come on, kid!" He waved his hand in a circle, gesturing to someone behind him. A cat - fluffy and yellow and with big green eyes - padded forward and sat, prim and proper, on the sidewalk before Marinette. Her eyes flicked from it to the kwami, and its ears drooped in what she assumed was embarrassment.

"Euh..."

"Oh! Allow me to introduce us! This here-" he flew around the cat's head, "-is the one and only Chat Noir! My name is Plagg." Marinette narrowed her eyes and parted her lips, eyeing Plagg with suspicion. With a panicked rush, he assured her. "I promise! He is Chat Noir!"

"He looks more like Chat Doré right now," she said with a smirk. She scooped him up and held out her jacket for Plagg. "I expect an explanation later, ok?"

"Fine. But cheese first!"

"Ok, so there was an akuma that targeted celebrities because they didn't return her crush?"

"Yep! I just don't get the romance stuff you humans go through. Seems rough to me." Plagg sat on the island in her home's kitchen, and she sat on a stool.

"It is." Marinette cut another wedge of cheddar from the block in front of her and handed it to Plagg. She sighed, trying to think of how to get away from him and Chat Noir, but the big (and usually cheese-filled) mouth on Plagg kept talking her ear off.

"You sound like you speak from experience." Marinette blinked as she realized her sigh was mistaken for lovelorn instead of thoughtful. He wasn't wrong, though. She remembered all the mistakes and blunders she'd made because of Adrien and sighed again.

"Yeah, I guess I do." She absently cut herself a slice of cheese to nibble on. A fuzzy head rubbed against her hand and she looked down to see Chat Noir staring at her, an oddly concerned expression on his cat face.

"Mrrp?" It sounded for all the world like an offer to talk, even though he couldn't at the moment. Marinette laughed.

"It's nothing, Goldilocks. I just turn into a huge mess when I try to talk to my crush." The cat cocked his head as if to tell her to go on. "You see, I like this boy in my class. He's kind and thoughtful and I want to talk to him, but every time I do, I get tongue-tied and turn into even more of a klutz than normal."

A sympathetic purr came from Chat Noir's throat, and Marinette reached out to scratch beneath his chin.

"So what's his name?"

"Hm?" Marinette glanced at Plagg.

"His name. Who is it?"

Skeptical, she frowned. "You probably don't know him."

"Pbbt!" Plagg laughed. "Please! Do you know how many akuma victims are members of your class alone? We keep close tabs on the people at Collège François Dupont!"

"Are you serious?" Marinette bit her lip. "I guess there's no harm in telling you, then. His name is Adrien. Adrien Agreste."

Plagg burst out laughing, a horrible cackle that had him rolling across the island, almost falling off if not for Marinette's quick reflexes. He continued to giggle in her hands, halting every few seconds to take in a gasping breath. Flushing, she glared at him, ignoring the way Chat Noir's fur puffed out in surprise.

"What's so funny about that?" It took Plagg a minute to regain control of his body, hiccuping the last chuckle off.

"The pretty boy that half of Paris is in love with? That's your crush? And you thought I wouldn't know him!" He continued his laughing fit.

"Well excuse me. I didn't know that five thousand-year-old gods kept up to date with current events!" With a Hmph! she dropped him to the counter and put the cheese away, much to Plagg's despair. She ignored his pleading, choosing to chop up some sandwich ham for Chat Noir instead.

"Wait! Please! I'm sorry! Just a little more! I need some to recharge!"

"Recharge?!" Marinette scoffed, setting the plate in front of Chat Noir. "You need to recharge?! You-"

"It's imperative that I remain at full energy! If I don't, Chat Noir can't become Chat Noir!" Marinette froze. It hadn't occurred to her before, but with his kwami outside his Miraculous... It meant Chat Noir hadn't been Chat Noir when the akuma struck him. He had been in his civilian form.

"So," she licked her lips, "when Ladybug defeats the akuma..." Her voice shook. "Then it won't be Chat Noir, will it? It'll be... Whoever he is normally."

"Oh, yeah. Did I forget to mention that?"

Marinette dropped her head into her hands and cursed her luck - or maybe it was his luck. She didn't know. But then she realized this was an opportunity to separate them. Sighing, she took the rest of the cheese and led Plagg and Chat Noir to her room.

"Here. I'll go help my parents down in the bakery. But I want you gone - or at least transformed - by the time I come back. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am!" said Plagg as he bit into the cheese.

Marinette was able to slip away, and the akuma was easy to defeat. She cleansed it, headed home, and wasted an hour in the bakery to make sure Chat Noir had plenty of time to leave.

She was hoping he would be gone by the time she climbed the stairs to her room. But when she opened the trapdoor he was sitting at her desk, legs crossed and smile wide. It dropped the tiniest bit when he saw her, but she paid no attention to it.

"Thanks for the save today, Princess!" He winked. "Although, I'm afraid you may have spoiled Plagg a bit."

"No problem! Anything for the great Chat Noir!" she giggled, feigning enthusiasm. "What are you still doing here, though? Has it really taken Ladybug this long to stop the akuma?"

"She needs my help more than she lets on, no?" He wiggled his eyebrows and it took Marinette all of her willpower not to roll her eyes. "So... Adrien Agreste?" He smiled mischievously.

Marinette's face turned bright red, and she remembered the Adrien wallpaper on her computer and his pictures on her wall. She could only hope that he didn't discover her pull-down planner with his schedule on it.

"H-half of Paris, remember? Plagg said that. I'm just one of many, you know?" She sighed. "There's so many other people he could choose from. I thought I'd have an advantage, being in his class and all, but..." She looked to the open magazine on her desk, flipped to a two-page spread detailing Adrien's date with another model. A column along the side also had pictures of Nino and Alya, adding gossip to their lives as well.

Chat Noir cleared his throat. "Maybe you should talk to him. These are your friends, too, right?" He tapped the pictures on the side of the page.

She groaned. "Easier said than done."

"Get used to being around him. You'd be amazed at how I acted around Ladybug when we first met. I was... Well, to put it simply, a mess. I couldn't walk two feet without tripping, I was so amazed by her." He sighed, placing a hand over his heart. "Almost six months later, here we are. I'm still utterly amazed by her, but it's easier to handle now." He spun around in her desk chair, then looked out the window to the darkening sky. His face was soft, but his voice softer when he said, "I love her, you know."

Marinette swallowed, opened her mouth, then swallowed again. "I didn't know you felt that way." Her throat was dry and her cheeks were flushed. She walked up the steps to her bed, partly to grab a bottle of water, but mostly to hide the blush.

"I've tried to tell her before, but I was interrupted by Dark Cupid."

"You took the arrow for her. And when Timebreaker almost tagged her, you jumped in the way. And-" Marinette sat on the steps and rubbed her head, thinking of all the times he'd put himself in harm's way to protect her. She looked at him. "You really love her?"

He met her eyes, burning a brilliant green that made her soul both swell with anticipation and wilt with fear. "I love her," he said in an all-too-serious tone, "I cannot - and will never - imagine a world without her."

"That much, huh?" she mumbled. Her mouth was dry, her tongue sandpaper. She opened the bottle and took a long sip, avoiding the intensity of his gaze. She tried to think of something to say, some way to lighten the mood, but words failed her. The oppressive atmosphere weighed upon her, pressing against her ribs and limbs and neck, begging for relief.

It was only by the call of her mother that she found an excuse to leave.

"I better see what she wants," she said, sliding to the floor. "Um, do you want-"

"I'm sorry!" She blinked at his sudden apology. His ears drooped and his cheeks were red. He studied her rug, afraid to look at her. "I made this awkward. I'm so sorry about that."

Marinette smiled gently. "It's fine. I just... Didn't know you felt so strongly." She walked over to him and held his shoulder until he lifted his eyes. "It's just - you can't be much older than me, and you have such deep emotions. I must seem so immature to you." He opened his mouth in rebuttal, to tell her she was wrong, but was interrupted by her mother calling again. "Is there anything you want, while I'm downstairs?"

"No thanks. I think it's best that I leave now." He slid from the chair in one languid movement and stretched his arms above his head. Twisting his torso, he stretched his muscles, and Marinette heard his joints popping. "It is so nice to be in my own body again. Your hospitality was amazing, but I'd rather not go through the whole 'cat ordeal' again."

"Speaking of that, you must be some hot-shot celebrity, right?"

Chat Noir startled. "What makes you think that?"

"The akuma. She only targeted 'models and movie stars' according to Plagg. So which one are you?" She poked his chest.

He snatched her hand and bowed. "Marinette, please. I am but a humble knight in the service of my Lady and my Princess." He kissed her knuckles, then winked up at her. "Although you may have seen my face on a few billboards recently."

Giggling, she pushed him away as Sabine called for a third time. "I have to go, kitty. Come by again sometime. I'll save you a cookie."

"Will do," he said with a two-fingered salute. He scrambled out her window and into the night, disappearing in the shadows.

Adrien was glad he didn't have far to go to get home. He was glad Marinette was so close by. He was glad he could sneak out at any moment to see her.

He was especially glad she'd even invited him back after that fiasco - he really needed to get away from his father's boring lecture about how he had a responsibility that day, monster attack or not. ("Father, I was turned into a cat. I couldn't do much." "Why didn't you come back after Ladybug made you human again?" "Uh...")

"Adrien, please be more careful with your time. You had the photographers worried into hysteria." With that, Gabriel Agreste ended the call. Nathalie lifted the tablet to her chest and walked out. When she was gone, he sighed and picked at the rest of his dinner.

"The photographers. Not him," he mumbled. "Maybe if you would actually show up sometimes, I'd feel more inclined to obey."

"Don't let it get you down, Adrien." Plagg whizzed out of his pocket. He took in Adrien's disappointed pout, then smiled mischievously. "So... Marinette?"

Adrien looked at Plagg, shocked. "What about her?"

"She was really nice."

"She's nice to everyone."

"And she has a crush on you!" Plagg sang. Adrien blushed. "What were you doing, telling her to talk to you, then telling her you love Ladybug?"

"It's not like she knows I'm Chat Noir!"

"But don't you think it's a little unfair to her? She gets closer and closer to you, one day she confesses, and what will you do?"

Plagg had meant for it to be teasing, something to take the boy's mind off his father. But Adrien plopped his head against the table with guilt surging through him. "I shouldn't have done that. How can I face her tomorrow?"

Plagg sighed. He could only help so much.

"Tikki! What do I do?! I didn't know he actually felt like... That!" Marinette paced her room, biting her nails. "He was so serious when he said it, too! What do I do?"

"Calm down, to start with. It won't help you to be in a frenzy the next time you see him."

Taking a deep breath settled her nerves, but she still paced. "I need to talk to him. As Ladybug. But what should I say?" She sank face-first onto her lounge.

"You'll think of something. You always do."

"I must've hurt his feelings so much! I always thought he was just a flirt. But he really does... Oh, no."

Tikki floated up to her. "It's late. Go to sleep. You'll be able to think better in the morning." Marinette nodded.

"Maybe I should give him a chance," she muttered to herself as she drifted off.

Chapter Text

It can't be happening.

It can't be.

But it was.

Ladybug landed, a triumphant smile already in place as the pin in her hands dissolved into a simple circle, a pink kwami popping out. A flash of purple filled her vision, leaving after images of feathers floating through the air. She blinked them away to look at Papillon's unobstructed face.

And she gasped.

"Gabriel Agreste?"

Chat Noir, poised behind him to tackle him, slid when he tried to pounce and hit the ground with a thud. He propped himself up on his elbows, inspecting the back of the man before him. His eyes widened in horror as he took in the familiar suit, the rigid posture. The man turned to glare at the boy sprawled on the ground, and Chat Noir's heart jumped into his throat.

"Father?"

Gabriel blinked and walked over to him. Kneeling down, he took Chat Noir's chin between his fingers. Tilting it left and right, he hissed under his breath. "Adrien?"

"Adrien?" They both jumped at Ladybug's soft voice. Chat Noir hopped to his feet and stared at her, his eyes glowing as they reflected the little light seeping in through the window. He stepped towards her, his arm extended, as Gabriel stood behind him and glared.

The sight scared her, to say the least.

Gasping, hyperventilating as Chat Noir neared her, she stepped back. Chat Noir paused and looked between her and his father.

"Don't you miss your mother? I need the Miraculous. I'll find her. I'll bring her back. But I need the Miraculous to do it."

Sucking in a breath, Chat Noir turned back to her, pleading with his eyes. "Ladybug... I..." He glanced down at his ring. His fingers wrapped around it and tugged, and with a broken voice he whispered, "Please."

Marinette almost took her earrings out there and then.

But she didn't.

She ran.

She jumped out the window and ran away.

She didn't know what was guiding her.

All she knew was that she had to get away.

So she ran. Squeezing the pin so tight it cut into her palm, she ran. She swung from her yoyo with no destination in mind, but found herself hanging upside down outside Alya's bedroom window. The lights were off, the room empty.

Ladybug waited five minutes. Then ten. Then she repositioned herself, settling with her back against the glass when being upside down gave her a headache. Twenty minutes after that is when Alya finally walked in.

She immediately recognized the back filling her window. Gasping in excitement, she rushed to open it, and Ladybug fell against the floor, hitting it with and audible Thump! Alya gasped again and started apologizing until she noticed the way Ladybug rolled onto her side and curled into herself.

"Ladybug?" Ladybug started mumbling, shaking as she gripped her arms.

"It was him all along. It was... God I'm so stupid. And now..." She sniffed, and finally let the dam burst, wrapping herself around Alya as she cried into her shoulder. Her hands pulled against the plaid shirt as her tears drenched it, and she felt Alya rubbing her back.

"It's ok, Ladybug. I'm sure whatever it is, it can be fixed. Where's Chat Noir? He can help."
Ladybug flinched, her sobs turning into muffled screams.

"Alya, he can't. He can't help. He's so loyal, he'd choose his father over anyone how am I... How am I supposed to..."

"Ladybug, what... What happened?" Ladybug shuddered against her, burying her head in the crook of her neck.

"It's his father, Alya. Papillon is his father."

"Whose?"

"Chat Noir's. Adrien's."

"Adrien... Agreste? Ah! Your earrings!" They were beeping at her, but she ignored it. Shivering again, Ladybug disappeared behind of wall of pink sparkles. Alya gasped. "Marinette?"

"Just a little while longer."

"Woah, dude! You look horrible!"

"Yeah, I- uh, I had a rough night."

"Didn't we all," Alya muttered behind them. Nino and Adrien looked back at her, curious, but she'd turned her attention to Marinette. Waves of ice fell from her shoulders as she took in Marinette's lackluster eyes and swollen lids. Her gaze turned to acid as she eyed the boys, and they shrank back, watching the front of the room instead.

No one noticed the way Marintte clutched her arms or blinked away tears.

Chapter Text

It's always easier to go towards the light.

Not in a metaphysical way, no. In a literal sense. The thought occurred to Marinette one night as she crept through her house. Getting to the kitchen had been easy; there was always at least one light on, even at night. But when she finished her task - collecting cookies for a tired Tikki - and turned around, she found that her shadow blocked the source and she had to stumble back to her room. She'd made it, but it had cost the little kwami two cookies.

"Miraculous Ladybug!" She yelled, throwing a pen into the air. There was a flash, and the citizens of Paris returned to their peaceful lives. Ladybug surveyed the scene, making sure Chat Noir and the akuma victim were alright. When she saw that they were uninjured, she sighed in relief and helped her partner stand.

"That really is amazing," he said, watching as the little bubbles of clean energy dispersed. "Like an army of fix-it fireflies. Beautiful." He slid his eyes to her and took her hand. "But not as beautiful as My Lady. You are my light, you know?" A flirtatious smile stretched his mouth before he planted a peck to her knuckles. Ladybug rolled her eyes, pulling her fingers from his.

"Just don't look at me too long, then. You might go blind." She winked, threw her yo-yo, and hopped away.

It hurt.

The light shining in her eyes hurt. She couldn't look directly at it.

Which gave the akuma plenty of time to attack.

And left her with no time to defend.

Man, if just looking at the light hurt, how bad would it be if it touched her?

She never found out.

Instead, there was a new assault on her senses.

A desperate scream bearing some semblance of her name is what she heard.

A body pressing against hers, squeezing her to its chest is what she felt.

Coconut and leather and cheese is what she smelled.

Then it was all replaced by the horrifying sight of...

Chat Noir. His eyes squeezed shut in pain, body curled up on the ground, hands reaching for his back.

His scorched back.

His bloodied back.

His scarred back, because she knew that nothing, not even magic, could fix that completely.

If he makes it that far.

Of course he will!

"Chat Noir?" she asked, falling to her knees. She placed a hand gently, gently on his shoulder and turned him.

He smiled at her. His teeth were grinding against each other, and he had to keep one eye shut as he did it, but he smiled at her. "I don't think now's the time, Ladybug." He smirked, repeating the words he'd heard a thousand times before. Then he coughed, a horrible hacking sound that grated against her ears. He could barely breathe without a eliciting a fit of coughing.

"Chat-"

"No. Fight." He pushed her away, trying to stand. She pushed him back down as she stood in front of him.

"Lucky Charm!" There was rage in her as she called the item - a wrench. She looked around, a plan emerging.

Hydrant.

Billboards.

Wrench.

Fire.

She leapt to a nearby billboard, standing in front of it. When the akuma - Sunburst, Ladybug recalled - threw another fireball at her, she jumped away, stopping in front of a post supporting the billboard. Every time Sunburst attacked, she moved to the next one. Eventually, it wobbled, and with a slight tug of her yo-yo, fell into the street, landing half-buried in the ground. Amazingly, (though she knew it was mostly her luck) that was enough to support it, as it stood straight up.

Ladybug moved for another one.

It was a long process, taking up most of the time she had left, but it had to be done. When the final one was down, she went with it, landing in front of it.

She stood directly behind a hydrant in the cage she made.

Throwing her yo-yo at Sunburst to distract her, she used the wrench to remove the cap and turn on the pressure.

Sunburst tried to run, unable to escape the barricade. She screamed as the water hit her skin - inhuman screams, the warped, sizzling sound of steam being made too quickly, or of molten metal dropped into ice.

Ladybug ignored it, blocking all sound until Sunburst was just a burnt-out piece of charcoal. She ripped a bracelet from her wrist and crushed it, revealing the corrupt butterfly. She cleansed it, then, with a throw of the wrench, the world returned to normal.

Sound returned to her as she watched the sparkling light fix what was broken. No more inhuman screaming. No more rushing water. No more crackling fire.

No more horrible coughing.

Eyes wide, heart plummeting, Ladybug raced towards Chat Noir's frozen form, still curled on the ground. She lifted him up, checking his back, pleased to find that it was no longer a scorched mess.

But his breathing... He was gasping, if you could even call it that. His mouth widened and closed, trying to take in air.

But his chest barely moved.

"Chat Noir!" His eyes, closed until that point, fluttered a bit, and he smiled. His mouth slowly formed silent words.

Je t'aime.

His hand graced her cheek, then fell to the ground, body limp.

"No! No no no no no no! Don't you dare! Don't you dare..."

Her voice fell away, and she cried, hugging him to her.

She wondered briefly if there actually was a tunnel with paradise shining at the end.

Because it was always easier to go towards the light.

Sobs wracking her body, she leaned forward, placing her lips to his. She shut her eyes, trying to keep her tears at bay, and ignored the beeping in her ear. With a flash, she was Marinette again.

Marinette, sobbing over a broken boy, kissing his cold lips.

Marinette, kneeling over his body, holding his hand.

Marinette, jumping when the hand held hers back and another was on he face, deepening the kiss.

But Marinette didn't move. She did open her eyes, but that was all she could do.

His were still closed, but they opened as he separated from her.

"Marinette..." he breathed, voice rasping. "My Lady..." He smiled at her, a smile full of love and life.

"I... How?" She almost couldn't form any words. "You... You were dead!" She hunched over him, tears forming again. "You were dead, you stupid cat! You were dead! What... What happened?!"

"I don't think I was dead. I was lost in a dark place-" he coughed again, but found the strength to continue, despite her protests - "I was lonely. But then... There was a flash of light. It was beautiful; so warm and inviting. I was drawn to it."

"Why didn't you go to it?" she asked, hugging him close. He reached up to return the hug with full force.

"I told you before, My Princess. You are my light."

Chapter Text

It had been a long night for Ladybug, and Marinette was tired. Surely no one would mind if she took a little nap in a tree behind the school during lunch, would they? Marinette banished the thought of punishment as she scaled the trunk to one of its lowest, but strongest, branches. She settled in, trusting that her reflexes would kick in should she start to fall, and began a quick descent into sleep.

It had barely been ten minutes when someone called her name.

She jumped awake, sliding halfway off the branch. She heard a gasp below her as she started to fall, but her reflexes were as good as she knew they'd be. She hooked her legs together as her position shifted, her hands grabbing the rough bark above her. She wound up looking a bit like a sloth, hanging upside down from a tree. Annoyed, she looked for the source of the voice that woke her. She stopped mid-yawn when she saw that Adrien was the only one around.

"Uh..." Her face turned red, her voice weak. "Hi, Adrien."

"Hello, Marinette." he answered, concern crinkling his forehead. "Are you ok?"

Marinette nodded before realizing she was still hanging upside down. Getting a better grip on her branch, she lowered her legs until she was just a foot off the ground and let go. She landed with her back to him, then stretched with a yawn, still tired.

She stiffened when she heard him step closer.

"What were you doing up there?" he asked, gazing at the branch she'd been napping on.

"Oh, um, just- just sleeping," she told him as she glanced away. "It's really private out here, no one really comes this way. Oh! I don't mean to say that you're no one, Adrien! It's just... Um-" She cut herself off, hiding her face behind her palm as she slapped her forehead. "I didn't think anyone would come out this way."

"Sorry to interrupt. Alya was looking for you," he said with an apologetic smile. Marinette fumbled for an answer before yawning again, and Adrien copied the action. "Sorry," he said on the finishing end of it.

"Oh, no, it's okay. It my fault, really, they're contagious. I didn't get much sleep last night. I was... Um... Studying! I thought there was a test today and- well, there wasn't." She knew her excuse flimsy at best. But he didn't question it, he just smiled at her with those oh-so-green eyes of his.

"It's fine," he said. "I wasn't able to sleep until early this morning. I got carried away with a few games." He looked up at the tree. "Is it that comfortable, up there?"

"Uh- yes, it is. I do it all time time."

"It's dangerous. You could fall."

"Yeah well, I usually catch myself. I haven't fallen yet, and I refuse to!" She smirked at him, feeling brave. He looked at her with a puzzling gaze, thinking hard about something. She blinked and, blushing, turned away. "Alya wanted me, right? I better go find her!" She ran off, face burning.

All Alya wanted was to go over a project they were presenting later that day. It took only took them a few minutes to do what they needed, and Marinette returned to the tree when they were done, hoping to spend the remainder of her break asleep.

She was surprised to find that Adrien was still there, stretched out on a limb, looking for all the world like a cat napping in the sun. He was lying on his stomach, one arm under his head as a pillow. The other was hanging down, half his body hanging with it. It was only his leg, hanging from the other side, that kept him anchored.

Marinette marveled at how beautiful the scene was.

And how courteous Adrien was. Instead of taking the easiest branch to get to - Marinette's favorite - he'd elected to climb to a different one so she could have hers, should she return.

As quietly as she could, Marinette climbed the tree once again. She sat on her branch, back leaning against the trunk, then slid her eyes to her left. Adrien's shoulder was incredibly close to her face. She blushed as she realized that if she just let her arm dangle like his, she could touch his hand.

She made sure both her hands were securely in her lap before she closed her eyes.

But things happen in sleep that you can't control. As Marinette's body relaxed, and her shoulders dropped, her arm did, too. It came loose from the grip she had on it and brushed Adrien's, falling to place her hand perfectly behind his. The end result was the illusion of two hands being held in a sweet embrace.

Alya took about twenty pictures when she saw it.