Not Alone: A Miraculous Ladybug Story

Chapter 10

 Chat bounded into the plaza, smile bright on his face, and Ladybug secretly hoped that she was the source. Well, that Marinette-her was the source, not Ladybug-her. Again, complicated.

"Hello, M'Lady," Chat practically skipped over to her, impulsively kissing her cheek. She pushed him away; half-heartedly because she was silently thrilled inside.

"What's gotten into you, Kitty?" She prayed the blush rising to her cheeks was not too obvious under her mask.

"Just happy to see you," Chat continued to smile at her. She smiled softly at him but was conflicted inwardly as she realized he was acting this way towards Ladybug-her. She had started to think that maybe he was starting to return her feelings as Marinette, but here he was flirting with Ladybug. Had she completely misread the last few days? This afternoon?

A crash sounded again, and the young girl who had been akumatised walked towards them, creating havoc in her wake. Some kind of earthquake power? she wondered and turned to Chat to share her suspicions when his expression brought her up short and reminded her of the letter they had discovered that afternoon. Looking back at the victim, she come to a realization. Adrien's dad is causing all this? No, she corrected herself quickly, Hawkmoth is being blackmailed into this.

She reached out and grabbed Chat's hand, squeezing tightly.

"Let's do this."

He squeezed back, and still liked they ran forward into battle.

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Once the akuma had been cleansed and the victim--who with supreme originality had called herself "Earth Shaker"--was returned to her normal self, Chat and Ladybug did their usual post-battle routine.

"Pound it!" they fist-bumped.

Just as she turned to swing away, Chat called her.

"Mar--M'Lady," he quickly covered for himself. She looked at him expectantly, showing no signs of noticing his slip. "Erm, thanks. For telling Marinette, that is." he carefully studied her face for a reaction, but got nothing.

"Of course, mon chaton." She replied with a smile. "I hope it's been helpful. Having someone there. To talk to." She hesitated, wanting to know how he felt about Marinette, but not wanting to push.

"She's been great. She's amazing," he whispered, almost to himself, and her heart skipped a beat. He looked at her, and for a moment, she felt her mask disappear.

Then her earrings beeped in warning, and she looked away first.

"Gotta fly!" she was suddenly eager to escape his penetrating gaze. "See you for patrol tonight!" She swung her yoyo off into the distance and disappeared before his very eyes.

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Ladybug was screaming internally. She played it cool, and mentally gave herself a pat on the back for her performance, but honestly didn't know how much longer she could be close to Adrien, knowing both his identities, but still hiding her own secret. She thought she was getting closer to telling him, the closer they became as Adrien and Marinette, but then Chat's flirtation with Ladybug today threw her off. But then again, when she asked him about Marinette, he responded with so much emotion. She was smiling just thinking about it.

She dropped onto her balcony and released her transformation. Tikki floated in front of her face, a secretive smile on the tiny red goddess' face.

"Chat was pawfully friendly today," she said with a smirk.

"Oh god, not you too," she groaned, dropping onto her bed with a flop and absentmindedly cuddling the oversized cat pillow.

"I'm just teasing," she squeaked and flew over to settle on the bed in front of Marinette's face.

"Are you going to tell him?"

"I think I have to. I feel like I'm living a torn life," she laughed without humor. "I thought I almost heard him call me Marinette today. I would have responded, too!"

Tikki remained silent. She'd heard Chat start to say Marinette as well. Perhaps she'd overestimated the boy's obliviousness. She was pretty sure he'd figured it out but was waiting for Marinette to reveal her identity willingly.

"Do you think maybe he knows? You have been spending an awful amount of time together recently. Maybe he's figured it out now that he knows you better."

Marinette sat up in a panic, eyes wide as she looked over at Tikki.

"Or maybe he doesn't!" Tikki added hastily, trying to calm the girl. "Would it really be the worst thing though?"

"No," Marinette admitted. "It's just," she paused, hesitant to admit it out loud. "I'm in love with him, Tikki." She stated finally, and with more certainty than she'd expected from herself. Feeling freed by admitting it to someone else, she continued. "I'm in love with Adrien and I'm in love with Chat. I love all of him. I think I pushed Chat off for so long only because Adrien existed and I was already so infatuated with him, but knowing that he's Chat too...It makes it so much more real. He isn't just the cute boy with somewhat sad eyes that always makes me smile and stutter over my words, but the man I trust with my life, day in and day out in battle. He's my best friend and partner, who tells horrible puns, that I secretly love, at the most inappropriate of moments, and he has my back no matter what, just as much as I have his. He's my perfect balance."

Marinette stopped, startled by her own admission. She looked at Tikki and saw tears in the kwami's eyes.

"Oh Marinette, you have to tell him."

"But what if it's not me? What if it's just Ladybug he feels that way for?"

"He doesn't," Tikki said with so much conviction, Marinette's insecurities almost vanished. "But if he does, then at least you'll know," she finished softly.