Chapter 26 - The Splitting of Maribug

Six months ago

"No! I won't do it," Ladybug was adamant.

"It's a brilliant idea. It's exactly what you need to push your campaign. People will love you and listen to you. This is the best way to get the citizens to change their ways." Chat was enthusiastic. Ladybug suspected he was not all that objective.

"Chat, I can't do it. It isn't worth it." Ladybug pleaded. "It's lying. It isn't fair to them."

Marinette stopped and looked directly at Chat, holding his eyes in hers. Even with the mask, they were very expressive, opening a window into his heart. Marinette knew for a while now that Chat wasn't just flirting anymore, he wasn't only fooling around and playing the Casanova. His feelings were strong. They were for Ladybug. They were one-sided.

She told him the truth, softly, barely letting the words slip out between her lips, "it isn't fair to you."

Her words stunned Chat. Taken aback by the raw intensity of her eyes, the concern she had for him. Not the citizens, not herself. Him. She was worried about him. Just like that, she made him love her even more. Stronger, deeper, beyond anything he felt before. Even after years of chasing and being rebuffed, his love only got stronger.

Who was this lady of his who carried all of Paris on her shoulders and placed him on top of the pile, holding him up high with her endless strength and kindness?

Adrien could not let her hold it all herself. Here he can help and she must let him. It was Chat Noir's job to protect her, always stand between her and danger. Chat Noir existed for her. There was no other purpose to his existence besides being where and when she needed him.

Adrien looked away from Ladybug's gaze; he couldn't handle seeing the love in her eyes. All these years together, he knew it was love, and cherished that love. Only, it was not the type of love he craved. Not the love that he felt for her. The love of a lover.

"You must not worry about me," he began, handling his words carefully. "I want to do this for you. I believe in you and in what you represent. You can influence everyone, make a difference. I believe in your campaign."

"It isn't just mine, it's ours."

"That isn't true, and you know it. It's Ladybug they cherish. It's Ladybug they worship and follow. I'm just Ladybug's sidekick. A brilliantly handsome one, at that," Chat added with a smirk, trying, unsuccessfully, to break the tension so palpable he would need his Cataclysm to break it.

"Never think that. You're not my sidekick. You're my partner."

Ladybug legs felt weak. She leaned back against the wall, looking up at the stars.

"I'm tired." The words came out before she even realized what she was saying. "I'm tired of fighting these akumas. There is no end to this. Hawkmoth keeps akumatizing people, sending them out, causing chaos and destruction. We fight them and catch them, clean everything up just so we can do it all over again the following day. I feel like we're living reruns of a rehashed tv series," her lips twitched at her own joke. "Our lives are so sad it's almost funny. My hero life is exhausting. My civilian life is suffering from lack of attention. I just want a bit of a break. Or at least to slow down, let me live life a little." The stars were all blurry now.

Chat watched her face glow in the moonlight. He followed a tear from her eye as it cascaded down to her chin.

"That is why your campaign is so important. Since you started talking to the citizens on the Ladyblog and the news, telling people to control their negative emotions, there has been a drop in attacks."

"I don't believe there was. I think it's just your hopeful imagination."

"There is a change, however small. That is why we should take what Alya said seriously. You want them to love each other more so there will be less negative emotions. They emulate you, they love you. When they see your love, their love for you will grow and so will their love for each other."

"But it's fake. They will see right through me. I … I love someone else, you know that." Ladybug's eyes were closed, so she did not see the pain on Chat's face.

He closed his eyes and took a moment to control his emotions.

"We can make it look real," Chat struggled to keep his voice steady. "It's an act just like all the acting and lying we must do to keep our secret identities. It's for a good cause. Everyone will benefit from lowering the number of akuma attacks." Chat was not sure if the next words were true, but he forced them out anyway, "It will be better for us."

The two stood for a while. Ladybug, eyes closed, her shoulders slack and her whole body draped on the wall as if without it she would crumple to the ground.

Chat stood in front of her, straight as a pole, the tension in his shoulders putting a strain on his neck. He stared at Ladybug's closed eyelids, wishing he could read her thoughts.

"I...I" Ladybug deflated. "I guess you're right. I really need a break."

Chat felt some tension leave as his shoulders relaxed. It was bittersweet winning this argument.

"But how can I do that?" she continued. "How do I not worry about your feelings? How do I keep my feelings hidden? Feelings which, I'm really sorry Chat, are not for you." She looked at him then, her blue eyes shining with shed and unshed tears.

Adrien took a deep breath. He knew how to do this.

"You need to separate your feelings. Put them aside in a sort of compartment. Concentrate only on what you need to do to get through the current situation. Put on the face which is expected of you and keep the rest in the compartment you have built. The facade becomes your reality during that time and you have to ignore the noise coming from the compartment. It can sometimes be difficult, I know, especially when what you need to do is very much not what you want to do." Marinette noticed he flinched at his own words.

Ladybug eyes were wide. It took her a few seconds to realize her mouth was open; she shut it with an audible pop.

"Are you an actor?" she asked.

"Not professionally. But I have been acting my whole life. It is expected of me to be someone I'm not." Chat gave a lopsided smile. "That is why I love the mask. I don't have to act. I can be myself. Free to say and do what I want."

"I don't know, Chat," Ladybug said gently, "I have seen things in you that make me believe that Chat Noir is also partially an act and you're hiding someone else under the mask."

Once again, Adrien was floored by Ladybug's insight. Did she really see through him? Was Chat Noir just an act. He always believed Chat Noir let him be himself. That Chat Noir was his real persona and Adrien was just an act. There was Adrien the model, the obedient son, the quiet student - he knew that to be an act. Was there something in between?

"Ok," Ladybug stood up straighter. The steel slowly returned to her spine. "I can do this," she said, more to herself than to anyone else.

"So," Chat asked with trepidation, "how do we do this?"

"I'm not sure. I think an announcement is too obvious and forced. We should probably just let the media notice us... em… well... closer… em...physically … em…" her words died after that and they both looked away, turning bright red.

"Ya, yes, that sounds about right," Chat replied lamely. Now that they have made the decision, they did not know what to do with themselves.

Marinette looked at Chat. Separate her feelings. Isn't that what he said? Create a compartment and put them inside. This was overwhelming.

The first issue was easy to identify. Her guilt of cheating on Adrien. She knew it was stupid. She wasn't really cheating if she was only acting. They weren't even together. She hardly spoke to him since Nino and Alya broke up. But she still loved him more than anything else. Every time she attempted to dislodge her crush from her heart, he would find his way back, with a vengeance.

Marinette's love for Adrien, that had to go into the box.

What about Chat? She loved him too, but differently. She cared about him, worried about him and his tendency to rush into danger to protect her. She knew his feelings for her and did not want him to get hurt because she could not return those feelings. Not when Adrien completely filled her heart. He would receive affection from her, knowing that it was fake but always wanting the real thing? How can she be that horrible to him and make him go through that?

That too must go into the box. Ladybug cannot care like that. Ladybug cannot worry about his feelings. That will stay in the box, with Marinette.

Ladybug must be strong, brave and confident, fight the akumas and protect the Parisians - even from themselves. She must be strong and beat Hawkmoth once and for all. Ladybug cannot be scared, indecisive or lacking in confidence. All those go in the box. Ladybug will go out, hand in hand with Chat Noir. As a couple, they will show Paris their love for each other, so the Parisians will show more love to each other.

"I guess, " Ladybug voice started soft then gained in volume. "I guess we should practice."

"Huh," Chat looked up in confusion.

"We cannot go out in public, pretending to be in a relationship and then feel all awkward in front of them," Ladybug was standing taller now, her voice stronger and firmer. "We have a job to do. Just as we practice fighting together so we are better at defeating akumas, so too we must practice being together so we can defeat the negative emotions of the citizens of Paris."

"What, oh!" realization dawned on Chat's face as Ladybug's words clicked into place. 'Practice' he mouthed, his lips moving but no sound coming out.

"I for one do not want to walk out in public and embarrass myself," Ladybug took a few steps away from the wall, entering Chat's personal space.

Ladybug was now in complete control of the situation. Adrien started to sweat, both in trepidation and in anticipation. This was very fast and very confusing. A second ago, Ladybug was almost crying. Her eyes were looking at him with gentle kindness and worry, looks which made it very difficult for him to talk her into fake dating him.

But now, all he saw was determination etched into her face. It was frightening. It was exciting.

Ladybug placed her hands at the side of Chat's head, looking into his face, her eyes burning with purpose. With little hesitation, she pulled his face down until their lips touched.

"We can do this," Ladybug was bubbling with confidence. Enough to envelope Chat. Ladybug pulled them closer, their lips bonding to each other…

Throughout the kiss, Chat's eyes were closed, concentrating on the lips of his love pressed against his own. He did not see that Ladybug's eyes were not. As passionate as the kiss was for Adrien, the only look in Ladybug's eyes was determination.

Marinette stood against the wall. Her legs weak from exhaustion. Her eyes weary. Her body completely deflated. Worse, her heart was shattering in confusion, betrayal, and a bit of jealousy. She stood, mute, looking at the back of Ladybug's head as she was lip-locked with Chat Noir. Ladybug, in all her glory, kissing Chat Noir as if her life depended on it. Marinette curiously looked down at her hands. In them, red with black polka dots on all sides, was a box.

A/N Next Chapter The end of Ladybug