Two chapters today because they are so short. I, personally, loved writing this chatper so let me know what you think!
Adrien stared at the blank paper in front of him. He was supposed to be writing a list of everyone had fought during tryouts, as Marinette had suggested, but instead, he kept replaying the conversation over and over in his mind.
'You are the smartest, most clever, creative girl I know.' He had said, describing Marinette. Then, in almost the same breath, 'She's smart, brave, strong, and is always there when I need her.' He had been describing Ladybug, but as he sat there thinking he realized that the thoughts were interchangeable. Marinette was his best friend, and yet, she was so much more than that. And the thought horrified him.
He was especially horrified because his pencil now hovered over the sheet of paper ready to write the first name that had come to mind when he had sat down: Marinette. He had fenced with her. She was in his class. She hadn't been akumatized. He had even noticed that her hand-writing was almost the same as the handwriting of his valentine. There was a strong probability that Marinette was, in fact, Ladybug.
"Kid?" Plagg asked, taking a seat on the desk with a piece of cheese. "Are you ok?"
"No, Plagg," Adrien answered, setting the pencil down. "I'm not ok."
"Still can't figure out who Ladybug is? Even with Marinette's help?"
"Worse," he closed his eyes as he finally started to accept the truth. "I'm in love with Marinette."
The words hung in the air like a thick fog, clogging Adrien's mind from working. He leaned forward and buried his face in his arms, tears stinging at his eyes.
"I love her. I'm in love with my best friend, Plagg," he said, repeating that dreaded word.
"And…" Plagg said. He looked up at the black kwami. His green eyes were wide with anticipation, eagerly waiting for Adrien to continue.
"And I think she might be Ladybug." Adrien finished. "But what if I'm wrong? What if I'm in love with two people? How could I ever choose between them?"
"And what if she is Ladybug?" The kwami questioned.
"What if it ruins our friendship?" he said, voicing his biggest concern. "I can't lose Marinette as a friend. I can't!"
"Ok, back up." Plagg set down his cheese before continuing, an action Adrien had never seen before. "Marinette and you are friends. You love her. Do you think she loves you?"
"Well if she's Ladbug…" he started to say but Plagg cut him off.
"Forget Ladybug for a minute. Do you think Marinette loves you?"
Adrien thought back over the time he had known Marinette. He started with Chole putting gum on her hair, Adrien handing her his umbrella, and the lucky charm she had given to him. All the tripping, falling, and stammering replying in his mind. The pictures of him in her room and her awkwardness the next day when he asked her about them. Sure, there was Luka, but did it outweigh all of the moments they had shared? Adrien began to feel sick as he realized it didn't.
"Yes," he said. The word came out as a whine as his stomach started to tie itself in knots. "This is bad, Plagg. Really bad."
"Ugh, ok, kid, breathe. It's not that bad. Marinette and Adrien are friends who love each other. No big deal."
"But it is a big deal Plagg! What if we started dating and then broke up? How could we go back to being just friends? How, Plagg? HOW?"
The black kwami didn't answer but stared at him blankly as Adrien tried to catch his breath. His heart was racing and he could feel himself starting to sweat, but the thoughts kept coming.
"And if she's not Ladybug. Then what, I have to choose? And if I choose Ladybug, then I would hurt Marinette! I don't want to do that, Plagg! I don't want to hurt her!"
"Would you give up pursuing Ladybug for Marinette?"
"YES!" he screamed without thinking.
"Say that again," Plagg ordered sternly and Adrien realized what he just said.
"Yes," he repeated, calmer this time. He realized what this meant and suddenly knew what he wanted. "I love Ladybug, but if I had to choose, I would choose Marinette. No contest."
"And is trying to be with Marinette worth risking the friendship you already have?"
"Yes," he repeated. "If she wants to be with me that is."
"And what about Ladybug? If Marinette wants to be with you, would you reject Ladybug?"
Adrien pondered the question. While he would never want to hurt his lady, he knew that he would much rather risk her wrath and pain than Marinette's.
"Yes," he said in a whisper. "But I really hope it won't come to that. I really want Marinette to be Ladybug."
"Then you know what you have to do," Plagg said, picking his cheese back up. "My work here is done."
"Wait...what? What am I supposed to do?" Adrien asked, confused, but the kwami just smiled at him and ate his cheese.
