Summary:

Nothing is truly unbreakable.

I apologize for any typos.

Chapter: Dents In Steel

They're talking again. Chloé couldn't feel more better under the circumstances. Sabrina was there again, being her constant and rock. She didn't deserve her, but she would try to rectify that, try to earn her friendship.

She'd prove that she was changing for the better.

"So, Marinette rejected you?", Sabrina sighed softly, a sympathetic look settled over her face.

Chloé nods her head, sucking in a deep breath as she hugged her knees to her chest. Both girls were talking, finally talking after months of silence. It felt like a breath of fresh air to Chloé. "I mean, I don't blame her. I'm me, I wasn't the best person and even when I helped her...I...liked her.", the heiress sighed deeply. Guilt weighing heavily over her. She closed her eyes, shifting slightly on her bed.

Chloé had cleared the air about her alleged relationship with Marinette, Sabrina brought it up, asking about Marinette. She told her about her lie, how she lied to protect both Adrien and Marinette from further scrutiny at the hands of their classmates, from there she spilled more and more, filling Sabrina in on her friendship with Marinette and how...it had been something she'd always wanted but denied herself. She had also managed to properly come out to Sabrina...opening up and finally accepting a part of herself she'd been trying to bury.

"I'm so sorry, Sabrina, I promise, I'm going to make it up to you, everything.", Chloé says softly. "All this time I wasted on trying to be the opposite of who I was.", she blew a breath over her knees.

A soft weak smile curled Sabrina's lips. While a part of her wanted to remain wary of Chloé, cautious, she just somehow knew this time was going to be different, Chloé was being genuine, sincere and vulnerable. She cared too much for the blonde to truly let her go, even if Chloé remained the same, she'd probably still find it in herself to stick around. But...she knew this was real and change was coming, good change. Chloé's acceptance and acknowledgements of her flaws were pivotal in Sabrina knowing for sure that Chloé was being honest.

"I'm so proud of you Chloé.", Sabrina breathes in relief. She turns to Chloé and meets her small surprised watery gaze. "I...care about you, I always have, I always knew you were a good person, but I also knew that you were stubborn, too stubborn."

Chloé listens.

"I love you, Chloé, you're like a sister to me, fighting with you and not being able to talk to you for such a long time and then seeing you in the shape you're in now...it just breaks my heart.", Sabrina's voice begins to shake and her eyes begin to tear up.

Chloé's lips parted, she shifts, scooting closer and stretching her legs out, placing her feet back onto the floor, she's quick to close the gap between them, wrapping her arms tightly around the red head. She hugs her tightly, "I'm so sorry.", she whispers softly, tears rolling down her own cheeks, she closes her eyes.

Sabrina leans into the blonde's embrace and begins to cry, whimpering softly. "Let's never fight again.", she whimpers softly.

Chloé releases a shaky chuckle, Sabrina was too forgiving too fast, she knew this much. But Sabrina's forgiveness wouldn't be in vain, she was going to change for the better.

She was done being something she wasn't, she was done acting cold and fake. She was going to be genuine with people from now on.

"I always got your back, girl."

"You're our everyday Ladybug."

"You are Ladybug, with or without the miraculous."

"-I love you."

Sapphire eyes snap open, a sharp gasp escapes from chapped lips. The sound of the bed giving a sharp creak due to the sudden jolt of movement echoed inside the room. The Dupain-Cheng was sitting up, the sheets pooling in her lap

It was dark, the only source of light inside the room was that of the crescent Moon shining through the window.

Eyes flickered around the room quickly, searching for the Kwami, the sweaty teen sighs in relief when she finds Plagg missing. She huffed, catching her breath, she felt her clothing and hair soaked in sweat. She slowly raised a hand to her chest, clutching the front of her shirt tightly, fisting the material of her shirt. She swallows the little saliva in her mouth, she grimaces as a droplet of sweat suddenly enters one of her eyes. She brings a hand up and rubs her eye. She sits on her bed, rubbing her eyes, mumbling soft curses under her breath before deciding she wanted to go to the bathroom.

She sighs deeply and turns her body, grabbing the sheets with a hand and pushing it off her lap as she slipped out of her bed, she's quick to walk to the hatch of her room, opening it quietly and slipping down the stairs as quickly and quietly as possible. She steps passed her parents room and enters the bathroom, flipping the switch when she closes the door behind her. She releases another deep sigh. She remains standing by the door for a moment longer than she should have, her gaze staring at the open window, she feels the fresh cool breeze from outside pushing into the bathroom, she shivers slightly, her clothing being soaked in her sweat made it easy for her to get cold. She'd make it quick she thought to herself. She began to move again, left foot, right foot. She made it to the sink and immediately turned the faucet, she brings her hands under the running cold water, forming a cup with her hands, she manages to trap water in her hands, she bends down and splashes the cold water in her face, a small gasp escaped past her lips.

"-I love you."

Marinette's eyes snap open, her hands immediately grip the sides of the sink, she snaps her head up and is suddenly face to face with her reflection. She sneers at the face that looks back. "Stop it.", she growls in a warning tone, her lips pulling into a heavy frown. "You've done enough.", Marinette whispers harshly. Her grip over the edges of the sink grows stronger and stronger.

No, she wasn't going to give in, she'd remain strong this time, she wouldn't be led astray, she wouldn't be ruled by her emotions anymore.

No.

"No.", Marinette inhaled through her nose sharply. She narrowed her eyes as she felt an ache suddenly weighing heavily in her chest. Her reflection stared back at her just as fiercely, those watery and bright Sapphire eyes stared at her so piercingly. It hurt.

It hurts.

Marinette grit her teeth and narrowed her eyes, "No.", she growls out and suddenly takes a step back, raising a hand from the edge of the sink, she cocks her arm back and and punches forwards, shattering the mirror, she catches the glimpse of her eyes reverting back to silver, she feels the weight in her chest disappear, the emotional pain quickly replaced by physical.

She groans and falls to her knees, her other hand still gripping the edge of the sink, she bought her bloody injured hand to her chest and grit her teeth again, screwing her eyes shut. "Nngh!". Her head hung, she faced the tiled floor. Droplets of blood, sweat and water hit the tiled floor. She huffed and puffed, shifting to lean against the sink, resting her head on her arm, she felt the raw pain of her injury, the pain grounded her immediately, distracting her from the inner turmoil of her wild untamed emotions. Emotions that were fighting to flood back in again. Emotions she was barely keeping at bay.

Chloé's sudden and unexpected confession had thrown a wrench in whatever this was...this whole controlling her emotions by switching them off thing. She knew what she was doing, she wanted to stay this way, she wanted to disconnect from her greatest weakness. But Chloé had destroyed her resolve, her words had came in like a wrecking ball, bringing down the walls she was trying to surround herself with, trying to rebuild around herself.

No matter how much she ignored the heiress and tried to bury the image of Chloé's heartbroken expression, she just couldn't find it in herself to hold onto this new ability she acquired, an ability she absolutely wanted to keep. If things were just a little more simpler and she didn't have all those bottled up emotions of anger and sadness, she would have fought through her emotions and tried to figure things out with Chloé. But things just weren't going her way.

It hurt too much, the weight of betrayal, sadness, anger and...hatred was growing to be too heavy for her.

She loved Chloé, she did, she had that small growing hunch that she was falling for her. She cared for Kagami and her new friends, she did, but it wasn't enough.

The bad was overcoming the good in her, she couldn't afford to be deterred again.

"What happened to your hand.", Tikki asked softly as she placed her small paw over the bandage that was wrapped around the obviously injured hand. She gently rubbed the area.

Marinette sighed softly, she thought for a moment, her eyes flickering over to Plagg who was shooting her a knowing look. Plagg had seen the damage to the bathroom mirror when he came back, it was obvious what happened, her parents whom had woken up were both babbling messes of worry, their words being heard by Plagg. "It was a kitchen accident.", Marinette says as she leaves her hand beside Tikki.

Plagg rolls his eyes, his ear going flat to his head in disappointment, he remains silent, sitting across from Marinette and Tikki, he was barely eating any cheese from the expensive cheese platter Chloé had brought for him.

"Are you alright?", Kagami asks, her voice and expression filled with worry.

Chloé silently looked on, gazing at Marinette with concern.

"If you're injury is too great, you can take a break, Marinette.", Fu chimed in, "You must not feel pressured to be present for every patrol, your team has grown.", the man placed his cup of tea down onto the table.

Marinette shrugged, her expression isn't as hard or as cold as it has been for the past few days. She wears an oddly tired expression.

Tikki sighs softly as she rubs the injury, she felt left out, she felt out of place. Being with Chloé was nothing like being with Marinette, Chloé was kind to her, but she was having issues of her own. They didn't interact much. She deeply missed her master.

"I need to go, I have matters to attend to.", Marinette suddenly says, blandly. She doesn't wait for anyone to say anything, she merely shuffles up to her feet and stands up, "I also would like a few moments with Tikki, alone. So I'm taking her with me for a bit.", she says.

Marinette's words leave out any room for objections, she merely states the things she says. She wasn't asking.

With Marinette saying what she had to say, she merely turns around and begins to walk out of their meeting place, not giving anyone a second glance, nor waiting for Tikki or Plagg to Move.

Tikki's eyes widen, she shoots up immediately once her Master's back is to her, she doesn't wait for anyone to give her an okay, she simply follows after Marinette.

Plagg groans and shoots the trio wearing concerned expressions a soft grimace before floating up and following after the two, or at least attempting to.

"Stay, Plagg, I need to be alone with Tikki.", Marinette stops as she pushes open the door, halfway out of the room. "You'll know when you can come to me.", Marinette sighs, not bothering to glance behind, she then proceeds to step out of the room, Tikki silently following after the teen.

The room felt ever so heavy.

"Has any other Ladybug gone through this?", Marinette wastes no time once they've arrived to an empty alleyway, she gestures to her eyes.

Tikki nods, shaking her head. "No, never.", she answers, concern still on her face.

Marinette sighs softly, breaking her gaze off of Tikki's own. She raises a hand and runs it through her loose hair. "I see."

Tikki's eyebrows furrow slightly, she scans over the girls face, observing her. She knows under all whatever was happening to Marinette, Marinette was still there, somewhere. Her master was still there.

Marinette feels the ache suddenly being stirred up within her, she groans in annoyance and screws her eyes shut, trying to fight her feeling down, she turns away from Tikki, bringing her hand down from the tops of her head to the side of her face to obscure Tikki's view.

"Marinette, what's wrong!?", Tikki gasps, immediately seeing distress washing over the girl before her, worry fills her as she notices how Marinette turns away from her, trying to hide it from her. "Marinette, answer me!", The kwami speaks with desperation as she dashes in to be closer to the teen.

The Dupain-Cheng groans again, her shoulders tense, she sucks in a shaky breath, she feels the familiar sensation of tears burning her eyes, "Give me a...moment.", she huffs, trying desperately to contain herself.

The kwami frowns heavily, she closes the gap between them and attaches herself to the other side of Marinette's face, clinging to the area, hugging it. "Marinette, talk to me, please.", she begs. Wanting nothing more than to have an actual conversation with her beloved master.

Marinette's lips quivered upon feeling the Kwami's desperation to know what was happening. "Just…", she internally curses herself as she feels those tears escaping her eyes and running down her cheeks, she crumbles to her knees and removes her hand from the side of her face, but only to bring it to where Tikki was, she brings both her hands up and holds the kwami against her. "It's too much for me, I'm not strong enough anymore, Tikki.", her voice is shaky and quiet, it's slowly breaking.

"You are strong, you are so strong, Marinette.", Tikki says, feeling tears pricking her own eyes.

Marinette swallows thickly and slowly and carefully begins to pull the kwami off of her, holding her gently in her hands. She slowly opens her eyes and meets the Kwami's gaze, she sees the surprise slowly washing in over Tikki's face, she knows that Tikki is seeing her, the real her, the one that was trying to shield herself from anymore hurt. "It's too hard, everything's too heavy for me."