Now, I bet you're wondering about that criminal I mentioned earlier. Not to worry, we'll get to him soon. It's now around lunchtime, the day where everything went wrong.

Adrien was on his way to the bakery, as he had been buzzing in his seat ever since this morning.

"Dude, where are you going?" Nino asked, grabbing his arm.

"To Marinette." He answered, plainly. "I have to talk to her."

"Dude…let it go. You dodged a bullet. Good thing she got caught now instead of when she's sitting in a tree outside your house."

Adrien frowned at his best friend. "Wait…you believe Lila?"

"Why wouldn't I? You heard what Marinette said…all the things she's done."

"But she said she didn't do it."

"And you believe her?"

"She's never given me a reason not to…she's never given you a reason not to either."

"But—"

"Lila, on the other hand, has lied. About a few things. Especially about knowing Ladybug."

"But she does know Ladybug. It was on the Ladyblog."

Adrien rolled his eyes. "Yeah, because she lied to Alya, and Alya didn't check her sources!"

"How do you know she was lying?"

"Ladybug told me. She was extremely mad about it too. Ladybug claimed she had never met Lila, and hated it when people lied. It was…a little extreme, to be honest, but as someone who hates being used as a ticket of association, I understood."

"Wait…when did that happen?"

"Back when Lila first moved here. Like…two years ago?" This was added sheepishly.

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?"

"Because after Ladybug called her out, she was akumatized. I…I didn't want that to happen again." He sighed. "Still, she was akumatized again later, as Chameleon? That day I had told her that she didn't need to lie to make friends. I remember her saying, specifically, 'oh, so you're going to lecture me just like Ladybug?' She just got really defensive and nasty. Even though I was nothing but nice to her."

"That's…that's freaky. I thought she was the sweetest person."

"She's been in contact with my father too. He thinks we're best friends, but I tell him that I don't think we should trust her. He never listens."

"Shocker."

Adrien chuckled. "Yeah, true. Still…I didn't want to get involved, but I have to now. I know Marinette wouldn't do this."

"Dude, you don't think she'll tell your dad, do you?"

"Oh god I hope not."

"Better get in contact with your lawyer."

"No kidding. I just…I just hope she doesn't get akumatized again."

Nino slugged an arm around his shoulder. "Dude, you're a really nice guy, but sometimes your priorities are off."

"Yeah yeah. Look, I told Marinette to just take the high road because I assumed Lila would get caught in her own web. But…she didn't. She caught everyone else instead. And now Marinette is probably the one about to get akumatized."

"What are you planning on saying to her? You don't like her like that."

"No…but I don't hate her, and I definitely don't mind that she likes me. I'll just invite her for some ice cream, and then we'll go from there."

"You're a good guy. Better man than me."

"You just…pass along what I told you to Alya, and we'll call it even."

—

Marinette had fallen asleep, thankfully, and didn't have to wrestle with her inner turmoil. She awoke, her eyes opening, as she looked across the room. She didn't move much else.

"Hi," said Tikki, softly. "Feel any better?"

"A little numb. Like…it was all a bad dream." But looking at the state of chaos in her room, she could tell it wasn't. It was all too real. "Adrien knows I'm in love with him…that I…I stalked him."

"You didn't stalk him." Tikki reminded, gently. "You were obsessed, but you stayed a healthy distance. You never broke into his house."

"The birthday party?"

"You forgot to sign a card. That's hardly a crime."

Marinette smiled shortly. "Still…I learned my lesson."

"You're not at fault here, Marinette. Lila lied. You've taken the high road, just like Adrien suggested, and your hands are clean. You only told the truth. Adrien believes you, and that's all that matters. Let's just…let's just see where this goes."

Marinette sighed. "I wish it was the weekend."

"Well, your mom seemed pretty cool with it. She'll probably let you stay home for a few days."

"Marinette? Are you awake?" Called her mom's voice from below.

"Kinda." She groaned.

"You have a guest."

She frowned. Her mom wouldn't have even let Lila into the bakery at least. "Have they come to grovel?"

"If that's what I need to do to talk to you, I will." Adrien's voice answered.

She was so startled she fell off the settee, her feet tangled in the blanket. "Shit."

The hatch opened, and Adrien came in. "Are you ok—oh..."

Marinette scrambled, sitting on the floor. "I...I wasn't expecting—you didn't have to...I'm okay!"

He looked meaningfully around the room, noticing the paper crumbled everywhere, and corners still stuck to the walls. "I don't think you are."

She grabbed a picture off the floor. It was ripped, and crumbled already. "It's nothing against you...it's the pictures themselves I'm mad at."

He sat down daintily on the settee, as she remained on the floor.

"I never wanted you to find out like this."

"Of course not."

"I just...I don't know who to be mad at. Lila, obviously for making up that story, but...I made it very easy for her to do so." She crumbled the picture into a ball, and threw it to the trash can, missing.

"Can...can I confess something embarrassing?" Adrien asked, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder.

"Do you have a near stalker-ish crush on someone?"

He was silent, then, "...yeah, and it might be worse than yours."

She turned and looked at him through her lashes. "How could you possibly be worse?"

He sighed. "Because I don't know who she is."

Marinette sputtered. "W-What?!"

"To be fair, I'm pretty sure everyone has a crush on her. It's Ladybug."

She wanted to laugh. A big laugh, that went on and on. A laugh that turned into a sob, because of course this would happen to her.

A laugh at the irony that he loved her, but not her. And probably never would.

Instead, she just managed out, "oh really?"

"Yeah...from nearly the beginning. I have all her action figures, posters, comic books...I leapt on the chance to voice Chat Noir in the movie. She's saved me a few times, but whenever I talk to her, I just...I melt. Sort of...like you do, when you talk to me."

"Did you ever steal her phone to delete an embarrassing voicemail?"

"Well, no—"

"Then you're not as bad. I think your crush is on par with...a fan girl loving her favorite band member."

Adrien wanted to protest, to argue that no, it wasn't like that at all. But it would be impossible to explain that without outing himself as Chat Noir. So he just shrugged. "Well, if you say so. You are the expert after all."

She groaned, her head flopping on the settee. "Gee thanks."

He laughed, and then stood, starting to pick up the photos.

"Oh, you don't have too!" She placed her hand on the floor, making to get up.

"It's fine, I don't mind. You're having a rough day anyways."

She sighed, falling to her rear.

"So..." he began, conversationally. "How long?"

"What?"

"How long have you loved me?"

She blushed. "You're not supposed to ask things like that."

"But I did."

She glared at him, while he giddily smiled back.

"Fine...you remember that day you gave me your umbrella?"

"No...oh wait! You mean all the way back then?!"

"Yeah..."

"Marinette! Why didn't you say anything?!"

"I tried too! I just—I just got nervous. And then...ugh. The second I look into your gorgeous eyes, all thought flies out of my head. Then I'm just stuck standing there with 'I'm talking to Adrien, I'm going to say something wrong, he'll hate me forever' on repeat in my head."

"You're not doing that now."

"...I have nothing to be embarrassed about anymore. You know everything." She exhaled deeply. "So, when are you going to start never talking to me again?"

Adrien laughed, not because it was funny, but because she said it so nonchalant. "I'm not going to stop talking to you. You're one of my best friends. I don't mind you being...eccentric."

"Nice word for it."

"Look, Marinette, I'm a celebrity. I get idolized and objectified by fans all the time. Pictures and posters don't bother me. Knowing my schedule? Thank god someone does. Making my favorite macaron to give to me? Awesome. I would eat it every time. Stealing my phone? Eh, a little extreme, but you gave it back instead of trying to sell it on eBay. These things are pretty typical for me, which is why I didn't notice it sooner. You want to know the sure-fire way to get me to never talk to you again?"

"Take pictures of you changing in the locker room?" She asked with a smirk.

"Worse. Mail me your dirty underwear."

"What! Ew! That's so gross!"

"It's happened more than once. I think they think I'll smell their pheromones and insta-love them."

"That's insane! I promise I'll never do that! Even if you ask me too!"

He laughed. "Then we'll be just fine. I promise."

"Good," she smiled back.

"And one other thing," he rubbed the back of his neck. "You said you found a love letter I wrote and responded to it."

"Yeah, I did. But I never signed the card. Regretted that one for a long time."

"What was it like?"

She flapped her lips like a horse, "boy, that was...that was like two years ago. I wrote it on a little pink heart. Something like...Your hair shines like the sun, your eyes are gorgeous green..."

"I look at you and wonder your innermost thoughts and dreams. Yes, your Valentine I will be, our love will be so true, together for eternity, my heart belongs to you." He finished.

"Yeah...that's the one."

"I loved it. I read it like, everyday for a year. It's still sitting on my desk."

Her eyes became misty as she sniffed.

Adrien stacked all the pictures he had gathered on her desk, then sat on the floor across from her, taking her hands in his. "Marinette...you are an amazing girl. You're sweet, kind, funny, and just...an amazing person. I don't...I don't feel the same way about you, as you do for me...but I wish I did. I don't deserve to be loved by someone like you."

She looked downwards. "Adrien..."

"These next few days are going to be hard. But I promise you, I'll actually support you. Not like I did today..."

"You couldn't do anything today," she assured. "Lila made sure you couldn't. You don't have to beat yourself up over that."

"Okay," he squeezed her hands. "I told Nino that I knew she was lying, and I think he believed me. I'll do my best to convince everyone else."

"Thank you...you really are too good for me."

He shook his head. "I'd say you're too good for all of them." Then he reached forward and pulled her into a hug.

She sighed deeply, inhaling his cologne and resting her cheek against his chest. He was warm and soft, and she actually began to relax.

"Marinette…?" He seemed to remember something else.

"Hmm?"

"Before you left this morning, you said something to Lila that's been bothering me. You said, she went through with her threat? Did she really threaten you?"

Marinette pulled away, skirting her hands down his arms to take hold of his hands. "Promise you'll believe me?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"Because she comes off as so sweet all the time…back when…she had returned to school, and we all switched seats around."

"I remember. That was like…two years ago?"

"Something like that. Anyway, I kept trying to call her out on her lies, and everyone just kept blowing it off as jealousy."

"Jealousy of what? I wasn't giving her that much attention."

"Jealousy that she had friends, I guess?" She huffed. "Anyway, I was upset, and went into the bathroom. She followed me in there, and I told her that she would slip up and everyone would see her lies. She turned a 180, and threatened to turn all my friends against me, and take you away from me…not that you were mine in the first place…"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

She shrugged. "You told me to take the high road."

"Yeah, but I didn't know she was outright threatening you. That changes things!"

"What do you mean?"

He offered a smile, "look, you don't worry about anything right at this moment, okay? You just…keep being beautiful."

She made a soft little, "oh."

"We'll get through this. As a team."

"Partners?"

"Partners."