Chapter Text
Juleka wasn’t entirely sure how Ladybug had gotten her Miraculous switched up with Chat Noir’s again before the Akuma earlier today, but she wasn’t complaining. Her girlfriend was hot as Lady Noire.
Her girlfriend.
That was still new, and in all honesty, Juleka wasn’t really sure how it had happened. She knew the easy answer—involving a bit too much alcohol on both their parts at Alix’s graduation party—but if someone had told her six months ago she’d end up dating Marinette, she would have laughed.
The whole thing started after Rose received a year-long offer to help out with Prince Ali’s charity. At first, Juleka had been thrilled. Giving back to the community was something Rose had always wanted to do, and this was perfect. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But then came the news that the job would involve travel. Lots of travel. So much so that Rose hadn’t actually set foot in Paris since the week after they finished lycée.
Juleka hadn’t been able to wrap her head around the idea of a long-distance relationship. She couldn’t fathom the concept of dating someone she couldn’t call to show up to her place for a last-minute movie night, or when she just needed someone to hold her after a tough day. She didn’t want to date someone who didn’t know what city they’d be in next week.
So Juleka ended things. It was an amicable break-up, but still hard. And Juleka definitely hadn’t been over it when she’d shown up to Alix’s party.
Juleka hadn’t even wanted to go. Parties weren’t her scene on a good day, much less when all she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and cry. But Mylène, who’d gone to a different lycée, had really wanted to see her, and Juleka couldn’t figure out a nice way to refuse.
She planned on showing up, finding Mylène, and staying for maybe an hour before making a graceful exit. But Juleka had forgotten that most people didn’t show up to parties on time. By the time Mylène actually showed up, the one beer Juleka had planned on having to help ease her anxiety about being around so many people had turned into three. And before she knew it, she was quite tipsy, the party was loud, and Juleka just needed a second to herself. A second to breathe.
She ended up in the kitchen, where she found the only other person who didn’t seem to be having a good time. Marinette sat in the corner with her knees pulled up to her chest, sipping something out of a plastic red cup that made Juleka flinch she sat down next to Marinette and got a whiff of it. But when Marinette passed her the unidentifiable mix of alcohol, Juleka didn’t think twice before taking a sip.
“I’m getting over Adrien,” Marinette said, in lieu of greeting. To be fair, Juleka hadn’t said “hi” to her, either. “I’m getting over Adrien, once and for all.”
It was the fourteenth time Juleka had heard her utter that exact phrase. It was kind of funny, that Marinette had tried and failed so often, until Juleka remembered that the only reason that she’d kept track of the number in the first place was because it was of a stupid bet she and Rose had come up with.
“I’m trying to get over Rose,” Juleka returned. It was the first time she’d admitted out loud that things were over. “I’m trying to get over Rose, once and for all.” Juleka took another sip, then passed the drink back to Marinette.
They ended up passing the cup back and forth until it was empty, discussing their plans for the future in vague, uncertain terms. Joking about how they had no idea what they wanted to do with their lives despite having plans that made sense on paper, and how it was ridiculous that society somehow deemed them ready to be adults now. It started as rather awkward small talk, but by the end of it Juleka was laughing harder than she had in weeks.
“Let’s go to the balcony,” Marinette said eventually. Her voice was strained as she recovered from a fit of laughter. “I want some fresh air.”
Maybe half an hour had passed since they’d been talking, but Juleka hadn’t been paying attention to the time. Marinette stood, took Juleka’s hand to hoist her up, and didn’t let go.
Outside, the air held the warmth of early summer. The scents of the Seine wafted up to them and mingled with a cloud of cigar smoke that still hung invisible around them, left by the people who’d just gone inside. When Marinette turned to look at Juleka, her eyes suddenly seemed bluer than Juleka remembered.
Juleka’s face felt warm, and it might just have been the alcohol, or it might have been the fact that the alcohol was urging her to do something she’d never considered. Ok, that was a lie. She’d thought about kissing Marinette before. But not in years. Not since before she’d realized she was gay, and she’d thought that was just something all kids wanted to experiment with, kissing someone of the same gender.
Marinette finally dropped Juleka’s hand, offering an awkward smile before abruptly turning away to face the city, both her hands gripping the railing tightly, her knuckles whiter than the moon.
It was awkward again, for a bit. They’d never spend that much time together one-on-one, and the absence of noise from the party made things feel more serious, somehow. But they eventually found their groove again.
Juleka had snagged two more beers on their way out, so they made up a sort of drinking game where they drank every time they managed to come up with something that pissed them off about the people they were trying to get over. Neither Juleka nor Marinette was very good at the game, both of them having too much respect for the people who’d unintentionally hurt them. Juleka learned later that Marinette had known that Adrien was Chat Noir by this point. That she thought he’d fallen out of love with her when he learned her identity.
Now, Juleka knew from the way that Adrien still looked at Marinette that it was blatantly untrue, but she was selfish enough not to tell Marinette about that. Even if the guilt ate away at her, sometimes. Even if it was running her friendship with Adrien, too, who Juleka had grown quite close to when she’d started modeling at Gabriel.
It sucked, and Juleka didn’t know how to fix it without risking her relationship with Marinette.
Marinette, her girlfriend. Marinette, who she loved.
But that was now. Back then…that night on the balcony…
In the back of her mind, Juleka knew she was drunk. She knew Marinette was drunk.
But Marinette stumbled on their way back inside, giggling as Juleka caught her. The force of catching Marinette made Juleka stumble back into the doorframe, mostly because she was also lacking coordination. She laughed too—the collision had hurt nothing except maybe her pride. Juleka stopped laughing when she realized Marinette hadn’t moved from where she leaned against Juleka’s chest, and that Juleka’s hands, settled on Marinette’s waist, had no desire to move either.
“I’ve never kissed a girl,” Marinette said suddenly. She tilted her head, considering. “Never really kissed a boy, either. Not unless Akuma attacks count.”
Juleka bit her lip, staring at the freckles dotting Marinette’s cheeks. How had she never noticed those before? How had she never noticed that Marinette’s eyes had subtle streaks of grey? That Marinette’s smile was like a secret promise that things were going to be okay?
It was a bad idea. Juleka knew that. Even as her lips inched towards Marinette’s of their own accord. Even as she got her first taste of cherry lip gloss mixed with traces rum and coke on Marinette’s tongue. Even as Marinette pressed Juleka flush against the balcony doorframe, so that the metal pressed into Juleka’s back. Such a bad idea.
But Juleka was having a hard time remembering why it was a bad idea, because Marinette smelled like cinnamon, and her fingers were callused but soft. Gentle but firm. The ends of her hair tickled Juleka’s arms when she cupped Marinette’s face.
And, as it turned out, it hadn’t been a bad idea. Because now, months later, Lady Noire was on the balcony of the Liberty, which Juleka had sole custody of while Luka was keeping Jagged company on tour, and Anarka was off doing…Juleka wasn’t actually sure. It didn’t matter.
Juleka smirked. “Let me guess, you’ve seen how good I look as a cat and you wanted to try it out for yourself a little longer.”
Lady Noire laughed. “No. Adrien had to run to class right after the Akuma. We agreed to meet up tomorrow morning and switch back. But…” Lady Noire closed the distance between her and Juleka. When she was inches away, her breath teasing Juleka’s lips, she spoke again. “I thought we could have some fun in the meantime.”
Perks of being Ladybug’s girlfriend meant that Juleka kept her Miraculous full time. And once Marinette had gained some experience as a Guardian, she’d learned to change the camouflage mode of the Miraculous. So Juleka now wore a small ring with a silver band and a purple gem-stone. Innocuous enough to be worn day-to-day, unlike its original form.
Juleka raised her hand and flashed the ring now, grinning. “Some running across the rooftops fun?”
Lady Noire cupped the back of Juleka’s neck, and pulled her closer, their foreheads pressing together. “Exactly,” she whispered. Then she pressed a quick kiss to Juleka’s lips and ran away before Juleka could transform and catch up. Tease.
Juleka couldn’t help the wild grin that spread over her face as she transformed and raced off in pursuit. It was crazy to think about how natural this relationship felt, just a few months in. Juleka hadn’t expected that.
When she and Marinette had woken up the morning after Alix’s party, having crashed in one of Alix’s spare rooms, cuddling, Juleka had wanted to run. And then she’d looked into Marinette’s eyes, and she’d known that Marinette wanted to run, too. They were both overthinkers. People who worried about nearly everything. And in a relationship…how was that even supposed to work?
But when Marinette devolved into word vomit, Juleka could read between the lines. Could see the same fear of rejection in Marinette’s eyes that was keeping Juleka from opening her mouth. And she found some strength of resolve deep inside of her, the strength to speak up for herself, that ironically Marinette had sort of instilled in her years prior, when she’d given Juleka the Tiger Miraculous for the first time.
“Let’s just talk about this,” Juleka said, loud and clear, and firm enough to stop Marinette, mid-rant. “This could be something, but it doesn’t have to be. Let’s just figure it out.”
Marinette slumped down on the bed, drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. She gave Juleka a small smile. “Okay.”
So, they talked. And talked and talked. Until they should have been sick of talking, or at least, Juleka should have been. She’d never been this talkative with anyone, not even Rose. Because Marinette loved to talk, and for Juleka it was a thrill to keep up. To try and follow her ideas and help shape them. Chasing Marinette’s words was as exhilarating as chasing Ladybug across rooftops, and Juleka couldn’t get enough of either.
But this evening, Purple Tigress chased Lady Noire.
They ended up on a rooftop overlooking Tom and Sabine’s. It was a frequent spot of theirs, recently, since Marinette had moved in with Alya when she’d started university, and sometimes got homesick.
Lady Noire offered her hand when Purple Tigress sat down beside her, and they laced their fingers together. A few seconds later, Purple Tigress felt a weight settle on her shoulder, as Lady Noire’s head came to rest there.
And Purple Tigress wanted more than anything to lean into that moment, and just enjoy the sunset. But a nugget of unease refused to settle in her stomach.
One of the things they’d talked about was the feelings they still had for their first loves. For Rose and for Adrien. They’d talked about how those feelings didn’t just go away, about how they wanted to take things slow, about how loving them didn’t make whatever Juleka and Marinette were starting less important.
But Juleka found herself falling deeper and deeper for Marinette every day, even though when she FaceTimed Rose, she still felt flutters in her stomach sometimes. And…Juleka didn’t know if Marinette’s feelings for her had grown in exactly the same way. Or how she really felt about Adrien, these days. No matter how much Juleka and Marinette talked, there were some things you couldn’t just know.
Those thoughts swirled around in Purple Tigress’ mind as she sat on the rooftop, watching night fall, clinging to Lady Noire’s hand. At least until the weight against her side started rumbling.
Purple Tigress leaned away in surprise at the noise cutting though the echoes of car engines and occasional horns.
“Sorry,” Lady Noire said sheepishly, “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Are you…are you purring?”
“Um…yeah. I just…You seemed a little lost in thought, and I figured…I thought it would be soothing?”
Purple Tigress smiled. “You know I love you, right?”
“Yeah.” Lady Noire beamed. “I love you too.” She curled back against Purple Tigress’ side, and then a while later, asked, “So…do you want me to start purring again, or…”
“Purr-lease.”
There was a beat of silence, during which Purple Tigress regretted all of her life’s choices, before Lady Noire burst out laughing.
Purple Tigress felt her face flush in embarrassment. “If you tell Adrien I said that, I’m not helping you model your design projects this weekend.”
“Fair,” Lady Noire said, still giggling.
Purple Tigress tried her best to hold onto the sound of that laughter, and let go of everything else.