"Miraculous Ladybug!"

Marinette flung the black-and-red spotted trampoline up into the air. It should have been too large even for her magically enhanced strength – she'd needed half a dozen bystanders to move it into position before – but it seemed to practically be pulled up into the air now. It exploded into the by-now-familiar swarm of sparkling magic ladybugs, which swept out over Paris, filling in the craters Jumping Jack had left in the street and repairing the holes she'd smashed through buildings.

Her earrings beeped and Ladybug flinched. It had taken time for her to get her Charm in place and for Cat to maneuver Jumping Jack into hitting it, and even after she'd bounced the two of them into the Seine she'd had to dash over there to grab the akuma once Cat had smashed her talisman, then dash back here to invoke the Miracle. If she had the count right, she was down to her last spot.

"Sorry," she said to the civilians gathered around her, "no time for interviews today. Bug out!"

She tossed her yo-yo up, and let it yank her away from the crowd. But as she jumped out, there was a shout of "Milady, wait!" and Cat leapt up after her. Atop the roof, she spun to face him.

"What?" she said quickly.

"Milady," Cat said in a low voice. "I need to talk to you. Can we meet? Say, the Eiffel tower at midnight tonight?"

Marinette blinked. It was rare for either of them to suggest meeting outside their battles. Her schedule was strained to the breaking point between school, akuma battles, and her new duties as Guardian, and she could not imagine that Cat Noir's situation was much better.

"Of course," she replied in the same low tone. Whatever Cat needed to ask her about, it must be important.

Cat nodded. "See you then, Milady," he said, and leapt away.

Cat Noir paced back and forth along the beam of the Eiffel tower, spinning his baton idly in his hands as he tried to work off his nerves. The deck above and the ground below teamed with people even this late at night, but here on the framing halfway up he and his Lady could be assured of privacy. He glanced out over the city again. To his altered vision, Paris seemed to blaze with lights, a delicate chirascuro of truesight and his magical nightsight that blended together into something uniquely his.

And there came his lady now. She paused for a moment on the nearest roof, then her yo-yo flew out and yanked her across the expanse. She landed on the same beam as Cat, retrieved her yo-yo, and turned to face him.

"Well, Cat," she said. "What's this about?"

Adrien let out a nervous breath. "I have something to say to you, Milady," he said, "and I need you to just listen and let me say it without interrupting. Can you do that?"

Ladybug nodded.

"Thank you," Cat Noir said. He took a deep breath, trying to muster his courage. "So, you know I love you, right?"

Ladybug winced visibly. "Cat..." she started to say, her tone gentle.

"Wait, Milady," Cat said, cutting her off with an upraised hand. "Look," he continued, "I understand the threat Hawkmoth poses, that if we unmasked he could use us against each other, that with the way he preys on stress and pain it's a risk trying to make a relationship work right now, that we can't afford distractions when each akuma attack already pushes us to the limits… I don't know if I agree with your reasoning, but I do understand it. And I could live with that, if I were sure that was all it was. I know there are others who've caught your eye, and I don't know how I stand in that running. I know that you've rejected me time and again, and I don't know whether that is all down to circumstances."

Adrien took another breath. Once before he'd had to screw his courage to the sticking point like this, on that rooftop during Syren when the secrecy had driven him to the breaking point and he'd threatened to renounce his ring if he couldn't get answers. And now again he was gambling everything, forcing his partner to choose and risking his heart on the wager.

"Milady, I love you," he repeated. "I have since the very first day we met, and I'm pretty sure I always will. I can live with waiting until Hawkmoth is defeated, as long as I can have hope that when we take him down you might return my affections. And…" he ducked his eyes, feeling them burn, "I can live with your rejection. I can live with being nothing more than your partner. But what I can't live with any more is this uncertainty."

He raised his eyes again and met Ladybug's gaze. "So I ask this question one last time, and I swear to you that if you tell me 'no' now I will never ask again: Do I have a chance with you, Milady? Is there any possibility that you might one day come to love me as I love you?"

His heart beating in his chest like a frightened rabbit, Adrien waited for his Lady's reply.

Marinette stared at Cat Noir in the dim light, her heart in her throat. Her first instinct was to simply blurt out "No!", to seize the chance to stop Cat Noir's flirting once and for all. But the way he'd spoken… It was so easy to assume Cat was just being a flirt, that his professions of love were nothing more than friendly banter with a female teammate. And then he did something like this, poured out his heart to her and knocked all her preconceptions on their head.

She turned away, unable to meet her partner's gaze.

I care for Cat Noir, of course, she thought. He's my partner, and possibly the one person in the world who I trust completely. But do I love him? Could I love him as he loves me?

I could come to love him, I think. Whoever's beneath that mask, he is a good man, one worthy of love. If Adrien were gone, if I didn't have Luka, if Hawkmoth were out of the picture and we could unmask to each other, spend time together outside of battles… yes, I could come to love him very easily.

But that's not the question, is it? she said to herself. Can I give Cat Noir what he is asking for? If I say "yes" now, he will wait for me. I believe him when he says that. And I can't ask that of him, not when Adrien still holds my heart. And even if something happened to put Adrien beyond my reach… it could still be months or years before we take Hawkmoth down, and I'm not sure it will be safe to unmask even then. And Luka is here for me now. If I can't have Adrien, Luka would be the next person I would turn to. I don't love him, but I do like him, and he is someone I could be happy with.

Cat asked me for the truth. However much it hurts him to hear it, lying to him now and giving him false hope would be a thousand times worse.

"I'm sorry, Cat Noir," she said, forcing herself to meet her partner's gaze. "Please don't blame yourself for this, it's not because there's anything wrong with you. I'm sure you will make some girl very happy someday, but it won't be me. I already have… commitments… in my civilian life. Someone I love, and I can't give that love up." She smiled bitterly. "I've tried," she added.

She felt her heart sink as she saw the pain in her partner's eyes, and realized to her dismay that she was going to have to ask a very awkward question.

"Cat?" she said, "Are you going to be ok? I can't imagine you want to talk to me right now, but will you be… safe… if I leave? I don't want to have to fight you."

Cat sighed. "I'll be fine, milady. I knew this might happen, and I've had some time to think it through." He smiled, though it didn't meet his eyes. "Whoever it is you love, I hope he treats you like a princess. You deserve it."

Marinette felt herself blush. "Thank you, Cat," she said. "I don't say this often enough, but you really are the best partner I could ask for. I'm glad to have met you, and I hope that you will always be a part of my life and I'll always be a part of yours, even if we can't be boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Thank you, milady," Cat said, turning away from her. "Until our next battle," he added over his shoulder, and leapt out into the night.

It would not be until much later that Marinette would learn the connection between what she had said that night and what happened a few days afterwards. At the time, the only effect she noticed was that in their next battle, Cat Noir did indeed keep his promise, and made no flirtatious remarks to her. She wasn't sure whether to feel disappointed or relieved.

It was Saturday, the day after that battle, when her words to Cat Noir bore their true fruit, though she didn't realize that until far later. She was frantically trying to get through her homework when she heard her mother's voice call up from below.

"Marinette? Alya is here to see you!"

Marinette shook her head, but before she could reply, her friend exploded up through the door.

"Come on, girl," she said. "I heard from Nino that Adrien is going to be out in the park today. Just hanging out, not doing a photoshoot or anything."

Marinette froze, glancing back and forth from Alya to her pile of homework. "I really shouldn't…" she said, trailing off.

"Oh, come on, girl!" Alya said cheerfully, grabbing Marinette's arm. "Homework can wait. Right now, it's time for Adrien, and I am not going to let you wuss out before you even see him."

"I swear," she added as she tugged Marinette down the stairs, "I am going to get you to talk to that boy if I have to stand behind you and move your lips with my fingers."

From the bushes, the two girls stared out at where Adrien and Kagami sat side-by-side on a bench, holding hands and talking in a low voice that Marinette could not at all make out from where she and Alya hid. Kagami's face showed a rare smile, while Adrien's had an expression that Marinette couldn't quite place. With an effort of will, Marinette forced down her jealousy and tried to consider Adrien and Kagami as she would consider Alya and Nino, or Ivan and Mylene.

They… they do fit together, she thought. It's not perfect, not yet, not like my parents or even Ivan and Mylene, but there is something there. They looklike boyfriend and girlfriend, and they look happy.

"Uugh," Alya hissed. "Just look at her, cozying up to Adrien like that." She glanced down at Marinette. "Sorry, girl," she said in a low voice, "I didn't expect her to be here." She paused for a moment. "So, what are we going to do about her?" she asked.

"Do?" Marinette replied. "Nothing!" she said after a moment.

"Come on, girl, have some confidence in yourself!" Alya said. "Ok, fine, the Ice Queen has stolen a march on you. Are you really going to let her just take Adrien from you like that?"

Marinette sighed. "Alya, I was wrong about Kagami, ok?" she whispered. "She isn't Chloe, and she is my friend now." She paused for a moment, remembering how her jealousy, her determination to split up Adrien and Kagami, had lead to Chloe's downfall and Master Fu being forced to renounce his Guardianship. None of which she could share with Alya, of course.

"I've let my jealousy make me do things I regret before," she said instead, "and I won't let it rule me now. Kagami did what I never could, she conquered her fears and went for what she wanted. She deserves a chance at least." She felt a pang of remorse, but ruthlessly shoved it down.

Out on the field, something Adrien had said seemed to have startled Kagami, her smile replaced by a look of visible surprise.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," Alya said. "Besides, the contest's not over yet, and if you could just talk to Adrien, I'm sure you could take him back. I mean, it's not like he's about to propose to her or anything."

As if he had been waiting for a cue line, it was at that exact moment that Adrien produced a pair of golden rings from the pocket of his jeans.

Marinette stared at those rings, glinting gold in the sun, and the entire world seemed to narrow to Adrien's hand as he slipped one of the rings onto the ring finger of Kagami's left hand, the finger where one placed a wedding ring. She felt a sudden sharp pain as if her heart were being torn asunder.

No…

"WHAT!?"

Marinette had been so shocked to see those rings that she'd momentarily forgotten Alya existed. The sudden shout in her ear startled her so badly that she exploded out of the bushes, flailed wildly as she tripped over the edge of the raised bed, and faceplanted in the grass. She lay there for a moment, letting the grass hide her scarlet features, heartbreak giving way to embarrassment.

"Marinette?" she heard Adrien say. "Are you ok?"

Marinette groaned into the turf. How could he ask that… Oh, right, he still has no idea how I feel about him, she thought, her mental voice liberally tinged with exasperation.

"What is… Alya?"

"How dare you!" Marinette heard Alya shout.

No, no, no! Marinette thought in sudden panic. She sprang to her feet, just in time to see Alya stalking towards Adrien and Kagami, both of whom had leapt up in response to Marinette's emergence from the shrubbery.

"What are you two doing?" Alya continued, one finger extended.

Kagami's expression shifted from shock to the focused determination she had worn while fencing or during her brief stints as Ryuko. "Adrien just made a promise to me," she said, stepping forward. "An oath to remain faithful to me for as long as I would have him." Marinette saw the ring flash green on Kagami's left hand, and some part of her mind noted that the jewel was the exact shade of Adrien's eyes.

Kagami spun on her heel to face Adrien.

"And I return your oath, Adrien Agreste," she said. "You are mine and I am yours from this day forth, whatever our parents or anyone else may say."

"Listen, Ice Queen…" Alya began to say.

"Congratulations!" Marinette said, cutting her off. "I'm happy for you both."

She wasn't sure how convincing she sounded, but that didn't matter right now. Her pain and heartbreak could wait for later. All that mattered right now was to stop Alya talking.

Alya froze in midstride, then turned her head slowly to face Marinette. "Marinette?" she said.

"Alya," Marinette said, "Maybe we should leave these two to enjoy their time together."

She turned slightly to face Kagami. Behind her, she saw that Adrien was now wearing the twin to the ring he'd given Kagami on the ring finger of his left hand, this one set with a stone the same golden-brown as Kagami's eyes. "Kagami," she said, "maybe we can talk later. You can drop by the bakery." She forced a smile. "Maybe you can get celebration macaroons."

Kagami turned and stared at Marinette for a moment, then nodded slightly and made a quick gesture that reminded Marinette of a fencer's salute before turning back to Adrien, her air of focus becoming a triumphant grin.

Still forcing a smile, Marinette grabbed Alya's arm and tugged her away from the clearing. Above, a violet-limned akuma spun in circles before setting off on a new heading.

As soon as they were past the line of trees, Marinette released Alya's arm.

"Marinette," Alya said in a low voice, "what was that back there? Have you just given up on getting Adrien?"

Marinette closed her eyes for a moment, feeling as though her heart were breaking all over again. "Yes," she said, barely above a whisper.

"Alya," she continued in a slightly louder tone, meeting her friend's gaze, "have you ever known Adrien to give up on someone once he's pledged his loyalty to her? I mean, remember Chloe? Remember how, even after everything she did, he remained her friend and mourned when it looked like she was leaving St. Francis? I have no idea what happened, whether it was Kagami's idea or Adrien's, why he felt he had to make such a promise now, but now that he's made the promise he's not going to leave Kagami unless she lets him go, and we both know that's never going to happen."

"I've lost Adrien's love, if I ever had it," Marinette said, feeling tears prickle in her eyes. "I'm not going to let myself lose his friendship as well. In God's name, please don't make this any harder for me."

Alya stared at Marinette for a long moment, half-formed expressions flitting across her face. Before she could respond, her phone sounded the custom tone that signaled an akuma alert.

Marinette tensed, her pain banished by sudden focus.

Heartbreak can wait, she thought. Right now, I have work to do.

And after this is over, maybe I'll give Luka a call.