Waiting for You (COMPLETED) (Future/college Miraculous Ladybug Love-square AU)

N I N E

Adrien flew, being held at Ladybug's—Marinette's?—side, trying to put what had just been so blatantly revealed to him through his head. Marinette. Ladybug. Marinette is Ladybug. Ladybug is Marinette. Marinette and Ladybug are the same person. Ladybug and Marinette are the same person. Marinette=his lady. His lady=Marinette. His gaze shifted up to see her battle face and the fire behind her brilliant ocean eyes. He felt as if he could melt into her right in that moment, because even though there was an akuma attack threatening Paris, everything seemed so perfect... so whole.

Suddenly, they were on the balcony outside Adrien's room.

"M'lad- er... Marinette? What are you doing?" He asked.

"You need to stay here. Lock your windows and doors, and avoid looking outside. I think whatever this thing is infects people by looking at them."

"But, Mari-"

"Try to keep out of eyeshot, okay? Promise me." She looked him in the eye, and he faltered. He gave her a small nod.

"Okay. I promise." She took his hand and gave it a small squeeze before leaping away across Paris. He could do nothing but watch her in awe as she flew through the sky, his mouth hanging agape. Plagg flew out of his pocket and floated right in front of his face.

"Uh... earth to Adrien?" He waved his tiny arms in front of the boy's face. "Hellooo? We've got an akuma attack on our hands here!" As he said this, he bumped Adrien softly on the forehead. Adrien blinked and looked at Plagg, realization hitting him.

"Oh! Uh... right." He cleared his throat. "Plagg, claws out!"

A few miles away, ladybug was having a back and forth with the slimy, green monster.

"Give it up Ladybug! You know you're no match for me, Dame Envie! You might as well just give up your miraculous now!" The monster taunted. The voice sounded like a distorted, deep pitched version of a young woman's voice.

"No way, Dame Envie! I think you're in over your head!" Ladybug deflected an attack from one of the green minions the monster had created.

"Oh, little, perfect ladybug! Always ready to save the day, huh?! Always in the limelight. Well, not this time, bug!" The monster gazed at Ladybug, sending a green beam her way. Ladybug lurched out of the way, making the beam vaporize a yellow car that had been behind her. She avoided a few more beams, each one quicker and closer.

"Chat... where are you, kitty?" She said under her breath.

"Ah, Yes! Where's that kitten of yours? Shit Noir? Late to the party, I see!" The monster taunted.

"My nose itches..." a familiar voice said from behind the monster. Up on a rooftop near the monster's head stood Chat Noir. "Someone must be talking about me!" He vaulted over the monster and landed next to Ladybug. "Miss me?" He said with a cheesy grin.

"Where have you been?" She said, somewhat annoyedly. He didn't let it upset him—she didn't know why he was late.

"Sorry m'lady, Just got a little claw-t up with something," he joked.

"Ah, shit-ten has joined us!" The thing said. "Welcome! I hope you're ready to be vaporized into nothing!" She said, sending a beam at him. He leaped out of the way, shouting a profanity.

"Well, someone is in a bad mood," he said once he gained his feet.

"Ugh, your stupid remarks! So condescending! So high and mighty!" The monster growled. It grew in size as it's anger flared. "You two are the faces of Paris! And what am I?! The laughingstock of my friends! I don't have a real job, I don't have money, and I don't have a significant other. All of my friends have their lives so put together and perfect... and then there's me." The thing growled and grew even more. "I hate them!" As she yelled this, she gazed around, vaporizing everything around her, turning more innocent bystanders into envious, green minions. Ladybug and Chat Noir leapt into action, defending remaining bystanders and getting them to safety.