Adrien

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" I pounded my fist into the wall while Plaag polished off his camembert.

"Haven't we already agreed on that?" Plagg asked.

"How could I have kissed Marinette? Why would she let me kiss her?"

He flew in front of me. "Aren't you forgetting that she's the one who kissed you?"

My eyes widened as I remembered the kiss in full. Marinette initiated it. She was the one who kissed Cat Noir. But, why would she do that? If she loved Adrien as much as she claimed she did, why would she kiss Cat Noir? Did she know who I was? How could she know? I thought back to all the times I came to her as Cat Noir. I didn't think anything I said could've tipped her off. Maybe she didn't know, and maybe she was falling for Cat Noir.

Or using Cat Noir to replace Adrien.

A rush of hurt coursed through my veins. She said she loved Adrien. How could she have kissed Cat Noir if she loved him? And, if Adrien came back, would she kick Cat Noir to the curb?

Hurt turned to anger as I punched the wall again, my breaths coming out rapidly. If running away wasn't enough to make Hawkmoth want to akumatize me, what would this do?

I had to pull myself together, for everyone's sake. I couldn't risk becoming another of Hawkmoth's growing list of victims. No matter how much I was hurting, I couldn't let it show.

Leaning against the wall, I tried to collect myself. Everything was so messed up I couldn't see straight. It felt so good to be in Marinette's arms, but she could've been using Cat Noir to replace Adrien and I couldn't ignore that. It also felt good to be in Ladybug's arms, but she never returned Cat Noir's affection. And if on the longshot Marinette was Ladybug, what was she doing to me?

"Things wouldn't be so complicated if you just quit running from everything," Plagg said. "Fess up to Marinette. Fess up to Ladybug. All your problems will go away."

I snorted. "That won't answer my questions. Why Marinette kissed Cat Noir. Why I have feelings for Marinette and Ladybug." Why they only loved Adrien . . . .

I looked to my kwami. "Plagg, claws out."

Within a moment, I was covered by the familiar black leather, but suddenly it didn't give me the sense of freedom and belonging that it usually did. I shoved the thought aside.

I wasn't ready to sleep yet, and I wasn't sure if I could tonight anyway. So, I decided to do an impromptu patrol. I lept across the city, enjoying the feel of the brisk air against my face. Though, suddenly it wasn't as satisfying at it usually was. Thoughts of Ladybug and Marinette filled my mind, and before long, I could feel the tears stinging at my eyes.

I came to a halt on top of a building. The tears blurred my vision too much to continue.

Without warning, the transformation came undone. I jolted. The only time I knew of that happening was when I tried to sleep while transformed.

Plagg flew out in front of me. "This needs to stop. You're trying to use Cat Noir to escape your problems, but your problems are going to catch up to you sooner or later. Cat Noir can't fix Adrien's problems. You can only fix them as yourself."

"And Cat Noir's problems?" I asked.

"Cat Noir can fix them," he said. "You're having an identity crisis. You need to separate Adrien from Cat Noir."

"I get that now." I hung my head.

When he spoke again, his voice was gentler than usual, "It's happened to plenty of Ladybugs and Cat Noirs over the years. You're not the first to go through this. We just need to stop it before it gets worse."

I stared down at my hands. How could I have let it go so far? I would have to face Marinette as Adrien, and Ladybug as Cat Noir, and confess. They would both hate me. Marinette especially. At least Ladybug had seen me as Adrien, so she would've worried a little less. My only saving grace would be if my lady turned out to be my princess, but I wasn't the lucky one in this partnership.

"So, what do you need to do?" Plagg asked, snapping me from my thoughts.

I looked to him. "Cat Noir needs to talk to Marinette. I can't just show up as Adrien. Cat Noir should also be the one who tells Ladybug."

"And what are we doing about the love square?"

I rubbed the back of my neck. "I don't know. I need to ask Marinette something."

"Good. We got a plan started."

"Can I transform now?"

He nodded. "As long as we're not running."

"Plagg, claws out."

Black leather covered me once more. I would give myself tonight to come up with a real action plan. One that wouldn't result in Marinette and Ladybug hating me.

Marinette

When I transformed into Ladybug, I didn't follow Cat Noir.

I just wanted to think while the wind whipped at my face. His kiss lingered on my lips, and I could still remember the way he snuggled against me. My heart pounded as I thought about the broken boy, and I just needed to get out of my room before I started crying again.

For once, luck wasn't on my side. As I leapt onto a rooftop, I found Adrien in the middle of transforming.

He didn't know I was there, and I debated on revealing myself or not. It didn't matter because he turned around.

His green eyes fixed on mine. "You know, don't you?"

"Know what, Cat Noir?"

"Who I am." his hands clenched.

"I just got here. I saw nothing." Approaching him, I placed my hands on his shoulders. "What's wrong?"

He crossed his arms. "I . . . Let a girl kiss me."

My hands stopped. "Oh? Do you like her?"

He shrugged, not looking at me. "She loves someone else."

"Oh."

He sat on the edge, and I sat beside him. "It was wrong for me to kiss her, anyway. I keep making a giant mess of everything."

My heart sunk. He thought our kiss was a mistake? "Why do you say that?"

"Because I'm in love with you," he said. "And unless she turns out to be you, I feel like I'm cheating her." He shook his head. "But she can't be you. You would never kiss me. "

"But I already did."

Surprise lit up his face. "What do you mean?"

"I broke Dark Cupid's spell by kissing you, " I said. "I never told you because I didn't want to encourage you."

He pulled his knees up to his face. "You did it because you had to. You wouldn't kiss me willingly."

I placed my hand on his shoulder. "Cat Noir, where is this coming from?"

"I'm tired of falling for girls who don't love me back," he said. "You . . . Marinette . . . Both of you love Adrien Agreste."

I swallowed hard. "What do you have against him so much?"

"I'm just sick of competing with him," he said, sighing.

Ironically, I used to have the same problem as Marinette. Adrien had a crush on Ladybug and so did Cat Noir, but in this whole experience, I could tell Adrien really was developing feelings for my civilian self, and Cat Noir confirmed it. But, Cat Noir was his version of Marinette. While chasing Adrien, I had neglected my poor kitten's feelings, and it didn't matter if he was Adrien, just like it didn't matter that I was Ladybug. It hurt to feel like the people you loved only loved one side of you, and until recently I had known how that felt.

I wrapped my arms around him. "I don't prefer Adrien to you, Cat Noir."

He looked to me, startled.

"You're my partner," I continued. "Sometimes your puns aren't too bad and actually make me want to laugh. I can always count on you to have my back." I looked away. "All those hits you took for me . . . I never thanked you properly. I don't think I would be alive if it wasn't for you, so thank you."

He stared into the night, not looking at me. "So why do you love Adrien? Why not me? How many hits has he taken for you?"

I found myself unable to answer. After learning his identity, I did start to feel something for the cat, But before that, I didn't feel much besides friendship.

"I don't know," I finally said.

He frowned. "Do you know who I am?"

"What do you mean?" I had a feeling I knew, but I wanted him to say it.

"Do you know who I am, under the mask?" His voice rose.

My heart pounded. Should I tell him now? I could've just gotten everything out in the open now and ended this.

I looked away, tears stinging at my eyes. "We can't know each other's identity."

"You're not answering my question."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I don't know. I don't want to know."

He looked down. "Would you tell your identity to . . . Someone you were in love with?"

I looked at him, taken aback by the despair in his eyes.

"It . . . Depends," I said. "Why?"

His kitty ears fell slack. "I-I want to tell her who I am. But I'm afraid she'll be angry when she finds out."

"Why would she be? If this girl really loves you, she won't be mad."

He turned away. "I don't know if she does. I'm worried . . . She's using me to replace someone else."

"What . . . What makes you think that?" My heart plummeted. How could he think that?

"She tells me she loves him. She misses him. Then, she kisses me. What else am I supposed to think?"

That she knows your secret. "Cat Noir, do you love her?"

He sighed. "I don't know. Part of me wonders if I'm doing the same to her because I still have feelings for you."

My chest tightened. Of course. Adrien still loved Ladybug. It shouldn't have bothered me, but it did. If I was no longer Ladybug, he wouldn't love me at all, whereas if he wasn't Cat Noir, I would still love him.

I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly wanting to be far away from here.

"Don't use her to substitute me," I said. "Don't play games with her."

He nodded. "I won't."

"I need to go," I said. "I'll see you soon."

I took off, leaving him behind. Tears stung at my eyes as I bounded from house to house. I was so dumb. How did I think Marinette could ever compete with Ladybug?

I made it back to my room and released my transformation.

I shrunk against the wall, burying my head in my knees. Tikki touched my shoulder.

"Marinette, let's talk about this."

"You don't know how much that hurt, Tikki."

"I know, but what are you going to do?"

"I don't know," I said. "He loves Ladybug. How am I supposed to compete with her?"

"But, Marinette, you are Ladybug," she said. "He's only confused about his feelings because he doesn't know you're her."

"And how could he think I'm using him as an Adrien replacement?"

She sighed. "Would you have kissed him if he wasn't Adrien?"

"I don't know, but I love both sides of his coin," I said. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have kissed him." I wouldn't have continued to pursue him, period, if I didn't feel something for Cat Noir.

"Just get some sleep. I'm sure he'll be back tomorrow and you can talk to him then."

I pulled myself off the floor and lay on my bed, though I highly doubted I would be able to sleep. "You're right. Goodnight, Tikki."

Adrien

That night, I didn't sleep.

Thoughts of Ladybug and Marinette taunted me all night. The more I thought about it, the more I could see it. Marinette had to be Ladybug. It was the only logical explanation for anything.

I should've followed Ladybug, but I couldn't bring myself to. I would just have to keep prying.

I bounded from roof to roof. It was after 4 AM, but I wanted to be close to Marinette. I made my way to her balcony and peaked inside. The room was dark, but with my night vision I could clearly make out her sleeping figure. "Plagg, claws in."

My transformation faded. Suddenly, I was Adrien, watching Marinette sleep. If she woke up right now, how would she react?

"If they turn out to be different people, I think Marinette is the best choice," Plagg said. "At least she seems to like you as you and Cat Noir."

I frowned, catching sight of myself in the glass of her door. Marinette was the easy option. If she wasn't Ladybug, then she was a civilian, and an incredible one at that. I tried so hard in the beginning just to be her friend. I never took that much interest in someone else besides Ladybug. And, she cared about me more than I ever imagined.

I turned away, looking at the ground. If Marinette turned out not to be Ladybug, would I be able to let go of my feelings for her and focus solely on Marinette? Ladybug would still be my partner, and I wasn't sure if I would be able to let go that easily. Could I just give up my feelings for Marinette and just continue to pursue Ladybug? That wouldn't work, either. She didn't love Cat Noir. Only Adrien.

I slid against the door, raking my hand through my hair. Tonight was going to be a long night.

Thanks for reading! Next chapter is going to have a bit of a "bonus" scene. I originally wasn't going to use the kwamis' povs, but after writing this chapter, I'm itching to write a scene from Plagg's POV, so I'm going to attempt it. The official confrontation of the love square is also upon us.