Actions

Work Header

Chapter 11: Dancing With Our Hands Tied

Summary:

We never want to believe the worst, until it's staring us in the face.

Notes:

I'm back! So soon, and with a very long chapter. I took a road trip this weekend and had so much spare time to write on the drive. This felt ready to share! You all are being so wonderful with your comments and keeping me engaged with the story. I love it so much. <3 So, enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Adrien’s Point of View

 

The dance was gorgeous. Alya and Rose had gone out of their way to create a Shakespearean Wonderland that felt straight out of a Midsummer Night's Dream, which was the theme. Fairy lights danced in a canopy that hung over the dance floor, strung up across the second floor railings. The basketball hoop had been transformed into a waterfall made of shiny streamers that spilled down behind the stage. Nino was already working his DJ board, which was disguised in a paper mache rock. He was dressed in character as Puck, the mischievous jester. But as far as I could tell, he was the only one in costume.

Personally, I wore a dark blue dress shirt with a black bow tie. Kagami had chosen an indigo kimono-style dress, covered in a pattern of large black and white flowers, with a silvery-grey bodice wrap. She looked gorgeous, especially as she explored the room and greeted our friends. She had really improved over the last few months at opening up and allowing people in. It was a nice change to see. She glowed as she smiled, and even paused to wave at me while speaking to Kim and Ondine. 

Unfortunately, that’s not where my mind focused, even though I wanted desperately to forget everything else.

I couldn’t get the image out of my head. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw them. Viperion, pressing Ladybug against the brick wall, their lips fighting for dominance. My mind filled in the blanks, tormenting me. I didn’t want to believe it. Luka isn’t that kind of guy, right? He couldn’t cheat on Marinette. 

Right?

I heard her giggle from across the gym as she finally entered the room on his arm. My heart leapt into my throat when I saw her. She was wearing a blush pink dress with teal spots like confetti getting denser and darker towards the bottom of her knee-length poofy skirt. Draping over her shoulders was a translucent fabric in the same teal, and it emphasized the sweetheart neckline atop the bodice. Ribbons flowed down her back from the corset holding it on, and the same turquoise ribbon held her hair in a half-updo. When she smiled, her lips shined with pink gloss.

Luka, to compliment her, wore a pink button-down with the sleeves rolled up and a teal tie hanging loosely around his neck. He held his arm firmly around her waist as she enthusiastically greeted her friends.

“Want to go say hi?” Kagami spoke beside me, startling me out of my thoughts. She had made her way all the way around the room and now stood just over my shoulder. Noticing my blank expression, she held out her hand. “Come on, I want to compliment her dress.”

I gave her a soft smile as she helped me out of the chair. The moment I put weight on my ankle, I hissed in pain. A sprained ankle, courtesy of my fall earlier as Chat Noir. As if I needed a physical reminder of the things I’d seen. But, just like with the memory, I forced a grin and carefully limped to my friends.

Marinette saw us coming and beamed widely, but once she noticed my altered gait, her eyes widened in concern. She rushed over to meet us halfway so I didn’t have to walk too far. “Ohmygosh Adrien are you okay??” Luka was mere steps behind her, and smirked as he caught me looking his way. He casually brushed some of her lip gloss off his own lips with a thumb. “Adrien?” I turned my gaze back to a nervous Marinette. The bluenette was worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. 

I gave her a half-hearted smile. “I’m okay, Mari. Just a little sprain.”

She cringed and sucked air in through her teeth. “Oof, how mad is your dad?”

“He would be livid,” I laughed sarcastically, “if he knew.”

Marinette’s blue eyes turned to Kagami, who shrugged. “I tried telling him we should see a doctor, but he insists it’ll be fine.”

Luka came forward to clap a hand on my shoulder. “Well, let’s get you back to a seat. Wouldn’t want to ruin that model walk, now would we?”

I turned so he couldn’t see me roll my eyes, but the group escorted me back to the table I’d previously been sitting at. I’d barely touched the chair when I heard a squeal from behind me. 

“MARINETTE! You look so hot!” Alya was spinning her best friend around excitedly. The reporter was dressed in a chartreuse empire waist dress with ruffles extending to just past her knees. It was simple enough, which is why she wore a flower crown and other accents of greenery around her wrists. She looked like she could be a fairy herself, especially with the iridescent glitter that shone on her cheekbones. “Now I know why you kept this dress a secret! You’ve outdone yourself, girl!”

The girl in question held a hand to her blushing face. “Thanks Alya.”

While they gushed over each other, I saw Luka sitting next to me, smiling at his phone screen. He quickly typed out a response before placing the phone on the table beside him. Curious.

Nino’s voice came over the speakers at that moment, capturing the attention of the entire gym. “Alright alright, how are all my lovers and dreamers doing tonight?” He paused for a cheer, and then had to quiet the crowd halfheartedly. “I hear you! I’ve got some great songs lined up for the first 30 minutes here, and then I’ll be returning to the stage and taking requests. Until then, dance and be merry! And do be careful with the punch; I heard there are some fairies causing mischief in the crowd tonight.” Nino winked at the laughing crowd as he pressed play on a song and exited stage left. 

Alya gasped when she recognized the music. “Ooh! This is one of my favorites!”

“I played it just for you,” Nino said, having made his way over to our group. He held out a hand to his eager girlfriend. “May I have this d-”

“YES!” She shouted, accepting his hand and dragging him to the dance floor. Marinette giggled adorably as she put her purse on the table beside me. Luka was also on his feet, holding his hand out for a dance. She placed her hand delicately in his, and then looked over to my girlfriend. “Kagami, want to join us?” 

Her almond eyes looked down at me for an answer. I squeezed her hand reassuringly. “Go, have fun.”

And with that, the group dwindled from six to one. I was left alone at the table, icing my ankle with the bottom of my drink glass. A slight buzz caught my attention, so I looked over to see a notification had popped up on Luka’s screen. 

Contemplating, I must’ve stared too long, because a voice came from inside my shirt pocket. “That’s a bad idea, kid.”

“Plagg!” I hissed through my teeth. “I wasn’t planning-”

“Stop. I could hear the gears in your head turning. But you don’t want to go down that road. Trust me.

I groaned at his words. As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. I wanted to check. But what if I didn’t like what I saw? What if Ladybug isn’t everything I made her out to be? I wanted to believe the kiss was a mistake; that Luka wouldn’t cheat on Marinette on purpose. I wanted to trust that Ladybug would be an honest young woman and reject his advances since he’s taken. But my wants were overtaken by my need to know. So I turned to the table discretely and pulled the phone to my side. Deep Breath.

The message was sent on an app that deletes the chat history every hour, but I still scrolled as far back as I could. There, I found a photo of Luka from the nose down, already in his dance attire.

 

V: Whatcha think?

R: Damn.

R: I mean…

R: You look hot.

V: Thanks, Rhaps! 

 

Off to a bad start. Things aren’t looking good for Luka, since another girl is calling him hot. The name on the chat history is Rhapsody, but I can’t think of anyone by that name. 

 

V: Wish you could come along…

R: And ruin your date? No, I don’t think “Melody” would appreciate that. 

R: but don’t tempt me.

V: Please, I know it would take you forever to get ready.

R: Is that a challenge?

V: What if it is?

 

I couldn’t believe it. Luka was full on flirting with this girl. And she knew he had a girlfriend. Could this really be Ladybug?

 

R: I could be there in 10 minutes if I wanted.

 

The girl sent a photo with her response, that showed a bright red dress with delicate black detailing. It was draped over the back of a chair that sat in front of a makeup vanity. I recognized some of the products, and they were expensive. Tucked in the corner of the mirror was a picture of Viperion on a rooftop late at night, playing his lute. I couldn’t distinguish much else of the room or the girl taking the photo. 

 

V: Risky. Wouldn’t want anyone to find out we know each other, now would we?

R: Chicken.

V: Snake, actually.

R: Don’t I know it…

 

I felt like the room was spinning from the revelations I was making. This confirmed that they were meeting in secret, and this Rhapsody girl knew Luka was also Viperion. Did he reveal his identity to another civilian? Or, is it just because Ladybug already knows his identity? 

 

R: But you’re right, I guess. 

R: At least visit me after, and tell me all about it?

V: I’ll think about it. I do have a date to attend to…

R: You idiot. I’ll bring a bottle of wine to our usual spot. Maybe then you can spare me one dance?

V: Temptress.

R: ;*

R: See you later, Serpent!

 

I threw the phone back on the table upon reading the end of the exchange. As much as I wanted to deny it, there was no way to anymore. Luka was cheating on Marinette with Ladybug. Pivoting in my seat, I saw him leading her around the dance floor, and they were laughing like nothing was wrong. To her, he was just a wonderful boyfriend. The song came to a close, and he dramatically dipped her for a kiss. That wonderful giggle traveled across the room to me and sent shivers down my spine. 

One thing was for certain: I wasn’t going to let him take advantage of my friend. 

 

Plagg’s Point of View

 

“MAYDAY!!!”

“Oh no, what did you break this time, Stinky Sock?” Tikki looked at me scornfully when I barged into their meeting. This time, the active kwami’s were gathered behind the faux waterfall of the dance. I had to carefully skirt my way around the edges of the school to find them, but I’d at least been invited. 

“Sugarcube, ye of little faith. I didn’t do the breaking this time.” My eyes drifted over to the snake kwami. “ He did. ” 

“THAT’S a first.” Trixx gasped. Then, it dawned on her. “Wait, how?”

All my fur stood on end as I approached Sass. “Your Master couldn’t keep his hands to himself, and my Chat Noir saw!” I did the best I could to poke him in his chest, trying to be intimidating. Sass should really have a better handle over his kid by now. He should know better than to kiss Ladybug while transformed. 

Tikki’s eyes grew impossibly wide as she realized what my words meant. Sass still didn’t seem to understand the severity of the situation. “What does it matter if your Chat is jealous? I can’t control teenagers and their hormones. It was perfectly natural, what they did.”

Groaning, I held my head in my paws and tensed up. “Sass, do you remember how Luka was chosen as your holder?”

“Oooh, a story!” Trixx did a little flip in the air.

The teal kwami seemed to be piecing the timeline of events together. “I first was given to Adrien, but he gave me up. Then I was placed with Master Luka.”

He missed the most important part, and I was tired of dragging this out. So, I shouted. “Upon the suggestion of my kid!”

There were several different reactions amongst the group. Trixx and Wayzz seemed like they understood, but didn’t fully grasp the austerity. Tikki flew to my side instantly, working to calm me down. And Sass, well, he went into a meditative pose. Maybe we all needed a minute to process.

Tikki’s big blue eyes were searching mine while she brushed the hair on my back down in a calming motion. “Are you okay, Plagg? I haven’t seen you this upset in millenia.”

I took several deep breaths, working the oxygen through my veins like a sedative. It got too exhausting to fly, so I floated slowly to the nearest bench. My other half was the only one to follow. Once settled, I cracked open my eyes to see her hovering a few inches away with the mother goose look in her eyes. As the Kwami of Creation, she hated to see one of her ducklings in distress. So, I gave her a half-hearted smile. “Sorry, Sugarcube. My boy is not okay, and I guess I’m picking up on it.”

“We all build an emotional connection to our holders, Plagg. It’s okay.”

“Yeah, but this feels beyond that,” I sighed. “This whole situation is so confusing. Chat Noir saw Viperion kissing Ladybug, and while he knows Viperion is Luka, he doesn’t know Ladybug is Marinette, so now he feels so many different emotions. He’s angry that Luka would cheat on Marinette, even though he isn’t. He’s grieving the loss of the Ladybug he thought she was, now that he believes she’s a willing participant. He’s protective of Marinette because she’s a really good friend, but underneath it all he’s jealous and he doesn’t know why. Even though we know exactly why! Tikki, it’s killing me inside. I just want to slap the kid in the face and yell ‘They’re the same person!’ so he’d stop moping and being in pain. But. I. Can’t.” I was vibrating by the end of my rant. Part of me wanted to go destroy a mountain for the stress release, but the wiser side smelled creamy camembert goodness and knew it would numb my brain. Tikki had a slice of my favorite cheese held out for me. After eons by each-others sides, we knew how to take care of our partner. I cradled the gooey goodness as my breathing leveled out. “Thanks, Tikki.”

In a blur of red, she flew to sit beside me on the bench. She laid back to stare up at the stars and nudged me to do the same. Once situated, she spoke. “I know how you feel, Plagg. But as much as we’d love our holders to finally unite, there is an enemy standing in the way. This will all work out in the end, I promise. Just, find a way to delay Adrien from confronting them. Point out the risks, and tell him he needs proof. I’ll coach my bug to be more careful, and make sure Sass does the same. If we’re lucky, this’ll all be forgotten by next week.”

“Unlikely.”

“Please? Try?” Tikki looked at me with those big, beautiful, pleading cerulean eyes. How could I possibly say no to that?

 

Rhapsody’s Point of View

 

The candles were burning low, as the evening approached Midnight, and I still hadn’t received my expected visitor. Nursing my glass of wine, I was startled to find it empty. I must have been out here longer than I thought. 

I didn’t want to pour another glass yet. It was meant for Viperion and I to share. I’d only allowed myself the one because the summer air was beginning to get to me, and I needed something to make it easier. A light buzz helped pass the time. 

But a particular serpent was running late.

I know he’s enjoying his time with Melody, but I’ve just been so lonely, and he’s the first real friend I’ve made in a long time. Maybe I’m selfish to want him around so much. I see the look in his eyes when he talks about her. That’s the way I wish someone would look at me. With such love and adoration. 

But...I still don’t deserve it.

There was a lot I needed to fix about myself. I needed to become a better person, someone worthy, selfless, and brave. Someone like Ladybug. 

Ladybug was my hero, but more than just the way Paris sees her. She’s everything I want to be. 

Viperion came to me with no preconceived notions. He doesn’t know the things I’ve done, or the people I’ve hurt. He doesn’t know the real reason why I’ve completely isolated myself from the world. So, not knowing how messed up I am, just seeing a broken girl and offering metaphorical glue, he has become my new world. My best friend. He’s patient with me, let’s me rant and cry, and doesn’t put up with my shit. If I falter, he’s there to catch me and make sure I am more careful. He doesn’t pry into my past, even though I know he’s curious, if only to help more. He’s so considerate that way.

I want to open up, tell him everything, my whole story. I think I’m ready for him to hear. Just need a little liquid courage. So, I pour myself another glass.

For the hundredth time that night, I checked my phone for any new messages. Still nothing new, but it had shown he’d seen my last responses. The chat history vanished hours ago by now. But I still remembered every message. Especially one.

 

V: Wish you could come along…

 

Every illogical bone in my body wanted to go. I would have scoured every school dance that was being held that night, just to find him. I’d hoped he’d actually challenge me. It’s been so long since I got dolled up and socialized with a crowd. However, while putting on my makeup, I felt strange. This didn’t feel like me anymore. Ladybug wasn’t the type to care about appearances. The makeup felt fake, like a mask I shouldn’t wear. I had this sinking feeling that if I went out tonight, I’d revert back to who I was before. I wasn’t ready. 

But maybe, Viperion could still appreciate the effort.

So, I’d carried on, giving myself a soft smoky eye, working with greys and silvers to compliment the dress, but not overstate it. My eyeliner grew to be bigger than planned since I was out of practice. Pulling my hair back into a high ponytail, I curled the ends and added a red rose clip. Once dressed, I finished off the look with black high heels and classic red lips. I felt like a million bucks. Now, I just needed to not act like a million bucks. 

I was starting to think I was being stood up. Viperion never visited later than midnight. He still went to regular school, whereas I was homeschooled. And Sundays were for his music, so he needed sleep tonight. Since the clock now read half past midnight, there wasn’t any more than a sliver of a chance he’d show anymore. I kicked off my heels while taking a large gulp of wine, before flopping back rather ungracefully onto a lounge chair that sat on my roof. 

Closing my eyes, I imagined how his night had gone. He’d probably picked up his beautiful girlfriend and given her the corsage we picked out together. A perfect gentleman to her parents, he’d gladly let them take plenty of pictures. Then, a romantic stroll through the city of love, proudly displaying her on his arm. He probably laughed with her friends and danced the night away. The image grew to near reality in my mind, though he wore his mask. Melody’s appearance was based on how he described her to me, though I’m sure my imagination was far off from the real thing. She was smiling at him while they danced beneath the stars, with the moonlight shining off her deep indigo hair. His hands brought hers to his lips to graze them with affections, causing a demure blush to accompany her melodic giggle. My chest began to feel an uncomfortable pressure as the illusion Viperion reached for his Melody and pulled her in for a passionate kiss…

Nope. I’m not letting myself fall for him. His heart is not mine for the taking. I finished off my second glass of the night. 

Fuck it. He’s not coming. And he didn’t even have the courtesy to let me know. I can try all I want not to be bitter, but that only gave me a headache. 

As I poured another glass, a horrible idea came to my head. Something I would’ve never done a year ago. The thought seemed so ridiculously tempting. I’d ruin all the work I’ve done tonight, and probably make a mess getting back to my room. But the way the moon reflected on the smooth surface hypnotized me. 

I got to my feet and took a few steps back in preparation. “This is going to be so stupid.” Before I could talk myself out of it, I ran forward and jumped. 

The cold water enveloped me. It was a shock at first, but eventually the feeling was pleasant as the alcohol induced warmth took effect. My dress fanned out on the water around me when I surfaced and began to float on my back. 

There’s an ethereal silence that comes when your ears are underwater. But somehow, I still could hear music. It sounded like the melody Viperion had given me with my nickname. A wild rhapsody of notes and motifs that somehow made sense when he played it. Only he could see that depth of me. I’d held onto that song in my memory every since that night, replaying every note when I felt sad. But this version was slightly different. Almost like it was live…

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a familiar teal, and lost all ability to float. 

Stuttering, embarrassed, and soaping wet, I pulled myself to the edge of the pool. His hand was ready to effortlessly lift me out. While I worked to wring out my dress, Viperion ran over to the small utility closet in search of a towel. He was successful in his endeavor and I felt the soft fabric wrap around my shoulders. The thought was sweet and all, but he wasn’t getting away with this that easily. 

In response to my glare, he gave a nervous smile. “Hey Rhaps. You’re looking lovely tonight.”

“How long have you been here?” I asked, and the question was laced with accusations. 

Viperion cringed. “Well, I agree this was very stupid. But totally worth it.” I smacked his arm at his confession. He grabbed my hand before it could hit again. “I’m sorry, I should’ve stopped you. But, you looked like you needed it.” A thumb grazed the damp skin beneath my eyes, coming away dark with mascara. There was an unspoken question in his expression.

I answered anyway. “I wanted to get ready for our own dance. So, I pulled out all the stops. Hair, makeup, an expensive dress that’s now ruined, thank you very much. I actually felt human tonight.”

“That’s not you.” His fingers kept carefully stroking my face, trying to clear the smeared makeup. I pouted while he worked and looked up to the sky, so I didn’t think about how close he was to me, and how gentle he was being. When he finished with the makeup removal, his hands took the tie from my hair and let it fall. Viperion pulled back with the rose hairpin in his hand and shook his head. He reached behind his back and produced singular daisy, which he tucked over my ear. Satisfied, he leaned back with a hum. “There’s the Rhapsody I know.”

In awe I reached for the flower in my hair and brushed its delicate petals. “You brought me a flower?”

He shrugged. “That’s why I was late. I forgot it at home.”

I rolled my eyes. “How dare you?”

Viperion laughed, and the weight finally lifted from my chest at the sound. Another idiotic urge came to mind, but I couldn’t let that happen. So instead, I gave a devilish grin as I walked to place him between myself and the water. He feigned ignorance. “That is a really pretty dress, though.”

“Yeah, you’ll be getting the cleaning bill.” I took a step forward as a taunt.

He mirrored my movement with a step back. “Didn’t you promise wine?” 

I crossed my arms across my chest. “Uh huh. But you missed out on half the bottle.” Another step.

“Oh, a little tipsy now, are you? Are you sure you’d be able to dance?” He retreated further, but still nonchalantly.

“Is that a challenge?” I echoed my words from earlier with a raised eyebrow and larger step.

When he backed up this time, his heels kissed the edge of the pool. There was a slight widening of his eyes when he came to that realization. Finally, there was a crack in his armor. “You wouldn’t dare…”

My smile grew. “Come on, Serpent. I thought you knew me better by now.” I took another step forward and placed a hand on his chest. His heart beat rapidly beneath my palm. Innocently, I brought my arms to wrap around his neck. “Ready to dance?”

He visibly gulped. That was all I needed. With a sudden burst of strength, I spun us around to pull him into the pool with me.

Notes:

We all needed some Rhaperion fluff to get us through the end of this chapter, especially since we won't see much Marichat fluff for a while. Plus, I needed a reminder that Luka isn't a bad guy. His priorities just aren't in order.

Coming soon: Some Chloe and Lila action to spice up the drama. ;)