Chapter 16: #MARIBUG4LYFE

Seconds after the trio says their goodbyes and Nino leaves, Plagg flies over to Adrien, arms crossed. "What's the point of me hiding if you're just gonna reveal your identity anyway?"

Tikki flies up behind Plagg. "He just revealed two superhero identities to you and Marinette. Telling him you're Chat Noir was extremely careless." As her kwami confronts Adrien, Marinette stares, wide-eyed and silent. She can't hear much of what's being said over the sound of her pounding heartbeat.

Adrien swats Plagg out of the way with his hand, but the kwami phases through his skin and Adrien jerks his hand back into his chest as he shudders and lets out a squeak that's so high pitched it could've come from Marinette. Plagg sticks his tongue out at his holder before floating over to Marinette and sitting on her shoulder. "Tikki, what are you even doing here?"

This, she hears. Her breath hitches in her throat.

"Plagg came to get me. He's not entirely useless."

Adrien turns to glare at Plagg and notices Marinette staring at Tikki. Her face is pale. He places a hand on her free shoulder. "Marinette?"

She looks up at him, but her eyes don't quite focus on his face. "Y-yeah?"

"Are you…" He looks over to the spotted kwami and back to her before lowering his voice, "scared of Tikki?"

Plagg fails to hold in his laughter and falls back against Marinette's neck. "Trust me, kid, she's not. She probably should be, but she's not." He manages between giggles.

"You should be." Tikki smiles at Plagg. He immediately clamps his mouth shut.

Adrien opts to ignore them both. "...She's Ladybug's kwami. You freed her from kwamibuster, remember?"

"Y-yeah, I know."

Tikki huffs, "Marinette's fine, Adrien. I, however, am still trying to have a conversation with you."

Adrien's hand returns to his side as he looks back at the minigod. "I'm sorry, Tikki, but I really don't see what the big deal is anymore. The whole point of keeping our identities a secret was so Hawkmoth wouldn't target our friends and family. Well, surprise, Hawkmoth already knows and he IS my family! Why shouldn't I tell Nino? It was fine for me to tell Marinette. Can I not just have this one thing?!"

Hearing Adrien yell is enough to snap Marinette out of her dazed state. "Tikki, would you please get out of my room?"

Adrien blinks, slowly turning his head to look at Marinette. "What are you doing?" He whispers under his breath. Like Plagg, Adrien would never admit it, but he is actually afraid of Tikki.

Tikki sighs, "I'm sorry, Adrien. I just worry about you. Ladybug does, too. But you're right. I'll be on my way now. Sorry, Marinette." Then she phases through the ceiling.

Later that night, Marinette is hunched over her desk sketching out a new design when Adrien walks over to her. "Hey Mari?"

She tilts her head but doesn't look up from the paper, "Hm?"

Adrien places a hand on her shoulder, "How well do you know Ladybug?"

For some reason, she jumps and accidentally draws a line across her work. When she turns to face him, her face is blood red. "N-not any b-better than I knew Chat Noir. BEFORE I learned your identity o-of course. Wh-wh-why?"

Adrien blinks a few times. Why is she stuttering so much? Then he looks at the computer screen she's been glancing up at every few minutes and sees a picture of himself and Ladybug with their fists pressed together. He feels his gut twist as he hears her voice in his mind saying, "I get flustered and forget how to speak…and go out of my way to help them…I look at pictures of them when we're apart."

He looks back at Marinette, straining to keep tears from spilling down his cheeks. Does she actually have feelings for Ladybug? Is that why she's taking care of me- to help Ladybug?

"Oh my god are you the other "boy"?" The words tumble out of his mouth before he can stop them.

"Other what?" She raises her eyebrows.

"L-ladybug has always s-said that she d-doesn't have feelings for me b-because there's another boy she likes a-a-and I-I don't know if I'm l-losing to someone it w-would make sense if it's you."

"I'm not a boy." She replies in monotone.

"That's why it's a good lie." He shrugs.

"My relationship with Ladybug is purely professional. I promise." Marinette rubs her forehead. Adrien can't tell whether she's trying to prevent a headache or soothe an existing one.

He believes her, but now that he's regained his composure, he's ready to continue his plan. He smirks at her. "Are you sure about that? Because you were kind of weird with Tikki earlier and the two of you would honestly make a cute couple… You and Ladybug; Not you and Tikki."

Marinette shakes her head, "NO! No, we would not. I thought you already said you didn't ship that. Why are we talking about this?"

He tilts his head in a way that would get added to the 'Why I definitely should've known it was him' list… if she wasn't already too annoyed to register the kitty cuteness. "Am I not allowed to change my mind, Princess?"

"Not about this." She hisses.

"Why not?" His brows draw together and he taps his chin with a faux serious look on his face, "I think I might start a fanclub for Maribug shippers."

"Absolutely not! You're the only person who's even seen us together." Her eyes go wide after the words leave her mouth and she jumps up out of her chair.

"Whoa, where are you going Marinette?"

"I almost forgot, I have to help my parents with another macaron delivery for Chloe today. Gotta go!" She darts past him and towards the door.

As she's rushing down the stairs, he calls after her, "Hashtag Maribug for life!"

Tikki hovers over Marinette's shoulder as she walks. "This is getting ridiculous, Marinette. Don't you think you should just tell him that you're Ladybug?"

"Tikki spots on."

The kwami tries to resist being pulled into the earrings, "Excuse you! I was ta–" Her efforts are futile as Ladybug takes Marinette's place and she swings her yo-yo towards the nearest building.

"What do you think you're doing, kid?" Plagg pokes Adrien's cheek.

Adrien winces. "I-I don't know… I thought if I accused her of liking someone she might tell me who she actually likes."

Plagg smacks his own forehead with a groan. "...You're an idiot."

Chloe looks up from her homework when she hears a light tapping on her window. Her eyes light up when she sees her favorite heroine looking back at her. She rolls off of her bed, her pencil falling on the floor as she does. The blonde doesn't bother to pick it up as she rushes over to the window to let Ladybug inside.

She climbs through with ease and dispels her transformation. That's when Chloe notices the injuries on her face. She brushes her thumb over them gently. "Who?"

Marinette slides her fingers under Chloe's hand and guides it back down. Instead of answering the question, Marinette says, "Thank you for standing up for me today."

Chloe pulls her hand away. "Don't ignore me, Bug. I know it's my fault that we aren't as close as we used to be, but I've been trying to make up for that. Now, you're hurt, so I need to know. Who did this to you? Was it Lila? Alya?"

Marinette shakes her head, "Alya wouldn't hurt me. Not like this."

She puts her hands on her hips and gives her a stern glare. "Then tell me who did so I can end them."

Marinette shakes her head. It's her turn to deflect. "Why aren't we?" She asks. Chloe looks at her slightly puzzled, "as close as we used to be, I mean."

Her features soften as she starts, "I–" She looks down as past memories dance behind her eyes. But when she looks back up at Marinette's face, she balls her hands into fists at her sides. "If I tell you, will you tell me who gave you those gashes?"

Marinette sighs and reluctantly nods her head.

Chloe bites her lip and looks past Marinette at a picture of her parents on her wall. "You remember how my mother was- is?"

She nods again.

"I don't think she has ever called me by the right name, but in some twisted way, I still believed she cared. I somehow thought I was important to her. But then she stopped calling you 'that girl' and started calling you by your name. She always remembered you and I thought I was being replaced." Chloe chuckles bitterly, "Now I know that you have to mean something to a person before they can replace you." She shrugs, her eyes beginning to well up with tears, "Back then though, I thought the only way to make sure she noticed me was to make sure there was no one else to notice."

Marinette reaches out and squeezes Chloe's hand as she continues, "So I pushed everyone away. I pushed you away." The tears begin to overflow, "Losing you was the worst thing that has ever happened to me. I could never replace you and I knew that. So, I just isolated myself and I tried to justify my actions by making sure that I never had a friend who could replace me in my mothers eyes. I became… like that, so I wouldn't get hurt again. Sabrina was the only person I let anywhere near me, because my mother hated her, but I still treated her like shit. I wasn't surprised when she ditched me for Lila. I just couldn't let myself care about someone again. Not after you."

Chloe pauses, trying to look at the girl through her tears. "You were everything to me, Marinette and if I'm being completely honest, you still are. I never should have let any of that happen. I was stupid and I didn't know how good I had it until I lost it and now I can never-" Chloe's words are cut off when soft lips collide with her own. After the initial shock fades, her eyes flutter closed and she wraps her arms around Marinette's neck to pull her closer.

After a moment, she leans back to look at the blonde who is now staring at her with wide eyes, "You were everything to me, too." Chloe blinks at her, her mouth opening and closing as she tries to find words to speak, "Oh my god is that not what you meant? I'm so sorry! I should've asked instead of assuming; I can just go."

Marinette stands up to leave, but Chloe pulls on her hand. She turns back towards her and before she can even process what's happening, their lips are touching again. It takes her a second to close her eyes and melt into it. By the time she does, Chloe's already pulling away. Marinette wants to kiss her again, but she says, "That's exactly what I meant, I was just surprised because…" Chloe bites her lip with a grimace, "What about Adrien?"

Marinette freezes and her face pales. She stares through Chloe, like she's no longer there. Her thoughts are buzzing so rapidly that she can't make any of them out, but she knows they're all about Adrien or Chloe. It just has to be an or. She can't have them both. Technically, she could, if both parties were willing, but she knows she'll never be so lucky. Both are the jealous type and even if they'd agree to something like that, it wouldn't be fair. Then again, she still doesn't think Adrien will want to be with her once he learns her identity. Maybe she doesn't have to worry about him. Maybe Chloe will be enough for her to finally move on.

Chloe gives a curt nod before turning away. "You should go home and… weigh your options." She can't bring herself to look back at her clearly terrified face. She already knows what Marinette will decide. She doesn't dare hope for another outcome. Nobody has ever chosen her and that's not going to change now.

Marinette blinks and suddenly she's looking at Chloe again. She goes to speak, but her mind is flooded with images of Adrien and Chat. Or maybe nothing will ever be enough. Maybe I'm cursed to love him this deeply, even when he'll inevitably forget about me. She wraps her arms around herself, feeling as though it's the only way to keep her body from tearing itself in two, and leaves without another word.

Marinette's thoughts are still racing when she walks through the door to her family's apartment. She doesn't even register the stack of family photo albums on the table or the one in Tom's hand. Sabine and Chat are seated on either side of him, too engrossed in the pictures to look up as they greet her.

"Welcome home, Marinette, we've been going through your baby photos." Tom smiles down at one of his favorites before pointing it out to Chat Noir.

"Marinette, how come I've never seen this picture of you covered in sprinkles before? This is adorable!" Chat calls to her.

"She was even messier back then." Sabine teases.

"Mhmm." Is all she manages in response as she walks past them.

Chat Noir and Sabine snap their gazes over to her.

"Hey, Mar, we ordered dumplings for dinner. They should be here soon." Her mother says slowly as she's making her way to her bedroom.

"Sounds good." She mutters, but she doesn't stop walking.

Chat Noir straightens like he's about to get off the couch and go after her.

At this point, even Tom realizes something's wrong. He looks over at his daughter with a frown. "Is everything alright, Marinette?"

"...balcony." Is the only word any of them can make out as she mumbles her response. Then, she's gone.

Marinette stands on her balcony, staring up at the moon as she hugs herself. I love both of them so much, but Chloe actually loves me back and Adrien doesn't. This should be so simple, but… She thinks about her kisses with Chloe. They were easy; nice, even. She realizes she can do it again a thousand times if she only asks, but that also means she'll never get to kiss Adrien again. The kiss she shared with him was far from easy, but she hasn't been able to stop thinking about it, about how she wishes she could do it again. She feels her cheeks heating up as she imagines what it would be like. A thought about how this isn't what she's supposed to be doing right now tickles the back of her mind, but it's quickly drowned out by the image of her walking up to him, placing her hands on his cheeks, and pressing her lips to his.

"What're you thinking about, Marinette?" Chat Noir asks as he jumps up onto the railing beside her.

She screams and jumps backwards, trips over her own feet, and falls, knocking over yet another of her plants. Her entire face flushes when she realizes exactly who just scared the shit out of her.

He jumps down and reaches out a hand to help her up. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry Marinette!"

She takes a deep breath and takes his hand, allowing him to help her to her feet. "Wh-why are you ou-out here?"

He scratches the back of his head. "I wanted to come check on you and I thought it might be better to surprise you because you seemed kind of out of it… so I wanted to uh… shock you back into reality?"

She blinks, nerves still rattling her, as she musters the strength to yell at him. "You scared me on purpose?!"

He throws his hands up in defeat. "I'm sorry! I didn't think you would fall… I should have thought it through."

She pinches her eyebrows together. "You-" She tries to continue glaring at him, but her features soften and her shoulders relax. She breathes in and out a few times, staring at him, before she finally gives in to the impulse to wrap her arms around him and bury her head in his chest.

He rests one hand on her back and buries the other in her hair. "Do you want to tell me what's wrong, Mouse?"

I love you. She almost says it out loud. Almost. Instead she whispers, "Can I tell you later?"

"Of course, Princess." He plays with her hair.

Standing there in his arms just makes sense. Being the holders of the ladybug and cat miraculous, she realizes, they're tied together by destiny, whether or not they become a couple. Two sides of a coin. It's not as if she can be with Chloe and forget about him. No, she knows she'll never forget about him, or be able to live without him. Marinette has loved Chloe as long as she can remember, but she knows that as much as it would hurt, she can live without her if she needs to. She already knows what it's like to lose Chloe, but she can't lose Adrien. She tries to imagine a future without him in it, but even trying brings tears to her eyes and she isn't able to do it. A future without Chloe? That's all she's been planning for years. She never thought they would be friends again, let alone something more. She had forgotten her feelings for Chloe entirely when she met Adrien. No one has ever been able to make her forget her feelings for Adrien; even when she's tried her hardest to.

He loves her. She knows that. Though, she doesn't know which version of her he's in love with anymore. Maybe it's both. But she's sure he loves her.

We'd be perfect for each other, if I weren't such an idiot. If she weren't certain that he'll grow to hate her when she tells him the truth, she'd ask if she could kiss him right now.

Without warning, the door opens and Tom's head pops out. Marinette stiffens a bit at the sound of him clearing his throat. "Dinner's here. I expect to see you kids downstairs in five minutes." With that, he closes the door and heads back down.

Chat pokes her head, "We should probably go… I feel like there was a threat laced in there somewhere."

She laughs as she steps out of his arms and grabs his hand. "I don't think so. You know my dad loves you." She turns and leads him back inside.

She drops his hand as they enter the living room and move to sit on the couch. Tom is busy divvying up the food and plates on the coffee table, but he freezes and looks at his wife when she gasps.

"Marinette, what happened to your face?" She rushes over to inspect the wounds.

She doesn't struggle as her mother grabs her chin and turns her face to get a better view. "It's nothing, Maman! It was an accident. You know how clumsy I am, I just tripped on the stairs."

"They look like claw marks!" Sabine lets go and heads to the kitchen where she starts opening and closing various drawers.

"That doesn't look like an accident." Tom glares at the scars on her cheek.

She shakes her head. "It was Sabrina's nails. I fell into her and we kind of went tumbling down together; it was my fault." Chat puts a hand on her shoulder.

"When did this happen?' Sabine runs back into the room with a first aid kit and pours some liquid on a cotton pad before wiping the injuries. Marinette winces at the contact.

"Today at school… It really isn't a big deal; I'm fine." She assures her mother as she pulls out two large bandaids from their packaging and rubs ointment on them before placing them on her face.

"Are you sure you're alright?" She pulls back to inspect her whole face and turns to look at the boy beside her. The catboy gives her a reassuring nod and she focuses her eyes on her daughter again.

"I promise, Maman."

Sabine nods and walks over to help Tom pass out dinner. He looks like he wants to say something, but Sabine stares at him for a moment and he thinks better of it. Marinette lets out a relieved sigh.

Throughout dinner, she finds herself distracted, thinking about what she'll say the next time she sees Chloe. If she had a good excuse to go see her after dinner, she would. But if she's being honest with herself, even the best excuse might not convince her parents to let her out of the house after seeing her cheek. So, she resigns to wait and talk to the blonde at school tomorrow.