Wow, I'm getting even worse at updating. At least this chapter is a bit longer than the rest?

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Alya eyed Marinette and Adrien. She had tried her best to wheedle the information out of the former, but her best friend still refused to talk about what had happened between her and Adrien the other day. Nino was having the same luck with Adrien.

It was all so frustrating.

Now, observing them in class, she could see even more reasons to be both worried and curious.

For one, Marinette wasn't gazing at the back of Adrien's head like she usually did. Her eyes were on him, yes, but she seemed sad, worried, hopeful, and overall depressed.

As for Adrien, he wasn't laser-focused on his work, which was quite unusual for him. In fact, he kept staring off into space and occasionally stealing a glance at Marinette when she wasn't looking.

The bell finally rang, signaling the end of class. Alya huffed as Marinette ran out, probably just to avoid more questions.

"I have some designs to work on!" She called to Alya, though it was obviously a lie.

Adrien followed suit, saying something about his schedule being packed, and Nino just shook his head at Alya as if to say, Yeah, they're crazy. As usual.

• • •

Evening came, and Marinette was getting more nervous by the second. Adrien I'm-Cat-Noir Agreste still hadn't talked to her, and she was beginning to doubt his promise to Ladybug. He had made no attempt to talk to her after school, but then again, he was busy. Always busy. But, still...

"Where is he?" Marinette mumbled to herself. It would just be so much better if we could get this over with, she added silently as she left her room and went up to her balcony.

She sat down, different thoughts occupying her mind. Mainly, If he isn't going to talk to me now, he won't do it today. It's already getting late.

Marinette shifted her position on her chair to make herself more comfortable. She looked at the Paris skyline and noticed something jumping from rooftop to rooftop.

Suddenly she wanted to take back her wish that they could "get it over with."

Cat Noir landed on a rooftop nearby. She waited, but he seemed hesitant and didn't come any closer.

She waited some more.

He still didn't move.

Waiting.

No movement.

Waiting.

Still no other movement.

No longer able to hold to hold it in, Marinette called out, "I can see you, Cat Noir."

Adrien-no, Cat Noir thought Marinette, resting the urge to laugh maniacally at it all - landed on her balcony, looking a bit sheepish.

"Hey." He said, avoiding looking her in the eye.

"Hey." Marinette responded, staring determinedly at her pot of flowers nearby.

For a minute, no one spoke.

Then, they both said, "I'm sorry!"

"Please don't hate me!" They both pleaded.

Then, confused, the two teenagers asked each other (at the same time, of course, I love this gag), "Why would I hate you?"

In spite of herself, Marinette laughed. Cat Noir stared at her for a moment, then started chuckling too.

Feeling a bit better, she asked him, "Do you want to come inside? So, you know, no one overhears?"

Cat Noir nodded, still smiling, and let Marinette lead him inside.

Noticing the superhero glancing nervously at the trapdoor leading downstairs as he entered, she said, "Don't worry. My parents are asleep, and nothing can wake them up as soon as they get a chance to sleep." And it was hard to hear conversations from inside her room, which was very useful when talking to Tikki. Of course, she didn't tell Cat Noir that. It was bad enough she knew his identity; who knows what could happen if he found at hers?

Pushing the thought out of her mind, she "casually" looked around the room for any sign of Tikki. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, Marinette nodded with satisfaction. If she couldn't see her, Cat Noir couldn't, and she wasn't worried about where she was. She knew she could call on her kwami if need be, and sweet, wonderful, loyal Tikki would be there.

Marinette sat down and saw Cat Noir looking around the room. Thank goodness she had had the foresight to take down her pictures, posters, and magazines with Adrien on the cover. And her computer screen. All of it was safely hidden.

Cat Noir looked back at her, and her confidence crumbled. Nope, nope, nope, she couldn't do this, it was too much.

But she had to.

Taking a deep breath, she said, "I'm sorry"

Cat Noir opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, she continued on, as if trying to get it all out of her system.

"I was an idiot, I know, I wasn't thinking straight, I'm just worried about what might happen, but I should never have been so mean, I'm sorry, I'm a bad friend, I would understand if you hated me and" she squeezed her eyes shut "I'm just so, so sorry. I never meant to hurt you or yell at you and I hate myself so, so much right now."

And she did. Cat Noir could see that. He wanted to comfort his friend, but, again, before he could, Marinette started up again, as if sensing he wanted to speak.

"It was never right to scold you like that, and I truly am sorry. I don't deserve your friendship, or your lo-"

She stopped, knowing that if she let the word love slip out, then he might figure out that she was Ladybug. Not Marinette, she reminded herself bitterly, a bit surprised that the idea of Cat Noir not loving both sides of her was terrible to her. He certainly loved Ladybug.

She had always tried to play it off. Pretend she didn't know that the flirting was more than just that, flirting.

Pretend she didn't want to return it.

Pretend she was annoyed when in reality parts of her were squealing in happiness.

But she couldn't do that to Adrien. She couldn't do that to Cat Noir. It wasn't fair to either of them.

But now they were the same person.

Now she could allow herself to love both of them.

But she couldn't.

Cat Noir only loves Ladybug, Marinette told herself again, a bit more forcefully this time. Ladybug, not Marinette. Now get your head out of the clouds and back into reality.

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, continued on to Cat Noir. "I'm just tired of not being able to talk to you at school like we used to." Ha. I was more of a blabbering mess. "But I understand if you never want to talk to me again. I just don't want things to be so tense."

Cat Noir gaped at her for a moment. Then, wordlessly, he enveloped her in a hug.