Cue the long sigh...

Guess I should probably write this while I still have the time. Soon I'll be back to school, learning things that I'll never use and pretending to like people that I hate. Oh joy.

Y'all love my complaining, dontcha?

The minute Marinette got home, she kicked off her shoes, let her hair down, and collapsed in her bed without even greeting her parents. Tikki emerged from the black clutch, blinking down at her chosen.

"Oh, Tikki," Marinette sighed, "I don't think I've ever been this happy in my entire life."

The sprite smiled kindly. "It sounded like you had a good time, Marinette, but why are you so down?"

"I'm not down, just... tired. Everything was just so... so emotionally exhausting. I mean, it was fun, obviously, but..."

Tikki patted Marinette on the back with her tiny hand reassuringly. "Is this about how you called Adrien Chat by accident?"

The girl shrugged. "I guess, a little. I mean, what if he thinks I was thinking about Chat when I was with him? What if he thinks I really am in love with Chat?"

Tikki hesitated. "Are you?"

"No!"

"But then why did you say his name, Marinette?"

"I... I don't know. I didn't mean to, it just slipped out." She groaned, rolling out of bed to pace the floor. "I mean, he keeps bringing up Chat whenever I'm around him, plus they do look a bit alike. Maybe I just mixed them up in my head. Yeah, that must be it."

Tikki raised an eyebrow. "If you say so, Marinette."

"Plus, you know, we were just having fun, like Chat and I always do. It just... it felt like Chat and me."

The sprite resisted the urge to shake her head incredulously. "You don't say."

"This is all Chat's fault. I mean, at least before, he was just annoying to me as Ladybug. But now he's actually ruining my relationship with Adrien! Oh, Adrien must think I'm a terrible person!"

"Did you miss the part where Adrien called you princess, or...?"

"That's it!" said the heroine, oblivious to her Kwami, who was sighing. "I've just got to get him out of my head! I'll get Adrien out of my head, and then Chat and I will be free to continue dating."

"Chat. You need to get Chat out of your head."

"That's what I said." Marinette frowned determinedly. "That's what I'll do! From now on, no more contact with Chat as Marinette!"

Knock knock.

Tikki sighed. "There goes that plan."

"Hide, Tikki. I'll get rid of him."

Marinette climbed up and looked through the balcony door, seeing Chat blinking down at her from the other side. He grinned as she came into view and tapped his knuckles on the glass. The girl rolled her eyes before opening the door and climbing onto the balcony to stand next to Chat, despite the rain that had begun to fall. The black-clad hero tried to help her up, but she ignored his outstretched hand and pulled herself up.

"Can I help you?" she asked dryly, crossing her arms and bristling from the cold.

Chat cocked an eyebrow, taken aback. "I just, uh... What's with the fancy getup?"

"I..." She cleared her throat. "I just got back from a date, not that it's any of your business."

The boy smiled slowly, something odd in his eyes, but it wasn't jealousy. "Oh yeah? He hot?"

"Um..." She blushed, clenching her fists at her sides. "For your information, he's the most attractive person I've ever met. And he's smart, and kind, and... Why do you have that look on your face?"

Chat masked his beaming expression, regaining his composure. He smirked, sauntering to the edge of the balcony and leaning against it as he scrutinized her. "So... how did the date go? Everything just how you dreamed it would be?"

"I didn't--It went fine."

"Just fine?"

"Great, actually." She pushed a hand through her wet hair, glaring at the boy. Why did he look so smug? "He took me to this amazing party, and... and..."

Chat stepped closer to the girl. "And...?"

"And... it was the perfect date." Almost, anyway. She rolled her eyes as he stepped ever closer. "And I wasn't thinking about you." Crap.

"Well, of course not," he said knowingly, his mouth quirking into a smirk. "And while you were on this date--not thinking about me, mind you--did you and this guy happen to share a kiss?"

Marinette's face burned. They hadn't, unfortunately, but she wasn't about to tell that to Chat. "So what if we did? Does that make you... jealous?"

Chat's ears seemed to flatten slightly, but he was smiling. "Maybe, maybe not. That depends."

"On?" she prompted hesitantly.

He chuckled quietly. "On this."

He reached up to cup her chin, and Marinette froze. Her mind was racing, but she couldn't pull away. As Chat leaned closer until their noses were touching, she found herself involuntarily closing her eyes, and then...

He kissed her.

It was short and soft, but it was like electricity; enough to send Marinette's mind reeling. The rain was icy against her bare arms, but warmth radiated off his body. He pulled away too quickly, she couldn't help thinking. She opened her eyes and saw Chat frowning down at her, his lips parted slightly. He stepped back, looking disturbed. His face reddened and he turned away.

"Uh..." The blue-haired girl racked her brain for something to say, not sure whether to be angry that he kissed her, or offended that he didn't seem to enjoy it. "You... me kissed. Er, kissed you me. You missed key?!" She groaned, facepalming. "Why did you kiss me?!"

"I-I don't know, I didn't... Um, I should go. I have to go." He glanced back at her, hesitating. He grimaced. "Yep, time to go."

"Wait, I--"

He drew his staff and jumped down from the balcony, disappearing before she could say another word.

She sighed and wiped her face, realizing for the first time that she was soaking wet. She lowered herself into her room, slipping out of her dress on her way down the stairs. Tikki appeared from her hiding place, blinking curiously.

"What did he want?"

Marinette shook her head. "I... have no idea."

--

Adrien lowered his head onto the desk, groaning. "Oh, God..."

Plagg rolled his eyes, taking a bite out of his wheel of camembert. "I don't see what the big deal is," he said through a mouth full of cheese. "So you kissed her. Who cares?"

"I do. You know, I can't help but think you did this to me," Adrien mumbled. "I don't know how, but you did this to me."

"What did I do? You're the one who runs the lips, remember?"

Adrien turned his head to glare at the sprite. "Yes, but Adrien would've never done that. Adrien was just fine the way things were. Chat, on the other hand..."

"Yeah, but it was Adrien who decided to go over there in the first place." He chomped on his cheese, moaning in ecstasy. "Don't try to pin this on me, Casanova. You're the one pining after two girls at once."

"I am not pining after Marinette! She's just a friend!"

"A friend who you kissed, which, by the way, is farther than you and Ladybug ever got." The deity belched, sighing happily. "Face it, kid, you ruined everything. Time to cut your losses and move on."

"Plagg!" Adrien threw a wad of paper at him, which Plagg easily dodged. "You're not helping!"

"What do you want me to say? You went over there to make sure your little slip up didn't reveal your identity to the weird girl, and you ended up kissing her. If she didn't know it was you before, she probably does now. And seeing as how she may or may not be related to the other girl you're in love with, I'd say, at this point... you're an asshole."

"Watch your mouth, Plagg." Adrien hit his head against the table, groaning again. "I don't even know what happened. I just... kissed her. It just felt right, you know? It was just like when we met, only... different. After the date, I couldn't stop thinking about her. I'll admit, I went there for more than to make sure she didn't figure out my identity. But I never meant to kiss her!"

"Well, you did." Plagg shrugged. "What are you going to do about it?"

"I... I don't know. I feel so guilty, like I'm cheating on Ladybug or something. And now Marinette probably thinks Chat is a jerk, and... I just don't know how this happened."

Plagg sighed dramatically. "I don't know or care."

"Thanks."

"Any time. Now, if you need anything, figure it out on your own, because I'm about to go into a food coma I will hopefully never come out of."

Adrien rolled his eyes. "Good night, Plagg."

Ugghhghhhgghgghhh.

Sleep time, bitches.