If it was even possible, Marinette had gotten awkwarder around Adrien. She refused to look him in the eyes, say more than two words to him, or even walk next to him in the halls. Alya didn't understand how her friend had regressed so much. She thought Marinette had gotten more confident around her crush, but her nerves were so high around Adrien now you'd think they were nemeses.
Alya needed Marinette to toughen up, especially since Adrien needed them right now. Nino had confided in her that Adrien was acting really oddly, going through deeply sad periods and snapping out at the smallest things. His bro had only told him that he had a falling out with another friend, but Nino knew there was more to that. Having Marinette abandon Adrien too just because she liked him was not what either of them needed.
So, Alya and Nino decided to play matchmaker. They swapped seats in Madame Bustier's class so that Adrien and Marinette were seated next to each other. They asked them out on double dates to romantic movies. Alya and Nino had straight up locked them in a closet together during a field trip to the Louvre but Marinette still wouldn't say a word!
Alya knew Marinette was going through a lot as Ladybug right now, especially with Paon, but she couldn't help her if Marinette wouldn't let her. Alya wanted to respect her space and decision to keep that secret, but not when it started to hurt her other friends at this extreme level. Marinette wouldn't explain why she had frozen up so often, and had even ripped all of Adrien's photos down and thrown them in the trash.
It was in the middle of one of Alya's routine naggings that Marinette took off as Ladybug for "patrol." Not that she had any set times for it anymore, given it wasn't like she was meeting her partner.
Marinette couldn't explain to her best friend why she couldn't support Adrien the same way; Paon was right, it was wrong of her to force his identity out of him that way. Telling Alya would just make it worse. She had sunk to the same level as Buginette and Mayura manipulating Chat Noir all those months ago.
She hadn't begun to process that Adrien was in love with Ladybug. Although she doubted he was anymore after she pulled that stunt. Had Adrien really friend-zoned her for her alter-ego? It would have been almost cute if it wasn't revealed in the worst way possible.
Ladybug and Adrien could have had a nice, sweet relationship, and it wasn't like Chat Noir was still around to compete for her affections anyways. Maybe she would have swung to his window for dates, visited movie premieres as a couple, and gotten Andre's ice cream together on the bridge…
"What are you doing here?" A voice shot at her from inside, snapping her out of her daydream. Oh god. There she was, sitting on top of Adrien's windowsill, while the boy she was in love with but now supposed to hate glared at her from below. He made a shooing motion, as if she was a stray cat.
Oh, now she missed her partner in crime. She wished Chat Noir was here to take her out of this humiliating situation.
"Just, hear me out," she asked, turning to face him. He snorted, and slammed the window.
She left before he could see her tears.
_
"Plagg, what was that?" Adrien whisper-screamed at his Kwami, who for an all-powerful being of destruction looked awfully nervous. Adrien fidgeted with his ring that forced Plagg close at all times. Despite his protests, Plagg hadn't had the chance to see or talk to Ladybug - at least, until he almost shot out of Adrien's room just now.
"I need to meet with Tikki's holder to understand what's going on. You're fighting on the same side as Hawkmoth, for cheese' sake!"
"I did, Plagg. And she rejected me, manipulated me, used me, like she always did and always does. She doesn't want to save Paris. She just wants to keep her own superhero status."
"I thought you loved her."
"And where did that get me?"
"I get that you're hurt. I, too, have had the finest, most delicious piece of Camembert turn sour. I still mourn the loss of that cheesy goodness, the taste of -"
"Will you shut up about your stupid Camembert?"
Silence hung in the room. Adrien wasn't wrong to interrupt - Plagg would have gone on for hours about his cheese if he hadn't - but it was still the first time Adrien had yelled at his Kwami. At anyone, really.
Much to Adrien's surprise though, Plagg's mouth zipped. Despite his muffles, the Kwami physically could not speak. Adrien stared at his ring. He hadn't even known he had this sort of power before.
He liked it a lot more than he wanted to admit. If only he could use it on his father, or on Ladybug.
"I can't convince you not to go to her, can I? Convince you not to take the miraculous and leave."
Plagg shook his head. The kwami still couldn't speak, but it was probably for the better that Adrien didn't hear what Plagg was thinking.
"Don't you trust me? I'm doing the right thing." Adrien's nose stiffened, and his voice cracked as he tried not to cry. Ladybug betrayed him, Marinette hated him, and now Plagg didn't believe in him anymore.
He twisted off his ring in one smooth motion.
"Plagg, I renounce you."
Plagg sucked back into the ring, his face twisted. Adrien stuck the ring in Plagg's stash of cheeses. It seemed fitting, after all.
Duusu flew out from behind a corner.
"Master," she said shakily, "are you sure that was a good idea?"
"No," Adrien answered honestly. He already missed the company of his original Kwami. "But I had to do it. He left me no choice."
He glanced at the cat miraculous' hiding spot.
"No choice," he repeated to himself. All of this, he had to do it, for the sake of his mother, his father, all of Paris.
He just hadn't wanted all of this.