Work Text:
Let me tell you how it begins.
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A girl with her whole sparkling future planned out and drawn in paper,
Deviating only in her need to help others and be kind,
Constantly tripping over herself to give but always second guessing what she even has to offer...
Give her the miraculous of creation.
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"And now that you don’t have to shy away from your true strength, you can be more."
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The whole of Paris watched as creation’s chosen and destruction’s child worked side by side in battle against their first villain.
Just when terror of the stone monsters couldn’t feel more palpable, the original let out a painful cough right before a cluster of dark butterflies flew out of its mouth and assembled to form a scary face that hovers in front of the Eiffel Tower.
Nobody knew it then, but fate is smiling because this…this is where it truly begins.
This is where he sees her for who she could be.
This is where she becomes who she always has been on the inside.
Is the universe prepared?
Is Paris?
There’s no time left for pondering.
The waiting game is over.
“People of Paris, listen carefully. I am Hawkmoth,” the face announced, undeterred even as news helicopters fly closer to get a better view of the evil mastermind behind the attacks.
“Hawkmoth…” the new miraculous wielders repeated the name in synchrony, unable to tear their eyes away as they realized that this is real. With a super villain in tow and inspiring fear across their city, all doubts are cleared that Paris is in dire need of heroes.
“Ladybug, Chat Noir, give me the ladybug earrings and the cat ring now. You’ve done enough damage to these people.”
Chat Noir is gaping in daze of the enemy, but all too sudden Ladybug is clapping beside him and stepping forward to take on the stage, effectively drawing all of the attention away from the super villain and onto herself.
Before Chat could think to ask where the self-doubting girl he’d comforted just a while ago had gone to, Ladybug is smirking and antagonizing the villain as though this is what she was born for.
“Nice try Hawkmoth, but we know who the bad guy is. Let’s not reverse the roles here. Without you, none of these innocent victims will be transformed into villains,” she defended fearlessly, bluebell eyes ablaze with purpose.
Everything in her form from the soles of her shoes to the top of her head are screaming grace and confidence that only a true heroine could possess and she failed to notice her captive audience holding their breaths, unable to look away from the sight of her. “Hawkmoth, no matter how long it takes, we will find you and you will hand us your miraculous!”
Still frozen but now for a different reason that had nothing to do with Hawkmoth, Chat watched as his partner charged forward and propelled herself into the air with her yo-yo, all too ready to capture the dark butterflies in a series of swift movements and with a shout of “Time to de-evilize!” that leaves the villain screaming.
She could have stopped right there and he wouldn't be disappointed.
But Ladybug isn’t finished. Addressing everyone who is watching, she makes a vow to everyone in the City of Light, unknowing of the effect she has on him and Paris. “Let me make this promise to you. No matter who wants to harm you, Ladybug and Chat Noir will do everything in our power to keep you safe.”
Ladybug and Chat Noir...she had said, the union of their names coming out of her lips repeating in his head like a song he'd like to play on repeat.
Right then and there, standing in the middle of the Eiffel Tower, she released the cluster of purified butterflies from her magic yo-yo as the whole of Paris cheered.
Only one person didn’t join the excitement.
He couldn't.
The boy behind the mask is left helpless, too in awe of her.
Fate squeals just as the boy shamelessly exclaims, “Wow. Whoever she is beneath that mask, I love that girl.”
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A boy trapped to live in the shadows of his father’s greed,
Chasing for some semblance of affection that is fading away,
Unknowing that the longer he runs, the faster he loses himself…
Give him the miraculous of destruction.
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"And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can break free."
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Marinette held out a hand to test the pouring rain only to withdraw glumly.
No matter how badly she wanted to go home and drink hot coco, she also just isn’t in the mood for running and getting soaked.
It didn’t help that her favorite designer’s, Gabriel Agreste's son, who she’s convinced is a bully just walked out of the school and greeted her.
“Hey…” He said, but she’s already huffing and turning away from him.
Serves him right, she thinks. He's no different than Chloe.
He doesn’t deserve her attention.
Marinette expected him to leave her be after that, unknowing that fate is shaking her head in amusement.
These petty humans and their petty judgements. Haven't they ever heard of a work in progress?
How could this girl be any more wrong?
“I just wanted you to know that I was only trying to take the chewing gum off your seat, I swear,” Adrien confesses, and Marinette is forced to realize that he’d only taken three steps forward before he stopped to talk to her. “I've never been to school before. I've never had friends. It's all sort of…new to me.”
Marinette forgets to close her mouth, unprepared for the amount of sincerity he's all too willing to show to her.
She could stop him right here.
She could tell him she won't hear of his excuses.
But he looks so sad and pitiful, and yet so, so genuine, that she wanted to hear more.
He must have taken her silence as a positive sign because he turned to fully face her then, surprising her even more when he held his umbrella towards her in peace offering.
His eyes are emerald and expressive.
Thunder clapped in the sky. A voice on the back of her head...maybe Tikki or maybe fate...tries to whisper something in her brain that something significant, something life changing just transpired. But she's too mesmerized by him to listen.
She stands there, flawed and willing to admit that maybe she'd been wrong about him.
A part of her is wondering if he’s even real and not just a pigment of her caffeine induced imagination.
Has he always been this beautiful?
How did she not notice him before?
When seconds passed and he’s still holding out his umbrella and waiting for her to take it, she willed her hand to accept his sincerity, only to pull back as if burned when her finger touched his skin by accident.
For a fraction of a second, she waited for him to feel revolted and pull away. But he didn't, and she's left with the right thing to do.
She tried again.
It’s just her rotten luck that the umbrella closed in on her just when she'd finally succeeded.
She heard his laughter then, and dear God, what a beautiful sound.
She heard her own laugh joining him, and admits that this is nice. She's glad that they could make light of her clumsiness.
The relief in his eyes at her acceptance hurts her like a physical blow.
“See you tomorrow,” he says in parting, already walking away before she could remember to thank him.
Marinette had to remind herself that she could talk, and that talking is a thing.
Fate snorts and watches fondly.
“U-huh! See you tom-o, tomo-…whoooah. Why am I stammering?”
Tikki flew out of her bag then. “I think I may have an idea.”
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A few steps down the stairs, Plagg came out of Adrien’s pocket to tease, “First day of school and we already have two love birds.”
Air puffed out of Adrien's mouth in humorous disbelief of his kwami’s insinuation.
“Whatever. She’s just a friend…” he easily dismisses only to gasp, delighted that he could now call her one. “A friend…” he says again, letting the word roll on his tongue and liking how it sounds and fills his heart with hope and joy.
Marinette had accepted his umbrella.
Perhaps in time, he could prove to her that he isn’t so bad.
Maybe, if she’s willing to give him a chance, maybe he'll be able to prove to her that they could be good friends.
Adrien could only hope.
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Watching them, fate is laughing as thunder claps again.
A friend, destruction’s boy had called creation’s chosen.
Fate shakes her head.
It has been a while since she’d last heard such a ginormous lie.
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