A Miraculous Ladybug story: One chance

Chat stood beside Ladybug before the akumatized victim and his breath shook out of him in ragged gasps. He bent at his hips, resting his hands on his knees, and he noticed Ladybug doing the same thing. This akuma was more… demanding then most.

"Pound it?" He wheezed, holding a fist out to Ladybug. At first he was hesitating, wondering if it was appropriate to fist bump at this time. Yet, he held his fist out anyways. Of course it was appropriate, they won again, even after a tougher battle.

Ladybug smiled and bumped his fist and Chat felt his chest swell. "Pound it." She said. Suddenly Ladybug's earrings beeped along with Chat's ring. He was disappointed that their time was running up so soon. Going back to his home was not something Chat wanted to do. Then he got an idea, something so particularly pleasing.

"Guess it's time to bug out," Ladybug said with a teasing smile, "Good job this time Chat." He smiled back at her, but as soon as she positioned herself to take off Chat grabbed onto her wrist.

"Wait," he said, and he found his throat choked up with his words. Chat shook the feeling off and smiled largely at Ladybug. "I was wondering if you wanted to meet me at the top of the effiel tower at sunset. For dinner, M'lady." A fist squeezed around his heart in anticipation. Please, please say yes.

He watched as Ladybug looked down, her eyes crossed in thought. She pierced her lips together and Chat found himself biting the inside of his lip.

"I suppose I haven't really given you the benefit of the doubt huh, Chat," she said with a giggle and Chat felt his ears perk physically on top of his head. His heart pounded with force against his chest.

Ladybug looked up at him, biting her lip. "Okay, I'll give you one chance," she murmured and her earrings blinked again. Chat knew he himself had only a minute to spare also.

Something stirred in him at the words 'I'll give you one chance' but he ignored the feeling as his excitement took over, making his tired muscles buzz.

"Sunset right?" She asked and Chat shook his head with speedy enthusiasm. "I'll see you there Kitty." Chat bowed with the biggest smile on his face.

"And I'll see you, M'lady." As Ladybug turned, Chat noticed her smile drop into a frown, and her eyes tilted with sadness. Chat choked on his breath at the sight, but as he reached out to stop her she was already gone, up and over a building using her yo-yo.

He sighed and his shoulders sagged. "One chance," he muttered to himself, shaking his head in slow swings, "one chance."

Marinette dropped onto her bed roughly, the springs catching her weight. She let herself fall back on the comforter and the sheets billowed around her. A groan escaped her lips and she smacked her hands over her eyes.

She felt so guilty, the feeling was like an intense pressure on her chest. Everything in her told her to say no to Chat in the moment, but she broke under his gaze. Why did she have to be so bendable like that? What about Adrien? She has a crush on him, yet here she is, going out on a date with Chat Noir. It is a date, isn't it?

But that's not the real reason to her guilt. No, she's guilty because she does have a crush on Adrien, heck, she'd say it was love. Going on date with Chat isn't turning against Adrien, she wont be hurting him if she did this. If only she did have a relationship with him, then she'd have a valid reason to turn Chat down. All this is going to do is lead Chat on even more. She will hurt him. Her heart belongs to Adrien, not Chat. But... Chat Noir's her partner, her teammate. He's saved her too many times to keep track of. Maybe she does have a different place in her heart for him that she never even knew was there.

He deserves a chance. Just one at least.

"Your doing the right thing Marinette," Tikki said, hovering beside her. She turned her head toward her kwami and smiled.

"You really think so?" she asked, hoping Tikki wasn't just trying to make her feel better.

"Of course! Chat noir most likely loves you! Don't you think that's something to fight towards?" Tikki squeaked and Marinette sighed.

"Him loving me is exactly what I'm scared about Tikki."

Marinette eventually peeled herself off her bed and went into the shower. Her muscles sighed with the burning water falling over her shoulders. Every thought was flying through her head, so chaotically that she couldn't make sense of it at all. What did she really want? What should she do? Is she making the right decision? What is her decision? She shut her eyes tightly and bowed her head as she clenched her jaw under the flow of water.

Chat... he's always so caring and heroic. She can be comfortable around him, without stuttering and her face turning a hundred different shades of red. But... he can be almost too flirtatious and childish and that personal connection that good relationships have... their's lacked.

But Adrien... oh Adrien was hansom, the kindest person she knew, and he always stayed so loyal to his friends, even Chloe. And his smile, oh he had the best smile. Chat couldn't even compare to Adrien.

Marinette turned off the shower tap with force as the anger at herself welled in her chest. She was stupid, she was an idiot, she was a girl toying with a boys heart. She walked out of the shower and grabbed a towel off a rack and she headed back up to her room. In her room she found herself standing in front of the pictures of Adrien posted on her bedroom wall. What was she doing?

Yet Marinette dressed into a new pair of clothes and transformed back into her other self. Somehow she had to get through tonight without breaking Chat's heart. Or... even her own.

Marinette headed to the door to her balcony, when she heard her name being called from downstairs.

"Marinette!" her father called and she sighed as she backed away from the door.

"Spots off," she muttered, frustrated with herself at not remembering to deal with her parents. She detransformed and she walked over to the door on her bedroom floor.

"Yah dad!" Marinette yelled down as she opened the door. As her father came from around the corner and Marinette willed her face to look as exhausted as possible by half lidding her eyes closed and pulling her mouth into a frown.

"It's supper!" he informed as he looked up at her from down the stairs.

"Okay, okay," Marinette mumbled as she began trudging down the steps. Her father frowned as he noticed her state.

"Is everything okay Marinette?" he asked as she reached the bottom steps. The heels of her palms rubbed at her eyes tiredly and she yawned and moved her arm so it hung around her stomach.

"Not really... I'm exhausted and my stomach is hurting. Is it okay if I just go to bed and skip supper for tonight?" she asked and her father's eyebrows furrowed as he frowned down at her.

"Okay, if you need to. Ask if you need anything okay?" Marinette nodded her head while forcing another yawn.

"Of course papa. Tell mom I said goodnight," she mumbled with a pained smile and her father smiled back and patted the top of her head.

"Goodnight sweetheart," he said and Marinette made her wya back up to her room. She couldn't help the smile that came upon her face as she walked back towards her window.

"I think your going to enjoy this evening more than you expect Marinette," Tikki ensured as she hovered again by her shoulder. Marinette knew that Tikki was aware who Chat was behind the mask, and she wondered if that was why she was pushing for Marinette to do this.

She smiled over to her kwami. "I really hope so too," she said and her last words followed by a deep breath, "Tikki, spots on." Now it was time for her alter ego to go on a date with Chat noir.