Discover Top Posts Tagged with #natheo

okay so we’re all obviously here for “previous superheroes being active fairly recently”, i.e. headcanons along the lines of Hawk Moth originally being a hero or Mamagreste being a hero in her youth, but Paris did not immediately react to Marinette and Adrien like “LOOK IT’S THE NEW SUPERS” and you would THINK something like the Miraculous would make more of an impression on human culture as a whole over the MILLENNIA, all things considered, so I propose that people just kind of

forget.

The Miraculous users do their thing and defeat the evil they were called to defeat, and then people kind of just slowly and vaaaaguely stop remembering that oh yeah, we had superheroes running around all day every day like five minutes ago, didn’t we. As long as the user/s stay active, the effect doesn’t kick in, and when NEW users show up the populace just kind of subconsciously goes “oh yeah of COURSE superheroes are a thing” and just rolls with it, but the moment they stop getting splashed all over the news, people just kind of space out their existence. The recorded information doesn’t go anywhere--ex: Egyptian Ladybug in the museum--but no one remembers to keep track of it or save it, so eventually it disappears out of common knowledge the same way as people’s memories just kind of fuzzing over about the whole thing. Like, if pressed, someone might be like “oh yeah, that’s right”, but no one remembers enough TO press anyone else.

Except the Miraculous users themselves. They remember, even long, long after they’ve given up their Miraculous to be put away for the next generation’s heroes. Not always as clearly as they could, but they REMEMBER.

so on this note: Nathalie Sancoeur and Theo Barbot, teenage superheroes.

They were Ladybug and Chat Noir from sixteen to eighteen and fourteen to sixteen, give or take. Nathalie remembers better than Theo. Maybe because she was the older one; maybe because she was the one who cast that last Miraculous Ladybug before taking her earrings out. And she had the good luck, of course.

Plus he took a lot more hits to the head than she ever did.

Sometimes Theo forgets that part of their lives altogether. Just for flashes--brief, brief seconds--but Nathalie can never decide if she should remind him or not. So far she hasn’t had to, but . . .

“So far”.

She stepped back further than she should’ve when she realized that, maybe, but she doesn’t know how to handle those brief seconds when he looks at her and she can SEE him wondering “why do I love her, anyway?”

Still. Maybe Copycat wouldn’t have happened if she’d been able to bear those moments a little better. If she hadn’t made herself cold to him over those moments. If she hadn’t run off to fight the good fight again, as if it was even still their fight anymore; if she’d just quit and gotten a new job when she’d realized about Gabriel, if . . .

Except someday Theo might forget for good. Someday he might look at her and ASK her: “why do I love you, anyway?”

And what will she be, if Theo’s forgotten her?

Nathalie and Theo didn’t have a Hawk Moth when they wore the earrings and ring--the threat was different, then--but it was still just Ladybug and Chat Noir. Fu talked to them a little, but only a little, and mostly just to Nathalie. Tikki and Plagg had told them not to reveal their identities, except Theo was a little more intense than anybody had been prepared for and he’d blurted his out to Nathalie basically IMMEDIATELY, because LADYBUG!! She’s LADYBUG!! She’s his partner and his perfect match and they are SO PERFECT together, yeah it’s a secret from other people but of COURSE they should tell each OTHER--

Nathalie had refused to tell him hers. They weren’t SUPPOSED to tell each other, and now he’d put himself and his family and friends in danger, and didn’t he THINK, didn’t he CARE about--

“What family?” Theo had asked, giving her a weird, cracked grin. “What FRIENDS?”

“. . . oh, you stupid cat,” Nathalie had said, her fingers tightening around the yo-yo she’d still barely known how to use.

She hadn’t told him, still. She HAD started keeping a list, though: things that Chat Noir (she never called him Theo, not even in her head; she would do everything she could not to betray the stupid, foolish trust he’d placed in her) liked or worried over or cared about or wanted to do. Once a month, she’d go over the list and pick something out from it, and she’d take care of that thing, or at least do something FOR that thing. She would not tell him about that, either.

She’d known his name, and she’d known the things on her list. She hadn’t known where he’d slept, or gone to school, or what he’d done out of the catsuit. She’d known his mood by the lay of his ears and the flick of his tail and the way his mouth had curved just so. She’d known he smoked, because he smelled like it, and she’d known he loved her, because he was so, SO obvious.

She’d known he wanted to know her name, and she’d known he’d do anything to earn it from her. She’d known he was impulsive, and greedy, and always wanted what he didn’t have and could never stick with one thing or make one solid decision and stick to IT.

Except for her.

God, he’d stuck with her through EVERYTHING, hadn’t he.

And then they’d won, and she’d cast that last Miraculous Cure, and . . . and she’d told him her name.

He’d lit up. He’d lit up.

And a year later, he’d looked at her like he didn’t know why they even knew each other.

Nathalie knows if she doesn’t remind him, he’s likelier to forget. Nathalie knows he’d remember if she DID remind him. Nathalie just can’t stand doing the reminding. Can’t stand the idea that he could just . . . LOSE them.

She still hasn’t had to, yet. He’s still always remembered, even when he’s showed up to their monthly brunch meeting looking vaguely puzzled or like he wasn’t sure why he was here, who she even was, what he was doing--he’s still always remembered, when it came to it. He’s still always lit up the same way at the sight of her when the memory came back to him.

So once a month, every month, they eat brunch together in the same little cafe and Theo tells Nathalie about this month’s job and Nathalie reminds Theo that she exists and he loves her, or that she existed once and he loved her once. She’s not sure anymore.

She should’ve left Paris weeks ago, she thinks sometimes. Months ago. Years.

Maybe she would’ve, if Hawk Moth hadn’t happened. If she hadn’t figured out Gabriel.

If she hadn’t noticed Adrien start wearing Theo’s ring, and heard Plagg’s long-forgotten voice drifting out from behind his locked bedroom door.

If Theo hadn’t kept coming every month, and kept lighting up at the sight of her.