Merry Christmas!
Welp, I put this up on P...atreon with an early release, being the first time i've done that.
But now... everyone gets to see it!
I hope everyone is having a pawsitively gouda Howl-iday.
Ahh... all the time spent with family and loved ones... the noise... the gossip... the drama... the near critical mass fruitcake that goes nuclear in your stomach.
I'm not sure if that sounds good actually. XD Either way, hope the day goes well for all!
Now then, here is another Identity reveal/soulmate fanfic of Miraculous for your reading pleasure. Yeah yeah... I know... tons of them out there, but I wanted to throw my oddities and ideas in the fray and see if it stands out.
Pulse is a two part fic, of which I plan to release the second part either later today or early tomorrow morning. I would post it as early access to atreon...P buuuuuut... its Christmas.
Read, review, fav, follow, and enjoy. also grab that strange snack. Mine today is a gingerbread house. I'm pretending I'm Godzilla and destroying it. Mwahahaha.
Much like a heart, a brain, or even a stomach… everyone has it but there are moments where they cause problems, even when it works as it's supposed to.
The Pulse…
Though speculated to have originated as some sort of magical phenomena thousands of years ago, it was simply a natural occurrence in the modern world, prepared for as if it were a milestone of life.
The legend goes that two people loved each other but couldn't be with one another because their loyalty lie with families that opposed the other. Given over to their loyalties and becoming subservient to their families' constructs… the duo mourned a love that could never be.
So deep was their desire and despair that someone, some force… made sure that no other would suffer their silent pain again.
Thus, the Pulse was born.
Any human that became endearingly attracted to another would have that emotional energy emulated in their mental and physical states, but only during prolonged interaction or when emotional levels reached a peak.
It wouldn't override inhibitions or make people force themselves on each other, but it did create an unstoppable need to profess their desires to the one they love, or sometimes be expressed in doting affection.
The catch to it was that it could only truly happen between individuals that longed for each other. The Pulse never acted on unrequited love. Therefore, it was seen as a type of soulmate event. It would happen in bursts and wouldn't completely wane or halt until the two intertwined by fate resolved their feelings.
Only the strongest of wills could resist it for any lengthy period of time, and sometimes the most repressed and pressured of people bared the pain of keeping it hidden.
0000000
Chat Noir leaped from rooftop to rooftop, following Ladybug up towards the Eiffel Tower, whereas most of their patrols ended by the end of the night, with both sitting high and talking a bit before returning home.
It only took a few high flying jumps to clear the gaps and climb the metal supports to their favorite spot. No regular person could so easily reach them where they sat and made for a very exclusive spot they shared.
"Not much activity tonight, huh Chat?" the spotted heroine sighed, seeming a bit melancholy.
"Looking for a thrill, Milady?" he joked in turn. "If that's the case, you and I could play cat and mouse… though in this manner, it would be cat and bug."
Leveling an admonishing look on him, her lips curled slightly in a gentle smile. The look appeared grateful, though hiding sadness. It tugged on the young cat hero's heartstrings.
"While fun, I think that might cause some folks who see us to be concerned," she spoke. "Besides, I mostly needed a distraction from… things."
Chat was sure he knew what it might be about, though didn't know how to approach the subject without causing himself pain too.
"Uh… well… is it… about life at home?" he offered her, hoping it was something he could help with emotionally.
Her eyes met his again, lips in a small pout, as if mulling over how much she wanted to divulge.
"Remember how I said there was a guy I liked?" the blue eyed beauty asked, suddenly unable to meet his gaze.
"Yeah?" came the black clad boy's response, barely audible as he gulped back a biting pain in his gut.
"Let's just say I feel like I get somewhere with him, but then realize all I did was go in a circle and never cover any real ground. Does that make sense?"
"Absolutely," Chat remarked, avoiding looking at her, fearing that his eyes might give away just how much he felt the same about Ladybug.
He began to run through all of it in his mind, his feelings, his resolve to one day make her his, and the all encompassing desire to hopefully have her see just how much she means to him and accept it.
A smile broke out on his face at the fantasy, feeling separate from the painful moment of the now and part of some not so far off dream. Everything he would ever want from the one girl he felt could supply the affection and comfort he desired more than anything. Just as well, he wanted to give her the same and be emotionally melded with her to such a degree that no words need be spoken to understand each other.
The pain dissipated in what he might otherwise detail as a delusion, but in that moment… it was real.
Every ounce of emotional investment he had was poured into that dream….
And suddenly, Chat Noir felt it being poured back ten fold.
A gasp left his maw, a heat burning from within and trying to break out. It wasn't painful, but just shocking at first. It was like being warmed by the fire, right after having suffered the blistering cold of an icy winter night.
His fantasies and emotional desires felt like they were being refined and hammered into a physical force, his mind continuing to play out the mental images of his deepest desires, as if goading him to act. His body felt like it was in a state of fight or flight, but instead with every muscle wanting to grab Ladybug and shower with whatever affections and displays he could to relay his feelings for her.
The boy's eyes widened in realization.
The Pulse
His hand clutched to his chest, feeling the warmth turn into a roiling flame that started to burn.
"Chat?" a voice called out, grounding him for a moment.
He turned and felt his face flush at the mere sight of the source of his desire.
"Are you okay, Chat?" Ladybug inquired thoughtfully with a confused expression.
He wanted nothing more than to acquiesce to the burning desire to once again profess his love for the girl before him. To nuzzle up to her and whisper in her ear. To grasp her gently by the cheeks and kiss those strawberry colored lips until they became cherry red from stimulation.
His body began to lean in, acting upon these impulses he usually kept chained up, feeling as if there was no point fighting it.
Chat stopped upon a thought…
This isn't right. I can't do this to her. She's just been telling be about her troubles with feelings for… someone else. I can't betray her like this.
Swallowing and reigning in his desire, using the composure he had as Adrien to keep everything bottle up, he smiled once more.
"Sorry, Bug," he voiced evenly. "My mind wandered there for a moment. I'm fine."
Her look of concern was still present, with a hand closing in to touch his cheek.
"I don't know… you seem like your burning up."
The burning sensation tried to turn into a sweltering inferno now, testing his resolve and making his breathing a bit ragged. He reached up to grab her wrist, gently lowering her hand from him. It took everything he had not to use the chance to pull her in, hugging and kissing her senseless.
"I'm just a little worked up from running up here," the hero explained. "And it the wind is a bit nippy up here, with it going into winter soon."
That made sense right? His mind voiced in an echo, all mental capacities trying to keep this Pulse under control.
"Alright… if you're sure," the bluenette relented, looking concerned still. "Wanna head out then? We don't have to stick around and talk."
"I… yeah… okay," Chat mumbled, feeling disappointed that this event had to come up now, just when his partner needed an ear. He almost wished he could rip this Pulse out of him, as if it were a physical entity, and beat it senseless for causing such a misunderstanding.
Ladybug gave him a sad smile, whipping out her yoyo to swing away on, leaving a very 'on edge' Chat Noir to deal with an fire within that felt like it wanted to turn his heart into a smoldering pit.
He had enough sense to leap down and find a rooftop to collapse on, letting out a ragged pant and curling his arms around his chest, the Pulse taking hold.
It wouldn't do anything physically harmful to him, but it would seem as if it could. His arms and legs were tingling, muscles weak and becoming a type of lax that he felt when waking up and stretching. There was a pit in his stomach that felt it could only be satiated by going after and resolving the desire within his heart.
And his heart… it wasn't in pain, but there was this longing that felt almost instinctual, animal even. It was like it was pointing at the source of his heartache and saying, 'Give in and you will be rewarded'.
A sudden thought occurred to him now.
According to all knowledge on the subject, the event known as the Pulse could only occur if a love was requited. He literally couldn't feel this towards Ladybug unless she felt the same about him.
Tears pricked at his eyes in a moment of happy revelation…
...only to turn into something empty and hollow upon a devastating realization.
She was in love with Adrien.
He might have been happy with the prospect, but there was some circumstances that he couldn't counter well. Adrien Agreste was a model on hundreds of billboards, posters, and with many ads, websites included. Finding her could be too difficult if she didn't want to reveal her identity.
But… the way Ladybug talked about him seemed as if she were somewhat familiar. She was quite possibly an acquaintance at school or even a close friend.
The way he felt currently, there was this insatiable and unerring force that demanded he find her.
It took many minutes of swirling thoughts and calming breaths to allow the Pulse to pass, with its effects being that of a tickling ember within the pit of his gut. Once it happened, it would never truly go away until the affected individuals related their feelings to their beloved, but the intensity of a Pulse would wax and wane like phases of the moon. Proximity and spikes in emotional focus on the subject of their desire affected when a Pulse would become more intense again, only becoming more so as time went on.
The boy hero made his way back home and jumped down into his open window, releasing his transformation and collapsed to his knees, using the couch for support.
Plagg zipped into view, looking both irritated and concerned.
"So… it finally happened?" the Kwami jibed, trying to pretend he was disinterested.
"What…? You knew this would happen?" Adrien croaked, still feeling a bit floored by the recent potent attack against his psyche.
Plagg leveled narrow eyes on him, groaning, "Oh come on! You're basically a love sick kitten. It was bound to happen sometime. I'm only surprised it didn't happen sooner."
"But… it can only happen if the feelings are returned," the blonde teen sighed. "How would you know it would happen… unless you know she felt the same about me?"
Adrien did recall a few instances thus far that incidentally required that Plagg and Ladybug's kwami would meet and see the other user of the Miraculous. He also knew that his own kwami either refused to talk about it… or simply couldn't by some form of magic.
However, if Plagg knew about that caveat, then that left one hopeful conclusion.
"I know her well enough in our everyday lives that you knew the Pulse would happen to me," he breathed, refocusing his gaze in the flying cat kwami, whose eyes became awkward and avoided Adrien's.
"I'll give you this kid…" Plagg relented. "You're an idiot, but you're not stupid."
"Uh...thanks?"
"You're welcome!" the kwami chirped. "Now… cheese, please, and let's get some sleep."
Too drained to argue, the boy pulled himself to his feet and did as he was asked with a mumbling, "Alright then."
0000000
Ladybug swung lazily from a chimney, breaking free at the height of her arc to land with practiced expertise on the roof of her home.
Dropping through the trapdoor, with her transformation dropping as well, Marinette found and collapsed onto her bed, a concerned Tikki floating up to eye level.
"Are you okay, Marinette?" came the expected question, with the bluenette giving her kwami a gentle smile.
"Just a little forlorn, Tikki," she sighed. "I think I made Chat uncomfortable with all that talk."
The tiny floating creature shrugged, mentioning offhandedly, "I mean… you were talking about your crush in front of the boy who has long since said he is in love with you."
Marinette groaned and cradled her face in her hands, guilt settling in her stomach like a lead weight.
"I completely spaced on that while I was focused on myself…" the teenager moaned. Popping her head up, an expression of resolve spreading over her face, she resumed, "I need to apologize to him."
Tikki found a resting spot nearby, grabbing a cookie that was left out for her and began to mull something else over.
While linked to the Ladybug transformation, she couldn't directly talk or interact with Marinette, but she did see everything going on in their surroundings. Something the bluenette seemed to miss, that the kwami was hesitant over… was that Chat wasn't entirely looking the kind of uncomfortable that seemed to be caused by her charge's wistful lamentations.
Maybe it was best to leave it be for now.
Both rolled over and slept in their respective beds, worried over their own issues.
0000000
Somehow able to wake up early, Marinette was resting her lazing head in her hand, looking down at Adrien's currently vacant seat in class.
She chalked the fluke up to being restless all night. Even Tikki appeared to emulate her mood, though more so with a concerned look to herself.
Focusing on the empty seat, the bluenette sighed, thinking on what she was mulling over before Chat was having his moment of supposed discomfort.
She had most of the night to think over the subject, but it felt like her brain kept cutting every thought short before she could properly form a coherent idea towards some unseen end.
Right now though, her mind finally flowed freely, thinking about his smile and his eyes, green as summer leaves and as vibrant as emeralds, with hair that warmed her like rays of the sun.
There was a creeping warmth from within that seemed to bubble forth…
...cut short by the unexpected arrival of the subject of her mind's wanderings.
Instead of being flustered and fawning, she was simply confused by his early arrival. Or maybe… this was his normal time of arrival and she was simply early enough to witness it.
Regardless, her main concern was his listless walk, slouched demeanor, as well as the far off look in his eyes that appeared to be housing a brewing storm of emotions behind them….
Internally scoffing at her own musings, Marinette pouted, You're reading waaaaay too much into a simple look in his eyes. Either way though, he looks tired.
Raising a hand nervously, the girl tried to capture his attention, waving slowly at him.
As if surprised to see the other classmates in the room, the blonde stepped back in shock, clutching his chest. His pupils seemed to shrink, flitting around to each of the classmates he saw. Marinette was utterly confused.
Before she could speak, Rose piped up, "Are you okay, Adrien? You look like you saw a ghost."
He rubbed a hand to the back of his head, flushing a bit, as if embarrassed by the way he reacted.
"I uh… just… tough night's sleep," he murmured, barely loud enough for the others in class to hear him.
Before anyone could follow up, Alya, Nino, Chloe, and Sabrina, the last stragglers of the class, entered in, with Chloe hanging over Adrien as per the usual.
The bluenette would have felt a spike of anger and jealousy, but the blonde appeared more uncomfortable than usual.
A hiss had everyone turning to look, many eyebrows raised, including Chloe's.
"Adrikins? Did you just hiss at me?" she asked, more confused than hurt.
"Uh… I… that… I'm sorry, Chloe," the boy tried to recover, putting on his best smile. "I think I slept in the wrong position. I'm a bit sore on that side and I guess it took me by surprise."
"Oh… well if you're sure," the ponytailed blonde replied, perking right back up. "I can send over a masseuse to your house to work that out. I know tons of good ones."
"It's okay, Chlo… I'll be fine."
Everyone in the class eventually minded their own business, with the exception of Marinette, whose concern only became further heightened. Something was off about him that seemed familiar.
Adrien sat down, with Madame Bustier coming in to start the day.
"You alright girl?" Alya whispered next to her, to which the bluenette gave her a glance and nodded.
"I'm just worried about Adrien," she divulged honestly.
"He does seem a bit off and… squirrelly?" The redhead guessed, shrugging and waving her own suggestion off.
While everyone paid attention to class, Marinette, unsurprisingly, paid attention to Adrien. He was looking around and focusing frantic eyes and various people in the room, as if searching for someone in particular.
Soon enough, his eyes zoned in on her, a deep blush turning his cheeks as red as roses. Nino appeared to notice, but abstained from addressing it when the teacher appeared to be calling on him to answer something.
Suddenly, he stood up and blurted out, "I need… bathroom… s'il vous plait?"
Instead of making the poor boy wait or explain himself, Madame Bustier gave him a gentle, even if slightly concerned, smile and nodded at him.
He bolted towards the door, causing another swath of raised eyebrows to follow him.
Marinette raised her hand, summoning the courage to do what she felt she needed to do.
"I can accompany him, since he looks a bit unsteady," she offered.
"I was actually thinking he needs that," the teacher agreed. "If necessary, take him to the nurse too."
"Of course, Madame."
At that, the two left the room, with Adrien taking hurried strides out of sight of the class. Rounding a corner, he braced himself against the wall.
The bluenette was at his side instantly, holding his shoulder. Normally, she would be over the moon and babbling senselessly to herself at the chance, but her worry overwrote her usual spastic energy.
"Adrien… what's wrong?" She called out to him. "You need the nurse."
His hand shot out to stop her as she turned away, causing her to gasp slightly at the force of it.
Adrien's eyes locked into hers, his head dipped slightly. He looked like he was silently begging her to not say anything.
Marinette finally realized what was so familiar about this.
The Pulse.
Alya suffered a similar fate some months back, confiding in and getting her best friend's help in making it through without making a fool of herself.
She barely lasted a full day before nearly tackling Nino to the ground and kissing him senseless.
It was no secret that he liked her too and they were pretty much official but apparently the last hump of actually putting their feelings out in the open was why the Pulse was there.
Once again, the young woman was torn between her worry for her friend and her emotional turmoil at the realization.
He loved someone who shared his feelings.
"Who?" she asked simply. The blonde stiffened, eyes downcast and unsure.
"What are you talking about?" he asked blankly.
Marinette put on her kindest smile, saying, "I know it's the Pulse. You don't need to hide it or feel ashamed. It's normal for many people at some point in their lives. Who's the lucky lady?"
"I… I don't know…" Adrien mumbled distantly, clutching at his chest with a free hand.
That definitely threw the bluenette for a loop. The Pulse never acted without the person affected knowing who they were longing for. From many accounts and lessons in school, it was something that usually came about with some emotional peak towards the subject of their desires, with quite a few saying it hit them in bittersweet moments of doubt that their beloved didn't share in their love for the other.
"How do you not know?" she asked in confusion.
"I just… know that she's nearby, but I don't know who she is…" the boy explained, a ragged pant to his voice. "If I find her though… she might be in danger."
Marinette was only growing more and more confused. It sounded like he knew who he attracted to, but not knowing who she is. A tingle of understanding began to creep from the depths of her mind.
"I… I don't understand," the blue eyed girl further mentioned, hoping he would explain more.
"My… my Pulse is for L… Ladybug…" Adrien voiced, cheeks ablaze as his eyes could barely lock onto Marinette's long enough to say it, let alone think it.
The dread that the teenage girl felt dissipated in an instant, replaced by cautious delight.
She couldn't stop the grin that spread across her features, despite her beloved's distress.
"Ok," she finally replied. "I get it… she's nearby but you don't know which person it is?"
He nodded fervently, the blonde's head a blur.
"I felt fine before coming to school but now my chest is a raging inferno and my head feels like it's swimming," Adrien detailed. "So, I know she's near but I can't focus enough to find her."
Now Marinette was put in a tough spot. The Pulse confirmed everything she could barely dream, though his affection for Ladybug threw a wrench in the works that she couldn't overcome so easily.
Internally sighing in resignation, the bluenette was forced to keep her distance.
"We should get you to the nurse though," she told him, reaching out to help him stand steady.
She laid a hand upon his shoulder, feeling him shudder under her touch, a bright spot of relief cascading within his face. The girl pulled back, wondering if she should be avoiding physical contact for now.
"It's fine," he rebuked. "I'll be alright. Just let me breathe and I'll get back to class. Please, Marinette."
Not entirely convinced, the bluenette went against her better judgement and nodded numbly, feeling that letting him deal with this alone would be a bad idea.
0000000
Adrien was floored. Thankfully, it wasn't literal, though he felt it could have been…
...if not for that single touch from Marinette.
It was like the storm within him settled for but a brief moment, bringing with it a small moment of relief that was like giving in to sleep after an exhausting day.
His mind was reeling from the implications, unable to take the leap of logic that he knew he was on the precipice of.
Marinette is Ladybug.
He facepalmed himself in self admonishment at his brain getting ahead of him trying not to think about it.
It was the only thing that made sense. He felt his Pulse reach a peak with her so close and only her touch relinquished even the slightest amount of the grip it had on his senses. He needed more from her. He wanted to embrace her, to kiss her, to…
Adrien turned his away and shook it, willing any further thoughts away as he blushed furiously.
His school day felt agonizingly slow, especially with the knowledge that Marinette was behind him.
He thought there would be a comfort to knowing who she was and having her close, but it was almost pure torture to have her close enough to breath down the nape of his neck and he couldn't simply act on it.
Aside from his usual need to keep his own selfish wants in check for his father, the blonde did realize that compromising her identity would be bad.
His eyes widened slightly upon remembering that he already mentioned to Marinette that he was feeling this Pulse for her, for Ladybug.
Making it through lunch and the rest of the day was way too strenuous for his heart to take.
He could barely summon the will to do any of his homework, let alone practice piano.
And then there was…
"Ugh… patrol," Adrien groaned dejectedly. "I don't think I could face her…" His hands came up to cover his eyes, mental images of his Lady plaguing his consciousness, now littered with the face of Marinette.
Her freckles, a cute feature he always noted about her, though apparently hidden beneath the mask, became a new source of fascination with his subconscious.
As much as he wanted to be doubtful that Marinette could be Ladybug, the things he felt through this Pulse seemed quite definitive. It was like instinct, telling him that this was how it was and it couldn't be anything else. He knew that his affections were for Ladybug, and he knew that now his Pulse felt solely focused on Marinette, mask or not. It was the only end that his mind allowed now.
"Why not skip it?" Plagg offered, as if it were so easy. "I'm sure she won't be too mad if you explain things to her after."
"It'll seem way too suspicious if I stand her up like this," the blonde complained.
"So, you know who she is and won't see her as Chat," the kwami explained rhetorically. "Plus, if you confess to her as Chat, she'll know who you are. If you confess as Adrien to Marinette, she'll know that you know who she is, since you basically told her you're in love with Ladybug."
The young boy froze, running that through his head. By that logic, he was trapped in an infinite loop of being unable to profess anything to the girl he loved, mask or not. Even if Adrien found Ladybug in costume and confessed to her, it wasn't like that knowledge could be public or bring all good things. His father would probably freak out over the dangers of being affiliated with her.
It was like everything pointed to saying he should keep this upon himself forever.
The Pulse spiked within him, causing a turmoil of boiling emotions that didn't agree with that sentiment at all.
Adrien let out a pained whimper at the prospect of having to keep this desire trapped inside for so long. He could barely repress every urge thus far to suit up and leap across the city and find Marinette to scoop her up and whisper every line he ever concocted in his mind to woo her.
As if reading his mind, Plagg let out a noise of disgust, rolling his eyes and flitting away to mind his own beeswax.
Stuck in an emotional quagmire, the emerald eyed teen bit his lip and attempted to distract his already plagued mind from the problems at hand, booting up his computer to search for the answer to stupid questions.
0000000
Tossing and turning at home, the long day of school making her only really wanting to climb into bed, regardless of the early hour, Marinette kept bouncing between squealing in joy and groaning in frustration.
Adrien Agreste was in love with Ladybug.
The very focus of her dreamy gaze and wandering thoughts loved her back. Maybe not in the way she wanted but she would take it.
The only frustrating thing was that she couldn't reveal herself without compromising her identity. If she didn't though… Adrien would suffer his Pulse until he could resolve his feelings. With a Pulse, that could only happen through relaying everything they felt to their love.
The bluenette blushed once more and cycled back around to squealing in excitement that she reminded herself that she was the one he loved.
"I almost can't believe it Tikki, but what do i do?" she asked her kwami.
Tikki sighed, voicing her piece, "A Pulse is something you shouldn't leave hanging. Adrien seems to be having a hard enough time dealing with it as it is. As much as I want to have you keep your identity secret, having him tell anyone else that he's in love with Ladybug might eventually lead others to you."
The young girl perked up, slightly worried and confused.
"How would that work?"
"Because the longer one suffers the Pulse," the floating red creature explained, "the more refined it becomes in zoning in on someone. It's like instinct. Eventually, he'll be pulled irrecoverably towards you, without even knowing it fully. He and you won't be able to explain away how he was attracted to Ladybug, but it suddenly switches to you. The connection will be obvious. I would rather you talk to him and get his confidence, before such a thing becomes harder to ask for."
"I… huh… how do you know so much about the Pulse?" Marinette couldn't resist asking. "That knowledge isn't exactly something I think is common."
Tikki smiled, giving her charge a chirping tone as she told her, "Well because me and the black cat kwami are responsible for it in the first place."
"What!?" the bluenette exclaimed, looking with concern towards her bedroom door, wondering if her parents might react. When she didn't hear any worried footsteps or knocking on the trapdoor, she let out a relieved sigh that either her parents didn't hear… or were so used to her outbursts so as to leave her be unless she began screaming in pain.
Feeling safe enough to continue, the kwami picked up where she left off, "Yep. Way back in some ancient times, a couple sacrificed their own chance at love to keep their loyalties to their family. Near the end of their lives, the Ladybug and Black Cat of that time met them and heard their story, letting them make a wish using the two miraculouses. We might have worried about the price paid, but we all knew that these two had already paid it, sacrificing a long life together for others. They regretted it and wished that no others would suffer what they did. From then on, a new phenomenon was born that gave people the will and need to be with the one they love."
"Wow… so these two sacrificed their love so that the entire world would never lose the nerve to find theirs?"
"Exactly," Tikki squeaked. "It does have its downsides, but no one is truly forced against their will by it. It acts like incentive to follow your heart, if not a bit… pushy about it."
Marinette became dazed and daydreamed, thinking about everything Adrien said, even if not much. Though not in love directly with her, she was still ecstatic that the love of her life was entranced by any part of her. It still made her smile like an idiot to rehash in her head. A familiar warmth bubbled from deep within, suddenly turning into something much stronger.
It courses throughout her entire body, a surging wave of heat and pleasure raking over her nerves.
Tikki noticed her strange reaction, flying in close and giving her a look between shock and understanding.
"It happened to you now didn't it?" came the question that felt like it needed no actual answer.
Between ragged breaths and clutching at her burning chest, the bluenette nodded, fingers beginning to feel her cheeks, the heat being telltale that there was a blush that wouldn't leave her anytime soon.
"Oh no, Tikki… what do I do?" she almost tearfully choked out, not actually crying but so taken aback by the Pulse that it felt like she was trying to quell a fire within her after coming in from the freezing cold.
Her fingertips tingle and and knees felt weak. It was pleasant but also terrifying. All she could think was if this was how Adrien felt because it didn't seem so bad.
Upon thinking about him though, she felt this tugging sensation that acting against her usual demeanor of clamming up. The warmth within her became a sweltering bonfire, as if it could turn her insides to ash.
"Welp… now you both are in for it," the kwami pointed out with a giggle.
"This isn't funny!" Marinette whined.
The floating creature laughed her small laugh, replying, "I beg to differ just a bit. You two need something to push you together. I honestly thought Alya would be what did it, but this'll do."
The young woman sat up in bed, fidgeting and pouting, trying to figure out what to do.
"And it only gets worse?" she asked her kwami.
Tikki shrugged, mentioning offhandedly, "Pretty much."
"I can only imagine what it was like for Adrien…" Marinette whispered to herself. A pleasant chill crept up her legs, hips, spine, and finally made the hairs on her head try to stand on end at the thought of him. She whimpered in response, knowing that dealing with this might be the death of her.
"I can't do this," she continued, clapping her hands to her heated cheeks. "I've not had any success with trying to get my feelings across because I have the worst luck with it."
"Sooner or later, it won't really be a choice for you," Tikki voiced with a smile. "You're Pulse will get stronger and stronger until admitting your feelings to him and giving him all the affection you fantasize about becomes not only a desire but a sweet release from the torture you think you're suffering."
"I thought this wasn't supposed to be painful?" came her fretful inquiry.
"More or less," the kwami answered. "It's basically a physical manifestation of the feelings you have. What you feel is not supposed to be a pain, but more of something that emulates your emotions in your body and showcases Adrien and confessing to him as something that makes you feel better. It's like getting hungry and eyeing those cookies in the windowsill."
"Now that sounds like you on a daily basis," the bluenette jibed at her small friend with a smirk. "But… you're saying this Pulse is like a hunger that only Adrien can sate…?"
"I'm not exactly explaining it well but yes."
"Great… I'm a stalker vampire," the girl sarcastically spoke.
"You do remember that Adrien is feeling a lot of the same stuff, right?" Tikki reminded her.
"Yeah… yeah, I know, but Adrien is trying to keep it under wraps for everyone. He's much stronger than me."
"Or maybe more repressed," the kwami mentioned sadly, making Marinette match her slightly somber gaze. "We've both seen it. He keeps a lot bottled up. I'm fairly sure that he won't give in to the Pulse, especially out of concern for Ladybug."
"What do I do then?" the teenager gently plead.
"Don't fight your Pulse," Tikki stated flatly, a serious expression leveling with her charge.
Marinette gulped, fearing all the terrible things she felt would happen from her end.
"But… I…" she began, nerves taking hold of her.
"He needs you to be the one to free him. Trust me."
The bluenette steeled her gaze, nodding slowly, knowing her kwami was right.
And that concludes Part 1!
Part 2 to be released later.
And to answer one blaring question... No... this is not a smut fic.
I'll spare you the indescribably pawful jokes and puns at the end and simply wish you Merry Christmas once more.
If you want early access to my chapters... I have an Atreon with a P under the same name as my author name. though, there is a space in the middle. Drekk Deina. Know that this isnt a paywall, as all my chapters and works become public eventually, just that they go there first.
Stay Pawesome.