Marinette sat on her computer chair as Alix took the chaise lounge, neither looking at each other and a cloud of tension filling the air. Alix looked up first, Marinette catching her eye before looking away again. This dance continued on and on for about half an hour, neither wanting to be the first to speak.

"C-Chat Noir would have cataclysmed you, I couldn't let that happen. He would have found where the akuma was and used his power." Marinette broke the silence, Alix's eyes widening as she looked at her friend. Marinettte was still looking away, but from the constant wringing of her hands indicated just how nervous she was.

"What do you mean? Cataclysm me? He would have killed me!" Alix's voice was on the verge of hysterics, her hands grabbing the back of her head as she took in Marinette's words. "He's meant to be a hero!"

"H-he is! He trusted me to help you."

They sat back in silence again, Alix taking in the idea that one of Paris' superheroes wanted to kill her.

"Why would he want to kill me?"

"He wouldn't," Marinette shot out of her chair and moved swiftly to Alix's side. "He didn't want to kill you, but the akuma … Shadowmoth … he managed to get the akuma inside you. I didn't even know that was possible."

Alix sighed, interlocking her fingers together and balancing her elbows on her knees. She looked down at the floor, her head lowered in defeat.

"I have a secret that no one knows, it's a hard spot for me. I don't really like people to know."

Marinette reached out, placing her hand on top of Alix's. "I'm here if you want to talk about it, if you want to tell me. I would never betray your confidence, Alix."

Alix wanted to tell Marinette. She wanted to tell her so much, but this thing - this fact of her life, she'd never told anyone. Her family were the only people who knew, and to make herself vulnerable to Marinette, well, it opened a whole new can of worms. A whole new side to their story.

"I don't want you to treat me any different." Her voice was small, and shaky, Marinette's heartbreaking for her friend who was obviously hiding something. She knew the overwhelming feelings of having something you couldn't share and she wanted to be the shoulder she could lean on.

"I never could." Marinette's words were simple, yet they were said with so much care, Alix's heart wept to tell her. To have the wonderful girl in front of her support her through this entire ordeal.

"I have a box that helps my heart,"

"Like a pacemaker?" Marinette asked, Alix seemed too young and athletic to have such equipment already in her body.

"No, it's …" she sighed again, looking up into Marinette's eyes. "My heart just needs a little extra support whilst I'm growing. Most people with the same problem have them in until they're 18, so it won't be long until I get to have it out, at least I hope it isn't."

"That's good news then. Do you have to be checked often?" She asked.

"Once a month they run tests on my physical fitness and how my heart is processing. They turn it off whilst I run on a treadmill and track the pressure placed on my heart. My last one was good, it was positive. I'm getting stronger." Alix smiled up to Marinette, only to be met with a matching one.

"Well, that just means I get to love two hearts of yours instead of one." Marinette said with a soft smile.

Alix couldn't help but snort. "Yeah sure, because 'you' hugging Adrien was such a friendly hug." Alix inserted finger quotes around the word 'friendly', before sitting up, crossing her arms and looking away from Marinette. If that was just a friendly hug then she was obviously the President of France.

"It was friendly, we sorted out our issues."

Alix scoffed and stood up, moving towards the window. "Marinette, the love you have for Adrien is intense and wild. You know you want -"

"Woah," Marinette said, standing up and walking over to the shorter girl. "Don't you dare try and tell me how I feel. My love for Adrien was intense, it was wild … but it's not anymore. I don't love him like that anymore, you helped me see the light. You helped me see what love truly could be without provisions, without wild dreams that weren't realistic. When I'm with you I feel comfortable, I feel like me, it feels like home."

Alix turned and looked at Marinette. Could it be that she was finally over Adrien? It just didn't seem possible. Marinette loving Adrien was the same as the Earth spinning around the sun. It was factual and it was accurate.

"I don't believe you." Alix said, turning her head away from Marinette's bright blue gaze.

"I promise you, nothing will happen between Adrien and I, we've spoken about it and we know where we stand. Will there always be a piece of my heart for him? Sure. He's been and will continue to be a big part of my life. But do I want to be with him anymore? No. Do I feel like my life can only happen if I'm with him? No. Have I found something more pure, and exhilarating, worthwhile?" She stepped forward and took Alix's hand shyly into her own. Alix's eyes fluttered from Marinette's down to their interlocked hands and back to Marinette's eyes. "Yes." The raven haired girl replied.

Marinette's eyes held such sincerity and honesty, Alix felt like crying. The bluebell eyes shined and sparkled with the glistening of tears which she knew represented love and hope and care. The look she always dreamed of receiving and to have it from this wonderful girl only made it all the more worthwhile.

Marinette.

Her Marinette.

"I love you," Alix whispered, "please don't break my heart."

Marinette didn't answer. There were no words to prove it. Instead she stepped forward, placed her hands on Alix's cheeks and brought her lips down to meet the shorter girls. After a short, delicate kiss, Marinette knew she wanted and needed more. Bending down again, she kissed Alix more firmly allowing her tongue to part the girl's soft lips.

Alix didn't hold back, allowing Marinette to lead the kiss and show exactly how she felt. The two continued, Marinette wrapping her arms around Alix's waist to lift her, moving her towards the chaise lounge. She set them down side by side as they continued to explore each other's mouths. Tongues tangling and tasting each other as they became more and more familiar. It felt so natural and so right.

Alix moved herself forward, pushing Marinette's blazer from her shoulders and sending it spiralling onto the floor, before Marinette grabbed Alix's cap and threw it to the other side of the room. The two broke away laughing, before threading their fingers through each other's hair and continuing to kiss like their lives depended on it.

Moving onto her knees, Alix pushed Marinette back, crawling on top of her, and placing a hand to Marinette's hip before sliding it up and under her tee. Marinette mirrored the action letting a slight groan sound from her throat. The kisses grew more and more intense, Alix breaking her mouth away from Marinette's and moving it to her throat, kissing under her ear and down the side of her neck.

"Yes," sounded from Marinette as Alix continued her teasing and kissing.

Without realising, Tom had been knocking on the trapdoor, signalling to Marinette that it was time for dinner. After hearing the 'yes' from his daughter, he took it as an invitation to open the trap door.

"Marinette, does Alix -" Tom broke off as he saw the two girls on the chaise lounge, watching as they sprung apart from each other and wiped their lips. Marinette felt her face flame red as her father raised an eyebrow, a slight grin turning up the corners of his lips. "Alix, you would like to stay for dinner?"

"Yes, please. If it's okay with Marinette, that is?" She looked over to Marinette for confirmation, only to be met with an over enthusiastic nod.

"Oh yes, you're totally fine, I mean, it's fine." Marinette buried her head in her hands only for Alix to cover her mouth in a laugh.

"Thank you, Mr Dupain."

Tom nodded in amusement, and went to make his way back down to the kitchen. "Oh, and one more thing. Welcome to the family Alix." Tom dropped both girls a wink as he made his way down the stairs, causing Marinette to squeal in mortification.

"I take it I get your father's approval." Alix said, laughing and making her way over to get her hat. Before she could put it on her head, Marinette reached out and stopped her, holding her wrist in her hand.

"Don't, I like your hair like that," she said, a pink hue still coating her cheeks.

"Okay," Alix breathed out, making her way to the stairs and, ultimately, out of Marinette's room.

"Just - um - can we have one more minute? You trusted me with your secret, and I would like to return the favour."

Marinette pulled Alix back from the trap door and down onto the chaise lounge, seating them next to each other and her knee's bouncing with nervousness.

"There's something only a couple of people know, and I think … no, I know, I want you to know the truth. If this, if we are going to work, there's something you need to know about me, something you need to understand."

Alix nodded for Marinette to continue, watching as her friend took in a deep breath.

"I'm Ladybug."