#maribat ladybug

“I’m not-” He starts, but she shakes her head.

“I insist. You are out trying to protect citizens, are you not? The least I can do is offer you a coffee.” She says, turning and walking back inside. She doesn’t turn to see if he follows, but she does hear footsteps behind her. She figures he could walk silently, if he really wanted to. After all, even though he’d been around for eight or so years, few had ever seen Batman. She hums, moving around the kitchen and starting up her small coffee pot and grabbing a few of the leftover pastries from earlier. Placing the pastries on a plate, she pulls down two cups before turning to the vigilante in her kitchen.

“How do you take your coffee?” She asks, and she swears his lips twitch slightly.

“Just black.” He says, and she grins.

“Thank goodness. One of my friends in Paris refuses to drink coffee unless it’s half cream and sugar.” She says, trying to keep the conversation light. After all, what do you say to a random vigilante? It was different when Chat Noir, or Adrien, visited her back in collège. He didn’t start doing that until after she’d helped with Evillustrator, which helped it to not be awkward. Like it currently was with her and Batman. God, why did she even invite him in? She turns and almost sighs in relief when she sees the coffee is done. Quickly filling up both cups, she passes one to Batman and then pushes the plate of pastries towards him.

“I own the cafe downstairs.” She says as an explanation when she sees his lips purse. He nods and grabs a croissant, taking a hesitant bite out of it.

“Thank you.” He says, and she just smiles. She may not want to be a hero again, but maybe it would be okay to be friends with a hero again.

---

The bell over the door notifying her of another customer makes Marinette stick her head out from the back.

“Hello! Welcome to La Petite Tasse, I’ll be with you in just a minute.” She calls, not catching the response before she’s back in the kitchen, pulling a fresh batch of croissants out of the oven. She slides the tray onto the cooling rack before tugging off the oven mitts and rushing out to the front.

“I am so sorry about that, most of my workers are also students so they have class right now. What can I get you?” She rambles, freezing when she looks up into the most attractive blue eyes she’s ever seen. The man just smiles at her, and she swears her knees go weak.

“That’s fine. Could I have... a large black coffee and a croissant?” The man asks, glancing up at the menu before looking back at her. She nods and smiles, cursing the way her cheeks heat up. Sure, this was quite literally the most attractive man she’d ever seen in person, but she was not going to fall for a pretty face. Nope. Totally not. She turns and grabs a cup, filling it up before rushing to the back to grab one of the fresh croissants. After all, they were better warm.

“That’ll be three dollars and twenty seven cents.” She says, passing the man his order. He grins and passes her a twenty.

“Keep the change.” He says with a grin before he turns and walks out. She blinks, slightly confused, but takes the change and puts it into the tip jar. That was weird, she thinks, but she doesn’t think too much into it. It’s not like she’d ever see him again.

---

She had been wrong, and she was completely okay with it. The man came in almost every day for two weeks before she worked up the courage to introduce herself and ask his name. He’d seemed shocked, but had introduced himself as Bruce. And after two weeks, she was happy to say that Gotham had started to feel a little lighter, that she was a little happier in this dark city. The bell above the door chimes, but she keeps working on filling the macarons since Mack was manning the counter.

“Listen kid, open the register and I won’t shoot your fucking brains out.” A voice says. Oh hell no. She drops the piping back and picks up her rolling pin. Peeking out, she breathes a sigh of relief when she sees it’s only one guy, not an entire group. She tosses her rolling pin lightly before catching it, familiarizing herself with it as a projectile before she actually uses it. She watches as Mack’s hands shake, obviously panicked. Letting out a steadying breath, Marinette aims and manages to hit the man in the head with the rolling pin. He drops instantly, the gun clattering to the floor. She rushes out and grabs a couple zip ties from under the counter, walking over and cuffing the man’s hands behind his back before dragging him towards the handrail and attaching him to it. She glares at the man before she remembers Mack and gasps. She rushes over, frantically checking over the girl to make sure she’s okay.

“Mama M, I’m fine. I promise.” She says, though her voice shakes. Marinette breathes a sigh of relief before crushing the girl in a hug.

“I am so sorry, Mack, so, so sorry.” She apologizes, holding the girl close. She can feel the girl shake slightly, her shirt getting wet as the girl cries. Marinette just coos softly, whispering reassuring words to her. She barely hears the bell signaling a customer ring.

“What the hell happened?” A familiar voice asks. She glances over at Bruce and grimaces.

“Attempted robbery. Would you mind calling the police?” She asks, nodding towards the landline. He blinks, standing frozen as he stares at the tied up man in the corner. “Bruce!” She calls, his attention snapping to her. She nods towards the phone again and he nods, walking over to make the call.

---

After the police take their statements, Marinette sends Mack home with the tips from the day, despite the girl’s protests.

“Sweetheart, you were just held at gunpoint. I’m not gonna let you stay here. Go home, eat some junk food and watch something funny. I’ll see you on Monday.” Marinette says, giving the girl another quick hug before watching her leave. She turns to Bruce, who had been kind enough to stay, and winces. “You’re not gonna get in trouble with your boss, are you?” She asks. He just grins.

“I was actually off today, don’t worry about me.” He says, his smile falling as he looks her over. “Are you okay?” He asks. She lets out a shaky breath before nodding.

“Yeah, yeah. I was more worried about Mack, honestly. I was in the back, but I couldn’t just stay there. Not knowing she was in danger.” She says, her arms wrapped around herself as she tries to stay calm. It was the first time she’d had an actual gun aimed at someone she cares about.

“You were quite the hero today.” He says softly, and she snorts, shaking her head.

“No, Bruce, I wasn’t. I did what anyone else would’ve done.” She says, waving him off dismissively.

“Only you would actually believe that there are still people good enough to act like that.” He says softly. She blushes and clears her throat.

“Well, did you want your regular?” She asks, moving to go back behind the counter. He frowns.

“Mari, you aren’t seriously going to open the cafe back up today, are you?” He asks and she frowns.

“Why wouldn’t I?” She asks.

“Because your store was just attacked!” He exclaims, and she snorts.

“If my parent’s bakery in Paris closed every time there was an attack, they would’ve gone out of business.” She says flippantly. He frowns, and she worries she’s said something wrong, when his face suddenly twists back up into a smile.

“Spend the day with me.” He says and she blinks in surprise.

“What?”

“I had set out to ask you on a date when I came in today, but the whole attempted robbery stopped me. I know you want to just get back to work, but what if you spent the day with me instead?” He offers. She stares at him, wide eyed, before a wide smile forms on her face.

“I thought you’d never ask.” She says. It’d be fine to have the cafe closed for a day.

Next

Event tag list: @maribat-october-rarepairs

---

Walking out of Stark tower, Marinette grins. She’d just taken measurements from the Tony Stark. Apparently, he was friends with Jagged and had suggested her for his next event. But not only that, she’d ALSO interviewed Pepper Potts for the project for her business class. And now she had the rest of the day to spend walking around New York. Just as she pulls out her phone from her purse, it starts screaming. She frowns at the familiar notification. Akuma alert. But the rest…Butterfly spotted. No akumatized individual. Foreign hero on scene. She curses under her breath, rushing into an alley and quickly calling up her Pegabug form. She had to get to Paris fast. A butterfly had been spotted as well as a foreign hero? She remembers briefly that Dick was supposedly in France. She calls for a portal, biting her lip in frustration. Why had he brought his suit? Why couldn’t they stay out of it? Landing on top of Notre Dame, she scans the horizon, desperate to find and purify the butterfly before it finds Dick. She couldn’t fight an akumatized hero. Not again.

“Ladybug! Fancy seeing you here.” Nightwing says cheerily. Ladybug frowns.

“What are you doing here?” She asks, not bothering to mask her frustration. She’d been very clear with the League. Wonder Woman was supposed to be the only on duty hero. She couldn’t care less if they came in their civilian forms, as long as they could control their emotions. But coming in costume? It was practically giving Hawkmoth the chance to akumatize a hero.

“I was here on business when I got the alert. Thought I’d come out and-”

“What the fuck is going on?” A familiar figure asks. Her eyes widen. Red Hood. He already struggled with anger from whatever magic he’d been infected by. She could sense it. And according to Damian, Dick also struggled with his anger at times. Now both were standing in front of her, targets basically painted on them.

“You guys have to go. I have no clue where the akuma is, but if Hawkmoth knows you’re in Paris, he’ll target you.” She huffs.

“And you are?” Red Hood asks. Ladybug blinks.

“Did they not tell you?” She asks, confusion flooding through her.

“Tell me what?” He asks, turning to Nightwing.

“Hood-” He starts.

“Tell me what?” Red Hood snaps. Ladybug glances around, biting her lip as she tries to figure out where the damn butterfly was.

“There’s been a…situation in Paris over the last five years. I’m Ladybug, one of Paris’ heroes.” She explains. His body freezes, the tension in his shoulders visible.

“You? You’re a fucking kid.” He snaps, hands shaking. Ladybug’s eyes narrow.

“I may be young, but I’ve done a damn good job of protecting my city. From day one, I’ve given it my all.” She snaps.

“Who puts a kid in charge of an entire city? Where’s your mentor? Or an adult?” Red Hood asks, practically vibrating with anger. She catches sight of the butterfly too late. Before she can stop it, it’s melting into the- of course it would go into the actual freaking gun. Ladybug takes a step back, knowing how impossible it was to try and fight akumatizations.

“Nightwing, we have to go.” She says. He frowns, and she watches, frozen in horror as he lunges forward and rips the gun out of Red Hood’s hand. Immediately, the purple haze appears over his face.

“Stay the hell away from my family.” He hisses, talking to an unseen force. His face twists, confusion and pain clear in his expression. For a second, she thinks he’s fought it. That he’s not going to give in. But just like that, her hope falls.

“Yes, Hawkmoth.” He says, sending ice into her veins.

“Go.” She commands Red Hood, grabbing his arm and tugging him after her as the dark cloud trickles over Nightwing.

“Like hell.” He says, trying to pull away from her.

“He’s not going to be himself, so unless you want him to kill you and then have to live with that later, I suggest you shut the hell up and follow me.” Ladybug snaps. Red Hood stops struggling, and instead follows after her closely.

“No one will ever have to hurt again! Frightwing will liberate you all.” The akumatized Nightwing shouts. Ladybug shivers, a chill shooting down her spine. She wasn’t sure that she liked the idea of an akumatized Nightwing ‘liberating’ people. Especially one whose akumatized object was a gun. She runs with Red Hood until they get to a secluded alcove. She shoves him back, making sure that both of them are hidden from sight.

“What the hell are we supposed to do now? How do we help Nightwing?” Red Hood asks, clearly frustrated. Ladybug sets a hand on his shoulder, trying desperately to calm him down. The last thing they needed was to stop the Nightwing situation only to have Red Hood akumatized. That was not on her list of ways she wanted to spend her weekend.

“First off, you calm down. Nothing that we do will matter if you let yourself stay angry.” She huffs. He growls, ripping his helmet off to reveal a domino mask underneath. The white streak in his hair, though, was completely recognizable (even though she’d only met Jason Todd twice). Everything kinda falls into place once you know the identity of one of the Batclan.

“Fine, okay, I’m fucking calm. Now what?” He asks. She studies him for a moment, taking in his more relaxed shoulders, the way his jaw wasn’t clenched anymore. It definitely wasn’t healthy, but he was good at pushing away the negative emotions. That would come in handy.

“Now we get the gun from him and break it. I didn’t stick around to see if he got any other weapons or anything though. Did you-” She starts to ask, but an explosion shakes the city. She gasps, reaching out and clutching onto a piece of the stone that was jutting out. Letting out a shaky breath, she peeks around, gritting her teeth at the sight of Paris burning.

“Did- is he going to remember what he did?” Red Hood asks, the pain in his voice clear. She squeezes her eyes shut and shakes her head.

“He won’t. But Paris will. And there will be videos. None of Paris will blame him, but…he may still blame himself.” Ladybug says quietly.

“Then we have to end this soon. Before he does something that he’ll hate himself for later.” Red Hood says, his mouth set in a firm line. Ladybug nods.

“Agreed.” She says. “I’m going to call my team in.” She adds, pulling out her yoyo. She tries Chat Noir first, frowning when he doesn’t pick up. He was usually out and on the rooftops at the first sign of trouble. “Chat, I don’t know where you are, but I’m gonna need you and Carapace for this one. It’s bad.” She says before hanging up. Before she can try to call Carapace, her yoyo rings.

“Hey LB, were those explosions akuma related?” Carapace asks over the communicator.

“I believe so. A foreign hero was akumatized.” She says. He curses.

“Why was a foreign hero here?” He asks. She resists the urge to go on a rant, knowing they don’t have the time.

“I assume it was civilian obligations. But for now, we need to focus on purifying his akuma. He doesn’t seem to have a real agenda besides ‘liberating people from pain’.” She explains. Carapace sighs.

“That sounds bad. Like, really bad.” He says.

“And that’s the understatement of the century. Look, I can’t get a hold of Chat Noir, but I have Red Hood with me now. I believe he’s going to help us.” She says. Red Hood snorts.

“Damn right I’m helping.” He grumbles.

“Dude that is so-”

“Fangirl later, Carapace. After we’ve won this fight.” She says.

“Right. Start your tracker. I’ll find you.” Carapace says before hanging up. Ladybug switches the tracker on on her yoyo so that Carapace (and Chat Noir) could find her easier.

“Let’s go save Nightwing.”

---

Nightwing, or Frightwing as he was calling himself, was brutal. Their fight had been going on for hours, and everyone on her team was injured. Chat Noir still hadn’t shown up, so she could only assume he was out of town for work. Apparently his job asked him to travel often. It would be nice if he would let her know ahead of time though, especially when unexpected things like this happened. This was one of the hardest fights they’d ever had. Both physically and mentally. She acted like she didn’t notice the crumpled bodies, or the fires spreading throughout the city. Right now, it didn’t matter. They’d be saved if her team won. But if they didn’t- she yelps in pain as Frightwing manages to strike her ribs with a metal pole.

“Hey, Wing, knock it off.” Red Hood snaps, charging at him. Before Ladybug can stop him, Frightwing rears back and whacks Red Hood full force in the head with his metal pole. She screams as his body crumples to the ground, blood starting to pool around his head.

“Carapace, shield.” She directs, voice shaking. Before he can, a shot rings out and Carapace collapses, groaning in pain as he clutches at his shoulder. Right as Frightwing takes aim again, Carapace calls a shield, letting it cover both him and Red Hood. Ladybug glares, adjusting her position. Frightwing opens his mouth, before his face morphs, pain covering his expression. A purple haze falls over his eyes and he snarls.

“What’s wrong Ladybug, can’t handle my newest creation?” He says, but his voice is wrong. It almost sounds as if there are two people speaking, instead of one. Like he was possessed.

“You got lucky, Hawkmoth.” She hisses. He laughs, but it sounds wrong. So much darker than how Damian had described Dick. It was startling.

“Luck had nothing to do with it. A little birdy told me that Nightwing had nearly as much training as Batman. That he would be the perfect target. So when he showed up in costume, what else could I do? I had to use him. And then that damned Red Hood tried to steal the butterfly that was meant for Nightwing. But I got him. And now, Ladybug, I’ll kill you. And then I’ll take your Miraculous.” Frightwing says, his voice still wrong. Ladybug freezes, the bile rising up in her throat. They’d been set up. Hawkmoth had planned to use Nightwing, from the moment he saw him. He was a target. Clenching her jaw, she shifts her weight. It was time to end this. She charges forward, leaping and wrapping her legs around him in an attempt to throw off his weight. He stumbles slightly, but doesn’t fall. Ladybug screams in rage, frustration building up. She didn’t ask for this. For any of it. And now she was caught in a losing battle, desperate to end it. To save Paris. To save her … something’s brother. With a new amount of energy, she fights. For every punch she throws and dodges, she misses a hit and earns a new bruise. But she had to get through it. She didn’t have a choice. Watching his left hand, she lunges right as his grip on the gun loosens. She smacks it against the ground, watching it shatter and the butterfly shoot out of it. Ladybug leaps, trapping it in her yoyo. She gives it a moment before opening it and letting it fly out, purified. Glancing over at Nightwing, she winces at the lost look on his face. How he managed to look like a lost puppy even with his domino mask on was a mystery to her.

“Did I do this?” He asks, his voice tight. She bites her lip, but nods.

“But it’ll be okay.” She promises, following his gaze to the crumpled forms of Red Hood and Carapace. It would be okay, right?

Next

Permanent tag list: @stainedglassm @kittenmywaythrulife @laydeekrayzee @doll246 @queenz-z @deathssilentapproach-blog @literaryhiraeth @unoriginalmess @crazylittlemunchkin

“No, I didn’t. And before you lecture me, I know it’s not healthy. I’m trying to do better, I just- I’ve been feeling a little overwhelmed lately.” She admits.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” He asks.

“No, I don’t think so.” Marinette says sadly.

“Would you like to get lunch today? We could go out somewhere nice, take a break from everything else.” Damian suggests.

“That sounds nice.” She says.

“I’ll pick you up at noon?” He suggests.

“Sounds great. I love you.” Marinette says, loving how freeing it felt to utter those three little words.

“And I you.” He says before hanging up. Marinette grins, excitement thrumming in her veins. She had plenty of time to take a quick nap and work on some commissions before lunch.

“Marinette, we really need to talk.” Tikki says, zipping into the room, the panic clear on their face. Marinette blinks in surprise, not used to seeing the kwami in such a state.

“Of course. Are you okay?” She asks, turning so that she can focus on her friend. Tikki zips around, obviously their version of pacing as they shake their head.

“No, I mean, this isn’t about me, Marinette. It’s about you and your team. And Hawkmoth.” They say frowning.

“Oh.” Marinette says, panic creeping up on her. “Am I- is this about our plan?” She asks. Tikki nods.

“Yes. And I tried to tell you sooner, but I couldn’t because-” They’re cut off by the shrill ringing of the akuma alarm. Marinette winces.

“It’s okay, Paris can wait a few minutes.” She says, trying to help Tikki calm down. They start to cry, startling Marinette.

“You can’t go. He-” The burner phone, the one that only Carapace and Chat Noir had the number for, begins ringing shrilly. Marinette frowns apologetically.

“I’m so sorry Tikki. Just, just give me a minute, okay?” She asks. Answering the phone, she immediately shifts into Ladybug mode. “Hello?”

“LB please hurry. I’m not- Dude! Not cool! I haven’t seen Chat Noir yet and I don’t know- listen dude, swords are not- SHELTER!” He yells, before the line goes dead. Marinette’s eyes widen.

“We have to go.” She says. Tikki, who was still crying, nods slowly. Marinette feels awful, but she calls her transformation before throwing Kaalki’s glasses on and calling a portal. Dropping into Paris, her eyes widen at the giant green shelter currently protecting a group of people, including Carapace, as a dozen people with swords continuously stab at the green shield. This wasn’t going to be easy.

---

She was right. And she hated it. Several hours had gone by, no sign of Chat Noir, and she and Carapace had already been forced to recharge several times. She was starting to worry that he’d either been taken down by a minion as a civilian, or was a minion himself. She and Carapace had both tried to call him, several times. Ladybug had even used the burner phone, but no luck.

They also weren’t having much luck finding the actual akumatized person. Just a lot of minions. With swords. She glances at the clock and swears under her breath.

“Carapace? I gotta make a quick call.” She says. He gives her a thumbs up, but focuses on the minion he was busy fighting. Hopping up onto a low roof, she pulls out her yoyo and dials Damian’s number.

“Hello?” He says, and she can practically hear the frown in his voice.

“Hey Damian.” She says, keeping an eye on her surroundings.

“Marinette? Did your number change?” He asks and she has to suppress the urge to groan. Unless she took the time to press the right buttons on her yoyo, it came up as unlisted. Which was usually helpful, but not so much in this moment.

“I can explain that later. I might be a bit late for lunch.” She says, feeling awful.

“Is everything okay?” He asks. Marinette starts to respond, but yelps instead as another minion shows up out of nowhere, slashing at her with a sword. “Marinette!”

“Just a sec.” She says, muting the call as she throws her yoyo forward, wraps it around the minion and pulls them close. “I was in the middle of a conversation.” She chastises before yanking their sword away and using the butt of it to knock the minion out. Huffing, she unmutes the call. “Sorry about that, just uh, klutz moment?”

“Marinette, what is going on? Do you need assistance?” Damian asks, worry clear in his voice. Marinette frowns.

“Uh no?” She says unsurely. Honestly, it might be time to move up their plans. See if they could get Hawkmoth today.

“Are you-” He starts, but she screams in pain as a sword is inserted into her shoulder. Yanking away, she snaps her yoyo shut and immediately starts fighting the minion. It was time to end this.

---

Damian Wayne liked to think of himself as a level headed individual. Yes, he could get angry. He was his Father’s son, after all. However, he always believed that he could stay calm in tricky situations. That belief, though, crumbled the instant he heard Marinette’s pain filled scream.

“Marinette!” He yells, panic shooting through him. But the call disconnects. Making his mind, Damian grabs his keys and rushes out of the manor, towards her apartment. He definitely broke several traffic laws as he sped through Gotham, but he didn’t care. He had to make sure she was okay. Parking right in front of her building, he takes the stairs two at a time, not wanting to wait for the ancient elevator. Rushing to a stop in front of her door, he knocks twice. Not hearing any movement on the other side, he uses his spare key to unlock the door and enter the apartment. He stays silent as he clears the apartment, scanning for any sign of a struggle. Any sign as to why his girlfriend was hurt. And how. But there was nothing. Pushing down his panic, he tries to call her back on the number she’d just used, but the call would not go through. It was almost as if the number did not exist. Frowning, he tries her personal number.

“Pick up, pick up.” He mutters into the phone.

“Hi!” She says chirpily, and he sighs with relief. “This is Marinette. I can’t come to the phone-” He growls and hangs up, pacing the living room for a minute before calling her back.

“Hi! This is Marinette. I can’t come to the phone-” He hangs up again. He runs through his head for any contacts they have in common who she may have contacted. Kent? Maybe….making up his mind, he exits the apartment and locks the door again. Taking the stairs two at a time again, he decides to call Agreste on his way to the Batcave. If he hadn’t heard from her either, Damian would just have to try and find her as Robin. He had more resources that way.

“Hello?” Agreste answers on the second ring, sounding as though he had recently been exercising.

“Agreste, this is Damian Wayne.” Damian says, switching his phone over to the bluetooth in his car.

“Yeah, obviously. I have caller ID. What is it?” Agreste asks with a huff. Damian frowns.

“I was calling to see if you had heard from Marinette.” He says. Agreste grunts, sounding almost as if he was in the middle of a fight.

“No, I haven’t. Is that all?” He asks, clearly frustrated.

“What is happening?” Damian asks.

“Akuma attack. Gotta go.” Agreste huffs out, the line disconnecting.

“Call Jon Kent.” Damian says.

“Calling, Jon Kent.” The car says, the sound of the phone ringing echoing throughout the car.

“Damian! What’s up?” Kent asks happily.

“Have you heard from Marinette?” Damian asks.

“No? What’s wrong, you sound worried?” Kent asks, clearly concerned. Damian lets out a slow breath, trying to calm himself. He was no use to Marinette if he was panicked.

“I was on the phone with Marinette, she screamed, and the call disconnected.” He says simply.

“I’ll try listening for her. We’ll figure out what it is, Damian. Don’t worry.” Kent reassures him.

“If I do not hear from her soon, I will be going out as Robin to look for her.” Damian says.

“I’ll make sure my suit is ready.” Kent says simply before hanging up. Damian feels a small wave of relief wash over him. They would find her. She would be okay. She had to be okay. Using one of the exterior entrances for the Batcave, Damian freezes as he hears Marinette’s voice ring throughout the cave.

“Marinette?” He whispers, unbelieving. He rushes forward, but stays hidden in the shadows when he sees it’s Ladybug on the screen talking to his Father. Not Marinette. He frowns. He was so sure…

“Our plan’s been moved up. Chat Noir is MIA and we can’t find the akumatized individual. It’s almost like they don’t exist. Which isn’t the point. I need someone to help scan security cameras, try and help us get a location on Hawkmoth. Maybe even Chat Noir? I don’t know, I’m just worried that he’s hurt and that Carapace and I aren’t around to help him.” Ladybug rambles. Damian narrows his eyes as he looks at her. Her face had scratches, and the fabric on one of her shoulders was darker than the other. Most likely drenched in blood.

“Of course, Ladybug. Do you need additional backup?” His Father asks. Her eyes widen slightly and she ducks down as a sword comes into view.

“Listen asshole, you already made me cancel my damn date. Stop trying to kill me!” She screeches, somehow gaining control of the sword. She flips it and the hilt of the sword disappears momentarily, a thud occurring out of sight before she twirls the sword, relaxing her shoulders slightly. Damian gasps lowly as he looks at her, and it’s almost as if a layer of magic surrounding her melts away. He tunes out the rest of the conversation because he realizes: Marinette is Ladybug. Skirting around the edges of the cave, he makes it to the locker room. Grabbing one of his suits, he pulls out his phone and calls Kent again.

“I need a pickup outside my house in two minutes. We are going to Paris.”

---

“Carapace, fall back. We need to recharge.” Ladybug says tiredly. He nods, taking a few steps back to stand in line with her. Wrapping her arm around his waist, she manages to swing them away from the horde of minions that were quickly approaching. Swinging into her go-to alcove, she lets her shoulders slump.

“Okay, seriously, where is the akuma? Or Hawkmoth? It’s like he’s trying to play with us. Trying to mess with us.” Carapace huffs out. She shrugs before turning, both standing back to back as they let their transformations drop.

“I have no clue. And Batman is having trouble trying to find anything. I hate how this is all happening right before we were supposed to execute our plan. Seriously, how is our luck this bad? The Ladybug Miraculous is supposed to be good luck.” She huffs out.

“Oops?” A familiar voice says. Marinette’s eyes widen as Chat Noir lands in front of them, his eyes wide.

“Chat Noir!” Marinette shrieks, hoping he hadn’t been around long enough to know.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry you guys. I didn’t- Well, the plan wasn’t-” He starts to ramble, a terrified look on his face.

“It’s okay dude.” Nino says gently, his eyes closed. Marinette pinches the bridge of her nose, wanting nothing more than for this to all be a bad dream. Everything that could go wrong, was going wrong.

“No, you don’t understand.” Chat Noir says, shaking his head. Marinette frowns.

“What do you mean?” She asks.

“Plagg, claws in.” He says. She yelps and squeezes her eyes shut.

“No, Marinette, Nino, please, look at me.” He says, effectively outing her to Nino (though, she was pretty sure he already knew). “Guys please.” He says again. Marinette opens her eyes, blinking in surprise.

“Adrien?” She says.

“No way.” Nino says, not opening his eyes.

“Open your eyes, ya goof.” Marinette says with a laugh. Nino huffs, but opens his eyes, jaw dropping.

“I can’t believe you’re Chat Noir.” He breathes out. Adrien chuckles.

“Surprise?” He says. Marinette frowns.

“Your Father-” She starts, and Adrien nods, a hopeful look on his face.

“Yeah, I know, but see, now that we know each other’s identities, it’ll be so much easier.” He says. She frowns.

“Easier for what? I thought our team worked fine.” She says. He sighs.

“Yeah, sure, but now that you know everything, you’ll give me the earrings, right?” He asks. She flinches, taking a step back as he takes a step forward.

“What?” She says under her breath.

“Your earrings? I really didn’t want to have to fight you guys, and now that we know we’re all friends under the masks too, you’ll give them to me, right?” He pleads. Tears spring to her eyes as she shakes her head.

“No, no, Adrien what are you-”

“I’ve been helping my Father.” He says quietly. “I just- I want my mom back.”

“Run.” Nino whispers before calling his transformation and lunging at Adrien. Marinette quickly calls on Tikki before swinging away, moving as quickly as she can as she hears her friends fight behind her. The panic shoots through her veins as she realizes how difficult this just became. Adrien was Chat Noir. Chat Noir was on Hawkmoth’s side. Hawkmoth, technically, already had the ring. She swings into one of the towers of Notre-Dame, everything starting to piece together in her mind. When he’d stopped showing up for battles. When he stopped being as helpful. The fact that he wasn’t working with the Young Justice at all. She chokes back a sob, immediately throwing a punch as someone lands in front of her.

“Ladybug, stop!” Damian yells. Her eyes widen at the sight of her boyfriend in his Robin gear standing next to Jon.

“What are you doing here?” She asks, wiping furiously at her eyes.

“I was worried when you screamed and the call cut off.” He says.

“Well I didn’t mean to worry you, but I don’t exactly have a better reaction to being stabbed- oh shit.” Her eyes widen as she realizes he knew. “How long-”

“Earlier. I was in the cave while Father was on the call with you.” He says simply. She tries hard to ignore the awful churning in her stomach. Another thud makes her tense, then relax immediately at the sight of Carapace.

“Somehow, we’re still linked, we’ve gotta keep moving cause he can definitely still track us. We can’t afford to detransform until we’ve taken their Miraculous.” Carapace says firmly, wiping blood off his face. Ladybug’s eyes widen.

“What the hell did he-”

“LB, dudette, love your concern, not right now.” He says firmly, glancing at the other heroes before pursing his lips. “You tell him?” He asks, nodding towards Jon. Ladybug winces, shaking her head.

“No, I-”

“Mari, Nino, please come back!” Chat Noir yells, and she can tell he’s moving towards them fast.

“What the hell-” Damian starts, but she cuts him off.

“Not right now. I’ll explain later.” She says, running and leaping out of the tower.

“Please! Just- look, we don’t want to hurt you! Especially now that I know you’re my friends. Please.” Chat pleads, calling after them. An idea pops into her head.

“Then get your Father to show up. Meet us himself and promise us that he won’t hurt us or our families.” Ladybug calls back to him. She pauses on a roof, breathing heavily as she watches him also pause. He tilts his head to the side, and she’s not sure if he’s thinking, or using a comm to communicate with his dad. The thought makes her stomach churn. How often had Hawkmoth listened in on their meetings? Their plans? Their hangouts where they all claimed to love and care for each other. Where they promised each other that everything would be okay. How long had he pretended to be on their side? How long had he been a traitor?

“Fine. He says…the top of Françoise Dupont in fifteen minutes.” He says, glancing longingly at Jon before rushing away. Ladybug waits until she can’t see him, then collapses to her knees, letting out a long scream.

“I gotchu LB, don’t worry.” Carapace says gently, wrapping his arms around her as she gives herself just a minute to cry. A minute to let everything sink in. Because besides everything that had happened, he was still her friend. She cared about him, and the fact that he had turned on them hurt like hell.

“What is going on?” Damian asks, the worry clear in his voice. Sucking in a deep breath, she wipes her eyes, letting Carapace help her to her feet shakily.

“Chat Noir has been working for Hawkmoth.” She says softly. Carapace huffs, and she glances at him.

“That’s putting it lightly, LB. He betrayed us. This wasn’t some spur of the moment shit. He planned this. He’s been working with him for a while. He was the mole. The reason Hawkmoth always seemed one step ahead of us. He tried to get LB to give up her earrings earlier. Once he realized that we’re friends under the mask too. God, how could I be so stupid?” Carapace yells, whirling around and punching a chimney. He swears under his breath and shakes out his hand, the bruises on his knuckles already forming.

“Who is it?” Jon asks, sounding panicked. Marinette winces, turning away. “Who is it?” He asks again, softer this time.

“I think you know.” She says. His face crumbles, before a hard mask covers it and he whirls around, flying towards the school. Shit. She zips after him, hearing Robin and Carapace scramble to follow. She lands a little bit away, frowning at the scene in front of her.

“Did you ever even love me?” Jon asks. Chat-no- Adrien whirls around, eyes wide.

“Jon-”

“No! Did you ever care about me? About any of us? Because if you did- if you did, Adrien, how the hell can you stand there and work alongside someone who has emotionally tortured people for years?” Jon screams, tears streaming down his face. Adrien frowns, glancing around as if looking for some sort of backup.

“But, my mom-” He says. Jon shakes his head.

“You could have asked for help! The second you found out she was here, in a coma, you could have come to the League. Or Ladybug or someone and asked for help. So many different heroes could have helped you, and would have been willing! Especially since you were a hero. God, Adrien, you were a hero! You stood there and watched LB get totally wrecked at several different attacks, all because you didn't have the fucking guts to stand up and say that something was wrong. Or at least the fucking decency to stay home if you weren't going to help her.” Jon growls out. Marinette winces, not used to seeing this side of Jon. Adrien sighs, taking a step towards Jon. He visibly flinches as Jon takes a step away from him.

“Jon, please, I’m begging you. I just-”

“No. We're done, Agreste. I am so beyond hurt, right now. I- I loved you, Adrien. I loved you and you hurt me. You hurt the people I care about. People that I thought you cared about-” Jon freezes, visibly tensing. “How long have you been working with him?” Marinette inhales sharply. That was the one thing she hadn’t asked. The one thing she wasn’t sure if- she didn’t know what she’d do if it turned out their entire partnership had been a lie.

“I-” Adrien hesitates, and her heart drops. “I’m not sure you want me to tell you.”

“How long?” Jon yells, the pain clear on his face.

“Almost two years.” He says, and Marinette can’t help the tears that start streaming once again.

“Did you ever even love me? Are you even sorry?” Jon asks, shaking his head.

“Yes! Jon, I’m so- I never meant- I love you. Please.” Adrien pleads, rushing forward and trying to grab Jon’s hands. Jon shakes his head, flying away, probably to wherever Robin was hiding. Marinette glances at Carapace, who had landed next to her. She reaches down and squeezes his hand in reassurance. Chat Noir was Ladybug’s best friend. Adrien was Nino’s. Taking in a deep breath, she moves with him to stand in front of Adrien, who had tears streaming down his face.

“Where is Hawkmoth?” She asks, wanting nothing more than to get this over with. He hiccups, swiping at his tears.

“I uh, I don’t, he should be coming.” Adrien mutters out, his face contorted with pain. “Mari? Remember when you said I didn’t have to be perfect to deserve love?” He asks. She bites her lip harshly, ignoring the sting from the breaking of the delicate skin.

“That didn’t mean you could go and work with a villain, Adrien! God, do you know I would have done anything to help you bring your mother back? I would have walked through hell for you, Adrien. I would have even gone to that stupid misogynstic temple full of people who hated me, if it meant I could learn the right magic to help. Why didn’t you let us help you?” She says, shaking her head.

“Because he did not need your false promises, Miss Dupain-Cheng.” Hawkmoth says, landing next to Adrien, Mayura landing behind him.

“Well what a dysfunctional family.” Carapace says, narrowing his eyes. Hawkmoth- Gabriel, purses his lips.

“Lahiffe.” He says with a nod.

“Now you can give us the earrings and we can fix mom and everything will be okay. Because you won’t hurt them, right, Father?” Adrien says, glancing at his dad hopefully. Gabriel quirks an eyebrow, holding his hand out.

“The ring, Adrien.” He says. Adrien frowns.

“You won’t hurt them, right Father?” He asks. Gabriel’s eyes narrow.

“Do you want your mother back or would you rather protect your little friends?” He asks. Adrien winces, glancing up at them. And for a moment, for a split second, Marinette thinks he’s on their side. That it was all an elaborate prank. But then he frowns at them.

“I’m sorry.” He says, taking his ring off and ignoring Plagg’s cries as he passes it to his dad. “I just want my mom back.” Before Gabriel can slide the ring on, a figure flashes forward and grabs it, rushing back to stand by her.

“I believe this belongs to you, LB.” Kid Flash says, his eyes sad. She nods firmly, turning and glaring at the group in front of her.

“I suggest you hand over the Miraculous now.” She says. Gabriel roars with fury, a cloud of purple and black magic forming over him. Gritting her teeth, she turns to Kid Flash and raises an eyebrow. He nods and darts forward, barely visible before he’s standing next to her once again. He passes the two brooches to her, and her stomach churns. All of this. Five years of torture. Of dying, and hurting. And never being able to actually feel. It never would have happened without these little pieces of jewelry. And the man in front of her. Five years of pain. Over.

Next

Permanent tag list: @stainedglassm @kittenmywaythrulife @laydeekrayzee @doll246 @queenz-z @deathssilentapproach-blog @literaryhiraeth @unoriginalmess @crazylittlemunchkin

“I’m gonna go try and book a flight, but I’ll text you once I know more, okay?” She says. Nino nods.

“See ya!” He says before hanging up. Glancing at her sketchbook, she flips through to the page with the dress designs that Alya had approved. One for a formal ceremony, and then a shorter one for the reception. If she didn’t sleep between now Friday, she should be able to whip up the reception dress in time for the wedding. Nodding to herself, she picks her phone back up so that she can book a flight. She grins at the text from Nino.

if he’s not busy u should bring damian

Quickly pulling up Damian’s contact, she hits the call button and sits back, smiling at Tikki as they zip out of the bedroom and grab a cookie from the kitchen.

“Hello Angel. Did you still want to study this evening?” Damian asks as he answers. Marinette winces.

“Well, you can study, but I’ll need to work on a new dress design. Which is actually why I called.” She explains. Damian nods.

“That would work. Who is the dress for?” He asks.

“Alya. You remember how her and Nino got engaged over the summer? Well, she got a job offer in the US and Nino has to stay in Paris for something. So, they’re gonna get married on Friday and I’m trying to make a dress for her since she’d originally commissioned me to make her wedding dress anyway.” Marinette explains. Damian makes a noise to let her know he’s listening, and she continues. “I was getting ready to look for a flight. I know that we have school, but I was wondering if you wanted to come with me.”

“When are you trying to go and return?” He asks. Marinette hums, glancing down at her planner.

“I’m gonna try to find a flight for Thursday and then come back Saturday. That way I have all day with Nino and Alya.” She says.

“I would love to accompany you, Marinette.” He says.

“Great! I can start looking for-”

“We could just use my Father’s jet.” Damian suggests. Marinette stops and blinks.

“I’m sorry, your father has a jet?” She asks incredulously. Damian snorts.

“He is one of the richest men in the world, Angel. I believe he bought a second smaller jet once Stark revealed he was Iron Man. Something about ‘not being bested by that mustached freak’?” Damian says. Marinette laughs.

“Why does the thought of your dad talking to Tony Stark make me wanna do some weird cry laugh thing?” She asks, grinning.

“Trust me, the feeling is mutual.” He says, making her snort again, before she calms herself down. Time to get serious.

“Mon amour, I’m not sure I’d feel comfortable using your dad’s plane.” Marinette says softly.

“Very well. But I will pay for my ticket.” He says.

“But I’m the one who-” She starts, but he cuts her off.

“Angel, I’m not going to ask you to pay for my ticket. I want to go with you and celebrate Lahiffe and Césaire’s wedding. They are important to you, so I want to be a part of it.” Damian says. Marinette’s heart flutters, love- really, really like, washing over her. She knew that Damian wasn’t super fond of her friends back in Paris. Nor did he like socializing with people in general. The fact that he was willing to fly all the way to France, just because he knew she would appreciate him coming to her friend’s wedding, meant a lot.

“I’ll go ahead and book them and then you can pay me back. Otherwise, I’m not sure we’d be able to sit next to each other.” She says.

“Fine. May I still come over in an hour?” He asks.

“Of course.” She says, smiling. Sure, sometimes she felt like she was living on borrowed time (trying to have a full life in Gotham and protect Paris), but little moments with Damian made it worth it. Even if she was afraid it would all crumble the second he found out the truth.

---

“Do you really expect to be able to stay awake throughout the day? You haven’t slept since you found out about the wedding.” Damian points out, frowning at her from his spot on the couch. They’d booked a room at Le Grand Paris so that Alya wouldn’t know they were in town. As much as she loved her parents, she knew if she was at the bakery, her papa wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret. It was better to just stay out of sight until the wedding. And she was so close to finishing the dress.

“If I sleep now, I won’t be able to finish the dress. And Nino told me what time Alya wanted to start getting ready tomorrow, and I have to be there for that. I know we’ve kind of grown apart since I moved to Gotham, but she’s still one of my best friends.” Marinette says, suppressing a yawn. She knew if she started yawning now, Damian would literally carry her to bed. He’d done it before.

“And if you don’t sleep now, you’ll be dead on your feet.” Damian huffs. He was constantly trying to get her to take better care of herself. And she knew it was because he cared, but sometimes it was hard not to call him a hypocrite. After all, he was the one who ran around Gotham fighting people without a magic suit.

“I promise I’ll be fine. If I’m too tired, I’ll just grab some more coffee.” Marinette offers, intently staring at the cluster of flowers and cameras she was trying to embroider. Damian scoffs.

“You are almost worse than Drake.”

“Hmm. Only almost?” Marinette teases, glancing up with a smirk. Damian narrows his eyes.

“I can assure you it is not a compliment.” He says. Marinette snorts, shaking her head as she focuses back in on the embroidery. They sit in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before Damian stands, and grabs something before heading into the bathroom. They hadn’t booked a full suite, since they would only be there for two nights, so the bathroom was really the only place with privacy. He walks back out a few minutes later in workout clothes. Marinette feels her cheeks heat up and she looks away, trying not to ogle her boyfriend.

“Going to work out?” She asks. He nods.

“Seeing as you refuse to sleep, I thought I would go do something productive. I’ll be in the gym if you need me.” He says, giving her a swift kiss on the cheek before walking away. Marinette just smiles, focusing once more on the embroidery. She gets lost in the process, working quickly and silently for twenty minutes, until the akuma alarm blasts throughout the room. Cursing under her breath, she gently lays the dress down on the couch, glancing over at Tikki, who shrugs.

“Perhaps this means Alya and Nino won’t have an akuma interrupt their wedding.” They say with a hopeful smile. Marinette sighs, but smiles and nods.

“Hopefully you’re right, Tikki.” Marinette says before quickly calling her transformation and throwing herself out the window. She swings around, scanning the area for the akuma.

“LB! You got here quickly.” Chat notes, moving quickly to catch up with her. She nods.

“I didn’t have to fight to get away to transform this time.” She lies. Well, it wasn’t quite a lie. But it definitely wasn’t the reason she’d shown up so quickly.

“What’s up dudes?” Carapace huffs, catching up to them. Ladybug nods at him in greeting, then remembers what he’d told her (well, Marinette) earlier in the week.

“Carapace, we need to talk after this fight.” She says. He flinches back slightly.

“Am I in trouble?” He asks. Her eyes widen and she shakes her head.

“No, no of course not. Nothing’s wrong, I just- I had a question for you about something to do with your civilian life.” She says. He frowns, but nods.

“Right on. Has anyone seen the akuma? Any idea what we’re up against?” Carapace asks. Ladybug shakes her head, eyes still scanning the city.

“Nothing. Anyone seen anything on the Ladyblog?” She asks. Carapace shakes his head.

“Nothing. Are we sure this isn’t just a false ala-” Carapace’s face twists into pain and Ladybug screams at the sword protruding from her friend’s chest. He starts to fall, but she catches him, letting Chat Noir cover her back as she carries him off. She had to find a safe place to stash him.

“You’re gonna be okay.” She mutters, eyes filled with tears.

“You gotta…you gotta win this one.” He stumbles through his words, blood appearing at the corners of his mouth. Her stomach churns, but she nods. He was dying. Her friend was dying in her arms.

“I will.” She says, heart breaking as he stops breathing. She lays him carefully somewhere that no one would be able to find him, trying to decide if she should take his Miraculous or not. She didn’t want his identity revealed, but if he couldn’t protect it-

“I’ll stay with him, Guardian.” Trixx says, coming out of nowhere. Ladybug blinks at them.

“Why are you out?” She asks, trying hard to keep her voice steady. She’d allowed Trixx to come because they wanted to see Alya get married. But they’d promised to stay out of sight.

“You have to help Chat Noir. I’ll stay with Carapace, and if someone comes for his Miraculous, I’ll hide him with Mirage. You can fix whatever I break anyway.” They point out. Ladybug frowns, but gives a firm nod.

“I’ll be back.” She says, turning and swinging back towards Chat Noir who was holding his own pretty well. It was impressive. He’d obviously had some practice with swords, because he was definitely using his baton like she’d seen Robin use his katana.

“Welcome back LB. This is Slicer.” He huffs out, blocking another swipe from the akuma. Ladybug narrows her eyes at the akuma, scanning them to try and find their object. She notices a bracelet hanging loosely off the akuma’s wrist. Before she can tell Chat her plan, she sees the sword coming for him. And he wouldn’t be able to block it. Making a split second decision, she leaps forward, shoving Chat out of the way and earning a sword through her shoulder blade. She screams, stumbling slightly. Chat gasps, wrapping an arm around her waist and tugging her away from the fight. As they land on a roof, he looks her up and down, a frown on his face.

“What the hell were you thinking?” He asks, eyes narrowed. Ladybug huffs, rolling her arm back to try and push through the pain.

“I was thinking that I didn’t want to hold another friend while they died in my arms.” She snaps. His eyes widen, hurt flashing through them.

“Carapace is dead?” He asks, his voice rough. She nods, swiping away the tears that form.

“Yeah, he is. So the quicker we can get rid of this damn akuma, the better.” Ladybug snaps. He nods, hands visibly shaking.

“Right. Right.” He says. “So, the plan?” He asks. She immediately focuses, calling her Lucky Charm and giving him the full version of the plan. Hopefully, neither of them would be stabbed again. She was already worried about the number of people who’d been killed via sword since the akuma started. Didn’t need to add another member of the Miraculous team to that list. Luckily, though, their plan goes off without a hitch. The second she can, she casts the cure, but she can feel something’s wrong. She stumbles slightly, black spots dancing across her vision.

“Chat- I- I don’t-” She stammers out. His eyebrows furrow, but he picks her up and launches them to a roof. Ladybug groans, falling to her butt. She drops her head into her hands, squeezing her eyes shut as she tries to make the world stop spinning.

“What’s wrong with LB?” Carapace asks. Ladybug groans in response.

“I have no clue.” Chat says, desperation leaking into his tone.

“I think-” She starts, swallowing back the urge to puke. “I think it’s because I was already exhausted.” She says.

“How much sleep have you gotten in the past couple of days?” Carapace asks, immediately going into his dad friend mode. Ladybug opens her eyes briefly, squeezing them shut again to try and combat the nausea.

“Three hours on Monday.” She admits, knowing that lying right now would not be beneficial for her. Carapace sputters, probably preparing a lecture, but the beeping of her earrings cuts him off, the beep of Chat’s ring immediately following. Carapace huffs.

“Chat, you can go. LB needed to talk to me anyway, so I’ll stick around and make sure she’s okay.” He says. She opens her eyes enough to see Chat scowl.

“But her identity-”

“Will remain a secret. I know a place I can take her out of sight so she can recharge and we can talk. I’m also going to grab her something to eat so that she can stop looking so green.” He says, his voice firm. He glances down at her and grins. “Seriously, it’s not your color dudette.” He teases.

“Fine. If I don’t hear anything, I’ll assume everyone’s fine.” Chat says, a little snappier than usual. Before she can say anything to make him feel better, he’s gone. She frowns, glancing at Carapace.

“Dude’s been in a mood for the last week and a half, don’t take it personally.” He says. She winces, realizing his mood probably had something to do with not having Young Justice clearance. “It’s not your fault, LB. He’ll get it figured out. Come on, let’s get you somewhere out of sight.” He says reassuringly, picking her up and quickly moving them back to the place she’d stashed his body.

“I’m sorry.” She whispers. He shakes his head.

“Don’t apologize dudette. You’re a great hero, and an even better friend. You always come through for us. I’m gonna go grab something for you to eat. I assume you have something for your kwami?” He asks. She nods. “I’ll call out to make sure you’re good before I just come back.” He says before rushing off. She lets her transformation drop and leans her head against the stone of the little alcove.

“Marinette, you pushed yourself too hard.” Tikki chastises, nibbling on their cookie. Marinette hums in agreement.

“You think Damian’s noticed I’m gone?” She asks, frowning. Tikki stops nibbling, a thoughtful look on their face.

“Maybe.” They say, then shrug. “You didn’t receive any calls. Hopefully, he’s still focused in the gym.” They add. Marinette sighs, letting Tikki finish their cookie before calling her transformation again quickly. Just as she’s back in costume, Carapace calls out.

“Am I good to come on down?” He calls.

“Yes!” She calls back. He drops down, frowning at her.

“Do you feel like you have a fever?” He asks, passing her a granola bar and bottle of water. She shakes her head.

“No, I just kind of feel exhausted and awful.” She admits. He sighs, dropping down to sit next to her.

“You think you’ll be able to make it home okay?” He asks. She nods, then huffs.

“Yes, but my boyfriend is definitely going to make me go to sleep once he sees how exhausted I am.” She complains, eyes widening at the unintentional personal information dump. “Please forget I said that.” She says. He nods.

“Of course, dudette. Consider it forgotten.” He says, swinging his legs back and forth for a moment. “What did you need to talk to me about?” He asks.

“I know that you’re getting married.” She blurts. He frowns.

“Is that not allowed?” He asks.

“No, no, it’s totally allowed.” She reassures him. “I just- if you need to step down so that you can focus on your personal life, I wouldn’t hold it against you.” He’s silent for a minute, and she thinks he’s about to take off his Miraculous, when he shakes his head.

“You may not, but I’d hold it against myself. I love Paris, LB. It’s my home. And I’m going to do my best to protect it, even if we’re still fighting Hawkmoth in ten years, I’ll be fighting next to you.” Carapace says, his tone the most serious she’s heard in a long time. Tears prick at her eyes, the guilt washing over her.

“You don’t have to-”

“Yes I do. Not only that, but I want to. I’m not really a big traveler anyway, and my fiancé plans on coming back to Paris whenever she can. And when the contract for this job is up.” He says, shrugging. “I can follow my dream from anywhere. I’m choosing to stay in Paris. You don’t have to do the same, LB.” He adds, and for a moment, she wonders if he had somehow figured out her identity. Nino had always been great at reading her. Ever since they were kids. Instead of saying anything, she lays her head on his shoulder, taking comfort as the world slowly stops spinning and her stomach stops churning.

“Thank you.” She whispers.

“Any time.” He says back softly.

---

Placing down the finished dress on the desk in the corner of the room, Marinette stares down at her shaking hands. Luckily for her, she was pretty sure Damian had taken a Zeta tube to work out not at the hotel gym. Which meant she had managed to sneak back into their room and finish the last couple of stitches on the dress before he got back. But now, she was exhausted and just wanted him to come back so that she could ask him for a hug. Just as she decides to call him, the door bursts open and he rushes in.

“Were you hurt in the attack?” He asks immediately, rushing over to scan her. She shakes her head, scooting over so that he can sit next to her. He sits and she immediately leans into him, wrapping her arms around him. “Angel?”

“Can you just hold me?” She asks, hating how small her voice sounds. He doesn’t say anything, but she feels his arms wrap around her, tugging her closer to him. She sighs in content, letting her eyes flutter shut. Tomorrow, she would help Alya get ready for her wedding. She’d surprise her with one of the dress designs she’d picked out, and she would do her best to get along with Lila. She’d eat and make small talk and relish in the fact that her friends were okay. That magic existed and ensured that her friends’ deaths weren’t permanent. But tonight? Tonight she will sleep for the first time since Monday, safe in her boyfriend’s arms.

Next

Permanent tag list: @stainedglassm @kittenmywaythrulife @laydeekrayzee @doll246 @queenz-z @deathssilentapproach-blog @literaryhiraeth @unoriginalmess @crazylittlemunchkin