Chapter Text
Ladybug taps with her foot, while waiting for her team impatiently on the top of the Eiffel Tower. She stares at the city under her feet, frowning.
She's so so so angry. Only to see them... They will see...
"LB, breathe! I know you're angry, but you're as red as your suit," Honey Bee lands next to her and places a comforting hand on the angry girl's shoulder.
"You know why I am! They just left us! Ugh..."
"Look, I know it wasn't okay, but now we have a chance to talk about it and everything will be fine!" Honey Bee smiles at Ladybug. For some minutes the red heroine is silent, thinking about what had happened.
"But... That isn't fair!" She leaves her hands. "When did you come, Honey?"
"You know I always arrive on time," The yellow heroine winks.
"So... They're late?" Ladybug tries not to be angrier, grinding her teeth as a muscle in her jaw twitched.
"Hey, maybe something happened. We will wait and they will come," Honey Bee hugs Ladybug.
"Thank you for everything, Chloé!" The red heroine returns the hug.
It's 12:00 am when the rest of the team lands on the top of the Eiffel Tower. Thirty minutes later! A full half hour! Apparently, they met on the way there.
"Where were you?" Ladybug asks quietly, trying not to let her anger seep into her tone. She doesn't greet them further, doesn't turn to look at them.
"Some of us have a social life, Ladybug!" Chat Noir snaps at the heroine, irritated by her stupid, obvious question.
"I asked you a question, Chat Noir!" Ladybug says, warning them.
"I couldn't leave earlier. Kag- My girlfriend was over," Chat rolls his eyes after answering. Ladybug stands up and turns back to look at her teammates. Behind her, Honey Bee tries to warn them about Lady's anger, shaking her head while making a cutting gesture.
"And what about you two?" Ladybug walks slowly closer to the couple, eyes just barely narrowed.
"We had a date that ended ten minutes ago," Rena answers.
"Aha... A date?"- The fox nods. -"Like the last time?" Ladybug frowns and crosses her arms over her chest.
"I don't see the problem here! You have never had anything against finishing our dates first!" Rena Rouge snaps.
"Well, now, I have an issue! It’s time to take your job, the job I chose you for, seriously!" Ladybug yells, mouth set in a harsh, if subtly pained, scowl.
"What is the meaning of all of that?!" Carapace finally takes part.
"Yes, Ladybug! I don't see the problem with spending some time with our girlfriends... Or boyfriends!" Chat Noir stares at Ladybug.
"Look, girl. If you have some problems with a boy or you're jealous, because you're single, we are not the guilty one," Rena Rouge carefully says, raising placating hands.
"What? Jeal- Rena, I am not jealous and that's not the fucking problem here! And I don't even have a boyfriend, and guess why? Because if I ever dated, he would be in immense trouble!"
"And what is the problem? Cause I think it could be the fact that you left us all your duties for a week?" Chat spits out, his tail flicking behind him
"When I think about it, shouldn't we be the infuriated ones?" Carapace frowns.
"You have a point, babe! She leaves her duties to us for a whole week and then when she comes back, she yells at us..." Rena frowns, too. Chat carefully thinks about the whole week and realizes how wrong Ladybug’s anger is. His anger grows.
"Yes, Ladybug! Where were YOU? You know our identities, it's easier for you! But what do we know about you? Nothing, absolutely nothing! You have no fucking right to abandon us for a whole fucking week, then come here and be angry! You have no fucking right to be testy for seeing us date when you don't have your own! And you have no fucking right to ask us questions and want the answer when you don’t answer any of our own! We have the right to know! Now answer me! Where were you during the whole week?!" Chat Noir yells at the red heroine with all the anger in him.
The bluenette stares at her Black Cat, blinking a few times. Her face is pale and her mouth is slightly open. Then, in the blink of an eye, she gets so close to Chat with a closed mouth. Even though he’s a head taller than her, she was intimidating. Her face is flushed red and she tries to control her breathing, but the only thing she has in her mind is how untrue the things Chat said are. Blinking one more time, she realizes that there's no possible way to reduce her fury, so she has two options: first, to run away and say nothing... Or second, to shout out everything she has to say. The first choice looks so out of the realm of plausibility, so her mouth opens.
"Where was I? Where was I during this whole week?! I was on my fucking death bed, because of you, you, and you." Ladybug scans the trio, gaze landing on each of them in turn, "While you were out, having nice dates, I was fighting for my life! And no, I am not jealous, Rena! I am angry, I am offended, I am fucking scared and lonely! Because of you! And because of you, my mother knows my identity!" Everyone gasps.
"Are you happy now?! You know! You know that while you were on your beautiful, great date last week, the Akuma was killing me and Honey! Are you happy? You know! Congratulations! Now, you can continue to ignore your hero duty, going on romantic dates, while Ladybug saves your asses!" She laughs hysterically.
"You can continue to be late for patrol, if you even show, because yes, Ladybug won't have a problem patrolling Paris all night! Yes, true, Lady-fucking-bug might be an insomniac and an anxiety mess and have panic attacks every second day in the fucking school bathrooms at the age of fourteen, but what is the problem? She will do it for us, we all have dates to go on!" Everyone stares at the red heroine with horror.
"Stop staring and answer me! Are you happy now?! Have you ever had the idea that I'm fourteen years old? That there’s too much pressure, too many responsibilities, having two identities?! That I have an end of my rope, too?! Fuck, have you ever thought that I might be more scared than you?! I was going to die a week ago and I saw nothing of a magical return to health because the fucking Miraculous Cure doesn't work on me BECAUSE I am a fucking insomniac and I don't have the needed energy to cure myself! Are you happy to know?!" The red heroine falls on her knees, wiping her tears on the heel of her hand.
"Come on, LB. Let's go!" Honey Bee reacts first, helping the red heroine to stand up. Her entire body shakes drained, because of the yelling, the anger that had been stored up for far too long.
The yellow heroine wraps her left arm around Ladybug's waist and leaves three shocked heroes on the top of the Eiffel Tower. Not too long after that, Chloé lands in her room, setting Ladybug down on her bed.
"LB?" Honey Bee releases her transformation, sitting next to the shaking heroine. "Hey, LB, it's okay, you did it." Chloé hugs Ladybug. "Deep breathes, LB, deep breathes." She rubs circles on her back.
Five minutes later, Ladybug calms down enough to finally speak. "Chloé?"
"Yeah?"
"I-I... I don't think I can or want to go home. C-Can I... Uh... Stay here?" Ladybug sniffs.
"Of course! Uh... You already know I have your cosplay costume so I can give you the mask if you want to release your kwami or..."
"No, no... I just... Tikki, Spots Off!" Pink light illuminates the two hugged girls. Chloé doesn't hug Ladybug anymore. No, she hugs the girl under her mask. She hugs...
"Dupain-Cheng?" Marinette only nods. "I... Of course, it's you! Who else? God, I'm so stupid!"
"No, you're not! It's magic," Marinette shrugs.
"Du- Marinette?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you okay?"
"I-I... No. But I'll be, I promise! Just... Give me some time. I need time."
"Okay. Do you want to talk about it?"
"No."
"That's completely fine! Also... I never thanked you for believing in me. Thank you, Marinette! And I'm sorry for being such a bitch!"
"Hey, don't talk about Chloé like that! She's awesome and she deserves trust," Marinette finally looks at the blond girl and smiles. "Thank you, Chloé, for everything!"
"No problem!" She hugs the young designer. Not an hour later the two girls fall asleep. For the first time in months, Marinette lets herself close her eyes, feeling safe. For the first time in months, she hasn't a problem with falling asleep and she has no nightmares.