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Later, they agree that Hawkmoth did it on purpose.
But in the moment, Chat Noir can’t think that far. His head is pounding, possibly from a concussion, and he has just enough time to look into Ladybug’s scared blue eyes before the flash of light overtakes them both. Then, suddenly, he’s looking at Marinette Dupain-Cheng and the journalists around them are screaming. Their names, including Adrien’s real one, are so loud that it’s disorienting.
His ankle burns.
Ladybug – Marinette – knows he’s not good with loud noises; she darts forward, face white, and grabs his hand. Her nails dig into his skin as she wrenches him forward. He stumbles into her, then follows when she runs away. He doesn’t know where they’re going but doesn’t care. He would follow her anywhere.
“Feed your kwami!” she yells over her shoulder as they run.
Kwami. Plagg. Cheese. The thoughts string together far too slowly to make any sort of cohesive sense, but Adrien still manages to dig around in his pocket and come up with a chunk of camembert. Plagg is unusually quiet as he takes the cheese, eating it in two huge bites. Then he gives Adrien a nod.
They’re being followed. Hunted. Adrien’s lungs are burning.
“Good!” he says, too loud, and sees Marinette nod.
“Tikki, spots on!”
“Plagg, claws out!”
Being Chat Noir calms him. He has focus now. A purpose. There’s no time to think with an akuma to focus on. But it’s defeated all too easily now, and Ladybug shortly rips a photograph in half and cleanses the butterfly. As she throws her fourth Lucky Charm into the air, as the light washes across the sky, his headache fades away and one paralyzing thought remains.
They’re so fucked.
He wants to say something, but words feel impossible and anyway there’s a flash of red out of the corner of his eye and by the time he actually looks she’s gone.
Okay. Right then. That’s – that’s a pretty clear indicator that she doesn’t want to talk. Numbly, he tracks across the rooftops back to his house. He enters through the cracked window and slides to the ground. His transformation comes apart in a flash of green light and Plagg floats in front of him.
“Adrien?” he says, and then, “I’m sorry.”
The tears burn hot behind his eyes, but he doesn’t cry. Instead, he wraps a hand around his right ankle. On the inside, at the bottom of his tibia, is an image of a sewing needle trailing red thread and black-handled sewing scissors. He never understood the meaning behind them. Now that they’re emblazoned in color, it’s all too obvious: everyone knows how much Marinette loves fashion and designing. The red and black stand for… well.
They’re soulmates. Of course they are. People say that your soulmate image fills in with color when you meet your soulmate, and of course he and Marinette have never really met until now... now that the masks have all come down. It’s everything Adrien’s ever wanted but, in the moment, it feels like an empty win.
He crawls across the floor and into bed, wishing she was here. The bed is cold and empty and he feels unbearably alone. It helps a little when Plagg joins him and curls up in a warm little ball underneath Adrien’s chin, perfectly positioned to let Adrien hear his purr. He doesn’t cry, but he doesn’t sleep either. He just stares off into space and tries not think.
His alarm goes off several hours later and Adrien peels himself out of bed. He showers and gets dressed on auto-pilot. The news must surely be across the city by now. His phone has blown up, but, when he scans the messages, he sees nothing from his friends. Nothing from Marinette. He doesn’t even know if she has his number. He doesn’t have hers. He could text Alya or Nino, but they haven’t reached out to him so what does that mean? Surely the whole city knows by now.
Deciding to forego breakfast, he leaves his room and walks downstairs. He’s nearly to the front doors when a voice speaks behind him.
“Adrien.”
Adrien takes a couple more steps, then pauses with a hand on the knob. “Good morning, Father,” he says, and his voice sounds flat. This is the first time he’s seen his father in the morning in months.
“I don’t want you around her. She’s dangerous.”
He tenses at that. “That’s not true. Ladybug protects the city.”
“I have seen the footage. You’ve been hurt.”
“Because I want to protect her,” Adrien says. It’s not fair for his father to put that on her. She’s yelled at him enough times that it could never be her fault. He feels her absence beside him like a physical wound, and it hurts.
“I won’t allow it,” Gabriel says.
“It’s not your choice.”
“You are my son –”
“But I’m not your property.” Adrien feels cold, distant. When was the last time he interrupted his father?
“Give me your miraculous.”
Adrien stiffens from head to toe. “I have to get to school.”
“Adrien -!”
He pushes the door open and darts out into the early morning chill. Gabriel yells his name but Adrien doesn’t stop; there’s a crowd of journalists around the front gate and they go crazy when they see him. He does an about-face and runs around to the back of the mansion, heart pounding in his ears. He can’t go to school. He can’t talk to the press. He can’t pretend nothing has changed. He can’t handle this.
“Plagg, claws out!”
The rooftops remain a sanctuary, letting him leap over the streets. People point to him and shout his name. Camera phones follow his every move. He’s never felt so naked as Chat Noir; it feels like his sanctuary has been taken away and he doesn’t know what to do now but his skin is crawling and he wants, he just wants –
The bakery is just down the street from the school.
Chat Noir lands on her balcony. Her window is closer. He leans against the glass and scratches pathetically. “Marinette,” he whispers, voice cracking, eyes burning.
Nothing happens for several long seconds, and he thinks that maybe she doesn’t want to see him, that he’s alone for real now –
Then a little red ladybug kwami – Tikki? – appears, blue eyes soulful and sad. Right behind it is Marinette, face white and eyes red, clambering up onto her bed and reaching for the latch. Chat Noir falls through the window and right into her open arms. He mashes his face against her chest and breaks down, horrible, heaving sobs that make his whole body tremble as his claws catch in her shirt and cling, holding her in place.
“I know,” Marinette says. She’s crying too, her face pressed against his hair. “I know.”
He cries himself out in her arms, and, when he’s fully exhausted, his transformation comes undone. Plagg rolls out of the ring and immediately shoots over to Tikki. Adrien turns his head just enough to watch them, seeing how sadly they greet each other. He wonders distantly if this has ever happened before, or if he and Marinette are the first Ladybug and Chat Noir to screw up this badly.
Marinette shifts and he grabs her tighter, so tight it must hurt, terrified.
“Ssh, Chaton. I’m not leaving.”
“You left before,” he says, and Marinette flinches.
“I know, I – it was a shock, and I didn’t think… I’m sorry.” Her voice catches and she runs a hand through his hair, cups his cheek. “I didn’t mean to run without you.”
“I went home,” he tells her.
“I thought you would.”
“My father demanded my miraculous.”
Marinette stiffens. “He what?”
“I came here?” he says, and he doesn’t think he’s sounded that lost since his mother died. It comes out as a question, not a statement, because he can’t bring himself to ask the real question.
“Of course you did. You belong here. With me,” Marinette says, and she’s so fierce, this small girl with tear tracks on her face and strands of blue-black hair escaping her infamous pigtails. “I won’t leave you again, A-Adrien.” She stutters over his name, but her eyes are intent and she takes his hand and squeezes it tight.
A hard knot in Adrien’s chest loosens just a bit, because that’s really all he’s ever wanted. But now he’s laying in his lady’s bed and she’s soft and warm and hugging him, only it doesn’t feel like it’s enough. Because she’s scared too, and they’re just kids – they’re only sixteen and the whole world knows who they are and it’s them against everything - and he can’t ask her what’s going to happen next because Marinette doesn’t know either. He shivers against her.
“You’re so cold,” Marinette whispers, her lips against his forehead, and calls out, “Maman!” before Adrien can stop her.
The trap door is open, Adrien notices suddenly. He can’t help tensing as Sabine’s head appears, and it occurs to him to wonder what she’s seeing when she looks at him. There’s a scruffy boy in her daughter’s bed, her daughter who is only wearing panties and an over-sized shirt and a boy who’s wearing jeans and a wrinkled shirt and dirty sneakers, and they’re both crying like the world has ended. Even if she only knows about Marinette, his identity is probably blindingly obvious at this point.
“Oh, he’s finally here,” Sabine says, like they’ve been waiting for him, like they knew he was coming, and climbs the rest of the way up.
“He has to stay,” Marinette says, and her nails are digging into his shoulder but he doesn’t care. Her voice wobbles.
Sabine’s face softens, and she nimbly climbs the ladder to Marinette’s bed. In seconds she’s settled on the bed, pulling both of them into a hug. Marinette melts into her mother’s embrace, but Adrien is stiff. Uncertain. Until Sabine smiles sadly at him and gently guides his head down onto her shoulder.
“My poor babies,” she murmurs. Adrien thought he cried all his tears, but it turns out he was wrong. He breaks down against her shoulder, still holding Marinette’s hand, Plagg creeping across the bed to curl up in his lap. Sabine rocks them both and kisses their heads and smooths their hair.
At some point Sabine begins to sing to them in Chinese. It’s a soothing song that Adrien kind of recognizes; he thinks it might be a lullaby. He has to focus to figure out the words and before he know it he’s starting to calm down a bit. The occasional sob still shudders through him but at least he can breathe again, the tightness in his chest easing. Marinette’s sobs taper off too, into quiet sniffles.
“Tom,” Sabine calls. “Would you come up here?”
Tom’s head pops up seconds later, like he’s been waiting just below. “What can I do?”
“Take Adrien and help him shower,” Sabine says. “I’ll help Marinette. The poor things are exhausted. They need food and sleep.”
“Of course.” Tom scales the ladder and approaches the bed. “Adrien, is that okay with you?”
Adrien just sort of blinks at them. He thinks he might nod. He must give some sort of response, because Sabine manhandles him closer to the edge and then over into Tom’s waiting hands. Tom practically carries him over to the ladder and then down, which is probably a good thing because Adrien’s honestly not sure he possesses the strength or coordination necessary to make it down without falling on his ass.
“Come on, buddy,” Tom says gently, arm wrapped securely around Adrien’s shoulders. “Mari will be there when you get out of the shower, okay? I promise she’s not going anywhere.”
He guides Adrien into the bathroom. Plagg hovers along like a silent guardian. Gentle, practiced fingers strip Adrien of his clothing and held him into the shower. He wakes up enough to wash himself, using the bodywash Tom puts into his hands. It smells of vanilla and cinnamon, just like Ladybug. Just like Marinette. It’s more comforting than he can put into words.
“There you are,” Tom says. “Can I wash your hair? Mari loves having her hair washed. She finds it comforting.” He helps Adrien to sit, and then wets his hair. “When she was little, she used to roll around in the mud just so that she could take a bath. Hated being dirty, loved getting clean.”
“I don’t like water,” Adrien mumbles. It’s a cat thing. It took a little time to notice, but being Chat Noir has slowly begun to affect him outside the suit. Normally he speeds through showers, and he doesn’t have fur but the thought of a bath makes his hair stand on end. He frowns up at Tom from where he’s sitting in the tub, and Tom’s face crinkles into a smile as he chuckles.
“Well, I promise to make this as quick and painless as possible. Close your eyes, kiddo.” He squeezes some shampoo into his palm.
His hands are so big they easily cover Adrien’s head. His touch is the same as before, firm but gentle, and he knows exactly how much pressure to use to make Adrien’s limbs feel like butter. He gone boneless, sinking back against the wall, and presses his head into Tom’s hands.
“You really are Mari’s kitty,” Tom whispers, sounding delighted.
Adrien decides not to respond and closes his eyes instead. It seems like it’s over too quickly, water being poured over his hair to wash out the shampoo. Then strong hands grip him under the arms and lift him out of the shower. He’s pushed down onto the toilet and two huge towels are set across his lap.
“Dry yourself off. I’ll get you some clothes to wear,” says Tom. He slips out of the bathroom.
The towels are clearly old, fraying at the edges, yet soft. Adrien flexes his fingers, kneading them, then looks for Plagg. He finds the tiny god sitting on top of the mirror, observing everything like a king watching over his subjects. Plagg slow blinks at him. Adrien slow blinks back, feeling warmer by the second even though he’s naked in the bathroom of his lady’s parents.
“Is this okay?” he asks.
“It’s not ideal,” says Plagg, flying down to join him. “But I’m glad you came to Ladybug. I didn’t know where you were going to go.”
“I didn’t have anywhere else,” Adrien says, looking back down at the towels.
Plagg grabs hold of one of the towels and pulls until it unfolds. He rises up with the towel cluched between his paws. Adrien watches in bemusement before yelping when the towel is dropped on his head.
“For as long as Tikki and I have lived, Ladybugs and Chat Noirs have been whole only when they’re together. You are her home and she is yours,” Plagg says matter-of-factly. “You don’t need anywhere else. You never have.”
Adrien nudges the towel aside to stare up at him. Plagg meets his stare and slow blinks again.
“Adrien?” Tom knocks at the door, then pushes it open. “Here. I’ve brought you some of my old things. They’ll do for now.”
“Thanks,” Adrien says, suddenly realizing he’s completely forgotten his manners. “I – thank you. For this.”
“It’s not a problem, son. You’re Mari’s partner and that makes you part of the family.” Tom smiles kindly in spite of Adrien’s shocked look. “Come on. Let’s get you dressed before my daughter loses patience and barges in here to get at her soulmate.”
The word makes Adrien jerk. “W-what?”
Tom looks at him and then kneels, taking hold of Adrien’s foot. They both stare at the mark in silence.
“I didn’t know,” Adrien says lowly.
“She keeps hers hidden. You should ask to see it,” Tom says with a kind smile. He grabs a pair of pajama bottoms and shakes them out, holding them for Adrien to step into. Numbly, Adrien obeys. Then Tom helps him into a sweatshirt that’s far too large, but which is warm and smells faintly of aftershave. Tom rolls the sleeves up and it makes Adrien feel like a little kid in his dad’s clothing, except he’s never dressed up in Gabriel’s clothing because he’s not that stupid.
And when Tom opens the door, Adrien sees that he wasn’t lying. Marinette is standing there, dressed in fleece pajamas. Her hair is down around her shoulders and she’s twirling a few strands around her finger. Tikki rests one on shoulder. She turns quickly when the door opens, eyes locking onto Adrien, and without thinking he opens his arms to her. She literally jumps at him, crashing into him with such force that Tom has to grab Adrien’s shoulders to stop them from tumbling to the ground in a tangle of limbs.
“Easy,” Tom says with another chuckle. He pats their shoulders. “You’ve got two minutes. Then I want your butts at the table, got it? Maman is making soup.”
“Are you okay?” Marinette whispers once he’s gone.
“Yes. No. I don’t know,” Adrien says, because he really doesn’t. He feels mixed up and confused and conflicted.
“Me too.” She cuddles into him, tucking her head beneath his chin.
“Princess? What’s on your ankle?”
“You mean my mark? Why?”
“Mine is a sewing needle and scissors. I never understood what it meant.” He thought, for a time after meeting her, that his image might stand for Marinette. The lack of color had convinced him otherwise. He wonders how long it’ll be before Plagg mocks him for not catching on sooner.
Marinette gives a tiny gasp and pulls away from him, but only so she can reach down and yank her pajama bottoms up. There, on the inside of her right ankle, is the pawprint of a cat that yesterday, was probably grey. Now, it’s a shade of blond that perfectly matches Adrien’s hair, outlined in Chat Noir green, with five black pads. Even though he’s been half-expecting something like that, it still shakes him to his core.
The rules, the laws, are different for soulmates after the age of sixteen. Everyone knows that. Adrien’s mind is blank. He stares down at her leg like it’s going to change. But it doesn’t.
“Can I see yours?” Marinette says, sounding oddly shy. He blinks dumbly at her and then nods. She hesitates before reaching out and pulling up his pajama leg. Her eyes widen at the sight of his mark.
“We match,” he says.
“Ladybug and Chat Noir always match,” Tikki says, smiling at them. “You are two halves of a whole. Even if the bond is platonic, you couldn’t belong to anyone else.”
“So you chose us because we match?” Marinette says, looking at Tikki.
“It was a bonus that our Chosen already matched, and neither Plagg nor I had to compromise this time. That hasn’t happened in over a thousand years.”
“Yeah, cause usually she makes me be the one who has to compromise,” Plagg mutters.
“That’s because you chose such dark, grumpy Chat Noirs,” says Tikki. “It only took centuries for it to sink in that your destruction needs to be tempered by a kind heart –”
“That’s what you Ladybugs are for!”
“Are you saying my Ladybugs weren’t doing their jobs?!”
Marinette rolls her eyes at their squabbling kwamis and turns back to Adrien. “I guess we were meant to be before we even got our miraculouses,” she says, a pink blush spreading across her cheeks. “I… I guessed that my match was Chat, but I didn’t know it was you too... I didn’t understand why my image never filled in with color. I guess it makes sense now.”
“If you suspected, why didn’t you say anything?” he asks, though he already knows the answer.
“Because I fell in love with Adrien first, and I didn’t know you were the same person. I couldn’t let it go.” Marinette’s eyes drop and she fiddles with the drawstring on her pajamas. “I couldn’t let you go. And… Chat was already mine. I’m selfish. I wanted you both.”
She wants him. She has him. Adrien pulls her in for another hug, inhaling the same vanilla and cinnamon scent as always. “You have me.”
Her arms come up around his shoulders, holding him just as tightly as he’s holding her, and she whispers, “What are we going to do?”
“I don’t know.”
“People have been calling all day,” Marinette says. “Maman hangs up on them. But they keep calling.”
“They’re curious. They were outside the mansion. And when people saw me, they were yelling at me.” He winces at the memory.
“I’m scared,” she says, and her voice is soft.
“I am too,” Adrien says, swallowing.
They stand there hugging each other until Sabine calls for them. Reluctantly, they separate and walk to the kitchen. Piping hot bowls of soup are waiting, along with freshly baked bread. It smells divine, and Adrien realizes he hasn’t eaten since lunch yesterday. No wonder his stomach feels like it’s been hollowed out; he didn’t even eat after their fight yesterday.
“Sit. Eat,” Sabine says, pointing to the table.
“Maman, we have to figure out what we’re going to do,” Marinette says.
“And you can’t do that if you’re faint from hunger. Sit. Eat. When you’re done, we’ll figure this out together,” Sabine says.
Marinette looks at Adrien and sighs, shrugging. He’s quick to slide into the seat Sabine gestures to. The soup is thick and hearty, filled with chicken and vegetables, and he eats hungrily. It’s one of the best things he’s ever had. Sabine hovers over them as they eat and, the second Adrien is done, whisks his bowl away and then re-fills it. She gives them thirds and even fourths, along with more bread and tea, and even feeds Tikki and Plagg cookies and camembert – which earns her Plagg’s undying loyalty for life.
Tom comes in just as they finish. “I’ve made up your bed, kids,” he says. “You should try to sleep while your mother and I start speaking to lawyers.”
“What,” Adrien says blankly, not sure which part of that sentence he’s most confused about.
“You don’t mind sharing with Marinette, right? I should’ve asked, but we don’t have a spare bed,” Tom says. “I thought you’d want to be with her. Marinette woke up crying for you eight times last night.”
Adrien’s hand magically finds Marinette’s hand under the table before he can even think about telling his body to move. He squeezes her hand, staring at her parents. “Lawyers?”
“You’re both underage, but I know we have some rights because you’re soulmates,” says Sabine, folding her arms. There’s a steely glint in her eyes. “I won’t have my children being harassed.”
“I… what,” Adrien says, a little helplessly, and it’s Marinette’s turn to squeeze his hand.
“I’m afraid you’ve been adopted,” she says, turning pink.
“Well, not officially. We can’t adopt our future son-in-law, that would be weird,” Tom says with a smirk. Marinette sputters something unintelligible, facing brightening to a solid red that matches her Ladybug suit. Adrien flushes too, but he can’t help staring around in wonder.
“Marinette, please. You’re partners and soulmates, it’s inevitable,” Sabine says, waving her daughter off. “Now, you’ve eaten and I want you to sleep. Take Adrien to bed, please.”
Marinette’s mouth opens and closes a couple times before she sighs with frustration, evidently deciding that arguing with her parents isn’t worth the effort. She gets up, pulling Adrien up too, but before they can leave the room Tom and Sabine pull them both into hugs. Sabine kisses both their foreheads.
“It’ll be okay, kids,” Tom says gently. “We’ll figure it out.”
Fresh tears prick Adrien’s eyes. He can tell Marinette is similarly affected. They’re quiet as the hug ends, and Sabine ushers them out of the room. Marinette leads the way back to her room. She climbs up the ladder to her and, when Adrien hesitates, peers back over the edge to give him a look that says, in no uncertain terms, that he can either climb up willingly or be dragged up over her shoulder. He opts for the former.
“Your parents are amazing,” Adrien says, when it’s dark and quiet and they’re cuddled together under the covers, and Tikki and Plagg have curled up on the pillows beside their heads. He compares it to last night and it’s like night and day.
“Our parents, now,” Marinette corrects, finding his hands and clasping them to her chest. “I meant it. You belong here. If you don’t want to go back, you don’t have to. We’ll always be together, either way.”
He loves his father. Adrien will always love his father. But this. This is everything he’s ever wanted. It’s real love, not one-sided or filled with control. Now that he’s had a taste of it, he’s like an addict and wants more. He shakes his head even though she can’t see it and moves closer, resting his head on her chest just like he did earlier. Her heartbeat thrums under his ear and she slides a hand into his hair, lightly scratching.
He falls asleep and doesn’t wake until he hears something beeping repeatedly, and he mumbles, “M’Lady, are we about to transform back?”
“You’re not transformed, Kitten,” Tikki says, inches away from Adrien’s ear. “It’s Marinette’s phone. Alya has been calling her.”
Adrien lifts his head a little, blinking blearily in the dim light. Marinette is sound asleep, one of her arms looped tightly around Adrien’s waist and the other resting lightly on his head. Tikki’s resting in the hollow of Marinette’s collarbone, just above where Adrien has his head. He can just make out Marinette’s buzzing phone up by her right shoulder. Plagg, curled in the waves of Marinette’s hair, is visible only by the two glowing green eyes glaring at the phone.
He could answer, but a conversation with Alya will go one of two ways and Adrien’s not sure he’s ready for either. Instead, he opts to switch the volume off and flip the phone so that the screen is face-down. Then he lays his head back down, shifting a little: Marinette’s got one of her legs wrapped around his upper thigh and the other across his knees, and he nudges at her thigh until there’s more space for him to sink back down into her.
Unfortunately, he doesn’t get to go back to sleep.
“Marinette!” The trap door flies open. Alya pops up into the room, wearing a frantic expression. Adrien rolls his head so that he can see her, but otherwise doesn’t move.
“No,” Marinette moans, and the hand atop Adrien’s head leaves so that she can drape her arm across her eyes.
“Mari – oh.” Alya stops short when she sees them, her eyes bugging out. Adrien blinks at her, feeling far too lazy and comfortable to move. Besides, he’s not actually sure he could escape Marinette’s grasp even if he wanted to.
“Alya!” Nino hisses, still out of sight for the moment. “I told you not to wake them.”
“Adrien was already awake,” Alya says, climbing the remainder of the ladder into Marinette’s room. Nino follows a few seconds later, at first looking frustrated and then quickly changing into apologetic tempered by embarrassment when he sees Adrien and Marinette.
“What are you doing here?” Marinette asks the ceiling, still not moving her arm.
“We saw the news,” Alya replies.
Oh. Adrien tries not to flinch. Suddenly he’s glad that he’s laying on top of Marinette. He feels a bit like a protective cat crouched low over their mate, ready to spring to their defence if need be. Not that Alya or Nino are dangerous – but, well, they could be, if they wanted to. Not physically, but emotionally. And Marinette’s been through so much already in the past day, and it’s only going to get worse.
Marinette moves her arm off of her face, and she and Adrien share a look. Then Marinette sits up a little, as best she can when Adrien is laying on her like a dead weight, and says, her voice cracking, “I know you’re probably mad, but I’m not sorry for not telling you. I – no, we were protecting you as best we knew how, and that meant not making you even more of a target for Hawkmoth than you already were. So if you’re here to yell at us, I really wish you’d just go away because this has been horrible enough without our best friends making it a thousand times worse.”
"Dude," Nino says. "That's not why we're here. We're not mad. Right, Babe?" He elbows Alya gently in the ribs, and that seems to snap Alya out of her daze.
"I was a little bit at first, but not anymore. I get it. You've been protecting everyone." There are tears in Alya's eyes now. "And this is how you get repaid. Oh, Mari, Adrien, I'm so sorry."
A little of the heavy weight on Adrien's shoulders eases. "Come here," he says, motioning to their friends. Alya doesn't hesitate, kicking her shoes off and hurrying up onto the bed. She throws her arms around the both of them as best she can. Nino follows, and shortly the four of them are cuddled together on the bed and everyone is crying. Tikki and Plagg, Adrien note, relocate to the pillow to avoid being smushed.
Of course, Alya is the one who notices them first. "What are those?" she breathes, wiping at her wet face.
“I’m Tikki. I give Ladybug her powers,” says Tikki, floating a little closer and offering a tiny paw. Looking enchanted, Alya grips Tikki’s paw with her index finger and thumb and gives it a gentle shake.
“I’ve seen that before. You told me it was a toy,” says Nino, pointing to Plagg.
“Ah, that’s Plagg,” Adrien says helpfully when it becomes evident that Plagg isn’t going to introduce himself. Plagg huffs, slitted green eyes watching Alya and Nino warily.
“They’re so cute,” Alya says, delighted.
“Thank you,” Tikki says. “Marinette, I’m hungry.”
Plagg perks up instantly. “Cheese?!”
“I’ll get some food. Your dad tried to give us some stuff on the way up anyway,” says Nino. “Cheese and… uh…”
“Cookies, please,” Marinette supplies in a quiet voice.
Nino nods. “Cheese and cookies. Weird combination, but sure.” He casts a considering look over Adrien and Marinette and then adds, “I’ll bring some food up for all of us while I’m at it. Be right back.” He scoots back to the edge of the bed and climbs down.
With Nino gone, Alya turns to them. “Are you okay?” she asks, voice full of sympathy.
Adrien’s not sure how to answer that, so instead he asks, “What, uh, what are people saying? About us?”
Alya hesitates for a moment. “It’s… mostly good, depending on where you look and who you’re asking. You’ve saved a lot of people. Right now they’re mostly just showing the same clip over and over, the one of you guys de-transforming. There’s a lot of speculation.” She pauses and cocks her head. “Huh, I just thought of something. When I watched that clip, I didn’t see Tikki or Plagg.”
“Kwamis can’t be seen on camera,” Tikki pipes up, alighting on Marinette’s chest.
“Thank goodness for that,” Marinette says, giving Tikki a gentle poke that made Tikki giggle. “I just can’t believe this is really happening. It feels like a bad dream.”
“I’m sorry,” Alya says again. “How… how are you doing?”
How are they doing? Adrien looks at Marinette, feeling like this isn’t a conversation he needs to be a part of. “I’m going to run to the bathroom,” he says.
“Okay,” Marinette says distractedly.
He waits a beat, then gently says, “Princess, you need to let go.”
“What? Oh, right.” Marinette unwinds her legs and arm with a reluctant pout, giving Adrien the opportunity to move away. As he climbs down the ladder he realizes that he really does have to pee, and hurries over to the trap door. As he descends, he hears whispers start up behind him and hopes that Marinette’s and Alya’s conversation goes well. Marinette will need Alya now more than ever.
He makes a pit stop in the bathroom before venturing out into the living room. Nino is there. He smiles when he sees Adrien and says, “Hey dude. Marinette’s mom just went to grab some food for us.”
“Great,” Adrien says, though he’s not that hungry.
Nino fixes his hat. “Are you okay, Adrien?”
Adrien snorts. “Oh yeah, I’m great. All of Paris knows who we are and my father tried to take my Miraculous, so I’m pretty sure I can’t go back home.” He runs his hands through his hair, feeling at once weary and restless. “About the only good thing that’s come out of this is knowing who my lady is, and finding out she’s my soulmate.”
“You found your soulmate!” Nino exclaims. “Congrats!”
“I – thanks?” Adrien says uncertainly.
“Sorry,” Nino says, flushing.
“No, it’s okay. You’re right. I’ve been looking for a long time.” Adrien looks down at his ankle, hidden beneath the clothing that Tom gave him. Since the day he became Chat Noir, he’s been hoping Ladybug would be his soulmate. And she is. It’s a dream come true in many ways. He just wishes that it hadn’t come to this for them to figure it out.
“And maybe your dad will come around. It could’ve just been a shock for him,” Nino says, giving him a clap on the shoulder.
Adrien thinks back to the look on his father’s face, and the tone of his voice when he said that he wanted Adrien to stop being Chat Noir because Ladybug is dangerous. He’s seen that look before. It’s not a look that Adrien has ever been able to argue against, and he doesn’t see why the situation would be different now. Once Gabriel Agreste makes up his mind, nothing can dissuade him.
“Maybe,” he says, because it’s easier than talking about it, and shrugs. “I don’t think it matters much now. Marinette wants me to stay here.”
“Dude!” Nino brightens up. “That would be awesome. You guys are soulmates, right? And you’re both sixteen. So your dad can’t make you go back home if you don’t want to no matter how much money he throws around.” He’s grinning as he claps Adrien lightly on the shoulder. “You’re gonna get so many cookies shoved in your face that you won’t know what to do with them.”
“Damn straight,” Sabine says, bustling into the room. She’s carrying a tray full of food, which she hands to Nino. “Adrien, could I speak to you for a moment?”
“I’ll take this back to the girls,” Nino says, backing towards the door.
Once he’s gone, Sabien turns to Adrien. Her face is full of concern. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay, Adrien. This must be hard on you, and I know you’re trying to be strong for Marinette.”
Adrien scoffs a little. “I haven’t done a very good job of that. All I’ve done since I got here is cry in her arms.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that,” Sabine says immediately.
“Sure,” Adrien mutters.
“I mean it. Adrien, look at me.” She touches his chin, lifting his head. “You and Marinette are partners, right? That means you’re equals. You’re there for each other. That’s the foundation for a strong relationship, the kind of relationship I know she wants with you and which I’m guessing you want with her.”
He swallows. Sabine’s eyes are so kind and understanding. He stammers, “I just – I don’t –”
“I know. Shh, come here.” She envelops him in another hug. Adrien melts into it, burying his face in her shoulder. He’s almost forgotten what it feels like to be hugged by a mother. How secure and safe it feels, with her arms wrapped so tight around him.
“Honey, listen to me,” Sabine murmurs. “Here’s what’s gonna happen. Your papa is already on the way to City Hall to officially register you and Marinette as soulmates. He’ll bring back the documents for you to sign. We can have them signed, sealed and delivered before noon. Then we’re going to have a big supper and we’ll all sit down and figure out how we’re going to handle this together, okay?”
There’s only one part of that sentence Adrien can focus on. He pulls back slightly to look at her in confusion. “My… papa?”
“If you like,” Sabine says, her smile so warm and fond that it’s almost overwhelming. “You can call me Maman, and Tom Papa. Or you can call us by our first names. It’s your choice.”
“Maman,” Adrien says, testing the word. It rolls smoothly off his tongue. He’s always called his own parents Mother and Father. It sounds so stiff and formal compared to Maman and Papa.
“My good boy.” Sabine hugs him again. He might cry a little. Sabine, bless her, pretends not to notice.
When Adrien returns to Marinette’s room – their room? – he finds all three of his friends have moved from the bed. Alya is sitting at Marinette’s desk. Nino is splayed out on the floor. Marinette is perched on the chaise lounge, her expression tight with worry. Adrien meets her gaze as he scales the ladder and walks over to her. It feels natural to sink down next to Marinette and put his arms around her. She practically crawls into his lap and cuddles into him, relaxing a little.
“Maman wanted me to tell you that Papa will be back with the documents for us to register as soulmates soon,” Adrien tells her.
Her eyes widen, and he knows she’s picked up on the new names. For the first time that morning, a beautiful smile splits Marinette’s face. “So the whole world gets to know you’re mine?” she says. “I’m okay with that.”
“I was already yours. We don’t need documents for that,” Adrien says, and she goes pink. He winds his arms around her waist and nuzzles her hair. In spite of her embarrassment, it doesn’t stop her from sliding her arms around his chest in return and laying her cheek against his chest.
“Ugh, you two are just going to be unbearably sappy, aren’t you?” Alya says. She’s breaking off little chunks of cheese and hand feeding Plagg. Predictably, Plagg has warmed up to her considerably and his little belly is now rounded with cheese. Adrien really hopes he doesn’t have to transform anytime soon.
“Of course they are,” says Nino. “Alya, your favorite part of Ladybug and Chat Noir is the flirting.”
“We don’t flirt!” Marinette says, her voice high-pitched, and Alya snorts.
“Oh, right. Between all the ‘my lady’s’ and ‘bugaboo’s’ and ‘kitty’s’ flying around, it’s amazing you two have time to fight akuma,” she says with a sly smile.
“We’re partners. We have to be close,” Marinette says weakly. “A-Anyway! Did Maman say… we have to go back to school on Monday?”
“She didn’t, but I assume so. I really don’t want to be homeschooled again,” Adrien says, accepting the change of subject for the sake of Marinette’s increasingly red cheeks. “I’m used to attention. It’s you that I’m worried about.”
“I’ll be okay,” says Marinette. “It won’t be that bad.” But she doesn’t sound like she believes it, and Adrien can’t blame her for that. He knows what it’s like to have a crowd of people so thick that you can’t move, can’t even breathe, surrounding you. He hopes that the people of Paris will be kind to their superheroes, and recognize that Ladybug and Chat Noir are just kids.
“Nino and I will come walk you guys to school,” says Alya. “You won’t be alone.” She leans forward, a determined glint in her eye. “I think we should get on top of this. Would you be willing to do an interview for the Ladyblog?”
Adrien and Marinette exchange a glance. Then Adrien says slowly, “It’s not a terrible idea.”
“Great!” Alya says, beaming. “And if you want to do a talk show, you should think about contacting Manon’s mom.”
“I think talk shows are a bit too much right now,” Nino says. He’s watching Marinette and Adrien closely. “Maybe just… start with the Ladyblog.”
Adrien mouths a thank you to Nino when Alya isn’t looking. Neither he nor Marinette are ready to go on television just yet. An interview for the Ladyblog is one thing. That can be recorded, reviewed, and edited if he or Marinette do or say something wrong. But an interview on live television? He has to suppress a shudder at the thought.
Alya nods. “That’s fine. It just gives me more of a scoop.” She lets out a dreamy little sigh. “As much as I hate that this happening to you guys, I’m so happy that Ladynoir is canon. Ladybug and Chat Noir are soulmates. Just like I thought!” Her eyes are as shiny as stars and Adrien cracks a grin, seeing a similar smile on Marinette’s face.
“If you want that scoop, you should post it now. It’ll be a matter of public record tomorrow,” Adrien points out.
“Really? I can post it?” Alya sits up, alert.
“Go ahead,” Marinette says, amused, and Alya drops the cheese in favor of scrabbling for her phone. Plagg slinks away, disgusted, and rolls into a nest with Tikki, who eyes him.
“And there went any plans I had about spending the day with my girlfriend,” Nino says with a sigh, shaking his head indulgently.
“Sorry,” Adrien says, not sorry at all, and Nino makes a face at him. Adrien just smiles and shifts him and Marinette so they’re laying down on the chaise; Marinette rolls over so she can be facing Nino and Alya, and scoots back until they’re one solid line of heat from head to toe. Adrien still has his arms around her, and she clasps both his hands in hers.
“Okay,” Alya says. “How does this sound?”
Rather than listen, Adrien bows his head and presses his face against the back of Marinette’s neck. Her hair is still loose and smells like the vanilla-scented shampoo she favors. He used to dream about being able to do this with Ladybug, but he didn’t actually think it would happen. She’s so soft and warm in his arms, but strong too. A dichotomy he can rely on in the coming days, when the press will drive them both crazy and Gabriel will be furious and Hawkmoth will know who they are and life in general will get a whole lot harder.
But not just Marinette. He’s got Tom and Sabine, and Alya and Nino and their families, and their classmates at school, and Ms. Bustier. For once, Adrien realizes, he’s got people in his corner. It’s a nice feeling. A novel feeling. It makes the future seem a little less scary, and right now he’ll take what he can get. He presses a kiss to the back of Marinette’s head and feels her squeeze his hand in response. He feels like maybe, just maybe, they can do this.