Marinette just ran, unsure where she was going or what she wanted. Finally she stopped a couple blocks away and sat on a bench she came across, burying her face in her hands. Tikki poked her head out of her purse, her expression concerned.
"I don't know what to do, Tikki!" Marinette was crying now, "Adrien loves me! Or at least, I'm pretty sure he does… But he hurt me, I don't know how I can trust him again…"
Her kwami watched her with sad eyes, searching for comforting words, but holding her peace for the moment as Marinette worked through her feelings.
"Then there's Cat Noir," she went on, "He's always been there for me, and I know he loves me, but now I feel like he's trying to push me away! I thought being Ladybug was supposed to make me lucky…"
"Oh," Tikki reached her tiny arm out of the purse, patting her reassuringly on the hip, which was all she could reach, "You just need more time to think about it. I think you're moving too fast right now. If you slow down, I'm sure everything will become clear!"
"Thanks," Marinette peeked between her fingers at the kwami, "I wish I had your optimism."
Tikki giggled and gave Marinette a big smile. Marinette couldn't help but be cheered – at least a bit – by the kwami's confidence.
"You're right," Marinette said, wiping away her tears and taking a deep breath, "I just need time to digest everything. Right now… I feel like it's too much."
"There you go!" Tikki cheered, "Now let's get some dinner, I'm hungry!"
Laughing, Marinette picked herself up and headed back home.
Adrien didn't move from the bench, not for a while. He had already missed two phone calls, probably from the gorilla, but he didn't care.
"Plagg," Adrien said to the kwami hiding in his jacket pocket, "Did I say the right thing?"
The kwami flew out and materialized in front of him, his green eyes a bright beacon as he considered his owner.
"Beats me," Plagg shrugged, "Humans are weird creatures."
"Thanks," Adrien sighed. Why did I even bother to ask him?
Plagg's expression seemed to soften as he regarded Adrien, who's sadness was one of the few things that could get the little kwami to take things even a little bit seriously. "Hey, at least now you know she still loves you, right?" Plagg said helpfully.
"Yeah," Adrien nodded, "And that means, there's still a chance." Adrien cheered up a bit now. Yes, he had hurt Marinette, and of course it was hard for her to recover from that, but she did still care about him. She still loves me, Adrien was realizing, and I love her, so we're in love! He felt excited at the thought, not daring to think it before, we'll overcome any other obstacles in the way. Somehow, we will get through this, and finally be together!
"Come on, Plagg," Adrien opened the flap of his jacket, feeling renewed confidence for the first time in weeks. He ran up the stairs to find the gorilla while grinning and whispering to himself, "We're in love."