Marinette
When he dropped them in his room, he told her not to take the blindfold off. She stood still, trying to relax. His room was untouched territory, and her heart pounded just from being in it. It smelled like leather and cologne, and the smell immediately calmed her nerves. It was just Chat.
"Claws in."
She could see the flash of light even through the scarf, and she closed her eyes. His hands touched hers, sending bolts of lightning up her arms. He started pulling her, and she didn't stumble, didn't trip. He led her through the dark flawlessly, as if it wasn't even dark, though she knew it was. Apparently, he wasn't perfect because her hip hit something hard, and she sucked in a breath.
"Shit, sorry. Forgot about the piano."
"You play piano?"
"Yeah, sometimes. Maybe later I can play something for you."
She smiled at the thought, picturing him in front of a piano, but the song that came to mind wasn't a good one. It was the one Chat Blanc song. She pushed the thought out of her head, and he pulled her to the bed. She sat down next to him, and he seemed to relax, as if he had been tense before.
"You two are so weird."
"Plagg, go play somewhere else okay?"
Marinette grinned, Plagg and Tiki were so different.
"Fine, fine. I expect extra cheese in the morning."
"Mhm."
Chat hummed, and the room became silent.
"Is he gone?"
"Yeah, he's gone."
"I'm still reeling from the fact that the cat plays piano."
She heard him laugh, and he leaned into her.
"How do you think I got so good with my fingers?"
She snickered to cover her blush, though she didn't know if he could even see it. He took her hand, pulling her back up off the bed.
"I'll go ahead and play something for you."
He gently sat her down on the bench, and it creaked when he sat next to her.
"Any requests?"
"Play me a memory?"
He laughed, and she felt his shoulder shake at the movement.
"A reference? Looks like I'm starting to rub off on you."
He murmered, before starting to play. The tune sounded familiar, and she took a small breath, focusing on the melody that echoed throughout the room. It was soft, and sweet, but there were underlying tones of melancholy, if that made sense. It made her want to smile, and cry. She leaned against his arm and he sighed. Why did he sound so sad?
"That's beautiful Kitty."
"I haven't played that in so long."
He whispered, and she could actually hear the pain in his voice.
"Are you okay?"
"Kiss me princess. Take it all away."
Finally. Something she could give back to him. She could finally repay him for everything he had done for her. For quieting thoughts of Adrien, for silencing the shouting in her ears. It was finally her turn. She found his face in the dark, pulling him closer, until her mouth found his. She wanted to take away whatever pain he was in. She wanted to kiss it all away. And she did. Whatever pain he must've been feeling was gone. She knew because of the way his hands trailed over her clothes, the way he kissed back, as if nothing else in the world mattered except for her lips. He was thinking only of her, like he had done to her so many times before. And she loved every second of it.
* * * * *
She woke to soft kisses, and she opened her eyes, staring into the darkness. Her mind was still foggy, and she lazily kissed back. It seemed like Chat was up for round two, and she smiled. Something felt different though. She had slept naked plenty of times before, so it wasn't that. What was it?
"Morning princess."
"Is it?"
"No, not really."
He kissed her again, his hand sliding under her back, arching her chest up and against his. God that was hot. She could hear rain on the window, and it was so relaxing. She kissed back now with more fevor than she had before, her grogginess beginning to wear off. She could stay like this forever. He slowly pulled back, and she could feel his breath fanning her cheek.
"I love you Marinette."
As he spoke, lightning lit up the sky outside the window, and she realized in horror what it was that felt so different. Her blindfold was gone. She was met with sparkling green eyes, and golden locks of hair. A face she couldn't get out of her head, someone who still had his fist around her heart. Adrien.
"Mari- your... the scarf..."
He mumbled, and she stared into the darkness that returned to the room, staring at the space where his face had been. How could she have been so stupid? She moved on instinct, pushing him off of her and getting up.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't know it came off."
She heard him sit up on the bed, and she didn't stumble in the dark anymore. She knew the layout of his room like the back of her hand, and she headed straight for the piano, where her clothes were. How could she not have recognized his voice?
"What are you doing?"
She ignored him, pulling on her pants. How could this have happened? Chat Noir was the same person she had been pining after all these years? She grabbed her bra, fumbling with the clasp. Her hands were shaking, she realized, forgetting the clasp and grabbing the shirt that had been laying under her pants. Where was her purse? Where was Tiki?
"Please say something."
The worry in his voice made her flinch, and she paused for a moment, trying to remember where she had taken off her purse. Was it by the bed? He turned on a lamp, and she stiffened. She couldn't look at him. Not like this. Not in his bed, not when he was naked. Not when she knew.
"You're leaving."
It wasn't a question, just a statement he muttered in disbelief. What else was she supposed to do? She felt numb, like she had been standing in the snow for hours. Now that she could actually see, she spotted her purse, sitting on the far side of the piano. She grabbed it, opening it. Tiki was sound asleep, curled up in a ball.
"Mari, please don't go. We can talk about it."
She couldn't talk about it. She could barely breathe. Adrien was Chat Noir. He had been in love with Ladybug. She had cock-blocked herself for literal years. He got up, and she slid on her shoes, walking to the door before he had a second to stop her. He wouldn't run outside naked. She knew that much about him.
"Wait!"
He called, but she was already racing down the steps, her gaze on the front door. She threw it open, pacing down the driveway. Rain soaked into her hair and her clothes, and she heard her purse unclasp.
"Marinette? What's going on?"
She didn't have time for a conversation right then. She just needed to leave, breathe, and process. None of it made sense. They couldn't be the same person. She would have known. The gate was shut and didn't budge when she pushed against it. That's when her feelings started to come back. First up was panic. She needed to get out, and this gate stood between her and her escape. The rain stopped pouring on her, and she tensed. This couldn't be real. Maybe it was just a dream. Maybe she would wake up, and Chat Noir would still be fast asleep beside her, wearing his mask.
"Princess?"
No. He couldn't call her that. Chat called her that, not Adrien. The nickname brought a fresh wave of pain crashing over her, and she shook her head, finally getting the courage to speak.
"Open the gate."
"Not until you look at me."
Why? She knew. Why did she have to look again? She forced herself to turn around and face him, keeping her gaze level with his chest. He was holding an umbrella, and it brought back memories of when she had fallen for him. The day he gave her his umbrella outside of the school. He had put on a pair of jeans, but didn't bother with a shirt.
"My eyes Mari. I want you to really look at me."
She wanted to laugh. Or sob. She didn't know what to feel anymore, it seemed every emotion she could remember was ripping through her all at once, and it made her want to collapse. She forced her gaze up, tears forming in her eyes when she met his. How could it have been him? Why did it have to be him? Why not a stranger, whose name she didn't even know?
"I'm sorry. If I had known the blindfold came off, I wouldn't have... I would have fixed it."
"Please. Just open the gate."
Her voice was monotone, surprisingly. Maybe it was because her brain felt like it was frying, and it just didn't have the energy to pick a tone.
"We need to talk about this."
"Just open the fucking gate!"
Her voice cracked, and he stared at her for a moment, before turning his gaze to the ground.
"Okay. I'll give you some space. But on monday, can we talk about it?"
She nodded, desperate to just get out. She would agree to anything if it meant freedom. He pulled a remote out of his pocket, clicking a button. The gates opened with a metallic clang, and she started forward, when he grabbed her wrist. Despite her better judgment, she turned and looked at him. Those damn green eyes. He held his umbrella over her, and butterflies burned her stomach.
"Will you go somewhere out of the storm?"
He lifted her wrist to the umbrella, making her grab it, standing in the rain himself. Not again. He couldn't do that to her again. She nodded, and he released her, sticking his hands in his pockets.
"I'll be waiting then."
She turned on her heel, keeping her gaze on her feet as she walked away. The universe had such a funny way of fucking her life up, didn't it?
"Marinette?"
Tiki whispered from her purse, and she closed her eyes, her pace slowing down.
"I screwed up Tiki. I know who he is now. Ladybug knows who he is."
She mumbled, tears gathering in her eyes. Tiki flew out from her purse, hiding in the top of the umbrella.
"It's okay Marinette. Some of the past miraculous holders have known the others identity."
"Did they have to deal with hawkmoth? Someone who can make us tell the truth?"
She bet they didn't. They had to keep their identities a secret, at least until hawkmoth was gone. But now, she had ruined it. Her tears fell like the rain around her, and her breath became trapped in her lungs. It had been Adrien, the whole time? It was almost funny, except where she couldn't be with him. She couldn't do any of this anymore. Her body shook with sobs, and she gripped the umbrella as if it would keep her from drowning. Adrien. The boy she had loved for so long, had been her partner all this time. Her heart felt full again, no longer torn between the two. It was him. It had always been him.
"I can't do this Tiki."
She whispered, her legs slowing to a stop. Any moment now, she knew they would give out completely.
"What?"
Marinette looked up at her, someone she had called her friend for so long. Someone who had been with her through everything. Grief gripped her heart, mixing with the pain that lingered there. She didn't want to remember. She wanted to forget everything she had seen. She wanted to forget the pain that being Ladybug brought. She wanted to forget Chat, and Adrien. She just wanted the pain to stop. And she already knew the solution for that.
"I can't be Ladybug."
Marinette sobbed, sinking to her knees on the sidewalk. Tiki looked horrified, and she flew closer, directly in front of Marinette's face.
"It's okay to know who he is, you don't have to give up being Ladybug."
"I don't want to know who he is. I don't want to remember. Hawkmoth isn't any closer to being discovered than he was before. Chat is at even more risk, now that I know. I love him. And I won't be the reason Hawkmoth finds out who he is. I'm done. I'm going to give up Ladybug. And being the guardian."
Tiki landed on Marinette's hand, shaking her head.
"But... your memories... they'll be gone."
She didn't care. She could forget about Adrien being Chat. Maybe, she could just fall in love with Adrien all over again, not knowing or caring about the superheros of paris. She could start over and be normal.