Chapter Text
“Your songs don’t welcome an audience, Kitty,”
Disapproving as always, Felix grins drunkenly up at his Lady whilst his tail keeps him sitting, “My Lady!”
“Go home, Chat Noir,”
He waves his hand at her, flapping the fingers uselessly before he takes a large swig of wine, “Nnnnoooooo,” he rolls his eyes at her, “You should come drink with me! We’re celebrating,”
“What are we celebrating?” her voice is dry, blue eyes less so and red rimmed under her mask.
He hands her the bottle cheerfully, “My brother is getting married to the woman I love,”
Ladybug stills, and it’s almost interceptable. To anyone but him of course. They’re two halves of a whole, mirroring each other almost exactly. He knows everything about her, even after ten years of absence. He knows she’s trying to appear more nonchalant, but to be perfectly honest…
He doesn’t fucking care. He doesn’t give a fuck, not enough to be a fair friend to one of his oldest but he pats the bars of the Eiffel Tower next to him and holds out the wine. And to his unsurprise, she takes a healthy swig as she sits next to him.
“Shit night?” she asks in a low tone. She sounds exhausted, and she sniffles right after. Seems his Lady hasn’t been coping well tonight either. He had expected their reunion to be more dramatic, instead of just sitting side by side on the tower, but they’ve always had an easy friendship. It’s why he opens his arm to let her lean into his side. She does another tiny sniffle when he rubs at her arm.
“With you? Never, my Lady,“
It’s easy to flirt. Always has been, it’s why she snorts and curls closer, even though she leaves a wet patch under her cheek, “I’ve missed your banter,”
“Not my puns? Purrplexing,”
“Definitely not,”
“Okay, I’ve had my heart broken once tonight, I don’t need it broken again thank you,”
There’s a snuffling laugh and he laughs too. He’s desperately sad, but being next to Ladybug heals a part of Felix he didn’t know was hurting. He takes a breathe in and out, watches it crystalise, “I’ve missed you, Ladybug,”
“I missed you too, Chaton,” she rubs her eyes into his sleeve and his eyes sting too. He hasn’t been called that for too long, “So, so much,”
Felix wishes he had just stayed. That he didn’t kiss Marinette on the forehead and walk out for a school. He could have studied in Paris so easily, stayed and discovered everything about Marinette he’s missed in these ten years. He takes a shaky breath and tells Ladybug that. That he wishes he’d never left ten years ago.
“Do you want to know a secret,” there are tears on Felix’s leather suit that aren’t hers, and Ladybug takes a shaky breath when she lifts her head, “I wish I had said yes to you, ten years ago,”
She brushes his lips with hers, and for a moment, he closes his eyes and pictures it. A gentle kiss. He holds her hand. They reveal or maybe they don’t. They make love and they start a wonderful relationship. They fuck once and go back to being colleagues with a secret they never acknowledge or share. They go on to have kids together or separate, or no kids at all…but-
Their foreheads touch, “I’m not in love with you anymore, Ladybug,”
He pulls away, and sighs. Ladybug shuffles back too, biting her lip in embarrassment, “I’m sorry, Chat. The wine has gone to my head-”
“Don’t apologise,” he suddenly feels too sober, “Don’t apologise, I’m the only one who should be sorry. I can’t hurt you like I hurt her,”
He stares up at the sky, noting the lack of stars and the sound of the traffic beneath them but it all fades out. The wind against his skin, the coldness of the bars of the Eiffel Tower beneath him. Nothing but his breath, in and out. Nothing but the words tripping over his tongue.
“You know, I never really loved you. Just the idea of you. But Marinette…she’s everything. I think I’ve always loved her. You and me, we’re two halves of a whole but I don’t want anything other than Marinette even though she wasn’t made for me. I don’t want her or need her to be. I just want her to be happy. I wanted to marry her when I was 19 you know? I wrote her a letter, asking her to marry me and that I’d take care of her mother for the rest of our lives. She’s gonna marry my brother, because she thought I wouldn't love her. He doesn’t love her either. Don’t think he can love anything. Don’t think I’m supposed to love anything. Cept her. I’m sorry Ladybug. I don’t mean to hurt you either. Just can’t waste time on a fantasy,”
His head aches, mouth dry as he rubs at his stubble. Last night was a mistake in more ways than one: seeing Ladybug again had been a trip. When he closes his eyes he can still feel the touch of her mouth on his. Being kissed had been stupid, and he winces at the memory of what he said.
Just can’t waste time on a fantasy
One day he’ll figure out how to not hurt anyone he cares about.
He deliberately doesn’t think of any earlier in the night in hopes he doesn’t collapse into himself in pure embarrassment. God, trying to kiss his brother’s fiance. What a perv.
Sabine ruffles his hair as she drops a chocolate muffin next to his glass of water and coffee. He’d stumbled in some time after 4am, stinking of alcohol and she’d tutted at him and hid him in the back with her as she rolled dough and baked bread. He feels nauseous, eyes closed as his head rests on the cool table, dozing in and out. At some point he’ll get up, eat and recover like a normal human being, but for now, Plagg is purring in his shirt pocket and he’s relaxed. As relaxed as one can be with a pounding headache.
When the muffin is nothing more than a few smears on his fingertips and he’s had around three glasses of water, he finally feels awake enough to sit up and people watch through the kitchen window, wondering what their lives are like. Wondering if when he next see’s Marinette it will be on her wedding day, and she’ll no longer need him.
Which is why he’s so surprised to see her clatter through the back door enough that customers in the front react.
Marinette is panting, her chest rising and falling with every breath and a flush that makes her whole face an ugly shade of red. Her hair is a mess, windblown with panda eyes from rubbing at her tearful eyes and pit stains on her yellow cardigan. She'd ran the fourteen streets clearly in her Louboutin high heels and black denim skinny jeans. She's an absolute mess, hideous and ridiculous.
And still the most beautiful woman he has ever seen.
“Did you mean it?” She interrupts him. Her eyes are framed by thick black lashes, chocolate brown eyes staring at him. He stalls, mouth open as he racks his brain for what he said. She licks at her lips, shoulders rising and falling, “Felix, did you mean it ??”
His mouth moves silently. Her eyes are brown, and they’re familiar. Too familiar, like a friend he’s always had. Something niggles in the back of his head and he speaks without thinking, “I’ve never lied to you,”
There’s electricity under his fingers, something familiar and powerful and too dark.
“Kitty,” she chokes out.
The glass under his fingers shatters. Water spills. His heart stops for a split second as his mind places Ladybug’s suit over Marinette’s clothing and of course.
Of course.
“It was always you,” he breathes. He stands up from the table, and his eyes are stinging, his head is throbbing but the world narrows down to Marinette like it always should. The push to his pull. The soothing to his hurt. She’s not a missing piece, but instead she’s a complement to him.
She’s…Marinette.
She fits in his arms like a puzzle piece, and he can only sob into her hair as she holds him.
In a tiny bakery in the middle of Paris, he finally finds his Lady. He finally finds her.
It’s an awful ending to the engagement. Felix gives notice at his current department, giving a glowing interview to the Necker-Enfants Malades and sets his sights on an apartment in Paris. Not too far from the bakery that Sabine still runs. He drops by in the mornings to grab a coffee as Marinette rolls the pastries for the next day, parting with a quick goodbye as he shakes out the stiffness from his weaker leg. Days and afternoons are spent negotiating his start date, and evenings are spent with a very happy Plagg curled on his knee and his friend who’s not quite a friend but not quite a lover yet on his couch sharing chickpea popcorn and booing at terrible films.
Nathan punched him in the face and nearly broke his nose. His mother had nearly disowned him, but the repayment of the debt made the houses whole again.
“I love her, Mother. For better or worse, Marinette will still be a part of this family. Your name will still be on the bakery and they will still cater for every stupid party you host. But if you ever threaten her again, I will make sure it is the last time you do so,”
And that had been the end of the conversation. The relationship had fortunately cooled, but Father’s inheritance still belonged to him alone and they kept cool one worded responses in text. It would heal with time, and likely with a wedding for Mother to splash and invite all of her nonsense friends to then there would be more peace.
As far as he’s concerned, he still wouldn’t piss on Nathan if he was on fire.
But for now there’s just life. Marinette still interviews for fashion houses, tinkering with robotics, trying to find an aid for his bad leg. Felix continues to research at his hospitals, practising piano again for the first time in years and talking about finding a kickboxing coach to strengthen his leg for her efforts too.
The first threat in over ten years hits Paris a week after Felix finally gets the guts up to ask Marinette on a date. Right after she says yes actually.
Ladybug springs into action, whooping with joy as she swings through the city on her little used aid. Chat Noir can’t stop smiling as he races after her with every spring of his stick.
He’s home.