"I have to go, Chat."
Marinette rushed home and detransformed. She fell into her bed.
"Why?!" She replayed what had just happened with her akuma-fighting partner.
The universe finally seemed to listen to her prayers and got rid of Chat's feelings for Ladybug. She had been relieved when Chat confessed to getting over her. But that was short lived when he then admitted to having feelings for her as Marinette! She just couldn't catch a break, could she?
"What's wrong, Marinette?" Tikki said. Marinette could tell she was trying not to laugh at this new development. "Didn't you want Chat Noir to get over Ladybug?"
"Not like this!" She covered her face with her pillow.
"It's not so bad." Marinette groaned. Tikki was just kidding, but it still bothered her.
"No really, Marinette. Is it really that bad?"
"Yes, Tikki. This is a disaster. I've been wanting him to get over me and he does…only to have feelings for me!" That would have sounded crazy to anyone else but Tikki.
"But he has loved you for so long. Why is that such a bad thing?"
"Because he's been in love with Ladybug, a heroine. Not a real person. Not the real me."
"But he got to know you better fighting by your side all this time. You two have become so comfortable with each other. That should count for something, shouldn't it?" Marinette didn't know how to respond. Where did this come from? Had Tikki been thinking this all this time?
"You're right. But that's the thing. He only sees one side. I'm not like Ladybug all the time. He doesn't know how klutzy I can be. Or how I am with my friends and family. He hasn't seen the way I get with Chloe. There's so much he doesn't know about me."
Tikki was silent. Marinette knew she would come around.
"But he does know you. As Marinette. He has seen all of that. You have been spending more time with him as Marinette, too. You've ranted to him. Cried in front of him. Joked around with him. I've never seen you be more relaxed with anyone than you are with him. Maybe not even with Alya."
Now Marinette was silent.
"So wouldn't you say he does know both sides of you? And somehow, at different points, he fell for each one, without knowing they're the same person." She hesitated, then said, "maybe that counts for something?"
The weight of what Tikki just said started to settle on her. Chat Noir of all people saw her for who she was…and liked her. More than liked her. That thought scared her for some reason, but not in the same way as it did a few moments ago.
For all her grumbling and eye-rolling, she knew Chat was a good person. And she was really fond of him. But she couldn't actually see herself with him. She couldn't do that. They had a city to protect all this would be wrong-
Marinette heard tapping noises from above. Tikki hid quickly. Not right now! That could only be one person.
Marinette approached her skylight and looked up to see Chat Noir. And she felt something. Not giddy and nervous like she did around Adrien. But warm and safe.
Maybe Tikki was right. And when Chat smiled at her, Marinette couldn't help but think…
Maybe this isn't so bad?