#marinette regrets not being able to stay in that timeline to make sure chat would recover

[bigfatbreak]

Birds of a Feather previous / next

[mc-lukanette]

42 More Lukanette Thoughts

Marinette making a lucky charm bracelet for Luka, but being afraid to give it to him since Adrien also has one and she doesn’t want Luka thinking that he’s just a replacement for Adrien. Luka finds the gift eventually and naturally does not think that at all.

Luka being a morning person (or at least more of one than Marinette) so he helps Marinette’s sleep schedule by calling her to wake her up in the morning. This also leads to late-night calls between them where they both check if the other is sleeping at the right time (which can lead to either good or bad things; good because they’re checking on each other, bad because they clearly don’t have self-control and might just keep each other up).

Luka ends up hurting one of his hands and proceeds to avoid Marinette, knowing that his lack of ability to play music might affect him emotionally. He doesn’t want her to see him vulnerable. Marinette inevitably figures it out and frets over him while also thinking up ways to help him out.

Marinette being miserable every time she hears the ballroom music that she used to associate with her (former) love for Adrien. She was with Luka once and he got to witness her shouting angrily at the speakers playing the music that she has a boyfriend who is NOT Adrien and she doesn’t appreciate this reminder of Adrien’s existence.

Marinette struggling to confess to Luka, but then having no problem rambling off praises for him to other people.

Marinette tries on Luka’s highlights once and surprises Luka with it. He’s so caught off-guard that he reaches up and touches/feels her hair himself, earning a blush out of Marinette. Now she has to try his looks more so he’ll initiate physical contact more.

Luka getting his own version of “Copycat” (not him being jealous, but just an akuma who’s out to make him look bad). The name? Lukalike.

AU where Marinette isn’t technically into Adrien, but has been brought up/grew up to plan and schedule for the future to an obsessive degree (in line with all her scheduling in canon). She actually wasn’t romantically in love with Adrien but saw him as a viable option and he was “already in her plans” by the time Luka showed up. Marinette cut Luka off in a panic after realizing she was in love with him, but realizes her mistake later on and absolutely drops an emotional bomb on him when she reveals that she returned his feelings this whole time and had to get over her obsession for planning/organization first..

Luka still being the calm, collected individual he is, but he’s actually really excitable and “loud” over text. Marinette learns that after they exchange numbers and it’s adorable.

Vagabond (Homeless) Luka who travels all around, playing music for people. Marinette loves his music and will happily walk around to find him playing, even if she’s crunched for time. He provides lots of inspiration for her though it sure is weird how long he’s been around??? what could he possibly be sticking around for? (bonus if he sticks around so long that it leads into winter and obviously she’s not letting him stay outside)

Luka and Marinette meeting as Viperion and Ladybug, falling for each other, and they want to date but they also don’t want people to know so cue superhero dating.

AU where Juleka either wasn’t born or she and Luka simply didn’t grow up together, so Luka didn’t have to grow into the “big brother” type. He’s also bad with physical contact, as his mother isn’t a very physically-affectionate person, so he seeks out a way to be better with being touched. In comes Marinette and she happily offers to get him used to physical contact. Bonus if she starts feeling jealous at the idea of him eventually being able to touch other people and Double Bonus if she just ends up being the exception more than anything else and they’re both okay with that.

Pre-dating, Luka and Marinette knowing full well what they do to each other and going out of their way to make the other blush.

“Felix” divergence where it turns out that Marinette was still pursuing Adrien because she was convinced that Luka wasn’t actually crushing on her (thought it was her overthinking/hoping for too much because she “is used to being disappointed” by now, plus the fact that he confessed and then walked away without saying a word), but she realizes that he is when he makes the comment about “being there for her.” She explains it to him in relief and Luka’s heart is sent on a ride because he was convinced that she didn’t feel that way about him. Bonus if now Marinette is panicking about the video and will later be glad that it didn’t go through.

Sass “challenging” Marinette and teasingly saying that he’ll take Luka if she doesn’t want him. Cue Marinette being very jealous of Sass hanging around Luka all the time and she eventually gets fed up to the point of confessing to Luka outright, then being all smug to Sass who had planned this from the beginning so he’s not complaining.

Rose gets a cold, so Luka temporarily takes over as Kitty Section’s singer for practice. Marinette isn’t ready.

Childhood Friends AU where Marinette grows up believing that Luka and Juleka must have the same romantic orientation because they’re twins and she doesn’t know how orientations works. Thus, clearly Luka is gay which means that he doesn’t return her feelings obviously (she’s very wrong).

Marinette wanting a song to replace the ballroom music she remembers when she was still crushing on Adrien, so she non-subtly tries to find a song that Luka would like that they could slow dance to (either pre or post dating).

Post-battle, Viperion asking Ladybug if it’s okay for him to hang onto the snake miraculous for a little longer, then going on to explain that Marinette, a friend of his, seemed really sad that day and he figured it’d help to be visited by a hero. (Ladybug is screaming internally because she knows that she’s not supposed to let them keep them any longer than the battle but his request is so pure and sweet and he’s doing it for her--)

Viperion setting up for Second Chance. During the battle, he and Ladybug end up bonding and/or kissing, but Viperion ends up needing to go back, thus erasing it from the timeline. However, while Ladybug doesn’t seem to remember the specifics or what happened, she seems to have vague feelings that he used Second Chance and even touches her lips at one point with a thoughtful look.

Marinette learning how to do her own make-up to try and look closer to the age that Luka looks. She very much doesn’t need it to impress him/make him think that she’s pretty..

Marinette getting into bouts of being extremely lame and romantic, like texting Luka things like, “I was just thinking about you,” and then regretting it when he responds with something equally lame with no hesitation.

Fu being okay with Luka knowing Ladybug’s identity, as Luka is someone who keeps to himself, is able to keep a secret, and actively supports Marinette.

One day, Marinette accidentally catches Luka working on a love song that’s clearly written for her. He’s embarrassed for once, partly because he’d never intended for her to hear it, but she assures him that it’s okay and she’d like to hear the full thing. She shows up occasionally to listen to his progress, Luka suspecting nothing, then cut to when the full song is done and she ends up singing it alongside him without warning, essentially confessing back to him.

Event where Marinette is put in charge of selling custom-made “Ladybug Fan” and “Chat Noir Fan” T-shirts. And then in comes Luka with a white shirt and a shoddily-but-lovingly-written “Marinette Fan” on it (bonus if he tried to draw her pink flowers).

Marinette drawing something for Adrien in her sketchbook and keeps abandoning it to spend time with/visit Luka (a metaphor for her slowly getting over Adrien and falling for Luka instead). She’ll end up making something for Luka instead in the end.

At some point in adulthood, Marinette admitting to Luka that she’s been crushing on him for a long time, but was afraid of saying anything. Luka assures her that there’s still a place in his heart, but Marinette needs time to accept that (out of guilt and being convinced for so long that he’d never forgive her) and/or Luka needs time to really confirm to himself that she means it (not that he doesn’t believe her but he’s thought for so long that she didn’t like him that way). Cue awkward dorks slowly working their way into a relationship with hand touches, cheek kisses, and finally the full acceptance that they’re willing to forget about what they thought before and just love each other.

Luka and Marinette being married with kids. Whenever Marinette has to let Luka sleep, he’ll wake up later but with their kids telling him that she told them to tell him that she loves him (she also might’ve skipped breakfast because she doesn’t like having it without him and Luka will definitely be going to meet with her for lunch, complete with kisses for giving him so many feels in the morning).

someone: Marinette, don’t hide your face in your hands. [Marinette proceeds to use Luka’s hands to hide her face instead]

Marinette and Luka, having never met, being in a pet store and buying a pet mouse and snake respectively. Unexpectedly, the two pets escape from them at some point before they leave the store, and after frantically searching, they find the mouse and snake next to each other and actually seeming to get along as if they’re friends. The store owner confirms that the two animals frequently escape to see each other and they have no idea why, but Luka and Marinette acknowledge it and decide to exchange addresses so their pets can still see each other. Meeting up “just for the sake of their pets” quickly becomes an excuse.

Luka is definitely the type who wouldn’t wash off Marinette’s lipstick kisses for the longest time. Marinette ends up having to clean them off herself (which really just encourages him not to do it himself more).

Likewise, Marinette forgot her gloves once while it was cold and Luka warmed her hands for her, so she continued “forgetting them” after that.

Luka and Marinette end up getting a pet and Marinette struggling between finding Luka playing with their pet adorable and being extremely jealous because now the pet is stealing her Luka time.

Post-dating, Marinette having self-esteem issues over being as short as she is (maybe having gotten rude comments from models before). She keeps trying to kiss Luka from above and insisting on being the big spoon.

Kitty Section getting a singing game and Luka getting to hear Marinette singing for the first time. Now he has to hear it so much more. Bonus if their voices blend well together when they sing together.

Marinette wanting to give Luka promise ring but being convinced that he’d hate it because he “already has so many accessories” (as if Luka wouldn’t enthusiastically wear anything she gives him).

Luka being an exhausted rock star who flees from paparazzi and his fans. Marinette ends up seeing him and letting him hide in her house, being a huge fan of him but not getting to star-struck levels since she grew up with a famous model friend and knowing celebrities. She allows Luka to hide at her place whenever he wants and eventually worries about him seeing her as “just like his fans” when she realizes that she’s crushing on him.

Marinette breaking up with Adrien in adulthood, which starts a lot of rumors from people about how Marinette will just turn down any guy she sees because who in the right mind would break up with the sunshine model??? Then, cue Luka (who may or may not have met Marinette yet) coming in and seeing all the distance people make from Marinette (and not getting it), so he happily approaches her and strikes up a conversation because he doesn’t care about rumors or anything like that.

Marinette getting a two-seater bike for Luka and trying to be subtle about it like

Alya doing a scheme by inventing some sort of game where someone gets chosen and has to shout out the person they love because, “Girl, you blurt things out all the time! You’ll totally say Adrien’s name,” and then Marinette blurts out Luka’s name because she loves him and not Adrien, shocking everyone.

If Marinette and Luka (i.e: the “thinkers” of the hero group) were akumatized together, Paris - no, the world - would be officially screwed.

Fashion Designer Marinette and Rock Star Luka. Marinette has been trying to confess to Luka for a while, but things usually go wrong or the timing is always off. She finally says “screw it” to subtlety, and waits for them to have an interview together (as Luka wears Marinette’s clothes constantly and they’re best friends), then unzips her jacket to “get comfortable” while they’re sitting next to each other, revealing an, “I Love Luka Couffaine (yes, romantically),” shirt. The interviewer and audience notice immediately (especially due to the large screen in the background that shows an enlarged view of the interviewer, Luka, and Marinette) and then it’s just a matter of waiting for Luka to notice (probably after he stops gushing about Marinette’s amazing clothing choices).

[nobodyfamousposts]

Miraculous Ladybug/DC - Adoption AU

There seems to be a lot of Miraculous/DC crossover ideas, often with Adrien and/or Marinette getting adopted into the Batfamily.

Here is my take:

So it turns out that apparently Gabriel had family he tries to avoid and altogether pretends don’t exist. 

And it turns out the family in question he’s particularly wanting to keep out of his life and away from his family is Harley Quinn.

To be fair, they weren’t close to begin with. Then there was the whole thing with Joker and her stint as a villain. After that, Gabriel cut off all contact and moved to Paris.

Harley gets why. She doesn’t like it, but she gets it. She’s made mistakes and is trying to do better. She understands if Gabriel isn’t feeling all that forgiving or willing to reconnect. And she is fine with that, really.

What she is NOT fine with is discovering Mr. No-fun lost his wife in mysterious circumstances and has responded by not only isolating himself, but his son as well. His son who is a genuinely sweet and wonderful kid, and deserves so much better than being kept trapped in a quiet and lonely old mansion every day.

So she does what any good aunt would do if they’re a psychologist who used to be an underling and abuse victim for a psychotic clown whom she’s recently escaped from, found herself a girlfriend, and is past the point of having kids of her own.

She steals Adrien.

Well, from the mansion at least. Only from there. Not wanting to take him away from what little social life he’s managed to make so far despite Gabriel’s best efforts, Harley has them all stay in Paris. She even buys a nice house in a good district with money that was totally not stolen from Gabriel on her way out *coughcough*. Once set up in the new home, she proceeds to take Adrien there where she can dote on him like proper family and give him some of that affection he’s been so desperate for.

The wax figure of Adrien has been left in his place in the mansion.

Gabriel has yet to notice.

As has anyone else. (They’ve had at least 3 photoshoots so far with just the wax figure.)

Ivy finds the whole thing questionable but comes to see that Adrien is a sweet boy with a desire to do good even if he doesn’t necessarily know how or the best way to do so. She decides she can “raise him right” and mold him into a proper young man who uses his resources to help the environment. So she starts having him do gardening with her.

Adrien is...actually okay with this whole setup. Plus he went from no mom to TWO moms! Who spend time with him! And are involved in his life! And let him see his friends! And he actually gets to leave the house without a bodyguard tailing his every move—which turns out to be because Ivy is able to use her plants to keep an eye on him in a much less obtrusive manner, but eh...details. He’s essentially not-so-reluctantly kidnapped. He COULD escape at any point. He’s Chat Noir after all. But even if he wasn’t, it wasn’t like Ivy and Harley were going out of their way to keep him locked up or anything. The worst they did was give him a curfew—which when comparing a few hours of free time with an expectation to return by a set time vs a set schedule with only one hour of free time maybe worked in somewhere, was hardly something he was going to fight.

The fact is that he’s doing well under their care. Harley shares his sense of humor. Pamela nurtures his creativity. He gets support and encouragement to be more assertive. They actually WANT to talk to him and hear about his day. They WANT to be affectionate with him and have dinners together. And he just soaks up their attention and affection like a sponge and responds in kind.

Under their care, Adrien changes a bit. He speaks out more and makes it known when he’s unhappy or uncomfortable with something. He does not let people just touch him when he’s uncomfortable. If anything, he’s doing more touching and initiating conversations without fear of appearances. Nino gets bro hugs. Kim gets bro hugs. All the guys in class get bro hugs. Marinette also gets bro hugs—though he doesn’t hug her for too long since she seems to overheat easily.

Adrien is really enjoying this.

Even better, his moms somehow get jobs in the area.

Pamela either becomes a biology teacher at the school or opens a nursery. If she does open a nursery, Marinette becomes a regular customer on principle. She and Ivy bond. They trade gardening tips. Marinette is surprisingly helpful in keeping pests away from her plants for reasons Ivy doesn’t quite know. All around, Paris suddenly starts becoming a bit more green…and without the eco-terrorism. It helps that Adrien’s social media starts featuring him planting trees and taking care of plants, which is encouraging other people to follow suit.

Harleen becomes a school counselor. At Adrien’s school. Where she takes full advantage of the opportunity to embarrass him in full “overly affectionate mom” mode. Adrien is too happy to be embarrassed. Anyone who actually ends up laughing at him comes to regret it when Harley picks apart their psychological issues.

The new moms evaluate his friends.

Nino passes. Flat out. He got akumatized trying to throw their boy a birthday party? He also arranged an impromptu house party for Adrien the one chance he got? YES. THIS is someone he needs in his life!

Alya gives them concern given her Lois Lane levels of getting into trouble mixed with sheer lack of self preservation. Her tendency to jump into matters and reveal things or trust things without thinking also has them concerned.

Chloe has potential, but needs a good few months of therapy as far as they’re concerned.

Lila is banned from coming within ten feet of Adrien. It would have been fifty, but Adrien refused to take a killer plant that big and risk anyone thinking it’s an akuma.

Marinette passes after they have a sit down talk with her to get to know her better. Harley notes her anxiety issues and helps her to be able to avoid panicking. Ivy likes Marinette’s energy, and her garden is impressive. She gives her approval of Marinette courting their son.

Marinette: Wait—what?

And because they’re actually good moms, they figure out fairly quickly that their new son is the leather-suited catboy running around protecting Paris.

Harley: HOW DO PEOPLE NOT KNOW THIS?!

Adrien: Magic?

They have a bit of difficulty for the next few fights with the rather overprotective mothers trying to interfere in akuma fights, causing more confusion than anything until Adrien asks them to stop. They don’t, of course, but they at least let him try to handle things.

All in all, they make for a nice little family.

But there’s only so much two moms can do. And with Gabriel pretty much not involved, they’re limited in options. So after a while, they decide that Adrien needs a good father figure.

Adrien: But I have a father...

Harley: I said a GOOD father figure.

But who to choose?

Bats? “Oh god, no! Why would you inflict that level of broodiness in our child?”

Joker? “Sure! The best way to teach him important life skills is to have someone to test them on as an example. Like the best weak points! And the effects of blood loss! And how to hide a body!” “We could just use Gabriel for that and save on travel time!”

Superman? “The world isn’t ready.”

They finally come to a decision.

Which is how Nightwing finds himself tied up and dragged off to Paris to be made part of this weird little makeshift family.

Pamela: Why him?

Harley: He got the killer Robin from ‘murdery’ to some semblance of being an actual semi-healthy child with only some violent tendencies. He’d make a good father figure!

Pamela: But wasn’t that an alternate timeline—

Harley: A GOOD father figure.

Pamela: ...fine.

Nightwing: Wait—what?

Naturally, he’s confused. He tries to contact Batman to let him know what’s going on and what Ivy and Harley are up to because they’re in Paris for some odd reason and they have a kid he’s pretty sure isn’t theirs. Batman, on the other hand, is more concerned with all the crazy magic shenanigans in Paris that the League somehow doesn't know about and can’t get any accurate information on. So he pretty much tells Nightwing to stay with them since he’s already there and they have room for him anyway so it’ll be easier.

Nightwing: I'm telling you, they've captured me, dragged me off to Paris, and they have this little house with a kid—

Batman: Good, then you have a place to stay while you investigate the anomalies in Paris.

Nightwing: Bruce, I don't think you're hearing me...

Adrien: (Just pats him on the arm sympathetically)

Harley: (Hugs Nightwing) Looks like we've got Batdaddy's approval! You're part of the family now!

Nightwing: I will do whatever you want. Just don't call him that again.

To be fair, it is Batman, so he probably knows Harley and Ivy aren’t an issue at this point, but still!

…At least he gets his own room…

Nightwing isn’t sure what to think. On the one hand, he knows he shouldn’t be encouraging this. On the other hand, Harley and Ivy aren’t actually doing anything bad. And if anything, taking care of the kid has been good for them. Plus the kid seems happy with them, at least. It’s...weird, certainly, but he goes along with it. (Read: He folds to the kitten eyes.)

Then he finds out said kid is a superhero in a city regularly attacked by a supervillain who transforms and controls people by manipulating their emotions—which the League somehow has not been aware of despite it happening in PARIS.

Needless to say, he isn’t pleased.

I'm just imaging Dick Grayson interacting with other adult figures in Paris. And really, just Dick's response to everything in Paris and how things are being handled.

"So...you're telling me no one has tried to track down where the magic butterflies are coming from?"

"Um..."

"The governmental body hasn't initiated any policies to try to prevent akumas?"

"Well..."

"Set up an alert and evacuation system so people know where to go or not go?"

“…”

“Do I want to know what you people actually do in case of an emergency?”

“Probably not.”

Much like Ivy and Harley, he gets a day job to help out. There are two potential options for him.

He becomes a teacher at the school and takes over running gym class, which he uses to keep the kids in shape, teach them self defense, and help them work out some of their tension and emotions through physical activities and a good listening ear. His interactions with the kids would be something to see. Even better for his interactions with Damocles and Bustier. Because no, the events of the Ladybug episode would NOT have happened if he was there.

Lila: (Sobs) Ow! Ow! The pain! How could Marinette do this to me?

Dick: I’m not seeing any injuries.

Lila: I don’t bruise easily. They just haven’t appeared yet.

Dick: Even so, there are no abrasions. No swelling. No indications of a broken bone or sprain. Not even any marks to show where you fell.

Lila: It’s internal!

Dick: Then you need to go to a hospital to be checked out and have the extent of your injuries noted.

Lila: I wouldn’t go that far—

Dick: And your mother will be contacted and told to meet us there.

Lila: Well—

Dick: And of course we’ll be holding off on any punishment until we have a list of your injuries and a thorough investigation is completed.

Lila: But—

Dick: And just to keep you safe, I’ll be staying with you the whole time. We wouldn’t want anymore “accidents”.

Lila: ….Dammit.

OR

He joins the police force. Just for shenanigans in his interactions with Roger. Maybe helping the force to be more effective so they can actually HELP during akuma fights instead of simply serving as a temporary distraction.

Either way, he’s a positive role model for Adrien. The three of them working together help Adrien to maintain a positive and altogether healthier state. They give him more jokes and puns to work with—because that has long since been Nightwing’s area of expertise. They give him advice in wooing his lady love. They address the “just a friend” issue. They teach him self defense and helpful fighting techniques. They curb the “self-sacrificing” tendency he’s developed. They encourage him in his goals and self discovery now that he has the freedom to actually try.

Despite the weirdness of the situation, Adrien is actually happier than he has been in a long while.

Which is made ever more clear at a particular moment when he’s leaving for school one morning.

“Bye, Mom! Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad!”

Harley sniffles and wipes a tear with a tissue she pulled out of her sleeve. “It feels like just yesterday that I stole him away from the mansion.”

“Then what does that make your kidnapping me?” Dick asked, sardonically. “This morning?”

“Don’t act like you’re not proud.” Ivy snarked.

Oh, he was. Immensely so. But of course he wasn’t going to admit it and give them the satisfaction.

[p-artsypants]

Longest Night (43) Eating

Ao3 | FF.net

--

Bonus Scene from last Chapter:

Emilie reclined on the couch next to her husband. She had a glass of whiskey in her hand, her drink of choice. A silken robe covered her form as she rested against the plush cushions.

But she was not relaxed. Not in the slightest.

Gabriel had pulled up the Ladyblog on the smart TV and proceeded to go down the timeline of akumas. Thankfully, Alya had organized the blog to skip all the theories and fluff articles. Only the actions of the heroes and Hawkmoth were shown.

Emilie had scooted away from him when he said, “I was a terrorist.” But she stayed long enough to hear that none of his damage or casualties were permanent. And that he had some regret about his actions. He had been desperate to get her back, and admitted that he had crossed the line so many times.

So now he was admitting to all of his crimes. He was coming clean to her, so she could judge him fairly and for herself.

“I had no idea that Adrien was Chat Noir. I didn’t know until his identity was revealed.”

Emilie found this to be a lie, however, since he reached an Akuma in the timeline when he suspected Adrien to be Chat Noir.

Gorizilla, that was the name. The bodyguard Emilie had known forever was the poor victim. He had turned into a giant blue ape and had Adrien in his grasp.

And then...and then...

Emilie watched in horror as the Akuma dropped her son, her baby, off the side of the building.

“I had hoped that he would transform to save himself, but he very cleverly called my bluff—“

The glass of whiskey was now empty, as it’s contents were in his face.

Perhaps he had been too honest.

“My baby!! My precious little boy! My innocent sweet sunshine boy! You let him get thrown off of a roof on a hunch?!??”

“I wasn’t going to let him hit the bottom. Ladybug saved him.”

“WELL I’M GLAD SOMEONE WAS ON TOP OF IT!” She shouted. “I can’t believe you! Of all the low down, dirty, rotten, conniving tricks!”

“Emilie please—“

“I should throw you off the building and see how you like it!”

“Please calm down.”

“Calm down?! CALM DOWN?!” She found one of her heels she had kicked off earlier. “Gabriel Maurice Agreste! I’m going to murder you!”

He looked at her flatly. “We haven’t even gotten to the worst part.”

Emilie’s primal scream of rage made something click in his brain.

It was time to go.

--

To say that Tom, Sabine, and Gabriel were surprised would be an understatement.

There, standing at the top of the stairs, arm and arm, were Ladybug and Chat Noir. Not Adrien and Marinette, but the costumed heroes that everyone loved. With added hats and scarfs to protect from the December air.

Tom was the first to recover and gave them a disarming smile. “Hey kiddos! Where’s the fire?”

“No fire.” Said Ladybug. “Ice Cream.”

“Ice cream? In January?” Asked Gabriel. “If you want Ice Cream, you could have just asked.”

Ladybug shook her head. “Alya figured out where Andre’s Ice Cream cart is. We want to go.”

“Okay, well, we could drive you—“ started Sabine.

“No!” Ladybug shouted. “I need to get out of this house or I’m going to explode! I need to get away from the smothering! I need to feel the sun on my skin and the wind—“ she choked. “I need to get out there for just a little while.”

“Your suits will draw attention.” Gabriel said it as a thought to be considered, and not a warning.

“I know. But won’t it help? Isn’t everyone asking about us?”

Tom gave a little smile. “What’s the harm? Can you just text us when you get there?”

“I can do that.” Ladybug smiled.

Gabriel spoke up. “Did you make sure Adrien wanted to go?”

“It was his idea.” She said cooly.

“Well, I have been disarmed.” Gabriel shrugged. “Just please be careful.”

“There’s nothing to worry about.” Ladybug assured.

After they both left, Tom looked at his wife and Gabriel. “They amaze me. They are doing so well!”

“I agree. Especially Marinette,” said Gabriel. “For her to not be afraid to go out in their suits...”

“I think the suits are for strength.” Added Sabine. “For them to be able to walk that far, and for protection.”

“That makes sense.”

She frowned. “Actually, I think it’s the suits that are letting them do this well. I found them sleeping in them the other night.”

Tom winced. “That’s not a great sign.”

Gabriel screwed up his lips in thought.

—

Outside the mansion, Ladybug and Chat Noir descended the stairs and went out to the gate. It was at the point where the media no longer lingered outside the mansion. No one had gotten a glimpse of the heroes, and they weren’t likely to for a while still.

“Do you want to walk? Or take the roofs?”

“Walk. I’m still not strong enough for rooftops.”

“Okay. He’s not that far from here.”

They made their way, hand and hand, to the Ponts des arts.

As they walked, occasionally they were bugged by passerby. Mostly with handshakes and cheek kisses, occasional selfies. Thankfully, since it was January, there weren’t a lot of pedestrians.

Finally, they reached the bridge. Andre spotted them from the other side. “Ladybug! Chat Noir! Oh my favorite duo!”

Ladybug gave a soft smile to the man. “Hello Andre. One please.”

“Of course! On the house!” He prepared a cone, and started to scoop. “One scoop mint chip, for Chat Noir. One scoop cherry chip, for Ladybug, and one scoop cookies and creme, for true, pure love, riddled with trials and tribulations.” He stuck two spoons in the ice cream and handed it over. “Come see me whenever you like. You’re always welcome here!”

“Thank you. This looks delicious!”

It was unseasonably warm. Sitting on a bench looking out on the river, ice cream in hand, everything felt normal for a little while. A lovely ice cream date, something Marinette had always wanted to do with Adrien.

He let out a long sigh.

“Are you okay? Comfortable?”

“I’m fine.” He smiled at her. “My butt hurts a little, but I’ll survive.”

“We don’t have to stay long. We’ll just finish our ice cream.”

“No, you were right,” he breathed. “Just being outside for a while is nice.” A tear rolled down his cheek. “I can’t believe how much I missed this. It wasn’t that long but…”

“The sunlight.” Ladybug finished for him. “It’s nice. I can feel it.”

“And the wind. And hearing the birds. Hearing the water. It’s all nice.”

They ate in companionable silence for a while. Living in the moment with blank minds.

“Hey, you beat us!” Alya called as they approached.

“We decided to get out before school let out and everyone ruined our fun.” Said Ladybug.

Alya and Nino got their ice cream and joined them on the bench.

“So, how’s the dynamic duo today? Haven’t gotten to spend a lot of time with you since we both moved back home.”

“Well, we have sweethearts ice cream. Not much to complain about.”

“Anybody give you trouble on the way out?”

“A couple people wanted pictures, and to express sympathy. It wasn’t bad.”

“It helps that it’s not tourist season, and it’s a weekday.”

“I’m sure. What kind of ice cream did you get?”

“Neapolitan. Or as Andre now calls it, Ninopolitan. Just for us.”

“That’s adorable.”

“I’m not usually a fan of strawberry ice cream either, but Andre’s is so good.”

“His chocolate is amazing.” Added Nino. “I want him to make my wedding cake out of it.”

“What, you don’t want my dad’s better-than-crack chocolate cake?”

“Half and half!” He protested. “I shouldn’t have to choose!”

Chat Noir smiled broadly, his shoulders shaking with mirth.

“Oh, before I forget. Did Chloe tell you about the Mayor’s ball a few weeks out?”

Ladybug groaned. “Yeah. The supposed ‘Hero’s Ball’ in honor of Chat and I? No thanks.”

“It can’t be too bad. A chance to get all gussied up, eat good food, and mingle with rich people.”

“Old Marinette would be excited, but...”

“You’ve got to stop referring to yourself like that, girl. You’ve changed, but you’re not a totally different person.”

She laughed. “I’m not?”

“A lot different, but there’s plenty of things I recognize. Right now, you seem to be doing really well. Besides the hair cut, you can hardly tell.”

“That’s good then.” Said Ladybug. “As long as someone recognizes me.”

“Are you designing a dress for the ball?”

“Gabriel and I are collaborating.” She stated it so plainly, like she didn’t even care. “He found a design he liked in my sketchbook, and he’s altering it. Same for Adrien. He’s designing a dress for my mom from scratch.”

“Oh that’s cool!”

“Poor man, he’s trying so hard to be a good father, but he’s so awful at it.”

Chat Noir snorted.

“He doesn’t get points for trying?”

“No. Not when he’s being awful when it matters. I’ve been yelled at for talking for Adrien, since he still isn’t ready to speak. Gabriel is impatient and bossy. He’s plenty generous, but he lacks understanding.”

“And it’s easy to be generous when you’re rich.” Added Nino.

Chat nodded in agreement.

“How are you today, bro?” Nino asked.

Chat shrugged, and pointed to his ice cream with his spoon.

“Gotcha.”

As they say, all good things must come to an end. And the simple peaceful outing turned into chaos when one person shouted. “There they are! It’s Ladybug and Chat Noir!”

From both ends of the bridge, people came running. Calling out for attention. Swarming.

“We didn’t even get to finish our ice cream,” Ladybug lamented.

Chat Noir, however, trembled at the noise and shifted closer to her, Alya, and Nino.

Alya stood, allowing Nino to wrap a protective arm around both of the heroes.

“Back!” Alya shouted at the crowd, raising her hands. “Back, you animals!”

The mob heeded her commands and stopped just a few feet away.

“Ladybug and Chat Noir are not ready for visitors! They aren’t doing autographs, and they aren’t doing hugs! They’re just out for ice cream and sunshine! So be on your merry way please!”

“Ladybug!” A little girl cried out. She weaseled her way through the crowd and ran at them, ignoring Alya completely to crash into Ladybug’s legs and nearly crawl into her lap.

“Hey!” Alya shouted. “What did I just say?”

“I’m so so sorry!” A woman called, catching up with the girl. “She’s just so excited! She loves Ladybug!”

“It’s alright.” Ladybug assured, petting the girl’s head. “How are you Eva?”

The girl beamed. “You remembered my name!”

“Of course I do. I’d remember any akuma that took six hours to beat.”

The girl giggled. “Sorry not sorry!”

Ladybug lifted the girl so she could properly sit on her lap, while the rest of the crowd stood back and listened.

“How are things at home? Did they ever get better?”

Eva gave a little shrug. “Mommy and daddy ended up getting divorced. But now that they don’t live in the same house, they get along a lot better. Sometimes we have dinner together. It still hurts, but at least they don’t yell anymore!”

“I’m really glad to hear that. I’m sorry that they divorced. That’s never an easy thing to go through, but I’m glad things worked out.”

“What about you? Are you feeling better?”

Ladybug swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’m…I’m doing alright. Somedays are better than others. Today we felt good enough to go out and get some ice cream.”

“Ice cream makes everything better!”

She smiled. “It sure does.”

“What about you, Chat Noir? How are you?”

He nodded with a smile.

“He said he’s good.” Provided Ladybug.

“Oh yeah, his voice hurts. That happened to me last year. I coughed and coughed and then I sounded like a frog. Do you sound like a frog when you talk?”

He shook his head.

“No? Well that’s good! Wouldn’t sound much like a cat if you croaked!” She reached up and petted Chat Noir’s head like a real cat.

He couldn’t help but purr.

“Oops, you found his soft spot.” Ladybug snickered.

Eva giggled and scratched him again. “What kind of ice cream did you get?”

“Mint chip, cherry chip, and cookies and creme.”

“Cookies and creme is my favorite! Did you like it?”

“I did! Though, I don’t think there’s any bad ice cream.”

“I do! My dad likes pistachio ice cream! Bleh!”

“Oh but pistachio is good!”

“No it’s not! It tastes like butt!”

Ladybug laughed. “Why don’t you ask your mom for some ice cream?”

“Oh hey yeah! That’s a great idea!”

The woman with Eva came closer. “Can I get a picture with you together?”

“Sure.”

“Mom! Get Chat in the picture too!”

Chat Noir leaned in, as she wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

A click, and Eva was scampering off of her lap. “It was nice seeing you Ladybug! I’m going to get ice cream now!”

Ladybug smiled at her. “I’m glad we could talk, Eva. That was nice. See you later.”

“Later!”

Ladybug let out a blissful sigh. The crowd was still surrounding them, waiting to be prompted.

“I’m kinda tired.” She announced. “What about you, kitty?”

Chat nodded and yawned.

“They’re going to go home now folks! Go on, get!” Alya shooed them away. “Sorry your outing was interrupted.”

“Mmm, actually, that wasn’t as bad as I was expecting.”

—

Adrien awoke from his nap feeling only a little groggy. He was down to one nap a day now, though it still usually lasted over an hour.

Marinette laid in his arms, her back pressed against his chest. It looked like she was awake as well, as she scrolled through her phone.

Adrien nuzzled closer, pressing a kiss behind her ear. “Whatcha reading?” He asked softly.

“Ladynoir FanFiction.”

He chuckled softly. “I thought you hated our FanFiction.”

“I did. But not so much anymore. Alya said a lot of authors on the blog are going back and editing their stories, so that our names and backgrounds are right. It’s kind of fun to see what people assume about us. The innocent things, like what our favorite Pokémon is and what flavors of ice cream we like.”

“Hmm.” Adrien hummed in her ear, savoring that perfect level of comfort. “What is your favorite Pokémon, my lady?”

“According to fics, it’s Ledyba.”

He scoffed.

“But I think I like Spheal. He’s a spherical seal. He’s a good boy.”

“He is a good boy.” Adrien said sleepily. “Wanna guess mine?”

“Is it Arcanine?”

“...yeah, it’s Arcanine.”

She giggled, turning her phone off and turning to face him. “I’m afraid you’re an open book to me.”

“Only to you.” He promised, kissing her swiftly.

There came a knock at the door.

“Adrien? Are you awake?” Gabriel’s voice came from the hall.

“He’s awake,” Marinette answered for him.

They adjusted themselves to be a little more presentable as Gabriel entered. He actually looked nervous, and excited? It was hard to tell on a man so stoic. He rubbed his hands together. “So, Adrien, we have a guest joining us for dinner tonight, and I thought you might want to see her first.” He beckoned the guest at the door.

Seeing Aunt Amilie, even after all this time, made his heart squeeze. She looked just like his mother, right down to the side ponytail.

Wait.

Was this some sort of joke? Amilie was in white, and her hair was tied on the other side, just the way his mother used to—

“Hi Hunny Bunny.” Her voice was so soft, so gentle. Tears gathered in her eyes as her hands raised up for him. “Look at how much you’ve grown!”

All of a sudden, he wasn’t in his bedroom. He was in that cold dark room, where they had been kept in crude cages. He was looking at the corpse with his mother’s face on it.

Then it morphed into everything wrong. Mouths for eyes, snakes for teeth, dripping fingers, as she just continued to smile at him. “It’s me, Adrien…I’m home.”

Adrien shook his head frantically, trying to shake the vision. But it wouldn’t leave. It was acid, wasn’t it? LSD? That’s what Dr. Boucher said was in his system. That hallucinations he had down in the catacombs would continue to haunt him. They were as unpredictable as they were vivid.

“Adrien honey?” Her voice was too sweet. It was wrong. Why was she here?

Adrien scrambled off the bed, placing himself opposite of the mattress from her, and he watched her with careful eyes.

“Adrien,” Gabriel tried. “It’s alright, your mother is home now. She’s back.”

Between the horrible visions and twisting thoughts, he had half a mind to take offense. She was back? She was fine all this time? Where was she? Why did she leave him alone? He couldn’t find any joy in the utter wrongness of it all. It made no sense, and it felt like some sick twisted joke.

His eyes wandered over to the windows on the other side of the room. His reflection was so small, so disgustingly thin and dirty, bloody, and pale. And her reflection…

It wasn’t his mother.

Gabriel nervously bit his thumb, waiting for Adrien’s reaction. So far, he just sat there, staring at her with impossibly wide eyes. Then he scrambled out of the sheets, his eyes never leaving her face. But there was no smile, no disbelief, no awe. Just shock and fear.

“Adrien, it’s alright. Your mother is home now. She’s back.”

Adrien quaked in his spot, shaking like a leaf, ready to burst. His listless eyes turned and caught sight of something in the window.

Gabriel never did know what his son saw, but whatever it was, it was horribly upsetting.

Terrible enough to rip that scream from his throat. Frightening enough make him flail his fists around, at him, at Marinette, and his own mother.

“Hunny bunny?” she asked once more, pleading with him.

It didn’t work. It only further exasperated Adrien, so that he shouted at her, like if he yelled loud enough she was disappear in a puff of smoke.

That’s when Gabriel conceded that his plan had failed epically. He grabbed Emilie’s wrist and pulled her from the room, as Adrien continued to scream after her.

Sabine caught her in a hug just outside the door. “It’s alright, dear.”

Emilie clung to her. “He doesn’t know me!”

“Of course he does,” Sabine soothed. “He’s just confused right now.”

Gabriel had made sure to close the door as they left, but it did nothing to suppress the noise from the room. The banging, the crashing, the clattering of books and trophies being flung off the shelves.

And Marinette’s rational voice trying to reach him.

“I hate her!” He yelled, like an arrow to Emilie’s heart. “She’s a liar! That’s all she’s ever been! I hate her! I hate her!”

Gabriel pressed a kiss to his wife’s head. “He doesn’t, he loves you so much.”

“Where did so go?! Why did she leave me alone with—with him?!” He voice broke off into ugly sobbing.

“Oh my baby boy,” Emilie wept. “My poor baby…”

“Well, I really hate to be the one that told you so…” Plagg spoke, phasing through the door.

“Don’t sound so smug.” Gabriel bit.

“I’m not. I swear I’m not.” His ears hung sadly. “But’s like I said. He doesn’t know where she’s been. To him, she ran away without a word, and she’s only coming back now? Because of what? The fact that he was tortured on screen?”

Emilie covered a mouth to hold back a sob.

“That’s not what happened, and you know it!” Gabriel yelled back.

“Of course I know! But he doesn’t! And you’re going to have to explain all of it to him.”

“What do you mean, ‘all of it’?”

Plagg looked at him levelly. “If you want Adrien to accept his mother, you’ve got to tell him about being Hawkmoth.”

Gabriel looked at the door. “Do you think he’s ready? Either of them are ready?” Plagg shrugged. “His world is rocked either way. I think you’ve got to decide which parent he needs more. Because the way I see it, he’ll reject the other. Maybe both of you.”

Emilie and Gabriel shared a very meaningful look.

Finally, Emilie hugged Sabine. “You’ll go comfort him, right? He needs a mom right now.”

“Of course dear.” Sabine opened the bedroom door slightly and crept inside. Emilie watched from the crack as she approached Marinette and Adrien, who were huddled together in a corner. It didn’t take any convincing for both of them to accept her embrace.

“I’ve missed so much.” Emilie whispered, teary-eyed.

Tom squeezed her shoulder. “It’s not your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Gabriel sighed. “And hopefully, you won’t have to miss anything more. I’ll tell them tomorrow. Even if…even if Adrien hates me, he deserves my honesty. And…I haven’t been very good to him since this whole mess started. You’ll be better for him, I know.”

“Gabe…”

“It’s alright. I suppose this is my punishment. But as long as Adrien gets everything he needs, then it’s all worth it.”

[airi-p4]

Last Chance - Chapter 3

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | AO3 ___________________________________

6 days later - Tibet - Miraculous Temple

Marinette’s POV

It’s been years since I last visited the Temple of the Miraculous. After becoming the Guardian it was hard to keep living with two identities at the same time, so I decided to return the Miraculous box to the Temple after Hawkmoth and Mayura’s defeat.  I had forgotten how hidden it was. I can’t believe it has taken me such a long time even with the Miraculous Compass to find the cave and the Miraculous room.

Now the box is in front of me, just as I remembered. After opening it, I put on the Ladybug earrings and Chat Noir's ring, not calling for any transformation, just missing my two friends. The kwamis appeared as soon as the jewels get set on their spot.

"Tikki…. Oh, Tikki! I've missed you so much!!"

“Marinette! I missed you too!” Tikki hugs my cheek like she used to. I missed her deeply. My best friend for years. And I know I cannot lie or fool her.

“Why do you look so skinny? What happened? Are you not happy?”

See? She knows me well. I’ll try to come up with an excuse but she’ll probably figure it out immediately. But I still gotta try.

“I-”

But of course I would be interrupted by Plagg first.

"Hey. How is Adrien? Don't tell me he looks as horrible as you, because he deserves happiness and I'm destroying the world if he is not happy."

"Plagg…"

I can’t face him. Not after leaving Adrien heartbroken like that. Not when there was so much sadness and pain in his emerald green eyes.

I couldn’t keep in touch with him after we broke up. I left him and never contacted him again. I couldn’t allow myself to drag him down with me anymore. Not when I was aware of how everything was leading to a marriage without either love and happiness. I left him so he could move on. But his pain was real and I feel horrible for that. My fingers are playing with the Black Cat’s ring as I consider taking it off so I don’t need to give Plagg any explanation.

No Plagg, no world destroyed.  

Not that I would mind myself being gone, but a world without Luka and his music would be too sad… and I still need this world to restore the past- our happiness.

"Wait Marinette! You’re wearing both the earrings and the ring! What are you intending to do? You know you can't use the Miraculous to change reality! You know the consequences of that! Don't do it!"

"Tikki… I have to do something to change this timeline. I can't go on anymore. I’m a mess. My regrets are taking over me and my sanity has probably been away for a long time"

I hate seeing Tikki’s worried and sad face, but I can’t hide her anything and she catches up easily on my ideas. But I have a plan and I want to carry it until the end. One week has practically passed and… my endurance can’t stand the stone weight on my heart anymore.

"You need to stop, lady. We can't support you with this"

As expected, Plagg joined Tikki to try to convince me. Tikki doing most of the talk. I can’t deny Plagg’s deathly glare is intimidating, while Tikki is more sympathetic.

"So many years fighting Hawk Moth to prevent him from using the wish and now… Marinette, you know you can't do it. You are the Guardian"

"She’s right. Just forget about it" Plagg adds.

"Yes, Marinette. There has to be another way!" Tikki cries.

Too bad my resolve is already set. I know that no matter what they say to me I can’t be stopped. Not when my life is on the stake. I’ve considered many possibilities, but the Miraculous box is my only chance. All the solutions where I stay alive include it, even if there are multiple possibilities and uses for the different powers. There’s even...

"Maybe there is, yes… I've seen what happens when you stop being the Guardian. Forgetting is bliss. I just need to appoint someone else as a Guardian… But… that wouldn't make me happy, would it? That would just make the new Guardian miserable"

“Marinette…”

“Thank you for trying, but I have to do it. I’m not going to use your powers. The ones I need are Fluff’s. I’m going to change this timeline. I’m going to correct my past mistakes. And I’m definitely going to be happy, even if I have to assume the consequences of it. “Fluff, transform me”

“Marinette… there’s nothing that has no solution! There has to be another way! I don’t want you to- “

I can’t help it but to smile a little at Tikki’s crying face. I know she loves me as much as I love her. But I know I have to do this. I kiss Tikki’s head and pat Plagg’s head before calling my power.

“Goodbye Plagg, Tikki… We’ll meet again in another timeline”

“Marinette!”

I gasp as I hear my name being called. Whose is that voice that sounded like an echo inside the cave I’m in? No, not voice - voices . They don’t belong to either Plagg or Tikki, neither Fluff. I look at the kwamis and I can see how their eyes seem to start shining again, but they look as confused as I am. Who…?

______________________________________________________

“Marinette!!! *cof cof* Are you here?”

This voice… it can't be… Master Fu!? Is his memory back? How?

No, that doesn't matter. I can't let him see me… He would be so disappointed… I need to hurry up and-

"Marinette, My Lady!! Don't do it, please!"

Adrien too… How could I face him after breaking his heart? I can’t.

"Girl, you need to stop whatever you are planning to do RIGHT NOW!"

"That’s right! Stop it, dudette!"

Alya and Nino… Why…? Why now? Alya has just had a baby recently! How can she come in her condition? What about the baby! No, that's not what I need to worry about. I just need to make it fast into the time hole and-

As I turn my head, I can see how Tikki’s eyes recover her light. Plagg’s too, and at the sound of Adrien’s voice I can’t stop the black cat kwami from flying directly towards his previous wielder.

“Marinette… your friends are here. They will help you! I’m sure you’ll find another way to solve it together, like when you were a team!”

“No, Tikki, they can’t…”

"Dupain-Cheng your better stop your nonsense immediately! You are ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!"

"Chloe…"

I’m already at the verge of crying when a new voice calls me, louder than any other, from a shouting in despair.

“MARINETTE...!!!!!”

No way... This can’t be… I’ve been dreaming of him calling my name again for so long - years, ever since the day he left my side. His voice sounds just as beautiful as his music, even when it's close to roaring and I can almost feel the pain in my own throat. I’ve never heard his voice so loud, not even in his concerts.

My heart aches at the sound of it for being reminded of what I’ve lost. But why would he come here? Why give me hope calling my name when he came along with his fiancée? How can I face him after sending all those embarrassing messages? Alix was right. I’m scared of rejection . Even if I have nothing to lose. I just want to disappear… My eyes move to take a look at the time portal that I’ve opened just a minute ago.

Yes, I can disappear...

________________________________________________________

“Marinette, stop! I beg you! You don’t have to do this! Your existence here is going to disappear if you do that!” Master Fu reminds me.

“Marinette, please, stop! You know what happens when you use the Miraculous powers like this. Don’t become like the man you used to hate. Don’t become like my father!”

“Marinette, don't go, please!”

Luka's screams sound as if he was singing into my ears… But that’s just probably my biased mind playing with my senses.

I have to go…

I admit Luka’s beg makes me stop for a second- hesitate. He’s so close, yet so far… Just a couple of minutes- seconds- before they reach me. The echo of the cave I’m in makes his voice resonate even louder, repeating my name over and over. If only I could keep listening to this voice by my side forever…

And that’s exactly why I have to go. My legs start moving towards the portal and once again, but Luka’s words make my full body stop.

“Don’t run away from me!!!”

Luka had always had this power on me. His words are almost hypnotizing his desperate cry is no different. When did I forget about it? My nervous system freezes.

I need to go, yet my body doesn’t move, paralyzed in fear - fear of rejection.

“I have to go… I need to fix this timeline… Move!” I shout to my legs.

I need to hurry. Run away from them. From their voices, from their faces. From Master Fu's disappointed face. From Adrien and his broken heart. From Alya and Nino and their happiness, which I can’t help but envy. From Chloe, fiancée of the man I love. And especially from Luka, the one I love the most- because, if I see him, I'm sure I won’t be able to stop myself from having second thoughts on what I’m about to do.

And I’m late once more. Luka is here, where the layers of darkness of the cave blend with the lights of the multiple torches of the room-like space the Miraculous box rests in.

He’s coming closer.

Closer.

Closer.

Closer.

Why didn’t I enter the portal when I had the opportunity to do so? Half of my body is still outside and my eyes are unable to stop gazing at the man of my dreams.

And his eyes meet mine.

I can feel my body throbbing with electric shocks from his glare. The light produced by his torch isn’t enough for me to see his face completely, but I can feel sorrow and worry surrounding him. There’s no words to describe what’s happening to me in this precise moment: I feel like my heart is about to explode at any time soon, ripping all my body into pieces.

And he speaks again after analyzing the situation.

“Marinette… Marinette, please, stop! Don’t go in there, I beg you! Don't you have something to tell me? Let me listen to it from yourself, with your voice! Let me see your face so I can dare to believe it! Don't make me go after you across that portal or wherever you’re going to”

I’m shocked. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Luka so alterated before. Neither panicking. True, he got angry that time with XY and Bob Roth but this... Is he really willing to go after me? Is it because it’s me, or just because he doesn’t want this timeline to end?

Can I have hope...?

No. It seems I can’t.  

Reality is cruel. And he’s not alone. Chloe appears just a moment later, clinging to him, grabbing his jacket from behind.

And I feel like the stupidest person in the world for having hope for a love that was never meant to be. Of course he wouldn’t want his happiness with Chloe to end… What a stupid woman am I...

His love for me was over the moment he left. A not destined love. A happiness not bound to happen. A missed chance. A chance that is over and can never come back. Unless…

Alya, Nino, Adrien and Master Fu are arriving too. I don’t have much time left- Luka is just a few steps away and he’s walking fast. No, he's running now. Very fast. So fast Chloé can’t follow his steps. And the expression showing on his face...

I take a deep breath and close my eyes strongly. I’m going to completely enter the portal at last. It’s now or never. I can’t let those eyes hypnotize me anymore. Here I go.

"Goodbye…”

I let my body fall on my back, recklessly- gravity doing its job, and my body is sucked inside the time portal just after I hear Luka’s words and I slip through his fingers.

“NO!! Marinette!!!!"

My heart terribly hurts at Luka's desperate cry.

After a few seconds- minutes-, I'm still by the entrance of the portal, one-sidedly watching and listening from inside. I can see how Luka falls into his knees, crying, in front of me. And something inside of me breaks.

I love him. I love him so much...

"Marinette… Sorry for being absent for so long. I’m sorry I left... I’m sorry for being selfish…I’m back now. Please… Come back… Is it too late...? Please… Please!”

I've never seen Luka crumble like this before and the sight alone is breaking my heart. I can't bear to watch.

If seeing him happy with Chloe pained me, seeing him like this, crying, is way worse- devastating. I want to hold him so bad. Like he used to hold me. Loving. Caring. Safely. My hands are now touching the portal, but at the inside part of it, still, luckily, not seen or heard.

But I can't stay… I must remember why I'm doing this in the first place: to restore our happiness together. I can't let this make my confidence drop.

I have to take my last chance .

As I look outside, I can't help it to see how Master Fu and the rest of the miraculous team get closer, joining Luka's cry, Adrien’s hand on his shoulder.

Wait. When did my tears join theirs too?  

Out of the sudden, I notice how Luka's cry stops. He’s looking up and his eyes are glowing in hope, directing his words to me once again.

“Marinette… I know you can still hear me from the inside… Please, come out. We're here for you. Please… Come back…"

I remain silent. But his speech continues as he's getting impatient. Rare in him unless is something very important... Well, it surely was important for the world but-

“You don’t want to come out? Very well, I'm coming in, then! I’ll get you out of here even if you don’t want me to. Excuse my rudeness, but you leave me no choice”

Surprised as I am, I can see Luka standing up and confidentially getting ready for action, lifting his arm to pass it through the portal.

No! I can’t let him do so!

My upper half body then crosses the portal to stop him, using my hands to impede him from getting through, shouting.

“NO! Luka, please! Don’t! You can’t go through a time portal without a Miraculous suit on! You’ll just…!”

“Disintegrate…”

That’s correct. Master Fu is most likely the only one who knows, except for the kwamis. The gasps I heard from behind him are proof enough of it. Did Luka know? Was he really willing to disintegrate along with her? The boy of my dreams keeps cutting my thoughts.

“STAY, then. With me. With us”

And once again I feel like I’m falling for him. Is it ok for me to enjoy this dream? Can I really stay with him? By his side?

My soul feels completely his, and I can’t stop Luka from locking his fingers with mine, taking advantage of the hands I used to stop him from touching the portal. And now I’m secured in his strong arms after he has pulled me out of the time hole. I feel like I’m about to melt into a puddle. Safe. Loved. His healing calm… All I’ve ever wanted and I’ve been missing all these years at the grasp of my hands. And I’m crying again.

I can still feel his hands on my back when my transformation gets called off. I’m facing down, eyes closed, and I can’t see anything, but I can feel the Miraculous Team presence very close. Their relieved comments are almost unheard because of my sobbing sounds, but I know they're there.

But a dream is a dream and it can’t last forever.

When I slightly open my eyes, I can see Chloé’s arms surrounding Luka from behind, and I can’t help it but notice it: that shiny stone . The big beautiful stone resting on Chloé’s ring finger on her left hand, reminding me the only man I’ll ever want and love is taken and that he’s not coming back to me despite the short dream I’ve just had.

I stop thinking at this point. There's only despair in my completely blank mind. Or should I say BLACK? I'm not even sure what I’m about to do. I’m not myself anymore. Instead, something darker than a demon seems to have taken over my body and soul.

And those unwanted words finally escape my lips.

“Plagg, Tikki, unify”

The whole atmosphere freezes as startled gasps continue to resonate in echos inside the cave.

And I can't feel anything anymore.

Out of love. Out of life.

Pure darkness.

[mcheang]

Face to face

A post-Miracle Queen draft

Now that Marinette is the Guardian, she ponders the idea of revealing her identity to Chat with Tikki.

She isn’t the only one. Adrien is having the discussion with Plagg too.

Both kwamis disagree, knowing that it would only be painful to them to see what could have been now that they gave up on their love for each other.

But facts are the facts. Marinette needs to teach Chat to be the next Guardian should she fall and she needs to deliver him the magic cheese (not the kind that could be found in the science lab). The kwamis can’t be their regular messengers because they could be spotted.

Ladybug worries about Chat Blanc and after warning Chat she is dating someone, and for Chat to assure her that he has moved on too, they reveal their identities.

Shock, heartbreak and resignation.

Marinette sighs. Of course it would be Adrien. Even without Kagami, their love was doomed after all.

Adrien is feeling guilty and regretful. All along Ladybug had been behind him and he never noticed her. (Wrong. He did notice her but he’s so blind) What’s worse is that he is currently dating Kagami and he regrets he is taken. Even so, he can’t just dump Kagami just because he knows who Ladybug is now.

Marinette feels the same. She has to give up on Adrien and focus on Luka.

At school, the class notice the pair behaving strangely. Sure they know about their new baes, but isn’t it weird that Marinette can now talk to Adrien coherently? Or that Adrien is actually talking to her shyly and awkwardly, like he has a crush on her? Or the fact that they are having regular tutoring sessions at Marinette’s house?!

Gabriel actually encourages this because he wants Kagami to go mad with jealousy again.

Nino points the new quirks out to Adrien, but he denies them. Seeing as there is no point keeping the secret any longer, and being a lousy secret keeper anyway, Nino tells Adrien that it is just as well Adrien doesn’t have feelings for Marinette right now, because that would be painfully ironic. Come on, the girl decides to give up on his best bud just when he decides to fall in love with her?

Adrien freaks out and asks if he was Marinette’s crush all this time?

Nino: Duh. She liked you since you apologized to her about the gum incident.

Now Adrien really wants to cry. Not only had he been blind to how amazing Marinette was as her civilian self, but he really missed out on dating the love of his life because of that stupid blindness.

Adrien thinks back to that ice cream triple Friend date. That was the day both Ladybug and Chat Noir became off the market. Marinette had chosen to let him go and be with Kagami, after all, he had asked her to help him with Kagami before.

Adrien wanted to tear his hair out.

Kagami notices Adrien’s absent mind and confronts him over it. She accuses that he has no feelings for her, which he denies. He does have some feelings for her.

Kagami: but not as strong as your feelings are for Marinette?

Adrien is surprised. “What makes you think I like Marinette?”

Kagami is not impressed. “Because every time we hang out, you keep looking at her and Luka with a sad face. We used to be able to tease each other but now you keep hesitating to touch my hands. And don’t think I haven’t noticed how often you guys spend time together.”

Adrien slumps and apologizes for being insensitive to Kagami’s feelings.

Kagami accepts his apology but breaks up with him anyway.

She is still akumatized though and defeated. Kagami decides to take her own advice and switch targets, when she is ready to do that.

Marinette is actually making better progress with Luka because she wants to move on. But now that Adrien is a free man and behaves more normally around her, it gets hard to focus on Luka. Especially when she is so busy as she is.

The girls point out to Marinette that she is spending more time with Adrien than Luka and that’s not fair to the boy, even if she doesn’t have feelings for Adrien anymore.

Seeing that they are right, and that Luka is better than being her distraction. Marinette breaks up with him.

Adrien hopes to woo Marinette but she warns him sternly that they must stay friends. Adrien asks why won’t she just give him a chance. He knows she used to have feelings for him.

It takes some time before she finally confessed her experience with Chat Blanc. But Adrien points out that that timeline is already gone. If it would happen again; Bunnyx would appear.

Adrien asks Marinette to honestly tell him if she has truly no feelings left for him. If she says she does not, he will no longer bother her about romance. If she does, she gives them a chance.

Marinette looks deep down and can still remember the time she first fell in love. A sweet, innocent love back then.

Marinette gives Adrien a chance.

Their friends spot them dating.

Adrienette are taking it slow because Marinette had been more successful at moving on and what she feels now is more nostalgia than anything else. Lila, Chloe and Gabriel try to break them up but fail.

[airi-p4]

Last chance - Chapter 2

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | 

AO3

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Luka’s POV

I always knew how Marinette was happy dating Adrien. It had been a while since they confessed to each other, and I was happy for her, for them. Hurt, but still happy. Even during the bad times, I was always happy to be there for her. I was happy to be there for her anytime she needed me. But at some point, that was not enough...

The more time I spent with her, the more I kept wishing she was MINE. I had to deprive myself constantly, trying not to hug, kiss or confess to her, while encouraging her happiness with someone else.

I was her second choice.

Always had been, always will be.

And with her relationship with her first choice going smoothly, I felt like I was not really needed anymore. She made her choice. And it wasn’t me.

Hearing all sorts of details of Marinette and Adrien’s relationship only deepened my pain. Knowing how they shared their first kiss or how she was sewing him something for his birthday or how much she struggled because of Adrien’s father… it was hard to endure.

Adrien coming to me for advice made things even harder, especially when he came to ask me for sex advice. I could have sabotaged their relationship many times, but I didn't. No matter how much tempted I was to. Marinette’s happiness was what mattered the most to me and I couldn’t stand seeing her unhappy or hurt face. But Marinette coming a week later, inadvertently spilling how good their first time sleeping together felt was too much for me.

I reached my limit.

I needed to escape.

Pain kept getting deeper every visit, sinking deeper, like heavy rocks accumulating at the bottom of the sea of my heart, where light could not reach.

Marinette was clueless about my feelings. But I didn’t want to be greedy. I had always known she loved Adrien anyway. It’s been like that since the beginning. Why should I interfere with their happiness? Sure, they fought quite a lot too, but it was always because of either trivial things or because of Adrien’s father.

At that time I thought it was a good thing I never had a father. But if I had known my father was Jagged Stone I would have never thought that. I regret that I used to think that now.

So these arguments were never a real threat for a ‘true love’ destiny based relationship. Nothing that could give me hope for a break-up or a future with Marinette.

That’s when I decided to leave.

I couldn't bear it anymore. I tried hard to watch over their happiness. To encourage them. To honestly wish for their love to continue forever… But I couldn’t. My heart couldn’t take it anymore: seeing her smile, hearing her laugh… all of it directed to someone who was not me.

I had to leave. But it was not easy.

I kept wishing to see her face, no matter how it hurt. I wanted to be beside her every day, forever…

But I had to move on.

I considered the idea of making her hate me. And I somehow decided it was a good idea. How could I let my broken heart take decisions?

Even if so, I never regretted it. The KISS. Our one and only kiss. Our first and last kiss. A kiss that was short and filled with sadness. Loneliness too, because it was one-sided from me. She didn’t respond to it. Not that I expected she would, but added another enormous rock to my heart’s sea collection. And it was heavy. Too heavy.

Just before the kiss, I had already my tickets to go to America with Jagged Stone, who I had no idea that he was my father at the moment. I didn’t have the courage to tell Marinette I was leaving. I knew she would beg for me to stay, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to deny her anything. Love is a strong source of will, but can also be a strong barrier to personal accomplishments.

That day, she was happily talking about how she liked my new song and how she was going to have dinner in Adrien’s house, with her parents too, for the first time soon. She sounded excited.

I don’t know what motivated me. But probably jealousy and an absolute devotion to the girl in front of me. Also, knowing that was going to be the last time we met probably played a final key point for my determination. And, even if I knew she was going to hate me after that, I had to take my last chance with her. I needed to be rejected in order to move on.

So I kissed her.

Marinette's lips were half open in surprise as I lightly brushed them with mine. Soft, kind, warm. They felt just like I expected them to feel, except the kiss was unreciprocated.

Her reaction after the kiss was also what I expected: confusion, hurt, anger and hate.

With that look on her face, I don’t think she understood the meaning of my kiss, maybe not even after I left.

‘I love you. Goodbye’

Would it have made a difference if I had told her out loud? Who knows. It’s all in the past now. And the past can’t be changed.

When she told me ‘I hate you’ my heart reached the bottom of my inner sea. I could only see black. I’ve never cried so much in my whole life. Her rejection hurt and broke my heart, but it gave me the chance to try to move on. To try to forget about my first love and stop my pining over her. Good thing about reaching the bottom is you can only go up, they say.

But it didn’t work.

How can I forget about the most beautiful and perfect girl in the world? How to forget her beautiful voice or her beautiful laugh, her shining smile and her starly freckles? Her silky dark hair or her stunning eyes? And her magical lips I could only taste once but I wish I could taste forever?

I can never move on from her.

A part of me kept waiting for her to contact me. I waited, but she never did.

I tried to avoid looking at the news, but Marinette and Adrien Agreste’s engagement was an announcement too big to be avoided. Of course she wouldn’t contact me when she’s getting married to someone else…

That’s when I decided to definitely move and stay in the US. After finding out about Jagged being my father, I got to meet my grandfather and he helped me feel better, teaching me some country songs I would have never expected to enjoy. Music was the only medicine that kept me for sinking deeper in my own darkness. Finally, a tiny ray of light could be seen.

It was some time later when I met Chloé Bourgeois. She followed her mother’s steps and became a stylist, living in America. At some point she became Jagged Stone’s stylist, and then mine when I debuted as a solo artist. She became my second chance after Marinette.

It stunned me how Chloé remembered me from when she was Miraculous Queen. “Good think I’m your stylist now so I can fix that utterly ridiculous clothes you are always wearing, snake boy” she had told me. After she confessed to me, I decided to try to do my best to love her back. I like her and had nothing to lose, anyway.

In truth, I was just hoping she could help me forget about Marinette and heal me from my pain. It didn’t take long until all the news about us dating were everywhere. I dislike the press, but I know Chloé loves to be the focus of media attention, so I endured it.

Dating Chloé isn’t easy. She is a stubborn lady who tries to sound confident when she is actually scared inside, begging to be loved. I thought it was adorable how she tried to hide her need for affection. But the more I spent time with her, the more I saw Marinette’s traits in her.

As I thought, a girl like Marinette could never be forgotten. My love for her can never fade out. But she’s taken, so there’s no point in having expectations with her.

When the engagement news was out, I couldn’t help but wonder if Marinette had seen them, or what she thought about it. But, even if I left my email account opened with only her contact for years, no message ever arrived into my inbox. She probably still hates me for kissing her like that. Or I disappointed her for not being able to contain my urge to kiss her. Or maybe she just thinks I’m a perv or something - Chloé’s fashion choices for me are kind of… showy. ‘Sexy and unique’, she would say.

And now that my Wedding Ceremony is coming in less than two months I wake up to an email inbox suddenly full of messages. Is it SPAM? Wow, 986 messages, that’s really something! I gasp when I see the name of the sender: Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Why now?

“What’s wrong? Go back to sleep, dear”

“Keep sleeping, honeybee, I’ll be right back”

“Hmph…”

It seems the email notification had woken Chloé up. No wonder since she is sleeping just beside me. I make sure I kiss her before going to the other bedroom of our house.

Sender name: Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

No doubt, I read it correctly. Dupain-Cheng. Shouldn’t it be Agreste? She kept her name? What’s with all those messages? If she wanted to congratulate me for my Wedding, one would have been enough. Is she doing this out of hate? There’s only one way to know. The most recent message… written today?

“Luka… I can’t take it anymore… I’m going to Tibet, to the Temple of the Miraculous… I need to restore my happiness… Wait for me in another timeline…”

What does this mean? She’s going to get her Miraculous back? What does she mean with ‘my happiness’? She sounds desperate for help. Another timeline…? Is she planning to use the Rabbit Miraculous? Or even worse: the Ladybug and Chat Noir Miraculous together? What’s going on? And why is she telling me?

I need context. I’m going to read the oldest message… The oldest one, here it is… I gasp in astonishment when I notice the pattern of the mails, the date they were written as the 'subject': almost one for every day starting the day I left Paris - the day after I kissed her. The day I decided to move on.

I click on the oldest message.

“Luka, I can’t believe you just left without saying goodbye? What were you thinking? I thought we were friends! I rushed to the airport as soon as I knew you were leaving, but you had already left… Why didn’t you tell me? You are my friend, I thought you trusted me…”

No mention of the kiss. Well, at least she didn’t seem angry for the kiss? I was right not telling her I was leaving. I would have been very tempted to stay if she had begged me to… Let’s see the next one…

“Luka… I miss you… I’m not angry about the kiss anymore… I’m sorry for not considering your feelings… I’m stupid… You are my friend and I care about you… I wish you had said goodbye to me…”

Oh… great. I’m pitiful at her eyes. At least she wasn’t angry…? And she thought of me as a friend. ‘A friend’, huh. Marinette had been hurt by those words for a long time and now she shoves them at me. No, Marinette. You don’t understand.

I keep reading some more messages.

“Luka… I miss you a lot… I wish you would contact me, but you must hate me if you haven’t yet… It was a lie when I told ‘I hate you’ to you. I really care about you… I miss you a lot… Come back, please…”

“Luka... I wish I could tell you this in person… I miss you…”

“Luka… I’m sorry for being greedy… But I can’t take it anymore… come back… please… I need you…”

“Luka… it’s been three months since you left… I’ve seen you are doing well with Jagged Stone… You seem happier… I’m sorry for not considering your feelings… I wish you the best… even if I miss you deeply…”

“Luka… I wonder if you’ve seen the news? I’ve made my debut as a fashion designer! Seeing you fighting for your dreams made me try harder for mine. I wish you could be there for my first big event…”

I remember that day. Marinette Dupain-Cheng and her boyfriend Adrien Agreste smiling for the cameras. Gabriel Agreste had acknowledged Marinette as his successor, but she rejected the offer. I stopped watching her news after seeing that stupid photo of them together, happy, when I was swimming in despair for missing her. Maybe I should stop reading… But I guess I can’t stop my curiosity… Or maybe I’m some kind of a masochist? That would make a lot of sense, to be honest...

Well, next one.

“Luka… Adrien finally asked me to marry him, can you believe it? We still have no set date yet, but I’ll make sure Juleka receives an invitation for you, so you can join us too! I wish you would come… I miss you…”

Yeah… I should stop reading… yet, for some reason, my finger keeps moving on its own.

“Luka… things with Adrien aren’t as happy as I thought they would be… I thought he could fill in for you, but… I keep searching for you everyday, everywhere I go… I was fine that time I didn’t have Adrien by my side since you were there for me… but now that Adrien is by my side but you aren’t… I can’t find the happiness in me anymore…”

What?

“Luka… I’m so stupid… I should have noticed earlier… I took you for granted and now that you’re not here… I miss you more than anything… I… I don’t think I can live without you anymore… I love you… You were never my second chance… I wish I could have figured it out sooner…”

‘I love you’. Is… is this for real? Is this some kind of prank? Why are you sending all this now, Marinette? I’m getting married soon! You are married too! What are you up to? I know I’ll never be able to move on from you… don’t make things even more difficult… please…

“Luka… Today I cancelled my engagement with Adrien. I tried to love him more than I love you, but I can’t… I love you more than anything, more than anyone… I miss you so much…”

“Luka… I’ve broken up with Adrien now… Do you think I still have a chance with you…? I want to be with you… I love you…”

What? She cancelled her wedding? I check it on the Internet: ‘marinette adrien agreste wedding’ and search. ‘BREAKING NEWS: Fashion designer Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Model Adrien Agreste break up”. It can’t be… How could this pass me? When? When was this...? Oh… Vacation with Chloé… We spent a week in Thailand, turned our phones off and relaxed after my first solo tour was over… Of course it wouldn’t reach that far… Oh, it was just before Chloé’s and my dating news were out too… Such a bad timing...

“Luka… I’ve seen you are dating Chloé now… I hope you are happy… Is this how you felt with me when I was dating Adrien? Did it hurt this much for you too...? How could you stand this pain...? I wish for your happiness, I really do… But it hurts so much…”

No way…

“Luka… Adrien asked me out again. I had already told him I loved you before and after I broke our engagement, but, with last week’s news about you dating his childhood friend, he asked me out again… I considered going back to him to stop this pain… But I don’t think I can ever forget you… I wish I could still be the song in your head… I love you… I miss you so much...”

Marinette, she doesn’t understand, doesn’t she? She’s always been the song in my head. Since the first day we met, even today, my only true muse and inspiration has been her... How can she be so dense? Has she never listened to my songs? I thought it was obvious… Chloé is a good muse too, I must admit, but I wouldn’t be standing where am I without Marinette.

“Luka… I can’t bear to watch more of your happy photos with Chloé… I’m going to focus solely on my fashion career… I wish I still had a chance with you… But I can only give up, can’t I?”

“Luka… no matter how much I try I can’t forget about you… I miss you and I know I’ll never be able to love anybody the way I love you… I wish I could tell you my feelings, but you seem happy now and I don’t want to be in your way… It’s hard, but I have to let you go... Be happy on my behalf too, ok? I love you...”

“Luka… today Sabrina received yours and Chloé’s Wedding invitation. She tried to hide it from me so I wouldn’t be hurt, but I ended up finding out anyway. I wish I could congratulate you, but you must have forgotten about me already… I’m so silly… Of course you have moved on when you are getting married… Congratulations… I hope you two are happy...”

“Luka… I promise you I tried… but my heart can’t take it anymore. I’m drowning in darkness… You had been my light for so long… But now that I’ve lost you forever it feels like I’ve forgotten how to breath… I need you so bad… I don’t think I can live anymore…”

There are some blank days after this message? What happened? Marinette felt all this for years? Why didn’t she send me this earlier!? I would have run to her side in an instant. Why now? I need to know what happened until the newest message…

“It seems I passed out for some days… I’ve woken out today in a hospital room. I guess I forgot to eat or drink or even sleep… So Marinette, right? haha… Alya and Nino visited me with their newborn child. I wish we could have been a happy family like them… I don’t think I can bear to watch you forming a family with someone else… Am I too selfish? I guess I am… The doctor said I have depression. I already knew that. I guess I have nothing that makes me want to live anymore… without you I can’t even…”

This was the last message before the most recent one, dated a few days ago. Is Marinette trying to give up her life? Is she trying to use the Ladybug and the Black Cat Miraculous? She knows how dangerous that is! There’s a price to pay if you change the past! Marinette should know that! I need to re-read her most recent message.

“Luka… I can’t take it anymore… I’m going to Tibet, to the Temple of the Miraculous… I need to restore our happiness… Wait for me in another timeline…”

No doubt. She is trying to use the Ladybug and Chat Noir Miraculous to change reality: just like Hawk Moth wanted to. But why would she send me these messages then? Why would she let me know...?

Of course.

She thinks she has nothing left to lose. She is calling for help, desperately…

“Luka, what are you doing? It’s morning already, we’ll be late to the venue”

“What? Morning already? I’ll go have a shower real quick!”

“What’s wrong with you? You look like you haven’t slept at all!”

“I- I’ll tell you later!”

“Hey, aren’t you forgetting something?”

“Uhm? Oh, sure, honeybee. Morning kiss”

“Good. Now go or we’ll be late”

“I’ll be right back!”

What the hell am I doing… Going to prepare my wedding ceremony knowing Marinette is about to break the balance of the world? Knowing she is willing to sacrifice anything? To DIE, even. Just because I was stupid enough to never contact her? Like hell I can let her go! I should be going to Tibet not some stupid Wedding Venue! Shower finished. Hair… Nevermind, I’m in a rush.

“Chloé, listen-”

“Luka. What’s the meaning of this?”

My smartphone… Of course she knows my screen lock code… She must have seen all the messages by now… and most likely read a few of them.

“Marinette contacted you. Are you trying to ditch me now that you know she is interested in you?”

“No, Chloé, listen. I need to go stop her. You know the Ladybug and Chat Noir’s Miraculous should never be used together. I need to stop her”

“No”

“What?”

“You can’t go.”

“Chloé, our whole world will disappear if I don’t stop her! Can’t you understand!? No world, no wedding! She has to be stopped!”

“No! I haven’t worked this hard to get you to lose you just when we were so close to be forever together! I prefer the world ending than you dumping me to get back with her. I want to be your first choice for once!”

“What do you mean? How can you say that...? I thought Marinette was your friend...”

“My friend? No. I am Adrien’s friend. And she kept hurting him, until she broke his heart. You two broke his heart”

“You knew, didn’t you? You’ve known about Marinette’s feelings since the beginning and remained silent about the matter. Why would you do that? I guess you know about my feelings too”

“I just wanted to help Adrien and take revenge on you and Marinette for hurting him. But stupid me fell in love with you while trying to get them back together!”

“Tell me more”

“No. I don’t want to lose you”

“You’ve already lost me. Answer me if you want to keep some decency and respect from me. I’m never contacting you again otherwise”

“No, please! I love you… You know I do!”

“I know. And I know there’s kindness in your heart, Chloé. That’s why I know you’re going to tell me in what else you were involved with Marinette”

“I… I couldn’t take revenge on you… So I focused my revenge on Marinette, for hurting Adrien’s feelings... I hid their break up news or any other news you received from her friends. I knew she was still your first choice even when I tried so hard to get your full attention, and even if you proposed to me, I could see your eyes were not looking at me. You were looking at the Marinette you saw in me! And now that you know she loves you back… You’ll go back to her… and dump me… won't you?”

“Chloé… you did all that to hurt Marinette? I was willing to forget about her and have a happy marriage with you… I was serious about you. I wouldn’t dare to play around with something as serious as marriage. I thought you had changed… But it seems you’re the same girl that bullied my little sister when you were younger... But we’ll talk about this later. I need to go now. I need to stop Marinette before she does something stupid”

“Wait. I’m coming too. No secret intentions, I promise. I just thought… we could get our old team back to save Ladybug…”

“We don’t have time for that!”

“Of course we do! I’ve already sent them a message while you were at the shower. Who do you think I am? No one worth dumping! I’m telling you!”

I must say that surprised me - and in a good way. Getting the old team back is definitely going to help. The more allies the better to stop the end of the world. And who better fit than a team of superheroes? Chloé’s move makes me relieved and thankful.

“Chloé, you’re amazing”

Oh. OK… maybe I shouldn’t have kissed her now… I better warn her.

“Don’t take me for granted because of this. We’ll having a long talk when we save the world”

“O- Of course!”

Who am I kidding? Chloé is amazing too. Not Marinette, but still amazing. But damn it. Habits are hard to break. Especially with a wedding coming. But she really owned that kiss. I don’t want to stop holding her hand either. Well, not now, as we get moving, at least.

Maybe, and just maybe, I could have come to love her for real if I hadn’t met Marinette… But there’s no point in wondering about ‘what ifs’. We need to hurry.

Before leaving, another email arrives into my inbox.

“My job is done. Now it’s your time to make it right. You have 6 days left”

Alix. Of course. It made sense. I type a reply while Chloe closes the door of our house, before rushing to the airport.

“Leave it to us. The Miraculous Team is back”