Chapter Text
As a child, Marinette’s life revolved around the number 3. Her family was composed of three people. There were three predominant heritages in her blood. She had been gifted her favourite toy ever at her third birthday.
She was 13 when she had become a superhero and when she first fell in love – and, well, there’s a number three in there, as well. She had dreamed of having three children. She also thought about having a dog, then a cat, before settling on her third option of getting a hamster.
She made three best friends at school and had three best friends as superheroes, as well – ah, okay, maybe she shouldn’t really count them since two of them were the same friends from school but they didn’t know that! So, maybe it still counted, right? Right!
And then, she’s met her third enemy – Hawkmoth, Mayura and Lila were the ultimate trifecta of evil.
It only got worse when she found herself crushing on three boys – why? Oh, why?
That was not to say there was something wrong with either of the boys.
Adrien was the very definition of Perfection. He was a real gentleman, very sweet, very kind. He was a ray of sunshine on the bleakest of days. If only she was able to be more confident around him...
Luka was very sweet and mature and creative and artistic – though she didn’t know him very well, he made her heart jump in her chest as if trying to get out.
And Chat... well, Chat Noir was her goofball of a partner, her kitty, her bestest friend – sorry, Alya! – her pillar of strength, her source of confidence. He brought what was best in her to the forefront and was the major reason why she was able to be a good Ladybug.
She had fought so hard against falling in love with Chat Noir. And yet he had overpowered her resolve, worming his way into her heart in a way that couldn’t be undone…
And for a while… Well, for a while, Marinette had really dreaded the Number 3.
Yet as that truth sank in, she realised that, maybe, she wasn’t really in love with three guys, after all. As much as she admired Adrien and Luka, there was only The One. Chat had been the first one she’d met. It had only taken her longer to let him in, for some reason.
~
When all was said and done, Marinette thought that, maybe, numbers were just numbers, after all, and held no real meaning on the great scheme of things and yet…
Yet, as she stood in front of Chat Noir, their masks falling and two became one, she couldn’t help thinking that her problems might be nothing more than mathematical errors.