Chapter Four: I Know Who You Are In Your Bones

A/N: A few things to get off my chest

1) Kudos to whoever figures out where the Ch 4 title was quoted from!

2)As always, reviews are always appreciated!

"I'm just saying Tikki. I told you how I felt I may be wrong about Chat Noir. He was really sweet last night." Marinette sighed. "My heart will always be for Adrien, but y'know, it's not totally out there…"

Tikki laughed nervously Oh no no no! Not like this!

Little did the two know, that they were being watched by none other, than Adrien himself.

"I can't believe the plan is working!" Adrien laughed in disbelief.

"Yeah, yeah she likes both sides of you." Plagg remarked. "Now what? I'm pretty sure she doesn't want a reveal at this very moment."

"All we can do is wait." Adrien said as he walked with his kwami to class.

"I'm gonna tell him!" Marinette exclaimed. "I am gonna tell Adrien that I like him!"

"If he doesn't know already from the multitude of pictures on your wall!" Alya teased.

"OH NO!" Marinette gasped. "Do you think he knows?"

As Marinette started to panic, Alya reassured her, "I'm just teasing, girl!"

As the two best friends began to come up with ways to confess Marinette's love to Adrien, the latter walked up to them.

"Oh, hey Alya! Hey Marinette!"

"A-Adrien?!" Marinette panicked, despite Alya's attempts to hold her laughter in.

"Well, uh Nino's calling me," Alya said, coming up with an excuse. "But Marinette has something to tell you, don't you?"

As Alya walked away, only to spy on from a distance, Marinette began to stutter, "I- uh have s-something to tell you. Uh like, Alya said.."

"Yeah? What is it?" Adrien smiled, anticipating the inevitible.

"I l-liiiii" Marinette mumbled. "I l-like y-youuuuuu"

"You like me?" Adrien gasped, faking shock.

"Y-yes.." Marinette said. "Unless you already like someone else! No wait, do you? I'm so sorry! I s-should have never said anything-"

"N-no, it's fine!" Adrien said. But Adrien's mental panic led to him blurting out stuff to Marinette, "I like someone el- no wait, I don- M'lad- no I like Ladyb- No you're the same pe- I wait!"

"It's f-fine. I g-get it. Everyone l-likes Ladyb-bug. I uh, forget I said anything.." Marinette squeaked before she walked away, with tears in her eyes.

As Adrien gawked in shock, at both Marinette's mental breakdown, and his carelessness, Plagg popped out, sympathetic. "Hey kid, you okay?"

"I can't believe I was so careless!" Adrien said, sorrowful. "I hurt her bad this time. I should go to her place and apologize."

"How do you know she wants to see you?" Plagg asked. "After all, she feels like it's her fault for making a mess of herself."

"I don't care, Plagg." Adrien rebutted. "I have to apologize to her! This is my fault."

"I can't believe it!" Marinette cried. "I made a fool of myself, and Adrien already likes someone else. He already likes…"

"Who?" Alya asked.

"LADYBUUuuuuuggg"

Alya immediately chased after her friend, after seeing her run away from the scene in tears.

"It's okay, Marinette. Adrien probably wasn't trying to hurt you. He just wanted you to know the truth so it wouldn't hurt more down the road." Alya said.

"I know, but I acted like a complete weirdo. In front of Adrien, no less!"

"I don't know if I could help you fix things, but I know from experience, that you'd want to be alone in your thoughts."

"Thank you Alya," Marinette hugged her friend, "I'll text you when I'm feeling better."

Tikki felt bad for her holder. I know Adrien knows, I just feel like he got nervous.

Only a few hours after Alya left, Marinette's mom called up to her.

"Marinette, I'm sending a friend upstairs!" Sabine Dupain-Cheng warned.

"Alya?" Marinette asked wearily.

"No." The hatch opened. "Me."

"Adrien?!" Marinette gasped, shocked.

"I'm sorry about earlier." Adrien apologized. "I didn't mean to offend you."

"O-offend? No! Never!" Marinette exclaimed. "You love Ladybug, and I shouldn't get in the way of that."

"N-no! I messed up. I meant to say," Adrien began. "That I l-like you too."

"You don't have to lie." Marinette smiled. "You like Ladybug.'

Oh no, I really messed up this time. Only one way to fix this.

"Marinette, I know your-"

A/N: And that's where we stop!

I have definitely messed up characterization by now... Anyways, stuttering Adrien is a mess...

And I'm all for it!

Bug Out!