16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug.

Lucky Us

By: Princess Kitty1

Chapter 16

Marinette had spent the better part of her waking hours imagining many different outcomes to her dinner with Nathanael. She imagined sitting at the table with him, ordering water, splashing that water in his face, then leaving—it was by far the easiest way of making her feelings known. She imagined standing on the table and calling him a cad before a group of witnesses. She imagined crying. A lot.

She hadn't expected to enjoy herself.

Time, absence, and the fallout of their breakup had tainted her memories of Nathanael. She'd forgotten how gentle he was, he easily he could make her laugh. She'd forgotten how alike they were in their art habits and how different they were in their temperaments.

He wasn't some dastardly villain who'd gotten close to her, ripped her heart out, and run off cackling into the sunset. He was just a guy who hadn't been ready to get married. A friend who'd disappointed her.

"Marinette?"

She looked up. Their dinner plates had been cleared away, and outside the restaurant, little daylight remained. Concern hid in the corners of Nathanael's smile. "You zoned out on me."

"Sorry," Marinette said. A strange feeling permeated her being, one that she hadn't been able to shake since she'd seen Nathanael standing in front of the bakery. Her past in her present. A dream come true after more than a year of waiting. The moment that she'd longed for, prayed for, had finally arrived.

And all she wanted to do was go home and email Chat Noir and move on with her life.

"I'm a little tired," she confessed. "I had a midday nap that took more energy out of me than it gave back."

"Ah," Nathanael said, "shall we get going, then?"

Marinette nodded and stood from her chair. The strangeness lingered on her way out the door, a sense of guilt for cutting a pleasant evening short. As they walked away from the restaurant, she snuck a peek at Nathanael, took in the height and the shape of him, remembered countless evenings where they'd done just this: walking together through the streets of Paris, searching for ever-elusive inspiration.

It didn't feel the same. It wasn't the same. Too much wreckage lay between them. Without the initial shock, Marinette looked at Nathanael and all she felt was odd. She'd loved this person once upon a time, loved him so much that leaving him had turned her into someone she never wanted to be. Where had all that love gone?

"So… you and Adrien Agreste, huh?"

Marinette blinked. "What?"

Nathanael smiled at her. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious."

Heat rushed to Marinette's cheeks. "Oh, no, Adrien and I aren't dating," she said. "He's been coming to the bakery since last year. We're friends, that's all."

"Really?" Nathanael crossed his arms and turned a contemplative gaze skyward. "The way he looked at you, though…"

"What about the way he looked at me?" Marinette cried.

He shook his head. "Poor guy."

She smacked his arm. "Nath!"

"Careful, that's my drawing arm." He continued to grin without answering the question. Marinette stared ahead of her with a distressed frown. What about the way Adrien looked at her? If anything, he'd just seemed surprised to see her with another guy, which she would have to explain to him later. He probably went home thinking she was on a date or something.

"In any case," Nathanael continued, "I'm glad to see that you've been doing well."

Marinette stopped walking.

Nathanael looked back at her.

"Doing well?" she echoed.

Suddenly, the strangeness lifted from her mind like fog, taking the sleepwalking Marinette with it. Her protective shell of cowardice and complacency cracked open, and the old Marinette, hotheaded and unafraid, clawed her way to the surface, alive with anger.

"You know what, Nath?" she said. "I haven't been doing well. I haven't been anywhere near well in a long time."

His smile faded.

"And it's not because we broke up. People break up all the time. We weren't meant for each other, and that's fine." Her hands shook at her sides. "But you and I were best friends. You knew me. You knew that I wasn't going to be okay, but did you bother to come and talk to me? No. You didn't even try." She looked at him. "Do you know how that made me feel?" she asked. "Do you understand the kind of toll that takes on someone? I've spent the last year and a half trying to convince myself that there's nothing wrong with me, acting like every little setback is the end of the world and being too scared to move forward. Does that sound well to you? Does that sound like the Marinette you remember?"

Nathanael came towards her. "Mari…"

She raised both hands to stop him. "Don't." She took a deep, calming breath. "I'm fine," she said. "It took me a while, and it was a lot of work, but I am finally fine. I just… needed you to know that I didn't get this way overnight."

He stared at her, his expression pained. They stood only a few steps away from each other, but to Marinette, it could have been lightyears. A mountain of hurt stood between them, and she knew deep down that if she wanted to, if he wanted to, they could climb that mountain together and strive for something new.

The very thought of it exhausted her.

"I'm sorry," Nathanael said. "You're right. We were best friends, and I didn't treat you like it." He reached for her hand. She didn't stop him. "You were always so strong, Mari. Practically superhuman. When you left without saying anything, I just assumed that strength would get you through it."

Marinette stared at their hands. "Looks like I'm only human after all."

Nathanael sighed and pulled her into an embrace. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm so sorry."

She stood in his arms, unable to move, frozen in place by bitterness. She could have shoved him away. He wouldn't have held it against her. But bitterness was not a part of her. Marinette didn't hold petty grudges against people who apologized, and she refused to let that become part of her identity, old or new. So she returned Nathanael's embrace, and allowed the Marinette of two years ago to have her moment before she went away for good.

Nathanael let go of her. "Are we going to be okay?" he asked.

Marinette nodded. "I think so." She managed a tired smile. "I want us to be okay."

"So do I," he said.

She gave his shoe a light kick. "Then you'd better invite me to the movie premiere."

"Oh, for sure." Nathanael offered her his arm. "Your friend Adrien can come, too."

"Oh my God," Marinette groaned. She hesitated for a moment, then accepted his arm. It was fine. She was fine. They would never go back to the way they used to be, but they were friends, and they were going to be okay.

They walked another couple of blocks together before they parted ways, Nathanael heading off in the direction of his parents' house, Marinette towards the bakery. But she couldn't resist looking over her shoulder at him before he walked out of sight. Same back, same gait, same guy.

She faced forward. Took her phone out of her clutch. Opened Chat Noir's latest email and hit reply. Tears dripped onto her screen.

x.x.x

LadybugRE: SummerJust now

Why do goodbyes have to be so sad?

x.x.x

Chat NoirRE: SummerJust now

Hold the phone, my Lady. Not all goodbyes are sad! There are happy goodbyes ("good riddance") and ambivalent goodbyes, too.

And what about all the sad hellos?

x.x.x

LadybugRE: SummerJust now

There are sad hellos?

x.x.x

Chat NoirRE: SummerJust now

Of course. I said one just this afternoon.

x.x.x

LadybugRE: SummerJust now

Ugh, as if sad goodbyes weren't bad enough, now we have sad hellos to deal with.

I don't want to be sad anymore, Chat Noir.

I want to do something nice for you instead.

x.x.x

Chat NoirRE: SummerJust now

Something nice for me? …do you need ideas? Because I can write a list.

x.x.x

LadybugRE: SummerJust now

How about this:

During your lunch break on Monday, go to the café across the street from Zag Magazine's headquarters.

Ask them for the Ladybug special.

It'll already be paid for.

x.x.x

Marinette hit send, stepped into the bakery, closed the door, and leaned back against it with an impish smile. If that didn't make Chat Noir's entire night, she didn't know what would.

She took in her familiar surroundings and wiped her misty eyes. She couldn't wait for her parents to come home. On a night like this, she could have used their company: a wide shoulder to lean on, some comforting words of advice. Someone else's strength instead of her own.

But despite her lingering sadness, she couldn't help feeling excited. An unresolved chapter of her life had finally come to an end. The restless part of her soul had been appeased. Perhaps now, she thought, her transformation could begin in earnest.

And this time, she would become someone she could be proud of.

x.x.x

Adrien Agreste woke up Monday morning with a smile on his face and a raging case of denial.

As far as he was concerned, he was the happiest man in Paris. His back had almost fully recovered from the hives, he'd gotten to sleep in for once, he was home with his beloved cat—who had hardly left his side since he returned—and Ladybug was buying him lunch.

But most importantly, after spending his weekend alternating between silently staring at a fixed point for hours at a time and pretending nothing was wrong with him, he'd realized something. That whole "Marinette thing" had been one big mistake. How could Adrien trust himself to make any kind of rational decision involving his feelings when he hadn't gotten proper sleep the night before? No wonder he'd been so confused!

Therefore, he wouldn't worry about it. Today was about one thing and one thing only: Ladybug, buying him lunch.

This was a huge step forward in their friendship. Until that point, Ladybug had been nothing but a presence on the internet. Now there would be concrete evidence of her existence, other people who had seen her and spoken to her and accepted currency from her and could confirm that there was, indeed, a woman behind the screenname.

Adrien felt giddy enough to kiss someone.

Like Chloe, or Nathalie. Not Marinette.

He dressed in his nicest suit, had breakfast at home, then headed to Agreste HQ for the first meetings of the day. His megawatt smile visibly distressed the receptionists, who were so used to working with his father that they probably hadn't seen a happy human being in years. Adrien considered getting them gift baskets.

Preparations for the design competition's finale were well underway. The venue had been chosen. The press had been invited. The provider of the flower bouquet for the winner of the competition had been chosen. And, Adrien knew, the music was in good hands. He couldn't have been more pleased. His father would be pleased to hear that everything was running smoothly. If there was one thing Gabriel Agreste hated more than a disaster, it was a disaster that could have been avoided if he'd been in charge.

Still, Adrien couldn't help the nervous flutter in his stomach when he thought of the judging process. While he dealt with every other minute aspect of the competition, a panel of professional strangers held both Ladybug and Marinette's fates in their fickle hands. Perhaps it was better that way; Adrien would have done away with the competition altogether and hired both women if the decision had been up to him. He wasn't a designer, but he knew excellent work when he saw it. He knew excellent people when he saw them.

By the time eleven o'clock rolled around, Adrien was practically manic with glee. He opened his email inbox and found a new message from Ladybug.

x.x.x

Ladybug10 minutes agoJust now

Just so we're clear, I am nowhere near the café, so you can dismiss any fantasies you had about meeting me today.

x.x.x

Chat NoirRE: SummerJust now

How do I know you're not lying? How do I know you aren't sitting among the patrons with a newspaper covering your face, watching and waiting to jump out and surprise me?

x.x.x

LadybugRE: SummerJust now

Do you really think I'm that nice?

x.x.x

Chat NoirRE: SummerJust now

…good point. You are cruel, Ladybug, but that is one of the many things I love about you.

What would be so bad about us getting together for lunch? We could sit down face to face and have any of the stupid conversations we normally have over the internet, in person. It'd save our hands a lot of trouble.

Though I'd like to think that if we met in person, we'd hardly talk and our hands would be troubled, anyway. ;)

x.x.x

LadybugRE: SummerJust now

You keep thinking that, Chat Noir.

x.x.x

Adrien grinned and slipped his phone back into his pocket so he could pay attention to where he was walking. At this point he kind of wished she'd win the design competition just so he could hand her the flower bouquet, whisper "Congratulations, buginette," into her ear, and watch the shock take over her face. Surprise! He'd been there all along.

Zag Magazine's offices weren't far from Agreste HQ. Adrien approached the building, wondering if Alya was inside, and if she was lost in daydreams about Nino. He couldn't blame her if she was; once Nino's confidence kicked in, he could be smoother than glass. Adrien's smile widened. Yet another reason to be happy: his best friend was in love.

Yes, Adrien could say with certainty that everything was right with the world. Except for maybe the daytime temperature. It could have been a little less hot.

He looked across the street, searching for the café in question. He'd never had lunch anywhere on this street before and wasn't sure of his destination. But soon enough his eyes landed on a small business with a sign written in almost illegible cursive: Café Reflekta. It was the only one on the block.

Adrien crossed the street at the traffic light and headed towards the café, more nerves than rational human at that point. He had to calm down. Ladybug wouldn't even be there in person. It was just a drink. A drink that his Lady had taken the time to arrange for him to receive, because she wanted to do something nice for him.

Who was he kidding? There would be no calming down.

Adrien stopped in front of the café, took a deep breath, and opened the door.

He froze.

The interior of the café was a gothic nightmare. Darkness and black lace and skulls and antique mirrors. So many mirrors. Mirrors everywhere. Even the café staff was dressed in gothic Lolita. They looked like dolls.

Adrien took a wary step inside and let the door shut behind him. Some of the patrons were dressed in gothic Lolita too, but others wore normal clothes, which made him feel a little less uncomfortable. But not by much. A quick survey of the room revealed that he was the only guy in the place, and the only person wearing business attire.

He walked up to the counter. A white-faced woman dressed in a bubblegum pink outfit dotted with what appeared to be eyes stood behind it. "Welcome to Café Reflekta," she murmured.

This couldn't be right.

What had Adrien just told Ladybug? That she was cruel? Who was to say this wasn't some elaborate prank, like the time she had Rickrolled him? His nerves abandoned him. He smiled sheepishly at the woman behind the counter. He almost ran. But at the last minute, he decided to stand his ground. He was Adrien-freaking-Agreste, gorgeous and in charge, and if this was an elaborate prank he would take it like a man.

"Hi," he croaked, then cleared his throat. "I'd like the Ladybug special."

The woman looked him up and down. She had large pink circles painted around her eyes that reminded Adrien of a raccoon. Then, just when he thought she'd ask him what the hell a Ladybug special was, the woman smiled. "Awesome," she said, and walked off without another word.

Adrien let out a sigh of relief. It wasn't a prank. Ladybug had been here. He took in the décor and tried to imagine her as a gothic Lolita enthusiast, but seeing as he had no idea what she looked like, he didn't even have time to decide how tall his imaginary Ladybug should be before the pink woman returned. She handed Adrien a red mug with black polka dots balanced on a saucer, filled to the brim with coffee. A ladybug had been drawn in the cream with an expert hand. Two ladyfingers accompanied the drink, as well as a red envelope.

Adrien took the mug and saucer and envelope from the hostess. "Enjoy," she said without a hint of emotion.

He navigated his way to the table with the least amount of skulls around it, set everything down, then slid into the waiting chair. His leg shook. He had no idea how to proceed. Logic told him to eat the cookies and drink the coffee. Emotion told him to cry. Curiosity screamed at him to open the envelope, and called him an idiot, which wasn't very nice but Adrien didn't care because this was happening.

He grabbed the envelope. Written on the front, in the most beautiful calligraphy he'd ever seen, was the name Chat Noir. His smile widened. File that under details about his Lady: she knew calligraphy. Adrien opened the envelope as carefully as he could. Inside was a single sheet of stationery. The moment he unfolded it, he laughed out loud. She'd drawn an email window around her entire message.

"LadybugRE: SummerJust now

Roses are red,Violets are blue,Consider this my wayof saying thank youfor one year of friendshipand laughter and fun,(and yes, even everylast awful pun.)

You're pretty pawsomeas far as friends go,So here's to our future:a happy hello.

P.S.: In case you were wondering why I sent you here, I designed every costume in this café."

Adrien's face hurt. He couldn't stop smiling. He read the letter again, then grabbed his phone, then changed his mind and stood from the table, hurrying over to the woman in pink. "Do you have a pen I can borrow?"

x.x.x

Marinette sat on her balcony, curled up on the lawn chair with her sketchbook and colored pencils, enjoying the sunny afternoon. She had just put the finishing touches on Flour Girl and Model Behavior's secret agent outfits when her phone chimed. She leaned over to pick it up off the balcony floor. An email from Chat Noir.

Rather than text, the body contained an image: an empty mug, her folded note, and a napkin on which he'd simply written "thank mew" alongside a doodle of a black cat.

"You're welcome, kitty cat," she said warmly.

Truth be told, she'd been tempted to go to the café. Hang out. Hide in plain sight. Wait for someone to enter and order the Ladybug special. Get an eyeful of that person. Leave without saying anything to them.

But in the end, she'd decided against it. The weekend had left her too emotionally exhausted to deal with the stress of seeing Chat Noir in real life.

Marinette flipped back a couple of pages in her sketchbook to the designs she'd been toying with in case she advanced to the final round of the design competition: a ladybug motif for the male model, a black cat motif for the female model. She tapped the page with the eraser end of her pencil and rested her chin in her upturned hand.

If she advanced.

If she advanced, she would reveal herself to Chat Noir in the loudest way possible.

To Be Continued

A/N: Marinette takes two steps forward, Adrien takes three steps back. This is the weirdest dance I've ever choreographed.

Come bother me on Tumblr (geek-fashionista)! I have a whole tag dedicated to Lucky Us nonsense, including things that won't happen, music recs, and chapter previews. In the meantime, the review box is open for screaming.