#wallynette

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“So, Ladybug. What are we potentially walking into that you’re so uniquely situated to handle in the City of Love? Everything centered on love, Parisians making love at every chance and spending the nights in romance?”

She gave a small shudder as he said that before looking at him and letting out a breath. “I certainly hope not. Parisians are not all about love and when they are-,” she cut herself off with a shake of the head, changing to answer the second portion of his question instead. “I hope I am wrong but most likely a very powerful type of magic that is being used for the wrong purpose.”

“Magic. Right. And what are you going to do? Wiggle your fingers and hope that the “magical” threat disperses?”

She raised an eyebrow at him as he wiggled his fingers at her. “You didn’t think I was powerless, did you?”

“Considering I’ve never seen you with anything. Yeah.”

“No one is naturally as lucky as me, Kid Flash.”

“Luck isn’t a power. It's a chance. A probability. You just have ended up on top in weird situations that’s all.”

“I forgot you were in denial about the existence of magic. I hope you never need to see my luck in full swing then,” she said, moving away from him to the opposite side of the bio-ship as Robin came beside him.

“Hey, KF. Lay off, LB for a bit. This isn’t going to be easy for her.”

—----------------------------------------

Kid Flash let out a low whistle at the amount of couples he saw out and about as they came off the bio-ship.

“You lied when you said Parisians weren’t all about love, Ladybug. That’s all I’m seeing.”

The spotted heroine merely frowned as she stepped out, taking in everything around them.

“This isn’t right. This shouldn- MOVE!” she shouted, tackling Artemis out of the way, Kid Flash speeding Robin away as Superboy moved in front of Miss Martian to protect her from the pink energy blast, absorbing it.

Ladybug cursed under her breath pulling Artemis behind, not waiting for the other two to catch up before ducking into an alleyway to reconvene.

“You’re just going to leave M’gann and Kon like that!?” Kid Flash exclaimed as soon as he stopped in front of her. She grit her teeth before pointing back at them.

“It’s contagious. Kon’s already gotten M’gann. They won’t be of any help to us anytime soon. The sooner I deal with this the sooner we get them back.”

Looking back proved her words right as they awkward couple were staring lovestruck in each others eyes the rest of the world dead to them.

“We. As soon as we deal with this,” Artemis corrected her. Ladybug didn’t say anything to contradict the archer, simply looked over the three of them.

“Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Pâtisserie. Straight down this road until you see it. Meet me on the roof, behind the chimney.”

“You’re ditching us?”

“C’mon you too let’s go,” Robin spared her from answering, taking off to disappear into the city with a small smile from LB her only response as she did the same leaving the two non-Bat trained heroes to follow her hasty directions.

The three young vigilantes stood on the roof waiting. The small zip was the only sound they heard in warning before Ladybug landed softly on the roof, walking over to meet them.

“New suit, LB?” Wally asked as Ladybug came up beside him.

Gone was the Batman and Robin -esque kevlar suit, lensed mask, and utility belt. Instead she wore a sleeker more form fitting suit, lacking the utility belt and heavy duty boots, looking more like a dancer’s unitard in her signature red and black ladybug spots. Her simple black domino mask with white lenses was replaced with a mask of a similar material of her hut, red bearing black spots, her bright blue eyes on display. In lieu of her utility belt she simply had a yo-yo slung low across her waist.

“Old,” she said tersely as she scanned the park and surrounding rooftops with a small frown. “And better equipped.”

Kid Flash gave a small snort, that quickly turned into an ow as Robin elbowed him in the side.

She glared at Kid Flash before letting out a breath.

“You guys need to leave. Get out of Paris. While you can.”

“We can’t. Miss M’s out of commission-” Artemis started as Ladybug nodded.

“-And we didn’t establish any links. Perfect. Robin?”

“Magic’s blocked the comm signal between me and B.”

She nodded, looking unsurprised.

“Remind me to alter that after all of this. Okay,” She gave a small head nod to signal they follow her before jumping down onto the balcony and opening the small trap door and dropping in, waving them in from inside, pulling the door shut after Robin. “You three are going to hunker down in here while I go and figure out more of the specifics and deal with the immediate threat.”

“Breaking and entering into a girl’s room. Classy.”

Ladybug rolled her eyes at Wally’s remark. “She’s fine with it. She’s helped us in the past.”

“Us?” Artemis asked.

“Me and my- my partner. She used to help us when we needed a place to recharge or get our emotions out safely. She’s not here at the moment and her parents shouldn’t come up here at this time assuming they aren’t victims already. If they do, tell them Ladybug put you here for cover. Do not leave until I come back for you please.”

She didn’t give them anytime to protest before taking off through the trapdoor.

Wally looked at the two of them giving a quick exasperated arm wave before shaking his head. “I’m going after her,” was all he said before zipping off through the trapdoor in the direction she left.

Artemis took a step to follow, stopping as Robin grabbed her wrist.

“Don’t. She has enough on her plate with Wally on top already.”

“Why are you so cool with all of this?”

“Because I know what she’s been through before coming to the team. And she’s staying more whelmed than any of us would be in her shoes. Someone’s got to stay traught to help ease her burden.”

“Care to share with the class?”

“Not mine to tell.”

—----------------------------------------

She threw her yo-yo with barely a glance as he tried to catch up and move closer to her, hitting him in the face and pulling it back, catching it expertly as she moved towards a couple making out on the bench.

“Alya. Nino,” she snapped her fingers around their heads trying to get their attention only for her hand to be swatted away as Wally managed to get behind her as she started speaking in rapid french at the couple.

“Arrête de te plaindre! Alya?! Nino?! C'est un autre Akuma? Je croyais qu'on en avait fini avec ça. Par les dieux.” She let out a frustrated breath, taking a necklace from the girl and bracelet from the guy, glaring at Kid Flash as he grabbed her wrist.

“Hey, hey, hey, I know the big bad Bat said you were in charge but you can’t just steal from civilians who won’t pay you attention,” he chided her as she ripped her wrist out of his grasp.

“It’s not stealing if it belongs to you. And right now I’m not risking anything happening to these while they’re out of commission,” she told him, opening her yo-yo and dropping them in, the two jewelry pieces disappearing in a flash of light, before she reached in and pulled out two tiny ladybug charm necklaces.

“Zeta storage? I didn’t know the tech for that was around yet.”

“Magic. Alternate dimension storage. But of course magic isn’t real to you. I thought I told you to stay put.”

“Clearly I didn’t listen. So if those were important enough to go into “magical storage” what did you leave behind? Protection charms?”

“They already had those. Cheap necklaces so they would know not to worry when they snap out of it.”

“Planned for this?”

“I kind of have to.”

“So you always have been so tense and uptight.”

She looked like she was about to snap at him before her eyes widened and she shoved him behind her, spinning her yo-yo around as a shield, deflecting the pink blasts away from the two of them as she backed up, herding Wally away.

“Out of all of the team to be stubborn and out here with me, you are the worst one.”

“Why me!?”

“Because I’m not sure who the victims go after but if it’s first sight or nearest person, I’m screwed, Mr. Speedster. And if I go down it’s pretty much game over!”

“Nice job announcing that to the enemy.”

She scoffed. “Even if he wasn’t aware, which is unlikely, his master certainly is.”

“Master?”

“Puppeteer. The guy who gave him his powers. Hawkmoth Junior. Whatever you want to call him. He knows where to hit me. This. This is either to draw me out or tell me he’s back in the game. I’m guessing the latter.”

“And why would this Hawkmoth Junior know?”

“Because he used to be my partner!” she snapped, before taking a deep breath calming down fast. Alarmingly so. “The past few months have spoiled me when it comes to emotions apparently. I need to clamp down on those again,” she muttered.

“That’s not healthy,” he said softly, frowning as he looked at his teammate. Things slowly clicking into place.

“Not like I have a choice when he weaponizes negative emotions. I’ll be fine. I’ve been doing it for 3 years now. I can do it for a while longer. Care to get us a block or two away, fast?”

He wrapped his arms around her waist, carrying her away, her yo-yo not stopping movement until they were out of sight.

“Thank you. Lucky Charm!” she called, tossing her yo-yo into the air, it coming down and fixing itself around her waist as she caught a ladybug colored tire that looked to be almost the size of her. He blinked.

“Where did that-”

“Magic. Creation magic. About to be paired with the luck I told you about,” she muttered glancing around quickly. A sharp breath followed by a small tight smile as she looked at him. “Looks like it's a good thing you followed me out afterwards.”

“Why?”

“You’re going to be a distraction. This is going to be tight and risky but luck’s in our favor. I need you to run and grab that big plank of wood on the other side of the park without getting hit and bring it back here.”

He was gone and back with the wood before she could say anything else.

“Perfect,” she said, pushing a dumpster into the road, taking the wood, and placing it precariously on the edge, rolling the tire a fair distance away. “ I need you to go hang out by that stop sign and get the Akuma's attention. Try not to get hit because I can do without having to deal with a lovesick speedster. If you can get a hold of their bow, break it or throw it to me.”

“Can do,” he said with a grin. Speeding off to where she wanted him. “Oh woe is me! Love is worthless and for naught! I am destined to die alone!” he shouted, dramatically draping an arm over his eyes and placing a hand on his heart. “I see all these lovely couples and know in my heart of hearts I will never meet their fate!”

“I can change that.”

Wally grinned as he dodged, spotting LB maneuvering the tire. “Too slow!”

“Stay still,” the akuma hissed.

“I thought love was supposed to hit you like a bolt of lightning?” he taunted, eyes flicking to where he watched Ladybug give the tire a good shove, letting the small incline of the road take its course as it bounced. Once. Twice. Thrice. And there’s the ramp, sending the tire airborne.

The next two things happened simultaneously as Kid Flash was distracted watching the tiny powerhouse that is Ladybug work her magic that he moved a fraction too slowly to avoid the stray blast from the Akuma as they were hit by the airborne tire trapping them and knocking the bow from their hand.

Wally’s world narrowed to Ladybug. Strong, snarky, sarcastic, and pretty. Je was moving, closing the distance between them in a blink of an eye- why was she flying away from him?

He chased after her, getting up on the roof moment after she landed and broke the bow, tossing it down. Her bright blue eyes widened as she met his, quickly moving to put distance between them. Distance he quickly tried to close.

He faintly registered her yelling “Snap out of it!” and releasing a butterfly in her brief moment of stillness on the roof she landed on.

He barely managed to reach her before she was gone. Picking up the tire and tossing it up in the air as he finally managed to catch her, tackling her to the ground interrupting her call of “Miraculous LadyBu-” as he flipped her over, pinning her down.

“-g!” she finished as he leaned in for a kiss, the bright light and swarm of ladybugs snapped him out of it as he blinked, staring down at his teammate pinned underneath him, bright red.

He felt himself flush as he quickly pushed off of her, hurried apologies probably too fast for her to understand falling from his mouth as he backed away.

“Kid Flash! KF! Hey! It’s okay. Give me a minute. Then we can clear that up okay?”

He nodded, watching as she talked and gently comforted the teen, giving him a fist bump before returning over to Wally.

“Care to travel via Bug Air?”

He barely managed a yes, before she had an arm wrapped around his waist and he was being pulled into the air, a distance further than should have been possible by a yo-yo at a speed that shouldn’t have been attainable, repeating a couple times until they landed on top of the Eiffel Tower.

“I am so sorry. I didn’t mean-”

“You weren’t in your right mind and besides you didn’t manage to get further than pin me down. I cast the cure in time.”

“So I didn’t-”

“Not at all. Still adamant there’s no such thing as magic?”

“That’s more of a

“You hosted Dr. Fate and

“For my sanity.”

She snorted. “That’s fair, I suppose. A luxury I don’t get considering I babysit for a few dozen miniature gods but c’est la vie.”

“What?”

She laughed. “You heard me, Science Boy. Now let’s go meet up with the others and get you four out of here.”

“What about you?”

“My work isn’t done here. I need to make a statement to the people about Ad- Hawkmoth Mini and talk to my old team. Find a new Cat. Start patrols up again. I’ll be back at the Mountain tomorrow after I deal with a few of the more pressing matters. I can drop you off at the Patisserie but after that you all are on your own for getting back if that’s okay?”

“That’s absolutely fine.”

She dropped him off, giving Artemis and Robin the 10 second run down before starting to head back out the trap door, pausing for a moment to look at Wally.

“Thank you for your help, Wally.”

“Anytime, LB.”

“Bug out.”

ANd with that she left, not seeing the faint blush on his cheeks. Unfortunately for Wally that same blush didn’t escape the attention of Robin and Artemis.

“Somebody’s got a crush,” Artemis sang-songed, throwing her arm around his shoulder.

“Anything you want to share with us, Wall-man?” Robin asked with a grin.

“I do not. And no. There is nothing.”

“Didn’t get any luck from our resident lucky charm?”

Wally narrowed his eyes at his friend.

“You knew, didn’t you?”

“Race to the bio-ship for answers?”

“Oh you’re on. I’ll give you two a head start.”

Thirty minutes.  In this suit, he could survive thirty minutes at those temperatures before his muscles stopped responding to neurotransmitters.  But it shouldn’t take that long to grab the dagger. Then he just had to… figure out how to get out of Antarctica in a matter of a few minutes.  Easy.  He mentally facepalmed.  He really should have thought this through better.  But it was too late now.  Right now, he just needed to get the dagger back.

He paused to assess the situation but froze as the Antarctic landscape disappeared, replaced by a Parisian cityscape.  That was… what was happening right now?  He looked around for the source of the hologram but his eyes caught on the woman who had stolen the dagger.  She was turned slightly away from him examining the dagger carefully, treating it with significantly more care than he would have anticipated.  Her face was calm and relieved, no hint of smug superiority at having stolen it out from a rival.  Which was… odd.

But he didn’t have time to figure out what was going on right now.  He needed to grab the dagger and then reassess and try to figure out the situation and an exit strategy.  He zipped ahead, grabbing the dagger from her hands and returning to his original position on the other side of the balcony before she even realized something had been taken.

She froze and looked around her, confusion and panic clear in her eyes until they settled on him.  She blinked at him a few times.  He could see her mind running through what was happening and the pieces fitting into place.  He prepared for her attack, but instead of attacking she sighed deeply, her body slumped against the railing.  “You missed the mission brief, didn’t you?” she astutely commented.

Wally glared at her, because how dare she accuse him of being so unprofessional.  She was right, but still.  The audacity! “Excuse me?  I heard it.”

“But not all of it.  You went for a snack in the middle didn’t you?”  She motioned toward the dagger, a small, exasperated smile on her lips.  “The entire point of the mission was so I would grab that, which you just stole back.”

No,” he corrected confidently and held the dagger up tauntingly, “Ladybug was supposed to steal it back.”

“I’m Ladybug,” she whisper shouted.

He looked her up and down analytically.  “No,” he corrected again, considerably less confidently this time, “you’re not.”

She groaned and massaged her temples.  She was too tired for this.  She was too busy for this.  And while watching Kid Flash mess with his teammates was cute, being on the receiving end was considerably less cute.  “If you’d paid attention to the briefing, you would have heard that I’d be in a different suit for the mission.”

Wally opened and closed his mouth.  That… that did sound familiar.  She quirked her head to the side with a knowing smirk.  “Would it convince you if I gave you pastries from the same place I got them before?  You really liked the pain au chocolat, right?  I mean… don’t take it as a proposal.  I know you said you’d marry me if I brought you more…”

Wally gaped at her and looked her up, his eyes filled with wonder, like he was trying to break through the magic to see her. “You’re Ladybug.”

“I am,” she confirmed with a nod.  “Can I have the dagger now, please?”

He grinned and nodded as he handed it over.  “I’ve never seen you in a different suit, LB. I like it.  I mean, I like all your suits on you,” he rubbed the back of his neck nervously, “because they’re on you so they must be good… I mean because you’re good.”

“Kid Flash,” she interrupted with an affectionate chuckle.

He instantly froze and looked up at her in surprise.  “Yes?”

“Thank you,” she held up the dagger.  “It would have been incredibly bad if Klarion figured out how to use this.”

Wally nodded eagerly.  “Anytime, LB.  Literally, anytime.  Just let me know.  I’ll be there…”

Marinette narrowed her eyes at him.  “Don’t you dare…”

“… in a flash,” he grinned brightly.

Marinette groaned and shoved him toward the railing. She pursed her lips in a desperate attempt to keep from laughing.  “That’s it. Nope.  No.  You have to go now.”  Wally cackled raucously as she pushed him over and over.  She finally let her laughter burst through too as she set and reset her hands trying to get to him as he rolled with each push instead of letting her actually move him.

Marinette pulled back for a moment before pushing forward with renewed vigor just as Wally shifted to the side.  Marinette’s hand sailed through where his body had a been a few seconds before and she crashed into his chest.  His arms instantly went around her waist to brace her. She looked up at him with a bright blush that he matched.  Marinette straightened up and tore her eyes from his.  “I think you better leave now, before…”

Marinette froze as a voice rose up from the building below to interrupt them.  “Marinette, can you come down and help at the register?”

Marinette’s eyes widened even more for a second before hardening.  “You didn’t hear that.”  Her teasing, light voice from a few moments ago disappeared in an instant, replaced by a hard, cutting tone.

He froze in surprise.  He knew how important Ladybug’s identity was to her.  It was more closely guarded than Dick’s and for him to know it when not even Wonder Woman did, was a big deal.  He was almost afraid of how she was going to react. He’d seen Ladybug react angrily before, when Arthur had said something derogatory about some God of Destruction. He had no interest in having that kind of fire directed at him.  “Okay.”

“Because you can’t know that,” she stressed.

Okay,” he nodded dumbly.  “I don’t know a lot of things.”

“Exactly five people in the world know who I am, including me… well 6 now, including you.”  Her eyes had taken on a softer, more pleading look, begging for him to understand how important this was to her.

“I don’t know your full name,” he offered, “and I promise not to try to find out or tell anyone what I know.  I know how important your identity is to you.”  He looked at her solemnly, trying to convey how earnest he was.  He knew he a came off as playful most of the time, but he wanted her to understand how seriously he took this.

Marinette searched his eyes for a few seconds before her scrutinizing look softened into a soft smile.  “Thank you.  I appreciate it.  It very much is.”

“Marinette Mingxia Dupain-Cheng, can you answer me, please. Do you have time to come down and help at the front while I help Papa with the éclairs?”

Marinette’s eyes widened comically wide.   Wally stared at her in shock for a few seconds before he burst out laughing.  Marinette ran her hand over her face with a groan. “I’ll be down in just a minute, Maman,” she yelled.  She turned to him with a defeated look.  “… or that. You didn’t hear that either.”  Wally started to nod when her transformation dropped in a flash of orange then aqua and she groaned louder turning into a whimper. “Or see that.  You aren’t seeing this.”

He laughed harder as she dropped her forehead on his chest in defeat.  She was supposed to be the epitome of luck and yet this had to be one of the worst strings of bad luck he had ever seen.  It was like the universe was plotting against her.  He patted her back as she tried to disappear against him. He wiped tears from his eyes.  “I absolutely did not hear your mom call for you, Marinette Mingxia Dupain Cheng.  And I absolutely am not staring at one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen.  But what I did hear was éclair.  You… you have éclairs?”

Marinette peeked up at him with a snort.  His eyes were wide and hopeful, teasing but sincere. She shook her head and backed away a step.  He quirked his head to the side.  “What?”

“It’s just… éclair… it… um… it means…” she motioned toward his chest.

He shook his head in confusion.  He knew what an éclair was, clearly.  He just wasn’t sure why that was worth a laugh.  “It means?”

“Lightening bolt,” she answered flatly.

Wally looked down at his emblem and back up with a smirk. “Oh really?”  His smirk turned mischievous.  “That’s clearly a sign.”

Marinette huffed dramatically and looked back at him.  “A sign of what exactly?”

“Éclairs are a significant part of your life and my symbol is an éclair.  Obviously, I was meant to be a significant part of your life.”  He waggled his eyebrows at Marinette and leaned in with a charming grin.

Marinette chuckled and pushed his face back with a finger.  God she was such a sucker for gorgeous green, roguish eyes.  “I think it just means you always have food on your mind, even when you don’t realize it,” she teased.  And she knew she wasn’t too far off the mark.  She’d seen his eyes widen when she’d brought pastries to the first mission planning meeting.

Wally cocked his head to the side and bobbed his head after a moment of thought.  “Both. Definitely both.”

“Marinette?  Are you coming?”

Marinette glanced back toward her skylight with a grimace.  “Coming, Maman.” She turned back to Wally with a small smile.  “I need to go, but you’re welcome to come in and get some éclairs… and take some back to the team with you.”

Wally perked up immediately, his eyes brightening. “Yeah?”  He looked down at his suit.  “As me,” he motioned to his suit, “or as me?” he motioned to his face.

Marinette shrugged with a smile.  “I’ll be there as me,” she motioned to her uncostumed self and gave him a sweet smile, “so it’s up to you.  I don’t expect you to reveal yourself just because I did.”

Wally grinned excitedly as he watched her climb through her skylight.  “See you down there.”

She nodded back to him.  “See you down there.”

It only took a matter of seconds for him to change out of his suit but waited a few minutes for Marinette, her name was Marinette! to get down to the bakery and get settled.  He patted down his clothes.  He wished he could have worn something a bit more stylish under his suit, but the suit didn’t really leave a lot of room for bulky clothes.  Hell, he was lucky he’d worn as much as he did under it today.

He ran his hand through his hair and let out a breath before entering.  He froze as soon as he saw her.  He knew he had seen La… Marinette a few seconds ago, but something about seeing her now under planned circumstances, intentionally letting him interact with her, that made it more significant.  He got caught on her blue eyes for a few seconds before remembering to speak.  “Hi.”  He waved awkwardly.

Marinette flushed but smiled brilliantly and waved back just as awkwardly.  “Hi. Um… welcome to Tom and Sabine’s Boulangerie and Patisserie.  I’m Marinette.  Marinette Dupain Cheng”

“Wally.  Wally West. Hi,” he repeated, a sappy smile on his lips.  He finally found the ability to move, advancing toward her until he was close enough to lean against the counter.

She giggled lightly and leaned against the counter from the other side.  “It’s nice to meet you Wally.”

“It’s really nice to meet you Marinette Mingxia Dupain Cheng,” he smirked.  Marinette searched Wally’s face and chuckled.  He leaned back nervously.  He fought every urge to touch his face to find the source of her mirth.  “What?”

She pointed to his hair.  “You have helmet hair.”  Wally’s hands immediately flew to his hair as he tried to tame it.  She giggled again.  “It’s cute,” she assured him quietly.  He smiled and she returned it happily.

After a few seconds she looked away shyly and pushed a box over to him.  “Oh! Here, I put together a box for you and your team.”

“Oh that’s so though… My team!” he exclaimed suddenly. His eyes blew wide in realization. “They’re going to kill me.”  He pulled out his phone and started punching buttons.

Marinette cringed.  She should have sent him back immediately.  She should have realized he was leaving his team a man down.  “Oh, you… you probably have to get back.”

Wally grimaced at his phone.  “They’re on their way back in the Cave so the fi…” he looked around surreptitiously, “interaction is probably over.  I should probably…”

“Do you need me to create a…” Marinette offered.

“No, I’ll zeta to them,” he insisted.

Marinette nodded.  “Well, it was nice to see you.  Feel free to come by whenever you… you know, need pastries.”  She held up the box and passed it off to him, but held tight to it before he could take it.  Her expression suddenly turned serious.  “And Wally?”

He froze as he looked at her.  “Yeah?”

She eyed him pointedly.  “I want proof you shared these with your team.”

Wally snickered and saluted her.  “Yes, ma’am.”  He walked backward out of the store, his eyes never leaving hers until he ran into the door. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.  “Door.”

Marinette giggled.  “Yeah.”

“Yeah.  Uh… so… see you later.”

Marinette beamed at him.  “Looking forward to it.”

Wally gave her a pleased, excited smile.  He was going to have to come up with some reasons they needed Ladybug in their future missions.  But the priority now, he reminded himself as he hid in an alley and put his suit back on in a matter of a second, is to get back to the team. He dashed to the closest Zeta tube and walked into the Cave just as the bioship as landing.

He gave them an overly excited, hopefully disarming smile. “So… how’d it go?  You get him?”

“What the Hell, man?” Robin groused at him.

While Robin’s expression was more annoyed than angry, Conner’s expression was firmly set on the angry side.  “What took you so long?

“I met a girl,” Wally explained as a dreamy look settled on his face.

Artemis rolled her eyes.  “Of course you did,” she scoffed as she pushed past him.

“Are those pastries?” Rocket asked incredulously.

Wally nodded rapidly and opened the box for them.  “Ladybug pointed me at the place she gets those pastries she brings.  I brought some back… as an apology,” he added on quickly.  Dick rolled his eyes but took one.

“Is that where you met the girl?” M’gann asked despite clearly knowing the answer from the look on his face describing the bakery.

“She works at the bakery.”  He pulled out his phone and switched on the camera app.  He paused when he finally took in the incredulous looks on his friends’ faces through the screen.  “She said she wants proof I shared the pastries with my friends,” he explained quickly.

“Ah hem” Robin coughed pointedly motioning to his uniform.

Wally scrunched his face in confusion until he realized, they thought she was a civilian… and he couldn’t correct them without giving up her identity.  He looked around quickly, his eyes homing in on the members whose appearance didn’t change as a hero.  “I’ll just get Kaldur, M’gann, and Conner from the shoulders up.  Here take one you guys.”

M’gann happily took one, smiling at him in appreciation.  Conner huffed and scowled at him but wasn’t about to turn down the pastries.  He grabbed one harshly and stalked away to stand next to M’gann.  Kaldur frowned and walked away, already planning the lecture he would give Wally later. Dick took another but stepped away from M’gann and Conner to make sure he wouldn’t be in the picture.

“Hey!  Just one!” Wally objected, yanking the box away from them.  He suddenly froze, a devious smile spread across his lips.  “Actually, take more.”  He held the box out for them, shaking it in their faces to encourage them to take more.

Everyone stared at him in shock.  They slowly pulled the pastries away from their mouths.  It wouldn’t do much good since they’d all already taken several bites by now, but maybe they could mitigate the effects if they stopped now.  Dick looked at M’gann and nodded toward Wally pointedly.  M’gann nodded and focused on Wally.  “You feeling okay, KF?” Robin asked carefully.

“I’m fine just take some, will you?” he encouraged in exasperation.

M’gann shook her head.  “It’s him.  He isn’t being controlled.”

Robin pursed his lips and eyed Wally suspiciously but took the last pastry.  “Okay…”

Despite her catastrophizing, it had been entirely Marinette’s decision to join the Young Justice team after spending her summers training with the Order in Tibet. Her parents sent her to visit Bruce that time of year, which made it easy for her to get away and complete the necessary training to become Grand Guardian. Even with Hawkmoth defeated, though, it hadn’t felt right to let the Miraculous sit in disuse, so she followed her instinct and figured joining another superhero team was the best she could do. She had an in, with Batman being her biological father and all, but the prospect was still daunting. She was joining the big leagues now, and she had to act the part.

Speaking of, it was interesting to see the way Dick interacted with his teammates. She had seen her family in action in Gotham—even joined them on patrol more than a few times—but something about the gloomy city put an extra mask on all of them, enough to damper any good mood. Here, her brother was different. Brighter, almost. She only ever saw him like that around his school friends, though she supposed Wally did count. She could feel the redhead’s gaze on her as Dick continued to talk, and she let her eyes drift over the lineup until they landed on him. She hadn’t seen him in over a year thanks to her trip to Tibet, but there he was: Kid Flash, in all his mustard-and-ketchup glory. His hair was windswept, enhancing the exhilarated look that all speedsters seemed to share. Considering that she and everyone else in the immediate vicinity had heard him super-speeding into the room a minute ago, his disheveled appearance wasn’t surprising. There was a dorky, wide-toothed grin on his face that was ever-present and currently directed at her. The corners of her mouth instinctively tugged up in response, but she quickly quelled the smile to adopt a more stoic look, a habit she chalked up to being inherited from Bruce. Regardless, she pushed all extraneous thoughts away until the introduction was finished, after which she found herself being swept away by her brother to talk to Zatanna. According to him, the magician was excited to meet another magic user, especially a Miraculous wielder. Marinette was similarly delighted, letting herself be pulled along, but as Dick tugged her hand, she spared a glance behind her to acknowledge a certain red-haired speedster and wave.

Swimming in your eyes, in your eyes, in your eyes Egyptian blue Something I've never had without you

“Nice job out there.”

Marinette yelped as a smooth voice spoke right into her ear, the accompanying warm breath sending a chill down her spine. Wally narrowly dodged the offending punch she sent, ducking before she could slug him in the face. She hadn’t expected anyone to come into the room, and she certainly hadn’t heard anyone come inside. Talk about warning a girl. Her palms came to rest on her chest as if they would slow her racing heart. “Kwami, you scared me.”

“Still on the adrenaline rush?” he chuckled.

“Maybe a little,” she admitted.

“Well, you did great out there, especially since it was your first time against Klarion. Two weeks in and you’re already better than me!”

Marinette flushed, feeling her cheeks warm. “Don’t sell yourself short. It’s just because I have magic.” She wiggled her fingers, which made her look more like a poor imitation of a ghost than anything. “Besides, you did really great too! That last maneuver was pretty cool.”

“Ah, well, you know me! Cool.” He puffed his chest out, leaning back with crossed arms only to miss the counter behind him and go flailing backward. He landed on the floor gracelessly, looking very put-out at the fall. Marinette burst into laughter at his expression, and a few seconds later, he followed in suit. She laughed until her lungs were gasping for air and her cheeks hurt from smiling, and when it died down into a comfortable silence, she chanced a look at his face.

Wally was beaming, wild and untethered and free. It reached his eyes, endless fields of lush grass and emeralds that pulled her in like an unstoppable force. It was like the sensation of falling, of tumbling head-over-heels into his ardent gaze—but perhaps she had been falling all along. It sent a thrill through her, the zap of a lightning bolt not unlike the one on his uniform. It left her breathless.

“Oh! Um… I got this for you.” She didn’t know why she chose that moment to speak up, but she had to do something, anything to break the clamoring of voices in her head. Reaching behind her, she grasped the object she had kept from the earlier fight and held it up. “Teekl’s collar. It got torn off during the fight, and I figured you’d want to keep it. Dick told me you liked keeping things from missions.”

Her words became more unsure the more she spoke, but her worries were swept away as Wally practically bounced up, a delighted expression taking hold. He took it from her hands in an almost reverent manner, and she tried to ignore the tingling she felt when his fingers brushed hers.

“Souvenir!” he whooped, waving it over his head. “Oh man, I can’t wait to show everyone how cool this is.” He was almost vibrating out the door with excitement, and Marinette smiled at his antics. Just as she expected him to leave, he turned back, and in the blink of an eye she found her arms full of a hyper speedster. “Thanks, M. You’re the best!”

“You’re welcome,” she laughed. He bounded out, leaving her in the bathroom alone. Marinette turned to the mirror and sighed, hoping her face hadn’t shown anything more than she wanted it to. At the end of the day, Wally was… well, him, and she was just his best friend’s little sister.

You're giving me chills at a hundred degrees It's better than pills how you put me to sleep Calling your name, the only language I can speak Taking my breath, a souvenir that you can keep Giving me chills

Marinette threw the covers off her bed and stood with a frustrated growl. The fact that it was 2 in the morning was the only thing keeping her from ranting her frustration aloud. For some reason or another, she just couldn’t sleep. She had tried everything from meditation to pills, but it had eluded her the last two weeks. She could already feel it taking a toll, her movements groggier and her brain obscured with fog—not exactly ideal for someone meant to be in peak condition. But trying to sleep had done nothing but make her frustrated and more tired, so she made the executive decision to go downstairs. To do what, she didn’t know, but anything would be better than lying in bed, listening to every little creak and mechanical bump.

She grabbed her sunglasses from the counter, sliding them over her nose. She doubted anyone was awake, but better to be safe than sorry. Besides Wally, no one knew her identity or the fact that she was related to Dick. She wasn’t keeping it under wraps the way she had when Hawkmoth was still active, but she was still the Grand Guardian, and the less people who knew, the better. Still, any of their teammates could connect the dots given their closeness to Dick. Her identity was implied, surely.

Marinette tiptoed her way out of her room, making sure to slide her door carefully shut behind her, before sneaking out to the kitchen. Mount Justice was normally completely dark after everyone went to bed—she wasn’t going to lie, it was a little spooky at night—but she could see a faint light alongside muffled talking noises which she concluded came from the lounge. Someone had probably left the TV on by accident. She decided to turn it off after grabbing a glass of water, switching the stove light to its lowest setting before standing on her tiptoes, reaching overhead to grab a glass from the wooden cabinet. Just as she wrapped her hand around the cool mug, she heard a voice. “Hey, Mari!”

The glass nearly dropped from her hands as she nearly jumped out of her skin, barely saving it from meeting its doom and shattering all over the counter. Before she could shriek out of sheer shock, a hand slapped across her mouth and pulled her close. Well, if she wasn’t awake before, she certainly was now. “Calm down! It’s me, Wally.” Oh. Now that appeased her annoyance the tiniest bit, if only because she couldn’t think of anything other than the way her back was pressed flush again his body. “I’m going to take my hand off. Please don’t scream.” His hand left her face, and as soon as the warmth on her back disappeared she whirled around, glaring.

“We have got to stop meeting like this,” he joked. Marinette was not amused.

“What on Earth possessed you to think that was a good idea?” she seethed through gritted teeth. “You nearly gave me a heart attack!”

“Sorry, sorry!” the redhead winced. “I just heard someone come downstairs and wanted to see who it was.”

“Fine,” she grumbled, making her way to the sink to fill the glass still in her hand. “But why are you awake at this hour, anyway?” Wally raised an eyebrow and gestured to her, a silent et tu? “Touché.” They both stood, listening to the quiet chatter of the television and the burbling of water. She could feel him searching her face all the while.

“Hey, you ok?” The ambiance was broken; Marinette had no choice but to face him, that low voice now unnaturally solemn. He was still looking at her, his eyes piercing yet soft in that hypnotic way, and she guessed he had noticed the bags under her own.

“I’m just tired. Can’t sleep and all that.” She shot him a rueful smile.

“Me neither,” he replied. “I’ve tried, but it only makes me more… ” he paused, as if racking his brain for the right word.

“Restless,” they finished in tandem. Wally gave her a surprised smile that stole the breath from her lungs, and she let out a quiet exhale.

“Anyway, I’ve been watching TV ever since.” Ah. Marinette eyed the bags on chips laid out on the counter. “It would be nice to have some company,” he continued, “and I heard there’s some leftover cake in the fridge.” He drifted closer to her as he talked, until she only needed to shift an inch to bump her leg to his.

“Are you suggesting we raid the fridge?”

“Well, if you insist,” he grinned.

Half an hour and a slice of chocolate cake later, Marinette was fast asleep, wrapped in a burrito blanket with her head resting on Wally’s shoulder. He tilted his chin to look down at her. Her bangs fluttered with each soft exhale, and the light from the television illuminated the delicate curves of her face. Wally slowly reached for the remote and turned it off, taking care to reduce his movements so as to not wake her up.

As gently as he could, he let her head rest on the couch before lifting her blanket-swathed body into a bridal carry. As a speedster, he liked to use his abilities whenever they could convenience him, but he refrained this time in fear of jostling the sleeping girl. The weight of her in his arms was grounding, the journey to her room seeming much shorter than he recalled.

Wally pushed her door open and set her down on her bed, pulling up the covers with care. Even in sleep she looked ethereal, hair fanning across her pillow in a way that should have been messy but instead looked radiant. He placed the sunglasses she had removed earlier on her dresser and gave her one last glance that lasted a beat longer than it should have. He tore his gaze away and slowly crept to the door, but right as he touched the handle, he heard a mumbled, “Wally.”

He turned on his heel, expecting Marinette to be awake, only to be met with that same peaceful expression. He frowned, scratching the back of his neck in confusion. Maybe he really did need sleep. He was starting to imagine things.

Sunset Tower lobby, waiting there for me In the elevator, fumble for your key Kissed in every corner, Presidential Suite Opened that Bordeaux from 1993

“What the hell was that?”

“Excuse me?”

Wally was leaning on the wall left of the medical bay, arms crossed and an irate look on his face. Marinette looked around, bewildered. Did she miss something? She had been getting her wounds tended to for the last hour alongside the majority of their team. They had taken a large blow from the strange new villain they had been up against, one that had no name and was unusually strong. Luckily, her suit was impenetrable and indestructible. Not-so-luckily, as she discovered today, it was not so impervious to brute force. She had been thrown around Paris more times than she could count and flung from the top of the Eiffel Tower, but apparently getting tossed around by a hulking monster was too much. Still, she wasn’t sure why Wally was acting like this. She had only seen him truly angry every once in a blue moon, and his righteous fury was only directed at villains. So what was it now?

“What happened?” Marinette asked, walking over to him with a concerned frown.

“What happened?” he mocked derisively. She recoiled at the harsh tone. “You don’t even know what you did, do you?”

“No, so tell me.” She was starting to get annoyed at his accusation, anger rising to combat his, but she used the technique she frequently employed during Hawkmoth’s reign and took a deep breath.

“You put yourself in danger out there when you called that monster’s name,” he said as he stalked closer to her. “It was reckless and really, it was stupid.”

“You put yourself in danger out there when you called that monster’s name,” he said as he stalked closer to her. “It was reckless and really, it was stupid.”

Stupid? Oh, she so was not letting this go. “You’re right.”

“Really?” his face quickly morphed into one of surprise.

“Yeah, I guess I should have just let it kill our teammates and crush Kon under its sasquatch feet.” Frustration again.

“You know what I meant!” he ground out. “You don’t need to go throwing yourself into danger for no reason.”

“Wow!” she laughed. “For no reason, he says. Is that what you really think about your team?”

“Of course not!”

“Then why does it matter to you?”

“Because you can’t just do stuff like that without thinking of the consequences!”

“Don’t you dare treat me like I’m stupid. I did what I did because our team was in danger. Like I said, it was about to go after Kon!” She could hear her voice starting to rise in correspondence with his.

“Kon is invulnerable!”

“So am I!”

Her shout rang through the silence, giving way to her heaving breath.

“If that were true, you wouldn’t be needing that,” he nodded to her cast. Marinette closed her eyes, steeling herself.

“You know what? I’m done here. Clearly it’s not me you’re really mad at.” She motioned to leave, but as she reached the door, a hand caught her wrist.

“Wait.” Marinette turned, looking at him expectantly. “I’m sorry.” Wally’s apology seemed genuine from the way he was staring at the ground, like if he looked hard enough he would gain Superman’s x-ray vision and burn a hole through it. After a moment he looked at her, which really wasn’t fair. It was hard to stay mad at him when his eyes transfixed her like a siren. “You’re right. It wasn’t okay for me to get mad at you like that. I just…” He took a deep breath. “I care about you. A lot. And seeing that monster go after you like that…I was scared you would get hurt.”

Marinette felt herself soften at his explanation. Curse her inability to stay mad at people she cared about. “I can protect myself, you know,” she started. “I’ve been a hero for years, and I’ve led my own team. You don’t need to look after me just because I’m Dick’s little sister.”

Wally frowned, looking some variation of hurt. “You’re not just Dick’s little sister to me.”

Marinette didn’t have time to think about what that meant as she felt herself leaning in, in, in, pulled by his magnetic gaze like a moth to a flame. She was sure he felt it too, that undeniable tug in his chest. But then Kaldur walked out of the medbay, and all she felt was doubt and hesitation as Wally pulled away. Kaldur sent a polite nod their way, but the look he gave her was almost knowing. Marinette waved back, face hot.

“I should go,” she told Wally hesitantly. “Unwind and all that.”

“Yeah, me too. I got a new souvenir to add to the case. See you later?” She nodded and they split ways amicably. But on the trek to her room, she couldn’t help but feel like something had changed.

Swimming in your eyes, in your eyes, in your eyes Egyptian blue Something I've never had without you

If something had changed, maybe she was the only one who felt it. Marinette spent longer than she’d like to admit dissecting what he’d said. You’re not just Dick’s little sister to me. But what did that mean?

She knew what she wanted it to mean. Somewhere along the way, she had stopped seeing Wally as Dick’s goofy best friend—if she ever had in the first place. She wondered if he meant it the same way. When she saw him, it was a chorus of Wally, Wally, Wally, haunting green eyes and a brilliant smile. Every wayward glance he sent her during meetings made her heart skip a beat, every grin made her feel like Ladybug, soaring through the sky.

Maybe it would be simple infatuation if things were how they had been a few years ago. But they now lived in the same mountain, shared a team, shared moments hidden in the blanket of night. She knew it was more than a simple crush on her end. She wasn’t sure if there was anything at all on the other, because if Marinette knew one thing about Wally West, it was that he was an incorrigible flirt. He was notorious for it—between seeing it for herself and hearing Dick talk about his flirting fails, it was something you could count on, yet she’d never been on the receiving end. In fact, she hadn’t heard any of his one-liners in the months since she’d joined the Young Justice team.

Maybe it was the simple case of growing up. Maybe he just didn’t like her. Whatever the case, it didn’t matter, because the unwritten rules went like this: even if the world is ending, know that Wally West is still a flirt, and even if the world is ending, know that Marinette Dupain-Cheng is still in love with Wally West.

You're giving me chills at a hundred degrees It's better than pills how you put me to sleep Calling your name, the only language I can speak Taking my breath, a souvenir that you can keep Giving me chills

Take my, take-take my breath away just like Take my breath away just like a souvenir Take my, take-take my breath away just like Take my breath away just like a souvenir

New Year’s: catalyst of stupid who will be your midnight kiss? billboards, soon-to-be-broken resolutions, posts of happy couples, and most importantly, a reminder that Marinette would be forever alone. Apparently even villains took New Year’s off, because the day had been punctuated by a startling lack of crime. And it wasn’t like she wanted the team to get an urgent call, but anything would be preferable to the party they had planned later. Watching other people make out while she was stranded alone wasn’t exactly her idea of a fun time. Alas, the universe hated her, which was ironic considering the whole purpose of being Grand Guardian was to maintain its balance. Or maybe it was just telling her she was doing a bad job at it. Either way, she was fighting a losing battle, but she would go down in style.

Marinette had a particular inclination to design showy clothing. Perhaps it was a side effect of being around Jagged Stone for so long, surrounded by the likes of Audrey Bourgeois and having so many formal dress commissions. These factors all translated into the inordinate amount of non-casual attire she had in her closet, most if not all by her own design. She had a particularly flamboyant dress perfect for New Year’s, one that had taken painstaking experimentation but resulted in her dream fringe dress—not too understated nor gaudy. She paired it with low strappy heels and minimal makeup, glancing in the mirror on her way out to make sure there was nothing that could become an embarrassing faux pas.

When she arrived, the party was in full swing—well, as full swing as a party with a dozen or some people could be. Most of her teammates were gathered in the kitchen, where there was a variety of food laid on the counter. There was a tiered cake in the center, a combined effort of the girls. Marinette and M'gann had come up with the idea somewhat last-minute, but she enjoyed spending the day with her friends. Watching their almost disastrous baking fails was quite amusing.

She weaved her way through her teammates, waving at each person she passed by. Her first stop was with Dick and Wally, who were engaged in an intense debate about which Justice League member would be the last survivor in a zombie apocalypse. She gave her brother a welcoming hug, reveling in the comfort of his warmth. Wally stood to the side; she could feel him watching from the chills that erupted along the trail of his stare. She greeted him similarly but didn’t linger as long, both for her own sake and due to Dick’s presence. Their conversation resumed with a third party, and Marinette wouldn’t deny stirring the pot with her own thoughts. It seemed as if Plagg had worn off on her more than she thought.

After causing a fair amount of chaos, she conversed with a few different groups, joining in on the chatter and games. Her spirits were significantly lifted, though she couldn’t quite forget the prospect of the midnight kiss hanging over her head like mistletoe. Mistletoe might’ve been preferable, actually, because at least she would have someone. For now, though, she tried to ignore the way her eyes always seemed to drift over to Wally and instead focus on the present, which was filled with the laughter of her newfound family.

As it approached midnight, the volume in their abode waned. Marinette had instinctively stuck by the core group of girls, but everyone was starting to converge in the lounge for the countdown. There was a fireworks countdown displayed on the television, and she could already see people drifting off towards their chosen person: M’gann with Conner, Dick with Zatanna…she quickly decided that the best course of action was to temporarily relocate somewhere farther or to go back to her room entirely. Everyone was so engaged with their partner of choice, she was sure no one would notice if she slipped away. Her mind made up, Marinette slinked away, about to exit by way of the kitchen. Before she could even make it out of the lounge, a voice stopped her in her tracks. “Where are you headed?” Okay, she really needed to speak to the universe. Someone clearly had it out for her.

“I was just going to my room. Uhm, wardrobe malfunction.” Lie. Wally looked her up and down, and pressed her lips together nervously. He wasn’t checking her out, she scolded her straying mind.

“You look more than fine to me. Did you make that yourself?” he nodded to her ensemble.

“Yeah, I did. Last year, actually.”

“Well, it looks great on you.” A pause. Marinette took the opportunity to fake a yawn, wincing behind her palm at how fake it sounded. Wally wasn’t as easy to fool as the people back in Paris.

“Oh, I’m so tired. Guess I’ll head upstairs—”

“Aren’t you gonna stay for the countdown?” he interrupted “There are only…what,” he checked his watch, “two minutes left.”

“I’d rather not be the only single person on the team at midnight, but thanks,” she crossed her arms.

“You wouldn’t be the only single person,” he said, stepping closer. “You don’t have to be single at all,” he murmured, almost too quiet for her to catch.

“What was that?”

“I said, you don’t have to be single at all. I could be your midnight kiss…if you want.” Marinettte’s lips parted in shock, trying to make sense of the offer. “I’m not asking out of pity,” he clarified.

“Then why?” She needed to hear him say it.

“I like you, Marinette.” It was like a dream, the haze of late-night partying and New Year’s festivities and his face right there, green eyes looking at her like she was the only person in the world.

“Okay,” she breathed.

“Okay?”

“I like you, too.” And she had seen him grin a million times, but this one was more brilliant than any firework. Dick raised a brow when they entered the room hand-in-hand, right in time for the countdown’s start. At the shouted “10!” Wally’s calloused hands came to rest on her waist. At “8!” she hooked her arms around his neck, carving the planes of his face into her mind. At “6!” he brushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear, and his face drew near. She lost track of the seconds after that, the only thing in her thoughts being the boy in front of her and his intoxicating presence. The cheers came, and so did the whoosh of fireworks, and then it was the warmth of lips against lips, his body against hers and the stirring in her chest that could be nothing else but love. She could have kissed him for hours, maybe even longer, but she soon became acutely aware of the dying noise and her surrounding teammates. Marinette pulled back hesitantly, and Wally looked at her, brows ticked up in concern.

“You okay?” She didn’t answer right away, looking around the room at her friends, but they all seemed to be absorbed in their own dream world, oblivious to whatever was happening around them. Maybe it was her turn to do the same.

“I’m doing better than okay,” she smiled, then pulled him in by the collar for a searing kiss. She was choosing to start the New Year right.

-

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“That’s ridiculous!” He was pacing back and forth, arms waving in the air to compliment his theatrics. “Magic shouldn’t be able to do that, it defies all logic!”

“That’s the point! Magic exists outside of logical reasoning!” The shorter girl was equally as furious, standing in place and growing redder by the minute.

“Nothing exists outside of logical reasoning! Everything can easily be explained with science.” The redhead had paused his pacing to stare down the noirette before him. He was uncaring of his volume, ignorant to how his voice echoed in the large cave. “Your Lucky Charm is nothing more than transdimensional materialisation. An already pre-existing object is broken down into subatomic particles and rearranged at your location.”

“Are you really trying to tell me how my own Lucky Charm works?” She had sounded absolutely livid at the assumption. And Dick had to agree with her. Wally was in no position to tell her how her own powers worked. Before he could interject the screaming match between his two best friends, she was going off again. “And are you really trying to tell me that somewhere in the world existed a red and black-spotted doughnut just waiting to be used? That when Antibug was around a ladybug patterned flamethrower was just lying somewhere?”

“Oh please, there are plenty of flamethrowers all over the world and they probably only appeared ladybug themed due to shifts in light refraction.” He had stopped waving his arms around and crossed them in front of his chest. He was standing in her space now, leering over her trying to be imposing. “Simple fact is magic. Isn’t. Real.”

“You can run faster than the speed of sound! If you really think it was your precious science that saved you after willingly striking yourself with lightning in hopes of tapping into a cross-dimensional ‘speed-force,’ then you’re dumber than I thought.” She had gotten even closer now, pressing a finger into his chest and pushing him back.

“Are they still at this?” Kaldur had walked up beside Dick with two soda cans, silently offering him one. His voice sounded tired, visibly annoyed at the constant bickering.

“An hour and counting,” he sighs. The sounds of their bickering slowly faded into background noise. “For today at least. But they’ve been butting heads ever since she’s joined the team. Kinda exhausting.”

Marinette, a.k.a Ladybug, had joined the team after Wonder Woman deemed Paris officially safe from any more magical mayhem. While the rest of Paris’s heroes chose to retire and preserve the rest of their teen years, Marinette did not have that option. Magical Guardian and all. The JLE welcomed her with open arms and Wonder Woman decided to introduce her to the Team. She got along great with M'gann, the two could almost always be found baking or exchanging recipes in the cave’s kitchen and they, plus Artemis, went on frequent shopping trips. Conner saw her as a little sister, which was unexpected but it probably had to do with the fact she was a whole foot shorter and he had natural instincts to protect those who looked meek. She was anything but meek but first impressions were a damning thing sometimes. Marinette was Kaldur’s biggest supporter, always ready to back him up when it came to tough Team related decisions, something born from her own experience as a leader. The two understood each other the best. She also related to Dick on the importance of secret identities and while the Team still only knows him as Robin, she was the only one who never pestered him on it, respecting the lengths he would go to for the sake of anonymity.

Wally was the only one the newest member clashed with. Magic skeptic, meet magic connoisseur. Unstoppable force, meet immovable object. They almost never agreed on anything. Every time the two were left alone for more than two minutes it evolved into a screaming match. Wally was insistent on pushing all of Marinette’s buttons and she was always eager to defend herself and magic as a whole. Her rather short fuse didn’t make matters any better. It hadn’t affected missions, arguments reserved for the safety of the cave, but it was only a matter of time before that became an actual issue. He voiced as much to Kaldur who agreed with only a contemplative nod.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s moments like these where Kaldur hated when Robin was right. At least he was on another mission with Batman so he didn’t have to bear witness to this fiasco.

The Team was currently in Louisiana investigating the disappearance of Dr. Kent Nelson, better known as Dr. Fate, the Sorcerer Supreme. And Wally was being argumentative with Marinette while simultaneously trying to impress M'gann. It had put Artemis on edge and she kept taking jabs at him whenever an opportunity arose. And even when one didn’t.

They had just barely escaped the pit above lava, standing above the cool platform.

“Don’t worry, Megalicious,” Wally had moved to support M'gann, throwing an arm above her shoulders, drawing her into his side. “I’ve got you.”

“Enough!” Artemis had cut in between the two of them, pushing Wally away from the Martian, her frustration palpable even from where Kaldur was standing. “Your little ‘Impress Megan at all costs’ game nearly got us all barbecued.”

“When did this become my fault?”

“When you lied to that whatever it was and called yourself a true believer.”

“Wally, you don’t believe?” M'gann sounded hurt at that. Wally looked across the room, before coming to a silent conclusion.

“Fine, fine! I lied about believing in magic. But magic is the real lie, a major load.”

“I can’t believe you’re still on that.” Marinette, who had remained silent before, finally entered the conversation, ready to defend her craft. “We just fell over five hundred feet below ground into an almost fiery death and you still don’t believe it? Was the magically appearing Tower not enough? Or the fact that our feet are not being scorched right now?”

Wanting to put an end to this conversation, Kaldur said his piece.

“Wally, I have studied for a year at the Conservatory of Sorcery in Atlantis.” He had crouched down, rubbing the surface of the floor. “The mystic arts created the skin icons that power my water bearers.”

“Dude, have you ever heard of bioelectricity? Hey in primitive cultures fire was once considered magical too. Today it’s all just a bunch of tricks.”

“What I do is not a trick. Do you really think destroying the Eiffel Tower, and putting it back in place is just some trick? Or how about when an old akuma was able to control the weather and created a volcano in the middle of Paris? Were those all tricks too? Were the casualties just results of things that don’t exist?” Marinette was becoming increasingly agitated as her rant went on. M'gann moved to comfort her, embracing her slightly.

“Don’t put words in my mouth! I never said the lives lost weren’t real! It was tragic, yeah, but that was due to real scientific explanations.”

“Science can’t bring people back from the dead.” Her voice was more subdued and sombre and her shoulders were curling into her body. The atmosphere was increasingly getting more depressing so Kaldur grabbed onto the latch, hoping that making progress into the mission would revive the Team’s energy.

He ignored Wally’s protests about heat backdrafts and came face first to a rush of frigid air.    

“Do you ever get tired of being wrong?” Artemis was rather smug as she threw a smirk over her shoulder. Kaldur just wished the rest of the mission wouldn’t be like this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Artemis was going to tear her hair out. Or probably Wally’s. Yeah, she was going to tear Wally’s hair out. It had been a week since the Dr. Fate mission and he still hasn't apologized to Marinette. His refusal to believe in magic was not only screwing up the team dynamics but it was forcing Marinette’s hand, pushing her to dig up trauma, to try and prove to him that magic is real. Artemis didn’t understand why it was so important to her that Wally believed in magic but it was and that was enough for Artemis to stand by her friend.

The two haven’t even spoken to each other since the mission and it was painfully obvious that Marinette was avoiding him. Valid, but still aggravating when it put everyone on the team on edge. Artemis wasn’t one to play peacemaker, leaving that to Kaldur and Marinette, but since this ongoing conflict involved the Parasian, and Kaldur had his hands full with a mission in Atlantis, someone had to step up and that person was her. Wonderful.  

She had tracked Wally in the medical facility, tinkering with some of the equipment and taking inventory of their supplies, a job Red Tornado routinely asks him to do. She skipped any greeting and just started plucking items out of his hands. Ignoring his protests, she kept going until his hands were empty then grabbed his wrist, pulling him into the training room and shoving him into the center ring.

“Shut up and stay,” was all she said, crossing her arms and freezing him with a glare. She wasn’t in the mood for any of his gimmicks tonight. The sound of the zetatubes announcing the Ladybug designation alerted her to Marinette’s return from Paris. Time for the next part of her plan.

“Don’t move,” she said as she turned to retrieve the other person for her plan. A firm ‘I mean it’ was tossed over her shoulder as she left.

Collecting Marinette was easier said than done. Artemis was headstrong on a good day, she will admit, but now as a woman on a mission she was down right intimidating and she knew it. Marinette took one look at her expression and bolted for the zetatube she just stepped out of. Artemis was having none of that and was able to grab the much shorter girl before she could get any further. While Artemis was mentally applauding herself she was also begrudgingly impressed with how difficult it was to hold the girl. Dragging her to the training deck was becoming more trouble than it was probably worth.

Artemis could pinpoint the exact moment Marinette’s eyes landed on the speedster because her efforts doubled and she almost escaped Artemis’s grasp. She dropped her gracelessly on the floor and moved to block the exit before either could do anything.

“Neither of you are leaving until you work out your issues,” she was huffing from exhaustion, both mental and physical. “Whether that means punching the shit out of each other or talking it out like normal people: I don’t care. But no one leaves this room until you two stop screwing with the team dynamics.”

She left no room for arguments and turned to stand outside the exit, giving them some semblance of privacy. If they didn’t work out their issues here, Artemis’s plan B involved Connor tossing them into the far end of the coastline. Hopefully, Wally and Marinette were reasonable enough it wouldn’t have to come to that.

Oh, who was she kidding?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wally stared at Artemis’s retreating figure and then at a very interesting spot on the cave wall. He felt like an asshole all week and, after his experience with the helmet of Fate, he knew he would have to be the one to mend the ever growing gap between him and Marinette. Still, he couldn’t face her yet. Every time he looked at her, or saw her hastily leave any room he was in, his mind flashed to those haunting words she had said.

Science can’t bring people back from the dead.

He knew that. He knew there were harsh limitations on what science can and can’t do. Magic shouldn’t have been any different. And he thought he understood what she had to deal with during her time in Paris but he was wrong. He was so painfully wrong that it took his body being overtaken by a mystic ‘Lord of Order’ for him to really comprehend that. He just… He just couldn’t wrap his head around someone so young being entrusted with so much power. Magic was inexplicable. It defied reason and was unpredictable so he never understood how someone as self-assured as Marinette could put her faith in something that unreliable. So he lashed out at her. Then he did it again. And again so much so that he can’t remember ever having a civil conversation with her.

He messed up and he knew it but the shame he felt in the past week was too much for him to handle and he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

“Look,” his head snapped to the sound of her voice. She wasn’t looking at him, holding herself for comfort. “I’m sorry for ignoring you, I didn’t realise it was affecting the rest of the team.”

No. no no nonono.

She shouldn’t be apologizing. She had nothing to apologize for and Wally is the ass in this situation not her so why is she apologizing? He needs to fix this. Fast.

“You don’t need to apologize,” such a terrible start, Wallace. Congratulations. “I was the one who pushed your buttons and called magic a big trick.”

She had lifted her head slightly but her gaze still wasn’t focused on him, rather she was looking beyond him just above his shoulder. He took a step closer and when she hadn’t made a break for the exit, he took that as a good sign.

“Listen, Marinette,” her eyes dart to and away from him in an instant. He didn’t let that stop him though. “All those times, times when I called magic fake or belittled its legitimacy, I wasn’t trying to hurt you. I was just trying to wrap my head around its absurdity.”

“It doesn’t matter what you were trying to do,” she finally locked her gaze on him and the pain swimming in her eyes was going to burn him alive. “You still hurt me. You took everything I did, everything I’ve learned and lost and loved and called it a hoax, you called it unreal, and you doubted everything I’ve ever accomplished. I have memories I may never recover from because of magic, scars that will never heal from something you didn’t want to believe in.”

There were unshed tears in her eyes and Wally wanted to brush them away. He didn’t, but fighting the urge was herculean of him. He didn’t get the chance to respond, though, but he wouldn’t dare interrupt her.

“Did you ever realise how those arguments affected me? I used to look up to you, Kid Flash, before joining the team.” He never knew that. Why didn’t he know that? “You were always so cheerful and the media framed you as someone who believed in the impossible. That was something I needed back in Paris. Because there was nothing more impossible to me than ever getting a chance to defeat Hawkmoth.”

She was openly crying now, her cheeks blotchy and eyes red. Wally didn’t know what to say so he took a chance and opened his arms to her. A silent invitation, a quiet apology. Whatever this little spitfire needed from him. He would willingly give it.

She took the offer and crashed her face into his chest, hands grabbing fistfuls of his shirt. He wrapped his arms snuggly around her, almost crushing her to his chest.

“I needed someone who believed in the impossible to believe in me.” Her sobs were heartbreaking. Wally could only caress her on the back in a futile attempt to comfort her. “That someone was you but then you had no problem looking me in the eye and saying you don’t believe in magic. How could you?”

“I am so sorry, Marinette.” He could never apologize enough. He was willing to dedicate his life making it up to her. He was silently praying to gods he also didn’t believe in that she would let him try. Before she could say anything, and he felt the hitch in her shoulders as she was taking steadying breaths to do so, he continued.

“I never knew what I—Kid Flash— meant to you. I only argued against magic so much because I didn’t want to believe that something that unpredictable was the only thing keeping someone like you safe. I heard all the stories; Wonder Woman loved to gush and brag about her mother’s successor, but I could never believe that someone could do such incredible things by magic alone. It was mind boggling.”

Wally felt more than heard the faint gasp at his confession. He pulled her off his chest, holding her a short distance by her shoulders, so that he could look into her eyes.

“I’m really sorry; I don’t think I can ever tell you how sorry I am.” She needed to know how genuine he was. He may clown around a lot but he was absolutely serious in this moment. He hoped she could see the sincerity in his eyes.

“I—,” she cut herself off, and Wally could see her growing frustrated with her own loss of words. She opened her mouth to speak again but she was interrupted.

“OH just kiss already!” Artemis’s rough voice echoed in the room and Wally’s gaze flashed to where her back was facing them by the entrance. She looked uncomfortable standing there but clearly she had an agenda she was seeing through. He didn’t pay her any more attention as he focused back on the increasingly red girl still within his grasps. The hurt that was previously in her eyes was quickly replaced with embarrassment and she couldn’t look Wally in the eyes.

He felt a sudden rush of confidence at her demeanor and hoped he wasn’t about to make the second biggest mistake of his life. He bent his head slightly, casting a smirk at the small girl.

“Well, if that’s what the people want,” he pulled her closer to him then, her mousy ‘eep’ sounding adorable in response. He cupped her chin between two fingers, tilting her head up. “May I?”

She didn’t speak but her answering nod and slow closing of her eyes encouraged him to close the distance between them.

Wally’s been struck by lightning before but it doesn’t compare to the feeling of her lips on his. Her lips tasted like slowly drying tears and her favourite vanilla lip balm. The kiss wasn’t perfect, her lips were slightly chapped, as were his, and their noses bumped into each other, but it was the best kiss of his life.

They broke away from the kiss but neither moved far from each other. They stayed like that for who knows how long. Staring intently at each other, committing the other’s face to memory. And as Wally stared at her tear streaked face and into her slightly red and puffy eyes, he came to a single conclusion.