Sorry this took so long and on top of that is a short chapter, I have had this chapter 'ready' for a bit but hadn't gotten around to uploading it because of computer issues. Thank you for being patient :)
Marinette pov:
Adrien and Alya had tried to approach me throughout the day, but I just dragged Nathanael with me and away from them. He didn't seem to care, just looked a bit... concerned.
Maybe he was still crushing, poor Nathanael.
~after school at Marinette's house~
I lay on my bed thinking about today's events after having completed all my homework, chores, and tearing down my posters of Adrien.
But I can't hold it in anymore, I start crying again and Tikki tries to console me for a while, but soon she retreats to her little bed behind my desk.
After a couple of minutes I hear a knock on my terrace window, I check the clock and it reads nine P.M. The only person that'd be able to reach my balcony is me as Ladybug, and Chat. I consider just leaving him out there, after all why's he here now? But I unlock the hatch after he knocks again, letting him come in by himself, and huddle back underneath my blankets and cat pillow.
"Hello Purr-incess"
"What are you doing here?" I ask before he can say anything else "I was in the neighborhood and figured I'd visit my princess, can't blame a cat for that can you?"
I guess, but you only ever 'checked' on me a couple of times the week after the Evillustrator incident, why are you suddenly here now? I just murmur "I'm not yours" instead though, but thanks to his cat ears, he hears me. "Hmmm, maybe not, but as your knight in shining leather I think you should at least tell me why your crying". I tense up, of course he noticed, my eyes are probably all red and blotchy, but should I really tell him?
"Come on Mari, who did this to you?"
Well, I know he's trustworthy, but he doesn't really know Marinette. Yeah he knows ladybug the adored and loved confident hero; but that's not who he's talking to right now.
I realize with a start he has his arms around my shoulder in a side hug, when he'd get there? I try to push him away but he pulls me sideways to where my face is in his chest. "You can tell me anything you know" he murmurs stroking my hair. Which just triggers the tears to come back.
Adrien's P.O.V
I fell her shaking while she cries and feel a couple silent tears slide outta my eyes too, she's going through this because of me. I wipe away my tears and just hold her, whispering (hopefully) consoling words in her ear while stroking her hair. I close my eyes and rest my chin on her head, but then I hear a faint flutter.
I look up and see a black butterfly making its way towards the cat pillow next to Marinette. I quickly pull Marinette away from me, leaving her safely on the bed, before lurching forward and catching the butterfly between my claws.
I don't know what to do with it, but I know I can't let it touch my princess, so I impulsively call upon my Cataclysmic and watch the butterfly disintegrate.
Marinette's P.O.V.
I feel Chat set me down and lurch forward, I wipe my tears away and see him catch something in his claws, an akuma, he hesitates for a minute but then summons Cataclysm.
I watch in horror as the ashes of the butterfly fall from his hands onto my floor "you.. YOU KILLED IT" I stumble forward and land on my knees next to the remnants, good thing my parents went to sleep early or they would've surely heard that.
He flinches but holds his gaze on me "I couldn't just let it get to you Marinette, you were going to be akumatized!"
I guess he's right, what would Paris do without Ladybug to purify the akuma? But it's not like he knows I'm her...
"But it was just as much a victim as the people" I say, but then I look down and see that it's slowly reconstructing itself. "Umm.. C..Chat" I point at the floor, " I take it back, I don't think it's dead".
He looks down just as the butterfly completely reconstructs, and starts to make it's way to me. I shuffle backwards fearfully until my back is against the side of my bed and watch as the butterfly flutters up to my face.
I close my eyes and wait to hear the cold voice of Hawkmoth... but it doesn't come. I look up and see Chat has caught it in a jar that had previously been full of old material scraps. Will that last? I stand up and take the jar out of his hands to examine the creature.
I find that it's not black, but a very dark purple with lighter purple streaks. The butterfly tries to slip out and with a yelp I throw the jar back at Chat.
Luckily he catches it "I should get going princess, M'Lady and I have patrol later today. I should get this to her before it gets away again." After fixating the Akuma back in the jar he leaps out the trap door and into the night.
I sit on my bed as Tikki floats up to me, "Marinette, I know your sad, but we can't have Ladybug be Akumatized! What if Chat hadn't been here?!"
"I know Tikki, it's just, it hurts... a lot." She looks exasperated as she answered "But he said he liked Ladybug, that's you!" She doesn't get it " Tikki he didn't fall for the real me me! I'm not that brave heroine he sees on T.V., that person is just a facade."
"Marinette you need to stop being so doubtful of yourself!"
" Chat's heading to patrol, we should too" I say to try and end this conversation, "You can't run from your emotions you know "
I can sure try though "Tikki, spots on!"
I admit, I've been lazy but hopefully I'll finish the next chapter soon and be able to upload it. Considering school ended about two weeks ago and I still haven't uploaded shows how I didn't really think before I first uploaded XD But, I am officially a highschooler, more stress here I come. anywaysss sorry enough about me:
I wasn't really satisfied with the way the ending of this chapter was structured so please feel free to leave me any more suggestions in the reviews.
