#marijon

“Yeah,” he nodded, cocking his head to the side to stare at the list.  Maybe that would give him a new perspective.  He was pretty sure if he stared any harder than he had before, his laser vision would activate.  “Jay has been following a lead for a few days and asked this morning if I could help.  We are doing some research to hopefully get a direction.”

“So…” she started, her tone was careful, measured.  If Jon had been a bit more aware of anything outside of the list, it would have set the hairs on the back of his neck on edge, especially contrasted with the adoring tone microseconds before.  “…you're staying there.  You're not going to join me?  You're going to stay there... with Jay.”

“Yeah, sorry, can't join you tonight.”  He paused to look over their desks full of documents, binders of reports, and endless Post It notes marking random thoughts in their glaring color.  It should be overwhelming, but it just excited him.  This story wasn’t just important, it could make a major difference, to Metropolis and him.  “I think this could really be something,” he gushed almost breathlessly.  She was silent for a few beats too long; long enough Jon noticed she hadn't responded yet.  “Mari?”

It was another few beats of loaded silence before she responded.  “Yeah, I thought it could really be something too.”

He frowned at the phone.  “Hey, you okay?  You sound a bit off.”

The silence was more concerning than any response she could give.  If it took that long to respond, there clearly was something wrong.  He almost waved Jay off when he jutted his laptop in front of his eyes, but the insistent look in Jay’s eyes made him reconsider.  “I just thought we could spend time together today celebrating,” she finally answered.

“Oh? Celebrating what?” he asked distractedly, flicking his fingers through the document Jay had just found; property listings.

She let out a mirthless huff of a laugh.  “Nothing.  It doesn't matter.”

“No, I'm sure it does,” he insisted instantly, though it was clear in his voice his attention was still elsewhere.  “I'll see you tonight and we can talk.”

“I wanted to dig up property records for the rest of the organizations,” Jay piped up.  “If we can get a listing tonight, we can look into their ownership history tomorrow.  Maybe make some inquiries.”

“Oh!  That’s a good plan.  Yeah.”  He looked at the list again and let out a breath at the length.  “This is going to take a while.”  It wasn’t until he had reached for his laptop that he remembered he was still holding a phone and supposed to be talking to Marinette.  “Sorry!  Tomorrow,” he promised quickly.  “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“Right,” Marinette scoffed.

He paused and turned away from Jay to give himself a bit of privacy.  “Are you upset I'm hanging out with Jay?  Mari, you know we just work together.  There's nothing to worry about.”

“Right,” she repeated.

This time, Jon took note of her tone.  It wasn’t one he associated with her.  He wasn’t even sure if he’d ever heard her speak that way before.  It was hollow, defeated, and so very wrong.  “Don’t be like that, Starlight.  You're being ridiculous.”  He shook his head, exasperated at her reaction.  They needed to talk about this, clearly, but he didn’t have time tonight.  “Look, I have to go.  We'll talk about this later, okay?  Love you.”

She hung up without responding, leaving him staring at the phone in confusion.  He let out a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut.  She was upset.  Clearly.  But this was time sensitive.  They needed to get this research done tonight so they could jump on City Hall tomorrow.

Would he have loved to spend the night with her?  Of course he would!  He would spend every night… and day with her if he could.  But this was the life of a reporter, not to mention a hero.  He needed to be able to spend a night in the office with a coworker from time to time.  When he was working on a story, it might even be days.  Hell, his mom had slept on her office couch every night for a week before.

And, he huffed mentally, Marinette didn’t really have standing to complain.  She regularly got caught up in design dazes and would end up in her studio for the entire night.  More than once, he had to track her down to her studio and drag her home.  She had no right to be mad at him for doing the same thing she did constantly.

It was particularly strange because he had worked late into the night on stories, or been away unexpectedly for a mission, and she had been extremely understanding.  But this time…

“Hey, I think I found something!” Jay called, drawing Jon out of his spiral.

Jon was at Jay’s side looking over his shoulder in a microsecond.  This was it!  This was the link they’d been looking for all day.  He could feel it.

They got lost in digging up all the information they could, so focused, he’d completely lost track of time.  Gun to his head, not that it would do anything, but it’s the sentiment that counts, he couldn’t tell you how much time had passed since he’d spoken to Marinette when his phone rang again, but it was at least long enough for them to have gathered the bulk of the property listings for the names on the list.  And at some point Jay had drifted off to the break room to get them yet another cup of godawful black coffee.

They hadn’t done a deep dive yet, looking for the hidden assets, but there was a lot of night left… maybe.  He really needed to check a clock.

He checked the ID and furrowed his brow in confusion for just a second before answering.  If he knew her, and he did, she would just keep calling until he answered.  “Hey, Kara.  I’m a bit busy right now.  Can I call you back another time?”

“Yeah, I know how busy you apparently are, dumbass,” she growled into the phone. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

He jerked back in surprise.  “What?  What did I do now?”  It took a few moments for his mind to register the situation and recall his previous conversation.  “Oh, did Mari call you?”  He sighed and rubbed his forehead.  “Is she that upset I'm working with Jay.  This is insane.  She's best friends with Adrien and regularly hangs out with Luka and Vic and I can't even work with Jay?  I can't believe...”

“What day is it?” she cut in, saccharine sweet in a way she had never actually embodied.

The tone caught him off guard.  It was, quite frankly, a bit creepy coming from her.  “What?”

“What day is it?” she repeated, the sweetness bleeding from her tone.

It was a trap, he knew it was, he just for the life of him couldn’t figure out what it was supposed to trap him into or why she was laying it.  Working late one day didn’t warrant the effort at entrapment.  Nothing made sense.  “Thursday,” he answered slowly.  It felt like it wasn’t the answer she was looking for, but it was the correct answer.

“The date, you dimwitted pudding socket!” she hissed.  All pretenses of sweetness were completely gone.  Her hostility was fully out.

“Dimwitted… what the heck, Kara?”

“What. Is. The. Date,” she repeated, carefully enunciating each word, punctuating the final syllable like they were weapons.

He could hear her teeth gritting through the phone without even having to use his super hearing.  But more than that, he could hear the disappointment, which again, didn’t make sense.  It was one night.  “It's May...” he trailed off as the realization hit and Marinette and Kara’s reactions finally made sense.  “Oh...”

“Yeah,” she concurred bitterly, “oh.”

“Oh, fuck.”  If anything, Marinette’s reaction was subdued.  She should have yelled.  She should have screamed.  She should have raked him over the coals for forgetting their anniversary.

“Yep,” she agreed popping the p.

“Oh no,” he lamented, running his hand through his hair and tugging painfully on it.  “No, no, no.  No, fuck.  Is she still at the restaurant?”  The question was essentially perfunctory, he was moving before she responded.  But her response stopped him in his tracks, yet again driving home the level of fuckupary.

“Is she still at the restaurant you had a reservation for hours ago and you left her sitting alone waiting for you?” she scoffed.

“No!  What time is it?”  He whipped his head around looking for the damned clock that he should have checked when he talked with Marinette.  His heart dropped at the sight.  It was in fact hours after he was supposed to meet her.  Hours!  And he hadn’t talked to her.  Hours for her to stew and spiral and start thinking the worst of the situation.  “Fuck!  Where is she?”

There was a pause before she spoke, and Jon could picture her narrowing her eyes, leaning back, and cocking her hip as she prepared to answer.  “She is somewhere she doesn't want you to find her.”

“Fuck!  No, Kara,” he pleaded.  “No, I need to talk to her.  I need to fix this.  I need to...”

“That's a lot of I's for someone who is just fucked up so royally,” she chided harshly.  “It isn't about what you need right now, is it?”

He groaned and ran his hand through his hair again.  He needed to do something he couldn’t… he couldn’t lose Marinette.  The very idea of not being able to go home to her gutted him.  But the idea of Marinette thinking that he blew her off, that he didn’t love her with his entire soul, felt like a kryptonite knife to the heart.  “Fuck!  Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he agonized.  “How do I fix this if she won't talk to me, Kara.  What do I do?”

“I would suggest massive groveling,” she offered, her false sweetness back though not quite to the level it had been before.  “Flowers and fabric aren’t going to fix this.”

“I need to apologize to her face,” he announced as much to himself as her.  He stood up straight as determination flowed through him.  He was going to find her and talk to her, beg her, plead for her to understand.  He was an idiot, but he was a devoted, utterly lovesick idiot.  “Where is she?”

“No.”  Flat but solid.  She used no emotion, just raw steel.

“Kara, where is my girlfriend?” he growled.

“Gone.  And you need to consider what you're going to do to make sure it isn't permanent,” she snarled before hanging up.

“Kara?  Kara!” Frustration inundated his voice.  “How do I make sure it isn’t permanent if I can’t talk to her?” he screamed into the void.  “I know you can hear me!”

He immediately called Marinette, which in retrospect, he acknowledged, he should have done as soon as he realized he’d missed the date.  He clenched his hand into a bouncing fist as he waited for her to answer, pacing a tight circle, and he almost started apologizing when he heard her voice.  It took a few seconds to realize it was the start of her voicemail, not her.

But he wasn’t going to be deterred so easily.  She was angry, frustrated.  She didn’t like to answer the phone when she was frustrated with someone.  He knew that.  He should have anticipated it.  Instead, he sent off a few anxious texts, not able to wait more than a few seconds before sending the next text.  When she didn’t answer those after a full minute, he couldn’t force himself to wait any longer and tried calling again, but it went straight to voicemail.  Meaning she was either instantly rejecting the call or she’d blocked him.

“Son of a bitch!” he yelled, fighting the urge to throw his phone.  If he allowed his anger to overtake him now, he would lose his only means of communication if she did decide to respond… and he’d probably tear a hole through the wall and possibly the next… and all the walls in the next building.

Jay came careening around the corner, the coffee mugs in his hands sloshing over the rims and spilling onto his shirt unnoticed.  “What?  Did something happen?  What’s wrong?” he questioned frantically.

“I… fuck!” Jon yelled again.  He kicked an exposed steel support beam that at this point luckily was merely decorative, because it crumpled instantly.

“Woah, hey, you have to take a breath,” Jay urged.  He set the coffee down and approached Jon cautiously.  “You’re going to destroy the building.  What is going on?”

“I…” he moved toward something else to hit but Jay stepped in front of it with a concerned but firm look and Jon deflated entirely.  He collapsed onto the floor, head in hands.  “It’s our anniversary.  I… I missed our anniversary.  We had a night planned.  I… she waited at the restaurant for me.”

Jay crouched down next to him in an instant.  “What?” he gasped.  “It’s your… What are you doing here!”

“I forgot,” he moaned.  “I got caught up and…”

“Jon…” he cut in his voice firm again.  “Why are you still here?  Go fix it!”

Jon shook his head despondently.  “She doesn’t want to see me.  She has made that abundantly clear.”

Jay scoffed.  “She’s mad.  Justifiably.  You forgot a really important date for your relationship to hang out with an ex.  Fucked up doesn’t even begin to cover it.  But, what?  You’re just going to slink away, tail between your legs?  You’re not going to fight?  Beg?  Fly up to the moon and bring it back for her?”

Jon glanced up at him, his eyes welling as he did.  “If she wanted.  I’d give her anything she wanted.  And what she wants is space.”

“Is it?” Jay demanded.  He wasn’t giving any space for self-pitying.  It was time to act, not wallow.  “I don’t know man, if you aren’t even willing to fight for her, I don’t know if you deserve her.  She’s hurting right now.  You’re going to let her do it alone?”

“No!  Never,” Jon exclaimed, affronted by the very suggestion that he would ever, ever leave Marinette to suffer alone.

“So…” Jay prompted.  He grinned as a determined look came over Jon.  “I’ll continue on my own.  We can pick this up on Monday… or Tuesday.  The evidence isn’t going anywhere.  You go get your woman and fix your future.”

Finding her wasn’t as difficult as Kara made it out to be.  After he excluded their place and Kara’s place, she was in the next place he looked, which would have been the first, but Kara’s comment had thrown his instincts off.  So, either she wasn’t as adamant that she didn’t want him to find her as Kara had indicated or Marinette just was too upset to think logically and was thinking emotionally instead.

Jon took a deep breath to fortify himself before knocking on the door.  The night was going to be rough, and it was completely his fault.  He had done this to them.  He’d stood her up and forgotten their anniversary.  She’d even prompted him to remember they were supposed to be celebrating and he blew her off.  God, she must think he didn’t care about her at all.

He was so lost in his self-deprecation; he missed the sounds of someone approaching the door until it had already been opened, an imposing, hostile figure glowering at him.  “What do you want?” Adrien snarled.

Jon flinched at the venomous tone from the normally friendly, gregarious man.  He steeled himself and met Adrien’s eyes.  “To talk to my girlfriend.”

“Oh, she’s worthy of your attention now, is she?” he sneered.

“Of course she is.  She always is.”  Jon took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  He wanted to argue with Adrien, to point out all the times she’d been the center of his attention, all the times he’d put her needs and interests above his own because he knew she did the same.  But it wasn’t the right time for that argument.  He needed to speak with Marinette, to make her feel his devotion, not waste time arguing with her best friend.  And if it meant letting Adrien take out his protective wrath on him uncontested, that’s what he would do.  “Look, I screwed up, I know that.  Please let me fix this,” he begged.

Adrien stared him down for a few long moments, not breaking his intense eye contact, clearly enjoying the way it made Jon squirm.  But finally he grumbled something that might have been a word, or just a sound to make known his extreme discontent, and let him in grudgingly.  Just as Jon was about to pass him, he held his arm up to stop him.  “You get this one chance.  You screw this up, I won’t need kryptonite to end you, but you’ll wish I had.”

Jon met his eyes again, letting an understanding pass between them and nodded.  “Noted.”

He thought he couldn’t feel any guiltier or worse about himself, but the moment he saw Marinette, he knew he was wrong.  He could feel so, so much worse.  She was slumped on the couch, empty tumbler in her hand, staring absently at nothing.  Her eyes were red and puffy and even from his distance and without using enhanced vision, he could see the still wet tear tracks, her ruined mascara highlighting their trail.

Desperate not to make her feel worse, he approached her cautiously, slowly.  While in the past, he’d enjoyed ambushing her by appearing in front of her in the blink of her eye, surprising her and possibly shocking her into a violent reaction was the last thing he wanted to do at that moment.  He could tell the moment she noticed him.  She didn’t acknowledge him outright, but he could hear the way her breathing changed and the way her body tensed just before she sat up and refilled her glass.

The liquid slopped out of the bottle, splashing as much on the coffee table as in the glass and Jon rushed forward to steady her hand.  It was instinct.  He saw her in need of assistance, and he acted.  It wasn’t until she flinched away that he realized his assistance may not be welcome in that moment and perhaps he was the very reason she was in need of assistance.  His heart squeezed painfully at the realization, tearing the breath from his lungs.

“Hey Starlight, what are you doing?” he asked gently.  He sat next to her, close but still giving her space, and angled his body so he could face her.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, not quite willing to grace him with her gaze, and took a long drink before answering.  “You forgot about our anniversary,” she answered her voice forlorn.

 “I know,” he admitted guiltily.  “I…”

“I wanted to too,” she continued as if she hadn’t heard him at all.

He could have sworn he didn’t have any more air left in his lungs, but her tone and the agonized look in her eyes, made his chest feel like it was in a vise forcing all air out in a rush.  “No, baby…” he begged miserably.

“I’m not your baby anymore,” she shrugged, still not meeting his gaze, her eyes returning to the blank spot in the distance.

“Baby, Starlight,” he pleaded.  He moved a step closer to give him better access to wipe away her tears and caress her face.  The need to touch her was visceral.  He needed to feel her and make her feel his love, look at him.  But at the last second Kara’s words rung in his head.  It wasn’t about him.  He redirected before making contact and instead laid his hands on either side of her knees.  “You will always be mine.”

Sloppily, she shook her head.  “I’m not.  You don’t love me anymore.”

It was said with such certainty that he could feel it in his soul.  “Starlight, I love you more than anything…”

“I’m not important to you.  You can’t love someone you don’t think is important.  You don’t put in effort.  You don’t care.”  Any emotion that had crept into her eyes when he first approached her, drained completely, giving the impression of a haunted house, empty and seemingly abandoned, but with hidden secrets fiercely protected.  “You forgot,” she finished desolately.

It was over.  He could see it.  She was done for the night.  Nothing he or anyone else said would make it through to her.  Nothing but time and rest and a whole lot of sobering would make a difference.  He would just have to hope she got that overnight and then pray to whatever deities that might listen, that in the morning, she would let him apologize.  “Marinette,” he started earnestly, tenderly, “you are by far the most important person in the world to me.  Let’s get you to bed and we can talk in the morning, okay?”

She shrugged, or at least gave a rough, loose approximation of a shrug.  “I don’t believe you,” she mumbled, almost incoherently.  “I want to.”  She glanced over at him with watery eyes.  “I want to, so much.  But I don’t.”

What was left of his heart shattered into neutron sized pieces.  He couldn’t believe how badly he had messed it up.  He didn’t know what he was going to have to do to fix it, but whatever it took he would do.  Whatever she needed… tomorrow.  He reached up and gently cupped her face, his thumbs softly wiped away her tears.  His heart mended slightly when she nuzzled into his hands.  “I will do everything I can to change that, I swear that to you.  But let’s get you to bed and sleep.”

“Okay,” she slurred, but made no sign of moving other than to lift her now empty glass to her lips then frown at it, after a few beats.

He sighed and looked over to Adrien.  He would fly her home but at this point, he was worried there was no way she’d make it without feeling absolutely terrible and likely throwing up… a few times.  “Can she stay here tonight?”

Adrien scoffed and headed over to her.  “You don’t even have to ask.”

Before Adrien could make it over to them, Jon had already picked her up as gently as possible so as not to shake her and cause her head to spin or nausea.  “But I do have to ask if I can stay,” he pointed out tentatively.  “I can take the couch,” he added quickly.  “I just… really want to be here when she wakes up.”

Adrien sighed and softly stroked Marinette’s hair as Jon carried her past.  His eyes never left Marinette as he responded, “You don’t have to either.  You two come as a package.”

Jon breathed out a sigh of relief.  “God, I really hope we still are.”  He gave Adrien a nod at his shoulder pat and carried her back to the guest room they’d stayed in together many times before.  It felt strange knowing this time he wouldn’t be welcome.  They’d always stayed together, squeezed together pleasantly in the entirely too small bed.

Her even and rhythmic breathing seemed to reverberate through the unwelcome room as he laid her down and tucked the comforter around her as tenderly as he could so as not to wake her up.  He hadn’t made it a full step away before he heard her voice.  “Stay?”  She turned her mournful eyes to him.  “Give me one last night?”

She had turned away from him as soon as he started removing his shoes, getting ready for him to slip into his familiar position, which he did with ease.  He stroked her hair as she slept, more for himself than her, relishing what might be the last time he was allowed to be so close.  “Starlight, I want to give you my every night.”

It took quite a while for him to finally fall asleep, constantly afraid she would disappear on him if he did.  When he finally fell asleep, it was fitful.  He constantly jolted awake to make sure she was still there, and chastised himself each time because with the way he was wrapped around her, their legs intertwined and his hand splayed against her abdomen holding her tight against him, every time he jolted, she whined and shifted.

It was no surprise then that when she awoke quite a few hours later, he was already awake to catch her getting restless until her eyes started to flutter and finally open to take in the room, quickly scrunching in confusion.  “Morning, Starlight,” he murmured, his voice scratchy from disuse and the little bit of sleep he’d managed.

“Morning, Mon rêve,” she responded instinctively, but he could see the moment memories of the night before flooded back.  Her soft expression became wary and she edged away from him.  “What are you doing here?”

He stared intently into her eyes and took a bit of pride in the way she didn’t shy away from him reaching out to wind his hand into her hair and brush her cheek with his thumb.  She wasn’t angry or hurt enough to refuse to let him feel her, that was something, definitely better than he thought he would be.  “There’s nowhere else I wanted to be.”

“Jon…” she started, her voice tired and her eyes gleaming with hurt.

“I’m sorry, Marinette,” he cut in.  He’d wanted to ease into it.  He’d wanted to feel out how she was feeling then go from there.  He’d wanted to be tactful.  But as soon as he saw the pain in her eyes, he couldn’t hold back.  “I’m so, so very sorry that I forgot, but more than that, I’m sorry I made you feel like you’re anything less than the center of my entire universe.”

She looked away as she sat up, tearing herself away from the comforting feel of his hand.  “I understand being a reporter you’re going to have to work late.  Probably a lot.  But… It was our anniversary,” she lamented, another set of tears trailing down her cheeks.

Jon jumped out of bed to kneel in front of her again.  He ducked his head to try to catch her gaze, but she deftly avoided it.  It hurt, but he needed to get through to her, so he took her hands in his, squeezing them gently.  “I know, Starlight.  I know.”

She finally lifted her eyes, but it was worse.  The pain in them had increased into something desperate.  “It was our anniversary, and you were too busy for me.  For us.  You didn’t even remember.”

He shook his head vehemently.  “I forgot the date, yes.  But I didn’t forget the anniversary.  I swear I didn’t.  I’ve had your present wrapped at home for weeks.”

She shook her head as well, but while his had shaken like he could make her misperception evaporate, hers shook like her heart had lost the strength to do anything else.  “You’ve been working so much lately… for weeks.  And it’s been building up for months.  Months of not making it to our plans and working late.  It’s like you’re looking for a reason to stay away,” she murmured in a voice so fragile it seemed like a simple word could break her.

“I want to marry you,” he blurted out.

“What!” she exclaimed, shock evident on her face, but quickly faded to exasperation.  “Jon, it isn’t that bad.  You don’t need to propose to get over the fight.”

“What? No!  That’s not…”  He took a deep breath and let it out with a loud groan.  He ran his hand down his face roughly, letting it rest over his mouth for a few moments as he let the words settle into the right order in his head.  “I’ve been working harder the past few months to earn money and force my break.  I want to be able to support us when we get married, when we decide to start a family.  I wanted to buy you a nice ring.  It won’t be as amazing as you deserve, because I don’t think I’ll ever make enough to buy you what you deserve, but still a really nice ring.”

“Jon,” she murmured and with that one word, his heart started rebuilding.  Her tone had completely shifted from broken to compassionate, her eyes shifted from pain to adoration.  “My friend proposed to his girlfriend with a tiny shell on a string, because that’s what he could afford, and it was possibly the single most romantic gesture I’ve ever seen.”  She cupped his face and stroked his cheek gently, her thumb making a quiet rasping noise against his stubble.  “I don’t need a fancy ring.  I just need you.”

Jon grinned as he laid his hands over hers.  “Does that mean I should take the ring back?  I can still find a shell somewhere and keep the money,” he teased.

“Don’t you dare,” she gasped and smacked him in the chest.

He chuckled at the swipe before pulling her into a long, tight hug, one he wasn’t sure he was going to get again just a few minutes ago, making it all the sweeter.  “Are we okay?” he asked softly, still holding her tight, but too afraid to make eye contact just yet.  A fear Marinette clearly did not share as she pulled back to meet his eyes.

“Yeah, I think so.  I think we just need to make sure we communicate better.  You shouldn’t have made such a big change in priorities without talking to me and I should have let you know how it made me feel.”  She ran her fingers through his hair and along his face, her eyes trailing behind her fingers.  “I love you.  I want to spend my life with you.  I shouldn’t have just let things fester.”

“I shouldn’t have pulled away,” he agreed.  “I wanted to surprise you, but not the way I clearly did.  I’ll do better.”

“So will I,” she promised.

“Our first big fight.”  He grinned and leaned in conspiratorially.  “Does that mean our first make up sex?”

Marinette groaned and pushed him away, watching as he fell to the floor dramatically.  She watched him for a few seconds before finally answering.  “Not here, no.”  She chuckled as he shot up in front of her before she could comprehend he’d even moved, hope blazing in his eyes.  “Take me home, Flyboy,” she cooed.

Undeterred, he continues, “Just ask him out. I’m fairly certain he’ll say yes.”

Marinette sighs and walks over to her brother, sitting down next to him. “It’s not like I’m not trying. I just don’t know what to say. It’s not like I can just ask him to a movie or to play video games or anything. We do all that all the time. How will he know it’s a date?”

“Tell him it’s a date.”

She scoffs, “Right. Because that’s not terrifying at all.”

He offers her a smile, “Even if he says no, what’s the worst that could happen.”

She replies immediately, “He doesn’t want to be friends anymore and everything becomes so awkward that I have to move to Antarctica.”

He gives her a look, “The most realistic worst case scenario.”

“I don’t know how to do those.”

He sighs, “Even if he says no, which by the way is extremely unlikely, you’re not going to stop being friends. You’ve been friends forever.”

“But-”

“Just think it over.” And he pushes himself off her bed and walks out her room. Marinette lets herself fall back. It’s fine, she tells herself, it’ll probably go away soon enough.

.oOo.

It does not go away but it doesn’t really affect her interactions with Jon either. Things are normal and normal is sitting in the living room and beating Jon at video games. She turns to look at him, ready to rub her victory in his face but she’s met with a look so full of affection that she falters. Somewhat vaguely, she considers the possibility of Dick being right in his belief that Jon would want to go out with her.

Jon frowns, eyebrows scrunching adorably in confusion and it strikes Marinette that she’s acting weird. But before she can say anything, the door opens and Damian walks in. “Kent, we have to leave now.”

Beside her Jon looks surprised, “Already?”

“Unexpected developments. Father wants us downstairs immediately.”

He frowns but gets up nonetheless, shooting her an apologetic smile. Marinette waves him off, “It’s fine, not like I don’t bail on you all the time.”

“You also apologise profusely every single time,” he points out.

She grins at him, “You can make your apologies next time.”

“I will,” he promises, getting up and leaving the room. Damian looks at her questioningly once Jon has left the room. “What?” she snaps.

“Get together and end this misery.”

She splutters, “Damian, if-”

“If he hears me, maybe he’ll finally believe me when I tell him you like him too.” And then he walks out of the room before Marinette can grab him and thoroughly interrogate him.

She’s in desperate need for better siblings. Except Cass, Cass is the best.

.oOo.

Marinette takes it back, Cass is the worst. Her older sister grins mischievously and repeats, “You want to know if Jon likes you?”

The part of Marinette that thought this was a good idea has shrivelled up and died. Yes, Cass will know for sure but also Cass is definitely going to tease her about this for the next while. Regardless she nods, “Please?”

“Do you think he likes you?”

She groans, “Maybe. I don’t know. Why do you want to know?”

The older girl’s grin widens, “It’s funny.”

Marinette glares, getting up to leave. She’s at the door when Cass calls out, “He does.”

She turns, “huh?”

“He does like you, it’s very obvious. Steph thinks he has heart eyes. I agree.”

Marinette’s heart is racing and she can’t stop smiling. “Thank you,” she breathes out before running out the room.

As soon as she’s back in her room, she pulls out her phone to text Jon. Tikki looks at her, confused. “I’ll explain in a minute.”

Marinette: are you free on saturday?

Jon: yup Jon: movie night?

Marinette: yes Marinette: it’s a date

Her phone starts ringing instantly. Taking a deep breath, she picks up. “Hi.”

He skips the greeting, “You meant it when you said it was a date? Like an actual romantic date?”

She bites her lip, her siblings like messing with her but they wouldn’t lie about this. “Yes.”

“I’d love to go on a date with you,” is the breathless reply that comes and Marinette can hear the smile she knows so well. An identical one spreading across her face. “See you Saturday then? The usual time?”

Tikki gasps.

“Ok.”

“Ok,” she repeats, still smiling. The conversation turns from there, switching to their usual topics. Admittedly there’s so much more giggling than normal. Tikki squeals when the call ends. “Oh Marinette, I’m so proud of you.”

Marinette blinks, letting everything settle in before squealing, “Holy shit! I actually did that!!”

Tikki giggles and hugs her holder’s cheek.

.oOo.

It’s at family dinner, two days later that Jason asks, “Could you not have waited one more week, Pixie?”

She tilts her head in confusion, “For what?”

“Dating the tiny Superboy.”

Jon had flown out of their base as fast he could, withholding the tears pooling at his eyes. He knew he wasn't the glorified Superman, the symbol of hope and founder of the Justice League. He wasn't his father who had saved countless lives, who knew exactly what to do each time. He knew his own shortcomings more than anyone else and to have his insecurities thrown at him was like a kryptonite-infused slap in the face.

And that was how Superboy found himself hovering past the earth's atmosphere, in the vast space littered with stars. He had carefully avoided the Watchtower and its line of sight, propelling himself near the sun. He swallowed thickly. They can get by a few hours without me.

His friend lashing out wasn't a rare occurrence and he was certainly used to it, but it was one of the times he needed to take a step back. There was an anxious thought at the back of his head saying that he didn't actually deserve to be a hero, that he was dead weight if not a liability even with his powers.

Jon ran his hand through his head. That's not true. And yet the thought persisted as he thought back to their missions.

He suddenly felt a tap on his hand, startling him a little.

Floating alongside him was a girl, clad in a suit with a brown-red palette and black spots. A translucent visor covered her face, but he could see a mask surrounding her eyes. Matching the bluish tinge of her hair was a pair of sturdy wings on her back.

Jon tilted his head in confusion. Who . . .? For a second, he wondered if she belonged outside of earth but his gut told him otherwise.

The stranger seemed as surprised as he stared at her in scrutiny. She fished out a device from her side (a yoyo?) and plucked out a black circular object from it to offer to him. Co-mmu-ni-ca-tor, she mouthed.

Confusion unwavering, Jon accepted it.

"Who are you?" he immediately asked after fitting the comm in his ear. "What are you doing here?"

"Who are you?" she bounced the question back. Jon noted how her voice was light. Melodious.

"Uhh---err, Superboy?" He internally winced at his awkwardness.

Her mouth popped into an 'o' as a light blush covered her cheeks. "Ahh, sorry, I'm not familiar with all the heroes." She fidgeted before clearing her throat. "I am Ladybug---or Cosmobug?---heroine of Paris. Nice to meet you."

"Paris? I didn't know Paris had heroes."

Her figure shifted to more anxious movements. "Yes, um, Paris does but can you . . . maybe keep this a secret from other heroes?"

Jon only nodded, already making a plan to research it later. It wasn't like he didn't believe her, but as far he knew, Paris didn't have local heroes nor villains. If there was Ladybug-themed hero anywhere, he would've heard of them.

"So . . ." he trailed off, "If you're from Paris, what are you doing in space?"

Ladybug laughed nervously, her gaze averting. "I just needed to get away for a moment. It has something to do with our villain. I hope I didn't bother you?"

Jon blinked. It was now clear that she'd traveled to space to shake off some stress like him. And she's worried that she bothered me?

"I can go somewhere else but I'm afraid the Watchtower will see me and the Justice League will try to capture and interrogate me. Which is a bad, bad idea because they can't---shouldn't---know about Paris and it's dangerous if they find out anything," she continued rambling. "And it's ah, um, a potentially world-ending outcome---"

"Hey, hey, it's okay, you can stay here." Jon cut her off to keep her from spiraling. "I think it's better that I have a distraction anyway. And don't worry, I won't tell anyone about you."

She took a deep breath. "Really?"

"Promise." He smiled. "If it makes you feel better, I can keep you company."

Ladybug put a hand on her chest. "Thank you very much. What are you doing here by the way?" She looked around them. "Is there trouble in space?"

"No, I also came here to blow off steam actually," he admitted.

"What happened?"

Jon hesitated on telling her but he found himself unable to resist those wide curious eyes. A part of him was saying 'why not?' while he mulled over it.

But now the things upsetting him seemed pale---shallow---in comparison. This girl had to travel to outer space to get away from her city's villain. "It's not a big deal," he began, "We, the Titans, had a mission and I screwed the plan over when I attacked the enemy first because I realized they were going to kill the hostages before we made a move. My, um, friend got mad and it escalated from there."

"I get what I did wrong, I really do, and I was ready to apologize." His fists clenched subconsciously. "But I just . . . I felt so defenseless, like what he said was all true. Then there's this insane pressure being Superman's son and . . ."

If what she was going through was actually a thousand times worse than his situation, he was going to feel terrible.

He expected her to relay empty 'sympathy'. To give him a pat on the back, saying that 'it's going to be okay'. Instead, she nodded. "I get that. Sometimes, I just straight up sacrifice myself if nothing's going according to plan and my partner hates it when I do. But it's not like I'm mindlessly putting myself in harm's way. It's just the . . . best thing to do if we're out of options."

Her hand rubbed her arm, expression turning pensive. "And carrying a mantle? It's horrible. An important responsibility was passed on to me very suddenly and I keep worrying about having to fulfill that role because the city's fate rests on my shoulders."

Jon was awestruck. And at the same time concerned over the fact she seemed to be alone in her heroic burden.

He bit his lip. "Your life sounds . . . wow. Sorry, my rant was childish. Sometimes I think I don't see eye-to-eye with my teammates because I grew up 'normal'. I haven't seen the worst of everything."

As if she couldn't surprise him any more, she floated closer and put a warm hand on his shoulder. "Hey, it's not childish and it's good to air out things that upset you. Take it from someone who always doesn't have that luxury. You're still figuring things out for yourself, I think, and just because your teammates have different experiences, it doesn't mean they can say mean stuff."

He wanted to ask why she 'always didn't have the luxury' but kept his mouth shut.

"Actually, I'm . . . I was just an average Paris citizen before I became a hero," she chuckled. "The learning curve was seriously steep."

"Thank you." It seemed like all the tension had dissipated from him. "I probably can't ask many questions but I'm sorry about your villain?"

"To be honest space is already too far for him to get to me, but I wanted to be sure." Her cheeks were set aflame again. "Talking to you helped me too, so thanks for that. I wish I could tell you more, though."

"It's okay. That's your business and it looks like you're better off handling it without other heroes interfering, right?"

"Mon dieu, yes, thank goodness you understand." Ladybug's lips stretched into a grin. "If I met any other hero, they would've been nosy."

"But is there any way I can help?" he asked. "I know I can't be too involved, but . . . actually do you have something I can write on?"

She thought for a moment before taking out her yoyo and handing it to him. There was a digital screen on one half of it and a digital keypad on the other. Jon hastily typed on it. "This is my personal number. If you need some sort of backup for an emergency, you can reach out to me."

Giving her his number was a gateway to revealing his civilian identity, but he didn't mind. If there was a way to ease off this sweet stranger's troubles, he wanted to be that support just for her.

"Thank you so much," Ladybug breathed out. "You're trusting me too much."

Will we see each other again? Jon wanted to ask. He fiddled with his fingers before he said, "And if you want to talk again . . . about anything, give me a call, okay? I'll meet you anywhere."

"You're really nice," she said quietly.

A light on her yoyo flashed with a ping and the smile on her face was slowly replaced with a frown when she looked at it. "Sorry, I think I have to go," she apologized, taking out a pair of goggles from her yoyo. "I'll contact you, I promise."

“Do you remember Mr. Kent?” Alfred asks. Marinette nods. He came to the manor a lot more than her dad liked, but she didn’t mind cause he usually brought his son Jon with him. “He and your father are in the middle of a meeting, and he couldn’t step away.” Alfred explains. Marinette resists the urge to ask if Jon was there too. Hopefully it was just a super quick meeting and then her dad could hang out with her. She knew that he was always super busy. He worked at a really big company, and he had a bunch of kids, and he was Batman. But he was still a good dad, and she knew he tried. 

“Is Cass home?” She asks, buckling herself into her booster seat (Alfred insisted, even though she tried to convince him that ten was plenty old enough to use a normal seat; apparently she was too short). 

“I’m afraid Miss Cass won’t be home for another week or so. Your brothers should all be there, though Master Duke and Master Tim won’t be staying for long. They’re going on a weekend trip with a few friends.” He explains. Marinette hums in surprise. It was really rare for Tim to leave Gotham for something not hero related. She’d have to make a bet with Damian to see what the odds were that Tim and Duke were actually going on a secret mission that they hadn’t told anybody about. It seemed much more likely. Marinette zones out on the rest of the car ride, just watching as her favorite city passes by. She liked Paris and spending time with her Maman, but Gotham had always felt more like her home. Gotham was where her dad and brothers and Alfred were. It was her home. As the manor appears out the window, Marinette grins at the sight of her dad waiting for her outside. The second the car stops, Marinette is out and running to her dad. She launches herself at him and sighs happily as he picks her up and wraps her in a big hug. 

“I missed you too.” He says softly, giving her one last squeeze before setting her down. “How was the last week of school?” Marinette sighs dramatically, grinning when she sees the moment her dad spots her new missing tooth. 

“I lost another tooth! And Alix didn’t even pull this one out for me.” She says happily. Her dad sighs, but she can tell he really wants to laugh. 

“You two are going to cause so much trouble one day, aren’t you?” He asks. Marinette shrugs. 

“Depends on if it’s fun or not. Where’re the boys?” She asks, leaning slightly to look past him. 

“Tim and Duke are packing, and Jason’s in the library. Last I checked, Dick was also in the library attempting to convince Jason to go do something else.” Her dad says with a small smile, the same smile he always got when he mentioned Jason. The memories weren’t super clear, but she did have some memories of when Jason died. She probably purposefully blocked out most of it, though. (Or that’s what Max thought, when she’d talked to him about it once; he was super smart). That was a rough summer. Tim hadn’t come around yet, and her dad and Dick were both really, really sad. And angry. As much as they’d both tried to hide it from her, she heard them yelling. And she saw the reports of what Batman was doing, even if the news only had stories and never any actual pictures of what Batman had become. No matter what she tried, she couldn’t get her dad back to who he was before Jason died. She spent most of that summer baking with Alfred and drawing in the library on the couch where Jason used to read her stories. By the time she came home for Thanksgiving (a holiday she knew her dad didn’t care about, but one he celebrated so that she could have an excuse to come to Gotham more) Tim was there. 

Snapping out of her thoughts, Marinette frowns when she realizes there was a brother missing. 

“What about Damian?” She asks. Her dad frowns as Mr. Kent smiles, and that’s when Marinette remembers Damian talking about his new friend, Kent. Her eyes widen. “Is Jon here?” She asks, resisting the urge to just run towards the manor. Her dad opens his mouth to respond, but Mr. Kent cuts him off. 

“They’re in the game room closest to the living room.” He says. Marinette squeals out a thanks before rushing off. Time to see Jon!

---

Bruce’s eyes narrow as he looks at one of his oldest friends. Clark just laughs, shaking his head. 

“You know she would’ve found them eventually, Bruce.” He says. Bruce huffs. 

“That doesn’t mean you had to just send her off to him.” He argues. Clark raises an eyebrow, the amusement clear on his face. 

“They’re kids, Bruce. It’s not like they’re going to get married tomorrow-” Clark starts to say, but Bruce cuts him off. 

“Or ever.”

“That’s not what Jon said.” 

“Clark-”

“Bruce, breathe. Last time they talked, Marinette apparently told Jon that she was going to marry him one day. It was very matter-of-fact and, need I remind you, they’re children. Plenty of kids have crushes that never amount to anything. And besides that, they’re friends, Bruce. Neither of them have many friends that know about everything. You really gonna take that away from either of them?” Clark asks, crossing his arms. Bruce sighs. 

“Fine. But we will revisit this conversation in a few years.” He says. Clark chuckles, but agrees. Bruce, who knows how determined his daughter can be, doesn’t laugh. 

---

“Jon!” Marinette squeals, running into the room. Jon turns around and grins, opening his arms. Before Marinette can throw herself into the hug, Damian steps between them, frowning. Marinette skids to a stop, raising an eyebrow at her older brother. 

“What is the meaning of this?” Damian asks, looking between them. Marinette huffs. 

“I was trying to hug my friend.” She says, arms crossed. Damian raises an eyebrow, crossing his arms too. 

“Kent is my friend, Marinette.” He says firmly. Marinette’s eyes narrow. 

“He was my friend first!” She counters. Damian turns to Jon. 

“Well, are you going to say anything?” He asks. Jon’s eyes widen. 

“Well, uh, I-” He stammers over his words. 

“Leave him out of this! Can’t you see you’re stressing him out!” Marinette yells at her older brother. He scoffs. 

“Oh, I’m stressing him out?” He asks. “What about you? Rushing in here and trying to hug him with no prior warning?”

“Jon happens to like my hugs.” Marinette says firmly. Damian snorts humorlessly. 

“Are you sure he isn’t just being nice?” He asks. Marinette feels her cheeks turn red. 

“Actually-” Jon starts. 

“Stay out of this, Kent.” Damian warns. Marinette rolls her eyes. 

“Why are you such a know it all, all the time?” She asks, trying hard not to scream. 

“Why are you such a little baby?” Damian taunts. 

“That’s it!” Marinette shrieks before letting out a battle cry. She rushes towards her brother, fists flying. Every time he dodges, she shrieks. She wasn’t trained like he was. It wasn’t fair! Suddenly, arms are around her, lifting her away from Damian just as Damian is restrained by Dick. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! What is going on in here?” He asks, looking between them. Marinette glances back, stopping kicking when she realizes Jason is the one holding her back. He was officially her favorite brother at the moment. 

“Marinette is acting like a child simply because Kent is now my friend.” Damian tuts, tilting his nose up. Marinette’s eyes widen and she immediately starts thrashing around again in an attempt to go kick the heck out of her brother. 

“You are the worst! That’s not what happened at all!” She argues. 

“Cool it, kiddo.” Jason says quietly. Marinette shakes her head. 

“No! He’s being mean, and I’m gonna beat him up for it!” She insists. Damian snorts, but immediately stops at the look Dick gives him. 

“Alright. You two clearly need some time apart right now. Jason.” Dick nods towards the door and Marinette’s eyes widen. 

“This isn’t fair! Why does Damian get to hang out with Jon? He’s probably hung out with him all day! He’s my friend too!” She complains, going limp in Jason’s hold. Jason sighs, taking her out of the game room and towards the library. 

“Just breathe, Mari. I’m sure you’ll get to hang out with Jon a ton this summer. He’s over here all the time now.” Jason says. Marinette’s face falls into a frown. Before Damian came, Jon never wanted to hang out at the manor all the time. Even when Marinette was in town. Did he….was he really her friend? Or was Damian right. “Okay kid, if I set you down, do you promise not to go beat the shit out of the Gremlin?” Jason asks. Marinette nods. 

“I uh, I think I’m really tired, Jay. I’m gonna go take a nap, okay?” She’s trying really hard not to cry. Jason frowns, but nods. 

“If you’re sure. Hey, you know you can talk to me, right?” He asks. Marinette nods, and gives Jason a half hearted smile before she heads upstairs. Was Jon really her friend?

---

An hour later, Marinette’s door creaks open slightly. She glances over and waves half-heartedly at Jason. He frowns. 

“Hey kid, are you okay? I thought you were gonna take a nap.” He says. Marinette shrugs. 

“Not tired anymore.” She says. Jason’s eyebrows scrunch together. 

“I was gonna head home,” He starts, and Marinette feels her shoulders slump even more. “But, if you want, you could tag along. I was gonna make spaghetti for dinner.” He adds. Marinette perks up immediately. Damian may want to hog Jon (who may or may not be her friend), but Jason was always there for her. 

“Can we watch Little Women? The one with Winona Ryder?” She asks, Jason grins and nods. 

“Sure thing, kid. Grab a bag and let Bruce know. I’ll wait outside.” He says. Marinette nods and quickly packs up a backpack, then hesitates. It was only her first night back home. If she asked her dad, she ran the risk of him saying no. And then she’d have to eat dinner with Damian. And Jon. Nope. No, siree, she wasn’t going to risk that. Grabbing a piece of paper from her desk, she scribbles out a little note. It’d be fine, and if he was mad at her…well, he probably wouldn’t be mad. She was leaving a note! Just in case, she hurries down the back stairs and out the side door. No need to risk running into her dad. She’d talk to him tomorrow. 

---

Bruce lets his shoulders relax as he walks in and sits down for dinner. Clark had left just after Marinette arrived, but he’d had League business that couldn’t wait. Which meant dinner was the first time he’d be able to actually sit and talk to his daughter since her visit at Easter. Looking around the table, he frowns. 

“Has anyone seen Marinette?” he asks. Tim glances around, then shakes his head. 

“Uh, no. Actually, I haven’t seen her all day. Wasn’t she coming home today?” He asks. Bruce nods, trying to push down the worry welling up. 

“Little D?” Dick says, and Bruce glances at Damian, narrowing his eyes. 

“Damian. Care to explain?” Bruce asks. Damian purses his lips and tilts his chin up. A move he got from his mother. 

“She was acting like a child. We argued and Todd removed her from the game room.” Damian says simply. Bruce sighs, pinching his nose. 

“What was it this time?” He asks, shaking his head. It never seemed to fail. Every time Marinette came to stay, she and Damian found something new to fight about. It never lasted for long, but he’d come to accept it as an undeniable truth. The sky was blue. Grass was green. Damian and Marinette argued. Simple. 

“I hardly see how that-”

“They were fighting over me.” Jon blurts out. Bruce raises an eyebrow. 

“Excuse me?” 

“Well, I’m friends with Damian now, too. And so he was mad when Mari was trying to hug me, and then she yelled back at him since we were friends first and I tried to stop them but they kept fighting so Jason and Dick made them split up and then I didn’t get to say anything else to Mari and so she probably hates me now.” Jon rambles, eyes wide as his lower lip trembles. Bruce resists the urge to groan. Of course they were fighting over Jon. 

“Shall I go get Miss Marinette from her room?” Alfred asks. 

“No, I’ll get her. Damian, tomorrow we’re going to have a talk about friends. And the fact that multiple people can be friends with the same person.” Bruce says firmly, heading towards his youngest daughter’s room. He knocks. 

“Mari? Sweetie, it’s time for dinner.” Bruce says. He frowns when she doesn’t answer. “Mari?” He calls, knocking again. Bruce purses his lips. Perhaps she fell asleep? He knocks one more time before gently pushing the door open. He doesn’t panic at the empty room. He’s completely calm and collected. The paper that catches his eye on her desk, the letter letting him know that she’d be back the next day and not to worry- that’s what makes him panic. Flashbacks of five years ago. An empty bedroom. A note. A crumpled form in the middle of an explosion. Steadying his breath, he rushes downstairs. He wouldn’t go through that again. He couldn’t. 

“Master Bruce-”

“Marinette’s gone.” He says, clutching the note like a lifeline. 

“What?” Jon squeaks out, his eyes wide. Bruce turns to Dick. 

“We have to find her. Dick, will you call Jason? The rest of us will head to the cave. Everyone needs to be on comms and suited up in twenty minutes.” Bruce instructs. And not even the familiar feeling of directing a mission can bring him calm. Not while his daughter is missing. 

---

Marinette sips her chocolate milk, shaking her head at the tv. 

“You know, sometimes I wonder how Jo and Amy are able to like each other again after all the times they kinda suck and are kinda awful towards each other.” She says. Jason raises an eyebrow. 

“Yeah?” He asks. She nods. 

“Yeah. But then I remember all the times that we all fight, and I kinda get it.” She sighs. Jason snorts, shaking his head. The landline rings and Jason reaches over and grabs it. 

“Hello.” He says simply. Marinette looks away from the movie, instead watching her brother’s face as shock quickly covers it. “What? No- I- Dick, shut the hell up and breathe. She’s fine. No, she is. She’s with me. Well- I- I thought B knew. Yeah. Mmhmm. Call the calvary back, she’s fine. She’ll be back tomorrow morning after breakfast. Because I promised I’d make pancakes. No, not for you Dickhead. Uh huh. Bye.” Marinette quickly turns her attention back to the movie, hoping he doesn’t try to talk to her about it. 

“I wonder if I could wear a dress like that to the next gala.” Marinette muses, hoping it’ll be enough to change the subject. Instead, the movie pauses and Marinette sighs. 

“So. Are we going to talk about this? Or am I just going to give you a little lecture?” Jason asks. Marinette pouts. 

“Why do we have to do either? Why can’t we just finish watching the movie?” She asks. Jason lets out a long breath. 

“Do you remember when I died?” He asks bluntly. Marinette flinches back, looking at her older brother with wide eyes. He winces. “Sorry, kid. But I promise it’s important.” Marinette frowns, eyebrows scrunching together. 

“Well. Yeah, I- I kind of remember it. It’s not super clear, but…I remember.” She says, pushing down the wave of sadness that wells up inside her. It was one of the hardest times of her entire life. 

“I don’t know how much you remember of that time, but I ran away first. I was determined to figure out who my birth mom was, so I left. And do you know what I did?” He asks. Marinette shakes her head. “I left a note. I didn’t tell anyone I was leaving, not even Alfred. I just left a note. And we both know how that ended up.” He says. Marinette’s eyes widen. 

“That’s what I did to dad. I just left a note- I thought- I didn’t want him to tell me I couldn’t go. I didn’t think it would-” She stops, trying hard to stop her tears. Jason opens his arms and she throws herself at him, crying. “I’m sorry.” She says. 

“It’s fine, kiddo. I know the whole Jon and Damian thing really upset you. But- and I’m gonna sound like a fu-freaking hypocrite here- but you’ve gotta communicate.” Jason says. Marinette sniffles, and leans back. 

“Do you think dad’s gonna be really mad at me?” She asks timidly. Jason shakes his head. 

“No, kid, I don’t think he will. I think he’ll be too relieved to be mad.” He says. Marinette starts to respond, but a tap on the window makes her jump instead. Jason immediately leaps off the couch and heads for the window. “Of freaking course.” He huffs before throwing the window open. Marinette frowns, until a familiar person steps in and her eyes widen. 

“Mari!” Jon calls, running over and giving her a big hug. Marinette blinks a few times, before she relaxes and returns the hug. 

“What’re you doing here?” She asks once he pulls away. 

“Yeah. I’d also like to know.” Jason says, walking over and crossing his arms. Jon laughs awkwardly before reaching back and scratching the back of his neck. 

“I uh, I was worried about you.” He says. Marinette feels a smile creep onto her face. 

“Really?” She asks. He nods. 

“Course I was. You’re one of my best friends.” He says. She raises her eyebrows. “Yeah, uh, I already told Damian that people can have more than one best friend. I think your dad’s gonna talk to him more about it tomorrow, but I didn’t wanna stop being your friend.” He says. 

“Still best friends forever?” She asks, holding out a pinky. Jon grins and links his pinky with hers. 

“Forever and ever.” He says simply. And he was right. 

When Marinette and Jon get married fifteen years later, it surprises no one.

Tag list: @maribat-secret-santa

The Full Compiled List of Ships to Choose From:

Garnet Guardians:

Brucinette

Cassette

Konette

Marave (Marinette/Raven)

Marijon

Roynette

Stephinette

Wally / Marinette

Rhodonite Ravagers:

Alix / Barry Allen

Billy Batson / Marinette

Clark Kent / Marinette

Selina Kyle / Marinette

Victor (Cyborg) / Marinette

Juleka / Kor'i (Starfire)

Roy / Adrien

Kon / Adrien

Bart / Adrien

Jason / Adrien

Jason / Fei

Jason / Nino

Cass / Nino

Damian / Nino

Damian / Chloe

Wally / Chloe

Dick / Chloe

Dick / Miss. Bustier

Dick / Felix

Tim / Felix

Tim / Zoe

Tim / Luka

Barbara / Luka

Klarion / Lila

Alexandrite Avengers:

Oliver Queen / Barry Allen / Emilie Agreste

Cass / Kagami / Marinette

Tim / Kagami / Marinette

Tim / Marinette / Felix

Bart / Marinette / Felix

Raven / Beast Boy / Marinette

Steph / Cass / Marinette

Wally / Dick / Marinette

Wally / Dick / Adrien

Jason / Roy / Adrien

Damian / Jon / Adrien

Bart / Kon / Adrien

Bart / Kon / Tim / Adrien