A Revealing Patrol
Written by: JuliaFC
Language Betas: Khanofallorcs, Agrestebug, Spntumblrin2021, Ohlittlebarchie, MahouOkami
Concept Betas: EtoileLeadSama, Malauu_Ladynoir, Genxha and Rosehealer02
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by (c) Thomas Astruc, TS1 Bouygues, Disney Channel, Zagtoon, Toei Animation. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
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Part 2 - Lies have no Legs
It didn't take long before they finished the route that he and Ladybug covered during their standard patrol. There was a nagging feeling that was making Aspik raise an eyebrow, though. Okay, Marinette was Marinette, an exceptional person no doubt. But the way she kept going around as if she had been doing this for forever…
"Wow, Multimouse," he said when they stopped on a rooftop to decide on the next step of their tour. "You're very good at knowing the route Chat Noir and Ladybug take. How do you know it in such detail?"
The way she stopped in her tracks, froze, turned around and blinked. "I—Chat Noir gave me pointers when he explained what to do during patrols. Didn't Ladybug do the same with you?"
Liar! Why was she lying?
He had always associated Marinette with truth, but he knew for sure that she hadn't been given pointers by Chat Noir. Because even though she didn't know this crucial detail, he was Chat Noir. He didn't remember explaining to her anything about the route to take during patrol! What was going on? Maybe she meant the way he had very briefly told her how patrol worked?
"Did he?" he wondered. "Did he really go into such detail, explaining places and routes? I didn't think he'd have the time…"
He was so wrapped up in his justifiable bafflement and in wanting answers to his reasonable doubts that he didn't realise how weird his questions were until he saw Multimouse's brows furrowing.
"Well, he did spend some time with me going through the things that they do during a patrol, because I had no idea what to do and I felt a little doubtful of taking the Miraculous back, even if he looked so cute, all eager to offer it to me," she mumbled.
Okay, that was true. Maybe he had gone into more detail than he remembered? She had expressed her doubts, and he had told her there was nothing to worry about. Maybe his tongue slipped while he explained and he let out more than his brain could remember.
Hang on a second. Did she say that he was cute?
Multimouse sighed. "He certainly has a talent for flattering people; he's very good with words. He was very complimentary when he was trying to convince me, and then he looked at me with those kitten eyes and… I can't resist kitten eyes." She seemed lost in her daydream for a long moment as she sighed again, and Aspik cleared his throat because he started to feel a little uncomfortable.
"You seem to like Chat Noir a lot…" he muttered, seriously amazed, but he did remember that she had told him that she loved him once, so maybe her feelings were still strong? How was that possible when she had asked him to help her rehearse the love declaration to that other boy. What was his code name? Buttercup?
But then, Multimouse's gaze focused on him and her eyes narrowed. "Did Ladybug explain the routes to you? You also seemed to know well where to go," she asked. Aspik's heart skipped a beat.
"Not at all," he said, putting his hands up, "but looking at the Ladyblog or on the news, I saw the places where the heroes patrol, and it seems uncanny that you know them like a seasoned patroller, that's all."
He saw how her gaze narrowed further and how she started looking at him suspiciously. Shoot. Had he been sabotaging his own identity with those questions? The way her eyes became narrow slits in her face left him a little sweaty under his collar and with no doubt that the wheels of her brain were starting to work.
He had to find a way to distract her. Marinette was clever, after all. Maybe not as truthful as he had thought she was, but clever nevertheless. Maybe… he could try to tease her? She was the type to panic so it could work!
"Do you normally spend a lot of time with Chat Noir?" he asked. He knew that she didn't, but he hoped she was going to get distracted.
"Uh…" She suddenly blushed. "N-no, I don't. He only explained to me a couple of things before giving me back my Miraculous, nothing fancy!" She put her hands up in a defensive pose and smiled nervously. Good. This was a good strategy. It was working.
"From the way you were raving about him a moment ago, I thought you two, you know," he said, poking her gently in the ribs with his elbow, but he didn't expect her face to suddenly turn the colour of Ladybug's suit.
"NO!" She slapped him on the shoulder. "And he's in love with Ladybug. I thought it was quite clear; he only declares his love to her every five minutes!"
He smiled softly at her. "I can't blame him. Ladybug is…amazing." He moved to a sitting position, crossing his legs and pinning his elbows to his thighs, and looked at the emptiness in front of him without really seeing it.
He didn't notice that Multimouse became even redder as she sat down next to him, lost as he was in his own daydream.
"Is she? Do you really think so?" she inquired.
He sighed, forgetting for a moment whom he was talking to. After all, Marinette didn't know he was Adrien right? So it was kind of safe to rave a little bit.
"Yes. She's so clever and resourceful. Strong-minded. A true leader. And so beautiful."
He allowed himself to let out a dreamy sigh. He didn't realise that he was going into a little too much detail, nor did he realise how red Multimouse's face had gotten at his words. He just kept staring at the void in front of him, picturing in his mind's eye the beautiful features of his partner.
"Especially her eyes. I love her bluebell eyes, they're so mysterious. I could get lost in them and feel happy to not find my way back. Ev—"
That's when he looked at Multimouse again, and he suddenly felt all blood rushing to his face. She was looking at him, eyes wide, her lips parted, a gloved hand on her chest, blushing madly.
"M-Multimouse?" he called, trying to wake her up from her daze. "Are you alright?" But Multimouse didn't move, her eyes wide.
Her eyes.
Wide.
Staring at him as if he had just confessed to her.
Her beautiful. Gorgeous. Bluebell. Eyes.
Gorgeous.
Bluebell.
Bluebell eyes…
He narrowed his own eyes and frowned as he rubbed his chin with one hand, and then, he suddenly gasped. A crazy idea started worming its way into his brain. Because of course, he'd thought about it already. Twice. And twice Plagg, and Ladybug herself, had managed to change his mind.
But… if he was right… wow. He knew that his Lady was clever. He really did. But this would be a new level of cleverness! She'd been astonishingly clever, wicked, and amazing when they'd faced Kwamibuster to trick him that well!
His heart took residence in his throat as his gaze glued to hers. He couldn't take his eyes off hers even if he wanted to, it was as if they were magically locked together. He'd forgotten how to breathe.
"Ma—Marinette…" he whispered under his breath, but as soon as he said that, he heard the girl suck her breath in.
"Wha…what did you say?" she stammered.
This allowed him to regain some wit and some composure. Shoot. He wasn't supposed to know that she was Marinette as Aspik. His gaze darted up and he stared at the full moon smirking at him cunningly from the dark canopy dotted with stars.
"Uh…well," he said in a panic, his hand reaching for the nape of his neck, his model smile plastered onto his lips, "I was saying…l-like my f-friend Marinette." He heard her sucking her breath in and saw her eyes widening as her face turned scarlet. Fuck. The following words just came out of his mouth without passing through his brain. "She's strong and clever and resourceful. And she's gorgeous too. And her eyes are beautiful, an—"
Marinette by now had become an even darker shade of red than her Ladybug suit. Aspik stood up nervously and she immediately followed. He tried to move, but she blocked his way, which increased his panic.
"I need to go!" he blurted out, but felt his heart sink when he saw how her expression dropped at his words.
"Of course, sorry. I'll patrol next chance. Uh, I mean, I'll chance you se—dah! I'll see you next time we get a chance to patrol together?" she said, looking down. If she was really Ladybug, why had she suddenly become so shy with him? She was acting with him in the exact same way she acted with Adrien, which cemented his realisation that she was indeed his Lady, because Ladybug was the only person who knew he was Adrien Agreste. But… why did she act so differently with him as Adrien?
"I would love to," he said, his words again flowing smoothly as her embarrassed behaviour had helped him regain apparent composure, but, inside, his heart was racing and he felt so dizzy he thought he was going to faint. He couldn't resist. He grabbed her hand with his, bowed slightly and placed a kiss on her knuckles. She looked lovestruck, and he had a feeling he didn't look much different himself.
"Until then," he said and then he added, in a very low whisper, so low he thought she wouldn't hear it, "My Lady." His gaze linked into hers and he had to force himself to tear it off her beautiful eyes, which were now wide and looking at him with a frown furrowing her brows.
She wasn't blushing anymore.
Breathing became optional for Aspik. He smiled sheepishly, bowed again and then turned back and jumped to the next rooftop, and then the next one, trying to put as much distance as he could from the stunned figure of the girl in pink and grey.
God, he was a coward… and an idiot. An idiot and a coward. What a great superhero he was! He reached his bedroom and jumped in, muttering his detransformation phrase before turning hastily to lock the window.
As if she couldn't just get there and knock. And demand him to open it.
Sass appeared in a flash of teal, and Plagg came out of his hiding place, surely ready to say some snarky comment, but Adrien just sighed and ran to his bed, flopping onto it face down.
What had he done?
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Multimouse stood there, on that rooftop, frozen and unable to move for a moment. She couldn't even breathe for some seconds, until her lungs felt completely empty of air and her survival instincts kicked in, forcing her to take a big massive breath.
Her heart had stopped when Aspik had kissed her hand, in the most Chat Noir-esque way possible. And…
"He called me My Lady," she whispered to herself. The weight of what she'd heard made the words almost echo in the silence and emptiness of the rooftop, even though she had only whispered them.
She looked around like a trapped mouse and felt all blood draining from her face. Her fingers were like ice and her breathing was laboured and fast.
Alya, she thought. But she scratched that thought almost immediately. Nope. First of all, it wasn't her secret to tell. Besides, she couldn't do that to her. Alya already knew that she was Ladybug, she couldn't burden her with yet another secret identity; it would've been too dangerous, for everyone involved.
Tikki. Yes, Tikki was the only one who could help.
So Multimouse fled. She jumped from rooftop to rooftop, her heart in her mouth from anxiety. She'd messed up. She'd totally messed up. And now he knew. And she knew. And they were completely screwed!
As soon as she jumped down into her room from the skylight, she sank down onto her bed, hiding her face from the world. How could she have been so stupid and careless?
"Marinette? What's going on?" chirped Tikki's high-pitched voice. "Why aren't you releasing your transformation?"
She shook her head nervously and tried to say something, but all that came out of her was an unintelligible groan.
"Marinette? Let Mullo rest?" Tikki tried again, and finally, Marinette released her transformation. Mullo appeared in a flash of pink but didn't say anything. Tikki kept darting her gaze from her holder to the kwami.
"What happened?" she asked after a short pause, but Marinette's head didn't emerge from her pillow.
"I messed up," finally muttered Marinette, followed by a loud growl. "I should never have listened to Alya! Please, next time I want to listen to her, tell me not to. Please, Tikki." She growled again. "If there's even ever going to be a next time!"
"Oh my," said Tikki. "What could've happened to cause such a reaction? You can't have lost my Miraculous to Papillombre or I wouldn't be here, so…"
"Why didn't you stop me, Tikki? You should've known that it wasn't a good idea for me to patrol as Multimouse."
"Marinette, I—" said Tikki, but Marinette interrupted her.
"You should've told me it was a bad idea, not to do it, especially not with Aspik!"
Tikki blinked. "Who?"
Marinette's face finally emerged from her pillow. She sat legs crossed on her mattress and wiped dry her wet eyes and cheeks. "Aspik. That's the name Adrien had chosen for his snake persona. Why didn't you tell me it was a bad idea?"
"I—"
Marinette cut her off again. "You knew he's Chat Noir!"
Tikki sucked her breath in and brought her tiny paws to her mouth, her eyes wide open. "Oh, dear…"
Marinette slouched her shoulders and deflated like a ragdoll. "You're not denying it. Shoot. So it's true." The girl looked at her kwami and saw how Tikki was biting her lower lip.
"I couldn't know you'd find out," tried to argue Tikki.
"It gets worse. He found out too…"
Tikki didn't say anything, she just stared.
"He left without a word, Tikki. He must hate me now." She flopped her body on the mattress, hugged her pillow and started sobbing.
Tikki flew closer and started gently tapping her hair. "You don't know that, Marinette."
But Marinette only groaned. "How can you say he doesn't? He ran away."
"Maybe he was shocked, like you!" argued Tikki.
"I didn't run away!"
Tikki sighed. "People react in different ways; you should know that. Maybe he just needs time to process?"
Marinette sighed. "It doesn't change the biggest issue. He knows. And I know too. We shouldn't know, Tikki!"
The little red kwami frowned. "I'm sorry. I didn't think it would happen, you usually don't talk much to him, I thought it would be safe!"
"What am I going to do now?"Marinette looked helplessly at her kwami, who gave her a sheepish smile and looked at Mullo, who looked back blankly.
"You shouldn't have lied like that, Guardian," said the little mouse, but such a statement didn't help Marinette at all.
"I know!" She cupped both hands to her cheeks and dragged her fingers downwards from just under her eyes. "I messed up. I…just didn't want him to figure me out and I ended up giving him all the clues that he needed, because he was Chat Noir so he knew perfectly well that he hadn't given me pointers and that I was lying to him. AND he knew who I was. I cut the worst figure I could ever cut in front of the boy I love. He must think I'm a big fat liar now, an—"
"Marinette! It can't be that bad. He must know that you lied because you were protecting your identity. I'm sure he did the same too." Tikki kept patting her tiny paw at the side of Marinette's head, trying to soothe her.
"Oh my God!" Marinette cringed and paled. "I dumped him in a rubbish bin. I rejected him dozens of times!" She grabbed Tikki's body and shook her absentmindedly. "Do you understand, Tikki? I dumped his million euro backside into a rubbish bin!" She brought her kwami's face close to hers and stared straight into her round, blue eyes. Then she let Tikki go and threw herself on top of her bed and sobbed.
"Now, now, Marinette, come on…I'm su—" started Tikki, but Marinette interrupted her in between her sobs.
"My life is over…" she mumbled in between her sobs. Then she shot her head up abruptly and stared at Tikki again, who zipped a little further away from her. "My life's really over, Tikki. He's Chat Noir. Which means that I can't be with him. I will never be able to be with him! Oh my God. Chat Blanc…that's how he knew." She threw herself again onto her bed and kept sobbing and sobbing.
Tikki exchanged looks with Mullo, but kept quiet, unsure of what to do, or what to say, to console her holder. If there even was anything that could console her, which Tikki somehow doubted very much. Eventually, Marinette cried herself to sleep.
To be Continued…
Author's Note:
Hello there! Here's chapter 2 of my Snekmouse story. Happy Easter everyone!
So…except if you're Lie-la in the Miraculous world lies seem to have no legs (but I'm sure that one day the lies will catch up even with her, and that day I'll take the popcorn out!). So…our heroes have lied a little too much for being safe! What do you think of the reveal?
Please let me know what you thought of this chapter in a comment. I really hope you liked it! I'm always open to a dialogue, I don't mind ANY type of feedback! To all of you who will write a review or a comment for this story, thank you so much! You always make my day! And especially now, I really need to see some support.
I'll update the Cheesy Situation next week so to know what will happen here you'll need to come back in a fortnight :)
As usual, if you read this and you're not part of our wonderful Discord server already, but you enjoy reading, writing and talking about Miraculous, please join our Discord server, Miraculous Fanworks (for people on FFN, discord dot gg slash mlfanworks). Also, I recently joined another wonderful server! Even this one is friendly and there's a lot of wonderful people to discuss Miraculous and fanfictions with, so…now you get two invites :D Miraculous Discordance /QwgKdUhJNJ (discord dot gg slash QwgKdUhJNJ). I wait for you in one of these servers :D
