Lost Miraculous

part 10

It was about midday and Marinette and Chat Noir were hanging out, playing games and generally spending time together. Marinettes parents were out for the weekend so they had the house to themselves.

"Mari, shouldnt we be trying to find out how to get your miraculous back?", asked Chat Noir.
Marinette sighed.
"I wouldn't be of much use in my civilian form. I fear that hawkmoth would overpower us", she replied sadly.
Chat Noir shook his head.
"Who's going to save Paris if your alter ego is gone?", he said angrily, looking up from the board game they were playing.
Marinette nodded. She knew he was right but she was also scared of seeing hawkmoths lair again. It was her prison and she didn't want to have to go there a second time.
Chat could read the fear in her eyes.
"Mari, i know you're scared. I am too. But we can get through it together. Board games aren't going to get back ladybug."

Marinette looked down to her lap.
"You miss her don't you", she said sadly.
Chat Noir shook his head.
"You are her. You're the same person. The only problem is whether Paris is safe!"
Marinette shook her head.
"You love ladybug! Just admit it. You want her back because you love her."

Chat Noir bashed his fist on the floor.
"Stop changing the Damn subject! It's not all about you!", he shouted. "Why can't you just trust me?!"

Marinette said nothing. She carried on looking down.
Chat lifted up her chin with his finger gently, forcing her to look in his eyes. They were full of hurt and regret.
"Chat Noir I-I...I just feel like you don't- I don't know. It just feels wrong, somehow.", she said, her eyes filling up with tears.
Chat took his hand away from her face.
He looked back down.
"You love someone else anyway. So it doesn't matter what I feel", he said, giving up.

Marinette didn't know what to say. Of course she loved someone else: Adrien. But Adrien seemed so distant right now and they had never really become very close in the first place. But there was something about Adrien, something familiar that she couldn't shake. A feeling of trust and belonging.
The only other person she felt this with was Chat Noir.
So why couldn't she get over Adrien? If she had feelings for Chat, were they that similar people?
Chat Noir spoke.
"I can tell who you like just by looking at your bed room walls. You don't exactly hide it", he said.
Upon hearing this, Marinette stood up.
She went all around her room, taking all the pictures of Adrien and collecting them in her arms until there was no trace of him left in her room. She then put all of these into a small drawer.
Sitting back down, she exclaimed, "there! All done. Now I could like anyone."

Chat Noir smiled.
"Even me?"
"Even you.", said Marinette firmly.

"Well, why not like me then?", said Chat Noir.

"Because you love ladybug.", she replied.
"Is there anything I can do to prove myself?", he asked sadly.
Marinette thought for a moment.
"Maaaybeee....", she said slowly.

Chat Noir leaned forward and kissed her very lightly on her mouth.
"That ok?"
Marinette laughed.
"For now, kitty. For now. But now we make plans to find my miraculous."

"Deal!"

They worked together for next few hours, evaluating what they already knew and coming up with theories and plans. It was going well until they heard a knocking at the door.
Marinette got up, stretching her tired limbs.
So far, they wrote down the coordinates of the painting of Emilie Agreste, drew a plan of Gabriel's house and wrote down all the possibilities where Marinettes miraculous might be hidden. It had taken much longer than expected.

She opened her door to see a trembling boy, a few years older than her carrying a pile of pizza boxes. He wore a pair of glasses which he pushed up every few seconds as they were constantly slipping down his sweaty nose.
"Y-you're pi-pizza miss.", he stuttered, shaking uncontrollably. Marinette frowned. She hadn't ordered a pizza.