"No, he's not. He's a flirt, a player. Why do you think I haven't told him yet?" Marinette asked. He didn't know she felt that way. Or any way like related, for that matter. He thought he was being friendly. Or at least funny.
But apparently not. Besides, he needed to watch his words as Adrien, too. He had almost called her Princess. He had also admitted the deepest secret he kept.
"Trust me. You can see it on his face," Adrien said, trying to reassure her. He couldn't say he loved her like this. Not like he wasn't him. He gave more of himself to her as Chat than anyone. He cursed under his breath.
"Does he flirt with other girls?"
"No. Why would he?"
"Because he flirts with anything that can wear a dress and look pretty."
"Fine. Let's talk about me. Ask me something."
"Do you like anyone?" Her voice was cautious. Was she worried?
He wanted to say,You, silly. You're my Princess. "Ladybug," he answered automatically. "She's so brave and pretty, the way she rescues everyone." He felt bad saying that. It was only a partial lie.
Marinette looked slightly put out. "Oh. I guess everyone likes Ladybug. Just the way it is, I guess."
Adrien hated himself. He couldn't lie, he couldn't tell the truth. What could he do?
"Well, everyone likes me just because of what my social status is. Not because of who I am, if that makes any sense."
"No," Marinette said, placing her hand on Adrien's knee. "No, it makes sense. I know the feeling."
"You do?"
"Yeah. Kind of hard to explain."
"Thanks."
"Good night," he said to Marinette, leaving her room. He was ready to transform. He had to know how she felt about Adrien. Not just Chat.
"Good night, Adrien," she said. They had spent the rest of the afternoon playing video games with her dad. He liked that.
"What am I going to do, Plagg?"
"Get me more cheese," he answered, flying out of Adrien's jacket. "You were the one who got yourself into this mess, kid."
"Claws out," he said, closing the door to the bathroom. He didn't lock it, but he did turn on the shower. He could get away with the shower excuse a lot.
Someone was walking through the hallway. "Adrien, dear?" Sabine asked through the door. "Are you alright? I thought you were going to bed."
"Just taking a shower, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng!" he lied. He opened the window, eagerly waiting for her to leave. He needed to talk to Marinette.
"Okay. Just make sure you're done in a few minutes; our water isn't very good."
"Yes, ma'am."
"I'm going to go to sleep, okay? Don't stay up too late."
"Yes, ma'am."
Her footsteps faded away, and Adrien turned the water off. He opened the window, and slid through. "Now to see my Princess," he muttered to himself.
He jumped onto the roof, and walked as quietly as possible, which was easy, considering how cat-like he was. He had to act like he didn't know. Like he was unarware of her feelings, like he didn't know he was staying with her.
When he saw the light on the balcony, he smiled. He couldn't control his excitement. (AN: I'll let this line go to the imagination.) Marinette was standing by the railing, waiting to see him arrive.
He inched slowly onto the balcony floor, tiptoeing to her. He put his hands over her eyes and said, "I heard Pretty Boy on your wall is staying the night."
"Hi, Chat," she said, taking his hands off. He settled his arms around her waist. She rested her hands on his.
"Hello, Purr-incess," he said, nuzzling her neck. He just wanted to smell that buttery, warm, chocolately smell she always had. He loved it.
"Wh-what are you doing, Chat?"
"Nothing," he said, "just trying to get you into a confession."
"Confession? I don't know what you mean."
"I thought you loved me," he said, hearing it come out as a teasing tone. Marinette tensed slightly. He got her.
"No, you stupid cat," she said shakily.
"No? Then why did you make croissants for me?"
"Because you like them."
"Exactly, Princess. Your knight gets hungry."
"But I don't love you anymore than I love my best friend," she said, pulling his hands off. She sounded sad.
She's lying.
"Then what about Mr. Model over there? You seem pretty goo-goo eyed about him," Chat said, pointing back into the house with his thumb. He could feel his anger rising. Why can't she just be honest? I came tonight to confess.
"Well, it's not what you think."
"Did he tell you anything?"
"That you loved me."
"Oh." He forgot. He couldn't go on like this, could he? "Well, he's not wrong. I actually came here tonight to get that off my chest. My way. But that kind of ruined it for me." He got a lump in his throat.
"I'm sorry, Chat. I-I can't. Not with the way you act. I... I love someone else."
"Adrien?"
Silence.
The lump in his throat got bigger. His eyes prickled. Chat cleared his throat, and sat down at the table on the balcony, taking a bite of a croissant, but didn't chew. He couldn't meet Marinette's eyes. Why would she lie to Adrien? And if that wasn't a lie, why did she lie to Chat Noir?
"You know, Adrien's pretty lucky. He didn't exactly say it, but I think he wanted you, on some level. I couldn't bear knowing that I was fighting a losing battle."
"I really am sorry, Chat. I'm should have said something earlier. I—"
"You know, when are you going to tell me the truth? Or at least tell Adrien? Because I was going to tell you something else, Marinette. My identity."
"R-really?" She scratched at herself. She must have felt truly awful.
"So I could actually open up a new door. One where I could actually put my faith in someone, at least for a while."
She was crying. She let out heart wrenching sobs, so much that he almost felt sorry. But he was angry. Angry at Ladybug. At Marinette. At the act he put up to be Adrien. His dad. His mom. Everyone.
"You know who should be crying?" she said through tears. "You, after what she put you through. What I put you through. And now you've lost us both to a guy you can't compete with."
He rose from his seat. "You said you loved Adrien. What's so different about me, huh? I fell in love with a perfect girl, the one who I knew would stand by my side. She was kindaeverything re worried about a model than a friend.
"Then came you. I thought you would be my forever friend. Forever partner, maybe. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw yours. I could still smell your scent, no matter what I washed or bleached. It was like that with everything! I realized I must have fell pretty hard. Harder than with Ladybug.
"And when I feel like I'm about to die from not telling you, I learn that you love the same guy. You lied to him. I thought I had a chance. Some one who understood me. Someone... who loved me."
"You don't deserve someone like me. I lied to Adrien, lied to you. I can't make up my mind. But with the way you flirt with everyone, I knew you were the worst option," Marinette said, sitting down. "But if you felt so strongly, why did you do it?"
"To see if you cared, Marinette. I would have told you if you had asked. The one thing that's different about Adrien and me, is that he pretends. He's afraid. Too afraid of what he might lose. He didn't deserve someone like you."
"Is it too late to change my mind? To have a moment of clarity while you were in confusion?" Marinette looked up at Chat, her eyes pleading.
She walked over to him, so close he could touch her nose with his. "Please, Chat. Whoever you are under that mask, I love you. I might sound like a liar, but I can prove it to you. I will love you for a long time. Maybe forever. Just say something!"
"Do I really need to say it, Princess?" he said, taking a step onto the balcony rail. "You know how I feel. But does Adrien know how you feel? You said you hate liars. So why did you become one?"
He bounded off, angrier than before. When he made a circle around paris, he let the tears come.
Twice. Two different girls. Both in love with the model, not the boy.
He screamed, and cursed to everything he could think of. This cat was in more pain than ever
