A/N: Sorry for the long wait. Happy 2 years of Miraculous Ladybug!
Everywhere Marinette walked, whispers followed. Before, she had heard a few things here and there, but now it was a constant, annoying buzzing. Some even dared to point. Some gave gleeful looks. Others, pure envy. And one word kept standing out from the not-so-silent conversations: Marichat.
It was a dumb ship name someone came up with over the Internet. But the damn thing caught on. Yet Marinette refused to die of embarrassment. No way she was giving the whole school the satisfaction of seeing her become flustered over a silly name.
Because it was a silly name. There was no Marichat.
No. Marichat.
"Ugh," Marinette groaned under her breath.
"That's like the third time you've done that," Alya complained, slamming her notebook shut. The two were sitting on a bench at lunch time, working on their Physics homework. "Spill girl. What is it?"
The pig-tailed girl did the same with her book, resigning any attempt at concentration.
"I just keep thinking about everything," she flailed her arms in frustration. "Can you believe they gave us a ship name? It's like I say one thing, and they understand the complete opposite. And worse, they're horrible at hiding it. Like seriously, I'm standing right here! And from right here, I can see Aurore pointing at me!"
Marinette sent a sharp look to the blonde in the baby blue dress a few meters away. Aurore silently yelped, before turning tail as quickly as possible. The designer huffed.
"Mari," Alya sighed, placing an arm around her best friend. "Just ignore them. They can whisper all they want, it's still not gonna make their rumors true."
"But they keep spreading them!" Marinette groaned. "I feel so powerless."
"Girl," Alya pressed her friend's shoulder, "I promise this will all blow over soon. Something new is gonna come up and they'll forget all about Marichat."
Marinette gave the redhead a deadpan look at the mention of the ship name. Alya raised her hands in surrender.
"I'm just saying," she added.
Marinette sighed. "I'm gonna take a walk. Need to clear my head."
After an 'ok' from the young reporter, Marinette left the bench to walk the halls. It didn't stop her from thinking about everything that had been happening, but at least it gave her a chance to process it, even if it was just a little.
It still boggled her how one measly video caused everything to blow up so suddenly. If only she hadn't gone to that dumb interview. Or, at least, had kept her mouth shut.
Absentmindedly, she took out her phone. She had avoided it at all cost, ever since the number incident. Sure, her parents had changed it, but it was still the same phone, and all the messages were still in the memory of it.
She frowned at it. Those messages really didn't need to be there, did they? Marinette opened the messaging application and started scrolling through them. Most of them were either positive or curious, but there were several nasty ones that did not deserve a spot in her device. Determined, she started to delete them.
Marinette had already deleted around eight messages, when she stumbled across one she had almost responded to. It was an unknown number, but she could still remember looking at the words sent and genuinely smiling. She tapped on it, to realize the person continued to message her until the number was changed. It was all positive and encouraging speech.
Why hadn't she responded? Oh, right, Adrien had interrupted her. And it had been a weird day, too.
In other words, she forgot.
Was it too late? Would the person even believe her about her identity?
Only one way to find out, she affirmed internally. Without giving it much thought, she started typing in the response box.
Hey stranger. It's Marinette Dupain-Cheng. You sent me a few messages a while back when my phone number was on the Internet, and I just wanted to say thank you for making me smile during such harsh times.
Yeah. That seemed right.
Shutting her eyes, Marinette tapped 'SEND', and let out a long breath. She knew there was a good chance she could be wrong about the person's identity, but she still felt the need to thank whoever it was. It was only too bad that it took her so long to respond. After several more minutes walking around the school, she gave up on a response and started to head back to Alya. She was almost back at the bench when…
BZZT BZZT
Marinette froze. Her phone vibrated in her pocket, once again. Shakily, she took it out once again to see a notification from a news app and a response from the messaging app. Thankfully, that news wasn't about an akuma, so she quickly skipped that one and went directly for the response. There was only one question:
How do I know you're really Marinette?
She huffed. That's rich, coming from a total stranger. Nevertheless, she answered: The last message you sent me said 'I don't know how much longer you'll have this phone number, but I hope they change it soon, even if I can't write to you. Remember that you're amazing.'
A basketball flew by her left side, leaving her ear tingly with the wind.
"Sorry!" called Kim from the court. Marinette shook her head and walked away from the area to avoid another close call.
BZZT BZZT
It really is you. Never thought you would respond. I hope you're doing okay.
The girl held her breath. Her heart started beating slightly faster as she typed.
Yeah, it's been crazy lately. I just wanted to say thank you for treating me like an actual human being. Most people just asked me questions.
She sent it. Almost at the same time, she could've sworn she heard a ring.
But she shrugged, and focused back on the message sent. It wasn't much, but it made her feel a little better. Like there was, at least, one person out there who saw her as an actual person, and not a piece of media to consume. She was about to close the messaging application, when her phone vibrated, a new message popping up on the screen.
I just wanted to make sure you're alright. I know how overwhelming fame can be.
The girl's heart made a strange jump. Could it be? She asked herself. This person knew what fame was like. Didn't Chat say he's famous under the mask, too? Her fingers moved like lighting across the virtual keyboard. Barely checking for grammar, she sent it.
Realy? Like would you seay tha youre famous orsomething?
Marinette cringed, but stood her ground, hoping the message got across. She was so preoccupied by it, she almost missed the notification sound beep once again. Her head swung from side to side, brows furrowed. Was it just a coincidence?
Her phone vibrated again: Something like that. Are you okay?
She took a deep breath, trying to type more calmly this time: Yeah, I'm fine. I just didn't expect that.
Sent.
Beep, beep.
The sound was definitely nearby. It seemed to come from outside. To where she was now headed. She stopped at the entrance doors, thankful that it was empty of reporters, unlike last week. Good to know I can go out for lunch again.
Another vibration: Yeah, I guess famous people don't usually go seeking others out. I just felt for you, you know.
Her heart accelerated. She typed slower this time: That's nice of you.
Sent.
Beep, beep.
Marinette could almost feel herself heaving. Her eyes shifted from left to right. It sounded so close. This whole time? This close? Her phone vibrated again, but she didn't care. She cared more about where the beeping was coming from.
Without even thinking it, her legs took her down the flight of stairs. She tapped on a letter and sent it.
Beep, beep.
Now it sounded slightly farther. That's weird, she pondered. She sent another random letter. Beep, beep. It was behind her. But she had just been standing there! She turned on her heels and sent another random letter. Beep, beep. It couldn't be up the stairs, it was empty. So…?
The side of the stairs.
Marinette walked around to the grassy area next to the building, where she had hidden plenty of times, to work up the courage to talk to Adrien. There, leaning against the wall, was someone staring bewildered at his phone, but typing, nonetheless. He stopped and, almost instantly, the designer's phone vibrated. Semiconsciously, Marinette tapped on a letter and sent it.
Beep, beep.
"You." The word came out before she could stop it. The boy's head snapped up, his green eyes locking into her blue ones.
"Marinette Dupain-Cheng," he responded. Despite his stoic tone, his eyes slightly widened. But the pig-tailed girl barely paid mind.
"You're the one who sent me all those messages," Marinette spoke in an almost accusatory tone, despite not meaning to. The boy averted his gaze from her, and a slight shade of pink filled his cheeks. "Why?"
He hesitated, before responding: "I told you, I thought you needed it."
"I mean—Wait," she suddenly stopped, her brain finally catching up. "I know you."
There was a momentary beat, where the boy in question shifted uncomfortably. Marinette raised a finger to point, still frowning.
"You're the guy I ran into last week," she said in a low voice, heart now banging against her chest. "Y-you're the guy who called me Princess."
The blond barely moved. That was, until he raised a hand.
"Félix Pelletier," he said in the same monotone voice as the previous week. "Nice to officially make your acquaintance."
Marinette's look was no longer accusatory; it was now gaping. The person whom she had been texting was the same boy who called her Princess. What was it she said to Adrien about the person texting her? I think this person might be Chat Noir. Yeah, that.
Looking at him properly… Blond hair, green eyes, about the same build and height… Is it possible?
He softly cleared his throat, and Marinette realized she hadn't returned the gesture. Quickly, and clumsily, she shook his hand.
"Meet to nice you—I-I mean, n-nice t-to meet y-y-you," she stammered, her legs imitating her voice with a slight tremble.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you last time we met," he continued. "I was going to, but I wasn't sure how your friends would take it."
"I-it's fine," Marinette furiously nodded, scratching the back of her head. "W-wasn't the time or place anyway." The girl tried to give a chill laugh, which came out nervous instead.
"I thought so, too," he responded. They fell silent for a moment, where Marinette just stared at him. It wasn't until he cleared his throat, once again, that she realized she was still holding his hand. Immediately, she let go, as if it had burned her.
"Sooo, my friend and I are doing some homework. Wanna join us?"
The offer came out before she even had time to think about what she was offering. Technically, she had no idea who this guy was. But the idea that he could be Chat Noir was too overwhelming. If he was…
If he was, then what?
"I wouldn't mind," he responded, saving his phone in his pocket. Marinette gave him a shy smile. Nevertheless, she led the way back to the school.
They remained quiet in the short walk. Yet, for the designer, it felt like an eternity, with a million questions screaming in her head. The first one being: Is he Chat Noir? Along with: How could he be so careless? I can I be so careless? What if he isn't? What if he is? Did he want to get to know me as himself? What are the chances of me being wrong? This is so confusing!
Okay, the last one wasn't a question, but it was a very valid declaration.
They reached Alya, who was distracted reading her notes. Marinette cleared her throat.
"Hey Alya!" she squeaked. The redhead looked up. "I just made a new friend. Mind if he joins us?"
Alya blinked, her lips parted.
"Uhh…" She frowned. "You look familiar," she finally said.
"Oh, yeah," Marinette winced. "He's the guy I crashed with last week, remember?"
Alya's eyebrows shot up in recognition. "Oh!" But almost instantly, she was frowning again. "Since when do you two hang out?"
"Since now," Marinette managed to say, despite the temptation to say a month. "He seemed lonely," she added.
With those last words, the redhead smiled.
"Well, any friend of Marinette is my friend," she said and scooted to make room for the new boy.
For the next half-hour, the three chatted amicably. In the conversation, they found out Félix was a national chess champion, headed for a Europe-wide tournament. It also wasn't the first time he'd gone, making him pretty popular in certain magazines.
So, famous.
Check.
Blond and green eyes.
Check.
Calls me Princess.
Check.
Terribly timed puns and cocky attitude.
…
Yet to show.
While he had many attributes similar to Chat Noir, he had yet to show a side like that. Although, he did mention once that he was a little reserved in his civilian form for image reasons, but this seemed much more than a little. It was even hard to distinguish his voice, if it was possible. Of course, that could just be his way of covering his identity in front of her.
By the time they started walking back to class, and after going their separate ways, Marinette was rubbing her temples, trying to fit Félix and Chat Noir into one. But there was still a piece missing. Something beyond the attitude. But what was it?
"Something's bothering you again," Alya said, without looking away from her phone.
Marinette hesitated for a moment. Although Alya mentioned she wouldn't tell anyone if she turned out to be Ladybug, Marinette wasn't sure if her friend would extend that courtesy to the guy who told Paris about her crush on Adrien.
Perhaps she should keep part of the information to herself.
"You remember when Chloé posted my number on the Ladyblog's forums?" Alya arched an eyebrow, turning her attention to the blue-haired girl. Marinette then proceeded to tell the story of how they actually started to hang out, excluding the part where she suspected him to be Chat Noir.
"So, realizing he probably doesn't have many friends, I figured it would be a nice gesture if—"
"What are you not telling me?" Alya cut in. Marinette's heart accelerated.
"W-whatta you mean?" she stammered.
"I find it odd that you would start hanging out with some creep that anonymously texted—"
"He's not a creep!"
"And you're already defending him, despite barely knowing him," Alya finished.
Marinette mentally cursed her friend's journalistic skills. And her own rash decision to randomly hang out with a strange (probably not a stranger) boy.
"I-I…I guess I just identified with him, you know?" she lied. "The hazards of fame and stuff? It was nice to talk about it with someone who understands."
"Why didn't you just talk to Adrien?" Alya asked with a frown.
"Because—" Marinette drew a blank for a second. "Because his Adrien." Wait, why did that sound like an excuse? "It's different."
A deadpan look painted Alya's face, unconvinced. Nevertheless, she stopped pushing, and gave a simple 'okay.' Meanwhile, Marinette let out a breath of relief.
She trusted Alya, but if Félix did turn out to be Chat Noir, she had to protect his secret. Not only was it not hers to tell, but she was sure he would do the same.
Speaking of blond boys, why did she skip out of such a perfect opportunity to talk to Adrien?
Friday, finally.
Marinette stretched her limbs in the midday sun, reveling in the springtime wind sweeping the park nearby the school. After several weeks avoiding reporters and paparazzi, it felt nice to finally have the freedom to go outside. It was like what happened to Nadja drove some of them away, unwilling to end up akumatized, too.
It also made it easier to include Félix to their group of friends. While Alya was still skeptical about the inclusion, she didn't say anything. Now, the three of them were sitting nearby a tree, relaxing in their own ways: Félix was reading a book, Alya was watching the midday shows on her phone and Marinette had been napping, after she had stayed late the night before doing homework.
She was about to close her eyes again, when Alya cursed. Her eyes snapped open and she directed them to her reporter friend.
"What happened?" she asked.
Alya's eyes shifted, while Félix closed his book, joining the conversation.
"You don't wanna know," the redhead grunted. And it was all Marinette needed to know what it was about.
She groaned. Of course something new happened. Of course her peace didn't last. It had been a good week. She had even managed to have a peaceful hangout with Chat the previous day, without having to talk about press mishaps. What could they possibly have now?!
"Oh, for goodness sake, just tell me," she sighed.
Alya took a deep breath before sliding back the bar dot on the video.
"This just happened," she explained, giving the phone to Marinette and raising the volume.
When it played, there was an image of a portly, middle-aged redhead beckoning her camera man to follow her on what seemed like a crowded sidewalk. She slowed down when she reached a girl with chestnut brown hair.
"Excuse me, Miss?" the woman called in a fake sweet voice. "Miss Lila Rossi?"
Marinette's blood went cold. Lila? The girl turned around, revealing the Italian exchange student with a bewildered look.
"Who's asking?"
"Miss Rossi, sources suggest that you are close to Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Is that true?" the reporter asked.
"Um, I like to think so," Lila responded, seeming uncomfortable.
"What has Dupain-Cheng told you about her relationship with Chat Noir?"
"Not much, really. I don't see why you're asking—"
"Were you aware that Chat Noir confessed to be in love with Ladybug, while also having an intimate relationship with Dupain-Cheng?" the reporter interrupted.
"Intimate?" Lila frowned. "Define intimate."
"It's been revealed that they spend time together off cameras. Care to comment?"
"I don't think that's any of your business."
"Do you think Chat Noir should be with Ladybug or the girl who's potentially two-timing Chat Noir with Adrien Agreste?"
"Two-timing?!" Lila yelled. "That's insane! Marinette would never—" but she stopped, like she was thinking through on what she was saying. For a moment, Marinette could've sworn she saw a strange glint on the girl's eyes. "You know what, you got me. Marinette didn't want it public yet, but you leave me no choice. Marinette and Chat Noir have a very close, intimate relationship. She wanted to keep it secret in consideration of Ladybug, since she's so uptight…ahem…And there's nothing going on between Adrien and Marinette. That's just something Chat Noir said to drive away suspicion. Now leave my friend alone, and stop treating her like a slut."
The video stopped.
Marinette could feel her blood start to boil. She had not told anything to Lila, which could only mean one thing: Lila was lying again. Why?! The question resonated in her mind. Why does she lie?!
In a swift movement, Marinette stood up and started walking, ignoring Alya's calls. She could only think about the cursed interview. Can't I catch a damn break?! She huffed in frustration, her hands curled into fists already. It's been a nice week. Why-oh-why do my days have to keep getting ruined?!
Lucky for her, she recognized the part of the city Lila had been in. It was actually close to the school. All she had to do was head that way and—There she was.
"Lila!" Marinette bellowed at the Italian girl.
"Oh? Hey Marinette," she turned and waved, but slowed her moves when she noticed the designer's mood. "Is something wrong?"
"Oh, I don't know, you tell me," Marinette crossed her arms. "You don't think there's a reason I should be mad?"
Lila's brows furrowed slightly. "No?"
"You are unbelievable," the pig-tailed girl hissed. "How could you tell a reporter Chat and I are a thing?"
Lila's brows shot up, seeming to finally realize what Marinette was talking about.
"I was defending you," she justified. "That reporter, if you can even call her that, was saying a lot of bad stuff about you. I was doing you a favor."
"A favor?!" Marinette said, incredulous. "In what universe did you think you were doing me a favor? Because it certainly wasn't in this one."
"Why are you being so mean?" Lila snapped. But Marinette didn't back down.
"I don't know why I even bothered trusting you," she snapped back. "Once a liar, always a liar."
"You're not even giving me a chance!"
"I don't need to. You already had your chance."
"We had never even spoken before last week!"
"And yet you've already messed up!"
Lila took a step back, hurt clear in her face. A look that hit something in Marinette. A sense of familiarity. And not in the good way.
"Wow," Lila whispered. "I really thought you were different. I thought: 'well, here's someone who actually knows what is like to be unnecessarily called out. Someone who understands me.' But you know what," Lila hissed, "You're just like Ladybug."
And just like that, she turned on her heels. It took a minute for the words to register, but when they did, Marinette extended her arm and yelled: "Wait!"
But Lila didn't turn, speeding up instead. Marinette's shoulders slumped in defeat. Technically, the Italian wasn't wrong. She was Ladybug, but she still didn't want to be seen as someone who humiliated other people just for the heck of it.
"Marinette!" Tikki zipped up to her face. "Go after her! You can't just leave it like that."
"What can I do?" the girl argued, slightly abashed. "She's right. I am Ladybug, and I've mistreated her twice now."
"Don't beat yourself up over it," comforted the small goddess. "Lila has done some questionable things, but we've both seen the good she's capable of. She just needs someone to give her a chance. To steer her in the right direction."
"But maybe there's someone better suited for it," Marinette sighed.
"I don't know anyone better than you, Marinette," Tikki concluded with a smile. And perhaps she had a point. Marinette pondered for a moment, looking back on the last few weeks and the first time they met. While Lila had good reason to dislike Ladybug, she had very little reason to ignore Marinette, except for what had just happened.
With that in mind, the girl gave a determined nod and ran off to where Lila disappeared. She couldn't have gotten too far. She was bound to catch up soon. But after ten minutes of running around, Marinette stopped, confused.
That was… odd.
"I was sure she went this way," she said to herself, a hand on her chin. Another scan of the area brought nothing. Lila simply vanished. Her shoulders slumped, as she let out a sigh of defeat. "That is so weird," she continued rambling under her breath. "Could she really have been so mad that she ran? Or maybe she got inside a shop? Hmm… weird—EEP!"
Marinette yelped, as a tall, dark figure landed in front of her.
"Hello there, Marinette," the tall cat-boy greeted.
"Jeez, Chat, you scared me," Marinette reprimanded, a hand on her chest. "What are you doing here? In public!" Her head swirled from side to side nervously.
"I needed to talk to you," he said, in an uncharacteristically serious tone that made Marinette frown.
"Is something wrong?"
"Yes," Chat Noir responded almost instantly. "It's about us. I think we should not be friends anymore."
The world froze before Marinette's eyes. Her heart went up to her throat, and every beat clashed in her ears. Her knees weakened. Her stomach dropped. What the heck was he saying?!
"What?" she managed to get out in a choked tone.
"This whole press mess has brought us too much trouble," he continued in the same tone. "I think it's best if we stop being friends."
Marinette's heart accelerated, but something nagged at the back of her head. Something important.
"Are you okay, Chat?" she said, breathless.
"I'm only doing what I think is best." He extended his baton into a staff, getting ready to leave.
"Chat!" Marinette went to grab his arm, but the second her hand tried to squeeze on his bicep, who she thought was Chat Noir disappeared in a puff of orange smoke. She coughed a few times, as the smoke dissipated. Her vision clearer now, Marinette searched for her partner, but was nowhere to be found
"An illusion," she rationalized out loud.
"Well, aren't you perceptive," someone spoke from behind her. Marinette turned on her heels to find the culprit standing on a street lamp, in an orange suit. "I knew you were lying through your teeth about you two."
"It can't be," the blue-haired girl gasped, eyes widening.
"Only a liar can tell apart a liar, now can't you, Marinette?" Lila, in full Volpina costume sneered, with a smirk.
"How are you akumatized again?!" Marinette shouted, more out of surprise than an actual question.
"Hawkmoth is full of surprises," the Italian answered simply. "Now," she pointed her flute towards the girl in question, "let's bring the cat out of the alley."
Instantly, she threw her flute in Marinette's direction. Luckily, the girl managed to dodge in time and start running in the opposite direction. She heard Volpina yank her weapon from the cement, but the designer ignored it, turning a corner instead and entering a small café. Without thinking, she hopped over the counter and dashed towards a back door, only needing to dodge one pair of arms trying to stop her from barging where she shouldn't have been.
Once in the back alley, she hid behind a dumpster and transformed into Ladybug. The next minute, she was swinging over the rooftops of Paris, looking for the problem she caused for the second time, somehow.
This is bad news for us, she anxiously thought. This means that any of our old enemies could come back at any moment.
"Nice to see you, LB," a voice cheered next to her as she started running on a long, old apartment complex.
"You saw her?" Ladybug asked, focused on the task.
"I managed to distract her before Marinette disappeared into a coffee shop," he said casually. But Ladybug heard anything but casual. She had almost forgotten what happened before having to run.
"Wait, you were there?" she halted. Chat Noir did the same.
"I saw a fake me and then Marinette run. Didn't even have time to transform, I just threw my kwami's cheese at her," he cringed. "I'm gonna get one heck of an earful when I get home."
Ladybug's heart did a somersault. The dummy saved her life once again, and she didn't even get to see it.
"Did you see Marinette, by any chance?" he suddenly asked. Another flip from her chest.
"Y-yeah," she pointedly looked away, "she's fine, just a little shaken."
"Why? What did that fake me do?!" Chat Noir implored. Ladybug bit her lower lip, cursing her dumb wording.
"He—It just said some hurtful things to her, but she knows it wasn't you, so don't worry about it," she finished with a nervous chuckle. But Chat was not convinced.
"What did it say?" he snarled. Ladybug studied him closely, noticing that his fake-ears were flat. Like a hissing cat ready to scratch. She hesitated for a moment, but the slits that were his eyes made her feel it would be best to tell the truth.
"It just said that he didn't want to be friends and that the press problem was too much trouble for him. But!" Ladybug quickly tried to get the next words out, as Chat's scowl deepened. "She knows it wasn't you, and you would never do that, so she's fine now. I promise."
But Chat Noir ignored her. Instead, he walked to the edge of the building, holding tightly to his silver baton.
"Chat?"
"Oh, she's gonna pay for that," he whispered, in a low, dangerous voice Ladybug had never heard come from him. Before she could stop him, he propelled himself to the next building. The spotted heroine called his name several times, to no avail. Instead, she ran as fast as she could to catch up.
"What's with you?" she demanded. "Why are you acting like this? It wasn't that bad."
"Not that bad?!" Chat snapped, incredulous, only sparring a quick glance to his partner. "She hurt Marinette under my name. That is unacceptable! After everything she and I have been through, and Volpina dares to tell her she's too much trouble. Tsk!"
They hopped to the next building.
"Marinette is one of the sweetest, kindest and most amazing people I know. She doesn't deserve to be hurt like that, much less with a sacrifice she almost made herself, even though she didn't want to, and was even hurting for it," he huffed. "I swear, when I find Volpina—"
"You will not lose your cool," Ladybug finished forcibly. Chat frowned at her. "While I'm sure Marinette would be flattered of you defending her, you can't go barging into a fight. We need a strategy."
"Fine. You tell me your strategy while I kick her butt."
The two jumped down from a three-story building to the sidewalk, landing in matching poses.
"Chat Noir, I'm serious!" Ladybug reprimanded as they straightened. "I get that you care about her, but that is just reckless. Jeez, it's like you're in love with her or something."
The last sentence came out before she could even think about the implication of it. But when it hit, it felt more like an airplane crash from fifteen thousand meters high into the Earth. They stared at each other, both becoming alarmingly red. Ladybug was so red, her skin could be confused as part of the suit. And Chat was not far off.
"WHAT? NO!" Chat blurted out, much louder than intended, flailing his arms. "I-I'm not in love with her. S-she's just a friend, nothing more! Why does everybody keep freaking saying that?!"
"R-right, what was I thinking?" Ladybug quickly tried to amend, scratching the back of her head. "That was a dumb question. Of course you're not in love with her, you're in love with Ladybug… with me…"
If only the ground could open up and swallow her whole. And how was it possible for Chat Noir to become any redder?!
"Well… yeah," Chat said finally, despite his increasing embarrassment. "I can't be in love with two people at once…"
They stood awkwardly. A silence stretched between them, like they were afraid of saying something stupider than what had already been said. It was the most uncomfortable pause they had ever experienced as a team. And yet, Ladybug's brain seemed determined to make it worse, as she asked the only thing that occurred to her: "What do you mean people keep saying it?"
Chat stiffened. Then, he whined and covered his face with his hands.
"I am not talking about this," he mumbled behind his palms. Ladybug placed her hands behind her back. A very evil, twisted part of her couldn't help but find it hilarious and wanted to tease him. But the more rational, responsible part of her was telling her that that was a very bad idea, and could possibly result in even more embarrassment for the two.
"Fine," she concluded. "We should get moving anyway." She paused. "Think you're up for it, chaton?"
Slowly, Chat nodded, still covering his face. This really was an experience. Who would've thought the theatrical, pun loving cat was capable of getting embarrassed to such level?
"Come on," she placed a hand on his shoulder, "we need to find Volpina."
"No need to look further, Ladybug."
Ladybug and Chat Noir whipped their heads toward the voice. The spotted heroine let go of her partner's shoulder to take a step towards the villain.
"Give it up Volpina," she demanded. "We all know how this is gonna end."
"I wouldn't be too sure of that," the akuma snickered. "Much less when I have a surprise for your partner up on the Eiffel Tower."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Chat Noir stepped up, next to Ladybug.
"Why don't you see it for yourself?" Volpina gave a dark laugh and the image of her disappeared in a puff of orange smoke. Another illusion.
The two heroes exchanged looks, right before taking off in the direction to the iconic monument. Lucky for them, they were only minutes away; whatever it was, it didn't have to wait long. When they arrived, they were greeted by Volpina once again, on one of the lower iron beams.
"Took you long enough."
"What did you do, Volpina?!" Chat Noir bellowed, with ferocity Ladybug had never seen from him before.
"Give me your miraculous, and you'll find out," she sneered, prompting Chat to jump towards her, swinging his staff. Once again, the illusion fell.
"Chat! You gotta stop doing that!" Ladybug scolded. "We're not gonna get anywhere if you keep rushing headfirst."
A whistle distracted them. Another Volpina was higher up on the tower. Immediately, Chat Noir started climbing the structure, with Ladybug swinging up, calling his name. Another illusion was beat down by her partner and he was about to jump again, but was grabbed by the tail.
"Chat Noir, slow the hell down, now!" she snapped. Chat's fake ears perked up, surprised by Ladybug's stern tone. Meanwhile, she took deep breaths before speaking again: "I know you're worried, but if you keep going like this, you're going to get yourself hurt, and that is the last thing I wanna see right now." Her expression turned softer. "Please chaton."
The cat ears drooped and Chat's shoulders slumped. When she felt it was safe, Ladybug let go of him. As if by instinct, the boy took the tail and stroke it.
"I'm sorry," he sighed. "I just don't—"
But a whistle cut his words short, and they both looked up to see Volpina holding… Marinette?!
"If you want your girlfriend back, give me your miraculous!"
Ladybug's eyes widened. It was the same trick she pulled last time, except that it was with her civilian identity.
"Chat Noir, help!" the fake Marinette yelled, tears building up in her eyes.
"Chat, that's not—!"
"That's not Marinette," Chat Noir finished for her. Ladybug's lips turned into an 'o'.
"What?" she gasped.
"It's an illusion," he said, firmly.
"How do you know?"
Chat Noir turned his gaze to her with a wide smile. "Trust me," and with a wink, he threw his baton at the fake Marinette. The second it hit her, the illusion disappeared in the already familiar orange smoke.
Without hesitation, the two continued climbing the Eiffel Tower, until they reached the top. There stood Volpina, much like last time.
"Now isn't this familiar?" the girl sneered.
"Lila, it doesn't have to be this way," Ladybug pleaded. "I'm sorry about last time. And I'm sorry you've felt humiliated once again. But this is not the answer."
"What do you know!" Volpina snapped. "You're loved by everyone. You don't know what it's like to have to work for people to like you."
Ladybug straightened, taken aback. That was when it hit her. It wasn't humiliation what drove her to become akumatized this time; it was loneliness. Lila must've lost hope on friendship when she pushed her away as Marinette. Tikki was right: she had to fix this.
"Lila, there's so much love waiting for you out there," she tried again. "You don't have to try as hard as you think you do."
"Whatta you know about me?!" Volpina snapped, making Ladybug flinch. "Stop acting so high-and-mighty. You're nothing!"
Before the superheroes could respond, the fox-themed akuma blew on her flute again, and moments later, a ball of energy revealed about twenty more Volpinas.
"Time to play Guess Who again," Chat Noir managed to quip before he and Ladybug leaped out of the way of five flutes that swung to where they had just been standing. To avoid them better, they started scaling down the Eiffel Tower, the army of Volpinas on their tails.
"I need time to call on Lucky Charm!" Ladybug called to her partner, just as she hit a Volpina with her yo-yo and it vanished in another puff of smoke.
"If it's a distraction you need," Chat jumped over a Volpina, "you've only to ask, LB."
"Chat!"
"Cataclysm!" Chat Noir yelled. In a swift movement, he placed his powered hand on one of the beams, making several collapse, taking down a few Volpinas with them.
"Lucky Charm!" a small swirl of ladybugs flew up and revealed a small strip of chewing gum that landed on Ladybug's hand. "Really?"
"You really think it's time to quench your sweet tooth?" Chat Noir quipped, but was immediately distracted by two more Volpinas.
The heroine's eyes searched her surroundings, at last landing on one of the Volpinas' flute: the one that was actually playing it.
"Chat, follow me!" she called again, right before popping the gum in her mouth. The two made their way to the base of the tower, and beat as many of the illusions as possible, until there was only one left. Volpina lifted the flute to her lips once again, but Ladybug took the chance to jump her.
The two wrestled for a moment, trying to hold on to the flute. After a few seconds, Volpina did a twirl and managed to trap the spotted heroine with the flute.
"What're you gonna do now, Ladybug?" Volpina sneered.
Ladybug couldn't help but smirk. She took the opportunity to spit the chewing gum into her hand and plug one of the flute's holes with it. Immediately after, she jerked her head back, hitting the akuma on the nose and making her loosen her hold on the spotted heroine, who quickly slid away.
Volpina growled and placed the flute on her lips again, but one of the fingers got caught on the slimy gum.
"CHAT, NOW!"
The villain looked up, but her efforts became useless, as she was dropped to the ground by Chat Noir's staff. The leather-clad hero was then on top grabbing the necklace, to then throw it at his partner. Upon receiving the familiar piece of jewelry, Ladybug snapped in pieces and finally caught the pesky butterfly.
"Miraculous Ladybug!" she yelled at last, fixing the damage on the Eiffel Tower and, for the second time, the fox necklace.
When the ladybugs were gone, the heroine gave a long sigh. It was still hard to grasp the fact that she had had to fight Volpina twice. What was worse, it had been a different akuma this time, unlike Stoneheart. She lifted her gaze and saw that Lila hadn't moved, despite no longer being transformed.
"Lila—"
"Don't," the girl interrupted. "I still don't like you. I stand by what I said last time."
Ladybug frowned. "Fine. We don't have to be friends," she said, "but I am sorry."
Lila shrugged. "Just go away."
Ladybug slumped, but didn't push. There was only so much she could do transformed. But she was sure there was much more that was possible as Marinette. With new determination, she turned on her heels to find a place to detransform, but her heart leaped when she was met by a staring Chat Noir.
"Bien joué?" He lifted a fist.
"Bien joué," she smiled, reciprocating the gesture.
BEEP BEEP
"Looks like this illusion is about to run its course," Chat quipped. "I also have a princess to make sure she's okay, so I'll be taking my leave."
Princess? Oh right… me.
For some reason, her cheeks started feeling warm. It could be the unexpected mention of her civilian persona.
"Right," she whispered, more to herself than to him. Chat Noir gave her a two-finger salute, and was about to walk away, when Ladybug suddenly remembered something. "Wait!" she called, reaching out to him. He turned his head to her, with a quiet hum. "I-I was meaning to ask: how did you know that was not Marinette on the tower?"
Chat turned the rest of his body towards her. The bewildered look on his face faded, slowly turning into a tender smile.
"I know her," he answered simply. Ladybug blinked, so he continued. "I know her well enough to know she would never beg me to save her. She would either demand it, or try to save herself. I also know she rarely calls me by my full name. But mainly," his smile grew, "she's one of the bravest people I know. And that girl up there was not brave."
"Oh," Ladybug managed to breath. Her lips were left in the shape of an 'o', while her cheeks were becoming hotter. Never, in her life, did she think he would be able to recognize so many traits of her. It took Chat Noir throwing his baton for her to recognize Adrien was an illusion the first time they fought Volpina, yet it didn't take her throwing her yo-yo for him to realize that Marinette had been an illusion.
Her train of thought was interrupted, as both their miraculouses made beeping noises.
"I-I gotta go," she stammered, starting to back away. "See you around, Chat."
And, once again, Ladybug rushed away from Chat Noir. Like she was running away from something. What that something was, she wasn't sure, but there was definitely something.
But whatever it was, it was going to have to take a back seat. Priority was getting to Lila as soon as possible.
It didn't take long for Adrien to find a place to detransform before the last beep of his ring. Lucky for him, he managed to find an alley close to where they left Lila. Knowing Marinette, she was probably looking for Lila. He'd seen her apologize to Max after he had been turned into The Gamer. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to assume she would apologize to Lila, too.
That was just the kind of person she was.
"Where you going?" the voice of Plagg stopped him on his tracks. "School's the other way."
"I need to make sure Marinette is okay," he reasoned.
"Ladybug did her magic, she's fine," the kwami groaned.
"I still need to check."
Plagg gave him a deadpan look, but went into his shirt anyway, grumbling something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like this kid and his obsession. Nevertheless, Adrien ignored him. There were more important matters at hand.
He walked out of the alley and sped in the direction where Lila had been deakumatized. Just as she came into view, Marinette had caught up to the Italian girl from the other side and called out to her.
"Why are you here?" Lila snapped, stiffly turning around to face the designer.
"I'm sorry," Marinette said, without hesitation. "It's my fault you got akumatized again. I shouldn't have been so harsh to you. It was reasonable for me to be upset, but it wasn't right of me to humiliate you like that. I'm really—"
"Save it," Lila interrupted. Adrien quickly started mentally preparing for a possible rematch. "You've done enough damage already. I don't think we can be friends anymore, so go away."
The sense of déjà vu was not missed on the boy. It was almost the exact scenario Ladybug had gone through with her. Lila's hair swung almost hitting Marinette's face. She was about to walk away, just like last time.
Except this time…
"No," Marinette said firmly, grabbing one of Lila's shoulders. The chestnut-haired girl looked at her, incredulous.
"Excuse me?"
"I said no," Marinette repeated, with no reservations. "Running away every time you have the slightest disagreement with someone is not gonna give you friends. Yes, I was mad at you. Yes, I disagree with you. But that doesn't mean I'm out to get you. Unlike others, I'm a very forgiving person. I get that you were only trying to help me, but here's the thing about me, Lila: you don't have to lie to get me to like you." Her features softened. "Wouldn't you rather people like you for who you are, than by some image you created?"
Lila could only gape. She searched Marinette's eyes, as if looking for the lie in them. But didn't seem to find it.
"What's wrong with you?" the Italian blurted. Marinette's teeth clenched.
"Excuse me?"
"Why would you want to be friends with me after what happened?" Lila took a step towards Marinette, but the short girl did not budge.
"Because I've seen other sides of you," she declared, without hesitation. "I know who you really are, and that's someone who's trying too hard to be accepted, when she doesn't need to."
Lila's resolve faltered. Adrien could see the tension leave her shoulders, and her features soften. Marinette placed her hands on her back and said one more thing: "Well?"
Without missing a beat, Lila threw her arms around Marinette, making the poor girl stumble. Nonetheless, she seemed pleased with the outcome.
"Thank you," the chestnut-haired girl sobbed. "I'm sorry for disappointing you, Marinette. You're the last person I wanted mad at me. I thought you would like me if I did something for you. I never intended it to hurt you. I just wanted you to like me."
"I-it's okay," Marinette assured, awkwardly patting the other girl's head. "Just don't let it happen again, okay?"
Lila nodded against Marinette's shoulder, letting out a few more sobs before finally letting go.
"I'll do my best to stick to the truth from now on," she sniffed, wiping her nose.
"And I'll do my best not to blow up again on you," Marinette beamed. That amazing smile that could fix anyone's mood. That one smile that Adrien now realized was reserved for the people who most needed their day to be brightened up.
A smile that was rapidly becoming his favorite.
In fact, he was so distracted by it, he barely noticed when it got wider and was directed to his direction. A large blob of saliva downed from the back of his mouth to his throat, making his tongue feel strangely sandy. His heart almost leaped out of his chest when her expression suddenly became bashful, accompanied by a hesitant wave.
Of course, she likes me, he reminded himself. Which caused his cheeks to feel very hot all of a sudden. Stiffly, he quickly raised his hand to wave, but accidentally hit someone else who was coming from behind him.
"Sorry about…that," he trailed off the second he recognized the boy next to him.
"No worries," he waved it off in a monotone voice, barely paying mind and continuing his path. It was then that Adrien realized he was not the one Marinette had been waving to with a blush on her face.
It was… that guy.
"Are you okay?" the blond asked a flustering Marinette.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine. OH!" she slapped a palm to her forehead. "Lila, Félix. Félix, Lila."
"Who the hell is Félix?" Adrien blurted. The other three turned to him in surprise. "I-I mean," he tried to amend, a hand rubbing his neck, "y-you've never spoken of him before, Marinette."
Marinette's brows furrowed. "No, we barely started hanging out yesterday. Are you okay, Adrien?"
"Yeah, fine," he responded immediately, hand falling to his side. But he couldn't keep his mouth shut for long. "Aren't you the guy who crashed with Marinette the other day?"
Marinette pointedly looked anywhere but at the two blonds before her. Lila, on the other hand, narrowed her gaze on Félix.
"Hey, he's right," she hissed. "You're the weirdo."
"He's not a weirdo," Marinette quickly defended.
"Looks like a weirdo to me," Adrien mumbled through clenched teeth. Which did not go unnoticed by the pig-tailed girl.
"Something you wanna say, Agreste?"
There she goes again, calling me by my surname.
"So, since when are you two on speaking terms?" Adrien dodged the question.
"Oh, that's actually a funny story," Marinette pipped up, forgetting the blond's cold attitude. "Remember that person that was texting me? Turns out it was Félix. Who would've thought, right?"
She gave a nervous laugh, while the gears started turning at full force in Adrien's brain. What was it that she said about the person texting her? I think this person might be Chat Noir. Yeah, that was it. So… she couldn't possibly think…
Nooo.
"Anyway," Marinette continued, oblivious to Adrien's inner turmoil, "I'm gonna get back to school. Coming Lila?"
"I'll catch up," the Italian responded. Marinette shrugged and walked away with Fé—No. With that guy. He was about to head back too, when a hand on his shoulder stopped him, which could only belong to one person.
"What?" he drawled in annoyance.
"I have a bad feeling about that guy," Lila muttered. The blond froze, not sure how to react at the fact that they were on the same page.
"Whatta you mean?"
"Don't you think it's a bit creepy that he was texting her without knowing her? Also…" she hesitated for a moment, searching for the right words. "I'm not sure what it is, but there's something familiar about him. And not good familiar. And, of course, the fact that you obviously don't like him hanging around her."
"What? I don't care that they hang out," Adrien stubbornly denied.
"Sure," she uttered, eyes shifting. "By the way, are your palms hurting yet?"
The blond frowned and was about to ask, but he was suddenly very aware of how his nails were digging into his skin. Turned out that his hands had been curled into fists for some time already. Lila huffed.
"You're not very good at hiding your feelings, Adrien," she sneered, just as she started walking back towards the school, and not allowing the model to respond. Instead, he was left gaping after her.
"And here I thought she was an oblivious one," a voice from his pocket cackled. Adrien glared at the little head poking out of his over-shirt.
"You guys don't know what you're talking about," he snapped. "I'm more concerned about a guy pretending to be me."
"Who said he's pretending? He probably has no idea she thinks he's Chat Noir."
"Then why would he call her Princess?" he snapped again. "I'm the only one who calls her that, no one else."
"Are you sure you're not just jealous?"
"Jealous?!" Adrien choked. "Why on Earth would I be jealous? I'm not jealous, I'm concerned that some guy is lying to her. Can't I worry about my friend?"
"You can worry about your friend," Plagg nodded. "But I think you're more worried about someone stealing your girl."
Adrien halted, an eye twitching. With a huff, and a muttered: "she's not my property," he shoved the little god back into his over-shirt and continued his path. Plagg had no idea what he was talking about. No clue, whatsoever. Just because he was worried about Marinette, it didn't mean he was jealous. That was stupid.
Besides, he had already learned his lesson. Jealousy only led to bad decisions. There was no way he was sinking down there and creating an akuma, again. And there was no reason to be jealous. He didn't like Marinette that way. Never, in a million years.
…
Right?
There you are again, setting up your kit.
The song had been in her mind for the last few hours. This time, Marinette was conscious of the fact that she was humming it. She wasn't sure why, but it just felt… right. Like something of that song was speaking to her.
Give me a minute, to get my guitar.
The wind was pleasant as she climbed out of her bedroom. A perfect evening for patrol. She looked towards the horizon, where the sun was setting. To where Chat Noir often vaulted to when he visited. Too bad it was still Friday.
I said we'd meet again, when you said 'no way'.
She sighed contentedly, her hands ready to open her purse for Tikki.
Yet here we are again—
"It's been six months since May."
Marinette yelped, turned and flailed her arms in one sweep, ungraceful movement, heart pounding in her throat.
"Hey, hey," Chat Noir laughed, holding her by the arm before she stumbled again. "It's just me."
"Goodness Chat, you almost gave me a heart attack," she breathed, her free hand on her chest. The boy only laughed harder.
"Seems like someone is up to no good," he joked. "What kind of mischievous acts is the beautiful Princess of Paris planning on committing?"
Marinette stared, dumbfounded. That was, until she realized she was supposed to retort.
"Why do you assume I'm up to no good?" she arched an eyebrow, while moving the hand on her chest to her hip.
"I've never seen anyone jump so high if they aren't up to something," he reasoned, still amused.
"I-I," Marinette scrambled for an excuse, "I didn't… expect for someone to join me tonight." And now that she said it… "What's with the surprise visit?"
Chat Noir shrugged. "Wanted to make sure you're okay. Today was… intense."
That's putting it mildly.
"Yeeeaaah," she drawled, remembering his intense reactions from earlier. "I saw from afar. You seemed pretty upset with Volpina."
The hero's shoulders slumped slightly, cat-ears also drooping, for a moment. But almost immediately, he squared his posture and he put on a kind smile. Almost relieved.
"I may have overreacted a little," he cringed. "And I guess Lila is not so bad."
"You know her?" Marinette frowned.
"Let's just say I was nearby when you made peace with her," he said, pointedly looking away. Meanwhile, the girl's heart accelerated. That was probably the biggest hint he'd ever given of his identity. It was one thing to have video games and such in common, but it was a whole other to admit he had been close when she spoke to Lila after the attack. In fact, the only people she saw were Adrien and… Félix.
"Anyway," Chat Noir said loudly, "Enough about earlier. Did I hear you humming 'Rockin Tonight With You,' or did my cat senses deceive me?"
"What? It's a fun song. Wait, you know it?"
Chat chuckled. "Now the speakers and the lights are on," he sang.
Marinette smiled. "The crowd calls our names," she followed.
The cat-themed hero gave one of his trademark toothy grins. Those that he used when he was genuinely happy or giddy for something. Or his head was in the gutter.
With almost no warning, the gloved hand that had been on her bicep slid down to her hand. He brought their hands over her head and gave her a twirl, as if they were dancing in a ballroom. A very small ballroom.
"Whoa-oh going wild, with my guitar and you with the drums," he sang. While Marinette was surprised, she couldn't help but giggle at the antics of her partner.
"Woah-oh rockin' out, until the dead of the night," she followed.
"With you-ooh ohh, with yooouuu," they sang in unison. Chat Noir gave her another spin, this time having her land on his forearm to pull her back. Marinette could only give a hearty laugh, even as he brought her back to her feet.
"Sweat, sweat, sweating, you really move those arms," Chat continued.
"Shred, shred, shredding, what my strings can't handle," Marinette followed.
"You know I want-cha, girl, I really want-cha."
"But for the moment, let's blow this crowd away."
"Now the speakers and the lights are on."
"The crowd calls our names."
They sang the chorus again, each taking their turn, despite the song not being a duet. They weren't exactly pitched, but they were perfectly synced. They even danced a bit, until the chorus finished and Marinette yelled: "Epic solo!"
On cue, she played an air guitar and Chat Noir played air drums, imitating the sounds the instruments made in the song. Marinette did the best shred impression she could, while Chat abused his imaginary cymbals.
"Whoa-oh going wild," they sang in unison this time, "with my guitar and you with the drums. Woah-oh rockin' out, until the dead of the night. With you-ooh ohh, with yooouuu."
With you-ooh ohh, with yooouuu."
Their shoulders pressed against each other, and their gazes met, prolonging the last note of the song. At last, they stopped, but kept their eyes locked on each other, for a moment.
That was, until they burst in laughter.
They laughed louder than they ever had together. There was no embarrassment, no one making fun of the other, no funny wig. It was pure, blissful joy, shared between two people who had never imagined they would care so much for each other.
The cackle reduced to giggles, and their gazes met again. They smiled at each other, finally controlling their fit.
"We make a good duet, chaton," Marinette complimented. Her statement made Chat release another giggle. He raised a finger, about to say something, but stopped all of a sudden, his face contorting in what seemed like realization. Just as quickly, he bit his lower lip, and rapidly started—wait. Is that…?
"Are you blushing?" Marinette blurted out with fascination. Chat's hands darted to his cheeks, which didn't help much, considering his whole face was red now. Marinette gasped in amazement, which made the cat-boy scowl.
"For your information, I'm just flushed, from, you know… er… the singing," he lied. The pig-tailed girl narrowed her bluebells playfully, not believing a single word.
"Who would have thought the great Chat Noir was capable of getting flustered. But to lie about it," she gave a dramatic gasp, a hand over her chest.
Chat's scowl deepened. "Fine. I was thinking about My Lady and what it would be like to sing with her."
"Oh," uttered the designer, slightly taken aback. But then, she started giggling, a light shade of pink creeping up her cheeks.
"HA!" Chat barked in victory. "Who's blushing now, Princess?"
One of Marinette's hands quickly shot up to her cheek, but she simply giggled harder. Chat stared in awe for a moment, before starting to laugh again. This time, though, they weren't exactly sure why.
Of course! You and I make the perfect couple.
It was already past midnight, but Adrien couldn't sleep, not even if his life depended on it. He simply stared at the dark ceiling, hoping drowsiness would come.
But it didn't.
His mind kept working in overdrive, running over and over again the events of that day.
We make a good duet, chaton.
For the fifth time that night, the blond tried to smother himself with the pillow.
Of course! You and I make the perfect couple.
The words he almost uttered before he bit his lip repeated itself like a broken record.
Of course! You and I make the perfect couple.
The sentence was so embarrassing, he was barely able to admit it to himself. It was something he felt he couldn't even tell Plagg. He didn't need the little smartass god making remarks on how Marinette was his girlfriend.
Because Marinette was his friend, not girlfriend.
And he was in love with Ladybug.
And why, oh why, did he almost genuinely flirt with Marinette?!
Maybe she reminded him of Ladybug for a moment…
Yeap. That had to be it. It must've been the song. We sang it so well, so in sync. Kinda like Ladybug and I are when we fight. Like we're reading each other's minds, unafraid of physical contact...
Yeah, that had to be it. There was no other explanation. Unless…
Of course! You and I make the perfect couple.
He let out a muffled groan, squeezing his pillow, trying not to think of the other option. Because of course, any other explanation was dead wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
"Okay, that's it," an annoyed voice said in the darkness. "Kid, either you stop fuming and let me sleep, or tell me why you're still up so late."
Adrien gulped. Ever so slowly, he raised the pillow from his face to get a view of what looked like a pair of floating green eyes. He took a deep breath before saying: "For once, I could do without the advice."
He couldn't see the little guy's face, but from the way his glowing eyes squinted, he assumed a scowl was not so farfetched.
"If it's gonna make you shut up, I will gladly give it without making a fuss."
The boy deliberated for a moment. He sighed as he got up from his bed and walked towards the big windows of his room. To where there was more light. He rested an arm on the window frame, and his head on top of it. Plagg quietly followed him.
"Tell me, what's eating ya?" the kwami crossed his tiny arms. Adrien's eyes shifted to him for a moment, but then focused back on the world outside. He was debating Plagg's offer. Although a part of him thought the little being would do anything for a good night's sleep, Adrien couldn't help but think this was too good for him to keep his mouth shut. Was it worth it, though? He desperately needed the advice.
"You won't make a fuss about it, right?" he warned the black cat.
"I won't," Plagg rolled his eyes.
"Promise?" The kwami squinted suspiciously.
"Promise," he drawled. "What is it?"
"I…" the boy gulped. His heartrate increased. "I think I…" he gave a breathy sigh. He tried again, but only got as far to the second 'I' again.
"You what?" Plagg groaned in exasperation.
"I-I…" Adrien clenched his teeth before pulling a Nino: he squatted and grabbed his hair. "I can't say it!"
"Uuuggghhh," the kawmi slapped his paws to his face and dragged them down. "Spit it out!"
"I can't!" the blond whined.
"Just say it!"
"No!"
"I wanna sleep!"
"FINE! I LIKE MARINETTE!"
A/N: Thank you for reading. Hopefully next chapter won't take as long. Also, the plot thickens XD Thanks for the lovely reviews. You guys are awesome.