The Way It's Meant to Be

Alya holds her phone up. "You ready?"

Adrien and Marinette exchange a glance. Right now they're suited up as Chat Noir and Ladybug, so the most she can do is squeeze his hand to try to smooth some of the furrows from his brow. This can't be easy for him.

"We can do this another day if you like," she says gently. "Or—"

"No." He takes a deep breath and slips his hand out from hers, straightening his shoulders as he faces Alya. "I'm ready."

Alya nods and hits the button to go live.

oOo

Adrien (Or Chat Noir, as he appears to the public) doesn't falter when he says that his relationship with Marinette is fake. True, there's none of the usual playfulness or toothy grins people have come to expect from him, but that's normal. This isn't the time for jokes.

"I'm sorry for lying to all of you," he says. "I thought it would be easier to pretend to be in a relationship than say what really needed to be said, but I can't in good conscience maintain this lie any longer, not when it's causing so many problems for two of my friends. You, the fans, also deserve the truth."

He takes a small breath and goes on to explain the discomfort he's felt because of people overstepping his boundaries: the unwanted physical advances, the things people have said or made up about him.

"This whole fake relationship started because of a lie," he admits. "A girl told everyone at her school that she'd been kissing me."

"Lila Rossi, wasn't it?" Alya says. "I'm in her class and remember when she made the claim."

He hesitates, never one to jump at throwing people publicly under the bus.

"Yes," Marinette chimes in. "The girl was Lila Rossi. Chat Noir and I have saved her a few times." Not to mention fought her as Volpina and Chameleon. "We can only assume she thought making such a claim would get her more attention from her classmates, just like when she lied about being one of my good friends."

"Right," Alya says, nodding along. "But you clearly weren't happy with the lie, Chat Noir?"

He shakes his head. "I don't go around kissing people for the sake of it. I would never do that. The fact she thought she could get away with it was also really frustrating."

"So, Lila's lie was the final straw for you?" Alya asks.

"Pretty much. I just … I wanted a break. The way I saw it, people couldn't say they'd been kissing me or make inappropriate passes at me if they thought I was dating Marinette."

"Understandable," Alya says.

"But that doesn't make my behaviour okay. Two lies don't make a right. I should have been honest from the beginning, and I'm sorry I let the lie get this far out of control. I hope the people of Paris can forgive me, but I especially hope you can forgive Marinette. She was only trying to be a good friend." He bites his lip. "But I … I also hope that by sharing this, people will rethink their behaviour and remember the importance of respecting boundaries. As Chat Noir, I'm here to defend you from akumas and I will always be happy to do that. But as a person, I still need my space. Please understand that."

Alya thanks him for his honesty, then wraps up the interview with a few final comments of her own. "There," she says, placing her phone down. "All done."

He lets out a breath. "Glad that's over."

"You did great," Marinette says, and gives his shoulder a light squeeze. "I'm really proud of you."

"Thanks." He turns to Alya. "And thanks for all your help. We couldn't have done this without you. I know Marinette would say the same if she was here."

"What kind of Parisian would I be if I wasn't willing to help Paris's heroes?" A wink. "Also, it's great publicity for my blog to score an exclusive interview with Chat Noir and Ladybug."

He's startled into a laugh. "Right."

Marinette just shakes her head, a slight smile curving her lips.

Alya's voice softens. "Seriously, though. I'm glad I could be of help. You both do so much for Paris. I really hope this interview will make a difference. You deserve to be able to do your job without having fans make you uncomfortable."

He rubs the base of his neck, looking off to the side. "Thank you, Alya."

Marinette smiles and holds out her gloved fist. "Pound it?"

The three bump fists.

"Pound it!"

oOo

Marinette leans more into Adrien's chest. They're sitting on her bed, his arms looped around her waist, while she holds her phone and scrolls through comments on the Ladyblog. He rests his chin on her shoulder so he can see the screen as well.

It's been almost two weeks since the interview. As expected, responses are mixed. Many people have expressed their support for Chat Noir. Others are upset that he lied and pretended to date Marinette. Then there are the ones who think he shouldn't be complaining about the attention he gets, because he's a hero and is known for his flirtatious behaviour, blah, blah, blah …

"You're going to crack the phone if you hold it like that," he observes with a laugh.

She relaxes her grip. "I just can't believe people are blaming you for how those fans treated you. It's so unfair!"

He shrugs. "People will think what they want to think. Why should I be the exception?"

She can't be satisfied with that, but she also knows he's right. Just as there are people like her parents, Alya and Nino—the ones who will support him without question—there will always be victim-blamers, always be people who want to make excuses for poor behaviour or who don't want to listen to reason.

"It's okay," he says, hugging her closer. "Really. The main thing is that the truth is out there."

"Well, I don't like it. Those people had best hope they never need saving from an akuma, because I can't say I want to help them."

He plants a small kiss on her cheek, lips curving against her skin. "Thank you."

"Huh?"

"For being mad on my behalf, for supporting me. Having you at my side has made this so much easier."

She twists in his arms so she can face him. "You didn't think I'd leave you to deal with all of this, did you? I told you we were in this together." She places her hands on his cheeks, holding his gaze. "That isn't going to change, no matter who or what we have to go up against."

"I know." His smile widens. "You and me against the world, right?"

"That's right."

Something shifts in his expression and he leans in, resting his forehead against hers. "I love you, Marinette," he whispers.

"I love you too."

They nuzzle like affectionate cats before instinct guides her lips to his. No hesitance, no fumbling. Kissing him is like coming home. She runs her fingers through his hair and opens her mouth to him. His hands leave pulse-tingling trails up her back, along her shoulders. It's heady and addictive.

Too bad an akuma alert interrupts.

She pulls back, half sighing in resignation. "Looks like duty calls."

"Come now, my lady. There's no need to sound disappointed." His green eyes spark with a playful light and his smile can only be described as roguish. "We can always continue this later. Perks of the suit, you know. It's easy to sneak in here."

Her cheeks warm and she shoves her pillow at his face, earning a muffled laugh from him. "Just hurry up and transform."

"As you wish."

Two transformations later, and they're both slipping out through her skylight to go take on whoever has been akumatised. The usual drill for Ladybug and Chat Noir. He smiles as he vaults alongside her on his baton, and she can't help but give an answering grin.

This is how it's meant to be. How it will always be. And the best part is that she wouldn't have it any other way.

Yaaaaay, we've reached the end!

Thanks so much to everyone who left reviews, especially the guest reviewers and those who have their PM function turned off. I couldn't reply to you, but I loved reading your comments! You are all wonderful people who kept my muse alive and thriving.

Also, for those who were wondering, I do indeed plan to write more ML stories. (In fact, I'm working on a ML Secret Santa gift right now, so keep an eye out for that fic, which should get posted around December 16-30th.)

Until next time!