Author Note: I hope anybody still with me is enjoying themselves. If not, I strongly apologize, but the words must go on. I'm stumbling my way through the introductory chapters, but I promise, the overall story is going to be…awesome? I don't know, maybe not…but only one way to find out :P :P :P ENJOY!

Chapter Three: Just a Friend

Marinette rolled over, her fingers instinctively patting the bed next to her. The comforter was cool to the touch, indicating she had slept by herself. Of course she had slept by herself…who else would be there?

Her brain worked through several layers of depression and sleep related fog before sharp images came into vibrant relief. She shot up, still encompassed in her previous day's clothes. "Chat?!"

There was no response, save for the squeaky yawns of Tikki as she phased out of the nearby closet. Marinette had cleaned the space out, and the bluenette even handcrafted a large bed for the ancient Kwami to sleep in when she needed to make herself sparse. When the crimson being was free to roam, she usually cuddled, in the bed, close to her owner, which brought an unintentional smile to Marinette's face.

"Chat left a few hours ago," the crimson being murmured, and her blue eyes settled on Marinette's smile. "Feeling better I see," Tikki commented, giggling. "That's good because I was afraid your strong emotions would draw an Akuma here."

The secret heroine gasped, her bluebell eyes widening in surprise and realized her friend was right. Any negative emotion could draw Hawk Moth's Akumas, and she was a brewing storm of tumultuous energy. She needed to get herself under some semblance of control.

"I'm so sorry, Tikki," she whispered frantically. "I wasn't thinking." How could she have been so stupid? Of course letting her feelings run rampant would be cause for concern because if she were to become Akuma bait, who would purify it?

As much as she trusted and admired Chat, he couldn't do what she did. His Miraculous came with the ability of destruction, and it came in handy, but it couldn't purify and heal like her powers. Without her, Paris might be doomed. Not only Paris, but the entire world. After all, what did they know of Hawk Moth's true intentions? She knew with their jewelry, he could make a wish, but what was it he wanted?

If she disappeared, would Chat continue fighting? Her brows knit together, creasing her face into worried lines. Would he continue to risk his life for the safety of others without his Ladybug and without a way to truly defeat evil? Of course he would. He was brave, loyal, and strong, but the thought of him fighting helplessly alone made her chest a little tight.

"Earth to Marinette," Tikki called. "You're going to be late?" The last part was formed into a question, but as the bluenette's eyes gravitated towards the clock, she realized she was right.

"Oh no!" The teen tumbled out of bed, tripping over her feet.

***POV Change***

Adrien rubbed the back of his head repeatedly, unable to come to a resolution for his dilemma. "I could be wrong," he muttered, his bright orbs shifting to the desktop.

"Wrong about what, dude?" Nino draped himself over Adrien's shoulders, tipping his head sideways to stare at his friend.

Adrien chuckled, unable to help himself. Nino was his closest friend. He got on well with Nino's girlfriend, Alya, and he still spoke with Chole, his childhood friend, but Nino was his best friend. Marinette was a good friend too. He's in love with someone else. Or was she more than a friend? No. He gave his head a sharp shake. She's just a friend.

"I'm just thinking about something," he admitted. "I think this girl likes me, but I could be wrong."

"Dude," Nino chuckled. "Do you like a girl? That's awesome!"

Adrien felt a quick rush of heat flare into his cheeks, and he knew that he was blushing. "Keep your voice down," he hissed, shoving the excited boy into his seat. Nino took it the wrong way. He wasn't looking for advice on how to woo a perspective girl.

The blonde glimpsed over his shoulder, and for the first time since the incident, Mari was staring at him. However, the look in her eyes made him wish she was still ignoring him. How could so much pain emanate from one person?

The girl swiftly averted her gaze out the window, but he could see the glistening of unshed tears. His stomach twisted violently, and Adrien's heart started to pound. Please, Mari, don't look so sad. He wanted to reassure her everything was fine, but he couldn't offer her what she wanted. He couldn't give himself to her because he loved Ladybug…unequivocally. Mari was just a friend.

"Adrien?" The curiosity in his friend's voice brought his focus back to center, and he turned to stare at him. "Nevermind," he muttered, slumping in his chair. "I'll figure it out."

"If you have a thing for a girl," he whispered, "I'm sure she won't say no to the Adrien Agreste."

"Yeah," Adrien muttered dejectedly. That was the problem.

***POV CHANGE***

Ladybug slammed into the ground, tumbling over the asphalt until she slid to a stop near the sidewalk. She gasped, a fresh wave of pain exploding through her left side when she pulled herself unsteadily to her feet.

"M'lady!" Chat Noir leapt in front of her, spinning his baton to deflect the next attack away from her. She hadn't even seen it coming.

"Thanks, kitty," she breathed, wincing.

"You're hurt," his eyes widened as he glimpsed at her over his shoulder, dodging another attack while covering his partner.

She clutched her ribs and shook her head. "I'll live, but I lost my yoyo."

Her head wasn't in the game and it was showing. She was lucky so far not to have suffered more serious damage. Luck is my power. Something whispered along the plain of her thoughts. It sounded vaguely like Tikki, and she smiled.

The Akuma victim was a young hair stylist and Audrey Bourgeois, apparently displeased with her new cut, managed to get the woman fired. "You can't escape Hair Raiser!" The large cobalt and silver villain laughed. She was dual wielding scissors with deadly precision and each flick of her wrist sent a conjured blade in their direction. One of the blades struck her arm in mid-swing, and she fell as a result.

Chat hissed. "You're bleeding!" He grabbed her uninjured arm, yanking her to cover behind a nearby car. "Where are you, my lady?"

She frowned, taking several long moments to understand what he meant. She was right there, but eventually, she figured he meant her mind. "Sorry, I'll do better. We need to get my yoyo, did you happen to see where it fell?"

He closed his cat eyes, shaking his head solemnly. "Sorry," he uttered. "I saw you get hit and go down, and I guess…I guess I stopped thinking. I just wanted to get to you." His ears drooped as he dropped his head.

She offered a smile. "It's okay, we'll find it."

"But you're bleeding," he protested.

"The ladybugs will fix it, but I need my yoyo to summon my Lucky Charm." His lips parted, his objection clear on his face, but she put her fingers to his lips, gently. "No, Chat, we have to go." Her voice was soft, and the blush that peeked under the lower edges of his obsidian mask coerced a similar reaction in her until her face was aflame, and she jerked her hand away.

"Of course," he whispered, swallowing audibly. "I'm at your command, m'lady."

His breathy tone only brightened her cheeks more until she turned away. She flattened herself to the ground, looking into the street through the space under the car. Her eyes narrowed as she investigated within the scoop of her vision.

"Ladybug! Chat Noir!" Hair Raiser cackled. "Give me your Miraculous!"

Her yoyo lit up with a familiar spotted identifier when she spied it beneath another vehicle across the way. Now, she just needed to get from this side to the other. She didn't want to force Chat to try and defend both of them, although he would do it willingly, she didn't want to be a distraction.

"Distraction," she murmured. "Right. Chat, I see my yoyo, but you're going to have to pull her attention away." She got up to her knees. "It's under the white car diagonal from our position." She gestured with her hand to give him the general direction. "So, lure her the other way."

"Of course!" He leaned in close, offering a toothy grin. "I'm very distracting," his tone dropped to a husky whisper, and her heart stammered in her chest. He puckered his lips, and Marinette gasped, putting a finger against his forehead, pushing him backwards.

"Down, kitty," she squeezed out. "Go distract the nice akumatized hairdresser," she teased around the sudden tightness in her throat.

His grin only broadened, and he offered a salute before leaping atop the car they were using as a barrier. "Hey, mademoiselle!" He jingled the bell at his throat. "Anyone ever tell you playing with scissors is dangerous?"

Marinette grunted, rolling her eyes.

***POV CHANGE***

"Pound it," Chat exclaimed, holding his fist out. Ladybug wasn't even paying attention. Her stare was off to the horizon, the look in her beautiful eyes was so distant. "Bugaboo?"

"Don't," she finally said. Her tone was strange, and he felt his ears twitch as he moved a little closer.

"Don't?"

She turned to face him then, her eyes wavering with the tears building up in the bluebell orbs. "Don't call me that," she insisted.

"But bug…Ladybug," he grasped, visibly, at the air with his clawed hands. It was as if he could snatch the words he needed from the very wind. "What's the matter?"

"I'm sorry, Chat Noir," she clipped out of her plump pink lips. His cat like eyes strayed there for a moment, feeling the heat building in his stomach, but he mentally slapped himself to get it together. Her voice was never this formal.

"It's okay my lov…buga…it's okay Ladybug." Despite his nonchalant words, he felt the world closing in.

"You can't call me bugaboo anymore." The flat state of her tone and the empty look in her eyes impacted him harder than any physical blow could.

"M-my….m'lady?"

"I'm not your lady!" She screamed, shoving into his chest so he staggered several steps backwards. "I'm not your bugaboo. I'm not your lady, I'm nothing!" She cast her hand violently downward, glowering at him through a hatred he had never seen in her eyes before. "I will never love or want you, so stop trying."

"B-But I—" He watched her whip her yoyo into motion, disappearing along the rooftops.

His heart shattered, splintering into pieces small enough to disappear along the sands of time; forgotten. Is this how Marinette felt, knowing she couldn't…wouldn't have her love?

Her silhouette was long gone, but he stared, as if he could still see her. I'm hungry. "Plagg," he grumbled, but the complaint almost made him smile…almost. He snuck into a nearby alley and sighed. "Claws in," he mumbled, watching the Kwami swirl into being as he pulled a slice of camembert from his inner chest pocket.

"You're the best owner, ever," the onyx ancient cried, snatching the morsel and devouring it in a single bite. "Ladybug was tense, today." Each word exposed half chewed cheese, but Adrien only laughed as he leaned against the brick wall.

"Yeah," he admitted, his eyes casting downward. "She made her position…perfectly clear."

"Relationships are dumb," Plagg suggested, swallowing the remaining cheese in his oversized mouth. "Ladybug is your partner, but don't confuse that with anything else."

Adrien sighed, placing his hand against his chest to steady his crumbling heart. The advice wasn't what he wanted to hear, but the logic wasn't far from sound. "You're probably right." He stiffened, pulling himself up straight again. He didn't feel like going home to an empty dwelling. His father only cared long enough to restrict his outside influence. His bodyguard cared enough, but it wasn't the same as having a loving influence. "Plagg," he declared.

"Oh, no…"

"Claws out!"

A flash of vibrant green energy had him transformed, and he stared up at the darkening sky. He knew a place that was soft and warm. He knew a place where a friend was always willing to offer a kind smile. He knew a place…where he felt safe enough to unload his conscience.

A thought tugged heavily at the corner of his mind. Did he deserve her comfort when he did the same thing to her? Did he deserve Marinette's generous heart in his time of need…when he himself caused her heartache?

Probably not.

"Nobody asked you, Plagg," he ground out through tight teeth. Something, he didn't know what, deep within the confines of his soul, screamed for him to take reprieve in the young girl. Warmth trickled into the icy wasteland his heart was gradually becoming, and he knew that Mari would make things better. A small nudge of guilt plagued him, even as he pulled his baton from its sheath. He may not deserve her compassion…but he needed it.

He lived every single day starved for appreciation and attention that he barely felt human any longer. He connected to the world better as Chat than he did as Adrien at times. The animal side of him was easier to embrace, cuddling, playing, and being confident without true expectation or judgment. He needed to be Chat now…and he needed to be with Marinette.

********POV CHANGE***

"I'm a terrible person!" Her shrieks enveloped her small room, and Marinette was thankful her parents were out late tonight.

"Ladybug has turned down Chat many times, Marinette, he's going to be fine." Even in her supportive state, it sounded like Tikki didn't have faith that Chat was going to be okay.

She peered out from behind a curtain of her own fingers, watching the Kwami zigzag in a nervous flight pattern. "You don't sound confident."

The crimson creature lowered her eyes, giving her head a shake. "I'm not," she admitted.

"I probably crushed his heart," she squeaked out in a desperate whisper. "How could I do that to him after what I've been through?"

Tikki opened her mouth, but her blue orbs shot to the skylight before she flew desperately into the closet. The taps were soft, but he pulled the barrier open enough to murmur. "Princess?"

The overwhelming need in his voice had her moving before she even realized what she was doing, Marinette waved him into her room, and the defeated look in his eyes made it harder to ignore the fact that she was the one who put it there.

"Ch-Chat…" She inched closer, lifting a hand to touch his cheek so that he'd look at her. "What's wrong?" As if she didn't know. As if it wasn't her fault.

"It's…nothing, really. You look like you've been crying." He lifted a clawed hand and rubbed a pad gently over her eyebrow before sliding it down the side of her face. The motion made her shiver, and a small smile touched her soft lips.

"It's nothing," she countered, sticking a tongue at him. "Tell me what's wrong, let me help."

"Nothing new, really," he admitted. "Ladybug doesn't love me," he bit out bitterly. "It's hardly news, but the way she said it…I…it sounded so final."

There was the guilt again, eating at her insides. "How could she not love you?" God, you're such a hypocrite. She was going to Hell.

He laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, as amazing as she is, I'm sure she has offers in her civilian life all the time."

Rosy embarrassment crept into her cheeks, and she lowered her gaze. "It must be amazing," she whispered, endeavoring not to choke on her sorrow. "To be wanted and loved, so very much. Especially by you," she tried, lifting her eyes to stare at him.

The words were only meant to make him feel better. They were to give him some semblance of hope, but a darkness crept in, possessing his normally playful demeanor. "You think so?"

Without provocation, heat pooled into the pit of her stomach, and her thighs tightened together. "O-of course," she commented. "Who wouldn't want the famous Chat Noir?"

He blinked slowly at her, several heartbeats filling the awkward silence that was growing desperately beyond her control. She wished he would say something…anything. Scream, cry, or even disappear into the night.

Instead, to her surprise, his claws wrapped around her biceps, gripping tighter than should have been possible, and he pulled her against him, crashing his lips into hers.

There was something needy about his kiss. There was something desperate…something…animalistic…and her body responded in kind, parting her mouth to allow his probing tongue the dominance it was searching for.

The motion, the contact, incited a strong response along every inch of her body, and her mind completely shut down. God, it was good not to think.