Gina stopped a block before reaching Gilen's and transformed in an alley. After checking her breath and straightening her jean jacket, she rounded the corner, ready for whatever was about to happen.

Angie was sitting on the steps to Gilen's apartment. She was looking back and forth with a sour expression on her face.

Gina froze.

'I am not ready for this,' she thought as Angie locked eyes with her. The auburn-haired girl stood and straightened her sweater, and then started marching in Gina's direction.

"Shiiiiiit," Gina muttered to herself. She forced her legs to move her forward.

"Hey," Angie said, her voice terse. "I need to talk to you."

"Hey Angie," Gina said. "Um, look. I need to talk to Gil…"

"Who the Hell do you think you are?" Angie snapped. She got right in Gina's face.

Gina balked, but stood her ground. Angie was seething. "Excuse me?" Gina asked.

"He's not some toy on a shelf," Angie said. "He's a loving, kind person who cares about you, and he doesn't deserve to be left waiting day in and day out for you to remember that he's your boyfriend."

"Excuse you, but this isn't your business," Gina said in her best I'm-being-calm voice. "Things have been all over the place, and I came out here to talk to Gilen about it, not you."

"Well, you're gonna talk to me!" Angie half-shouted. "I liked you, you know that? I thought you were cool. I'd sit and listen to Gilen go on and on about how great you were and how awesome your family is, and I kept thinking he was lucky, you know that? I lost out to you and I thought it was for the best because he loves you!"

Gina backed up a bit, stunned. Angie pressed forward, still going on rage.

"Who ditches their guy for three weeks? I get being busy, having work, or, whatever that back there was, but for three weeks?"

"What are you talking about?" Gina asked, her voice not at all convincing.

"Don't play stupid with me," Angie said, her voice lower. "I heard the two of you. I know… That was you back there."

Gina looked away, but she didn't refute it.

Angie closed her eyes and took a breath. "I don't know what kind of stuff you're up to, but honestly? I don't care. If it's so important that you can't even call him, or spend time together, then why are you with him?"

Gina blinked and tried to find her voice.

"Because I love him," Gina said, a lot of the steel now gone from her voice. "He makes me feel wonderful, and loved, and worth something."

"I was his first friend," Angie said. "I was there for him when his father ditched. I sat by him in grade school. I learned Braille so I could help him with his work when we were eight. I was the first person to ever have him over for a sleepover, for a camp out, for everything. Every secret, every game… He was my first kiss. Did you even know that? He's…"

Angie locked up. She looked away and quickly wiped at her eyes. "I get that you like him, and I get that he makes you feel great about yourself, but if this is how things are going to be? Please just dump him and get it over with, okay? He doesn't deserve this."

"I didn't come here to dump him!" Gina snapped. "I've been trying to find him all night to talk to him and try to make things better, and when I did finally catch up to him, he was out with you!"

"Because I swung by and he was sad!" Angie countered. "I offered to listen to him, and he said yes! And you know what? He's miserable, Gina! He's depressed and lonely, and he's actually defending you about it!"

"Look," Gina growled. "The last few weeks have been insane. Work, school, um, other-work, all of it. A lot's been happening and I needed some time to deal with it, and it wasn't stuff I wanted to worry him with. That's all. I just… I was really hoping tonight would be a good chance to make up for all that."

Angie nodded. She closed her eyes and composed herself. "Okay, yeah, I get that. Now, you get this. I told you that if you couldn't take care of him, I would. I meant it, hero girl. I backed off because he genuinely liked you, but I'm not going to let him be led on. He deserves better than you."

"And you think that's you?" Gina asked.

Angie smirked. "I'm the one who took him out tonight. You're the one he tried to blast."

Gina flinched, partly because Angie's comment hurt, and partly because she had to stop herself from punching her out right there. Not because she was going too far, but because she was right.

Angie stepped around Gina and started walking away. "He probably already went to bed, so don't bother tonight. After what happened, I figured you'd come here. I didn't think you'd take this long to get here, but hey, at least you showed this time."

Gina didn't turn around. Her fists were clenched at her sides and she was shaking from anger and embarrassment. "He's, he's important to me," Gina said.

Angie stopped, but didn't turn around. "Then fucking act like it. One way or another."

Gina wiped at her eyes and grumbled to herself. She wanted to say a bunch of things back. In fact, she wanted to turn around and shove Angie into a wall, but it wouldn't have solved anything, and she knew it.

Gina looked at the dark windows of the apartment in front of her.

"Hey, Tikki?" Gina asked.

"Yes, Gina?" Tikki said from her pocket.

"Was she right?"

Tikki frowned. "She was, um, Gina, you do a lot, you know? Your heart is in the right place."

Gina nodded. "Ziggy?"

Ziggy was chewing on a cookie in her other pocket. He poked his head out, spit on the ground, and said, "Ya done screwed up, partner."

Gina sighed. "Yeah, I figured. Um," she glanced down. "Quick question. Am I gonna go insane if I have both of you on me?"

Tikki bit her lip. "You might want to take one of us off before too long. You won't go insane from two of us, but you will get a headache."

"Eh, I mean, I don't know I'd notice right now." Gina looked to Gilen's window. "Spots on."

Gina, now transformed as Ladybug, hopped to Gilen's window and gave it a gentle tug. It slid up, and she slipped in, closing it behind her.

"Gilen?" Gina whispered. "Are you up?"

The room was dark and quiet, with the only sounds being those of the city outside.

"I'm up."

Gina jumped a bit. Gilen sat up in bed and rubbed at his face. "Gina?"

"Hey," she said. She held her arm and stayed on the other side of the room, not sure if she was welcome. "Um, sorry. I know you, um, I know you had a rough night and, um…"

"It's okay," Gilen said in a small voice. "It happened again, didn't it?"

"Yeah," Gina said. "It did."

There was a pause growing between them.

"Hey," Gina said at last. "Um, I'm sorry for, um, for not being around much lately."

"It's okay," Gilen said with a soft smile. "I understand. You're busy, and you've got hero stuff. It's cool."

"It's not cool," Gina said. "I mean, I shouldn't be, um, I shouldn't be pushing you off. I've been a shit girlfriend."

"You've been fine," Gilen said.

"Gilen, you got akumatized tonight because of how I've been making you feel."

Gilen went quiet at that.

"I'm sorry I missed the concert," he said in a small voice. "I didn't mean to ditch you. I really thought you wouldn't come, and, I just wanted to be home, and…"

"Please don't apologize," Gina said. "This isn't your fault. I just… Things are a bit crazy right now, and they're gonna get a lot crazier, and I am so, so sorry I haven't been around, and I should be able to pick up a damn phone and…"

"Hey," Gilen said. "I could have called you, too."

"You weren't the one doing the ditching."

"But I could have reached out more."

"Please stop," Gina said, closing her eyes.

"Stop what?"

"Being like that!" Gina snapped. "You're just… Rolling over when I'm trying to take the blame!"

"I'm not rolling over," Gilen said, frowning. "It's not all yours to take."

"Yes, it is!"

"So, I shouldn't be trying to reach out to you?"

"You shouldn't be giving in every time something goes wrong with us!" Gina nearly yelled. She caught herself at the last minute. "You always…!"

"I always what?"

Gina stopped herself and took a breath. "Look, I know you don't… I know… The hero thing has always been a, um, kind of a wedge, I guess."

Gilen shifted in place. "I mean, I won't lie. Sometimes I'm jealous of what you're doing, the life you're living. That one time I got to help you was incredible, so, um, I get it? Who wouldn't want to feel like that all the time?"

"But that shouldn't be an excuse for not being there in a relationship!" Gina said. "I…

"You're here now," Gilen pointed out.

"Gil," Gina said in a defeated voice. "When you were the akuma, you were letting everything you had pent up out at me. You told me, um, a lot." Gina's voice dropped to a whisper. "A whole lot."

"Gina?" Gilen asked, concerned. "What, um, what did I say?"

Gina took a deep breath. "You're… You were right. I've treated you poorly."

"You haven't tr…"

"Stop," Gina begged. "Please, just stop, okay? I have. I've ignored you because I took you for granted. I assumed you would just be there waiting when I was done, and that's… You shouldn't be on pause while I'm out living my life. That's, that's not a relationship."

"Gina, what are you saying?"

Gina took a breath and felt a sob coming on. She bit it back and did her best to keep her voice level. "I think… I think we should take a break. From being boyfriend and girlfriend."

'What are you doing?' Gina's mind screamed at her. 'What the ever-loving fuck are you doing?!'

Gina steadied herself and closed her eyes.

'I'm thinking things through for once,' she told herself. 'Fuck everything, I can't… I can't do this to him anymore.'

Gilen slumped. Gina could see his emotions rolling across his face and felt her heart breaking. "I'm sorry, but… Things aren't going to change. They're only going to get worse in the immediate future, and I can't have you waiting for me, because I know you will, and you… You don't… You don't deserve to be treated like that."

"Even if I don't mind?" Gilen asked.

"You do mind," Gina said. "You just told me so. Loudly. And, and honestly, I mind, okay? I can't… You deserve someone who will put you first, you know? And I'm… I can't do that right now."

Gina felt a sob escape her. She put her hands to her face and grit her teeth. "I am so sorry. I love you so, so much, but I can't keep doing this to you. And, and I know you'll just let me because, because you love me, and I love you, and that's why I can't…"

"Gina, please don't do this," Gilen begged. He stood and started to walk to her, but Gina stepped back.

"Don't," she said. "If you come over here, I don't know if I'll be able to… I have to go."

"Gina, please wait," Gilen said. "Look, we've got some problems, I admit that, but we also care about one another, and we both recognize what's happening. We should be able to work though this! Please. Please don't go." Gilen stood, his head down. "Stay with me tonight. We can work out the rest in the morning."

Gina looked at him. He looked hurt, confused… Broken. She shook her head and forced herself to turn around and open the window. "I can't," she choked out. "If I do, it won't change things. I can't stop doing this, but, but I can stop doing it to you."

"So, that's it then? That's what we're worth? Not even trying?"

Gina stopped herself from punching the wall beside her. "I've been trying, and I'm sucking spectacularly at it. Maybe… Maybe you deserve someone who doesn't have to try. You deserve someone who will put you first."

"I don't care about what I deserve. I want you. Isn't that enough?"

Gina looked back at him. "If it was, none of this would've happened. I…" Gina closed her eyes. "I love you, and I'm sorry."

"I love you, too," Gilen said back, his voice barely audible.

Gina forced herself to turn away.

Gilen waited until her felt the breeze from his window again. He walked to it and put his hand on the ledge, feeling the breeze from the city blow over him as he started to weep.

He collapsed to his knees, resting his face against the crook of his arm on his windowsill. Outside, the only noises he could hear were those of the city below.

Notes:

It only occured to me after re-reading this that aside from the kwamis, every single character in this chapter is an OC. That's how attached I've gotten to these kids.