Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir. If I did, there would be more angst!

A/N Once upon a time, PearLynn was a high school student. She had dreams and aspirations and a crazy mind that couldn't be tamed. She didn't have many friends, but the ones she did have were the most important things in her whole wide world. That is, until a boy came into the picture. This boy derailed everything PearLynn held dear, only because he had a stupidly good looking smile, unbelievable athleticism, and a sharp mind. PearLynn fell for this dumbass real hard, real fast, and it ruined her forever and ever. Now, I bet you're wondering why PearLynn decided to tell you this story. It's because PearLynn want to break everyone's stupid hearts with a long one-shot based off of a real-life story. You wouldn't know it was based off real life if PearLynn didn't tell you, that's how much this stupid couple fits with this stupid story.

Go cry your hearts out, kids.

"I'm sorry, Marinette."

She shuddered as his beautiful voice replayed in her head.

"I do like you."

"No, you don't," she mumbled into her pillowcase.

"But not like a girlfriend. Like a friend."

Another sob left her. Her heart thundered in her ears, an uneven cadence of brokenness.

"And with all of the things I do in my spare time, I wouldn't have time for you. And that's not fair to you, Marinette."

"At least be honest with me," she whispered to no one.

"I really am sorry."

She let more tears slip out of her eyes as she sighed, "No, you're not."

Earlier that day...

"Hey! Marinette, wait up!"

Marinette turned around at the sound of her name being called, unsurprised to see Alix sprinting towards her from across the courtyard. She honestly is the only person- aside from Alya- who would shout someone else's name across a crowded area like that. She smiled as she waited for her classmate to catch up, and as soon as Alix skidded to a stop she asked politely, "How are you, Alix?"

Alix waved her off and shot her a conspiratory grin, like the ones she gave Kim right before one of their stupid bets. "Nevermind about me, Marinette. How are you doing? I saw you eating lunch with Adrien today. That must have been nice."

Marinette blushed lightly as she glanced over Alix's head, where Adrien was still sitting after their one-on-one lunch, finishing up the book he was just telling her about. She smiled softly as he closed the book with a flourish and tucked it into his bag. Her attention was brought back to Alix before he could glance up and catch her staring, because the shorter girl was snapping her fingers in Marinette's face.

"Earth to klutz! You didn't answer me!"

She blinked a few times before attempted to shrug nonchalantly, only for it to come off as stiff and forced. She wasn't fooling anyone. "It was nice." She narrowed her eyes as she added on, "Why do you ask?"

Alix didn't seem fazed by Marinette's suspicious look, instead it seemed to feed whatever idea she was growing in her head. With her own shrug, Alix looked away coolly. "Oh, nothing. It's just, everyone knows how much you like him. I thought maybe you guys were finally going somewhere."

Marinette flushed again- in part from Alix saying that everyone knew of her crush on Adrien, and also because she was insinuating that it could actually go anywhere- and she sputtered, "W-why would you ask that? We're just friends!"

Alix gave her an unconvinced and blank stare. "Right. Look, I can talk to him if you want. We're partners in Biology class. I can test the waters for you, if you'd like."

Glancing away, Marinette frowned. "I don't know... Wouldn't that seem pushy?"

Alix waved her off and hooked their arms together, starting to lead Marinette towards their next class, which happened to be Biology. "Trust me, kid. I won't make it seem pushy from you at all."

Though Marinette wasn't entirely convinced, it seemed like it might be a good idea. If Adrien knew how much she liked him, maybe he would realize he had some feelings for her, too. They had been getting along pretty well lately, even hanging out without Alya or Nino around. Alix had the right idea, getting a feel for what Adrien thought of her. Maybe doing so would give her the push she needed to get him to like her back.

"Alright, Alix. You can do it."

He was in the middle of switching lenses on the microscope when Alix suddenly spoke up.

"So, Adrien... what do you think of Marinette?"

Blinking a few times, Adrien straightened up and looked over at his partner curiously. She shrugged, as if it was the most casual thing to ask during a science project. He glanced to the other side of the room, where Marinette was busy writing down something in her notes as Juleka told her about what she saw on her slide. She was sticking her tongue out ever so slightly, kind of like a cat would, and her brow was slightly furrowed as she concentrated.

Though he didn't quite get what Alix was trying to get at by asking him what he thought of the brunette on the other side of the room.

"Uh, she's great," he supplied as he looked back into the microscope. "She's really nice, talented, too. And she's very friendly to everyone. Why do you ask?"

Alix shrugged casually again, and she replied, "Oh, no reason. I just saw that you two are spending a lot of time together lately and I thought that you had more to say than 'she's great.'"

Adrien looked up and cast her an incredulous look. "Oh, I'm sorry. Let me give you a thoughtful and meaningful response to a completely random question while I study the differences between two slides of cells. We're just friends, Alix."

Her grin at his sarcasm was wry, at best. In his few years at public school, he had grown close with all of his classmates. With Alix, sarcastic banter was the norm of conversation. For some reason, she was the only one he could truly pull it off with in his civilian life.

"I was just hoping you would say something along the lines of 'she's amazing, a great friend, and I adore her,' that's all."

He arched an eyebrow at her. "Why would I say something so specific?"

"You certainly act that way about her," Alix supplied. "I just thought that you would have asked her to be your girlfriend by now with all of the time you've been spending together."

Adrien felt his heart skip at beat and his face heat. Is that what Alix thought? That he had feelings for Marinette and that's why he was spending so much time with her? She was his friend, and he enjoyed her company. People couldn't seriously think that they were heading towards being a couple, right? Based on Alix's oddly sincere expression, apparently they did. He felt his throat tighten and his hands get clammy. He liked Marinette, sure, but he couldn't really like her like that. He had Ladybug.

"Look, Alix... Marinette is great but I think you have the wrong idea. We don't like each other like that. Like I said: we're just friends."

Alix shook her head and starting writing the answers on their assignment. "I think you're wrong there, buddy."

Adrien didn't have to ask her what she meant. He could hear it in the tone of her voice and the disappointed shake of her head. There was something going on here, and Adrien had the sinking suspicion that Alix was just a middle man for someone wanting to get a bigger answer.

"Alix," he started slowly. His partner didn't turn to look at him, but instead hummed to acknowledge him. He swallowed thickly and trudged on, "Does Marinette like me or something? Why else would you ask me that stuff?"

Alix stopped writing and slowly glanced up so her eyes met his. The shame of being caught told him everything. He felt his heart sink and guilt crept up his neck until it engulfed his head. Marinette couldn't like him. Why should she? There were so many great things about Marinette that would just get bogged down by him. She deserved someone so much better than him. That's to say, if he liked her in return. She was beautiful and smart and kind and didn't need someone like him. Besides, he would never have time for a girlfriend as it is. With his modelling, school, and saving Paris as Chat Noir, he could never give someone the love and attention they deserve.

This couldn't be happening right now. Her liking him and him knowing about it can ruin their whole fragile friendship.

He had to let Marinette down easy. She couldn't be held back by him. She deserved better.

Marinette caught him leaving class, talking with Max about their physics assignment, and gave him a bright grin. When he saw her, his smile faltered for a millisecond and appeared strained as he approached her with a wave. Marinette felt a sting of rejection at the look on his face, but his normal polite smile returned too fast for that sting to stick around.

"Hey, Marinette! You didn't have to wait for me."

She shrugged and felt heat rise to her cheeks. "It's no dig beal- I mean, big deal!" She chuckled nervously and began walking with Adrien to the front of the school. Anxiously, she rubbed the back of her neck and added, "Well, the actual reason I waited for you was I'm having a few people over for a movie night for my birthday tomorrow. I wanted to know if you would like to go."

Something flashed in Adrien's bright eyes- too fast for her to decipher properly- and he rubbed the back of his neck, mirroring her. "Sure, I guess. I'd have to ask my dad first. Who all is going?"

Marinette beamed, feeling her heart start to race at the thought of having Adrien at her home for a movie night. Sure, he had been there several times before but this was on her birthday, watching a movie in the dark, snuggling close at the scarier parts of the movie, possibly having his arm draped over her shoulders and his lips close to her ear and-

She cleared her throat to push away the redness that was probably decorating her entire face and cast him a tight smile. "It's only Nino and Alya. I didn't invite anyone else because I didn't really want a big to-do about my birthday. Just my most precious people in one place, celebrating my birth."

Adrien gave her another weird look, but he still nodded and returned her smile. "Okay, well I'll ask my dad and let you know!"

Without another word, he descended the stairs and headed towards the car waiting for him at the curb. Marinette kept smiling widely and waving with her fingers as the car drove away, even as Alya began pulling her towards her house and chatting about her day. Marinette didn't even notice Alix race out of the school, looking for her with a frantic and sad look on her face.

"So how was your lunch with Adrien?" Alya asked with a waggle of her eyebrows. "Did you enjoy your time alone with him?"

Marinette tossed a pillow at her friend as she giggle, "I had a wonderful time with him. No thanks to you, by the way. Why did you and Nino decide to go to the cafe instead of sit with us today?"

Alya shot her a dubious wink without answering. Instead, she grabbed the book she had come over for in the first place and hopped over to the trap door to her room. "It was all for your benefit, darling. Don't waste the chances we give you."

As Alya trotted down the stairs, Marinette called back with a laugh, "I'll try not to!"

The front door closed and she leaned back against the wall. A giddy smile was spreading on her face against her will, and Marinette was sure her cheeks would start hurting from all the Adrien-related smiling she was doing today. Maybe things would work in her favor with him. Maybe they would be able to take that scary step forward towards being a couple.

Before Marinette could truly envelop herself in the dizzying sensation of love, her mother called up to her.

"Marinette, dear? Can you run to the store for me? We're out of tomatoes and I want to make pasta tonight."

"Sure thing, maman!"

And as Marinette ran down the stairs and out the door, she didn't realize she left her ringing phone on her desk.

"Come on... come on..."

-Click- "Hey! It's Marinette's phone! Leave a message!" -click!

Adrien ended the call and tossed his phone onto his bed. Plagg floated over to him, cheese in hands, and frowned at his chosen.

"Why don't you just give the girl a chance?" he asked between bites. "She's just as pretty and amazing as Ladybug, and much more attainable. I think you'd like her a lot if you just looked."

Adrien scowled at the kwami. "You're only saying that because of the cheese bread her dad makes."

"That stuff was scrumptious!" Plagg retorted with full cheeks. "But that has nothing to do with her. Maybe if you just got past your stupid crush on Ladybug then-"

"It's not a stupid crush, Plagg," Adrien sighed exasperatedly, "I love her."

Plagg rolled his eyes. "Like I love cheese."

"Not like you love cheese, you glutton."

"What I'm saying is," Plagg started in an irritated tone, "Ladybug pretty much told you that you guys are explicitly partners. She's all business, like most Ladybugs are. You need to give up this infatuation with her and move on to someone more real. Someone like Marinette. Heck, they even have the same hairdo. That should be close enough to dating Ladybug."

Adrien glared at Plagg, hating every word he said. It's not like his love for Ladybug was superficial. It was real, genuine. He cared for her more than anyone else in the whole world. She may see his affections as a play or nuisance, but they are anything but. He couldn't let Marinette think that he felt the same way about her, based on how much time he had been spending with her alone. Yes, he enjoyed her company and loved being her friend.

But Marinette wasn't Ladybug. He could never love her like he loved his Lady.

Sighing, Adrien sat down in his desk chair and pulled up the Ladyblog again. No news, just posts by guests and a new fanart of Ladybug and Chat Noir kissing in the moonlight. Adrien smiled at the sight of it, gave it a thumbs up, and saved the picture to his hard drive. It may seem like a simple infatuation, but he truly loved that girl. No matter who was under that mask.

His phone buzzed from it's spot on his bed and Adrien sprang up to go check it.

A text from Marinette.

M- "Sorry I missed your call! I ran to the store and forgot my phone! What's up?"

Adrien felt his heart climb up to his throat and he took a deep breath. With one last glance at Plagg, who was shaking his head in disappointment, he pressed the call button.

Right as she went to set down her phone, it began to ring. Adrien's beautiful face lit up her screen and a flash of giddy excitement ran through her. He must have been right at his phone to respond this quickly, and the mere thought of it made Marinette's head spin. Tikki glanced at her expectantly, and Marinette realized she was about to let the call ring to voicemail again.

Hurriedly, she scrambled to press the answer button and held the phone to her ear. "H-hello! Hi! Sorry I missed your call!"

She heard Adrien chuckle on the other side, nervously if she asked herself, before he replied, "It's no big deal." He paused for a second. "Hey, do you have a minute to talk?"

There was something in his voice that wavered, causing Marinette to begin panicking. What was wrong? Did his dad say he couldn't come and that they no longer could be friends because of Marinette's high expectations of hanging out on her birthday? Was he going to be locked away in his room for the rest of eternity without access to his phone or computer just to waste away as an involuntary hermit?

She took a deep breath. Really, she got ahead of herself too often.

"Yeah, sure. What's going on?"

He sighed and there was a lengthy pause before he started, "Look, I don't think I can come over to your house tomorrow."

She frowned, dismay starting to gnaw at her heart. "Oh. Why?"

Adrien sighed again. "I talked to Alix today..."

Marinette's eyes widened. Oh no.

"And she made me realize some things that have been going on that I haven't been able to see before."

A little light of hope flickered over the dismay. "Oh?"

"I'm sorry, Marinette."

And it was snuffed out almost immediately. Her eyes began to prickle as he kept speaking. No no no no no no no no-

"I do like you, but not like a girlfriend. Like a friend. And with all of the things I do in my spare time, I wouldn't have time for you, or anyone else to be my girlfriend. And that's not fair to you, Marinette."

For a second, she thought that her heart stopped beating entirely as he kept talking. His words came out like velvet but they cut like razors, sinking deep into her skin and tearing her apart. His words were steel-toed boots that stomped on her soul, crushing her dreams and any semblance of hope that could have possibly hoped to survive.

"I really am sorry."

She couldn't let him know how much his words affected her, so she swallowed her sob and nodded her head. "Oh, okay."

"Are you okay?"

"Mhm." She didn't trust herself to speak.

"Okay, well I hope you have fun tomorrow... Bye." -Click!-

Marinette stared at the wall in front of her for a full minute before dropping her phone away from her ear. Tikki zipped in front of her face, distress evident in her dainty features, but Marinette ignored it. Instead, the choking and prickling sensation of crying bubbled up through her broken body and she let out a loud sob before throwing herself on her pillows.

It wasn't until late evening that Marinette peeled herself from her bed. Her parents tried to get her to leave for dinner, but she declined them with a watery, but polite, voice. Tikki didn't try to shake her from her pensive revere, instead she huddled in a pile of scarves on the desk. Text messages went unanswered, emails were ignored.

Marinette was alone in her own personal abyss.

As she clambered down the stairs, she noticed her parents weren't there. She rounded into the kitchen to make herself a glass of water when she saw a note from her mom propped up against the fruit bowl. When she picked it up, she ignored the dry throb in her eyes as she read:

"Marinette-

Dinner is in the fridge. We turned in early for the night and we'll see you tomorrow morning.

Expect a wonderfully delicious birthday breakfast!

Love, Mom."

Though no tears fell, Marinette felt the familiar prickling in her eyes and the tightness of her throat coming back. Tomorrow was her birthday, and Adrien wouldn't be coming over to celebrate. All because he didn't like her the way she liked him and she was stupid enough to have Alix ask him what he thought of her and it would make things awkward between them and he basically didn't want to be her friend anymore-

Forgetting the water, she sprinted back up to her room and proceeded to cry all over again.

Marinette grumbled as she rolled over in her bed. It was morning. It was her birthday. And Adrien had rejected her.

Happy birthday.

Her phone began ringing and she picked it up. Alya.

With a grumble, she answered and pulled it to her ear. Before she could even mutter a greeting, Alya was singing in her ear. Well, more like screamed in her ear.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR MARINETTE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!"

Marinette let a small smile grace her lips and she replied, "Thanks, Alya."

Wincing at the hoarseness of her voice, Marinette began sitting up and stretching her aching limbs. She didn't want to suffer at the look of her own reflection, so she just rubbed her eyes and ran her fingers through her tangled hair while Alya talked to her.

"Good morning, birthday girl! Anything planned before our movie night?"

Marinette frowned. "Not really. Maman and Papa are making me breakfast and we're going out to lunch, but that's it. I don't ever want anything big when it comes to today."

"Eh, to each their own," Alya replied, and Marinette imagined her shrugging as she did. "But it sounds fun, nonetheless. Who all is coming tonight?"

Feeling herself choke up again, Marinette blinked away those stupid tears and attempted a lie. "Just you and Nino. Adrien... had something going on and couldn't come."

"Oh, man! Bummer! I know how much you were looking forward to him coming!"

Marinette sighed, rubbing at her eyes as tears threatened to come again, "Yeah, I know."

"You're an asshole."

"I know."

"Like, Grade A, stick in the mud, full of shit asshole."

Adrien glared at Nino and huffed, "What else would you have me do? Keep leading her on?"

Nino scowled as he stood up, towering over the still-sitting model. "You should have just kept your mouth shut until after today. It's her birthday, you dipshit. You probably ruined it for her. I know you didn't learn social etiquette while being homeschooled, but this is just common sense: don't tell the girl that's in love with you that you don't feel the same way the day before her birthday!"

Adrien rubbed at his temples and sighed heavily. "If I came tonight, she would get the impression that I like her back. I don't and I don't want to lead her on without being honest. That's not the right thing to do."

"Neither is breaking her heart on her birthday."

Heaving another sigh, Adrien sat back and looked up at his friend. "What should I do? I can't go over there tonight."

"Apologize, maybe?" Nino suggested. "Maybe not right now because it'll make it seem like you're just trying to save face. But you should get her a gift and I'll take it to her. It could be an olive branch of sorts, say that you still value her friendship and want to stay friends. It's the least you can do after nominating yourself for Asswhipe of the Year."

Adrien groaned and pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes. "You're such a good friend, Nino."

"And you're obviously not after the stunt you pulled."

He took Nino's insults with a grain of salt, knowing how much the DJ cared about Marinette. They had been friends for far longer than the two boys had, plus Nino had once had feelings for Marinette. Not as intensely as she did for Adrien, but they were there. Though Nino was basically with Alya now, there was still the residual protectiveness towards his friend. Knowing she got hurt because his best friend was a knucklehead must really rile him up.

"Alright, so what should I get her?"

Nino's grin grew sinister as he reached for Adrien's arm and tugged him towards the door. "I have the perfect thing in mind. And you can't say no."

Marinette pushed herself through lunch with her parents. Their questioning looks weren't lost upon her, but she ignored them as she shoved her food around her plate. Despite the fact her parents' worry was plain on their faces, they didn't pry. Instead, they chatted amicably about how nice it was to finally have a day off, or the weather. When her mother finally asked who all was coming over tonight, Marinette's heart seized up again.

"Just Alya and Nino," she replied simply. Without looking up, she took another bite of her food.

"No Adrien?" The sound of his name leaving her father's mouth made her flinch. "I was looking forward to seeing him again."

"He had a photoshoot," Marinette lied. "He won't be able to make it."

If either of her parents heard the strain in her voice, they didn't mention it. Instead, conversation went back to pleasant and Marinette could finally breathe. After lunch was finished, they went to the shop to let Marinette pick out her birthday present. She didn't ever want much for her birthday, but her parents always insisted on at least one gift that was special. Last year, they got her a new sewing machine. The year before, a pair of diamond earrings. Not that she wore them anymore.

This year, there really wasn't anything she wanted. What she wanted just turned her down.

So, as they browsed the selections in the stores, Marinette barely paid any attention. She could make any clothes she wanted and didn't need new shoes. She had all the things she needed for her fashion design, except an endless supply of fabric. But her parents couldn't give her that, obviously.

She was content with the things she had.

Though, she sighed to herself as she passed an aisle of handbags, that won't make a difference with the cloud of depression floating over her head.

"Marinette!"

She turned and saw her mother flagging her down from the jewelry counter. Slowly, Marinette made her way over and saw her mom pointing out a little bracelet beneath the glass. It was cute, simple and classy. Sterling silver with a single ruby set against the chain surrounded by white sapphires.

"I like it," she said simply. Her mother nodded once before telling the attendant that she would like to purchase it. Once it was pulled out and paid for, Sabine slipped it onto Marinette's left wrist and patted the top of her hand.

"Happy birthday, baby doll."

"Thanks, maman."

The rest of the day was spent in a blur; helping her parents around the bakery, finishing her homework, setting up her room for the movie night she was spending with Alya and Nino... Just enough busywork to keep her mind off of the blond-haired angel that had broken her heart.

"Are you sure this is going to work?"

Nino glared at Adrien- for the hundredth time since they arrived at the store- and gave him a curt nod. "It is incredibly necessary. Now, Alya filled me in: Marinette's mom bought her a bracelet, so that's out of the question. However, a necklace will be a nice little gift that will beg for forgiveness better than you ever could on your own."

Adrien frowned. "I don't know... She seems to be pretty upset. Maybe I just need to talk to her in person, clear the air."

Nino took Adrien's shoulder and gave his friend a firm shake of his head. "You messed up enough already. I'll give her the gift for you, and maybe on Monday you can try to talk to her, after everything has blown over for a while."

Despairingly, Adrien let Nino lead him to the jewelry counter. He ignored the coos of the saleswoman, instead he quickly picked out a simple ruby pendant surrounded by a halo of white sapphires. Small, simple, beautiful... Just like Marinette.

Adrien sighed as he purchased the trinket. It was wrapped, a small bow adorning the top, and Adrien handed it to Nino after signing a small note that was slipped under the ribbon. Tonight, Marinette would be receiving this present. And it's presence on Monday would determine the outcome of their already fragile friendship.

Marinette almost dreaded the arrival of her friends. Unfortunately for her, she couldn't just cancel on them and wallow in self-pity on the night of her birthday. Instead, she was practically being forced to put on a brave face and let them celebrate her birth, much to her disdain at the moment.

She didn't quite get why she was getting so upset about Adrien's rejection, but in reality it really hurt her. He was a friend of hers, someone she knew she loved, and he felt that she deserved better than what he could give her. Her stupid selfless- and selfish at the same damn time- was screaming that he deserved so much better than her, yet she deserved him and everything he could give her, even if it wasn't enough for his standards.

She wants Adrien to be happy, and she just came to the sad realization that he wouldn't be happy with her.

There was a knock at the door and Marinette heard her mom go to answer it. With a wild guess, she assumed it was Alya and waited for her best friend to sprint up the stairs and make her way into Marinette's bedroom. But to her surprise, it was Nino who poked his head through the trap door and gave her a soft smile.

"Happy birthday, Mari!"

Her return smile was strained, but she gave it to him nonetheless. "Merci, Nino. You're a little early."

He gave her a shrug as he made his way over to the chaise lounge and sat down next to her. "Eh, it's nothing really." He set something down on her leg, and he added, "Here's one of your presents."

"One?" Marinette managed a real smile this time.

Nino simply nodded before looking down at the package. Marinette's eyes followed and she admired the professional-like wrapping of the satiny white ribbon around the pink box. There was a little card tucked under the bow of the ribbon and Marinette plucked it out and opened it.

Her heart seized in her chest, recognizing the handwriting, and tears prickled in her already raw eyes.

"Bon anniversaire, Marinette."

She shut her eyes tight and closed the card. Her tears still sprang out and trailed down her cheeks. Her shuddering breaths sounded pitiful even to her own ears and Marinette felt awfully terrible that Nino had to see her like this.

But, he didn't seem to care. His arm was wrapped around her shoulder and he was hushing her softly.

"It's okay, Mari."

She sniffed and looked up at him. "Do you know?"

He nodded once. "Adrien came over to my house this morning and told me all about it. If you ask me, it was a dick move and he deserves to be punched, but that's not my decision-"

"No, no," Marinette replied softly. "He doesn't deserve anything bad just for saying he didn't like me. That's not fair."

Nino obviously didn't agree, but he kept silent. It wasn't like he could say anything that would ease Marinette's pain or Adrien's guilt. He was the middle man, and unfortunately that meant seeing both of his friends being hurt over one another.

Almost right as Alya and Nino were saying their goodbyes, a scream from outside could be heard from Marinette's room.

Perking up, Alya grabbed Nino's hand and dragged him out of the room. "That's gotta be an akuma! Come on!"

Marinette sighed in relief as her friends disappeared out the front door. It gave her plenty of time to run towards the stairs as she cried out, "Tikki! Transforme moi!"

The power of the Ladybug Miraculous washed over her, wiping away her heart's aching pain and replacing it with a stern resolve to once more save the people of Paris. She leapt off of her balcony and into the night sky. She flew through the air, catching herself on rooftops and lightposts as she hurled herself towards the sounds of the screaming. Ladybug had no time to worry about the pain of heartbreak tonight. She had to focus on the enemy in front of her.

And Chat Noir.

"Hello, my Lady," he crooned as she landed right next to his crouching figure.

"What do we have tonight?"

"She calls herself Lady Rosé and has been turning people into plants," Chat replied as he grimaced. "Apparently, her garden died as a result of her neglecting husband and she wanted new flowers to nurture."

Ladybug smirked, though she forced it. "Sounds like their love wilted."

She saw Chat turn to her with bright eyes and a wide smile, and she realized the pun she let out. She sighed and realized her distracted head would get her in trouble tonight. She really needed to focus.

"I'll try to get her out of the sky and you find out where the akuma is hiding," Ladybug ordered, ignoring Chat's now-questioning look. He must have noticed something was amiss with his Lady. Instead of acknowledging his concern, she threw her yo-yo towards the closest chimney and jumped off of the rooftop. She could see Chat shaking his head and following her command, not without a little objection, and soon they were too enraptured in their battle to care about Ladybug's personal problems.

"My Lady, wait!"

He had called out to her without even trying to stop himself. Ladybug halted in her throw, looking at him through the corner of her eye. He could see the pain she was hiding, whether or not she knew how easily she was showing it. He could see it in her sad smiles or the upturn of her brows. She was aching inside, and he wanted to fix her.

"What's up, Chat?"

He frowned at the fake cheeriness in her voice. He approached her and replied, "Why don't you tell me? Something's wrong."

Chat saw the denial flash over her face and an angry retort prep itself on her lips, but at his stern look her eyes dulled and she deflated, reeling in her yo-yo and sighing sadly. "Is it that obvious?"

"Plain as day, I'm afraid."

Her frown was so forlorn that it made him hurt, and suddenly- and quite guiltily- Chat thought of Marinette. She was probably hurting just as much as Ladybug was right now. He really didn't know how to deal with sad women, and frankly Ladybug's watery eyes made him feel even worse about his own problems.

Chat Noir wasn't the reason for her tears, yet he was associating Ladybug's pain with Marinette's that he felt that he was responsible. He really needed to beg for Marinette's forgiveness on Monday. He couldn't live with this guilt anymore.

"I thought we weren't going to share anything about our personal lives with each other," Ladybug commented weakly.

Chat shrugged and put his hands on her shoulders. "Doesn't matter to me. I just want to see you smile again and that means knowing what made you sad."

Ladybug looked away and stepped back, out of his reach and said in a soft voice, "There's nothing you can do to cheer me up. My sadness comes from my foolishness, and my pain comes from assuming too much. It's my own fault that I am sad, so nothing you do or say will change me."

"Can I at least try?"

Ladybug shook her head, and Chat spotted a few tears dripping down to the ground. "This is something only time can change. I'm sorry."

Without another word, Ladybug launched herself into the night, and out of Chat's sight. As soon as she disappeared, he growled and kicked a loose rock by his feet. He cursed a few times, pulling at his hair, and kicked at another few rocks before sinking down against a chimney stack. Why was he so bad at this? First, he breaks his new friend's heart by rejecting her, then he can't console his own love because she had been so hurt by something she refused to tell him about. He had a gut feeling that Marinette would be the same way when he saw her at school on Monday, just like his Lady in her hidden pain.

"Merde putain!"

He let his transformation fall as he pressed his forehead to his knees. He was too high up for anyone to see him, and even if they did it was too dark to see much.

"I told you that you were making a mistake," Plagg commented as he rooted around Adrien's pocket and pulled out some cheese. "You're feeling guilty for hurting Marinette. You should have just given her a chance and all of this could have been avoided!"

"Me rejecting Marinette has nothing to do with Ladybug being hurt," Adrien mumbled. He missed the way Plagg rolled his eyes and took a huge bite of the cheese. Instead, he dropped his knees and looked at his feet. "I just wish I knew how to deal with this stuff better. I pushed away one of my only friends, and Ladybug is pushing me away because she's upset about something else going on in her life and I can't make her feel better. This sucks."

Plagg shrugged and finished off his snack. "If you ask me, just leave Ladybug to herself. She's a big girl. Whatever is making her upset isn't your fault, so you can't make yourself feel guilty about it. In my opinion, leave her to her own devices and move on. Plus, you need to focus on apologizing to Marinette in person soon or she might not ever take you back as a friend. Maybe if you tried, you could see she's great, just like Ladybug."

"I don't see why you're so intent on having me like Marinette," Adrien sighed. "She's my friend- or, at least I think she still is. The point is, I can't be dealing with all of this guilt right now! I can't figure out what to do!"

"Then go see Marinette right now," Plagg offered. "See how she's doing. Apologize, do something! I don't care!"

Adrien perked up. She seemed to like Chat Noir. Maybe he could go to her as his alter ego and see how she's fairing. That way, he could test the waters and figure out how to make her feel better on Monday!"

"Plagg, transforme moi!"

Marinette cowered under her blankets, bundling herself up in a fluffy cocoon of pain. Tikki was snuggled up under her chin and snoozing softly, cookie crumbs still dangling from her mouth.

But Marinette was not asleep. She was staring at the wall in front of her, trying her best not to burst into tears. She knew she had a bad poker face, but for Chat Noir to notice how much pain she was in and then ask about it, it just bothered her more than she could bear to vocalize.

What could she have said? That the boy she's practically in love with had rejected her 24 hours beforehand, causing her to break down emotionally and feel like her heart was ripped out and shredded into a million pieces? No, that would crush him. She knew how Chat Noir felt about Ladybug. If he knew Ladybug had her heart broken by another boy, he would be devastated. That, or he'd try to go beat up the guy and Ladybug couldn't very well tell Chat Noir that Adrien Agreste broke her heart.

That would risk her identity.

Despite feeling touched at Chat's concern, Marinette couldn't help but feel like she didn't deserve his worry. Frankly, she felt undeserving of anyone's love or attention. She felt broken.

She felt-

Knock, knock, knock.

Marinette blinked and looked up towards the latched door to her balcony. How...?

She shook her head and rolled back over, ignoring the knocking. It was probably a pigeon or an alley cat minding its own business.

Knock, knock, knock.

Scowling, Marinette tucked Tikki under her pillow and threw the blankets off her legs. Whatever was up there didn't realize it was time to sleep and she wanted to be left alone. She climbed up the stairs, doing her best not to stomp in her ire, and quickly unlocked the door before swinging it open.

To her shock, Chat Noir was sitting right in front of her.

She blinked, then frowned. "Why are you here? It's late."

Chat smiled at her, causing her heart to falter a little in its beating, and he replied in that stupidly calm voice of his, "I thought I'd check in on my favorite civ. It's not every day that I pass by the best bakery in Paris where she lives, too, so you should consider this a special treat."

Eyes deadpanned, Marinette said flatly, "Go home, Chat Noir."

Pain and rejection flashed across Chat's face and for a split second, Marinette felt remorse for her harsh tone. But it immediately went away when she realized that Chat was bothering her in the middle of the night, almost right after she got back from fighting an akuma and doing her best not to break in front of him while doing so. She was exhausted, mentally and physically, and Chat Noir's presence on her rooftop was doing nothing to quell the misery she was feeling at the moment.

Though, she felt a little warmth in her heart at his presence. He didn't realize it, but him checking up on her civilian persona made Marinette feel quite special. Maybe Chat had a sixth sense for girls in emotional distress and came running to her like she was a beacon of some sort. Regardless, he just needed to leave her alone. Tonight was not a good night to put on the charade of adoring fan who was definitely not Ladybug.

When Chat didn't budge, Marinette rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Look, I know you just had a fight with an akuma. You should be at home resting, not coming to my house for no reason."

A small grin appeared on his lips, and the thought of Adrien's smile flashed through Marinette's mind. She felt her eyes prickle with tears- oh no, not again!- and she tried her hardest to keep them at bay while Chat spoke.

"A friend told me you were having a tough time," he remarked casually. "I thought I'd see how you were doing."

Her frown grew. "Who exactly told you that?"

Chat shrugged and his grin spread even wider. "It's a secret. Now are you going to tell me what's wrong so I can cheer you up?"

The tears still threatened to fall, and Marinette felt like she couldn't fight it anymore. Stupid cat...

She shrugged and looked away. In a soft and sad tone, she replied, "There's nothing you can do to cheer me up... I'm hurting because I'm stupid. It's my own fault why I'm sad..."

Marinette almost missed the look of intrigue on Chat's face that slowly morphed into confusion, shock, then disbelief. He quickly recovered, however, and leaned a little closer to her. "I don't think you're stupid."

She scoffed. "Right. Having a friend ask the guy you like if he likes you back isn't stupid."

Chat gave her a nudge on her shoulder with his hand and replied, "I don't see how it's stupid. That seems pretty brave, putting yourself out there like that."

A tear fell from her eye, causing Marinette to sniffle and wipe it away. "It's stupid because he doesn't like me back. And now I don't think he's going to want to be friends anymore."

"Who's to say that he doesn't want to be your friend?" Chat asked, and Marinette looked up into his glowing green eyes. "Anyone who doesn't want to be friends with you is the stupid one, not you. He would be an idiot to throw away a friendship with you just because you have a crush on him."

More tears fell and Marinette hastily rubbed them away with the backs of her hands. "How can you be so sure?" She glanced over at one of the flowers growing on the railings, and her sad eyes fell as she sighed, "Maybe we weren't meant to have a garden. Maybe what I felt for him was a plucked rose, so beautiful at first but dead so soon."

Chat followed her eyes and she could see the way his mouth pulled into a guilty and sorrowful smile. "I think you're wrong. Anyone would kill to be your friend, regardless if your friendship is a bouquet in a vase or wildflowers in a meadow. You seem like a friend to value, so give it some time and he'll come around. You guys will be acting like nothing was ever wrong and those flowers will be blooming again."

When he finished, Chat gave her a big smile and stood up. Marinette watched as he stretched his arms above his head and popped his back, wondering how her kitty got so wise. He looked down at her and gave her a wink before remarking, "And don't let your love for this guy wilt. Maybe in time he'll see how amazing you are! Oh, by the way: Happy birthday."

Marinette's heart felt like it stopped entirely when he said that. And without waiting for a reply, Chat jumped off of her roof and into the night, leaving a stunned Marinette standing on her stairs. Did he...? No. Maybe he was just taking the quip from Ladybug, meaning nothing. He couldn't have figured it out. Surely he couldn't... But then again, who told him about her being upset?

Her eyes widened and she slowly sunk down on her stairs, closing her door above her. Oh no...

Adrien was pacing the room, tugging at his hair as Plagg floated above him with a disapproving look on his face.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid..."

"The more you say it, the more it comes true," Plagg teased, watching his charge with amusement.

"I can't believe I did that," Adrien mumbled to himself. "What if she thinks I was flirting with her? I don't know why I did that... I'm so stupid!"

"I think the part where you borrowed that pun from Ladybug was the best."

"Shut up, Plagg," Adrien snapped weakly. "I didn't mean to! What she said reminded me of what Ladybug said, so I panicked! It was the only thing I could think of!"

Plagg lowered himself so he was in Adrien's face. "Look, I'm going to say it because you're too stupid to say it yourself: maybe you're associating Ladybug and Marinette too much. Yeah, there's some similarities but you can't be spouting off things you said with Ladybug to Marinette like they're the same person."

Adrien halted in his steps, eyes growing wide, and he snapped his head up so he could look at Plagg. "What if they are the same person?"

Plagg rolled his eyes and started, "Adrien-"

"No, hear me out: they were both sad today, and said the almost the same thing about why they were sad and why I couldn't cheer them up." Adrien sat down on his couch, only to stand up immediately and start pacing again. "Marinette seemed to react when I said the wilting thing- which could just be a coincidence- and that means she recognized it from earlier tonight. But if this is true, that means I unintentionally rejected the love of my life because I was in love with her superhero alter ego."

Plagg groaned as Adrien plopped himself facedown on his bed. The kwami floated over and landed on the back of his head. "I know I said give Marinette a chance and let Ladybug go, but this isn't the reasoning that I thought you were going to use."

"I can't do this," Adrien's muffled reply came. "If she really is Ladybug, I screwed up big time."

"No kidding."

Adrien rolled over and stared at the ceiling. "I can't just go to her and act like I don't know anything, though. If Marinette is Ladybug, then Ladybug loves Adrien, too, who is Chat Noir who is in love with Ladybug... This is too much to handle."

"You're going off of assumptions here, buddy," Plagg countered. "I know I said Marinette kind of looked like Ladybug, and yeah they were both sad today, but that doesn't mean they're the same person. There's over two million people in Paris, so the odds of them being the same person are incredibly slim."

"The odds of Chat Noir being famous fashion model Adrien Agreste are pretty slim, too," Adrien mumbled. He glanced at Plagg, who had been giving him a weary shrug. With a sign, Adrien sat up and turned off the bedroom light. As he settled under his blankets, he looked towards the window and the moon shining through it. "If I were a gambling man, I'd bet I was right. If Marinette is Ladybug, I need to talk to her."

"And if she's not?"

Adrien closed his eyes and felt his throat tighten. "Then I could possibly lose more than just her friendship."

Monday morning came too soon and Marinette fought really hard to get out of bed. Skipping school would just make things worse, like she was avoiding Adrien, and she needed to save face. Although, she didn't think she could handle the sympathetic stares she would get from Alya, Alex, and Nino. And no doubt interacting with Adrien would be painfully awkward, almost to the point that everyone else would be able to see it.

With a frown, she finished getting ready and pulled her bag over her shoulder. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the necklace Adrien had gifted her and her heart thumped painfully. It was so beautiful, so simple, and it matched the bracelet her parents got her perfectly. Marinette took a deep breath, steeled her resolve, and took the necklace from its box. It sat comfortably in the hollow of her neck and Marinette smiled at how much it matched her typical wardrobe. Adrien may have broken her heart, but at least he had good taste. Not to mention, wearing the necklace will show Adrien that she has no hard feelings about his rejection. He may not love her the way she loves him, but she was determined to remain his friend.

The moment she walked into the classroom, Alya wrapped her arms around Marinette's shoulders and gave her a light peck on her cheek.

With a warm smile, Alya beamed, "Thanks for having us over on Saturday! I had a great time!"

Marinette gave Alya a weak smile in return and replied, "I'm glad you could come. It's important to be with friends on special days."

Alya's eyes flashed and they darted to Adrien's seat, where the model was conspicuously missing. Marinette didn't miss the dangerous look in her friends eyes and chose to ignore the desire to defend him. Instead, Marinette led Alya to their seats and chatted with her friend. She didn't look up when Adrien entered the room, nor when he glanced at her over his shoulder once he sat down. Instead, she kept talking with Alya.

Once the bell rang, Marinette straightened in her seat and faced forward. What she wasn't expecting was to meet Adrien's oh-so green eyes and the apologetic look on his face. She felt her lips press into a tight line and her heart hammer in her chest, amplifying the anguish she felt from her shame. Adrien gave her a weak smile, then turned around as soon as Ms. Bustier called the class to attention. Soon everything settled down, including Marinette's racing and aching heart. She didn't expect to be feeling this pained when she saw Adrien, but his mere presence was making the rawness of her broken heart throb even more than before. It had been over two days since he rejected her, yet the pain was just as fresh as it had been after he ended their call.

In her distracted state of mind, Marinette barely noticed when a note was slipped under her folded arms and against her finger. She snapped at attention at glanced at Alya, who was pointedly looking at the model in front of them. Marinette tucked the note into her lap, unfolding it as quietly as she could, before glancing down at the slanted script on the paper.

"Can we talk during lunch? Meet me at our usual spot."

She glanced up to see Adrien peeking at her from over his shoulder, and Marinette gave him a small nod before focusing on the lesson.

That was a lie. She couldn't focus at all.

Adrien was pacing again. He ignored the way Plagg snickered in his front pocket, or how fellow classmates slowed down their own walking to stare at the seemingly neurotic model. But he didn't care.

Marinette hadn't shown up yet.

He was starting to panic, thinking he had officially ruined their friendship- and possibly partnership if he was guessing correctly- by being to forward and not giving her space. She had said herself that only time could heal her broken heart, so why was he rushing forward to beg for her forgiveness?

Plagg was right: Adrien was really stupid.

Right as he was about to turn around to continue treading a ditch into the grass, he heard the dainty sound of Marinette clearing her throat. He whirled around- so fast he almost got dizzy- and swallowed thickly at the sight of her. She looked okay, like she wasn't hurting inside, but her eyes were a little duller than usual and her mouth was pulled into a soft frown.

But he did notice the necklace he bought her pressed against her neck. At that sight, he gave her a smile and quickly sat down, patting the spot next to him. Warily, Marinette sat down- keeping her distance- and kept her gaze away from his. This hurt Adrien a little, but he told himself he wasn't allowed to be hurt by her defensive gestures. It was only natural for her to be a little uncomfortable with him.

"So what do you want to talk about?"

Adrien blinked out of his stupor and realized Marinette had spoken first. That was a good start.

He took a deep breath and squared his shoulders towards her. She kept facing forward, but he could see her looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

"I wanted to start off by saying I'm sorry," he said, causing her to turn her head towards him. "I was a jerk on Friday and I should have been a little more considerate of your feelings and my timing was way off. I hope you'll forgive me."

Marinette dropped her gaze to her lap, and Adrien watched as her hand rose and began fidgeting with her necklace. "It's okay... You were put in an uncomfortable situation and you did the first thing you could think of. I don't hold it against you."

He watched her sadness engulf her, causing her shoulders to slump and her lips to pull down into a morose frown. He thought at any second she would start crying, or possibly even run away. But he couldn't let her do that, because he needed to find out if he was right about her being Ladybug.

Plagg's voice echoed in his head.

"You know, if you confront her about being Ladybug, you'll out yourself as Chat Noir."

"It's a risk I'm willing to take," he breathed to himself, luckily quiet enough where Marinette didn't hear him. Instead he steeled himself, took another deep breath and did his best to repeat what they had talked about the other night as best as he could, "I know you probably feel stupid, putting yourself out there like that."

He watched as Marinette's gaze slowly rose and met his, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as her mouth went slack.

Swallowing his hammering heart down, he continued: "And that it's your own fault that you're sad. But I think it was very brave of you to do it, even if I hurt you with my response. You're a very good friend to me, Marinette, and I wouldn't trade what we have for anything. In fact, I value your presence in my life so much..."

Adrien watched as Marinette's eyes darted back and forth between his own, searching for something as he kept staring at her.

With one more steadying breath, he said his last piece, "I just want to see you smile again."

He could see the realization in her eyes and as she blinked, tears began falling down her face. His instinct was to reach up and brush them away, but she beat him to the punch and harshly wiped at her face. She stood abruptly and tugged her bag back over her shoulder, staring down at him with anger and betrayal.

"I don't know what you're trying to pull, but it's not funny."

Adrien stood as well. "Marinette, it's not like that."

"Like what?" she snapped in a tired voice. "You can't say stuff like that to me after rejecting me so easily."

Before he could say anything, she turned on her heels and began walking away. Once again, Adrien panicked.

"I want us to be like a meadow with a hundred wildflowers."

She halted in her steps. Adrien glanced around and was thankful no one was in the area and watching them. Good. He can confront her more easily like this.

"We aren't a bouquet in a vase or a plucked rose," he continued, watching her as she slowly turned and faced him with a look of horror. "Please don't let what we have wilt."

He watched her mouth move, almost as if she was whispering his alter ego's name. His heart sped up even more and lodged itself in his throat. He couldn't handle waiting anymore.

Speaking in a low whisper, he grasped her hand and said, "My Lady..."

Marinette quickly snatched her hand out of his, disbelief paling her stricken face, and she looked around the courtyard to make sure no one heard him. But he doubted it. He was so quiet that even he barely heard himself.

Adrien had never experienced Ladybug's wrath, and he was certain he was going to today. The pure anger and pain in her eyes told him everything he needed to know: that Marinette was Ladybug, that she now knew he was Chat Noir, and that she knew he found out she was Ladybug after he, as Adrien, had rejected her, as Marinette.

Marinette's eyes kept overflowing with tears and she began backing up from him. "Don't... don't tell anyone. Please."

He didn't have the chance to respond, because she was already fleeing the school.

She didn't come back.

Adrien could feel Alya's eyes burning holes in the back of his head, but he ignored her. Nino seemed to be in on the shade because his snide remarks throughout the rest of the day seemed to barb Adrien more than he thought they would.

It seemed like his day in Hell was only starting when Chloe managed to snag him as a partner for their class exercise, considering Nino and Alya partnered up for the sole purpose of ripping him a new one, but it only got worse.

The sound of screams outside the school signaled one thing and one thing only: akuma.

Chloe ditched him pretty quickly to hide, giving him ample time to flee unseen and transform into Chat Noir. It wasn't until he was clothed in the protection of the Miraculous that his mind drifted to the worst possibility: That Marinette was the akuma and he would have to fight her all alone.

His throat got thick and he sprinted as fast as he could towards the sounds of destruction, wishing with his whole heart that the pure and wonderful Marinette wasn't the one he'd have to face. His anxiety grew when he saw Ladybug wasn't at the battleground yet, and the woman who had been akumatized seemed pretty distraught over something. He couldn't tell but she was screeching as floods of tears came down her blue-tinted face. People fell when she screamed, clutching their ears and passing out at the pure noise the akuma was emitting.

Chat Noir frowned and begged with his whole heart it wasn't her.

"Sorry I'm late."

He whirled around to see her, standing triumphantly behind him. Her eyes were fixed on the akuma, but he could see the redness from recent tears. Chat's heart twisted painfully and he stood, facing her fully.

Without a word, Ladybug began walking past him. But he didn't let her go. Instead, one arm stopped her by the shoulders and brought her to his chest. His other arm wrapped around her back tightly as she kept hers dangling at her sides.

"I'm so sorry."

Ladybug stiffened and inhaled sharply, but almost immediately melted against him and buried her face into his chest. Slowly, her arms snaked their way around his waist and gave him a weak squeeze.

"Now's not the time."

"Are we going to be okay?"

Ladybug pulled away and kept her eyes down as she moved around him and faced the akuma. Looking over her shoulder, she said softly, "Maybe. But not now."

Chat took her hand that wasn't holding the yo-yo and squeezed tightly. "How can I fix it?"

He saw Ladybug smile- in the way that reminded him so much of Marinette that it made his chest tighten- and she replied, "In order for flowers to grow, you need to water them and give them plenty of sunshine. But not too much. We just need a little water and sunshine."

Without waiting, Ladybug leapt towards the akuma and out of Chat's sight. He frowned and watched her with pained eyes as she took on the akuma, fighting with skill and finesse that struck him with awe. But now that he knew, he could see Marinette in Ladybug, and Ladybug in Marinette. It was shocking, really, that he hadn't noticed before. Now it was more obvious than he could ever imagine. He was stupid, yes. But he had the chance to make it up to her.

"A little water and sunshine," he murmured to himself. With a growing grin, Chat Noir laughed and jumped into the fray. He could never let his Lady be alone. Never again.

fin.

A/N Sorry, no happy ending.

At least, not yet.

Did I kill you guys? You still there?