Chapter 2
A few days had passed after that incident and Marinette still couldn't work up the nerve to confront Chat Noir.
Every single time she made up her mind to do so, her heart tried to find some or the other excuse to postpone the inevitable. The thought of breaking one of her best friends' heart made her feel extremely uncomfortable and guilty.
I can't go on hiding this from him forever. It would be a different thing altogether if I really didn't know what he meant. As it is, I just happen to know and now…. If I don't tell him, it'll be like lying to him! And I hate lying…
All these thoughts, emotions and feelings kept on playing in a never-ending loop in the worried girl's head, till she heartily wished Chat Noir had never fallen in love with her.
But as quickly as that rather selfish thought came, it was squashed as the girl remembered her own actions towards her partner.
How must he have felt while confessing to me…. I wish I had not brushed him off so casually.
It took courage, after all, to reveal one's true feelings for someone, no matter who they were. A courage which she herself didn't have, Marinette thought rather bitterly as an image of her own love came to her mind.
She sighed out loud for the tenth time that day, spurring Alya to nudge her rather roughly in a clear gesture of What's going on with you?
But she stubbornly refused to elaborate as she banished away all her errant thoughts and tried to concentrate on her Geography lesson.
Today. I'll tell him today. Come what may.
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Unfortunately, whatever plans she may have had flew out the window as screams sounded outside. "Akuma!"
Great, she thought resignedly as she raised her hand and requested to use the washroom, barely noticing the blond-haired boy that did the same.
Just great.
Ladybug and Chat Noir reached the scene of action almost at the same time. Greeting each other rather awkwardly, they readied themselves in a battle stance, trying to figure out what kind of akumatized person they had to deal with this time.
"I am Intelligentia!" the akumatized person yelled out as she spotted her adversaries advancing upon her. "And I will drill some common sense into all of you!"
"Intelligentia?" Chat Noir questioned, surprised. "That's new. I wonder what's the story behind this one."
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Flashback~
"And so, that's how I came to this conclusion," Colette finished her presentation.
"That's fine and all but…" her co-workers looked hesitant. "It's kind of difficult to understand. Could you run through that again?"
Colette's mouth twitched but she complied nonetheless. After presenting her research for the second time, she turned with a sigh to her colleagues. "That's why I think we should sponsor this organization."
Her co-workers just looked at each other and shrugged, and her boss stood up. "It's… certainly detailed, but… I think we should stick to what we always do."
"But there's so much benefits for the company if we do it this way!" She protested in disbelief.
"Your method is kind of…. complicated," Her boss said reluctantly.
"Excuse me," Colette said stiffly as she walked out of the conference room. Once outside, she sank down to the floor in disappointment. "Why can't they understand what I'm trying to say? Why don't they have common sense…."
She barely registered the purple butterfly making a beeline towards her…..
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"No thanks!" Ladybug called out as she dodged one of Intelligentia's attacks. "My common sense is telling me not to go anywhere near you!"
Chat Noir glanced at her, delighted. "My Lady, that was extremely astute of you!" He winked at her.
Ladybug rolled her eyes with accustomed familiarity. In that moment everything seemed back to normal, their banter the same as usual. As it should be, her mind whispered.
But then she looked over at her partner, who was staring at her intently, searching her eyes for something- she had a niggling feeling she knew what it was- and she remembered, all too soon, what had last passed between them.
The two of them flushed and dragged their eyes away from each other to the scene before them.
"Any idea where the akuma is?" Chat asked, trying to keep his voice as normal as possible.
The spotted heroine ignored the own heaviness in her chest as she expertly dodged another attack and observed the akuma's get-up. Intelligentia wore a long, black gown, reminiscent of a graduation gown with a tassled cap.
"She's holding something in her hand…maybe that's where the akuma is!"
She threw her yo-yo up towards the sky to call for her lucky charm, only to suddenly be tackled to the ground by a pair of strong arms. "LOOK OUT!"
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The duo rolled over and over until they came to a stop, Chat's arms wrapped around Ladybug to prevent her from the worst impact.
"Chat! You got hit! Are you okay?" Ladybug asked frantically, kneeling besides her partner.
Chat sat up with a groan and passed a hand over his eyes. "I…don't know," he admitted. "I feel a bit weird."
He raised his eyes to meet her alarmed blue ones, and suddenly, everything was as clear as day.
His eyes widened as he took in her hair, eyes, and those small freckles that surely no one but he knew about.
HOW did I not see it before?
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Before he could come to terms with what he had just realized, Ladybug jumped to her feet and he found himself automatically following.
He was still a bit dazed as Ladybug called for her lucky charm. He went through the motions of distracting Intelligentia and Cataclysm almost mechanically, his mind whirling around one and one thought only.
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Marinette was Ladybug.
After the battle was over, Ladybug ignored their usual "Pound it!" in favour of checking up on Chat Noir. He had barely said a word after he had been hit, and she was worried.
"Chat Noir? Are you okay?"
His eyes snapped to hers then, and there were so many emotions highlighted in the green irises that Ladybug felt confused. What was going on?
The beeping of their Miraculous spurred him to speak. "I'm okay," he replied. Yeah, right. I just discovered that you are the adorable girl that sits behind me in class so of COURSE I'm okay.
"Are you sure? You look…. strange," Ladybug said, scrutinizing him closely.
Closing his hand over hers, he brought it up to his mouth to press a kiss on it, eyes never leaving hers. Ladybug felt herself automatically blushing at the intensity in them.
"I'm more than okay," he said, eyes boring into hers intently. "I'm purrfectly fine, Ladybug."
"Okay!" Ladybug squeaked out, her voice an octave higher. "I'll be going then! S-See you later!"
As he watched her bright red form disappearing in between the rooftops, Chat Noir smiled sincerely. "Sooner than you think, my Lady. Sooner than you think."
"Tikki!" Marinette moaned as she trudged up to her room after school. "I didn't even get the chance to think about telling him, let alone actually tell him!"
"Maybe you can-" Tikki began, only to stop suddenly as a thump sounded from above on the balcony. "What was that?" Marinette looked at her, eyes widening slightly in fear.
"I don't know, but stay low, Tikki." Cautiously, Marinette ascended towards the hatch, only to freeze as a series of knocks sounded on it. "What in the-"
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"Who's there?" She grabbed a pillow from her bed- as if it would be of any help- and waited breathlessly for any further movement.
"It's me, Princess!" A familiar voice answered, and Marinette relaxed ever-so-slightly. Not too much, because he was the last person she wanted to see right now, after all. "Chat Noir?"
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She nodded at Tikki, then drew in a deep breath, before opening the hatch as Chat Noir moved aside to let her climb up. Always the gentleman, he politely extended a hand for her to take. Grabbing his hand, she pulled herself out on her balcony.
"What are you doing here, Chat Noir? Is there an akuma?" She inquired a bit worriedly, and he hastened to reassure her. "No, no, nothing of the sort," he quickly answered. "I just- I just wanted to talk with you." He rubbed the side of his neck shyly, and she was suddenly taken aback by the familiarity of the gesture.
"Okay," Marinette replied, confused. She looked around uncertainly. "Uhh, if you would like to sit in my recliner-" she motioned awkwardly towards it.
"No, it's fine." He said, and then lapsed into silence. Neither knew quite what to say, and the air became a little strained and awkward.
"Marinette, I'm going to say this straight out, so please listen to me, okay?" Chat Noir suddenly said, catching her off guard with the sincerity of his voice. He looked pleadingly at her.
"O-Okay!" Marinette squeaked out. Gosh, is that the only word I'm capable of saying today?
Chat Noir looked nervous as he gathered his thoughts together and attempted to speak. "I know you're Ladybug!" he blurted out desperately.
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The secret superheroine froze.
A million thoughts swirled around in her head as Chat's words hit her full in her face.
"W-What do you mean?" She attempted weakly. "I don't know what you're talking about!" she insisted.
Chat Noir sighed and passed a hand over his face. "I'm not lying. Today, when Intelligentia blasted me with her common sense beam, I- I just knew then." He ducked his head down, suddenly afraid of her reaction.
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A feeling of dread settled in the pit of Marinette's stomach as she began to realize, in horror, that Chat Noir really was serious.
Another silence stretched between them, tense and anxious this time.
It seemed like eternity before Chat Noir spoke up quietly, fiddling with his ring and still not daring to look up at her. "Are you- are you mad at me?"
He peeked up from beneath his bangs as Marinette stepped closer to him, letting out a sigh of resignation. "No, I'm not, kitty," she admitted and Chat Noir felt like soaring into the sky at the familiar nickname. "Really?" He asked hopefully, stepping closer as well.
"It's not your fault,'' she smiled up at him then and he nearly lost it because omg she was so CUTE. "It could have been worse, like a normal person finding out. I'd rather you were the one."
She let out a small eep as she was crushed in a hug then, giggling a little lightheadedly. "Happy it's me, kitty?" she teased.
"You have no idea." He replied hoarsely, nearly on the verge of tears, and she felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach. He pulled back to gaze into her eyes, and she nearly gasped from the intensity of his look. "You have no idea how happy I am that it's you, Marinette."
She stepped away from him, clearing her throat as he suddenly turned red and looked at the ground. "That's- uhh- good to hear!"
Why am I stuttering? It's only Chat Noir, not Adrien! She mentally scolded herself.
Adrien…
She remembered what he had been trying to say that day and gulped. "Chat Noir- that day- you-"
"I love you." He cut her off gently.
Marinette's eyes snapped to his, wide open and startled. "You- really love me?" she whispered.
.
And suddenly, she realized that he didn't even need to say it. She could see it in his eyes, so gentle and tender as they looked into her own. Every single time he took a hit for her, shielded her in the middle of the battle, smirked that annoying grin of his, or called her my Lady- he had proclaimed it a hundred times, and she had never noticed it.
Her eyes dropped to the ground and she fought the wave of tears that threatened to overtake her. "There's- there's someone else I like."
"Is it Adrien?"
His voice was teasing, but the way she snapped up her head, eyes blown wide open in shock- made him pause.
"You- you- really like him?"
His voice was incredulous and surprised.
She didn't even need to confirm it. Her whole body language practically screamed it out for her.
Chat Noir's eyes widened.
The way she would stutter and stammer around him. Her blushes whenever he was in the immediate vicinity. Her inability to string a coherent sentence around him.
Oh. My. Gosh.
The posters in her room. They were everywhere.
How did I not notice?
And I thought she was just a fan.
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He groaned and sank to the ground under the weight of all these revelations. "I'm such an idiot," he muttered, running his hands through his already messy hair.
"Chat Noir?" Marinette asked timidly. "Are you okay?"
No. No he was NOT okay.
He stood up rather dazedly, and glanced at the girl in front of him. A blush heated up his cheeks as he realized that his Lady- his Princess- may have an obsession to rival that of his own.
"It's really late. I- I ought to go now." He jumped up onto the railing.
"But we haven't finished talking yet!" She protested.
"Later, Princess." He turned around, ready to leap off into the darkness, before remembering something.
He jumped down again and made his way over to her. In a move neither of them anticipated, he leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Sleep well, lovebug."
Before she could retaliate, he was gone.
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Marinette sank to the floor, cheeks bright red as Tikki flew out of the hatch. "Marinette?" She poked her when she didn't respond right away.
"Chat Noir! That! That insufferable flirt!" the girl protested hotly, stomping back into her room.
"You liked it though, didn't you?" Tikki said slyly.
Her holder's red face as she turned hastily away said it all.