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Alya is shaking with excitement as she uploads the video to her blog. She can’t believe she got this scoop. She can’t believe she’s the first one to expose Ladybug’s identity.
She’s a little upset that Marinette never told her, but she did pick her to be Rena Rouge, and even though it’s been a while, she guesses it kind of balances out.
She is still absolutely going to have words with her bestie later, but she doesn’t think twice about posting the life changing video onto her blog.
All she’s thinking about is how it’s so cool that she’s the one who found Ladybugs identity. It’s so cool that she’s the one who’s revealing it. It’s so cool that her best friend, Marinette, is Ladybug. Her views are going to go through the roof. Television channels are going to be talking about this, they’re going to be calling her and asking to use her footage.
And of course, Lila and Marinette can be besties! Marinette doesn’t have to pretend to hate her to protect her identity! Everything is falling into place.
This is the true beginning of her long illustrious career as a reporter. She has stars in her eyes as she publishes the video, and she turns her notifications off before she goes to bed. It’ll give her something to look forward to in the morning.
*****
Adrien gets the notification that the Ladyblog has posted, and he’s clicking it before he even reads the update.
As soon as he finishes the video he feels sick.
He should’ve read the notification.
Alya has exposed Ladybug’s identity.
Ladybug is Marinette.
But that’s not why he’s so appalled, sickened even, by the video.
It makes sense for Marinette to be Ladybug, now that he’s thinking about it. She’s creative, she’s strong, a quick thinker, and an amazing leader. He already calls her their ‘everyday Ladybug’ as it is, she must’ve been laughing inside every time, knowing he didn’t even know how right he was.
Of course Marinette is Ladybug.
But her identity has been exposed. It’s been exposed in such a crude, callous way. A shaky video taken by someone clearly crouched behind a trash can in an alley. Marinette’s privacy, her personhood, has been stolen from her by the one person who should’ve been protecting it. By her very best friend. By Ladybug’s self proclaimed “biggest fan.”
Ladybug never wanted to reveal her identity, and as much as he’s given her flak for it, as frustrating as it is, she’s right. It’s dangerous. And knowing who she is, knowing her family, how many people are out there that she cares about and who care about her, it makes even more sense. Adrien has no one. But Marinette, God. Marinette has everyone. She has a heart full of love and no qualms about giving it out to anyone she meets.
Marinette is so, so good. So kind. So caring.
Hawkmoth has no problem using and abusing the emotions of even babies in order to get what he wants.
It would be so easy to use Marinette’s heart against her.
He dry heaves into the trash can beside his bed as Plagg hovers frantically around his head.
He has to see her. He has to check on her. If she hasn’t seen the video, he’ll be the one to break it to her, and if she has, well. He’ll reveal himself if he has to, to even the scales. To make her more comfortable. This kind of imbalance is never what he wanted. He never wanted to know who Ladybug was unless she wanted to tell him. This is not a win. This is not a happy moment.
“Plagg. Claws out.”
Marinette has had something stolen from her that she will never get back. He’s holding back tears the entire way to her house, and as he lands on her balcony, and hears her crying, the dam breaks. He starts crying too.
He doesn’t think he’s ever felt worse in his life. He can’t even begin to imagine how she’s feeling.
*****
“Oh no. Tikki. What am I going to do? What - what happens now? Am I going to lose my miraculous? Hawkmoth is going to come after me for sure, but how soon? Can we tell the guardian to wait until he does to take the miraculous back? Tikki - I just - I don’t. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to do. How could Alya do this? How could she do this to me?”
Marinette is a wreck. She’s on the floor in her room crying, sobbing, and she’s thankful her parents had already gone to bed when the video went up. She’s thankful she has one night alone to break apart in silence before she has to face the world.
Tikki’s face is solemn, and angry. She can’t believe her chosen has been violated like this, and by her supposed best friend no less.
“Marinette. Everything is going to be fine. You’re an amazing Ladybug, your miraculous is not going to be taken away for this. It was not your fault. You did nothing wrong. Now, you sit here and feel whatever you’re going to feel. Do not shove these emotions down. Do not block them off. Feel sad. Feel betrayed. Disappointed. Angry. Don’t worry about Hawkmoth, not tonight. I’m going to go up to your balcony and if any akuma comes within as little as 5 feet of this house … it’ll wish it hadn’t.” She wipes her paw under one of Marinette’s eyes to wipe her tears, and it just makes the girl cry even more.
“You are Ladybug, and an amazing one, but you’re also Marinette. Both are necessary. Both are immeasurably strong, but you don’t need to be strong tonight. Do whatever you need to do to reconcile what’s just been done to you. Take your time. Take the night. I’ll be here when you’re ready.”
Marinette just nods and sighs, more tears running down her face as she whispers, “Thank you, Tikki.”
“Anytime, Marinette. You are strong and brilliant and amazing, even if you don’t feel like it all the time. Even if not everyone sees it. Call me back down whenever you’re ready.”
Tikki floats through the floor and hovers over the balcony, keeping a keen eye out for any akumas, or even suspiciously dark butterflies. She’s so focused on the minute details she doesn’t see Chat until he’s landed on the balcony, until she hears him crying.
Her heart breaks a little more at the sight. She knows how he’s feeling. They’re both feeling the same things. Adrien is young, and soft, so he’s feeling more sad than angry, but Tikki is as old as time. She has had her entire existence to be sad. Tonight, she is angry.
He looks at her and his face crumples even more. His voice cracks as he says, “I didn’t read the title of the post before I watched it, if I had, I wouldn’t have. I swear on my life, on my miraculous, that I wouldn’t have. I never wanted to find out from anyone but her.”
Tikki closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.
“I appreciate the sentiment, Chat, but I’m not the one who needs to hear it. Wait here. Watch for akumas.”
His eyes widen as he nods rapidly, and he turns around immediately to stand guard as she phases back through the floor.
“Marinette, I know I said I’d give you as long as you need, but there’s something you need to know.”
“I heard him land. I know he’s here.”
“Do you want to see him right now? And don’t tell me what you think he or I will want to hear, because what we want is what you want.”
“How does he … seem?”
“He’s sad. But not for the reasons you think. He’s sad for the same reason that I’m angry, and I think you should hear it from him, but only if you want to.”
She nods once, face steely with resolve even as tears are still streaming down her face, and Tikki goes back to deliver the verdict.
“You can see her. Just, give her what she needs. Give her a hug. This form is useful for many things but comfort isn’t one of them. Be there for her. As long as she needs. I’ll be standing watch.”
He’s still crying as he nods at her and opens the door to enter Marinette’s room.
He doesn’t leave until the next morning, right before school starts.
*****
Adrien orders the Gorilla to drive by the bakery to pick Marinette up before school. They talked a lot last night, and he did end up revealing himself, which Marinette only agreed to after he admitted how imbalanced he felt.
Either way, they talked a lot. They got through a lot of things, cleared up a lot of issues, and their relationship is solid. Their friendship is solid. Their partnership is solid. She admitted to him that Lila threatened her, and after he got over the anger he was trying not to feel (she reminded him Tikki was still standing sentry on her balcony after she saw his face go from white to red to pink in anger in the span of only 2 seconds) he apologized, and let her know he has her back. He is going to have her back today and every day after. For however long they live.
She marches out of the bakery with her head high, expression cold and distant in the way it is often when she’s Ladybug, and he steps next to her with his arm out for her to hold onto.
She gives him a smile, which he returns, and he maneuvers her through the paparazzi and reporters and random citizens trying to get a look at Paris’ very own hero.
“Don’t react to anything they say, don’t look at them, try not to even think about them. They’re only here for a story and unfortunately everything you do now is being recorded and broadcast.”
She doesn’t respond but she squeezes his arm in acknowledgement, and as soon as they get into the limo, she lets out a huge sigh.
He puts up the privacy screen and Tikki and Plagg immediately fly into sight.
Plagg plops himself onto Adrien’s head and simply says, “You did good, kid.” Adrien flushes at the praise, especially when Tikki and Marinette quickly nod their agreement.
“I didn’t even think about the fact that paparazzi and reporters could come to the bakery for me. That was some really valuable insight. Thank you.” Marinette says, and it has him flushing even more.
They pull into the street in front of the school and Marinette pulls her Ladybug persona up again. She puts her shoulders back, head up, and lets her expression go cold and distant.
Adrien feels himself doing the same, face going stony as he takes his cues from her.
He gets out first, puts his arm out again for her to take, and when she does, everyone all but riots.
There are even more paparazzi than at the bakery, there are reporters, parents, students, strangers, there is a mob of people and it has Marinette stalling for a moment, so he takes charge and starts pulling her through the crowd again.
He ignores everything everyone is saying. He doesn’t react. He doesn’t blink. He doesn’t flinch. He is a rock. Marinette is clutching his arm like a lifeline, and her knuckles are white, the only outward sign that she is anything but remarkably and completely composed like her face suggests.
They make it into the school, up the stairs, and into the classroom, Adrien glaring at anyone who so much as blinks in Marinette’s direction, and they can finally breathe.
Except they can’t. Because the classroom is full of bullies and traitors and liars. They aren’t any safer here than they would be lying on a bed of broken glass.
Marinette looks at him, eyes widened a little in desperation, and Adrien pulls her up to her seat in the back, and sits down next to her. He’s glaring at the class the entire time, daring them to speak.
Alya, of course, is the first.
“Hey girl!” She walks up to the side of Marinette’s table, leans onto it like they’re friends, like she’s owed something, and Adrien’s hackles raise instantly.
“So, why didn’t you ever tell me?”
Marinette’s face goes white and then red with anger, and her fists are clenched so tightly that Adrien has to wrap his hand around hers to get her to unclench them. He glares at Alya who is ridiculously, blissfully ignorant, still smiling wide at Marinette with her phone out to record the answer she’s expecting.
He turns to the class and realizes that they’re all staring at her expectantly, every single one of them looking like they’re owed something, and anger burns through Adrien like he’s on fire. How did he never notice how disgusting and selfish these people all were? How did he never see it?
Marinette finally turns on Alya, gaze colder and harder than vibranium as she says, “I never told you, Césaire, because you’ve proven time and again that you cannot be trusted. Your little stunt last night is just the latest proof. Did you get what you wanted? Did you get the attention? The views?”
“What! Girl! -“ Alya stutters, shocked. “I didn’t do it for attention! Or views!”
“So the views on the Ladyblog haven’t gone up at all.”
“Well of course they have! But that’s because Paris wanted to know! The world wanted to know!”
“And it didn’t matter that I didn’t want them to. That I didn’t want to share my identity. That it puts me in danger. That it puts my family, my friends, and anyone I have ever, or will ever care about, in danger. That I will be targeted by Hawkmoth, and so will everyone I have ever interacted with in my entire life.”
“They deserved to know! And come on, nobody’s in danger! Hawkmoth isn’t gonna do anything!”
“No one deserved to know anything about me that I didn’t want to share. That I didn’t choose to share. And that decision did not belong to you. It belonged to me. You took that from me. You betrayed me and endangered my life and the lives of countless others. Did you even think twice about it? Did you for a single second think about me, your supposed friend, Marinette?”
“But you’re Ladybug! That’s all that matters! And besides, you can stop pretending to hate Lila now!”
Chloe has been silently fuming during this entire exchange, because it is not her place to step in for Marinette, not after everything she’s done to her, but Marinette is Ladybug. Marinette is Ladybug and has shown her more genuine kindness than both of her parents have in her entire life, especially when she didn’t deserve it. She is an absolute saint amongst mortals, but even saints have their breaking points, and she’s surely hit hers or will soon. Chloe can’t stand by and just watch this happen. If nothing else, then for her own sanity. Césaire is not listening. Something in her brain just isn’t clicking. It’s pathetic, and ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous.
“You’re either delusional or very, very, stupid.”
Alya gasps as she turns to glare at Chloe.
Chloe nods at Marinette, “Dup - Marinette. Thank you for giving me a second chance. For giving me any chance. I didn’t deserve it, and you know it. I’ll never be able to pay back the kindness you’ve shown me even if I live to be a thousand years old. I’m sorry you have to deal with all of this shit, and I have a team of lawyers ready to sue for slander and invasion of privacy at your say so.”
Adrien beams at her, proud of this new leaf she’s turning, of the actual effort she’s putting into being good, and Marinette is stunned as she nods in assent and says, “Thank you. I - you have no idea how much I appreciate that. I’ll take you up on that offer. We’ll talk during lunch.”
Chloe nods resolutely, glares at Alya who is staring with her mouth gaping open in shock, and scoffs. She immediately pulls her phone out and starts making calls to her father and his many associates, and Sabrina is next to her doing the same with hers.
“What do you mean, lawyers! You can’t sue me! I didn’t do anything wrong!”
“Lila and I are not friends. Ladybug is not her friend. Marinette is not her friend. She is a liar. She’s been lying since she got here, which I told you countless times. You dismissed me and belittled me and called me jealous and stupid and selfish, when you were the ones who cast me aside for someone who could spin a few pretty stories. So yes, I’m Ladybug. No, I didn’t tell you. You are not trustworthy. There’s a reason Rena Rouge and Carapace haven’t been called on in the past year. You, Alya Césaire, are not worthy of a miraculous, and will never wield one again. You’re not a bad person, but you aren’t by any means a good one. You only care about yourself and your blog, with no regard for the truth or for anyone but yourself, and that is dangerous. You never consider the consequences to your actions. You are not someone I’ll be associating with any longer, and you have no one to blame but yourself for whatever happens next.”
*****
It turns out there’s a lot of big name lawyers tripping over themselves to do pro bono work for Paris’ magical hero. She has her case set and served to Alya before lunch is over.
*****
After three days with no akumas, Marinette checks the mail to see that she’s received an unmarked envelope addressed to her with the butterfly and peacock miraculous inside. There’s no return address or name, and inside is a printed note that just reads,
I’m Sorry.