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gryfflepuffinthetardis · 1 year ago

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Winter Sounds — Campbell Bain x Reader

*This chapter has words with slashes. This is means you use the word that applies to where you live. Like GED in America means "General Educational Development Test" while there is no U.K. Equivalent (based off a thirty-second Google search) but I found A-Levels which is what Rose Tyler refers to when talking about school in the revival Pilot so... this is how I learn about things, I pick up what I've heard in TV shows. Obviously there are other countries but I’ve never heard of any other terms for these so comment if I missed some.*

Summary: It’s Campbell and Y/n’s last day together before he goes traveling for a Radio DJ competition, unfortunately Y/n can’t come with and Campbell has become a little clingy

Warnings: Mentions of the suicide of a good friend of theirs, Spoilers for Takin' Over the Aslyum, Winter activities, Skating, Implied Short Reader, Implied Non-Scottish Reader; Mention of Past Toxic Relationship; Referenced but not mentioned relationship involving rape.

Note: I had the perfect gif for this when it was on Wattpad but I have a new laptop now and they took down my account and I can't find the gif. It was a gif of a couple kssing on the ice and then they slipped and both fell down.

(Post-Asylum; May be connected to "Sweet Jane" or read alone; If you decided to include this in Sweet Jane, this takes place between the ending of the series and the epilogue written by me.)

"I want your love to consume me like an oversized winter coat. Hands clasped around my waist like buttons done up properly."

Early March, 1995 (Early Eight months since the events of Takin’ Over the Asylum)

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They had known for nearly two months that Campbell would be leaving but Y/n was on her way to get her A-Levels/GED since she had dropped out of secondary school/high school to go to the asylum but now it seemed that it had hit Campbell as he was even more clingy than normal.

"Campbell." She groaned as he hugged her from behind as she was trying to make Scottish Lentil soup for the two.

"But... baaaabe, I'm leaving tomorrow. I won't be able to see you in three weeks." He whined, burying his head into her back. "I won't be able to touch you. I won't be able to snuggle you as we sleep. I won't' be able to hear your voice."

"We can still talk on the phone." She protested.

"It's not the same! I won't be able to kiss your back." He whined.

He kissed her back before trailing to her shoulder as he pulled her sleeve up to reveal her shoulder and kissed it, "I won't be able to kiss your shoulder." He moved to her neck, "I won't be able to kiss your neck." He grasped her hips and turned her around and kissed her cheek, moving to her jaw and chin. "I won't be able to kiss your cheeks, your chin, your jaw." He pulled away to ease her to the counter beside the stove before pressing her against it as she couldn't help but smile and giggle. He kissed up her face to her forehead. "I won't be able to kiss your face." He tilted her head up and he kissed her lips. "I won't be able to kiss your lips."

"Cam... we..." He kept quieting her with kisses before moving to her neck, though it seemed he was taking in her scent as he kissed her neck. She had leaned her head back so he could have access with he happily obliged with open-mouthed kisses. "Campbell, it's five. I, uh, I had some plans for a date tonight. But we need to eat first."

"What kind of date? Dinner? Movie?" He hummed.

"No, that's why we're eating now." She said.

"Wait a minute, it's nearly twelve in the morning. What date takes place after midnight?"

"It'll be outside. You'll need to dress in warm clothing. But I need to finish the soup first."

He gave her a smile with a deep emotion in his eyes, she couldn't quite detect, "What?"

"I just love you so bloody much." He said, earnestly.

Campbell and Y/n walked through Glasgow with her being all vague which kept Campbell frustrated and all pouty.

"Be patient, Cam."

"I'm not a patient person!" He almost yelled.

"Oh, I know." She said, playing with her satchel that she refused to show Campbell what it contained. "Just wait and see."

"Just wait and see!? Do you have any idea how irritating that is!?" He whined.

She eventually led him to a park, it was a rather snowy March, so the pond at the park was frozen, she took a pair of ice skates out of her satchel.

"You want to skate at one in the morning?" He laughed.

"Well, I'm a looney." She teased.

"Yes, you are." He grinned and kissed her, he cupped her face with both hands. "Yes, you are."

Ten minutes later, Y/n was teaching Campbell how to skate, though he was a bit clumsy but she kept him up by holding his hand.

At one point, she did an impressive spin, which made her hair spin around her head like a H/C halo as Campbell watched with a dropped jaw... drooling slightly.

"How'd you learn how to do this anyways?" He laughed, flailing his arms, trying to keep himself upright.

Y/n spun around and her smile faltered before turning bittersweet, "Uh, when I first arrived to Saint Jude's... Fergus took me."

"Oh."

"He took me a few times, not even expecting me to talk. I picked this up quick and I even laughed. He considered that a victory." She said, sadly.

Campbell slid over to her and embraced her, which he originally intended to do but also to stop him from falling. "I miss him too." Campbell said in her ear, he pulled away.

She handed her hand out in front of her, offering it to him which he took and she skated with him, he... well, to say, he got the hang of it isn't right, but he wasn't completely fall-on-his-face-with-each-stroke terrible.

At one point, she tripped and nearly fell but Campbell caught her through this threw him off balance and he fell with Y/n landing on top of him.

They laughed at this and kissed, they decided they had had enough and put their shoes on that they had clipped to their belts and got up on the ice.

Campbell brushed off some snow and then turned to his girlfriend who was looking at him with a sparkle in her eyes.

"What?" He laughed.

"I love you so bloody much too." She said.

He grinned... like a maniac... like a looney and he pulled her in by the waist for a slow, passionate kiss but slipped on the ice now wearing his normal shoes and he pulled Y/n closed which brought them both down with her, once again, landing on his chest.

"I just can't play it cool." He laughed.

"I don't know. Nineteen-year-old Radio DJ. Hyperactive, loud, energetic, passionate, enthuastic, charismatic, spontaneous, easy-going, creative, independent, brave, funny, sarcastic, sexy..." He clicked his tongue and winked at her.

"Mmm, do say more things you like about my personality." He hummed, playing with a short lock of hair of hers.

"Impulsive, loud, hard to keep track off." She teased.

"Oh, you wound me." He groaned, dramatically.

"How about this? Sweet, loyal, handsome, romantic, hot..."

"Yeah. That's the ticket." He said, nodding, "But you forgot one thing. Totally, ridicouslously in love with you and definitely going to miss you for the next three weeks."

"Me too. You've been in my life for less than a year and already... I can't imagine my life without you. You're all the things I just said and more. You are the best guy I have ever dated though granted, given the last and only other one abused me for years on end and traumatized me into muteness, that wasn't a high bar." She looked down, averting eye contact with Campbell.

Campbell tucked the lock of her hair behind her ear, "He won't ever hurt you again, baby. Never ever."

She shivered a little and concerned appeared on his face, "Shite. Your nose is all red. You're freezing. Let's get ho... let's get you home." Once off the ice and pulled him back and he looked at her.

She stepped closer, raising herself on her tip-toes while weaving her hand through his hair on the back of his head and kissed him slowly when she pulled away, his eyes fluttered open and then shook his head.

“Sorry, you know, most girls, normal girls, always dream of having the perfect kiss with the perfect guy.” She said and then cringed, “Sorry, that was like the cheesiest thing ever.”

“Yeah, it was. So that’s super embarrassing for you.” He teased but then she sneezed. “Let’s get you home before I have to drop out of the DJ competition to take care of you. Come with me, Juliet. Follow your Romeo.” Then he immediately slipped and fell back down, face first in a pile of snow.

Campbell handed her a cup of freshly made hot chocolate with whipped cream after she got out of the shower when they got home.

"Oh, how thoughtful." Y/n said, cupping her boyfriend's cheek and stroking it with her thumb.

She took the mug and drank a big gulp, letting it warm her insides as she had already began to get cold from the shower.

Campbell grinned when he saw she had whipped cream on her nose, he leaned over and licked and kissed it off.

"Campbell!" She laughed.

"Mmm. Tastes only slightly more sweet than usual."

"The whipped cream?" She asked.

"No, you. Your taste. The taste of your skin." He teased.

"God, you're a dork." She drank some more hot chocolate and as soon as she swallowed he kissed her, allowing him to taste the hot chocolate on her lips and she giggled against his lips. "You're so weird, Bain."

"You are simply beautiful, L/n." He hummed.

Thirty minutes, later at like, two-thirty in the morning, they were both finally in bed.

"Promise me something?" She asked, laying on his chest.

"Hmm-mmm." He hummed, half-asleep.

"Campbell." She smacked his chest and he propped himself of his elbows to look at her, albeit, slightly sleep blurry-eyed.

"Hmm?" He asked but she didn't answer, he looked at her and saw her biting her lip, nervously. He sat up, wrapping his arms around his knees, "Babe, what is it?"

"Promise me you won't find some girl wherever this competition is going to to take you, someone who's willing to have sex with you..."

Campbell tilted her head up and kissed her before pulling back and looking her dead in the eye and saying, seriously, "One year ago, if someone were to ask me what my perfect dream girl would be, she wouldn't even come close to you." He kissed her gently again and then gave her a goofy smile, "That cheesy enough for you?"

"Yeah, and it was super embarrassing for you." She teased and he pulled her into his chest as they laid back down with him burying his face in the top of her head.

"I'm in this for the long run, Y/n. I promise. Your first time should've be special but it wasn't, I'm willing to wait until you're ready." He whispered. "God, I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too." She said and leaned up and kissed him.

He turned off the light and they drifted to sleep.

At the airport, the next afternoon, Eddie was saying goodbye to Francine while Campbell hugged Y/n, repeating how much he loved her and kissing her passionately.

"Call me? Every day. Even if it's the middle of the night for me." She requested.

He laughed, "You bet. I'll tell you about my day. Probably have to get another room from Eddie or else, I'll annoy him. You call me too. If you just want to talk, you call me. Even in the middle of the night."

"Babe, you'll be having a competition. I can't do that. You call me, I'll call you if you're awake. You call me every time you land and I'll look up the time zone differences and call you."

"I'll keep my mobile on me at all times." He promised and kissed her.

"Campbell, we've got to go." Eddie said, irriatedly.

Campbell groaned, "Bye, babe. I love you." He said and pecked her lips before going with Eddie to board the plane.

“Wait!” Y/n shouted, running at him, he turned and felt her attack him with a hug. "Two years ago, when I was still talking, if you asked me to describe my perfect dream guy, he wouldn't even come close to you either." She said into his ear.

He chuckled, “You stole my line.”

“Campbell!” Eddie shouted.

“IN A MINUTE! I have to go. Love you.” He kissed her again and ran off with Eddie.

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sparrowsage · 1 year ago

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The Warehouse: Digging Up Old Memories

Buckle up, because this piece is something. I really enjoyed writing this piece, even if it is a giant emotional show lol. A huge shoutout and thanks to @flowersarefreetherapy for giving me the general idea for this piece! I hope I did it justice! And thank you to @darkthingshappen, @oddsconvert, and @whumpcereal for cheering me on as always!

HEED THE WARNINGS FOR THIS ONE!!!

TW: Minor whump (Jayden is 14), head injury, threatened noncon drugging, implied noncon (off screen), threatened noncon, mentions of past noncon and torture, implied future noncon, character death (off screen), suicidal thoughts, adult character referred to as 'boy', adult language, heavy grieving ((If I missed anything, please tell me and I'll add it!))

“No, I’m sick of doing this shit!” Jayden yelled, stepping back from Logan as the Keeper moved in closer, towering over the teen. “You never stay true to your word! I can’t let you stand by and hurt Sparrow after I’ve done everything you’ve asked me to do!”

Sparrow stared at the two of them, wide-eyed as fear grabbed hold of him. Sure, Sparrow’s challenged the Keeper’s here plenty of times, but that was because whatever ended up happening would happen to him. Jayden fighting back like this? All for his sake? It was thoughtful, but he couldn’t handle the wrath of the Keepers.

Logan backed Jayden up against the wall, his hand shooting forward to the kid’s neck, taking hold of his throat in a tight grip just shy of suffocating him.

“I’d be real careful about your choice here, boy. That piece of shit over there doesn’t deserve a hero, let alone a scrawny one such as yourself. Everyone always comes to the realization that they can’t escape this fate, one way or another. It’s easier for the both of you if you just follow my orders. So what’ll it be, pretty boy? Are you going to show me and the bastard here how much of a good listener you are and suck me off or are you going to continue your little defiant act thinking you can best me?”

Jayden’s hands were around the Keeper’s wrist, doing his best to try and scratch Logan in an attempt to get the hand off his neck, but it wasn’t working. He was too weak. At the question, Jayden stared right back at Logan, his expression sharp enough to cut diamonds.

“Jayden, please-,” Sparrow tried, on the verge of getting up from his spot against the wall by the door. Logan had told him to stay put and that if he moved, he’d force Sparrow to watch the worst Showing he’d ever put Jayden through.

“Shut up, runt,” Logan growled, his head turning slightly in Sparrow’s direction. “He has to make this decision on his own.”

There was silence for a couple seconds and Sparrow could feel the anger rolling off the both of them in waves.

“You and this whole place can go rot in hell. I’m not following another one of your stupid orders just because you think you deserve respect,” Jayden finally spat, bracing himself against the wall before kicking his foot out, his heel landing a direct hit to Logan’s crotch.

The Keeper could hardly brace himself before Jayden’s foot connected with his crotch, Logan doubling over for a moment, his hand never leaving Jayden’s throat, before a loud, angry scream erupted out of his mouth.

In a fluid motion, Logan used all the strength he could muster and lifted Jayden by his neck and threw him to the left over by his desk. Sparrow watched on in horror as he saw the fear and terror flash across Jayden’s eyes as he went flying before the back of the teen’s head connected with the sharp corner of Logan’s desk. He crumpled to the floor as Logan doubled over again, letting out small groans of pain.

“Jayden!” Sparrow shouted, his body jerking momentarily as he went to get up, but remembered Logan’s threat from earlier, causing him to stay in place.

He wasn’t getting up and there was blood leaking out onto the floor. Sparrow couldn’t tell if he was breathing.

“Jayden, get up!” he cried out, Sparrow’s whole body frozen in fear.

“Shut the fuck up!” Logan yelled, his head turning sharply to look at Sparrow.

“No, please, he’s not getting up!” Sparrow pleaded, his fists white with how tight they were balled up. “Please, I’ll do whatever the fuck you want, just take him to the medical ward, please!”

Logan chuckled slightly as he was finally able to stand up straight again. “Oh, you think a bit of pleading will convince me to get him treated? As if. The little shit deserved it, thinking he could fight back like that. Besides, you stupid mutts always seem to recover. He’ll be fine come tomorrow.”

Instead of continuing on with what he had planned, Logan gave one last look to Jayden and Sparrow before deciding to leave his office. There’d be time to do things with them later.

Sparrow let out a snarl as Logan passed him to leave, waiting for the door to shut before he rushed over to Jayden, his hands hovering over his body, afraid that a single touch would make his friend crumble into dust.

#####

“No, you have to let me stay with him!” Sparrow shouted, desperately trying to fight his way out of Josh’s grip on him. “Let me go!”

“You’re scheduled for a Showing and there’s no way you’re missing it,” Josh growled, his grip seeming to get tighter the more Sparrow fought. “He’ll be fine and you’ll get to go back to the main room and see him once the Showing is over.”

“No, he needs me to stay with him since you fuckers won’t take him to the medical ward! Let go of me!”

Josh stopped trying to drag Sparrow forward and out of Logan’s office, instead pulling him in close with an iron tight grip on both his wrists. Their faces were mere inches apart and Sparrow could feel the warmth of his breath. “I won’t hesitate to inject you full of muscle relaxers, boy. You know as much as I do that you’ll do anything to fight back during these things, so do you really want to give up being able to move all because you want to sit by your little friend?”

Sparrow’s body froze at the threat, his eyes going wide for a moment. Josh was right, he couldn’t go through a Showing drugged up like that. He’d have no control (not that he did during Showings) over anything. He couldn’t get injected with that stuff.

Josh smirked as Sparrow stayed still, finally continuing towards the door to the office. “That’s what I thought. Once it’s over, you’ll be able to spend as much time with the little runt as you want.”

#####

Sparrow wasn’t proud of the Showing he just went through. It had to have been the most compliant he’s ever been during one, but he didn’t want it to be dragged out. His only thought and priority was getting back to Jayden to make sure he was okay.

Josh had been surprised with how compliant he had been, as was the audience that showed up to watch. It was utterly embarrassing, but he didn’t care enough to not do it. He would have been the most compliant pet in the entire facility if it had meant getting out of that Showroom faster.

Once the Showing was done, Josh walked him back to the main hallway before leaving him there to do his own thing. The moment Josh left him, Sparrow started running to the main rooms, his heart rate picking up as he tried to get to the room as fast as he could.

Sparrow was almost certain Logan would have moved him out of his office during the Showing, so the most logical place to put him would be one of the main rooms. That, or Jayden had woken up and Logan kicked him out of his office and he made his way to their spot in one of the main rooms. If Sparrow didn’t see him in there, he wasn’t sure what he’d do.

When Sparrow finally made it to the doorway that led into the main room he and Jayden usually ended up in, he scanned the entire room, trying desperately to locate his friend. His anxiety was starting to climb with each face he saw, none of them being the young teen before his eyes landed on a figure in the corner where Jayden and him sat most of the time.

He was there, sitting in his normal spot, looking completely fine. Jayden was waiting for him.

Sparrow did his best to make it over to the back corner of the room, nearly tripping over several pets as they tried to sleep or just pass time, not even bothering to let out any kind of apology before making it over to his friend.

“Jayden!” he called out, falling to his knees in front of his friend before embracing the teen in a tight hug.

“You’re okay! You’re okay, you’re okay, you’re okay,” he said, his voice going quiet as he spoke, letting things sink in. His friend was okay, he was alive and that was all Sparrow cared about.

“Of course I’m okay. Do you really think a bump on the head would keep me down?” Jayden joked, hugging Sparrow back.

Sparrow pulled back slightly, his hands still on Jayden’s shoulders, afraid that if he let go, Jayden would disappear. “It’s just - you collapsed once your head hit the desk, a-and Logan refused to bring you to the medical ward, and then I was dragged off for a Showin-”

“Sparrow,” Jayden interrupted, his voice a bit firm, “I’m alright, I promise. I can’t die that easily. Besides, we promised each other we’d find a way to escape this place some day. I can’t go back on my word, now can I?”

Sparrow wiped at his eyes, tears starting to form. “I’m just happy you’re okay. And you’re right, we are going to escape this place one day. Just please don’t go pissing off any more Keeper’s. Leave that to me, I can handle it.”

Just then, the entire main room started to fade out, a black abyss surrounding the two of them. Sparrow didn’t even notice, his entire focus was on his friend.

Jayden looked at Sparrow with a soft smile, his head slightly tilted to the side.

“I know you can. That fighting spirit is what’s giving me hope that you’ll be able to make it out of here alive. If you hold onto that, you’ll be able to escape. Just keep fighting. For the both of us.”

Sparrow faltered a bit at that. “W-wait, what do you mean by that? We’re going to get out of here together.”

Jayden didn’t answer, continuing to give Sparrow that soft, warm smile that he cherished so much as he slowly faded away. Before Jayden was completely gone, Sparrow reached forward, trying to grab hold of him before he fully disappeared, leaving Sparrow alone in the dark abyss.

#####

Sparrow woke with a jump, jolting up from his spot on the floor of Damon’s office. Looking around the dark and empty room, Sparrow couldn’t see Jayden and was a bit confused, but mostly worried.

Where was he? Jayden had just been in front of him a second ago. He wanted that back, he needed it back.

The more he woke up though, the more things finally started to settle in.

Four days ago, he had been brought back to the Warehouse from his two week stay at Volkov’s island, having gone through his ‘welcome home’ Showing yesterday. Two months ago, Damon had been put in charge of training him, starting up a brand new hell for him to navigate on his own. Five years ago, the Keeper’s gave up trying to train him because he was deemed a lost cause and couldn’t be trained, instead just using him as a free-for-all and overall enjoying causing him pain, discomfort and humiliation. Seven years ago was when he had watched Logan give his one and only friend a death blow and then later finding out that Jayden had died all alone while he was in a Showing Josh forced him to go through, unable to be with him in his final moments to make him feel safe and loved.

As reality came crashing back, Sparrow couldn’t help the gut wrenching sob that erupted out of his throat, the pet clutching his hands close to his chest as he curled into himself.

Ever since it happened, Sparrow had done all he could to repress that memory to the point that he couldn’t remember it at all. All he chose to remember was that Jayden died. Everything else, how it happened, the look of fear and terror right before his head connected with the desk, how much he tried to fight back as Josh dragged him off to the Showing, Logan’s fucking taunting once he finally told Sparrow what they did with Jayden after he died, he wanted to forget and never remember.

He had no idea why the memory resurfaced. It had been so long ago, yet now he could remember every detail clearly, as if he were reliving it in full. It was the worst pain he has ever felt and would probably ever feel. And what made it worse was that his head went and twisted the events, giving him the false hope that Jayden was alive and fine. But Sparrow could never see him again.

After a couple more minutes, Sparrow wiped the tears from his eyes, trying to get his breathing under control. It had to have been close to morning, if he had to guess, and Damon would be here soon to put him through another day of hell. If the Keeper walked in and saw him crying or saw the evidence that he had been crying, Sparrow would never hear the end of it.

Before he could put a cap on his emotions, he felt another sob bubble up from his chest and before he could stop himself, he reared his fist back, sending it straight towards the wall beside him. The wall stayed intact but Sparrow let out a loud shout before biting his tongue, cradling his hand.

Why couldn’t one of these guys have killed him too? Why couldn’t he have had the peace that his friend had? All he wanted was to be with Jayden again, because he was the only one that made this place bearable. His smile and laugh lifted his spirits no matter how he felt and his presence made Sparrow feel safe, even though there wasn’t a single thing either of them could do when the Keepers came for them. If he didn’t have that, if he didn’t have him here, there wasn’t much of a point to keep fighting.

The pain that now pulsed from his bleeding and possibly broken hand acted as an anchor to the real world for him and Sparrow was able to stop the tears from falling, taking in a couple deep breaths before he felt like himself again. Damon would probably point out his hand when he came in later, but right now, Sparrow didn’t care. If Damon was overly concerned about it, he’d get it looked at because unlike Logan, Damon wasn’t going to sit by and have a wound that looked serious enough unchecked. Sparrow had no doubt that the Keeper wouldn't let him die before he himself molded Sparrow into the perfect pet.

Taglist: @mannerofwhump, @honey-is-mesi, @painful-pooch, @whumperfully, @hiding-in-the-shadows, @flowersarefreetherapy, @goronska, @blueyellow8green, @oddsconvert, @darkthingshappen, @whumpcereal (if you want to be added, let me know!)

#The Warehouse #Sparrow Cresky #Jayden Cresky #Minor whump #head injury #threatened noncon drugging #implied noncon (off screen)#threatened noncon #mentions of past noncon and torture #implied future noncon #character death (off screen)#suicidal thoughts #adult character referred to as 'boy'#adult language #heavy grieving

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kasienda · 20 days ago

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Aftermath Ch 9 - A Life Worth Sharing

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

Read on Ao3

Chapter 9 - A Life Worth Sharing

Ladybug dove off the building. Her stomach dropped in a way that had become familiar long ago. She laughed in exhilaration as the string of her yo-yo swung her back up with the wind whipping her hair around her face.

A shadow passed overhead, accompanied by a familiar joyous whoop.

She laughed again, and shot off her yo-yo towards a beam of the Eiffel Tower. She pulled herself up to the platform. He was there waiting.

He stood taller than her, even draped casually over the end of his staff. His feline eyes sparkled from behind his mask as he turned a boyish grin in her direction.

Her heart leapt and she forgot how to breathe.

It had been so long.

“Same as yesterday, m’lady?”

Her throat lodged closed. She could only nod. She had missed him, looked for him around corners and in the shadows for years. And here he was before her, like no time had passed.

He launched himself upwards, and she followed him, her laughter echoing his own. She would follow him anywhere.

If only he had left her a trail of breadcrumbs.

My favorite moments are with you, he had said ages ago.

Why had she never realized it was the same for her? She needed to tell him.

“Chaton! Wait!”

But he didn’t wait. He couldn’t wait when there was an akuma to fight. And Hawkmoth’s latest villain towered over everything like a purple Godzilla come to life, crushing buildings and street lamps like they were toys.

It didn’t make sense. They had defeated Hawkmoth.

That’s when she had lost him.

He stood on the edge of Gamer 2.0’s platform. Far too close to the edge, and her heart pulsed in her throat.

“What are you doing?” she demanded.

He smiled, his eyes wide with complete trust that she didn’t deserve. “Buying you some time.”

“Noo!”

But he was already falling backwards.

Before he hit the ground, she flipped around to face Timebreaker who surged forward to tag her. But before they could, Chat Noir was there once again shielding her with his body. She was helpless as his solid weight on her faded into nothing, no heavier than air.

It was only when she stood against Yan Luo Shi that she realized she was watching him die.

Was she destined to lose him over and over? To watch him die again and again?

But he didn’t die. She brought him back.

Hawkmoth lunged forward with a blade. But it wasn’t Hawkmoth. It was Gabriel Agreste.

She blocked him once with her spinning yo-yo. He struck again and again. She blocked, and she dodged, but she was losing ground. She stepped on an unexpected piece of rubble, and slipped. He broke past her guard. The blade lunged for her neck.

She blocked it with her bare hand. Excruciating pain lanced from her palm up her arm. But it was Chat Noir screaming in agony, like he had been the one struck.

She would have teased him if holding the blade through the blinding pain wasn’t taking every ounce of her attention. And it wasn’t a bad thing. His scream anchored her. When she could focus on his distress hers didn’t seem so all consuming.

He tackled Hawkmoth - no, Gabriel Agreste - to the ground - the sword dissolving into a cloud of black ash before it hit the ground. She stumbled forward at the sudden lack of resistance. Somehow, the pain only ballooned with the absence of the sword.

She dropped to her knees, her vision swimming.

Chat Noir’s arms were around her a moment later, warm and solid beneath her as she tried to breathe.

“M’lady! M’lday! Stay with me!”

But she couldn’t keep her eyes open. And she didn’t want to. Anything to escape the agonizing pain.

He held her through it all.

If she had known that would be the last time she saw him, she would have appreciated it more.

She closed her eyes, and when she opened them the pain was gone, like it had never existed.

She looked down at her hand, flexed and curled her fingers one at a time. They were whole and working. She hadn’t been struck yet.

It wasn’t possible.

She didn’t have time to appreciate it. Chat Noir was still there, but he stood opposite her. His lips - stained black with hate - curled into a snarl, and he lunged forward.

She barely yanked her head back. His strike missed her by a fingernail’s width.

She wanted to cry. She hated seeing him like this. And she couldn’t bring herself to fight him.

She had loved him even then, hadn’t she?

She ducked under his arm, flipped him to the ground, and pressed her lips to his. It had worked once. It might work again.

He relaxed underneath her, completely melted in her hold. And suddenly, he was kissing her back.

But that hadn’t happened.

The warmth of his lips sliding against hers felt familiar. Like it was a moment they had shared a hundred times before.

When she pulled away, his lips were pink and stretched into a smile that reached his eyes.

Green eyes that were human instead of feline, that were not covered by a mask, that were shining with so much love.

His name bubbled on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t get it out past the tears that were constricting her throat.

How had she never realized?

For the first time in as long as she could remember, everything made sense, the stars had aligned and everything was right in the universe.

She kissed him again.

She had never imagined she could even be this happy.

It almost didn’t feel real.

She startled awake, her eyes wet and that feeling of euphoria still alive in her heart and chest. But the dream rapidly slipped away like an ocean wave pulling back from the shore. She tried to catch it, tried desperately to claw onto something, anything from that last few seconds of the dream. His name, the feel of his lips, the sound of his voice.

That feeling of everything being right in the world.

But nothing was right. She couldn’t remember his name because she had never known it. Chat Noir was lost to her, probably forever. She was never going to see him again. She would never know his name, never see his smile again or the real color of his eyes. She could barely picture his face at all - even with a mask.

She was forgetting him.

Devastated sobs wracked through her form, like a damn breaking all at once. She didn't understand why it was hitting her now. Chat Noir had been gone for years.

Adrien’s strong solid arms were around her instantly, and her cries only intensified.

She clung to him desperately, trying to find comfort and solace in his hold. Adrien was here, she loved him. He had lifted her up again and again, caught her in metaphorically the way Chat Noir had caught her literally time and time again.

It should have been enough. She wanted it to be enough.

“Marinette?” His voice was thick with both sleep and concern. He loved her.

And what had she done for him?

She had destroyed his life, lied to him, and let him fall in love with her without ever telling him the truth?

She had dreamed of her lost love the night of their engagement!

Adrien was everything! Adrien deserved everything!

Why couldn’t she give him everything?

Why couldn’t she let Chat Noir go?

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

She tried to shake her head, tell him it was nothing - just a nightmare, but she couldn’t get the words out.

“Talk to me, Mari,” he begged. “ Please.”

She had never been able to deny him. That had never changed.

“He’s gone.”

“Who’s gone?”

“He’s never coming back,” and she lost the ability to speak to another wave of wracking grief. “But I don’t understand! He’s been gone for years! Why does it matter now when everything is going so well?”

Adrien’s hands stroked her hair and the side of her face. “I’m not following,” he whispered, kissing her temple. His eyes were on her totally, swirling with such concern and care. “Start from the beginning.”

She shook her head in his hold. He was too good, too patient, too kind. And she loved him.

But she had never deserved him.

“I have been so unfair to you,” she sobbed. “I shouldn’t have said yes.”

“Yes to what?” he asked, but his face dawned in understanding a second later. “You shouldn’t have said yes to my proposal?”

His face flashed with hurt, but he buried it just as fast, then pure concern overtook his expression.

“It’s not that I don’t want to,” she reassured, gripping - strangling - his hands within her own. “There’s so much I haven’t told you. So much that you deserve to know before you agree to marry me.”

“So tell me.”

She looked away. What if he decided he didn’t need her? What if he disappeared the way Chat Noir had?

How would she survive it?

“You might not like what I have to say,” she choked out.

He pressed his forehead gently against her own. “Whatever it is, It can’t be worse than my father keeping my mother’s body in our basement while he terrorized the whole fucking city.”

She cried harder, her gaze dropping to the blanket puddled around them. She was going to come far closer than he thought.

He rubbed her shoulders. “I’m sorry. Take your time,” he whispered, kissing the knuckles of their still joined hands.

“I don’t know where to start,” she admitted.

“You don’t have to tell me anything. Your past is yours. I don’t own it. I don’t want to marry your past. I want to marry you as you are right in this moment.”

“I’m still in love with someone else,” she blurted out, still unable to meet his eyes.

He stilled in her hold, and she hesitated, suddenly aware of her heart trying to blast it way out of her chest. This wasn’t even the worst of it. He had no idea. Her hands shook violently, even when supported in his hold. Air must have gone into her lungs, but her body had clearly forgotten how to use it.

“Marinette,” he whispered, stroking her hands and her face, pulling her against him. “Look at me. It’s okay.”

“I have to tell you this!” she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks.

He nodded. “Okay, and you will, but we have all the time in the world. It’s just you and me.”

You and me against the world.

“All you need to do right now is breathe. Slowly.”

His eyes shone like a lighthouse cutting through the fog. In his loving, patient gaze, she managed to suck in a long, slow breath.

“That’s it,” he encouraged, rubbing her shoulders and her back.

She took another, and the panic receded bit by bit until she just clung to him because she wanted to, because with him she always felt like there was a light at the end of the tunnel. The end simply couldn’t come when he was there holding her hand.

This was what being loved felt like.

But how long would she get to keep it?

“I love you so much!” she gasped out. “You have no idea.”

He shook his head. “I love you, too.”

She tucked her chin against his chest and let herself listen to each beat of his heart.

The silence stretched and still, he didn’t ask her anything even after she admitted that she was in love with someone else.

He just held her because he loved her. She had to trust that, to trust him.

She needed to tell him everything.

She turned to him, only to catch his expression. His eyebrows furrowed, his mouth set in a thin line, his eyes distant and far away.

“Are you okay?” she asked him.

Had she broken his heart already?

His eyes focused on her. “I’m… okay,” he said slowly. She didn’t buy it.

She opened her mouth to say as much.

“I meant what I said, you know,” he said first.

Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.

“You don’t have to tell me anything,” he explained. “I trust you. If you say that you love me, and you choose me, that will be enough. You don’t owe me anything else.”

She shook her head. He didn’t understand. “I need to tell you this. I’m just terrified.”

“Of what? Of me?”

She grabbed his hands.

“No! I’m not scared of you. I’m scared of what this means for us. Because Adrien, this is big , bigger than I think you realize. And I don’t know–” she broke off, her throat tight. She tried to swallow the lump down and was only half successful. “I don’t know how to live without you in my life anymore. Because I love you so much, and more than that, I need you. I’m so scared.” She dissolved into tears again.

He pulled her against him once again. “Shh! Marinette, I’m not going anywhere unless you want me to.”

“You don’t know that!”

His lips pressed closed and his arms tightened around her.

“Why haven’t you told me before?” he whispered. There was no accusation in his tone.

She looked away. “I’ve tried to tell you before.”

His face dawned with understanding. “This is what your panic attacks have been about?”

She nodded. “Some of them.” She felt lighter even only admitting that little bit.

He thread his fingers through hers. “Okay, whenever you’re ready, I’m listening.”

I’m Ladybug.

It was still only two words. She needed to say it.

Why couldn't she say it?

“You said you’re in love with someone else. Can you tell me who this was? I feel like I know most of the people that have been in your life.”

“You didn’t know him. No one knew that he was in my life at all. He was a huge part of my life, and then he was just gone all at once, I don’t know what happened to him. And because no one knew about him, I couldn’t even talk about him once he was gone.”

His arms tightened around her. “That sounds really hard. I lost a friend like that once.”

She turned in his arms. “Yeah?”

He smiled. “Yeah. It was my fault though. She kept reaching out, but that was right when everything happened with my father, and eventually she stopped…”

He trailed off.

“I don’t know if she’d even want to hear from me now.”

She stared at him flatly. “After this conversation is over, we’re going to figure out how to get you back in contact with your friend.”

He smiled, amused. “Marinette, it’s two in the morning.”

“I don’t care! No one who ever actually knew you ever wanted to lose you!”

“It’s the same for you, you know. If someone stopped talking to you, disappeared on you, it wasn’t because they wanted to be out of your life.”

She turned away. She wanted to believe him. “Maybe.”

His arms tightened around her again. “Tell me about him?”

She raised an eyebrow. “You sure you want to hear about the other guy?”

“If he was important to you, yes! If you’ve never been able to talk about him with anyone and you need to, then yes! You could start with his name,” he teased with a smile.

She relaxed in his hold. “He was always just… there.”

“Ooh! He was there!” he echoed dramatically, grinning in amusement. “Very impressive.”

“Oh my god! Stop!” She laughed, playfully pushing him away. He came right back, grinning at her.

How did he always know what she needed?

Her eyes teared up. She was so lucky.

His fingers stroked her hand. “What is it?” he asked softly, but he was still grinning.

She shook her head. She couldn’t explain. Not right now. Instead she leaned backwards against his chest.

“I meant more that he was always there for me. In my absolute lowest moments, he was there offering me a hand.”

Not unlike Adrien showing up at her house when she was in a fit of depression or when he dragged her to therapy.

“When I was scared out of my mind, he would make me laugh.”

Just as Adrien had a few seconds ago.

“When I stopped believing in myself, he believed in me.”

Adrien did that now, too.

“It didn’t work out with him because I was blind and didn’t understand what I was feeling until he was gone.”

Was she destined to lose them both?

Adrien’s chin rested on her shoulder. “I’m glad you had that. I’m sorry that he’s gone.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“Who was he?”

Chat Noir.

Two more words that should have been easy to say.

He burst out laughing.

She jerked forward and threw their shared blanket over his head. “Stop laughing!”

“I can’t believe you don’t want to tell me his name!”

She shook her head. “You’re just like him.”

“Just like who, Mari?” he teased.

“Chat Noir!” she shot back.

All expression fell off his face.

“What? You were in love with Chat Noir?” his voice was suddenly deathly quiet. All the mirth from the last few minutes was swallowed whole like it had never been.

This was the beginning of the end, wasn’t it?

Her eyes welled with tears. “I-I was Ladybug,” she choked out.

His hands dropped from hers to grab either side of his own face, his eyes wild in a way that she hadn’t seen since she tricked him into stepping outside a hotel room.

“You’re Ladybug,” he echoed, but he didn’t even look at her.

She grabbed his forearm, clinging probably too hard, but she couldn’t let go. She didn’t want to lose him.

“Adrien, listen to me. I know you probably hate me now–”

His head jerked up, his eyes suddenly clear and focused completely on her. “What?! No!”

“But I destroyed your life!”

She had destroyed so many lives that night.

He shook his head. “Marinette, I could never hate you.”

Tears flowed down her cheeks. “I took your father from you. You were completely shattered. It was my fault. Nathalie died, Ezra died. There was a gardener. I’m sorry. I don’t remember his name. I should know his name.” She pulled away from him, and dissolved into a rocking puddle of tears. “I took your whole family from you.”

He leaned forward into her space, his hands were on her face urging her gaze toward him once again. “Mari, Mari. Look at me.”

She did.

“You didn’t destroy my life. You healed it after my father destroyed it. You didn’t hurt any of the people of Paris. You saved them again and again. My father is responsible for the destruction, injuries, and deaths in that last battle. You tried to stop him. You would have healed it all; it was my fault that you didn’t.”

She shook her head violently. “No, it wasn’t! You’re not responsible for your father’s actions! You weren’t even there!”

And then he withdrew, his shoulders hunched and quaking.

She didn’t understand. If he didn’t hate her, why was he hurting this badly?

“Adrien?”

His shaking only grew in magnitude, spreading from his shoulders to his hands and feet. She grabbed onto his arms, trying to steady him before he rocked out of the bed.

“Adrien?”

“M’lady,” he whispered, tears streaming down his face.

Not a single akuma had ever knocked the wind out of her chest as effectively as that single word on his lips.

No blow to the chest or strike to the head had ever made the world spin around her like this.

A new wave of tears rushed forward like a tsunami breaking past a dam.

“Ch-Chaton?” Even the name felt strange on her lips. How long had it been since she said his name?

“I’m so sorry. I never meant to leave you,” Adrien sobbed. “I hated myself and I thought I was just a burden and an embarrassment to you. I thought you would never forgive me for living in the same house as Hawkmoth and never realizing it. I thought you were so much better off without me.”

Her fingers tightened around his arms. He was real. He was there.

And he was okay.

He’d been right here. The whole time.

A laugh bubbled from her throat.

She had never lost him.

“And during that fight, I hesitated. He was my father. And then you got hurt.” His thumb ran over her hand, traced the nerve that his father had severed. “You were unconscious. And you couldn’t cast your cure. Afterwards, I learned Nathalie and Ezra died, and you, Marinette! I didn’t know you were Ladybug. You were also hurt because I didn’t act fast enough. And I hated myself. I had failed at the one thing I always swore I would do - protect Ladybug at all costs. And when I didn’t, I knew I wasn’t worthy of being your partner anymore.”

He was the best partner in the whole world.

She stroked the side of his face as he spoke with the backs of her fingers.

He never stopped being the best partner a girl could ever ask for.

“I’m so sorry,” he finally cried, still not looking at her. “I tried. I saw Ladybu… I saw you up there on the Eiffel Tower every night. I knew you were waiting for me.”

His voice cracked, and she squeezed his hand in reassurance.

“But I couldn’t do it. I could barely get out of bed, and I definitely couldn’t leave that hotel room. Every time I even thought about transforming I’d fall into a panic attack. I was so lost and so terrified of telling you who I was. I couldn’t stand the idea of you looking at me with disgust, disappointment, or even pity. It was so bad Plagg told me to take off the ring. That I couldn’t get better or face the world while I was still wearing it. I wasn’t strong enough. I’m so sorry,” he babbled.

He was spiraling. She hugged him tightly.

“It’s okay now,” she told him. She wasn’t sure if that was even remotely true, but for the first time she truly believed that it would be. They would get through anything together.

Just as Ladybug and Chat Noir always had.

Adrien slowly calmed, and dabbed at his eyes.

“I was terrified to tell Ladybug who I was. I didn’t think Ladybug could ever care about Hawkmoth’s son.”

“I didn’t think Hawkmoth’s son could ever love Ladybug,” she whispered back.

He yanked her into another hug, clutched onto her just as hard as she held onto him.

“Marinette, I love you. I love you as Ladybug. And I love you as yourself— I love you so much.”

“And I’ve always loved you,” she said.

She pulled him into a desperate kiss, or maybe he pulled her. It didn’t matter. She needed him, needed to feel his breath on her skin, his hands on her neck and waist.

When they had to break apart for air, her mouth trailed down to his jaw and his neck, then to his shoulder. Now that she knew he was Chat Noir, she needed to check every centimeter of him up and down for scars she had missed, scars that her cure hadn’t fixed. She deposited kisses on each one, wishing that alone was enough to heal everything that had been done to him over the years.

And he kissed away every one of her tears.

They explored one another like it was the first time because it was. The first time she truly saw all of him and that he saw all of her.

He saw all of her and he still loved her.

When he burrowed inside her it felt like coming home, like she had finally found a missing piece of herself in him. She reached for his hand and their fingers interlaced as they rode the waves of their shared ecstasy. For one perfect instant she was whole and so was he, but only because they were together.

Afterwards, she lay on him with her ear pressed to his chest, listening to each beat of his heart as it slowed as they both caught their breath.

For once, it felt like everything was right in the world, and she was content to lay there and never move again.

“Marinette?”

“Hmm?” she murmured sleepily into his shoulder.

“What was it like for you after… right after we took down Hawkmoth?”

And suddenly she was very awake.

“Adrien, we don’t have to talk about any of that.”

“It was that bad?”

She squeezed his shoulder, craned her neck upward to kiss the tip of his chin.

But it wasn’t enough, he crumpled beneath her.

“Adrien, it’s okay,” she soothed. “Please don’t torture yourself over it. I beg you.”

“I’m so sorry,” he choked out.

She shook her head. “No, there’s nothing you could have done differently. I understand now. And when Chat Noir was gone, you were the one that lifted me out of my spiral then. You saved my life without even knowing!”

He stilled. “Saved your life?”

Crap. She hadn’t intended to tell him that much.

“I-it was a long time ago.”

“Marinette, please tell me! Aren’t you tired of the secrets?”

He was right. Hadn’t she started this whole thing with the intention of telling him everything?

But the words still wouldn’t come. This would hurt, and she didn’t want to hurt him. Not like this. It wasn’t his fault.

“M’lady?” His face was twisted in pain. And as always, she couldn’t deny him anything.

“I-I tried to jump off the Eiffel Tower without my transformation.”

He gave off a strangled sound, his hands clung to her tighter.

Marinette swallowed before continuing. “It was just… everything felt so broken. So many people died that day, and I was supposed to fix it! And I couldn’t do anything.” And now that she had started, she kept going like a runaway train. She couldn’t stop. “I had shattered your life - one of my best friends - and my own, and the one person who usually picked me up when everything was lost had just vanished. I didn’t know what happened to Chat Noir. I wondered if he had been injured that day and bled out because I couldn’t cure everything. Because he wouldn’t just leave me, right?”

His cries only intensified.

“But other times, I thought he was right to abandon me for all that I destroyed. For all that I couldn’t fix. That was when I realized that I didn’t know how to live without him. That I didn’t want to.”

“How close?” he choked out.

She looked away, biting her lip. “Seconds.”

“What stopped you?”

And then she smiled up at him. “You did, actually. As Adrien, I mean.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I was about to jump. I had detransformed and was standing right on the edge. Tikki was screaming and I was about to take a step. And then you called me to tell me about your crappy week, you had a panic attack, and I invited myself over.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?!”

“You needed me. I figured I owed you the moon, so it wouldn’t hurt to spend a night with you. I figured the tower would still be there when you didn’t need me anymore. But you kept needing me.”

He pulled her closer, rubbing her shoulders, stroking her hair, kissing her forehead. He was holding her like he was afraid she would disappear if he let go.

She held him just as tightly. “I couldn’t tell you how much I was hurting because I was afraid you’d stop asking for me.”

“I’ve never been more grateful for my breakdown in my life!”

She laughed. “Eventually, things were good. You were better, and I was better, too. Life didn’t seem impossible to face anymore. Then,” she took his hand, “It even seemed good - amazing at times!”

He offered her a watery smile.

“But I was still so convinced that it was temporary, that as soon as you knew you wouldn’t love me anymore.”

His hold tightened around her. He kissed her again. “I can’t imagine not loving you.”

“I was kinda clinging to you as my lifeline. And I’m sorry. It’s not your responsibility to save my life.”

He kissed her nose. “That’s where you’re wrong. It has always been Chat Noir’s responsibility to save Ladybug’s life.”

She wanted to argue with that even now, but it wasn’t the most important thing at the moment.

“But that’s why I was so scared to tell you that I was Ladybug. You had more reason than anyone to hate Ladybug. I thought… I thought if you couldn’t forgive Ladybug, I wouldn’t have that lifeline anymore.”

His fingers tightened around her. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

She smiled. “I wouldn’t want to. Not ever.”

“I am sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me.”

“But apparently you were. Maybe neither of us knew it. But we’ve both been here this whole time.”

“I feel like you were helping me way more than the other way around in the beginning.”

“Adrien! I just said it was you needing me that saved my life! You would not believe how many times I felt rubbish at helping, and I thought about giving up, and then you would text me asking for something specific, and I would decide I had to at least do that - that the Tower would have to wait at least one more day.”

He pressed his forehead to hers, grinning. “And to believe I spent all that time feeling so guilty for needing help with the stupidest tiniest things.”

She laughed. “I think the thing I love most about us is that we both are just really good at being what the other needs even when we’re not okay.”

He kissed her softly. “I love you so much, Marinette. I’m sorry this secret was hanging over your head for so long. I should have told you about being Chat Noir ages ago. I almost did once. I wish I had gone through with it.”

“When was this?” she asked softly.

“I saw that video of Ladybug’s return. I was so happy, so relieved that she - that you were okay! I had never been sure once she disappeared.”

“You were happy?! But you were crying!”

He laughed. “I’m crying now, too!”

She kissed each of his cheeks.

“I was going to tell you then, but you fell into a panic attack and well, I didn’t want to say anything to make that moment more stressful. I thought about bringing it up later, but it almost didn’t seem to matter.”

“Didn’t matter?!”

“I didn’t know you were Ladybug! It didn’t seem like it mattered because I realized I didn’t want that part of my life anymore.”

“You still could have said hello to your partner!”

“I wanted to! But I still couldn’t transform. You weren’t the only one to have a panic attack that day. Every time I even look at the box I freak out.”

She grabbed his hands. “About your father? Or about Ladybug?”

“Both? All of it? I don’t know!” He looked down into their joined hands. “Being Chat Noir used to make everything better,” he continued. “I found freedom and love, and I was doing something good. When my father was unveiled… it felt like all of it was a lie.”

She shook her head. “No, it wasn’t! It was freedom and love and you did do so many good things. You protected this city even when it cost you everything.”

He didn’t say anything. She supposed even if he agreed with her, it would take time before he really believed it.

“Do you still have the ring?”

“I do. Do you have the earrings?”

She laughed. “I have the whole miraculous box!”

He pulled out the familiar black octogonal from the bottom of the drawer in his nightstand. She dug out a cardboard box from their closet and sat next to each other on their bed once again.

“On three?” she asked.

But Adrien didn’t so much as nod. His eyes were locked on the box. His hands trembled.

He couldn’t open the box. He still couldn’t transform.

Not with the Black Cat.

She set the bright red miraculous egg next to him, and slowly wrapped her hand around his shaking fingers, and slipped the box from his hold.

“I probably shouldn’t be trusted with the Ladybug. You take the earrings,” she offered. “I’ll take the Black Cat.”

He offered her a watery smile, and nodded in relieved agreement.

Tikki and Plagg manifested in sparkling light.

“You found each other!” Tikki exclaimed, rushing to Marinette immediately.

Plagg hovered in front of Adrien. Adrien’s head hung low, not meeting the kwami’s gaze.

“Kid?” Plagg prompted.

“Yeah?” Adrien answered, risking a glance up.

“It’s really good to see you.”

Adrien burst into tears. Plagg dove forward, nuzzling Adrien’s cheek. Marinette and Tikki were only a second behind.

They still had so much to talk about, so much to work through, but together with all three of them Marinette felt like her family had been reunited. And she felt whole and complete for the first time she could remember.

…

Her childhood kitchen table was filled with no less than six breakfast dishes. There were crepes, french toast, pancakes, and a whole pile of pastries. Her maman had even taken the time to make soft boiled eggs and there was some fresh quiche. When had her parents put all this together?

Marinette had only texted them and Alya and Nino an hour prior.

“Maman! Papa!” Marinette objected. “You didn’t have to go all out like this.”

Her maman just smiled. “Nonsense! It’s been a while since we’ve had so much company. Feels like it’s an occasion worth celebrating!”

Marinette glanced over at Adrien who offered her shrug and a smile. She let her fingers tangle with his. It was an occasion worth celebrating.

Alya piled food on her plate and plopped down happily next to Nino who was doing the same.

“So… I can’t help but notice you’re wearing a ring,” Alya commented, shooting her a sly smile.

Marinette glanced down at the miraculous on her finger. She supposed it made for an incredibly meaningful engagement ring. Maybe she could ask Plagg to add an emerald just the right color.

“It’s on the wrong finger,” her papa interjected.

Nino shook his head. “They’re just trying to be sly before they’ve told us anything.”

Red bloomed across Adrien’s cheeks, and Marinette giggled at his expression.

“That’s not her ring!” Adrien objected.

Marinette held it protectively against her chest. “What do you mean?! Of course it’s my ring!”

“I was going to take you shopping.”

“This ring is better than anything you could buy.”

“But—“

“We can customize it!” she said. “You know that we can.”

He paused, considering her. “You think he’d go for that?”

“Tikki says he’s a romantic at heart.”

Adrien laughed. “As I have long suspected. Okay, fine. That can be your ring.”

“So you’re engaged?” her papa asked, pure glee pouring from his eyes.

“We’re engaged!” Marinette cried, turning to Adrien and sharing a kiss.

“Congrats, mec!” Nino said, seizing Adrien in a hug.

“I’m so happy for you both!” her maman said.

“We want to get married in two weeks,” Marinette announced.

The rapid fire congratulations all stopped.

Marinette clung onto Adrien’s hands as anxiety bubbled in her chest in the face of four wide-eyed expressions.

Alya broke the shocked silence with peals of laughter. “And you said that we, ” she gestured to Nino and herself, “didn’t give you enough time for planning!”

And just like that the tension in the room was gone, and everyone was smiling again.

“The difference is we’re only inviting the four of you.”

Sabine frowned. “But your uncle and–”

Marinette shook her head. “It can only be you. We can do something else later for everyone else. Maybe for our first anniversary?” she asked, turning to Adrien.

He nodded, smiling. “I would like that.”

“Why?” her maman asked.

Adrien squeezed her hand, and she squeezed back, surprised that she didn’t feel as nervous as she thought she’d be. She wanted to share this part of her life with her loved ones.

“We want Tikki and Plagg to be able to come,” she said.

Her papa’s brows furrowed. “Who?”

“Tikki? Plagg?” Adrien called.

Plagg phased from her purse, and Tikki from Adrien’s sweater.

“I’m Tikki! And this is Plagg!”

“You got any cheese?”

Marinette giggled, feeling a bit hysterical at having them completely out in the open in front of her parents and friends, even with Adrien there, after keeping them a secret for so long.

“Those are kwamis!” Nino exclaimed.

“Babe! Those are Ladybug and Black Cat kwamis,” Alya added solemnly, turning to Marinette concerned. Marinette patted her hand across the table in reassurance. It was so easy to smile back at her best friend.

Nino’s eyes widened and his face blanched, turning toward Adrien in horror. “Fuck, mec. That makes everything so much worse.”

Adrien barked out a laugh, shaking his head in disagreement. “And so much better,” he said, kissing the back of Marinette’s hand.

“Is that a no to the cheese?” Plagg asked mournfully.

Marinette passed him a cheese danish.

“Ummm…” Her papa blinked at Plagg who was hovering mid-air, happily inhaling the danish that was easily as big as he was like it was nothing. “What are you?”

Tikki bumped Plagg to the side, and took his place. “I’m the kwami of creation. Plagg is the kwami of destruction. We give Ladybug and Chat Noir their powers.”

Her maman’s hands went to her mouth, and her eyes filled with tears.

“I was Ladybug and he was Chat Noir,” Marinette said.

Her maman stood up so fast her chair fell backwards. She ignored it to circle around the table, yanking them both into her arms. Her papa was only a few seconds behind. His large frame enveloped all of them at once.

“Did you know about each other?” her maman asked.

Adrien shook his head. “We’ve only known since last night.”

Her papa chuckled. “Is this why you’re in such a rush to get married?”

Adrien and Marinette blushed. “We were engaged last night before we figured it out, actually,” Marinette said defensively.

“Oooh! You have to tell us exactly how that went down! I want all the details!”

Marinette and Adrien were only too happy to share.

“Honestly, when she told me she was Ladybug, I felt like such an idiot,” Adrien was saying, his fingers firmly interlaced with hers. “I don’t know that anyone else could have gotten through to me.” He smiled at her.

She kissed him. “And no one else could have dragged me through self care.”

Her parents and Nino actually had tears in their eyes. Alya beamed at both of them. “That is such an amazing story! I’m so happy that you found each other! And Nino and I are going to plan you guys the best wedding ever!”

Marinette shook her head violently. “No! Your wedding was the best wedding! It’s not possible for you to beat that!”

Adrien and Nino both laughed. “You’re welcome to try,” Adrien said.

Marinette huffed. And then glanced back down at her hand. She needed to move the miraculous to the right finger.

“So Plagg, about this ring?”

He sighed heavily. “You have to renounce me. Before you put it on again, think about what you want, feel your mushy feelings for your partner, what the ring represents to you and to him. And then put it back on.”

“Why do I get the feeling you’ve done this before?” Adrien teased.

Plagg whirled around. “It’s a ring! Of course I’ve done this before!”

“It wasn’t always,” Tikki interjected. “He chose for it to be a ring.”

“Sugarcube! You’re going to make me regret us being reunited out in the–”

“Plagg, I renounce you.”

“Hey!” he objected, but then he was gone. Marinette slipped the ring off, and held it out to Adrien.

“Will you put it back on for me?” she asked.

With shaking hands, that she hoped were from giddiness with regards to her and to the moment, and not tied to any anxiety or panic he had regarding the miraculous itself, he took the ring from her.

She was distantly aware of the phone Alya had trained on them, and her parents clutching onto one another’s hands. But she ignored them. This moment was about Adrien.

“Adrien, my Chaton, I don’t know how to think about everything you mean to me. From the day we met, you have believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself, you gave me a second chance when I was so quick to judge you. You’re so kind and forgiving to those who have hurt you, including me.”

He shook his head, kissing the knuckle of her ring finger. “You really have to stop blaming yourself, m’lady.”

“Only if you stop blaming yourself!”

His lips pressed together.

“Right! That’s what I thought. Anyway, as I was saying, I have been inspired by your resilience, and your example has helped me find my own. And I just want to say thank you for catching me over and over both literally and figuratively, for pulling me up when I felt I couldn’t go on. I’m standing before you today, breathing and smiling, only because of you. I love you as much as I know h–”

His lips pressed into hers, but she spoiled it by giggling. He just kissed her again, on the corner of her mouth, on her cheek, and on her nose.

He took her hand and slipped the ring on her left ring finger. It turned into a rose gold band with a gleaming green peridot set in the center. It didn’t match the Chat Noir green streaks in her hair. Not exactly. She looked up at Adrien’s smiling face. No, it was the exact same green as his eyes.

She was never going to take it off.

Plagg was back, smiling. “Congrats, kid!”

“Can we do the same thing with the earrings?” he asked, turning towards Tikki.

She looked surprised, and then she lit up! “Of course!”

He renounced Tikki, and took out the earrings.

“I’m not going to be able to put those back in for you,” she told him sadly.

He smiled at her, took both her hands in his own. “What you can’t do doesn’t matter. M’lady, you have always inspired me since the day we met. Both as Ladybug and Marinette you always stood up for what was right again and again even when it was hard. You have been my role model in determination and drive to keep going. You have taught me over and over that there’s always a solution, always something that can be done.”

Her eyes welled with tears. She hadn’t always felt like she lived up to that, but that is what he had always seen in her, wasn’t it?

His hands tightened on hers. “And more than any of that, you taught me what love without conditions could look like. You showed me how to show that love with time and care and never ending patience. And I’m so lucky–”

He broke off suddenly. She squeezed his hands and smiled at him, waiting, knowing that whatever he said was worth it.

He cleared his throat, wiped his eyes. “I’m so lucky that you never gave up on me,” he choked out.

“I love you so much. And more than that, I love us.”

She nodded, silent tears slipping down her face too. “We’re better together,” she agreed. “You and me against the world?”

She held out a fist. He met it easily. And then pulled her into his arms, and dotted her face in kisses.

When he finally took the time to put the ladybug earrings back in, they transformed into sparkly pink flower studs.

He loved them. And she loved seeing him so happy to wear them.

Her papa swept them all up into another group hug. “It’s so good to see you all taking joy in living again!” he said.

Marinette giggled. She glanced up at Adrien.

Things weren’t perfect, but her papa was right.

They now remembered what it meant to live.

And they had so much living left to do. Together.

…

#miraculous ladybug fanfiction #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #pre reveal #post hawkmoth defeat #identity reveal #hurt comfort #severe depression #reference to past suicide attempt #ptsd #happy ending #aftermath #my own content

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