Chapter 2: WHAT!

- Narrator -

Ladybug was completely stunned. Here she was after an akuma attack being embraced and kissed by Chat Noir. She had been hugged by Chat before, she had even kissed him once when he was under Dark Cupid's control, but this, this was different. She could feel the passion in his embrace; the desire in his lips. She always suspected that he had a little crush on her but this this was more than a little crush. His feelings for her were deeper than she even imagined.

As Chat slowly pulled away, he looked in Ladybug's eyes hoping for some sort of positive reaction. Instead he was met with her shocked and emotionless body. Panic began to overtake him as he feared he had screwed up.

"Ladybug?" He said cautiously.

Just then, Ladybug's earring began to beep knocking her out of her frozen state.

"My miraculous is wearing off, I need to go now." She said without looking him in the eye.

"Wait Ladybug I can exp…" He began, but she had already looped her yo-yo around a chimney and was taking off at full speed.

Chat slowly crouched down, running his fingers through his hair. "What have I done?" He said in sorrow.


- Adrien -

Adrien began to pace around his room trying to come to terms with the events that had occurred. How could I have just kissed her like that! That was so stupid! And her reaction, is was so confusing. Did she like it? Did she hate it? Is she furious with me? She left so quickly without so much as a glance in my direction. What does this mean for the Bug and Cat team? What if she never wants to speak to me again? Gasp what if she never wanted to see me again? Adrien continued to worry, drowning in his own thoughts round and round his room.

After Ladybug had left, he had sat there on the sidewalk for a few seconds, too panicked to move. However, hearing his miraculous beep prompted him to begin heading home.

"ADRIEN! You've been pacing for 30 minutes already! Can't you take a break already?" Cried Plagg.

"Why are you so upset, I've already given you your cheese?"

"My stomach has nothing to do with this." Exclaimed Plagg. "You're not going to get anywhere walking around in circles in your room and if you want my advice you need to relax for a while."

"RELAX, that's your sage advice? I just kissed Ladybug! And not just any kiss a passionate one at that. And did you see the way that she looked at me? She was completely shocked and unwilling to look me in the eye! This is bad Plagg, really bad."

"I don't get what the big deal it. Weren't you planning on confessing to her anyways?"

Adrien paused. Plagg did have a point, he had planned to confess his feelings to Ladybug and have even tried once last Valentine's Day. "Maybe this isn't as bad as I thought," pondered Adrien.

"Glad you finally realized, now can you finally take a break from all this pacing?"

Adrien sighed as he finally sat down on his couch. Plagg flew over and sat on his shoulder.

"Finally listening to the wisdom of the cat god."

"Cat god?" Questioned Adrien.

"I'm an immortal being who has lived for thousands of years and grants mystical powers to chosen individuals. That clearly make me a god." Plagg exclaimed.

Adrien chuckled as he moved from his couch to his desk and began surfing the web.

"What are you doing?" inquired Plagg and he flew over and landed on Adrien's shoulder.

Adrien smiled, "planning the perfect first date to make my lady fall head over heels for me. My old Valentine's plans need a little bit of tweeking to fit this new situation."

Plagg paused. "So the poem that you were working on wasn't the only plan you had for confessing your feelings?"

"Of course not, I also planned the perfect date as a backup encase she was unsure about dating me. I couldn't implement it before, but now I can."


- Marinette -

"Marinette?" Tikki exclaimed. "You've been lying in bed for almost half an hour already."

Marinette simply looked at her kwami before rolling to her other side, clearly not wanting to talk about it. Tikki, not easily discouraged, flew to the other side of Marinette and sat down on her pillow.

"Wallowing isn't going to get you anywhere you know." The kwami explained.

"I know Tikki, I just don't know what to do?" Marinette cupped the kwami in her hands before sitting up. "I always suspected that Chat had a little crush on me, but that kiss was so passionate. I could feel the emotions emanating from that simply gesture."

"Is it really so bad that Chat Noir has serious feelings for you?"

"Yes!" Marinette cried before getting up and walking down the steps from her bed. "I love Adrien not Chat. I've always loved Adrien!" She glances at her Adrien posters all over her room. "He's smart, funny, gorgeous, and talented; I mean how many people do you know who speak fluent mandarin, play the piano, fence, and excel at modeling." She plops down on her computer chair before spinning it around. "He just so perfect. One day we'll be eating ice cream in the park and then a child will fall and scrape their knee in front of us..." Marinette continues in her wild fantasies until she and Adrien end up married with three kids.

Tikki rolls her eyes as she listens to Marinette's monologue.

"Adrien is everything I've ever wanted." Marinette stars passionately at her computer screen with her head on her arms. Her background consists of a collage of various Adrien pictures with random hearts everywhere. Such beautiful green eyes he has. Thought Marinette as she continued to gaze at her Adrien collage. Green eyes…her head shot up and she remembered why she was wallowing in the first place. Chat Noir is in love with me, I have to do something about this.

Tikki noticed Marinette's change in posture and concluded that she was back to thinking about Chat Noir again.

"If you love Adrien so much and not Chat, then why don't you confess to him?"

Marinette groans, "what if he turns me down? What if he doesn't feel the same way? What if he never wants to speak to me again? I mean, he's him and I'm just, well, me." Marinette flops her head down on her desk.

"Marinette, you are an amazing young lady. Any guy would be lucky to have you." Tikki flew to Marinette's shoulder and gently placed on hand on it. "You're creative, smart, brave, trustworthy, and responsible, I mean you manage to save Paris on almost a weekly bases. How many girls can say they've done that?"

"But that's as Ladybug, as Marinette I'm just your average, clumsy girl."

"That's not true." Tikki frowned in annoyance. Marinette stared at the kwami, taken back by her annoyed tone. She's usually so upbeat and cheerful, why does she seem a little upset? "You are Ladybug, with or without the mask. Sure the transformation gives you superpowers, but the mask is not what makes you Ladybug. You are the hero of Paris, you are Ladybug." Tikki flew to Marinette's forehead and nuzzled up against it. "When Chat Noir was being threatened by Antibug it was Marinette who saved him. When your classmates were in danger due to the Dark Knight, it was Marinette not Ladybug who kept them calm and kept them safe. As Marinette you've won the Derby contest, stood up to Chloe by becoming class president, designed the album cover for Jagged Stone, made a banner to support your friends in their race, won the Mecha Strike III contest. I could go on forever about how amazing you are and everything that you've accomplished without the aid of superpowers, but I fear we'd be here all night." Tikki chuckled. "I wish you could see what I see."

Marinette smiled as she nuzzled Tikki back. Tikki had told her many times that it wasn't her superpowers that made her Ladybug, but somehow she just could never really accept it. As Ladybug she felt so strong and confident it was almost like she was another person. As Marinette, she was so clumsy and full of self-doubt. Nevertheless, Tikki had a point. She had managed to accomplish a lot as clumsy Marinette. She also knew that there was more to being a hero than just possessing superpowers. Still she hesitated to place herself on par with Ladybug; after all, Ladybug was a superhero who saved the entire city of Paris on multiple occasions. Even with what Marinette had managed to accomplish as a civilian, it was nowhere near what she had accomplished as Ladybug. Besides, Adrien didn't know she was Ladybug, all he knew and saw was Marinette.

"Even if your right," Marinette began, "Adrien doesn't see me that way."

"Chat does," Tikki stated.

Marinette frowned as she looked at her kwami. She opened her mouth to speak only to close it again a few seconds later. She didn't know how to respond to Tikki's comment and it irritated her. So what if Chat sees me differently, that doesn't change anything, does it?

"Marinette, what do you actually think of Chat Noir?" Tikki inquired.

Marinette let out a small laugh before answering. "For one thing he's a total show off, always rushing in head first without thinking. He's always cracking puns and is the biggest flirt I've ever met. He's also incredible nosey; why does he want to know who I really am any…" Marinette was interrupted as a thought crossed her mind. Because he loves you, that's why.

"Sounds like you really hate him," Tikki explained.

"I don't hate him, I mean his my partner after all. He's a great fighter and some of his puns are kinda funny." Marinette smiled as she remembered some of his better jokes. "I hate to admit it, but I'm glad that he's around. Knowing that he has my back puts me at ease when fighting akumas. This job would be a lot harder without him, we are a team after all, unstoppable. But that's all we are, teammates, regardless of Chat's feelings for me."

"If that's your answer, then you need to be honest with Chat and turn him down."

Marinette groaned, "I know, I just don't want to hurt his feelings or ruin our team dynamic."

Tikki flew to Marinette's cheek and gave her a supportive hug. "I know it will be unpleasant, but I'm sure Chat will under…"

Tikki paused as she heard footsteps approaching. She quickly hid as Marinette's mother poked her head through the trap door.

"Marinette it's dinner time."

"I'll be down in a second."

Sabine smiled warmly as she closed the trapdoor and slowly descended the staircase. Waiting until she knew Sabine was gone, Tikki flew out of her hiding place and sat down on Marinette's desk. Marinette sighed before joining her parents downstairs for dinner.