Chapter Text
The blood from her face drained as Marinette sat in front of her computer, facing the multi-color filled calendar. For a moment, she thought the contents of what she had just had for dinner were going to come up her throat. The color coding for patrols with Chat, commissions that started up after graduation, classes at her university, her internship days at Gabriel, and.. Omega priorities. How did she forget after all this time has passed?
“What’s wrong, Marinette?”
Tikki’s little voice came beside her as she finished her snack of macaroons that she grabbed from the kitchen. Marinette slowly felt her body melting down into her desk until her arms covered her face. The kwami’s face morphed into concern, fluttering around in front of the computer screen to stare down at the top of her guardian’s head.
“Marinette?”
“I forgot..” Her guardian muffled into her arm, “My heat is coming up.”
Tikki blinked a few times before turning her attention to the computer screen. The words "doc appointment”, “stop suppressants” and “heat??” were labeled on specific dates that were coming up in the next few weeks.
“Oh,” is all Tikki could muster before turning her attention back to Marinette. “Well.. It has been some time since you started that new suppressant two years ago. It was kind of inevitable."
"That's not making me feel any better, Tikki."
Marinette lifted her head to peek at the computer with a sigh. It was two years ago after she had her first heat at sixteen years old. That was the hardest week of her life but luckily Monarch hadn’t sent any akumas during that time either. After that, she knew she needed the best suppressants out there that would last long since she couldn't have it affecting her duties as Ladybug in Paris. With the new Monarch on the rise, Marinette didn't have time to be dealing with her omega tendencies.
It was just a year ago that they had defeated Adrien's father as Monarch and learned the identity of him. But, in the middle of the fight they lost the Butterfly Miraculous again. Things have settled since then until about 5 months ago when the new Monarch finally revealed themselves and started akuma attacks again.
This was not the time to be having a heat.
Marinette went to trusty Google to type in the search bar with the clicking of her manicured nails on the keyboard, "Is it okay if I skipped a heat again after being on suppressants for two years?”
To her dismay, every credible source gave logical reasons behind why she shouldn't do that. Two years without a heat was bordering on dangerous and she knew when she'd be going in for her doctor's appointment soon that she'd get the same lecture if she tried to push it back.
The thought of being incapacitated with the need to be fucked for a whole week was going to drive her insane, not knowing if Chrysalis was going to be sending out akuma's. If they did, Marinette wouldn't be able to be Ladybug because she'd be busy with herself or someone. That meant leaving Chat Noir and their friends alone, then people are going to wonder where the hell she is.
"I have to tell Adrien," Marinette whined to herself, hitting her forehead onto her desk this time and merely missing her keyboard.
Tikki sat on the desk to be closer to her level, Marinette turned so she was still resting her head on the cold wood that wasn’t comfortable at all looking at the red, little kwami. She could feel her little beady eyes on her but she didn’t seem at all concerned by this discovery.
"Yeah, you will. You guys will need to plan out what you're going to do and figure out who you need to replace you guys during that time–"
"Uh- you guys?" Marinette stared at her confused, picking her head up from the wording. "What do you mean?"
"Aren't you going to ask Adrien to help you through your heat?"
The heat that crawled up her body to the top of her head sent her eyes wide. She stood up with a stumble, almost falling back onto her desk chair. But, the chair flew back against the wall before she could stop it and made a loud thump noise. She paused, hoping Adrien hadn't come back from his photoshoot yet to notice the noise coming from her room.
After a few beats and no cat running in to check in on her as he usually did when she’d make a ruckus, she let out the breath she was holding. Then, turned her attention to her kwami.
"Tikki! I am not spending my heat with Adrien! Are you insane?"
Tikki tilted her head at her confused, "You're not? You had Luka help you the last time and you weren't even dating."
"That is totally different, I'm close to him and it made sense–since we had just dated." Marinette explained, throwing her hands in the air. "He also knows my identity."
"Yeah, but so does Adrien." Tikki reminded her from where she sat. "Plus, Adrien would love to help you!"
"It's a no for now, Tikki. I haven't even decided if I will be with someone else or on my own."
The kwami pouted, "But you've never had a heat on your own and this is only your second one."
"I have time to plan, I'll figure it out."
Before she could let the kwami continue on why Adrien was a good idea, she heard a knock at the front door. She forgot Alya was going to be coming by for a movie night before she got busy updating her schedule for the week. Marinette walked from her bedroom, almost hitting the desk chair on the way out.
She tried not to focus on the open door of Adrien's room across from the living room, heading toward the front door. Turning the knob to open the door, Marinette met Alya's excited expression as she held up the plastic bag with delicious take out within it and a bottle of wine. Her face fell when she saw Marinette’s uninviting expression.
"You look like you've seen a ghost."
Alya's words trickled through her and she pulled her best friend in urgently, shutting the door behind her. She still took one more look over to Adrien’s room to verify he wasn’t there nor Plagg.
"Okay.." The word slurred from Alya’s mouth as she set her things down on the kitchen counter. "What is going on with you?"
"She's going to have her heat soon!"
Tikki exclaimed excitedly from behind Marinette, Alya's eyes widened the same as Marinette's did when Tikki brought up her idea. As someone who was a Omega as well, Alya knew how difficult it was to go through something like this.
Instead of the two year suppressants, Alya chose to wait six months rather than every three months. She loved Marinette nonetheless, even helping her parents plan her first heat when she noticed that Marinette was off at school the first time it hit. If anyone knew what it would be like, it would be her.
"Has it already been two years?!" Alya asked, surprised, crossing her arms.
"Yeah," she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she leaned against the counter. "I need help figuring out what to do."
"Well, you can't ask Luka again because he's been with Chloe this whole time."
Marinette nodded in understanding, "He didn't even cross my mind as an option. I was telling Tikki I am needing to decide what to do regarding a heat partner and where I want to do it."
"Aren't you going to ask Adrien?"
”Why do you guys keep thinking I will ask Adrien?” Her voice went up a pitch as she questioned her best friend.
”I know you guys haven’t brought up your whole ‘situation’” the younger woman raised her fingers to make quotations, “but it might help you guys figure out your feelings.”
The situation. That was more of a reason not to do it. Marinette hated thinking about it but it was hard not to when she lived in the same apartment as him.
When they revealed their identities, it wasn’t at all what she expected. There were no declarations of love, heart-eyes, rainbows, flowers, butterflies, fireworks. It was simply that they were thankful that they loved and trusted each other enough as friends to be Paris’ hero’s.
It was honestly a little awkward because Marinette was completely flustered at the new idea that the boy she was in love with had been Chat Noir.
They ended up just staying friends.
Not even trying anything to bring them to that point of love. Marinette didn’t have the heart to tell Adrien that he was the other guy and he didn’t bother asking. He never pushed her despite being in love with her hero persona. It made her confidence deflate a little but she couldn’t let it bother her with the new villain that has come to play.
The situation was also a lot harder to deal with since Adrien asked her if he’d move in with her so they could have their own place to make their base. Moving out of his childhood home was his first order of business after discovering his father’s identity.
Especially after giving out the miraculous to their friends permanently. In her mind, he put up a good case. He made an amazing powerpoint, Marinette thought she’d fuck him right there in his old childhood room from the effort he put in.
Now, she lives with him.
Meaning she watches him exist so close. They jump out the window at the same time when an akuma occurs while they’re at home. They watch movies together. They cook dinners together. Adrien makes her lunches for her internship or classes. She takes care of his laundry. They talk like they always did as Ladybug and Chat Noir, comfortable and teasing.
It’s like being married without literally any of the extra things.
Oh, how Marinette wishes for it.
A cough indicated she was getting into her head a little too much. Marinette focused back on her friend and kwami, tense under their eyes.
”I think a heat is the last thing I would need to help us sort our feelings,” Marinette explained with a sigh, picking at the plastic bag of food. “I’m pretty sure he doesn’t like me like that.”
”Are you assuming or did you ask him?”
The conversation on top of the roof that week after their identity reveal was weird.
Marinette got the idea that Adrien needed some time to process the reveal like her. He kept telling her that he hoped it didn’t make her uncomfortable regarding his feelings for her and that he hoped it wouldn’t get in the way of their friendship.
”You’re my best friend, Chat.” Ladybug said with a small smile. “Our reveal doesn’t change anything for me.”
Chat stared at her intently like he was trying to read her eyes, “Yeah.. You’re right, it doesn’t.”
The way he looked away from her made her think she might’ve said the wrong thing but then he placed his clawed hand over her spotted one. The smile he gave her was beautiful, it almost made her miss the words that came from his mouth.
”I’m really glad it’s you, Marinette.”
”Y- You are?”
Chat nodded, “Out of anyone I had expected, you are the one person that makes the most sense. You know?”
”That.. That’s surprising.”
”What do you mean?” His expression is full of confusion.
Ladybug sighed, “I think there are a lot of ideas and expectations on who the girl behind the mask is.. Many of our own friends wouldn’t believe that it's a clumsy, in-her-head, busy body Marinette. Probably even picture Ladybug as an Alpha for that matter.”
”Well..” Her partner squeezed her hand. “They don’t know you like I do. All week I’ve watched you and realized I was stupid for missing it. You have every Ladybug quality outside of the mask. No one else could be Ladybug. No else could be Marinette.” His blonde hair moved with the breeze that blew by. “You are Ladybug, no matter who you are or what your identity is.”
The words hung in the air for her as she took them in. Sometimes she always did wonder if Chat would accept her for who she was if they were strangers in their civilian lives. But, he wasn’t a stranger. He was Adrien.
”If you asked me two years ago that you were Adrien,” Ladybug laughed at the thought of fourteen year old Adrien. “I don’t think I would’ve believed you.”
The shoulders beside her faltered but Ladybug shook her head at him, meeting his eyes to stop him from thinking too much the way he always does.
”But, as someone who is really good friends with Adrien, I can’t unsee it. You are Chat Noir.” Her voice soft, smiling at the things she could already compare them on. “All the different parts of you make up the best parts of Chat Noir. I am really lucky it ended up being you.”
A blush came across his cheeks this time, “You think so?”
”Yeah. I am glad we are able to stay friends after this.”
“Me too,” he whispered back.
Swallowing, Marinette looked away with a blush on her cheeks. The conversation played in her mind for months that it was hard not to have it memorized at this point.
”It seemed pretty clear since he never brought it up since that day.”
Alya groaned in annoyance at her and began to take out the food from the plastic bag, the smell became overwhelming and she was ready to drop the conversation. She knew Alya was only trying to help and she was sure it was excruciating to watch the two of them just be friends and not anything more.
After all, Chat Noir was pining after Ladybug for years. It would’ve been a given they had gotten together after their identity reveal.
Things didn’t work out the way she planned for it sadly.
“You should ask.”
Her stomach flipped–not in hunger–and she gazed back at Alya. The rustle of the plastic containers should’ve been distracting enough as it cut through their conversation but it wasn’t. It was like she was in an interrogation room where the officers were trying to bribe her with food.
”Ask what?”
”Ask Adrien to help you.” Alya replied nonchalantly.
They stared each other down for what felt like forever. Tikki and Trixx were mumbling about something by the couch. The sound of the front door being unlocked startled both of them, she looked over to see it open and Adrien stepped in with bright eyes and a wide smile.
His hair seemed to still be done from the shoots he had today and the white shirt with brown gingham pants were what he had left in this morning. Adrien seemed to be hiding something behind his back.
”Hey! Look what I got!”
Adrien didn’t even look at Alya as he shut the door behind himself and revealed a paper bag that had something inside. Marinette took it, returning a warm smile, looking inside and she felt her body squeal with delight. She took out her favorite bottle of wine from their local grocery store, the one she hasn’t been able to find or get for the most two months because they’ve been sold out due to social media hyping it up.
”Oh my gosh! Where did you find this?”
”I saw the grocery store near my shoot location had some inside–Oh, hi Alya!” Adrien explained as he waved at Alya when he finally noticed her. “I knew you girls were having a movie night and I thought you might like it.”
”Adrien–“ Marinette couldn’t hide the appreciation from her face. “I love it, thank you.”
His cheeks grew a pink shade before scratching the back of his neck shyly, “Yeah! I’m going to get changed and be out of the way, I’ll be going to the bar with Nino, Kim, and Max. Won’t be in your girl’s way.”
He waved at both of them before walking to his bedroom and shutting the door behind himself. Marinette looked down at the bottle of wine then met Alya’s face. Her arms were crossed and with an eyebrow raised in amusement.
”Are you sure he isn’t into you?” Her best friend muttered, pulling out the chopsticks from the plastic bag.
”Alya.”
—
In the morning, Marinette sent Alya off with breakfast and medicine for her head from the amount of alcohol they had drunk.
Marinette spent the rest of the day in bed, off and on sleeping since she was also hungover from the night before. But, she had been thinking about what Tikki and Alya had said. She knew she’d have to tell Adrien no matter what so they could plan ahead regarding patrol and have a holder of the Ladybug miraculous. It didn’t make sense to keep Chat Noir out of commission either.
The thought of inviting Adrien to help her through her heat both excited and terrified her. She knew it was a loss cause and left it at that.
First, she needed to talk to him about it.
She knew he had a photoshoot as well as a meeting today at work. So, she made his favorite meal to hopefully set the mood on the bomb she was dropping on him. He knew she was an omega, that was the one secret they never kept from each other when they matured into their roles in society. Marinette presented as an Omega first then Chat presented as an Alpha right after.
It was a weird dynamic at first but once they got over the awkwardness, they were back to normal in no time. She believed being around him all the time really helped her develop self-control around certain alpha(s) that she knew. Then, when she found out it was Adrien.. She spent many nights thinking about the idea Tikki and Alya have thrown at her.
It doesn’t make sense now, they’re friends. It’s time to just leave it alone and keep it that way.
The apartment door opened and Marinette turned around from the dining table after setting the pasta bowls down. Adrien was holding his bag he kept with him during work and set it down on the counter after locking up the door.
”Is that what I think it is?”
Adrien’s boyish grin made her a bit giddy inside, she watched him and Plagg come over to the table to see what she had laid out. There was a pasta dish he loved a lot along with some homemade rolls and a salad for the side. The dressing was set to the side of his salad bowl so he could put it on himself and two glasses of wine were already filled.
"You're the best," Adrien starts, pressing a kiss to her cheek in appreciation. "I had such a bad day, this makes it worth it."
"What about me?" Plagg complained, crossing his arms with narrowed eyes.
Marinette laughed as Adrien scolded him but she pulled out a little platter of camembert, Plagg's eyes widened with glee as he took the platter from her hands.
“How could I forget about the biggest diva in the house?”
“I’m going to ignore that and enjoy my cheese,” Plagg went out of the room towards Adrien’s side of the apartment.
"Sorry about him," he apologized, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't bring enough cheese today so he's been on one."
"It's fine," Marinette replied, referencing his chair with her hand. "Let's eat?"
The two of them sat in their given chairs and began to prepare their plates to eat. Marinette didn't touch her food yet, waiting for Adrien to take the first bite. She watched his body relax at the flavor as it touched his tongue and it sent a feeling of pride within her chest and stomach.
"This is amazing, you're the best cook ever."
"I'm glad you like it," she smiled at him before diving into her own meal.
They sat in comfortable silence eating for a few minutes before Adrien cut through the silence again.
"So.. What is the occasion? I know it's not either of our birthdays so.."
Marinette stopped moving her fork and slowly set it down, she took a napkin from the table to wipe her face carefully. Her heart began to race for the words that were going to come out of her mouth. Just like you practiced, she thought.
"I.. Do you remember when I told you about how I started taking the two year suppressants?"
Adrien nodded and swallowed the food he had popped into his mouth, "Yeah! I ended up getting on them too around the same time as you did."
She stared at him in surprise, she did not know he had done that too. It would have been a conversation for a different time, so she smiled at him in understanding.
"Well, my two year mark is coming up."
"How soon?"
"Three weeks."
The clatter of his fork hitting the bowl made her jump. She watched his body still at what she had just said and then slowly he raised his head from where he was looking down at his food to get a better look at her. Grabbing her wine, she took a sip of confidence and support before continuing.
"I have my heat in three weeks, which means I need to start planning." Marinette explained with a shrug, "Location, replacement for Ladybug, when to get off suppressants, doctor's appointment, and if I'll have a heat partner or not."
"You want to do it with someone or.. alone?"
She shrugged again, "I'm still up in the air. My first heat was with Luka and it went okay, I survived better than I would've on my own for my first heat.." Something flickered through Adrien's deep green eyes. "But, this time around I'm wondering if the hassle regarding a heat partner is even worth it? I don't know, I'm going to talk to my doctor next week during my check up. It's my second heat so things are really up in the air."
Adrien had placed his cutlery down and his hands were under the table, he seemed tense but his expression was neutral. His body language wasn't the best indicator he was lying because he was good at hiding something like that from her that way.
"I see." His voice steady, "If you did end up having a heat partner, do you have an idea of who it may be?"
"Not really," she lied, keeping her eyes off of him when she said it. "But, location is also important and who will be taking over for the week as well."
He didn't seem to agree with that by the way his eyebrows came together, "Your heat partner is important, Mari. Everything about your heat will make or break your experience."
"I know, I just- It's a ridiculous conversation.."
"I'll support you with whatever you need. A safe location, the tools you need, food to eat, and all." Adrien said calmly, his eyes not leaving her own and making her body shiver. "I honestly didn't realize it was coming up so fast, I think I need to see when my rut is, I don’t think I’ve checked my schedule."
"Your rut?"
"Well.. I had my last rut around the same time as you."
Marinette blinked a few times, "You're.. right."
"Well, let's focus on your heat and get things prepared for it. That's what matters most currently."
"Are you saying that as my friend or an alpha?" She teased him, trying to ease the tension.
"Both."
The word shouldn't have made her feel a certain way so she tried to act normal and suppress any knowing tells that would tell him otherwise. Adrien went back to eating and she slowly picked up her fork again, sticking it into the salad and let it hover near mouth before replying back.
"Okay."