Another update! I'm getting the hang of this schedule thing. I worked really hard on this chapter and I hope you all enjoy. In the rest of my free time, I also created this AMV tribute to Miraculous Ladybug. It'd be awesome if you could check it out. I worked really hard on it.
watch?v=A0BxJmqfB_A
Thanks again for all the support! It means so much. :)
Marinette raced to get her homework done and then waited patiently by her window for Chat Noir to come. The sun couldn't set fast enough. She was strangely excited to see him tonight. It had been a great day and seeing Chat Noir would only make it better. "You seem excited!" Tikki observed. "Is something special happening tonight?"
"Not really, but I have a sweet surprise for Chat Noir!"
"And not for me," Tikki frowned. Her little pout was extremely adorable. Marinette laughed and pulled out a plate with some extra macarons. "I didn't forget you, Tikki," she smiled. Tikki flew over and began to gobble up the treats. Her love of sweets almost rivaled Plagg's of cheese. "When is he going to get here?" Marinette wondered. She looked at herself using her phone's camera. She had no stray hairs out of place and nothing on her face. "Wait, why do I care about all that?" Marinette accidentally said aloud. "About what?" Tikki asked, crumbs on her face and her mouth filled with food. "It's nothing, Tikki. Sorry to disrupt your meal." Tikki shrugged and returned to eating.
Tikki finished her macarons and told Marinette she was going to go to sleep early tonight. She nuzzled herself into the tiny bed Marinette made for her. Tikki's bed was currently under Marinette's bed so that if anyone walked into her room, Tikki wouldn't be seen. Marinette checked the clock. It was 10:00. "C'mon kitty!" Marinette moaned. "I can't stay up all night!" Almost on cue, Chat Noir appeared in the window. His tail was fluttering around excitingly. "Finally!" Marinette sighed as she let him into the room. "You're late tonight," she told him. "Late?" he said, pretending to be offended. "This is early for me. My lady and I are used to extremely late nights."
"Whatever you say. Sit down here." Marinette gestured to her desk chair. She grabbed Chat's hand and pulled him to the chair, pushing him down in the seat. "What's going on?" he asked cautiously. "Close your eyes, kitty!" Marinette smiled. "I have a surprise for you!"
"A surprise?" Chat Noir closed his eyes and felt something get placed into his hands. "You can open them now," Marinette told him. He opened his eyes and found himself holding a bag of bakery goods. It was the exact same thing Marinette had given him earlier as Adrien. Chat Noir began to howl with laughter. His princess had gotten him the safe gift twice. He hadn't even tried the treats in the first gift yet. "What's so funny?" Marinette pouted. She looked disappointed. "Do you not like it?"
"I love it Princess," Chat Noir grinned. He stood up and rubbed Marinette's head, messing up her hair. "Now tell me what you did today," he eagerly requested. He jumped onto her bed with his signature smile. "Why do you want to know?" Marinette asked. "I'm just interested," Chat Noir replied. Truthfully, he wanted to know how Marinette felt about how the day went. He liked hearing her talk about him which was kind of conceited, but he didn't care. "Well…" Marinette began. "School was boring, but when isn't it? And then I went out with a couple of friends after school. That was it."
"A couple of friends? What kind of friends?"
"Normal friends."
"Princess, you can't hide things from this cat. He knows all." Marinette crossed her arms and shook her head. This cat wanted details. He seemed much too concerned about Marinette's life. Perhaps it was from Ladybug withdrawals. He needed somebody to talk to. It was a little sad to see him so desperate. "Fine, I'll tell," Marinette conceded, throwing up her hands in defeat. "Adrien, the boy I like, came along and we had a great time. He even walked me home. It was a dream come true." Marinette's eyes had a distant look as she fantasized about what happened that afternoon. "I'm proud of you, Princess," Chat Noir said, snapping Marinette out of her fantasies. "You breaking down the wall."
"Thanks," Marinette blushed. She sat down in her bed and laid down next to Chat Noir. It caught him off guard. "Isn't our position a little suggestive, Princess?" he asked. "No," Marinette grinned. "You're just a silly kitty. You won't do anything." That was true. Chat Noir was a gentleman and a gentleman never forced himself upon a lady, not that he felt that way about Marinette though. Right? Chat Noir watched Marinette play with her hair as she continued to talk about her day. Her words weren't processing in his brain. He was too focused on her face. His eyes traveled down to her lips. They were pink and soft-looking. They had a slight shine to them. She must have put on lip gloss. "Wow…" Chat Noir thought. He unconsciously leaned closer to her until he realized what he was doing. He moved back quickly and pretended to be listening to Marinette. "What was that? Are you crazy?" Chat Noir wondered why he was so distracted by Marinette. Something about him didn't seem quite right about him tonight.
"Chat, are you even listening?" Marinette asked, slightly irritated. Chat Noir was still thinking to himself and hadn't noticed Marinette asking him a question. "If you didn't want to hear, you didn't have to ask," Marinette grumbled. She flicked Chat Noir's ear, bringing his attention back to her. "Oh, sorry Princess," he apologized. "There was something on my mind."
"What is it?" Marinette wanted to hear. She wanted to understand Chat Noir better. She wanted to know about his problems, his likes and dislikes. He didn't reveal much about himself when he was around Ladybug. She knew he had some family problems, but other than that, she knew nothing. He could be very secretive, sometimes even more than her. Chat Noir debated whether or not to tell her. "Geez, Marinette. I'm just distracted by the way your lips look tonight and how beautiful you are. Did I mention how beautiful you are?" No, he couldn't say that. It would make her uncomfortable. "It was nothing important," Chat Noir finally said. Marinette looked at him with a worried expression. He was hiding something from her. He always had a strange look in his eyes when he wasn't telling the truth.
"If something is bothering you, you can always tell me," Marinette told him. "I know Ladybug isn't around for you to confide in, but I am."
"Thanks, Princess." Chat Noir stood up and got out of Marinette's bed. "I think it's time for me to go now." He needed some time to figure things out. Marinette followed suit and got up. She was disappointed that he was leaving so soon. He had hardly been here for half an hour. Marinette didn't know what had prompted him to want to leave so quickly. "Okay, be safe out there," she smiled. "And thanks for the good night kiss last night. I appreciate it." Chat Noir was surprised by Marinette's slightly flirty attitude. It was usually him who made sly comments like that. "I-it was my pleasure," he stammered. Why was he stuttering? Normally, he had no trouble with girls. Even around Ladybug, he was calm, cool, and confident. Marinette made him feel unsure and nervous. He couldn't tell why. He left the room the quickly to hide his blushing face though it was mostly covered by his mask.
When Chat Noir left, Marinette cursed herself. "Why did I say that?" she moaned. "That sounded so weird, like I like him or something."
"Do you?" That voice from before came back. Marinette's mind began to race. "Like Chat Noir? How's that possible? I've rejected the cat since the first day we met. But he's been so nice to me as Marinette. But what about Adrien? I love him." Marinette's heart beat sped up as she thought about the two boys in her life. Could it be possible she liked them both? "No, that's not okay!" Marinette thought. "You can't like them both." They were two different people with different personalities. But when she thought about it, they really weren't. They had the same physical appearance and the same love of puns and jokes. They were always kind to Marinette and concerned about her. They had the same loving heart. "Is this why I can't decide? Is it because they are too similar? Does it even matter who I like?" Marinette's heart sank. She knew Adrien didn't love her and probably never would. They could become friends, but they'd never move past that. And Chat Noir loved Ladybug. He loved her more than anything else in the world. Marinette was Ladybug, but Ladybug wasn't Marinette. People loved Ladybug because she was brave and strong, things that Marinette wasn't. If Chat Noir knew the truth about her, he'd be disappointed.
"This sucks," Marinette groaned. She fell onto her bed face first. She gave a hiss from the pain in her arm. She forgot she couldn't aimlessly move around anymore. Her arm was still very much broken. She stared at her cast. "This is the cause of all this," she thought. "If I hadn't broken my arm, Chat Noir wouldn't be coming over every night and I could still be out there protecting Paris." She had forgotten about her superhero duties. Marinette had been so focused on Adrien and Chat Noir, she forgot her real job. Thank goodness there had been no akuma attacks, but she didn't know how long her luck would hold out for. If there was an akuma attack, Ladybug was the only one who could deevilize it. She'd need to come up with a plan if that happened. Tired after all her inner debate, Marinette fell asleep, still confused and lovesick.
The next three weeks followed the same pattern. Marinette would go to school and spend the day with Adrien. Then, she'd go home and spend the night with Chat Noir. She enjoyed spending time with both of them. To her good fortune, there were no akuma attacks. Probably because Chloe had begun to stop being so bitchy at school. Marinette didn't think it was because she had a change in attitude, but because Adrien no longer hesitated to call her out. It was refreshing not having to deal with Chloe's antics on a daily basis.
As the days went by, Marinette tried to figure out what her heart was telling her. When she saw the smile on Adrien's face every morning, she knew she loved him. She loved seeing him happy. When he spoke to her, her heart soared. When he briefly brushed her shoulder when helping her with an assignment, she thought she might pass out. On the other hand, she was excited when she was with Chat Noir. Maybe it was just the fact that together they were Ladybug and Chat Noir. He was her connection to Ladybug while her arm was broken. Perhaps there was no love there at all. It was simply desire. Her desire to return to being Ladybug. Her feelings for Chat Noir must be a combination of this and their deep friendship. Chat Noir was the first male friend Marinette had ever had. Having a male friend was very different from having a female one. No wonder Marinette felt weird around Chat Noir sometimes. She wasn't used to this type of friendship. A few weeks passed and Marinette finally decided who her heart belonged to after much debate. It had to be Adrien.
Whenever she heard stories about his distant father, she wanted to comfort him. When she saw his happiness after receiving her sweets, she wanted to shower him with presents to replicate that smile. She was grateful for all his help during school. He was smart, not to mention popular, but he revealed to her that he always felt kind of alone. He had friends of course, like her and Nino, but he never felt connected to others. Marinette didn't want him to be alone. She wanted to be by his side. She wanted to give her all for him. She loved his sun-kissed hair and the way tiny dimples appeared when he smiled. She loved the sound of his voice which was always full of understanding and kindness. Most of all, she loved the way he stood by her. Whenever Chloe acted up or Marinette had a problem, Adrien would always come to her rescue. She didn't need a rescuer. She would be fine on her own, but it was a wonderful feeling to have someone supporting her. These were all the things Marinette loved about Adrien. She had always thought about these things, but had never put it into words. She never considered why she loved Adrien, but now she knew.
Meanwhile, Adrien's heart was also beginning to shift. In the beginning of Ladybug's absence, he missed her. His heart longed for her and there was a void in his life that seemed like it couldn't be filled. The nights were long and void of emotion. But this all changed because of Marinette. He loved the way she smiled and how she reached out to others. Everyone in class adored her. She managed to brighten his day as Adrien and Chat Noir. He found himself pouring out his innermost thoughts to her unconsciously. He felt comfortable around her. She was a true friend, but had she become something more? When he visited her room at night, he found himself become more and more distracted by her appearance. They would talk for hours about themselves and he enjoyed every minute of it. When he was apart from Marinette, he felt depressed. It was weird to not be with her. She had completely replaced Ladybug's existence and became an essential piece of his life. "Forgive me, my lady," Adrien thought to himself one day while he was sitting at home. "I have not forgotten you, but someone else has entered by life that I care about." Was this Adrien's chance to break free from the cycle of rejection? Ladybug never returned his feelings, but would Marinette? Then, he came to a soul crushing realization. Marinette was in love with Adrien, but Adrien wasn't who he wanted to be. He didn't like being the boring and well-behaved boy he was at school. That person wasn't truly him. Deep down, Adrien was Chat Noir and Marinette didn't love Chat Noir. Although Marinette seemed to see through Adrien's façade better than most, she ultimately didn't love Adrien's true self. The thought of this was heart-breaking.
Adrien tried to focus his thoughts on Ladybug, but they always returned to Marinette. He couldn't shake her from his mind. How had his heart been swayed so easily? Had his love for Ladybug been this shallow? No, he had loved her. He still loved her, but he was conflicted. Was it okay to love them both? "What do you think, Plagg?" Adrien asked his tiny, furry friend. Plagg was lying on Adrien's desk, nibbling on some cheese. "I think you should get more cheese," he replied. Adrien sighed. Asking Plagg was no help. Just months ago, Adrien was deeply in love with Ladybug. He tried to confess his love and stared at pictures of her every day. Adrien clicked his mouse and his computer screen turned back on. Instead of the wallpaper being many pictures of Ladybug like before, it was a single photo. It was a picture he, Marinette, Alya, and Nino had taken a week ago. They were all smiling and standing in front of the school. They had gotten another student to take it. It was a simple picture, but it was Adrien's favorite. It was the only picture he had of his Princess and him together.
"Princess, what have you done to me?" Adrien moaned as he laid his head on his desk. He could hardly take any more of this romance stuff. It had taken a lot of self-restraint not to kiss her or hug her when he visited her each night. Every night, she became more alluring, more beautiful. Adrien felt himself get sucked deeper in. During one of his visits, they laughed the night away watching silly cat videos. Another, she fell asleep on his lap while telling him about her plans for the future. She showed him her design book, carefully explaining all the intricate details from the stitching to the type of fabric. He discovered she loved hamsters, but she told him she liked cats too. Sometimes, the two of them would sit on her bed and tell each other stories. He would tell her about his superhero adventures with Ladybug. She would listen and laugh at his jokes. In return, she told him stories about her awkward moments around Adrien. They laughed even harder at these stories, though if Marinette knew she was telling them to Adrien, she would have most certainly died. There were nights when they played board games or danced crazily around her bedroom. Those were the silliest nights. Then, there were nights that were more serious. Adrien remembered one in particular.
He entered her bedroom as normal and found Marinette lying in her bed. Her hair wasn't in her usual pigtails. She had let it all fall out naturally. She had on pink checkered pajamas. Though they seemed childish, it strangely suited her. Marinette's eyes were closed. She must have been asleep. Chat Noir wondered if he should leave. It would be bad to wake her up. He tiptoed back to the window, trying not to make any noise. While walking, he accidentally stubbed his toe on the side of her dresser and gave a hiss. Marinette grumbled and rubbed her eyes. She sat up and saw Chat Noir about to leave. "Don't go," she yawned. "I didn't mean to fall asleep so early. I knew if I put on pajamas I wouldn't be able to keep myself awake." She sighed and mentally scolded herself. "No worries, Princess," Chat Noir purred. "You need some sleep. You look tired."
"…"
"Is something wrong?"
"It's nothing," Marinette shook her head. "I just had a bit of a bad day and was thinking about it." Chat Noir walked over to Marinette's bed and sat on the side. "Do you want to tell me about it?" he asked. He didn't know what was bothering her. She seemed okay at school. "No, it's no big deal," Marinette replied. She sounded sleepy. Chat Noir knew he was keeping her awake. She could hardly keep her eyes open. Marinette laid back and set her head on her pillow. "I… I wouldn't want to bother you," she yawned again. Before he knew it, she had fallen back asleep. Chat Noir knew he should have left then, but he didn't.
He watched her sleep. She was so delicate when sleeping. He carefully grabbed her hand with his claw and felt its warmth. Her hands were soft, but had pricks and cuts all over them. It was obvious she had been hard at work at a new design. Could that be what was stressing her out? Chat Noir continued to sit beside her, holding her hand. He didn't move. He was content with staying there for the rest of the night. Being this close to her got his blood pumping. There was a sense of excitement he couldn't get rid of us. He was nervous and jittery. At the time, he didn't know why his body was acting this way. But now he knew.
Marinette captured his heart and refused to let go. How cruel fate was to him. He liked her and she liked him, but not the real him. It was a cruel joke. Adrien had no luck with Ladybug and he had no luck with Marinette. He really was losing in this game of love. Adrien sighed and stood up from his computer chair. He walked over to his large windows and leaned against them. Everything seemed smaller from the height of his bedroom. His problems felt smaller. Staring outside from the windows made him feel better about his place in the world. It allowed him to think about all the people he saved as Chat Noir. It allowed him to think all of the great times he spent with his friends. It allowed him to think of Ladybug and Marinette.
There those two were again. Adrien felt like he was betraying his lady with his new love for Marinette. But he didn't want to give Marinette up for anything. She was too precious. His thoughts were beginning to conflict. At one moment, he loved Marinette and the next his feelings for Ladybug seemed to return. Plagg was constantly laughing at his partner's misfortune. He had never seen a love dilemma quite like Adrien's before and he had been around a long time. Adrien sighed and stared out the window. Why couldn't Ladybug and Marinette be the same person? That would make life so much easier.
After almost 4 weeks since Marinette broke her arm, she returned to the doctor to have a check-up. They wanted to see if the cast was working or if they needed to readjust it. Sabine took Marinette to the doctor one afternoon once school was out. They gave her an x-ray to check the healing process. What they discovered amazed them. Her arm was completely healed. There was no trace that had even been broken in the first place. This was incredible since her break was the worst doctors had ever seen. They expected it to take at least 2 months to heal, but her arm had healed in less than half that time. "I don't know what to say," the doctor said as he showed Marinette her x-ray. He was astonished and could offer no explanation. "Your arm has completely healed. It shouldn't be possible, but that's what the x-ray shows." The doctor moved Marinette's arm left and right and up and down. Marinette told him she felt absolutely no pain. Her arm really was all better.
"I guess we can take the cast of then," the doctor told her. Marinette gave a quiet cheer. No more cast meant she could go back to being Ladybug. It had been a long time she had saved Paris. Thank goodness it hadn't need much saving. There had been a few small incidents, but Chat Noir had managed to solve them on his own. Vacation had been great, but Marinette couldn't wait to get back out there. The doctor removed Marinette's cast and she was sent on her way home. She skipped all the way to the car. Sabine hadn't seen Marinette that happy in a while. She was worried that her daughter would get depressed since she couldn't do things normally, but she was wrong. Somehow, Marinette maintained a fairly positive attitude. Sabine contributed this to Alya and that boy, Adrien. She had a sneaking suspicion that her daughter and that boy had become rather close.
When Marinette returned home, she and Tikki celebrated the removal of the cast. Marinette threw a few punches at the air. "I've still got it," she smirked. "It's good to be back." Marinette went out onto the balcony and took a breath of fresh air. "I can't wait to go out!" she shouted to the sky. She didn't care if all of Paris could hear her. She was excited and ready to go.
"What about Chat Noir?" Tikki asked when Marinette came back into her room. Marinette had forgotten about him. She wanted to go out with him tonight and run across the rooftops like they used to, but she also wanted to surprise him and show him her cast was gone. If she did both the same night, he'd probably be suspicious of her. "I'll stay home as Marinette tonight," Marinette replied after thinking for a moment. "I want to tell Chat Noir that I got my cast off. Then he doesn't have to visit me every night and we can go back to normal." While Marinette was disappointed she wouldn't be receiving house calls from Chat Noir, but they would still get to spend time together. He wouldn't know that though.
At 9:30 that night, Chat Noir arrived as usual, but he had a big surprise waiting for him. "Good evening, Princess," he said as he entered her bedroom. "How are you on this purr-fect evening?"
"Amazing," Marinette said. She had been hiding her arm behind her back. She pulled it out and waved her hand. "Look! I'm good as new!" Chat Noir ran up to her and gave her a hug. "That's great!" he grinned. "How did you get better so fast?"
"I'm a quick healer. It comes from the Chinese side of the family," Marinette laughed. "Should we celebrate?" Chat Noir asked. Marinette cocked her head in confusion. "Celebrate? What would we do?"
"I have an idea," Chat Noir replied sneakily. He scooped up Marinette by her legs and held her in his arms. "Chat, what are you doing?" Marinette exclaimed. Chat Noir didn't reply and ran out onto the balcony. He hopped onto the railing and then onto the roof of a nearby building. "We're going on a field trip," he whispered. Marinette could feel the wind hit her skin as she and Chat Noir raced across the Paris skyline. She didn't know where they were going, but she felt safe in Chat Noir's arms. She grabbed on to him tightly to ensure she wouldn't fall. A few minutes passed and Marinette noticed that Chat Noir had stopped running. He set her down on her feet. Marinette gasped at what she saw.
They were on the rooftop of a house right in front of the Eiffel Tower. The moon was rising right behind the tower. It was a picture perfect scene. "It's beautiful," Marinette said slowly. The tower was lit up and looked magnificent. She had missed seeing this view. "Surprise!," Chat Noir said. He put his arm around Marinette's shoulder and leaned slightly onto her. Marinette didn't flinch or move. She allowed Chat Noir to stay. She was too busy admiring the scene. "You know, my lady will be returning soon," Chat Noir said. "That's good," Marinette replied, looking up at him. "Do you miss her?"
"Of course I do, but I'll miss you too. Now that your arm is better, I don't need to visit every night to check up on you."
"You should still come visit," Marinette smiled. "And I have the feeling we'll be seeing each other more than you think." Chat Noir didn't know what she meant by this. She didn't seem to be as upset about their separation as he was. Maybe their meetings didn't mean as much to her as they did him. That thought hurt him. "Don't look so sad," Marinette laughed, giving her kitty a hug. "I'll miss you too, but we can still see each other. I'll make sure to keep an eye on you in the news. I have a feeling that once Ladybug comes back, you'll be busy. You won't have much time to visit little old me."
"Is this our good-bye for a while then?"
"Perhaps…"
"Then can I give you a good-bye present?" Marinette was about to ask him what kind of present when she felt soft lips press against her own. A pair of hands wrapped around her in a tight embrace, pulling her close. Chat Noir was kissing her! Marinette wanted to pull away. Her brain was screaming "You love Adrien!", but her heart didn't mind the kiss. She didn't think Chat Noir would be this assertive. Normally, he was very respectful and maintained boundaries, but tonight he had too much to lose. Marinette didn't know that he wanted to give her a good-bye that signified his feelings. Chat Noir broke away from the kiss and apologized. "I'm sorry. That was too much. I didn't mean to, Princess. It's just that I…. I really like you…"
He couldn't mess up this time. Last time he tried to confess to Ladybug, it ended it disaster. His couldn't get his feelings across to her and was heartbroken. But this time, there was no akuma to get in the way. There was no reason to hold back. It was just the two of them standing in front of the Eiffel Tower, the most romantic spot in all the world. He couldn't mess this up…
Marinette smiled sadly at Chat Noir, causing his words to falter and her heart to sting. "I like you too, kitty, but not the same way. Besides you don't like me. I'm only a replacement for Ladybug." Marinette had never expected Chat Noir to like her in the way he did Ladybug. The kiss and his almost confession caught her off guard, but she was ready to counterattack. It was impossible for him to go from loving the strong, confident Ladybug to the meek, quiet Marinette. She was a replacement for herself. That was okay though. Chat Noir wasn't the object of her affections. It was Adrien. Or at least, that's what Marinette kept telling herself.
"You're not a replacement," Chat Noir insisted with a desperate plea. "Princess, you're amazing in your own way. I know I might seem like an inconsistent guy who switches from girl to girl, but I'm not. I really like you, Marinette." Marinette blushed and so did Chat Noir. "I'm sorry," Marinette apologized. "But I love Adrien."
"What do you love about him?" Chat Noir exclaimed, his tone becoming angry. He was upset that he was losing to himself. He was losing to the part of him he hated. He couldn't let that stand. "He's a two-dimensional puppet that does whatever he's told. He's got no substance!"
"What do you know about him?" Marinette yelled back. What was Chat Noir doing? Why was he upset all of a sudden? The mood was gone from sweet to sour. Marinette refused to let anyone disrespect Adrien. No one knew his life and the hardships he went through. No one knew how the constant inner struggle Adrien was under. How could Chat Noir know anything about him? All he probably saw was a pretty face on posters throughout Paris, but Marinette knew Adrien was so much more than that.
"I know a lot about him," Chat Noir protested as he waved his hands angrily through the air. "Give up on him, Princess. He isn't the guy for you. He's completely pathetic and…"
SLAP